Archive - 26 September 2002

With the purchase of a RM1.2 billion air defence system, Malaysia has spent more than RM12 billion in a buying spree which involved tanks, fighter jets and submarines over the past few months.

The inquest into the death of 19-year-old S Tharma Rajen in police custody entered its fifth day today with emotional testimony from the youth's mother, A Selvamony.

Keadilan tonight rebuffed former ally DAP's request to stay out of the Gaya by-election. It names Christina Liew as its candidate.

PAS refuses to buy International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz's claim that there is no politics involved in the allotment of shares to bumiputra entrepreneurs. The opposition party wants the Anti-Corruption Agency to probe the matter.

PAS mendakwa tindakan kerajaan mengenakan syarat-syarat ketat untuk rakyat bertukar alamat dalam kad pengenalan adalah bermotifkan politik walaupun kebebasan itu dijamin oleh Perlembagaan Negara.

Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said earlier this year that Chinese text would be included on airport signboards when tourists literate in the language reach one million. DAP reminds the minister the mark is likely to be exceeded this year, and suggests that Tamil be included as well.

DAP has announced its decision to contest Gaya. But to enhance the chances of an opposition victory in the by-election, its sec-gen Kerk Kim Hock (photo) says it has to be a straight fight with Barisan Nasional. In other words, DAP is hoping that Keadilan will back off.

Malaysian government investigators on today interviewed a 13-year-old Filipina girl allegedly raped at a detention center for illegal immigrants in Sabah, the justice department here said.

A former student leader involved in organising the aborted Merdeka talk in Birmingham, UK alleges the Malaysian Student Department is trying to strike fear in students to keep them away from events organised by the opposition.

Giant companies spend millions of ringgit to convince consumers that genetically engineered food is safe and that it can help solve many of the world's problems. However, a conference aims to show other safer scientific solutions should and can be found.

The initial arrest of five reformasi activists was dismissed as "unlawful" by the Federal Court, yet four of them and two others in the same boat are still behind bars under the Internal Security Act. According to them, this proves that their incarceration is based on political, and not security reasons.

Kerajaan berkata pandangan semua pihak dalam melaksanakan penggunaan bahasa Inggeris untuk Sains dan Matematik akan diambil kira. LEE BAN CHEN mempersoalkan mengapa sehingga kini tiada perbincangan formal bersama pengkritik dasar itu.

Buku Pilihanraya atau Pilihan Jalanraya , sebuah koleksi penulisan Hishamuddin Rais yang kini dikurung di Kem Tahanan Kamunting, mendedahkan minda seorang demokrat tulen yang juga pemikir dan pengarang penting di zaman ini.

A Dubai aluminium company is negotiating with the government to acquire a stake in an RM8 billion smelter to be set up in Sarawak.