Another Brick in the Wall

Statement by Bar Council President, Christopher Leong to infer the conviction of Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim as persecution, was rapped by 100 lawyers today.

In a press conference, this morning, the lawyers released the following press conference to call for his resignation. Believed a police report will expect to follow.

The statement below:

PRESS STATEMENT

CALL FOR RETRACTION OF THE PRESS RELEASE DATED 11 FEBRUARY 2015 BY CHRISTOPHER LEONG AS PRESIDENT OF THE MALAYSIAN BAR AND A PUBLIC APOLOGY THEREOF TO THE JUDICIARY FOR BRINGING THE JUDICIARY INTO CONTEMPT AND MISLEADING THE MALAYSIAN PUBLIC

21 FEBRUARY 2015

WE, concerned members of the Bar, note with utter disbelief and amazement the Press Release of Christopher Leong of 11 February 2015, which implies that Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim was ‘persecuted, not prosecuted’ in respect of his charge and conviction by the Federal Court of Malaysia on 10 February 2015 for sodomy pursuant to Section 377B read with Section 377A, of the Penal Code.

Firstly, what is glaringly obvious from the said press release, is that, in one breath Christopher Leong admits having not read the judgment of the Federal Court, and yet in the same breath, the day after the Federal Court decision he makes disparaging remarks that the judgment of the Federal Court was without any basis in law, by reference to media reports of the trial, solely.

This is a direct attack on the Federal Court without any legal basis with the effect of bringing the Federal Court into disrepute and odium.

The stand and public statement made by Christopher Leong militates against the fundamental and statutory duties of the Malaysian Bar, which includes the protection of the integrity and sanctity of the judicial system.

Christopher Leong must appreciate the legal position that “trial by media” is not only wrong but must be abhorred in any civilised judicial system, since it is a fundamental requirement that the courts of law can only determine a dispute based on evidence presented in court and not otherwise. As cautioned by His Lordship Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof JC (as His Lordship then was) in the case of Dato’ Seri Ir. Hj. Mohammad Nizar Bin Jamaluddin v Dato’ Dr. Zambry Bin Abd. Kadir [2009] 1 LNS 1827:

“I believe the course of conduct I took falls quite closely with this recommended practice. It was not an outcome or a reaction against adverse comments on blogsites or certain sections of the mainstream media. It will be a sorry day for the judiciary if a judge’s conduct has to be conditioned by these extraneous factors, since they will fetter the independence of the judiciary unduly.”

Christopher Leong has brought the judiciary, a fundamental element in the administration of justice in Malaysia established under Article 121 of the Federal Constitution, into public contempt and ridicule by misrepresenting both facts and the law applicable in Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial and conviction by the Federal Court. He does this by questioning why the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, is not charged with abetment under Sections 377A and 377B read together with Section 109 of the Penal Code.

This is an utterly outrageous statement for even a lay person to make, what more a senior member and leader of the Malaysian legal profession.

As legal practitioners ourselves, we are outraged, nigh embarrassed, by his remark which clearly contravene not only the Legal Profession (Practice and Etiquette) Rules 1978 but also a statutory provision of the Legal Profession Act 1976, namely Section 42 which stipulates that the Malaysian Bar must “promote good relations ... in the administration of law and justice in Malaysia.”

Such a statement is wholly unbecoming and based on flawed reading of the provisions in the sections concerned.

A plain reading of Sections 377A and 377B of the Penal Code must certainly lead a reader thereof to conclude that the statutory provisions do not criminalise homosexuality per se but sodomy, namely the act of insertion by a man of his penis into the anus of another person, be that a man, woman or child. Such an act is considered vile by the values held by the vast majority of Malaysians and rightly attracts sanction.

This is common knowledge and must certainly be within the awareness of Christopher Leong, being the President of the Malaysian Bar.

Also, contrary to what he claims, the aforementioned provisions are in no way rarely used, but are used on a recurring basis, one such example being the previous conviction for sodomy of one Abd Rahim bin Abd Rahaman by the Court of Appeal in 2010 for multiple counts of sodomy.

The full statistics of cases of this nature is easily accessible by requesting the same from the other arm of the legal system being the Attorney General’s Office.

Did Mr Christopher Leong avail himself to these statistics, before making a brash and unsupported allegation?

Christopher Leong’s sanction and participation in the continued smear of the Malaysian judiciary in this matter, by irresponsible citizens as well as elements of the international community must be corrected immediately and to this end, we, concerned members of the Bar, CALL UPON MR CHRISTOPHER LEONG, PRESIDENT OF THE MALAYSIAN BAR TO IMMEDIATELY retract the Press Release dated 11 February 2015 AND to tender an unequivocal and unconditional public apology to the judiciary AND similarly to communicate the same to all international bodies and entities, FAILING WHICH we shall be constrained to take all necessary steps to call for his immediate resignation from the position as President of the Malaysian Bar and call upon the Attorney General to take the necessary contempt proceeding against Mr. Christopher Leong.

We also wish to place on record that in no way does the Press Release of Mr. Christopher Leong dated 11 February 2015 represent the views of the majority members of the Malaysian Bar.

Press Statement by concerned and currently practising members of the Malaysian Bar:-

************

As Rocky Bru wrote the other day, it is time for an alternative to the Bar Council. [Read here.]

Bar Council President, Christopher Leong response to the call by 100 lawyers calling for the retraction of his "persecuted, not prosecuted' statement on Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim's conviction for sodomy was merely to ask them to take their grievance to the Bar AGM next month. [Read TMI here].

Only this time, Christopher is hiding behind Ambiga's saree, said one lawyer in a Whats App Group. Instead of responding responsibly for his remark, he is hiding behind the veil of the Bar Council AGM and seeking reinforcement through an open debate he will chair.

It reminded us of Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah's remark, "Anwar hid behind a skirt" that was made into frontpage headline in NST last week.

The article by Fara Naz Karim below:

By doing so, Leong is reinforcing a perception that he was merely carrying out the wishes of his handlers. It is known that the Bar Council is heavily influenced and at times, acting for the interest of foreign party/(ies).

It is known that former Bar Council President, Ambiga is closely associated with certain American interest and was seen accepting an honour from former US State Secretary few years ago. It nly shows she is pally pally with the Americans.

Ambiga's response to Anwar's conviction was to accuse that the state apparatus was systematically used to imprison Anwar. She is known to be very vocal on human rights and LGBT agenda.

Former Bar Council President, Lim Chee Wee used to make remark that current sodomy law as archaic. Sodomy as a crime is as archaic as murder, rape, robbery and other crimes. Will it be a matter of time for Bar Council to seek the repeal of laws for those crimes too?

Few member of the Bar Council like Roger Tan and Phillip Khoo are the unofficial liaison officer for international Human Rights group. They are part of foreign funded team to systematically dismantle the constitutional make-up of this country through international pressure groups.

This prompted Mingguan Malaysia's Awang Selamat to write that Bar Council is losing credibility and gone rotten. TMI reported:

Bar Council losing its credibility, rotten, says Awang Selamat

Published: 22 February 2015 10:06 AM

The Bar Council has lost its credibility, its image is now diseased, rotten and an insult to the principles of the organisation, according to the editors of Umno owned Utusan Malaysia today.

This, according to the columnist Awang Selamat, which is the pseudonym for the Bahasa Malaysia daily's collective editorial team, is because of the "wild behaviour" of its leadership, who runs the organisation like an opposition lackey than that of a body that is supposed to uphold and respect the law.

"Such principle should be the cornerstone, not prostituted for some political purposes," he said, responding to a report that 100 lawyers have demanded an apology and retraction from Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong over his remarks on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction.

Awang pointed out that the retraction of the statement and apology is not enough, adding that immediate action should be initiated against Leong by the Attorney-General's Office for contempt.

"Failure to take action will only give the wrong signal to the people, as if the Council and its leaders enjoy immunity for insulting the judges," he said.

He said the umbrella body for lawyers in the peninsular had in the past been known to have caused "troubles" and behaving like a wing of the opposition.

"In their eyes, in Malaysia, everything is bad... The support for certain political parties and this thick political agenda is so strong that it could not be contained and had to be expressed openly."

Awang said, at the rate things are going, the Bar Council might as well change its logo at its office to resemble that of its political allies.

"To Awang, the Bar Council has lost its credibility and integrity. Its image is now diseased, rotten and an insult to the body.

"At the same time, other legal entities around the world, including those from less developed countries, are far more respectable and credible. Shame on you," he said.

Yesterday, some 100 lawyers signed a petition to censure Leong for bringing the judiciary into contempt following his remarks that Anwar was "persecuted, not prosecuted", after the opposition leader lost his last appeal against a sodomy conviction.

The lawyers, all from the peninsula, demanded that Leong retract the statement and tender an unequivocal and unconditional public apology to the judiciary and the public.

They said Leong's statement is "a direct attack on the Federal Court without any legal basis with the effect of bringing the Federal Court into disrepute and odium."

Among the notable names who signed the petition are former Bar president Zainur Zakaria, senior lawyer and former MAS managing director Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman and former Pahang Bar committee chairman Datuk Syed Azimal Amir Syed Abu Bakar.

The Malaysian Bar has about 15,500 members in the peninsula.

Leong, in an immediate reply said that the lawyers should raise the matter at the Bar's annual general meeting (AGM) to be held next month.

Leong has been president for the past two terms. – February 22, 2015

Former Anwar's lawyer, Dato Zainur Zakaria asked, "The president should clarify his statement and the matter could be put to rest if he can explain that the allegation of persecution is not directed at the Federal Court."

Leong’s statement implied that the persecution had been committed by the Federal Court's five-man bench who dismissed Anwar's appeal on February 10 [Read on TMI here].

Leong should be charged for contempt of court.

He argued that the charges levied against Anwar is a seldom used penal code. One source claimed that there are parties in the legal fraternity that fell for this argument and believed there are only 6 such 377 A and B cases that exist and all involved Anwar.

Maybe they like to take a look at the following statistics:

The police official statistics for 2000 to 2006 registered the existence of some 130 to 200 such cases a year with the higher number of cases in the urban centers.

Anwar lawyer, Eric Paulsen claimed "it was his (Leong) legal duty to speak up on public interest issues" and it is "in the tradition of the Bar of upholding justice and speaking up without fear and favour".

The recently charged for making religious motivated hatred against JAKIM, the Executive Director for Lawyers for Liberty could only see the interest of his convicted client but fail to see that justice must serve the interest of the victim, Saiful Bohari.

Sexual abusing others is a crime. The public interest is only to see public safety by having such crime eradicated and offenders prosecuted and put away behind bar.

A country with more than 90% of the population subscribe to a religion and eatern value that does condone sodomy cannot subscribe to such hedonistic western human right views to liberalise LGBT.

An important legal point to note is that it was not a case of "suka sama suka" as once claimed by Leong. An element of force existed. Open your heart and give Shafee's explanation a listen:

Bar Council together with Anwar's foreign friends and supporters are dead set to paint the conviction as a conspiracy without considering the case fact.

Since Shafee's talk at AKHI and the beginning of a roadshow to go to the ground to explain after years of silence to comply with court procedures, the opposition have been discrediting Shafee and some vested interest in the Government legal authority have been criticising Shafee.

Opposition has been going on a roadshow on this contemptous accusation against the court, and raising various issues including recycling issues on Altantunya's death and vile attack against Datin Seri Rosmah to divert attention.

That is how desperate they are are and it s compounded further by internal party rife.

On the first visit on Day 3 of Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim's imprisonment, lawyer and PKR MP, Sivarasa gave a statement that Anwar refused to seek for royal pardon.

That was the same day Anwar's family attempted to deceive the public that they visited Anwar before the 14 days regulation prison to claim he was suffering from back pain due to the thin pillow. Then came ridiculous stories of mosquito bites, losing weight and maybe later arsenic poisoning and HIV injection.

The dateline for Anwar to seek pardon is today. Failing which, his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat will be announced vacant for a by-election.

Malaysiakini 11:30 AM reportred PKR Secretary General, Rafizi Ramli dismissed such talk of Anwar seeking royal pardon.

However, by the evening, things changed. Malaysiakini 4:33 PM reported Anwar's family had delivered a letter to the Istana Besar to seek for royal pardon.

There is still the question whether the letter is genuine and not pre-signed since no member of the family can visit till after 14 days of imprisonment. However, the implication of the petition to seek royal pardon is that Anwar finally admitted guilt.

The Speaker of the Parliament has acknowledged receipt of the petition.

It means the Permatang Pauh seat will not be announced vacant till the process of seeking royal pardon is completed. Below is the process:

Attorney General, Tan Sri Gani Patail and Prime Minister Dato Najib are member of the Pardon Board.

It would be a political suicide should they agree for a pardon because the alleged effort by former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to "assist" his release contributed to him losing his premiership. It will affirm speculation that there is a deal made between Anwar and Najib.

Gani is due for retirement. Although he has announced he will not wait a second longer to retire, he has been lobbying through few known channels for another two more years.

For this Johorean, he has done enough to lose Pulau Batu Putih to Singapore. Hope the Johor royalty, state and people express their displeasure openly to halt any such attempt to maintain him. There are available more capable, professional and decisive replacements available.

Sirul self confessed?

Yesterday, PAS MP for Pokok Sena attempted to pull a stunt to magnify speculation surrounding the convicted Altantunya murderer, Sirul who had ran off to Australia.

He scheduled a teleconference with Sirul at the PAS headquarter for 11:30 AM. The press conference was supposed as claim by opposition who had viraled past years foreign news clipping that speculated involvement of Dato Najib in the corruption surrounding the murder of mongolian call girl Altantunya.

Australian newspaper, most likely owned by Rupert Murdoch, made the story current and Asia Sentinel recycled their past years of debunked stories on Scorpene purchase [read here].

One local vernacular paper, Sinar Harian reported bad boy Malaysiakini's report that Sirul allegedly said he had acted at the instruction of a superior but no source was mentioned.

The live press conference was supposed to be held on Saturday morning but nothing happened. That lead saw pro-UMNO bloggers and facebooker posing difficult legal issues for Sirul to anwer.

When it was Mahfuz Omar that organised the PC yesterday and likely to be the champion of the issue, blogger The Unspinners [read here] wrote that there is no credibility to anything raised by Mahfuz and the PC will turn out to be an idiotic stunt.

True enough, Mahfuz could not communicate with Sirul as he made 15 attempts to get connected. He made up excuse and showed his claimed SMS to Sirul. The Star even tried to spin a face saving report.

The fact to the matter is Sirul is under Immigration detention thus he is under no condition to neither get clearance to call back home or could be in possession of a handphone.

Mentioned in The Unspinners and Bigdogdotcom [read here] that should it be true Sirul told Malaysiakini he was carrying out the orders of his superior, then it means he confessed to the murder. The implication is that Australia have no choice but not give asylum to self-confessed murderers. Sirul could likely get sent away to Papua New Guinea.

Lucky for Sirul that the land founded for convict made a clarification:

The runaway convicted murderer can stay on in Australia for the time being. Najib will have the last laugh on those that ridicule his "Nonsense!" remark.

Knowing Mahfuz, he would not have done such a stunt if not advised by someone. He is one MP that was never taken and should never be taken seriously by anyone except the Anwarinas faction in PAS. They use to make him the Vice President of PAS. He won Pokok Sena by cutting an under-handed deal with UMNO Division head, Dato Ahmad Lebai Sudin.

Sirul is useful for the opposition to recycle the Altantunya death into a new spin to deceive the think-their-clever new Gen Y voters but are actually naive. It has to be an absolute idiot to put this ex-policeman in such a predicament.

Wonder who the idiot that advised Mahfuz.

Everyone knows that DAP styles its politics on that of Taiwan. Even its campaign songs are sourced from popular Taiwanese songs.

DAP politicians talk like that in Taiwanese, very rough and aggressive language.

Like their Taiwan counterparts, the DAP politicians like to attack before they are attacked, twist words, distort situations and call people liars when they are the ones talking lies.

The use of foul language is not uncommon, they are very aggressive in accusing their opponents of everything under the sun.

Lim Guan Eng is already been referred to as the Ah Beng politician – uncouth, uncultured, unrefined, lack finesse, disrespectful of dissident views and enjoys belittling people.

Some call it the politics of ballots and bullets because the politicians like to claim that their life is in danger, their security is threatened and that people are trying to harm them.

They often “receive” bullets through the mail. Sounds all too familiar right?

How many DAP politicians have received bullets through the mail? Sounds more like bullshit than bullets to us.

Like in Taiwan, DAP uses lots of song, slogans and mascots. It is all very gimmicky.

The Taiwanese style is also to stage a giant rally on the eve of polling, to create a sense of excitement and mood that everyone is going with the party.

It is what some have called political theatre, a tactic to entertain, titillate and energise people who would normally not be interested in politics.

Another Taiwan trait is the use of cyber troopers who dominate the Internet.

These cyber troopers have several roles. One is to intimidate journalists by condemning anything they write against DAP leaders especially Lim Guan Eng.

They email nonsensical threats and derogatory remarks to writers.

Another role is to comment on popular new portals like Malaysiakini, running down the government, condemning the other side and praising the DAP and Pakatan.

Their role is to make it appear that there are lots of people out there supporting LGE.

Actually is just a small group, each of them running several email accounts with pseudonyms.

Their cybertroopers are among the fiercest. They act like they are guarding the Emperor and the Middle Kingdom.

After years of DAP leadership in Penang, we have reached the conclusion that Lim Guan Eng is the Malaysian version of Taiwan’s disgraced ex- president Chen Shui Bian, who was president of Taiwan from 2000 to 2008.

But he is now sitting in prison for the rest of his life after being convicted of corruption amounting to millions of dollars.

Yet Chen began his politics as the people’s hero, a street fighter and someone who dared to take on the then all powerful Kuomintang who had ruled Taiwan since its formation.

But he was also very controversial, claiming that he was poisoned during a local level election in the 1980s.

Like LGE, Chen was a superb opposition figure because it is easy to talk and accuse.

Although he talked about a clean government, his own people were quickly corrupted in their doings.

Chen’s favourite line when he failed to get things his way was to blame the previous government and his opponents.

In 2004, on the eve of his re-election, he and his vice-president Annettte Lu were shot at during the final campaign.

Both suffered superficial wounds on the thigh. Soon it became clear that the accident was staged to gain sympathy.

Thanks to the shooting, he scrapped through the campaign with a mere 300,000 votes out of more than 12 million voters.

His second term was even more disastrous than his first. That was when he and his wife decided to make hay while the sun shines.

They siphoned millions of dollars of campaign funds abroad. That and several other corrupt transactions are the reason why the former first couple are now spending life behind bars.

We don’t mind the street theatre of ceramah, the songs and the slogans but please, Mr Drama King, don’t test our patience. We are really getting sick of you.

(edited from http://stopthelies.my/?p=1531)

Lim Sian See

I am an ordinary Malaysian. I come from a lower middle class family. Although I take special interest in the political climate of our nation, it is meaningless in my day to day affairs.

I am curious about Altantuya’s murder. I am confused about Anwar Ibrahim’s prosecution. I am worried about PAS-DAP bickering over hudud. I am sad over the demise of Nik Aziz. However, being curious, confused, worried and sad over the happenings around us doesn’t put food on the table nor does it ease the burden of our daily life.

I apologise if I sound like a simpleton but I AM an ordinary Malaysian and this IS the truth.

My biggest issues are the rising cost of food and services; the water disruption; massive traffic on the roads; our messy education system; my children’s heavy school bags; the increase in house rental (don’t get me started on property prices!); the increase in break-ins in my neighbourhood.

In every general election, I voted for the candidate and party whom I thought would fight to ease my burden and improve my life.

But guess what? Nothing has changed.

It boils my blood to read about my elected representative talk poppycock about issues which do not contribute to my well-being. Endless criticism on a closed case. Raising doubts over conspiracy allegations. Non-stop complaints of ignorant, greedy, power mad, corrupt politicians, religious scholars, etc.

What utter rubbish!

Day in, day out, it is always about what’s best for the party. These people seem to have brainwashed many into believing that the only way to improve the fate of our country is by standing by the struggle of the party.

Hello, can’t you see the struggle of the rakyat?

While you continuously bicker about everything and anything, we are the ones who are screwed up left, right, front, back, top and bottom.

During your election campaigns, you spoke highly about people power. You said we could change the fate of our nation. JOM UBAH!

If rakyat is the true power, why aren’t you focusing your attention on us? Why are our needs ignored?

Funnier yet, instead of helping us, you now turn the tables seeking us to help you. Are you on some sort of medication?

While you are focused on Sirul, Najib, Hadi, Anwar, hudud, 1MDB and what not, we are running our lives in auto mode. While you are flying around in your red undies and cape, trying to become a hero you are obviously not, we are enslaving ourselves.

I don’t know who screwed who in the murder case. I don’t know who screwed who in the sodomy case. But you have been screwing us every single day since we voted for you.

For god’s sake, snap out of it!

What improvement can take place when all you do is play the finger pointing game?

He did this. He did that. But you know. The question is, what did YOU do?

You have got to realise that the future of the country lies with us, the people. So stop waiting for things to criticise about. You are not a news reporter. You are a leader. So lead.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not lazy to fight for change, for a better Malaysia. I am all for it. But please lah, don’t do it at the expense of the rakyat like me.

The high class and the upper middle class might have nothing to lose.

With steady incomes, children enrolled in private institutions, foreign investments, secure jobs, secure properties and secure connections everywhere, I am sure life is a jolly good ride.

They have the means to sit down and cheer as they watch the two big brothers wrestle in their clown suits.

People like me who think luxury in life is sipping a cup of hot latte once a month – we are the ones feeling the pinch. But wait, if it hurts someone like me who can still afford to pay my bills and drink my lattes, what about those who are much more deprived than I?

What are our ‘saviours’ doing to help them?

Jom Ubah? My foot.

Nothing, no one, no government, no leader, no party is too big, or more important than the people. Now please, you Ubah and do something for the people!"

* This posting came from a PJ resident Whats App group and was forwarded to us by a retired state police chief

We were out of town all weekend and missed this Saturday news.

Bar Council President was rapped by 100 lawyers for making irresponsible remarks unbecoming of his position. He then tried to hid himself behind Ambiga's saree.

The group of 100 lawyers rapped Leong for misleading public on past prosecution for sodomy and demanded an apology. [FMT report here]

Full statement of the group below:

We, the G100 who have issued the Press Statement dated 21 February 2015 against Mr Christopher Leong’s Press Release of 11 February 2015, refer to the recent Press Release dated 26 February 2015 issued by the president of the Malaysian Bar, which was entitled the ‘Bar is Pro-Rule of Law and Justice, Not Pro-Opposition or Government’.

Although a large part of the recent Press Release is on Tan Sri Shafee’s interviews and roadshows on the Federal Court judgment in Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s (DSAI) case, some parts of the press release also made indirect reference to G100′s Press Statement, which warrants clarification.

Before we venture into the needful clarification, we wish to place on record that certain questions raised by Mr Christopher Leong with regard to the continuing conduct of the public prosecutor in the DSAI trial, outside of the courts, are supported by G100 and we shall await the authorities to decide the relevant course of action, as they deem fit.

However, with regard to the G100 concerns, it is noted that in Mr Christopher Leong’s first Press Release dated 11 February 2015, there were allegations that the law used to charge and convict DSAI, twice, was “rarely used”.

It is also noted however, that in his second Press Release dated 26 February 2015 he now acknowledges the statistics from the Attorney General’s Chambers that charges under sections 377A and 377B are not at all that rarely used, which showed hundreds of cases for sections 377A and 377B and even demanded further statistics for the period prior to 2009.

Mr Christopher Leong was wrong in the first place to mislead the public that it was rarely used and therefore should gentlemanly admit to and apologise for the said error.

In relation to the law, Mr Christopher Leong previously questioned why Saiful was not charged for abetment under section 109 read together with sections 377A and 377B of the Penal Code. This according to Mr Christopher Leong creates a perception of there being persecution against DSAI. We have highlighted that under sections 377A and 377B, the only offence is the act committed by the penetrator. Thus only DSAI could have been charged for that offence and it is therefore preposterous to even suggest that Saiful should be charged for abetting a crime which he could not have committed as not being the penetrator. This should have been clarified by Mr Christopher Leong.

Nevertheless, in the new statement, Mr Christopher Leong is now attempting to wriggle his way out by arguing instead that Saiful should be charged under section 377D of the Penal Code which is obviously a clear departure from Mr Christopher Leong’s earlier stand.

It is disheartening to see that Mr Christopher Leong is now arguing on different grounds and still not admitting he has made an obvious mistake in scandalising the courts. His first statement of the 11th was clearly made in reference to the judiciary. Many who had read it also clearly believed he had referred to the judiciary.

For example among the public comments following his statements at The Malaysian Insider are as follows (see http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/glaring-anomalies-fuel-perception-of-persecution-of-anwar-says-bar-chief):

“In the midst of all the commotion yesterday, I happened to see a photograph of five men wearing strange looking costumes and names with dubious honorifics added to as prefixes. They all looked more like clowns or court-jesters!!!”

“The FC judgement is as predictable as Monday will come after Sunday….”

“Yes, why only Anwar was found guilty for sodomy under Section 377A and 377B when both were participating in the act as stated in the court judgement? ….

The judges cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. The word “whosoever” covers both the sodomiser and the sodomised but clearly one was sent to jail and another is free. Didn’t the judge say that consent is not necessary? If this is not an clear act of persecution and proof of the judges’ bias, I don’t know what is.”

“It seems like the judges behaved like horses with their blinkers on and charged Anwar without looking to the left and right of the offence….”

These are all public comments from readers of his statement. Mr Christopher Leong knew or ought to have reasonably known the effect of his statement would bring the courts into disrepute, and without doubt it has. He has a duty to defend the judiciary from being scandalised without basis.

Further, Mr Christopher Leong has yet to explain in what way his statement was not intended to refer to the judiciary as he had clearly said DSAI had been prosecuted and CONVICTED twice and the statement clearly had involved the judiciary in that DSAI would not have been convicted but for the involvement of the judiciary.

This is not “pro rule of law or justice”. The judiciary has not been served fairly and with justice. His duty was to clarify the decision based on the written judgment, and not to try the case by media, which he did instead.

We do therefore, reiterate our call made in our first press release dated 21 February 2015 namely to demand that Mr Christopher Leong, as President of the Malaysian Bar, immediately retract his Press Release of 11 February 2015, and tender a public apology to the judiciary in respect thereof and communicate the same to all international bodies and entities.

*Faidhur Rahman Abdul Hadi is a member of the G100 group of lawyers*

-----------------------

Earlier, lawyer Buzze Azam advised Chris Leong to bring up his grievances to the Chief Justice albeit in the proper legal manner which he is supposedly accustomed with and should he be professional enough.

By the way, this group of 100 lawyers is an ad-hoc group gathered for this issue and this issue alone. One of the named lawyer, one Jehan Abu Bakar proclaimed herself out and had not given her permission to be in the 100.

She made a commotion for this miscommunication. [read the Malay Mail Online here]. Her departure is not a lost cause for she have been easily replaced.

It was a mistake to have taken this less than intelligent being. She is an anti-Lynas activist, thus naturally not too smart with her chemistry; rear earth are not radioactive elements!

One lawyer, Khairul Anwar Rahmat of SukaGuam or a Biro Guaman claimed to be part of the group and have been making statement as though he led the group of 100. It turned out he did not even signed his name in. [Read Malaysiakini here]

This Bureau is the initiative of Dato Razali Ibrahim? Hmmm ... apa ini UMNO, still tak berubah lagi? Hijacking other NGO and indviduals effort and claiming as their own?

Mahu menang PRU 14 ke tidak?

Just got out of hospital.

Do not know what is actually happening the past few days except our uric acid reading got up to as high as 680. That is a dangerous level as any higher it could advance to kidney problem and need for dialysis.

This event ad came in our Whats App groups. It strike upon us as to the inconsistency between the question the event seek to answer and the collaborator of the event.

The pharmacists would think that Puteri UMNO is bias and got bought by doctors. That is no way to go for a political party, more so the ruling party.

Have they heard the pharmacist side of the story?

Mainstream media seemed bias to promote the doctors's interest using concern for rising healthcare cost as excuse. That is far from the truth.

Some of the Malay social media are using the chinese bogey by claiming chinese monopolised the pharmaceutical industry. Hmmm ... isn't it foreign pharmaceutical companies?

With the doctors are campaigning hard and the Malaysian Medical Association (or MMA) being a powerful and influential group that could dictate public health policies, the pharmacist are a seriously disadvantaged lot.

The plight of pharmacist as professional in the medical field seemed not given the space to speak thus we emphatise with them. They are professionals and should not be reduced to cashiers at pharmacies.

For someone on regular medication and regularly hospitalised, we can relate to the pharmacist side of the story.

Our experience made us believe that doctors should not takeover the role of pharmacists.

Our respirologist prescribed for our COPD problem with something like 8 or 9 types of medicines and inhalers at one time. A friend realised this and told us that it is strange. We will end up immuned to medicine that there will be no medicine when our condition escalate.

For his much worse asthma condition, he was limited to few medications.

During Haj, a pharmacist at the Tabung Haji makeshift hospital alerted us that most of the medicine prescribed were duplication. Without saying it, she inferred that we were overdosed and prescribed unnecessary steroids yet the cough never subsided.

It was in one occasion of an asthma attack over Hari Raya that we switched specialist at another hospital. Finally, he was able to address the incessant cough of many years. All that was needed was one regular Symbicort inhaler and in the event of attack, only a Ventolin inhaler and a type of pill.

We realised that not only we were overdosed, we were wrongly prescribed over the past few years.

So doctors should not be dispensing medicine because the pharmacist is more qualified for this role. And, Doctors have limited knowledge on drugs, chemical content of medicine, side effects, and issue of safety.

Pharmacist must be involved in curing patience. As per our experience, they could reduce mistakes and side effects of wrong prescription of medicine.

The reason private clinic doctors were allowed to dispense medicine and encroach into the area of pharmacist must be the situation of insufficient number of pharmacists of the time.

That ratio is now down to 1:2,400. WHO requirement is 1:2,000. By 2020, it will be 1:1,600 so it is high time.

As we believe, there is also the consideration to keep cost of private sector health cost low by doctor's consultancy in private clinic being partly subsidised by medicine sale.

It is no more the case today as doctors are not not only taking percentage profit on top of the supplier's cost but selling it at few multiples of the supplier's cost.

It reminded me of late father's ulcer medicine. The doctor had accidently left the original package with the brand name of the medicine. Father made the effort to compare prices and he found out that the doctor had charged three times the pharmacy price.

There was an incident that we got a clinic to issue a note to get a particular medicine from the next door pharmacy. For only RM8 for the doctor's note, we were able to reuse the note and buy medicine at the pharmacy for 30 to 40% lower than that charged at doctor's clinic.

This procedure was a way for doctor's to take a ride on the lower medicine cost at pharmacy. By right, it should be left to the pharmacy to do so.

Demarking the line between medical consultancy and dispensing medicine should bring about lower cost for medication, and more advantageous to patients and consumers.

Doctor role would be to diagnose and recommend the medicine but it is the pharmacy that authorise the dispensing medicine to ensure safety. This way there is counter checking of a professional by other qualified professional.

By separating dispensing role from doctors, the pharmacist profession can flourish and grow like mushroom throughout the country. It is time that we have a more professional and dynamic public healthcare system like in other developed country.

For too long, pharmacist have been reduced to sales person at pharmacy.

In government hospitals, one will notice pharmacist playing their role and explaining the medicine prescribed to patients. Doctors will follow the medicine prescribed by pharmacist.

Malaysia has been recognised by world health organisation as having one of the best health system because of the government facilities. It is well planned as it covers for rural and urban population.

The government hospital have been practising the separation between diagnosing by doctors and dispensing of medicine. Why can't that model be applied to private clinics?

It is the private clinics that is resisting the separation of diagnosis and resisting the change because private health practise have turned these healthcare professional tending to the sick into heartless businessmen.

These clinics have been shortchanging consumers and put patients in danger by hiring unqualified assistants to handle medicine.

It is also time that healthcare consumers at private healthcare institution be given itemised bill. They should know the cost of their medicine and able to compare prices. There should not be any more hiding of brand and package from patients as happened to late father.

Maybe it is time to do away with these small neighbourhood clinics with limited role which only contribute to rising healthcare cost.

Is Puteri UMNO listening and able to comprehend?

Sunrise on Mount Kinabalu

We in Semenanjung only learn to appreciate that the formation of Malaysia was not the same as Merdeka during the administration of Pak Lah when Hari Malaysia was made part of the extended celebration of Merdeka. In 1963, it was planned for August 31st but delayed by 16 days due to some international issues.

We in Semenanjung take for granted the formation of Malaysia but in Sabah, every other person knows the history behind it by hard.

No discussion in politics with Sabahan will escape their open dissatisfaction for the alleged breach of the 20 points agreement by the Federal Government. Documents like Cobbold report, Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, Malaysia agreement etc flow like water when they discussed the issue. Such agreement does not exist but the agreed points, among many other agreed points, are there in these documents.

However, like everything else in Malaysia, so does in Sabah, politicians have played their part in the issue. The line between fact or fiction; truth and false are blurred. Spin and manipulation have creeped in.

Since our posting "Debunking Jeffrey's 20-points agreement"on September 13, 2013, we have learnt more on the subject, met people and experts conversant and honest in their understanding of the subject, and naturally understand it better. And, we begin to know the real player and who are just reading their lines. Also the sincere, the opportunist and the evil destroyer.

We emphatise with Sabah and would like to see Sabah and Sabahan develop and prosper as well as us in Semenanjung. It breaks our heart to see poverty still exist in East Malaysia. If it possible, Malaysians living in the interior should have the same quality of life as other Malaysians living in the rest of the country.

Such disputes should end and solution put in place. The past must be put behind immediately to allow us to move forward.

Over the weekend, something we consider as positive happened in a forum at UMS, Kota Kinabalu which was attended by representatives of various vocal parties in this issue.

Bernama report in FMT, below:

Negotiation ‘only way’ to settle Sabah problems

March 7, 2015

Forum on Malaysia Agreement urged to put aside political differences.

KOTA KINABALU: Negotiation is the only way to address issues affecting the people in Sabah, according to panelists at a forum, Agreement of the Formation of Malaysia 1963, today.

The 12-member panel concurred that it was the best solution to satisfy disgruntled groups who bring up issues such as Sabah’s 20-point memorandum in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

The panellists also agreed that for Sabahans to get their demands and rights recognised, constant negotiation need to be held among the Federal and State governments, politicians, academicians as well as legal practitioners.

“Yes. Let us sit together and put aside our political differences to resolve this issue,” said Anifah Aman, the MP for Kimanis, who moderated the forum.

The forum was held in conjunction with the Publicity and Public Diplomacy Programme organised by the Foreign Ministry and University Malaysia Sabah. Anifah is also foreign minister.

Umno lawyer Shafee Abdullah said the ethnic groups in Sabah must not merely be “sleeping partners” in matters concerning their rights, such as the right to learn their native languages in schools.

“You must negotiate all the time. But it must be done in a civil manner. I don’t see why the government will not listen,” he said.

Another panellist, Sabah political analyst Zainal Ajmain said it was crucial for the people in Sabah to grasp the essence of the Malaysia Agreement.

“In studying the formation of Malaysia, there is a need to understand the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report 1962 on the proposed Federation of Malaysia; the Federal Constitution; and the Malaysia Agreement.

“Based on the Constitution, our status is not ‘lower’ but equal,” he said.

Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said the 20-point memorandum should be respected by all so that no one would have any reason to raise the idea of Sabah’s secession from Malaysia.

“Go back to former Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman’s promise that there would not be any interference by peninsula Malays in the absolute rights of Sabahans,” asserted Jeffrey, who is also Sabah State Reform Party chairman.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Datuk Yong Teck Lee shared similar views that the 20-point memorandum should be acknowledged by all parties.

– BERNAMA

The Star reported:

Published: Saturday March 7, 2015 MYT 9:37:00 PM
Updated: Sunday March 8, 2015 MYT 9:22:02 AM

Forum: Sabah has Constitutional right to 40% of government revenue from state

by muguntan vanar

Edmon Bon

KOTA KINABALU: A Constitutional safeguard that guarantees Sabah 40% of net revenue earned by the Federal Government from the state became the centre of discussion at a forum on state rights.

The forum, featuring 12 panellists on "The Agreement to Formation of Malaysia 1963" moderated by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) discussed at length issues faced by Sabah and the erosion of its rights.

Among the panellists were peninsular-based lawyers Edmund Bon and Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who said that many state rights were spelt out in the Constitution and it was up to Sabah to pursue it.

Bon said the right to get back 40% of net revenue received from Sabah by Government was written in the Constitution.

Another panellist, Sabah activist Zainal Ajamain, noted that it was an area worth pursuing as the Inter-Governmental Report (for the formation of Malaysia) had also agreed that the Federal Government would provide financial guarantees to the state, including topping-up any budget deficit.

"Since 1963 we have never invoked it," Zainal said at the forum attended by some 1,000 UMS students, local NGOs and other parties.

Shafee said that for Sabahan to pursue their interests in the Federation, they should be "active, not sleeping partners".

Others in the panel included former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee, who spoke about unmet promises for Sabahans to take over federal civil service jobs, while State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chairman Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said there was room for negotiation to keep Malaysia intact.

Anifah, who is a Sabahan, when wrapping up the forum said that it was important for leaders and people in the state to be united in efforts to seek state rights.

"This is a good start. We can study various issues raised and pursue it as it is the right of the state," he said, adding that it was not a good idea to seek secession in view of the geo-political situation in the region.

Before anyone get political and start whacking at Edmon Bon and call him an evil pro-Pakatan lawyer, there is truth or at least factual truth to what he said.

There is a clause 24 sub-para 8 in the IGC report and we share it below:

Like everything else in any agreement or consensus, there are exceptions and conditions to anything agreed. That could be the basis as to why certain agreed points are not abide to. The Federal Government will have start singing.

And, there are solutions for the way out of it as in clause 24 sub-para 9, below:

For Sabahan to claim for "back pay", it would be an unrealistic and the sum insurmountable. A more realistic solution could be "negotiated".

Anifah Aman is right. It is pointless to even consider of cessation as it will not benefit either parties and the region's stability. Quite a man to be able to put all these parties together.

Knowing the warm and friendly peace-loving, but straight forward Sabahans, quite sure a feasible solution will come. It is far better than hitting it to the streets.

If only PKR, other political parties and NGOs realised that the public is sick with demonstration. It leads to nowhere but anarchy and chaos.

A court judgement is a court judgement. No one should be above the law.

For the rest of Malaysia, there is something positive that can be learned and to be emulated from Sabah politics. The power chase in power must not come at compromising the nation's interest as done by some.

Sometimes partisanship should be cast aside for the sake of common interest.

Zainal Abidin Wahab (1961-2015) passed away 4 AM last night after battling cancer the past two years. His burial was done this morning at a Sungai Buloh Muslim cemetary.

His bubbly character will be sorely missed by friends and family. May Allah bless your soul buddy.

Al Fatihah ...

Don't please ...

Malaysian Insider report this morning claiming Hishamuddin leading the pack for the next Prime Minister got few of his Facebooker fan excited [read here].

We had text on of the Facebooker to warn him that Merdeka Centre's survey is unreliable and manipulated. It is not only giving him a false sense of confidence but could be intended to sabotage him.

By putting him in the lead, he is open to "risk". The above photo from Malay Mail report seemed appropriate [Malay Mail here].

This is especially so in the midst of rumours or manufactured rumours that Dato Najib is under pressure to leave and Hishamuddin is being rumoured reaching strongly to Divisional Heads and Wanita Chiefs for support through overseas trip and planned tours of the upcoming LIMA.

The halls along Riverside Restaurant in PWTC are talking as to why only Tan Sri Muhyiddin and Dato Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi standing behind PM on the 1MDB issue but Hishamuddin is deaf silent.

Politics is a number game and Dato Kadir Jasin used to write in his blog that Najib is the strongest UMNO President in history thus he is unshakeable. Despite such rumours, where will the number come from?

Have anyone looked into the Sabah and Sarawak block in their calculations?

Sources say Najib is quite cool in facing the 1MDB controversy and may indicate he is unworried of the audit by Auditor General and PAC enquiry.

In the midst of strong rumour mongering in UMNO these days, especially after last weekend's briefing, Merdeka Center is helping to fuel further the rumour that Najib will be asked to leave soon and Hishamuddin will step in.

TMI report of Hishamuddin and Dato Anifah Aman

Off course the report is naughty and an attempt of TMI to put UMNO into a power chase between Hishamuddin and Zahid. By mentioning President, it is as though Tan Sri Muhyiddin will be by-passed for Presidency.

TMI may have speculated that should Muhyiddin become UMNO President or Prime Minister, he cannot choose another Johorean as Deputy President or Prime Minister, thus Hishamuddin will be pushed to queue behind Zahid.

Naughty naughty ...

However, another angle should not be overlooked. The Merdeka Report may have the intention to promote someone else.

Assuming Hishamuddin become a casualty for being placed at the top, then the subsequent names will benefit from the raised profile. It is an old trick some bloke used to push for someone to be election candidate and now Minister.

After Hishamuddin, there is Khairy Jamaluddin (8.6%), Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (8.4%), Rafizi Ramli (3.9%), Mohamed Azmin Ali (3.7%) and Nurul Izzah Anwar (1.7%). There is no no Dato Mukhriz.

Before anyone make their speculation, that survey was for the next PM in the event that Najib leaves and Muhyiddin retires.

Careful Hishamuddin.

Someone is pulling your leg and the one we can immediately see is Merdeka Centre. That is unless someone paid Merdeka Centre to come up with a manipulated survey with such a result.

Yesterday, Syura Ulama Council of PAS announced Dato Dr Haron Din as the new Spiritual Leader or Mursyidul Am of PAS to replace the deceased Dato Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

That announcement frustrated the PASMA faction. MyKMU writer Mc T [read in FMT here] believed PASMA wanted Dato Hadi Awang to be selected thus paving the way for an easy passage for Mat Sabu.

Today's Sinar Harian frontpage headlined Hadi said, "Jawatan Presiden boleh dicabar. Saya serah kepada ahli untuk pilih pemimpin yang layak ... kita tengok nanti macam mana." [The President post could be challenged. I leave it to the member to choose the qualified candidate ... we see what will happen.]

That could be a typical politically correct statement by any politician, but the manner Hadi said "...we will see what will happen" indicate his intention.

With Haron Din as Mursyidul Am and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man running for number two, it could mean Hadi is daring Mat Sabu to run for President.

Tuan Ibrahim announced his interest upon attempt by PAS Kota Baru to attempt to tempt him by nominating Tuan Ibrahim for President. At this stage, there is usually lots of testing of the water but this time around cards seemed to be laid out early in the game.

PAS Terengganu criticised PAS Kota Baru water testing as attempt to invoke a provocation. At the recent Multaqa, Tuan Ibrahim came on strongly to criticise UMNO for dreaming of a unity Government.

The Multaqa at the end of February saw at all out attack by the Ulamak faction on attempts to topple Hadi as President following aggresive attack by PASMA and DAP towards Hadi.

It is an open secret that PASMA had pledge loyalty to DAP and Pakatan Rakyat in an official visit to Lim Guan Eng's office in mid-January. It was believed that DAP had given commitment to provide financial assistance to the PASMA movement to unseat Hadi.

PASMA have been on a roadshow and a video had gone viral of Mat Sabu instructing PASMA or used to be refered as Anwarinas activist to go on a direct person to person engagement to break the strong traditional Ulamak support at grassroot level.

That video had brought calls for Mat Sabu to be disciplined. However, that will not be easy as the Anwarinas controlled Central Commitee may resist. Talk is the Anwarinas have placed someone from their faction to administer the PAS party election proccess.

But, the important position of Secretary General as in Dato Mustapha Ali is still held by the Ulamak faction. It is heard that Mat Sabu have met Mustapha privately in London to resolve his problem.

That explains Mat Sabu's presence at last weekend March 8th's March to Freedom rally in London.

The objective of PASMA is clearly to remove Hadi and promote Mat Sabu as PAS President. Will Mat Sabu commit to do so?

Mat Sabu is a fighter and in the previous party fights for Deputy President, the Dato Husam Musa team tried to persuade Mat Sabu to withdraw and not split the vote. However, his answer then was, "I rather die on the battlefield then withdraw."

He lost the first time to Dr Nasharuddin Mat Isa but end up winner the second time with Tuan Ibrahim's help to split Nasharuddin's Hadi coat-tailed votes.

Mat Sabu defended the Deputy President post in the last Muktamar but with the line between the Ulamak and Anwarinas clearly drawn, Tuan Ibrahim has PAS tradition for "kepimpinan ulamak" blowing in his favour.

So, will Mat Sabu move up and chose to die on a higher battlefied?

The PASMA group have been controlling the Central Committee, Muslimah and part of Youth but it is their control of the Divisional Committee that will come in handy. It is said that 60-70% of Divisions are controlling by the Erdogans, another name the PASMA and Anwarinas is called by.

They have influence and not to mention, opportunity to fix the next Divisional Committe line up and comes in handy in the process to determine delegates to chose the party leadershp at the Muktamar.

The Ulamak faction seemed short of brand named leaders for Vice President and Central Committee positions but in a party election, the public acknowledgement is not relevent.

nevertheless, one can aspect the Ulamak to forward MB Kelantan Dato Ahmad Yaacob, Deputy MB for Kelantan Dato Nik Amar, and Ustaz Idris Ahmad for Vice President candidate.

Nik Aziz's son, Nik Abduh is still a long shot for Vice President post and need to spend time as Central Committee. Positions in PAS are not inherited down as in UMNO. Off springs of past leaders still need to prove their mantle.

One will expect incumbents like PASMA-linked Dato Husam Musa, and neither here nor there Salahuddin Ayub to defend their position. Hello! Hello! Hello! Past VP Dato Mahfuz Omar is expected to try again.

As one PAS activist told us, the process is similar to past UMNO party eleection style and at the early stage, there is lots of testing of the water and manouvring going on. Although there are claims that PAS has emulated UMNO's money politics, it is not widespread.

The outright corruption will be as each candidate will seek member's prayers (or doa) and everyone seemed obliged to pray for each other's success but in those words of support lies the coded words.

Whatever that politicians do to gain votes, the interest now will be on whether Mat Sabu still has the guts that won him to assume the Deputy Presidency to run against the President and break the Ulamak leadership at a time the Ulamak faction has sharpened their claws.

Look to the 18th when the Kelantan State Assembly convene to discuss hudud and an end of the month international forum in Rusila for hints of what is to come [read about in Joceline Tan's here and here]

To enjoy this Musical Interlude, we picked the video below from Rochy Bru's Kembara Bumi Suci 2014 bike travel across Asia.:

Lyrics provided below:

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue sky's from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

And did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
And how we found
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

That was a touching ending.

The sound of the chanting of labbaikallah always invoke a sentimental feeling to anyone whose been there.

Many soul are found back in the holy land. Glad that since returning from Mecca, Rocky found his spiritual path. Hope his next trip to Mecca will be to do the Haj.

Azzeeeeez ... are you reading?

Several months ago, we met a cousin of former Kedah exco and MB aspirant of PAS, Dato Phahrolrazi Zawawi. He had just launched a "political" NGO to revive his political career called PASMA. His cousin's reply was simply, "He is stupid!"

Phahrolrazi could have make it as Kedah MB. He was impatient and stupid. Late Ustaz Azizan was already ill. He was already next in line. Why must he pick a fight with arwah?

He went on further to say the PASMA NGO he initiated to revive his ended political career is backing the Anwarinas to seize power from the ulamak. With much anger, he said what is the point of having assuming power by foresaking your causeand struggle?

If he had known that Phahrolrazi paid a courtesy call on Lim Guan Eng at the height of the Kelantan flood disaster, the cousin would really flipped and maybe disowned him (if there is such a thing between cousins).

Phahrolrazi's cousin was a former local PAS youth leader whose late father was seldom referred to by PAS elders for opinion.

Leaked meeting

The meeting was held on January 12th 2015 and at the Penang Chief Minister's office. It was attended by 15 PASMA Committee Members including political writer Mohd Sayuthi Omar. While, Lim Guan Eng brought together 9 other Penang based DAP leaders.

The matters discussed got leaked out. It was revealed that Phahrolrazi gave commitment to Lim Guan Eng to support DAP and pledge loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat. Guan Eng was assured with PASMA's plan to topple PAS President Dato Haji Hadi Awang and replaced with Mat Sabu.

Although Mat Sabu's name has yet to be nominated and only Dato Husam Musa nominated for President, his name is much awaited.

There was a bit of horse trading as Guan Eng gave commitment to PASMA's request to appoint their members on JKK posts in Penang in return to help DAP's campaign in Sarawak. Guan Eng also requested PASMA to focus on Malay voters in the Felda areas of Johor.

And who say DAP does not play racial politics?

Guan Eng offered to finance PAS campaign assistance in Sarawak and pledged to give RM500,000 every quarterly to PASMA to help their PAS Presidential campaign. [Read in The Unspinners here]

When the story got leaked, Guan Eng immediately denied any DAP-PASMA effort to oust Hadi [read FMT here]. He called it a fake [read MI here] and claimed the meeting was to strengthen Pakatan Rakyat [read MMO here].

Hudud attack

With the open criticism at Hadi in the matter of hudud at the last DAP convention and same stance was supported by now sex offense convict Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR, strengthening Pakatan only means changing of the guard in PAS.

Kelantan state assembly is due to convene with hudud high up on the agenda this Wednesday.

All through the last more than 30 years since hudud law was passed but not enacted in kelantan, UMNO's position was to oppose PAS hudud. Now that PAS is willing to set-up a joint technical committee with federal government, UMNO is not blocking hudud.

In a strange turn of history, it is PAS i.e. the liberal PAS that is now opposing hudud at the beck and call of their paymaster DAP.

One can expect the evangelist laden DAP to apply pressure on UMNO through MCA, Gerakan and maybe Sarawak parties. PASMA churning story that hudud is the turning point to enable a unity government between UMNO and PAS.

UMNO's position is that they are merely collaborating to help solve the flood aftermath. That is the same stand UMNO tookd to not stand for the vacant late Nik Aziz's Cempaka seat.

PASMA's denial

The PASMA members also denied the meeting was to oust Hadi but the denial was on the meeting. The plan to oust Hadi rear it's ugly head at their nationwide tour which include at Hadi's home turf in Terengganu, to call for his removal.

PASMA had repeated the claim that Hadi and the ulamak faction is pursuing unity government with UMNO.

This was denied by Tuan Ibrahim at the Multaqa recently. To strengthen his denial, Tuan Ibrahim made attacks on UMNO which led to believe that he is unpredictable. He has accepted nomination for number two.

In addition, the PASMa faction claim that wala' (or loyalty) to the ulamak is not relevent when the Ulamak pledge allegiance to UMNO or enemy party. The ulamak could argue that the PASMA and Anwarinas are only loyal to sex convict Anwar and PASMA had pledged loyalty to DAP.

DAP money

Till today, PASMA had not denied the claimed RM500,000 pledge by DAP. On March 1st, 2015, Phahrolrazi was reported by Malaysia Insider as reluctant to make police report on the allegation. He said they need to consult with their legal adviser.

Maybe it is an excuse because should a police report made, police could investigate PASMA and ROS could freeze their bank accounts. Till today March 16 and that is more than two weeks already, PASMA still have not made any police report.

PAS ulamak responded to the nationwide tour by PASMA with a declaration of "war" against PASMA and Anwarinas [read MI here]. The attack against PASMA was most prominent at the Multaqa and expect the same at an international ulama meet in Rusila at the end of this month.

There was even suggestion that the Anwarinas and PASMA leave PAS and form their own political party [read MI here].

Possibilities

Leaders aligned to Anwarinas and PASMA like Dr Hatta Ramli, Hanipa Maidin, Khalid Samad and Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad was reported being at the receiving end of violent ulamak supporters. However, there is suspicion that it was orchestrated to gain sympathy and make the ulamak supporter look bad.

Be it Mat Sabu or Husam as the choice of candidate for the Presidency, their expected campaign will be to smear the ulamak faction as extremist in the sync with the current mood against ISIS.

PASMA will likely duplicate UMNO's attack on Hadi using Amanat Hadi.

They will try to wash their hands from their past bloodied political sins. But weren't they the one that defended the ulamak and repeated the same call of UMNO kafir in the same manner Hadi and the late Nik Aziz called UMNO kafir?

Politics is filled with such hypocrasy and all these politicians failed to understand the indication from the failed Reformasi II and poor turnout at Anwar's final tour before imprisonment.

Public is now in a state of fatigue from excessive politicking for the last more than 10 years. In a certain part of the country, public and politicians are demanding that issues should be dealt and resolve free from politics.

Politics can be full of unexpectation with enemies end up sleeping together. Ulamak group that hated UMNO all these years seemed friendly with UMNO.

Supposed and it is the most probable senario that the ulamak do not form a unity government with UMNO but just stick to a common understanding, do not be surpise that these mother duck PASMA end up negotiating with UMNO.

If they lose to the ulamak and join up with DAP, it is will be a matter of time they will be treated badly by DAP and get into a quarrel. By then it will be too late for them to realise that PKR is not an option and it is awaiting to break apart with only the ladies and babies in Anwar's household left.

Politics is full of the unexpected.

Maybe by then, Najib will be re-elected with two third majority and Tun Mahathir is next to him hand-in-hand on the victory podium.

This piece of news would have missed the attention of Semenanjung Malaysians. It is too bad because it is an interesting development.

Since the last time we posted on the Forum on Malaysia Agreement in Kota Kinabalu on March 7th [read here], there was an interesting development.

Sabahkini report below:

The USA Aims To Bring Sabah Opposition Parties/NGOs Together To Take On The BN

Posted on March 10, 2015 by SABAHKINI

Opposition Front: (from left) Kalakau Untol, chairman of GPS, Dr. Jeffrey, Bumburing, Mohd Noor and Tony, a SNAP leader (and former candidate) from Bekenu, Sarawak.

KOTA KINABALU: At least two opposition parties and several politically-inclined non-governmental organisations have come together to form an alliance that could take on the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Keadilan Rakyat in the next election.

STAR Sabah and Sabah Progressive Party are teaming up with the Movement for Change Sabah (APS), United Borneo Front (UBF) and the little known Gerakan Perpaduan dan Perubahan Sabah (GPS) to form the United Sabah Alliance (USA).

Although it is a loose alliance for now, sources close to the promoters say that they may eventually rename one of the existing political parties and go by United Sabah Alliance Party (USAP).

Announcing the new alliance was Tamparuli Assemblyman, Datuk Wilfred Bumburing who said former Berjaya Finance Minister, Datuk Mohd Noor Mansor would head the coalition.

Bumburing, who also head APS is himself the deputy chairman together with Bingkor lawmaker, the maverick Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan as well as former deputy Labour Minister, Datuk Kalakau Untol.

In a statement, Bumburing said the leaders of the alliance were named at a recent meeting in Kiulu.

“The Sabah opposition parties can no longer move individually and separately if they want to unite the people who are now in disarray due to a weak opposition unity,” he acknowledged.

“The formation of the alliance amongst Sabah-based opposition parties and NGOs would better unite and strengthen the opposition in Sabah and this is what the people want”.

Bumburing further acknowledged that the people who wanted change (of government) were disappointed with the outcome of the last general election, because the Sabah-based opposition parties were not united under a common front to face the BN.

“We are happy that today, unity has been reached and both APS and UBF-STAR have agreed to elect veteran politician Datuk Mohd Noor Mansor as the Chairman to lead this alliance.

“I therefore called upon all supporters and members of APS, UBF, STAR and SAPP, and all individuals or groups who share our common struggle, to give full support to Datuk Mohd Noor Mansor to lead this alliance,” he urged.

Although SAPP has yet to confirm its participation formally, the very fact that Mohd Noor is the alliance’s chairman, would seem to indicate that sooner or later, they too would be a partner.

Bumburing stressed that USA would continue to bring the following issues to the attention of the Federal Government:

(1) To review and respect the Malaysia Sgreement of 1963;

(2) Review and Honor Sabah’s Status as an Autonomous State within Malaysia, and

(3) Review and Honor the Agreement pertaining to Sabah and Sarawak being equal partners with Malaya.

Meanwhile, Mohd Noor called on the people of Sabah to unite and fight along USA for a better Sabah and a better Malaysia.

While admitting that he no longer possesses the same physical stamina as he used to have in the 1970s, he is nonetheless very much motivated by the theme of “Save Sabah and Malaysia”.

“l know Sabah is not safe from irresponsible racist politicians whose struggles threaten the peace, harmony and unity which used to be enjoyed by every Sabahan regardless of race, culture and religion.

“I totally agree that saving Sabah from this extremism also means saving Malaysia as well. Let us unite for a better Sabah and a better Malaysia,” he urged.

“From now on, we will move together as unit, riding on one platform, facing a common front and with the kind of support we are seeing at this stage of our alliance, surely we are ready to face any onslaught BN might throw against us.”

Jeffrey meanwhile said the only way to get rid of extremist politicians is to see to it that the Sabah-based political parties get to form the State Government in the next general election.

“And that is our objective through USA,” he stressed.

The political rhetorics are nothing extraordinary but there are few interesting developments and hints of things to come in Sabah in that report.

We'll highlight just one. Jeffrey Kitingan seemed to have changed his spots. He is talking of "Save ... Malaysia" then "Sabah for Sabahans" or Sabah get out of Malaysia. But, that is still not interesting enough.

Rakyat News reported:

PUBLISHED: Mar 12, 2015 07:00am
UPDATED: Mar 11, 2015 10:51pm

Join Pakatan instead of forming new alliance, Sabah Opposition told

Sabah DAP chief Jimmy Wong says if the United Sabah Alliance wanted to be stronger, it should join Pakatan Rakyat instead.

KOTA KINABALU, March 12, 2015:

Sabah DAP chief Jimmy Wong is not shaken by the emergence of United Sabah Alliance (USA), a new alliance that bands four Sabah-based opposition parties together.

In fact, the Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament believes that USA and its objectives would not carry any weight, especially where Sabah’s needs were concerned.

“Step back. You are not doing Sabahans any good.

“You may just cause more trouble and suffering to the people,” said Wong, when contacted by The Rakyat Post.

Calling on the USA leaders to be “slightly humble”, he said the Pakatan Rakyat’s doors were always open for them to join their struggle.

Pakatan Rakyat, the DAP politician, said was a proven Opposition alliance and if USA wanted to be stronger, then joining this peninsula-based grouping was the way forward.
Click Here

“I have gone to the interiors, and people are complaining that instead of assuring them that their rights would be protected, the local Opposition parties seemed to be more concerned about bad-mouthing peninsula-based political parties.”

Wong urged his colleagues in the Sabah Opposition front to get their priorities right.

He said the presence of many Opposition parties in the general election, would only divide the votes and may give their common enemy, the Barisan Nasional, an advantage.

“We don’t want our supporters to be divided, because at the end of the day, we all want to win and form the government.

“With them in our camp, I am sure we can make it happen,” said Wong, alluding to USA leaders and supporters.

USA, led by former state Finance Minister Datuk Mohd Noor Mansoor, is comprised of United Borneo Front (UBF), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), State Reform Party Sabah (Star Sabah) and Sabah Reform Movement (APS).

It was set up to combat efforts and threats posed by racial extremists in the state.

Although the DAP Chairman for Sabah claimed he is not shaken with the development, that is nothing new for a politician. It is still political rhetorics. His last few quoted words in the report is quite telling.

Maybe he should because his partner in Sabah will only be the almost defunct PKR Sabah. Anyway it's too early to tell and to get panicky.

After all, anything can happen in Sabah politics. One thing we remembered in the last General Election was the existence of many three or four corner contest. Maybe next time around, it could end up to as much as eight corners.

If Anwar knows of this latest development, he would be reminded of the embarassment of singing of "Sabah sudah goyang". After GE13, 18 PKR cabang lost their lancau.

Come to think of it, there is also the possibility that there will be no corner fight in Sabah. Perhaps, it is not DAP Sabah that is panicking but DAP headquarter.

It beats writing about 1MDB where everyone is looking the wrong way and talking crap. Serve them right for trusting position news portal and other deviant sources. To get the real source, do some leg work or keep tab of your old boy network.

That looks like the ideal picture of 1Bestarinet working in schools. In reality, the crony capitalist YTL constructed system for school does not deliver.

There will be those who think that we are exeggerating and it is not as bad as what have been written on the Internet. Some bureaucrats or politicians will make the cliche claim that the school teachers are happy and it is operating well but the common glich do happen. Those complaining are opposition supporters teachers.

It is not convincing enough. Our sister in law is a teacher in the city limit of Johor Baru, She voted for BN and complained incessantly about 1Bestarinet in family gatherings. Teachers had to use nearby Internet cafe to get their work done at their own expense.

Her two children laugh off 1Bestarinet as 1Bodohnet and at an early young age, they already built up the impression that YTL is a useless crony corporation.

Many posting have been made in the past on 1Bestarinet [read back since 2012 here, here, here, here, here, and here] so there is no need to repeat about how crony capitalist YTL won the contract at RM4 billion despite Telekom and few other bidders came in at significantly under RM3 billion.

It finally came in the form of MP for Pulai, Dato Nurjazlan Mohamed that it is openly known what had been long known by teachers that crony capitalist YTL who speaks so much about competency and being competitive in the market did not deliver.

The Star report below:

Published: Tuesday March 17, 2015 MYT 7:39:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday March 17, 2015 MYT 7:45:12 PM

PAC: 1BestariNet project should be scrapped

by Rahmah Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Commitee said that the Education Ministry should cancel the RM4.1bil 1Bestarinet project in schools nationwide as the first phase of the project was poorly delivered.

PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the first phase of the project, although completed at the cost RM633mil, did not yield the expected results.

"In our opinion, it is still incomplete because it did not deliver the service it was supposed to," he told reporters after chairing a PAC meeting here in Parliament, Tuesday.

However, he said the decision whether or not to proceed with the project, which was awarded to YTL Communications Sdn Bhd via an open tender, lies with the Ministry.

"At the end of the day, the implementation of the first phase was poor and it shouldn't be continued. But it is up to the Ministry because they are the people in charge," he said.

Nur Jazlan, who is also Pulai MP, said that the project, which was aimed at providing high-speed 4G broadband across all 10,000 schools in the country, did not meet its target.

"The school children, teachers and parents still cannot access the system," he said.

He said the PAC inquiry on Tuesday also involved Education Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad.

However, he said Madinah was only appointed to her position in 2013, two years after the project was initiated.

"We wanted to know what she is going to do in the future. But according to her, the project will continue," he said.

He said the PAC will call three more witnesses, namely the former Education secretary-general, former Education director-general and former project management officer.

He said PAC hopes to complete the investigation by next month.

The 1Bestarinet project, which was expected to be completed over 15 years in three phases, came to the spotlight when the Auditor-General's Report 2013 showed irregularities regarding its execution.

In November 2014, crony capitalist YTL was fined RM2.4 million by Ministry of Education for failing to provide the 10,000 schools with the e-learning project [read MI here]. More in The Star here.

For voicing the grievances of teachers throughout the country, Nurjazlan must be appreciated. Credit where is due.

As Director of Telekom Malaysia (or is it former Director?) and used to chair the Tender and Procurement Committee, he has the credibility to talk on the subject matter of telecommunication and the e-learning project. And he is an ANSARA from Kulim.

So hope those claiming also to be taxpayers should stop bitching about Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar, because their idolised crony capitalist corporate player, that is often defended in the media by Tony Pua of DAP and Rafizi Ramli of PKR, failed miserably.

It poses the question off whether he is really that great.

Sources from telco players said they had the benefit of a "cooperating" Chinese government officer inside the Ministry to supply the information to them. It is in the same manner that YTL got induced leaked info on the first IPP.

Nothing racial, the dude is really Chinese and if the person has straight hair, it would have been mentioned. The name to be withheld for a latter day convenience.

So this is defamatory? Tell that to the teachers who are pissed as hell with the limited 4.0 MB line for a whole school. Go ahead sue us, what do we care about crooked and corrupt businessmen? God will grant us heaven for getting sued by crooks.

If the CPI was taken as indicator and pro-rata annual rate of 2.5% assumed, cost of living may have gone up in the last 5 years at a compounded rate of 13-15%. Fuel up, maintenance of car up, and tyres and spare parts up but taxi fare remain the same for the poor cab drivers.

They are faced with the cut throat hire purchase repayment of RM55 a day or RM120 a day for airport taxi to be paid to the oligopoly of taxi companies. These companies use the hundreds or thousands of operating license available to them to top up over the interest rate Banks charged them.

Operating license are issued to companies or individuals but to secure an individual operating license, the waiting list could take years, requirement stringent and high level connection needed. Most operate under companies.

As a regular taxi user, we emphatise with cab drivers. Half the time, they had to first work to pay the companies before making the money to feed their family. Adding to their woes, there are too many cabs in the city, encroachment into their area of business, rent seekers and syndicate and gangsterism arising from poor enforcement.

Most taxi drivers are basically living within the poverty level. So When Malay Mail Online leaked the news of possible cab fare increase on Tuesday [read here], we agree. Its long over due.

It is only a matter of how much. Too much and it will beyond public affordability. Consumer could change their transportation mode. Too little, it is uneconomical.

Fair increase

The newsbreak claimed the increase will be as much as 40% and taxi driver association had responded to say it is fair [read MMO here]. It could be them leaking the information since SPAD official said fare review is still ongoing and no final decision made [read The Star here].

Anyway, The Star yesterday published a supportive letter from a reader, YS Chan. It has few facts worthy of public consideration and we reproduce the letter below:

Published: Wednesday March 18, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Wednesday March 18, 2015 MYT 8:14:53 AM

SPAD must not delay taxi fare hike

IN the last quarter of 2013, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) held 15 sessions to review taxi fares in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Kuala Terengganu.

During the launch on Oct 18, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar was hopeful that new fares would be announced in the first quarter of 2014.

A 38-page bookletntitled “Taxi Fare Review – Interaction Paper” was distributed. It was clear that a comprehensive study had been conducted and SPAD was finetuning it.

SPAD chief executive officer Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal said:“Since 2009, fuel expenses have gone up by 17%, maintenance by 20% to 25%, tyres by 25% to 30%, and battery by 30% to 35%. Also, cost of living has gone up by around 2.5% each year until now.”

In April 2014, SPAD announced that budget and executive taxis with permits expiring from May can continue operations until October.

But from November onwards, all new metered taxis will be migrated to Teksi 1Malaysia (TEKS1M) using Proton Exora as budget taxis.

The plan was to have 2,404 old taxis migrated to TEKS1M by the end of 2014, joining the 1,000 introduced earlier under a one-off scheme where 697 were allocated for the Klang Valley, 251 in Johor and 52 in Penang.

But the freeze in fare hike has impacted the taxi industry as the number of TEKS1M seems to be dwindling instead of increasing.

Many TEKS1Ms were repossessed when drivers defaulted in hire-purchase loans and taxi companies had stocked up on non-Exora models before the deadline as cabbies preferred cheaper models.

The higher costs in operating TEKS1Ms has taken a toll. Some drivers gave up even though they no longer have to rent the permit from a taxi company or another individual.

As there will never be a perfect time to announce fare increase, it might as well be sooner than later, and always better to tackle inherent problems early than allowing them to fester.

SPAD is certainly in an unenviable position as it will be damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t.

And one of the biggest critics of a fare hike will come from the cabbies themselves as they are certain to suffer a loss of income when locals shun using taxis for a while.

However, a fare increase is the much-needed shot in the arm for the ailing taxi industry to move forward.

Under the Government Transformation Plan (GTP), the milestone for 2015 is to have 7,500 “Asean best in class taxi” on the road.

It would be a reality had everything gone according to plan, such as announcing the fare increase a year ago. No doubt, consumer associations are duty bound to protest any increase in prices but those in the focus group session agreed that fares cannot be below cost but wish to see taxi services improved.

The man in the street is likely to insist that quality of service be raised first before allowing for a fare increase; a chicken and egg situation that leads nowhere.

In 2007, I had proposed that budget taxi fares be increased from 66 sen per km to RM1 and from RM8 per hour to RM12.

In 2009, the fares were increased to 87 sen per km and RM17.14 per hour, a rise of 30% and 114% respectively.

At a consumer focus group discussion, I proposed that fares be increased to RM1.25 per km and RM24 per hour, a rise of 44% and 40% respectively, to ensure the rates are sustainable over the next few years.

However, for executive taxi drivers switching to TEKS1M, it would be a bitter pill to swallow after collecting RM2 per km and more than RM34 per hour over a seven-year period, with some using Naza Citra that cost a little more than the Exora.

But transforming our taxi industry is not a popularity game and no decision can make all parties happy.

In such a scenario, it takes true leadership to lift the industry out of the quagmire and the first concrete step is to have taxi fares that are fair to both drivers and passengers.

YS CHAN
Kuala Lumpur

The popularity game can only be expected. When the discussion of cab fare increase surface [read Sin Chew in January here], Rafizi was believed to express disagreement and asked the government to think about the consumers.

Good that he wants to play politics on everything including cab drivers welfare. In the last general election, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim woed and receive support from cab drivers. They were even employed to be Pakatan Rakyat campaigners and propagandist.

The government could now win them over.

Unsustainable low fare

The consumers have to be fair or the phenomenon of defaulting 1TEKSIM owners from unsustainable income will continue and the whole cab system in Kuala Lumpur could collapsed.

As it is, cab drivers are struggling to survive with so many cabs around. This could thwart any attempt to improve and upgrade the cab service in Klang Valley.

Our sample survey of cab drivers in the city puts their average income at RM2,000 a month. These drivers have to work an average of 10 hours a day without rest day to achieve such an income. It means they qualify for BR1M.

The nationwide average could be as low as RM800 when rural kereta sewa between towns are taken into account.

SPAD may deny such claim regularly made by ca drivers. Their official stance is that there had not been any new operating licenses issued for quite sometime. When PM launched the 1TEKSIM program before, it was the renewal and reassigning the operating licenses of a particular cab company.

It is believed that there are more than 35,000 cab operators in Klang Valley today. THy represent the bulk of 60,000 cab operators nationwide. It wasn't too long ago that cab drivers were saying the figure for Klang Valley was around 20,000.

Not only that, cab drivers are facing encroachment into their traditional area of business. Cabs are being pushed to operate around train stations as city centre are too congested and trains are becoming a more popular mode of public transportation.

Train has a bigger capacity and is a faster mode of public transportation and the future plan will be for more trains. Road system cannot cope with the increase in congestions even in neighbourhood. Time will only get tougher for cab drivers.

There is also the competition from new variety of cab licenses like limousine services, blue executive taxi and upcoming uber cab.

In places like KL Sentral, express bus stations, hotels, KL bird park, etc., cabs are not allowed to pick passengers unless they accept payments in the form of tickets issued by them. Cab drivers will submit the ticket a day or two later for payment.

The purpose is to kill off ticket touts but it is rent seeking and taking a ride on cabs as tickets are issued at 20 to 30% higher than metered rate.

In places like Bukit Bintang and KLCC, there are taxi driver syndicates that controls the area to prey on unsuspecting tourist. They do not abide to the regulation to use the meter and charge exorbitant fix rates. Other taxi picking up passengers there are roughed up or get their car smashed.

It is only in major urban areas like Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor Baru could flag down cab service operate.

In the rural area, the old kereta sewa service at taxi stands are no more popular. Express bus system and inter-town bus service are more frequent thus it is hard to fill up their cab with passengers.

Consumer

Consumers are expected to question the public transportation to warrant such increases. The service level, extensiveness, consumer options, safety, enforcement and other issues on public transportion will take centre stage in the media.

SPAD have often been saying that the low fare is not sustainable and it is unfair to be tough on the cab drivers. For cab fare to be raised, SPAD must have something up their sleeve to implement or enforce immediately.

Public is at a highly sensitive mode when it comes to any form of price increase. They will not tolerate fare increase without any increase in quality of service and enforcement.

The plan to increase cab fare was supposed to be done last year but believed to be postphoned due to sensitivity to the Kelantan flood disaster. Unfortunately it is now too close to the commencement of GST.

As Chairman, Tan Sri Syed Hamid will have to face to the public on this.

When reminded of his days as Foreign Minister, Defense Minister and Law Minister, public relation was never his strength. He could get into the most politically incorrect situation when faced with a barrage of attack.

Those critics disagreeing with too many Ministerial status accorded to political retirees would raise this issue if he fails to handle it.

By the way, is he Chairman or CEO? Just asking ...

It's been awhile that this blog posted anything about airlines since Khazanah announced their yet another turnaround plan. Since there have been many development since, might as well write all the happenings together as to update.

Despite the two aircrashes during training by the Indonesian stunt team [read Rakyat Post here], LIMA 2015 began today. This is the first LIMA for Defense Minister, Dato Hishamuddin Hussein Onn.

He claimed this year's LIMA will be the best ever. [Read MMO here]. He is not kidding because Dato Najib repeated the same claim [read Bernama here].

Words are he has been flying UMNO Division Heads over to Pulau Langkawi. Maybe he is just being thoughtful to give Division Heads exposure on the biggest ever LIMA. It is an industry convention which serve to put all the players - military and civil, aviation and maritime - together.

Though Malaysia is not shopping, more than RM9 billion of deals inked. [Read NST here].

Talk along PWTC is that Hishamuddin started his Deputy President campaign for next year's party election.

Customarily, there will be rumours of money being allegedly splurged to convert supporters of competitor, Dato Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. But, there is no way of confirming and such allegations seemed presumptous.

One exco Pemuda UMNO, Armand defended Hishamuddin from such rumours. Armand is a PJ Utara UMNO member, former Wira Perkasa chief and widely believed to be Khaliry's boys. Does that mean it will be a Hishamuddin-KJ tagteam?

Rumours are Mukhriz boys started campaigning too. There have been this political hypothesis that after the RAHMAN plan, the UMNO succession plan will follow their respective fathers. The tagteam could be Hishamuddin-Mukhriz first and later Mukhriz-Khairy.

Anyway, heard there was some unhappy faces among the Division Heads after their ride on a Charlie cargo transport plane to Langkawi. For one, the Sabah Division Heads didn't appreciate the over 5 hours flight.

There is also complain from a former aides to Hishamuddin who question as to why must it only be Division heads? Why not the pakciks and makciks? Dato Mark ...TST tahu sama tahu la...

Maritime Silk Road

Alas, most of the UMNO Division Heads will only appreciate the air shows and not so much the pre-LIMA military conference or industry exhibitions.

For this year, the media is promoting the all women air stunt show from China as the attraction. [read in The Star here]. Media usually promote what the organiser suggest.

If that is so, Hishamuddin's remark as host at the defence conference is quite shocking. It is a change from his statement at ASEAN defense summit in Yangoon. The Star reported below:

He is asking China to come clean on the Maritime Silk Road planned by China for the region. What does he mean by using the term "come clean"? How does the tone of his statement when he mentioned it?

In the international scene, aren't we supposed to analyse every move by our neighbour? It seemed like we are not doing our homework by asking China for answers. If that is not the case, Hishamuddin statement is giving a warning to China. [Read the Star report in full here.]

This blog can see what the MSR is about and had written it here. Unless Malaysia is at war with China, such words from the Minister of Defense is inappropriate.

The matter is the concern of the Foreign Ministry. Quite sure Foreign Ministry done their analysis in which it is within their purview. In January 2015, Malaysia expressed our support for MSR and Transport Minister, Dato Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia's recommendation was incorporated in the MSR [read The Star here and here].

How could the survey-endorsed future Prime Minister not do his homework? It sounds like a familiar incident. Did Hishamuddin refer to Taiwan or Japan to determine MINDEF position on MSR?

Maybe he is the future PM because he could override cabinet policy and determine government policies spontaneously.

Turnaround and round

While writing this posting, the TV afternoon news reported the CEO for MAS Newco, Christophe Mueller is due to join in May 1st. [read MMO here].

Everyone in MAS knows Khazanah management had set end of March to serve the termination letters together with offer letters for MAS Newco for the selected staff. Most long serving staff are eager to leave the company in which management have no appreciation for their human resource and expect workload for newco to be impossible.

It sounded like the same mistake that Khazanah did when bringing in Ahmad Jauhari as CEO when Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, and Dato Danny Yusof that did the collaboration with Air Asia. They conveniently executed the plan but it was left to AJ to operate and take the responsibility for the success and failure for the same duo that put the failed WAU.

Despite one cabin crew said passengers told her that Mueller failed in his turnaround at Sabena and Aer Lingus, no Mat Salleh would want to be told what to do in that manner. Rumours are saying Mueller was not happy with the turnaround plan put together by Khazanah and one young female officer planning the routes for MAS.

He must have disagreed with retrenchment plan of 6,000 staff and absorb the remaining. Such resistance can only be expected to come from someone with operational experience. The 6,000 number must have came up from Microsoft Excel simulation of a former Investment Banker .

Over heard from MCOBA boys of Amokh batch that he confide not knowing what to do any more with MAS. This blog have been saying the same all these years.

Heard Amokh gave assurance to one cabin crew that jobs for critical area in an airline namely; pilot, cabin crew and engineering are safe. How could he say so when he intend to outsource engineering like Airasia, and cut more route suspiciously for Airasia?

Does his turnaround plan has a revenue generating and marketing plan? Or MAS future business is a RM6 billion property development in Subang?

It was only three weeks ago that Amokh told MAS staff in a townhall meeting that the turnaround plan is moving smoothly. Yesterday (Friday) a new announcement said the issuance of the termination letter for MAS employee will be delayed to June 1st and Newco will hire in September [read The Star here].

Looks like another turnaround failure and the common factor is Amokh.

Not too good

If things at MAS is looking as though Khazanah people don't know WTF they are doing, it is not looking good for Airasia too.

There was rumours that Tan Sri Tony Fernandez will announced Airasia Phillipines for IPO on March 16 [read The Star here]. However, a commentator left two comments this morning on the situation in Airasia:

In the latest announcement from Airasia, Tony planned to sell USD2 billion worth of aircraft [read FMT here and MMO here].

Things have not been too good for Airasia since the crash of Air Asia Indonesia. When lives are lost, this blog does not take it lightly. We express our condolence to Airasia when it happened. Honest ... see it here.

Since the dreadful two crashes of MAS and despite it being Airasia Indonesia, it is still a part of Malaysia's Airasia, this blog refrained from commenting about airlines. It leaves a poor aftertaste to comments any more on Malaysian civil aviation. Something we dreaded to happen, happened.

In the midst of the aftermath of safety issues, commentors alerted that this blog was sued by Airasia and there was bankruptsy proceeding against a person claimed to be the blogger. As far as the writer or writers of this blog (there is more than one contributor) is/are concerned, there was no writ of summon served.

Pity the fella to be bankrupted. Must have been the result of him being accused the same by a PAS politician and a former Reformasi ativist.

The posting was made in the midst of GE13 campaign and it came from an airline source. Without sufficient time to check, the posting used a poser as a title. But comments came in to tell that it was a fake.

And when found to be a prank, this blog admitted it was a prank and ate humble pie in the subsequent posting.

The contributing blogger erred for not stating an apology. It is too late to do so and not legally relevent but on behalf of the writer, WE APOLOGISE to Airasia. Thus, it is only fair we take down all these postings.

Hope there is sympathy on the innocent chap. No individual is as lucky as Rafizi to be able to have cool cash of RM2 million after merely 6 years as Petronas officer. Airasia may have not realised that the writer admitted of being wrong in the subsequent posting.

Nevertheless, one blogger Gmie Wakening here appreciated the posting. He claimed Airasia had frequent occurance of safety and technical issues. There was even a technical problem on March 10 recently as reported by Australian ABC News.

Surely nobody wants a crash, right?

* Edited: 22/3 9:30 AM

Tuanku Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was crowned as the fifth Sultan of modern Johor at the Istana Besar Monday yesterday.

Sultan Ibrahim represents a new generation of royalty able to break past tradition to mingle directly and casually with the rakyat, express his views openly on issues and able to engage the media. Few bloggers here and many others had the honour of discussing issues with his Majesty.

His Majesty ascended to the throne in 2010 but the coronation was postphoned till yesterday. For Johorean, it is the first royal coronation in 55 years since Almarhum Sultan Iskandar decided not to do a coronation.

Johor Baru will be filled with street parades, fireworks and four days of free concerts at Danga Bay to commemurate the event.

March 23rd have already officially been gazetted as Hari Keputeraan Sultan Johor public holiday to coincide with the official crowning of the Sultan of Johor to replace the November 22nd public holiday.

The same ceremony was also to crown Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah as the Permaisuri of Johor.

Some newspaper reported that the title is used for the first time but as once explained personally by His Highness, the title Permaisuri was the traditional practise in Johor and not Sultanah as used by previous Sultans.

The highlight of the celebrations when the Mufti of Johor placed a jewel-encrusted crown on Sultan Ibrahim Ismail can be seen in the video below:

The ceremony in Johor is unlike the use of tanjak in the ceremony of other Malay Sultan. The 1.6 kg royal crown was made by London jeweller J.W. Benson. Interesting background of the coronation can be found in NST here, You Tube here and Singapore's Singapore Times here.

Present to witness the ceremony are Sultan Ibrahim’s mother Enche Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah; the sultan’s elder sister Johor Tunku Puteri Tunku Kamariah Sultan Iskandar; the sultan’s younger sister Tunku Besar Zabedah Sultan Iskandar; The Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Che Puan Khaleeda Bustamam as well as the other children of Sultan Ibrahim.

Also present were brother Malay Sultans; Prime Minister Dato Najib Tun AbdulRazak, Menteri besar Dato Khaled Nordin, and local and foreign dignitaries.

People of Johore was able to witness the ceremony via RTM. The You Tube below:

An extract from Channel News Asia report here described Sultan Ibrahim as a Sultan with a difference:

Despite the grandeur of the occasion, many Johoreans feel their king is a humble man. Zabariah Mohd Nor, a homemaker, said: "He's a man of the people. We are pleased with his character."

Ellyza Yusof, a religious teacher, said: "Now we'll get to see the reality. God willing, this Sultan is a man of the people who stands by the people."

Certainly, the people will be paying close attention.

His Majesty and the family takes a keen interest in the welfare of the people and can seldom be seen visiting the rakyat at hospitals, flood relief centres, kampong homestay and even common folks warong.

This blogger had a late uncle who perform traditional massage and was paid a surprise visit by his Majesty for service at his humble home in Kampong Separap, Batu Pahat. Our uncle had only a common tikar mengkuang to offer his Majesty to lie on while he performs the urut.

His Majesty made it an annual affair to touch base with the people through a program called Kembara Mahkota which was initiated since the days as Tengku Mahkota.

As Head of the State Government of Johor, his Majesty makes an effort to know the going-ons and gave his input to the administration.

His Majesty is not unaccustomed to controversies but the difference with the past is His Majesty acknowledge the new environment of openness and make the effort to engage with media, privately and publicly.

His Majesty takes on questions from the media without any need for censorship.

To quote His Majesty from The Star interview, he said, "I think I am a friendly and easy-going person. I am straight-talking. I cannot stand hypocrites. I expect people to speak up. Be a man. You have asked me difficult questions straight to my face."

The Star certainly did.

In the first serie here, His Majesty express his wishes and hope for Johor, explained himself on issues relating his business interest, certain development in Johor Baru and controversial land reclamation in Iskandar Malaysia.

The second part of the serie here caught the social media buzing with the above quote on excessive award of Datokship.

His Majesty also covered issues on environment and state development.

A ruler with such concern augers well for Johor.

The concern and sensitivity to the common people, and support from His Majesty will be much needed for the state administration to address basic livelihood problems faced by Johoreans in facing up to wave of political, economic and social change in Johor.

Daulat Tuanku!

There is this hypothesis going around that UMNO supported PAS's motion to amend the 1983-passed hudud law in return to form a unity government with the ulamak faction in PAS. At least that is how PASMA, DAP and PKR politicians are going around arguing against the new hudud law passed on March 18th.

The reactions against UMNO Kelantan's support for hudud from BN component members and possibly UMNO MPs from Sabah have been negative. PAS have submitted a private bill at parliament for a constitutional amendment to allow hudud in Kelantan and for Muslims. Some felt that was a trap for Dato Najib and UMNO.

If UMNO does not support, that the Mahfuz Omars of the world will have a field day to say they are right to accuse UMNO's hudud support was intended to split Pakatan. But if UMNO do support, they will have retribution from other BN component parties and UMNO leaders from Sabah.

It looks like a "Damn if I do damn, Damn if I don't" situation for Najib. However, blogger Life of Annie have an idea [read here]. Why not let the MPs vote without applying any instruction from the Chief Whip?

Vote out of their own view and along the aspirations of their constituent. It will be an interesting and positive break from past tradition of voting based on party line and power politicking. A political transformation at the very essence of democratic practise at a time the population is sick with excessive politicking and demanding issues be dealt with as issues per se.

If it happens, it is a start to a more mature politics. Politics that is truly in the spirit of democrasy in which Parliament is ideally where the view and position of the local constituency is translated in the voting and not based on what party headquarter tells them to do.

Party headquarters doesn't always instruct based on the rakyat's aspiration. In the first place, it is difficult to ascertain. Many a times, instructions are based on the shallow inter or even intra-party power play and cheap perception. It is not uncommon that votes are done for the selfish self-interest of party leaders.

US Senate roll call

The scene of each individual MP registering their votes for the whole country to see live on TV and Internet as everyone wait for the outcome of the votes would be something to cherish than the simplistic call to say "Aye!" and the aye have it.

The MPs have to put their stance for their constituency to judge the soundness of their decision. Wee Ka Siong and many MCA leaders represent large percentage of Malay Muslim voters. Will he vote out of his conscience or in accordance to wishes of his 65% Malay voters constituency?

Perkasa has a strong presense in Air Itam. If his voters disagree with him, they can oust him in the next general election. That will mean one less seat for BN i.e. MCA and they would have no choice but send the party Deputy President to the DAP slaughterhouse in Bukit Bintang or Gelang Patah.

The big complain against Wee is that he hardly return to Air Itam to meet his constituents and at one time, spent more time with MCA Johor Baru .

PAS internal politics

Every election campaigners claim their candidate will translate the wishes of the people in the highest body of government. After the vote was delivered, their views are not sought after before a decision is made. Typically, it will be a Majlis Penerangan to explain or pacify the voters.

This issue of hudud have been politicise for too damn long that it is too complex.

PAS is in the midst of a bitter party election with the liberals Anwarinas making their move to oust Hadi Awang and ulamak faction.

Unless it is a bluff, Hadi looks dead set to break off from DAP and PKR. The Anwarinas presumed Hadi will join up with UMNO and used the presumption as their campaign.

Decades of politics of hatred eschewed by the late Tok Guru Nik Aziz made it a taboo in PAS to even mention of alliance with UMNO. Fatwa by Hadi and Nik Aziz have deemed UMNO as kafir,

Ironically, PAS have been in alliance with DAP whose position is so secular that in spirit, they oppose all special position accorded to Islam in the constitution.

While PKR is filled with Islamic deviants, LGBT proponents, Human Right hedonist, left wing liberals and political desperados neither acceptable to UMNO nor PAS.

The commotion to kick PAS out Pakatan turned out to be only this strange position to not work any more with Hadi but PAS is allowed to remain in Pakatan

Sokong or not?

Except for few brainless PAS leaders like Nizar Jamaluddin, PAS members in or align to PASMA have been rather quiet on their hudud stance despite championing hudud for decades.

It goes back to post WWII Hizbul Muslimin party coming out of Gunong Semanggol Perak. The kafir mengkafir thing started that far back too. [Read in Wikipedia here.]

So does Muslim NGO like ABIM or seldom claim to mean Anwar Bin Ibrahim Malaysia that is backing PKR strongly.

UMNO predicament

The seats that PAS usually run is against UMNO so the seat distribution will mean UMNO have to sacrifice their seats. In turn, PAS will argue that UMNO is waning in popularity and more seats allocated for them.

The idea of such unity is great but the number is not workable. The whole idea of unity government is best towards a unity in purpose like solving flood disaster, resolving state-federal issues, and common position on matters regarding Islamic and Bumiputera interest.

The argument for or against hudud is a continual polemics. Except for the deviants Sister in Sesat, literalist Wahabi and anti Hadith, and plain western thinking Muslim liberal, most Muslims accept the fact that hudud is God's law and they should not oppose it.

However, the question is whether hudud is a priority in a country in which Muslims are economically challenged and it's suitability in a multi-racial and multi-religious society like Malaysia.

The political, legal and academic question that arise and seldom raised by Tun Dr Mahathir in the past will the subsequent question of serving justice.

Muslims could argue that it applies to Muslims only but the question is more complicated when Muslims are charged under different law for the same offense committed by non Muslims. Will Muslims be given options to pick between civil law and syariah hudud law?

But the bigger question lies in the constitution that does not empower state to take charge of criminal law. That falls in the federal list in the constitution and power accorded to police. PAS hope to change to enable state JAKIM to undertake criminal investigation and charge suspects.

Will video be acceptable proof for the offense of adultery and zina with Chinadoll, Hadi?

UMNO's position all these time to disagree with hudud is that it is PAS's hudud and not Islam's hudud.

This was revealed by a letter Tun Dr Mahathir had addressed to Nik Aziz in his days as Prime Minister when hudud and kafir mengkafir was hot.

Now that PAS is willing to amend the passed but never gazetted hudud law and also establish a technical committee with the authorities, UMNO Kelantan had taken the position that they cannot oppose God's law.

Another consideration is the rising consciousness amongst Muslims which tend to favour for hudud law these days. This is the result of Islamisation facade that swept through the country to counter PAS "Islamic fanaticism". It comes not a definitive description but a quote and unquote one.

PKR have stated they will not vote for the hudud bill in Parliament. Dr Wan Azizah used UMNO's old argument along Makasid Syariah and Sheikh Yusof Qardawi's Fiqh Awlawiyyat.

But is she and her family subscribe to the position in both references with regard to preserve purity in heredity, maintain sexual intercourse to procreation and rejection of zina and LGBT?

As far as the position of MCA, Gerakan, DAP, MIC and all other non Muslims based political parties, their stance is consistent. Malaysia is a secular nation thus hudud law is not applicable, be it for Muslim only or not.

MCA and Gerakan already threaten to leave BN.

DAP's Lim Kit Siang also suggested a new coalition involving parties from Pakatan and BN. It looks as though he is inviting MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese base parties in Sabah and Sarawak.

What can be visually seen is that it will not happen.

It is a zero sum game similar to UMNO and PAS and it will only hasten MCA and Gerakan process of irrelevance to Chinese voters to their immediate demise.

Old man Kit is anticipating more split than just PAS leaving Pakatan. He is seeing DAP and PKR being shooed out of Sabah and Sarawak. This represent the opportunity to stem that problem.

As for Najib, wonder who was the political adviser to suggest supporting PAS on hudud and pursue a UMNO-PAS collabboration.

If he is uncomfortable to break such Parliamentary tradition for fear it will lead to more political complications and lose of control in the future by the precedent set, then maybe it best to delay Parliament.

Wait out decision on Gerakan's lawsuit and act in accordance to Federal Courts interpretation. But that will take years to reach the Federal court and get a decision.

The above image is circulating on the social media but a quick keyword "ABIM hudud" check on Google News reveals no such statement.

The most recent position by ABIM Prersident, Amida Abdul Manan on hudud was to demand Tan Sri Shafee Abdullah to be charged for the syariah crime of qazaf (accusing someone of committing zina without proof) [Read MChronicle here].

If that does not tell you on which side ABIM is politically, see this Sinar Harian You Tube here.

Anyone with some insight into ABIM history knows they have moved from their positive engagement and change from inside stand [read Wikipedia here] to openly declare support for Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Former President Dr Md Nur Manuty joined PKR, ran in Perak for GE13, holds certain position and is the de facto fatwa spinning Strategic Director for PKR.

In a manouvre few years ago before GE13, Md Nur and another former President Ahmad Azam wrestle power to bring ABIM to the opposition. So these days they claim ABIM is focusing on dakwah.

IRC, JIM and IKRAM

A discussion on Islamic activism is inadequate to talk of only ABIM. There is also the less engaging activist IRC, JIM and IKRAM.

Although those establishing ABIM are reknown personalities like Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, Ustaz Ismail Mina, and Ustaz Nawawi, ABIM is seldom associated with Anwar Ibrahim. While, the IRC, JIM and IKRAM group is associated with Saari Sungib.

Saari is the PAS state assemblymen that broke party line to vote in favour of Azmin on the Selangor leadership clash between Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Azmin Ali. He expresed the first opposition to the Datum Jelatek project but has since conveniently sealed his lips.

IKRAM started out in the UK as IRC or Islamic Revolutionary Council by Malayisan students with members including Saari, Khalid Samad, Dato Nizar Jamaluddin and many others.

Upon their return to Malaysia, they reorganise themselves as Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM). [Read Wikipedia on JIM here.]

Where ABIM is more engaging and selectively critical of government, which serves their political aspiration, IRC is known to be more critical and "militant".

They were was rejected by the late PAS President Dato Fadzil Noor, a former ABIM Secretary General [Read this PAS blog here]. Saari may have joined upon the demise of Fadzil Noor and allowed in with help from friends like Khalid Samad and Nizar.

Thanks to Anwar, some of IRC activist like Dr Wan Hasni, Dr Rahim Ghouse and many others end up joining UMNO.

Hasni and Rahim Ghouse was instrumental in strengthening the once ABIM initiated Malaysian Islamic Study Group (MISG) in the US. They had moved from the UK to the US for their Phd and they started their Abrar venture in Connecticut.

Such known MISG personality include new JASA Director General and ABIM activist, Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi. It explains for his adoration for Brotherhood's Malek Bennabi. He came from the UK to complete his sociology doctorate at State University of New York in Binghamton.

A history of Saari, IRC, ABIM and PAS can be found on ISMA website here.

After 22 years, JIM was disbanded in Januari 2013 and regroup as IKRAM [read this news here]. A breakaway group formed ISMA.

The objective of IKRAM duplicates the objective of IRC in the clearly stated rhetorics against "kebatilan dan syubahat" and to uphold "keadilan masyarakat dan kesejahteraan sosial" [read more here].

The new IKRAM does not appeal to the PAS members who still see them as IRC. [Read these two PAS blogs here and here.]

With former IRC like Saari, Khalid Samad, Nizar, Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad and Penang exco Malek Hussein (or known as Malek Itik in Penang) are Islamically compromised, IKRAM will remain silent or even openly emulate Dr Dzul to oppose hudud.

ABIM's stance?

So where does ABIM the Anwar Bin Ibrahim Malaysia (unlike the more often used Brother Anwar Bin Ibrahim these days) stand on hudud?

Anwar has clearly taken a position consistent with his position in UMNO to oppose hudud. As for ABIM, the following is their position as reported by Sinar Harian on January 19, 2015:

It is still non-committal.

So does the non-committal critic of Tun Dr Mahathir's opinion of hudud [read MI here] as Amida bullshit his way on hudud requirement for burden of proof beyond a shadow of doubt in which it is consistent with his remark against Shafee.

Amida refuse to acknowledge that Anwar is a fasiq [read Wikipedia here].

He was convicted and proven beyond reasonable doubt to be a sodomist, adulterer and practise bisexualism. Yet Amida took the trouble to emphasise the offense of qazaf based on a rather out-dated interpretation of requiring 4 acceptable witness.

Qazaf is an offense under hudud which Anwar and Wan Azizah-led PKR opposed. Yet Anwar is filing for an appeal for the decision by the lower syariah court that had thrown his qazaf application.

His theatric include an application to be present for parliament. But his fanatic and misguided supporters would not give a damn..

So ABIM, what will be? A simple Yes or No is sufficient.

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What is ABIM and Ikram's position on hudud law by PAS?