Penang Pakatan #Offer222 to attract young voters

Penang Pakatan Rakyat Youth is going into the coming 13th general election with a mission to throw all their support behind the young candidates from their parties.

When asked how many young candidates would be contesting in Penang, state DAP Socialist Youth chief Ng Wei Aik said that the youth are looking at a "30 percent quota".

Ng has declined to elaborate further on the potential seats that the wing is eyeing at the moment.

With this mission in mind, the state Pakatan Youth is offering six special proposals for the community - including free education at the university level and strategic housing policies - ahead of the coalition's planned state convention on March 9.

"These are our voices and we hope to present this proposal at the coming state convention," said Ng (left) in a press conference along with his other colleagues in Pakatan Youth.

"We hope these proposals would be taken up by the state or at the federal level (should Pakatan win the GE)," added the Komtar assemblyperson.

The proposals, dubbed '#Offer222' was put on paper after the Youth wings of the state DAP, PKR and PAS pacts met in Penang on Feb 22.

The number 222 is symbolic, the wing said, and it's also the number of parliamentary seats they currently hold. In addition, it had previously been one of the speculated dates for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to dissolve the Parliament, which did not happen.

This move has been seen as an effort to complement Pakatan'smanifesto - launched on Monday in Shah Alam - which has received some hard-hitting criticisms for not being inclusive enough.

Other proposals in the Youth's offer includes the abolition the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) for RM500,000 and a RM500 monthly allowance for university students with families earning below RM3,000.

On the matter of affordable housing that costs RM200,000 and below, the Youth wing suggested a Malaysian youth housing strategy which will benefit those between the ages of 21-40.

Too much political hindrance around

Youth entrepreneurship, personal well-being, green environment and democratic transparency are among the other features listed in the six-point document.

State PKR Youth chief Amir Ghazali (right) said that youths who are interested in the business sectors face many challenges, especially when they are trying to apply for government loans.

"There is too much political interference. For example, when interested youths want to apply for a government loan, they are first asked about their Umno membership," he claimed.

"We want such applications to be open and fair to all, regardless of their skin colour or political affiliation," he added.

When asked if the proposals would conflict with the manifesto, state PAS Youth secretary Afnan Taib Azamuddin has said that it would not.

"Actually, we derived most of it from our policy framework, Buku Jingga. We picked the relevant pointers and zoomed into those relevant for youths to make it more comprehensive for them," he said.

State PAS Youth chief Yusni Mat Piah said that the document is a commitment and reflects on the Pakatan Youth's readiness to face the polls, which must be called by June.

"This also indicates that our election machinery is prepared, and able to face and challenge those of the BN," he added.

Uthaya: Manifesto overlooked Hindraf's 18-point demand

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) de facto leader P Uthayakumar has slammed Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto for overlooking its 18-point demand to assist the Indian community.

He said that while Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim has offered to fix an omission in the manifesto by adding in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang's oil royalty, Hindraf's demands did not receive the same treatment.
 
Uthayakumar, who is also the Human Rights Party pro-tem secretary-general, questioned whether the manifesto transcends racial boundaries as Anwar had claimed on Tuesday.

"There are zero provisions in the manifesto to undo these 56 years of ongoing Umno racism-cum-injustices victimising the most vulnerable community in Malaysia, like the Indian poor.

"(Although) Pakatan shouted ubah(change), the manifesto does not include undoing these injustices," Uthayakumar said in a statement today.

To illustrate his point, Uthayakumar described the condition of a 61-year-old Indian Malaysian woman named Pushpagantha, who is suffering from several diseases and had approached Hindraf for help yesterday.

"The Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (Tekun Nasional) and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) government loans do not reach the Indian poor like Pushpagantha. 

"Neither are they in Pakatan’s manifesto," he said, adding that the woman had asked for land for agricultural purposes.

Yesterday, Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy expressed "extreme disappointment" with the manifesto, saying that it has neglected the interests of the Indian Malaysian community.
 
He also lamented the fact that Pakatan has not endorsed Hindraf’s five-year blueprint, which he said offers a "permanent, practical and comprehensive" solution to the problem of marginalised Indians for a "mere" RM4.5 billion a year.

Suaram wants ROS confirm its off the hook

Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd (Suaram) wants the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to confirm in writing it has stopped all action against the human rights organisation.

This follows the case before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Zaleha Yusof today where the representative from the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) representing the ROS, told the judge and Suaram's lawyers that the ROS has stopped all investigations and do not intend to proceed further.

In a statement released today, Suaram added that the AGC also said there would be no further action taken by the AG in relation to the ROS investigations on it.

Following this, Suaram's lawyers led by Edmund Bon (left) and New Sin Yew, have asked for an adjournment until March 11.

This is to allow time the ROS to issue a letter that they will withdraw or cancel all orders or notices or summons that it issued to various individuals with or without links to the body.

Failing which, Suaram will proceed to get permission to initiate its judicial review.

Justice Zaleha then agreed to the postponement.

Privileged documents

Suaram filed its judicial review on Jan 4, requesting the ROS to withdraw the notice it issued against Suaram lawyer Roger Chan to produce documents under section 51(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code. 

Its application stated that by requesting privileged documents and information belonging to Suaram, the ROS had violated solicitors and client privilege and confidentiality under the Legal Profession Act.

Besides the notice issued to Chan, it was reported that similar notices were issued to seven politicians and activists by the ROS.

These included PKR vice-president Tian Chua (right), Parti Socialist Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvam and Empower executive director Maria Chin Abdullah, along with Bar Council chairperson Lim Chee Wee, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, Malaysian Bar constitutional committee member Syahredzan Johan, and Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong.

 Suaram has been continuously stated that ROS has no jurisdiction over Suaram as it is a company that registered under Company Act 1965.

It added that Section 2 of the Society Act 1966 clearly defines a "society" to exclude "any company registered under the provisions of any written law relating to companies for the time being in force in Malaysia".

The human rights organisation also said that it has provided its full cooperation to the ROS despite its refusal to respond to Suaram's letters requesting them to state their jurisdiction and powers over it.

Filipino intruders fire shots to warn off Malaysian forces

The Filipino group, holed-up in Lahad Datu for the third week, confirmed reports of gunfire about 24 hours ago but claimed that they were merely shots to warn off the Malaysian security forces.

Azzimudie Kiram, the brother of self-proclaimed Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III, told Malaysiakini that a sentry spied six Malaysian soldiers approaching Kampung Tanduo some 130km from Lahad Datu town at around 5pm yesterday and fired into the air.

"Everybody jumped and went there, so I followed. When I arrived, I asked him (the sentry) what had happened.

"They told me that the shots were aimed at the sky to warn them that they have been spotted. According to them there were six Malaysian soldiers in three groups and they ran away," he said over the phone.

However, he said his group of about 130  remain calm with no intention of surrendering.

This was despite confirming that his group receiving anonymous leaflets giving a final warning, urging the group to surrender, but he vowed that theywould "stay put until the situation is resolved."

However, he insisted that his armed group, seeking to claim Eastern Sabah as part of the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate for historic reasons, is peaceful with no intention to provoke a conflict.

On the group's food supplies, Azzimudie said the tight military cordon around Kampung Tanduo has prevented food deliver, adding: "We, the Suluk people, are used to surviving in the forest".

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1,345 PATI DIHANTAR PULANG

KOTA KINABALU : Seramai 1,345 pendatang tanpa izin dihantar pulang ke negara asal masing-masing setakat 19 Feb tahun ini, kata Pengarah Imigresen Sabah Datuk Mohammad Mentek.

Beliau berkata daripada jumlah itu, 945 orang dihantar pulang pada Januari manakala selebihnya, bulan Februari.

"Pihak berkuasa kita, termasuk Jabatan Imigresen, akan berusaha untuk mempercepatkan penghantaran balik pendatang tanpa izin, atau warga asing, ke negara asal mereka.

"Kita melakukan operasi ini secara berterusan," katanya kepada pemberita selepas mesyuarat penyelarasan pelbagai agensi keselamatan, termasuk Jabatan Imigresen dan Pasukan Petugas Khas di Kompleks Pentadbiran Persekutuan di Likas Rabu.

Mohammad berkata mesyuarat itu, antara lain, bertujuan memantapkan lagi pengurusan warga asing yang meliputi aspek penguatkuasaan, penahanan dan pengusiran.

Mengulas kelewatan penghantaran pulang pendatang tanpa izin ke negara asal mereka, beliau berkata terdapat beberapa faktor termasuk ketiadaan dokumen perjalanan yang sah dan rayuan pihak keluarga.

Sehubungan itu, Mohammad memohon kerjasama kedutaan, terutama Filipina dan Konsul Indonesia, supaya menyegerakan urusan pendokumentasian pendatang tanpa izin terbabit. (Bernama)

Storm brewing in Perak PKR following candidacy dispute

(The Star) - A storm is brewing over the PKR in Perak, following a dispute on the candidacy for the Kuala Sepetang state seat.

It is understood the Bukit Gantang division is furious over an announcement by party vice-president Dr Lee Boon Chye that newcomer Sandrea Ng Shy Ching would be nominated as the PKR candidate for the seat.

The problem arose because nobody in the division knows anything about Ng, who is said to be from Endau, Johor.

Dr Lee had made the announcement during a press conference in Kuala Sepetang on Feb 21.

A party source said that having a non-local parachuting into the state constituency went against the wishes of the division members and was an indication that incumbent assemblyman Tai Sing Ng would be dropped from contesting in the general election.

“Dr Lee’s action is disrespectful to the current assemblyman,” the source said in an e-mail to The Staryesterday.

The source said the division, at its annual general meeting last year, had unanimously agreed to have a local from the constituency or a division member to contest the state seat.

“The division submitted its list of potential candidates for the Kuala Sepetang and Changkat Jering state seats in June last year.

“The division members hope the national leaders will take note of this and take the necessary action to diffuse the unnecessary tension,” he said.

Dr Lee could not be reached for comment.