The Star

June 30, 2010

THE Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has a solid financial standing to carry out a massive development project involving 3,335 acres of land in Sungai Buloh, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The EPF also planned to increase its involvement in property investment from 2% to 5%, he said.

“The development project will also create job opportunities,” Najib said in his written reply to Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR – Lembah Pantai).

The Government has approved a development project to be carried out by Kwasa Land Sdn Bhd – a joint venture company between the Government and EPF on the land owned by the Rubber Board of Malaysia.

The Government approved the proposed plan to develop the land in principle on May 12.

“The direct involvement of the Government through a joint venture with the EPF enables it to regulate the direction of the development, including the development of certain industrial sector clusters in line with the New Economic Model,” he said.

The EPF would be getting several private property companies to participate in the development of the land, Najib said, adding that EPF’s contributors are expected to benefit from the venture.

Dubbed the “new hub” for Klang Valley, the development project is estimated to attract more than RM5bil in investments.

(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.

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

Dato’ Seri Najib Razak telah menyatakan bahawa sebuah inkuest akan ditubuhkan.

YB Karpal Singh berhujah di sini bahawa sebuah Suruhanjaya Di-Raja lebih baik dari sebuah inkuest.

Nathaniel Tan pula menyatakan bahawa inkuest ini hanya untuk siasat prosedur SPRM, Bukannya mencari punca nahas Beng Hock.

Malaysian Insider berkata legasi Tun Abdullah dalam melaksanakan ‘reform’nya kini luput kerana SPRM yang dulunya BPR, kononnya akan lebih ‘taring’, lebih ‘garang’ dan lebih baik dalam menangani gejala rasuah, kini gagal menyeluruh.

Alahai, apa dah jadi sekarang? Seorang lelaki maut di tangan SPRM. Utusan memberi amaran kepada Pembangkang jangan mainkan isu rasis ini. Berita Harian membunyikan nada yang sama.

Apapun, saya ingin mengucapkan takziah kepada keluarga Beng Hock dan juga kepada tunangnya.

—–

Sila baca rentetan Hannah Yeoh (ADUN Subang Jaya) tentang kisah ini. Amat menyayat hati.

The Star ran a report that PM Najib is shocked by Ah Long’s notorious behaviours.

I am profoundly shocked that Datuk Seri Najib has no clue as to what ah longs can do to you. How can one govern if he or she doesn’t know the harsh realities faced by the ordinary rakyat every day.

This only proves a tag line such as 1Malaysia -without a real clue of its actual substance-is doomed to fail.

Granted, I applaud that Datuk Seri Najib now has some clue as to the notorierity of Ah Longs but I wonder what remains on his list of “shocking things” to discover during his ‘turun padang’ outings.