In the last few weeks, I have openly condemned the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency’s (MACC) inaction over the NFC Scandal and the blazen shameless admission of acceptance of gratification by Awang Adek. Since then, Malaysians have witnessed another “rejected” Minister, Azalina Othman Said, making a similar admission.

It seems that instead of being embarrassed, apologetic and standing down from public office, these shameless BN ministers are being emboldened to use the propaganda tools of their party and the mainstream media to make their misconducts look innocent. Like most Malaysians, I am appalled and find this most repulsive.

An echo in the PM’s Department

My call for Shahrizat Jalil and Awang Adek to resign from all posts in the party and the government is exactly to prevent what is happening now. I knew they would use all their resources to spin fabulous stories of how they have been victimized and how the whole fiasco is a misunderstanding.

You can clearly see that happening when Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali comes to Shahrizat’s defence and tries to make the Auditor-General a political scapegoat. You then see the jantan or macho minister in the PM’s office, Nazri Aziz, explaining why there cannot be a public declaration of assets by those holding high public office.

To make it appear that the Chinese community also share this “aspiration” for secrecy, Nazri’s deputy, VK Liew, echoes his boss’s sentiments by saying that that it is inappropriate for the MACC to keep records of properties of ministers and deputy ministers.

That to me amounts to abusing the 1Malysia concept to cover up for wrong doings by government leaders. That is against the Islamic principles of “Amr Ma’aruf Nahy Mungkar” i.e. encourage righteousness and discourage evil. That it is done by the highest echelons of our government leaders is public display of arrogance of the highest order.

VK Liew, please break wind in your own home!

Let us remind ourselves that Teoh Beng Hock died over allegations of a mere RM 2,400-00. Ahmad Sarbaini died because of similar minor allegations which until today have just gone silent. Yet, when the riches of the powerful are involved, the MACC either drag its feet or behave like eunuchs emasculated of all their powers. I ask the MACC – why the discrimination?

But I cannot stomach it if so called Chinese leaders like VK Liew speaks with a forked tongue just to please his political masters. Let me say this to VK Liew – “IF YOU HAVE TO FART, PLEASE DO IT IN THE COMFORT AND PRIVACY OF YOUR HOME. IF YOU HAVE MUCH TO HIDE, THEN QUIT”

It is on record and for reasons best known to MACC, they had acted in a very high handed manner against Lawyer Rosli Dahlan in asking him to declare his assets whereas he had never even served in any public office. He had been a private practitioner all along and despite his innocence, he was humiliated, abused and charged just because he acted professionally to defend his client. Yet, we now have a senior UMNO Minister and his Chinese deputy saying that MACC cannot be entitled to keep records of Ministers’ wealth. What is it that these UMNO and BN Chinese leaders so afraid of in making and open declaration of their wealth if all their accumulated wealth are legitimate?

I wish to remind VK Liew that he is elected by the people to serve in public office and his salary comes from law-abiding taxpayers.The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president is therefore accountable to the people at all times and can be made answerable the MACC when needed. If you have nothing to hide or what the Chinese would say, “Something that cannot see the daylight”, then what is there to fear?

If there’s nothing to hide, they should not be scared

As a former MACC advisory panel member, I fully support MACC Advisory Panel Chairman, Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh, over the commission’s proposal to the government as follows:

a) to obtain a copy of the declaration of assets of Cabinet members and their spouses and other family members;

b) that a copy of the declaration of assets of all members of the federal administration be given to the commission;

c) that their spouses and other family members be required to disclose their assets through a statutory declaration and a record of it be kept by the MACC.

No better person to know the assets of Ministers than the MACC

It is most appropriate for MACC to know the assets of all who hold high public office. That is what accountability and transparency is about in the public sector. Liew is, therefore, seriously flawed in his argument that MACC’s main role is only to receive and investigate complaints on corruption in the country.

To be an effective enforcement agency, the MACC must have reliable records to enable it to gather reliable and solid evidence for a successful prosecution. If Liew, cannot understand such basic logic in the fight against corruption, it is time for him to step down or for the people to elect another more intelligent leader.

“HUMBLENESS IS GOOD VIRTUE, ARROGANCE SHALL FALL,

THE MEEK WILL RULE THE WORLD”.

Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang is a prominent citizen, an ex-member of the MACC advisory panel.

Tahun ini merupakan tahun Naga. Ianya melambangkan, antaranya Keadilan, Keberanian dan Berhikmah buat masyarakat Cina. Oleh kerana itu sempena sambutan tahun baru, yang selalu dianggap sebagai satu titik permulaan serta memperkukuh azam, saya berharap kita bersama beriltizam membentuk Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara berbilang kaum yang adil dan saksama.

Perpaduan perlu dijalin demi kemaslahatan negara. Kita berhasrat Malaysia yang dicintai ini senantiasa makmur, bebas dari rasuah dan rakyatnya hidup dalam kerukunan serta harmoni.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Pendedahan-pendedahan skandal kewangan yang melibatkan pemimpin tertinggi Umno kebelakangan ini menyaksikan naungan politik BN menjadi fokus pada tahun yang dijangka akan diadakan pilihan raya umum, demikian menurut pemerhati politik.

Sementara tuduhan terhadap penyalahgunaan dana RM250 juta Pusat Fidlot Nasional-yang dijalankan oleh keluarga Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil telah mendominasi tajuk utama sejak November, dan skandal-skandal lain dikaitkan dengan menteri Barisan Nasional (BN) turut menjadi perhatian umum.

Pemerhati politik memberitahu The Malaysian Insider bahawa terdapatnya hubungan antara politik dan perniagaan yang berkembang dengan penelitian masyarakat bahawa “skandal ini akan berkekalan.”

“Masyarakat akan bertanya sama ada kerajaan akan berkhidmat untuk kepentingan ahli politik atau kepada majoriti rakyat Malaysia yang bukannya ahli politik,” jelas Pengerusi Pusat Penyelidikan Polisi Awam, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Presiden Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) Datuk Paul Low berkata, pemerhati melihat masyarakat mula berminat dalam isu rasuah kebelakangan ini, dengan kajian baru-baru ini menunjukkan 90 peratus rakyat Malaysia akan menggunakan peluang untuk melawan rasuah.

“Jelas menunjukkan masyarakat sekarang tidak akan melepaskan perkara itu dengan mudah. Skandal ini akan berkekalan,” katanya.

PKR telah berulangkali mengeluarkan tuduhan terhadap Ketua Wanita Umno dan keluarganya kerana didakwa telah menyalahgunakan dana projek penternakan lembu, termasuk hartanah dan tanah bernilai RM 27 juta yang tidak berkaitan dengan projek berkenaan.

Mereka turut mendesak Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom dikenakan tindakan terhadap dakwaan penyalahgunaan wang zakat untuk bayaran guaman bernilai RM63,650.

Blogger yang hanya dikenali nama samaran, TheWhistleblower711, turut menuduh bekas Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman dan Timbalan Menteri Kewangan Datuk Awang Adek Hussin masing-masing menerima RM300,000 RM100,000 daripada Pengarah Urusan Gerbang Perdana, Yahya Abd Jalil.

Namun begitu, kedua-dua menteri Umno terbabit menafikan dakwaan berkenaan; Azalina menyatakan bayaran tersebut merupakan untuk pembayaran jualan kereta klasik dan Adek Awang menjelaskan bayaran itu dibuat terhadap pelaksanaan program sosial di Bachok, yang mana beliau merupakan ketua cawangan.

Bekas menteri persekutuan, Tan Sri Datuk Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir baru-baru ini turut mendakwa BN telah membuat penyerahan sejumlah RM1,000 dalam kempen pilihan raya sebelum ini yang bertujuan untuk membeli undi dengan menggunakan taktik yang dikenali sebagai “bom.”

“Masyarakat sentiasa mengetahui perkara ini berlaku, tapi BN semakin teruk sekarang, dengan Najib dilihat berusaha melakukan transformasi politik, beliau tidak mampu menolak skandal sedemikian.

“Sekarang Najib berusaha untuk melakukan transformasi, sebarang skandal akan menyebabkan kemusnahan,” kata penasihat politik Ong Kian Ming.

Pendedahan-pendedahan terbaru berupaya menjatuhkan Program Transformasi Kerajaan (GTP) yang mana menentang rasuah merupakan salah satu perkara daripada tujuh Kawasan Kunci Keberhasilan Nasional (NKRA).

Pengumuman terbaru yang dibuat Pulau Pinang berkenaan pengisytiharan aset juga melihatkan ketegasan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang Lim Guan Eng yang kerap kali mendesak Kabinet supaya mencontohi tindakannya.

Ketua Hakim, Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria juga mengumumkan para hakim juga akan turut mengisytiharkan aset mereka bagi memastikan integriti kehakiman.

Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) kemudiannya mendesak kerajaan dengan menyatakan Najib bersetuju agar ahli keluarga anggota Kabinetnya mengisytiharkan harta mereka kepada badan berkenaan.

Walaupun presiden BN itu belum memberikan sebarang kenyataan, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz menyatakan hanya menteri sahaja yang perlu membuat perisytiharan harta dan hanya kepada perdana menteri.

Pengarah Strategik PKR, Rafizi Ramli yang telah membuat beberapa siri pendedahan terhadap NFC berkata, walaupun terdapat berbillion ringgit telah di bazirkan termasuk pembelian kapal peronda bernilai RM9 billion, mereka tidak akan bertolak ansur kepada akar umbi.

“Mereka melihatnya sebagai keperluan harian. Tapi bila melibatkan pembayaran untuk mendapatkan kontrak, lesen, dan sebagainya, masyarakat akan mengaitkannya kerana mereka terpaksa membayar untuk itu,” tambahnya lagi.

International response is starting to filter in on news that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government has decided to appeal the acquittal of political arch rival Anwar, the Opposition Leader, who was found “not guilty” by a High Court judge last week.

Phil Robertson, Deputy Director of the Asia Division, Human Rights Watch was among the early bird to condemn the Najib administration for its latest flip-flop.

“The trial court gave the government a chance to bow out gracefully from Anwar’s politically motivated prosecution. It’s very unfortunate that they didn’t take it. This decision means the citizens of Malaysia will be further subjected to the more political machinations in the courtroom as the government perpetuates this travesty of a trial for a crime that should not be a crime in the first place,” Phil said in a statement.

Persecution, not prosecution

Meanwhile, Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair said he has yet to be notified of the decision. He slammed the move as an obvious case of “political persecution” and not prosecution.

“I have not been formally notified by the prosecution. However if it is true, then it is most regrettable and atrocious- given that the trial judge has stated succinctly, in his verdict that the crucial evidence was “tampered”,” said Sankara.

“Hence the substratum of the prosecutions case is fatally demolished,rendering any appeal, no matter how many times, an desperate act in futility. It appears to be a case of political persecution of Anwar and not prosecution.”

As for Anwar himself, he has said it was the Attorney-General’s right to appeal but warned that there should be no government or political interference. However, most Malaysians would tell him that this may be beyond the manipulative Umno, Najib’s party which has ruled Malaysia for the past 5 decades.

Judge conceded key DNA evidence was compromised

Malaysian prosecutors had filed the appeal papers at the High Court criminal registry at 4.30pm on Friday, January 20, according to criminal deputy registrar Halilah Suboh.

On Jan 9, Anwar was acquitted on a charge of sodomising his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan due to a lack of corroborative evidence. Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah delivered his decision to a packed courtroom, as more than 10,000 supporters gathered outside the court building to show their support for the charismatic and popular leader.

“After going through the evidence, I cannot be 100 percent certain that the evidence could have been compromised. Hence, the court is reluctant to convict on such corrobaration of evidence from SP1 Saiful. The court does not exclude the possibility the (DNA) samples were compromised. Therefore the accused is acquitted,” Mohd Zabidin told a stunned courtroom, that took a second before it burst into euphoria and loud cheering.

Najib’s weak leadership and global attention

The decision was praised throughout the world and Najib’s latest inability to stay the course, giving in to hardliners in his Umno party such as former premier Mahathir Mohamad, is bound to increase the negative impression of Malaysia that has furthered worsened during his watch. The move will also underscore Najib’s weak hand on the government as well as his inability to provide political stability and jump-start the already slowing economy.

“Anwar, I have just heard the news of the acquittal. Congratulations. There was never any doubt of your innocence. That it is confirmed for the world to see is a wonderful thing. We are all so very happy for you and for Malaysia,” wrote Paul Martin, the former prime minister of Canada.

Indeed, there is more than meets the eye in the sodomy charges pressed against Anwar, who has blamed Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor of hatching the plot together with complainant Saiful Bukhari Azlan so as to derail his political comeback. Given the flimsiness of the evidence, experts never expected Najib to take the case to the trial stage, but he succumbed to pressure from the Umno right wing, especially Mahathir, who still harbors a deep hatred for Anwar.

Pundits say Mahathir is also concerned that Anwar, his former deputy and who nearly toppled him in 1998, knows too much of his past wheeling-and-dealing. If not imprisoned, chances are high Anwar will become the next prime minister of Malaysia, leading the Pakatan Rakyat opposition to victory in general elections that must be held by April 2013.

Fair and impartial, says Saiful

Anwar was charged on Aug 8, 2008 under Section 377B of the Penal Code with committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature. He was accused of sodomising Saiful at the Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, on June 26, 2008. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to 20 years.

Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Saiful said the appeal shows that the Malaysian legal system was fair and impartial.

“My family and I would like to state that with the filing of the notice of appeal, my right to complaint as stated in my 2008 police report has been heard, and (went) through the proper process of justice all the way to the High Court. In accordance with the law (it) has been achieved,” he said in a blog posting.

The A-G’s chambers has been a willing tool in the hands of UMNO in its vicious, immoral and relentless persecution of Anwar Ibrahim. Since 1998, the A-G’s chambers has been a key player in UMNO’s attempts to imprison Anwar and terminate his political career. The current Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail who made the decision to file this appeal, featured prominently in the first sodomy trial which ended in Anwar’s 6 years imprisonment for a crime he did not commit.

The A-G’s chambers’ excuse that they needed to file the appeal in order to ‘appreciate the grounds considered by the learned judge in arriving at that decision’ is simply absurd and untenable. The chambers must weigh the necessity of appeal based on the totality of the evidence presented at the trial and the flaws and shortcomings of the prosecution case. As clearly demonstrated by his counsel at trial, the case against Anwar is so full of holes that there is no necessity to even look at the judge’s grounds of judgement.

The filing of this appeal is an outrageous example of the unscrupulous abuse of State powers which has become the trademark of the Barisan Nasional coalition over the past 54 years of its corrupt and authoritarian rule. This appeal is further evidence that Najib’s promises of change and reform were nothing more than a massive and hypocritical fraud upon the people of this nation. The motive for the appeal is to jail Anwar and hinder Pakatan Rakyat from winning Federal power in the coming general election. Come what may, Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat will never falter or fail in the ongoing battle for change and reform, and for a fair and just Malaysia.

Issued by,
N SURENDRAN
VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN

17hb Januari 2012

Jangan Terpengaruh Dakyah dan Fitnah Jahat Media UMNO

Seusai pembebasan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim dari pertuduhan fitnah pada 9hb Januari 2012 yang lalu, media yang dikongkong UMNO terus memintal fitnah baru demi menjejaskan wibawa beliau sebagai seorang muslim, rakyat Malaysia dan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat. Beberapa hari kebelakangan ini, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim dilontar pula dengan tohmahan bahawa beliau mahu menghalalkan homoseksualiti (hubungan sejenis) di negara ini.

Fitnah yang dipintal media UMNO seperti Utusan Malaysia itu kononnya dipetik dari jawapan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim ketika ditanya dalam satu wawancara BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). Sekiranya diteliti jawapan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim itu, ternyata beliau tidak menyebut berhasrat mahu menghalalkan homoseksualiti di negara ini. Saya nukilkan petikan jawapan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim tersebut bersama pautan rakaman wawancara BBC itu:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16531714

“We will have to review archaic laws

and we, muslims and non muslims generally believe and committed to support the sanctity of marriage between man and woman in Malaysia.

but we should not be seen as punitive and consider the archaic laws as relevant. We need to review them. We do not promote homosexuality in public sphere and domain. We will not make apologies towards that. I think to use this sort of legislation to be punitive, punish innocent people cannot be condoned and be tolerated.”

Berdasarkan jawapan dan petikan itu, pertamanya, ditegaskan sebagai orang Islam, kita menjunjung kesucian hubungan perkahwinan antara lelaki dan perempuan. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim tegas menyatakan bahawa beliau, Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan Pakatan Rakyat tidak menganjurkan, membenarkan ataupun menghalalkan homoseksualiti (hubungan sejenis). Walaubagaimanapun beliau berpendirian undang-undang lapuk yang tidak berlandaskan syarak serta menzalimi rakyat Malaysia wajar disemak. Undang-undang lapuk dan zalim malah boleh digunakan sewenang-wenangnya oleh kekuasaan untuk menghalalkan fitnah jelik ke atas sesiapapun.

Saya ingin menyeru supaya semua pihak merujuk kenyataan atau jawapan tersebut dan tidak dipengaruhi dakyah jahat media UMNO. Justeru saya juga menyeru agar jangan sesiapapun bersekongkol subahat memintal fitnah ini kononnya atas nama perjuangan Islam. Perjuangan Islam tidak sama sekali membenarkan fitnah sedemikian.

YB HJ AHMAD BIN KASIM,
Ahli Parlimen Kuala Kedah,
Pengerusi Biro Pemahaman dan Pemantapan Agama,
Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

ALOR SETAR, 14 Jan — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) yang memulakan konvensyen kebangsaannya hari ini di bersedia untuk menghapuskan Malaysia dari rasuah dan pembaziran sebaik sahaja pakatan pembangkang menguasai Putrjaya.
Dengan sumber pilihan raya akan diadakan tahun ini, pemimpin-pemimpin PKR mengetengahkan masa untuk mereka mengalami perubahan dalam ucapan pembukaan mereka di Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim di sini.

Mereka mendakwa dengan bukti-bukti penyelewengan kerajaan dalam skandal Pusat Fidlot Nasional (NFC), dan keadaan hutang negara yang terus meningkat, kerajaan telah lama menyalahgunakan kuasa mereka.

“Negara ini kotor untuk 53, 54 tahun. Ini ialah risiko besar Pakatan Rakyat,” Naib pengerusi DAP Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim memberitahu sekumpulan 2,000 para perwakilan pembangkang dan penyokong-penyokong mereka.

“Kita perlu bekerja bersama-sama dan menghapuskan BN dalam pilihan raya umum berikutnya membersihkan negara kami yan tercinta.”

Timbalan presiden PAS, Mohd Sabu berkata BN akan terus untuk mengalirkan kekayaan negara jika terus berkuasa dan menegaskan bahawa satu undi untuk PR ialah satu undi untuk satu masa depan lebih baik.

“Slogan mereka ialah ‘BN menang, rakyat senang’, tetapi kami mengatakan ‘BN menang, muflis Malaysia,’“ katanya.

Tetapi Mohamad, dikenali umum sebagai Mat Sabu, menyampaikan peringatan dengan menunjukkan yang kemenangan Pakatan Rakyat hanya akan menjadi kenyataan jika parti komponen pakatan pembangkang bekerja berganding bahu dan berpaksikan landasan bersama-sama.

“Kami yakin kami boleh mencapai kejayaan dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13 jika kami bersatu,” katanya.

Menggunakan pembebasan mengejut Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pada Isnin sebagai batu loncatan, Timbalan Presiden PKR Azmin Ali berkata walaupun ketua pembangkang sekarang bebas daripada tuduhan liwat, orang ramai belum bebas.

“901 adalah satu sumber inspirasi untuk orang ramai menolak Umno  dan kami akan menolak mereka dalam pilihan raya berikutnya,” katanya.

Konvensyen, PR ketiga, dijangka untuk fokus pada empat dasar utama untuk menarik lebiih ramai pengundi, dalam persediaan untuk pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan bersama menunaikan solat Jumaat, esok 13hb Januari,2012 di Masjid Kampung Baru