Nama MB Kedah baharu diumum esok?

ALOR SETAR: Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Barisan Nasional (BN) disahkan akan bertemu dengan Jemaah Pemangku Sultan Kedah esok di Wisma Darul Aman di sini.

Perkara itu disahkan oleh ADUN Bukit Lada Datuk Ahmad Lebai Sudin yang juga mengesahkan telah menerima surat jemputan daripada pihak Istana.

Katanya lagi, pertemuan itu akan dijalankan secara berasingan di mana setiap seorang ADUN akan menghadap secara tertutup.

“Ya, saya sudah menerima jemputan dan akan hadir ke Wisma esok.




“Setiap orang ADUN akan menghadap jemaah secara tertutup,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, pihak media juga menerima jemputan sidang media yang akan diadakan selepas pertemuan itu selesai.

Pihak istana dijangka akan mengumumkan nama Menteri Besar baharu menggantikan Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir yang kini hilang sokongan.

Tiga nama calon ADUN yang akan menggantikan Mukhriz ialah ADUN Guar Chempedak, Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail; ADUN Ayer Hangat, Datuk Mohd Rawi Abdul Hamid dan ADUN Bayu, Datuk Azmi Che Husin.

Ku Abd Rahman menjadi pilihan utama kerana EXCO Kedah paling kanan.




-FMT News-

IS list targets Najib, ministers and cop

PETALING JAYA: Bukit Aman’s anti-terrorism director has said that he and the prime minister, Najib Razak, were among those on a shortlist of targets for Islamic State militants.

Senior Asst Commissioner Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay was quoted in a China Press interview that he, Najib, and certain other ministers had also received death threats from supporters of the terrorist network.

He and Najib are listed as targets for being enemies of the militant group’s cause, and of being traitors to Islam.




Supporters of the militant group urged them to stop government actions to curb the influence of Islamic State in Malaysia.

“From my knowledge, the Prime Minister as well as certain other Ministers who have supported the ongoing efforts against militancy have received similar threats,” Ayub was quoted as saying in the daily.

He said the police feared the possibility of Malaysian students studying in the Middle East being influenced to join militant activities in those countries and urged Malaysian student representatives abroad to monitor the movements of Malaysian students.

However there were difficulties in keeping track of them as many students did not register with the embassy.




-FMT News-

Mukhriz says Sultan angry at Umno and Exco rebels

ALOR SETAR: Actions taken by party opponents to Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir have resulted in royal displeasure at the disruption of state administration, according to Mukhriz today.

He said that he had received word that the Sultan of Kedah and the Regency Council had taken offence at the absence of executive councillors at an Exco meeting on Wednesday, after a group of Kedah Umno leaders began moves to oust him.

He said the Sultan was annoyed with the state Executive Council and 14 Umno divisional leaders for disrupting state administration.

Earlier today a press report said that all 21 Barisan Nasional members of the state assembly were being called up individually by the Regency Council tomorrow for interviews about the state’s political leadership.

Last week, a scheduled meeting of the Exco, chaired by Mukhriz, was called off because of the absence of most councillors.

Mukhriz said their actions were “irresponsible”.

The six Exco members absent on Wednesday, as well as 14 Umno division chiefs who declared a loss of faith in the menteri besar to apologise to the Sultan.




The Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, has been away in Kuala Lumpur while serving as Yang di-Pertuan Agong. His state duties are being managed by the Regency Council comprising his two younger brothers and his daughter.

Mukhriz said it was regrettable that six of the nine state executive council members, who had taken an oath of loyalty to the Ruler when appointed, had been absent from the Exco meeting last week.

“This is clearly breaching the rules of appointment as state administrators and at odds with their oath to the Ruler as stated in the Kedah state constitution,” he said.

Mukhriz said he needs all the executive councillors were required to perform their functions as usual until the leadership problem was over.

Their refusal to attend an Exco meeting will jeopardise the administration of the state,” he said.

Since the revolt by Kedah Umno leaders, Umno president Najib Razak has had an audience with the Regency Council, and the Umno Supreme Council held a meeting on Friday, to which Mukhriz was not invited although he showed up and was told he was not welcome to stay.




-FMT News-

Najib a ‘disastrous’ PM for M’sia, says Financial Times

PETALING JAYA: The Financial Times has said that Najib Razak has turned out to be a “disastrous” prime minister for Malaysia, having plunged the country into international disrepute while deepening the trust deficit towards him and his administration among the people at home.

The news portal noted that Najib being absolved by the Attorney-General (AG) of any wrongdoing for personally receiving RM2.6 billion from a Saudi donor was only part of the dissatisfaction with him. More unsettling was the premier’s “attitude” in dismissing the controversy as an “unnecessary distraction for the country”.

“Far from being a distraction, the questions raised by the transfer and the dealings of 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) are pivotal to Malaysia’s future,” the Financial Times said, adding that at stake was whether Malaysia could maintain its equilibrium as a “prosperous, free-market democracy” that adhered to moderate Islam and an internationally recognised legal system.




The news portal also noted that Tim Leissner, a senior Goldman Sachs banker who dealt with 1MDB, had taken “personal leave” and returned to the US.

Tim Leissner

It said that while Najib and 1MDB have maintained that all deals have been above board, the lack of any clear accounting was giving the impression that democracy in Malaysia was being “shredded by a self-serving Malay elite”.

It said that while Najib and 1MDB have maintained that all deals have been above board, the lack of any clear accounting was giving the impression that democracy in Malaysia was being “shredded by a self-serving Malay elite”.

Najib’s preferred use of authoritarianism, the Financial Times also remarked, was unsettling investors in Malaysian stocks and bonds and applying extra pressure on the ringgit.





It cited the jailing of former Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, the muzzling of critics within his own party Umno, as well as the dismissing of former AG Gani Patail, who was leading investigations into alleged corruption by Najib and 1MDB, as instances of the PM’s authoritarianism.

The trust deficit among the people, the news portal said, was felt most acutely by the Chinese and Indians who it said were feeling alienated and thus had become “increasingly vocal in their dissatisfaction”, with this situation that had in turn led to a severe “brain drain” in the country.

“Malaysia’s ruling elite should realise that they stand at a critical juncture. Many may wish for a more accomplished leader, but the problem runs deeper than personalities,” the Financial Times said, adding that Umno needed to rule equally and democratically on behalf of all Malaysians and not just the rural Malays who have become their main loyalists.





-FMT News-

How does A-G know Najib’s RM2.6 billion not from 1MDB, asks Tony Pua

Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali cannot dismiss the possibility that US$4 billion (RM16.6 billion) of misappropriated funds by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was part of the RM2.6 billion donation to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, says DAP's Tony Pua.


The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said Apandi had yet to verify the source of the RM2.6 billion that wound up in the prime minister's accounts, since the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had announced the investigation into the donation was incomplete.

"The question that we need to ask Tan Sri Apandi Ali is how did he satisfy himself that, even if the funds deposited into the prime minister’s personal bank accounts came from the mysterious Arab donor, the money did not originate from 1MDB?





"MACC’s deputy director of operations Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull has publicly stated that the RM2.6 billion probe was still incomplete as investigators needed to collect documents and statements from individuals from several overseas financial institutions.

"Shukri said the commission filed a request with the A-G to obtain mutual legal assistance (MLA).

"However, Tan Sri Apandi has already concluded that there was 'no necessity' for Malaysia to make a request for an MLA to any foreign states to complete the investigation by the MACC in relation to the donation," said Pua in a statement today.

On Tuesday, Apandi told a press conference the US$681 million deposited into Najib’s personal accounts a donation from the Saudi royal family given “without any consideration” and closed the case. But authorities in Switzerland investigating 1MDB uncovered some US$4 billion (RM16.8 billion) from Malaysian state companies have been misappropriated.




Swiss attorney-general Michael Lauber also expressed concern over his Malaysian counterpart’s decision to stop investigations into the funds transferred into Najib’s accounts, saying the move could hamper Switzerland’s own probe into 1MDB. 

Apandi responded that the ongoing Swiss investigations into 1MDB were separate from the donation case. 

But Pua said today that the link between 1MD and the donation must be investigated as there was “circumstantial evidence” surrounding the transaction. 

“The sum of US$681 million deposited into the prime minister’s bank account (was) within five days after 1MDB successfully raised US$3 billion in bonds in March 2013,” said Pua. 

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported that the money was transferred into Najib’s accounts through a company with links to 1MDB.



Tanore Finance Corp Limited transferred the funds through Falcon Private Bank in Singapore, a Swiss Bank owned by the International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi, WSJ reported.

“IPIC and its subsidiary, Aabar Investments PJS have in turn entered into various financial and joint venture agreements with 1MDB and SRC International Sdn Bhd involving billions of dollars.

“No investigation over the source of funds of Najib’s multi-billion ringgit donations can be complete without investigating the overseas money trails of 1MDB, IPIC, Aabar, Tanore Finance and Falcon Bank,” said Pua.

Pua also urged Apandi to declare he would cooperate with the Swiss authorities and grant MACC’s request for MLA from foreign regulatory authorities. – January 31, 2016.




-The Malaysia Insider-

No time limit for criminal prosecution, say lawyers on Najib’s cases

There is no limitation period for criminal prosecution and Datuk Seri Najib Razak could still be charged if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) finds new evidence on the RM2.6 billion donation and Finance Ministry-owned firm SRC International Sdn Bhd, lawyers said.

MACC could still resume its probes into these cases and there was no law preventing it from resubmitting investigation papers to the attorney-general (A-G), who is also the public prosecutor, for his consideration to frame charges against Najib if fresh evidence emerged, lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad told The Malaysian Insider.

It was within the MACC's powers to decide whether to continue investigations and no one could direct them close their files, Amer added, when asked to comment on A-G Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali's announcement last Tuesday that he would order the anti-graft agency to close investigation papers into Najib over the donation and SRC International.




Amer said there were instances where the Attorney-General’s Chambers initially decided to take no further of action but subsequently decided to charge the suspect on grounds there was new evidence.

Another example, he said was former Internal Security Act detainee Yazid Sufaat and cafeteria worker, Muhammad Hilmi Hasim, who had their earlier charges dropped by A-G due to the emergence of fresh evidence.

"A prosecution witness during cross examination by the defence disapproved the accusations that the two were promoting terrorism and were not members of a terrorist group.





"The defence then wrote to the A-G who dropped the charges. Similarly, the A-G could frame charges if there are new developments," he added. 

On Wednesday, Yazid, 52, and Hilmi, 36, were each jailed seven years for withholding information on terrorism activities in 2012 after they pleaded guilty to an alternative charge. 

Amer said the MACC in Najib's case had a duty to continue investigations if they found new leads that strengthened their case. 

Since there was no time bar on criminal prosecution, the law also did not prevent a new public prosecutor to review the investigation papers, so long as the accused and relevant witnesses were available. 

Lawyer Mohamed Hanif Khatri Abdulla said Apandi was wrong to order an investigation agency to close its files and he had acted beyond his authority. 

"All Apandi should have stated is that he found insufficient evidence at this point in time to institute proceedings against Najib but has no business to order that there should not be further investigation," the lawyer said.





Hanif said nothing prevented a new A-G to review MACC 's investigation papers and institute criminal proceedings against Najib if there was sufficient evidence. 

Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen said Najib's case showed that the the A-G and public prosecutor could not not be the same person. 

He said the A-G was the legal advisor of the government and could be a member of the Cabinet. 

Paulsen said as public prosecutor, the people must have confidence in the person olding the position to serve public interest. 

"There must not be a whiff of controversy or partisanship. The public prosecutor must be seen independent," he added. 

Former attorney-general Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman had also said that the A-G's powers under Article 145 (3) of the Federal Constitution was only to institute, conduct and discontinue any criminal proceedings.



On Tuesday, Apandi said he was not pressing any charges against Najib due to insufficient evidence to implicate the prime minister, following close to six months of investigations by the MACC. 

But he also ordered the MACC to close three investigation papers; one on the RM2.6 billion donation and two on SRC International which had taken a RM4 billion loan from the Retirement Fund Inc or KWAP. 

 Apandi also turned down a request by the MACC for mutual legal assistance so that the anti-graft agency could obtain information from overseas banks and financial institutions for its RM2.6 billion probe. 

The A-G said there was no need to pursue such assistance from other countries since no evidence of wrong doing was found. – January 31, 2016.



-The Malaysian Insider-

Case closed on Najib shows Malaysia’s democracy deficit, says The Observer

The decision by Malaysia's attorney-general (A-G) to absolve Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of any criminal wrongdoing over alleged financial scandal only highlights the further erosions of democracy, human rights abuse and weak governance in the country, The Observer said in an editorial today. 

It said there was "widespread scepticism" to the A-G Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali's findings that the RM2.6 billion donation from the Saudi royal family to Najib was above board, and to his declaration that the donation was a separate matter from other graft allegations involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). 

The UK daily also called Najib's immediate response urging Malaysians to move on, a "fantasy".





"Najib says he has been vindicated and Malaysia must move on. This is fantasy. The scandal will live on in the minds of voters who have more reason than ever to distrust those who presume to lead them on the basis of privilege, wealth and inequality," The Observer wrote. 

"And it shines a spotlight on Malaysia’s worsening democratic deficit, whether defined in terms of shady campaign finances, electoral manipulation and foreign interference, human rights abuses, weak and unreliable governance – or downright venality." 

The Sunday paper said 1MDB remained the subject of investigations by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and by Swiss and Hong Kong authorities.





"Apandi's act of absolution" of Najib, therefore, had taken local investigators at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) by surprise, it added. 

Against a backdrop of worsening human rights abuses in Malaysia, the A-G's decision had only heightened growing concerns about Najib's leadership and whether he was fit to rule, The Observer said, referencing the latest report by Human Rights Watch. 

"His time in government, especially since the 2013 general election, has brought an expansion of repressive laws, multiplying human rights abuses and curbs on media freedoms more reminiscent of Russia than of a supposedly functional, pro-western democracy closely allied to Britain and the US," it said. – January 31, 2016.





-TheMalaysianInsider-

Ahmad Maslan rancang wujudkan ‘tentera siber’

PETALING JAYA: Pengerusi Biro Teknologi Maklumat (BTM), Datuk Ahmad Maslan yang baru sahaja dilantik telah memulakan langkahnya bagi memperbetulkan persepsi negatif terhadap UMNO dan Kerajaan Persekutuan.

Beliau kini sedang merancang untuk mengadakan perbincangan dengan beberapa pihak termasuk mencari nama sesuai untuk ‘tentera siber’ UMNO.




“Untuk itu BTM ini bersahabat dengan rakan-rakan media sosial bagi mendapatkan segala pandangan mahupun berkongsi maklumat yang mungkin UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN) tidak mengetahuinya,” katanya seperti yang dilaporkan Mingguan Malaysia.

Mengulas lanjut, Ahmad turut menyatakan bagi merangka strategi berkesan dalam parti Melayu itu, beliau mencadangkan agar BTM diwujudkan di setiap bahagian dan cawangan UMNO.



“Peranan media sosial kini sudah menjadi penentu kepada kejayaan atau kegagalan sesuatu ‘pertarungan’ dan untuk mengatasinya semua pihak perlu berganding bahu untuk bersama-sama memeranginya.

“BTM UMNO juga akan bekerjasama dengan media sosial yang selama ini menyokong dan mempertahankan kerajaan walaupun tanpa dikenali oleh mana-mana pihak,” jelasnya.




Source from FMT News

PAS: Mukhriz merely a pawn to win Kedah

ALOR SETAR: Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir was described today as a tool used by Umno president Najib Razak to win back power for Barisan Nasional in the state in the 2013 general election.

Kedah PAS Commissioner, Dr Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi, likened him to “a bridge used by BN and Umno to take over Kedah”.

He viewed the current campaign against Mukhriz as stemming from his usefulness being over. “Once BN successfully crossed over, they just removed the bridge,” he told FMT. “That’s how I see Mukhriz’s present situation.”




Mukhriz faces a revolt by about 14 Kedah Umno divisional leaders, with growing speculation that Najib has sought royal approval for removing the menteri besar.

Expressing no surprise over the crisis in the ruling party, the PAS leader said Umno’s culture has been embedded within the soul of its members.

“We now know that the culture practised by Umno’s leaders all this while has finally seeped into their members. That’s how this polemic occurs.”

Last week Kedah Umno deputy chairman Ahmad Bashah Md Hanifah demanded Mukhriz’s removal, claiming that the latter had failed in administrating the state government. Ahmad Bashah, a senator, is also a deputy minister.




SOURCE FROM FMT NEWS

Kedah Regency Council to meet BN reps, says report

The Kedah Regency Council‎ has requested to meet the state Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen to resolve the menteri besar issue, Sunday Star reported today.‎

The English-language daily said the council would meet all 21 representatives, including Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, individually on Monday.

‎Citing political sources, Sunday Star said the meeting in Alor Star was to allow the council to assess whether the majority of the BN assemblymen supported a change in menteri besar.




They told the paper ‎the council was forced to act because Mukhriz refused to step down as menteri besar.

Media reports differ over the list of menteri besar candidates submitted to the Kedah Regency Council, with Berita Harian saying that Kedah Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah did not make the cut.
‎
Quoting unnamed sources, the Malay-language daily said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had proposed three assemblymen – Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (Guar Chempedak), Datuk Mohd Rawi Abdul Hamid (Ayer Hangat) and Datuk Azmi Che Hussin (Bayu).




But Sunday Star said only Bashah's name was submitted when the Umno president had audience with the Kedah palace on Friday.

In a press conference on January 20, Bashah said Mukhriz failed to unite the party and machinery in Kedah, and had not provided strategies to face the next general election.

He said 14 of the state's division and wing leaders wanted Najib to intervene to remove Mukhriz.

Media reports said 19 Umno representatives in the state assembly had signed sworn statements in support of Mukhriz's removal.




The report also said the palace had requested for a formal letter on Mukhriz's status in Umno, and that Mukhriz was summoned for an audience at 4pm Friday.

On Friday, Najib announced that his meeting with the Kedah Regency Council went smoothly and the proposed list of candidates to replace Mukhriz had been submitted and not rejected by the palace.

He did not reveal the list and said Mukhriz would remain as Kedah menteri besar and the state Umno chief until further notice. – January 31, 2016.




Source from The Malaysian Insider

Najib’s ‘vindication’ a fantasy, says UK paper

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime minister Najib Razak’s belief that he has been vindicated was described today as “a fantasy” by the UK Sunday newspaper, the Observer.

In an editorial today about the RM2.6 billion deposit in Najib’s private bank accounts, the Attorney-General’s findings last week, and the long-drawn out issues about 1Malaysia Development Bhd, the newspaper said:

“The scandal will live on in the minds of voters who have more reason than ever to distrust those who presume to lead them on the basis of privilege, wealth and inequality”.




Last week, the Attorney-General, Apandi Ali, had found no criminal wrongdoing in the matter and the prime minister declared that he had been vindicated when he had said that the money had been a personal donation from the Saudi royal family and was meant to support the Barisan Nasional’s election campaign in 2013.

But the Observer said: “It lives on in the minds of the FBI and investigators in Switzerland and Hong Kong that are still probing 1MDB. And it shines a spotlight on Malaysia’s worsening democratic deficit, whether defined in terms of shady campaign finances, electoral manipulation and foreign interference, human rights abuses, weak and unreliable governance – or downright venality.”

The Sunday newspaper provided no additional information of its own to explain its conclusions, but relied on a report by Human Rights Watch this month as well as reporting by the Wall Street Journal; it also mentioned a source quoted by Malaysia Chronicle and a source quoted by the BBC about the purported Saudi donation.





The Observer said Apandi’s report had created an “intense firestorm”, after his “arbitrary dismissal of potentially career-ending corruption allegations” against Najib.

The paper also described Najib as being “seen by growing numbers of fellow citizens as unfit to rule the country whose leadership he inherited as if by right”

The Observer also accused the Najib government of repression and curbs on media freedoms “more reminiscent of Russia than of a supposedly functional, pro-western democracy closely allied to Britain and the US”.





Source from FMT News

JPA scholarship cuts completely unacceptable, PM told

MP SPEAKS As the recalibration of Budget 2016 was announced yesterday, the dreams of thousands of expectant young Malaysians were shattered. These school-leavers had studied hard to attain their excellent results. They had sacrificed much time and money in hopes of the winning a government scholarship to pursue their ambitions to study in the best universities.

Unfortunately, at least 2,436 students would lose their opportunities as the government scales down the Public Service Department (JPA) scholarship programmes by 20 to 60 percent.




In his speech yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak rather misleadingly declared that the government “had agreed to continue four JPA scholarship programmes for 2016,” namely, the National Scholarship Programme, the Special Engineering Programme to Japan, Korea, Germany and France, the Bursary Programme and the First Degree Programme.

While it is true that the four programmes have not been shelved, the PM had failed to mention that they would all be experiencing significant cuts compared to last year.

The decision to reduce the intake of all four JPA scholarship programmes by 20 to 60 percent is strongly condemned, as DAP maintains that cuts should come from elsewhere.

Instead of sacrificing the future of our children, there are plenty of other unnecessary programmes that could be trimmed or even abolished - such as the Special Affairs Department, the National Civics Bureau (BTN), TalentCorp and even the National Service Training Programme.

In fact, the Pakatan Harapan Alternative Budget 2016 estimates that savings of around RM30 billion or slightly more than 10 percent of the federal budget could be achieved simply by introducing more transparent procurement policies such as open competitive tenders, dismantling of uncompetitive monopolies and reducing rent-seeking practices.

Furthermore, Malaysians cannot accept such huge cuts for educational opportunities when corruption, leakages and financial scandals abound.




Already, tens of billions of ringgit have been flushed down the drain through major scandals such as 1MDB, the Port Klang Free Zone and the Bank Negara Forex scandal, to name a few.

According to financial watchdog Global Financial Integrity’s latest report published last month, Malaysia lost a total of US$48.25 billion in 2013 alone through illegal capital outflows stemming from tax evasion, crime, corruption, and other illicit activities.

When RM500 million can be paid out as “commission” for the purchase of submarines and RM250 million in soft loans can be given to people with no experience but plenty of connections, it is nothing short of a travesty that more than 2,000 young, hard-working Malaysians with great potential will be denied opportunities to further their studies.





Source from Zairil Khir Johari -MalaysiaKini-
ZAIRIL KHIR JOHARI is the MP for Bukit Bendera and DAP parliamentary spokesperson for Education, Science and Technology.

No law stopping Apandi from taking post in government body, says former A-G

There is no law prohibiting an incumbent attorney-general from being appointed as board member of a government statutory body, a retired attorney-general says.

Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said he himself was a board member of the Employees Provident Fund and Securities Commission of Malaysia while in office.

“Nothing stops a public officer like the A-G sitting as a board member in a statutory body,” he told The Malaysian Insider.




He was asked to respond on the appointment of Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali as a board member of pilgrims’ fund Tabung Haji and of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).

The appointments raised eyebrows as Apandi this week announced a lack of evidence to prosecute Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over a RM2.6 billion donation from the Saudi royal family and over Finance Ministry-owned SRC International.

Apandi, a former Federal Court judge, was appointed A-G on July 28 last year, replacing Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who was removed on medical grounds. As a judge he would have retired come February 10 when he turns 66, the mandatory retirement age for judges. As A-G, he has a three-year contract.





Abu Talib said a public officer like the A-G could also be appointed to sit on public-listed company boards provided prior approval was obtained from the government.

The question of conflict of interest did not arise, the former A-G added, provided the government’s top lawyer was not involved in any decision-making process which affected his office and his other posts.

“This is a simple rule. Do not participate in a decision that affects you and your position,” Abu Talib said.





Gani, the previous attorney-general, has also been appointed to the board of wholly owned Minister of Finance Incorporated subsidiary Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd.

Gani, who was retired on account of a kidney problem, told Malaysiakini he was appointed to the company “long before the investigation into 1MDB”. 

A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) confirmed that Gani was appointed in October 2014. 

According to the company website, Gani was listed as its chairman. – January 31, 2016.





Source from FMT News

Pua questions if 1MDB money behind that donation

KUALA LUMPUR: Leading 1MDB critic Tony Pua has called for further investigations to determine that a RM2.6 billion deposit in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bank accounts had not come from funds linked to the government investment company 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

He disputed the findings by the Attorney-General that the money was a personal donation to Najib from the Saudi royal family and “given without any consideration”.




Pua, who is MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, also disputed Apandi Ali’s conclusion that the donation investigations were entirely separate from those into 1MDB, quoting the Swiss Attorney-General’s Office, which stated on Friday they believed that up to US$4 billion could have been misappropriated by 1MDB.

“Even if the funds deposited into the Prime Minister’s personal bank accounts came from the mysterious Arab donor (how did Apandi satisfy himself) that the money did not originate from 1MDB?,” Pua said in a statement today.

He pointed out that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency had publicly stated that the RM2.6 billion investigations were incomplete without information from overseas financial institutions.

Pua said Apandi could not conclusively dismiss the possibility that part of the US$4 billion of misappropriated funds did not find its way into Najib’s accounts.



“The link between 1MDB and Najib Razak must be thoroughly investigated because of the circumstantial evidence surrounding the transactions,” he said.

Pua said the donation investigation could not be complete without investigating the money trail involving 1MDB and companies associated with it such as International Petroleum Investment Company of Abu Dhabi, its subsidiary Aabar Investments, Tanore Finance and Falcon Bank.

He urged the Attorney-General to grant MACC’s request for mutual legal assistance from foreign regulatory authorities immediately.





Source from FMT News

Rakyat sebenarnya penyelamat negara, bukannya Najib

PETALING JAYA: Pengubahsuaian Bajet 2016 memberi petunjuk bahawa rakyat menjadi penyelamat ekonomi dan kewangan Negara, bukannya Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak atau anggota kabinetnya.

Ketua Whip PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar berkata, rakyat terus menanggung beban Kerajaan Persekutuan apabila membayar Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST).




Katanya, potongan 3% WSP dianggar meningkatkan perbelanjaan penggunaan swasta RM8 bilion setahun yang diharap Najib untuk pekerja berbelanja sebenarnya membawa balik pulangan pada kerajaan melalui GST sebanyak RM480 juta.

“Begitu juga dengan pelepasan khas cukai individu RM2,000 kepada pembayar cukai pendapatan individu yang berpendapatan RM8,000 sebulan ke bawah untuk tahun taksiran 2015 dengan kerajaan kononnya kehilangan RM350 juta setahun.

“Ini bermakna, RM350 juta dalam poket rakyat untuk dibelanjakan bagi kerajaan mendapat kembali melalui GST.

“RM350 juta tersebut akan memberi balik pulangan kepada kerajaan melalui GST sebanyak RM21 juta. Ini bermakna kerajaan mendapat tambahan pendapatan melalui GST sebanyak RM501 juta daripada pendapatan GST sedia ada RM51 bilion melalui pengubahsuaian Bajet 2016.

“Ini bermakna Pengubahsuaian Bajet 2016 menjadikan rakyat penyelamat ekonomi rakyat penyelamat ekonomi dan kewangan negara dengan GST, bukannya Najib atau kabinetnya,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.




Ahli Parlimen Pokok Sena berkata, Najib juga dilihat tidak banyak mengurangkan beban kerajaan ekoran kejatuhan harga minta dunia yang mencecah hampir ASD30 setong serta kejatuhan nilai Ringgit Malaysia.

“Pengubahsuaian Bajet 2016 tidak memberi makna jika rakyat tidak memperolehi pendapatan boleh guna yang lebih besar, bahkan rakyat terus menjadi mangsa GST.

“Saya tetap menegaskan bahawa kerajaan perlu turut mengurangkan Kadar GST dari 6% kepada 3% sahaja. Barulah semua lapisan rakyat dapat merasai dan meringankan beban kos sara hidup,” katanya.

Katanya, jumlah anggota kabinet yang ramai tidak membantu rakyat sebaliknya hanya menyemakkan negara.




“Jumlah anggota kabinet langsung tidak disentuh untuk dikurangkan seperti yang dicadangkan kepada 15 hingga19 orang sahaja daripada jumlah sekarang sebanyak 35 orang.

“Pada hal sektor swasta terpaksa mengurangkan kakitangannya daripada pelbagai peringkat untuk mengurangkan beban kos operasi. Sepatutnya kerajaan juga mengurang separuh anggota kabinetnya untuk mengurang kos gaji Menteri dan lantikan politik.

“Begitu juga kerajaan tidak memansuhkan pelantikan jawatan Duta Khas dan Penasihat Perdana Menteri yang bertaraf menteri yang telah menghabiskan sejumlah wang negara,” katanya lagi.




Source from FMT NEWS

Twists and turns of Najib’s RM2.6 billion

When Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the RM2.6 billion donation controversy has been “comprehensively put to rest”, the Internet promptly responded with memes ridiculing the attorney-general’s (A-G) decision to close the case.

From comedians to artists, local blogs to international news wires, many found it hard to believe that it was okay for a leader of a democratic country to accept billions of ringgit from an unidentified foreign funder.

Najib urged Malaysians to “move on” from the issue but questions still abound despite the A-G’s findings that there was insufficient evidence to implicate Najib.

The Malaysian Insider revisits what is known so far about the billions in his account, since July 2 last year when The Wall Street Journal first broke the news that RM2.6 billion was channelled into Najib’s private bank accounts.





Money trail A: US$681 million between March 21 and 25, 2013
WSJ said it had obtained information from Malaysian investigators. It showed a flow chart with British Virgin Islands company called Tanore Finance transferring US$681 million into Najib’s accounts in two tranches, through Falcon Private Bank in Singapore.

According to WSJ, Falcon Private Bank is a Swiss bank owned by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC), which in May last year injected US$1 billion into 1MDB to settle a syndicated loan from a consortium of banks.

In 2012, IPIC also issued guarantees for Najib’s brainchild, state-owned investment firm 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) for the payment of interest and principal on bonds issued by the state investment firm.

Money trail B: RM42 million between December 2014, February 2015 
A second chart showed that former 1MDB subsidiary, SRC International, transferred RM50 million to its subsidiary, Gandingan Mentari. SRC International is now wholly owned by the Finance Ministry, which Najib also heads.

Gandingan Mentari then transferred the RM50 million to Ihsan Perdana, which undertakes corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes for 1MDB’s charitable foundations.

From Ihsan Perdana, RM42 million was transferred into Najib’s accounts at AmBank in three deposits of RM27 million, RM5 million and RM10 million.





A-G’s take on the US$681 million
A-G Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said on Tuesday the US$681 million deposited into the prime minister’s accounts between March 22, 2013 and April 10, 2013, came from the Saudi royal family.

He did not confirm whether the money came from Tanore Finance through Falcon Private Bank in Singapore.

The A-G also said the prime minister returned US$620 million (RM2.03 billion) to the Saudi royal family in August 2013 because the money was not utilised.

Another trail from SRC International?
But Apandi also inadvertently revealed a third money trail, starting again, from SRC International, and which flowed through three companies and finally to three private AmBank accounts.

The companies were Putra Perdana Development Sdn Bhd and its subsidiaries, Putra Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd and Permai Binaraya Sdn Bhd.

From the initial RM35 million that SRC International transferred through these three companies, RM27 million finally ended up in one of the private AmBank accounts, with account number ending “880”. From here, RM20 million was transferred to the two other private accounts.

The “880” private account also received RM10 million and RM27 million in December 2014 and February 2015, respectively, via Gandingan Mentari and Ihsan Perdana.

Apandi, however, said Najib did not have any knowledge that SRC International had transferred money into his personal accounts nor did he instruct any such transaction.





Najib’s response
After the news of the fund transfer broke in July last year, Najib said he had not taken any money for personal gain, and accused his arch critic, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of colluding with the foreign media to attack him.

It was a line he repeated many times although his critics noted he did not deny that the money was deposited into his accounts.

Speculation over whether or not Najib received the funds was finally put to rest when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed the money came from Middle Eastern donors.

Since MACC’s confirmation, Najib spoke little of the issue, only reiterating that he was innocent of wrongdoing and the money was a “donation” rather than from 1MDB.

Even his highly anticipated explanation to the Dewan Rakyat fizzled out, as Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi spoke on his behalf instead.





Reasons for donation
On August 11, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the donation was from a “brotherly nation” which wanted to see certain parties win the 13th general election because they were friendly to them.

Four days later, Umno Kuantan division chief Datuk Seri Wan Adnan Wan Mamat said the RM2.6 billion was from Saudi Arabia as a form of appreciation of Malaysia “championing Islam” and fighting militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis).

But on August 22, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the donation came from their “Muslim friends in the Middle East” to help Umno fight DAP in the 14th general election, as the party was funded by Jews.

Later that same day, Zahid said he met the donors’ representatives who informed him that the funds was in appreciation for the government’s efforts in countering terrorism, and to help Barisan Nasional (BN) maintain Malaysia’s status as a Sunni country.

After the A-G’s no-further-action decision on Najib, however, the BBC on Wednesday reported an unnamed Saudi source as saying that the money was donated to help the prime minister win GE13 and counter potential Muslim Brotherhood influence in Malaysia.

The Saudis consider the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation, and Malaysia’s opposition alliance at that time included PAS, “whose founders were inspired by the Brotherhood”.





Case closed
After months of investigations, speculation and criticism, Apandi said on Tuesday there was “insufficient evidence” to implicate the prime minister and he would not pursue charges in court over the RM2.6 billion and SRC International.

But questions remain unanswered, such as what happened to the shortfall that Najib did not return to the Saudi donors. And even if Najib said he had no knowledge of the money transfers from SRC International to his accounts, who would transfer such large sums of cash to him, and why?

Given the call by the MACC’s oversight panels to anti-graft investigators to “engage” the A-G on the no-further action, and with sources saying charges were originally recommended against Najib, it could be that the case of the RM2.6 billion is not over yet. – January 31, 2016.





Source from The Malaysian Insider

Government has not barred Malaysians from travelling to South, Central America, says deputy health minister

BALIK PULAU, Jan 30 ― The government has not issued any ban on Malaysians travelling to South America and Central America, but advised them to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of Zika virus infections.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya, however, said pregnant women are advised not to visit countries there as the virus can cause serious birth defects in babies.

“The virus causes flu-like fever and rashes on the body, joint pains and does not cause death but it is dangerous to pregnant women.





“This is because it can cause a condition, called 'microcephaly' resulting in the birth of babies with smaller heads or brains, as well as being afflicted by the 'Guillain-Barré' syndrome, a neurological disorder affecting the nervous system,” he told reporters after officiating at the Annual General Meeting of the Pulau Betong Fishermen's Association, here today.

As of yesterday, there were 22 countries reporting cases of Zika virus caused by bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes. They are Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, US, Virgin Islands and Venezuela besides Samoa in the Pacific.

Dr Hilmi, who is also the MP for Balik Pulau, said the risk of the virus spreading to Malaysia is high because the country has Aedes mosquitoes.

“Until yesterday 300 samples of the Aedes mosquitoes nationwide have been taken and tested at the National Public Health Laboratory and the National Institute for Medical Research. The results were all negative for the Zika virus,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the land reclamation project off Permatang Damar Laut, near here is not the best method to implement to find capital to cover the cost of transport infrastructure development in Penang.

“The action is seen to seriously affect the livelihood of 1,500 fishermen because they depend on the sea catches,” he said.

Penang's Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, was recently reported as saying the project was seen as the best way to find capital to implement the Penang Transport Master Plan that costs RM27 billion. ― Bernama





Source from Malaymail Online

Things You Must Know About The Deadly Zika Virus Now That Malaysia Is At High Risk From It

Malaysians haven't yet developed an immunity to Zika virus. Which makes it likely that it could spread very quickly among Malaysians, the Health Ministry's Deputy Health DG Dr Lokman Halim Sulaiman has warned, saying that the deadly disease could spread here because of the high presence of Aedes mosquitoes in the country.

What's worse is that there's no quick "point of care test" available.

The Heath Ministry viewed the matter seriously because the virus has been associated with microcephaly, a birth defect where infants are born with underdeveloped heads.





Also, Dr Lokman stressed that it is difficult to stop the spread of the virus to Malaysia due to its mild symptoms, difficulty in tracing infected people and also because there was also no quick "point of care test" available. Moreover, there is currently no vaccine available for the virus and only the symptoms of the virus can be treated.

In light of which, all visitors to the country – especially those from South and Central America and Malaysians returning from infected areas – who exhibit fever and spots to report themselves to the Quarantine Health Centre or the nearest Health Department as soon as they arrive in Malaysia.

The deadly Zika virus is transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, also known as the Asian tiger mosquitoes. They are found all over the world except Canada and Chile. However, now that Malaysians have been warned about its spread, we are going to look at some of the most vital, and vexing, questions about Zika.

Zika virus was an obscure illness until recently. But now it's "spreading explosively" through the New World. Zika could infect up to 4 million people before the end of 2016. Although Zika has been known to science for seven decades, it's only now being seen as a major public-health danger due to its connection with birth defects.

All you need to do is get bitten by an infected mosquito to put yourself at risk. And since there's no cure for Zika, the only thing you can do to protect yourself is avoid mosquitoes in places where the virus is circulating.





1. First things first, what is Zika virus?

2. Deaths are rare in Zika and only one in five people infected is thought to develop symptoms. So What are these symptoms?
1. Mild fever
2. Conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes)
3. Headache
4. Joint pain
5. A rash

3. And where did Zika come from?
It was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947.

The first human case was detected in Nigeria in 1954 and there have been further outbreaks in Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Most were small and Zika has not previously been considered a major threat to human health.

But in May 2015 it was reported in Brazil and has spread rapidly.

It has since also been reported in: Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname and Venezuela.





"Its current explosive pandemic re-emergence is, therefore, truly remarkable."

4. How does it spread?
Zika is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Evolved in Africa and Asia, respectively, but they're now common in warm, wet climates worldwide. They often live near buildings in urban areas and are usually active during the day, with peak biting periods in early morning and late afternoon.

The virus can also be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her baby during pregnancy or around the time of birth, although it's unclear how frequently that happens.

They are the same insects that spread dengue and chikungunya virus.

And, unlike the mosquitoes that spread malaria, they are mostly active during the day, so bed nets offer limited protection.

The WHO expects Zika to spread throughout the Americas, but other scientists have warned that countries in Asia could face large outbreaks too.

5. Does it spread only through mosquitoes?
As far as anyone knows, yes. But two cases have been linked to sexual activity.

However, just how two pies don’t make a party, two isolated incidents don’t confirm that Zika virus is sexually transmitted.
University of Michigan virologist Katherine Spindler said further analysis is needed to make the argument, and for now, public health officials should focus on mosquito control to stop Zika virus.

6. What drugs are available against Zika?
None.
Until last year, Zika was so rare, and believed to be so mild, that nobody bothered to look for candidate drugs. Even now that the virus is surging, it's not obvious that there's a big market for an antiviral drug, because the vast majority of those infected have very few symptoms or none at all.
A vaccine against Zika may offer more hope of preventing microcephaly.

7. So is there a vaccine for Zika?
No. There is no vaccine or specific medicine for Zika virus infections, and the CDC doesn't recommend any particular antiviral treatment. For now, doctors can only provide supportive care and treat symptoms. Patients should get plenty of rest, stay hydrated and possibly take acetaminophen for pain or fever, but should avoid aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

8. And when can we expect a vaccine?
That will take years. Several groups have begun to make candidate Zika vaccines, a process that will take at least several months. Most of these vaccine approaches are piggybacking on existing vaccines.

It may be at least 5 to 7 years before a Zika vaccine is commercially available.

9. So no drug, no vaccine. But is there a test to diagnose it?
There are no commercially available diagnostic tests for Zika and its close relation to dengue and yellow fever makes it prone to cross-reaction with antibody tests for those flaviviruses.





10. Then what can people do to stop the spread of the virus?

Stop mosquitoes from biting people.

Countries and communities can try to reduce mosquito populations by removing the small water reservoirs—such as flower pots, empty bottles, and discarded tires—in which Aedes mosquitoes like to breed.

People can also reduce their personal exposure—especially important for women who are or might become pregnant—by putting screens on windows, covering their skin, and using insect repellant. However, history has shown that the impact of mosquito control on epidemics is modest at best, and they're difficult to sustain.

Furthermore, here are more tips for avoiding Zika:
1. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

2. Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
3. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. All EPA-registered insect repellents are evaluated for effectiveness.

. Always follow the product label instructions.
. Reapply insect repellent as directed.
. Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing.
. If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent.

4. If you have a baby or child:

. Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age.
. Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or
. Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
. Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.
. Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
5. Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items.

. Treated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last.
. If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully.
. Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.

6. Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.





11. What to do if you have symptoms of Zika?
1. Get plenty of rest.
2. Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
3. Take medicine such as acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain.
4. Do not take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

12. What if a pregnant woman may have been exposed to Zika?
Doctors should ask all pregnant women about recent travel, the CDC says, and a Zika test should be performed on any who report two or more Zika symptoms — or whose ultrasound scans show signs of microcephaly — within two weeks of traveling to an affected country. (It's worth noting most infected people don't have symptoms, though, and it's unclear if fetuses are still at risk in that case.)

13. Could mothers receive a blood transfusion to prevent Zika?
Though it does work for other diseases, such as hepatitis A, transferring immunity via a blood transfusion isn’t the best or simplest solution. For instance, while the strategy was touted mightily during the Ebola outbreak, the latest studies suggest the technique wasn’t effective.





Source from says.com