Royal Court Should Not Be Over-hasty - Karpal - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Bernama) -- DAP chairman Karpal Singh said Tuesday that the Royal Court of Selangor should not be over-hasty in making remarks against him.

"I did not make any specific allegation against the Sultan of Selangor," he told the media at the Parliament lobby here.

Karpal was referring to a newspaper article that the Royal Court of Selangor had rebuked him for purportedly implying that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was interfering in executive matters of the state.

The royal court said in a statement Monday that as the sultan, it was perfectly within the constitutional parameters for him to express his views and make opinions concerning any matter pertaining to his subjects.

The royal court has said that the statement by Karpal as reported by an evening paper on May 6, was very misleading.

Karpal said in view of there being no specific allegations against the Sultan of Selangor, the royal court should have been sober in its language.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=332749]

Pakatan Rakyat: Move beyond spectre of May 13 - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has urged Malaysians to move beyond the spectre of May 13 1969 and called for a Truth and Reconcilliation Commission to be set up so that questions surrounding the incident could finally be put to rest.

In a statement read out by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, he said that the commission could study and then tell the people the real story behind what had happened.

He also pledged that the PR would maintain peace and hate racial violence as well as speak out against anyone who encouraged racial tensions, maintain the supremacy of all Malaysians and reject extremism, urge the authorities not to side anyone and always act fairly and also that it would support the continued use of democracy and the constitutional monarchy where the desires of the people were championed without discrimination.

"Let us march with conviction that the May 13 incident will no longer haunt us and the Malaysian political arena or be used by any irresponsible parties.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the smooth transition of power after the recent general election proved that there was no need to be afraid of May 13 anymore.

"We should be mature and move beyond that," she said.

[From http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/13/nation/20080513193701&sec=nation]

Royal Court rebukes Karpal - The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Royal Court of Selangor has rebuked DAP national chairman Karpal Singh for purportedly implying that the Sultan of Selangor was interfering in executive matters of the state.

The royal court said in a statement yesterday that as the Sultan, it was perfectly within the constitutional parameters for Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to express his views and make opinions concerning any matter pertaining to his subjects.

The royal court has said that the statement purportedly made by Karpal Singh as reported in The Malay Mail on May 6 was very misleading.

The statement was quoted as implying that the Sultan was interfering in executive matters of the state.

“Such a baseless, unfounded and irresponsible statement has indeed brought much concern and uneasiness,” it said.

“The royal court believes that Karpal Singh’s statement was somewhat made to create a misconception in the minds of the rakyat as to the role of the Sultan, who was merely exercising his rights as enshrined in the state Constitution.”

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/13/nation/21226464&sec=nation]

PKR came a-courting, say Sabah MPs - The Star

SEVERAL Sabah MPs have been approached – directly or indirectly – to cross over, Batu Sapi MP Datuk Edmund Chong said.

Admitting that he had been approached by PKR, the second-term MP said democracy allowed the “freedom of affiliation”.

“It is a pressure cooker. We are listening to feedback from the ground and we are in the middle of the people and the Federal (Government).

“We are all adults and it is nothing wrong for other people to come and talk to you,” he said, adding that he knew of a few other Sabah MPs who had also been approached by the Opposition.

Asked if he was considering the offer, he said he had not seen PKR’s manifesto but said he was interested in knowing the Opposition's position regarding Sabah folk.

“I stood against an independent candidate and not PKR so I have not seen their manifesto. I am more concerned about what they can offer the people of Sabah,” he said.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/13/nation/21230151&sec=nation]