FIRST OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM MACC DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS, MOHD SHUKRI ABDUL

Shah Alam Friday, July 17th, 2009 (edited from The Malay Mail): At a Press conference held at the MACC’s office in Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on 16/07/2009, the place where Teoh Beng Hock was last seen before his tragic death, MACC director of investigations Mohd Shukri Abdul gave the first official statement about the episode.

What happened? We were alerted to a body discovered at the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam at 1.30pm and our checks later showed that he was actually one of our witnesses in an ongoing investigations into State funds of a State assemblyman.

How was the body discovered? Because someone was screaming downstairs. We don’t know who it was.

Who was this witness? The deceased was a special assistant to the Seri Kembangan State assemblyman.

How was he questioned? We took his statements about 5pm on Wednesday and the session ended about 3.45am. He was allowed to go home, he was supposed to bring other documents to assist investigations later.

What happened between then and the fall? He said that he was tired and wanted to rest at the settee. He was last seen by one of our officers at 6am, still sleeping.

From which floor? From where?  We don’t know. The police are investigating. We are not sure if it was from the 14th floor or if he went downstairs. We are not sure.

Is this building monitored through CCTV? As far as I know there are no CCTV cameras in our office.

How about witnesses? We have no witnesses in MACC who saw him since 6am. We were only informed at 1.30pm.

When did it happen? We don’t know.

How was the deceased when he was giving his statements? Was he under pressure? He was normal. He is just a witness. He was not the accused. According to Ean Yong, he had appealed to MACC for the deceased to be allowed to leave earlier and return today. This request was denied. We recorded his statements fully.

Did he complain about health problems? No. He said he wanted to rest.

Did he cooperate during investigations? He was cooperative. He was supposed to come back with additional documents later today after he slept.

How many officers were present when the deceased was questioned? One.

How about after? Our officers were working non-stop last night. Some were sleeping in their respective rooms last night.

Why was he questioned until the wee hours of the morning? It is normal for MACC to record statements for about eight to nine hours. This is because our questions are very thorough.

Why wasn’t he allowed to rest? When we record statements, if the witness wants a break, we will take a break. We will ask him if he needs a rest. The same goes for any witness. I was informed he did get food and water.

Why was there a probe on the financial allocations? We receive general information that there were misappropriation of State rep’s funds. We are not focusing on any specific State rep. We are not sure who is involved. We are visiting certain areas, checking documents, to see if the allegations are true.

The Mighty Pen asks Mohd Shukri Abdul: Do you now know why the police are using the toilets to kill their victims? Why didn’t you learn the tactics of killing from the police? Who gave you permission to push the victim down? Did you obtain clearance from the police of your new act of killing? Was this a trial and error strategy on your part to carry out future killing plans? Will this type of strategy be adopted for future killings? When will you submit your recommendations to Najib Razak?

TEOH BENG HOCK’S DEATH: MACC OR MACDETH

By Art Harun

I am outraged!!! I was having a meeting at Bangsar when I received a text message at about 5pm yesterday about the death of Teoh Beng Hock. He was found dead, apparently “on the roof of an adjoining building next to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s building.”  To say that MACC has been independent all these while  is like saying Pam Anderson has not done a silicon job. It has been known and seen to move with lightning speed in cases involving opposition leaders as well as UMNO leaders who are not in the right camp.

At a whiff of anything resembling an iota of wrongdoing, they would raid, arrest and interrogate all and sundry. But if, and only if, the people involved are from the “other side” of the fence.

Is life so cheap in Malaysia?

But when the luminaries involved are from the government side, they would just sit still, like an elephant on tranquilisers. Look at the palatial mansion issue. Not a word from MACC. Contrast that to the hari raya korban cows issue. They did not only investigated but they even passed judgment in full public view even before the AG had the chance to look at the Investigation Papers!

And what about the Linggam Tape findings made by the Royal Commission? No statement. No hurry. No nothing. NFA, said the Minister. Who was interviewed? Who was arrested for taking statements? Was there interrogations until 3.45 am? None of course.

Teoh was not a suspect. And yet he was interrogated mercilessly from 5pm to 3.45am. Why the needs to do so? Can’t witnesses be treated with dignity, if not respect? Was he going to run away? Can’t he be asked respectfully to come to the office during office hours and interviewed in a civil manner? After all, if he was a witness, his testimony would be helpful and of assistance to MACC.

There are more questions than answers in this whole debacle. Life is cheap in Malaysia. That is quite obvious.

My questions are:

why would a young man who was to be married in a day’s time commit suicide?

why must he, who was not a suspect, be interrogated mercilessly from 5pm to 3.45am?

why was he allowed to remain in MACC’s office after he was released?

are members of the public ordinarily allowed to be in MACC’s office in the wee hours of the morning without supervision? Wouldn’t this run contrary to the security of MACC, its officers and all data in MACC’s office and custody?

are members of the public, especially those who have been interrogated, ordinarily allowed to sleep on a settee in MACC’s office unsupervised in the wee hours of the morning or any hours for that matter?

are members of the public, especially those who have been interrogated, ordinarily allowed to wander around aimlessly in MACC’s office unsupervised?

why was Teoh allowed to do all of the above?

why wasn’t Teoh told to go home and not remain in MACC’s office as it is a security area?

what happened to CCTV cameras in MACC’s office (I presume there will be a hell of a lot of them)

how come nobody noticed where Teoh, a total stranger to MACC and its officers, was? Where was the security guard?

And look at the picture. Teoh’s pants are torn. Why?

[Art Harun practices law for a living and has his own blog Articulations]

WHAT IS YOUR TURNING POINT WITH TEOH BENG HOCK’S DEATH?

This article is written by R Shan

Malaysians: What is your turning point with Teoh Beng Hock’s death?

Yesterday we experienced another dastardly event with the death of Teoh Beng Hock. Another Malaysian, haven’t we had enough action with deaths in police custody, and now we face a death in civil custody.

No, it is not the fault of the government operated organs, it is always the fault of the victim. Sure it is the operation of our present government and we think that we are such free thinkers that we will always afford the benefit of doubt for the corrupted tools of the government. The Malaysian government is a bunch of neo Nazis’ who have no humanity in them as long as it serves their own purpose. Wake up Malaysians! Our hearts boil with anger and frustration yet we continue to accept their nonsense for the material needs, yet we forsake the humanity that we have in each other. Do not let it be another bedtime story that will be long forgotten.

I alone cannot persecute these bastards who do not have even an aorta of feeling for a fellow human being but we can do it collectively and show that we as the Malaysian public are united to act and challenge them in any way that another Malaysian would not face such predicament as our fellow Malaysian had faced.

What the hell the government thinks of itself? If they think that they can continue their antics as and when it pleases, fuck them and fuck everyone else who installs fear in us for a material reason or need. We Malaysians need to be bold and ready to act to challenge what is unjust and unfair that transpires right before our eyes. Yes, the system is there, the rule of law is there but if it is continuously used to suppress the public and victimize people like Teoh Beng Hock, then to hell with the system and rule of law.

Listen you Malaysians, stop talking and get down to action if we are to preserve any humanity for us as this government is riding on the complacency and the “tidak apa” attitude that we grew up with for the benefit that is only for yourself per se as oppose to the community that we hope to live in.

I am so angry with the death of Teoh Beng Hock that I could kill the perpetrator. Sure don’t come and tell me to let the system prevail and let’s see what happens with investigation and so forth, be level headed, let’s rationalize this or you are too emotional. This is all bullshit! You need to be emotional and seek what is just and fair, not just putting up with it as it does not rock your boat. All your life you try to live a rationalized life yet you can only live if you are happy with the community that you live in. You either act for humanity for what is just and fair or take the highway as nothing matters as long your interest is taken care of or your two cent opinion without an action for your own escapism.

Humanity is plentiful in Malaysia, but it can only move ahead if we, the people act to make known that our act matters for the betterment of the society. It is in our hand if we can act collectively for a just cause, so let’s join hand and ensure the death of Teoh Beng Hock will make us realize that without our action to avenge his death, it is meaningless for humanity to survive in Malaysia rather than turning this into another “Kedai Mamak Story”. 

9 DEAD AND 50 WOUNDED IN JAKARTA HOTELS’ BLASTS

Jakarta (Indonesia) 17/07/2009- A pair of powerful bombs exploded at two luxury hotels in an upscale Jakarta business district Friday, leaving 9 dead, including several foreigners, and wounding at least 50, officials said. The blasts at the neighbouring Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.

At the Metropolitan Medical Center, a list of 29 names was posted of people it said were also wounded. While a hospital official says 48 were wounded, including 11 foreigners. There have not been any major bomb blasts in Indonesia for several years, and this month the country’s presidential election passed off peacefully.

Debris and shattered glass littered the street outside, and ambulances were being shuttled into the area.Alex Asmasubrata, who was jogging by the hotels, said he first heard a loud explosion at the Marriott. Five minutes later, a bomb followed at the Ritz. He saw four bodies inside the Marriott, including one with its stomach blown out.

The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died. Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah was blamed in that blast.

‘There were explosions heard from two separate places, one the JW Marriott, the other in the Ritz Carlton. We are still trying to check because right now we are still helping the victims,’ said South Jakarta Police Chief Firman Santyabudi.The explosions rocked the area around 8 am (0100 GMT, 9am Malaysian time) near the site of a 2003 bombing by Islamist militants of the JW Marriott hotel, which killed 12 people.

Witnesses at the scene told Metro TV that the injured, including Indonesians and foreigners, were seen being taken away in ambulances. Police sealed off the area near the Ritz-Carlton and the JW Marriott hotels, an AFP correspondent said. Windows had been blown out of a second-storey restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. — AP, REUTERS

LATEST: Australia issues travel warning: Canberra – Australia’s government issued a fresh travel warning for Indonesia on Friday after bomb attacks on two Jakarta hotels. ‘We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack,’ the warning from Australia’s foreign ministry said. REUTERS

PLEASE READ OUR EARLIER STORY ON THIS TOPIC

PAKATAN PROTESTS OUTSIDE MACC; 8 ARRESTED INCLUDING 2 MPS

Shah Alam 17/07/2009: At least eight people including Selangor MPs S Manikavasagam and Xavier Jayakumar were arrested for protesting the suspicious death of Teoh Beng Hock, the personal aide of DAP asssemblyman for Seri Kembangan. The protest took place outside the MACC headquarters at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam around 10am this morning with more than 300 Pakatan people shouting siasat or investigate!

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim arrived around 10.30am. Top DAP leaders including Lim Kit Siang and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng were also there. “Enough of the cruelty. We have seen a lot of it. We want an explanation from MACC,” Anwar said in a short speech.

Police later moved in to break up the crowd when they began chanting their demands for the MACC to be investigated. Their rough action resulted in several scuffles. One Pakatan worker fainted and many complained of injuries as a result of the attacks.

Beng Hock’s body was found sprawled in a pool of blood on a 5th floor rooftop of the adjoining building to the MACC headquarters. He had gone in for questioning as a witness at 5pm on Wednesday but was released only at 3.45am Thursday. The MACC said although he was free to go home, he himself asked to remain because he felt tired. They said he slept on a couch in their office and an eyewitness saw him at 6am.

After that, the MACC did not know anything until his body was discovered at 1.30pm Thursday. He was still in the same clothes he had worn the day before. His boss Ean Yong Hian Wah has rubbished talk that Beng Hock had jumped. He also questioned why Beng Hock would choose to remain in the MACC office after he was released when he had transport to go home. Ean also slammed the long hours of interrogation the MACC had put Beng Hock through.

Said Ean: “He was going to get married, why would he want to commit suicide. He looked calm. Before he went to the MACC office, Manoharan and myself talked to him about how to answer the questions. “If there was any problems, I should be the one to face action. I don’t see any reason for him to commit suicide. Furthermore, there was no reason for him to linger after the interrogation because his car was here.” Suara Keadilan.

STATE ASSEMBLYMAN EAN YONG SHEDS MORE LIGHT ON BENG HOCK’S DEATH

Wong Choon Mei | Suara Keadilan | 17/07/2009 | Edited By The Mighty Pen

Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah has shed further light on the suspicious death of his personal aide Teoh Beng Hock, rubbishing any talk that the 30-year former journalist had jumped. Ean told reporters there was no reason for Beng Hock to do so as he had been called in for questioning as a witness and not as a suspect, a fact that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has confirmed. Secondly, Beng was due to register his marriage on Friday (today).

Said Ean: “He was going to get married, why would he want to commit suicide. He looked calm. Before he went to the MACC office, Manoharan and myself talked to him about how to answer the questions. “If there was any problems, I should be the one to face action. I don’t see any reason for him to commit suicide. Furthermore, there was no reason for him to linger (after the interrogation) because his car was here.”

Beng Hock drove there, why didn’t he leave and why was he questioned for so long

According to Ean, Beng Hock had agreed to follow an MACC officer to the headquarters by driving his own car on Wednesday afternoon. When he didn’t return after several hours, Ean went to the MACC office at 12 midnight. “I asked the officer if Teoh can come back tomorrow morning but the officer said it was against procedure because the investigation must be completed within 24 hours,” Ean said. Ean then left the MACC at 1.30am on Thursday, rushing back at 5pm when news broke that Beng Hock had died.

He was made to wait for an hour and a half before MACC deputy commissioner Abu Kassim told him that Teoh was dead, having apparently fallen to his death at 1pm on the 5th floor of the adjacent building. The MACC office is located on the 14th floor and Beng Hock was found in the same clothes he had worn the day before. Abu Kassim told him Beng Hock was released at 3.45am and was free to go but an eyewitness saw him still in the MACC office at 6am.

MACC held responsible

Investigation division director Shukri Abdull later told a press conference that Beng Hock was merely a witness to the investigation and that after the interrogation ended, he said he was tired and asked to rest on a settee in the MACC office. “The man was asked to come to Selangor MACC last night at 5pm for his statement to be recorded and this procedure was completed at 3.45am. At 3.45am, he was allowed to leave, he promised to come today to bring some documents to assist in the investigations,” Shukri said. “At 6am, he was still seen to be sleeping at the couch but we didn’t see him until 1.30pm today when the body was found.”

Selangor Menteri Besar has confirmed that a janitor found Beng Hock’s body at 1.30pm and the police have begun questioning a few officers from the MACC. He has promised the state government will appoint an independent pathologist to help police investigate the case. Meanwhile, the Selangor police chief has classified the case a sudden death pending the results of a post-mortem. “At this point, we are holding MACC responsible until we get a better explanation,” said Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah.

5-YEAR OLD MALAYSIAN BOY BEHEADED; HEAD PLACED IN A BUCKET

Kota Kinabalu 17/07/2009:: A five-year-old boy was beheaded in an apparent feud between two families in Lahad Datu.

The boy’s head was allegedly chopped off by his father’s enemy, who then placed it in a bucket before fleeing the scene with his wife and daughter at 4pm on Wednesday.

Lahad Datu acting district police chief Deputy Supt Lee Chee Yong said yesterday that police were looking for the 27-year-old suspect, who was living in the same house as the victim and his parents.

“Our investigations indicate that the parents of the boy and the suspect had a longstanding feud,” he said, adding that the boy’s parents were not at home during the incident.

DSP Lee said police were unable to locate the murder weapon, which they believed to be a parang. Asia News Network

SIX KILLED AND 18 INJURED IN TWO EXPLOSIONS AT MARRIOTT AND RITZ CARLTON HOTELS IN JAKARTA

Jakarta (Indonesia) 17/07/2009:- Police said at least six people, including four foreigners, were killed in two separate explosions on Friday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta.

The head of the Health Ministry crisis center, Rustam Pakaya, said at least two people were seriously injured, including one New Zealander. One hospital emergency room said it was already treating 15 people. ‘There were explosions heard from two separate places, one the JW Marriott, the other in the Ritz Carlton. We are still trying to check because right now we are still helping the victims,’ said South Jakarta Police Chief Firman Santyabudi.

Witnesses at the scene told Metro TV that the injured, including Indonesians and foreigners, were seen being taken away in ambulances.’Some windows of the Ritz-Carlton building have been shattered, mostly on the lower section. I’m looking at it from my office,’ said Myra Junor, who works at a nearby building.

Debris and shattered glass littered the street outside the neighbouring hotels in an upscale Jakarta neighbourhood. Ambulances were being shuttled into the area. Police had sealed off the area near the Ritz Carlton and the JW Marriott, an AFP correspondent said. The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died. Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah was blamed in that blast. – AP, REUTERS, AFP

Eyewitnesses accounts:  ‘I heard two sounds like ‘boom, boom’ coming from the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. Then I saw people running out,’ security guard Eko Susanto told AFP. Witness Intan told TV One one of the explosions wrecked the lobby of the Plaza Mutiara building. ‘I was having breakfast on level 16, I heard an explosion and went down to the first floor and it was a mess. I saw foreigners all bloody, about three to five of them, badly wounded,’ she said.  ‘I saw some people being carried into a Mercedes. There was a lot of them in there, they were having trouble closing the doors,’ a witness, who gave her name as Mery, told ElShinta.  Alex Asmasubrata, who was jogging by the hotels, said he first heard a loud explosion at the Marriott. Five minutes later, a bomb followed at the Ritz. He saw four bodies inside the Marriott, including one with its stomach blown out. ‘Some windows of the Ritz-Carlton building have been shattered, mostly on the lower section. I?m looking at it from my office,’ said Myra Junor, who works at a nearby building. Lydia Ruddy, a witness who lives in the area, told Reuters she could see debris everywhere. She said she heard an explosion and saw smoke coming from the Marriott, followed five minutes later by another explosion at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, which is in the same area. An Australian man told local Radio 2UE his son had been hurt at the Marriott and was being taken to hospital.

LATEST NEWS: SIX people were killed and at least 18 injured in nearly simultaneous explosions at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the Marriott Hotel in central Jakarta on Friday, Indonesian police said.

A MALAYSIAN MURDER FACTORY UNDER JOINT OWNERSHIP OF PDRM AND MACC (VIDEOS)

HINDRAF PRESS STATEMENT (17/07/2009): IS MACC ANOTHER PDRM IN THE MAKING?

HINDRAF is appalled at the death of the young Malaysian Teoh Beng Hock while being in custody of the MACC. Is it rather unorthodox and unbecoming that a witness needs to be interrogated from 5pm to 3.45 am. He is only a witness not a suspect. UMNO led BN seems to have added another public institution ie the MACC as the public’s tormentor along side the PDRM. The sole responsibility of the Anti Corruption agency is to investigate and procure evidence, not to act as the executor.

HINDRAF condemns MACC for its ruthlessness towards innocent Malaysian citizens under the protection of the Machiavellian UMNO led government to protect their own nepotism, cronyism and corrupt practice against public interest and benefit.

MACC was wholly responsible for the safety of the late Teoh Beng Hock as he was in their custody. HINDRAF holds them solely responsible for his death similar to what happened to Kugan and Gnanapragasam who died in police custody recently.

MACC has such wide unwritten power to hold the public at ransom similar to what PDRM has been practicing under the UMNO led BN regime. This has to stop as HINDRAF does not want the government to create another monster against public interest in the form of the MACC.

HINDRAF urges the public to unite irrespective of race, religion or colour and pressure the government to run a full fledge independent investigation on MACC for the ill-fated death of Teoh Beng Hock.

HINDRAF will extend its support to ensure that justice is served in unraveling the truth behind the suspicious death of Teoh Beng Hock. We call upon the AG to immediately order an inquest to be held to preserve crucial and relevant evidences before a cover up by both the MACC and PDRM whom the public has lost confidence in.

Lastly, HINDRAF would like to extend our condolences to the family of Teoh Beng Hock as we mourn together on the tragedy that has befallen to a fellow Malaysian.

P.Waythamoorthy | HINDRAF | Chairman

TEOH BENG HOCK’S CASE: A LIKELY SCENARIO OF THE MURDER

Raja Petra Kamarudin | Malaysia today | 17/07/2009 | Edited By The Mighty Pen For Use On This Website

Well, today, there is a body. It is the body of a most unfortunate Chinese opposition member who was arrested and tortured by the MACC officers. Yes, he was tortured. And he was tortured because the MACC wanted him to talk. But he could not talk. He could not talk because there was nothing to talk about. The MACC wanted him to finger his comrades in the opposition. They wanted him to implicate his friends in the opposition for various crimes that the MACC alleges had been committed by those in the opposition.

He tried to explain that he is not being stubborn. He tried to explain that no crime had been committed. He tried to explain that he could not possibly implicate his comrades in the opposition for various crimes if these crimes are merely a figment of the MACC’s imagination. So they continued to torture him. And he could no longer stand the torture. After all, he is not the macho type of man. He is but a gentle man who only wanted to get married this weekend. That was all that he wanted.

They threatened to kill him if he refuses to talk. With tears running down his cheeks he begged for mercy and pleaded with them not to harm him. They threatened to throw him off the top floor if he refuses to talk. Sobbing like a baby he went down on his knees and begged for his life.They dragged him across the room and opened the window. Then something went terribly wrong. It was supposed to be just a threat. They just wanted to put fear in him. They did not really want to throw him off the top floor. They just wanted him to see what the ground floor looks like from the top floor.

The unfortunate young man panicked. He went ballistic when he saw the distance he would have to travel before hitting the ground floor. He struggled. They could not hold onto him. Gravity took over and the life of this young man was prematurely snuffed out. The MACC then announced that they had released him the night before. They failed to announce that they had not released him from custody but released him from this world. Then they suddenly found his body the day after. He jumped. He committed suicide. He took his own life. He was never tortured. He was not dragged to the window with the threat that they would teach him how to fly.

This has been going on for far too long. The MACC acts like God. They kidnap families and torture those they arrest. They threaten those they interrogate with death if they refuse to talk. And now one young man has really died. But no one will be punished. No one will be punished because they will say the young man took his own life. Why he took his own life no one knows. He was never tortured. He was never threatened with death. He was not made to look how far down the ground floor is. He was not accidentally dropped when he panicked and struggled and they could not get a good grip on him. That is what they will be telling you and me later today.

 

THIS IS THE END PART OF THE ARTICLE APPEARING IN CORRIDORS OF POWER IN MALAYSIA TODAY AND IF YOU WANT TO READ THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY PLEASE CLICK BELOW

MANOHARA BESTOWED WITH ROYAL TITLE “KANJENG MAS AYU” BY SOLO ROYALTY; A REBUKE TO THE KELANTAN ROYALTY

July 16, 2009 | Candra Malik | Jakarta Globe | Edited By The Mighty Pen

Solo: Former teenage model-cum-instant celebrity, Manohara Odelia Pinot, who shot to fame following her short-lived marriage to a Malaysian prince, now has a royal title of her very own. Sunan Pakubuwono XIII Hangabehi, the head of the royal line in Solo, Central Java, bestowed the 17-year-old with the royal title of Kanjeng Mas Ayu as part of the pomp to mark his fifth anniversary on the throne.

The royal spokeswoman, Princess Gusti Raden Ayu Koes Murtiyah, said the award was an intellectual rebuke to the royal family of Kelantan, to which Manohara’s husband belongs.  “She was given the royal title because, first, she is still the legitimate wife of a prince,” she said. “And secondly, to remind the family of  Fakhry that the domestic issues of a royal family should not be revealed so openly to the public.”

Manohara left her Malaysian husband Muhammad Fakhry in May, claiming sexual abuse. Fakhry claims Manohara and her mother owe him more than 972,000 Malaysian ringgit ($272,000).  Gusti Murtiyah criticized the Kelantan court for failing to settle the marital problems quietly.  “Not every woman can marry a prince, or even a king. Manohara’s status was elevated by this privilege, but why does it have to turn into a disaster like this? Why hasn’t the Kelantan Sultanate sent a competent envoy to settle the matter? Why draw it out like this?” she said.

Manohara’s mother, Daisy Fajarina, claimed that her daughter had been mistreated, saying that she was not allowed to even visit Manohara while she was in Malaysia. Manohara  ran away from the prince while his royal family was visiting Singapore.

The awarding of honorary titles by Solo’s ruler is an ostentatious tradition practiced to celebrate royal anniversaries. This year marks the fifth year on the throne for the current ruler, who controversially took the crown in 2004 after Pakubuwono XII died without leaving a clear heir. Among the other recipients of the royal titles were Dorce Gamalama, a multitalented transsexual entertainer, who was bestowed with the title of Mas Ayu Tumenggung. “I cannot express the happiness I feel in my heart,” Dorce said. “For me, the title constitutes a solemn moral responsibility that I have to bear.”

Gusti Murtiyah said that Dorce merited the title for her service to arts and culture. In addition to the awarding of royal titles, this year’s ceremony was marked by a number of traditional festivities, and will conclude with the Tedhak Sinten ritual on Sunday — a public offering made by the Solo Royal Palace. The festivities also included performances by the Srimpi Ludiromadu and Wireng Tohjoyo Rewantaka dance groups, as well as theater by Kusumoyudho. “Any one can enter the palace grounds to watch the royal party,” Gusti Murtiyah said, adding however that palace protocol should be respected within the royal grounds.

PLEASE READ THE REST OF MANOHARA’S STORIES BY CLICKING BELOW

ANWAR TO LEAD PAKATAN PROTEST AT MACC TODAY

17/07/2009: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim will lead a contingent of PKR, PAS and DAP leaders to the MACC office at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on Friday (today) at 10am to protest the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock, the personal aide of Seri Kembangan MP Ean Yong Hian Wah. A 30-year old former Sin Chew journalist, Beng Hock was due to get married on Friday. But he died in suspicious circumstances after being grilled mercilessly by the MACC from 5pm on Wednesday till 3.45am on Thursday.

His body was found sprawled in a pool of blood on the roof of an adjoining building next to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s building. Investigation division director Shukri Abdull has stressed Beng Hock was NOT a suspect but merely a witness to the investigation. Already, calls for an independent inquiry into his death have come flooding in.

The following comments sourced from various media on Teo Beng Hock’s tragic death were compiled by Suara Keadilan English News team.

Ramon Navaratnam, chairman of the MACC panel for consultation and prevention: A life has been taken. This is most regrettable. As chairman of the panel of consultation and prevention in the MACC, I am deeply distressed by the circumstances that led to Teoh’s death. Malaysians must be able to have confidence in the procedures and methods used in the interrogation process. Definitely, a full and independent inquiry must be held and the soonest too. The MACC must also answer why Teoh was interrogated for such long hours if he was just a witness. The fact that they took one group of entirely one race for questioning also indicates their lack sensitivity to the Malaysian multi-racial society. At the end of the day, the MACC must come clean and publicly disclose what they were doing with Teoh. It is unfair and there is also no reason for him to die under a cloud of suspicion if there was none in the first place.

Lim Kit Siang, DAP adviser: No one in his right senses will imagine to commit suicide a day before he is slated to be married. MACC’s reputation is at an all time low. It must satisfy Teo’s family and the public that there was no foul play or abuse involved. Is there now the first case of death in custody, not police but MACC? If so, heads must roll! What has this country come to?

Lim Guan Eng, DAP secretary-general: MACC should stop its political persecution of PR, especially DAP leaders and members, that does not serve the interest of fighting corruption or justice. Such political games have caused the loss of life of a bright young idealistic DAP member. There must be a full investigation on how he died. Unless MACC can clear its name, the public may suspect that Teoh was mistreated and MACC had a hand in his sudden death. There must be full transparency and accountability. DAP extends its condolences to Teoh’s family for this tragic loss and assures them that all steps will be taken to ensure that the culprits or those responsible be punished.

Tian Chua, PKR strategic affairs director: This tragedy was born out of the witch hunt by MACC against Selangor Pakatan government. Secondly, there is clear negligence – if not an outright frame-up – by the MACC in causing Beng Hock’s death. Thirdly, there must be an independent inquiry into his death. That much, Malaysians must insist on. We are also aware that certain sections of the authorities are trying to implicate Pakatan Rakyat for being involved in corruption or misuses of power. This is definitely part of a bigger conspiracy. We must act firmly against the devious attack.

M Manoharan, Kota Alam Shah assemblyman who was also Beng Hock’s lawyer: He was happy and looked composed. I had advised him how to handle the interrogation as I was not allowed in during questioning.

Ean Yong, Seri Kembangan assemblyman: He was going to get married, why would he want to commit suicide. He looked calm. Before he went to the MACC office, Manoharan and myself talked to him about how to answer the questions. If there was any problems, I should be the one to face action. I don’t see any reason for him to commit suicide. Furthermore, there was no reason for him to linger (after the interrogation) because his car was here.

Elizabeth Wong, Bukt Lanjan assemblyman: This tragic incident is another reminder of the recklessness of supposedly public institutions like the MACC in pursuing the goals of their political masters. Even the police stops interrogating suspects at 6pm. Did the MACC think it holds powers greater than the PDRM when it interrogated Teoh from 5pm to 4am the next day? Mohd Shukri should save whatever honour he and the MACC have left by resigning.

Shukri Abdull, MACC investigation division director: The man was asked to come to Selangor MACC  at 5pm on 15th July  for his statement to be recorded and this procedure was completed at 3.45am the next day. At 3.45am, he was allowed to leave, he promised to bring some documents on the day of release, to assist in the investigations. At 6am, he was still seen to be sleeping at the couch but we didn’t see him until 1.30pm when the body was found.

Nazri Aziz, Umno Minister in PM’s Department: I was informed by MACC earlier that he was released. Then he should have gone home. How would we know that he would jump out of the building? Don’t just accuse MACC of being responsible for this. If they keep accusing them and their statements are made public, the people would form their opinions even before the investigation is completed.

S Arutchelvan, Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general: Since Teo was taken to the MACC headquarters for questioning, it is very clear that he was under the custody of the commission. It is therefore clear that MACC is responsible for the death of Teo as it failed to safeguard him. MACC must now face the facts and be held responsible.

THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF TEO BENG HOCK AND THE MACC

Wong Choon Mei | Suara Keadilan | 16/07/2009

The suspicious death of Teoh Beng Hock, the political aide of DAP MP for Seri Kembangan Ean Yong Hian Wah, has left the party and its coalition partners PKR and PAS speechless with indignation and sorrow. For Beng Hock was just a youngster and due to get married on Friday. A 30-year old former Sin Chew journalist , he was well known and well-liked by his boss and his colleagues. Sadly, this afternoon, he was found dead, his body sprawled in a pool of blood on the roof of an adjoining building next to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s building.

In a press conference held just hours ago, the MACC stressed that Beng Hock was NOT a suspect. According to investigation division director Shukri Abdull, he was merely a witness to the investigation. Yet, the MACC grilled him mercilessly from 5pm on Wednesday till 3.45am on Thursday morning. The MACC also said they released him soon after that but it was Beng Hock himself who wanted to rest in their office.

He also promised to return later in the day with some documents and then went off to catch a nap on a settee in the MACC lobby. The last time anyone saw him was at 6am when he was still asleep on that settee in the MACC lobby. After that, the graft-buster said no one knew anything until he was found dead around 1.30pm, still dressed in the black jacket, blue shirt and white pants he had worn the day before. So what happened then? Did he jump? Would he and what for? Was he pushed then? Why and to cover what? The Selangor police – yes those guys famed for the Kugan Ananthan brutality  – are now in charge of Beng Hock’s case.

Time for someone to take responsibility

It really is time for us to stop. Just stop, take a deep breath and look at the sort of people leading this country now.It is time for us to ask questions and demand answers. It is also time for us to make sure we get real answers. For months, Pakatan politicians have complained of harassment from the Umno-BN as they try their utmost to re-take the five states that Malaysians chose to give to the PKR, the DAP and PAS.

Just a few days ago, Teresa Kok and Eli Wong held a press conference to sound out what was happening to seven Selangor assemblymen of Chinese origin. And just a day ago, Beng Hock’s boss Ean and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San held another press conference – again to complain about the MACC’s arrogance, this time in storming their service centres.

After all, is it not outright bullying and sheer abuse of power to make a great show of raiding an elected rep’s office without clearly stating a motive. Won’t the public start to think some thing is wrong or that they may be involved in corrupt activities after all? But then again, isn’t this the MACC’s real motive? Whatever it is,  what’s for sure is that Pakatan lawmakers won’t let this case go. They will fight for Beng Hock as they fought for Kugan and all the others who died mysteriously – the victims of a vindictive Umno-BN government.

Racism not only ruins lives, it can kill

Pakatan should also not waste time. They should zero in on the person most responsible – Najib Razak. Not only because he has to be responsible because he is the PM. But also because he is the Selangor Umno chief and has promised to topple the Selangor Pakatan. And the Beng Hock tragedy is a clear-cut by-product of this ambition.

Just as his attack against the Perak Pakatan reeked of racism, the same sort of race-based modus operandi was being ruthlessly and unscrupulously pursued in Selangor. Now, it has also yielded the same sort of disastrous results.

As they say an eye for eye and a life for a life. Can Najib – with all his stocked-up wealth – give Beng Hock back his life, his parents their son, his siblings their brother and his fiancee her husband? It is so difficult to get justice in Malaysia. Perhaps, Beng Hock should pay him a visit! For someone must be held accountable, who if not the head honcho himself!

MACC DEATH ROW: TEO BENG HOCK WAS TO GET MARRIED TODAY!

July 17, 2009 (Jeff Ooi’s website): The coffee-shop crowd is very angry. The restaurant crowd is very angry. The whole town is very angry. Is MACC conducting investigation or interrogation, if Teo hauled up at 5.00pm on 15/07/2009, was only reportedly relieved by the anti-corruption agency at 3.45am the morning after… and found dead at MACC premises by the afternoon?

Teo Beng Hock was to get married today, July 17! Expressing disbelief over his death, Lim Kit Siang said: "No one in his right senses will imagine to commit suicide a day before he is slated to be married."

UPDATES: DAP comrades and supporters in Penang will gather in front of the MACC Penang HQ, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, at 11.00am Friday (Friday) morning to stage a protest over the death of Teo Beng Hock. A candle-light vigil will be held at the same venue at 9.00pm Friday night.

IN KLANG VALLEY, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders will hold a press conference at the Selangor MACC HQ at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, at 10am Friday morning. Please keep everybody informed.

MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER’S WIFE SPEAKS THROUGH EXPERIENCE!

Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt 16/07/2009: Rosmah was speaking on the topic "Enhancing Women’s Role in Addressing Global Humanitarian and Health Crises", on the last day of the summit, which was hosted by Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the Egyptian president.

Rosmah spoke on the issue of HIV/AIDS, calling for governments to establish gender specific approach for the prevention and response to the problem. She said the lack of access to health services, weak healthcare systems and shortage of medical facilities and personnel were part of the contributory factors that limited the survival of the HIV/AIDS cases. But she said the worrying trend was the increasing number of housewives being infected with HIV/AIDS as compared with sex workers.

"Women with HIV too are often stigmatised and blamed for spreading HIV, when in fact the transmission rate from men to women is comparatively very much higher. "In addition, HIV positive women are often perceived to be promiscuous, nevertheless 90 per cent of HIV positive women caught the virus from their husbands or partners," Rosmah said.

KG BUAH PALA RESIDENTS’ APPLICATIONS DISMISSED WITH COSTS

Penang July 16, 2009: The High Court here dismissed with costs an application by five Kampung Buah Pala residents to set aside a writ granting the ownership of a piece of land in the area to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaaan Negeri Pulau Pinang Bhd. The court also dismissed with costs the residents’ application for a stay of execution of the writ.

High Court Registrar Ahmad Hidayat Md Nor read out the verdict in chamber. The residents’ lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira told reporters later that he would file an appeal on Monday against the eviction order on the 23 families in the village. Karin Lim Ai Ching, who represented the cooperative and developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd, said bailiffs would enforce the eviction order on Aug 3.

Earlier, Darshan filed a summons on behalf of six residents seeking to declare any agreement and transfer of ownership of the land among eight parties null and void. The eight parties are the personal representative of David Brown and Helen Margaret Brown’s estate, the state government, federal land commissioner, Malaysian government, Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaaan Negeri Pulau Pinang Bhd, Nusmetro Ventures, Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer and Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy. The villagers have named them as defendants in the suit. Edited from Bernama

BISHOP IN BRITAIN BANS HOLY WATER TO HALT THE SPREAD OF H1N1 FLU

London 16/07/2009: – A bishop in Britain has advised his diocese to ban holy water from churches in a bid to halt the spread of H1N1 flu. The Bishop of Chelmsford in eastern England has suggested sprucing up hygiene in churches by removing receptacles for water.

‘Some churches have a stoup for holy water near the entrance to the church door, and people are invited to dip a finger in this, and to make the sign of the cross as a reminder of their baptism. ‘The water contained in stoups can easily become a source of infection and a means of rapidly spreading the virus,’ said The Right Reverend John Gladwin. ‘This practice should be suspended.’ In a set of directives sent to priests in the county of Essex that includes Chelmsford, Rev Gladwin said they should advise members of their congregation who have flu-like symptoms to stay at home.

Rev Gladwin also urged caution when taking Holy Communion to residential homes, warning if anyone had flu-like symptoms the ‘priest alone should drink wine from the chalice.’ Chaplain Chris Newlands added: ‘People need to be reassured that the church is doing everything it can to stop the spread of infection.’

Britain is Europe’s worst hit country, with 17 people dying after contracting H1N1 flu. — AFP

ANWAR CAN VIEW EVIDENCE; SAIFUL BUKHARI SAYS HE IS CRUSHED

Kuala Lumpur 16/07/2009 – Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday was given access to key evidence in his sodomy trial which his lawyers described as a ‘political conspiracy’ to jail him. The judge’s ruling will allow the defence to see evidence ranging from a rectal examination of a 23-year-old former aide, who says that Mr Anwar sodomised him, to CCTV footage. The only evidence they will not get is DNA samples, which are sealed.

‘I would say that we are glad with this particular judgment but we have to go through the process. Because of past experience we cannot be too presumptive,’ Mr Anwar, 61, told journalists. Anwar’s three-party bloc has mounted the biggest ever challenge to the government that has ruled this Southeast Asian country for 51 years.

The trial echoes a case brought in 1998 at the height of the Asian financial crisis when he was deputy prime minister. He was found guilty of corruption and sodomy after a 14-month trial and jailed for six years. The new trial comes as Anwar is battling to contain infighting in his fractious coalition, which came close to losing a safe seat in a state by-election on Tuesday.

Anwar’s sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004 and he has since returned to parliament to head the opposition alliance of Islamists, a mainly ethnic Chinese party and reformers. Anwar faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.

‘(I am) Crushed, but I respect the judge’s decision,’ the complainant, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, wrote on Twitter after the ruling.

Attempts by the prosecution to block access to evidence were earlier labelled by Anwar’s defence lawyer, Sivarasa Rasiah, as evidence of ‘an active political conspiracy’. The conduct of the case, after widespread international criticism last time round, is key to the image of Malaysia’s judiciary and several foreign embassies are attending the trial. – Reuters, Photos AP

CHUA JUI MENG QUITS AS BAKRI MCA CHIEF; WILL NOT JOIN PKR

Muar 16/07/2009: Former MCA vice-president Chua Jui Meng resigned as Bakri MCA division chairman, a post he has held for seven terms. Speaking to reporters Thursday, he said the decision was made “solely to unify the division which has been split since the March 8, 2008 general election.” He said although many parties had asked him to continue to lead the division, he felt it was time for him to give way to a younger leader.

“I have relinquished my post as chairman of the division to the deputy chairman Sia Ka Tuan. “However, all posts in the party held by members which I appointed will not be affected,” he said after chairing his last meeting as the division’s head Thursday. Chua, also a former Health Minister, said he hoped the acting chairman would be able to unite and strengthen Bakri MCA.

He also urged committee members to give their full support to party president Ong Tee Keat and to be more committed in their political struggles for the community and the people.When asked about joining PKR, he said he had been linked with such rumours for several years and claimed he was once approached by an opposition party.

However, he said he had no intention of leaving the MCA and would continue to fight for reforms within the party as stated in his election manifesto when he contested the MCA presidency in the party polls last year. He also said that he wanted to rest after having served the MCA and the Bakri division for more than 23 years, but added that he would announce his future political plans “when the time arrives.”

POLICE REPORT FILED AGAINST GUAN ENG BY A MUSLIM CARRYING PUNJABI NAME; MACC REPORT LODGED AGAINST GUAN ENG BY GERAKAN ‘KINDERGARTEN KIDS’

Penang, July 16,2009:  Lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira on Thursday lodged a police report against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for repeatedly denigrating and insulting him and his religion, Islam. Darshan, 61, who is also the legal adviser of the Kampung Buah Pala residents Association, claimed that Lim had been making personal attacks on him over the village land dispute. He told reporters at the Pattani Road police station here that he demanded that the case be investigated for sedition.

Lim’s remarks that questioned Darshan’s use of his Punjabi name when he had converted to Islam were reported in Sin Chew Jit Poh on July 11 and The Sun on July 15. Darshan said Lim had insulted hundreds of Chinese, Indians and other converts who retained their pre-conversion names for social and personal reasons.

In another development, Penang Gerakan Youth today made a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Penang branch on the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s move to a luxury bungalow in Jalan Pinhorn after his official residence was infested with termites. The movement’s vice-head, H’ng Khoon Leng, said they made the report after Lim refused to answer various questions regarding the luxury bungalow issue.

He said all information collected pertaining to the house had been handed over to the MACC to be studied. "We hope the MACC would conduct an urgent investigation regarding all doubtful questions on the bungalow," H’ng told reporters after handing over the report to MACC officials. Also present was Penang Gerakan Youth chief, Oh Tong Keong.

Before this Penang Gerakan Youth had posed queries to Lim as to the logic to move to the bungalow failing which they would make a report to the MACC. However, after their deadline expired yesterday the Chief Minister refused to answer their questions and instead classified the movements action as that of "kindergarten kids". "We had given time to Lim to reply but he not only refused but arrogantly termed us as ‘kindergarten kids," said H’ng.

He stressed that the report was not meant to be libelous, accusatory or to maltreat Lim but was rather to determine the principle of competency, accountability and transparency (CAT) as espoused by the Chief Minister. He said the actions of Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general, to avoid answering the issue had raised various speculations and the truth needed to be known. Edited from Bernama

SELANGOR ASSEMBLYMAN’S POLITICAL SECRETARY AND FORMER SIN CHEW JIT POH JOURNALIST FALLS TO DEATH

SHAH ALAM 16/07/2009: A man died after having fallen off Plaza Masalam here where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has its office on the 14th floor. The man is believed to be Teoh Beng Hock, political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah, who was taken in for questioning by the MACC Wednesday evening. Teoh Beng Hock was the political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah.

The body was discovered by a janitor at 1:30pm on Thursday on the fifth floor of the building. Police have yet to give a positive identity, but DAP officials say it is Teoh. According to police sources, Teoh was released at 4am on Thursday after having been held overnight. He was supposed to have returned later Thursday with several documents requested by the MACC.

Selangor Chief Police Officer Deputy Comm Khalid Abu Bakar, who confirmed that a body had been found, said police would be interviewing the man who was last seen with Teoh. "There is not going to be any cover-up in investigations and I assure the public and his family we will conduct a thorough investigation into his death.

"We have requested for private and government pathologists to be present and assist us in our investigations," he said. Several Selangor executive council members were at the scene Thursday afternoon. DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said he and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders would be meeting the MACC at 10am on Friday.

On Wednesday, MACC officers raided Ean Yong’s office at the state secretariat building. They seized a desktop computer belonging to the state government, as well as a personal laptop belonging to Teoh.

Teoh, a 30-year-old former journalist with Chinese daily Sin Chew Jit Poh, was taken to the MACC office to assist in its investigations over the alleged abuse of constituency development funds. The Star

NAJIB AND ROSMAH PERFORMING AT SHARM AL-SHEIKH NIGHTCLUB

TRANSPORT PROVIDED FROM AIRPORT TO THE NIGHTCLUB

COURT GRANTS ANWAR ONLY PARTIAL ACCESS TO KEY EVIDENCE IN NAJIB CONSPIRED SODOMY

Kuala Lumpur 16/07/2009: Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has won a partial victory in the first round of a grueling battle to free himself of sodomy charges he says are trumped by Najib Razak to break his political advancement.

On Thursday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the public prosecutor to allow Anwar’s legal team access to key evidence needed to prepare his defence but stopped short at vital DNA samples and video testimony. The judge had the day before refused to grant Anwar more time to find a new lead counsel after his long-time lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah discharged himself due to serious illness.

On March 10, Anwar had pleaded not guilty to sodomising his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 24, at a condominium in Bukit Damansara here on June 26, last year. Anwar had applied to compel the Public Prosecutor to produce the CCTV recordings allegedly taken from the guardhouse and lifts to Block 11 of the Desa Damansara condominium and other locations within the complex.

He also applied for DNA samples, chemist and medical case notes, the video recording of the statement by Saiful on June 30 last year, witness statements, a statement of facts favouring him (Anwar) and a list of prosecution witnesses. His lawyers said the prosecution has the duty to supply the documents to the defence before commencement of the sodomy trial in order to defend its client properly.

On Thursday, the court granted Anwar’s team access to all the required documents except for the DNA samples and Saiful’s video testimony. The prosecution has been given 10 days to comply.

Anwar’s lawyer Edmund Bon had earlier argued that the High Court has the power to entertain the complaint by Anwar over the prosecution’s refusal to supply certain documents. Bon said his client has the right to make the complaint when there was a dispute whether the documents being withheld were protected by public interest. He however argued that the prosecution had not invoked public interest immunity in this particular case and therefore all relevant documents should be supplied to the defence for a smooth trial. Bon also said that the Parliament Hansard had elaborated that the defence could apply to the court even if certain facts were protected by public interest.

“The consequences are quite far reaching — that the court has the power to decide when the accused files a complaint over this,” he said in reply Thursday over the application to get certain documents for Anwar’s lawyers to prepare his defence. “Let us not get confuse the question of admissibility and substantive evidence with pre-trial discovery (with the supply of those documents),” he said.

Bon said the court has wide power over the application by issuing a “supervised order” for the inspection of certain documents. “At this time, we are entirely handicapped as we cannot look at the scientific evidence for the sodomy trial,” he said. He said the Public Prosecutor has a duty to act impartially and fairly as well as to see that justice is done, rather than merely focus on convicting the accused. “This honourable court is in a position to step in and set things right,” he said.

Anwar’s lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad said the application was to ensure a fair trial, while another lawyer, R. Sivarasa, argued that the defence was applying for those documents to prevent any suppression of evidence. At the outset, the court granted an application by Sivarasa not to allow investigating officer DSP Jude Pereira to be inside the court on grounds that the officer was a key witness and an interested party.

FAKE MALAYSIAN CURRENCY FOUND IN TOP ARMY OFFICIAL’S HOUSE

Bangkok, July 16, 2009: Thai police have confiscated more than 13,000 pieces of fake Malaysian RM50 notes with face value amounting to between RM650,000 and RM750,000 in Lopburi on Tuesday. The money was found during a police raid on a former top army official’s house in the province outside Bangkok where authorities also seized weapons.

Pol Col Akradej Pimolsri, chief of the Criminal Supress Division 2, told the media here that police made the seizure following a tip-off that the former army official was storing weapons in his house. He said the two suspects, aged 36 and 37, claimed that they were caretakers of the house located in the province where several army camps were located. A Thai policeman said they believed that the ringgit notes were printed in Thailand and it was the biggest seizure in years.

"Earlier there was information that fake ringgit notes were being printed in Cambodia. But now we have some information that it could be printed outside Bangkok," he said. On Wednesday, Thai police arrested a 36-year-old carrying fake US currency with face value of Bt13 million at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre here. The man told police that he was a former police informant and was carrying the money for a police sting operation. Bernama

HOW TO CHECK FOR FAKE MONEY

MANOHARA’S STEPFATHER ARRIVED IN INDONESIA (VIDEO)

 

PLEASE READ THE REST OF MANOHARA’S STORIES BY CLICKING BELOW

SPECULATION GROWS THAT MCA’S JIMMY CHUA TO JOIN PKR

16/07/2009: Long-standing speculation has resurfaced that former Health Minister and MCA stalwart Jimmy Chua Jui Meng will join Parti Keadilan Rakyat this Sunday along with a team of other high-calibre leaders. The rumours are not new and have in fact made the rounds several time before. But on Wednesday, the Malaysian Mirror news portal reignited interest with a fresh article that former Senator David Yeoh and several others would make the switch together with Jimmy.

The report also said they were comfortable with PKR because of their previous working relationship with party adviser and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, a former Deputy Prime Minister, was also a long-time cabinet member in the Umno-BN government before he was forced out by ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad in 1998.

Nevertheless, a top PKR leader has declined to confirm the speculation, saying that “Sunday was just a few days away. Why not wait and see?” If true, it will be good news for PKR and its Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Critics may say Jimmy and team are no longer at the zenith of their careers. But then again, neither are they anywhere near the nadir. Their talent and experience can only strengthen PKR further. Suara Keadilan English News Team.

ANWAR TO KNOW BY 2.30PM IF HE CAN ACCESS KEY DOCUMENTS

Kuala Lumpur 16/07/2009: Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim will know by 2.30pm on Thursday if his legal team can access key evidence needed to prepare his defence against sodomy charges that Prime Minister Najib Razak has been accused of fabricating against him. Judge Mohd Zabidin, who resumed the hearing this morning, adjourned the case after defence counsel Sivarasa Rasiah finalised his submissions. On Wednesday, the judge had refused to grant Anwar more time to find a new lead counsel after his long-time lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah discharged himself due to serious illness.

The reform icon, regarded by many Malaysians as a prime minister-in-waiting, has been accused of sodomising Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a former staff, in June 2008. He has pleaded not guilty and accused Najib of framing him. The charges came about as Anwar was preparing to mount his parliamentary comeback. Despite the ensuing scandal, the charismatic leader managed to win the Permatang Pauh by-election with a landslide majority.

The U.S. state department has also gone on record to say that it believes that the sodomy charges against Anwar – both in 1998 and now – were politically motivated to kill his career. If found guilty, the 61-year old Anwar can be jailed for up to 20 years.

Meanwhile, the court is also due to hear an application from Anwar to dismiss the entire prosecution team for bias because key figures involved in the current case, such as Attorney-General Gani Patail, have been named in other cases involving fabrication of evidence against him. There is also another application to strike out the entire sodomy charge as two hospital reports – including from the government-run Hospital Kuala Lumpur – showed no evidence that Saiful had been sodomised at all. If all his applications are dismissed, then his trial proper will begin. Suara Keadilan

SEEK TRUTH IN KG BUAH PALA ISSUE

This is Tan Mei Ling’s response to dissecting what TML wrote at http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/24332/84/

TML :  I am a Malaysian from a middle class family. I have been following this issue on Kg Buah Pala and see the injustice that has happened to them. HJ : What injustice? The case is not closed yet. The Penang government is still looking for a way to settle this Gerakan-created problem without bankrupting the state. What if LGE settled it, will it still stand as an injustice (in your mind)?

TML : Well, then why did the PR state Exco on May 23, 2009 decided to claim the 50% premium thus overriding previous BN state’s exco’s ruling if the Developer agreed to settle it and allow them to demolish the place. If they are able to do this, then why not pursue an act to invalidate the fraudulent sale that took place by the previous state government?  Where was the justice for the residents, when all the state government was interested was to seal the deal. The case was closed long time ago until it surfaced again recently. When did they ever try to settle this issue when the residents of Kg Buah Pala were living in fear?

TML : I didn’t even know about the existence of Kg Buah Pala and the trouble they were in until HINDRAF highlighted the whole issue and I am sure many Malaysians too. HJ : Hindraf espouses a few statements and you believed them? What Hindraf was trying to do is to merely politicize this issue primarily for their own benefit. You did not even know about the existence of Kg Buah Pala but yet you deem yourself an avenging heroine.

TML : No, I really don’t care much about what Hindraf does, but I took the trouble to understand the facts spending endless hours to find the truth. Whether Hindraf merely politicize for their own benefit is not my issue, but their action created the awareness on the sorrowful state of the residents. I don’t deem myself as anything but what I can contribute to ensure the truth survives for fellow Malaysian.

TML : There are many writeups by people from different parts of the society and when I see the comments written by Malaysians, I am actually shocked. HJ : Why are you shocked? Do you mean that comments made by Malaysians that do not conform to your personal view are “shocking”?

TML : I will ditto this to you, it does not matter whether it conforms to my liking but the shallowness in their thinking without researching the true facts to find the truth but allowing the spinmasters to dictate the matter when the truth is hidden  and swayed away.

TML : Here, until about two weeks ago many did not even have an opinion until the whole thing was brought to light by HINDRAF and today everyone is a loyar buruk. HJ : Making assumptions now, are you? This issue was already being discussed more than two weeks ago and Hindraf took the opportunity to politicize it and it became national news. Loyar buruk? Look who is talking. Get your facts right before even attempting to criticize those whose views you do not like. And what has this issue got to do with lawyers?

TML : Yes factual assumption, because as you say this has been two years,  but you contradict yourself because two years ago nobody spoke about it as vigorously as it is spoken today for the truth lies beneath it.  I do have my facts in place nor do I criticize without having the truth in place. It was Suaran Keadilan that had build its story on assumption as all that had been is not factual, if you know what factual means.

TML : Some of the comments are so pathetic that it runs down on racial lines and condemns HINDRAF and even those residents of Kg Buah Pala of being selfish, arrogant and hostile against the state government. HJ : Do you seriously mean that Hindraf cannot ever be condemned? Racist? Ever read Hindraf’s 18-point Memorandum or did you not know of the existence of such a document? As for Kg Buah Pala’s hostile actions against the state government, isn’t that true and that did they not apologize to LGE for it?

TML : Never said this, yes read the memorandum. So what? that is a demand they made, let the people decide and how does this relate for the truth in the matter of Kg Buah Pala. We all can demand but can we all act, not a chance because if that was the case, Pakatan would be ruling the country. Why should anyone apologise if it is the truth you seek?

TML : For them it is either viewing HINDRAF as racist or jumping boat or the Kg Buah Pala people are so insignificant but never the fault of the beloved DAP government although the truth is the state government screwed up in this matter. HJ : Get your facts right! Hindraf was never part of Pakatan and Hindraf IS racist! The Gerakan government of Penang initiated this event. Why weren’t you crying foul when they did what they did? Selective memory or selective criticism?

TML : You are getting emotional here, the facts are in place but nobody bother to dig deep inside to find it. Yes we all know Gerakan screwed it up, that is why we made a change, but what good is the change as it boils down to the same all thing.

TML : Everything about Kg Buah Pala is revolved with an obsession that the state government never faulted in handling this matter but it is HINDRAF and Kg Buah Pala residents who are at fault for their own benefits and of course the previous government. HJ : Nobody ever said that, only you did. Like what you said, Hindraf highlighted this issue and caught your attention. Hindraf issued ultimatums (from overseas) and that’s correct? As for the previous government (who started it), aren’t they at fault? Selective memory again?

TML :  Are you sure?, go and read your own articles. No sir, not selective memory but finding the truth rather than being another bigoted fool twisted around by spinmasters without a balance for the truth.

TML : I wonder how liberated is our mind in Malaysia when obsession with half truth overrides the truth and the inaction on the part of the government for the spin created by the Penang state government to sweep it under the carpet. HJ : (Told you that you should have concentrated on what your English teacher was teaching…) Half truths? What half truths? Care to specify? Or is this a case of “whatever Hindraf said is the absolute truth and whatever everybody else says are half-truths”?

TML : Sorry for my deficiency in grammar or vocabulary, maybe not up to your standard, but the truth has no barrier of language only what is the truth.

TML : Isn’t this the same thing that BN has been doing for the last 52 years and it appears the role has reversed itself in Penang with DAP? HJ : Gerakan, which is part of BN, initiated it and implemented it. DAP is trying to salvage it. Someone just got his passport back and somebody else wants to come home from exile. Get it? No…?

TML : How does someone get his passport back and someone wants to come home from exile equates to this ?. Hah!!! Assumption, well definitely not for you as it must be factual. Again go back to the facts if you care to do so at least for the Kg Buah Pala residents.

TML : Nobody seems to take the trouble to understand the truth but continue to make assumption that this must be because Lim Guan Eng says so. HJ : So, what’s the truth? Do you understand the truth? If you are reading this, I’d like your version of the truth.

TML : The truth is everyone is entitled to their opinion but not their own fictitious facts. In Malaysia the truth is naked but we cover it up to appease how it serves us.

TML : Lim Guan Eng must be the Mahathir of Penang, because for 22 years, nobody did anything about him nor questioned him and even if you were to do that you will be totally squashed or his spin masters will do the job for him. HJ : Nobody questioned him for 22 years about the conditions in Penang because he was not the CM then. That’s the difference. Comprendo? I disagree that one will be totally squashed if one were to question him now. If that was the case, there’ll be no more opposition in Penang and Hindraf would have ceased to exist now.

TML : I think it must be my phrasing of the sentence, again bad English, sorry for that. I meant that LGE is molding into one. It is only Penang, dear sir, even when the BN could not stop Hindraf for the truth, do you think LGE will be able to do it? When there is truth it will always prevail sooner or later.

TML : The latest spin by Suara Keadilan is a classic tale of the forgotten truth but a spin that is so biased and self reflective of the similar mold that resembles our very own BN. HJ : “Forgotten truth”? If the truth (as you said) was forgotten, then how can you remember? Or did you simply just accidentally found the truth under a rock? Big rock? Small rock? Medium sized rock?

TML : We all have been living in forgotten truth, it did not find me, but I made an attempt to understand the truth and then everything reveals itself.

TML : Sadly our Malaysians will continue to fall prey to this tactics when the truth is highlighted by HINDRAF on the plight of the Kg Buah Pala residents, they would rather blindly run into a conclusion without a thought for the truth but how rightful the mighty state government have been in playing the spinmaster’s role. HJ : You mentioned “forgotten truth” in the last paragraph. Now you tell us that Hindraf “knows” the truth and that we should accept blindly this “truth” as espoused by Hindraf. One question, “Did you and the members of Hindraf find the “truth” under a rock together?” Once again… Big rock? Small rock? Medium sized rock?

TML: I said highlight not “knows” the truth, that is why now after 15 months in power, police report is made, CM is ready to initiate actions to prevent the demolition, declassify the minutes of the Exco meetings, DCM meeting with residents and even the CM meeting with the residents. I wonder where all these actions for the last 15 months were.

TML : I guess we deserve the government that we chose. HJ : Yes, we do and how sad it must be for you that Hindraf is NOT the government.

TML : No it is not sad for me that Hindraf is not the government. What is sad for me is the changed government tries to hide itself from the truth when truth surfaces through HINDRAF.

TML : Sure, go ahead, I must be from the other side trying to stir the pot, being paid off, offered a position, maybe a Datukship, all for money even if I were to tell you that I am just a normal, average person who sees the truth. Malaysians “Mah”. So sure, so real, so correct always, never wrong, always just and fair just like Lim Guan Eng with the Kg Buah Pala residents. HJ : UMNO might be perceived as mindless but even they are not that foolish enough to offer you anything. Do you really believe that you deserve something? And here we go again about the “truth” that you alone are capable of seeing which is “forgotten”. Make up your mind! Is it forgotten or not? Can I see it please? Pretty Please??? I promise that after “seeing” it, I would not post it up on Youtube.

TML : Why is it so difficult to see that I am just a normal person giving my opinion and it is all perceived for an agenda. Can’t I just say what I need to say if I see the truth based on the facts, conduct and inaction rather than falling prey to the spinmasters.

All truths are easy to understand once it is discovered, but to get to that stage, it faces many obstacles and the point in discovering that the truth lies within the balance in us individually who actually seeks the truth.

6000 H1N1 FLU DEATHS EXPECTED IN AUSTRALIA THIS SEASON

Sydney 16/07/2009: – As many as 6,000 people could die from H1N1 in Australia this season in a ‘worst case scenario’ if no preventive measures or vaccines are found, Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon said on Thursday.

The H1N1 influenza has killed 21 people in Australia so far and there are 10,387 confirmed cases, according to data compiled by Australia’s health department. ‘We could expect around 6,000 deaths across the country,’ Ms Roxon told local radio. ‘That is the really worst case scenario that is being projected at the moment.’ Each year a few thousand Australians die from influenza.

The World Health Organisation has confirmed 429 deaths and 94,512 cases of H1N1, declared a pandemic last month. But these numbers represent only a fraction of the real cases. H1N1 flu is the dominant flu in Australia this southern hemisphere winter and authorities say they have ordered 21 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine still under development.

They say that should be enough for half the 21 million population with multiple doses.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says at least a million people have been infected with H1N1 and the virus is spreading out of control. Disease control experts say the death rate from H1N1 is similar to the death rate from seasonal influenza, which kills anywhere between 250,000 and 500,000 people globally each year. — Reuters