for Bluesy Mondae ... and Desi indeed is falling behind some DEADlines!:(
From the MI-South China Morning Herald, heralding troubled times ahead for Opposition Leader DSAI...that is just from most UMNO politikuses' lenses quite clouded. Others like YL tend to disagree; even myGOoDfriend Sdr Yong Thye Chong would think so. So Chong and Chong maketh song 2singAlong:):)
But wait till you hear from mGf Kim Quek later -- some CEO is headed for the guillotine in the Rakyat's court of public opinion...in Desi's vain opinion! Can wait or knot? -- YL
Umno leaders’ embrace at party congress spells trouble for Anwar
Published by The Malaysian Insider:
KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 – The past, present and future prime ministers of Malaysia put years of backstabbing and badmouthing aside when they embraced at the Umno party’s congress – and that could spell trouble for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
It was a stunning moment of public unity for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad and incoming leader Najib Razak, a trio whose brawling has been a boon for the opposition.
The moment came on Saturday after Dr Mahathir – who resigned from the United Malays National Organisation in 2007 out of anger with Abdullah – walked into the venue with his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah.
Abdullah was winding up proceedings on the final day of the five-day congress of the party, which has dominated Malaysian politics.
The delegates cheered the elderly couple and Abdullah, repeatedly labelled “good for nothing” by Dr Mahathir, saw them coming. He praised Dr Mahathir as a great leader – and invited him up on stage. Dr Mahathir formally shook hands with his successor, but Abdullah broke the ice, pulling Dr Mahathir in and embracing him warmly. Najib joined them in the embrace – and delegates went wild.
The Malay language Mingguan Malaysia ran the photograph under the banner headline: “Finally, united again!”.
Denison Jayasooria, political scientist at the National University of Malaysia, said the moment may prove vital.
“I think their rapprochement is for real, and has been forced on them by the political realities that Umno is politically retreating and also because the Umno grass roots are demanding they close rank,” he said.
“From here on, they will consolidate and train their guns on Anwar … Anwar is the key, he is the glue that is holding the opposition together.”
Anwar, who goes on trial for sodomy this month, was repeatedly attacked during the Umno meeting.
Former Umno youth wing leader Hishamuddin Hussein led the charge last Tuesday, accusing him of various “crimes” including criticism of Malaysia’s royal families, generating negative media reports in the international press and tarnishing the country in foreign forums.
Najib, who is taking over as prime minister on Thursday, lambasted Anwar’s morality.
“As opposition leader he claims to be as innocent as angels … like a newborn baby, but we know who he really is,” Najib said, without naming Anwar.
Tian Chua, a senior leader in Anwar’s Keadilan party, said the repeated targeting of Anwar was “sad”.
“They demonised him, and made veiled threats of entrapment and imprisonment,” he said, adding that he believed the rise of Najib would herald a new era of repression.
Chua cited a recent ban on two opposition publications, the suspension of opposition lawmakers and police action to break up opposition rallies as examples of the hardline policies favoured by Najib.
“Repression will worsen after Najib takes power,” he said. “Anwar is prepared for the worst.”
Umno will face its next electoral test on April 7, with three simultaneous by-elections. In Bukit Gantang in Perak state, a seat in the national assembly is up for grabs. The other races are for state legislature seats.
Some 15,000 opposition supporters and 5,000 from the ruling National Front coalition turned out yesterday to nominate their candidates. – South China Morning Post
UPDATEd @2.10PM because Desi has nothing badder to do but keep my ER UPDATEd bespite my missing DEADlines wit' Miss destiny and Her childe!:( via cpiasia.net ~~~~~~~ brought hear by port dickson not 100%-altruistic waves:)
Najib must be Screened by a Royal Commission of Inquiry
Columnists
Written by Kim Quek
Monday, 30 March 2009 13:53
At a heated press conference at the end of the UMNO Annual Assembly on March 28, the newly crowned President of UMNO Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak failed to dispel swirling rumours of his alleged links to the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu.
This press conference had attracted unusually intense foreign press attention, due to heightened international media coverage over the scandal as Najib’s anticipated ascension to premiership nears. And as the name of Altantuya splashes in news features that pop up all over the world from France to Australia and from US to India, Najib seems to be irretrievably linked to this sex-corruption-murder scandal in which a multi-billion dollar Government arms purchase featured prominently.
Answering a barrage of questions from foreign journalists whether these persistent aspersions would undermine his premiership, Najib only repeatedly said: “These are malicious and baseless lies. I have already given my answers, but they persist. This is an opposition ploy.”
Najib sounded as if he had already given all the necessary explanations to exonerate himself from his apparently strong connection to the case, but actually all he had done was the repeated uttering of these few words: “I had never met the Mongolian woman, I had never known her”, full stop. In fact, he swore in public several times, using words to the same effect.
SERIOUS QUESTIONS
If Najib thought those few words were sufficient to quell the mountain of suspicion arising from the myriad of burning questions as yet unanswered - in the face of dubious action or inaction by the law enforcers - he must have been terribly naïve, and he completely underestimated the intelligence of the public. Just to pick a few of these at random to demonstrate how serious these questions are:
Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his family mysteriously disappeared a day after he revealed in a sworn statement intimate details incriminating Najib to the murder case in July 2008. Despite promises to investigate, the police have remained silent over the contents of this affidavit. And the court had also barred the admission of this document. Why did the police and the court keep a safe distance from this document that could have led to a break-through of this trial? What has happened to Bala and family – as nobody seemed to know their whereabouts?
Why did the court – prosecutors, defence lawyers and judge – acting in unison, block further evidence from Altantuya’s cousin Burmaa Oyunchinmeg when she testified that Najib appeared in a photograph with Altantuya?
Why did the court block further evidence upon revelation in court that Malaysian immigration records of Altantuya and her two Mongolian companions had been mysteriously erased? Shouldn’t such erasure have been considered an important lead and an indication that some VVIP was involved?
Why were Najib and his aide-de-camp Musa Safri not investigated and called to the witness stand, since it was Musa Safri who gave instruction to the first accused (first and second accused were Najib’s bodyguards) to take care of third accused Razak Baginda’s ‘woman problem’. Now that Razak Baginda (a close associate of Najib) had been declared innocent, the court is left with the bizarre scenario of a murder without a motive, since the first two accused had no motive on their own to kill the victim.
It does not take a Sherlock Holmes or a legal expert to smell a rat in the handling of this murder case – a possible conspiracy to cover up for the real culprit.
During the press conference, not satisfied with Najib’s simplistic answers, journalists repeatedly asked the same questions. Finally, Najib snapped: “We will deal with it, we know how to handle it.” When asked whether this means possible crack-downs against his political opponents, Najib protested: “It is not fair to prejudge me. Give me a chance to take office first. Judge me by my action.”
So, Najib is pleading to be allowed to become the prime minister first, then judge him for what he does.
But is it fair to ask the nation to accept the risk of appointing a prime minister when such formidable dark clouds clearly hang over his head? If there is indeed incriminating evidence, would it not act as a potential time bomb that could cause the PM to be prosecuted or subject to blackmail by those in possession of such evidence? Even if such evidence is non-existent, Najib has no way of running away from this taint, which would surely undermine his standing and effectiveness as prime minister at home and abroad, so long as he refuses to submit himself to a proper investigation and subsequent vindication in a court of law.
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY A MUST
It is therefore imperative that a royal commission be set up to clear Najib of such suspicion before his appointment as PM (if he is innocent) to safeguard national interests. That would mean a delay of a few months to his impending appointment.
I can see no possible reason to object to such a postponement, as incumbent Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, whose term does not end until 2013, is fully capable of helming the state, fresh from accolades heaped upon him by his party for rendering invaluable service to the nation.
Najib in particular should welcome such an authoritative process to free him from the current tag and enhance his credibility as future premier, and he should therefore have no objection to such a postponement to the highest office of the land. Unless of course, for reasons only known to himself, he cannot afford to be so probed; neither could he afford not to be at the pinnacle of power at this very moment.
As for the nation at large, such an independent inquiry should bring a sigh of relief that the future premier is cleared of at least the taint of suspicion in relation to a high-profile murder of a foreign national.
Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his family mysteriously disappeared a day after he revealed in a sworn statement intimate details incriminating Najib to the murder case in July 2008. Despite promises to investigate, the police have remained silent over the contents of this affidavit. And the court had also barred the admission of this document. Why did the police and the court keep a safe distance from this document that could have led to a break-through of this trial? What has happened to Bala and family – as nobody seemed to know their whereabouts?
Why did the court – prosecutors, defence lawyers and judge – acting in unison, block further evidence from Altantuya’s cousin Burmaa Oyunchinmeg when she testified that Najib appeared in a photograph with Altantuya?
Why did the court block further evidence upon revelation in court that Malaysian immigration records of Altantuya and her two Mongolian companions had been mysteriously erased? Shouldn’t such erasure have been considered an important lead and an indication that some VVIP was involved?
Why were Najib and his aide-de-camp Musa Safri not investigated and called to the witness stand, since it was Musa Safri who gave instruction to the first accused (first and second accused were Najib’s bodyguards) to take care of third accused Razak Baginda’s ‘woman problem’. Now that Razak Baginda (a close associate of Najib) had been declared innocent, the court is left with the bizarre scenario of a murder without a motive, since the first two accused had no motive on their own to kill the victim.
It does not take a Sherlock Holmes or a legal expert to smell a rat in the handling of this murder case – a possible conspiracy to cover up for the real culprit.
During the press conference, not satisfied with Najib’s simplistic answers, journalists repeatedly asked the same questions. Finally, Najib snapped: “We will deal with it, we know how to handle it.” When asked whether this means possible crack-downs against his political opponents, Najib protested: “It is not fair to prejudge me. Give me a chance to take office first. Judge me by my action.”
So, Najib is pleading to be allowed to become the prime minister first, then judge him for what he does.
But is it fair to ask the nation to accept the risk of appointing a prime minister when such formidable dark clouds clearly hang over his head? If there is indeed incriminating evidence, would it not act as a potential time bomb that could cause the PM to be prosecuted or subject to blackmail by those in possession of such evidence? Even if such evidence is non-existent, Najib has no way of running away from this taint, which would surely undermine his standing and effectiveness as prime minister at home and abroad, so long as he refuses to submit himself to a proper investigation and subsequent vindication in a court of law.
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY A MUST
It is therefore imperative that a royal commission be set up to clear Najib of such suspicion before his appointment as PM (if he is innocent) to safeguard national interests. That would mean a delay of a few months to his impending appointment.
I can see no possible reason to object to such a postponement, as incumbent Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, whose term does not end until 2013, is fully capable of helming the state, fresh from accolades heaped upon him by his party for rendering invaluable service to the nation.
Najib in particular should welcome such an authoritative process to free him from the current tag and enhance his credibility as future premier, and he should therefore have no objection to such a postponement to the highest office of the land. Unless of course, for reasons only known to himself, he cannot afford to be so probed; neither could he afford not to be at the pinnacle of power at this very moment.
As for the nation at large, such an independent inquiry should bring a sigh of relief that the future premier is cleared of at least the taint of suspicion in relation to a high-profile murder of a foreign national.
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