suara rakyat malaysia

Dr M quits Umno

2008-05-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

surf blog dr mahathir untuk memahami pergolakan minda Dr M zaman Paklah

Petikan Star online

ALOR STAR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced Monday at 12.35pm that he is quitting Umno, citing a lack of confidence in the current leadership.

He said this during a talk here on Monday.

He has been critical of his appointed successor Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, blaming the current Umno president for the party's disappointing performance in the 12th general election.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, of which Umno is the largest component party, won the March 8 election with a simple majority, and saw four more states join Kelantan under Opposition rule.

Dr Mahathir urged other party members to quit too, as a way of pressuring Abdullah into vacating his post.

However, he advised those who do quit not to join any opposition party, adding they can all rejoin the party once there is a change in leadership.

Abdullah has so far refused all calls for him to step down, and said he would defend his presidency in the party polls in December.

Dr Mahathir joined Umno at its inception in 1946.

He became a Member of Parliament in 1964 when he won the Kota Setar Selatan seat.

He lost the seat in the following general election in 1969.

Following the May 13, 1969, riots Dr Mahathir was sacked from the Umno Supreme Council on July 12 because of the widespread distribution of his letter to first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman criticising Tunku’s manner of handling the country’s administration.

Dr Mahathir rejoined Umno on March 7, 1972 and was appointed Senator in 1973. He relinquished the senatorship post a year later to contest the Kubang Pasu seat in the general elections. He was returned unopposed and was appointed Minister of Education.

In 1975, Dr Mahathir became one of the three vice-presidents of Umno.

Tun Hussein Onn appointed Dr Mahathir Deputy Prime Minister on Sept 15, 1978.

Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia from July 16, 1981, until Oct 31, 2003.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said he was surprised at the decision, but added that it was Dr Mahathir's right to do so.

"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.

Asked if Umno would convene an emergency meeting, the former Umno vice-president and Selangor Mentri Besar said that "we will wait and see."

The next Umno Supreme Council meeting is scheduled to be held within two to three weeks.

Timeline

1946: Joined United Malays National Organisation (Umno).

1947: While a medical student, he wrote extensive anti-colonial commentaries in Malay newspapers under the pen-name "Che Det".

1957: Resigned from government service as a doctor. Starts private practice.

1964: Entered active politics as Kota Star Selatan MP.

1965-1969: Member, Umno Supreme Council.

Sept 1969: Expelled from Umno for disciplinary reasons. Re-admitted on March 7, 1972.

June 1972: Elected a member of the Umno Supreme Council with the highest number of votes. Lost in the election for an Umno Vice-President post.

Dec 1972: Appointed a Senator by the Kedah State Legislative Assembly.

1974-2004: MP for Kubang Pasu, Kedah.

Sept 1974: Education Minister.

June 1975: Umno Vice-President.

March 1976: Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Education.

1977: Acting Chairman, Umno Liaison Committee, Malacca.

Jan 1978: Deputy Prime Minister & Trade and Industry Minister.

May 1978: Chairman, Perak Umno Liaison Committee.

Sept 1978: Umno Deputy President.

June 1981: Barisan Nasional Chairman.

June 1981: Umno President.

July 16 1981: Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Minister of Defence (until 1986) and Minister of Home Affairs (until 1999).

July 17 1987: Umno Political Bureau Chairman.

Feb 16 1988: Pro-tem President of Umno Baru. Umno was declared an illegal society on Feb 4, 1988.

Dec 1993: Kelantan Umno Chairman. Chairman, Politics and Constitution Committees of the Supreme Council.

Sept 1998-Jan 1999: Finance Minister. June 2001 - Finance Minister.

June 22 2002: Announced his intention to resign from all political and government posts at the final day of the 56th Umno assembly. Appeals from Umno Supreme Council members.

Oct 31 2003: Retired as PM and Umno president after 22 years.

Sept 2006: Fails in bid to be an Umno delegate for the Umno general assembly coming in ninth out of 15 contestants in the Kubang Pasu division.

May 19 2008: Quits Umno

visit blog http://mastereload2008.wordpress.com

Blog Dr Mahathir

2008-05-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.chedet.com/

A Weak Government is not good for Multi-racial Malaysia

I would like to thank all visitors to chedet.com. for their kind words and for welcoming me to the blogosphere. To be honest, I was indeed surprised by the overwhelming response to my weblog.

To my critics and detractors I welcome your comments, but I would appreciate that responses be focussed on the issue that I blog. This is to allow a healthy debate and to gauge points of view which differ from my own.

I apologise that due to the overwhelming traffic, I may not be able to respond to all comments and queries as much as I would like to. I will be selective and respond to points repeatedly raised by commentators in relation to what I've posted.

I shall also not respond, unless absolutely necessary, to issues that have been raised and answered by me in other forums, especially those pertaining to unsubstantiated allegations.

With regards to my first posting on the appointment of judges, most commentators disagreed with my comment that when Government works with the opposition it is a sign of weakness, and that I consider the opposition as the enemy.

Politically, the opposition is the enemy. Being forced to work with the opposition is not undemocratic but it shows up the weakness of the Government.

A weak government is not good for multi-racial Malaysia. It leads to unwarranted challenges against its authority. Governments cannot please everybody. If a Government cannot be firm and is forced to flip-flop there will be a lack of confidence which does not augur well for the smooth implementation of policies or project. Some people might already have noticed this.

A Government with little need for opposition support would be better able to disregard the sniping that all Governments must face. It should however take note of opposition views and respond where necessary.

In today's context, the Federal Government is unable to initiate necessary changes to the constitution and would be held to ransom every time.

One of the most important things about a two-thirds majority is that there would be hardly any threat of defection. Today we hear of this threat everyday. The leadership of the Barisan Nasional is like a cat on hot bricks. And cats on hot bricks cannot achieve anything.

Previous Federal Governments had never failed to obtain the two-thirds majority. As a measure of strength, a two-thirds majority allows a Government to do everything on its own and be totally independent.

But perhaps the proposed request for opposition support is made with sincerity in the spirit of democracy.

The question is why now? Why not when the Government had 90 percent majority after the General Election of 2004? Changes to the way judges are picked could have been done after the 2004 resounding victory.

I have always been of the opinion that this country must have a strong and independent Federal Government which can then serve the country and people without fear or favour.

But I have been on record in advocating a strong opposition. This is to ensure the Government does not stray from the right path, or abuse its authority.

The combination of a strong (two-thirds majority) Government and an Opposition with the capacity and willingness to check abuses by the Government would serve Malaysia well.

As to the Government's latest proposal to set up a judicial commission, is it because it now thinks it is a good thing or is it a desperate attempt to win back the support it has lost?

As for my criticisms of the leaders of the present Government, I believe I have every right to do so. Retiring from the Government simply means giving up authority and power. It does not mean I must abdicate my role as a citizen. I have every right to be concerned over the flip-flopping mismanagement of this country and that of the party I helped to revive in 1987. The party does not belong to Dato Seri Abdullah alone. Nor is it meant to support him as leader even when he mishandled the elections and the country. The party does not belong to me either. It belongs to all its members. Presently the members are not permitted to be critical. They can merely say yes to what Dato Seri Abdullah says or does.

Since the opposition is also supporting Dato Seri Abdullah, if I do not criticise, then no one will. And without criticisms the Government and Dato Seri Abdullah can really go wrong.

(Reminder: I welcome criticisms and critical comments and I will publish them. However, I will not publish comments containing profanities and demeaning references to certain names. Anonymous postings will also not be published.)

Hidden agenda behind 'Pak Lah, quit' calls

2008-04-25T00:41:00.002-07:00

Kenny Gan | Apr 24, 08 4:16pm
In the aftermath of the 12th general election with the worst Barisan Nasional showing in history, the incumbent Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been asked publicly to accept responsibility and step down. None is more strident than the person who put him in office, the ex-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Although Abdullah has indicated that he will make way for his deputy in due course, this does not satisfy Mahathir who demands that he step down immediately. Joining in the chorus are those aligned to Mahathir, some of whom probably have dreams of advancing their own political ambitions.

What is this urgency to forced Abdullah to resign now instead of letting him choose his time to exit gracefully? The reason advanced by those making the demands is ostensibly that Umno needs to ‘re-invent itself’ to gain back support. They assert that time is running out and to wait longer may mean that Umno’s losses may be irreversible.

The reasons offered seem to be a thinly-veiled cover for other agendas. There is no reason why Umno’s healing cannot take place under the present Umno president with the cooperation of other leaders. The very reason why Umno is in turmoil is the incessant public calls for Abdullah to step down. Those making the calls are the ones who make it difficult for Umno to find its footing and get back to work.

There is something fishy here as there appears to be a hidden agenda in the way Abdullah is being pressured to resign immediately to make way for his deputy, Najib Razak. Is Najib the charismatic leader who can turn Umno around? But he is no Anwar Ibrahim. Could it be that as a person with a tainted past, Najib is susceptible to being controlled?

But controlled by who? Although this is only my conjecture, there may be a clique within Umno who is fearful of losing power and hence the fruits of corruption after the dismal results of the elections. This group sees eye-to-eye with Mahathir and have no qualms about using his authoritarian methods of maintaining power. They fear Anwar’s return to the corridors of power and feel that Mahathir is the only one who can frustrate him.

With Najib at the helm and Mahathir the real power behind the throne, repressive methods may be used to curtail democratic freedom and limit the opposition’s space to operate. We may even have a media war against the opposition and an ‘Operation Lallang 2'.

However, time is of essence. Abdullah stands in the way of iron-fisted methods as long is he is PM. Even ‘worse’, he appears to be pushing some genuine reforms such as judicial independence and press freedom which will make it difficult for authoritarian methods to be employed later. Furthermore, the longer the Pakatan Rakyat state governments operate, the more public support they are likely to engender with their fair and populist policies.

The way to rejuvenating Umno and Barisan Nasional lies in genuine reforms to repair the damage done to democratic institutions perpetrated by Mahathir. Hence, Abdullah is on the right track. Public support and rejuvenation of the party will come with real reforms. However, this means that Umno’s culture of corruption and arrogance will have to change.

This may be anathema to those who depend on corruption to support their lifestyle and would prefer the return of Mahathirism to maintain their hold on power. As for Mahathir, although retired, we should not underestimate the menace this old man poses to our nascent democracy. Let us all rally behind Abdullah to oppose Mahathir’s attempt to pull him down for his own nefarious ends

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Hidden agenda behind 'Pak Lah, quit' calls

2008-04-25T00:41:00.001-07:00

SIAPA BEKAS MENTERI ITU?

2008-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

SIAPA BEKAS MENTERI ITU?

Oleh : Tun Telanai
Assalamu’alaikum wm.wrt,

Mohd Sayuti Omar [MSO] melalui blognya Blog Merah Tintanya yang dipetik oleh laman Marhaen [http://www.marhaen.org/v1/mar_a_merah_tinta85.html] melaporkan seorang bekas Menteri telah melakukan gangguan seksual ke atas seorang wanita di di Kelab Havana hotel Maridien di KL Sentral. Kemudian, teman wanita itu sudah pun membuat laporan polis ke atas bekas menteri berkenaan.

Kita tunggu siasatan lanjut daripada pihak polis. Kita mengharapkan [sekiranya berita ini sahih dan benar] pihak polis yang menerima aduan tersebut perlu melakukan penyiasiatan dengan SEGERA seperti mana cepatnya macam kilat mereka menyiasat pemimpin kanan PKR yang terlibat dalam peristewa meraikan Anwar Ibrahim pada malam ‘Black 14’ pada 14 April lalu.

Kita hendak tahu sama ada pihak polis akan merendamkan sahaja kes itu kerana ia melibatkan rakyat marhaen dan yang melakukannya pula ialah pemimpin UMNO [hanya ramalan penulis semata-mata] atau membawanya ke mahkamah untuk diadili. Kes pencabulan adalah merupakan kes yang berat dan pasti sekiranya kejadian ini berlaku kepada orang biasa, maka sudah pasti pelakunya akan dihukum dengan berat. Kita tunggu perkembangan selanjutnya kes ini.

Sayuti turut memberi sedikit klu terhadap bekas menteri itu. Bekas menteri itu katanya seorang yang berjambang, baru menang kerusi Parlimen dalam dalam pilihan raya lalu, tetapi tidak dilantik semula menjadi menteri. Penggugurannya dikatakan kononnya disebabkan perlakuan moralnya yang buruk yang tidak selari dengan kehendak dasar kerajaan sekarang.

Persoalannya siapakah bekas menteri mistri itu?

Saya pun lantas mengambil senarai karbinet tahun 2007 yang masih dalam simpanan. Saya perhatikan tidak seorang pun dikalangan menteri yang berjambang, kecuali Jamaluddin Jarjis, Menteri Sains, Tekonologi dan Innovasi, Ahli Parlimen Rompin. Dalam pilihan raya lepas, beliau bertanding semula di kerusi Parlimen Rompin menentang calon PAS, Mazlan Mohd Yassin. Beliau menang mengalahkan Mazlan dengan majoriti 10,679 undi. Beliau memperolehi 21,308 undi, manakala Mazlan mendapat 10,629, tetapi beliau digugurkan dalam senarai karbinet Abdullah selepas pilihan raya lalu.

Sementera itu, saya teringat kes pembunuhan kejam Norita Shamsudin pada tahun 2003 yang mana Hanif Basree seorang jurutera telah dituduh melakukan pembunuhan tersebut. Dalam perbicaraan kes tersebut, ada disebut ada orang ‘lain’ yang masuk selepas Hanif berzina dengan Norita. Ini membawa maksud bahawa Norita masih hidup ketika Hanif keluar daripada apartmen mewah itu.

Norita telah didapati terbunuh di satu apatmen yang disewanya di Sri Hartamas di mana mayatnya telah dijumpai oleh rakan sebiliknya. Mengikut testimoni mahkamah dua orang mata-mata gelap polis adalah yang mula-mula sekali tiba di tempat kejadian dan dengan serta-merta telah menutup pintu bilik untuk bersendirian dengan mayat Norita lebih dari dua jam. Pasukan penyaisat polis tiba di tempat kejadian hanya selepas itu. Rakan sebilik Norita telah menyatakan di mahkamah bahawa kali pertama dia [bersama seorang rakannya] terjumpa Norita si mati berada dalam keadaan terbaring dengan kaki terkangkang, tetapi sejurus dua orang mata-mata gelap itu pergi, dia mendapati mayat Norita sudah diikat tangannya di bahagian belakang.

Mereka telah menjumpai telefon bimbit Norita dan adalah dipercayai beliau memang ada membuat dan menerima panggilan yang melibatkan seorang ternama [VIP] pada malam dia dibunuh. Panggilan telefon itu tentu sekali dapat membuka kunci rahsia mengenai keadaan kematian. Akan tetapi kenapakah Pendakwaraya tidak pernah mengemukakan rekod telefon Norita di mahkamah? Apabila bahan bukti yang amat penting semacam ini sengaja diketepikan, Pendakwaraya sengaja melemahkan kes itu. Akhirnya Hanif dibebaskan kerana tidak ada bukti kukuh untuk mensabitkan yang Hanif yang melakukan pembunuhan kejam tersebut. Yang pentingnya kes itu ditutup dan orang yang melakukan perbuatan itu bebas.

Semua orang tahu khususnya warga di Putrajaya, kes pembunuhan Norita ini ada kaitan dengan Jamaluddin Jarjis. Tanyalah saudara-mara, kenalan dan sahabat-handai yang berkerja di Putrajaya sekiranya maklumat ini salah. Saya hanya mendapat maklumat ini dariada seorang sahabat yang bekerja di JPM. Betul atau salah, wallahua’alam.

Semenjak dari kes pembunuhan Norita ini menjadi topik utama perbincangan masyarakat di Malaysia, berita dan perkembangan sesama Jamaluddin Jarjis tidak ada langsung di media massa sehinggala beliau muncul kembali menjadi hero apabila Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukur menjadi Angkasawan Malaysia yang pertama yang berjaya menjejak kaki di bulan.

Ini bukanlah merupakan satu tuduhan kepada Jamaluddin Jarjis. Ianya hanya datang daripada imijasi daripada penulis sendiri. Benar atau salah kita sama-sama tunggu hasil penyiasatan yang dilakukan oleh pihak polis. Bagi kes Norita, pasti ada pembunuhnya. Siapa, hanya Allah dan orang-orang yang terlibat sahaja yang tahu.

“SELAMATKAN RAKYAT SELAMATKAN NEGARA”
"PROTES SAMPAI TURUN”

Sekian.Wassalam.

Catatan : Terima kasih, saya telah deletekan gambar itu.Harap maaf kepada semua pembaca

menjana wang melalui telefon bimbit

PM to announce judiciary reforms tonight

2008-04-17T01:55:00.000-07:00

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is set to announce major reforms to the judiciary at a dinner tonight.

The reforms are expected to include the setting up of a Judicial Commission on the appointment of judges, a move likely to be seen as restoring the judiciary's independence, lawyers said. At the special dinner hosted jointly by the government and the Bar Council tonight, the premier is also expected to make an expression of regret over the 1988 judicial crisis which led to the sacking of the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and two Federal Court judges.

Apart from that, the former judges are also expected to receive some goodwill compensation in the form of back pay pensions for the sad episode.

Salleh, had in March 1988, written to the king on behalf of the judges expressing disappointment with accusations made by then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad (now Tun) against the judiciary.

Two months after that, Salleh was suspended and High Court of Malaya Chief Justice Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Omar was appointed acting Lord President.

Salleh was then brought before a tribunal for misconduct.

In response, he filed a suit in the High Court challenging the constitutionality of the tribunal.

He also applied for an interim stay against the tribunal but it was denied.

Five judges of the Supreme Court convened and granted Salleh an interlocutory (interim) order against the tribunal.

This order was later set aside and in August 1988, Salleh was officially removed from the post of Lord President.

The five Supreme Court judges who granted Salleh the interlocutory order - Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader, Tan Sri Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh, Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawan Teh and Datuk George Seah - were suspended. In October, Wan Sulaiman and Seah were sacked while three other judges were reinstated.
--------------------------

Umno selangor minta paklah berhenti.

20,000 defy police to celebrate Anwar's ban expiry

2008-04-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

Apr 14, 08 12:48pm
About 20,000 people attended a rally in central Kuala Lumpur tonight to mark the expiry of Anwar Ibrahim ban from public office, a decade after he was sacked as deputy prime minister.

The crowd defied a ban on the event which was held in Kampung Baru despite scores of riot police were deployed in the futile attempt to stop the illegal gathering.

"We have not issued any permits for the gathering. I advise all the supporters not to attend it. The gathering is banned," city police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman told AFP earlier today.

At about 9.15pm, Anwar took the stage to tell his supporters to wait two weeks on whether he would be running for parliamentary seat and return to active politics.

PKR bagged 31 seats in last month's general elections and Anwar had said that one of the parliamentarians would resign so that the party de facto leader could contest in a subsequent by-election.

In his speech, Anwar also attacked his nemesis, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and accused him of abuse of power.

"He has made the judiciary worse. He is worried that I'll be the next PM," he said.

Anwar also lambasted Najib Abdul Razak, saying that the prime minister-in-waiting was "not fit" to assume the post.
The charismatic politician also told the cheering crowd that the Pakatan Rakyat would soon become the ruling coalition.

New politics of ketuanan rakyat

He said that his coalition will be championing people's supremacy (ketuanan rakyat) and will bring about changes to the economy, education and political systems.

After speaking for about an hour, Anwar was told by the police to stop the gathering - about a dozen policemen interrupted Anwar as he was about to end his rally.

He subsequently told the crowd that he would "lead by example" and requested the crowd to disperse.

Organisers claimed a crowd of about 40,000 had attended the rally. The crowd dispersed peacefully by 11.30pm.

Top PKR leaders, including party president and Anwar’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, daughter Nurul Izzah, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, PKR vice president Azmin Ali and Batu MP Tian Chua were in the crowd. Several DAP and Pas leaders also turned up for the event.

Anwar arrived at the venue at about 8.50pm to shouts of reformasi from the eagerly anticipating crowd.

There was a strong police presence along the main Kampung Baru road. Several Federal Reserve Unit and Light Strike Force trucks were also stationed by the roadside while the unit personnel patrolled the area. People were allowed to move about freely.

Once seen as the heir apparent to long-time leader Mahathir, Anwar was subsequently convicted on sex and corruption charges and spent six years in jail, before storming back to prominence in March elections.

With Anwar at the helm, a reinvigorated opposition seized a third of parliamentary seats and five states in the worst ever showing for the Barisan Nasional coalition that has ruled for half a century.

Now the 60-year-old maverick is once again being touted as a future prime minister, but this time for his Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance which he has described as a "government-in-waiting".

The sodomy charges were later dropped but the corruption count prevented him from standing for public office until tomorrow.

Surprise in store

Anwar had been expected to re-enter Parliament quickly through a by-election in one of the seats held by his party, and to challenge Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in a symbolic no-confidence vote soon after.

But in light of the stunning and unexpected gains, he has said he is in no hurry to act and will instead focus on building up the opposition.

Meanwhile, party's deputy president Syed Husin Ali had earlier rejected the police objections to the rally, but said PKR had made confidential alternative arrangements for the celebration.

"We will go ahead with it for the simple reason that that area is a private area, it is not a public area," he said of the proposed venue.

"We can't understand why there is this sudden change of mind on the part of police... in fact, they were originally involved in discussions to control traffic and ensure security."

Pressuring the police

Syed Husin said he suspected the government, which has been badly rattled by the unprecedented election setback, may be putting pressure on police.

"They might fear that there might be some strong political influence that this gathering might have on the public," he said.

Abdullah has refused to stand down despite the electoral debacle, insisting he has a mandate to rule and promising to introduce long-heralded reforms that voters punished him for never delivering.

But the opposition and many political commentators believe the coalition will continue to flounder and that Anwar could seize power within a few years, or perhaps even a few months.

"I think they are very likely to form the next government and it's a matter of timing, of when this will take place, whether it's at the next elections or before then," said Tricia Yeoh of the Centre for Public Policy Studies.

agen prepaid dgn sms paling murah di malaysia. Maxis diskaun 5%. Celcom 6% dan Digi 3%

'Umno, not Malays, under threat'

2008-04-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Chan Kok Leong | Apr 13, 08 5:11pm

Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said the ‘Ketuanan Melayu' card increasing played up by Umno is to divert attention from the party's internal problems following its unprecedented setback in last month's general election.

The former Umno deputy president said this today at a hotel in Shah Alam when he was asked to comment on Utusan Malaysia's ‘Ketuanan Melayu tercabar' front-page headlines in the Umno-owned newspaper.

At a gathering organised by newly formed Barisan B Tengku Faris Petra told the crowd that it was not appropriate for other ethnic groups to seek equality and privileges accorded to Malays.

"We didn't hear much about this (Malay rights) issue last month or before the elections. I believe their intentions are to divert the attention of everyone," said Anwar.

He said that instead of the ‘Ketuanan Melayu' concept, the more important cause is ‘Ketuanan Rakyat'.

"And when we say 'rakyat', it includes the Malays...especially the downtrodden ones and not the rich ones," said Anwar, who is former finance minister.

"Our approach should be to help the people who are sidelined, denied their rights and opportunities. As such, it should include Malays, Chinese, Indians and other Malaysians," he said.

Anwar added that he was confident that the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition will prove to be more effective in helping the people than Umno or the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition had been.

Mahathir and Jewish conspiracies

Commenting on previous prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's criticism of him and linking him with Jewish lobbies, the ex-deputy premier dismissed the suggestion as "ludicrous".

"He's (Mahathir) getting a bit too tired and confused. I've not been to any of the Jewish lobbies, (but) he has. I've not met any Israeli leader, but he has met... quietly, when he was prime minister."

Anwar added that his former boss was the one who had dealings with the Jews, pointing out the US$1.2 million alleged to have been paid to disgraced American lobbyist Abramoff to arrange a meeting between Mahathir and US President George W Bush in 2002.

"He (Mahathir) should concentrate on his health and apologise to the people for his many atrocities. He also has to explain on how he destroy the judiciary, how he controlled the media, how he put hundreds of people under ISA (Internal Security Act) including Operation Lallang.

"He should also explain his involvement in various corrupt practices, serious mismanagement, stealing government funds through the destruction of many government-controlled companies like Perwaja (Steel). I think it is better for him to deal with these issues," said Anwar.

"I've refrained for years from responding to him... But apparently he's very scared about this new phenomenon of people speaking up and wanting to see change.

Anwar also said that the former premier wants to ensure that his nominees take over to protect his and his family's interest.

Mahathir was reported earlier to have said, "He (Anwar) is the only prime minister that the Israelis would vote for" on Saturday.

He said that in response to a question on whether Anwar had any credibility to become prime minister.

Najib must be blamed too

On Mahathir's call for Abdullah to quit, Anwar said, "I've never taken Dr Mahathir's views very seriously for a long time.

"Of course, the prime minister cannot absolve himself from BN's setback but he led the election campaign together with Najib (Abdul Razak)," said Anwar.

"Najib was spearheading the campaign and Abdullah is the prime minister, so both of them have to be accountable for their disastrous defeat."

On his plans to run for a parliamentary seat, Anwar reiterated that it was not important now as he wants to concentrate on strengthening the Pakatan coalition.

He said that for the time being he wants to help Pakatan to focus on good governance and improve the working relationship between the various parties within the opposition alliance.

"My personal career is not a priority at the moment as I've still got time," he added.

On prime minister and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's succession plan, Anwar was non-committal.

"Umno and the other main component parties are in turmoil now. Their best option now is to join Pakatan Rakyat," said Anwar.

Anwar is due to attend a rally in Sultan Sulaiman Club at Kampung Baru tomorrow to mark his return from political exile. His five-year ban from active politics ends on April 15.

A gathering to celebrate Anwar's 'freedom'

2008-04-10T02:07:00.000-07:00

Beh Lih Yi | Apr 10, 08 1:37pm

More than 10,000 people are expected to participate at a mass rally in Kuala Lumpur next Monday for a long-awaited countdown to opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim's freedom to take part in active politics.

The rally, to be held on the eve of the lifting of Anwar's five-year ban from active politics, will take place at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in the Malay heartland of Kampung Baru in the city.

Wang Percuma dari Telefon Bimbit

"The rally will signify the new beginning of his political career which allows him to be actively involved in politics and hold position in political party," PKR vice-president Azmin Ali told a press conference at the party's headquarters in Brickfields today.

Anwar is barred from contesting in a general election or party's election for five years, a result of his previous conviction under corruption charge. The ban will expire on April 15.

Although he is not allowed to take up a party position, Anwar is currently the de facto leader of the PKR which was formed after his unceremonious sacking in 1998 as the deputy premier.

The five-year ban imposed on Anwar has caused him to miss the opportunity to contest in the March 8 general election, but he is widely expected to stand in a by-election soon after the expiry of the ban in order for him to make a comeback to Parliament.

‘Success of people's struggle'

According to Azmin, who is also the rally's organising chair and the Gombak MP, the April 14 rally's highlight will be Anwar's first public speech after the general election.

"He will outline the people's struggle for the near future," said Azmin, who added that Kampung Baru was chosen as it bears significance as being the place where the 1998 reformasi wave started.

Popularly known as the ‘Black 14', such gatherings were usually held in previous years on April 14 to commemorate Anwar's conviction to six years' jail for corruption practice on the day in 1999.

Departing from the ‘tradition' this year, Azmin said the upcoming rally would be to acknowledge the "beginning of the success of people's struggle and reform agenda by Anwar since 1998".

This include the release of Anwar after six years imprisonment in 2004 and the unprecedented election results garnered by the Anwar-led opposition parties in the March 8 general election.

"The results showed a major departure of previous political ideology where the younger generation rejected political parties which play the racial card," said Azmin, referring to the multi-racial based politics championed by Anwar.

Issue of police permit

In a stunning electoral performance, the three main opposition parties - PKR, DAP and PAS - have jointly won 82 parliamentary seats and denied the Barisan Nasional's two-thirds majority.

The opposition, which have now formed an alliance called Pakatan Rakyat, is short of 30 seats which will then enable them to get a simple majority to take over the federal government.

On the issue of applying for police permit for the gathering, Azmin said they will follow the rule and procedures.

He however pointed out that the club is private-owned place of the Selangor state government.

The location chosen for the gathering - the Sultan Sulaiman Club - is also seen by many as symbolising Anwar’s and PKR’s rise to political dominance to overtake Umno.

This is the club where the first Malay Congress that led to the establishment of Umno, the dominant Malay political party was held on March 1, 1946. In its heyday the club - established in 1909 - was the hotbed for Malay nationalism.

Other leaders that are expected to speak at the event include Anwar's wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and other PR component parties leaders.

Tengok Movie Dapat Wang

Take a break, let Najib run the show

2008-04-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Muda Mohd Noor | Apr 9, 08 5:04pm

The pressure on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad is mounting following Barisan Nasional’s calamitous outing in the March 8 polls.

The premier, who took over the reins in 2003, has come under constant attack from numerous quarters, including his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Now, it is learnt that a majority of Umno division leaders in Johor have asked Abdullah, who is their party president, to go on leave in order to assuage the anger of Umno members.

According to them, Abdullah should hand over his duties as Umno president and prime minister to his deputy Najib Abdul Razak during this period.

This call was made during a meeting between 20 division leaders with Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othaman at the latter’s residence in Johor Bahru early this week.

Six not invited

However, six other division leaders, who also hold ministerial positions, were not invited for the meeting.

These are Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein (Semberong), Shahrir Abdul Samad (Johor Bahru), Khaled Nordin (Pasir Gudang), Syed Hamid Albar (Kota Tinggi), Muhyiddin Yassin (Pagoh) and Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Mersing).

Also not invited were Tourism Minister Azalina Othman Said and Deputy Human Resources Minister Noraini Ahmad.

Johor has a total of 26 Umno divisions, followed by Sabah (25), Perak (24) and Selangor (22).

Perak and Selangor fell into the hands of the opposition while in Johor, BN lost a parliamentary seat and six state seats.

"This (Abdullah going on leave) is the best way to save Umno from becoming a directionless party. The more Abdullah talks, more confusion arises," said a division leader who attended the meeting.

"Once the situation returns to normal, Abdullah can reassume the post or decide to let Najib continue," he added when contacted today.

The division leader said Umno grassroots in the state are concerned with the recent statements made by the prime minister.

The prime minister is scheduled to visit Johor tomorrow and meet with the state liaison committee.

Contest for presidency

According to the division leader, Abdullah must take the action before the Umno elections scheduled for December 16-20.

"We are worried that there will be unsuitable Umno leaders who will contest against Abdullah for presidency.

"In the present situation, it is not impossible for such a leader to win and if this happens, it will be difficult to rebuild Umno," he said.

As for the meeting with the menteri besar, the division leader said all those present were asked for their views regarding the elections.

He said two divisions - Batu Pahat and Muar - suggested that Umno hold an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, when met at a function in Putrajaya, Shahrir said that he would be attending the meeting even though he was not invited.

Being a hooker is summing I love

2008-04-07T00:56:00.000-07:00

Shock confession of maths prodigy who turned to life of vice
By Sara Nuwar & Rachel Spencer

MATHS genius turned hooker Sufiah Yusof reveals how she drives men wild... by reciting EQUATIONS to her clients as they have sex.

Watch her sexy videoshoot and interview

And the Asian beauty defiantly claims that selling her body for up to £1,000 a time provides her with a far more glamorous life than she ever dreamt of when she went to Oxford University aged just 13.

"My clients love the fact that I can stimulate their minds AND their bodies," she boasts in a shockingly frank interview with the News of the World.

"And I don't believe my education has been wasted—in fact I usually take problem sheets with me to solve before appointments."

HAVE YOUR SAY HERE

Sufiah decided to CONFESS ALL after we revealed how the former child prodigy was working as a £130-an-hour prostitute while studying for a masters in economics.

It is the latest heartbreaking twist to a life that seemed so full of promise—but went tragically wrong when she cracked under the pressure of her bullying father's cruel academic regime and fled university at 15.

Eight years on, he is now in jail for sexually assaulting two girl pupils and Sufiah has somehow convinced herself that her seedy new career is the answer to all her problems.

"People think escorting is sleazy and terrible but I don't see it like that," she says. "I've always had a high sex drive—and now I'm getting all the sex I want—and guys are much better in bed with an escort than a girlfriend.

"I have men who are thrilled about my passion for mathematics. In fact one made me recite equations while he pleasured me, then I gave him oral sex while he chatted about algebra. It drove him wild."

And brainbox Sufiah has worked out that subtracting your respectability to become a prostitute can equal big money.

Peeling

"I have a nice life and I am in control," she says. "I hate this stereotype society has of escorts being exploited. It is so far from the truth.

"My clients treat me like a princess. One guy I see in London took me shopping on Bond Street. He bought me a beautiful black Gucci dress for £700 and then took me to Selfridges and told me to pick any handbag I liked."

She chose a £600 Gucci clutch. "I'm a Primark and Topshop girl normally! I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

"Later that night we went for dinner. I wore my Gucci dress and sexy lingerie and took great pleasure in peeling it off for him later on back at his hotel."

Sufiah was working as an administrative assistant earning £ 16,000 a year in Manchester when an escort agency boss approached her in a bar four months ago. She'd run up debts of £3,500 in rent arrears and credit cards.

And she was still haunted by her hellish childhood—subjected to her father Farooq's Accelerated Learning Technique where she studied maths day in day out in rooms kept freezing cold to improve her concentration.

So the big rewards the agency boss promised seemed more than tempting. "I have studied so intensely for so many years I wanted to have fun," she says.

She can't see the sordid side of prostitution—and instead likens herself to Belle De Jour—the saucy hooker played by Billie Piper in the TV drama.

"I'd read Belle De Jour's Diary of a London Call Girl and was fascinated," she said. "When this immaculate lady in a designer suit asked if I had ever considered escorting, I found it appealing.

"I went home, researched agencies on the internet and found one I thought looked professional. I sent them photographs and they put me on their site." A couple of days later Sufiah was offered her first client. She recalls: "I felt quite nervous but excited too. I slipped on some black lace underwear and stockings and suspenders and a dress, and just though, ‘Wow, this is thrilling.'

"He was waiting for me at the bar of the Hilton. I expected him to be older but when I saw him he was lovely.

"He was only in his late 20s, tall and handsome. I thought, ‘I can't believe I'm getting paid to have sex with this man.'

"I'd have been thrilled if he chatted me up in a bar. We had a drink then went upstairs to his room and had fantastic sex. I left that night feeling totally elated having had an amazing time with £250 in my purse." Since then, she has built up a base of regular rich clients and sees between five and ten men each week. Her sugar daddies have treated her to fabulous clothes, designer bags, trips on yachts and even helicopter rides.

Sufiah, whose interview can be seen on video at notw.co.uk, brags that she can earn more than £1,000 in a night by having diner with a client and staying over. "It's like they want to rescue me. One man asked me how much I earned a year. I said £60,000. He told me, ‘I'll pay that amount straight into your bank and buy you a flat and you can be my mistress.'

"But I don't want that because I'm happy doing what I do. Now I wonder if I could go back to a normal relationship, where you watch EastEnders and have boring sex. I've got used to being treated like a princess."

It is as if she has run away from reality—just as she ran away from university and her father's dominance at 15.

Sufiah becomes solemn and subdued when she talks of her upbringing. "As I grew older I began to clash with my father," she says. "He was violent on occasions. Because he pushed me so far academically, I became more confident for a girl of my age. I grew up too quickly.

"From 11, I was studying maths all the time. I didn't have any friends. I wasn't in the Brownies. My father said they didn't teach Muslim values. I hardly ever played with other children."

She passed her maths A level aged 12 and started at St Hilda's College, Oxford. "It was an amazing place but I was too young. By the time I was 15 I wanted to be in control of my life. I fought back."

Sufiah sparked a two week nationwide police hunt when she ran away instead of going home at the end of term, saying she'd "had enough of 15 years of physical and emotional abuse". Her father claimed she had been kidnapped and brainwashed by members of a socialist organisation.

But now, speaking about it for the first time, Sufiah says: "I couldn't bear the thought of going home so I ran away. I'd saved up £200 and found a hostel in London for £14 per night. After a week I moved to a hostel in Bournemouth. I knew I could survive on my own."

When she was found in an internet cafe, Sufiah refused to go home and was placed in foster care by Bournemouth social services. She says: "I stayed with two families who were very good to me. My mum and dad would call me and ask me to go home—but I didn't want to."

Rich

Her 50-year-old father is now in jail for 18 months after being convicted of sexually assaulting two 15-year-old girls he taught at his home in Coventry.

When Sufiah reached 18 she returned to Oxford to continue her studies—and fell in love with fellow student Jonathan Marshall. They married a year later but it barely lasted a year.

"At the time I thought we would be together forever, but we married too young and grew apart," she says.

After the split she moved back to London where she taught maths in the evenings to make ends meet. Then six months ago she moved to Manchester—and stumbled across her new career. "I'm still only young and I can't decide what I want to do," she says. "My escort work provides me with a fabulous life.

"I still enjoy learning and I find it puts me in the right frame of mind for an intelligent conversation with my clients." But she admits not all her sexual encounters work out. "At the end of the day you don't have to sleep with a client if you don't want to. I've done that twice now. Both men were young and very nervous. I just left.

"The dullest client I've ever had was a rich man who talked about cars all night. It was really, really boring."

Sufiah is well aware she could easily find a job in the City where she could match her £60,000 a year sex earnings.

But she said: "I don't want to take anything away from people who do jobs like that but it's not for me. I have a nice life. I don't want for anything."

Her mother Halimahton is now divorcing jailed Farooq and is desperate for her daughter to get in touch with her. "I was shaking when I found out what had become of her," she says.

But talking about her bitter split with her parents, Sufiah says: "I would describe our relationship as estranged.

"I have contact with them occasionally but I couldn't speculate on what they will make of my new life.

"I don't have any regrets. I've never felt more confident about my body and I've had some of the best sex of my life."

Global Income. HomeBznes.

Sufiah tak kesal jadi pelacur

2008-04-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

LONDON: Seminggu selepas kisah hidupnya sebagai pelacur terbongkar, wanita pintar matematik, Sufiah Yusof, membuat satu lagi kejutan apabila mengakui tindakannya menjual tubuh memberinya kehidupan jauh lebih seronok dan glamor, berbanding kejayaannya memasuki Universiti Oxford pada usia 13 tahun.

Malah, Sufiah membuat pengakuan berani sebagai 'wanita penuh berahi' yang suka membaca kisah hidup dan watak pelacur dalam drama televisyen serta mampu menerima bayaran £1,000 (RM7,000) bagi setiap sesi perkhidmatannya atau pendapatan tahunan kira-kira £60,000 (RM420,000).

Anak ketiga daripada lima beradik itu juga mengakui masih trauma dan terus dihantui pengalaman peritnya ketika zaman kanak-kanak apabila didera bapanya, Farrooq Yusof, termasuk sehari suntuk belajar matematik di dalam bilik amat sejuk atas alasan dapat menambah daya ingatannya.

Sufiah, janda berusia 23 tahun, mendakwa hubungannya dengan keluarga kini semakin renggang.

"Saya tergamam dengan apa yang berlaku kepada ibu. Ya, saya ada menghubungi mereka, tetapi saya tidak mahu mengandaikan pandangan mereka terhadap kehidupan baru ini. Saya tidak rasa kesal langsung. Saya lebih yakin dengan tubuh ini serta pekerjaan saya," katanya dalam temubual dengan wartawan tabloid, News of The World.

Sufiah memutuskan untuk membuat pengakuan itu selepas tabloid berkenaan sebelum ini mendedahkan kisah hidupnya yang melacur dengan mendapat bayaran kira-kira £130 (RM910) sejam.

Jadikan Hset Anda Mesen Top Up

Dr M: Vote for him and you'll destroy Umno

2008-04-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Apr 6, 08 2:42pm
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad called on Umno members today to muster enough courage to ‘cut off' the diseased part of the party before the malignant sickness spreads and leads to the demise of the party.

Speaking to about 500 Umno members at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Mahathir said given that Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been less than willing to step down voluntarily, he should be forced to do so.

"The doctor's prescription is to cut the sick leg in order to save the other parts so that the whole body can get better and does not die," he said at the talk organised by the Pusat Bandar Taman Cempaka Umno branch.

"I feel that if nothing happens, if surgery is not done and we do not discard the gangrenous part, Umno will not be brought back to its former health," argued Mahathir, who is a trained medical doctor.

Mahathir said Abdullah's follies have culminated in the ruling coalition's unprecedented setback in the March 8 general election, where even Barisan Nasional sympathisers voted either for the opposition or spoiled their ballots.

According to the former premier, Abdullah has taken it for granted that he has support from the party given the general unwillingness of those around him to "tell him the truth".

"I am sure that if we do not do anything and let things go as they are, if we continue to rush to kiss such leaders' hands and express our support for them... (and) when we do try to rehabilitate Umno, it would be impossible to do so," he said.

The key to this ‘movement' to rehabiliate Umno is for Umno's branch and division leaders to "stick out their necks" and tell Abdullah that it is time for him to resign, said Mahathir.

"If we hope that these people (Abdullah and his supporters) will rehabilitate (the party), it will not happen. The only ones who can solve the problems (facing the party) are those brave enough to do so.

"There are still many Umno members who are not courageous enough to stick their necks out," he lamented.

"If only one person did it, (then) that person may be put under the ISA (Internal Security Act). But if it was 1,000 or 100,000 people, there would be no space to detain them all."

Supreme council all ‘yes men'

Mahathir spoke for about one hour before taking about another hour to answer questions from the floor.

Asked what concrete steps can be taken to follow through his call for leadership change, Mahathir said it was crucial for Umno members to raise and discuss the issues "whenever and wherever the opportunities arise".

Another step is for division and branch members to elect delegates to the party's annual general meeting in December those leaders who will voice the grievances of the grassroots, said Mahathir.

"Or else the (party's) supreme council members can decide to convene an extraordinary general meeting, but I am less than confident (of this because) the supreme council is made up of ‘yes men'," he said.

When asked whether he still backs Umno's deputy president and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak to replace Abdullah, Mahathir reiterated that there was no hurry to name Abdullah's successor.

"I feel that if we succeed (in changing the party leadership), there will no lack of candidates to replace people," he said.

"I have said before that Abdullah's replacement is Najib, but I have also said in a previous gathering that it is better to wait and see whether there are other people with the potential," he added.

Asked to comment on criticisms by Abdullah today about Mahathir's own role in the erosion of judicial independence and press freedom, the former strongman told the audience that Abdullah was merely seeking to point out other people's faults while ignoring his own.

"Vote for this person (in the AGM) and you will destroy Umno."

At the press conference held shortly after his talk, Mahathir said PKR's claim it had convinced 30 BN MPs to defect to the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition does not necessary mean its de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, would come to power.

PM blames saboteurs for BN setback

2008-04-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

Chan Kok Leong | Apr 6, 08 1:58pm

Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today blamed internal saboteurs for the party’s horrendous showing in last month's general elections.

Speaking to reporters after a closed-door briefing to about 1,000 party grassroots leaders at the Putra World Trade Centre this morning, Abdullah said that the acts of sabotage were the "main reason" for the party to suffer heavy losses.

He added that the saboteurs resulted in the party losing 14 parliament and 22 state seats - all previously declared safe seats by the party.

According to him, if the 22 state seats were retained, the party would not have lost Kedah and Perak to the opposition.

The Umno-led BN managed to win only 14 state seats in Kedah with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition winning the remaining 22 to take control of the state.

Meanwhile in Perak, BN won 28 of the 59 state seats, again losing marginally to the opposition.

Similarly, Abdullah added that the 14 parliament seats would have also resulted in BN retaining its two-thirds in the Parliament. At present BN is eight seats short of attaining a two-thirds majority.

"Although there are other weaknesses within the party, the main reason we lost was due to acts of sabotage by Umno members,” he said.

"In our analysis, there were at least 14 parliamentary and 22 state seats which we were guaranteed to win. But as a result of sabotage, we lost them."

Abdullah, who is also the prime minister, said that disciplinary action would be taken against the saboteurs. However, he declined to comment on their reasons for sabotaging the party.

No rejection from voters

The meeting today is widely seen as Abdullah's first step towards explaining Umno and Barisan Nasional's setback in the 2008 general election.

Umno division chiefs, wing leaders from the Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri and information heads formed the major segment of the attendees. Also present was Abdullah's deputy Najib Abdul Razak.

"We received very good support during the 2004 elections due to our manifesto which promised many good proposals. And there was high expectation and hope that we could do something about it," said Abdullah.

"I admit that the last four years, the government under my leadership have not been able to fully accomplish and implement all of the proposals."

The government has nevertheless brought many good changes to the economy, he said.

"For without a strong economy, we will not be able to implement other proposals."

He said that steps will continue to be taken to improve judicial integrity, racial harmony, police and public administration.

"Despite all this, the voters did not reject us and the opposition is not the government of the day. At the federal government level, we were eight seats short of two-thirds majority - a benchmark for success in Barisan Nasional," said Abdullah.

He also blamed former Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has expressed his intention to oust him as president, for the party's inability to wrest Kelantan back from PAS.

Razaleigh, who is Kelantan's Gua Musang division chief, lambasted Abdullah's leadership when opening his division's extraordinary general meeting on Friday.

Abdullah strikes back at Dr M

Abdullah also came out swinging with both hands at today's press conference in response to attacks against him by his predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He pointed out that it was Mahathir who clamped down on press freedom as well as launching the Operation Lallang mass crackdown against political dissidents in 1987.

"Questions were also raised about the lack of freedom during my leadership and about me being lembik (soft). But if I'm a softie, why would there be a lack of freedom," said Abdullah.

"Some of these allegations are totally baseless. Were there not restrictions during his administration?" he asked.

"I know that reporters were told (after Mahathir had taken over) that pictures and stories of (former premier) Tun Hussein Onn cannot be carried anymore.

"(And) who's responsible for Operation Lalang? There are already enough bloggers and opinions given on who was responsible for those events and I don't need to add more," he said.

He added that he cannot accept a party split at this time and has asked the members to back him so that he can accomplish his tasks for the good of the country.

On Mahathir's stinging attacks lately, Abdullah returned fire by accusing his former boss of abusing his position.

"When we won 92 percent in 2004, he said this (lack of opposition) is not good. Did he tolerate opposition during his reign?

"When the opposition has grown stronger, he now directs his attack at us. Menang banyak tak boleh, menang sikit pun tak boleh. Apa yang boleh? (Win handsomely, he complains, win less, also he complains. What to do?)," said Abdullah.

On whether action will be taken to investigate his predecessor for his role in the 1987 judiciary crisis and other matters, the prime minister said that it depended on the proof.

"As far as this government is concerned, our stand is if there is proof, the agencies can go ahead and charge anyone."

Action against saboteurs

During the press conference, Umno information supreme Muhammad Muhd Taib was asked when action would be taken against the saboteurs.

He answered that it would be "after the disciplinary committee has investigated the matter".

Delegates who attended the briefing told Malaysiakini that the two-hour party briefing however did not include a question-and-answer session despite that it was on the agenda.

"Although microphones were there but when it came to the Q&A portion, Muhd Taib said that Abdullah's clarification was very good and asked if the Q&A session could be scrapped," said the grassroots leader.

"Although some disagreed, after a quick show of hands, he quickly announced that the majority of the members did not want to ask questions. And that was the end of it."

Similarly, questions posed to Muhd Taib on the recent calls for the abolition of Umno quota system as well as the demand for an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the polls setback were quickly dismissed.

According to Muhd Taib, you don't change the rules while in the middle of a football game.

Nik Aziz selar kenyataan Karpal Singh perlekeh usaha bangunkan Islam

2008-04-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

Nik Aziz selar kenyataan Karpal Singh perlekeh usaha bangunkan Islam
06/04/2008 1:33pm

KOTA BHARU 6 April — Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat menganggap kenyataan Pengerusi DAP Karpal Singh meminta agar PAS tidak memasang angan-angan untuk menunjangi Pakatan Rakyat kerana khuatir ia akan menegakkan negara Islam, sebagai memperlecehkan usaha membangunkan Islam oleh kerajaan Kelantan.

Nik Aziz yang juga Menteri Besar Kelantan meminta Karpal Singh memberikan bukti di mana kelemahan PAS yang telah mentadbir Kelantan mengikut acuan Islam selama 18 tahun itu.

"Saya nak tahu apa tak kena Islam dan apa lagi yang dia (Karpal Singh) tak setuju Islam. Semua masyarakat bukan Islam gembira berada di bawah kami (PAS),” katanya kepada pemberita selepas menerima lawatan Duta Besar Jepun ke Malaysia, Masahiko Horie di pejabatnya di sini, hari ini.

Minggu lalu, Timbalan Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Ahmad Yaakob berkata PAS wajar menjadi tunjang kepada Pakatan Rakyat yang dibentuk oleh parti- parti pembangkang sekiranya ia mahu merealisasikan impian menubuhkan sebuah negara Islam.

Ahmad berkata impian itu akan hanya tercapai akhirnya jika semua pihak memahami dan menerima konsep Islam yang sebenar, yang merupakan agama untuk semua umat manusia.

Nik Aziz menjemput Karpal Singh melawat Kelantan dan melihat sendiri pembangunan di negeri itu yang dibangunkan mengikut acuan Islam.

“Saya tanggung kos penginapan hotel. Tak payah jumpa saya pun tidak apa, jumpalah masyarakat bukan Islam di Kelantan dan lepas itu beritahu apa yang tidak baik dengan Islam ini,” katanya.

Nik Aziz berkata sistem kewangan Islam yang diterapkan kerajaan Kelantan juga telah diikitraf oleh pakar-pakar ekonomi seluruh dunia dan sejak Kelantan di perintah PAS banyak penambahbaikan telah dilakukan termasuk penghapusan riba dan mewujudkan pajak gadai Islam.

"Bukan itu sahaja, masyarakat bukan Islam juga diberi hak dengan dilantik sebagai penyelia masyarakat dan saya nak tanya dimana tidak baiknya apa yang kami buat ini,” katanya.

Beliau berkata masyarakat bukan Islam juga tidak pernah dipaksa untuk memeluk agama Islam dan sejak penerapan nilai Islam oleh PAS itulah menyebabkan kaum lain merasa selesa di bawah pemerintahan PAS.

Mengulas kunjungan Masahiko itu, Nik Aziz berkata duta itu tertarik dengan kerajinan wanita Kelantan mencari nafkah yang berbeza di tempat lain.

"Saya jemput duta itu untuk melawat Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah dan Pasar Borong Wakaf Che Yeh untuk melawat dari dekat kerajinan wanita Kelantan ini,” katanya.

— BERNAMA

Komen mindamerdeka:

Yang tok guru cerita bukan daulah islam. Tok guru cerita Kelantan di bawah kerajaan PAS. Memang amat jelas tok guru beramanah. Lim Guan Heng pun nampaknya hebat mentadbir Pulau Pinang. Tok guru pun tahu perbezaan negara kebajikan dengan daulah islam.

Karpal Singh menolak daulah islam yg menegakkan syariat. Lagu mana tok guru nak jawab isu ni?

Pemuda: Jangan Permainkan Ahli Lagi

2008-04-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Pemuda: Jangan Permainkan Ahli Lagi
A Kadir Jasin

KEMUNGKINAN berlaku pertandingan tiga penjuru bagi merebut jawatan Ketua Pemuda Umno antara Khairy Jamaluddin, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo dan Mukhriz Mahathir pada pemilihan Umno Disember ini tidak dapat dinafikan.

Sehingga kini, Dr Khir dan Mukhriz telah menawarkan diri mereka untuk dicalonkan. Hanya Khairy yang belum menyatakan pendirian.

(Oleh sebab tajuk ini mungkin mencetuskan reaksi yang pelbagai dan hangat di kalangan pembahas, saya mohon agar Saudara dan Saudari berhujah dengan waras, bijaksana dan sopan. Saya tidak akan melayan maki hamun dan tuduhan melulu.)

Penawaran diri oleh Dr Khir dan Mukhriz berlaku sebaik sahaja Ketua Pemuda Hishammuddin Hussein mengumumkan tidak akan mempertahankan jawatan itu.

Menteri Pelajaran itu belum menyatakan rancangannya, tetapi besar kemungkinan dia akan menawarkan diri sebagai calon naib presiden.

Dengan menyatakan yang dia tidak menyokong mana-mana calon, Hishammuddin secara tidak langsung menjauhkan diri daripada Khairy yang sebelum ini dilihat sebagai rakan seperjuangannya – running mate.

Tanggapan ini tercetus ekoran kenyataan Presiden Umno dan Perdana Menteri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bahawa bukan beliau yang mendalangi kemenangan tanpa bertanding Khairy sebagai Naib Ketua Pemuda tetapi Hishammuddin. Katanya, Hishammuddin yang mahu Khairy menjadi Naib Ketua Pemuda.

Sekiranya berlaku pertandingan tiga penjuru antara tiga watak itu, masing-masing calon mempunyai faktor yang memihak dan yang menyanggah mereka.

Faktor yang memihak kepada Khairy dan Mukhriz adalah mereka sudah pun mempunyai tempat di dalam kepemimpinan Pemuda. Khairy adalah Naib Ketua dan Mukhriz, Ahli Majlis Kerja.

Dalam hierarki pergerakan, Khairy lebih kanan. Tetapi popularitinya tidak diuji kerana dia tidak dicabar untuk jawatan Naib Ketua. Hishammuddin juga tidak dicabar.

Pada pemilihan Umno tahun 2004, Mukhriz menang undi terbanyak di dalam pertandingan Majlis Kerja Pemuda setelah disabotaj dan gagal mendapat tempat di dalam pergerakan Pemuda Bahagian Kubang Pasu.

Kemenangan besar itu dilihat sebagai reaksi kepada sabotaj yang didakwa didalangi oleh pembesar-pembesar Umno Kubang Pasu, khasnya Ketua Bahagian Johari Baharom.

Kalau pemilihan Umno kali ini bertemakan perubahan, Mukhriz sekali lagi mendahului kerana dia adalah antara segelintir kecil penggiat Umno yang berani bersuara menuntut perubahan selepas pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu.

Dia telah menulis surat kepada Abdullah menggesa beliau meletakkan jawatan kerana prestasi hambar Umno dan Barisan Nasional.

Mukhriz mendapat kemenangan moral apabila Pergerakan Pemuda tidak mengenakan sebarang tindakan ke atasnya walaupun pada awalnya dia dikecam hebat oleh Hishammuddin dan beberapa pembesar pergerakan itu.

Sebaliknya, Khairy mungkin memikul beban kerana menyokong status quo, iaitu mengekalkan Abdullah yang berupa bapa mentuanya. Sama ada benar atau hanya tanggapan, Khairy turut disebut sebagai salah satu sebab pengundi menolak Umno dan BN.

Khairy dan Mukhriz kini sama-sama Ahli Parlimen. Dalam pilihan raya baru lalu, Khairy menang di kerusi selamat Rembau dan Mukhriz menang di kerusi sukar Jerlun. Khairy melawan calon PKR dan Mukhriz ditentang oleh calon Pas.

Kedudukan Khairy sebagai menantu Perdana Menteri dan Mukhriz sebagai anak mantan Perdana Menteri sedikit sebanyak akan mempengaruhi psikologi perwakilan.

Dr Khir pula adalah Ahli Majlis Tertinggi yang mendapat undi terbanyak pada pemilihan parti tahun 2004 dan antara yang paling awal disebut-sebut akan bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda.

Bagaimanapun, beliau mungkin dibebankan oleh hakikat bahawa sebagai Menteri Besar beliau gagal mempertahankan Selangor daripada jatuh ke tangan pembangkang. Inilah kali pertama dalam sejarah Selangor dikuasai pembangkang.

Sejak kekalahan itu, Dr Khir telah mengubah pendiriannya menjadi seorang penggiat yang kritikal terhadap kepemimpinan parti dengan memulakan blognya sendiri dan berdepan dengan ahli Umno.

Di dalam forum anjuran KMU.Net pada hari Selasa lalu di Petaling Jaya, Dr Khir yang menjadi salah seorang ahli panel telah dikritik dengan teruk oleh hadirin.

Serentak itu, ramai yang menghargai kesediaan beliau berada di barisan hadapan untuk mendengar keluh kesah ahli parti dan berinteraksi dengan mereka.

Dalam konteks pemilihan keseluruhannya, perkembangan dalam pergerakan Pemuda pasti menjadi petunjuk dan galakan kepada pergerakan-pergerakan lain dalam Umno.

Ia juga akan mengukuhkan penawaran diri oleh bekas Naib Presiden Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah untuk bertanding jawatan Presiden. Penawaran diri untuk bertanding jawatan-jawatan tertinggi yang lain pasti akan menyusuli.

Nama-nama seperti Muhyiddin yang pada akhir-akhir ini agak lantang menyuarakan pendapat dan Rais Yatim yang terkenal dengan daya inteleknya turut disebut sebagai bakal-bakal calon yang berpotensi.

Namun adalah agak terlalu awal membuat penilaian sahih dan mutakhir. Cuma perlu diingatkan kepada calon-calon pemilihan parti agar tidak mengulangi tabiat buruk bermain wayang kulit dengan ahli dan perwakilan.

Kalau sudah menawarkan diri dan mendapat pencalonan jangan pula mengundurkan diri dan memberi kemenangan tanpa bertanding kepada lawan, apatah lagi dengan janji-janji dan persetujuan yang tersembunyi.

Setelah teruk dihukum oleh ahli dan penyokong sendiri dalam pilihan raya, adalah kesilapan dan dosa besar bagi para pembesar Umno terus memperkotak-katikkan mereka.

Mereka tidak akur membuta tuli lagi dan mungkin tidak akan kembali ke pangkuan Umno jika mesej mereka terus dipermainkan oleh para pembesar parti yang bebal dan tumpul otak.

Abdullah Badawi As “Practise Prime Minister”

2008-04-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

by Bakri Musa

In his novel Gadis Pantai (“The Girl From The Coast”), Pramoedya Ananta Toer revealed a quaint custom in ancient Malay culture. That is where the lord of the kampong upon reaching adulthood would grab the prettiest village virgin to be his “practise wife.” Then when he becomes sufficiently well honed in his “husbandly” skills or when he gets bored with her, he would toss her out like a piece of soiled rag. He with his now enhanced skills would go on to marry a lady of “proper” background.

I believe that Fate has gifted Malaysians with a “practise prime minister” in the person of Abdullah Badawi. He is so inept, so spineless, and so lacking in ability to make decisions that he practically invites scorn and contempt. Or in Tengku Razaleigh’s words, Abdullah showed a “stunning ineptness in managing … straightforward functions of government.” Today, in the kedai kopi (coffeehouses) even taxi drivers are not hesitant in ridiculing Abdullah.

Granted, some of the criticisms leveled at Abdullah are crude and clumsy, but then so would the village nobleman’s initial experiences with his “practise wife.” The concern is less with finesse and artistry, more with getting it done! With time and practice, rest assured things would only get better!

Once Malaysians have become accustomed to being critical of Abdullah and are unafraid to criticize or even challenge him, then we would toss Abdullah out, as the village nobleman would of his “practise wife.” Malaysians would then be ready for a proper leader.

Consequences of Uncritical Citizenry

Fate has blessed Malaysia with capable leaders in the past. There was Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Father of Independence, who successfully led us out of colonial rule without shedding a drop of blood. However, as Malaysians had not yet learned to be good followers, we were not sufficiently critical of him. Thus he got carried away with being the “world’s happiest prime minister” while letting problems fester away until they blew up in his and our collective faces.

He was succeeded by the able Tun Razak, but his life was tragically cut short by cancer. As such he was spared from being spoiled by an adoring and uncritical populace. His reputation remains intact and unblemished.

His successor Hussein Onn may not have been the most capable but at least he knew his limitations. He was wise enough to voluntarily relinquish his position. He also took his oath of office seriously. Thus he was meticulous and unusually astute in the choice of his successor.

In Dr. Mahathir Malaysians had a leader of exceptional brilliance, unorthodox convictions, and courageous innovations. He transformed Malaysia. Like any other mortal, he too had his share of mistakes. Unfortunately his uncritical and unabashedly adoring followers were equally blind to his mistakes thus preventing him from recognizing and rectifying them.

Had Malaysians generally and UMNO members specifically been more critical of Mahathir in his choice of a successor for example, the nation would have been spared the current political muddle.

This uncritical and sheep-to-shepherd dynamics also characterize other Asian and Third World societies. Indonesia was blessed with the charismatic and brilliant Sukarno. He united those polyglot islands into a cohesive nation while bravely taking on the Dutch colonialists at the same time. China has its Mao. However, as their uncritical followers did not rein in their leaders’ initial excesses, those leaders got carried away.

Making Malaysians More Critical

Malaysians are excessively deferential to their leaders, rarely challenging or even criticizing them. Our leaders are always clad in the finest fashion even when all they have on is a piece of tattered, stained loincloth. The relationship is akin to that of a flock of sheep and its shepherd, of blind obedience.

That may be fine for a flock of docile sheep but it is hardly the recipe for a progressive society. Nor is it the recipe for a competitive society, or at least one that would merit the adjective “modern.” In such a society, leaders must be held accountable, and followers in turn must not hesitate to hold their leaders to exacting standards. This reciprocal relationship means that followers must be willing and not fearful to criticize and challenge their leaders. That is the best way to ensure accountability. It would also discourage these leaders from being led astray by their blind ambition or abusing the trust we grant them.

Without being unduly Pollyannaish, the only way to make sense of the current political mess is to believe that this is part of a divine design, of Fate providing Malaysians with a “practise leader” in order to better prepare us for a real leader in our future.

There are two towering personalities in the horizon that fit my characterization of a real leader: Anwar Ibrahim and Tengku Razaleigh. In their previous incarnations, these two had their share of fawning followers who egged them on to make unwise decisions. For Anwar, it led to his imprudently challenging Mahathir. He (and us) knows only too well the disastrous consequences of that fateful decision. Tengku Razaleigh, again at the behest of his admiring supporters, left UMNO briefly to form the Semangat Party.

The problem is not with Anwar or Ku Li challenging Mahathir, rather that we as a society have yet to deal with or learn the art of challenges and criticisms. Our standard response then was either to split the organization or riot in the streets. Enter Abdullah as “practise leader;” now we have learned at least not to riot, a significant advancement.

I believe that Anwar and Ku Li are now wiser. They would be even better leaders if we let them be, meaning that we should not let our guards down lest they would be tempted to be led astray by their uncritical admirers.

On the personal side, I note a certain humility and magnanimity in both Anwar and Ku Li. To them, the travails and weaknesses of Abdullah Badawi truly pain them. To these two nationalists, challenging Abdullah is not a route for the fulfillment of their personal ambition, rather a patriot’s obligation.

To young readers who may not yet quite grasp the “practise wife” concept, let me substitute a sports metaphor. Abdullah is a convenient punching bag for Malaysians to practice on how we should learn to handle future leaders. For now, his ineptness and incompetence make those lessons easy for us, though not for Abdullah.

In Pram’s novel, the young nameless lady who is the nobleman’s “practise wife” returns to her village. Only through her strength of character could she maintain her dignity and respect in her village.

When Abdullah gets tossed out, as inevitably he would, lacking strength of character, the public scorn heaped upon him would be merciless. Abdullah’s predictable humiliation would not arouse any pity from me, but his destroying what was once a fine Malay institution – UMNO – would.

The only redeeming part to the whole ugly saga would be that Abdullah would also bring down with him the “practise pundits” and “practise editors” in the mainstream media, as well as the “practise academics” and “practise intellectuals” in our universities.

Filem Fitna Karia Wilders

2008-04-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Orang islam yang tidak berilmu akan terpegun apabila mendengar/membaca hujah-hujah daripada al Quran secara lateral[tanpa tafsiran] yang membukti islam adalah agama yang menggalakkan keganasan.

Hujah-hujah yang mengharuskan umat islam memerangi umat islam yang lain[seperti amanat Haji Hadi] adalah bukti kepada barat bahawa islam memang menggalakkan perpecahan dan pembunuhan.

Tetapi sejarah islam membuktikan hakikat yang berlainan sama sekali.

Ulama PAS perlu muhasabah dan mampu berijtihad untuk memileh pendekatan yang paling sesuai agar islam itu tidak difitnahkan.

Umat Islam seharusnya tersentak dengan fitnah daripada filem fitna ini.

Mat Taib jabs Dr M, defends Pak Lah

2008-04-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Apr 2, 08 8:07pm

Umno information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib today lashed out at former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for launching scathing attacks on his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Defending his party president during a press conference at his Rural And Regional Development Ministry in Putrajaya, Muhammad said people should stop pointing fingers at Abdullah.

"What Mahathir and people are doing now is very, very wrong. It is not fair to point fingers at one person when everybody knows there were many contributing factors.

"It is very unfair to dump the blame on the PM. This is unfair and done in bad faith," he said.

Muhammad was referring to "unfair" comments from Mahathir made at a forum yesterday on how Abdullah was shameless in refusing to resign for Barisan Nasional’s biggest election setback last month.

'Not a level playing field'

He pointed out that there were also other contributing factors to BN’s performance including the role played by bloggers, news portals and short messaging service (SMS).

"It wasn’t a level-playing field (between the BN and opposition). BN did not use the portals, SMS and ICT (information and communications technology) to the fullest," he said.

Muhammad noted that the BN lost in the "virtual elections" while opposition had cashed in on using video CDs showing temple demolitions which caused the swing of Indian voters.

The former Selangor mentri besar also questioned why are the people picking on Abdullah when other leaders have also previously lost in the elections.

"We lost Terengganu in 1999. How come nobody asked Mahathir to step down then? When PAS lost Terengganu in 2004, how come nobody told (PAS spiritual leader) Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to step down?" he quizzed.

Muhammad noted that Mahathir was a good leader but his comments are not helping the party at this particular time.

"We are trying to fight one person but our guru is hitting us at the same time. Nobody can call for Mahathir to be disciplined because he is kebal (untouchable). This is too much," he told reporters.

Football analogy

Asked whether ‘yes-men’ in the party had made Abdullah’s administration different from his predecessor, Muhammad said ‘no’.

"The ‘yes-men’ did not make a difference to the administration. I was under Mahathir since 1982 for 11 years. I think the way they did business and dealt with things is almost the same," he asserted.

"Leaders are saying things that are pedas (scathing), bebankan (burdensome) and they label Pak Lah with all kinds of labels. That’s unfair," he added.

The Umno veteran also said that what some party leaders are trying to do in abolishing the nominations quota system is like changing the rules of a football game.

"It is like changing the rules [...] and the goalpost itself while the game is going on. It should happen after the game," he said.

With that, Muhammad stressed that the abolition of the nominations system should be done after the party’s elections in December this year.

Lihat Movie.ws

Param: Not too late for probe on Dr M

2008-04-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

Apr 2, 08 12:46pm
Former UN special rapporteur Param Cumaraswamy believes that it’s still not too late to investigate ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for allegedly interfering with a probe by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in 1998.

In a statement, Param said there is “sufficient evidence” to show that Mahathir had interfered with the ACA, based on testimony during Anwar Ibrahim’s corruption trial that year.

“There is one alleged misdeed of Mahathir which needs investigation. In 1998, Anwar was investigated for interference with police investigations,” said Param (photo).

“(Anwar) was charged for corruption under Section 2(1) of the (Emergency Powers) Ordinance 1970 for the alleged interference. He was found guilty and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.”

During Anwar’s second trial in June 2000 before Justice Arifin Jaka, then ACA director Shafee Yahya had given sworn testimony when asked about an investigation on the director-general of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).

Transcript of the notes recorded by the judge of this part of the testimony (excerpts are unedited):

Counsel: Adakah you search the EPU chief’s office?

Shafee: Yes, I did.

Counsel: Was a big sum of money found in the drawer of the EPU director-general for which he could not explain?

Court: What is the relevancy? No need to answer.

Counsel: Did Anwar Ibrahim directed you to raid the office of the EPU chief?

Shafee: No.

Counsel: Did Anwar ask you to close the case against the director?
Shafee: No.

Counsel: Did anyone ask you to close the case?

Shafee: Yes, the prime minister did.

Counsel: Narrate the circumstances under which the PM asked you to close the investigation.

Counsel: Were you called up by the PM?

Shafee: Yes. I was told off, 'How dare you raid my senior officer’s office?' I was taken aback and I replied 'This was based on official complaint by an aggrieved party'.

I did what was officially required under the law. He accused me of trying to fix the former DG of EPU.

I replied that is totally wrong because it is wrong in law to fix anybody. As a Muslim it is a big sin to fix anybody.

He asked me, 'Did Anwar Ibrahim ask you to raid the office?' I said, 'no'.

It was based on an official complain and to be fair to Anwar when I mentioned the complain against the EPU chief, I inform Anwar of my intention to raid but he said, 'Have you cleared this with the PM?'.

I said, 'I mentioned this to PM, the PM kept quiet'.

Counsel: What was the tone of PM when he asked you whether Anwar asked you to raid? Was it in an angry tone or normal conversation tone?

Shafee: The tone was rather accusatory.

Counsel: The EPU was directly under the PM’s Department.

Court: No more questions on the investigation on the EPU chief. I am not satisfied of the relevancy of such evidence.

Counsel: Was the EPU responsible for awarding privatisation of projects?

Shafee: As far as I know, it is.

Counsel: After you were scolded by the PM did you inform anybody about this?

Shafee: I informed the Chief Secretary to the Government.

Counsel: What was your reaction when the PM scolded you and told you to close the case against the DG of EPU?

Shafee: I was highly dissolution and when I went home I told my wife I wanted to resign. But in view that I have two or three months to finish my extension - my wife persuaded me not to resign.

Counsel: Why did you feel dissolution and decide to resign?

Shafee: In my whole career with the government, this was the first time my boss accused me of trying to fix somebody and also my dissolution in the way the PM was interfering with my duty.

Outcome still unknown

Param noted that although police reports alleging that Mahathir had interfered with ACA investigations were filed the following day (June 13, 2000), nothing has been heard about the outcome of the investigations.

The alleged interference was said to have occurred in June 1998. In response to Shafee’s testimony, Mahathir (left) was quoted by the media as saying that he could not remember the incident.

“Here was a clear and glaring situation where the head of the ACA gave sworn testimony of Mahathir’s interference on an ongoing investigation by the agency.

“Yet to date the public do not know what happened to not only that investigation of the director-general of the EPU but investigation of Mahathir for interfering with the ACA’s investigation,” said Param.

He went on say that, if there is no truth to Shafee’s evidence, then he should have been charged for perjury.

“That never happened either,” said Param.

He said it is not too late to re-open the file, if at all one had been opened after Shafee’s revelation in court in June 2000.

“Otherwise fresh investigations should commence. If Mahathir is not confident with the ACA investigating him, the present government should invite a credible foreign agency to investigate him for the alleged interference with the ACA investigation,” he added.

Genius on the game

2008-03-31T17:58:00.001-07:00

By Keith Gladdis

SHE was a child maths genius who won a place at Oxford University aged just 13—but now the only sums Sufiah Yusof is interested in are the ones she earns as a HOOKER.
For sad Sufiah the daily equation she has to solve is simply sex equals £130 as she sells her body to punters over the internet.

The gifted girl with the winning smile had the world at her feet ten years ago and should be a rich woman by now—but last week she was busy subtracting her underwear for our undercover reporter in her dingy back street flat.
"Would you like to start your half hour now?" said Sufiah, 23, as she danced on the bed, displaying her body for examination.
Then she listed all the sleazy plus points she would throw in for our man if he took up her offer. Calling herself Shilpa Lee, the former child prodigy still juggles with figures on a hookers' website, describing herself as a "very pretty size 8, 32D bust and 5'5" tall—available for booking every day from 11am to 8pm."
She says she is a "sexy, smart student" who prefers "older gentlemen"— but a former pal who has witnessed her downfall told us: "It is all desperately heartbreaking.
"With her amazing brain she should be able to make money any way she wants. But instead her life has spiralled completely out of control."
Life has never quite added up for Sufiah.
Her descent into prostitution in Salford, Manchester, is the latest in a long line of tragedies to have engulfed her since the sunny day when she posed with her university mortar board for the world's press outside prestigious St Hilda's College.
Our shock revelations today come in the week her domineering dad Farooq was jailed for sexually assaulting two 15-year-old girls as he home- tutored them in maths.
And he was always at the root of all her troubles— even as she passed the further maths A-Level she needed for entry to Oxford at the age of 12. In those days Sufia was a strict Muslim child who prayed five times a day and was subjected to her father's famous Accelerated Learning Technique. Her days involved stretching and breathing exercises in freezing rooms to keep her brain attentive.
Sufiah would then study hard and be forced to play tennis with just as much intensity as fanatical Farooq drove her on. The routine was so effective Sufiah was seeded number eight in the country for under 21s.
But three years into Oxford, the 15-year-old sparked a massive police hunt after running away.
Abuse At the time her father bizarrely claimed Sufiah had been kidnapped and brainwashed by an organisation seeking the key to her intelligence. But Sufiah sent an email to her family describing her life under her father as a "living hell".
One message to her sister read: "I've finally had enough of 15 years of physical and emotional abuse. You know what I am talking about."
Sufiah was missing for two weeks before being found in an internet café in Bournemouth where she had been working as a hotel waitress.
She refused to go back to her parents and instead was taken into the care of social services.
It was then revealed that Farooq had been jailed for three years in 1992 for his part in a £1.5m mortgage swindle. Before that—at the age of 19—he had been sent to borstal for his role in a conspiracy involving £100,000.
Free from the spell of her father, Sufiah returned to Oxford to complete the final year of her Masters in Maths.
But she was now more concerned with enjoying herself—and failed to finish the course after meeting trainee lawyer Jonathan Marshall.
They were married in 2004 when Sufiah was just 19 and Jonathan 24. But the strains with her family were still there. Despite being invited, Sufiah's
parents and four brothers and sisters failed to turn up to the wedding.
Her dreams of a happy life with Jonathan were shattered when the couple divorced just a year later.
Now, in her sad little flat, she uses her body to pay the rent. Sufiah met our man, posing as a punter, at the entrance to her building wearing a tiny skirt, leather boots and a tight t-shirt. She was carrying three mobile phones.
She laughed and joked as she led him to her small apartment where a bed was already set out in the lounge.
She told him it was £130 an hour and offered him a glass of water before putting some music on to a cheap portable stereo and nervously stripping down to her red lace bra and knickers.
Sufiah then peeled off her underwear and danced on the bed. She told him she did full sex with a condom and oral sex without protection.
After our man had made his excuses, Sufiah kept him talking by telling him how she was studying for a Masters degree in Economics on a part-time two year course in London.
The former prodigy added: "I've got exams coming up and I'm thinking ‘Oh my God!'"
Once described by her parents as "naïve and unstreetwise", she works alone from her flat without any obvious physical security or protection. She even admitted to our reporter: "It's always a surprise who you are going to meet."
Cheerful Sufiah gave no indication of any sadness at the jailing of her father the previous day. On Wednesday Farooq, 50, was sentenced to 18 months at Coventry Crown Court for touching two 15-year-old girls when he was home tutoring them at maths.
The court heard how in May last year Farooq arrived at one of the victim's home for a maths lesson.
He started whispering in her ear and kissing her hair and cheek. He also touched her breast and told her she was a genius and pretty before putting her hand on his upper thigh.
Destroyed Farooq's defence lawyer Tim Hannam said: "He's been back in prison for over five months and knows there'll be no more teaching and any
hope he had of gaining an income from the teaching method he had developed to a high degree of success is lost to him. His reputation is destroyed." Now it's clear the daughter who fled his strict regime has almost been destroyed too.
Her friend said last night: "Sufiah has suffered so many knocks in her life. I just hope she can drag herself out this life she has got herself into. "She is a good person and deserves a much better life than this. Her gift really has been a curse".

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Mahathir backs Ku Li to challenge PM

2008-03-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

Mar 30, 08 1:42pm

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has backed a senior party leader in his bid to challenge the prime minister after the ruling coalition's recent surprise poll losses.

Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had said he would challenge Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the party leadership if he received enough support.

Umno leads the Barisan Nasional coalition that was humbled in the March 8 polls, and the party's leader traditionally takes the job of prime minister.

"Tengku Razaleigh may be one of them (to contest against Abdullah). A challenge (for the top post) is healthy," Mahathir said, adding: "I don't think Umno is so poor in talent."

Umno is scheduled to hold a party leadership election in December. Members of the party and former leaders including Mahathir have called on Abdullah to resign.

Dr M: Abolish 30% rule

But Mahathir said it would be difficult for anyone to challenge Abdullah because of a requirement to secure 30 percent, or 58 nominations, from the 191 Umno divisions.

"I think it should be abolished because of the tendency of the people in power to stifle any move to challenge them," he said of the requirement implemented when Mahathir was party leader.

Mahathir said Tengku Razaleigh failed to win sufficient nominations in 2004 for the top post because Umno divisions were warned against nominating him.

"He (Tengku Razaleigh) only got one nomination because other divisions were told not to nominate him," he said.

Abdullah has claimed a mandate to rule despite the unprecedented election losses, but observers say he is on borrowed time as calls for his resignation persist.

Dr M: Ask the tribunal to apologise

2008-03-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Mar 28, 08 1:36pm
“Ask the tribunal to apologise.”

This was the direct retort of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to calls for him to apologise for the ‘wrongs’ surrounding the 1988 judicial crisis.

In remarks written by him which was published today by English daily The Sun, Mahathir said the dismissal of former Lord President Mohd Salleh Abbas and Supreme Court judges Wan Sulaiman Pawanteh and George Seah were not his doing.

He, therefore, feels no obligation to apologise.

If any party were to apologise, it should be the members of the tribunal led by Hamid Omar which sacked Salleh, said Mahathir.

Mahathir also said he was open to the authorities investigating his person for any “misdeeds” during his 22 years as Prime Minister.

“Unless there is a frame-up, I think there should be nothing to pin on me,” he said.

Moving on to the suggestion by DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh that he apologise for the 1988 debacle - which many regard as ‘the darkest moment’ for the judiciary - Mahathir said on this point his conscience was clear.

“Even other accusations against me, including the dismissal of judges, were not my doing and I do not feel obliged to apologise. Ask the tribunal to apologise,” he said.

Being more correct than correct

Taking a potshot at Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zaid Ibrahim - who had asked for the government to apologise for the sacking and suspension of the five judges - Mahathir said the lawyer had “forgotten” that he had supported the then-government for its actions.

“The person asking that the government should apologise for what happened to Tun Salleh Abbas may have forgotten that as President of the Muslim Lawyers Association, he fully supported the action that was taken,” said Mahathir.

“He castigated the Bar Council for condemning Tun Hamid Omar over the dismissal of judges. Now he wants to be more correct than correct. I wonder why,” he added.

In 1988, Mahathir had convened the special tribunal to try Salleh on charges of misconduct and for questioning constitutional amendments that seriously eroded the powers of the judiciary.

Supreme Court judges George Seah and Wan Sulaiman - who had ruled that the tribunal was convened unconstitutionally - were also sacked after being found guilty of misconduct by another tribunal.

Three other judges - Azmi Kamaruddin, Eusoffe Abdoolcader and Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh were suspended.

Probe misconduct in Terengganu

In his article, Mahathir also suggested investigations - preferably by “credible foreign agencies” - should be conducted to look into allegations that abuse of power and misconduct had led the Teregganu royal palace to reject Barisan Nasional’s (BN) initial choice for menteri besar (MB).

According to him, rumour has it that various “unnecessary and wasteful” state projects worth billions of ringgit had been contracted to outsiders behind whom are members of ‘the first family’.

It was also alleged that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had “influenced” former MB Idris Jusoh who was responsible for such a state of affairs and from which he had “benefitted financially”, said Mahathir.

“These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled in hiding themselves,”he said.

He also said that the public was “leery” of investigations by government agencies and departments.

“The people believe, not true of course, that the government has been interfering with the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the Police and the Attorney General (A-G)'s Chambers. The say this is borne out by the results of investigations by these agencies,” he said.

As such, the job should be left to foreign experts to look into the matter, he added.

“The public cannot be blamed for not having faith in government agencies doing investigations. The public cannot be blamed for suspecting cover-ups by the government or worse still the government may be using these enforcement agencies to threaten people,” he said.

“To clear its good name, the government should get credible foreign agencies to do the investigation. Of course, they must be given full access to the documents etc,” he added.

One foot in the doors (The Sun's interview with Anwar Ibrahim)

2008-03-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

Posted by kasee
Thursday, 27 March 2008
R. Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/5059/84

PETALING JAYA (March 26, 2008): Despite a bad back and fatigue from two weeks of criss-crossing the nation, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de-facto leader and former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is all smiles, following the alternative front's unprecedented performance in the recent general election and his impending return to active politics.

He tells theSun of the challenges in going into the polls and the even bigger tests ahead.

Nades: One of your biggest challenges was (prior to the elections) getting a cohesive team. You had three different parties with three different ideologies. How did you manage to unite and convince them on having straight fights?

Anwar: What's so different about Umno, MCA and MIC? Or PBB or PBS or PBDS. One talks about "ketuanan Melayu", one talks about Chinese survival, one wants Indian affairs resolved. It does not seem to be contentious as in practice they were able to show a cohesive stance.

Similarly within Keadilan, PAS and DAP. Other than what's perceived from outside … look at the manner they conducted the election campaign, they were together and worked well. We have Chinese voting for PAS, Malays voting for DAP. The people have spoken. They said: "Look, we want a cohesive Opposition, so today, so-called contentious issues of the past, like the Islamic State and Hudud have been resolved. It's neither their (PAS') manifesto nor their agenda anymore."

Nades: How did you manage to get PAS to drop the Islamic State agenda which they have been so vociferous on in previous elections?

Anwar: I've convinced them and they also know my position ... if you want me to be involved, this is my position. Similarly with Keadilan and DAP. They must be seen to be multiracial and not questioning the position of Bahasa or the Malay position. You can adjust but the paramount interest of justice, catering to those who are poor and marginalised, covering all races must be realised. I think what was achieved last night (a meeting between PKR, DAP and PAS) is a very important beginning. We sat down and discussed for hours and looked at the issues and it was agreed that we must unite and make politically expedient decisions.

Terence: It seems that when you go into elections it is easy to have a common front. But like what happened in Perak shows that once you gain power, it is a different story altogether.

Anwar: What happened in Perak is less problematic (than those) in Perlis and Terengganu (laughs). Because the media is controlled by them; that is why the focus is on Perak and Selangor.

But I don't deny that there are problems. Even within Keadilan, we have contending candidates, the DAP and PAS also have issues. But in the case of Perak, I understand the problem. PAS had the least number of seats so naturally, for DAP to take a tougher stance is quite understandable.

(But) Why does the media play up this huge issue? We took a position that was quite tough too – we support the MB; we support the administration but we refused to participate in the administration unless the spirit of cooperation is there.

I have enough problems in Penang with having eight non-Malays and two Malays. To have a similar arrangement in Perak would not be wise. It does not mean the Opposition is cracking up and to be fair to DAP, they made adjustments. And I have to record my appreciation.

That's in the past, now contrary to popular perception that the collaboration is merely prior to elections or prior to forming a government ... as of last night (March 18), we have now entered into this new arrangement. It will be a much more cohesive force as it will not be like the BN or PAS or DAP… here is the agenda, about constitutional guarantees, what about the Malaysian Economic Agenda, basic tolerance and the perceived dominance of one race against the others.

Terence: You needed this new resolution because you were ill-prepared for the aftermath of the elections where Barisan Rakyat took five states and Kuala Lumpur? You never expected the results.

Anwar: I was very confident that we will take over the whole government. We crossed the one-third mark a long time ago.

Nades: Reading your comments in a Singapore interview, we said maybe Anwar is overconfident? Anwar is sounding cocky that he can form the government.

Anwar: The interview in Singapore was given after they cancelled the indelible ink and the reason they cancelled the ink was because we were edging towards that (winning the election). We had passed 48% of the popular vote. Edging about 2% a day of the shift; and they knew that. That's why they cancelled the indelible ink. Which means they had 3-4% votes to cheat. So imagine if they had used the ink? And the postal votes? We would have won easily.

Nades: Should the postal votes be abolished as we are not at war or in emergency. It was (mostly) meant for our servicemen in the jungles during the Emergency and the war against the communists.

Anwar: No. Postal voting can be conducted in a transparent and fair manner. These people … they virtually have robbed the people of their votes.
Like in Setiawangsa (which was won by Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique) … we won. Then came 14,000 postal votes.

Terence: We cannot prove this but is there any truth that in Lembah Pantai, where your daughter Nurul Izzah was contesting (and won against Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil), there were similar attempts?

Anwar: Yes. But there was not enough to go around. In Teluk Kemang 7,000 postal votes were brought in, still our guys managed to win.
Which means the number supporting us is big. That's why I said, we will win if we get 55%. Even during the campaign I said you want to win with 50%, forget it!

Nades: How are you going to put your economic plan into action while dealing with the sensitive topic of the NEP?

Anwar: I drafted the MEA (Malaysian Economic Agenda) a year ago and gave a detailed explanation to civil servants about what we have planned for the poor and marginalised Malays, Chinese and Indians. We should start with regaining our competitiveness which we have lost, and attract more foreign direct investment. We have to build the economy upwards. With that in mind, then we can talk about distributive justice and equity.

Terence: It seems that only Umno is opposing the MEA while the other BN component parties are keeping mum.

Anwar: You see, even in Umno there is disconnect between the thinking of the leaders and the grassroots.
I will be meeting division leaders to explain this. I was portrayed negatively by Utusan Malaysia. They were demonising us, saying that we are traitors to the Malays.
That's interesting. "I am a traitor to the Malays". I have not taken one share, no taxi permit, no contract in the name of bumiputra and all those so-called champions of Malays have taken hundreds of taxi permits, APs and contracts by the hundreds of millions of ringgit.
So I said don't enter into this (argument) otherwise I will smash them hard. Don't use the racial card. If you say you are concerned about the NEP, it's okay we can argue, we can discuss this but don't start condemning us. I've appealed to them to stop this.
Reviewing the NEP is not just (DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng's view; of course in my mind we should craft the words properly.
Coming from a Chinese they would immediately play the racial card.
It is unfair to Guan Eng, although I would have advised him not to touch on the NEP, but it was unfair to him because his words were taken out of context. He did say it was for the poor of all races.

Nades: Closer to Selangor, what changes can we expect from the new government?

Anwar: Firstly, it's governance. There was so much of wastage, corruption, leakages and alienation of land. According to the reports I have, hundreds of millions of ringgit are literally down the drain.
But we have to be careful. We cannot create the impression that we are going to dismantle everything, because we will lose investor confidence. People want stability and continuity. The only major issue we accept is the mentri besar's recommendation to review the water agreement. The water agreement is virtually scandalous! And it is a burden to consumers.

Nades: What about land alienation to cronies? You cannot take the land back because the deal is done.

Anwar: There are many ways to deal with this. If the land is given, we can go through the plans; we want to know why this is done in such a way.

Terence: But you are not going on a witchhunt, are you?

Anwar: I think it will be a problem for us, because it is endless. Then we will spend the next two years just doing this instead of running the states that we won. Immediately our plans are to move on by ensuring a vibrant economy. Drawing foreign investment, but problems affecting the poor are top on our list.

Yesterday we went to Kampung Jawa (in Klang) to visit the Malay and Indian squatters. A contention was the demolished temple. So I told (Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul) Khalid (Ibrahim), you better deal with this immediately. In two weeks get it done; give them their land and pay compensation to rebuild their temple. Of course they will demand for this and that. That's normal, but we draw the line.

Then it's their housing status. Khalid was concerned with Ijok where some areas have no water supply. It cost just RM200,000 to supply the water, so Khalid has announced that water will be supplied. These things must happen whether it's a Malay area, Chinese area or Indian area, it must happen. There are huge problems in Selangor and he (former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo) has the audacity to talk about governance!

Nades: What are your plans after April 13 when you are eligible to contest for political office? Your wife is Opposition Leader - a position which is being warmed for you.

Anwar: Yes, but it is still early. Parliament only convenes in May. We still have time. I have to travel overseas for some engagements and I have to resign from my positions (in several foreign think tanks and academic boards) … meetings and lectures in Harvard and at Kennedy School … we'll see. But now the focus is on having a cohesive Opposition and make sure the state governments are on track.

Terence: Are you ready to take over?

Anwar: This is for the MPs and the people to decide. We just want to make sure that the states are running well, and that we are prepared for Parliament. We have time to come to that.

Terence: If you asked me two weeks ago, one would dismiss Anwar Ibrahim being prime minister. But today, there is such likelihood, with the dawn of the two-party system.

Anwar: Yes, well, like I said, we actually won the election.

Terence: While Anwar can become PM, there seems to be a dearth of individuals who would be able to govern and this brings me to the formation of the shadow cabinet.

Anwar: Yes, when all these fellows took over … (former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) … they had no administrative experience. Myself too … so was the first generation of civil servants. As long as we have a clear programme and agenda, and more importantly here and now, clearer ground rules we will be all right. No way are we going to tolerate alienation of land to your son, daughter, son-in-law. No way! I think we have to work as a team.
As far as qualified people are concerned, you look at (DAP stalwart Lim) Kit Siang, he is still there. We were discussing some election laws last night and he brought up some laws which I don't remember. (laughs) He says, "Anwar you were finance minister, how can you not know this?"
I said: "Yalah Kit, I don't remember." Then he reminds me.
I think he is certainly qualified to serve. You have (PAS president) Hadi (Awang) who has four years experience of being mentri besar of Terengganu … and many others.

Nades: Come to think of it, you have some experts on your side like Charles Santiago on water and R. Sivarasa on human rights.

Anwar:There you are! Some of them of course are not as well-known as I am but Siva is a Rhodes scholar … very articulate. Syed Husin Ali is one of the more renowned scholars.

Nades: How did you manage 13 days of campaigning with a bad back?

It was not easy. We were using my Dad's car a Mercedes since it was bigger. I had to duduk bersila like in yoga. (laughs)
Also, we had (PKR deputy president) Dr Syed Husin Ali. He didn't want to stand in this election, but he was here manning the fort, while I was travelling all over the country. I was wondering who would be doing this as (former PKR Youth chief) Ezam (Mohd Noor) is gone, Nik Nazmi (Nik Ahmad) who won the Seri Setia state seat in Selangor ) is gone; (Sim) Tze Tzin (who won the Pantai Jerejak state seat in Penang) is gone … then I realised I was handicapped. My staff was making all the arrangements.

Terence: Do you think the media has been fair with the new state governments under Barisan Rakyat?

Anwar: They have not been fair to them. What with these loaded questions and their own agenda. Give them a chance to do something like how I suggested to Guan Eng that he should go to the Malay villages, no one highlighted it when he went to Tanjung Tokong.

That's why I was very rough with the Utusan guy. It's not their fault though, I know that when they start pushing, they have their instructions but repercussions can be great.

Terence: Can we touch a little on some of the media organisations that used to blacklist you but now want to put you on Page One? Also associates who once had no time for you, but now are queuing up to see you?

Anwar: (Laughs) I have no malice. You know, sometimes I laugh at these people. This is the quality of people and they think they are great.
I have no personal agenda. They have. Some of them are scared. Dead scared! They came to see me saying we are sorry, but were forced to do this and do that. In a way it is good - not that it is fair for them to put me in prison and treat me that way … but it is a good experience. And if people make mistakes and are remorseful, we should give them a chance. I always believe that.

Nades: But what was your problem with (former PKR vice president) Chandra Muzaffar? He came out very scathing against you.

Anwar: I was in prison when he first decided to attack and smash me to pieces prior to the 2004 elections. He had problems within the party, initially with the Youth Wing … Ezam, later (former PKR vice-president) Marina Yusof. I was still backing him but he came out very strong against me. I still wonder why.

Terence: After Chandra was released from the ISA, he seemed to be more pro-establishment.

Anwar: Well, he went through a lot. I can't deny that and I do appreciate his initial contributions to Keadilan. I did not want to pursue litigation (over his statements against Anwar during the election), but my lawyers advised me (to proceed) and the letter (of demand) was already sent.

Terence: Do you want to retort against Chandra's allegations about the words you uttered when you visited the Hindu temple in Penang? (Background: In March 27, 1998, a group of Muslims marched from the Kampung Rawa mosque to the nearby Sri Raja Raja Madurai Veeran temple, angered by the loud ringing of the temple's prayer bells. The resulting clash between 500 Muslims and Hindus resulted in several people being injured. The dispute was settled when the state government provided an alternative site for the temple.)

Anwar: These accusations are excessive. Did he ask me what happened at the mosque? I was DPM at that time and nobody wanted to go down there. I went to the mosque and then the temple.
(Then) IGP (Inspector General of Police Tan Sri) Rahim Noor called up the Penang CPO (chief police officer) and told him: "Tell Anwar not to go down to the mosque as the police cannot guarantee his safety."
(Incidentally it was Rahim Noor who gave Anwar his black eye that has since become the PKR symbol).

I told the CPO: "You call back the IGP and tell him, I cannot be a Penang leader if I can't settle this problem."
Nobody wanted to go! Koh Tsu Koon, Shariff Omar, all the excos semua tak nak pergi! So I went.

You know the problem? I told the mosque people, azan five times a day is ok but there were some announcements, touching on Melayu and Islam, some hints ... so I told them: "Lima kali. Lebih daripada itu, I have a problem. I kena rampas you punya mike." (Five times. Anything more, I will have to seize your microphone.)

So they said: "Jangan Datuk." So I said: "You know I'm with you, don't overdo it."
I also told Koh Tsu Koon to give them the land for the (relocation of the) temple.
So, I told the (Muslim) people, you pukul budak Hindu umur 12 tahun, (hit a 12-year-old Hindu boy) is not right. So they settled and shook hands. Done.

I only brought my plainclothes guards. Even the police were not allowed in the temple because people were already angry as they tear-gased the neighbourhood.

I said the same thing to the temple committee: "I know your prayer times." I was studying in Malay College Kuala Kangsar where there was a temple next door.

You don't have to look at your watch. Teng! Teng! Teng! Teng! 6am. Teng! Teng! Teng! Teng! 6pm.

Umno polls in Dec, Ahmad backed as MB

2008-03-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

Mar 27, 08 7:14pm
After a four-hour marathon Supreme Council meeting, Umno today decided that it could not defer its party polls and at the same time give its support for Kijal state representative Ahmad Said as the new Terengganu menteri besar.

Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said the party had asked former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh to accept the Terengganu palace’s decision to appoint Ahmad as the menteri besar.

Idris was present at the council meeting in his capacity as the Terengganu party chief.

According to a source, none of the council members objected to the appointment of Ahmad, who took office on Tuesday.

Abdullah also revealed that the party polls would be held during this year’s annual general assembly which begins on Dec 16 to 20 this year, killing off all earlier speculations that it could be deferred.

Branch level elections will start from July 17.

Abdullah, also the prime minister, said that he had not “lost face” following the decision to back out from supporting Idris.

He also said that a proposal to hold extraordinary general meeting was not dicussed at all.

[Full report to follow]

Police report against 'animal' banner

2008-03-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Azreen Madzlan | Mar 26, 08 8:14pm
Police reports have been lodged by PAS and PKR over a banner which was displayed during a public gathering outside the Terengganu menteri besar’s official residence, Sri Iman, in Kuala Terengganu on Sunday.

PAS Youth Chief, Salahuddin Ayub confirmed that two police reports were lodged by the Terengganu PAS Youth and PKR Terengganu Youth wings at the Kuala Terengganu and Kemaman district police headquarters respectively.

At a press conference yesterday, Salahuddin showed reporters a photograph of the banner with the words ‘Kami Nak Idris, Natang’. The word ‘natang’ means animal in the Terengganu dialect.

When contacted today, Terengganu police chief, Dato Ayob Yaakob said state police has begun their own investigations even before the two police reports were lodged.

"The matter is still under investigation. We will see how serious this is. We will charge the person or persons responsible according to the law after our findings," he said, refusing to elaborate further.

In the aftermath of the 12th general election, Terengganu, which was retained by BN, was until Monday still without a menteri besar. Umno’s incumbent Idris Jusoh, who had the backing of the prime minister and 22 state Umno representatives, was deemed as unacceptable by the Sultan of Terengganu.

MB imbroglio

It is understood that the palace was unhappy with the manner the state government led by Idris handled the Batu Burok incident on Sept 8 last year following an aborted rally by polls reform group Bersih.

The Terengganu palace instead picked Umno’s Kijal state assemby person, Ahmad Said, to lead the state and had him take his oath of office on Tuesday. Today was Ahmad’s first day of work as Terengganu mentri besar.

Following news that Ahmad was to be appointed MB, the 22 Umno state representatives sent a protest note to the palace after which they boycotted Ahmad’s swearing-in ceremony. Ahmad has also been stripped of his Umno membership.

The gathering at Sri Iman on Sunday - where the banner was displayed - was believed to be in support for Idris to continue as MB.

In the latest development, the prime minister has agreed to the appointment of Ahmad Said as Terengganu menteri besar after an audience with the Sultan of Terengganu who is also the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

The country’s monarchy have - in some cases - a constitutional right to choose their state’s leader but in the past have rarely gone against the advice of the prime minister.

Another police report on the banner was lodged by the Majlis Permuafakatan Rakyat Terengganu (Mampat) at the Kuala Terengganu district police headquarters this morning.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, it’s president, Mohamad Fauzi Abu Samah said, the use of the banner was ‘uncalled for’.

‘Stern action’ urged

"We feel disappointed because such words should not be directed to our King. It’s totally uncalled for," said Fauzi, referring to the word ‘natang’.

Mampat urged the police to take stern action against those responsible for the banner which he said insulted the King and the royal institution.

However, it has yet to be ascertained if the word in question referred to the Terengganu palace or the new Terengganu MB, Ahmad Said.

Yesterday, PAS Youth Secretary Ahmad Sabki Yusof said the words on the banner were open to ‘all kinds of interpretation’.

Solat Hajat Di Terengganu

2008-03-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

T'ganu MB: Abdullah backs down?

2008-03-26T00:36:00.000-07:00

Mar 26, 08 2:27pm
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is learnt to be having an urgent meeting with his candidate for the Terengganu menteri besar post, Idris Jusoh at Sri Perdana in Putrajaya now.

Earlier the premier had an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is also Sultan of Terengganu, over the controversy surrounding the appointment of Terengganu menteri besar.

It is reliably learnt that after the audience with the sultan, Abdullah had agreed with the appointment of the palace-backed Ahmad Said for the post in place of Idris, the incumbent MB.

Earlier Abdullah was insistent that Idris was made the menteri besar, calling the appointment of Ahmad unconstitutional.

Ahmad, who received his appointment letter from the Terengganu palace on Sunday, assumed office yesterday although he has not been sworn in yet.

He also faces the sack from Umno for assuming the post against the wishes of the party.

Q&A: 'Samy Vellu still relevant'

2008-03-21T22:45:00.001-07:00

Bznes Prepaid Termurah

RK Anand | Mar 22, 08 5:26am

Recovering from its devastation in the March 8 polls - which also saw its president S Samy Vellu and his generals losing their seats -MIC is now trying to pick up the pieces.

Many feel that the party is on the brink of extinction but its leaders continue to remain optimistic about its survival. They have promised to fine-tune their approaches to better suit the present situation.

It was simply the case of a ticking time-bomb and the Indian community's pent-up frustrations detonated on Nov 25 last year.

Some 30,000 disgruntled Indians took to the streets for a rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

dr s subramaniam interview 210308 05From then onwards it was downhill for MIC.

In an interview with Malaysiakini yesterday, party secretary-general Dr S Subramaniam talked about the uphill task of rebuilding MIC.

Subramaniam, who is the human resources minister, is MIC's new face in the cabinet in nearly three decades following the defeat of the party's veteran president and former works minister.

Below are some excerpts from the interview.

Malaysiakini: Certain quarters are saying that the party can only be salvaged if Samy Vellu steps down. Do you agree with this view?

samy vellu pc 120308 talkingSubramaniam: As far as MIC, the people who elected him are concerned, Datuk Seri Samy Vellu still has tremendous support within the party, within the branches, within the members. So I think as far as the party's support for him is concerned, there has been no dwindling in that.

Even in the aftermath of the polls?

I think it's still there. That's why you don't find anything (calls on him to resign) from the party. These people who are saying (this) are outsiders, those who are outside the party. These critics have always been there. And...as it is, he is a consolidating factor for the party, particularly in this present situation. So I think, that is political, so as far as the political realities of the party are concerned, his presidency is still relevant.

Do you think bringing back former deputy president S Subramaniam back into the fold is a good move or will it pave the way for another power struggle?

Well, I think that was the president's move as part of an overall policy, a thing to reduce camps within the Indian community. He (Subramaniam) is one component of it. He (Samy Vellu) also discussed with the various IPF (Indian Progressive Front) segments. By doing so, we hope that these divisive factors which could have contributed (to the party's defeat can be united). Because the divisive factors, you know we had two papers, the Tamil press, which were expressing different views and contributing to further divisions. All this could be reduced, so that we can go forth with a more united and unified Indian community. So this is part of a greater programme...so as time goes by we can unify the Indian community in addressing the new challenges we are going to face.

Some are concerned that Subramaniam's return could spark off a political tussle

subramaniam interview 141005 ponderingWell, you must see it in the current perspective. He has actually not returned, I think people got it all wrong. He is still a division chairman of the MIC, the Seputeh division, with all the rights of any member of MIC. So whether we state it that he has returned or don't state it, his right is always there.

So there is no change to that right. We have not given him any added rights more than what he already has. So by exercising that right, if he wanted to contest for any post in 2009 (presidential elections), we cannot stop him so likewise he has every liberty to exercise the rights he has. So that term actually is a misnomer - return. If he was somebody we had expelled or removed from the party and he is coming back, then it's right. But this is not (the case), he is still very much an active chairman of a bahagian (division) within MIC. So it's not actually a return or anything, it's just maybe two people (Samy Vellu and Subramaniam) with different opinions reconciling their opinions more than anything else.

It is more like a return to the leadership...

That I think, we don't know what he had in mind. He might still have gone, whether this (reconciliation) talks had gone on or not, he might have still gone for a post, we would not have known.

There are those who are saying that race-based parties no longer have a future in this country and multiracial parties is the way forward. In that context, how do you see MIC's future?

Although being race-based, we have been functioning in a broader multiracial platform that is Barisan Nasional. I think to confront the new challenges, the Barisan Nasional per se can become more active and more apparent in handling issues which are more multiracial in dimension, without actually breaking down the present structure of the coalition as such. The decision to actually become a single, uniformed, multi-race party can only be done if all the other component parties are of the same opinion.

Putting that aside, the only way, of course, is for the Barisan Nasional to be more functional in representing multiracial views which we are now doing within the ambits of our meetings. But if that became more apparent, more visible, then it can be the alternative to what the other opposition parties, which are purportedly multiracial, are exhibiting.

There are reports stating that MIC grassroots are abandoning ship and jumping to opposition parties. How bad is the situation?

These are all rumours. We have not had any serious grassroots leader having gone across. There are of course those who are opposed to us who have always been there and some of them have actually remained in the party but they have been opposed (to us) even before this (elections). They might have been seen doing this (crossing over). Although I have heard these rumours, but in terms of real reports of this so and so has gone, we have not had any such reports. So, I don't think it's a major thing at the present moment.

What about losing the works ministry, some consider that a blow to MIC.

Yeah, we have had that for a long time. According to the prime minister, he says all ministries are equally important, so don't give value to ministries - one is more important than the other. So in that sense, he says even the human resources ministry is important in the present thrust of the government on capacity building, human capital development. This is one of the main goals of the government, which he (the prime minister) feels is one of the most important requirements of the Indian community at the present time.

So it is difficult for us to ascribe value to ministries and see which is more superior, which is less superior, and to get disturbed by it. I know the concerns, but an explanation has been given by the leaders who made the decision, so we accept it, and we will use the platform which has been given to us to achieve whatever we wanted to achieve as far as the community is concerned.

As the MIC secretary-general and cabinet member, what is your hope for the Indian community?

The community has been fighting a long battle. I did an analysis, we will have about 600,000... approximately Indian families in Malaysia. If we take one family is three to four people, approximately that will be the amount, our population is around there. Out of which, one third are quite okay, they don't require any support from any other agencies to take care of them. The other two third, one third actually wants all the facilities available within the government to be available to them fairly so that they can plug into that system and develop themselves. The other third are the ones who require some proactive intervention because of some reasons so that they can come up the social ladder and be competitive.

malaysia poor indian community poverty 230807So these two groups, I think we are fighting for their needs, in the sense that we want the government to provide opportunities which are available to others in terms of training, educational opportunities and job opportunities so that they can strengthen themselves. And to the other group (help should be extended) in terms of capacity building, poverty eradication programmes, training for those in the lower-income group so that the group will also come up.

Once we have achieved those two targets, then the Malaysian Indian community will be in the same state as the other communities in this country and play its legitimate role as equal citizens of the country. I think once we reach the target, our goal would have been achieved. This we will do.

I consider this as a transition period in our social evolution of a estate-based community to an urban-based community. We will overcome this challenge, so once we become a more stable urban community, we will be able to take on the challenges of the urban environment. Then we will be able to find our own place and become a successful community.

Pak Lah told to free Hindraf 5

2008-03-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Mar 22, 08 12:14pm

Malaysia's opposition on Friday pressed for five ethnic Indian activists, including a man who won in recent elections, to be freed from indefinite detention under a tough security law.

Lawyer Manoharan Malayalam, standing for the Democratic Action Party (DAP), was elected from his jail - soundly beating the government incumbent in the state seat on March 8.

parliament ipcmc roundtable talk 281207 kit siangDAP leader Lim Kit Siang said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should free the five, leaders of rights group Hindraf, who were detained last December under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

They had organised an unprecedented mass rally claiming discrimination against ethnic Indians in November. Police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges to break up the protest, which drew at least 8,000 people.

Lim called for the "immediate and unconditional release (of) the five Hindraf leaders from ISA detention as proof that Abdullah has 'heard the voice' of Malaysians to start the process of 'national healing' after... the general election."

Abdullah's Barisan Nasional coalition won the election on March 8 but with a reduced majority and lost an unprecedented five states to the three-party opposition alliance of the DAP, the Islamic PAS and PKR.

It was the ruling party's worst election result since 1969.

Swearing-in in detention centre

Lim said the election result showed that ethnic Indian support for the government had plunged.

Manoharan's lawyer Karpal Singh told AFP he had filed an appeal to the Federal Court, the highest in the land, after the High Court last month rejected a freedom bid by the five.

m manoharanManoharan will be sworn in as a state assemblyman in the detention centre if he was not freed, he added.

His wife, lawyer S Pushpaneela, also urged Abdullah to step in and release the men.

"Only the prime minister has the power to release him. He should let him (Manoharan) and the others go now to gain more confidence from the people. It looks like people have completely lost their trust in him," she said.

Pushpaneela said with Manoharan in detention, she has to undertake most of his duties as state assemblyman in the Kota Alam Shah constituency in central Selangor state.

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BN MP quits, may join PKR

2008-03-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tony Thien | Mar 20, 08 4:47pm

Serian MP Richard Riot from Sarawak has resigned from Supp along with many party members from his constituency after he was not appointed a deputy minister in the federal cabinet.

Richard, a Bidayuh, is a five-term MP for Serian. He first won the seat as an Independent in 1990 and joined predominantly Chinese Supp in order to keep his seat as a BN legislator as Serian is a traditional Supp seat.

richard riot 200308Richard submitted his resignation letter to Supp president Dr George Chan Hong Nam on the same day that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced his new cabinet line-up on Tuesday.

A veteran party member, acting as a spokesperson for the Serian MP, confirmed to Malaysiakini rumours that Richard had quit the party along with a number of his supporters and members of the five sub-branches of the Serian Supp branch. Each sub-branch has more than 1,000 members.

Requesting anonymity, the spokesperson said after the letter was submitted to Chan, the party president sent his secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui to Serian hoping to meet Richard and talk him out of it.

"But Richard was nowhere to be found," he added.

According to the spokesperson, many party members in Serian, mostly Bidayuh, had surrendered their membership cards and sent them all in a bag to the party president together with the resignation letter.

The party flags at the Serian branch office had also been taken down and burned by angry members.

No Dayak interests at heart

In the letter, Richard was said to have told Chan, who is one of Sarawak's two deputy chief ministers, that the party did not have Dayak interests at heart.

Chan was accused of engaging in a musical chair by putting up four names from the party to be considered by the prime minister when in fact he had already known the quota for the party was only three - one full minister and two deputy ministers.

The four names were Peter Chin, Miri MP, Robert Lau, Sibu MP, Yong Khoon Seng, Stampin MP and Richard Riot.

Richard won the just-concluded election for a fifth term with an impressive 13,427-vote majority, defeating his sole Snap opponent Sylvester Belayong Jayang. The Serian parliamentary seat has 27,901 registered voters, 80 percent of whom are Bidayuhs.

With his resignation, Supp is now left with five MPs, having lost one to DAP incumbent Chong Chieng Jen in Bandar Kuching. All the remaining five MPs are Chinese.

Richard is expected to be an Independent MP in Parliament although there are reports that he has shown interest in joining PKR.

Overlooked for second time

Richard, who once served as chairperson of the Sarawak River Board had expressed his displeasure at not being nominated for a government post even after the 2004 parliamentary elections.
Party leaders recommended him for the Sarawak River Board chairman post to assuage his feelings and promised that he would at least be made a parliamentary secretary after the recent elections.

Meanwhile, one of his aides told Malaysiakini that Richard has gone to Singapore and is incommunicado. All attempts by senior Supp leaders to reach him have failed.

Even Supp secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui himself is not taking calls from the media. He tried to meet Richard yesterday, but failed to do so after travelling to Serian, 60km southeast of Kuching.

Datuk Mukhriz's letter to PM Abdullah

2008-03-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

12th March 2008

Dato' Seri,

Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the party's leadership for the faith in me and the chance to contest in Jerlun as a Barisan Nasional candidate. With the blessing and hard work of the party's leadership and machinery as well as the people of Jerlun, I have won the elections and am now a new Member of Parliament.

However, sadly enough, my victory is rendered meaningless in view of the defeat that Umno and the Kedah BN suffered in the hands of the opposition. Apart form Kedah, four other states as well as the Federal Territories also received similar humiliation in defeat.

In fact your own state of Penang was wrested by the DAP from the BN. Kelantan is again under Pas rules. In other states, the BN also suffered a similar humiliation when the level of BN support by the people has tremendously reduced. This, Datuk Seri, has never happened in the history of BN rule.

The sole intention of my letter to you is meant to save UMNO and BN from being rejected further by the people and from being no longer relevant to our religion, race and nation.

Dato' Seri, the people are unhappy and the message from them is very clear, and that is they have rejected you as the nation's chief executive.

Contrary to your claim that you still have the support of Umno and other component parties, the reality is that even our own party members had reneged in their voting pattern by supporting the Opposition and inflicting the BN its defeat.

Dato' Seri, when the people held street demonstrations you openly dared them to resort to the ballot boxes to demonstrate.

They took your challenge by coming out, especially tho people in the Peninsular, and they demonstrated their feelings by voting us out at the BN at State and Parliament levels.

It is therefore clear that your leadership and your handling of the issues faced by the people and the nation are no longer accepted. Let's not deny the truth just for the sake of keeping your seat as Prime Minister.

For the love of this country and the people, I beg that you take responsibility for the defeat. We can save UMNO, the BN and the nation only if you relinquish your positions as Prime Minister and the President of UMNO.

Dato' Seri, I hope you will understand that I make this plea with the intention of salvaging a very dire situation. A move has been made to woo the BN representatives to join the Opposition. The enemy needs just 35 seats more to topple the government of your leadership.

If you do not resign in the near future, I fear that the situation will become untenable and that the Malay support for Umno and BN will be a thing of the past.

This plea I make without malice, and I am aware that your reaction and that of other UMNO members could very well be hostile.

But come what may, I am prepared, for the sake of the Malays and UMNO, to face the consequences of my action. With all humility, I leave my fate to Allah SWT.

Dato' Seri, I am sure that you will do the right thing for the sake of the people and the nation. May Allah SWT bless you for the sacrifice you make by stepping down.

Wasallam

Yours Sincerely

Mukhriz Mahathir
Jerlun Member Parlament

Zaid: Reformasi needed in Umno

2008-03-15T04:24:00.001-07:00

Nash Rahman & Chan Kok Leong | Mar 15, 08 1:31pm
Malaysiakini.com

Barely a week had passed after Kelantan Umno announced its list of candidates for the election that prominent lawyer Zaid Ibrahim found himself in Forbes Asia's list of the region's most generous philanthropists.

Sharing the limelight with Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, Hishamudin Ubaidulla and Amar Leonard Linggi Jugah, it was with some surprise that the 57-year-old was left out of Umno's list of candidates.

Though Malaysiakini gave him the chance to indulge in a little "I told you so" after his replacement crashed to a 11,288-vote defeat, the former Kota Bahru MP graciously declined.

"I consider myself lucky not to be chosen. Even if I had contested, I would have lost. Maybe, not by such a big margin, but I would have lost too," said Zaid.

During the 2004 elections, Zaid pipped Nik Mahmood Nik Hassan by 1,723 votes to bag the Kota Bahru seat.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Zaid said that among the factors contributing to Barisan Nasional's shocking losses were the weakness in leadership, arrogance and over reliance on slogans.

Although there are weaknesses in the present leadership, he however doesn't believe that calling for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's resignation would solve the problems.

But he said allowing open contests in Umno, without the need for candidates to obtain an exceedingly high number of nominations, would be one of the many necessary reforms within the party.

"Pak Lah has talked about integrity before. So if he believes that, he should allow contests for the top two positions in Umno," said Zaid.

The following is the second part of Zaid’s interview.

Malaysiakini: Should Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi quit?

Zaid: No, I don't think that Pak Lah should resign now. He suffered a setback but he is still the leader of the party which commands the majority in Parliament. Technically he can stay and you can't fault him for that either.

The more important question is "Should Pak Lah continue to lead Umno?" That I think should be decided by the party. I would like to see the best person lead the party of course.

People like to complain about Pak Lah but then who do we want to succeed him? There is Najib (Abdul Razak). But is he the best person to lead the party? Or would it be Tengku Razaleigh (Hamzah)? It could be anybody.

This soul searching can only happen over time. Before you decide on the leader you have to consider what is the direction of the party. What do we want from Umno now?

Once, we have answered all these questions then we look for who is best to lead us in that direction. So, I don't think we should be saying now that Pak Lah should go and Najib should succeed but ask what kind of Umno do we want?

For that to happen then we need to go to the grassroots. And if a election is needed then so be it. I'm more interested in the process rather than the personalities. You may change the person but you are not going to change the party.

You can't change for the sake of changing. You change because the new person represents the new voice, new hope and the new idealism in Umno.

Is Umno on the right track now?

At the moment it is not on the right track but I hope that Pak Lah will set it or find the right person for it. I think that Pak Lah should be gracious enough to offer the position for challenge.

I'm so sick of listening to leaders every time (party) elections is up they say "Ah, number one and two tak bertanding-lah". The newspapers would carry and the sycophants will sing the same tune. And when somebody wants to challenge, they say, "This person is disturbing the party and causing instability".

This is what I mean about dynasties. What is so special about one and two? If I have the means and capabilities, I would like to be Umno president too.

But why do we limit this to one, two or even three? Is this a heir to the throne? No, this is a democratic party. For changes to take place, Umno must first accept this premise.

Do you see any agitation on the ground?

I would like to see more debate in the party. For years now, Umno is a very top-down party. You wait for the leaders at the airport, you kiss their hands and you say nothing about the insecurity of the party. You don't say anything because when you do, you'll have to get out. But that has to change.

I can sense a lot of dissatisfaction on the ground but the Malay people are very polite. You'll sense them getting angry when they start voting for the opposition. There must be more openness in the party to discuss matters.

Has Umno lost the support of the people?

No, I don't think so. This is the result of just one election. Sure, they have upset a majority of the people but you never know as the opposition over the next five years can alienate people too. Politics, in this sense, is very fluid.

What about the quotas to contest in party polls?

No need quotalah. No need. This was all introduced to make it difficult for people to contest for the top two posts. There are not many crazy people who want to fight for the top positions.

I'm not saying this because I want to see a fight in every election. And the people always like to "ampu" to be ketua cawangan (division chief), to calon (candidates) and so on and so forth. Why can't we just select people who are good? And we won't know if they are good unless we expose them to the wider group and let them contest each other.

Where do you see your political career heading?

I'm not young anymore and I don't see it going very high up. I'm a realistic person. But I will contribute in my own ways. I can write, speak and talk about things…but to go back will be very hard.

Mind you, I'm from Kelantan and it took me 15 years to be division head and I just served one term before they suspended me. Do I want to spend another 15 years, working my way up? No, I don't think so.

During this election, we found that Umno wasn't as visible or vocal in Klang Valley. Is there something going on in Umno?

I can't speak with any authority on this matter. But generally, Umno is not as efficient as everyone thinks. It depends a lot on the government machinery.

You say that Umno has strayed from its original track. What do you mean by that?

They are not on the right track because leaders now make major policies and decisions which I don't think the members understand or approve very well. There are so many issues that alienated the people in this country.

Take corruption for instance. Do you think that Umno members don't care about corruption? They hear it all the time but they don't get the chance to voice their opinion, debate and engage this issue.

I think the issues that have divided the people in this country affect the Malays too. I don't think there is one set of issues for the non-Malays and one set for the Malays.

Do you think that when they attack Anwar Ibrahim personally, it doesn't upset the Malays? Of course it does. But can you talk about Anwar Ibrahim? You can't! Right from the days of Mahathir, we can't discuss about the things he had done.

The first thing that happened when Anwar came out of prison was for Umno supreme council to make the decision that Anwar would not be accepted back into Umno. That's all they think about. The leaders are worried but the ordinary rank-and-file probably want to understand a bit more.

The leaders think the members don't care and just want to follow. The members follow until a tipping point and then they just vote for the opposition or they would not go out and vote.

I'm hearing words from old Umno members saying "Aku meluat", "Agkuh" and "Sombong". These are some of the words being used, so Umno has to change. No more spin. We don't need spin doctors like Zam (Zainudin Maidin) anymore.

We need people who tell the truth. And if Umno can be a party of truth and a party which speaks for all Malaysians, especially the poor Malays then we have hope.

Does Umno have enough time to do it before the next elections?

Of course, it has. They only need to be willing to do it. Four years is a long time. The opposition is not perfect anyway.

Do you foresee any contests for the top two posts in Umno this year?

I don't foresee it but I hope I'm wrong though.

We've lived in contradiction in the last four years. Pak Lah speaks about integrity and this is the best time to show that by allowing for contests for the top positions.

If Pak Lah wins the elections then the moral authority goes to him automatically and his place will be more secure than ever. He can then sweep through a reform of Umno.

Is Abdullah a weak leader?

Based on the last four years, yes. But on the day that he lost, he said, "I will change".

What are your thoughts on the rumour that Khairy Jamaluddin is behind BN's performance?

I'm not sure about all the power play in Umno but I wish that his accusers will come out with specifics instead of making general statements. And then we can see if these allegations are true.

Do you believe in phantom voters in Kelantan and Terengganu?

I don't think so. I can't see how you can have phantom voters. The problem we have now is the Elections Commission has no credibility. But that doesn't mean they are fixing things up. It’s just that when the EC chief (Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman) speaks, he is provocative. He's like a Barisan Nasional fellow.

He likes to show that he is so loyal to Umno. He says things like "Nobody else can rule the country" and other ridiculous things like that. So when you talk like that, people don't trust you.

Especially when you are the EC chairman, you can't be political. Keep you it to yourself. Just do the job as a professional and stay away from politics. Cause when there is no trust in the leader, people start to imagine a lot of things. I think that is more the case then having phantom voters.

The other point is the way the political parties were helping voters go back to vote in Kelantan and Terengganu. You can help but you shouldn't be giving them money to vote for you as it is wrong. And when you do this in huge numbers, people get suspicious.

Sultan Terengganu next to snub PM?

2008-03-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

refer: malaysiakini

K Kabilan | Mar 15, 08 12:31pm

Signs are emerging that the Terengganu royal household is also set to follow the heels of the Raja of Perlis in appointing a menteri besar who is not the Barisan Nasional's choice, paving the way for a possible direct confrontation between the royalty and the federal government.

This morning all 23 BN state assemblypersons from Terengganu were called up for a meeting with the state's Regency Advisory Council.

The council representsTerengganu's 11-year-old regent Tengku Muhammad Ismail, whose father Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin is the present Agong of Malaysia.

The incumbent menteri besar Idris Jusoh - who is also Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's choice to lead the state - was not invited for the meeting.

He was the only one not invited for the meeting scheduled to take place in Putrajaya.

Idris was also believed to be in Putrajaya to meet Abdullah.

In the aftermath of the general election, Idris led BN to a comfortable victory to retain the state by winning 24 of the 32 state seats. PAS won the remaining eight.

He was expected to be sworn in on March 9 but the ceremony was suddenly postponed.

According to an informed source, Idris had a massive fallout with Sultan Mizan. It is learnt that he has yet to have an audience with the king, who is also the Sultan of Terengganu.

The source said the sultan has been unhappy with Idris for sometime now and is seriously pondering to replace him with someone who can work with the Terengganu palace.

“The meeting involving the state representatives today is for the palace to put forward its candidate, seeking a total support for that candidate from the representatives,” said the source.

“The council will also tell the representative as to why the sultan disapproves Idris' candidacy as menteri besar,” he added.

Idris’ shortcomings

It is learnt that the palace was unhappy with the manner the police and the Idris-led state government had handled the Batu Buruk riot on Sept 8 last year.

“The sultan felt that the matter could have been handled in a better way, especially without any live bullets being fired,” added the source.

On that day, a ceramah by polls reform group Bersih which was forcibly dispersed by the police turned into a riot with scores injured, including two PAS supporters who were shot by a policeman. The police have since claimed that it was done in self defence.

"Similarly, the palace is also unhappy with the manner the police targeted PAS supporters on polling day in Rusila by firing teargas to disperse them. The palace feels that the state administration had influenced the police to act in such manner," he added.

He further said that the sultan was also unhappy with the “apparent cockiness” shown by Idris during his tenure as menteri besar.

“On several occasions, he acted as though he was the sultan, making decisions unilaterally and without giving consideration to the royal household.”

At the meeting today, the regency council is also expected to tap into the apparent unhappiness among the grassroots Umno leaders in the state towards Idris, especially over his choice of candidates for the elections.

Many claimed that BN lost some seats this time around due to boycott from Umno.

Several names are being bandied as a possible replacement for Idris, the more popular ones being Ajil assemblyman Rosol Wahid, Cukai assemblyman Mohamad Awang Tera, Telok Pasu state representative Abdul Rahin Mohd Said and Kijal assemblyperson Ahmad Said.

However, the palace is believed to be leaning towards Ahmad Said, who is also the Kemaman Umno division chief. A daily today called him a firebrand, but sources said that the palace has full confidence in him to lead the state .

Double blow for Pak Lah

It is uncertain as to how Abdullah would look into the role played by the palace in choosing a new menteri besar, especially with the rejection of his apparent choice.

If the Terengganu palace proceeds successfully in naming a new menteri besar, this will come as a second blow from the royalty to Abdullah’s administration.

Yesterday the Raja of Perlis, using the state consitution to his favour, named Bintong state representative Md Isa Sabu as the new menteri besar in place of Shahidan Kassim who was chosen by Abdullah to continue to be MB.

It is learnt that Abdullah is standing by his decision to reappoint Shahidan to the post and has sent his deputy Najib Abdul Razak to meet all Perlis BN state representatives to find a solution.

“Whatever happens in Perlis and Terengganu, one thing is certain. A constitutional crisis seems to be looming with the stand taken by the royalty against the expressed wishes of the prime minister,” said a constitutional expert.

Perak MB's swearing-in put off

2008-03-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mar 13, 08 4:27pm

breaking news In yet another dramatic twist to the formation new state government in Perak, the swearing-in ceremony of Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as mentri besar today has been cancelled.

Mohammad Nizar, a PAS assemblyman, was to be sworn in at the Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar at 4pm today.

However, palace officials made an announcement at 4.20pm that the ceremony had been put off.

"There are some uncertainties as to whether the three parties... are able to work together to form a coalition, and form a stable government," the royal palace said.

It is learnt that the three candidates for the menteri besar post were involved in a prolonged meeting with the Regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah at the Kinta Palace in Ipoh just prior to the swearing-in ceremony.

The meeting lasted from 2.30pm to 4.05pm, hardly leaving any time for them to be at the 4pm swearing-in ceremony at the Kuala Kangsar palace, which is about one hour from Ipoh.

It is not clear what had transpired at the close-door meeting.

Yesterday the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition in Perak agreed to appoint Pasir Panjang state assemblyperson and Perak PAS secretary Nizar as the new menteri besar.

State DAP chairperson and Sitiawan state assemblyperson Ngeh Khoo Ham and an Indian state representative were to be the deputy menteri besar (1) and (2) respectively.

Along with Nizar and Ngeh, PKR’s Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi's name was also submitted to the regent by the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition.

More stumbling blocks

However the appointment of Nizar was objected by the DAP leadership with party stalwart Lim Kit Siang saying that the party had only agreed for a DAP or a PKR menteri besar.

This morning the problem seemed to have been solved with Lim apologising over his objections and Ngeh stating that all misunderstanding have been clarified.

But in another twist of never-ending problems, PKR today issued a statement threatening to pull out from the state administration on hearing that eight of the 10 executive council posts will go to DAP while the remaining two going to other parties.

Originally it is believed that an agreement was made whereby DAP would get six exco posts and two each for PKR and PAS.

However, there was a last-minute change where DAP was given eight seats in the exco, while PKR one and PAS one.

PKR disputes regent’s choice

Meanwhile, more details are emerging on the meeting between the three menteri besar candidates and Raja Nazrin this afternoon.

According to sources, the main reason for the postponement of the swearing-in ceremony this afternoon was due to an objection by the PKR’s Jamaluddin over Nizar’s appointment.

Apparently Jamaluddin told the regent that he disputed the choice made by the regent yesterday to make Nizar the menteri besar.

A statement issued by Ngeh earlier today indicated that Nizar was the regent's choice to be the state's menteri besar.

According to Ngeh, the regent had rejected his (Ngeh's) and Jamaluddin's name although these were the first two choices.

For now, all 31 state assemblypersons from all three parties have to sign a letter in support of the regent's decision to appoint Nizar.

At press time, all 18 DAP and six PAS assemblypersons have signed the letters. It is uncertain if the seven PKR assembly have done the same.

It is uncertain when Nizar, if at all, will be sworn in as the menteri besar

Media changes tone after shock poll results

2008-03-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

Mar 12, 08 4:12pm

The government-friendly media has changed its tone after shock election gains by the opposition, aiming to win back readers alienated by biased coverage, industry sources said today.

Malaysia's mainstream newspapers and television networks, many of them partly government-owned, were awash with flattering coverage of the ruling coalition ahead of Saturday's polls.

But after unprecedented losses, which saw the government lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time in four decades, opposition figures who had been ignored or vilified are now being splashed on front pages.

"It is a wake-up call for us. The mainstream media should revisit and review our policies," said Azman Ujang, general manager of the state news agency Bernama.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index, and says the main media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down the many events organised by the opposition".

A lot of soul-searching

But Azman said the mainstream media now has a "higher responsibility" to report news fairly or face being abandoned by its audience, which flocked to blogs and online news portals for impartial election coverage.

"Malaysian media can learn from this because the people have spoken loud and clear, not only what kind of government they want but also the kind of media they prefer," he told AFP.

Gayathry Venkiteswaran from Centre for Independent Journalism said there had been some "positive changes" in media which likely felt they now had no choice but to report fairly on the opposition.

"Editors and journalists here have to do a lot of soul-searching. It is very hard to dismantle practices which have been in place for such a long time."

On Wednesday, the government-linked New Straits Times, which attacked opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim last week, ran a front-page report detailing the opposition's agenda as it assumes power in Penang state.

"New Penang chief minister rings in the changes," it said, listing initiatives including fighting corruption and promoting clean government, in coverage unthinkable only days ago.

Dwindling readership

Media consultant G Manimaran said the media had the chance to reverse dwindling readership among urban, educated Malaysians who have been moving to alternative online sources of information.

"This is the first time in 20 years of journalism that I am seeing people queueing up to buy newspapers," he said.

A senior journalist from the government-linked press said that with Malaysia's richest states of Penang and Selangor - which surrounds Kuala Lumpur - in opposition hands, media owners had to switch tack.

"With so many states under the opposition you have to be fair in reporting or the paper is going to lose a lot of money," said the journalist who declined to be named.

Malaysians polled by AFP said they were pleasantly surprised with the post-election coverage.

"They (mainstream newspapers) were obviously one-sided before but now at least they are giving much better coverage. We see more opposition faces, this is certainly fairer," said Alex Matthews, a doctor.

"Although I don't usually read papers, I thought it was better coverage. The papers were snapped up so fast," said lawyer Audrey Pillai.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/79690

Anwar: We're a 'government in waiting'

2008-03-11T04:09:00.000-07:00

Mar 11, 08 4:04pm

Opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim said today that the three parties he rallied to stunning election results were a "government in waiting".

Anwar, a former deputy premier who has made a spectacular political comeback after being sacked and jailed a decade ago, said he is in no hurry to return to parliament when a ban on his taking public office expires next month.

"I have not dealt with this issue yet. My priority now is to assist and help the state governments to establish themselves," he said, after the opposition took four states from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition as well as retaining another one in Saturday polls.

"I will attend parliament. But I will be in the public gallery.

He laughed off a question about whether he saw himself as a future prime minister, but he made his ambitions clear.

"I don't like the term 'opposition head'. We are the government in waiting," he told a press conference.

Blistering personal attacks

Anwar has previously said he will return to parliament through a by-election in a seat held by his PKR party after April, when the ban related to a corruption conviction expires.

PKR won 31 seats for the biggest opposition presence in the new 222-seat parliament, while the predominantly Chinese DAP won 28 and the Islamic party PAS won 23.

Sitting on the opposition benches will be Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who extended a majority in her parliamentary seat in Saturday's poll, and his daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, who won in her first attempt.

Anwar weathered blistering personal attacks during the campaign from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling party, which was clearly rattled as he criss-crossed the nation delivering barn-storming speeches.

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