Do your Pets have rights?

©The Star (Used by permission)by Lai Chee Hoe

IF YOU can recall, not too long ago, Majlis Perbandaran Selayang organised a dog-catching competition that attracted strong criticism from the public for being inhumane.

Public furore also erupted when the magistrate let off Sheena’s master with a token fine of RM100 even though he had pleaded guilty to slowly starving his German shepherd. Eventually, the canine had to be put to sleep immediately after it was found it could not be saved.

Cruelty towards animals is not a new phenomenon and it has been happening quite rampantly. Animal cruelty encompasses a wide range of cruel conduct, which include leaving behind pets unattended during long holidays, chaining puppies in unshaded compounds, scalding kittens with boiling water, killing rare animals for their exotic taste, skinning tiny animals for their fur and sport by deriving entertainment by maiming animals.

This may stem from the fact that historically, animals have been treated as “legal things” and not “legal persons”. They do not have rights of their own and their existence is solely for the purposes of legal persons.As the Roman jurist, Hermogenianus, wrote, “Hominum causa omne jus consitium”, which essentially means all laws were established for men’s sake.

Animals continued to be seen as inferior over the years and in repeating the phrase above, P.A. Fitzegeral’s 1996 treatise Salmond on Jurisprudence declared that “the law is made for men and allows no fellowship or bonds of obligation between them and the lower animals.”Such a view continued to dominate over mankind over the centuries until the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when humanitarian re- formers started to campaign and protest against the cruel treatment of animals.

In 1800, William Wilberforce supported a bill to abolish bull baiting. In 1809 Baron Erskine introduced a Bill to prohibit cruelty to all domestic animals.

Around 1824, a few Members of Parliament decided to form a society to prosecute those who committed cruelty acts against animals.A meeting was held in Old Slaughter’s Coffee House which led to the formation of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In 1840, the Society was granted a royal charter by Queen Victoria and became a Royal Society.In 1972, Peter Singer, a utilitarian, in his book Animal Liberation argued that the main criterion why animals should be accorded similar consideration as humans was because an animal was sentient and could therefore suffer pain.

With the increasing awareness of treatment of animals, Europe has documented methods of protection of animals kept for farming, slaughter, pets and international transport.

Man’s best friend: Some dogs greeting visitors to the SPCA in Ampang in this file picture. The only way to move forward is to educate people on how to treat animals well.

However, under Malaysian law, animals are still treated as property. This can be seen in our Penal Code, in particular Section 428 and 429 that are categorised under the heading of ‘Offences Against Property’.The Penal Code provides that an offence is committed if “a person commits mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming, or rendering useless any animal of the value of five Ringgit or upwards”, which attracts a maximum punishment of imprisonment of two years, or fine, or both.

An offence is also committed if such cruelty is committed upon an elephant, camel, horse, mule, buffalo, bull, cow or ox (whatever their value may be) or any other animal which is worth more than RM25. The penalty involved is imprisonment up to a maximum term of five years, or fine, or both.

Although the Penal Code seeks to keep tabs with the development of animals rights by punishing those who commit an offence against animals, it, in my opinion, lacks the basic understanding, and further fails to comprehend that the basic philosophical position is that animals should not be regarded as property but as legal persons and members of the community.

The other piece of law that deals with treatment of animals in Malay- sia is the Animals Act 1953 that was revised in 2006, out of which one part is dedicated entirely for the prevention of cruelty to animals.The relevant provision, Section 44 of the Animals Act, essentially stipulates that an offence is committed when a person beats, kicks, ill-treats, overrides, overdrives, overloads, tortures, infuriates or terrifies any animal, and such person will be liable to a fine of two hundred Ringgit or to imprisonment for a term of six months or to both.

Are such laws adequate? The penalty is clearly disproportionate to the offences committed. Further, how do they fare in terms of enforcement? Surely, a fine of RM200 will not deter a person from committing cruelty against animals.In this regard, cruelty against animals will not end.

The only way to move forward is to educate people on how to well-treat animals, introduce heavier penalties against persons who mistreat animals and to put in place a strict enforcement of the laws.By the same token, members of the public are encouraged to report to the police or the Department of Veterinary Services if they came across any incidents of abuse against animals.

The government should also extend its helping hand to provide a more conducive environment for animals to co-exist with human beings and accord them with sufficient rights and respect because, as in the words of Mahatma Gandhi “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Let us, therefore, pray for a better future for the pets we are living with and for all animals in general.

The writer is a member of the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC). Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column - a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, please visit www.malaysianbar.org.my/nylc.

7反通膨联盟被控 6人未出庭展延明年审 (Kwong Wah Yit Poh)

二零零八年十月十四日 凌晨十二时二十三分

（吉隆坡13日讯）原定在今日审讯的反对通货膨胀联盟非法集会及违反庭令的35名人士，因为警方再控告7名涉嫌人士及多达6名被告未出庭的情况下，此案展延至明年3月23日至25日一同进行审讯。

在有关法令下于今日被控的7名新被告包括人民公正党宣传主任蔡添强、媒体协调主任林秀凌、回教党总财政哈达蓝里、律师张国伟及3名公众。

首项罪名指出，7名被告在今年1月26日分别在吉隆坡国油双塔楼及Avenue K附近参与一项非法集会，抵触刑事法典第143条文。罪成可以被判最高监禁6个月、罚款或两者兼施。

第二项罪名指出，7人于1月26日违反禁止在吉隆坡双塔楼Avenue K举行集会的庭令，抵触刑事法典第188条文。一旦罪成可以被判最高监禁1个月、罚款400令吉或两者兼施。

金马区警区主任祖卡奈因助理警监（Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman）是在1月25日向吉隆坡推事庭申请禁令，阻止反对通货膨胀联盟在双峰塔1公里的范围内举行集会活动。

有关庭令禁止回教党财政哈达蓝里、人民公正党宣传主任蔡添强、社会主义党秘书长阿鲁、民主行动党非政府组织局主任刘天球，马来西亚学生与青年民主运动（学运）秘书黄思敏及“任何支持反涨价联盟的人士”举行集会。

今日被提控的7人皆否认罪状，除了蔡添强是以1千令吉做为保释条件，其余6人则是以500令吉做为保释条件。

此案的主控官为法丽再副检察司，蔡添强的辩护律师为赖志豪、张国伟的律师则是行动党蒲种区国会议员哥宾星，而哈达蓝里的律师则为莫哈米哈尼巴。

2被告多次未出庭　法官发出逮捕令

早前在被控的35名被告中的2名被告莫哈末尤索夫及法迪尔，由于已多次未出庭，因此今日法官莫哈末瑟克里今日发出逮捕令，两名被告的保释人皆为雪州州务大臣卡立依布拉欣。

而另外4名未出庭的被告则透过过代表律师分别以出国、生产及生病作为未出庭的理由。

Two MPs among seven charged with illegal assembly (The Sun)

KUALA LUMPUR: Two MPs were among seven more people charged in the sessions court here yesterday with taking part in an illegal assembly in the KLCC area in January.

Batu MP Tian Chua, 44, of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and Kuala Krai MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, 52, of PAS, as well as lawyer Chong Kok Wei @ Jonson Kok Wei Chong, 37, technician Tan Chee Hooi, 33, PKR information bureau member Ginie Lim Siew Lin, 27, Mohd Azhar Yaacob, 25, and ex-serviceman Mohamed Nawi, 65, are alleged to have committed the offence with 35 others on Jan 26. The 35 were charged on Jan 28.

All the 42 people were initially charged under Section 143 of the Penal Code, which carries a sentence of up to six months jail or fi ne or both, and Section 188, which carries a sentence of a
month’s jail or RM400 fine or both, upon conviction.

Tian Chua, who was represented by lawyer Lai Chee Hoe, was charged in the morning and pleaded not guilty on both counts. He later posted the RM1,000 bail imposed by judge Mohamad
Sekeri Mamat.

Hatta, Chong, Tan, Lim, Azhar and Mohamed, who were represented by lawyers Gobind Singh Deo, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin and See Wan Yeow, were brought before the judge in the
afternoon and managed to have the charge under Section 143 dropped on technicalities.

They were allowed bail of RM500 each and released after posting bail. The trial was fixed for March 23-25.

The judge ordered the defence counsel to get an explanation from Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim why two accused charged on Jan 28 – Fadhil Osman, 33, and Md Yusof
Abdullah, 43, – failed to turn up in court.

Khalid provided the surety for the duo. – Bernama

Court to set date for Bersih 17’s trial on Friday (The Star on Tuesday July 15, 2008)

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court will set the date for the trial of 17 people charged with participating in last year’s illegal Bersih rally on Friday.

This follows an application for a postponement by lawyer Mohd Khairuddin Othman who represented 15 of the accused yesterday.

He told Judge Rozana Ali Yusoff that lead counsel Hanifah Maidin and one of the accused Tian Chua, who is PKR information chief, could not turn up for yesterday's hearing.

Hanifah was in Kuala Terengganu to handle an election petition, he said.

Tian Chua’s lawyer Lai Chee Hoe said his client was in Parliament.

Also absent was lawyer G.K. Ganesan who is acting for another accused K. Gobalakrishnan. Gobalakrishnan said his counsel had other business to attend to.

Khairuddin said the defence also needed more time to scrutinise all documents relating to the case.

Rozana said all the lawyers must turn up in court on Friday but the 17 accused were excused.

The offence was allegedly committed in Jalan Istana Baru here on Nov 10, last year.

– Bernama

法官：議員應妥善安排‧出席國會非缺庭理由 (星洲日報‧2008.07.14)

國內 2008-07-14 19:15

（吉隆坡）法官表示，國會議員不能以出席國會會議作為缺庭的理由，身有法庭案件的國會議員，應該做出妥善安排。

2名國會議員因為要趕到國會，準備支持反對黨提呈的不信任首相動議，而無法上法庭，結果法官提出上述看法。

淨選盟案被迫展延

峇都國會議員蔡添強和巴東色海國會議員哥巴拉克里斯南等共18人，涉嫌去年11月10日參與乾淨與公平選舉聯盟大集會被控非法集會案件，原訂今日早（週一，14日）審訊，但由於蔡添強缺庭，哥巴拉克里斯南趕著離開法庭，以及其餘被告的主要律師哈尼法缺席，導致法官羅扎娜被迫將此案展延至7月18日過堂。

羅扎娜語氣溫和地說，她並沒有強迫蔡添強出庭，但其辯方律師賴志豪應提早表明，而不是被問及時以蔡添強仍在途中為理由，混淆法庭人員。

她不解哥巴拉克里斯南為何來到法庭卻立即要求離開。她認為不管被告以甚麼理由，即使是國會議員也不能以出席國會會議作為缺庭的理由。

哥巴拉克里斯南說，他和蔡添強週一必須出席國會會議支持重要的動議，並要求法官將此此案訂在非國會會議召開期間。

他向法官保證將盡快聯絡其代表律師卡尼森，並確保後者在過堂日當天出庭，否則將聘請其他律師。

不過，法官認為這未必方便其他被告，她不希望此案再次展延，大批被告來到法庭卻因部份被告和律師缺席而影響審訊，浪費法庭資源和時間。

Mahkamah tetapkan Jumaat ini untuk sebutan kes perhimpunan haram BERSIH (m-star online)

14-07-2008 07:44:59 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Mahkamah Sesyen di sini hari ini menetapkan Jumaat ini bagi menentukan tarikh perbicaraan terhadap 17 anggota Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (BERSIH) yang menghadapi tuduhan mengambil bahagian dalam perhimpunan haram pada 10 November tahun lalu.

Hakim Rozana Ali Yusoff menetapkan tarikh tersebut setelah mendengar permohonan salah seorang peguam bela, Mohd Khairuddin Othman, yang mewakili 15 tertuduh bahawa peguam utama Hanifah Maidin dan seorang tertuduh Chua Tian Chang atau Tian Chua yang juga Ketua Penerangan Parti Keadilan Rakyat tidak dapat hadir.

Sementara itu, seorang lagi peguam G. K. Ganesan, yang mewakili seorang lagi tertuduh, K. Gobalakrishnan turut tidak hadir. Gobalakrishnan memberitahu hakim bahawa peguamnya tidak dapat hadir hari ini ke mahkamah kerana mempunyai urusan yang tidak dapat dielakkan.

Manakala, peguam Lai Chee Hoe yang mewakili Tian Chua, memaklumkan kepada mahkamah bahawa anak guamnya tidak dapat hadir kerana beliau berada di parlimen.

Mohd Khairuddin berkata pihaknya memerlukan masa untuk meneliti semua dokumen yang berkaitan dengan perbicaraan dan peguam utama Hanifah tidak dapat hadir kerana mempunyai kes petisyen pilihan raya di Kuala Terengganu.

Rozana kemudian mengarahkan semua peguam yang mewakili tertuduh hadir ke mahkamah pada tarikh sebutan kes Jumaat ini dan memberi pengecualian kepada 17 tertuduh. Mengikut pertuduhan, tertuduh Mohamad Sabu, 53; dan Tian Chua, 34; dan 15 lagi menghadapi dua pertuduhan iaitu bagi tuduhan utama, mereka didakwa bersama-sama sebagai anggota perhimpunan yang menyalahi undang-undang, yang mana bertujuan memudaratkan awam.

Bagi tuduhan ini mereka didakwa mengikut Seksyen 143 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara sehingga dua tahun atau denda atau kedua-duanya sekali, jika disabitkan kesalahan. Bagi tuduhan pilihan, mereka turut didakwa bersama-sama mengambil bahagian dalam perhimpunan tersebut dan didakwa mengikut Seksyen 27 (5)(a) Akta Polis 1967 yang membawa hukuman denda RM10,000 dan penjara tidak melebihi setahun, jika sabit kesalahan.

Mereka didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu di Jalan Istana Baru, di sini pada tarikh tersebut, kira-kira pukul 3.05 petang.

BERNAMA

LexisNexis, KL Bar to hold charity treasure hunt (The Sun)

LexisNexis, KL Bar to hold charity treasure hunt

LEXISNEXIS and the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Bar Committee has once again joined forces to organise the third annual LexisNexis KL Bar Treasure Hunt to be held on Aug 9 in aid of two charity homes.

The hunt will have two categories – the open category for the public and the close category for LexisNexis staff, Malaysian Bar members and sponsors. The open and close category fee per person is RM90 and RM70 respectively.

From left ... Resorts World marketing
director Andrew Leong, Roche, Karuppiah, Ravindra,
Lai and Permanis Sandilands brand manager
Santhruban Thurai Sundaram at
the treasure hunt launch.

This year’s hunt is limited to 80 cars, five more than last year which saw 280 participants.

LexisNexis general manager Phillip Karuppiah said the hunt is a popular sport especially among office workers and professionals as it challenges them to think out-of-the-box and enhances teamwork in a serious sense of fun.

"From a business perspective, there is no better way for staff to interact and strengthen the relationship with the legal fraternity, which is a core client base of LexisNexis, an information solution company for four key markets – legal, corporate, government and academic," said Karuppiah, who is an ardent treasure hunter.

The KL Bar Committee is looking at submitting 20 teams, while LexisNexis will enter five.

"There is little done for community projects, but through the treasure hunt, we are able to do our bit to aid the community at large," said KL Bar Committee chairman R. Ravindra Kumar.

The proceeds from the LexisNexis KL Bar Treasure hunt are shared between both parties to be channelled to charity homes of their choice.

LexisNexis will again donate its share to Philea Home which it has adopted as one of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

Of the RM20,000 in proceeds raised last year, LexisNexis donated RM12,000 to Philea Home while the KL Bar Committee donated RM8,000 to Yayasan Sun Beams.

This year, the KL Bar will direct the proceeds to either a charitable organisation or will fund a social community development project undertaken by its committee later.

Its Social, Arts and Culture Committee chairman, Lai Chee Hoe, encouraged members and chambering pupils to take part.

"It’s a good opportunity to enhance their analytical skills and also break the barriers and mingle with the other professions," he said, adding that the hunt is not restricted to only the KL Bar members but also from other states such as the Selangor Bar and Negeri Sembilan Bar.

theSun is the official media partner and the clerk-of-course is Time-Out Solutions, which has been involved from the very beginning.

Time Out Solutions Sdn Bhd managing director Dominic Roche said this would be a pure hunt without any gimmicks or side activities.

"It purely involves solving cryptic clues, trivia questions and riddles, inspiring the spirit of teamwork and skills management," he said.

The hunt will be flaged off from Subang Jaya and will end at Awana Genting, where participants will enjoy hi-tea and the winners will be awarded cash and prizes worth more than RM20,000.

"Like previous years, we will strive to reward at least three quarters of the participating teams with prizes, so everyone can go back with a smile," Karuppiah said.

The event sponsors are Genting Highlands, HSBC Bank, Nestle, True Fitness and Permanis Sdn Bhd who have once again come on board to support this event.

The closing date for entries is on Aug 5 while the briefing will be held on Aug 7 at the KL Bar Auditorium, Level 10, Wisma Kraftangan, Jalan Tun Perak.

Entry forms can be obtained from theSun, www.lexisnexis.com.my , www.klbar.org.my , or www.timeoutsolutions.com.

Bersih 17 trial date to be fixed on Friday

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 - The Sessions Court will fix on Friday the date for the trial of 17 people charged with participating in last year's illegal Bersih rally.

This follows an application for a postponement filed by lawyer Mohd Khairuddin Othman who represented 15 of the accused here today.

He told Judge Rozana Ali Yusoff that lead counsel Hanifah Maidin and one of the accused -- Chua Tian Chang who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief --could not turn up for today's hearing.

Hanifah was in Kuala Terengganu to handle an election petition, he said. Chua's lawyer, Lai Chee Hoe, said his client was in Parliament.

Also absent was lawyer G.K. Ganesan who acted for another accused , K. Gobalakrishnan. Gobalakrishnan said his attorney had other business to attend.

Khairuddin also said the defence needed more time to scrutinise all documents relating to the case.

In her order, Rozana said all the lawyers must come to the court on Friday but the 17 accused were excused.

The offence was allegedly committed along Jalan Istana Baru here on Nov 10, Nov 2007 at about 3.05 pm.

They are being charged under Section 143 of the Penal Code which carries up to two years in jail or a fine or both, alternatively Section 27(5)(a) of the Police Act which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 and one year in jail. - Bernama

蔡添強咬傷警員案‧7月24日過堂

（吉隆坡）峇都區國會議員“蔡添強咬傷警員”案件於今日（週三，18日）在第三推事庭過堂，鑒於該庭已由新推事接管，蔡添強則要求原任推事繼續審訊此案，因此案件訂於7月24日過堂。

蔡添強咬傷警員的案件於4月16日首次審訊，迄今傳召一名證人即首席警長沙查里，但該庭原任推事塔斯敏已擢昇聯邦法院擔任首席主簿官，而該庭則由新推事莫哈末法茲接管。

蔡添強代表律師賴志豪指出，辯方則要求此案由原任推事塔斯敏繼審。

新任推事莫哈末法茲則表示，辯方必須致函聯邦法院，以通知推事塔斯敏有關事項。

推事莫哈末法茲擇定此案於今年7月24日再度過堂。

45歲被告蔡添強於2007年12月11日，在代表淨選盟前往國會呈交備忘錄，遭到警方逮捕時蓄意致傷當時正在執行任務的伍長羅賽迪，抵觸刑事法典332條文。

在此條文下，一旦罪成，被告可被判決監禁3年或罰款或兩者兼施。

蔡添強於今年1月11日首次被控時否認有罪，法官批准以5000令吉及1名擔保人保外。

光明日報‧2008.06.18

Anwar seeks to set aside court order

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will seek to set aside the court order barring him and his supporters from coming within 5km of Parliament House.

Noting that the order had not been submitted to him but merely posted outside his house in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, he described it as “slander and an abuse of the legal process”.“I will order our lawyers to initiate the legal process to set aside the order,” he said in a statement.

The ex-parte court order was obtained yesterday by Sentul district police chief Ahmad Sofian Md Yassin from Kuala Lumpur magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham. It also allows the police to arrest Anwar and his supporters on sight if they are spotted in the prohibited area.Anwar had earlier expressed the intention of attending parliament to hear the debate on the Pakatan Rakyat no-confidence motion today.

The statement also said Pakatan had not made any decision to organise a rally outside parliament.“The decision of the Pakatan members of parliament was clearly only to submit a motion of no-confidence in the government under 18(1) of the Pariamentary Standing Order,” Anwar said in the statement.

“I am disappointed that the police purposefully linked my name and Pakatan Rakyat in the magistrate court order obtained ex-parte by the Sentul district police chief dated July 13.”Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today rejected the Pakatan no-confidence motion.

This is the second time the police have obtained a court injunction to stop groups from assembling. In January, the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court granted the police a restraining order to stop the Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) from gathering at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It named five Protes representatives as being banned from the planned rally.

Lawyers have questioned the legality of such an order on grounds that it may amount to a violation of freedom of movement, which is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

LexisNexis-KL Bar Treasure Hunt 2008

The KL Bar Social, Arts and Culture Committee is once again co-organizing the annual LexisNexis - KL Bar Treasure Hunt. The event this year will be held on the 9th August 2008 covering an area within the Klang Valley.

The organisers appeal to members of the Bar and pupils-in-chambers to participate in this event which offers prizes worth more than RM 20,000.The Hunt involves participants solving riddles and identifying “treasures” based on clues provided. All you need to do is to gather a team of 4 members (1 driver, 1 navigator and 2 “treasure-hunters”) to take part.

You don’t have to be exceptionally smart – all you need is an IQ of a competent LLB graduate. That makes it so much easier doesn’t it? Useful tips will be given at a briefing session prior to the Hunt.All participants will be given a t-shirt, a bag of fantastic goodies and will be served mouth-watering high-tea at the prize-giving ceremony.

Categories

Open - members of the public

Closed - members of the Malaysian Bar and staff of LexisNexisEntry

Fee

Open - RM90.00 per person

Closed - RM70.00 per person

Click here for the Flyer and Entry Form that contain more information about the Hunt.The KL Bar’s share of the proceeds this year will go directly either to charitable organizations or to fund a social or community development project undertaken by the KLBC. Let's get together for a day of fun and comradeship and at the same time to support a noble cause!

Lai Chee Hoe

Chair

Social, Arts & Culture Committee

Lawyer lodges report over second SD

Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu has lodged a police report to clear his name, saying that “elements of criminal defamation” had been directed at him.

This was in relation to the second statutory declaration by private investigator P Balasubramaniam, who claimed that he was under duress when he made his first sworn statement.After lodging his report at the Brickfields police station today, Americk (in red tie) told reporters: “It is implied it was I who made him record the statement under duress. Therefore I have to clear my name.”

In the report, he said he had acted in good faith by documenting Balasubramaniam’s words, when producing the first statutory declaration dated July 1. It was made public two days later.

“I am satisfied it was made voluntarily and without any duress whatsoever,” Americk said in the report. '100 percent sure'It further said Americk had “reasonable grounds” to believe that the second statutory declaration on July 4 was suspect and that Balasubramaniam might have been “induced and threatened”.

To a question, Americk said he was “100 percent sure” and has no doubts about the veracity of the information that Balasubramaniam had provided him. “Balasubramaniam should be the one to explain why he retracted his statement,” said the lawyer.

The second statutory declaration was made with the help of a different lawyer. It removed several of the stronger allegations against deputy premier Najib Abdul Razak, implicating him in the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Balasubramaniam and his family have since gone missing, while Najib has denied all the allegations.The police are looking Balasubramaniam and have roped in government agencies as well as Interpol to locate him. It is suspected that he may be abroad by now

PI retracts stunning statutory declaration

Private detective P Balasubramaniam today retracted his stunning statutory declaration which had linked Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to murdered Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The said declaration also had claims that Najib had a sexual relationship with Altantuya and that he was the one who had introduced Altantuya to Abdul Razak Baginda.Balasubramaniam said that he was forced to make the declaration under duress. At a press conference in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur this morning, he produced a new statutory declaration.

Missing from the new statutory declaration were references of Najib having a sexual relationship with Altantuya nor of Najib being the person who allegedly introduced Abdul Razak to the Mongolian woman.Also with the PI this morning was his new lawyer. His other lawyer, Americk Sidhu, who was with him yesterday was unaware of the latest development. The press conference is still underway.

Yesterday Balasubramaniam made shocking revelations that he had heard from Abdul Razak himself on the links between Najib and Altantuya.But today he said that he wanted to withdraw the first statutory declaration filed on July 1 and replace it with the new one which he revealed today."I wish to retract the first declaration. I was compelled to affirm the July 1 declaration under duress," he said.

He however did not reveal who forced him to affirm the first declaration.Balasubramaniam was hired by Abdul Razak to deal with Altantuya in 2006 when she started ‘harassing' the former head of think-tank and a close confidant of Najib.

Private investigator's statutory declaration in full

The following is the full 16-page statutory declaration sign by Abdul Razak Baginda's private investigor P Balasubramaniam on July 1.

I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal ... do solemly and sincerely declare as follows:

1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force, having joined as a constable in 1981 attached to the police field force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance corporal and finally resigned from the police force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.

2. I have been working as a freelance private investigator since I left the police force.

3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang between the hours of 8am to 5pm each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.

4. I resigned from this job after 2½ days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.

5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the Oct 5, 2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaaribuu.

6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaaribuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia very soon to try and contact him.

7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaaribuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian ‘bomoh’ and that he could never look her in the face because of this.

8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.

9. I advised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high-profile people involved.

10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaaribuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.

11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.

12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.

13. On Oct 9, 2006 I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30am informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya notepaper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.

14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as ‘Aminah’ and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.

15. These three Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminah’s boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.

16. On Oct 11, 2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note which basically asked him to call her urgently.

17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda that perhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.

18. In the meantime, I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these three Mongolian girls, but they recognised him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.

19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.

20. On the Oct 14, 2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting “Razak, bastard, come out from the house”. I tried to calm her down but couldn’t, so I called the police who arrived in two patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.

21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.

22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminah’s own private investigator, one Mr Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for US$500,000 and three tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.

23. As Aminah had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.

24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.

25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that:

1) He had been introduced to Aminah by Najib Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.

2) Najib Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.

3) Najib Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the deputy prime minister.

4) Najib Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.

5) Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a US$500,000 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.

26. On Oct 19, 2006, I arrived at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights to begin my night duty. I had parked my car outside as usual. I saw a yellow Proton Perdana taxi pass by with three ladies inside, one of whom was Aminah. The taxi did a U-turn and stopped in front of the house where these ladies rolled down the window and wished me ‘Happy Deepavali’. The taxi then left.

27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him “Aminah was here”. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me “to delay her until my man comes”.

28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following:

1) That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Najib Razak.

2) That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Najib Razak at a dinner in Paris.

3) That she was promised a sum of US$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a submarine deal in Paris.

4) That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.

5) That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.

6) That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.

7) That if I wouldn’t allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Najib Razak.

29. After talking to Aminah for about 15 minutes, a red Proton Aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be lance corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plainclothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car.

30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said “Yes”. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton Saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.

31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that lance corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.

32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.

33. After Oct 19, 2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7pm to 8am the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called ‘Amy’ who was apparently ‘Aminah’s’ cousin in Mongolia.

34. On the night of Oct 20, 2006, both of Aminah’s girlfriends turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.

35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr Ang and another Mongolian girl called ‘Amy’ turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.

36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi police station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.

37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling handphone and I was to pass the phone to the inspector from Dang Wangi police station.

38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi inspector. The conversation lasted 3-4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.

39. On or about Oct 24, 2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields police station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.

40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminah’s disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.

41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the criminal division, Brickfields police station, and that Idris had referred him to ASP Tonny.

42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields police station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand ASP Tonny a thumbdrive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.

43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.

44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on Oct 26, 2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.

45. In mid-November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminah’s case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.

46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for five days. On the third day, I was released on police bail.

47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for seven days.

48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on Oct 19, 2006 which read “delay her until my man arrives”. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Baginda’s handphone.

49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 am to 6pm everyday for seven consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Najib Razak but when I came to sign my statement, these details had been left out.

50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminah’s relationship with Najib Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Najib Razak and/or his wife.

51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30am. Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Najib Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.

52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30am, Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Najib Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows: “ I am seeing IGP at 11am today … matter will be solved … be cool”.

53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.

54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to:

1) State my disappointment at the standard of investigations conducted by the authorities into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.

2) Bring to the notice of the relevant authorities the strong possibility that there are individuals other than the three accused who must have played a role in the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.

3) Persuade the relevant authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that any fresh evidence may be presented to the court prior to submissions at the end of the prosecutions case.

4) Emphasise the fact that having been a member of the Royal Malaysian Police Force for 17 years, I am absolutely certain no police officer would shoot someone in the head and blow up their body without receiving specific instructions from their superiors first.

5) Express my concern that should the defence not be called in the said murder trial, the accused, Azilah and Sirul will not have to swear on oath and testify as to the instructions they received and from whom they were given.

55. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act 1960.

Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal July 1, 2008

Stunning claims linking Najib to Altantuya

Private investigator P Balasubramaniam has made shocking claims that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had links with murdered Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

He also revealed that Najib had also informed his close associate Abdul Razak Baginda that inspector-general of police Musa Hassan would 'take care' of the murder case which implicated the accused.And he further revealed that his evidence in his police statement linking Najib to the case was removed by the cops in a move to protect the DPM.

These revelations were made by Balasubramaniam in a statutory declaration which he filed two days ago.He was the PI hired by Abdul Razak to handle Altantuya, who had apparently come over to Malaysia in 2006 to settle some issues with Abdul Razak.

A month later Altantuya was found murdered in an isolated site in Shah Alam, Selangor.
The shocking statutory declaration was revealed by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in a press conference today.

Najib talked to IGP

In the statutory declaration, Balasubramaniam said that he was told by Abdul Razak on Najib's links with Altantuya.He also revealed that Abdul Razak had SMSed Najib on the day he was arrested over Altantuya's killing and had received a reply from Najib which stated that he had spoken to the IGP.Balasubramaniam said that in his reply, Najib had told Abdul Razak that the matter would be taken care of by the IGP.

The PI also revealed that he had informed all of these to the police when they took his statement but was surprised that all mention of Najib was removed from the statement.Balasubramaniam also told the press conference that he was highlighting the issue now as he was disappointed the prosecution - which recently closed its case against two elite police officers and Abdul Razak on the murder of Altantuya - had not done anything to introduce his evidence on Najib.

He also said that he was not asked any of these when he testified in the trial. He was the first prosecution witness in the trial.Anwar said that it was evident that the police and the prosecution team, especially IGP Musa Hassan and attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, have hidden relevant information in the case and was worried that they would do the same in the ongoing probe into the sodomy allegation made against him by his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.Anwar had also lodged a report against Musa and Gani on Monday for fabricating evidence in his trials 10 years ago.

Najib had previously said that he never knew and had never met Altantuya.

MCA Youth holds firm on Article 153

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth has lashed out at Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar for hinting that action would be taken against the Malaysian Bar Council for holding a Social Contract Forum last Saturday.

Its legal bureau chief, Gan Ping Sieu, was disappointed with Syed Hamid for saying that the police could begin investigations if a report was lodged against the Bar Council for sedition.

"Discussing the process of drafting the Constitution, including its historical background and reasons, must not be interpreted as questioning the Malays' special position," he said in a statement yesterday.He added that no one should object to organisations or bodies which conducted forums to discuss the Federal Constitution objectively and rationally, without distorting the facts.It was reported that speakers at the forum -- lawyer Tommy Thomas, academic Dr Mavis Puthucheary and political analysts Dr Kua Kia Soong and Dr Farish Noor -- discussed Article 153 of the Federal Constitution in relation to Malay rights.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had also criticised the forum, saying it was part of the Bar Council's move to suppress and discredit the Malays and Islam.Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had called the forum an "unhealthy" development, adding that the social contract on the position and rights of the Malays was a historical fact.

Gan, however, argued that the forum was needed because the public had the right to clearly understand Article 153.He said the MCA believed that all Malaysians were knowledgeable and mature enough to openly discuss any matter related to the Constitution."Anyone who wants to prevent such forums has actually gone against freedom of speech as enshrined in the Federal Constitution."

Posh condo: I didn't say I never went

Embattled PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said he had never denied going to the luxury condominium where his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan claimed to have been sodomised.

I (have) never said that I have never been there,” he said at his Petaling Jaya office after sending off Kelantan menteri besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat who paid him a visit this afternoon. Anwar added that he would elaborate more on the issue later. Saiful, 23, is believed to have stated in a police report on Saturday that he was sodomised on June 26 at Unit 1151 in Kondominium Desa Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

In a report today, New Straits Times said it was believed that Anwar had access to the posh unit as it belonged to one of his friends. Anwar also brushed off another report in the NST which claimed doctors at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur had found evidence that Saiful had engaged in anal sex. “

Their problem lah. He (Saiful) has to explain that,” said Anwar in his usual calm demeanor. According to Bernama, HKL director Dr Zaininah Mohd Zain today denied ever releasing information of their medical records on Saiful.

To weather out the storm

However, Anwar refused to entertain a question on whether Saiful had ever accompanied him overseas. “There are certain things which I would have to consult my lawyer first because investigations are in progress. All I can say is that there is nothing to worry about,” he said.

Over the past few days, a number of press reports have claimed that Saiful has also alleged that he was sodomised by Anwar when both were overseas including in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. On Nik Aziz’s visit, Anwar said that the Kelantan mentri besar had expressed concern and regret over the fresh sodomy allegations - the second time in 10 years.

“He asked me to be patient and to weather out the storm. He is confident that we will see this through,” he added. Anwar stressed that even with the sodomy allegations, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition comprising DAP, PAS and PKR was still strong. “We will tread cautiously, in part due to the on-going BN media campaign (against us). I have to work with my lawyers to deal with this,” said the former deputy premier.

Saiful's 'I quit' mail to Anwar

Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had purportedly resigned as PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s aide after much "reflection and contemplation" just a day before lodging a police report against his ex-boss.

An email believed to be from Saiful was made available to malaysiakini, in which he reveals his decision to quit.

Dated June 27, the email was sent to Anwar and PKR chief of staff Ibrahim Yaacob from Saiful’s Blackberry mobile phone at 3.01am.

The mail reads:

Nobody know (sic) what God decides for us. People come and go. After seeing the new office, I felt a sense of worry and repentance in me.

I’ve been reflecting upon myself in the past few weeks. This is the conclusion from my reflections of myself.

1. Indiscipline. Not punctual.

2. Unqualified. It will make it easier for your enemies to attack you and tarnish your image.

For the sake of your well being and the party’s, I regret to inform you that I am submitting my resignation as your private assistant effective today.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work. All the knowledge that you’ve bestowed upon me will be used as best as possible.

Anwar sent a reply at 6.28am which stated:

Thank you for continuing your services and (good luck with) your university education. You have served with sincerity, loyalty and commitment.

There is more knowledge to be gained. Haha.

Ibrahim will coordinate your tasks after this as best as he can.

'Not his style'

According to Ibrahim, the email address belongs to Saiful but the former is sceptical as to whether the resignation letter was actually written by him.

"I received that email that day and I could tell that it is not his style. It could have been authored by somebody else," he told Malaysiakini.

Last Saturday, Saiful caused a stir when he lodged a police report alleging that Anwar had sodomised him.

Anwar had dismissed this as a "complete fabrication" and sought refuge in the Turkish Embassy on grounds that he feared for his life after the allegations surfaced.

However, he has since returned to his home after getting assurances for his safety from three ministers - Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Meanwhile, Saiful was sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for a medical examination and is believed to be awaiting the results.

The police are expected to question Anwar soon as investigations are underway.

It is learnt that Saiful began working for Anwar’s office one week before the March 8 general elections.

He was then assisting Rahimi Osman, also a former aide of Anwar, in coordinating the former deputy prime minister’s election schedule and programme.

After elections ended, he was retained as Anwar’s private assistant. Rahimi subsequently resigned from Anwar’s office 3-4 weeks ago and the work was absorbed by Ibrahim, then assisted by Saiful.

Saiful's character had been the subject of much heated debate on the Internet with at least two bloggers through their site claiming to know him personally.

A visit to his home in Bandar Utama affirmed further that Saiful's whereabouts are presently unknown.

Liow: Umno dragged MCA down in polls

Voter perceptions of Umno’s arrogance also pulled down MCA in the March 8 general election, said MCA Youth chief Liow Tiong Lai.

In a recent interview, Liow said the traditional voter base - the Chinese community - had felt disenfranchised since the 2004 general election in which Umno secured a powerful position. “I know the situation very well. During Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth meetings, I talk with (Umno Youth chief) Hishammuddin (Hussien) and I tell them that people don’t like Umno because it has become arrogant. “Because of that, people don’t like MCA as well. Why? Because people are blaming MCA for being weak (and not standing up to Umno). So (being arrogant) is not good for Umno or MCA.”

In 2004, MCA had won a comfortable 30 out of 40 Parliament seats contested. This was slashed to 15 - the party’s worst ever performance - in the latest poll. At state level, it won only one-third of the 90 seats contested. One solution to ensure MCA’s relevance, said Liow, is to ensure that the party has a check-and-balance role within BN.

He said the party plans to engage Umno more and sensitise its leaders to the feelings of non-Malays. “People feel that Umno (has) become arrogant. When it is too powerful, (the people) feel that (Umno) ignores the feelings of other races,” said Liow, who is also health minister. “But we should be able to tell others that MCA is here and will stand up for them, that Umno has to respect our views.

That would be good (for the country).”He echoed the general sentiment among MCA leaders that the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back was the rhetoric and keris-brandishing at the last two Umno general assemblies. “We have told Hishammuddin about our feelings. He has explained his feelings via the newspapers and has apologised. He has to be more sensitive to the feelings of all the people. I think he knows that. “He has to be reminded that the feelings of all the races must be taken into consideration...

Umno cannot just think of the Malays when they do anything. No... they have to know the feelings of other races, then we can take a multiracial approach.”Liow said the BN was still stuck in an“old mindset” - in which Umno has the biggest say in issues - but that this would have to change.“MCA is prepared to change. We want Umno and MIC to change (as well). If all of us don’t change, (we will end up with) only one path and it will lead to a dead end. We will become irrelevant,” he said. “(The Chinese community) wants to see MCA, as the second-biggest party in BN, to check on Umno and balance the Malay political agenda. They want us to make sure that there is (national) stability and that we play a key role in BN.”

‘Tee is an old friend’

Asked to comment on lingering suspicion that he is involved in the MCA ‘snoop squad’, Liow brushed off the claim. The squad was allegedly formed to undermine the political careers of certain MCA leaders. “I think the investigation committee has cleared my name. I don’t have to clear myself. There is nothing to hide,” he said. The three-member inquiry panel had concluded that a key individual in the probe, Tee Ann Chuan (left), had been seen entering and exiting Liow’s former office in Putrajaya on several occasions. However, it could not ascertain the purpose of the visits.

“Yes, it is true that Tee came to see me in my (former) office (at the Youth and Sports Ministry). But he came to discuss youth activities and ask for my ministry’s help on youth matters,” he said. Liow described Tee as a old friend who had visited him often. He also denied that the latter had been given a room in the Youth and Sports Ministry complex. On the upcoming MCA polls, Liow remained non-committal about contesting for one of the top posts.“I’m a cabinet minister now. Should the party feel that I can serve it better, then I’ll consider moving (up),” said Liow, who refused to name any post that interests him.

Anwar lodges report against IGP, AG

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today lodged a police report against police chief Musa Hassan and attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail over their alleged misconduct during his trials 10 years ago.

Anwar arrived at the Selangor state police headquarters in Shah Alam at about 2.50pm, accompanied by his lawyer Sankara Nair.Four of his party leaders, including vice president R Sivarasa and treasurer William Leong, had arrived much earlier at about 2.20pm and waited for Anwar to come to lodge the report.Outside the station, several other party leaders, including two of PKR's MPs N Gobalakrishnan and Yusmadi Yusoff, were disappointed that they weren't allowed into the station to accompany Anwar to make the report.

Even Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah was not allowed into the station, creating some tension at the entrance. The police said that they would only allow five people in to lodge the report.
Some 30 supporters had also gathered outside the station.

After some 30 minutes, Anwar left the station - at about 3.20pm - to the PKR headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya where he is expected to hold a press conference.

Rally tonight

Anwar had earlier said that he had evidence implicating the inspector-general of police and AG in the misconduct, including fabrication of evidence in the cases launched against him after his sacking from government.He added that a fresh police report lodged against him for sodomy was a result of "interested parties to attack me in retaliation" over this evidence in his possession.The report alleging sodomy was filed by Anwar's aide, 23-year-old Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, last Saturday.Anwar claimed that the fresh accusation against him was a "complete fabrication".Later tonight, PKR plans to hold a rally at the Stadium Melawati in Shah Alam, scheduled to kick off at 8.30pm.

Najib denies involvement in 'conspiracy'

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today strongly dismissed claims that he was involved in a conspiracy to ruin PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's political career.

He said that he was not involved in the police report lodged by Anwar's aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in which he claimed to be sodomised by Anwar."I'm not involved in this case," the deputy prime minister told reporters in Parliament.When questioned on the existence of a photo of his special officer with Saiful, Najib said it was taken when the 23-year-old came to his office to seek a government scholarship to pursue his studies.The photo shows Saiful (in blue shirt) with Najib's special officer Khairil Anas Yusof. According to Najib, the photo was taken three months ago.He repeatedly stressed at the press conference that he was not involved in any political conspiracy.

The deputy prime minister said that it was now up to the police to investigate the report lodged by Saiful to see if the alleged sodomy did take place.Saiful dropped a bombshell on Saturday by lodging a police report stating that he was sodomised by Anwar.Anwar said that this was a fabricated charge and left to seek protection at the Turkish embassy after claiming that his life was in danger.He also filed a defamation suit against Saiful this morning to clear his name.

Government's assures safety

Najib today said that Anwar was never harassed, even when he was busy campaigning against the government as an opposition leader."This is not a political persecution. Let the police investigate the matter," he added.Najib also said that the government can assure Anwar of his personal safety.

Meanwhile, three other Umno ministers also denied that they were part of any conspiracy.

PKR has released a number of other photo showing the alleged victim with Agriculture and Agro-based Minister Mustapa Mohamed, Tourism Minister Azalina Othman and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad (left), fuelling speculations of Saiful's involvement with Umno figures to topple Anwar.

The three ministers, when approached by journalists, said that they did not know Saiful personally.Commenting on this, Najib said that Saiful, being a student leader, could have taken photographs with many politicians.

Anwar files defamation suit against aide

PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim this morning filed a defamation suit against his aide over claims of sodomy.


In the suit which was filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry in Jalan Duta, Anwar also claimed that the police report lodged by Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan was an abuse of the process of law.

On Saturday the 23-year-old Saiful had lodged a police report claiming that Anwar had sodomised him at a luxury condominium in Damansara.

The suit was today filed on Anwar's behalf by his lawyers. Anwar is presently seeking refuge at the Turksih embassy after claiming that his life was in danger.

Meanwhile the party also said that it had postponed its plans to lodge a police report against police chief Musa Hassan and attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail over their alleged misconduct during Anwar Ibrahim's trials in 1998-1999.

Anwar revealed on Saturday that he had evidence implicating Musa and Abdul Gani Patail in the misconduct, including fabrication of evidence in the cases launched against him after his sacking from government 10 years ago.

KL Bar Charity Night Part II featuring Ranjit Singh

This is some super performance by Ranjit Singh. It is a must watch video :)

KL Bar Charity Night on 27.6.2008

This is one of the songs we performed on that night.

BN assemblyman slammed over racial slur

IPOH: The racial slur by a Barisan Nasional assemblyman continued to receive flak from various quarters, including Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang calling for a public apology over the statement.
Lim said Perak Barisan Nasional whip Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali should tender an open apology for the statement by Sungai Rapat Hamidah Osman at the Perak state assembly recently.

On Friday, Hamidah was reported to have asked Speaker V. Sivakumar if he "agreed to disagree" with a saying of whether a snake or an Indian should be killed first.

However, she retracted her words when Tajol Rosli asked her to do so.

Lim, when opening the Buntong DAP service centre here on Sunday, said her statement showed the mentality of Barisan assemblymen.

“She humiliated Indians," he said, adding that Barisan should resume full responsibility for what had happened.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, who also attended the Buntong function, said Indians were “aggrieved” with what had transpired at the Perak state assembly.

“The MIC should be ashamed of what has happened and pull out of Barisan,” he said, adding that Hamidah’s statement was not good for nation building.

It also showed the arrogance and childish behaviour of Barisan assemblymen, he said.

Meanwhile, Buntong Jaya Parti Keadilan Rakyat branch chief M. A. Tinagaran said Hamidah’s statement had left an emotional scar on Indians.

“We are not happy and we want her to apologise publicly in all major dailies,” he said, adding that Tajol Rosli should also take disciplinary action against her. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng concurred, saying Hamidah should be punished severely for her degrading remark.

He said Umno must take stern disciplinary action against Hamidah if the party did not share the same views as her.

“I find this shocking, especially when it (the utterance) came out from an assemblyman. The comment is clearly unacceptable.

“She is a disgrace to all wakil rakyat (people’s representatives). When we talk about peace, living harmoniously and cooperation among all races in the country, she talks about killing. The remark showed she is not fit to be a wakil rakyat,” he said after launching a children’s play camp at SJK (C) Shang Wu on Sunday.

Guan Eng said a leader must show good example by showering love and giving hope to the people.

“I have received many SMSes and the Indian community has expressed its disappointment. The people are very angry and outraged.

“We are Malaysians. We must show compassion to each other regardless of race, religion, gender and political affiliation,” he said.

Anwar takes refuge in Turkish embassy

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who said he feared for his life, has sought refuge at the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

He went to the embassy at 6am and according to PKR vice-president, he would be there "indefinitely".

The following is his full statement released at 5.30pm:

I am issuing this statement from within the embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Kuala Lumpur.
I was transported to the embassy earlier this morning fearing that my personal safety was in danger. I thank all those who offered to assist me in this time of need and am grateful to the Turkish ambassador for extending an invitation to seek refuge within the embassy.Since the March 8 elections, numerous credible sources from within the government and military intelligence have advised me that certain agents from within Barisan Nasional leadership have initiated plots to cause harm to me or my family or my supporters.

I have been told that my assassination has not been ruled out as means to subvert the people's will and bring an end to the transformational changes taking place in Malaysia.Notwithstanding the threats which are intended to silence my voice, I intend make public new evidence implicating that the inspector-general of police Musa Hassan and attorney-general A Gani Patail engaged in criminal acts of fabricating evidence in cases launched against me in 1998.

The allegations that have been made against me on Saturday are nothing more than a replay of the events which transpired in 1998 when I was sacked from the office of the deputy prime minister, jailed and beaten, and then charged and convicted by a kangaroo court for crimes which I never committed.

This charade was orchestrated by a corrupt Barisan Nasional leadership which made use of the entire apparatus of the state power including its control of the judiciary, the police force, and its grip on the mainstream media.

These actions are being repeated today to undermine the forces of reform and renewal which were unleashed in the March 2008 elections.I would like to assure my family, friends and supporters in Malaysia that I am safe and remain committed as ever before to continuing the struggle for a free and just Malaysia.

Anwar Ibrahim

Ka Ting out of presidential race

Two-term MCA president Ong Ka Ting has announced that he would not be defending his post in the upcoming party polls, paving the way for a new leadership to take over.

“After three months of deep consideration, I have decided that in the October party election, I will not defend my post,” he announced at a press statement this evening.Meanwhile, party deputy president Chan Kong Choy has also stated that he will not defend his post.With Ka Ting and Chan both bowing out, the race to helm MCA has been left wide open with vice-president Ong Tee Keat and secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan as likely front runners. Other likely contenders include two former MCA vice-presidents - Chua Jui Meng and Dr Chua Soi Lek. Of late, the duo have sought to make a comeback and had won elections at the party's branch level.

Transition period

Explaining his move, Ka Ting said that he had initially considered resigning as MCA president following the MCA’s dismal performance in the March 8 general election. However, he decided to hold on to the post and ensure that MCA is given adequate representation in the cabinet first.

“The party grassroots generally understand the current political situation and trends. They want to see a transition and strategy change in MCA in light of the current difficult challenges ahead.“This (party election) is the starting point for the transition,” added the former local goverment and housing minister. Ka Ting’s decision to quit comes as a shock to political observers even though there had been small pockets of dissenters in the party clamouring for his removal.

'Healthy political culture’

Ka Ting’s legacy in MCA includes his “healthy political culture” campaign and a provision in the party constitution which limits members from holding party and government positions to only three terms.Having already served two terms as president, Ka Ting had the option of defending his post for a final three-year term.

At 52, Ka Ting is considered relatively young to retire from politics but he also started young in politics. He joined MCA in 1979 when he was 23.Ka Ting had previously served as a teacher before embarking on his political career as press secretary and later, political secretary to then transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik. His rise up the ranks in the party has been rapid.He was elected MP of Pontian (later renamed Tanjung Piai) in 1990, which he held in the March 8 general election.Following the tumultuous ‘Team A - Team B’ split from 1999-2002, Ka Ting was appointed party president in 2003 after then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad brokered a peace plan.

His presidency was legitimised in the 2005 party election when he defeated sole challenger Chua Jui Meng for the post.

Meanwhile, MCA deputy-president Chan Kong Choy is also expected to announce his retirement plans soon, starting with not defending the deputy presidency in October.

Anwar to file report against IGP, AG

A police report is expected to be lodged against the police chief Musa Hassan and attorney-general A Gani Patail this morning over their alleged misconduct during Anwar Ibrahim's trials in 1998-1999.

Lawyers acting for the PKR de facto leader are expected to lodge the report.Yesterday Anwar had said that he had evidence implicating inspector-general of police Musa and AG Abdul Gani Patail in misconduct, including fabrication of evidence in the cases launched against him after his sacking from the government in 1998.He added that a fresh police report lodged against him for sodomy was a result of "interested parties to attack me in retaliation" over this evidence in his possession.

The report alleging sodomy was filed by Anwar's aide, 23-year-old Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, yesterday.Anwar claimed that the accusation against him was a "complete fabrication". PKR also said that Saiful was arrested and forced by the police to lodge such a report against Anwar.

Wan Azizah: Aide was volunteer staff

This morning party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said that Saiful was a volunteer who joined to help the party during the general election period three months ago.She added that little was known of him and that no background check was done on him as he was just a volunteer. He later become a special assistant to Anwar.

Saiful is a former student leader at the Universiti Tenaga Nasional.

Wan Azizah also added that Anwar "was taking it well" with the latest happening.Anwar's lawyers are expected to hold a press conference at about 12 noon today, to be followed by one held by Anwar himself.The police have denied that Saiful was arrested and forced to fabricate evidence as claimed by PKR.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has also denied that the government was behind the new allegation against Anwar and he would let the police to investigate the matter and take necessary action.Meanwhile, Anwar's supporters have started gathering at the Quality Hotel in Shah Alam in anticipation of a police action against the politician.Many had was there overnight to monitor the situation and protect Anwar, who is at staying at a hotel to attend a two-day PKR workshop with all its elected representatives.This morning there were two police patrol vehicles outside the hotel.

Raja Petra's Statutory Declaration

I, RAJA PETRA BIN RAJA KAMARUDIN (IC No: 500927-71-5257), a Malaysian citizen of legal age residing at No. 5, Jalan BRP 5/5, BuKit Rahman Putra, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan, do solemnly and sincerely affirm and say as follows:-

1. I have been reliably informed that between about 10 p.m. on 19th October 2006 and early hours of the following day, the night Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered, three (3) other people were also present at the scene of the crime;

(a) Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak

(b) Acting Colonel Aziz Buyong (then Lt. Col.) a C4 expert

(c) Acting Colonel Aziz’s wife, Norhayati (one of Rosmah’s ADC)

2. My informer states that Acting Colonel Aziz Buyong was the person who placed the C4 on various parts of Altantuya’s body while being witnessed by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Norhayati.

3. I make this Statutory Declaration because I have been reliably informed about the involvement of these three people who have thus far not been implicated in the murder nor called as witnesses by the prosecution in the on going trial at the Shah Alam High Court. I also make this Statutory Declaration because I am aware that it is a crime not to reveal evidence that may help the police in its investigation of the crime.

4. I have further been reliably informed that Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has received a written report from the Military Intelligence confirming what I have revealed above and that the report was subsequently handed over to his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, for safe-keeping.

5. I have also been reliably informed that one of the Rulers has been briefed about this matter and His Highness is fully aware of what I have revealed above.

6. I have knowledge of who has informed me of this matter plus I have knowledge of the Ruler who has been briefed and is aware of the matter but I have agreed that I shall not reveal this information other than mention that the Prime Minister and his son-in-law have been handed a written report confirming what I have revealed.

7. The purpose of this Statutory Declaration is to urge all these parties who have been duly informed and have knowledge of this matter to come forward to reveal the truth so that the police are able to conduct a proper and thorough investigation into the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act, 1960.

SUBSCRIBED and SOLEMNLY DECLARED )

by the abovenamed RAJA PETRA BIN RAJA KAMARUDIN )

at Makhamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur )

this 18th day of June 2008 ) Before me,

The Anwar Ibrahim sodomy accuser

Extracted this from RP's blog.

Saiful Bukhari Azlan (left in blue shirt) and Khairil Annas Jusoh (right) work for Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Mahathir and judge trade barbs in worsening public spat

KUALA LUMPUR - THE acrimony between former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and a High Court judge has just got worse.Dr Mahathir yesterday told a press conference that the judge was 'trying to save his skin' by running him down, two days after Justice Ian Chin described the former premier as a 'devil incarnate'.

The two men have been trading barbs since the judge two weeks ago accused Dr Mahathir, when he was prime minister, of threatening to sack judges who did not toe the government line.Mr Chin accused Dr Mahathir of sending judges to a 'boot camp' to indoctrinate them into delivering verdicts favourable to the government.

The former premier hit back, saying he did not issue any threat against judges and that the so-called boot camp was attended by thousands of civil servants without any complaint.On Tuesday, Mr Chin attacked Dr Mahathir in open court during a hearing on another matter.'Dr Mahathir for what he had done and for what he is trying to do is a devil incarnate but to those who had suffered under his hands, even that description may be rather complimentary,' online newspaper Malaysiakini.com reported.

Mr Chin also took offence at Dr Mahathir who said there was a police report made against the judge for hiding his past when hearing a certain case.'Dr Mahathir, by waving the supposed police report the way he did, lent support to the generally held view that this prime minister kept a docket on everyone useful but with a skeleton in their cupboard so that he can manipulate them on pain of disclosing the skeleton,' he was quoted by Malaysiakini as saying.

He also attacked an unnamed serving judge who had told a newspaper that Mr Chin was bitter because he thought his promotion was blocked by Dr Mahathir.Mr Chin said this was the same judge who in 1996 had parked himself behind Dr Mahathir's seat when a group picture was about to be taken.

'To my disgust, this judge quickly planted himself behind the chair where Dr Mahathir was to sit and when Dr Mahathir was about to be seated, this judge declared: 'Sir, I am always behind you.''

It was disgusting even as a joke as it reduced the dignity of the office of a judge,' Mr Chin said.Yesterday, Dr Mahathir fired back by giving details of a case in September 1999. He contended that the judge should have excused himself from the case because he was an interested party.

'I think he is trying to save his skin. He thinks that by running me down, demonising me, he would be favoured by the government and no tribunal would be set up to dismiss him,' he told reporters.'

The public should question how a person such as Chin should have been recommended to become a judge. I cannot remember recommending him,' Dr Mahathir said.The public spat has further tainted Dr Mahathir's legacy while throwing the legal system deeper into disrepute.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad:'I think he is trying to save his skin. He thinks that by running me down, demonising me, he would be favoured by the government and no tribunal would be set up to dismiss him.''The public should question how a person such as Chin should have been recommended to become a judge. I cannot remember recommending him...

He is a disgrace to the judiciary and to the legal profession.''The boot camp was not a boot camp at all. It was a...course which had been attended by thousands of civil servants, business executives and politicians without any complaints.'

Justice Ian Chin:'Dr Mahathir for what he had done and for what he is trying to do is a devil incarnate but to those who had suffered under his hands, even that description might be rather complimentary.

''Since I do not want promotion before, now or in the future nor any appointment after my retirement, what do I get out of all this knowing very well that I will be the target for vilification?...It is this. I must be able to sleep well after I retired knowing that I have done all I can, like all the crucified judges before me, to tell Malaysians the danger they are in regarding the state of the judiciary.''That Dr Mahathir should even resort to lying about me absconding from the (boot) camp speaks volumes for the character of such a person; he is lying by resorting to repeating it as if it is the truth.'