Now Najib says BN Supreme Council will decide on Penanti...

...in the near future.

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From the NST online

BN Supreme Council to decide on Penanti

KOTA KINABALU, Tues: The Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council will decide whether the party should contest the Penanti State seat in Penang on May 31, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

"I don't think it (Penanti) is only an Umno issue because when we contest, we do so on the Barisan Nasional ticket.

"We are in no hurry to decide. We are a party that works very hard to look after thepeople''s welfare," he said at a press conference, here today.

Najib,who is also the BN chairman, said the decision on the BN's position on Penanti would be made in the near future.

(Huh? I thought he said earlier on that the decision whether to contest the Penanti seat will be referred to the Umno political bureau.)

Hindraf members arrested

Update:

Vwaishhnnavi and mum freed, 10 in court:

P Vwaishhnnavi, the six-year-old niece of detained Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar, and her mother K Shanti were released today after spending a night at the Putrajaya police district headquarters.

Mother and daughter were with 10 others arrested yesterday when they attempted to submit a letter at the Prime Minister Department's office in Putrajaya, appealing for ISA detainees to be freed.

The duo were released late last night but they refused to leave the police station and stayed with the rest.

The remaining 10 were taken to the Kajang Magistrate's Court this morning where the police have applied for a two-week remand to facilitate their investigation. - Malaysiakini


Earlier report:

Twelve people, including a six-year-old girl, were detained when they attempted to submit a memorandum outside the Prime Minister's office here yesterday afternoon.

The memorandum called for the release of five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act.

The six-year-old girl, P Vwaishhnnavi, is the daughter of Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy who is currently in self-imposed exile in London. Her mother K Shanti was among those arrested.

Police Watch Malaysia coordinator S Jayathas, who was also held, claimed that they had been told that they were part of an illegal assembly for having gathered near the entrance of the building.

“We were trying to obtain permission from the security guards for Vwaishhnnavi to submit her letter. They said that we were from Hindraf, but we insisted that we were 'concerned Indians' who were accompanying Vwaishnnavi,” Jayathas when contacted . (read here )

They are currently at the Putrajaya district police headquarters, but police chief Abd Razak Abd Majid declined comment when contacted.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman confirmed the arrest but clarified that, Vwaishhnnavi, has not been arrested and is in her mother’s care.

Reports from The Star and Malaysiakini.

On the eve of nomination day, Saiful dropped the bombshell…

.. .by swearing on the Quran claiming that he was sodomised by the de facto Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

Such perfect timing indeed!

But Saiful - in a press conference held in a hotel after having sworn on the Quran in the Federal Territory Mosque - denied that the timing of his statement was politically motivated, claiming that he was telling the truth.

Appearing for the first time in public since lodging a report on June 28 against Anwar, he said he was not a consenting partner in the alleged crime.

He also said that it was the first time he was sodomised by the former deputy Prime Minister, but refused to answer question on how many times he was sodomised. (Didn’t he say that he had been sodomised several times? )

“It’s a politicall gimmick,” Anwar responded when told of Saiful ‘s religious oath. ( Malaysiakini - Anwar questions accuser's timing.)

“One day after the Election Commission (EC) announced the date for the Permatang Pauh by-election they charged me in court for consensual.

"Now, on the eve of nominations for, this guy is swearing on the Quran. What is the motive for all this?" exclaimed Anwar.

According to Anwar, this is nothing more than a ‘dirty trick’ by Umno and goes to show that they are desperate.

The EC announced on Aug 6 that nominations for the Permatang Pauh by-election would be held tomorrow.

Below is an excerpt from Malaysiakini

Saiful's bombshell

This evening, Saiful dropped a bombshell on his former employer when he surprised everyone by taking a religious oath.

After declaring the authenticity of his allegations in the mosque, the former PKR volunteer proceeded to give his first press conference in a hotel at Jalan Ipoh.

Flanked by his father and lawyer, Saiful said that the timing of his "revelations and oath-taking" was not politically motivated and that it was his own undertaking.

He also said it was a coincidence that he was making this revelations one day before the nominations for the by-election.

And here are the questions posed to Saiful and his answers during the press conference.

Saiful: Sodomy wasn't consensual

Who witnessed the oath-taking at the mosque?
Saiful's lawyer Zamri: All the FT Mosque imams.

Where have you been hiding all this time?
Saiful: I've not been hiding but I was quietly gathering enough courage to answer all the allegations against me, especially by Anwar Ibrahim.

Why did you pick today and the FT Mosque?
I've been intending to do this for some time now but it needs mental and spiritual strength as taking an oath is not something trivial or easy. The consequences can be very dire in the eyes of God. Nevertheless, Allah has given me the strength to take the oath today.

Is it because tomorrow is the nomination date for Permatang Pauh by-election?
No.

How do you feel after taking your oath?
I feel relieved and for the first time, I feel that I've been given the strength by Allah to face reporters.

Was it consensual?
I wish to stress here that it was done without my consent.

Do you intend to campaign in Permatang Pauh?
This is not a political matter, it is a private matter between me and Anwar Ibrahim.

Are the allegations you've made against Anwar frivolous?
Everything happened without my consent.

Some people have said that you were sodomised more than once?
I will answer that in court later.

Were you examined at Hospital Pusrawi?
I will answer that in court later.

Why did you go to Hospital Pusrawi first?
I will answer that in court later.

You did go to Hospital Pusrawi, right?
I will answer that in court later. I'm not like Anwar Ibrahim and do not wish to conduct a trial by media. I will give my statement in court and cooperate with them later.

Is this the first time you have been sodomised?
Yes, first time.

The timing of your swearing is very close to the nomination date for the Permatang Pauh by-election. Please explain.
It's all a coincidence. We don't know that Anwar is going to contest and I wish to stress here that I need strength and God has given it to me now. It so happens that it is Friday today. (We/he didn’t know? Liar! Didn't you wish him 'good luck' in your blog on Aug 1st? 'Kepada DSAI, saya mengucapkan selamat bertanding! ' Read here and here).

Were you ever in love with Anwar?
No.

Have you made a police report and can we have a copy of it?
I made the police report at 5.30pm but at 6.30pm it's already everywhere via the SMS and Internet. I wrote the police report myself.

How many times and why did you go and see Najib Abdul Razak?
I will answer that in court later.

Read also: Malaysiakini's Hadi: Saiful's swearing a stupid act here.

(This is an act of sheer desperation. How low can they go? Using virtually every trick to stop Anwar from contesting the by-election. Saiful, you’re a downright liar. Stop invoking the name of Allah. You are making a mockery of Islam. You got the strength from the people who are giving you protection lah. This whole episode is a private matter between you and Anwar, you said. Then why the hell did you tell the whole world (and blogged about it too) that your butt had been poked? Moron!)

Anwar to contest Permatang Pauh -Malaysiakini

Jul 31, 08 3:16pm

BREAKING NEWS! Anwar Ibrahim will contest a by-election in the Permatang Pauh Parliamentary seat which will be vacated by his wife, PKR leader DrWan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Wan Azizah told a packed press conference this afternoon that she will be resigning her position as member of parliament for the seat but will retain her post as PKR president.

"I have submitted my resignation letter to House speaker today," she said.

A calm Wan Azizah told the journalists that the people in Permatang Pauh have a special affinity to Anwar, who have been their elected representative eviously.

Anwar said that other party leaders had offered their seats to him but he preferred Permatang Pauh.

He said that, among others, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim had offered him his Bandar Tun Razak seat, just as party vice president Azmin Ali had offered his Gombak seat.

"After discussion with party leaders, I have decided to go for Permatang Pauh," he said.

He added that he had informed his decision to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who had given his full support.

Anwar, who is seeking a parliamentary comeback after an absence of 10 years, has been shopping for a seat to contest after the expiry of a five-year ban from active politics.

The Election Commission will be required to call a by-election within 60 days.

Permatang Pauh has been held by Anwar for 17 years since he joined Umno in 1982.

Wan Azizah took over as MP for the seat after her husband was sacked from Umno in 1998, and was subsequently jailed on charges of corruption and sodomy.

In the 2008 general elections, she won the seat for a third term with a majority of 13,388. Anwar had earlier said that he would contest in Kulim-Bandar Baharu seat if a court orders a by-election in the Kedah seat.

The High Court is to hear a challenge on Aug 19 asking it to invalidate the result in the seat that was won by his PKR in March 8 general elections. However, uncertainty over possible delays in the court decision was a key factor in the change of mind.

In resigning her seat, Wan Azizah could be slapped with a five-year ban from running in another election. Her decision today will likely mean an end to her 10-year political career.

Anwar was also asked what would happen if he is to be charged with sodomy in relation to the police report lodged by his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June 28.

"What charge?" he retorted.

"They have nothing to charge me with. They have been fishing for almost a month now and they haven’t caught any fish yet. Maybe they would catch a coconut and assume it’s a fish."

However, there are fears that he could be arrested. (read here)

"They may arrest him in the next 48 hours. It is aimed to prevent him from contesting a by-election," Tian Chua, PKR information chief, told AFP.

The government responded to today's announcement by saying it did not fear Anwar's possible return to office.

"We are not worried ... we will face it ... he is not a threat. It is a democratic process, good luck to him," Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

Syed Hamid confirmed that police have completed their investigation and have submitted their findings to the Attorney General’s Chambers to determine if a criminal charge should be levelled against the PKR leader.

Even if he was arrested and charged, Anwar can still run in the by-election as he would only be disqualified if he was found guilty and slapped with at least a two-year jail sentence and/or fined more than RM2,000.

Present at the press conference to show support were also two of Anwar’s daughters, Lembah Pantai MP Nurrul Izzah and Nurul Nuha as well as PKR deputy-president Dr Syed Husin Ali and vice-presidents R Sivarasa and Azmin Ali.

Other who were there included Cheras DAP MP Tan Kok Wai who was there to represent the party leadership.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/87047

Read Rocky'sBru2 Husam welcomes Anwar back in Parliament : here

A Snap National Polls?

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi finally says it and, for the first time, revealed there will be an early general election - a hotly- talked-about-topic in the country the last few months.

So the general election is around the corner. No doubt about that. Many analysts expect parliament to be dissolved in early March, with the general election to be held by the end of the month .

The Prime Minister has been coy, always evasive and has never given a direct answer and has kept the country guessing as to when the polls will be held. And there he was telling the world in an interview with the CNN that an early early will be called for to enable the government to continue with its development plans.

Here's the story in the Star:

“It will be good to have a good mandate from the people so that the Government can go ahead with its development programmes,” said the Prime Minister when responding to a question in an interview on CNN’s World News Asia yesterday on why he would call for an early election.

Abdullah said the possible involvement of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the next elections was not a factor on his mind.

“There are other matters that I have to think about before I recommend the
dissolution of Parliament and fixing the date for the elections,” he said.

Abdullah is attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

He also said that the Government was talking to a lot of people to address
the problems affecting Malaysian Indians as well as groups and NGOs
representing them.

Abdullah said the Government had successfully reduced the poverty level
from 60% after independence to 5.7% currently, with a small 1.2% who are
still living in hardcore poverty.

And in Bernama: here

MIC will deliver Indian votes to BN, pledges S. Vellu

MIC President Datuk Seri Samy Vellu says the party is more than ready to face the upcoming general election and promises to deliver the Indian votes to the Barisan Nasional (BN).

He made this pledge in the presence of the Prime Minister, Datuk Abdullah Badawi, at a gathering of over 21, 000 party members and supporters here today.

Datuk Samy Vellu said he had been criss-crossing the country recently, holding gatherings with MIC members, community leaders and interested groups, and "the mood is very favourable to us (BN)".

He was addressing the party's gathering in the run-up to the imminent general election at the Badminton Stadium in Cheras here.

Datuk Samy Vellu, who is the Works Minister, expressed confidence that the Indian voters would once again give their full backing to the Barisan.

Samy Vellu called on the Indians to unite and continue to back the Barisan government for their continued survival.

Read the rest of Bernama report: here

Read a commentator's excellent account of the event at Haris Ibrahim's Drama Minggu ini dipersembahkan oleh MIC: here

15,000 MIC members to demonstrate support for the PM tomorrow

More than 15,000 MIC members will meet the prime minister in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow as a demonstration of support for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the government

Organised by the Federal Territory MIC and dubbed "An Evening with the Prime Minister", the event at the Cheras Badminton Stadium will gather the largest ever number of MIC members at one location in recent times, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said today.

Datuk Samy vellu told Bernama the gathering will pledge support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the prime minister.

This is the start of a series of such gatherings throughout the country aimed at bolstering the party's strength and support for the BN ahead of the next general election.

Carrying the theme "Unity and Solidarity with the BN", the event would set the stage for a more cohesive and coordinated effort to unite the Malaysian Indian community.

Samy Vellu is expected to use the gathering to speak on the need for the country's 1.8 million Indians to continue to lend their support to the ruling BN government and why they should be wary of tactics employed by the opposition parties to hoodwink Malaysian Indians at large.

Read the full report: here

Ka Ting is acting Health Minister

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting has been appointed acting Health Minister from today, Bernama reports.

The Health Minister's portfolio has been traditionally held by the MCA, the second largest party in the ruling coalition.

"I have already informed him," Prime Minister Datuk Abdullah Badawi said in a statement to Bernama.

The post fell vacant following the resignation of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek two days ago after he admitted being featured in a sex video with a woman friend.

Dr Chua...what next?

Latest: January 02, 2008 17:02 PM
Soi Lek Resigns From All Party, Government Posts

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- MCA vice- president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who yesterday admitted to being the man in the sex DVD, copies of which are widely distributed in Johor, today resigned as Health Minister, MP for Labis and from all party posts with immediate effect.

Dr Chua, 61, made the announcement himself at a press conference held at the ministry at 3.35pm.

Yesterday, at a press conference in Labis, Johor, he apologised to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Cabinet ministers, party leaders and his wife and family for what had happened.

He also described the woman who appeared in the videotape engaging in sexual acts with him as his personal friend and that he did not make the recording himself.

Dr Chua said his resignation had been conveyed to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

"The (resignation) letter is finding its way to his (Abdullah's) office," he said at the packed press conference which lasted more than 45 minutes.

Clad in a dark suit, Dr Chua who was cool and collected, said: "I am relinquishing my position as Health Minister, MCA vice-president, Labis MP, Johor MCA liaison chief and Batu Pahat MCA division chief."

Continue:here

Dr Chua's Decision To Quit Appropriate, says Pak Lah: here

MCA Presidential Council Regrets Chua's Decision To Resign: here

UPDATE: January 02, 2008 15:53 PM

Ok. He did the honourable thing. He resigned as Health Minister and from all party posts as well as Labis MP with immediate effect, according to a one-para BERNAMA flash.

It seems, Dr Chua resigned ahead of the presidential meeting, scheduled for 5.00pm. See here.

EARLIER STORY:

The fate of Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek will be known after the MCA Presidential Council holds its emergency meeting today.

Party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting has called for the meeting to discuss the DVD issue involving Datuk Seri Dr Chua, who is its Vice-President. Dr Chua is also the Health Minister.

Datuk Seri Ong is expected to issue a statement after the council meeting.

“I take note of the statement issued by Dr Chua and, as it is an important matter for the party leadership to discuss, the party is calling an emergency presidential meeting,” he said, according to the Star.

I am the one...

...admits Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi to being the man in the sex DVD circulating in Johor.

Dr Chua, who is MCA Vice President, admitted during a press conference in Labis, Johor today, that he was the man captured on tape engaging in sexual acts with a young woman.

But despite his admission of guilt over the matter, Dr Chua stressed that he would not resign from his government and party positions.

"I serve at the pleasure of the prime minister," he said. "I will not allow (other) people to jeopardise or obstruct my duties."

Reading from a prepared statement at a press conference at the Labis MCA office here, the minister said he had met Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Putrajaya yesterday to explain the matter and personally apologise to the prime minister.

Bernama has the full story here