Pendekatan dakwah sekarang tidak menarik bukan Islam – Dr. M

KUALA LUMPUR 29 April – Tun Dr. Mahthir Mohamad menyifatkan pendekatan dakwah agak keras yang digunakan oleh umat Islam sekarang tidak menarik golongan bukan Islam terhadap ajaran Islam.
Sehubungan itu, bekas Perdana Menteri mencadangkan supaya pendekatan dakwah sedia ada dikaji semula.
Beliau yang juga Yang Dipertua Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim) berkata, terdapat kecenderungan menggunakan pendekatan dakwah agak keras sehingga menakutkan orang bukan Islam kepada ajaran agama suci itu.
Beliau mengambil contoh bagaimana orang Islam dan golongan pendakwah lebih cenderung menceritakan perihal hukum hudud termasuk hukuman bunuh ke atas mereka yang murtad, berbanding menceritakan terlebih dahulu keindahan ajaran Islam termasuk dalam memelihara keadilan sejagat.
‘‘Kalau kita terlalu keras, tidak boleh menarik orang kepada Islam. Misalnya, mengatakan awak masuk Islam, kalau keluar Islam akan dibunuh. Tidak ada sesiapa pun yang hendak masuk Islam,’’ katanya ketika berucap merasmikan Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan Ke-13, Persatuan Cina Muslim Malaysia (MACMA) di sini, hari ini.
Turut hadir Presiden MACMA, Datuk Mustapha Ma.
Menurut Dr. Mahathir, ada ketikanya orang Islam dan golongan pendakwah lebih cenderung menceritakan perkara-perkara kecil berbanding soal lebih besar mengenai keunikan dan keindahan Islam.
Beliau mengambil contoh penukaran gaya hidup golongan mualaf selepas memeluk Islam dan penceraian membabitkan wanita mualaf sehingga mendorong mereka kembali kepada agama lama.
‘‘Kalau kita kaji sejarah, raja-raja Melayu memeluk Islam setelah tertarik dengan ajaran sebenar Islam yang telah ditunjukkan secara amalan oleh para pedagang India muslim dan bangsa Arab dahulu,’’ katanya.
Dr. Mahathir turut membangkitkan pendekatan agak keras yang digunakan oleh pegawai agama kepada seorang warga Eropah yang berhasrat memeluk Islam, tetapi hanya berbuat demikian di Singapura.
‘‘Pegawai itu tanya dengan keras, apakah awak sanggup bangun pukul lima pagi hendak solat dan tidak boleh makan babi. Dia sebenarnya tahu perkara itu, tetapi dia tidak terima Islam di pejabat terbabit, tetapi di Singapura,’’ katanya tanpa mendedahkan pejabat berkenaan.
Beliau turut membangkitkan kecenderungan membangkitkan soal syurga dan neraka yang pada pendapatnya akan difahami selepas mualaf itu mempunyai pengetahuan mendalam tentang ajaran Islam sebenar.
‘‘Orang Melayu sendiri mengambil masa lebih 600 tahun untuk menjadi umat Islam yang baik. Mungkin ibu bapanya tidak 100 peratus Islam, yang penting ialah anak dan cucu-cicitnya dibesarkan dalam ajaran Islam sebenar,’’ katanya.

What else can a loser says

eeh,please don't hug me, i'm not sukma






Ijok, (Malaysia) April 30(AP): A Malaysian Opposition party linked to former Deputy Leader Anwar Ibrahim disputed on Sunday the ruling coalition's victory in a bitterly fought by-election, alleging electoral fraud and calling it an insult to democracy.
The result was a blow to Anwar, who is adviser to the party and seeking to revive his political career after being sacked from the government nine years ago on corruption and homosexuality charges.
He led the Opposition campaign for the first time since being freed from jail in 2004, accusing the ruling parties of corruption and denying ethnic minorities their rights
The Justice Party said the strong police and government presence in Ijok created an atmosphere of fear while the 82 percent voter turnout, among the highest in a by-election, was suspicious.
``There were voters who arrived only to find their votes used by unknown persons. There are those who had passed away and yet their votes were cast. We have evidence of residents promised money by National Front after they voted for them,'' it said in a statement.
``This is not a defeat for our party. This is an insult to our democratic system.''
Anwar said the defeat would not hurt his political comeback. He is currently banned from officially holding any political post until 2008.

BN won in Ijok because of pak lah

KATAKAN TAK NAK KPD PAK LAH



PM's Dignified Presence Swings Votes To BN In Tough By-election

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Ijok was only a state-level by-election but the stakes were high.
At the end of it all, it became a proxy war between the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government and the Opposition just before the next big battle: the general election.
When the votes were finally counted after one of the most hotly-contested by-elections in Malaysian history, BN coasted to victory by an even higher majority.
But sweet victory did not come easy and there were plenty of nail-biting anxious moments, especially when many seasoned BN campaigners had conceded that it was going to be a tough fight and that the Opposition was proving to be a rather formidable foe.
What swung the tide towards BN during the final lap?
Many credited Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's sudden sweep to Ijok at the last-minute to help swing the tide.
The complacent among the campaigners had earlier dismissed the necessity for Abdullah to "turun padang" or go down to the hustings since it was only a state by-election and that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was already leading the BN charge.
But Abdullah's noteworthy and dignified presence at Ijok amidst the extremely aggressive campaigning changed it all and turned the tide towards BN.
To be fair, Najib campaigned admirably and almost tirelessly and braved the slanderous mud-slinging right from day one to make up for lost ground on a number of fractious issues.
They include the feeble track record of the previous state assemblyman for Ijok and the initial strong dissension from the choice of the candidate and coalition party to contest in the by-election.
At one instance, it was thought that Umno was going to be BN's flag bearer in Ijok.
But in the end good sense prevailed among the BN leadership to again to champion the ruling coalition's time-tested formula of power-sharing among the various races given that Ijok has the largest number of Indian voters in Selangor.
Once K. Parthiban, 38, from the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) was chosen as the candidate, Najib, together with Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir Toyo and other BN leaders, got cracking at a furious pace to ensure BN retained the Ijok seat.

tunku : the hard work of najib, khir toyo and other bn leaders went down the drain, they won because pak lah visited Ijok for few hours.I guess before pak lah came , bn was on a losing side judging the above news.it was pak lah who made the voters to vote for bn. so next time around no need for anyone to campaign in election, just send pak lah and a victory is guaranteed.

Ijok A wake-up Call For BN Reps

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) may have won the Ijok by-election with an increased majority but the close fight should serve as a "wake-up call" for its elected representatives, denoting that the days of easy victories are over.
The by-election, necessitated by the death of BN State Assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam on April 4, was the most intense compared to the four previous by-elections in the three years since the general election of 2004.
The Elections Act states that a by-election has to be called should a seat become vacant within three years after a general election.
As such, Ijok is the last by-election for now and the focus turns to the general election which should be held anytime before April 2009.
Political observers conclude that the BN's victory in Ijok reflects the people's acceptance of the leadership and the BN government's power-sharing formula and the cooperation of all races that had withstood the test of time.
BN's K.Parthiban, 38, of the MIC defeated Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, 61, of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) with a majority of 1,850 votes, 201 more than the majority garnered in the last general election.
The Ijok state constituency has more than 12,000 voters, of whom 51 per cent are Malays, 28 per cent Indians and 21 per cent Chinese.
Not wanting to take anything away from BN, the win at Ijok will go down in history as one of the most intense and that the party had to muster all its resources to defend the seat.
One of the reasons cited was the poor service record of its past assemblyman, which was admitted by the BN.
Race was not a factor because, according to Umno leaders, the BN garnered 281 additional votes from Jaya Setia where it had lost by 50 votes in the last election.
BN campaigner Datuk Ashari Ibrahim of Melaka Umno said the party machinery did not face much difficulty in countering national issues raised by the opposition leaders, including PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The opposition tactic of personally attacking Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak and claiming that he had problems with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were easily fended off by Najib and the BN machinery.
Abdullah's visit to Ijok also provided moral support and showed his solidarity with Najib, leaving the opposition dead in their tracks.
At the end of the day, what the voters want is a representative whom they can depend on to solve problems concerning education, housing and basic amenities in their area.
As such, for Parthiban, the former education officer referred to simply as "cikgu", his services in the months leading to the general election will have a bearing not only on his future but also that of the BN.

tunku : to me this is indeed a wake up call for BN, though BN increased their majority lets not forget opposition votes increased too by 470.so the bn leaders should wake up from the "feel good thing" as the rakyat in majority is not having the "feel good thing".Majority Chinese votes wnet to pkr's favour, so next GE the town area will be a headache for BN, Sarawak has shown it to us where almost all the major town area seats went to the opposition.So wake up BN before it's too late especially our "feel good" pm.

Nik Aziz wants to contest in next general election

apa .....saya tak ingat, tolong tanya orang lain



BERNAMA
Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat says he wants to contest in the next general election despite his “occasional ill-health”.
“In fact, I also want to continue as Kelantan Menteri Besar as long as the party wants me to serve in the post,” said Nik Aziz who is also Cempaka assemblyman.
“I can still discharge my duties and responsibilities as Menteri Besar as my health condition still permits,” he told reporters after closing an election discourse organised by Kelantan Pas at Taman Rehlah in Pantai Bisikan Bayu yesterday.
Nik Aziz, who is also Pas’ Spiritual Adviser, was with a walking stick and had to be assisted by party members to come down from the stage after delivering his speech.

tunku : i guess nik aziz should resign as he is a senile man.he can't even answer reporter question correctly.he failed miserably in handling the lojing issue which he had to use husam to cover up. he is a sick old man that should retire, it's high time for him now to retire and pass the baton to the younger one.

USA and cronies can have nuclear power but not Muslim Countries

Howard defends nuclear plans
29/04/2007 - 11:46:24
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said his pledge to pave the way for nuclear power was not politically risky because the public understands that atomic energy is necessary to combat global warming.
Howard announced that his centre-right government plans to repeal laws that limit uranium mining in Australia and prevent the creation of nuclear power plants.
He will not be able to build atomic generators, however, because all the states are governed by the centre-left Labour Party which is opposed to nuclear energy.
With elections due late this year, Howard said voters would appreciate the honesty of his policy to reduce Australia’s dependence on coal-fired electricity generation by introducing atomic energy.

tunku : they can do anything they like, how many nuclear weapons, power they want but not muslim countries and non us alliance country. pakistan escaped from the pressure as it had done it much earlier and because it helps usa with the afghan issue.this shows how double standard are these lots.every country in this world should be free form nuclear weapons.

ECM LIBRA n AIRASIA

Kalimullah back in ECM Libra, Tony Fernandez now in
Posted April 29th, 2007 by Biggum Dogmannsteinberg
http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com/

It seemed Dato’ Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan is now back in ECM Libra Avenue as the Executive Chairman, after the so called ’sold out’ his holding last August. So now it is very clear. Last August’s announcements of Kalimullah and Khairy ‘unloading’ their shareholding in ECM Libra Avenue to ’so called’ Tan Sri Azman Hashim is just purely, “wayang”. What saddens many, the Public Accounts Committee under the stewardship of Dato’ Shahrir Samad actually ‘bought this lemon’.

Lets quickly re-cap what happened throughout 2006. When the news (proposition) of the merger between ECM Libra and Avenue Capital surfaced since early last year, so much oppositions were brought upon by too many quarters in the public and too much controversies were unavoidably high-lighted. Right from Prime Minister (Minister of Finance) Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s iconic response “I dunno, I am not involved”, to the much heated Avenue Capital EGM at Kiara Equestrian Club, 18 May 2006 on pertinent issues like “impairment of goodwill”, “unfair pre-merger ECM price valuation”, “SC allowed the MGO to be waived (which drew the Minority Stockholders Watchdog Group’s strong protest)” and of course, irregular meeting procedures. Still Now, the endless on going PAC hearing which many felt was being steered away from the main salient issues.

Now, Dato’ Tony Fernandez is also the new shareholder in ECM Libra Avenue. So, the picture becomes clearer and how Khairy’s relationship with Fernandez crystallized further, for the rest of us. This suspicion had lingered in many minds, ever since Khairy Jamaluddin announced that he would be taking up 3% ECM Libra share sometime late 2005. The rest, there onwards, as they always say, is history.
Now history is back in the making and unfolding, all over again. Saturday 28 April 2007 (whilst the rest of the people in Klang Valley were focused on the Ijok nail biting by-election), Star Biz (www.thestar.com.my) has the story of this new development:

Saturday April 28, 2007
Kalimullah and Kian Onn to drive ECM’s next leap
By ANITA GABRIEL
MAIN drivers and founders of ECM Libra group Datuk Kalimullah Hassan and Lim Kian Onn are back in the saddle at investment holding company ECM Libra Avenue Bhd (ECM).
Barely nine months after Kalimullah sold down his stake in ECM and both he and Kian Onn relinquished their executive positions in the company – a move which was perceived by many as the former having succumbed to the pressures of relentless vilification on his business involvements – they appear all set to take up the reins once again.
Although Kian Onn stayed on as director and didn’t sell down his stake in the company, he too had taken a back seat in the group.
Lim and Kalimullah’s ‘return’ to ECM signals that there are bigger plans waiting to unfold for the group in which the two personalities will play a major role
Late Friday, the company announced that Kalimullah, who was appointed as non-executive chairman on June 16 2006, will be redesignated as executive chairman and CEO while Lim, who is currently non-executive director, has been redesignated as managing director.
The appointments are effective May 1st.
The move has piqued the interest of market watchers as the group has assembled a strong team following an aggressive recruitment drive to run its investment banking operations. “The key players to drive the financial business of the group are all in place. Since they are coming in once again on executive positions, it could signal that more things are brewing at ECM,” says an industry wag.
That appears to be closer to the truth than one thinks.
Raja Ali and Jeyaratnam (below, right) have a wealth of experience in the field of investment banking
According to sources, negotiations are being pursued at the moment, which are close to fruition and when completed, will result in ECM adding a new major core business to its current single staple of financial services activity, which will see its business transcend domestic boundaries.
“The new business is involved in a global high growth sector,” says a source. As a result of the deal, it is also believed that ECM will see the entry of a couple of key shareholders who are notable and prominent personalities in the international corporate stage.
It is further believed that Datuk Tony Fernandes of AirAsia Bhd fame will also emerge as one of the key investors in the newly enlarged group.
Sources say that Kalimullah and Lim’s `return’ to ECM signals that there are bigger plans waiting to unfold for the group in which the two personalities will play a major role. At this juncture, no one is quite ruling out the possibility that it may eventually result in them raising their stake in ECM.
Also interesting is that the rumour mill has been churning out speculation that ECM’s investment banking business is up for grabs. However, sources close to the company deny such talks, saying that until the group manages to maximise the value and grow its investment banking business in terms of scale and profitability, it is not likely to be divested.
ECM, borne out of a highly publicised merger between ECM Libra Bhd and Avenue Capital Resources Bhd (ACRB) last June, provides a whole array of financial services namely investment banking, stockbroking, asset management and principal finance and investments.
The holding company of the enlarged group was incorporated on October 24 2005 as Avenue International Capital Bhd to facilitate a reorganisation exercise of ACRB Group, which saw the listing status of ACRB on Bursa Malaysia’s main board transferred to ECM Libra Avenue on June 28 2006.
The shocking exit
In August last year, Kalimullah, ECM co-founder David Chua, as well as Khairy Jamaluddin, son-in-law of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, disposed of their stakes in the company. Both Chua and Khairy sold off their entire interest in the group while Kalimullah retained a stake of just under 5%.
At that point, tensions were running high, and there appeared to be much scrutiny among a pocket of society over the individuals’ business involvements, more so in relation to the merger deal that was proposed between ECM Libra and Avenue Capital Resources Bhd.
Both Kalimullah’s and Khairy’s stakes were acquired by Amcorp Group Bhd while Chua disposed of his entire shareholding to a foreign fund management company.
“I am giving up to protect ECM,” Kalimullah had then said in an interview with a business magazine.
However, there appeared to be some disappointment among investors of ECM who bought into the company’s shares on the potential that these well-connected and influential businessmen would be able to drive ECM to greater heights, more so because the investment banking business is very much one that thrives on relationships and networking.
“For as long as these individuals were in the driver’s seat of ECM, investors thought there could be upside to be gained from investing in its shares. But when they left, some investors were nonplussed,” says an observer.
It appears that these individuals, or at least two of them, will soon be back in ECM to make good that promise of potential.
Yet, thus far, ECM has made some good strides and progress in the financial services sector.
For the year ended January 2007, sales rose by about 55% to RM121mil from the previous financial year. Group sales for the fourth quarter increased to RM41mil from RM16mil in the preceding year’s corresponding quarter.
The improvement was largely attributed to better performance of the group’s stockbroking business given the much-improved trading volume in the local bourse and higher placement fees.
Higher operating cost for the year, largely due to the combined costs of the merger (with ACRB), however led the group to post a lower pre-tax profit of RM19mil for the year against RM54mil previously. The decrease was also due to rationalisation expenses of RM17mil.
Considering the market’s euphoric performance so far this year, ECM’s performance for the first quarter of the year is likely to see further improvement, says an analyst.
In addition, the group’s stockbroking subsidiary ECM Libra Avenue Securities Sdn Bhd is awaiting the approval of Bank Negara for an investment banking licence, which analysts reckon will materialise pretty soon and will allow the group to offer a more comprehensive range of investment banking activities which it currently is not able to do namely deposits taking.
According to global deal flow data provider Dealogic ECM Analytics, ECM Libra Avenue Securities ranked top spot in book runners for share placements (in terms of deal value and number of shares) in the primary and secondary market (refer to table).
Beefing up the IB team
The IB team of ECM is currently run by group deputy CEO T. Jeyaratnam who left Aseambankers to join the group in October last year. He replaced Cheah Teik Seng, who stepped down as CEO and is currently involved in a private equity firm.
With over 20 years experience in the field of investment banking, Jeyaratnam brings to the group a wealth of experience in corporate finance knowledge and skills. Chartered accountant Raja Ali Raja Othman, the deputy chief executive officer of the group’s investment banking business, also has a sound knowledge and experience in both financial and corporate advisory services.
“The group has hired many skilled and experienced personnel to drive its IB and equity capital markets business. It’s still on a recruitment drive. Almost everything is in place,” says a source close to the company.
The group has also been in the corporate limelight recently with the emergence of Tan Sri Azman Hashim as the single largest shareholder. He raised his interest in the company from 7.4% to over 22% after acquiring a block of shares in ECM from Aroma Teraju Sdn Bhd – a vehicle of the Minister of Finance Inc in late February this year.
While this has led to speculation that Azman has plans to play a bigger role in the company, other astute market observers say it may more likely be a pure investment opportunity for the banker.
The slew of changes in ECM has also attracted significant interest in the counter. Year to date, ECM shares have fared relatively well and have gained over 40%. It emerged as the third most heavily traded counter on Friday, gaining 7 sen to close Friday at RM1.04.

Bigdog:
So how about we now hear it about AirAsia. Does Khairy’s ultra close relationship with Tony Fernandez, via Jason Lo, has translated to some business arrangements? It is so obvious, with AirAsia’s strong support of Khairy’s MyTeam and their both’s affinity for the Manchester United. Lets see the bigger picture now, plus the “Airline Rationalisation Plan” which saw the national carrier Malaysia Airlines’ strategic advantages are being systematically and structurally ‘cannibalised’ for AirAsia prosperity.

tunku : i am sure they all have connection and using each other.that is for sure otherwise airasia won't be the blue boy of our government nowadays.the more airasia group makes money the more SIL will make money too.

As usual najib will say....................................

KUALA SELANGOR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tonight said that the Barisan Nasional (BN) victory in the Ijok state by-election is testimony to the continued popularity of the ruling government among the people.
Observing that the rakyat continued to have faith in the BN, the Deputy Prime Minister said the win also illustrated their unflinching support for the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He was also asked whether the BN victory in Ijok pointed to an imminent general election.
"This is a good precursor for the next general election," he replied.
However, the deputy prime minister said the timing of the next general election would depend on many other factors.
"But we don't want to reveal (it). I'm sure the prime minister will know when to call (for the next general election)," he added

Parthiban
"Just call me cikgu. I prefer to be called cikgu. If they want to call me "Yang Berhormat", they can, but I prefer to be called just cikgu," he told reporters in his immediate reaction after being announced as the victor in the fiercely-fought by-election.
"I will also fulfil my pledges to the constituents to the best of my ability. I will work hard for the people of Ijok," he said.
Parthiban said the BN's victory was a victory to the BN election machinery and the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
"We had expected to retain the seat with a bigger majority," he said. expressing his gratitude to every BN component party for their hardwork to ensure his victory.
Asked whether he would end his bachelorhood now that he had become a "Yang Berhormat", to the laughter of his supporters, a grinning Parthiban, said: "I've not given a thought to it yet".

as usual the loser(pkr candidate) will say
Meanwhile, Khalid, a former corporate figure-turned businessman, said his defeat was not the end of his political career but instead marked the beginning of his active involvement with the opposition.
"I will not quit politics," he told reporters at his residence.
Khalid said he learnt a good lesson from the nine-day campaign period, especially on the need to strengthen the support machinery.
"I learned a lot and understood the need to prepare an effective support group for the next general election," he said.
Khalid said he would not shy away if he was offered to contest again in the next general election.( tak malu )

the MR I AM THE PRIME MINISTER
"They (PKR) did everything... and Anwar Ibrahim was there every day... they resorted to all sorts of tactics, including hurling accusations at (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Tun Razak," he said
"Although some people had predicted a heavy defeat for the BN (in Ijok), the results have shown it is a big win for the coalition," he said.
Abdullah said the BN would continue to carry out its responsibility to the people despite what the opposition had to say.
"(For them) whatever we do is not right... they always want to pass judgement and criticise. If something falls short, they will hurl all sorts of criticism at even the leaders," he said.
On the next general election, the prime minister said everything that has taken place in each by-election would be taken into account in determining a suitable time for the general election.

tunku : pak lah i hope you wont call for election now as we have ample time and please concentrate and fulfill all your promises before you call for election and hope it will be your last.

Tun Dr. Mahathir explains Malaysiakini story

From http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com
Former UMNO President and Prime Minister YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad explained today on the report that Malaysiakini carried out stating that he had campaigned for the people of Ijok to vote the Oppositions. He said it important that the people should send signals to the leadership about certain issues without defying their support for Barisan Nasional (BN). Tun Dr. Mahathir said he would never turn his back against UMNO and BN.
He was speaking at an event in at a private orphanage function in Batu 6, Bukit Naga, Section 32, Shah Alam, Selangor this morning. The theme was “Majlis Jasamu DiKenang dan Terima Kasih Tun Dr. Mahathir”.
He also appreciated the people’s tribute for him, like the one in Bukit Naga this morning. He reminded further that is a very integral part of the Malay culture to acknowledge the elders’ contributions in society.
The former Prime Minister was his usual cheery and bubbly self in the suburbs of Shah Alam, this morning. As he said in private before, the opportunity for him to meet the rakyat gives him strength and rejuvenate his will to move forward. His usual warm smile illustrated it all.
So far, this year, Tun Dr. Mahathir have spoken at a few public events including the War Crimes forum at the PWTC in February and those organised by UMNO organisations. Due to his age and health condition, his physicians have asked him to reduce his engagements, especially trips overseas. It takes a lot of more rein this seasoned statesman

Anwar's party defeated in Malaysian state by-election

(Kyodo)
Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and ex prisoner of Sungai Buloh Anwar Ibrahim's political resurrection suffered an early setback Saturday with the defeat of his party in a hotly contested by-election for a state legislative seat.
Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61, from Anwar's People's Justice Party (Keadilan), lost to K. Parthiban, 38, from the ruling National Front coalition, in the fight for a seat in the Ijok constituency in Selangor state.
Parthiban, an education officer, garnered 5,884 votes while Abdul Khalid, a well-known corporate figure-turned-politician, received 4,034 votes.
Anwar campaigned against what he said was rampant corruption and undemocratic practices in the government and, most controversially, he called for the abolishment of the affirmative action policy which gives privileges to the majority ethnic Malays.
The latter should have appealed to the non-Malays which made up nearly half of the voters but bread and butter issues appeared to have won the day.
The National Front's 36 million ringgit (about $10.4 million) pledge to develop the town also apparently won over voters.
The by-election was called after the previous state legislator died of a heart attack early this month.
The result will have no impact on the makeup of the state government. Before this by-election, the National Front already controlled all but two of the 56 seats in the state assembly.
Parthiban and Khalid found themselves mere sideshows during campaigning as the election was viewed as a proxy fight between Anwar and current Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who was leading the National Front's campaign.
The election marked the first time for Anwar to lead his party in a campaign since he was released from prison in September 2004 after a court acquitted him of sodomy charges.
Anwar, once seen as heir to then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad before a falling-out in 1998, has been trying to revive his political career after 10 years in the wilderness.
With the National Front winning the seat with an even bigger majority than in the last state elections in 2004, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may feel confident to call an early general election.
The next poll is not due until early 2009, but there is speculation he will call the election before April 2008 to prevent Anwar from contesting it.
Anwar is barred from running for office until April 2008 because of his criminal record.

The real "samseng" in Ijok

Chaos at Jaya Setia polling station
IJOK: The tense situation in Ijok over the past week spilled over to polling day Saturday with the situation turning chaotic at the Jaya Setia polling station.
The day started quite well with an early morning shower bringing temperatures down but it failed to cool down the emotions of the supporters.
Supporters of both camps shouted slogans and traded insults from the time the stations were opened at 8am.
Opposition supporters at the Jaya Setia went a step further and made an attempt to block Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s motorcade near the polling station, marring the otherwise well-controlled situation.
Speaking at a press conference here later, Najib said the incident occurred as he was heading to the Jaya Setia polling station at about 11am as part of his visit to all the polling stations.
As the Barisan Nasional booth was located beside the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) booth, the motorcade had to pass the latter to get through.
A group of about 50 opposition supporters moved in front of the vehicle Najib was travelling in and blocked his way.
“We then turned to move around them through a lane nearby but they blocked that path too,” he said.
After about five minutes the police arrived at the scene and they too were aggressively shoved aside as they tried to get near the deputy prime minister’s car.
The police however managed to bring the situation under control and cleared the way for the motorcade to pass through.
A few punches were also traded between opposition and Barisan Nasional supporters as the latter group arrived to protect the DPM's motorcade.
No one was hurt in the incident although a police motorcycle was damaged.
After the visit, the deputy prime minister’s vehicle managed to leave the booth without problems but opposition supporters placed flower pots in the path of the rest of the motorcade and one of the supporters even sat on the hood of the first car.
The rowdy situation continued for about 10 minutes before the police once again intervened to allow the cars to leave.
The tension started growing as soon as the nine polling stations were opened at 8am and it was especially bad at the Bukit Badong, Tuan Mee and Jaya Setia polling stations.
“I visited all the polling stations and the situation was under control everywhere except the Jaya Setia station.
“It is a public road and it should be open for everyone including Barisan Nasional and PKR members to use without obstruction,” he said, adding that supporters should show respect for the democratic process and not cause any interference.



tunku : what is pkr trying to show us here by acting like gangsters? it is a stupid act by a moron leads party.people judge your act.by right the police should put those who block a deputy prime minister's car in jail as this was a threat to his safety.but then again police had been very lenient to them.later they tried to stop to buses which carries the wanita umno volunteers and broke the bus front screen.they did this at Lunas by election and now at Ijok.The GANGSTER from BN is the SIL, THE MIGHTY KAYJAY, from nomination day till polling day he was there to creat havoc.

BN wins with 1,850 majority

KUALA SELANGOR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional retained the Ijok state seat with increased majority of about 1,850 votes in today's keenly-fought by-election.
BN's K. Parthiban polled 5,884 votes while Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) received 4,034 votes in the straight fight.
There were 134 spoilt votes.
Returning Officer Haris Kassim announced the results at 8.42pm.
The BN had earlier won four by-elections. They are in Kuala Berang (Terengganu), Permatang Pasir (Kelantan), Batu Talam (Pahang) and Machap (Melaka).
In today's by-election, which recorded the highest ever voter turnout in the the country's election history, a total of 10,049 or 81.88 per cent of the 12,272 electorate cast their ballots.
The predominantly Malay seat fell vacant following the death of Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on April 4.
In the last general election, Sivalingam retained the ethnically-mixed seat with a 1,649-vote majority in a three-cornered fight, beating PKR's Abdol Rahman Moharam and Mohamed Shariff Nagoorkani, an independent.
Ijok, a traditional MIC seat since 1990, is among BN's fortress in Selangor.
This is the second attempt by PKR to wrest the seat from BN, the first being in the last general election in 2004.

As At 5pm

At 5pm, 81.4% had voted, this shows that it is good turn out by voters in a by election. According to a source the counting process ha started and BN is leading.Let us wait till 8pm for the final result.

Nalla nalla, nalla nalla, new song in Ijok

As At 4pm 60% casted their votes

Sixty per cent voter turn-out so far

IJOK: With less than an hour to go before polling ends, some 60 per cent of voters have already cast their ballots in the Ijok by-election Saturday.
Most of the polling centres have reported about 60 per cent voter turnout except for Pekan Berjuntai Bestari Utara where the figure was slightly lower.
The weather has been cloudy, but fine. It rained in some areas before polling started. The results are expected to be announced at about 8pm tonight.
Barisan Nasional’s K. Parthiban, 38, is taking on Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61, for the seat which fell vacant when BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, died on April 4.
In the previous general election, Sivalingam won the Malay-majority seat with a 1,649-vote majority.

Tian Chua the trouble maker

Polling Marked By War Of Words Between BN, Opposition Supporters
KUALA SELANGOR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Scenes of heated exchanges of words between supporters of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) outside polling centres marked the voting process in the Ijok state by-election in Selangor Saturday.
Both camps could also be seen canvassing for votes at the entrances to the nine polling centres in Sungai Darah, Batang Berjuntai, Jaya Setia, Bukit Badong, Kampung Ijok, Pekan Ijok, Simpang Ijok, Tuan Mee, and Pekan Berjuntai Bestari Utara.
Under the watchful eye of dozens of police personnel on duty at the polling stations, BN and opposition supporters were spotted hurling insults at each other. The situation was rather tense but under control.
A Bernama survey found that it had been a rather slow start as voting was taking place amid overcast skies with rain being reported in several areas.
It is a straight fight between BN's K. Parthiban, 38, and PKR's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61.
The by-election is being held following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, on April 4.
In the 2004 general election, Sivalingam beat PKR's Abdol Rahman Moharam and independent candidate Mohamed Shariff Nagoorkani by a 1,649-vote majority.
At the Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Badong polling station, BN and PKR supporters were seen shoving each other as PKR information chief faced difficulty in reaching his party's booth.
The incident was said to have started when BN supporters overflowed into the PKR area which coincided with Tian Chua's arrival, prompting him to be mistakenly accused of trying to canvass for votes among prospective BN voters.
Police immediately intervened to control the situation but a disgruntled Tian Chua could not resist to have a war of words with the police personnel present.
Meanwhile, several BN leaders such as Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal were seen assisting wheelchair-bound senior citizens and disabled persons making their way to the polling centres.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Selangor Menteri Besar were among the leaders who visited several polling stations this morning.
The Ijok constituency has 12,272 registered voters.

Voting Gains Pace, 33 Pct Ijokians Vote As At Noon

KUALA SELANGOR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Voting in the keenly fought Ijok by-election has picked up momentum, with about 33 per cent Ijokians having exercised their electoral rights as of noon.
Election Commission secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said voting at all the nine polling centres was proceeding smoothly despite the cheers and jeers by supporters of the opposing parties.
"I expect the voter turnout to gain pace in the evening despite the overcast skies and rain in several areas," he told Bernama.
The Meteorology Department had forecast heavy rain and thunderstorm in the evening.
The nine polling stations will remain open until 5pm after which votes will be counted at the respective voting centres before being tallied at the Batang Berjuntai community hall.
Results are expected to be announced at about 8pm if there was no recount.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) are locking horns in this semi-urban seat which fell vacant upon the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, who died of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on April 4.
The choice for Ijokians is between two political unknowns -- BN's K. Parthiban, 38, a former teacher, and PKR's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61, a former corporate figure. Both are first-time candidates.
Sivalingam retained the Malay-majority seat with a 1,649-vote majority in the last general election.

Opposition candidate ask voters to vote for BN

Cops raid Putra Post tabloid's office

Malaysiakini
The police have raided the office of Putra Post, a pro-Dr Mahathir Mohamad tabloid, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The raid followed a report lodged against the tabloid, which has been widely circulated in Ijok in the run-up to today’s by-election.
When contacted, Putra Post editor-in-chief Mohamed Nawi confirmed that eight police officers from the Ampang Jaya district police headquarters had raided the office at about 9am.
He said the police team had seized a computer and printing plate for further investigations.
According to Mohamed Nawi, the police told him that the report alleged that Putra Post was operating without a permit from the Internal Security Ministry.
The police report also touched on an article concerning Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and other reports regarding Umno and the Ijok by-election.
Mohamed Nawi said among the writers of the articles were Raja Petra Kamarudin and former parliamentarian Ruhanie Ahmad.
'Conspiracy against Najib'
The tabloid’s editor-in-chief said he showed the police team a copy of the Internal Security Ministry permit but was told that this could not be verified with the ministry.
Following this, Mohamed Nawi said he contacted the ministry’s publishing division and confirmed that the permit was still valid.
He claimed that the police also raided the printer of Putra Post.
The tabloid is published by Pancawarna Enterprise and printed by Kam Heng Printers in Sri Kembangan.
The article on Najib in Putra Post’s latest addition was penned by Ruhanie.
According to the article, the deputy premier is the target of a concerted and coordinated political conspiracy aimed at getting him out of Umno.
Among others, it stated: “As of today, it is an open secret that a group of individuals are working, openly or covertly to marginalise Najib through a cabinet reshuffle or the general election.”
The tabloid also carried reports that were critical of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his son-in-law Khairy Jamaludin.

Anwar The Devil In Disguise

Anwar bersandiwara lagi
Oleh: ZAINI HASSAN
‘‘Saya sanggup masuk penjara demi mempertahankan tuan-tuan sekalian...’’ jerit Anwar Ibrahim semasa berceramah di depan masyarakat Cina di Pekan Batu 7 Ijok, malam semalam.
Ada yang bertepuk spontan - tersentak dengan suara nyaring Anwar. Dan ada yang terpinga-pinga untuk memastikan benarkah apa yang dikatakan Anwar itu. Benarkah Anwar dipenjarakan kerana membela rakyat? Ada yang tergelak kecil. Semua tahu, Anwar dipenjarakan atas sebab-sebab peribadinya sendiri.
Yang datang melihat ceramah itu pastinya terhibur dengan lawak satira politik Anwar. Walaupun tenaga Anwar, nampaknya tidak seperti dulu, sedikit tercungap, beliau cuba meneran untuk meyakinkan hujah-hujahnya.
Butir kata Anwar, seperti lazimnya, banyak merujuk kepada kegemilangannya sebagai Menteri Kewangan, Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan semasa hendak ‘mengangkat lagi’ dirinya turut merujuknya sebagai bekas Pemangku Perdana Menteri. Terbaru, beliau bermegah dilantik sebagai profesor pelawat di sebuah universiti di Amerika Syarikat.
Gaya Anwar di Ijok, nampaknya lain daripada yang lain. Beliau begitu bergelut. Anwar bergelut untuk membuat satu percubaan. Ia adalah soal hidup dan mati.
Percubaan ini sungguh penting bagi dirinya. Ijok, seakan-akan sebuah bilik makmal untuk menguji sejauh mana pengaruh Anwar di mata rakyat - terutamanya di kalangan pengundi Melayu pinggir bandar.
Anwar mahu menggunakan Ijok untuk menguji apakah beliau boleh pergi jauh dalam pilihan raya umum sebelum 2009 ini.
Yang pasti, para pemerhati politik melihat Anwar begitu bersungguh-sungguh mahu kembali dalam politik arus perdana. Dia cuba ‘menyucikan’ dirinya dengan membuat pelbagai tohmahan buruk ke atas orang lain. Kita faham dalam politik itulah permainannya.

Siapa yang tahu, tahulah - siapa Anwar dan orang-orangnya semasa zaman kegemilangannya dulu. Tapi seperti kata Najib Tun Razak - mungkin tidak sesuai menelanjangkan semuanya mengenai Anwar yang akan mengaibkan ahli keluarganya sendiri.
Namun, isu yang dibawa Anwar terlalu cetek. Pengalamannya semasa dalam UMNO dan kerajaan dulu - sudah basi, malah pucuk pimpinan negara pun sudah berubah. Apa yang hendak dikata lagi jika beliau sendiri adalah sebahagian anggota Kabinet yang membuat pelbagai keputusan dulu.
Apakah beliau cuba menafikannya? Orang melihat Anwar memalukan dirinya sendiri dengan meludah ke langit, kena batang hidung sendiri.
Beliau tidak boleh hipokrit, kerana jika Tuhan mengizinkan dia terus berada dalam kerajaan dan diangkat sebagai Perdana Menteri, dakwaan-dakwaan itu tidak akan wujud.
Strateginya mengaitkan Najib dengan pelbagai dakwaan membuktikan Anwar cuba meyakinkan pengundi bahawa dirinya adalah ‘suci’. Dialah bersih, dialah penyelamat bangsa dan dialah orang paling murni di muka bumi Malaysia ini.
Tidak sedarkah kita, bahawa manusia itu tidak pernah sempurna. Apakah sempurna seseorang itu jika dia hanya suka bersandiwara - untuk menagih simpati rakyat, hatta masyarakat antarabangsa?
Apakah bersih seseorang itu jika cuba menidakkan bahawa rakannya tidak pernah meminta saham yang sepatutnya digunakan untuk faedah rakyat jelata?
Murnikah kita, jika rakan-rakan diberi pelbagai habuan kemewahan demi memantapkan pengaruh diri sendiri?
Sucikah jika pihak-pihak tertentu menggunakan diri kita dengan niat tersembunyi untuk merosakkan negara sendiri?
Jika dahulu, beliau begitu berang atas pelbagai dakwaan yang dibuat ke atasnya - sehingga sanggup menghuru-harakan negara, kini beliau mahu orang lain juga kena. Isu Altantuya, dijadikan ‘gula-gula’ bahan kempennya di Ijok. Persoalannya, kes itu sedang dibicarakan dan bukan Najib yang dibicarakan.
‘‘Beliau tidak gentleman apabila membawa isu itu. Apakah dia mahu membalas dendam?’’ tanya seorang penganalisis politik.
Jika balas dendam adalah permainan Anwar, maka ia bukan satu strategi politik yang matang.
Kenyataan Perdana Menteri, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang menafikan pembabitan Najib itu, sekali gus menutup sama sekali isu tersebut.
Turunnya Pak Lah ke Ijok kelmarin - selepas selesai majlis pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong - jelas menunjukkan sokongan padunya kepada Najib.
Semalam Pak Lah mengesahkannya. Kali ini untuk melenyapkan dakwaan dan tuduhan yang dilemparkan ke atas Najib.
‘‘Saya yakin dengan timbalan saya, Datuk Najib,’’ tegasnya kepada pemberita di Kuala Lumpur.
Yang pasti, pembangkang di Ijok tiada modal.
Isu-isu yang dibangkitkan terlalu artifisial - bukan bersandarkan asas dan bukti. Sebaliknya, di sebelah kerajaan, ia mempunyai banyak bukti ke atas apa yang dilakukan oleh pemimpin pembangkang seperti Anwar dan Khalid Ibrahim, yang pernah berada di sebelah sana satu ketika dulu.
Anwar janganlah cuba menipu orang Ijok dan terus dengan sandiwaranya.
Tanggungjawab yang berada di tangan pengundi Ijok hari ini amat mencabar.
Tanggungjawab itu bukan kerja main- main. Ia harus dibuat secara waras, bijaksana dan beramanah. Anwar dan konco-konconya jangan menganggap Ijok sebagai a joke - rakyat tiada masa untuk mendengar lawak jenaka mereka.

14 Per Cent Voter Turnout As At 10am

KUALA SELANGOR, April 28 (Bernama) -- About 14 per cent of the 12,272 voters in the Ijok state by-election in Selangor have cast their ballots as at 10am, two hours after polling centres opened Saturday.
Election Commission secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said that voting was smooth amid overcast skies, with a larger turnout expected in the afternoon.
The nine polling centres are open until 5pm and the tallying of votes will be carried out at the Batang Berjuntai community hall following vote counting at the respective polling centres.
The result is expected at around 8pm.
It is a straight fight between Barisan Nasional's K. Parthiban, 38, and Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61.
The by-election is being held following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, of heart failure on April 4.
In the 2004 general election, Sivalingam beat PKR's Abdol Rahman Moharam and independent candidate Mohamed Shariff Nagoorkani by a 1,649-vote majority.

Ijok : To Close To Call

KUALA SELANGOR, April 27 (Bernama) -- With only hours to go before voters cast their votes in the Ijok by-election, there are still no clear signs as to who will win the contest.
Both the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the parties contesting the seat, are confident that their candidates will be the winner when the results are announced tomorrow night.
On paper the BN appears to have the edge in retaining the seat just as it did in the past four by-elections since the general election in 2004 -- Kuala Berang (Terenganu), Pengkalan Pasir (Kelantan), Batu Talam (Pahang) and the latest two weeks ago in Machap, Melaka but the PKR, which is being supported by PAS and the DAP, is giving the BN its worse fight since.
All because this will probably the last by-election before a general election is called.
To ensure its continued survival, the PKR, which adopted "Change Begins in Ijok" as its slogan, mounted a "do-or-die" mission in the nine-day campaigning period in Ijok with a no-holds barred campaign bringing up national issues and making personal attacks against BN leaders.
Using every available opportunity, be the stage big or small, the PKR went on the offensive and brought up the issues of the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, corruption, payment of commissions in national defence equipment procurements, abuse of power and also engaged in campaigns with racial and religious undertones, just as it did in the Lunas by-election in 2000, which it won.
Led by its advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this time, the party felt that the same tactics would work for a victory in the constituency where Malays make up almost 51 per cent of the 12,272 electorate.
The BN has fielded a non-Malay candidate, K.Parthiban, 38, the Tanjung Karang MIC secretary to contest in the Malay-majority seat while the PKR nominated Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, a former corporate figure whom the party claimed had done a lot for the Malays when he headed Permodalan Nasional Berhad.
Although receiving a lot of flak from the BN for engaging in "dirty politics" including from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the PKR was unfazed and appeared to be bent on winning at whatever cost.
"We have no choice but to win, it is the only way to raise our morale and spirit (PKR's) if we intend to continue the fight up to the upcoming general election," said Khalid in one of his political ceramahs with supporters.
BN, particularly Umno, is feeling the pressure placed by the PKR as the coalition had to explain the rationale in fielding a non-Malay candidate.
The Malays were hoping for a Malay candidate this time around because since 1990, all the BN candidates for the constituency had come from the MIC, including the late Datuk K. Sivalingam, who was the incumbent, who had failed to understand the feelings and aspiration of the Malays in Ijok, who are mostly of Javanese origin.
Umno is aware that any protest vote by the Malays could nullify all the efforts put in by the BN to retain the seat and this would have a negative impact on the ruling party.
As such, Umno leaders led by its deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and assisted by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo had, since nomination day on April 19, set up camp in the three Malay "black" areas namely Kampung Ijok, Jaya Setia and Bukit Badong where the majority of the residents are inclined towards the opposition based on the result of the 2004 general election.
The Umno machinery in Ijok was constantly feeling the strain because apart from the attacks from outsiders, the party was also facing attacks from within the constituency.
However, the `sudden' appearance of the Prime Minister who had spent about two hours to meet the voters from the various races had somewhat pacified the Malays who had been urged to be rational and accept the concept of power-sharing between the races adopted by the BN.
"There's no problem in terms of support. No one is disputing (the BN candidate) because of the BN tradition of power sharing," the Prime Minister said, which was greeted with loud applause from those who were present.
Ijok is among the three seats allocated to the MIC which make up five percent of the total of 56 seats in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly which is monopolised by Umno.
Describing the Prime Minister's visit as "a shot in the arm", Najib expressed confidence that the BN will retain Ijok.
"The Prime Minister's visit certainly gave us the needed inspiration and boosted our confidence of retaining the seat. Insya-Allah (God willing) we will win again this time," he said.
The PKR, however, were not giving up and were resorting to allegations of phantom voters being present and were threatening to detain and prevent individuals whom they suspect to be phantom voters.
However, the threat was being monitored by the 1,500 police personnel deployed to maintain order at the polling stations.
Based on the scenario in Ijok, the deciding factor will be the fence sitters from among the 12,272 voters in Ijok.

Najib Reminds Ijok Voters To Be Wary Of Opposition's Last Minute Tricks

KUALA SELANGOR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak reminded voters in Ijok, who will go to the polls tomorrow, to be wary of the opposition's last minute tricks.
He said that based on the feedback he had obtained, the opposition is attempting to confuse voters or prevent them from going to the polling stations, especially Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters.
"Don't become victims of their trap, I hear many dirty tactics will be used by them (opposition) before campaigning ends at midnight tonight.
"We have also received reports that opposition campaigners are going house-to-house to ask for voters' identity cards, purportedly to arrange for renovations to be made to their homes and the like," he told reporters here today.
"Some (opposition campaigners) are distributing leaflets claiming voters who vote for the BN will get money, but counterfeit ringgit. This last minute tactics are to confuse the voters and also to make them angry towards the BN.
He also reminded the opposition to uphold the principles of democracy and ensure that incidents like what happened on nomination day last Saturday in which supporters of the BN and opposition began throwing objects at each other, did not repeat.
"The opposition always say they want a mature democracy, as such they should "walk the talk'," he said, adding that the Police would ensure no untoward incidents happened tomorrow.
Najib added that the BN would intensify canvassing in the last leg of the campaigning before midnight and urged Ijok's outstation voters to return early to vote tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo said some voters in Ijok now were receiving envelopes containing a letter of thanks from the BN and a RM100 counterfeit note.
"This morning I was informed that 290 voters in Ijok received envelopes containing a letter of thanks from the BN for their support and a RM100 counterfeit note in it," he told a press conference in Batang Berjuntai near here today.
He said that the letters, which bore the letterhead of the KDU College, were colour photostatted and the delivery had been made through the postal service.
Mohamad Khir believed many more Ijok voters had received such envelopes containing the letter and the counterfeit money.
Its contents translated into Bahasa Malaysia among others read, "...we have been instructed by the Government to give you RM100 for your support to the BN..."
Mohamad Khir added that he would make a police report regarding the matter.
A KDU College spokesman in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, when contacted, said the college had never sent out such letters.
"We are being deluded with calls asking about this," he added.

tunku : i think najib should not be worried as voters have decided whom the want as their representative, i admit opposition use dirty tactics so do BN. So let it be as you can't stop these during election campaigning, lots of dirty tricks will happen.People nowadays are not like 10-20 years ago who falls into these traps, they are smarter now and know who can give them the better service.As if you vote for BN for sure they will fulfill 80-90% of the promises and opposition nothing much they can do as their financial sources are very very limited.as for khalid he cannot deliver what BN can deliver unless he spend his own millions of money.i sincere advice to Ijok voters, give BN a win but with very less majority, maybe by hundreds, this might be sending some signal to our HP6 kitchen cabinet.

9 April: PM need not campaign, 26 April: PM need to campaign

This was on the 9th April 07 news
PM Need Not Campaign, BN Confident Of Victory
ALOR GAJAH, April 9 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi need not come down to campaign in the by-election for the Machap state seat on Thursday as the people are confident of the prime minister's leadership.
Najib said it was the policy of the Barisan Nasional (BN) that the prime minister need not campaign in by-elections as the rakyat were already convinced by the policies announced such as the national mission, the Ninth Malaysia Plan and so on.

26 April 07 changed everything. Now the pm need to campaign,why? It's big question mark.Usually pm don't campaign for by elections, only when they seem it's quite difficult to win they will go down to the ground.Some are saying that BN is not fully confident that they will win in Ijok, some are saying that pm has no confidence in his deputy(which i don't agree), some are saying this was arranged by kayjay to undermine najib.But for me the first one is more logic, it is the confident level that brought the pm to the ground.The best part in Ijok opposition campaign tactic is to slander najib and not a single word to pak lah.Something fishy.

Should a MB involved in so many association ?

9 persatuan sukan sokong Shahidan

KUALA LUMPUR – Sekurang- kurangnya sembilan persatuan sukan kebangsaan menyokong Menteri Besar Perlis, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim yang dijangka mencabar Presiden Majlis Olimpik Malaysia (MOM) Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar untuk jawatan tertinggi majlis tersebut.
Naib Presiden Kesatuan Atlet Amatur Malaysia (KOAM) Karim Ibrahim berkata, beliau menerima banyak panggilan daripada persatuan itu untuk menyatakan sokongan kepada presiden KOAM itu sejak kesatuan tersebut mencalonkannya.
“Beliau sudah bersedia untuk mencabar dan berkhidmat dengan MOM, jika ada mandat jelas daripada persatuan itu untuk perubahan. Ini apa yang beliau beritahu kepada saya semasa bertemu pada kali terakhir,” kata Karim kepada Bernama ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam.
Shahidan yang juga Presiden Kesatuan Renang Amatur Malaysia (ASUM) dan Persatuan Kabbadi Malaysia (KAM) dijangka menentang Tunku Imran bagi jawatan presiden MOM semasa Mesyuarat Agung Tahunannya pada 26 Mei ini.
Jika pencabaran itu berlaku, ia adalah pertama kali Tunku Imran dicabar untuk jawatan tersebut sejak beliau mengambil alih tugas itu daripada Tan Sri Abu Samah pada 1999.
Pencalonan bagi jawatan itu ditutup esok sementara calon yang lain dikehendaki mengesahkan penerimaan mereka pada 9 Mei ini.
Sungguhpun beliau tidak menamakan persatuan yang telah berjanji memberikan sokongan untuk Shahidan, Karim berkata, sokongan pada mulanya adalah petunjuk baik bahawa Menteri Besar Perlis itu mempunyai sokongan akar yang baik.
“Ini satu pertandingan yang demokratik. Saya pasti persatuan bijak untuk membuat keputusan,’’ katanya.
Mesyuarat Agung pada 26 Mei ini dijangka juga menyaksikan pertandingan dalam pelbagai jawatan termasuk naib presiden, setiausaha dan penolong setiausaha.

tunku : as a MB, shahidan should concentrate on the development of his state.i am not saying that he should not involve in any association but too many involvement will definitely will disrupt his work as a MB.He can involve association in his state but not at federal level. He will always be busy with the associations meeting.He already president to so many association, mainly sports association.The time spend at the association will be great if spend to look after rakyat.

Anwar Failed To Fulfil Aspirations Of The Chinese, Says Najib

KUALA SELANGOR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak believes Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will not get the support of the Chinese community as its advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim failed to fulfil its aspirations when the latter was an education minister.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that as such, Chinese voters would not be taken in by empty promises made by Anwar and the PKR that the party would fight for the Chinese interests, describing them as political gimmicks to fish for Chinese votes in the Ijok by-election, polling of which is on Saturday.
Speaking at a gathering with members of the Chinese community at the Sekolah Menengah Teknik hall in Batang Berjuntai here tonight, Najib said that when Anwar was education minister, he (Anwar) refused to abolish Section 21 (1B) of the Education Act 1991, which empowered the minister to shut down Chinese and Tamil schools, despite repeated calls to do so by the Chinese community.
In exposing the matter, Najib said that it was him when appointed the education minister in 1995 who took the courageous decision to have the section withdrawn when he tabled a new education act in 1996.
"But when Anwar was the minister, he did not want to do it because he wanted to be popular among Malay intellectuals. He is only interested in himself," said Najib.
According to him, this assured that national type Chinese and Tamil schools could continue to exist in the country.
"This was my contribution to the Chinese and Indian communities when I was the education minister... we want to ask Anwar when he was the minister (education), what he did (to fulfil the aspirations of the Chinese). When you had the power, what did you do?," he said to thunderous claps from the 1,000 odd people present.
Najib also refuted allegations by the opposition that MCA leaders were not brave enough to champion Chinese interests in the Cabinet and were mere "yes men".
"I have been in the Cabinet since 1986 to this day and I can give the assurance that the MCA leaders in it always speak out for the Chinese and the nation's overall interests.
"Maybe they are not like DAP leaders, always going around shouting this and that. But MCA leaders always discuss matters with the other leaders in the Cabinet, the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno," he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister also assured the people of Ijok that the closure of the landfill in Kubang Badak, Batang Berjuntai was permanent and would not be reopened as alleged by the opposition.
Najib also reminded Chinese voters not to be shortsighted and vote for the PKR as this would only benefit PAS.
"If you support Khalid (the PKR candidate), indirectly you are supporting PAS. That party does not have an inkling of what the Chinese want," he said.
At the function, Najib also handed over a cheque for RM1 million for the building of an extension to the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Yuk Chih in Batang Berjuntai.
Also present were MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and the BN candidate, K.Parthiban.

tunku: like i always been asking, what have he(anwar) done when he was in power?? Do not believe this moron, he'll eat you up. the last paragraph is another interesting part another RM1 million flies for this Ijok campaign.

Malaysia's Mahathir gives tacit support to foe Anwar's party

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has bestowed tacit support on an opposition party advised by foe(ex prisoner of sungai buloh)Anwar Ibrahim ahead of a crucial state by-election, according to a report Thursday.
The ruling National Front coalition is battling the People's Justice Party, advised by Anwar, to win the seat of Ijok in central Selangor state in a poll seen as a test of popularity for both sides ahead of general elections expected before 2009.
Mahathir warned Ijok residents against voting blindly for the coalition he formerly led and called on them to use the ballot box to express their dissatisfaction with the government.
"Unless you send a signal to the government that, 'Look, if you don't behave yourself, you may not get my vote at the next election,' then the government will say, 'You see, the people are voting for us. We are doing well,'" he said.
"If you don't think (about) what you are doing, you don't use your vote intelligently, then of course, you are to be blamed," he was quoted as telling news website Malaysiankini.com.
Voting takes place on Saturday for the state poll which coincides with the government spending millions of dollars in Ijok for development projects including new street lights and roads.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi used a 90-minute visit to Ijok to urge residents to vote for the National Front.
Abdullah, who is the chairman of the coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957, also urged party workers to ensure victory.
"From my long experience in politics, voters can change their mind within 24 hours," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.
The People's Justice Party, meanwhile, is counting on Anwar, sacked as deputy premier by Mahathir in 1998, to win votes.
Campaigning has been tense, with scuffles between the two sides and accusations from Anwar of illegitimate phantom voters on the electoral roll -- a charge Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has dismissed as baseless.
Mahathir said if Ijok voters were swayed by the new projects, they would only have themselves to blame if a "rotten" government was voted in.
"If you vote (National Front) because you get a lot of money or because you get a lot of projects, you may get a rotten government which uses money in order to buy your vote," he said.
He also lamented what he said was blind support for the National Front, or Barisan Nasional, by its supporters.
"They don't care whether it is a good government or not. We are Barisan people. We vote Barisan. No assessment, no study ... That's why I say a country deserves the government it gets," he said.
Mahathir, 81, has attacked the administration Abdullah's for months, levelling accusations of economic mismanagement, nepotism and corruption.
Mahathir is a member of the dominant United Malays National Organisation in the National Front coalition, which is led by Abdullah.

tunku: First of all, Tun Mahathir did not said that he backs anwar's party.he was just telling the voters to voice out their concerns. if they think they are happy with the current leadership, vote them in, otherwise vote them out.we need to send some signal to the leadership so that they don't take our support for granted.mainstream media for sure will spin this story.i somehow wishing the opposition to win this although i hates them, but this is only way to send signal to the current leadership.Ijok has seen millions of tax payers money spent on it.

Anwar's Ally Now Battling For Survival After Pay Scandal

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- While Former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is battling it out to win some votes for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Saturday's Ijok by-election, his longtime ally Paul Wolfowitz is battling for survival as World Bank President.
There have been mounting calls for Wolfowitz's resignation after it was discovered that he had approved a promotion and hefty pay rise for his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, an employee at the World Bank, before she was assigned to work at the U.S. State Department.
Yesterday, the European Parliament asked Wolfowitz, a former Deputy Secretary of Defence in the Bush administration and one of the architects of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, to go after having voted 333-251 with 31 abstentions.
Viewed against the backdrop of nepotism and hypocrisy, the vote also carried a paragraph stating that Wolfowitz's withdrawal from his post at the World Bank would be a welcome step towards preventing the bank's anti-corruption policy from being undermined.
Wolfowitz's anti-corruption campaign rang hollow recently after he was found to have acted in the decision to raise Shaha Riza's annual pay package from US$133,000 to US$193,590, said to be even US$7,000 higher than the salary of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
European countries, including Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and France have said that Wolfowitz is dragging the World Bank into disrepute and further undermining the credibility of its anti-corruption policy.
There have been suggestions by European parliamentarians that if Wolfowitz "won't jump himself, he must be pushed."
The latest call by the EU assembly comes as a special World Bank committee is examining whether Wolfowitz had abused his position or committed ethical lapses.
Wolfowitz, the son of Polish immigrants to New York, has apologised for his handling of Shaha Riza's promotion and pledged to make changes to his management.
When it was announced in March 2005 that Wolfowitz would become World Bank chief, some 92 per cent of 1,300 of the bank's employees who responded to a quick survey viewed the appointment negatively.
But the White House has reiterated its support for the former Yale lecturer despite the intensifying calls for his resignation.
Not too long ago when Anwar was released from jail, he flew to Germany for medical treatment. And Wolfowitz took time off to meet him.
In April 2005, the John Hopkins University's School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) hired Anwar as a visiting scholar. Wolfowitz had been a Dean of SAIS before he became Deputy Secretary of Defence.
In 2005, Anwar had praised Wolfowitz's impending appointment to head the World Bank, saying that the latter "passionately believes in freedom, and understands the issues of poverty, environment degradation, living conditions and health issues which are a very much a World Bank agenda."
But many will not forget that Wolfowitz, described as having an excessively blunt managerial style, is one of the chief architects of the massive US bombardment of Iraq, a move which has still not brought peace to that war-torn country.
And his reputation may be further tarnished if he is eventually shown the door at the World Bank.

tunku : anwar for sure will back wolf "serigala" as wolf back him up for his homosexual "luar tabii" activities.partner in crimes.

Yet another recognition for Tun Mahathir

Aceh Varsity To Award Honorary Doctorate To Dr Mahathir

JAKARTA, April 26 (Bernama) -- Syiah Kuala University (Unsyiah) in Banda Aceh will award an honorary doctorate to former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his leadership and economic development concept, a university spokesman said.
The honour will be bestowed on Dr Mahathir at a function to be held at the university's Prof Dayan Dawood building on May 3, event co-promoter Dr Jasman J. Ma'ruf said.
Prof Dayan Dawood was a rector of the university who passed away several years ago.
Dr Jasman said the university decided to give the honorary doctorate to Dr Mahathir considering that he had laid the basic groundwork for Malaysia's economic development mission.
Until now, Malaysia was still adhering to this mission which showed the validity and strength of Dr Mahathir's concept, he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
Dr Mahathir, who helmed Malaysia for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, is scheduled to deliver a speech titled "Leadership and Economic Development" at the event, Dr Jasman added.

Young and Energetic King

King to make changes at the palace
StarSpecial: Installation of the XIII King

Tuanku Mizan: To be installed as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong
KUALA LUMPUR: Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who will be installed as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong today, is introducing changes in the way Istana Negara deals with the people and Government.
The move has begun with a revamp of the palace administration itself, with almost 80% of the senior officials having been replaced with those handpicked by the new King.
Royal Household Comptroller Datuk Wan Mohd Safiain Wan Hasan, who disclosed this to The Star, said there would be no more late nights for those who attended events graced by Tuanku Mizan.
"Such functions must start by 8.30pm and end by 10.30pm. The Tuanku wants to be fair to the people, and also to government officials who have to carry out their duties.
“He does not want them to return home late at night because of him,” he said in an interview at Istana Negara.
Safiain, who has been entrusted by Tuanku Mizan to oversee the changes, said the monarch has given orders to the more than 200 palace officials to be more efficient and “people-friendly.”
“Tuanku has asked me to implement a special manpower training programme for them, and also to upgrade certain posts.
”The Tuanku does not want monotony in the way his officers perform. We are thinking of providing incentives to exemplary officials.
“As for those who cannot perform up to our expectations, they will have to leave,” he added.
Finishing touches: Worker Adnan Ahmad adding a fresh layer of gold paint to the Coat of Arms on the Istana Negara gates in conjunction with Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin’s installation as the 13th King today. — Bernama
There are six divisions within the Istana Negara administration led by Safiain, each headed by a director.
Grand Chamberlain Tengku Farok Husin Tengku Abdul Jalil, who oversees protocol, is the number two in the palace administrative hierarchy.
Safiain described 44-year-old Tuanku Mizan as a “working King” who leads by example.
“Tuanku arrives at Istana Negara by 9am from his private palace, Istana Terengganu in Jalan Kia Peng.
“Being young and energetic, Tuanku is prepared to discuss matters with palace officials even at night. Time is no barrier to Tuanku,” he pointed out.
There will also be a change in the weekly pre-Cabinet briefings to the King by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Safiain said the meeting on the first Wednesday of every month would be held at Istana Melawati in Putrajaya.
“Previously, all meetings were all held at Istana Negara. The Tuanku wants to make better use of Istana Melawati, which is the second national palace,” he added.
Meanwhile, the hour-long installation ceremony, to be broadcast live by RTM, will be attended by the Malay Rulers, the Yang di-Pertuas Negri, members of the Royal Household and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, among others.

Najib Reveals Reason For Khalid's Animosity Towards BN Govt

KUALA SELANGOR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tonight revealed the reason for what he said was former Guthrie Berhad chief executive officer Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's animosity for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
He said Khalid, also the former Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) CEO who is the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate in the Ijok state by-election, was disappointed for having failed to acquire a 20 per cent stake in plantation giant Guthrie.
"Khalid was angry with us because he had wanted a bigger equity share. This is not slander, we have proof. Khalid only wanted to hog the wealth for himself," he said when opening an office of the Selangor menteri besar in Ijok town near here.
Najib said that since 1994, Khalid had the desire to own a 20 per cent personal stake in Guthrie and had initially asked for a 6.5 per cent equity in the company.
"As the deputy prime minister, I received much information from various sources that were brought to my attention. For that amount (6.5 per cent) of shares, he (Khalid) had to seek a loan of RM175 million," he said.
Khalid had held the post of Guthrie CEO from 1995 to 2003. He joined PKR last year and holds the post of treasurer-general.
Najib said that after obtaining the 6.5 per cent stake, Khalid then sought to own 13.5 per cent more equity in Guthrie.
"This is the truth. He had difficulty to settle his loan (to obtain the remainder of the shares). Then he asked for an extension of the payment period but could not pay according to that schedule. We extended (the period) again but he could not pay as well.
"Finally, when the term was up he was unable to acquire the shares and was angry with the BN government," he said.
Najib said Khalid's animosity for the BN was not based on principles or policies but on his failure to own all of the 20 per cent stake in Guthrie, which rightly should be used for the welfare of the poor in the country.
"Who says he took a small bite; looks like he bit off a huge chunk. Guthrie shares should by right be utilised for the unit trusts for the people, both Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras," he said to applause from BN supporters.
Najib said the interesting thing was the role of former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is now PKR adviser.
He said Anwar was the person who wrote to the PNB chairman then, Tun Ismail Ali, giving approval for Khalid to obtain the shares.
"The person who wrote to Tun Ismail was Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. If we want to talk about it, there's a lot to talk about; more interesting, more colourful.
"Let's face it, the people of Ijok should not be conned like this," he said.
Najib said the matter he had revealed was known to and could be verified by the first PNB CEO Tan Sri Mohd Desa Pachi, who was present there tonight. Mohd Desa was seen nodding when Najib turned towards him.
The deputy prime minister then called on the people of Ijok to ensure victory of the BN candidate, K. Parthiban, on polling day on Saturday.
The by-election is a straight fight between Parthiban, 38, and Khalid, 61. It is being held following the death of BN Assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, on April 4.

tunku : we have to get rid this type of person as our leader. to them money is everything, no matter from which party they are from. as for pkr, it's a party for desperado morons. those frustrated with no more "kantow" will join this party.if khalid wins in ijok what can he contribute to ijok? nothing, he won't get the allocation for the DUN from the party which he is fighting with, will he come up with his own pocket money? Ijok people will be at losing side if the pick opposition as their representative.it is funny that khalid said he will appoint anwar as his officer in ijok if he wins, how come the party "tokong" become his officer??

Court of Appeal upholds High Court decision on sacking of Anwar

i am the master of morons, please believe me





PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has held that the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister nine years ago by the-then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was lawful.
It ruled that the Prime Minister has the power to dismiss any Minister in the Cabinet and he could at any time advise the Yang di Pertuan Agong, who is bound to act on his advice.
Court of Appeal judges Justices Zulkefli Ahamd, Md Raus Sharif and Heliliah Mohd Yusof unanimously dismissed Anwar’s appeal against the High Court’s decision to summarily strike out his suit against the Prime Minister and the Government for dismissing him on Sept 2, 1998.
The High Court had on Dec 23, 1998, struck out Anwar’s civil action for an order that his dismissal from the Cabinet on Sept 2 was unlawful.
At the Court of Appeal yesterday, Registrar Hasnah Datuk Hashim read out the judgments of the three judges.
“The Yang di-Pertuan Agong as a constitutional monarch is bound to act on the advice of the Prime Minister.
“Therefore, in my view, there was nothing wrong for the first respondent (the Prime Minister) to have stated in the said letter dated Sept 2 1998 that with regret he had to dismiss the appellant from holding the posts of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance as well as other posts in the Government,” said Justice Zulkefli.
Justice Raus said under the scheme of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was a constitutional monarch who acted on ministerial advice and not on his own initiative.
“In short, no Minister can remain as a member of the Cabinet if the Prime Minister decides that he should be dismissed,” he said.
He said Anwar was no longer a member of either House of Parliament and that the Parliament, on which he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives had been dissolved.
“Thus to accede to Anwar’s counsel Mr Karpal (Singh)’s submission that the case should be sent back to the High Court to have it tried, would clearly be an exercise of futility,” he said.
Justices Zulkefli and Raus also stated that the letter of dismissal to Anwar was in accordance with the formality as the Prime Minister’s advice was conveyed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong contrary to Anwar’s contention.
Both appellate judges held this fact was further fortified by an affidavit of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Confidential Secretary Ja’afar Wahab, who affirmed that the monarch had informed him of the Prime Minister’s decision and advice to dismiss Anwar that it was duly accepted.
They also said Anwar had failed to challenge this material point.
Justice Raus said: “It is a well settled principle governing the evaluation of affidavit evidence that where one party makes a positive assertion upon a material issue, the failure of his opponent to contradict it would usually be treated as an admission”.
Anwar, who spoke to reporters after the decision was delivered, said he would file for leave to appeal to the Federal Court.

tunku : this moron think he's smart but actually he is a truly moron. a prime minister has the prerogative on whom he wants as his minister or whom he wants to sack.the good ones usually will resign by themselves but the morons will fight and get sacked.by sacking them, they think they can get sympathised from the public but they don't.i wonder how will this moron end up.

Zainuddin Protests To BBC Over Air Time For Rejected Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin has lodged a protest with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for giving air time on television for leaders of opposition political parties rejected by the Malaysian people to express their views on the country's political and current affairs.
He said the BBC move did not help to enhance relations between Britain and Malaysia and did not accord respect to the democratic decision of the Malaysian people in their rejection of the opposition political parties.
"It would be appropriate if the air time was given to the opposition political parties that had a place in politics in Malaysia but why focus on people who have been rejected?
"What is the objective of the BBC in doing so?" he told reporters when asked about his recent four-day working visit to London and Paris.
Zainuddin had personally conveyed his protest on the matter to BBC World Asia Section Chief Editor Rita Hyne during a visit to the corporation while on the working visit to London.
Besides Hyne, Zainuddin also met with the Director of the BBC World Service, Nigel Chapman, and BBC World Service Regional Development Manager Neil Curry.
Zainuddin also said that Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) would purchase special BBC children's programmes to step up education in the English language for school children in the country.
"We need more programmes in English to enhance the standard of fluency in the language in Malaysia," he said.
Besides these educational programmes of an entertainment nature, RTM would also buy films produced in Britain to meet current requirements, he added.
"We hope to promote more films from Britain to nurture a culture of courteousness and ethics. Films from the United States are not good for us. Their portrayal is more of a culture of violence," he said.
Zainuddin said a committee had been set up to conduct negotiations with the BBC on the matter.
"RTM is also prepared to provide attachment for BBC officers, and we have also stationed two of our officers on attachment at the BBC," he said.
He said RTM utilised the annual allocation to purchase films direct from Britain and no longer through agents.
"It is cheaper to buy direct than through agents," he added.

tunku : although i am against the opposition but i do not agree with zam on this issue.Zam mentioned that we are a democratic country but denied freedom of speech.Let them talk what ever they want to say, if you are right,why worry? People are smart these days, if the opposition talk sense the have defeated BN,but the public is smart enough to assess their capabilities.