Sarawak Report This post is also available in: Malay Pretty boy, Mahmud Abu Bekir, is sitting pretty with 70,000 hectares of Native Lands given free by his Dad As PM Najib Razak conducts his evaluation of BNs record in Sarawak over this weekend, we recommend that he considers the shocking information revealed by our latest investigation into Taibs Land Grabs. Over the past 3 years alone the Chief Minister has handed his own son, the fashion-dandy Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, Native Customary Rights Lands totalling the area of Singapore and all for FREE! Much of the land has gone to the company set up for Mahmud called Titanium Management. Titanium Management has been the subject of numerous recent scandals because of the enormous number of public contracts that it has been handed without any tendering process by Taibs government. Titanium Management was even originally located in the office buildings of Taibs own company CMS, which has itself scandalously stolen all Sarawaks most profit...

Petronas Chinese New Year 2011 ad really inspiring. Watch below to find out why?

There are twelve top business stories in Bloomberg yesterday, and one of them is about Asia, whose Currencies Gain on Regions Economic Growth, Prospects for Rate Rises. Indonesia also gained some currencies, made Rupiah more stronger than before. Asian currencies had their biggest weekly gain of the year, led by the Philippine peso and Thailands baht, as upbeat economic data fanned speculation interest rates will be raised to counter inflation. The Bloomberg-JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index climbed after the Philippines and Taiwan announced faster economic growth than economists forecast this week, with the Southeast Asian nation also reporting a higher-than-expected inflation rate. Exports and consumer prices gained more than forecast in South Korea and Indonesia , while overseas sales in Malaysia also exceeded projections, separate data showed. Bank Indonesia unexpectedly raised interest rates yesterday for the first time in two years . Asian economic growth is very solid and they are in...

SMK Vivekananda denies it is holding back Nicol Paul Miranda's school leaving certificate. KUALA LUMPUR: A school in Brickfields here today refuted claims that it held back the school leaving certificate of a 17-year-old student who questioned the celebration of independence and the tenets in the Rukunegara. We will normally give the school leaving certificate when students come to collect their SPM results in March, senior staff in SMK Vivekananda said. They were commenting on a FMT report on Wednesday that the student, Nicol Paul Miranda, had complained that the school threatened not to release his school leaving certificate over his remarks. The certificate is a requirement to further his tertiary education. Nicol, a Form Five student, has since left SMK Vivekananda after his SPM. The staff also revealed that Nicol was suspended for three days after he used sensitive words about the Rukunegara in his answer sheet for his SPM trial exam. The said that other disciplinary problems ...

Details of Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy's meeting with American officials from the London embassy has been leaked by whistleblower website WikiLeaks today. The information, contained in a cable from the United States embassy in London to the US State Department in Washington DC, was released by WikiLeaks through the British newspaper, The Telegraph . According to the secret cable , Waythamoorthy did not intend to seek political asylum in the US, but was seeking temporary asylum in the UK. (Waytha) Moorthy also requested financial assistance for his human rights work, which, he claims, focuses on minority rights for the non-Muslim communities in Malaysia, said the cable. He said that his work is especially important today, as Malaysia increasingly relies on Islamic shariah law either alongside or in place of Malaysian common law, and that Hindraf is the only Malaysian group working to combat such changes to the legal system. The cable summarised w...

Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks Ref ID: 08LONDON1746 Date: 7/1/2008 13:17 Origin: Embassy London Classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Destination: 08STATE65565 Header: VZCZCXYZ0001RR RUEHWEBDE RUEHLO #1746/01 1831317ZNY CCCCC ZZHR 011317Z JUL 08FM AMEMBASSY LONDONTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9065INFO RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0182RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0783 Tags: PREL,PHUM,MY,UK C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001746 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2018 TAGS: PREL, PHUM, MY, UK SUBJECT: MALAYSIA'S HINDRAF LEADER SEEKS POLITICAL ASYLUM IN BRITAIN REF: STATE 65565 Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR MAURA CONNELLY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D) 1.(C/NF) Summary: Waytha Moorthy, director of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), told us on June 25 that he is NOT seeking asylum in the U.S., but is seeking asylum in the UK. He said that his application process is currently stalled, however, and he speculated that HMG may not grant him asylum so as not to upset the M...

Author brother, IF true allegations that Ahmad Abbas said that the Acting Assistant District Officer of Semporna, Nursih Nusuri is establishing 'Forbidden Love' with Puteri UMNO Chief Semporna, also Vice Chairman of Puteri UMNO Sabah Haji Zakiah Kalipunya, I challenge for Puteri UMNO Malaysia Chairperson, Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin Zakiah for removing the charcoal scribbling Puteri UMNO faces. As a member of Puteri UMNO Semporna, I am bombarded with many questions as we caught up with Puteri UMNO chief Sex Scandal with men while her husband is a partner Insolvency Officer and a government officer, brought this issue be discussed openly in the social web, facebook. In this regard, we challenge the Zakiah Kalipunya, for suing and Ahmad Abbas Sabahkini.net displayed if the news is absolutely no basis, but if true, he should resign. What a shame of the Puteri UMNO Sabah Muslim but behave like animals because before this there is an abortion until his death in Jakarta, there are be...

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has likened Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak - clinging to power, despite calls to step down. "You want another 30 more years to rule Sarawak? That cannot be," he said of Taib at the PKR Stampin branch Chinese New Year open house today. Both Mubarak and Taib have been in power for the last 30 years. Millions of Egyptians are now staging protests nationwide demanding that Mubarak step down immediately. "The people in Sarawak should also be demanding Taib step down, but they should do it only through the democratic process, " Anwar, who is also PKR de facto leader, said to cheers from those at the open house. He said changes could be brought about if Taib was no longer the chief minister and Pakatan Rakyat formed the next state government. "We will bring the prices of oil down, prices of essential goods down if we come to power in Sarawak," he added. "It appears that his (Taib...

BANGKOK, Feb 5 -- Thai and Cambodian soldiers have agreed to end ongoing fighting at their disputed border, which erupted Friday while five Thai soldiers reported captured at a coordination point at Keo Sikha Kiri Svara Pagoda have returned from the area, a Thai army spokesman said Saturday. The five were posted at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda and were assigned to coordinate with Cambodian soldiers. Army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the agreement was made following negotiations between Lt Gen Tawatchai Samutsakorn, Second Region Army commander responsible for security affairs in Thailands northeastern region, with Cambodias Fourth Army commander Lt Gen Chea Mon, held early Saturday. Besides the ceasefire, both sides also agreed that neither side would reinforce their troops at the border, prevent an accident from reoccurring in future and promised to coordinate more closely with an aim to preventing clashes at the ill-defined border from erupting again, Col Sansern said. F...

By Yow Hong Chieh February 05, 2011 Ong has accused Dr Chuas supporters of whitewashing the latters reputation as a means of damage control. KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 Former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat hit out at Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Leks supporters within the party, accusing them today of wanting to erase his successors immoral acts by not discussing them. Ong said it was illogical for MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, vice president Datuk Donald Lim and Perak executive councillor Datuk Mah Hang Soon to turn Dr Chuas extramarital affair and resignation U-turn into a party secret in a misguided attempt to protect the party. Do they expect every MCA member, if not the public, to emulate an ostrich burying its head in the sand or simply to delete the scandal from our public memory? Ong said in a statement today. The Pandan MP renewed his attacks on Dr Chua on Wednesday the first time since losing his presidency during last years party elections calling the former Lab...

Stephen Tiong, Malaysiakini Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has come under fire from Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for his unwillingness to step down, despite being in power for the last 30 years. Stepping down is the biggest challenge Taib has to face, and I hope that the people will answer this challenge by electing leaders whom they believe have the interests of the people at heart and one who will lead the state to greater heights and prosperity. There is no need to be agitated or frightened by Taibs refusal because we do not want to answer him by arguing with him. The answer for the people of Sarawak lies in the ballot boxes, he said in an interview with Radio Free Sarawak yesterday. He said the peoples answer must be the election of new leaders and team who cared about Sarawak and the people, not the ones who were looking after the interests of only certain leaders. Electing new leaders and team is the biggest challenge that the people of Sarawak must answe...

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egypt's burgeoning reform movement drew tens of thousands of people, undeterred by deadly clashes and government crackdowns, to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday for a mass rally with a single message for the president: "Leave." The central Cairo plaza transformed from a bloody battleground to the scene of a largely peaceful political rally dubbed "Day of Departure" as Egyptians gave embattled President Hosni Mubarak until the end of the day to relinquish power. Protesters did not get their wish and thousands remained in the square well into the night, defying a curfew that has been widely ignored. Heavy gunfire was heard in and around Tahrir Square. Among the demonstrators were the secretary-general of the Arab League and the spokesman for the largest center of Sunni Muslim learning, two men representing pillars of authority. Attempts to defuse the crisis, meanwhile, were halting...

BN should test the waters. BN at best can arrest DSAI and all his powered-allies. Incarcerate them in prison. Sell the story to the rakyat about DSAI and his team's wrongdoings. What will be the eventuality? By J. D. Lovrenciear Since the day the great Tun sacked his deputy, the seed of reform was sowed. The Tun Dr can either be scorned or praised for that defining moment when he made a decision to annihilate his deputy in disgrace. And so began that arduous battle between DSAI and the Barisan Nasional. Today, one man stands out battling a whole crew of BN aligned politicians. That in itself is amazing. While DSAI has successfully reined in the decades old battle weary opposition parties, BN rightly so now aims for that one single target DSAI. The billion-dollar question is: Will he survive the onslaught? Will his pact stay the ground, come what may? Or will BN be hammered into a tight corner, fighting tooth and nail for survival? The answer lies not within the power corridors of t...

By Lee Wei Lian February 05, 2011 PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli called the dependence on subsidies an artificial competitiveness for the country. KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 PKR focused on the RM19 billion annual gas subsidy in a forum on national TV last night, saying it should be stopped as it was lost revenue although a government strategist said it helped create jobs. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli cited the study by Stanford University professor Jeff Rector in 2005 which purportedly showed that 81 per cent of the gas subsidies went to industries and businesses and only 19 per cent to the general public and the benefits of the gas subsidies ended up being exported out by industries. The dependence on gas subsidies has to be stopped, said Rafizi in the forum televised by RTM1 at 10pm. It is artificial competitiveness for the country. The abolishment of gas subsidies is one of the reforms proposed by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if it takes over Putrajaya. The proposed reforms are listed in...

By Adib Zalkapli February 05, 2011 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 The first televised forum of the Pakatan Rakyats (PR) 100-day plan last night saw a Barisan Nasional (BN) MP questioning the oppositions track record in Selangor. Rafizi Ramli, who represented PR in the forum which was broadcast live over state television channel TV1, however, defended the Selangor governments achievement, presenting a list of financial assistance allocated to the public since 2008. Hulu Selangor MP P. Kamalanathan had described the reform plans contained in the Orange Book as plagiarised, claiming that the government has been in the process of implanting some of the agenda in the book launched in December last year. If this is an assignment, whoever wrote this Orange Book would have failed and been suspended from his university because of elements of plagiarism, said Kamalanathan, who won a by-election in April 2010. Some of the programmes are in fact works in progress, said the MIC man who was the first to speak...

It's already clear that with the recent events of introducing extending the scope of publishing controls to encompass online media as well as gagging a blogger over the "rape maid" scandal clearly implies that the access of information more than what is usually seen is reaching to the point that they were unable to bear to see their control is slipping out of their fingers. Instead of going for information transparency, the government with such dementia is resorting to tightening the noose on citizens, including the cyber community that is expanding exponentially. No doubt, the main excuses used to state their decision includes: that a lot of false information and lies out there, and of course to have more control of what information goes out or not since the Wikileaks disaster that put America to its knees. How Far Can People Stand Before Reaching The Boiling Point? Generally, the people who mostly does the writing on online avenues are mostly formed of youngsters and th...

Whenever Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks his mind, he never fails to open up old wounds and divide the people. COMMENT Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is a predictable person and whenever he gives a speech, he never fails to open up old wounds and divide the people of Malaysia. This time he tells us that Malaysia belongs to the Malays and that the others must accept the culture and language of the dominant community. At a talk on the Malay race and the future at the Tun Hussein Onn Memorial, he said, This country belongs to the Malay race. Peninsular Malaysia was known as Tanah MelayuWe must be sincere and accept that the country is Tanah Melayu. So where does that leave the East Malaysians? More importantly, he has forgotten the true original settlers of the land the Orang Asli. As always, he and others in the Malaysian Cabinet only use the wretched Orang Asli when it serves their purpose like just before a general election. The usual ploy will be for BN to say that they have g...

You wake up in 2011 from a deep slumber beginning in 1957 and look around and see. You are appalled by what you see. What had been the natural order of things while you were deep in slumber now begins to look like a terrible scheme to deprive you of your dignity, your pride, your identity, your everything. You are appalled. You have to stand up and say NO! For if you do not the future is lost. What is this so-called natural order of things of the appalling past: 1) The Indian in this country is the dark, scraggy, oily, drunk and most likely a criminal Indian. 2) The Indian is unavoidable baggage to be carried by the nation. They do not exist but for the profits they produce. 3) They do not possess anything material or moral, of any value to the nation. 4) They are the filth of this country, and they came from the filth of India. 5) Call them filth, call them Pariahs, call them Indians , call them anything, it does not matter, they do not matter. 6) They should be grateful for what they...

SI SA KET, Feb 4 -- Fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops ended Friday evening after lasting for two hours at the border near the disputed Preah Vihear temple with artillery shells from Cambodia falling into Thailand's Si Sa Ket province, killing one villager and wounding five soldiers. Artillery shells landed at Bhumsrol village in Kantaralak district Friday afternoon as Thai and Cambodian soldiers exchanged heavy fire on Phu Makua Hill near the stairway to the ancient temple, forcing local residents to flee in disarray. Thai Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit confirmed a Thai villager identified as Charoen Hahom, 49, was killed when artillery shells fired by Cambodian troops landed in Bhumsrol village. Five soldiers were wounded and are now hospitalised in Kantaralak hospital. Bhumsrol school director Bunraun Pongsapan said the shelling set four homes afire, and forced an urgent evacuation of the villagers. The school wall was completely destroyed. Cambodian media reported ...

SI SA KET, Feb 4 - Fighting between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out on Friday afternoon along the border near the disputed Preah Vihear temple and artillery shells fell into Thailand's Si Sa Ket province. The latest skirmish between the troops of the two neighbours occurred just hours after Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya met with his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong for bilateral talks on the ongoing border dispute and help for the two Thais jailed in a Cambodian prison after being convicted of illegal entry and spying. Ten artillery shells landed in Bhumsrol village in Kantararak district in the afternoon as troops from both countries fired at the other at Phu Makua Hill near the stairway to the ancient temple, forcing the evacuation of local residents along the border. Local media said students, teachers and villagers at Bhumsrol village ran for cover in nearby prepared makeshift bunkers after artillery shells landed just a kilometre from their village. The cause of the...

Dr Mahathir is not new to controversy. I had said that the ex-premier will only tarnish is already poor image and thinning legacy with more vicious statements and speeches. In a speech on Tuesday, Dr Mahathir told Malaysians to admit that the country belonged to the Malays and that they had to accept the culture and language of the dominant community. The former prime minister said that the countrys forefathers gave the Chinese and Indians citizenship because they expected the communities to respect Malay sovereignty. "This country belongs to the Malay race. Peninsular Malaysia was known as Tanah Melayu but this cannot be said because it will be considered racist. "We must be sincere and accept that the country is Tanah Melayu, he said. He also said the administration must be clear on what is 1 Malaysia. Mahathir's speech shows why Malaysia is a state but not a country. How can Malaysia achieve greater success in attracting and retaining talents at home if this governmen...