MACC Probe on NFC: Another Political Sandiwara in the Making?

Duuh!! MACC might as well bury their heads in cow dung… no one expected them to act from the word go and now with this about turn – is like telling Malaysians since you guys are adamant on digging the whole scam up onto the surface, you leave us with little choice but to come out with more damage control measures… This is why I have said earlier , a massive street protest would be a better solution.
______________
danildaud,
Soon the Peaceful Assembly which has been approved by Dewan Rakyat and endorsed by Dewan Negara will be become law after Royal Accent. That option is going to be difficult as protestors will be violating the law.–Din Merican

danildaud  -  December 22, 2011 at 8:38 pm

 

“Anti-Corruption Commission has announced that a special team will be formed to investigate claims that UMNO Minister Shahrizat Jalil’s family had squandered public funds allocated to the RM250 million NFC cattle livestock project on personal items and luxurious assets.”

Squandered is the key word here… tell me does this MACC-chief knows what he is saying?

Yea , the rakyat have been short change big time with the promised of a cheaper source of venison meat … Nay , the funds were never squandered since its release. Embezzled if you like but not squandered..
If there is any truth of Sayalazat’s alleged promiscuous past…spreading her legs this time round will not be such a good idea no-more . The flesh has turned from raw , fresh to rotten..

danildaud  -  December 22, 2011 at 9:14 pm

 

Yup! Dato , thanks for the reminder…but then again the protest could be leveled at this bill as well.

danildaud  -  December 22, 2011 at 9:33 pm

 

Danildaud,
I don’t know if anybody in MACC knows what they are doing but I do know that the language used suggests that Sharizat is being set up for a ‘no case to answer’ before the issue even gets to our courts.

‘Squander” is not part of any legal language to refer to crimes committed under the country’s Penal Code.

Mr Bean  -  December 22, 2011 at 9:56 pm

Soon the Peaceful Assembly which has been approved by Dewan Rakyat and endorsed by Dewan Negara will be become law after Royal Accent. That option is going to be difficult as protestors will be violating the law.–Din Merican
Dato,
Has Malaysia changed so much after I left that even our Agong talks with an accent?

Mr Bean  -  December 22, 2011 at 10:01 pm

 

Haha! cant help picking on the Dato eeh…. yup! Bean , precise interpretation of the language used and the hidden motives…

danildaud  -  December 22, 2011 at 11:07 pm           

MACC Probe on NFC

December 22, 2011

MACC Probe on NFC: Another Political Sandiwara in the Making?

by  Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Amid signs that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s UMNO is fast unraveling, hit by massive graft and infighting amongst its top leadership, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has announced that a special team will be formed to investigate claims that UMNO Minister Shahrizat Jalil’s family had squandered public funds allocated to the RM250 million NFC cattle livestock project on personal items and luxurious assets.

However, instead of appeasing public anger, all eyes are now on the drama at play in UMNO. While Shahrizat has hinted she was ready to quit, it is unlikely that she will allow herself to be railroaded or be made an easy scapegoat of by her own party mates.

All eyes are now on how Najib, himself the subject of a probe by the French government over allegations of having taken a 114 million euros or RM570 million kickback from French naval giant DCN for the purchase of 2 Scorpene submarines, will deal with the issue. Najib is also the UMNO President.

“Tell me, which UMNO leader does not have problem?” was Shahrizat’s sharp retort when asked to comment whether she would heed the growing calls to resign, as reported in the Sin Chew newspaper a few days ago.

Lip service expected from the MACC

Indeed, public cynicism is inevitable given that the MACC had previously passed the buck to the police despite receiving reports from Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The Najib administration lost further credibility when Deputy Inspector General of Police Khalid Bakar publicly declared there were no elements of criminal breach of trust during the recent UMNO General Assembly. Khalid, often called a stooge for the UMNO-led government, was accused of ‘play-acting’ in a bid to save the UMNO leaders embarrassment.

“We have acted accordingly by collecting evidence and statements since the issue was reported in the Auditor-General’s Report. A large part of the issues brought up in the latest complaint (against NFC) had already been acted upon,” a defensive-sounding MACC investigations director Mustafar Ali said in a statement released on Thursday.

The MACC was also quick to stress it could not divulge details of investigations as stipulated under Section 29(4) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. “We call on the parties to give their full co-operation by not politicising the issues which could affect our investigation,” Mustafar added.

Given the tone of the statement, it was clear to political watchers that the MACC was not going to do much to uncover the dirt in NFC or National Feedlot Centre, a project aimed to raise local supply of beef to up to 40% of consumption and keep prices affordable.

The project was awarded to Shahrizat’s husband, Salleh Ismail, and her children in 2006 by then then Agriculture minister Muhyiddin Yassin on the prodding of UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of former premier Abdullah Badawi. Najib also played a part in approving the project to Shahrizat’s family.

Another shameless sandiwara

Cynicism is high that this was the latest ‘sandiwara’ or drama enacted by UMNO to tell Shahrizat to quit her Cabinet post and take responsibility before general elections are held next year.

No one is expecting any major change in the attitude of the top UMNO leaders, who are renowned for their corruption-tainted records – as Shahrizat herself alluded to.

“Both Shahrizat and UMNO are shameless. The issue is why such a loan was given to her family when she was holding the position of a Cabinet minister. It is impossible they could have got the loan if she were not a minister. She and her family have deprived needy and hardworking Malaysians from the benefit of the fund (meant to supply everyday Malaysians with a cheap source of beef),” PKR vice president N Surendran told Malaysia Chronicle.

“It is also pointless to blame Shahrizat alone. UMNO bears the biggest blame. Benefiting cronies and families from public funds is a central part of UMNO’s political culture.”

Victim of the Mahathir legacy of corruption?

Furthermore, those who have called on her to quit before she is “chased out” include former premier Mahathir Mohamad, notorious for defining and expanding UMNO’s feudal system of politics where the ruling elite have carte blanche over almost every aspect of economic and political life in Malaysia.

In the recently released Global Financial Integrity report, Malaysia was identified to be the 4th most corrupt nation in the world, racking up a total of US$338 billion (RM1.08 trillion) in illicit outflows over the first decade of the century.

GFI also said the Malaysian increase was “at a scale seen in few Asian countries.” In January, it had reported that RM930 billion flowed out of Malaysia from 2000 to 2008, growing to RM218 billion per year from an initial RM71 billion in that period.

“This report should be a wake-up call to world leaders that more must be done to address these harmful outflows,” GFI director Raymond Baker said in a press release.

Upon release of the GFI’s report in January, it was telling that one of the first UMNO leaders to cast doubt on the renowned Washington-based body was Mukhriz Mahathir, the youngest son of the former PM. Now 86, Mahathir had ruled Malaysia for 22 years and is widely believed to be the one who has salted away the biggest fortune at taxpayers’ expense.

Malaysia Chronicle

Open Letter from India to Mahathir and UMNO

Madir qualifies to be a villain in Bollywood movies.. he has all what it takes…this is what is being said…no need to read in between the lines.

Okay..no qualms over his point of view of how far democracy ought be adhered to before arm-twisting tactics is administered..this , he has acclaimed -” set a bench mark” already …now it is up to the present and future generation of Malaysians to charter where they wanna go from here…

What strikes most people or irks them is not his over zealousness in preaching his view on righteousness and a just society which he has done countless of times every opportunity that came his way….some even construed this as a voice of dissent that came from a leader of a miniature nation who was bold enough to throw a challenged at the big boys gracing the world stage but the years he was in office , tainted by the introduction of cronyism…nepotism… were detestable especially at the local front and forever synonym whenever his name creeps-up …

Of late…isolated as he is…has acquired another aspect of his hidden talent that of a hatemonger-er…all for the sake of preserving his legacy and for what?

danildaud  -  December 20, 2011 at 11:59 pm

Open Letter  from India to Mahathir and UMNO

by Siddharthya Swapan Roy (12-14-11)

14 December, 2011

Dear Mr Mahathir,

A couple of days back I woke up to Indian newspaper reports which quoted you as saying that India’s democracy is a hindrance to its development and if we did away with the nuisance of democracy we will be become developed (1).

Well Sir, it is heartening to see your concern about India’s future. Especially now that our own elected government has orphaned us, someone from the outside caring about our development sounds so very nice. But you see Sir, your (apparently) good intentions notwithstanding, your advice to Indians is, well how should I put it…ill-advised. I’m not really sure if you know much about the history of our nation. Don’t get me wrong.

Know Your Facts

Going by facts like the general absence of news from Malaysia’s newspapers; the absence of anything but song and dance in your electronic media; the absence of bookstores that sell knowledgeable books (for example, the ones from which you can learn about history and not how to get rich in six steps); the abundance of malls and the stark absence of libraries; the abundance of coaching centers that can make masseurs, air hostesses and a host of quick fix technicians and the relative absence of centres of higher learning especially in the social sciences; and above all the fact that this insanely consumerist and hedonist Malaysia was made under your tutelage, makes me doubt your knowledge of the history of India or any nation for that matter.

Understand the Story of Indian Independence

So allow me to apprise you of the story of our Independence. We won Independence from colonial rulers waging a long and torturous battle. A battle that sought to replace a discriminatory, unjust and violent regime that had enslaved huge populations with one which was based on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.

India was home then, as is now and as will always be, to an immense diversity of people who spoke different tongues, prayed to different Gods, wore different clothes and had different political beliefs. These diverse people said to each other that – we, despite our differences, will strive to live and flourish together and make a sovereign nation which will be democratic, socialist and secular. We did not anywhere say that we want to be Malaysia or for that matter China or the USA.

India treats all its citizen as equal

We want to become a nation with a system that treats all its citizens as equal unlike your country that officially accords special rights to Malay Muslims calling them first class citizens while relegating thousands of people of Tamil, Chinese and other ethnic origins. Despite the fact that they have known no other land other than Malaysia as their own, you denigrate them with the tag of being second class citizens.

Meritocracy and Hard Work, Not Identity-based Cartelisation

We try to work towards having a system wherein a person will grow according to his merit and hard work earning what he has rightfully earned. You may be surprised to know that here in India making cartels based on identity, even if under the name of bumiputra or son-of-the-soil, is called cartelisation and is looked down upon by most of us.

Here promoting the selective interests of one’s self or that of his kin is called corruption and nepotism and not, as you call it, development. We are in fact fighting tooth and nail to arrest the scourge of corruption and (you’ll be shocked to know) get the guilty punished.

In India, No One is Above the Law

Here in India no one is above the law and many a times powerful public figures go to jail for being corrupt or subverting the law. Now that we are at it, Sir, I’m sure it would be interesting to know what the minorities of you countries have to say – especially the jailed and beaten ones – about the development-democracy debate.

In fact Sir, your idea of development is largely at odds with many of us here. What you did to the tropical forests and water-bodies of Malaysia (that is raze vast acres of them into oblivion making way for big bucks palm oil plantations and piggeries and so on) would cause huge outrage amongst many of us who are looking for sustainable development.

We are yet to be unanimously convinced that making cemented roads – however broad, lining them with buildings – even if glass covered and glossy, putting cars on them – however fast they are– is a substitute for our valued bio-diversity. Many of us are very convinced that displacing huge populations of native people for useless things like racing tracks is a blot on the word ‘development’.

There are many of us who find it a shameful and cruel hypocrisy that in your country can have abundant openly advertised sex tourism and still whip women for being licentious! Thanks to the culture of reading here, many of us know of your penchant for cruelty in your personal career. A career during which you enacted despotic and violent acts at times in the name of (your contorted version of Islam) and at  times in the name of security and national interest.

Malaysia’s Internal Security Act, 1960

We could recount how you rose to power annihilating huge numbers of your opponents and stayed there for over two decades continuing your devious rule using tactics and schemes which are far beyond Machiavelli. Many of us know about your vile Internal Security Act 1960, which you used to crush political opposition jailing and killing them with impunity and putting in place a frail and near sham democracy placing the entire nation under a one man rule of the UNMO for over two decades.

You will note that in the essay above I have used words like “most of us” “many of us” and have tried to stay away form absolute claims. Besides the age old Indian practice of accommodating different opinions, it is meant to recognise that there are people in this country too who think like you and will have applauded you for saying what you did.

They too think that roads are all that are important and not the humans which walk on them or the ones that sleep beside them. They have misconstrued the word development as development of personal wealth and that this ‘development’ is a holy cow and everything including the rights and lives of fellow humans is a lesser priority. Their money power helps them buy a lot of print space and electronic bandwidth so they may appear like the majority, but thankfully the truth is they aren’t.

Development through Increasing Democracy

The majority of us recognise and are willing to admit – and even discuss at length – that there are problems in our nation – including bad roads. But they’ll quickly add that we intend to solve those not by lessening democracy but by increasing it.

1. Speech on December 2 Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi

The author is a freelance writer and activist based in Maharashtra. siddharthyaroy@gmail.com

Umno needs help for voter support, party leaders admit

Umno is at the brink of extinction , grass root support has dwindled tremendously mainly due to the present crop of MTs spearheading the party . Prime Minister Najib is confronted with the inevitable reality ,    the flaws  caused by imprudence on the part of an umno leadership that, throughout  the years have been  offered  something precious but are unable to appreciate its worth . A valuable gift of governing the nation presented by the people to a group of self-serving dissidents    who respond  by abusing or defiling it. Up against a brick wall , Prime Minister Najib should pay solace and be reminded of an ancient phrase  which  is still current today. " Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest haply they trample them under " - Danil Daud

 

Umno needs help for voter support, party leaders admit

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal and Clara Chooi

November 22, 2011

Dr Mahathir warned Umno that keeping Perkasa at arm’s length may cost it the key Malay vote. — File pic

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — Umno needs to be “calculative” and befriend as many groups and organisations as possible to gain voter support in time for the upcoming polls, party leaders have said. Top Umno leaders said the party could not afford to be “picky” about which groups to align itself with, and that everything must be done with only one goal in mind: winning the next election.
Some appeared to agree with remarks made by former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who said the party could not afford to make enemies of groups like Perkasa if it wanted to regain crucial Malay votes.
“We need to be calculative with whom to associate ourselves with; the criteria is those who can bring more support to the party,” Tangga Batu MP Datuk Idris Haron told The Malaysian Insider.
“Anything we do must have a political dividend.”
The Umno supreme council member said there was no point ignoring or marginalising certain groups when these could help Umno gain voter support, especially among the Malays.
“We cannot be too particular. What is important is that we win the elections,” he added.
Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that Umno had over the years proven that it fought for not just the Malays but for other races as well.
“Umno is the single largest party and it’s the backbone of the government. So whatever we say will impact the nation,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
The Umno leader said that although Malays should always be prioritised, the party needed to be mindful of its actions as these could affect the future of Barisan Nasional (BN).
“We are friendly to everybody,” said Abdul Rahman.
Another Umno leader, Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, said that it was crucial for Umno to cosy up to groups like Perkasa, and that such a move would strengthen Malay support for Umno before the upcoming polls.
“Yes, we need to be friendly to Perkasa, but Umno also needs to be friendly to everybody,” he added.
Umno is heading into what is likely to be its last annual assembly before a general election expected early next year.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is said to need a marked improvement from the last polls to retain his position and only a return of BN’s customary two-thirds majority of Parliament can guarantee he remains in office.
BN ceded 82 federal seats and four state governments to the opposition in the landmark March 2008 election.

Pro-BN online users our new army, says Najib

Pro-BN online users our new army, says Najib

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

November 20, 2011

Datuk Seri Najib hails social media users in the country, calling them BN's 'new army' - file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today voiced his unconditional support towards pro-Barisan Nasional bloggers and social media users, calling them Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “new army.” 
The BN chief said that the online world is the new battlefront between the opposition and BN and that many people now visited websites, portals and blogs as a means to access information.
“Barisan Nasional recognises you all, social media practitioners. You are our fighters, our new army,” Najib said today after launching 1 Malaysia Social Media Convention here.
The prime minister said that BN leaders and members need to be able to adapt to changing times by becoming affluent with social media if it wanted to remain relevant.
Social media has become increasingly important politically with 11.3 million Malaysians on Facebook in the middle of the year, a figure that continues to grow.
Najib told attendees here, mostly pro-BN bloggers that they need to explain to Malaysians online of the government’s efforts and successes and also to combat the “lies and half-truths” of the opposition.
“This is the role of the online warrior, who will go to the ground online using their blackberries, laptops, Ipads.
“If we cannot tackle this new wave, we will be swept away,” said Najib.
He said that he himself was an active online user and strived to keep abreast with the latest technological innovations.
As an example, Najib said that he recorded a live recording of himself during his recent Haj pilgrimage using his Iphone 4 and it was broadcast to the public on national television.
“If we cannot defend ourselves against the opposition, by default we will lose,” added the PM.
Also present at the function was Dr Novandri Hasan Bari, a Penang Umno leader and blogger known for his attacks against the Penang government.
One of the convention’s committee members, P. Kamalanathan told a news conference later that the event today attracted almost 2,000 participants.
The Hulu Selangor MP said that the convention aimed among other things to promote good ethics in blogging, tweeting as well as Facebooking.
A recent survey by global information and analytics provider Nielsen last month found that Malaysians spend on average of 20 hours online each week.
Nielsen’s analysis covered 1, 321 frequent digital users in Malaysia who used the Internet for four weeks in October

Oil royalty explanation is insult to intelligence, says Ku Li. But he is guilty as hell for having helped draft such a lopsided deal.

Oil royalty explanation is insult to intelligence, says Ku Li
By Adib Zalkapli
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — Petronas founder Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today rubbished attempts by the federal government to explain, through newspaper advertisements, its refusal to pay the Kelantan government oil royalty.
“The advertisement fails to point out that almost all the oil found in Malaysia is located more than three nautical miles offshore, and Petronas has nevertheless been making oil payments to the states,” said the Gua Musang MP in a statement today.
The Information, Communication and Culture Ministry yesterday took out full-page advertisements, in Malay weeklies, consisting of a list of eight questions and answers to rebut Tengku Razaleigh’s argument that Kelantan, as well as other states, are entitled to the five per cent oil royalty under the Petroleum Development Act 1974.

In late January, Tengku Razaleigh had spoken in support of Kelantan’s demand at a rally in Kota Baru. Apart from the advertisement, leaflets discrediting the Kelantanese have also been distributed in the state to counter his arguments.
The federal government’s main argument is that oil and gas are extracted from waters that are beyond the three-nautical mile limit prescribed as territorial waters under Malaysia’s Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) No 7 1969.
“By the argument deployed in the advertisement, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak too are not entitled to the 'cash payments' of 5 per cent of profit from oil,” said Tengku Razaleigh.
“The argument for depriving Kelantan of 5 per cent cash payments on the basis of its petroleum resources being found beyond 3 nautical miles is an insult to the intelligence,” he added.
The Gua Musang Umno chief said that the implication of the argument is that Terengganu has no right to receive the cash payment which was reinstated early last year.
The royalty was revoked in 2000 after PAS won control of the Terengganu state government a year earlier.
“All of Terengganu’s oil is found very far offshore. In this matter whatever holds for Kelantan holds for Terengganu and vice versa,” said Tengku Razaleigh.
He also claimed that he had never supported the federal government in revoking the Terengganu oil royalty a decade ago.
“In fact, as a BN backbencher at the time I opposed the federal government’s intervention to prevent Petronas from making oil payments to Terengganu and the move to channel those funds instead into ‘wang ihsan’,” said Tengku Razaleigh.
“Tun Salleh Abbas and I offered ourselves as witnesses to the Terengganu state government in the suit it filed against the federal government to recover those oil payments,” he added, referring to the former Lord President.
Tengku Razaleigh said the Petroleum Development Act was designed to protect the interest of the poor states as was the intention of former Prime Minister Tun Razak Hussein.
“I traversed the country to sign this agreement with each chief minister of each state government. Tun Razak was driven by the nation-building concern that these poorer east coast areas, which are also predominantly Malay areas, should benefit directly from offshore oil, and I drafted the Petroleum Development Act to reflect that concern,” said Tengku Razaleigh.
“It is this benefit to the people which Umno Kelantan opposes 34 years after the death of Tun Razak,” he added.
He urged the federal government to set political differences aside and let payment be made to the Kelantan government.

Why the urged to demonized zul Noordin?

Why the urged to demonized zul Noordin?

No matter how akward it could be for Anwar and pkr , the bottom line is .. Zul Nordin is entitle to his say.Is it not what Pakatan is propagating all this while , the freedom of expression??

His take on the ‘Allah’ word and several other religous issues maybe unbecoming of a PKR rep. whose party’s torchbeares have a clear stand of distancing themselves away from religous and racist bigotry.

Nonetheless , given the circumstances surrounding recent political and religous developments in the nations front , Zul Nordin took it upon himself to move away from the pack and not shield himself behind Anwar nor his party . If he chooses to howl in the wilderness than it’s his personal wish.Obviously , he is aware of his limits. PKR is free to show Zul the exit door but never try to tame him by imposing dictatorial terms and do a dis-favour to the very essence of democratic liberty!

By all means , Zul Nordin keep on protesting , it’s your democratic right!!

By Danildaud on January 13, 2010 at 1:29 am

” … Zul Nordin took it upon himself to move away from the pack and not shield himself behind Anwar nor his party . If he chooses to howl in the wilderness than it’s his personal wish..” Danildaud

This is what I’m afraid most and you cannot blame me for being cynical of the word ‘change’. This herd mentality if you will has to go. Throughout BN rule MPs in Parliament have been so used to ’speaking with one voice’ on all issues that they think it is the proper way of going about doing the work of the people. What of democracy and the right to free speech??

You can be united on one issue but may have different views on another issue. You represent your constituents and not the entire country. Your constituents may not share the view of the other constituents represented by another MP. However, it is a different matter when it comes to voting. That calls into question the work of the Party Whip.

Someone asked “Who gave this guy the right to speak for the Party?” He is not speaking for the Party. He is speaking for his constituents who elected him to represent their views.

By Mr Bean on January 13, 2010 at 1:46 am

In a mature democracy like that of the U.S. you see voting along party lines sometimes. At others voting goes along bipartisan lines. There are a lot of arm twisting but that’s part and parcel of the working of a democracy.

By Mr Bean on January 13, 2010 at 1:50 am

Over here in the immediate post-11 years mosques were vandalized. In normal times synagogues too. Churches have had their crosses and statues stolen.

In Malaysia they are political statements. They don’t need to actually burn down the entire church. So a fire here and a fire there would do just as well.

By Mr Bean on January 13, 2010 at 1:59 am

ooops
post 9/11

By Mr Bean on January 13, 2010 at 1:59 am

No Danil, this guy has a Messiah complex. And Bean is right about using the party whip (flagellator) – although i will be damned, if the Kulim voters for PKR see eye to eye with him.

Tok Guru Nik Aziz to be investigated over a 10kg aidilfitri cake

Macc-maniacs are at it again , this time around forcing Tok Guru Nik Aziz to puke over a 10kg aidilfitri cake. I’ll be Damn… surely most minister’s grandchildren get a much more bigger cake on their birthdays

They do appear desperate don’t they , hoovering over the head of a pious religous old man.
Are the Federal govt lawmakers over whelmingly spot-clean that these graft buster’s has little choice but to unearth mal-practices by someone as humble as TGNA who apparently lives modestly , subjecting him to be scrutinize under a telescope??

Hell!! There are enough of us in the ‘living room’ of cyberspace and a multitude out there willing to buy the old man a 10kg cake but clearly not a 24 million mansion.

Shame! Shame! , these ‘graffiti’ busters are turning out to be no more than one big putrajaya neighbourhood bully , picking on flyweights ,
instead of living up to their reputation and pick on some ruthless heavyweights.

danidaud,

MACC is just a tool of UMNO. Aziz is targetted coz he is the man that is standing in between the “merger” of UMNO and PAS. He has to be out and MACC is doing the bidding.
the head may change but it still stinks to high heaven. Have they investigated on the millions spent on the dentist and his family galavanting in Disneylands throughout the world? Have they investigated how a MB can afford a mansion? How about RM10m transferred out by a MB? How can these MBs be so rich? No, cakes worth RM3,900 is too hefty a sum for PAS. For UMNO, millions are common and therefore not worth investigating. And we all fight over a word.
oh btw, C not only stands for cows and cars. cakes are included now. whats next MACC?

By cbc on January 12, 2010 at 10:56 pm

How can they be so shameless going after a piece of cake but can’t see billions and millions passing through their nose at Putrajaya. I think car and cow is not good enough. Perhaps C is for Chau( busuk)…C…. (in Hokkien)

By tean on January 13, 2010 at 12:02 am

I am Sabahan they treat me worst than foreigners laments DAP Sri Tanjung assemblyman Jimmy Wong

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 21 —DAP Sri Tanjung assemblyman Jimmy Wong has described as a waste of time and public funds the move by the Sabah government to set up a special committee to investigate allegations on his possession of the Sijil Anak Negeri (SAN) or Native Certificate.

He said the state government should instead focus on forming a special committee to resolve the perennial problem of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants in the state, particularly those who obtained the MyKad through dubious means.


Wong said that based on reports, some of the illegal immigrants who managed to obtain dubious MyKad had subsequently applied for native certificates.

“This (illegal immigrants) is the real or biggest problem in Sabah that warrants the setting up a special committee. But they purposely made me a scapegoat to shut up my mouth because I’m vocal in highlighting the people’s problems including protecting an open space near Sabindo in Tawau.

“I applied for this native certifcate through proper channel about 30 years ago and the Native court approved it... I never abused it. I was born and brought up in Sabah, and my grandmother was a sino-Kadazan. That’s why I applied for it,” he told reporters here today.

Wong was responding to the announcement by State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor in his winding up speech for his ministry at the state assembly on Thursday that the ministry would set up a special committee to investigate the allegation made by Sekong assembyman Datuk Samsuddin Yahya.

Shamsudin campaigning at a densely populated illegal immigrant area

Apart from the issue of native certificate, Samsuddin also alleged that the DAP representative owned a resort in Semporna, as well as encroached onto government land when renovating his house.

Following this, Wong said he lodged a report at the Karamunsing police station here yesterday to enable the police to investigate whether his native certificate was false.



He claimed that the allegations were politically motivated and were aimed at divert the people’s attention from the numerous problems affecting the state, including illegal immigrants, electricity, water and corruption.

“They treat me worse than foreigners. I’m a Malaysian born in Sabah and I think this is an insult to the aspirations of the 1 Malaysia concept coined by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Questioning the identity of local born people is not good for national unity. In fact, I was made to understand that there are Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, especially those at the divisional level, who originally came from neighbouring countries, and were brought up here after obtaining the MyKad, and this should be investigated,” he added.

Wong also challenged all the BN state assemblymen, including ministers and assistant ministers, to declare their assets to see whether their assets including their houses matched their accumulated allowances.

“They portray that they (BN elected representatives) are cleaner than me and it is only fair that they declare their assests for public scrutiny once and for all,” he said.

The Sabah/Sarawak issue (6)

It’s hightime politics in Sabah/Sarawak venture beyond the Kitingan’s and Ongkili’s , the Aman and Taib clan.
The aspirations craved for by ordinary folks of the two Borneon entities spelled out by Jeffrey after his recent fallout with Anwar , the PKR de-facto leader , are not something new under the East Malaysian sun and had been the determining factors prior to the establishment of malaysia.
Nonetheless , except for the Aman’s and Taib’s ,whom are still grasping on to whatever little power KL let them have over matters concerning these two states. The remaning remnants of past leaders still loitering back and forth blew their chances of straightening what was bent primarily due to their own greed.
Over the entire period of it’s inception , Malaysia has been governed by a bunch of lowdown Malayans with a penchant to behave like ‘kera kena belacan’ central leadership that have not only totally brushed aside the legitimate rights of Sabah/Sarawakians but in the processed belittled the customs of the natives and meddled with their filthy hands in it’s sosial structure.
As though these actions were not bad enough , they then went on coordinating a systematic plot , a blueprint of sought to commit atrocities against the Borneon states under a mind insulting guise of either , one of national assimilation or another of national economic policy.
And what better way to make this henious plan worked if not by encouraging hand picked thieves and have them masquarade as politicians while the Malayan umno buffoons schemed far worst crimes.
After having these unscrupulous agenda set in place , the likes of Tun Razak and Mahathir unashamedly and without hesitation reverted to arm twisting tactics time and again simply because they had the military on their side.
Anwar , who fell from grace and with all the jet setting around the globe preaching of social justice , on the other hand , should play a pivotal role in redeeming the injustices done rather than continue behaving like an arrogant jerk akin to his umno days.
By Danildaud

The Sabah/Sarawak issue (4)

We are not unlike the Americans in South Vietnam; and Americans in Afghanistan today. In Vietnam in the 60s the Americans ended up supporting the corrupt regime of Ngo Dinh Diem who was eventually assassinated by the CIA. Perhaps the same fate awaits Hamid Karzai.
From the beginning we were supporting one corrupt regime after another. Tun Mustapha made himself governor and later chief minister, enriching himself through huge timber concessions in return for the role he played in bringing Sabah into the federation. The Sabah Air plane crash in 1975 which killed the Chief Minister Fuad Stephens and Peter Mojuntin and other state ministers might as well be divine retribution for the sins committed against the natives of Sabah.
Politics in Sabah were nothing more than power grabs by one set of thieves against the other with Kuala Lumpur supporting one against the other. When Tun Mustapha driven by greed fell out with Kuala Lumpur, there was Harris Salleh and Berjaya and when Berjaya lost in 1985, I met several of these thieves and looters during their self exile abroad. Several of them ended up being contemporaries of V.K. Lingam (of korek, korek fame) sharing the same alma mater.
By Mr Bean on October 28, 2009 at 5:58 am

Tun Mustapha made himself governor and later chief minister- Bean

Tun Mustapha was an ill educated native chief of suluk descent, who in his early years used to run errands for the Japs during the Japanese occupation.
On later years when the idea of forming Malaysia surfaced ,he was picked by the Brits as a representative of the Muslim native community to negotiate the setting-up of Malaysia.
What is not known to many is that Tun Mustapha was duped into taking up the position of ‘Gabenor’ by the rest of the better educated lot . The postion which he thought came with the powers similar to that of the British Governor.
Realising later that the governorship he was clinging on too unlike the status of the British Governor was purely ceremonial , after decisions were taken and done without his consent. He was enraged and began to revolt and with KLs helped and with religion as an excused , he was made CM.
But the manipulation did not end there , far from it.
For a person without proper credentials, who in the first place should’ve not been entrusted with the CMs post . It was an obvious recipe for disaster.
Apparently , with Tun Mustapha at the helm , It was the beginning of far worst things to come and with the arrival of KL sent Syed Kechik who in fact condoned every bad moved due to self-interest.
Syed Kechik , the man Tun Razak relied upon to assist Tun Mustapha was instead behind every misdemeanor of the states administration.

The Sabah Air plane crash in 1975 which killed the Chief Minister Fuad Stephens and Peter Mojuntin and other state ministers might as well be divine retribution for the sins committed against the natives of Sabah – Bean

It coud’ve been divine , for all we know
What ever it was , this double six air tragedy which occurred in 1976 has a telling tale behind it. But it wont be right for me to spell it out here. The story has several versions. I’ve my own but besides saying , as a young boy at that time and amongst the first to be at the site of the crashed which happened at the vicinity of where I once lived , its suffice to say , amongst the lost were family acquaintance and one of my best friends , his dad.
The rest of the details may be some other time.

By Danildaud on October 29, 2009 at 1:49 am

Small world Danildaud. Fascinating new light to Tun Mustapha. I believed he tried to take Sabah out of Malaysia? Or was it that Ningkan guy from Sarawak?

By Mr Bean on October 29, 2009 at 8:15 am

The Sabah/Sarawak issue (2)

…With Zaid’s good intent and by barring him from attending the raya gathering, Anwar is set to resume his practice of misrepresenting the facts about the special rights of sabah/sarawak stipulated under the formation of the federation of malaysia.
His act of steamrolling what is viewed as sacred by people of both the borneon states and forcibly imposing his own agenda reflects the same all too familiar malayan arrogance . It is like a flashed back to the good ol’ days before his and Mahathir’s allegations of PBS wanting to ceased being part of the federation were disproved, raising anew the question of whether he can’t separate fact from fiction or just cynically knows he can lie to the Malaysian people without consequence.
___________
Danildaud, I talked to Anwar just last week. He understands the situation and respects the aspirations of Sabahans. He will intervene to help in finding a solution to the leadership issue of PKR Sabah, not to worsen the situation. Give him a little time to figure out the best option to put PKR Sabah back on track.—Din Merican
By Danildaud on October 17, 2009 at 2:44 am

Anwar’s ghost continues to haunt him.
By Mr Bean on October 17, 2009 at 4:25 am

continution/-

I THINK I FOR ONE TRUST zaid ibrahim’s judgment on this more then i would anwar ibrahim’s judgment . hence , i am for Zaid Ibrahim going to SABAH.
SABAH and for that matter SARAWAK , never intended to be MALAY COLONIES , when they joined malaysia. so they should be allowed a free hand. otherwise secession would rear its ugly head.
____________
Peach, free hand? There is such a thing as party discipline. Neither Zaid nor Azmin can ignore the decision of the de facto leader and PKR’s biro politik on matters affecting the interest of PKR. Our colleagues in Sabah and Sarawak must understand what PKR stands for—KeADILan untuk Semua. They must bury their differences through dialogue and compromise in favour of the big picture. –Din Merican
By peach ann nacion on October 17, 2009 at 4:55 am

SABAH and for that matter SARAWAK , never intended to be MALAY COLONIES , when they joined malaysia-peach ann nacion

Unlike the distorted facts that you get from your history books , Sabah/Sarawak never joined Malaysia.
It must be emphasized that Sabah ,Sarawak ,Singapore and Malaya formed the federation of Malaysia.

In Sabah’s case it was
the 20-point agreement, or the 20-point memorandum, an agreement made between the state of Sabah (then North Borneo) with what would be the federal government of Malaysia prior to the formation of Malaysia in September 16, 1963. A similar agreement was made between the state of Sarawak and the federal government but with certain
differences.
The 20 point agreement was written for the main purpose of safeguarding the interests, rights, and the autonomy of the people of Sabah upon the formation of the federation of Malaysia. It was originally envisaged that Sabah be one of the four entities in the federation, the others being Malaya, Singapore, and Sarawak. However as times passed, Sabah and Sarawak has ended up being merely one of the 13 states in the federation.

There has been numerous calls for the agreement to be reviewed to take into account numerous factors that’ve been altered only to benefit the Malayan ruled central government.
To date, these cries have fallen on deaf ears. Anwar , whom many are counting on to provide the very much needed ractification of these lopsided affair seems more interested in hijacking the whole process once again.
By Danildaud on October 17, 2009 at 2:43 pm

danil ,
i am glad to inform you that the history book i read and the one you read is the same . i understood it exactly how you have spelled it out.
our good old prime minister of 22 years distorted this 20 point agreement too and accordingly short changed both sarawak and sabah . lee kuan yew was smart . he walked out the first opportunity he had and took singapore with him .
By:pPeach Ann Nacion

The Sabah/Sarawak issue

Najib has announced that Malaysia Day will be a national holiday.
If I were to make a choice between celebrating Merdeka Day or Malaysia Day, I would definitely choose the most sensible thing, i.e. Malaysia Day.
Merdeka Day? What’s Merdeka Day, it’s a silly joke because we are being colonised by the UMNOputra pirates. Anyway, most of these UMNOputras are not true Malays but the most rapacious opportunists descended from other races.
Come Merdeka Day, I won’t be celebrating it; instead I prefer to work and save it for Malaysia Day.
By vsp on

vsp,
yes .. the merdeka day holiday should be canceled . if merdeka day remains a holiday , then it should be called dr. mahathir ’s holiday and not merdeka day anymore . mahathir deceived the sabahans and sarawakians the most.
By salmiah hassan

Salmiah,

And way before mahathir it was tengku razaleigh.

As chairman of petronas , he systematically forced sabah to accept the 5%royalty deal.

When the first batched of ministers declined this lopsided offer, their plane crashed (which until today remains a mystery ) killing all 6 senior ministers on-board amongst them , the then sabah CM, Tun Fuad Stevens. It needs to be said that barely a day after the tragedy had gone by  a deal was struck favouring petronas.

Then came that mamak fella with the infamous ‘project ic mahathir’ legitimizing and with it came instant bumiputra status to hundredths of thousands of those transition population from indo and the philippines ,forever altering demographics of the state.

This is why , although with the majority of genuine sabahans opting for change and yet ,BN seems to emerge victorious , elections after elections .
So ,lets be more sensible and not entirely blame the dusun,bajau ,iranun folks for any of pakatans defeat over here in Sabah.

AND now , after all those hungry years , Najib another of the torchbearer has decided to go out on a fishing expedition hoping to captivate the hearts and minds of sabah/sarawakians with his malaysia day a national day pledge.
Well , with due respect Mr.Prime Minister , this ain’t good enough. The national day pride has all but diminished.

continuation/-

The malayan sultans along with their traditions and other aspects of the malayan heritage should’ve been kept on the other side of the fence and not be exported across the south china sea into the living rooms of East Malaysians.

As if , these feudalistic elements that came with strong racist policies (alien to the two Borneo entities) were not damning enough , Sabah/sarawak were yet again subjected to be parties of a copy right infringed Hawaiian love song turned national anthem with hardly any lyrics denoting traces of East Malaysian culture.

Unlike miniature states such as perlis and negeri sembilan or the entire peninsular for that matter , Sabah/Sarawak  since the formation of Malaysia have been givers not takers of the country,s  coffers . But despite being a pot of gold for the federation , federal appointed leaders in the likes of sweet prince razaleigh plundered the two states natural resources with the least consideration to the source and while the plundering continued  another of its appointed leader , an imported Keralan knight frequently used security as a bargaining tool. And inspite of agreements on security issues concerning sabah/sarawak prior to the formation of the federation  this keralan knight who made kedah his home legitimize the multitude of illegals for political capital , and in the process endangering the livelihood of genuine citizens.

In more recent times , kerismudin another name in the long list -band of penyamun spoke about Sabahans safety being his utmost priority , so as usual , the recycle garbage goes on display for all to see and sniff , adding further insult to injury.
Now , tell me how shall we grade azmin , who it seems is habouring similar fantasies?
By Danildaud on October 24, 2009

Like I suggested earlier there should be a law against carpetbaggers.
By Mr Bean on October 24, 2009

Harmonious East vs Racist West

racism: A prejudice or discrimination based on an individuals race that is expressed individually or institutional policies or practices. Racism is a system of oppression - a nexus of racist beliefs , whether explicit , tacit or unconscious. Practices , organizations and institutions that combine to discriminate against and marginalize a class of people who share a common racial designation.

discrimination: unfair treatment of a person or group base on race , religion , ethnic origin and other attributes



While the people of Sabah and Sarawak are living in unified harmony not by designed nor any force racial relations act or policies but merely to an inner sense of spiritual unity that has evolved naturally amid the feeling of oneness through inter-marriages and sincere indulgence in a mutually accepted diversified culture.

Without the aid of any institutionalized propaganda machines or advertisements or any other promotional gimmicks to bond the people. East Malaysia is the best example of the unified Malaysia that Federal MP's in the government as well as opposition are meticulously pursuing , that some how have eluded the Peninsular States

Sadly , millions have been wasted to achieved this objective and yet Peninsular states are baffled by racial tensions right up to this present day. A vivid indicator of failed government sponsored programmes that have been hijacked time and again by racial chauvinists putting their selfish political ambitions in the forefront.

When most Malaysians understands that to treat individuals differently on account of their race is unfair not everyone sees the big picture as revealed by ex de facto law minister, Zahid Ibrahim, citing racial bigots in Umno as a stumbling block to his reform plans . One of several reasons he left office , one other being the rampant used of ISA to isolate dissidents.








After 50 or so years of independence , racial discrimination is still exhibited in government policies and institutions , though the ruling elite consists of all major races in the country. The recent incitement by influential leaders behaving in a racist manner rebuking a suggestion by Selangor MB to open UITM doors to the non Malays which led to street protests is clear revelation of the state of affairs in this racially divided land.


Read here to what my cyberspace acquaintance has written , a fictionalized account to a blooming real scenario and also here in response to this. Click here to read "racism , part of a social contract".

Many may share the same sentiments as Zahid, owing to the fact, that Malay dominated UMNO as the main policy makers should have the will and sincerity to push for reforms.

Nonetheless the non Malays are equally responsible to this menace as they are guilty of their own form of racism , though a huge portion of the blame should be leveled at their self-serving lacklustre Government Reps for failing to conjure a more lucarative deal , compelling these "pendatangs" to a self segregated existence refusing to co-mingled with other races other than their own.

Economic policies viewed as favoring a particular race such as NEP and sheer frustration of a pro-racist stance has had a detrimental effect on the government and has given a resurgent opposition more leeway , as this is pushing the non Malays to a new platform made available by them to voice out their grievances.

As some may think their salvation is in the hands of a Political Maverick with chants of reforms and music to the ear mantra of "ketuanan rakyat"



They should be reminded that,

"An harmonious Nation has never been fully achieved by policy reforms alone , a sense of spiritual oneness that has been embedded in the hearts and minds of citizens of the earth in Sabah and Sarawak , is a more appropriate stance to emulate"

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Malaysians have more sense than their leaders

The politics is messier. Race relations are slumping. Religious conflicts are being played out publicly. Still, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim believes that Malaysia has a good future. The reason: the majority of Malaysians are sensible people and the results of Election 2008 show that the rakyat wants democracy.

The former de facto Law Minister said: “Ordinary people have more sense than their leaders sometimes. They know the value of co-operation, mutual respect and harmony. I believe the people have spoken out loudly and clearly.

“The future direction of the country is no longer going to be solely in the hands of the political masters. They have had enough of scandals, abuse of power, and poor administration.”
Speaking at a talk organised by the Insititute of South East Asian Studies in Singapore today, he disagreed with the school of thought led by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who argued that many Malaysians voted for the Opposition on March 8 as a protest against the Barisan Nasional.

“The people voted for the Opposition as a manifestation of their desire for a better country; for themselves, their families, their children, ” he said, adding that he was cheered by the results of the general elections.

Given what happened on March 8, he believed that Malaysia will prosper in a way that will benefit all including the Bumiputras; will see the rights and the dignity of all respected and protected; will witness compassion becoming the central consideration in the formulating of public policies.

“Finally, as a lawyer, I want to see justice and the rule of law re-established and flourishing. These are simple ambitions, I think. Given the results of the 8 March 2008 election, there is some hope that they will be fulfilled in my lifetime. The rakyat has shown that it wants democracy and all that it portends, ” said Zaid, who resigned from the government because he did not agree with the use of the Internal Security Act and could not accept the policies and resistance to change in Umno

Thief offers damages for stolen moped... 25 years on

An anonymous thief in western Austria has offered 1,400 euros (1,770 dollars) in damages to the former owner of a moped they stole... 25 years ago.

Police in Bregenz said they had received an anonymous letter and 1,400 euros in cash from a person asking them to deliver it "to the victim, in a penitent bid to make amends."

"In 1983, I stole a moped from outside the Metro cinema," the letter said.

"I wasn't aware at the time of the psychological and material consequences of such a crime," it added, requesting the police "to kindly find the details of the victim of this crime in their files."

If this was not possible, the money should go to a local social service, added the letter, which arrived in the police station mailbox Tuesday morning.

Police said they kept their files for at least 40 years and hoped to able to bring the former moped owner a surprise present for Christmas.

Mumbai Terror attack

A suspected terrorist is seen with a rifle outside the Chatrapati Shivaj Terminal railway station in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 82 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said. A previously unknown group, apparently Muslim militants, took responsibility for the attacks

STORY SO FAR

Gun battles at the Taj Hotel on south Mumbai seafront where army battalions have stormed in trying to rescue hostages held by the terrorists in various parts of the building. Media reports says that some foreign tourists are held hostage at the Trident Hotel by suspected terrorists. At least 101 people including 11 policemen and four terrorists have been killed and about 200 people suffered injuries in the Night of Terror. There are 7 foreigners among 15 taken hostage in Taj Hotel. US president-elect Barack Obama joined the American government in strongly condemning Wednesday's series of "horrific attacks" in Mumbai and asked Washington to work with India to root out and destroy terrorist networks worldwide.


A chef of Taj Mahal Hotel runs to safety after being rescued by security agencies in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, a crowded train station and a Jewish group's headquarters, killing people, and holding Westerners hostage in coordinated attacks on the nation's commercial center that were blamed on Muslim militants.

A grieving relative, bottom, of a terrorist attack victim is consoled by others outside the St. Georges Hospital in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital, killing at least 101 people, taking Westerners hostage and leaving parts of the city under siege Thursday, police said. A group of suspected Muslim militants claimed responsibility.







An Indian Army soldier takes position outside the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, a crowded train station and a Jewish group's headquarters, killing people, and holding Westerners hostage in coordinated attacks on the nation's commercial center that were blamed on Muslim militants.




A usually crowded underpass that leads to the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus train station is deserted in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, a crowded train station and a Jewish group's headquarters, killing people, and holding Westerners hostage in coordinated attacks on the nation's commercial center that were blamed on Muslim militants.

A police officer watches the Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, after an attack in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on Wednesday night November 26, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.

The Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, is caught fire after an attack in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on early Thursday morning November 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.





The Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, is caught fire after an attack in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on early Thursday morning November 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.



Army soldiers take position outside the Taj Hotel, Mumbai's landmark hotel, after an terror attack in Mumbai on Wednesday night November 26, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.



Fire engulfs a part of the Taj Mahal Hotel as firemen try to douse it in Mumbai, India, on early Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said. A previously unknown group, apparently Muslim militants, took responsibility for the attacks.


Guests and hotel staff are being rescued by a firefighter at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008. Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said.

Firefighters inspect the site of an explosion in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. Gunmen targeted luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India's financial capital Wednesday, wounding 25 people, police and witnesses said. A.N Roy police commissioner of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said several people had been wounded in the attacks and police were battling the gunmen. "The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed," said Roy. Gunmen opened fire on two of the city's best known Luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi. They also attacked the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark. It was not immediately clear what the motive was for the attacks.

Unidentified guests of the Taj Hotel are seen outside hotel in Mumbai, India

Malaysian government faces lawsuit over deadly landslide

Residents of a Malaysian housing estate hit by a weekend landslide that killed four people said Tuesday they were considering suing the government for compensation.

The disaster was the latest in a series of slippages in Kuala Lumpur's up-market northeastern suburbs, triggering a frenzy of finger-pointing over who is to blame for the continuing loss of life and property.

"We have set up a legal team which is collecting concrete evidence for us look at before we decide to take any legal action," said N. Muniandy, chairman of the residents' association at Bukit Antarabangsa where the landslide hit.

"If we have concrete evidence then we will go against the authorities concerned. It is not our fault at all. We are the victims," he told AFP.

"This landslide occured not because of the residents erecting houses on the slopes," he added. "The authorities had ignored signs that appeared over several years," he added.

In 2006 four people were killed and 43 homes destroyed in a nearby suburb and in 1993 a 12-storey condominium tower collapsed, burying 48 people mainly maids and children.

Rescuers were Tuesday still scouring through the rubble from Saturday's landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa after discovering a Sri Lankan maid was still missing, the state Bernama news agency said.

The disaster hit in the early hours of the morning, burying 14 houses in the middle-class residential area, cutting off access for thousands of residents and disrupting water, electricity and phone lines.

Raymond Jagathesan, deputy chairman of the residents' taskforce, said the local council and the relevant government agencies should carry out a thorough study into what caused the landslide.

"It is very disturbing," Raymond told AFP.

"We have been complaining about trees being uprooted and sinkholes appearing in people's backyards and abandoned housing projects, but the local authorities did not carry out an in-depth study on why these things were happening,"

"People have lost a lot of stuff, life savings and lives have been lost," he said.

Malaysia's government faces critical by-election test

Malaysia's coalition government faces a by-election next month which analysts say will be a critical test of public reaction to its reform promises after disastrous polls in March.

The by-election in northern Terengganu state, a battleground between the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Islamic opposition party PAS, was triggered by the death of a deputy minister.

Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar announced Friday that the vote would be held on January 17, with parties to declare their candidates on January 6.

After wrangles in the past over allegations of fraud and vote-buying, Wan Ahmad said that MAFREL (Malaysians for Free Elections) would be allowed to monitor the process.

"We like having MAFREL as observers as it boosts the confidence of people and transparency," he told a press conference.

The vote comes at an unfortunate time for the UMNO, which leads the Barisan Nasional coalition that was humbled in March elections -- losing a third of parliamentary seats and five states to the three-member opposition alliance.

Since then it has been in a state of disarray that is unlikely to be resolved until its annual assembly next March, when deputy prime minister Najib Razak is expected to replace unpopular premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Infighting and rivalries helped it lose an August by-election that allowed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to return to parliament -- a decade after he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sex and corruption charges.

Analysts said the UMNO faces a tough fight against the PAS, which along with Anwar's Keadilan party and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party, makes up the opposition alliance.

"It will be a classic battle between two Malay political parties in a Malay heartland," said James Chin, professor of political science at the Kuala Lumpur campus of Monash university.

"If PAS wins it means the people do not believe UMNO's reform programme. It means their sentiments against the ruling party since the March elections are still there," he said.

"It could also demonstrate that voters do not have confidence in Najib Razak's leadership and believe that UMNO is not capable of any reform."

Najib, who as deputy premier will direct the ruling party's election campaign, has promised to make good on Abdullah's promises of change, which were never realised after he came to power in 2003.

But there are doubts whether the UMNO, which has become plagued by corruption in the half-century it has dominated Malaysian politics, is capable of undergoing the changes that voters are demanding.

The party won the vacant seat of Kuala Terengganu in March, but only with the slimmest of majorities.

"There is no escape but face the Kuala Terengganu by-election, which is wholly unexpected and could not have come at a worse possible time for UMNO and Barisan," the Star newspaper said in an analysis.

It said that a major factor would be the 11 percent of Chinese voters among the more than 80,000 eligible to vote. Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities abandoned the coalition in the March polls.

A victory would be a major boost for the PAS, which lost control of Terengganu state in 2004, after having held it for just one term and alienating voters with extreme measures such as enacting Islamic "hudud" laws.

Since then it has dropped its hardline rhetoric and tried to reach out to Malaysia's minorities who are alarmed over rising "Islamisation" in the multicultural country.

Malaysian landslide kills three, nine feared buried

Three people have been killed and nine others are feared buried in a landslide that hit a housing estate in suburban Kuala Lumpur, state media said Saturday.

Police said that a woman and a child had died in the landslide which hit in the early hours of the morning, burying 14 houses at the upmarket Bukit Antarabangsa estate, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The landslide cut off access to residential streets, trapping hundreds of residents, it said.

A search and rescue operation has been mounted involving personnel from the military, fire departments and disaster response teams.

The landslide occurred after days of heavy rains in the area, which is prone to slippages.

Four people were killed and 43 homes destroyed in a nearby suburb in June 2006.

And in 1993 a landslide triggered by heavy rains caused the nearby 12-storey Highland Towers condominium to collapse, killing 48 people -- mostly children and maids who were left at home while parents were at work.

Have an affair or illicit sex with a Politically influence Malaysian Man and you might end up dead

• Altantuya , found it out to late . Her body blown  to bits and her one time lover, Razak Baginda a well connected individual , charged for abetting in her murder was discharged and was set free by The Malaysian Courts.
  
• 
  
• Noritta Syamsuddin , a young aspiring lass out to make some quick bucks and for some fun met up with the wrong company, that eventually , cost her , her life . Her alleged killer was set free because evidence adduce in court by the prosecution points to a mystery man other than her alleged murderer , a mystery man believed associated to a dominant political party.
• 
  The brutal murder of Sabah's lady minister , Norjan Khan Bahadar , under scandalous circumstances , is somewhat a three - 60 turned . Here we have a politically influenced lady for a change , her motionless body found stark naked in a hotel room with semen stains
• • 
    
  So ladies , even though you may look and have vital statistics like the celebs below . Its in your best interests to wear tightly your chastity belt each time you cross paths with these rare breed of Malaysian's and to those aspiring to be toy boys contemplating an easy life , heed this advice , stay away from those lusty political nanny's for you might end up killing someone , its a damn cursed , you see