Archive - 24 July 2003

Today's promotion of judges saw many senior judges being passed over. The Bar Council says the process 'lacks propriety' while a UN official is concerned about public perception on the independence of the judiciary.

Seniority is not the only criteria to be considered when promoting judges, says the chief justice. He denies that the controversial elevation of Augustine Paul and Arifin Jaka is a 'reward' for their decisions in ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's trials.

Slapped with a one-year suspension for dragging party matters to the press, N Rajen Diran says he won't appeal as those who have the power to overturn the order, are the same people he has a bone to pick with.

Umno Pahang has proceeded to log its 10,000-acre land near Pekan even before the party settles the RM4.8 million land premium. It will lose its logging concession should it fail to pay up. But by then, the massive track of land - about 40 sq km in size - would have been cleared.

Malaysia and Singapore have began the judicial process to resolve the ownership row over a tiny island with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Malaysian foreign ministry said today.

Keadilan leaders want the old quota system for university admission after recent intake figures show that the disputed 'meritocracy system' may limit opportunities for Indian students.

Hishamuddin Hussein is now under pressure to prove himself as a leader as critics from within Umno Youth start whispering that he is still 'untested' as he assumed the leadership without contest.

Aziz Shamsuddin attempts to explain why only a single Indian student was admitted into Universiti Malaya's medical faculty but ends up ruffling the feathers of several Keadilan leaders.

Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson said today it will open an RM80 million regional expertise hub in Malaysia next week to prepare for a potential boom in demand.

The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) says it cut sales forecast for 2003 to 420,000 units from an earlier estimate of 450,000. The blame: Iraq war and Sars.

It depends on which side you are on. Chemical firms say that to know paraquat is to like it but to weed sprayers - to use paraquat is to hate it.

Two of his people have been sent to the guillotine and Hong Kong's Tung Chee-hwa is hoping this sacrifice would assuage public anger. But will it?

A police report was lodged against PBDS veep Sng Chee Hua over a notice he issued claiming that the venue for the party's triennial delegates conference today has been changed from Kuching to Bintulu.

The rival Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) faction led by Dr James Masing and his running mate, Sng Chee Hua, were elected unopposed as president and deputy president in Bintulu today at a rebel party conference.

Indonesian waters were the most dangerous, "accounting for over one quarter of the world total with 64 incidents" of piracy on the international high seas.