Archive - 16 October 2008

Suhakam joins the chorus of condemnation against the government’s decision to ban Hindraf, asking for evidence of the movement being a threat to public order and morality.

The opposition stalwart says he will not retract his claim made in Parliament yesterday that Abdul Gani Patail had abused his power to fabricate evidence in Anwar’s trials 10 years ago.

updated 10.45pm Ntv7's application for the live telecast came in too late, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Parliament snippets The government says it will consider lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 if consensus is achieved. This, among other snippets today.

Before the dust has settled over a fictional story on the assassination of a politician, Utusan Malaysia raises the ire of DAP again.

news analysis It has woken up Indian Malaysians, but Hindraf lost its bearings with the detention of its leaders. The government may have unwittingly revived its relevance by banning it.

The decision was made today at the rulers' meeting in Kuala Terengganu today, sources told Malaysiakini.

Criticising the ban, a business leader says it does not address the core issues and will only serve as fodder for the opposition to lure more Indians into their fold.

The ban was issued after Health Ministry tests showed that biscuits made by two of the country's leading manufacturers contained high levels of melamine.

MCA presidential hopeful Chua Jui Meng faced a 'live' audience by himself last night, after his rival for the post Ong Tee Keat declined a debate with him.

Joseph Tawie, a former police press liaison officer and now freelance writer, accused state leaders of trying to cover up the controversy in his blog, 'The Broken Shield'.

updated 6.50pm The Hindraf leader also admonishes the government over its ban and says the movement has been raising the self-worth of 'all Malaysians'.

KS Nallakaruppan is alleged to have made false claims in a police report against PKR member and businessman RL Balasupramaniyam.

updated 5.25pm DAP Youth files a police report against the novelist and Utusan Malaysia over the fictional short story of a female Chinese MP being assassinated.

Will Khairy Jamaluddin catch up with Mukhriz Mahathir when Umno Youth divisions continue their meetings this weekend and choose their nominee for the top post.

The think-tank slashed its 2009 economic growth forecast for the country to 3.4 percent and said there was a risk of recession if the US economy tumbles.

updated 5.25pm PAS secretary-general Kamaruddin Jaafar wants to know why the government singled out the movement. He believes the catalyst for the ban was the Hari Raya open house visit.

updated 8.20pm They were arrested when they formed a human barricade to prevent the demolition of Johor Baru's Kampung Baru Plentong Tengah - a village similar to KL's Kampung Baru.

analysis Now in the black again, MCA's financial position with assets worth RM1.6 billion has to be managed in a more transparent manner.

After 50 years of trying to build a plural society Malaysia now plans to enact a race relations law to end discrimination and protect minorities. But critics say a new law will change little.

Hindraf has been declared illegal - most dailies frontpaged the decision announced by Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

free 'I really shudder at the approaching future. Our next PM will have so many ‘scandalous baggage' accompanying him. Is politics in Malaysia really at this level?'