Budget 2011 : Hishammuddin should answer to serious allegations in Mat Zain’s open letter

2011 Budget not a child of New Economic Model but bears all the marks of old discredited Mahathirish policies (Part 5 of 5)

Ex-top cop Mat Zain’s Open Letter is testimony that criminal justice system had further deteriorated after 2005 Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission report

Recently, both the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had made great play about the successful NKRA on crime reduction, claiming that there have been a drastic drop in the crime rate particularly in street crime with improvement of the crime index since January this year.However, up and down the country, ordinary Malaysians do not feel this dividend of fall of crime index in their daily lives as they do not feel comparatively safer in the streets, public places or privacy of their homes as compared to previous years.

Idris Jala insists Malaysia on track in graft fight

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Datuk Seri Idris Jala insisted today that the government is still on track in tackling corruption despite Malaysia continuing to score poorly on Transparency International’s (TI) annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) this year.Idris, the CEO of the Najib Administration’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), downplayed the graft watchdog’s findings, claiming that Malaysia’s CPI score “essentially” remained the same this year and did not reflect the government’s progress in combating corruption.

Nazri: PKFZ, Lingam case beyond government’s control

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz today explained that the government had done all it could to address perceptions of graft in the administration, which sagged further according to an anti-graft report yesterday.Speaking to reporters today, Nazri blamed the current Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and the Datuk VK Lingam tapes controversy as the main contributors to Malaysia’s drop in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Nazri: Graft cases lost because of hostile witnesses

KUALA LUMPUR: Prosecutors have lost many graft cases because witnesses turned hostile, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz.“Cases are lost when witnesses, who initially made sworn statements, went back on their word in open court proceedings and denied what happened,” he said, when replying to a supplementary question by Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) at the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

Malaysia is 43rd most prosperous country

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Malaysia came in 43rd in a list of the most prosperous nations released this week, trailing Singapore, coming in at 17th, but still ahead of other Asean neighbours.The Legatum Prosperity Index, compiled by the London-based analytical centre, saw Norway top the list of 110 countries while Zimbabwe came in last.Norway also topped the previous year’s list.“The Prospdrity Index seeks to understand how economic fundamentals, health, freedom, governance, safety, education, entrepreneurial opportunity and social capital influence a country’s economic growth and the happiness of its citizens,” said the Legatum Institute.

MACC opens probes into Audit Report discrepancies

In a swift move by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), it has opened several probes into the discrepancies highlighted in the 2009 Auditor-General's report.In a statement today, MACC said it had opened 13 investigation papers, 14 initial investigation papers and five examination and discussion papers.“Of the 13 investigation papers, three are in Johor, six are being investigated by the Putrajaya headquarters, two are in Terengganu and one each in Selangor and Sarawak,” said the statement.

PKFZ: OC Phang seeks stay of CBT trial

OC Phang, the former general manager of the Port Klang Authority, has applied to the Klang Sessions Court for a stay of hearing into the criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges against her over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.Her lawyer Francis Ng Aik Guan told the court that Phang  wants her case to be deferred pending disposal of a related case against former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik.