Saudi Arabia’s donation confirmation proves Dr M was lying, PM’s aide says

The Saudi Arabian government’s confirmation of the RM2.6 billion donation to the prime minister shows that the claims of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (picture) were false, said an aide. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — The Saudi Arabian government’s confirmation that the RM2.6 billion donation to Datuk Seri Najib Razak came from their country shows the falsity of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s claims, the prime minister’s press secretary said today.

Datuk Seri Tengku Sariffuddin noted that Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir’s statement, which described the donation as a “genuine” gift with nothing expected in return, confirmed what Najib had maintained all along and corroborated the conclusion by local authorities that the money was a donation from Saudi Arabia.

“Tun Mahathir’s lies were motivated by personal interest, not care for Malaysia or the people. It was an attempt to use deception to unseat a democratically-elected government, just to save the political career of Tun Mahathir’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir,” Tengku said in a statement, referring to the former prime minister and the elder statesman’s son who was formerly Kedah mentri besar.

“Western media who allowed themselves to be used to propagate false politically-motivated allegations should apologise to the Malaysian people. And Tun Mahathir should held responsible for the damage he has inflicted on Malaysia’s reputation,” he added.

National newswire Bernama reported Adel as saying at the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul yesterday that Saudi Arabia was also fully aware that Malaysia’s Attorney-General had found no wrongdoing in the money transfer to Najib’s personal bank accounts.

UK paper The Guardian reported Adel as saying that “the matter is closed”, without elaborating on who had donated the US$681 million or why.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/saudi-arabias-donation-confirmation-proves-dr-m-was-lying-pms-aide-says

Dzulkefly: AG’s appointment to TH Board ‘poor judgment’

 http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/01/29/dzulkefly-ags-appointment-to-th-board-poor-judgment/

Joe Fernandez

| January 29, 2016

The public perception may attribute such appointments to nepotism and the politics of patronage, says Dzulkefly.

KUALA LUMPUR: If push comes to shove, said Amanah Strategy Director Dzulkefly Ahmad, Attorney-General Mohd Apandi Ali’s appointment to the Board of Tabung Haji may conflict and/or impinge on his role as the Public Prosecutor in cases involving the institution’s legal wranglings. “Why the rush to appoint Apandi Ali to the Board when he’s two months away from mandatory retirement.”

“Is it of utmost urgency that Apandi Ali be appointed before his term actually expires? Will he get an extension?”

Granted, said Dzulkefly, that the Attorney-General has just handed down a verdict exonerating Najib of all criminal offences, despite the entire world saying otherwise.

“Has it not been agreed, by convention, that persons holding high public offices should not be rewarded with positions, after retirement, especially in government-linked institutions?”

“The public perception may attribute such appointments to nepotism and the politics of patronage.”

While Najib can literally do anything and at anytime, according to his whims and fancies and with impunity, said Dzulkefly, “the rakyat could do likewise when the time comes.”

Dzulkefly was commenting on whether Najib was insulting the rakyat further when they were already on their knees with fatal blows. “Najib has just been given the ‘kiss of death’ by Apandi, while obliviously grinning.”

Dzulkefly reckons that it is the perception out there that Najib in his euphoria, and still gloating, instructed Tabung Haji to appoint Apandi as a board member, even before the dust of the damning decision on the mega scandals had even settled. “No one can be blamed for perceiving and construing Apandi’s appointment to the TH Board as a huge reward for a favour well done.”

71% of Malaysians choose cheaper, slower internet packages, says Salleh

by sharon ling

KUCHING: It is a fact that 71% of Malaysians choose to buy cheaper Internet packages with slower speeds, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak (pic).

He said this figure was not something he made up but came from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

“Based on their statistics, 71% are more interested to purchase packages which are affordable even though the speed is not as fast.

“I’m telling the facts and the facts are from MCMC. I don’t create the facts, I’m just stating it,” he told reporters after meeting state Information Department officers here on Thursday.

Salleh had come under fire for writing in his blog that Malaysians preferred packages with slower Internet speeds of between 384 Kbps to 1 Mbps although faster connections were available.

Among the critics was DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, who said the real issue was that high speed Internet in Malaysia was too costly and it was the minister’s duty to make it affordable.

Defending his blog post, Salleh said he was ‘on the same page’ as Lim in wanting affordable high speed Internet connections.

He also welcomed ideas on how to achieve this but said any criticism should be constructive and factual, not based on only a small part of his statement.

“I have no problem if you give views and constructive criticism but to say that I’m wrong when I’m telling the facts, I don’t know.

“They want high speed, I also want high speed and find ways how to make it cheaper. But we can’t implement it outright because in Malaysia the priority is speed, affordability and coverage,” he added.

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/10/01/Salleh-Internet-speed/

Facebook users slam women for bringing dog into Johor hypermarket

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JOHOR BARU, Sept 6 — Facebook users slammed the action of two customers who brought their dog into a hypermarket by placing the pooch into an empty trolley as being ‘insensitive’ to Muslims.

According to a Star Online report, the photo of the two women and their dog was captured by one of the customers at the hypermarket in Plentong, Masai yesterday. It was then uploaded on the social media site and has since gone viral.

A Facebook user known only as Annie Belinda Han said that the women should not bring their dog into a public area such as a hypermarket.

“The building management should put up a huge notice board in four languages to notify customers ‘no pets allowed’ in the premise,” she was quoted by Star Online as saying.

Another user by the name of Zaberi Che Mat also criticised the security guards on duty, urging action against them for failing to stop the two women.

Tesco Malaysia today issued a statement on its official Facebook page, saying that it deeply regretted the incident and that it had very strict regulations on pets and animals on its premises.

A spokesman of the hypermarket, who declined to be identified, said about 500 trolleys had since been cleaned in accordance with Islamic principles and with the assistance of volunteers from a nearby mosque.

Star Online also reported Seri Alam OCPD Supt Abdul Samad Salleh as saying the police did not receive any report on the incident and advised the hypermarket management to prohibit customers from bringing their pets along when shopping.

E-cigarette explodes, killing smoker

E-cigarette explodes, killing smoker

by Abang Ismail. Posted on October 6, 2014, Monday

Paramedics inspecting the body.
BINTULU: Smoking definitely kills, as a 53-year-old van driver died from an explosion after his electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) device suddenly blew up at Bintulu Tamu (Market) yesterday.

The victim, who was only identified only as ‘Lau’ (at press-time), was walking with a friend to a coffee shop when the freak incident happened.

They were heading for a coffee break as Lau was waiting for customers for his chartered van.

It is believed that the battery of the e-cigarette exploded, taking into account that it popped out from the device during the explosion.

The force of the explosion struck Lau in the chest, causing him to collapse.

The friend, who was shocked, said he tried to help Lau and discovered a hole with burnt marks on Lau’s chest.

He said Lau did not die instantly as his eyes were wide open when his name was called out.

However, he believed that Lau must have passed out before his demise.

Startled members of the public at the market offered help by calling up an ambulance from Bintulu Hospital, as well as police who rushed to the scene.

When paramedics arrived, they pronounced Lau dead.

However the root cause of Lau’s death was still being investigated, pending a post-mortem.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/10/06/e-cigarette-explodes-killing-smoker/#ixzz3GHf4lNJ8

PM: Future of MCA depends on unity

PM: Future of MCA depends on unity
Posted on October 13, 2014, Monday

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wants MCA leaders to close rank and stop any infighting that had caused the Chinese party to lose support from the Chinese community.

Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said as a component party, he needed the MCA to be strong and united, so it could help to bring back the Chinese support for the coalition in the next general election.

“The future of MCA depends on unity. Be together and be stronger together. MCA is our partner. MCA should not fight among themselves. Enough. Don’t fight anymore,” he said when opening the 61st MCA annual general assembly at Wisma MCA here, yesterday.

He pointed out that if the leaders continued to fight, not only that nothing would be done, the people, particularly the Chinese community would get bored with them.

He added that infighting had also caused the party to lose its sense of direction.

He said as BN chairman, he depended on party leaders to nominate the best and winnable candidates for the general elections.

However, it would be a problem for him when leaders of the coalition parties could not agree on names and nominated a different list of candidates to the top BN leadership.

“It is difficult for me to listen to what the different people say. It is difficult to choose the candidates.

“As the BN chairman, I don’t know all the party members. I have to rely on the presidents of the coalition parties to submit the best winnable candidates (for the general elections),” he said, adding that factionalism within the party would make it difficult in the selection of candidates for the general elections.

Najib added that under the new leadership, he was confident that MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had set a sense of direction and sense of purpose to rejuvenate the party.

“MCA must have a sense of direction. All this while, when you were fighting, you have lost your way. The grassroots tell me that MCA has lost its sense of direction,” Najib said.

Speaking in front of 1,839 national delegates at the assembly, he said although there were only two MCA representatives in the cabinet, he would try his best to accommodate requests from the community brought up by them.

The two are Liow who is Transport Minister, and his deputy Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Najib pointed out that as the leader of a multiracial Malaysia, he would try to be fair to all races and a strong mandate from the people would enable him to deliver more.

“As chairman, I try to be fair. But I like to do more. I also need the Chinese community to support BN,” he said.

As such, he said, MCA leaders should also do their part to bring back Chinese support for the BN.

Touching on Chinese schools, Najib told the community not to worry about the future existence of Chinese-type national schools (SJKC) as this was included in national policies like the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025.

“It’s just that we hope SJKC (students) will learn the national language well,” he said.

On the economy, Najib, who is also finance minister, said the government’s move to widen tax collection through the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was correct for a nation that was going forward to be an advanced economy.

He remarked that the GST was a better proposition compared to the capital gains tax mooted by the opposition which, he said, would impact negatively on the economy.

“It is not the right prescription. GST is much better than the capital gains tax,” Najib said, adding that the latter was not business friendly and would render Malaysia less competitive.

Meanwhile, Najib said that in principle, he concurred with Liow’s suggestion for the creation of the entity, 1Malaysia-China Corporation, to help accelerate local business efforts, particularly the small and medium industries, to penetrate the China market.

The prime minister said he was prepared to discuss the matter in more detail with the MCA leaders. — Bernama

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/10/13/pm-future-of-mca-depends-on-unity/#ixzz3G4wAesNF

Interpol looking for sex blogger Alvin Tan

Interpol looking for sex blogger Alvin Tan
BY V. ANBALAGAN, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Published: 26 August 2014

Sex blogger Alvin Tan’s whereabouts is unknown and he has failed to return his passport to the court. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 26, 2014.

Interpol is looking for controversial sex blogger Alvin Tan Jye Yee to face trial in Malaysia following his failure to return and surrender his passport to the court, his lawyer said.

Chong Joo Tian said Tan and his partner Vivian Lee May Ling went to Singapore to shoot a documentary last May but the lawyer was unsure if Tan was still in the island republic.

“The assistance of Interpol has been enlisted to locate and bring Tan back to face charges with Lee,” he told The Malaysian Insider. The Sessions Court had issued an arrest warrant for Tan.

Chong said it was up to the prosecution to decide whether to try only Lee in the absence of Tan.

Last Friday, the Sessions Court also forfeited the RM20,000 bail imposed on Tan after he failed to return his passport.

Judge Abdul Rashid Daud said he was dissatisfied with the explanation provided by bailors, Loo Ching Ching and All Kim Lian.

In July last year, Tan, 26, and Lee, 25, claimed trial to three charges under the Film Censorship Act, Sedition Act and the Penal Code.

Chong said the court, however, returned RM10,000 to the bailors as one of the three charges faced by the duo under section 298A of the Penal Code was struck out by the Court of Appeal on April 21.

This was because the charge of stirring hostility between religions was not applicable to non-Muslims.

The pair still face two charges under the Film Censorship Act and Sedition Act over their controversial “Ramadan greeting” posting last year, which contained the words “Selamat Berbuka Puasa (dengan bak kut teh… wangi, enak, menyelerakan)”, as well as over their blog’s pornographic images.

The duo’s postings last July 11 caused an uproar among Malaysians of all races for their insensitivity.

Following condemnations, the posting was removed and replaced with a picture of them eating ketupat, rendang and curry puffs. – August 26, 2014.

 

– See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/interpol-looking-for-sex-blogger-alvin-tan#sthash.YWqI9tiv.dpuf

 

Touch Unit Amal and ‘we will rise’, PAS leaders tell Putrajaya September 01, 2014

 

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Touch Unit Amal and ‘we will rise’, PAS leaders tell Putrajaya

September 01, 2014

Touch Unit Amal and ‘we will rise’, PAS leaders tell Putrajaya | Malaysia | Mobile | The Malay Mail Online// // // // //

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — PAS leaders warned the federal government today its members will “rise” if action were to be taken now to penalise its volunteer unit, which it said has been around for over 20 years.

Arguing that its Unit Amal was a charity organisation, Temerloh MP and former PAS youth chief Nasruddin Hassan said its members will not stay still in the face of Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s threat earlier today against the volunteer Corp.

“I urge Datuk Zahid Hamidi not to mistakenly victimise Jabatan Amal through narrow political ideology as we will rise up because I am one of the members of Jabatan Amal Malaysia,” Nasruddin said in a brief statement, using the official name for PAS’ volunteer charity Corp.

Zahid—whose ministry oversees homeland security—said he was very sure the police will crack down on Unit Amal as he considers the group to have the same status as the Penang Volunteer Patrol Unit (PPS), which the police deemed illegal.

Police detained 155 members of the PPS yesterday after the Merdeka Day parade in Penang, on grounds that the organisation is not registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

Touch Unit Amal and ‘we will rise’, PAS leaders tell Putrajaya | Malaysia | Mobile | The Malay Mail Online// // // // //

PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat, whose party wing oversees Unit Amal’s operations, said it was baffling that the authorities are targeting the unit when all it has done was extend welfare and humanitarian aid to Malaysians across the country.

“Jabatan Amal has served for more than 20 years and there were times it cooperated with the police and government agencies, suddenly it is made a scapegoat. I do not understand this Zahid,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page today.

“I ask Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to make an open apology over the mistake in his statement on Jabatan Amal, Pemuda PAS Malaysia,” Suhaizan added.

PAS Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah said it is regressive for the authorities to crackdown on civil society movements such as PPS and Unit Amal, which fulfil a “fundamental need” for the public to organise themselves for their own well-being.

He claimed that the authorities have given “anarchists and right wing groups” free reign while “well-meaning peaceful groups” suffer the brunt of persecution, leaving the less-fortunate with nowhere else to turn while VVIPs take all the spoils.

“Merdeka also means having the liberty to be able to look out for our own welfare and safety,” he said in a statement.

The authorities have been on an enforcement spree over the past two weeks, launching sedition probes and charging opposition lawmakers and others over a laundry list of allegedly seditious behaviour, with the latest target an academic.

Tomorrow, University of Malaya law lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Sharom will be hauled up before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court over an allegedly sedition remark he made in an article carried by Malay Mail Online.

Just last week, the Sedition Act 1948 was used to charge PKR lawmaker N. Surendran on two separate counts of criticising the Court of Appeal’s ruling that overturned PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal from the latter’s second sodomy rap.

PAS’s Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad was also charged last week for allegedly questioning the powers of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Sultan of Selangor, while the late DAP chairman Karpal Singh was earlier this year found guilty of sedition for questioning the Sultan of Perak’s decision to remove Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak mentri besar in 2009.

 

http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/touch-unit-amal-and-we-will-rise-pas-leaders-tell-putrajaya

Malaysia is now the fattest country in SE Asia, says Liow

by nicholas cheng

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is the fattest country in South-East Asia with its obesity rate on the rise, says Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

“This is not a glorious title. We are outweighing our Asean neighbours and number six in the whole of Asia – behind some Middle Eastern countries,” said the Health Minister.

Citing statistics from the National Health and Morbidity Surveys, Liow said 15.1% of Malaysians aged 18 and above were suffering from obesity as of 2011.

“This is an increase from the 14% figure of the same demographic in 2006,” he pointed out.

 

It was also reported that over 2.6 million adults were obese while over 477,000 children below the age of 18 years were overweight.

Liow said the rate of Non-Com­municable Diseases (NCD) such as diabetes, cancers and cardiovascular problems had also increased dramatically among Malaysians.

“This exciting era of electronic gadgets and instantaneous communication is actually a double-edged sword,” he said.

“We are increasingly becoming couch potatoes; we are not leading an active enough lifestyle to prevent ourselves from becoming obese, which is a precursor to many health problems,” he said at the launch of “Healthy Lifestyle With Skipping” programme in Hotel Istana yesterday.

Liow said the programme, in coo­peration with the Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur DiRaja and Nestle, was to promote skipping as a sports activity.

“Skipping for about one minute burns approximately 11 calories.

“Skipping non-stop for about four minutes can burn the equivalent number of calories in a glass of teh tarik,” he said.

The programme’s organising chair­man Mohd Ajmal Khan Ahmed Maideen said the ministry had given a RM100,000 grant through MySihat for the project.

“We currently have 100,000 skip ropes which will be distributed to around 200 schools nationwide and we will work with the schools to ensure that the ropes are utilised. We also plan to have skipping competitions, culminating in a mass rope skipping event in Dataran Mer­deka this September,” Mohd Ajmal said.

Other project partners include Schenker Logistics (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and GB Rope Skipping Centre.

 

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/01/18/Malaysia-is-now-the-fattest-country-in-SE-Asia-says-Liow/

World Cup 2014 Art – Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi Portraits by Red Hongyi

World Cup 2014 Art – Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi

Portraits by Red Hongyi

Artwork done just in time for World Cup 2014!! Painting with a soccer ball – portraits of Ronaldo, Neymar and Messi! Subscribe, share and like…let’s go crayzay!

 

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — World Cup fever is officially upon us, but one inventive artist prefers to use her footwork skills for a different purpose.

Malaysian artist and designer Red Hong Yi has created a giant mural of international superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi using a football instead of a paintbrush.

Footage of the creative process shows Yi dipping the ball in one of eight buckets of paint at her disposal, before manoeuvring it carefully around the canvas with her feet.

The instantly recognisable players are each depicted wearing their national team’s kit.

Yi is known for her atypical approach to painting and often eschews traditional methods for alternative tools such as basketballs.

She has collaborated with clients such as Hewlett Packard, Nespresso and Mercedes Benz.