Archive - 12 January 2003

Malaysia has arrested two religious teachers suspected of being members of the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network, a report said today.

Terrorism and a possible war in Iraq are expected to dominate the 11th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), to open tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur.

The government's decision to punish offenders who commit incestuous rape more severely has gone down well with the Malaysian Bar Council. However, the council notes with regret that courts do not have the discretion to impose a lesser sentence in whatever case.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad's ruling coalition will call general elections before he retires in October, DAP's Kerk Kim Hock predicts. He also says the PM will lead the BN into the next polls.

Wanita Umno has started the ball rolling by asking for additional seats to contest in the next general election. Saying that such requests are normal, Umno sec-gen Khalil Yaakob however concedes that the seat allocation issue will be a tough task for the BN.

Asian farmers, among the poorest in the world, understand their European colleagues' hunger for subsidies and they are determined to make their case ahead of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks on the sensitive issue next month.

On the second day of its national congress today, the DAP reflects seriously on what it has to do to survive through trying times. Failing to stay young and relevant will spell the death of the party, warns sec-gen Kerk Kim Hock.

As the US prepares to oust Saddam Hussein and for war against Iraq, it continues to face obstacles to building a convincing argument for the move. War is inevitable but why must war be inevitable?

The Sarawak Forestry Department is expected to be corporatised in March. As little details are available on the move, the opposition DAP has described it as yet another non-transparent and non-accountable exercise.