Fair when it suits them... and not when it doesn't

by Aizley Shahar

I've been close monitoring the court proceeding of the  Perak MB case and also the on going Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case since lately got some extra time to spare...

I made the conclusion that no matter the verdict is... who ever appose to Pakatan Rakyat is gonna get the bad end of the stick, such a sore losers...it is just because they are just like empty tong drum.... very noisy, but no substance...

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar got Karpal Singh that will come up with all sorts of reasoning to delay the inevitable, where Anwar will be jail for the 2nd time... not because there is conspiracy against him or anything... it is just that he is a dirty old pedophile that likes good looking boys and young man.  Karpal Singh is another character that i'm amazed, he actually accused Anwar to be GAY in the Parliament in the last Sodomy sequel  (got parliamentary transcript in a few posting before in my blog)  .. and yet here he is defending Anwar... what another clown with a turban... hahaha...

Last time Anwar claimed that Tun Dr Mahathir had conspired against him to get him out from the Govt.  Hey friend, he made you his protege.. until you disappointed him, like a son disappointed a father... Dr Mahathir took you from a student leader until you became the Deputy Prime Minister... all you had to do is be patient and don't fcuk men... but no, you had to have your  ways with your wife's driver Azizan, your script writer Dr Munawer and also your adopted brother, Sukma Dermawan... not sure about the spelling, but you get my drift...

And now, Dr M, happily retired for over 7 years...which is actually proved that the former supremo had nothing to do with the first sequel, Sodomy I, nor he has the power to it now....

Remember when Dr M was not happy with Abdullah Badawi ? why didn't Dr M do the same thing to Abdullah ? or KJ for that matter if Dr M was really the master of conspirator type ? I know for a fact  the old man hated that boy more then he hated you...because... he is not capable of making conspiracy as claimed by convict Anwar...

What Anwar is trying to do is to make as much smoke screen to the real problem... of his man's ass-fu@kin' sickness that has impaired his senses and ability to think rationally and clouded his judgment and should be never allowed in the driver seat running this country.


We all thank to Allah that you didn't became the prime minister because you are a selfish person, only think about yourself and no others... i pity your good wife and your lovely children.... Allah had given you all of this but you still pissed it all the way for what ? KY Jelly and 5 minutes of ecstasy ? poor poor little gay boy Anwar....

Pakatan Rakyat

PR one thing, if they loose, they claimed the court been rigged, or the judges been "taken" care of by the UMNO hooligans ... with their tax payer money.. (hello, we pay taxes too !!)

but i haven't imagine if they had won... omg, they will rub it in the peoples face until cow head come back home !  what a bunch of oxy moron !!  thank god they have not won anything yet... with the rate they are going, the PR will break before the next GE....

so, the moral of the story is, never give face and go ahead and crush them...

I have chatted with Saiful Bukhari guy... he seem ok to me.. i mean, to me, he got disillusion by DSAI because he idolize the former Deputy Premier... I mean, who wouldn't ?  this guy can really talk and arouse spirit of his audiences, saw a few of his speeches when he was still in UMNO and also after he left and formed PKR, his is top notch and for people who is not used to his speeches can be easily suck in and be decieve ... but now, i guess we all have woken up and no more lies Anwar...

and i will quote Anwar from one of his fairy tales speeches...

"You can lie to some Malaysian all the time and you can also lie to all Malaysian some of the time but Anwar, you can never lie to all Malaysian all the time !!"

with that... Godspeed Saiful... may Allah give you the strength to fight and let the truth prevail... Insyallah...

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

Nizar Perak: Hasrat Paria Komunis Tak Tercapai, RAJA BERPELEMBAGAAN Pula Dipertikaikan

by pisau.net

Terlebih dahulu Pisau ucapkan tahniah kepada Dr Zambry atas keputusan makhamah yang jelas memberikan keputusan yang tepat .

Apabila selesainya keputusan makhamah diumumkan,Nizar Komunis yang kita tahu seorang penderhaka pasti akan mengeluarkan kenyataan yang kurang ajar dan langsung tidak menghormati makhamah dan Sultan Perak.

Nizar berasakan beliau dan kuncu kuncu komunisnya saja yang betul,mereka terlebih dahulu mengwarwarkan kepada penyokong penyokong mereka akan beroleh kemenangan 4-1.Malah sejak dari awal awal lagi Nizar Komunis turut mengugut jika kerajaan Perak tidak jatuh ketangan pakatan haprak,Sultan akan ditentang oleh rakyat. Hoi bahlul,rakyat mana yang nak tentang Sultan Perak?apa yang Pisau nampak hanya Nizar dan balaci komunis Siva,Ngeh & Nga saja yang sanggup menderhaka kepada sultan.

Nizar dengan gaya kurang ajar persis komunis dengan angkuh menyatakan kononnya sudah tiada demokrasi, keadilan hanya terbukti jika menyebelahi mereka,malah cara beliau mengeluarkan kenyataan jelas mereka ini lebih rela tidak bersultan,bangsat seperti Nizar harus diajar,cuba anda perhatikan dalam situasi ini,dimana chauvanist gampang DAP? mereka langsung tidak bersuara,mereka hanya menghantar seekor lembu berupa Nizar Komunis untuk menjalankan tugas untuk menghasut dan menderhaka kepada Sultan Perak.

Kenyataan bangsat Nizar jelas menghina raja berpelembagaan

"Maknanya kita tak perlu adakan pilihan raya, tak perlu ada Parlimen oleh kerana monarki boleh menetapkan siapa menjadi pemimpin sesebuah negari ataupun negara," katanya pada sidang media sejurus selepas keputusan berkenaan diisytiharkan di sini hari ini.

Dahulunya DAP turut sama menghantar lembu lembu PAS untuk baring diatas jalan,kemudian DAP turut mengunakan bapak lembu iaitu Nizar komunis untuk menghuru-harakan negeri Perak.Persis bangsat, inilah dia manusia yang terlalu laparkan kuasa,hingga sanggup dijadikan habuan tunggangan oleh chauvanist sosialis DAP.

Suara suara kearah menolak sistem beraja jelas dilaungkan oleh aparat aparat celaka ini,sudah terang lagi bersuluh,selingkohan haram PAS dan DAP menghasilkan benih benih sosialis dan komunis yang bersarang didalam hati juak juak haprak PAS.

Cina komunis DAP cukup mahir dalam memainkan peranan,ada anda dengar kenyataan mana mana pemimpin DAP Perak mempertikaikan Sultan? Ada mereka sanggup berdemo didepan Istana?Adakah mereka turut sama tidor atas jalan sepertimana lembu PAS? Satu pun tidak, Paria seperti Nizar lah yang digunakan oleh DAP bagaikan diremote control untuk melakukan kerja kerja ini,hanya melayu digunakkan untuk menderhaka kepada raja melayu,hanya melayu yang digunakan untuk mempertikaikan sistem raja melayu berpelembagaan,begitulah bijaknya DAP mempergunakan paria seperti Nizar dan PAS Perak yang sedia bodoh lagi bangsat.

Pisau kata " Nizar Komunis makin mengila dan meroyan bagaikan lembu hilang anak .Cakap dah mula pakai kepala lutut"

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

Anwar — Victim of overzealous prosecution

by Hanipa Maidin

FEB 9 — I have been practising as a criminal lawyer for almost 16 years. I have considerable experience defending accused persons who were being charged for sexual related crimes. My experience tells me that the prosecution will never charge a person for an offence of rape or sodomy if the medical evidence is not favourable to them. It is almost an accepted rule of practice or a legal norm, as far as the offence of rape or sodomy is concerned, medical evidence operates as oxygen to the prosecution.

It seems to me that such a practice is no longer adhered to in the current ongoing trial of Anwar Ibrahim. When the accused person is Anwar Ibrahim the rule of game is suddenly and drastically changed. When Anwar is charged the prosecution no longer seems to gauge the strengths of its case on the available evidence they have. When Anwar Ibrahim is tried the prosecution will, come what may, happily proceed with the trial regardless whether it has fragile evidence or no evidence at all against him !!

The only crime Anwar committed in this case is for having the name, Anwar Ibrahim.

I believe that if another person by the name of Ibrahim Anwar or any other Ibrahims allegedly sodomised Saiful the prosecution would not charge such a person when provided with the medical report prepared by doctors in Pusat Rawatan Islam ( Pusrawi ) and Kuala Lumpur General Hospital respectively.

Both reports, as I was told by lawyers in Anwar’s legal team, contain a very damning evidence against the prosecution in that they unequivocally state that there are no visible signs of penetration of Saiful’s anus. As far as the report of the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital is concerned, it was duly signed by three doctors. So what the prosecution have in their possession are the reports certified by four doctors ( one from Pusrawi and three from KLGH ) apparently dismissing the prosecution’s theory that Saiful was ever sodomised by Anwar.

People may ask why the AG, despite such a damning evidence against the prosecution, is still adamant, and not withdraw the charge against Anwar?The reason is pretty obvious, that is the accused person is Anwar Ibrahim. When Anwar Ibrahim is tried the prosecution will not care even with the existence of a hundred medical reports exonerating Anwar Ibrahim of any sexual offence.

To the layman, this question may crop in their mind. Is the medical evidence really significant in Anwar’s trial ? The answer to that is a resounding yes. As I have indicated earlier the medical evidence is oxygen to the prosecution’s case. The prosecution case dies the moment oxygen disappears or malfunctions.

It is a rule of prudence, as the lawyers call it, in any sexual related crimes, the evidence of the complainant per se is legally insufficient . Such evidence must be corroborated by other independent evidence.

Translated into Anwar’s trial, Saiful’s evidence alone is not sufficient to convict Anwar. His evidence must be corroborated. Of course a corroboration is not needed for all crimes. But in sexual offences, corroboration is highly significant in order to support the factum ( act ) of the alleged sodomy.

Why corroborative evidence is necessary in sexual related cases ? The legal practitioners say such evidence is needed because of the nature of such offences. In any rape or sodomy case it is relatively easy to allege that a crime has been committed by such and such person but it is on the other hand difficult for any person who is being charged to such offences to disprove such an allegation.

We can see clearly even before the court passes any verdict on Anwar, judging from the media coverage which appeared in Utusan and other BN’s controlled media, Anwar is as good as being found “guilty” by these so called juries. The media coverage was so vicious that one wonders whether Anwar’s, or for that matter, his family’s dignity brings any value to this irresponsible media.

The law says if you accuse somebody of committing a sodomy against you the law requires you to furnish corroborative evidence to support your allegation. That is why even in Islamic criminal law if a person is charged for sodomy, the prosecution must bring four witnesses who really see the actual penetration. That shows Islam also takes into account corroborative evidence.

And in Islam the standard of proof in sodomy case is very high indeed that is the prosecution must prove its case beyond any shadow of doubt, and the present standard of proof in civil law which is only beyond reasonable doubt. Thus in Islam any iota of doubt must be ruled in favour of the accused based on the maxim that “ the offence of hudud is withdrawn whenever iota of doubt is present ” . Islam holds the view that it is much wiser for a judge to err in acquitting 10 guilty persons rather than to err in convicting even one innocent person !!

In sodomy , like a crime of rape, the essential element which needs to be proven by the prosecution is the act of penetration itself. In Islamic law the same element also needs to be established by the prosecution in certainty.

Now how is the prosecution able to prove the element of penetration if they do not produce the medical reports/evidence? And how are the medical reports in Anwar’s trial useful to prosecution if they clearly say no visible signs of penetration to Saiful’s anus. The medical evidence is supposed to corroborate Saiful’s evidence but apparently in this case the same medical reports in fact exonerate Anwar Ibrahim. The rule is so simple : no penetration no prosecution. But the AG seems to hold the view that yes, no penetration but mind you we still have persecution to do!!

It is beyond question if Anwar is tried under the Islamic law, the charge, as it is presently framed against him, will never see the light of the day. Seeing the oral testimony of Saiful so far one cannot avoid to jump to the conclusion that it was a groundless or trumped up charge.

The AG should exhibit a high level of professionalism and integrity in the Anwar’s case. Intellectual honesty dictates that the prosecution should withdraw the charge against Anwar Ibrahim. Period. To prosecute a person in the absence of credible evidence is definitely tantamount to a prosecutorial misconduct and wastage of public funds.

The day that AG becomes the tool of the crooked politicians should have passed after the election tsunami in 2008.

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

Arifin: Nizar bebas kemuka undi tak percaya terhadap Zambry

TERKINI

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 9 — Barisan Nasional (BN) akan terus mentadbir Perak berikutan keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan di sini hari ini yang mengisytiharkan Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir sebagai menteri besar yang sah.

Dalam penghakimannya, panel lima hakim yang diketuai Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, memutuskan bahawa Sultan Azlan Shah telah melaksanakan hak diraja baginda dengan menitahkan Zambry mengangkat sumpah sebagai menteri besar setelah baginda mendapat kepastian bahawa penentang Zambry, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin daripada Pakatan Rakyat, telah hilang kepercayaan majoriti anggota dewan undangan negeri.

Hakim Besar Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria, yang menyampaikan keputusan sebulat suara itu, berkata tidak terdapat sebarang peruntukan dalam Perkara 16 (6) Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Perak yang mensyaratkan bahawa undi tidak percaya terhadap menteri besar Perak hanya boleh dibuat melalui pengundian dalam dewan undangan negeri.

“Bukti tentang kehilangan kepercayaan terhadap menteri besar boleh diambil daripada sumber lain yang ada. Kami berpendapat, sumber ini, termasuk pengakuan menteri besar itu sendiri dan/atau representasi yang dibuat anggota dewan undangan negeri bahawa menteri besar berkenaan tidak lagi mendapat sokongan majoriti anggota dewan,” kata beliau.

Penghakiman bertulis dikeluarkan beberapa jam selepas keputusan diumumkan beliau.

Arifin berkata dalam kes kini, Mahkamah Rayuan berpendapat terdapat bukti tentang pengakuan itu oleh Nizar sendiri dan satu perkara yang tidak boleh dipertikaikan ialah sokongan yang dipamerkan oleh 31 anggota dewan undangan negeri kepada BN, yang memberi majoriti jelas kepada parti gabungan itu di dalam dewan.

“Semua ini dengan jelas menunjukkan bahawa majoriti anggota dewan undangan negeri telah hilang kepercayaan terhadap kepimpinan Mohammad Nizar sebagai menteri besar,” katanya.

Dalam penghakiman setebal 41 muka surat itu, Arifin berkata, oleh yang demikian, adalah wajib bagi Nizar mengemukakan surat pengunduran diri daripada dewan eksekutif, sebaik saja mereka hilang kepercayaan daripada dewan.

“Nizar tidak boleh terus mentadbir setelah hilang sokongan majoriti dan membenarkan beliau berbuat demikian adalah bercanggah dengan prinsip asas demokrasi,” kata beliau.

Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata ini bukanlah penghujung jalan bagi perkara berkenaan kerana Nizar bebas mengemukakan usul undi tidak percaya terhadap Zambry di dalam dewan undangan negeri atau mengemukakan representasi kepada Sultan Azlan Shah pada bila-bila masa sekiranya beliau berpendapat Zambry tidak mendapat sokongan daripada majoriti anggota dewan undangan negeri.

Beliau juga berkata keengganan Mohammad Nizar untuk berundur setelah dititahkan berbuat demikian oleh sultan, dengan jelas melanggar peruntukan Perkara 16 (6) Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Perak.

Tiga hakim lain ialah hakim-hakim mahkamah Persekutuan Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinu¬din, Datuk Wira Ghazali Mohd Yusoff dan Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong.

Ketika membuat tafsiran tentang Perkara 16 (6), Arifin berkata: “Bukanlah menjadi hasrat penggubal Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri Perak bahawa, dalam keadaan demikian, terserahlah kepada perayu (Nizar) sama ada hendak melepaskan jawatan atau untuk terus menjadi menteri besar.

Perkara 16 (6) menyebut: “Sekiranya menteri besar tidak lagi mendapat kepercayaan daripada majoriti anggota dewan undangan negeri, maka, melainkan atas permintaannya, Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan membubarkan dewan undangan negeri, maka beliau perlu mengemukakan peletakan jawatan keseluruhan anggota majlis eksekutif”.

Arifin berkata perkataan “shall” (dalam Perkara 16 (6)) perlu dilihat sebagai sesuatu yang perlu dilakukan secara mandatori kerana jika tidak, ia akan membawa kepada keadaan politik yang tidak menentu di negeri berkenaan.

Konflik siapakah menteri besar Perak yang sah timbul tahun lepas apabila tiga anggota dewan undangan negeri daripada perikatan DAP-PKR-PAS meninggalkan parti masing-masing untuk menjadi anggota Bebas yang menyokong BN, manakala seorang lagi keluar semula daripada PKR untuk menyertai Umno, lalu menyebabkan BN dan Pembangkang masing-masing mempunyai 28 anggota dalam dewan yang mempunyai 59 kerusi itu.

Mereka ialah Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) dan Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering), yang meninggalkan PKR pada 30 Jan dan mengisytiharkan diri sebagai anggota Bebas yang menyokong BN. Anggota dewan undangan negeri daripada DAP Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang) mengikut langkah mereka empat hari kemudian.

Nizar, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Pasir Panjang, dilantik sebagai menteri besar apabila perikatan DAP-PKR-PAS memenangi 31 kerusi pada pilihan raya umum ke-12 pada 8 Mac 2008.

Bagaimanapun, kerajaan pakatan itu tumbang pada 2 Feb tahun lepas apabila Sultan Azlan Shah menitahkan Nizar supaya berundur setelah baginda mendapat kepastian bahawa BN mempunyai majoriti di dewan undangan negeri itu selepas menemuramah 31 anggota dewan berkenaan.

Sultan Azlan kemudian melantik Zambry, 47, anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri Pangkor, sebagai menteri besar baru bagi menggantikan Nizar.

Nizar memulakan prosiding undang-undang pada 13 Feb tahun lepas bagi mendapatkan perisytiharan bahawa beliau adalah menteri besar Perak yang sah dan satu perintah mahkamah bagi menghalang Zambry daripada melaksanakan tugas sebagai menteri besar.

Nizar kembali menjadi menteri besar selepas beliau memenangi kes itu di Mahkamah Tinggi tahun lepas, yang  memutuskan bahawa BN telah gagal mengemukakan undi tidak percaya terhadap beliau di dewan undangan negeri, walaupun parti gabungan itu mempunyai jumlah anggota majoriti.

Bagaimanapun, keadaan kembali kepada status quo apabila Mahkamah Rayuan mengubah keputusan itu pada 12 Mei dan mengisytiharkan pelantikan Zambry sebagi menteri besar Perak dibuat mengikut perlembagaan.

Dalam penghakiman hari ini, Arifin berkata Mahkamah Rayuan bertindak betul apabila memutuskan bahawa permohonan Nizar untuk membubarkan dewan undangan negeri itu dibuat mengikut Perkara 16 (6) atas alasan beliau telah hilang kepercayaan daripada majoriti anggota dewan dan bukan mengikut Perkara 32 (2),seperti yang didakwa oleh Nizar bagi mengelak kemungkinan timbulnya keadaan buntu di dewan berkenaan.

“Dalam kes ini, hakim perbicaraan gagal menilai secara betul bukti yang ada di hadapan beliau. Kegagalan ini mewajarkan campur tangan rayuan, seperti yang dibuat dengan sewajarnya oleh Mahkamah Rayuan dalam kes ini,” kata Arifin.

Arifin berkata keputusan sama ada dewan undangan negeri patut dibubarkan atau sebaliknya, secara mutlak terletak atas budi bicara sultan dan baginda tidak bertindak atas nasihat majlis eksekutif mengenai pembubarannya.

Zambry tidak hadir di mahkamah hari ini.

Bagaimanapun, setelah penghakiman itu diumumkan, dalam komennya, peguam yang mewakili beliau Datuk Cecil Abraham, berkata penghakiman hari ini terpakai bagi kerajaan persekutuan dan kerajaan negeri lain.

Sementara itu, Peguam Negara Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail berkata penghakiman itu amat jelas dan dibuat berdasarkan alasan kukuh.

Pengumuman penghakiman yang bermula pada pukul 10.10 itu mengambil masa kira-kira sejam untuk selesai disampaikan.

Zambry diwakili peguam Abraham dan Sunil Abraham, manakala sekumpulan 11 peguam, yang diketuai Sulaiman Abdullah, mewakili Nizar.

Pencelah diwakili timbalan pendakwa raya Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah dan peguam kanan persekutuan Datuk Kamaludin Md. Said, Datin Azizah Nawawi, Amarjeet Singh, Suzana Atan dan Andi Razali Jaya A. Dadi.

Cheng Poh Heng bertindak sebagai peguam pemerhati bagi pihak Persatuan Peguam Malaysia, manakala sekumpulan peguam yang diketuai Datuk Hafarizam Harun, bertindak sebagai peguam pemerhati bagi pihak BN.

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

DEFENCE SECRET LEAK – WHERE LIES OUR FAILURES?

mind NO EVIL

a life journey...a crusade against corruption

by Brig Gen (Rtd) Dato' Muhammad Arshad Raji

'Defence secret leaked' – reads the The Star online Friday 5, 2009. It surprises many, especially those from the defence and security fraternity. A colleague of mine who had served many years and in various capacities in the Defence Intelligence organisation, Ministry of Defence called me frantically to ask me if I knew anything concerning the report. I replied that I do not know much, other than what was reported in the media. He voiced his disappointment at what he claims as a serious breach of security, and he believes that the person(s) involved may have acted out of greed for money.

The above revelation comes at a time when the nation, and the Defence Ministry in particular is facing public outrage over the loss of two RMAF jet fighter engines, caused by what seemed a serious lapse in base security, and where unbelievably, only one RMAF personnel and a civilian businessman is reportedly involved. Strange though it seemed; but government investigations concluded that only two people were involved.

And recently in the USA, Dong Chung, a neutralised US citizen of Chinese origin; formerly a Boeing engineer who was found guilty in July 2009 of passing space shuttle secrets to the PRC was sentenced to a 15 year jail term by the Californian court for an offence under a 1996 espionage law. Dong Chung is the first person to be convicted under that law.

I do not know what is the nature and gravity of the defence secret leak that the Defence Ministry is referring to, but by using the term 'defence secret', I presume it is serious enough to hurt and breach our national defence and security plan(s). And if my aforesaid presumption is true, our defence intelligence fraternity should not have acted in isolation (hopefully not); rather they should have sought the co-operation of the police Special Branch (SB) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), before a formal announcement (with explicit details) is made by the Defence Ministry, or by any other related government official. I believe an announcement can only be made upon the completion of an exhaustive investigation carried out by our investigating agencies, and not before. To say that the matter is still under investigation smacks of the lack of professionalism in dealing with such extreme defence and security issues; what more if it is related to a breach in defence secrets as reported.

The term 'defence secret' connotes a highly sensitive issue that is of national interest, and for those involved in breaching national defence and security secrets are deemed to have committed a grievous crime. And since little is known about the nature of the defence secret leak, it would be rather difficult for anyone to speculate the nature of punishment to be meted upon the perpetrators; but a warning is certainly inappropriate to the nature of the crime, if indeed it involves the giving out of a defence secret to an unauthorised person.

Taking the case of Dong Chung above, a 15 year long prison sentence is a severe punishment, and it can serve as an example for the case facing the Defence Ministry today. Catching the culprit(s) and punishing them to a jail sentence does not really end the matter. In fact, it is just the beginning, in the search to find the root cause of the leak and to seek ways on how to manage and enforce greater security against another attempt at breaching defence and security secrets.

This incident may not be the last since trying to obtain the host country's defence secrets by foreign Defence Attache in the country is part of their responsibility. This is common knowledge, and I suppose our Defence Attache serving overseas does likewise.

The other concern that many members of the Armed Forces does not realised (some deliberately) is the way many foreign defence agents work with our military officers to obtain defence secrets. When dealing with foreign defence agents (some have reaped huge profits), our military officers will inadvertently trade defence secrets with them over a game of golf followed by a sumptuous dinner (fine cigars included). And the trading gets even more boisterous if the military officers are offered an all expense paid trips to visit defence factories overseas; with some even getting a Rolls Royce to await them at the airports. And don't these officers know that receiving preferred treatment by foreign defence agents is a form of corruption – a subtle one though?

If the government and the Defence Ministry is serious in curbing the outflow of defence secrets in the future, its has to have very strict ruling and procedures governing any interaction by members of the Armed Forces with foreign military forces(especially among the officers corps), as well as their relationship with foreign defence agents that are sometimes treated like VIP's by Defence Ministry officials (military and civilians alike).

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

Wadah baru politik Islam membebaskan fikiran

Columnists

Written by Faisal Mustaffa

Di Malaysia, perkataan ‘liberal’ sering dianggap sebagai satu fahaman menyimpang dari ajaran Islam – sehingga anggapan liberalisme itu seolah-olah sesat dari ajaran Islam. Liberal dianggap kehidupan hedonis yakni liar, suka berhibur, meminum arak serta mengamal budaya Barat yang dipandang sebagai kurang berakhlak. Pemikir dan pembawa idealisme itu pula dicemuh sebagai pembawa budaya pemikiran bebas dan songsang. Ketakutan liberalisme di dalam Islam ditakut-takutkan kerana fahaman inilah yang diterima dalam masyarakat majmuk seperti di negara ini. Di Malaysia, masyarakat Melayu yang berjumlah 51% penduduk adalah rata-rata penganut agama Islam manakala masyarakat Cina berkepercayaan Tao-Buddha atau Kristian (27%), India, Hindu atau Kristian (8%) dan selebihnya bangsa-bangsa lain dengan kepercayaan agama-agama lain. Merujuk kepada ‘kitab’ Perlembagaan Malaysia, ciri-ciri Melayu ditafsirkan secara mutlak. Menurut artikel tersebut, Melayu ialah mereka yang beragama Islam, bertutur dalam Bahasa Melayu dan memegang kepada adat resam Melayu.   Yang kurang Melayunya Bagaimana pula dengan seorang Melayu yang tidak sembahyang atau berpuasa pada bulan Ramadhan? Atau seorang Melayu yang tidak membayar zakat (kecuali bagi golongan kurang berkemampuan), yang tidak menunaikan fardu haji sebagaimana dituntut oleh rukun Islam ke atas mereka yang terdaya? Adakah menggelarkan ibu ‘mummy’ akan melunturkan sifat keMelayuan seseorang itu? Adakah mereka yang bertutur dalam Bahasa Inggeris di rumah tidak lagi dianggap Melayu kerana orang Melayu ialah mereka yang bertutur dalam Bahasa Melayu? Berbalik lagi kepada Artikel 160, mereka yang berpakaian pyjama untuk tidur dan makan malam dengan menggunakan sudu-garfu nampaknya sudah melanggar adat resam Melayu. Barangkali keMelayuan mereka ini secara automatik gugur, ya? Orang Melayu di Malaysia mesti Islam, tetapi orang Islam tidak semestinya Melayu dan amalan golongan Muslim di negara-negara lain – jika dibandingkan – kurang tidak mengandungi unsur-unsur paksaan ras dan politik. Lebih terbuka di Turki dan Indonesia Apakah bentuk sebuah negara Islam, misalannya yang diketengahkan oleh PAS? Islam liberal menggalakkan kebebasan dan keterbukaan. Islam liberal pula memperkenalkan “Islam demokrat”. Perbezaan awal antara Islam yang didokong oleh puak ortodoks dengan Islam liberal yang sudahpun menjalani dasar keterbukaan boleh diteliti pada contoh politik Turki di mana kita mempunyai Perdana Menteri Ayyip Erdo?an dan mantan gurunya Necmeddin Erbakan. Erbakan merupakan seorang yang anti-Barat manakala Erdogan berorientasikan Kesatuan Eropah yang menjanakan dasar keterbukaan. Erdogan mampu menarik perhatian rakyat Turki melalui Parti Pembangunan dan Keadilan (AKP). Di Indonesia pula, parti Islam baru, Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) bersama Partai Demokrat menjadi wadah baru dalam politik Islam. Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono berada di bawah lembayung Partai Demokrat. Gabungan ini membawa pemahamam liberalisme di dalam praktis mereka. Tafsiran dan definisi Islam liberal seharusnya diperbetulkan agar masyarakat Muslim di negara ini tidak lagi memiliki persepsi serong dan negatif terhadap istilah tersebut. Apa yang diistilahkan melalui Islam liberal bukanlah dimaksudkan dengan ajaran Islam itu sendiri atau bermaksud memisahkan Islam menjadi liberal dan tidak liberal. Istilah tersebut sebetulnya bertujuan untuk membuka dan membebaskan aliran serta gaya berfikir umat Islam. Dalam erti kata lain, istilah Islam liberal itu pada asasnya bermakna pendekatan pemikiran seseorang Muslim atau pemahaman Islamnya yang bersifat sederhana, bebas dan penuh keterbukaan. Ianya juga boleh dikaitkan dengan istilah Islam progresif, Islam tanwiri (pencerahan) dan juga Islam madani. Sifat Islam sendiri ialah syumul Menurut Prof Mohamad Abu Bakar, paradoks yang membelenggu masyarakat Islam menjadi rumit apabila mengalami tekanan. Mereka hilang perpektif atau bercakaran antara satu sama lain apabila ada pihak mula bersifat terbuka – umpama pengayuh basikal yang mengayuh dengan sepenuh tenaga mendaki bukit, dan apabila tiba di puncaknya, pengayuh tersebut akan melepaskan kayuhan dan basikal akan menayuh dengan pecutan. Pemahaman mengenai Islam menjadi sukar kerana ada beberapa pihak yang enggan bersifat terbuka sehingga Islam itu sendiri telah hilang momentumnya. Sifat Islam sendiri syumul atau sejagat, dan perlu diarahkan supaya ianya diterima oleh semua lapisan masyarakat sungguhpun bukan dari agama Islam itu sendiri. Pada zaman lampau, gerakan mubaligh kuno dan jurisprudens Islam faham akan konsep aulawiyat dengan tidak mengabaikan isu-isu dan masalah-masalah kecil. Pada masa yang sama mereka ini memperkukuhkan identiti mereka seperti pertikaian di dalam amalan (furu’), bid’ah dan sebagainya, yang mana perkara-perkara ini telahpun diperbincangkan dan diselesaikan oleh ulama-ulama ratusan tahun yang lalu. Oleh yang demikian, reformasi dengan fahaman liberalisme ini dinampak seperti tentangan kepada fundamentalis dan keupayaan ini dianggap ancaman kepada masyarakat plural seperti Malaysia. Sebab itulah, dikira fahaman ini perlu lebih banyak diterapkan di dalam jurnal-jurnal akademik mahupun bukan-akademik agar Islam secara keseluruhan dapat diterima dan diamalkan.

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

Raja Azman Raja Petra admitted into the Sungai Buloh hospital

NEWS/COMMENTARIES

Tuesday, 09 February 2010 Super Admin

 

(Malaysia Today) – Raja Azman Bin Raja Petra has been admitted into the Sungai Buloh hospital.  Initial reports say that he has swallowed or has been made to swallow razor blades.

Raja Azman was being held in solitary confinement ever since Malaysia Today came out with the story that he was beaten up by the police to make him confess to crimes he says he did not commit.

He was also made to spend a stint in the psychiatric ward after going berserk during one beating session he was subjected to.

The lawyers will try to seek permission to visit Raja Azman the soonest possible to establish what really happened.

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

We need to sell Malaysia

by Alex Paul

FEB 8 — As you read this, 400,000 people are in danger of being made homeless by rising sea levels, but we haven’t taken much notice.

We haven’t done so because those people live in the Maldives, a small nation with no natural resources other than its (non-extractable) natural beauty. Thanks largely to global warming, the tiny collection of 26 atolls are being submerged by the rising levels of the Indian Ocean, but is struggling to get help.

In October last year, its Cabinet staged a publicity coup of sorts by holding a special meeting under water. It worked — and the Maldives got its fleeting moment of fame to highlight the impact of global warming. The gimmick is a stark demonstration of the challenges that smaller countries face in getting any meaningful international attention, even for the most pressing of issues.

Further East, another landscape change of sorts is affecting Malaysia. In the rapidly changing world map of international investment, the relatively small Malaysia is increasingly fading from prominence. This isn’t entirely its own doing — the world looks very different today than it did 10 or 15 years ago.

Gone is Malaysia’s position alongside the Asian “tigers” of East Asia, once the rising stars of the emerging markets.  In its place is an increasingly liberalised landscape dominated by the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) giants and populated by new investment destinations stretching from Turkey and Hungary in the West, to Vietnam and Indonesia in the Far East.

Malaysia’s prominence in this new environment matters because it is facing increasing competition for that all important ingredient for growth — foreign investment. Even the most avid “Malaysia Boleh” patriots amongst us should agree that its importance is vital in the development of the economy.

Malaysia, after all, serves as a testament to the positive role that foreign investment can play in the economic development of a young nation — foreign capital helped start whole new industries (from plantations to car plants) that created new jobs, imbued useful skills and transferred valuable know-how. Domestic investment and demand has yet to reach levels where they can independently sustain national growth.

The good news is that there is now more money than ever before looking for a home in the emerging markets. Investors ranging from hedge funds looking for a quick return to more traditional long-only equity funds are now allocating larger proportions of their portfolios to these markets as their clients demand a share in the economic expansion of the new world. Even the mighty Anthony Bolton, a highly respected former UK fund manager at Fidelity, has been persuaded to come out of retirement to invest the growing tide of international money looking to make a play on China’s growth.

The bad news is that despite this growth, Malaysia may not benefit if it remains passive.

The increase in quantity has not necessarily meant that there has been a corresponding growth in quality. So even as the pie has expanded, Malaysia must compete ever harder for a better slice. Some foreign capital is invested directly in actual businesses or projects and is known as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Other investments, categorised as Portfolio Investments, are less direct, and find a home in listed securities, whether debt or equity.

FDI is favoured because it is generally long-term in nature (what one financier I recently spoke to called “stickiness”) and often comes with non-financial benefits like a transfer of knowledge or technology. Portfolio Investments, whilst not always the case, are often short-term and is increasingly comprised of “hot money” looking to make a quick return from market imbalances or anomalies.

If Malaysia does not give itself a makeover to attract committed new capital, it will be left with short-term investments — the equivalent of speed dating in the international capital markets. International money will not invest in long-term projects in Malaysia if it perceives an opportunity to make greater returns with less risk in other markets.

In the borderless world of capital, foreign companies can still benefit from Malaysia’s markets by selling them goods made in newly-built plants in cheaper neighbouring countries whilst foreign investors can continue to cherry pick the best Malaysian companies or assets by buying listed securities.

Complicating this conundrum is Malaysia’s relatively small size.  With a population of just under 30 million (compared with the 85 million Vietnamese and 120 million Indonesians), Malaysia has a small domestic consumption market. Having benefited from a reputation of being a source of cheap, skilled labour, it is now also perceived to be a more costly investment choice than its more populous neighbours.

So how is Malaysia to compete in this new environment?

Firstly, by creating a new Malaysian story. Liberalisation for its own sake is no longer enough. Malaysia’s ability to attract new investment by opening up its economy is somewhat limited by its social priorities domestically. The new policy framework must focus on attracting quality investments by creating a set of new, attractive and sustainable economic fundamentals. A low-cost labour base is no longer relevant. Instead, the new Malaysian story must focus on its undersold and unique asset — a growing middle-class that is well educated, English speaking, and increasingly spendthrift.

Secondly, it must sell this new Malaysian story to the world. One-off gimmicks will not do the trick here. Climbing mountains or landing Proton Wiras on the North Pole to get attention isn’t just ineffective, it’s a distraction. Instead, policies must lead perception. Malaysia needs a clear, loud and constant voice on the world stage. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry currently performs that role in some guise, but it needs to increase its profile. The bureaucrats in Putrajaya could do worse than to get some help from the likes of AirAsia, Genting and YTL — all home-grown companies of international repute.

Thirdly, Malaysia must be part of the Asean story. Malaysia must push not just for regional co-operation, but for economic integration. Investors increasingly look at markets in the context of its region, both positively (as Ireland has benefited from being a member of the EU) and negatively (as some Gulf states have suffered as a result of bad news emanating from Dubai).

Individually, Asean nations are simply not large enough to attract sufficient international attention. But as an economic bloc representing some 600 million consumers, its place on the world map will grow in prominence. If Asean moves from being a diplomatic platform to a more open and integrated market, the region will go from being a “nice to have” to a “must have” for international investors.

These actions are nothing if not ambitious, but as the competitive landscape continuous to evolve, Malaysia must take immediate and bold steps or risk being submerged in the rising tide of globalisation.

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

MAHKAMAH SUDAH MEMUTUSKAN! BN MENANG 5-0 di PERAK !

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.

Zambry is the lawful MB, Federal Court agrees

 

(The Malaysian Insider) - The Federal Court today found that the Court of Appeal was justified to reverse the High Court decision declaring Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin the rightful mentri besar of Perak.

This effectively means Pakatan Rakyat has lost in their appeal to reinstate Nizar as Perak MB.

The five-man panel of judges comprised Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria and Justices Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Datuk Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff, and Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong.

The judgement is still being read out in court.

Nizar, 53, had challenged Zambry's appointment and won at the High Court, which noted that there was a loophole in the Perak Constitution to allow for another to be sworn in as mentri besar (MB) when the incumbent had not resigned.

In his decision on May 9 last year, High Court judge Abdul Aziz Rahim ruled that the Sultan was not constitutionally empowered to sack the MB, and that Nizar had always been the lawful head of the state government.

The judge added that the only way for the MB to be dismissed when he refused to resign was through a vote of no-confidence by his peers inside the state legislative assembly.

But the decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal later that month. The appeals court said the High Court judge's reading of the law was wrong and the latter had confused the issue of how the MB had lost the majority confidence with whether the ruler had the power to dismiss the head of government.

Nizar who is the PAS assemblyman for Pasir Panjang was chosen to head the state executive council (exco) after his Islamist party won the groundbreaking March 2008 general elections and formed an alliance with two other federal opposition groups, the secular DAP and popular pro-reform party PKR.

He was ousted 11 months later when four Pakatan Rakyat (PR) assemblymen left the fledgling alliance to swear loyalty to BN.

Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasharuddin Hashim who had earlier crossed from Umno to PKR, rejoined his old party. The assemblymen for Behrang, Jamaluddin Mohd. Radzi; Changkat Jering Osman Jailu; and Jelapang, Hee Yit Foong declared themselves as Independents friendly to the BN.

Their defections meant PR only had the support of 28 representatives in the 59-seat state assembly while the BN had 28 members plus the support of the three Independents.

The Election Commission refused to accept the three resignation letters forwarded by the pro-PR state assembly speaker which would have barred the votes of Jamaluddin, Osman and Hee from being counted.

Nizar was granted an audience with the Sultan of Perak but failed to convince the ruler to dissolve the assembly and pave the way for state-wide elections, ending what he saw as a political impasse.

Instead, the Perak sultan ordered him to resign and subsequently appointed Zambry as Nizar's replacement.

* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The blog owner does not endorse the view unless specified.