The PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai parliamentarian is the focus of attack for Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today, with the publication dedicating its editorial section to her.

Commenting on her praises for the recently concluded Turkish election, Utusan said that Nurul Izzah should ask her father Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR de facto leader, to step down if she wants Malaysia to enjoy the same.

“If Turkey is to be her political mecca then Nurul Izzah has no choice but to advise Anwar, so that Malaysian politics is free from scandal-ridden leaders.

“Advising her father to step down, too, would not be too much if she really wants to see a peaceful election as in Turkey.

“(Nurul Izzah)’s excitement over being invited as a guest to observe the Turkish elections should not make her forget who the real ‘father of chaos’ in Malaysia is,” it said, blaming Anwar for “riots” in Malaysia since his sacking from the cabinet in 1998.  

English newspapers

The Star reported that in an unprecedented move, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has closed down the controversial Saleng Zoo in Johor.

New Straits Times

front-paged that the Election Commission will use a biometric system, in the form of a thumbprint scanner linked to the MyKad, in the next general election to stop phantom voting.

Also on its front page is news that teachers are now pasting Education Ministry-issued edited excerpts onto nine affected pages of the students' copies of the controversial Form Five school text Interlok , to avoid incurring reprinting costs.   

 

Malay papers

Berita Harian focused on the announcement on the use of the thumbprint scanner which will be linked to the National Registration Department.

Utusan Malaysia led with news that a student from a religious school in Tampin revealed that he was taught to take part in demonstrations and go against police, but was made to take an oath never to expose this, along with 100 others students.

The daily reported that the school administrator, however, denies that it is teaching anti-government sentiments but admits that Jemaah Islamiah leader Abu Bakar Bashir visited the school in 1995.

Sinar Harian headlined that Selangor police chief Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah issued a warning against those who are spreading text messages claiming to instigate racial clashes, using his name.

The text message, which quotes Tun Hisan, states that a group of Indian men attacked Malays with machetes in Klang and is now on the prowl around Kuala Lumpur.  

Editorial

New Straits Times laments the lackadaisical attitude of the police and the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) in stopping taxi touts who prey on tourists at airport and such hubs.

Berita Harian said that the demands of the umbrella body for civil service unions, Cuepacs, is a form of blackmail, and the government should not let this stop it from implementing the new performance evaluation system.   

Among others, Cuepacs want two of its representative to be on the evaluation panel, and for its members to be automatically promoted after passing the competency course.