Large field because PKR Kedah chose crony

By Shannon Teoh

SUNGAI PETANI, March 30 - Cronyism and power plays within PKR Kedah is fuelling dissatisfaction among its Indian members that has led to a large field of candidates in the Bukit Selambau by-election.

Independent candidate A. Jayagopal made this accusation today, saying the party was not serious in selecting credible people for the state seat.

The 57-year-old, who has been suspended by the party, seconded what Jerai division chief B. Kalaivanar said today when resigning his entire division from the party - that PKR Kedah are merely interested in votes but not service to the Indian community here. Speaking to The Malaysian Insider, he explained how he was one of 21 candidates interviewed to run on PKR's ticket.

"But the interview did not seem serious. They just asked who you are, why you should be the candidate and whether you have a clean record," he said.

"But what is a clean record? Even Anwar has a sodomy charge," he said of de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He claimed that Anwar was in fact, never part of the selection process but that local leaders had installed S. Manikumar, a political novice that would still appeal to the Indians here but still be under their control.

"They are looking for a crony to take instructions from them," he claimed.

To explain who these leaders were, Jayagopal showed documents from the party establishing that he had founded and led the Pokok Sena division in 2004.

But then in 2007, the party claimed the division was irregular and that he was not a member. In 2008, he was suspended for bringing PKR to court over the 2007 declaration.

He said the move was started by Kedah PKR strongmen Datuk Johari Abdul and Senator Zamri Yusuf, who was then the state chief and that the duo are also pulling the strings behind Manikumar's bid to enter the Kedah executive council as its only Indian representative.

But just like Kalaivanar, he admitted to having ambitions of wanting to be in Manikumar's position.

"I would have run no matter who PKR picked," he said.

A PKR ticket would have given his chances a huge boost. But as it stands now, he is one of many trying to make a point to PKR.

For Jayagopal however, it is likely to come at the cost of his RM5,000 deposit.

News by TheMalaysianInsider..

CIMB offers staff 6-month unpaid leave

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 – Malaysian financial services group CIMB has asked its 36,000 employees to consider taking up to six months of unpaid leave as it aims to cut costs in the global economic slowdown, a top official said on Monday.

CIMB is the first major Malaysian company to ask staff to go on unpaid leave.

CIMB Group Chief Executive Nazir Razak said the offer was made last week to its staff in the country’s second-largest lender, CIMB Bank as well as its units BankThai in Thailand and PT Bank CIMB Niaga in Indonesia.

“In the slower economic environment, we are looking at ways to temporarily reduce our costs. The reception from our staff has been very, very good,” Nazir told reporters at a company event.

He said workers who take up the group’s offer will start their leave from April 1, but this will not affect the bank’s operations.

Nazir said there was no set target on the number of employees accepting the offer and denied the company was cutting staff.

“How can (this) possibly be called a lay-off? We are not instructing anyone to do anything. We are just giving them an option to apply if they wish to take an extended break. Don’t interpret it any other way,” he said. – Reuters

News by TheMalaysianInsider..

p/s This is not good.. The effects of Economic slowdown has begun in our country... Let just hope we (the government and rakyat) will be able to come out with a formula to ease the burdens due.. I just hate the current situation in Malaysia which put more attention to the upcoming by-elections.. surely the govs has shifted their priority to the less important issues...

By-Election:Jerai PKR division dissolved

SUNGAI PETANI, Mon:

The Jerai Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) division was dissolved today after more than 500 of its members, including its head, B.Kalaivanar, resigned.
Kalaivanar said they had lost confidence in the party leadership.

Kalaivanar, who was also the Kedah PKR Indian Community Development Committee chairman, said all the members who resigned would campaign for non-PKR candidates in the Selambau state by-election.

The by-election on April 7 will see a three-way fight among PKR's S.Manikumar, the Barisan Nasional's Datuk S.Ganesan and 13 independent candidates.

news by NSTOnline..

Tri-elections: From straight fight to fray..

Something fishy in Bukit Selambau.. some may say that it shows how truly democratic we are BUT i would like to differ, rather it shows how immature our so-called democracy is.. Why?? Our so-called 'politicians' are not really want to win and serve the rakyat BUT they're chasing personal glory, and MOTIVE behind it is very very very mysterious!!!!!! They should respect their party's decision on the candidacy.. stubborn politicians!!! Something really fishy!!!!

GOAL: To divide the votes.. WHOSE GOAL: Sendri mo fikir....

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will see a triple-play by-election day on April 7, with everything from a straight fight in one constituency to an all-out fray in another.

In TAIPING, the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election will see a three-cornered fight among the Barisan Nasional, PAS from the Pakatan Rakyat alliance and an independent candidate.

Barisan’s Ismail Saffian, 49, will face former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, 52, of PAS and Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42.

Returning officer Datuk Mahmod Morsidi announced the candidates after nominations closed at 11am Sunday at the Taiping Town Hall.

There were three objections but all were rejected.

Mohammad Nizar was the first to arrive at the nomination centre at 8.45am, followed by Ismail at 9am and Kamarul at 9.20am.

Ismail was accompanied by Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, current Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and thousands of supporters; while Mohammad Nizar was accompanied by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa and Perak state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar and their supporters.

Ismail, of Kampung Kubu, Bukit Gantang, is the former Bukit Gantang Umno division information chief, while Mohammad Nizar, of Kampung Air Hitam Labu, Kampar, is Perak PAS deputy commissioner.

The Bukit Gantang seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Roslan Shaharom of PAS on Feb 9.

Record broken
In SUNGAI PETANI, the Bukit Selambau state by-election created a record for having the most number of candidates -- 15 altogether, with 13 of them independents.

Returning officer Datuk Abdullah Mat Akhir announced that all 15 candidates who submitted their nomination papers qualified to contest in the by-election.

Among the huge pool of independents are Barisan Nasional candidate S. Ganesan and PKR’s S. Manikumar.

The independent candidates are R. Loganathan, Tan Hock Huat, Mohd Radhi Mat Lazim, Mohd Fadzli Wahab, Abdul Rahim Abu, L. Sarala, A. Jayagopal, S. Moganakumar, Khamis Awang, Husaini Yaacob, Venason Michael, Mejar (Rtd) Anuar Abdul Hamid and T. Chandrarajan.

Abdullah said he received several objections against some of the candidates but rejected them as they did not involve technical matters.

In TAIPING, Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof confirmed that the number of candidates in Bukit Selambau was the highest ever in the country’s election history.

“The previous record was in Sabah involving eight candidates,” he said.

He was not sure, however, whether the record in Sabah was set in a state election, a by-election or a general election.

Asked what could be the reason for the crowded contest, he said, “I don’t know. The only reason I could think of is because in the previous election, an independent candidate ended up being appointed as executive council member.”

“This is a democratic country, that is their choice, we don’t stop them,” he said.

Independent candidate V. Arumugam won the seat in the 12th general election and later joined PKR and appointed state executive councillor. He resigned earlier this year.

Straight fight
In LUBOK ANTU, the Batang Ai state by-election will see a straight fight between Barisan newcomer Malcom Mussem Lamoh, 49, and face PKR’s Jawah Gerang, 55, a five-term former Lubok Antu Member of Parliament.

Returning officer Nelson Mujah Girie made the announcement at the nomination centre at the Lubok Antu Sports complex here after the objection period ended at 11am Sunday.

Jawah was the first to submit his nomination papers when the centre opened at 9am.

He was accompanied by his seconder Lepang Gerang and proposer Unggeh Babang, filing his papers at 9.03am.

Mussem filed his papers at 9.15am accompanied by his proposer, Jampi Tutong and seconder, Gerang Juben.

Sarawak Barisan chairman Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud led the coalition march to the nomination centre together with Barisan director of operations Datuk Seri Dr James Masing and more than 5,000 people.

Also with them were newly elected Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan and former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.

The PKR candidate, meanwhile, was accompanied by 3,000 supporters led by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The weather was fine and police helicopters were seen hovering over the area.

Party supporters started converging on the area near the nomination centre as early as 6am.

The 38km road leading to this rural border bazaar from the junction of the Sri Aman-Miri trunk road was jammed with vehicles, ferrying party supporters, election workers and dignitaries while police personnel facilitate traffic and ensure order.

About 850 policemen will be mobilised from today as part of security measures.

Due to the remoteness of Batang Ai, 10 police boats, three helicopters and two light aircraft will also be deployed, with the Election Commission expected to spend RM400,000 to run the by-election.

About 40% of the 22,270 Batang Ai residents from 238 longhouses and 15 longhouses rely on boats as the mode of transport.

There are 8,600 registered voters, comprising 95% Ibans, in the 1,341 sq km constituency where 24 polling centres will be opened on polling day.

The seat fell vacant following the death of four-term Barisan incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot, who was Sarawak Agriculture and Sports Assistant Minister and Parti Rakyat Sarawak vice-president, on Feb 24.

Batang Ai is one of two state constituencies under the Lubok Antu parliamentary seat. The other is Engkilili. -- Bernama

EARLIER UPDATES

Noon: Bukit Selambau returning officer Datuk Abdullah Mat Akhir said there were nine objections but all were rejected.

11:30am: Nomination papers of all the 15 candidates for the Bukit Selambau by-election were accepted.

11:25am: Bukit Gantang returning officer Datuk Mahmod Morsidi said three objections received, no candidate rejected. So the three-cornered fight is on between Ismail Safian (BN-Umno), former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin (PKR-PAS) and independent Kamarul Ramizu.

11:15am: Batang Ai returning officer Nelson Mujah said two objections were raised but rejected. He declares both candidates eligible. It’s a two-way fight between Barisan’s Malcolm Mussen Lamoh and PKR’s Jawah Gerang.

11am: Small scuffle in front of Taiping Municipal Council building as Barisan supporters throw objects at national DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s car; police manage to keep situation under control.

10:15am: Altogether 15 candidates have filed nomination papers for the Bukit Selambau by-election in Sungai Lalang. Of the number, 13 are independent candidates and one each from Barisan Nasional (Datuk S. Ganesan) and PKR ( S. Manikumar)

Two new independent candidates joined in the fray. They are Radzi Md Lazim, 54, and Khamis Awang, 32.

The others are L. Sarala, T. Chandrarajan, R. Loganathan, A. Jayagopal, S. Moganakumar, Vaneson Michael, Tan Hock Huat, Mohd Fazil Abdul Wahab, Anuar Abdul Hamid, Husaini Yaacob, and Abdul Rahim Abu.

10:10am: It’s a three-cornered fight for Bukit Gantang between Ismail Safian (BN-Umno), former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin (PKR-PAS) and independent Kamarul Ramizu.

10:01am: Nominations close and objection period now until 11am.

10am: Batang Ai returning officer Nelson Mujah declares nominations closed. It’s a two-way fight between Barisan’s Malcolm Mussen Lamoh and PKR’s Jawah Gerang. Independent Johnny Chua decided not to contest, saying he supports PKR’s vision.

9:30am: In Bukit Gantang, Barisan candidate Ismail Safian and PKR candidate Mohd Nizar submit their nomination forms.

9:15am: Pakatan Rakyat leaders at Batang Ai include Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, PKR vice-president Jeffrey Kitingan, Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng and Sarawak National Party president Edwin Dundang.

9.14am: Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk S.Ganesan arrives at SMK Teknik 1 in Sungai Lalang to file the nomination papers for the Bukit Selambau by-election.

He was accompanied by MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Umno vice-president Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, and party vice-presidents Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, and Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The crowd of supporters for both parties who arrived were in the thousands.

Both the DAP and PAS had defied the orders of the Election Commission not to display flags of parties that were not contesting by hoisting their respective flags.

Since the Pakatan Rakyat candidate is from the PKR, only the PKR flag is allowed to be displayed.

9:11am: Ipoh businessman Kamarul Ramizi, 42, arrives at nomination centre to file his papers as an independent candidate for Bukit Gantang seat.

9:10am: Barisan candidate for Batang Ai Malcolm Mussen Lamoh arrives at the nomination centre accompanied by Sarawak chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Talib Mahmud and other coalition leaders.

9am: Barisan candidate for Bkt Gantang Ismail Safian arrives at the nomination centre there.

9am: Batang Ai returning officer Nelson Mujah declares nominations open.

8:45am: PKR candidate for Batang Ai Jawah Gerang arrives at the nomination centre at Lubok Antu Sports Complex where a large crowd had already gathered.

8:40am: PAS candidate for Bukit Gantang former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin arrives at the nomination centre.

8:25am: Number of supporters in Bkt Gantang swell to the thousands, hundreds of FRU personnel and police cordon off a 100m radius around the building to maintain calm.

8:15am: Hundreds of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat supporters have started to gather at the Taiping Municipal Council building to await their candidates for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election.

Barisan will be fielding Ismail Safian of Umno against former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS.

The other two by-elections are the Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah and the Batang Ai state seat in Sarawak.

7:20am: Earliest to arrive at SMK Teknik 1 in Sungai Lalang for the Bukit Selambau by-election nomination centre to file his nomination paper was Independent candidate Husaini Yaacob, 44.

Nominations will be open from 9am to 10am. Objections can be lodged from 10am to 11am. The returning officer will announce the candidates at about noon.

News by: TheStar Online..

Other related news: The Malaysian Insider: Rifts inPKR over Bukit Selambau

Earth hour campaign - lights off from 8.30-9.30pm Saturday

PETALING JAYA: It's lights off for an hour Saturday night and it's all for a good cause.

Several companies and agencies have thrown their weight behind the Earth Hour 2009 campaign by pledging to turn off the lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

The campaign, an annual event initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 to get households and businesses to turn off non-essential lights for an hour, aims to raise awareness on global climate change.

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) group chief executive officer Datuk Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said all non-essential lights would be turned off at its Menara TM headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and offices nationwide.

He added that more than 23,000 TM employees have also pledged to turn off the lights at home to show support for Earth Hour 2009.

While the move was a symbolic gesture, he said TM was already adopting good practices to conserve power and that the environment was one of the major social responsibilities of the corporation.

“This building is built using advanced technology and techniques to conserve power,’’ he said Saturday at the launch of TM Earth Hour 2009, at Menara TM.

“We have placed recycle bins here to encourage employees and tenants to be environmentally friendly,” he added.

WWF senior director (support operations) Sudeep Mohandas said more than five million people worldwide were expected to participate in the event.

Meanwhile, the National Service (NS), in support of Earth Hour, will switch of the lights in its camps except in certain areas, to ensure trainees’ safety, said NS Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil in a statement Saturday.

Male and female trainees will be separated, he added.

Furthermore, camp commanders will explain global warming and the significance of environmental conservation to the 34,119 trainees in 80 camps nationwide during the hour.

News by TheStar..

p/s Let us show our love to our earth ya.. Ikut ya kempen ni.. but jangan time2 driving kna lights off juga... hehehe

Badminton/India Open: Lee Chong Wei crashes out in first round

After impressing performance by the current world no.1 at All-England and Swiss Open, Datuk Lee Chong Wei surprisingly humbled at the 1st round of India open. He was reported to be hit by food poisoning prior to the match. Nonetheless, let us continue our support for him for the sake of Malaysia. Malaysia Boleh! Gemilang! Cemerlang! Terbilang!

News by NSTOnline:
HYDERABAD, Wed.:

China's Chen Long stuns Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei 7-21, 21-16, 21-18 in the first round of the India Open Badminton Championships.

Hit by food-poisoning, world champion Datuk Lee Chong Wei lost in the first round of the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2009 this morning.

Lee, top seeded in the men's singles in the tournament, lost 21-7, 16-21, 18-21 to unseeded Chinese player Chen Long at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Read full news HERE..

Speaker ejects Kit Siang till 1pm

KUALA LUMPUR: Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang was ejected by the Speaker from the House till 1pm Wednesday for refusing to apologise after calling Barisan Nasional politicians power crazy.

All Opposition MPs walked out of the House.

Read full story HERE..

Angry wives chop off cheating husband's manhood

NEW DELHI, SUN:

Two young women frustrated with their husbands'' sexual promiscuity decided to teach their partners a painful lesson -- by slicing off their manhood.

One of the women, a 39-year-old from Katihar district in Bihar state, unable to cope with her husband''s persistent illicit affair with another woman from the same village, admonished her husband several times but blew her top when she caught him in the act with his ex-beau in the family bedroom.

After a morning quarrel last week, the wife decided to settle her vengeance by trying to slice off Singh's private organ using a sharp blade.

"It was a domestic dispute and a case was reported on the woman. She is out on bail and living with her parents now. She had attacked her husband using a sharp object; he suffered minor injuries and is fit now," Katihar superintendent of police Anil Kishore Yadav told Bernama.

Villagers had rushed the husband, in his 30s and a peon at a local school, to a nearby hospital where doctors managed to save him from any worse trauma.
But the anger on infidelity reached a peak and was far scarier in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where another fuming wife chopped off her husband's manhood early this month after discovering that he was having sexual relations with other women.

In a well-planned revenge, the 35-year-old wife from Amraiwadi district lured her unfaithful husband to bed after sedating him during dinner.

Thinking he was in for a nice bondage sexual rendezvous, the excited 30-year-old husband, got into bed where the wife tied both his hands and legs to the bed using ropes. In a fit of rage, she cut off his penis using a sharp knife.

"She had nicely planned the whole attack after she caught her husband doing it with his ex-woman. She gave him some sedation and tied his limbs and hands to the bed. Once he got excited, she chopped off his organ.

"The organ was completely cut off and they brought it in two pieces. Doctors did some skin grafting but could not reconnect it. It was badly cut and he can''t function," Dr Gautam Sharma, assistant administrator at the Civil Hospital in Amraiwadi, where the victim was treated, told Bernama.

Police detained the woman for questioning and the husband was discharged from hospital.

News by NSTOnline..

p/s Alamak.. bahaya nie.. bha sepa2 yang pernah mo fikir curang tue, bagus fikir 100x..

PKR names candidate for Batang Ai by-election

KUCHING, Mon:

Former Lubok Antu member of Parliament Jawah Gerang, 55, has been named as PKR's candidate in the April 7 Batang Ai Sarawak state seat by-election, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced in Kuching.

Another leading candidate, Nicholas Bawin, 51, who contested on the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) ticket in the May 2006 state election and lost narrowly by 806 votes to incumbent, the late Dublin Unting Ingot, was made director of operations for Jawah's election campaign.

Anwar said Gerang, the five-term Lubok Antu MP, was chosen after much discussion between supporters of the two proposed candidates.

"I hope everybody will give their cooperation as PKR is confident in Gerang's ability in solving the people's problems and in looking after the interests of all communities in the state.

"I believe that with the strong partnership of Bawin and Gerang, PKR can wrest the Batang Ai seat," he told reporters at a packed conference room.
Gerang, a graduate in Economics from Universiti Malaya, said he would work hard to deliver the seat.

"I believe we can make a good start," he said.

The Batang Ai seat fell vacant following the death of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president Dublin on Feb 24 after being in coma following a stroke in May last year.

Batang Ai is one of the two state seats in the Lubok Antu parliamentary constituency. The other is Engkilili.

Gerang is up against Agriculture Department engineer Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, 49, fielded by Barisan Nasional.

Expected to contest as an independent candidate is Johnny Chuat, 38, the publisher of a well-known Iban cultural, educational and entertainment magazine and who has his own portal.

The Election Commission has fixed March 29 as nomination day and April 7 for polling.

News by NSTOnline..

Fairus quits as Penang Deputy CM 1

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has resigned effective April 8, Chief Minister Lim Guan said.

Lim said Fairus also quit his position as state executive councillor but declined to disclose the reason to reporters at the press conference held in his office in Komtar Saturday morning.

However, later in Petaling Jaya, de factor PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters that Fairus, who has two Masters degrees, had received offers for further stuidies and planned to take up one of those offers.

In the Penang press conference, Lim said he received a resignation letter from Mohammad Fairus this morning stating his intention of stepping down as both Deputy Chief Minister and state executive councillor.

"After discussions with him, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and state party chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, I have decided to accept his resignation which will be effective from April 8," Lim said.

"As Mohammad Fairus is on leave and not in Penang, the letter was faxed this morning," he added.

He said Mohammad Fairus would stay on as the Penanti assemblyman.

When asked about the reasons for the resignation, Lim said it would be announced by Mohammad Fairus at a suitable time.

"Everything else will be announced later. I just got the letter this morning and so let us do the necessary transition.

"Let him answer at a time he sees fit," Lim said.

Asked whether the resignation had anything to do with state PKR’s internal investigations into allegations that two of their leaders were involved in illegal activities with quarry operators, Lim replied, "I do not want to comment on matters that are not in relation to what I am announcing."

Speculation was high about an announcement on Mohammad Fairus, Penang’s youngest Deputy Chief Minister at 33, who has been in the centre of controversy since the end of last year under allegations of under-performance, clashes with other PKR members and most recently, misuse of power.

It was announced on Friday that the double Masters degree holder had taken leave until the end of the week.

In the last-minute press conference Friday, which Lim conducted with Zahrain, Lim said Mohammad Fairus’ leave would be extended until his resignation took effect.

Meanwhile, Lim said Mohammad Fairus’ position as the state Entrepreneurial and Co-operative Development, and Information and Community Relations Committee chairman would be left vacant for the time being.

"Any issues regarding his portfolio can be forwarded to his personal assistant or the Chief Minister’s Office and we will inform the necessary departments involved," Lim said.

News by TheStar..

p/s ermmmmm...i don't like the speculations done by our TV3 news.. cant we just wait..

what a productive python

KUALA LUMPUR: A reticulated python on display at the Cave of Reptiles at Batu Caves has laid more than 160 eggs over the past two days.

This is believed to be the first time such a large number of eggs has been laid by a python in captivity, said Arun Raveendran, who owns the snake.

The 25-year-old snake weighs about 115kg and measures 7.6m.

"Normally reticulated pythons lay 30 to 40 eggs with a maximum of up to 100 eggs," he said yesterday.

"We incubate the eggs. They are kept at a constant room temperature of about 30o Celcius.
"We have 100 per cent success in hatching them."

The reticulated python is non-venomous but it is an aggressive constrictor and feeds monthly on a live goat weighing 20kg to 40kg or large turkeys.

It is the longest snake in the world. The largest one ever caught in the wild was found in Sulawesi in 1912. It measured 10.05m .

The blood python, the other python species found in Malaysia, is short and fat and grows to a maximum of 2m.

Both are protected species. They are in danger of extinction because they are hunted for their meat and skins, said Arun, who kept a pet tortoise when he was 3 years old but has since turned to researching and conserving reptiles.

His pet monitor lizard of seven years is also on display at the Cave of Reptiles together with a menagerie of Malaysian king cobras, spitting cobras, water snakes, frogs and other amphibians.

Arun also breeds cobras and other reptiles and releases them into the jungle for nature conservation.

News and picture by: NST Online..

No dodging NS for singers

MALACCA: One is a singing competition winner. The other is a finalist. But Low Sook Yee, popularly known as Suki and Muhammad Aliff Mohd Satar will still have to report for national service.

Suki won the One In A Million competition at the age of 16 in 2006 while Muhammad Aliff was one of the finalists in the same contest.

They had applied to defer their training stint because of singing commitments.

National Service Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said the singers were not exempted but had their stint deferred due to “extraordinary circumstances.”

When the department approached them, they promised to report for training at a later date, he added.

Abdul Hadi, who sent off the second batch of trainees at MITC, Ayer Keroh, yesterday, said: “We will decide where to place the two singers when they report for training by April 3.”

Actress Diana Danielle Danny Beeson reported for training at the Sepang Princess Haliza camp on Thursday.

Abdul Hadi said all 43,000 trainees had reported for their stints at 80 camps. Last December, nine camps were closed indefinitely due to poor hygiene and building defects.

News by TheStar..

p/s No one can escape from attending plkn once shorlisted.. i wonder kalu anak2 datuk and mentri pun kena paksa..!!

Ali faces dead-end, decision on Norza, Azalina soon

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno appeals panel has upheld the disciplinary board's decision to bar Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam from contesting the Umno deputy president's post at next Thursday's party election.

It is reliably learnt that Umno supreme council contender Datuk Mohd Norza Zakaria has also been barred by the party's management committee while Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said's case will be determined by the board in the next few days.

Both Norza and Azalina are being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

However, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, said yesterday that Norza's position will be announced on Monday.

Last night, Ali declined to comment on the rejection of his appeal.
"I have not received anything in black and white regarding my appeal being rejected. Let me get something in writing, then I will comment on the matter.

"Anything pertaining to this, I will only be making a statement tomorrow."

Yesterday, Umno appeals panel chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Kamaluddin said the decision was effective immediately.

He said the five-man panel only discussed Ali's appeal letter dated March 18.

Zuki said the case was heard quickly by the panel as it was in Ali's interest.

On Tuesday, the Umno disciplinary board announced that 15 of the 29 Umno members investigated by it had breached the party's ethics in relation to money politics.

The board found that Ali was guilty under item 10.1 and barred him from contesting for the post of deputy president.

The board also found Umno Youth chief aspirant Khairy Jamaluddin guilty of the same offence but let him off with a warning.

Khairy's rival for the Youth chief, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was cleared of all charges of money politics.

Ali also said there was no reason for him to step down as Malacca chief minister as insisted by the opposition.

Commenting on a memorandum from state Pakatan Rakyat yesterday urging him to resign as chief minister and Bukit Baru assemblyman over alleged money politics, Ali said it was a political ploy which he would not entertain.

"I have no reason to quit. I am still the chief minister and the opposition can do what they like," he said.

The memorandum was handed over by Keadilan Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Hakim to assistant administrator in the Chief Minister's Office, Syueeb Zahari.

Shamsul Iskandar, when met after handing over the document, claimed that the memorandum was the voice of the people who wanted Ali to step down from all his posts.

In George Town, Pas Tanjung division yesterday lodged a report at the MACC against Ali over allegations of money politics. Its division's deputy chief, Berahim Mohamad Said, lodged the report at 3.45pm.

News by NSTOnline..

Parliament: Umno Youth men questioned over scuffle

KUALA LUMPUR: Three Selangor Umno Youth members accused of having confronted Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh on Feb 26 turned up on Wednesday to give their testimony to the Parliamentary committee investigating the scuffle.

The members are from the Gombak, Serdang and the Petaling Jaya Utara divisions.

Another Umno youth member from Shah Alam was also called in by the committee to give his testimony as an eye-witness.

The four were with the committee for around 30 minutes.

The members were accompanied by Datuk Reezal Merican, who is contending for the deputy Umno Youth chief post, and some 20 others from 22 Selangor Umno divisions.

News by TheStar..

Brunei drops claim over Limbang district

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei has officially dropped its long-standing claim over Sarawak’s Limbang district after the two countries resolved various land and maritime territory disputes.

“Brunei has decided to drop the Limbang issue and as a result, Limbang is part of Malaysian territory,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced to Malaysian media.

The resolution of the disputes were sealed via the signing of the Letters of Exchange by Abdullah and the Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman here yesterday.

The other disputes include over where the maritime boundary between the two countries in the South China Sea should run, the rights to exploit potentially rich oil deposits in the disputed maritime territory, the right of movement by Malaysian vessels over Brunei waters and the demarcation of the common boundary of the two countries.

The dispute over Limbang can be traced back to the cession of the territory by Brunei to Sarawak’s White Rajahs in 1890. The cession had been strongly disputed by the Sultanate which regarded the transfer as annexation by Sara-wak.

Yesterday, Abdullah thanked the Sultan for the resolution of the various disputes, especially that of Limbang.

He said bilateral relations between the two countries would now enter a new era.

Abdullah and the Sultan said in a joint statement that they had reached agreement over the maritime boundaries between the two countries in the South China Sea.

They also agreed to establish a “commercial arrangement area” where oil and gas revenue in the disputed area would be shared between the two nations. How much each country would get was not disclosed.

The two sides also agreed to the existence of “unsuspendable rights of maritime access” which guaranteed the right of movement by Malaysian vessels through Brunei territorial waters provided Brunei’s laws and regulations are obser-ved.

Lastly, the Letters of Exchange also established the methods to demarcate the land boundary between the two countries.

The negotiations over the agreements, which began in 1995, took 39 rounds of talks to reach the resolution.

The dispute over maritime territory arose out of a 1979 map published by Malaysia which indicated that all deep-sea territorial waters off the coast of Brunei belonged to Malaysia.

The latest dispute over maritime territory occurred in 2003 when Malaysia and Brunei awarded petroleum production-sharing contracts for four exploration blocks to different companies in the disputed area, close to where a 440 million-barrel discovery had been made the year before.

Following the dispute, both countries agreed to stop drilling activities in the area.

News and photo source: The Star..

p/s kan bagus kalu yang satu tue pun drop claim mo ambik Sabah.. huhuhu...

Lecturer raped me, alleges student

SERDANG: A lecturer at a public university here stands accused of raping one of his charges.

The lecturer, from the engineering faculty, is said to have threatened to expel the 26-year-old student from Bandar Tasik Selatan if she told anyone about the rape. He also allegedly offered to make her his third wife.

The student lodged a report last week alleging rape and molest.

Her ordeal began at the end of last year when she was told to meet the lecturer in his office. She was supposed to hand in her assignment.

"She went to the lecturer's office and handed her assignment. She was told to wait while he browsed through the work," said a source.
"The student then told him this would be their last meeting as she had completed all her assignments. She thanked him for his help and guidance."

The lecturer then locked the door and hugged and kissed the student who tried to push him off.

He allegedly took out a sleeping bag from a cupboard, grabbed the student and pushed her onto to the floor. The victim screamed for help but was gagged.

After allegedly raping her, the lecturer warned the student not to inform anyone about the incident or he would not only smear her name but also get her expelled.

"The victim claimed that the lecturer offered to make her his third wife. But she refused despite his persistence. She was molested and raped on two other occasions," the source disclosed.

Selangor CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner II Hasnan Hassan said police would question the lecturer when he returned from his holiday abroad.

News by NSTOnline..

Karpal Singh claims trial to sedition charge

KUALA LUMPUR, Tue.:

Veteran lawyer and politician Karpal Singh claimed trial at the KL Sessions court to one count of sedition against the Sultan of Perak.

He is alleged to have uttered seditious words during a media conference at his office in Jalan Pudu Lama here between noon and 12.30pm on Feb 6.

He was charged section 4 (1) (b) of the Sedition Act1948. If convicted, he faces a maximum RM5,000 fine or three years jail, o rboth.

He was represented by 13 lawyers including himself and four of his children.

Bail was granted at RM2,000. The case has been transfered to the High Court. The next mention date will be determined by the High Court.

News by NSTOnline..

Wives face sex clip, nude photo threats

KUALA LUMPUR: A 24-year-old housewife got a shock when her husband of five months told her that a clip of her having sex with an old boyfriend is circulating via MMS (multimedia messaging service).

The husband found the clip in a friend's phone.

It was believed the recording was made some time in 2005 or 2006, a source said.

When the woman broke up with her then boyfriend, he threatened to post a clip of them having sex but she didn't believe he had one.

"When she found out about the clip, she called her ex-boyfriend, but he denied distributing it, saying he had deleted it from his handphone after they broke up," said the source.
Supported by her husband, the woman lodged a report at Petaling police station on Thursday.

A 25-year-old nurse is also facing a similar predicament.

She lodged a report at Pantai police station on Friday that a man who raped her three years ago is threatening to circulate nude photographs of her.

According to a source, she said he had assaulted her when she refused to become his business partner in selling CDs of religious music, and had taken nude photographs of her with his handphone.

At the time, she did not file a report but he has since been threatening to tell her family and the man she married a year ago.

The last straw came when the man threatened to distribute the photographs.

Police are looking for two men in their 30s to assist in investigations into the cases.

News by NSTOnline..

Gobind suspended one year from Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR: Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo has been suspended from Parliament without allowance and benefits for one year for alleging that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was involved in a murder case and for contempt against the Deputy Speaker.

Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia made the decision on Monday after the matter was put to vote and a majority of MPs were in favour of suspending Gobind Singh.

On Thursday, Gobind Singh was ejected from the House for the third time when he kept on speaking about Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder case although the chair had ordered him to stop.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee ruled that it was sub-judice to talk about a case that was pending in court.

The outburst occurred after Najib had finished replying to points raised during the debate on the mini budget.

Later at the Parliament lobby, Gobind Singh said it was most unfortunate that he had been suspended.

“The fight does not stop here. I will focus more on constituency work from now one and in one year, I will be back,” he said.

He also said he was disappointed that he was not given a chance to defend himself in the House.

News by TheStar..

Perak Drama:Dr M says Perak grab unlawful

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — More than a month after Barisan Nasional ousted Pakatan Rakyat from Perak, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said the takeover was not done according to the law.

He said mistakes, bad strategy and carelessness in the Feb 5 power grab, orchestrated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had led to the current crisis in the state.

"You cannot topple a menteri besar or a prime minister without a no-confidence vote in the assembly. There is no other provision," he said at a function organised by Mubarak, the association for former elected representatives.

"Umno-BN was too careless and did not wait for an assembly but instead asked the Ruler to sack the menteri besar," he said, referring to Sultan Azlan Shah's decision to ask Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin to resign.

"As far as I know, there is no such provision in the Perak or Federal Constitution," he said.

Dr Mahathir said that BN should have done it properly and not "be in conflict with the law" as the courts may now rule that the Sultan has no right to sack a menteri besar.

He added that a Sultan could only reject a candidate for one of his choice after an election but even this candidate could be defeated in the assembly by a vote.

The veteran politician said BN should have "followed the laws of the country, especially the constitution."

"Because this may be in conflict with the law, we find that people will not comply. Because we started on the wrong foot, people are now against us," said Dr Mahathir, who quit Umno last year in a long-running feud with his successor Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The Perak power grab is now mired in a series of lawsuits, with both sides claiming to be the legitimate government.

Six people have also been charged with insulting the Perak Ruler after he backed BN to govern the state. One has pleaded guilty and was fined RM10,000 yesterday while five others claimed trial.

Umno has said those who opposed the Sultan's decision are committing treason.

News by TheMalaysianInsider..

Bkt Gantang: Ismail Safian is Barisan candidate for by-election

TAIPING: Solid Waste Management and Public Cleaning Corporation human resources director Ismail Safian has been named as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the upcoming Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election.

Announcing the name during a meet-the-people session at Simpang near here on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said with Ismail as the candidate, Barisan stood a better chance of winning back the seat, which was previously won by PAS.

“The most important thing is the candidate can work with the divisions leadership to cut down on friction or suspicion,” said Najib, who is also Perak Barisan chief.

While Barisan had considered several names before deciding on Ismail, Najib said one of the criteria was Ismail being a local boy.

“We surveyed and shared opinion with other leaders before deciding on him,” he added, noting that division leaders also gave their full support on Ismail’s candidacy.

Najib also said that as a pre-condition for Ismail’s candidacy, he was not supposed to contest the Bukit Gantang Umno division chief post.

In a separate press conference, Ismail, 48, said he had no qualms about being barred from standing for the division chief’s post.

“My resolution is to serve the people of Bukit Gantang to the best of my ability,” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia graduate from the Housing, Building and Planning faculty.

Asked to rate his chances, Ismail said Barisan stood a good chance of reclaiming the seat as the people had realised that the opposition had cheated them.

“My survey among people of all races confirmed that,” he said, adding that the support now was better than last year.

The father of three girls and two boys, aged between 24 and 10, is now the deputy Kampung Kubu Umno branch chairman.

He joined Umno in 1982 and became Bukit Gantang Umno divisions Youth secretary in 1984.

His highest position in the party was the division’s information chief, which he held between 2004 and 2008.

The Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of its former MP Roslan Shahrum on Feb 9.

The Elections Commission has fixed March 29 as nomination date while polling date falls on April 7.

News by TheStar..

Handover early April?

Kota Kinabalu: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said a date will be set for the transition of power between him and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The handing over of the Prime Ministership was slated for the end of this month but the Malaysia Insider blog reported that he would only hand over the reins to Najib on April 3.

"(But) of course there is a date for the transition. I have discussed with Najib and I will make a formal announcement on that," he told reporters after visiting the Sepanggar Naval Base with his wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah.

Also present were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and wife Datin Seri Faridah Tussin, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin, Industrial Development Assistant Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad and State Federal Secretary Datuk Ismail Wadin.

The Malaysian Insider claimed the slight change to the timetable has to do with Abdullah wanting to chair the Cabinet meeting on April 1 and bid farewell to the Ministers in person.

The swearing in of Najib as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia is set for Friday, four days before the April 7 by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai. The blog said the new development would pour water on speculation that Abdullah would continue in office even after the Umno elections. Speculation was also heightened after Abdullah and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met at a lunch on Tuesday in conjunction with the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.

News by Daily Express.. Read More HERE..

Kurup to remain as Pensiangan MP

KOTA KINABALU: PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup will keep his Pensiangan parliamentary seat in Sabah.

The Federal Court here on Friday overturned the Sept 17, 2008 Election Court decision to nullify March 2008 general election results for the seat.

On Feb 12, the Federal Court had reserved its ruling on the election petition appeals for both the Pensiangan parliament and Api Api state seats.

Court of Appeal president Justice Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, who chaired the panel, said the court reserved its judgments on both cases to a date yet to be fixed.

He said this after hearing submissions on the appeals with Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Ariffin Zakaria and Federal Court judge Justice Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman.

On Sept 8 last year, High Court judge Justice David Wong Dak Wah, who was sitting as an Election Court judge, quashed the outcome of the Pensiangan seat that was won uncontested by Barisan Nasional’s Kurup.

Justice Wong held that returning officer Bubudan OT Majalu had erred in overturning an Election Commission directive that PKR candidate Danny Andipai’s nomination papers be accepted though they were filed after the 10am deadline.

The judge had also ruled that the objections against Andipai’s nomination forms — on the grounds that they were not signed and that improper forms were used — were invalid.

News by TheStar..

Six to be charged for insulting Perak Sultan via blogs, postings

KUALA LUMPUR: Six people, who allegedly insulted the Sultan of Perak via their blogs or online postings, are expected to be charged on Friday under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

They are expected to be charged in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Kota Kinabalu, and Butterworth under Section 233(1) of the Act for unwise use of network or network services by making comments, demands, suggestions or communication deemed vulgar, false, threatening or disturbing. The charges are to be read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

The six will thus become the first to be hauled up under the Act.

Two others are also expected to face similar charges in Terengganu on Sunday.

Those found guilty under the Act face a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a maximum jail term of one year or both as provided for under Section 233(3) of the Act.

Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail confirmed his officers are expected to charge several people on Friday but declined to elaborate on the facts of the case.

It is learnt that several senior Information, Communication and Technology executives working with the Perak State Secretary lodged a report with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on Feb 16 after reading the offending posting and comments in several of the blogs that is said to be linked to the Sultan of Perak’s web site.

Several of the offending comments were also posted and sent to the Perak state government website.

The MCMC acting on their complaint started a round the clock probe and after about a month of tedious investigations applied and obtained several search warrants from the courts to further investigate the matter.

They (MCMC) officers armed with the search warrants raided several premises and shop lots throughout the country including houses and shops in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Brickfields, Kajang, Sri Kembangan, Permatang Pauh, Ranau in Sabah and several other places where the culprits were alleged to have operated from.

The sources said the raiding team seized lap tops, modems, personal computers and even telephone bills as evidence that is said to belong to the suspects and would produce them as evidence.

News by TheStar..

p/s omg.. to all bloggers out there.. from this moment we have to be xxtxra careful on your posting..

SPM: 6,277 score straight As in all subjects

PUTRAJAYA: The 2008 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results announced Thursday saw 6,277 students scoring straight As in all subjects compared with 5,060 in 2007.

Education Ministry Director-General Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said 1,676 students scored A1s in all subjects compared with 892 in 2007, while 181,416 or 46.7% passed all subjects compared with 175,452 in 2007.

“There were three excellent result achievers who scored A1s in all 16 subjects, two who scored A1 in 15 subjects while six scored A1s in 14 subjects,” said Alimuddin while announcing the SPM and STAM results here Thursday.

Last year, 442,936 students sat for the SPM compared with 439,255 in 2007; 435 Special students also sat for the examination last year compared with 355 the previous year. -- Bernama

News by TheStar..

PM: No agenda in unexpected meeting with Anwar

KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has dismissed any political agenda in his unexpected meeting with Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at a religious school in Hulu Langat on Tuesday.

"There was no discussion between me and Anwar. There is nothing more about it,” he told reporters here Wednesday after visiting the Sepangar naval base.

He said he was invited by well known Ustza Sheikh Mahmud Al-Mazjub to celebrate Malulidur Rasul as to mark the ending of the spiritual development of the Uztaz.

"I was having my lunch with the Sheikh when Anwar came (later). We were listening to the Sheikh Mahmuds during lunch, he said in dismissing bloggers speculations of political implications about the meeting.

Asked if a date has been set for the transition of power between him and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, he replied: "Of course we have a date. I have discussed with Najib. I will make official (in time)."

News by TheStar..

AG, IGP cleared in Anwar's black eye incident

PUTRAJAYA, WED:

A three-member independent panel acting as deputy public prosecutors, found that Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Aman did not fabricate evidence in the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim "black eye" incident in 1998.

"After studying the case carefully and in depth, Tan Sri Abdul Gani and Tan Sri Musa did not commit any criminal offence as alleged by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a statement today.

As such, the MACC chief commissioner also found no criminal case against the two.

The independent panel comprised two former Federal Court judges and a Court of Appeal judge, Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, Datuk Wira Mohd Noor Ahmad and Datuk Mohamad Noor Abdullah, who were appointed as DPPs in the case by the Solicitor-General.
Anwar had in July last year, alleged that Abdul Gani and Musa had fabricated evidence or information pertaining to the assault on him, giving him a black eye, by the then IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor while in police custody in 1998.

The statement said MACC viewed seriously Anwar''s allegation that the commission failed to act against the AG and IGP after he lodged a police report.

Following this, MAAC (which was then known as the Anti-Corruption Agency -ACA) carried out a two-month investigation from July 2, 2008, with Abdul Gani and Musa as the prime subjects of the investigation, which recorded statementsfrom witnesses including Anwar himself.

Taking into consideration that this was a sensitive, high-profile and public-interest case, the MACC proposed the setting up of an independent panelwith the three members acting as DPPs to look into the case, the statement said.

Meanwhile, in the Dewan Rakyat today, Minister in the Prime Minister''s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the panel members did notdiscuss the case among themselves and dealt with it professionally andmeticulously.

"Majority-wise, the panel found that the AG and IGP did not commit anycriminal offence in the case as alleged," he said in reply to a question fromGobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong).

Mohamed Nazri said two of the three panel members cleared Abdul Ghani of any wrongdoing while all the members made the same decision on Musa.

"I am not able to say here who had agreed or disagreed (with regards to allegation against Abdul Ghani)," he said, adding that the panel''s decision tooktime to be announced as several factors had to be considered.

News by NST online..

RM60bil for stimulus package

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tabled an RM60bil “mini budget” (see below) as part of the second economic stimulus package to help Malaysia weather the global economic crisis.

Najib, also the Finance Minister, pulled no punches as he unveiled the Supplementary Supply Bill 2009 in Parliament, noting that more than half of the major world economies -- in particular the United States, Europe and Japan -- are in recession and experiencing the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The RM60bil package, to be implemented over 2009 and 2010, includes RM15bil as fiscal injection, RM25bil in Guarantee Funds, RM10bil for equity investments, RM7bil for private finance initiatives and off-budget projects, as well as RM3bil in tax incentives.

“This RM60bil accounts for almost 9% of (Malaysia’s) GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” he said, describing it as “unprecedented in the nation’s economic history.”

Najib said that Malaysia’s highly open economy is likely to be affected by four factors:

* First, exports will decline in line with deteriorating world demand (for instance, in January 2009, exports declined 27.8%);

* Second, commodity exports, in particular, crude oil and gas as well as palm oil, have experienced sharp decline in prices;

* Third, decline in FDI (foreign direct investment), in line with the global recession, is expected to be half of that in 2008, declining to RM26bil compared with RM51bi; and

* Fourth, the global meltdown in equity markets has led to a significant decline in Bursa Malaysia, which has also adversely impacted investor and consumer sentiment as well as the services sector, which normally is a high-growth sector.

“Given these factors and in the context of the sharp deterioration in the global economy, Malaysia now faces an extremely challenging economic environment. This necessitated a review of the GDP growth forecast for 2009.

“However, the Government is confident that the original 2009 Budget with an allocation of RM206bil, as well as the First Stimulus Package of RM7bil and the Second Stimulus Package, will contribute towards mitigating the impact of the global contraction on the domestic economy.

“Taking into account these measures, GDP growth is expected to be in the range of –1% to 1% for 2009. Without these efforts, the economy faces the prospect of a deep recession,” Najib said.

MINI BUDGET SPEECH BY DATUK SERI NAJIB TUN RAZAK

(Click tilte to read more..)

News by TheStar Online..

Father sodomises daughter, brother molests sisters

KLANG, Sat: A man sodomised his seven-year-old daughter last week, while, in another case, a brother forced his younger sister to perform oral sex.

A doctor at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital lodged a police report on Thursday after a rectal examination on a seven-year-old girl revealed numerous tears in her anus. The girl, a Standard One pupil from Rantau Panjang, Klang, had been taken to the hospital after complaining of pain in her anus.

A police source said: “The doctor was initially reluctant to release the victim back into her mother’s care but had no choice.”

Following the report, a second medical examination was conducted on the victim and the results were conclusive, indicating that she had been sodomised.

It is learnt that the victim’s father, a lorry driver aged 47, has since gone into hiding.

In the second incident, a 19-year-old man is being sought by police after he is said to have sexually assaulted both his younger sisters on Wednesday at their home in Taman Seri Putra, Banting.

The suspect is said to have pulled his sisters, aged 11 and 8, into the bedroom, while their parents were away. He allegedly pushed the 11-year-old girl onto the bed and kissed her.

The suspect is then said to have dragged both girls into the toilet where he ordered the younger girl to perform oral sex on him.

He then warned the girls to keep quiet about the incident. However, the elder girl told her mother what happened when she returned home.

The mother lodged a report at the Banting police station. It is understood that a similar incident had occurred in the past when the family lived in Kelantan.

However, at that time, the mother did not believe her daughter. Medical examinations indicated neither of the girls had been raped.Selangor CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner II Hasnan Hassan said police were looking for the two suspects.

News by NST Online..

p/s Kiamat mo sampai suda nie kalu gni.. macam2 dunia sekarang nie...

‘We will only act on solid evidence,’ says Anwar

PENANG: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he will act on allegations of corruption involving two state party leaders only if there is solid evidence.
He said the committee concerned would investigate the allegations by Kepala Batas PKR Youth chief Amizudin Ahmat.

"If there is solid evidence, then I would inform Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to act," he told reporters after jointly lauching the Penang Free WiFi project with Lim, at the Sunway Cannival Mall in Seberang Jaya here on Sunday.

On Thursday, Amizudin had alleged that two state PKR leaders received bribes from a quarry company.

Meanwhile, Lim condemned the police action of firing tear gas at a crowd that had marched to submit a memorandum to the King against the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English.

Police said that it was an illegal gathering and they had no choice but to disperse the crowd that tried to march from the National Mosque to the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. - Bernama

News by TheStar..

Sepah Juara Raja Lawak 3

Malam tadi telah berlangsungnya Malam Kemuncak Gelanggang Raja Lawak musim ketiga yang telah dipancarkan secara langsung daripada Dewan Sivik, Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) dan juga disiarkan menerusi Astro Prima (saluran 105).

Malam yang penuh gilang gemilang itu telah bermula pada jam 8.30 malam dengan acara karpet merah yang bertemakan Karpet Lawak. Antara pelawak yang muncul di karpet merah adalah Dato’ Yahya Sulung, Param, Acappan, Hamid Gurkha, Dato’ Aziz Satar dan ramai lagi.

Malam tadi merupakan detik paling manis buat Kumpulan Sepah apabila berjaya mengenepikan dua saingannya iaitu Jihan dan Amir, setelah berjaya merebut gelaran Juara Raja Lawak 3. Namun tidak dapat dinafikan ketiga-tiga finalis berjaya menyempurnakan dua tugasan yang telah diberikan dengan baik. Dua tugasan yang telah diberi adalah bertemakan Bebas dan Komedi Musikal.

Sepah yang tampil sebagai warga emas di dalam persembahan kedua berjaya mengamatkan suasana dengan aksi mereka yang bersahaja dan ditambah pula dengan unsur-unsur nyanyian yang mengasyikan dan sekaligus membolehkan mereka mendapat sorakan gemuruh daripada semua penonton yang hadir.

Jihan yang merupakan finalis wanita pertama bagi tiga musim tampil anggun bak primadona dalam persembahannya yang kedua dan sekaligus mendapat pujian daripada kesemua pengkritik. Namun persembahan pertama dilihat agak kurang menonjol berbanding persembahan sebelumnya yang menyebabkan beliau hanya memperoleh tempat sebagai naib juara.

Amir yang tampil mendendangkan lagu-lagu berunsurkan negeri kelahirannya dalam persembahan kedua nampaknya gagal menarik perhatian para pengundi apabila hanya berjaya mendapat tempat ketiga.

Berikut adalah peratusan undian sejurus undian ditutup malam tadi:

SEPAH 48.12
JIHAN 30.82
AMIR 21.07

Juara Raja lawak musim ketiga ini berjaya membawa pulang sebuah kereta Citroen Picasso, wang tunai RM20,000, produk elektrik dan trofi sumbangan Astro. Manakala naib juara akan membawa pulang sebuah motosikal jenama Naza Blade 250R, wang tunai RM14,000, produk elektrik serta trofi sumbangan Astro dan tempat ketiga memenangi wang tunai RM8,000, barangan elektrik serta trofi.

Majlis penyampaian hadiah telah disempurnakan oleh 3 pelawak veteran iaitu Dato Yahya Sulong, Hamid Gurkha dan Param. Malam Kemuncak Gelanggang Raja Lawak 3 telah berakhir kira-kira pada jam 11 malam dan disusuli dengan Sidang Media bersama ketiga-tiga finalis dan juga Pengurus Saluran Prima iaitu En. Nizam Sani.

News from HERE..

p/s
Ermmm.. memang telah diduga sejak dari awal lagi bahawa kumpulan sepah akan menjadi raja lawak 3 astro.. Tahniah kumpulan Sepah.. Tapi me myself didn't watch it cuz of OIAM at the other channel... Anyhow, I wish Sepah all the best and gud luck... Ermmm.. kalu tak tau mcm mana nak bagi kereta tue, bagi jak lar pada saya.. takkan nak bahagi 3 kereta tue...hehehehe...

Naked photos taken during job interview

KUALA LUMPUR: He answered an advertisement to be a guest relation officer. Instead, David (not his real name) was photographed naked as part of an interview to be a gigolo.

The 28-year-old salesman from here said he had telephoned a man called “Uncle Simon” because he needed a better paying job as he wanted to plan for his future.

After “Uncle Simon” met him for the first time, he asked David to be a gigolo as he was good-looking.

“I accepted the offer because there was an interview, and I didn’t think there would be anything wrong with it,” David said at a press conference yesterday at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department,

During the interview, he was required to be photographed naked.

He agreed to do so but covered his private parts during the photo shoot.

“I was afraid to reject Uncle Simon because he had my personal details as well as the pictures,” he said.

“They asked me to wait for a telephone call but it never came.”

He added he wanted to forget the whole issue because it was a stupid decision.

David sought help from the department yesterday because he was afraid that “Uncle Simon” would expose the photographs of him.

David also said there were other gigolos as well and their naked pictures were compiled into an album for women customers to choose from.

Department head Datuk Michael Chong said there were many such advertisements that offered lucrative pay to attract naive young men and women.

News by TheStar..

p/s This world is getting hotter..lol