Dr Chua: I think I know the culprit

Apr 3, 08 4:59pm
Former health minister and MCA vice-president Dr Chua Soi Lek believes that he has an idea as to who could be responsible for secretly taping his sexual liaison that caused his spectacular political downfall.

He however said he would not reveal the name of that person without having substantial evidence in hand.

“I have no proof who is behind this tape...I will not know who did it (for sure) but I have reasons to believe who is behind it.

“Of course I have no substantial evidence, so it's not fair that I should come out make a guess even on who is it,” a composed Chua told Malaysiakini during an hour-long exclusive interview held at a hotel in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday.

Previously Chua had said he believed it were his “political enemies” who were behind the tape controversy which erupted in early January. Then he had said that he did not know the identity of the culprit.

The 61-year-old politician resigned abruptly from all government and party posts after a tape showing him of having sex with a ‘personal friend’ was secretly released and circulated in several parts of his home state of Johor.

Prior to that, he was the No 3 in the MCA’s leadership hierarchy and was seen as a potential future party chief as he wielded significant influences among party’s members in several states.

Political conspiracy theories said the sex tape was a successful attempt to kill off the meteoric rise of Chua - who has hinted at challenging MCA chief Ong Ka Ting in party’s poll in October.

Son’s candidacy defended

Speculations were also rife over the circumstances of Chua’s resignation as he had said a day before the resignation that he would not quit and would let Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to decide his fate. Many believed he was forced to quit.

However in the interview, Chua denied he was misled or instructed by anyone, including the party president, to own up and tender the apology hoping to keep his job.

“I came out voluntarily because I have done wrong, I should admit and apologise,” he stressed.

The medical doctor-turned-politician said his ties with wife Wong Sek Hin was not affected by the episode and the family remained close-knit three months after the controversy. The couple live with their three children at Sierramas, Selangor.

“Very good,” Chua said when asked on his relationship with his wife.

In the one-hour interview, he also defended his son, Tee Yong’s candidacy as the Labis MP, a seat which the senior Chua held for one term since 2004.

Tee Yong won the parliamentary seat with a majority of 4,094 votes on March 8 but his candidacy was one the few questionable ones in the MCA circle as he was a novice, standing on his father’s fame.

Chua has criticised that the party president’s strategy to put new faces elsewhere as a major reason that led to the party’s worst ever electoral performance.

Asked on his different stand on the matter, Chua retorted: “Who is behind my son?”, referring that it was his good name that carried his son’s victory.

‘MCA not a political dinosaur yet’

Meanwhile, on the election results, the seasoned politician told the MCA leadership that they have to bear certain amount of the responsibility and should not just point fingers at Umno.

“We can’t says it’s Umno failure, it is also part of our failure that we were unable to articulate that frustration, the anxiety and idealism of Chinese.

“They want to see a MCA which is more assertive, not just vocal. We must also be seen as not just saying, but doing the right thing, the correct thing at the right time,” he said.

MCA won only 15 of 40 parliamentary seats and 31 of 90 state seats contested. The party had 31 parliamentary seats and 76 state seats after the 2004 general election.

But Chua said the election results did not show the ethic-based parties like MCA has lost its appeal to the masses, as it was an “one-off” frustration showed by the voters on issues like inflation and crime.

“We should not be too fast to say ethnic-based political parties like Umno, MCA and MIC will be political dinosaurs two elections down the line,” he stressed.

Hisham not defending Umno Youth post

Apr 3, 08 2:01pm
Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein paved the way for a contest for the Umno Youth chief seat when he announced his intention not to defend his position at the party polls this December.

He however refused to confirm if he would be contesting for one of the three vice-president posts, stating that he was leaving it to party members and delegates.

Hishammuddin told reporters that he was announcing his intention early so that others may vie for the seat in December. He has been the head of the youth wing since 2000.

Hishammuddin also refused to comment if he would back Umno Youth exco member Mukhriz Mahathir for the post. Mukhriz had previously said that he would vie for the coveted post if Hishammuddin was not defending it.

Other potential contestants include Hishammuddin’s deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin, and former Selangor mentri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

"Yesterday, Mukhriz and Dr Khir offered themselves to lead Umno Youth if I were to step down.

"After due consideration, the time has come for me to state my intentions. I've already led the Youth section for 10 years and the time has come for me to move on and let others lead the movement," Hishammuddin said at the press conference after releasing the ministry's report card this afternoon.

"I'm not relinquishing my position now but I'm announcing my intentions early so that people can move forward," he explained.

"From now until December, don't anyone think that I'm not Ketua Pemuda cause I'm still the chief. I'm Ketua Pemuda until we go through the normal process of party elections," he added.

Khairy not automatic choice

On his plans in December, the two-term Youth chief chose to keep mum although he has no intentions to quit politics either. The party polls will be held from Dec 16 to 20.

When asked if he was indirectly endorsing Mukhriz for the position, Hishammuddin said: "No. I'm not directly or indirectly supporting anyone. We'll let the delegates decide."

On the question of his deputy succeeding him, Hishammuddin said: "It's not for me to decide. I can only decide for myself and that is the issue for the Youth wing to look at in order to move forward".

He also denied that it was a tradition for the deputy to take over the chief's place when a vacancy arises.

"Not necessarily from a 'tradition' standpoint. It is also clear that the grassroots hold the power and want a say on who they want to lead them," said Hishammuddin.

Meanwhile, when contacted Khir said that he was taking feedback from the grassroots and will be making an appropriate announcement soon.

PM: No Petronas funds for 2nd bridge

Apr 3, 08 11:25am
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today rejected a proposal by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to use Petronas money to construct the second bridge across the Penang channel.

“He said it is not possible because of a few subsidies and other commitments they are planning,” said Lim, after his first official meeting with the premier at the latter’s office in Putrajaya after becoming the Penang CM following March 8 victory for the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

“Of course, I would feel otherwise, that it’s still necessary (for the Petronas fund), even if it’s not fully (funded), but partially because the cost of the bridge - according to him - has increased quite dramatically,” he added.

Lim said the premier vowed to reduce the cost so it would not be passed on to the motorists.

The CM had previously proposed the use of the money from the national oil company to build the second bridge to link the island with the mainland instead of borrowing international funds.

Lim, an accountant by training, had said that Petronas only needed to channel about 4.1 percent, or RM3.5 billion, from its annual oil revenue of RM85 billion to build the bridge.

Mega-projects to continue

According to him, Abdullah in today’s meeting also once again gave an assurance that all mega-projects in the state that had been announced previously will be continued, especially the second bridge which is slated for completion in Jan 2011.

Lim said his state government will cooperate with the federal government to ensure the construction of these projects be expedited and carried out smoothly.

“He (Abdullah) also said he did not intend any discrimination (against the state government). We hope the federal ministries which have made certain announcements will also observe that.”

“We hope the (federal-state) relationship in on the even keel,” he added.

According to Lim, he has submitted two letters to the premier during the meeting, calling on the federal government to continue with the infrastructure development projects and on promised allocations to Penang.

Lim, who was chauffeured in a black Perdana, was seen entering the premier’s office building 10 minutes before the 10am meeting. He was accompanied by his political aide Ng Wei Aik, who is also the Komtar state assemblyperson, and state government’s secretary Jamaludin Hasan (photo, left).

He stopped and held a brief press conference outside the building’s main gate when he emerged again at 10.45am after the meeting ended.

Exchange of views on NEP

On the atmosphere of the 30-minute-long meeting, Lim appeared cautious in choosing his words and described it as "less than cordial".

“It was conducted in a... a... I can’t say it was cordial but it was on good terms (saya tak mahu cakap mesra tapi dalam keadaan baik). We gave our views not just on issues concerning the near future but certain previous issues too.”

He said there could be some misunderstanding between the duo due to inaccurate media reports.

While Lim did not disclose what was the issue, it is believed that it was linked to his maiden speech as the Penang CM, where he has vowed to run the state government without the New Economic Policy (NEP), an affirmative policy that favours the bumiputera.

Lim conceded that he exchanged views with Abdullah on the matter.

“There is exchange of views and clarification on what was actually said and what was not said... We have our views on that,” said the CM when asked on whether Abdullah was unhappy with his (Lim’s) remarks.

He said the issue of adopting the open-tender system was also discussed during the meeting and the CM explained to the prime minister that the state government was merely complying with the Treasury’s guideline.

“I don’t know whether he accept (my views) but I explained to him,” said Lim.

Lim’s remarks has prompted angry protests from the Penang Umno members, who wanted him to withdraw the announcement.

AG: PM didn't act in 'cavalier fashion' against Hindraf 5

Apr 3, 08 2:30pm
The decision to detain five Hindraf leaders under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was made based on information provided by the police, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail told the Federal Court today.

In his submissions, Abdul Gani dismissed the appellants’ charge that the then Internal Security Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had acted in a cavalier fashion in issuing the detention orders.

The Federal Court is hearing an appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision in February to reject a habeas corpus application by the five Hindraf leaders.

Abdul Gani argued that Abdullah’s affidavit in-reply during the High Court proceedings had stated that the latter had gone through the detailed facts raised during police investigations.

He added that these include claims that the appellants had through their past activities raised racial sentiments, hatred for the government and had links with terrorist organisations such as the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).

As such, Abdul Gani argued that Abdullah, also the prime minister, could not have acted in a “cavalier fashion” as submitted by appellant’s counsel Karpal Singh yesterday.

“There is no evidence to deny this. To say that there were no investigations and that the prime minister went on his own frolic is mere baseless conjectures,” Abdul Gani told the court.

Abdul Gani then told the country's highest court that Karpal had eluded the fact that the police had provided detailed findings on the five Hindraf leaders and that the internal security minister had the “unfettered discretion” to issue the detention orders.

Case postponed

On Dec 13 last year, P Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, V Ganabatirau, R Kengadharan and K Vasanthakumar - dubbed as the Hindraf 5 - were detained under Section 8(1) of the Internal Security Act 1960 for two years.

Following this, the five filed a habeas corpus application to the Kuala Lumpur High Court on grounds that their detention was illegal and unconstitutional.

However, High Court judicial commissioner Zainal Azman Ab Aziz on Feb 26 ruled that the detention orders issued by Abdullah were valid.

The matter is now under review of the Federal Court three-member panel comprising of Chief Judge of Malaya Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Arifin Zakaria and Hashim Yusoff.

The case was later postponed today as the three federal judges have to attend the funeral for former federal judge. A date for the next hearing has yet to be fixed.

Karpal is expected reply to Abdul Gani’s submission during the next hearing.

Sultan's powers a double-edged sword

Apr 3, 08 3:20pm
Many in the opposition parties watched almost gleefully as the crisis in Terengganu unfolded after its sultan rejected the prime minister's initial choice of menteri besar.

However, the episode raises one important poser as to whether it signified a step backward for the people and rule of law.

Raising this issue, DAP lawyer-turned-parliamentarian Gobind Singh Deo said state constitutional laws pertaining to the appointment by the sultans of state public officials need to be clarified as to their actual powers and limitations.

Not only would this ensure the smooth running of the government machinery after elections, state constitutional amendments along these lines would also ensure that democracy is upheld, said the Puchong MP.

“It boils down to one thing. What does the law say? At the end of the day, do the (royal) rulers of the country have the right to ignore (and say), ‘We don’t agree with the constitution (and) the law. We want it our way.’ Is this how it should be?

“If that happens, what do we, the rakyat, do? What do we, the rakyat, say?” he asked at a forum entitled ‘Forum on Interventionist Monarchs – A Complement or a Challenge to Democracy?’ held in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Wide powers

Explaining his stance to an audience of about 150 people at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Gobind noted that Articles 10 and 14 of the state constitution of Terengganu provides seemingly wide powers for the sultan to appoint the menteri besar and his state executive council.

The only limitations in terms of the sultan’s appointment of the MB are that he must be a member of the state legislative assembly and that the candidate - in the sultan’s judgement - ‘is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the assembly.’

“There does not seem to be a restriction. It does not expressedly state the choice must be the choice of the prime minister or any such person, so it’s general. It does not seem to put any limitations,” said Gobind.

As it turned out, Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin rejected BN candidate and former menteri besar Idris Jusoh although the latter was BN chairperson Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s first choice and had the backing of BN’s 22 state assemblypersons.

That - and Mizan’s subsequent appointment of Kijal state assemblyperson Ahmad Said - raises the question whether the requirement that the MB be one who ‘commands the confidence of majority’ was fulfilled, said Gobind.
Because the people had voted the BN state assemblypersons into power in Terengganu and Idris was the BN's choice for the post of MB, it can be argued that Idris was the choice of the people themselves, said Gobind.

“(When) election is held, candidates are presented to the people, (so) the choice ultimately lies in the hands of the people. If the candidate is corrupt, for example, then one would expect these matters to be brought up during the elections so that the people can make a decision.

“But if a person has been elected and without any... express proof of corruption, these are the candidates chosen by the people,” he added.

“The question is, can he (sultan Mizan) reject the choice (of Idris) if that is the choice of the majority of the house? We have laws in this country. If you do not comply with the laws and do not go with what the constitution states and, with due respect, if there is defiance coming from persons right on top, then you have to ask yourself the question: where do we stand in all this?” Gobind asked.

“At the end of the day, (these) very, very clear provisions of law (were) not - I have to choose my words very carefully if I’m not to get charged for sedition - not really accepted by the sultan,” he added.

Rules for a solution

Gobind acknowledged the argument of those who contend that the sultan acted rightly and within his powers in preferring Ahmad over Idris because - in the sultan’s judgement - Ahmad allegedly commands more of the confidence of the people and is more likely to work better with the sultan in Terengganu affairs.

Complicating matters further is the fact that Article 14 of the Terengganu Constitution declares that ‘His Royal Highness may in his discretion dispense with any provision in Article 10 restricting his choice of menteri besar’, noted Gobind.

“I also tend to agree with (this) view (that has been) expressed... There’s nothing wrong for the sultan to say he’s responsible for (the welfare of) his subjects,” he said.

However, as the results of the general election showed and saw the victory of the opposition parties in five states, the people had demonstrated and exercised their wish to assert who they wanted to be in government.

“I don’t know where one can draw the line because both arguments carry a lot of weight. But I would say that at the end of the day, we have to respect the wishes of the people. We have to look at the results of the election.

“The results of the election show us all one very important fact: you cannot and you should not under-estimate the power of the rakyat,” he added.

For all these reasons, the lacuna in the laws need to be amended and clarified, said Gobind.

“This is legal issue that really needs to be looked at. For the purpose of proper governance, there needs to be a discussion whether there needs to be amendments and whether the rules need to be made clear,” said Gobind.

“Perhaps some balance needs to be achieved, some scope for them (state monarchs) to have a say. Perhaps in the event of a deadlock, (there should be) some rules to suggest as to what the solution could be,” he added.

Unfinished business in 2004 copter tragedy

Apr 3, 08 12:23pm
The tragedy of the July 2004 Hornbill helicopter crash in Bario, Sarawak where six people - including a state assistant minister - died seemed to be claiming more ‘victims'.

It has to do with the cost relating to the search-and-rescue operations that lasted nearly two weeks after the helicopter went down in mountainous terrain near the Bario highlands.

In that mission, co-ordinated from an operations centre in Miri, three private helicopters were chartered to transport people and supplies for the search-and-rescue parties on the ground.

The helicopters were chartered from three Sabah-based companies - Baltic Pacific Sdn Bhd, Layang-Layang Sdn Bhd and Penerbangan Sabah Sdn Bhd, otherwise known as Sabah Air.

The bills for the chartering of the Baltic and Layang Layang helicopters were sent to the state government were duly paid.

What still remains unpaid to-date - more than three years after the operation - is a bill for nearly RM500,000 to Penerbangan Sabah.

And the man whose signature was on the letter of quotation - dated July 15, 2004 - is being sued by the company.

Penerbangan Sabah has applied to the Kota Kinabalu High Court for a summary judgment, and the case will be heard next Monday.

Miri-based dental surgeon Dr Bob Baru Langub was one of the volunteers in the search-and-rescue operations to look for Dr Judson Tagal Sakai, the assistant minister who was found killed along with six others, including the pilot, two weeks later.

In his statement of defence, Bob Baru said he signed the documents "hurriedly and out of necessity and on the understanding and belief the state government will pay for all the charter flight services to be rendered by Penerbangan Sabah Sdn Bhd".

He was just a volunteer

At the time, he was one of the volunteers at the Miri Operations Centre set up by the state government to assist in the search-and-rescue mission involving the Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd's ill-fated helicopter that went down on July 12, 2004.

A concerned family member of Dr Bob Baru told Malaysiakini today he was merely a volunteer during the rescue mission and had only agreed to sign the piece of paper believing that the cost would be borne by the state government.

"He is a victim of circumstances," said a family lawyer friend. "It's utterly unfair."

The state cabinet was said to have agreed to settle the bill and the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), the party that the late Judson belonged to, had even agreed to settle it if nobody else would.

"But to this day, the bill remains unpaid and why we don't know," the family member told Malaysiakini, after approaching the online news website to highlight Bob Baru's predicament.

Najib says it again: I stand by PM

Apr 3, 08 3:34pm
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today firmly stood behind his boss Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, saying that he would support the premier in restoring people’s trust and confidence in the government.

In reiterating his support to Abdullah as the leader of the government and Umno despite pressure on the prime minister to step down, Najib said Abdullah still commanded the support and respect of the cabinet and Umno members for his leadership.

"The prime minister has expressed his intention to continue leading the nation as he still enjoys the support and respect in the cabinet and among party members,” Najib was quoted as saying by Bernama today.

"He (Abdullah) has decided to continue with his leadership and has the right to do so," he said.

Najib said that he would play his role as Abdullah’s deputy in both the government and party to reinvent Umno and restore the people's trust and confidence in the government.

"We'll work together as a team in the cabinet and in Umno. This will be our primary task to be focused on," he added.

BN's heavy loss


He also said that demands for the prime minister to step down were merely the views of certain quarters.

The calls asking for Abdullah’s resignation has been getting louder by the day to the extent that the premier had to reiterate his stand yesterday that he would not run away from his responsibilities as the prime minister.

His detractors, including his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad, are calling for him to resign to assume responsibility for the Barisan Nasional's poor showing in last month's general election.

The BN lost its long-held two-thirds majority in Parliament after winning only 140 of the 222 parliamentary seats while the opposition captured 82 seats. It also lost control of Abdullah’s home state of Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kedah besides failing to regain Kelantan from PAS.

Abdullah is also expected to face challenge from former Umno vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the party presidency post in the December party polls.

Who will be the new speaker?

Apr 3, 08 4:25pm
It is not known who the next Parliament speaker will be but it is guaranteed the person will inherit a Parliament with many ‘unique’ factors, said caretaker speaker Ramli Ngah Talib.

He told a press conference at his Parliament office after officiating a briefing session for new parliamentarians today that he did not know who the next speaker will be.

“I don’t know. This will only be decided on April 28. But I am re-elected, then yes, if necessary. I am willing to do it,” he said.

Ramli 67, noted that the 12th parliamentary session has several unique instances including the largest opposition presence in the august house.

“There are 99 new MPs from a total of 222 seats or 45 per cent. In the previous term, the opposition only made up of 20 opposition and one independent MPs or 10 per cent,” he explained.

According to Ramli, it was on this basis that a comprehensive briefing for new MPs was organised to introduce the workings of Parliament to them.

“ This includes giving them the e-book (on rules and procedures) and important basic information including their rights as a parliamentarian.

“We also briefed them about allowances and claims for hotel accomodation,” he said.

A total of 136 MPs both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat attended today's briefing.

First mother-daughter team

Another record in this coming parliamentary session is having the first mother and daughter team in Parliament - Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) and her daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR-Lembah Pantai).

“We’ve had father and son teams before so this is an interesting record,” he mused.

He added that BN also made history as the party to have ruled the country for 50 years since independence.

Asked to comment on how the new session could be like, the former Pasir Salak parliamentarian says it depends on the subject.

He also pointed out that the task as a speaker is not as easy as it seems with the work taking up half a year and some sessions lasting through the night.

“When Parliament is not in session, it doesn’t mean I’m not working. I still work for example in committees, meetings, preparations and notice.

“Challenges include controlling the session. It does not mean I’m preventing them from speaking but more so that they can be given an optimum chance to speak. Also I tried my best to ensure that the house is not boring,” he said.

Quizzed on his most memorable moment in parliament, Ramli smiled and said: “It’s just normal. I’m a normal man”.

Ramli became the seventh Dewan Rakyat speaker in November 2004. He was assisted by Lim Si Cheng and Haji Yusof Yacob before Parliament was dissolved on Feb 13 this year.

The procedure in selecting the speaker and deputy speakers posts begin with nominations from any MP and notice must be given to the Dewan Rakyat secretary 14 days before the first session takes place.

While the deputy speakers must be from the MPs elected from both BN or PR, the speaker can be anybody.

After nominations, MPs will vote for the three posts. This is expected to take place on April 28 when Parliament begins its 12th session.