208 FATALITIES WITH WHOOPING 37 MILLIONS RAISED

Congratulations to the Malaysian Motorists and the Police for being able to reduce fatal road accidents by 8.4 percent compared to the last year figure. Double congratulations to the Police as well as the errant motorists for contributing a huge sum of RM37.4 millions to government 's income in just a matter of a few days in the recently concluded Ops Sikap.

In addition to the Toll System, indeed the the road users are a great source of earning revenue for the parties concerned. That was why it was said some years ago, that the government's earning in the form of road summonses and compounds was enough to cover the cost of constructing the KL - Seremban Highway within a short period of time.

Thinking, attitude, behavior and performance are interrelated. The recent reductions in both the fatalities and the total number of accidents just prove the point. Preventive measures taken by the Police and the JPJ personnels, including speed traps, constant patrolling of the road systems, high and fixed amount of traffic fines and proactive measures taken against speedsters who modify their vehicles for extra speed are some of the successful strategies implemented.

Fear of being fined excessively as well as campaigns and promotions in the media have contributed to the attitudinal change, hence behavioral changes as manifested in the forms of being more polite, more disciplined, more cautious and alert on the road and overall accident prevention behaviour.

Further reading [here]

8.4% drop in fatal road accidents during 17th Ops Sikap

Bernama/ Sun2surf

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 9 , 2008) : The nationwide 17th Ops Sikap traffic police operation, launched in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri, saw a reduction in the number of fatal road accidents by 8.4 per cent, as compared to the same period last year.

There were 186 fatal accidents this year, as compared to 203 last year.

Federal traffic police chief SAC II Abdul Aziz Yusof said this was despite the police having only targeted a 5%reduction in the fatal road accidents.

A total of 15,996 road accidents were reported and 124,581 summonses issued.

Abdul Aziz said there was also a reduction by 7.6%, in the number of road fatalities during the 15-day traffic operation this year, as compared to the same period last year.

He said 208 deaths were reported during the period. Last year, the police recorded 225 deaths.

The traffic police chief said motorcyclists and their pillion riders topped the list of casualties, followed by motorists and their passengers (54), pedestrians (23), lorry drivers (six), cyclists (five), van driver (one) and bus driver (one).

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TUBUH MAJLIS ULAMA' DALAM UMNO

Cadangan Dr Asri Zainul Abidin kepada UMNO sungguh tepat sekali. Selama ini beberapa kerat tokoh Ulama' dalam UMNO diibaratkan seperti " kuda tunggangan " dan hanya ditonjolkan ketika pilihanraya. Mereka dipinggirkan selepas pilihanraya, bak kata Tn Guru Hj Hadi, "ulama' dalam UMNO tak ubah seperti daun kari yang dibuang setelah fungsinya selesai bagi menyedapkan masakan".

Cadang tubuh ‘Majlis Ulama’ dalam UMNO
Sinar Harian
KUALA LUMPUR – Mufti Perlis, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin mencadangkan penubuhan ‘Majlis Ulama’ dalam UMNO untuk memastikan ahli-ahli parti tidak lari dari roh Islam dan menerima kuasa dengan penuh tanggungjawab sebagai satu amanah Allah.

Majlis itu yang ahlinya terdiri dari ulama dan pemikir Islam dalam parti mungkin senjata terakhir untuk menyelamatkan parti terbesar orang Melayu yang kini dalam keadaan parah dengan berbagai-bagai penyakit.

Dalam kenyataan yang dihantar kepada Sinar Harian semalam beliau menegaskan majlis tersebut hendaklah berani menegur kepincangan dan kemungkaran yang dilakukan oleh ahli dan pemimpin parti.

Katanya, UMNO yang masih memegang tampuk kuasa adalah harapan untuk semua rakyat, khasnya orang Melayu, dan apa sahaja kepincangan dalam parti itu akan memberi kesan kepada semua orang.

“Oleh sebab itu, UMNO perlu diletakkan semula di atas landasan yang betul, mengikut lunas-lunas Islam kerana inilah yang akan menyelamatkan ummah,” katanya.

“Namun, penubuhan itu bukan sekadar mewujudkan sebuah replika tanpa fungsi, sebaliknya hendaklah Majlis Ulama tersebut berperanan membimbing perjalanan parti selaras dengan kehendak Islam dalam segala aspek.

“Tokoh-tokoh agama yang jujur, amanah dan progresif yang cintakan parti itu diberi kebebasan untuk membetulkan UMNO sekali gus kemelayuan UMNO itu akan kelihatan begitu terikat dengan prinsip-prinsip Islam secara syumul.

“Jika tidak, dengan pergolakan yang ada sekarang UMNO akan terus kehilangan roh Islam. Sebaliknya, ia akan menjadi padang perlumbaan kuasa yang sebahagian besar mereka bercita-cita mengaut kekayaan harta,” kata beliau.

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"IN KIND" GIFTS ARE NOT MONEY POLITICS IN UMNO

What constitutes "money politics"? Is it just involving cash or it also covers the giving of gifts,

sponsoring overseas trips, promise of certain favours and projects? You tell me. It

seems that in UMNO, the only aspect to be monitored during the divisional meetings which

will be held from tomorrow until Nov 9 2008 is the giving out "duit raya" during Hari raya open

house. Other than that they are permissible. Or should Anti Corruption Agency (ACA / BPR)

called in to help in the monitoring since UMNO has taken such a simplistic view of "money

politics". Related guidelines by ACA [here].

Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Ismail

Disciplinary board warns members against money politics
sun2surf / Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 8, 2008) : The Umno Disciplinary Board will assign a team of monitors to check that the divisional meetings which will be held from tomorrow until Nov 9 are being conducted according to party ethics.

"The monitoring team will observe all the divisional meetings and they have been carefully selected and need not necessarily be Umno members," said Umno Disciplinary Board chairman Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen Ismail at a press conference, here today.

He said the task of the monitoring team was to inform the Disciplinary Board if there were cases of malpractices by Umno members during the divisional meetings.

He also reminded candidates for party posts to comply with the Umno code of ethics and to refrain from money politics during the election expected to be held in March next year.

"The amendment (to the Code of Ethics on March 27) is important so that money politics can be checked in future. If there is enough evidence, we will not hesitate to take action, including against members who lodge false reports, regardless of their background," he said.

He said those contesting for party posts must follow the rules, "for example, those holding Hari Raya Gatherings must obtain prior approval from the State Umno Liaison Chairmen."

"We can guess what their intention is when they give 'duit raya' only to the delegates but not to the others (who are also at the gathering)," he said.

A total of 191 Umno divisions will hold their delegates meeting beginning tomorrow where they will elect officials at the divisional level and nominate candidates for key posts in the party, especially for the posts of president, deputy president and vice-presidents.

On the number of reports on malpractices and money politics received by the board this year, Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen said he regretted that the number had increased to 521 complaints.

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MODUS OPERANDI FOR TURNING MALAY RESERVED LAND TO FREEHOLD STATUS

The report below that appeared in web edition of The Sun highlights the case of how a 28 hectare foreshore land reclaimed by the STATE (paid by the rakyat) to be made freehold for a private commercial project, making a mockery of the National Land Code. The same modus operandi has been going on, nobody cares, to fill UMNO/BN coffers and their leaders' pockets by converting Malay Reserve land to Freehold status and later converting it again to commercial/industrial status.Thus, a Malay Reserve land only priced at a few thousands Ringgit per acre can become inflated and fetching hundreds of Ringgits per square foot. The trick is to form a RM2 Sdn Bhd company with just one malay director to make it appear like a Bumiputra company and the rest is all by the stroke of the pen and a few phone calls. Whilst the naive UMNO members are shouting for Malay Rights and more privillages, UMNO leaders are laughing all the way to the banks. Period.



Beginilah caranya bagaimana Para pemimpin UMNO /BN mudah "buat duit" menjadi kaya raya semalaman dengan menjual tanah reserve Melayu yang boleh dikira tidak begitu bernilai dengan cara menubuhkan syarikat Sdn Bhd dengan modal berbayar RM2 dengan seorang Melayu boneka sebagai pengarah dan membeli tanah-tanah geran merah kemudian menukarnya kepada status pegangan bebas dan seterusnya menukarnya lagi kepada tanah industri atau komersial.

Ahli UMNO bawahan melaung-laungkan hak serta keistimewaan bangsa Melayu yang kononnya kian terhakis dan tergadai. Siapa yang menghakis serta mengadai kepentingan dan maruah orang Melayu jikalau tidak para pemimpin UMNO yang rakus. Pengikut biasa parti UMNO kononnya hidup makin terhimpit dan tersepit, tetapi para pemimpin mereka ketawa terbahak-bahak ke bank.

Poser over freehold status

Himanshu Bhatt
SUN2SURF


GEORGE TOWN (Oct 7, 2008) : Lawyers have questioned the former Penang government’s move to allow 28ha of foreshore land, reclaimed and alienated by the state, to be made freehold for a private commercial project.

At the heart of their contention is the National Land Code, which has a clause preventing state authorities from disposing alienated coastal state land as freehold.

Section 76 of the Code stipulates that a state authority cannot dispose of “any part of the foreshore or sea-bed for a period exceeding 99 years”.

PKR state assemblyman for Batu Uban, S Raveentharan, who is a practising lawyer, said the clause makes it clear that there was breach of parliamentary law in the conversion of the land’s status.

“The law must be followed. It must be strictly adhered to,” he said when contacted.

"Did they (the previous government) not blatantly breach an act of parliament? The answer is yes.” said Raveentharan who wants members of both the previous and current governtment to help rectify the matter.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) legal adviser Meenakshi Raman said the controversial conversion warrants public explanation from the government in light of what is stipulated in the Code.

She stressed that while the Code had basis, the state should explain what had transpired in the case of the land.

“There is a basis in the Land Code. But we need to understand what circumstances led to this particular land being converted. We need to know how it happened,” she said, adding that is an important public concern.

theSun had reported on Monday, that a letter had been sent to the chief minister’s office, questioning the basis for removing the original 99-year leasehold status of the land on the south-eastern foreshore of Penang.

The letter, signed by the Bayan Bay Marina Yacht Club liaison committee, also asked why the land was approved for transfer when it was originally earmarked for leisure, recreation and marina purposes.

The land was originally vested in the Penang state authority, then alienated to the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) as leasehold for 99 years and later sold to private hands for about RM54 million or RM18.25 per sq ft. The previous state government later changed the status to freehold.

The project -- called Queensbay by current developer CP Landmark Sdn Bhd -- is reportedly worth RM3 billion. Its masterplan includes bungalows, seafront villas, semi-detached houses, condominium, service apartments, shop offices, corporate towers, hotel and a mall.

Senior federal lawyer for the Land and Mines Department, Suriyati Hasimah Mohd Kasim, could not be contacted for clarification despite several calls to her office.

Meanwhile, when contacted, the club members called on chief minister Lim Guan Eng to form a panel to investigate the matter.

“The chief minister, as the head of the Penang state government, is duty bound to set up a panel to investigate all the recently reported irregularities involving the sale of state land,” a spokesperson said.

“Failure to do so can be interpreted as an act of condoning and, at best, betrayal of its commitment to uphold accountability, transparency and justice.”

Lim is away on an investment trip to the United Arab Emirates this week.

When contacted, PDC general manager Datuk Rosli Jaffar declined to comment, saying he will leave it to Lim.

CP Group executive chairman Datuk Tan Chew Piau could not be reached as he was on leave.

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DNA BILL : POTENTIAL ABUSE AND USE

The DNA Bill is another manifestation of the absolute power of the state. The Police will be the custodian of the DNA records and its availability shall be under the jurisdiction of the ruling party. So much power is vested in the hand of so few individual.

"The Bill does not contain adequate legal safequards and would place excessive powers in the hands of the police and the Minister because the DNA profiling is generally assumed to be precise and infallible science." says bar Council Vice President.

Bar Council to hold public forum on DNA Bill
Tim Leonard
SUN2SURF

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6, 2008) : The Bar Council, which strongly opposes the Government's proposal to implement the DNA Identification Bill as tabled in Parliament in August, will be holding a public forum entitled "The DNA Bill - Do We Need It?" on Oct 13.


From L-R: Charperson Human Rights Committe Bar Council, Edmund Bon,
Vice President Ragunath Kesaran and Deputy Chairman Criminal Law Committe
Bar Council, Rajpal Singh at the press conference.
Its vice-president Ragunath Kesavan said five speakers will present their viewpoints on various aspects of the Bill and those who attend the forum can then pose questions on the subject.

"The Bar Council's stand is clear. The DNA Bill should not be implemented," said Ragunath at a press conference today.

"But if the Government insists (on going ahead), then we will look into working with the Government."

He said there several reasons why there is no need for such a Bill.

"The Bill does not contain adequate legal safequards and would place excessive powers in the hands of the police and the Minister because the DNA profiling is generally assumed to be precise and infallible science.

"The main concern is the conclusive evidence clause (of the Bill), which provides that DNA evidence would be conclusive proof. As a result, the accused cannot challenge the veracity and authencity of DNA samples by presenting other forms of evidence."

Ragunath said the Bill is also problematic because it permits DNA samples to be taken from too wide a range of persons and will punish those who refuse to provide DNA samples.

"With the lack of a Data Protection Act , there are grave concerns that the Bill would result in infringements on privacy rights."

He said there is also a high cost factor in implementing the Bill.

"The money could be put to better use on crime prevention efforts and to solve crime."

He added concrete measures must be taken by the Government in solving crimes such as increasing police personnel on street patrols, setting up more police beats, improving training facilities, upgrading the equipment and support systems at all police stations and improving the salary structure of police personnel.

Among the speakers at the forum are

Dr Koh Chong Lek, Head of DNA Centre of the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore;

Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj who is a medical doctor, Sungai Siput MP ,

lawyers Tommy Thomas,

Datuk V. Sithambaram;

A representative from the Police Forensics Division.

The forum will start at 5pm at the Bar Council Auditorium. Admission is free and those who wish to attend can call 03-20313003.

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ZAID IBRAHIM HAS NO FUTURE IN UMNO

Zaid Ibrahim is indeed at the crossroad. We suggest that he seeks opinion from friends as well as foes. To be the torch bearer of TRUTH is not an easy task. The path is not laid with the red carpet and decorated with roses. We pray that he may make the right decision.

Zaid sees 'no future in Umno'


©New Sunday Times

KOTA BARU: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who resigned as minister in the Prime Minister's Department last month, may be changing his mind about not leaving Umno.

His reason is that he does not see a future for him in the party.

"I have given 20 years of my political life (to Umno) and I have got into a lot of difficulties because of my views and not that I was disloyal.

"I have always had different views on many things previously and today.

"I have been suspended from the party for nothing and now disqualified from running for (the Kota Baru) division election.

"So what do you want me to do if you are in my position?" Zaid said at his house in Pasir Hor here yesterday.

He tendered his resignation in mid-September over the government's use of the Internal Security Act on three individuals, including DAP stalwart Teresa Kok and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin but said he would not quit the party.

On reports that he had been courted by Parti Keadilan Rakyat and met its adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, he said he had met Anwar and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat as friends.

"I met Nik Aziz on Friday to wish him Selamat Hari Raya and we spoke about national issues, but did not touch on personal things."

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SMART HEALER HEALS BY KILLING HIS PATIENTS

Very smart thinking Muslims. A 40 year old man seeking "holistic" treatment from a 20 year old "healer" with the ability to "withdraw" illness from the body by beating "patients" or "subjects" to "death". What a sensational form of " disEASE" management in the 21st century, taking place in the so-called developing to developed country (depends to whom you are talking to).

To profess as a Muslim in the first instance, first and foremost, one must not be insane or mad. He or she must be able to think clearly, must not be under duress or any form of coercion when he or she says the SYAHADAH (SYAHADATAIN) or the testimony that there is no object of worship or god except ALlah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.

Well before proclaiming the SYAHADAH, ideally one should have studied about the religion. After witnessing and making the the SYAHADAH, there is no excuse whatsoever not to undertake a formal study about the religion, learning and performing the obligations of Islam go hand in hand, by and by, gradually but surely.

Somewhere along the process, among other things, a Muslim is taught what are compulsory obligations, optional deeds and things to avoid or list of not-to-do. Hopefully, he or she shall be told what words or actions that will nullify or destroy the SYAHADAH. Just like certain behaviour can make ablution (wudhu'), solat( compulsory daily prayer) and fasting to become null and void or "batal" so does the SYAHADAH.

Hence the SYAHADAH must be maintained and guarded against elements that can destroy and derail the concept of MONOTHEISM OR TAUHEED. One such element is to seek help or treatment from persons involved in black magic, having special relationship with spirits or satanic forces and invoking the help and mercy other than ALlah, the Master of the Universe, the All knowing and the All Mighty.

What happened in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur is reminiscent of paganic practice whereby evil spirits are called/invoke to enter the body of the "healer" and the spirit takes over from there. The caller or the "healer" becomes the medium and he or she totally lost control of her mind, body and soul and hence FREE to do anything including raping and killing the victims or "patients".

"Holistic" treatment kills couple
Charles Ramendran
sun2surf

KUALA LUMPUR : It was a tragic Hari Raya for a couple who was beaten to death after seeking holistic healing from a man at his house at the Sri Sarawak flats on Jalan San Peng late on Tuesday.

The couple, whose identity was not released by police, were unwell and had gone to the man who is in his early 20s at about 9.30pm with their three children.

It is learnt that the nature of treatment rendered by the man who is said to dabble in religious deviationist teachings was in the form of whipping and beating the man and his wife, both in their 40s, in an attempt to "draw" out their illness.

With the help of his younger brother, the man is believed to have used a stick, a piece of wood and a helmet to batter the couple and also their children.

Neighbours at the flats called the police on hearing a commotion in the suspect's house. However, when the police arrived the suspect's house, they found the couple dead and their three children injured.

Dang Wangi police chief ACP Mohd Zulkarnain Ibrahim said the suspect was arrested at the scene and is being held for the killings.

He said the suspect's brother and parents were also detained to assist in investigations.

Mohd Zulkarnain declined to comment when asked if the deaths were linked to alternative treatment through deviationist ways.

"Most importantly at this moment we are probing who killed the couple and how it happened," he said.

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