Archive - 21 September 2002

A senior lawyer said the criminal cases involving Anwar Ibrahim's associates — his ex speech writer Dr Munawar Aness, adopted brother Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja and ex tennis partner S Nallakarupan are perfect examples of Malaysia's inconsistent criminal justice system which had denied the trio justice.

DAP chief Lim Kit Siang says Dr Mahathir Mohamad's budget speech was a "thinly-veiled threat" to the judiciary over the recent Federal Court ruling on the ISA 5. He calls upon the Attorney General to study the contents of the speech to see if Mahathir should be cited for contempt of court.

Dr Rais Yatim says that the Internal Security Act (ISA) will continue to be enforced in Malaysia despite the government losing several cases in court. He considers it "normal" for preventive laws such as the ISA to be criticised and condemned.

A widow today lodged a police report against Federal CID chief Salleh Md Som and "other police officers responsible" for her husband's death. Her husband joins the list of 600-odd cases of deaths by police still unresolved by the government, according to a study compiled by Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia.

DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock who has been on leave since April this year to seek treatment for rectal cancer will resume his official party duties from tomorrow.

A journalist association in Kuching is unhappy with police action for handcuffing and arresting a journalist in a shopping complex only to realise later that they have arrested the wrong person.

Traditionally viewed only as perpetrators of violence against women, men are now increasingly in the picture as comrades in the fight against the crime. A recent workshop attended by male members from service providers of all levels shows this heartening trend.

Fomca president Prof Mohd Hamdan Adnan is one man who is very pleased with Budget 2003. He is glad that consumer rights in areas like education was highlighted but cautions consumers to spend wisely "because giving people higher salaries may actually cause inflation".

It's an "election budget" aimed to regain lost rural ground, says PAS of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's budget. DAP describes it as "painless" but fears the nations's losses of direct foreign investment. Keadilan says the RM20 billion deficit is "worrying".