Army pensioners protest against LTAT land deal

 Rafizi Ramli and a few armed forces pensioners protesting the RM160 million payout from Boustead to Astacanggih and Awan Megah at Wisma Boustead — Picture by Choo Choy May

 KUALA LUMPUR Dec 31 — A group of army pensioners protested in front of Menara Boustead here today over the federal government’s plan to purchase a plot of land in Bukit Raja claiming the move was a form of abuse of power

The group of 15 veterans led by PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli gathered in front of Boustead Holdings Bhd s office in Jalan Raja Chulan holding banners saying “Demi Kroni Deepak dan Rosmah LTAT diperalat” LTAT manipulated for cronies Deepak and Rosmah and “Zahid Hamidi gadai masa depan pencarum LTAT” Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi is selling out the future of LTAT contributors

This protest came amid the move by Boustead a unit of government investment fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera LTAT to buy an 80 per cent stake in businessman Deepak Jaikishan’s company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million as well as a RM130 million piece of land from Awan Megah the firm of Selangor Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Raja Ropiaah Abdullah

“We want today for Boustead and their staff to cooperate and explain the matter to us contributors This is the public s money ” said Mohd Nazari Mokhtar the president of ex-army interest group Sekretariat Kebajikan Rangkaian Bekas Angkatan Tentera KERABAT

 “Those generals who sit in Boustead s board of directors must speak up and not stay silent ” said Datuk Abd Hadi Khatab the adviser for another group Pertubuhan Prihatin Bekas Anggota Keselamatan Malaysia PAHLAWAN

 He was referring to the eight retired army officers who sit on Boustead s board on behalf of LTAT

The Defence Ministry’s LTAT through its investment arm Boustead had last Thursday announced plans to acquire the 200-acre land Awan Megah Sdn Bhd for RM130 million

On top of the land purchase the fund will also buy Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million which Rafizi previously described recently as “outright bribery” and a move meant to silence the businessman from spewing more controversial revelations against the government

The group of pensioners tried to enter Boustead s office on the 28th floor to view the share and land sale agreement documents which are available for public viewing starting today but were stopped by security and staff members

 Boustead staff alleged that only shareholders of the company are allowed to view the documents and not LTAT contributors

 In response to that Rafizi declared that he will buy a unit of Boustead shares himself and return in a few days with a bigger group of army pensioners

Boustead staff members present refused to comment on the incident.

Gobind: Show CCTV tapes in Nagarajan's death

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has been urged to produce the CCTV recordings of the Dang Wangi police headquarters lock-up following the sudden death of odd-job worker K Nagarajan while in police custody.

Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said last month, Hishammuddin's deputy Abu Seman Yusof reported that all police stations are now fully equipped with the cameras.

This came about when the deputy minister was responding to questions over measures taken by the government to reduce incidents at police stations after an Indonesian woman was raped at the Butterworth police station.

Gobind, in a statement, said that in death custody cases like Teoh Beng Hock, Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamad, (while being detained under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and A Kugan had seen lengthy inquiries and public discontent over efforts taken to determine what actually took place.

Following Nagarajan's sudden death, Gobind said now is probably the best time for the Home Minister to produce the recordings in the lock-up.

“If the police have done nothing wrong, then clear them immediately. If the evidence shows otherwise, then those responsible should be charged without any further delay,” the Puchong MP said.

It was reported yesterday that Nagarajan, who was arrested for alleged drug-related offence, died under mysterious circumstances when he fell in the lock-up, leading to family members to cry foul and seeking answers.

He was picked up on Dec 21, and died last Monday before his scheduled court appearance. Nagarajan's uncle, M Krishna Murthie, had said the family was unable to accept the police’s version of events, as there were also mysterious wounds - a deep gash above the left eye, a coin-sized bruise above the right eyebrow and a wound on the right leg. 

“There were no explanations on how Nagarajan could have sustained those wounds,” said Krishna Murthie.  

Purpose of camera

Gobind said that while the family of the deceased are clamouring for answers, they are finding it difficult to find out the actual reasons behind their deaths.

“The purpose of the camera is to deal with problems like these. Apart from reducing opportunities on part of officers to abuse detainees in police stations, it also serves the all-equally important purpose of capturing events on tape so as to reveal the actual events which led to the deaths.

“We have criticised the police so many times over incidents like these. We have demanded measures be taken to ensure incidents like these stop. We have had the Royal Commission of Enquiry making recommendations for change. We have demanded that cameras be put up so as to ensure that all cases involving assault and deaths in custody are made easier to solve with video recordings.”

Hence, he said, now is the opportune time for the Home Minister to produce the evidence.

Standards of evidence

Can you respect my different political faith and beliefs the same way you respect my different religious faith and beliefs, asks Raja Petra.

COMMENT

By Raja Petra Kamarudin

How many of you can claim to be believing what you believe in out of choice? Were you once a Christian from the west who visited India and then fell in love with Hinduism?

Or were you once a Buddhist who studied Islam and then decided that Islam is the true religion after all (and you did not convert because you wanted to marry a Muslim spouse)?

The majority of you believe what you believe because you happened to have been born into that belief system and were raised within that belief system and received an education, or rather an indoctrination, regarding that belief system.

There is a more than a 99% chance that if you had not been not been born a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or whatever, today you would not be a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.

As they say, you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your relatives. You were not given any choice as to which family you would like to be born into. And with that lack of choice as to which family you are to be born into, you also have no choice as to what religion you will be following.

Your family and environment shape your beliefs and you grow up adopting a certain belief system, which you invariably accept as the correct belief system.

Then someone comes along and tells you that you are wrong. You have been misled or misinformed and are a victim of conjecture, superstition, fallacies, and folklore. What you had believed your entire life is false. What you presumed as the truth is not the truth. Truth can be tested and would pass the test. Your beliefs are not founded on truth and therefore cannot pass the truth test.

And this contradiction will upset you. Someone is telling you that you are wrong and this makes you angry. It makes you angry because you are not able to rebut this. You are not able to offer any evidence that what this person is telling you is wrong. And you are also not able to offer any evidence to prove that you are right.

The truth test

Ah, yes, your beliefs cannot be tested or proven. They will not pass the truth test. And that is because your beliefs are based on faith.
Beliefs, in particular religious beliefs, are called faiths — religious faith. The reason they are called religious faiths is because you need to believe based on faith, not based on evidence.
Faith, in a way, can be described as the word to explain lack of evidence. Hence, whenever you fail to prove your beliefs with supporting evidence you classify it under faith. And you can get away with whatever beliefs that lack evidence by calling it faith. It would be considered quite acceptable.
Can I use this same basis of ‘evidence’ in a court of law? Can I sit in the witness box in court and testify that I have faith and hence this faith will be my evidence to support my testimony?
The court can never accept my faith as evidence. Evidence has to be tangible. And tangible evidence must be in the form of documentary evidence or the testimony of an eyewitness.
Even if I were to adduce documentary evidence or quote the testimony of an eyewitness that is not acceptable. I must be the producer or maker of that document. If I am not, then that document will be rejected. The maker himself or herself needs to go to court to testify that he or she is actually the maker of the document. Only then will the document be admitted as evidence.
The same applies to an eyewitness testimony. If I were to relate an incident or the testimony of someone else, that would be mere hearsay. That too is not admissible in court. The eyewitness who told me about the incident or made that statement must personally go to court to testify that he or she saw what happened or heard what was said.
That would be the rules of evidence and the court is very clear on this.
You must have been personally there and you are relating what you saw or else the court cannot accept what you say. Either you personally created that document or else that document cannot be admitted into evidence.
Religion does not work on this basis. Religion is all about hearsay and third party or hand-me-down evidence.
And yet while we will reject such standards of ‘evidence’ in a court of law, we can readily accept it when it comes to religion. And we build our belief system around these so-called standards, which under normal circumstances would be unacceptable.
And based on this system of belief, we will pass judgment and make decisions that affect the life of people.

Applying the test to politics

Millions die because of the decisions we make that under any other (non-religious) situation would be considered unacceptable. Millions over thousands of years have suffered because of a belief system that would be considered silly if it was something that did not come under the classification of religious faith.

And we consider that totally acceptable just because it comes under the category of religious faith.

What if I were to use that same standard of faith and ‘evidence’ and apply it to politics? Can I declare that my political faith is evidence that my political beliefs are right whereas yours are wrong?

Can you respect my different political faith and beliefs the same way you respect my different religious faith and beliefs?

The answer would be a resounding ‘no’! But why can you accept my differing view in one thing such as religion and not accept in another such as politics?

Ah, the answer would be because one comes from God and the other from man. Hence what comes from God can be accepted without question while what comes from man needs to be questioned.

That, of course, would apply if you can prove that religion came from God and not from man. But can you prove that? Well, you do not need to prove it because faith does not need proof. And I will just have to take your word for it and believe that without question.

And they tell me that slavery has been abolished. Actually religion is slavery.
Raja Petra Kamarudin is the editor of Malaysia Today blog. He is currently living in the UK.

Rajagobal unfazed by racists taunts

G Lavendran

The Malaysian football coach also said that just as Rome was not built in a day, to produce a good team capable of winning trophies takes years of hardwork.

PETALING JAYA: The adage “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is what national coach K Rajagobal held on to when he became the target of a stinging racist attack by some Malaysian supporters after the national squad lost their opening match against Singapore at the AFF Suzuki Cup earlier this month.

“Being a Malaysian, that should not have happened. I am definitely disappointed, but not all Malaysians are like that. Only those few who were probably instigated to say such things.”

“This will not bother me. My life is football. It is for the country. I know I am doing the right thing so I need not worry about all this racist thing,” Rajagobal, 57, told FMT in an interview yesterday.

Rajagobal is not new to Malaysian soccer. He played for numerous local clubs and state teams in the Malaysian semi-professional league from 1978 until 1989. He is also a former national striker, with 20 international caps between 1980 and 1983.

As a manager, he started his coaching career in 1990 with PKNS FC. He also had stints with the Selangor and Kelantan state teams. He was given the job to guide the national under-20 team from 2004 until 2006, the Malaysian under-19 in 2007 to 2009 and was appointed national team coach in July 2009.

Rajagobal is best known for guiding Malaysia’s under-23 side to its first gold medal in 20 years at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos. The victory earned him the name “King Raja”. He also led the Malaysia national football team to win the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2010.

Prior to his appointment as national team coach the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had tried out many coaches including some foreign names. But none had brought such fame and glory to the national football team in recent times.

This year, the Malaysian team was however knocked out of the Suzuki Cup after they lost to Thailand in the two-leg semifinals.

Soon after their first game loss to Singapore by a 0-3 margin, several Malaysian supporters called for the sacking of Rajagobal via Twitter, some using foul language and derogatory names, including racists comments.

The team subsequently bounced back beating Laos and Indonesia in the group stages to land a semifinal spot.

Need to build from young

On the Malaysian team, Rajagobal said a good team capable of winning trophies is not made in a year or two.

“It took us 20-years to win the Sea Games again in 2009 and 14 years to win the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2010, Rome was not built in a day. We are now feared and well known, we have stepped up our game.”

“Obviously, we cannot compare our national squad to the European giants. It does not make sense. Even if you wanted to compare with England, they last won the World Cup in 1966. It has been about 46-years since they last won the World Cup…what do you have to say to that?”

“Our players have to improve, they are not even at Asian standards. We have to accept the reality that it doesn’t take a year or two to bring out the best in our players, or to win championships,” he said.

Rajagobal believes that building a good and consistent squad, starts from the core, which is young players.

He said the national youth squads, under-23 and downwards, have to perform and step up to a whole new level, bringing forth well groomed players to the national squad and give Malaysia a more consistent track record and help climb up in the ranks of footballing nations.

On his future, he said quitting the national squad was not an option. Speculation was abound the Rajagobal will throw in the towel after the Suzuki Cup defeat.

“It is my dream to build a strong team and try to qualify for the Asian Games by merit. We are going to do well. As a professional, I will fulfil my contract till 2013. I will only be answerable to my bosses in FAM, so I will continue to coach the national squad.”

“I am glad that we have managed to create support from our fans. They are now behind us every time we play. I think FAM is doing a good job so far under the leadership of Sultan Ahmad Shah. He has a lot of love and passion for the game and the Malaysian team.”

“The Malaysian football squad manager, Subahan Kamal is also giving us the support we need and would like to bring home more championship trophies as a token of appreciation to the country and its supporters,” he added.

Give credit where due

The Malaysian Tigers will participate in the Asian Games qualifiers in February next year.

On the Suzuki Cup defeat, he said the team played well and that the players must be given due credit.

“Our best game was against Thailand, but we were unlucky. We had five key players injured. Mainly Wan Zack Haikal, Mohd Safie Mohd Sali, Mohd Khyril Muhymeen, Ahmad Shakir Mohd Ali and Kunalan Subramaniam, on top of the red card awarded to our defender Mohd Fadhli Mohd Shas. It wasn’t easy but they played their best.”

“We obviously played better at home than in Thailand during the second leg. We had a tough time during training due to the bad conditions on the training pitch provided, but I’m not going to make that an excuse”, he added.

Saying that winning a championship is much easier than defending it, he said consistency of players was another reason for the flop.

RM100 mill mystery : Lets meet, NIAT tells MIC

B Nantha Kumar

December 22, 2012            

A local NGO wants MIC to explain why an alleged RM90 million meant for Tamil schools was returned to the government.

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Indian Rights Action Team (NIAT) wants to meet MIC leaders to trash out issues pertaining to the RM100 million allocation for Tamil schools nationwide.

NIAT chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, they will be sending MIC and official letter requesting them to attend a meeting on January 5 at the Soma Hall in Menara Manickavasagan here.

He said in addition, NIAT will also invite other Indian officials like Pemandu director D Raveendran and the head of Tamil school development Dr NS Rajendran for the meeting.

“Our office bearers will be present. We hope MIC leaders will also attend.  We believe the proposed talk will only strengthen the community as this is a community issue. So we hope MIC would not overlook the matter due to political differences,” he said.

Thasleem said the Indians are still fighting for fundamental rights like education and job opportunities and there is an urgent need to find out why monies allocated for Tamil schools repairs were allegedly returned to the government.

“It is time that MIC leaders explain the situation and listen to feedback from the community with regards to allocations to upgrade and improve the condition of Tamil schools.

“Both the Chinese and the Tamil schools were each provided with a special allocation of RM100 million.

“While the Chinese schools have fully utilised the funds, the money for the Tamil schools is still a mystery,” Thasleem said.

In the 2012 budget, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak awarded RM100mil to 369 partially-aided Tamil schools in the country.

The funds for Tamil schools were channeled through the MIC.

Silent Palani

However media reports claimed that only RM10million had reached the schools and the balance RM90 million was returned to the Education Ministry.

“We have checked with some Education Ministry top officials about the funds. And we came to a conclusion that MIC does not have details of the fund and how it was spent.

“So, we like to initiate talks with the MIC to sort-out matters which has dragged on for the last three years,” said Thasleem.

He pointed out that it was not enough just asking the government for funds, it was also important that MIC has details of how much was spent on a certain school to avoid duplication.

In recent days, several parties have questioned the whereabouts of the remaining RM90 million. Thus far MIC president G Palanivel has been silent on the issue.

Two weeks ago Palanivel, at the MIC annual general assembly, requested Najib to allocate RM350 million a year, for the next three years, to upgrade all the 523 Tamil schools in the country.

Hot tar poured on Indian lorry driver,but denied socso pension

URGENT:Every Indian must share this on wall as to campaign for this poor man who bully by welfare department.

Screw you, Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim

As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue,” National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim said.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

You can read the full news item from Free Malaysia Today below. I just want to talk about this part:

National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, who accompanied the family, said he sympathised with the family’s loss. “As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue,” he said.

Why must these idiots always say ‘according to Islam’, or ‘according to the Qur’an’, or ‘as a Muslim’, and so on? Is Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim trying to say that murder is only a sin in Islam but for all the other religions murder is allowed? Is murder wrong only according to the Qura’n whereas all the other ‘holy books’ condone murder?

Muslims just love to say something and then equate it to their faith or religious teachings. They try to impress us as to how noble and sincere Islam is -- meaning that since they are followers of Islam then this would also mean that they too are noble and sincere.

People can see what type of religion Islam is. You do not need to try to impress people by foaming at the mouth telling us what Islam allows and forbids. People will not judge you by the foam spitting out of your mouth. People will judge you by your actions.

If you keep reminding people that you do this good thing or that good thing because you are a Muslim and that this is what Islam or the Qur’an tells you to do, then when you do something bad people will also be reminded that you are a Muslim.

Why not Muslims stop telling us that they are Muslims? Stop telling us that we must do this or must do that because this is what Islam or the Qur’an tells us we must do. Stop boasting about Islam and about how good the teachings of Islam are and hence since I am a Muslim that means I am a good person.

If you stop doing all that then maybe when Muslims do bad things people will stop blaming Islam for it.

Murder is wrong. You do not need a holy book like the Qur’an or a religion like Islam to teach us that it is wrong. Can’t you just as a human being oppose murder? Why must you oppose murder because you are a Muslim? So why bring Islam into this? If you bring Islam into everything then corrupted people will be identified as corrupted Muslims.

But when that happens you do not like it. You do not like Islam being associated with bad deeds. It is the person and not Islam that is at fault, you will say. But then who is the one associating everything with Islam if not the Muslims themselves?

‘DAP blinded by lust for Putrajaya’

Gerakan points out a lack of debate on Penang issues at last weekend’s congress.

GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan today accused DAP of allowing its Putrajaya vision to distract it from its responsibilities towards the people of Penang.

The lust for federal power and the lack of concern for Penang were apparent in the tone of speeches at DAP’s recent national congress, said Thor Teong Gee, a member of Gerakan’s Penang liaison committee.

He said most of the delegates to the congress spoke about reaching Putrajaya but made no mention of issues affecting Penang, such as the lack of affordable housing, worsening traffic congestion, rising living costs, environmental degradation and social polarisation.

“Penang is to DAP like Penang is to Gerakan,” Thor said. “We are alive as a political entity only if we have control of the state.”

He also noted the delegates’ failure to criticise the DAP leadership, saying this showed they lacked the boldness of delegates at assemblies conducted by Barisan Nasional parties.

He acknowledged that BN had often been described as dictatorial, but claimed that the most intense criticism against the coalition came from its members.

“You hardly heard of anyone criticising the leaders in DAP,” he said. “Are they truly beyond reproach? One fellow spoke about money politics, but this was denied during the winding up stage.”

Another local Gerakan leader also criticised last weekend’s congress, joining the chorus condemning the delegates’ failure to elect enough non-Chinese candidates to DAP’s central executive committee to back the party’s claim that it is multiracial.

With the 13th general election looming and the DAP leadership trying to remove the party’s stigma of being a Chinese-based party, the delegates should have known better, said Wong Mun Hoe, vice chairman of Penang Gerakan.

The only non-Chinese elected to the committee were two Punjabis and one Tamil, he pointed out.

Asked if he felt the result of the DAP election would influence the decision of Penang voters in the coming general election, Wong said: “Penang folk may cause a two or three surprises. That is the beauty of elections in a swing state like Penang.”

DAP Melayu patut keluar parti – Zainal

Katanya, mereka perlu berbuat demikian kerana DAP secara terang-terangan tidak mahu kaum Melayu berada dalam kepimpinan parti itu.

GEORGE TOWN: Anggota dan penyokong DAP Melayu harus keluar dan meninggalkan parti itu demi mempertahankan maruah agama dan bangsa mereka, kata Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Negeri Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman hari ini.

Katanya, mereka perlu berbuat demikian kerana DAP secara terang-terangan tidak mahu kaum Melayu berada dalam kepimpinan parti itu.

“Perwakilan DAP telahpun memberi isyarat bahawa mereka tidak mahu pemimpin Melayu menyertai barisan Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Pusat (CEC) apabila menyingkir semua calon-calon Melayu dalam pemilihan parti itu,”

Beliau berkata pelantikan dua wakil Melayu oleh CEC iaitu Senator Ariffin S.M Omar dan Setiausaha Politik Lim Guan Eng Zairil Khir Johari adalah sekadar ‘mengambil hati’ setelah perwakilan menyingkirkan semua calon Melayu.

Pada pemilihan CEC baru-baru ini, kesemua lapan calon Melayu termasuk pejuang DAP Melayu Ahmad Ton kalah teruk dan Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng kemudiannya mengumumkan pelantikan Ariffin dan Zairil dalam CEC.

`Boneka’

“Kita tahu kedua-dua pemimpin Melayu itu hanya akan menjadi boneka mereka dan mereka dipergunakan untuk menghina bangsa sendiri,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, sebagai buktinya Ariffin telah menghina orang Melayu dengan mendakwa bahawa kegiatan rasuah di negara ini berpunca daripada pemonopolian Melayu dalam perkhidmatan awam.

Zainal berkata, Ariffin mungkin tidak sedar bahawa dia digunakan oleh DAP supaya menghina bangsanya sendiri dan ditertawakan oleh kaum lain di negara ini.

Katanya senario sama dapat dilihat apabila pakatan pembangkang mengambil alih kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang, dengan hanya melantik dua wakil Melayu dari parti PKR dan memberi potfolio yang tidak penting.

Beliau berkata, PAS pula bersikap mementingkan diri dan tidak pernah bersuara untuk membantah sebarang tindakan yang menghina kaum sendiri demi menjaga kepentingan untuk bersekongkol dengan DAP.

Bernama

No aid: PTAs shell MIC

Several Parent Teachers' Associations of partially-aided Tamil schools deprived of government aid vent their frustration on MIC.

PETALING JAYA: Several partially-aided Tamil schools’ Parent Teachers’ Associations (PTA) in Selangor and Perak have decried MIC’s decision to drop their schools from receiving government aid.

Ladang West Country (Timur) Tamil school PTA chairman M Vinayagamurthy said it was not right for the largest Indian political party to strike out his school from the list.

“What did we do wrong? Our student number is increasing and there is lack of space for them to study. This is not right,” he told FMT.

The school has about 400 students and was supposed to receive RM500,000 for maintenance works.

On Monday, SS2 Tengah MIC branch chairman S Padnmanagan accused party president G Palanivel of depriving allocations to 145 partially-aided Tamil schools in the country.

“In the original list presented to the Cabinet in February, it was stated that RM100 million allocation would be channelled to 369 partially-aided Tamil schools nationwide for three categories, namely maintenance and upgrade, building additional blocks and building new schools.

“But in a revision done by MIC in May, the party leadership reduced the number of schools to 224. What happened to the rest?” asked Padnmanagan.

However, MIC Youth chief T Mohan defended his boss, saying the funds were handled by the Education Ministry and the party merely prepared the list of schools in need of aid.

Vinayagamurthy said the school’s administration and the PTA did a lot of work to get the funding.

“We want to know why this happened. If the government had allocated the sum for us, why was it not given? Give us a reason,” he said.

MIC should not handle funds

Ladang Rinching Tamil School PTA chairman R Chandran was more vocal, saying that MIC should not handle funds for Tamil schools from now on.

“If the government has decided to help us, who is MIC to stop it?’” he asked.

His school has about 500 students and was supposed to receive RM140,000 for roof repairs, upgrading its classrooms and plumbing works for its toilets.

Chandran urged the government to allocate the funds straight to the PTAs in future.

“We are prepared to be audited on a regular basis but do allocate the aid to us. Come and visit my school and see for yourself how badly we are in need of government aid,” he said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by a St Philomena Convent Tamil School PTA official.

“I’m not surprised. We were promised RM85,000 earlier and it was also announced by newspapers that we have received it but till now, we have seen nothing,” said the official who wished to remain anonymous.

He added that so far only MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek had fulfilled his promise, when he allocated RM20,000 for the school for some repair works.

“As for this case, I don’t understand why MIC needs to drop our school if the government has approved funds for us,” he said.

The school has about 400 students and was supposed to receive RM15,000 for maintenance works.

However, Ladang Changkat Salak Tamil School PTA chairman M Sathiaseelan defended MIC, saying that the party and the government had helped procure funds for the school annually.

“We received RM8,000 grant for our school and another additional RM5,000 just recently. Probably they withdrew the funds to help other schools which are in dire need,” he said.

Sathiaseelan’s school has about 50 students and was supposed to receive RM15,000 for maintenance works.

Palanivel is also the MIC chairman for both Selangor and Perak.

Police killed my brother’

The family of a man who died in custody wants to know why the police did not investigate the cause of his death some three weeks ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-year-old M Supamma broke down in tears in front of the Bukit Aman police headquarters today, demanding an explanation over her son’s sudden death while in police custody on Nov 22.

“They did not let me see him. When I saw him in court, he could barely speak. He could only raise his hand to wave at me. I asked them [the police], why isn’t my son talking to me?” she said.

She said a police officer, on duty to watch over her son in court, told her that S Krishnan had a head injury and was weak.

“I fainted after seeing my son like that,” a sobbing Supamma told reporters. She was at Bukit Aman to hand over a memorandum asking the police to set up a task force to investigate her son’s death in custody.

Supamma is a mother of three and Krishnan was her youngest. Suppama said she was devastated and was unable to accept that her son had died.

Krishnan, 34, worked at a sanitary company at Taman Tun Dr Ismail with his brother Palanisamy, 39.

Palanisamy said his brother was first arrested on Nov 8 in front of Block A PPRT Section 8, Kota Damansara. He was on his way back from work when he was asked to perform a urine test for suspected drug use.

“He tried to loosen his pants following orders from plainclothes policemen, but accidentally dropped his pants. He was assaulted and beaten up by the policeman for this.

“According to witnesses, his shirt was drenched in blood as a result of the beating,” he added.

Palanisamy claimed the policemen gave him a different shirt before he was brought to the police station. He was then remanded at the Shah Alam police station.

On Nov 20, Krishnan was produced at the Petaling Jaya magistrate’s court where he was ordered to be sent to Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, for observation.

However, Krishnan was only sent to the hospital on Nov 22, lifeless.

‘Can you give me my brother back?‘

According to the post-mortem report, the cause of death was septicemia. Septicemia is bacteria in the blood caused by infections; in Krishnan’s case, it was caused by open wounds to both his wrists.

“In the last few months, Krishnan was regularly tested for drugs. At least three to four times each month, but all of the tests proved negative. Also, he has had no previous records of drug abuse,” said Palanisamy.

He said a police report on Krishnan’s death was lodged by the family on Nov 22, urging the authorities to investigate the cause of his brother’s death.

At this point, Palanisamy started crying hysterically screaming: “The police have killed my brother. Can you give me my brother back? Who is going to take care of my mother now?”

National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, who accompanied the family, said he sympathised with the family’s loss.

“As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue,” he said.

Krishnan’s family lawyer, G Sivamalar, said the police can only use reasonable force if the suspect resists arrest.

“But in this case witnesses say Krishnan did not resist arrest but was beaten up when he accidentally dropped his pants during the urine test. This is not fair and just,” she added.

Supamma handed over the memorandum to ACP Jahangir who represented the police force at the gates of the police headquarters. Also present with the family today was PKR leader R Sivarasa.

Indian community must go for change

There is also no reason why Indians who have stayed here for decades, speak BM and had contributed to the economic growth are denied citizenship, says Chua Jui Meng.

COMMENT
                                                                                By Chua Jui Meng


Pakatan Rakyat is fully committed to ensuring that it is a warrior for all Malaysians. When Pakatan is given the mandate by the people to govern Malaysia after the next general election, it will be a government for all the people, irrespective of race.

Our commitment was displayed at the National Registration Department (NRD) in Putrajaya on Dec 12 that was disrupted by MIC gangsters.

Pakatan’s Malay, Chinese and Indian leaders and MPs from PKR, PAS and DAP supported the 1,000-people protest by stateless Indians who were born in Malaysia or had stayed in the country for decades.

As usual, the NRD director-general Jariah Mohd Said only had technical excuses for the problem.

We told her in no uncertain terms that all born in Malaysia are automatic citizens by operation of law and they must be granted citizenship with blue identity cards.

There is also no reason why Indians who have stayed here for decades, speak Bahasa Malaysia and had contributed to the nation’s economic growth are denied citizenship.

Why are foreigners like Bangldeshis, Pakistanis and Moros (from the Philippines’ Mindanao) who cannot even speak Bahasa Malaysia are given instant citizenship?

We demanded that the NRD resolve the plight of the stateless Indians in Malaysia quickly because the situation is unacceptable.

There was a case of a stateless Indian in his 80s who was asked by a NRD clerk to pay RM100 for an identity card. What’s this about?

There was also a case of a Perakian who alleged that the MIC demanded RM1,000 to have his identity card changed back to blue.

He had renewed his identity card but it was changed from blue to red for reasons only best known to the NRD.

Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has pledged that a Pakatan federal government would be administered with the principles of justice.

The Indian community must go for change in the next general election to ensure that their future is secure.

Only cronies make it big

After 55 years of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN), where are we socially and economically?

Even the majority of rural and urban Malays are suffering and living in poverty with rising cost of living.

Only Umno and BN leaders, their families and cronies are rich or super rich.

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s son, Mirzan bought controlling stakes in the world’s biggest beer brewer San Miguel of the Philippines and Petron, formerly Esso. How could Mirzan afford the purchases?

Another of Mahathir’s son, Mokhzani is the boss of Kencana Petrolium, another oil and gas industry player.

Mahathir, who is still influential in Petronas, is now trying to have his other son, Mukhriz, a deputy international trade and industry minister, installed as prime minister.

We and Malaysia will be sucked dry of our wealth if we do not stop Umno and its cronies.

Why is Singapore able to distribute annual cash payouts for its citizens but not Malaysia? That’s because Singapore does not privatise its projects while Malaysian projects are all privatised to benefit cronies.

The Indians can help change all these by giving Pakatan and Anwar the chance to implement all its people-centric policies to reform the government that truly serves all Malaysians and the country.

Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.