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another death while in police custody

December 21st, 2007
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Another custodial death, questions abound
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/76306
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Dec 21, 07 6:36pm

How many more deaths in custody will it take before the authorities set up a credible and effective mechanism to look into claims of – and punish – misconduct by police personnel?

This was the question raised by the Police Watch and Human Rights Committee (Police Watch) in response to the death of 30-year old palm oil worker K Letchumanan last Tuesday. 

Police Watch coordinator B Chandran said “nothing less than” an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) – or its credible equivalent – can reduce the abuses and discipline the police or other enforcement personnel. 

“There’s nothing better than the IPCMC, because the police really need to be disciplined,” he said when contacted today.

He called for an immediate inquest to be held into Letchumanan’s death.

Police Watch legal advisor N Surendran said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Musa Hassan has to order an immediate investigation into Letchumanan’s death and charge those responsible.

“While the government and the police say there is no need for an IPCMC, assaults and other abuses are continuing at the ground level,” he said.

Chandran and Surendran were speaking on the heels of reports that Letchumanan, a father of six from Gali estate near Raub, Pahang, died in his cell on Dec 18.

‘Hanged himself with a blanket’

Letchumanan was arrested last Friday and detained together with his friend, M Kanniyappan, 38, for suspected involvement in the theft of grass-cutting machines. Kanniyappan was released four days later.

According to the police, Letchumanan died by hanging himself with a blanket. The police claimed that the post-mortem report revealed the same.

Letchumanan’s family members claimed that they were not informed of his arrest and only knew of his death when police officers told them Friday evening.

“They are not satisfied with the explanation of the police. Letchumanan had six children to take care of. How could he have suddenly taken his own life like that?” said the family’s neighbour B Subramaniam, 45, when contacted.

Letchumanan’s sister Sarasvathy Thevi, 32, lodged a police report on Wednesday and requested the state police chief to investigate the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death.

The family is waiting for the findings of a second post-mortem report after they rejected the first.

Adding to the questions, Surendran claimed that the Raub police station has closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

“Leaving aside the allegation Letchumanan was assaulted to death, there’s a CCTV system in the lock-up. What were the police doing while Letchumanan was said to have hanged himself?” asked the lawyer.

“At the least, there was gross negligence on the part of the police for allowing this to happen,” he said.

Friend: He was ‘threatened’

Strengthening the family’s suspicions of foul play, Letchumanan’s friend Kanniyappan also lodged a police report alleging he had witnessed Letchumanan being threatened by police officers on the day he died.

According to Kanniyappan, both he and Letchumanan were taken by the police to Gali estate in search of the stolen grass-cutting machines.

Having failed to recover the items, Letchumanan was allegedly verbally abused and warned that he would be “beaten until half-dead”, said Kanniyappan in the police report lodged yesterday.

“I do not believe that Letchumanan killed himself as claimed by the police,” he said further.

Kanniyappan alleged that he was also assaulted during his four-day detention. “I was kicked four times on the chest and stomach and slapped on the cheek.”

Contacted later, Raub district police chief Wan Mohd Shamsuddin Wan Osman declined to comment.

“I cannot comment on the case right now. Investigations are ongoing. If I say anything, it may jeopardise everything,” he said.

DAP leader Ronnie Liu, who met with Wan Mohd earlier this week, has vowed to bring the ma

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parliment sieged?

December 11th, 2007
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TV3 only showed the passing of the motion and also arrest of Tian Chua in Buletin Utama just now. If really fair, must also air some comments from everyone.

Siege of Parliament – 'the ultimate shame'
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75931
Yoges Palaniappan | Dec 11, 07 6:26pm

Over the years, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has had occasion to decry incidents that have brought shame on Parliament.

Today, he directed his ire at the police, whose actions this morning contributed to "the most disgraceful and shameful episode in the (history of) Parliament".

At a press conference in the Parliament lobby, Lim drew attention to the numerous roadblocks put up by the police along all roads leading to House where the Dewan Rakyat is still in session. 

This was to deter leaders and supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) from submitting a protest memorandum over the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which sought to extend the Election Commission chief’s tenure up to the new age-limit of 66.

Said Lim: “We want the police to look after the safety of Parliament House, not to block access to it by the people or NGOs. Nobody is afraid that lives are at stake today, as it appears from the sieged scenario that we see.”

There was a heavy police presence with three check-points on the approach road to Parliament but this did not extend into the grounds. Rolls of barbed wire were unfurled along both sides of the road.

Saying that access to Parliament was blocked for the first time in its history, Lim said this has gone against the privileges and sovereignty of the institution, as well as undermined the responsibility accorded to it.

He was of the view that there would not have been any untoward incident if the Bersih delegation had been allowed into the building.

"They would have come peacefully. Then police blocks have instead of created a big ooh aah as if our country is under threat. It is completely, artificially manufactured and not good for our country's reputation," he said.

"It is also the first time a court order has been obtained to prevent the public from going to Parliament…[such action is] uncalled for and unwarranted."

‘Initiate contempt proceedings’

DAP MP for Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran said the move by the police to obtain the court order to restrain public access to Parliament was a "very contemptuous act".

He urged Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib to make an application to set aside the court order and to initiate contempt proceeding against the police. 

"Whenever there is a sitting, the Inspector-General of Police [is obliged by a motion] to keep open all routes to Parliament. The question now is, did the police produce this motion when they obtained the court order? I think they suppressed it," he said.

“There must be free access. People must be allowed to come (to Parliament). There must be an end to the mentality of fear [among the authorities].”

DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam Chong Eng said that Malaysia, which aims to become a developed country by 2020, must have a police force with a developed mentality.

She said the police must be able to handle peaceful demonstrations without a show of force and urged Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is internal security minister to direct the police to take up this challenge. 

"We're not at the stage where we need to choose between public safety or public freedom," she said, referring to Abdullah's statement that given a choice between public safety and public freedom, he would choose public safety.

"We can have both. Public safety and public freedom can go together," she added.

Bersih comprises representatives from 67 NGOs and five opposition parties, including DAP.

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HINDRAF linked with LTTE and RSS

December 8th, 2007
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Hmmm…how stupid of the hindraf organisers to announce that they want to meet terrorists. for sure cannot la. want to meet foreign groups/leaders, also condemned. Want to meet PM, also condemned. Who else is left to meet? but they are asked to discuss and channel their problems. to who? i am more confused 🙂

Link is with Tamil Tigers and India’s RSS, says Nazri

source

KUALA KANGSAR: The Government has identified the overseas groups linked to Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the groups are Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the RSS, a militant organisation in India. Speaking to reporters yesterday after presenting gifts to UPSR excellent students at Kati, near here, Mohamed Nazri said this was from statements of Hindraf leaders who went overseas to garner support that they would meet LTTE leaders. “As we know, the LTTE has been declared a terrorist group by the United Nations and the United States. 

“If it is true that Hindraf leaders have links with them, Hindraf is also a terrorist group,” he said yesterday, adding that the Government was closely monitoring the activities of Hindraf leaders. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan was reported to have said yesterday that there were signs lately that Hindraf was trying to garner support from terrorist groups. 

He said Hindraf had also set up a fund by misleading the public into believing that the money was to finance its activities. 

On accusations by Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran that the A-G was pressuring the judiciary by leading the prosecution team charging Hindraf supporters, Mohamed Nazri said being the country’s top lawyer, the A-G could act for the Government in any court in the country. “The A-G’s job is to prosecute. The fact that the A-G is involved shows the seriousness of the matter as it can affect the country’s peace,” he added. 

On calls by the Pertubuhan Pembela Islam (Pembela) that Hindraf be banned, Mohamed Nazri said the Government would do so if the group was linked with the LTTE. In Shah Alam, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patil said detailed investigations would be carried out to determine the alleged link between Hindu Rights Action Force and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam. 

He told reporters that a police report had been lodged that Hindraf members were going out to contact the LTTE. “These are serious allegations and we believe that investigations have to be done,” added Abdul Gani. In Penang, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force should be given the opportunity to explain the reasons behind the demonstration. He added that the presence of thousands of Indians at the demonstration was cause for concern and reason enough to assume that the problems of the community ought to be addressed.

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sultan selangor on hindraf, bersih and datukships

December 8th, 2007
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Sultan of Selangor unhappy at Hindraf's action

source

By WONG CHUN WAI

SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor has voiced his unhappiness at the actions of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which he said has incited hatred and damaged the country’s image by taking its campaign overseas. 

»I am disappointed with what Hindraf has done. I am upset. There are better ways of doing things« SULTAN SHARAFUDDIN IDRIS SHAH

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was “upset and angry” that Hindraf had proceeded with its illegal protest in defiance of the police and causing disruption to many in Kuala Lumpur. 

He was also unhappy at the action of the Hindraf supporters in carrying banners and pictures of Queen Elizabeth II during the recent protests, which drew thousands of people. 

“Why were they displaying her pictures and asking her to intervene in Malaysia? They can always bring their case to the Government and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said in an interview at the Istana Mastika here. 

The Tuanku also hit out at Hindraf leaders for claiming that “ethnic cleansing” occurred in Malaysia, saying that it was an outrageous claim, which had damaged Malaysia’s image. 

“I am disappointed with what Hindraf has done. I am upset. There are better ways of doing things. To stage a protest and fight with the police, I cannot accept. This is not the way to do things in Malaysia,” he said. 

The Sultan, who is celebrating his 62nd birthday on Tuesday, urged his subjects to be rational and moderate, saying that racial tolerance has always been a trademark of Malaysia. 

He acknowledged that there were problems affecting Malaysians of all races and not just one particular ethnic group, adding that people must learn from the country’s history. 

“Not all Indians are Hindraf supporters. I hope they will speak up against such illegal protests and dissociate themselves from Hindraf,” he said. 

The Tuanku also hit out at the organisers of the recent Bersih protest, which drew thousands of demonstrators, saying that he could not accept illegal gatherings and that the law must be respected. 

Bersih is a loose coalition of opposition parties including PAS, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat and non-governmental organisations, which has demanded free elections. 

The Sultan said Malaysia was not like some countries, where there were no democratic avenues, including elections, and that it was wrong for any Malaysian to emulate the protests there. 

On the awards for his birthday, he said that no more than 40 Datukships would be given each year, except during special occasions, adding that “if too many are given out, it would lose its prestige”. 

He said the state government would also launch a website on Thursday to enable the public to verify the awards and check on the background of Selangor Datuks. 

The Sultan said he believed that the titles from the state were valuable and he did not want anyone to claim that their Datukships were from Selangor if they were not. 

“The names would be listed in stages. We will start off with recipients between 2000 and 2007 and then we will work on those between 1999 and 1960,” he said, adding that it would take time but he was determined to implement it.

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Housing discounts, stop buying?

December 5th, 2007
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Just to add,

Lets assume the following values:

Developer A's project:

Num of units: 1000

Cost price: RM70,000

Selling price: RM110,000

Profit per unit: 40,000

Total profit: RM40 million

Allocated to bumi: 20% = 200 units

Discount: 7%

A) Total sales if all units sold without discount: RM110 million

B) sales if include 200 units sold with 7% discount: RM108.64 million

difference between A and B = 1.54 million

Question: Isn't that depriving honest income of the developer? Taking from one group and giving to another?

Well, ok, lets say that the developers are rich and Rm1.54 million is like small change to them. Fine. Let's look at Case2 – What if the developer is adamant that he wants his money in one way or another. Let's say he hikes up his unit price so that he gets back his 1.54 million and achieves net profit of RM40 million (his initial target). If the developer hikes the price of units from RM110,000 to RM111,562 (extra Rm1,562), he make a total profit of RM40.000132 million (including sales of 200 units at 7%)!

Question: in the Case 2, price is artificially increased by the developer. Aren't the public being cheated and is paying for others to purchase at cheaper price? Each unit will cost RM1562 extra, while bumi lots will cost RM1452.66 extra.

Now, this can be easily adapted to other house prices and also mixed properties. I'm sure that developers would plan properly to ensure their targets are achieved. Thus most likely Case 2 will happen.

Housing discounts – let’s stop buying (M'siakini)
S Nathan

The discussion about the bumiputera housing discount needs action and not more debate. The discount could be five percent, 10 percent or whatever. The numbers do not matter. The fact is the policy is racist.

It is racist because it gives an advantage to individuals based on their race and not because of their economic situation. That's why it is a racist policy. I have absolutely no problems to give discount to poor people.

Let's give 10 percent discount (only for their first home) to anyone who is earning RM2,000 or less. This applies to anyone (man or woman; any race; only Malaysian citizens). So in theory, a couple that buys their houses before they marry can actually own two houses at a 10 percent discount each.

Make it simple. Anyone who earns less than RM2,000 can get this 10 percent discount. The house price must be less than RM350,000 so that they, too, can stay in towns and not be relegated to urban ghettos.

The house and the loan must be in their name. After buying, they cannot sell it before five years. No other rules because policing complicated rules will not work and will only lead to corruption. With this, all low income people can buy at homes at discounts, which – if we are to believe official statistics – would include a great many bumiputeras.

I have no problem with paying a ‘social tax’ to the low income earners and hope they and their family will have a nice and happy home and that they will be my neighbours in Petaling Jaya. Welcome!

Okay. That is to solve the housing discounts issue. Now, if the government does not take up the proposal or a version of this proposal, we have then at least two choices.

Option 1 – Don't vote for BN. Vote for BA. This will have to wait until next general election. Too long.

Option 2 – Don't buy houses that are being sold based on racist discounts. Why must you buy now? Rent first. Don't worry as the construction sector is already suffering due to the government cutting down mega-projects.

If we stop buying new houses for just six months, the BN government will feel the pain. What's so difficult in delaying your home purchase for six months? Sometimes the legal and banking documentation itself can take up to six months. So six months is nothing.

Spread the word. Stop buying houses. Use your economic power to stop this racist policy. There is nothing illegal. Just stop buying house for six months. Nobody will be homeless. It is because all of us queue up like fools at the developer’s office, that they continue being racist.

Now, if you cannot vote for BA and cannot stop yourself from buying houses that are sold based on a racist policy, you then deserve to pay more. So stop complaining. If you agree, please pass this message on to your friends. Make it happen.

Let's see if Malaysians have got brains and are not just motor mouths when it comes to complaining.

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