Citizens' Declaration aims to hit 1 million signatures in two weeks

The movement to 'Save Malaysia' has managed to collect approximately 500,000 signatures for its Citizens' Declaration petition and they are confident of hitting their target in two weeks.

The petition is to be submitted to the conference of rulers to seek the ouster of Prime Minister Najib Razak when it meets its targetted one million signatures.

Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said some 230,000 citizens have signed the online petition, while another 270,000 signatures were gathered during roadshows, ceramah and walkabouts at pasar malam (night markets).

While they have met only 50 percent of their target, she is confident that they will get the other half a million soon.

“We are expecting to achieve our target in two weeks' time; more will sign during the coming May 1 rally organised by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress in Kuala Lumpur,” Maria said at the Save Malaysia forum in Penang last night.

“Umno too, is working hard on the ground to collect the signatures, and we invite everyone to come on board with us as the country is facing a crisis.

“If you do not think the country is in crisis, it is time to read up,” she said.

While acknowledging that some quarters may feel the effort by the Save Malaysia movement would not bring any change and that Najib will still remain in power, Maria said, “We have to try.”

“If one million signatures are not enough, we will go for two million or three million. We must never stop trying,” she said.

She was joined on the panel by Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) director Cynthia Gabriel, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, and social activist cum writer Hishamuddin Rais.

Aliran’s Prema Devaraj moderated the three-hour event held at the Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang in George Town, before a 150-strong audience.

Umno's Team B pitches in

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has also joined the movement, together with his son, former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir, ex-deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and ex-federal minister Shafie Apdal.

Describing themselves as Umno’s Team B, Mahathir’s father and son team has been aggressively campaigning from state to state.

Their most recent event in Jitra, Kedah, attracted some 2,000 supporters who also signed the Citizens' Declaration.

Najib had responded to declaration's calling for his ouster as "wrong in law”.

The premier is facing intense pressure to quit after allegations involving financial discrepancies in 1MBD, a sovereign fund on which he is the chair for the advisory board, and the RM2.6 billion purported donation deposited in his private accounts before GE13, surfaced in the international media.

Najib has denied gaining personally from the funds, and attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Zaid however said that it was perfectly right for citizens in a democracy to sign any petition to seek the resignation of their prime minister.

“What we are doing is legal and democratic and we are not doing anything wrong by signing the petition, as we are not asking for armed rebellion,” he told the crowd last night.

Gabriel concurred, saying it was not a crime to sign a petition on any issue, including demanding for one’s prime minister to quit.

“It is perfectly legal to sign the petition and it is within the ambit of a democracy to ask a sitting prime minister to stand down, as we have given him so many opportunities to explain himself,” she said.

“Since allegations against him were exposed in the media, civil society leaders have asked him to explain.

"(He should) just answer the allegations, but he has responded by repressing and oppressing us further, by killing the news and shutting up reporters, and charging with sedition those who blow the whistle on corruption,” she added.

Ruled by stupidity

Hishamuddin, meanwhile, said Najib should step down as the country should be ruled by neither a joker nor his stupidity.

He cited the different versions Najib had purportedly used to explain the source of the RM2.6 billion said to be donations, first saying it was from the Saudi Arabian king, the prince, and from certain individuals. The Saudi Finance Ministry eventually claimed the money was for investment purposes.

“His stupidity was saying that he returned the money; his crime is in being stupid and we cannot handle this kind of prime minister, so he should step down,” Hishamuddin said, to much laughter from the crowd.

“When the parliamentary accounts committee (report) came out, Najib said he signed the documents related to 1MDB without knowing what he signed.

“This is another stupidity; what kind of prime minister does not even bother to read what he signed?” Hishamuddin asked.

“If this is not criminal, what is? We have allowed ourselves for the past 60 years to be ruled by jokers,” he added. -Mkini

Islamic State eyes South-East Asia base?

US security consultant sees new attempt at caliphate in region, but Singapore analyst says it is unlikely.

PETALING JAYA: The Islamic State terrorist network may look to South-East Asia after the failure of its operations in Iraq and Syria, according to a US-based security consultant, but a Singaporean analyst believes this is unlikely.

The US consultant, Patrick Skinner, said in a report that although ISIS had yet to establish a South-East Asian “wilayah” or state, “it is likely that it will do so this year”, according to Singapore’s Straits Times in a report from Jakarta.

However, Skinner’s view was challenged by a Singaporean analyst, who discounted a deliberate shift of attention to South-East Asia by Islamic State central.

This shift “seems unlikely for now as ISIS is preoccupied with its immediate priority of holding ground in Iraq and Syria, and expanding its fight to Libya and Europe,” according to Dr Joseph Liow, dean of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, who also said the threat of Islamic State terrorism remained “at a low level”.

Skinner and Dr Liow had testified before a US House of Representatives committee on Wednesday and issued separate reports quoted by the Straits Times.

The newspaper said that Skinner believed that ISIS was likely to expand into South-East Asia this year because of its weakening grip on Syria and Iraq, and difficulty in remaining and expanding in Libya.

“It is very possible that places like southern Philippines will be its next priority,” said Skinner’s report, according to the newspaper.

The Islamic State group would look towards the Jemaah Islamiah and Jemaah Anshar Khilafah networks, as well as the Abu Sayyaf, which operate in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the southern Philippines.

“These are existing sanctuaries that the Islamic State would love to plug in,” said Skinner who claimed that “concern is building among… the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore that the Islamic State has the region in its cross hairs.”

Analysts from the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) confirmed that ISIS has started a campaign to establish an Islamic caliphate across Asia.

Two analysts with the Rajaratnam school, Jasminder Singh and Muhammad Haziq Jani, said in a report that militant groups in South-East Asia were affiliated with the doctrines of ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, “turning them into a unified force”.

However, Dr Liow said a shift to South-East Asia was “unlikely for now as ISIS is preoccupied with its immediate priority of holding ground in Iraq and Syria, and expanding its fight to Libya and Europe.”

Dr Liow said South-East Asian governments were better prepared to deal with terrorism compared with 15 years ago but capacity could be improved with greater cooperation and some help from the United States.

Japan makes a safety pitch for high-speed rail job

Faced with strong competition from China, officials speak of shinkansen's perfect record over 51 years.

PETALING JAYA: Japan has showed off the perfect safety record of its shinkansen bullet trains over 51 years as it made a pitch to build the proposed Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed railway line, against strong competition from China.

Executives of East Japan Railway Company made a presentation to Malaysian officials yesterday by highlighting the safety and maintenance record of the shinkansen network, Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper reported.

“We are confident that we would be able to contribute to the Malaysia-Singapore HSR project with our experience and technology,” said Mr Yuji Fukasawa, executive vice-president of East Japan Railway Company, better known as JR East, in his country.

China is also making a strong bid for the project through the state-owned China Railway Group which has announced a US$2 billion investment in the Bandar Malaysia property development in Kuala Lumpur. The high-speed rail would run from Bandar Malaysia to Jurong East in Singapore.

The competition between the rail operators of the two East Asian countries mirrors that of a high-speed rail project in Indonesia. Japan lost the bid last year when the Indonesian government decided the project would be carried out on a business-to-business basis, thus denying the Japanese government a role in providing funds or loan guarantees.

The Japanese presentation yesterday was made at a symposium to showcase Japan’s shinkansen technology.

Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the shinkansen’s record of no deaths in its 51-year history was something the KL-Singapore line should emulate.

The project is still in discussion, but Land Public Transport Commission Chairman Syed Hamid Albar said that an agreement could be reached by the middle of the year.

High-speed rail services began in China in 2007 and there are now 19,000km of track in service, the largest network in the world. At least 40 people were reported killed in 2011 when two high-speed trains collided in Zhejiang province.

Wan Azizah expected in Sarawak tonight

Party lists her on schedule of events after Adenan said he would consider allowing entry for her and Nurul Izzah

PETALING JAYA: PKR President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is believed to have been allowed entry into Sarawak and is expected to arrive at the Sibu airport around 8.35pm tonight.

This was based on a schedule circulated by PKR to reporters in Kuching.

Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem, under criticism for barring activists and opposition members from entering Sarawak, had said earlier that he would consider allowing Wan Azizah and her daughter, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah, if they asked him politely.

In response, Wan Azizah told reporters that both she and Nurul Izzah would write to Adenan to request for permission.

Opposition leaders who have been barred from Sarawak include DAP’s Tony Pua and Teresa Kok, as well as PKR’s Chua Tian Chang and Rafizi Ramli.

Malaysia love to steal and be controlled by Zahid

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MALAYSIANS TODAY?
NOTHING SO SAYS THE MALAYS.
I ASKED MCA LATELY THIS AND THEY JUST SAY OUR LEADERS ARE A BUNCH OF THIEVES SO THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED.
MY PM AND HIS WIFE HAVE SHOWN THE WORLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IN THEM STEALING BUT RAKYAT CANNOT DO THAT.
THESE AUTHORITIES LIVE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD.
EVERYTHING THE RAKYAT DO IS WRONG BUT NOT OUR LEADERS.
TODAY WE HAVE RELIGION POLICE PATROLLING THE STREETS BECAUSE ZAHID THE ABUSERS WANTS TO CONTROL THE PEOPLE SO THAT NO OPPOSITION PARTY CAN TAKE OVER THE RUNNING OF MALAYSIA.
YES TODAY WE HAVE BECOME A TALIBAN NATION AND NO-ONE IS COMPLAINING OR PROTESTING BECAUSE WE ARE TOTALLY SCREWED.

In trial project, PDRM to deploy officers, sergeant to assist Jais in Shariah enforcement

Published: April 28, 2016 06:10 PM GMT+8

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Jakim Director-General Datuk Haji Othman Mustapha said the police will deploy officers to assist Jais in enforcing Shariah law in a one-year trial project. — Picture by Yusof MAt IsaSHAH ALAM, April 28 — The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is placing two officers and a sergeant at the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) to assist the department in Shariah law enforcement from this May 1.

Malaysia Islamic Development Department director-general (Jakim) Datuk Othman Mustapha said the trial project would be implemented for a year.

“Issues that threaten the Islamic religious faith such as Shiah and deviant teachings, conflicts over Shariah law, social ills and the question of rights to freedom have become increasingly complex.

“Therefore, professional support and services from PDRM personnel to assist Jais’ enforcement machinery in handling Shariah cases are critical and timely,” he said at a press conference after the handing-over of the three PDRM personnel to Jais for the trial project, here, today.

Also present, were Jais director Datuk Haris Kasim and Bukit Aman police Management director Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah.

Othman said that during the one-year period, the placement of the PDRM personnel for the cadre posts at Jais’ Enforcement Division would be regularly monitored for the project’s impact and effectiveness.

“We hope this cooperation between PDRM and Jais can be strengthened and extended to the Islamic religious department of other states in future.

“This placement idea was mooted by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the Home Minister in 2013,” he added.

Meanwhile, Zulkifli said under the trial project, PDRM placed an ASP, inspector and sergeant from different departments and who had vast experience in their respective fields, including religion.

He said the three would assist Jais in giving advice and would share their expertise in conducting enforcement operations.

“They may also be involved in Jais’ enforcement operations. Besides that, they can also use their own network to get more police assistance needed in an operation,” he added.

Haris, meanwhile, said the cooperation from PDRM could boost Jais’ enforcement operations and expedite the investigation documentation process. — Bernama

THE FIRST VICTIM WOULD BE THE GIRLS AND WOMEN.  ONE NEED NOT WAIT LONG FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.  I GIVE IT A MONTH.

Dr M fight against Najib 'not a losing battle', GE will decide

Is former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad fighting a losing battle in his crusade against his former protégé Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak?

Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin does not think so.

"I'm not sure whether he (Mahathir) is losing his battle, because what will determine (the outcome) is the next election," Zainuddin said when asked about the matter.

He said this when met by reporters after the launch of his book 'Saya Bukan Menteri: Memoir Wartawan Negara' at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival in Serdang today.

The people are very dissatisfied with Najib, he explained, even though the prime minister is presenting himself as a "near-success".

"I just asked a taxi driver, do the people accept him (Najib)? 'No, no, all the taxi drivers don't accept him," he recounted.

[More to follow]

-Mkini

Umno-PAS pact can win next GE, says ex-minister Zam

If Umno and PAS were to form a pact, there is a big possibility they would win the next general election, former information minister Zainuddin Maidin said.

"Umno can win the elections when they combine with PAS, when they combine (for) Malay unity," he said when met by reporters after the launch of his book 'Saya Bukan Menteri: Memoir Wartawan Negara' at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival in Serdang today.

He said the two political parties joining forces would boost their chances because "Malays are concerned about their survival".

Although traditional arch enemies, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang have appeared to be more friendly towards each other over the past year.

Najib had extended an olive branch to PAS at the 69th Umno annual general assembly last December, which was well received by Hadi.

Both leaders shared the same stage at a regional conference in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 17, last year.

This comes after PAS' bitter break from the now-defunct opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat last year.

The break up was the result of differences with their former coalition partner DAP and the exit of its progressives to form the breakaway Party Amanah Negara. -Mkini