Saturday, November 30, 2019

Health Ministry wants public to file complaints of higher charges at private clinics


Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (left) and Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Chong Chieng Jen, who is also Stampin MP, launching the 'Kampungku Sihat' programme in Kampung Tematu, Kuching, on Saturday (Nov 30).
KUCHING (Bernama): The Health Ministry urges health insurance policyholders who have been charged with higher rates compared to non-policyholders at private clinics to come forward and file their complaints with the ministry.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said Satuday (Nov 30) that this would enable the authorities to investigate the matter.
"The ministry views the issue seriously and they can file their complaints either with us or the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca), ” he told a news conference after officiating at the “Kampungku Sihat” (My Healthy Village) programme here.
Dzulkefly said the public could file their complaints via ckaps.aduan@moh.gov.my.
Firm action would be taken against clinics that were found to be involved in such practices, he added.
On Saturday, local media reported that private clinics have been imposing additional charges of up to 10% to health insurance policyholders while medication prices are almost 90% higher compared with those without insurance. - Bernama

UMNO-PAS LAY A TRAP FOR MAHATHIR – WITH CHIN PENG’S ASHES! WILL ALREADY-IN-THE-DOGHOUSE DR M TRY TO ‘OUT-MALAY’ UNSCRUPULOUS DUO BY GETTING HIS IGP, BERSATU ULTRAS TO STIR UP A RUCKUS – JUST LIKE THE TAMIL TIGERS FIASCO?

Why do the critics, from Umno-Baru and PAS, fear the ashes of the former secretary-general of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), Chin Peng? Is it because they think his ashes could revive communism in Malaysia?
No! That cannot be the reason because no-one is interested in communism, especially as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Chinese are themselves  more capitalist, and probably more successful entrepreneurs, than the Americans.
Moreover, Umno-Baru leaders fall over themselves to do business with communist China, and sold swathes of Malaysian territory to PRC companies. (And the PRC navy lands boats on the uninhabited islands off Sarawak eg James Shoal, and conduct manoeuvres and drills, and our navy dismisses the reports).
Communist or Red China, aka the PRC, is one of Malaysia’s biggest trading partners. More billionaires have been  made in the PRC than elsewhere. They manufacture products cheaply, export them are bargain basement prices and still make a profit. The PRC Chinese travel widely and boost tourism in many countries. They make model capitalists and do not project the image of a drab communist in grey uniform, quoting from Mao’s Little Red Book.
On a separate note, World War II witnessed soldiers from the Imperial Japanese army killing more people – Malayans and other foreigners, than Chin Peng. Across Asia, millions died from Japanese brutality, and over a six week period, 200,000 Chinese perished in what is known as the Nanking massacre.
Despite their barbarism, a memorial has been erected at a bridge in Alor Star, to commemorate the “Japanese heroes“. All their war crimes appear to have been erased from our memories.
Those who lived through WWII, recount numerous beheadings and torture, mainly of Chinese Malayans. Sybil Kathigasu, a Eurasian nurse from Papan, who supported the resistance effort against the Japanese, treated wounded guerillas and was later captured, tortured and jailed, by the Japanese.
Girls were abducted and placed in Japanese army-run brothels to service their soldiers (comfort women). Men were sent to work on the death railway; and yet today, the Opposition parties of Umno-Baru and PAS, fear Chin Peng’s ashes and demand an investigation into their return to Malaysia.
Surely, the police have better things to do, than waste valuable resources investigating the people who returned Chin Peng’s ashes to Malaysia.
The communist ideology is not everyone’s cup of tea. It is like a cult, almost like a religion, with a strict and rigid observance of rituals, in dress, greetings, mannerisms and salutations.
The British outlawed Chin Peng’s activities because he wanted to empower workers, in other words, the unions. After WWII, Britain needed to increase the production of rubber and tin, to help finance the huge debt left behind by the war. Crippling strikes, increases in pay, improved working and living conditions, in the mines and estates, were the last thing on their minds.
So, what is the real reason of banning Chin Peng’s ashes from being interred in his family vault, in Sitiawan?
We are told that his ashes have been scattered in the sea off Lumut and the jungles in the Titiwangsa mountain range, so there is no chance of a shrine being erected to pay homage to Chin Peng or the MCP.
Is the scrutiny over the ashes primarily because he was the leader of an army that was banned by both the British and the Malaysian governments?
Few Malaysians are aware that during WWII, the British commandos in Force 136 fought alongside Chin Peng to repel the Japanese forces. They gathered intelligence and sabotaged Japanese army positions.
Umno-Baru and PAS politicians may claim that the return of Chin Peng’s ashes is an insult to the memory of the Malaysian security forces who were killed in ‘The Emergency’, and a humiliation for the veterans who are still alive.
Former IGP, Rahim Noor dismissed these comments when he was asked if the 1989 peace accord  brokered by the Thai government and signed by the Thais, Malaysian government and the disbanded MCP, was a slur on the armed forces.
He said, “To me in any war, in an armed conflict, big or small, there must be casualties… If you say the army, police personnel and civilians suffered the most, ask the MCP (and) they would say the same thing – ‘what about me and my people?’...”
The history books will probably not mention that Chin Peng helped to liberate Malaya from Japanese aggression, and fewer still will state  that Chin Peng, who opposed colonial power, had issued a  challenge to the Tunku, at the failed talks in Baling, in December 1955. Twenty months later, we achieved Merdeka.

SO WHAT COULD BE THE REASON FOR THE CRITICISM OF THE RETURN OF CHIN PENG’S ASHES?

The most likely explanation is that the ashes could be used as a propaganda tool with which Malay nationalists can foment discord, and whip-up the fear that Chinese communists would attack the Malays.
Umno-Baru/PAS need to continue to promote the myth, that they protect the Malays and defend Islam.
– https://www.mariammokhtar.com/

Pemandu bas ditahan cuba seludup rokok ke Singapura

SINGAPURA: Seorang pemandu bas warga Malaysia ditahan kerana cuba menyeludup masuk 1,275 karton rokok tanpa cukai serta 3,030 uncang tembakau kunyah di Pusat Pemeriksaan Woodlands, Rabu lalu.
Penguasa Imigresen dan Pusat Pemeriksaan (ICA) Singapura, di Facebook hari ini berkata, pegawainya curiga dengan bas yang didaftarkan di Malaysia itu sebelum mengarahkan pemandu itu menjalani pemeriksaan menyeluruh terhadap kenderaan itu.
Pegawai pemeriksa kemudian mendapati sesuatu yang mencurigakan dalam imej pengimbas sebelum pemeriksaan lanjut mendapati barang terlarang itu disorokkan dalam ruang khas yang diubah suai di bahagian bawah bas berkenaan.
ICA berkata pihaknya bertindak menahan pemandu bas berusia 27 tahun itu sebelum diserahkan kepada Kastam Singapura untuk siasatan lanjut. - FMT

Descendants of Filipino migrants pose a problem, says deputy home minister

The Sabah government intends to issue the Temporary Sabah Pass (PSS) to 136,055 immigrants holding the IMM13, Surat Burung-Burung and Census letters.
KOTA KINABALU: The home ministry said today that only the descendants of Filipino refugees holding the IMM13 papers, Surat Burung-burung and the Census letters face possible repatriation.
According to Deputy Home Minister Azis Jamman, many descendants of the migrants, of the second and fourth generations, do not have any proper documents.
Azis said the Philippines would only accept them if they had papers to show. He accused the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government for leaving the Filipino descendants stateless.
Azis Jamman.
“If we are able to prove they have documents, the Philippines would accept them. They do not have passports, birth certificates … nothing.
“When we asked if they had families back in the Philippines, they said they didn’t know.
“I would like to clarify that I never said the Philippines government does not want to take back their citizens.
“They will accept them if these people can produce documents issued by their own government,” he told reporters after opening the Sepanggar parliamentary satellite office in Inanam here.
Yesterday, Sabah opposition chief Jeffrey Kitingan said it was inconceivable that the Philippines would not want to accept back its own citizens.
However, Azis said Kitingan had twisted his statements. He reiterated Putrajaya’s commitment to resolve the illegal immigrant problem in the state.
He blamed the BN government in power from 2013 to May 2018 had not done anything to solve the problem, but party.officials, now in opposition, was attacking the Pakatan Harapan government for trying to resolve the problem now.
The PH-led federal government had proposed the implementation of the Temporary Sabah Card or Pas Sementara Sabah (PSS) from June 1 next year but this move was opposed by a number of opposition parties in Sabah.
The government plans to issue the PSS to 136,055 immigrants holding the IMM13, Surat Burung-Burung and Census letters.
Azis said the PSS is also one of the ways to prevent syndicates producing fake documents for sale to illegal immigrants.
On another development, Azis hit out at Parti Bersatu Sabah which stated that it is now contemplating legal action to stop the implementation of the PSS.
He said: “By all means, please (go ahead).”
Azis, who is MP for Sepanggar, said most of the attacks by the opposition stemmed from their lack of awareness and understanding of the issue, as well as to gain political mileage.
“I have said in Parliament that there will be a consultation on the PSS and all the MPs and leaders will be invited to listen. If they are unhappy with it, they can voice their concerns there.
Azis said the proposed PSS was the brainchild of the previous BN government which the current Pakatan Harapan government was trying to implement. - FMT

Indonesian Gymnast Dropped After Being Told ‘She’s No Longer A Virgin’

(FMT) – An Indonesian female gymnast training for the SEA Games has been sent home on grounds she was no longer a virgin, her family said on Friday, a claim rejected by officials who insisted it was over disciplinary issues.
Shalfa Avrila Sania, 17, had been due to leave for the biennial Games in the Philippines on Nov 26 until she was dismissed suddenly from the training in mid-November, her lawyer and family said.
“The coach said my daughter always goes out late with her male friends and their interrogation showed she was no longer a virgin,” her mother Ayu Kurniawati told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Indonesia’s East Java province.
“I was shocked. I want my daughter’s name cleared,” the mother-of-two added.
Indonesia’s sports ministry denied the claim on Friday, saying the dismissal was due to performance and disciplinary issues.
“We will take firm action if the athlete was sent back due to questions over her virginity because this is a matter of privacy, dignity and has nothing to do with performance,” it said in a statement according to Indonesia’s Detik news website.
Kurniawati said her daughter had won nearly 50 medals since she took up the sport when she was eight, and rejected doubts over her performance.
The family has sent a letter to the ministry to protest her dismissal alongside a medical report that showed her hymen was intact, their lawyer Imam Muklas said by phone.
Parts of Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim country — remain conservative and some still value female virginity highly, although pre-marital sex is not uncommon among the younger generation.
Human rights groups have previously opposed “virginity tests” on Indonesian women seeking to join the police or military, saying the practice was unscientific and degrading.
Other attempts to introduce virginity tests on students in some Indonesian schools faced opposition, including from among Islamic clerics.

MCA Youth chief claims misreported by Mkini, says not opposed to Jawi



MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong claims her remarks about Jawi education in national schools had been erroneously reported or taken out of context by the media
In a Facebook post written in Mandarin, she singled out Malaysiakini for an "out of context" report.
A separate posting by her in Malay featured a screenshot of Malaysiakini's Bahasa Malaysia article which had the headline: "Pemuda MCA ulang pendirian bantah wajibkan Jawi di sekolah vernakular" (MCA Youth reiterates objection to making Jawi compulsory in vernacular schools).
The screenshot had the word "Tidak Benar" (untrue) slapped across it in bolded red letters.

 In that post, she said MCA Youth had never objected to Jawi lessons and encouraged its teaching.
"What I said was the voices, especially from the Chinese community, hope that implementation of this core syllabus is more towards an optional subject and not wajib (compulsory) in line with democratic practices in a diverse country like Malaysia," she said.
Wong had made remarks regarding Jawi in the Mandarin section of her speech at the opening of the MCA Youth congress in Kuala Lumpur today.
However, the Malay text of the speech was displayed on the giant screen on stage.
Malaysiakini's Malay report reads:
"Ketua Pemuda MCA Nicole Wong menegaskan pendirian sayap parti itu yang menentang pembelajaran Jawi secara wajib di sekolah vernakular pada tahun depan.
"Kerajaan PH menerapkan pembelajaran tulisan Jawi di Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) secara paksa...Sehingga hari ini, Pemuda MCA, komuniti pendidikan Cina dan rakyat meluahkan rasa tidak puas hati.
"Pemuda MCA bukan menentang pembelajaran Jawi tetapi ia tidak seharusnya dimasukkan dalam buku teks Bahasa Malaysia secara paksa.
"Sebaliknya ia harus dianggap (diterapkan) sebagai kajian dan penghayatan seni," katanya ketika berucap dalam perhimpunan agung tahunan Pemuda MCA ke-55 di Kuala Lumpur, hari ini."
English translation: 
"MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong stressed her party's stance in objecting to the compulsory teaching of Jawi in vernacular schools next year.
"The Pakatan Harapan government is inculcating Jawi in Chinese schools by force [...] to this day, MCA Youth, the Chinese education community and the people are not satisfied.
"MCA Youth is not against the learning of Jawi but it should not be put into the Bahasa Malaysia textbook by force.
"Instead, it should be considered (inculcated) as a study and an appreciation of art," she said in her speech at the 55th MCA Youth AGM in Kuala Lumpur today".
Malaysiakini's English report was in a similar vein.
This is not the first time MCA has claimed to have been misquoted by Malaysiakini when they made remarks about Jawi teaching in schools.
During the Tanjung Piai by-election earlier this month, MCA's candidate Wee Jeck Seng had posted on Facebook in Mandarin that, "MCA unites to oppose Jawi and defend Kolej Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, is that playing on racial issues?"
The post was made at 7.48 pm on Nov 13. The next day Malaysiakini translated the post into Bahasa Malaysia and English.
The same day, MCA president Wee Ka Siong and former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak accused this news portal of spinning Jeck Seng's post.
However, both rebuttals came after Jeck Seng edited out the words "oppose Jawi" on his Facebook post. - Mkini

Saifuddin: Zakaria dangled RM300k allocation from Housing Ministry



The second allocation of RM300,000 allegedly offered to mid-level party leaders by sacked PKR leader Zakaria Abdul Hamid during the PKR elections last year was reportedly sourced from the Local Government and Housing Ministry.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution revealed this when he read out the letter that MACC "accidentally" sent to the party regarding their probe into Zakaria.
Outlining the background of the case, he said Zakaria - Works Minister Baru Bian's former aide- had also offered a RM20,000 contract from the Works Ministry.
"(The letter stated) he also informed that there would be a RM300,000 allocation from the Housing and Local Government Ministry which must be used up by the end of 2018," Saifuddin said at a press conference in Penang.
According to sources, the letter also mentioned that Zakaria asked PKR leaders to apply for the allocation from the Bera parliamentary coordinator.
The letter reportedly said this was suspected to be an effort by him to get votes in the PKR elections.
Malaysiakini has contacted Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin for comment.
Zuraida, who is a PKR vice-president, was among the 18 individuals who signed a letter demanding an apology from the party leadership for acting "hastily" against Zakaria.
The PKR leadership council had cited the MACC letter as grounds for dismissing Zakaria.
When contacted on the latest revelations today, the MACC declined to comment. - Mkini

Zakaria sacking - Anwar says no apology, Saifuddin reveals MACC letter



PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has refused will not apologise over the sacking of supreme council member Zakaria Hamid, saying the apology demand sent in by 20 central leadership council members was disputable.
At a press conference in Penang today, Anwar said he was open to the party's disciplinary board reviewing Zakaria's sacking as that is the right of every party member.
However, Anwar claimed part of the letter demanding the apology purportedly signed by deputy president Azmin Ali has now been disputed by two vice-presidents, R Sivarasa and Tian Chua.
"They did not agree to the part asking me to apologise over the sacking of Zakaria, that part was not in the draft," Anwar told reporters.

"This means something has been manipulated in the letter as the letter is not entirely true," he added.
Asked who manipulated the letter's contents, Anwar said: "I do not know but it was signed by the deputy president". A statement has to be agreed by all, but parts of it were not in the draft, let them clear that up first," Anwar noted.
"It is better for Zakaria to submit his own appeal over his sacking. This is not a question of politics or factional fight in the party but that PKR was built based on our policy of reforms including fighting corruption,".
"Although MACC has admitted they mistakenly sent the letter to PKR, however, the former has not disputed the contents of the letter, which implicated Zakaria," said Anwar.
The PKR president was asked regarding a memorandum of objection signed by Azmin and central leadership council members aligned to him, urging Anwar to apologise for the decision which allegedly did not receive two-thirds support from the council.
The statement was signed by Azmin, vice-presidents Zuraida Kamaruddin, Tian Chua and 17 others including Zakaria.
PKR is embroiled in a factional fight between Anwar and Azmin, reportedly over the next prime ministership.
Meanwhile, at the same press conference, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution revealed the contents of the MACC letter on Zakaria by reading it out to the press.
Saifuddin said PKR received the letter on Oct 23 in which the MACC specifically pointed out the name of the offender, his offence, the date and venue where the alleged incident happened and details of the people questioned.
According to the letter, Zakaria had allegedly been offered a RM20,000 project involving the Public Works Department.
Previously it was reported that this allegedly took place around the time he was running for a seat on the PKR central leadership council.
"There is also a statement of claim by the DPP who recommended that action be taken against Zakaria," Saifuddin said.
Saifuddin, who is also Kulim-Bandar Bahru MP, said the letter in its entirety had been presented to the party's leadership council.
He added that the party's action earlier was based on the statement of claim by the highest corruption investigating authority.
Saifuddin said a letter was then sent to Zakaria and he has two weeks to appeal.
If he does, the party's disciplinary board will then review it and make its recommendations to the supreme council, Saifuddin added.
"After reading the contents of the letter, do you think we should apologise?"
Before the press conference ended, Saifuddin was asked if PKR was prepared for a major split in the party due to the factional conflict.
"We have been through many episodes, we are prepared to face anything," he replied. 
The press conference was held after Anwar attended the "Islam-Confuciousism Civilisational Dialogue" event held at the Spice Arena in Bayan Baru. - Mkini

Isu Abu Chin Peng: Patriot Dangkal, Tidak Bermoral

(Ismaweb) – Presiden Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), Haji Aminuddin Yahaya menempelak kenyataan kumpulan veteran tentera yang dikenali sebagai Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) yang menganggap kemarahan rakyat dalam isu Chin Peng hanya akan menimbulkan huru-hara dan pertelagahan antara kaum.
Malah, beliau berkata, andaian Patriot bahawa kemarahan orang ramai adalah satu polemik untuk memburukkan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan (PH), adalah kenyataan yang sangat dangkal dan tidak bermoral.
“Terdapat perbezaan yang jelas antara Chin Peng dan anggota Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) yang telah pulang ke Malaysia dahulu. Seingat saya, Chin Peng tidak pernah meminta maaf dan beliau adalah ketua kumpulan pengganas yang membunuh ribuan askar, polis dan orang awam. Manakala bekas anggota lain telah memohon maaf dan mereka hanyalah pengikut.
“Patriot mengaitkan kemarahan rakyat dengan perkauman. Tetapi ingatkah bahawa yang telah terbunuh termasuk juga ramai askar dan polis yang berbangsa Cina.
“Rata-rata keluarga mereka ini masih ada dan masih terkesan dengan pembunuhan ini oleh PKM. Apakah ini dikatakan sebagai perkauman?,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan, semalam.
Semalam, Patriot mengeluarkan kenyataan menyokong Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yang menganggap isu abu bekas Setiausaha Agung PKM, Chin Peng dijadikan isu perkauman untuk memburukkan kerajaan.
Presiden Patriot, Mohamed Arshad Raji berharap supaya insiden memerangi PKM dapat dijadikan pengajaran untuk generasi akan datang dan bukannya membangkitkan isu perkauman.
Abu mayat bekas pemimpin PKM itu dilaporkan dibawa ke Ipoh, Perak pada 16 September lalu dan satu majlis peringatan dihadiri 150 individu diadakan pada hari sama.
Penyelaras kumpulan berkenaan, Chan Kan Fook, 81, dilaporkan berkata, separuh daripada abu Chin Peng ditaburkan di laut berhampiran Lumut dan sebahagian lagi di kawasan hutan banjaran Titiwangsa.
Mengulas lanjut, Haji Aminuddin meluahkan rasa hairan apabila Patriot bersikap terlalu ‘protective’ atau melindung dan membuat sangkaan yang tidak berasas.
“Ini soal moral pejuang negara, jati diri anak bangsa, maruah negara dan emosi keluarga mangsa. Bukan soal perkauman! Tidak sama sekali.
“Kita telah dengar luahan kekecewaan ramai askar dan bekas-bekas askar yang kecewa dengan tindakan membawa pulang abu mayat Chin Peng ini.
“Jadi, Patriot sebenarnya tidak mewakili bekas-bekas tentera tetapi hanya pandangan peribadi sahaja,” katanya.
Dalam pada itu, Haji Aminuddin berkata, beliau yakin bahawa terdapat agenda tersembunyi yang cuba dibawa oleh golongan berhaluan kiri dalam menghidupkan kembali ideologi komunis dalam masyarakat.
“Saya harap Patriot lebih berhati-hati dalam membuat kenyataan terutamanya untuk isu yang sensitif sebegini,” katanya.

Daim: ‘Shared prosperity’ must take into account all segments of society


KUALA LUMPUR: The concept of “shared prosperity” has to take into account all segments of societies and not just those at the top, says Tun Daim Zainuddin.
The former finance minister gave the example of how rubber tappers who toiled hard were suffering because of falling rubber prices while glove manufacturers were enjoying big profits.
“Where is the shared prosperity? It means if I am a rubber tapper, I would be profitable. Without the latex, they wouldn’t be able to sell their rubber gloves. Because of me, they are rich, ” he said during the launch of a symposium on the challenges faced by co-operatives.
He suggested that the rubber-tappers should be given a chance to make the gloves, as it was the product that made the profit.
“If the government says they want shared prosperity, don’t only talk. There must be ideas so that the people get the profits as well... We must have action plans on how to achieve it, ” he said.
He also gave the example of fishermen, saying that the traders earned big profits even though the fishermen worked hard to catch the fish.
“They sell the fish for RM5 a kilogramme, but in the town it is sold for RM22. The difference is RM17. Who takes it? This is the role of the government, so that this difference is reduced, ” he said.
“Those who don’t do anything get a profit of RM17. Is this fair, ” he added.
He said the co-operatives could play a role in helping by cutting out the middleman in this example.
According to the Malaysian Co-operatives Societies Commission, the top 100 co-operatives in the country recorded income of RM9.77bil with assets worth RM123.24bil for the year.
There are more than 14,000 co-operatives in the country, with six million members.
In October, the government launched the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (SPV 2030), a blueprint for the direction of the country in the next decade.
The main target groups in SPV 2030 are the B40 (lower income group), the hardcore poor, the economically poor, those in economic transition, Orang Asli, Sabah and Sarawak bumiputras, the disabled, youths, women, children and senior citizens.- Star

GIVEN A SLAP IN THE FACE BY THE COURT, ‘SAY ONE THING, DO ANOTHER’ MAHATHIR ADMITS SOSMA ‘DIFFICULT’ TO SOLVE – BUT STILL REFUSES TO REPEAL THE LAW

PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has conceded that the Security Offences (Special Measures) act (Sosma) was a difficult matter to resolve.
The 94-year-old leader said that the federal government would discuss the law further after the High Court yesterday struck out a provision of the security law prohibiting bail in the case of Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan.
“We will discuss this. While this matter is a difficult one, we do not want to let a suspect to go free, for example, someone who is capable of making bombs, we cannot give them bail.”
“But there are some who are accused of sabotaging the economy, and we give them bail. We want to reduce the detention days from 28 to 25 days, these are all under discussion,” he said after launching the Muslim Welfare Organisation Malaysia (Perkim) AGM today.
The High Court yesterday ruled that it was up to the judge to decide whether to grant bail to those accused under Sosma.
Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said that as an independent arm of the government, the judiciary was responsible to check any excesses of the legislature and executive.
“The principle of separation of powers is a hallmark of a modern state.”
He said this after allowing the constitutional challenge filed by Saminathan, who is charged with supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
The judge added that Section 13 of Sosma is ultra vires Articles 8 and 121 of the federal constitution.
Sosma limits the power of judges to grant bail to certain categories of detainees only.
On October 31, Saminathan and 11 others were accused of supporting the long-defunct Sri Lankan separatist group.
The 11 others are V. Balamurugan, 37; postman S. Teeran, 38; scrap metal trader A. Kalaimughilan, 36; security officer M. Pumugan, 29; Malacca Green Technology Incorporated chief executive officer S. Chandru, 38; teacher R. Sundra, 52; technician S. Arivainthan, 27; storekeeper S. Thanagaraj, 26; Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, 60; and two DAP members V. Sureshkumar, 43, and B. Subramaniam, 57.
The arrests has sparked an outcry with rights groups demanding that PH abolish the law as promised in its manifesto.
It is also triggered protest among Pakatan Harapan lawmakers, many of whom showed solidarity with the relatives protesting the detentions outside parliament two weeks ago.
Subsequently de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong said the administration was in the process of reviewing several aspects of the law.
Human rights lawyer Syharedzan Johan previously said that those accused of terrorism and other charges under Sosma would not get a fair trial as the law ran contrary to the principles of justice.
The political secretary to Lim Kit Siang urged for Sosma to be abolished or extensively amended, saying the security law had too many provisions that dif not allow suspects a fair trial.
Sosma was introduced in 2012 by former prime minister Najib Razak to allow special measures to be taken for security offences.
– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s