Archive - 31 May 2004

The al-Qaeda network is winning the global war on terror, while America's use of overwhelming force against Muslim extremists is creating a sea of hatred and is strategically flawed, say Asian analysts.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar has defended the presence of Special Branch personnel at Police Royal Commission inquiries two weeks ago - and hints this may continue.

Did the government act with unseeming haste in detaining Sri Lankan businessman BSA Tahir under the Internal Security Act? A human rights group levels this charge.

The failure for Parliament to debate the issue would be an injustice to Suhakam and human rights, says Lim Kit Siang.

Suhakam may take the bold step of conducting an open inquiry into allegations that the human rights of ISA detainees are being abused, according to one of its commissioner.

There is a steady flow of cases involving persons without either birth or identity documents emerging from remote areas in Negeri Sembilan and there are grounds to believe that more can be found elsewhere in Malaysia.

Mereka yang mahu menawar diri bertanding jawatan naib presiden dinasihat tunggu dulu pandangan akar umbi tentang siapa yang mereka mahu memegang jawatan tersebut.

Human rights considerations should be factored into new and current laws, says the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) in its 2003 annual report.

The 342-page report says there has been positive action taken on human rights in 2003.

Kepanasan pemilihan parti semakin terasa, terutama berhubung kedudukan menantu Pak Lah, Khairy Jamaluddin dalam perebutan bagi jawatan naib ketua Pemuda Umno September ini.

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation made the acquisition in the five-storey Johor Bahru City Square through a venture with Malaysia's Merit Properties Sdn. Bhd.

Keadilan secretary-general Abdul Rahman Othman has confirmed stepping down from his post - his reasons are known only to the party head.

Malaysia Airlines announces it will levy a special fuel levy on its regional and international routes from June 1 in an effort to offset rising oil prices.

After removing greenery in the name of progress, the Penang authorities are now attempting to create expensive green lungs in various parts of the island.

Iraqi politics have been in spin-cycle ever since the US decided to lead its allies to war against President Saddam Hussein. Whether it is about faulty intelligence or untrustworthy allies, the laundering of the truth continues unabated.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi discusses China's overheated economy with President Hu Jintao and urges China to be more forthcoming about its plans for a 'soft landing'.

Forget the revamp, sell off government-linked companies (GLCs) instead, argues M BAKRI MUSA, who outlines the reasons why it would be best for the government to stay out of the marketplace.

Prime Minister's wife Endon Mahmood wants to prod local designers to move away from conventionalism and reinvent batik through modern designs that exude chic charm and contemporary appeal.

Wan Abdul Kadir Che Man, the leader of the Muslim separatist umbrella group Bersatu, was not considered a threat to Thailand's sovereignty and stability, says Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The reason we use the ISA on Sri Lankan businessman BSA Tahir is because it is an issue of the security of Malaysia, says Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

However the complaints were brushed aside by Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar who defended the police, saying they were only employing 'tactics' to get information.

The government allows the media for the first time into the Kamunting detention centre which houses the ISA detainees in a bid to dispel allegations that detainees were tortured like those in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.