Lim KS has a problem?

From FMT:

Do you have a problem, Najib asks Kit Siang in latest tit-for-tat

FMT Reporters

 -

May 30, 2019 1:02 PM

Former prime minister Najib Razak and DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang seen at an Aidilfitri event in 2009. The two have been locked in a war of words culminating in a short-lived agreement to a debate last week. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The war of words between Najib Razak and Lim Kit Siang continued today, a week after the latter’s cancellation of a debate between them.

The former prime minister expressed surprise after Lim recalled several incidents in the past where he said Najib had avoided engaging with his critics.

“This man, does he have a problem?” asked Najib in a Facebook post.

“He was the one who gave the topic for the debate. He was the one who asked me if I would agree to the topic.

“He was the one who withdrew from it two days later, giving a racist excuse about a Chinese versus Malay conflict.

“He was the one who wrote at length on why he withdrew from the debate.”

Mahathir's biggest betrayal in Lynas go-ahead

From FMT:

Lynas go-ahead ‘biggest betrayal yet’ by PH, says Suaram

FMT Reporters

 -

May 31, 2019 4:16 PM

The prime minister says the government will renew the licence of the Lynas rare earths processing plant in Gebeng, Pahang. (AFP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Human rights watchdog Suaram has described Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement that Malaysia will allow Australian rare earths producer Lynas Corp to keep operating as Pakatan Harapan’s “biggest betrayal yet” since it came into power.

Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong said PH had reneged on its election manifesto promise to take Malaysia on the path of sustainable development, peoples’ health and safety in a clean environment.

The prime minister said in Tokyo yesterday the government would allow Lynas to keep operating its rare earths processing plant in Gebeng, Pahang.

“We think we’ll have to renew the licence,” he said at a news conference, adding that Malaysia did not want to lose such a large investment.

In a statement today, Kua asked whether this was a unilateral decision by Mahathir or a Cabinet decision.

“From the utterances of Cabinet ministers since May 8, 2018, it looks like we are back to the Mahathirist autocracy of yesteryears,” he said.

He said Mahathir must first present his facts to allay the fears of the people since the government had halted the process for renewing Lynas’ licence because of waste disposal concerns.

“Simply saying Malaysia did not want to lose such a large investment is not good enough.

“His cavalier attitude to the radioactive pollution of the Lynas waste is cold comfort to Kuantan folk who do not want any risk of radioactive exposure,” he said.

Kua reminded Mahathir that Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin had said last December that Lynas must remove its waste stockpiles before the licence could be renewed.

“Lynas has maintained that it would not be possible for it to remove the waste within such a short time frame. So, what has changed in the process? The environment minister must explain this volte face to the people,” he said.

He said Malaysians, especially voters in Kuantan, supported PH because they wanted a safe and clean environment and “not the hazardous pollution of thorium, uranium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and other toxic waste from Lynas’ refinery plant”.

“They voted for Fuziah Salleh, the eco warrior Wong Tack and other PH candidates because they had taken a firm stand against the Lynas plant. We expect them to lead the protest against the PM’s latest statement without delay.

“The rights of communities cannot be ignored in the race for profits and the PM cannot be allowed to railroad the democratic process to allow environmental degradation and victimisation of our communities,” Kua said.

Bila? Bila? Bila?

From FMT:

Exactly when will you resign, PKR man asks Dr M

Minderjeet Kaur

 -

May 31, 2019 8:00 AM

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has repeatedly assured that he will hand over power to Anwar Ibrahim, although he has been tight-lipped on an exact date. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA: Kapar MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid has asked Dr Mahathir Mohamad to state clearly when he will let Anwar Ibrahim take over as prime minister.

Abdullah, a member of PKR, said it wasn’t good enough for Mahathir to repeatedly say he would eventually hand over power to the PKR president without being “clear as to the time frame”.

“Saying the reason for the delay is to strengthen the economy may not be rational because the economy is an ongoing problem,” he told FMT.

He was responding to Mahathir’s latest assurance that he would keep his promise on the handover of power.

Sand in Azumu's eyes

From Malaysiakini:

Perak's sand mining: A ticking time bomb

OPINION  |  MARIAM MOKHTAR

Published: Today 11:18 am  |  Modified: Today 11:18 am

• 

• Item 1
• Item 2

COMMENT | Perak is a mess because of poor leadership. At the moment, Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu is trying to outdo Umno-Baru.

He may have Mukhriz Mahathir's ear, having once served as his aide. He may have royal "consent" to be the MB, and he may be emboldened because Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has no issue with him.

Developers, timber tycoons and mining businesses may ampu-bodek him, but Ahmad Faizal does not have the support of the people of Perak; from the Orang Asli in the interior to the fishermen on the coast.

The challenge is not to try to convince Ahmad Faizal that developing Perak does not entail indiscriminate logging, kow-towing to big businesses, ignoring the rights of the Orang Asli, or to championing white elephants like the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS).

The real challenge is trying to mobilise the ordinary people to take an interest in those things that affect (or will soon affect) their daily lives, and to question the authorities.

Many will say, "what can we do, we are only orang kecil" or "no point because we will not make a difference", or they just shrug their shoulders because they just do not care until their own lives are affected.

In the past, it was alleged that when villagers complained to the former MB, Zambry Abdul Kadir, compensation was offered and the villagers kept quiet, but the problem remained.

The current Perak MB Ahmad Faizal (photo) has lurched from one faux pas to another and here is another reason why Perak is a mess. DAP and Amanah are also trying to outdo MCA, MIC and PAS in appeasing Bersatu, so the grouses of the Perak people are being ignored.

The reason why disgraced Najib Abdul Razak (and Mahathir) rode roughshod over the nation was because their fellow MPs did nothing to censure them. This disgraceful lack of responsibility exhibited by the MPs and the rakyat must not be repeated in "New Malaysia".

The shoddy treatment of the Orang Asli by the Perak MB, and his blatant disregard for the environment, may be the most recent scandals in Perak; but many people are not aware of the potential environmental disaster caused by sand mining, both legal and illegal.

This is where Penang comes in.

Perak's sands are being mined, and shipped to Penang, to build its three artificial islands in the Penang South Reclamation Project (PSR). The houses and development of the PSR are for the emerging middle classes and foreigners. One is not against development. One is against indiscriminate development.

The developers, and a handful of people, will make a lot of money, but what of the fishermen in both Perak and Penang? Who will speak for them? How will they benefit?

So, why should Perak suffer at the expense of Penang? In neighbouring Indonesia, stretches of beaches have disappeared to build Singapore's artificial islands. Some of our sand was also used.

More Perakians should be aware of the dangers caused by sand mining. Fishermen are not the only ones affected. Those living close to rivers and the mangrove estuary will be at risk, as are the flora and fauna.

Penang will gain, Perak will lose

Penang will gain three islands, but Perak will lose out when huge gaps are left in the river and seabeds off Perak. The Environmental Impact Assessment of the PSR did not address the effects of sand mining. The United Nations advice on sand mining was conveniently ignored. Why?

The dangers of sand mining can be likened to a ticking time bomb. Who would have thought that dredging for something as innocuous as sand could be so lucrative, but environmentally damaging?

Villagers in Perak have already complained about riverbank erosion, because the extraction of huge volumes of sand has destabilised the riverbanks.

Water quality is affected. Water pumps in water-intake treatment plants, which supply us with water are damaged because of sedimentation. Maintenance or repair costs mount up. It won't be long before Perak has a water crisis like parts of Selangor.

Irrigation channels extract water from the rivers, but if the river and its banks are stressed by sand-mining activities, in time, farmers will complain that they cannot irrigate their padi fields

Sand mining will affect the mangrove swamps of Perak, principally in Kuala Sepetang and Kuala Kurau. The mangroves form a natural barrier, thus protecting the lowlands against storms, tidal waves, rising sea levels and tsunamis. Tanjung Piandang is a cape and is particularly susceptible to the effects of tidal movement.

Although four areas have been earmarked for sand mining, in the seas off Perak, shores as far south as Segari, near Lumut, will also be affected. This an important beaching area for the green turtles to lay their eggs. Many species of flora and fauna will become extinct. Fish, shellfish and crustacea live in fragile eco-systems. Crabs will die in the mud, as will coral.

Sand mining leaves underwater craters and exposes rocks. These will damage fishing nets, which are costly to repair (RM400 per net). Fishermen have already reported decreased catches. Soon, they too will have to give up their jobs, which have been handed down for generations.

Penang's vanity project has serious consequences to both states. The Penang Master Transport Plan (PMTP), which will be funded by the PSR, is an ill-thought out plan. Moreover, who wants another Hong Kong or Singapore? Penang has its own character. Why emulate others? The lustre of the Pearl of the Orient is fast fading.

What of Perak? At a meeting in February between the Perak MB, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the non-governmental organisation Kuasa, Ahmad Faizal allegedly told the NGOs that he supports the sand-mining project, especially in the Perak River, because it will deepen the rivers.

Perhaps, we should advise Ahmad Faizal to read about the ill effects of sand mining in the Irrawaddy, in India and in California, before he issues press statements that claim that NGOs are undermining the development of the state. The Department of Environment, the Land & Fisheries Department, the Jabatan Bekalan Air, the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Forestry Commission and the Housing and Community Development agencies should also have an input.

The DAP has to counter the alternative meaning of the party, which is "Development Action Party", but Perakians have just one barrier to overcome - their menteri besar!

MH17 - trying to pin it to the Russians

Sun Daily - Malaysia wants evidence to show Russia shot down MH17

The reconstructed wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which crashed over Ukraine in July 2014 is seen in Gilze Rijen, Netherlands on Oct 13, 2015

Reuters 

TOKYO: The Malaysian government wants strong evidence to show that Russia is responsible for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 tragedy in 2014, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

He said Malaysia accepted the investigation report of Holland but only up to the point where the plane was brought down by a missile made by Russia.

Mahathir said while the government agreed that the plane was brought down by a Russian missile, it cannot be certain that the missile was launched by Russia.

“They are accusing Russia but where is the evidence? We know the missile that brought down the plane is a Russian type missile, but it could also be made in Ukraine.

“You need strong evidence to show it was fired by the Russians, it could be by the rebels in Ukraine, it could be Ukrainian government because they too have the same missile,“ he said during a dialogue and media conference with the Japanese Foreign Correspondent Club (FCCJ) here today.

Mahathir said people of Russia are military people and they would know that MH17 is a passenger plane.

“I don’t think very highly disciplined party is responsible for launching the missile,“ he said.

The prime minister said Malaysia should also be involved in the examining the black box as the plane belongs to Malaysia and there were Malaysians passengers.

“We may not have the expertise but we can buy the expertise. For some reasons, Malaysia was not allowed to check the black box to see what happened.

“We don’t know why we are excluded from the examination but from the very beginning, we see too much politics in it and the idea was not to find out how this happened but seems to be concentrated on trying to pin it to the Russians. This is not a neutral kind of examination,“ said Mahathir.

Had a neutral party was examining and making the conclusion, Malaysia is willing to accept the findings but here we have parties with political interests in the matter, he added.

Flight MH17 which departed from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam on its way to Kuala Lumpur, was shot before crashing near Torez in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, about 40km from the Russian border on July 17, 2014.

The incident killed 298 people including 15 crew members

Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said the team was convinced that a BUK TELAR missile was used to down MH17, and that it originated from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (53rd Brigade), which is a unit of the Russian Army in Kursk in the Russian Federation. — Bernama

Wakakaka, you may not believe your eyes when I write: I fully support Mahathir on his statement, to wit, “We don’t know why we are excluded from the examination but from the very beginning, we see too much politics in it and the idea was not to find out how this happened but seems to be concentrated on trying to pin it to the Russians. This is not a neutral kind of examination."

Yes sir, we aren't Tai Seow, you know, wakakaka. We are aware that there was/is a pro-Ukraine EU desire to pin the guilt onto Russia.

There's money in them pythons

From Sun Daily:


Three female Civil Defence Officers overpower 10 metre python

Pix for representational purpose only 

ALOR STAR: It was a feat indeed for it took the might of three women to wrestle a 10m python which they finally captured at a chicken coop in Kampung Jelutong, near Padang Terap in the wee hours of the morning.

It all started with a rooster crowing at 2am which awoke its owner, said Padang Terap District Civil Defence Force (APM) Officer Lt Mohd Shukri Shuib.

The owner upon hearing the unusual shrill in the rooster’s crow realised something was amiss and after inspecting his chicken coop, found a very full and “swollen” python which had devoured 10 of his chickens.

The three female APM members arrived at the site at 3am and managed to capture the 90kg snake with special equipment.

It was no easy feat as the exercise to capture the aggressive reptile took over 40 minutes.

It was the largest snake that had been captured by the APM, said Mohd Shukri in a statement adding that none of the male APM members were present at the time as they had rushed to the site of a road accident at another location.

The Smithsonian Institute will pay US$150,000 for evidence of the longest snake ever caught, and I believe that 10-metre python qualifies.

Currently the longest python in the world is Medusa kept at a performing theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, and measures at 7.67 m (25 ft 2 in) long, and weighs 158.8 kg (350 lbs).

But the 'evidence' required by the Smithsonian Institute has to be verified by an acceptable/recognisable scientist, so just 'tok-kok' won't do. Sadly, the one caught in Penang died before such an statistic examination of the snake could be done.

reputed to be 8 metres long 

The Lynas Debacle

From MM Online:

Wanted: Pahang exco says searching high and low for Pakatan MPs who opposed Lynas plant

BY JOHN BUNYAN

A worker walks inside the Lynas factory compound in Gebeng
Reuters file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Pahang state executive councillor Datuk Seri Sharkar Shamsudin today welcomed Putrajaya’s decision to allow Lynas Corp’s rare earths plant in Gebeng, Pahang to operate.

Sharkar, who is Pahang Tourism, Environment, Plantations and Biotechnology Committee chairman also questioned why there have been no comments from Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs who had previously opposed the plant, now that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had himself said operations will carry on as usual. 

He said Putrajaya’s decision to allow Lynas to continue to operate proves that there were no health threats as claimed by certain MPs, such as Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

“We welcome Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad decision to allow Lynas to operate. I congratulate him for having a professional view on this matter,” Sharkar told Malay Mail.

“But, where are the PH's MPs who opposed Lynas? Where are they going to put their faces now,” the Umno supreme council member asked.

Dr Mahathir today announced that Malaysia will allow Lynas Corp to keep operating its rare earths processing plant in Gebeng, Pahang. 

Dr Mahathir's announcement also breathes new life into the future of Lynas' US$800 million (RM3.35 billion) plant after Malaysia halted the process for renewing its licence because of waste disposal concerns.

Fuziah, who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, has been vocal against Lynas, and has repeatedly stressed that the radioactive waste should not be allowed to be in Kuantan, as it was harmful to the environment and people’s health.

Minister Yeo previously had urged the management of Lynas to honour its commitment to remove its water leach purification (WLP) residue from Malaysia. 

Yeo had said that the increase in the amount of accumulated residue risk the surrounding communities and environment, as it is exposed to the threat of natural disasters such as major flooding.

Mahathir - Once bitten by A.R.E, Twice NOT shy with Lynas

MM Online - Dr M: Malaysia will allow Lynas plant to keep running (extracts)

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 ― Malaysia will allow Lynas Corp to keep operating its rare earths plant in Gebeng, Pahang, according to a report by Reuters.
This comes after months of uncertainty over the company's operations here.

“We think we'll have to renew the licence,” Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was quoted as saying at a news conference in Tokyo, and that the government did not want to lose such a large investment.

Do you think he has consulted sweeties Ministers Yeo Bee Yin and Fuziah Salleh?

Wakakaka. I bet the two sweeties have been caught unguarded and are now tearing their lovely hair off because of Maddy chopping them off at their lovely ankles with the bizzare approval of Lynas' continuing operartions.

One month ago, I wrote that Sweetie Fuziah Salleh, the very person who has long put her effort, heart and soul into getting rid of Lynas, said:

Redzuan Md Yusof tidak perlu menyentuh isu Lynas kerana ia tiada kaitan dengan portfolionya sebagai menteri pembangunan usahawan.

“Saya kira biar menteri dan timbalan (menteri) tenaga, sains, teknologi, alam sekitar dan perubahan iklim yang jawab mengenai sisa buangan radioaktif Lynas.

“Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri serta Lembaga Pembangunan Pelaburan Malaysia urus mengenai pelaburan. Tiada benda kaitan dengan menteri pembangunan usahawan.”

In other words, to cut it short, Sweetie Fuziah told Redzuan to STFU as removing radioactive waste from Lynas is in the domain of the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister, namely, Sweetie Yeo, and has nothing to do with the Entrepreneur Development Ministry.

But what makes that fCk-er believe TaiKoe wants Lynas to stay on? Alas, it seems Minister Redzuan knows Mahathir better than Fuziah or we do.

If we recall, some 30 years ago (1979) when then-DPM Mahathir allowed Japan's Mitsubishi Chemicals to open a rare-earths refinery in the Malaysian village of Bukit Merah and Papan, whose residents were mainly Chinese Malaysians.

The facility was warmly embraced by Mahathir's old government (and cronies) as an advanced foreign investment that would help create jobs in Perak. But of course the old cunning musang did not have that plant situated in Kubang Pasu despite his public confidence it was safe.

Although the plant is gone today, alas, its toxic legacy persists. Yes, the plant has been abandoned, but the locals saw a rise in leukaemia, birth defects, infant deaths, congenital diseases, miscarriages and lead poisoning in the following years.

We couldn't do much about the Mahathir government's approval of Asia Rare Earth (ARE), but shouldn't their (Bukit Merah and Papan's) ill fate serve as a warning to Malaysia to stop the Lynas rare-earths plant in Pahang from continuing?

Papan residents strolling past a row of pre-war shop houses that are now mainly abandoned 

In 1985, the residents of Bukit Merah obtained an injunction to stop ARE from operating until it meets safety standards. But it wasn't until 1992 when ARE closed down the factory operations as a result of increasing public pressure that threatened to launch a global boycott on Mitsubishi products. Yes, it was Mitsubishi which closed the mine, not Mahathir.

And the Pribumi party minister Redzuan, yes, he might appear stupid, insensitive and callous to support Lynas, no doubt due to his high sense of bodek-ness, but he certainly knows the attitude of Mahathir who, as we have known him for years before, cared sh*t for workers, labourers and the proletariat.

The consequences of Lynas will besmirch his name long after his eventual death, just as the consequences of ARE has, though few remember Mahathir's cruel decision and attitude towards Bukit Merah's and Papan's cancer-afflicted residents.

3 Towering Malaysians

From the Star Online:

Two Penang boys to have an asteroid named after them

BY IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — An asteroid will be named after two 16-year-old boys from a school in Penang, following their victory in an international science fair held in the US.

Melwin Cheng Choon Lei & Tham Yong Shiang 

The Star reported Melwin Cheng Choon Lei and Tham Yong Shiang from SMJK Chung Ling had emerged as champions in the Chemistry category of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2019 (Intel ISEF) for making crude cinnamon extract into a cost-effective and eco-friendly larvicide, that can be used to get rid of Aedes mosquito larvae.

Tham said there were 24 categories in the global event, where winners of the first and second place would get the chance to have their names among the celestial bodies.

“However, the naming of asteroids will have to go through some procedures and we might have to wait for another year before an asteroid is named after us,” Tham was reported to have said, stating that the procedure would have to abide by the guidelines set by the International Astronomical Union.

Discovering crude cinnamon to have pesticide characteristics, the Form Four students had converted the extract into larvicide, which they claimed was 90 per cent cheaper than commercial pesticides.

The duo were awaiting to have the research published before applying for a patent.

Cheng said the decision to create the eco-friendly larvicide was due to the alarming health issue in Malaysia caused by dengue.

“We are honoured to win the aware and have our names immortalised by having an asteroid named after us,” he said.

Melwin Cheng Choon Lei & Tham Yong Shiang 

It was reported that Cheng and Tham had earned a spot at the Intel ISEF after winning the gold award at the National Science and Engineering Innovation Challenge (Pistek) in Kuala Lumpur last November.

The duo were the first Malaysians to win at the international event, after Faye Jong-Sow Fei from Sarawak had won the Environmental Management Award in 2015.

Faye Jong-Sow Fei

The world’s largest international pre-college science competition, Intel ISEF, was held from May 11 to 18 in Arizona, with 1,800 participating finalists from 80 countries.

Maddy's Mafulat-ish Motokar 3

FMT - Private firms such as SilTerra to fund 3rd national car, says Mahathir (extracts):

KUALA LUMPUR: Private entities, such as SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will fund the third national car project, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

“We welcome the willingness by private entities such as SilTerra to lend their expertise in the new national car project.

“SilTerra is Khazanah’s sister company and it is capable of producing car components following its vast experience in making semiconductor chips for various industries for more than two decades,” he said.

Malaysiakini reported Mahathir as saying this in a parliamentary reply to Senator Chai Kim Sen, who asked whether the RM20 million grant for the project was to help GLCs such as SilTerra, which had recorded cumulative losses of RM7.3 billion for 10 years up to 2011.

Mafulat. I knew this would eff-ing happen.

Private enterprise my blardy foot. What a eff-ing blardy lie.

FB matey Rama Murthi asked succinctly (edited for typos, etc):

WTF is this? SilTerra is subsidiary of Khazanah ... ok fine so far. BUT then Khazanah is a subsidiary of
ALL THE PEOPLE OF MALAYSIA ... So how the fark does SilTerra become a private enitity?

And especially since according to the senator this "PRIVATE" entity has been recording LOSSES.

Come on lah, stop playing around with words.

STOP USING PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE EGO ...
MANY OTHERS HAVE DIED ... WITHOUT ACHIEVING THEIR DREAMS... AND SOME HAVE ACHIEVED
THEIR DREAMS ... BUT USING THEIR GRAND FATHERS MONEY... NOT THE PUBLIC FUNDS.

Who in the private sector would want to follow the fatal route of his Proton? Again he is resorting to our money to fulfil his obsession. Why doesn't he ask for some money from his billionaire sons? After all, Mokhzani loves cars, mind you, very very expensive ones.

You guppies voted for him - so speak up loud and clear on this BS-private enterprise financing Mahathir's Car No 3..

As for Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, aiyoyo, I have lost hope in him. He wouldn't have the guts to tell Mahathir off on this mafulat bullshit.

And as for his Boe Hood Tok-Ayam father, does anyone believe he dares to speak out against Mahathir's frightening obsession on Car No 3? And what about the DAP?

Podah lah Lim Kit Siang!

Aiyoyo Nga Kor Ming, wakakaka

From Malaysiakini:

Storm over school block: PSM tells Nga to learn from Dr M

Published: Today 6:21 pm  |  Modified: Today 6:21 pm

PSM has censured Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming over a school block in Taiping, Perak, named after him.

Central committee leader S Arutchelvan dismissed the Perak DAP chief's explanation that it was the SJK(C) Sin Min board's decision to do so as “disgusting and unacceptable.”

“Even if it was the school board's decision to pick his name, he can always be magnanimous in declining and telling the board not to do so,” he added in a statement this afternoon.

Arutchelvan said the Teluk Intan MP should learn from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on such matters.

The PSM leader quoted Mahathir (below) as stating that when he became prime minister, he did not allow his name to be attached to any building or road.

“Mahathir also said that he forbade schools to be named after him because he did not like to create a personality cult around him,” he added.

Arutchelvan said Nga is supposed to be undoing such practices instead of claiming that it started during the BN administration.

“Being a deputy speaker, he should show exemplary qualities and decline or direct the school board not to do so,” he added.

Sinar Harian reported Nga as stating that the issue should not be politicised. 

"Soon after we (Pakatan Harapan) took power, I helped the school to obtain CCC (certificate of completion and compliance) in my capacity as (Aulong) state assemblyperson. Later, we tried to get funds for the school facilities," he said.

As for the school board wanting to name the block after him, Nga said he could not prevent them from doing so.

“Malaysians are courteous in their culture. If the school wants to do so, I cannot say no.

"We should help when the school has problems instead of tainting its image. So, regardless of what people said, I will continue to help any school in need," he added.

AG's revocation of Syzalin Mansor raises more doubts and questions than answers

From FMT:

On the AG’s explanation of Syazlin’s withdrawal from Adib inquest

Aidil Khalid

 -

May 29, 2019 3:25 PM

The reasons given by Attorney-General (AG) Tommy Thomas in his media release dated May 28, 2019, explaining the revocation of the services of lawyer Syazlin Mansor in representing the housing and local government ministry and the fire and rescue department in the inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim raise more doubts and questions than answers.

This is especially since it was done in a high-handed manner, after 36 days of Syazlin being involved in the inquest without objection by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC). The objection only came after she called senior forensic pathology consultant Shahrom Abd Wahid as an expert witness who testified that scientific evidence pointed to the conclusion that Adib was indeed murdered in the Seafield temple riots.

The interest of all parties in an inquest is to find the truth. An inquest is not a criminal trial, for there is no prosecution and there is no defence. Likewise, there will be no winning or losing party at the end of the proceeding. Therefore, the claim made by Thomas that Syazlin would be in a position of conflict of interest if she were to continue representing all three parties, namely the ministry, the fire department and the family of Adib, because “the interests of these parties may conflict”, is clearly misguided and has no basis under the law.

While the source of power to establish an inquest is derived from Section 339 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), the procedures governing the proceeding are spelt out in te Practice Direction No. 2 of the Judiciary dated April 8, 2014. There, Paragraph B of Enclosure A clearly states that “there are no ‘parties’ to an inquest” while Paragraph E stresses the “inquisitorial” nature of inquests, not adversarial. In fact, our Court of Appeal, in the case of Teoh Meng Kee v Public Prosecutor [2014] 5 MLJ, summed up the role of those involved in the proceeding as merely to assist the coroner’s court in a fact-finding mission, and nothing else.

Save for the coroner at the end of the proceeding, it is not for any of those involved in the fact-finding mission to take any position concerning the facts of the case. Therefore, the complaint raised by Thomas that “Syazlin took an active part in the inquest, often contradicting the positions [the AGC’s] DPPs have taken, thus causing embarrassment in her capacity as the ministry’s lawyer”, is simply untenable. The DPPs and the AGC should not, in the first place, prematurely take any position with regards to the cause of death, whether by accident or homicide, before the proceeding ends.

If the DPPs and AGC have already taken a position as to what caused the death of Adib, there would be no reason to proceed with the inquest since the very reason that an inquest is called is because the cause of death is unknown. Therefore, whatever theories there are concerning the cause of death must be allowed to be presented in full in the course of the proceeding, and it is highly unbecoming for the AG to fault Syazlin’s active role in questioning the witnesses to test the veracity and falsity of their testimonies. Such an active role should instead be commended, because that is exactly what is expected of every advocate and solicitor and every officer of the court – to uphold the cause of justice without fear or favour.

Those who follow the proceedings of the inquest would notice that Syazlin represented both the ministry and the fire department well, as reflected by the statement issued by the political secretary to the housing minister dated May 28, 2019, which expressed the ministry’s gratitude for her excellent service that was rendered pro bono. One would also note that in the course of the proceeding, expert witness Shahrom pointed out many loopholes, inadequacies and half-hearted work in the investigation, and suggested that the AGC consider instructing that further investigations be held so as to tighten up the case. This power to instruct further investigation is provided for under Section 339(2) of the CPC.

But all these, and the rule of law, would only have meaning if the AG and his office have an open mind instead of being all too hasty to conclude that Adib was not murdered, just so that the possible murderers could be exonerated.

It is concerning enough that we have an AG who is making a travesty of our justice system. It is even more worrying that we have an AG who is so ignorant of the law that he cannot even discern the difference between a fact-finding mission on the one hand and a trial on the other.

Aidil Khalid is a practising lawyer and a member of the Concerned Lawyers for Justice.