Dr.M : I’m too old to be held under Sosma...

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad does not rule out the possibility that he is next to be arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) for being vocal against PM Najib Abdul Razak.

He, however, said he was not ready and too old to be detained under the security law.

"I am not ready, I am old, not very well and unable to think. (I am) nyanyuk (senile), you know ?" said the 90-year-old at an education forum.

"But there is no excuse for the nyanyuk people to say the wrong thing," he said snidely.

He was asked if he expected to be arrested after Khairuddin Abu Hassan (photo), the former Batu Kawan division deputy chief who is held under Sosma for allegedly sabotaging the country.

Khairuddin was prior to that barred from leaving the country, after lodging reports against 1MDB at various international enforcement agencies.

"This is the law. I suppose I have to submit. If I am guilty I will have to face life imprisonment," Mahathir said in his trademark sarcasm.

Held for life?

The longest serving prime minister opined that Sosma was worse than the repealed Internal Security Act (ISA), which it replaced.

He claimed that ISA had a two-year limit and subjected to review at the end of the term, but one can be held for life under Sosma.

"You may face the possibility that you may be jailed for the whole of your natural life. That is what Khairuddin is facing," he claimed.

However, the law states that one can be held for a maximum of 28 days without trial under Sosma, after which the Attorney-General's Chambers must decide whether to prosecute.

Although one can be held a maximum of two years without review under the repealed ISA, the detention order can be extended consecutively with no limit.

Mahathir (photo) further argued that the authorities hold the right to interpret "sabotage", the offence Khairuddin allegedly committed.

"If you are accused of sabotaging and sabotage is not defined, you can be jailed for life. So Khairuddin is facing this problem.

"Of course what he has done can be called sabotage because the definition is not given. The government can make a definition if you do something, then this is sabotage," he said.

Khairuddin was first arrested on Sept 18 at his home in Mont Kiara, under Section 124C of the Penal Code, for attempting to commit acts detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

This was in relation to his police reports in Switzerland, London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong on the 1MDB scandal.

On Sept 19, Khairuddin was remanded for six days.

However he was released early, on Sept 23, only to be re-arrested soon after under Sosma for allegedly violating Sections 124K and 124L of the Penal Code.

Sections 124K and 124L, respectively, deal with sabotage and attempting to sabotage the state.
Najib, who conceived the state investment fund 1MDB, has said there is an international plot to topple him.- mk

Blogger UMNO Shahbudin Husin disoal siasat oleh SKMM...

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'Sapuman' flies into Sedition dragnet...

Controversial cartoonist Zunar claims his latest book "Sapuman - Man of Steal", which mocks Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the RM2.6 billion political donation, is under police investigation.

"A sales assistant who operates online sales of my latest book on the website zunar.my has been called for police investigation at Dang Wangi next Monday under the Sedition Act," he said in a statement today.

Zunar (photo), whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, condemned the probe as a way to scare the public from reading his work.

"My sales assistant did nothing illegal as 'Sapuman-Man of Steal' is not officially banned by the government," he added.

This is the second time police had called in those linked to Zunar's online store for questioning.

Last November, police questioned Zunar's webmaster, and also asked online payment gateway MOLPay Sdn Bhd to disclose customers who bought Zunar's comic books.

Announced on Sept 10, "Sapuman - Man of Steal" became Zunar's 18th comic book. The cartoonist has had seven of his books banned by the government.

Two of the bans were lifted last year by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that cartoons were unlikely to disrupt public order.

The government obtained leave to challenge the appellate court's decision in May.

Besides his books, Zunar is also facing nine sedition charges for nine different tweets critical of the judiciary following the Federal Court's decision to imprison former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy. 

Malaysiakini has contacted the Dang Wangi police and is awaiting their response. - mk

Zunar dakwa buku komik 'Sapuman' disiasat polis

Media Indonesia Dakwa 28 Petugas Haji Akan Dipancung Gara-Gara Rempuhan Di Mina...

Sebuah media dari Indonesia mendakwa bahawa seramai 28 petugas haji yang bertugas semasa tragedi rempuhan di Mina baru-baru ini akan di jatuhkan hukuman pancung atas arahan Raja Salman.

Berita ini dilaporkan oleh LensaIndonesia dan Makassar Tribune, di mana mereka mendakwa Raja Salman telah mengeluarkan perintah berkenaan kerana mereka bertanggungjawab memastikan keselamatan jemaah.

Bagaimanapun menurut portal berita Indonesia ini, keputusan menghukum pancung 28 petugas Mina itu didakwa diambil oleh Raja Salman kesan dari tuduhan yang diterima puteranya Pangeran Mohammad bin Salman al Saud yang dituduh sebagai penyebab tragedi yang meragut nyawa ratusan jamaah haji tersebut.

Perkara itu juga di dakwa untuk menutupi kesalahan anggota keluarga kerajaan Arab Saudi, dakwa media Indonesia itu lagi.

Sementara itu, memetik laporan kompasiana, hukuman pancung (qisas) atau hukuman dengan cara pemenggalan kepala adalah hukuman tertinggi bagi mereka yang terbukti secara hukum bersalah telah melakukan penghilangan nyawa manusia. Setelah melalui proses pengadilan hingga vonis eksekusi, pihak terdakwa sebenarnya masih memiliki harapan hidup apa bila pihak ahli waris korban jika diberi kemaafan.

Portal itu juga melaporkan, Pengajar Hukum Pidana Islam, Universitas Islam Negeri(UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, Nurul Irfan: “Dari berbagai negara Islam, Arab Saudi lah yang paling ketat menerapkan qisas hukuman pancung, karena Arab Saudi menerapkan langsung ayat Al Quran, Surat Al-Baqarah ayat 178.

Dalam ayat tersebut disebutkan; kewajiban hukum qisas pada orang­-orang yang terbunuh, orang merdeka dengan orang merdeka, hamba sahaya dengan hamba sahaya dan perempuan dengan perempuan. Akan tetapi barangsiapa yang diampunkan untuknya dari saudaranya seba­gian, maka hendaklah mengikuti dengan yang baik, dan tunaikan kepadanya dengan cara yang baik.

Dari ayat ini, ada perkecualian hukum qisas yaitu apabila keluarga korban memaafkan. Sebagai pemaaf tersebut, pembunuh mengganti denda dengan 100 ekor unta, 40 diantaranya unta yang sedang hamil.

Namun menurut kompasiana, berlakunya hukum qisas bukannya tanpa kritik. Dimana sehingga saat ini tidak ada hukum acara yang pasti untuk menentukan bagaimana cara pembuktian di pengadilan. Selain itu juga sistem pengadilan disana yang tidak terbuka, kemudian model struktur kepemimpinan pemerintahanannya.

“Di sana, Raja menguasai ulama. Ulama yang tidak sesuai dengan keyakinan Raja, disingkirkan.

“Apapun tak akan ada yang bisa membuat Al-Quran jadi hina karena memang sudah mulia. Adakah Rasul pernah menghukum mati orang yang pernah menghinanya?, tulis laporan itu lagi.

Sementara itu, organisasi penggiat hak asasi manusia Amnesty International mengecam eksekusi mati itu.

“Praktik ini telah dikecam secara luas di dunia dan Arab Saudi seharusnya menanggapi kesempatan untuk mempertimbangkan kembali kebijakan mengenai hukuman mati”, kata Philip Luther dalam pernyataan yang ditulis menerusi website Amnesty International.

Bagaimanapun, ada juga media Indonesia masih melaporkan perkara itu hanyalah spekulasi semata-mata.

“Banyak pihak berspekulasi bahawa hukuman tersebut adalah perkara yang di kambing hitamkan terhadap 28 petugas yang dihukum pancung itu,” lapor kompasiana.

Bagaimanapun sehingga kini kami belum menerima apa-apa lagi berita mengenai kesahihan perkara ini dan menunggu sidang media khusus tentang penyebaran berita ini.

Dalam insiden itu, seramai 717 jemaah haji terkorban manakala 863 yang lain cedera.

Seorang jemaah dari Malaysia, Zulkifly Samad, 50, dari Ampang turut terbunuh dalam insiden tersebut yang berlaku pada 24 September lalu.- Siakapkeli.my

The RM slide...

Malaysia faces another bond litmus test as contagion worries grow investors could pull billion US$ out of embattled Msia's bond markets 

- RM11b (US$2.5 billion) govt bonds to mature Wed 
- foreigners own 45% of bonds  to pull cash out  
- risk-reward of investing in M'sia assets unattractive for now
- significant portion of maturing bond not reinvested
- pushing country step closer to currency reserves crisis 
- would send shudders across region
- widening political scandal, tumbling currency take toll on investors
- unnerving neighbours despite central bank's efforts to contain damage
- M'sia's markets down since July, escalating political fallout from 1MDB

RM11 billion worth of gomen bonds fall due on Wednesday.  The gomen has to pay RM11 billion. 45% of this amount ie about RM5b is held by foreigners. 

With the Ringgit falling they will likely be taking this money out. They will be converting these Ringgits to buy US Dollars, Euros, Yen etc. The Ringgit will slide even further beginning Wednesday. Its already at 4:47 to the US$ now. 

MAS and Air Asia are already hurting from the Ringgit slide. They also pay for fuel in US Dollars (besides Ringgit of course). Although fuel prices are down (worldwide) the weakening Ringgit is not helping MAS and Air Asia. 

If the Ringgit/Dollar hits RM5.00 MAS and Air Asia will be in real trouble.

Utusan & bloga UMNO tak payah berterima kasih kepada Najib. Terima kasut boleh lah. Tapi Utusan faham kah keadaan negara kita sekarang? - syedsoutsidethebox

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Over a dozen medical experts, yet no MRI for Anwar...

Lawyers for jailed PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim insist that the politician is not getting the urgent medical attention he needs, despite the Health Ministry claiming that 17 experts are looking after him.

No MRI has been carried out to ascertain the condition of his shoulder in the past three months while he has only received physiotherapy once a month, they said in a statement.

“He should be taken several times a week to the hospital for intensive physiotherapy as recommended by the orthopaedic specialist,” the lawyers said.

“Now, with his worsening condition, surgery has become essential.”

They also questioned why the ministry is only now allowing a second opinion by an orthopaedic specialist when requests were made months ago.

The statement was jointly issued by Sivarasa Rasiah, N Surendran and Latheefa Koya.

Anwar’s family said he is suffering from a shoulder injury, sustained prior to his jailing in February, which required urgent surgery.

They said Anwar is now in constant pain as the injury has worsened while in prison, but

Health Ministry experts examining him only prescribed physiotherapy and analgesics.

'Remove Dr Jeyaindran'

The family earlier also threatened to file a malpractice complaint against specialist Dr S Jeyaindran (below) for not providing the urgent treatment required.

The lawyers said while there are 17 experts involved, it does not change the fact that Jeyaindran is the person in charge. 

They reiterated the family’s call for him to be removed from the team, given that he was a prosecution witness in Anwar’s sodomy case.

“What is equally worrying is that the minister in charge has again appointed Dr Jeyaindran to examine Anwar now, when he is the very the same physician consultant who was involved in treating Anwar in 2003 during his then imprisonment.

“Even back then, Anwar had complained about the lack of adequate medical treatment for his back problem.

“Those complaints were very real because DSAI was flown immediately to Munich for complex surgery on his back upon his release in September 2004,” they said.

In a statement late last Saturday, Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said Anwar is managed by a team of 17 private and public health professionals from eight medical disciplines.

“All clinical management decisions by the Panel of Experts are made collectively, professionally, transparently and without bias.

“The clinical experts have not denied any treatment and similar to other patients, the treatment plan is reviewed on a regular basis according to the needs of the case,” Noor Hashim said.

He said healthcare providers have a high level of professionalism and he also reminded all doctors to take heed of the Hippocratic Oath to give quality care and service to all patients. - mk

Keluarga ulang tuntutan tukar doktor Anwar

Khairuddin cabar penahanannya di bawah Sosma...

Bekas naib ketua Umno bahagian Batu Kawan Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan akan mencabar penahanannya selama 28 hari di bawah Akta Kesalahan Keselamatan (Langkah-langkah Khas) 2012 (Sosma), kata peguamnya Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali.

Menurut Rafique, arahan itu diterimanya selepas bertemu Khairuddin petang tadi, yang ditahan di ibu pejabat polis Dang Wangi sehingga 21 Oktober depan.

“Kami terima arahan khusus daripada Datuk Khairuddin anak guam kami, supaya memfailkan permohonan perintah mahkamah bagi mengisytiharkan penahanannya ini tidak sah,” kata Rafique kepada pemberita di hadapan Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Dang Wangi di Kuala Lumpur, petang ini.

Rafique yang bertindak sebagai jurucakap kepada pasukan enam orang peguam mewakili Khairuddin berkata anak guamnya itu ditahan bagi melengkapkan siasatan di bawah Seksyen 124K dan Seksyen 124L Kanun Keseksaan.

Seksyen 124K berkaitan sabotaj dan 124L pula berkaitan cubaan mensabotaj.

Rafique bagaimana pun tidak memaklumkan tarikh terperinci permohonan Khairuddin itu akan difailkan.

Seorang lagi peguam Khairuddin, Fahmi Abd Moin berkata pihaknya berpuas hati dengan layanan polis kepada anak guamnya setakat ini.

“Polis setakat ini sangat membantu dan memberikan kemudahan kepada isteri beliau, Datin Seri Umie Aida untuk berjumpa beliau sebentar tadi dan kami ucapkan terima kasih kepada pihak polis,” katanya.

Khairuddin ditahan dipercayai berpunca daripada laporan berkaitan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) di luar negara.

Beliau juga mengemukakan bukti yang berkaitan dengan 1MDB kepada Peguam Negara Switzerland di Bern, meminta pihak berkuasa negara itu menyiasat aktiviti syarikat tersebut yang melibatkan bank Switzerland dan beberapa bank antarabangsa.

Terbaru, beliau memohon pihak berkuasa Hong Kong untuk buat penyiasatan secara terperinci dan menyeluruh mengenai sumber kewangan beberapa syarikat yang dikatakan mempunyai kaitan dengan 1MDB.

Beliau juga dilapor sepatutnya menemui Biro Penyiasatan Persekutuan (FBI) Amerika Syarikat, yang dilaporkan membuka siasatan terhadap 1MDB.- suarapakatandaily

An Ambassador A Day Keeps The Gangster UMNO Away...

UMNO, the backbone of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in Malaysia must have been in total shock over an unexpected visit by China ambassador Huang Huikang to Petaling Street (Chinatown). It is safe to conclude that Red Shirts leader Jamal Md Yunos, sponsored and endorsed by Prime Minister Najib Razak, chickened out after Dr Huang’s visit.

Dr Huang, who possesses a PhD in International Law, had deliberately said the Chinese government opposes terrorism and any form of discrimination against races and any form of extremism. Suddenly, the mighty and invincible gangster Jamal was arrested by the local police. It was strange because the police dare not touch Mr Jamal prior to the Chinese ambassador’s visit.

Jamal has since been released after spending a day’s jail, which is quite weird because he has openly threatened to unleash riots. However, since he was “untouchable” by virtue of being PM Najib’s runner, the hours spent temporarily behind lock-up must have been a great embarrassment to the Form-5 dropout, who used to be a burger seller and a drug-pusher.

Naturally, he threatened to sue news media, obviously very upset for losing face and spending a night in jail on the second day of Aidiladha. Jamal’s partner in crime – Mohd Ali Baharom (“Ali Tinju”) – also chickened out from sending his Red Shirts army to terrorise the Chinatown. It was roughly a week ago when Jamal and Ali Tinju were fighting tooth and nail claiming ownership of Red Shirts. 

Suddenly, Jamal claims he was just the middleman and has nothing to do with Red Shirts. Ali Tinju, who always believes he was a superhero on par with Batman or Spiderman, has shown he’s more coward than Jamal by pushing the Red Shirts ownership to Jamal, washing his hands clean (*grin*). Both jokers have abandoned the Red Shirts.

After recovered from their panic due to Huang’s visit and remarks, low ranking UMNO troops were sent in the form of UMNO Youth to attack the China ambassador. The UMNO Youth international bureau chief Mohamed Hazali Abu Hassan reportedly wants Wisma Putra to act against ambassador Huang. UMNO Youth exco member Arman Azha Abu Hanifah demands an apology.

UMNO-owned press Utusan Malaysia went the extra miles by telling the China to deal with Chinese dolls exported into the country, instead of meddling with threat of Red Shirts riots at Petaling Street. Utusan, amazingly, also threatened to interfere in China’s internal affairs, whatever that means. 

One may find lots of barking by UMNO Youth and Utusan print media. However, similar to the Sept 16 Red Shirts racial rally, not a single senior UMNO minister dares to pick a fight with China. The Chinese embassy in Malaysia lazily and conveniently states that Huang’s visit was merely a goodwill one in conjunction with the mid-autumn festival.

No rocket science here. The UMNO minions who are against Huang’s goodwill visit are PM Najib’s supporters. They’re unhappy because the planned riots to divert attention from their boss’s corruption, money laundering and murder allegations couldn’t proceed after the ambassador’s visit and remarks.

Going by tradition, UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin should at least lead tens of thousands of UMNO Malays to the Chinese Embassy demanding Huang’s resignation, burns the China’s flag, threatens to invade China, swears to boycott China’s products, declares jihad on China... continue reading here...

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Playing with fire...

The close-packed shops on Petaling Street (pictured), a dim warren in a Chinese quarter of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, often throng with bargain-hunting tourists. This month its mostly ethnic-Chinese stallholders faced crowds of a different kind. Riot police prevented a mob of redshirted protesters—ethnic Malays with a host of grudges—from marching down the street. They eventually dispersed loiterers with water cannon. One protester was filmed calling a journalist a “Chinese pig”. Some are threatening to return.

The unsettling scuffle took place on the fringes of a big pro-government rally held in the capital on September 16th. Some 40,000 ethnic Malays gathered at a park in support of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party that has led Malaysia’s ruling coalitions for nearly 60 years. The day’s events were only the latest evidence of rising tensions between the country’s Malay Muslim majority and its ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, who make up about one-third of its citizens. Battling allegations of corruption, UMNO seems careless of the risks.

Malaysia’s broad ethnic mix, in part the result of British colonial immigration policies, has long coloured its politics. After a murderous race-riot in 1969, in which mobs burned Chinese shops, officials devised a slew of measures aimed at defusing tensions. Their aim was to reduce inequality between Malays and their richer ethnic-Chinese compatriots. Malays were guaranteed a quota of places at universities and the right to own shares in all listed companies, among other benefits. Though billed as temporary, many of the measures are still in force.

 

Since then Malay incomes have risen rapidly (see chart). But greater equality has come at a cost. Critics say that state-sponsored favouritism has hooked Malays on handouts and government jobs, and helped to enrich the country’s elites—at the same time as enraging ethnic-Chinese citizens, and driving some of the most talented of them abroad. There have been growing demands, among Malays too, for the rules to be scrapped, or at least refocused on the neediest regardless of their race. When he came to power in 2009 Najib Razak, UMNO’s president and Malaysia’s prime minister, sounded as if he agreed.

All that changed after a general election in 2013, when the government retained power despite losing the popular vote. UMNO itself managed to gain seats at the polls. But voters deserted the small ethnic-Chinese and Indian parties with whom it rules in coalition, fleeing to a resurgent and more ethnically balanced opposition. Instead of trying to lure them back, UMNO has focused on refurbishing its reputation as a champion of ethnic Malays and of Islam, their traditional religion. As well as losing interest in reforming discriminatory policies, it has become less disapproving of religious types appalled by pop concerts, dog-petting and women’s gymnastics. It is playing along with Islamists who are trying to introduce strict sharia punishments in a devout northern state.

Malay chauvinism has accelerated sharply amid a political crisis which began in July, when a report in the Wall Street Journal alleged that almost $700m had entered the prime minister’s bank accounts shortly before the election. Mr Najib denies any wrongdoing; Malaysia’s anti-corruption commission says the money was a legal political donation from unnamed Middle-Eastern benefactors. A hasty cabinet reshuffle ousted dissenters within UMNO, but elevated pro-Malay hardliners in their place. The party has taken to claiming that its critics are part of a plot to topple the government, backed by foreign media.

 

In particular, spin doctors have demonised the tens of thousands of Malaysians who called for Mr Najib’s resignation at peaceful demonstrations in August, which were organised by Bersih, an electoral reform group. Angered at what looked like efforts to derail official inquiries into the Journal’s allegations, citizens from all Malaysia’s races attended—though ethnic-Chinese protesters were most numerous. The authorities railed against a handful of rally-goers seen stamping on photos of Mr Najib; bigwigs in UMNO accused the protesters of disrespecting all Malays. In mid-September grim footage emerged of low-ranking UMNO members burning effigies of two ethnic-Chinese opposition leaders, which they had dressed in Bersih’s signature yellow shirts.

Organisers of this month’s big counter-rally—leaders of Malay organisations with links to the ruling party—lamented the sad sideshow in Petaling Street. But they insisted that the main red-shirted gathering was an essential response to the provocations and humiliations which Bersih’s protest is said to have caused. In a speech on September 18th Mr Najib congratulated participants in the red-shirt rally: he implied that Bersih’s demonstration had “slapped” ethnic Malays. The previous day his new deputy, Ahmed Zahid Hamidi, had said that Malays would “rise to defend our dignity” when “pushed against a wall”.

 

Most ordinary Malaysians reject racial rhetoric. But with more red-shirt gatherings in the offing, the risk of more serious altercations is rising. The spats are distracting the government from tricky and badly needed social and economic reforms. They are also worrying ethnically pluralist neighbours, such as Singapore, which frets about infection.

As this year’s chair of ASEAN, a group of South-East Asian states eyeing closer integration, Malaysia had pledged to promote a more modern and prosperous region. It is sinking deeper into its past.- the economist

Pandangan RPK adalah pandangan ketinggalan zaman 1948...

Pada 6 September, Raja Petra Kamarudin berhujah yang di akhirnya terletak pada kuasa Sultan Selangor yang akan menentukan siapakah akan menjadi menteri besar negeri.

Dia juga mendakwa yang istana pastinya mahu seorang menteri besar Melayu dari PKR, seseorang yang menerima sokongan parti dominasi Melayu yang memenuhi Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor.

Penulis blog itu memang dikenali sebagai seorang yang suka mengusik  rakyat dengan tajuk sensasi catatan di blognya; seperti dakwanya yang Cawangan Khas pasukan polis yang sebenarnya menentukan siapakah yang menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia.

Raja Petra mungkin telah terpengaruh dengan kejadian yang membawa kepada perlantikan Azmin Ali sebagai MB Selangor pada penghujung 2014.

Untuk rekod, Pakatan Rakyat telah bersetuju untuk melantik presiden PKR Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail sebagai bakal MB.

Tetapi pihak istana tidak merestuinya dan mendesak supaya lebih banyak nama dicalonkan sebagai ketua pentadbiran negeri Selangor itu.

Jadi apabila Azmin- yang merupakan salah seorang daripada 30 orang ahli Dewan yang menandatangani akuan berkanun menyokong Wan Azizah- yang menerima restu, ia bukanlah satu yang mengejutkan.

Walaupun begitu, mari kita lihat undang-undang dalam hal ini.

Untuk permulaan perlu dijelaskan yang bidang kuasa perlantikan yang diberikan kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong, pemerintah dan Yang di-Pertua Negeri adalah sama.

Dan perlu dinyatakan yang walaupun terma “budi bicara” digunakan dalam peruntukan, ia tidak mempunyai makna serupa seperti makna dalam kamus.

Hakikatnya makna “budi bicara” di dalam Perlembangaan juga berbeza dengan perkataan yang sama ditemui dalam perundangan biasa, samada ia wujud dalam Akta Parlimen atau enakmen negeri.

Seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Suruhanjaya Reid dalam laporan mereka, maksud “budi bicara” yang menyentuh Yang di-Pertuan Agong, pemerintah dan Yang di-Pertuan Negeri perlu difahami dalam konteks parlimen, iaitu cara ia diamalkan dalam sistem Westminster yang prototaipnya terletak di United Kingdom.

Dengan berkata begini, perlu diingatkan yang kuasa ini tidak termasuk dalam peruntukan yang memerlukan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, sultan-sultan dan Yang di-Pertua Negeri untuk bertindak mengikut nasihat kerajaan sedang memerintah.

Ini adalah rutin biasa tadbir urus yang berlaku selepas perlantikan kerajaan; selalunya dilakukan selepas pilihanraya umum.

Kuasa yang dipanggil “budi bicara” untuk perlantikan perdana menteri, menteri besar atau ketua menteri hanya berfungsi apabila wujud situasi dikenali sebagai “parlimen tergantung”, di mana tiada sebuah parti pun mempunyai majoriti kerusi dalam Dewan.

Tetapi ini jarang berlaku. Malah tiada parti politik akan membenarkan ia berlaku.

Mereka biasanya akan membentuk pakatan dan menghantar nama untuk menjadi ketua negeri.

Kerana itulah walaupun berniat dan bermatlamat baik, kuasa “budi bicara” hanya merupakan kuasa keraian kerana istana secara umumnya telah dinafikan, melalui proses politik, kuasa sebenar “dalang perubahan”.

Ini adalah fenomena yang kita saksikan berlaku di dunia Westminster.

Di London, Putrajaya, Singapura, New Delhi dan ibu kota negara kita majlis perlantikan telah menjadi acara di mana ketua parti majoriti ahli dalam Dewan “mengutip” surat perlantikan.

Untuk mengatakan sebaliknya akan menafikan kepentingan pilihanraya dan pembaziran wang dan masa.

Lebih penting lagi ia selaras dengan konsep kedaulatan popular dan konsep asas raja berpelembagaan.

Usul yang didakwan oleh Raja Petra sebenarnya satu usul yang muncul dalam Perjanjian Persekutuan Malaya 1948.

Di bawah regim perundangan ini seorang menteri besar hanyalah lantikan diraja; seorang pegawai kerajaan yang memegang jawatan kerana kehendak sultan.

Menteri besar pada zaman sebelum kemerdekaan Malaya boleh dilantik dan dipecat sesuka hati oleh sultan.

Sekarang regim tersebut sudah berakhir pada 1957; di negeri-negeri ia berlaku pada tahun 1959 selepas pilihanraya negeri pertama di adakan.

Apa yang didakwa oleh Raja Petra bahawa istana adalah faktor penentu juga tidak lagi di amalkan.

Dalam undang-undang perlembagaan amalan ini kekal berdiri sebagai sumber sah untuk legitimasi; terutama sekali apabila peruntukan itu disenyapkan, tidak mencukupi atau kabur.

Kita semua menyaksikan bagaimana Yang di-Pertuan Agong memberi restu kepada perubahan kepimpinan yang berlaku; sejak Tun Abdul Rahman pada tahun 1970 sehinggalah yang terbaru pada 2009 yang menyaksikan kepimpinan negara diserahkan dari Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kepada Najib Razak.

Kita menyaksikan perkara sama berlaku di negeri-negeri.

Seperti Sultan Idris Shah membuat bantahan kepada pemimpin Umno Razak Hussein mengenai pencalonan Ghazali Jawi (pix,bawah) selaku menteri besar pada 1974.

 

Tetapi akhirnya mengalah dan mengikut rentak politik ketika itu.

Di Selangor ianya lebih mudah apabila Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz dengan sabar menunggu Umno menghantar nama calon berikutan pengunduran secara paksaan Muhammad Muhammad Taib pada 1997.

Apa yang dilakukan pada 2014 oleh Sultan Sharafuddin Idris merupakan satu kes terpencil dan bukannya kebiasaan.

Dan sukar untuk berlaku lagi kerana istana pastinya tidak mahu meletakkan dirinya dalam situasi tidak menentu sekali lagi.

Yang pasti bila istana berbuat demikian, dengan menentukan siapa yang akan mengetuai negeri, secara jelasnya ialah merampas negeri.

Di bawah Perlembagaan, kerajaan adalah hak milik- dan hanya menjawab kepada- Dewan.

Dengan merampasnya bermaksud yang istana perlu bertanggungjawab, misalnya, kepada kes DEIG, catuan air dan banyak lagi isu kecil yang sebenarnya di luar kawalan pihak istana.

Kerana itulah seringkali dikatakan yang politik akan mengheret istana ke dalam lumpur.

Kita tidak mahukan perkara ini berlaku bukan kerana tidak menghormati tetapi kerana kita mahukan, seperti kata-kata Walter Bagehot, supaya institusi diraja terus kekal sebagai elemen bermaruah dalam Perlembagaan.

Kalau kita mengimbau kembali perlantikan yang berlaku di Selangor pada 2014, pasti ada pihak yang berkata Sultan bertindak dalam kewajaran kerana Azmin Ali merupakan timbalan presiden PKR.

Ianya akan berbeza sekiranya istana melantik wakil dari DAP atau PAS.

Atau meminta wakil rakyat Melayu dalam Dewan membentuk pakatan untuk memastikan yang menteri besar hanya dilantik daripada pakatan Melayu.- Dr Abdul Aziz Bari,theantdaily.

cheers.

Hari Raya Korban...

A Fractured Nation...

Even UN acknowledges that Ajib Goh is a pain in the arse...

cheers.

Najib Razak & his family, faces U.S. corruption inquiry...

US Federal Grand Jury Investigates Najib, Rosmah's Son For Corruption...

It was reported in the New York Times that the US Justice Department is currently investigating claims of corruption allegedly involving Najib, focusing on properties purchased by his stepson Riza Aziz, or by close family friend tycoon Jho Low.

It is also looking into the RM2.6 billion political donation received by Najib as the money was wired through a US bank.

The US based probe is the latest one on top of several other international investigations on Najib, including the ones in Hong Kong, Switzerland, England and Singapore, which mostly were initiated by Khairuddin Abu Hassan, a sacked Umno member and a vocal critic of 1MDB.

Najib for months now has been showered with allegations of corruption, mostly on the government strategic investment arm, 1MDB. However, to date, there have been no proof whatsoever that any corruption ever took place.

A matter of integrity

Meanwhile, political analyst Chandra Muzaffar said Malaysia should take this matter seriously as it involved a matter of integrity, something Malaysia should be highly concerned about.

“We should take them seriously as they would require cooperation from our authorities, Ministry of Finance, 1MDB, Bank Negara and so on as there is no way they can carry on with their own investigations in their respective countries without the help of our authorities here,” he said.

Chandra added that if Malaysia had investigated these allegations properly from the beginning, then this embarrassing foreign investigation would not be taking place today.

“We see the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was made dysfunctional when its members were brought into the cabinet.

The Attorney General (AG), the one person who can prosecute was eased out. Then Bank Negara saw numbers of their officials investigated.

“If the Malaysian authorities such as the PAC, AG, Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission and Bank Negara had given their full support to the investigations, maybe these investigations from the foreign body will not be happening,” he said. - beritadaily

 Read NYT full article here...

Story kat sini...

Pakatan Harapan...

Story kat SINI dan SINI  

cheers.

Umany to Najib: Students' support,stop daydreaming...

 
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should stop lying to himself or "daydreaming" that Umno still has the support of the youth, said University Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany).

"Prime Minister Najib has to stop lying to himself as campus elections of local universities, specifically one that was ‘won’ by Penggerak in the University of Malaya (UM), can never reflect students' support nor popularity rating for the government," Umany said in a statement today.

Najib had said yesterday that Umno still has the support of the youth, as proven by the victory of pro-government groups in campus elections.

However, Umany rejected that reasoning, explaining that there were two key reasons for the pro-government group’s victory which have been overlooked by Najib.

Umany pointed out that Pro-Mahasiswa and themselves had boycotted the campus elections.

The two groups snubbed the student polls when the UM Students’ Council, which was still governed by Pro-Mahasiswa, got disbanded.

"Umany and Pro-Mahasiswa fully boycotted the campus election to protest against its unfairness and uncleanness.

"Hence, the majority seats won uncontested by Penggerak cannot reflect what Najib has ridiculously said: 

‘Students are satisfied with the current government’," the student group said.

'Only 900 students voted'

Another reason, they said, was the extremely low voter turnout in UM for the campus elections.

In previous years, more than 10,000 students voted for their representatives, Umany said, but this year, only 900 students voted.

"Students have used their actions as a means to respond to our call and to prove that the majority of UM students have rejected Penggerak," they said.

Only one-fourth of the students in the faculty of arts and social sciences as well as the faculty of economics and administration voted, they revealed.

"Besides, in 10 seats that were contested, Penggerak had only won 4 seats! This clearly shows that students (who opted to vote) chose independent candidates rather than Penggerak/Umno's macai," they added.

This, they said, proves that UM students have firmly rejected the pro-government group on campus. - mk

KDN - Jangan bertindak ikut nafsu...

Kumpulan media melihat keputusan mahkamah membatalkan penggantungan The Edge sebagai peringatan kepada kerajaan untuk tidak bertindak sewenang-wenangnya menyekat kebebasan media.

Mengalu-alukan keputusan hari ini ini, Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM) berkata ia seharusnya mengingatkan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) untuk tidak bertindak di luar peranannya.

“Ini adalah satu kemenangan, walaupun kecil, kepada semua penyokong kebebasan media di Malaysia,” kata GERAMM dalam reaksi segeranya hari ini.

GERAMM antara organisasi media terlibat memberi tekanan kepada kerajaan, termasuk bersama menganjurkan himpunan membantah penggantungan itu di Kuala Lumpur sebelum ini.

Dalam keputusan yang jarang-jarang berlaku, Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini membatalkan keputusan kerajaan menggantung The Edge Financial Daily dan The Edge Financial Weekly.
 
Hakim Datuk Asmabi Mohamad mengarahkan penilaian terhadap kerugian The Edge dinilai manakala KDN pula diarah membayar kos RM15,000 kepada The Edge.

The Edge sebelum ini digantung tiga bulan selepas menerbitkan tulisan yang lantang mengkritik dalam isu 1MDB.

 Sementara itu, GERAMM, perkumpulan longgar wartawan dan aktivis yang mendukung kebebasan media itu juga melihat keputusan itu sebagai tanda “keteguhan” pelbagai pihak menekan kerajaan supaya tidak campur tangan dalam tugas media.

GERAMM juga mendesak kerajaan tidak merayu terhadap keputusan hari ini, selari dengan ikrar Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak sebelum ini untuk melindungi serta mempertahankan kebebasan media.

“GERAMM juga ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada media, masyarakat sivil serta orang ramai di atas sokongan yang diberikan dalam kempen kepada The Edge,” kata kumpulan itu yang terlibat dalam protes sama ketika penggantungan The Heat selepas melaporkan gaya hidup mewah Najib dan keluarganya.- mk

The Edge hails Court on quashing suspension

TMJ Arah Bendera Jalur Gemilang Diturunkan Di Negeri Johor...

Najib Razak dikepung...

FBI Sanggupkah Gulingkan Razak

cheers.