To Utusan, Hishamuddin says 'dont do like that', why silent on Big Dog...

The blogger Big Dog has continued to insist that pastors had pledged to install a Christian prime minister even after touching off angry protests that forced Datuk Seri Najib Razak to sit down today to clear the air with church leaders.

Pro-Umno blogger Zakhir Mohamads initial Christian Malaysia posting last week, suggesting the pastors and the opposition DAP were engaged in a plot to usurp Islams position, had been reported in Utusan Malaysia, a newspaper owned by Najibs party.

But despite providing no evidence, Zakhir said yesterday in his latest posting that what was maintained as an issue was the pastors pledge to bring a Christian prime minister to Malaysia and perhaps turn Christianity into an official religion. Church leaders, the DAP, and even some pro-Umno bloggers have criticised Utusan Malaysia and Big Dog for the unsubstantiated allegation. A number of police reports have also been made to demand the authorities investigate Utusan Malaysia and the blogger for criminal acts.

Prime Minister Najib is also meeting Christian leaders in Putrajaya today in an attempt to soothe ties between the government and Christians who remain suspicious of the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration after the recent Alkitab Malay Bible seizures. With the PM now drawing flak, a number of other pro-Umno bloggers have started attacking Zakhir while Shamsul Yunos, who had also made the initial allegations in his blog marahku.blogspot.com, appears to have removed the entire contents of his blog.

But Zakhir continued to highlight the allegations in his latest posting yesterday evening. He said that the pastors should have prayed that the prime minister be godly irrespective of his religion.

Surely as! God-fea ring people, they should have done this instead of blatantly dismissing the population in majority, who are obviously Malay Muslims happy with the present arrangement, he wrote. Read his new posting here.

Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has attacked blogger Big Dogs highly reckless insistence that pastors have pledged to install a Christian prime minister.

Pro-Umno blogger Zakhir Mohamad has come under siege from other Umno supporters with Khairy hurling the latest volley, accusing him of making an unbelievable and incredulous claim without any credible evidence.

All he has is a grainy photograph and what hes written on his blog. Its highly irresponsible and reckless. He really is the worst of the worst, the Rembau MP told The Malaysian Insider after a barrage of posts on micro-blogging site Twitter attacking Zakhir.

Dont be so arrogant Fat Dog. If youre wrong, the consequences are grave and extremely serious. I think if youre proven wrong you should be charged w/ spreading false news and/or sedition. Berani buat, berani tanggung (dare to do, dare to take responsibility), Khairy wrote on Twitter earlier.

Despite providing no evidence, Zakhir said yesterday in his latest posting that what was maintained as an issue was the pastors pledge to bring a Christian prime minister to Malaysia and perhaps turn Christianity into an official religion. He said the pastors should have prayed that the prime minister be godly irrespective of his religion.

Surely as God-fearing people, they should have done this instead of blatantly dismissing the population in majority, who are obv! iously M alay Muslims happy with the present arrangement, he wrote.

He also responded to Khairy, saying that this isnt about arrogance. Just stating the facts. Investigation is still ongoing. Let it. Fact is Police havent started to investigate & interview those who were present.

Khairy retorted that police had already taken statements on Tuesday.

Dog, youve been proven a liar on Twitter. Suggest you stop spreading lies, go to The Loaf, order the entire menu & inhale it all, he wrote, poking fun at Zakhirs weight.

He also said that Zakhir should not be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) as suggested by others as giving rice to this dog to eat each day in Kamunting will waste money. One plate is not enough.

Zakhirs initial Christian Malaysia posting last week, suggesting the pastors and the opposition DAP were engaged in a plot to usurp Islams position, was reported in Utusan Malaysia, a newspaper owned by Umno.

source:malaysian insider

cheers.

"We will buy PAS only after they get your votes as oppositions ?"

Umno-PAS alliance unlikely for now

TALK of Malay unity in Malaysia has revived interest in a possible merger between the ruling Umno and the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

Proponents of the merger have used the recent reconciliation between the Islamist Hamas and the secular Fatah in Palestine as the motivation for the two to come together for the sake of Malay and Muslim unity. But how viable is the prospect of the two parties reconciling?

The feelers for unity were first issued by Umno president and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak earlier this month when he invited PAS to leave the opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat and join the ruling Barisan Nasional.

He said the alliance between PAS and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) is benefiting only the Chinese-based party, citing as an example the recent Sarawak state election where PAS worked very hard 'but it was the DAP which won'.

Datuk Seri Najib's deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin added that PAS was a 'strange bedfellow' in the opposition alliance, and that it would be better if PAS were in Barisan.

Every trick in the book is being used to entice PAS. Why is PAS being wooed?

First, Umno's position remains weak after it lost substantial ground in the 2008 general election. The Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition has also been weakened by the exodus of non-Malay votes to the DAP.

After the 1969 poll that triggered the May 13 race riots, then Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein, Mr Najib's father, invited Malay- and Chinese-based opposition parties like PAS and Gerakan to join the ruling coalition.

With PAS in the coalition, Umno was able to consolidate its control of the government without encroachment by the Malay opposition. But the partnership was shortlived and PAS was expelled from the coalition in 1977. Mr Najib is opening the Barisan's door once again to PAS, in the footsteps of his late father.

Second, Umno thinks that PAS is ripe 'for the picking' because the Islamist party has suffered political setbacks in a series of by-elections since 2008 and in the recent Sarawak state election.

Therefore Umno wants to offer the Islamist party a chance for rejuvenation through the ruling coalition.

Third, Umno is keenly aware that there is a pro-merger faction within the Islamist party which is amenable to its overtures. Umno has in the past dangled some carrots to woo them with offers of political posts.

Some Umno leaders have been holding secret meetings with some of the pro-merger members in PAS over the last two years for a possible union, although the talks fell through.

And Umno wants to capitalise on this, especially when there are PAS leaders who believe that the party's road to Putrajaya, the seat of the Federal government, could be taken together with Umno, as they see little prospects of the party making any headway through the opposition alliance.

Fourth, getting PAS on its side is part of Umno's strategy to demolish the threat from the opposition alliance. It hopes to drive a wedge in the opposition alliance by enticing PAS to leave Pakatan Rakyat.

The main stumbling block within PAS to a reconciliation with Umno is the party's spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat. He told a news website: 'There is no way PAS would even consider unity talks with Umno.'

He said PAS and Umno would not be able to see 'eye to eye' because the principles of both parties were vastly different, with PAS seeking an Islamic state but Umno rejecting the notion.

Datuk Nik Aziz recalled that when PAS was briefly in Barisan between 1973 and 1977, the Islamist party was split and it lost control of Kelantan, its power base.

Some younger leaders like PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar are also against any reconciliation as the Malay party practises what he describes as 'a corrupt culture' and oppresses Kelantan by denying the state rights to oil royalty payments.

Any move towards a merger with PAS will also be opposed by Barisan's non-Malay component parties like the Malaysian Chinese Association which has made known its stand that PAS is not welcome because of its goal to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state.

Umno's non-Malay partners are also suspicious of the move, as it comes hot on the heels of Utusan Malaysia's '1 Malay and 1 Bumiputera' campaign to unite all Malays under one banner against the Chinese who are said to have switched sides to the opposition.

Mr Najib's most recent overtures to PAS appear doomed for now. As long as PAS stalwarts like Mr Nik Aziz are still around, an alliance seems unlikely anytime soon.

No Check Please...

Utusan Malaysia doesn’t speak for Malays but for Mamak Tongkang Kerala

Utusan Malaysia doesn’t speak for Malay majority

By Maclean Patrick | May 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

What is the ultimate aim of Utusan Malaysia? Is Utusan Malaysia hell-bent on destroying the peace and harmony with sectarian violence? Or is the newspaper the unpaid spin doctors of corrupt political leaders?

Utusan Malaysia’s reporting, if we can call it that, seems to serve the needs of a few who want to maintain an atmosphere of fear and distrust among the communities living in Malaysia.
The few we are talking about here must be in a position of power. Otherwise, what is the reason for Utusan Malaysia not being reprimanded for its brand of reporting.

Utusan Malaysia is not racist; instead it is propagating an even worse mind-set –xenophobia or an excessive fear of strangers. Is Utusan Malaysia referring to those who are not Malays as strangers?

This is what Utusan Malaysia seems to want to propagate in Malaysia – a sense that anything not-Malay is fair game for persecution and blame.

Any advancement by another race is seen as a threat to the position of the Malays at large.

And Utusan Malaysia prides itself on being the voice of the Malays, the bastion of strength that guards the interest of the Malays and any seeming jibes at Malay interests are attacked with fiery fervour.

Yet, do the Malays really have any problems with other people of different backgrounds?

Last I checked, my Malay friend was still waiting for me to come over to his café to try out something new cooked up by the cook – his wife.

And when I have meetings in Putrajaya, I spend the night at my best friend’s house. We have been best friends since university days and if I don’t meet up with him whenever I am in Kuala Lumpur, it seems not right.

I have another Malay friend from college days whose mother insists that I visit their house every Hari Raya. She makes it a point to remind me that her mother is waiting for me, come Hari Raya. How can I refuse not to visit?

Is it really logical that I should believe Utusan Malaysia is the voice of my Malay friends? Friends who are more family than friends?

The majority’s voice

Utusan Malaysia is not promoting unity among the Malays; instead the newspaper is promoting xenophobia among peace-loving Malay citizens of Malaysia.

Utusan Malaysia doesn’t stand for the Malay community because the stand it takes does not tally with the one most Malays aspire to. Yet, the exemption can be given to those who have political ambitions and this is where Utusan Malaysia’s stand is clearly rooted in.

Utusan Malaysia is the mouth-piece of its owners, spreading the theology held by its political masters. And these political masters are only focused on retaining their hold on power.

Who seeks to benefit from sectarian violence in Malaysia? Not the Malays. Not the other communities. Instead, the only people who seek to benefit are those currently jostling for positions in the corridors of power.

The peace-loving citizens of Malaysia are mere pawns to a game played out in private conversations and closed-door meetings. We are pawns to a game scripted by mainstream media.
These people are the cloaked terrorists, the ones hell-bent on seeing a nation torn by differences and misinformation.

The call for calm by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak holds no weight but serves as a subtle approval to allow Utusan Malaysia to continue its mission of causing fear and resentment to boil up within the Malay community.

The Malaysian government should not be moved by stories spun by Utusan Malaysia. Instead, the government should set out to win the hearts of the people through good works, fair judgments, transparent dealings and excellent governance.

Utusan Malaysia is not the voice of the Malay majority.

Instead, the majority of Malaysians choose peace and harmony. The majority of Malaysians choose a progressive future for their children and children’s children.

The majority of Malaysians are not afraid of fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Maclean Patrick is an FMT columnist based in Sarawak.

Ex Senior Police Officer Mat Zain: Datuk T Defiled Mosque With Bulletproof Vests

MalaysiaKini : FromThe Malaysian Insider

The Datuk T trio who attended a sumpah laknat ceremony by one their own had defiled the mosque where it was held by entering in bulletproof vests, claims retired senior cop Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim.
The former city criminal investigation chief said today that Datuk T created the perception that the situation in the Masjid Amru Al-As, Sentul was unsafe.

It was as if they would be hurt or shot in a mosque. In fact, they should know that even the Malay Rulers do not wear bulletproof vests when they enter any mosque in the country.

This act has defiled the holiness of the mosque and insulted Islam, he said in a letter sent to editors today.

He said the trio businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik and Perkasa treasurer-general Datuk Shuib Lazim had run afoul of Section 295 of the Penal Code.

As with the offence of screening the obscene video under Section 292, this is also an open-and-shut case. In my opinion, they have no defence, Mat Zain wrote.

A sex video allegedly featuring Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was first screened to journalists by a mysterious Datuk T at the Carcosa Seri Negara hotel on March 21, but has now leaked onto the Internet.

The trio later claimed joint-responsibility for the video, before Shazryl took the oath on April 29 on behalf of the group that the opposition leader was the man in the video.

Shazryl had invited Anwar to join him during the oath-taking but the latter ignored the challenge.

Section 295 states that whoever defiles any place of worship, with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such defilement as an insult to ! their re ligion will be jailed for up to two years and/or fined.

Mat Zain, who headed the 1998 police probe into Anwars black-eye case, claimed that Shazryls actions conveyed the message that he felt more at ease and safer in a brothel than in a mosque.

He didnt need to wear a bulletproof vest then, he said of Shazryls own admittance that he was the third person who was seen in the 21-minute sex video.

Instead, at the mosque, he not only needed a bulletproof vest but a few armed bodyguards as well, he said.

Mat Zain called on the government to take action over the trio or lose any justification for taking action against others who might defile or insult Islam.

In this situation, the prime minister has no choice but to act according to the rule of law. But it us up to him whether to protect Eskay, Rahim and Shuib from the law or protect and defend Islam itself, he said.

Bolasepak Penang Tercorot Angkara MP Lompat Zahrain?

NOTA EDITOR: Logik jugak hujjah Jagdeep Singh, ADUN Datuk Keramat. Zahrain, MP lompat Bayan BAharu telah dilantik Presiden Persatuan Bolasepak Penang atas tiket Pakatan Rakyat.

Sekiranya beliau bermaruah, beliau sepatutnya letak jawatan tersebut kerana beliau dilantik pada mulanya sebagai memegang amanah dari Pakatan Rakyat.

Sekarang ini, oleh kerana beliau adalah balachi kepada UMNO, menjalankan kerja-kerja kotor UMNO dengan menyebarkan fitnah2 terhadap Pengerusi Pakatan Rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim, sudah tentu beliau segan dan alah untuk memohon bantuan dari Kerajaan PAkatan Rakyat Penang.

Maka, yang menderita adalah pasukan bolasepak Pulau Pinang yang menduduki tempat tercorot dalam Liga 2 Malaysia. Dalam 13 perlawanan, mereka cuma seri satu perlawanan dan kalah semua yang lain.

Yang sedap adalah Zahrain dgn muka tidak malu mengutip elaun sebagai Pengerusi Persatuan Bolasepak Penang. Macam ni punya manusia pun boleh ada kat Malaysia ni ye?


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Jagdeep dakwa Zahrain punca Pulau Pinang corot
Fakhri Ali

GEORGETOWN, 4 Mei: Kedudukan tercorot pasukan bola sepak Pulau Pinang dalam Liga Premier 2011 dibidas oleh Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Datuk Keramat, Jagdeep Singh Deo dalam sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun), semalam.

Menurut beliau lagi, selepas 16 aksi permainan dalam liga tersebut, Pulau Pinang hanya mampu berada di tangga tercorot dengan kemampuan hanya mengumpul satu mata tanpa adanya kemenangan yang telah diperolehi.

"Sesuatu harus dilakukan bagi mengatasi masalah prestasi skuad bola sepak negeri ini, yang pada suatu ketika dahulu pernah digeruni dan menjadi kuasa besar dalam arena bola sepak dengan menggondoli beberapa kejuaraan utama.

"Ini juga adalah berpunca da! ri Presi den Persatuan Bola Sepak Pulau Pinang (FAP), Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim yang tidak berfungsi serta berperanan untuk membawa kejuaraan dan kegemilangan persatuan bola sepak ini, dakwanya.

Katanya, pengurusan yang tidak cekap itu harus diberi perhatian oleh kerajaan negeri, dengan mengambil tindakan tegas bagi mengatasi masalah kemerosotan prestasi pasukan bola sepak negeri ini.

Dalam 15 perlawanan yang telah disertai pasukan negeri semuanya tewas dan hanya mencatat seri bagi satu perlawanan sahaja.

Ini, katanya menunjukkan adanya ketidakcekapan dalam pengurusan yang ditadbir oleh Zahrain yang juga Ahli Parlimen Bayan Baru.

Zahrain mengisytiharkan wakil rakyat Bebas pada 12 Februari 2010.

Semasa pilihan raya umum 2008 beliau mewakili PKR mengalahkan calon Barisan Nasional, Ooi Siew Kim dengan majoriti sebanyak 11,029 undi. Beliau memperolehi 27,618 undi berbanding lawannya 16,589 undi.

Umno-PAS link may come at a price

MalaysiaKini - KUALA LUMPUR: When Najib Tun Razak invited PAS to join Umno for the sake of religion and race, many Umno members waited patiently for PAS to reply.

Uppermost in their minds is: what if PAS accepts the Umno presidents offer and, at the same time, spell out conditions that may not benefit Umno or the Malays in general?

The core of Umnos struggle is still to champion the Malay cause and strengthen Islam, while at the same time ensure fair distribution of the economic pie to all races.

However, in the course of its political evolution from a Malay-based party to one embracing the interests of all races the Malays have not only lagged behind in many areas of life but, worse still, are split, with three main political parties with different philosophies tugging at their loyalty.

Thus, the responsibility rests in Najib to unite the Malays so that they could better themselves in all fields of endeavour.

Extending a friendly hand to PAS is one way to rebuild the bridge of Malay unity.

An Umno leader, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that Najibs offer was made out of sincerity, given that the political divide among the Malays has become serious.

He said that PAS, an Islamic party that has been around for more than 50 years, has never made much of an impact in the political arena except when Umno was embroiled in a crisis such as in 1988 when it broke up and when PKR was formed 12 years ago.

Besides, PAS has never had a good run in any general election. So when the Umno president extended a hand of friendship, the Islamic party may see this as an opportunity to put a price, he said.

But the question is, how much can Umno give away if PAS w! ants to bargain?

PAS, despite being an Islamic party championing Islamic ideals, is still a political party interested in gaining political mileage and worldly benefits.

Political survival is important to the party as it needs to prove to all, especially its allies in the unregistered Pakatan Rakyat, that it is a political force to be reckoned with.

It is the only party in the Pakatan that represents the Malays and Islam, while PKR is a multi-racial entity and DAP a multi-racial but Chinese-based organisation.

Political manoeuvring

According to some Umno members, the main worry is that PAS may ask for several seats and states in the coming general election, which means that Umno has to give some of its seats away.

If this happens, Umnos strength will be eroded as PAS may demand to contest in states like Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and some seats in Perak, an Umno leader said.

If Umno gives in, the backbone of the Barisan Nasional (BN) will be weakened.

What will happen then? If Umno rejects the conditions, then PAS can tell the whole nation that the party truly wanted unity but Umno is selfish and insincere.

This is one dilemma that Umno may face if PAS is to accept Umnos offer of friendship in the name of Malay unity, he added.

Given such a situation, Umno may have to go back to its members for endorsement if PAS puts a price.

Umno members at divisional level are wary of PAS political manoeuvring, if the bargain goes through.

Even a re-delineation of constituencies would not be of much help as PAS would still demand its so-called bastion states such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and parts of Perak, a divisional chief said.

PAS is, after all, a political party whose leaders aim to lead the country and as such, Malay unity aside, the party is still thinking of survival and emerging as the dominant Malay-Islamic party, he added.

!

MACC may release frozen accounts of 'clean' Customs officers

MalaysiaKini : The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) may consider releasing money that was seized from Customs officers during the 3B Operations said MACC deputy commissioner Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull.

"If there are applications, we will study the matter. Money belonging to those who are not involved may be released," he told reporters here Wednesday, May 11.

He said investigations involving Customs officers under the 3B operation for their alleged involvement in corruption, money laundering and other offences, would continue.

Mohd Shukri was commenting on Peninsular Malaysia Customs Officers Union president Ibrahim Ahmad's request for the MACC to return money that was frozen in the accounts of its officers.

In April, the MACC detained 62 Customs officers of various ranks and posts under the 3B operation for alleged involvement in corruption, money laundering and other offences.

- Bernama

13th General Election just around the corner

MalaysiaKini : KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Najib Tun Razak today warned party members that factionalism would hurt the ruling party and urged them to unite as Umno faces a tough challenge to remain relevant to the voters.

The prime minister also dropped yet the strongest hint to date that national polls is near when he said party members not picked as candidates should not sulk but continue to serve Umno.

Even if this party is considered to be a party for the Malays its only in the absence of factionalism that we can become stronger, Najib told party members at Umnos 65th anniversary celebration at the PWTC here.

But he said the pledges of unity by members have not been translated into action and the ruling Malay party has remained divided until today.

There are still noises made here and there. There are still factions among us, he said, adding that he saw no point of celebrating the partys 65th anniversary if it was still split.

It is understood that Najib is likely to postpone plans for snap polls until the end of this year or early 2012 as his party aims to find funds to finance a campaign to court Bumiputera and Indian voters in a bid to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

Umnos coffers were said to have been depleted after the party spent some RM500 million for the Barisan Nasional (BN) campaign in the April 16 Sarawak election.

It was reported today that BN will meet on Friday to prepare for an election dry run with federal polls expected to be called within a year.

High quality brand

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said a paper on the dry run would be ta! bled bef ore the supreme council, given that polls would likely be held after the Umno party elections in July.

We are likely to touch on the Sarawak (state) election performance, analyse the election results, and discuss voter registration. I will be putting up the paper for the election dry runs, Tengku Adnan, the Putrajaya MP, was quoted as saying.

As Umno prepares for elections, Najib asked party leaders today if they have done enough to recapture voters support after the partys dismal performance in the 2008 general election.

Have you gone down to the ground enough? Have you been spending enough time with the people? he asked, to which the floor said: No.

If no, then we must make a pledge now, tonight, that we shall increase our efforts to get the rakyat closer to us, said the Umno president.

Najib added that Umno still retained its high quality brand among the voters as it has a superb service track record.

While Umnos popularity among the Malay majority remains unchallenged, the party has struggled to convince non-Malay voters of its plural agenda in the face of hawkish elements who continue to undermine Najibs efforts to unite a racially divided nation under his 1Malaysia banner.

Observers say it is impossible for Najib to regain its two-thirds parliamentary majority as the Chinese continue to shun away from BN.

The coalitions Chinese partner, the MCA, was battered in the last the general election, having won only 15 from the 40 parliamentary seats it contested.

"UMNO to covert million of illegal immigrants into BUMNIPUTRAs !"

'Citizenship-for-votes': Letter forged, says Umno

Its Hulu Selangor head denies a PKR claim that Umno is seeking citizenship for permanent residents, in return for votes. Hulu Selangor Umno chief Mohamed Idris Abu Bakar has denied that he had ever written or signed a letter to solicit citizenship-for-votes ahead of an anticipated snap general election. “We never wrote that letter. Why should we? We won in the (Hulu Selangor) by-election (last year)," he said when contacted this morning. Mohamed Idris (left), who is also Hulu Bernam assemblyperson, claimed that the letter was a forgery and described yesterday's claims by PKR as tantamount to "slander". "This is slander, because that was not my signature on the letter and my name was not stated in full," he asserted. Selangor PKR deputy head Zuraida Kamaruddin released copies of a letter, written on what appears to be an Umno letterhead, and signed by one Idris Abu Bakar. It is addressed to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. The letter seeks citizenship for about 2,000 permanent residents for the purpose of helping "BN win" in the constituency. "The letterhead is not very clear (in the media reports), but what is certain is that the Hulu Selangor Umno division did not produce it. "I don't know if some people stole the letterhead to produce the letter. It is quite easy, but the thought of (soliciting citizenships for votes) never even crossed my mind," said Mohamed Idris with a chuckle. Malaysiakini had yesterday contacted his office for comment, and a member of his staff confirmed that such a "support letter" had been issued to the Home Ministry. However, when contacted again today, she said the letter was not signed by Mohamed Idris, and refused to comment further. Hulu Selangor parliamentarian P Kamalanathan has yet to respond to Malaysiakini's queries on the matter. 'Authenticity not verified' Contacted for her response today, Zuraida (left in photo) admitted that she had not attempted to verify the authenticity of the letter and its content with the Home Ministry before making the claim. However, the Ampang parliamentarian said "as concerned citizens", PKR has done its part and now it is up to the relevant authorities to investigate. "This is the standard line, typical of BN-Umno to deny. Now they will do the necessary cover-up," she said. "We are not worried about Umno's vote-bank as much as we are concerned about national security," Zuraida added. PKR supreme council member Khalid Jaafar this morning lodged a police report on the letter at the Bukit Sentosa police station, located in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency. In his report, Khalid urges the police to also investigate the possibility of a 'citizenship syndicate', similar to the one said to have operated in Sabah. He said there was no provision in the federal constitution to give out citizenship for the purpose of fishing for votes. Call for a royal probe Meanwhile, constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari decried the fact that while allegations about citizenship being easily given away were on the rise, nothing had been done about it. “The constitution puts the power to deal with this matter in the government, but I think we have a problem here as the process is not open and transparent. The procedures are set out in the various provisions of Part III of the federal constitution.” The law professor noted that calls for a royal commission on the matter, included the alleged 'Project M' in Sabah, have been ignored. “It seems that the only remaining option is to bring the matter to the Conference of Rulers. This is because, historically, the rulers had played a key role: they demanded the British to make them involved in it," Abdul Aziz said. “Under the constitution, the provision can only be amended with the consent of the rulers [underArticle 159(5)]. It may be argued that even the rules made by the National Registration Department to regulate the process ought to be approved by the rulers. “We have a stronger case for this, given the rising (number of) complaints about it - particularly when it has a direct bearing on elections.”

"UMNO setting up a trap for PAS using Islam again ?"

Umno info chief wants Umno and PAS to merge

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan vowed today to do his best to bring PAS into Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) to unite the Malays.

“I will try to work on this so that PAS will be in BN, stop Malays quarrelling among themselves because it is tiring, a waste of time and energy and a stupid thing to do,” he said at a 65 Years of Umno forum here.

Ahmad, who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was in the panel with Malay consultative council secretary general Hasan Mad and chairman of the working committee of the young ulama assembly of Malaysia, Fathul Bari.

He said that a merger between Umno and PAS would lead to peace that would benefit not only the Malays but the other races as well.

Ahmad said that he hoped the Malays would regard the Chinese and other races as friends so that they could jointly develop the country.

Fathul said that it was a big mistake for anyone to use religion to further personal ambition.

When doing religious work, politics should be put aside, he said.

Hasan said that Umno should take care of pensioners and the younger generation before the next general election because these two groups were easily influenced.

- Bernama

Utusan Malaysia: UMNO behind the print....

Many uncomplimentary descriptions have been accorded to Utusan Malaysia. The more common of those include irresponsible, mischievous and dangerous. Of that trio, Utusan Malaysias former senior journalist, Hata Wahari, says that the third is dead-on. The mainstream media, for as long as they pander to the government, enjoy immunity from public prosecution. But Utusan Malaysia has earned a special place within this untouchable clique simply by the virtue of being owned by Umno.

This privilege has spawned relentless attacks on the opposition and increasingly frequent inflammatory reports on race and religion. But while most urbanites can see right through Utusan Malaysias thinly-veiled propaganda, its rural readership remains staunch believers. For this reason alone, Hata warned that giving Utusan Malaysia the brush-off would be a very bad idea.

People should worry about the slander it publishes because it is taking root in the rural areas, he told FMT. KL and Selangor are multi-cultural and able to discuss Utusans reports among themselves to seek clarification.

But the rural community is predominantly Malay-Muslim. Who are they going to cross-check their facts with? Neither is there another Malay-language paper to counter Utusans reports. The only media they are exposed to is government-owned media.

The racial flames are being stoked there and one day it will explode. Im very afraid of that. If anything were to happen, it will begin in the rural areas. I have said before that another May 13 is likely if Utusan is allowed to continue playing up rubbish issues.

Hata, who is the president of the National Union of Journalists, was given the boot from Utusan Ma! laysia o n April 21 for allegedly tarnishing the papers image with such statements. But the termination came as a relief as he could no longer stomach the editorial content that almost flaunted the papers role as an Umno tool. Yet he said it wasnt always this way.

When I joined in 1995, Utusan was a paper that focused on Malay grassroots issues more than political ones, he recalled. The then editor-in-chief, Khalid Mohammad, had more control over the editorial content and the then prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was more open to editorial-related discussions.

The Awang Selamat column was used to put forth suggestions on how Umno could address the issues affecting the Malay community. It wasnt meant to attack people or parties. And even then the column was pulled after two months because of poor response. Awang Selamat has since been resurrected and according to Hata, the current column for Mingguan Malaysia is written by the editor-in-chief while the senior editors take turns penning the column in Utusan Malaysia.

Editorial agenda set by Umno

The swing in Utusan Malaysias stance came shortly after the 2008 election when Khalid was replaced by Aziz Ishak. According to Hata, the latter does not question the editorial directives set by the Umno political bureau which reportedly sits every Monday night to discuss the papers agenda for the week. Those present are the president Najib Tun Razak, deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, the three vice-presidents Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hishamuddin Hussein and Safie Apdal secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and information chief Ahmad Maslan.

The agenda is then communicated to Utusan Malaysias editor-in-chief via the pr! ime mini sters office. The paper will run an issue for three days before dropping it completely unless it receives strong public support from top BN ministers. Its a clever strategy because by the third day the other media would have snapped it up to continue milking it, which would leave Utusan Malaysia free to start the ball rolling on another issue.

But this strategy has come at a price. Utusan Malaysias circulation figures are steadily declining and the paper has reportedly been suffering losses of up to RM20 million since 2009. Figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation showed that papers daily sales have shrank 20% between June 2006 and June 2010.

Some 50% of Utusans sales are government-sponsored, Hata said. Thirty-six government ministries subscribe to Utusan and the government spends up to RM50 million annually on advertisements. These are Utusans only profits because most organisations are reluctant to advertise.

As of June 2010, Utusan Malaysia recorded an average sale of 170,558 copies, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Of the number, between 70,000 and 80,000 copies are distributed to newspaper vendors daily, but Hata claimed that nearly half of these are returned at the end of the day. The highest number of unsold copies are in Kuala Lumpur.
Hata said that many vendors are also uncomfortable with Utusan Malaysias front page stories and either conceal the paper behind other publications or hide it under their tables.

I live in Puchong and of the 15 newspapers vendors, only one carries Utusan, Hata said. Most non-Muslim vendors are more comfortable displaying Berita Harian which carries Utusans main story on later pages and on a smaller scale.

Even some Umno division leaders have admitted their discomfort with Utusans extremist stand because they have to answer to their multi-racial constituents. But the political bureau is unconcerned. All it wants is for Utusan to retain the support of the ! rural Ma lay loyalists which it is doing very well.

source:FMT

Utusan Malaysia Terima Arahan Terus Dari Ibu Pejabat Umno

Bekas wartawan kanan Utusan Malaysia, Hata Wahari berkata, agenda Utusan Malaysia ditetapkan oleh Biro Politik Umno yang dipimpin Presidennya, Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Hata berkata, Ketua Pengarang Utusan pula akan menerima arahan dari mesyuarat Biro Politik Umno yang bersidang setiap malam Isnin, lapor sebuah portal berita, Free Malaysia Today. Selain Najib, hadir dalam mesyuarat itu adalah timbalannya, Tan Sri Muhyidin Yasin, Naib Presiden, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishamudin Husein, Datuk Seri Safie Apdal serta Setiausaha Agung, Datuk Tengku Adnan Mansor dan Ketua Penerangan, Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Agenda mingguan yang diputuskan dalam mesyuarat itu katanya, akan disampaikan kepada Ketua Pengarang Utusan melalui pejabat Perdana Menteri.

Utusan akan melaksanakan isu yang diarahkan selama tiga hari sebelum menghentikan sepenuhnya kecuali menerima sokongan kuat dari pemimpin utama BN, kata Hata.

Hata dalam temubual itu berkata jumlah jualan akhbar itu merosot secara konsisten dan mengalami kerugian sehingga RM20 juta sejak 2009. Angka dari Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) menunjukkan jualan harian akhbar itu pula merosot sebanyak 20 peratus di antara Jun 2006 dan Jun 2010. Manakala 50 peratus daripada jualan Utusan pula, kata Hata, dibiayai kerajaan. 36 kementerian melanggan Utusan dan kerajaan berbelanja RM50 juta setahun untuk iklan. Inilah sahaja keuntungan Utusan kerana kebanyakan organisasi enggan beriklan dengan mereka, katanya.

Setakat Jun 2010, Utusan Malaysia mencatat purata jualan 170,558 naskhah berdasarkan laporan ABC. Daripada angka itu, di antara 70,000 dan 80,000 naskhah diedar kepada vendor akhbar setiap hari, tetapi menurut Hata hampir separuh dipulangkan semula pada hujung hari. Jumlah naskhah tidak terjual yang paling tinggi adalah d! i Kuala Lumpur.

Hata yang juga Presiden Kesatuan Wartawan Kebangsaan (NUJ) dipecat Utusan Melayu berhad 1 Mei lalu, dua hari sebelum Hari Kebebasan Akhbar sedunia yang disambut pada setiap 3 Mei. Alasan Utusan adalah kerana Hata mmeburukkan imej majikannya itu, menerusi beberapa kenyataan media yang mengkritik pengurusan editorial utusan.

Utusan mendapat serangan dari pelbagai pihak sejak kebelakangan ini ekoran tindakannya mensensasikan pelbagai isu yang dianggap tidak wajar. Yang terbaru isu Kristian menjadi agama rasmi sehingga MCA, rakan kongsi Umno dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) juga tidak percaya lagi kepada akhbar itu. - mafiaboss2u.blogspot

JOM TERUS BOIKOT UTUSAN MELOYA.....

cheers.