Abdul Razak Baginda acquitted over sensational murder

Abdul Razak Baginda, a high-profile political analyst was cleared of involvement in the murder of a Mongolian woman, in a case linked to top government figures that has gripped Malaysia.

A close associate of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, he was accused of abetting the 2006 slaying of his former lover Altantuya Shaariibuu, whose body was blown up with explosives in a jungle clearing.

In one of the longest hearings in Malaysia's history, a court spent 151 days considering whether there was a case against Abdul Razak and two police officers accused of carrying out the murder.

"I find there is no prima facie case for him to answer his charge. He is therefore acquitted and discharged," said Judge Mohamad Zaki Mohamad Yasin. He had faced the death penalty by hanging if found guilty.

However, the court ordered the two policemen -- from an elite unit which guards the prime minister and deputy prime minister -- to enter their defence. The case will be heard from November 10.

Altantuya's father Setev Shaariibuu was distraught over the decision, in a case that has been seen as a test of the strength of Malaysia's much-criticised judiciary.

"I am not satisfied. My daughter knows only one Malaysian and it is Razak Baginda. Now my daughter is dead and Baginda is freed... the country has lost credibility in the world," he told reporters.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda was "saved" by his own affidavit in which the court accepted as the grounds to acquit him from the charge of abetting two policemen in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

High Court judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that exculpatory statements contained in Abdul Razak's affidavit negated and nullified the act of abetment as alleged against him.

Abdul Razak's action to file the affidavit was out of the ordinary and was at one point described by some in the legal fraternity as "now the cat was out of the bag".

"In my view, once the essential elements of abetment, that is, by instigation, conspiracy and aiding, and in the context of this case, the death of Altantuya is not proven on the basis of a prima facie evidence, any other inferences and doubts that may have arisen must be resolved, as is trite, in favour of the accused person.

"It is not for the court to call for the defence merely to clear or clarify such doubts," Mohd Zaki said in his judgment when acquitting and discharging Abdul Razak without ordering him to enter his defence.

The judge said the affidavit was corroborated in material particulars by four witnesses, private eye P. Balasubramaniam, Altantuya's cousin Burmaa Oyuchimeg, Lance Corporal Rohaniza Roslan and Siti Aishah Mohd Azlan, and other surrounding circumstances.

An exculpatory statement means a statement by the defendant or accused that tends to clear a defendant/accused from alleged guilt, or a statement that tends to justify or excuse his/her actions or presence.

The affidavit was previously filed by Abdul Razak to support his application for bail before the trial with the intention to show that he did not abet in the murder.

In the affidavit, Abdul Razak had revealed details of his affair with Altantuya where he said he met her in 2004 and their romance saw them jet-setting to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and France.

Abdul Razak, who is married to Mazlinda Makhzan and they have a daughter, Rowena, said he and Altantuya broke up around August 2005.

He also said in the affidavit that he was being blackmailed by Altantuya.

The fact that the two policemen, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, will continue to face the murder charge will almost certainly ensure many Malaysians will be suspicious of the whole affair.

Regardless of whether it is fair or not, Razak's acquittal will only go further to fuel rumours and speculation about the involvement of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

That has become the nature of politics in Malaysia.

Razak is, of course, a close associate of Najib.

It looks like the Altantuya murder trial may well generate more heat on Nov 10.

Meanwhile, Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar's lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin said they plan to summon two witnesses -- Abdul Razak Baginda's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam (who had gone missing) and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who is currently under Internal Security Act detention.

Kamarul said he will write to the Home Minister to allow Raja Petra to be called up as a witness. As for the P.I., he did not say how he would reach him.

“I will be looking into the two statutory declarations made by Balasubramaniam and one by Raja Petra and check on their authenticity,” he added.

The first declaration by the P.I. had made sensational accusations, including that deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had a relationship with the late Altantuya Shaariibuu. This was revealed at a press conference with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

However, just as sensationally, he made another declaration to retract that particular accusation. After that, he and his family disappeared from their Rawang home, and have not been seen since.

Azilah’s lawyer Datuk Hazman Ahmad said they plan to call four witnesses to take the stand, including DSP Musa Safri, Azilah’s fiancée Norazila Baharuddin, one Sjn Idris, one Sjn Shamlin and Sub Inspector Megat.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wished Abdul Razak Baginda well, but questioned the manner in which the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case was handled by the police and the prosecution.

"Of course on a personal level, I wish Razak well, but the issue here revolves around the court procedure and the investigations," he said.

Raja Nazrin: Governments must not discriminate

The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah said today that governments should not set down discriminatory laws or policies but must ensure inclusive development through empowerment.

"No segment of society must be disrespected, discredited and disenfranchised," he said in his address at the 21st LawAsia Conference here.

He said that no single group in any country should feel their contributions are unrecognized or unwanted.

While the Perak Raja Muda did not specify what laws or which countries he was referring to, his remarks comes amid a roiling debate over the country's "social contract" and the government's pro-Bumiputera affirmative action policies.

His advice also comes on the heels of the recent statement by the Rulers Council calling on all parties to stop questioning the social contract between Malays and non-Malays as it would cause unease.

In his speech today, Raja Nazrin called for the abandonment of what he called "the silo mentality where we only look up at what is happening and not beside us at what others are experiencing."

He made a case instead for policies which empower through inclusiveness.

"Only with inclusive development through empowerment can societies become strong," he said.

The lack of empowerment, he said, would lead to a sense of alienation and hostility that could result in "rash acts of violence."

"We cannot morally turn our backs on the fundamental responsibility of ensuring that all stakeholders in our society, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, have a place under the sun."

Among the prerequisites cited by Raja Nazrin for empowerment was for governments to strengthen the rule of law and to ensure greater political participation for citizens as stakeholders.

"It is only when citizens are also stakeholders will there be the widest sense of ownership of problems and challenges," he said.

"Abandon 'Silo' Mentality, Says Raja Nazrin" - Bernama

After trousers, Muslim body now targets yoga

Not content with banning women from wearing trousers, Malaysia's top Islamic council now wants a ban on yoga, according to a Malaysiakini.

The National Fatwa Council will be issuing a ruling soon relating to yoga exercise, which is deemed to be deviationist in nature for the Muslims.

An announcement on the matter is expected to be made soon by the fatwa council's chairperson Prof Dr Abdul Shukor Husin.

This was revealed by the deputy director-general of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) Othman Mustapha, reported Bernama today.

Yesterday, UKM lecturer Prof Zakaria Stapa advised Muslims who have taken up yoga - a widely popular exercise which has its roots to India and Hinduism - to stop practising it for fear that it could deviate them from their belief.

"Yoga originated from the Hindu community and it combines spiritual as well as their religious aspects. They believe it brings them closer to their god," he was reported as saying in Berita Harian today.

Zakaria was reported to have said that more Muslims were resorting to yoga exercise to find a balance in their hectic lifestyle.

He added that they should instead apply the Islamic teachings such as prayers to find peace and good health.

"If the Muslims want a healthy body, prayers are the right choice... why must we find alternate ways... a single mistake can deviate our teachings as yoga movements follow the style and tradition of Hinduism," he was reported as saying.

Ban on tomboys

The perils of yoga to the Muslims is learnt to have been discussed at the recently held fatwa council meeting in Kota Baru, Kelantan.

At the fatwa council meeting, the religious scholars have also decided to issue a fatwa against females from dressing or behaving like men and engaging in lesbian sex.

Council chairperson Abdul Shukor had said that many young women admired the way men dress, behave and socialise, violating human nature and denying their feminity.

"It is unacceptable to see women who love the male lifestyle including dressing in the clothes men wear," Abdul Shukor was quoted as saying.

YOGA

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite". Translations include "joining", "uniting", "union", "conjunction", and "means". Outside India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. A practitioner of Yoga is called a Yogi (unisex term) or Yogini (for female).

From Wikipedia.

Islamists stone to death Somali woman for adultery !

Somalia: Woman Stoned to Death for Adultery After Sharia Court Found her Guilty, Buried up to her Neck While 50 Men Pelted her Head With Stones.

Thousands of people gathered Monday to witness 50 Somali men stone a woman to death after an Islamic court in the southern port of Kismayo found her guilty of adultery....

Somali Islamists have stoned to death a woman accused of adultery in the first such public killing by the militants for about two years.

The 23-year-old woman was executed late on Monday in front of hundreds of people in the southern port of Kismayu, which the Islamist insurgents captured in August, witnesses said.

Guards opened fire when a relative ran forward, killing a child, they said.

"A woman in green veil and black mask was brought in a car as we waited to watch the merciless act of stoning," one local resident, Abdullahi Aden, told Reuters.

"We were told she submitted herself to be punished, yet we could see her screaming as she was forcefully bound, legs and hands. A relative of hers ran towards her, but the Islamists opened fire and killed a child."

The Islamists last carried out public executions when they ruled Mogadishu and most of south Somalia for half of 2006. Allied Ethiopian and Somali government forces toppled them at the end of that year, but they have waged an Iraq-style guerrilla campaign since then, gradually taking territory back.

As when they ruled Mogadishu in 2006, the Islamists now controlling the Kismayu area are again providing much-needed security, but also imposing fundamentalist practices such as banning entertainment seen as anti-Islamic.

Relatives of the woman executed in Kismayu, whom they named as Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow, said she was unfairly treated.

"Our sister Aisha asked the Islamic Sharia court in Kismayo to be charged and punished for the crime she committed," local Islamist leader Sheikh Hayakallah told the crowd.

"She admitted in front of the court to engaging in adulterous sexual intercourse," he added.

"She was asked several times to review her confession but she stressed that she wanted Sharia law and the deserved punishment to apply."

"The stoning was totally irreligious and illogical," said her sister, who asked not to be named. "Islam does not execute a woman for adultery unless four witnesses and the man with whom she committed sex are brought forward publicly."

Islamist leaders at the execution said the woman had breached Islamic law. They promised to punish the guard who had shot the child in the melee around the execution.

"We apologise for killing the child. And we promise we shall bring the one who opened fire before the courts and deal with him accordingly," one unnamed Islamist leader told the crowd.

PM urges Indians to renounce 'extremism'

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi urged the country's minority ethnic Indians on Sunday to renounce "extremist groups" that he said threaten national unity.

He also promised to address complaints of discrimination, came three days after police arrested a dozen members of a banned ethnic Indian rights group.

In a message marking the Hindu celebration of Diwali, or Deepavali, Abdullah called for unity and understanding among Malaysia's three main ethnic groups.

"In the spirit of Deepavali, with the understanding that goodwill always prevails, Malaysians must remain together and not allow extremist groups and individuals to cause tensions to rise," he said.

He did not name any particular group, but his comments followed anger at this month's banning of the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf, an activist group that shot to prominence last November when it led tens of thousands of Indians in a rare street protest.

Police quelled last year's protest with tear gas and mass arrests. Five of the group's top leaders were jailed under a tough security act that allows indefinite detention without trial.

On Thursday, police arrested 12 more Hindraf members on grounds of illegal assembly when they tried to submit a petition to Abdullah to release their five jailed leaders. Two of them, including a 6-year-old child, were released the same day while the rest were freed on police bail Sunday.

The Hindu Rights Actions Force, (மக்கள் சக்தி Makkal Sakthi) has been declared an illegal organisation.

Syed Hamid, in a statement said the decision to declare Hindraf as an illegal organisation was made following the ministry being satisfied with facts and evidence that showed Hindraf had and was being used for unlawful purposes and posed a threat to public order and morality.

“Based on powers vested under Section 5(1) of the Societies Act, Hindraf from today is declared an illegal organisation,” he said.

He said the order was being made as a result of monitoring and investigation on the organisation’s activities by the Registrar of Societies (ROs) and Home Ministry, since Hindraf’s inception.

Syed Hamid said if left unchecked, Hindraf would continue to pose a threat to public order, the security and sovereignty of the country as well as the prevailing racial harmony.

“The decision to declare Hindraf an illegal organisation is not based on one or two of its activities that are in contravention of the law but covers all the actions it has taken since being formed,” he said.

Syed Hamid said Hindraf had all the criteria of an organised movement because it had filed for registration with the ROS on Oct 16 last year.

The application had yet to be approved but Hindraf had actively exploited the Indian community to organise illegal assemblies and street demonstrations without permits to the point of causing a segment of the community to rise up against the Government and also hatred among the Malays and Indians in the country, he said.

“Hindraf has also tried to secure support from foreign countries for the purpose of pressuring the Government to bow to its demands,” he added.

Syed Hamid advised the public to distance themselves from Hindraf and not participate in any way in any of its activities

Indians and ethnic Chinese have recently become more vocal in speaking out against the government's decades-old policy favoring majority Malays in education, jobs and business opportunities. The pro-Malay preferences were established in 1971 to help close the wealth gap between poor Malays and rich Chinese following deadly race riots in 1969.

Last November's protest by Indians was seen as a watershed in the country's politics, emboldening Malaysians unhappy with the government and boosting opposition parties to spectacular gains in general elections in March.

Abdullah said that the government has set up a Cabinet committee to address grievances of ethnic Indians.

"The government is fully committed to this end, knowing full well that any advancement made by this community, as with the others, will surely benefit the country as a whole," he said.

Separation of Islam And Justice - Malaysia Today

NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin


It appears like Yang Berhormat Zulkifli Nordin, a Member of Parliament for Kulim has put his foot in his mouth again. After his very embarrassing performance at the Bar Council recently, one would imagine he would have learnt his lesson by now. Yesterday Zulkifli said he does not care about anyone’s opinion and he only cares about Islam. He gives an impression that he is an Islamic Mujahiddin who fights for Islam and who fights to uphold Islamic principles.

They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat its mistakes and I do not know whether Zulkifli Nordin is a student of history or not, but maybe he should brush up on his history, in particular history concerning Islam before he next opens his mouth and embarrasses the party that he is representing in parliament, which is Party Keadilan Rakyat. Party Keadilan Rakyat, as the name suggests, stands for justice. Islam and justice go hand in glove. You cannot separate Islam from justice or vice versa.

Let us look at just the last 50 or 60 years of Islamic history and try to get a good idea on what happens when Muslim leaders try to separate justice from Islam. Let us look at Algeria in the 1950’s and the 1960’s when they fought against French colonization or French occupation of Algeria. Both sides, the French colonists and the Muslim mujahiddins perpetuated crimes against humanity, to use the current key word that is banded about. Women were murdered. Women were raped. Children were murdered by bashing their heads on the wall. People were shot in cold blood and all sorts of crimes against humanity were perpetuated under the disguise of fighting for justice. What justice can there be when millions of citizens are killed in the struggle to gain a foothold in a territory? The French called it French territory and the Algerians said “This is free Algerian territory” and they wished independence. But in the fight seeking justice many, many people were massacred. It was almost like an ethnic cleansing.

Eventually the French decided to leave. Charles des Gaulle, the French who went on to become the French president made a decision that it was no longer tenable for the French to hold on to Algeria and they decided to give Algeria independence. But did the killings stop? No. A secular government was set up and the Islamists not being happy, decided they wanted an Islamic government. And the killing continued. This time it was no longer between the French and the Algerians but it was between the Algerians and the Algerians. And many Christians and many Jews were killed in the crossfire as well. Recently the FIS which is an Islamic party, won the elections and the military immediately walked in and took over and sacked the government. The killing continues into its 3rd phase since the fifties and sixties.

Look at other countries, for instance in Iraq. When Saddam decided to oppose the Shia Islamic government of Iran, he moved his forces across the border and the 8-year war that ensued resulted in 1 million deaths. 1 million Muslims, Muslims killing Muslims. And today those deaths continue as Iraqis now fight against the American occupation of their country. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds were killed even before the American invasion of Iraq. And these Kurds were massacred, they were gassed. And entire colonies and community of Kurds who are Muslims were killed by their own Muslim government. The list continues. Afghanistan has resulted in 2 millions deaths. At first it was Afghans killing Afghans. Then it was Afghans killing Russians and vice versa. And now it is back to Afghans killing Afghans.

More Muslims have died in the course of struggling for justice. More Muslims have died in Muslim killing Muslim then in all the other Muslim-Christian wars over the last 1000 years.

Zulkifli Nordin is an Islamist. He probably claims he has been detained twice under the infamous ISA. The ISA is a law that stifles freedom of speech and freedom of association and Zulkifli Nordin says he does not care about other people’s opinions. The ISA therefore suits him well because the ISA also does not care about other people’s opinions. Does this mean that Zulkifli Nordin therefore supports the ISA? If so, let him speak now and make his stand clear as to what he thinks about the ISA. It is strange that a person like Zul who raids the bar council and who makes statements that he only cares about Islam and does not care about anything else would have that kind of mentality.

Was it not Abu Bakar, the first caliph of Islam who took out his sword and placed it before him and said, if he deviates from Islam, to take his sword and cut off his own head? Abu Bakar was responding to a question from the floor where one of the followers of Islam asked how can they be sure that Abu Bakar would be a good leader and will rule justly and will not deviate from Islam. And Abu Bakar’s response was, he offered his head to be executed with his own sword! That is a mark of a true Islamic leader, an Islamic leader who cares about other people’s opinion.

Zulkifli Nordin said he does not care about other people’s opinion. He is not a true Muslim and he is certainly not a true leader. He should redeem himself by resigning. Resign from the party and remain an independent candidate just like Ibrahim Ali who said he supports the ISA. Better still, Zulkifli Nordin should resign his seat in Kulim and allow for a by-election so that we can see whether the voters would like to continue to vote for a member of parliament who does not care about other people’s opinions. Zulkifli Nordin is a disgrace not only to Parti Keadilan Rakyat but also to Islam. A member of parliament who does not care about other people’s opinion should no longer remain a member of parliament.

Source: Malaysia Today"Separation of Islam And Justice"

Oh dear, this brings you back down to earth !! We are very fortunate.

If your society is unfair to you, how about her?

If you complain about your transport system, how about them?

If You think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does?

When you feel like giving up, think of this man

If you think you don't have many friends...

If you think your salary is low, how about her?

If you think you are unhappy, look at them

Enjoy life how it is and as it comes

Things are worse for others and a lot better for us


There are many things in your life that will catch your eye but only a few will catch your heart....pursue those...

Malaysia bans women from wearing men's clothes !

The National Fatwa Council has ruled that tomboyism, where a girl behaves or dresses in a boyish manner, is forbidden in Islam.

Its chairman, Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said the decision was prompted by recent developments as there had been cases of young women inclined to behave like men and indulging in homosexuality.

"It is unacceptable to see women who love the male lifestyle including dressing in the clothes men wear," he complained, adding, "(Masculine behaviour) becomes clearer when they start to have sex with someone of the same gender, that is woman and woman."

"In view of this," Dr Abdul explained, "the National Fatwa Council which met today have decided and taken the stand that such acts are forbidden and banned."

Male homosexuality - specifically sodomy - is illegal in Malaysia and punishable with up to twenty years in jail. Accusations of sodomy have twice been levelled against the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in what he says are politically motivated attempts to destroy him.

However, lawyers say there is no provision banning lesbian sex in Malaysia's civil code. The latest fatwa appears to be an attempt to push lesbianism towards illegality.

In addition to civil courts, Malaysia operates a parallel Sharia system which has jurisdiction over the country's Muslims.

Islam is multi-ethnic Malaysia's official religion and is practised by 60 per cent of the population who are ethnic Malays. Some members of the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities complain about rising conservatism in Malaysian Islam.

Women's dress is a particular preoccupation for religious authorities.

In July a provincial city issued guidelines urging women to avoid lipstick and high heels.

Malaysian media have reported on recent incidents of school bullying among girls, which have been caught on film and circulated on the Internet. In one film, some girls are seen beating up another girl in a bathroom.

A well-known Malaysian Muslim actress caused an uproar last year when she shaved her head bald for a film. Harussani and other muftis urged Muslims not to watch the movie, arguing that the actress had violated Islam by making herself look like a man.

"Muallaf," or "the convert," is scheduled for release in Singapore next month, but no date has been set for its release in Malaysia.

It was not immediately clear what kind of punishment awaited those who violate the tomboy edict, or "fatwa." Malays generally follow the council's "fatwas" out of deference, but violators rarely get into trouble unless the edict is incorporated into national or Shariah law.


Tomboy ?

From Wikipedia

Tomboy is a girl who behaves according to the gender role of a boy.[1]

This social phenomenon typically manifests itself through some of these characteristics:

* The wearing of typically masculine-oriented types of clothes.

* The practice of games and activities (often physical in nature) that are typically considered to be the domain of boys.

* Heterosocially, the preference to befriend boys rather than other girls.


How to Be a Tomboy

Do you feel confined by the chains of femininity? Are you horrified at the thought of spending more than two seconds in front of a mirror? Not every girl wants to be glamourous, and sometimes she just wants to be one of the guys. Here's how to step outside the box and be a tomboy.

Hindraf leader Waythamoorthy's wife, daughter and 10 other Hindraf supporters detained

The wife, six-year-old daughter and 10 supporters of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P.Waythamoorthy who is in self exile in Britain, were detained by police when they tried to handover a memorandum at the Prime Minister's department in Putrajaya today.

The 12 supporters of the group which was recently outlawed by the government had gone to the PM's office at about 3.30pm to handover a memorandum seeking the release of all Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees.

Kuala Lumpur police chief DCP Datuk Mohammad Sabtu Osman said eight men, three women and a child were detained for representing or acting for an oulawed organisation or group under Section 48 of the Societies Act.

He said police will record a statement from them before deciding to either release of detain them further.

However, he said police will release Waythamoorthy's wife K Shanti and their daughter within the next few hours.

One of those detained S.Jayathas - who was contacted by theSun an hour after the incident, said the memorandum was being read out during the gathering when police detained and took them to Putrajaya police station.

N.Surendran, a lawyer for another Hindraf leader P.Uthayakumar who is currently being held under the ISA said the arrests were uncalled for and an abuse of power by police as the group were simply exercising their rights as Malaysians.

Read also:"Uthaya's niece, 11 others held"-Malaysiakini

Teresa Kok issues letter of demand to Mohd Khir

Teresa Kok issues letter of demand to Mohd Khir
By: Maria J.Dass (Wed, 22 Oct 2008)


SHAH ALAM (Oct 22, 2008): Kinrara state assemblywoman Teresa Kok has issued a letter of demand for RM10 million, a retraction of defamatory words and an apology from former Selangor Menteri Besar and current opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo in relation to the azan (call to prayer) issue.

In her letter faxed to Mohd Khir on Tuesday, Kok through her lawyers S.N. Nair and Partners cited an article published on Mohd Khir’s blog captioned as "Cetusan Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo" as the libelous article in question.

In the article Mohd Khir had allegedly in response to a commentator on his blog stated that Kok had supported a petition by resident in Kinrara to reduce the volume of the azan of a mosque in Puchong.

The response further alleged that the matter was raised by Seri Serdang assemblyman Datuk Satim Diman at the state assembly but there was no response.

Mohd Khir had allegedly further commented that he was concerned of this because Kok may have promised to fulfill the resident’s demands.

Kok had denied that she was involved in the petition.

The letter also stated that the Mohd Khir had republished and caused to be republished the impugned words and libelous comments.

Kok in the letter of demand, said the allegation implied that she was a racial and religious bigot, untrustworthy; a politician bereft of integrity, intolerant, unprincipled with low moral values and that she had committed a serious criminal offence under the Penal Code and other laws of Malaysia.

Kok said the words published were grossly negligent, irresponsible, deliberate, malicious, wholly untrue and aimed at tarnishing her name and character, lowering her esteem in the eye of the public and exposed her to public hatred, scorn, odium, contempt and ridicule.

Kok is asking for an immediate and unequivocal public retraction of the said words from the blog, other blogs and media.

She want the removal of all offending and defamatory comments, an apology to be published in newspapers of her choice and an undertaking not to repeat the allegations or comments or the likes of the same.

Kok also demanded RM10 million for damages for the injury caused to her reputation and payment for all legal costs incurred. She wants a response within seven days failing which she will initiate legal proceedings.



Letter of Demand

S N NAIR & PARTNERS

(Advocates & Solicitors)

Your Ref : please advise
Our Ref : SNN/YBT/Khir Toyo/08

Date : 21-10-2008
Dato Seri YB Mohamad Khir Bin Toyo
No. 51, Taman Ria,
45400 Sekinchan
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tingkat 8, Bangunan UMNO Selangor,
Persiaran Perbandaran,
40000 Shah Alam
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: 03-5031 2020
Fax: 03-5031 2005
BY POST/ BYHAND

Dear YB,

RE: LIBELOUS ARTICLE

We act for YB Teresa Kok Suh Sim.

We are instructed that on or about Wednesday 9th July 2008, you published and/or caused to be published on your blog address known as www.drkhir.com captioned as “Cetusan Dr.Mohamad Khir Toyo” in your reply to comments posted to an Article you posted on 5th July 2008 which is reproduced (truncated) herewith:

“Saturday, July 5, 2008

Anwar Ibrahim, Lain Bengkak Lain Bernanah?

Dalam tulisan saya sebelum ini (lihat Anwar Ibrahim dan Mimpinya), saya menyentuh mengenai tingkah laku Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI) dalam mencatur dan memporak-perandakan senario politik negara….” (hereinafter called the “ Article”)

To a question to one commentator known as “saudara sinatra_ z” who asked you a question which is reproduced herewith in full:

saudara sinatra_z said…

Dr Khir ada burung berkicau dalam internet berkata..

Dalam dewan undangan negeri Selangor,Terresa Kok telah mengepalai satu petisyen penduduk di Puchong kepada Datuk Satim Diman (Sri Kembangan) mengenai aduan penduduk bukan Islam terhadap laungan azan subuh yg didakwa menggangu ketenteraman penduduk.

You have replied to Saudara sinatra as follows which is reproduced herewith in full as follows:

“Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said…

saudara Sinatra_ z,

Memang betul ada petsyen dari kaum Cina Kinrara yang meminta diperlahankan suara azan. Petisyen ini disokong oleh YB.Teresa Kok.

Perkara ini dibangkitkan oleh YB datuk Satim di DUN Selangor tetapi tiada jawapan. Saya bimbang mungkin kerana YB Teresa Kok telah berjanji untuk membantu tuntutan itu dilaksanakan.

Saya sebagai Ketua Pembangkang akan terus menentang perkara tersebut atas dasar agama Islam adalah agama rasmi Negara dan Negara ini mengamalkan kebebasan beragama dan tiada undang-undang yang menghalang surau dan masjid menggunakan pembesar suara. Perkara ini berlaku kerana pendokong DAP telah jadi besar sejak akhir-akhir ini Jangan dijolok sarang tebuan, kelak menyesal tak berkesudahan”. (hereinafter called the “said Reply”).

Inter alia, the said Reply contained the following defamatory words uttered by you about our client:

i. Memang betul ada petsyen dari kaum Cina Kinraya yang meminta diperlahankan suara

azan. Petisyen ini disokong oleh YB.Teresa Kok.

ii. Perkara ini dibangkitkan oleh YB datuk Satim di DUN Selangor tetapi tiada jawapan.

Saya bimbang mungkin kerana YB Teresa Kok telah berjanji untuk membantu tuntutan

itu dilaksanakan.

(hereinafter called “the impugned words”)

The impugned words that you published and the allegations that you published or caused to be published in the said Reply mean and were understood to mean that our client, inter alia:-

1. Is racist;
2. Is a religious and racist bigot;
3. Is untrustworthy and a politician bereft of integrity;
4. Is intolerant, unprincipled and low moral values;
5. Is chauvinistic, anti-Islam and anti-Malay and
6. Has committed serious criminal offences under the Penal Code and other laws of Malaysia;

Our client contends the following in that the impugned words published by you and the contents in the said Reply in respect of our client:-

1. are and were grossly negligent, reckless, irresponsible, deliberate, malicious and aimed to lower our client’s esteem in the eye of the public and expose our client to public hatred, scorn, odium, contempt and ridicule;
2. are wholly untrue, motivated by malice, mala fides, distortion of facts suggesting moral and legal impropriety on the part of our client and are principally done in your pursuit of seeking cheap publicity for political and other purposes, sensationalism;
3. are pre-mediated and calculated to tarnish, malign, defame and seriously injure the good name and character of our client;

We are further instructed that you have republished or caused it to be republished the abovementioned impugned words and libelous comments.

The impugned words published by you and the contents in the said Reply in respect of our client and the comments against our client by you, amounts to a very serious libel on our client and have caused our client considerable distress and embarrassment. These impugned words published by you and the contents in the said Reply in respect of our client and comments made against our client are false, malicious and your attack on our client is wholly unjustified.

We are therefore instructed to demand from you, which we hereby do:

1. An immediate and unequivocal public retraction of the said Reply and the impugned words from the said Blog, other blogs and media and the removal of all the offending and defamatory comments, forthwith.
2. An apology in terms to be approved by us as solicitors to be published in newspapers of our client’s choice.
3. An undertaking by yourselves not to repeat the above allegations and comments such as the impugned words or the likes of the same.

Our client has also instructed us to demand damages from you for the injury caused to our client’s reputation of RM10,000,000-00. (Ringgit Malaysia Ten Million Only)

Our client has also requested us to demand payment of all legal costs that has been incurred with regard to this matter.

This letter is written in accordance with the pre-action protocol prior to the institution of a libel action. We look forward to hearing from you without delay. If we do not receive a satisfactory reply within seven (7) days of the receipt of this letter, our instructions are to institute legal proceedings. In the meantime, our client reserves all our client’s rights in this matter.

Please acknowledge receipt accordingly.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

S N NAIR & PARTNERS

(Source)

Dr M and Pak Lah’s war escalates !!

By Leslie Lau
Consultant Editor
Malaysian Insider

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has hit back at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi over his right to comment on Umno affairs, escalating what is turning into open warfare between the two men.

Writing in his chedet.com blog today, the former PM said: “It is clear that, whether I am an Umno member or not, I am not allowed to or I am blocked from giving any opinions about Umno or about any other matter.”

Dr Mahathir’s response comes just days after Abdullah told him off for speaking out on internal Umno issues.

The former prime minister had recently urged Umno members to vote out “Abdullah’s toadies” in the upcoming party elections.

This, he argued, was to ensure Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the front-runner to take over the Umno presidency, would have a different administration from that of Abdullah.

Dr Mahathir has become increasingly vocal about Umno affairs ever since it became clear that Abdullah, his hand-picked successor-turned-nemesis, would not seek re-election for the Umno presidency.

An increasingly outspoken Dr Mahathir has also given rise to criticism that the country would return to “Mahathirism,” and that he would be the power behind the throne of a Najib administration.

Today, Dr Mahathir repeated accusations that he had in recent years been blocked from meeting party members and from speaking at party functions even before he quit the party this year.

“As usual ‘Pak Lah’s people’ support the Prime Minister’s attacks on me.

“Only Datuk Seri Rais Yatim has shown courage in defying the Prime Minister to say I have a right to give my opinions.”

Rais, a member of Abdullah’s Cabinet, has said it is within Dr Mahathir’s rights to say anything about Umno, and that no one should try to stop him from speaking out.

Dr Mahathir said that he would not stop anyone from criticising him if they did not agree with his views.

“My blog is open. It is up to Pak Lah and his henchmen whether to be abusive towards my blog.”


Mean time, Khir Toyo denies naming Teresa Kok as being involved in the Azan
issue.

Selangor opposition leader and former Menteri Besar and Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo denied naming Kinrara assemblywoman Teresa Kok as the assemblywoman involved in the azan issue.

Mohd Khir claimed he had merely said that her office had acknowledged receiving a copy of the memorandum by the residents calling for the volume of the speakers at a mosque in Puchong to be reduced.

He claimed he never mentioned Kok’s name and that it was Utusan Malaysia which chose to report it the way it did.

The matter came up when Mohd Khir was debating on the state budget which was tabled by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

"She (Kok) knows that and that’s why she has sued Utusan and not me, because she knows I never mentioned her name," he said.

The issue was brought up midway through Mohd Khir’s debate when Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Wen San accused the former of making wild and unfounded statements and allegations against the new state government just as he had against Kok.

Mohd Khir responded by saying that he had never named Kok. Kok then stood up to argue.

Kok: You twisted the facts that was then carried in Utusan Malaysia and this caused my arrest under the Internal Security Act. This action by YB Subgai Panjang (Mohd Khir) is not appropriate and very unbecoming and irresponsible of someone who had been a former Menteri Besar.

Mohd Khir: I never mentioned your name but said that there were ‘parties’ involved in the matter. If Utusan wrote it that way- then that is Utusan. Let me explain that.

Kok: But you named me in your blog and another blog pembelamelayu.com picked up that piece. Following this, e-mails started circulating accusing me of being involved in the petition against the loud call to prayer by the mosques.

Mohd Khir then brought up the issue of Kok’s erection of signboards with road names written in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil in several areas in Kuala Lumpur to reflect the multiracial composition in the country and in protest against the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s use of Jawi on the signboards.

Kok then stood up and said that she had already explained the issue and questioned why a matter that had happened in Kuala Lumpur was being brought up in Selangor.

"This I did after complaints from the residents in the area and this is a separate issue from the azan," she said.

"Why are you mixing these issue up together and twisting the facts together with Utusan Malaysia?" she asked Mohd Khir.

Mohd Khir then said a journalist from Utusan Malaysia called him to ask about the memorandum asking the mosque in Puchong to reduce the volume of the loud speakers in their premises and that he had told him about the memorandum which carried a stamp of receipt by Kok’s office.

Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lau Weng San then asked Mohd Khir if he was willing to retract the statement and apologise to Kok.

"What I said and meant in my response was that she had received the memorandum," Mohd Khir replied.

Later when asked if he was misquoted by Utusan, Mohd Khir said: "I did not say the specific name (of the assemblywoman involved). What I said was that I received a copy of the memorandum that was also acknowledged (of receipt) by Teresa Kok’s office."

It was stamp to acknowledge that Kok’s Kinrara office had received a copy of the memorandum, he said.

"That’s why I said Kinrara office that’s all," Mohd Khir said.

"I don’t feel guilty, I’m speaking the fact," he added.

In response, Kok said that she would be sending a letter of demand to Mohd Khir soon.

"It’s coming soon," she said when asked if a lawsuit will be initiated against Mohd Khir.

THE FINANCIAL TURMOIL AND RECESSION RISK

Some excerpts from Chedet :

I am glad to hear that Malaysia will be spared from the fallout of the systemic collapse of the whole world's financial system. This ability to isolate Malaysia and Malaysian banks from the effect of the bankruptcies of all the biggest banks in the world must be regarded as a miracle. Our ability to manage our financial system better than others must earn us the admiration of the world.

I hope we are right in forecasting the effect on us of the collapse of the world's financial system. But I have a sneaking feeling that all is not well.
When the Government withdrew the subsidy for oil the pump price increased by 40 per cent. The immediate result was to increase the prices of a wide range of food, goods and services commonly needed by the people. In other words the purchasing power of the people had been reduced.

Since then the price of oil had been reduced three times. But the prices of food, goods and services have stayed up.

Maybe we will not need several hundred billions to bail out our banks. But the banks will also face the problem of unpaid loans incurred by their credit card users. They have been rather lax in providing credit card facilities to their customers, many of whom have no accounts with them. It is believed that unpaid credit card loans is in excess of RM20 billion.

Will the Government guarantee depositors will not lose their deposits when the banks which had in the past made huge profits now go bankrupt because of their mismanagement?

We are told that six billion Ringgit in Foreign Direct Investment would flow into the country. But what about the RM30 billion outflow as foreign investors pulled out of the stock market?

But when hundreds of thousands of house buyers find themselves unable to pay simply because they have no money, and could not sell the houses and could not borrow from banks, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae would not be able to pay the hedge funds. Then the hedge funds would collapse and drag down the banks with them.

This simply is what happened. The same applies to credit cards. People with little or no money would be given credit cards. They would spend more than they can afford and the banks would be faced with huge amounts of non-performing loans. The banks cannot pay the bills submitted by the sellers of goods or suppliers of services. The banks would collapse and there would be a run on the banks and on other banks which had lent the money to the affected banks. And so we see one after another of the giant banks of America and Europe going bankrupt.

Actually I am giving a very simplified version of what is happening. All these shuffling of papers and figures cannot but encourage cheating. The bigger the amount of money involved the bigger would be the returns. The tendency is therefore to play with very large sums of money.

But where does the money come from? From nowhere. The Government and the banks, including the Federal Reserve Bank conjured up the money from nothing. If you ask yourself where do the US700 billion Dollars come from when you know the United States' Government has to borrow US1.5 billion every day, you will find no answer. Is the US Government holding US700 billion Dollars in its treasury just in case it has to bail out the banks? Not likely when it cannot even make ends meet, when it has twin deficits.

Recession Risk

The malfunction in the financial systems of the US and Europe is affecting the entire economic system, including international trade as evidenced by the collapse in shipping rates. The validity of their government policies will determine the duration of the crisis.

Currently, forecasts for Malaysia’s growth for 2009 range from about 3.4% to 1% by Macquarie which compared it to the experience of 2001.

In 2000, Malaysia’s economic growth for 2001 was forecast at about 6% but due to the Sept 11 terrorist attack in New York, the actual growth was 0.4%.
At this time of change — not what Barack Obama had in mind — the economic policies set out by governments are critical. They would either shorten and moderate the downturn, or prolong and deepen it.

Policy errors in the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash infamously led to a long and deep depression.

This is the hour of government leaders. After years when the business sector in the US and Europe was deregulated, it became in effect unregulated, and government leaders now have to steer their economies away from the abyss.

So far, governments in the US and Europe have gone out on a limb to save their banking sector, injecting fresh capital and guaranteeing all deposits. That raises the risks of their sovereign debt and high inflation in later years.

“But what else can they do? If the banking system fails, there’ll be no economy,” a fund manager said.
Asia is again experiencing the outflow of foreign equity funds. While foreign portfolio funds are a destabilising force, no country rejects the foreign funds.

Perhaps, that’s because foreign portfolio funds can destabilise stock markets, but not the banking system or the currency, unless there is massive speculation or manipulation of the currency.

External borrowings are a more potent destabilising force as shown in the current exposure of Iceland and South Korea.

Both countries have huge amounts of external borrowings, surprising in the case of South Korea, considering a similar experience in 1997. In Iceland, even consumer loans were taken in foreign currencies.

A sharp turn in the credit cycle led to questions as to whether they can rollover their foreign debts that were largely taken by their banks.

That uncertainty caused the Iceland krona to plunge 40% and the Korean won 30% since July.

It is to Bank Negara’s credit that the banking system and currency are relatively stable. In the banking system, the loan/deposit ratio is about 75%, which is very healthy.

In the west, the financial system is gradually being patched up, with UBS of Switzerland among the last big banks being rescued by its government last week, and the benchmark London interest rate for loans in dollars making its first weekly decline since July, according to Bloomberg.

(From: The Star Online C.S.Tan "Between the Lines")

Umno never bullies Barisan partners ?

Umno has never bullied its Barisan Nasional partners and it is the Opposition that has been drumming up such claims to undermine the coalition, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, sure ?

Please read RPK: "It’s in the arithmetic, stupid"

In an Umno Johor Convention a couple of months ago, they spoke about how they regret giving citizenship to the immigrants on 31 August 1957. Now that these immigrants have been granted citizenship, they have demonstrated ingratitude by voting for the opposition. These immigrants should never have been given citizenship, argued speaker after speaker. And Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah were guests of honour in this Convention.

You could see Tengku Razaleigh cringe, as if in great pain, on hearing this. He knew that Barisan Nasional suffered its most humiliating performance on 8 March 2008 because of exactly this. Such statements are not going to help. It will just make matters worse.

Umno played the race card to the hilt in the run-up to the recent general election. And it is still doing so until now, as the Umno Bukit Bendera Division Chief has shown. They still refer to Malaysian-born Chinese and Indians as immigrants. They still call the Chinese and Indians ungrateful squatters. They still ask the Chinese and Indians to go back to China and India, though all these people were born in Malaysia and not in any other country.

In a PPP Convention in Melaka, held before the 8 March 2008 general election, the Umno Vice-President and Chief Minister told the 1,000 or so Indians that Umno does not need the non-Malays. They do not even need Sabah and Sarawak, said Ali Rustam. Umno has ruled Malaysia for 50 years without the non-Malays, or the people from Sabah and Sarawak, and they can continue to do so another 50.

Ali Rustam was not asked to apologise. Neither was the Umno Bukit Bendera Umno Chief, who Abdullah Badawi said did not really mean what he said. But if I were to say something like that, the police would be in front of my house the very next day and I would be hauled into court and charged for sedition within 24 hours. That would be how swift the police would act in the event I said even 10% of what the Umno leaders say.


The Media Statement By Uncle Kit dated 15/11/2006 :"Is Hishammuddin warning that Umno Youth will block Koh Tsu Koon and Ong Tee Kiat from becoming Federal Ministers?" :

Excerpts:

I pointed out the newspaper front-page headlines today on speeches at the Umno Youth General Assembly yesterday about “Don’t play racial card”, but this had not prevented the playing of the racial card at the Umno Youth general assembly yesterday, with Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and Datuk Ong Tee Kiat openly named as “opportunist politicians” in Barisan Nasional and with Umno Youth leader and Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein – again wielding the kris - issuing the specific warning:

“We know who they are. We know where they are and what they are saying. Umno Youth is ready to face these opportunist politicians.

“We will not compromise or give in when it comes to matters involving the future of the country. We will make sure that these sort of leaders have no place in Barisan Nasional.”

Or, perhaps, it was Dr Mahathir who "create changes, anger and hatred ", not UMNO, the "toadies" ?

“Who is he? He has left Umno but he still issues orders to members of Umno. The party does not need to take orders from anyone who is no longer a member of the party. He is trying to create a rift and incite anger and hatred. What is wrong with people who work with me? He is trying to teach people to hate one another."

Umno is no bully ?

Malaysiakini reported that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has dismissed suggestions that Umno has over-dominated the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition at the expense of other component parties.

Umno has never bullied its Barisan Nasional partners and it is the Opposition that came up with the claim to undermine the coalition, says the Prime Minister.

The complaint that Umno was a bully was not even started by the component parties but initiated and harped on by the Opposition to make people perceive the Barisan parties were weak and hence hate and reject them.

Rebutting the claim, he said the Barisan co-operation was still very much intact.

“People say Umno is a party that likes to bully. I actually do not know how to bully people. There is no such thing as bully; we are all friends. Ask our friends (party leaders) in front.

“If bullying is our way, I believe many of the parties would want to leave Barisan because they wouldn’t want to put up with Umno bullying all the time,” he said.

" The accusation against Umno was started by the Opposition."

“Their intention is to ridicule and make MCA, Gerakan look bad so that people will not like the parties and their leaders. Similarly, this is being done by Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) whose attitude is to ridicule MIC and its chief (Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu),” he said.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must be suffering from amnesia.

That is the most charitable conclusion to draw after he said today that the perception of Umno being a bully in the Barisan Nasional was off the mark.

Wasn’t it only a month ago that Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail exhibited supreme arrogance when he showed no remorse for calling Malaysian Chinese immigrants at a rally in the run-up to the Permatang Pauh by-election.

And when Gerakan stood up to him, he behaved just like a schoolyard bully.

He asked for Gerakan to be kicked out of the BN.

He and the party’s supreme council members only took disciplinary action against the Bukit Bendera politician after being pushed into a corner. Even then, it was half-hearted attempt to apply balm on the raw feelings of the non-Malays.

Is this PM so out of touch with reality that he does not understand how frustrated BN leaders have become in dealing with arrogant Umno politicians.

Before he stepped down as a minister, Ong had to speak in hushed tones if he wanted allocation for Chinese schools from the Education Ministry. Speak too loud and the minister may be offended.

Koh had to stomach all the excesses of Penang Umno for years and had to be careful not to antagonise them even when they complained about the lack of opportunities in the state for Malays.

The arrogance and bullying did not stop there. And it hurt the MCA and other component parties in many ways.

Abdullah still was prepared to defend a political party that has bullied him since the general election; that refused to back his reform agenda and is now making final preparations for his humiliating send-off.

Malaysians should save their sympathy and goodwill for another leader. This man deserves the bullying treatment he is getting from his party faithful.

For UMNO the next four years would be crucial. If whoever becomes the new President fails to revive the party, it would be the end of the road for this longest surviving fighter for national independence. If this were to happen then the incoming leadership of UMNO will go down in history as the betrayers of this once glorious and powerful political machine.

UMNO had adopted the democratic system apparently to ensure that betrayers of the party would be removed and replaced by better men. But clearly UMNO democracy has not always worked. Many have reached the top through false pretences. Once there they make use of their position of power to prevent democracy from safeguarding the party. By dishing out lucrative jobs and titles, by abusing the authority conferred on them, by threats of all kinds, these pretenders have been able to stop attempts at their removal, at least for quite some time.

Thus in the March 2008 Elections the Barisan Nasional Party and UMNO suffered heavy losses. The leadership refused to accept responsibility for this debacle, even claiming victory because they have enough seats to form the central Government.

Incitement is not press freedom !

IT IS uncommon for newspapers, media organisations as well as their journalists to criticise one another’s editorial policies or reports. Call it journalistic etiquette if you want.

However, there are the few but significant times when this decorum is disregarded. And this usually occurs when a member of the Fourth Estate breaches the norms and values of responsible journalism and risks bringing acceptable standards of reporting down to the recesses of gutter journalism. Thus when this happens, it is incumbent upon the press fraternity to speak up.

If we don’t do our house-cleaning, we are seen as condoning and even supporting the words and writings of those who use "freedom of the press" and their media tag as a façade to incite, provoke and inflame.

It does not take a heart surgeon to draw parallels between the main character in Chamil Wariya’s short story in Mingguan Malaysia on Sunday to a very real and sitting Member of Parliament. He wrote about a fictional controversial Member of Parliament who meets her end at the hand of an assassin. The events leading to her murder is eye-brow-raising similar to those experienced by the real MP. The similarities are too uncanny not to be deliberate. If anyone denies this, it is just a pitiable and cowardly attempt to hide from the truth.

The story depicts one YB J (Josephine), second term MP for the fictional constituency of Alam Maya and her push for non-race based politics which makes her out to be a chauvinist and racist who is against a certain community.

While being driven to a function where she is to meet 500 fellow young countrymen who had studied abroad, she has a monologue on the perception that she is a racist and seeks clarification from her driver Ahmad. He tells her that she "may or may not" be one, leaving her even more confused. Ahmad has his own monologue, which are imbued with images of suicide bombers and angels.

At the function, YB J is approached by a participant who assassinates her and takes his own life. On the assassin’s body is a note that reads it is better to end YB J’s life to ensure that this multiracial country continues to experience the peace and harmony it has enjoyed for so long.

Drawing parallels again, the story mentions the ruling coalition losing its two-thirds majority, ISA detentions, Molotov cocktail attacks and changing of street signs. Sheer coincidence? You’ve got to be kidding!

While we are all allowed (and in some cases guilty of using) creative license, there are boundaries to observe – what with sedition laws, defamation suits and show-cause letters. Even so, I have yet to come across a journalist who in all sense of the word incites murder! This is definitely deliberate and deserves the highest condemnation from all members of the press and decent Malaysians who strive for peace and harmony.

And to think that this comes from someone with more than 35 years in the media business, having held key positions in media organisations and press groups is a stain on the journalistic community.

If Chamil Wariya wants to use his position to curry favour with certain individuals or groups or to push a certain agenda, that is his business. But when one uses his pen to even suggest taking a life, this brings us to a whole new level of sewer journalism – the likes which we have not yet seen in this country.

The biggest tragedy of all is that he is the CEO of the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) – an organisation which among others preaches responsible journalism as an integral component of press freedom.

Apart from awarding the nation’s highest annual journalism honours, it also conducts courses for journalists young and old. So is this the kind of journalism espoused by the MPI to cadet reporters other media organisations entrust it to train and develop?

The MPI has often been accused of being partisan and a retirement home for out-of-work editors.

It is thus incumbent on the institute to ensure the reputation it has built (and salvaged) is not further tarnished by one of its highest office-bearers. What it should do now is to deliberate on Chamil Wariya’s association with the MPI. Turning a deaf ear or blind eye is merely sending the message that the country’s highest media establishment condones incitement to murder.

- By Down 2 Earth - Terence Fernandez, Sun2Surf

Terence, who has just taken down his MPI award from the mantlepiece, hopes he will once again be able to display it proudly. Feedback: terence@thesundaily.com.