There is a new team in town whose raison detre is fighting corruption - meet the DAP's 'graftbuster' squad.
At a press conference today, several DAP politicians announced that the team will complement the work of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) inaccepting complaints from the public.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
DAP 'graftbusters' to fight corruption - Malaysiakini.tv
Karpal Appeals To PM For Hindraf Leaders' Release - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- DAP Chairman Karpal Singh today appealed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to instruct Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to revoke the detention order on the five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Karpal said that despite the detention orders by the King, Syed Hamid could at any time under the law revoke the orders on the five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).
The King had on March 26 ordered for the leaders two-year detention, effective Dec 13 last year, be continued until completion.
"I would have thought, in line with the reconciliatory stance of the government in bringing about reforms, including setting up of a judicial commission for the appointment and promotion of judges, the five leaders would have been set free to rejoin their families.
"In fact, the Government should, in line with this approach, repeal the ISA," said Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP, in a statement tonight.
On Dec 13 last year, the authorities detained M. Manoharan, P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kenghadharan and K. Vasanthakumar for organising a mass rally in the federal capital and making demands for the rights of Indians in the country.
[From http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=328672]
Lee Right To Quit, Says Political Analyst - Bernama
PENANG, April 23 (Bernama) -- Former Gerakan deputy secretary- general Datuk Lee Kah Choon's decision to quit his party was a wise move as it would prevent the quarrel between Gerakan and DAP from continuing, a political analyst said today.
"A delay in the matter would only cause DAP and Gerakan to be in a state of confusion and their quarrel will continue,” Datuk Dr Cheah See Kian, the principal of Han Jiang College, told Bernama here Wednesday.
He said the controversy of Lee accepting the posts in the two agencies under the DAP-Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) state government would end with Lee's departure from Gerakan.
Cheah was responding to Lee's announcement to quit Gerakan as his appointment to the two agencies could not be accepted by his former party's leadership.
Last Sunday, Lee accepted Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's offer to be a director of the Penang Development Corporation and to be chairman of the executive committee of InvestPenang.
On Lee's statement that his appointments and his political career were unrelated, Cheah said people found that position hard to accept.
[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=328673]
Anwar: 'I'll be PM in three years' - AFP
Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's opposition leader, has said he will be prime minister within three years, sketching out a dramatic political comeback.
"I don't think we have established a definite, clear timeframe when I will take over [as prime minister] but it certainly wouldn't reach three years ... much earlier than that," he said.
"[But] I am not in a rush," he told AFP news agency.
Anwar has emerged as a serious threat to the ruling coalition after the opposition's strong showing in March parliamentary polls.
Once the heir-apparent to long-time former premier, Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar was sacked from his post of deputy prime minister in 1998 and jailed for six years.
He became free to run for office again last week, when a five-year ban stemming from his corruption conviction expired. He now says he has the support of enough defectors to topple the government.
[More at http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/DB09BE45-6EE5-42D7-8799-C4ED06ADDB95.htm]
卡巴星：引来不满声音‧委李家全是错误的 - Guang Ming Daily
（檳城）民主行动党全国主席卡巴星说，李家全接受州政府的委任是错误的，林冠英也不应该献议他出任有关职位。此外，檳州第二副首长拉玛沙米也说，李家全受委出任州政府的3个高职，在行动党內已引起一些不满的声音。
他说，李家全接受委任时还是民政党员，这是不对的，因为他不能同时处在两个不同的位置上，即以民政党员身份出任民联政府的要职。
“檳州发展机构是檳州政府的投资臂膀。以行动党为主导的州政府，是檳州人民投选出来的，因此已被人民拒绝的国阵党员受委出任有关职位，这是不公平的。”
“李家全和我们是对立的，但现在他却要加入我们，这不是当初投选行动党的人民所乐於见到的。”
尽管如此，卡巴星说，拥有不同政治理念和政党背景的人士，还是可以在政府部门工作。
[More at http://www.guangming.com.my/node/25655]
Kah Choon quits Gerakan - The Sun
By Opalyn Mok
GEORGE TOWN (April 23, 2008): Datuk Lee Kah Choon has quit Gerakan in reaction to the party's decision to issue him a show-cause letter for accepting Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government's appointment as InvestPenang executive chairman and Penang Development Corporation (PDC) director.
Lee, who had quit as Gerkan deputy secretary-general and other posts last month to take responsibility for the party's poor showing in the March 8 polls, termed his decision to withdraw his membership as "exorcising the political ghost".
The former Jelutong MP and health parliamentary secretary had lost in his bid for the Machang Bubok state seat. If he had won and the Barisan Nasional (BN) took Penang, he was among three people considered for the chief minister's post.
"This way, I hope we can put the matter to rest and move forward with some serious tasks at hand," Lee said in a press statement.
He also reiterated his stand of withdrawing from active politics to focus on serving the society as a citizen.
"My objective is clear and it has remained consistent throughout my political career, which is to serve the people. This is the reason I accepted the positions in both state investment agencies.
[More at http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=21706]
Show-cause letter for Lee - The Star
PENANG: Datuk Lee Kah Choon, the former Gerakan deputy secretary-general who was appointed to posts in two Penang state government agencies, will be served with a show-cause letter.
He will have to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for accepting the posts of director in Penang Development Corporation and InvestPenang as well as executive chairman of InvestPenang.
“The party had directed party members to relinquish all appointments as municipal and district councillors as well as Village Security and Development Committee members in states now ruled by Pakatan Rakyat,” former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said in a press statement yesterday.
“This directive is based on the premise that Gerakan now has to play the role as an effective opposition in Penang. We cannot do this objectively if our own members hold key positions in the state and local administrations,” Dr Koh said.
Dr Koh also questioned Chief Minster Lim Guan Eng’s political motives in appointing Lee as he has no direct experience in promoting investment in the industrial sector.
“Lee has experience as a lawyer and was a parliamentary secretary of the Health Ministry, which is unrelated to the manufacturing industry,” Dr Koh said. “As the industrial sector is Penang’s most important economic sector, it is not proper for Lim to play politics in a way that may jeopardise Penang’s efforts and ability to effectively attract investment.”
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/23/nation/21038738&sec=nation]
Lee’s action ‘against BN spirit’ - The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Lee Kah Choon's decision to accept the posts of director of Penang Development Corporation and chairman of the executive committee of Invest-Penang is against the Barisan Nasional spirit, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday.
The Prime Minister, who is also Barisan chairman, said Lee should not have accepted the two posts offered by the Penang state government before conferring with the Gerakan leadership.
He said the former Gerakan deputy secretary-general should have first sought the views and decision of the party leadership on the offer.
“I want to hear the views of the Gerakan acting president (Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon) on this matter.
“Any subsequent action on Lee will be left to the Gerakan and Penang Barisan Nasional,” he said after opening the opening the Asem (Asia-Europe Meeting) Culture Ministers meeting.
“It is for the party to decide. It is up to Penang Barisan to do what they want as long as there is no clash in policy.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/23/nation/21031463&sec=nation]
Faiz: Continue space programme - The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Angkasawan programme should continue, with the funding shared among the relevant ministries that will benefit from the aerospace industry, suggested Mejar Dr Faiz Khaleed.
The second Angkasawan said the space mission should no longer be about sending a Malaysian to space but for Malaysia to embark on the aerospace industry.
He said the industry that included manned space flight missions benefited many fields including communication, research, medical, defence and education.
“As the industry benefits many fields under many ministries, these ministries can share in the funding,” he said in response to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili’s statement that the ministry presently had no money to embark on the second phase of the programme.
Dr Faiz said people must be clear that it was now about research and development.
“If you just want to send people to space, RM100mil is expensive. We must look at it as moving on to developing our aerospace industry.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/23/nation/21033327&sec=nation]
Kah Choon: Let me focus on my job - NST
GEORGE TOWN: Datuk Lee Kah Choon has thumbed his nose at the Gerakan leadership by shrugging off party adviser Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik's terse comments about him.
Lee said his decision to accept the offer by the DAP-Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)-led state government to helm two top agencies in Penang had nothing to do with politics.
Stressing that he was still a loyal Gerakan member and had no intentions of leaving the party, Lee said: "My political background and my appointments are two totally different things.
"I hope Gerakan will not link them," he said at his new office in investPenang yesterday.
Lee said as far as he was concerned, there were many things which needed to be done and he needed to focus on his new job. "I want to concentrate on another phase of my life.
"This is something new, something I like and, at the same time, something which still enables me to help others."
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/National/2220946/Article/index_html]
Respect cultural diversity, says Najib - NST
KUALA LUMPUR: Cultural difference is "an accident of birth" and should never be the source of hatred or conflict.
Quoting Nobel Peace Laureate John Hume, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that the answer to the difference was to respect the different cultures in order to attain peace.
"It is very disheartening to see that the misunderstanding of ideology and culture has led to tension among people and countries, which end in riots or unrest.
"This threatens and undermines peace and stability."
Najib added that diversity was the hardest thing for a society to live with.
"Culture, arts and heritage are the intertwining anchors of a civilisation that underscores every facet of a nation's existence.
"It is the foundation of a nation and shapes the character of its people," he said in his speech at the third Asem Culture Ministers Meeting dinner at the Craft Complex in Jalan Conlay, last night.
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/National/2221295/Article/index_html]
PKR tabloid to hit streets next week - NST
PUTRAJAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) tabloid Suara Keadilan is expected to hit the streets next week.
PKR information head Tian Chua said the Home Ministry had approved the publishing permit and the newspaper would be published weekly and distributed widely.
The newspaper has been in existence for the past three-years, although it was only circulated among party members.
He said the party is confident of doubling its circulation from about 100,000 to 200,000 copies in less than a year.
Speaking at the Home Ministry yesterday after submitting RM500 as annual fees to the ministry's publishing unit, Tian Chua, who is also Batu member of parliament, said the 32-page publication would be sold at RM2 a copy and would feature news not covered by mainstream media.
"We will retain the kind of contents we carry but we will also move with the demands of time," he said.
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/National/2221287/Article/index_html]
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Rusia sedia bantu bina pusat pelancaran roket - Utusan
KUALA LUMPUR 22 April - Agensi pengeksport peralatan pertahanan Rusia, Rosoboronexport bersedia membantu Malaysia mewujudkan pusat pelancaran roket ke angkasa lepas dan melaksanakan misi menghantar angkasawan kedua negara.
Timbalan Pengarah Perkhidmatan Persekutuan Tentera-Teknikal Rusia, Mikhail Petukhov berkata, kedua-dua misi itu boleh dibuat melalui program timbal balas jika pihaknya memperoleh kontrak penjualan peralatan pertahanan dengan Malaysia pada masa hadapan.
''Ini boleh dibuat jika Rosoboronexport dan Rusia secara amnya, memperolehi kontrak penjualan persenjataan dengan Malaysia.
''Ia bakal menjadi kenyataan sekiranya terdapat pula tanggungjawab pihak kami untuk melaksanakan program timbal balas seperti pembelian pesawat Sukhoi dengan penghantaran angkasawan pertama Malaysia dahulu," katanya.
Beliau menyatakan demikian pada sidang akhbar sempena Pameran dan Persidangan Perkhidmatan Pertahanan Asia (DSA) 2008 di sini hari ini.
Hadir sama Duta Rusia ke Malaysia, Alexander Karchava, Ketua Pengarah Rosoboronexport, Anatoly Isaikin dan Pengarah Projek Khas Rosoboronexport, Nikolai Dimiduk.
[More at http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0423&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_09.htm]
PM: Up to Gerakan to decide on Lee - Malaysiakini.tv
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he would leave it to Gerakan to act against its former deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon, who has accepted a director's post in the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and InvestPenang.
Gerakan, a component party in Barisan Nasional (BN), had been leading the Penang government up to the March 8 general election, when it fell into Pakatan Rakyat hands.
Malaysia to delay projects amid rising costs: PM - AFP
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday said infrastructure projects under its multi-billion-dollar five-year development plan may be delayed due to escalating costs.
Abdullah, who is also finance minister, said high on the casualty list was the construction of a vital second bridge linking the northern island of Penang to peninsular Malaysia.
"Several matters have delayed its construction. Firstly in getting the land for building the bridge," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. "Secondly, there is a need to ensure that the given design is the most suitable and also the issue of (rising) cost."
Abdullah also said that several other projects under the 200 billion ringgit (65 billion dollars) development plan from 2006 to 2010 would be reviewed.
Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of opposition-led Penang, said he was "shocked" by the premier's announcement.
"Two weeks ago when I met the prime minister, he assured me that the second Penang bridge will continue," said Lim, who is also secretary-general of the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party.
[More at http://news.my.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1353645]
Govt Drops Plan For High Speed Bullet Train Project, Says EPU Chief - Bernama
PUTRAJAYA, April 22 (Bernama) -- The cost factor was the main reason the government decided not to go ahead with the high-speed bullet train link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore proposed by YTL Corp Bhd.
"The letters on the decision were sent to parties such as YTL and the relevant agencies in early April," said Economic Planning Unit (EPU) director-general, Datuk Seri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob, told Bernama here Tuesday.
He said the government would have to bear a significant cost based on the financial model that was submitted by YTL.
"Based on the financial model submitted by YTL, the government has decided not to go ahead with the bullet train (project)," he said, without elaborating on the amount the government has to bear.
YTL has proposed the RM8 billion project which would take 90 minutes to travel between the two capitals from about seven-and-a-half hours now.
It was earlier reported that the government has allowed YTL to do a feasibility study and it (YTL) came back to say the project was feasible.
The plan for a high-speed train between the two cities, spanning about 300km, was proposed in late 1990s, but garnered strong interest last year after the government invited companies to come up with ideas for privately-funded projects.
[From http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=328446]
哈迪阿旺：支持反贪努力‧回教模式更胜港廉署 - Sin Chew Daily
（吉隆坡）回教党全力支持政府加强反贪污局的努力，通过改组使该局成为更独立的反贪委员会。
回教党主席拿督斯里哈迪阿旺发表文告说，超过1400年歷史的回教是反贪的最佳模范，而且回教模式更胜於其它现有模式包括香港的模式。
“回教已奠定维护社会及培育清廉领袖的基础。他们不只是推崇法律，也开始奠下上苍会监视及知道所做的一切的信仰。
反贪从廉洁领导开始
“回教也让社会及领袖知道，如果犯下贪污罪刑，將让世界走向末日，而做错的人將在永恆世界日（Hari Akhirat）里被审判。”
他表示，任何一项反贪努力都必须从廉洁领导开始；如果执政党有贪污病症的负担，並通过贪污方式获选，那么人民难以相信他们能够对抗贪污。
[More at http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/63004]
PAS: Islamic state agenda is still on - The Star
PETALING JAYA: Although PAS is focusing on Pakatan Rakyat’s agenda of establishing a welfare state and reinstating democracy and good governance, it is not discarding its agenda to set up an Islamic state.
PAS MP for Kuala Selangor Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad said the party did not want to harp on the issue of Islamic state because it was not part of the Pakatan Rakyat agenda.
“We are not pulling it (setting up of an Islamic state) back. It is still an issue that matters to us but we are allowing more time for the electorate to understand us better.
“The more important agenda now is reinstating democracy and good governance,” said the PAS reserach centre director after taking part in an intellectual discourse on a book entitled Who Needs an Islamic State? written by Dr Abdelwahab El-Effendi.
The discussion on the book was organised by the Muslim Professionals Forum here yesterday.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/22/nation/21013579&sec=nation]
Dr Mahathir: I’m ready to be probed - The Star
By Izatun Shari
KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is prepared to be investigated by a full and formal public inquiry if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were to become the Prime Minister.
However, the former premier said he hoped that those who sit on the board of inquiry would be neutral, impartial and probably foreigners.
“He’s (Anwar’s) welcome to do that if he becomes the Prime Minister of Malaysia, but if he wins members of the ruling party to his side it is the present leader who should be blamed because he can’t even get the loyalty of his own members,” he said during a 30-minute interview on the BBC World News HARDtalk programme with Stephen Sackur.
He was asked to respond to Anwar’s statement that he would call for a full and public inquiry into Dr Mahathir’s misdeeds if Anwar were to become the Prime Minister.
Asked whether he was ready to express regret over what he did to Anwar now that he has retired for several years, Dr Mahathir said: “Why should I regret? He was arrested under the laws of the country. He was tried in the courts of the country. Sentenced by court. If he was not wrong, no matter what you think about our judiciary, I don’t think he would have been sent to prison.”
On Anwar saying that he would push politics that were not racially defined, Dr Mahathir said that it was opportunism for Anwar, who was now out of the government but never did anything when he was in the government.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/22/nation/21018171&sec=nation]
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