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Home Ministry warns Herald to stick to “religion”

Anil Netto
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herald cover

The Herald has highlighted current events and related them to faith

The latest issue of the Herald (20 July), the Catholic weekly, carries a little note below its editorial, which I reproduce here:

NOTE

Warning letter from Home Ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs has warned us to work within their designated term and category “agama”. Their warning letter fails to indicate what they mean by “agama”. Can HERALD stop ‘awakening the consciences’ as the Pope teaches us? Are they interfering in matters that pertain to our religion?

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Enthusiastic response for Anwar in BN-stronghold Johor

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This was Anwar’s ceramah on 20 July 2008 in Sri Gading, Johor. Anwar is in his element and the crowd soaks it in.

He claims that when he was brought from the police station to the hospital, the roads were closed to others.

He tells the crowd not to read Utusan Malaysia as he says their reports allegedly insult the intelligence of the Malays; instead he recommends that they read the Chinese newspapers. “I know you can’t understand the language, but there are lots of pictures in them!” he jokes.

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Puspakom gets additional concession, 15-yr extension

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Puspakom, the entity which inspects vehicles for road-worthiness, has been granted a 15-year extension of its concession by the government.

That’s not all. The government has also agreed to revise the company’s rates and to award it another concession for the mandatory inspection of second-hand vehicles prior to transfer of ownership.

The Edge business weekly has expressed concern about the 15-year extension. The paper said the government should have reviewed Puspakom’s track record in carrying out inspections since 1994 -and considered some of the bad press it has received – before granting the extension.

The government will only review the company’s performance at five-year intervals. Puspakom made a net profit of RM18 million from turnover of RM76 million for its 2007 financial year. By the time the government reviews its performance in five years’ time, the company could have raked in a further RM90 million or so, The Edge noted.

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Putting the RM2b Penang Sentral cart before the horse

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Penang Sentral
RM2 billion terminal – but not enough funds for public transport (Image from penangsentral.com.my)

So we are going to have a montrous RM2 billion terminal in Butterworth that is supposed to be the gateway to Penang.

This project is supposed to be located on a 12.8ha site “at the existing Butterworth train, bus and ferry terminal and will integrate KTM’s rail services, road transport facilities and the ferry services operated by Penang Port”.

It’s going to be a big money project for Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputra Berhad (PHBB).

Last year, The Star reported that “it would have two ferry platforms, two monorail platforms, four train platforms, 50 bus platforms and 4,000 parking bays”.

Oops, no federal money for monorail – or trams for that matter – now. It’s pathetic that the state has to celebrate because the federal government has approved RM40 million to revive the broken down Penang Hill railway. (Under the Penang Hill project, a new one-stretch cable railway track will be laid between the lower and upper stations, doing away with the present middle station, reports Malaysiakini. The rail track will be laid to accommodate larger and longer funicular trains.)

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Why not reveal Saiful’s police report?

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Aliran president P Ramakrishnan has come up with an apt response to Syed Hamid Albar’s statement. He is asking the Minister why Saiful’s police report has not been revealed to Anwar. Why is it so difficult to show Anwar the report? Good question.

What is Syed Hamid Albar afraid of?

In a rhetorical stance, the Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar posed this question to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, “What is he afraid of?” Aliran would like to pose this very question to Syed Hamid, “What is he afraid of?” Why are they afraid to release the police report lodged by Mohd Saiful Bukari Azlan against Anwar Ibrahim on 28 June alleging sodomy? Full statement

What happens when Unesco finds out about this?

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George Town building spree threatens world heritage site

The Pier project along Weld Quay

The Rice Miller Hotel project (Images courtesy of http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=22767668)

See poll at end of entry

Barely has the news about George Town’s listing as a Unesco World Heritage Site sunk in than we learn of a building spree in the heritage and heritage buffer zones of this historical city.

In fact, the three-day celebrations on 25-27 July to mark the heritage listing have not yet begun. But already, reports tell us that high-rise buildings and massive commercial development will be allowed in the historical zone. I am going to find it hard to celebrate for a single day, let alone three days.

Property development projects in the pipeline:

  • AGB Sdn Bhd’s RM500 million “The Pier at Weld Quay” project including the 100-room Rice Miller boutique hotel at Weld Quay: 100,000 sq feet commercial plaza, 160,000 sq feet retail podium, 23 small office-house-office (Soho) townhouses and 105 condominiums;
  • Low Yat Group’s 23-storey hotel project along Millionaire’s Row (Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah), said to be in the heritage buffer zone;
  • Boustead’s RM100 million Royale Bintang Hotel (4 star, 295 rooms) project behind the post office in Downing Street;
  • Extension of E&O Hotel.
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Anwar lashes out at his treatment

Anil Netto
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Read his press statement here.

An incredulous Australian friend sent me an email this afternoon:

“Anwar’s plight is still a topic on the news here. Arrested by hooded and armed police it seems. I wonder if those that are behind these tricks know what it all looks like from a distance? That he has been taken away for DNA testing has also been reported.”

Hadi confirms Pas will remain with Pakatan

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Dark clouds hung in the sky this morning, reflecting the mood of the nation, and then it rained … showers of blessing, perhaps?

Anyway, it’s turning out to be not a bad day at all for those yearning for justice and freedom in our land. Anwar released on bail (read his press statement here), Raja Petra freed on bail, and now this…

After all the speculation in the media that the Hadi Awang faction in Pas was getting too close to Umno for comfort, the Pas president has today stressed (menegaskan) that Pas will continue its struggle with Pakatan Rakyat to create a government that is “trustworthy, clean and just”.

This from Hakarah Daily:

Presiden PAS, Dato’ Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang menegaskan bahawa PAS akan terus berjuang bersama Pakatan Rakyat bagi mewujudkan sebuah kerajaan yang amanah, bersih dan adil.

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Raja Petra freed on bail (updated/corrected)

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Thank God he is out – for now. Next appearance in court: 15 August.

Updated: According to The Star, they have charged him with three counts of criminal defamation after Raja Petra had earlier protested that the charges were defective. I got in touch with Zunar, the Suara Keadilan editor, who had just returned from overseas, and he told me he had received news that bail was finally reduced to RM2,000, which Raja Petra posted after consulting his wife.

The earlier report on the Suara Keadilan website, picked up by Malaysia Today, appears inaccurate. Apologies for the confusion.

Next change: Anwar out, Raja Petra in

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So Anwar has been released on police bail and it’s now Raja Petra’s turn to face the music. He has been arrested and is being taken to court to face a charge of criminal defamation.

What on earth is happening to Malaysia? Many have drawn comparisons with the events of 1998. But there are a couple of crucial differences between then and now.

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