Syabas, says Anwar

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today paid tribute to the Pakatan Rakyat election machinery and the voters in Penanti for the victory of PKR candidate Mansor Othman.

MCPX

“In the past 14 months, the voters have faced an election three times (including his own parliamentary constituency of Permatang Pauh).

“Despite this, they have not wavered from supporting Pakatan Rakyat’s agenda for change. The results show that ‘justice’ is still supported by the people,” he said.

Anwar also commended the people of Penanti for “making the right choice” in endorsing Mansor as their representative and the future deputy chief minister of Penang.

“Hopefully, he will honour the trust they have placed in him by working hard to serve the people,” he added.

Speaking to reporters at the counting centre later, Anwar said despite the low voter turnout, it was still a ‘convincing’ victory.

“I feel proud with the result we achieved. Although we faced the challenge of independent candidates, we still managed a commendable win,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mansor said he is looking forward to serve the people.

“I will seek guidance from my two leaders, Anwar and (Penang Chief Minister Lim) Guan Eng,” he said thanking all Pakatan leaders and supporters.

Lim said he will recommend Mansor as deputy chief minister I and will be sworn in on Wednesday.

“I welcome the fact that a capable leader with excellent academic qualification will assist me in governing the state,” he added.

Nai Khan disappointed

Meanwhile independent candidate Nai Khan Ari said he was disappointed with his defeat, especially as he had to lose his deposit.

“If not, I can treat my supporter to eat. I now only can use lesser budget to treat them,” he told reporters at the polling centre.

He said that he had expected to win in Teluk Wang and Sungai Lembu. In the final tally, he had come behind Mansor in these two areas as well.

The former Penang Gerakan youth leader was however glad that he had raised so issues in his campaign, especially on matters relating to poverty and the lack of basic amenities in Teluk Wang.

“I hope the federal and state governments will look after these people,” he said.

He also made it clear that he will not be rejoining Gerakan and will remain an independent so that he can freely voice out his opinion.

Dr Mansor wins with 5,558 majority

7.20pm: OFFICIAL RESULTS Mansor wins the seat by garnering 6,052 votes. His nearest rival is Nai Khan with 494, followed by Aminah with 392. Kamarul obtained 56 votes.

Mansor’s majority is 5,558 votes. All three independents lost their deposits.

The win for Mansor – after a series of three previous electoral defeats – now opens the door for him to be appointed as the Penang deputy chief minister (1).

A blog entry by DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, whose son Guan Eng is the chief minister, said that Mansor will be sworn in on Wednesday.

Only 7,100 people cast their votes in what is clearly a historic low turnout – standing at only 46.15 percent. There were a total of 15,384 registered voters in the constituency.

Nai Khan had done very well in two polling areas – Teluk Wang which has many Thai residents and Sungai Lembu, a Gerakan stronghold.

Nai Khan is the first Thai descendant to contest in an election in Malaysia. He is also a former Penang Gerakan Youth leader.

In Teluk Wang, Nai Khan obtained 154 votes as opposed to Mansor’s 180, Aminah, 21, and Kamarul, 1.

In Sungai Lembu, Nai Khan garnered 102 votes, coming behind Mansor’s 258. Aminah and Kamarul gained two votes each.

Aminah did well in the Malay areas of Mengkuang, Kuala Mengkuang and Guar Perahu.

She also won the battle for the postal votes by getting 12, followed by Kamarul, 7, Mansor, 2, and Nai Khan, 0.

7.13pm: Mansor leading with 6,266 votes against Aminah (390), Nai Khan Ari (534) and Kamarul (48).

7.05pm: Mansor has now raced to a 4,980-vote majority. He has garnered 5,309 votes while Aminah has 329, Nai Khan (301) and Kamarul (44).

6.50pm: The independents are now looking at losing their deposits paid to the Election Commission.

While Mansor is surging away with 4,289 votes, Aminah, Nai Khan and Kamarul are rooted at 258, 273 and 26 votes respectively.

6.45pm: Mansor now has 3,431 votes. Nai Khan has overtaken Aminah by polling 243, with the latter garnering 223. Kamarul has 24 votes.

Mansor’s majority is now 3,188 votes.

6.35pm: UNOFFICIAL PKR’s Mansor Othman wins the Penanti state seat. He obtained 3,222 votes while Aminah Abdullah got 180, Nai Khan Ari (235), Kamarul Ramizu Idris (24).

The total number of votes counted so far stands at 3,661 and with only 7,100 people voting, it is mathematically impossible for the rest to overtake him now.

6.30pm: With about 40 percent of votes counted so far – PKR’s Mansor Othman (2,964), Aminah Abdullah (178), Nai Khan Ari (133), Kamarul Ramizu Idris (22).

6.25pm: PKR’s Mansor Othman (2,517), Aminah Abdullah (153), Nai Khan Ari (71), Kamarul Ramizu Idris (20).

Mansor’s majority right now is 2,364 votes, beating the 2,219 majority achieved by PKR in the 2008 general election.

6.20pm: PKR’s Mansor Othman (2,089), Aminah Abdullah (114), Nai Khan Ari (63), Kamarul Ramizu Idris (16).

6.15pm: PKR’s Mansor Othman (1,863), Aminah Abdullah (100), Nai Khan Ari (62), Kamarul Ramizu Idris (14).

Counting took place in 10 polling districts – Guar Perahu, Kuala Mengkuang, Telok Wang, Mengkuang, Sungai Lembu, Penanti, Kubang Ulu, Sungai Semambu, Tanah Liat and Berapit Road. Mkini

Gobi Investigated by cops: cops tried to stop Gobi from talking about Perak crisis, Altantuya, jibby Altantuya & his husband, rosmah

Anwar slams gov’t for PKFZ wastage and economic recession

By Anwar Ibrahim

The administration’s lackadaisical approach to governance and accountability is deeply disturbing.

At a time when Malaysian’s are forced to cut costs and worry if their hard earned money will cover the next month’s bills, our government continues to pour billions in taxpayer money down the drain.

The government’s neither-here-nor-there approach to the PKFZ scandal is a clear sign of UMNOs unwillingness to sacrifice its own delinquent members for the sake of the national good.

The handling of the PKFZ affair amplifies the hypocrisy which was manifest in the investigations into money politics within UMNO and the selective persecution of foes of the new Najib administration.

The government has bragged that billions have been disbursed from the two fiscal stimulus packages. Yet there is virtually no information available to the public about the process of awarding tenders.

We are left to assume that it is business as usual and have little confidence that the economy will benefit from the misappropriation of these funds that are being channeled to the same coterie of crony companies.

Inefficiency and largesse remain the prevailing traits of our bloated bureaucracy. Government monopolies preclude any significant change in the economic landscape of the nation and promises of liberalisation ring hollow when it comes to the lack of political will to implement change.

To date there is no plan in sight to resuscitate the economy and transform it as the Prime Minister has promised.  We hear from him incoherent statements predicting a recovery by the end of the year while at the same time admitting that our economy is beholden to that of the US and Europe, which by their own account will remain weak into 2010.

Bank Negara has this week confirmed what most Malaysians have known already for eight months, save the Minister of Finance. The country is headed for recession.

Thousands of jobs have already been lost and in the coming months we know that more factories will be shuttered and more will be laid off – by some estimates up to a half-million people. 2009 growth figures have been slashed to -5%, the worst economic scenario Malaysia has faced since the Financial Crisis.

These challenges require visionary leadership and the courage to act decisively against corruption and cronyism. Sadly both qualities are lacking in the current administration.

[Anwar Ibrahim is the Opposition Leader and de-facto head of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition] SK

Saifuddin: EC flip-flop

LIVE COVERAGE: It’s polling day for Penanti!

By SK English News

7.15pm Official Results PKR’s Mansor 6,052, Aminah Abdullah 392, Nai Khan 494, Kamarul 56. [Suara Keadilan closes its live coverage here. We will revert to normal format for further updates and thank all readers for their support.]

7.00pm Pakatan workers at the main counting centre are becoming excited at the prospect of a sweeping win. They have been working round-the-clock for days and were initially alarmed by the weak voter turnout, but it looks like all’s well ends well.

6.50pm PKR’s Mansor 4,289, Aminah Abdullah 258, Nai Khan 273, Kamarul 26. 6.35pm PKR’s Mansor 3,222, Aminah Abdullah 180, Nai Khan 235, Kamarul 24.

6.30pm Mansor Othman surging ahead with 2,964 votes, Aminah Abdullah 178, Nai Khan Ari 133, Kamarul Ramizu Idris 22.

6.25pm Unofficial count has PKR’s Mansor leaing with 2,517 votes, Aminah 153, Nai 71 and Kamarul 20.

6.00pm In an immediate response PKR’s Saifuddin expressed satisfaction, saying the turnout while lower than expected confirmed that the Pakatan’s core support was intact. In 2008, the coalition’s popular support in the seat was 47 percent versus the Umno’s 33 percent.

“So if you add today’s turnout of 46 percent to Umno’s 33 percent, you get about 80 percent which is not far from the 82 percent turnout of 2008.

“Take into account all the scare tactics by the Umno-BN even though they didn’t contest but you can see it is evident in the eleventh hour police questioning of our leaders like Kit Siang and Gobala.

“Of of course, not all the 46 percent turnout today belongs to the Pakatan, but as long as we have above 40 percent, we have managed to progressed despite all odds,” Saifuddin told Suara Keadilan.

5.30pm According to the EC, as at 5pm, the turnout was 46.15 percent, or 7,100 out of 15,384 voters had cast their votes at the nine polling stations spread across Penanti. Vote counting has begun and the results expected to be announced only after 8 pm.

5.00pm Polling closes. A quiet but busy day for main competitor, the Pakatan Rakyat. As expected, the low voter turnout feared by the coalition left its mark on the contest, but thanks to its hardcore supporters there, Pakatan leaders are confident of a thumping win.

4.30pm According to the EC, as at 4pm the turnout was 44.36 percent, or 6,824 out of 15,384 voters had cast their votes at the nine polling stations. 4.00pm PKR election director Saifuddin Nasution is confident of approaching the 7,000 target by5pm.

“If we obtain around that level, we are extremely happy. It would prove that despite all the efforts by the Umno-BN to dislodge us, we have not lost our core voter support. In fact, despite knowing we would win anyway, they still came to stand up for us. Now, that speaks volumes – not just how they feel about us but also very tellingly, how they feel about the Umno-BN.”

3.45pm According to the EC, as 3pm the turnout was 42.2 percent 6,492 out of 15,384 voters had cast their votes at the nine polling stations.

3.30pm PKR election director Saifuddin Nasution is confident that Pakatan candidate Mansor had bagged at least 75 percent of all votes cast so far.

Based on the 2pm turnout of 5,964, this roughly translates to 4,500 PKR votes, which means, it needs only another 2,500 votes until 5pm to hit its internal target of 7,000 votes.

The PKR had been assured of victory right from the start because Penanti is part of Anwar’s Permatang Pauh stronghold.

3.15pm Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin, who like Mansor was a former political secretary to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, is hopeful for another 20 to 25 percent in the next few hours to 5pm. However he cautioned this was provided it did not rain. The Pakatan had days ago announced it expected a weak turnout of 55 to 60 percent, lower than the 70 percent forecast by the EC.

“After going to the ground, we found that everyone was sure we would win. That’s why we factored complacency very heavily into our calculations and erred on the side of caution. So, provided the weather holds out, if in the next three hours till 5 pm, we get another 20 to 25 percent turnout, that would be great,” said Sim.

3.00pm The smiles are back in the Pakatan camp after an early scare. Thanks to efforts by party workers and their strategists, a lunch-time surge in turnout has put the their forecast for retaining the 7,000-odd votes it obtained in 2008 back on track.

“It’s better now and we continue to hope for the best,” PKR candidate Mansor Othman told Suara Keadilan.

2.45pm Pakatan leaders admit they wished turnout was higher but point out that – provided the latest EC numbers were reliable – then they are likely to meet expectations.

Given that Umno’s 5,000-odd supporters have been instructed to boycott the balloting, the numbers that were being hit were in line with Pakatan expectations of achieving 7,000 votes – the same number it had achieved in the 2008 general election. This was of course on the assumption that the majority of those who voted so far were Pakatan supporters.

2.30pm According to the EC, the voter turnout at 2pm was 38.8 percent, with 5,964 out of 15,384 having turned out to cast their votes

12.15pm According to the EC, the voter turnout at 12noon was 26 percent, with 4,000 out of 15,384 having turned out to cast their votes. [Suara Keadilan will take a break for lunch now. Be back soon!]

12.00pm Perhaps in line with lunchtime, more voters have continued to arrive at the polling centres. But the overall situation is still quiet.

11.45am The number of voters strolling into the polling centres has perked noticeably, but the overall number is still sluggish. Pakatan officials remain concerned especially as rain has been forecast in the afternoon by the Meteorological Department.

11.30am According to EC, voter turnout at 11am is 23.5 percent, or 3,590 out of 15,384 voters.

11.15am It has been easy for police to maintain order throughout the morning. In fact, with the police outnumbering voters, their presence has become intimidating. So far, there have been no untoward incidents worth mentioning. However, with the EC irregularities over missing voter names, PM Najib may not need to create any physical ruckus to keep Pakatan supporters away from the polling booths.

10.55am PKR candidate Mansor says he is surprised at the EC’s data, saying that on-the-ground reports showed the response was lesser than the EC’s 14.6 percent turnout by 10am. “I am concerned,” he told Suara Keadilan.

10.40am Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has arrived at the Berapit polling station. 10.37am Just released data from the EC shows that up to 10am, 2,252 voters have cast their ballots representing a 14.6 percent turnout.

10.30am Complaints to the EC chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof of missing names from the electoral roll appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

Visiting the Tanah Liat polling station, he said the voter response was encouraging and is sticking to his forecast for a 70 percent turnout.

10.00am As to be expected, the increasingly controversial Election Commission has done it again, by transferring out voters to another state seat at the last moment.

PKR’s Mansor says 8 voters have complained to him. Guan Eng, who was with Mansor, has chided the EC for its unprofessional conduct.

9.45am By avoiding Penanti, PM Najib had hoped to avoid the political consequences of yet another electoral loss after losing in four of the past five by-elections. However, it is doubtful he has succeeded given the keen interest shown by Penanti folk at the ceramahs held by the Pakatan. According to PKR officials, many clamored to hear about the Perak crisis and of course the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder-and-commission scandal, apart from the near term economic prospects for the country.

9.25am PKR candidate Mansor Othman visited Berapit polling station with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang in tow.

9.20am The weather is still holding out but the Meteorological Department expects rain and thunder storms later in the morning and drizzles in the afternoon.

9.15am Nai Khan, who was denied permission to hold a press conference after casting his vote, has left the polling centre with his supporters.

9.00am Polling is taking place at 8 schools and 1 community hall. Voters are starting to file in steadily though with little fanfare. Which makes crowd control easier and the overall mood more pleasant for those who prefer a less noisy and quarrelsome environment.

8.50am Mansor, who revealed a 5-point plan to Penanti voters, will be appointed Deputy Chief Minister (I) of Penang, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim repeated in a message to Penanti folk.

8.45am PKR strategic affairs director Tian Chua expects Pakatan to garner 80 percent of votes from the town areas, but 50-50 in the interior areas, where the bulk of Umno supporters are based.

8.40am Police still outnumbering voters at the polling station. Though still thin, voters are filing in.

8.35am Despite eleventh hour scare tactics from the police, who hauled up Pakatan Rakyat leaders Lim Kit Siang and N Gobalakrishnan over speeches they made at Penanti ceramahs, PKR expects to retain the same level of voter support of 7,000 that it obtained in the 2008 general elction.

At that time, Umno had secured 5,000 votes but because of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s decision to skip this time, the party has instructed its supporters not to cast their ballots. Free trips to northern border towns have already been organised to ferry them out of town!

8.30am Voter turnout, the greatest concern for the PKR, is still thin. Nevertheless, party leaders expect the momentum to pick up a little later.

8.25am  Apart from Nai Khan, none of the other candidates are entitled to vote today. He is already at the polling centre waiting to cast his vote. Nevertheless, they are expected to show up later although any last-minute campaigning is strictly prohibited.

8.20am  There are some new ground rules set by the Election Commission for this by-election. For example, no ‘pondok panas’ or voter-service stops are allowed within 50m of the polling statiuon. Election watchdog, Mafrel, has been complaining they are allowed to station only 8 observers although there are 32 polling streams.

8.15am  According the EC, there are 15,384 registered voters include 24 postal ones at Penanti. There are also nine polling station, with 32 polling streams.

8.10am  Police presence is light and despite the reduced razzle-dazzle with Umno skipping the contest, there is still an an of expectancy. The weather is fine so far and the mood cheerful.

8.05am  The town area is still quiet, with the bulk of voters expected to come out only a little later. Most are still enjoying their breakfast.

8.00am  Voting has flagged off in Penanti, with PKR’s Mansor Othman facing three Independents – Aminah Abdullah, Nai Khan and Kamarul Ramizu.

A slow start in Penanti

The Penanti state-seat by-election kicked off at 8am this morning to a slow start.

Eye-witnesses told Malaysiakini that not many voters have come out to vote when polling opened this morning.

However it is still early in the day and the 15,384 voters have until 5pm to cast their ballot.

The early voters have largely been senior citizens.

The atmosphere near the polling centres have also been reported to be very calm. Not many party flags were visible. The police are however maintaining a watch at these centres.

The only political party to contest in this by-election, PKR, has set up polling booths at the polling centres despite a ban on such booths by the Election Commission.

And even at their centres, the handful of PKR workers are only checking the voters’ list for potential voters. There are no last-minute campaigning being undertaken by them.

The three independent candidates however did not have any presence at the polling centres to woo voters.

The contest sees PKR’s Mansor Othman fighting against independents Aminah Abdullah, Nai Khan Ari and Kamarul Ramizu Idris for the seat.

Nai Khan casted his vote at the Dewan Orang Ramai dan Tadika Tun Sardon at about 8.49am. He was accompanied by about five supporters.

His attempt to hold a press conference outside the polling centre after casting his vote was stopped by the police.

Nai is the only candidate who will be voting today. The others are voters in other areas.

Mansor meanwhile was making his rounds since voting started. He had gathered at the party’s operations centre with other leaders and undertook a visit to all polling centres.

Likewise, other Pakatan leader, including Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang too had been visiting polling centres.

Umno rejects boycott claims

Traditional contestants Umno have opted to sit out of this by-election but their shadow looms large despite their action.

PKR leaders have claimed – and lodged a police report yesterday – that Umno was urging its members to boycott the by-election.

This was however denied by the Umno’s state deputy chief Zainal Abidin Osman.

“We have never forced our members not to cast their votes in the by-election. It is up to them to use their discretion to make the right decision,” he had said.

He also rejected claims that the party would be taking its members in Penanti for a holiday in Thailand today.

PKR’s Batu Maung state assemblyperson Abdul Malik Kassim however was confident that record number of voters would come out to vote today.

He also said that PKR’s candidate Mansor will win with a record majority.

Official results are expected to be announced by 8.30pm although unofficially it could be known as early as 6.30pm.

The EC is expecting a voter turnout of about 70 percent.

The commission is also testing out a pilot project in this by-election by enforcing the prohibition on campaigning on polling day, including preventing those contesting from canvassing for votes or erecting polling booths.

The Meteorological Department had said that it expected rain and thunder storms in the morning and ‘shower rain’ in the afternoon.

And the state police chief Ayub Yaakub meanwhile warned supporters against organising a victory parade when the result was announced. Mkini

Yale man gets set for Penang DCM job

By Lee Wei Lian

PENANTI, May 30 — Barring a stunning upset Dr Mansor Othman, PKR’s candidate in the Penanti by-election, is set to become a state representative and will go on to take the Penang deputy chief minister’s post (DCM), a post reserved for a Malay leader from PKR.

Expectations that it would be a quiet campaign without the Barisan Nasional (BN), however, was smashed by former PKR leader-turned-independent candidate Aminah Abdullah, who accused his party of offering inducements to withdraw from the race or rejoin the party.

The story made the front page of many newspapers and, some say, added a bit of colour to the by-election.

Mansor, a former Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) researcher who holds two degrees from the Ivy League Yale University in the US, was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his whirlwind schedule that starts at dawn and ends at midnight to answer questions from The Malaysian Insider.

Perhaps affected by the media coverage of the Aminah tape, or simply exhausted from campaigning, Mansor appears more guarded now than during the start of the campaign where he seemed much more relaxed after a trouble-free nomination process.

The Yale graduate, who has a master of arts and a master of philosophy in political science, was eager to talk about his vast research experience at USM but was less enthusiastic when asked about Aminah and his answers occasionally trail off into awkward silences, although it could merely be his style of interviewing or perhaps he was trying to signal that the interview should end quickly.

“OK, anything else?” he asks after being asked about the Aminah tape. “The difficult question don’t want to answer,” he adds with a laugh.

He says he has not had time in his packed schedule to listen to Aminah’s audio recording of two PKR men allegedly trying to bribe her. He also denies that the two men, supreme council member Cheah Kah Peng and Penang state exco Law Choo Kiang’s aide Peter Lim, had talked to him about Aminah’s withdrawal or about her rejoining the party.

“Other people tell me that Aminah says I am a weak and ineffective leader,” he said in a slightly disapproving tone. “I think people can judge who is Aminah and who is Mansor.”

The Kedah-born politician, who moved to Penang 30 years ago, quit as dean of the USM’s social science research centre to become Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary.

When Anwar was arrested and jailed in 1998, Mansor became one of the founding members of PKR, then known as Keadilan.

He is most proud of his research for government agencies on topics such as microcredit programmes and land administration, in addition to other areas like housing policies and local government.

But with such a scholarly background, how does he find the often murky world of politics?

“I think I can cope, I think so,” he replied. “Doing research I was always on the move, like now in politics. The difference is, there we are doing political research and here we are dealing with voters.”

Does he miss research?

“I am still doing research for the party.”

What was his biggest challenge while campaigning?

“Reaching out to the people is a challenging job. But this is not new to me since I did research into community development. And I love doing it. I love doing projects that benefit people.”

What did voters tell him on the campaign trail?

It’s very encouraging. Voters — they really want good service. They want people to visit and listen to their problems and issues and solve them. It’s very much service oriented.”

Since it is likely he will be DCM, is he looking forward to the DCM job?

“Yes I am.” MI

The Day of Reckoning finally arrives at Penanti!

By Wong Choon Mei

Good Morning. As Penanti folk get ready to go to the ballot boxes, Pakatan Rakyat leaders especially PKR candidate Mansor Othman are praying hard that the weather will be clement and conducive for voters to get safely to the polling stations.

Ironically, the Penanti contest has become famous because of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s decision to boycott it. Fearing another politically damaging loss after losing in four of the past five by-elections, the embattled Najib had hoped to avoid a fresh round of bad publicity by skipping Penanti.

Yet the opposite has happened, thanks in part to the relentless police crackdowns on dissenters who criticised his handling of the government, his power grab in Perak state, as well as his personal scandal in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder-and-commission case.

“What really surprised me is not that the police are investigating a police report lodged against me for sedition and criminal defamation, but that the police report was lodged by the police itself,” said Pakatan’s Lim Kit Siang.

The DAP adviser, who was among leaders hauled up over speeches they made at Penanti. Kit Siang had accused Najib of sparking the political turmoil in Perak.
.
“If my speech is defamatory of Najib’s character and reputation, why is the Prime Minister not instituting civil legal proceedings to clear his name and secure just compensation from me? When did the Police acquire the new task of protecting the reputation or lack of reputation of Barisan Nasional leaders in government?”

Billed as a referendum on Najib’s first 60 days in office, Penanti will now certainly be the mirror that reflects how Malaysians feel about their newly-anointed PM, who took over on Apr 3.

PKR expects roughly the same number of votes as 2008, fearful of low voter turnout

Meanwhile, the Pakatan is confident that it can maintain its support level despite strong chances for a poor voter turnout, which will disadvantage it.

Already, Umno has asked its 5,000-odd Penanti supporters not to vote. Free trips to northern border shopping-and-sex towns have been organized to ferry them safely away from town today.

“We expect to maintain the same 7,000 support level,” said Tian Chua, PKR strategic affairs director.

“In town centres, I am predicting 80 percent support rate, while in the interior areas where the populace is predominantly Malay, support might be 50-50. However, if Umno boycotts, the majority will add in our favour.”

Mansor, a former university don who has become a popular figure with his humble ways despite his double-barreled qualifications, is facing three high-spirited Independents.

The most prominent of these are the by-now notorious Aminah Abdullah, who spiced up the by-election with shocking revelations that she had been bribed by two PKR officials not to contest. The party has denied the accusations and proceeded to sue her.

Nai Khan, the newly-resigned Gerakan Youth chief from Teluk Wang branch, and last but not least, Kamarul Ramizu, who entered but lost in the Bukit Gantang polls last month, have also spent long hours working the ground at Penanti.

However, with the Pakatan machinery behind him, Mansor is expected to win. He will succeed Fairus Khairuddin, the former Penang deputy chief minister (I), who quit the seat last month.

Fairus won in the 2008 general election by a majority of 2,219 votes. He polled 7,346 votes against Umno’s Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid’s 5,127.

Penanti is a small constituency of 15,384 voters, including 24 postal balloters. It is located on mainland Penang, with padi fields, rubber and palm oil plantations dotting the landscape of little villages and a smattering of commercial activities.

It is also a core Malay heartland, another reason why this has been touted as a referendum on Najib, who sees himself as the undisputed leader of the Malays.

Most of the Penanti folk are industrial workers and small businessmen. Some 73 percent of voters are Malay, 24 percent are Chinese, and 2 percent are Indian.

Suara Keadilan will be covering live the balloting, which begins at 8am and closes at 5pm, at nine polling stations, with 32 streams. SK

PKR’s Gobalakrishnan hauled up over mention of Altantuya

By Wong Choon Mei

PKR leader N Gobalakrishnan is the latest to be hauled up by the police over a speech he made at Penanti, where he recounted international news reports that exposed Prime Minister Najib Razak’s links to the murder-and-commission case of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

But like Lim Kit Siang, his Pakatan Rakyat colleague who was separately questioned for criticising Najib over an unpopular coup d’etat in Perak, the Indian leader was unbowed by the intimidation.

Instead, he pledged to fight on for the people, calling on voters to rise against the increasing political oppression.

“I think this is a real sign of how desperate Najib must be getting,” Gobala told Suara Keadilan after having his statement taken by the police.

“If we are to be sacrificed for speaking the truth, for upholding the democratic process and believing in a better Malaysia, then so be it. But we will not be silenced nor will we be bullied.”

Like other legends such as Marilyn, Altantuya lives on

In 2006, a 28-year old and pregnant Altantuya was shot in the head twice before her body was blown up with military C4-grade explosives at a jungle clearing in Malaysia to avoid identification.

Two elite cops, part of Najib’s and his wife Rosmah Mansor’s security detail, have been sentenced to hang for her murder. His close aide Razak Baginda was however controversially acquitted of having abetted the murder.

Nevertheless, it appears that the hauntingly beautiful Altantuya is un-placated. Instead of fading, interest in her story has spread like wildfire across the world, with more 19 international newspapers reporting the scandal of her hushed-up murder.

Like US actress Marilyn Monroe, Altantuya has become part of Malaysian as well as international folklore. The key question that remains on everyone’s tongue is still: But who ordered her killing?

Another PKR supreme council member Badrul Hisham Shaharin was also quizzed over Altantuya comments. Police took down his statement on Friday.

“When the prime minister is implicated in such a crime, the country is at risk of being controlled by foreign powers. We risk international condemnation,” Badrul had told a ceramah at Penanti.

“If Najib is serious, how come he hasn’t gone after the international press who have been writing all this about him, his relationship with Altantuya and the RM500 million submarines commission. For us, we are not scared. What are a few individuals like us?,” said Gobala, who is also the  MP for Padang Serai.

Trying to rally support within Umno with bullying tactics

Feeling the heat and loss of political support from inside his own Umno party, Najib has resorted to harsh police crackdowns in a bid to suppress Malaysians, who have voted out his coalition in four of the past five by-elections.

Desperate to cling to power, his latest tactic is to divide-and-conquer the multi-ethnic groups that make up Malaysia. He has been playing up racial issues, re-hashing a plea by 85-year old ex-communist chief Chin Peng to be allowed to come home to live out the rest of his days. He has also been accusing opposition politicians of trying to stir up sensitive sentiments, and then, arresting them under the guise of alleged sedition.

But the writing is on the wall and dissent spreading fast and underground through his own Umno party.

“He is trying to rally the support that he has left in Umno by playing the racial card, that he is the ultimate defender of Malay rights. This is dangerous but he has persisted. It only exposes him, it only shows that he cares more about himself and staying in power rather than what is good for the country,” Gobala said.

“Malaysians must ask themselves, has Najib done anything to show that he recognizes the wishes of voters. Has he set up system and space to allow for a two-party political system. This is serious infrastructure that the country needs and the government-of-the day must build.

“But the answer is No. Instead, he is systematically wiping out the opposition so that only Umno survives. Voters must ask themselves, is this what they want. If not, then they must show the Umno-BN in no uncertain terms.” SK

Anwar: Come out and vote Penanti, every ballot counts

By SK English News

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has urged all Penanti voters to come to the ballot boxes on Sunday and vote for PKR leader Mansor Othman.

“I reiterate if Mansor succeeds in winning the Penanti state seat, he will be appointed the Deputy Chief Minister (I) of Penang,” Anwar said.

“At the same time, I wish a very happy Tadau Kaamatan (Harvest Festival) to all our Kadazandusun friends in Sabah and Sarawak,” he added in his statement.

The Harvest Festival is one of the most important annual celebrations for the Kadazandusun communities in East Malaysia.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

Suara Keadilan appends below the full text of his statement:

Kempen di Penanti hari ini memasuki fasa akhir. Esok, para pengundi akan melaksanakan tanggungjawab mereka untuk memilih wakil rakyat masing-masing.

Sekali lagi saya nyatakan, calon Pakatan Rakyat, saudara Dr. Mansor Othman bakal dilantik sebagai Timbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang seandainya diberi kepercayaan oleh para pengundi esok.

Sehubungan dengan itu, saya memohon sokongan rakan-rakan pengundi DUN Penanti untuk memastikan kemenangan calon Pakatan Rakyat, inshaallah.

Saya juga ingin mengambil kesempatan mengucapkan selamat meraikan Tadau Kaamatan buat semua teman-teman Kadazandusun di Sabah dan Sarawak.

Semoga rezeki yang dituai semakin berhasil serta bertambah baik dan lumayan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

PKFZ equals to 5 BMF scandals

The Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) RM12.5 billion rip-off is a heinous crime that cannot be allowed to emulate the RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal that happened 25 years ago, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said today.

MCPX

Recalling the then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s description that the “BMF scandal was a heinous crime without criminals”, the veteran parliamentarian described PKFZ as the “scandal of scandals”.

“The RM12.5 billion was not a chicken feed … it’s equivalent of five BMF scandals,” he said, pointing out that the government could build four Penang bridges with the sum.

With RM12.5 billion, he said the government can build 25 universities at RM500 million each; 125 hospitals at RM100 million each; 1,250 schools at RM10 million each; or 312,500 low-cost houses at RM40,000 each.

With the enormous amount, he said the government can declare amnesty from collecting assessment for 13 years for Selangor, or 45 years for Penang. Or give the 27 million Malaysians a payout of RM338 each.

“Indeed, it’s like striking a RM1 million on price lottery each and every month non-stop for next 1,041 years,” the Ipoh Timur MP told a press conference at his house in Island Park, Georgetown today.

A swamp of crocodiles

Lim then turned his attention on Ong Tee Keat and challenged the transport minister to throw the book at all those responsible for the PKFZ scandal.

This included Deputy Finance Minister Chor Chee Heung, Backbenchers Club chairperson Tiong King Sing, Sementa assemblyperson Abdul Rahman Palil and two former transport ministers – Ling Liong Sik (1986-2003) and Chan Kong Choy  (2003-2008).

He also asked whether the minister agreed that the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report had exposed PKFZ scandal as a “swamp of crocodiles”, not a “can of worms” as mentioned by the MCA boss.

Lim said the scandal snowballed from RM1.8 billion scandal in 2002 under Ling, to RM4.6 million under Chan and now had mushroomed to an astronomical RM12.5 billion under Ong.

“After going through the report, I felt violated as a Malaysian citizen and parliamentarian. Does Ong have such a feeling?” asked Lim.

He also pointed out that Ong had gone back on his earlier pledge to bare all by restricting the terms of reference of the PwC audit inquiry to a position of “review”, instead of allowing an all-out investigation.

Lim demanded Ong to explain on why PwC was “not asked to and advised on any strategy, valuation, legal implications, tax operational effectiveness, staff competencies or process improvement.”

He also questioned Ong’s intention in issuing the terms of reference to PwC which stated that “no investigation to detect any wrongdoing or audit to form an opinion on any financial information, including any forecasts and projections” should be undertaken.

“Can Ong explain why he had issued such a limited and restricted terms of reference of the PwC study, deliberately excluding from inquiry the conduct or misconduct of previous transport ministers – Ling and Chan?” demanded Lim.

Athi Veeranggan, Mkini

Banned: First Altantuya, now Perak

It is clear that any mention of a possible link between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu can land a person into trouble.

MCPX

PKR supreme council member and fiery orator Badrul Hisham Shaharin had to spend nearly five hours at the Central Seberang Perai police headquarters yesterday to answer questions over his by-election campaign speech in Penanti on Monday where he mentioned ‘Altantuya’.

Now, however, one cannot also link Najib to the four-month political impasse in Perak or you can be investigated for sedition and criminal defamation.

Senior DAP leader Lim Kit Siang found out about this after a report was made by the police and a statement was taken on the matter.

At a 3,000-strong by-election campaign rally in Guar Perahu, Penanti last Sunday, Lim accused Najib of engineering the Perak power grab.

The Ipoh Timur parliamentarian was quizzed by investigating officer ASP Norazizi Saad for nearly an hour from 11.30am today at his house in Island Park, Georgetown.

Lim said he was being investigated for sedition and criminal defamation in blaming Najib for the Perak political stalemate.

He added that he was being probed following a report lodged by an on-duty police officer at the Sunday rally.

“If I am charged and found guilty, I will be imprisoned … simple as that,” the DAP supremo told a press conference, flanked by his son and Penang Chief Minister Guan Eng, DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh and several DAP local leaders and assemblypersons.

Even Najib’s father did not do this

The senior Lim cautioned that the two-month-old Najib’s premiership was fast descending into a “police state” and into an “era of darkness”.

He cited police crackdowns on candlelight vigils, hunger strikes, wearing black, the raid on DAP headquarters, and the harassment of Pakatan Rakyat leaders and social activists to back his claim. Over 160 people have been arrested in the past three weeks.

“This is a serious violation of human rights and civil liberties,” said the veteran opposition leader, the only opposition parliamentarian who has faced off the country’s six prime ministers.

“I don’t blame the police. They are acting on the directives from a higher-up power,” he said, suggesting that the Barisan Nasional government was increasingly spooked by the rapid loss of public confidence.

Kit Siang recalled that even Najib’s late father, former premier Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman, had never investigated him for sedition or criminal defamation despite engaging in many political duels with him back in the 70s.

“We are facing a major political crisis at the same time when the country is facing its biggest economic crisis,” lamented the senior politician.

Guan Eng, meanwhile, criticised the police for wasting their resources on petty political issues, and ticked them off for increasingly acting like “bodyguards to BN rather than to the people.”

Like Chegu Bard, as Badrul Hisham is fondly known, Kit Siang was slapped with a police order yesterday under Section 111 of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) requesting him to be present at the Central Seberang Perai police headquarters this morning.

However, the DAP leader had asked Norazizi to record his statement at his Penang home.

Karpal, who was also at the press conference after Kit Siang’s sesssion with the police, slammed the police for applying Section 111 on his DAP colleague.

The MP-cum-lawyer said that such an order could only be issued after a witness had failed to turn up at the designated police station to give a statement.

Karpal: Charge Khir Toyo instead

Karpal instead called on the attorney-general to press charges against former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo for taking part in an illegal Umno Youth rally in Waterfall, Penang on Feb 13.

The demonstration was to include a march from Waterfall to Karpal’s house nearby in Jalan Utama. However, it was called off after police warned Umno Youth members that severe action would be taken against them.

Mohd Khir and Permatang Pauh Umno Youth chief Mohd Zaidi was later escorted to the Georgeown police headquarters for their statements to be recorded. They were later released.

“It was an illegal assembly. Why none of them were charged?” asked Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP.

According to Kit Siang, he was approached by police officers at a Pakatan Rakyat rally in Berapit last night where he was informed about the investigation. At the same time, a police order was delivered to his house in Persiaran Besi, Island Park.

Police also served a separate notice to Chegu Bard at his homes in Seremban and Bangi on Thursday when he was in Perak.

During the Guar Perahu ceramah, Kit Siang had condemned the police raid on DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya as “a shameful incident”, and called on Penanti voters to teach Najib a political lesson.

Pakatan candidate Mansor Othman from PKR is up against three independent candidates – Aminah Abdullah, Kamarul Ramizu Idris and Nai Khan Ari, in Penanti by-election.

Campaigning will end at midnight and polling is tomorrow.

Athi Veeranggan, Mkini

police question Kit Siang for criticising najib Altantuya over Perak

By Wong Choon Mei

A day after Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim warned Prime Minister Najib Razak not to bully the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia just to shore up flagging support from the Malay community, the premier moved in on DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

Kit Siang, a much-respected veteran politician, has not been sparing in his criticism of Najib for plotting the overthrow of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak and plunging the state into political turmoil.

“Apparently I’m wanted by police for sedition and criminal defamation of Najib,” Kit Siang had twittered back to his blog in the wee hours of Saturday.

“Police officer came to the Penanti ceramah that I was speaking at and told me that I am wanted for defamation in last Sunday’s speech. Let’s see what happens.”

Najib’s increasing use of racial politics and racism to cling to power

Kit Siang had made three similar speeches in Penanti last Sunday. In the main one at Bukit Mertajam, he said the Penanti contest would be “a referendum on the credibility, integrity and legitimacy of Najib in his second month as Prime Minister”.

Later in the day at 11.30 am, led by investigating officer Norazizi Saad, police came to his home at Island Glade to record his statement. Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng and DAP chairman Karpal Singh were also at hand.

“Chief Inspector Pang Meng Tuck had lodged the police report against me for sedition and criminal defamation against Najib for my Penanti speech at Guar Perahu on May 24,” Kit Siang twittered after finishing with the police.

“In my speech, I blamed Najib as responsible for the Perak power grab, crisis, compromising the credibility of one national institution after another – the police, Election Commission, MACC, civil service, judiciary. All were made to serve Najib’s poltiical agenda which is to divide Malaysians.”

Like Anwar, Kit Siang had condemned Najib for allowing the police to conduct a highly irregular raid on the DAP national headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

He also said Najib’s 1 Malaysia. People First. Performance Now slogan has been proven meaningless and insincere given the latter’s insistence on refusing to heed the peoples’ wishes for fresh election in Perak.

The PM’s abuse of the police in curbing political dissent, the long-standing unequal distribution of scholarships, and his delay in authorising the release of a tell-all audit report on government white-elephant, the Port Klang Free Zone project, were other factors that Malaysians were concerned about, Kit Siang said.

Umno a racist party, PKR leader tells Malays

Umno is a racist party that had divided and ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years by playing, albeit dangerously, the communal cards, accused a leading PKR leader.

MCPX

Azmin Ali, a former Umno leader who is now PKR vice-president, said the ruling party had exploited the issue of income disparity for its own ends and generated a fear syndrome among Malaysians.

“This has split Malaysians and the country along communal lines, which Pakatan Rakyat is now trying to mend.

“All Malaysians should reject Umno’s racism and move ahead as one community, one nation,” the Gombak parliamentarian told a by-election rally in Kubang Semang, Penanti last night.

Describing the New Economy Policy (NEP) as a noble idea conceived to improve the standard of living of all poor Malaysians, he accused Umno of abusing the policy to the extend that it had even marginalised the key target group, the Malays.

“The racist implementation of NEP has not only marginalised Indian and Chinese communities, but also the majority of the Malays,” he said, accusing Umno of advocating patronage politics through NEP.

“In name of the Malays, Umno has politicised the policy to benefit a handful few who have strong links to the ruling elites.

“Umno’s racist policy has forsaken the majority of Malaysians, especially those from the lower-income group,” he told some 3,000-odd largely Malay crowd.

The by-election for the state seat of Penanti sees a four-cornered fight between PKR’s Mansor Othman and three independents – Aminah Abdullah, Kamarul Ramizu Idris and Nai Khan Ari.

Campaigning will end at midnight tonight and polling is tomorrow.

Back clean leaders, even if they’re non-Malay

Instead of helping poor Malays, Azmin alleged Umno had preferred to keep squatter colonies for its political gains.

He said Umno had used the poor living condition of Malay squatters as bait to fish votes during elections by making “empty promises of aid and development”.

“Don’t ever think that all Malays benefited from NEP. The majority of them were sidelined and neglected while only a selected few gained from it,” accused Azmin, who is also the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyperson.

Calling for the dismantling of the NEP, he said Pakatan would replace it with a new national economic agenda that would “manage, distribute and share the country’s wealth equally among all Malaysians”.

Azmin called on the Malays to reject Malay leaders who are corrupt, such as former Selangor menteri besar Mohd Khir Toyo, and put their trust on clean and trustworthy leaders, even if they are non-Malay.

He cited the example of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

“The state government under Guan Eng did not steal any Malay land or money under the pretext of development.

“But corrupt Umno governments in other states have committed all these wrongdoings against Malays over the years,” he said.

Azmin also called on the Penang Pakatan government to carry out a thorough study to explore ways to uplift the standards of living of all marginalised segments of the populace, especially the Malays and Indians.

“This would help address the disparity in wealth among Penang people,” he said.

Athi Veeranggan, Mkini

Skandal PKFZ Dedah Realiti Sebenar Perkongsian BN : Anwar

Anna Yusof

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 Mei (SK) : Sikap Kerajaan Malaysia yang mengabaikan prinsip tadbir urus dan pertanggungjawaban amatlah membimbangkan.

“Pendirian sambil lewa Umno di dalam menangani skandal Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang memperlihatkan sikap sebenar mereka yang sanggup menggadaikan kepentingan negara terutama apabila kecurangan itu membabitkan ahli parti tersebut, ” kata Anwar.

Menurut beliau, kaedah kes itu ditangani mendedahkan sikap hipokrit mereka yang bertanggungjawab menyiasat skandal tersebut dan juga kes politik wang yang berlaku dalam umno.

“Kita melihat wujudnya pendakwaan terpilih terhadap mereka yang dianggap sebagai musuh pentadbiran Perdana Menteri Najib Razak,” beliau berkata.

Pada Ogos 2007, Anwar telah mendedahkan peraka ini kepada umum dengan kenyataan beliau bahawa Skandal PKFZ bernilai RM4.6 bilion telah mendedahkan kisah sebenar dibelakang konsep perkongsian kuasa Barisan Nasional.

Antara petikan dari kenyataan beliau pada Ogos 2007:-

Watak utama kontroversi ini ialah Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd. yang membelitanah tersebut daripada Koperasi Kemajuan Pulau Lumut pada harga RM95 juta pada tahun 1999 dan kemudian menjualnya ke Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang pada RM1.1 bilion pada tahun 2003.

Meskipun wujud tentangan di dalam kerajaan terhadap pembelian pada harga tersebut, Kerajaan boleh mengambilalih tanah tersebut di bawah Kanun Tanah Negara pada harga RM10 sekaki persegi, tetapi memilih untuk membelinya pada RM23 sekaki persegi.

Kuala Dimensi kemudian dilantik kontraktor untuk projek tersebut, dan telah melaporkan pertambahan kos sehingga RM3.3 bilion.

Kenyataan Media PKFZ pada Disember 2007 berbunyi:-

Kes ini merupakan salah satu daripada begitu banyak contoh yang mendedahkan percanggahan kepentingan, rasuah dan salahtadbir melibatkan ahli politik, tokoh korporat dan pegawai kerajaan.

Perdana Menteri dan Kabinet sudahpun mengeluarkan arahan kepada Ketua Setiausaha Negara namun masih lagi tidak memberi penjelasan yang mencukupi. Tidak ada seorang pun yang telah dipertanggungjawabkan untuk menangani skandal ini.

Meskipun aspek kewangan projek ini sukar diselamatkan, sebuah audit yang bebas dan telus akan memastikan pihak yang mencabuli amanah di dalam kes ini dipertanggungjawabkan dan memulihkan kredibiliti Kementerian Pengangkutan.

Sehingga hari ini kerajaan belum memberikan sebarang penjelasan tentang status PKFZ dan bertanggungjawab di atas pertambahan kos yang berjumlah RM 3.5 bilion. Untuk menutup kerugian projek yang gagal ini, kerajaan telah mengumumkan bahawa ia akan melanjutkan pinjaman berjumlah sehingga RM4.681 bilion bermula dari tarikh yang lebih awal.

Kes ini merupakan salah satu daripada begitu banyak contoh yang mendedahkan percanggahan kepentingan, rasuah dan salahtadbir melibatkan ahli politik, tokoh korporat dan pegawai kerajaan dalam pengambilan tanah dan pembahagian kontrak.

Rakaman di PENANTI: DATO SRI Nizar Jamaludin Kisah benar di DUN PERAK & Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim – Krisis Perak

TVCeramah

New jibby Altantuya police state: police to quiz Kit Siang for sedition, defamation

PENANG, May 30 — DAP leader Lim Kit Siang will be the latest politician questioned by police today for alleged sedition and criminal defamation, this time apparently against the prime minister at the start of the Penanti by-election campaign.

Lim said police officers came to a ceramah in Penanti last night where he was speaking to inform him that he will be questioned in connection with defamation and sedition related to Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his speech last Sunday.

“Apparently I’m wanted by police 4 sedition & criminal defamation of Najib + Malaysia,” Lim posted in his Twitter account at about 1.30am.

“I told the police to come to my Penang house to question me. I don’t know what it’s about as I gave three speeches that night,” the Ipoh Timur MP told The Malaysian Insider.

He said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is his son, lawyers and reporters are expected to be there as well when the police turn up at 11.30am.

In one of his speeches last Sunday at a ceramah in Bukit Mertajam, the veteran politician said Najib was the primary target in the Penanti by-election as it was “a referendum on the credibility, integrity and legitimacy of Najib in his second month as Prime Minister”.

Kit Siang  accused Najib of allowing the police to conduct an unprecedented raid on the DAP national head office in Petaling Jaya.

He said Najib’s “1 Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan has been shredded and discredited with the Perak political crisis, abuse of police power in curbing political dissent, unequal distribution of scholarships and the delayed release of the audit on the Port Klang Free Zone.

He has been campaigning strongly in the Penanti by-election despite Barisan Nasional’s absence on the ballot paper. Polling day is tomorrow.

Kit Siang this morning noted the new government method to “fix” the opposition or dissent by using sedition and criminal defamation charges instead of the Internal Security Act (ISA) that provides for detention without trial.

His colleague, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, is facing a sedition charge while rights activist Wong Chin Huat was held recently for alleged sedition.

Kit Siang and Karpal have previously been held under the ISA.

Controversial blogger and Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin has been slapped with criminal defamation and sedition charges apart from being previously held under the ISA for allegations linking Najib and his wife to the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu.

RPK, as he is popularly known, has skipped bail and is said to have left the country.

The Sedition Act is, however, perceived to be less oppressive than the ISA but yet drafted in such a way that it gives the government absolute power to make arrests on its political enemies.

According to section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act, a person is considered to have committed an offence under this law if he or she attempts to do, or make any preparation to do, or conspires with any person to do, any act which has or would, if done, have a seditious tendency.

It further read that any person is found to have committed an offence under this law if he or she utters any seditious words, prints, publishes, sells, offers for sale, distributes, or reproduces any seditious publications or imports any seditious publications.

Yet in all of this, there is no real and clear definitive guideline as to what constitutes sedition. MI

Penanti: Pakatan to win by 7,000

It would not be unfair to label the upcoming Penanti by-election as the most boring by-election to date since the March 2008 general election. The outcome was already decided on nomination day when Pakatan Rakyat candidate Mansor Othman was not disqualified.

MCPX

With the decision by Barisan Nasional not to field a candidate for this by-election on the grounds that it was ‘manufactured’ by Pakatan, the challenge for the opposition coalition, from Day One, was to keep up the spirits of their election workers and to prevent the public for forgetting about this by-election.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has portrayed this election as a referendum on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his leadership, specifically on the events which have occurred over the past one month including the controversial May 7 sitting of the Perak state assembly, the recent trend of police arrests and intimidation against opposition politicians and members of civil society, the unhappiness over the allocation of the JPA scholarships and most recently, the revelation by the PWC audit report of massive losses incurred as a result of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Whether these events would have resulted in an increased majority for Pakatan if BN had fielded a candidate is anyone’s guess. My estimate is that Pakatan’s majority would likely have increased, because of some of the above-mentioned factors, from the 2,219 majority it gained in the 2008 general election.

But it would not have been much more than the 3,825-vote majority obtained by Anwar Ibrahim in the Penanti polling stations during the Permatang Pauh by-election five months after the general election partly because Pakatan would have suffered some fallout as a result of the sudden Fairus’ resignation.

The three independent candidates will almost certain lose their deposits. They have little political experience, support, resources or grassroots networks to help win the 12.5% of votes to retain their deposit.

One of the independent candidates, Kamarul Ramizu Idris, who also contested in the Bukit Gantang by-election, could only muster 62 votes in that considerably larger constituency.

Even Aminah Abdullah, the former Penang PKR Wanita chief, who has been making headlines of late with accusations that two Penang PKR leaders bribed her not to run, will find it hard to win more than 1,000 votes without the tacit backing of local Umno leaders. The votes that she will receive will be partly due to the sympathy factor associated with the headlines she has been making.

Expect lower voter turnout

As such, this by-election has turned into a contest of mobilising sufficient turnout and winning over some of the fence-sitters so that Pakatan can deliver a significantly larger majority.

In doing so, they can bolster the argument that public opinion and support is currently on their side, as evidenced by their fifth by-election victory in Peninsular Malaysia, which may turn into a sixth victory if Manek Urai is retained by PAS.

The turnout in Penanti was 82.1% in the March 2008 general election and the turnout in the Permatang Pauh by-election which was won by Anwar was 81.1%.

With BN planning to organise outstation trips for their supporters and the already known outcome, turnout will most definitely fall. Pakatan’s challenge is to try to minimise the fall in turnout to show that they still have the mobilisation strength to bring out its supporters and perhaps woo some fence-sitters as well.

A turnout of 70% would be very respectable, which is similar to the turnout experienced in the Batu Talam by-election in 2007. This by-election was boycotted by PAS and PKR but featured a DAP candidate that mostly campaigned in the small pockets of Chinese areas in this heavily Malay seat in Pahang.

My estimate is that a turnout of 65% is more likely, representing a fall in turnout of slightly more than 15% compared to the March 2008 general election and the subsequent by-election in Permatang Pauh.

But of the 10,000 or so voters who are likely to show up for this by-election, an overwhelming number of them will vote for the deputy chief minister designate, Mansor.

Mansor to get 80% of votes

My estimate is that the Pakatan candidate will nett approximately 80% of the total vote or about 8,000 votes.

This is not too far fetched as Pakatan won 7,346 votes in this seat in the March 2008 general election. It only needs to ensure that its core base of supporters turns up to vote and that a sufficient number of swing voters will give their support to Pakatan.

Aminah would likely be the best performing candidate among the three independent candidates by virtue of her past political ties and recent ‘infamy’ and will probably nett about 1,000 votes. The rest will either spoil their votes or vote for either one of the two remaining independent candidates. This means that Pakatan will win this by-election with a majority of approximately 7,000 votes.

If Pakatan manages to secure this majority, which is more than three times what it achieved in the March 2008 general election, it can ‘spin’ the results as yet another indictment on BN, and more specifically on the leadership of Najib in his capacity as the new prime minister.

In addition, Penanti will create the effect of making Pakatan look like the more electorally dominant coalition, given the BN’s lack of participation in this by-election, something which it has not done in recent memory.

While this would represent yet another moral boosting victory for Pakatan, it comes with a potential cost. If the BN contests in the Manek Urai by-election, which it is likely to, and if it loses that by-election to Pakatan, which it is also likely, this puts further political pressure on Najib to ‘rein in’ the opposition.

The recent increase in police tactics to intimidate opposition politicians as well as members of civil society may only be the beginning of things to come. Ironically, these are the very acts which would drive more people to vote for and support the opposition.

Najib would put himself in a much better position if he could call of the police and focus on putting the country back onto the path of economic stability and growth.
Mkini

---

ONG KIAN MING is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Duke University. He can be reached at im.ok.man@gmail.com.

Dana Awam Dibelanjakan Secara Culas, Pakej Ransangan Ekonomi Lesap Entah Ke Mana.

— PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE —

May 29th, 2009

The administration’s lackadaisical approach to governance and accountability is deeply disturbing. At a time when Malaysian’s are forced to cut costs and worry if their hard earned money will cover the next month’s bills, our government continues to pour billions in taxpayer money down the drain.

The government’s neither-here-nor-there approach to the PKFZ scandal is a clear sign of UMNOs unwillingness to sacrifice its own delinquent members for the sake of the national good. The handling of the PKFZ affair amplifies the hypocrisy which was manifest in the investigations into money politics within UMNO and the selective persecution of foes of the new Najib administration.

The government has bragged that billions have been disbursed from the two fiscal stimulus packages. Yet there is virtually no information available to the public about the process of awarding tenders. We are left to assume that it is business as usual and have little confidence that the economy will benefit from the misappropriation of these funds that are being channeled to the same coterie of crony companies.

Inefficiency and largesse remain the prevailing traits of our bloated bureaucracy. Government monopolies preclude any significant change in the economic landscape of the nation and promises of liberalisation ring hollow when it comes to the lack of political will to implement change.

To date there is no plan in sight to resuscitate the economy and transform it as the Prime Minister has promised. We hear from him incoherent statements predicting a recovery by the end of the year while at the same time admitting that our economy is beholden to that of the US and Europe, which by their own account will remain weak into 2010.

Bank Negara has this week confirmed what most Malaysians have known already for eight months, save the Minister of Finance. The country is headed for recession. Thousands of jobs have already been lost and in the coming months we know that more factories will be shuttered and more will be laid off – by some estimates up to a half-million people. 2009 growth figures have been slashed to -5%, the worst economic scenario Malaysia has faced since the Financial Crisis.

These challenges require visionary leadership and the courage to act decisively against corruption and cronyism. Sadly both qualities are lacking in the current administration.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

— KENYATAAN MEDIA UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA —

29 Mei 2009

Sikap Kerajaan Malaysia yang mengabaikan prinsip tadbir urus dan pertanggungjawaban amatlah membimbangkan. Pada ketika rakyat Malaysia terpaksa berjimat cermat dan resah samada pendapatan mereka mampu menanggung sara hidup, kerajaan kita pula terus menerus mencurahkan ribuan juta dana awam secara culas.

Pendirian sambil lewa umno di dalam menangani skandal Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang memperlihatkan sikap sebenar mereka yang sanggup menggadaikan kepentingan negara terutama apabila kecurangan itu membabitkan ahli parti tersebut. Kaedah kes itu ditangani mendedahkan sikap hipokrit mereka yang bertanggungjawab menyiasat skandal tersebut dan juga kes politik wang yang berlaku dalam umno. Kita melihat wujudnya pendakwaan terpilih terhadap mereka yang dianggap sebagai musuh pentadbiran Dato’ Sri Najib Razak.

Kerajaan mendabik dada kononnya sudah ribuan juta diagihkan dari kantung dua Pakej Ransangan Ekonomi tersebut. Namun tidak ada maklumat yang disediakan buat tatapan serta penelitian umum berhubung proses pemberian tender kerajaan. Ini membuatkan rakyat beranggapan pakej tersebut tidak memberi kesan kepada mereka dan menimbulkan rasa sangsi kepada kita bagaimana ekonomi akan pulih sekiranya dana yang ada hanya untuk kepentingan syarikat milik kroni pemerintah.

Ketidakcekapan dan pembaziran merupakan ciri utama birokrasi kewangan kita. Monopoli pastinya menghambat sebarang hasrat untuk memulihkan kedudukan ekonomi Malaysia dan program liberalisasi akan hanya terbantut kerana tidak ada iltizam untuk melaksanakan perubahan.

Sehingga kini tidak ada sebarang perancangan jelas untuk melaksanakan perubahan serta memulihkan ekonomi negara sepertimana yang dijanjikan. Kenyataan oleh Perdana Menteri bahawa negara kita akan pulih menjelang akhir tahun menimbulkan persoalan dan tanda tanya. Ini adalah kerana Perdana Menteri pada ketika yang lain, menyatakan bahawa ekonomi negara kita bergantung kepada Amerika Syarikat dan Eropah; yang mengakui ekonomi mereka hanya akan pulih menjelang tahun 2010.

Minggu ini Bank Negara mengesahkan apa yang perkatakan oleh rakyat Malaysia-kecuali menteri kewangan- selama lapan bulan ini. Negara ini diambang kemelesetan. Kadar pengangguran akan mendadak naik dan kilang akan lebih banyak ditutup. Berkemungkinan setengah juta orang akan kehilangan kerja. Pertumbuhan untuk tahun 2009 diunjurkan kepada negatif 5%(-5%), kedudukan eknomi terburuk sejak krisis kewangan terbaru.

Cabaran yang mendatang memerlukan pemimpin yang mampu menangani krisis ini dengan berani dan bertindak menentang rasuah dan kronisme. Sayangnya kualiti tersebut tidak ada pada pentadbiran yang baru ini.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

PKFZ report handed to MACC: But after that what happens?

By Wong Choon Mei, Suara Keadilan

Port Klang Authority chairman Lee Hwa Beng has handed over the audit report on the Port Klang Free Zone to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for further action.

Lee told reporters he spent about 10 minutes with MACC deputy commissioner Abu Kassim Mohammad.

While he pledged full co-operation with the MACC, Lee said he would leave it to the anti-graft body to investigate before taking further action of its own.

On Thursday, the PKA finally released the audit report compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The massive PKFZ project, dubbed a white elephant, has been hit by trouble and scandal since its launching in 2002.

Massive cost over-runs and conflict of interest

Initially slated to cost RM1.9 billion, unexplained over-runs have lifted the final figure several fold.

According to PwC, the project outlay of RM4.947 billion has gone up to RM7.453 billion due to interest payments, and PKA must restructure its loan or the final bill could balloon to RM12.453 billion by 2051.

A long string of BN politicians have also been implicated in the long-standing scandal including former MCA president Ling Liong Sik and ex-Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy.

The PwC report itself names Deputy Finance Minister Chor Chee Heung, Backbenchers Club chairman and Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing and Semanta assemblyman Abdul Rahman Palil for possible conflict of interest in the project..

For example, Tiong is the majority shareholder of Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd, the turnkey contractor for the project.

PwC also exposed land purchases at a ’special prices’ that were way above market value, saying that Kuala Dimensi may have also overcharged interest between RM51 million to RM309 million.

But will the MACC do its job, or will PKFZ slither away like the Lingam Tape?

Completed on Feb 3, 2009, the report blamed weak governance, project management together with conflict of interest for the problems at PKFZ.

The project was modelled after the Jebel Ali free trade zone in the United Arab Emirates. It is the Malaysian government’s biggest investment ever in the port industry. PKA, a government agency under the Transport Ministry, is the project overseer.

Meanwhile, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has called for immediate investigation and action from the MACC.

“Feel utterly violated at manner public funds squandered in PKFZ scandal. Real rip-off. Imagine what RM13billion can do for the country,” Kit Siang said on Friday.

The Pakatan Rakyat leader has been relentless in pushing Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government to account for the fiasco.

Like many Malaysians, he is reserving judgement despite the MACC investigation as the anti-graft body itself has been proven to be subservient to Najib’s Umno-BN coalition.

Said Kit Siang: “I would not say anything until I have the opportunity to study the PwC report, except to say that the first thing I would look for is whether the PwC report furnish answers to five questions on the PKFZ scandal which I posed to Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, on 9th April last year.”

Five golden questions

The quesions raised by Lim were:

1. Was it true that when the Port Klang Authority and the Transport Ministry insisted on buying the 1,000 acres of Pulau Indah land for PKFZ at RM25 psf on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis, in the face of strong objection by the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Treasury which had recommended that the land be acquired at RM10 psf, the Cabinet had given its approval subject to two conditions: (i) categorical assurance by the Transport Minister that the PKFZ proposal was feasible and self-financing and would not require any public funding; and (ii) that every RM100 million variation in the development costs of PKFZ would require prior Cabinet approval.

2. In the event, the first condition was breached when the PKFZ project ballooned from RM1.1 billion to RM4.6 billion requiring government intervention and bailout while the second condition was breached with the original PKFZ development costs of RM400 million ballooning to RM2.8 billion without any prior Cabinet approval ever sought for every RM100 million increase in development costs.

3. The Transport Minister had unlawfully issued four Letters of Support to Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd (KDSB), the PKFZ turnkey contractor – to raise RM4 billion bonds, which were regarded as government guarantees by the market. The Transport Minister had no such powers to issue financial guarantees committing the government, as it could only be issued by the Finance Minister and only after Cabinet approval. The first Letter of Support was issued by the former Transport Minister, Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik on May 28, 2003, which was Liong Sik’s last day as Transport Minister while the other three were issued by Kong Choy.

4. Whether it wasn’t true that in recognition that the four unlawful “Letters of Support” of the Transport Minister had nonetheless given implicit government guarantee to the market that the Cabinet had in middle of last year gave retrospective approval for the unlawful and unauthorized four Letters of Support by the Transport Ministers in the past four years creating RM4.6 billion liability for the government in the bailout of PKFZ.

5. Why no action had been taken against the two previous Transport Ministers, both Liong Sik and Kong Choy, as well as the government officials responsible for the unlawful issue of the four “Letters of Support” – getting the government embroiled in the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal?

Shafee Abdullah: caught with his pants down

On 6 August 2008, I wrote an article called ‘Shafee Abdullah: sodomologist extraordinaire’. Shafee has since sued me for this article and in his summons-in-chamber he says that my allegation does not contain any particulars. Well, today, I will certainly give him those particulars that he seeks.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It was a few days before that article that I received the phone call from Tamrin Ghafar. Tamrin said someone wants to meet me and it was very urgent and extremely important that I meet this person. It was agreed that we meet for tea at the Havana Club in the One World Hotel in Damansara Utama.

My wife and I arrived there early but did not have to wait too long. Within minutes Tamrin walked in with Datuk Kamal Amir and Datuk Kadar Shah. It was actually Datuk Kadar who wanted to see me although Tamrin did not mention that earlier when he phoned me — and I knew better than to ask over the phone considering the police were monitoring my phone calls.

Datuk Kadar related how he had gone to lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s office a few days earlier to discuss Jamaluddin Jarjis’s bottom pinching case in the Havana Club at KL Sentral. I think Datuk Kadar was involved because he had an interest in the establishment. Anyway, I was told Shafee wanted JJ to pay RM1 million as ‘settlement’ or else his scandal was going to explode.

And this was when Datuk Kadar saw that whiteboard with Anwar Ibrahim’s and my name on it and the police officers who were in the office discussing the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy II case. And a few days later the whole sodomy thing exploded with Saiful’s ‘revelation’ that he had been sodomised, the PUSRAWI doctor’s examination that showed Saiful was still a virgin, and Najib’s denial and later his admission that he had met Saiful prior to the sodomy allegation.

The rest I had already written about in August 2008, which you can read below in case you have not read it yet. I have since been sued and the case is still pending. And Datuk Kadar said he will come forward to testify if need be that he did see what he told me he saw in Shafee’s office that day, and which I wrote about on 6 August 2008. Shafee, of course, denies this and that is why he sued me.

*************************************************

Very troubling reports have been published, which reveal the existence of a medical report of an examination done by a doctor on Mohd Saiful Bukhari bin Azlan a few hours before Saiful lodged a police report that he had been sodomised. The medical report apparently shows that there is no evidence that he had been sodomised by anyone.

Such reports raise some very serious questions that require immediate answers:

(1) Are the police in possession of such a medical report?

(2) Was the doctor concerned interviewed by the police and was he detained for any length of time?

(3) Is the doctor concerned facing any form of intimidation and, if so, by whom?

(4) Is there a medical report by another doctor that either confirms or contradicts the first medical report?

(5) If it is true that the medical report exists showing a lack of prima facie evidence, what then could have been the justification for the vigorous actions taken against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as the public call by the authorities for his DNA sample?

The answers to these questions are of paramount importance, as they bring into focus the integrity of our law enforcement system.

These latest disclosures regarding the investigations into the sodomy allegations are not the only ones to raise questions that need answering. There is, for example, also the issue of P. Balasubramaniam’s abrupt “disappearance” that has yet to be satisfactorily explained. No one can deny that the circumstances of his first and second statutory declarations are highly unusual. All these show a pattern of events that cause much disquiet to right-thinking members of the public.

The Malaysian people are deeply troubled. A country that truly believes in the rule of law should not be faced with so many disturbing developments and unanswered questions.

The credibility of the Malaysian justice system as a whole is therefore at stake. The integrity of professionals, be they doctors or lawyers, must never be interfered with. The public must be left in no doubt that the criminal justice system in this country will not be misused or abused. There must be nothing less than an open and thorough investigation into these cases. This calls for the courage and professionalism of all those involved to do the right thing no matter the consequences. And those who have shown such courage and integrity must know that they live in a country where it is safe to do so.

Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan
President
Malaysian Bar

*************************************************

What Ambiga said in her press statement above is certainly true and she has cause for concern. But she would be even more concerned if she knows what we know about this whole matter.

A special police operations centre was set up some time ago to coordinate all activities related to the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy crisis. No, the special police operations centre was not set up AFTER the alleged sodomy act took place on 26 June 2008. It was set up way before 26 June 2008.

Why the need to set up a special police operations centre BEFORE the date of the alleged sodomy act? Are they clairvoyant and did they peep into their crystal ball and ‘see’ the crime happen before it actually happened? Was the special police operations centre set up so that they could solve the crime? Or was the special police operations centre set up BEFORE the date of the ‘crime’ so that they could invent the so-called crime?

Yes, questions and yet more questions. But this is not yet the icing on the cake. The icing on the cake is that this special police operations centre is not located in the police headquarters. It is located in the meeting room of the office of prominent Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah who possesses a notorious reputation for fixing cases such as those involving the people implicated in murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu or those alleged to have pinched the bottoms of cigar girls in the Havana Club in Kuala Lumpur.

Name me any questionable case and you will find the hand of Shafee Abdullah behind that case. And this same person is coordinating the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy allegation from the meeting room of his law office in Kenny Hills.

There are four police officers headed by an officer name Aziz who are based in this special police operations centre in the meeting room of Shafee Abdullah’s law firm. But why are they based in an Umno lawyer’s office instead of in the police headquarters? Is this an official police operation or is this a rogue operation? Yes, we have watched many Hollywood movies about the CIA’s Dirty Tricks Department. Have Shafee Abdullah and the Royal Malaysian Police also seen the same movie? It appears so because the special police operations centre in Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm looks like a plot out of these movies.

In this special police operations centre in Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm is a whiteboard and on this whiteboard are two names: Anwar Ibrahim and Raja Petra Kamarudin. Below these two names are all sorts of notes, scribblings and etchings. There are also charts and strategies on how both Anwar Ibrahim and Raja Petra Kamarudin can be implicated in various crimes and incarcerated until their teeth fall out of their gums.

Yes, the police report to Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah. And Shafee Abdullah coordinates this special police operation with the IGP and AG. And the purpose of this special police operations centre in the meeting room of Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm is to explore how to incarcerate Anwar Ibrahim and Raja Petra Kamarudin. And the special police operations centre has to be in Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s office and not in the police headquarters because, officially, the IGP and AG are not involved in the Anwar sodomy case, as announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Shafee Abdullah is no ordinary man. In fact, he is not even a man; he is a devil. But he is Malaysia’s first and foremost sodomologist, a specialist in crimes of sodomy. And that is why the Pusrawi doctor’s report was rejected. He is just a normal doctor, a GP, argued the government. The prognosis of a normal doctor can’t be accepted as evidence in a sodomy case, never mind if he has been practicing medicine for two decades or more. They need the prognosis of a sodomy specialist, a sodomologist, and Shafee Abdullah is Malaysia’s first and foremost sodomologist.

That is why Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) II Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof did not meet Saiful in the police station or at the police headquarters. The special police operations centre is not in the police station or at the police headquarters. It is in the meeting room of Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm. So it would be dangerous to meet Saiful in this law firm lest someone finds out. That is why Rodwan met Saiful in room 619 of the Concorde Hotel.

Okay, so Rodwan met Saiful one day before the alleged crime took place. But then maybe Rodwan is clairvoyant or he has a crystal ball and he ‘saw’ that a crime of sodomy was going to take place the following day. Some people do have this gift of ‘foresight’. Nevertheless, whether the timeline appears a bit out of sync or not, they still have the ‘evidence’ to work on to ‘prove’ that Anwar did sodomise Saiful the day AFTER Saiful met Rodwan in room 619 of the Concorde Hotel.

One such crucial evidence was supposed to be the doctor from Pusrawi’s medical examination of Saiful at 2.00pm on Saturday, 28 June 2008. But then the doctor said that he had examined Saiful and found no evidence of sodomy. This report has since surfaced and the doctor has gone missing so, now, there is no way they can use this evidence.

The next evidence was supposed to be the second medical examination done at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) at 4.00pm on Saturday, 28 June 2008. But then the outpatient department of the HKL was closed at 4.00pm on Saturday, 28 June 2008. So how could a second medical examination have been done? Yes, that’s right. No second medical examination was done and the doctors at the HKL refuse to doctor a medical report to say that the second medical examination had been done, when none had been done, or to say that they did find evidence of sodomy, when they did not.

Since none of the doctors at Pusrawi or HKL are cooperating with the police, the last piece of ‘evidence’ will have to be Saiful’s underwear. Okay, Saiful’s underwear does not really have Anwar’s semen stains on it. But this is a small matter. As long as someone from the Chemistry Department is prepared to testify that they did examine Saiful’s underwear and they did find Anwar’s semen stains on it, then that would be good enough. They will be able to build their case against Anwar and charge him for sodomy based on this ‘evidence’ from the Chemistry Department.

No, the Chemistry Department has NOT come out with their report yet. There is no report from the Chemistry Department that says they found Anwar’s semen stains on Saiful’s underwear. This is because they first of all need Anwar’s specimen so that they can plant it on the underwear and so that the Chemistry Department can then ‘discover’ it.

But Anwar is being bloody silly. He is being extremely pigheaded and stubborn. He refuses to hand over his specimen. How can they plant Anwar’s semen on Saiful’s underwear when Anwar refuses to let them take his specimen? The Chemistry Department can’t prepare its report saying that it found Anwar’s semen on Saiful’s underwear until the police are able to plant it there. But Anwar does not want to voluntarily hand over his specimen so this plan is being upset a bit.

But never mind. As soon as Parliament convenes later this month they will rush through a new law that will make it mandatory for you to hand over your specimen if the police demands that you do so. Refusing to hand over your specimen when the police demand that you do so will soon become a crime and you can be sent to jail. They will try to pass this law before Merdeka Day of 31 August 2008 and they will try to backdate the law and make it retrospective so that any ‘crime’ committed before the passing of this law will also be covered.

Soon they will get Anwar once the DNA Act becomes law and Anwar can no longer refuse to hand over his specimen. Then, once they have obtained Anwar’s specimen, the Chemistry Department will be able to ‘discover’ it on Saiful’s underwear. Then they will be able to arrest and charge Anwar. And, who knows, they might even be able to convict him as well.

Yes, this Shafee Abdullah the sodomologist is good. He has names, charts, notes, scribbling and etchings all over his whiteboard in the meeting room of his law firm. This meeting room has been the special police operations centre for quite a while now. It was set up long before the alleged sodomy crime took place on 26 June 2008. It was set up not to solve the sodomy crime. It was set up to create the crime.

But, thus far, they lack one very crucial piece of evidence. They lack Anwar’s specimen that they need to plant on Saiful’s underwear. But they will get it as soon as the new DNA Act becomes law and they can use this law to force Anwar to hand over his specimen. Then Anwar is finished and they can close down the special police operations centre in the meeting room of Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah’s law firm and once again use this meeting room for fixing legal cases.

*************************************************

Lawyer: Abdul Razak Baginda ‘is completely unimplicated’

Abdul Razak Baginda, a prominent political analyst, knew the murdered Mongolian model. His lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, said he wouldn’t “go so far to say” that Abdul Razak had a relationship with Altantuya Shaariibuu, but would say that “he knows the lady.”

He said he met his client Wednesday morning and heard his side of the story. “I am extremely relieved from my conversation … I am totally convinced of his innocence .. he is completely unimplicated.” [Associated Press via International Herald Tribune]

*************************************************

Anwar verdict puts Malaysia’s justice system on trial
Report by Tim Lester
ABC Online; 14 April 1999

MAXINE MCKEW: Well, to our own region now and the most publicised trial in Malaysia’s history ended today, with Anwar Ibrahim — the man once groomed to lead the nation — jailed for six years, after a judge found him guilty on four counts of corruption.

Asian leaders have joined human rights groups in denouncing the severity of the sentence. In Malaysia, there have been clashes between police and protesters in the wake of the judgment, suggesting widespread scepticism with the verdict. So, did the system succeed in catching a wayward politician, or did it dance to the tune of an opportunistic leader who wants a political enemy behind bars?

TIM LESTER: Conviction day for Anwar Ibrahim.

As his supporters took to the streets around Kuala Lumpur’s High Court, few doubted the outcome of the marathon corruption trial. For seven months now, they’ve watched Anwar battle to keep alive his shot at the country’s top job.

They’ve heard him say repeatedly the system was being used against him. Many Malaysians, perhaps most, believe it. They believe Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction was orchestrated to suit the PM and several of his close colleagues.

BRUCE GALE: There is a feeling among a large number of Malaysians that the trial wasn’t fair.

TIM LESTER: Singapore analyst Bruce Gale sees this perception — whether right or wrong — as a problem for the Mahathir Government.

BRUCE GALE: If you have large sections of the population believing that somehow the judiciary is not fair or impartial, then this is a very serious situation. It’s an undermining of a major national institution.

GURBACHAN SINGH: We could have easily shown by irrefutable evidence the involvement of several top politicians to bring Anwar Ibrahim down politically.

TIM LESTER: Among Anwar’s nine defence lawyers, there is deep frustration that many witnesses, documents, even tapes they had ready didn’t make it to evidence, because the judge wouldn’t allow them.

GURBACHAN SINGH: There was evidence of the involvement of the PM, as well, that he knew this process of political conspiracy was going on — he did nothing to stop it.

MAHATHIR MOHAMAD: I wish he hadn’t done this and he should have succeeded me and everything would be fine.

TIM LESTER: Political conspiracy — it was Anwar’s claim the moment Dr Mahathir dumped him as Deputy PM and his lawyers say it was vital to their defence of the four corruption charges. But Judge Augustine Paul ruled as irrelevant the suggestion that government ministers and officials cooked up the sex claims to ruin Anwar.

GURBACHAN SINGH: Most of the rulings where the judge could exercise discretion, went against us.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: When the trial first started, I think at least for the first two months or three, there were often times, I thought, where the judge was giving a lot of leeway to the defence.

TIM LESTER: Former prosecutor Shafee Abdullah praises Judge Paul for refusing to hear Anwar’s conspiracy argument in relation to the four corruption charges.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: Whether or not he committed those sexual offences have got nothing to do with the present charges.

TIM LESTER: So was Anwar’s trial fair?

Yes, says Shafee Abdullah. But even he admits Malaysians don’t see it that way.

MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH: There are a lot of individuals out there who feel that the whole trial has gone completely bonkers. Many individuals think that Anwar did not receive a fair trial.

TIM LESTER: The damage from the trial goes beyond perceptions about Government influence over the judiciary to the police force.

MUHAMED AZMIN ALI: They hit me physically and they stripped me naked and asked me to dance in the room, with my hand handcuffed.

TIM LESTER: Anwar Ibrahim’s private secretary of 11 years was among hundreds arrested at the height of anti-government protests last year. He’s now making a disturbingly common claim in Kuala Lumpur — that police used brutality and humiliation in the hope of recruiting him as a witness against Anwar.

MUHAMED AZMIN ALI: Oh, yeah, they asked me to admit that I was sodomised by Anwar.

TIM LESTER: Three of five people cited in sex charges pending against Anwar have now withdrawn their claims and turned on police.

GURBACHAN SINGH: And they were picked up and forced — tortured by the police — to make allegations against Anwar, to admit to sodomy, which they repeatedly said never happened. And they’ve gone on affidavits, they’ve gone on statutory declarations to that effect.

TIM LESTER: Add in Anwar’s black eye — Malaysia’s highest-ranking officer at the time hit him while he was blindfolded and handcuffed. In the process of convicting Anwar, Malaysia’s police have earned themselves an image crisis.

Among other claims that didn’t make it to court — the Washington limousine driver who says a Malaysian embassy official asked him to accuse Anwar of sexual misconduct while visiting the US.

JAMAL AMRO: Then he asked me — he said “Relax”. Then he told me, “Anwar — did you ever bring girls for him, or boys or anything like that?”

I said, “No”.

He said “C’mon, if you say ‘Yes’, we can make some money”.

TIM LESTER: Jamal says he was told he could make more than $250,000 by going along with the sex claims against the then Deputy PM. Public anger over Anwar’s treatment has helped his wife, Wan Azizah, win backing for a new political party and an opposition alliance to fight Dr Mahathir at the next election.

MUHAMED AZMIN ALI: The hatred against the present leadership is swelling because they can not believe the manner they handled this issue against Anwar.

TIM LESTER: This trial and the events around it have thrown up challenges the Mahathir Government didn’t anticipate. Now, there’s the possibility of a united opposition at the next national election due within 12 months.

A powerful threat for Dr Mahathir, but it’s still not likely. The groups Anwar’s supporters need to bring together would make unusual partners.

BRUCE GALE: It seems extremely difficult for me to believe that post-election, that this alliance could hold. The policies of these parties are so diametrically opposed to one another. Islamic fundamentalists want an Islamic State. To the Chinese, this is an anathema — something they would never accept.

TIM LESTER: Many Malaysians don’t like the way their government and judicial system dealt with Anwar Ibrahim. Today’s verdict will only fuel their suspicions.

But Dr Mahathir is still in the middle ground of Malaysian politics. His enemies have a giant task — trying to bring together opposition parties into an alliance needed to capitalise on anti-government sentiment.

PKFZ scandal: Freeze their bank accounts

The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit report on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco has lend greater credibility to claims that have long been reported but swept aside by the government – that serious shortcomings, irregularities and abuses have from the very beginning plagued the publicly-funded project.

MCPX

Among the facts confirmed by PwC is that PKFZ has been hobbled by inflation of costs, weaknesses in governance and management of the project, improper and poor decision-making, and conflict of interests by PKFZ and other officials.

However, the manner in which the PwC report has been unveiled by the Port Klang Authority (PKA) should also be questioned. Why is the report available only until June 10? Why restrict the number of hard copies available to only 15?

It is also incredulous that PwC has not only stated that it is not obliged to respond to any queries, and does not owe a duty of care to any party other than PKA, but has also stipulated that readers are not authorised to use or rely on the report to arrive at any conclusion!

If PwC is so afraid of being identified with even the conclusions people reach on the basis of its own report, will the international firm stand by its own auditors? Why is there no party willing to defend the integrity of the document?

The decision to submit the 45-page report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should nevertheless be applauded.

But will there be serious action taken against all those responsible for the shortcomings, irregularities and abuses in the scandal? If there is such action, to what extent and to what level will it be taken against these individuals?

The government should freeze the bank accounts of all persons implicated in the fiasco – and those in government positions should be immediately suspended – until MACC investigations have been completed.

This may include – but should not be confined to – MCA and Umno figures, members of parliament and Selangor executive council, former or current PKA and PKFZ officials, developers, lawyers and consultants, as well as the various shareholders and directors.

Among the pressing questions for the government to answer pertains to the issue of the runaway project costs.

Assuming the project costs RM7.453 billion – and may balloon to RM12.453 billion by 2051 – where will the government find the money, especially given the global financial crisis that has hit Malaysian shores?

RM7 billion is after all the total amount allocated in the government’s first package to stimulate the national economy and RM12 billion is one-fifth of the second RM60 billion stimulus package. How will this affect plans to address the economic crisis confronting us?

Many questions left answered

In light of the many failures and breaches of regulations brought to light by PwC, what do our domestic regulators have to say for themselves?

• In particular, the Auditor-General Department, which was instrumental in revealing the ballooning of costs of PKFZ and the financial viability of PKA to undertake the project. Could it not have done more? To what extent did it warn the government about the heavy price that taxpayers would have to pay when the PKFZ bubble bursts?

• Is the Auditor-General Department satisfied with merely crunching accounts numbers and stating these in its annual reports? How does the department today compare with the times during the likes of such vibrant, vigorous and vigilant auditors as the late Ahmad Noordin Zakaria? The RM2.5 billion BMF scandal that Ahmad Nordin investigated pales in comparison to the gargantuan RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal.

• How far did the Attorney-General’s Chambers go to ensure that legal procedures, provisions and standards were adhered to? Were there any steps taken once it was determined that all these were bypassed by PKA officials?

• Could the Bar Council not have played a role in probing the possible breach of legal ethics – such as the element of conflict of interest – by lawyers involved in the PKFZ project? What can be done to lawyers who are supposed to represent the interests of the state – and thus its citizens – and yet act contrary to them?

• Bursa Malaysia had “reprimanded” the PKFZ developer in 2006 when it failed to inform the stock exchange and obtain the consent of its shareholders on the disposal of the land. Was that the best Bursa could have done?

• What did the Finance Ministry do when it was determined that many Treasury regulations and procedural requirements had been trampled upon?

• Did Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee play its role when probing the PKFZ? Why did the investigations end with the exit of Shahrir Abdul Samad as the committee’s chairperson? Is the PAC truly serving as a watchdog of public accounts or merely posturing as one?

• The MACC’s predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), had also gone through the motions of “interviewing” PKFZ officials and carted away documents from PKA. Needless to say, nothing came out of that.

Our regulators fail to do their job

It’s been five years since the first police reports were lodged against the PKFZ, shouldn’t the MACC take the issue more seriously?

Scandalous as it is, the significance of PKFZ lies not only in the billions of ringgit of public funds involved, especially at a time when a global financial crisis of unprecedented scale looms over us.

The long-term implications of this debacle are equally troubling given the crucial and critical role that should be played by the nation’s regulatory agencies – such as the Auditor-General Department, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Securities Commission.

It is partly due to their dismal failure in performing their job that this scandal has exploded in our face.

The country’s viability and prosperity lies in the hands of regulators such as those above. If they cannot be trusted to do their job, then what are they actually doing in the offices they are occupying?

Among the main factors said to have caused the global financial and economic crisis is the failure of US regulators to monitor and control the increasingly risky and adventurist instruments and activities of financiers and bankers.

Given the failure – or unwillingness – of Malaysia’s regulators and enforcers to do their job, it looks like we’re headed towards a similar disaster.

Charles Santiago, Mkini

Kit Siang: Probe the puppet masters

Veteran opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang has urged the government to form a commission of inquiry to probe the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

MCPX

“The inquiry must investigate by going beyond the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and probe the Treasury and the previous transport ministers,” Lim said.

The two transport ministers singled out by Lim was Ling Liong Sik (1986 – 2003) and Chan Kong Choy (2003 – 2008).

“The PKA chairperson is only a puppet. The masters were Ling and Chan,” said Lim.

Lim was speaking to reporters after leading a seven-member delegation to the PKA headquarters in Port Klang to study the three-inch thick appendix to the PKFZ audit report for four hours. The appendix was released today.

Lim also lashed out at current Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat for defining a narrow terms-of-reference for the audit by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and not granting firm investigative powers.

He said that this falls short of Ong’s promise of a complete disclosure over the scandal.

By doing so, Lim said Ong had done a “great disservice” to the country by “tying the hands and feet of PwC” and thus producing a reported that was “highly unsatisfactory and cannot be accepted”.

Lim said that a thorough probe by means of a commission of inquiry was necessary to probe Lim, Chan and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was prime minister when the project kicked in the early 2000s.

MACC probe not enough

In another development, Klang MP Charles Santiago has also urged the government to form a commission of inquiry on the scandal, because the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency has proven to be inefficient.

Santiago said numerous reports on PKFZ have already been submitted to the then Anti-Corruption Agency but no action appears to have been taken.

“The (then) Anti-Corruption Agency has took files from PKFZ. They know about the wrongdoings involving the project, but nothing has come out of it,” he told Malaysiakini.
Santiago said that similarly, Bursa Malaysia and the Parliament Public Accounts Committee (under Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad then) looked into the matter as well, but no action was taken.

“There seems to be a lack of oversight by the relevant regulators. These institutions have failed and nothing short of a commission of inquiry is needed to get to the bottom of this,” he said.

He added that these bodies were aware of the PKFZ scandal even before the audit report and their inaction begs the question of whether there was collusion, political interference of intimidation.

Santiago was commenting on the decision by Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat to hand the audit report of the controversial project over to the MACC for further action.

“This is the biggest financial fiasco in Malaysian history. It is disappointing that the transport minister is gloating that by reporting to the MACC, the problem will be resolved,” added Santiago.

Report handed to MACC

Earlier today, Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairperson Lee Hwa Beng handed a copy of the audit report to the MACC office in Putrajaya at about 8am.

He later spent about 10 minutes in a meeting with MACC deputy commission Abu Kassim Mohammad.

Speaking to reporters later, he said that both PKA and auditors PwC have pledged full cooperation with MACC.

He said that PKA would only take action internally after MACC has completed its probe.

Among others, the audit reports serious mismanagement of the project which has ballooned from a cost of RM1.9 billion to RM7.5 billion till date.

Should there be no remedies, the audit report projected that PKFZ would cost taxpayers RM12 billion by 2051.

Andrew Ong, Mkini

Sodomy trial II: The knives are out

The recent efforts to smear the reputation of former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim is to help shore up the attorney-general’s position ahead of July’s sodomy trial, said Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim.

MCPX

The sodomy trial, Anwar’s second in 10 years, will kick off on July 1 and the hearing will continue for three weeks.

Without deliberating much on the trial, parliamentary opposition leader Anwar indicated that he would certainly raised the issue of the alleged fabrication of evidence in his black-eye case during the trial.

AG Abdul Gani Patail and inspector-general of police Musa Hassan are both embroiled in the infamous 1998 black-eye episode for allegedly tampering with evidence in the bid to protect the culprits who had assaulted Anwar while he was held in police custody.

“The personal attack on Mat Zain is an effort to strengthen AG’s position and defence in my upcoming trial,” said Anwar, the Permatang Pauh parliamentarian.

Given that the testimony of Mat Zain, who had led the investigation into the black-eye incident, would be vital, Anwar believes a concerted character assassination campaign is being carried out against the retired top cop.

He said the May 14 bankruptcy notice against Mat Zain was issued a month after the former CID chief had submitted an appeal to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission seeking a review to the findings of the three-member independent panel which cleared Gani and Musa of criminal wrongdoings in the black-eye incident.

Mat Zain’s bankruptcy order was widely reported in the media on Wednesday, which prompted the former chief investigating officer in the police force to suggest that “powerful hidden hands” were at work to destroy his credibility.

“It would only enhance my resolve to disclose the whole truth of the ‘black-eye’ episode. Believe me, this is not the only case the duo (Gani and Musa) had their fingers in. There are others which are just as sensational. The truth shall prevail,” Mat Zain had vowed.

Speaking to journalists after a Pakatan Rakyat rally in Mengkuang Titi during Penanti by-election last night, Anwar described the smear campaign was to spook Mat Zain from testifying in the upcoming trial.

“I sympathise with him … I know he is upset, and feel alone and embarrassed. (But) he has the courage from the very beginning to reveal the truth,” said Anwar, the PKR supremo.

Malays urged to reject ‘racist’ Umno

On July 7 last year, Anwar filed a police report accusing Gani, Musa and one Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof and Mat Zain of falsifying a medical report on the black-eye incident.

“The issue of fabrication of evidence involving top public officers in the country is a serious issue,” said Anwar.

Earlier at the political rally, Anwar slammed Umno of being intolerant of non-Malays where many of them were arrested during a series of candlelight vigils. He called on Malays to denounce such an arrogant show of power.

Anwar added that the recent police raid on DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya exposed Umno’s racism where it is widely seen as an attempt to crack down on a leading predominantly Chinese party.

“Umno is trying to demonstrate that it can wield its power at will against the non-Malays. Malays should be ashamed of this.

“The Malay populace shall only revere a Malay leadership which has earned respect from non-Malays through its goodwill, not by abusing its power and acting unjustly,” he told the 500 mostly Malay crowd at the ceramah.

Anwar also questioned the sincerity of Umno in seeking to win over the non-Malay electorate on one hand while “victimising” them at the same time.

“Is this the leadership that the Malays want? A true Malay Muslim citizen should reject such leadership,” said the Pakatan leader.

Athi Veeranggan, Mkini

Husam: Rival’s ‘tango with Umno’ led me to contest

Flirting with Umno could prove to be a costly blunder.

MCPX

And incumbent PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa might find this out the hard way when the party’s Kelantan strongman Husam Musa takes him on in the party polls next month.

It’s an open secret that Nasharuddin forged close ties and initiated secret meetings with Umno after the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat scored unprecedented electoral gains in last year’s general election.

Although it is learnt that it was welcomed by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, it did not go down well with Pakatan allies – DAP and PKR – as well as several PAS leaders like Husam.

Husam also revealed that religious scholar Nasharuddin’s flirtation with Umno was the main reason why he decided to contest for deputy presidency.

“There were many meetings and unwanted close ties with Umno much to my dislike. This is the main reason for my challenge,” he said.

The Salor assemblyperson however quickly brushed aside suggestions that it would be a battle between religious scholars (ulamas) and professional elements within the Islamic-based party.

“My challenge against Nasharuddin is not a battle between ulamas and liberals. Don’t forget that Nasharuddin was previously from the same liberal team which I belong,” he said.

Party will not be split

Husam also does not believe that his challenge would split the party.

He said it would be a tame affair conducted in a friendly atmosphere, in which he would use only the “power of the wind to sail his boat.”

“It’s an internal battle and I would not use a high-powered boat to race,” he told reporters after speaking at a by-election rally in Mengkuang Titi, Penang last night.

The Husam-Nasharuddin clash is being billed as a tussle between the orthodox wing of the country’s second biggest Malay-based political party and its reformist wing.

Incumbent vice-president, Muhammad Sabu, also fondly known as Mat Sabu, has also joined the fray.

But speculations are rife that Mat Sabu, who is also among the liberals, might bow out to allow a decisive battle between the two sharply differing factions in the party.

A Pakatan leader observed that Husam would have a greater chance in unseating Nasharuddin in a straight fight.

Don’t contest Manek Urai as well

Earlier at the rally, echoing PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s call, Husam called on Umno not to contest in July’s Manek Urai by-election in Kelantan.

He said since Umno has used financial reasons as an excuse not to contest in Sunday’s Penanti by-election, it would be better for the party to leave Manek Urai to PAS, rather than battling a lost cause.

“By being thrifty and cost effective, Umno can save and re-channel public resources to revive and rebuild the country’s ailing economy,” he added, drawing laughter from the crowd.

He also took a swipe at Umno’s sudden concern over financial wastage after ‘lavishly spending public funds on mega projects’.

Athi Veeranggan, Mkini

Q+A-Why is Malaysia Port Klang scandal important?

(Forbes) Malaysia’s government is to unveil later on Thursday an independent auditors report into the construction of a free trade zone in Port Klang, a project aimed at boosting capacity in the port.

What started off as a 1.8 billion Malaysian ringgit ($516.2 million) project has ballooned into one which could cost more than 10 billion ringgit following an acrimonious pullout by the project’s Dubai-based international partner.

The issue raises the question of risk foreign investors face when doing business in Malaysia. It has been used to attack the integrity of the government by the opposition at a time when Malaysia’s new prime minister is still reeling from losses in the 2008 general election.

The port authority is due to release the auditor’s report at 3.30pm (0730GMT). Some members of the ruling coalition have been pressing for disclosure to prevent the project from tarnishing the government’s image.

Transparency in the way Malaysia does business will be a major factor in whether it can attract much-needed foreign direct investment.

WHAT IS PKFZ? The Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ) started as a joint venture between the Port Klang Authority and the promoters of the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in 1999 to attract foreign investment and promote Malaysia’s main ports situated near Kuala Lumpur.

HOW DID THE SCANDAL UNFOLD?

Land for the project was acquired by a company, Kuala Dimensi, whose shareholders include senior politicians from the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the lead party in the National Front coalition that has ruled Malaysia for 51 years, as well as politicians from other Front component parties.

The port authority reportedly ignored advice from the government chief legal adviser and bought the land from the company in 2002 for 1 billion ringgit, or about 25 ringgit per square foot, compared with the 3 ringgit per square foot which the company acquired the land for.

The company was later awarded sole rights to develop the zone without competitive bidding. Kuala Dimensi later raised funds through the issuance of bonds backed by the Transport Ministry.

PricewaterhouseCoopers was later called in by the Port Klang Autrhority (PKA) to prepare a report amid mounting public anger.

PKFZ came under public scrutiny due to its escalating cost. Previously, the government had said the project would not cost more than 4.6 billion ringgit.

On 5 May, MPs briefed by the authority told reporters that the cost of the project could exceed 10 billion ringgit.

WHY DID THE FOREIGN PARTNER PULL OUT?

Jebel Ali Free Zone Internation (Jafza), the Dubai-based company appointed to managed PKFZ terminated its 15 year-contract, withdrew from the project in July 2007, citing ‘strategic purposes’.

A newspaper report on Jafza’s pullout, which cited documents relating to the project, said the separation was acrimonious and due among others to interference by politicians and others with vested interests.

BOND LIABILITIES

The Port Klang Authority (PKA) paid RM1.09 billion for the land to be settled over 15 years in a deal that was backed by a government guarantee and Kuala Dimensi sold bonds worth 1.3 billion ringgit. Kuala Dimensi sold 1.4 billion ringgit of bonds, again backed by a government guarantee to develop the site.

Two more tranches of bonds with a total face value of more than one billion ringgit were then sold.

POLITICAL DIMENSION

The heads of the PKA have all been senior leaders from the Malaysian Chinese Association, the second largest party in the National Front coalition.

Among its board members, Kuala Dimensi has Azim Zabidi, who was a one-time treasurer of UMNO. Tiong King Sing is director of Kuala Dimensi and treasurer of the Sarawak Progressive ( PGR – news – people ) Democratic Party, another member of the coalition.

Also involved in the project are a former UMNO youth leader from Selangor state, Faizal Abdullah, whose father-in-law, Onn Ismail, is another influential figure in Selangor UMNO, was a former chairman of the cooperative that sold the land to Kuala Dimensi.

PKR’s election chief on Aminah, Dr Mansor and the numbers game

By Lee Wei Lian

PENANTI, May 29 — Saifuddin Nasution has only a few hours of sleep each night. To say that life is hectic for Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) election director is a gross understatement. The past three weeks have been crazy as he has had to juggle over 500 campaign workers spread across 51 operation centres around Penanti while at the same time trying to contain the damage from bribery accusations by an ex-PKR leader now turned independent candidate.

He says he is “very confident” coming down the final stretch leading up to polling day in the Penanti by-election and has “pity” for Aminah Abdullah, the ex-PKR Penang Wanita chief who has accused her former party of offering inducements for her to withdraw from the contest or rejoin the party.

Saifuddin, the former Barisan Nasional Youth secretary who joined PKR more than 10 years ago, expects PKR to get roughly the same number of votes it obtained in the Permatang Pauh by-election last August, or about 7,000. BN had obtained about 5,000 votes but is not contesting this time.

He also sees the three independent candidates obtaining no more than four per cent of the total possible votes, or no more than 600, based on the results of previous by-elections.

He tells The Malaysian Insider in an interview that the key to winning this election is to make sure Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters make the trip to the polling booth.

According to him, PR “hardcore” supporters make up 60 per cent of voters, BN 30 per cent and the rest are fence sitters.

“The winning formula is to make sure hardcore supporters come out to vote. Aminah’s accusations and attacks from the media and negative campaigning will affect maybe only 10 per cent of the fence sitters,” he said.

Saifuddin goes on to sayl why he thinks Aminah will not split votes with his party’s candidate Dr Mansor Othman and why this election will be fourth time lucky for the man who lost in three previous elections.

The Malaysian Insider (TMI): There are only a two days left before the polls. Do you feel confident going in?

Saifuddin: Yes. I am very much confident that we can win with a handsome… good majority.

TMI: Any predictions as to the numbers?

Saifuddin: My forecast is that we will get about 7,000 votes.

TMI: So you are expecting all the voters who voted PKR in the by-election last August to turn up again?

Saifuddin: That’s right. And this is the school holiday period. Some of them said well, since it’s school holidays and a Sunday, I may as well take the family for a trip, that is also a threat for me (chuckles).

TMI: What about the outstation voters? Will they come back to vote?

Saifuddin: We have a committee to look at those we mark as LK, or luar kawasan (outstation), voters. We have a committee to call them and ask them to come back.

TMI: How do you think the independent candidates will fare?

Saifuddin: Normally, the total number of votes is around three per cent. That is probably what they will get. You look at Bukit Selambau (by-election), 13 independents totalled up to only 3.1 to 3.2 per cent.

TMI: But now we are looking at independent candidate Nai Khan Ari who is ex-Gerakan. He might end up getting the BN votes.

Saifuddin: Still, I don’t expect votes for independents to be more than four percent.

TMI: What about Aminah? She is ex-PKR. Do you think she will split the votes with Mansor?

Saifuddin: No. Not at all. After five days of campaigning, the reason why I say that is very simple. They will look at her as taking part in this election for revenge (against PKR). I am sure, voters will not vote for someone who is coming in just to satisfy herself. We are going to elect the representative of the rakyat and they are not going to vote someone who is using this by-election just for revenge. I’m sure. I pity her in that sense.

TMI: Mansor has lost three elections before. Do you think it will be a factor?

Saifuddin: Not at all. You know why? Because he lost in other areas — Balik Pulau, Seberang Jaya and one of the state seats in Balik Pulau. I myself lost in Kubang Rotan. I won the Lunas by-election. And I won again in Machang. Mansor as a candidate has lost three times, but those losses make him more matured.

TMI: Will it be the case that people will look more at the party than the candidate?

Saifuddin: I believe so. As of now, in PR, you can see the sentiment of the people. Even though a leader or wakil rakyat makes a mistake, people tend to forgive you. And even if BN does something good, people still question. This is the situation. For Mansor, he represents a brand that can be accepted.

In Part II, Saifuddin talks about what he does as election director, the difference between being in PR and BN and what surprised him most about Penanti.
MI

Kegagalan Mahkamah Rayuan Kemuka Ulasan Bertulis Bukti Konspirasi Badan Kehakiman

Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin berkata kegagalan tiga hakim Mahkamah Rayuan sehingga kini untuk mengemukakan ulasan bertulis berhubung keputusan yang dicapai mereka 22 Mei lalu yang mengesahkan kedudukan Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir sebagai penyandang jawatan yang sah membuktikan konspirasi dalam badan kehakiman menafikan hak beliau.

Berucap pada majlis penutup program puasa sunat dan mogok lapar di Pejabat PAS Negeri Perak  di Ipoh yang berakhir petang semalam beliau bagaimanapun yakin keadilan di cari akan didapat diperolehi di Mahkamah Persekutuan nanti apabila rayuan dibuat.

“Kita tidak mahu berpegang kepada kuasa yang diberikan mahkamah namun kita ke istana untuk mohon bubarkankan. Begitu juga sila Zambry ke Istana jumpa Tuanku untuk bubar DUN.

“Dalam tempoh sekarang, akhir-akhir ini dengan karenah UMNO dan BN saya pun jadi marah, sampai mengigau saya marahkan kepada Speaker (Haram) Ganesan dalam tidur,” kata beliau secara berseloroh.

Datuk Seri Nizar berkata rakan sejawatnya dari Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng dan isteri turut meraikan mereka yang berpuasa malah seluruh rakyat Pulau Pinang menyokong perjuangan Pakatan Pakyat di Perak.

Beliau juga mengumumkan Ketua Menteri itu akan melakukan perubahan kepada Jalan Tun Perak di Pulau Pinang sebagai peringatan untuk mengabdikan perjuanganrakyat di Perak.

“Sebelum ini rakyat tidak merasa kehidupan rakyat pelbagai bangsa berlaku di Perak tetapi setelah kita memerintah Perak, ini yang UMNO cukup cemburu.

“Saya teringat sebelum ini saya dapati Dato’ Ngeh cakap Bahasa Melayu pun tidak lancar, selepas bersama kita dalam Pakatan Rakyat dibuktikan malam ini dia bercakap dengan baik, kalau puluh tahun akan datang dia akan boleh hafal Quran dan hadis,” kata Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gantang itu sambil tersenyum.

Menteri Besar juga mengingatkan rakyat supaya tidak terpedaya dengan dakyah Umno dan Barisan Nasional yang mengaitkan DAP dengan fahaman komunis.

“Kita kena berjaga-jaga dengan tohmahan DAP sebagai komunis, jangan termakan tohmahan ini. Kita ada prinsip dalam Pakatan Rakyat” ini.

“Mudah-mudahan untuk menuntut pembubaran DUN Perak merebak ke seluruh dunia sehingga kepada pelajar-pelajar kita di Timur Tengah menghantar memorandum supaya dibubarkanDUN.

“Semua pihak bersetuju, yang tidak setuju cuma UMNO kerana mereka tahu mereka akan kalah teruk,” tegas beliau kepada hadirin. TVAntara

anifah to take on Anwar: RM1 million shocker from Anifah

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman will not back down in the face of a RM100 million defamation suit filed against him yesterday by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim over an undiplomatic flap on his first official outing abroad.

This is the message that is going out from the man himself to his army of supporters in the kampungs especially among his extended Dusun family along the west coast of Sabah.

They worry about the foreign minister throwing caution to the winds in matters of diplomacy and note that his critics have already questioned his credentials for the job and are mercilessly crucifying him in blogosphere.

Many simple folks in the kampung also worry that “Anifah wouldn’t have the RM100 million to pay Anwar if he loses”.

Anwar meanwhile confirmed in a text message to Malaysiakini that he was suing Anifah both in his personal capacity and as the foreign minister.

In addition, Anwar is also suing the government in connection with the allegedly libelous statements uttered by Anifah in Washington on May 16 against him.

“Effectively, it is suing two parties, Anifah and Kerajaan Malaysia,” he explained

“Suing (him) in his own name (only) means he has to pay a private lawyer (and fellow Sabahan) Gani (attorney-general Gani Patail) cannot defend him.”

Has he played into Anwar’s hands?

Cynics may be excused if they wonder at this juncture whether it’s ‘payback time’ after Anifah had reportedly given every indication that he would ditch the ruling BN for the opposition alliance but turned tail at the last moment before the Sept 16 deadline last year.

Anifah had allegedly uttered the libelous remarks against Anwar at a joint press conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“I was personally offered a very lucrative position, like a deputy prime ministership. These facts are not known to the world at large,” Anifah reportedly told the Washington press conference.

To add insult to injury, to quote from Anwar’s briefing to party members, “he has stubbornly refused to apologise for his mistake”.

The thrust of Anwar’s denials is that he never offered something like the post of deputy prime minister in a federal government helmed by him.

Anwar dismisses Anifah’s claim as a poor joke since “the man himself is obviously not qualified”.

Along the political grapevine in Sabah, the story is that Anifah had been expected to lead several MPs to crossover to Pakatan Rakyat and would have been rewarded with a senior position in the federal cabinet when the opposition seizes the reins of power in Putrajaya.

“Many people have taken on Anifah in the past and lost but not in the courts,” says a senior journalist with the New Sabah Times, which is run by the Aman family, whose head is Musa, the state’s chief minister and Anifah’s elder brother.

“This is one guy who kicks up helluva fuss when something or someone gets in his way. At the same time, he has a strong sense of entitlement.”

The senior journalist who is no fan of Anifah points out that when former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi offered him the deputy transport minister’s post, “he really felt insulted and told the PM what he could do with his offer”.

The happy ending came when newly-appointed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak invited him to be foreign minister.

Political observers are not impressed generally with Anifah’s handling of the press.

Quite a number are not surprised that Anifah was trapped by the American and international press into making the anti-Anwar and pro-Najib statements for which he has now been faulted.

Questions abound in the local press in the wake of Anifah’s anti-Anwar tirade in Washington and his spirited defence of the Najib administration is how much a politician really worth in ringgit and sen?

However, one former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad apologist from Sarawak, a senior journalist who is now in media advisory and consultancy work, has this to say: “Anwar has mastered the art of suing for RM100 million. He also did the same thing to Chandra Muzaffar (former PKR deputy president) and Mahathir to create the public perception that he’s the aggrieved party.”

RM1 million shocker from Anifah

Anifah himself is no stranger to controversy.

When he was helming the Sabah Football Association (Safa) some years ago, he shocked reporters at a press conference by disclosing that he made his first million by the time he was 21 years old.

This made the day for the press who had their readers chuckling for years thereafter over the remark whenever Sabah football and politicians were mentioned in the same breath.

The local press, subsequently joined by the national papers, had been very critical of the way Anifah had been handling Safa. Obviously, he thought that his one million ringgit shocker would make them realise that he was made of the right stuff in leadership, management and marketing skills.

He did not disclose however how he made his first million.

Senior Sapp (Sabah People’s Progressive Party) activist Mohamad Edeh has a final word on yesterday’s RM100 lawsuit. He thinks that Anwar is making much ado about nothing.

“If I were him (Anwar), I would just make don’t know because it (Anifah’s statement) isn’t worth anything at all. The more he reacts, the more his political reputation would be questioned,” said Edeh.

Joe Fernandez, Mkini

PKFZ report: Three top politicians named

Three ruling politicians have been named in the damning Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) audit report, two of whom for possible conflict of interest involving the controversial project.

MCPX

The trio are Deputy Finance Minister Chor Chee Heung, Backbenchers Club chairperson and Bintulu parliamentarian Tiong King Sing and Semanta state assemblyperson Abdul Rahman Palil.

Chor had served as chairperson of the Port Klang Authority (PKA) – the managing authority of PKFZ – from April 2007 to March 2008.

The audit report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) alleged that Chor was potentially in conflict of interest as he was involved in a private company which is a main contractor in the PKFZ project.

According to the report, Chor served as deputy chairperson of Wijaya Baru Global Berhad (WBGB) from April 2004 to July 2007.

WBGB is the parent company of Wijaya Baru Sdn Bhd (WBSB), which in turn is the main contractor to turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd.

“Minutes of the (PKA) board did not indicate that Chor either declared his previous involvement in WBGB to the (PKA) board or withdrew himself from deliberations,” said the 45-page report.

Chor is also currently the member of parliament for Alor Star and was deputy home minister until April this year before he was moved to the Finance Ministry.

Efforts by Malaysiakini to contact Chor for his comments were unsuccessful.

Tiong a key owner of turnkey developer

Meanwhile, the report said Abdul Rahman was a PKA board member from 1997 to 2003, and also president of Koperasi Pembangunan Pulau Lumut Bhd (KPPLB) – the original landowners of PKFZ project site.

“At one (PKA) board meeting, Abdul Rahman declared his position as the president of KPPLB and queried the proposal for compulsory acquisition of the land over direct purchase.

“Given that compulsory acquisition would have benefited PKA, the rationale for Abdul Rahman raising the query is unclear,” read the report.

Abdul Rahman is the current Sementa state assemblyperson and was Selangor state executive council member when Barisan Nasional was in power in the state.

Meanwhile, Tiong was named as a 32 percent shareholder of WBGB, which has a 45 percent stake in WBSB – the main contractor to the turnkey developer.

Tiong is also 70 percent shareholder of WBHSB, which is the sole proprietor of Kuala Dimensi, the turnkey developer.

The report however does not make any reference to Tiong as having any conflict of interest.

Quantity surveyor and law firm too

Another party cited for possible conflict of interest is quantity surveyor consortium Perunding BE Sdn Bhd. The company was appointed by PKA to assess the final cost for the project, but it was previously acted for Kuala Dimensi.

The report also named legal firm Rashid Asari & Co for possible conflict of interest.

According to PwC, the firm was appointed PKA’s legal advisory, but it was also acted in the sale of same land by KPPLB to Kuala Dimensi in 1995.

“Good practice would require this earlier involvement to be declared to the PKA board prior to the firm’s appointment as PKA’s legal advisory,” said the report.

Andrew Ong, Mkini

Case against 3 independents ‘still alive’

Perak speaker V Sivakumar today tried to revive his judicial review against three state assemblypersons and the Election Commission despite a Federal Court ruling that the power to determine a vacancy lied with the EC and not him.

MCPX

His lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that the matter was still a live issue.

Sulaiman said that the apex court’s decision does not mean that no one can question the commission’s decision not to declare a vacancy of the three seats.

“Although EC has made its decision, it does not mean it (the decision by the commission not to accept the resignation) is correct.

“The final arbiter to decide such discrepancy following them tendering their resignations in January and February this year should be this court,” the senior lawyer submitted.

He made the submission before High Court judge Lau Bee Lan in her chambers today.

Earlier, senior federal counsel Kamaluddin Md Said, representing the Attorney General’s Chambers, submitted that Sivakumar’s applications was academic following the apex court’s decision.

The AG’s chambers was there as a custodian of public interests. Lawyer Razlan Hadri Zulkifli was also present in assisting Sulaiman.

The suits against BN-friendly independents

Sivakumar had filed a judicial review application on March 10 in his personal capacity, and named the three Barisan Nasional friendly independents namely Mohd Osman Jailu (Changkat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang).

On the same day, three ousted Pakatan Rakyat exco’s namely A Sivanesan (Sungkai), Tai Sing Ng (Kuala Sepetang) and Chen Fook Chye (Keranji) along with three voters, one each from the constituency of Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang filed a similar application.

The three voters are Ahmad Sabri Wahab, Ahmad Latip Ariffin and Foo Hong Wai representing the three constituencies where their three assemblypersons had become BN friendly representatives.

All six named the Radzi, Osman, Hee and the commission as respondents.

Sivakumar, in his application wants to compel the EC to declare the three seats of Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang were vacant and a call for by-elections to be held.

He also asked the three assemblypersons to present authorities to stipulate they are still elected representatives for their constituencies.

In addition, he is also seeking for the three state seats be declared vacant and cleared following the resignation of the three representatives from Pakatan.

He also wants an order to quash the EC’s decision not to call for by-elections in Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang.

The Federal Court ruling

On April 9, the apex court’s five-member bench ruled that the three will remain state representatives after it ruled the EC was the rightful body to declare vacancies in a state seat.

Court of Appeal president Justice Alauddin Md Sheriff led the bench in the unanimous decision.

The other members of the bench were Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Ariffin Zakaria, Federal Court judges Justice Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman and Justice S Augustine Paul and Court of Appeal judge James Foong.

“Despite the decision made, it would not prejudice the other two on-going suits which have yet to be heard,” said Alauddin in his oral decision.

Following today’s matter, Justice Lau has fixed July 28 for Sivakumar to submit his related affidavit to state his matter is still a live case.

She also fixed Sept 4, for hearing of Sivakumar’s leave application.

Hafiz Yatim, Mkini

Ex-CID boss cries ‘black-eye’ conspiracy

Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim, who was declared a bankrupt, has claimed that several ‘powerful hidden hands’ wanted to destroy his credibility.

MCPX

And he said their reason for doing so was “to paralyse my capabilities and prevent me from giving evidence against attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail and inspector-general of police Musa Hassan for fabricating evidence in the Anwar Ibrahim ‘black-eye’ case.”

In a statement emailed to all media organisations today, Mat Zain said his friends and relatives were wondering why his case, which is a non-issue and not worthy of publication, was given tremendous prominence by the media.

The issue was reported in the mainstream media today.

“I was just a common retired senior assistant commissioner II who went on optional retirement some eight years ago. I am not a member of any political party and have no intentions of being one.

“Surely you too are curious to know the reasons why the news on me had to be played up as such,” he said.

“No ordinary person can influence the entire media (radio and TV) to run this sort of news simultaneously. I say with certainty there are very powerful hidden hands that wanted it so,” he added.

The former CID chief was the investigating officer of the black-eye incident, and pledged that the probe was done “professionally without fear or favour.”

On July 7 last year, Anwar filed a police report accusing Gani, Musa and one Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof and Mat Zain of falsifying a medical report.

The matter was also investigated by the then Anti-Corruption Agency (now renamed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency).

Commenting on the corruption watchdog’s probe, Mat Zain said: “My detailed statement was recorded no less than five times by the investigating officer.”

“I made full disclosure and provided the MACC with documentary evidence, which I believe was more than sufficient to proof criminal wrongdoings on the part of Gani in particular,” he added.

MACC board clears Gani and Musa

On March 1 this year, MACC chief Ahmad Said Hamdan announced that a three-member independent panel appointed by the solicitor-general to scrutinise the allegations had cleared Gani and Musa of any criminal wrongdoings

“Ten days later, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Aziz repeated that Gani and Musa are both cleared of any wrongdoings except with regards to Gani, where one of the panel members dissented, leaving Dr Rahman’s and my position in jeopardy,” said Mat Zain.

“In view of this, on April 15, I submitted my appeal to the chairman of the advisory board of MACC and extended copies of the same to all committee members as well as to the chairmen of the other panels, including all members of the select committee to review the above findings.

“I provided the members with detailed arguments and attached supporting documentary evidence that I believe would be sufficient to proof that Gani and Musa were involved and/or abetted in the falsification of the medical reports on Anwar and that they should not have been cleared.

“I have yet to receive any response from the board but believe it is still under their consideration,” he added.

On May 5, Mat Zain said he followed up on his appeal and extended copies to the solicitor-general as well as to the solicitor-general II.

“Once again, I provided them with arguments and submissions which I believe could show that Gani not only falsified one medical report as alleged by Anwar, but three, with Musa believed to be involved in at least two of them. I hope this too is being looked into seriously,” he said.

Pak Lah was not told the entire truth

Mat Zain also believes that former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was never told the truth or the entire facts concerning the case.

Should the truth have been told, the former police officer was certain that Abdullah would have taken the appropriate action.

As for his bankruptcy case, Mat Zain said the notice was issued on April 21, 2009 while the order was issued on May 14.

“Why was it only publicised yesterday?” he asked.

“I have reason to believe that the notice was obtained about a week after I filed my appeal to the MACC board on April 15 after Anwar vowed that he would provide a tough defence in the sodomy charge against him fixed to be heard beginning July 1.”

“I have reasons to believe that the prosecution team anticipated that Anwar would certainly raise at a certain point of his trial the issue of fabrication of evidence in the black-eye case.

“My evidence would be vital at this stage. Their only option was to destroy my credibility,” he said.

Although conceding that the news about his bankruptcy would affect him and his family, Mat Zain however said that he took it as a blessing in disguise.

“It would only enhance my resolve to disclose the whole truth of the ‘black-eye’ episode. Believe me, that this is not the only case the duo (Gani and Musa) had their fingers in. There are others which are as sensational. The truth shall prevail,” he added.

With regards to the bankruptcy matter, Mat Zain said he has instructed his lawyer to look into the matter which came as a surprise to him “especially when I was never served personally of any notice of the hearing.” Mkini

MPs to raise ‘police abuses’ in Parliament

Fireworks might erupt when Parliament reconvenes on June 15 as the 83 Pakatan Rakyat MPs plan to demand a subjective motion and immediate debate on the police abusing its powers in Perak.

MCPX

Speaking to reporters, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang said: “Eighty-three MPs are more than one-third of Parliament and we want an immediate debate on the first day of Parliament and we must get a consensus to get IGP (Musa Hassan) to resign from his post.”

Pakatan will also launch a campaign ‘Five days of Perak’ through DVDs and want every Malaysian to know about the fight for democracy in the northen state.

“The battle has just started. The fight for democracy and justice has just began in Perak,” said Lim.

The ‘Five Days of Perak’ refers to the political events beginning from May 11,12, 13, 21 and 26.

“Perak has become a symbol of democracy and a reference point for all Malaysians and future generations to assess their democratic rights,” said Lim.

“For four months Malaysia has become a laughing stock, leading from the collapse of the legitimate mentri besar (Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin) and the rise of the false mentri besar (Zambry Abd Kadir).

“The Raintree assembly sitting by Pakatan has gone into history not only in Malaysia but also the world. The ‘Five Days of Perak’ must go out to every Malaysian whether young or old

“Starting with the May 7 infamous event, when the lawful and legitimate speaker (V Sivakumar) was forcefully removed from the assembly sitting but this illegal action has made (Sivakumar) the most famous speaker in the Commonwealth,” he added.

‘We won’t stop until victory is ours’

Lim said May 11 witnessed High Court Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim boldly giving the landmark judgement which saw the brief return of the Pakatan state government.

“(The following day ) Zambry within two hours managed to get a stay order from the one-man judge bench of the Appeals Court and on May 13, Zambry returned as the ‘squatter’ menteri besar which is illegal and unlawful.

“May 21 saw the Court of Appeal at the Palace of Justice – whose palace whose justice – within five minutes the verdict is given – no judgement – only a rush – a day of sadness and all were very upset (over the verdict),” he added.

Meanwhile, Lim said all Malaysians will also remember May 26 when Pakatan politicians decided to go on a hunger strike, but the police arrested 21 people, including elected representatives.

“(The police are) afraid of (people who carry and wear) candles, balloons, black shirts, sing birthday songs. What has Malaysia become? The police are misusing their powers (and the person to be blamed) is Musa Hassan,” he added.

In view of this, Lim called on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to conduct a public inquiry into the alleged police abuses.

“We are at crossroads to change the federal government and Najib (Abdul Razak) will be the last BN prime minister. We will take the battle to Parliament and to every state until victory is ours,” he said.

Humayun Kabir, Mkini

Ceramah Tok Guru Nik Aziz PRK Penanti

Buletinonline

A prelude to Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘Sodomy II’ trial

Now, the day after Saiful met Najib, he met Rodwan in room 619 of the Kuala Lumpur Concorde. Najib did not know this of course. Prior to that meeting, Rodwan and Saiful spoke over the phone at least eight times.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

On 11 August 2008, in an article called ‘The real dalang behind the Anwar sodomy allegation’, Malaysia Today wrote: Shafee was supposed to have led the prosecution against Anwar. A provision in the law called FIAT allows the Attorney-General to appoint an outsider to conduct the prosecution. If Shafee does well then he would most likely be appointed the next Attorney-General.

Since the publishing of article almost a year ago, Shafee has sued me and in his summons in chambers he applied to strike off my defence on grounds that my allegation did not have any particulars. Well, if it’s particulars he wants then it is particulars he shall get.

In the meantime, read what Malaysia Today wrote on 11 August 2008:

*************************************************

Sodomy II: Who stands to gain the most?

In the court of the rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim is not guilty of Sodomy II, and neither was he guilty of Sodomy I. He was initially found guilty of Sodomy I (that ‘judgment’ later reversed) in the most convoluted and illogical judicial process facilitated and engineered by top policemen, prosecutors and judges who were anything but the respected and responsible public servants for law and order and justice in a democratic country.

Today, we are on the verge of witnessing a repeat of that most shameful process in Malaysia’s history. The question is why would anyone want to do this? Surely, Saiful (aged 13 during Sodomy I) knows the gravity, implications and consequences of his allegations against Anwar.

Assuming that Saiful has actually been sodomised, what does he gain by lodging a report? He says that he been sodomised eight times by Anwar, in which case he should have lodged a police report immediately after the first incident if he were the innocent law-abiding citizen that he (or rather various powerful interested parties are trying to portray on his behalf) is trying to portray.

On the basis of his own report and confession, Saiful now faces the possibility of being jailed for willingly engaging in sodomy (as Anwar’s adopted brother was found guilty of and jailed for six months in Sodomy I) if his allegations against Anwar are ‘proven’. Furthermore, Saiful will now be the target of ridicule and harassment about his manhood and sexual preference. No young man will be able to live normally with such shame and accompanying torment and ridicule.

In fact, it is a well-known fact that genuine rape victims in general do not report the crime, and male victims in particular are more inclined not to report sodomy because of the greater shame and implications regarding their manhood. Furthermore, Saiful’s allegations against Anwar are so flimsy that unless the Sodomy I process is repeated, Anwar will not be found guilty.

Given these facts, Saiful could be getting a huge reward for alleging that Anwar had sodomised him, a reward which adequately compensates for the stigma and guilt associated with being a partner willing or unwilling in several acts of sodomy The question is who is offering such a handsome reward? Who is so rich and powerful to be able to make an offer which Saiful cannot refuse? Or, more correctly, who stands to gain most from Sodomy II?

The popular arguments on the Net and in the coffee-shops point to Najib. Najib met Saiful on the day after the alleged sodomy. Saiful has access to Najib’s aide. The allegation against Anwar has diverted the attention of the public from the revelations made by Private Investigator P Balasubramaniam about Najib in his first statutory declaration. Saiful’s allegation has also put Anwar on the defensive and thwarted his plans to challenge the BN government for power by September.

All these suggest that Najib has much to gain from Sodomy II. The reality is that Najib is also a victim of Sodomy II. In the eyes of the public, Najib is not only involved in the Altanuya case but is also masterminding a conspiracy against Anwar. These perceptions will have serious consequences and will most surely weaken Najib’s case to be the next PM. The way that Najib has responded to the sodomy allegation against Anwar suggests an individual who is blundering – not a mastermind who has crafted the whole thing, from positioning Saiful in PKR to getting him to accuse Anwar of sodomy. In conclusion, Najib does not stand to gain from Sodomy II.

As for Abdullah Ahamd Badawi, the people punished him on March 8 for his poor performance as PM. His popularity is at an all time low – the high petrol/diesel prices, high food prices, inflation, crime, etc.  Sodomy II has added a major political crisis which Abdullah is ill-equipped to handle, even if he is inclined to do so at this time. Either way he will be a loser.

If Anwar is found ‘guilty’ of Sodomy II, the people will hold Abdullah responsible for victimising Anwar, and Abdullah may have to exit well before the declared 2010 deadline. If Anwar were found innocent, that would strengthen Anwar, enabling him to challenge BN and hasten Abdullah’s exit. If Sodomy II drags on, there will be serious public unrest and this would also pose a major challenge for Abdullah. Thus, Abdullah is also a victim of Sodomy II.

It looks like that Anwar, Najib and Abdullah are all victims of Sodomy II in one way or another. So who is behind Sodomy II? Who will benefit from Sodomy II? Someone who will lose most if Anwar comes into power. Someone who will go to any extent to prevent Anwar’s rise. Someone who no longer accepts Najib as a potential PM. Someone who wants instability in Malaysia. Someone who wants to topple Abdullah.

Someone who cannot accept the rise of the opposition. Someone who does not agree with the new direction that Malaysia is taking in matters such as the judiciary and law and order. Someone whose buddies (cronies) are badly affected by government actions such as termination of mega-projects. Someone who wants to prevent probe and investigation into government misdeeds and mal-practices of the past. Someone who wants to continue the legacy of the past.

Someone who is fully schooled in sodomy matters from Sodomy I. Someone who has strong allies in the government, especially the home ministry, police and AG chambers. Someone who is unscrupulous. Someone who will go any extent to get what he wants. Someone who is extremely rich and powerful. Someone who has finally readied an heir. So, who is behind Sodomy II? A Machiavellian par excellence.

Who is it?

Ken, Malaysiakini

*************************************************

That was what Ken wrote in Malaysiakini on 22 July 2008. I do not, however, agree with his prognosis. Without a doubt he is exonerating Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from the crime of trying to frame Anwar Ibrahim and has painted them, plus Anwar, as the three victims in this attempted frame-up. And in that same breath Ken is insinuating that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the real dalang behind the whole thing.

I do not quite agree with this assumption. Yes, Mahathir has no love for Anwar, and vice versa, but the Grand Old Man of Malaysian politics is not behind this latest move to frame Anwar on sodomy charges. And I say this because the behind-the-scenes goings-on prior to the sodomy issue exploding onto the Malaysian scene seem to point to Abdullah’s office, or at least to those within his inner circle.

Firstly, Saiful met Najib before the so-called sodomy took place. No doubt, at first, Najib denied meeting him and then later admitted meeting him but explained that it was for purposes of career guidance and to help the young man obtain a scholarship. Later on, Najib confessed he met Saiful to discuss the sodomy allegation against Anwar. This flip-flopping and inconsistency — denial and then confessing only when it appeared like he could no longer deny it — makes Najib appear like he is lying and therefore is trying to cover up an evil deed.

Najib’s responses certainly make him look like a liar and therefore he must have something to hide if he is lying. A lying man is certainly the mark of a guilty man, which makes it look like he is behind the conspiracy, or at least involved in the conspiracy to frame Anwar. But this is what they are trying to make us believe. Why this effort to make it appear like Najib is the culprit if not to deflect all attention from whoever is the real culprit?

Now, the day after Saiful met Najib, he met Rodwan in room 619 of the Kuala Lumpur Concorde. Najib did not know this of course. Prior to that meeting, Rodwan and Saiful spoke over the phone at least eight times. We can only assume that part of this conversation involved asking Saiful to go meet Najib and to make sure that everyone knows about it so that the conspiracy points to Najib. The fact that Saiful brought a friend along only reinforces this assumption, especialy when this friend is aligned to Anwar Ibrahim.

The man who is the real mastermind behind this latest conspiracy to frame Anwar is Shafee Abdullah. Just days before the sodomy allegation exploded, and even before Saiful’s meeting with Rodwan on 25 June 2008, Shafee was in Najib’s house to attend a gathering. And in front of scores of witnesses he asked to be excused early because he ‘had a very big fish to catch’. Shafee conveniently made it known that he is behind the move to catch the ‘big fish’ and he wanted all those in Najib’s house to be aware that Najib was in the know. Actually, Najib did not know what he was talking about and assumed that the ‘big fish’ meant Raja Petra Kamarudin and was with regards to the Statutory Declaration that he had signed just days earlier on 18 June 2008.

Shafee was supposed to have led the prosecution against Anwar. A provision in the law called FIAT allows the Attorney-General to appoint an outsider to conduct the prosecution. If Shafee does well then he would most likely be appointed the next Attorney-General. When word got out that he is heading the special police operations centre, which was located in his office, they had to abandon the whole idea.

Shafee’s hands are behind the whole thing. And this can only happen with Abdullah’s blessing. No, it is not Mahathir who is behind this. And it is not Abdullah, Najib and Anwar who are the three victims. The victims are Mahathir, Najib and Anwar. Abdullah is the hidden hand and Shafee is the henchman who was tasked with the job of implementing the evil deed. Politics is not what it always appears to be in Malaysia. That is how Malay politics is played out.

Kugan’s mom sues cops, case still in limbo

More than four months have passed since the 21-year-old detainee breathed his last in a police station.

MCPX

The case made headlines when a damning video-clip of Kugan Ananthan’s remains surfaced.

The graphic recording detailed severe lacerations on his body, lending credence to the family’s claim that he was beaten to death by the police.

The case was classified as murder and 11 policemen were subsequently re-assigned to desk duties. Investigations have been wrapped up, but nobody has been charged.

Refusing to let the matter rest, Kugan’s mother today filed a suit against the police for seizing items from the office of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) pathologist Dr Prashant N Sambekar.

Prashant had performed the second autopsy which revealed that the youth had been beaten, burnt and starved.

IGP, CID chief named in suit

N Indra filed the suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning accompanied by lawyer, N Surendran.

The suit named four police officers, including Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin, as respondents.

The other two are Petaling Jaya district police chief Arjunaidi Mohammed and the officer who raided the pathologist’s office, ASP Mohd Marzukhi Mohd Mokhtar.

Kugan’s family had sought a second post-mortem, after rejecting the findings of the first conducted by Dr Abdul Karim Tajuddin of Serdang Hospital which concluded that Kugan had died from “fluid accumulation” in his lungs.

After Prashant released the second provisional post-mortem report, preparations were made to send samples to Australia in order to conduct a toxicology test.

The test will determine the level of drugs and toxins in Kugan’s body and complete the post-mortem report.

Doc’s office raided

But on April 6, the police raided Prashant’s office and seized the specimens after a search warrant was produced to the hospital authorities.

The evidence that were seized includes specimens (bodily fluids, tissue samples), photographs, documents and other materials relating to the post-mortem done by the pathologist.

Speaking to reporters after the suit was filed, Surendren stated that all the samples seized belonged to the mother.

“The owner of the bodily samples is the mother. The police don’t own Kugan’s tissues. UMMC was holding the tissue samples on the mother’s permission so how can the police seize it?” he asked.

Surendran also questioned the motive for the seizure claiming that the authorities were well aware that the private post mortem needed one more test to be completed.

“Months of careful preparations had to be done (in order to send the samples to Australia).

“Suddenly, the authorities come and seize everything even though they know for a complete post mortem report it is imperative that the samples (be) sent for testing,” he said.

‘We want justice’

Surendran also said the police have not provided a copy of the search warrant to him, Indra and UMMC despite requests having been made.

“What is wrong with giving us the search warrant? We are entitled to see the search warrant,” he said.

He said all three parties have submitted their applications both verbally and in writing but to no avail and this has caused the delay in filing the suit.

According to Surendran, the pathologist’s notes were also taken away.

The lawyer also questioned what the IGP, home minister and attorney-general are doing since “not a single person has been charged” in connection with Kugan’s death.

Kugan’s father, G.Ananthan, added that the family only wants justice.

“How long more should we wait? He may be gone but we want to know why this happened? Even if he was guilty, send him to court not kill him. I just don’t know what to say anymore,” he said.

Kugan had died on Jan 20 at the USJ Taipan police station, five days after he was picked up in connection with a car theft case.

Tarani Palani, Mkini

Nik Aziz: Umno is thick skinned – ‘Give PAS a walkover in Manek Urai’

ust like it did for the Penanti by-election, Umno should also stay away from Manek Urai and give a walkover to PAS, said Pakatan Rakyat supremo Anwar Ibrahim.

He added that by passing over the impending Manek Urai state by-election, the Umno-led Putrajaya administration can fully focus all its resources full time to handle the country’s ailing economy.

Since Umno has passed over Penanti to channel its precious time to revive the economy, he jibed that it should refrain from contesting Manek Urai to do the same.

“Don’t tell me the country’s economy would be okay next week that Umno would be free to contest.

“Umno should pass over Manek Urai and give a walkover to PAS and Pakatan.

“Only then it has the time to rebuild the economy,” Anwar, the PKR supremo, told the 3,000 people gathered at Guar Jering during a Penanti by-election rally on Wednesday night.

Anwar warned Umno that it would bite the dust in Manek Urai given that PAS had won the state seat in all elections since 1986, except in the 2004 general election.

He called on Penanti voters to give PKR a resounding win with a huge majority, “big enough to scare away Umno and BN from Manek Urai.”

BN: A waste of public resources

Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has already announced that Barisan Nasional would contest in Manek Urai, which fell vacant following the death of PAS’ state assemblyperson Ismail Yaacob on May 23.

The Election Commission will announce the date for the polling today.

Ismail won Manek Urai in the 2008 general election with 1,352 vote-majority over Umno’s Zulkepli Omar. He polled 5,746 votes against Zulkepli’s 4,394. Voter turnout was 84.23 percent.

Prior to this, BN had pulled out from Penanti’s contest citing frequent by-elections as waste of public resources.

Najib explained that the ruling coalition preferred to spend its resources to tackle the economy woes.

Pakatan leaders however have always maintained that although BN did not contest Penanti, they could see the coalition’s presence in the three independent candidates – Aminah Abdullah, Nai Khan Ari Nai Keow and Kamarul Ramizu Idris.

The independent candidates were described as “BN proxies” in Pakatan rallies.

Pakatan’s candidate is PKR deputy state leader and former Universiti Sains Malaysia academician Mansor Othman. Polling is on Sunday May 31.

Proxy war in Penanti

Anwar pointedly noted the prominence given by BN-controlled media for unknown Penanti independent candidates in past week proved Umno’s proxy war.

He also accused Umno of carrying out a whispering campaign to stop voters from coming out to cast their ballots for PKR on the polling day.

The Permatang Pauh parliamentarian reminded the voters that their every vote counts and they should not listen to Umno’s whisper campaign.

Strong rumours have spread across Penanti that Umno would charter at least 20 buses – two in each of the constituency’s 10 polling areas – to ferry voters to visit northern border towns of Bukit Kayu Hitam, Padang Besar and Wang Kelian this Sunday.

“Umno leaders are doing everything possible to thwart a big win for PKR and Pakatan,” alleged Anwar, the parliamentary opposition leader.

Nik Aziz: Umno is thick skinned

At the same rally, Kelantan menteri besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat said that Umno had faded as a political party and had been transformed into a creature that no longer deserved to exist.

He taunted Umno of being paralysed by corruption, fiendishness, and arrogance and abuse of power and losing all its senses to realise and correct its wrongdoings.

“It cannot feel even mosquitoes bite anymore. It has become too thick skinned.

“Umno has abandoned political virtues to grip on to power at all costs,” said the PAS spiritual leader.

The Penanti fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent representative Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin on April 16.

The constituency, which comes Permatang Pauh, has 15,384 registered voters comprising 72.6 per cent Malays, 24.2 per cent Chinese, 2.4 per cent Indians and 0.7 per cent others.

In 2008 general election, debutant Fairus garnered 7,346 votes to score a 2,219 majority win over Umno’s incumbent assemblyperson Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid, who got 5,127 votes.

In the Permatang Pauh by-election last August, Penanti voters gave Anwar a thumping majority of 3,276.

This time PKR aims to secure more than 8,000 votes to give a crushing win for Mansor.

Athi Veeranggan, Mkini

Statement by MAT ZAIN BIN IBRAHIM : I have evidence against Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan for fabricating evidence in the “Black-Eye” case of 1998

Their reasons are to destroy my credibility and/or to paralyze my capabilities and preventing me from giving evidence against Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan for fabricating evidence in the “Black-Eye” case of 1998 involving Dato ‘Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Former KL CID Chief declared a bankrupt

1.    I am the person named in your reports, which appeared practically in all the mainstream media or otherwise today. Please allow me to respond to your publications.

2.    Friends and relatives have called me wondering how on earth a matter which is a non-issue and most of all not worthy of publication have been given prominence at par with national issues. I was never the IGP, nor a Director or a CPO when in the service. I am just a common retired Senior Assistant Commissioner II who went on optional retirement some 8 years ago. I am not a member of any political party and have no intention of being one. Surely you too are curious to know the reasons why the above news on me had to be played up as such. No ordinary person can influence the entire media to run this sort of news simultaneously and over radio and TV. (I shall touch on the subject matter later).

3.    I say with certainty that there are very powerful hidden hands that wanted it so. Their reasons are to destroy my credibility and/or to paralyze my capabilities and preventing me from giving evidence against Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (Gani) and IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan (Musa) for fabricating evidence in the “Black-Eye” case of 1998 involving Dato ‘Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Anwar).

Brief Facts: Allegation by Anwar

4.    I was the Investigation Officer of the infamous Black-eye incident in 1998 which I assure you was done professionally and without fear or favour.

5.    On 1.7.2008 Anwar lodged a police report alleging four persons namely Gani, Musa, one Dr. Abdul Rahman Yusof (Dr.Rahman) and myself have falsified a medical report on him (Anwar) in the black-eye case. This allegation was investigated by the MACC (then ACA).

6.    My detail statements were recorded no less than five times by the Investigation Officer. I made full disclosure and provided  the MACC with documentary evidence which I believe, was more than sufficient to proof criminal wrongdoings on the part of Gani in particular.

7.    On 1.3.2009,Dato Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan (Ahmad Said), the Chief Commissioner of MACC announced in The Star that a 3-member independent panel appointed by the Solicitor General to scrutinise the investigation paper have found Gani and Musa cleared of any criminal wrongdoings

8.    Again on 11.3.2009 YB Dato Seri Mohd.Nazri Abdul Aziz(YB Nazri)Minister in PM’s Department in answer to a question posed in Parliament repeated that Gani and Musa are both cleared of any wrongdoings except with regard to Gani, where one of the panel members dissented, but still leaving Dr. Rahman’s and my position in jeopardy..

9.    In view of this, on the 15.4.2009 I submitted my appeal to the Chairman of the Advisory Board of MACC and extended copies of same to all the Committee Members  as well as to the Chairman of the other Panels, including all members of the Select Committee to review the above findings. I provided the members with detail arguments and attached supporting documentary evidences that I believe would be sufficient to proof that Gani and Musa were involved and/or abetted in the falsification of the medical reports on Anwar in the black-eye case, and that they should not have been cleared. I have yet to receive any response from the Board but believe it is still under their considerations.

10.    Yet again on the 7.5.2009 I followed-up my appeal and extended copies to the Solicitor General as well as to the Solicitor General II.Once again I provided them with arguments and submissions which I believe could show that Gani not only falsified 1 (one) medical report as alleged by Anwar, but instead THREE , with Musa believed to be involved in at least two of them. I hope this too is being looked into seriously.

11.    However, I am justified to state that YAB Prime Minister, was never told the true and entire facts of this issue. Should the truth be told, I believe YAB PM would have taken the appropriate actions.

12.    Looking at the contents of your publication, the bankruptcy notice was issued on the 21.4.2009 whilst the order was issued on 14.5.2009.Why was it only publicized on the 27.5.2009? I have reason to believe that the notice was obtained about 1 week after I have filed my appeal to the MACC Board on 15.4.2009 while they were only published on 27.5.2009 after Anwar vowed that he will provide a tough defence in the sodomy charge against him fixed to be heard beginning 1.7.2009 when he addressed an International Correspondence seminar in Singapore a couple of days ago.

13.    I have reasons to believe that the Prosecution team anticipated that Anwar will certainly raise at certain point of his trial the issue of fabrication of evidence in the black-eye case. My evidence would be vital at this stage. Their only option is to destroy my credibility.

13.    Though this publication may cause some inconvenience to me and my family, but I take it as a blessing and that it will only enhance my resolve to disclose the whole truth of the “black-eye” episode. Believe me, that this is not the only case the duo had their fingers in. There are others which are as sensational. The truth shall prevail.

14.    With regard to the bankruptcy matter, I have instructed my lawyer to look into the matter which came as a surprise to me especially when I was never served personally of any notice of the hearing I hope this explain my position.

15.    I am in no position to demand my response to be published in its entirety, but certainly there are issues which are of common concern.

Regards.

MAT ZAIN BIN IBRAHIM

Malaysia Today