(Malaysian Insider, 10th February 2010)

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/52634-anwars-sodomy-trial-meant-to-hurt-us-says-izzah

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Today will be the seventh day of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy trial as Nurul Izzah and family walk through the swarm of photographers and reporters to show support for their well-loved father.
Izzah was only 18 years old when her father was first implicated for sodomy in 1998 and 12 years later, Anwar is accused of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a posh condominium in the exclusive Bukit Damansara suburb in Kuala Lumpur.
Anwar’s eldest child is now a mother of two and a first-term MP for Lembah Pantai which she won in Election 2008.
She explained to The Malaysian Insider that her current situation is different from the last sodomy trial because she is now not only responsible for her family but also supporters.
“All of us are older now and I have my husband by my side and my two children. It was very much more complex having a constituency and you really carry the hopes and inspiration of our supporters including Pakatan Rakyat supporters,” Izzah said while sitting beside her husband Raja Ahmad Shahrir at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
However, she admitted being angry that her family has to go through and witness her father on trial again.
“On a personal level, I would say it is very difficult and I am angry as well when I first heard his (Saiful) testimony in court to a point that it is almost unbelievable that we have to go through this again, are you kidding me? When the trial should have stopped immediately looking at the evidence.
“So it is harrowing and we just have to remain focused because they mean to do this, they mean to hurt us and basically make us feel that that there is no hope for the future,” she said.
Izzah said that the sodomy trial proves that her father is still a threat to Barisan Nasional.
“I think it is a continuation and it is better choreographed this time around but it still came as a shock to the family. We were focusing on the reform agendas especially the March 8 election results and it just reaffirms two things. The first is my father is still very much a threat to the ruling government and they will do whatever it takes to destroy his political career and the political future of Pakatan Rakyat.
“Second there is no way, you can get around unfinished reform; basically you need to implement reforms in the judiciary, in the police force and even parliamentary reforms because the same players who are responsible for ‘98 have been promoted, and again play a vital role in this episode so that is basically what my take is,” she said.
Izzah is still confident that her father would not be “put behind bars”.
“We shouldn’t assume that all hope is lost. We have a very very good case and a good team of lawyers basically almost all Malaysians know what is happening. They can see the transgression that has taken place but I believe it is also a wake-up call for Pakatan Rakyat to really strengthen the party. Our structure and position.
“I remain optimistic but of course now we are asking for the judge to recuse himself so as you can tell we are doing our best so that he is not put behind bars,” she said.
Izzah said that her family understand the situation better now and vow that her father will be “vindicated”.
“I would say that it is very difficult, because the kids have grown up so everyone understands the term conspiracy. So that is helpful. And my daughter can say ‘masalah politik’ (political problem) and ‘kesian papa tuk’ (poor grandfather). So I think we have more family support in that sense. But I think we do what we can to support him and we will not waiver in our resolve to vindicate my father,” she said.

YB Nurul Izzah on whether Pakatan Rakyat’s Members of Parliament should receive allocations to service their constituencies.

The expected traditional role of an Federal Territory MP covers not only parliamentary duties but also patronage related activities -mainly linked to welfare distribution to constituents/ institutions/ organizations within his/her constituency.

Ideally, an MP should focus on raising pertinent local and national issues at the parliamentary level, whilst being supported by assembly persons and an elected local government adept at servicing the constituents’ needs.

But Federal Territory MPs do not have state assembly persons. Additionally, they are mostly at the mercy of the federal appointed Mayor and City Hall officers who decide matters most sacred to KL, Labuan and Putrajaya -issues of licensing, enforcement and servicing.

Hence, regardless of who gets the allocations, what matters most is accountability. Each RM must be spent fairly and efficiently, with the Federal Territory rakyat in mind.

For now, with DBKL fully deciding on how the RM 2.12 bn is being spent for this year, the Pakatan Rakyat Kuala Lumpur MPs are working around , creatively and exhaustively, without any say on how the money is spent, and without access to the RM 1 million that goes directly to the party in power.

In conclusion, the allocation need not be passed through us, but it must be made accountable and transparent to the rakyat. That’s the issue, and that’s what you should raise.

Thanks

Izzah

KENYATAAN TERBUKA Y.B NURUL IZZAH ANWAR
BERHUBUNG PERBICARAAN ANWAR IBRAHIM

Tarikh: 2 Februari 2010

Teman-teman seperjuangan sekalian,

Perbicaraan ini merupakan satu percubaan jahat yang bukan sahaja berniat untuk menghina dan menghancurkan karier politik ayah, tetapi juga keutuhan keluarga kami. Perbicaraan ini sekali lagi mengingatkan rakyat tentang penglibatan Peguam Negara, pimpinan tertinggi UMNO dan Ketua Polis Negara dalam perencanaan konspirasi 1998 – dan tentunya pembabitan mereka di dalam kes terbaru ini.

Saya ingin menegaskan dakwaan bahawa kes ini sebenarnya dilengah-lengahkan datang dari pendusta, pemfitnah, dan mereka yang sememangnya tidak faham atau arif tentang sistem perundangan negara.

Sewaktu kes di bicarakan di mahkamah majistret, Peguam Negara bersungguh-sungguh memohon agar kes tersebut dipindah untuk dibicarakan di Mahkamah Tinggi. Permohonan tersebutlah yang merupakan satu bentuk penangguhan – yang dipinta oleh MEREKA!

Kita semua maklum bagaimana ayah diminta membela diri oleh mahkamah walaupun bukti penting yg menunjukkan wujudnya kes prima facie tidak diserahkan kepada beliau. Ini bercanggah dengan peruntukan undang-undang yang jelas menetapkan kewajipan pihak pendakwa berbuat demikian.
Justeru ayah terpaksa menggunakan saluran mahkamah untuk mendapatkan dokumen tersebut sebelum perbicaraan penuh dimulakan. Malangnya kami pula dituduh cuba untuk melengah-lengahkan kes.

Amat mendukacitakan rayuan kami ke Mahkamah Tinggi untuk membatalkan tuduhan terhadap ayah turut ditolak sungguhpun bukti menunjukkan dakwaan wujudnya elemen “kemasukan” adalah tidak berasas. Selain itu, Mahkamah Rayuan sehingga ke hari ini masih belum menetapkan tarikh perbicaraan.

Sudahlah ayah dinafikan akses terhadap bukti-bukti untuk membela dirinya. Ditambah pula dengan rayuan ke Mahkamah Tinggi yang ditolak serta permohonan kami agar keputusan itu disemak oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan, mana mungkin perbicaraan ini boleh diteruskan?

Kami tidak mengharapkan belas kasihan dari para konspirator tetapi setidak-tidaknya janganlah menuduh kami menggunakan proses mahkamah untuk melengah-lengahkan kes sedang kami sedari awal maklum keputusan mahkamah tidak akan memihak kepada kami. Hormatilah hak kami untuk menggunakan saluran mahkamah demi menegakkan keadilan. Sesungguhnya kami juga mahu keaiban kedua ini berakhir secepat mungkin agar kami dapat menjalani kehidupan seperti insan lain.

Sungguhpun demikian, kami ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi ucapan terima kasih kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia yang masih terus menyokong kami dalam usaha mengembalikan maruah kami sekeluarga serta maruah negara dan bangsa. Doa dari tuan-tuan Allah sahaja yang dapat membalasnya dan sesungguhnya percayalah kebenaran akan pasti tertegak.Ketabahan dan kesabaran harus diteruskan, terutamanya bila terbayang wajah Mursyidul AM PAS, YAB Menteri Besar Neg Kelantan, AL Fadhil Dato’ Tuan Guru Nik Aziz pagi tadi – hadir bersama , menolak fitnah. Moga Allah SWT berikan kita kekuatan.

NURUL IZZAH ANWAR

Amnesty International:Malaysia opposition leader Anwar faces ’show trial’

29 January 2010

Amnesty International has urged the Malaysian authorities to drop politically motivated criminal charges of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim, the country’s opposition leader, after he lost an appeal for access to the government’s evidence against him on Friday.

His trial is now set to begin on 2 February at the High Court. This case is the second time in 12 years that the authorities have brought such charges against the former deputy prime minister.

Following his public criticism of then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed in 1998, Anwar was arrested and convicted on sodomy and corruption charges. He spent six years in solitary confinement before his conviction was overturned and he was released.

“The Malaysian authorities have resorted to the same old dirty tricks in an attempt to remove the opposition leader from politics,” said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific director at Amnesty International. “Malaysia’s judiciary should throw out these charges.”

Amnesty International considered him a prisoner of conscience before his release in 2004.

For five years, Anwar was banned from seeking public office as a result of his conviction on corruption charges. After the ban expired in April 2008, he won a parliamentary seat on 26 August 2008, and become opposition leader as head of the People’s Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat).

But one month before his election, on 17 July 2008, Anwar was again arrested on charges that he had committed sodomy with a male former aide. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and loss of political office.

The criminal charge of sodomy against Anwar, under Section 377B of the Penal Code, is at odds with international human rights standards. This British colonial-era law provides for prison and whipping, a punishment that violates the international law prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment. Moreover, the UN Human Rights Commission in 1997 ruled that sodomy laws infringe the fundamental right to privacy.

Amnesty International is seriously concerned about fair-trial issues surrounding Anwar’s case. The prosecution’s refusal to deliver evidence to the defence at the pre-trial stage infringes international fair-trial standards and Malaysian law.

“Anwar’s case has rightly raised doubts among the international community and investors about Malaysia’s commitment to justice and the rule of law,” said Zarifi.

Under Section 51A of the Malaysia’s Criminal Procedure Code, the prosecution must deliver documents and a written statement of facts favourable to the defence. The UN Human Rights Committee has established that the minimum facilities for fair trials “must include access to documents and other evidence which the accused requires to prepare his case.”

On 29 January, however, the Malaysian Federal Court failed to uphold the prosecution’s obligation to provide access to evidence which Anwar’s lawyers believe may help exonerate him. In an earlier decision, the Court of Appeals had termed the defence’s application for evidence a “fishing expedition.”

“The court’s decision to allow the prosecution to withhold key evidence sets a dangerous precedent for criminal cases in Malaysia,” said Zarifi. “This is a recipe for unfair trials.”

Please see below for weblink

http://amnesty. org/en/news- and-updates/ malaysia- opposition- leader-anwar- faces-039show- trial039- 20100129

I was horrified to have heard the news of the attack on the Metro Tabernacle church in Desa Melawati, and two others that occurred after midnight last night but the news did not prepare me for the shock I experienced at the site itself.

This afternoon, I had visited the site of the Metro Tabernacle Church to offer my condolences and sympathies. It is not an overstatement to say the site of the attack reminded me of events that we have heard happen in other countries but never in my wildest dreams was it possible in Malaysia and I strongly condemn these acts as not only un-Malaysian but un-Islamic and I urge all to think of the possible ramification of this hideous and cowardly act. These fire-bombs are indeed ugly acts of domestic terrorism!

We are a nation of multiple faiths and races, which has survived a myriad of challenges from as far back as colonization, insurgencies and the economic meltdowns of recent years. Our strength as a country lies in our ability as individuals to stay level headed and collected in trying times.

I urge leaders from all sides to not allow this to spiral out of control and encourage all Malaysians to be calm, compassionate and vigilant from being used by some groups for political gain.

“The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war”. ~ Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

Monday December 7, 2009
DBKL to focus on upgrading services and amenities
By BAVANI M ( STARMETRO NEWS)

A PEOPLE-centric budget for next year focusing on maintaining and upgrading existing public amenities as well as improving services is expected to be unveiled by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) today.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail who disclosed some details of the 2010 budget at a meeting with Kuala Lumpur MP’s on Friday had said the budget of RM2.12bil is aimed at ensuring that KLites enjoy a better quality of life with a better administered DBKL.

DBKL’s 2010 budget with the theme “Putting People First’’ is aimed at promoting integrity and transparency and to emphasise on people-centric projects.

DBKL has allocated RM1.102bil for administration costs for cleanliness, beautification, upgrading of pipes, roads, public amenities, recreation as well as safety while the RM1.07bil for development cost will focus more on projects that would benefit the residents.

As for revenue, a bulk of DBKL earnings are from assessment (RM755mil), sale of asset/housing (RM451mil), rental of public housing (RM65mil), licence and permit (RM47.96mil) and planning and construction (RM116 mil).

DBKL would also receive various grants from the Federal government totalling millions for administration and development purposes.
Even though the budget is supposed to be more people friendly, city MP’s are disappointed that their request for a more detailed budget was not granted.
“They are talking about integrity and transparency and being accountable, but they are not practising it,’’ said disgruntled Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai.

“Open up all the 20 departments in DBKL and show the various projects and contracts given out. The Public Works Department alone has over 100 projects amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit. Show us all the contracts,’’ he said.
Tan said that the DBKL is the third biggest spender in the country.
“Compare KL’s RM2.12bil against Selangor’s RM1.2bil. On paper it would seem that KL’s two million residents are getting a fair deal compared to Selangor’s 5.6 million residents but KLites have the right to know where their money is going,’’ he added.
Batu MP Tian Chua said that DBKL should allow elected reps to give input when formulating the budget.
“Not just the budget. They should also let us see when tabling their annual audited accounts. We have the right to know how people’s money is being spent so there is some monitoring. This is certainly inadequate,’’ he said.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said DBKL needs to review the contracts of its service providers like Alam Flora.
“Waste collection service has deteriorated ever since Alam Flora took over the management of waste in the city.
“DBKL has to honour numerous contracts that are still running but the quality and service performance of these contractors must be re-examined as well,” she said.
She also said the surplus budget, thanks to federal government assistance, formed a whopping 67.6% of the development expenditure and which also included a one-off payment amounting to RM451.3mil.
“There is no rationale for distribution of development expenditure according to constituencies. DBKL is not answerable to Parliament. One example is the number of public housing in Bandar Tun Razak, Lembah Pantai and Bukit Bintang – 11, 3 and 5 respectively.
“You would expect that the budget would follow the number of housing but Bandar Tun Razak gets RM79.2mil, Lembah Pantai 26mil and Bukit Bintang RM240mil.
“As such, the RM2.12bil budget (even higher than that for Selangor and Penang), has to be tabled in Parliament, to constituents and to MPs.
“This is made even more necessary with the disclosure that not even the Auditor General has the right to review the big budget.
“Such powers have been given to DBKL to freely use taxpayers’ money with no proper check and balance, save for some episodes of internal auditing.”
“We were also informed, after a query, that an item under maintenance costing RM250mil (for 2010) has been transferred from the FT Ministry to DBKL in the form of the said amount. Hence for 2010, the maintenance item under the FT Ministry has been effectively erased.
“How do we monitor and compare past and present implementation of maintenance works in our cities.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng feels that the budget allocation is a huge amount.
“Make no mistake. It is still a deficit budget despite the extra windfall from the sale of PPR units. The RM451mil revenue from the sale of the flats is a ‘one off thing’ and DBKL cannot rely on that,’’ added Lim.