Ronnie Liu charged, claims trial - Malaysiakini

Selangor Exco member Ronnie Liu was today charged at the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court under Section 109 and Section 186 of the Penal Code with abetment in obstructing a Subang Jaya Municipal Council enforcement officer from closing down a hotel on Nov 2 last year, Malaysiakini reports.

He pleaded not guilty.

PJ magistrate Mohamad Ibrahim Mohammad Ghulam granted Liu, a DAP central committee member, bail of RM3,000 in one surety and set Feb 10 for mention.

Liu, 49, a Pandamaran state assembly person and also the Local Government, Study and Research Committee chairman, was arrested at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam last Wednesday and released on RM2,000 bail on the same day.

On Thursday, he filed a notice of motion at the Shah Alam High Court to set aside the warrant of arrest issued and served on him.

Teresa Kok released

malaysiakini - http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/90038

update

DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released unconditionally at 1pm today, after being held under the Internal Security Act for seven days.

Kok, 43, walked out from the Jalan Travers police station at 1.40pm, accompanied by her lawyer Sankara Nair and her personal aide, Mandy Ooi.

She was greeted by her visibly elated parents.Kok was immediately hugged by her 71-year-old mother, Poon Seh Kwon, who gave her daughter a bunch of white and pink roses.

"I don't know what I've got into... I don't know what is the real reason (that) caused me to (be) put behind bars for one week," she told journalists outside the police station.

Kok, who is also the Selangor state executive council member, expressed that she was still slightly shaken but glad that she was released.

"(There is) no reason at all to put me under ISA... What have I done? What have I said?" she asked.

"During the whole one week, they didn't show any proof or evidence to show that I made statements that have caused racial and religious tension."

The parliamentarian said that she felt like "fool" when she was incarcerated not knowing the grounds for her arrest.

When asked the reason for her release, Kok said, "I don't know... I don't know why I was charged... Of course, they have to release me; they find no case against me."

Kok thanked all those who had campaigned for her release including those from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, such as "her friend" Zaid Ibrahim who had resigned as the de facto law minister following her arrest.

Deputy inspector-general of police Ismail Omar said that Kok was released after investigations showed that there was no reason to detain her any further.

Kok will be holding a press conference at 3.30pm at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

‘Honey, I'm home; I've had a hard day'

Minutes after the 43-year-old IT-savvy and affable politician did on her release was to update her social networking Facebook account.

She posted a Facebook entry at 1.35pm that “Teresa sings ‘Honey, I’m home, I’ve had a hard day, pour me a cold one da da da...”, which immediately attracted comments welcoming her release.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang also appeared to be surprised by Kok’s early Release.

Lim wrote in his blog that he received a call from a ‘Teresa’ at 12.56pm while he was having lunch in Ipoh, Perak and he has wondered who was using the MP’s mobile phone.

“But it was her on the line and I wondered how she wangled the use of her phone while in detention. But no, she did no such improper thing. She told me that she was being released.

“Bravo. The irresistible pressures for her unjust and undemocratic detention had succeeded,” wrote Lim, who is also the Ipoh Timor MP.Kok, who is the Selangor senior state exco, was arrested last Friday under the draconian ISA ostensibly for her alleged role in an Islamic matter.

She was arrested on the same day with controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, who was however released after 18 hours.

Raja Petra still under detention

Raja Petra, who has targeted the top government figures on his popular Malaysia Today website, however is still under Detention.

Her release today came as a surprise as her parents who were allowed to visit her on Monday has said there was a notice to Kok which stated that she would be held under ISA for 28 days.

Kok was held under the ISA detention for allegedly causing tension and conflict among races.

The three-term MP has been in news in recent days - especially in the Malay dailies - after it was claimed that she had told mosque officials in Kota Damansara, Sri Serdang and Puchong Jaya to tone down the call to prayer.

She has denied the allegation and one of the mosques, Masjid Kota Damansara, has also clarified that a damaged amplified has resulted in the calls to prayers to be made without the aid of a PA system. -Malaysiakini

PKR threatens to pull out of Perak state govt

Updates:
Perak's MB's swearing-in put off : New Selangor MB sworn-in

breaking news

In yet another dramatic twist to the formation new state government in Perak, the swearing-in of Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as mentri besar has been cancelled.Mohammad Nizar, a PAS assemblyman, was to be sworn in at the Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar at 4pm today.

However, palace officials made an announcement at 4.20pm that the ceremony had been put off. No reason was given.

It is learnt that the three candidates for the menteri besar post were involved in a prolonged meeting with the Regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah at the Kinta Palace in Ipoh just prior to the swearing-in ceremony.

The meeting lasted from 2.30pm to 4.05pm, hardly leaving any time for them to be at the 4pm swearing-in ceremony at the Kuala Kangsar palace, which is about one hour from Ipoh. Continue here

Earlier story

Malaysiakini breaking news

PKR has today threatened to pull out from the Perak coalition government on hearing that eight of the 10 executive council posts will go to DAP while the remaining two going to other parties.

In a statement issued by PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali, the opposition party expressed its objection to “the agreement made between PAS and DAP with regards to the composition of the Perak state exco”.

“In the spirit of sincere openness, we stress that the composition of the exco must reflect the composition of the population of Perak and represent the interests of all ethnic groups fairly,” said Syed Husin.

“We ask that this composition be discussed again and if the composition is not altered to the satisfaction of all parties involved, PKR will not take part in the administration of Perak.”

However, he said that PKR will honour its agreement to support the coalition government.

According to available statistics, Malays represent 53.7 percent of the population in Perak, Chinese (31.4 percent) and Indians (13 percent).

In last Saturday’s general election, the opposition won an unprecedented 31 of 59 state seats - DAP 18, while PKR has seven and PAS six. The remaining 28 are in the hands of BN, with Umno 27 and MCA 1.

According to Syed Husin, PKR accepts Sultan Azlan Shah’s decision to appoint PAS state assemblyman, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, as menteri besar of Perak.

“While at first we stressed the need to choose an individual that will be well received by the majority, we now accept the decision in the spirit of cooperation between PKR, PAS and DAP as well as in the interests of stability and harmony for Perak and for the whole of Malaysia.” Click here to continue

Pix: Courtesy of the Sun: PKR's Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim taking oath of office as the Mentri Besar of Selangor.

Nik Aziz & Guan Eng sworn in...

Latest:
Pasir Panjang assemblyman from PAS, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, has been appointed as Perak Mentri Besar. Mohammad Nizar is the state PAS secretary.

Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham, who is the assemblyman for Setiawan, will be one of two Deputy Mentris Besar for the state. The second Deputy Mentri Besar has yet to be named.

PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat received his letter of appointment as the Menteri Besar from the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra at Istana Neger, Kota Bahru Kelantani.

Nik Aziz, 77, will serve a fifth term as the Kelantan Menteri Besar having first assumed the post when PAS led the state government in 1990.

In the general election on March 8, PAS retained power in Kelantan for the fifth consecutive term after the party, together with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won 39 of the 45 State Legislative Assembly seats. Click here to continue.

In Penang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was sworn as Chief Minister of the state.

Guan Eng, who won in the Air Putih state and Bagan parliamentary seats, took his oath of office and oath of secrecy before Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in Sri Mutiara at 10.05am.

Present was Guan Eng’s wife Betty Chew and his Opposition-icon father Kit Siang and wife Leong Yok Chee.

Displaying a high level of gentleman was outgoing CM Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and wife Puan Sri Chui Kah Peng who were present to witness the ceremony. Click here to continue.

Read Transparent Penang: here

Pix 1 courtesy of the Star: Datuk Nik Aziz taking his oath as Menteri Besar of Kelantan
Pix 2 courtesy of the Sun: Penang Former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon congratulating Lim Guan Eng (left) as new Penang Chief Minister after he was sworn in at Seri Mutiara.

Malaysia needs a strong Opposition - Dr M

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave an inteview to Malaysiakini. In the first of a two-part interview with journalist Li Tsin Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says Malaysia needs a strong Opposition "that can hold up a mirror to the government." He also gives his assessement on how Pas, DAP and PKR would do in Kelantan, Penang and elsewhere, criticises Pak Lah and slams the son-in-law.

Here's excerpt of the interview:

“I believe in an opposition. I have always maintained that this country needs an opposition and they should be critical of the government without which we don’t have a mirror to look at our faces. We think that we are very beautiful but it is the opposition that keeps telling us (that may not be true).

“You know the government member (of parliament), sometimes they are ‘ahli bodek’ (apple polishers). They are always saying ‘you’re right’, and you have no means of assessing whether you are going in the right direction or not.”

He told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview today that it would be a “disaster” if the country “loses its opposition” as in Singapore.

Looking a little frail in his trademark bush jacket since his second heart bypass in September last year, Mahathir gave his prognosis on this Saturday’s general elections.He said the government would be able to retain its two-thirds majority but could lost a few seats in Terengganu and Kedah.Mahathir also predicted that the government would win between 70 to 75 percent of Parliament seats on March 8.

In the 2004 general elections, BN won 90 percent of the seats. If Mahathir is correct, then the opposition could win between 55 to 65 seats, which will be a sizable increase from its current tally of 21.Mahathir also did not think the Barisan Nasional coalition would be able to wrest Kelantan state government from Islamic party PAS.

“Kelantan would be a very difficult because although the margin is very small, Kelantanese have got a mind of their own, so to speak. If they are living in KL, they are very supportive of the government but if they are living in Kelantan, the peer pressure is very strong.”

Mahathir also believed that the opposition would do well in Penang, but not enough to win government, or deny BN its two-thirds majority.

Two clarifications

Mahathir also took the opportunity at the interview held at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya to clarify that there was no prior agreement in which his handpicked successor would serve only one term as prime minister.

“I want to say this, there was no gentleman’s agreement on this but my thinking was that he (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) should serve for one term and give Najib (Razak) who by then would be much older to succeed him,” he said.

The former BN leader who spearheaded BN’s victory in five consecutive elections also ticked off the opposition for seeking to capitalise on something which he had said in jest.

Full interview here

I went to a ceramah to meet Nik Nazmi...

...and had the good fortune of meeting Tony Pua who was there to lend support to Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the PKR candidate for Seri Setia, at the Barisan Rakyat's ceramah last night.

The ceramah was held at Dataran Glomac. It was drizzling. Some were seated along the five-foot way.

and some are seen standing...

and listening attentively to the ceramah...

I have been wanting to meet him, 26-year-old Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate who will be contesting the Seri Setia state seat (SN32) in the Kelana Jaya Parliamentary constituency, where I reside.

Then someone told me of a PKR ceramah to be held at the Dataran Glomac, along the Public Bank in Kelana Jaya, on Sunday at 9.30pm. That's not too far away. It's easy to find because I pass the place almost daily on my way to send Adam, my grandson, to school.

So off we went, my husband (at the wheel) and I, with Adam tagging along and headed for Dataran Glomac at around 9.30pm. Within five minutes we were there. There was already a crowd when we arrived. Some among them were standing while others had found shelter and sitting on floor along the five-foot way because it was drizzling. They were watching a video of the candidate - articulating his agenda for his constituency - on a screen which had been put up.

The function didn’t start until around 10pm. The organizers, I suppose, were waiting for the crowd to build up. It had rained cats and dogs earlier. But by 10.45pm the crowd had grown slightly in size despite the drizzle and two PKR members had already given their speeches (the first speaker touched on the party's manifesto) and poet Dinsman recited a poem.

I was waiting to hear what Nik Nazmi has to say. I have heard a lot about him - a former student activist who is committed to his cause to make this country a better place for all and has promised to let the people's voice be heard if he was elected as their representative.

Unfortunately I did not get to hear him speak. By about 11.00pm Adam was already getting restless and sleepy. I had, however, met Nik Nazmi earlier on after asking around for the candidate. Before leaving I managed to snap a picture of Nik Nazmi with Tony Pua, who had come to lend his support.

I have a copy of Nik Nazmi's letter to the voters of Seri Setia in Bahasa Malaysia. But I shall paste what he says of the same in English from his website:

Dear fellow residents of Seri Setia,

I write to you as a young Malaysian. As with many of you, I deeply care for our country.

Lately, I could not help but notice important challenges which require urgent attention.

Our community in Seri Setia is riddled with increasing crime rate, insufficient housing facility for the less fortunate, inadequate schooling infrastructure for our children, higher cost of living for all of us and corruption within our government.

We can surely do better than that and we can begin by taking the first step toward a brighter future on March 8. Seri Setia requires a vocal representative whom is willing to serve the community without fear or favor.

Seri Setia needs a new hope.

Seri Setia needs a representative whom will be the catalyst of betterment and I am willing to be that catalyst. As an old adage goes, we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Let us leave this world a better place for our children.

From the bottom of my heart, I offer you my service. With your trust, I will be your voice and together, we will create a better Malaysia.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Candidate for N32 Seri Setia state seat

Nik Nazmi, a law graduate from King's College, Universty of London, will face incumbent Datin Paduka Seripah Noli Syed Hussin (BN-Umno).

He received his early education at La Salle Primary School in Petaling Jaya before entering the Malay Boys' College (MCKK).

Nik Nazmi joined Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) as a legal officer upon graduation but left the organisation in June 2006 to join Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as his private secretary.

Tony Pua from DAP will be contesting in P 106 Petaling Jaya Utara against Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (BN-MCA)

PKR Promises "A New Dawn for Malaysia" and DAP says "Just Change it"

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has unveiled a five-point manifesto that promises, among others a vibrant economy, safer streets, a more affordable living and better education for all.

The manifesto, A New Dawn for Malaysia, pledges to:

* Make Malaysia a truly constitutional state for all, guaranteeing basic human rights, rule of law and an independent judiciary.

* Create a vibrant economy for all, eliminating discriminatory policies, corruption and wastage.

* Make the streets and neighbourhoods of Malaysia safer for all, through creating a professional and neutral police force.

* Make Malaysia more affordable for all, by lowering petrol prices, ensuring tolls and tariffs will never be raised unreasonably and by other policies.

* Increase the standard of Malaysian education for all, including higher salaries for educators.

PKR also promised to implement a minimum wage of RM1,500 in the manifesto launched by its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.

Perhaps the boldest proclamation was the PKR’s desire to implement affirmative action based on poverty line and not race.

"Just Change It" or Jom Ubah is the slogan of DAP's eight- point manifesto launched yesterday in Penang by the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Safer streets, better living standards, quality education, healthy environment, cleaner water and transparent government - these are some of DAP's promises should it be elected government

The manifesto also promises democracy and freedom and a “Malaysian First” economic policy.

Denying that its plan was similar to PAS’s welfare state proposal, Lim said it was a serampang dua mata (two-pronged approach) solution.

It will set up an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission and also set up an independent anti-corruption agency to fight graft and an independent judicial commission to ensure integrity in the judiciary.

Lim said the election is not about the candidates. It is about the voters.

"Help us deny Barisan Nasional a two-third majority and we will take care of you.”

He is contesting the Bagan parliamentary seat in Seberang Prai and the Air Puteh state seat on the island.

The choice is yours, people. The future of the country is in your hands. So vote wisely, come March 8!

Read Nuraina's Power to the People, here.