Four times of Tear Gas Shells than that were used at Bersih 2.0

Bersih 3.0 Rally was a Peaceful Assembly by participants who only "armed" themselves with salts and water. But it was regretful that the big volumes of weapons that were prepared would mean that BN government was prepared for something. It was a lot of money spent by the police which was absolutely a waste of public funds. But until today the government and the police still denied about police brutality. Nevertheless, the news was known worldwide. Even United Nations has warned the Malaysian authorities.
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967 tear gas canisters, grenades fired at Bersih protestors

By Shannon Teoh

June 11, 2012

File photo of police firing tear gas to disperse the protestors at the April 28 Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — A total of 909 tear gas canisters and 58 tear gas grenades were used to disperse the tens of thousands who gathered for the April 28 Bersih rally here which has resulted in repeated allegations of police brutality.

The Home Ministry also said in its reply to a parliamentary question by Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan that the government spent RM1.8 million to police the rally for free and fair elections.

The number of tear gas shells fired was nearly four times the 262 used in the previous Bersih rally on July 9, 2011 which resulted in international condemnation for Putrajaya’s clampdown on the electoral reform movement.

But the ministry insisted in a reply to a separate question by the DAP lawmaker that “police acted according to standard operating procedures (SOP) to prevent the situation from becoming more violent and threatening public safety.”

“Police had to act swiftly to ensure the situation was under control,” it said, despite violent clashes between police and protestors lasting for over four hours.

The government has set up a panel to investigate the April 28 violence, but the choice of former national police chief Tun Hanif Omar has been widely criticised after he compared the movement to communism and accused the organisers of an attempted coup.

The rally that saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations in the capital city before heading to the historic Dataran Merdeka was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asked the crowd to disperse.

But her announcement was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted to linger around the historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the weekend.

Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.

Police then continued to pursue rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw violence from both sides over the next four hours.

Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to back their claim but police also point to violence from rally-goers who attacked a police car.

The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/967-tear-gas-canisters-grenades-fired-at-bersih-protestors/

退休军人使大马蒙羞，警方至今没对付

只要是为国阵服务的，可以大胆去做。看看“前锋报 Utusan Malaysia”和“土权 Perkasa”，你有没有听过他们受到对付？如此，它给马来西亚人一个负面信息，皇家警察是为执政党而不是为人民服务的。

Schoolboy antics over PTPTN

Muhyiddin Yassin and Khaled Nordin are not fit to serve in Education Ministries. Instead, they need to be educated! Can you imagine if Barisan Nasional were to be given another mandate, the country will go down the drain as our education system kept declining in the global competition! I always reflect on why BN kept on making mistakes one after another since 308 General Elections. I saw that God’s Hand was and will be at work. God has given them a spirit of confusion – their people didn’t even know what they were doing!

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June 09, 2012

JUNE 9 —  Are schoolboys in charge of education in Malaysia? It sure seems that way when Putrajaya's education czars decide to sulk and pull back scholarships for those studying in Selangor's Universiti Selangor (Unisel) this past week.

Only to flip flop, be wishy-washy, do a volte-face and overturn that emotional decision a day later. Is that how a government runs things? Aren't these ministers — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin — an embarrassment to Datuk Seri Najib Razak?

They can't even be gracious and admit their mistake. Take Khaled's statement that Unisel's appeal for National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans to be restored showed that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) could not deliver its promise of free education.

Is that how a Barisan Nasional (BN) minister behaves? Use state facilities to prove a point? And let students seeking a better future be at his whim and fancy?

Does he think these students will think highly of him? Or be "grateful" to the federal government? If anything, Khaled has pushed Selangor to prove it can fund these students with RM30 million from the sale of UniSel land. And if Selangor can do it, why the need for PTPTN? Or a BN government minister who is vindictive?

One would expect a better performance from Khaled. He isn't some junior minister out to impress his superiors or his followers with such an emotional response to PR's promises.

In a marketplace of idea, Khaled and those of his ilk should try to out-think PR, not resort to a schoolyard scrap over who is better or stronger and the loser walking off in a huff vowing not to friend the victor.

Why has politics in Malaysia gone down to just being mean spirited, grumpy and sulking in a corner by some of the BN chaps? Especially these two from Johor, the birthplace of Umno. One expects a lot more from a state that gave Umno its founding president, Datuk Onn Jaafar.

Perhaps Khaled might think he won this round against PR. In reality, its a fiasco, an own goal for BN. This childish decision and about-turn is the latest in a long line of blunders that won't endear some of these ministers to the people. What more students who will vote in the future and can influence their parents to vote for the opposing side

These BN ministers are undermining the prime minister's strategy of winning back support for his personal mandate to make a better Malaysia. They are petty-minded and just fumbling in scoring points at the expense of goodwill.

What a pity. If this is how they see "1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.", then they have gone opposite of the concept's tagline, like schoolboys who don't understand anything and make it up as they go along.

We don't need schoolboys in the Cabinet. We need real men, and gentlemen at that with the nation's interests in their hearts.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/schoolboy-antics-over-ptptn-the-malaysian-insider/

UN urges Malaysia to protect poll activists

June 8, 2012

Special rapporteur on human rights says there are disturbing acts of harassment against a prominent woman human rights defender.

Kuala Lumpur: UN human rights experts have denounced what they called “disturbing” harassment of Malaysian activists who are pushing for election reform and urged the government to protect them.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) staged a rally by tens of thousands in Kuala Lumpur on April 28 that ended with protesters clashing with police, who arrested more than 500 people.

Since then, leaders of the coalition, which groups dozens of non-governmental organisations, have complained of an official campaign to “demonise” them and of tacit harassment by authorities of coalition members.

The coalition’s leader S Ambiga, in particular, has been targeted by protests outside her home and has reported receiving threats and being called a traitor.

“I am seriously concerned by these disturbing acts of harassment against a prominent woman human rights defender who is being targeted because of her legitimate human rights activities in Malaysia,” UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders Margaret Sekaggya said in a statement released Thursday.

Maina Kiai, special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of opinion, urged Malaysia to withdraw a civil suit filed against group leaders over damage caused during the April rally.

“Holding assembly organisers liable for the alleged unlawful conduct of others is not compatible with standards governing the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and has a detrimental effect on the exercise of this right,” Kiai said in the statement.

Besides the civil suit and other actions, various current or former officials have publicly attacked the coalition — known in Malaysia as “Bersih”, for the Malay word for “clean” — as radicals seeking to overthrow the government.

The movement seeks major reform of an election system that critics say is biased toward the Malay-dominated ruling coalition, which has governed the multi-racial nation since independence in 1957.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has sought to portray himself as a reformer by relaxing decades-old security laws and promising a more open political environment.

But the opposition and other critics have called the campaign a cynical ploy for votes ahead of elections due by early next year, and have pointed to the anti-Bersih rhetoric as proof.

The opposition made unprecedented gains during the last polls in 2008.

Its leader, Anwar Ibrahim, was charged last month with criminal charges related to the rally, and a conviction could potentially bar him from standing in elections.

-AFP

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/06/08/un-urges-msia-to-protect-poll-activists
/

廖中莱车牌风波在自已和马华身上涂到满身屎

RTD gave ‘WWW 15’ for free, says Tiong Lai

Liow, can you give the public a good reason why you should be entitled a FOC car plate?
You have covered up something. If it was FOC in the first place, you would have known
and won't make ridiculous answers.

FOC to you would mean a lost of RM24,200 in revenue for the RTD. Anyway, both you
and MCA are in deep shits now, which is a good news for the country.
---------------------------------------------------

By Ida Lim

June 06, 2012

Liow had said he was not sure who paid RM24,200 for the WWW 15 vehicle registration number he won in the recent RTD tender. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — The Road Transport Department (RTD) has given the WWW 15 vehicle registration number for free to Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the Health Minister said this evening, deepening the mystery as to why the number was valued at RM24,200 in the first place on the department website.

WWW 15 is among the vehicle registration numbers in the WWW series that helped bring in some RM12 million for the RTD. An unnamed official earlier said that the name listed as the winning bidder had to pay up, be it an organisation or an individual.

“I have received official notification from RTD that the number plate is free. There is no payment involved. Any further Qs pls refer to RTD. TQ,” Liow said in a posting on his Twitter microblogging account this evening.

The Sin Chew Daily reported today that the RTD said Liow must pay for the WWW 15 vehicle registration number as the bid was in his name.

“Although this car plate is used for an official car, we still consider who the bidder is. If the bidder is a ministry, it will be paid for by the ministry. If it’s under a personal name, it will be paid for by the individual,” an unnamed public relations officer from a Kuala Lumpur RTD branch was quoted as saying by Sin Chew.

Sin Chew reported the RTD official as saying that since the WWW 15 tender was in Liow’s name, the minister would be the party liable for the winning RM24,200 bid.

The official also told the newspaper that all the WWW registrations were sold through open tender and that the RTD does not reserve specific numbers for ministers unless directed to do so by their superiors.

A minister’s personal car could also be used as an official car, the official was reported as saying and cited the case of Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as an example.

Yesterday, Liow had said he was not sure who paid the amount of RM24,200 for the WWW 15 vehicle registration number he won in the recent RTD tender.

The MCA deputy president had confirmed the Ministry of Health did not pay for the bid but defended himself by saying that the “process (of bidding) was handled by JPJ (RTD).”

Pressed for answers over who paid for the bid, Liow said, “Not sure, I have to check”.

“All ministers are eligible for one number; I didn’t exercise the option earlier,” Liow had said.

“Numbers to me are not important; what is more important is service to the people,” he added.

Thousands of people had thronged the three Kuala Lumpur RTD branches to place their bids for the coveted WWW plates.

Liow is the second person to come under public scrutiny after the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar, beat close to 10,000 bidders to win the tender for the vehicle registration number WWW 1, with the record-setting bid of RM520,000.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rtd-gave-www-15-for-free-says-tiong-lai/

Undermining 1 Malaysia

June 05, 2012

JUNE 5 — If there is any reason why Malaysians can’t seem to warm up to the 1 Malaysia concept, look no further than Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim’s comments today.

The Information, Communications and Culture Minister spoke at the 1 Malaysia Social Media Convention in Selangor that Malays must unite for a Barisan Nasional (BN) win in the upcoming general election to ensure their rights are not taken away by the opposition.

Fine. He is from Umno. He can say that and it is well within his right. But at a 1 Malaysia event? Really?

Where are the fine words to push a concept that promotes national unity? When Datuk Seri Najib Razak took office, he launched the 1 Malaysia concept because the country seemed divided along racial lines. Much to his credit, 1 Malaysia became the byword that even his political foes grudgingly accepted in a backhanded way.

But not many of Najib’s Cabinet colleagues have warmed up to the idea, well not at public events anyway. Or events supported with public funds.

Today, Rais said Malays “must understand who they are” and “know their rights”.

“The reason we lost so many seats in the 2008 election is because the Malays have forgotten themselves,” he said.

“For a community to stay in power, they must understand politics of numbers, which states when many come together, we can determine something,” he added.

Of course, Rais can say all that. At an Umno event, where its leaders appear to want to drive a wedge between the Malays and those not from the dominant community. How long more before we get leaders who want to promote everything Malaysian, rather than narrow racial lines?

Or do we wait for gems from leaders like Rais who also told the Malays today not to worry over the latest survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center which found support for BN among the Chinese was waning.

“Though recent polls show that Chinese support is low, don’t worry. As long as Malays practise politics of numbers, we will benefit,” he added.

Rais is a well-respected minister with years of experience and that is why it is disappointing that such talk should come from him. Especially when his boss is criss-crossing the country with a slew of 1 Malaysia-stickered initiatives to get the people together and be 1 Malaysia.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/undermining-1-malaysia-the-malaysian-insider/

廖中莱的 WWW 15 车牌

卫生部长的新官车，标得 WWW 15 车牌。可是却在人民眼中充满疑惑。

他不知道谁出钱竞标，做事会这样糊涂？

他并且使用私下的姓名，这说明什么动机？在华社的眼里，马华将会在
来临的第 13 届大选全军覆没。那么，他丢官后就可以把车牌带走自己
用？2 万 4 千 200 令吉，这是人民的钱嘢！

我建议反贪污局去调查这事件，是否有什么利益关系的存在。

Minister not sure who paid for WWW 15

MACC should check what has transpired. See whether there was any conflict of interest. By the way, why was the plate applied under his personal name? This was to enable him to take the plate with him after Barisan Nasional loses in the 13th General Elections?
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By Ida Lim

June 05, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today that he is not sure who paid the RM24,200 for the WWW 15 vehicle registration number he won in a recent tender as controversy mounted over why he made the bid for his official car.

Questioned today by reporters over who made the payment, the MCA deputy president confirmed that the Ministry of Health did not pay for the number. 

But when further pressed for answers, Liow (picture) hesitated before saying “not sure, I have to check”. 

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who was also present at the press conference at the MCA headquarters, attempted to help Liow by saying that the money went “from the left hand to the right hand”.

But Dr Chua also did not say who paid the money.

“When I applied for it, I didn’t know the cost,” Liow said.

He defended himself by saying that “the process (of bidding) was handled by JPJ (Road Transport Department)” and repeated that the bid was placed because of the change in his official car.

He said that “all ministers are eligible for one number, I didn’t exercise the option earlier.”

He said “numbers to me are not important, what is more important is service to the people.”

On May 28, it was announced that the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar, beat close to 10,000 bidders to win the tender for the vehicle registration number WWW 1, with the highest bid of RM520,000.

It was also revealed then that Liow had won the bid for the WWW 15 registration number.

Thousands of people had thronged the three Kuala Lumpur RTD branches to place their bids for the WWW prefix.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/minister-not-sure-who-paid-for-www-15/

Ambiga: No way Bersih will meet Hanif

Tarani Palani

 | June 5, 2012

Both Bersih and Bar Council will not even make suggestions to replace the two members who have left the government's advisory panel.

PETALING JAYA: Bersih is adamant that it will not meet with the government’s independent advisory panel until its head, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Hanif Omar, steps down from the panel.

The coalition for free and fair elections was responding to Hanif’s call yesterday where he said that he would like to meet the organisers to get their point of view of what transpired during the rally.

Bersih co-chairperson, S Ambiga, said that it will not meet with Hanif as they were opposed to the panel based on principle.

“We are against the panel based on principle. There is nothing personal against Hanif but he has made remarks to reflect his bias.

“Therefore to us, the panel is a non-starter,” she told FMT today.

She said that Bersih was so strongly against the panel that it will not even make suggestions to replace the two members who have stepped down.

Hanif announced yesterday that two members have quit the panel. The two were former chief justice of Borneo Steve Shim Lip Kiong who pulled out for health reasons and Petronas corporate affairs senior general manager Medan Abdullah due to work commitments.

He added that it was up to the panel’s secretariat to announce their replacements soon.

Ambiga said today that one of the basic principles of law was that justice need to be seen to be implemented.

The panel, however, falls short of the principle following Hanif’s statements against Bersih during the rally’s aftermath, she added.

Flawed panel

Hanif was appointed by the Home Ministry to lead the panel on May 9. Before his appointment, Hanif was quoted in a Bernama report linking communist elements to the gathering which demanded free and fair elections.

He reportedly said: “The tactics of using provocateurs to cause the demonstrators to clash with police and to bring children along in the hope they would get injured were tactics learnt from past pro-communist demonstrations.”

He added that based on images and photographs taken during the rally, he recognised pro-communist individuals who were involved in the 1970s demonstrations.

These comments drew brickbats from both rally organisers, Bersih and the Bar.

Ambiga, however, said that Bersih was ready to give its full cooperation to the Suhakam inquiry.

“Let them not think that Bersih is unprepared. We are prepared to speak to anyone who are not biased. Therefore we will fully participate in the Suhakam inquiry,” she added.

Suhakam, the national human rights commission, set up its own panel on May 21 to investigate abuses of human rights during the rally which turned ugly after a few protesters breached the barricade which cordoned off Dataran Merdeka.

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee, however, reiterated that they were willing to meet with Hanif to explain its final report to him.

He, however, said that they, too, like Bersih will not be making any recommendations to replace the two panel members as they too found the panel to be flawed.

“We take the view that this panel is flawed with the membership of Hanif whose two statements disqualify him from sitting, and the lack of legal framework represents a great handicap, in comparison to the Suhakam inquiry,” he said.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/06/05/ambiga-no-way-bersih-will-meet-hanif/

免费 wifi 让新闻不沦丧

所指的记者是否属星洲日报，后来才被该报发觉？

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作者：林冠英

《星洲日报 · 槟城在望》专栏文集

(此文原订2012年6月2日刊登，但是于晚报刊登后，早报被抽起，原因不详。)

过去的两个星期，我忙着在全槟各公共场所主持第二期槟城免费无线上网的推介礼。2008年我们宣布第一期750个免费上网热点时，没人相信这会是事实。现在，第二期透过公开招标以850万令吉增设800个热点，全槟共有1550个免费上网热点，网速也增加一倍。

原本简单的推介礼，也引起了媒体的关注。首次在巫统选区本那牙的推介礼，州政府以官方礼仪邀请巫统议员出席。结果人没到党旗却在我抵步之前“到齐”。郊区的咖啡店是推介地点，可是从路头起尽是巫统党旗在飘扬，不知情者还以为我是巫统的大头呢。

第二次“被高度关注”，是在光大马银行前的推介礼。媒体当天收到消息，称土权要在上午8时示威，后来土权听说首长有活动就移师中午12时。一些高级公务员因担心我的人身安全，而建议更换推介礼的地点，我岂能因此向这些人低头呢？于是断然拒绝。结果，除了常采访的媒体外，闻腥而至的媒体纷纷到齐，土权放的假消息，害大家扑了一个空。

这些政治上的阴招明招，我们见惯不怪。最让我在辛苦工作后欣慰及振奋的，是正在读中学的儿子有天告诉我，“爸爸，我的同学对槟城有免费无线上网很兴奋、很骄傲，我们设了一个‘我爱我的家乡槟城’的面子书专页！”

是吗？只是免费无线上网而已噢，可以高兴到这个程度？

人手一机的年代，虽然手机皆有上网设备，但却不是每个人有能力支付每月高昂的上网费，除了到指定餐厅享用免费上网，有了槟城免费无线上网，孩子们已不需看父母的脸色了。连外国投资者也惊讶槟城有免费无线上网，因为很多先进国都没有。当然，这只限在公众场所，而不是每间住宅，毕竟全世界都没有提供免费上网给住宅。

2008年推介时，有人骑摩托到光大，打开背包内的手提电脑，席地而坐地查电邮、找资料。随着智能手机的普遍化，如今人人都可以智能手机靠着州政府安装的无线上网热点，享有免费上网的好处。

在这个政党控制媒体充斥着谎言的年代，一些真相往往不可能在主流媒体找到。虽然网上也有胡扯的谎言，但是大家上网搜查时，往往会抱着质疑的心态，并以“收集更多资料”为主要目的，从此总结所看所闻，进行分析、思考，成为有分辨是非能力的人。

主流媒体只有一面倒的资讯，人民连查询的自由都不获赋予。有了免费上网，人民起码有一个免费上网的选择。

当前情况即已如此，可以想像，在大选正式掀开序幕的当儿，许多原本尚算中立的媒体，新闻的导向也会被当权者逼至倾向一边，那我们岂不是处于劣势的挨打局面？

上星期在槟城才发生一名记者为了讨好国阵，而将不属于采访的私人谈话录音，交给国阵的网络兵团大炒特炒。那一晚，我彻夜难眠。被政敌攻击，对我而言是司空见惯的生活，但是被采访的记者出卖，却让我在炎热的夜里倍感心寒。

私下的谈话被变成被上载到社交媒体的谈话，反映了一些主流媒体旗下的记者之专业操守。当信任已经变成毫不值钱的时候，真相更难以在这些地方找到。尽管我们当初设无线上网的目地不在于此，但我坚信有了免费的无线上网，真相至少能浮上台面。

来源：http://lgesinchewcolumn.wordpress.com/

Secret documents sold to French company

Teoh El Sen

 | May 31, 2012















The evaluation documents by the Malaysian Navy on the Scorpene submarine was sold for RM142 million.

PETALING JAYA: A highly-confidential government document — an evaluation by the Malaysian Navy of the Scorpene-class submarine and contract details — was allegedly sold to a French defence company for 36 million euros (RM142 million), according to human rights NGO Suaram.

Lawyers acting for the Suaram in an ongoing French judicial inquiry said that the secret document was sold by Terasasi (Hong Kong) Ltd to French defence giant DCNS, ostensibly for “commercial engineering” works.

This was among the major aspects that the French investigative judge probing the case lodged by Suaram against Paris-owned shipmaker DCNS for alleged corruption are looking at.

According to French lawyer acting for Suaram, Joseph Breham, the French judge had inquired what those payments were and had demanded reports of financial transactions.

The lawyer had said it was even possible that Thales, a subsidiary of DCN, decided to pay the money to obtain the classified document so that it could better its bid for the project.

Directors of the Hong Kong-based Terasasi include Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s close ally Abdul Razak Baginda and the latter’s father Abdul Malim Baginda.

The secret document was allegedly sold to Thales International, also known as Thint Asia, which is a subsidiary of DCN (later known as DCNS).

DCNS is the company central in the legal suit filed by Suaram in 2009 in the French courts, which recently commenced a judicial inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance in Paris.

The inquiry revolves around the RM7.3 billion deal to purchase two Scorpene submarines with DCNS and Spainish Navantia in 2002, when Najib was defence minister. Suaram’s complaint was based on the claim of corruption for a payment amounting to 114 million euros from DCNS to Perimekar.

Perimekar is also directly linked to Abdul Razak who was acquitted of abetting in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu; while two of Najib’s former bodyguards were convicted for the murder.

Speaking to FMT from Bangkok, Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel said that the selling of the secret document for 36 million euro amounted to an act of treason, on top of it being most probably a corrupt act.

“This is downright illegal. Clearly an act of treason as it is a breach of defence secrets by selling state secrets. It is classified as a confidential document by Royal Malaysian Navy for the government, supposed to be in internal document that comes under the Official Secrets Act, and you sold it to a French company? You are not supposed to do this,” she said.

Devious act

Cynthia said this was “one of the big scandals” that had surfaced from the Suaram trial, and the information was among the hundreds of French’s prosecution investigative documents that Suaram currently has privileged access to.

“Indeed a very devious act. There is clearly a possibility of money laundering, or the money could be channeled to various beneficiaries including political organisations in Malaysia. This is corrupt and we think it is a sweetener to buy off some people,” she said.

“We now want to ask who benefited from this? When we went through the Paris papers. these were among the most startling issues. Before this we only know of Perimeker, now there is the emergence of the company Terasasi was actually key many answers, to showing how the money trail became more complicated, involving another Asian country, in the transfer of monies,” she said.

Cynthia said everybody is “shocked at the scale of the robbery” and “there is no longer space for silence”.

“It has become incumbent on the Malaysian government to give a proper explanation on the money that has been dished out. They cannot keep all these away from the public. We believe that there are many more skeletons in the closets and many more secrets that need to be unraveled .”

Cynthia was together with Breham, lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and R Sivarasa in Bangkok to reveal ‘damning details’ on the Scorpene case. A press conference at the Foreign Correspondence Club of Thailand was held yesterday.

The conference was held in Bangkok as Breham was unable to get a proper visa to enter Malaysia. Another French lawyer acting for Suaram, William Bourdon, was last year deported from Malaysia.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/05/31/scorpene-scandal-secret-documents-sold-to-french-company/

Scorpene scandal: Najib looking at red notice

May 30, 2012

Suaram's privileged access to confidential documents also reveals roles played by a person said to be close to Daim Zainuddin.

PETALING JAYA: There is a possibility of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi being issued an international warrant of arrest if they fail to adhere to French subpoenas to assist in the Scorpene submarine corruption inquiry.

Suaram’s French lawyer Joseph Breham told a press conference in Bangkok today that the French judges hearing the inquiry have discretionary powers to ask the Interpol to issue a red notice (an international warrant of arrest) against witnesses who failed to submit to the French court.

However this would be the last resort to be undertaken to compel witnesses to testify in Paris.

Breham explained that the French court is able to take on several courses of action, in compelling the Malaysian witnesses.

He said that the judges will first issue a subpoena in writing on a witness, and once a subpoena has been issued, the witness is obliged to appear before the courts and to assist the courts in its works.

“If the witness refuses to abide by the subpoena, the court can issue a notice ‘mandate d ‘amener’, compelling the witness to appear before it.

“If the witness fails to oblige, a warrant of arrest may be issued. The warrant of arrest is applicable within the boundaries of the French territory, and may be internationalised, if the judge deems necessary.

“Based on the judges’ discretionary power, they can ask Interpol to issue a red notice i.e an international warrant of arrest,” he added.

He also said that judge Roger Le Loire, one of the two Instruction Judges assigned to oversee the case, had principally accepted Suaram’s list of seven proposed witnesses, including Najib, Zahid Hamidi and Abdul Razak Baginda.

“Judge Le Loire after hearing an elaborate testimony from Suaram, accepted our statement, and promised to proceed with the inquiry with no stone unturned,” said Breham.

He added that on the acceptance of the seven witnesses proposed by Suaram, the French judge had asked for the full details of the persons involved, in order to begin issuing subpoenas as he saw fit.

Legal obligations

In a statement issued by Suaram after the press conference in Bangkok, the human rights NGO said that Malaysia has legal obligations under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) to cooperate with other nation states in preventing, investigating and prosecuting offenders of corruption.

It added that state parties are bound to render specific forms of mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence for use in court and to extradite offenders.

Suaram also said that it has gained full privileged access to the 153 investigation papers from the French Public Prosecutor’s office.

“This is a huge step forward, as many of the details kept confidential are now made accessible to Suaram as the civil plaintiff in the criminal case against the DCNS (French shipbuilding company),” it said.

It said that in one document – named Document 97 – was a note for the French Minister of Defense dated June 2, 1999 related to an interview with the Malaysian Defence Minister and the French-Malaysian diplomatic relationships as far as defense is concerned.

“The note states that pursuant to the major defence contracts between France and Malaysia, there is a requirement that substantial transfer of money has to be channeled to individuals and/or political organisations.

“The note specifically states that apart from individuals, the ruling party (Umno) is the biggest beneficiary. Consultants (company agents) are often used as political network agents to facilitate these monetary transfers and to receive commissions from their mandators,” said Suaram’s statement.

Wives’ network

It further said that the note mentioned about Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Noor and Razak Baginda as points of reference for political network, while adding that Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Noor was close to the then Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin and Razak Baginda to the then Defence Minister Najib.

“The note also explains that by early 2001, Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Noor’s influence began to decline following the fall from power of the Minister of Finance, Daim Zainuddin which resulted in the disappearance of Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Noor’s name from Perimekar both as shareholder and director which was later replaced by people of Razak Baginda’s network.

“Razak Baginda eventually becomes the main point of reference for political network to facilitate the money transfer,” added Suaram.

Suaram said the note also pointed out that Razak’s wife was a close friend of Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor.

Suaram also said that it was holding its press conference in Bangkok – and not in Kuala Lumpur – following the forced deportation of one of Suaram’s lawyers, William Bourdon, last July when he visited Malaysia to speak about the case.

Suaram’s complaint with the French courts for a judicial review of the Scorpene contract in November 2009 has resulted in the commencement of a judicial inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance in Paris.

The inquiry will probe alleged corruption crimes and illegal bribes involving top officials from both Malaysia and France in the sale of two Scorpene submarines by French shipbuilding company DCNS to the Malaysian Defence Ministry, then helmed by Najib.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/05/30/scorpene-scandal-najib-looking-at-red-notice/

马华公会没有典当华社权益？

星洲日报2012年6月2日报道 -
教育部副部长魏家祥说：“马华没典当华社权益。若有证据，我第一个离开党。”

Stop dithering over electoral reforms, Proham tells Putrajaya

This guy is a Myanmar

Note 2 things: 1 - it is a blue MyKad; 

2 - it has a "Tarikh Luput" which mean "Expiry Date"

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June 03, 2012

Proham in a statement today said there has been a public loss of confidence in the Election Commission and the electoral process as a whole. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Putrajaya must focus on promised reforms in the next month ahead of national polls to resolve the “electoral crisis” instead of getting defensive over the chaos of the April 28 rally, human rights watchdog Proham said today.

The ex-human rights commissioners group wants the federal government to set up a permanent monitoring committee to oversee the 22 points proposed by a temporary parliamentary panel set up last year to boost flagging public confidence in the Election Commission (EC).

It also wants the EC to set up a separate supervisory unit that includes civil society electoral watchdogs “to resolve the electoral reform crisis and the lack of confidence in the electoral system”.

“This is causing the loss of confidence in the Election Commission and the whole electoral process,” Proham said in a statement today.

The watchdog said the election regulator cannot shirk its responsibilities by passing the buck to the National Registration Department (NRD) as the lawful authority dealing with registration but must work with it to weed out “phantom voters” and other irregularities from the electoral roll.

“Proham urges the NRD to cooperate with the EC to clarify the date these foreign-named voters were granted citizenship and the duration in which they have stayed in Malaysia,” it said.

The EC had come under fire for its delay and superficial response to “many allegations of failure to clean up the electoral roll and the absence of time lines and target dates to carry out the recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC)”, Proham said.

Proham cited an independent report that showed a list of 50 people in the Johor Baru parliamentary constituency of Kampung Majidee Melayu who shared the same address and were registered as voters despite being foreign-born.

“They have ‘code 71’ in their ICs (MyKads) which show they are not born in Malaysia and they all have the same address with no house numbers, some silat centre... which makes them highly dubious as possible phantom voters,” Proham secretary-general Datuk Denison Jayasooria told The Malaysian Insider when contacted today.

Proham said it was concerned because the names had suddenly appeared on the electoral roll after May 2011. In contrast, names listed prior to that could be accounted for as they were all registered to Malaysia-born citizens and all had addresses detailing relevant house numbers and street names.

It also asked the EC to verify a claim by Klang MP Charles Santiago that 3,457 voters had been questionably “transferred out” of his constituency.

Proham said the EC must work with the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Bar Council, Bersih and the PSD to come out with proposals to amend the law to immediately give the authorities the necessary power to clean up the dubious electoral roll within the next month and on a regular basis.

Electoral reform movement Bersih, led by Datuk Seri Ambiga Sreenevasan, has been lobbying the Najib administration to clean up the election process and make it more transparent, and held two street demonstrations on July 9 last year and another on April 28 to draw support for the cause.

The government has been hit by widespread criticism following its harsh measures at crowd control and has recently taken to suing Bersih’s leaders for damages under a new law allowing public assemblies that was enforced just days before the April 28 rally.

 Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/stop-dithering-over-electoral-reforms-proham-tells-putrajaya/