Perak Pakatan reps to attend May 7 assembly

IPOH: Perak Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen, including ousted mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, will attend the state assembly sitting on May 7.

Nizar however noted that the attendance would be under protest for the notices on the assembly sent out without the knowledge of Speaker V. Sivakumar.

“We will attend the assembly still, out of respect to the Speaker.

“We will be there to honour whatever decision the Speaker makes,” he told reporters after attending a briefing with Pakatan-elected village chiefs here Thursday.

Amongst the much-awaited decision is the seating arrangement in the House, which will be indicated by Sivakumar himself.

Nizar said that to date, the sitting arrangement practised previously would remain unchanged and Pakatan’s place was still on the right side of the Speaker, where the government of the day sits.

“As far as we know, the sitting arrangement is still status quo. However, this is still subject to any decision made by the Speaker to relocate the seats,” he said.

Nizar also said that Pakatan had not fielded any questions to the Barisan Nasional government for the usual question and answer session in the House.

As such, the session would be scrapped from the assembly agenda.

”We have no questions for them because questions are only posed to a legal government. ”We do not recognise this (Barisan) government,” he said.

Nizar also said that Pakatan would not respond to a recent notice sent by assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri asking all assemblymen to propose a candidate to replace the Speaker.

The letter was sent in view of the possible success of a motion filed by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir to remove Sivakumar from the Speaker’s post.

“We will not respond to this because the Speaker is still valid,” he said.

On the motion, Nizar said that Sivakumar still reserved the right to reject it or allow it to be brought into the House.

“It is up to him to decide. Any state assemblyman has the right to file a motion but the Speaker decides whether to shelve it or bring it up for discussions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nizar said he was unable to predict what would happen during the much-anticipated May 7 sitting and told reporters to be patient.

“On May 7, we will all have a nice cup of tea and go for breakfast with all the assemblymen.

“You are welcome to join us if you so wish. The rest, I do not know what will happen,” he jokingly told reporters. (TheStar)

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Set up Royal Commission to probe Najib -PAS

Islamic-based PAS has asked the Malay Rulers’ Council to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to probe if Prime Minister Najib Razak was indeed involved in the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“Reports alleging the existence of a relationship between Najib and Altantuya through the purchase of a fleet of submarines have been reported in India, Australia, Korea, Thailand, etc,” PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar wrote in the official party letter to the Council.

“This shows that Najib’s credibility as a prime minister has been openly questioned at the international level.”

PAS also urged the Rulers to grant the request as soon as possible as it was the only way to let the international community know that Malaysia was prepared to answer all allegations.

“These reports have been featured by no less than 19 international media organisations, and all of them depict the prime minister as a person who is corrupt and involved in abuse of power, sex scandals as well as the murder of the Mongolian model,” PAS said.

Otherwise, the negative publicity surrounding Najib and his lack of credibility could tarnish the country’s reputation and that of the Rulers’ themselves.

Foreign investors would also lose confidence in Malaysia’s legal system as Altantuya’s family has threatened to take the case to the International Court of Justice, PAS pointed out.

“We are also worried that if Altantuya father, Setev Shaariibuu, is unsatisfied with the Malaysian High Court, he may bring the case to the International Court of Justice.”

Not so easy for Najib and Dr M to gag the foreign media

The 28-year old Altantuya, who was pregnant when she was killed in 2006 by two elite policemen from Najib’s security detail, has haunted the newly-appointed prime minister but did not prevent him from taking over the country’s top job earlier this month.

Najib has denied all allegations including that she was his mistress at one time before she became the lover of his close associate, Razak Baginda. But with too many questions and coincidences surrounding her gory killing, the speculation has refused to die down.

The 55-year old Najib has now resorted to suppressing the media to prevent the stories from spreading. Soon after he took over as PM, the government ordered four local TV stations to stop mentioning Razak Baginda’s name, his name and his wife Rosmah Mansor’s name in their coverage of the murder case.

However, the Malaysian prime minister was not able to silence the international media.

While Najib’s mentor, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, has accused the foreign press of a plot to demonise and topple him, the 83-year old has quietly omitted that perhaps part of the reason for the heightened international attention is that French shipbuilder Armaris is also involved.

To reward Malaysia’s order of three high-cost submarines, including two Scorpenes, Armaris paid a 114 million euros (about RM530 million) as commission to Najib through his intermediaries Razak Baginda and Altantuya, according to French newspaper Liberation.

The order was placed during Najib’s tenure as defence minister. Critics in Europe have asked if it was proper for Armaris to have paid out such money.

In Malaysia, there is also a growing movement to demand why the government has not carried out detailed investigation as the commission is huge and could have been used to reduce the acquisition price, saving tax payers some RM500 million. (SuaraKeadilan)

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Nizar wants Perak Assembly to be postponed

PUTRAJAYA, — Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin wants the May 7 Perak State Legislative Assembly to be postponed, pending the outcome of his lawsuit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Nizar noted his political rival faction, the Barisan Nasional (BN), may feel pressured to hold an assembly before May 13 because they consider it the deadline to prevent the State legislature from being automatically dissolved.

“For Pakatan Rakyat, we have already had a legal assembly below the tree on March 3, so for us Pakatan Rakyat, we can have one before September.

“But Barisan Nasional is quite worried because they feel pressured to have one before May 13,” he told reporters at the Palace of Justice here after the Federal Court unanimously ruled today to reject his political rival Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir’s bid to fast-track the resolution of their dispute on who is the lawful mentri besar of Perak.

The five-man bench decided the High Court had to clear up the various disputed issues raised by Nizar first before it could make a decision on the case.

“Today’s decision showed the May 7 assembly should be delayed,” Nizar pointed out.

“When we talk about today’s decision by the Federal Court, it shines a light at the end... that the final remedy should be the dissolution of the assembly,” he added.

The 52-year-old newly-elected MP for Bukit Gantang looked very tense before the court hearing this morning, smiling tightly and speaking in curt tones to reporters who approached him.

But he was all smiles when the court ruled in his favour. Leaping from his seat in the public gallery, he rushed to hug Sulaiman Abdullah, a senior lawyer and one-time Bar Council president who had argued his case in court.

Nizar is suing Zambry for usurping the office of the mentri besar, which he claims is unlawful as he has not quit the post officially.

He has consistently resisted efforts to drag in the Perak Sultan into a legal battle, despite attempts by certain political quarters to do so.

Asked if he regretted having to file his affidavit revealing the details of his meeting with the Sultan of Perak in early February, Nizar said he had been reluctant originally but indicated he had been forced to “respond because those facts are what I’m going to say.”

He noted “the public will know what transpired between myself and Tuanku so they will make the judgment.

“At the end of the day, we don’t want the court to decide for the people. The government of the day must be decided by the rakyat. The court is just a way for us to seek a solution,” Nizar said.

His lawyer Sulaiman highlighted that they wanted to avoid “a hasty solution” which may lead to more complicated problems later on.

“Our view has always been go through the proper route: Go through the High Court, go through the Court of Appeal and finally come to the Federal Court with all the issues settled,” said Sulaiman, who welcomed the Federal Court’s stand that the High Court should settle all disputes before letting the apex court make the ultimate decision.

“It is not an immediate issue of who runs Perak that matters. These are fundamental issues that will arise for the country for many, many years to come and unless we get it right at the beginning, we are going to face a lot of problems in future,” he said. (TMI)

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Is vaccine H1N1 really available in Malaysia?

Kuala Lumpur : Two different news have pop up in local online newspapers today about the availability of vaccine H1N1. One saying that we do have and the second one said we do not have.

The first one is reported by The Malaysian Insider as cited from Bernama,
The second one is being reported by Kosmo,

Which one is correct? Do we really have it or not?
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Selangor MB sues MACC and its chief for defamation

By SK English News

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has filed a suit against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and its chief, Ahmad Said Hamdan, for defamation.

Khalid is suing Ahmad for saying that the MACC had strong evidence that he abused his powers as chief minister by purchasing 46 sacrificial cows for Hari Raya Haji celebrations and for using state funds to maintain his personal car, which he uses as his official transport.

“We have completed investigations and we are satisfied that there are elements of abuse of power on the part of the Selangor mentri besar,” Ahmad had said in a February edition of the New Straits Times.

According to Khalid, who has protested his innocence, the statements damaged his reputation and insinuated that he was dishonest, corrupt, unethical, untrustworthy and had committed a criminal offence.

“The defendants are not only maligning and defaming me, but have also crossed the lines of common decency by openly or subtly encouraging and instigating the stigmatisation and alienation to readers of the article,” Khalid said.

He is claiming an unspecified amount for compensatory, aggravated, exemplary, general and special damages and is also seeking a court order restraining the defendants from repeating the defamatory words.

Khalid’s counsel Sankaran Nair said that he had written to MACC on February 26 and March 19 seeking clarification on his client’s behalf. But the graft-buster did not respond and as such, Khalid has no choice but to file a defamation suit to clear his name. (SuaraKeadilan)

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Penanti by-election: May 23 for nominations, May 31 for polling

PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has set May 23 for nominations and May 31 as the polling day for the Penanti by-election.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof made the announcement at a press conference at the EC office here Monday.

The by-election is the sixth since the March 8 general election last year.

The state seat in Penang fell vacant following the resignation of its assemblyman Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, 33, on April 16 citing that it was in the best interest of the party.

Fairus had added that he wanted to further his studies and clear his name against allegations of being involved in illegal quarry dealings in Penang.

Earlier on April 8, Fairus had resigned as Deputy Chief Minister 1 following the allegations of corruption.

Although he was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, he stuck to his decision to resign as Penanti assemblyman. (TheStar)

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Malaysia are prepared to deal with swine flu

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry is fully prepared to deal with any spread of the swine flu and has placed its officers at all travel entry points in Malaysia to screen travellers suspected of the illness.

“Our machinery is ready to handle this outbreak,” said its minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The officers, he said, would be at airports, sea ports and land entry points.

“Since the virus spreads from human to human, we are placed on high alert.”

Even if there was no direct flight from Mexico, passengers originating from there would also be screened, he said.

The ministry’s operations room in Putrajaya has started a 24-hour monitoring of the situation. The public can call 03-8881 0200/300 for enquiries.

He urged doctors to be on alert and has made it compulsory for them to notify the ministry of all influenza cases.

Liow said pork in the country was safe to be consumed, explaining that Malaysia did not import the meat from Mexico.

On Thursday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 854 cases of severe atypical pneumonia that resulted in 59 deaths in Mexico.

The situation is now considered a public health emergency of international concern.

In the United States, at least 10 people have tested positive for the virus which causes symptoms such as fever, cough, body aches and breathing difficulties.

Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, the ministry had come up with strategic plans to battle any similar outbreak.

“We also keep in constant contact with WHO to find out the latest update,” Liow said.

According to WHO, there are now currently no directives on health, travel and trade sanctions that countries have to adhere to.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said those returning from Latin American countries and found to have flu-like symptoms would be quarantined.

“So far, no cases have been reported to the ministry and there is no cause for panic,” he said.

“The public will be informed from time to time on updates about the outbreak,” he said.

Dr Ismail also said that he would discuss with the Veterinary Services Department today on precautionary measures that needed to be taken.

In KOTA KINABALU, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin said that health authorities would keep a close watch on visitors arriving from Latin American countries.

Both immigration and customs officers at entry points would assist the ministry, she said, adding that her ministry would also advise Malaysians not to travel to the affected countries. (TheStar)

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Zaid accept Rais challenge to debate anytime, anywhere

KUALA LUMPUR, - Former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Datuk Seri Rais Yatim today and says that he is ready to debate the new Minister of Information, Communication and Culture.

The maverick politician's only conditions are that Rais has to specify exactly what he wants to debate and that it has to be televised.

"Yes, I will debate Rais on any subject he wants, anytime and anywhere," Zaid told The Malaysian Insider.

"But RTM must show it otherwise it is a waste of time."

Bernama today reported that Rais challenged Zaid to a public debate over his allegations against Najib, as the former minister has been often quoted in the foreign media.

Rais also accused the foreign media of trying to topple prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"However, we must study (the situation) and if I have the chance, I want to have a debate with those trying to implicate our leader with unbecoming and nonsensical words," Rais said.

The veteran minister has been reported as blaming the media for various troubles that plague Umno and the Barisan Nasional ever since he was appointed to his current portfolio earlier this month.

Zaid quit the government and Umno last year over disagreements on political reforms. He remains an independent politician but is expected to join an opposition party. (TMI)

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Najib defends scrapping of quota

KUALA LUMPUR— Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday defended the removal of the 30 per cent Malay equity quota in several sectors, and said that Malay businesses would not lose out despite any increased competition.

Market analysts and political leaders have welcomed the scrapping of the quota in sectors such as health, tourism and transport. The decision means investors in these sectors no longer need to find Malay partners to take up 30 per cent ownership in their businesses.

The move, effective immediately, is seen as inevitable, especially in the current weak global economic climate, but there are concerns among some Malay groups.

Najib yesterday sought to assure the Malay community that Bumiputera businesses would not suffer.

“I can see Bumiputeras have the ability to compete with the rest. I am not worried they will become 'extinct' or lose out in competition because of this decision.”

It is unclear if his comments will appease Bumiputera businesses, which already complain that their share of the pie is shrinking.

Mohd Fadzli Mustafa, the secretary-general of the Malay Chamber of Commerce, said it would be a big challenge for Malays.

“We are already seeing fewer opportunities because of the economic downturn. It's going to be an uphill battle for Malays,” he told The Straits Times.

He feels the government should have waited until the 30 per cent Malay equity target had been reached. The figure is estimated at between 12 per cent and 18 per cent currently, he said.

The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia welcomed the decision, saying it would increase confidence and attract more foreign direct investment to Malaysia.

Leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties Gerakan and the MCA also hailed the move, but urged the government to liberalise other sectors as well.

They also urged the government not to rescind the rollback later.

MCA secretary-general Wong Foon Meng said he hoped that “liberalising the 27 sectors will be sustained permanently and that quota requirements will not be re-invoked in future”.

He said nine other sectors — including property, utilities supply, public transport, telecommunications, banking and media — should also be opened up.

“When there is a level playing field, it will spur further local and foreign investment... Our anxiety about investors moving their investments to other countries will be considerably lessened,” he said.

Some analysts said questions remained over whether the government would also lift equity caps placed on firms that bid for government projects. Government and government-linked companies (GLCs) are allowed to procure goods and services only from firms that meet strict Bumiputera ownership requirements.

Opposition lawmaker Tony Pua said if the rule continued to apply to government tenders, foreign investors would have no incentive to set up shop in Malaysia.

“Why would they consider setting up operations here when they have no opportunity to offer their services to the government and the GLCs, which combined represent the single largest consumer of services in Malaysia?” he said.

Ooi Siw Wan, project manager of a local creative content development company, said that because of the Malay equity rule, her company can work only as a subcontractor for successful Malay bidders. This means it has to make do with smaller profit margins.

Denis Ong, who runs a budget hotel in Kuala Lumpur, said the liberalisation could create problems for small businesses. He told The Straits Times that since foreign investors have no problems raising funds, they would be able to operate large hotels at budget prices and compete aggressively with smaller players. — The Straits Times

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DrM blamed on Zambry for BN to lose in Bkt Gantang

Former premier Mahathir Mohamad has blamed his Umno party’s loss in Bukit Gantang on the flotilla of posters displaying BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir.

“There were lots of banners and posters in Bukit Gantang. A lot of them showed the portraits of the candidate. But quite a lot showed the picture of the Menteri Besar,” said Mahathir.

Unwittingly, the veteran politician has hit bull-eyes.

Not that Zambry is unpopular in his personal capacity, but the Pangkor assemblyman has become a symbol for the injustice and frustration felt by the majority of the people in the state.

Independent surveys have shown that as many as three-quarters of Perakians want a fresh mandate via state-wide polls to choose their leadership.

The Umno-BN line-up foisted on them by their Sultan and Prime Minister Najib Razak has not been able to gain respect and acceptance, simply because it lacks the key ingredient of legitimacy, which can only come with by being elected - not appointed and dubiously too.

On the other hand, the fight-back launched by the Pakatan Rakyat, which was displaced by Zambry’s ascension, has gotten stronger - boosted immeasurably by the blatantly cheating tactics adopted by the Umno-BN.

From locking up the gates to state secretariat, threats of imposing curfew, denying the Speaker of the assembly the right to his own legal counsel, instigating his secretary into betraying him, vandalizing the Tree of Democracy, all the way to persuading the highest court in the land to utter declarations that have been slammed right, left and centre by the legal fraternity.

All these mis-steps have hurt the nation more than just Perak. (SuaraKeadilan)

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Arrest warrant out on blogger Raja Petra

In a move that may signal the start of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s crackdown against dissent over his power grab in Perak state and the rising public misgivings over his alleged involvement in the Altantuya Shaariibuu commission-and-murder case, a warrant of arrest was issued to the country’s most popular blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin.

The Sessions Court issued the arrest warrant after Raja Petra, who has published a series of scorching revelations about Najib’s misdeeds, failed to turn up for his sedition case.

The former Internal Security Act detainee had on May 6 2008 claimed trial to publishing a seditious article on his Malaysia Today news portal on April 25 the same year.

Raja Petra, or RPK as he is also known, was accused of publishing the article Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell on the website www.malaysia-today.net.

Charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948, he can be fined a maximum of RM5,000 or three years’ jail or both upon conviction.

Banished, Altantuya and even treason

In his latest blog posting, RPK explained in detail why he did not turn up in court. Having angered his cousin, the Sultan of Selangor, for having written an allegedly treasonous letter involving the Perak Sultan, he has had to go into exile.

“This has always been the punishment for any member of the Selangor Royal Family who is considered durhaka since the beginning of the Selangor Sultanate more than 250 years ago. My grandfather, Sultan Musa, was in fact subjected to that same punishment and it is the only punishment befitting a member of the Selangor Royal Family who has courted the displeasure of the Palace,” RPK said.

He also lashed out at the authorities for plotting his imprisonment and denying Malaysians the right to information and freedom of expression. Of late, the government has been assiduous in clamping down on media coverage regarding Altantuya, the pregnant 28-tear old translator who was murdered in this country in 2006.

Last week, it ordered four TV stations not to mention the names of Razak Baginda, a close associate of Najib’s, the prime minister himself and his wife Rosmah Mansor, in their coverage of her murder case. Razak and Altantuya were reportedly the go-betweens for a 114 million euros commission paid by French shipbuilder Armaris for Malaysia’s purchase of three high-tech submarines

Said RPK: “Why are the police looking for me? Two months ago, the Federal Court was in a hurry to hear the appeal against my release from ISA detention. After impatiently rejecting all our applications and refusing to allow us time to file the necessary papers, the court suddenly went cold and nothing was heard from it since.

“This got me very suspicious. I did some checking and have reason to believe that a new detention order has been issued and that is why the police are looking for me. If I were to turn up in court today I would never be allowed to leave. The police would immediately detain me and send me to Kamunting and this time I shall not be so fortunate as to see freedom in two months like in the last two occasions.”

Courtesy Of Suara Keadilan

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Najib drops Bumiputera quota for services sector

KUALA LUMPUR, - Datuk Seri Najib Razak today freed the country's services sector by ending the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity rule in an attempt to improve Malaysia's competitiveness in the
softening global economy.

The Prime Minister, who is also the finance minister, promised further liberalisation, saying that he would announce details of the liberalisation of the financial sector next week.

Reading from a prepared statement the Prime Minister said he expected a greater flow of foreign investments in the services sector which currently forms 11 per cent of total investment.

"Recognising the growth potential in the services sector, the government has decided to immediately liberalise 27 services sub-sectors, with no equity condition imposed. These sub-sectors are in the areas of health and social services, tourism services, transport services, business services and computer and related services," said Najib.

The government, he added, would also allow foreign legal firms to practice in the country but to only offer services in Islamic finance.

"As part of the measures to develop Malaysia as an international Islamic financial hub, the legal profession will be liberalised to allow up to five top international law firms with expertise in international Islamic finance to practice in Malaysia," said Najib.

Other services liberalised are in the areas of health and social services, tourism services, transport services, business services and computer and related services.

Najib also announced an allocation of RM100 million to be managed by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) to strengthen the local services industry in facing the liberalisation.

"The liberalisation initiatives will not adversely affect the domestic services industry. The government will continue to support the industry in capacity building and in the opening up of export markets," said Najib.

When asked on the sub-sectors selected to be liberalised, Najib said it was part of Malaysia's commitment to Asean on liberalisation.

"It's in line with what Asean countries are doing. Some (of our measures) are better," he told reporters.

Najib however refused to give out details on the liberalisation of the financial sector.

"I want it to be full of surprises," he said.

(TMI)
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RapidKL dumps RM12m Klang Sentral

EMPTY: Terminal B of Klang Sentral was deserted when visited by 'Malay Mail' yesterday

AN average of 20 passengers during peak hours.

This is the dismal figure that RapidKL says it has been experiencing after four months of operating at Klang Sentral.

Unable to cope, the company has decided to abandon its operations at the RM12 million terminal in Meru, hightailing back to the Bandar Klang terminal in the town centre.

The decision was announced on Monday by Rapid KL. In a statement announcing the new bus routes, it said the decision to shift operations back to the Bandar Klang terminal was made “upon request by commuters”.

This has not gone well with the Klang Municipal Council, which promised to take action against the company if it decides to make the Bandar Klang terminal its hub (see accompanying story).

However, Rapid KL says it has little choice but to move its operations to survive.

Klang Rapid KL operations manager Atan Jaafar said RapidKL has been incurring losses since its began operating at Klang Sentral.

“We are bleeding here.

We barely have passengers.

During peak hours, we only have an average of 20 passengers.

How are we going to make ends meet?” asked Atan.

He said the management was left with little choice but to “abandon ship”.

“To put it simply, we are moving back to Klang town because nobody is coming here.

” A visit to Klang Sentral’s Terminal B yesterday showed Atan’s claims had some truth. In the hour-long visit, not a single passenger boarded a RapidKL bus.

Two KL-bound RapidKL buses were parked at the terminal, with the drivers waiting for passengers.

The terminal also appeared deserted.

No shops were open, in or around the terminal.

But it was different at the Bandar Klang terminal, which still had buses picking up and dropping off passengers.

The bus drivers at Klang Sentral, when interviewed, said this wasn’t unusual.

“We pass the time by just chatting, taking short naps while waiting for passengers.

What else can we do?” said one driver.

However, outstationbound express buses appeared to be doing well.

Atan said it was unfair that other bus companies were still operating in Klang town but RapidKL had to depend on passengers from Klang Sentral.

“There are still buses operating in Klang town.

This is unfair to us.

“We have complied with the Klang council order and shifted here, but why are other buses still operating from the town centre?” Atan said RapidKL made between RM400 and RM500 a day when it was based in Klang town.

“Now, it’s difficult to make even RM150 a day.

Operating at Klang Sental is expensive, but it has good facilities.

“But we cannot operate from here if there are no passengers.

“The authorities must come to a solution to this problem soon,” he said.

The Klang Sentral bus terminal opened its doors at the end of last year, despite protests from many parties.

It is six km from the town centre.

Many bus operators initially expressed their displeasure over the relocation, saying it added cost to their operations and was “a waste of time”.

Bus operators at Klang Sentral are charged RM900 in monthly rental fee, compared with just RM150 at the former Klang bus terminal.

Also, buses are now charged RM10 per entry to Klang Sentral compared with just RM2 at the old station.

Owners of shops and stalls at Klang Sentral have also complained about the high rental. (MMail)

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Speaker claims defamation over notice of Perak Assembly sitting

IPOH : Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar today claimed he was subjected to defamation over the instruction to issue a notice for the state assembly to sit on May 7

He said he was shocked over a report in The New Straits Times (NST) newspaper yesterday that he had been informed of the assembly sitting before the notice was issued. Sivakumar had said earlier that the notice was issued without his knowledge and approval.

"I will not allow this. It is another attempt to undermine my image and credibility.

"If the allegation is true, why are the people who issued the statement not bold enough to identify themselves in the daily? Why just say it (the source of the news) is someone associated with the office of the menteri besar?" he said in a statement here.

Sivakumar reiterated that he was not informed before the notice on the assembly sitting was issued by assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri last Friday.

Abdullah Antong Sabri

He said his meeting with Abdullah, as reported in the newspaper, was held after the issuing of the notice by Abdullah without any consultation earlier with him (Sivakumar).

"I was told that a notice had been sent to my office at about 10am. A similar notice had been sent by the assembly secretary to all state assemblymen. I saw the notice at about 1pm.

"I only met Abdullah at about 3pm, after he had returned from Friday prayers," he said.

The NST reported yesterday that "Sivakumar had full knowledge of the issuance of the notice for the May 7 sitting of the assembly" before the notice was issued to all the 59 state assemblymen.

- BERNAMA
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Nizar's pleadings with the Sultan

KUALA LUMPUR, - He pleaded, appealed and even cajoled Sultan Azlan Shah to dissolve the Perak state assembly, saying that with the resignation of the three Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers there was deadlock in the House between the coalition he led and Barisan Nasional.

Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin said that at no time during his audience with the Sultan did he ask the monarch to dissolve the assembly and call for fresh elections because he had lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the state assembly.

Nizar cleared this important point in an affidavit which was filed in the High Court yesterday as part of the judicial review application challenging Datuk Seri Zambry Kadir appointment as the Mentri Besar of Perak.

The Perak state legal advisor in his affidavit said that when Nizar appeared before the Sultan on February 4, he asked the Malay Ruler to dissolve the house because he had lost the confidence of the House.

This point is important because it gives some legitimacy to the Sultan's actions in asking Nizar to quit as the Mentri Besar, an act which paved the way for Zambry to be made the chief executive of the state.

But Nizar in his affidavit noted that the state legal advisor was an interested party in the case, having represented and taken instructions from Zambry.

His description of the events on Feb 4 were wrong, said Nizar. Nizar recalled that on Feb 4 he informed the Sultan that three Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers had resigned.

They could not be contacted and seemed to have gone missing.

He then asked the Sultan to dissolve the assembly because it was appropriate to have fresh elections given the deadlock situation in the House with Pakatan Rakyat and BN having equal number of seats.

The Sultan said he would study the matter further and told Nizar that Allah is with those who are patient.

At no point during the audience, did the issue of Nizar losing the confidence of majority of the assembly crop up.

On Feb 5, the Sultan informed Nizar that he was rejecting the request to dissolve the assembly.

Hearing this, Nizar interjected and spoke for 15 minutes, urging the Ruler to allow the people of Perak to exercise their rights and elect their own government.

"When the assembly is dissolved, the rakyat will view the Sultan as someone who is fair and not partisan. They will in turn respect the institution for returning to them their rights to elect the government.
This is also consistent with the constitutional monarchy system and democratic principle here…

"In contrast, if the people were denied their rights, the people may lose respect for the institution and the Sultan…I pointed out that history showed that in countries such as Egypt and Iran the institution of the monarchy was diminished or completely wiped out when decisions not in the interest of people were made.''

To support his case, Nizar also read out a passage from the book "Constitutional Monrachy: Rule of Law and Good Governance .

It said: "Under normal circumstances, it is taken for granted that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong would not withhold his consent to a request for dissolution of Parliament. His role is purely formal.

The book was given to Nizar by Sultan Azlan Shah when he was installed as the MB last year.

As soon as Nizar finished his 15 minute plea, the Sultan looked up at him and declared that he would not dissolve the assembly and urged Nizar to resign.

Meanwhile, in a supporting affidavit, Perak Speaker V Sivakumar said that on Feb 6, he wrote to the Sultan to convene a state assembly sitting so that a vote of confidence could be held.

Till today, he has not received a reply from the palace, forcing him to take steps to protect the name and integrity of the assembly. (TMI)

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Mukhriz suggests EC to fine MP who resign unreasonably

KOTA BAHARU, -- The Election Commission (EC) should fine state assemblymen or Member of Parliament (MP) who resign without just cause or a valid reason.

Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said resignation of assemblymen and MPs has become a trend among the opposition, apparently to continuously hog the limelight.

Such action however, is a loss to the people and community, results in a waste of money as by-elections should be held while raising the animosity among the parties and people, due to such by-elections, he said.

"The Permatang Pauh episode is one good example whereby a by-election was called merely because former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail decided to give up the post to her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"What the fine should be will depend on the EC. We cannot see a valid reason that can be accepted for such action, including what has happened in the Penanti state assembly seat," he said.

Mukhriz who is also Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Deputy Minister also welcomed his father, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's suggestion that Barisan Nasional (BN) should contest the Penanti seat.

The Penanti seat fell vacant following the decision by former Penang deputy chief minister Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin who won the seat under PKR, decided to resign, following allegations of corrupt charges brought up against him.

"Although there isn't a clear indicator as to whether BN can win or not, may be we should contest after all, because we still have supporters in Penanti," he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had earlier said that BN might not contest the by-election for the Penanti State seat as it must first consider whether it would benefit the people or otherwise.

-- BERNAMA
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New nude pictures of Elizabeth Wong circulated on the internet

Shah Alam :New pictures of Elizabeth Wong have surfaced, less than a week after the announcement that she was not stepping down as Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman and state executive councillor. It was learnt that the pictures, showing Wong sleeping in a black camisole on a sofa, surfaced in several blogs on April 14, a day before the announcement that she would resume with her duties.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said it was the public’s responsibility to hand over the pictures to the police.He reminded the public that those caught in possession of the pictures can be prosecuted.

“Those who have her pictures should hand them over to the police or the menteri besar’s office for us to forward them to the authorities.

“I will ask the police to investigate the authenticity of the pictures,” Khalid said.

Her personal assistant Chong Pai Chee said Wong has not lodged a fresh police report on the new pictures, adding that she was leaving the matter to her lawyers.

Wong was earlier threatened that more intimate pictures of her would be circulated but she had decided to put the incident behind her and resume her duties as state Exco member in charge of tourism, consumer affairs and environment.

Wong, who attended a state event to give out funds for Chinese schools with the menteri besar, here, yesterday, refused to talk to reporters after the function.

Police has yet to trace Helmi Malek, the main suspect linked to the distribution of her earlier pictures. Helmi is believed to be in a neighbouring country.

(NST)
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Withdraw would portray that BN is weak - DrM

RAUB: Umno has to contest the Penanti by-election or it will disappoint its members and supporters, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said Umno was a party that does not fear placing candidates in the elections.

Welcome back: Dr M signing authographs for the Benom Resort national service trainees after his speech on the future of Malay youths in Raub yesterday. Looking on is Dong assemblyman and Raub Umno division chief Datuk Shaharuddin Abdul Moin.

“History has proven that Umno could face even the super powers including the British until we gained Merdeka,” he said, adding that the fighting spirit of those days should be a lesson for the present and future generations.

Withdrawing from the contest, he said would also portray the coalition as being weak.

He said that Umno should not surrender although the seat is with the Opposition, adding that during his time as Prime Minister, Umno had never withdrawn from any by-election even in the Opposition state of Kelantan.

“I think if it (Penanti) is Umno’s area (strong hold), I am sure we will contest.

“Win or lose is a separate matter; if we do not contest then it already indicates that the other party wins,” he told reporters after presenting a keynote address at a Malay youth function at the Rakan Muda Sports Complex yesterday.

On the subject of the crooked bridge from Johor to Singapore, Dr Mahathir said it should continue and that it was a lie that Johoreans did not want the project.

He also advised Barisan Nasional members to correct their leaders if they felt their leaders had made mistakes.

“Criticising their leaders does not mean that they are disloyal to the leaders,” he said.

Meanwhile, Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin agreed that the increasing number of by-elections caused by the Pakatan Rakyat was a huge waste of taxpayers’ money and time.

“Stop playing around. It is uncalled for and not constructive,” Rosnah told reporters yesterday referring to the possible by-election at Penanti after former Penang chief minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned on Thursday.

“We are in the midst of an economic crisis and that is what we should be tackling, not by-elections. They are just creating a burden for the people with so many by-elections,” said Rosnah. (TheStar)

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Anwar challenge Najib to give walkover at Penanti

Permatang Pauh : Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has challenged Prime Minister Najib Razak to give a walkover at Penanti, where a by-election is due to be called following the resignation of its assemblyman Fairus Khairuddin.

“I call upon the BN and Umno leadership not to field any candidate against Keadilan in the Penanti by-election and give us a walkover.

It will not only save taxpayers’ money, time and energy, but also will be consistent with the PM’s statement,” Anwar said at a late-night address at his Permatang Pauh constituency.

Najib had accused Anwar of playing political games and ‘deliberately’ forcing the Penanti by-election.

The prime minister’s Umno -BN coalition has lost four out of five by-elections to Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat since March 2008. His supporters believe that he cannot afford to lose another - not without severe backlash from rivals within his own Umno party.

Said Najib: “The people generally do not like by-elections that are held deliberately. There is so much time, energy and money being spent on by-elections that we do not even need.”

Meanwhile, taking the cue from Najib, the Election Commission said it would need time to study in detail whether a vacancy had occurred and the circumstances of the case before responding.

EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof told reporters his commission would meet on Wednesday, Apr 22, and announce its decision only on Friday, Apr 24.

This is not the usual Umno-BN wastage, this is for Penangites

Fairus quit his state assembly seat on Thursday, a week after stepping down as deputy chief minister of Penang as allegations of corruption mounted against him.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission announced last week that investigations were completed and that it would be forwarding the case to its prosecution department.

Penang Keadilan chief Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said Fairus had made the decision to quit, and as such, his wishes should be respected by all quarters, including Najib.

“I am sure Fairus has good reasons for resigning, and I am also sure that Anwar has been briefed about it,” said Zahrain.

Meanwhile, political watchers believe it was important for Pakatan to ensure that Penang got the best political leaders possible, and if that required a democratic by-election, then so be it.

The by-election costs involved were negligible in comparison to the huge sums swallowed by the powers-that-be in Malaysia’s highly-corrupt political scene, they added.

“Fairus may not be charged, but the party and public interests must come first. I respect his wish to resign and the party will protect and safeguard his interests. We will provide the necessary legal defence for him,” Anwar had said.

A Malay heartland

Penanti is one of three state seats under the larger Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, held by Anwar.

In the 2008 general election, first-timer Fairus thumped his rival by obtaining 7,346 votes. Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid, who carried the Umno-BN flag, only managed to gain 5,127 votes, giving Fairus a 2,219 majority.

Located on the mainland, Penanti boasts a picturesque expanse of padi fields, with rubber and palm oil plantations dotting the constituency.

It is made up of little villages with a smattering of commercial activities. Most of the residents are industrial workers and small businessmen.

There are 15,421 voters, of whom 11,296 or 73 percent are Malay, 3,732 or 24 percent are Chinese, and 371 or 2 percent Indian. (SK)

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Zambry bypasses Speaker, calls for May 7 sitting

Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming has confirmed that BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir called for a sitting of the state assembly on May 7 without the knowledge and consent of the Speaker V Sivakumar.

Nga said notice of the meeting was issued by the clerk of the House, Abdullah Antong Sabri, who was suspended by Sivakumar for insubordination and replaced by Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki on Mar 2.

This latest underhanded card dealt by Zambry will surely raise questions on the legality of the sitting.

Nga also slammed the May 7 date, saying that by calling for the sitting just two days after the May 5 hearing of the case between Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin and Zambry, it only indicated the extent of Umno’s influence over the courts.

“Is the BN so confident of winning the case that they are calling for a sitting right after the High Court’s decision? I call on the BN to be accountable and explain whether or not they are the unseen hand behind the judiciary. Otherwise, the independence of the judiciary is at stake,” said Nga.

A sad day for Malaysia’s legal system

The Pakatan is expected to meet and chart their next course of action after two controversial and sharply-criticised Federal Court rulings this month.

On Feb 9, the apex court declared that it was the Election Commission that had the authority to decide on the resignations of three Perak assemblymen - Jamaluddin Radzi of Behrang, Mohd Osman Jailu of Changkat Jering and Hee Yit Foong of Jelapang - not the Speaker of the state legislative assembly, V Sivakumar.

On Feb 16, it ruled that Sivakumar had acted ultra-vires when he suspended BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir and six executive councillors for breach of House rules.

Said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang: “In striking out the purported suspension order of the Perak state assembly Speaker, the Federal Court was striking out an order that does not exist - as the suspension order was that of the Committee of Privileges.”

“It was not the Speaker who suspended Zambry and his six executive council members, but the Perak State Assembly Committee of Privileges on Feb 18. Zambry and his six exco members had sued the wrong party and as a result, has got a Federal Court order against the wrong party.”

Nevertheless, the Pakatan Rakyat leader still slammed the decision, saying it was a clear-cut violation of principles on which the nation’s parliamentary system was built.

“The Federal Court decision is a serious violation of the doctrine of separation of powers among the three branches of government, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, each recognizing and respecting the limits of its own powers not to trespass into the powers of the other branches of government.”

Courtesy Of Suara Keadilan

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Najib worry of Anwar political game

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has accused Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim of playing political games and ‘deliberately’ forcing the Penanti state by-election in Penang.

“The people generally do not like by-elections that are held deliberately. There is so much time, energy and money being spent on by-elections that we do not even need,” Najib said.

“There is so much politicking in the country when we should have instead focused on fixing the economy, prioritising the people’s benefits. We should move forward.”

His comments were unsurprising, given that his Umno-Barisan Nasional coalition has lost in four of the five by-elections held since the 2008 general elction.

Najib was in charge of the election machinery for the Umno-BN for the first two at Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu, but quickly relinquished the hot seat to his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, in the recent triple by-election in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai.

It is also telling that he was concerned about the amount of funds spent on the election, given that the Umno-BN had to lavish RM70 million in election goodies on the 8,000-odd Batang Ai constituents. The Sarawak electorate was Najib’s sole victory.

Of principles, corruption, delay and apportioning blame

But today, Najib spoke about ‘principles’.

Ironically, most people in Perak and indeed throughout the nation are hoping for a quick snap election to re-determine the state government there after a ruthless power grab schemed by Najib failed to gain acceptance and legitimacy.

Said Najib: “We are talking about the principles of the by-elections according to constitution. Resigning runs contrary to the concept of parliamentary democracy and such.

“Once you offer yourself, you are committed to working in the duration of the parliamentary or state assembly to serve the people.”

He declined to rate his party’s chances in Penanti.

Meanwhile, Pakatan Rakyat leaders have said it is difficult for Fairus Khairuddin, who resigned the Penanti seat on Thursday and as Penang deputy chief minister a week ago, to carry on - given the allegations of corruption mounting against him.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which has completed investigations, has already forwarded the case to its prosecution department.

In January, at the height of campaigning for the Kuala Terengganu by-election, Najib admitted that a RM7 billion economic stimulus unveiled in the first week of November, 2008, had yet to be implemented. His supporters were quick to blame the opposition for the delay, but financial analysts had then said:

“Najib must stop blaming other people. This is not the Kuala Terengganu by-election. The RM7 billion package was finalised and announced by him. He has highly-paid staff to do the execution. If they didn’t, it reflects on him and shows a lack of leadership.”

The impact of the RM7 billion package is still largely un-felt, with no one really sure where the money went or was spent. Economic growth is expected to dip into negative territory in the first half of this year after GDP grew only 0.1 percent in the last quarter of 2008.

Najib, who is also finance minister, introduced a much-criticised RM60 billion mini-budget last month. Stretched over two years, the actual direct injection of additional money into the economy amounts to less than RM10 billion per year.

Courtesy Of SuaraKeadilan

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Court decisions on Perak Speaker, assemblymen slammed

By SK English News

On Feb 9 and on Feb 16, the Federal Court made two startling decisions, both of which raised the prospects that decisions of the legislature could henceforth be overturned by vested interests turning to the courts.

And then using the courts to rubber-stamp their will, rather allow political decisions to be made by the people via objections/endorsements through the legislature itself.

On Feb 9, the apex court controversially ruled that it was the Election Commission that had the authority to decide if the resignations of three Perak assemblymen - Jamaluddin Radzi of Behrang, Mohd Osman Jailu of Changkat Jering and Hee Yit Foong of Jelapang - not the Speaker of the state legislative assembly, V Sivakumar.

On Feb 16, the apex court again controversially ruled that Sivakumar had acted ultra-vires when as, chairman of the parliamentary Committe of Special Privileges, he suspended BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir and six executive councillors for breach of House rules.

Below is a compilation of reactions to these rulings.

Ngeh Koo Ham, MP Beruas and assemblyman for Sitiawan

The court has set a precedent, as now, whatever the Speaker says or do can be subject to review in the court. The court is expressing an opinion about the legislative assembly while the state assembly has clear rules on governing itself.

When there is a political problem, it must be solved through political means. As far as we are concerned the Speaker’s power is paramount. He will exercise his power as a Speaker.

Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Kelantan Menteri Besar

I cannot exclude the possibility that the people may get frustrated and take matters into their hands and by that time things may be too late.

The Barisan Nasional government should have used the proper channel by going back to the people.

Suleiman Abdullah, counsel for Speaker V Sivakumar

I am not downhearted. My client still has a moral victory being morally right on his side. We are not saying that there is no remedy. We are saying go back to the assembly and challenge the Speaker.

If you are not satisfied, dissolve the assembly, go back to the people and let the people decide. In the end, the people are the ultimate judges. We have always maintained that.

Ragunath Kesavan, president of Bar Council

We are very unhappy with the Federal Court decision because it takes away powers from elected officials and gives it to appointed officials to decide on a vacancy or not.

N H Chan, former Court of Appeal judge

All of us are wondering how on earth the Federal Court could have decided that “(t)he Election Commission is the rightful entity to establish if there was a casual vacancy in the Perak state legislature”?

Don’t you all feel superior to the judges of the Federal Court because you know the correct answer whilst the highest court gave a wrong decision. So you see, when you know how to judge the judges you would be able to separate the wheat from the chaff from among our judges. The chaff, you will discover, may not be up to your expectations.

What really happened was that with their myopic reading of the Perak Constitution they pick on Clause (5) of Article XXXVI and say that is the correct answer. This is what Article XXXVI, Clause (5) says — the article starts with the heading:

Summoning, prorogation and dissolution of Legislative Assembly

XXXVI(5) A casual vacancy shall be filled within sixty days from the date on which it is established by the Election Commission that there is a vacancy.

A casual vacancy means an occasional vacancy which can be filled simply with a by-election. But the question whether the turncoat assemblyman have resigned or not will have to await the outcome of the decision of the Assembly which decision shall be final: see Article XXXIII, Clause (1).

It is only upon receiving the decision of the Legislative Assembly will the Election Commission be able to establish that there is a vacancy.

As it turns out the Federal Court has put the cart before the horse - in this case, just the cart without the horse - which is that the court has held that it is for the Commission to establish that there is a casual vacancy without waiting for the decision of the Assembly whether the three turncoat assemblymen have been disqualified for membership of the Assembly by resignation

Mohd Hafarizam Harun, counsel for BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir

This is to ensure that the state government and the Speaker have to act in accordance with the state constitution. Do not create chaos, we want constitutional order back. We hope that this matter would be settled once the assembly is called before May 13, depending on the consent of the Sultan of Perak.

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Youtube in SONY content deal

LOS ANGELES, — Google Inc's YouTube said yesterday it has reached a deal to post Sony Corp films and TV shows and was talking with other big studios to ramp up content and attract more advertising dollars.

YouTube also announced deals with 11 other partners including the Anime Network, Shout Factory, Telenext Media, Documentary Channel and First Look Studios, bolstering its licensed content offerings from dozens of movies and hundreds of TV episodes to 700 movies and thousands of TV episodes.

YouTube also recently announced a partnership with Walt Disney Co to get shortform excerpts of content from ABC and ESPN, reflecting its aggressive efforts to thaw a chilly relationship with Hollywood, which had criticised it in the past for posting unauthorised content.Youtube

The partnerships also mark YouTube's efforts to compete with Hulu, a joint venture of General Electric Co's NBC and News Corp's Fox and a popular online hub for TV shows and films.

YouTube, purchased by Google for US$1.65 billion (RM5.9 billion) in 2006, is under pressure to start yielding a return in line with its huge popularity. More than 100 million users watch videos on the site every month, but the site, best known for grainy videos uploaded by users, has been unable to attract major financial commitments from marketers reluctant to advertise their brands alongside unprofessional content.

"We are in active negotiations with premium content providers and are looking forward to announcing more content partnerships in the near future," YouTube spokesman Chris Dale said yesterday.

As part of its latest efforts, YouTube said yesterday it launched a new destination for TV shows and an improved page for movies to make it easier for viewers to discover content.

YouTube has a pending copyright infringement lawsuit from Viacom Inc, but Viacom's sister company CBS posts episodes of older shows like "Star Trek" and "Beverly Hills 90210" on the video sharing site.

Lions Gate Entertainment had previously reached a deal to feature film clips on YouTube, while MGM is one of the few studios to offer full-length movies via its own channel on YouTube.

A Sony spokeswoman said about 15 mostly older films like "St Elmo's Fire," and "The Blue Lagoon," will be viewable via YouTube on Sony's Crackle site.

YouTube said it was also posting Sony TV shows like "Charlie's Angels" and "Married with Children."

Last week YouTube and Universal Music Group said they will launch a premium music video site called Vevo featuring mainly just professionally-made music videos. — Reuters

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Fairus PKR quits Penanti seat

PENANG, — Embattled Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, who quit as Penang deputy chief minister 1 last week, today resigned his Penanti state seat, paving the way for a by-election.

In a three-paragraph statement today, Fairus said the decision will allow him to continue his post-graduate studies.

"This will also allow me to focus on clearing my name from all the allegations thrown at me," Fairus said.

The 34-year-old assemblyman also thanked the Penanti voters for their support since Election 2008.

“This decision is for the good of all, PKR and the struggle with the leadership under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as party adviser to ensure truth and justice,” he added.

Anwar said last week that Fairus would remain as Penanti assemblyman until the end of his term but it is not known what transpired over the past 24 hours for Fairus to change his mind.

His resignation will lead to a by-election within 60 days in Penanti, which is under Anwar’s Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

It is learnt that Penang PKR chief and Bayan Baru MP Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim is the frontrunner to contest the by-election.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who has yet to name a replacement for Fairus, was not available for comment.

In a curt statement yesterday, Lim had alluded to a possible by-election in Penanti after he asked Anwar to solve PKR Penang’s internal problems and nominate a PKR Malay assemblyman for the post.

The only two PKR Malay assemblymen are Batu Maung's Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Sungai Bakap’s Maktar Shapee.

Abdul Malik, who is a state executive councillor, is seen as the frontrunner but Anwar did not pick him last year when Pakatan Rakyat took the state from Barisan Nasional, opting instead for the inexperienced Fairus.

Fairus sent his resignation letter on March 21 after a fellow PKR member claimed he was involved in illegal quarrying activities. Lim later froze three quarrying operations but denied it was linked to the allegations.

The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) picked up Fairus on March 26 at the Johor Causeway and questioned him for three hours before releasing him. Lim and his other deputy, Professor Dr P. Ramasamy gave their statements to the MACC on April 6.

The MACC said it has completed its investigations and have handed over its prosecution division but Fairus has yet to be charged for any offence.

MORE TO COME

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Fed Court ruled that state speaker has no power to suspend assemblymen

PUTRAJAYA, – The Federal Court has unanimously ruled it has the powers to decide on whether Perak Speaker V Sivakumar’s suspension of the mentri besar and his executive council from the legislature was valid.
Court of Appeals president Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Shariff, one of the five-member panel, said the preliminary objection, based on a procedural technicality raised by the speaker’s counsel Sulaiman Abdullah, had been rejected.

The case has huge ramifications for the constitutional crisis which has engulfed Perak. The suspension of mentri besar Datuk Zambry Abd Kadir and his six executive councillors would give Pakatan Rakyat a majority in the state assembly and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government could potentially be ousted when the legislature sits again.

Today’s decision by the Federal Court will also be controversial because it appears to affect the legal principle of separation of powers and also constitutional provisions which suggests the legislature governs its own proceedings.

Sulaiman warned the court that this was a “significant step in Malaysian legal history in that the hitherto well-preserved distinction between the legislative and judiciary is being challenged.”

This formed the main body of Sulaiman’s submission today when hearing commenced, as he argued that the court cannot enter into the question of whether the speaker had erred in his decision.

“Similar to matters pertaining to the Syariah court, this court has no jurisdiction. It is up to the assembly to decide on its rights and privileges.”

He explained that the speaker’s actions were not exempt from review but “exempt from review by the courts.”

“It is open to review by a substantive motion in the house,” he said.

Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Arifin Zakaria then proposed a situation where the speaker has suspended “30 members” of the assembly, implying an entire opposition bench, and there would be no one to move this motion. “So nothing can be done?”

Sulaiman drew a parallel with that of judges of an apex court, that their decisions, no matter how out of order, also could not be questioned.

“But during an election, then the speaker and his party will receive their come-uppance,” he said.

He also added that the mentri besar could also seek dissolution of the assembly if the speaker had acted completely out of order.

However, Arifin still demanded that Sulaiman “show me the power” by which the speaker could suspend members for contempt. Sulaiman cited Standing Orders 89 and 90 of the Perak assembly which he claimed gives the speaker the power to make final decisions on matters of the assembly, subject to a substantive motion being raised.

Intervening after Sulaiman’s submission, Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail argued that, according to the constitution, the courts are made the ultimate interpreters of the constitution and, as such, have a function to perform in this case.

“This does not mean that the judiciary is supreme over the legislature but that the constitution is supreme over both,” he said.

He further argued that with specific regards to suspensions for contempt, other assemblies such as the Parliaments of Malaysia and Singapore had specific provisions for such actions whereas the Perak assembly did not.

He said that while Parliament had legislated laws which gave it powers to punish acts of contempt, the “legislative enactment for Perak provided certain powers but not punishment for contempt” and this should be interpreted as a intentional move to limit the powers of the assembly.

Gani also said that the charge of contempt could not stand as charging Zambry and his six executive councillors for accepting their appointments from the Sultan was in contempt of the ruler’s constitutional prerogatives.

“Accepting the appointments are not legislative privileges and therefore the suspensions are ultra vires and have no effect whatsoever,” Gani claimed.

He also said that the privileges committee, which is chaired by the speaker, had no powers to mete out punishment but is only an investigative body as stated in the assembly’s standing orders.

As such, it then tried to bring its recommendations to the assembly, said Gani, referring to the “tree assembly” on March 3, which was held under a raintree as the PR assemblymen were not allowed into the assembly hall by security forces.

Gani said that the assembly was invalid as the Sultan did not consent to the sitting. Sulaiman had earlier argued that no consent was necessary as the last sitting was postponed until a further date and a fresh proclamation was only needed from the Sultan to call a new session, which is made up of any number of meetings, after a sitting is discontinued, which signals the end of a session.

However, Gani claimed that a new summoning by the Sultan was required at the beginning of each meeting, which is any number of sittings that terminates if the assembly is adjourned for more than 14 days.

He provided evidence showing that even under PR’s one-year rule, the Sultan’s consent was still given for each of the three meetings.

Later, Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, who was senior executive councillor in the PR government, told The Malaysian Insider that this was done at the advice of the assembly secretary, following the convention of Barisan Nasional but that constitutionally, the Sultan’s proclamation was only required at the start of a new session, and not each meeting.

The legal team for the executive council has decided to adopt the AG’s submissions and the apex court will hear Sulaiman’s reply on Thursday before making its final ruling on the matter. (TMI)

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Exora, Proton 1st MPV unveiled

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd’s first multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), the Exora, was unveiled to the public in a gala event here yesterday.

Launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the 1.6-litre Exora has already received orders of 2,500 units, even before its launch.

The seven-seater - Proton’s most important model for the year - also marks the company’s entry into the MPV market, which is growing domestically and regionally.

It also represents the Proton management’s response to market needs and consumer demands.

The Exora’s interior is more spacious than other MPVs in its engine class. It also has separate air-conditioner blowers with ceiling mounted vents for the second and third row passengers.

Large doors allow for easy entry and exit, while the second and third row seats can be folded for a flat floor layout when carrying bulky items.

The vehicle has safety features like dual front airbags, pretensioner seatbelts and anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution.

The Exora, which is powered by a 1.6-litre CamPro CPS engine, was the result of an investment of RM450mil and 18 months of intense in-house research and development.

The MPV is available in four-speed automatic version, in trim levels of Mid-Line and Hi-Line.

The Mid-Line Exora costs RM69,998 and the Hi-Line variant, RM75,998 (prices quoted here are for metallic colours only) (TheStar)

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Home Ministry's Comedy Squad

UPDATED: A free-for-all has developed in the Home Ministry’s voluntary repatriation programme with the hilarious emergence of a foreign barber, workers of two restaurants and a bartender as “special agents” of the Immigration Department.

The side-splitting squad of “special agents” uncovered by Malay Mail also includes a local travel agent.

All of them claim to act as go-betweens between 13 foreign embassies and the Immigration Department in the repatriation scheme that began on April 8.

A new Malay Mail investigation led us to these “special agents” who are on a roll to seek out overstayers – making a mockery of the programme.

Our team had over the weekend met and discussed by phone with these foreigners and the travel agent following information on the emergence of foreign “Immigration special agents”.

SPECIAL AGENT: The office of Zenith in Masjid India. Inset: The advertisement in a Tamil daily

We were also alerted to the travel agent, Zenith Travel and Tours, at Malayan Mansion, Jalan Masjid India, by a reader who noticed its advertisement on overstayers in a Tamil daily.

The advertisement reads: “Those who have overstayed and wish to pay the compound and purchase our tickets at reduced fares contact us.”

In separate discussions with the foreigners and the travel agent, our reporter posed as an employer with five workers from India who had overstayed.Two Indian nationals with valid work documents co-operated with Malay Mail to pose as “overstayers.”

The bartender, barber and two restaurant workers said their respective bosses were authorised by the Home Ministry to assist overstayers.

All the deals differed, far more than the RM300 the government is charging during a “honeymoon” six-month voluntary repatriation period to return home. Going by the travel agent’s offer, he would be making RM700 per case for “processing.” (See sidebar below.)

Those employing foreigners to ferret out overstayers — even more. A senior official from the Home Ministry verified that Zenith Travel and Tours is not among the 55 agents approved by the ministry to offer its services to the 13 foreign embassies. The approved agents include travel and tour firms, transportation companies and outsourcing companies.

They were appointed to help facilitate voluntary repatriation of overstayers who the Home Ministry thinks would be encouraged by the small RM300 fine.

Although the service only began last week, Zenith Travel said it has been in the business for the past two months and has “successfully” sent home “hundreds” of people from various countries.

Our latest findings come on the heels of a probe on April 3 in which a moneychanger at Ampang Park mall offered a route home to overstayers – with a noblacklist deal. The moneychanger has since stopped doing immigration work.

The repatriation programme has drawn the ire of non-governmental organisations who said it would encourage unscrupulous agents to resort to improper methods to gain a profit from overstayers.

They also felt that the addition of the agents is an unnecessary extra step in the usual procedures, when overstayers can directly deal with Immigration officers.

Question being asked: Just what do they process? Aren’t they just being “delivery boys” by taking the documents to Putrajaya? (MalayMail)

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8 goals thriller at the Bridge

LONDON:Frank Lampard saluted Chelsea’s spirit as the Blues fought back from the brink to reach the Champions League semifinals after a remarkable 4-4 draw against Liverpool this morning to win 7-5 on aggregate.

Guus Hiddink’s side were twice one goal away from blowing their 3-1 first leg lead at Stamford Bridge as Liverpool led 2-0 and 4-3, but Lampard scored a last minute curler — his second goal of the match — to finally send Chelsea through to a last four clash against Barcelona.

“It was a great game of football. We made it hard for ourselves and Liverpool are a fantastic team. But it’s great, we’re through,” Lampard told ITV.

“Our character at half-time, to turn it around, says a lot about the players.” Hiddink admitted Chelsea’s lacklustre first half display had made him lose his temper with his players for the first time since replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari.

“We were angry at half-time because we didn’t start as we planned. We know playing against Liverpool you can’t give them space,” Hiddink said.

“We dropped back too much, we were too safe. At half-time we said ‘guys this is not the way we are going to play in the second half’.

“Sometimes you have to lose your temper a bit but they reacted.

The players as well knew it was not ok how they had played. “This team reacts, that is why I like working with them, and we know they can score. Happily we did early in the second half.” Hiddink was relieved to have emerged on the right side of one of Europe’s greatest matches, even if it was bad for his health.

“My heart-rate was too high during the match. You suffer a lot because you have a great desire to go through for the club,” he said.

“I have had some matches like this but this is one of those games when players have made lots of errors. That is why it was going from one end to the other. “It was very dramatic.

It was a wave of being in the game and also out of it. one moment we were up and the next down.” Chelsea striker Didier Drogba gave a superb second half display to torment Liverpool’s defence but the Ivory Coast star knows Barcelona will pose another stern test.

“It’s going to be diffi cult but if we want to win the Champions League we have to play these big teams,” Drogba said. Drogba conceded Chelsea had lost their cool in the first half because the defence wasn’t secure enough.

“We felt really down at halftime because we didn’t play in the first half,” he said. “Maybe we lost our nerve. I think the three goals we conceded against Bolton on Saturday were still in our heads.” Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez praised his team’s character and claimed only mistakes and poor refereeing from Luis Medina Cantalejo cost them victory.

“We showed character, quality and we have to be really proud because the players have done a fantastic job,” Benitez said.

“We were on top of them from the beginnning so credit to all the players especially Lucas in the middle. Thanks to them we were very close.” — AFP

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T'ganu crisis : 10 reps boycot assembly

KUALA TERENGGANU: Several Barisan Nasional backbenchers have boycotted the second day of the Terengganu state assembly sitting in a bid to force Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said to step down, after three reps lodged police reports alleging they had been threatened.

The 10 disaffected assemblymen have gathered at a leading hotel here, saying they would not return to the assembly until police can assure them of their safety.

Barisan holds 24 seats in the 32-seat state assembly.

The boycott comes in the wake of speculation that a vote of no confidence would be tabled against Ahmad.

On Saturday, Ahmad had warned that any Barisan representative attempting to table such a motion against him would face disciplinary action, including expulsion.

Ahmad, who is also Terengganu Umno chief, described such a move as detrimental to the state Barisan.

On Monday, Batu Burok state assemblyman Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi of PAS called on Ahmad to dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh elections.

Meanwhile, three Barisan assemblymen lodged police reports after having allegedly received death threats via SMS, Bernama reported.

Assemblymen Zakaria Abdullah (Paka) and Abdul Halim Jusoh (Permaisuri) lodged their reports at the district police headquarters here at 12:40am Tuesday, while Ajil rep Datuk Rosol Wahid lodged another at the Hulu Terengganu district police office on Kuala Berang at 12:30am.

Abdul Halim told reporters in that they received the SMSes at about 11.20pm on Monday from an individual whom they found to be someone they knew after checking the telephone number with the state government’s official diary.

They were warned in the SMS not to pursue their intention, believed to be related to the move to table the no-confidence motion against Ahmad at the current sitting of the state assembly, Bernama said.

“As a senior state government official, he should not threaten anyone, what more a state assemblyman like me. You cannot make threats against people’s lives ... I don’t know why I was targeted,” he said.

Asked whether he would inform the mentri besar of the threat, he said he would not do so because he had lodged a police report.

On Tuesday morning, Rosol asked police to ensure the three asemblymen’s safety, saying the backbenchers would only return to the assembly sitting if police could give them this assurance.

Ahmad’s appointment as mentri besar has been fraught with controversy. Former mentri besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, who held the post for four years, was Barisan’s first choice but he was not re-appointed due to hiccups with the Terengganu palace.

Idris later resigned as Terengganu Umno liaison chairman.

It is believed that four Barisan assemblymen from the state left for Kuala Lumpur to meet deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over the “mentri besar issue.” (TheStar)

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