Minta permit, Najib kasi tayar dan kena beli kat kedai kroni...

Pemandu teksi memainkan peranan penting dalam membawa perubahan politik di negara ini berikutan merekalah antara kelompok yang paling dekat dengan rakyat, kata Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.


“Sebab itu saya ‘salute’ pemandu teksi. Mereka inilah yang menyampaikan derita rakyat,” katanya sambil ‘tabik’ kepada 400 pemandu teksi pada Himpunan Raksasa Pemandu Teksi bersama Pakatan Rakyat di Dewan Svik, Petaling Jaya, malam tadi.

“Saya tahu orang teksi benci kezaliman. Dari 1998 sampai sekarang, ketika TV3, Utusan tutup berita tentang kita (pembangkang), pemandu teksilah yang sebar cerita sebenar,” katanya yang menyifatkan isu berkaitan pemandu teksi bukan perkara kecil walaupun selalu dipandang enteng oleh pemimpin Umno BN..

“Sebab ini isu ‘human dignity’, soal maruah manusia. Untuk pemimpin BN, pemandu teksi seolah-olah tidak ada harga. Mereka (BN) bermati-matian pertahan kontrak berbilion.

“Pemandu teksi tak minta balak, IPP, kontrak. Hanya mahu permit. Permit pun mahu disapu pemimpin Umno-BN!” katanya disambut teriakan Reformasi.

Beliau juga mengulangi hasrat Pakatan untuk mengembalikan hak pemandu teksi dengan pemberian permit individu sebaik sahaja menawan Putrajaya.

“Sebaik kita tawan Putrajaya, kita umum harga minyak turun. Dan dalam beberapa minggu, kita umum segera permit untuk setiap pemandu teksi,” katanya.

Ketua Umum KEADILAN itu berkata, peranan pemandu teksi, meskipun bukan ahli mana-mana parti gabungan Pakatan Rakyat tetap besar dalam perjuangan.

“Kalau tak boleh edar risalah, tak mengapa. Mungkin bahaya sebab nanti polis periksa kereta. Tapi boleh gunakankan suara.

“Pemandu teksi orang yang paling bijak dan sabar. Berpuluh-puluh penumpang setiap hari. Sebab itu kita hormat mereka kerana menjadi ejen perubahan,” katanya.-keadilandaily

We asked for permits, but they gave tyres...

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has urged taxi drivers in the country to be the agents for change as they were the ones who best understood the people’s hardship.

Addressing some 500 cabbies at a gathering last night, he said cabbies spoke to tens of passengers each day, hence they knew the issues on the ground.

“You must be the agent for change, you must exercise the utmost patience and wisdom, and explain to people why they need to save this country now,” said the PKR de facto leader.

Anwar said cabbies could also assist in distributing the opposition’s booklets to the public.

“Maybe the special branch officials will spot check your vehicle, but you can say you know these are the opposition materials and you purposely want to test (them),” he quipped.

The opposition leader criticised the government for “robbing” cabbies by issuing permits en bloc to crony companies, which in turn charged cabbies exorbitant permit rental fees.

He pledged to draft a comprehensive plan for the cabbies, including issuance of individual permits and bank loans to purchase vehicles, should the opposition pact succeed in wresting federal power.

Anwar said while individual permit is good for the industry, impoverished cabbies needed aids to purchase vehicles to start off their business.

“Why is it so hard to give small loans of RM3000, RM4000 to cabbies while (a) minister’s family is getting loans worth billions of ringgit?” he said.

He said he will seek cabbies’ further input on the issue and would consider setting up  cooperatives to assist them.

Permits, rentals, socso

Anwar’s latest pledge came a year after he promised the cabbies in a similar gathering that Pakatan would end the issuance of permit en bloc to companies and would instead give these out to individual drivers.

This year’s gathering,  themed as “cabbies the country’s pulse”, also featured speakers such as Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy, former Perak MB Nizar Jamaluddin, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo and leaders from various cabbies associations.

The associations’ leaders submitted a 10-point memorandum to Anwar at the end of the gathering.

Some of the resolutions included allowing cabbies to be covered by the social security scheme (Socso), amending the current hire purchase agreement for vehicles, establishing a pan-peninsular taxi drivers organisation and a special home loans scheme as well as introducing a special sole proprietorship scheme.

Meanwhile, the associations’ leaders also took turns to jab at the RM520 tyre vouchers offered by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak earlier this year, saying that such measure was not practical.

“We can buy tyres in shops, but can we buy permit in shops?” said the event’s organising chairman S. Manogaran.

KL and Selangor Taxi Drivers Association deputy secretary K. Rajarathinam said various associations have been pressing the Human Resource Ministry to extend  Socso coverage and benefits to cabbies. But the authorities’ excuse is that there is no provisions for such in the law.

“If there is no law, then go and make one lah. If not what for all the MPs are sitting in parliament?”

“They can come out with law in such a short time to legalise the foreign immigrants, can’t they just do the same to taxi drivers?” asked Rajarathinam.

 

Unlawful charges

Meanwhile, Meter Taxi Drivers Action Body (BBPTB) chairman Amran Jan pointed out that shopping centers such as KLCC have imposed hefty charges on cabbies who want to fetch customers from their premises.

He said there was no law to allow these premises to do so but the government agencies have been passing the buck when asked to look into the issue.

Currently under the hire purchase agreement, cabbies need to fork out from RM3000 to RM7000 down payment to rent a vehicle from taxi company, on top of a daily rental charge from RM38 to RM48.

Cabbies would own the vehicle after five years but they would again need to pay between RM18 and RM28 per day for permits.

Taxi driver and PKR member S. Subramaniam said a Iswara taxi car only cost RM27,000, but taxi companies set to rack in RM70,000 through the unfair agreement.

The taxi companies only need to pay RM120 royalty for a permit every once in seven years to government.-FMT 

cheers.

Deepak tarik saman terhadap ketua wanita Selangor,Raja Ropiah,& unit Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera beli syarikatnya dengan harga RM30 juta...

Deepak Jaikishan menarik kembali samannya terhadap Putrajaya diatas pelanggaran perjanjian tanah di Bukit Raja, Selangor dan pada hari sama, syarikat pelabur kerajaan membeli 80 peratus kepentingan dalam syarikat pembangunan hartanah milik peniaga permaidani itu dengan RM30 juta.

Peniaga kontroversi yang membuat pelbagai dakwaan mengenai urusan melibatkan Ketua Wanita Umno Selangor Senator Datuk Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, hilang semenjak 13 Disember.

Akhbar The Star melaporkan hari ini bahawa seorang pegawai mahkamah mengesahkan ahli perniagaan kontroversi tersebut, melalui peguamnya, menarik kembali samannya tanpa kos dalam kes syarikatnya Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, yang menamakan syarikat kerajaan Tanah dan Harta Sdn Bhd, Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd dan syarikat penama Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd kerana didakwa melanggar perjanjian.

Peguambela Awan Megah Datuk Saseedharan Menon berkata permohonan bertulis telah dikemukakan kepada Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur dan dalam perbicaraan Hakim Zabariah Mohd Yusof perbincangan perkara itu dengan kedua-dua pihak berlaku di dalam kamar mahkamah semalam.

Dalam pernyataan tuntutan itu, Astacanggih mendakwa Awan Megah bersetuju dengan syarikat tersebut bahawa Kerajaan dan Syarikat Tanah dan Harta bersetuju untuk memindahkan tanah di Bukit Raja kepada Cebur Megah.

Ia berkata, pemindahan itu akan dilaksanakan dalam tempoh sebulan selepas Astacanggih mengemukakan bon tanah kepada Kerajaan. Tetapi ia tidak pernah dilakukan, kata Deepak yang menjadi terkenal kerana peranannya dalam mengatur kenyataan bersumpah kedua penyiasat persendirian P. Balasubramaniam mengenai pembunuhan warganegara Mongolia Altantuyaa Shaariibuu pada tahun 2006.

Dalam tuntutan balas, Awan Megah memohon perisytiharan bahawa Astacanggih telah menolak surat perjanjian.

Sementara itu, Bernama melaporkan unit pelaburan Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, Boustead Holdings Bhd sudah memperolehi 80 peratus kepentingan dalam Astacanggih Sdn Bhd dengan harga RM30 juta.

Dalam makluman kepada Bursa Malaysia, Boustead berkata unit milik penuhnya, Bakti Wira Sdn Bhd, memperoleh saham dari Prestige Dimensi Sdn Bhd dan pemegang saham minoriti lain Astacanggih pada 20 Disember.

Bakti Wira Development dan Astacanggih juga menandatangani perjanjian dengan Awan Megah semalam untuk memperoleh 80.94ha tanah pegangan bebas di Klang,Selangor, dengan harga RM130 juta.

Boustead berkata pembelian saham dan pengambilalihan tanah akan dibiayai melalui pinjaman bank dan dana yang dijana secara dalaman, menurut agensi berita nasional Bernama.

Mengenai rasional, Boustead berkata pengambilalihan itu akan mengemukakan peluang bagi kumpulan itu untuk mengembangkan bank tanahnya.

“Selain itu, tanah bersebelahan kepada 283.28ha tanah pembangunan dibawah Jendela Hikmat Sdn Bhd, sebuah syarikat dimana kumpulan tersebut  dan Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera memegang 60 peratus kepentingan ekuiti bersama-sama,” katanya.
 
Boustead berkata mereka optimistik dengan prospek tanah kerana kedudukan strategik lokasi.

“Permintaan bagi tanah perindustrian di lokasi ini meningkat dengan siapnya stor penyimpanan terbaru UMW dan loji ujian di Bukit Raja, Klang,” katanya.-malaysian insider

Semua pasai duit... LTAT jadi pak sanggup untuk selamatkan Najib dan Rosmah yang membisu...

Deepak drops suit against Putrajaya, LTAT unit buys out firm...

Deepak Jaikishan has withdrawn his lawsuit against Putrajaya for an alleged breach of agreement over land in Bukit Raja, Selangor on the same day a unit of a government investment company reported it bought an 80 per cent stake in the carpet dealer’s property development firm for RM30 million.

The controversial businessman has made various allegations about the deal that involved Selangor Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, but has disappeared since December 13.

The Star reported today that a court official confirmed Deepak had, through his lawyer, withdrawn his suit without costs in the case of his company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, which named the government’s Syarikat Tanah dan Harta Sdn Bhd, Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd and its nominee company, Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd, for allegedly breaching the agreement.

Awan Megah defence lawyer Datuk Saseedharan Menon said written submissions had been tendered to the Kuala Lumpur High Court and trial judge Justice Mohd Zabariah Yusof had discussed the matter with both parties in chambers yesterday.

In the statement of claim, Astacanggih alleged that Awan Megah agreed with the company that the government and Syarikat Tanah dan Harta had agreed to transfer the Bukit Raja land to Cebur Megah.

It said the transfer would be implemented within a month after Astacanggih submitted the land bond to the government. But it was never done, said Deepak, who shot to fame for his role in arranging private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s second sworn statement about the 2006 murder of Mongolian national Altantuyaa Shaariibuu.

In its counter-claim, Awan Megah sought a declaration that Astacanggih had repudiated the letter of agreement.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that a unit of Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera investment vehicle Boustead Holdings Bhd has acquired an 80 per cent stake in Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Boustead said its wholly-owned unit, Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd, acquired the shares from Prestige Dimension Sdn Bhd and other minority shareholders of Astacanggih on December 20.

Bakti Wira Development and Astacanggih also signed an agreement with Awan Megah yesterday to acquire 80.94ha of freehold land in Klang, Selangor, for RM130 million.

Boustead said the share purchase and land acquisition would be funded via bank borrowings and internally-generated funds, according to national news agency Bernama.

On the rationale, Boustead said the acquisition would present an opportunity for the group to expand its land bank.

“Moreover, the land was adjacent to 283.28ha of development land held under Jendela Hikmat Sdn Bhd, a company which the group and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera jointly holds 60 per cent equity interest,” it said.

Boustead said it was optimistic of the land’s prospect considering its strategic location.

“The demand for industrial land in this location has been on the uptrend with the completion of UMW’s latest storage and testing plant in Bukit Raja, Klang,” it said.-malaysian insider

amoker27 148p - Deepak has got what he wanted. Najib kept silent and somehow, his ex ministry commercial arm brough Deepak's land. Yeah kaya!!

Foo 145p - Look familiar? Sound familiar? A replay of SD1 &SD2? Maybe this guy will retract all that he said in the interviews? Under duress perhaps?

Deepak tarik balik kes saman terhadap Raja Ropiah,pemimpin UMNO Wanita Selangor ...

Satu tuntutan mahkamah terhadap Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, milik Ketua Wanita Umno Selangor,Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, telah ditarik balik tanpa sebab.
 
Deepak,ahli perniagaan yang penuh kontroversi hari ini menarik balik saman terhadap sebuah syarikat pemimpin Wanita UMNO berhubung dengan sebidang tanah Kementerian Pertahanan yang menimbulkan banyak pertanyaan.

Penarikan itu telah disahkan oleh Saseedharan Menon, peguam bagi defendan utama, Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd yang dimiliki oleh Ketua Wanita Umno Selangor, Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah.

"Ya, mereka telah menarik balik [ia] dan mahkamah telah buang kes itu," katanya kepada FMT. Sebab-sebab penarikkan secara tiba-tiba hari ini,tidak diberikan.

"Kami tidak mempunyai bantahan terhadap penarikan balik itu dan tidak ada perintah mengenai kos," katanya "Ini bukanlah penyelesaian di luar mahkamah."

Saseedharan berkata penarikan balik itu akan mempertahankan Raja Roopiah, katanya "Ia memberi ruang untuk mempertahankan klien saya kerana penarikan datang daripada plaintif sendiri"

Sementara itu, peguam Latheefa Koya berkata bahawa Deepak telah menukar peguamnya dengan memberi notis yang singkat hari ini.

"Kami bukan lagi peguamnya," katanya, merujuk kepada peguam R Sivarasa dan N Surendran yang mewakilinya dulu.

Katanya lagi bahawa perkara berkaitan dengan Deepak, termasuk penarikan kes, telah dikendalikan oleh firma guaman lain, sambil menambah bahawa Deepak tidak memberi sebab kenapa dia berbuat demikian.- FMT

Emmm... tak taulah sama ada dia dapat habuan besaq atau dah kecut teloq...

Deepak withdraws case against Wanita Umno leader...

A lawsuit against Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd, allegedly a vehicle for Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, was withdrawn without reasons.

Controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan today withdrew a lawsuit against a Wanita Umno leader’s company over a Defence Ministry land deal which went sour.

The withdrawal was confirmed by Saseedharan Menon, the lawyer for the main defendant, Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd which belonged to Selangor Umno Wanita chief Senator Raja Ropiaah Abdullah(left).

“Yes, they have withdrawn [it] and the court has struck off the case,” he told FMT. He said that reasons behind the sudden withdrawal today, which was fixed for oral submissions, were not given.

“We had no objections to the withdrawal and there were no orders as to costs,” he said “This is no out-court-settlement.”

Saseedharan said the withdrawal would vindicate Raja Roopiah, saying: “It has to vindicate my client as the withdrawal comes from the plaintiff himself”

Meanwhile, lawyer Latheefa Koya said that Deepak had changed his lawyers on short notice today.
“We are no longer his lawyers on record,” she said, referring to lead counsel R Sivarasa and N Surendran.

She said that Deepak’s matter, including the withdrawal, was handled by another firm, adding that no reason was given for the change of lawyers.

Deal to build defence research centre

Previously, Deepak, through the company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, of which he is a director, had filed the legal suit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court naming the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta Sdn Bhd, Awan Megah and Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd, in which he is also a director, as defendants for breach of agreement over the 233.33 acres of land.

Awan Megah had filed a counter-claim in response.

High Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof had earlier struck out the Malaysian government, Syarikat Tanah Harta and Cebur Megah as defendants in the suit, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Deepak claimed that he had agreed to buy three parcels of land totalling 223.33 acres in 2007 for RM13 million and a RM72 million bank guarantee for a land bond from Raja Ropiaah.

Raja Ropiaah was apparently awarded a RM100 million privatisation deal for the development of the defence research centre called Pusat Pengajian Pertahanan Nasional (Puspahanas).

But the Selangor Wanita Umno chief then allegedly sold one parcel for RM2 million in cash and a RM16 million overdraft facility in a “joint venture” with Guppyunip Sdn Bhd, a company specialising in plasticware.

The carpet dealer then put a caveat on the land in Bukit Raja, in Klang, seeking parts of the land back, claiming that Astacanggih had the rights to them.

Since the details of the case became public, Deepak started giving media interviews, especially for the online portals, on his alleged role in the cover up of the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder.

He had named Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor as the person who had personally asked him to work on private investigator P Balasubramaniam to reverse a statutory declaration which had originally linked Najib to Altantuya.

Deepak could not be contacted to ascertain the reasons for the withdrawal of the case.-FMT

Here & There...

Gerard Samuel Vijayan Lourdesamy - This was to be expected from Deepak. The fact is the damage has already been done to Najib and Rosmah. The last minute change of solicitors is the usual indication of a pay-off and for Deepak his motive was always about money. But in the process the truth has come out about the extent of the involvement of Najib, Rosmah and Najib's brother in the cover up over Altantuya and Bala's revelations in SD 1.
 
Mahendran Kutty - Must be a very lucrative deal for Deepak, considering the fact that he has been a very shrewd businessman. Fat Mama must have orcherstrated the final part; another Bolehland achievement!

Tan Ka Lock - WTF the Deepak? $$$$$$ again used to make him about turn?
Sway Master - sapa ini deepak sampe najib pun tak leh kontrol? hebat betul! mahathir, shahrizat jalil, sammy vellu , deepak.... semuanya ada persamaan.... total cannot be trusted! they came from same spesis!

Mn Vasuthaven - He has withdrawn within his rights to do so. Let's wait and see what happens after this. If nothing, then it is equivalent to PI Bala's SD2. We will all have a good laugh over the drama. Money is always the number one god. Prove me wrong.

 

cheers.

Utusan Meloya tiada ‘masa lebih’ untuk semak kebenaran, kata peguam Utusan kepada mahkamah...

Peguam Utusan Malaysia Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin hari ini memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi bahawa akhbar berbahasa Melayu itu “tidak mempunyai masa yang lebih” untuk menyemak kebenaran laporan, apabila melihat kepentingan laporan tentang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pada Januari lalu.

Firoz membuat penerangan tersebut dalam kes saman Anwar (gambar) terhadap akhbar tersebut pada Januari lalu bahawa menuduh beliau menyokong pergerakan gay, dan mendakwa beliau berkata demikian dalam temuramah di televisyen British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) awal tahun ini.

Firoz berkata berita mempunyai “jangka hayat yang pendek,” berkata televisyen dan radio mungkin akan membawa berita sama.

“Jika akhbar perlu menyemak proses untuk memastikan kebenaran secara teliti, mereka sudi untuk melaporkan pada keesokan hari,” kata Firoz.

“Kerana ini adalah penting untuk menyampaikan berita secepat mungkin kepada orang ramai.”

Firoz kemudian berkata media tidak mempunyai “masa yang lebih” untuk menyemak fakta dalam berita, jika tidak ia “tidak dapat menyiarkan apa-apa berita”.

Tetapi peguam Anwar N Surendran mengatakan walaupun “berita penting” dan “tidak boleh basi” tidak bermakna “akhbar boleh melaporkan kenyataan yang salah.”

Surendran mengatakan Utusan Malaysia tidak bertanya pada Anwar tentang komennya sebelum meletakkannya di dalam akhbar mereka.

Anwar pada Januari lalu memfailkan saman malu berjumlah RM50 juta dan injuksi untuk menghalang Utusan Malaysia dan ketua pengarangnya dari meneruskan laporan berita tentang beliau menyokong pergerakan hak asasi gay.

Pada sesi pendengaran pada 18 Julai, Anwar memberitahu mahkamah bahawa “sudah menjadi pengetahuan orang ramai” bahawa Utusan Malaysia adalah akhbar yang dimiliki Umno dan menerima arahan dari presiden parti.

Anwar bersetuju bahawa homoseksual perlu ditentang untuk melindungi kesucian perkahwinan, tetapi memberi pandangan bahawa undang-undang yang ada sekarang perlu dilihat semula bagi mengelakkan orang yang tidak bersalah dari dihukum.

Awal tahun ini, Anwar didapati tidak bersalah terhadap dakwaan meliwat bekas pembantu lelakinya Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, apabila Mahkamah Tinggi mendapati dakwaan tersebut tidak cukup untuk membuktikan Anwar meliwat Saiful.

Selepas beberapa hari Anwar dibebaskan, akhbar Utusan Malaysia menyiarkan berita bertajuk “Anwar ulas isu gay”, mendakwa pemimpin de-facto Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memberitahu BBC bahawa undang-undang terhadap homoseksualiti di Malaysia sudah “lapuk” dan “tidak relevan”.

Dalam dua artikel yang disiarkan Utusan Malaysia, Hasan melaporkan merujuk kepada temubual BBC apabila menghentam Anwar kerana menuduh beliau bersetuju homoseksualiti harus dibenarkan dalam negara ini.

Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi VT Singham berkata kedua pihak perlu menyampaikan keterangan mereka hari ini dan akan membuat keputusan pada 21 Januari tahun hadapan.-malaysian insider

Utusan lawyer: Newspapers lack ‘luxury of time’ to vet truth...

Newspapers do not have the “luxury of time” to ascertain the truth of their news reports, Utusan Malaysia’s lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin today told the High Court here when justifying the urgency of the Malay daily’s report on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this January.

Firoz was making clarifications in Opposition Leader Anwar’s defamation suit against the newspaper that had in January allegedly accused him of being a gay rights proponent in a report claiming he had admitted as much in a TV interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) early this year.

He said that news reports “have a very short lifespan”, adding that television and radio stations would have carried the same news report.

“If newspapers have to go through the full process of ascertaining the truth, the details, they wouldn’t be able to report the next day,” Firoz argued.

“That’s why it was urgent to break the news to the public as soon as possible.”

Firoz later argued that the media does not have the “luxury of time” to ascertain the veracity of “facts” contained in every news report, saying that “nothing will ever get published” otherwise.

But Anwar’s lawyer, N. Surendran, later contended that using the argument that news is “urgent” and “cannot be stale” would mean that “newspapers will be free to publish false statements.”

Surendran further pointed out that Utusan had not sought Anwar’s comments before it went on to publish the story.

Firoz also said today that Utusan’s report on former PAS member Datuk Dr Hasan Ali’s statement was “a neutral transcript of what happened without embellishment”.

“The public has a right to know his (Hasan’s) point of view. He is a politician. It’s nothing personal.”

Firoz said that Utusan should be entitled to the defence of reportage, as they had published a “verbatim report” of what Hasan had said.

He also relied on the defence of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege.

Under the defence of qualified privilege, he argued that as a newspaper, Utusan has a “duty to publish matters of public interest” such as matters pertaining to the law and the opinions of politicians on these issues.

But Surendran argued that there was malice involved, saying that both Utusan’s editor-in-chief and chief news editor had failed to give a straight answer in previous cross-examinations about whether the news report was true.

On October 23, the newspaper’s chief news editor Zulkiflee Bakar had told the court he was “not sure” if the news report was true or not, saying that Utusan had only published it based on an unedited “full transcript” of Hasan’s statement.

Surendran had asked if Zulkiflee agreed that “maybe the content was true, maybe (it was) not true”, to which Zulkiflee replied that it was both.

Zulkiflee had also told Firoz that the news report was based on Hasan’s statement, saying that Hasan should know whether it was true or not.

Today, Surendran claimed that editor-in-chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Ishak was “evasive” and had showed “no confidence” when asked on August 13 if the contents of the news report were true.

Surendran argued that malice on the part of Utusan was proven when the defendant “had no genuine belief” that what was published was true.

Anwar had in January filed the defamation suit seeking RM50 million in damages and an injunction to stop Utusan and its editor-in-chief from repeating statements accusing him of being a gay rights proponent.

At a hearing on July 18, Anwar had told the court that it was “public knowledge” that Utusan Malaysia was Umno-owned and that it took orders from the party’s president.

He also agreed then that homosexuals should be discriminated against to protect the sanctity of marriage, but pointed out that archaic laws should be reviewed to prevent innocent people from being punished.

Earlier this year, Anwar was acquitted of a charge of sodomising former male aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, with the High Court ruling that the prosecution had not done enough to prove the opposition leader had committed sodomy against Saiful.

Just days after Anwar was exonerated, Utusan Malaysia front-paged a story titled “Anwar ulas isu gay” (Anwar discusses gay rights), claiming the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader had told a BBC interview that laws on homosexuality in Malaysia were considered “archaic” and “not relevant”.

The High Court judge VT Singham had asked both sides to make clarifications today and will deliver his decision on January 21 next year.-malaysian insider

cheers.

Jabatan Orang Asli adakan latihan 'undi BN', dan SPR kata OK ma...

Pakatan Rakyat Perak memohon penjelasan kerajaan berhubung satu program yang disifatkan 'latihan mengundi BN' kepada masyarakat Orang Asal di Tapah yang membabitkan kerjasama Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA).

Mereka mendakwa program tersebut telah diadakan secara bersiri sejak bulan lalu di semua perkampungan Orang Asal di sepanjang Jalan Pahang Tapah.

Dalam program yang turut dihadiri pemimpin BN itu kata mereka, penduduk Orang Asal telah diberikan dua kertas undi (gambar), mirip kertas undi sebenar untuk pilhan raya umum.

Kemudian ujar mereka, masyarakat Orang Asal itu dipaksa memangkah BN dalam kertas undi itu di hadapan pegawai JAKOA dan seorang Adun BN yang turut serta dalam program itu.

"Satu kertas undi adalah undian untuk Parlimen Tapah dan satu lagi kertas undi DUN Chenderiang.

 

"Penduduk dipaksa memangkah Barisan Nasional dalam kedua-dua kertas undi kemudiannya diberikan beras lima kilogram sebagai ganjaran," Kenyataan media mereka dipetik.

Selepas Orang Asal selesai memangkah BN pada kedua dua kertas undi, mereka dikehendaki mengambalikan semula kertas-kertas tersebut, kata mereka lagi.

Sidang media mendedahkan perkara itu juga dibuat di Perak hari ini yang dihadiri Timbalan Setiausaha MPN Perak Tan Kar Hing, Bendahari MPN Perak Dato Dr Yap Yit Thong, YDP PAS Kawasan Tapah Mohd Rahim Nordin dan Exco AMK Pusat Sandrea Ng.

Turut bersama pada sidang media itu termasuk Peguam Orang Asli, Bah Tony dan Ketua Biro Orang Asli MPN Perak, Bah Arsian.

Menurut mereka, tindakan JAKOA dan seorang Adun BN itu telah melanggar Akta Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya 1957 di bawah Akta 5, Akta Kesalahan Pilihanraya berkaitan pengaruh tidak wajar dan penyogokan.

"Mereka cuba menggunakan taktik yang kotor tersebut untuk menakutkan dan menyogok penduduk orang asli supaya menberikan undi kepada Barisan Nasional.

"Pihak JAKOA yang sepatutnya professional dan menjaga hal ehwal masyarakat orang asli telah diperalatkan untuk berkempen bagi pihak Barisan Nasional," kata mereka lagi.

Sehubungan itu, mereka menggesa satu penjelasan terperinci dibuat kerajaan termasuk JAKOA berhubung pendedahan itu.-harakahdaily

Sementara itu, Timbalan Pengarah SPR,Wan Ahmad Wan Omar memaklumkan bahawa insiden seperti ini hanyalah sebagai program pendidikan pengundi dan bukannya satu percubaan membeli undi atau memeras ugut.

"Ini adalah kali pertama isu ini telah dibangkitkan dengan saya, tetapi dari apa yang anda menjelaskan, ia adalah sesuatu yang sempurna diterima dan normal," katanya.

"Banyak parti politik melakukan pilihan raya olok-olok. Ini adalah satu bentuk pendidikan pengundi, yang mana mereka mendidik orang ramai tentang bagaimana untuk mengundi.

"Ia taklah menjadi masalah. SPR, sebenarnya menggalakkan parti-parti politik, NGO dan rakyat yang prihatin untuk mendidik antara satu sama lain tentang bagaimana hendak mengundi. "

Beliau berkata bahawa SPR telah mempromosikan program pendidikan pengundi buat seketika ini, memandangkan peratusan tinggi undi rosak dalam pilihan raya umum 2008.

Seperti yang didakwa bahawa Orang Asli yang menjadi peserta terpaksa mengundi calon-calon BN dalam undi olok-olok, Wan Ahmad berkata bahawa ini memang sesuatu yang dijangkakan.

"Itu berkempen," katanya. "Mana-mana parti politik, sama ada dari kerajaan atau pembangkang, akan melakukan perkara yang sama jika mereka hendak mengajar orang ramai untuk mengundi. Ia tidak kira sesiapa.

"Bagi saya,bunyinya seperti BN sedang menjalankan program pendidikan pengundi semasa berkempen pada masa yang sama."

 

Wan Ahmad berkata beras telah diberikan kepada Orang Asli di luar tempoh berkempen dan itu adalah sumbangan derma.

"Hanya apabila sumbangan diberikan semasa tempoh berkempen, ia menjadi suatu kesalahan dan boleh dilihat sebagai membeli undi," katanya.

Begitu juga, menghasilkan kertas undi olok-olok di luar tempoh kempen tidak akan menjadi suatu kesalahan melainkan jika kertas undi yang sebenar telah pun didedahkan kepada orang ramai, katanya.

"Isu parti-parti politik mencetak kertas undi untuk menggunakan sebagai contoh adalah normal. 

Mereka tidak tahu warna kertas undi yang akan digunakan pada hari mengundi atau jenis kertas ia akan dicetak pada.

"Rupa kertas undi dalam setiap pilihan raya adalah berubah2 dan hanya akan didedahkan pada hari mengundi.Buat masa sekarang, ia adalah rahsia dan dikawal dengan rapi."

Beliau berkata apa yang Yap gambarkan sebagai kesalahan di bawah Akta Kesalahan Pilihan Raya akan menjadi kesalahan hanya jika dilakukan pada hari mengundi atau jika rupa kertas undi telah bocor.

Walau bagaimanapun, beliau menggesa Yap untuk membuat laporan polis jika dia percaya bahawa Jakoa dan Mah telah melakukan jenayah.

Beliau berkata, tidak guna untuk Yap membuat laporan kepada SPR kerana SPR tidak mempunyai apa-apa kuasa penyiasat.-FMT

    
Patutlah Ahmad Maslan meroyan,boleh rampas 20 kerusi pembangkang.....

Orang Asli dept holding 'vote BN' training, and EC says OK ma...

Perak Pakatan Rakyat today claimed that the Tapah Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) has been holding sessions to “train” the local Orang Asli to vote for BN.

It claimed that the training sessions, allegedly organised in cooperation with an elected representative, were conducted in a series last month in all Orang Asli villages along Jalan Pahang there.

It added that programme participants were given two pieces of paper, which look like mock ballot papers for the Tapah parliamentary constituency and Chenderiang state constituency.

The Orang Asli were then “forced” to vote BN on the mock ballot papers in front of a Jakoa officer and the elected representative, it claimed.

“Those who voted BN on both the mock ballot papers were then rewarded with 5kg of rice,” Perak Pakatan said in a statement, cited by PAS organ Harakahdaily.

Pakatan said this contravenes Section 9 of the Election Offences Act 1954 which deals with interference of the free exercise of a person’s electoral right.

It also argued that printing a mock ballot paper breaches Section 3(j) of the same Act.

Both Jakoa and the elected representative present are urged to explain themselves.

Malaysiakini has contacted Tapah Jakoa, but the officer in charge of the programme is away and will only return tomorrow.

The portal is withholding the elected representative’s identity pending a response.-malaysiakini

 ‘Completely fine’

Meanwhile, EC deputy director Wan Ahmad Wan Omar told FMT the alleged incident appeared to be a voter education programme rather than an attempt at vote buying or blackmail.

“This is the first time this issue has been raised with me, but from what you explained, it sounds perfectly acceptable and normal,” he said.

“A lot of political parties are doing mock elections. This is a form of voter education, by which they are educating people on how to vote.

“That is completely fine. The EC is in fact encouraging political parties, NGOs and concerned citizens to educate one another on how to vote.”

He said that the EC had been promoting voter education programmes for a while now, especially in light of the high percentage of spoilt votes in the 2008 general election.

As for allegations that the Orang Asli participants had to vote for BN’s candidates in the mock ballot, Wan Ahmad said that that was perfectly natural and to be expected.

“That is campaigning,” he said. “Any political party, whether from the government or the opposition, would do the same if they were teaching the public to vote. It doesn’t matter at all.

“To me, it just sounds like BN is conducting a voter education programme while campaigning at the same time.”

Wan Ahmad also said the rice was given to the Orang Asli outside the campaign period and thus was a completely acceptable form of donation.

“Only when a donation is given during the campaign period does it become an offence and can be seen as vote-buying,” he said.

 

EC: Go to the police

According to Wan Ahmad, that was precisely the reason why political parties were doling out donations and gifts before the dissolution of Parliament.

Similarly, producing mock ballot papers outside the campaign period would not be an offence unless the real ballot papers had already been revealed to the public, he said.

“The issue of political parties printing ballot papers to use as examples is normal. They do not know the colour of the ballot paper that will be used on polling day or the type of paper it will be printed on.

“The ballot paper’s appearance changes with every election and will only be revealed on polling day. It is, for now, a closely guarded secret.”

He said what Yap described as offences under the Election Offences Act would be offences only if committed on polling day or if the ballot paper’s appearance had been leaked.

However, he urged Yap to lodge a police report if he believed that Jakoa and Mah had committed crimes.

He said it would be of no use for Yap to lodge a report with the EC as it did not have any investigating power.- FMT

 

cheers.

Program transformasi Najib yang 'blur' - Nak ambil cikgu dari India sedangkan ribuan graduan2 TESL tempatan masih menggangur...

KEADILAN gesa kerajaan Umno BN batalkan hasrat pengambilan guru Bahasa Inggeris dari India, sebaliknya mengutamakan guru lepasan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Pendidikan (ISMP) dalam negara yang masih menganggur.

Pengarah Komunikasi, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad berkata, KEADILAN sokong usaha memperbaiki penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris di kalangan pelajar, namun mempersoal kewajaran kaedah yang diumum Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“Najib tidak memberi alasan kukuh mengapa guru dari India akan memberi nilai tambah dalam sistem pendidikan negara.

“Lebih-lebih lagi, kerajaan wajar mengambil graduan TESL (Mengajar Bahasa Inggeris Sebagai Bahasa Kedua) tempatan. Ramai graduan ISMP khususnya dari Institut Pengajian Tinggi Swasta (IPTS) tidak menerima tawaran pekerjaan di sekolah kebangsaan.

“Sedangkan, pada Mac 2012, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Puad Zarkashi sahkan 7,000 graduan ISMP belum diberi tawaran kerja,” katanya pada sidang media di ibu pejabat parti hari ini.

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Seri Setia itu berkata, pengambilan guru dari India hanya akan mengeruhkan lagi keadaan.

“(Sebaliknya) kerajaan mesti menimbangkan untuk ambil lebih ramai graduan ISMP yang berkebolehan bagi menambah bilangan guru di sekolah kebangsaaan, lantas menurunkan nisbah pelajar-guru. Hari ini nisbah masih sekitar 40 pelajar satu kelas, iaitu kadar yang masih lagi tinggi,” jelas Nik Nazmi.

20 Disember lalu, Najib ketika lawatannya di India berkata, Malaysia berminat mangambil guru Bahasa Inggeris dari negara itu.

Kerajaan sebelum ini mengambil guru dari Amerika Syarikat dan ditempatkan di beberapa sekolah terpilih sebagai Pembantu Guru Bahasa Inggeris (ETA).

Mahasiswa KEADILAN hantar memo

Mahasiswa KEADILAN akan hantar memorandum kepada Kementerian Pendidikan bagi menuntut masalah pengangguran graduan ISMP diselesaikan.

“Dalam masa terdekat, kita rancang jumpa Kementerian Pendidikan untuk kita sampaikan memorandum. Kita tunggu respon dari Kementerian untuk gerak kerja seterusnya,” kata Presidennya, Haziq Abd Aziz dalam sidang media sama.

Katanya, masalah ini bukan disebabkan silibus atau kebolehan graduan ISMP, tetapi dasar pengambilan Kementerian Pendidikan yang sama sekali mendiskriminasi graduan dengan tidak membuka permohonan kepada mereka.-keadilandaily

'Nak import dari India, graduan ISMP menganggur'

Hire local unemployed grads, not teachers from India...

PKR today criticised the Putrajaya’s plan earlier this month to hire Indian nationals to teach Malaysian students English, urging the government to solve local teachers’ placement problems first.

“Up until today, there are still heaps of TESL (Teaching English as second language) graduates and Bachelors of Education (BEd) students who have yet to obtain teaching jobs,” PKR communication director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad(left) told a press conference here.

“Putrajaya should have solved this crisis of these graduates first before deciding to import teachers from India.”

The government had been sponsoring BEd students who major in TESL since 2005, even sending them to universities abroad, especially in Australia and New Zealand, in a previous plan to improve the quality of local English teachers.

Nik Nazmi questioned the motives behind the plan, which he claimed is not the best way to solve the shortage of English teachers and improve language proficiency among Malaysian students.

“Importing English teachers from India will not add any value towards our education system.

“So, what is Putrajaya’s excuse to do so?”

According to the Seri Setia state assemblyman, there are many complaints from government-sponsored TESL graduates who are still not placed in any schools after six months waiting.

“These graduates find it hard to get a teaching job, they have to resort to become insurance agents, tuition teachers, and so on.”

Nik Nazmi also referred to a statement by Deputy Minister of Education Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi who confirmed last March that 7,000 BEd graduates were still not offered placements.

An unofficial number by Gabungan Guru ISMP Malaysia (GGIM), a pressure group made of over 3,600 unemployed BEd graduates, put the number of unemployed teachers at 20,000.

 

Prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had mooted the idea of importing teachers from India after meeting his counterpart Manmohan Singh earlier this month.

The plan has since received resistance from educators and education reform group Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE), who voiced concern over what they saw as a short-term solution which would unlikely benefit a multiracial class whose learning could be further hampered by coaches speaking in an unfamiliar accent.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin gave his assurance that the Education Ministry will thoroughly study the proposed recruitment to ensure it meets the country’s education needs, in response to the National Union of the Teaching Profession’s call for an in-depth analysis to be carried out before rolling out the scheme.

“We will consider whether the English language teachers from India had Cambridge or Oxford (university) education and whether they can teach (the subject) well,” Muhyiddin who is also education minister, was reported by state news agency Bernama.

Last year, Malaysia started a negotiation with the US government to bring volunteer teachers under the Peace Corps programme, and 75 English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) have been assigned since this year.

The ETAs came under the Fulbright English Teacher Assistantship programme jointly administered by the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) and the Ministry of Education.- malaysian insider

 

cheers.

Ahmad Maslan,UMNO dan Impian 2/3 Kerusi Parlimen...

Kita biarkan Ahmad Maslan dan mana2 pemimpin UMNO merasakan mereka akan menang 2/3 kerusi parlimen. Kita tidak boleh lawan orang UMNO dalam bab cakap besar. Anwar Ibrahim pun kalah jika berlawan siapa boleh menjerit lagi kuat dengan Najib Razak.

Perasaan itu semua dalam alam angan2 orang UMNO belaka. Di Sabah BN ada potensi untuk hilang 17 kerusi parlimen. Semua kerusi dimana kombinasi China dan Kadazan majority- UMNO dan BN akan kalah.

Di Sarawak PBB ada 14 kerusi parlimen. Parti2 bukan PBB ada 16 dan pembangkang ada 1. BN boleh hilang 17 kerusi di Sarawak. jadi di Malaysia Timur, UMNO bakal hilang sehingga 33 kerusi parlimen.

Jika mereka kalah 33 kerusi, kiamat akan tiba awal untuk UMNO.

Di Semenanjung UMNO ada 66 kerusi sahaja. Dicampur dengan 13 dari Sabah, UMNO ada 79 kerusi. Di Semenanjung, UMNO nak kekalkan 66 kerusi pun sesak dan tenat. UMNO sekarang bukan macam UMNO dahulu. Pembangkang sekarang bukan macam pembangkang dahulu. Dulu UMNO kuat, sekarang lemah. Dahulu Pembangkang lemah, sekarang bertambah kuat dan bersatu.

In 2008, calun UMNO hanya dapat 2 juta undi dari 5.7 juta pengundi Melayu. Ahli UMNO jumlah nya 3.2 juta. Itu bermakna 1.2 juta ahli UMNO, walaupun UMNO mengundi calun PR. Jumlah pengundi dalam tahun 2008 ialah 7.9 juta. Kali ini, ada tambahan 2.5 juta pengundi kebanyakan nya orang muda. 70-80% orang muda tidak akan undi BN dan UMNO. Jadi kita biarkan panglima2 UMNO mengimpikan 2/3 kerusi parlimen. Di Sabah kali ini mereka akan kalah teruk.

Budak kecik dan orang tua, lelaki dan perempuan menzikirkan inikalilah setiap kali. Rakyat di pedalaman pun sudah bernekad undi PR atau kalau mereka tidak tahu nama parti, mereka hendak undi Anwar Ibrahim. bab kita suka atau tidak Anwar Ibrahim adalah suatu hal yang lain. 

Kalau rakyat percaya kepada dia, tidak ada siapa yang boleh buat apa apa. Tidak saya, saudara, Najib atau Mahathir.

Mahathir jangan lupa, Pak Lah dalam tahun 2004 mendapat mandate dan jumlah undi yang paling besar. 

Pencapaian itu tidak pernah perolehi oleh Mahathir pun. Mahathir jangan lupa bahawa mandate yang besar tersebut bukan diperolehi kerana orang sukakan Pak Lah- tapi mandate tersebut diberi kerana rakyat meraikan pengunduran Mahathir. jadi, kalau Mahathir menghulurkan hidung dia dalam PRU yang akan datang, rakyat akan sekali lagi meraikan pengenyahan Mahathir. rakyat Sabah nanti lama untuk menyuarakan hak mereka menyatakan amarah keatas Mahathir sebagai akitek projek IC.

Ada finah yang ditabur oleh puak UMNO menyatakan Dato Fauzi Shaari menyesal masuk PAS. Saya sudah banyak kali berceramah dengan Dato Fauzi semenjak dia mula2 berceramah lagi. Semangat nya untuk mewakili PAS dalam parlimen Larut semakin berkobar kobar setiap hari. 

Dia bukan menyesal, bahkan menyesali kenapa lama sangat tidak memilih PAS. Kita doakan dia berjaya dalam PRU ke 13 nanti. Ramai anggota polis menyokong pendirian Dato Fauzi dan mereka akan sokong PR ditempat tempat mereka.

Apabila kes RM40 juta timbul , Musa Aman berada dalam ketakutan yang amat sangat. Memang itu duit ufti yang dibayar oleh peniaga balak di Sabah kepada Musa. Bila kes ini tersebar- Musa Aman menangis. 

Dia rasa dia akan kena jel kali ini. dia sedar ada kumpulan di Kuala Lumpur berkonspirasi mahu menjatuhkan nya dari menjadi KM Sabah. jatuh atau tidak, tidak menjadi masaalah kepada kita. Musa Aman akan kalah banyak kerusi parlimen kali ini. bahkan Anifah Aman sudah pun bersedia untuk menubuhkan parti politik baru diSabah untuk menentang komplot politik geng2 Najib dari KL.

Tapi Musa Aman pandai berpolitik. Dia ambil duit dari mana2 sumber yang dia boleh. Tapi dia agihkan kepada semua calun parlimen dan adun BN. setiap orang menerima RM1 juta. Dan Musa ketika menyerahkan apa2 wang kepada mamat2 BN akan mengkehendaki mereka sain baucer menerima wang. Jadi dia ada senarai yang lengkap siapa terima dan terima banyak mana.

Bila Musa jumpa Najib di KL- dia berkata. You tidak beri saya apa2 bila berdepan dengan PRU. I finance everything. 25 parlimen ertinya, saya beri RM25 juta. 60 kerusi DUN, bererti saya telah belanja RM 60 juta. Jadi total semua RM85 juta. This is the record of the recipents. 

Jadi kalau saya terima RM40 juta, tak sampai separuh saya recoup belanja saya. Bukan untuk saya, untuk calun BN. itu tak termasuk kos dan belanja logistics yang lain. So if you want to pin me on the RM40 million, you must also charge all the BN MPs and ADUNs.

Najib tak tahu nak buat apa2. Nak ambil tindakan kat Musa, nanti semua rahsia bocor. Mahu tak mahu, Nazri Aziz keluar kenyataan- RM40 juta itu Ahmad Albab UMNO yang punya. – Mohd.Ariff Sabri bin Hj. Abdul Aziz@Sakmongkol AK47      

Former CID chief: I’ve never regretted joining PAS...

Retired senior policeman Datuk Fauzi Shaari has refuted rumours that he had regretted joining PAS and reiterated his commitment to the Islamist party.

“Why should I regret being with PAS? I have made the right choice,” the former Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director was quoted by Sinar Harian.

“I think my decision to join PAS had made some quarters uneasy. That’s why they deliberately concocted this issue.”

“I am happy and grateful for what I have faced and enjoyed since I joined PAS,” he added.

Fauzi’s response came after a text message was circulated, claiming that he had been rethinking his position in the party.

“If I knew that PAS is like this, I swear I would’ve never joined it.  Joining PAS is like joining DAP,” said the text message allegedly attributed to him.

The former crimebuster had been widely tipped to contest the Larut parliamentary seat for PAS in the next polls.

PAS’ last candidate for Larut, Dr Mohd Dhari Othman, lost the 2008 election to Umno’s Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin with a majority of 1,911.

Fauzi joined PAS in May, the first big name to sign up with the Islamist party which has embarked on a campaign to recruit key establishment figures to help shore up voter support ahead of looming polls.

Besides Fauzi, former religious department director for Malacca and Selangor, Datuk Mohd Nahwari Hashim, joined PAS in November during its annual conference in Kota Bharu.

Three former public servants have joined PAS before this, including former diplomatic officer and ex-Deputy Secretary-General for Ministry of Home Affairs, Datuk Ismail Hamzah and former Senior Director of Farmer’s Organisation Authority (LPP), Abd Rahman Taib.

Another of the three was Yusuf Hassan, former Human Resource Director for Jakim and Deputy Secretary-General for Penang.

In June this year, former Board of Inspectors chief for the Ministry of Education, Ahmad Zabidi Shamsuddin, joined the party by submitting a registration form to PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat during the Himpunan Hijau rally in Perak.

He had served the public for 33 years, with 10 years under his belt in the Ministry of Education as the Education Director for Terengganu and as principal in a number of schools.

Last month, Secretary-General for the Ministry of Land and Cooperative Development, Prof Datuk Dr Nik Zain Nik Yusof also joined the Islamist party.-malaysian insider  

 Najib and Anwar visits Sabah...

At the end of this month, DS Najib and DS Anwar are going to Sabah. The former will see a bleak future for BN in Sabah. Anwar will be basking in increasing support from Sabahans, tired of being the 12th state in Malaysia. Sarawak on the other hand enjoys more autonomy. UMNO is not there, and its CM is determined by Sarawakians. Sabahans take stock of what is happening in the neigbouring state.

The CM of Sabah on the other hand, is determined by Kuala Lumpur. The non-Muslim majority has seen its dominance diluted by the infamous Project IC. Immigrants were given free passage into Sabah and were given citizenship. Most of them are Muslims thus swelling the number of Muslims in Sabah to about 40-45% now.

Anwar will be experiencing so many more Pensiangans. Pensiangan is a remote rural constituency south of KK. You have to undertake hazardous travel to get there. Yet when Anwar visited Pensiangan not too long ago, 7000 came to greet him.

Every child, old men and women chant ini kalilah continuously. Children tell their parents to take the RM500 that Najib gives because it’s our money from the taxes KL takes from us, but they still chant ini kalilah.

At weddings, guests come to visit the hosts. When their hands shake, guests say ini kalilah, prompting the hosts to plead, please don’t say that expression because this is a wedding. But the cries of ini kalilah, resonate across the whole of Sabah.

These are signs that BN cannot ignore. It reveals the changing political mood in Sabah. They point to the defeat of BN in Sabah despite the billions of Ringgit that will be poured into Sabah.  An old woman in a remote area, when asked who she will vote this time, does not hesitate to say she will vote Anwar Ibrahim. She doesn’t know what party Anwar represents, but she and countless other `peasant’ voters will vote Anwar and his party.

Sabah has, if I am not mistaken gone through 11 elections. Only once did the Kadazans and Chinese support the Muslims and that was during Tun Datu Mustafa. Kadazans could become CM until UMNO came into the state. Now, the CM is determined by KL and this has raised the ire of Sabahans.

 

Muslims form about 40% of the population in Sabah. That’s about even to the population of Kadazan and Dusun. The Chinese constitute about 15% of the population. Now, if the Chinese combine with the KadazanDusuns, they will form the majority group in Sabah, at 55%. Or slightly more.  Judging from the historical fact that Chinese/Kadazans supported Muslims only once during the 11 elections, there is more likelihood that the majority will throw their weight behind PR.  That will give PR some 12 seats.

Some of the Muslim seats will also side with PR. Lajim Ukin is likely to take his Beufort seat. Yahya Lampong a political stalwart will probably stand in Kota Belud where he is expected to vanquish the incumbent. Bumburing will deliver his seat.

Let’s look at the political realities in Sabah. The Kadazans are unhappy at being sidelined most of the time. They have had to play second fiddle to the Muslims who are not the majority. Their dominance has been eaten away by Project IC where aliens were given citizenship in what is seen as a political project by Muslims to dilute the dominance of Kadazans and other non-Muslim Bumiputeras.

The Non-Muslim Bumiputeras enjoy better relations with the Sabah Chinese who are emerging as the crucial playmaker. It’s not difficult to see where the allegiance of the Chinese is with. They will combine with non-Muslim Bumiputeras to defeat the Muslim minority.

Sabah looks at Sarawak as a comparison. It sees the state enjoying more autonomy, has control over its resources and can determine their CM free from interference of KL.

How has UMNO governed Sabah all this while? It governs Sabah as how a ketua cawangan handles his cawangan. Assume a residential area with a population of 200. To set up a branch, the UMNO leader needs 50 members. So he gets 50 members, 26 being close relatives or close friends. He needs to take care of only the 26 ignoring the 24 members and the rest of the 150 residents. The UMNO leader distributes the spoils of political power among the 26 people, ignoring the rest of the 174.

That is how UMNO has run Sabah. It takes care of the bare minimum to ensure it stays in power and ignore the rest of the population.  After years of doing that, it now suddenly realizes that the ignored majority has come of political age and is now going to assert their power.

So when Najib goes to Sabah this weekend, he will be met and cheered by those who have benefited from spoils distributed. When Anwar goes to Sabah , he will be met and cheered by the marginalized majority who has come of age. They will chant ini kalilah! And there are many of ini kalilah shouters than there are we love PM shouters.

There will be a revolution in Sabah.- Mohd.Ariff Sabri bin Hj. Abdul Aziz@Sakmongkol AK47  

Year-end visits to Sabah by Najib,Anwar

 

 

cheers.