The Malaysian Insider :: Malaysia

A Cabinet snub leads to a restless BN

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:26:24 GMT

ANALYSIS, May 18 – When Datuk Seri Najib Razak decided to name 12 East Malaysians to the Cabinet this week, the prime minister was recognising their contribution to ensuring a majority for a Barisan Nasional (BN) government. The BN chairman’s move was to please the Sabah and Sarawak parties which did better than most of the peninsula-based ...

Kedah to stop logging pending review: Mukhriz

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:56:15 GMT

ALOR SETAR, May 18 – The Kedah government will temporarily cease all logging activities in the state pending a study on their impact on the environment and the people’s livelihood, said Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir. He said this followed complaints from villagers that logging activities in their areas had affected the supply and quality of ...

Putrajaya does not endorse but won’t block ‘buy Chinese last’ campaign, says minister

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:31:04 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 – Putrajaya does not approve a campaign to boycott Chinese businesses initiated by pro-Umo bloggers and backed by several Muslim groups, Datuk Hasan Malek said today but the new Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism minister added that he cannot block their right to do so. Several pro-Umno bloggers and the Muslim ...

Malaysia can become great through balanced education: Idris

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:57:45 GMT

BESUT, May 18 – Education and Higher Learning Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh is confident that Malaysia can become a great nation through a good and balanced education process. He said balance between education and character for a developing country like Malaysia was necessary because it was already practised by peaceful and developed ...

Exco appointment not an issue of being subservient, says Johor MB

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:29:22 GMT

JOHOR BAHARU, May 18 – Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has emphasised there is no issue of any representative or race being subservient in the appointment of Johor state executive councillors. This is because the state government formed under Barisan Nasional (BN) was based on the concept of cooperation and consensus among all ...

IPF confident PM recognises 22-year support: Sambanthan

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:21:08 GMT

PUTRAJAYA, May 18 – The Indian Progressive Front (IPF) is confident that Datuk Seri Najib Razak will give due recognition to the party, following Barisan Nasional’s (BN) triumph at the 13th General Election (GE13). IPF president Datuk M. Sambanthan said the prime minister who fostered the spirit of ‘nambikkai’ (trust) among members of the party ...

Umno rebels under investigations for sabotage, results next week

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:56:05 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 – Umno has cast its eye inwards to weed out troublemakers within the party that had wrecked its candidates’ campaign for the May 5 polls, and the results of its investigations are expected to be known by next week. The ruling Malay party had sacked 61 party members nationwide who had run as independents on April 22 for ...

Student activist arrested under Sedition Act

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:49:07 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 – Student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim was arrested this afternoon under the Sedition Act that his lawyer believes is due to his remarks at a forum on May 13. Adam Adli, 24 (picture), had apparently told a forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this week that Malaysians “cannot wait for five years to ...

Abolish Senate, says Karpal

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:04:46 GMT

GEORGE TOWN, May 18 — DAP chairman Karpal Singh said today the Federal Constitution should be amended to abolish the Senate. “There is no need for the Senate. It is an unnecessary expense required to be borne by the people. It does not serve a useful purpose. “It only encourages those who have been rejected by the people or others to be brought ...

Jala’s comments, Ahmad Maslan’s finance post show looming GST, says DAP

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:15:15 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — The DAP has warned Malaysians that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) could be implemented soon following Datuk Seri Idris Jala’s comments on the broad-based tax and the appointment of Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan as deputy finance minister. Jala, who is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, told a forum ...

AirAsia X CEO’s Utusan comments raise troubling responses

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:01:19 GMT

COMMENT, May 18 — In the mainstream media, AirAsia X chief executive Azran Osman Rani is being vilified for expressing disgust at Utusan Malaysia’s blatant racism against the Chinese community in the aftermath of Election 2013. But Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s declaration that Malaysians unhappy with the election results can leave ...

Nine Perak state exco members sworn in

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:18:49 GMT

KUALA KANGSAR, May 18 — Nine Perak state assemblymen today took their oaths of office as members of the State Executive Council at Istana Iskandariah, Bukit Chandan here. The swearing-in ceremony and the pledge of loyalty as well as the oath of secrecy were carried out before the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah. Six of those appointed are ...

Waythamoorthy says he’s a ‘performer

Sat, 18 May 2013 03:33:07 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P. Waythamoorthy has dismissed criticism following his government appointment last Wednesday. He was named deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, despite being head of the Indian rights movement that organised a mass protest in 2007 against the Barisan Nasional (BN) ...

No compromise with opposition on street protests, says Zahid

Sat, 18 May 2013 03:03:08 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Putrajaya will not compromise but will take stern action against Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if it foments chaos on the streets, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi . Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia reported Ahmad Zahid today as saying that prevention was better than cure, after tens of thousands of Malaysians thronged ...

Paul Low blasted as BN ‘apologist’ over media remarks as anti-graft minister

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:24:26 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Datuk Paul Low came under the DAP’s hammer today for what the opposition branded as his first “failure” in the transparency test over remarks in several media interviews on the heels of his appointment to the Cabinet. The new minister was accused by opposition MP Tony Pua of being an “apologist” for rationalising the ...

Discontent in BN parties over Cabinet posts

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:56:47 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — All is not well among Barisan Nasional (BN) parties over the distribution of Cabinet posts as Sarawak’s PRS has decided to reject its appointments while SPDP is also upset its four federal wins did not get the party anything. Several senior Sabah Umno MPs are also grumbling that they were overlooked in the Cabinet ...

MCA may need to accept other races, says Donald Lim

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:59:38 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — The MCA may have to open its party membership to other races after its worst result in history in Election 2013 as it cannot just bank on the Chinese vote, says the party’s Selangor chief Datuk Donald Lim. He said the Chinese component party under the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government should look at the bigger picture ...

Youths killed in car-van collision

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:34 GMT

PASIR PUTEH, May 17 — Two youths died in separate hospitals early today, when the car they were travelling in with two friends, collided head-on with a van in Bukit Yong here last night. Fadzhilhafizie Zakaria, 26, who was driving the car, was pronounced dead about 3am at the Jerteh Hospital. The other, Tuan Mohd Rizuan Zakaria, also 26, died at ...

TNB: Beware of imposters

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:22:55 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has advised the public to be wary of those posing as TNB workers or contractors. In a statement here today, it said a TNB staff or contractor was obliged to wear a uniform (red T-shirt, blue jacket with logo and name) while carrying out an official task. “They (TNB staff) can only inspect the ...

Three to be charged for election related offences

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:10:20 GMT

PUTRAJAYA, May 17 — Deputy Solicitor-General II Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah said three men will charged in the magistrate’s courts for committing election related offences. One would be charged in the magistrate’s court in Yan, Kedah on Sunday for intentionally causing hurt to the complainant armed with a knife, he told a press conference ...

Ghani committed no offence during GE13 campaign, says Singapore

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:35:25 GMT

SINGAPORE, May 17 — The Singapore authorities have clarified there was no offence on the part of former Johor menteri besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman when he visited the republic during the campaigning period for Malaysia’s 13th General Election (GE13). In response to media queries and a police report on Ghani allegedly canvassing for votes in ...

Tunku Aziz to Anwar: Get on your rickety bike and ride into sunset

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:29:31 GMT

PETALING JAYA, May 17 — Former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim has this advice for Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim: “Get on your rickety political bicycle and ride into the sunset!” He said this when urging the government to apply the full force of the law to prevent nationwide illegal rallies which protest against the ...

Jamil: Muslims should forget ideological differences

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:59:16 GMT

GURUN, May 17 — Muslims in this country should forget their political ideology differences heightened during the recent 13th general election campaign and reunite now for the sake of unity of the ummah (Muslim community), said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharum. He said Muslims must not drag on or prolong ...

Mukhriz: Put aside political beliefs, help develop Kedah

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:56:46 GMT

JERLUN, May 17 — Kedahans have been urged to put aside their political beliefs and forget conflicts during the 13th general election (GE13) campaign and focus on developing the state. Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said various polemics and split among society occurred because politics were extensively discussed by the people and mass ...

Call to instill national reconciliation through education

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:47:22 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The emphasis on unity in education and sports in schools could help achieve national reconciliation as aspired by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said Malaysian Teachers Foundation Berhad chairman Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom. “Through education under one roof, students could learn, eat and carry out activities together. I also feel ...

Youth killed during karaoke session at Terminal 2, Seremban

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:18:24 GMT

SEREMBAN, May 17 — A youth was slashed to death when he went to check on a quarrel involving a group of people at a karaoke centre in Terminal 2 here early today. In the incident, Mohd Hairulnizam Hanafiah, 23, sustained a neck injury and collapsed. He was sent to the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital where he succumbed to the injury about 2am. District ...

Parties in girl’s citizenship civil suit to settle

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:58:04 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The High Court has asked the parties involved in the legal battle over a 13-year-old girl’s citizenship to look into settlement. The girl’s counsel Annou Xavier told reporters that judge Rosilah Yop had asked the parties to do so after the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) findings confirmed that the girl’s biological father was ...

‘Indian community should accept Waytha’s appointment’

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:29:13 GMT

PUTRAJAYA, May 17 — The MIC respected the prime minister’s decision to appoint Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P.Waythamoorthy as a deputy minister although the party held a different view, said MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam. Hence, he urged the Indian community including MIC members to accept the appointment of ...

MCA members told to respect party’s decision on Cabinet posts

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:05:19 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Selangor MCA Publicity Bureau chief Datuk Yap Pian Hon has urged MCA members to respect the party’s decision to stay out of all Cabinet posts. “Party members had unanimously passed a resolution at the 2011 and 2012 annual general assemblies to decline all government posts should MCA’s performance in GE13 (13th General ...

DAP picks two assemblymen for Exco posts

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:48:16 GMT

SHAH ALAM, May 17 — DAP today confirmed that former Selangor legislative assembly speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim and Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah have been chosen to represent the party in the Selangot state executive council (Exco) line up. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in a statement said he had acceded to Teng’s request who ...

R&R Dengkil, Rawang to be temporarily closed

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:29:12 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The rest and recreation (R&R) areas in Dengkil and Rawang will be temporarily closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Berhad (PLUS) in a statement today. R&R Dengkil northbound at North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) will be closed on Tuesday from 9am to 5pm. Meanwhile, R&R Dengkil ...

Police says rally tomorrow illegal, DCM I says it is not

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:25:33 GMT

GEORGE TOWN, May 17 — The Penang Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government has decided to circumvent the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 by turning tomorrow’s planned rally into a “state government function” after it failed to obtain a permit from the police. Deputy Chief Minister I Mohd Rashid Hasnon told a press conference today that since PR could not ...

Constables jailed, fined for graft

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:20:45 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Two constables were each jailed 14 days and fined RM10,000 by the Sessions Court here today after they were found guilty of soliciting and accepting a RM200 bribe from a businessman in connection with a traffic offence. Hakim Rozilah Salleh ordered the two accused, Herman Latui and Mohammad Hassim Mustapa, both 27, to ...

Hot, dry weather expected to persist until September

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:03:05 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The hot and dry weather is expected to persist until September following the Southwest Monsoon season, which has commenced on May 15. The Meteorological Department in a statement here today, said that during the season, most parts of the country would experience more days without rain. At the same time, the cloud cover will ...

Paul Low says is powerless, will bank on PM’s stature to fight graft

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:52:42 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 - Datuk Paul Low said today he was hoping to rely on the prime minister’s stature to enable him to fight corruption, admitting that he has no enforcement powers. The newly-minted minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who used to helm graft watchdog Transparency-International Malaysia (TI-M), said that his job was only ...

UiTM alumni lodges report denying Karpal’s claim

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:33:11 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Alumni Association has lodged a police report denying an allegation that one of the panellists at its discourse on Sunday had uttered seditious remarks. Its secretary-general, Shukri Ishak, denied the criticism levelled at former Appeals Court judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah by DAP chairman ...

Sedition charge against Sri Muda assemblyman stands

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:26:12 GMT

PUTRAJAYA, May 17 — The sedition charge against Sri Muda state assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei over alleged blog postings stands. This follows a decision of the Court of Appeal here today to dismiss his appeal to have his sedition charge struck out. Mat Shuhaimi wanted his sedition charge be struck out as he disputed the constitutionality of ...

Khairy defends Zahid, says ‘migrate’ call was personal view, not Putrajaya’s

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:58:16 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — New minister Khairy Jamaluddin came to the defence of his senior Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today, saying the home minister was merely expressing his own opinion in telling Malaysians unhappy with the country’s political system to migrate elsewhere. Ahmad Zahid, who had swapped his defence portfolio for home affairs, had ...

Strip ex-judge of positions for racist remarks, Kit Siang tells new Cabinet

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:36:39 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The newly sworn-in Cabinet should strip Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah of all his government positions, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said today when slamming the former Court of Appeal judge’s defence of his allegedly racist and seditious remarks. “I do not think Najib and the new Cabinet should wait for another four weeks to take ...

‘Haram’ to protest through ‘illegitimate channels’, Muslims told

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:27:03 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — It is “haram” to rebel and fight against the nation’s leaders, including by protesting their decisions through “illegitimate channels”, Muslims nationwide were told today in the official Friday sermons prepared by the federal government. This comes as a series of rallies called “Black 505” are held nationwide by Pakatan ...

Government company applauds Cabinet appointment in full-page ads, draws flak

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:19:02 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The government company set up to build affordable homes for the lower-income group was criticised today after it paid for full-page advertisements in Umno’s Utusan Malaysia and the MCA’s The Star to congratulate Datuk Husni Hanadzlah on his reappointment as second finance minister. The advertisements by Syarikat Perumahan ...

Autopsy report disputes police account of fatal shooting, family’s lawyers say

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:28:48 GMT

PETALING JAYA, May 17 — Post-mortem reports suggest that two men gunned down by police in a shootout in Cheras last year were kneeling when they were shot, lawyers acting for the deceased duo’s families said today. N. Surendran, also Padang Serai MP, said that most of the multiple gunshot wounds on the victims’ bodies had downward trajectories, ...

Malaysians among world’s most bigoted, survey shows

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:15:16 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 ― Malaysians are among the least racially-tolerant people in the world, according to a survey by Swedish economists, who also revealed those from India, Bangladesh and Hong Kong as the most racist. Researchers for the World Values Survey had aimed to determine whether racial tolerance was linked to free-market economics. To ...

DAP: Chang Khim, Ean Yong to join Selangor exco

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:01:54 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The DAP’s Teng Chang Khim and Ean Yong Hian Wah will be part of the Selangor executive council, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng announced today. Lim said Teng (picture) would be leaving his last post as Selangor Speaker to join the state executive council headed by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, while Seri Kembangan ...

Nik Nazmi charged over Kelana Jaya rally, risks disqualification as lawmaker

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:46:46 GMT

PETALING JAYA, May 17 — PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was today charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 with failing to give the police 10 days’ notice for the post-election rally at the Kelana Jaya stadium on May 8. The PKR communications director pleaded not guilty when the charge under section 9 (1) of the Act was read out to him in the ...

DAP slams Zahid’s ‘arrogance and contempt’ for unhappy Malaysians

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:00:00 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is denying Malaysians the right to a better voting system by telling them to migrate if they are unhappy with Malaysia’s first-past-the-post system, the DAP’s Tony Pua said today. The DAP publicity chief pointed out that although the first-past-the-post system allows political ...

Rafizi says Pakatan to press for EC reform ‘in court, in the streets, in Parliament’

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:20:34 GMT

GEORGE TOWN, May 17 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will continue to pressure the government for the Election Commission (EC) to be completely reformed if Malaysia wants to see a clean election the next time around, said PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli. Speaking at a forum on the facts behind PR’s win in popular votes for Election 2013 here last ...

Many ways to a new BN, says writer

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:33:08 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The poor showing of the MCA and MIC in the last two general elections has led to calls for a rethinking of the Barisan Nasional (BN) model, The Straits Times reported today. In an article in the Singapore daily, James Chin wrote that some 71 per cent of Malaysians want BN to relook its racial approach of treating Umno as ...

Hoping for better in a new Cabinet of old ideas

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:01:26 GMT

COMMENT, May 17 — When pushed against the wall, both Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak have reacted similarly. Back then, just days after Election 2008, after losing Barisan Nasional’s (BN) traditional two-thirds control of Parliament and four states apart from Kelantan, Abdullah was eager to try and fend off calls from within ...

Malaysia is sixth most vulnerable country in the world for cyber crime

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:42:12 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 – Malaysia is the sixth most vulnerable country in the world for cyber crime, in the form of malware attacks, through the computer or smartphone. CyberSecurity Malaysia Research vice president Lt Col (R) Sazali Sukardi said the Sophos Security Threat Report 2013 found, in a period of three months this year, that besides ...