Obama Inaugural speech: A promise of serious change or was it rhetorics of the same?

Barack Obama has been officially sworn in as the 44th president of the United States in front of a crowd of millions in Washington DC, the US capital.

In his Inauguration speech he promises "mutual respect" to the Muslim world and all other nations who “seek a future of peace and dignity”.

Does his speech reflect promises of a serious change or was it nothing more but rhetorics of the same of his predecessor?

The friendly message to Muslims, "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect", simply did not address the pictures of the Gaza bloodbath at which the world has been staring in outrage, writes Independent journalist Robert Fisk .

“..it would have helped if Obama had the courage to talk about what everyone in the Middle East was talking about.”

Robert Fisk: So far, Obama's missed the point on Gaza...

Thursday, 22 January 2009

It would have helped if Obama had the courage to talk about what everyone in the Middle East was talking about. No, it wasn't the US withdrawal from Iraq. They knew about that. They expected the beginning of the end of Guantanamo and the probable appointment of George Mitchell as a Middle East envoy was the least that was expected. Of course, Obama did refer to "slaughtered innocents", but these were not quite the "slaughtered innocents" the Arabs had in mind.

There was the phone call yesterday to Mahmoud Abbas. Maybe Obama thinks he's the leader of the Palestinians, but as every Arab knows, except perhaps Mr Abbas, he is the leader of a ghost government, a near-corpse only kept alive with the blood transfusion of international support and the "full partnership" Obama has apparently offered him, whatever "full" means. And it was no surprise to anyone that Obama also made the obligatory call to the Israelis.

But for the people of the Middle East, the absence of the word "Gaza" – indeed, the word "Israel" as well – was the dark shadow over Obama's inaugural address. Didn't he care? Was he frightened? Did Obama's young speech-writer not realise that talking about black rights – why a black man's
father might not have been served in a restaurant 60 years ago – would concentrate Arab minds on the fate of a people who gained the vote only three years ago but were then punished because they voted for the wrong people? It wasn't a question of the elephant in the china shop. It was the sheer amount of corpses heaped up on the floor of the china shop.

Sure, it's easy to be cynical. Arab rhetoric has something in common with Obama's clichés: "hard work and honesty, courage and fair play ... loyalty and patriotism". But however much distance the new President put between himself and the vicious regime he was replacing, 9/11 still hung like a cloud over New York. We had to remember "the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke". Indeed, for Arabs, the "our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred" was pure Bush; the one reference to "terror", the old Bush and Israeli fear word, was a worrying sign that the new White House still hasn't got the message. Hence we had Obama, apparently talking about Islamist groups such as the Taliban who were "slaughtering innocents" but who "cannot outlast us". As for those in the speech who are corrupt and who "silence dissent", presumably intended to be the Iranian government, most Arabs would associate this habit with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt (who also, of course, received a phone call from Obama yesterday), King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and a host of other autocrats and head-choppers who are supposed to be America's friends in the Middle East.

Hanan Ashrawi got it right. The changes in the Middle East – justice for the Palestinians, security for the Palestinians as well as for the Israelis, an end to the illegal building of settlements for Jews and Jews only on Arab land, an end to all violence, not just the Arab variety – had to be "immediate" she said, at once. But if the gentle George Mitchell's appointment was meant to answer this demand, the inaugural speech, a real "B-minus" in the Middle East, did not.

The friendly message to Muslims, "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect", simply did not address the pictures of the Gaza bloodbath at which the world has been staring in outrage. Yes, the Arabs and many other Muslim nations, and, of course, most of the world, can rejoice that the awful Bush has gone. So, too, Guantanamo. But will Bush's torturers and Rumsfeld's torturers be punished? Or quietly promoted to a job where they don't have to use water and cloths, and listen to men screaming? Continue here ...

Umno should stop looking for scapegoats for its defeat...

...and address the roots of its problems. Until then it will not succeed in removing the perception of arrogance and elitism that hangs over it, says NST writer Zubaidah Abu Bakar on the BN's loss of the Kuala Terengganu Parliamentary seat to PAS.

BN candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, handpicked by outgoing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, was defeated in what has been described as a crucial parliamentary by-election, by PAS's Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut.

The wrong choice of candidate, it seems, has been cited as one of the reasons for BN's loss. Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid was perceived as being less friendly, due to his serious demeanour. Concerned about this perception of its candidate, the BN machinery was said "to scramble " to dismiss such notion and explained to voters that his natural look should be used as the main consideration when they cast their votes. And while Wan Ahmad Farid was seen as unfriendly and even "arrogant", Pas believes its choice of candidate had worked to its advantage.

ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR: Not the time for witch-hunt but to delve into party woes

THE more questions asked, the clearer it is that the personality of the candidate could not have been the only reason for Barisan Nasional's defeat in Kuala Terengganu.

It would thus not be fair for Umno members to point fingers at Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. It would equally be off the mark to lay the election loss at the feet of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, with whom Wan Farid has been closely associated. Will the media also be a target of the blame game?

Before Umno members go witch-hunting, they should do a muhasabah diri (self-examination) of the roles played by those involved in the by-election.

Was the election machinery well oiled, yet lagging in strategic planning, implementation and sophistication compared with the opposition's? Pakatan Rakyat has attributed the victory of Pas candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut, who is Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman, to its highly organised machinery and teamwork. Was there a lack of commitment on the part of Umno campaigners to prevail despite the party leadership having declared Kuala Terengganu a must-win seat?

Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said many factors had contributed to the BN's failure to retain the seat it had won in the March 2008 general election with a 628-vote margin.

The answers to the questions could shed light on the actual reasons for the defeat on Saturday and pave the way for solutions to address the weaknesses. Wan Farid lost to Wahid Endut of Pas by 2,631 votes while independent candidate Azharudin Mamat @ Adam polled 193 votes.Tens of thousands of Umno members were in the Terengganu state capital but many, including party leaders, were mere political tourists.

There were campaigners who toiled and sweated, but they were outnumbered two to one by those who went binge shopping on Terengganu songket and batik, and spent hours at hotel coffee houses discussing the impending Umno elections.Large groups also spent their time trailing Abdullah, Najib and other party leaders when their opponents were out in the field bringing in votes.

An estimated 10,000 BN members were in Kuala Terengganu on nomination day but more than half were gone the next day. It appeared that the big Umno crowd, with their luxury cars congesting the roads, only came together when party leaders were in town. These are not the sort of people to put up posters or distribute flyers or to stop at warung or gerai to have tea with the locals.

In the opposition camp, university professors, doctors, lawyers and other professionals joined forces with party workers to display posters and hand out election pamphlets. Most of the party workers were young and manned their operation centres round-the-clock.

On the BN side, very few centres remained open after midnight. Members of the press and those who came to observe the by-election were baffled when Umno members packed Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah stadium to watch a performance (read here) of songs and dances organised by the Information Department.

Isn't the last 24 hours of campaigning crucial?

Umno should stop looking for scapegoats and address the roots of its problems. Until it does, it will not succeed in removing the perception of arrogance and elitism that hangs over it. The NST

Related article:
Pasqual's BN would have had better chances if the candidate was not Wan Farid
Nobisha's Rakyat Nak Monsoon Drain, Umno beri Monsoon Cup!
Lawyer Kampung's The blame game

PAS wins KT by 2,631 votes - Malaysiakini

PAS has won the Kuala Terengganu by-election with a majority of 2,631.

The result was announced by the Election Commission's returning officer at 9.29pm, according to Malaysiakini.

"The win shows that Pakatan Rakyat is aviable coalition. This win is not just for PAS but for Pakatan Rakyat," said PAS vice-president Ahmad Awang.

PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut, obtained 32,883 votes compared to Barisan Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, who got 30,252 votes. The Independent candidate, Azhazudin Mamat, received 193. There were 665 spoilt votes.

The by-election was held following the death of Kuala Terengganu member of Parliament Datuk Razali Ismail on Nov 28.

In the 12th general election in March last year, Razali defeated Mohamad Sabu of PAS and an Independent candidate, Maimun Yusuf, with a 628-vote majority.

With this victory the Opposition now has 82 seats in Parliament. Barisan now has 137 and the remaining three seats are held by Independents.

At press conference tonight, deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak rejected the suggestion that the defeat in Kuala Terengganu meant that the voters had spurned Barisan Nasional or that it had reflected badly on his leadership.

"We accept this defeat, this decision of the people. In a democratic system, the people's voice is supreme," he said.

"I am confident that in the end the people will be confident of BN," he added.

Also present were the BN candidate Wan Ahmad Farid Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said and Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Live coverage of polling day in KT by Malaysiakini

Update:

9.20pm: The EC is expected to announce official results at any time now. Only PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut is present. No BN leaders are seen at the main tally centre at the Kuala Terengganu state stadium.

9.10pm: According EC official tally: PAS (32,393 votes), BN (29,969), Independent (191) with two more boxes to be tallied.

9.05pm: PAS leaders on the other hand, led by party president Abdul Hadi Awang, are heading towards the counting centre at Stadium Negeri to wait for the official announcement

9.04pm: Terengganu MB's official residence is still bereft of any top BN/Umno leaders. DPM Najib was supposed to be here at 8pm. The whereabouts of both and BN candidate Wan Ahmad Farid is unknown. At the residence, MB Ahmad Said is huddled with about 20 of his supporters.

8.55pm: Latest count - BN has reduced PAS' lead to 1,751 votes - PAS (28,249), BN (26,498), Independent (160). With another 9,000 votes to be counted, it is very unlikely for BN to stop PAS.

Thousands of PAS supporters have gathered outside the main tally centre at the Kuala Terengganu state stadium.

Meanwhile, the official Election Commission tally has PAS leading by 543 votes - PAS (24,004), BN (21,461), Independent (136). This is based on 100 polling boxes while 44 boxes yet to tallied.

8.45pm: According PAS leaders, the party has won Kuala Terengganu by a majority of 1,600 votes. It is learnt that PAS has won in all four state constituencies. In the last general election, the party won three of the four state constituencies.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang is to call a press conference soon.

8.35pm: Unofficial - PAS now leads by 2,132 votes with 52,466 votes counted so far - PAS (26,971), BN (24,839), Independent (152). Another 20 percent of votes, or about 10,000 votes, yet to be counted.
PAS is certain to win the crucial Kuala Terengganu by-election with this unassailable lead.

8.20pm: BN sources say the party is ready to admit defeat.

Meanwhile, the EC official board at the main tally centre is now showing PAS leading - PAS (18,532 votes), BN (18,364), Independent (119). This tally is based on 85 boxes while 59 yet to be tallied.

8.16pm: With 48,842 votes counted, PAS has extended its lead over BN by 2,224 votes. PAs garnered 24,604 votes while BN has 22,380. Independent is way back with 142. There are about 15,000 votes left to be counted

8.13pm: Unofficial PAS has won the Bandar state seat by 190-vote majority. This is the only state seat the party lost in the March general election. About 80 percent of the Chinese voters in the Kuala Terengganu constitutency are from Bandar.

8.08pm: Latest unofficial count: PAS increased lead to 2,026 votes. PAS (23,640 votes), BN (21,614), Independent (136). About 30 percent of votes yet to be tallied.Meanwhile, the Election Commission's unofficial tally has BN still leading - BN (15,385 votes), PAS (15,189), Independent (92). This tally is from 70 boxes while another 74 have yet to be tallied.

7.55pm: EC's unofficial tally put's BN in the lead with 11,120 votes. PAS has 10,802 votes while Independent has 69. This tally is from 50 boxes received, with 94 boxes yet to come in.

7.48pm: PAS is now leading by 1,554 votes. Its candidate has garnered 22,030 votes as opposed to BN's 20,476. Independent candidate has bagged 134 votes so far.

7.42pm: PAS has now obtained 19,487 votes, leading by a 1,007-vote majory over BN which has gained 18,480. Independent has 117 votes. PAS is also leading in all four state constituencies.

7.40pm: PAS has extended its lead to 1,078 votes. Latest count from sources - PAS (18,934 votes), BN (17,907), Independent (113).The official Election Commission tally board has BN in the lead with less than 10,000 votes being counted - BN (4,676 votes), PAS (3,966), Independent (26).

7.26pm: It is learnt that Deputy Prime Minister Najib has asked all BN leaders, including the BN candidate, to assemble at Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said's official residence at 8pm.

7.25pm: PAS is leading by 778 votes. PAS (16,795 votes), BN (16,795), Independent (107). PAS is slightly ahead in all four state constitutencies.

7.15pm: PAS has increased its lead to 530 votes. PAS (16,237 votes), BN (15,707), Independent (89). Another 50 percent of votes yet to be tallied.


Latest count: BN, PAS at neck-and-neck

7.06pm: EC's unofficial voter turnout is 79.73 percent (63,967 voters).

7.05pm: PAS is now leading by 158 votes - PAS (14,802 votes), BN (14,644). According to inside sources, PAS is leading in all areas except the Ladang state constituency. There are hundreds of PAS supporters outside the state stadium where the main tally centre is located. Few Umno supporters spotted.

7.04pm: Unofficial result for postal votes - BN (1.039 votes), PAS (86) and Independent (1).


6.40pm: Unofficial results - According to inside sources, of the 14,370 votes counted so far, BN is leading by 259. Another 80 percent of votes yet to be counted.

Malaysiakini is going live with the coverage of the Kuala Terengganu by-election. News are updated as they come in.

Earlier report:

Malaysiakini team Jan 17, 09 9:00am

5pm: Polling is closed at all 38 polling centres for the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

4.55pm: EC said that as at 4pm, the voter turnout stood at 76 percent. That means 60,794 of the 80,229 voters have voted so far.

4.45pm: PAS candidate's agent Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah claimed that he received reports regarding BN trying to "sneak in phantom voters in the final hour" of the polling day."It is quite strange, because starting at 2pm today, the voters' streams are getting slower and at some parts, there were no queues at all.

"But FRU started to line up in front of school's gates. What are their motives? In the morning, when the turnout was high, there was not a single FRU personnel in sight!" he said.

Wan Sukairi said such incidents occurred at Ladang, Sekolah Menengah Bandar and Durian Burung. He however was positive on PAS winning the by-election despite a 'lower turnout' this time around.He also said PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid was currently riding on his motorcycle from a polling station to another to monitor the situation.Meanwhile BN candidate's agent refused to comment when contacted.

4.30pm: Malaysiakini observation: A quick survey of polling stations between 4pm and 4.30pm indicated that PAS campaigners were outnumbering the BN people.

Many BN campaigners in these stations were seen resting and appeared unenthusiastic compared to PAS party workers.PAS has also lined-up a team of lawyers on the streets in case of a need for legal help.The voter flow also appeared to be slow in some of these stations.

4.15pm: NST reports the unofficial voter turnout stands at 72 percent. The EC will give its official figure at 6pm.

4.10pm: Independent candidate Azharuddin is nowhere in sight and could not be contacted as his mobile phone is switched off.

4.05pm: When contacted, election observers Mafrel said that many party supporters were still campaigning at the polling centres despite it being against the election laws to be campaigning today.

"It is even more disappointing when they are using minors to campaign today," said Mafrel's BK Ong.He added that the party candidates should have made public their expenses during the 11 days of campaigning, including "the use of public facilities".

3.30pm: PAS's official organ Harakah reported that Putera Umno chief Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was ‘caught' by PAS monitoring team trying to pass himself off as an election agent.

The report said that the incident happened this morning at 10.45am at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pusat Cabang Tiga, Bandar. Abdul Azeez was reportedly using a BN agent pass belonging to one Ibrahim Omar. PAS is expected to lodge a police report on the matter soon.

However when contacted by Malaysiakini, Abdul Azeez denied being ‘caught' by anyone from PAS, stating that it was a mischevious lies. He added that he has been at the Tok Ku polling centre, also in Bandar since morning.

Tok Ku polling centre is about 600 metres away from the Cabang Tiga centre.

3.10pm: A check at several polling stations indicates an unexpected low turnout. Weather still holding.

2.30pm: NST reports: Deputy Umno Wanita leader Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is busy making her rounds to monitor the by-election along with Wanita chief Rafidah Aziz.

2.10pm: Campaigners continue their final push under the scorching afternoon sun. Our team members describe the heat as the worst over the past 10 days.

2.00pm: Turnout is reported at only 56 per cent. PAS is concerned as they feel that this may give rise to phantom voters. They did not elaborate on how this could take place.

1pm: According to RTM, 44 per cent of voters have turned out to vote.

12:43pm Worried that their ballot papers would be accidentaly spoilt after they were folded by EC officials, voters in SK Bukit Losong polling station made a report to EC and the officials were later instructed not to do so.

Earlier, Malaysian for free and fair election (Mafrel) reported that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and some BN supporters entered the polling station even though they have no right to do so. This resulted in a protest by some PAS supporters.

12 noon: As of this hour, 42 per cent of the 80,229 electorates have cast their votes, according to the EC chair. Polling closes at 5pm.

11.45am: mStar reports: Election Commission chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof says indelible ink may be used in the next general election. "We are currently doing our research to go on with the use of indelible ink", he said after paying a visit to polling station at Sekolah Menengah Tunku Bariah.

11.25am: Under the watchful eyes of dozens of police officers, the polling station in Kubang Ikan
is calm and BN/PAS pondok panas seem to attract equal numbers of voters.

11.20am: Election Commission officials says they hope for a high turnout among the 80,229 voters who are eligible to cast their ballots, according to AFP. They say that the short lines of voters at polling booths during the morning was normal and that the pace will pick up in the afternoon.

11am: Weather still holding although rain is expected in the afternoon. Most polling stations report brisk polling. No uneventful incident reported.

10.20am: Mostly women supporters from both sides seen outside the five polling stations within the Ladang state seat. These are Malay areas. Situation calm. Heavy police presence at schools. Traffic jams due to campaigning in front of schools.

10.03am: NST reports: In SK Chabang Tiga, BN party workers look worried as a majority of voters are seen stopping at the Pakatan Rakyat pondok panas before entering the polling station.

9.50am: At Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman where the Chinese voters of Kg Cina cast their votes, turnout is brisk. Many are seen quietly in queue. Outside, some 50 supporters of both camps are separated by police. Atmosphere is friendly. MCA leaders Dr Chua Soi Lek, Liow Tiong La, Wong Foon Meng are here. Also sighted are DAP's Ronnie Liew, PKR's Tian Chua and PAS' Annuar Tan.

9.27am: Bernama reports: Traffic in the city under control, with vehicles carrying party flags seen plying the streets. Police personnel station themselves in strategic locations. The Election Commission expects a 90 per cent voter turnout.

9.00am: Over at SK Pusat Chabang Tiga station, about 100 PAS and Umno supporters seen on both sides of road waving flags and placards. PAS group comprises mainly elderly women while Umno seems to be dominated by Puteri members. They exchange shouts with PAS' Allahu-akbar while Umno replies with "PAS kluk klek", "PAS bohong."

8.50am: Big groups of BN supporters armed with party flags start converging outside SK Bukit Besar. Shouts of Allahu-akbar and 'Hidup BN' heard.

8.30 am: Weather reported good throughout KT when polling started. Morning is cool although some parts are cloudy. Large groups of policemen seen outside some polling stations.

8.15am: After voting, Wan Farid told reporters outside, "God willing, voters will choose intelligently and vote for continuity through BN'

7.50am: BN's Wan Ahmad Farid arrives at the SK Bukit Besar. Together with his wife, Intan Baizura, they voted at 8.05am.

7.45am: PAS candidate Wahid Endut arrives at SK Pusat Chabang Tiga polling station. Accompanied by his wife and five of his nine children, he says he wants to be the first voter at the station. - Malaysiakini

36 Polling Centres Opened For Kuala Terengganu By-election

A total of 143 voting channels in 36 polling centres were opened from 8am today to enable 80,229 electorates to cast their votes for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election.The Election Commission expects a 90 per cent voter turnout.

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- A total of 143 voting channels in 36 polling centres were opened from 8am today to enable 80,229 electorates to cast their votes for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election.

The polling centres are located at the Yayasan Islam Terengganu al-Quran and Fardu Ain learning centre in Jalan Hiliran as well as in schools and multipurpose halls around the city.Voters are expected to cast their votes early to take advantage of the fair weather in the morning.The Meteorological Department had forecast that there would be rain in the afternoon.

The by-election is seeing a three-way fight between Barisan Nasional (BN)candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan (pic. extreme left) Salleh, Pas' Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut ( middle) and an Independent candidate, Azharudin Mamat @ Adam (pic. right).

It is held following the death of Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail on Nov 28.

In the 12th general election in March, Razali defeated Mohamad Sabu of Pas and an Independent candidate, Maimun Yusuf, with a 628-vote majority.

Traffic in the city was under control, with vehicles carrying party flags seen plying the streets, while police personnel were stationing themselves in strategic locations.

The Election Commission expects a 90 per cent voter turnout.-- BERNAMA

Ezam shows letter, Anwar says 'So what?' – Malaysiakini

This is about the letter, alledgedly written by Datuk Seri Anwar to the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, before the former was sacked as deputy Prime Minister in 1998, which was released by his former aide, Ezam Mohd Noor, at a ceramah during the current BN campaign in the Kuala Terengganu. The question is: why is Ezam, who has since rejoined Umno, producing the letter now – more than 10 years after he was asked to deliver the letter to the Tun? And how much of it is going to help the BN in the current by-election campaign? Just shows how incompetent and useless he (Ezam) was as an aide.

Here’s the report from Malaysiakini

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is unperturbed by former confidante Ezam Mohd Noor (pic left) releasing a letter he allegedly penned to Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1998.

"So? What's the problem? Saya tak berdamai dengan siapa (Who am I not at peace with)? What is the problem? What is the problem in making peace with anyone?" asked Anwar.

Anwar said this when met by reporters after his ceramah at Kg Kubang Ikan, Kuala Terengganu, last night. At a press conference this morning, Anwar refused to elaborate on the subject.

Ezam revealed the letter last night at a ceramah in Kg Kubang Parit to a crowd of 800 people and claimed that the document was Anwar's attempt to make peace with Mahathir.Ezam said Anwar had given him instructions to hand-deliver the letter "by hook or by crook" to Mahathir on Sept 8 when the latter was holding a meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre.

However, Ezam said he was unable to meet Mahathir at the venue and handed the document to the prime minister's department instead, adding that he was unsure if the former premier had received it.

"This letter was written after he was sacked and after he had strongly criticised Mahathir. From this letter, the nation and not just people of Kuala Terengganu, can evaluate what kind of leader Anwar is," he said.

Ezam's own interpretation?

Ezam read out the entire letter which began with Anwar seeking for ‘space' to fight against a ‘conspiracy' against him and also sought Mahathir's protection for his family.

"Myself and (Dr Wan) Azizah (Wan Ismail) do not forget the love, mentoring and opportunities that you have given us. Even though our relationship is strained, I cannot forget your deeds," read the letter.

Copies of the letter were not distributed to the media.Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister on Sept 2 and the following day, he claimed that he was a victim of a political conspiracy.He began his nationwide tour on Sept 12, culminating in a mass demonstration at the national mosque on Sept 20.

Speaking to reporters later, Ezam said both prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak were given copies of the letter.

"As far as I'm concerned, I've gotten the green light (from them) and they feel that it is a responsibility for me to explain, not just to the voters in Kuala Terengganu, but to the whole nation about the hypocritical nature of Anwar, he said.

Aman Malaysia to send doctors to Gaza...

Ten Aman Malaysia (Peace Malaysia) doctors, including a radiology specialist, have volunteered to serve in Gaza if given the go ahead.

Aman Malaysia coordinator Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said apart from providing medical support, the team would also compile a report on Israel's atrocities on civilians in the Palestinian territory.

"The report will be submitted to the United Nations," he told reporters at the launching of Petaling Jaya Umno Youth's humanitarian fund for Palestine in Petaling Jaya last night.

The donation drive which will last for two weeks was launched by the division's head Datuk Ikhwan Salim.

The total collected will be handed over to Aman Malaysia to be channeled to the war victims in Gaza. - Bernama

Al Fatiha...former journalist Samani Mohd Amin passed away

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi ro ji uun. Al fatiha untuk arwah Pak Cik Samani. Semoga rohnya dirahmati Allah SWT dan ditempatkan bersama para solihin. Amin

Former Berita Harian Assistant News Editor Dies

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Former Berita Harian assistant news editor, Samani Mohd Amin, died of a heart attack at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang at 6.55pm Wednesday. He was 78.

He leaves behind his wife, Azizah Ahmad, 67, and four children, Marx Aidied, 50, Muschairil, 47, Mas Dati, 45 and Mas Elati, 38.

Mas Elati said her father was admitted to hospital at 11pm last night (Tuesday) after he fell in his home at Lot 3218, Kampung Batu 7, Jalan Kebun, Klang and suffered a blow to his head.

"After being taken to hospital, the doctor said he fell due to a heart attack and had a cut on his head. At the time my father was still alright until he fell very ill at 1pm," she told Bernama when contacted here.

Samani will be buried at 9am today (Thursday) at the Kampung Batu 7 Muslim Cemetery in Jalan Kebun, Klang.

Samani who received his education in Singapore was a reporter with Utusan Melayu during the newspaper's strike in the early 60s before moving to Berita Harian.

He was detained under the Internal Security Act together with the late Tan Sri Samad Ismail (read here and here ) in 1976.-- BERNAMA

Read related report in the Star here

Aye! Put Israel on trial

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Israel has to be brought before a United Nations-santioned international war crimes tribunal for its atrocities and violence on the Palestinian people, the special Parliament session decided yesterday.

It also expressed the country’s disappointment with the international community, especially the UN Security Council, for their lack of effort in trying to halt the attacks.

The demand was part of 10 resolutions proposed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who tabled the motion to discuss the Israeli invasion of Gaza in the Dewan Rakyat
yesterday.

Abdullah said the resolutions would be presented to the relevant parliaments, the United States Con­gress and the European Parliament.

He said the latest military invasion of Gaza was the worst incident of attacks by the Zionist regime on Pales­tine since it was occupied in 1967, and that it had crippled a small territory which could not defend itself from successive and cruel attacks.

“Today, at least 800 people have been killed in Gaza, 3,000 are wounded and 15,000 more have be­come refugees after Israel laun­ched the attack codenamed ‘Cast Lead’ on Dec 27, 2008,” he added.

Abdullah said all Malaysians should unite and make a strong stand to the world against the inhumane actions of the Zionist regime.

“The attacks by Israel have contravened international laws and such actions are deemed war crimes in the Fourth Schedule of the Geneva Convention on protection for civilians during wartime,” he added.

Abdullah said Malaysia’s call for a special UN session to condemn Israel over its military aggression received a boost when the UN General As­­sembly agreed to hold the session to urge the Security Council to take action by declaring a cease­­fire and force Israel to withdraw from
Gaza.

However, he said, the Council only acted after allowing the Israel military attacks to proceed for two weeks.

“We all know that the reason for the lack of action by the Security Council was that Israel didn’t want it.

Israel has strong supporters within the Council.

Related article: Demands grow for Gaza war crimes investigation: The Guardian