LATEST!: Minister linked to sex scandal

By : NST NEWSDESK
JOHOR BARU, MON:

A minister has been linked to a sex scandal following the emergence of a DVD showing a couple in a bedroom romp.

The man in the digital video disc is said to resemble a senior MCA politician from Johor.

Police have started an investigation into the distribution of the DVDs in several places, including Muar and Batu Pahat. It is not known how the video was shot or obtained.

Johor police chief Datuk Hussin Ismail said police were investigating the matter under Section 292 of the Penal Code for distribution of obscene materials.

The discs were reportedly dropped into selected post boxes of houses and shops in Muar and Batu Pahat and residents found them on Sunday morning.

Hindraf to hold another two assemblies

THE SUN , 28 December 2007 - Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) is organising another two peaceful assemblies to protest Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan's claims that the organisation is linked with terrorists.

Hindraf coordinator S. Manikavasagam said "we will hand over a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to investigate the validity of Musa's statement".

On Dec 6, Musa accused Hindraf of soliciting help and support from terrorist groups.
"We want to 'mendesak' (force) and 'mencabar' (challenge) the IGP to present proof for what he said," he said, adding that the handing over of the memorandum will most likely be scheduled for mid-January.

He said the accusations were inappropriate, claiming that Hindraf does not have any connections with terrorists.

Manikavasagam, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat Supreme Council member, said a second peaceful assembly will also be held in February in Putrajaya.

He said a memorandum will be handed directly to the Prime Minister's Department.Hindraf will apply for permits to hold these assemblies.

Understanding, tolerance and respect

Reported in the star today here

Abdullah said :

"I'm aware of religious issues that happen from time to time and we should solve these problems together with a very high level of understanding, tolerance and respect,"

Abdullah said he was very happy to be invited to the party, as he could see people of different religion, namely Buddhists, Hindus and Christians, getting together at the event.

"If we sit together and eat the same food, it symbolises the friendship, degree of tolerance and mutual respect," he added.

He also cited the similarities that Christian and Islam shared, adding that in the Quran, Jesus (Prophet Isa) was a servant of God.

Abdullah Badawi being a Muslim sees Jesus in the manner his faith teaches him to do. There is nothing wrong with that. But where the hell is the tolerance and understanding he preached?

To the Christians , he is so wrong to say that Jesus (Prophet Isa) was a servant of God. He uttered such insensitive remarks during the gathering of Christians.

Sitting together and eat the same food? Imagine sharing the pork with our fellow Muslim brothers or beef with our Hindu brothers?

I bet he just wanted to please everybody despite his stupidity.

Dead End To Democracy

You should see this video.It is beautifully done.

It's SSC to handle complaints against all federal enforcement officers

From Star Web Edition
By B. Suresh Ram

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 13, 2007): The much hyped Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) mooted in May 2005 in one of the 125 recommendations made by the Royal Commission to enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police is becoming reality albeit changes.

It will be known as the Special Complaints Commission (SCC) and will not only look into misconduct and complaints against police officers but all federal enforcement officers.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz tabled the SCC bill in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament) for first reading today.

The commission will consist of seven members comprising a chairman appointed by the Prime Minister, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the Public Complaints Bureau, Director-General of the Anti-Corruption Agency and three other members appointed by the Prime Minister.

Each member of the commission will hold office for a period of two years and a maximum of two terms.

The functions of the commission among others are:

To receive complaints from any person in relation to misconduct of an enforcement officer;

To refer complaints received from any person in relation to misconduct of an enforcement officer to the appropriate Disciplinary Authority or enforcement agency;

To require the Task Force to investigate the complaints of misconduct of an enforcement officer;

To access the investigation of the task force and to determine whether the alleged misconduct of the enforcement officer is of a criminal or disciplinary nature;

To forward investigation papers and other documents relating to the misconduct to the public prosecutor or disciplinary authority for further action; and

To receive feedback on the action taken by the public prosecutor or disciplinary authority and to inform the complainant on the status of the complaint.

The bill states that every enforcement agency will have to cooperate and assist the commission in exercising its functions and powers under the act.

The commission has also the power to form a task force to assist in performing its functions. The members of the task force can be drawn from the ACA, Bank Negara, Securities Commission, National Audit Department, police and other members of the civil service, including officers from the Judicial and Legal Services Department, the bill stated.

It also adds that members of the Commission, Chief Executive Officer and members of the task force will all have the powers of a police officer of whatever rank as provided for under the Criminal Procedure Code and such powers would be in addition to that provided by this act.

This includes powers of search and seizure with warrant and without warrant of premises and power to stop, search and seize conveyances, it said.

The commission shall not, however, consider any misconduct alleged to be committed if it is a matter before any disciplinary authority, involved in any court proceedings, has been determined by any court and is being investigated by an enforcement agency, it added.

The bill states that enforcement agency facing a complaint before the commission shall have to submit monthly reports until the conclusion of the investigation, upon which the Public Prosecutor will have to decide in 30 days whether to charge the enforcement officer or not.

Later, speaking to reporters in Parliament lobby, Nazri said the bill included all enforcement agencies as it would be "ridiculous" to set up the SCC for the sole purpose of one particular enforcement agency.

"That was the concept from the very beginning when it was still a draft bill. The concept has always been to cover all (federal) enforcement agencies," he said.

Nazri added that the commission will function as a one-stop centre to look into misconduct and complaints and will only involve non-corrupt activities and agencies.

He added that the Public Complaints Bureau would act as the secretariat and be integrated into the new commission, which itself will come under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department.

Suhakam : Allow peacefull assemblies!

The Star (letters Section)
by Shaila Koshy

KUALA LUMPUR: Suhakam expressed regret the Government had ignored its repeated calls to repeal the law requiring permits for public assemblies and processions.

“In London, you can hold peaceful assemblies and the police are around to prevent public disorder.

“But here, a group needs a permit even to present a memorandum,” its chairman Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said yesterday.

“The possibility of public disorder should be based on evidence, not speculation or imagination,” he said, when asked whether a group submitting a memorandum to Parliament needed a permit.

On whether it was different to a protest party, he said: “Unfortunately, a gathering of three is an assembly under Section 27 of the Police Act. The intention is irrelevant.”

“Suhakam wants Section 27 repealed because it goes against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and appears to be inconsistent with the spirit of the Federal Constitution.”

Asked whether anyone could apply for it to be declared unconstitutional, he said a person could if he could show he was affected by the application of Section 27.

On Tun Musa Hitam’s lament in an interview on Sunday that Suhakam did not want to address certain “sensitive things”, Abu Talib said his predecessor had not specified what they were.

Suhakam secretary Ahmad Yusuf Ngah said in a statement: “Very likely, Tun Musa is unaware of the many recommendations made by Suhakam to improve the level of human rights in Malaysia, since his tenure ended in 2002.”

The statement was issued after Suhakam met in Kuching in conjunction with World Human Rights Day on Monday.

Defiant lawyers to march on Sunday

Friday, 07 December 2007, 03:48pm
From Malaysiakini by Andrew Ong

At least 15 lawyers are bent on making a statement in conjunction with World Human Rights Day by marching from the Sogo department store to Central Market in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Their message is simple - that citizens have a right to assemble peacefully and without prior requirement of a police permit.

Themed ‘Lawyers for Freedom of Assembly”, their march will start at 7.30am and proceed along the route originally planned by the Bar Council until it called off its plan on Tuesday.

Lawyer N Surendran, told Malaysiakini that the group decided on this after the council cancelled its event, mainly due to pressure to obtain a police permit and concern for the safety of participants.

They are now in the process of contacting other lawyers to join them.

“We feel the (Bar Council) march was called of due to undue pressure from the authorities. We want to send a message that the people of Malaysia have the right to a peaceful assembly,” Surendran said.

He emphaised that the march is solely aimed at defending and protecting the right to peaceful assemblies and that no political element is involved.

“We expect the authorities to claim that we are influenced by the opposition. We will refute such claims. This is purely an initiative by concerned lawyers,” he stressed.

The government has warned of harsh action against organisers and participants of public rallies after tens of thousands lent their presence to events by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) on separate occasions last month.

No application for permit

To a question, Surendran said the organisers will not apply for a police permit to hold the march.

“We think that applying for a permit is a negation of our fundamental right to freedom of assembly as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution,” he explained.

He also expressed hope that concerned citizens would take part in the event to assert their right to assembly peacefully.

Meanwhile, the Bar Council will move its ‘Festival of Rights’ event on Sunday to its own building located near the Central Market.

Human rights committee chairperson Edmund Bon said this was due to police insistence that a permit be sought for the event if it is held at Central Market.

“This, we cannot do, on a day meant to celebrate our freedoms. It would be ironic and outrageous for us to make such an application,” addedd Bon.

The event will feature forums, speeches and performances ahead of the global day for rights which falls on Monday.

In September, some 2,000 lawyers had taken part in the council’s ‘Walk for Justice’ to protest the rot in the judiciary, after fresh allegations were revealed in the ‘Lingam tape’.

Bar Council's decision not to walk

Written by Jonson Chong Kok Wei on 07 December, 2007

I feel that the Bar Council’s decision to call off the walk to commemorate Human Rights Day is wrong and disappointing. There does not seem to be any clear indication as to why the walk has been called off, apart from some vague reference to the need to apply for a police permit.

It is disappointing and ironic indeed that the Bar Council have to kowtow to undemocratic and unjust laws on the occasion that is supposed to celebrate and advance human rights in our country. In light of recent events, I believe that there is all the more reason that the Bar Council and Malaysian Bar should be taking the lead to fight for rights and freedoms that every Malaysian is entitled to.

Despite what the Federal Constitution says, and what some laws require, we must first acknowledge that the right to freedom of assembly is an inherent and inalienable right of every single person, irrespective of her race, religion or political beliefs. And this is one of those freedoms that guarantee the dignity of the human person. After all, we must remember that that is what human rights are all about – human dignity. (See the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular Article 20; and bear in mind that Malaysia is a proud member of the United Nations.)

In Malaysia, not only are the laws restrictive in terms of peaceful assemblies, it appears that the application of such laws are made in bad faith. The manner in which the police dealt with the recent large but peaceful assemblies as well as the venomous reactions of various government ministers are good starting points.
Right from the start, the police denied permits for the peaceful assemblies by giving the feeble excuse of maintaining public order. I wonder if such concerns only arise when organisations unrelated to the ruling Umno organise events because I note that a particular rally against the U.S. led by the Umno Deputy Youth Chief last year seemed to last three hours without wasting a drop of water from police water-cannons.

Indeed, I know that the Royal Malaysian Police are capable of handling peaceful assemblies and maintaining public order if they want to because I personally witnessed the recent demonstration (that included several marches from embassy to embassy in Kuala Lumpur) by a few thousand Burmese nationals against the cruelty of the Junta in Burma.

There ought to be a presumption that people’s assemblies are peaceful, and instead of giving excuses the police should be making the effort to maintain public order. The role of the police at peaceful assemblies ought to be supervisory, not chaos creation.

Moreover, if I am not mistaken, a government minister has recently made a blanket statement that police permits will not be given for assemblies, indicating that the laws on peaceful assemblies are only for show and there is no intent whatsoever to respect basic human and democratic rights.

Further, the recent absurd charging of Hindraf supporters for attempted murder and denial of bail reeks of malicious and punitive prosecution, and is clearly an abuse of the legal system.

There appears to be a mistaken belief by most Umno and Barisan Nasional politicians that democracy means an absolute absence of dissent and opposition. And they continue to delude themselves that they have the full support of the people because they keep winning heavily rigged elections where voters do not have the benefit of press freedom.

Just as we ought to pray for wisdom and strength to overcome difficulties and not the absence of difficulties in our lives, the government should be working towards policies that addresses people’s issues and concerns, and not the absence of these. If the government has confidence in its own policies, then it ought to have the courage to face public debate and discuss issues openly. In a democracy, differing views and criticisms are normal and ought to be encouraged for the progress of the country, not stifled and hammered down by using brute force.

Thus, the Malaysian Bar ought to take the lead to defend justice and reclaim our rights and freedoms in Malaysia. And if we have to defy some unjust laws in the process, so be it.

Best regards,
Jonson Chong Kok Wei

ANOTHER BLOW to the ailing reputation of the judiciary.

From Malaysiakini:

The King, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, has consented to the lightning-fast appointment of Zaki Azmi - who has parachuted into the Federal Court three months ago - as President of the Court Appeal, the No.2 post in the judiciary.

The PM Abdullah Badawi said the King acted on the advice of the Prime Minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers.

The Court of Appeal president Abdul Hamid Mohamad has been today appointed as the new chief justice, which is the judiciary's most powerful post.

The unconventional elevation of Zaki, 62, could pose ANOTHER BLOW to the ailing reputation of the judiciary.

Exactly three months ago, he became the FIRST LAWYER to be directly appointed into the Federal Court. (Before this, only lawyer Gopal Sri Ram had bypassed serving in the High Court when he was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1994. )

Zaki previously served as UMNO’s Legal Adviser and Disciplinary Committee Chairperson.

He was also UMNO's Selection Committee Secretary and Deputy Chairperson of UMNO's Disciplinary Board Appeal Panel.

He stepped down from these posts in 2005 following his divorce from his second wife, Nor Hayati Yahaya, who was almost half his age.

With Abdul Hamid due for retirement next year, Zaki is the frontrunner for the judiciary's No 1 post.

Bar Surprised Over Appointment of Zaki

Meanwhile in an immediate response, the Malaysian Bar expressed surprise over the appointment of Zaki as the Court of Appeal president “given that there were OTHER suitable candidates in terms of SENIORITY and SERVICE in the judiciary”.

The Bar’s president Ambiga Sreenevasan said in a statement that Zaki was also only recently elevated to the Federal Court.

“There are the added concerns of his previous BUSINESS interests and involvement in UMNO ,” she added.