PKR Urges Senate to Reject PCA 2013 Amendment Bill

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SHAH ALAM, 7 Oct: PKR urges the Senate, which goes into session today till October 10, to reject the amendment Bill of the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) 2013 (PCA).

This is not only because the Bill was debated for a very short time, but also because it basically violates fundamental human rights which are enshrined in the Constitution of Malaysia.

PKR Communications Director, Fahmi Fadzil, in a statement, said that appointed Senators should remember that their responsibility is not only to the country and its people, but also to the spirit of human rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

“The anti-democratic actions of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration are very ironic when we are reminded that Malaysia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“Surely, Malaysia will become a laughing stock to the world when the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights for members of the body is held on 24 October, as reminded by the Chairman of SUHAKAM, TS Hasmy Agam today,” he said.

The PCA Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on 2 October.

Don’t Entertain BN’s Invite To Collaborate – PR Will Have Putrajaya

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SHAH ALAM, 26 SEPT: Former UMNO Vice-President Tan Sri Muhammad Taib said an UMNO-PAS collaboration is unnecessary because it will give the Coalition a wide open opportunity to establish the federal government in the next 14th General Election (GE-14).

Refuting the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s views on creating space for collaborations, Muhammad Taib said the Pakatan component parties should be prepared to strengthen the party so as to form a government.

“There should be no agenda to be squeezed in here and there, or it will be the people who suffer. The Coalition makes an effort to provide an alternative to the people. Whatever BN’s weaknesses may be, these should not be repeated.

“Should BN becomes the choice and listens to the people, why would they want to work with parties that oppose negotiations with the government? If BN is good, they should stand on their own feet, unless they are already being rejected.

“When you’re not even good to begin with, to become victorious and powerful, you’ll have to play dirty. Come to an agreement with the goalkeeper and let go of the ball. Even if you miss, you’re still in.
“In politics, we do not want to create people who want to maintain power. UMNO has maintained power for almost 60 years,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Muhammad joined PAS two days after the nomination day last General Election in 2013.

Previously, Muhyiddin reportedly said that BN has no problems with working with PAS because the BN component party is open to taking any measures, including talks with PAS for the common objective of uniting the Muslims in the country.

On the basis of BN wanting to maintain power, the former Chief Minister of Selangor said that the people will bear the losses if negotiations failed.

Urging the parties to strengthen their leadership so as to capture Putrajaya in the next GE 14, he believed BN and Pakatan should choose different paths.

“BN wants to maintain power, but it is the people who will suffer from the consequences. My point is, let BN do things their own way and PR should stand united as before. I believe in GE14, we will capture Putrajaya,” he said.

DAP Accepts Utusan Apology But With A Warning

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KUALA LUMPUR, SEPT 26: DAP warned Utusan Malaysia today to cease publishing irresponsible statements, despite having received and accepted an apology from Utusan over the recent Tanda Putera row.

DAP Chair, Karpal Singh, demanded the daily to obey journalism ethics by writing accurate and factual contents instead of broadcasting false news and hearsays.

“We accept the apology but Utusan must stop lying. We are willing to give them the opportunity to move forwards to better themselves, and report the truth,” he said during a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Earlier, the UMNO-controlled newspaper published a report entitled ‘Try and Hide DAP’s Insolence’ by claiming that the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guang Eng had tried to block the film’s screening.
In a written statement dated 13th of September, Utusan Malaysia Berhad Senior Manager, Shirad Maher, had agreed to apologise to Lim Kit Siang and for the publication of the article.

“The article, published on page 13 on the 7th of September 2013 entitled ‘Try and Hide DAP’s Insolence’, was wrong, and it did not reflect what was meant by Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

“Therefore, Utusan Malaysia hereby fully retract the error and sincerely apologise to Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang,” he said.

Meanwhile, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said the apology must be sincere without any intent of gaining publicity alone.

“We are not asking Utusan to side with us, but please post real news and stop it with the lies,” he said.

Surendran Kicked Out For Questioning Custodial Death

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KUALA LUMPUR, SEPT 25: Padang Serai MP N Surendran was sent out of the Dewan Rakyat out for raising the question of custodial death.

He was immediately ordered to leave by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Amin Mulia Tan Sri Pandukar, on the grounds that he ‘did not respect the more senior members of the Parliament’.

At a press conference, Surendran said he had used the 14 F provision that allows petitions to be brought before the House of Commons’ question and answer session.

“According to the provisions of 14 F, a petition can be brought before a question and answer session. But I was sent out by the speaker for raising the issue,” he said at the Parliament lobby.

Surendran said the petition for appeal was raised after Karuna Nithi s/o Palani Velu died in police custody on June 1st. The doctor confirmed there was evidence of beatings – 49 marks, on the victim’s body.

Earlier, there was a commotion when the victim’s family tried to enter the location of the press conference but they were prevented by the Parliament’s security officials.

Surplus Invites High Risk and Waste

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SHAH ALAM, 24 SEPT: The People’s Institute (IR) is questioning the high allocations to ministries as announced in the presentation of the Supplementary Supply Bill today.

The Executive Director of IR, Azrul Azwar, said the Ministry of Women, Family and Community only receives up to RM126,665.400 provisions surplus.

According to Azrul, these “one-off” payments are an invitation for leakages, including wastage, which was often reported in the media previously.

IR also would like to know if these payments will benefit the people or certain groups of people.

“It is awkward and worrying because if we look closer, there is just one too many ‘one-off’ – but who will benefit from it?” he asked.

Azrul further added that it is a worrying development because it shows that the government is failing at managing expenses more efficiently.

“Last year (2012), the government failed to meet the 4.5 percent deficit-to-GDP ratio target. Instead, it increased to 4.9 percent after taking into account all of the additional bills which totalled up to RM28.5 billion – RM28 billion for operation expenditures and RM500 million for development expenditures.

“The additional spending in 2013 may cause the debt ratio for the public GDP to exceed the limit of 55 percent from 45 percent in July 2009, and 40 percent in April 2008. By the end of this year, it will reach 53.3 percent – a new record among the highest in Southeast Asia,” said Azrul.

Selangor Kini Becomes Subject Of Heated Debate

selangorkini-300x195KUALA LUMPUR, SEPT 24: Selangor Kini, the Selangor state government-owned newspaper became the subject of a heated discussion between the Members of Parliament for the PR and Barisan Nasional during the afternoon session at the House of Commons.

This was due to a tense situation between the Tanjung Karang MP, Dato’ Seri Noh Omar, and the MP for Shah Alam, Khalid Abdul Samad.

Selangor Kini is the state government’s newspaper that explains their actions and policies.

“This is acceptable as the Selangor Government is affiliated with PR. Perhaps Tanjong Karang is still stuck in 2004 – thinking it is the BN government.

Selangor Kini reports what the Selangor state government is doing for the people. There is nothing wrong with using government’s money to disseminate information on the government’s programmes,” said Khalid.

Selangor Kini is published by the Selangor government through its subsidiary company, CCSB Sdn Bhd, focusing on issues and policies of the state, along with the people’s problems.

It is different from Suara Keadilan and Harakah – both PKR and PAS prints which put more focus on political issues.

Additionally, Khalid said, PR is urging the Central Government to give them publishing license and private television stations so as to inform the people about their administration policies.

“All we are asking for are license for daily publications and television like TV3. We’re not asking the Central Government to publish Harakah and Suara Keadilan, which is highly unlikely,” he said.

Selangor Waits For Central Government For ADUN Allocations

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SEPT 24 SUBANG JAYA: Selangor will for wait Putrajaya to pave the way in providing financial support to all elected representatives before finalising their decisions.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the allocations for the Opposition’s Assembly will only be decided after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak has presented the National Budget next October.

“We will wait. Let the Central Government make their presentation first and we will see whether they will agree to give financial support to the MPs without taking political affiliations into account,” he said in a press conference after ending the Budget 2014 Dialogue at the Grand Dorsett Hotel, Subang Jaya, today.

Abdul Khalid further added that the Central Government’s actions will be an example for the State Government. He was referring to the Government of Pulau Pinang’s allocation of RM40,000 to the Opposition’s Assembly beginning of next year.

“If the Central Government is willing to do so, then we will be happy to follow their example. If they won’t, the State Government will hold discussions to think of a more appropriate action so as to demonstrate the validity of our party in giving an opportunity for all representatives to serve the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Hannah Yeoh, said the Committee of Rights and Privileges, which consists PKR and UMNO-BN Assembly, had met the previous week. They agreed to write a letter to the State Executive Council (MKKN) to obtain financial support for each DUN for as much as RM10,000 a month.

“So we will wait for MKKN to discuss first,” she said.

Bangkok Retreat Was Not Related To Chin Peng

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SUBANG JAYA, 23 SEPT: The State Executive Council’s retreat session in Bangkok had nothing to do with the death of former Communist Party General Secretary, Ong Boon Hua @ Chin Peng, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The retreat was a discussion session for the Five-Year Action Plan to implement PR’s 13th General Election Manifesto, apart from investigating important investors from Thailand, the Central Group (CPN) and identifying Industrialised Building System (IBS) technology to assist in the construction of Selangor’s Affordable Homes.

Speaking to the media after ending the Budget 2014 Dialogue Ceremony at the Grand Dorsett Subang Jaya, Abdul Khalid said they had earned permission from the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, before Malaysia Day, Sept 16.

“I did not know who would die on Malaysia Day,” he said.

Chin Peng reportedly died when he was 88 years old in Bangkok, Thailand, on last September on the 16th. He lived in exile in the neighboring country and was not allowed to return to Malaysia.

He launched a guerilla war against the British, and later fought against the Government of Malaysia to establish communist rule until a peace treaty was signed between the two parties in 1989.

FOMCA: Hike Oil Price, Revoke Road Tax

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SHAH ALAM SEPT 6th: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) has urged the government to consider annulling road tax and reducing insurance rates in the wake of the oil price hike.

Echoing the sentiments of the Petrol Station Operators’ Association of Malaysia (PDAM), Communications Director of FOMCA, Mohd Yusuf Abdul Rahman said, this suggestion should be a given serious consideration as an alternative solution, due to the people’s collective dismay over the price increase.

“Everyone is aware of the impact this increase will bring on the price chains of goods. This should be an initiative to unburden the people by reducing the taxes, including road tax,” he told TV Selangor.

Previously, PDAM had proposed to the government to repeal road tax and reduce insurance rates on vehicles with capacity less than 2,000 cc.

Yusof said, these proposals should be considered carefully as the oil price increase will certainly lead to higher costs of living for the ordinary people.

He is also confident that these suggested measures are capable of abating the public outrage following the fuel price hike.

“Even though the road tax annulment will only be a temporary solution for the people as they pay road tax only per annum, it should help calming them down. And then announce other initiatives soon,” he said.

Falling Ringgit Value, Soaring Oil Prices, Poorer People

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SHAH ALAM SEPT 6th: The recent depreciation of Malaysia’s ringgit value is making people poorer following declining purchasing power due to higher prices of imported goods, particularly food.

Institut Rakyat’s economist, Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin said such economic situation occurs when the value of the national currency decreases against the strength of foreign currencies, and thus affects people’s purchasing power.

“People are having difficulties in buying goods for the same price unlike the time prior to the collapse of the national currency. As a result, the ability of people buying goods is declining,” said the former Chief Economist of Islamic Bank to TV Selangor today.

The ringgit has fallen for more than seven percent this year, the lowest compared to 3.3 per dollar three years ago, and it is currently the worst record.

The impact of the price increase on ordinary people has become more severe when UMNO-BN government raised the prices of RON 95 and RON 97 recently.

Azrul said the currency devaluation has also resulted in imported goods such as necessities to increase in prices.

He urges the government to evaluate and find the cause for the currency collapse, and be proactive in addressing the problem.

“The government should make a concentrated effort in plumbing this financial leakage so as to avoid an increase of the national debts and spending deficits,” Azrul concluded.

Anwar Slams Shabery’s Cheek Towards Laureate

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SHAH ALAM, Sept 5th: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim criticised the arrogance of the Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, for urging the withdrawal of National Laureate A. Samad Said’s title.

The PKR de facto leader, who was chairing the National Laureate selection committee, said the minister should understand the intricate selection procedures involved in a nomination prior to the reception of the award.

“The minister is quite arrogant and it is daft to assume that the award can just be withdrawn. He (Shabery) has never examined the process involved in the selection of National Literary Laureate award, but I have chaired the committee. The minister should understand that it (the process) is an effort of nominating the recipient based on the quality of their work, either poetry or prose. The nominee’s attitude and political stance are absolutely irrelevant,” he said.

He was speaking at a press conference after the launch of the book entitled ‘Behind the Brotherhood: The Reality of the World Strongest Political Movement‘, co-authored by Youseff Nada, the Muslim Brotherhood’s financial strategist, and Douglas Thompson.

A. Samad Said, popularly known as Pak Samad, is famous for his novels ‘Salina’, ‘Sungai Mengalir Lesu’, and more. He was awarded with the title in 1985.

Anwar is also demanding for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) to apologise to Pak Samad with regards to the police treatment during an inquiry about the controversy on Merdeka Eve on Friday.

“I am deeply upset by the police action. It’s not a question of doubting the law but a question of humanity. The police could have gone to his house during the day, at a time when he is available. I am asking the MOHA to apologise, and I appeal to the police to not continue working like that anymore. We respect the law, we understand the rights and responsibilities of the police but we also should acknowledge that there methods we should follow,” he said emphatically.

– FZL

Revoking Laureate Title An Oily Distraction Tactic

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SHAH ALAM, Sept 5th – Revoking A Samad Said’s National Laureate title is just a tactic by the BN government to divert people’s attentions from the oil price hike issues.

PAS Information Chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the government cannot deny Pak Samad’s great contributions in upholding Malay literature.

“They are trying to distract the people from the issues of increased oil prices by victimising Pak Samad. What? Since when does flying a different flag is considered to be a dishonour to our national flag? There have been so many assemblies that involved flying flags of different nations. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an insult to our own flag,” he said in a press statement today.

Minister of Information and Communications, Dato’ Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek has publicly declared that the government does not rule out the possibility that the National Laureate title will be withdrawn from Pak Samad.

Abdul Samad Muhammad Said, popularly known as A. Samad Said, was awarded with the title Malaysian National Laureate in 1986. He was also nominated by the Melaka state legislature which confers the title ‘Datuk’ in 1997.

Ibrahim said the government should not turn Malaysia into a police state like performing arbitrary arrests during a dialogue. Instead, a discussion should be encouraged to clear the air.

“BN-Umno leaders should hold a dialogue with Pak Samad instead of mocking him in the media. In the minds of the people, Pak Samad is not just a National Laureate. He is also a well-known hero for abiding his principles and speaking out against the government’s misconducts,” he said.

Recently, Pak Samad was arrested by police and taken to Dang Wangi Police Headquarters at midnight before being released at about 2:30 am.

– FZL