Fiery start in Parliament - TheStarOnline.tv

The first session of the 12th Parliament saw MPs wage a war of words. For the first time, the public got to view a 30-minute live telecast of the session.

Spreading the anti-ISA message in parliament - Malaysiakini.tv

Her husband has been held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the Kamunting detention camp for the last six years, as a suspected member of regional terrorism group Jemaah Islamiah.

Live telecast Cause Of Parliament Descending Into Chaos? - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- Was the 30-minute live telecast of parliamentary proceedings by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) the cause of the Dewan Rakyat descending into chaos Wednesday?

Backbenchers accused opposition MPs of using the broadcast media in trying to be "heroes" and looking for cheap publicity whereas the opposition members wanted it to cover the entire day's proceedings.

After what happened, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the trial live telecast of 30 minutes of the question-and-answer (Q & A)session may be reviewed because he felt several Opposition MPs attempted to seek cheap publicity by raising trivial issues during the maiden broadcast.

The (Q & A) session in the Dewan Rakyat, which began its sitting Wednesday, was disrupted for almost an hour when several members of parliament, particularly from the opposition, raised questions on the meeting procedures, causing only three questions to be able to be answered when normally it is about 10.

Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said: "I believe the telecasts are for the good and it will give the opportunity for the people to know the true nature of their elected representatives whom they deem heroes and have placed high hopes on."

"Some of them have been there for two or three terms but are still unable to behave," Shafie, who is the MP for Semporna, told reporters at Parliament's lobby.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=330085]

Achievement Of National Mission Calls For Commitment - PM - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- The Prime Minister has called on workers to be strongly committed to acquire more knowledge and to sharpen their skills so that they can be innovative and creative in efforts to develop the country.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the success of the National Mission called for commitment and collective efforts from Malaysian workers to ensure that racial harmony and national development were achieved.

"The national aspiration to emerge as a developed country requires commitment from every strata of society, including the workers, to always work hard and to equip themselves with the traits and attitude of a society with a first class mind," he said in his message in conjunction with Workers' Day 2008, which is celebrated Thursday.

The Prime Minister said the country would only achieve this objective if the people continued to strive with great determination and commitment to develop the country collectively to turn Malaysia into a prosperous, progressive, fair, resilient and competitive nation.

Abdullah also remined the people that the manpower sector today needed workers who were not only trained and skilled, but also innovative and creative in various fields.

He said that in the knowledge-based economy or K-Economy, the capacity to generate, disseminate and apply knowledge had become an important factor in determining the country's productivity and competitiveness.

He pointed out that the theme of the Workers' Day this year, `Innovative Workers, Competitive Nation', suited the important role played by every worker in joining the government's efforts to develop the country.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=330063]

New Malaysia parliament opens with rowdy name-calling - AFP

The opening session of Malaysia's new parliament descended into noisy name-calling Wednesday as a newly emboldened opposition took on the government.

"Monkey" and "Bigfoot" were two of the epithets hurled in a rowdy session during which lawmakers shouted and gesticulated in heated exchanges across the floor of the chamber.

The scenes, broadcast live on television, were an indicator of the new shape of Malaysian politics after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's coalition suffered its worst ever election results last month.

The March 8 polls saw his Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country for the last half century, lose its two-thirds majority in parliament as well as control of five states.

In response to the chaos, Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek threatened to pull the plug on the telecast, which was being trialled for the first time.

"Maybe there are people who love to watch circus, but parliament is not a circus," he said, adding that he would obtain feedback before deciding whether to continue with broadcasting.

[More at http://news.my.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1365683]

Ka Ting: Non-Muslims are not to be subjected to any form of Syariah law - The Sun

BY Husna Yusop

KUALA LUMPUR (April 30, 3008): Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting (BN-Kulai) suggested in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament) today several measures to deal with the various messages sent out by the voters in the recent general election.

On the religious rights of non-Muslims, he said the last three years witnessed an unprecedented number of religious matters involving the constitutional rights of non-Muslims with controversial cases like the late M. Moorthy and Gan Eng Gor, Lina Joy, detention of Revathi and the custody battle for the children of S. Shamala and R. Subashini.

“In situations involving non-Muslims who became a Muslim due to marriage, they should be allowed to renounce Islam when the marriage has ended.

“Similarly, if a child who was unilaterally converted to Islam by one parent without the consent of the other parent, the child should be allowed to maintain his or her own religion.

“This is until he or she attains the age of majority by which he or she is free to enter into a religion of his of her choice,” the MCA president said in his speech when debating the Royal Address.

He also brought up incidences whereby statements were made that the proposed legal amendments will affect and protect both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Urging the government to be transparent to avoid a repeat of the cases above, Ong said non-Muslims are not to be subjected to any form of Syariah law.

“And, for any disputes or overlapping areas between the jurisdiction of the civil and Syariah courts, civil laws must prevail,” he added.

[More at http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=21925]

Siaran langsung Parlimen dikaji - Menteri Penerangan - Utusan

KUALA LUMPUR 30 April — Kementerian Penerangan mungkin mengkaji semula siaran langsung persidangan Dewan Rakyat berikutan sesi soal jawab lisan hari ini yang sering terganggu apabila beberapa Anggota Parlimen sentiasa mempersoalkan peraturan mesyuarat.

Menteri Penerangan Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek berkata siaran langsung selama setengah jam menerusi saluran RTM1 itu adalah percubaan sahaja dan beliau akan mendapatkan maklumat balas daripada semua pihak termasuk orang ramai sebelum membuat sebarang keputusan.

“Saya akan bincang sama ada kita masih memberi peluang kepada Anggota Parlimen untuk menggunakan sebaik-baiknya Parlimen dan siaran langsung yang diberikan,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita di lobi Parlimen di sini hari ini.

Beliau mengulas demikian setelah beberapa anggota pembangkang sering mempersoalkan peraturan mesyuarat menyebabkan sesi soal jawab lisan selama satu setengah jam hanya sempat mendengar tiga soalan berbanding 12 hingga 15 soalan pada kebiasaannya. aAhmad Shabery berkata kementerian tidak akan menambah masa siaran langsung persidangan Dewan Rakyat.

“Saya sedar di negara-negara lain yang mengadakan siaran langsung secara penuh terutama sekali dalam negara dunia ketiga, inilah masalahnya. Anggota Parlimen tidak menumpukan perbincangan pada perkara yang penting kepada rakyat dan negara.

“Masing-masing hanya ingin menunjukkan kepentingan diri mereka, tentang peribadi mereka dan untuk tunjuk orang di luar sana tentang diri mereka, bukan negara,” katanya.

[More at http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0430&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Terkini&pg=bt_08.htm]

“阿拉”字眼是否回教专有‧《先锋报》案下週裁决 - Sin Chew Daily

（吉隆坡）高级联邦律师阿兹莎纳华威週二（29日）在高庭说，马来西亚天主教吉隆坡总教区不能以通过司法检討方式，要求高庭宣判其週报《先锋报》（Herald）有权利使用“Allah”（阿拉）字眼及“阿拉”字眼不是回教专有的。

她说，“阿拉”字眼的詮释以及申请人使用此字眼的权利是否组成基督教不可或缺的部份，须通过传召专家证人来作出鑑定。

她强调，申请人马来西亚天主教吉隆坡总教区所要求的上述两项宣判是涉及个人权利，只有通过民事诉讼让法庭聆听专家证人的证据后作出决定。

阿兹莎说，申请人已在另一高庭入稟民事诉讼，要求宣判它有权在刊物中使用“阿拉”字眼及“阿拉”字眼非伊斯兰宗教专有，因此申请人並非没有其它补救方法。

阿兹莎是在申请人针对其《先锋报》被禁止使用“阿拉”字眼，要求高庭允准它提出司法检討的申请中作出上述陈词。

內政部是於今年2月12日禁止申请人的《先锋报》使用“Allah”字眼；但申请人指出，自该週报成立13年以来，它在提及“上帝”（God）时皆使用“Allah”字眼。

[More at http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/64055]

Stop it, Samy Vellu and Khir told - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo have been told to stop their war of words.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said a directive would be issued to ensure all component parties and members stop pointing fingers at each other and warned them of disciplinary action.

When asked whether the warning would restrict freedom among the component parties, Abdullah said: “We have discipline in the party. Which party does not have discipline? It will be a problem if the party does not have discipline.”

The war of words between Samy Vellu and Dr Khir took place after the latter said in an interview with Malaysiakini that the MIC president had asked him on Nov 15 to demolish the Kampung Rimba Jaya Hindu temple near Shah Alam.

Samy Vellu defended himself by saying that the temple had been “demolished” in October when devotees removed deities from the temple and that what remained was just a structure and Dr Khir was to be blamed for the demolition.

[From http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/30/nation/21109455&sec=nation]

It was Samy’s idea, says Khir - The Star

SHAH ALAM: Enough is enough. It is time to set the record straight on the demolition of the Hindu temple in Padang Jawa, said Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.

The former Selangor Mentri Besar claimed it was MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu who asked for it to be torn down.

“I have been silent on the issue long enough. Datuk Seri (Samy Vellu) met me two days before Deepavali at the Grand Bluewave Hotel in Shah Alam where the Prime Minister was attending a function.

“The Prime Minister was there when Samy Vellu asked me to put off the demolition of the temple in Padang Jawa in the interest of the Indian community and we stopped the exercise despite having a court order to go ahead,” Dr Khir said yesterday.

However, several days after Deepavali, he said, Samy Vellu called him at 11pm and told him that the temple had been infiltrated by Hindraf supporters who planned to carry out a 40-day fast and prayers there to rile up nearby residents.

“It was during this conversation that he told me that we (the state government) should move in and demolish the temple to deter Hindraf supporters from capitalising on the temple issue,” Dr Khir said.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/30/nation/21101265&sec=nation]

Don’t take Kah Choon’s move lightly, says Dr M - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision by former Gerakan deputy secretary-general Datuk Lee Kah Choon to accept a job under the Penang DAP Government should not be taken lightly by Barisan Nasional if it wishes to survive and regain the people’s support, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The former prime minister said in a letter that Lee might be motivated by a genuine desire to work for the good of Penang and Malaysia but, “it may also be because loyalty to Barisan is now based on personal gains or fear of punishment of some kind.”

He said this was especially so among the leaders and there was no genuine love for the objectives said to be the raison d’etre for the coalition’s existence.

Dr Mahathir added that if the Opposition were able to provide a good government, look after the interests of ordinary people, and lead a Spartan lifestyle, those who voted for them out of anger against Barisan would transfer their loyalty permanently to them.

When that happens, he said Umno and the other component parties could forget about recapturing the states they lost to the Opposition and their turncoat members would remain turncoats who would actively work against Barisan in the next elections.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/30/nation/21104867&sec=nation]

Dewan Rakyat: Uphold people's trust, King tells Parliament

By : V. Vasudevan, B. Suresh Ram, Eileen Ng, R.S. Kamini and Arman Ahmad

LAWMAKERS must demonstrate good character and conduct, and protect social peace at all times, the King said as he opened a Parliament with the largest opposition ever.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin said Members of Parliament should not fail the trust placed in them by the people.

"Carry out the trust that the people have placed in you by participating actively and responsibly in the spirit of parliamentary democracy," he said in his Royal Address at the first meeting of the first session of the 12th Parliament.

Tuanku Mizan called on the members of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara to execute their duties and responsibilities with sincerity, honesty, trustworthiness, credibility and integrity for the good of the country.

He reminded MPs that they must place the country's interests above individual political gain.

"Let this august House be a platform for conveying constructive criticisms and sound opinions. Honourable members should have the national interest as their primary objective, and not make this august House a forum for the furtherance of individual political interests.

"The people's respect for and confidence in Parliament as the country's supreme legislative body is contingent upon the role of the honourable members," he said.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/Frontpage/2227473/Article/index_html]

Keng Yaik ‘should quit as adviser’ - NST

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik has been told to stop interfering in party affairs.

He was also criticised over his remarks on the Datuk Lee Kah Choon affair.

Kuala Lumpur-Federal Territory Gerakan leaders yesterday said Lim should quit as adviser as he had done a lot of damage to the party's image over his remarks on Lee, the former Gerakan deputy secretary-general.

"He should not have labelled Lee an opportunist and political 'katak' (frog) because when Lee accepted the posts, he was only an ordinary Gerakan member," said KL-FT chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong at a press conference yesterday.

He said there should be no question of "crossing over" as Lee quit all his posts two weeks prior to his appointment as director of the Penang Development Corporation and investPenang by the Pakatan Rakyat-led State Government.

He added that Lee's acceptance would not jeopardise the party's interest as it was just a job that would benefit the people of Penang.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/National/2227457/Article/index_html]

Opening of 12th Parliament - TheStarOnline.tv

Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin attends the opening of the 12th Parliament.

Bungle in deputy speaker voting forces review of PR pact - NST

By : V. Vasudevan, Suresh Ram, Eileen Ng and S. Kamini

KUALA LUMPUR, Tues:

THE de facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat has called on its members to ensure better cooperation, after Monday’s embarrassment when an opposition MP refused to cast a vote for the pact’s candidate for a deputy speaker’s post. Even worse for the pact, 17 of its 82 MPs cast their vote for one of the rival candidates, Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (BN-Santubong).

Blaming the bungle on the pact’s failure to make a stand on the matter, Anwar said he had a discussion with leaders of the Pakatan Rakyat on Monday. “In future, we have to reach a consensus early,” he said after attending the Royal Address.

In Monday’s voting, all the 140 Barisan Nasional MPs voted for the coalition’s candidates. Wan Junaidi picked up 157 votes while his counterpart Datuk Ronald Kiandee (BN-Beluran) received 140 votes. However, Pakatan Rakyat’s candidate Dr Tan Seng Giaw received 81 votes instead of the expected 82.

Many opposition deputies felt Dr Tan could have been denied the one vote by Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who won his Pasir Mas seat as a Pas candidate but sits in the House as an Independent.

Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang played down the opposition vote bungle. “It shows that there is democracy in Pakatan Rakyat on matters where members could exercise their will. It also shows that we do not force Pakatan members to vote. It is also not a policy matter,” he said.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said it was clear that the three parties — PKR, DAP and Pas — rooted for Dr Tan.

On the 17 votes to Wan Junaidi, Lim said it showed that opposition members voted only for the first deputy speaker and the votes did not go to the second deputy speaker.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Frontpage/20080429174916/Article]

Royal address: What the MPs say - Malaysiakini.tv

The King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin today expressed his regret over the abuse of subsidies by certain quarters in his opening address at the 12th Parliament.

Anwar 'back' in parliament - Malaysiakini.tv

Opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim today said "there is no turning back" in his political career after returning to Parliament after a 10-year absence.

Family To Be Informed After Conversion To Islam - Zahid - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Non-Muslims who are converting to Islam may only have to inform their family after their conversion and not before, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said although he respected the decision of the 18th Syarak (Islamic)/Civil Law Coordination Conference Monday, the government was still studying the issue before making a decision.

"The proposal (by the prime minister that a non-Muslim must inform his/her family before converting to Islam) was acceptable and not rejected by the conference. But the announcement on conversion requires a suitable formula," he explained after the presentation of certificates to trainees of the Baitulmal Skills Training Institute at the International Youth Centre in Cheras, here Tuesday.

Zahid said this was important to avoid suspicions among non-Muslims, and therefore required careful study so that the conversion would not affect the convert's relations with his or her family.

Monday, the conference participants unanimously agreed that a non-Muslim does not need to inform the family first of his/her wish to convert to Islam.

The conference, attended by state legal advisers, muftis, state chief syarie judges and heads of state Islamic religious departments and Islamic religious councils, was held to discuss the proposal to make it mandatory for non-Muslim intending to convert to Islam to inform their family first.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=329812]

Utusan Melayu, Two Others Ordered To Pay RM200,000 To Former USM Lecturer - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- A former editor-in-chief of the Utusan Group, the Mingguan Malaysia newspaper and Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad were ordered by the High Court Tuesday to pay RM200,000 in damages to a former associate professor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for publishing a defamatory article about her.

Judge Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus also odered the three defendants to pay costs to the plaintiff, Fatimah Busu @ Che Su, who was previously attached to USM's Humanities faculty.

Mohd Hishammudin said the facts presented before him favoured the plaintiff in this case.

In her suit filed on Aug 26, 1997, Fatimah had named Datuk Johan Jaafar as the first defendant, Mingguan Malaysia (second defendant )and Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad, the publisher and printer of Mingguan Malaysia, as the third defendant.

In her amended statement of claim filed on March 1, 2002, Fatimah, 67, alleged that the defendants had published a defamatory article about her in Mingguan Malaysia's edition of March 2, 1997.

She said the article had smeared her good name and tarnished her image as an academic and literary expert of 20 years, locally and abroad.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=329819]

Malaysia: Opposition leader Anwar returns to Parliament, but only as spouse guest - AP

By Sean Yoong

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Ten years after being kicked out, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim returned to Parliament on Tuesday - but only as a spouse guest.

"This is a new beginning. I have entered. I will never leave again," Anwar said after attending the formal opening of Parliament, where he was once deputy prime minister and finance minister.

Anwar was invited as the husband of Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who won a seat for their People's Justice Party and is now the formal opposition leader in Parliament.

Anwar said it won't be long before he is elected a lawmaker in a by-election.

He was ousted from government in 1998 by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in a power struggle amid accusations of corruption and sodomy. Anwar denied the charges, which were widely believed to be trumped up.

The sodomy charge was later overturned but he served prison time after being convicted of corruption.

[More at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24361891/]