All Six PSM Activists Released

KUALA LUMPUR -- All six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) activists held under the Emergency Ordinance last month have been released, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar said on Friday.He said in a statement that further action against them would be determined by the Attorney-General's Chambers.A Bukit Aman police spokesman, when contacted, said all the activists were released this evening following a medical examination.

They are Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devara, 56, PSM Sungai Siput division secretary A.P. Letchumanan, 49, PSM central committee member Choo Chon Kai, 33, M. Sukumaran, 50, PSM deputy chairman M. Sarasvathy, 58, and youth leader R. Sarat Babu, 25.All of them were detained on July 2 in Seberang Prai, Penang, under the Emergency Ordinance.They had been picked up earlier, along with 24 other people, from a tour bus at the Sungai Dua toll plaza in Kepala Batas on June 25 and were charged under Section 122 of the Penal Code for attempting to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

 

Source : Bernama

Insidious parties out to colonise minds, warns PM

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today reminded Malaysians to be wary of those out to undermine the country's stability.Speaking at a function to launch the Raise the Flag campaign in the month leading up to National Day on Aug 31, the premier noted that Malaysia is not free from threats of colonisation despite having gained independence.“(Today) there are threats to colonise the minds and spirits of our people.

"When we raise the Jalur Gemilang... it is clear to the world that we are ready to make sacrifices so that this blessed land is not undermined by anyone with ill-intentions towards our nation," he said.

In a spirited speech, Najib added that the best way to appreciate our independence and to show patriotism is to strive towards the betterment of the country."Our predecessors had taken arms to fight, and we owe it to them and those who won our Independence through their intellect and skillful negotiation. We have inherited a country built on their hard work.

Najib: MACC doing its best to stem corruption

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said today the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was doing its best to stem corruption, given the various challenges."A lot challenges have to overcome but they are determined to do their best to ensure that corruption is dealt with in a most effective way in this country," he told reporters after the first 1Malaysia Online Roundtable with experts in various fields at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya.

Najib was commenting on one of the proposals of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock for an improvement to the aspects of protection of witnesses questioned by the MACC.He also said that operational changes would be made to the MACC in terms of training as the RCI report had stated that training was inadequate.

MACC In Discussion With Govt On Job Opportunities For Former Staff

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is currently in talks with the government to enable its retired and former officers to work at any government-linked company (GLC), department or company.The commission was also working towards enabling the MACC chief commissioner to appoint the individuals as MACC officers at such organisations and allow them to use their authority as enforcement personnel."We hope to obtain a status like that given to auxiliary police, whereby MACC officers who have resigned or retired could work at GLCs or other companies.

Probe on MACC trio must be ‘transparent’

KUALA LUMPUR: A former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) panel member today called for the probe on the three MACC officers, implicated in the late Teoh Beng Hock case, to be “truly independent” and “transparent”.In a statement today, Robert Phang said: “The new committee team members must be truly independent and have no direct or indirect interest in MACC or A-G’s (Attorney-General) chambers.“They should not be consultants or advisers to the MACC or the A-G’s Chambers respectively.”
However, Phang, who is also the founder-cum-chairman of the Social Care Foundation, welcomed the measures taken by MACC to suspend the three.

MACC offices will video record interrogations

PUTRAJAYA: All Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) offices nationwide will be equipped with video interviewing rooms (VIR) in an upgrading exercise.All the 36 MACC offices will be equipped with the VIR rooms by year-end to the tune of RM140,000 to RM160,000 per room.MACC investigations director Mustafar Ali said that all the interviews in the rooms would be recorded using audiovisual equipment.

"Three copies of the recording will be made: one copy will be kept by the MACC, another for the court and the third can be requested through a lawyer by the suspect but not the witness,” he said, adding that statements would be taken in a transparent and orderly manner.He also promised that all officers would be given training so they could get used to the new operating procedure, and that only fully trained officers would be allowed to interview suspects.The VIRs are a direct result of the report released by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the death of former political aide Teoh Beng Hock, which called on the MACC to provide interview rooms with an audiovisual recording system.

Suspension of Three MACC Officers Absolutely Necessary

The suspension of the three named officers as indicated by the RCI findings by the MACC for further interrogation by a newly appointed committee is absolutely necessary. The new committee team members must be truly independent, whereby they have no direct or indirect interest in MACC or AG’s chambers. They should not be consultants or advisors to MACC or AG’s Department respectively.There are plentiful suitable independent candidates who have been known to have the guts and the ability without fear or favor or any personal agenda to sit in this committee. With this basis, the independent inquiry should be seen to be done with transparency. In order to avoid any unnecessary waste of time and to achieve a true picture of the conduct of these three officers, this is mandatory.

It is undoubtedly also mandatory to improve the investigation method as highlighted and recommended by the RCI, which should also be governed by CPC (Criminal Procedure Code) and also our supreme constitution. The Rakyat is aware that the late Teoh Beng Hock was brought in as a live witness but was found dead the next day, within the MACC premises. It is also to note, that the findings of the RCI, that the late Teoh Beng Hock was never released. As such it is absolutely and mandatory for MACC to enhance and explain in this respect to the Rakyat.I call upon all sectors to be cool but to monitor on the comments, decisions and measures made by the MACC. My heartfelt sympathy be extended to the late Teoh Beng Hock’s family. May God Bless His Soul to Rest in Peace.

Source: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/opinion/27925-suspension-of-three-macc-officers-absolutely-necessary.html

Najib: My Duty To Protect Lives, Property

KUALA LUMPUR -- It is the duty of the government to protect the interests and property of the larger community, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in his blog, www.1Malaysia.com. on Monday.He noted that the recent illegal rally held in the federal capital had shown that the people rejected any action which could jeopardise national security."Recent events that unfolded in Kuala Lumpur put us through an important test.

"Our decision as government was to protect the interests and property of the larger community that depend on Kuala Lumpur for their livelihood," he said.By permitting one group to demonstrate, Najib said, it would give others the chance to use the same mechanisme for whatever cause celebre or controversial issue that attract a lot of public attention.

My comments on the measures taken by MACC are as follows:-

1. Suspension of the three (3) named officers as indicated by the RCI findings by the MACC for further interrogation by a newly appointed committee is absolutely necessary.

2. The new committee team members must be truly independent, whereby they have no direct or indirect interest in MACC or AG’s chambers. They should not be consultants or advisors to MACC or AG’s Department respectively.

3. There are plentiful suitable independent candidates who have been known to have the guts and the ability without fear or favor or any personal agenda to sit in this committee.

4. With this basis, the independent inquiry should be seen to be done with transparency. In order to avoid any unnecessary waste of time and to achieve a true picture of the conduct of these three (3) officers, this is mandatory.

5. It is undoubtedly also mandatory to improve the investigation method as highlighted and recommended by the RCI, which should also be governed by C.P.C. (Criminal Procedure Code) and also our supreme constitution.

6. The Rakyat is aware that the late Teoh Beng Hock was brought in as a live witness but was found dead the next day, within the MACC premises. It is also to note, that the findings of the RCI, that the late Teoh Beng Hock was never released. As such it is absolutely and mandatory for MACC to enhance and explain in this respect to the Rakyat.

7. I call upon all sectors to be cool but to monitor on the comments, decisions and measures made by the MACC.


My heartfelt sympathy be extended to the late Teoh Beng Hock’s family. May God Bless His Soul To Rest In Peace.

MACC suspends three officers over Teoh's death

Two days after the release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) announced that it has suspended the three officers said to be responsible for the death of the political aide.

The trio - Negeri Sembilan MACC director Hishamuddin Hashim ,the Selangor MACC deputy director during the incident, and two of his enforcement officers Mohd Anuar Ismail and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus - were named by the RCI report for their involvement in interrogating Teoh.

The anti-graft body has formed a special investigation team led by MACC deputy chief commissioner Zakaria Jaffar (management and professionalism) to carry out an internal probe on the allegations made by the report against the three.

'Fourth interrogation' broke Teoh, postulates RCI

The Teoh Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report claims that the MACC instituted the "fourth interrogation" during the wee hours of July 16, 2009, from 3.30am to 7am, which "must have been the final straw that broke the camel's back".According to the report, after having to endure three strenuous rounds of interrogations, the RCI panel believes that DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock was put through yet another round of intense interrogation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). 

This is the theory postulated by the RCI to explain how Teoh was pushed to the brink and eventually committed suicide."The acts committed by these three persons, namely Hishammudin Hashim, Mohd Anuar Ismail, and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus , were most probably in the form of another round of intensive interrogation of Teoh to coerce him into making a statement that it was Ean Yong Hian Wah who directed him to commit unlawful acts in handling the allocation.

MACC Urged To Upgrade Security On Its Premises

KUALA LUMPUR -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been told to boost the infrastructure on its premises and offices, including installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and monitors to record movements and behaviour of anyone entering or leaving any office or room.This was one of the proposals of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the death of Teoh Beng Hock in its report to improve aspects of protection of witnesses who were under MACC's investigations to prevent a recurrence of a controversy such as the case of political aide Teoh Beng Hock's death.

The suggestion was the opinion of all the panel members of the commission based on the arguments which were forwarded during the process of investigation into the case.Besides improving the infrastructure, the commission also proposed that MACC scrutinise existing procedures to make them more effective and re-evaluate the qualifications of those entering the service and the training of its officers.The commission which was set up by the government to investigate the cause of Teoh's death was chaired by Federal Court judge James Foong Cheng Yuen.

RCI: Teoh Beng Hock committed suicide

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Aziz has disclosed that the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock found the political aide had committed suicide.Though the finding do not divert from the official line of explanation by the authorities into the tragedy that occurred in mid-2009, Nazri said the RCI had determined the suicide was the result of continuous and aggressive questioning by officials of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Three MACC officers were found to have continuously used interrogation tactics that were “agresif dan tidak wajar" (aggressive, inappropriate) and therefore in violation of the regulations, Nazri told a press conference in Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.The three officers are former Selangor investigations unit head Hishammudin Hashim, investigation officer Mohd Anuar Ismail and assistant superintendent Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus.

Ambiga to be conferred doctor of law by UK varsity

I believe majority of the Malaysians and I are happy that she has be recognized & conferred with doctorate in law by University of Exeter. My congratulation to you and keep your good work in the most transparent manner. God Bless you. Greeting from  London.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan will be awarded an honorary doctorate in law today from the University of Exeter in the UK.The Malaysian Insider understands she will be present to receive the university award at its ceremony to be held later today.Sources said Ambiga left for the UK over the weekend, where she plans to take a one- to two-week break after the landmark July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally for cleaner and more honest elections she spearheaded.Close friend and fellow lawyer Tommy Thomas confirmed the news when contacted by The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

Thomas, a former Bar Council secretary, said in England, universities value seriously contributions to the professions but was unable to shed light on who nominated Ambiga for the award and what she was being recognised for.He believes there are three possible push factors, the first two being services to her profession as a lawyer as Ambiga had been vocal during her two-year term as the Malaysian Bar president from 2007 to 2009.Ambiga, 55, has played an active role in other sectors of the legal profession for almost 30 years including helming the Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Centre and speaking out on Malaysian intellectual property protection.“She is well regarded by most of her peers and enjoys the ear of many of the judges,” Thomas said.

Najib, ministers to distribute flags for Merdeka month

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and cabinet ministers will distribute Jalur Gemilang to the public in conjunction with the upcoming independence month celebration.Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said the flag distribution would be carried out at KL Sentral after the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday.


"The prime minister and cabinet ministers will take a ride on the ERL from here to KL Sentral," he told reporters in Putrajaya.Earlier, Rais accompanied Muhyiddin who were shown the batik shirt to be worn by cabinet ministers at the launch of the flag-raising campaign.The specially-designed batik incorporates multi-ethnic motifs in line with the 1Malaysia concept.Muhyiddin later chaired the cabinet meeting.

Source- Bernama

IGP: Video on Illegal Rally to be Screened This Week

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 JULY, 2011: The police are expected to show video and photographic evidence on the July 9 illegal rally to the media at the Theatrette Hall in Bukit Aman, here this week.Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the police, through the six special committees set up to investigate allegations of police aggression during the rally, needed time to complete their evaluation and examination on these claims.

"It will take us time to find out the actual number of people at the rally. We also need to interview our personnel as well as civilians to obtain data," he said during a news conference in Bukit Aman today.

He also urged the public not to jump to conclusions or have negative perceptions towards the police while investigations were being carried out, adding that the police welcomed any recordings on the rally which could be used as evidence."From my observations (on photos and videos on the Internet), I find there is something not quite right. We urge the public to surrender any evidence that can help us get a clear picture of what happened," he said.

Lam Thye: Integrated Strategy Against Rape Needed

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 JULY, 2011: Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye wants an integrated strategy to be formulated to tackle rape cases involving children.He said there was a need for such strategy as police statistics had indicated that seven of 10 rape victims were children.The public should take a concerted effort against sex crimes against children, he said.

Lee was speaking to reporters after officiating a project, 'Crime Prevention and Healthy Living Community Service', organised by the Lions Group of Companies here today.Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to officiate a gathering of 1,500 youths in Melaka on Saturday, to discuss the prevalence of crime among youths and how to overcome it.Lee said the gathering would be themed, 'Youths Unite Against Crime'.

Source - Bernama

Consider Malaysia, Najib urges UK firms

LONDON, July 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak kicked off his first official visit to the United Kingdom today with a roundtable meeting involving captains of industry, during which he spoke about investment opportunities in Malaysia.National news agency Bernama quoted the prime minister as saying he is determined to ensure that the country remains a profitable destination for foreign companies.Najib said that there are numerous projects that UK companies, in partnership with Malaysian firms, could explore, particularly in diverse fields such as business services, education, healthcare, electrical and electronics, green technology and information and communications technology as well as halal products and services, and Islamic finance.

 

He added that the government hopes to attract wider UK investment with an emphasis on high-technology, value-added and knowledge-based activities — likely as part of the New Economic Model, Economic Transformation Programme and the 10th Malaysia Plan.Najib also touted Malaysia as a viable investment destination, saying the vibrant business environment and well-developed industry structure, together with existing infrastructure, would be constantly enhanced to ensure the country remains a competitive consideration for foreign investors.

Najib In UK Till Friday

KUALA LUMPUR -- Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will begin an official visit to the United Kingdom, at the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron, beginning today and continuing through July 15.The Foreign Ministry, in a statement released here yesterday, said the visit was significant as it reflects the long-standing and strong historical links between the two countries."In line with Malaysia's objective of becoming a high-income country, this visit could become a catalyst in expanding the existing network of cooperation and enable both countries to work together in facing new global challenges," the statement said.

It will be the first official visit by Najib to the United Kingdom since taking over the country's leadership in April 2009.During the visit, Najib will inspect a Guard of Honor at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before his luncheon meeting with Cameron. The statement said both occasions are significant for Kuala Lumpur-London relations since such protocol arrangements were normally not accorded for visits by Heads of Government.

"The two prime ministers will have the opportunity to chart a new direction of bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in various fields. The meeting is expected to infuse a fresh dynamism into the multi-faceted and multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries," the statement said.

‘Lady of Liberty’ at Bersih march draws online support

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Quiet has settled over Saturday’s chaos but one image is still making waves on the Internet — the picture of an elderly woman in yellow, drenched in rain and chemical-laced water, walking away from riot police while clutching on to a long-stemmed flower and a near-empty mineral water bottle.She is Annie Ooi, a 65-year-old retired English teacher who took a bus from Setapak in the early morning of July 9 to join thousands of others in Bersih 2.0’s march for free and fair elections. An unknown man had offered her the flower in the morning and she waved it like a flag throughout the four-hour march. Netizens have dubbed her “Aunty Bersih”, and even Malaysia’s “Lady of Liberty”, for placing her health and safety at risk to join a march the government had declared illegal.

Pictures of the diminutive Ooi strolling in the war zone that Kuala Lumpur had turned into are all over the Internet, inviting messages of awe and wonderment from netizens across the country.On Facebook, at least three fan pages were set up in dedication to Ooi immediately after the event. One page called “Malaysian Lady of Liberty” attracted 17,176 “likes” as of 9am this morning.Ooi was one of the few who dared to turn up in yellow to mark the occasion, despite earlier warnings that those with clothes indicating support for the outlawed Bersih 2.0 coalition would be arrested.