TRUE STORY MUSLIM IN PRISON OPPOSITION LEADER ANWAR IBRAHIM RECOUNTED HOW HE WAS DRAGGED LIKE AL-QAEDA (TERRORIST) BY ABDULLAH BADAWIS UMNO-BARISAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim testified today that government doctors measured his private parts and pubic hair after he was arrested in July, 2008 in what he said was a degrading medical examination.

But he refused the insertion of any instrument into his anus.

He told the High Court today that he was forced by the police to go through the medical examination during his overnight arrest from July 16-17, 2008.

The PKR defacto leader said that police officers had made him go to Hospital Kuala Lumpur at 8pm on July 16 for a medical examination by two doctors consultant surgeon Dr Jayaindran Sinadorai and consultant physician Dr Ee Boon Leong.

Anwar claimed that the examination was a degrading experience, as he was made to undress, and his private parts were measured.

After checking my upper part, they asked me to undress, to measure my private parts and measure the length of my pubic hair which was very degrading and they examined my penis and anus.

There were no insertions of any instrument, as I did not agree to it, said Anwar.

The 63 year-old politician said that the two doctors informed him that the wanted DNA samples as well as body and hair samples taken from him.

Anwar also answered questions on alleged sodomy. He told the court that he had refused to give the hospital an! y sample s upon advice from his lawyers.

Based on personal experience, I have evidence of samples stolen from HKL in 1998, said Anwar, referring to his first sodomy case.

The countrys Opposition Leader claimed that he had been held under deplorable conditions during his arrest on that day which had affected his health and caused him excruciating pain after his release

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim recounted his ordeal three years ago when a special squad clad in balaclavas, armed with sub-machine guns forced his car to a halt before dragging him off to the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where he said he was illegally detained so as to provide opportunities for the authorities to lift DNA samples from him.

At the police HQ, he was grilled for three hours and then sent off to the government-owned Hospital Kuala Lumpur, where two doctors checked his penis and anus.

This was very degrading, the 63-year old former deputy primeministertold the court on Thursday.

Fabricating DNA evidence

Anwar is on trial for having sodomized his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan in June 2008, soon after he announced plans to make a comeback to Parliament.

He has denied the charges and accused his arch rival Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor of hatching the plot with Saiful to derail his political career.

Sodomy is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail. Government chemists have said they found two DNA profiles on Saifuls anus and pants one belonging to Saiful himself and the other to a yet-to-be-identified Male Y.

However, few Malaysians doubt Male Y will turn out to be Anwar. During his detention by the police, they had lifted DNA samples from his water bottle, towel and toothbrush.

His lawyers believe that the Najib admin! istratio n may have ordered the DNA to be planted as three other DNA profiles belonging to three different males were also found on Saifuls anus and pants.

Illegal arrest

The defense team is now applying to the judge to reject the water bottle, towel and toothbrush as evidence as they claim Anwar was illegally arrested and detained.

Anwar himself told the court that he didnt know he was being arrested on that day, July 16, 2008. None of the police officers had informed him he was being arrested.

I asked them why are they doing this but they said they wanted my cooperation in this matter although I had indicated I wanted to meet Jude, Anwar said.

He was referring to Jude Pereira, a senior cop. The arresting officer was one Supt Ahmad Taufik.

The police took three hours to record his statement from 2.30pm to 5.30pm but did not let him leave after that.

I asked them, you asked me to give my statement but what else? They should release me. Instead they brought me to HKL and I arrived there after 8pm on July 16, 2008, Anwar told a mesmerized courtroom.

The doctors at HKL then checked him and asked him about the alleged sodomy case. Anwar also refused to allow them to take his DNA samples.

I refused to give my blood samples as I followed my lawyers advice, he said.

This arrest is to try to trap me, Anwar added.

Fears for Anwars life

The police brought Anwar back to their headquarters at about 11pm.

I asked the police and Jude, when are you going to release me? And they said, youll be home soon. Instead, they brought me to the lock-up, Anwar said.

He had previously complained that the police treated him like an animal and threw him into a filthy and antiquated cell although there were cleaner ones available.

There is speculation the cell was specially chosen because it was not equipped with CCTV cameras and could not capture wha! t happen ed to Anwar if something unfortunate occurred.

Anwar was beaten up by the Inspector General of Police in 1998 while in remand over his first sodomy trial from which he was acquitted.

In 1998 and even now, there are fears for his life as he poses a real challenge to the current ruling coalition.

On Thursday, he told the court the cell had steel bars on all four sides. Anwar claims one Supt Yahya Abdul Rahman gave him the mineral water bottle, towel, toothbrush, toothpaste and soap.

I did not expect VIP treatment but the conditions were deplorable while conditions at the washroom were unclean,

Finally, he was released the next day at 12.30pm on July 17, 2008. He told the court that he had to seek medical treatment for his back because of the incident.

HERE IS A VIDEO OF OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS IN GUANTANAMO PRISON CAMP OF AMERICANSWE CAN SEE IN THIS VIDEO HOW THEY STRUGGLE TO KEEP THERE FAITH IN ALLAH AND CONTINUE TO PERFORM PRAYERS..WE PRAY TOALLAH TO GIVE THEM MORE STRENGTH AND BLESS THEM MORE AND WE PRAY ALSO TO GIVE US MORE FAITH AND FEAR OF HIM RABUL ALAMINAND GUARD OUR FAITH AND PRAYERSAMEEN (KATAYA SO VIDEO O MGA PAGARI TANO A MUSLIM SA GUANTANAMO PRISON CAMP O MGA AMERIKANOAPIYA E KAREREGENI KIRAN NA MATATAYOD IRAN SO MGA SIMBA IRAN KO ALLAH.PHANGNIN TANO KO ALLAH A UMANAN IYAN KIRAN SO MGA LIMO IYAN AGO UMANAN IYAN REKTANO SO SIMBA AGO KALEK REKANIAN A RABUL ALAMIN.A METENDEG TANO MAMBO SO MGA SIMBA TANO KO ALLAH AMEEN.)

Fresh photographs and video footage of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq were broadcast yesterday by an Australian television channel, raising fears that the revelations could further stoke Muslim fury.

Australias Special Broadcasting Service showed the disturbing footage asPakistanirioters attacked western businesses in Peshawar, spurred by the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in Europe.

At one point in the video a chained Iraqi prisoner, apparently mentally disturbed, was shown repeatedly beating his head against a wall.

In another, a naked inmate appeared to be being squeezed between two stretchers.

Many of the pictures depicting prisoners hooded, naked, standing in stress positions, threatened by a dog, showing wounds on their buttocks or dead were similar to the photographs of abused prisoners that provoked international outrage in 2004.

But the network said it had also received other material too graphic to broadcast.

Feb 2006
Shocking pictures have come to light revealing the extent of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and its much worse than anyone imaged.

The photos depict new incidents of homicide, torture and sexual humiliation and indicate a broader pattern of abuse than was previously understood. We now know there was systemic and widespread abuse, states ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh. She hopes the photos release will lead to a proper inquiry

Feb 2006
Shocking gambar sudah ketahuan mengungkapkan banyak sedikitnya makian tawanan di Abu Ghraib dan begitu lebih jelek daripada siapa saja menggambarkan.
Foto menggambarkan insiden baru pembunuhan, penyiksaan dan penghinaan seksual dan menunjukkan pola penyalahgunaan yang lebih lebar daripada dulunya dimengerti.
Kami sekarang tahu ada penyalahgunaan sistemik dan tersebar luas, negara bagian ACLU pengacara Amrit Singh.
Dia berharap foto pembebasan akan menuju ke penyelidikan
daksa

t

READMOREOPPOSITION LEADER ANWAR IBRAHIM RECOUNTED HOW

HE WAS DRAGGED LIKE AL-QAEDA (TERRORIST)BY ABDULLAH BADAWIS

UMNO-BARISAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Anwar is defaming himself with "friends" like "Truthseeker"

DELETED

Conclusion: Anwar Ibrahim allows himself to associate with low class pervert.

Anwar relates ordeal of his 'unlawful' arrest....

Anwar Ibrahim today related at the Kuala Lumpur High Court the ordeal he faced over what he claimed was his unlawful arrest on the afternoon of July 16, 2008. The Permatang Pauh MP, testifying in the trial-within-a-trial, said there were no grounds given by the police when his vehicle was stopped by 15 police UDK (Special Action Unit) members wearing balaclavas and armed with sub-machine guns at Jalan Bukit Segambut at about 1pm on July 16.

His story was corroborated by his lawyer Sankara Nair, who was the second witness to testify in the trial-within-a-trial. Relating what had happened, to questions from his counsel Karpal Singh, Anwar said he was returning from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office, after they recorded his statement over his allegation against former inspector-general of police Rahim Nor, then-IGP Musa Hassan and attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail over fabricating evidence.

I was there in the morning with my lawyers Param Cumaraswamy, Sankara Nair and Sivarasa Rasiah.

He said Sankara had spoken with investigating officer DSP Jude Blacious Pereira several times, promising that they will be at the IPK KL (Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters) to have his statement recorded at about 1pm.

On our way back, I thought I would like to freshen up and perform my Zohor prayers.

However, as I was about to arrive there was a car blocking my path and other unmarked vehicles surrounded our vehicle from behind.

"Some 10 to 15 UTK personnel wearing barracuda (he then changed it to balaclava) and armed with sub-machine guns surrounded the car, he said.

Sankara, who was seated in front, advised me to remain seated at the back and he got! out. Ou tside he met ASP Ahmad Taufik, who related he had orders to arrest me.

However, no grounds were given for my arrest and the ASP said he was asked to take him in their vehicle, he said.

'Similar event had happened in 1998'

Anwar said he was fearful for his life as a similar event had happened when UTK people raided his home in 1998 in the bid to arrest him.

Sankara came back to me and informed me of the police orders and the situation.

I came out and agreed to enter their cars, but the officers, when I demanded it, did not relate the grounds of my arrest.

They only told me they were under orders to bring me to IPK KL, he said.- Hafiz Yatim

source:malaysiakini



Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he underwent a "degrading" physical examination after being arrested in 2008 on sodomy charges.

"After checking my upper part, they asked me to undress, to measure my private parts and measure my pubic hair, which was very degrading. They examined my penis and anus," he said, giving evidence for the first time in his High Court trial. The former deputy prime minister said he was arrested by armed police who treated him like an al-Qaeda agent.

"On the way to my house... we saw an unmarked vehicle blocking the road, with other police vehicles and patrol cars. And 10 to 15 special forces wearing balaclavas and carrying sub-machine guns," he said.

Anwar said police did not inform him why he was being arrested.

"I was not told what was the offence. I was dragged like an al-Qaeda agent - police armed with machine guns and there were so many policemen, you call that a normal arrest?" he said.

For! mer aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan has accused Anwar - a 63-year-old father of six - of sodomising him at an upmarket Kuala Lumpur condominium in 2008. If convicted, Anwar could face up to 20 years in prison.

Dirty cell

The prosecution said at the opening of the trial in February last year that traces of Anwar's semen were found in medical tests on Saiful. The sodomy trial, which resumed last month after a three-month hiatus, has heard evidence from a government chemist that there were multiple unidentified DNA profiles found in Mohamad Saiful's anus and trousers.

Anwar who was detained on July 16, 2008 and freed the following day, said he was kept in a dirty cell and made to sleep on a cold floor. Sodomy, even among consenting adults, is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Anwar has said he is the victim of a plot to prevent him from taking power after the opposition made huge strides in 2008 elections, stunning the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power for half a century. The former deputy premier was sacked and jailed a decade ago on separate sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Human Rights Watch has urged Malaysia to drop the charges, condemning the case as a "charade of justice". Malaysia pledged that Anwar would receive a fair trial after talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last year.

source:AFP

'Anwar: Pemeriksaan doktor aibkan, bahagian sulit diukur'

'Cukup aib, alat sulit diukur, dubur diperiksa'

'Anwar diaib, dilayan umpama pengganas'

'Anwar recounts ordeal: Slams police's 'illegal' arrest to fish for DNA'

'Anwar says put through degrading medical examination'

Now the 1million RM question is....."Why did the police sends a team of 10-15 UTK squad with balaclava armed with sub-machine guns just to arrest a 62year old man with back-ache?"

Suppose Anwar must be more dangerous than Botak Chin.....

cheers.

Malaysian Rush Train

I think it is about time that I say a few words about the proposed MRT service. There has been cries about the proposed MRT development where it seems that a corporation has been a given an open ended contract. They design and determined the QS works involved in the project and the government is purely what we in the army called, paymaster.

Do we need an MRT service for Klang Valley? I agree we need one. Do we need an MRT at such an exorbitant cost? I dont think so? Do we need an MRT service that is designed, engineered and cost determined by the corporation that is building it? Clearly that is a big NO!

The problem with Klang Valley is that our planners did not plan the city with movement of people in mind. Infrastructure came later. This is not the case with Singapore where MRT was planned in 1967 and was only built in the 80s and first line was opened in 1987. This inadvertently will lead to development of rail lines with poor inter-connectivity and displacement of homes and people.

Based on impact and cost, I believe there is a need to revisit the MRT project. We need to consider a leaner system which combines rail transport and BRT (Bus rapid transit). What is clear is that we have some good network of roads connectivity. Therefore this infrastructure should be capitalized. A BRT can easily move people at a decent speed if it is organized properly. If the
Brazilians in Curitiba can do it there is no reason why we cant?

Imagined if there is a good BRT from along the Ampang road between Kosas that goes straight from there and stopped at several locations and ends up in KLCC and somewhere near Jalan Bonus area. If the system is good, many single occupancy vehicle owners will stop driving. I wrote to Rapid KL management and had asked the! m to con sider running a bus service from BA-MRR-AKLEH-Sultan Ismail under their BET system. So far no luck yet other than courteous reply.

Melaka Airports potential for growth

FMT LETTER: From Perumal Raju, via e-mail

I refer to your report, Major airlines giving RM190m Melaka Airport the miss. Thank you for the article. I would like to clarify two points in the article.

1. It was completed fully when the upgraded airport was officially launched on Feb 4, 2010. Air Asia could not operate at the end of 2009 (September) as had been suggested earlier because of the delay and just 90% completed during that time.

2. 6.8 million local and foreign tourist came to Melaka last year and there is good potential for the airport to grow as some of them could use the flights.

The writer is Malacca state exco for transport, Information and consumerism

Also read:

Major airlines giving RM190 mil Melaka Airport the miss

LoyarBurok: Agents Of Change

3 March, 2011 By Zain HD

Zain HD and Woon King Chai, at the LoyarBurok Retreat | Credit: Pang Khee Teik

A reflection from the LoyarBurok retreat in Malacca, on 26 & 27 February 2011. This post was first published in The Star.

I am writing this piece from the inaugural LoyarBurok Retreat in Malacca where 32 people "Loyar Burokkers" have come together for two days.

LoyarBurok is a platform for intelligent and critical discourse, where Malaysians can come together by sharing their writings on its blog and views via its e-mail group. This gathering in Rumbia took some of this discourse offline.

Besides getting the "brain working," it was a pleasure being in discussion with many good beings in a "safe space," where everyone can speak without being judged. After all, many Malaysians often think well about food, but little of their people. The fact is, like good food, good people also exist. The bunch of people at the retreat is evidence of this.

Among them is human rights lawyer Edmund Bon.

Shafiqa Nabeera and Edmund Bon at Bon Fire | Credit: Woon King Chai

For me, what is more significant than his work dealing with Internal Security Act detainees are his "extra-curricular" activities and initiatives such as the MyConsti campaign, which aims to educate the public on their fundamental rights and civil liberties as provided in our Federal Constitution.

Edmund is one of the founders of LoyarBurok, and he recently introduced PusatRakyatLB the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights that will be launched this month.

The centre will serve as LoyarBuroks first physical on-ground presence to provide a platform for Malaysians to use for training, education, research and advocacy, among others.

Then there is June Rubis, a conservation biolog! ist who has been working both in Malaysia and Indonesia over the past decade on orang utan conservation.

Fahri Azzat and June Rubis with new LoyarBuku merchandise! | Credit: Woon King Chai

She is the first local full-time female field worker in our country, and also the first to initiate long-term orang utan research in Sarawak for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

She has since left that role to work together with the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) and Jaringan Orang Asal seMalaysia (JOAS) on land rights issues of the indigenous communities of Sarawak.

She flew from Kuching to be part of the retreat and is a firm believer of building stronger ties between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, particularly within civil society.

The third, and final person Id like to introduce, is Woon King Chai.

Melissa Sasidaran and Woon King Chai | Credit: LoyarBurok

He might be recognised as a student leader and activist, but he made headlines as one of the four students charged with campaigning in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election, known as UKM4.

King Chais main focus now is how to leverage on his legal battle to push for student rights, especially their involvement in politics.

It was very interesting to listen to him explain reasons behind his legal battle, and his opinions on why certain restrictions within the University and University College Act 1971 (UUCA) could potentially hinder the development of university students.

He argues that restricting a students freedom in deciding their learning experience including participation in politics would affect their thinking, growth and maturity.

I have only shared a little about three of the 32 people who participated in the retreat but I feel that people like these do the kind of work that affects many Malaysians. Theirs may not be glamourous work, bu! t they m ake a difference.

Izmil Amri and Firdaus Husni at Retreat | Credit: Woon King Chai

But like you and me, they are not perfect. What they have done, however, is take action instead of just sitting back and these actions led them to where they are today. You can see this metaphorically, or even literally today, they all put their minds together to create a voter education campaign.

I was part of this process, and it was one that I didnt expect. After all, I coordinate flashmobs and I know little about voter issues. Yet, I was still able to contribute.

Daniel Albert, Syahredzan Johan, Kenneth Wong Poh Lim | Credit: Woon King Chai

My journey on the "path" started two years ago when I decided to stop whining and to start doing something.

Today, the paths of 30 brothers and sisters crossed.

LoyarBerposing | Credit: Pang Khee Teik

Zain runs RandomAlphabets and Wago Sdn Bhd. You can connect with him via Twitter at @ZainHD.

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Tags: Edmund Bon Tai Soon, Federal Constitution, Internal Security Act, ISA, June Rubis, LBRC, LoyarBerak, LoyarBurok Rakyat Centre, Malacca, Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights, MCCHR, MyConsti, The Star, UKM4, Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, UUCA, voter education, Woon King Chai, Zain HD

This entry was posted on 3 March, 2011 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Selected Exhortations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Malaysias merry buy-elections

Malaysia is perhaps the only country where the death of an elected representative brings jubilation to the local residents.

Is it because elected representatives are generally hated by the people? No.

It is because a by-election will take place following the death of the elected representative.

Why should that bring joy to the local people?

It is because when the by-election comes, Santa Claus will also come. He will bring all kinds of gifts and he will make your dreams come true.

And who is that Santa Claus? He is none other than the ruling coalition which has ruled the country all these 53 years after the countrys independence.

Rampant corruption

No sooner is the dead buried, you will see the physical transformation of the constituency. Workmen working around the clock will start sprucing up the area. Amenities that are lacking or have been in disrepair for ages are suddenly fixed up roads, street lights, drains, water pipes, etc.

VIPs that residents never dream they would ever meet will turn up. From prime minister, deputy prime minister, and other ministers, down to civil service officials from the various ministries will come a-visiting in a continuous stream that will end only on polling day.

Each minister will bring with him good tidings of instant allocation of funds for instant projects, popularly known as instant noodle projects. These allocations are for renovation or building new schools, mosques, temples, clinics, roads, bridges and even cash incentives for residents and government employees. You ask for it, and your wish will come true.

Needless to say, these expenses, which range from a few million to hundreds of million ringgit for each constituency, come from the pockets of ta! xpayers.

And of course, during the handing-out of these goodies, residents never cease to be reminded who they must vote for. In fact, some of these promises are conditional upon their electoral support and a Barisan Nasional (BN) win.

You may ask: arent these bribery?

Of course they are. In fact, they are serious breaches of our election laws.

Dysfunctional election institutions

So what does our Election Commission (EC) do about this? They do nothing. They will say these are government projects for the benefit of the people. Or if the bribery is too obvious, they will say this is none of their business. Their job is to conduct elections. For bribery and corruption, you will have to report to the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) or the police. However, reports to MACC and police are never acted upon.

There is a proviso to this EC approach to election corruption, though. That is, if the corruption is committed by BN. For BNs opponent, the slightest indication of a misstep will incur the wrath of EC, as in the case of the recent Galas by-election in Kelantan.

During that election campaign, PAS spiritual leader handed out a few hundred ringgit wang zakat (alms) to three newly converted aborigines. The EC deputy chairman immediately pounced on this and declared: Alms or not, in the eyes of the law, any money given by anyone to voters that can sway their votes is considered a bribe under Article 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

He said he had tipped off MACC to take action. Then, what about the millions of public funds poured out for instant noodle projects by BN to buy votes? Arent these bribery a thousand times more serious?!

It is such double standard that incensed our common decency!

One may ask further: what about our courts? Cant they administer justice and defend our constitution?

To answer this question, let us take a look at the recent case of the Hulu Selangor by-election, reputed as the dirtiest,! where t he prime minister openly offered to pay RM3 million to a locally run school on condition that BN won.

BN won and the prime minister promptly arranged for the government to pay the RM3 million two days later. The prime minister was so proud of what he did that he even bragged about it during the election campaign in the Sibu by-election that followed soon after.

The prime minister made a deal with the Sibu electorate that BN would allocate RM5 million to overcome the local flood problems provided BN won the election. To convince the electorate, he proudly cited his RM3 million Hulu Selangor payment as proof of his trustworthiness. (Incidentally, the prime ministers deal-making with the electorate was captured in video and uploaded in YouTube, where it was widely viewed around the world.)

The losing candidate (Zaid Ibrahim) in the Hulu Selangor by-election applied to the court to annul the election results on ground of corruption. This petition was promptly thrown out by the judge (Azahar Mohamed) on ground of lack of evidence without even asking BN to submit its defence.

Zaid decided not to appeal against this decision despite having iron-clad evidence of BN corruption, saying that our judiciary was such that it would be a waste of time and money to pursue further legal recourse.

People power reforms?

With the last defender of the constitution, the judiciary, also crumbled under the hegemony of BN, and all other institutions equally dysfunctional, BN is virtually given a blank cheque to do what it wants with no regard to law, as exhibited in the on-going by-elections in Kerdau and Merlimau, where the public is introduced to a relatively new election culture unique to Malaysia of course.

Thousands of local residents are fed nightly with lavish dinners, stage shows, karaoke, complete with lucky draws that include motorcycles, TV, domestic appliances and numerous gifts compliments of the BN of course.

In the midst of these merry-! makings, I wonder how many of the electorate realise how heavy their responsibility is when they casttheir votes in a few days time. Only they can restore some integrity to our electoral system which has now become a total farce.

And only through the votes of our people can we revive the democratic dreams of our founding fathers.

Without any avenue to institute reforms and make corrections through the democratic means, there is only one way left the people power reform like that is currently raging in the Middle East.

DAP slams MCA 'threat' against Chinese voters

DAP Selangor Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San condemns the MCA for pressurising the Chinese to vote for the BN, with threats that they might not be be able to renew their land titles if they did not.

What's happening in the by-election campaigns in the state constituencies of Kerdau and Merlimau?

8.30am Merlimau: BN candidate Roslan Ahmad and his wife Zalifah Omar have breakfast with the media at his house at Merlimau Pasir.

NONEHis wife Zalimah, who works in the statistics department, shyly admits she is ready to be a YB's wife.

In fact ever since nomination day on Feb 26, some people have started to address her as 'YB'.

9am Kerdau: BN candidate Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad will go down to Ladang Kerdau to meet with voters and residents. Later at 10.30am, he will meet voters at Kg Guntung Kelibang, followed by another meet-and-greet at Kg Kuala Kerdau at noon.

9.25am Merlimau: BN candidate Roslan Ahmad announces he has launched his third Facebook account in a press conference at his house.

It will be used to update his activities and communicate with the public, and respond to criticism. He says this is the way to interact with younger people.

The other two Facebook accounts are meant for personal use.

A little later, Roslan receives news that a long time family friend passed away today.

He rearranges his programme for the day so that he can visit the deceased's family.

NONERoslan's mood brightens when a student of his father, Maah Adiwot, 77, visits him. Although hard of hearing, the elderly lady manages a short and amusing chat.

When asked which subject was taught by Roslan's father, she answers,"My father long gone, my mother long gone, I am like an orphan."

When asked if she liked Roslan to compete for the Merlimau seat, she says, "Sukan(sport), ok, thank you very much."

Roslan's supporters then try to get her to say "hidup BN" as well as "1Malaysia".

"Ya ya ....satu saja, Merdeka ...hidup bahagia (Yes yes, independent....live happily)", is her response.

11am Kerdau: Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob will launch a "Student Excellence Programme with the Menteri Besar" at SK Kerdau.

11.20am Merlimau: Roslan visits the Jasin Municipal Council staff stationed at a bazaar market near Merlimau Point.

NONEWhen asked about the excitement caused by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's appearance which attracted a crowd of over a thousand, hinting that Pakatan's support is picking up, he refuses to tackle the question, saying: "Never mind, I will answer later."

11.45am Merlimau: Roslan pays his respects to his deceased friend.

12pm Kerdau: Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Razali Ibrahim will host a luncheon with young voters at Rumah Johor in Lipat Kajang.

1pm Merlimau: BN candidate Roslan Ahmad walkabout at Kg Ayer Merbau.

NONE1pm - PAS candidate Yuhaizad Abdullah (right) to visit patients at Hospital Jasin.

1.30pm Kerdau: BN candidate Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad will have lunch with voters at kedai makan Adham at Simpang Empat.

2pm Merlimau: Police bar PKR vice-president Tian Chua from leaving the DAP operations room at Merlimau town, insisting he follow them to the police station.

He is not told the reason.

"I called the OCPD, who said they wanted to check my car road tax, licence and engine number, so I said we can show the officer here," Tian Chua said.

"The OCPD then shouted at me, saying he has the power to detain my car.

NONE"So I told him I would only go to the police station if he produced a 112 statement," he said.

They later contacted the Election Commission, which said a complaint was received from the Jasin police station, and that it was illegal for Chua to broadcast campaign messages using a loudhailer as it disturbed the peace.

"So I told them I will turn it off and they let me go, although I think the excuse is an after-thought as they could have told me that an hour-and-a half-earlier," he said when contacted.

2pm Kerdau: PAS candidate Hassanuddin Salim and party central leaders will visit voters at Felda Jengka 25.

2.30pm Kerdau: Deputy Human Resource Minister Maznah Mazlan will present Perkeso contributions at the BN command centre in Kerdau.

bukit gantang by election shahrizat ismail matang road campaign 310309 032.30pm Merlimau: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Jalil (right) to attend Program Salam Sayang at Merlimau Timur.

2.30pm Kerdau: BN candidate Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad will meet with voters at Kg Paya Taram, and later perform his Asar prayers at the Bandar Kerdau mosque.

3pm Merlimau: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan to accompany BN candidate Roslan Ahmad in a walkabout at Permatang Serai.

3.15pm Kerdau: Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Noh Omar will launch a Tekun Nasional entrepreneurship seminar at the Felda Jengka 23 multi-purpose hall.

3.29pm Merlimau: Postal voters cast their ballots at the Jasin district and land office.

According to Bernama, all the 36 postal voters are police personnel. Thirty-one police personnel, among them four women, cast their ballots from 11.30am.

Five police personnel, who are on outstation duty, will have their ballots posted to them, said returning officer Roslan Eusoff.

"The voting proceeded smoothly," he was quoted as saying.

ali rustam interview 281008 013.45pm Merlimau: Malacca chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam to launch an event at SK Chenderah.

4.15pm Kerdau: Postal voting for the Kerdau state by-election is to be conducted tomorrow, from 3pm to 5pm, for the 54 postal voters, said a spokesperson of the Election Commission.

According to Bernama, he said the EC would issue the ballots at 10am to the 15 police personnel and 39 EC workers.

"The police personnel will vote at the Kerdau police station and the EC workers, at the Temerloh municipal council hall ," he was quoted as saying.

4.30pm Kerdau: PAS candidate Hassanuddin Salim returns to Rumpun Makmor, where he will first perform his Asar prayers before a meet-and-greet with voters at their night market and have high tea with youths.

4.30pm Merlimau: Ahmad to attend an afternoon tea gathering with voters in Pengkalan Samak.

5pm Kerdau: Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Razali Ibrahim to attend a youth futsal match at the Desa Murni futsal court.

5pm Merlimau: Mohd Ali to hand aid to the poor at Merlimau Pasir mosque.

5pm Kerdau: BN candidate Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad will meet hawkers and voters at the Simpang Empat Kerdau night market.

5pm Merlimau: MCA president Chua Soi Lek is due to attend an event here.

5.08pm Kerdau - Lim Ah Lek, the former deputy president of MCA, refused to comment on the party's former president Ling Liong Sik and former deputy president Chan Kong Choy, who have been charged in court with crimes related to the PKFZ scandal.

"We are here for the by-election. Nothing to do with that," he told the press during the walkabout session at Kampung Baru Kerdau along with the Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

When asked if the PKFZ scandal and its fallout would affect BN's chances, he said, "That's a different issue. People here are more concerned about local issues."

NONE6.15pm Merlimau: BN candidate Roslan Ahmad is mobbed at the pasar tani where he is on a walkabout.

About 100 metres down, PAS candidate Yuhaizad Abdullah, who was driving past, winds down his window to yell out to an old man he knows. The man waves back and smiles.

6.44pm Kerdau - DAP Selangor Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San condemns the MCA for pressurising the Chinese to vote for the BN, with threats that they might not be be able to renew their land titles if they did not.

He says in a press conference that the voting process is secret and urges the Chinese to cast their votes without fear.

6.54pm Merlimau: A murtabak stall owner looks at a flyer distributed by Puteri Umno and exclaims "Betul! Parti Ajaran Sesat!"

NONE7.30pm Kerdau: PAS candidate Hassanuddin Salim will perform his Maghrib prayers and attend a sermon by former Perak Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin in Gunong Senyum. Later at 8.45pm he will perform his Isyak prayers in Kerai.

7.30 pm Merlimau: Ahmad to attend a prayer session at Surau Merlimau Lama.

9pm Merlimau: Ummi Hafilda to deliver an expose at a ceramah in Kampung Chinchin.

9pm Merlimau: Ahmad to speak at Kampung Lipat Kajang.

9.30pm Kerdau: Former Perak Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin will headline a ceramah in Desa Purun, with PAS information chief Mohd Nur Manuty and PAS' Kerdau candidate Hassanuddin Salim.

10pm Merlimau: Ahmad to speak at Ayer Merbau

10.15pm Kerdau: PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin will speak at a ceramah in Felda Jengka 22, together with PAS candidate Hassanuddin Salim and two others. Shamsul and Hassanuddin will later go to Felda Jengka 25 for another ceramah with Anak president Mazlan Aliman.

11.30pm Kerdau: Former Perak Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin will speak at a ceramah in Rumpun Makmor, with PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin and PAS' candidate Hassanuddin Salim.

They See Me Rollin'

Looks like funny...probably hard to stay on though!

PRK MERLIMAU: GEMPAR!! YUHAIZAD DIKEJAR BINI!!

begini alkisahnya...

http://1peluru.blogspot.com/2011/03/live-n27-merlimau-calon-pas-rasuah.html

Najib's EC is just a joke ...

'How to bite the master that feed you? A well-trained dog would never do that. They are trained only to attack the enemy.'

'EC has teeth, but refuses to bite'

KSN: Promising something in return for something is not corruption? Say you give me the RM5 billion Menara Warisan tower contract and I will give you 10 percent. Is that not corruption? No cash transaction has taken place, remember?

Now talk about the Election Commission having the powers under the laws but no guts to bite. Is that not the sad story of all our other vital institutions like the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), judiciary, AG's Chambers, and other civil services?

Dingy: How to expect Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof to charge his boss from whom he receives instructions?

EC can only be independent if it is answerable to Parliament and not the prime minister. The EC chief must be appointed by Parliament, not the Agong on the advice of the PM. This should also true for the chief justice, attorney-general, etc.

Anonymous_40a7: "EC has teeth, but refuses to bite". I have a more suitable headline for Malaysiakini. "EC has false teeth - only bites opposition with them on, but removes them when biting the government."

Ma'arip: Election Commission will bite but they choose who to bite. Definitely, they will not bite their paymaster, BN. So, EC would have to ignore all those corrupt practices by BN and, slowly and surely Pakatan Rakyat will do the same.

EC wants to bite Pakatan but they can't because it will look bad on them for practicing double standards. At the end of the day, it is free for all. Sad isn't it?

Sarawakian_3ff9: How to bite the master that feed you? A well-trained dog would never do that. They are trained only to attack the enemy.

Docs: The EC and its chairperson Abdul Aziz have teeth but they are dentures - looks good but can't bite for nuts.

Curious case of ex-minister's 'lesser charge'

Cala: What is a paradigm? Can a fish describe water (Drake and Jonson-Reid, 2008, p. 9)? Can a crook label another crook as necessarily bad?

Actually these are problems of political agents and the way they view things around them. Put it simply, if the culture is such that accountability and righteousness are traits which are given the lowest standing, they cease to be the benchmark by which individuals may be judged.

See the contrasting response of Azmi Khalid (Chan Kong Choy's ex-cabinet colleague and Public Accounts Committee chief) and that of Kamaruddin Jaafar (a PAC member and PAS central committee member), one walks away with a better understanding of the concept of paradigm. To Chan, it would be an acceptable culture to behave in certain ways within MCA-BN coalition, something endogenous to him.

In the same way, one finds comments from Chua Soi Leklaughable on the same subject. To Chua, as Chan has been merely charged in court and not found guilty of any offence as yet, hence the case has no material effect on MCA.

But Chua misses the point. First, considering the rampant corruption committed by the Umno-led BN regime, this latest episode is neither an isolated case nor the last. It is very much a part and parcel of the culture condone by the regime at the expense of ordinary people. Otherwise how do you explain the sorry state of condition Malaysia is in despite the rich endowment of natural resources?

Second, look at the number of MCA past leaders guilty of corrupt practices (Tan Koon Swan, Ling Liong Sik, etc). What do they point to?

4th Generation Pendatang: In the Bernie Madoff case, his assets were frozen pending the dispensation of the charges against the defendants. What have our attorney-general done to safeguard the recovery of taxpayers' money?

Mohd Khir Toyo, Chan Kong Choy and other corruption defendants freely leave the country? Is that why we had such a big capital outflow?

Anonymous_5fb: Kamaruddin Jaafar asks why high-profile BN politicians face light charges. To answer you, Kamaruddin, it is because the 'cheated' fund had substantially gone into Umno's pockets. Thus the lesser charges on these so-called BN VVIPs. You can see they can even afford to smile when facing the charges.

Lover Boy: It is so unreal, the man is alleged to mislead the PM and the loss is RM12.8 billion and here he is charged for cheating with the maximum sentence of five years, not taking into account of good behaviour deduction.

So one can screw the country for 12.8 billion and stashed it all away in some countries. No normal man or even professionals in the top echelons can earn that sort of money in five years.

It shows one thing, that for BN members, crime does pay. After five years in prison, the culprit can retire in his farm in Australia and ride into the sunset and say, "terima kasih PKFZ, terima kasih Malaysia".

JBGUY: I can totally understand Azmi's feelings for Chan as he knows that all BN ministers are involved in corruption, perhaps even more so than Chan but unfortunately for Chan, he has been made a scapegoat.
This trial is a mere 'wayang kulit' and it is likely that it will be a case of insufficient evidence or perhaps a light sentence which does not commensurate with the crime committed.

If the government is serious about corruption, it should be looking into the Sarawak chief minister's case immediately where proof is in abundance.

Anonymous_3f1f: Azmi said, "It is sad to see my colleague like that. Personally, it's not something I would like to do."

I would suggest that Azmi resign from PAC if he feels sad for his former colleague. Azmi, your crooked friends robbed the taxpayers. After charging and jailing your friends, they must return the money.

3f35: We have a case where about RM13 billion of the rakyat's money has been stolen (how else can it be described?) and PAC chief Azmi Khalid said the committee did not have power to investigate, etc.

The question raised by the PAS MP Kamaruddin Jaafar is simple: Why is such a heinous crime deserving of a slap-on-the-wrist charge? Khalid cannot provide a straight answer.

Anonymous_3e86: These "cheating" and "misleading the PM" charges against Dr Ling Liong Sik and Chan Kong Choy won't stick. In any case, who is the prosecution? Their very own friend, the attorney-general of course.

Why not ask Karpal Singh to come up with the charges and lead the prosecution? Even if they are found guilty, they will not be sentenced to the full extent - after all, it's their first offence. At most, it will be a one-year jail sentence and they get to keep the loot. Crime does pay in BN-Malaysia.

Malaysiawatch4.blogspot: This is what happens when the entire justice system has been compromised and corrupted for the benefit of the ruling party. It also indicates the width and the depth of corruption in Malaysia when the powerful and corrupt move freely in the corridors of power abetted by a compliant attorney-general.

Malaysias merry buy-elections

Malaysia is perhaps the only country where the death of an elected representative brings jubilation to the local residents.

Is it because elected representatives are generally hated by the people? No.

It is because a by-election will take place following the death of the elected representative.

Why should that bring joy to the local people?

It is because when the by-election comes, Santa Claus will also come. He will bring all kinds of gifts and he will make your dreams come true.

And who is that Santa Claus? He is none other than the ruling coalition which has ruled the country all these 53 years after the countrys independence.

Rampant corruption

No sooner is the dead buried, you will see the physical transformation of the constituency. Workmen working around the clock will start sprucing up the area. Amenities that are lacking or have been in disrepair for ages are suddenly fixed up roads, street lights, drains, water pipes, etc.

VIPs that residents never dream they would ever meet will turn up. From prime minister, deputy prime minister, and other ministers, down to civil service officials from the various ministries will come a-visiting in a continuous stream that will end only on polling day.

Each minister will bring with him good tidings of instant allocation of funds for instant projects, popularly known as instant noodle projects. These allocations are for renovation or building new schools, mosques, temples, clinics, roads, bridges and even cash incentives for residents and government employees. You ask for it, and your wish will come true.

Needless to say, these expenses, which range from a few million to hundreds of million ringgit for each constituency, come from the pockets of ta! xpayers.

And of course, during the handing-out of these goodies, residents never cease to be reminded who they must vote for. In fact, some of these promises are conditional upon their electoral support and a Barisan Nasional (BN) win.

You may ask: arent these bribery?

Of course they are. In fact, they are serious breaches of our election laws.

Dysfunctional election institutions

So what does our Election Commission (EC) do about this? They do nothing. They will say these are government projects for the benefit of the people. Or if the bribery is too obvious, they will say this is none of their business. Their job is to conduct elections. For bribery and corruption, you will have to report to the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) or the police. However, reports to MACC and police are never acted upon.

There is a proviso to this EC approach to election corruption, though. That is, if the corruption is committed by BN. For BNs opponent, the slightest indication of a misstep will incur the wrath of EC, as in the case of the recent Galas by-election in Kelantan.

During that election campaign, PAS spiritual leader handed out a few hundred ringgit wang zakat (alms) to three newly converted aborigines. The EC deputy chairman immediately pounced on this and declared: Alms or not, in the eyes of the law, any money given by anyone to voters that can sway their votes is considered a bribe under Article 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

He said he had tipped off MACC to take action. Then, what about the millions of public funds poured out for instant noodle projects by BN to buy votes? Arent these bribery a thousand times more serious?!

It is such double standard that incensed our common decency!

One may ask further: what about our courts? Cant they administer justice and defend our constitution?

To answer this question, let us take a look at the recent case of the Hulu Selangor by-election, reputed as the dirtiest,! where t he prime minister openly offered to pay RM3 million to a locally run school on condition that BN won.

BN won and the prime minister promptly arranged for the government to pay the RM3 million two days later. The prime minister was so proud of what he did that he even bragged about it during the election campaign in the Sibu by-election that followed soon after.

The prime minister made a deal with the Sibu electorate that BN would allocate RM5 million to overcome the local flood problems provided BN won the election. To convince the electorate, he proudly cited his RM3 million Hulu Selangor payment as proof of his trustworthiness. (Incidentally, the prime ministers deal-making with the electorate was captured in video and uploaded in YouTube, where it was widely viewed around the world.)

The losing candidate (Zaid Ibrahim) in the Hulu Selangor by-election applied to the court to annul the election results on ground of corruption. This petition was promptly thrown out by the judge (Azahar Mohamed) on ground of lack of evidence without even asking BN to submit its defence.

Zaid decided not to appeal against this decision despite having iron-clad evidence of BN corruption, saying that our judiciary was such that it would be a waste of time and money to pursue further legal recourse.

People power reforms?

With the last defender of the constitution, the judiciary, also crumbled under the hegemony of BN, and all other institutions equally dysfunctional, BN is virtually given a blank cheque to do what it wants with no regard to law, as exhibited in the on-going by-elections in Kerdau and Merlimau, where the public is introduced to a relatively new election culture unique to Malaysia of course.

Thousands of local residents are fed nightly with lavish dinners, stage shows, karaoke, complete with lucky draws that include motorcycles, TV, domestic appliances and numerous gifts compliments of the BN of course.

In the midst of these merry-! makings, I wonder how many of the electorate realise how heavy their responsibility is when they casttheir votes in a few days time. Only they can restore some integrity to our electoral system which has now become a total farce.

And only through the votes of our people can we revive the democratic dreams of our founding fathers.

Without any avenue to institute reforms and make corrections through the democratic means, there is only one way left the people power reform like that is currently raging in the Middle East.

Anwar Linked to Male Y ?

from Welcome to Malaysia-Instinct.com by roki@email.com (Roki)

The toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap, a towel and an orange outfit which were taken from the cell where Anwar was held.

A white toothbrush, a towel and a mineral water bottle had been taken from the cell at the police headquarters here where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was held in July 2008, a High Court heard.

The court was also told that these items had later been handed over to the Chemistry Department for DNA profiling.

Last week, chemist Nor Aidora Saedon testified that her analysis of these items had found a DNA profile which matched that of Male Y, an unknown person whose semen was found in the anus of complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur Serious Crimes Unit (D9) officer DSP Yahya Abdul Rahman testified that a towel, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a bar of soap had been provided to Anwar on July 16, 2008, when he was held in the lock-up as government standard issue.

During his examination-in-chief by DPP Datuk Nordin Hassan, DSP Yahya said he and investigating officer DSP Jude Blacious Pereira had escorted Anwar to the lock-up from a meeting room.

DSP Yahya said he did not give Anwar the mineral water bottle but had allowed Anwar to bring it into his cell. Asked if there had been anyone else in the cell when Anwar was there between July 16 and 17, 2008, he said “no.”

L/Kpl Mohd Azry Mohd Toyab, who was the lock-up’s sentry guard, testified that on the morning of July 17, 2008, he heard sounds which resembled Anwar brushing his teeth in the cell.

He said Anwar was then brought out of his cell at 8.10am, and he received an order to “not touch the things belonging to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.”

When Nordin wanted to mark the items – which included the toothbrush, towel, water bottle and strands of hair – as evidence, the defence headed by lawyer Karpal Singh objected.

“We say that these items are not admissible evidence. Unfair and illegal methods were used by the police in securing these items, and they should be excluded,” Karpal said, adding that the onus was on the defence to prove their claim, which they would do via a trial-within-a-trial.

Solicitor-General II Datuk Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden objected, saying the defence had to show grounds for their claim.

Justice Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah then ordered both parties to submit on the matter today.

Anwar, 63, has been charged with performing carnal intercourse against the order of nature on Mohd Saiful at a condominium unit in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, between 3.15pm and 4pm on June 26, 2008.

Anwar to testify Thurs on items police 'sneaked out' for DNA sampling

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is expected to testify at the Sodomy II trial on Thursday after the court agreed to allow his lawyers a trial-within-a-trial to determine if a mineral water bottle, towel and toothbrush from which DNA samples have been lifted were admissible as evidence.

"Generally, the court is not concerned with how inadmissible evidence is obtained," Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said on Wednesday.

“It is in my humble opinion the court has the discretion to exclude the items if they were obtained using unfair means. The trial-within-a-trial should be allowed. I allow the defence’s application."

Unlawful

Anwar was accused of sodomising his political aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan in June 2008 soon after he announced plans to make a parliamentary comeback. He has denied the charges and accused Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor of conspiring with Saiful to derail his political career.

Anwar's lawyers have insisted that his arrest was unlawful, and so was his detention. They have accused the police of trying to get Anwar's DNA samples from his personal effects including hair dropped on the cell floor.

Hence, the insistence on his overnight detention on July 17, 2008 , Anwar's lawyers have said. Anwar himself had refused to allow hospital authorities to take his DNA profile for fear that the samples might be abused and used to incriminate him.

Meanwhile, senior defense counsel Karpal Singh said the water bottle, towel and toothbrush were obtained from Anwar's cell illegally as unlawful methods had been used by the police to remand Anwar.

Anwar was refused bail even though his lawyers had offered to return with him to the station the following day to allow the police to continue interrogating him.

"The judge has no option but to reject items obtained through improper or unlawful means. All relevant matters are before a judge for him to make a ruling. The accused person can give evidence on a trial within a trial," Karpal said.

After deliberating, the judge agreed to allow the trial-within-a-trial and fixed the hearing at 2.30pm Thursday.

Prosecution's clumsy attempts make identity of 'Male Y' a foregone conclusion

On Tuesday, Anwar's team had accused the Malaysian government of treating the Opposition Leader like an animal when it detained him, intentionally throwing him into a filthy and archaic cell that did not have any CCTV equipment to track what happened to him.

The police officers involved in remanding him have admitted the poor conditions of the cell, but were quick to add that they had been instructed to do so by their "superiors".

So far, government chemists have officially recorded the discovery of two DNA profiles on Saiful's pants and anus - his own and that of 'Male Y'.

Anwar's own experts have pointed out that the print-out from the DNA analysis machine showed the presence of at least three other DNA profiles. This discovery has compounded speculation that DNA was planted by Najib's government to incriminate Anwar.

It has also created much public ridicule for the trial and for Najib himself. The Malaysian PM is facing a massive loss in credibility, having failed to institute the reforms he pledged when he came to power in 2009.

“It seems like half a football team’s DNA is found but you chose not to report it,” Anwar's lawyer Ramkarpal Singh had grilled the government's DNA expert in court last week.

"We would not be surprised at all if the prosecution insisted 'Male Y' was Anwar. If they didn't, they would have no case against him," senior PKR leader and Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah had told Malaysia Chronicle. - Malaysia Chronicle

Election Scam Alert: "More Perak postal votes as soldiers’, cops’ wives sign up"

EC: More Perak postal votes as soldiers’, cops’ wives sign up

By Debra Chong

March 03, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — The rise in postal voters in Perak is due to increased awareness of the voting right, including sign ups from those married to uniformed personnel, says the Election Commission (EC) as it sought dispel doubt over the figures.

EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar told The Malaysian Insider that more people — including those married to armed forces and police personnel — now knew they qualified to be registered as absent voters, which give them the right to cast their ballots through the post.

“I presume that if there is an increase in the number of postal voters as alleged, the wives of armed forces personnel and police personnel decided to register with their husbands. That is one possibility,” he said yesterday.

Wan Ahmad was responding to claims that the rise in postal votes signalled the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was moving to strengthen its position in marginal seats there for the coming national polls, expected to be called this year ahead of its 2013 deadline.

He said national figures for registered postal voters from the armed forces were about 134,000, and for the police force, about 80,000 at the last count. The nation’s security forces are largely seen as reliable vote banks for the BN.

He added that he was not sure of the exact figures for Perak and needed to speak with the state director before he could comment further on the rise.

The BN had lost the silver state in the 2008 polls but regained it 11 months later after three state lawmakers from the fledgling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact switched loyalties.

PKR raised the alarm yesterday after noting the number of postal voters had shot up by 5,669 and 1,102 in the state constituencies of Pangkor and Kamunting respectively.

Perak PKR assemblyman Chan Ming Kai noted that although Pangkor — which was won by Perak Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir — had grown by over 5,000 votes, the Lumut parliamentary constituency, in which it sits, was won by the MCA’s Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha by a margin of only 298 votes out of the 55,930 votes cast.

Kamunting, meanwhile, was won by Umno’s Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid with a 555-vote margin over his PAS opponent.

The opposition party urged the EC to check that the number of armed forces personnel stationed in the area matched the jump in postal voter registration.

The EC will be holding its monthly meeting today and is expected to release the updated electoral roll based on the registration of the fourth quarter of last year.

Citing election regulations, Wan Ahmad explained that armed forces and police personnel are automatically put on the electoral roll for postal votes; and that their spouses had the right to do so.

He observed there were a many armed forces bases in Perak, and pointed to the large naval base in Lumut as an example.

“They are given a choice. They can choose to register as ordinary voters or be counted as an absent voter and vote through the post, so long as they fulfil the requirements under the law,” he said.

He said it was likely that the spouses of armed forces and police personnel had been persuaded by their husbands or wives to opt for postal voting because of the convenience.

However, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, better known as Bersih 2.0, challenged that view.

“I disagree with Datuk Wan Ahmad’s statement,” its chairman, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (picture), told The Malaysian Insider.

Like PKR, she said the rise in Perak’s postal voters was suspicious and urged the EC to exercise its discretion in registering applications as the whole process was open to abuse.

“The whole system is in a mess. It goes against the whole spirit of postal voting,” she said.

“It does not make sense if a person who could be present at the polling stations on polling day to cast their ballots should be allowed to be a postal voter,” she added.

But Wan Ahmad said the EC was not empowered to reject registering any if the person meets the criteria as laid down in section 2(a) of the Elections (Registration of Electors) Regulations 2002 and section 3 of the Elections (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003.

Doing so would mean denying a citizen his right to vote as laid down in Article 119 Federal Constitution, he stressed.

“If a person is qualified under the syarat, we do not reject. Our job is to make sure there is no duplication of voters to prevent fraud.

“We do not deny the right of a person to be registered as a postal voter,” he said repeatedly.

Wan Ahmad also said EC has no power to automatically strike off the names of retired or inactive armed forces and police personnel from the postal roll because of the way the regulations are structured.

“Once a person retires from the armed forces or the police and has got his MyKad back, then he can go to any post office or EC counter or anywhere else to register himself as an ordinary voter,” he said.

He explained that it was because the law required voters be registered for voting based on the address recorded in their identity cards.

The EC cannot assume the retired serviceman would choose to settle down at the same address he had voted in previously.

“This is their right,” Wan Ahmad maintained.

He said the EC’s idea to make the postal voting process more transparent by stationing its officers in the armed forces’ bases was still being worked out.

He described it as a lengthy process as the EC needed to calculate the number of camps nationwide, as well as figure out the logistics to get to each camp location and the number of election officers to dispatch.

Gaddafi's sex Playmate Lover Voluptuous Blonde' (VIDEO) "Gaddafi. is the best!" in Russian while on board, "She said life would be worse for her without Gaddafi.,"

Known as one of Moammar Gaddafi's most loyal confidantes, a Ukrainian nurse once described by a U.S. diplomat as a "voluptuous blonde" has nonetheless become the latest in the Libyan leader's entourage todeserther boss for safety in her homeland.

As the BBC isreporting, Galyna Kolotnytska returned to Kiev Sunday morning on a plane with an estimated 185 other Ukrainian evacuees, including other medics.

Kolotnytska's adult daughter Tatyana, who lives just outside the Ukrainian capital Kiev, said her mother was expected home soon after the pair spoke last week, theWall Street Journalisreporting. "She spoke in a calm voice, asked us not to worry, and said she would be home soon," Tatyana, a student, is quoted as saying.

Kolotnytska, who is believed to be about 38 years old, wasdescribedin a diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks as a "voluptuous blond" who "travel[s] everywhere" with Gaddafi. Gaddafi "relies heavily" on Kolotnytska as "she alone knows his routine." Though Kolotnytska has slammed the allegations, the cable quoted "some embassy contacts" as noting that the pair had "a romantic relationship."

Survey has revealed that people in ! sixties feel younger asyoungas a 44-year-old perhaps.

Not only are they tech savvy and enjoy longholidaysabroad but sexagenarians also have themoneyto spend entertaining themselves or friends, says a study by retirement specialist LV.

And the definition of "old" is different for every age group according to the survey.
18 year olds believe 44 is quite old, but those in 40s believe 67 is when you actually become old, reports theDaily Express.

Those in 50s think you're over the hill at 71 but once into 60s they don't think you're past it until 73.Research by private medical insurer Bupa found the over-60s are three times more likely toexerciseevery day than those in their 20s.
Galyna Kolotnytska might be refusing to speak publicly since herreturnfrom Tripoli last Sunday, but eyewitnesses say the personal nurse of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi made her feelings about her embattled former boss clear during the return flight to Kiev.

As theWall Street Journalisreporting, Vladislav Voloshyn, a journalist who was on the flight along with around 185 Ukrainian evacuees, said Kolotnytska refused to answer his questions, but quickly jumped to the defense of her embattled former boss, whom she cryptically referred to as "Papa."

Voloshyn said Kolotnytska cried out, "Papa is the best!" in Russian while on board, apparently referring to Gaddafi. "She said life would be worse for her without Papa," he added.

TheTelegraphquotesanother passenger, who claims Kolotnytska also said, "Papa is good and Papa is eternal...Gaddafi will be victorious and in one and a half to two months I will return there."

Describedin a diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks as a "voluptuous blonde" who "travel[s] everywhere" with Gaddafi, Kolotnytska is alsoreportedto have left her apartment with her 20-year-old daughter Tatyana in an effort to avoid an onslaught of international media which had set up camp nearby, and may be holed up in a private home in a neighboring village.

Though Kolotnytska has slammed the allegations, the cable also quoted unnamed sources as claiming the 38-year-old nurse and Gaddafi were engaged in "a romantic relationship." While acknowledging her mother's job was tough, Tatyana also denied the rumors in an earlier interview. "My mother is close to [Gaddafi]," she said. "She says he's a kind person, but can be strict when necessary."

View video of Kolotnytska's return to Kiev, courtesy of Al Jazeera, below:

View video of Kolotnytska's return to Kiev, courtesy of Al Jazeera, below:

Posted bysms2maztulis

Pendedahan Strategi Jahat UMNO/BN di Merlimau dan Kerdau

Mengikut maklumat terbaru yang Tulang Besi dapat, terdapat ramai pengundi UMNO dan BN mahu membuat undi protes di kedua-dua DUN tersebut. Dan tampaknya UMNO sedar akan potensi pengundi mereka memprotes calon UMNO dan BN.

Maka, mereka menggunakan JKKK dan juak-juak mereka menyebarkan khabar bohong kononnya undi para pengundi di Merlimau dan Kerdau tidak rahsia. Mereka menyebarkan perkara ini kepada pengundi-pengundi.

Harapan mereka adalah pengundi2 protes ini akan kekal mengundi BN dan UMNO atas takut diketahui undi mereka semata-mata. Punyalah takut UMNO dan Barisan Nasional terhadap hukuman yang bakal diberikan oleh rakyat kepada mereka.

Sanggup mereka menyebarkan khabar-khabar bohong seperti ini. Padahal, tiada mungkin maklumat undi ini dapat diketahui umum kerana tiada cara undi dapat diketahui. Ini kerana tiada lagi nombor siri undi dikekalkan di atas kertas undi kita.

UMNO memang terpaksa menipu semata-mata untuk memastikan mereka terus menang. Kalau tak menipu, tiada siapa yang akan undi UMNO dan BN.

Tak hairanlah, Tulang Besi terpaksa membuat doa laknat ke atas blogger-blogger uMNO dan BN di hadapan Kaabah.

Penting bagi kita semua menyebarkan khaabar yang sebenar berkenaan dengan kerahsiaan undi. Ini kerana setiap undi adalah rahsia dan tidak boleh diketahui oleh sesiapa sahaja.

Tulang Besi