Isnin, 2 Julai 2012

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim

ISA: Isteri Sedih Suami Diseksa di Kemta

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 03:12 AM PDT

Harakah

Isteri kepada tahanan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA), Razali Kassan sedih dan kecewa apabila suaminya diseksa di Kem Tahanan Kamunting (Kemta) walaupun ahli keluarga mengikut arahan pihak berkuasa sebelum ini.

Nunurheni Onim berkata, sebelum ini beliau dan ahli keluarga yang lain tidak bercerita mengenai penahanan suaminya kepada mana-mana pihak kerana berpegang kepada janji pihak polis.

Pihak polis Bukit Aman katanya melarang beliau menghebahkan penahanan suaminya di bawah ISA kepada media, peguam atau badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) jika mahu Razali dibebaskan segera.

“Sebelum ini saya diarahkan oleh pihak polis untuk tidak bercerita kepada peguam atau mana-mana pihak.

“Mereka kata kalau saya tak hebahkan penahanan suami saya kepada sesiapa, suami saya tidak akan diapa-apakan. Saya pegang janji mereka tapi sekarang suami saya belum dibebaskan malah dipukul dengan teruk,” adu beliau di hadapan Pesuruhjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (Suhakam), Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah.

Nunurheni hadir bersama-sama Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) ke Suhakam hari ini bagi menyerahkan memorandum mengenai seksaan pihak Kemta terhadap tahanan yang melakukan mogok lapar, menuntut pembebasan segera.

Dalam aduan kepada Suhakam tadi, Sekretariat GMI, Syukri Razab berkata, seorang lagi tahanan, Mustawan Ahbab menceritakan bahawa Razali ditumbuk, diterajang dan diludah di muka oleh pegawai Kemta kerana melancarkan mogok lapar dan menyusahkan warden Kemta.

Menurutnya, Razali tetap dikasari oleh pegawai Kemta meskipun beliau seorang tahanan yang baik dan tidak melawan.

Memorandum itu selepas GMI mengiringi lawatan tiga keluarga tahanan ISA di Kemta semalam.

Selain isteri Razali, isteri kepada Mustawan Ahbab, Khairunizah Mohd Akhir dan juga bapa kepada Fadzullah, Abdul Razak Mohd serta isteri tahanan warga Sri Lanka, Anthony turut menyertai lawatan tersebut.

Razali kelihatan lemah dan mengakui dipukul dalam pertemuan tersebut.

Sementara itu, Khairunizah dalam aduannya pula memberitahu, tempoh pertemuan beliau dan Mustawan dipendekkan daripada satu jam kepada 25 minit sebagai denda kerana Mustawan membocorkan maklumat tahanan kepada beliau melalui telefon.

“Dalam kad kuning Kemta, saya boleh bertemu selama 45 minit dan kalau memaklumkan awal kepada pihak Kemta, boleh berjumpa sejam. Tapi bermula semalam, saya hanya dibenarkan bertemu selama 25 minit sahaja sebagai denda kepada Mustawan. Tak berbaloi saya datang dari jauh untuk pertemuan sesingkat itu,” katanya.

Tempoh pertemuan keluarga dan tahanan yang mogok lapar juga turut dipendekkan dari satu jam kepada setengah jam.

Suhakam atur lawatan ke Kemta

Sha’ani dalam responsnya berkata, pihak Suhakam akan mengatur lawatan segera ke Kemta dan membawa doktor bagi memeriksa keadaan tahanan khususnya peserta mogok lapar yang masuk hari ke-12.

“Suhakam memandang berat kes pihak berkuasa mengenakan tindakan di luar batasan kepada tahanan. Mogok lapar dilakukan oleh pihak yang ditindas, yang tidak diberi peluang membela diri di mahkamah.

“Warden kata tindakan mogok lapar menyuahkan mereka, kalau susah jangan jadi warden. Itu tanggungjawab warden, bukan guna kuasa untuk tekan orang di bawah. Mereka harus menghormati hak asasi tahanan sebagai manusia,” katanya.

Tegasnya juga, kerajaan seharusnya menghormati semua pihak termasuk peguam yang menjalankan tugas mereka.

“Kerajaan seharusnya menghormati pihak lain termasuk peguam. Pegawai Kemta pula harus bersikap berkecuali, hormati hak tahanan bertemu keluarga dan peguam,” katanya.

The Razak Baginda That I knew And The Ghost of Altantuya That Najib Must Bury

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 03:07 AM PDT

From Malaysia Chronicle
By Christopher Fernandez

Abdul Razak Baginda, a controversial figure in the death of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaaribu, was the chairman of the Kendo Club at St John's Institution in 1978, while the vice-chairman was none other than me.

Baginda was a most affable chap back in school those days. He was pleasant, courteous and gregarious. He had many friends as he was a likeable person. There were none in school who could be said to be enemies with him.

Upon leaving St John's, we parted ways and he never crossed my mind, until a chance encounter at the MPH Bangsar in Jalan Telawi brought us back into contact. By then he was a familiar personality among Malaysians as a television talk show host.

During that brief encounter, he invited me to be a contributing editor with a publication he was about to start from scratch. The name of the publication was Asian Editor. This was mid-1997 and Baginda had a business office at Wisma Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur which was frequented by me in the process of writing stories for them.

When the official launch of the magazine was held at a leading hotel in the city, it was none other than Najib Tun Razak, who was to officiate at the launching ceremony. Unfortunately, and for certain reasons, Najib did not show up. This was really the old boy network of St.John's at work as Najib himself is an old boy of St. John's, but much senior to both of us, Baginda himself being two years my senior.

But the show went on with Baginda apologizing about the non-appearance of Najib and the maiden issue of Asian Editor was unveiled with Baginda hailing the "editorial prowess" of the team. It was a magazine meant to be circulated and distributed around the Asian region.

Unfortunately, while being a commendable effort, the magazine folded suddenly after a year-and-a half of publishing. No reasons given, but all the staff working on the magazine were paid their dues before parting ways with Baginda.

While on the job at Asian Editor, there was hardly anything amiss at the office. Baginda was as he always was, almost as if we were in school. He was his usual cheerful, confident self, though most of us felt he had very little business acumen especially with regards to publishing. It also looked as if he had very little real interest in the publication, leaving day-to-day operations to us.

Imagine the way and manner in which we were shocked out of our wits to discover that a political analyst was to be charged with the murder of a Mongolian national and that it was none other than Abdul Razak Baginda.

What was their motive

In the initial furor surrounding his arrest and subsequent remand for a period of twenty-two months, we were all hopeful that this was some big foul up and that Baginda will be spared the gallows.

But the curious twists and turns during the trial left many of us who were following the proceedings very much puzzled and bewildered, and when eventually two policemen were charged with the murder of Altantuya all of us were relieved on one hand for Baginda, yet had more unanswered questions on our minds.

Perhaps the most glaring and evident question was put forward by Mr Karpal Singh, counsel for Sharibuu Setev, who was holding a watching brief on behalf of the family: "What was their motive?"

This is precisely the question which is uppermost in most people's minds? Why would two policemen who did not know Altantuya from Adam's to apples, why would they want to go to the extent to gag and bind her and blow her up with explosives? Why on earth?

These were two men who were certainly not deranged and thereafter the whole mystery of the death of Altantuya began to shroud the nation of Malaysia with more and more questions and twists and turns.

It went into a never ending saga with witnesses appearing and disappearing and testimonies given turned into an almost opposite version and even a statutory declaration rescinded.

No closure until the truth comes out

Since the news broke of the brutal murder of Altantuya, Malaysians have been gripped by the wide ranging implications that have been created by this young Mongolian woman upon the hearts and minds of Malaysians.

While Altantuya was never much a part of the local scene, the others who are implicated and linked to her murder and the corruption scandal surrounding the Scorpene submarine procurement by the Malaysian government are noted persons in the country which have started to give Malaysians goose bumps and maybe sleepless nights.

The death of Altantuya is beginning to start to get eerie and spooky for most Malaysians. It's as if it is set to haunt us, that this nation has been befallen a curse by her untimely and mysterious death.

It is not only an issue that troubles the minds and hearts of Malaysians but is beginning to rise up to the forefront of the international community.

The answers are there and it should be that the relevant authorities from the various countries involved, Malaysia, France, Mongolia and even Interpol work together to bring closure once and for all for everyone's minds and hearts to be put at ease.

It is definitely a time for closure and also a time to bury the ghost of Altantuya and for Malaysians to move on with their lives. Only a once and for all settlement that appeases all parties with a vested interest in her death will bury the ghost of Altantuya forever. Prime Minister Najib Razak must take the lead in ensuring the truth comes out.

Petronas Tired of its Role as Malaysia’s Piggy Bank

Posted: 02 Jul 2012 12:35 AM PDT

The Economic Times

KUALA LUMPUR: State-owned oil company Petronas is tired of being Malaysia’s cash trough. Its growing pique at the government flared into public view in early June at the World Gas Conference.

Chief executive Shamsul Azhar Abbas took to the stage and declared that the government’s policy of subsidising fuel was plain wrong. A murmur ran through the crowd – his boss, Prime Minister Najib Razak, was sitting in the front row.

Moments later, Najib went to the podium himself to remind everybody that the subsidies – for which Petronas foots the bill – have “social-economic objectives.”

The subtext of that rejoinder: Malaysians pay among the lowest electricity rates and petrol-pump prices in Asia. While the government has vowed to “rationalize” that, it’s highly unlikely to happen before elections expected in a few months.

The polite but pointed disagreement was the latest sign of assertiveness from an oil company that prime ministers have treated as a piggy bank for pet projects since it was established in 1974.

Interviews with current and former officials and an examination of Petronas and government documents show that strains have been building behind the scenes over how much money the company hands over to the government in the form of fuel subsidies, dividends and taxes.

Financial data reviewed by Reuters show the government has increasingly relied on Petronas’s payments – a “dividend” to its sole shareholder – to plug fiscal deficits that have begun to alarm ratings agencies and analysts.

The data also show these payments grew over the past several years as oil prices soared, along with government spending. But Malaysia’s official accounts do not show how the money is being spent – and the government has steadfastly refused to disclose any details about that.

“WE NEED CASH” Petronas is Malaysia’s largest single taxpayer and biggest source of revenue, covering as much as 45 per cent of the government’s budget. Unlike other oil-rich nations such as Saudi Arabia, Norway or Brazil, Malaysia runs chronic, large budget deficits that have expanded even as oil revenues increased. Last year’s fiscal gap, at 5 per cent of gross domestic product, trailed only India’s for the dubious distinction of biggest in emerging Asia, and it may widen this year.

Subsidies account for a big chunk of the deficit. They have other downsides as well, Shamsul noted in his speech to the gas conference. “Subsidies distort transparency, reduce competition and deter new investments,” he said, adding that Petronas paid between 18 billion and 20 billion ringgit ($5.75-6.35 billion) a year to subsidize gas consumption.

Malaysia isn’t facing a fiscal crisis. Foreign investors eagerly buy Malaysian government bonds, confident the country’s reserves of oil, gas and foreign currency are deep enough to ensure the debt will be repaid.

That faith will be tested over the next few months. Falling oil and gas prices will likely constrain Petronas’s 2012 profits, and a worsening euro-zone crisis may hurt the country’s exports. Smaller Petronas payouts and slowing economic growth would pinch government finances.

Shamsul argues now is an opportune time to pursue foreign acquisitions on the cheap as Malaysia’s domestic energy supplies deplete. On Thursday, the company announced it was acquiring its Canadian joint-venture partner, Progress Energy Resources Corp, for $4.7 billion. More may be in the offing.

“Mind you, for that to happen, we need cash,” Shamsul said in his speech.

The trouble is, the government needs the cash, too.

Bersih 3.0: Anwar, Azmin Slapped With New Charge

Posted: 01 Jul 2012 08:06 PM PDT

Malaysiakini

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and two other PKR leaders have been slapped with an additional charge of abetment for their alleged involvement in the breaking the barricades at the Bersih 3.0 rally.

The new charge is the third levelled against the trio, who were initially charged for participating in an illegal rally and violating a court order.

Anwar and the other two PKR leaders – deputy president Azmin Ali and former PKR supreme council member Badrul Hisham Shaharin – are among first to be charged under the recently-passed Peaceful Assembly Act.

On May 22, the three were charged under section 4(2)©) of the new law for participating in the rally and violating a court order between 2.30pm and 3pm on April 28.

The court order, which magistrate Zaki Asyraf Zubir had signed on April 26, prohibited the mammoth gathering at Dataran Merdeka and the area between Jalan Sultan Hishammuddin, Jalan Raja and Jalan Kelab.

If found guilty, they are liable to a maximum fine of RM10,000. Anwar and Azmin could lose their status as elected representatives if their fine exceeds RM2,000.

They also faced a second charge under section 188 of the Penal Code in that they allegedly breached a magistrate's order.

They are also said to have conspired with Rasah PKR division deputy head R Tangam, lawyer G Rajesh Kumar and van driver Farhan Ibrahim @ Alias by inciting them to breach the barricade surrounding Dataran Merdeka, which 'could have caused a riot or clashes'.

If convicted, they are liable to a maximum jail term of a month or fine of RM2,000, or both.

The three pleaded not guilty to the three charges.

In an immediate reaction, an angry Anwar said this was yet another of political persecution.

The court has set Sept 3 for mention.
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