FMT News |  |
- Post-storm anger grows, especially outside Manhattan
- Romney: US is four days from a ‘fresh start’
- Britain ‘deeply concerned’ by Syria execution video
- Islamists protest in Cairo, call for Islamic law
- Britain’s former Europe minister quits over expenses fraud
- Cambodia approves controversial dam plan
- Tunisia Salafist chief calls for calm, warns of explosion
- Romney asks voters: Want more of same or ‘real change’
- French conservatives gear up against gay marriage
- ‘Cop’ handcuffs and sexually assaults boy
- ‘Police hid son’s arrest from me’
- Malay grads losing out in job ‘race’
- China, Japan citizens back Obama for second term
- World Bank approves first Myanmar aid in 25 years
- Hillary Clinton: Rock-star diplomat or future head of state?
- Indonesian judges face drug tests
- France honours Aishwarya Rai
- ‘Gangnam Style’ second on YouTube views
- NGOs to rally against state violence
- AirAsia X offers 790 million shares in IPO
- Forest land taken by MCA man?
- 15 NGO nekad mahu halang Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat
- India’s Wipro profits up 24%, beats forecasts
- ‘MB S’gor tak belanja untuk kebajikan rakyat’
- World Bank approves first Myanmar aid in 25 years
- Sue me! Rafizi dares law minister
- Post-mortem: Inmate died of heart infection
- Umaga: Shirt sponsorship key to keeping All Blacks ahead
- ‘False cops’ target Indonesian immigrants
- PKR, Hindraf to map out plans for Indians
- Nissan to build new plant in Thailand
- Himpunan diteruskan walau tanpa permit
- 2009 debacle hanging over Zambry
- ‘Sacking of Wong, Hii an insult to Najib’
- ‘Report prepared with utmost impartiality’
- Bafia charges against Rafizi should stand firm
- Sweet-talking Stevia!
- The politician, his son and the crony
- NGOs reject toxic waste facility in Sarawak
- Ketua Pemuda Umno Kedah nak jatuhkan bekas bos?
- Hudud will affect non-Muslims
- Samajaya Free Zone heading downhill?
- With a third title Red Bull set to join F1 greats
- ‘Voters unfazed by Pakatan woes’
- Bilangan masyarakat Cina terima hudud meningkat
- Anwar: Najib takut Syed Mokhtar
- Fuel scarce, East Coast struggles to recover
- ‘Blind’ Marajin fires back at ‘all seeing’ BN MP
- Forest reserve fiasco: PKR files police report
- The elephant who ‘speaks’ Korean
| Post-storm anger grows, especially outside Manhattan Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:54 AM PDT
While Manhattan prepared to host the annual New York City Marathon on Sunday, acute gasoline shortages in the city’s storm-battered outer boroughs and New Jersey led to long lines and short tempers. Tankers finally began entering New York Harbor on Thursday, and a tanker carrying 2 million barrels of gasoline arrived at 2 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. Sandy, which brought a record storm surge to coastal areas, killed at least 102 people after slamming into the US Northeast on Monday. Forty-one died in New York City, about half of them in Staten Island, which was overrun by a wall of water. Starting before dawn on Friday, long lines of cars snaked around gasoline stations around the area in scenes reminiscent of the energy shortage of the 1970s. “The police are stopping people who are trying to cut in the line,” said Steven Golub, 53, an attorney who waited in line for hours at a Manhattan gas station. “There’s no gas anywhere else. There was a guy with diplomatic plates who tried to cut in the line and one of the cab drivers complained so the police actually stopped him.” Police were in place at many spots to keep the peace between furious, frustrated drivers. In one instance, a man who attempted to cut in line was charged with threatening another driver with a gun on Thursday in the borough of Queens. “When people cut the line, people are about to stone them,” said Chris Allegretta, who had stood in line for 90 minutes with a gas can at a filling station in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Less than 40 percent of all gas stations in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey operated on Thursday because of a combination of power outages and constricted supplies after the storm devastated the energy industry’s ability to move fuel into and around the New York City region. US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Administrator Richard Serino planned to visit Staten Island on Friday amid angry claims by some survivors that the borough had been ignored. They forgot about us President Barack Obama, locked in a tight race with Republican challenger Mitt Romney, has so far received praise for his handling of storm relief. But scenes of angry storm victims could affect the USpolitical campaign with Election Day four days away. “They forgot about us,” said Theresa Connor, 42, describing her Staten Island neighborhood as having been “annihilated.” “And Bloomberg said New York is fine. The marathon is on,” she said, referring to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Rising seawater flooded lower Manhattan, much of which still lacked power and subway service on Friday, while midtown and uptown Manhattan were close to normal. Fury has been escalating throughout New York at Bloomberg’s decision to proceed with the marathon on Sunday, vowing the event – which attracts more than 40,000 runners – would not divert any resources storm victims. “I just walked past four huge generators. Those could be put to use for people who need them,” said Marjorie Dial, a tourist from Oregon who was shocked to see the generators in Central Park, where the marathon finishes. “What they’ve discovered on Staten Island should have been the tipping point – the bodies.” New York City Councilman James Oddo said on his Twitter account: “If they take one first responder from Staten Island to cover this marathon, I will scream.” More than 3.7 million homes and businesses along the US East Coast remained without power yesterday. While power was expected to be returned throughout Manhattan by Saturday, it could be another week or more in suburbs and more distant towns along the coast. Cuomo directed the New York National Guard to deploy an additional 600 troops to help restore the grid in Westchester and Rockland counties, suburbs north of New York City. Forecasts for colder temperatures only added to the tension, since many in New Jersey and elsewhere have been using fuel-powered generators to run lights and heaters while waiting for utilities to repair downed power lines. Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated Sandy caused up to US$20 billion in insured losses and US$50 billion in economic losses, double its previous forecast. New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli estimated economic losses of US$15 billion to $18 billion in New York state alone. At the high end of the range, Sandy would rank as the fourth costliest US catastrophe, according to the Insurance Information Institute, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the September 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Sandy started as a late-season hurricane in the Caribbean, where it killed 69 people, before smashing ashore in the United States with 130-kph winds. It stretched from the Carolinas to Connecticut and was the largest storm by area to hit the United States in decades. - Reuters      |
| Romney: US is four days from a ‘fresh start’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:51 AM PDT  WEST ALLIS (Wisconsin): To chants of “four more days,” Republican Mitt Romney yesterday vowed a new beginning for America, urging voters to compare his record to President Barack Obama’s.“We are four days away from a fresh start,” Romney told a raucous crowd in Wisconsin, one of several states the Republican nominee is hoping to pry away from the Obama column in an election going down to the wire on November 6. “My conviction that better days are ahead is not based on promises and hollow rhetoric but solid plans and proven results,” he said. For months, Romney has hammered away at his rival’s record, stressing the president’s inability to speed up the sluggish economic recovery while touting his own achievements in business and as a Massachusetts governor. Friday’s speech less than 90 hours from election day struck an optimistic, join-our-cause tone. But Romney also attacked Obama as a hapless job-killer who doubled the federal deficit and failed to bring unemployment down much below the rate when he took office. “Words are cheap. A record is real and earned with effort,” Romney told about 4,000 people gathered in a pavilion here. “Candidate Obama promised changed, but he could not deliver it. I promise change, and I have a record of achieving it,” he said. The incumbent and challenger are each on a final frenetic hopscotch around the nation, making 11th-hour appeals to undecided voters in key battleground states and reminding their supporters to get out and vote. Later Friday the two rivals converge on critical toss-up state Ohio. Among the key issues circulating in the feverish pre-election mix was Friday’s jobless report, which showed the unemployment rate ticking up to 7.9 percent and the US economy adding a better-than-expected 171,000 new jobs. In a statement Romney said the report showed the economy was at a “virtual standstill,” but he didn’t dwell on it in his speech. “He said that the unemployment rate would now be 5.2 percent; today we learned that it is 7.9 percent,” Romney said. “It is nine million jobs short of what he promised.” Romney touched on several of the flashpoints of the campaign: rising gas prices, trillions of dollars in debt, excessive regulation, stagnant take-home pay, and “fears that the American dream is fading away.” But in keeping with his moderating trend of recent weeks, he also stressed his own efforts at bipartisanship. “I won’t just represent one party, I’ll represent one nation. I’ll try to show the best of America, at a time when only our best will do,” he said. Stressing to Americans that “this is not a time to settle,” Romney said Tuesday’s election was a chance to “put the past four years behind us and start building a new future.” “It is America’s moment of renewal and purpose and optimism,” he said. “We have journeyed a long way in this great campaign for America’s future. And now we are almost home.” - AFP    |
| Britain ‘deeply concerned’ by Syria execution video Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:48 AM PDT  LONDON: Britain said yesterday it was deeply concerned by a video purporting to show opposition fighters executing Syrian soldiers, saying it condemned atrocities committed on both sides of the conflict.“We are deeply concerned by accounts that anti-government armed groups have committed human rights abuses against government forces in Idlib,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. “We condemn atrocities committed by the armed opposition in Syria just as we condemn the many atrocities carried out by the regime. “But we must be clear that the regime is responsible for creating a situation where the lack of any space for dissent and vicious and brutal repression is forcing ordinary Syrians to respond to violence with violence. “We call on all sides, including the armed opposition, to step back from this and create the space for a political transition to begin.” The video posted on YouTube appeared to show about 10 soldiers being beaten, then lined up on the ground and executed with automatic rifles, after Thursday’s rebel attacks on checkpoints in the northwestern town of Saraqeb. The Foreign Office spokesman said the international community was watching closely for human rights violations and abuses in Syria, and warned that those responsible would be held to account. “The UK will take every opportunity to highlight all violations and abuses in Syria and to intensify pressure on the regime and the armed rebels at every opportunity, in the UN and elsewhere,” he said. - AFP    |
| Islamists protest in Cairo, call for Islamic law Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:45 AM PDT
Liberals have locked horns over the role of Islam with Islamists who dominate a 100-strong assembly that is drawing up a new constitution, which must be approved in a referendum before a new parliamentary election can be held. “Islamiya, Islamiya,” the protesters chanted in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the centre of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak who spent 30 years keeping a tight lid on Islamists. The turnout at yesterday’s demonstration was smaller than had been expected after some of the main groups that espouse the ultraconservative Salafi school of Islamic thinking backed out. Some groups said they would demonstrate next Friday. The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled President Mohamed Mursi to power earlier this year and which takes a less conservative approach, was also not involved in the protest. Unlike many of the rallies since the fall of Mubarak that have packed the square, yesterday’s numbers were modest and traffic flowed with relative ease even as the demonstration went on. “No to liberalism, no to secularism, I don’t want anything other than sharia,” the protesters also chanted, some waving black flags emblazoned with Islamic slogans. Drafts of the constitution drawn up by the assembly so far indicate it will have more Islamic references than the previous constitution, worrying more liberal-minded Egyptians and Christians, who make up about a tenth of the nation of 83 million. They fear the imposition of social restrictions. A key article stating that “the principles of sharia” are the main source of legislation has until now remained unchanged from the old constitution but a new article seeks to spell out what those principles are in Islamic terms. However, that is not enough for many Salafis who want an unequivocal call to implement sharia rather than wording that they say liberals will use to water down the meaning. “I want Islamic sharia to be the only source of legislation, not the ‘main source’,” said Hany Mohamed Ahmed, a 38-year-old Finance Ministry accountant, who was among those demonstrating. - Reuters    |
| Britain’s former Europe minister quits over expenses fraud Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:43 AM PDT  LONDON: Britain’s former Europe minister Denis MacShane resigned from parliament yesterday after a watchdog found that he had cheated on his expenses, including for travel to the continent.The Committee on Standards and Privileges, parliament’s expenses authority, said the opposition Labour lawmaker submitted 19 expenses claims that were “plainly intended to deceive” and recommended that he be suspended for 12 months. The Labour party also said it was suspending MacShane, who was minister for Europe from 2002 to 2005 in prime minister Tony Blair’s government. MacShane later announced that he was resigning as a lawmaker. “I hope by resigning I can serve by showing that MPs must take responsibility for their mistakes and accept the consequences of being in breach of the House (of Commons) rules,” he said in a statement. But he insisted that he ran up the expenses in connection with his “parliamentary work in Europe and in combating anti-semitism”, and said the complaint against him was filed by the far-right British National Party. The parliamentary committee said the illegitimate expenses claims by MacShane were worth £12,900 (US$20,815, 16,070 euros) but added that he had since repaid the amount in full. It said that “one matter which we consider to be of the utmost gravity is Mr MacShane’s use of public money to support European travel”, and noted that he had also allowed interns to keep publicly funded laptop computers. British police investigated claims that MacShane had abused the parliamentary expenses system after the matter was referred to them by parliament in 2010, but they announced in July that he faced no further action. Several lawmakers were jailed after The Daily Telegraph newspaper published details of expenses claims in 2009. The scandal forced a shake-up of the system of parliamentary allowances. - AFP    |
| Cambodia approves controversial dam plan Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:41 AM PDT
The Hydro Power Lower Sesan 2 project will invest US$781.5 million to build a 400-megawatt hydroelectric dam on a tributary of the Mekong River in northern Stung Treng province, according to a government statement. The government did not name the Chinese and Vietnamese firms involved, but said solutions had been reached for affected villagers. Prime Minister Hun Sen also ordered authorities and the company to build new homes and prepare land for an unspecified number of families that would be resettled for the project, according to the statement. Activist Meach Mean, coordinator at an environmental group 3S Rivers Protection Network, estimated more than 50,000 people would be affected by the dam. “We are surprised by the approval,” he told AFP, calling on the government and the company to hold a public forum to discuss concerns before going ahead. “We don’t know clearly about the process to build the project,” he said. “We are really concerned about the impact on the people’s livelihoods, water, and ecology system.” UN human rights envoy Surya Subedi also raised concerns about the dam in a report in September, saying communities reported they had not been adequately consulted about the impact of the project. Cambodia late last year opened the country’s largest hydropower dam to date, a more than $280 million Chinese-funded project that has attracted criticism from environmental groups. Spiralling utility prices, driven by the lack of supply, are a major obstacle for Cambodia to attract foreign investment, and the government has struggled to find a way to bring down the cost of power. Nine dams, including at least four funded by China, are set to open by 2019, and once they are all operational the government says they will generate 2,045 megawatts of power, serving all Cambodia’s provinces. - AFP    |
| Tunisia Salafist chief calls for calm, warns of explosion Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:37 AM PDT  TUNIS: A Tunisian Salafist wanted for allegedly organising an attack on the US embassy called for calm yesterday, as troops and police deployed outside a flashpoint suburb of Tunis following deadly violence earlier this week.But fugitive Abu Iyadh, chief of Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), warned that there could be another explosion of anger after two Salafists who took part in a Tuesday attack on police posts in the area lost their lives. “It is possible that a lot of our youth will not be satisfied by an appeal for calm after the events in Douar Hicher,” Abu Iyadh said, referring to the quarter of the Manouba suburb. “I call on you to heed the words of God and to rely upon patience and prayer,” the fugitive leader said in a video posted on the Internet. But while calling for calm and highlighting what he said has been Salafist patience, Abu Iyadh warned the authorities of an “explosion of anger.” “Our brothers who died as martyrs gave their lives for the Umma (worldwide Muslim community) … and you should be sure that the blood of our brothers will sooner or later bring about the installation of God’s law.” Army, police and national guard vehicles and several dozen men deployed on roads leading to Douar Hicher before weekly Muslim prayers, and there were no reports of any unrest in the area. Salafists, followers of a hardline branch of Sunni Islam, have used Friday prayers in the past to rally their faithful and carry out attacks. One of those who lost his life this week was the imam of Manouba’s Ennour mosque. The man chosen by the congregation to succeed him, who does not have the government’s approval, declared war on the Islamist ruling party Ennahda during a television talk show on Thursday night. “I am going to make war on these people because the interior minister and the leaders of Ennahda have chosen the United States as their god — it is the Americans who are writing the laws and the new constitution,” Nasreddine Aloui said in an appearance by video link on Ettounsiya television. He urged the country’s youth to prepare their burial shrouds to fight against Ennahda, brandishing a white cloth himself and saying Ennahda and other parties want elections held on the “ruins and the bodies of the Salafist movement.” Interior Minister Ali Larayedh and Human Rights Minister Samir Dilou, both members of Ennahda, were on the programme and replied sharply. “This sort of talk is partly responsible for the bloodshed. You do not realise that your words are like bullets,” Larayedh said. Dilou said: “You are not worthy to be an imam. This talk is an incitement to hatred.” Religious Affairs Minister Nourredine el-Khadmi told a news conference on Friday that around 100 mosques in Tunisia were under the full control of Salafists. He rejected what he said was Aloui’s “call to violence.” Abu Iyadh is wanted for organising an attack on the US embassy in September in which four of the assailants were killed. Jailed under the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, he was freed following the revolution that ousted the former president last year and became the key figure in the Tunisian jihadist movement. He was involved in organising the September 9, 2001 assassination of the Afghan nationalist warlord Ahmad Shah Massoud. Since the revolution that ousted Ben Ali in January 2011, radical Islamists have carried out a number of attacks, including against security forces and on cultural events. The opposition accuses the government of failing to rein in violence by Salafists, a hardline branch of Sunni Islam. But the authorities have vowed to crack down on Islamist violence in the wake of the attack on the US mission. Last month, Tunisia marked a year since its first free elections in a political climate of tensions within the national assembly and a stalled new constitution. In June, voters are due to go to the polls to elect a new president and parliament. - AFP    |
| Romney asks voters: Want more of same or ‘real change’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:33 AM PDT
Making a last-minute foray into Wisconsin, a state Obama won in 2008 but that may be in play this year, Romney seized on a small uptick in the US jobless rate, from 7.8 percent in September to 7.9 percent in October, as evidence that the president’s policies are not providing a sufficiently speedy recovery. “The question of this election comes down to this: do you want more of the same or do you want real change?” Romney told a boisterous crowd in a Milwaukee suburb that was fired up by introductory remarks from legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr. Romney could use an upset win in Wisconsin, home state of his vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, to help offset a possible defeat in Ohio, a crucial state where the Democratic president holds a small lead. Romney was to hold two events in Ohio later yesterday. The former governor of Massachusetts laid out his case for defeating Obama in a formal speech for which he used a teleprompter. It marked the start of the last, frantic four days of campaigning with stops planned in the states where the election will be decided including New Hampshire, Colorado and Iowa. Widening the map Facing a narrow path to the 270 electoral votes needed for election, Romney will also make a late push into typically Democratic Pennsylvania on Sunday to see if he can take advantage of tightening polls there, a stop that Democrats say smacks of desperation. Romney appeared upbeat as he began the last days of campaigning, playfully tugging on a duffel bag carried by senior aide Stuart Stevens to make it heavier to carry as the two boarded his plane. In his speech, Romney said Washington, under Obama, is frozen in partisan gridlock that the president has been unable to break in the face of intractable budget and debt woes. He pledged to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats. “You know that if the president is re-elected, he will still be unable to work with the people in Congress. He has ignored them, attacked them, blamed them. The debt ceiling will come up again, and shutdown and default will be threatened, chilling the economy,” said Romney. With polls showing the race is dead even, Romney urged voters not to settle for the Democratic incumbent but to instead give him a chance. “This is not a time for America to settle,” he said. “We’re four days from a fresh start, four days away from a new beginning.” It was Romney’s first campaign stop in Wisconsin since August. The state has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984, but Romney hoped to benefit from lingering voter passions from Republican Governor Scott Walker’s victory in a recount battle in June. “We’re going to do something that surprises a few people in the White House that are there right now, and that is we’re going to win Wisconsin,” Romney told an overflow crowd outside of his main event. Romney sought to use his choice of Ryan to his ticket to pick up steam in Wisconsin, saying that next to his wife, Ann Romney, “Paul Ryan is the best choice I ever made.” - Reuters    |
| French conservatives gear up against gay marriage Posted: 02 Nov 2012 10:29 AM PDT
Paris Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois is expected to call for a broad mobilization against the law when Catholic bishops meet in the southwestern pilgrimage town of Lourdes for their annual plenary today. Far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen and Jean-Francois Cope, who is campaigning to lead the main opposition UMP party, both backed proposals this week for a large national protest march in defense of traditional marriage. Protesters took to the streets of 75 cities and towns across France last week and lay Catholic leaders have called for another round of demonstrations in mid-November. Sample letters against the law have been posted on websites sent to elected officials. “In a rare turn for France, the Catholic Church finds itself setting the tone for the political opposition,” wrote the Catholic newspaper La Croix. “The bishops have been raising their voices in a crescendo.” The Socialist-led government will present its draft law on same-sex marriage in cabinet next Wednesday, following up on a campaign promise by Hollande last spring. It expects to submit the reform to a vote by mid-2013. His government originally planned to rush through the change but rising opposition from Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders slowed down the process. Majority support but slipping French society is secular but religious leaders can still command respect, especially in rural areas. Some 62 percent of French identify themselves as Catholics but few attend church. Faith leaders have avoided religious arguments and framed the debate as not one of gay rights but about the social and psychological changes the reform would make for families, especially for children of gay couples. Surveys by the Ifop polling group show support for gay marriage has weakened from 65 percent in August to 61 percent now as the public debate has taken off. Support for full adoption and assisted procreation rights for gay couples has slid from 53 per cent to 48 percent now. Vingt-Trois, who launched the Catholic campaign in August with a national prayer day against same-sex marriage, on Tuesday urged political parties to let their deputies vote according to their consciences. Le Pen said on Thursday she would join any national protest. “This law could overturn the foundations of our civilization,” she told Catholic media. Mayors around the country have formed groups to pledge to preside at same-sex marriages if they are legalized or to demand a “conscience clause” to opt out of doing so. The debate has heard some distinctly personal barbs. “Isn’t it a paradox that Francois Hollande, who was never in a hurry to slip a ring on anyone’s finger, is rushing to legalize homosexual marriage?” asked UMP deputy Nadine Morano. The president has four children from a long relationship with another Socialist politician, Segolene Royal, and now lives with a new partner, journalist Valerie Trierweiler. Passing the law would make France the 12th country around the world to legalize same-sex marriage. It is already allowed in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden. Six states and the District of Columbia in the United States have legal gay marriage, as does Mexico City. Many countries have some form of civil union that grants gay couples most but not all of the rights of a traditional marriage. France legalized civil unions in 1999 and they are now approaching the number of traditional marriages contracted annually. There were 200,000 “civil solidarity pacts” (PACS) against 250,000 marriages in 2010. Originally seen as a kind of ersatz gay nuptials, the PACS has turned out to be “marriage lite” for heterosexuals, who make up 94 percent of all couples opting for this kind of union. - Reuters    |
| ‘Cop’ handcuffs and sexually assaults boy Posted: 02 Nov 2012 04:18 AM PDT
The boy was said to be playing with a friend near a low cost apartment in Cheras when the suspect, who was described as dark-skinned and wearing a Batik shirt, walked up to the two. “According to the victim, the man identified himself as a policeman and told the boys that he was a narcotics investigator,” said a police source familiar with the investigations. The man had then asked the boys to show him where the drug hot spots were in their area, to which the unsuspecting boys volunteered to help and complied. “The man had then molested both the boys before telling one of them to go home. He then too the victim on a motorcycle to another secluded corner,” said the source. Away from any witnesses, the man suddenly handcuffed the boy and grabbed the latter’s private part. The suspect then forcefully performed oral sex on the boy. “After the act took place, the man took off the handcuff and sent the victim to a nearby taman, told him to run and don’t look back,” said the source. Following the incident, the boy went home and informed his family. A report was then lodged at the Pudu Ulu police station. FMT understands that investigators are looking the case under Section 377B of the Penal Code for “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”. “We haven’t got much leads yet. We’re trying to identify the suspect and find out if he is really a police officer,” said another source who admitted that the police have never encountered such a case as this before. A photofit of the suspect is in the process of being drawn up. Facebook rumours “My cousin saw and (bravely) interrupted a man sporting police trousers, shoes and badge receiving a BJ from 9 year old child (handcuffed and crying). A police report has been made but they are advising him to stay quiet. As a mother, I am incensed,” wrote the Facebook user. However, when FMT contacted the “cousin”, he said that he merely heard the story from a friend, who was related to the victim, when he himself was lodging a police report. Asked to respond to the Facebook message, a senior police officer denied that the police have told the victims to hush up about the incident. “Stop spreading stories because it’s not helping at all. We’re not denying that there is such a case and we do not condone such acts, whether it is from a policeman or anyone at all. We’re doing the best we can and I give you my word that we will nail him.” Also read:    |
| ‘Police hid son’s arrest from me’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 02:57 AM PDT
Testifying in her RM100 million suit against the deputy IGP and four others, N Indra said she only learnt of her son’s arrest when he died in police custody, six days later. “My family and I searched for him at several police stations, including the Puchong police station,” she told the court during cross examination. “When I contacted the police, they lied to me and said that he had not been arrested,” said Indra. In her written statement, she also said that a day after her son’s arrest, two police officers had turned up at her brother’s house to question them about Kugan. “But they did not inform us that Kugan had been arrested. I only knew my son was arrested on Jan 20, 2009 after the police informed the news of my son’s death to my brother and sister-in-law, Renuga,” she said. Indra said the last time she had seen her son was on the Jan 13, 2009, a day before he was arrested. The next time she saw him, he was dead and lying in the Serdang Hospital mortuary, his body riddled with serious injuries and wounds. Even then, she said, she was not immediately allowed to view her son’s body and was forced to wait outside the mortuary for about three hours. “I believe the police ordered [the hospital] to stop us from seeing my son’s body,” she said in her written statement. “Only after waiting several hours and after my lawyer N Surendran as well as several other opposition politicians made many requests, was my family and I allowed to see Kugan at around 1am on Jan 21, 2009.” “The whole family cried loudly because we could not hold back our sadness. Kugan was my eldest son,” she added. Indra said due to the extent of Kugan’s injuries, she did not suspect the police would eventually deny having beaten her son to death. But she said she learnt that the first defendant, the then Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar, had ruled out foul play while she was on her way to Kugan’s burial. “At that time, while we were at the funeral, we learned that the first defendant had said on the radio that Kugan had died due to water in his lungs. “We were shocked that the police would not confess that they had beaten Kugan to death,” said Indra. The court was also told that Khalid had made the statement prior to the release of the first autopsy report by Dr Abdul Karim Tajuddin. This spurred Indra and her family to postpone the burial to request for a second autopsy, which later revealed that Kugan had suffered terrible beatings leading to his cells breaking down and damaging his kidneys. The plaintiff’s lawyers are A Sivarasa, RL Bani Prakash and Latheefa Koya. Meanwhile, lawyers for the defendants are Tuan Haji Arshad Md Arshad, Nur Aqilah Ishak, and R Ramesh Sivakumar. Presiding over the case is Justice VT Singham. In the statement of claim, Indra said Kugan was arrested by the police on Jan 14, 2009. On Jan 20, at about 9pm, a police officer informed her that her son had died while in police custody. Indra claimed that on Jan 21, Khalid had issued a false explanation to the media on the cause of death, alleging that Kugan had asked for a glass of water and then collapsed and died. She also claimed that the defendants made attempts to cover-up the real cause of death and issued statements calculated to exonerate the police from blame or liability. In a separate trial in June this year, Navindran was found guilty on two counts of causing hurt to Kugan. Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Aslam Zainuddin sentenced him to three years' jail on each count, to be served concurrently. RM100m suit: Kugan's mother to testify on Nov 2 Cop gets 3 years for hurting Kugan    |
| Malay grads losing out in job ‘race’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 02:52 AM PDT
Apparently so, according to a new study which found that a Malay fresh graduate was 16.7% less likely to be called up for a job interview in the private sector compared to their Chinese counterparts. The study, funded by the University Malaya Research Grant, was jointly conducted by Lee Hwok Aun, a senior lecturer from the Department of Development Studies at Universiti Malaya (UM) and Muhammed Abdul Khalid, a Research Fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaya (UKM). The academic paper was presented at a public seminar in UM this morning. Both researches said they aim to “empirically and objectively” investigate racial discrimination in the private sector labour market in the Peninsular Malaysia, which was talked about but its prevalence not studied. However, they stressed that the focus was on incidences of discrimination and not on the reasons behind it, including racism, prejudice or bigotry. The “first of its kind” study was based on a field experiment where fictitious resumes of Malay and Chinese applicants were sent to job advertisements in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 3,012 resumes were sent to 753 engineering and accounting jobs advertised on Jobstreet.com and JobsDB.com between August and December 2011. For each job, the researchers sent out four fake resumes according to race and their academic qualifications. All the "applicants" were male with no prior working experience but have a basic qualification in the field being applied for. The number of responses from employers, which have been divided into “Chinese-controlled, Malay-controlled or foreign-controlled”, are then recorded for each category. One of the main findings of the study was that the total resumes sent, only 13.1%(396) received callbacks, of those, 4.2%(63) were Malay and 22.1%(222) were Chinese. The study also found that the quality of applicants appeared to matter more for Malays than for the Chinese. There was also a difference between industries, where engineering companies were responding to 25% of resumes by Chinese applicants and only 3% of resumes by Malay applicants while in accountancy, a lesser 19% Chinese applicants received callbacks compared to 6% of Malay applicants. It was also found that discrimination against Malay applicants is highest among foreign-controlled companies, followed by Malay-controlled companies, then Chinese-controlled companies. Employers that stipulate Chinese language proficiency as a job requirement also favour Chinese applicants. Chinese-controlled and foreign-controlled companies are significantly inclined toward Chinese resumes. “The data do not directly inform the motivation of the observed discrimination. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that employers are generally predisposed favourably toward Chinese, substantially due to compatibility factors and unobservable qualities not revealed in job applications, and are more selective toward Malays, which results in fewer but considerably qualified applicants getting callbacks.” “This study underscores the complexity of labour market discrimination and its policy implications,” said the study. “So are opportunity being denied to quality Malays? Surely to some extend, but we do not how how prevalent it is. Some companies may discriminate at pre-employment stage but it is likely to be lesser after one is employed,” asked Lee. During the briefing, Lee admitted that further studies should be conducted on the matter as it was a complex issue. “Chinese and Malays are the frontier and while we did consider also including Indians, we regrettably could not due to budget and other constraints,” he said. He also said that the team had wanted to study the public sector but were unable to due to the application process in the civil service. In the presentation, Lee and Muhammed Abdul also suggested that the government could look into having a Equal Opportunity Act & Equal Opportunity Commission but warned that a legislation of that nature must cover both private and public sector and should not impose a quota system. “We are also calling for a critical examination of ourselves… trying to get people to think of the greater good. While I believe that employers are making informed decisions, suppose basing their choices on experience, and not just assumptions and ignorance, we cannot say for certain if racism is one of the factors, we cannot be quick to condemn.”    |
| China, Japan citizens back Obama for second term Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:52 AM PDT  HONG KONG: Citizens of China and Japan overwhelmingly support President Barack Obama to win a second term, according to an AFP-Ipsos poll which suggests Mitt Romney’s tough talk on the Asian powers could have dented his image.The US elections may be a toss-up at home but the survey carried out by Ipsos Hong Kong found a whopping 86 percent of Japanese back the Democrat incumbent compared to only 12.3 percent for Republican party candidate Romney. Chinese respondents were less emphatic, but still a hefty 63 percent said they wanted Obama to serve out another four years, according to the online poll conducted in September and October. Analysts said Obama’s record on the economy and security had buttressed his standing in the East, while Romney’s outspoken comments on Beijing’s alleged currency manipulation and Japan’s economic decline may have lost him some friends. “Asia wants Obama to win the election overall, but China has more supporters of Romney than Japan,” Ipsos Hong Kong associate director Andrew Lam said. “It is possible that Romney’s strong stand on currency and trade, as well as his plan to have a stronger military capability in the Pacific, has led the Chinese to believe it is better to stay with the status quo. “For Japan, Romney’s low popularity is possibly linked to his earlier public comment about Japan being an economy in decline. Japanese have strong national pride, and could react negatively toward this kind of public remark.” The Chinese are around three times more likely to approve of Romney despite his more hawkish stance on trade and military spending, according to the AFP-Ipsos survey which will be publicly released on Monday. Romney’s popularity was highest among older Chinese and in less developed “Tier Two” cities, inland population centres which have not industrialised at the pace of the more economically liberal special economic zones such as Shanghai. International relations expert Chen Qi, of China’s Tsinghua University, said some Chinese held the Republican party in high regard based on its history of engagement with Beijing going back to president Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit. But he said many other Chinese did not look favourably on Romney’s background as a wealthy capitalist. “Many people feel that Obama looks after the bottom level of society, with his policies such as medical reform, and a lot of Chinese people support that… There is some suspicion of rich businessmen entering politics,” Chen said. Romney has repeatedly vowed to brand Beijing a “currency manipulator” on his first day in office, as a way to address China’s huge trade surplus with the United States. “They’re taking jobs, and we’ve been looking the other way for too long,” he said on the campaign trail last month. Critics in the United States and other developed economies accuse China of keeping its currency deliberately low to flood the world with exports of inexpensive goods, devastating manufacturing industries elsewhere. The Obama administration has repeatedly urged Beijing to let the yuan appreciate, but has stopped short of declaring China a currency manipulator — a designation that could trigger sanctions and perhaps an all-out trade war. The AFP-Ipsos survey showed that most Japanese (81.8 percent) and Chinese (58.3 percent) thought Obama would be the best US president for Asian economic growth, rejecting Romney’s claims to be the stronger economic manager. Asked which candidate would be better for peace and security in Asia, 85.3 percent of Japanese and 56.3 percent of Chinese said Obama. Takehiko Yamamoto, professor of international politics at Tokyo’s Waseda University, said Obama’s efforts to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were popular in Japan. “The Bush administration took a kind of coercive approach to Japan in mustering support for the Japan-US alliance when it dealt with Afghanistan and Iraq. But Obama has not been so forcible,” he told AFP in Tokyo. Obama’s so-called “pivot” to Asia has been a key strategy of his administration’s foreign policy, a move that China has eyed with suspicion but other Asian states have broadly welcomed as a balance to Beijing’s influence. Despite the high stakes involved, the poll showed many more Chinese (47.7 percent) are indifferent to the US election outcome than Japanese (30.3 percent). Analysts said that with a once-a-decade leadership transition due to take place in Beijing shortly after the US vote, this was not surprising. There was also a sense of disappointment after the excitement of Obama’s 2008 victory. “The election is the most important to the Japanese, possibly because the US has been their most important long-term ally diplomatically and militarily,” said Lam. “With their rising political and economic power, the Chinese may regard themselves as less reliant on any single nation including the US, thus the indifference.” The poll, which surveyed around 1,000 people in each country, has a margin of error of five percent. - AFP    |
| World Bank approves first Myanmar aid in 25 years Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:49 AM PDT  YANGON: The World Bank has approved an US$80 million grant for Myanmar to support its reform drive, resuming assistance for the former pariah nation after a quarter-century absence.The money is for infrastructure projects in villages in poor rural areas, the bank said in a statement Friday after its board of directors in Washington approved a new strategy for helping the country formerly known as Burma. “I am heartened by the reforms that have been taking place in Myanmar and encourage the government to continue to push forward their efforts,” said World Bank president Jim Yong Kim. The focus will be on the “most urgent development needs” he added, citing education, health, infrastructure and the private sector to boost job creation. The World Bank closed its Yangon office in 1987 and ceased new lending after the then-ruling junta stopped making payments on debts worth hundreds of millions of dollars left from previous programmes. A hurdle for the resumption of aid has been how to deal with the unpaid money, including arrears of almost $400 million owed to the World Bank. The Bank, which opened a new office in Yangon in August, said Friday that it was working with Japan and the Asian Development Bank to resolve the issue and expected to clear the arrears in early 2013. Myanmar President Thein Sein has overseen a series of dramatic reforms since taking office last year, including the release of political prisoners and the election of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament. In response, the West has begun rolling back sanctions and foreign firms are lining up to invest in the country, eyeing its huge natural resources, large population and strategic location between China and India. Japan agreed in April to forgive $3.8 billion of Myanmar’s bilateral debt, as donors rally to help the nation’s battered economy. Myanmar also owes roughly $500 million to the Asian Development Bank, which is returning to the country for the first time since 1988. - AFP    |
| Hillary Clinton: Rock-star diplomat or future head of state? Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:47 AM PDT  WASHINGTON: As Hillary Clinton prepares to step down as America’s top diplomat, no one quite believes she and husband Bill will disappear from the US political scene they have dominated for some two decades.Despite questions over whether the secretary of state was to blame for security lapses before September’s attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Clinton remains the most popular figure in the administration. The New York Times dubbed her the “rock star diplomat” and she has been met by cheering crowds in places as different as the Mongolian presidential palace and Georgetown University in Washington. In her four years at the helm of US diplomacy, Clinton has criss-crossed the world, racking up more countries than any of her predecessors and tirelessly pushing democracy and what she calls “smart power”. And, despite her repeated denials, many people remain convinced that she will once more try to run for presidential office. Amid the bitter political climate of a close election year her approval ratings still stand in the high 60s, and some analysts believe the Democratic Party nomination in 2016 could be hers for the asking. She came close in 2008 only to see Barack Obama snatch the nomination from her, leaving her to claim the votes she won amounted to “18 million cracks” in the glass ceiling which has so far denied women the nation’s highest office. After their fierce and drawn-out primaries battle, in which former president Bill Clinton was her chief and staunchest advocate, it was a surprise to many when Obama nominated her as secretary of state. Some said the Clintons were returning to power through the back door. But Hillary Clinton, 65, has been steadfastly loyal to Obama, even in many minds taking a bullet for him by assuming responsibility for the deaths of four diplomatic staff in the September 11 attack on the Benghazi mission. Yet critics say she has failed to accomplish any big signature legacy victories — such as Henry Kissinger’s overture to communist China. Some blame Obama, who has kept a tight rein on policy on the big issues facing the country — Afghanistan, Iraq and the Arab Spring. “Clinton has been a loyal, very effective secretary of state, who has used her star power in a useful way for Obama, and has left her mark on minor issues such as the Internet or integrating development policies better into foreign policy,” Justin Vaisse, from the Brookings Institution, told AFP. “But she has always been dominated, because that’s Obama’s natural tendency, by a White House which wants to decide on absolutely everything. “That doesn’t take anything away from Clinton. She is truly remarkable, full of energy, intelligent, possessing subtlety and finesse. But the political situation has been such that she has largely been kept on a leash.” Clinton has worked hard, for instance, for a rapprochement with Pakistan — a key, but wary ally in the war against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan — and knitted together western approval for tighter sanctions against Iran. During a trip to China this year, she had a successful brush with Cold War style intrigue when Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng dramatically escaped house arrest and sought asylum in the US embassy in Beijing. She has also pressed many issues that are traditionally sidelined, such as women’s rights — and in an unconventional move created the State Department’s first army of chefs to spread US culinary diplomacy. But Harvard professor Stephen M. Walt, writing in Foreign Policy magazine, noted a lack of major achievements and argued: “One can’t really call her a great secretary at this point, through no fault of her own.” Obama has failed to give her greater authority over foreign policy, Walt wrote earlier this year, and his “initial reliance on a set of ‘special envoys’ diluted Clinton’s clout even more. “The Pentagon and intelligence community now controls vastly greater resources than the State Department does, and has far more impact on our relations with trouble spots like Central Asia, Yemen, the Persian Gulf.” If Obama wins Tuesday’s presidential election, Clinton says she will stay on only until a successor is found. “I’m aiming to leave shortly after the inauguration. That’s my plan,” she told The Washington Post recently. Obama said he would love for her to remain in post, but “despite my begging” she has decided to move on. “I have been on this high wire of national and international politics and leadership for 20 years,” Clinton told Marie Claire magazine recently. “It has been an absolutely extraordinary personal honor and experience. But I really want to just have my own time back. I want to just be my own person. I’m looking forward to that.” But of course, if she were to become president in 2016, albeit at age 69, she would have all the authority to be exactly who she wanted to be. - AFP    |
| Indonesian judges face drug tests Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:44 AM PDT  JAKARTA: Indonesia’s judiciary will be randomly tested for drugs after a judge was arrested at a Jakarta nightclub last month on suspicion of possessing ecstasy and crystal meth, officials said today.The arrest of the judge, who was allegedly accompanied by prostitutes when he was caught at the club called Illigals, sparked uproar and is the latest challenge for what critics say is a corruption-ridden judiciary. The national narcotics agency said that it had struck an agreement with the judicial commission to subject judges to unannounced urine tests. “The use of drugs by judges is a breach of their code of ethics and will clearly disrupt their performance,” said Asep Rahman Fajar, a spokesman for the commission, which oversees the work of the country’s judges. Indonesia has tough drug laws and possession is punishable with up to 12 years in jail. The district judge, who worked at a court in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, was arrested on October 16 by drug agency officials in the five-floor club, said narcotics agency spokesman Sumirat Dwiyanto. The judge, whom officials have only identified by his initials of P W, was found in possession of dozens of ecstasy pills and crystal methamphetamine in a room with a group that included friends and prostitutes, said the spokesman. He tested positive for drugs and has admitted consuming them, Dwiyanto said. He is currently in custody. Rampant corruption has crippled the public service in Indonesia and there have been a string of recent cases in which judges allegedly accepted bribes. Anti-graft group Transparency International last year ranked the country 100 out of 183 in its global corruption perception index. In a bid to tackle graft, the government has set up the the Corruption Eradication Commission which has been given wide-ranging powers to tackle the scourge. - AFP    |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:39 AM PDT  MUMBAI: Indian Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was to be honoured by France yesterday, her birthday, with a prestigious civilian award for her contribution to the arts, the French embassy said.Ambassador Francois Richier was due to confer the honour of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) on Rai Bachchan at a hotel in the entertainment hub Mumbai. “This prestigious distinction comes in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the world of cinema and the development of Indo-French cooperation in cinema, art, and culture,” a release from the embassy said. Rai Bachchan, who turned 39 yesterday, took the Miss World crown in 1994 and made her acting debut in the late 1990s, going on to become one of the most famous Bollywood faces abroad as well as in India. A regular on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, she has starred in more than 40 mostly Indian films as well as few foreign movies, including The Pink Panther 2. She married fellow actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007 and they had their first child in November last year. Her father-in-law, superstar actor Amitabh Bachchan, was awarded France’s highest civilian award, the Legion d’Honneur in 2007. Reports said Rai Bachchan was supposed to receive her French award in 2009, but the honour was postponed because her father was ill. Then it was rescheduled for 2011 and was again put off due to the Mumbai bombings. In September Rai Bachchan was named as an ambassador for the United Nations AIDS agency, which tasked her with raising awareness to prevent HIV among children.—AFP    |
| ‘Gangnam Style’ second on YouTube views Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:21 AM PDT  SEOUL: South Korean pop sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style” has become the second most-watched YouTube video of all time with nearly 620 million hits as the quirky rapper continues to take the world by storm.The 34-year-old singer, whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, rocketed to international fame after “Gangnam Style” — a techno ode to a trendy Seoul neighbourhood — become a worldwide hit following its debut in July. The video went viral online with its goofy signature horse-riding dance and on Friday ousted singer Jennifer Lopez’s dance hit “On the Floor” from second place. But it still trails behind Canadian teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber’s “Baby”, which has had 790 million hits. Psy has also remained at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart in the United States for a sixth straight week after topping charts in countries including Britain and Australia. The popularity of the song and video, which spawned hundreds of parodies and tribute videos across the world, has helped the singer land a contract with Bieber’s management agency.
The star is already a music veteran at home with six albums under his belt and next week he will begin a promotional tour in Europe that includes a speech at the Oxford Union and an appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Germany.- AFP    |
| NGOs to rally against state violence Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:53 AM PDT
The rally is scheduled to begin at 2pm. The group calls itself the Stop State Violence Movement. The member organisations include Suaram, Tenaganita, Lawyers for Liberty, Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and Malaysians for Beng Hock. According to Tenaganita chief Irene Fernandez, the coalition would present a list of demands that "the government must fulfil to curb this culture of impunity among enforcement agencies, which is not only affecting locals but also migrant workers". The demands include the following:
Referring to prison and lock-up deaths and police killings, Fernandez said: "Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar and MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed must remember that the public will not be deceived by their half-hearted investigations." Eric Paulsen of Lawyers for Liberty spoke about the deaths of A Kugan and Teoh Beng Hock in 2009 and the killing of 15-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah in 2010. "Till now, their families have yet to receive justice for the tragic loss of their loved ones," he said. "Police will promise to probe the matter without fear or favour, but we find nothing at the end." He also referred to the case of D Dinesh, the 26-year-old man who was gunned down in Ampang last August by police riding in unmarked cars. "The police quickly accused him of being a gangster who was on his way to commit a crime," Paulsen said. "However, he had no criminal record and eyewitnesses said the police were shooting away like they were in the wild, wild west." Suaram executive director E Nalini said the rally had become necessary because all previous engagements with the authorities had failed to bring about any change. "Recently, we sent two letters to the IGP, requesting for a meeting to talk about how to resolve these matters, but we never received any reply," she said. She said the coalition had chosen to rally on Dec 9 because it would be the eve of International Human Rights Day. Stop State Violence Movement will go on a nationwide road show over the next month to gather support for the rally.    |
| AirAsia X offers 790 million shares in IPO Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:50 AM PDT
The IPO, expected to debut by January and to raise about US$250 million (RM750 million), is one of three listings worth US$500 million that AirAsia's founders, Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, will kick off next year, helping to cement Malaysia as Asia's top IPO destination. AirAsia X said in the prospectus the offer represents up to 33.3 per cent of its enlarged paid-up capital. Of this, 685.68 million shares, or 28.9 per cent, will be offered to institutional investors. The balance of 104.44 million shares, or 4.4 per cent, will be allocated to the retail tranche, AirAsia X said. Reuters reported in September 21 that the company planned to list on the Kuala Lumpur stock market in December or January in an IPO expected to raise about US$250 million. Based on the IPO size of US$250 million, the total 790.12 million shares could be worth US$0.316 per share or 97 Malaysian sen, according to Reuters calculations. The company has given no information on pricing, the size of the listing or a timeframe for the IPO. AirAsia X's draft prospectus said it would use 21.5 per cent of the IPO proceeds for capital expenditures ranging from buying spare parts to setting up new hubs. Another 55.1 per cent would be used to repay bank borrowings, 20.2 per cent for working capital and the balance for listing expenses. The company said it hired CIMB as principal adviser for the IPO. CIMB, Credit Suisse and Maybank are the joint global coordinators. Barclays, BNP Paribas, CIMB, Citi, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Maybank and Morgan Stanley are the joint bookrunners for the institutional offering, according to AirAsia X. - Reuters    |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:47 AM PDT
PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli showed a March 4, 2004 letter where the 1,104 hectares at Serting Ulu, Jempol, was to be allocated to Asli-YNS Sdn Bhd for growing rubber. The letter appeared to be issued by the Negeri Sembilan State Secretariat to the state’s Land and Mines Director and the Jempol District Land Administrator. Parts of the letter were blackened out. “Even though the name of this company gives the impression that it is a joint-venture with the state, a search at the Companies Commission of Malaysia, revealed that it is owned and controlled by state MCA chairman, Senator Dr Yeow Chai Thiam,” Rafizi told reporters. He was referring to the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve, near Bahau in Jempol. Previously, FMT reported that the area had been classified as a Permanent Forest Reserve since Aug 30, 1918. Documents provided by PKR showed that Asli-YNS Sdn Bhd appeared to have an issued shared capital of RM10. It had two directors: Yeow and a Yan Sien Wee. Only half the story
To this, Rafizi said: “I would love to be that someone who could, with RM5, get 1,104 hectares of forest land.” He added that this appeared to contradict Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan’s statement that the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve still belonged to the state government, through Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (YNS). “Mohammad only presented half of the story. He said by the state policy that any degazetted reserve would be given to YNS…he didn’t say what happened from YNS onwards,” Rafizi said. On parts of the letter that was blackened out, the PKR leader said that Asli-YNS was only the first of four companies involved in the matter. “I hope the other three companies will panic a little. One by one, you can trace them back to the leadership of Umno-Barisan Nasional,” he said. Also read: Forest reserve fiasco: PKR files police report Negeri 'illegally' clearing off forest land http: PKR warns of a 'forest-less' Negeri Sembilan    |
| 15 NGO nekad mahu halang Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:47 AM PDT
Semalam lebih kurang 50 orang yang mewakili 15 NGO tersebut mengadakan bantahan di tapak program itu akan berlangsung sebagai tanda protes. Mereka turut mendesak pihak polis mengambil tindakan. Pengerusi Gerakan Memartabatkan Pejuang Negara (GMPN) Malaysia, Mejar (B) Razali Zakaria berkata tujuan bantahan itu dibuat kerana mereka yakin program itu akan menimbulkan huru-hara. "Penganjuran program ini adalah sebagai bahan politik mereka bagi menghadapi Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13. "Saya harap polis dapat bertindak segera dengan mengharamkan program daripada diadakan kerana dikhuatiri insiden perhimpunan Bersih akan berlaku di Negeri Sembilan. "Kami barisan NGO telah membuat laporan polis pagi tadi (semalam) sebagai tanda bantahan. Pertumpahan darah "Jika polis tidak bertindak, jangan salahkan NGO jika kami bertindak pada hari program itu berlangsung dan kami tidak akan bertanggungjawab jika ada berlaku kemalangan atau pertumpahan darah,” tegasnya. Pemangku Setiausaha Agong Gabungan NGO Malaysia, Mohd Arafat Muhammad berkata walaupun Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 menyebut sebarang perhimpunan tidak memerlukan permit, tetapi ia dikhuatiri akan menimbulkan kejadian tidak diingini. "Jangan menyibuk dan kacau Negeri Sembilan, pergilah negeri sendiri. Kami telah sepakat jika program ini terus diadakan, kami akan menghalang dan membantah 100 peratus. "Tiada apa yang perlu dibangkitkan oleh Pakatan Rakyat dengan menganjurkan program ini kerana negara berada dalam keadaan aman," katanya. Cabar polis dan berunsur ugutan Berkaitan dengan bantahan tersebut, Pakatan Rakyat Negeri Sembilan hari ini membuat laporan polis di Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Polis Seremban. Laporan polis itu dibuat oleh Setiausaha PKR Negeri Sembilan, Sabaruddin Mohd Yassim dan ditemani oleh Setiausaha DAP Negeri Sembilan, Cha Kee Chin dan Timbalan Pesuruhjaya 3 PAS Negeri Sembilan, Anuar Azhari. Sabaruddin membuat laporan polis itu berdasarkan kepada kenyataan akhbar seorang individu bernama Mejar (B) Razali Zakaria bahawa: 'Jika polis tidak bertindak, jangan salahkan NGO jika kami bertindak pada hari program itu berlangsung dan kami tidak akan bertanggungjawab jika ada berlaku kemalangan atau pertumpahan darah'. "Kata-kata tersebut bukan sahaja mencabar polis, tetapi turut berunsur ugutan terhadap kami selaku penganjur dan orang awam yang dijangka akan hadir pada program Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat esok 3 November. "Selain itu, mereka yang terbabit juga telah membuat pelbagai tuduhan liar dan fitnah terhadap Pakatan Rakyat tentang program kami. "Kami berharap polis boleh bertindak segera terhadap mereka yang terbabit dalam mengeluarkan kenyataan ini, kerana ia berunsur ugutan dan mengganggu keamanan dan ketenteraman awam," kata Sabaruddin. 50,000 bakal banjiri Seremban Jaya Sementara itu Pakatan Rakyat mensasarkan sekurang-kurangnya 50,000 penyokong akan hadir pada program Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat tersebut. Setiausaha PAS Negeri Sembilan, Mohd Hasan Tamby memberitahu FMT program akan dimulakan dengan Karnival Rakyat jam 4.00 petang dengan persembahan gendang India, kompang dan tarian singa. "Selepas itu, kita akan adakan pidato anak muda dan wanita; diikuti dengan konsert rakyat oleh artis popular seperti Dayangku Intan, Aishah, Nizam Laksamana dan Indie Band. "Turut berlangsung pameran kejayaan Kerajaan Negeri-Negeri Pakatan Rakyat seperti Selangor, Kelantan, Pulau Pinang dan Kedah. Program petang tamat pada pukul 6.30 petang. "Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat pula bermula jam 8.30 malam dengan senarai penceramah 'heavyweight' Pakatan Rakyat, Penyerahan Memorandum Persefahaman Pakatan Rakyat Negeri Sembilan, deklamasi sajak oleh Sasterawan Negara A Samad Said, muzikal 'Ubahlah Sekarang' dan Pelancaran Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat. "Barisan penceramah pada malam esok ialah Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang; Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang; Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu dan Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali. "Saya mahu rakyat Negeri Sembilan menilai sendiri dengan akal logik apakah dengan intipati program seperti saya huraikan ini akan memberi kemudaratan kepada rakyat Negeri Sembilan? "Program ini berlangsung dalam bentuk karnival. Saya yakin dengan publisiti dan kesedaran orang ramai, sasaran 50,000 hadirin akan dicapai terutama daripada pengundi atas pagar yang marah dengan tindakan pihak-pihak yang cuba menghalang program ini," ujar Sabarudin.    |
| India’s Wipro profits up 24%, beats forecasts Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:33 AM PDT
Net profit for the three months to September rose to 16.11 billion rupees ($301 million) from 13.01 billion rupees a year earlier. The profit outpaced market expectations of 15.23 billion rupees, according to a poll by Dow Jones Newswires. “The pipeline and business environment is looking up. We saw a pick-up in demand in banking and financial services,” said Wipro’s chief financial officer Suresh Senapaty. The firm said it clinched a string of orders, including multi-year deals with a US-based healthcare firm and a large North America-based department store chain. Quarterly revenue rose 17 percent to 106.20 billion rupees from a year earlier. Wipro delivered “revenues in line with its guidance and is continuing to see consistent improvement in engagement with customers and employees,” its chief executive T.K. Kurien said in a statement. The Bangalore-based company announced Thursday its non-technology operations would be hived off into a new firm, allowing it to focus on its core business, which accounts for 86 percent of revenues. Its chairman Azim Premji — who is India’s third-richest man according to Forbes magazine — said Wipro has “chartered a new course” with the split in its businesses. Wipro shares gained 3.19 percent to an intraday high of 372.95 rupees after the earnings but then slid on profit-taking to trade up 0.89 percent at 364.6 rupees by early afternoon. Wipro forecast revenues from IT services of $1.56 billion to $1.59 billion in the next quarter ending December — in line with analysts’ expectations. The firm added 53 clients and 2,017 people to its staff in the last quarter. Last month, India’s biggest outsourcing firm TCS posted a 44 percent rise in quarterly profit, beating estimates, while earnings of Infosys disappointed investors with lower-than-projected revenues, even though profits increased. TCS, Infosys and Wipro lead India’s flagship IT outsourcing industry, which carries out a wide range of jobs for Western firms such as answering calls from bank customers, processing insurance claims and software development. India, with its large English-speaking workforce, accounts for at least 50 percent of the global outsourcing market and the industry is a vital exporter. Most of India’s IT outsourcing firms say the outlook remains challenging as clients in their key US and European markets contend with sluggish growth and slow decision-making along with political opposition to outsourcing jobs in the face of high domestic unemployment. -AFP    |
| ‘MB S’gor tak belanja untuk kebajikan rakyat’ Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:31 AM PDT
Menurut beliau, mereka tersepit di antara cara pengurusan dana Abdul Khalid sebagai Menteri Besar dengan tugas dan tanggungjawab mereka untuk memenuhi keperluan rakyat di kawasan yang mereka wakili. Katanya, Abdul Khalid pernah menyatakan Selangor mempunyai rizab tunai lebih RM2 bilion namun ia tidak dibelanjakan untuk kebajikan dan kesejahteraan rakyat. “Ini yang menyebabkan Adun tersepit. Bila mereka minta peruntukan, Khalid kata tiada peruntukan, sedangkan dalam akhbar beliau kata Selangor ada rizab tunai RM2 bilion. “Ini yang menyebabkan ramai exco, Adun tidak berpuas hati dengan cara Khalid menyediakan peruntukan (kewangan),” kata bekas menteri besar kepada FMT. Tegas beliau, “Khalid juga suka berubah cakap, dalam mesyuarat exco kata lain di luar kata lain. Lain tempat lain hujahnya. Malah (Penasihat Ekonomi Kerajaan Negeri) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pernah kata Khalid kedekut. “Bila anda memerintah, anda tidak boleh kedekut sebab ini bukan bisnes, peruntukan kewangan dan perbelanjaan ini adalah untuk kebajikan rakyat,” jelas Khir. Khir turut mendakwa Abdul Khalid tidak yakin dengan kredibiliti serta kemampuan Adun-Adun Selangor untuk mematahkan segala hujah berhubung isu membabitkan kerajaan negeri yang ditimbulkan oleh pembangkang, khususnya Umno-Barisan Nasional. Mengambil contoh isu Talam Corporation Sdn Bhd, Khir berkata tindakan Abdul Khalid melantik wakilnya yang terdiri daripada ahli-ahli parlimen untuk memberi penerangan mengenai isu hutang syarikat itu hanya akan mencemar imej Selangor. “Mungkin Khalid tidak yakin dengan kebolehan Adun-Adun sehingga terpaksa melantik ahli parlimen jadi jurucakap sedangkan ahli parlimen yang dilantik tidak faham mengenai isu berkenaan. “Ini akan menyebabkan rakyat keliru. Banyak kenyataan dikeluarkan namun hal sebenarnya ia tidak dapat diselesaikan,” kata Khir. Abdul Khalid mengumumkan pelantikan empat jurucakap atau wakilnya untuk berdebat dan menjelaskan isu Talam dengan mana-mana pihak, individu atau organisasi yang berkepentingan. Empat individu yang dilantik sebagai jurucakap rasmi ialah Ahli Parlimen Kuala Selangor, Dr Dzulkefli Ahmad; Wiliam Leong (Selayang), Tony Pua (Petaling Jaya Utara) dan Setiausaha Politik Menteri Besar Faekah Husin.
“Ini ekoran dari sikap beliau yang menganggap dirinya ‘tahu semua’ dan mempunyai strategi sendiri sehingga meminggirkan ahli-ahli PKR negeri. Sikap menganggap dirinya tahu semua ini akan menghancurkan Khalid….sebab parti tidak suka dia. “Kumpulan (Timbalan Presiden PKR) Azmin Ali akan beri tekanan dan jika bertanding di mana-mana Dun, kumpulan ini akan berusaha mengurangkan undi untuk menghalang beliau (Abdul Khalid) menang. “Jentera PKR tidak akan buat kerja sebab banyak isu yang Khalid tidak boleh menyumbang untuk parti,” kata Khir lagi. MB juga ada kelemahan Sementara itu FMT mendapatkan ulasan Adun Meru, Dr Abdul Rani Osman yang berpendapat mana-mana individu yang menjadi Menteri Besar, juga mempunyai kelemahan. Menurut beliau, Abdul Khalid mempunyai sebab tersendiri untuk menolak sebarang cadangan mahupun kehendak Adun/wakil rakyat terutama membabitkan peruntukan kepada rakyat di kawasan masing-masing. “Semua ada kesilapan, sesiapa jadi Menteri Besar ada kelemahan masing-masing. Khalid sendiri dalam apa jua yang diketengahkan exco mahupun Adun bukan semua beliau tolak,” kata beliau yang juga Pesuruhjaya PAS Negeri Selangor. Merujuk kepada pelantikan empat jurucakap untuk menangani isu Talam, beliau menjelaskan ia adalah keputusan bersama Pakatan Rakyat. “Yang buat keputusan untuk melantik jurucakap isu Talam adalah Pakatan Rakyat sendiri. Sebab bukan semua ada ilmu untuk beri penjelasan dan mampu menjawab mengenai hal ini,” jelas Abdul Rani.    |
| World Bank approves first Myanmar aid in 25 years Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:25 AM PDT
The money is for infrastructure projects in villages in poor rural areas, the bank said in a statement Friday after its board of directors in Washington approved a new strategy for helping the country formerly known as Burma. “I am heartened by the reforms that have been taking place in Myanmar and encourage the government to continue to push forward their efforts,” said World Bank president Jim Yong Kim. The focus will be on the “most urgent development needs” he added, citing education, health, infrastructure and the private sector to boost job creation. The World Bank closed its Yangon office in 1987 and ceased new lending after the then-ruling junta stopped making payments on debts worth hundreds of millions of dollars left from previous programmes. A hurdle for the resumption of aid has been how to deal with the unpaid money, including arrears of almost $400 million owed to the World Bank. The Bank, which opened a new office in Yangon in August, said Friday that it was working with Japan and the Asian Development Bank to resolve the issue and expected to clear the arrears in early 2013. Myanmar President Thein Sein has overseen a series of dramatic reforms since taking office last year, including the release of political prisoners and the election of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament. In response, the West has begun rolling back sanctions and foreign firms are lining up to invest in the country, eyeing its huge natural resources, large population and strategic location between China and India. Japan agreed in April to forgive $3.8 billion of Myanmar’s bilateral debt, as donors rally to help the nation’s battered economy. Myanmar also owes roughly $500 million to the Asian Development Bank, which is returning to the country for the first time since 1988. -AFP    |
| Sue me! Rafizi dares law minister Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:24 AM PDT
“If Nazri wants to take legal action, that is his right. If this is slander, then he has to take action…If what I’m saying is not right then Nazri has to take legal action immediately, like with Shahrizat,” he said, referring to former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. He said this after he showed video footage of Chia’s Hummer being used by Nedim’s family to reporters at the PKR headquarters. This followed an expose the PKR strategic director made in Parliament yesterday. [Rafizi was referring to Shahrizat's purported involvement with the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation scandal. The matter, which Rafizi exposed in the past, led the former Women's minister to sue him and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin for RM100 million for defamation.] PKR has argued that Chia was arrested by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for smuggling RM40 million, intended for Sabah Umno. Nazri had earlier told Parliament that Chia was never arrested by the ICAC. Rafizi disputed this, claiming that a lack of cooperation from Malaysia’s authorities led the Hong Kong commission to drop the case. Today, Rafizi showed seven different video clips of the Hummer parked at and travelling from Clearwater Residences, Damansara Heights, where Nedim is said to reside.
“The family doesn’t travel in the Hummer. They travel in a Toyota Vellfire, and Nedim in a sports car,” Rafizi said, adding that a green Audi was seemingly owned by the family. None of the videos appeared to show Nedim or any of his family members. Rafizi added that these videos would soon be made available on the Internet via YouTube. A report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, he said, would also be lodged next week. Take a break, Nazri told “There is already a precedent set in Shahrizat ['s case], because what is revealed in this is not too different from her. She claimed the same, that she was not involved. “From a gentleman to a gentleman… it would be right for Nazri to take a holiday temporarily while waiting for the investigation [to go through],” he said. He said that it was not right for Nazri to claim that he had nothing to do with the Hummer, and that it was only between Chia and his son.
Section 16(a) of the act states that anyone by himself or with help from another, who receives, agrees to receive, promises or offers when it comes to corruption is guilty of an offence. With this, he said that Nazri’s excuse could not be accepted. He also dared the minister, MACC and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to show proof that Chia was cleared by Hong Kong’s ICAC. This was echoed by PKR-Batu MP Tian Chua who was also present. “Show proof that Michael Chia is free from all corruption, that the ICAC has freed Michael Chia, that he was never caught in Hong Kong,” he said. Also read:    |
| Post-mortem: Inmate died of heart infection Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:15 AM PDT
The preliminary findings of the post-mortem, conducted at the Serdang Hospital, found that Kumar had died due to an infection of the heart muscle. Contacted later, Lawyers for Liberty’s G Sivamalar said Kumar did not die due to HIV as claimed by the authorities. "We don’t understand how it was claimed that he died because of HIV. But even if he did, there is no reason for the police to close the case just because of him being HIV positive… the fact that he died under their custody cannot be denied," she added. After a police report was lodged against Kajang Hospital for refusing to perform the post-mortem, the police made a fresh application to the magistrate and the second application was approved. The Kumar’s family and Lawyers for Liberty insisted that the infection could have been easily treated with antibiotics. "It was known that for three days he had complained of severe pain. As such, why was he not treated? This is tantamount to criminal medical negligence. Prison authorities should be held responsible," Sivamalar said. "This also brings to light how prisoners are treated in prisons. We want a special commission to look into the matter. Although they are prisoners, they are still humans and should be treated as such," she added. Sivamalar pointed out that even if Kumar was HIV positive, that made him more vulnerable and therefore when he complained of pains, he should have been taken to the general hospital. "If he was indeed HIV positive, prison authorities should have been more careful. Instead, the prison authorities have been reckless and careless. "As such, his death is considered as manslaughter," she said. Previously, the family and several opposition leaders accused the police, Kajang Hospital and the magistrate of colluding with the prison authorities to cover-up the case by not agreeing to a post-mortem. It was alleged that the deceased, who was serving a three-year sentence for motorcycle theft, was denied proper medical assistance and his death was only informed a day later to his family. Kumar was supposed to be released from prison next February Also read:    |
| Umaga: Shirt sponsorship key to keeping All Blacks ahead Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:10 AM PDT
The All Blacks had not had a sponsorship logo on the Adidas-branded jersey since 1999 but that ended last month when the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) signed a hefty, five-and-a-half year deal with the American International Group last month. The insurance company’s logo now features prominently on the All Blacks jersey with some supporters unhappy that one of world sport’s most recognisable shirts now carries branding for the first time since a stint with a local beer brand in the 1990s. Umaga, who played 74 tests for the All Blacks before retiring from internationals in 2005, said he understood the need for the NZRU to bring in funds and the long term benefits the deal would bring to the team that has dominated the game. “It is just the way of the world, it was always going to come it was just a matter of time so I totally understand why they do it and why it is there but that is life,” the 39-year-old told Reuters on the sidelines of the Singapore Sevens tournament. “You can’t filter things down on sentiment and what has happened in the past you have to move with the times and the times are tough, I would have liked it to just stay black but I have no qualms with what they are doing.” Despite the success on the field of the All Blacks and the five New Zealand teams competing in the Super Rugby tournament against South African and Australian opposition, all is not so financially well in the boardroom. The NZRU were under pressure to bring in funds after tapping into a dwindling cash reserve to pay their share of the loss on operating costs of hosting last year’s World Cup. The NZRU then gave out a long-term loan of NZ$500,000 to the Otago Rugby Union in May to help the body stave off liquidation. Umaga, who coached the Counties Manukau Steelers back to the first division of New Zealand club rugby last week, said investing in the future was key to maintaining the All Blacks unrivalled success. “I understand the benefits that everyone is going to reap from it, it helps us keep our youth going and that well of talent. If we didn’t do it some of our programmes that our unions run might have to dry up which could affect the future.” “The Maoris haven’t travelled in a long time because of financial constraints so that is positive as well,” he added of the indigenous team that will travel to Europe and tour for the first time in years this month. The All Blacks romped to the inaugural Rugby Championship title with a clean sweep of victories over South Africa, Australia and Argentina and head to Europe to take on Scotland, Italy, Wales and England in November and December. The AIG logo first appeared on the jersey for their final Bledisloe Cup match last month, a disjointed 18-18 draw with Australia in Brisbane that halted their 16-match winning run and which Umaga said will prove a wake-up call for the squad. -Reuters    |
| ‘False cops’ target Indonesian immigrants Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PDT
They come to the houses in Kampung Segambut Dalam and Kampung Segambut Bahagia in the wee hours of the morning and ransack the houses. Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said many Indonesian immigrants and illegal migrants who reside in the two kampungs have fallen victim to the group. Lim suspects the group to be criminals instead of policemen. At a press conference by Lim, two victims told reporters how the group works. They conduct raids in the wee hours of the morning and take the valuables in the rooms while the residents were told to wait in the living room. Indonesia immigrant Abdul Wasir Ali said the "police robbers" visited his home at 4am on Oct 24, and he was awakened by the continuous knocks on the door. He said the group of six, who were in plainclothes, said they were policemen and entered his home without his permission. He said he was not told why they raided his home and the "police personnel" also failed to produce any identity documents. His family of five was then asked to sit in a corner of living room, while the group ransacked the rooms and stole the valuables. "My wife tried to resist when she saw them taking away necklaces and cash, but one of the guys was very fierce," he recounted, adding the he suffered RM2,000 in losses. Another Indonesia immigrant Fardaus Yusman said the group identified themselves as from the narcotics department of Bukit Aman police headquarters when they approached his home on Tuesday morning.
Fardaus said he tried to keep an eye on the group when they entered his room, but was asked to move away. "One of them shouted 'can't you give co-operation to the police'," he said. He suffered RM10,000 in losses which included RM400 cash, necklaces and bracelets. Commenting on the incidents, Lim urged members of the public to scream aloud for neighbour's help if these “policemen” come to their house. He also said the public should snap photos of the ”police personnel”, since there is no law to prevent them from doing so. The DAP parliamentarian however said it would be hard to pursue the two victims' complaints as there were no clues to identify whether the robbers were real policemen or just criminals.    |
| PKR, Hindraf to map out plans for Indians Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:55 PM PDT
Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy met PKR de facto leader and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at the latter’s office in Parliament yesterday in search of a permanent solution to the various problems faced by the community. The two-hour closed door meeting was also attended by PKR vice president Tian Chua and Hindraf advisor N Ganesan. Tian Chua was upbeat over the meeting and expressed confidence that PKR would be able to resolve the woes of the Indian community. “The Indian social problem is a national problem. We are willing to find a certain time frame to resolve the problem,” he said. He added that PKR would announce the methods to resolve the issues and the time frame soon. Tian Chua, who is also Batu MP, told FMT that the PKR – Hindraf partnership was on the basis that they are “fighting partners moving in the same direction to restore human rights and dignity”. Ganesan told FMT that they had a fruitful discussion with Anwar without divulging the details. “If this works out positively there is potential for Hindraf to work with them," he said. Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy said: “We are here to find a permanent, comprehensive and practical plan to solve the problems of Indians since independence." “We are looking for a permanent solution for the 800,000 Indians who have been displaced from estates since the 1970s and 350,000 stateless Indians,” he added. He added that other issues include economic upliftment programmes for Indians, land for temples, crematoriums and deaths in custody. Waythamoorthy also stressed on education issues. “There must not be a two tier education system. It is a legacy of the colonial era. Budget for Tamil schools must come from the federal government,” he said because current allocations for Tamil schools are “peanuts”. When asked whether there were any discussion on possible seat allocations for Hindraf, all three denied. “This is not a political game. It is not power bargaining. PKR and Hindraf are interested in resolving the issues of the community We are sharing ideas that can be translated into policy for a new government,” said Tian Chua.    |
| Nissan to build new plant in Thailand Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:51 PM PDT
The new plant in Samut Prakan province will be constructed close to Nissan’s existing factory near Bangkok, which employs about 6,000 people. Nissan’s plant emerged largely unscathed from record flooding last year that dented Japanese firms operating in the country, although it temporarily stopped production due to a parts shortage Japan’s second-biggest automaker said it would initially build 75,000 vehicles at the new plant, scheduled to open in August 2014, before expanding annual output to 150,000 units, it said. Nissan made 190,00 vehicles in Thailand last year. “(It) will not only enable us to raise our competitiveness in the domestic market, but will ensure Thailand’s position as a key strategic global export hub for Nissan,” Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan’s executive vice president, said in a statement. The firm has set a goal to more than doubling its share of the Thai vehicle market to 15 percent by fiscal 2016. In common with many Japanese companies, Nissan is seeking growth in foreign markets to rebalance the ageing and shrinking consumer base at home. Nissan’s announcement comes as Japanese automakers have cut production in China owing to a sales slump stoked by tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over a group of islands in the East China Sea. The months-long flooding disaster late last year took a heavy toll on Thailand’s industrial heartland north of Bangkok, with many factories forced to close temporarily. -AFP    |
| Himpunan diteruskan walau tanpa permit Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:49 PM PDT
Beliau berkata, tidak timbul isu permit kerana tapak himpunan itu nanti akan diadakan di tanah lapang milik persendirian di Taman “Tak perlu permit. Kalau di Dataran Merdeka sebelum ni tiada permit pun boleh berjalan, inikan pula tempat persendirian,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT. Ketua Polis Daerah Seremban Asisten Komisioner Saiful Azly Kamaruddin kelmarin dilaporkan berkata, pihaknya tidak boleh mengeluarkan permit kerana penganjur gagal mengisi maklumat permohonan dengan lengkap. Sekaligus perhimpunan itu dianggap sebagai melanggar Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012 dan boleh dikenakan tindakan sewajarnya. Namun Mat Sabu berkata beliau mengharapkan kerjasama sepenuhnya daripada polis bagi memastikan program pada hari itu berjalan lancar. Beliau juga optimis himpunan itu nanti akan mendapat sambutan sekurang-kurangnya 50,000 penyokong. Ini merupakan kali ketiga lokasi berubah selepas usaha untuk menganjurkan himpunan di Majlis Perbandaran Seremban terpaksa ditukar kerana gagal mendapat kebenaran daripada pihak perbandaran dan polis. Penganjur juga pada awalnya merancang untuk mengadakan himpunan di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil namun dalam sidang media mengumumkan terpaksa ditunda atas alasan mahu memberi laluan kepada perlawanan bolasepak Piala Suzuki AFF 2012. Namun, FMT mendapati tiada sebarang perlawanan berlangsung di Bukit Jalil pada hari berkenaan, sebaliknya Piala Suzuki bermula pada 24 November depan di Stadium Rajamangala, Bangkok. Manakala Stadium Nasional hanya digunakan untuk perlawanan antara Harimau Malaya menentang Singapura pada 25 November ini. Himpunan besar-besaran bagi mengumpul kekuatan sejuta penyokong di Bukit Jalil katanya akan diteruskan pada satu tarikh yang akan ditetapkan pada tahun depan.    |
| 2009 debacle hanging over Zambry Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:48 PM PDT
The political debacle of 2009 is still hanging over Zambry and BN. A local veteran BN political leader here confessed that Perakians have not forgotten the political carnage that happened in 2009, after opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat took over five states – Perak, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor – in the 12th general election a year earlier. In a reverse takeover, BN wrested Perak from Pakatan. The 2009 Perak constitutional crisis left questions regarding the legitimacy of the Perak BN government formed in February 2009. It began when three Pakatan Rakyat state legislators defected to BN, giving the latter a whisker-thin majority. Democratically elected Pakatan MB Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin then immediately requested to dissolve the state assembly and call for new elections but the Perak Sultan called instead on BN to form a new state government. The political drama rolled out and after a series court cases, the Federal Court confirmed in 2010 that Zambry was Perak’s lawful MB. Speaking to FMT on a condition of anonymity, the veteran BN insider said political promises and freebies by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak were not enough to win-over voters and the lost support. “We visited various places and met many people before we came to this final conclusion. It is an uphill battle for BN in Perak,” he said. Perak Umno struggling He said many problems had surfaced in the state which may see Zambry ejected from his MB seat in the next general-election. “I believe Zambry has no respect even at party level because he is not a statesman,” said the veteran. To strengthen his argument, the source claimed that the Perak government was controlled by Najib, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is also Defence Minister and former Perak MB Tajol Rosli. “Zambry just follows these leaders’ instruction to run the state government. This is riling the other BN leaders, especially those who are not favoured by Ahmad Zahid and Tajol Rosli. “There are also claims of favouritism and double standard when giving allocation to divisions. “Some of the divisions which are allied to Tajol Rosli and Ahmad Zahid receive more money than other divisions. “There is also the infighting in Perak Umno over candidates. There are also other factors which will contribute to Umno’s downfall in Perak. Zambry is simply not the people’s choice of MB in Perak,” said the insider. MCA, MIC irrelevant When prodded about the status of BN’s partners, the veteran politician said MCA and MIC were no longer relevant. “Despite DAP heading into the election with internal party problems, the Chinese majority party proved itself in Perak (in the 2008 elections),” he said. He also said the spat between Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran and state DAP chairman Ngeh Khoo Ham will not affect the Chinese community’s support for the opposition in the upcoming election. As for MIC, he said the party will face a nightmare similar to that of 2008 polls. In the 2008 election, MIC lost all four of its state seats. Even then party president S Samy Vellu lost his incumbency in Sungai Siput to Party Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) candidate Dr D Michael Jeyakumarin. The only seats they won were in Tapah (held by party vice-president M Saravanan), Cameron Highlands (treasurer-general SK Devamany) and Segamat (deputy president Dr S Subramaniam). The political insider also pointed out that MIC president G Palanivel’s fears of contesting in a Perak parliamentary seat is a clear indication of the party’s position in the state. It is rumoured that Palanivel is keen on contesting in Cameron Highlands (Pahang), where the parliament seat is said to be a “safe bet” for MIC. Also read: 'Voters unfazed by Pakatan woes' [main photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zarith/]    |
| ‘Sacking of Wong, Hii an insult to Najib’ Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:28 PM PDT
Wong and Hii are ‘powerhouses’ in Sarikei and Bintagor respectively and aligned to former party deputy secretary Wong Soon Koh. Both Wong and Hii had allegedly questioned the integrity of the Peter Chin-led leadership. Soon Koh and current president Chin have been at each other’s throat for some time. The Central Working Committee (CWC) had on Oct 29 recommended that Wong and Hii be expelled for conducts seen as detrimental to party interests. The official announcement however was done yesterday. Wong, who is Second Finance Minister and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, had also been issued a showcause letter for allegedly appointing community leaders, political secretaries, councillors and other government-related appointments without consulting and referring to the party headquarters. But the CWC said that the disciplinary committee had not decided on Soon Koh’s status. In a joint statement late yesterday, Soon Koh who is Sibu chairman said that the decision by the party’s disciplinary committee to sack Wong and Hii was a direct insult to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who had promised that there would be no witch hunt. Najib had apparently told party leaders during a meeting last month that no one would be sacked whilst the party was undergoing its internal crisis. SUPP is pending a Registrar of Society (ROS) investigation following a report lodged by Soon Koh over irregularities in branch elections in the run up to the party’s presidential election last year. Soon Koh was set for presidency but was thwarted by federal minister Peter Chin who threw in his challenge at the last minute. Following the ROS report, Soon Koh and his team withheld from participating in the election and have declared it as illegal. Personal guarantee from PM Soon Koh yesterday revealed that on Oct 11, a delegation of 36 party members including Wong Kie Yong and the seven elected representatives had met Najib. “On Oct 11, 36 of us, including other branch leaders went to meet with PM Najib. “The PM personally guaranteed that no one would be sacked in SUPP as we should all focus on winning the coming general election. "Wong who was fighting to stand in Sarikei had asked Najib directly if he could continue to campaign in Sarikei. Najib did not object and gave him the guarantee that he would not be expelled." Soon Koh said in view of Najib’s guarantee and the pending ROS decision, he and his team – comprising elected representatives Lee Kim Shin (Senadin), Francis Hardin (Simanggang), Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Ranum Mina (Opar), Johnical Rayong (Engkilili), ( and Tiong Thai Kim (Lanang MP) – refused to recognise the CWC decision to sack Wong and Hii. He said his team will appeal to the Najib to intervene seeing that he had met with the groups and was aware of the situation. "Najib is a man of his word. We will appeal to him about the recent disciplinary action taken by the CWC,” Soon Koh said. Urging party members to stay calm, Soon Koh said whatever happens the focus must be on the elections which is a do or die event for SUPP. SUPP was almost wiped out in the last state elections save for four seats won by its Dayak leaders. Soon Koh and Lee also managed to win their respective seats – Bawang Assan and Senadin – the only two Chinese Sarawak BN leaders who are still politically alive. Said Soon Koh: "Do not be affected by the disciplinary action announced (by SUPP CWC). We do not recognise their authority. “We also want Chin to state his stand on the call by some party members for SUPP to pull out of the BN coalition.”    |
| ‘Report prepared with utmost impartiality’ Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:24 PM PDT
He told an audience in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) that the audit department, which used international standards of auditing, had never been influenced by hidden hands. He said the audit department had and would always check into all projects and financial undertakings of any government regardless of the ruling party. Under his leadership, he said the department had always prepared an independent and non partisan reports based on its findings, whether good or bad. "We are colour blind. We are not interested in getting involved in political competition. Our auditing process takes a long time. "We don't consider political interests, regardless of which government, when we prepare our reports. Why should we anyway?" he asked. Ambring said this when addressing questions from the media after delivering a paper on "Enhancing Accountability and Integrity In Malaysia – Are we doing enough?" Also present was USM vice-chancellor Professor Omar Osman.
He said the annual Auditor-General's Report was prepared to highlight all government businesses objectively and professionally. Perceptions Ambrin also stressed it was beyond his control if a particular government was quick to politicise the issue by claiming that the audit report had praised its fiscal performance. "It's their perception that we had praised them. They didn't consult me before giving media statements. We don't compare performances of any government," he said. He said that the annual audit report was tabled in the parliament after the budget because the government felt it needed time to prepare it after consultations with various bodies. He said the government also wanted to give enough time for parliamentary debate on the budget. "Moreover, there is no legal requirement that the audit report must tabled before the budget," said Ambrin.
He suggested that each ministry, unlike now, should also have its own accounts to enable better auditing. He said government bodies should be efficient and take economy considerations in their financial undertakings to enhance accountability and integrity in public management. Equally important, he said, was better supervision, inspection and monitoring of projects, including upkeep of government buildings and strict enforcement of laws.    |
| Bafia charges against Rafizi should stand firm Posted: 01 Nov 2012 11:23 PM PDT FMT LETTER: From Shafee & Co, via e-mail We refer to various news reports that have emerged following the remarks made in parliament by Nazri Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department that in NFC's case, "Rafizi Ramli is not a whistleblower but a trumpet blower". Under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, a bona fide and a genuine whistleblower should report anything he thinks bordering on criminality or other wrongs to the appropriate authorities first to allow for them to take action. By doing so this way, we have a situation where there is a bona fide whistleblower and the integrity of Bafia would be protected. However, if a whistleblower is allowed to just announce in public protected materials under Bafia without first resorting to the proper agencies, we would be courting chaos in our financial system. Bafia is a statutory protection provided by Bank Negara Malaysia to customers of all banks. If Bafia is allowed to be breached under the pretext of whistle blowing, the very stratum of banking collapses. Please allow us to state the facts. On March 7, 2012, Rafizi Ramli had held a news conference in which he distributed private and confidential bank documents of National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) and its group of companies, the bank accounts of the chairman and directors, and personal bank loan summaries unrelated to the business of NFCorp. All in all, Rafizi had distributed information of not one but 21 bank accounts. His motive was to allude that there were wrong doings somewhere in these accounts for purported loans taken for eight offices lots in KL Eco City. NFCorp wishes to state that at that time, no loans whatsoever were taken for the properties at KL Eco City. The purchase of these properties had nothing to do with NFCorp funds but Rafizi had chosen to fabricate a story to deceive the media and public. The roomful of journalists who were given the bank documents can attest that there is nothing unusual about these bank documents to be considered deserving of whistle blowing. In fact, the bank loan summaries which Rafizi went on to articulate in a fabricated and false analysis to the media, were loans taken by the directors in 2005 (well before NFCorp was established), and in 2008 for properties not connected to KL Eco City or NFCorp. Rafizi lied, misrepresented and distorted the bank information with his wild and wanton exaggerations. Rafizi had even defamed the chairman claiming he was not credit worthy when Rafizi showed the media the bank balance of one of the accounts. In Rafizi’s zeal to melodramatise his accusations, the bank documents that he had illegally obtained breached the provisions of Bafia. Rafizi obtained the bank documents without the permission of the account holders, the bank nor the permission of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). Rafizi had even brazenly gone on to say that he had more bank documents in his hands. As such, the Bafia charges should stand firm. The Attorney General and Bank Negara Malaysia should not be swayed by political rhetorics but to investigate Rafizi's absolute breach of Bafia. Malaysia’s well-respected banking and financial systems should not be compromised whatsoever for political dramas and sensationalism. This is not only our view but that of the chief executives of many banks as well as the chairman of the Association of Banks in Malaysia who came out in media news reports to emphasise that client confidentiality or secrecy must be upheld at all cost. Again we reiterate, Bafia is a statutory protection provided by Bank Negara Malaysia to customers of all banks. If Bafia is allowed to be breached under the pretext of whistle blowing, the very stratum of banking collapses.    |
| Posted: 01 Nov 2012 10:40 PM PDT Some time back, a heap of general misinformation sparked fears that artificial sweeteners had the potential to cause cancer or weight gain.
This set the stage for a more 'natural' substitute that is fast becoming a firm favourite of many – Stevia. Unlike other sweeteners that were formulated in a laboratory, Stevia is derived from the sweetleaf plant and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. So a little goes a long way. According to Mansfield’s World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops, the Native Americans of Paraguay used Stevia to sweeten yerba mate tea and treat diabetes. It was also thought to prevent pregnancy although a 2011 study found little scientific evidence to support such a claim. Moreover the European Food Safety Authority and the World Health Organisation have both found no evidence whatsoever that Stevia interferes with male or female reproductive system development and function. Now the 'sweeter' news is that apart from sweetening our drinks, Stevia offers several health benefits too.
Big in Japan, now in Malaysia
Stevia is inexpensive and can be found in most local pharmacies in powdered form. 'Ever Sweet' and 'Nature Sweet' are two brands that both claim on their packaging that there is no Aspartame, Saccharin or Sucralose in their Stevia powder. Depending on your taste buds, sometimes just half a sachet is sufficient to sweeten your coffee or tea. If you want the 'real thing', you could even purchase your very own Stevia plant and pluck a leaf or two to brew in your favourite hot drink – works just as well and at least you actually know where that leaf came from. Don't use too many leaves though as it can taste slightly bitter. LINKS http://www.mohrresults.com/dr-chris-mohr-weight-loss/stevia-hype-or-hope/    |
| The politician, his son and the crony Posted: 01 Nov 2012 10:06 PM PDT
Only the naรฏve would think their acts charitable. Cronies do it for personal gain: tenders for contracts, to avoid the law, a means to fleece the public through subsidies or when government projects are 'outsourced" like the AES (Automated Enforcement System) aka "speed traps". Plum jobs and multi-million dollar government contracts are reserved for the offspring of Umno politicians, their cronies and pro-Umno civil servants. The rakyat have heard of a few of the children of ministers who are allegedly involved in cronyism and corruption, but there are many more ministerial children of whom we have heard nothing, yet. Whose son was allegedly awarded the RM128.4 million air traffic control system contract, through a "closed tender" process? This air traffic control system was allegedly faulty and risked the lives of millions of airline users. Whose children are allegedly hiding in New York, at least until the furore of the scandal they are involved in, dies down? Were Muslims aware that this Hari Raya Haji 3,000 cattle had to be imported from Thailand for sacrificial slaughter? The irony is that farmers' needs have been sacrificed for the vanity project of an incompetent family. This money should have filtered down to the farmers, to help them earn a living, to help the economy and the cattle industry. Whose sons are indirectly involved in the latest launch of the airline, Malindo Airways? An online newpaper alleged that one of the companies investing in Malindo, had poor financial and safety records, and that its accounts had not been audited since 2007. Which daughter of a former top civil servant owns a major interest in alternative energy projects in Malaysia? Her companies were allegedly set up recently and despite the lack of experience, still managed to secure a controlling interest in the alternative power generation needs. The list is endless. Children of past and present politicians and also VVIPs, monopolise the multi-million ringgit projects, providing much needed goods and services, which you and your children have no alternative but to use. You also pay through the nose, for them. When quizzed by reporters about the involvement of their spouses, children or friends, these politicians brush prying questions aside with: a) My husband does not tell me what he gets up to. b) What my wife does is private. c) I don't know what my son (or daughter) is doing. d) My businessman friend wanted to surprise me with the contents of his briefcase. No conflict of interest Yesterday, Nazri ignored criticism of his son's relationship with Michael Chia, the businessman who is embroiled in the RM40 million money laundering saga. Despite assertions that this money was destined for Sabah Umno, the members of Sabah Umno claim to have no knowledge of this donation. Nazri also said that his reputation as a Cabinet Minister had not been compromised and he could see no conflict of interest in his or his son's friendship with Chia. An online newspaper reported that Nazri had said: "I don't sleep with my son. I am not gay (homosexual). My son is not my wife, my son is not my lover. What he does, he doesn't tell me. "That is between my son and Michael Chia. If he (Chia) wants to give [Nedim] a Hummer or a Ferarri, it is Michael Chia's business… its not like he (Chia) is giving it to me… and I am the minister, not my son." "What has he committed, tell me? He is not a minister. Where is the conflict of interest? He is my son". Cynics claim that the parliamentary ministerial code, which details the conduct expected of Malaysian MPs, can't have been shown to Umno politicians like Nazri. Despite being accused by the PKR strategy director, Rafizi Ramli, of having a conflict of interest, Nazri mocked reporters, "But I am still minister today, my friend. This is not going to hurt me one bit. I don't think I am going to be affected by gutter politics". Last week, in Penang, a man was arrested for impersonating a member of the Kedah royal family. He and 12 others in his group, will be charged under Section 420 and 419 of the Penal Code, for cheating and dishonesty, and under Section 108 of the Road Transport Act 1987, for making false statements. A few months ago, Nedim Nazri claimed to be a member of royalty, when a security guard at a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur denied entry to Nedim and his bodyguard. The guard was assaulted for doing his job, but last week the case was closed. Who knows, the CCTV which recorded the attack on the security guard was probably pointing the wrong way, or was accidentally wiped clean? Did threats or rewards work this time? What happened to the charge for impersonating royalty? In Malaysia, the person who is worse than the Umno crony is possibly the Umno politician's son. He acts without restraint. He is free to do as he pleases. He is no better than a thug and he does not value your safety, nor your life. Nedim we know, has a chequered past. In politics, the cocky politician who lacks humility, who belittles conflict of interest and who has two sets of laws, may well find his days numbered. Nazri may mock the public now, but he may regret his actions later. If these men were to read about politics in the modern world, they would learn that sons follow their fathers' fates, when the latter are toppled; men like Saddam, Gaddafi and Mubarak. Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.    |
| NGOs reject toxic waste facility in Sarawak Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:47 PM PDT
Said Save Rivers chairman Peter Kallang: “The public has been misled in the beginning about the plans of SCORE. The name itself is deceiving because the industries proposed for SCORE are not renewable energy." Kallang was reacting to a proposal by Tokuyama Ltd to site in Sarawak a plant to produce polycrystalline silicon where toxic waste is a by-product. "Save Rivers is against the proposal by Tokuyama to have a scheduled waste treatment facility in the state. "SAVE Rivers fears the impact of such polluting industries in our state, including the treatment and disposal of toxic waste. "These industries are the reason why 12 mega-dams are planned for Sarawak which would displace thousands of indigenous people," Kallang said. He pointed out that the mega-dams are built to power these industries and not to provide cheap electricity to the people who need it the most. "The rural communities are not the only people to be negatively affected by SCORE. People living in Bintulu and other neighbouring towns will be affected by the expansion of Samalaju Industrial Park to include new polluting industries. "Serious health concerns such as breathing difficulties, coughing, headaches, skin rashes/sores, dizziness, asthma have been reported by the communities of Balingian, Mukah where an aluminium smelter plant has been operating since early 2009. "Nearby rivers have been polluted, and the residents of Balingian have to resort to buying bottled water because rainwater has been affected by the toxic smog produced by the aluminum smelter plant. "This would be a reality for the people in Bintulu and other places in Sarawak where such polluting industries would be located. "Currently, Mukah faces negative environment impact from dual polluting industries of aluminium smelter and coal fuel powered plant. "Since the commencement of SCORE, there has been no public transparency about its secretive plans such as its intentions on how to treat and dispose huge amounts of toxic waste," he said.    |
| Ketua Pemuda Umno Kedah nak jatuhkan bekas bos? Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:35 PM PDT
Setiausaha Politik Menteri Besar Kedah, Muhamad Sanusi Muhd Nor berkata, Ketua Pemuda Umno berbuat demikian kerana beliau sedang mengintai kerusi untuk bertanding. “Dia sedang berkira-kira menggulingkan Adun Pedu, bekas bosnya. Bagaimana? Menyerang PNG bermakna membuka ruang supaya kes- kes lama bosnya dibongkar seluas mungkin. “Setakat ini sudah empat kes projek sakit didedahkan. Kes 99 East Langkawi, kes Dewan Mentaloon dan kes Udang Kerpan berlaku di zaman Adun Pedu menjadi Menteri Besar,” dakwa Muhamad Sanusi. Kerusi DUN Kuala Nerang tidak selamat kerana Datuk Syed Sobri Syed Hashim sudah menunggu, dakwa Muhamad Sanusi. Muhamad Sanusi juga mendakwa, ada kes lain membabitkan Kedah Corporation Berhad (KCB) sewaktu Mahadzir menjadi Menteri Besar yang belum didedahkan. `Nak alih isu’ “Badrul Hisham patut tahu hal ini. Semua staf KCB mengetahuinya. Dalam projek Trans Eastern Kedah Interland Highway (TEKIH) dari Durian Burung ke Baling, terdapat beberapa jajaran jalan baru yang menempuh kawasan hutan balak. “Nilainya berjuta juga. Semua kawasan itu diserahkan oleh MB kepada KCB. Tajul Urus (Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain) dan menantunya yang bertugas di KCB menguruskannya. KCB tidak menerima sebarang hasil dari pada kawasan balak itu,” katanya lagi. Badrul Hisyam ketika dihubungi hari ini tetap menegaskan Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak perlu mengaku dan bertanggungjawab terhadap kerugian KCB. Katanya, Azizan juga perlu meminta maaf kepada rakyat Kedah terhadap kesilapan pelaburan itu. Badrul Hisham menganggap kenyataan Muhamad Sanusi yang beliau mahu mendedahkan keburukan Mahadzir sebagai usaha untuk mengalihkan isu kerugian KCB. Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2011 baru-baru ini mendedahkan tentang pelaburan projek balak di PNG yang merugikan membabitkan syarikat berkenaan meminjam RM135 juta daripada bank, manakala projek penyelenggaraan perumahan awam kos rendah dilaporkan mengeluarkan kontrak dan membuat pembayaran yang meragukan.    |
| Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:26 PM PDT
"Even without hudud, we find non-Muslims being affected by the existing Islamic laws in the country especially when it involves married couples, when one decides to convert to Islam unilaterally," said Hindu Sangam president RS Mogan Shan. He was referring to the case of S Shamala and M Indra in 2009, where their spouses converted to Islam without informing the family, creating a long custody battle in the courts. Last week, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom said that hudud would not affect non-Muslims should it be implemented in Malaysia. "The Syariah Court only has jurisdiction on Muslims as stipulated under the Federal Constitution," he was reported as saying. Although he respects Islam’s position as the official religion of Malaysia, Mogan said he does not agree with hudud being implemented as Malaysia is a secular state. He also said it was better for the government to stick to civil law, adding that it was sufficient to dispense justice equally to Muslims and non-Muslims. "We are living in the same country. Anything you do to Muslims or the non-Muslims will affect everyone in Malaysia," he added. He also said that Hindu Sangam is handling nearly 1,000 cases involving overlapping jurisdiction between Syariah courts and civil courts. "When we go to the civil courts, they say they have no jurisdiction on Syariah matters. Even when we decide to go to the Syariah court, they could not hear our case because we are non-Muslims. "Even Syariah lawyers refuse to take our case because we’re not Muslims. So where are the non-Muslims to go?" he asked, adding that politicians were using the Hudud issue to gain mileage. Dual criminal justice system Malaysian Gurdwara Council president Jagis Singh echoed Mogan’s sentiments, saying under Islamic laws, non-Muslims are not given equal rights. "Under Islamic law, non-Muslims are only known as protectorates. In the event of a crime, a non-Muslims’ testimony has little value. Even a Muslim woman’s testimony carries lesser weight than a Muslim man’s statement," he said. He also said that implementation of hudud would be unconstitutional as the highest law of the land guaranteed Malaysians equality before the law. "Like other non-Muslims in the country, the Sikhs are apprehensive about the implementation of hudud. "It won’t be suitable for a multi-cultural country like Malaysia," said Jagir, who is also the deputy president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara vice-president Premasilaka KD Serisena said that it was ridiculous that politicians were considering to implement hudud on top of the existing legal system. "Let’s look at it from a common sense perspective. Hudud is a criminal justice system and with its implementation, you are creating a dual criminal justice system. "My question here is, what if a non-Muslim rapes a Muslim? Or Muslim commits a crime against a non-Muslim? Which system are you going to use? It’s ridiculous," he said. He added that it was simplistic for anyone to assume that a criminal would only commit crimes against a person of his own religion. Premasilaka also took Jamil to task, saying non-Muslims were already affected by several provisions made by the Islamic religious authorities. "Non-Muslims are barred from using the word Allah in Selangor. But the state anthem has the word Allah in it. What do we do then? Keep mum when the word comes?" he asked. Training his guns against politicians, Premasilaka said that political leaders had lost touch on the real issues plaguing the people by playing up the hudud issue. "People are more worried about escalating cost of living and other pressing matters. As for the legal system, as long as justice is dispensed fairly, no one will complain about it," he said. Also read: Bilangan masyarakat Cina terima hudud meningkat ‘Hudud tiada kesan kepada bukan Islam' Pakatan divided on secular state issue    |
| Samajaya Free Zone heading downhill? Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:23 PM PDT
Sanmina-SCI Corporation in Kuching’s Samajaya Free Zone recently announced that it would retrench 800 workers. Sanmina, according to Sarawak DAP, is among a number of companies that had changed hands or folded up in the 17 years that the free zone existed. Recalling other cases that had cost the government, party treasurer Violet Yong said First Silicon which has now been changed to X-FAB Sarawak Sdn Bhd had caused the state government to lose some RM3 billion. “Then there was Komag, which has changed hands twice to Western Digital and to Hitachi. "Now Sanmina is closing down with the retrenchment of 800 employees. These are the signs that the electronic projects in Samajaya are a total failure. “All these electronic companies are supposed to boost up Sarawak's economy and to give employment to the local people. But what has happened now? Hundreds of them are being retrenched and billions of ringgit have been spent,” said Yong. Yong alleged that the construction of the facilities and infrastructure in Samajaya 17 years ago only enriched the crony companies of the state BN government. She claimed there had been no proper planning at the time. “The government wanted foreign companies to invest, but what was the government’s role in those companies. "There was no transparency, and at the end of the day Samajaya (‘together we succeed’ in BM) has now become a 'samarugi' zone (together we lose)," said, Yong who is also Pending assemblywoman. Yong said the issue here is that the billions of ringgit had been pumped into the project and that it was money belonging to the people. It is understood that Sanmina is closing down here and is moving its machinery to China. The DAP leader also warned the state government that the dam projects espoused by the state government might also suffer a similar fate faced by Samajaya. Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) had to borrow RM15 billion to build 12 more dams in Sarawak, which are expected to generate some 7,000MW of electricity for use by smelting plants. "What would happen if these smelting companies pull out? I am dreading to think of the consequences," she said. ‘Treated like terrorists’ Meanwhile, James Jalai, a supervisor with Sanmina for the last 17 years, called on the state government to intervene as the compensations given by the company are not fair. "We want fair compensations. We carried out a retrenchment exercise in 2009 and at least we now should get the same quantum. “The offer now leaves some of us who have been working for five years with compensations of between RM200 and RM300. "How could we survive? We are not sure whether there will be food on the table next day for us and our families," Jalai said. He said that signs of 'bad things' coming to them were detected a couple of weeks ago and they did inform the state government about it. It appeared that the state government did not take them seriously. "We knew that something was wrong when the company removed internal security guards and replaced them with 50 outside security personnel who were armed with two German shepherds and shot guns. "Then starting on Oct 26, the company started to issue terminating letters to us effective end of October. "The company should have discussed with us first before taking the drastic action. We are shocked and the way they treated us as if we are terrorists. "Even though the company treated us as such we still have enough patience. We gather in front of Sanmina peacefully together with placards and banners so that government will have pity on us," he said.    |
| With a third title Red Bull set to join F1 greats Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:11 PM PDT
The champions, who have Sebastian Vettel also heading for a third drivers’ title in a row, are 91 points clear of Ferrari and 101 ahead of McLaren with two races and 86 points to be won after Yas Marina. There are many permutations but, after winning the last four races, Red Bull are poised to join Ferrari, McLaren and Williams as only the fourth team to chalk up three constructors’ championships in a row. “If we achieve a triple championship, it’s something that would be far and away above our biggest achievement,” Horner told reporters. “There’s very few teams that have won three constructors’ in succession and if we manage to achieve that across different regulations, across different tyre suppliers, it would be a remarkable achievement.” Vettel, 16 points clear of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, cannot wrap up the drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi but he can take a big stride towards it. History is on his side, with Vettel having won the last four races in a row. No driver has ever done that in a single season and not won the title, something Horner was reminded of on Thursday. “Let’s hope we don’t change history,” he smiled. This year has been more close-fought than 2011, when Red Bull arrived in Abu Dhabi with both titles won, but less so than 2010 when Vettel snatched his first crown from under Alonso’s nose right at the finish in what was then the season-ender. “As a team, we have worked better than ever,” said Horner, who said Red Bull would do nothing different this weekend. What clearly has changed is the role to be played by Australian Mark Webber, who is now 73 points behind his team mate and could well be mathematically out of the title chase by Sunday night. Horner said at the last race in India that the team would not invoke so-called ‘team orders’ but he subtly changed his tone on Thursday. “Mark is a strong competitor and he’s a big team player, I’m quite convinced that he will want to see the team achieve its best possible results,” he said. “I’m sure, as a team player, if required, he would do everything to support the team. “Mathematically now it’s very difficult for him to win the championship and he’s a smart guy…I’ve got every confidence that he will be doing his best to help the team achieve its objectives,” added Horner. Vettel confessed he had not realised until after he had left the Indian Grand Prix circuit after his victory last Sunday just how close the team were to winning the constructors’ crown. Webber, in his straight-talking Aussie fashion, had enlightened him. “I didn’t know until Mark told me on the way back from India, we just spoke very shortly about the constructors because we were both on the same plane and Mark said ‘It would be quite bad for the constructors’ if this plane went down.’ “So yeah. Obviously it would be very special for us to win the championship here but in order to do so we have to have a strong weekend and score more points than the others.” The “Red Bull champions 2012″ T-shirts are sure to be ready for the chequered flag even if Horner denied – just as he did last year and the year before – that anything had been pre-prepared. -Reuters    |
| ‘Voters unfazed by Pakatan woes’ Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:10 PM PDT
Speaking to FMT, he said he based his confidence on impressions he had gained from the ground in his travels around the country. “The winds of change are blowing, most profoundly in Sabah and Sarawak," he said. "Pakatan also senses this in other hardline BN states such as Johor and Pahang. If these states are moving away from BN, we can expect at least a similar movement in such borderline states as Malacca and Negri Sembilan.” He conceded that all three Pakatan parties—PAS, DAP and PKR—were currently troubled by infighting and that there were differences between the parties themselves, but he said these were not serious enough to sidetrack them from the march to Putrajaya and less significant than the electorate's determination to be rid of Barisan Nasional. "People have just had enough of BN," he said. "They want a change, period.” Lately, BN-friendly news organisations have become more energetic in playing up reports that put Pakatan in a negative light. These include speculation about the health of the Kedah and Kelantan menteri besar, an alleged friction between the Penang Chief Minister and one of his deputies, and an alleged splitting of ways between Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali. Hu said the truth or falsehood of these allegations had little bearing on the public's impression that a Pakatan government would be a better choice than BN. "The so-called silent majority are whispering to Pakatan leaders that they want a change in Putrajaya," he said. He also said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s decision to put off calling for the 13th general election was working to Pakatan's advantage. The delay was allowing Pakatan to reach out to more people, he said, adding that attendances at Pakatan public functions were becoming bigger by the day. PAS vice-president Sallehuddin Ayub was more cautious in his assessment of Pakatan's chances. He said it was "a bit too early" to predict victory, but agreed with Hu that signs from the ground indicated a mood for change. "There are growing signs that victory is attainable," he said.    |
| Bilangan masyarakat Cina terima hudud meningkat Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:06 PM PDT
Pusat Kajian Demokrasi dan Pilihan Raya Universiti Malaya (UMCEDEL) mendapati penerimaan pelaksanaan hukum hudud dalam kalangan masyarakat Cina meningkat sebanyak 12 peratus. Kajian persepsi pertama ini dijalankan tahun lepas melibatkan 683 responden Melayu dan 245 responden Cina dan kajian kedua melibatkan 1,041 responden Melayu dan 385 responden Cina. Dari sudut pecahan umur, responden Cina yang berumur 31 hingga 50 tahun yakin pelaksanaan hukuman hudud akan menjanjikan keadilan kepada semua. Sejumlah 49% responden Cina yang berumur 31 hingga 40 tahun dan 55% yang berumur 41 hingga 50 tahun yakin dengan elemen keadilan di dalam sistem hudud. Masyarakat Cina yang tinggal di kawasan kampung dan luar bandar juga lebih cenderung menyokong pelaksanaan hukuman hudud. Sejumlah 59% responden Cina yang menetap di kawasan kampung dan kampung baru menyokong pelaksanaan hudud. Di kalangan pengundi Cina pula, hanya pengundi kali pertama tidak yakin dengan konsep keadilan di dalam hudud. Pengundi kali kedua paling yakin dengan hudud berikutan keyakinan 49% pengundi tersebut. Kajian ini juga mendapati bahawa responden Cina yang berusia 31 – 40 tahun (59%) sangat yakin bahawa hudud boleh menghalang dari berleluasanya kejadian jenayah. Trend sama boleh dilihat di kawasan luar bandar di mana 60% responden Cina menyatakan sokongan mereka. Di kalangan masyarakat Melayu pula secara umumnya menyokong hudud. Kajian ini turut mendapati 44% responden Melayu dalam kumpulan umur 41 hingga 50 tahun merasakan hudud ialah kempen politik PAS untuk meraih undi di dalam pilihan raya umum. Meskipun penerimaan masyarakat Cina terhadap hudud meningkat mereka juga merasakan bahawa ia boleh menggugat kesepakatan parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat.    |
| Anwar: Najib takut Syed Mokhtar Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:02 PM PDT
“Semua kehendak Syed Mokhtar dipenuhi. Saya tanya Datuk Najib, Menteri Kewangan, sebab mengapa takut sangat orang bernama Syed Mokhtar, sampai dia minta apa pun kamu bagi. “Pos, kereta, pelabuhan, IPP, beras, gula dan semua…kalau gula diambil turun harga tak apa. Dia ambil gula harga naik empat kali. “Dia tak jawab, yang dia jawab kita anti Melayu,” kata Anwar, Ketua Umum PKR dalam satu ceramah di ibu negara baru-baru ini. Anwar juga mendakwa kekayaan negara dibolot oleh 10 syarikat, elektrik dibolot tiga empat tauke besar. Mereka untung bilion ringgit tetapi kadar eletrik naik, tanya Anwar lagi. Anwar juga meramalkan pilihan raya umum ke 13 dalam tempoh yang singkat tetapi menegaskan rakyat mahukan perubahan.    |
| Fuel scarce, East Coast struggles to recover Posted: 01 Nov 2012 09:02 PM PDT
New York subway trains crawled back to limited service after being shut down since Sunday, but the lower half of Manhattan still lacked power and surrounding areas such as Staten Island, the New Jersey shore and the city of Hoboken remained crippled from a record storm surge and flooding. At least 95 people died in the “superstorm” that ravaged the Northeastern United States on Monday. Officials said the number could rise as rescuers searched house-by-house in coastal towns. “I worked all my life, and everything I had is right there,” said Bob Stewart, 59, standing on the Jersey Shore beach in the town of Seaside Heights and looking at the pile of debris that was once his home. “I put my life right there.” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said yesterday that nearly a 1,000 people had been rescued by authorities. In blackened New York City neighborhoods, some residents complained there was a lack of police and feared an increase in crime. Some were also concerned about traffic safety. New York police officials were not immediately available to comment. “People feel safe during the day but as soon as the sun sets, people are extremely scared. The fact that Guardian Angels are on the streets trying to restore law just shows how out of control the situation is in lower Manhattan,” said Wolfgang Ban, owner of Edi & The Wolf restaurant in Manhattan’s Alphabet City neighborhood. The Guardian Angels are a group of anti-crime volunteers. More than 15 people in the borough of Queens were charged with looting, and a man was charged on Thursday with threatening another driver with a gun after he tried to cut in on a line of cars waiting for gas, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. The financial cost of the storm promised to be staggering. Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated Sandy caused up to $20 billion in insured losses and US$50 billion in economic losses, double its previous forecast. At the high end of the range, Sandy would rank as the fourth costliest US catastrophe ever, according to the Insurance Information Institute, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the September 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Power cut, gas shortage The presidential campaign was back in full swing yesterday after being on hold for several days because of the storm. President Barack Obama, locked in a tight race with Republican challenger Mitt Romney head of next Tuesday’s election, appeared to gain politically from his disaster relief performance. Christie, a vocal Romney supporter, praised Obama, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent, endorsed Obama on Thursday. In New York, UN headquarters suffered severe damage and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered recovery help to the United States and Caribbean nations affected by the storm. The hunt for gasoline added to a climate of uncertainty as Sandy’s death toll and price tag rose. “I’m so stressed out,” said Jessica Bajno, 29, a teacher from Elmont, Long Island, who was waiting in line for gas. “I’ve been driving around to nearby towns all morning, and being careful about not running out of gas in the process. Everything is closed. I’m feeling anxious.” Some residents may lack electricity for weeks. New York utility Consolidated Edison restored power to 250,000 customers, with 650,000 others still in the dark. The vast majority will be restored by the weekend of November 10-11, but “the remaining customer restorations could take an additional week or more,” the company said. Advertising creative director Chris Swift, 37, lost power in his apartment in Manhattan’s Chelsea district on Monday and by yesterday he was so fed up he got on a bus to Boston. “I tried 20 (New York City) hotels on foot as couldn’t call them with no battery left on my phone, but they were all booked. I tried to get to (friends in) Brooklyn but cabs would not take me as they we’re running out gas,” he said. About 4.6 million homes and businesses in 15 US states were without power yesterday, down from a record high of nearly 8.5 million. More deaths were recorded overnight in the New York borough of Staten Island, where authorities recovered 17 bodies after the storm lifted whole houses off their foundations. Among the dead were two boys, aged 4 and 2, who were swept from their mother’s arms by the floodwaters, police said. In all, 39 people died in New York City, officials said. “It was like living through Titanic but on ground,” said Krystina Berrios, 25, of Staten Island, looking at her bedroom caked in mud, furniture upended. “You would never think in a million years having to live through something like this.” Jersey shore floored Sandy started as a late-season hurricane in the Caribbean, where it killed 69 people, before smashing ashore in the United States with 130-kph winds. It stretched from the Carolinas to Connecticut and was the largest storm by area to hit the United States in decades. In New Jersey, where entire neighborhoods in oceanside towns were swallowed by seawater and the Atlantic City boardwalk was destroyed, the death toll rose to 13. Floodwaters receded from the streets of Hoboken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, leaving behind a smelly mess of submerged basements and cars littering the sidewalks. “The water was rushing in. It was like a river coming,” said Benedicte Lenoble, a photo researcher from Hoboken. “Now it’s a mess everywhere. There’s no power. The stores aren’t open. Recovery? I don’t know.” New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi will headline a benefit concert for storm victims Friday on NBC television, the network announced. The Federal Emergency Management Agency agreed to cover 100 percent of emergency power and public transportation costs through November 9 for affected areas of New York and New Jersey, up from the traditional share of 75 percent. More than 36,000 disaster survivors from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have applied for federal disaster assistance and more than US$3.4 million in direct assistance has already been approved, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. The Pentagon was airlifting power restoration experts and trucks from California to New York to assist millions of people still living in darkness. Fuel supplies into New York and New Jersey were hit by idled refineries, a closed New York Harbor, damages to import terminals, and a closed oil pipeline. The scarcity of fuel, electricity and supplies made cleanup more daunting for barrier towns. Seaside Heights residents who obeyed the mandatory evacuation order were cut off from their homes. The entire community was submerged by the storm surge, which washed over the island and into the bay that separates it from the mainland. Chris Delman, 30, saw a photograph of his house in a local newspaper on Wednesday. It was still standing. “We ain’t living in Seaside no more, that’s obvious,” Delman said. “I just want to know what I have left.” - Reuters    |
| ‘Blind’ Marajin fires back at ‘all seeing’ BN MP Posted: 01 Nov 2012 08:58 PM PDT
Speaking a day after Rahman hit out at him for negatively assessing his performance, Marajin reiterated that the MP had not done much in his constituency. “He does not care about the padi fields in Mukim Kelawat but he keeps on telling people the district is Sabah’s “rice bowl” or “jelapang padi”. “He didn’t even answer my contention that there are hundreds of acres of padi fields in Kelawat which are neglected as they are dependent on rain. His Umno-led Barisan Nasional has not provided proper irrigation for the area. “What they are doing with public money is pumping it into the existing irrigation system inherited from British time like the Wokok Dam or in the Tempasuk plains. “They aren’t doing it in adjacent Kelawat, simply because they do not want to do it. Maybe the British would have done it if they were still here now,” he said in response to Rahman’s retort to his earlier criticism. On Rahman’s contention that the BN government could not do anything much about building roads in the district because landowners refused to give way, Marajin a practising lawyer, said that it showed that the MP was ignorant of duty as well as of the law. He said it was unbelievable that an MP would put forward a lame excuse such as this not to proceed with development projects. “Hasn’t he ever heard of the Land Acquisition Ordinance for public purpose? Landowners are adequately compensated under the law (for the acquisition of their lands). “Since he would like to talk on national issues more, why did he not talk about having a six-lane highway from Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud just like the highways in Malaya,” said Marajin who is also a supreme council member of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP). He said discriminating against Sabahans on economic development and depriving them of the state’s rich natural resources despite taxing them in order to develop Malaya, was a tragedy and a worthy national issue for the MP to bring up in parliament. “When the entire population of Kota Belud cannot see the development Rahman is talking about, then they must also be blind, like me. “It is amazing… it appears only Rahman can see,” said Marajin taking a poke at the MP’s taunt that he was unable to “see” the development he (Rahman) had brought to his constituency. Rahman, who is also Sabah BN secretary, also accused Marajin of making accusations without going to the constituency to see for himself infrastructure the BN government had put in place there. "The federal government has easily allocated RM120 million, and [the development] is there. If he cannot see what has been done, he has to see an optometrist, he better check his eyes," he had told FMT. Rahman said that since the approval of the allocations, various agricultural methods including tunnelling and irrigation measures had been carried out. The back and forth between the two politicians comes as Marajin, who is active in Kota Belud, both as a politician, lawyer and also a church leader, has built up his base in the constituency. He is being touted as SAPP’s candidate for Kadamaian state constituency which is one of the three state seats under Kota Belud parliamentary seat. The other two are Tempasuk and Usukan, all currently held by BN but under stiff challenges by the increasingly opposition-leaning electorates in the areas.    |
| Forest reserve fiasco: PKR files police report Posted: 01 Nov 2012 08:58 PM PDT
The report was lodged by PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli yesterday. Speaking to reporters later, he said the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve, located near the Bahau town in Jempol, was classified as a Permanent Forest Reserve since Aug 30, 1918. "The status was revoked by the state government through Gazette Plan No 1933, dated March 11, 2004 in order to permit logging activities at the site of 487.3 hectares (around 1,000 acres). "The revocation is against Section 18 (1) of the Town and Village Planning Act which states that nobody can use a land or building unless permitted under the Local Planning," he said. "The 2002-2015 Jempol District Local Planning states that the Jeram Padang Forest Reserve is categorised as a Level 1 Environmental Sensitive Area which must be fully conserved. "I urge the police to investigate all the officials involved in revoking the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve status to make sure there is no element of abuse of power," he added. Rafizi also disputed Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan’s statement that the Jeram Padang Selatan Forest Reserve still belonged to the state government under Yayasan Negeri Sembilan. "It's like a smokescreen. Yes the name of the company that is doing the logging is like a joint venture company with the name Yayasan Negeri Sembilan and followed by another name. "But when I checked the documents, the company actually belongs to certain individuals. I will reveal more in stages," he promised. Rafizi said he would reveal more evidence particularly documents later today.    |
| The elephant who ‘speaks’ Korean Posted: 01 Nov 2012 08:56 PM PDT
It is unclear why Koshik started mimicking human speech but cognitive biologists Angela Stoeger and Tecumseh Fitch suggest in research published in the journal Current Biology that it might be related to his experiences as a juvenile. Koshik was the only elephant living at the Everland Zoo in South Korea for about five years in his youth, with only people for company during an important phase for bonding and development. “We suggest that Koshik started to adapt his vocalizations to his human companions to strengthen his social affiliation with them, something that is also seen in other vocal-learning species and in very special cases, even across species,” said Stoeger.
Koshik made headlines a few years ago by attracting tourists with his unusual ability, but the researchers have now run tests where they asked native Korean speakers to write down what they heard when listening to recordings of the elephant. They found that by sticking his trunk in his mouth to help form the sounds, he has a vocabulary of the five Korean words for ‘hello’, ‘sit down’, ‘no’, ‘lie down’ and ‘good’. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that Koshik understands the meaning of the words he is using.—Reuters    |
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