Umno Youth: Jawi should not abuse its power to intimidate

Umno Youth social media bureau chairman Ibdilillah Ishak says that the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) should not abuse its power for the purpose of intimidation.

"I am against the decision of Jawi to prosecute the Borders Midvalley manager Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Raina in the case of the sale of Irshad Manji’s controversial book Allah, Liberty and Love," said Ibdilillah in a statement Monday.

"Prosecution should be fair, and not used to scare the other party or to show their strength," he said.

Ibdilillah claimed that the manager has become the victim due to the mistake committed by Borders board of directors.

Hence, the Syariah High Court acquitted her because they felt that the manager is not the one who decides what books are sold at the bookstore chain.

"It is common knowledge that Jawi's authority only falls on Muslims, and that is why the Jawi decided to prosecute the manager rather than Borders as a company," said Ibdilillah.

He further questioned why Jawi did not charge a Muslim in the board of directors of Borders instead.

"Was this done because it is easier for Jawi to prosecute the manager rather than a member on the board of directors," asked Ibdilillah.

Although Jawi declared the sale of the book as illegal before the date of arrest, Ibdilillah questioned if the notice to all the bookstores given in sufficient time.

"This raises many questions about the motives of Jawi," he said.

"Do they want to establish the religion of Islam or create public hatred against Islam?"

Ibdilillah said that the March 2012 raid and arrest of Borders Midvalley store manager was "contrary to Islamic law".

On Sunday, news of Jawi filing for an appeal against the Syariah High Court’s Feb 26 decision last month to discharge Borders bookstore manager broke.

Nik Raina was charged under Section 13 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997 in June 2012 for the offence of "disseminating and distributing" by way of selling the books deemed contrary to Islamic law.

On Dec 30 last year, the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya ruled that Jawi’s seizure of the books was unlawful.

Mass resignation by Batu PAS committee members in protest over Hadi’s leadership

In an act of protest against party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, more than half of Batu PAS  branch committee members have resigned from their posts.

Batu PAS chairman Ishak Surin (pic) said that the resignation of 17 out of PAS Batu’s 25 committee members was due to the dissatisfaction that the members felt towards the party’s central leadership.

“We feel disappointed and sad for what we feel is the failure of PAS’ central leadership, especially the president, for failing to manage the party’s internal issues which have led to prolonged crises in the party.

“The president should hold discussions with grassroots party members to address internal issues within the party that have led to disunity among members,” explained Ishak at a press conference on Monday.

He said that many grassroots members of the party felt that they have been left in the dark over important issues in the party.

He added that they also did not agree with Hadi’s behaviour towards the other two parties in Pakatan Rakyat, PKR and DAP, which they felt might jeopardise the coalition.

“We hope that the president will not be indecisive on issues that involve PAS and Pakatan Rakyat, as he did during the Selangor mentri besar issue,” he said.

PAS Batu vice-chairman Datuk Tarmizi Mohd Jam added that it is especially important that Hadi maintained the unity between PAS and other parties in Pakatan Rakyat.

“This (the mass  resignation) is for PAS and Pakatan Rakyat, as without Pakatan Rakyat, PAS will be stronger,” said Tarmizi, adding that it is important for Pakatan Rakyat to stay united for the next general election.

He hoped that the resignation of PAS Batu committee members will spur the party’s central leadership and other members of the party to work towards addressing both the party’s internal issues and its issues with other parties within the Pakatan Rakyat.

“Let us become the candle (lilin) and be burned in sacrifice to ensure a better future for PAS,” he added.

Two aerobatic planes crash at Lima practice session

Two airplanes of Indonesia’s Jupiter aerobatics team crashed during a practice session at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) 2015 exhibition on Sunday.

In the 2pm incident, the KAI KT-1B Woongbi planes were said to have grazed each other before crashing. Plumes of smoke were seen in the crash site near the Langkawi International Airport.

One of the pilots is seen on a stretcher after being rescued by firemen following the crash in Langkawi. Photo by Fire and Rescue Services Department

The pilots of both planes landed safely on their parachutes after ejecting from the planes. They were located by Fire and Rescue Services Depratment staff and rushed to the Langkawi Hospital.

The wreckage of the planes were found scattered over a wide forested area at the edge of the airport. One of the planes' seat was found near to a house.

An eyewitness, Markus Chong, said he saw two pilots ejected before the planes crashed.

“Two in mid-air collision from Jupiter Aerobatic Team. Both pilots ejected. Hopefully no injuries on ground,” he posted on Facebook.

It is learnt that all practices and aerial displays were halted immediately as search and rescue helicopters were deployed to find the missing pilots.

Muhyiddin: Malaysian students surprisingly below par

Malaysian students are surprisingly not on par with their foreign counterparts, despite the nation having one of the biggest budget allocations for education worldwide, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"What has become an issue for us is why  our students' performance still isn't as good as those in developed nations, despite huge funds pumped into the education sector," said the Education Minister.

Muhyiddin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said that 21% of the 2015 Budget was invested in the education sector, from pre-school up to university level.

He added the amount allocated was the same or even more than some foreign countries, including developed countries such as the United States.

He added that it was no secret that Malaysian students were at the bottom third of international examinations such as Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Admitting that he was shocked at the findings, he said he had to accept the facts.

"Let us acknowledge that we have to accept this as a fact," said Muhyiddin, adding that a solution could be found to have students who are on par with others in developed countries.

PetroSaudi dismisses 'inaccurate' online criticism

PetroSaudi International (PSI) has dismissed online criticism of its former joint venture with 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), labelling them as "inaccurate".

The Saudi Arabia-based oil exploration and services company

"Any suggestions of wrongdoing in the online allegations about the partnership are simply false. All the capital invested by 1MDB has been returned – with profits," an unnamed spokesperson for the Saudi-based oil exploration and services company was quoted as saying in a statement Friday.

It said that the joint venture, which ended in 2012, was in fact a 'win-win' for Malaysia and PetroSaudi, and any information relating to the joint venture was publicly available in the audited accounts of 1MDB at the Malaysia Companies Commission.

"Unfair or false attacks on investors and partners of Malaysia only serve to damage the country," said the statement.

It said PetroSaudi was committed to delivering successful projects in the petroleum sector globally, working with its partners to international standards of corporate governance and due diligence.

"We will not be deterred by inaccurate or malicious stories that have circulated online.    

"Some of those reports appear to be based on selective and distorted extracts of copies of internal company emails and documents, the originals of which we believe to have been obtained unlawfully and in some cases altered.

"We are actively considering our legal options," it added.

PSI, a global oil exploration and services company operating in Latin America, Asia and Africa, is headquartered in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia with offices in London, Geneva, Houston, Jakarta, Carupano and Caracas.

Bung Moktar: PAS' prayers for Umno's downfall led to Kelantan floods

The massive floods which hit Kelantan and the Sultan Muhammad IV stadium in particular was due to PAS' prayers for the downfall of Umno, Datuk Bung Moktar Radin claimed.

In his debate during the motion of thanks on the Royal address, the Kinabatangan MP hit out at PAS for accusing the Federal Government of not assisting when floods ravaged the state late last year.

"Umno was often accused of being cruel and yet, we still went to Kelantan to help the people in need.

"When you prayed for Umno's destruction at that stadium, which was never touched by flood for hundreds of years, suddenly in return floods hit the stadium too," Bung said in Parliament on Thursday.

On Nov 2012, PAS, in conjunction of its muktamar, had held prayers for the fall of Barisan Nasional and Umno's destruction at Sultan Muhammad IV stadium in Kota Baru.

Bung pointed out that even the Kelantan Mentri Besar had admitted that "he could not do anything" during the recent floods, before Umno offered assistance.
He also noted that Government agencies such as the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) had spent some RM13mil to help the flood victims in the state.

Govt did not breach Selangor water deal, Ongkili tells Azmin

Putrajaya has not breached the water agreement with the Selangor state government, said Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister noted that the deal had not come into force due to Selangor’s failure to fulfil certain conditions precedent.

He said that unresolved issues by the Selangor government, namely the transfer of assets and finalisation of the listing of assets, had caused the delay in the agreement taking effect.

“We hope the Selangor state leadership under the current MB will honour the previous agreement. If not, the lives of the people of Selangor will be affected and they will have to suffer,” said an exasperated Ongkili in reply to Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

The minister urged Azmin to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who had held 32 meetings to conclude the agreement last September.

On Monday, Azmin announced that Selangor would not extend the water agreement between the state government and Putrajaya as it had lapsed.

Free Anwar petition removed from White House website

A petition to free jailed Opposition leader Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim on the White House website has been removed for violating “terms of participation”.

“The petition you are trying to access has been removed from the site under our Moderation Policy because it is in violation of our Terms of Participation,” read the link on the website on Tuesday.

The website allows Americans to ask the Obama administration to take action on a range of important issues facing the country.

It states that the White House will review a petition if it gets enough support. The government will then send it to appropriate policy experts and issue an official response.

It is unsure how the Anwar petition violated the website's terms.

Under the terms of participation, petitions that contain threats of unlawful violence, lewd material or defamatory statements could be deemed to have violated the terms.

Petitioners however have the right to seek reconsideration of the removal of the petition.

At about 10am, Tuesday Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang tweeted that another 3,733 signatures were needed to reach 100,000.

As a result of the petition’s removal, supporters of the jailed Opposition leader have bombarded the Facebook page of the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur with messages.

Many people have posted comments on Embassy’s posts, questioning why the petition was removed.

“Hello, I am a supporter of ‘Make the release of Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim from prison a top priority for US policy toward Malaysia’ petition. I do not agree that we have violated your Terms of Participation and your removal of this petition is an act of suppressing our freedom of speech. Please tell us how we violated the rules or recover the petition immediately. Thank you,” read the comment.

The United States in February released a statement on its official website (whitehouse.gov) saying it had “serious concerns” regarding the Federal Court’s decision to uphold the guilty verdict and five-year jail sentence on Anwar for sodomy.

MACC nabs Felda subsidiary CEO over Port Dickson hotel purchase

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency confirmed on Monday that two people were arrested over alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to a Felda subsidiary.

Special operations director Datuk Bahri Mohamad Zin said one of two - the 44-year-old chief executive officer of the subsidiary - was arrested on March 1 and would be remanded until March 10.

He said the other suspect, a businessman, also 44, was nabbed on Feb 26 and was released when his remand ended on March 7.

The two men were detained in connection with the purchase of a hotel in Port Dickson worth RM40mil.

Bahri said the MACC have recorded statements from 23 people over the case.

It was earlier reported that the son of Felda group chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad was among two businessmen quizzed by the MACC over the purchase of a hotel in London.

No protection if misconduct detected in 1MDB, Najib assures Umno leaders

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given the undertaking that no one will be protected if any misconduct is detected in the running of 1MDB.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri, who was tasked with speaking to reporters after Najib had briefed some 160 Umno division chiefs on 1MDB at a closed-door meeting at Putra World Trade Centre on Sunday, said all those present at the meeting "fully supported" the explanation given by Najib.

Ismail said Najib gave the assurance that he would ensure that "no one would be protected" if misappropriation in the government-backed fund was discovered.

"This means that there is nothing to be protected by the Prime Minister and there is nothing that the government is trying to protect. This is what the president has explained and all division heads are satisfied with the explanation," said Ismail.

According to Ismail, Najib said the 1MDB accounts had undergone a more detailed "forensic audit," and no elements of misconduct, fraud or embezzlement were discovered by audit firm Deloitte.

Najib, after the weekly Cabinet meeting, had directed that the 1MDB accounts be scrutinised by the Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to ensure a clean bill of health.

"The commitment of the president is the same as that decided by the Cabinet. The president has explained that we will not protect anyone if misconduct is found within 1MDB," said Ismail.

Ismail said the additional steps and explanation by Najib, who is Prime Minister, was necessary amidst "accusations and slander" hurled on him on 1MDB.

He said Najib had called for solidarity and the strengthening of Umno ahead of next year's party elections.

He said Sunday's meeting was a "usual meeting" and arranged by the division leaders for the purpose of hearing a response from the party president on current issues.

He said it would be part of a biannual meeting to be chaired by Najib.

According to Ismail, the estimated 160 division chiefs accepted Najib's explanation and there were no questions from the floor. Umno has 191 divisions throughout the nation.

Notably absent from the meeting was Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.

Ismail said Mukhriz, who is Jerlun Umno division chief, had to accompany the Sultan of Kedah at a function.

However, Ismail explained that the absence of other division chiefs was due to their prior commitments and should not be interpreted to mean anything else.

Kota Baru PAS set to name Hadi’s challenger

Kota Baru PAS is expected to name a candidate to challenge party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic) for the No. 1 post in the upcoming party elections, a local news portal reports.

All party divisions kicked off their annual general meetings Saturday and according to the report, the Kota Baru division has already picked its candidate.

Saturday’s meeting will decide if the candidate is accepted by all members in the division.

On Tuesday, a senior PAS leader predicted that president’s post would be contested in the upcoming party elections.

He said he expected more than one candidate to challenge Hadi if he decides to defend his post.

Judging from the mood on the ground, there could be several nominations for the top post, said the leader who requested anonymity.

PAS secretary-general later Mustafa Ali’s later predicted that the No. 1 post would be uncontested because there was no capable leader in the party to take on Hadi, who has the backing of the ulama faction.
Hadi has not been challenged since he took over as acting president following the death of Datuk Fadzil Noor in 2002.

Najib sues Tony Pua, portal owner for defamation

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is suing PJ Utara MP Tony Pua and MediaRakyat portal owner Chan Chee Kong for defamation. 

Najib filed the suit through Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak at the KL High Court civil registry on Thursday.


A copy of the suit will be served to the defendants’ solicitors on Friday. 

In the lawsuit, Najib said Pua had delivered a speech at a DAP fund-raising dinner on Nov 3 last year relating to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).  

He said the speech was then uploaded by Chan or his agents onto MediaRakyat's YouTube channel and MediaRakyat's webpage. 

Najib is seeking an apology, a retraction of the statement and compensation.

Najib instructs A-G to vet 1MDB's accounts

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (pic) has instructed the Auditor-General to verify 1Malaysia Development Berhad's (1MDB) accounts and forward the findings to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

In a statement on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said that the A-G’s report would be passed for transparent inspection to the PAC, which is bi-partisan.

“If any wrongdoing is proven, the law will be enforced without exception,” Najib said.

1MDB and its auditors were asked to brief Cabinet on Wednesday over its current situation and responded to questions posed by the ministers, including the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Cabinet was told that recent allegations directed at 1MDB were related to transactions undertaken by third parties and not 1MDB.

All SPM 9A scorers to get bursaries

All students who scored 9A+ and above in the 2014 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) will receive bursaries from the Education Ministry.

The bursary will cover the students’ pre-university studies to be done locally before continuing with their first degree either locally or overseas.

The pre-university studies being offered are the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), Matriculation, Foundation, A-Levels and A-Levels and International Baccalaureate (IB).

The Education Ministry said in a statement that the bursary would be automatically offered to all students who scored 9A+ irrespective of ethnicity, race and family background and covers academic fees, cost of living and accommodation allowances.

Students can check their offers through the Education Ministry’s Bursary Online Application System at www.moe.gov.my from today (March 4) to June 30.

Students need to read and understand the requirements and update their information through the Bursary Online Application System.

For more information, they can also contact the minitsry’s Sponsorship Division at hotline 03-8321 7086 or e-mail bt.bursary@moe.gov.my.

Hadi will be challenged, predicts PAS leader

A senior PAS leader has predicted that president's post will be contested in the upcoming party elections.

He expects more than one candidate to challenge PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang if he decides to defend his post.

Judging from the mood on the ground, there could be several nominations for the top post, said the leader who requested anonymity.

"PAS is a very democratic and that there will be a keen contest this time around as there are a lot of issues in the party," the leader said.

He commenting on PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali’s prediction that the number one post would be uncontested because there was no capable leader in the party to take on Hadi, who has the backing of the pro-ulama faction.

“Let the presidency be contested. Constitutionally, all positions of executive are open to nomination and contest. This is what you call a democracy," he said.

Hadi has never been challenged since he took over as acting president following the death of Datuk Fadzil Noor in 2002.

The leader, who is aligned to the "moderate" faction in PAS, said a contest was as an important form of check and balance to bring forward any political party.

“It would be in the best interests of the party for every post to be contested. Nobody should ever imagine himself to be indispensable and could do no wrong,” he said.

He said that leadership was multi-dimensional and that the most knowledgeable person might not be the best choice to run the party.

“There are other competencies such as strategising and management coupled with the demands of coalition politics,” he said.

The leader was agreeable to suggestions by some moderates that Hadi should be "promoted" to the spiritual adviser role previously held by the late Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

“Give him (Hadi) some face and dignity. Let him go up rather than being demoted,” he said.

The leader said that PAS was not short of leaders such as Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Ahmad Awang, Datuk Husam Musa, Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Salahuddin Ayub.

“By allowing a contest, delegates will have the chance to listen to new ideas and ways of solving problems,” he said.

A candidate needs at least two nominations from a division to qualify for a contest.

The Bar Council’s credibility problem

In 2012, after three years in the civil service, I left to complete the last phase of my legal education. Despite graduating in law in 2008, I postponed my chambering or pupilage (as it is known in England and Wales) and I believed that after four years it was wise for me to complete it.

The chambering process is a nine month legal training that is conducted jointly by the Bar Council, the relevant state bar committee and also the law firm in which the chambering student’s master is practicing in.

However, a lot of the seminars I attended during the course of my legal training as a chambering student was informative but was heavily peppered with critiques of the government and government policy.

As a former civil servant, I was obviously perturbed by this trend but I also found that my colleagues who were undertaking the training with me were not necessarily sold on this anti-government slant that was adopted most of the time.

While some tension between the legal profession and the government is a necessary feature of any democracy but at the same time one should never oppose for the sake of it.

In 2011, the Bar Council in an Extraordinary General Meeting condemned the government’s handling of the Bersih 3.0 rally even before any official findings could be made by the authorities or the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM).

By jumping the gun, the Bar Council hurt its own credibility because no one should be pronounced as guilty of any wrongdoing before a full and proper investigation and hearing.

Fast forward to 2015, the Bar Council claimed that the government was persecuting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after he was found guilty by the Federal Court for sexually assaulting his former aide.

Malaysia is a constitutional democracy that practices the doctrine of separation of powers and to insinuate that the executive influenced the judiciary in Anwar’s case is mischievous.

There have been a myriad of instances when the courts have decided against the executive and the government as a whole be it in defamation and other cases.

In times like this the Bar Council should highlight the judiciary’s independence and not seek to undermine the administration of justice and the rule of law by constantly painting a picture of judicial manipulation by the executive every time a decision is made that some members of the Bar find disconcerting.

I have many good friends who practice as lawyers and I welcome the scrutiny that the Bar Council seeks to provide however they must do so in a just and fair manner minus their personal political proclivities.

The Bar Council must work with the government of the day to ensure proper and effective administration of justice and the rule of law is upheld.

by Ivanpal S. Grewal

Telcos throw support behind Government's cheaper broadband call

Local telecommunication companies have thrown their support behind the Government's call for more affordable broadband Internet access.

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Halim Shafie, who met chief executives of the service providers last Friday, said they shared the concern on the issue of affordability, particularly among the lower-income group.

He said several important issues such as quality of service and the future direction of the industry focusing on innovation and content to enrich user experience were discussed at the meeting.

"This is a positive response from the industry and I hope that the support by the industry CEOs will speed up the consultation process," said Dr Halim said in a statement.

In the statement, Axiata's group CEO Datuk Seri Jamaludin Ibrahim said the move to lower service charges would benefit the industry in the long run.

DiGi chief operating officer Albern Murty also expressed his support, saying the company's aspiration to deliver Internet for all is rooted on the principle of affordable access for broadband and mobile Internet services.

Maxis CEO Morten Lundal said that as a digital enabler, they were continuously helping their customers to have better Internet access by delivering the very best and worry-free propositions.

"There is a fundamental change in the way we are using the Internet today and Maxis is in full support of having affordable mobile services which will help complement that change," he said.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek recently said the Government would suggest structural reviews on payment for broadband services as the cost of installing fibre optic cables had declined following the drop in global oil prices.

NGO lodges report against Sanjeevan

An anti-crime awareness group, the Malaysia Community Crime Care, (MCCC), has lodged a police report against MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan for allegedly making a seditious remark.

Exco member V. Ravindran who lodged the report, claimed that Sanjeevan allegedly tweeted last week that the son of an ex-Inspector-General of Police had murdered a man.

"This is a wild and seditious allegation and he did not even mention the name of the person he is accusing.

"I challenge him to come out to say the name of the person he is accusing and urge the police to investigate Sanjeevan for sedition," he said when contacted.

Ravindran lodged the report around 11am Monday at Sentul police headquarters.

Najib outlines seven decrees for further Malay empowerment

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has outlined seven decrees that will make the Malays knowledgeable, empower their economy in the 21st century, and to make them strong, powerful and dignified.

The other decrees are to champion the interests of Islam, defend Malay rulers and Malay privileges, uphold maqasid syaria (Islamic law) by being moderate, retain pure values and take care of the family institution.

Najib stressed that if the Malays hold on to these decrees, they will emerge as a race respected by races around the world and become self-reliant.

"These decrees to represent the Malay rulers must be remembered by all," he said at a Malay unity rally in front of thousands at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil here.


"As long as there is the moon and the stars, and as long as the Malay blood flows in our bodies, we will continue to champion these decrees," he said.

Najib took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of multi-racial harmony.

He said multi-racial harmony as well as unity between the races in Malaysia was the key and foundation to a brighter future for the people and nation.

The Prime Minister also said the Malays had gone far and attained many achievements.

However, he urged the Malays to continue asking themselves: "What can we do in the name of the Malays? What can we contribute?"

He said that question should always be in the minds of the contemporary Malays because they could not depend on the Government anymore to become more successful and to guarantee their future.

Muhyiddin: Makeshift classrooms only temporary

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the makeshift school without walls in Tuaran was only a temporary shelter for students.

The Deputy Prime Minister said SK Penimbawan was undergoing upgrading works and the students had been placed in temporary classrooms.

He said the ministry’s secretary-general had been sent to Sabah to monitor the situation.

One off the classrooms with plywood walls and zinc tops

Muhyiddin said an allocation of about RM5mil to RM10mil had been approved a few months ago.

“It is a matter of management and implementation which takes time,” he told a press conference after attending the Pagoh youth music fiesta carnival here Saturday.

He said he directed for the upgrading works to be completed by this year.

SK Penimbawan is among 10 schools with a total enrolment of more than 2,000 students that were destroyed by either fires or landslips in Sabah since last year.

Classrooms at the SK Penimbawan are wall-less structures resembling garages with concrete floors. SK Penimbawan was destroyed by a fire in May.

The classrooms equipped with dirty chairs and table at the school

The school was without electricity when it was built and several months ago when power was supplied to the building, a short circuit cause the fire.

Two other schools facing similar predicaments are SK Tampasak in Papar district and SK Pekan primary school in Kiulu.

The two schools' classrooms comprise canopy tents with the bare ground as a floor.

The plight of pupils in SK Peninbawan was highlighted in a viral tweet with the hashtag #SchoolWithNoWall on Friday.

In a tweet directed at Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa on Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said, “Please investigate and take action to help if this is true. This should not have happened.”

Najib acts on Twitter pictures of makeshift Tuaran classrooms

A Twitter campaign to highlight the sad state of affairs at a school in Sabah, which had to operate in makeshift classrooms, caught the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Friday.

Pictures posted on Twitter, showing classrooms at SK Penimbawan in Tuaran using canopies, zinc roofs and plywood a year after a fire broke out there, led Najib to issue instructions to Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

"TS KSN @alihamsa55 siasat & ambil tindakan utk bantu jika benar. Ini tdk patut berlaku (To Chief Secretary of Government @alihamsa55. Investigate and take action to help if true. This should not happen," Najib tweeted on Friday afternoon along with images of the school.

 The classrooms equipped with dirty chairs and table at the school

Ali later responded, tweeting that he would take immediate action on the matter.

"Salam YAB Dato Sri @NajibRazak. Perkara ini sedang disiasat dan tindakan serta merta akan diambil. Terima kasih. Dr Ali. (Salam Datuk Seri @NajibRazak. The matter is being investigated and immediate action will be taken. Thank you. Dr Ali," he said via @AliHamsa55.

Earlier Friday, the tweet handle #SchoolWithNoWall went viral and received many retweets, alerting Najib's attention.

The pictures attached to the tweets showed classrooms without walls and sparsely equipped with dirty, mismatched chairs and worn-out tables.

Although the floors are concrete there is nothing to stop the wind from blowing red earth into the classrooms.

In one of the pictures, a small wall fan is visible close to a white board. There are no ceiling fans.

The plight of the school also received a response from Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin who called for swift action to help SK Penimbawan.

Muhyiddin: We cannot take threats against IGP lightly

The government views seriously the death threat made by a group of youths on Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar on social media.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said such threats could lead to bigger dangers to the nation in future.

He said three steps must be taken to contain the threat of extremism, including through education, to provide an understanding about security to the younger generation.

"Secondly, the existing laws need to be implemented effectively, and thirdly, cooperation among the public to help the authorities take the appropriate steps.

"We cannot take this lightly because today, extremism is a global issue....some of our people are involved with the IS (Islamic State), which is clear proof that it has already happened in Malaysia," he told reporters.

He was commenting on a 1:27 minute video showing three masked men who called themselves Anak Malaysia Anti Demokrasi (Amad) which went viral on the social media, threatening to blow up the IGP's car.

Another video earlier showed four men saying they planned to burn fireworks at all the courthouses throughout the country on Feb 18.

Najib: I'm suing Harakah to defend my family

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says it is his right to take legal action against PAS organ Harakahdaily in order to defend his family.

"Because they have defamed (my family), I have to sue them or demand they retract what they said in Harakah," Najib told reporters here Friday.

"What was reported in Harakah was defamatory and completely untrue. They did not show evidence. So it is my right to defend myself and my family," he added.

He refused to comment further on the matter.

Harakahdaily recently carried an article on 1MDB and Riza Aziz, who is Najib's stepson.

It was reported on Thursday that Najib had instructed law firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak to hand over a letter of demand to Harakahdaily managing director Dr Rosli Yaakop to retract the article and publish an unconditional apology in writing.

The article was a commentary piece based on a New York Times article earlier this month.
Najib was speaking reporters here after launching the start of Sri Aman Minor Specialist Hospital's construction.

The RM150mil 108-bed hospital, first announced in 2011, is targeted for completion in 2018.

Najib demands Harakah retract 1MDB article

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has given PAS’ organ Harakahdaily 48 hours to retract an article on 1MDB deemed defamatory.

Law firm Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak handed over a letter of demand to Harakahdaily managing director Dr Rosli Yaakop at 3pm Thursday demanding an unconditional apology in writing.

They also demand the retraction of its article Dana 1MDB Biaya Syarikat Filem Riza Aziz (Bhg 2) (1MDB Funding Riza Aziz’s Film Production Company) published on Feb 19.

Riza is Najib’s stepson.

The article was a commentary piece by Rosli based on a New York Times article on businessman Low Taek Jho’s role as a property investor published on Feb 12.

Harakahdaily is also required to give a written undertaking that it would stop repeating the defamatory statements.

Among the sentences deemed defamatory are that (businessman) Jho Lo was an intimate friend, regarded as part of the first family of Malaysia, and a trusted proxy.

Harakah had questioned where the funds were sourced, as the Prime Minister’s annual salary was only USD100,000 (RM358,00).

Harakahdaily had in the article implied elements of “money laundering”.

Other statements deemed defamatory include implying the Prime Minister had low moral, abuse power for personal interest, gaining wealth from dirty sources, and abusing 1MDB fund.

Najib is also demanding compensation for serious damage of reputation and for cost and expenses incurred in handling the matter.

Najib had given strict order to his lawyers to proceed with court action if Harakahdaily failed to response to the demand within the stipulated time frame.

Rahman Dahlan takes a dig at Nurul Izzah's "Anwar offered DPM post" claim

An Umno minister took a jab at PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar for her remark that her father, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was offered the deputy prime minister's post after the 2013 general election.

"BN offering DPM post to Anwar who lost all four GEs in a row? Nurul, get a grip on yourself! #Drama," Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan tweeted.

Rahman was responding to Nuru Izzah's claim that Anwar was offered the number two post in the Barisan Nasional government after Pakatan Rakyat won 52 percent of popular votes in GE13.

Speaking at a ceramah at Seberang Jaya, Penang on Saturday night, Nurul Izzah reportedly said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak offered her father the post, on condition that Anwar agreed to "ignore" his friends in Pakatan Rakyat.

She said Anwar rejected the offer.

Rahman added that Nurul Izzah should know that Anwar didn't fight for democracy.

"He tried to topple the govt on the 16th Sept 2008, remember?" he tweeted.

Soon after the GE13 which was held in May, Anwar had claimed to have enough Barisan lawmakers to jump ship and form a government. The plan did not materialise.

Anwar was jailed five years for sodomy last Tuesday.

Ismail Sabri: Unite, let’s move on

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has urged all parties to move on from his controversial Facebook post on boycotting Chinese traders, as he considered that the matter has come to a close.

This comes after Transport Minister and MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he accepted Ismail Sabri's statement of regret that his posting had stirred racial sentiments.

Ismail Sabri, who is Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, said no good would come out by prolonging the issue.

"We should be addressing the root of the problem, which is irresponsible traders raising prices of goods, despite the drop in oil prices and electricity tariffs.

"What is the end result if we continue to bicker? It will do no good for the country.

"Now that the Cabinet has decided and Liow has agreed to accept my statement, we should stop this issue," Ismail Sabri told reporters after launching the jihad campaign against middlemen in businesses at Pasaraya Syed in Sungai Buloh near here on Friday.

However, Ismail Sabri declined to comment when a reporter asked if his statement of regret was an apology.

He said while he considered this issue to be over, he hoped the same would be true for Liow.

"MCA is a fellow comrade in the Barisan Nasional coalition. The important thing is for us to unite as the enemy is not among us, but out of our coalition," he added.

On the "joint statement" with Liow on the issue, Ismail Sabri said there was some miscommunication, and both of them decided to issue separate statements.

Liow: Accept Ismail Sabri's statement of regret and move on

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he accepted the statement of regret from Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over the latter's remarks on boycotting Chinese businesses.

"As my colleague, Datuk Seri Ismail has officially issued a statement of regret, and as a member of Cabinet, I take note of his statement of regret and hope that this matter is put to rest and we shall move on," Liow, who is MCA president, said in a statement.

Here is the full statement:

"On the issue of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri’s call to boycott Chinese traders,  I have made clear MCA’s stand at Cabinet this week and the Cabinet had instructed Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri to issue a press statement to take responsibility for his controversial Facebook post in order to end this issue.

"I respect the collective decision of YAB Prime Minister, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Razak and the Cabinet that we need to provide closure on this issue. As my colleague, Dato’ Sri Ismail has officially issued a statement of regret, and as a member of Cabinet, I take note of his statement of regret and hope that this matter is put to rest and we shall move on."

Zahid: Anwar will not get special treatment in prison

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is not being given any special treatment in Sungai Buloh prison while serving his sentence for the offence of sodomising his former aide.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stressed that all prisoners were treated equally as provided by law and the prison regulations.

"I wish to confirm this (no special treatment for Anwar) here," he said, when asked by reporters about concerns expressed by some quarters that Anwar could be given special treatment by the Prisons Department while incarcerated.

Ahmad Zahid earlier attended the ministry's monthly assembly here on Thursday.

Also present were Prisons Department director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar and Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

The Federal Court had on Feb 10, rejected Anwar's final appeal against his conviction and five-year jail sentence for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, on June 26, 2008.

Power tariffs reduced from March 1

The Cabinet has agreed to reduce the electricity tariff with the imbalance cost pass-through (ICPT) of 2.25sen/ kWh beginning March 1.

The reduced tariff are for users consuming 300kW/h and more monthly.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili consumers can expect a saving of between RM13.50 and RM45 on their monthly bills.

The reduced tariffs are valid till June 30.

Guan Eng: Anwar still MP until Feb 23

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will remain Permatang Pauh MP until Feb 23, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

He said according to the Federal Constitution, a Member of Parliament's disqualification will only take effect upon the expiry of 14 days from the day of conviction.

"Unless Anwar apologises and seeks a pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the disqualification will be suspended until the pardon is disposed.

"I have discussed this matter with him yesterday before he entered the Sungai Buloh prison but I'm not going to divulge details," he told reporters.

Lim refused to comment when asked about Pakatan Rakyat's plans should there be a by-election for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

The Federal Court on Tuesday upheld the Court of Appeal's conviction and five-year jail term on Anwar for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Arrest warrant issued for SSKM’s ‘Doris Jones

A warrant of arrest has been issued for a woman named "Doris Jones’’ who operates a social media-based secession movement called Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM).

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said that the woman "Doris Jones’’ is wanted for seditious activities as she was promoting secession through a Facebook page SSKM and other social media networks.

Jalaluddin said that they have put up an alert for her at all entry points in the country.

However, he did not say for sure if she was operating the page from United Kingdom or other countries.

"I don’t know, some say she in London, or may be Europe. We are on the alert for her if she enters the country,’’ he said, adding that he was not sure if she was still holding Malaysian citizenship or some other nationality as she had been overseas for sometime.

It is understood that the little known Sabahan, who is believed to be from Penampang, with her family settled in Labuan, is believed to be married in United Kingdom and works in a "legal circle”.

She is believed to be keeping in touch with local NGO networks through various social media channels including Skype to communicate with SSKM.

Jalaluddin said that police have set up a special task force and investigating various SSKM-linked postings on Facebook and other social media groups which holds weekly meetings to study the postings under the Seditious Act.

"Each week we meet, a total of 126 investigating papers have been opened over the postings. We have forwarded them to the Deputy Prosecutor,’’ he said, in urging Sabah NGOs not to get to involved in such activities.

He said police also believe that certain opposition figures were behind the NGOs linked to the activities of SSKM.

"These NGOs are going around with petitions asking people to support secession,’’ Jalaluddin said, adding that the five arrested in Lahad Datu on Sunday were released on Tuesday after investigations were completed.

In separate issue, Jalaluddin said the dusk-to-dawn sea curfew in the east coast of Sabah that has been in placed since last July would be extended to another two weeks from Feb 11 to Feb 26.

Sodomy II: Anwar sentenced to five years’ jail

The Federal Court has upheld the Court of Appeal’s five-year prison sentence on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The apex court earlier on Tuesday upheld the Mar 7, 2014 decision against the Opposition leader.

Anwar, 67, was sentenced to five years’ jail for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari, 30, at the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

Anwar had filed 35 grounds in his petition of appeal asking the Federal Court to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling.

Sodomy II: Court says Saiful a credible witness, DNA evidence admissible

The trial judge was correct in dismissing impeachment proceedings against Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the Federal Court has held.

Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria, who leads a five-member panel of the Federal Court, held Tuesday that Mohd Saiful was a credible witness, and that the appellate court should be wary of disturbing the evaluation of the trial judge.

Justice Arifin further held that the DNA evidence taken from Anwar’s cell which was used to compare against samples of his semen were legally obtained.

The Court said that there was no break in the chain of evidence and no tampering.

Anwar, 67, looked downcast as the judge continued delivering the court’s judgment.

Proceedings in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal against a sodomy conviction began 10.10am Tuesday with Justice Arifin Zakaria reading through a summary of the case.

The judge began by focussing on the issues of consent and whether or not there was evidence of penetration.

The Federal Court delivers its decision Tuesday in Anwar’s appeal.

The Opposition leader is charged with sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful.

Anwar was sentenced to five years’ jail on Mar 7 last year by the Court of Appeal for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful, 30, at the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.

In its 85-page written judgment, the Court of Appeal overturned an earlier acquittal by the High Court.
Anwar had filed 35 grounds in his petition of appeal asking the Federal Court to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling.

Mat Sabu: Hadi attending Pakatan leadership council meeting

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has confirmed his attendance at Sunday’s Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meeting, said his deputy Mohamad Sabu.

Speaking to reporters at the party’s headquarters here on Friday, Mohamad said secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali has assured of Abdul Hadi’s attendance.

“We understand that he (Abdul Hadi) will be attending the PAS central committee meeting in the morning and he will stay on until the Pakatan leadership meeting in the afternoon.

“As Muslims say, ‘insyaAllah' (God willing) because you don’t know what is going to happen that day. If I were sick that day, I would probably not go as well,” said Mohamad, laughing.

The Pakatan leadership council meeting has been put on hold for months following their prolonged fallout in the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis.

On Thursday, DAP said the meeting would not proceed if Abdul Hadi did not turn up.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said this was the decision made by the party’s central executive committee.

Lawyer Eric Paulsen charged with sedition

Eric Paulsen was charged in a Sessions Court here Thursday over a tweet in which he allegedly accused the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) of promoting extremism.

He was brought before judge Abdul Rashid Daud to have his charge read to him.

Paulsen, who is also Lawyers for Liberty executive director, was charged with publishing seditious words on his Twitter account at twitter.com/ericpaulsen101 stating that, "Jakim is promoting extremism every Friday. Government needs to address that if serious about extremism in Malaysia".

The offence was allegedly committed at the D5 criminal investigation unit, Bukit Aman here at about 8pm on Jan 10, this year.

He later claimed trial to the charge under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948.

Judge Abdul Rashid later fixed bail at RM2,000 in one surety pending mention on April 27.

Counsel Gobind Singh Deo appeared for Paulsen.

Cheap Smartphone Device Detects HIV, Syphilis In 15 Minutes: Study

The US and Rwandan researchers say they have developed a low-cost smartphone accessory capable of detecting HIV and syphilis from a finger prick of blood in just 15 minutes, Xinhua news agency reported.

This is the first device that replicates all the functions of a lab-based blood test and works by detecting markers of infectious diseases: HIV antibody, treponemal-specific antibody for syphilis and non-treponemal antibody for active syphilis infection.

The manufacturing cost of the device is only US$34, much lower than the US$18,000 that current gold standard of diagnostics, known as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), needs.

The accessory was recently piloted by health care workers in Rwanda who used it to test blood finger-pricked from 96 patients, many of whom were women at risk for mother-to-child transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.

The researchers said the device delivered test results displayed on the phone screen within 15 minutes and performed almost as well as the ELISA test.

Nearly all patients preferred it to lab-based tests, which could take up to two or more hours.

"Our work shows that a full laboratory-quality immunoassay can be run on a smartphone accessory," said lead author Samuel Sia, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University.

"This kind of capability can transform how health care services are delivered around the world," Sia said.

The device, or dongle, can easily connect to a smartphone or computer. It is small and light enough to fit into one hand and draws all the power it needs to run by plugging into a smartphone's audio jack.

Researchers believe that this lab-on-a-chip device could help scale up early detection of HIV and syphilis especially in mobile or field clinics.

"Our dongle presents new capabilities for a broad range of users from health care providers to consumers," Sia said.

"By increasing detection of syphilis infections, we might be able to reduce deaths by tenfold. We might be able to scale up HIV testing at the community level with immediate antiretroviral therapy that could nearly stop HIV transmissions and approach elimination of this disease," he added.

The work, also comprising researchers from Rwanda Biomedical Centre, was published in the US journal Science Translational Medicine.

Anwar the most likely loser

The very public battles within Pakatan Rakyat are likely to lead to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim being its major casualty.

ONE man must be very worried over how his brainchild – Pakatan Rakyat – is beginning to unravel before his very eyes.

Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim needs a united coalition, committed to his ideals now more than ever before because he is facing the biggest game changer of his career.

On Feb 10, the Federal Court will deliver its verdict in his Sodomy 2 appeal but the coalition he heads simply can’t see eye to eye.

Ever since August last year when PAS rebuffed his request to support his wife Datin Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the Selangor Mentri Besar post, he has been watching helplessly how PAS has grown steadily in its rebellion.

Not only does PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang refuses to attend Pakatan leadership council meetings, making it largely irrelevant, the clerics in the party have been opposing one issue after another that the DAP is fighting for.

The latest is the rejection by Hadi and his clerics on local government elections, a cherished dream of the DAP which had promised its Chinese supporters it will organise one soon.

Hadi’s view is that local government elections were banned in the early 1960s because of its potential to cause racial riots and that the party was therefore against it.

Anwar desires a united Pakatan, at least on the face of it, and has been pushing for a president’s council meeting before Feb 10 but he has been frustrated by the clerics in PAS.

Until now he has failed to get Abdul Hadi to attend. Without his presence, the DAP has vowed not to attend, thus hamstringing Anwar.

Anwar is understandably apprehensive at PAS’ refusal to talk with DAP to settle their grouses because he has a lot to lose if he is found guilty and sentenced to jail.

Not only will he lose his Permatang Pauh MP seat as well as his position as Opposition Leader in Parliament, his political career will be over.

Pakatan, or what is left of it, has to choose a new leader acceptable to all three partners equally and one strong contender will be Hadi himself. Besides that, Pakatan is Anwar’s baby and he wants to leave behind a united and workable coalition able to compete with the Barisan Nasional and not a truncated coalition minus PAS, its biggest Malay partner.

He also wants Pakatan to campaign for him and his causes as it did during Sodomy One.

Hadi, however, has chosen a brave course in his opposition to DAP and to Anwar because there is strong opposition to him within his own party. He has to contend with the so called liberals or Erdogans who support Anwar, like deputy president Mohamed Sabu, and by extension they also support the DAP and Pakatan itself.

Hadi has to fight these liberals, or as one PAS leader put it, with “enemies within” and not just the DAP.

“It’s a war of attrition in PAS between the clerics and the liberals for control of PAS and to set directions for the party,” noted a leader, who said key allies of Hadi in PAS include secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and deputy spiritual leader Datuk Haron Din and influential clerics like Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s son Nik Abduh.

Hadi’s surprising statement linking local elections to the possibility of racial tension came as a big blow to the DAP although PAS had supported local elections, albeit silently before.

“We were caught by surprise when Hadi objected (to local government elections) in such strong terms,” said a DAP MP who declined to be named.

“That’s when I realised that it is over for us and PAS,” he said.

It would appear that the PAS clerics objected to local government elections because the DAP is strongly opposed to the implementation of the hudud law in Kelantan.

“It is a tit for tat kind of situation,” said a political observer adding it makes sense for now but the opposition to Hadi and the clerics is brewing and have to be overcome, sooner or later.

As Lim Kit Siang, the DAP adviser once said, Pakatan might end up as a one-term wonder.

True to his words, Pakatan is being pulled and pushed in different ways. It is a wonder how it can hold together under such stress.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Pakatan parties are bleeding voter support because of their fundamental disagreement and their fightings.

Voters from across the racial divide see the infighting as a bane to them. They expected the coalition they voted for to get down to working for them, not fighting each other incessantly.

Anwar’s personal issues have been framed as coalition issues but the clerics in PAS are reluctant to shoulder him any longer.

Larger issues are gripping both parties. PAS wants to return to its Islamic roots while the DAP is stuck with its secular objectives, leaving little room for cooperation between the two dissimilar political parties.

The loser in this fallout must surely be Anwar.

Anthony Loke: DAP to stop attending Pakatan Council if Hadi doesn’t show

DAP will not attend the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council meeting if PAS representatives are not attending it.

Its National organising secretary Anthony Loke said DAP will attend the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meeting provided that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is present as well.

"I am referring to a media report quoting sources who claimed that our secretary general, Lim Guan Eng should apologise to his PAS counterpart Datuk Mustafa Ali during that meeting.

"I would like to emphasize that the necessity to do so does not arise at all and DAP will never bow to any pressure from any party," he said in a statement released on Tuesday.

He added that the party leadership stood behind Lim on the issue of a local government election in Penang and supported the state government implementing the Local Government Elections Act 2012 which was approved by the Penang State Assembly, under the Federal Constitution.

"We reiterate our position that all efforts by the state government for the election were informed by Lim to both Hadi and Mustafa, and they had not objected it before.

"During this debate for the last two weeks, it has been evident that there are many PAS leaders including MP's and veterans who have expressed support to restore the local government elections around the country," he said adding that the elections were parallel to the Pakatan common policy.

Loke said that their Central Executive Committee (CEC) has approved a resolution that DAP leaders will attend the meeting with the presence of the PAS president.

"This is to avoid a situation where any decision reached in PR is not sanctioned by PAS," he said.

Last Wednesday, Mustafa said, contrary to Lim’s allegations, PAS was never consulted on local council elections in Penang before it was tabled in the state assembly in May 2012.

Prior to that Lim had said that he had contacted both Hadi and Awang on the phone before pushing for the implementation of the elections.

Denying this, Mustafa said PAS was only consulted after the enactment was tabled via a phone call from Lim.

Beware of malware on smartphones

The new malware that infects and locks computer data until a ransom is paid can just as ea­sily infect smartphones, warned CyberSecurity Malaysia.

Its chief executive Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said smartphone users should be vigilant against the Ransomware malware.

“Four cases of Ransomware on computers have been reported to our Cyber999 Help Centre in January alone,” he said.

Dr Amirudin said the incidents involved two companies and two individual users.

In comparison, there were three cases last year, and just two cases in 2013.

“As yet, CyberSecurity Malaysia has not received any reports on smartphones infected with the Ransomware but prevention is better than cure,” he said in an interview.

He noted that among the ways computers and cellphones could get infected was through email attachments containing the malware, which would install itself.

A pop-up message on the screen would state that the PC was locked and all files encrypted, besides a US$100 (RM363) “penalty” for visiting “an illegal website”.

Following the incidents, Cyber­Security issued an advisory to all Internet users, including organisations, about the threat.

Dr Amirudin said victims should never follow the payment instructions but contact Cyber999 for assistance.

“Other than assisting the victim, the report will also provide us with vital information which will enable us to better tackle or mitigate the problem,” he said.

He said Internet users should have up-to-date anti-virus software and not click on unsolicited web links in an email.

Dr Amirudin also advised users to perform regular backups of all critical information to limit the impact of data or system loss and to help expedite the recovery process.

JDT fans rapped over "dog" banner, 12 detained

Some Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) fans have earned the “royal wrath” for unleashing a giant banner depicting a dog in a suit with Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) emblem on it during the Charity Shield match against Pahang at Larkin Stadium, Johor Baru on Saturday night.

Describing the act as 'biadap' (disrespectful), the Crown Princess of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah said she was "ashamed" of the behaviour of the JDT supporters.

"As someone who was born and bred in Johor but settled in Pahang , and as the wife of the FAM president, this is all I have to say; BIADAP and KURANG AJAR (disrespectful and rude).

"My father never brought me up this way," she said in her personal Instagram account  "tengkupuanpahang".

The banner depicted a dog with a human body holding a puppy with “RM” displayed in a bubble talk. 

Many believed that they were implying that FAM only cared about money rather than managing local football.

The banner, which was unveiled at JDT supporters' section, also courted criticism from the netizens, saying that this was not the way to express their disagreement with the football body.

Some had however defended the move and denied allegations that the dog was made in reference to FAM president, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah who is also the Crown Prince of Pahang.

"In no way the banner said they were referring to the royalty, they're just mocking FAM in general," said one Facebook commentor.

Although the banner seemed 'shocking' among local football enthusiasts, European football had seen a similar 'message' on a giant banner in August last year.

Polish football team, Legia Warsaw unveiled a giant banner featuring a pig in the logo of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) after it removed them from the Champions League qualifying round against Celtic for fielding an ineligible player.

Although no one has claimed responsibility for the controversial dog banner, Johor FA, in a statement said 12 individuals have been identified and detained by the police.

"They will be remanded for five days to assist in investigations. If found guilty, those individuals will be banned from any Johor stadiums for life," said Johor FA, in a statement.

"Johor FA will not tolerate any form of provocation. We strongly urge all the supporters of Johor Darul Ta’zim to protect the good name of the club and heed the mandate of HRH Crown Prince of Johor to be professional fans," it added.

JDT edged Pahang 2-0 in the game which also doubled up as a Super League match.