Archive - 31 May 2009

updated 10.30pm The opposition leader pays tribute to the Pakatan election machinery and the voters in Penanti for the victory of PKR candidate Mansor Othman.

Jaya Supermarket tragedy Those living in double-storey houses behind the collapsed building have moved out as instructed.

Mansor is on the way to become Penang's new DCM after bagging 6,052 votes in Penanti. His three independent rivals collectively got no more than 1,000 votes.

EC officials and cops struggle to keep their eyelids open as the Penanti contest witnesses the lowest voter turnout in election history.

In 1996, former PPP president SI Rajah had tried in vain to dethrone M Kayveas. The latter believes that the same person is involved in Round Two.

updated 3.54pm As at 2pm, the party's election director said that feedback from the ground indicated that Mansor had garnered almost 4,500 of the 5,900 votes cast.

The socialist party will be tabling a resolution at its annual congress today to urge the government to allow former communist leader Chin Peng to return to the country.

'She permitted him (the American intruder) to stay... She communicated, provided him food and shelter,' said Burma's deputy defence minister.

The party will be put to the test in leadership polls this week which pit hardline clerics against young moderates who want to rebrand the party.

The saga of Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, took another startling twist when she confirmed allegations of abuse by her Kelantan prince husband after fleeing to Jakarta today.

updated 1.57pm The polls watchdog said PKR party workers were carrying out tacit campaigning on the polling day. [VIDEO INSIDE]

The family's lawyer said that religious authorities insisted Mohan Singh, a 41-year-old art director who died of a heart attack last Monday, had died a Muslim - a claim the family disputes.

updated 5.22pm The PKR candidate has come across eight voters who could not cast their votes as their names were not on the electoral list. [VIDEO INSIDE]

'It is ridiculous to have orangutans in nappies and hand-raised in a nursery. How are they going to reintroduce the primates back in the wild,' said a senior wildlife vet.

updated 5.28pm Only a record low of 46.15 percent of voters had come out to vote, a huge drop from the 82.1 percent which took part in the 2008 general election.

With 20,000 civilians reportedly killed, Amnesty accused both the army and LTTE of war crimes and called for an independent international probe.