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.
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...
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
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