Let’s cut to the chase

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Let’s get to the point. Aliran’s P Ramakrishnan has issued a press release, in which he says:

If the PM can either confirm or deny what has been written concerning him on two counts, it can bring to a close the controversy that is presently raging.

  1. The private accounts that have been attributed to him in the AmIslamic Bank – are they his personal accounts?
  2. The alleged RM2.6bn that had found its way into these accounts – is this indeed true?

The PM so far has not denied these but can he at least affirm that these are facts?

If he can do these, we need not go after those who are only acting in the interest of the nation. These innocent people need not be hounded and their lives made difficult.

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Sungai Ara hill-top clearing above 250-feet threshold

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Sungai Ara hill-top clearing above 250-feet threshold
The white line in the satellite image is the contour indicating 250 feet above sea level. If that’s the case, the image shows that the hill-clearing lies above the 250-feet threshold allowed in state guidelines.
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Thai top cop tells IGP to ‘use proper channels’; Is Najib now a lame-duck PM?

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The Bangkok Post reports:

Pol Gen Somyot advised his Malaysian counterpart Khalid Abu Bakar in talks at the Royal Thai Police Office that Malaysia must use the proper channels, including the Office of the Attorney-General and the Foreign Ministry, for information about Xavier Andre Justo because he is not a Malaysian national.

The police chief repeated Thailand’s position on no green light for Malaysian authorities to probe the Swiss man and reminded Mr Khalid that the police investigation into the case remained unfinished.

No luck there, I suppose. This is the second time in a week that the Malaysian authorities are trying to get access to Justo to determine if he should be extradited. The first unsuccessful attempt was on 16 July.

Meanwhile, is Najib now a lame-duck PM, in the same way that the Tunku was after May 13 and Abdullah Badawi after GE2008, before they stepped down (or were phased out, if you like)?

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Gaping scars on hill-slopes of Sungai Ara, Penang

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Gaping scars on hill-slopes of Sungai Ara, Penang
What’s going on at this steep hill-slope in Sungai Ara? It should be visible from the Jalan Kenari area, not far from Divine Mercy Church. Is it a property development project? How steep is this hill-slope? Is it a Class III or Class IV hill-slope? Is it less than 250 feet above sea level?
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There HAS been a new land reclamation deal in Penang post-2008

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There HAS been a new land reclamation deal in Penang post-2008
Contrary to the Penang state government’s position… Is it really true there has been no new land reclamation since 2008? What about the Bayan Mutiara land deal in 2011? I blogged back then that Ivory Properties had received a letter of acceptance from PDC for ‘mixed development’ of 68 acres of existing land and 35 acres to be reclaimed.
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So what is the petrol pump price going to be at end-July?

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So what is the petrol pump price going to be at end-July?
The last time around, at the end of June 2015, petrol pump prices rose by 10-20 sen per litre under our ‘wonderful’ monthly float system even though the global oil price fell during the month. So what will the price be at the end of July given that the oil price has dropped even more in July (so far)?
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A message from Anwar Ibrahim

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We haven’t heard from Anwar for a while, so here is a message from him: DS Anwar: “Rakyat Malaysia Perlu Bersatu dan Bertekad Untuk Selamatkan Negara Kita” Berikut adalah perutusan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kepada rakyat Malaysia yang disampaikan melalui peguam beliau pada 21 Julai 2015:

“Negara kita terus berada di dalam krisis yang semakin teruk, manakala kerajaan BN terus menafikan keadaan ini. Nilai mata wang ringgit merudum, tatkala rasuah dan skandal kewangan mencapai tahap yang belum pernah disaksikan sejak Merdeka lagi.

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Sarawak Report block a sign Umno is losing the propaganda battle

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Sarawak Report block a sign Umno is losing the propaganda battle
The move to block the Sarawak Report website and Lim Kok Wing’s resignation are signs that the BN is losing the propaganda war over 1MDB and other scandals.
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So no massive land reclamation in Penang in the offing then?

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The present Penang state government may not have granted any land reclamation rights since 2008, but recently concern has been expressed about possible land reclamation to finance the RM27bn Penang Transport Masterplan (of which RM17bn is for the construction of more roads and highways). The following is an extract of a descriptive piece written for Malaysiakini by Mariam Mokhtar about a dialogue in London with the Penang Chief Minister.

The question that irked Lim was as innocuous as those that preceded it, but they brought passion to Lim. They were about the sustainability of development in Penang, hillside development and the threat posed to the breeding grounds of fish, by land reclamation.

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Selamat Hari Raya

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Selamat Hari Raya
Maaf zahir dan batin to all readers. Zahir refers to the outer, material or physical or what is apparent whereas batin refers to the inner, spiritual or what is not so apparent. So “maaf zahir dan batin” refers to seeking forgiveness for both these kinds of transgressions. After all these years, I only learned that from a Muslim friend yesterday. May the peace, goodwill, compassion, love, justice, unity and the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation among us this Raya prevail over those promoting hatred, illwill and divisiveness. For your reading pleasure this weekend, check out these two articles: Ramadhan reflections on 1MDB, sarongs and the Low Yat brawl by Zaharom Nain, published by Aliran. In Malaysian politics, keep calm and amok on! by Sophie Lemiere, originally published by New Mandala. This piece discusses Pekida among other things.
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New hope with Harapan Baru?

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New hope with Harapan Baru?
The following statement was released with the launch of Harapan Baru at a hotel in KL yesterday. What do you think? Does it really bring about new hope? I believe this new entity/movement provides a platform for a more enlightened, inclusive and progressive alternative to Pas’ increasingly conservative approach to Islam and its bewildering rapprochement with Umno. That can’t be a bad thing for the country; in fact, it is a movement whose time has come.
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The Lowyat incident

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I am disappointed at how a phone theft was manipulated by certain groups to turn it into an incident with racial overtones, which then allowed some to try and take the law into their own hands. Look at this guy, for instance: But I believe most Malaysians are sensible and mature enough not to be swayed or diverted from the real issues facing the nation.
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Flight with plane door open?

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Flight with plane door open?
This video was circulating on Whatsapp (I don’t know who filmed it). I put it up on Youtube for you all to establish if it is genuine (that’s the reason for the question mark) and if so, to try and establish which flight and route it is.
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Include Income Tax Department top official in task force

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The top official from the income tax department should be included in the task force investigating the Wall Street Journal’s allegations.
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Fading Malaysian dream: Now it is a question of survival

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Fading Malaysian dream: Now it is a question of survival
Is this the result of our neoliberal economic policies driven by cronyism and corruption?
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New electric trains: No direct B’worth-KL service; utter confusion over schedules

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The new KL to Padang Besar electric train service opens today. Most people are excited about it. But wait…
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Penang Forum: Green building incentives not eco friendly

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This is a statement released by Penang Forum: Where is the logic when sustainable energy initiatives are rewarded with higher density and non-sustainable developments elsewhere?
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What is Bank Negara doing in the task force?

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What is Bank Negara doing in the task force?
I am not sure what Bank Negara officers are doing in the task force to investigate The Wall Street Journal’s expose that US$700m allegedly landed in Najib’s bank accounts.
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EXPOSED: Key documents from government probe of Najib

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EXPOSED: Key documents from government probe of Najib
The Wall Street Journal has published what appear to be damning documents from a Malaysian government probe of bank tranfers of money into accounts in AmBank Islamic belonging to Najib. See the government probe documents here. Meanwhile, six bank accounts have been frozen. It is difficult to see how Najib can extricate himself from this situation.
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Mob disrupts DAP kopitiam dialogue in Johor (Videos)

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Mob disrupts DAP kopitiam dialogue in Johor (Videos)
While the fallout from the allegations in WSJ and Sarawak Report simmers, a mob disrupted a DAP briefing in Johor yesterday.
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