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HINDRAF 5 court appeal dismissed

/* February 11th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »

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Malaysiakini was first to report this:

The Federal Court today dismissed the motion to review the habeas corpus application of five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders currently held under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

MCPX

Their earlier application at the apex court had been dismissed.

On May 14, Chief Judge of Malaya Alauddin Mohd Sheriff (now Court of Appeal president) who was leading a three-member panel, dismissed the Hindraf leaders’ appeal.

The dismissal came after it was ruled that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was also the Internal Security Minister then, had lawfully executed the order for their detention.

The panel also agreed with the findings of Kuala Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Zainal Aznam Abdul Aziz who held that the minister could order a person to be detained under section 8 of the ISA on 26 last year.

However, no written judgements were provided by the panel, which also included Justices Ariffin Zakaria and Hashim Yusof.

Following the apex court’s decision, their counsel Karpal Singh filed an application for a review.

… This morning, the Federal Court ruled that it did not intend to review the May 14 decision and dismissed the motion without cost.

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Posted in Indian

Tags: Hindraf ISA

I have suffered enough and I am mentally disturbed

/* February 11th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »

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“I have suffered enough and I am mentally disturbed!”

That was the response from the wife of former Parti Keadilan Rakyat Bukit Selambau assemblyman and state exco member V. Arumugam, when approached by the New Straits Times here yesterday.

Speaking in fluent English after opening slightly the wooden door of her moderately renovated low-cost house in Taman Nuri, the woman also politely asked that her family be left alone.

Parked under her little porch was a silver Perodua Kelisa and a Honda EX-5 motorcycle. In one corner, some women’s clothes were hung out to dry.

The woman, named by neighbours as Banumathy, in her 40s, responded again through the slightly ajar door, when asked if her husband had contacted her recently.

“No, no,” she said, adding that she did not know where he was.

Checks with family friends later revealed that Banumathy was employed as a production operator at a Japanese multinational in Bakar Arang.

It is learnt that she and her 17-year-old son have been living at the housing estate for several years.

At Arumugam’s posh single-storey bungalow at nearby Kelab Cinta Sayang, showed signs it had been hastily abandoned.

Litter and dried leaves were strewn in the large compound. Under the porch was an old sofa, a bicycle and a blue Modenas Kriss motorcycle. In one corner was an altar in a cabinet.

Some of the neighbours said they had not seen Arumugam for almost a week. They last saw his official Proton Perdana V6 parked under the porch on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Merbok PKR Youth division member T. Rames Kumar said he and many party members were still reeling from Arumugam’s sudden resignation.

“We did not know he was having personal problems since he appeared happy each time we met him at official functions organised by the division, of which he is deputy chairman.”

A check at Arumugam’s office at Wisma Darul Aman showed that his personal belongings had been removed. His service centre in Taman Ria Jaya was padlocked.

Arumugam has been missing since Thursday and he had only informed Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak of his resignation through a third party on Monday.

He has yet to contact Azizan personally over his resignation as exco member and state assemblyman.

Several close associates claimed that Arumugam had left for Chennai with another woman and a child on Monday. Others said he could be in Penang or Kuala Lumpur.

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Posted in Indian

Tags: Crime Kedah PKR

Veerasingam appointed as Perak EXCO

/* February 11th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »

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We are also asking for a representative that is the level of an executive councillor be appointed so that any issues raised by the Indian community can be brought directly to the attention of the exco.

It is only right to make such a request as the Indian community in Perak is the second-highest in the country after Selangor.

– Dr S Subramaniam in The Star

MIC got part of the wish today. S Veerasingam, one of the vice president of MIC, was appointed as special advisor to the MB with EXCO status. The list so far (with portfolios) is below:

The Perak State Committee Chairmen portfolios:

Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir who is also the Menteri Besar heads the Committee for Planning, Economy, Finance, Security, Land and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Housing and Religion.
Hamidah Osman : Industry, Investment, Entrepreneur Development, ICT, Tourism and Women’s Affairs
Datuk Ramly Zahari: Infrastructure, Public Facilities, Energy and Water.
Dr Mah Hang Soon: Health, Local Government, Consumer, Environment, Transport and Non-Muslim Affairs.
Datuk Saarani Mohamad: Information, Rural Development, Poverty, Welfare and Farming.
Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid: Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology
Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin: Culture, Youth and Sports.

Advisers to Menteri Besar:

Datuk Mohd Najumuddin Elias – Adviser for Islamic Affairs.
Datuk Chang Ko Youn – Adviser for Chinese Affairs.
Datuk S. Veerasingam – Adviser for Indian Affairs.
Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar – state Information chief.

The four vacant EXCO seats are still not filled and will be done so when the need arises, say BN Perak MB, Dr Zambry.

Surprisingly, Veerasingam gets a temporary lease of life. Not sure if it will give him some boost in the upcoming MIC elections.

Gerakan is also another surprise entry.

PPP did not get any representatives this time.

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Posted in Indian

Tags: BN MIC Perak Politicians

Lion of Jelutong roars…

/* February 11th, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »

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Karpal Singh gives an interview to NST (even though Pakatan top guns asked him not to use BM media). Later Malaysiakini reports that:

DAP’s top leaders have agreed to set aside their differences and focus on the upcoming by-elections for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah.

MCPX

The party’s chairperson Karpal Singh, supremo Lim Kit Siang and former chairperson Dr Chen Man Hin held a meeting last night where they agreed to bury the hatchet.

The interview:

DAP chairman Karpal Singh is in fighting mood and ready to take on anyone, including his own party leaders. The veteran politician’s robust position has not been appreciated after his attacks on Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and even his own party colleagues Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng. Has Karpal taken on more than he can chew with opposition coming fast and furious not only from within his party but also those angered by his stand on the Sultan of Perak’s appointment of a new menteri besar? He spoke to SHARANJIT SINGH yesterday

Q: Many police reports have been lodged against you on the Sultan of Perak issue. What do you think of the reports?

A: These people are ignorant of the law and are completely misguided for accusing me of disrespecting the sultan. There is nothing illegal in what I have stated in relation to the sultan being subject to the due process of law. I know what I am talking about.

Q: There are also calls for you to be detained under the Internal Security Act. What do you have to say about this?

A: So what’s new? Besides calling for the ISA to be used against me, some people also want me to be banished from Perak and my citizenship revoked. How foolish one can get is beyond me. I cannot lawfully be banished from Perak, which is a constituent state in the Federation of Malaysia. Neither can my citizenship be revoked as I was born a citizen in Penang on June 28, 1940. Idle threats are, therefore, of no consequence to me and neither is empty rhetoric criticising me in the execution of my duties.

Q: You have also come under attack from all sides for your uncompromising stand on defections. What do you have to say to the critics?

A: The attacks against me do not trouble me as I was only speaking the truth. I have been speaking up against party-hopping as far back as the formation of the DAP itself. I am sure I can be excused for being a little emotional when it comes to the issue as I have stuck my neck out on this matter of principle on more than one occasion. I am now being taken to task while other DAP leaders have chosen to keep mum. The impression is that I am choosing my own fight and it has nothing to do with the party. This is nonsense as it has everything to do with the party. We must always stick to the principles.

Q: Do you feel party leaders like Kit Siang and Guan Eng have deserted you?

A: Their flip-flop (on party hopping) is most unfortunate. Guan Eng in particular issued a statement on Jan 26 welcoming Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashim’s crossover from Umno to Pakatan Rakyat. However, on Feb 6, he changed his tune when our assemblywoman from Jelapang (Hee Yit Foong) hopped over to the other side. He described Hee’s move to support Perak Barisan Nasional as tantamount to betraying the trust of those who had voted for her. I only hope he (Guan Eng) was misquoted. His statement has been haunting me as our members are questioning the conflicting stand of the secretary-general and party chairman.

Q: Why didn’t you settle it internally without making it public and allowing the DAP’s political enemies to capitalise on the issue?

A: The flip-flop by party leaders was done openly. How can I keep quiet? I was left with no alternative but to make a public statement to clear the air. Nobody can fault me for speaking out because it is relevant to what happened in Perak. We lost a state because of the inconsistent stand. I have said what I wanted to say and I stand by it.

Q: Do you think the party will act against you for your single-minded approach on this issue?

A: I have said nothing wrong that they (party leaders) should not support me. The members, including party leaders, are 100 per cent with me on the issues of hudud law and also our stand on party-hopping.