Pictures provided by the MP showed many anti-Guan Eng posters plastered along several spots along Jalan Datuk Sulaiman and Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi in the urban neighbourhood, some of which bore a Nazi flag with the words, “Lim Guan Eng Racist”.

Ambiga and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who is Bersih 2.0 co-chairman, were also not spared, with posters claiming, “A vote for Ambiga is a vote for free sex”.

It is understood that the posters have already been taken down.

“I wish to express my utter disgust regarding the sight of politically-motivated, intolerant, race-hatred posters along Jalan Datuk Sulaiman and Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi (in) TTDI,” Lip Eng said in a statement today.

“Overnight some cowards must have come to put up these posters... I’m surprised that the police did not catch any of these cowards in action as these posters were pasted at bus stops, public phone booths... along Jalan Datuk Sulaiman and Burhanuddin Helmi.”

The DAP lawmaker said he was “insulted” by the posters, which he noted were put up in a multiracial neighbourhood on the eve of Maulidur Rasul.

He also said the police must probe the matter and bring to book those responsible for disseminating the posters as soon as possible.

In his defence, Dr Chua (picture) pointed out that Najib was the first prime minister to “give away power” by pledging to abolish the much-criticised Internal Security Act (ISA).

“Everybody talked about abolishing the ISA but it was Najib who removed the ISA,” he told reporters at SMJK Chong Hwa here this afternoon.

“And that effectively removed his authority to detain people without trial. It’s not easy for a leader to give power away like that.”

Dr Chua said Najib, who heads Umno, has also made the Malay ruling party more democratic by increasing the number of division delegates who can vote in party presidential polls.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal last month, despite talk that Najib would influence the trial judge to convict the former, also showed that the prime minister believed in an independent judiciary, Dr Chua added.

The former health minister, however, conceded that there were still “a lot of weaknesses” in the delivery of Najib’s reforms, noting some resistance to change from within Umno and other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

“Like all political parties, there are also considerations within the party,” he said.

Dr Chua nonetheless took pains to stress that the prime minister had already set out a “clear direction” for a better future and had the political will to realise his ambitious reforms.

The Economist suggested in a report published yesterday that Najib may be courting electoral disaster because he has introduced just enough reforms to alienate his own party but not enough to convince the centre ground.

The influential newsmagazine pointed out in the scathing report that the “well-intentioned” Umno president was at odds with his own party, where the concept of Malay privileges was entrenched at divisional level.

READ MORE HERE

State DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen confirmed that John Brian was among the probable candidates except that nothing had been finalised just yet.

“As usual, the selection of candidates is determined by the Candidate Selection Committee but up till now, we have not met to discuss the matter,” he said.

He added that the committee, headed by State DAP chairman Richard Wong Ho Leng, would go through the list of potential candidates as soon as parliament was dissolved.

“At the moment, we are unable to name our candidates, not only Bintulu but also for other areas. One thing I can say is Dr John Brian is one of our potential candidates,” he said.

Chong, who is Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said this at a news conference in his party headquarters here yesterday which was also attended by Dr John Brian.

Responding to queries from the media, he (John) said he was fully prepared to contest in the coming election if given the chance.

“To clear the doubts among the people on the ground, I want to say here that I have officially joined DAP. I am now a committee member of DAP Bintulu branch,” he declared.

On his chances of winning Bintulu if nominated to challenge incumbent Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, he said their machinery was already there.

He said this was because in the state election last year, the total majority votes obtained by Barisan Nasional (BN) in Kemena and Jepak, two of three state seats in Bintulu was lesser than the majority votes obtained by the DAP in Kidurong.

“So to me, this is a good sign that the opposition can put up a good fight in Bintulu in the coming election,” he said.

The party president, who recently told The Malaysian Insider that at least a third of the MCA’s current lawmakers would be dropped and replaced by fresh faces, told reporters here that there would be some “dark horse” candidates in addition to “white horse” ones.

However, he refused to reveal more, saying “it’s not the right time”.

In an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider last month, Dr Chua (picture) expressed confidence that the party would gain more than the 15 federal seats it kept in Election 2008, explaining that some 30 or 40 per cent of the party’s incumbents have already been asked to skip the coming polls.

He stressed that it was imperative for the party to get rid of underperformers and field new faces, pointing out that a more discerning Chinese electorate now paid greater attention to the quality of candidates, apart from the party they represented.

“I’ve already said within the party, there is no such thing as bargaining,” the former health minister had said.

“It’s not to say the old ones are being forced to go. They are told politely that they have to give way to the younger ones.”

READ MORE HERE

“Why is the police afraid of taking action against Shahrizat’s (picture) husband and son?” former city CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim wrote in an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police today.

“To check records and determine if Mohamed Salleh (Shahrizat’s husband) and Wan Shahinur (Shahrizat’s son) used RM31,580 in NFC funds to pay for their umrah in November 2010 only needs a few hours of investigation,” he pointed out.

Mat Zain had called on Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week to instruct the police, graftbusters and the Attorney-General to complete investigations into the scandal-hit livestock company within a fortnight.

He said today that to check whether National Feedlot Corporation (NF Corp) paid RM26,400 to Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat only needed “a few minutes of investigations.”

“If this allegation is true, then Shahrizat has lied to the public when denying that she knew about the affairs and management of NFCorp by her husband and children,” he said.

READ MORE HERE

Berita Harian’s Norakmah Mat Youb, 31, said that copies of Lim’s press statement distributed to the reporters on March 11, 2008, were in English.

“As far as I know, there were no Bahasa Malaysia copies of his press statement.

“To my understanding, ‘to free’ also means ‘mentiadakan’, ‘mansuhkan’ or ‘menghapuskan’ when translated to Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.

Norakmah was testifying for the defendant in Lim’s defamation suit against Utusan Melayu (M) Sdn Bhd over an article in Utusan Malaysia dated March 12, 2008, under the heading ‘Tiada Lagi DEB’.

Lim had testified on Jan 11 that he did not say he was going to abolish or ‘menghapuskan’ the NEP but that he would run the government administration free from the NEP that breeds cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency.

He said the article took it out of context to imply that he wanted to abolish the NEP and had, among other things, implied that he was an irresponsible and unworthy leader.

He also said he had repeatedly clarified to the media on March 13 and 14 that year that he did not want to abolish the NEP but the defendant continued to defame him.

Lim is Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman.

Norakmah also said yesterday that Lim did not rebuke reporters when they used the word ‘abolish’ or ‘menghapuskan’ in reference to the NEP at the March 14 press conference.

She, however, agreed with Lim’s counsel Jagdeep Singh Deo when he put it to her that Lim did not use the words ‘memansuhkan’ and ‘menghapuskan’ at the March 14 press conference.

“He used the word ‘membebaskan’,” she said.

Counsel Mohana Kumar represented Utusan Melayu.

Judicial Commissioner Nurmala Salim fixed March 2 for submissions.

According to media reports here, the leaders now want recently sacked PAS leader Datuk Hasan Ali to replace Zaid, saying the proposal to dissolve Kita was ”unprincipled” and “irresponsible”.

“For any party in Malaysia, this is not the time to talk of dissolution when we are getting ready for war,” said Kedah Kita chief Zamil Ibrahim. “I ask the 10,000 Kita members to be calm. The president cannot dissolve the party according to his whim and fancy.

“It will need a three-quarters majority at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).”

Zamil said Kita “should be having a dialogue with Hasan, who has emerged as the new third force”.

“Hasan has a strong influence and I believe if he leads the party, it is not impossible that Kita will be strong,” he said at a press conference at which  the party’s Johor and Selangor chiefs were also present. “We will become the third force, fitting Hasan’s concept.”

Zaid on Thursday said an EGM would be held to dissolve Kita following reports of members in Kedah and Penang openly attacking Pakatan Rakyat (PR), “making it clear that they are not interested in real issues and merely want to embarrass and ridicule the opposition”.

“I realise now that forming Kita was a mistake,” the former Umno law minister said. “I had hoped to provide alternative ideas in politics and to bring a wider diversity of talent to the opposition’s leadership.”

Zamil hit back, and told reporters that “Zaid has failed to lead the party, so don’t try to blame us”.

READ MORE HERE

(NST) - KELANTAN Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, 81, who first stood as a Pas candidate in a 1967 by-election, announced yesterday his intention to contest the next general election.

Nik Aziz, who had in the past fended off calls for him to retire, notably from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, also urged party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, 65, to at the very least contest a parliamentary seat.

Hadi, who is Marang member of parliament and state assemblyman for Rhu Redang, had hinted he would not contest the elections, making way for younger contenders.

Nik Aziz said yesterday: “I agree that we need to give way to new leaders. I have expressed my intention to step down to state leaders but was asked to stay on. This is the reason I will be contesting.”

He said this after delivering his weekly ceramah at the state Pas headquarters.

Nik Aziz said Hadi’s decision was his own and that he (Nik Aziz) as the party’s spiritual leader, could not do anything about it.

Nik Aziz said Pas now had many qualified candidates, including highly educated ones with doctorates and professionals compared with previously, when most were pondok religious school teachers and villagers.

In December, reacting to a call from Dr Mahathir for him to retire, Nik Aziz said: “I will put up a fight from the start until the end. How can I follow his footsteps? Who asked him to step down?”

Dr Mahathir, who last stood for a parliamentary seat at 74 in 1999, had said Nik Aziz should emulate him and retire from politics.

“I just want to advise him to forget any intention of contesting. It is good that he retires as I have also retired. Nik Aziz has been (in politics) longer than me,” Dr Mahathir had said then.

Dr Mahathir was first elected in 1964 while Nik Aziz first stood as a Pas candidate in a byelection for the Kelantan Hilir parliamentary seat in 1967.

The New Straits Times was also told that Pas had decided at a Wednesday night political bureau meeting that Hadi should contest either a state or parliamentary seat.

Pas information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said Hadi had agreed to this.

“I hope that with this announcement, the issue will be put to rest.”

In a related development, Universiti Sains Malaysia social sciences senior lecturer Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk said the reluctance of the party to field new faces might be because of “old guards” within the party.

“When certain leaders have been around for a long time, senior members of the party might be unwilling to put their trust in new faces,” he said.

(NST) - Former Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad has called on politicians on both sides of the divide to set aside political interests in the fight against corruption.

Hamid said corruption was not always in the form of political donations but rather informed by "personal and direct" interests.

"For those in power, the attitude that they are an exception is not going to help... no one is special and none is an exception.

"For the opposition, the attitude that today is your turn and tomorrow will be our turn is not going to help either," he said in his speech at the First United Premier Lecture on Integrity yesterday.

Drawing on his experience as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Advisory Council chairman, he said fighting corruption should be a common ground for all.

He also expressed his disappointment in those who took sides based on their political leanings.

"Some groups take sides according to their vested interests, in the name of the people, justice, fairness, equality, freedom of speech, human rights and democracy.

"They screamed for action to be taken against their opponents but when their members were investigated, they alleged that they were persecuted.

"When their opponents were arrested, charged, tried and convicted, there was complete silence from them."

He called on all leaders, including corporate leaders and top level management, to set a good example.

"Very often, people tend to focus on the public sector while the private sector escapes attention. Government, public servants, judges and others must be clean while companies and businessmen need not as they are only to be judged by how much profits they make."

Hamid also defended the judiciary, alluding to attempts to discredit its integrity during the sodomy trial of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"When the judgment turned out to be in his favour, (Anwar) said that he was acquitted because the government was worried about the negative image abroad if he were convicted.

"Is that not an allegation or an inference that the judge took instruction from the executive to arrive at his decision or that the executive dictated the decision to him?"

He cited, in comparison, cases where government leaders such as former Malacca executive councillor Datuk Sahar Arpan and former Negri Sembilan executive councillor Datuk Waad Mansor were successfully convicted of various crimes without questioning judicial integrity.

"For that matter, (former Transport Ministers) Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy whose cases are still pending are all fighting their  cases on merits, not by attacking judges or the judiciary."

Shahrizat said it was nothing unusual for political leaders to face pressure and that this was all part and parcel of politics.

"If there are people who know the workings of Wanita Umno and are calling me to quit, it must be because they have their own agendas," she said when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here today.

She said the quit calls would not dampen her spirit but only make her stronger in continuing to serve society. 

As to her Cabinet post, Shahrizat said she was leaving this to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to decide.
 
"I respect his (Najib's) leadership. So the decision whether I should remain in the Cabinet or not is up to him.

Shahrizat also said she had no knowledge as to what Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz (former International Trade and Industry Minister and whom she succeeded as Wanita Umno chief) had to say about her.

She said she deeply respected Rafidah and would continue with efforts to strengthen Wanita Umno to face the next general election.

Shahrizat who just returned from performing the umrah in Mecca, will be resuming her Cabinet duties on Wednesday.

She had taken three weeks leave following the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) controversy.
 
The controversy arose after the Auditor-General in his 2011 report stated that the centre had not met its scheduled targets since it started operations.

The centre is managed by NFCorp, which is owned by her husband  Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail. The government had provided a RM250 million soft loan for the running of the centre, which was entrusted to help the country reduce beef imports.

Rafidah in an interview with a local daily had alluded that political leaders faced with serious controversies should "know what to do."

Dr Hasan's struggle is similar to UMNO's, which also fought for the same concepts from the beginning, he said after officiating at the Parent Teachers Association of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Burong here, today. 

However, UMNO also protects the rights of other races, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, said Noh. 

He said Dr Hasan's road show after being sacked by PAS has managed to attract a part of the community, especially the Malays, to listen to his explanation on Pakatan Rakyat's weaknesses and fragmentation in leadership.

Noh added that in addition to Dr Hasan's revelations about the opposition, former Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Kulim Bandar Baru member of parliament Datuk Zulkifli Nordin was also doing the same, to raise people's awareness of the situation.

(Free Malaysia Today) - PKR has urged the government not to stick its fingers into the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to provide financing for those who do not qualify for housing loans.

Speaking at a press conference today, party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said it was not proper for the government to spend money beloging to the workers for the project as it was risky.

“I agree that we need to help the needy but why not get banks to support it instead?” she asked.

Last month, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had announced the scheme, due on March 1, to help people own homes under the National Economic Action Council’s People Housing Programme as well as Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s public housing scheme.

Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said funds worth RM1.5 billion would be used to help those who were unable to secure housing loans.

However, Fomca had advised the government against it saying such loans would not make money for EPF and there was a high risk of the debtors defaulting on payments.

“The funds must come directly from the government and those who qualify should pay rental for their units and subsequently have this converted to ownership,” Fomca had reportedly said.

It also said the government must consider EPF contributors’ interest and not abuse the fund as it served as a safety net for retirees.

Agreeing with Fomca’s sentiments, Nurul said if the plan went through and the buyers defaulted on their payments, the govermment might risk having a subprime mortgage crisis like the one in US.

She added that even now, many living in public housing schemes were dependent on welfare aid just to pay rent.

READ MORE HERE

In a scathing report headlined “Najib at bay” that was published today, the weekly newspaper pointed out that the Umno president was at odds with his own party where the concept of Malay privileges is entrenched at divisional level.

“The trouble is that though Mr Najib believes in change, much of his party clearly does not,” The Economist pointed out in its report on politics in Malaysia.

“Umno was founded specifically to protect Malay privileges and has ruled Malaysia without interruption since independence. Mr Najib came to power in 2009 not through an electoral mandate for change, but in an internal coup.

“As a consequence, he lacks the clout and possibly the will to impose his agenda on Umno. And the longer he postpones an election, the more his personal authority will ebb.”

Yesterday, the still powerful former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged Najib to postpone polls until he wins back support from the Chinese community.

Dr Mahathir also said he believed that Barisan Nasional (BN) would win a simple majority if elections were held today, but would not regain its two-thirds majority in Parliament nor win back states it lost to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in 2008.

But The Economist in its report today said Najib’s inability to convince the Umno party hardline would cost him.

The newspaper said that resistance to Najib’s changes has become something of a leitmotif, or theme, of his time in office.

It also pointed out that the decision of the Attorney-General to appeal Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy acquittal “hardly looks good” and has renewed suspicions that nothing much has changed in Umno.

READ MORE HERE

Dr Mahathir said yesterday that BN should delay calling elections to allow more time to win support from groups specifically the Chinese community.

“That is a perception. I always say that the Chinese are very strategic voters,” Dr Chua (picture) told reporters today when asked to comment on Dr Mahathir’s remarks.

“And in politics we don’t know when is the election and we don’t know when the Chinese will come back,” he added.

Dr Chua cited the 2008 general election as an example.

“Everyone said that everybody is with BN,” he said.

“Until the ballot boxes were open, we found out that not everybody is with BN.”

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir had said he was confident Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would probably secure a simple majority in Parliament without winning back the two-thirds control lost in 2008 if elections were held today.

But, he said, BN would struggle to win back states held by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

He said BN “can’t afford to lose support from any sector of the country. The current thinking is that the Chinese won’t vote for the government.”

The MCA has been struggling to win back Chinese votes lost to the opposition in 2008.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Najib had recently decided to delay polls despite plans to hold elections in the first quarter of the year.

He is understood to be keen to gauge support for BN only after a slew of direct aid packages for the public and economic stimulus projects kick in, because of concerns over a softening economy.

A bungle over a proposed new salary scheme for civil servants and the continuing controversy over the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) involving Cabinet member Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil’s family have also contributed to a rethink in BN strategy.

There had been speculation that Najib would call for a general election soon as his popularity remains high and there is a positive buzz from the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to acquit Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on a sodomy charge, the second in 14 years.

(The Star) - The DAP has been misleading the Chinese into believing that a vote for the party would help realise their hopes of getting fair treatment and a top Chinese leader.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said many Chinese voters still did not understand that a vote for the DAP was actually a vote for the PKR and PAS, and not to realise their hope.

In fact, he said, a vote for the DAP would help PAS realise its objective of forming an Islamic state and implement its brand of hudud.

Citing Perak as an example, Dr Chua said that DAP won 18 state seats against the six won by PAS and seven by PKR, but the (then) Mentri Besar was Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin from PAS.

Apart from that, Dr Chua said DAP did not fulfil its promises to its Chinese supporters after the last elections.

For instance, he said, Pakatan-ruled states like Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan did not give any land for Chinese schools.

In Selangor, only two out of some 1,500 who were awarded scholarships by the state government were Chinese in 2010, he added.

Besides, many of the elected representatives from the Opposition were also missing in action after the elections, Dr Chua said, adding that MCA leaders ended up having to help the people.

“I have received many complaints from the people on such elected representatives,” Dr Chua said during a Chinese New Year dinner in Bercham here yesterday.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham's police report against him yesterday, saying he had accused the DAP of wanting to form a “Chinese state government in Perak”, Dr Chua said it was the DAP's right to lodge the report.

“In a democracy, the people have the right to bring matters up for discussion. It is up to the rakyat to discuss and decide,” he said.

Dr Chua cautioned the people of DAP's approach to fish for votes by using Penang where the chief minister is from DAP .

“This is perception by association,” he said, adding that the reality was that the DAP was helping to strengthen PAS, pointing out that Perak and Kedah were good examples after the last elections.

“The Chinese must be very clear that the DAP, PKR and PAS are partners but contest under their own party ticket during the general elections,” Dr Chua pointed out.

The Prime Minister said the election could be held anytime as long as it was before April 2013.

"They keep on guessing (the date). One day they will get it right," he told reporters after a meet-the-rakyat session in Rhu Rendang state constituency here Friday.

"Many factors need to be considered before timing for the election can be determined," he added.

Talk has been rife that Parliament would be dissolved after Thaipusam, which falls on Tuesday.

Najib was clearly amused when asked on this possibility.

"Earlier, people speculated that it (election) will be in November (last year) and they will continue to speculate.

"I'm not dismissing anything. Right now, I am concentrating on going to the ground and meeting the rakyat," he said.

He, however, declined to say who gave the order. Sources said the directive came from the PAS leadership.

“I was told not to say anything about UUCA. So, do not ask me about UUCA or Kolej Universiti Insaniah (Kuin),” he said here.

The gag order was issued after Azizan blasted his critics who questioned him for supporting the suspension of five students of Kuin for breaching college regulations in May last year.

It was reported that many Pakatan Rakyat leaders were unhappy with Azizan's comments that touched on the UUCA and also Pakatan Rakyat's Buku Jingga or Common Policy Framework.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu had asked Azizan to give an explanation to the party central committee on his stand on the UUCA and the suspension of the students.

However, Azizan sent his political secretary Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to brief the committee on Wednesday.

Azizan was reported as saying that he had called up party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang to explain the matter and the party president had accepted his explanation.

It was reported that the students were suspended for organising protests against Kuin.

The students were hauled up before a disciplinary committee on May 25, last year for breaching the UUCA by participating in a demonstration, making speeches with loudspeakers and holding a press conference to protest the use of a religious teaching block to house a smart school.

Azizan had said the decision to suspend them was made by Kuin and the state government did not interfere with the decision.

Leaders, claiming to represent five states where Kita is active, said Zaid should bow out if he felt he had failed to achieve his goals instead of dragging the party's name through the mud.

Kedah chief Zamil Ibrahim went so far as to say it had been a gross mistake to elect Zaid as party chief.

(The Star) - The MCA will not stop its members from attending future Perkasa events, says party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He said there were some Opposition leaders who wanted to link the MCA with the Malay rights group but the party will not issue any order prohibiting its members from going for Perkasa's events.

"We won't do such a thing, unlike some parties who claim to be democratic but prevent certain media from covering their activities," he told a press conference after a cheque presentation ceremony to the Malaysian Youth Volunteers (MyCorps) here Friday.

Dr Chua said this following a Chinese New Year open house organised by Perkasa last Sunday, when its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali distributed white angpows to those present - a move reserved for funerals in the Chinese culture.

MCA Sri Desa branch chairman Collin Tiew, who translated Ibrahim's speech at the event, resigned from all his posts in the party following the incident.

"I thank him (Tiew) for that because he acted responsibly. At no time was he representing MCA when he attended the event," Dr Chua said.

Raja Petra Kamarudin says voters are now faced with an unappealing choice – a candidate from a party that is despised or a despicable candidate from a party that they like.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Faced with a Catch-22 predicament, blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said voters might choose to abstain from casting their ballots in the next general election.

In an interview with FMT, he critcised Pakatan Rakyat for offering third-rate candidates and shutting the door on quality candidates brought forth by the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), which he founded.

“We (the voters) have to choose between a candidate from a party that we don’t like and a very poor quality candidate from a party that we like. So what do we do now?” he asked.

He also pointed out that not all in Barisan Nasional were “useless” and warned the opposition bloc that if it forced the people to choose between candidates in terms of quality, the votes might go in favour of the ruling coalition.

‘These are wakil rakyat, not wakil parti’

Raja Petra, who is currently living in London, also dismissed Pakatan’s argument that outsiders should not meddle into party affairs with regard to candidates.

He said that if it was a party election, then the argument would hold sway but this was a general election.

“We are choosing a ‘wakil rakyat’. What does a ‘wakil rakyat’ mean, it is a representative of the people and the people, is me. I’m the people. I’m the one who is going to choose… don’t we the people have a right in voicing out, to express our opinions about the quality of candidates?

“You’re asking us to vote for these candidates to represent us. These are not ‘wakil parti’…,” he added.

As for MCLM, Raja Petra said it swung into action after Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim claimed that the opposition could not convince professionals and civil society figures to step into the political arena.

“So we told Anwar, let us try… let us approach the same people who you approached… let us try to convince them… of course (they’ll stand) on your party ticket, whether PAS, PKR or DAP,” he said.

Raja Petra said MCLM explained to these candidates that they did not need to join any of the opposition parties but could contest under their banners.

Initially, he recalled, those approached had refused but “we told them: ‘look, do this as a national duty, we know it’s going to be troublesome, we know there’s going to be a lot of aggravation and you have to sacrifice a lot, you’re so busy, you’ve got a successful business and stuff like that… but look, forget about your personal losses, personal suffering and personal inconveniences, think of the nation. Do this as a national service. Do it for the rakyat. Just one term, that’s all we ask, just to help get quality candidates for Pakatan’.”

READ MORE HERE

Dr Mahathir said he was confident Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would probably secure a simple majority in Parliament without winning back the two-thirds control lost in 2008 if elections were held today.

But he said BN would struggle to win back states held by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

“If you have the time, use the time to build up support,” Dr Mahathir told the international news agency.

He said BN “can’t afford to lose support from any sector of the country. The current thinking is that the Chinese won’t vote for the government.”

The Malaysian Insider understands that Najib had recently decided to delay polls despite plans to hold elections in the first quarter of the year.

He is understood to be keen to gauge support for BN only after a slew of direct aid packages for the public and economic stimulus projects kick in, because of concerns over a softening economy.

A bungle over a proposed new salary scheme for civil servants and the continuing controversy over the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) involving Cabinet member Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil’s family has also contributed to a rethink in BN strategy.

There had been speculation that Najib would call for a general election soon as his popularity remains high and there is a positive buzz from the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision to acquit Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of a sodomy charge, the second in 14 years.

Analysts have said that the prime minister should call for a snap poll so as to take advantage of the feel-good factor of the verdict and people’s happiness in receiving a RM500 direct cash aid while opposition leaders are confident Najib will delay the election in order to build up support.

Dr Mahathir appeared to agree with the arguments from opposition leaders about why polls should be delayed.

READ MORE HERE

(NST) - AHMAD Sofian Yahya, who blogs under  "Sekupangdua", has filed a countersuit against Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming for RM11 million, about a month after Sofian was slapped with a RM10 million defamation suit by Nga.

The suit was filed at the High Court registry here about 2.50pm yesterday through the law firm Ong-Hanim & Badrul.

Sofian is seeking RM11 million in general damages,  an unspecific amount in exemplary and aggravated damages besides interests, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Sofian filed the countersuit as he felt that the Taiping member of parliament and Pantai Remis assemblyman's earlier suit against him was aimed at tarnishing his image as well as a move to prevent him from speaking out.

He also wanted Nga to retract all allegations  against him which were reported in a news portal on Dec 19. He is giving Nga 14 days from the date he received the writ of summons to file a defence.

Nga   filed a RM10 million defamation suit against   Sofian on Jan 3 and had sought an injunction to restrain   the blogger, his agents or employees from writing, publishing, or posting words, statements or writings in his blog that are derogatory to him or members of his family.

In the posting titled "Panas! Bongkar Nga Komeng dan Pakatan Rakyat Menyamun" (Hot! Exposed Nga Komeng and Pakatan Rakyat are Robbers), the blogger had allegedly uploaded several documents which showed abuse  of power in the awarding of a tender to make the coats of 24 Ipoh city  councillors.

Sofian told reporters yesterday that   Nga had to prove   there was no element  of power abuse in the awarding of the contract.

"I am filing this countersuit to represent some 100,000 of my  readers who want   freedom of speech without the threat of being sued," he added.

Sofian said  Nga had not lodged any police report on the allegations against him while the blogger had lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission  on the matter.

Batu MP Chua Tian Chang said the pig’s head, which was wrapped in a black plastic bag, was discovered outside the gates of Masjid Al-Hidayah at around 7.30am by mosque officials.

The PKR vice-president said he was told that mosque officials first noticed the bag at around 11 last night but the pig’s head was only discovered this morning when the bag was opened.

Police have taken away the pig’s head and are said to be investigating the matter.

Chua said he believed the act to be a “politically motivated provocation” calculated to create tension among Muslims and non-Muslims. He urged all parties to remain calm.

“We shouldn’t fall into the trap and, of course, everyone should condemn such an irresponsible act,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

On Tuesday, a pig’s head was found outside Masjid Nurul Iman at Batu 18, Rawang, reportedly the first such incident in the area.

It was discovered at 5.30am by a mosque official, who immediately contacted the police.

The High Court’s decision will allow dozens of civil suits between Tajudin and various parties — totalling at least 52 cases in the Court of Appeal and High Court — to proceed, The Edge Financial Daily reported today.

All suits in the High Court involving the poster boy of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s plan to groom Bumiputera entrepreneurs fixed for March 8 will go ahead as scheduled, the paper added.

These include suits filed by Pengurusan Danaharta Bhd, Telekom Malaysia, Celcom, CIMB, Naluri Corp Bhd, Atlan Holdings Bhd and national carrier MAS.

The Financial Daily said Tajudin had also applied to the Court of Appeal on January 27 to adjourn “all relevant cases” to enable their settlement to be finalised out of court.

In his application, Tajudin (picture) said he has been asked by Danaharta, the main plaintiff in the civil suits against him, to seek an adjournment as the co-ordination of its many cases had not been finalised.

The appellate court has yet to decide on the application but if disallowed, the case between Tajudin and the national debt restructuring company, scheduled for hearing from February 13 to 15, is expected to proceed.

The case before the Court of Appeal follows a High Court decision on December 7, 2009 for Tajudin to pay Danaharta RM589.14 million with two per cent interest per annum above the base lending rate of Maybank, backdated to January 1, 2006.

The Malaysian Insider reported last August that Putrajaya had directed government-linked companies (GLCs) and national debt restructuring company Danaharta to drop all claims against Tajudin, formerly MAS’s major shareholder.

In a letter sent by de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the GLCs and Danaharta were informed that the Finance Ministry had agreed to settle all outstanding civil suits against Tun Daim Zainuddin’s protégé out-of-court.

In 2009, Danaharta and two of its subsidiaries won a RM589.14 million suit against Tajudin. The case arose after the tycoon executed a facility agreement on July 13, 1994 to borrow RM1.79 billion from a group of syndicated lenders to finance the purchase by him of a 32 per cent stake in MAS.

However, from 1994 to 1998 he failed to service the original loan, causing it to become a non-performing loan (NPL).

In 1998, Danaharta acquired the NPL from the lenders but Tajuddin also failed to settle his debts to Danaharta until it was in default of RM1.41 billion as at October 8, 2001.

As part of a settlement agreement, Tajudin was to pay RM942 million in four instalments over three years and that he was permitted to redeem his charged shares at a minimum price per share.

Tajudin, however, defaulted in the payment of the quarterly interest payable under the settlement agreement and on April 27, 2002, the plaintiffs terminated the settlement agreement and demanded RM1.61 billion from him.

READ MORE HERE

The party’s decision was reached during the high-powered political bureau meeting that was chaired by party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang at its headquarters last night.

Party information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man told the New Straits Times after the meeting that they understood the context in which Anwar made the statement.

“His support was conditional. It was on condition that Israel took all efforts to ensure Palestine’s security. This is what he meant.”

He said the party considered the issue closed.

Meanwhile another political bureau member, Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Khalid Samad said after the meeting that although the party did not recognise Israel, it accepted Anwar’s explanation that it was made in the context of a “two-state solution”.

“It was his view as PKR leader. Both parties can have differing views on this issue but this does not affect us in any way as our fundamentals are the same on national issues.”

The Gua Musang Umno Division chief said he did not stay away from the meetings on purpose.

"I do not attend, not that I do not want to attend, because I get the invitation (for the meetings) one day late or on the eve of the meetings," he told reporters after attending a closed-door meeting of the committee with visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin here today.

Tengku Razaleigh was asked about his absence at meetings of the committee after the 12th general election in March 2008.

Asked whether the Barisan Nasional (BN) can recapture Kelantan, now ruled by a PAS-led government, he said it is possible if the BN makes adequate preparations.

"We are always confident, but it depends on our preparations and determination," he said.  

Asked whether he would collaborate with opposition party leaders to strengthen his political position, Tengku Razaleigh said in jest: "I am married, right? It is better to be affiliated with my wife!"

(Free Malaysia Today) - The outrage over Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali’s distribution of ang pau in tabooed white envelopes to the Chinese community has reached Sabah.

Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui said Ibrahim had offended and insulted the Chinese community when he handed ang pau in white packets which is reserved for funerals instead of the traditional red.

She said Ibrahim’s apology cannot undo the damage and insult to the Chinese community.

“It is unbelievable, he (Ibrahim) as a senior citizen born in Malaysia, a mixed cultural society, and he chose to be ignorant of the culture of the Chinese which is the second biggest community in Malaysia,” she said yesterday.

The MP said it was unbelievable that Ibrahim, known for his militant defence of the Malay community, did not know he was offending the Chinese community by his gesture.

“Ibrahim should know that even Bank Islam’s ang pau packet is red and showed that the bank acknowledged that Chinese New Year festivities played a prominent role in Malaysian culture every year.

“Even village children in Sabah know ang pau packets are red in colour. He chose to be blind on the white packet,” she said noting that the media was awash with advertisements emphasizing red as the colour of the festival.

The incident, she said, clearly showed that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Vision 2020 of a united Malaysia was superficial as polarization still exist in West Malaysia.

READ MORE HERE

(Free Malaysia Today) - Kita has only just passed its one year mark but has already been deemed a “mistake” and is en route to a dissolution.

Party chief Zaid Ibrahim announced the decision in a tweet this morning that simply stated “Kita will be dissolved soon”. In an ensuing media statement, Zaid said that an Extraordinary General Meeting would be held soon to dissolve the party.

The move, he explained, was neccesary to put an end to all doubt of Kita’s support for Pakatan Rakyat in light of its Kedah and Penang branches being openly critical of the opposition.

“They have been doing this on a regular basis, making it clear that they are not interested in real issues affecting the country and merely want to embarrass and ridicule the opposition,” Zaid stated.

The Kedah chief is Zamil Ibrahim while Nibong Tebal MP, Tan Tee Beng, heads the Penang branch.

Both have been very vocal in their criticism of both Zaid and Pakatan’s conduct.

Zaid admitted that he had failed in his attempt to set up a political party that supported moderate and progressive ideas, and bring civility and decorum to the political discourse.

“I have not succeeded in bringing in enough members who are interested in democratic ideals, good governance and accountability amongst public officials,” he said.

“I have also not been able to raise sufficient funds to manage the party’s activities, and friends who had promised to help have since decided otherwise.”

The former law minister added that the media’s interest in “petty issues” affecting the party was also another indication of the difficulties it faced.

“There are enough people out there who are just interested in criticising my leadership of Kita, and who manufacture stories to ridicule me,” he said.

“The Malays have a proverb ‘jika sesat di penghujung jalan, kembalilah ka pangkal jalan’ (if you get lost along the way, go back to the beginning”. I realise now that forming Kita was a mistake.”

Zaid nevertheless said that he wasn’t disheartened and pledged to continue doing his part until he can help bring about change for the betterment of the country.

READ MORE HERE

(Free Malaysia Today) - Kita Kedah chief, Zamil Ibrahim, is reeling in shock over the news of Kita’s dissolution and the implication of his apparent hand in it.

Kita founder, Zaid Ibrahim, today announced that an extraordinary general meeting would be held soon to dissolve the party which he called a “mistake”.

Zaid said that the move was necessary to end all doubts that Kita was backing Pakatan Rakyat due to its Kedah and Penang branches’ criticism of the opposition coalition.

Zamil, who is the Kedah chief, slammed Zaid’s decision as “irresponsible” and “unreasonable”.

“Kita isn’t a business that can be simply opened and closed,” he said of the one-year-old party. “A president should call an emergency meeting and speak to us instead of turning to the media with such drastic statements.”

Zamil said that he had in fact been summoned by Kita’s disciplinary committee last month over his criticism of Pakatan after Zaid had openly voiced support for the opposition.

Since then he claimed that he had not made any further criticism of the opposition and pointed out that he had even criticised Barisan Nasional before.

Arm-twisting

He then turned the tables on Zaid, saying that none of this dissent would have risen if Zaid had honoured the party’s original intent of remaining unaffiliated to any political party.

“This what attracted me, (Kita Penang chief) Tan Tee Beng and our members to join the party in the first place,” he stated.

Zamil, who only learnt of the decision from Zaid’s tweet this morning, said that mentioning the Kedah branch was akin to arm-twisting him to respond.

READ MORE HERE

The approval by the country's Atomic Energy Licensing Board on Wednesday eases uncertainty for Lynas and investors after speculation that the licence could have been rejected in the face of opposition from political parties and residents near the plant ahead of national elections expected within months.

"The temporary licence has been approved with conditions. If these conditions are not met, the temporary licence can be suspended or cancelled and subsequent applications for the licence will not be considered," the atomic licensing board and the Ministry of Science said in a joint statement.

Malaysian government officials have said the final decision on the so-called pre-operating licence will be made by Prime Minister Najib Razak and his cabinet, but an opposition politician has already called for a judicial review .

"I am disappointed, but I expected this move from the Malaysian government," said Fuziah Salleh, an opposition member of parliament for Kuantan in Pahang state where the plant is being built.

She said opponents would file for a judicial review of the decision, especially to voice their concern that radioactive residue from the plant's operations could contaminate the environment.

"The main issue is the permanent disposal facility, the government has asked for the waste to be shipped back to the source -- which is Mt Weld but Australia has said it will not take the waste back. So Malaysians are stuck with it at the expense of profits for Lynas."

TERMS OF OPERATION

The plant on Malaysia's east coast will process rare earths mined in Australia at Lynas' Mount Weld project with the company responsible for managing residue, including "returning waste to its original source if necessary," the statement said.

The company would also have to submit a plan for a permanent disposal facility for residue within 10 months and pay $50 million to the Malaysian government as a financial guarantee.

The atomic board would also have the right to select an independent consultant to assess Lynas' adherence to the conditions, the statement said.

Lynas received a favourable report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but the world body told it to provide a long-term waste management and safety plan.

Lynas says that its plant is safe and is not comparable at all to a rare-earths plant in Malaysia that was shut by a unit of Mitsubishi Chemicals in 1992, after residents there blamed the plant for birth defects and a high rate of leukemia cases.

CHINA'S DOMINANCE

The Malaysian plant will process rare earths mined in Australia at Lynas' Mount Weld project. The operation is key to relieving China's dominance of the supply of rare earths metals, crucial in a range of products from mobile phones to computer hard drives.

Japan is counting on Lynas to supply 8,500 tonnes a year of rare earths by early 2013 to curb its reliance on China, under a deal involving trading house Sojitz Corp and state-run Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp.

China has said that other countries should ramp up production of rare earth minerals and reduce their reliance on Chinese exports. Its government has rolled out measures in the past year such as mining and export quotas as it aims to conserve its rare earths resources.

"The people should not deny this and claim there is no need for race-based parties in a multi-racial country."

While the Constitution acknowledges the privileges of the Malays and the special position of Islam, the political reality requires the interests of the minorities and non-Muslims to be safeguarded as well, he said.

"The MCA is not ashamed that it is an ethnic-based party. The Chinese community has its own interests and sensitivities that require it to be organised in a country with diverse cultures and religions," added Ti, who is the Kuantan MCA division chairman.

He said the party conceded that racial sentiment was still prevalent in Malaysia and the nation was still far from achieving the ideals of 1Malaysia.

Nevertheless, he added that the MCA still worked towards the multi-racial spirit of 1Malaysia.

"We manage communal sentiments in a positive and responsible manner.

"But instead of being given credit, we have been demonised and attacked for being a racial party. This has to be corrected," he said.

"The Malays have their special problems but, by and large, they have government institutions to help them as they mainly make up the departments.

"They also have the Conference of Rulers and the Constitution to attend to them," he said, stating the minorities needed political parties and social organisations to take up their issues and protect their rights.

The journey through this logging track to reach Ba'Kelalan, located on the highlands bordering Kalimantan, Indonesia, can be very challenging and dangerous due to it appalling conditions.

But since the end of last year, the situation has dramatically improved following the upgrading of the track, which begun in 2009 as part of the effort to help the rural communities.

It used to take eight hours to two days, depending on weather conditions, to reach Ba'Kelalan from the nearby town of Lawas; but today, travellers can reach their destination within three to four hours.

The former logging track between Long Luping and Ba'Kelalan -- a 75km stretch often impassable when it become too muddy after a heavy downpour -- has been improved through an allocation of RM52 million by the federal government.

The recently completed improvements, which include access roads to several villages and 10 new bridges, was carried out by the Royal Engineering Regiment of the Malaysian Armed Forces, through a soil stabilisation technology under the "Jiwa Murni" project.

Ba'Kelalan community leader Tagal Paran, 78, has been reported saying the upgraded road has cut travel time by half, and the people are delighted that they do not have to worry about being cut off from Lawas during the monsoon season.

He said villagers are grateful to the federal government for funding the project, and the Defence Ministry for sending soldiers to complete the work through the ministry's community outreach programme, Jiwa Murni.

In order to show their appreciations, about 30 community leaders and village elders from Ba'Kelalan and Bario travelled recently from the highlands to Putrajaya to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, to thank him personally for the road.

What is interesting about this project is that the army managed to build the 75km Long Luping-Ba'Kelalan road for only RM52 million, slashing 75 per cent from the estimated RM250 million if it had been implemented by conventional contract.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the project was a development concept that has never been carried out before.

"What attracted me and the government most is that the project, under the old thinking, would have needed to wait for quite some time, as the allocation was substantial, but it could be completed very quickly once we had taken the decision," he told the visiting community leaders and village elders.

Just a few days after he took office, the Prime Minister sent his political secretary Datuk Shahlan Ismail to Ba'Kelalan to survey the people's needs and make recommendations.

"He came back with gruesome pictures of road conditions, and it would have taken a long time to resolve the problems with the conventional concept. That is why we decided that a new concept was needed," Najib said.

Already the impact of the project has been tremendous, as villagers now enjoy lower transportation costs and cheaper daily necessities.

"I was told that a can of soft drink used to cost RM3 but now it's RM2, while a cylinder of gas that costs RM60 is now RM45 in Ba'Kelalan," Najib said.

Completion of the road has brought much relief and happiness to the Ba'Kelalan folks.

As pointed out by Sandra Munga Tagal in a letter to a local newspaper and on a blog, the completion of the Luping-Ba'Kelalan road enabled many natives to return to the highlands to celebrate last year's Christmas.

With limited off-days and just timber tracks connecting the outside world to her village in Ba'Kelalan, she explained, it used to be very difficult for people to spend holidays in the remote highlands with their families.

However, last Christmas, many drove home from various parts of Sarawak.

"Today, many enjoyed Christmas and the long holiday season with their families and loved ones in the remote highlands. You no longer need to travel by four-wheel-drive vehicles and spend the night on the road when it rains.

"This year we enjoyed the biggest Christmas gathering in history, as almost everyone made it a point to drive home to Ba'Kelalan. Those who returned home to Long Semadoh and Ba'Kelalan for Christmas drove from as far as Kuching (more than 1,000 km), Bintulu, Miri, Brunei and Kota Kinabalu, much to their old folks' delight," she wrote in a blog.

She said some had been dreaming for 29 years of getting their families together at the village for Christmas, but it was never easy, especially for those travelling with infants and children on the rough tracks.

Getting a seat on MASWings -- a rural air service operated by Malaysia Airlines' subsidiary -- during the festive season was too difficult because of the limit of 19 seats in the Twin-Otter aircraft.

However, with the newly built road, many people were able to spend Christmas in the village with their parents and families.

"Thank you, Mr. PM (Prime Minister), for what you have done and, Oh! The smiles on those wrinkled faces.

"And you should have seen the joyful light in the eyes of the fresh little faces," she summed up.

(Business Times) - Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun’s personal wealth could increase by as much as US$500 million (RM1.52 billion) this year, thanks to the initial public offer of Facebook Inc, the world’s largest social networking service company.

Reports seem to suggest that Tan’s MOL Global owns about one per cent of Facebook. According to its website, MOL Global is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest Internet companies and owns MOL Access Portal Bhd (MOL), a payment service provider.

Tan took MOL private in 2008, and a year later, the company made global headlines when it bought 100 per cent of Friendster, the world’s first social networking site, for an undisclosed amount.

By 2010, MOL sold Friendster’s patents to Facebook, and MOL received 700,000 shares as part of the deal, which have since turned into 3.5 million shares by mid-2011.