Kes peceraian secara kebelakangan royalti Johor...

Kawalan keselamatan yang ketat dalam kes perceraian diraja...

Anggota polis dan anggota Pasukan Tentera Johor hadir dengan ramainya di Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah di Johor Bahru pagi ini, semasa pendengaran kes perceraian yang 'pelik' yang melibatkan royalti Johor.

Bekas Sultanah Zanariah Tuanku Tuanku Ahmad membuat permohonan rayuan terhadap perceraian secara kebelakangan(backdated) yang telah difailkan beberapa bulan selepas kematian suaminya, Tuanku Mahmud Iskandar pada 22 Jan, 2010.

Peguam Tuanku Zanariah,Kamar Ainiah Kamarulzaman berkata pelanggan dan anak-anaknya tidak dibenarkan masuk ke bilik mahkamah. Peguam2 beliau juga telah diiringi keluar oleh polis, kecuali peguam utama Afshah Ariffin. 

Kamar Ainiah berkata terdapat empat pegawai polis berpangkat tinggi,13 anggota polis beruniform dan tujuh yang lain dipercayai pegawai-pegawai Cawangan Khas di luar mahkamah.

"Terdapat juga beberapa pegawai polis dari Unit Tindakan Khas dan juga anggota Tentera, Tentera Johor," dakwanya. 

"Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah mahu memastikan bahawa kita semua kecuali peguam utama tidak berada dalam mahkamah sebelum mereka memulakan prosiding itu."

Petang ini, mahkamah membenarkan permohonan Majlis Agama Islam negeri(MAIJ) untuk menjadi pencelah dalam kes itu. 

Panel tiga anggota terdiri daripada Hakim Syed Ali Syed Abu Bakar, Marsid @ Morsid Mahrof dan Jainuddin Mt Jumlah mendapati bahawa permohonan itu telah memenuhi kehendak Seksyen 18 dan 19 Enakmen Prosedur Syariah Johor. 

Seksyen 18 melibatkan menggabungkan pihak dalam permohonan dan Seksyen 19 adalah pada perubahan pihak.

Mahkamah juga memerintahkan MAIJ diletakkan sebagai responden dalam semua dokumentasi berkaitan dengan rayuan itu, dan nama Tuanku Mahmud Iskandar dihapuskan sebagai responden. 

Tuanku Zanariah menamakan Tuanku Mahmud Iskandar sebagai responden, sebagai permohonan perceraian didakwa telah dibuat olehnya. 

Khamis lalu, panel tiga anggota telah mengisytiharkan bahawa prosiding adalah dijalankan secara tertutup. 

Permohonan perceraian telah didengar di Mahkamah Syariah Rendah tanpa kehadiran atau pengetahuan Tuanku Zanariah pada bulan Ogos atau September 2010.

Tuanku Zanariah hanya dimaklumkan mengenai hal ini pada bulan Ogos lepas dalam surat daripada Mufti negeri dan bekas Menteri Besar Johor Abdul Ghani Othman. 

Perceraian itu dikebelakangan(backdated) kepada Jan 23,2009 apabila Jawatankuasa Fatwa Johor menerima akuan berkanun dari Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa diraja Johor,Tengku Osman Tunku Temenggong Ahmad,yang mengesahkan bahawa permohonan itu adalah tulen.

Pada 1 Jan tahun ini, Tuanku Zanariah telah memfailkan permohonan semakan di Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Johor bagi membatalkan sijil perceraian tersebut. 

Pada 20 Jan,Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Johor telah menggekalkan keputusan mahkamah rendah sebagai sah, menyebabkan rayuan itu. 

Kamar Ainiah dan Afshah berkata tarikh masih belum ditetapkan untuk mendengar rayuan itu, dan bahawa dokumen-dokumen yang berkaitan perlu difailkan semula selepas keputusan hari ini.- mk

Tight security at bizarre royal divorce case...

Police personnel and members of the Johor Military Force made their presence felt at the Syariah Court of Appeal in Johor Bahru this morning, during a bizarre divorce hearing involving the Johor royalty.

Former sultanah Tuanku Zanariah Tuanku Ahmad is appealing a backdated divorce application that had been filed some months after the death of her husband, Tuanku Mahmud Iskandar on Jan 22, 2010.

Tuanku Zanariah’s lawyer Kamar Ainiah Kamarulzaman (left) said her client and children were not allowed to enter the court room. Even her lawyers were escorted out by the police, with the exception of the lead counsel Afshah Ariffin.

Kamar Ainiah said there were four high-ranking police officers, 13 uniformed police personnel and seven others believed to be Special Branch officers outside the court.

"There are also several police Special Action Unit members and also Johor Military Force personnel,” she claimed.

“The Syariah Court of Appeal made sure that all of us except for the lead counsel are not in the courtroom before they began the proceedings.”

This afternoon, the court allowed an application by the state Islamic Council (MAIJ) to be an intervener in the case.

The three-member panel comprising Justices Syed Ali Syed Abu Bakar, Marsid @ Morsid Mahrof and Jainuddin Mt Sum found that the application had met the requirements of Section 18 and 19 of the Johor Syariah Procedure enactment.

Section 18 involves combining parties in an application and Section 19 is on a change of parties.

The court also ordered that MAIJ be placed as a respondent in all documentation relating to the appeal, and that Tuanku Mahmud Iskandar's name be deleted as a respondent.

Tuanku Zanariah had named Tuanku Mahmud Iskandar as respondent, as the divorce application had allegedly been made by him.

Last Thursday, the three-member panel had declared that the proceedings were to be conducted behind closed doors.

Fresh documents

The divorce application had been heard at the Lower Syariah Court without Tuanku Zanariah's presence or knowledge in August or September 2010.

She was only informed of this last August in a letter from the state mufti and former Johor menteri besar Abdul Ghani Othman (right).

The divorce was backdated to Jan 23, 2009 after the Johor Fatwa Committee accepted a statutory declaration by Abdul Ghani and Johor royal committee chairperson Tengku Osman Tunku Temenggong Ahmad, verifying that the application was genuine.

On Jan 1 this year, Tuanku Zanariah had filed a review application at the Johor Syariah High Court seeking to annul the divorce certificate.

On Jan 20, the Johor Syariah High Court had upheld the lower court's decision as valid, resulting in the appeal.

Kamar Ainiah and Afshah said dates have yet to be fixed to hear the appeal, and that the relevant documents will have to be filed again following today's decisions.- mk

Penangites decry RM8.50 toll rate for 2nd bridge...

Penangites have expressed their unhappiness with the newly announced toll rate of RM8.50 for cars using the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah(SAHMS) Bridge, which was officially opened in a grand ceremony by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on March 1.

For one month since March 1, motorists have been plying the bridge for free, a bonus that ends at midnight tonight.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the rate, which is 21.4 percent higher than at the First Penang Bridge, will not help to reduce congestion, which was the initial reason for building the bridge.

He pointed out that there is no 20 percent discount (which would reduce the rate to RM5.60) for Touch ‘n Go card users from Penang, unlike that given for the First Penang Bridge, which charges a normal fee of RM7.

“How then would this help to reduce traffic congestion on the First Penang Bridge?” he queried in a statement today.

Lim said the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA), which made the announcement, should consider charging the same toll rate for SAHMS Bridge as the First Penang Bridge until the access highways in Batu Maung are completed in three years’ time.

“When the access highways are completed, motorists then would not mind paying more, provided they can have a smooth ride without traffic congestion,” said the DAP secretary-general.

Motorists have been lamenting about the landing point of the SAHMS Bridge in Batu Maung on Penang island as it is often congested because work has still not commenced for the access highway roads out to George Town or to Bayan Lepas.

Lim said this is poor planning and foresight by the authorities because such access highways should have been built at the same time and completed together with the SAHMS Bridge.

Instead, work is only about to commence for the access highways costing about RM850 million by the end of the year, he added.

Gerakan also thinks that MHA should provide a 20 percent discount for Penangites crossing the bridge on a daily basis.

Penang Gerakan secretary Oh Tong Keong said that this is especially true as there are many workers who ply to work daily between the two areas - Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland.

“That is the only thing I would like to say. Please consider a 20 percent discount for Penangites  similar to what is given by the First Bridge as we have to take into account the many workers living on both sides of the bridge,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

‘Thrifty Penangites would simply use the First Bridge’

The SAHMS Bridge is 24km and is longer compared to the First Penang Bridge of 13.5km.

Penang Consumer Protection Association president Koris Atan (right) said the MHA should realise the sufferings of the people who need to wade through a massive traffic jam on Batu Maung before embarking on the beautiful SAHMS Brige on their daily routine to work.

“As such, the toll bridge for the second link should remain at RM7.00 like the First Bridge until the road congestion is cleared,” he said when contacted.

“Let there be some uniformity on the toll fee also or else Penangites, who are quite thrifty, would simply choose to use the First Bridge,” he added.

“Then what is the use of buiding a RM4 billion second link? Unless the traffic congestion is cleared, we should not be paying RM8.50 for it,” he stressed.

Koris reminded MHA of its social responsibility to the people, urging it not to “suck” Penangites of their daily hard-earned income.
“Please don’t be suckers of our hard-earned money. Otherwise I believe there will be lots of protests and people will just revert to using the First Bridge,” he said.

“Already people are suffering due to the hike in essential goods, petrol and other basic needs. Does MHA expect people to pay RM8.50 to go through massive congestion just to go to the mainland? We’ll use the First Bridge, all we have to do is avoid it during peak hours,” he added

The rate is RM1.70 for motorcycles (Class 0); RM8.50 for cars except taxis and busses (Class 1), RM30.50 for two-axle and six-wheeled vehicles except busses (Class 2), RM70.10 for three-axle or more vehicles except busses (Class 3), RM8.50 for taxis (Class 4) and RM26.20 for busses (Class 5).- mk

Lim Guan Eng buat hal lagi...DAP ni betul2 main gila,berani betul depa tolak lesan judi...jangan cuba2 nak menaikkan darah melayu UMNO,kalu tak dak lesen macam mana puak haramjadah ni nak main roulette... 

cheers.

Teori Najib - Waris penumpang MH370 dari China tuntut maaf dari Putrajaya...

MH370-Anggota Keluarga Minta Bukti MH370 Berakhir Di Lautan Hindi...

Kerajaan Malaysia diminta mengadakan satu sesi taklimat bagi menjelaskan kepada semua anggota keluarga penumpang terutamanya dari China bukti pesawat Malaysia Airlines MH370 berakhir di Lautan Hindi.

Tuntutan tersebut disuarakan oleh kira-kira 30 anggota keluarga penumpang yang tiba dari China hari ini.

Mereka berharap taklimat tersebut dapat diadakan secepat mungkin dengan bantuan Kedutaan Besar China di Malaysia.

Wakil daripada anggota keluarga penumpang, yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Jiang Hui, berkata walaupun pelbagai taklimat serta penjelasan telah diadakan di China, namun mereka masih tidak jelas dan mahukan data lengkap terutamanya daripada pakar.

"Selama 22 hari menunggu, jawapan yang kami dapat daripada pihak MAS di sana (China) adalah terhad...Semuanya perlu dirujuk terlebih dahulu kepada kerajaan Malaysia untuk membuat sebarang kenyataan kepada kami.

"Oleh itu kami membuat keputusan datang ke Malaysia untuk mendapat lebih banyak maklumat mengenai insiden ini, terutamanya daripada pakar penerbangan seperti Rolls Royce dan Syarikat Boeing, selain daripada kerajaan Malaysia dan MAS," kata lelaki itu kepada pemberita.

Bercakap dalam bahasa Mandarin, beliau berkata pihaknya juga menuntut kerajaan Malaysia memohon maaf atas kelewatan penyebaran maklumat mengenai pesawat itu.

Jiang berkata pihaknya berharap agar kerajaan Malaysia dapat menunjukkan keikhlasan membantu mereka dari segi membekalkan maklumat sahih.

"Kami tidak akan meninggalkan Malaysia sehinggalah kami berpuas hati dengan penjelasan mengenai pesawat itu," katanya.

Difahamkan, kumpulan ini ditempatkan di Holiday Villa Subang pada pukul 10 pagi tadi dengan disambut oleh Duta Khas Perdana Menteri ke China Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, Naib Presiden MCA Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, dan kira-kira 40 orang anggota Crisis Relief Squad of MCA (CRSM).

Penerbangan MH370, yang membawa 227 penumpang termasuk 152 warga China dan 12 kru, hilang pada pagi 8 Mac kira-kira sejam setelah berlepas dari Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa KL pukul 12.41 tengah malam.

Pesawat itu sepatutnya mendarat di Beijing pada 6.30 pagi hari yang sama.

Najib kemudian mengumumkan pada 24 Mac, tujuh belas hari selepas pesawat itu hilang bahawa Penerbangan MH370 "berakhir di selatan Lautan Hindi".- BERNAMA

Chinese kin seek Putrajaya's apology...

Relatives of the Chinese passengers aboard MH370 have demanded that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak apologise for 'prematurely' announcing that the missing flight had 'ended' in the Indian Ocean.

 

They want MAS to apologise as well for saying that there were no survivors, claiming that both announcements are without sufficient evidence.

 

After arriving from Beijing today, a spokesperson for the group of 35 relatives held a press conference in Subang at 2pm.

 

"We hope that from here, Malaysian authorities can fully disclose their evidence, and answer our questions.

 

"Secondly, we demand that the Malaysian government apologise for last week’s confused communications and for holding up the search and rescue effort.

 

"Thirdly, we demand that the Malaysian government and MAS apologise for irresponsibly saying that the aircraft is destroyed without survivors without a shred of evidence," Jiang Hui told reporters.

 

Quest for the truth

 

His red-eyed son then shouted "We want evidence, truth, and our loved ones!" while others wiped their tears.

 

On March 24, Najib had announced that MH370 had "ended" in the Indian Ocean based on analysis of satellite data. He stopped short of saying that it crashed.

 

Meanwhile in China, about 30 minutes before Najib’s announcement, MAS began informing relatives of this and that there were no survivors.

 

MAS group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yayha later defended this, saying that the aircraft is running low on fuel at its last known location in a remote part of the Indian Ocean, therefore the prospect of survival for an extended period of time is "extremely, extremely remote".

 

Earlier today, the group of 35 landed at KL International Airport (KLIA) this morning, but were quietly whisked to a hotel in Subang Jaya through another exit, as reporters waited at the arrival hall.

 

More to come soon

 

Upon realising this, reporters rushed to the hotel to interview the relatives, only to find that they were holding a meeting with government and MAS representatives.

 

Jiang said that more relatives are expected to arrive from Beijing in the coming days but is unable to confirm the exact number. The logistics are being handled by MAS.

 

He also indicated that family members are unlikely to be heading to Australia, which is heading the search in the suspected crash site, unless there the evidence of the plane's whereabouts is uncovered there.

 

The group hoped to top Malaysian government officials will meet them and answer their many queries, promising that they will act in a "reasonable and legal way" throughout their stay.

  

"We hope Malaysia will show sincerity by arranging for someone someone of authority to speak to us with the relevant data at hand and will be able to communicate the truth," said Jiang.- mk

Pak Lah disenaraikan dalam siasatan NSA...

Edward Snowden telah membocorkan dokumen rahsia Perisikan US-NSA (National Security Agency's) kepada media Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine.

Bekas PM Malaysia Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi (Paklah), yang berkhidmat sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia dari Oktober 2003 hingga April 2009, disenaraikan dalam siasatan Amerika Syarikat melalui NSA sebagai "Sasaran Knowledge Base", satu pangkalan data yang direka untuk membina "profil lengkap" perisikan keutamaan sasaran berprofil tinggi.

Setelah Paklah letak jawatan, sebagai balasan Najib telah menganugerahkan Apco untuk menjadi penasihat beliau dengan bayaran lebih RM 70 juta setiap tahun. Apco pula diberi tender supply set komunikasi PDRM ?-f/bk

Edward Snowden documents show Malaysia is an Australia, US intelligence target...

Malaysia’s political leadership is a priority intelligence target for the United States and Australia, according to top secret documents published by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine.

Former Malaysian Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, who served as Malaysian prime minister from October 2003 to April 2009, is listed in an extract from the US National Security Agency’s "Target Knowledge Base", a database designed to build up “complete profiles” of high priority intelligence targets.

Abdullah Badawi’s name appears in a list of eleven heads of government, including Germany’s Angela Merkel, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko, and former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. The top secret briefing, created in 2009, indicates that the full list of targeted heads of foreign governments contained 122 names. The final name on the list is Yulia Tymoshenko, who was Ukrainian prime minister at the time.

According to Der Spiegel a National Security Agency search program codenamed "Nymrod" enables intelligence analysis to search the database to "find information relating to targets that would otherwise be tough to track down". Nymrod sifts through signals intelligence reports based on intercepted communications as well as transcripts of faxes, phone calls, and data collected from computer networks. Each of the names in the database is considered a "SIGINT target" with automated data processing making it possible to manage more than 3 million entries.

Part of the trove of highly classified documents leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, the secret briefing published by Der Spiegel also shows that intelligence on foreign leaders is shared between all "5-eyes" intelligence partners – the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Former members of the Australian Parliament's joint intelligence committee have confirmed to Fairfax Media that the Malaysian government, political leadership and defence force have been long been targeted by Australia's electronic spy agency, the Australian Signals Directorate, and by the Australian Secret Intelligence Service.

Australia bugged Malaysia Cabinet ministers

Fairfax Media has been told that in the early 1990s Australian intelligence successfully eavesdropped on Malaysian Cabinet talks, recording highly uncomplimentary remarks by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed about Indonesian President Suharto. A decade later parliamentary joint intelligence committee members were briefed on the Australian Signals Directorate’s access to Malaysian defence force communications, including interception of video conference channels used by Malaysia's defence chiefs.

Confirmation that Abdullah Badawi was targeted for intelligence collection is the latest in a series of unprecedented disclosures of US and Australian intelligence operations against South East Asian countries.

In August last year Fairfax Media revealed that the Australian Signals Directorate is in a partnership with British, American and Singaporean intelligence agencies to tap undersea fibre optic telecommunications cables through South East Asia. Fairfax Media also reported on the use of US and Australian embassies in East and South East Asia, including those in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, as secret bases for signals intelligence collection program codenamed "Stateroom".

In November the Guardian and the ABC reported that the Australian Signals Directorate had intercepted the mobile phone of Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and many of his closest political associates.

In response, Indonesia broke off formal military cooperation with Australia and demanded a new "code of conduct" be reached with Australia before cooperation resumes.

Other revelations have included cooperation between the US National Security Agency and its Australian counterpart in targeting a 2007 United Nations climate change conference in Bali.

According to other National Security Agency documents published by the New York Times, the Australian Signals Directorate has accessed bulk call data from Indosat, Indonesia’s domestic satellite telecommunications provider, and obtained nearly 1.8 million encrypted master keys, which are used to protect private communications, from Indonesia’s Telkomsel mobile telephone network in Indonesia, and developed a way to decrypt almost all of them.

Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the new code of conduct being negotiated between Australia and Indonesia will include a clause dealing with intelligence activities.

"I made it quite clear that Australia would not use its resources - our intelligence resources - to the detriment of our friends and neighbours and that includes Indonesia," she told the ABC Lateline program.

Ms Bishop said Australia has submitted a draft of the code of conduct, which she described as a "joint understanding", however she expected progress to be slow in the lead-up to Indonesia’s legislative elections next week and presidential elections in July. - smh.com.au

MAS Pula Minta Bukti Dari Gomen Yang MH370 Terhempas Di Lautan Hindi...

Kadar Tol Jambatan ke-2 Pulau Pinang

cheers.

Sampah bukan serpihan2 MH370 dan Mahathir buat2 lupa pasai Memali...

Kapal China dan Australia tidak menemui apa-apa yang bermakna dan boleh dikaitkan dengan pesawat MH370 dari kawasan pencarian baharu selepas objek pelbagai warna yang dikesan semalam hanya sampah laut sahaja.

Wartawan BBC yang berada di atas salah sebuah kapal itu menunjukkan ia hanya jaring biasa yang sukar untuk dikaitkan dengan MH370.

Semalam, kapal terbang tentera China melihat tiga objek yang disyaki dari pesawat MH370 berwarna putih, merah dan oren di kawasan baharu pencarian semalam yang meliputi kawasan seluas 1,850 km di barat Perth, Australia, lapor agensi berita rasmi China, Xinhua.

Susulan penemuan itu, kapal China membuat pencarian di kawasan itu bagi mengesan pesawat malang yang hilang sejak 8 Mac lalu.

Ia adalah pencarian yang memasuki minggu keempat selepas penemuan tanda palsu yang disangka serpihan pesawat itu sebelum ini.

Pihak berkuasa Australia menyusun semula pencarian ke 1,100 km ke utara Jumaat lalu selepas analisis radar dan data satelit menunjukkan pesawat itu terbang lebih laju daripada andaian sebelum ini.

Penemuan objek pelbagai warna oleh kapal terbang China itu berikutan laporan kapal antarabangsa pada Jumaat yang melihat objek pelbagai warna, kata Pihak Berkuasa Keselamatan Maritim Australia (Amsa).

Amsa berkata, sesetengahnya dilihat seperti daripada kapal nelayan dan ia tidak boleh disahkan sehingga diambil oleh kapal laut yang mencari.

"Kami berharap dapat mengenal pasti objek yang kami lihat semalam," kata Ketua Skuad Tentera Udara Diraja New Zealand, Leftenan Leon Fox kepada Reuters sebelum terbang ke kawasan pencarian dengan Orion P-3.

"Kami berharap kapal di kawasan itu dapat mengambilnya dan memberikan kepada kita petunjuk terhadap apa yang kami lihat,” katanya.

Kapal China Jinggangshan yang membawa dua helikopter di atasnya sampai ke kawasan pencarian itu semalam dan dijangka memberikan fokus kepada serpihan kapal yang timbul termasuk tumpahan minyak dan jaket keselamatan di laut yang luasnya 6,900 km persegi, kata Xinhua.

Empat lagi kapal China dan satu dari Australia dalam perjalanan ke sana tetapi hanya sampai lewat  semalam.

Sebaik sahaja pesawat MH370 dikesan hilang pada 8 Mac lalu, pencarian tertumpu di Laut China Selatan.

Operasi mencari kemudian dipindahkan ke Lautan Hindi selepas pengumuman Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak pesawat itu berpatah balik dalam perjalanannya dari KLIA ke Beijing.

Pencarian kemudian tertumpu selama seminggu di kawasan 2,500 km persegi di tenggara Perth selepas imej satelit menunjukkan kemungkinan ada serpihan pesawat itu. Kawasan itu juga kemudian ditinggalkan.

Kini pencarian memasuki kawasan baharu selepas analisis radar dan setelit mendapati kemungkinan ia terbang lebih laju daripada jangkaan awal.-f/bk

Flight MH370 search draws blank as Australia appoints ex-military chief to co-ordinate operations...

A new search area failed to yield an immediate breakthrough in the hunt for ill-fated Flight MH370 on Sunday, as Australia appointed its former military chief to help co-ordinate the operation in the Indian Ocean.

Debris spotted by aircraft and then picked up by ships combing the new search zone proved not to be from the Malaysian Airlines’ Boeing 777, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

“It appeared to be fishing equipment and just rubbish on the [ocean’s] surface,” an AMSA spokesman told reporters.

As the hunt resumed 1,850 kilometres west of Perth, Australia said former defence force chief Angus Houston would head a new unit to help in the search, which involves the militaries of seven nations – Australia, China, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United States.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that Houston(above) would lead the new Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) based in Perth, “to co-ordinate the Australian government’s support for the search into MH370”.

Houston, who was chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2005 until 2011, has been given a brief to co-ordinate the often delicate diplomatic contacts between participants in the international effort.

He will also make sure that families receive up-to-date information and travel assistance, including visa services, accommodation advice, interpreter services and counselling.

International protocols mean Malaysia is officially in charge of the search operation, but Abbott made clear that Houston was available “to oversee the overall search and investigation effort” if asked.

The search moved on Friday to a new sea zone after fresh data indicated the plane was flying faster than first thought before it is presumed to have run out of fuel and plunged into the sea.

But debris sightings by Chinese, Australian and New Zealand planes on Saturday did not yield any solid clues in one of aviation’s greatest mysteries, compounding the frustration of families who have been waiting more than three weeks to discover the fate of their loved ones.- scmp

"Melayu mudah lupa" kena batang hidung sendiri Tun Mahathir buat-buat LUPA...

tapi Mahathir ini Melayu pure ke... Baca sini

Kenapa Musa Ingat Tapi Mahathir Mudah Lupa...

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Mahathir Mohamad tidak mengambil masa yang lama untuk menjawab dakwaan bekas timbalannya, Musa Hitam bahawa beliau berada di dalam negara dan bukannya di China ketika peristiwa Memali yang mengorbankan 14 nyawa dan mencederakan puluhan yang lain pada tahun 1985 itu berlaku.

Bagaimanapun jawapan Mahathir ialah, "pasal perkara ini sudah berlaku begitu lama, saya kena semak baliklah apa yang dia kata betul atau tidak".

Memandangkan perkara itu sudah berlaku hampir 30 tahun lalu, maka Mahathir sudah tidak ingat lagi di mana beliau berada ketika itu dan memerlukan sedikit masa, barangkali untuk menyemak kembali diari lamanya.

Jawapan Mahathir ini bermakna kebenaran masih tergantung sehingga beliau menyemak dan memastikan di mana beliau berada ketika peristiwa Memali itu terjadi.

Bagaimanapun haruslah diakui bahawa peristiwa Memali adalah peristiwa besar yang sukar dilupakan oleh rakyat negara ini dan tentunya juga menjadi topik perbincangan di dalam mesyuarat kabinet atau di kalangan jemaah menteri ketika itu. Sekaligus jawapan Mahathir yang tidak dapat mengingati di mana beliau berada agak sedikit mengecewakan bagi sesetengah orang.

Bagaimanakah Musa Hitam masih mengingati bahawa ketika itu Mahathir berada di dalam negara dan bukannya di China sebagaimana yang dilaporkan sebelum ini?

Malah Musa Hitam juga mengingati bahawa dua tiga hari selepas kejadian Memali pun Mahathir masih berada di dalam negara?

Ada pula yang berkata, Musa Hitam tidak mungkin berkata sesuatu yang beliau tidak pasti kerana dakwaannya bahawa Mahathir berada di dalam negara jika didapati tidak benar, akan membunuh reputasinya sendiri?

Betulkah Mahathir tidak ingat dan di mana beliau berada ketika itu? 

"Masa tu saya duk tebaq roti"

Jika benar beliau berada di China ketika peritiwa Memali yang menggemparkan negara itu, logikkah beliau sudah lupa mengenainya?

Jika benar Mahathir berada di dalam negara pula, benarkah juga beliau sudah lupa tentangnya?

Sementara kebenaran yang sebenarnya diharap akan diketahui tidak lama lagi, rakyat mula berteka-teki - siapakah yang sebenarnya berbohong antara dua Tun ini?- SH

Memali? I can’t remember, says Mahathir...

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he cannot remember if he was in the country during the Memali incident where 18 people were killed 29 years ago.

"I can't remember..." he told journalists in Kuala Lumpur when quizzed if he was in the country during the bloody event.

Mahathir was responding to his then deputy prime minister Musa Hitam who claimed on Thursday that his former boss was in Kuala Lumpur when the incident happened.

Mahathir said he needed to look into his records and check if Musa's claim was true.

"I am studying the truth of what he (Musa) said,” added Mahathir.

"Since this happened a long time ago, I need to check back to see what he said is true.”

Largely absolved
          
Musa told a forum in Kota Bharu two days ago: "Dr Mahathir was in Kuala Lumpur, even on the second, third and fourth day after that, he was still in Kuala Lumpur.”

Mahathir was largely absolved over the deaths of 18 people in a deadly police assault on Memali in 1985 as he was claimed to be on an official visit to China.

Armoured vehicles rolled into the remote village in Baling, Kedah to crack down on a religious sect led by Ibrahim Mahmud, better known as Ibrahim Libya.

Some 400 police officers stormed the village on Nov 19 that year after a stand-off where villagers refused to surrender Ibrahim to the authorities, who accused him of being a deviant, and they fought back.

The siege resulted in the deaths of 14 villagers and four police officers - considered one of the bloodiest episodes in recent history.- mk

Dr M’s unbearably convenient memory...

Predictably, Dr Mahathir Mohamed cannot quite remember whether he was in the country when the Memali incident occurred in November 1985, four years and four months into his 22-year premiership.

His deputy then, Musa Hitam, said in Kota Baru last Thursday that Mahathir was in the country, not just when the incident occurred on November 19, but also up to four days after the episode in which 14 police personnel and four villagers were killed in Mukim Siong, Baling.

At that time, the Malaysian public was given to understand that their Prime Minister was abroad - in China, to be sure.

Mahathir held the customary press conference at the airport upon his return from abroad.

He took questions on the Memali incident in which police opened fire on a house where religious cult leader Ibrahim Libya was holed up with several villagers.

The ensuing shootout became a cause celebre.  

Pressed for a response to what Musa had said about him being in the country during that incident and then affecting to show he was not, Mahathir parried his former deputy’s implied attack on his probity with, “I can’t remember.”

Mahathir pleaded his advanced years (he will be 89 in July): “Since this happened a long time ago, I need to check back to see what he [Musa] said is true.”

Mahathir has a convenient sense of recall: he remembers what it is expedient for him to remember and trots out pleas of amnesia when it suits his purpose.

At the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam videotape in January 2008, Mahathir not infrequently responded with “I don’t remember” to critical questions on his role in the matter in which a senior lawyer was captured on video attempting to fix the appointment of judges during the period of Mahathir’s tenure as prime minister (1981-2003).

At that time Mahathir’s infamous chiding of Malays - “Melayu mudah lupa” (The Malays easily forget) - for their supposed ingratitude came back to haunt him.

“Dr M mudah lupa,” (Dr M easily forgets) became his critics’ catch-phrase of raillery against him when it was seen that the former PM’s powers of recall were conveniently self-serving.       

Musa's motive
Political observers are wondering about the motive of Musa, a one-time ally-turned-opponent of Mahathir’s in raising a matter that took place almost 29 years ago.

They ought to wonder no more: Musa (left) is attempting a block. He knows Mahathir wants Prime Minister Najib Razak out as PM.

The incumbent PM is beleaguered by the disappearance of flight MH370, now three weeks into the greatest mystery in civil aviation’s history.

The circumstances of the plane’s mysterious disappearance with 239 people on board places Najib, Home Minister Zahid Hamidi and Defense Minister Hishamuddin Hussein on notice of grave lack of fitness to hold office.

Incidentally, all three of the abovementioned individuals are stalling points in the career path of Mukhriz, the Menteri Besar of Kedah, regarded as inheritor of the Mahathir mantle of national leadership. 

In most countries in the world, North Korea excepting, an incident like MH370’s disappearance would have had the trio of Najib, Zahid and Hishamuddin with their necks on the chopping block.

Not Malaysia where the 47 percent of the voters who endorsed the ruling BN coalition in the general election last May are embodiments of the validity of the philosopher George Santayana’s dictum: “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat.”

Command and control

Twice in the recent days Mahathir has talked about matters that bespeak a desire to return to a command and control role in Malaysian politics.

First, he advised that the government should get ready to tackle a financial crisis and trotted out his expertise at prescribing for just such a malady.

Days after this advice, analysts toted up expected losses to the economy from the suspension of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 because of flight MH370’s disappearance, and from the anticipated further bleeding of our already loss-hobbled national carrier, MAS. They said it would be RM4 billion at the very least.
 
The second alarum Mahathir sounded was even more unsettling.
He said that if he were to return as PM, he would censor the internet which would be a clear violation of the bill of rights he vouchsafed cyber practitioners when inaugurating the Malaysian Multimedia Corridor in 1996.

Well, no prizes for guessing what the former PM would say if reminded of his promise of no restrictions on freedom to publish on the internet: “I can’t remember.”

It has become a mantra of the man who had ruled the country for 22 years (1981-2003) during which he built it up physically and emasculated it morally.

The country’s problem is that it has enough masochists who may want more of the same. Not Musa Hitam, though.- Terence Netto,MK

'Dr M present during Memali' claim reverberates...

Razak-SAT mungkin tak berfungsi lagi dan akan diganti dengan satelit di atas itu nanti...

cheers.

Inmarsat kata teori "Berakhir di lautan" bukan dari mereka, itu teori Najib...

Bagaimanapun, pengumuman telah membangkitkan kemarahan di

kalangan keluarga penumpang China, yang enggan menerima kesimpulan itu sehinggalah pesawat tersebut ditemui.

Jurucakap Inmarsat Jonathan Sinnatt berkata Inmarsat hanya menyediakan maklumat dan terpulang kepada kerajaan Malaysia untuk membuat kesimpulan sendiri, laporan China Daily.

"Kami menyediakan maklumat kita kepada rakyat Malaysia, dan mereka menggabungkannya dengan maklumat yang lain yang mereka ada, yang kita tidak tahu tentangnya, dan kemudian mereka membuat kesimpulan daripadanya dan membuat pengumuman mereka sendiri.

"Kami tidak terbabit dengan apa yang Malaysia umumkan, itu terpulang kepada mereka, kerana mereka melihat gambaran penuh. Kami hanya menyumbang satu set maklumat," jurucakap itu dilaporkan berkata.

Sementara itu, Reuters melaporkan Xinhua hari ini berkata sebuah pesawat China telah mengesan tiga objek yang mencurigakan di kawasan carian baru di Lautan Hindi.

Barang-barang itu masing-masing berwarna putih, merah dan oren, kata Xinhua.

Manakala Astro Awani pula memetik Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata hari ini bahawa protokol keselamatan
baru di pintu masuk negara, terutamanya KLIA, sedang dikaji dan diperbaiki jika perlu.

Imigresen akan memasang APSS atau sistem pemeriksaan penumpang yang akan dilaksanakan pertengahan bulan Jun.

Bagaimanapun beliau enggan menjawab ketika ditanya mengenai protokol ruang udara, sambil berkata ia terletak di bawah Jabatan Penerbangan Awam (DCA) dan Kementerian Pengangkutan.

Mengenai pelanggaran keselamatan ruang udara kita seperti yang berlaku terhadap lencongan penerbangan MH370, Zahid berkata ia adalah satu perkara yang melibatkan Kementerian Pertahanan.

Katanya, ketika beliau menjadi menteri pertahanan, Tentera Udara diberi tanggungjawab untuk memintas apa-apa unsur asing, tetapi bukan pesawat komersial, kerana radar primary dapat mengenal pasti antara sebuah jet pejuang, pesawat tentera dan pesawat komersil.

Inmarsat washes hands off ' Najib's ended in ocean' theory...

Today marks exactly three weeks since Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 mysteriously diverted towards the Indian Ocean from its original destination Beijing, and vanished.

Yesterday, with new information the Australian-led search party for the Boeing 777-200ER shifted its search area 1,100 kilometres northeast from the original site.

British-based satellite company Inmarsat distances itself from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's conclusion that MH370 has "ended in the Indian Ocean".

Inmarsat spokesperson Jonathan Sinnatt says Inmarsat had only provided the information and it was for the Malaysian government to draw its own conclusions, reports China Daily."We provide our information to the Malaysians, and they combine that with all the other information which they have, which we wouldn't know about, and then they draw their conclusions from that and make their own announcements on that basis.

"We aren't a party to what the Malaysians announced, that's up to them, because they see the full picture. We just contribute one set of information," he is reported saying.

Najib on the night of March 24 delivered a grim press conference announcing MH370 had "ended in the Indian Ocean" citing analysis of Inmarsat's satellite data.

However, the announcement has fuelled anger among the Chinese families of the passengers, who refuse to accept the conclusion until the aircraft is found.

Searchers have until about April 8 before the batteries on MH370’s underwater beacons - the pingers -  go dead, after which locating the aircraft’s black box will be that much harder.- mk

Serpihan Pesawat MH370 Dijumpai Selepas Raja Bomoh Buat Ritual Di Parit...

Raja Bomoh, Datuk Mahaguru Ibrahim Mat Zin menjelaskan beliau lega dan bersyukur dengan penemuan terbaru berhubung misteri kehilangan pesawat MH370 yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak malam tadi.

Menurutnya penemuan terbaru itu secara tidak langsung akan menguatkan lagi semangatnya untuk membantu usaha mencari yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan.

“Alhamdulillah berkat usaha yang dilakukan sebelum ini ditambah dengan doa seluruh rakyat Malaysia, misteri kehilangan MH370 ini akhirnya menunjukkan perkemangan positif.

“Kalau nak ikutkan, Datuk perlu lakukan sekurang-kurangnya tujuh upacara, syukur ke hadrat Allah, dengan 5 upacara yang dilakukan sebelum ini, sudah ada tanda positif yang ditunjukkan.

“Sebelum ini, Datuk lakukan 2 upacara di KLIA, 2 di Menara Condong Teluk Intan dan 2 hari lepas satu lagi upacara di lakukan di persisiran sungai Perak, Parit. Datuk yakin pesawat ini baru terhempas, paling lewat tengah hari atau petang semalam. Seperti yang Datuk katakan sebelum ini, ia sebelum ini tergantung,” katanya.

Ibrahim turut mendakwa, beliau akan tetap meneruskan semua usaha yang dijalankan sebelum walaupun dikecam oleh pelbagai pihak.

“Semua mereka yang mengutuk itu hanya pandai untuk bercakap, tapi langsung tiada usaha untuk membantu. Setidak-tidaknya Datuk berani untuk tampil membantu dengan ikhlas. Kita perlu tolong berdasarkan kemahiran masing-masing,” jelasnya lagi.

Perdana Menteri sebelum ini mengesahkan bahawa pesawat MH370 yang tidak dapat dikesan sejak 8 Mac lalu hilang di Lautan Hindi.

Dalam sidang media tergempar yang diadakan di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) di sini, beliau berkata, maklumat tersebut diperoleh dari data terbaru yang dianalisis oleh Inmarsat, syarikat United Kingdom yang menyediakan data satelit dan Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

“Berdasarkan maklumat yang diterima, saya dengan dukacitanya memaklumkan penerbangan pesawat MH370 telah berakhir di selatan Lautan Hindi,”

“Maklumat ini telah diterima dan dianalisis AAIB berdasarkan data satelit yang disalurkan oleh Inmarsat,” katanya dalam persidangan media hari ini.

Menurutnya, berdasarkan teknik analisis yang belum pernah digunakan dalam siasatan sebegitu, mereka mendapat lebih banyak petunjuk mengenai laluan penerbangan MH370.- f/bk

Rajah Bomoh 1Malaysia cabar Mufti Perak buktikan ritualnya adalah syrik dan khurafat.

Rasanya sudah cukup lama kita tidak mengulas dan menganalisis politik serta ekonomi tanah air kerana kita mahu memberi peluang dan ruang yang secukupnya kepada semua pihak, khususnya kepemimpinan negara, menangani misteri MH370 tanpa gangguan.

Tetapi selepas lebih tiga minggu, misteri kehilangan pesawat Boeing 777-200ER MAS itu jauh daripada selesai dan kita pun sudah lihat dengan jelas buruk serta baik prestasi kepemimpinan kita menangani krisis.

Bukan krisis lesapnya MH370 sahaja. Serentak itu kita juga mengalami kemarau, kebakaran hutan, jerebu dan catuan air. Sebelum itu, wilayah kita dilanggar penjahat Filipina.

Kita sudah memberikan masa yang cukup lama dan panjang kepada mereka, khasnya Perdana Menteri, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak mengatasi krisis-krisis ini sehingga timbul tanda-tanda yang mereka berasa lega berselindung di sebalik tragedi MH370.

Saya tertarik dengan analisis sebuah portal berita yang mengatakan kedudukan Mohd Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri adalah selamat dan terjamin walaupun negara dan rakyat jelata menderita pelbagai krisis.

Kata portal berita itu, walaupun tahap keyakinan terhadap beliau mungkin berada di paras paling rendah sejak menjadi PM pada tahun 2009, beliau akan kekal sebagai PM.

Disember lalu, populariti beliau mengikut kajian Merdeka Center jatuh kepada 52%. Sebanyak 67% daripada orang yang dikaji menyebut peningkatan kos sara hidup dan inflasi sebagai punca mereka hilang keyakinan terhadap Mohd Najib.

Populariti beliau merudum di kalangan semua bangsa walaupun kejatuhan paling teruk adalah di kalangan orang India. Sokongan orang India terhadap beliau jatuh daripada 76% kepada 57% dan sokongan orang Cina jatuh 13% lagi kepada hanya 21%. Hatta orang Melayu yang menjadi penyokong utama beliau pun memberi penarafan yang lebih rendah – jatuh daripada 73% kepada 66%.

Main Selamat Baik Bagi Mohd Najib

Penarafan dan kritikan nampaknya tidak menjejaskan kedudukan Mohd Najib sebagai PM. Tidak nampak ada cabaran yang berwibawa agar beliau mengundurkan diri daripada kerajaan dan parti.

Tidak seperti (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang ditentang hebat oleh (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad dengan bantuan Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin dan (Tun) Daim Zainuddin serta sekumpulan blogger pro-Umno selepas PRU 2008, Mohd Najib tidak menghadapi gerakan seperti itu.

Bukan itu saja. Malah tidak ada siapa pun di kalangan kepemimpinan kanan Umno sekarang yang berminat menjadi PM. Ini berbeza daripada zaman Abdullah apabila Mohd Najib cukup berminat untuk mengambil alih jawatan nombor satu itu.

Hal ini saya ulas dengan agak panjang lebar dalam buku terbaru saya “Mohd Najib Selepas Tsunami Cina”. Dalam erti kata lain, kelemahan Mohd Najib adalah kekuatannya.

Mohd Najib tidak popular. Penarafan beliau merudum. Tetapi beliau makin hari makin kuat. Malah cukup kuat untuk menutup mulut veteran Umno dan menggoncangkan mereka dengan menggunakan media arus perdana.

Baru-baru ini, dengan tidak semena-mena media arus perdana milik kumpulan Utusan dan Media Prima, memberi liputan luas kepada Ketua Pemuda PKR, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin apabila beliau membuat tuduhan terhadap Daim.

Wayang kulit media milik Umno itu menjadi lebih ketara apabila Mohd Najib membuat kenyataan ringkas menyesali serangan PKR terhadap Daim. 

Soalnya, adakah keadaan di mana PM yang tidak popular, tetapi tidak mungkin digulingkan adalah baik bagi negara dan rakyat jelata?

Kesan Kemiskinan Akibat Inflasi

Kenaikan harga barang dan perkhidmatan akibat penghapusan dan pemotongan subsidi serta kenaikan tarif elektrik memberi kesan langsung dalam “memiskinkan” rakyat.

Umum sudah tahu kesan kemiskinan akibat kenaikan kos sara hidup di kalangan rakyat dalam kategori isi rumah (household) 40% terkebawah yang berpendapatan purata RM1,800 sebulan.

Malah Mohd Najib sendiri mengakui kesan kemiskinan yang semakin meruncing itu apabila beliau memberikan Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) kepada semua yang berpendapatan kurang RM3,000 sebulan.

Akhbar The Star terbitan 27 Mac menyiarkan laporan bahawa hatta golongan yang berpendapatan isi rumah kurang RM5,000 pun menghadapi masalah untuk mengimbangi belanjawan mereka.  

Jadi, ada dikotomi atau pemisahan antara pelantikan Mohd Najib sebagai PM lima tahun lalu dengan kesejahteraan hidup rakyat. Manakala kedudukan Mohd Najib semakin terjamin kerana tidak ada lagi usaha menjatuhkan beliau, kedudukan ekonomi rakyat jelata semakin lemah.

Kita boleh mengatakannya satu keanehan atau ironi kerana Mohd Najib adalah PM Malaysia yang paling buruk prestasi pilihan raya (sejak krisis 13 Mei 1969), tetapi tidak tercabar.

Adakah ini disebabkan oleh Umno ketandusan bakat kepemimpinan atau sudah menjadi begitu autokratik sehingga Presiden tidak boleh dicabar lagi?

Atau adakah negara kita sebenarnya lebih terkongkong dan tidak bebas walaupun diuar-uarkan sebagai terbuka, liberal dan sederhana?

Keadaan ini mungkin boleh diterima oleh majoriti ahli dan penyokong Umno, tetapi sama ada ia akan diterima oleh pengundi dan rakyat jelata amnya adalah persoalan yang berbeza.

Sekali lagi mungkin ada dikotomi antara kedudukan Mohd Najib yang kukuh dan selamat sebagai PM dengan sokongan pengundi terhadap Umno dan BN.

PM vs Kelangsungan Umno/BN

Mohd Najib kekal sebagai PM sehingga PRU akan datang, tetapi adakah Umno dan BN akan kekal selepas itu?

Kalau pun Umno dan BN kekal ia bukanlah kerana Umno dan BN kuat, tetapi kerana Pakatan Rakyat mungkin menjadi lemah akibat kemungkinan pemenjaraan ketua de faktonya, Anwar Ibrahim.

Sedikit sebanyak trend pengundian Pilihan Raya Kecil Dewan Undangan Kajang 23 Mac lalu memberi gambaran awal bahawa sokongan terhadap PR di kawasan bandar dan separa bandar semakin kukuh.

Natijahnya, Mohd Najib wajib menjaga pengundi Bumiputera dan luar bandar dari aspek ekonomi dan emosi. Tetapi beliau nampaknya terus cuba menggula-gulakan pengundi Cina dengan pelbagai janji dan pemberian.

Sebaliknya, Bumiputera dan penduduk luar bandar yang berupa rakyat paling miskin adalah yang paling teruk dihimpit kesan kenaikan kos sara hidup, inflasi dan kejatuhan harga barangan utama seperti getah dan kelapa sawit.

Cuma mereka tidak mempunyai saluran yang luas dan bebas seperti di bandar untuk menyatakan keresahan. Mereka masih bergantung pada media tradisional yang umumnya prokerajaan.- A Kadir Jasin

Why aren’t there any challengers to Najib’s position...

Has Umno become too autocratic or does the party lack talented leaders who can challenge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, a former Umno-linked English newspaper editor asked today.

In his latest blog posting, Datuk A Kadir Jasin wrote that Najib was comfortable in his current position as Umno president despite various issues plaguing Malaysia.

"Before the disappearance of MH370, Malaysians had suffered from drought, forest fires, haze and water rationing," said the former New Straits Times group editor-in-chief.

"Ratings and criticism do not appear to have threatened Najib's position as Malaysia's PM.

"Indeed, it can be described as an irony that while Najib is Malaysia's prime minister with the worst performance in a general election since the May racial riots in 1969, he is unchallenged.

"There does not seem to be any sustained challenge which can force him to step down from his position in Putrajaya and Umno," Kadir said.

He said it was different for Najib's predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose rule was met with fierce resistance from various quarters.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was a vocal critic of Abdullah.

Dr Mahathir was assisted by deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin as well as pro-Umno bloggers.

However, Najib has not faced a similar threat nor do any of the current Umno leadership seem overly interested in becoming PM, Kadir said.

"It is quite different from Abdullah's reign when Najib expressed an interest in assuming the number one position in Malaysia.

"In a nutshell, Najib's weakness is his strength," Kadir said, adding that Najib was unpopular and his ratings were dropping.

"But he seems to be getting stronger every day, strong enough to shut veteran Umno leaders and shake them using the mainstream media."

Kadir noted that recently, Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia and the Media Prima group gave wide coverage to PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.

Shamsul had questioned why Daim had not been included in the list of Malaysia's 40 richest individuals when there was public perception he belonged in the ultra-rich category.

"The stage show became more evident when Najib issued a brief statement expressing regret over PKR's attack on Daim," Kadir said.

He also said there were signs that Najib and his administration were relieved to take cover behind the MH370 tragedy.

"After more than three weeks, the mystery of MH370's disappearance is far from being solved.

"We have seen first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of our leaders in handling an international crisis."

Kadir also noted changes he had observed following the Kajang by-election last weekend.

"The urban and semi-urban support for Pakatan Rakyat appears to be getting stronger," he said.

"Najib should be taking care of Bumiputera voters both economically and emotionally.

"But he seems to be more intent on trying to woo Chinese voters with various offerings and promises," Kadir said.

"The rakyat in the rural areas are the ones who are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"They are stuck between rising cost of living, inflation and the falling prices of commodities such as rubber and palm oil."

Kadir added that these people did not have any avenues to voice their worries and anxieties like city dwellers as they still relied on traditional mainstream media. – tmi

cheers.

MH370 - Objek baru ditemui dan Balingan mengundi...

MH370 - 11'objects' spotted in new search area...

A Chinese ship has arrived at the new search area to relocate objects thought to be part of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. Another five ships, including Australia's HMAS Success, are enroute and expected to arrive in the search zone later today.

The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration ship Haixun 01 has been on scene for relocating objects from first light.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion spotted 11 white rectangular objects in the Indian Ocean on Friday.

The cluster of objects is sitting just below the surface about 1600 kilometres west of Perth, New Zealand Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short told media on Saturday.

"It's hard to identify because all you're seeing is this one-metre rectangular piece of material."

The 11 objects were within five metres of each other and there were objects up to a couple of hundred miles away as well, he said.

"There seems to be patches of these objects and that's not unexpected, looking at how long the aircraft's been missing.

"If they're from that aircraft it's not unusual to have them separated by hundreds of miles."

The plane carrying 239 people, including six Australians and two New Zealanders, disappeared on March 8.

The objects had been marked with a sonar buoy and four ships would be in the area on Saturday morning to retrieve them, Air Vice-Marshal Short said.

The objects would be photographed, with the images sent to investigators, then transported to Perth for further investigation, he said.

Earlier on Friday, the search area was shifted 1000 kilometres north-east after international air crash investigators had their ”most credible lead” yet.

The new area was calculated after analysis of radar data indicated the aircraft was travelling faster than previously thought, meaning it would have used its fuel more quickly and travelled less distance.

At 319,000 square kilometres, the new search area revealed on Friday is massive, almost the same size as the Malaysian land mass and roughly 50 per cent larger than Victoria.

Five aircraft also spotted coloured objects in the new search area on Friday.

Photographs of the objects were taken and were to be assessed overnight, while a Chinese ship in the new search area was directed towards the debris.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority emergency response manager John Young said all search planes and ships had been moved to the new zone.- theage

Five aircraft spotted coloured objects in the new search area for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight on Friday.

Photographs of the objects were taken and were to be assessed overnight, while a Chinese ship in the new search area was directed towards the debris.

Earlier in the day, the search area was shifted 1000 kilometres north-east after international air crash investigators had their ”most credible lead” yet.

The new area was calculated after analysis of radar data indicated the aircraft was travelling faster than previously thought, meaning it would have used its fuel more quickly and travelled less distance.

At 319,000 square kilometres, the new search area revealed on Friday is massive, almost the same size as the Malaysian land mass and roughly 50 per cent larger than Victoria.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority announced on Friday night a New Zealand Orion surveillance plane had spotted a number of white or light-coloured objects and a fishing bouy in the area, which were also seen by spotters on an Australian Orion.

The Royal Australian Air Force plane also sighted two blue-grey rectangular objects. A second Australian Orion reported seeing a number of objects in a separate part of the search area about 546 kilometres away. - AFP

Chinese relatives in protest walkout at MH370 briefing...

Frustrated family members of the Chinese passengers aboard missing flight MH370 walked out of a briefing by Malaysian officials Friday, leaving the panel to stare at ranks of empty chairs while a single relatives' representative berated them.

With the search on its 20th day, hundreds of family members of the 153 Chinese passengers stood up about an hour into a briefing at Beijing's Lido Hotel and calmly filed out of the room, in a surreal scene that underscored the simmering tensions between the relatives and Malaysian authorities.

The man who led them in protest -- a representative of the families who gave only his surname, Jiang -- took the microphone as soon as officials opened the floor for questions following their presentation on the latest details of the search effort.

Jiang, who was wearing a white MH370 T-shirt underneath a tan blazer, turned to the assembled relatives and asked them whether they were satisfied with what they have heard from officials so far.

"No!" the family members responded in unison.

He led them in leaving the hall, as cameras rolled and the panel of Malaysian officials wordlessly looked on. Several dozen uniformed police officers stood on the sides of the room, watching the scene unfold.

Once the family members had left, Jiang returned and took a seat in the front row, directly in front of the officials.

'We are trying our best' 

"You have seen from the scene today that the next of kin are united," he declared. "Chinese people are united. The facts which you have been concealing -- or trying to conceal -- will ultimately see the light of day. There will certainly be people who receive their due punishment as a result of this."

Ackbal Abdul Samad, commander of the Malaysian Air Force operations, responded by defending the search operation and maintaining that the authorities were working their hardest.

"How can you move forward from here?" he asked. "We are trying our best. We are trying our best."

With a twinge of exasperation in his voice, he added: "We have got nothing to hide."

The back-and-forth soon ended, Jiang left the hall and the panel of Malaysian officials sat quietly, staring out at the rows of empty seats in the ballroom.

The bizarre scene was in dramatic contrast to irate relatives scuffling with security personnel outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing on Tuesday, after authorities allowed a rare protest march in the capital.

After several minutes, a reporter broke the silence to ask the officials what they were waiting for.

Jiang then returned and announced that the family members were to hold a private meeting in the hall -- no journalists or officials allowed.

The panel remained silent for another moment. Relatives began flooding back into the room. Then Samad spoke up.

"Seems we'll take a leave," he said. "And then we'll see what's next." - AFP

Perkasa Dibenarkan MASUK / PKR Dihalang Memasuki Sarawak – ‘Pembelian Undi’ Sempena PRK Sarawak...

Sarawak Report mempunyai bukti mengatakan bahawa kenyataan Jabatan Imigresen Sarawak bahawa Ketua Perkasa, Ibrahim Ali tidak datang ke Sarawak minggu lepas adalah tidak benar.

Kami mempunyai bukti bahawa Ibrahim Ali sememangnya melawat Sarawak, kerana dibuktikan menerusi tandatangannya sendiri diturunkan semasa membuat pembayaran ke atas minuman dan makanan di Hotel Harbour View di Kuching, di mana dia juga menginap selama dua malam di Bilik 307.

Sarawak Report telah menerima gambar-gambar foto eksklusif berkenaan resit-resit pembayaran yang dilakukannya itu.

Kami dapat mengesahkan bahawa lawatannya ke Kuching pada minggu lepas itu telah diatur menggunakan nama kumpulan pelampau Melayu (yang menggelar diri mereka sebagai badan NGO) oleh Setiausaha Agungnya, Syed Hassan Syed Ali.

Syed Hassan Syed Ali telah menempah empat buah bilik atas nama Perkasa di Hotel Harbour View, yang berharga kira-kira RM150 semalam, untuk malam 20 – 21hb Mac yang lalu.
Pihak kami menerima salinan-salinan rekod pendaftaran itu.

Kumpulan itu kemudiannya berbual-bual selama beberapa jam sehingga larut malam di restoran itu bersama ahli-ahli PKMS – Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Sarawak, yang dilaporkan sebagai penjemput kumpulan ekstremis berhaluan kanan Perkasa itu untuk memperkenalkan persatuan mereka itu.

Berikutan kemarahan ramai pihak berkenaan kunjungan itu dan juga laporan-laporan bahawa pemimpin Perkasa itu berhasrat untuk melancarkan sebuah cawangan baru ‘pertubuhan kebencian’ di Sarawak, Jabatan Imigresen Sarawak semalam telah mengeluarkan suatu kenyataan penafian bahawa dia pernah ke negeri itu.

Maklumat ralat ini turut disokong oleh pihak polis dan unit cawangan khas dan juga dilaporkan dalam media tempatan.

Namun kami dapat menunjukkan bahawa sekeping salinan karbon pelanduk dua serupa Ibrahim Ali bukan sekadar duduk bersantai bersama rakan-rakan Perkasanya pada hari Jumaat lepas, malah dia turut menandatangani bil menggunakan namanya sendiri, dengan gahnya memasukkan gelaran Dato’ termasuk juga menuliskan nombor biliknya 307.

Kami juga menerima sesalinan penyata tempahannya di hotel berkenaan yang dibuat atas nama Perkasa dan Setiausaha Agungnya Syed Hassan Syed Ali.

Oleh yang demikian, sama ada keseluruhan lawatan itu adalah cubaan luar biasa, penuh dengan kenyataan media palsu dan seorang selebtiti yang menyamar sebagai Ibrahim Ali yang amat berpengaruh itu, menandatangani menggunakan namanya, atau pihak berkuasa Sarawak telah mula mengambil langkah bodoh bertindak menyebarkan maklumat palsu. 

 Lawatan penyemai kebencian ekstrim, Ibrahim Ali, yang tidak diundang ke negeri itu tidak seharusnya diatur pada masa yang provokatif ini, dengan tindakan kerajaan negeri Sarawak menghalang kemasukan tokoh-tokoh pembangkang.

Arahan yang dikeluarkan oleh pemerintahan PBB/BN kepada pihak imigresen bagi menghalang kemasukan PKR menjalankan kempen yang sah di PRK Balingian adalah suatu cubaan yang bersifat penafian berpolitik yang amat ketara.

Semalam, tiga orang ahli senior PKR Rafizi Ramli, Tian Chua dan Saifuddin Nasution telah diarahkan berpatah balik sebaik sahaja mereka tiba dari Semenanjung Malaysia dan turut menerima layanan yang serupa adalah 8 orang lagi ahli, yang berjuang membantu calon mereka merebut kerusi Balingian bagi pihak Pakatan Rakyat, telah disenaraihitamkan dari Sarawak.

Tindakan ini merupakan suatu salahguna klasik pengawalan sempadan oleh diktator Taib Mahmud, yang sering menghalang kemasukan sesiapa yang dikhuatirinya akan mengkritiknya, mendedahkannya atau mencabar genggamannya ke atas negeri Sarawak. 

Lagi pun, apabila ketua menteri boneka, Adenan Satem, pada mula membangitkan rasa risaunya dalam ucapannya pada Sabtu lepas berkenaan rancangan oleh menghalang kemasukan ahli-ahli politik pembangkang, alasannya di khalayak ramai adalah dia akan menggunakan arahan pengawalan sempadan untuk menghalang kemasukan ‘orang-orang yang taksub agama’ dan ‘elemen-elemen berbelah bahagi’.

Mungkin ini adalah masanya di mana lebih ramai orang semakin memahami pembohongan dan menyedari bahawa Taib dan PBB tidak menghalang kemasukan elemen UMNO ke negeri itu, yang menjadi inti ucapan Adenan Satem pada musim PRK ini?

Selama ini partinya telah bertindak selaku agen yang aktif pada UMNO, memerah kekayaan sumber alam Sarawak untuk memberi keuntungan kepada parti memerintah di Semenanjung Malaysia dan juga untuk diri mereka.

Dan kini kerajaan BN/UMNO telah mengakui bahawa mereka membiaya perjalanan Perkasa untuk menakut-nakut pihak lawan mereka dan nampaknya Adenan Satem juga memberi restunya pada Perkasa untuk ditubuhkan di Sarawak.

Adenan Satem belum menampakkan keberaniannya untuk menghalang kemasukan pemimpin PKR Anwar Ibrahim, seperti yang dijangkakan, mungkin kerana dunia menumpukan pandangan terhadap tookoh pembangkang itu.

Sebaliknya dia telah mengeluarkan ancaman agar Anwar tidak “terlalu nakal” sangat jika dia ingin datang.

Mencetuskan ‘huru-hara’, sememangnya, mengganggu cengkaman BN di Sarawak, dan seperti PRK luar bandar dan pedalaman Sarawak, PRK Balingian adalah suatu proses demokrasi yang olok-olok.- sarawakreport.org Baca selanjutnya di sini

Adenan's dilemma - to bar or not to bar Anwar...

Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem's order to the Immigration Department to bar four 'lesser' personalities of PKR from entering Sarawak, but not their boss and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, is not only curious to political observers, but also raises a host of questions.

The four are secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution; director of strategy Rafizi Ramli, who is the MP for Pandan; vice-president Tian Chua, the MP for Batu; and party Wanita wing chief and MP for Ampang, Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Saifuddin, Rafizi and Tian Chua, who were on the way to campaign for PKR candidate Abdul Jalil Bujang for the Balingian by-election, were disallowed entry on March 25, while Zuraida suffered the same fate on March 27.

The questions here are: Why did Adenan allow Anwar Ibrahim in? Was Adenan scared of a political backlash from Anwar's powerful friends in Malaysia and around the world,  especially from the Arab countries?  Or was he told by the former chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud not to do so?

Taib, who resigned as chief minister on Feb 28, 2014 to be  replaced by Adenan, had allowed  Anwar problem-free entry into the state even though regarded as a 'trouble-maker'.

Another head scratcher is: Why the nod to Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali’s entry knowing full well his uneneviable reputation as not only a racist, but also a religious bigot who wanted to burn the Malay version of the Bible?

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said that it is obvious that Adenan cannot afford to bar Anwar as he is known internationally with   friends round the world.

"The international backlash is too dangerous for Sarawak," said Baru in an obvious reference to the current move by the state government to lure foreign governments, including Arab governments, to invest in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (Score).

Up till today, the state government claims that it has secured investments, especially in heavy industries like aluminum smelting plants to the tune of over RM25 billion.

Mind-blowing over-RM30 billion at stake

More foreign direct investments (FDI) have been pledged and memoranda of understating (MOU) especially from the Arab countries are forthcoming. It is estimated that by 2020 investment deals worth over RM30 billion would endorsed.

And to cater for these heavy industries, the state government has plans to build 12 mega hydro-eclectic dams worth tens of billions of ringgit into provide cheaper power supply to the investors.

Score, which is Taib's brainchild, is expected to employ 600,000 specialist and skilled workers.

Would Adenan dare to risk these forthcoming investments particularly from the Arab countries whose leaders are very friendly with Anwar? asked Baru.

"Adenan is in dilemma to bar Anwar or not to bar Anwar. The backlash is too dangerous," said the Ba'Kelalan assemblyperson.

On the barring of the four party leaders from going to Balingian, Baru said that the State BN leaders are jittery and nervous about the outcome of the by-election.

"It shows that we are very effective this time around. If they are so confident of winning the Balingian by-election, why are they stopping our leaders from campaigning here," he said.

Baru said: "If the state government had barred Anwar from going to Balingian, such a move would provoke anti-BN in Balingian during the by-election.

"Even now the groundswell of support is unprecedented in Balingian this time. The BN is nervous," he added.

On Ibrahim Ali's visit to Kuching on March 20, Baru was wondering why Adenan allowed him in knowing that he is not only a racist, but also a religious bigot who demanded that the Malay version of the Bible be burnt.

His visit to Kuching also provoked  many questions.

"I believe there is a cover-up. It is just like the visit of Altantuya Shariibuu who disappeared from the records of the Immigration Department.

"It shows that this administration is very arrogant. We will prove them wrong in court," Baru said, referring to the PKR's intention to challenge the ban of the four PKR leaders in court.

Ibrahim Ali together with a number of Perkasa leaders were seen at the Harbour View hotel in Kuching from March 20 to 23, 2014.

But the Immigration Department denied that he was in Kuching.

Meanwhile, PKR has reminded the voters that the track record of the BN government in the fulfilment and realisation of electoral promises are extremely poor.

Its Balingian by-election operation director See Chee How said that from the records of pledges and promises made in the past polls, particularly in Mukah-Balingian, it appears that the government is not capable of fulfilling and realizing their election promises, or tends to neglect them.

Cashing in on hot air promises


"The economy and scale of promises and pledges made by the BN government in these two weeks' campaign period for the Balingian by-election are unprecedented in Sarawak.

"While we congratulate the people in the Mukah and Balingian region on those promises made, which will contribute towards their better living and benefits, we must at the same time remind them of the government's poor track record in keeping their promises," said See, who is state PKR vice-chairperson and Batu Lintang Assemblyperson.

He said the low-costs and affordable houses under the 'Rumah Mesra Rakyat' project to cater for the housing needs of the lower middle income and poor households in Balingian had been launched in previous elections but the site has been abandoned, despite being reminded by  community leaders when the present polls was announced.

The BN government has also consistently made it their election pledge to rebuild and replace Kampung Suyong’sold and dilapidated bridge.

"Unfortunately, the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications Michael Manyin had clarified yesterday that there is no plan for the construction and replacement of this bridge, as far as he is aware," See said.

He said that several other projects promised in the previous elections had either been abandoned or forgotten and these include a multi-purpose community hall, the construction of embankments to prevent soil erosion which threatens two villages, providing  piped water to households in villages and longhouses, and building secondary and primary schools.

"I strongly urge the voters in Balingian to support the opposition Pakatan Rakyat candidate in this by-election to ensure that the promises and pledges by the BN government will be fulfilled in the coming state election," said See.

The by-election is a straight fight between BN-PBB’s Yussibnosh Balo, former Dalat District Officer and Pakatan-PKR candidate Abdul Jalil Bujang, a businessman.

All campaigns for the Balingian polls will end at mid-night tonight. Polling will begin at  am tomorrow, and in some polling stations, it  will end at5 pm.

There are 21 polling stations and 39 ballot boxes. Results should be known by 9pm tomorrow.- mk

Ibrahim Ali was in Sarawak, portal refutes state's Immigration Department denial...

Whistleblower site Sarawak Report has revealed what it claims is evidence of Perkasa's entry into Sarawak recently after the state's Immigration Department denied it had let the right-wing group in.

Perkasa being allowed in grabbed the spotlight after the state barred entry to several PKR leaders arriving for the Balingian by-election, citing the need to curb "religious bigots, communal racists and trouble-makers".

Sarawak Report said Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali last week stayed at Harbour View Hotel, Kuching, in Room 307 for two nights.

Producing a copy of the hotel booking, it showed the reservation was made for four rooms (307, 315, 316 and 407) on March 20 by Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali, using the name "NGO Perkasa" as the company.

The report said each room cost approximately RM150 per night.

"The group then spent several hours drinking and talking till midnight in the hotel restaurant area with members of the group Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Sarawak (PKMS), which reportedly invited the right-wing extremist Perkasa group over to address their organisation.

"We can demonstrate that a carbon copy Ibrahim Ali look-alike was not only sitting in the Harbour View Hotel with Perkasa colleagues on Friday night, but he signed the bill in his own name, proudly using his title Dato’ Ibrahim Ali and citing the number of his room as 307," the report said.

It produced a copy of the receipt for a total of RM248 which bore what appeared to be Ibrahim's signature.

The whistleblower portal also uploaded photographs of Ibrahim in the company of his Perkasa lieutenants and PKMS leaders at the Harbour View Hotel cafe.

'Ibrahim sighted in Sarawak'
The Sarawak Immigration Department had on March 24 issued this statement: "The state Immigration Department had conducted checks on our system and record. At the time this statement was issued, Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali did not enter the state of Sarawak.”

Despite the assertion, there were various reports of Ibrahim's presence in Kuching last week.

He was, on March 21, reported by The Malay Mail Online as paying a working visit to PKMS in Satok, Petra Jaya, where he announced plans to appoint a leader for Sarawak Perkasa.

“The new chairman would be Malay or Sarawak bumiputera, and would be chosen by the state’s committee members. We will not interfere and would only give them guidance,” Ibrahim is quoted as saying.

The purported remark from the notorious Perkasa leader came the same day  as newly-minted Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem (right) declared that bigots and racists would be barred from the state.

"This is done only in the best interest of the peaceful people of Sarawak, who are known to be hospitable and moderate in their views and actions," Adenan is quoted as saying by the Borneo Post.

Since then, PKR vice-president Tian Chua, strategy director Rafizi Ramli, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution and Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin have been turned away from the state.

The  action meant local leaders are left to handle most of the Balingian by-election campaign which began on March 17. Polling will be held tomorrow, March 29.

The seat fell vacant after Abdul Taib Mahmud, the previous, long-time chief minister, resigned to take up the position as governor.

PBB's Yussibnosh Balo is facing PKR's Abdul Jalil Bujang in the by-election.- mk

cheers.