FMT News |  |
- Share prices close slightly lower on profit-taking
- PAS bela bekas buruh paksa Jepun
- Introducing Sekumpulan Orang Gila
- Malaysian politicians hail Obama win
- Dr M: I told Petronas to enrich my son
- Stop the oppression, banks told
- DAP boleh digelar ‘kafir harbi’ jika terus tolak Islam
- Foreign insurers enter Myanmar market with hope, caution
- Nazri: I am attacked because I am valuable
- PAS mahu menghadap Sultan perjelas kenyataan Nurul
- ‘Govt failed to protect Orang Asli rights’
- Suaram’s lawyer Bourdon back here on Nov 22
- MIC: Withdraw ‘Do the Dappan’ ad
- Pelabur Bestino berdemo lagi
- Dr M: Anwar’s daughter bitten by West bug
- The evolution of friendship
- Why isn’t Anwar contesting in Pekan?
- ING to cut 2,350 jobs
- Jailed for cutting girls’ unveiled hair
- Obama says ‘best is yet to come’ in victory speech
- Rihanna, Brown duet ‘Nobodies Business’
- Lynas plant can ‘jumpstart M’sia as rare earth hub’
- ROS is reckless, says Suaram
- Come and talk, unhappy Indians told
- Paul Ryan loses VP bid, but stays in House
- Cosmetics giant L’Oreal opens huge Indonesia plant
- Tengku Muhammad Fakhry gagal tuntut RM150 juta
- Obama wins re-election
- Bimbang ancaman tanah runtuh
- Nurul Izzah dikecam dalam Dewan Rakyat
- ‘We have new proof of voter list fraud’
- Obama faces fresh challenge with ‘fiscal cliff’
- Australia revisits asylum swap plan
- Don’t lie, BN leaders told
- Obama’s social media campaign hits emotional climax
- NGO desak k’jaan S’gor tunai janji
- SPNB’s further delay angers Tawau housebuyers
- Hidden secrets Melbourne
- Secret forestry map proves Taib lied
- Zaid explains why he wants to take on Najib
- No prosecution power for MACC
- Kontraktor Bumiputera Kelas F perlu elak budaya tamak
- Obama inches toward victory
- ‘Built for SME Solution’ bundle debuts
- MBSB targets RM30m revenue with AATB tie-up
- M’sia’s 3Q credit outlook ‘favourable’
- ‘We are not liars, Upko has lost its way’
- SMEs can buy TeAM’s cloud apps on TM BizApp store
- NGOs to hold rally against state violence
- Where is the oil fund?
| Share prices close slightly lower on profit-taking Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:15 AM PST
At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 0.10 of a point lower at 1,645.53 after hovering between 1,643.29 and 1,649.94 throughout the trading session. TA Securities senior technical analyst Stephen Soo said lack of follow-through support weighed on the day’s market as investors remained on the sidelines ahead of the two-day holidays next week – Deepavali and Maal Hijrah. “Local market will anticipate quiet mode starting tomorrow as local funds will start to position themselves ahead of Deepavali and Maal Hijrah,” he told Bernama. Soo expects the support level to be at 1,640 and resistance at 1,660 level. Bursa Malaysia and its subsidiaries will be closed for Deepavali and Maal Hijrah public holidays on Nov 13 and 15, respectively. They would resume operations on Nov 14 and Nov 16, the local bourse said in a statement. On broader market, losers led gainers by 367 to 310, while 351 counters were unchanged, 615 counters untraded and 23 others suspended. Volume fell to 1.207 billion shares worth RM1.709 billion from yesterday’s 1.267 billion shares worth RM1.66 billion. The Finance Index surged 75.53 points to 15,084.32 but the Industrial Index declined 1.36 points to 2,846.59 and the Plantation Index fell 10.77 points to 8,113.66. The FBM Emas Index shed 2.54 points to 11,239.11, the FBM Ace Index was 2.2 points lower at 4,272.54, the FBMT100 fell2.27 points to 11,074.99 and the FBM Mid 70 Index lost 9.96 points to 12,386.72. Soo also said tomorrow’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting was not expected to have any impact on the local bourse. In a Bernama report yesterday, RAM Holdings Bhd Group chief economist, Yeah Kim Leng, said the central bank was likely to maintain the overnight policy rate at 3% amid signs of improving economic conditions in the country. He said the local growth momentum remained well-supported and resilient as the US and China economies began to pick up. “The stable US and China growth suggests that the external outlook will likely show improvements and provide comfort to our trade… in the fourth quarter and next year,” he said. Among actives, Sycal Ventures rose one sen to 21 sen, Luster Industries and Compugates gained half sen each to 11 sen and nine sen, respectively while Tiger Synergy was flat at 40 sen. Axiata lost 19 sen to RM5.83, DiGi.com eased seven sen to RM5.02 and TM declined nine sen to settle at RM5.60. Among heavyweights, Petronas Gas rose eight sen to RM19.48, TNB chalked up five sen to RM7.00, CIMB gained two sen to RM7.73 and Maybank added one sen to RM9.05. However, Petronas Chemicals fell one sen to RM6.44 and KLK declined two sen to RM20.98. Volume on the Main Market rose to 1.206 billion units worth RM1.708 billion from 924.244 million units worth RM1.605 billion yesterday. Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 192.416 million shares valued at RM31.433 million from 201.92 million shares valued at RM41.219 million yesterday. Warrants eased to 85.898 million units worth RM8.001 million from 139.275 million units worth RM13.165million. Consumer products accounted for 177.39 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 210.374 million, construction 36.55 million, trade and services 339.43 million, technology 25.67 million, infrastructure 21.19 million, finance 51.41 million, hotels 2.68 million, properties 42.51 million, plantations 12.44 million, mining 31,000, REITs 6.79 million and closed/fund 268,200. - Bernama |
| PAS bela bekas buruh paksa Jepun Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:54 AM PST
Melalui penubuhan Sekretariat Jejak, bekas Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Seri Ir Nizar Jamaluddin berkata pihaknya akan menjejaki bekas buruh landasan dan waris mereka bagi membantu menyelesaikan konflik tuntutan pampasan ‘Wang Berdarah’ yang diberikan oleh kerajaan Jepun sebagai ganti rugi berjumlah RM207 billion. Nizar berkata, dengan jumlah itu setiap keluarga dianggarkan layak menerima sehingga RM3 juta wang pampasan. Katanya, setakat ini pihaknya berjaya mengesan seramai123 waris keluarga buruh berkenaan di Perak dan 347 waris di Pahang. Nizar mendakwa, berdasarkan laporan sebuah laman web pihak berkuasa di Jepun, pembayaran telah dibuat kepada Malaysia oleh kerajaan Jepun sejak zaman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menjadi Perdana Menteri tetapi sehingga kini tiada penjelasan diberikan kerajaan Malaysia. Beliau yang juga Pengerusi Sekretariat berkata, wujud satu nota yang disahkan oleh Gabenor Bank Negara bertarikh 13 Disember 2004 berhubung jumlah dana bernilai RM207 billion yang sepatutnya diberikan kepada 30,000 bekas buruh terbabit. Surat tertentu “Ada surat-surat tertentu yang dikeluarkan Kementerian Kewangan kepada persatuan yang mengesahkan wang tersebut dalam simpanan mereka (kerajaan). “Misalnya surat bertarikh 29 Mac lalu, satu memo daripada Kementerian Kewangan kepada Pengerusi Persatuan Bekas dan Waris Buruh menyatakan dana itu telah diangkat untuk kelulusan kerajaan dimana prosesnya dimaklumkan kepada pejabat Peguam Negara dan peringkat Sumber Manusia. “Perkara ini disahkan Menteri Kewangan, (wang) masih dalam simpanan. "Kalau masih disimpan mengapa tidak diberikan kepada rakyat,” soalnya Menurut Nizar, seramai 72,000 penduduk Tanah Melayu pada ketika itu dikerah dan hanya 30,000 orang daripada mereka yang kembali ke Malaysia sementara selebihnya gagal dikesan. Sekembalinya mereka ke tanah air, satu pertubuhan dibentuk yang digelar Persatuan Kebajikan Bekas Dan Waris Buruh Binaan Landasan Mengikut pecahan, jumlah 30,000 buruh ini mellibatkan 60 peratus bangsa Melayu, 20 peratus India, 15 peratus Cina dan 5 peratus bangsa lain. Sekiranya mereka masih hidup, umur mereka dianggarkan antara 80 hingga 85 tahun. Sejak didaftarkan secara rasmi pada 11 Januari 2011, persatuan terbabit telah memohon beberapa kali untuk mendapatkan wang pampasan Waris dan bekas buruh berkenaan boleh menghubungi Sekreteriat Jejak melalui talian 019-231 6539 dan 013-3266194. |
| Introducing Sekumpulan Orang Gila Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:15 AM PST
Consisting of six talented commoner, they are Acap (vocal/scream), Adek (guitar/clean vocal), Nazrin (guitar/clean vocal/bamboo flute/cello), Lee (drums), Mel (bass) and Naz (keys/synth). They started their serious journey during mid-2009. They have a big influence towards post-hardcore bands such as The Devil Wears Prada, UnderOath, and We Came As Romans. Since then, SOG expanded their music influences when Nazrin, Adek and Naz utilized their music knowledge derived from their years at the Faculty of Music in UiTM Shah Alam into SOG, and they also added some native world music such as African, Indian and Arabic beats + melodies, plus Malay traditional tunes and some classical elements from baroque and romantic period. As a result, SOG created a massive crossover/hybrid tune that made them more flexible to perform at any event such as total-underground gigs, prom nights, corporate events, acoustic sessions and even mainstream stages. People always asked "Why is your band's name ‘Sekumpulan Orang Gila’ (A Bunch of Crazy Dudes)?". One will gather more once they have watched these guys performing live. With full of teen angst, they perform with high attitude, hyper and energetic showmanship plus creating tight performances. Sometimes, they also bring up rare music instruments when performing in a band such as Cello and Bamboo Flute to create a difference between SOG and other bands. Sometimes SOG perform such rare music-visual sets that embark audience to experience a deeper musical journey. SOG became the champion at Battle Of Acoustics 2010 at Lepaq Cafe, Kelana Jaya and Nazrin won 2nd place in Keynote 2010 (a brand new ASTRO reality TV show searching for talented composer and producer around Malaysia). SOG also shared stage with lots of popular local and international artistes such as Indonesian top mainstream artistes, Nidji, D’Masiv, Geisha & Astrid and USA’s top-screamo bands, Eyes Set To Kill, A Skylit Drive, The Black Dahlia Murder. Recently, SOG won a high-profile competition, Celcom UOX Battle’11 that was held at Opera Sunway Pyramid defeating more than 100 bands throughout Malaysia. Now they are currently under Universal Music Malaysia and endorsed by Arkaik Clothing, one of the hottest clothing label in USA. Q&A Which local musicians in your country do you most admire and why? You look into the crystal ball and see your future? What does it say? Share with us two of your favourite quotes What is your biggest achievement to date? What is your advice to up and coming musicians? If you had the chance to change something about the music industry, what would it be? One of our upcoming new song will featuring international artistes from US. You can check us out at facebook.com/sekumpulanoranggila & twitter.com/weareSOG for more updates from us. SOG – Sumpah Pendekar *lyric by M.NASIR SOG – Grenade (live in Band Goes Pop Festival 12 featuring A Skylit Drive from US) |
| Malaysian politicians hail Obama win Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:47 AM PST
Most of the well-wishers conveyed their messages through Twitter.com. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said: “Congratulations @BarackObama on being elected to a 2nd term. I hope our countries’ relationship continues to go from strength to strength.” Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's tweet went as follows: “Pres BarrackHusseinObama: congrats-impressive victory! Support efforts towards peace, freedom and justice!” Obama today secured a total of 303 electoral votes, 33 more than he needed to win his second term as US president. His rival, Republican Mitt Romney, received 206 votes. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department SK Devamany also offered his congratulations through Twitter. “Congrats to President Obama," he said. "Capitalism with a soul must win. Politics with character must triumph. The world will be in harmony.” Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Obama was able to connect with a changing US electorate and maintain support from America’s youth. He said Barisan Nasional could learn from Obama’s win, adding that he hoped for “enhanced” US-Malaysia cooperation in the years to come. However, not everyone appeared pleased with the 44th US president’s win. Taking issue with Washington's relations with Israel, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said that it did not matter to him who came to power in the White House. “I’m not interested," he told reporters covering Parliament. "It doesn’t matter whether they’re black or white, they’re still behind the Jewish lobby. To me it does not matter who becomes president. This issue is more than 60 years old. I’m not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.” Engaging the Muslim nations "It is my hope that President Obama will continue in his efforts to foster understanding and respect between the United States and Muslims around the world. "Many Malaysians enthusiastically followed the presidential election campaign – and as a moderate Muslim nation, Malaysia stands ready to help the United States as it seeks to better engage with those of Islamic faith," he said. Anwar in his statement meanwhile also applauded the American people for backing a leader who reflected cultural and religious diversity. "I urge President Obama to fulfil the pledges made some four years ago in his momentous Cairo speech particularly to the Muslim world. And as he himself has said, that he would fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. "To fulfil his promise of not turning his back on the Palestinian aspiration for dignity and a state of their own, President Obama must do more to work towards a long term resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," said Anwar. |
| Dr M: I told Petronas to enrich my son Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:30 AM PST
The visibly annoyed former prime minister, who is adviser to the national oil company, said he had used his influence with Petronas to ensure that SapuraKencana win the business. “Yes, of course, he is given it because I instructed Petronas," he told the reporter. "You can put that in your paper. “I presided over everything. I told them, 'Please give to my son and not to anybody else.'” The reporter's question came during a press conference that followed the presentation of a patron award to Mahathir from the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP). The reporter raised the question in defiance of a plea by the event organisers that the media confine the session to town planning and other issues related to the function. The reporter asked if Mahathir thought there was a conflict of interest in the award of two contracts, worth RM836 million in total. Mahathir replied: “That is what I've been doing all the time. Even the time when I was prime minister, everything goes to my children. “But when everything goes to the children of other PMs, you don't want to mention because he is a nice man." Mahathir left shortly afterwards, cutting the press conference short. An event official later told FMT the reporter should have “been more respectful”. “We wanted the press conference to be confined to the event," he said. "It’s okay that he wanted to ask the question, but he could have framed it in a more tactful way.” Reuters reported last week that Allied Marine & Equipment Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned unit of SapuraKencana, was awarded a RM700 million underwater services contract for three and a half years by Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd. Another wholly-owned unit, Kencana HL Sdn Bhd, was awarded a RM135.8 million engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract from HESS Exploration and Production Malaysia BV for an integrated gas project in the Kamelia Field in the North Malay Basin. The contracts were announced in two stock exchange filings last Thursday. |
| Stop the oppression, banks told Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:29 AM PST
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) alleged that ABM had led a “concerted effort” in organising anti-union activities and had violated the rights of workers in the banking sector. In a statement issued today, MTUC said NUBE had been a “major target” of ABM’s anti-union activities. They also alleged that the three government-linked companies (GLCs) – CIMB, Maybank and Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd (BMMB) – have continuously trampled on workers and unions in the country. MTUC president Mohd Khaled Atan said despite various attempts by both unions to seek a resolution and prevent the continued violation, their efforts had come to nil. “Local and international laws and inalienable human rights principles have been breached in a systematic and brutal manner.. “These violations come at a time when the global financial architecture and conduct of bank executives have come under scrutiny,” he said. Khaled added that the unions were unhappy with the banks' attitude towards their workers and demanded that they be more professional in their dealings with their staff. "The banks do not respect the mutual agreement and they refuse to negotiate with the union to solve anything. "We are also against the outsourcing of bank work to other countries. We also do not support the discrimination of employees who have been unfairly sacked from work, sometimes just due to the fact that they were not the favourites." Khaled also pointed out the “appalling” income disparity in the banks, saying that it was causing a “major issue in society as the gap between the rich and the poor was widening”. Widening income disparity
Click here to view the video on YouTube. Echoing Khaled’s views, NUBE general-secretary J Solomon said that the banks must realise that although they are a big institution, it does not mean they can do whatever it is that they want. "We are shocked at the conduct of the GLCs and we do not understand why they are discriminating against their workers.” “We just want enough salaries to take care of our families, not the salary of CEOs. In fact, all we are asking for is a one-month performance bonus. “Bank Muamalat said that it is a small bank but its CEO gets up to 18 months of performance bonus. "If this continues, the country will consist of one percent of rich people and 99 percent will be the rest of us," he said. Solomon also expressed shock that the banks which are supposed to undertake corporate social responsibilities were in fact not doing so. "Since April 9 we have asked for the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's help but until now, the problem still has not been solved. “We want the prime minister to keep to his promise of 'People First, Performance Now'," he said. |
| DAP boleh digelar ‘kafir harbi’ jika terus tolak Islam Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:56 AM PST
“Sekiranya bukan Muslim menentang kepada Islam, mengeluarkan kenyataan seperti melabel bahawa syariah Islam itu ekstremisme, dengan terang menyebut tidak mahu Islam, tidak kiralah nak langkah mayat atau tidak, atau merasakan mempertahankan maruah Islam itu sebagai sesuatu yang membazir tenaga dan masa, maka jelas bahawa ia adalah menentang kepada Islam.” Mashitah menjawab soalan ahli Parlimen PKR-Tanah Merah Amran Abdul Ghani yang ingin tahu sama ada DAP sememangnya dianggap sebagai ‘kafir harbi’. Amran merujuk kenyataan pengasas Sekolah Agama Pondok Geting, Tumpat di Kelantan, Abdullah Sa'amah yang mengatakan adalah haram menyokong DAP kerana parti itu menolak Islam. Mashitah bagaimanapun berkata dalam konteks Malaysia, istilah tersebut tidak membenarkan umat Islam berperang secara fizikal. “Ia bukan satu istilah yang membolehkan sebarang hukuman bunuh diambil tetapi sebagai satu kajian sikap sama ada kita (Muslim) masih boleh terus berkawan dengan dia ataupun tidak…itu sahaja. “Jadi tidak timbul soalan tuduhan yang boleh membawa kepada satu hukuman atau sebagainya,” katanya lagi. Sebaliknya, beliau menegaskan mana-mana pihak yang menuduh seseorang sebagai ‘kafir harbi’ atau ‘kafir zimmi’ boleh didakwa di Mahkamah Sivil di bawah Peruntukan 298(A) Kanun Keseksaan kerana cuba menimbulkan rasa tidak senang hati yang boleh menjurus kepada perpecahan dan memudaratkan keharmonian negara. “Jika disabitkan kesalahan boleh dipenjara bagi tempoh tidak kurang dari dua tahun dan tidak lebih lima tahun,” katanya. |
| Foreign insurers enter Myanmar market with hope, caution Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:53 AM PST
HONG KONG: The world’s top insurance firms are setting their sights on Myanmar, steeling themselves for a fight with corruption and ghosts from the nation’s political past. Prudential Plc, AIA Group Ltd and Manulife Financial Corp are among the global insurance giants The opportunities are many. A large population, economic reforms and a natural resources industry could combine to create rising wealth among Myanmar’s people. There is also money to be made by general insurers providing cover for the impending boom in construction projects. “A few years ago everybody needed to have a China story and India as well,” said Michael Daly, a director and consulting actuary for the China and Southeast Asia life insurance practice at Milliman Inc. “Now the attention has shifted to Southeast Asia.” Myanmar could produce US$1.6 billion in annual premium revenues, according to Reuters calculations based on economic data and comparisons with neighbouring markets. That would be less than 10% of what Singapore premiums bring in now, but in line with Vietnam’s current insurance market. With the opportunities come obstacles, including new rules governing foreign insurers that are yet to be tested. In addition, the country’s one sole established insurer – state-backed Myanmar Insurance – is guaranteed certain contracts, effectively closing off portions of the market. Other challenges include competition from a handful of regional players and corruption. The country’s political history may also pose problems for insurers looking to sell products to high net worth individuals who may have ties to the former junta or be on blacklists. And yet the early enthusiasm among global insurers shows how tough things have become in their home markets and how crucial they see their position in Southeast Asia’s growth story. Southeast Asia Global insurers have had their eyes on Southeast Asia, buying up assets and opening offices in Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand as growth rates in the developing world far-outpaced developed markets. Premiums in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are expected to rise an average of 7.9% next year, according to a report by Swiss Re, more than double the global life insurance average. Myanmar is attractive to insurance executives as its population of nearly 60 million makes it one of the largest in the region. Per capita gross domestic product is also over US$850, near the US$1,000 mark that insurers say is the threshold where individuals begin buying insurance. Tokio Marine Holdings Inc, Sompo Japan Insurance Inc, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co Ltd and Before nationalisation in 1963, there were more than 70 local and foreign private insurance companies in Myanmar. “Myanmar is an economic rising star,” said David Wong, who runs Manulife’s Southeast Asian operations and who travelled to Myanmar this fall as part of a Canadian delegation. “It’s not far behind Vietnam.” Myanmar vs Vietnam Analysts and executives interviewed by Reuters struggled to put an exact dollar figure on Myanmar’s insurance market. Using Vietnam as a model, Myanmar may eventually generate between US$1 billion and US$2 billion in premiums a year, according to a Reuters analysis, based on sources and economic data. Vietnam last year had a GDP of US$120 billion and generated just over US$1.8 billion worth of premiums. That meant an insurance penetration of 1.5% of GDP. If Myanmar’s economy grows 7% annually in the next decade – the lower end of the rate estimated by the Asian Development Bank – it will double in size in 10 years’ time to over US$100 billion. If its insurance penetration matches or comes close to that of Vietnam, Myanmar could generate around US$1.6 billion in premiums. Singapore brings in around US$19.5 billion in premiums, the highest in Southeast Asia. The clearest obstacle for a foreign insurer in Myanmar is corruption. Transparency International ranks Myanmar as one of the four most-corrupt nations, on par with Afghanistan and only half a Rampant corruption would make it nearly impossible for global insurers to run proper background and business checks on policies for individuals and corporations. Even worse, corruption could get an insurer in trouble if the company backs a person or entity that later becomes a criminal liability, a not-too-distant possibility in a country such as Myanmar. “Many businessmen with close links to the military are now keen to reposition themselves as business-friendly and compliant,” said Richard Dailly, managing director at consulting firm Kroll Inc. “However, many of them still appear on blacklists either because of their close link to the regime or their proximity to narcotics production.” Detailed market information is also hard to come by, with debt and equity analysts and ratings agencies yet to begin covering Myanmar’s insurance sector. Performing due diligence is difficult, Dailly adds. The laws governing Myanmar’s insurance sector are loosely-worded and don’t apply to the state’s monopoly, though some parts of the law could be attractive to foreign insurers. Insurers can get licences from the Central Bank of Myanmar that allow them to write policies in foreign currencies. Other parts of existing laws could prove worrisome. So far, government officials are saying foreign insurers will be kept at arm’s length until around 2015. That’s when they will be granted licences and allowed to do business, the deputy minister of finance and revenue told Reuters in September. “For those who invest the time and energy and know-how to actually help it develop, those people are going to get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Ince & Co partner Iain Anderson, an industry lawyer who recently travelled to Myanmar. - Reuters |
| Nazri: I am attacked because I am valuable Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:38 AM PST
Speaking to reporters at his Parliament office, he said that he did not think he would attract accusations of conflict of interest if it wasn’t for his position in Barisan Nasional. “Don’t you think that I am an asset, that there’s an attack on me now? If I’m just an ordinary MP or I’m not important to Umno, you think they’ll attack me? They won’t, right?” he said. Nazri was responding to accusations levelled at him by those from PKR and more recently, from Jaringan Melayu Malaysia’s (JMM) Azwanddin Hamzah. In a recent exposรฉ, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli accused Nazri of having a conflict of interest, particularly after showing that his son, Nedim Nazri Aziz, was using a car supposedly owned by controversial timber tycoon Michael Chia. Chia, according to PKR, was allegedly embroiled in a corruption scandal involving Sabah Umno to the tune of RM40 million. The party argued that Chia had been arrested by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for smuggling RM40 million, intended for Sabah Umno. In response, Azwanddin said that Nazri may be a “political liability” to Barisan Nasional if these allegations proved to be true. Nazri, however, rubbished Azwanddin’s accusations, referring to him as nothing more than a “roadside politician” and a “frog”, a reference to the JMM’s former association with PKR. “Azwanddin, I don’t know who he is. I’d be very worried if the president, deputy president or secretary-general of Umno made such comments… But if it’s from a roadside politician from a roadside organisation, I don’t need to be answerable,” he said. |
| PAS mahu menghadap Sultan perjelas kenyataan Nurul Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:33 AM PST
Ahli Parlimen Kuala Selangor Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad berkata, maklumat sebenar mungkin tidak dijelaskan sepenuhnya kepada Sultan Sharafuddin oleh Majlis Agama Islam (MAIS) menyebabkan baginda memberikan respon sedemikian. “Saya yakin Sultan tidak mendapat kenyataan Nurul yang sebenarnya. Kalau tidak saya sendiri boleh menghadap Sultan untuk memberitahu. “Saya cukup friendly (baik) dengan Sultan. Saya sendiri boleh membawa kenyataan sebenar kepada Sultan,” katanya di lobi Parlimen hari ini. Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat itu berkata demikian ketika diminta menjawab mengenai kenyataan MAIS yang menyampaikan kekecewaan Sultan terhadap isu itu. Pengerusi MAIS, Datuk Setia Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa dilaporkan semalam berkata, baginda juga menolak sama sekali sebarang pandangan bahawa orang Melayu beragama Islam mempunyai kebebasan untuk memilih agama lain dan keluar agama Islam. Dzulkefly berkata, beliau bersedia menjelaskan perkara yang sebenar kepada Sultan sehingga bagaimana ia boleh diputarbelitkan sehingga ditafsirkan sebagai menggalakkan murtad. Informasi sebenar Beliau bagaimanapun, berkata tindakannya itu bukan bermakna secara peribadi mahu mempertahankan Nurul Izzah sebaliknya ia soal hukum agama yang sengaja dipolitikkan oleh pihak berkepentingan. “Saya yakin seperti (Datuk) Hasan Ali dan semua yang buat kenyataan mereka tidak berlaku adil untuk benar-benar tak meneliti apa yang disebutkan Nurul. “Tak bermakna sebagai orang PAS dan Pakatan saya pertahan Nurul tetapi saya mahu suarakan apa yang benar. “Jangan sampai kerana kepentingan politik kepartian sanggup (memutarbelitkan hukum agama)…bayangkan orang yang komited pada agama, sembahyang lima kali sehari boleh dikatakan mengajak orang keluar agama dan dia boleh percaya,” katanya. |
| ‘Govt failed to protect Orang Asli rights’ Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:31 AM PST
Bar Council treasurer Steven Thiru said the government had violated the Orang Asli community's land rights in particular. "You see exploitation and deprivation of land in both East and West Malaysia. "Either the authorities – the state government – or private bodies have been grabbing, unlawfully acquiring ancestral land," said Thiru, who is also co-chairman of the Bar Council committee on Orang Asli rights. Last month, some 500 Orang Asli had staged a picket outside the office of the Pahang Menteri Besar after having lost their native land to the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) project. However, two of the protesters were arrested the following day over charges of disturbing ECER's contract workers. In September, 30 Orang Asli had also picketed outside the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) headquarters to protest against the authority for continuing land alienation despite an earlier promise to stop. "Aside from picketing, some of the Orang Asli go to court to solve their issues, but they get little compensation and at times even the court's rulings are ignored," Thiru told reporters today. He was referring to the 15-year legal battle among the ageing families of the Temuan tribe, which saw two members pass away before the court ruled in their favour in May this year. The families obtained RM 6.5 million in compensation for their native customary land, which was seized to build a highway to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). But Thirun said such successes are few and far in between, and more could be done to help the dwindling Orang Asli community. "I am absolutely disappointed with the government's performance so far," he said. "So much more can be done, and ultimately it is up to the government to protect the Orang Ali's way of life, and to make sure that their lands and rights are respected," he added. National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Abdul Rashid Ismail said that tension was increasing among the Orang Asli community due to the amount of land being taken away from them. "Land is becoming more scarce, and we see urban areas edging ever nearer to Orang Asli settlements. For example, Damansara Perdana used to have an Orang Asli settlement there, but now it's like a concrete jungle. "Most of the Orang Asli who originally lived there were either relocated, or were forced to abandon the lifestyle they have known for centuries and purchase houses," he said. Rashid said that aside from land rights, the indigenous community was also deprived of the basic right to education. "According to a Suhakam report in 2010, there were 17,9842 Orang Asli children who were not attending school. This is a significant number considering the population of the indigenous community," he said. "The education minister can easily help to achieve 100% school enrolment among the children of the Orang Asli. But that is not happening. "Education is essential in helping to lift the indigenous community out of the poverty threat. Almost all live below the poverty line," he added. Public must pressure government Meanwhile, Thiru urged the public to play an active role in pressuring the government to fulfil its responsibility towards the Orang Asli. "Don't let the Orang Asli become a footnote in our history – just a tiny mention at the bottom of our history books that they went the way of the dinosaurs," he said. He said the public could learn more on the issue by attending a seminar jointly organised by the Bar Council and Hakam titled "The Struggles of the Orang Asli and Other Minorities in Malaysia". The two-day seminar, which begins at 8.30am on Dec 7, will be held at the Grand Seasons Hotel here. Tickets are priced at RM50 for the public, RM30 for members of the Bar Council and RM15 for students. He said Orang Asli representatives would be present to share their personal experiences, as well as officers from Suhakam. For more information on the seminar, contact Christine Gomez, Officer, Bar Council, by telephone at 03-20502087 or email her at Christina@malaysianbar.org.my. |
| Suaram’s lawyer Bourdon back here on Nov 22 Posted: 07 Nov 2012 01:10 AM PST
PKR MPs R Sivarasa (Subang) and Tian Chua (Batu) revealed this by producing a Oct 29 letter addressed from Bourdon to their defacto leader, Anwar Ibrahim. The letter read: “I, William Bourdon, hereby confirm that I am willing to travel to KL before Nov 22 to answer the invitation of Mr Anwar Ibrahim, received on Oct 2 regarding the ‘Scorpion [Scorpene] case’ in France.” The two MPs added that Bourdon would also brief MPs in one of the meeting rooms in Parliament on Nov 22, though not within the Dewan Rakyat itself. With this in tow, they petitioned Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein not to deport Bourdon. This sentiment was made known in a letter to the minister by Anwar, who cited Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz’s willingness to allow Bourdon in, as reported in a previous FMT article. In the letter, Anwar said that he would inform Parliament and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers’ Club (BNBBC) as soon as he received confirmation from the Home Minister in writing. Bourdon, who was hired by Suaram to investigate the Scorpene case, was deported to Paris after he spoke at an "Ops Scorpene" fundraising dinner in Penang in July 2011. In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its inquiry into Suaram’s claim that French naval firm DCNS had paid some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a contract for two submarines. Suaram had filed the complaint with the French courts in 2009. Sivarasa said: “We plead to the Home Minister not to put any obstacles, and allow MPs from both sides to hear what Suaram’s lawyer has to say about developments over the investigation.” The PKR MPs added that DCNS’s lawyers were also invited to meet with Malaysian MPs, though they admitted that they had not briefed them on the exact date. |
| MIC: Withdraw ‘Do the Dappan’ ad Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:32 AM PST
MIC secretary-general S Murugesan said that the advertisement may send the wrong message to Indians youths in the country, especially the Hindus. "I have watched the video. I think Petronas should with withdraw the advertisement and replace it with something else," he said. The advertisement, which runs for over three minutes, shows youth named Raj doing the Dappan Kuthu dance and getting unlikely people to join his dance routine. Petronas defines the Dappan Kuthu dance as an energetic dance routine which is prominent in Tamil cinema. However, the video drew ire from Internet users, who claimed that the advertisement is far from reflecting the spirit of Deepavali. The video, which drew nearly 100,000 visitors as of today, had 1,442 "dislikes" as opposed to 325 "likes". The advertisement is scheduled to be aired nationwide this weekend. When asked if MIC would approach Petronas on the matter, Murugesan said that he would use internal channels to resolve the issue. He also said that Petronas had a sound track record in coming up with meaningful Deepavali advertisements and thus, people had higher expectation this year. "I don’t think Petronas will go ahead with the advertisement as the public have spoken," said Murugesan. On related matter, Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAman) had threatened to launch a nationwide protest if Petronas refused to remove the advertisement. The NGOs secretary-general, S Bharathidasan said that the video was an insult to Malaysian Hindus as it did not have any message related to Deepavali. "Dancing on the street is not Malaysian Indian culture. The dance routine is an imitation from Tamil movies. Stereotyping Indians like this is bad and should be stopped," he said. Also read: 'Do the Dappan' not in Deepavali spirit |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:17 AM PST
Demonstrasi tersebut diadakan di depan Kedai Batu Pahat Goldsmith dimiliki oleh Chong Yuk Ming yang juga pengarah Bestino yang disertai 200 pelabur. “Ia sudah tiga tahun. Tetapi Chong masih belum menunaikan janji beliau iaitu memulangkan wang RM411juta yang dilabur oleh lebih 6700 pelabur,” kata K Kunasegaran, wakil Jawatankuasa Bertindak Pelabur Bestino. Kunasegaran, mewakili para pelabur berkata tujuan protes ini untuk mendesak Chong memberikan dokumen dalam mesyuarat dengan Perdana Menteri Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak lama lagi. Peserta juga membawa kain pemidang dan pelekat untuk menunjukkan rasa tidak puas hati terhadap pengarah Bestino. Pada Februari lalu, empat pengarah Bestino termasuk Chong dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen Ipoh atas 322 tuduhan pengubahan wang haram RM156.2 juta dan lima tuduhan menerima deposit tanpa lesen. Bank Negara pula merampas aset syarikat itu di bawah Akta Pencegahan Penggubahan Wang Haram dan Pembiayaan Keganasan 2011 (AMLATFA) berjumlah RM24.2 juta sebagai bahan bukti. Sebanyak RM411 juta wang dilaburkan oleh 6,764 pelabur dalam Skim Bestino. `Mesyuarat dengan Bank Negara’ “Sejak dari itu, pelabur Bestino mengadakan beberapa siri mesyuarat dengan Bank Negara dan pengarah Bestino untuk mendapat balik duit mereka,” katanya. Tambah beliau, Chong pada mulanya menetapkan 30-4-2012 untuk memulangkan wang pelaburan itu, apabila tiba masa itu, beliau meminta tambahan tiga bulan untuk memulangkan wang tetapi, tidak ditunaikan juga. Kunasegaran juga berkata semasa perbincangan tiga penjuru dengan Bank Negara pada 9 Ogos lalu di Kementerian Kewangan, Chong berjanji untuk mengemukakan dokumen “Proof Of Fund” kepada Kementerian Kewangan. “Disebabkan mungkir janji dengan pihak Kementerian, satu laporan polis dibuat oleh Kementerian Kewangan terhadap Chong,” katanya. “Jadi, kami di sini berkumpul untuk terus menekan beliau untuk megemukakan dokumen yang dijanjinya,” tambahnya. Dalam pada itu, Kunasegaran berkata, Pejabat Perdana Menteri telah bersetuju untuk mengaturkan satu mesyuarat bersama PM, pihak pengarah, Bank Negara and wakil pelabur untuk menyelesaikan masalah Bestino. “Semalam, wakil pihak pelabur berjumpa dengan Datuk Ravin Ponniah, pegawai khas Perdana Menteri di pejabatnya dan menyampaikan satu surat yang di tulis oleh peguam Tommy Thomas yang mewakili pihak pelabur,” katanya. Pada Oktober 30 yang lalu, pelabur Bestino berkampung di hadapan pejabat Perdana Menteri untuk meminta Najib campur tangan bagi menyelesaikan masalah pengeluaran wang mereka. |
| Dr M: Anwar’s daughter bitten by West bug Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:15 AM PST
Although the Lembah Pantai MP denied supporting apostasy, a crime in Malaysia, Mahathir suggested that the daughter of his arch-enemy, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, was too influenced by Western liberalism. “We are Muslims, we are not allowed to change our religion. “We shouldn’t be to carried away by Western thoughts or ideas of openness… if not we would have more films that insult Islam-like the recent one-made,” he told reporters at an event here. The PKR leader drew flak for her remarks on religious freedom over the weekend with religious conservatives especially those backing the ruling coalition saying it was akin to promoting apostasy. The controversy also prompted the Sultan of Selangor to warn Nurul against promoting “religious pluralism”. She denied the allegation and yesterday said she would take legal action against Umno-owned dailies Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her statement. The alleged remark was made at a public forum on "Islamic State: Which version, Whose Responsibility?" in Subang Jaya last Saturday. But today former Perlis mufti Dr Asri Zainol Abidin defended the PKR leader. He pointed out that Nurul had only said that there is no compulsion in the pactice of Islam. “After hearing her explanation, I understand what she meant. The no compulsion is from the aspect of practice in the religion of Islam. “If truly there is compulsion, this country's government would certainly take action against a Muslim individual, for example a Muslim woman who does not wear the tudung (headscarf),” he told Malay daily Sinar Harian. Asri, still considered an influential Islamic scholar, was also a former private tutor on Islamic teachings to Mahathir and his family when he was still the prime minister. Race and religious issues are inseparable in Malaysia. Malays, who make up 60% of the population, are constitutionally defined to also be Muslims. The Federal Constitution states that Islam is the religion of the federation but also provides for other religions to be practised freely. Also read: Nurul Izzah dikecam dalam Dewan Rakyat |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:13 AM PST Are you the pilot or the wit in your circle of friends?
“The Evolution of Friendship” report uses research and interviews with experts and academics alongside chats with groups of men in New York, Shanghai, London, Moscow and Mexico City to explore the dynamics of 21st century male friendship. It argues that it has become more important for modern men to forge deep relationships with a core group of friends as a way to operate in an increasingly complex world and that those men are more in touch with each other’s feelings. London-based psychologist Felix Economakis said in the report, from whisky maker Chivas Regal, that modern men have left behind the austere rules of friendship for more emotional demonstrations of frailty.
The report argues the evolution of friendship has moved from the reserved 19th and 20th century model, in which men were more independently minded, to a 21st century interconnected world of the kind depicted in films such as “Wedding Crashers,” in which two friends openly profess their emotional reliance on each other. It describes such dynamics as “fireteam friendships,” a basic unit of four or five friends who watch each others’ backs, and argues that men who are in closer contact with their friends are happier, healthier and wealthier. In addition to the evolution of friendship, its impact on life and group dynamics, the report also concludes that emotional openness, trust and respect and a balanced attitude to success will continue to characterize friendships going forward.—Reuters |
| Why isn’t Anwar contesting in Pekan? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:10 AM PST
Umno’s Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan feels that Anwar as opposition leader should take on Najib, but the safer option is for him to stay in his safe seat in Permatang Pauh. “Probably Anwar is the best candidate to challenge Najib, but I would not dare him. It is a waste of time,” said Rahman, who suggested a darker plot behind PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s challenge to Najib. “Anwar wants to kill and humiliate Hadi [politically]. I don’t think Anwar is close to Hadi. He is closer to [PAS spiritual adviser and Kelantan Menteri Besar) Nik Aziz Nik Mat,” said Rahman. Recently, Hadi expressed his intention to contest in Pekan. Yesterday he reiterated his intent. Former Kita president Zaid Ibrahim is also interested in facing off with Najib in Pekan Anwar, who is also PKR’s de facto leader, meanwhile challenged Najib to contest in Marang which is Hadi’s seat. “He knows Pekan is an Umno stronghold and he wants to play it safe. That’s why he got his wife to step down in Permatang Pauh and he took over the seat,” said Mashitah. All three constituencies – Pekan, Pematang Pauh and Marang – have a sizeable Malay majority voting bloc. Pekan has been Najib’s stronghold since 1986. In 2008, he defeated Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin of PKR with a majority of 26,464 votes. Najib polled 36,262 votes against Khairul’s 9,798 votes. Of the 58,217 voters in 2008, there were 93% Malay voters, three percent Chinese voters and others made up the balance. The Marang seat is held by Hadi. In 2008, he beat Ahmad Ramzi Mohamad Zubir of Umno with a majority of 2,747 votes. Hadi polled 33,435 votes against Ahmad’s 30,688 votes. In 2008, there were a total of 85,906 voters of which 98% are Malays and balance two percent were Chinese. Anwar has been representing Permatang Pauh since 1982. After he was imprisoned, his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim held the seat in 2004 until 2008. Wan Azizah then quit her MP position to pave the way for Anwar. In a three cornered by-election, Anwar beat Ariff Shah Omar Shah with a majority of 15,671 votes. Anwar polled 31,195 votes against Ariff’s 15,524 votes. Hanafi Mamat of Akim lost his deposit after receiving 92 votes. Of the 58,490 voters in 2008, Malays make up 70% of the voters and the Chinese constitute 24%. The balance – six percent – are Indians. Also read: |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:01 AM PST
ING also said today it made a third-quarter net profit of 609 million euros (US$780 million), compared with a forecast for 872 million in a Reuters poll. It is divesting insurance and investment management operations and other assets through disposals or stock market listings as it prepares to repay state aid received in 2008 and bolster its capital. The group, which employed 94,000 people at the end of June, said it was to cut 1,350 jobs at its European insurance operations and 1,000 at commercial banking. “As we work to solidify strong standalone futures for bank and insurance, we are taking steps to increase our agility in this uncertain environment,” chief executive Jan Hommen said. The job cuts come after Swiss bank UBS announced last month it was to cut 10,000 staff and wind down its fixed income business. ING last year announced it was to cut 2,700 jobs, or 10% of staff, at its Dutch retail banking operations in the face of deteriorating markets, following similar measures at Dutch rivals ABN AMRO and Rabobank. The Dutch central bank said last year banks were inefficient compared with foreign rivals, and it saw room to cut costs. ING’s dismantling process, which ends the once fashionable bancassurer model it started in 1991, is part of a deal with the European Commission in return for being allowed 10 billion euros (US$13 billion) state aid in 2008, and other help. - Reuters |
| Jailed for cutting girls’ unveiled hair Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:53 PM PST
Iman Abu Bakr Kilany, a science teacher who herself wears a niqab – a veil that also covers her face – said last month she had been removed from the school in the southern town of Luxor after complaints by relatives of the girls – the only two in her class who did not wear headscarves. She said she was being moved to an administrative job and docked one month’s salary. Egyptian human rights groups and women’s organizations condemned the incident as an example of hardline Muslims trying to impose their values on others since Islamists took power in Egypt. Kilany’s lawyer said the verdict was harsh and that she would appeal, according to the state news agency MENA. Many Egyptian women wear the headscarf, but the country’s Islamic scholars generally say it should be done out of free choice. That view is shared by the Muslim Brotherhood, the group that propelled Mohamed Mursi to the presidency in June. Kilany said last month she had asked all her girl students to put on the headscarf because it was required for girls older than 10 – a view disputed by many Muslims. While Mursi and his administration have repeatedly said they will not seek to impose strict Islamic codes of behavior, the rise to prominence of an array of Islamist groups has alarmed more secular-minded Egyptians and the sizeable Christian minority. In one headline-grabbing incident, a young man out with his fiancรฉe was stabbed to death by three Islamist zealots in Suez in July. The killers were sentenced to 15 years in jail.—Reuters |
| Obama says ‘best is yet to come’ in victory speech Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:52 PM PST
After taking the stage at a raucous Chicago victory party with wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama returned to the themes of his re-election bid, vowing to fight for the middle class and the American dream. “In this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up. We have fought our way back,” Obama told hundreds of cheering supporters. “We know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.” Obama said he had spoken to Romney, congratulating him and his running mate Paul Ryan on a “hard-fought campaign” and vowing to sit down with the former Massachusetts governor to discuss the way forward. “We may have battled fiercely but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future,” Obama said. “In the weeks ahead I also look forward to sitting down with governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.” Obama reached out to those who supported his opponent in the closely-fought race, saying: “Whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. You’ve made me a better president. “With your stories and your struggles I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead,” he said. “Despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. I have never been more hopeful about America.” Obama thanked the army of campaign workers and volunteers whose efforts secured his re-election to a second four-year term, calling them the “best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics.” Near the end of his speech Obama hinted at a more far-reaching agenda in his second term despite the lingering partisan gridlock in Washington, calling for a future that “isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.” “I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggest. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of individual ambitions,” Obama said. “Together with your help and God’s Grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.” -AFP |
| Rihanna, Brown duet ‘Nobodies Business’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:28 PM PST
The song was part of an official track list that Barbadian singer Rihanna tweeted to her followers for her upcoming album “Unapologetic,” and comes after weeks of speculation in the media that the couple have rekindled their romance being spotted together at numerous events. While Rihanna, 24, has stayed mum on her relationship status with Brown, the “Turn Up The Music” singer attended Rihanna’s Halloween party last week and tweeted a photograph of himself dressed in Arab robes and a rifle. Brown, 23, is currently halfway through his five-year probation after pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy awards in 2009. He was ordered to complete community service and a domestic violence program.
The former couple have had a tumultuous relationship in the last three years, including a restraining order against Brown following the assault. But recently the two singers have made peace, coming together on a remix of Rihanna’s raunchy song “Birthday Cake” earlier this year. The Barbadian singer told Oprah Winfrey in an emotional interview in August that she and Brown now had a “very close friendship,” and that she still loved him. Other collaborations on Rihanna’s upcoming “Unapologetic” album include rapper Eminem, newcomer singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko and rapper Future.—Reuters |
| Lynas plant can ‘jumpstart M’sia as rare earth hub’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:23 PM PST
UMP deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz said Malaysia was well positioned to become a rare earth hub because the country has 0.03% of the world's rare earth reserves and, with Lynas providing the rare earth feedstock, can attract downstream industries to locate their factories here. Badhrulhisham is also a member of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia Rare Earth Committee and chairman of UMP Rare Earth Research Work Committee. Global demand for rare earth has been on the increase. By 2016, world demand for rare earth elements is expected to reach 160,000 tonnes, up from about 105,000 tonnes last year, according to estimates released earlier this year by Perth-based industry consultant Dudley Kingsnorth of Industrial Minerals Co of Australia (IMCOA). Through Lynas, Malaysia can meet up to 20% of the global demand. Rare earth is used for many downstream industries ranging from colour TVs, computer screens, handphones to energy-saving bulbs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and vehicles. The global market for rare earth downstream products in the form of colour TVs, mobile phones, monitors and green energy products is estimated to be valued at over US$10 trillion. Based on a report dated May 12, 2012 by Academy of Sciences Malaysia and National Professors' Council, Malaysia can capitalise on the strong demand for rare earth, said Badhrulhisham. “Firstly, the country needs to undertake a national exercise to map out potential rare earth deposits and evaluate their economic potentials. This could start a national enterprise for our mining renaissance. “Malaysia should encourage upstream mining and extraction of rare earth through partnerships between local and global companies which have access to finance, technology and markets,” he said. He said downstream manufacturing industries for rare earth products should be given incentives to substitute imports and expand exports, especially for the manufacturing of components for the automotive sector, information and communications technology, consumer or industrial electronics and in newly established industries like solar power, biotechnology and nanotechnology. Malaysia also has the opportunity to build up on its human capital skills in rare earth processing and product manufacturing, he said. Starting with the Lynas facility in Gebeng as a test bed, a world-class research and development (R&D) centre on rare earths will be developed through collaboration between UMP, foreign universities and R&D companies. Badhrulhisham also said plans were afoot to set up a Rare Earth Vocational Training Institute in Kuantan to supply skilled workers to small and medium enterprises that will spring up to support the rare earth green technology industry. To provide assurance to the public on the safety of rare earth industries, Badhrulhisham recommended that Malaysia's legal framework be enhanced so that the rare earth industry could function without compromising on the safety and health of the people and the environment. The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) and the Independent Malaysian Regulatory Support Organisation (TSO) is a good start as both organisations can monitor the development of the rare earth industry and its safety. Lynas Advanced Material Plant in Gebeng has been verified by six independent bodies to be safe and did not contravene local and international safety and environment regulations. These verifications were conducted independently by Malaysia’s AELB, United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, an academic expert panel, an independent committee, Public Works Department experts and the Parliamentary Select Committee. At RM2.5 billion, LAMP is Australia's largest investment in Malaysia and is expected to create a nucleus for the rare earth industry, just like Petronas created a hub for petrochemical activities in Kertih. Bernama |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:12 PM PST
Suaram executive director E Nalini told a press conference that her organisation was giving its full cooperation in the investigation and there was no reason for ROS to summon those individuals for interrogation. She said ROS was being "reckless". “ROS should first reply to our letter dated Oct 29, asking them under what jurisdiction they are investigating us when we are registered under the Companies Act 1965," she said. "They have yet to respond." In recent days, ROS has issued notices under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code to eight prominent activists who are not affiliated to Suaram. The eight are Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee, Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvan, Empower executive director Maria Chin Abdullah, PKR vice-president Tian Chua, DAP publicity chief Tony Pua, Selangor executive councillor Elizabeth Wong and lawyers Syahredzan Johan and Roger Chan. ROS is investigating Suaram on issues related to its funding. This followed an accusation by Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the organisation's activities were “highly suspicious”. Lawyer Edmund Bon, whose clients are Maria, Tian and Arutchelvan, said he would be sending a legal notice to ROS this week. He said enforcement agencies could not send notices under Section 111 unless they had proof that the recipients were affiliated to the entity being probed. “My clients are not affiliated to Suaram in anyway," Bon said. "If they don’t respond to our notice, we will consider taking legal action.” He accused ROS of going on a “fishing expedition” and attempting to find fault with Suaram in any way it could. “It seems like the Attorney-General's Chambers has sent back the investigation papers to the authorities for further action despite having no case against Suaram," he said. His clients would not respond to the ROS notice, he added. FMT learned that Syahredzan and Lim too would not present themselves for interrogation. Maria said ROS' harassment of individuals showing support for Suaram was against the principle of freedom of association. “It looks like even if you sit beside Nalini, you will be called for questioning," she said. "This is the message they are sending.” |
| Come and talk, unhappy Indians told Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:09 PM PST
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz confirmed this to reporters in his Parliament office, saying that all groups, including those belonging to the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) movement, were welcome. “I assure you, the prime minister is prepared to sit down with Hindraf [leaders]… including Waythamoorthy, Uthayakumar… and other groups to discuss their greviances… The government will arrange, invite and sit down over all these issues. “All [are invited]. No one is barred,” he said. He anticipated this meeting to take place as soon as possible, and that it was an “open invitation” on behalf of the government. At the same time, he said that the move would not be done through the MIC, adding that Putrajaya wanted to meet with the “bigger group” of Indians that the political party was not affiliated with. Adding that it was an initiative by Najib himself, Nazri said that even if the Indian community were not angry with the BN government, parts of it still felt that they were marginalised. “We cannot just continue if we don’t sit down with them, or do what we think they want, like what we’ve been doing… like giving Tamil school allocations, civil service compositions. “We are doing this, addressing the problem, but we think there is still more we have to do and we can’t know unless we meet them,” he said. He denied that this move came about because of the upcoming general election, saying that much had been done under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) for the Indian community. Details on how and where the meeting would proceed, would be revealed in due time. The announcement also came days after Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy met with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at his Parliament office in a closed-door meeting. Meanwhile, Nazri said that there was a perception that the culpable homicide conviction of K Saravanan’s teenage killers – who were both Malays – was a racially-based one. Nazri said that the culpable homicide charge was because there was no malice found in the killing, and that it was a fight occurring between juveniles. Recognise us first, says Hindraf "It is necessary that the government first repeal the ban on Hindraf," he said. He added that Hindraf wanted the government to offer permanent, comprehensive and practical solutions that will make tangible and immediate impact to the problems of the Indian poor. "The PM must be ready to make significant commitments to addressing the problems along these lines for these talks to be meaningful. "We as the lead organisation for the Indian marginalised in the country seek to find real solutions for problems of the people that we speak up for. If there is sincerity, we will explore," he said. Also read: |
| Paul Ryan loses VP bid, but stays in House Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:05 PM PST
With most results in, Ryan was winning 56 percent of the vote in his district in Wisconsin even though President Barack Obama carried the Midwestern state. Ryan, 42, faced Rob Zerban, a former county official in Kenosha. Ryan, the first member of so-called Generation X to win a spot on a presidential ticket, is passionate about cutting government spending and has proposed major reforms in the Medicare health plan for older Americans. With Mitt Romney’s loss to Democrat Obama, Ryan has immediately become the topic of speculation on whether he will seek the Republican Party’s nomination to be president in 2016. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan has been an outspoken opponent of Obama’s health care reform plan that aims to expand access to the uninsured. But some media reports have speculated that Ryan may decide that he can increase his profile by resigning from the House, starting a new career as a lecturer or an author. Ryan’s district, which includes historically blue-collar cities as Janesville and Kenosha, is not considered completely safe for Republicans and no obvious opportunities for statewide office are coming up in Wisconsin. Ryan declined to debate Zerban, saying that voters had already heard from him during his faceoff against Vice President Joe Biden, although Ryan ran commercials on Wisconsin television for his own seat. Four years ago, Sarah Palin quickly became a favorite of conservative activists after Senator John McCain tapped the plain-spoken Alaska governor as his running mate in his unsuccessful race against Obama. Palin later quit as governor and focused on writing a book and television appearances. -AFP |
| Cosmetics giant L’Oreal opens huge Indonesia plant Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:04 PM PST
The French group, the world’s biggest cosmetics company, said the factory outside Jakarta would churn out 200 million products next year, with the potential to raise its output to 500 million. Joechen Zaumseil, L’Oreal vice-president for Asia-Pacific, said the 100 million euros ($130 million) plant in the Jababeka industrial zone would be its “production hub for Southeast Asia”. He said the company planned to double the number of its customers worldwide from its current level of one billion, and it hoped three quarters of those new clients would be in Asia. The factory will employ around 800 people and export 70 percent of its output to Southeast Asia, with the rest for the Indonesian market, the country’s Industry Minister Mohamad S. Hidayat said at an opening ceremony. L’Oreal has seen its Indonesian sales grow 30 percent a year on average in the past four years — the fastest growth it has enjoyed in any Asian country, Zaumseil said. The increasing demand for beauty products is driven by a growth in Indonesia’s middle-class, as Southeast Asia’s biggest economy maintains a strong growth rate above six percent, even as the the global economy stumbles. -AFP |
| Tengku Muhammad Fakhry gagal tuntut RM150 juta Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST
Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof menolak permohonan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry dengan kos RM40,000 di dalam kamar di sini. Peguam Kanan Persekutuan Azizan Md Arshad memberitahu pemberita bahawa Hakim Zabariah memutuskan demikian dengan alasan bahawa Tengku Muhammad Fakhry tidak pernah dihalang untuk keluar ataupun memasuki Istana Mahkota, Kubang Kerian pada Julai 2009. Katanya, Hakim Zabariah juga menyatakan bahawa penahanan yang wujud hanyalah terhadap kereta Bentley yang dilaksanakan atas titah Pemangku Sultan (Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra) pada masa itu. Sepanjang prosiding yang bermula 8 Oktober lalu, seramai lima saksi plaintif dan lima saksi defendan, memberi keterangan. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry memfail saman itu pada 9 Dis tahun lepas dengan menamakan Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Ismail Omar, Ketua Pengawal Peribadi Sultan Kelantan ASP Noorazman Ismail, Ketua Polis Kelantan Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi dan Polis Diraja Malaysia sebagai defendan. Bernama |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST
Obama became only the second Democrat to win a second four-year White House term since World War II, when television networks projected he would win the bellwether state of Ohio where he had staged a pitched battle with Romney. “This happened because of you. Thank you,” Obama tweeted to his 22 million followers on Twitter as a flurry of states, including Iowa, which nurtured his unlikely White House dreams suddenly tipped into his column. With a clutch of swing states, including Florida and Virginia still to be declared, Obama already had 275 electoral votes, more than the 270 needed for the White House and looked set for a comfortable victory. There was a sudden explosion of jubilation at Obama’s Chicago victory party as the first African American president, who was elected on a wave of hope and euphoria four years ago, booked another four years in the White House. Romney’s aides had predicted that a late Romney wave would sweep Obama from office after a single term haunted by a sluggish recovery from the worst economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression and high unemployment. But a huge cheer rang out at Obama headquarters when television networks projected Obama would retain Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes, and the party grew wilder as they called Wisconsin and Michigan. The mood at Romney headquarters in Boston however had grown subdued throughout the evening as partisans stared at their smart phones. Disappointed Republicans were seen leaving what had been billed as a celebration of Romney’s expected triumph in central Washington. Defeats in New Hampshire, where Romney has a summer home and Wisconsin, the home of Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan were especially sickening for Republicans. Early signs were that the election, while a building triumph for Obama would do little to ease the deep polarization afflicting US politics, as Republicans racked up huge margins in safe states, though struggled in battlegrounds. Exit polls appeared to vindicate the vision of the race offered by Obama’s campaign, when top aides predicted that Obama’s armies of African American, Latinos and young voters would come out in droves. Polls also showed that though only 39 percent of people believed that the economy was improving, around half of Americans blamed President George W. Bush for the tenuous situation, and not Obama. The president, who made history by becoming America’s first black president after a euphoric victory, carved a new precedent on Tuesday by defying the portents of a hurting economy to win a second term. He awaited his fate in his hometown of Chicago, while Romney, a multi-millionaire former investment manager and Massachusetts governor was laying low in a hotel in Boston awaiting results. As expected, television networks projected that Republicans would win the House of Representatives. Democrats clung onto the Senate, and retained a seat in Missouri, where Senator Claire McCaskill fended off a challenge by Representative Todd Akin, whose remarks about rape and abortion sparked national outrage. Both presidential candidates had earlier marked time while voters dictated their fates. Romney appeared caught up in the emotion of seeing his name on the ballot for President of the United States and also saw an omen in a huge crowd that showed up at a multi-story parking lot to see his plane land at Pittsburgh airport. “Intellectually I felt that we’re going to win this and I’ve felt that for some time,” Romney told reporters on his plane. “But emotionally, just getting off the plane and seeing those people standing there… I not only think we’re going to win intellectually but I feel it as well.” While Romney penned his victory speech, Obama took part in his election day tradition of playing a game of pick-up basketball with friends, including Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, after visiting a campaign office near his Chicago home. The president, who like a third of Americans voted before election day, congratulated Romney on “a spirited campaign” despite their frequently hot tempered exchanges. “I know that his supporters are just as engaged and just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today. We feel confident we’ve got the votes to win, that it’s going to depend ultimately on whether those votes turn out,” he said. “I think anybody who’s running for office would be lying if they say that there’s not some butterflies before the polls come in because anything can happen,” the president added later in a radio interview. CBS News, quoting early exit polls, said 39 percent of people approached after they had voted said the economy, the key issue, was improving, while 31 percent said it was worse and 28 saw it as staying the same. Voters were also choosing a third of the Democratic-led Senate and the entire Republican-run House of Representatives. But, with neither chamber expected to change hands, the current political gridlock will likely continue. The US presidential election is not directly decided by the popular vote, but requires candidates to pile up a majority — 270 — of 538 electoral votes awarded state-by-state on the basis of population. A candidate can therefore win the nationwide popular vote and still be deprived of the presidency by falling short in the Electoral College. The election went ahead in New Jersey with thousands of people without power, and large areas devastated by superstorm Sandy which roared ashore last week killing more than 100 people. Adora Agim, an immigrant from Nigeria, said the chaos shouldn’t stop voting. “I have lived in a Third World country where your vote does not matter. It’s nice to be somewhere where it matters,” she said, in Hoboken, New Jersey. The central message of Obama’s campaign has been that he saved America from a second Great Depression after the economy was on the brink of collapse when he took over from Republican president George W. Bush in 2009. He claims credit for ending the war in Iraq, saving the US auto industry, killing Osama bin Laden, offering almost every American health insurance, and passing the most sweeping Wall Street reform in decades. Romney sought to mine frustration with the slow pace of the economic recovery and argued that the president was out of ideas and has no clue how to create jobs, with unemployment at 7.9 percent and millions out of work. |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:56 PM PST
Menurut saksi kejadian, Mohd Salleh Yusof, 50, kejadian tanah runtuh itu berlaku lebih kurang pada pukul 7.15 malam Jumaat lalu. "Pada hari Jumaat lepas hujan turun sejak petang dan berlarutan sehingga malam. Lebih kurang pukul 7.15 malam saya dikejutkan dengan sebuah bunyi seperti bunyi guruh. "Saya bergegas keluar dari rumah dan mendapati belakang rumah jiran saya dipenuhi dengan tanah dan ketulan batu besar apabila tebing konkrit dengan bongkah batu runtuh sama sekali. "Saya terus menghubungi jiran saya yang pada ketika itu tidak berada di dalam rumah", jelas Mohd Salleh. Beliau yang menetap di kawasan perumahan tersebut sejak 17 tahun yang lepas berkata beliau juga menghubungi Bomba dan Majlis Perbandaran Seremban untuk memaklumkan kejadian itu. Mohd Salleh berkata pada hari Ahad, 4 November; beberapa kakitangan bahagian kejuruteraan dari MPS telah menutup bahagian tebing tanah runtuh itu dengan kanvas. Rumah yang paling banyak mengalami kerosakan ialah rumah milik Nasir Abdul Jalil, 33, apabila bahagian dapur (wet kitchen) dihempap dengan bongkah batu dan diliputi dengan tanah akibat kejadian tanah runtuh tersebut. "Ketika kejadian saya dalam perjalanan ke Pulau Pinang dan jiran saya Mohd Salleh menghubungi saya. Saya terus berpatah balik dan bergegas ke rumah saya. "Daput habis rosak teruk dihempap dengan tanah runtuh dan bongkah batu besar. Panel tingkap bilik belakang juga sudah rosak dan berlaku keretakan di sana sini di dinding rumah saya terutama bahagian belakang rumah. "Saya percaya tanah runtuh ini berlaku akibat pembangunan yang tidak teliti oleh pemaju taman ini termasuk proses 'piling' yang dilakukan berhampiran depan rumah saya. "Saya telah mengadu kepada pemaju taman perumahan ini dan pihak pemaju berkata mereka tidak bertanggungjawab selepas menjual tanah untuk lot rumah ini kepada saya", kata Nasir. Apabila ditanya apakah tindakan beliau seterusnya, Nasir yang baru membeli rumah tersebut tidak sampai setahun berkata; beliau bercadang menyaman pemaju terbabit untuk mendapatkan keadilan yang sewajarnya. Sementara itu ahli Parlimen Seremban, John Fernandez yang turut melawat tempat kejadian berkata beliau akan menawarkan khidmat guaman percuma kepada pemilik rumah yang mengalami kerosakan struktur akibat daripada kejadian tanah runtuh tersebut. John berkata menurut 'Common Law and the Principal of Rylands vs Fletcher' jika berlaku sebarang bencana seperti tanah runtuh, banjir, kebakaran atau apa sahaja yang berpunca daripada pemilik tanah atau rumah bersebelahan, maka pemilik tanah atau rumah yang menjadi mangsa kejadian tersebut boleh mengambil tindakan mahkamah ke atas pemilik tanah atau rumah yang menjadi punca kepada bencana tersebut. "Mangsa boleh menuntut ganti rugi am dan ganti rugi khas', kata John. Turut meninjau keadaan tanah runtuh itu ialah Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Sikamat, Aminuddin Harun (PKR). |
| Nurul Izzah dikecam dalam Dewan Rakyat Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:37 PM PST
Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim berkata kenyataan Nurul Izzah itu boleh didakwa di bawah enakmen kawalan agama kerana menghina Islam. Namun menegaskan tiada peruntukan atau enakmen khusus yang boleh digunakan jika didapati cuba mengajak orang Islam lain untuk murtad. “Kalau seorang bukan Islam mengajak orang Islam untuk keluar Islam, maka kita ada dalam enakmen kawalan agama. “Tapi yang wujud kali ini orang Islam yang mengajak dan membuka ruang untuk orang Islam sendiri memilih agama setelah ibu bapanya mendidik dan ibu bapa mewariskan agama tersebut. “Setakat ini tiada peruntukan khusus sebegitu tapi boleh dimasukkan di bawah peruntukan menghina agama Islam atau menyebabkan Islam dipandang hina,” katanya ketika menjawab soalan Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) mengenai tindakan wajar diambil terhadap Nurul Izzah. Katanya, berdasarkan enakmen kawalan agama, mana-mana orang secara lisan atau bertulis mempersendakan atau menyebabkan Islam dipandang hina boleh dikenakan hukuman tidak lebih RM3,000 atau penjara tidak lebih dua tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali. Jawapan Mashitah itu kemudiannya disanggah Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS-Kuala Selangor) yang menggesa supaya Mashitah segera menarik balik kerana gagal kenyataan Nurul Izzah sepenuhnya. `Kamu angkuh’ “Saya minta timbalan menteri sebelum buat apa-apa pertuduhan, atas perkara dakwaan yang dilemparkan kepada Lembah Pantai, apakah timbalan menteri tahu kenyataan sebenar yang disebutkan Lembah Pantai?” “Lembah Pantai kata ada salah laporan … tapi Sri Gading tak faham,” tegasnya. Kenyataan Dzulkefly itu kemudiannya mendapat respon daripada ahli Parlimen BN yang mempertahankan Mashitah. “Kamu angkuh!”, Datuk Idris Haron (BN-Tangga Batu) kepada Dzulkefly. “Timbalan menteri tidak membuat tuduhan!” sahut Mohamad Aziz. Mashitah turut mempertahankan kenyataannya itu tidak menuding jari kepada mana-mana pihak, sebaliknya hanya menjawab pertanyaan Mohamed. Sementara itu, Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah dilaporkan semalam terkejut dan kecewa dengan kenyataan Nurul Izzah. Sultan Sharafuddin, menurut Pengerusi Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) Datuk Setia Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa turut menyanggah pandangan orang Melayu beragama Islam mempunyai kebebasan memilih agama lain dan keluar Islam. |
| ‘We have new proof of voter list fraud’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:34 PM PST
"My latest checks in Kuantan show that 355 names have been restored to the list after they were deleted last year," she told FMT, giving one example of the evidence that she promised to disclose within the next few days. "Of the 355 names, 16 are aged more than 100 years and 184 are aged 90 to 99. "What I have compiled is only the tip of the iceberg. There are irregularities in other parliament constituencies as well." Some of the findings from Fuziah's latest research were disclosed by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at the well-attended Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally in Seremban Jaya last Saturday night. Addressing an estimated 30,000 people, Anwar presented a slideshow and gave the following commentary: "H'ng Sau Ching, IC Number 790823-08-5885, from Parit Buntar parliament constituency, was born on 23rd August 1979. But according to the EC data, this person applied to be a registered voter 29 years earlier, on 15th January 1950. "Nur Khalida Salmi binti Mohd Nawar, IC Number 821026-10-5010, from Serdang parliament constituency, was born on 26th October 1982. According to the EC data, this lady registered as a voter on the same day she was born. "Mohammad Naguib bin Khalid, IC Number 790818-08-5733, from Temerloh parliament constituency, was born on 18th August 1979. He applied to be a registered voter on 16th May 1991, when he was 11 years, nine months and 29 days old." Massive turnout "The name of Lee Tee @ Wee To Keen, aged 99, from Kuantan, was deleted from the EC list in the third quarter of 2011 because it came under the Suspicious Names category. "However, recent EC data show that his name has been restored to the voter list." Anwar was the final speaker in Saturday night's programme, which was held in drizzling rain following a heavy downpour. Negeri Sembilan PAS chief Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani hailed the event as an extraordinary success. "It was the biggest multi-racial crowd that Negeri Sembilan Pakatan Rakyat has managed to gather," he said. "Just imagine if the sky was clear. I'm sure we could have achieved our initial target of 50,000 people. "For the record, it was a heavy downpour all over Seremban continuously from 2pm to 5pm and the rain continued to soak the crowd throughout the night, but the people stayed." |
| Obama faces fresh challenge with ‘fiscal cliff’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:32 PM PST
At stake are two separate issues – individual tax cuts due to expire at year’s end and tens of billions of dollars in across-the-board federal spending cuts due to kick in the day after New Year’s Day. Failure to prevent a dive off the cliff could rattle US markets, and push the US economy into a recession, which could have global implications. How Obama fares with a familiar set of challenges – most notably a Republican-controlled House of Representatives – could colour his second term. Obama, who defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney based on television projections, will want to strike a deal with Washington lawmakers before Dec 31 or risk a recession in the first half of 2013, budget experts and Democratic aides say. His backers say his win gives him a mandate for an elusive “grand bargain” he sought in his first four-year term. Such a pact would raise new revenue, make changes to popular programmes like the Medicare health programme for the elderly and pare the federal deficit. “They have signalled that they want a big deal and I think Obama will be aggressive about getting it,” said Steve Elmendorf, a former House Democratic senior adviser and now a lobbyist. At odds Obama and most Democrats are at odds with Republicans in Congress over the stickiest issue – whether to let low tax rates for the wealthiest Americans expire on Dec 31. The president and most Democrats want to raise taxes on income earned above US$250,000; Republicans want to extend the current low rates for all income levels. Financial markets and the business community crave long-term certainty – and that is what a major deal envisioned by Obama is intended to tackle. A big X-factor is how congressional Republicans will respond to an Obama win. The hard line against raising revenue taken by many Republicans in the House may not abate after the election. House Speaker John Boehner said this week that his Republicans would stand firm on their position opposing any tax increases, even for millionaires, though he was speaking before the election results. Republicans kept control of the House, as expected, and Democrats were projected to maintain control of the Senate. An Obama victory “takes a lot of air out of the room for Republicans,” Jim Walsh, a former Republican representative, who retired in 2009, predicted before the election. The odds of a grander deal with increased revenue – though not in the form of higher tax rates – goes up with an Obama victory, he said. Former Democratic representative Bart Gordon was unsure whether more conservative elements of the party, associated with the Tea Party movement, would go along so easily. “Those folks don’t need much of a reason to fight,” Gordon said. - Reuters |
| Australia revisits asylum swap plan Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:31 PM PST
Canberra last year clinched a deal to send 800 boat people to Malaysia in exchange for 4,000 of that country’s registered refugees as a deterrent to people paying smugglers to make the dangerous maritime voyage to Australia, The plan was scotched in the High Court and was also opposed in the Australian parliament, which insists asylum-seekers should only be sent to countries that have signed the UN refugee convention. Malaysia has not. But with Australia facing a record influx of boat people this year — more than 13,500 since Jan 1 — and an offshore camp in Nauru filling up fast, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said the plan needed to be revisited. Carr was in Malaysia this week and said the government in Kuala Lumpur remained committed to the deal and deserved credit instead of criticism for how they had dealt with asylum-seekers. “I confirm that we will continue to adhere to our commitment to take 4,000 refugees over four years,” he told ABC television late Tuesday. “The Malaysians could do without some of the bad-mouthing of their eminently good reputation that occurred when the matter was last debated (in parliament). Their sincerity on this can’t be doubted,” he added. He pointed out that Malaysia had about 100,000 refugees and around two million illegal workers. “So they feel great pressure but they deserve praise for taking an enlightened and an innovative approach to this problem, which affects the whole region, of people-smuggling,” he said. Carr acknowledged that Malaysia was no closer to signing the UN convention but said: “It’s very silly if that’s a stumbling block. “As Malaysia sees it, they have two million illegal workers, they have 100,000 refugees, they’re dealing with this and they can deal with it without signing the convention,” he said. “We were more than happy with the assurances that they gave us when we negotiated the arrangement with them.” Following the collapse of the so-called Malaysia people swap deal, Canberra decided to send boat people to Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island. Those sent to Nauru have been warned it could be years before their claims for asylum are processed and around 300 of them are in the seventh day of a hunger strike, according to refugee activists. The men, mostly from Sri Lanka but also from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq, claim being on the remote island is affecting them physically and mentally. -AFP |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:29 PM PST
G Rajendran, the Malacca PKR vice-chairman, said as the ruling government, BN leaders should concentrate on improving and developing the nation instead of hurling baseless allegations at Pakatan at their ceramah. In a press statement, the PKR man alleged that BN component parties were “threatening” the public with distorted facts and figures, claiming that the country will go bankrupt if Pakatan’s pre-election pledges were kept. “They [BN leaders] have all the right to criticise Pakatan’s manifesto and election promises. But, they must ensure that the facts and figures are correct before coming out with such an allegation.” “For example, PAS had led Kelantan for the past 20 years without assistance of the federal government. Kelantan is still better than Sabah, which is ruled by the BN. Sabah is the poorest state in the country,” he added. He said if anyone were to look at the performance of Pakatan-led states, they would find that these states were doing much better than BN-held states in terms of economy. “So, stop confusing the people with baseless claims,” Rajendran said. He claimed that BN was making desparate attempts to foil Pakatan’s aim of taking over the federal government in the next general election. “Remaining in power is BN’s top priority. It is a matter of dignity for them. So they would go to great lengths to cling on to power,” he said. He also said ruling the country is not the sole right of the BN. “Remember, BN did not spend money from its own pockets to construct Putrajaya. It was built on taxpayers’ money. Every Malaysian citizen has a right on Putrajaya,” he added. Rajendran said the escalating national debt had made the people’s lives more difficult and while the rakyat are advised to be thrifty, the government spends billions of ringgit on unnecessary projects to enrich themselves and their cronies. “Now the question is, who is going to bankrupt the country?” |
| Obama’s social media campaign hits emotional climax Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:29 PM PST
Obama, who defied the undertow of a slow economic recovery and high unemployment, beat Republican foe Mitt Romney after a relentless get-out-the-vote push on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and other platforms. “This happened because of you. Thank you,” he tweeted to 22 million followers just minutes after the first US network called his victory, indicating the importance he attached to social networks in his 2012 campaign. “Four more years,” he said straight afterwards, posting a photo of him hugging First Lady Michelle Obama as other TV networks followed suit and announced his re-election one-by-one as 44th President of the United States.
The same picture of a relieved and happy-looking Obama hugging his wife appeared on the president’s Facebook account – and was shared tens of thousands of times by some of his 32 million fans. “We did it, we voted for you, now please dear president Obama do what you said you will do, make us proud: Education, Health Care, Green Energy for USA!,” Angela De Jesus said under the photo, one of 43,600 comments. Social networks have emerged as key tools in the months-long US presidential campaign, with both Obama and Romney staging major pushes on these popular platforms to draw in supporters and get them to go out and vote. But while Romney has increased his presence hugely on social media compared to 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Obama is seen as having retained the upper hand from his successful online campaign four years ago. Already in January, Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina had hinted at a huge social media campaign in an interview with Newsweek. “Our efforts on the ground and on technology will make 2008 look prehistoric,” he was quoted as saying. Even as election day drew to a nail-biting close late Tuesday afternoon, Obama made a surprise appearance on social news website Reddit, where he made a last-ditch plea for more votes. “I’m checking in because polls will start closing in this election in just a few hours, and I need you to vote,” he said on the popular site, which allows users to rank posted information according to whether they like it or not. As the evening progressed, the Democratic incumbent continued to push Americans to vote on social media, even as polls shut in one state after the other. His campaign team continued to send messages directed at those Twitter followers located in states that were still voting, reminding them to stay in line even if polling stations had officially closed. Romney, by comparison, sent a general tweet out early evening to his 1.8 million followers asking them to vote, but stayed silent thereafter. “With your help, we will turn our country around and get America back on the path to prosperity. Please vote today,” he tweeted. According to Twitter, the election has become the most tweeted about event in US political history, with some 20 million poll-related posts fired out on people’s accounts — and that was before Obama’s re-election for a second term. When television networks called the victory, Twitter went into manic overdrive, with election-related tweets rising to an average of 327,453 a minute. - AFP |
| NGO desak k’jaan S’gor tunai janji Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:25 PM PST
Pengerusi GPRS, Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan berkata, kerajaan Selangor menggunakan manifesto semata-mata untuk meraih sokongan dan undi untuk menang dalam PRU-12 pada 2008 lalu. Menyifatkan 12 janji itu sebagai palsu, Sohaimi menggesa rakyat Selangor bangkit dan menolak pentadbiran Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Dua belas janji palsu yang gagal dilaksana kerajaan Selangor antaranya adalah bantuan RM75 sebulan bagi setiap anak yang dihantar ke pusat penjagaan kanak-kanak RM50 sebulan bagi pendidikan pra-sekolah; tabung permulaan RM100 bagi setiap anak kelahiran Selangor dan hadiah RM1, 000 kepada setiap anak Selangor yang mendapat tawaran ke universiti. “Apa saja manifesto mereka (kerajaan Pakatan Selangor) seperti melepaskan batu ditangga. Kami minta Menteri Besar tunjuk bukti mana janji yang dilaksanakan. “Yang bertambah rumah urut. Mereka hanya tahu jual bangunan,pasir,tanah, hutan. Tapi air pun mereka tak dapat selesaikan. Kerajaan Selangor keluar kenyataan tentang pencapaian sedangkan mereka gagal tandbir. “Sekarang ini pula mereka sibuk promosi risalah,bilboard tentang kempen untuk PRU akan datang,” dakwa Sohaimi ketika sidang media diadakan di Pejabat GPRS pagi ini. Turut serta dalam sidang media itu ialah badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) seperti Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia, Lembaga Pelindung dan Kebajikan Pengguna Malaysia (LPKPM), Pertubuhan Penyokong BN dan Persatuan Vateran Tentera Malaysia. |
| SPNB’s further delay angers Tawau housebuyers Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:13 PM PST
Over 60 Taman Apas Permai house buyers claim that there had been so many extensions for the project undertaken by SPNB that they are no longer certain when it would be completed “if ever”. They said they were told that the Occupational Certificate (OC) and house keys for Phase B would be granted in September but over a month had lapsed and they had not hear from the developer. Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui has since brought their plight to parliament. "There was no reason for any postponements as SPNB is directly under the Finance Ministry. “The affected housebuyers want the government to stop giving lame excuses and to expedite the delivery of their houses," she said. She noted that among the reasons given by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Finance Minister, for the delay were diverse and ranged from the technical to cost increases for building materials as well as shortage of construction workers. The Finance Ministry also reported that Phase B of the housing project was 100% completed and Occupational Certificate (OC) would be issued sometime this month, while Phase A was 96% complete and their occupation certificates were expected to be released by the end of this year. Chua however accused the government of misleading housebuyers by giving multiple dates of delivery only to postpone them later. She said although the housebuyers were compensated for the two-year delay in completion of the houses, the amount was insufficient to service the loans house buyers had taken from banks. “Furthermore, not all the housebuyers are entitled to the compensation as some of them bought their properties later and now have to service their loans on their own,” she said. Chua said she would monitor the progress of the housing project until all the housebuyers get their keys to their new houses on the promised new dates. |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 10:10 PM PST
Strangely enough, the lanes have always been there, tucked away from the bustling hive of the city. Most that stumble upon the laneways will immediately notice the impressive number of cafes and restaurants. Beyond this, there are the great arcades and architecture that makes shopping and hunting down bargains an adventure. For a real look and discovery of what these alleyways have to offer, opt for an excursion with Hidden Secrets Tours, a local company that specialises in uncovering the hidden gems of Melbourne.
Art aside, you'll also discover old buildings that have been given a new lease of life where niche boutiques and stores reside. For instance, on the upper levels of the Nicholas Building, you'll find vintage clothier Retrostar and the quaint button shop, Serena Lindeman. Walk down to Degraves Street and you'll find Campbell Arcade, a subway stop and an art space with a rotating art exhibition. The boutiques here are also worth checking out. Have coffee at Cup Of Truth where the coffee is consistently superb and you can enjoy single origin beans.
There are plenty of gems to discover in the backlanes and alleyways. After just spending a few hours exploring them, you will finally get the sense of what Melbourne is all about. |
| Secret forestry map proves Taib lied Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:07 PM PST
While Samling is “held” by Sarawak’s Yaw family, Taib’s first cousin Abdul Hameed Sepawi has 5% shares and another 5.4% is strangely enough held by Taib’s bomoh Ahmad Su’ut. Both, however, are believed to be nominees for Taib himself. According to leaked secret reports from the Sarawak Forestry Department, Samling has been a recipient of some 36% of timber concessions in Northern Sarawak since Taib assumed power in 1981. Sarawak accounts for 25% of the world’s exports of tropical logs. Noteworthy perhaps is the fact that Sarawak has 0.5% of the world's rainforest and yet supplied more timber to the world market than the Amazon and Africa combined in 2010. “For over three decades, kickbacks for timber and plantation concessions have been one of the most important sources of political funding and personal enrichment for Sarawak’s long-term head of government, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. “As a result, the Sarawak government has done everything in its power to keep secret, the precise figures and dates on the timber and plantation concessions granted to Sarawak companies. “Not surprisingly, the leaked Sarawak forestry map provides strong evidence that large tracts of the state’s forests have been handed over to family members and cronies of the chief minister,” BMF said in a statement today. The latest revelations involved a map of all the timber and plantation concessions in the northern part of Sarawak. The map was prepared in May 2010 by Sarawak Forestry Department and was never intended to be made public. The disclosures also indicated that some 18 % or 700,000 hectares were awarded to four state agencies – Yayasan Sarawak, Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, and the Land Custody Development Authority. All four agencies are controlled by Taib. The disclosure has shown up Taib’s claims that the 70% to 80% of the state is still forested. Concessions to family and cronies Other private companies with very significant concession areas are logging giants Shin Yang (384,000 hectares), Rimbunan Hijau (295,000 ha) and KTS (156,000 ha). BMF also pointed out that Titanium Management, a company owned by Taib’s son, Abu Bekir Mahmud, had been awarded 55,000 ha of plantation concessions and Ta Ann group which is controlled by Hamid Sepawi received 33,000 ha. “The Bruno Manser Fund is calling on the MACC to investigate the granting of timber and plantation concessions in Sarawak as part of its ongoing corruption investigation against Taib,” said the statement. BMF has spent years highlighting Taib's abuses and even launched the Stop Timber Corruption Campaign last year. But it is not the only one gunning for Taib. Online news investigation portal Sarawak Report has also been steadily releasing documented evidence of widespread corruption and deforestation by Taib, much to the latter’s horror. Taib’s denial and allegations against Sarawak Report proved pitiful when a report in the much-respected current affairs magazine – The Economist – earlier this month revealed that Sarawak had “lost more than 90% of its primary forest to logging and has the fastest deforestation in Asia”. “Sarawak has only 0.5% of the world's tropical forest but accounted for 25% of tropical-log exports in 2010. As timber stocks have become depleted, the loggers have moved into the palm-oil business, clearing peat-swamp forests to make way for plantations. “The deforestation has been accompanied by abuses against indigenous groups, including harassment and illegal evictions. Allegations of corruption and abuse of public office dog Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sarawak's chief minister, finance minister and planning-and-resources minister, who is believed to have firm control over the granting of logging licences. Mr Taib has long denied being corrupt." According to the portal, the Economist article was based on extensive investigations by “one of the world's most respected environment NGO's into the situation in Sarawak, Global Witness”. Global Witness has since published reports focusing on the hypocrisy of international lending institutions such as HSBC “which like to pretend they support good environmental practices and yet lend to Sarawak loggers”. In its latest findings, Global Witness wrote: “HSBC has bankrolled logging companies causing widespread environmental destruction and human rights abuses in Sarawak, Malaysia. “It has earned around US$130 million in return and has violated its own sustainability policies. The bank is also providing financial services to companies widely suspected of engaging in bribery and corruption.” HSBC has, however, denied these allegations. |
| Zaid explains why he wants to take on Najib Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:04 PM PST
He claimed that his offer to contest against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in Pekan was based on principled politics because "the Umno president represented all the wrongs in Malaysia today". He also said his offer was his way of telling the public that he wanted to help Pakatan in any way he could. He noted that the country was divided, the poor were getting poorer and there was no sign that endemic corruption and abuse of power would abate any time soon. He cautioned that politics had taken over the nation's public institutions which would only divide the people further. He also claimed existence of some "cowboy" ministers in Najib Cabinet. But, said the former Kita president, Najib either does not have solutions to right the wrongs or reluctant to apply the remedies. "Najib has carried out some reforms and I have praised him for that, but it's not enough. "He has no answers to these conundrums; if he has, he is afraid to implement them," he said in his "Zaid Untuk Rakyat" blog posting. Zaid said he quit as Kita president to allow his friends to run the party because he wanted to focus on the coming general election. "It was not a desperate act to look for a seat to contest as some have claimed," insisted the former PKR supreme council member, adding that he neither had anything personal against Najib. He said he wanted an opportunity to articulate and debate with Najib on important national issues and hoped the Pakatan leaders would not respond to his candidature offer in a "a small-minded way". ‘Stop badmouthing me’ Moreover, he said Kita was too small and new to give him a credible platform to contest in the next election. "We have to be inclusive and united to make this country better," said Zaid. He, however, insisted that he had not and would not apply to any political party to be candidate in Pekan. He also pointed out that he had only offered to contest under Pakatan banner if PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang declined to contest against Najib in Pekan. "It is not true that I have applied to PKR or any opposition party to be the Pekan candidate. "I have said it before and I will say it again: I will not apply to any political party to be a candidate," said Zaid. He also called on PAS not to risk fielding Hadi as Pekan candidate, arguing that for its own long-term viability, the party can ill-afford to have a "defeated" president. That sort of risk, he said, should be undertaken by someone, who was not interested to be a minister or national leader, and who was willing to contest just to move the country forward on the right footing. “The person must have the capacity to debate the prime minister on important issues,” he said. |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 09:01 PM PST
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said if the MACC were to get these powers, there would be no check-and-balance for the system. “If the MACC has the power to convict, there will be no independence of mind, because the facts of a case need to be considered objectively,” he told the Dewan Rakyat. He added that the Attorney-General’s Chambers already handled all criminal cases, and that corruption was one part of it. Citing Article 145 of the Federal Constitution, he said that the AG had absolute power to start, conduct or stop any proceeding for an offence, except those covered in the Syariah, native or military courts. Currently, MACC officials, according to Section 7 of the MACC Act, could only investigate corruption offences. Liew was responding to a query by Independent Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong, who asked if the government intended on amending this section, and transfer the power to prosecute corruption cases to the MACC. Wee then called the AG’s Chambers into question, and asked how the government could make sure that it too would have the “independence of mind”. He said that there were some cases that had either taken a long time to convict, while some with no action taken at all. “…investigation papers have been forwarded to the AG’s Chambers, but no action has been taken. Do we need another agency to take care of the Chambers so that the officers there, or the AG [Abdul Gani Patail] himself do their work properly?” he asked. To this, Liew repeated his point that the AG had absolute powers, adding: “This is the power given to the AG. There’s no question about it.” Then, Wee interrupted, saying: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Liew replied: “That is your view.” He reminded the Wangsa Maju MP that Parliament itself acted as a check-and-balance for the AG. |
| Kontraktor Bumiputera Kelas F perlu elak budaya tamak Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:09 PM PST
Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Penerangan, Sains dan Inovasi Negeri Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin berkata sebaliknya mereka harus amanah dan bijak mengurus projek jika mahu maju dan bersaing dengan kontraktor yang lebih berjaya. “Sikap tamak, mengejar projek dan mementingkan keuntungan tanpa mengikut spesifikasi dan kualiti kerja perlu dihindari kerana ia boleh menyebabkan mereka disenaraihitamkan sekaligus mengakibatkan kontraktor Melayu gagal dalam perniagaan. “Ini secara tidak langsung merugikan mereka sendiri apabila tidak lagi mendapat projek baru jika ia dapat dikesan pihak berkuasa,” katanya semasa merasmikan kursus yang dihadiri 100 kontraktor Melayu kelas F anjuran Lembaga Kemajuan Industri Pembinaan (CIDB) di Mentakab di sini hari ini. Katanya kontraktor perlu menunjukkan kewibawaan mereka dalam mengendalikan projek dan melaksanakan kerja mengikut spesifikasi yang betul serta menyiapkan projek mengikut jadual. “Kerajaan menyediakan banyak peluang kerja kepada kontraktor Bumiputera terutama kelas F terutamanya projek di bawah kendalian Majlis Pembangunan Ekonomi Wilayah Pantai Timur (ECER) bernilai berbilion ringgit. “Walaupun terdapat lebih 40,000 kontraktor berdaftar di negara ini, tetapi kerajaan terus memberikan pembelaan dengan menyediakan pelbagai projek melalui jabatan dan agensinya supaya kontraktor terbabit mendapat projek,” katanya. Bernama |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:03 PM PST
While the most important trio of battlegrounds – Ohio, Florida and Virginia – remained too close to call, Obama grabbed Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, dramatically shrinking the Republican’s chances. At 11:30 pm Malaysian time , US news network voting projections had Obama leading Romney by 173 to 163 electoral college votes, and the Democratic incumbent appeared to have a far clearer route to victory ahead of him. As expected, Obama polled strongly in New England and the industrial northeast, grabbing densely populated states like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to news network projections. His rival Romney did predictably well in the southern Bible Belt and western prairie states, winning the major prize of Texas and taking back Indiana, which Obama won in 2008, for the Republicans. But Romney failed to win Michigan, his home state where his father served as governor, and the key battleground states of Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio remained too close to call. Obama also won New Hampshire, which had been considered a swing state, and Wisconsin, the home state of Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan. Polling was due to have ended in the east of the country, but there were long lines in many areas and officials kept polling centers open late, as the campaigns pleaded with their supporters to stay the course. The final opinion polls published before voting began showed the two candidates in a dead heat nationwide, but gave Obama a slight advantage in the handful of swing states like Virginia and Ohio that will decide the race. Each state has a quota of electoral college votes based on its population, and the eventual victor will be the candidate who secures the most. - AFP |
| ‘Built for SME Solution’ bundle debuts Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:59 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Integrated communications service provider Maxis Bhd will be collaborating with local software vendors Maytrack Sdn Bhd and ProdigyNet Solutions Sdn Bhd to provide three integrated solutions as a bundle to boost productivity for small and medium enterprises (SME) in the logistics and transportation industry. Launched yesterday, its Built for SME Solution will benefit price-conscious SMEs, which require communications technology at low upfront investments and maintenance costs, and will enable them to access these services through a single provider to address their communications needs. "Logistics and transport make up the top five industries in the country, and is also expected to see a strong growth trend in the next three to four years," said Maxis head of business services Fitri Abdullah at the launch of Built for SME Solution. Maxis' partnership with Maytrack will provide logistics for SMEs with the Maxis Managed Machine-to-Machine (M2M), Malaysia's first and only self-managed web-based fleet management solution. M2M offers business owners a greater visibility across their business by enabling them to monitor their vehicles and perform remote diagnosis from any location at any given time. The collaboration with ProdigyNet Solutions will be to provide the Logistics and Warehouse Management System via Maxis Cloud, which enables SMEs to run back-end business processes efficiently with the lowest capital expenditure while offering overall operation visibility in real-time. Included in the solution bundle is the Maxis fixed line saver, mobile rate plans for SMEs to save up to 40% of their company's monthly phone expenses on fixed land lines. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| MBSB targets RM30m revenue with AATB tie-up Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:54 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) is targeting to grow its fee-based income to RM30 million by end of next year from RM18 million currently through a bancatakaful tie-up with AIA AFG Takaful Bhd (AATB). The tie-up is for a comprehensive medical and hospitalisation benefits to be called MBSB i-Medic, increasing MBSB's fee-based bancatakaful products to three. Currently, it has two bancatakaful products – i-Save (with Hong Leong MSIG Takaful Bhd) and Bijak Malaysia (with AmAssurance Bhd). "We hope that with MBSB i-Medic, we can achieve a minimum of 4,000 customers generating a premium of between RM3.5 million and RM4 million by the end of next year," MBSB president and CEO Ahmad Zaini Othman (picture) said after a memorandum of understanding signing with AATB in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The plan provides for a comprehensive medical and hospitalisation benefit up to age 99 and can be purchased for a minimum premium of RM50 per month, after undergoing proper medical underwriting. "We hope to leverage on MBSB's distribution strength through its network of 36 sales service centres and 11 representative offices nationwide," said AATB's CEO Wan Azman Wan Mamat in his opening speech, adding that the partnership with MBSB is a part of AATB's strategic and innovative approach to extend its reach to new and potential non-bank based customers. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| M’sia’s 3Q credit outlook ‘favourable’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:48 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: The latest regional quarterly credit report survey conducted by a Singapore university revealed Malaysia's credit outlook to be favourable in the third-quarter (3Q) of this year. The Risk Management Institute (RMI) of Singapore's National University of Singapore said the favourable credit outlook is due to Bank Negara Malaysia's ability to support aggregate funding and liquidity, with inflation expected to remain moderate. Furthermore, the report showed a slight decline in the probability of defaults (PDs) for local companies in the 3Q, returning to post-global financial crisis lows but with a slight increase in September. It said resilient domestic growth and strong government spending are expected to support the earnings profiles of Malaysian companies. Meanwhile, the credit outlook for Malaysian banks is also positive despite a potential decrease in earnings, while asset quality and funding conditions are likely to continue to improve, the report said. Fee income from higher initial public offering activity and strong domestic growth also contributed to resilient earnings growth. RMI showed in its report an increase in local banks' earnings to 4.92% in the 2Q (RM5.1 billion) from 3.91% in the 1Q. The general global credit outlook however remains negative. The report summarised PDs for the five major regions to have increased or remained heightened during the 3Q. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| ‘We are not liars, Upko has lost its way’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:46 PM PST
The joint founder of the party, who quit the Barisan Nasional component three months ago, is convinced that the wheels have come off his former political vehicle and said party leaders who portray themselves as champions of Sabah's rights are pretending that a problem does not exist. Responding after reading hostile comments from his former colleagues including his former boss Bernard Dompok, Bumburing said he was surprised that party leaders were in denial that the BN component had lost its purpose and direction by remaining in the governing coalition. The former Upko deputy president said it was widely acknowledged both within and outside the party that the community and Sabahans as a whole remained marginalised despite Upko’s position in the BN for nearly 20 years. The Tuaran MP, who now heads opposition-friendly Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), said he felt double-crossed by party leaders who had earlier agreed with him that the party was ineffective in redressing the injustices inflicted on Sabah. He said that to read in the newspapers that Upko was satisfied with the performance of the coalition was simply ignoring the fact that there is deep-seated unhappiness in the community. He said Dompok, party president, was in denial over this turmoil and was guilty of shifting the attention away from the issues facing the community by allowing his colleagues to slander former party members. “Personally, I feel sad that the issue [of leaving the party] has come to a stage of exchanging press statements between myself, Dompok and Upko,” he said in a statement yesterday. Dompok has admitted that party leaders had discussed the justification for remaining in the BN, but at the same time denied that it had been on the verge of leaving the ruling coalition. The Upko leader was forced to address the issue after the high-level meetings were revealed by Bumburing to defend his resignation when his former party colleagues poured scorn on his decision and questioned his motives. Bumburing quit from his post as Tuaran BN chairman and resigned from Upko on July 29 to launch APS and declare support for Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which is gearing up to face BN in the coming general election. He along with Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin announced their resignation from the BN in their respective constituencies at functions attended by Anwar. Lajim also launched his opposition-friendly Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) the same day. Following Bumburing’s resignation, Senator Maijol Mahap who had also resigned as Upko vice- president revealed that top Upko leaders had in fact discussed pulling the party out of the ruling coalition. However, when Putatan MP Marcus Mojigoh, who is the party’s treasurer, denied this and said Bumburing and his group were creating stories to justify their resignation, many who knew that the party had indeed discussed the party’s future in the BN, questioned why Mojigoh was attempting to hide the truth. Dompok has also moved to shift the focus away from the party’s weakened position in the BN by questioning the sincerity of Bumburing and Mahap joining the opposition as they had not applied to join any of Pakatan’s components – DAP, PAS or PKR – since quitting Upko. Bumburing hinted that Dompok should already know his stand as he had already discussed it with him when they spoke about Upko’s future and is puzzled by the personalised nature of the party’s attacks. "In our gatherings and roadshows since my resignation on Julu 29, we have never attacked Upko and least of all Dompok because we know that Upko had never been part of the root cause of the predicament of our community. “However, to call myself and any senior leader of APS or even APS itself, liars is indeed extreme and derogatory. I therefore have no option but to clarify that what Mahap stated [about the meetings to pull Upko out of the BN] is true.” Bumburing revealed that at one of the supreme council meetings senior Upko member Petrus Guriting first raised the issue of Upko’s position in the BN in view of the political situation in the country especially the issue of the illegal immigrants in Sabah. The resolution taken during the meeting was based on the suggestion of Dompok. Dompok asked all members of Upko’s supreme council to submit their own opinions, stating the pros and cons on the position of the party in BN but this was not followed up. “I met Dompok a number of times to discuss the position of Upko in BN and he understood the reasoning behind the suggestion for Upko to leave BN. “In fact, I received suggestions from some Upko leaders asking me to postpone the July 29 events to give time for Upko to quit BN as a party," Bumburing added. The Tuaran MP added that it was well known within the party that a senior Upko leader had been tasked to approach all the supreme council member to get them to support a resolution for the party to quit BN. “However, upon his return from Kuala Lumpur in the first week of August, Dompok made an announcement at his house that Upko would remain in BN. “Thereafter during Upko supreme council meeting on Aug 24, I was made to understand that the issue relating to Upko’s position in BN was never raised,” said Bumburing who revealed that Upko which started out as Parti Demokratik Sabah (PDS), was mooted and formed in his house early one morning after the March 1994 general election. "Dompok and I, together, we formed PDS, the predecessor of Upko. I love Upko, but when Upko deviated from its original struggle and decided to stay put in BN, it left me and the members of the group that came out of Upko with no option but to leave Upko and BN and continue the struggle for our community on another platform," Bumburing said. |
| SMEs can buy TeAM’s cloud apps on TM BizApp store Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:44 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) has signed a collaboration agreement with Technopreneurs Association of Malaysia Corp Sdn Bhd (TeAM) that will make it easier for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to pick out cloud services applications on its BizApp store. The collaboration agreement allows the BizApp store, which is maintained by TM subsidiary VADS Bhd, to use the TeAM's Go-to-Market initiative. TM executive vice-president for SME, Azizi A Hadi, said the new initiative would allow SMEs to easily set up a cloud computing environment to suit their needs. Azizi said by using TM's cloud services for some of their business operations, SMEs do not have to worry about maintaining an onsite infrastructure, leaving them free to focus on doing business. TeAM president Aziz Ismail said SMEs not only have to apply new technology to increase efficiency, but it was also crucial to remain competitive. "SMEs should also embrace technology or risk being left behind. They need to use information and communications technology in order to compete on an international level," Aziz said at the signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The TM BizApp store is a self-service web portal offering SME-relevant business applications developed by software companies and independent vendors. Under the agreement, TeAM members can market and sell cloud applications on the BizApp store, which has been in operation since May this year. In exchange, TM will benefit from training, product demonstration and troubleshooting provided by TeAM's vendors. About 11%, or 495,000 out of TM's 4.5 million broadband Internet subscribers are SMEs. Using BizApp store, SMEs will be charged on an as-and-when basis, depending on their usage of the applications. In a separate agreement signed yesterday, VADS will provide TeAM a cloud platform for its member independent software vendors. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. Photo (from left): TM general manager Mohamad Yusman Ammeran, TeAM council member Yusno Yunos, president Aziz Ismail, VADS chief executive officer Ahmad Azhar Yahya and TM SME executive vice-president Azizi A Hadi at the signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. – Picture by Ismail Che Rus. |
| NGOs to hold rally against state violence Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:42 PM PST
The group, endorsed by 34 rights groups, held a public forum last night, officiating what they said would be an intense enterprise to pile pressure on Putrajaya to explain the strings of deaths often involving police shooting or alleged torture. In its memorandum, the group outlined several reasons behind its protest including the failure to take action and the lack of independent and effective investigations on suspicious deaths by shootings or in custody. It claimed fatal police shootings have increased 17-fold since 2001 and many of it often in dubious situations but no convictions have been made except for the killing of 15 year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah and in the case of A. Kugan who died under suspicious condition in police custody. The convictions, however, were deemed political as the government moved to contain public anger only after rights groups and opposition parties put immense pressure on the authorities to respond. But Irene Fernandez, a renowned activist, said the convictions do not absolve the Barisan Nasional government of impunitive state violence. Several high profile cases like the death of a former opposition political aide Teoh Beng Hock remained “unsolved” and the probe into the high profile case, including a trial before a royal commission of inquiry, were mired in controversy. This included highly incredulous witnesses and also evidences. The independence of those assisting in the RCI were also questionable rights groups charged. “This reflects the treatment of the people by the government,” Fernandez told the forum where family members of victims were also present. Malaysia is one of the seven countries that do not ratify the United Nations convention on torture. The rights activist said the accepted notion that criminals deserve to be tortured and punished is what directly endorses the culture of torture. It is also what gives the government the power to avoid accountability. The authorities often claim the shootings and custodial deaths are justified as the victims were dangerous criminals. The group called it a “standard” and paternalistic excuse. The group plans to gather at the historic Dataran Merdeka and hand over a memorandum to the authorities. |
| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 07:30 PM PST
The RM250 million Cowgate fracas has hardly settled and now we have the RM40 million Sabah Umno crony scandal. If the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) had not been hijacked, low-income Malaysians today would be enjoying affordable beef. We will not be paying about RM27 for a kilogramme of beef now when it was only about RM7 per kg in 2000. The NFC project would have been successful if the RM250 million had been distributed to 1,000 experienced cattle breeders nationwide, with each getting RM250,000 to expand their herd of cattle. What knowledge or credentials do Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's husband and her children have to justify them to be given the project allocation? Now we have Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz's defence of Sabah Umno crony timber tycoon Michael Chia. After defending Chia in Parliament, saying there was nothing wrong with Chia carrying RM40 million in a suitcase for Sabah Umno, we are shocked by his son Nedim's connection with Chia. Nedim was seen driving a more than RM500,000 Hummer registered in the name of Michael Chia. Not only that, pictures of Nedim wearing a Richard Mille Tourbillon (model RM 002 V2) watch worth RM1,072,000 have surfaced in social network Facebook. What is happening to Malaysia and its ruling lawmakers? Scandals that expose their enormous wealth are surfacing regularly while our RM502 billion federal debt continues to climb. How many more financial scandals that have emptied our national coffers can Malaysia afford? Petronas was set up in 1974 and its first CEO Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah recently revealed that there were plans for the establishment of a Tabung Warisan Petrolium (National Petroleum Heritage Fund) for the future of Malaysians when our oil wells run dry. Has there been any such oil fund set up? As far as I know there has never been a disclosure by the government of the existence of such a fund. With the billions or even trillions of ringgit in oil revenue over some four decades, there is absolutely no excuse that is acceptable to Malaysians for this tragic betrayal of the people's trust by our "oil sheikhs … Mahathir, Abdullah and Najib". Norway, where they have oil in the North Sea, the country's oil fund known as Norway Pension Fund stands at US$656 billion or RM2 trillion. And the country has a population of only five million people. UAE-Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's oil-revenue sovereign wealth fund is at US$627 billion or RM1.9 trillion. Almost all oil producing countries have established their own oil funds for their peoples' future but not Malaysia. This is a serious indictment of the present regime. Instead, after 55 years, the corrupt BN government has given us a RM502 billion federal debt that is fast growing. The Petroleum Act 1974 must also be amended to remove the prime minister's absolute powers over Petronas and its finances. Now, no one has the right to question the prime minister's decision. Only the prime minister, not even his deputy, is privy to Petronas' accounts. Living in debt Just before Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stepped down as prime minister, he paid an official visit to the Sultan of Brunei, signing and giving away two oil fields to Brunei as gifts. Abdullah claimed that the gifts were in exchange for Brunei dropping its claim on Sabah's Limbang. However, the Brunei government immediately denied Limbang was ever discussed in that visit. What actually happened? Where have all the rakyat's wealth and oil wealth gone to? What business does Abdullah have to give away two oil fields to one of the richest man in the world while the majority of Malaysians continue to live in debt and poverty. Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member. |
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