(TMI) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wants to sign up some 500,000 volunteers to protest at the Election Commission (EC) offices until the members resign in favour of replacements who report directly to parliament.

The coalition also wants voters to lodge reports against the EC forusing indelible ink that can be washed off immediately after the May 5 general elections, despite claims that it was introduced to prevent possible double voting.

“The people will move to SPR until SPR is dibubarkan (disbanded). Can?” losing PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin asked thousands who crowded a rally here organised by 60 NGOs, referring to the EC by its initials in the Malay language.

Emceeing the rally to protest alleged electoral fraud at the Dataran Petaling Jaya in Jalan Timur, Badrul led the crowd in chants of “SPR letak jawatan” (EC resign), singling out EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and deputy Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

PR has blamed alleged electoral fraud for not becoming government although it won the popular vote in Election 2013. It won 89 federal seats against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) which took 133 seats in the 222-seat parliament.

The politician better known as CheguBard heads Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), which is demanding that the EC should not be under the Prime Minister’s Department but should report to parliament.

A man holds a sign at the rally. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the last to address the rally but he also rejected the idea of working with the EC and supported calls that the current EC members resign immediately.

“We will never cooperate or work or engage with such a deceitful Election Commission,” the PKR de facto chief said, adding that an “ultimatum” will be issued if they do not resign.

Anwar urged the public to lodge police reports if they had experienced the alleged premature washing-off of the indelible ink from their fingers on voting day.

He said they should do so from tomorrow onwards up until Monday and send copies of the reports to PR.

“This is to show the power and might of the people. We challenge you according to due process. We also respect the rule of law,” said Anwar.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pakatan-seeks-500000-volunteers-for-anti-ec-action/ 

Wilfred Bumburing’s Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah (APS) is likely to lead the way to the formation of a common local opposition front for Sabah. 

Joseph Bingkasan, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Former Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing said his Sabah Reform Movement or Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) will not disband and merge with PKR but would instead focus on a unified Sabah opposition grouping.

Bumburing, who won the Tamparuli state seat on a PKR ticket in the May 5 polls, said that APS leaders had decided that for now the Pakatan Rakyat friendly movement would remain an NGO.

The APS leadership also discussed the possibility of registering as a political party. Also discussed was the possibility of  consolidating with other local-based opposition parties and non-governmental organisations for a Sabah or Borneo-based united opposition front.

Bumburing said APS would initiate discussions with Sabah-based opposition parties and NGOs about forming a united opposition front which the movement believes was reflected by voting trends during the general elections.

Local opposition leaders in the state like the former Tuaran MP are just coming to terms with their near wipeout in the elections with voters opting for the more united Pakatan Rakyat alliance rather than individual Sabah opposition parties.

Bumburing has been the first to bravely address what many had said was obvious and that a divided opposition was no force in facing the might of the Umno-led ruling Barisan Nasional.

Local opposition leaders like SAPP’s Yong Teck Lee and State Reform Party’s Jeffrey Kitingan were caught by surprise by the overwhelming swing to the ‘peninsula-based’ opposition coalition by voters they had assumed would retain the Sabah bias they had displayed in past elections.

They are now staring at irrelevance for the immediate future based on the performance of the Pakatan Rakyat based parties.

The emerging picture is that only unity at local level can save them from being swamped.

Bumburing said the 13th general election had also shown that winning the popular vote was not enough to topple the BN especially when the opposition vote was split between various parties.

READ MORE HERE

(The Sun Daily) - A PKR delegate from Selangor today proposed for state Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to help groom "potential" party leaders through appointing them to positions in government-linked companies.

PKR Selangor information chief Shuhaimi Shafie, in his debate at the 9th PKR National Congress, said the move should also be extended to all Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states.

"We are however against any attempt by appointed leaders to abuse the positions as a means to enrich themselves," he stressed.

Shuhaimi's proposal was made in support of a call made by PKR deputy president Mohamad Azmin Ali, and echoed by many leaders throughout the congress proceedings, on the need for the party to strengthen its members and the organisation.

Shuhaimi also said that PKR now have garnered enough clout after helming the Selangor state administration for five years to take actions against individuals within the local councils and GLCs who are not in line with the party's policies or struggle.

"With the new mandate, we should be free to axe those in GLCs and local authorities who don't believe in our party policies and struggles," he said.

He also hit out at unnamed leaders whom he claimed had failed to execute decisions reached in the party's Congress or meetings, stressing that actions should also be taken against them.

Meanwhile, PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his closing speech later reminded delegates that positions in GLCs are not reserved for party members or politicians.

"Those who are appointed must have the relevant capabilities and not mix up party matters with that of governance.

"Maybe that was not the intention (to demand for positions), but I feel that I must clarify the matter," said Anwar who had also described Abdul Khalid as a leader with "integrity" in his running of the state.

He also said he had reminded Abdul Khalid to be mindful of the people's plight, as it is also an integral part of practising good governance.

When met later, Anwar reiterated that any individuals appointed to positions within the local councils or GLCs must be qualified to do so and not due to party connections.

Earlier in his winding up address, Abdul Khalid had pledged to fully utilise the state's funds in order to bring development to more villages.

"I know that I am stingy but this is how I was raised by my mother who always reminded me to be careful with money that does not belong to me.

"However, I do understand that the money should be spent in order to develop the villages in the state to bridge the gap between the rich and poor," he said.

He also promised to only spend the state's wealth according to the needs of the people.

Abdul Khalid, who is in his second term as Selangor MB is also looking to increase the wealth of the state under his administration.

"I am looking forward to increase Selangor's capital and also will focus on finding individuals who had misused the state's money, and ensure that it is returned back to us," he said.

Abdul Khalid however concedes that unlike other politicians, he does not know how to play the political game.

"Politics is an ever-changing game and I am too old to study the field in university.

"That is why I set up a political liaison office within the Mentri Besar's office to help me on the matter," he added.

(Bernama) -- Election petitions by candidates in the 13th general election must be disposed within six months of filing. Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Ariffin Zakaria said this would ensure the petitioners received a fair hearing of their case.

"I hope the judges concerned would hear the cases with an open mind and not bow to pressure from any quarters," he said while opening the 47th Judges' Conference here today.

Among the 101 participants present were Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Mohd Raus Shariff, High Court of Malaya chief judge Tan Sri Zulkifli Ahmad Makinuddin and Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjun.

Ariffin said the six-month period was realistic in view of the likelihood that some of the petitions might be in Sabah, Sarawak and other states in the peninsula.

Meanwhile, he advised judges not to respond to any comment in the internet expressing dissatisfaction with any ruling or judgement as every decision made was final.

"Even though the comments might be negative and aimed at tarnishing the image of the judiciary, we (judges) do not need to entertain them as they might not have understood the facts of the case," he said.

He also reminded judges to make their decisions based on the proceedings and testimonies to protect the interest of the public.

"This matter must be given attention as there had been a trend in the past where judges try to expand their human rights scope in their decision," he said, adding that such action would paint an inaccurate picture of the country's judiciary which upheld justice.

(Bernama) -- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has managed to locate a suspect who insulted His Majesty the Sultan of Terengganu on his Facebook page. With cooperation from the Police, the suspect has been detained for questioning.

If found guilty, he may be fined not more than RM50,000 or a year's jail or both.

MCMC views very seriously the abuse of social media when uploading contents that are derogatory in nature especially those involving the monarchy.

"The laws of the nation is enforced whether it is offline or online. A crime is still a crime, even if it's on social media," said MCMC Chairman, Dato' Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi.

"Social media users should be aware that they are not invincible as they thought. Therefore, we urge members of the public to be careful and to be more responsible when communicating in cyberspace. Those who break the law will be brought to justice," added Dato' Sharil.

(Borneo Insider) - Unknown to the public, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi had held discussions with several opposition leaders whereby the latter agreed to stage peaceful assemblies.

However, he said they “sang a different song” when they got back to their supporters.

“I welcome differences in opinions and agreed to discuss with them. They agreed to hold peaceful assemblies and give at least 10-day notice with the gatherings to be held in closed areas and without any provocation whatsoever,” he told reporters after appearing in an interview on Bernama TV’s Hello Malaysia programme at Wisma BERNAMA here Friday night.

The agreement was reached to avoid problems, he added.

However, Zahid declined to name the opposition leaders concerned.

The opposition has organised numerous gatherings nationwide, purportedly to protest the 13th general election results, claiming that they should be in Putrajaya based on popular votes.

Ahmad Zahid said most of the gatherings were held without a police permit and were provocative.

“When they were with me, they concurred with me (on the peaceful assembly), but when they are with their supporters, it is a different story,” he added.

Zahid said he respected PAS leaders for accepting the general election results.

He regarded the action of the opposition leaders not on the same page as the PAS leaders as desperate as they were willing to do anything to achieve their objective of conquering Putrajaya.

Zahid said they became desperados because they could not accept their defeat in the May 5 general election.

Actually, they were more disappointed in not realising their dream of taking over the federal government, compared with Barisan Nasional’s inability to get a two-thirds majority, he added.

On the action by the police in detaining the two opposition figures and a social activist and confiscating editions of opposition party organs for breaching the Printing Presses and Publications Act, he said the police and agencies under his ministry were doing their job to enforce the laws.

He said they acted professionally without interference from him as the Home Minister.

“Is it wrong for the police to enforce existing laws and regulations,” he asked.

(The Star) - Ipoh Timor MP Thomas Su Keong Siong is expected to be charged at the Sessions Court here on Monday with violating the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

The charge is believed to be in connection with a rally organised by the Perak DAP on May 9 here.

Su said he would fight the charge, describing the provision in Section 9 (1) of the PAA as “ridiculous”.

“I got the call earlier today from the investigating officer informing me that I will be charged on Monday,” Su said yesterday. “They will serve a notice to my office later in the day.”

He said the provision stipulated that the organisers of rallies should inform the police in advance prior to holding them.

Su, who is a lawyer by profession, posted on his Twitter account on the charge.

His tweet said: “Just been informed by IO that I'll be charged under S.9(1) PAA 2013 @ Ipoh Session Court on 27/5/2013 @ 9.00am”.

Another one read: “I'm charged under S.9(1) PAA 2013 for organising the DAP ceramah at Chin Woo, on 9/5/2013. LAWAN TETAP LAWAN!”.

On May 17, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was charged under the PAA for alleged failure to inform the district police regarding the location of a recent Opposition rally.

(Bernama) - Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is confident that the police are capable of handling the gathering planned by the opposition in Petaling Jaya today.

He said the planned gathering would not be in compliance to the provisions in the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

The organiser did not inform the police and the assembly will be held at an open area, he added.

“I see the gathering as an act of provocation in their attempt to challenge the police’s credibility. So, I’m leaving it to the Inspector-General of Police to handle the matter,” he said in an interview on Bernama TV’s “Hello Malaysia” programme at Wisma Bernama here last night.

 Ahmad Zahid also reminded participants planning to attend the assembly not to create chaos or stir provocation that could disrupt public order.

He further dismissed the perception that the action by the police and agencies under his ministry in going after those allegedly bent on causing trouble reflected his firmness as the new home minister.

This came about following the detention of two opposition figures and a social activist by the police under the sedition Act yesterday.

“They are firm in enforcing the laws,” he added.

Clara Chooi, TMI

Former Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla has accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of reneging on a peace deal to respect the outcome of Election 2013 that he brokered between the opposition leader and Datuk Seri Najib Razak in April.

The Wall Street Journal reported today interviews with all three parties confirming the secret peace deal, and quoted Jusuf as claiming that he had phoned Anwar a day after the May 5 polls and urged the opposition leader to respect the commitment and “look at reality”.

“We had a commitment,” Jusuf was quoted as saying. “But they said, ‘No, no, no, no.’ ‘‘

The renowned international newspaper said that Anwar admitted to making the pact but told the WSJ that his opponents had nullified the deal by the way they ran their campaign.

“How can you talk reconciliation when you demonise your opponent in this manner?” Anwar was quoted as saying.

The WSJ wrote that it was Anwar who had approached Jusuf on the agreement two months ago, seeking the latter’s help in securing his opponent’s commitment for a peaceful election outcome.

The deal — that both sides refrain from personal attacks during campaigns and to accept the outcome of the polls — was subsequently made in April.

The two rivals had apparently rejected a clause in the accord to offer the loser a role in a “reconciliation government”, the WSJ wrote.

An adviser to Najib reportedly confirmed the deal, telling the WSJ that Anwar had sought Jusuf’s assistance to secure a mutual agreement to accept the results of the polls peacefully, regardless which way it goes and even in the event of a slim majority.

“The prime minister reiterated privately to Jusuf Kalla and in public before the election that BN would respect the will of the people and accept the election results, even if the opposition wins,” the paper quoted the aide as saying.

But Anwar’s version of the events surrounding the peace deal appeared to differ.

Quoting Anwar, the WSJ wrote that it was Jusuf who reached out to offer his assistance in ensuring an orderly outcome to the polls.

“There were many friends around the region who were concerned about the transition of power and whether it would be peaceful,” Anwar reportedly said.

According to the paper, Jusuf is known for his role in brokering peace deals during his term as vice-president from 2004 to 2009, having done so in Thailand and Sri Lanka to help resolve conflicts across the Indonesian archipelago.

In the May 5 polls, Najib and the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) was returned to power in Putrajaya after a heated contest that saw Anwar’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) win the popular vote but lose the polls.

READ MORE HERE

Mr. Kalla said the two candidates—whom he said he considered friends of his going back decades—had made a written agreement in April to refrain from personal attacks during the campaign and to accept the outcome, in a deal first proposed by Mr. Anwar. 

(Bernama) - The police will appeal against the decision by a magistrate yesterday to deny remand on three individuals who were detained to facilitate investigations under the Sedition Act 1948, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said an appeal was a normal procedure when a court decision was not in the favour of the police.

“What I want to say is that I have no intention to interfere in the business of the police, this is a normal procedure when a decision does not side with the police, so an appeal has to be made before the police can frame the charges,” he told reporters after appearing in an interview on Bernama TV’s “Hello Malaysia” programme at Wisma Bernama here last night.

Ahmad Zahid said he always respected the decision of the courts and would not question any decision made and that police also had their own procedures in facing such a situation.

On Thursday, the trio — Batu Member of Parliament Tian Chua, PAS member Tamrin Ghafar and social activist Haris Ibrahim — were arrested by police in connection with their speeches at a forum held at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, here, on May 13 which were alleged to be seditious.

They are being investigated under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948.

Yesterday, the magistrate concerned rejected the police’s application to remand them and they were immediately released.  

(TMI) - The Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that its year-end redelineation exercise will involve an increase in federal seats but its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said it would be “impossible” to guarantee equal value for every vote.

Abdul Aziz cited geographical and logistical concerns with the opposition’s demand for “one man, one vote, one value” but added, however, that the EC would try its level best to give similar weightage to every vote.

“But realistically, how do you make it one man, one vote, one value? I think it is virtually impossible... we can spread the weightage here and there but apart from that, it would be too difficult,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.

Explaining, Abdul Aziz said the population size and physical landscape in every constituency differs in every state, rendering it even more difficult for the EC to adhere to the opposition’s demand for equal value for every vote.

The opposition blamed its recent electoral losses on gerrymandering by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), claiming the vastly unequal value of votes across constituencies nationwide had allowed a government with minority support to rule the majority.

In the just-concluded May 5 polls, BN recaptured federal power with 133 federal seats to Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) 89 but lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969, scoring just under 48 per cent of the votes cast to PR’s 51 per cent.

Abdul Aziz went on to cite the differences in the terrains of Borneo’s rugged interiors in Sabah or Sarawak and the crowded metropolitan streets in cities over in the peninsula.

“In Sabah for example, we take Kinabatangan... the size of this one constituency is as big as the entire state of Pahang... but the number of voters are small.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/impossible-to-give-all-votes-equal-value-ec-chairman-says/ 

(Bernama) - Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh will sue Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and its strategy director Mohd Rafizi Ramli for slander.

Mohd Rafizi alleged that 24 Election Commission (EC) staff were locked up on polling day to ensure they voted in Besut parliamentary in 13th general election (GE13).

“I’m studying the allegation with lawyers to ensure it does not tarnish my image as member of parliament for Besut. I will sue them for making a public statement without proof to discredit me and the party,” he told a victory function organised by Gong Nering district polling station in Kampung Gong Guchil, Jerteh here yesterday.

Idris said he did not know where they sourced the allegation spread via Facebook and Blog Keadilan ‘exposed’ by PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifudin Nasution Ismail as quoted by party organ Keadilan Daily.

“The allegation is baseless because how could the EC staff be locked-up. They must be responsible for the allegations,” he added.

Barisan Nasional (BN) should be given the chance to implement promises made in its manifesto and the opposition should not continue to destroy the peace of the country just to achieve Anwar Ibrahim’s ambition to become Prime Mminister.

“We may have lost the cyber war in GE13 but BN won right to form the government and all parties should be respect the election results,” said Idris.

In GE13, Idris beat Riduan Mohamad Nor of PAS to win Besut parliamentary seat with a majority of 8,342 votes.

(TMI) - Khairy Jamaluddin has defended the manner in which Elections 2013 was conducted, arguing in a letter to international current affairs magazine The Economist that there was not “one shred of evidence” of fraud in the polls.

The newly-appointed sports minister also took a swipe at Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, by accusing the opposition leader of not accepting the results because “of his own personal, lifelong ambition to become prime minister.”

“Allegations that foreign nationals were paid as ‘phantom voters’ have proved to be false, with not even one recorded case on polling day. All votes were cast and counted in front of representatives from all the contesting parties who signed off on the results.

“If any evidence of fraud does emerge the government encourages the relevant party to file an election petition in the courts to allow due process to take course.”

Khairy’s (picture) letter to The Economist was in response to a scathing report last week in the magazine of Malaysia’s elections.

The Umno Youth leader has been given the task of improving the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s image abroad and his first job recently was to soft pedal the angry reaction by Umno politicians towards Chinese Malaysians in the aftermath of GE13.

In its reports, The Economist noted that national reconciliation appears a distant dream post-Election 2013 for a country scarred by the “nasty, divisive” electoral campaign led by Umno and BN in the rural heartlands.

It observed that Umno, to shore up its base of rural Malay voters, had alienated the Chinese and other communities already fed up with the alleged cronyism and corruption associated with affirmative action policies that favour the country’s largest ethnic group.

“Mr Najib has said he wants to be prime minister for all Malaysians. Sadly, however, he presided over an ugly campaign by his... Umno, the main component of Barisan,” the magazine wrote, referring to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was sworn in for his second term as prime minister after BN emerged victors again for its 13th general election running.

“In the rural Malay heartlands, Umno was as negative, racially divisive and pro-Malay as ever,” it added.

Adding salt to wound, The Economist said blaming BN’s losses on a “Chinese tsunami” had been unwise of Najib as the vote trend had clearly shown a massive swing in votes from the young and rising urban middle class, which cut across racial lines.

“Casting the election in such racial terms is neither wise nor accurate,” the magazine wrote in one article titled “A dangerous result”.

“Despite professing to promote a multi-ethnic Malaysia, Barisan’s election strategy has left the country more divided than ever, both along ethnic lines and between urban and rural areas,” it said in another, titled “A tawdy victory”.

READ MORE HERE

Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah is deeply disappointed that the party did not follow the “due process” in suspending him.

Queville To, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Suspended PKR Tuaran chief Ansari Abdullah today announced he has resigned from the party which he joined 14 years ago.

In a brief statement posted on his Facebook this morning, he noted that he had decided to quit politics much earlier, but out of respect to the requests from friends, he withheld the announcement until today.

“I have lost faith in the party’s leadership. I am now suspended as a member without any time period. I did not receive a ‘show cause letter’. So much for justice and due process,” he added.

“I criticised the leadership since they were wrong in allowing 2/3 of the seats in Sabah to be contested under Parti Keadilan’s (PKR) symbol by non-members in the form of APS (Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah) and PPPS (Pertubuhan Pakatan Perpaduan Sabah),” he explained.

He went on to note that both APS and PPPS lost in all the parliamentary seats they contested and each won a state seat (Tamparuli and Klias).

Ansari, a practising lawyer, has also had a troubled relationship with other PKR members and leaders in the past.

In the run-up to this month’s elections on May 5, Ansari made a preemptive attempt the day after the dissolution of Parliament to push through the seven divisions’ list of candidates which included himself for the Tuaran constituency.

When his ‘proposal’ was shot down, he accused Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim of not being sincere in wanting to return political autonomy to Sabah when PKR rejected a move by him to nominate seven candidates to contest for PKR.

He said the rejection of three-quarters of the candidates proposed by the seven divisions in the Sabah west coast north zone, showed that the party’s headquarters was adamant about maintaining control of the state from Kuala Lumpur.

(Bernama) - Preliminary investigation by the Election Commission (EC) revealed that a photograph posted on the internet showing that a blackout purportedly occurred during vote-counting for the 13th general election (GE13) was an act recorded even before the GE13.

EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said this conclusion was arrived at after a thorough scrutiny by him together with his officers.

“They had staged the act even before the election to spread it on the internet as a ploy to show that a blackout had purportedly occurred, whereas it was a lie.

“The photograph showed that EC staff were purportedly counting the ballot papers and had to use a auxiliary lamps whereas the staff were not wearing the EC uniform,” he told Bernama when met recently.

He said the most obvious proof was when the photograph showed that there were many reporters and photographers present in the vote-counting area whereas no one was allowed into the area except for the EC staff and agents of the candidates.

“The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and work procedure shown on the photograph were totally incorrect…they have forgotten, (they) want to cheat but do not understand the work procedure and were immature.

“In fact the tray used for placing the ballot papers on were also not the EC trays, the material and size were different…(there were) many things in the photograph that did not follow EC SOP,” he said.

Wan Ahmad said so far there had been no police report lodged regarding the alleged ‘blackout’ which showed that it was clearly a slander and concocted story.

“If there had been a blackout, certainly the party agents would have lodged police reports. They represented the candidates, they were present at the counting venues. If there had been a blackout, they would have been the first to lodge police reports, but there were none,” he said.

Meanwhile, commenting on an allegation by an opposition newspaper that 24 EC staff in Besut, Terengganu had been confined to mark their ballot papers, Wan Ahmad said he left it to the police to investigate the allegation.

Meanwhile, Wan Ahmad said the proposal by the opposition that a People’s Tribunal be set up was dangerous because it ignored the national constitution and law.

“Who will represent the People’s Tribunal? Their people, NGO (non-governmental organisation) leaders who have been against the system and the general election all this while? Those who are spreading unhealthy culture to the young generation?” he asked.

Ida Lim, TMI

The police today released three men who were detained for a probe under the Sedition Act 1948 and the Penal Code after a magistrate rejected requests for further remand.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had earlier described the arrests as part of a national crackdown on the federal opposition.

Politicians Chua Tian Chang, Tamrin Ghafar, political activist Haris Ibrahim were arrested for sedition yesterday and held overnight at the police lockup in Jinjang, purportedly for a probe under section 4(1)© of the Sedition Act and section 124 of the Penal Code.

“We praise a very courageous magistrate. A brave magistrate has heard the legal arguments and decided that our detention is without basis,” said Chua after walking out of the lock-up with his lawyers, referring to magistrate Norashikin Sahat.

“That’s why we were released without condition,” said the PKR vice-president who was the last to walk out, with Tamrin and Haris walking out together earlier on.

Earlier today, a small group of supporters had staged a mini-protest outside the lockup, shouting slogans and holding up placards to demand the release of the trio.

Haris’s lawyer Gobind Singh Deo yesterday said he was not yet informed of which “seditious statements” his clients or the two others were detained over.      

All three were believed to be detained over their involvement in a forum on May 13 over the results of the just-concluded general election.

Yesterday morning, student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim was charged with sedition for his involvement in the same forum where he was accused of rallying Malaysians to take to the streets to topple the BN government.

The 24-year-old pleaded not guilty and was released on RM5,000 bail with his trial set for a mention on July 2.

Despite the release of the three today, Chua claimed to have knowledge that more people would possibly be arrested.

“With the same arguments, we hope that the court will take firm action to defend not just the rights of individuals, but also the basic principles of the law,” said the Batu MP popularly known as Tian Chua.

(The Star) - Selangor remains the only state whose exco line-up has yet to be named following the impasse over the number of seats to be allocated to the respective Pakatan Rakyat member parties.

Speculation is rife as to who will make it to the highest decision-making body in the state government and how the 10 exco seats are to be divided between PAS, DAP and PKR.

So far, DAP has expressed disappointment over the three exco seats allocated for it as announced by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim recently.

Khalid's political secretary Faekah Husin said the mentri besar was expected to arrive home from Frankfurt, Germany, today after seeking treatment for an old leg injury.

She said Khalid would immediately seek an audience with the Selangor Sultan over the appointment of exco members.

Selangor DAP deputy chairman Tony Pua, meanwhile, said the party was still in discussion with PAS and PKR over the distribution of exco positions.

“We met twice again recently. Our discussions have been friendly.

“Now we are just waiting for the MB to come back for some confirmation,” he added.

DAP previously expressed shock and puzzle when Khalid announced the party would be getting three exco positions and also the Speaker's post.

Khalid also said PAS would get four exco positions and PKR three.

Pua was reported to have said previously that DAP was promised four exco seats.

Meanwhile, it is speculated that most PKR exco members would be replaced with new faces.

PKR's previous exco members were Dr Yaakob Sapari (Kota Anggerik), Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Sri Andalas) and Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga).

Among PKR new names tipped to join the exco rank was Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. For PAS, new names mentioned include state commissioner Dr Abdul Rani Osman.

Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali was earlier speculated to be an exco member, but this idea has been shot down by a party source.

Residents of areas largely populated by immigrants are suffering from segregation, anthropologist Carlbom told AFP. "Living as a young person in these segregated areas can be very hard in many ways. You have virtually no contact with other Swedes and a lot of times I don't think you have a good understanding of Swedish society," he said.

Meena Lakshana, fz.com

Amidst a crackdown on political dissent, Pakatan Rakyat leaders implored about 4,000 people gathered at the field opposite Amcorp Mall to keep their hopes for a better Malaysia alive.

(Rappler) - 'OPEN' CHURCH. Pope Francis kisses the feet of prisoners, including a Muslim, in this year's Holy Thursday service. 

Having blasted a self-centered Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Wednesday, May 22, criticized “intolerant” believers who think, “If he is not one of us, he cannot do good.”

The Pope said all human beings, whom God created, “have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil.” He stressed this applies to “all of us.”

“'But Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.' Yes, he can. He must. Not can: must! Because he has this commandment within him,” Francis said in Wednesday's homily at the Domus Santae Martae, his modest papal residence.

The Pope, who has consistently urged the Church to “come out of herself,” said intolerance will do the Church no good.

“Instead, this 'closing off' that imagines that those outside, everyone, cannot do good is a wall that leads to war and also to what some people throughout history have conceived of: killing in the name of God. And that, simply, is blasphemy. To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy.”

'Let's meet'

Despite differences between believers and non-believers, he said their common denominator is doing good. He said the commandment to uphold goodness is a “beautiful path towards peace.”

“If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good,” Francis said.

He continued, with an atheist's possible response in mind: “'But I don't believe, Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: we will meet one another there.”

Read more at: http://www.rappler.com/world/29788-pope-atheists-good 

(Huffington Post) - This man has given a platform for other men to act (rape) and then get away with it (marry the victim). 

Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz-RnaDRPo0 

In an unfortunate turn of events in a Malaysian rape case, a 40-year-old man accused of rape has married the teenage victim.

Riduan Masmud was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl last February. On Monday, his counsel Loretto Padua revealed to the court that Masmud is now married to the young girl he was accused of assaulting. As The Daily Express notes, Padua had previously told the court that Masmud was in the process of seeking a lawful marriage to the teen in Syariah Court -- a separate court system that has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to Islamic law.

While the prosecution must make a decision by June 6 on whether to pursue the statutory rape charge in light of the news, on Wednesday, Malaysian Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail vowed to press on in the case, Ntv7 News reports.

Malaysia's Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is also advocating that Masmud be prosecuted. Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim told Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency, the ministry is concerned that Masmud's action may set an example by providing an escape route in cases of statutory rape.

"In order to protect public interest and prevent such incidents, the Ministry urges that the man be charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code in the Sessions Court or Section 80 of the Sabah Syariah Offences Enactment 1995 in the Syariah Court for having sex outside of marriage," she told the news agency.

The rape, which allegedly took place in a parked car in Sabah around 10 a.m. on Feb. 18, was not brought to light until the 13-year-old's aunt filed a police report. Masmud, who has four children with his first wife, was charged with the crime 10 days later; however the teen later withdrew her report of rape on April 18, The Star reports.

Masmud, for his part, is defending the marriage. Outside the courtroom Monday, he explained to reporters that the marriage was consensual.

"There are many cases of men marrying underage girls. I do not see why my case should be any different," the man said, according to The Star.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/malaysian-man-rape-marries-victim_n_3321086.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 

Kuala Lumpur police today warned that they will not hesitate to arrest those who take part in candlelight vigils for detainees. 

(New York Times) - The Malaysian government began a crackdown on political opponents on Thursday, arresting three government critics, including a prominent member of Parliament, and charging a student activist with sedition.

The arrests come two and a half weeks after elections that showed the governing party, which has been in power since independence from Britain in 1957, losing support from broad portions of the electorate.

The crackdown may be an attempt to pre-empt a demonstration planned for Saturday to protest accusations of fraud in the election, analysts said.

The opposition, which is led by a former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, won the popular vote in the May 5 election but failed to take control of Parliament because of a lopsided electoral system that gives a stronger voice to rural areas, where the governing party is strongest.

Mr. Anwar says the election victory was fraudulent and has been leading rallies across the country since the election results were announced; the demonstration on Saturday is being organized by a coalition of several dozen civic organizations.

The member of Parliament arrested on Thursday, Tian Chua, is Mr. Anwar’s deputy in a multicultural party that is challenging the dominance of the single-race United Malays National Organization.

Mr. Chua, who won re-election to Parliament May 5, posted on Twitter as he was being arrested Thursday, “No dictators could ever repress the rise of people’s power.” He said a police officer told him that he was being charged with sedition.

The two other people arrested are Haris Ibrahim, who leads an antigovernment group, and Tamrin Ghafar, the son of a former deputy prime minister who is a member of an Islamic party that is allied with Mr. Anwar. In addition, Adam Adli, the student activist, was charged with sedition on Thursday and released.

The Malaysian government, which has begun numerous crackdowns against dissidents during its decades in power, issued a statement late Thursday calling the arrests “a matter for the police.”

“The detentions came after the police received numerous reports against the defendants by members of the public,” the statement said. “In such circumstances the police are required to investigate and are following due and proper process.”

Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/24/world/asia/malaysian-opposition-figures-are-detained.html?_r=3& 

They have used this archaic and draconian Sedition Act, even though the Prime Minister, the government has said before that they would repeal this act, because it's no longer relevant in the modern setting, but unfortunately, it's not repealed and they continue to use this draconian act to stifle dissent.

Sen Lam interviews Fadiah Nadwa at Radio Australia 

Listen at: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/asia-pacific/malaysian-opposition-face-full-force-of-the-sedition-act/1135426 

Malaysian authorities have arrested a high-profile Opposition politician and three others under the country's controversial Sedition Act.

Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak pledged last year to strengthen civil liberties, including possibly repealing the Sedition Act.

The law has been described as oppressive by critics, who say it's been invoked often in the past to silence dissent.

Human rights lawyer Fadiah Nadwa is representing one of the four men detained. She spoke to me from Kuala Lumpur.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Speaker: Fadiah Nadwa, lawyer representing student activist Adam Adli, one of four Malaysians charged with sedition

FADIAH: The four people are Tian Chua, the vice president of (opposition) Parti Keadilan Rakyat. The second person is Thamrin Ghafar, he's a PAS member (Parti Islam SeMalaysia), the Islamic party, PAS, and the third person is Haris Ibrahim, he's the chief of this movement called 'Anything But UMNO'. And the fourth person is Adam Adli and Adam has been charged this morning, and he has been released on bail. These four people are now in the Jinjang remand centre.

LAM: You represent Adam Adli, who was detained five days ago, but he's out on bail, is that right?

FADIAH: Yes, correct. Basically, they're just punishing him for speaking his mind and they have used this archaic and draconian Sedition Act, even though the Prime Minister, the government has said before that they would repeal this act, because it's no longer relevant in the modern setting, but unfortunately, it's not repealed and they continue to use this draconian act to stifle dissent. So Adam Adli has been detained for five days, after being arrested last Saturday - they (police) applied for a remand order from the magistrate, and the magistrate granted five-day remand against Adam Adli, and he was subjected to continuous interrogation even though he kept telling the police that they could have just referred to the video that contains his speech. They (the police) are just trying to send a message to the Malaysian people, Do not say something that's not favourable to the government, or else you'll be arrested and detained under the Sedition Act.

LAM: And Fadiah, can you tell us what is it exactly that Adam Adli had allegedly said that was considered so seditious?

FADIAH: Adam Adli basically called for the Malaysian people to go to the streets to protest against the fraud committed during the (May 5th) elections.

LAM: Tian Chua is of course the high-profile spokesman and also VP of the opposition Parti Keadilan. The opposition of course has been holding meetings about alleged electoral fraud - do you think Tian Chua's arrest might fuel emotions that're already running in Opposition ranks?

FADIAH: Yes, I believe so, because I think right now, after the elections, the government is obviously very insecure with how the Malaysian public is reacting to the allegations of fraud in the elections and how the Malaysian people are assembling to protest against the recent arrest of Adam Adli. The government is using the power that they have to tell the Malaysian public that they will do anything they can to stop the Malaysian public from expressing themselves, from protesting, from participating in peaceful assemblies and so on.

LAM: Prime Minister Najib prior to this month's elections, had vowed to strengthen civil liberties, including the possibility of getting rid of the Sedition Act. Do you think he's having second thoughts now?

FADIAH: I believe so, I think for political survival, the government knows that by having this (Sedition) Act, they can try to instil fear, because it's been used for so long. The Sedition Act is the legacy of the British and it has been used to stifle dissent. It's very, very clear that people who get arrested under the Sedition Act are people who're very vocal and critical of the government. So, this is a very powerful tool that is being used by the government, to stifle dissent, because the Sedition Act is very broad and wide. It can cover everything, and that's why it's being abused by the government, to stop people from speaking out.

LAM: One of the reasons the government had given for the need for the Sedition Act, was that it was relevant to multi-racial Malaysia, and there is a great need to keep racial harmony. You don't think the Sedition Act has a role or a place in Malaysian society?

FADIAH: No, I don't think that the Sedition Act is relevant. We can clearly compare this to the seditious statements issued by some people who're calling for racial hatred, racial violence, for example, recently. But no one was subjected to this Act. But when it comes to the Opposition, when it comes to the activists, the authorities are very fast to take action under the Sedition Act. So you can selective prosecution, and also how the government is not really serious in trying to build harmony and trying to deter racial hatred and also racial violence. So if they're very, very serious, they should repeal this Act and they should come up with new legislation that can deal with hate speech, for example, that can deal with racial violence, racial discrimination, in line with the international standard, International Covenant on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in order to ensure that everyone has the civil and political rights. 

(Bernama) - A study on the re-delineation of electoral constituencies, which was postponed two years ago, will begin soon, said Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

Azril Annuar, fz.com

The RM145 million price tag for the merger of Matang Holdings Berhad into ACE market-listed Scope Industries Bhd should be reviewed by the Valuation and Property Services Department (VPSD), MCA vice president Datuk Donald Lim said.

This is necessary as there are two different valuations for the deal with the RM145 million valuation being the lower one, Lim told a press conference here today.

“There were two valuations and one was lower by around RM20 to RM30 million. So I think it’s best that the VPSD conduct a third valuation on how much it really costs,” said Lim.

He also pointed out that the current Matang shareholders should have the option to sell out their shares instead of just being granted shares by Scope Industries.

“By giving shares there will be a four-year moratorium and the shareholders cannot sell it. We won’t know what will happen in four years. What happens if the share prices go down? Maybe from RM1 to RM0.30 in four years.

“Matang has nearly 20,000 shareholders controlling 90 per cent of the shares. The other 10 per cent is held by the MCA-owned Huaren Foundation. So for the sake of the other shareholders they should allow them to cash out if they want to.

“And for the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 31, Huaren should not vote. Since it is owned by MCA and there is no mandate from MCA’s Central Working Committee, Huaren should abstain from voting,” said Lim who also owns 3,000 units of Matang’s shares.

Matang Holdings entered into a business merger agreement with electrical and electronics manufacturer Scope Industries sometime in November last year and transferred its entire business and undertakings including assets and liabilities to the latter.

(Bernama) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is to file 27 petitions in court soon over the results of the 13th General Election, its vice-president Tian Chua said today.

(The Star) - PKR vice-president Tian Chua says he has been detained by police under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.

He said in a tweet message that he was detained at the LCCT before going through the security check as he was to board a flight Thursday.

He believed he is being taken to the Jinjang police station.

Meanwhile, activist Haris Ibrahim was also picked up by police in connection with the May 13 forum which saw student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim being charged with uttering seditious words.

It is learnt that Haris was picked up while having lunch in Segambut and was being taken to the Jinjang police station.

(The Star) - Gerakan, which has decided not to hold any Federal Government position after its dismal showing in the general election, will look into the matter again following objections from within the party.

The party's acting president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said the matter would be discussed at their next central committee (CC) meeting set for next month.

“We will relook the issue. In our last CC meeting, we decided not to take up federal posts but some have disagreed with us,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

He admitted that some issues were not adequately addressed during the May 11 CC meeting as emotions were high following the party's shock defeat in the May 5 polls.

Chang said it was his personal opinion that the party should hold federal positions, adding that both MCA and Gerakan should take up federal positions as they were part of Barisan Nasional and agreed with the coalition's policies.

Chang, who was speaking at his first press conference as acting president following Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's resignation, said Barisan should merge into a single multi-racial party and change its approach, given the advent of more young voters in urbanised areas over the next five years.

“In the elections, we saw that the trend of urban voters went across racial lines, such as Chinese voters who voted for PAS candidates and vice versa.

“We can no longer rely on race-based parties. It is getting out of fashion. We must seriously look at the issue of young voters across racial lines. They are looking at transparency, governance, human rights and other issues,” he added.

Barisan, Chang added, must adapt as old methods could not be used any more.

“If we use the same methods, I am afraid that we will have worse results in the next elections, which will see an additional two million new voters,” he said, adding that Gerakan had always advocated non-racial politics.

Chang also hit out at Pakatan Rakyat and said it should admit defeat and use the parliamentary process to advocate change instead of having rallies that could provoke people.

(The Star) - PKR may postpone its elections due to be held this November to reconsolidate its support base.

Party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (picture) said the political bureau had discussed the suggestion to put off party polls.

“We just went through a big battle in the general election, and having the elections in November may be too soon as they take up a lot of time and energy.

“There are views within the leadership to reconsolidate our support base and to close ranks first ... maybe that could be reason enough to postpone our elections,” he told a press conference at the party headquarters here yesterday.

“We are currently considering both options to have our elections in November as planned or to postpone the polls,” he said.

He added that the supreme council will be discussing the matter further after the party's annual congress, postponed from last year, ends this weekend.

Saifuddin said that if the leadership wanted to postpone the party elections, it would have to convene a special congress to amend the constitution, which now only provides for triennial elections. The last party elections were in 2010.

Saifuddin, who coordinated the previous party elections, said that he was getting feedback to improve the polling process.

Previously, he said, the members had to meet twice to elect their leaders first to elect their division leaders and then to elect the supreme council members.

“The grassroots members say that this is double mobilisation and it takes up too much time, and they are asking if we could vote for both at once,” he said. “But a change in procedure would require a constitutional amendment.”

He also said the ninth annual congress to be held here this Saturday would see 2,500 delegates from 221 divisions nationwide attending the one-day event.

The Youth and Wanita wings will meet on Friday.

Saifuddin said the theme of the congress was Suara Rakyat, Suara Keramat (The Voice of the People, The Supreme Voice).

(The Star) - Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is set to review its ties with Pakatan Rakyat after its losses in GE13 due to the alleged underhand tactics against their candidates.

“The issue will be brought up for discussion at our annual congress on June 28.

“We are leaving it to our members to decide if we should continue ties with Pakatan,” PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan (picture) said, adding that the decision to work with the Opposition pact was made at the party's 14th Congress in June last year.

He added that PSM was also demanding a meeting with PKR and PAS leaders over the Kota Damansara and Semenyih state seats in Selangor.

“We want an explanation from PAS over the loss of the Kota Damansara seat, and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang referring to us as communists,” he said.

Arutchelvan added that PKR should also explain its role in PSM's loss in Semenyih.

On May 6, PSM president Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim said his loss in Kota Damansara was due to votes being split and “stolen” by the PAS candidate.

Barisan's Halimaton Saadiah Bohan polled 16,387 votes against Dr Nasir's 14,860 and PAS' Ridzuan Ismail's 7,312.

Arutchelvan was said to be the victim of Pakatan's internal politicking in Semenyih which saw Barisan's Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz getting 17,616 votes compared to PKR's Hamidi Hasan (13,471) while he only polled 5,568 votes.

PSM also contested the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak with incumbent Dr Michael Jeyakumar successfully defending it while M. Sarasvathy lost the Jelapang state seat.

His lawyers are planning to file an application at the High Court to declare the case against him is frivolous.

K Pragalath, FMT

Student activist Adam Adli was this morning charged under the Sedition Act at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for allegedly making a seditious statement. He claimed trial.

Sessions Court judge Norsharidah Awang fixed the bail at RM5,000 with one bailor, and fixed July 2 for mentioning.

Adam, 24, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on May 18 for remarks he allegedly made during a post-GE13 forum on May 13. He was held in remand for five days.

This morning, deputy public prosecutor, Mohd Abazafri Mohd Abbas, sought to set bail at RM5,000 “to ensure his (Adam’s) attendance in court”. Abazafri was assisted by deputy public prosecutors Azrina Ali and Nadia Tahyuddin.

Adam was represented by lawyers N Surendran, S Ambiga, Afiq M Noor and Michelle Yesudass.

Both Surendran and Ambiga argued that the bail amount was high, and said the case was frivolous without prima facie.

“The Sedition Act is also going to be repealed. We will file an application to strike out the case at the High Court as soon as possible,” said Surendran.

Upon his release on bail, Adam addressed his supporters at the court lobby.

“It is an experience in defending democracy. Thank you all. This is why I love this country,” he said. Funds collected during his remand period was used to bail him out.

Adam was arrested under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 124(B) of the Penal Code on May 18 in Bangsar for making statements during a May 13 forum held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act provides that it is a criminal offence to make any oral, printed and published statements or acts with “seditious tendency”.

Section 124(B) of the Penal Code states that “whoever, by any means, directly or indirectly, commits an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years.”

If Adam is found guilty of sedition, he could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to RM5,000, or both.

In the forum, Adam, along with other activists, had called for a street demonstration to protest alleged electoral fraud during the general election.

READ MORE HERE

IN DECEMBER 1997, an unusual outcry arose from the normally placid Senate or Dewan Negara when its members reacted to a dismissive label given to the Upper House by the then parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang – he had called it a "rubber-stamp to a rubber-stamp."

The first-past-the-post system will always be advantageous to BN, a forum was told last night.

(TMI) - Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rule will continue as long as Malaysia uses the first-past-the-post voting system despite redelineation, academic Amer Saifude told a forum here last night.

The Universiti Malaya Centre for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel) deputy director said the expected redelineation of constituencies by year-end would benefit Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s coalition and even better its Election 2013 performance.

“As long as we practice this first-past-the-post system, it will be advantageous to BN,” Amer told a forum on the 13th general election outcome.

“History has shown that every time there is a re-demarcation process, BN would perform better,” he added.

Despite winning only 47 per cent of the popular vote in the May 5 elections, Najib saw his coalition keeping the government with a simple majority, bagging 133 federal seats against Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) 89.

Amer pointed out that Najib was the first BN chief to score a weaker mandate in his maiden bid for power, a reflection of the faulty fundamentals of the first-past-the-post system.

The Umcedel deputy director said the system’s glaring defect could be seen in how BN, bar a few exceptions, had never won the popular vote by more than 60 per cent but yet managed to win a huge number of the seats it contested in.

He also highlighted how several constituencies nationwide had been gerrymandered without reasonable justifications.

“Sometimes you see the re-demarcation is illogical and unfair… the redelineation process is often made to serve the interest of certain parties,” he said.

The panel of speakers at last night’s forum. — Picture by Saw Siow FengAmer, however, noted that any move to redraw the constituencies must first have the consent of at least half of the members of the Dewan Rakyat.

PR federal lawmakers have signalled their intention to make full use of their increased parliamentary numbers to ensure constituencies are fairly redrawn when the Election Commission (EC) kicks off the redelineation exercise this year-end.

PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has said that if the exercise involves an increase in seat numbers, a two-thirds majority vote is needed to approve the changes before they are passed by the lower House.

The allegedly unfair dispersal of voters in constituencies has been used as a major argument point by PR lawmakers to back accusations that gerrymandering in favour of BN has helped the ruling pact stay in power.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysias-election-system-drawn-to-sustain-bns-dominance-don-tells-forum/ 

(The Star) - Two journalists were among those caught up in a confrontation when a group of unidentified men disrupted a candlelight vigil in Esplanade to show solidarity for student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim (picture).

The vigil which started at about 8pm was attended by more than 100 non-governmental organisation (NGO) members, students, social activists and several state Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Some 45 minutes into the vigil, a group of unidentified men arrived and one of them disrupted the vigil by using a loud hailer to claim that the gathering is illegal.

The group of men were also heard chanting “Satu Malaysia (1Malaysia)” repeatedly and saying that Adam Adli, who was arrested on Saturday (may 18)for offences under the Sedition Act, was rightfully detained.

About 15 minutes later, the participants of the vigil dispersed.

It was believed that one of the vigil organisers who were leaving, had uttered the word “samseng” (gangster) towards the group of unidentified men.

One of the men from the group then allegedly tried to run over the vigil organiser Sean Ho with a motorcycle.

Oriental Daily's reporter Ooi Chun Nam and Sin Chew Daily reporter Cheah Chin Liang tried to help Ho and were caught in the scuffle.

Ooi's glasses were broken and he suffered a cut on his arm in the scuffle.

There was about 15 minutes of intense shoving between the organisers and the group of unidentified men before everyone dispersed when police intervened.

Ooi and Cheah said they will be lodging a police report.

The event, which was held at 8.30pm in front of a fast food restaurant opposite Universiti Sains Malaysia's Sungai Dua entrance, saw about 30 students and social activists taking part.

(The Star) - At least 18 people were arrested after failing to disperse following a candlelight vigil outside the Jinjang police station in support for Adam Adli Abd Halim, 24 (picture).

At least 1,000 had gathered outside the police station since 8pm.

Roads leading to the police station were barricaded since evening as police stood watch to keep the protesters away from the entrance of the police station.

It is learnt when Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo was giving his speech to the crowd at 9.45pm, he was told by a senior police officer that the crowd was given 10minutes to disperse.

However when the crowd failed to leave in the stipulated time, the police moved in towards the crowd and began arrests.

It is learnt among the 18 arrested were four women.

This was the fifth night that crowds of protesters held candlelight vigils outside the police station in support of the release of the activist.

Zurairi AR, TMI

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won in 59 mixed-race federal seats, almost double its 30 wins in Chinese-majority seats in Malaysia’s Election 2013, according to a new research, debunking Barisan Nasional’s (BN) claim of a “Chinese Tsunami” that cost it more losses.

Independent online research house PoliTweet.org also said the ruling BN gained most of its votes from rural federal seats while PR increased its support from urban and semi-urban areas in the South-east Asian nation chasing developed nation status by 2020.

“BN represents the rural majority and can retain power with rural and semi-urban seats alone. This election highlighted PR’s weak areas which are rural seats, Bumiputra Sabah majority and Bumiputra Sarawak majority seats,” said the report, which can be found on PoliTweet’s official blog.

According to PoliTweet, 108 out of the 133 seats (81 per cent) won by BN came from rural seats, while PR won urban or semi-urban seats with almost the same percentage (72 out of 89 seats).

PR won all 16 urban Chinese-majority seats, 12 urban Malay seats and12 urban mixed seats, giving them 40 out of the total 43 urban seats (93 per cent). In comparison, BN only won four urban Malay and one urban mixed seats.

Out of the 54 semi-urban seats, PR won 34 of them (63 per cent). BN won the rest of the semi-urban seats, with Malay semi-urban areas making the bulk of it at 12 seats.

PoliTweet also pointed out that PR had won more urban and semi-urban Malay-majority seats than BN, effectively making Malay-majority seats no longer a guaranteed win for BN.

For its research, PoliTweet categorised seats into three categories which do not follow Election Commission’s (EC) own classification, but rather were based on Google maps satellite imagery and EC’s maps.

PoliTweet defined “rural” areas as those containing villages, small towns or farmlands, and tend to be physically large with a low population. “Urban” areas are cities covered by some form of urban development. “Semi-urban” areas are a mix of the two.

Under the three categories, PoliTweet grouped 125 seats as rural, 54 as semi-urban, and 43 as urban.

Urban areas made up slightly more than half of Chinese-majority seats, but Malay-majority seats are still predominantly rural. There are however more Malay-majority semi-urban seats than Chinese-majority and mixed areas added together.

The research house also highlighted the low probability of BN regaining urban seats, as BN obtained only 47 per cent of popular vote in semi-urban seats and 36 per cent in urban seats, compared to the 57 per cent it had amassed in rural seats.

The last Population and Housing Census in 2010 showed that urban population in Malaysia has been on a steady increase since the 1960’s, with 71 per cent of Malaysians living in urban areas. The World Bank put the number slightly higher at 72 per cent.

READ MORE HERE

(ST) - Malaysia's Election Commission on Wednesday gazetted the official results of the 13th General Election, the official Bernama news agency reported, citing the commission's chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

Candidates and political parties who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the May 5 polls have 21 days to file objections or petitions, starting from Thursday, said Mr Abdul Aziz in a statement.

He added that petitions can be filed at high courts in the respective states.

The student activist was arrested on May 18 for remarks he allegedly made during a post-GE13 forum on May 13.

(FMT) - Student activist Adam Adli, whose five-day remand expires tomorrow, will be charged with sedition at the Jalan Duta Sessions Court tomorrow morning.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya today said the police had officially informed about the matter today.

“The police had informed that Adam will be charged under the Sedition Act tomorrow morning at Jalan Duta. Lawyer N Surendran will be representing Adam,” she said in a tweet.

Adam, 24, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on May 18 for remarks he allegedly made during a post-GE13 forum on May 13.

In the forum, Adam, along with other activists, had called for a street demonstration to protest alleged electoral fraud during the general election.

He is being detained at the Jinjang police detention facility and is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 124(B) of the Penal Code.

Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act provides that it is a criminal offence to make any oral, printed and published statements or acts with “seditious tendency”.

If Adam is found guilty of sedition, he could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to RM5,000, or both.

Earlier today, Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of Adam. The rights watchdog said Adan was arrested solely for peacefully expressing his views.

It also said it was told by credible sources that Adam “was subjected to interrogation from 10am until 6pm on May 19 and May 20, with the interrogators repeatedly asking the same questions”.

Adam has refused to answer the questions in the latter part of the interrogation, telling the police to just watch a video of his speech during the public meeting instead, said Amnesty.

Amnesty also urged the Malaysian government to stop using the Sedition Act and provisions in the Penal Code to stifle people’s right to free expression.

READ MORE HERE

Chan Wei See, fz.com

Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok said her party is standing firm with its decision to seek four seats in the Selangor state executive council, and hinted that all four nominees are Chinese, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Several disgruntled party members have called for action to be taken against PKR deputy president Azmin Ali for criticising the party president in public.

G Vinod, FMT

The attacks against PKR deputy president Azmin Ali escalates as more party grassroots members call for action to be taken him for critising party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

In letters addressed to PKR disciplinary committee dated May 16, one former party leader said that Azmin had breached party discipline by hurling baseless accusations against Wan Azizah.

“Azmin’s attacks received widespread attention from the mainstream media, which wants to discredit us. It’s was highly improper.

“His criticism had tarnished the party’s image and gives the impression that there is trouble in the party’s internal system,” said former Pahang PKR Youth chief Kamarul Hatta Mohamed Ali.

On May 11, Azmin made a veiled attack against Azizah for allegedly failing to consult party leaders on the choice of candidate to become the Selangor menteri besar.

He also took a potshot against Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, saying the party should not choose a “lame duck” for the top job in Selangor.

Kamarul said that as the party’s number two, Azmin should lead by example and should know better in maintaining the good name of the party.

“Any criticism against party leaders should be made internally, not in the public space. With this, I urge the party to take stern action against Azmin for his transgressions,” he said.

Another letter, sent by Hulu Langat PKR member Lee Kai Meng, also urged the party to take action against Azmin for criticising Wan Azizah.

“His attacks has caused negative polemics to be hurled against the party. I call for action to be taken against Azmin,” said Lee.

READ MORE HERE

Political analysts have mixed views over Pakatan's rejection of the election results.

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

Political analysts have expressed mixed views over Pakatan Rakyat’s rejection of the recent 13th general election results.

The analysts contacted by FMT today were responding to the opposition’s stand to not recognise the overall result of GE13, but readily accepted their wins in Pakatan-led states.

“I think this is practical politics, and that the disagreement comes down to those states where the votes are more or less borderline, and not outright wins,” Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Associated Professor James Gomez told FMT.

He stressed that the focus “comes down to that level of disagreement”.

“It is a two tier understanding. The general win is contingent on constituencies where the margin call on the number of votes are slim,” he said.

“Should those current seats turn the other way, obviously there will be an overall shift in the national numbers,” he explained.

“This is practical politics,” he added.

‘Pakatan does not walk the talk’

However, UUM vice chancellor Mohamed Mustafa Ishak disagreed with his colleague and said Pakatan should accept the overall GE13 results if they recognised state results.

“If you have officially accepted the mandate for your three states, you must show clearly that you are willing to accept the decision of the public by virtue and do not question the outcome of the election,” he said.

Mohamed Mustafa said Pakatan’s actions of “continuing to govern” their three states, “clearly shows the results is something that they can accept”.

“By rejecting the overall results, it is something really contradictory. It shows they do not walk the talk,” he said, pointing out that Pakatan only rejected results at the federal level and not state.

“It is the same process, at state level and federal level. So you cannot accept one and reject the other,” he said.

“Pakatan must make a stand on their accusations as right now, it is very difficult to understand why they accept three states, but not the overall results,” he added.

Aruna Gopinath of the National Defence University’s Faculty of Strategic Studies also believed Pakatan should “reject the whole thing totally” and not resort to selective acceptance.

“If you say there is fraud, then you cannot say you only want to accept certain things,” she explained.

“You must reject the whole thing totally,” she added.

However, Aruna noted that if there was “enough evidence” of electoral fraud, the Election Commission (EC) should “come in with a full investigation”.

“They must make a full study and investigation,” she said.

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(The Star) - The call by certain groups to boycott Chinese businesses is dangerous for the country’s well-being, said State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Such a call by the groups, including the Muslim Consumers’ Society and Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia, had brought racism into a darker and more sinister level in Malaysia, he said.

“If left uncontrolled, it can lead Malaysia into turmoil and anarchy,” said Dr Jeffrey, adding that such a call totally disregarded the social harmony and unity under the 1Malaysia concept.

Boycotting Chinese businesses, said Dr Jeffrey, was not possible and even if this could be done, would spell disaster for the local economy.

“Are they so ignorant of the fact that by boycotting Chinese businesses they won’t even be able to survive? How would they live without simple things like salt, sugar, coffee, tea and noodles since these are supplied through Chinese importers and distributors?

“So don’t even talk about electrical goods, building materials and cars,” he said, urging all groups and leaders to foster unity for the benefit of the country’s prosperity and progress.

He urged the Prime Minister to speak up against such calls to show the world that Malaysia was a mature democracy and a model of progress, wisdom and social harmony.

Meanwhile, Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia president Datuk Lim Kok Cheong urged the Government to put measures in place to prevent such an “unhealthy scenario” from taking place.

“Although only a small group of people are involved in the calling of the boycott, no one should encourage this,” he said.

(The Star) - MCA has denied all allegations that the party is selling off its assets.

“All assets are under the MCA headquarters and any decision regarding them (the assets) has to have the support of at least two-thirds of the party’s central committee members.

“The CC (central committee) can also ask for an extraordinary general meeting to decide,” said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He added that the party would sue those who continued to spread rumours about the party’s assets.

In another development, he said MCA was against any call to boycott goods and services because it would hurt the economy.

PRS and SPDP felt they deserved better recognition since both parties delivered all the seats they contested in.

(The Star) - KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is not going to interfere in the Federal Cabinet appointments. Speaking to reporters after the first session of the State Legislative Assembly Sitting here yesterday, Taib said to interfere was not his style.

“We shall leave it to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak). I’m sure he will think (about it) after talking to them,” he said.

By them, he was obviously referring to PRS and SPDP, the state BN coalition members who are disappointed with the Cabinet appointments despite Sarawak having a record number of seven ministers and three deputy ministers’ posts this time around.

PRS and SPDP felt they deserved better recognition since both parties delivered all the seats they contested in.

In the past week, members of the two parties had been lamenting over the Cabinet appointments. Some even felt it was unfair to give SUPP a ministerial post when the party only delivered one out of the seven seats it contested in.

SUPP’s deputy president Datuk Richard Riot, the party’s only victor, was made the Human Resources Minister.

PRS was given a minister and a deputy minister’s posts while SPDP was completely left out.

PRS’ Selangau MP Datuk Joseph Entulu was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, while Datuk Joseph Salang, who is Julau MP, was appointed Deputy Tourism and Culture Minister.

Salang, however, declined his appointment, saying the post did not serve the pressing needs of the Dayaks.

PRS president Tan Sri James Masing and his SPDP counterpart Tan Sri William Mawan, will meet with Najib to resolve the matter.

When asked if he would make recommendations to the Prime Minister, Taib said he would not.

“No, I do not interfere in the Cabinet appointments. It is not my style (to do so),” replied the state Barisan chairman.

Meanwhile, state Barisan secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said there would be a discussion with PRS and SPDP to see what could be worked out.

“I do not feel it is wrong to be dissatisfied although it is impossible to fulfil everyone’s request.

“Personally, I feel that it is not important what portfolio you hold. What’s important is being able to serve and help the people,” he said.

He believed PRS realised this which was why the party wanted a more relevant portfolio.

Having said that, he said the position in the Cabinet was also not to only help Sarawak but to serve the whole nation.

As such, he said, the state Barisan would lend its support where it saw fit and under good reasons. He stressed that at the end of the day it was the people who should gain from all this (inclusion in Federal Cabinet).

Clara Chooi, TMI

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal lawmakers have vowed to make full use of their increased parliamentary numbers to ensure constituencies are fairly redrawn when the Election Commission (EC) kicks off the redelineation exercise this year-end.

PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli reminded that if the exercise involves an increase in seat numbers, a two-thirds majority vote is needed to approve the changes before they are passed by the lower House.

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) does not have required two-thirds majority in Parliament, with only 133 seats to PR’s 89 seats, and will require votes from opposition lawmakers to approve the exercise.

“But if they (EC) do not add constituencies and the process only includes redrawing boundaries, this could be dangerous as this allows gerrymandering and there is no need for a two-third vote.

“In the past, they (BN) score big in the elections because the redelineation exercise is often in [their] favour ... they disperse our support to other seats,” Rafizi told The Malaysian Insider.

But the PKR strategy director said it was likely that, this time, redelineation would include an increase in seat numbers.

He said that in tandem with the DAP’s “one vote, one value” campaign push, PR lawmakers will fight hard to use their parliamentary powers to ensure voters are more fairly distributed unlike the present situation.

The allegedly unfair dispersal of voters in constituencies here has been used as a major argument point by PR lawmakers to back accusations that gerrymandering in favour of BN has helped the ruling pact stay in power.

In a recent article on news portal FZ.com, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan had pointed out that the existing delineation of constituencies defies logic in terms of size and the number of voters.

“Putrajaya has 15,791 voters compared with Kapar, which has 144,159 voters. It doesn’t make sense.”

“And then you have a state seat like Sri Serdang with 72,769 voters which is higher than the Putrajaya parliamentary seat,” he was quoted saying.

This has also earned the attention of the foreign media.

In the Wall Street Journal yesterday, Hong Kong journalist Philip Bowring commented on how PR had lost the election despite winning 51 per cent of the popular vote ― an outcome that opposition lawmakers and civil society groups have blamed on unfair gerrymandering.

“Thanks to an extreme anti-urban bias and the abolition of rules governing the relative size of constituencies, the largest constituency has nine times more voters than the smallest.

“On that basis, and taking account of the number of closely fought seats, the opposition would probably have to win at least 58 per cent of the popular vote to get a majority of seats,” Bowring wrote.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insider, DAP’s publicity secretary Tony Pua said with the polls now over and efforts underway to challenge some of the results through election petitions, the next step for PR would be to focus on the coming redelineation exercise.

The EC recently said that the exercise will be kicked off by year-end after the six-month process to hear election petitions are completed. The petitions must be filed within 21 days after the results of the election are gazetted.

The Federal Constitution prohibits a redelineation exercise from being conducted within eight years of the last. The EC last redrew constituency lines in 2003.

READ MORE HERE

(The Malay Mail) - MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek yesterday refused to take any responsibility for the party's worst electoral outing, instead blaming it on party veterans and their "political baggage".

He said the party was forced to shoulder the burden of the past generation, and this was the reason for its poor performance.

“MCA’s new generation must take on the burden of the past generation. We have to carry the baggage of the previous leadership,” Dr Chua said after chairing the party's first central committee meeting after the general election.

He said one of the 15 party veterans had even been jailed and nearly destroyed the economies of Malaysia and Singapore.

Refusing to name anyone, Dr Chua said the veteran caused the Malaysian and Singaporean stock exchanges to close, bringing untold damage to the economies of both countries.

Asked if the group of veterans were to blame for MCA's poor electoral showing, he responded:

"Of course, lah! We have to deal with the burden which we have inherited. "I am an elected president.

What is the need fr oparty elections if we ask the elected president to resign?

"They should not have spoken about party matters openly. Instead, they should have come to see me to discuss their grouses."

Dr Chua said the party veterans should work behind the scenes if they were genuinely interested in seeing the party grow.

He said criticisms raised by the veterans were never brought up by any member during the MCA CC meetings.

Azran had criticised the racial tone of Utusan’s front page headline, “Apa lagi Cina mahu?” 

(TMI) - Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia reported today a civil servants union and two other groups joining its boycott of AirAsia and sister airline AirAsia X, after the latter firm’s chief executive condemned the newspaper for its racially provocative headline targeting the Chinese following the May 5 polls.

The Malay broadsheet cited the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) in a front-page report urging all civil workers to avoid the budget airlines and to instead fly aboard national carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and its sister company, Firefly, for the upcoming two-week school holidays.

“The power of 1.4 million civil servants can give an impact on AirAsia, so I ask all civil servants to prove this especially in the school holidays,” Cuepacs president Datuk Omar Osman was quoted saying, claiming he had received numerous complaints from several consumer groups dissatisfied with AirAsia’s service.

Several other groups were also cited giving similar reasons backing their call to make AirAsia the airline of last resort, including the Executive Officers Union (KEPAK) and the Malaysian Consumers Potection and Welfare Board (LPKPM), the paper reported.

In an apparent attempt to back up their claims of dissatisfactory service, Utusan also reported on its front page a man complaining that the airline had refused to fly back his mother’s corpse from Jogjakarta to Kuala Lumpur even though she had previously purchased a ticket aboard AirAsia ― despite the carrier not being licensed to do so.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-utusan-cuepacs-joins-airasia-boycott-call/