Archive - 18 October 2011

It had a important role to play in ensuring that a healthy political atmosphere prevailed and making Malaysia a modern, liberal and progressive country.

The Home, Education, Higher Education and Human Resources Ministries will work together to this effect.

About 1,000 Burmese nationals involved in the detainee swap with Burma does not asylum seekers, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

However, the Selangor PAS deputy commissioner says he would need to consult Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan on their plans.

Terengganu is willing to consider supplying clean water to Kelantan if there is an official request from the state at any time according to its needs.

A Buddhist temple on Penang has held a religious ritual in which mourners bit an apple to hasten Apple visionary Steve Jobs' reincarnation.

Party state organising secretary and Padang Serai division chief Tang Hiang Lye says he will submit his resignation letter tonight.

The Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group says a permit from the AELB is required for Lynas to ship rare earth ore to its Gebeng plant.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) organising secretary Peter Chin has promised to lead the party for the next three years.

The Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) wants Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to list the names of the state assemblypersons, whether from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat pact or the BN, who have shown good performance or otherwise.

With just two and a half months to go before the PPSMI is officially scraped, proponents of the policy is organising a petition to keep it as an option.

The government is prepared to improve the existing system to protect and ensure the safety of foreign workers, especially housemaids working in this country.

Ahmad Maslan says a television report of the sex video saga was screened during the Perak government event, not the actual sex clip.

PARLIAMENT The home minister must answer to the veracity of this claim, says PAS MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

The Penang Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Office (PPDNKK) has warned mutton sellers in the state to refrain from mixing mutton with beef or imported mutton when selling to buyers.

Malaysia Airlines Group has embarked on a network rationalisation programme which will see its subsidiary, Firefly, concentrating on serving short-haul turboprop operations and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) focusing on enhancing its premium full-service offering.

UPDATED 5.50PM Witnesses have told PAS Youth that those who had received their MyKad last week were made to swear their loyalty to the ruling coalition.

Next week, the High Court will hear Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s application to strike out part of Anwar Ibrahim’s defence statement in a suit over a sex video featuring a man resembling the opposition leader.

UPDATED 4.45PM Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim says the coalition will let PAS decide as it is privy to the matter.

Deputy Info Minister Joseph Salang says we have been very transparent in how we manage our telcom industry.

UPDATED 4.05PM However, other sources say it may not be the case as this is the date fixed for the PAC to discuss the report.

Perlis mufti Juanda Jaya said that it illogical to believe that a quarter million Muslims have converted to Christianity.

The government does not need a contingency plan to bolster growth even if the global economy weakens, Nor Mohamed Yakcop says.

UPDATED 7.50PM They spread ‘morally despicable and barbaric lies’ and poked fun at his 16-year-old son.

EMEPMI chairman and president Hugh W Thompson says 14 development wells are planned in the project which is expected to start in 2013.

UPDATED 2.35PM The contract for the 1,000MW Tanjung Bin power plant was awarded by way of a limited tender involving only two companies, the government reveals.

UPDATED 7PM However, an Umno Youth member denies the allegation, saying it ‘is a baseless accusation’.

COMMENT There is little doubt that the current year's report is ready - but has it been hijacked somewhere between the AG and Parliament?

UPDATED 4.20PM The judge 'should quit to save the reputation of the judiciary since he has not denied the allegation'.

UPDATED 3.37PM SODOMY II Now, it is left for the judge to hear final submissions from both prosecution and defence.

Malaysian police say they have broken up what they called the country’s first large-scale such ring involving African victims.

UPDATED 1.10PM Anti-apostasy rally organisers say politicians such as Ezam Noor, Zulkifli Noordin and Ibrahim Ali will not speak at the event.

The wing will attend the Himpunan Sejuta Umat, saying it fully supports efforts to unify Muslims to "protect, defend and champion" Islam.

PARLIAMENT The proposed Media Consultative Council made no headway because media practitioners do not want government involvement.

The blockade was erected last Thursday near the Bu Banau river, says the Bruno Manser Fund.

It must consider conditions of permanent change.

If the deficit goes up to RM50 billion annually, from RM34 billion now each year, a federal debt of RM1 trillion is likely in 2020.

UPDATED 1.45PM But Zulkifli must first revoke the 'ridiculous' demand for Abdul Aziz to apologise to Selangor sultan.

Vice-president Huan Cheng Guan could face a legal suit for querying a DAP rep’s ownership of ‘ancestral land’.

COMMENT Its meeting today ought to make or break its quest to free M'sians from the Gordian knots of race and religion.

LIVE REPORTS Four mystery prosecution rebuttal witnesses take the stand in the sodomy trial today.

FREE YOURSAY 'This is the kind of thing that the police should not permit, instead of disallowing gatherings that support democracy or clean elections.'

FREE YOURSAY 'You go around promoting fairness, but then you condone the actions by Utusan, Ezam and Perkasa.'

FREE VOXPOP 'Hisham, if you are saying the opposition is making up stories, then you better explain the allegations.'