PUTRAJAYA, May 16 (Bernama) -- Universiti Malaya (UM) has been named the country's top university with a score of 5 (Excellent) in the research-based university category, a study by the Higher Education Rating System (Setara) last year revealed.
"It was the first time the system was used aimed at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of public universities so as to improve quality," Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin told reporters here Friday.
UM was followed by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) with a score of 4 (Very Good) each, while Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) had a score of 3 (Good).
For the general category, the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) had a score of 4 (Very Good) each, while Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) had a score of 3 (Good) each.
[From http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=333551]
Friday, May 16, 2008
UM Tops Higher Education Rating - Bernama
Malaysia tycoon, others tried to sway judges - inquiry - Reuters
By Soo Ai Peng
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - A Malaysian tycoon and a former government minister were involved in a covert campaign to influence judicial appointments seven years ago, an official inquiry said on Friday, urging for criminal probes.
The inquiry's 186-page report named tycoon Vincent Tan, who controls property-to-gaming conglomerate Berjaya Group and the then de facto law minister, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, as well as a lawyer known as V.K. Lingam.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government on Friday ordered its chief prosecutor to investigate the three, as well as a retired chief judge and former premier Mahathir Mohamad, whom the inquiry said was also "entangled" in the process.
The inquiry is seen as the boldest move yet by the government to clean up the judiciary, which has been under a cloud since 1988 over its independence and integrity. The report comes just two months after the ruling party suffered a blow at the general elections.
Once regarded as one of the more independent institutions in Malaysia, it has lost credibility since Mahathir clashed with top judges, three of whom were removed in 1988.
The Bar Council, which represents more than 12,000 lawyers in the country, called for thorough, fair and speedy investigations.
[More at http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-33614120080516]
Royal Commission of Inquiry report: Dr M and 5 others to face probe - The Star
By V.P. Sujata
PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has agreed that investigations be made on all allegations levelled against former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and five others identified in the Royal Commission of Inquiry report on the V.K. Lingam video clip.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim said the five others are lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam, tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, and former chief justices Tun Eusoff Chin and Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail could not be contacted on whether he would order for the probe immediately.
Zaid said the six would be investigated on offences under the Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act and the Penal Code, which included obstruction of justice.
“All the recommendations in the report are advisory in nature so we have to have another investigation,” he said, adding that the Government had taken note of recommendations on judicial reforms and the establishment of a commission on appointment of judges.
“The Government is in the process of finalising the relevant laws to set up this commission and it will be made known soon,” he said, adding that Government also proposed to include the recognition of “judicial power” as proposed by the Commission.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/16/nation/20080516210926&sec=nation]
PM's Department lodges police report against newspapers - The Star
By Lourdes Charles
PUTRAJAYA: The Prime Minister's Department has lodged a police report against several newspapers for publishing the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video clip before they were made public.
It is learnt that a senior official from the department lodged a police report on Friday morning at the Putrajaya police headquarters.
Kuala Lumpur CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Ku Chin Wah confirmed that a report has been lodged but declined to elaborate.
It is also learnt that the police are expected to classify the report under the Official Secrets Act.
The Star and several other newspapers, as well as online news portals, published several of the report's findings and recommendations several days ago.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/16/nation/20080516193348&sec=nation]
Bombs thrown at DAP office - The Star
By Hah Foong Lian and Chan Li Leen
IPOH: Homemade bombs were hurled at the Perak DAP headquarters here but did not cause major damage to the building.
Instead, a wooden board put up at the glass windows of the office caused the explosives to bounce off and land on the road.
A witness said two men on a motorcycle had approached the two-storey Wisma DAP located near the state secretariat building at Bandar Ipoh Raya at 2.20am yesterday.
The security guard of a nearby school, who was on duty, said he saw two men throw things at the window and heard two loud explosions.
The bombs broke the glass windows of the office on the first-floor.
However, a wooden wall behind it prevented the bombs from entering the building.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/16/nation/21270885&sec=nation]
Royal Commission on Lingam video clip: Adnan, Tan 'had direct influence' - NST
KUALA LUMPUR: Former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan had direct influence in the appointment and promotion of judges.
This was the explosive observation made in the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video clip.
The commission also doubted the evidence given by the two in the inquiry as they had made bare denials to penetrating questions posed by lawyers who appeared for interested parties.
The findings of the commission were in direct contrast to Adnan's testimony: "I had nothing to do with the appointment of judges."
Tan had also testified that he had no links to the judicial appointments.
The NST learned the report also noted that lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam had mentioned Adnan's name 11 times in the 14-minute clip and that the lawyer was speaking to former chief justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Frontpage/2241955/Article/index_html]
Billion-ringgit boost for broadband - The Star
By Jo Timbuong
KUALA LUMPUR: Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and the Government are spending a total of RM15.6bil to ensure that the country will have a top-notch, competitive high-speed broadband infrastructure in the next decade.
The benefits of having such a facility for the people and the nation are expected to be worth many times that amount.
High-speed access to the Internet will provide a boost to telehealth facilities, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said yesterday.
Patients anywhere in the country, and especially in rural areas, will be able to get specialist attention via medical systems connected to the Internet.
In the same way, children could also be educated via Internet-enabled systems that would allow teachers and students to interact despite being hundreds of kilometres apart.
Malaysians would also benefit from better access to e-government services, such as being able to pay utility bills, renew licences, file tax returns, and even lodge police reports online more efficiently.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/16/nation/21272341&sec=nation]
Dr M: I met Najib after PM said he won’t stop meeting - The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he met Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak after the Prime Minister said he would not stop the meeting.
However, he did not disclose what they discussed.
Earlier last week, Dr Mahathir claimed that he wanted to meet Najib after the general election to discuss current issues but that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had not allowed his deputy to do so.
The next day, May 8, Abdullah said he had not prevented Najib from meeting Dr Mahathir.
“After Pak Lah said that, we met. He said he wanted to meet so I met him, lah,” he told reporters yesterday after launching the book Kismet, a biography on the life, contributions and sacrifices of the late Sher Mohamed Allah Baksh.
On the claim by Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan that he had been offered enough money for three generations to join PKR, Dr Mahathir said: “It’s all about money today. If there’s money, they can jump into any boat.
“All of them dare not speak out because of money. They want positions.”
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/16/nation/21271305&sec=nation]
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Government Says It Will Maintain Its NEP-based Policy For The Good Of The Nation - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- The government has no plans to amend its policy based on the spirit of the New Economic Policy (NEP) which is aimed at improving the socio-economic lot of not only Bumiputeras but also Malaysians of Indian origin, the Orang Asli and minority groups in Sabah and Sarawak, the Dewan Rakyat was told Thursday.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz said the government will continue to undertake its commitment to implement NEP-based strategies, that is, eradication of poverty regardless of race and restructuring society to remove racial identification with economic functions.
"Should the objectives of the spirit of the NEP be successfully realised, especially in terms of a more equitable distribution of the nation's wealth among and within the ethnic communities, states and between the urban and rural areas, this will speed up efforts to ensure a fairer balance in participation among all levels of society in Malaysia," he said when replying to Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) during Question Time.
The successful realisation of the aims of the spirit of the NEP will contribute towards solidifying national solidarity, which is the most vital asset for a complex society like Malaysia's in continuing the march towards further progress beyond 2020.
Amirsham explained that the NEP was drawn up in the early 1970s with the main objective of bringing about national solidarity and nation-building through a two-prong strategy of eradication of poverty irrespective of race and restructuring society to remove the identification of race with economic activities.
He said the NEP spirit was later incorporated in subsequent economic policies - the National Development Policy, National Vision Policy and the National Mission under the Ninth Malaysia Plan - to narrow the socio-economic gap between ethnic communities as well as between urban and rural areas.
[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=333164]
'Opposition offered us millions to switch camps' - NST
KUALA LUMPUR: Millions of ringgit have allegedly been offered to tempt Barisan Nasional MPs from Sabah to join the opposition.
Sabah backbenchers yesterday said they were approached with incentives of cash and positions to jump ship, as rumours swirled in Dewan Rakyat of impending defections to the Pakatan Rakyat camp.
The rumoured amounts ranged from RM5 million to RM30 million for each MP - more if he brings others with him.
Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin said he was approached by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders after the general election and enticed to abandon BN.
Talk of crossovers intensified after the formation of the cabinet in March, and has been kept at fever pitch by the PKR leadership ever since.
"There was a discussion but it did not go to the extent of money being offered," Bung Mokhtar said.
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Frontpage/2240934/Article/index_html]
CLP to be scrapped - The Star
By Royce Cheah
KUALA LUMPUR: The Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) will soon be scrapped in favour of the Common Bar Course (CBC) and Common Bar Exam (CBE), Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said.
Citing that a study by a committee appointed by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) on how to implement the move was in its final stages, Zaid said the goal was to standardise and improve the quality of law practitioners.
“The CBC and CBE will be mandatory for anyone who wants to practise law, whether they are local or foreign graduates.”
Zaid, however, would not speculate on whether the CBC and CBE would be the only prerequisite before a graduate is called to the Bar or whether chambering would continue.
“The course and exam will be overseen by a non-profit organisation supported by the Government.”
Zaid, who was speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby, was expanding on a written reply to Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh’s question on whether the Government had plans to abolish the CLP and what it would be replaced with.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/15/nation/21252004&sec=nation]
No fees in submarine, jet deal - The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has never paid anyone commission for the procurement of two Scorpene submarines and 18 Sukhoi fighter jets, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said Malaysia had direct negotiations with the countries involved.
The submarines were purchased from France and Spain and the jets from Russia.
“On the allegation made by Yang Berhormat Permatang Pauh (Opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) that Perimekar Sdn Bhd had received a commission of €114.96mil (RM580.46mil) in the Scorpene submarines deal, the ministry wants to stress that the Government has never paid any commission directly or indirectly to the company.
“On the purchase of Sukhoi, I want to stress that the Government has never paid any commission to IMT (M) Defence Sdn Bhd as alleged,” Najib said in his winding-up speech on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
He was responding to renewed allegations by Wan Azizah that the purchase of the two submarines worth RM4.5bil involved the payment of a commission exceeding RM540mil to Perimekar.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/15/nation/21258818&sec=nation]
26 elderly Malaysian tourists missing in Sichuan - The Star
BEIJING: A group of 26 elderly Malaysian tourists has been missing since Monday’s devastating earthquake that hit south-western Sichuan province as the death toll rose to nearly 15,000 and thousands were reported buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings and landslides.
Malaysian Consul-General in Kunming Ayauf Bachi said that while the fate of the group is still not known, there have been no reports of Malaysian casualties.
The consulate has sought the help of the Sichuan local government to trace the Malaysians, whose last known stop was in Maoxian, less than 50km from the epicentre of the quake in Wenchuan county.
“The Chinese authorities formed a special team this morning to look for foreign tourists. We are working with them on this,” he told Bernama.
He said the consulate was contacted on Tuesday evening by Ipoh-based Golden Dragon Tours, which had arranged the trip for the group, half of whom were elderly women.
The Chengdu local agent handling the tour said the agency had alerted tourism and communications authorities in Aba county near Maoxian after it failed to contact the tourist guide accompanying the group.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/15/nation/21258342&sec=nation]
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I never met or knew Altantuya, Najib tells Parliament - The Star
By Elizabeth Looi
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak reiterated in Parliament Wednesday that he had never met nor knew murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.
He said he did not want to make any further comments on the matter as the hearing of the case was still going on.
"I know that some of the Dewan Rakyat members are concerned about the court case of the murder of the Mongolian woman, and I also know that there are some members who deliberately tried to link my name to the case,"
"Let the court play its role and carry out its responsibility to uphold justice in this country without any party interfering," he said
The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also Defence Minister said the Government had never paid anyone commission for the procurement of two Scorpene submarines and 18 Sukhoi fighter jets.
He said both projects involved only direct negotiations between Malaysian firms and the countries that sold the submarines and the fighter planes.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/14/nation/20080514195803&sec=nation]
Malaysia better than 76% of countries, says PM - The Star
By Sim Leoi Leoi
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is better than 76% of the countries in the list surveyed for the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told Lim Kit Siang (DAP - Ipoh Timur) that whether a country improved or declined in the index should not be determined alone from its yearly ranking.
"This is because the number of countries taking part in the index differs from year to year. In 1995, 41 countries took part while in 2006, the number grew to 163. Last year, there were 179 countries.
"A more accurate indicator to show the trend of a country's performance in the index is the country’s score. Malaysia's score since 1995 has been averaging at five points, a good and stable level," he said in a written reply on Monday.
Lim had asked if the Government would set up a royal commission to determine the reasons behind Malaysia's fall from 23rd place on the index to 43rd last year.
Abdullah said if one should analyse the index closely, Malaysia had actually improved in its performance in the fight against corruption.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/14/nation/20080514162319&sec=nation]
Hindraf Leaders To Remain Under ISA Detention - Bernama
PUTRAJAYA, May 14 (Bernama) -- The five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders will continue to remain behind bars at the Kamunting detention centre in Taiping, Perak.
This follows the Federal Court ruling today that their detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) is lawful.
A three-man panel led by Chief Judge of Malaya, Datuk Alauddin Mohd Sheriff ruled that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his capacity as the Internal Security Minister then, had rightly issued the two-year detention order and complied with the procedural requirements under the act.
The Hindraf leaders are lawyers M. Manoharan, 46, who is also the MP for Kota Alam Shah, P. Uthayakumar, 46, V. Ganabatirau, 40, R. Kenghadharan, 40, and former bank officer K. Vasantha Kumar, 36.
The five men were detained last Dec 13 for their involvement in organising a street protest in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, and for making inflammatory remarks against the government.
They appealed to the Federal Court after they failed to secure an order from the High Court for their release from what they claimed as unlawful detention.
[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=332917]
Loh: A lot more to Lingam clip - The Star
By Loong Meng Yee
KUALA LUMPUR: The VK Lingam video clip shown to the Royal Commission of Inquiry is only some 20% to 30% of what was recorded that night at the prominent lawyer’s house in December 2001.
Somewhere in China, there is a disk containing the complete recording of what Loh Gwo Burne videotaped, separated into segments named VK1, VK2 and others. Most of what was made public was from the first segment of VK1.
“I downloaded the video from my private computer into several hard disks and compact discs. When I went to work in China in 2004, I took it along,” Loh told The Star.
“The disk is still there. The rest of the videos contain, among other things, other telephone conversations between Lingam and the other person on the phone, as well as conversations Lingam had with my father.
“What has been made public is only about 20%-30% of what I filmed,” Loh said.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/14/nation/21240628&sec=nation]
Karpal is not arrested, police urge public to ignore rumours - The Star
PENANG: The public has been urged to disregard rumours that Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh has been arrested.
Federal CID director Commissioner Datuk Bakri Zinin said the police are still investigating reports lodged against Karpal Singh over alleged seditious remarks made by him against the Sultan of Perak.
“There is no such thing (Karpal Singh arrested). Do not believe such rumours. Our investigations are still ongoing,” he said.
Meanwhile, George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said Penang police had completed its investigations into the case.
He said the investigation papers were submitted to the Attorney-General’s chambers on Saturday. “It was also based on the statement recorded from Karpal Singh on the same day.
“Two police reports were made against Karpal Singh (in Penang). One of the reports was made by state Umno Youth secretary Ramlan Ishak on Friday,” he said.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/14/nation/21242841&sec=nation]
Gerakan VP: Guan Eng naive, ignorant or playing politics - The Star
PENANG: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is naive, ignorant or merely playing politics, says Gerakan.
Its vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said that Lim seemed to be asking questions through the media for answers which he could easily get from his officers, reports, documents and briefings.
“I am saying he is naive because all the questions he has been asking can be easily obtained because he has access to all the information,” he told a press conference yesterday.
Dr Teng said this showed that Lim was not ready to take on responsibility as a chief minister.
“I do not know whether to call him Chief Minister or just Lim Guan Eng,” he said.
Dr Teng, who is a former state executive councillor, also hit out at Lim for asking him and former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to apologise to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for misleading the latter on the proposed RM25bil Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/14/nation/21241082&sec=nation]
