KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Bernama) -- A police report was lodged by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) against former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and five others alleged by the Commission investigating the V.K.Lingam video clip to be involved in lobbying for the appointment of judges.
The five other individuals are lawyer Datuk V. K. Lingam, business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, former chief justices Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Tun Eusoff Chin, and Putrajaya member of parliament Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
The police report was made by PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohamad Akindi at the Dang Wangi Police Station, here Saturday afternoon.
"The police report is to enable the PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) to initiate investigation on the individuals concerned and submit the report to the Attorney-General for further action.
"This is important to regain the confidence of the people and the world in the country's judicial system which had been declining of late," he said when met by reporters after lodging the police report.
"The report by the Commission suggested that the Sedition Act 1948, Legal Profession Act 1976, Official Secrets Act 1972, the Penal Code and others be enforced on the individuals concerned for obstructing justice," he said.
[From http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=335237]
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Police Report Lodged Against Tun Dr Mahathir Over Lingam Video Clip - Bernama
Malaysia Loses Pulau Batu Puteh Not Due To Weak Arguments, Says Rais - Bernama
From Nor Faridah A. Rashid
THE HAGUE, May 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's failure to get sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh was not due to the weakness of its arguments presented before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said Friday.
"The fact that we have lost Pulau Batu Puteh is not due to the weakness of our arguments but to the lack of exercise by the authorities (on that island) for some 100 years," he told Malaysian journalists at the Malaysian embassy here.
He said that what was important to note was that the explanation given by the ICJ in its decision to award sovereignty was based on the fact that beginning from 1850 until 1953, Malaysia did not, in terms of evidence, effect any action or grounds which could be accepted as proof of sovereignty, be it in terms of occupation, conducting checks or supervision activities on Pulau Batu Puteh.
The Court had also emphasised that the map drawn up and produced by Malaysia in 1962, 1965, 1974 and 1975 had actually reflected on Singapore's claim, he said.
Rais said that another reason was the letter written by the Johor Acting State Secretary dated Sept 21, 1953 which the Court regarded as proof that there was a handover of power and sovereignty over the island.
The letter stated that "Johore Government (did) not claim ownership" of the island. Singapore had argued that the letter had expressed disclaimer of title of Pulau Batu Puteh.
[More at http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=335064]
Mukhriz refuses to back down - NST
ALOR STAR: Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has refused to heed calls to stop exerting pressure on Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign as prime minister and Umno president.
He insisted that he had not contravened the Umno constitution and was merely expressing his views on ways to strengthen the party.
Mukhriz was commenting on calls made by the Jerlun Umno division at a special gathering organised by division chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Ariffin on Thursday night.
"I respect the division's views but I would never budge (from asking Abdullah to resign as prime minister and Umno president)."
About 200 people, including the division's committee members and its 156 branch chairmen were present at the meeting
Mukhriz said while he accepted the views of others, he did not expect them to always share his views.
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/National/2248975/Article/index_html]
Karpal : Probe Dr Mahathir’s allegation - The Star
GEORGE TOWN: DAP chairman Karpal Singh has lodged a police report against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over his remark that certain judges had approached the former Prime Minister to lobby for promotion.
He said any judge seeking promotion, or anyone who had lobbied Dr Mahathir to be appointed a judge, had committed an offence under the Anti-Corruption Act 1997.
“Dr Mahathir himself may have fallen foul of Section 17 of the Act for not having lodged a police report on the overtures of the judges or persons concerned.
“I raised this matter in Parliament on Thursday and even Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nazri Aziz agreed that such acts could amount to corruption,” he told reporters before lodging the police report at the state police contingent headquarters in Penang Road yesterday.
On May 17, Dr Mahathir was reported as saying that he was prepared to be charged in court so that he could reveal many things about the judiciary, including lobbying.
He also said that he wanted to reveal about judges who had come to him to lobby, adding that if lobbying were wrong, then these judges should be investigated.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/24/nation/21351070&sec=nation]
A sad Abdullah accepts ICJ ruling - The Star
TOKYO: Malaysia accepts the decision of the International Court of Justice on Pulau Batu Puteh, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Expressing sadness over the court's verdict in handing over sovereignty of the island to Singapore, the Prime Minister said what was significant was that the decision was made at the international level.
“There will be people who will be emotional, especially in Johor. I can understand this. But, the important thing is we have done this through the available legal channel,” he told Malaysian journalists accompanying him on his working visit to Japan.
He said Malaysia was grateful that the ICJ had awarded Middle Rocks to the nation, adding that the next step was for officials from both sides to meet to decide on the maritime demarcation line as soon as possible.
“Any discussion to be held or action to be taken with Singapore must be done in a peaceful manner and with understanding from both sides. We do not want any conflict to arise,” he stressed.
The Prime Minister also said that action must also be taken to determine the location of South Ledge.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/24/nation/21356063&sec=nation]
Decision resolves 28-year-old dispute - The Star
PETALING JAYA: The 28-year dispute over the ownership Pulau Batu Puteh is over with the International Court of Justice awarding it to Singapore.
However, the court in The Hague awarded Malaysia the ownership of Middle Rocks, a group of rocks located 0.6 nautical miles (1.1km) south of Pulau Batu Puteh, or Pedra Branca as it is known in Singapore.
The ICJ did not determine the ownership of South Ledge, a smaller group of rocks 2.1 nautical miles (3.8km) south of Pulau Batu Puteh, stating that its sovereignty would depend on whose territorial waters it was located in.
Case acting president and ICJ vice-president Judge Awn Shawkat AlKhasawneh delivered the decision, which is binding and not subject to appeal.
The 300-page judgment took about two hours to be read. The judgment was telecast live by RTM1.
Twelve of the courts 16 judges ruled in favour of Singapore on the question of the sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/24/nation/21353526&sec=nation]
Three reasons why island went to Singapore - The Star
PETALING JAYA: Failure to show ownership over Pulau Batu Puteh, maps that indicated Singapore's sovereignty over the island, and a reply from a Johor state official saying that the state did not have sovereignty over the island were some of the reasons why Malaysia lost its case.
International Court of Justice case acting president Judge Awn Shawkat Al-Khasawneh, when delivering the court's decision in The Hague yesterday, said Johor initially had sovereignty over the island.
However, Johor and subsequently Malaysia lost its ownership to Singapore because of those reasons.
“The Court recalls their (United Kingdom and Singapore) investigation of marine accidents, their control over visits, Singapore’s installation of naval communication equipment and its reclamation plans, all of which include acts à titre de souverain (acts consistent with sovereignty), the bulk of them after 1953,” said Awn Shawkat.
He said Malaysia did not respond to Singapore’s conduct on the island, including the flying of its ensign, except for the republic’s installation of naval communication equipment.
“Further, the Johor authorities and their successors took no action at all on Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh from June 1850 for the whole of the following century or more,” he said.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/24/nation/21354853&sec=nation]
