Archive - 20 August 2009

Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was clearly unhappy when reporters questioned on the political credibility of the party's candidate for Permatang Pasir by-election.

Muslims in Malaysia will begin the Ramadan fast on Saturday, Aug 22.

PAC chief Azmi Khalid said there were discrepancies like the government having to pay for a bond raised by a company.

The Selangor MB office said that the Baitulmal development fund would not touch on the zakat (tithe) money paid by Muslims in the state.

Three experts from WHO are to study the rising mortality rate due to H1N1 as the death toll hit 68 today.

'Clinics are not to sell the medicine for more than RM80. At one time, the price went up to RM180.'

Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied that he is using the armed forces to campaign for BN candidate Rohaizat Othman.

Abu Hassan Sarif, who is Kota Siputeh assemblyman for the fourth term, was absent from the assembly sitting twice in a row.

'The fact that she is the menteri besar's wife does not give her an automatic right to the membership of Balkis.'

Nik Aziz said he was prepared to meet the council members and face action if his statement was deemed wrong.

Action by the disciplinary board, which is an independent body within the legal watchdog's aegis, has no political motives and keeps the profession in check.

The party has urged a blogger to provide evidence on his claims that its Permatang Pasir candidate had embezzled RM600,000 from the party fund.

Muhyiddin says quarrelling in the open would not only affect BN chances in the Permatang Pasir by-election but also mar the image of the government.

The ex-MIC deputy chief has obtained a court order to restrain Vell Paari, the son of party chief S Samy Vellu, from further publishing alleged defamatory articles against him.

After 20 years, the ghost of caste politics has once again come back to haunt MIC boss Samy Vellu at the party's upcoming polls.

Rumours about a BN engineered Selangor coup are making the rounds in political circles and Pakatan leaders are not taking it sitting down.

COMMENT The right to freedom of expression means nothing if it does not include expressing our views in ‘public places’ including streets, parks, and even shopping complexes.

UPDATED 4.55PM In his latest salvo, the Bintulu MP claims that 'huge amounts' of cash is stowed away in bank accounts belonging to the MCA president and his wife.

COMMENT A whole slew of problems is wracking the Chinese-based party in the aftermath of the 2009 elections eating into the time needed to win back lost support.

The CIA hired the security firm Blackwater in 2004 as part of its secret programme to find and kill Al Qaeda leaders, US media said today, citing current and former intelligence officials.

An expert on infectious diseases warned of escalation in deaths resulting from A(H1N1) as the virus may become resistant to existing drugs.

UPDATED 5.55PM After a lull of one day, there has been one more death. The country however recorded its highest number of new H1N1 cases in a day with 569 infections.

UPDATED 4.04PM The mystery letter makes several claims against a top MACC official from Selangor, including one which states that he likes to pull a suspect by the belt during interrogation.

Umno's choice of candidate is rebounding on it with a vengeance forcing it to adopt damage control measures instead of focusing on the campaign.

Nine Chinese crew members remained missing after the MT Formosa Product Brick tanker was in a collision with a Greek-managed bulk carrier.

'Am I an MCA member? What do I get if I topple him? Will I get any contract? If he appoints me as a senior president, maybe that would be a different issue'. [VIDEO INSIDE]

UPDATED 4.50PM The MCA president says he will be filing a defamation suit against Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing over his RM10 million allegation.

UPDATED 4.30PM The minister tells MACC personnel to brace themselves for the worst in the wake of a molotov cocktail attack this morning.

Malaysiakini compares the key news and views in major newspapers. What is today's agenda for the newspapers?

Using a scandalous analogy to illustrate his point, the Bintulu MP denies that the PM had a hand in the public spat between him and the MCA boss.

UPDATED 1.21PM Yusri Isahak, the former legal partner of Rohaizat Othman, has refuted claims that the Ptg Pasir candidate was innocent of wrongdoings. [VIDEO INSIDE]

The reintroduction of caste-based politics into the party threatens to divide the already battered MIC further as the elections loom next month

UPDATED 4.39PM MACC came under attack from unknown persons when a 4WD belonging to the commission was torched. [VIDEO INSIDE]

The Human Rights Commission must take a stronger stand on media independence, says the Centre for Independent Journalism. [VIDEO INSIDE]

UPDATED 11.21PM DAP political aide Wong was finally released at 10.40pm, after undergoing almost 14 hours of interrogation. He needs to report back on Sept 18. [VIDEO INSIDE]

free ‘This has to be taken very seriously because very few lawyers are struck off. The case has to be very strong for the Bar Council to mete out such a strong punishment.’

free ‘Tiong was forced to concede to MCA's wishes so that he could land the PKFZ job and milked the project dry as it is now. It’s all a case of ‘you scratch my back and I scratch yours’.’

The DPM denies the allegation that he had purportedly sold a piece of land to Singapore when he was Johor MB. The land is part of a 'secret reservoir' used to supply water to the republic.