Archive - 20 October 2008

While the issue of illegal immigrants is a national threat, the problem is being shouldered mostly by Sabahans, laments Tawau MP Dr Chua Sooi Bui.

The premier said he will be meeting new MCA president Ong Tee Keat to discuss the position of those cabinet ministers who lost in the recent party elections before making any decisions as to their posts.

Parliament was asked to hasten the ISA debate, while there were concerns on the rich getting scholarships and parliamentarian language furore.

Selangor’s Budget 2009 will see the Pakatan Rakyat government focus on welfare as a key plank of its ‘communitarian economics’ plan.

Outgoing PM Abdullah set tongues wagging ahead of tonight’s Umno supreme council meeting when he likened the Defence Ministry he took over from his deputy, Najib, as a rifle.

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim claims in his budget speech that the previous administration was also guilty of operational inefficiencies and lack of openness in awarding contracts.

Barisan Nasional backbencher Abdul Ghapur Salleh is ready to support any move to make the Anti-Corruption Agency under parliamentary supervision.

updated 12.45am The veteran party leader said he had been asked to pay for votes in his favour in the upcoming contest for top posts. Meanwhile, the party's supreme council met for some three hours tonight.

Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said he would carry a peace message from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Thailand this week.

Umno leaders aspiring for top party posts mostly made progress over the weekend, with many securing the minimum nominations needed to stand for election next March.

updated 6.40pm Shamsiah has been unwell for some time now and was most recently admitted to the UKM Hospital in Cheras last week.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar has set the cat among the pigeons again by reviving a despised government proposal to set up a media council to police the press.

comment Dr Chua Soi Lek surprised MCA watchers by taking the deputy presidency. How will his colleagues in the party and Barisan Nasional deal with him?

comment What was ‘people power’ in the general election was reflected in the just-concluded MCA polls, when delegates taught leaders valuable lessons in accountability.

updated 3.05pm The emergency motion to debate the government's recent ban on Hindraf will not see light of day. The speaker rejected the matter on grounds that it was 'not urgent enough'.

updated 7.30pm His defence team alleges an element of bias on the part of the attorney-general in signing both the consent and charge sheets. [VIDEO INSIDE]

A close aide of the DPM says his office has not issued an official manifesto for the upcoming Umno elections. The manifesto that Malaysiakini ran yesterday was from a 'support group'.

Party politics dominated the headlines, with MCA concluding its elections over the weekend and Umno divisions continuing their meetings to nominate candidates for polls next March.

free 'First of all, Hindraf is not a registered body in Malaysia so banning a non-registered body is technically incorrect. Secondly, it puts the final nail in Umno/BN's coffin.'

free ‘I am sure that move will create a tremendous swing of support from all the non-Malays in the country. That move will definitely cast the opposition into irrelevance.'

'Islamic banking has, thus far, remained positive, despite the current challenging global financial environment,' said Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.