From The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, the police officer who investigated Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s black-eye assault in 1998, today claimed a high-level plot using a bankruptcy notice to destroy his credibility ahead of several cases including the opposition leader’s sodomy case in July.

State news agency Bernama yesterday reported that Mat Zain was declared a bankrupt on April 21 for failing to settle a RM250,000 loan and was served with the notice on May 26. The news was carried by several Malaysian publications including The Malaysian Insider which subscribes to the Bernama service.

“I say with certainty that there are very powerful hidden hands that wanted it so. Their reasons are to destroy my credibility and/or to paralyze my capabilities and preventing me from giving evidence against Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan for fabricating evidence in the “black-eye” case of 1998 involving Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” said Mat Zain in a statement.

Mat Zain, who went on optional retirement in 2001 as the KL CID chief, said he believed the bankruptcy notice is related to his appeal to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory board to clear his name after the anti-graft agency cleared only Gani and Musa from charges of fabrication lodged by Anwar.

(more…)

Kebetulan sebelum tiba di tempat ceramah di Guar Jering, saya berkesempatan menziarahi jenazah di mukim yang sama. Acara malam semalam membariskan saya bersama Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz dan Sdr Azmin Ali. Turut hadir Tan Sri Khalid, Sdr Mujahid Yusof dan calon Sdr Mansor Othman.

Saatnya tiba di destinasi ruang padang sudahpun dibanjiri para hadirin yang tekun mendengar syarahan para penceramah. Saya langsung menyampaikan ucapan melontarkan pandangan serta kritikan terhadap kebejatan yang berlaku. Sungguhpun suasana sepanjang kempen tidaklah hangat seperti selalu- kali ini hanya suam-suam kuku- ianya tidak menjejaskan tumpuan serta gerak kerja kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat dan jentera Permatang Pauh.

Pentas semalam memberi ruang buat saya mengungkapkan antaranya pengumuman Bank Negara berhubung penguncupan 6.2% ekonomi Malaysia buat suku pertama tahun ini. Angka ini ternyata membimbangkan, malahan ianya lebih teruk jika dibandingkan dengan kedudukan terburuk negara iaitu pada suku keempat tahun 1998. Secara teknikalnya negara kita sedang mengalami kemelesetan.

Antara perkara yang merunsingkan saya apabila melihat lagak pentadbiran kewangan sekarang ialah kurangnya ketelusan menjawab persoalan yang dilontarkan ketika menghadapi krisis. Sewajarnya pengalaman melalui tempoh sukar kurang lebih sepuluh tahun lalu mengajar kita untuk pantas bertindak dan telus kepada rakyat.

Tatkala membahaskan belanjawan dan juga rancangan ransangan ekonomi saya tegaskan mengapa lambat mengakui negara sedang melalui saat-saat sukar walhal ianya memberi dampak besar kepada psikologi rakyat.

Sayangnya oleh kerana menteri kewangan memilih pada tika yang paling lewat untuk mendedahkan kepada umum makanya rakyat dan ekonomi lambat untuk siaga berhadapan dengan krisis berbanding dengan negara jiran seperti Singapura. Adakah akan ada pakej ransangan yang ketiga?(walaupun yang pertama tidak dilakukan menurut aturan Parlimen) Apa sudah jadi dengan RM 60bilion yang diwar warkan dahulu. Bukankah jumlah tersebut untuk tempoh sepanjang dua tahun?

Telahpun kami secara tuntas menyatakan jika pengurusan ekonomi masih ditakuk lama; membenarkan penyelewengan berleluasa dan sekiranya dana yang ada diseleweng buat mencipta kekayaan kroni, alamat negara akan terjerumus ke kedudukan yang menakutkan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

From Forbes.com
By Eileen Ng

Malaysia’s economy shrank a sharper-than-expected 6.2 percent in the first quarter, the central bank said Wednesday, setting the scene for the government to forecast a deeper recession this year.

The economy’s slump compared with a year earlier was largely due to a 17.6 percent contraction in manufacturing, as electrical and electronics exports plunged amid weak global demand, said Bank Negara Malaysia, the central bank.

It was the biggest fall in gross domestic product since the fourth quarter of 1998, when Malaysia fell into a recession during the Asian financial crisis. GDP shrank 7 percent from the fourth quarter.

“The financial crisis was more prolonged than expected. Export demand continues to remain weak. The external environment is still challenging. It is very likely that despite early signs of improvement, the (second quarter) will be very similar to the first quarter,” Bank Negara Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz told a news conference.

(more…)

Dari Malaysia kini

Oleh:Abdul Rahim Sabri 

 27 Mei 09 – Perlis – Kemelut politik dalaman Umno di Perlis dilihat semakin meruncing apabila 320 ahli Umno di Kuala Perlis secara rasmi akan menyerah borang keahlian mereka menyertai PKR esok.

Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan menerima sendiri borang keahlian mereka untuk menyertai parti itu.

Dengan kemasukan mereka, maka PKR berjaya menembusi kubu kuat Umno, khususnya dalam kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Perlis.

Yang lebih menarik ialah DUN Kuala Perlis terletak dalam Umno bahagian Kangar, yang diketuai sendiri oleh Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu.

Pengerusi Perhubungan PKR Perlis, Johari Shafie berkata, majlis tersebut akan diadakan di rumah salah seorang ahli Umno yang akan menyertai PKR esok.

Menurutnya, ini adalah kali pertama PKR dapat menubuhkan cawangannya di DUN berkenaan.

Pada masa ini, terdapat empat cawangan PKR di Perlis dengan jumlah keahlian lebih 1,200 orang.

Dengan penubuhan cawangan baru di DUN Perlis itu, PKR akan mempunyai lima cawangannya di negeri itu, katanya ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini.

“Penyertaan ahli Umno esok sekaligus menunjukkan perkembangan PKR di negeri ini,” katanya.

Berikut merupakan respon Anwar Ibrahim terhadap sebuah artikel yang disiarkan oleh portal berita Malaysiakini semalam, bertajuk How to behave like gov’t-in-waiting.

———

Menulis dari Kuala Lumpur, dan berbekal maklumat dengan memantau liputan media UMNO-BN. Walhal kenyataan di akar umbi jauh berbeda.

Ucapan saudara Dr. Mansor banyak menekankan isu negeri dan Penanti – pembangunan dan pengangguran. Saudara Abdul Malik Kassim pula membangkitkan program keagamaan dan kemasyarakatan.

Walaubagaimanapun, terima kasih di atas peringatan tersebut.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

From TODAYonline.com
By Ansley Ng

ansley@mediacorp.com.sg

ONE way he would improve racial ties in Malaysia if he were Prime Minister, said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, would be to stop awarding scholarships to the children of government ministers.

Describing his experience when his eldest daughter Nurul Izzah — now Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur — went to university,Mr Anwar said he was told he needn’t pay her fees as she was “automatically” given a scholarship.

But Mr Anwar, who was then Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, persisted and the university eventually accepted his payment.

“This has to be stopped,” he said of the practice, which has angered families of poor Chinese and Indian students who qualified for assistance but did not receive it.

(more…)

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim can be heard live at 5:00 PM (GMT + 8) on BBC World Service’s news program, World Update.

Click here to listen

Office of Anwar Ibrahim

Dari Malaysia kini

26 Mei 09 – Lapan wakil rakyat pembangkang termasuk ahli parlimen Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran ditahan polis selepas perasmian mogok lapar Pakatan Rakyat untuk mendesak DUN dibubarkan.

Mereka antara 14 orang yang ditahan pagi ini, termasuk lima pekerja syarikat pengurusan acara yang sedang menyiapkan khemah untuk acara tersebut.

Kelima-lima ditangkap di depan Wisma DAP di Ipoh selepas jam 6 pagi ini. Tiada maklumat lengkap diperolehi tentang status mereka, setakat ini.

Belon udara besar dengan tulisan ‘Bubar DUN’ turut dirampas. Difahamkan kakitangan Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh cuba meruntuh khemah untuk majlis pelancaran tetapi tidak meneruskan niat mereka.

Sekurang-kurangnya 50 anggota polis termasuk yang berpakaian biasa dan pasukan pencegah rusuhan kelihatan di sekitar ibu pejabat DAP negeri itu.

Pakatan Rakyat melancarkan mogok lapar selama 72 jam di ibu pejabat DAP itu mulai 11 pagi bagi mendesak dewan dibubarkan untuk memboleh satu pilihanraya negeri dipanggil sebagai langkah penyelesaian kemelut politik yang berlarutan sejak Februari lalu.

Menteri besar mereka Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin dan speaker gabungan pembangkang itu V Sivakumar dijadual melancarkan dan menyertai mogok tersebut.

Beberapa ADUN Pakatan dan penyokong DAP, PAS dan PKR dijangka menyertainya sebagai bantahan terhadap rampasan kuasa BN.

Mogok lapar ini akan berakhir di pejabat PAS Perak petang Khamis ini.

KHAMIS, 28 MEI 2009

5.00 -6.00 ptg : Ceramah Umum di Rumah Haji Umar
 [ Lot 488 Kg. Terus Tertitik, Kuala Perlis ]
 ( Dekat Tangki Air Di Tepi Lebuh Raya )

6.00-6.30 ptg : Sidang Media dan Ramah Mesra

7.20 – 8.00 mlm : Solat Maghrib di Masjid Seberang Ramai

PEJABAT DATUK SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

27 MEI 2009 – RABU

10.00 – 12.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana – Guar Jering

(Penceramah: YB Azmin Ali, YAB Tuan Guru Dato’ Seri Nik Abdul Aziz, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim)

———-

28 MEI 2009 – KHAMIS

10.00 – 12.00 pagi  – Perjumpaan Dengan Jentera Pilihanraya

4.30 – 8.30 mlm – PROGRAM DI KUALA PERLIS

11.00 – 12.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana – Homestay Mengkuang Titi

(YB Husam Musa, YB Saifuddin Nasution, Anwar Ibrahim)

———-

29 MEI 2009 – JUMAAT

12.00 – 2.30 ptg – Solat Jumaat – Masjid Haji Saad – Tanah Liat

5.00 – 6.30 ptg – Perjumpaan dan Dialog dengan Warga Pendidik dan NGO – Yayasan Aman

7.30 – 8.30 mlm – Solat dan Tazkirah Maghrib –  Masjid Ara Kuda

8.45 – 10.00 mlm – Jamuan Makan DAP – Tanah Liat

10.00 – 11.00 mlm – Ceramah Kelompok –  Kampong Terus

11.00 – 12.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana –  Tok Pekong Kubang Ulu

(Dato’ Mustafa Ali, YB Tian Chua, YB Nga Kor Ming, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim)

———-

30 MEI 2009 – SABTU

9.30 – 11.00 pg – Rondaan ke kedai-kedai kopi

11.00 – 4.30 ptg – Kenduri kendara

5.30 – 6.30 ptg – Program bersama komuniti cina – Bkt Mertajam – Bomba Sukarela

8.30 – 10.00 mlm – Solat  Isyak, Hajat dan Tazkirah – Masjid Kubang Semang

10.00 – 11.30 mlm – Ceramah Grand Finale – Taman Guar Perahu

(Penceramah YB Azmin Ali, YAB Dato’ Seri Nizar, Ybhg Mat Sabu, YAB Tan Sri Khalid , YAB Lim Guan Eng, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim)

PEJABAT DATUK SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

From Nasdaq.com

SINGAPORE (AFP)–Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim called Monday for stronger regional efforts to force Myanmar to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Anwar, speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore, suggested that some neighbors were more interested in doing business with Myanmar’s military regime than promoting freedom.

“There’s more construction than constructive engagement,” he said, referring to contracts awarded to Asian investors in Myanmar.

Anwar lamented what he called “the utter abdication of responsibility in the region” to use more direct methods to convince Myanmar’s military regime to free the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

(more…)

From Nasdaq.com

SINGAPORE (AFP)–Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim vowed Monday to put up a strong defense against sodomy charges, saying it wouldn’t be easy to convict him of the offense for a second time.

Addressing the Foreign Correspondents’ Association in Singapore, Anwar insisted the case against him was based on false evidence concocted by political enemies.

“What case are you talking about? We have seen medical records,” said Anwar, who is on bail ahead of a trial set to be heard in Malaysia’s High Court between July 1 to 24.

He insisted that he was innocent of the allegations of sodomy leveled against him by a 23-year-old former aide.

“Of course, with or without a case they will always charge and convict you. But I don’t believe they can do it that easily this time. We’re going to fight a very strong case,” he added.

“I don’t believe they can fool Malaysians or the international community.”

(more…)