Andrewraj’s Weblog

Taken from The star as below :

PETALING JAYA: The editor of news portal Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to publishing a seditious article in its website on April 25 while businessman Syed Akbar Ali claimed trial to posting a seditious comment.

Raja Petra, 58, became the first blogger to be charged under the Sedition Act, making it a test case.

He is accused of publishing the article “Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell” in the website www.malaysia-today.net. The article is alleged to have contained nine paragraphs of seditious words.

He is said to have committed the offence at his house in Jalan BRP 5/5 in Bukit Rahman Putra in Sungai Buloh that day.

When the interpreter read out to him the alleged seditious words, Judge Nurmala Salim interjected by asking her to pronounce the exact words as highlighted in the six pages of Appendix A.

The interpreter took 11 minutes to read out the allegedly seditious words to him.

Upon hearing the details of his charge from the interpreter at noon, Raja Petra, who clasped his hands behind his back, claimed trial.

Clad in a short-sleeved yellow shirt and blue jeans, Raja Petra was composed throughout the court proceedings.

If convicted, he can be fined a maximum of RM5,000 or jailed up to three years or both under Section 4(1)(c) of the Act.

At this juncture, lead counsel K. Balaguru raised a preliminary objection saying that the charge did not state the time of the alleged offence.

He said the prosecution should have classified which category of the Act that his client had allegedly infringed.

At that point, the court was adjourned for 10 minutes after Balaguru informed the judge that veteran lawyer Karpal Singh would also appear for his client.

When the court resumed, Balaguru withdrew his preliminary objection.

Queried on prosecution witnesses, Nordin said he would be calling 15 witnesses and would prefer a week for the trial.

Nurmala set five days from Oct 6 for trial. Raja Petra declined to post bail and was taken to Sg Buloh prison later.

In Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Duta Sessions Court, Syed Akbar Ali, 48, pleaded not guilty to posting the comment on Arabs and Islam with Raja Petra’s article titled “Malaysia’s organised crime syndicate: all roads lead to Putrajaya” on June 5 last year.

The former banker looked calm when the charge was read out to him.

The offence was allegedly committed at 2.59pm at Zeenath Begum Jewellers Sdn Bhd in Jalan Masjid India.

Judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah granted bail at RM3,000 and fixed June 10 for submissions on the charge.

He posted bail.

PETALING JAYA: Indian Progressive Front president Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan, who led a colourful and chequered political career, worked tirelessly for the betterment of the Indian community until the end.

Even when he was hospitalised, Indian Progressive Front (IPF) president Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan was still concerned with the problems of the Indian community.

He would always ask his visitors, who included party leaders, about the latest developments in the Indian community.

The 68-year-old, who died at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital yesterday after a lengthy battle with cancer, was always cheerful, and had requested the media not to highlight MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu visiting him in hospital in August 2006.

“I don’t want this to be interpreted as being with Samy Vellu. Let the MIC delegates make their own decision,” he said.

Pandithan had always dreamed of bringing the IPF into Barisan Nasional but after realising the Herculean nature of the task, decided to work with MIC for the betterment of the Indian community.

He had risen up the MIC ranks to become party vice-president in 1981, commanding strong grassroots support from the Indian community.

The eighth son of a Kuala Lumpur City Hall manual worker and a washerwoman, Pandithan grew up in the cramped government quarters at San Peng flats, an area notorious for crime.

He studied at SJK (T) San Peng and completed his Higher School Certificate at St Anthony’s Institute before joining Tamil Nesan as a crime reporter.

It took him many years to build a career in the MIC, but after winning a seat in the party’s Central Working Committee his climb was rapid.

After becoming vice-president and being re-elected for a third term in 1986, he won the Tapah parliamentary seat and was later appointed parliamentary secretary to the Trade and Industry Ministry.

However, he was issued a show cause letter on June 2, 1988, for alleging that the party leadership had failed to fight for the rights of the Indian community.

Two days later, he embarked on a “death fast” at the MIC headquarters’ car park, bringing along a coffin and accompanied by 50 supporters, to prove his innocence. He stopped the fast after 28 hours, following an assurance by then deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam.

He was issued a second show-cause letter for bringing the coffin to the MIC headquarters and expelled from the party in July 1988.

Pandithan then formed the IPF and supported the opposition coalition Gagasan Rakyat in the Oct 21, 1990, general election. He contested and lost the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat.

He unsuccessfully tried to get IPF admitted to Barisan in 1994 and the following year quit the opposition coalition to pledge support to Barisan.

In September 1995, then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad made Pandithan a senator in recognition of the IPF’s support and contributions to Barisan.

Pandithan and Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu met for the first time in 12 years in June 2000, during the campaign for Barisan candidate S. Sothinathan in the Teluk Kemang by-election.

Later, Samy Vellu publicly admitted that he had opposed IPF’s entry into Barisan.

In October 2003, Pandithan openly called for Samy Vellu to hand over the MIC party leadership to his deputy, Datuk S. Subramaniam, saying that Samy Vellu had stayed too long.

In June 2006, Pandithan was admitted to the intensive care unit following a bout of high fever. Samy Vellu’s visit then resulted in the patching-up of their relationship.

He was admitted to the intensive care unit again early this year, and died of cancer yesterday morning.

BANTING: Two groups of protesters caused a commotion in front of the Kuala Langat district council office here yesterday over the Selangor Government’s plan to set up a centralised pig-farming project in Ladang Tumbuk near the district’s border with Sepang.

Some 100 people gathered there at 3.15pm and started arguing, but the police and the council’s enforcement officers managed to calm down the two groups, who were from Umno and Pakatan Rakyat.

Kuala Langat district police chief Supt Muhammad Radzi Ishak said the protesters dispersed half an hour later without any untoward incident and no one was arrested.

The largest group of protesters, numbering about 90, was led by Sepang Umno division information chief Nisman Yusof, who held prayers, hoping the state government would change its mind and stop the project.

Wearing green and orange T-shirts, the protesters also showed their annoyance by putting up banners proclaiming that the people of Sepang were against pig-breeding centre in their area.

The banners also showed caricatures of the coalition partners of the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government.

The other group of about 10 supporters of Pakatan Rakyat was for the project and put up a banner featuring Barisan’s Tanjung Sepat assemblyman Datuk Dr Karim Mansor showing a thumbs-up sign at a pig farm in Germany with the words Saya sokong (I agree).

The Umno supporters tried to tear down the banners. Dr Karim opposes the project.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim recently announced that the controversial RM100mil integrated pig-rearing project, which he said was approved by the former Barisan state government led by Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo, would proceed.

ABOUT 30 rich men in the country own between 100 and 700 cars each, reported China Press.

Quoting sources from the Road Transport Department (JPJ), the daily reported that these men registered the vehicles under their names for collection purposes.

One of the sources believes the owners had bought the cars to avoid paying income tax. Most of these cars were not used as some owners did not even renew their road tax.

He also questioned the roadworthiness of such cars since most of them seldom appeared on the road.

Of the 10 million registered car owners in the country, one-third of them owned more than one car, based on JPJ statistics for the first quarter of the year.

Some 78,000 drivers possess five cars each while another 1,589 drivers own 10 cars each.

Sin Chew Daily reported that a 14-year-old student blamed for trying to commit suicide in a school in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, claimed she was actually an assault victim.

She claimed she was hit on the head from behind by a hard object while walking up the stairs during the incident on April 8.

She said she was gagged with a handkerchief and had her head covered with a plastic bag before she passed out. Her hands were also tied up with masking tapes.

The girl said she found herself at the staff office when she regained consciousness. But instead of showing concern, school authorities allegedly blamed her for trying to commit suicide over a failed relationship.

Her parents lodged a police report over the incident and are contemplating taking legal action against the school. They have taken her out of the school.

In the past, the former Prime Minister had, countless times, openly said he wanted Najib to take over from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister.

“I feel we should not pick who the replacement should be. We should give the opportunity to a number of people so that we can evaluate them whether it is Pak Lah, Najib or (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin).

“For now, I can’t say who (should replace Abdullah). Although I have said before it should be Najib, I don’t know why for ‘some reason’ I have now changed my mind,” he said at a packed “Umno Post 12th General Election: An Assessment” forum organised by mykmu.net.

Dr Mahathir said the Cabinet and Umno supreme council were not relevant anymore because they were all just “yes” men to Abdullah.

He said those who tried to speak up were chastised for supposedly being disrespectful.

“They are then invited by the Prime Minister and given an explanation why they should agree with him,” he said, adding that their mouths were kept shut because they were afraid of losing their position and power.

He said Abdullah preferred to seek advice on government and party matters from “outsiders” such as family members including his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin rather than his own Cabinet and Umno supreme council members.

Speaking about the losses suffered by Barisan Nasional in the general election, Dr Mahathir said it was clear that the people, including Umno members, wanted Abdullah out.

Going back to history, he said Datuk Onn Jaafar, the founder of Umno, was a man of dignity as he quit the party when his idea of opening it up to non-Malays was rejected.

He noted that the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, also resigned shortly after the 1969 election when Barisan lost ground.

“He withdrew on his own accord without being chased out by anyone. These two leaders were sensitive and listened to the views of the people and acted accordingly,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said that, as Prime Minister for 22 years, he resigned respectably when he heard that people were questioning why “this old man” was staying for so long in the position.

He questioned why Abdullah was not prepared to do the same.

“Does he want to wait until Umno is destroyed?” he said.

Dr Mahathir also threw support behind Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s proposal for the party to hold an extraordinary general assembly to discuss the polls results, and urged members to speak out and reform the party.

Dr Mahathir’s son Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said he was inclined to support Najib if he were to vie for the Umno president’s post.

KLANG: ISA detainee and Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan’s wife S. Pushpaneela has denied seeking MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s help for the release of her husband.

“I didn’t go and see Samy Vellu,” Pushpaneela said.

She was commenting on Samy Vellu’s statement on Sunday that she had gone to see him to seek his help.

She added that she did not understand why Samy Vellu wanted to appeal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the release of the five Hindraf members detained under the ISA (Internal Security Act) at this juncture.

“Why now, when he could have done it earlier?” said Pushpaneela.

She added that the onus had been on Samy Vellu to advise the Prime Minister not to detain the Hindraf 5 under the ISA.

However she did not dismiss the possibility that their relatives had gone to see Samy Vellu to seek his help.

“We have many relatives who are MIC members and strong supporters of the party,” said Pushpaneela.

Manoharan’s father M.S. Malayalam is the Kanchong Laut MIC branch chairman while Pushpaneela’s sister S. Thangeswari is the Perak MIC Wanita chief.

Pushpaneela also added that if she needed any help she would turn to DAP chairman Karpal Singh.

“Mr Karpal is my pillar of strength, and if I needed anyone’s support or help, he would be the one would I turn to.”

Meanwhile R. Kenghadaran’s wife Dr M. Kalaivani said that she and her husband’s family did approach Samy Vellu during the early days of the Hindraf 5’s detention.

“It must have been two or three weeks after their detention, and we went to see Samy Vellu in his capacity as the leader of the Indian community,” she said.

She said they had gone to see Samy Vellu in the hope of securing Kenghadaran’s release.

This was something interesting taken from the STAR - Just wish  to share this cause i am finally seeing new Members talking….

Karpal: It’s Dr M who must apologise

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should apologise to the judges implicated in the 1988 judicial crisis, said DAP national chairman Karpal Singh. 

He said that calling for the present government under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to apologise was not a step in the right direction.  

“It is not the present administration which convened those tribunals. 

“The two tribunals in 1988 were initiated by Dr Mahathir. So he should apologise,” said the Bukit Gelugor MP. 

Karpal Singh also called for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the judicial crisis. 

“The commission should also establish whether there was any misconduct on the part of Dr Mahathir in abusing Article 125(3) of the Federal Constitution. 

“It should look into the integrity of the two tribunals involved in the dismissal of the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and Supreme Court judges Tan Sri Wan Sulaiman Pawanteh and Datuk George Seah, he said. 

“The first tribunal found Tun Salleh guilty of misconduct, while the second tribunal found the two judges guilty of misconduct,” he told a press conference at Jalan Duta court complex yesterday.  

Karpal Singh said Dr Mahathir should apologise to the family of the late Wan Sulaiman. In the case of Wan Sulaiman and George Seah, he added, all benefits due to them should also be reinstated. 

Karpal Singh was responding to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s proposal that the Federal Government apologise to the victims of the 1988 judicial crisis. 

Zaid was also quoted as saying that although the crisis was 20 years ago, an apology was needed as it was wrongly handled and that the then Lord President’s sacking was inappropriate. 

He said the DAP also called on the Prime Minister to announce whether the Government was prepared to move an amendment to the Federal Constitution to outlaw party hopping. 

“If the Prime Minister is not prepared to amend the Constitution, then I will propose a private members bill to outlaw party switching,” he added.  

Raghuvaran (60) the noted character actor of Tamil cinema passed away early this morning at a private hospital in Chetpet, Chennai, due to a cardiac arrest. The actor was married to actress Rohini, but the marriage failed and they went through a messy divorce. The couple has an 8-year-old son Nanda. Raghuvaran’s claim to fame was his stylized way of acting and his dialogue delivery. He had a huge following among the masses. He stole the thunder whenever he played the villain with the swagger and with the way he drawled on his dialogues. Right from his first film Ezhavathu Manithan(1982), he created his own acting style.

Message Board: Pay your tributes to actor Raghuvaran

But it was in the role of the villain in commercial Tamil cinema that he shone in, especially when he was paired with the superstar Rajinikanth in Baasha, Muthu, Arunachalam etc. He was the Superstar’s favourite as he excelled in the role of the bad man in his films. The Superstar knew that unless the villain is given equal importance as the hero, his character will not become popular with the masses. Raghuvaran has acted in over 100 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi films and has been praised as a natural actor. Most of his roles were of a villain or supporting actor. He has also acted as hero in a few movies, which did not do well at the box-office. He became famous with his role as the protagonist of a Tamil soap opera, “Oru Manidhanin Kadhai” (One Man’s Story), about a well-to-do man who becomes an alcoholic and faces the consequent difficulties. Unfortunately, in real life too, he is known for his controversial drug addiction. His family split on this regard, and he has also undergone deaddiction courses. But Raghuvaran was a very colourful person. His last release was Jayaraj’s Silanerangalil (Feb 29, 200 where he played a negative character.

Message Board: Pay your tributes to actor Raghuvaran