Caution: Video contains graphic scenes that could disturb viewers. Kugan Ananthan, 22, from Puchong was arrested on 15 Jan in connection with car theft cases. He collapsed and died on 20 January at the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya. A Serdang Hospital post-mortem revealed he died due to ‘liquid in his lungs’. The family are now seeking an independent post-mortem.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s directive that federal departments and agencies in Perak should not attend meetings organised by the state government clearly runs against the spirit of our Constitution and our system of federalism. The move reportedly was to prevent the state-elected Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) from gaining access to federal agencies. The federal agencies were also barred from considering the recommendations put forward by these JKKKs. Only the federal JKKKs would be recognised. “Among the issues that required the recommendations of federal committees were scholarship applications and entries into institutes of higher learning.” Such a directive penalises the rakyat as federal agencies are there to provide service to the people and obtain feedback from the ground. If federal agences are not present at state government meetings to listen to views from the ground, how will the federal and state governments be able [Read more]
As we celebrate the end of the nightmarish George W administration, journalism professor Robert Jensen has come up with his updated Citizens’ Oath of Office to remind us of the core problems of empire and economics — US domination around the world and corporate domination worldwide — which, he says, remain as threatening as ever. “I do solemnly pledge that I will faithfully execute the office of citizen of the United States, and that I will, to the best of my ability, help create a truly democratic world by (1) going beyond mainstream corporate news media to seek out information about important political, economic, and social issues; (2) engaging fellow citizens, including those who disagree with me, in serious discussion and debate about those issues; (3) committing as much time, energy, and money as possible to help build [authentic] grassroots political organizations that can pressure politicians to put the interests [Read more]
The economic tsunami has reached our shores. Regionally, the numbers look dismal: Singapore is experiencing its worst downturn in post-war years, Korea down over 5 per cent of GDP, Japan exports down 35 per cent, China growth down to 6.8 per cent. And now Intel is shutting “two existing assembly test facilities in Penang”. The two plants in Penang are among four Intel facilities worldwide that have been targeted for closure in 2009. The closures could shed at least 5,000 jobs globally within the firm, which employs 83,000 worldwide. The Star, however, reports: Intel Corp’s corporate affairs manager in Penang Loo Cheng Cheng said the two affected facilities, the PG6 and PG7 plants, where manufacturing takes place, were the company’s older and smaller plants. “We have a total of six plants in Malaysia running manufacturing, research and development and other services. “With three plants in Penang and another three in [Read more]
23 for 23rd. The hearing for the 23 Abolish ISA vigil/Bersih anniversary participants who are to be charged at the PJ Magistrates Court has been postponed to 9.00am on Friday, 23 January.