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THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL BLOG BUT A BLOG FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Private eye Bala's wife Selvi breaks silence

INTERVIEW Almost five years after fleeing the country, the widow of the private eye P Balasubramaniam, A Santamil Selvi, has given her first interview to the media.

She was driven to do so, Selvi said, after receiving anonymous phone calls offering her money and education opportunities for her children in exchange for "evidence" that PKR paid her late husband to make his infamous statutory declarations.

NONEThis was in addition to an SMS hoax last month that she would hold a press conference to declare that her husband, Balasubramaniam, had been paid off by lawyers, Selvi told Malaysiakini and KiniTV last Friday.

"After Bala died, they made the offer and I can't take it. That is why I am giving this interview. Before this, I did not even think of giving interviews, but I cannot take it (anymore)," she said of the persistent harassment.

"That is why I want to tell the rakyat what happened to me," Selvi (left) added in the interview, during which she insisted that her husband was "not in anyone's pocket".

Selvi, who had little clue of what her husband was doing, said on that fateful day of July 3, 2008 while she was watching news on television, she was shocked to see her husband appear on the screen.

That morning, Balasubramaniam had called a press conference at the PKR headquarters and announced his first statutory declaration (SD1), in which he linked then deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Najib Abdul Razak to the murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.

'Bala refused to explain'

However, Balasubramaniam refused to explain what was going on when she called him, even though he had previously told her about his encounters with Altantuya.

She had to wait until 2am the following day to see her husband, who came home with a relative, a friend and a police officer named ASP Suresh.

"Bala looked exhausted, tired and worried. I have never seen Bala like that. I asked him what happened but he said, ‘I cannot talk. You talk to Suresh'," she said in the interview, while holding a heart-shaped pillow with a photo of her late husband printed on it along with the word "Sayangku" (My darling).

Selvi claimed that Suresh told her then DPM Najib was offering Balasubramaniam RM5 million in a lump sum, RM20,000 a month, and arrangements for education and for the family to go on a ‘holiday' for a few months, until he becomes the prime minister, as their lives are under threat.

Their passports were prepared later that morning, all within two hours - at that time, the process normally took a week.

This aroused suspicion among the Singapore immigrations officers when the family reached Changi Airport by land later that day. The sharp-eyed officers apparently noticed that the entire family of five were wearing the same clothes as those in their passport photos.

Nevertheless, they were allowed to proceed with their flight to Bangkok, after being briefly questioned.

p balasubramaniam private investigator altantuya murder case 040708 01Hours before departing for Bangkok via Singapore, Balasubramaniam held a press conference in Kuala Lumpur about a second statutory declaration (SD2) (left) that he had signed, to retract his SD1.

Najib has since denied any wrongdoing in the Altantuya case, while Balasubramaniam asserted that his second SD was false and made under duress.

From Bangkok, the family had been constantly on the move for over a month, fleeing to Nepal and to the Indian cities of New Dehli, Madurai and Chennai. Eventually, they settled down in a house in Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

"We were there like refugees. My six-year-old would ask, ‘Ma, do you want me to pack?' as soon as he hears the telephone ring. My heart aches... as a mother I have never seen my son like that," she said.

Initially they moved on Suresh's instructions and had met with his contacts along the way, who provided money and facilitated their travel.

Passports taken away


But upon reaching Madurai, Suresh's contact took away the family members' passports and sent the documents back to Malaysia, and a meeting held with Suresh in Chennai failed to resolve this issue.

The Bala family then sought the help of their relatives to apply for fresh travel documents, and have avoided contact with Suresh since then.

The promised RM5 million and RM20,000 per month never came, and arrangements for the children's education in India were not made until the family secretly returned to Malaysia in 2009 to place the three children in a school, which Selvi said infuriated Suresh.

That was the only time Balasubramaniam ever returned to Malaysia, she said, until he returned again with much fanfare in February this year.

Selvi said she had been able to return to the family home in Rawang, and to her dog, Sharibu, which were under her sister's care, from time to time.

"Bala never came back. If I put the phone to (Sharibu's) ear, it would follow Bala's commands. Sit! And it would sit, because he trained it since it was little," she said.

NONEShe said Sharibu also shed tears when Balasubramaniam died on March 15, after a heart attack. She had never before seen the dog cry.

While in India, Selvi said, her family lived in poverty. She could not work because they lacked the necessary documents. Bala would have to think hard whenever his youngest child craved for a meal from KFC, or when the eldest, who showed promise in drawing, had no paint.

"He drew a picture of his dad at home and these were pretty, but he did not go for art classes or anything because we could not afford it. If I had taken that RM5 million, I could have sent him to art school.

"Many people thought my husband took money. I swear upon my husband's name that he was not paid. Suresh promised, but he did not deliver.

"When he decided to return to Malaysia, I asked him if he no longer wanted to live, and he replied ‘People first'... He died for the people, not for me," Selvi said, breaking into tears.

"What have we done? Is it wrong to tell the truth? Since young, mother taught us to speak the truth. But this is what became of us for being honest," she said.

No life of luxury
Selvi said she could have lived a life of luxury in India if the family had indeed received the money, but now she and her children are concerned that even this interview could endanger her life.

She also expressed disbelief over her husband's death, since he regularly played badminton with the children while in India and had undergone medical check-up on the morning of his death.

To a question, Selvi said she had no wish to return to India because she and her children are all Malaysian citizens.

NONEHowever, she complained, she could not put her three children, now aged 16, 15, and 11 years, in school because they were educated under the Indian syllabus for a number of years and could not continue in government schools.

Private schools in Malaysia offering the same syllabus charge RM30,000 a person annually, which is far beyond her reach.

"So who is going to send my children to school? If the public help... but for how long? We followed Suresh's instructions, that is RM5 million, right? Maybe I could send them to university, but I didn't get the money," she said.

Asked what hopes she had for her children, Selvi said, "I want them to do well in life. I want them to be heroes, like their father."

http://www.mkini.co/news/228492

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Anak Nik Aziz lawan Ibrahim Ali, BN di Pasir Mas

ertembungan menarik dijangka berlaku di Pasir Mas apabila anak menteri besar Kelantan Nik Mohd Abduh Nik Aziz dipilih sebagai calon bagi berentap dengan presiden kumpulan pendesak Melayu PERKASA Datuk Ibrahim Ali dan wakil BN dalam pertandingan tiga penjuru.

Pemilihan anak Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat itu diumumkan di Machang, Kelantan malam tadi bersama calon-calon lain PAS dan PKR di negeri Cik Siti Wan Kembang itu.

BN meletakkan calon yang dilihat bukan pilihan, iaitu Timbalan Ketua Bahagian Umno kawasan Che Johan Che Pa, walaupun pada mulanya khabar angin bertiup kencang bahawa Ibrahim akan menjadi pilihan BN, seperti pemilihan Naib Presiden PERKASA Datuk Zulkifli Noordin di Shah Alam sebagai "calon sahabat BN".

Malah, bekas presiden BN Tun Dr Mahathir sendiri secara terbuka memohon parti itu memilih Ibrahim, serta berikrar mahu turun padang sendiri di Pasir Mas bagi memenangkan veteran politik itu.

Ibrahim pada 16 April, hari yang sama selepas BN mengumumkan calonnya, dengan kecewa akhirnya memilih langkah berani dengan mengisytiharkan akan mempertahankan kerusi itu sebagai calon bebas.

Bagaimanapun, tindakan PAS mempertaruhkan Nik Mohd Abduh tidak akan memberikan laluan mudah kepada Ibrahim, yang menang dalam pilihan raya umum 2008 dengan majoriti 8,991 menggunakan lambang PAS.

Dalam pilihan raya lima tahun lalu, Ibrahim mendapat 28,673 undi mengalahkan calon BN Ahmed Rasdi yang disokong 19,682 pengundi. Pasir Mas mempunyai jumlah pengundi Melayu yang sangat tinggi sebanyak 96 peratus.

Di peringkat nasional, nama Ibrahim memang popular di dada-dada akhbar, termasuk juga ekoran publisiti buruk, tetapi anak Nik Aziz walaupun dianggap "setahun jagung" dalam arena politik, membawa sekali aura luar biasa bapanya yang tidak boleh dipandang remeh.

Malah, Ibrahim juga tidak boleh dianggap selamat kerana pada 2008 belum tentu pengundi memilihnya sebagai individu, tetapi atas lambang yang digunakannya.

Bagaimanapun, walau apa pun situasinya, pemerhati politik berpendapat, keadaan yang berlaku di Pasir Mas tidak akan menguntungkan BN dan berpotensi memecahkah undi mereka sendiri.

Ia pasti mewujudkan serba salah bagi penyokong mereka sama ada mengundi BN atau wakil rakyat lama yang pro-BN.

Keputusan pengundian kerusi itu pada malam 5 Mei ini pasti ditunggu-tunggu semua pihak dengan penuh debaran.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Ibrahim Ali tak dapat calon BN

Presiden kumpulan pendesak Melayu PERKASA Datuk Ibrahim Ali tidak terpilih sebagai calon BN untuk mempertahankan Parlimen Pasir Mas yang dimenanginya dalam pilihan raya umum lalu atas tiket PAS.

BN sebaliknya meletakkan Timbalan Ketua Bahagian Umno kawasan itu Che Johan Che Pa walaupun Ibrahim disebut-sebut bakal bertanding sebelum ini.

Bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir sendiri secara terbuka berharap Ibrahim dipilih sebagai calon BN. Beliau malah sanggup turun berkempen di Pasir Mas sekiranya langkah itu diambil.

Sementara itu, veteran Umno Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah akan mempertahankan kerusi Parlimen Gua Musang dan Presiden Persatuan Bola Sepak Kelantan (Kafa) Tan Sri Annuar Musa pula di Ketereh.

Datuk Seri Dr Awang Adek Husin sekali lagi dicalonkan di Parlimen Bachok.

Sah Ghani lwn Kit Siang di Gelang Patah

Pengerusi BN Johor Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman terpilih sebagai calon BN di Gelang Patah, bakal bertembung dalam persaingan yang dijangka sengit dengan pemimpin popular DAP Lim Kit Siang.

Pengumuman pencalonan Ghani dibuat bersama pelancaran manifesto BN Johor di sebuah hotel di Johor Bahru pagi ini.

Senarai penuh calon BN di peringkat Parlimen dan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) negeri itu turut diumumkan hari ini.

Sementara itu, Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Datuk Seri Mohammed Khaled Nordin akan berpindah daripada kerusi Parlimen Pasir Gudang ke DUN Permas, membuka kemungkinan beliau sebagai calon menteri besar menggantikan Abdul Ghani.

Veteran Umno Tan Sri Shahrir Samad akan mempertahankan Parlimen Johor Bahru sementara bekas ketua Puteri Umno Datuk Azalina Othman ditugaskan mempertahankan Parlimen Pengerang.

Mukhriz turun DUN, kuatkan spekulasi bakal MB

Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Kedah Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir akan bertanding di kerusi DUN Ayer Hitam dalam pilihan raya umum 5 Mei ini.

Ayer Hitam adalah salah satu DUN dalam parlimen Jerlun yang dimenanginya pada pilihan raya umum lalu. Satu lagi DUN adalah Kota Siputeh.

Keputusan parti mempertaruhkan Mukhriz di kerusi tersebut menguatkan lagi desas-desus beliau akan dilantik menjadi menteri besar jika BN menawan semula negeri itu.

Perkara ini sudah lama dispekulasikan, malah pemerhati politik menganggapnya sebagai masalah kerana Mukhriz sering dilihat berusaha menepis cakap-cakap itu.

Kemungkinan itu juga dikatakan kurang disenangi oleh akar umbi, termasuk penyokong pengerusi badan perhubungan Umno negeri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.

Ahmad Bashah mungkin boleh bersetuju, tetapi tidak semestinya menjadi penyokongnya.

Oleh itu, soal penerimaan Mukhriz sebagai calon MB masih tidak jelas dan ini mungkin boleh menjejaskan peluang BN.

Daripada aspek lain pula, Mukriz yang dilihat sebagai 'legasi' bapanya Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mungkin memberi masalah kepada BN dalam rangka menawan negeri Jelapang Padi itu.

Ini kerana difahamkan terdapat kelompok 'anti-Mahathir' dalam BN sendiri yang mungkin gelisah dan tidak senang dengan kemungkinan itu.

Sementara itu, Ahmad Bashah, penyandang kerusi DUN Bakar Bata pula akan mempertahankan kerusi yang dimenanginya pada pilihan raya umum 2008.

Beliau dijangka berdepan dengan bekas pembantu kepada ketua umum PKR, Eekmal Ahmad.

ParlimenLangkawi: Datuk Nawawi Ahmad
Jerlun: Datuk Othman Aziz
Kubang Pasu: Datuk Mohd Johari Baharom
Padang Terap: Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid
Pokok Sena: Datuk Sahlan Ismail
Alor Star: Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung
Kuala Kedah: Dr Zaki Zamani Abdul Rashid
Pendang: Datuk Othman Abdul
Jerai: Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom
Sik: Dr Mansor Abdul Rahman
Merbok: Prof Ismail Daud
Sungai Petani: Dr Shamsul Anuar
Baling: Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim
Padang Serai: Datuk Heng Seai Kie
Kulim Bandar Baharu: Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir

DUNAyer Hangat: Mohd Rawi Abdul Hamid
Kuah: Nor Saidi Nayan
Kota Siputeh: Datuk Abu Hasan Sharif
Ayer Hitam: Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir
Bukit Kayu: Hitam Ahmad Zaini Japar
Jitra: Aminuddin Omar
Kuala Nerang: Badrul Hisham Hashim
Pedu: Kama Nooriah Ibrahim
Bukit Lada: Ahmad Lebai Sudin
Bukit Pinang: Mokhtar Md Nor
Derga: Dr Cheah Soon Hai
Bakar Bata: Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah
Kota Darul Aman: Loh Gim Hooi
Alor Mengkudu: Sharifah Maznah Syed Kassim Barakbah
Anak Buki: Datuk Hashim Jahaya
Kubang Rotan: Datuk Latt Shariman
Pengkalan Kundor: Norhasnita Md Isa
Tokai: Najmuddin Darus
Sungai Tiang: Datuk Suraya Yaacob
Sungai Limau: Mohd Fadzilah Mohd Ali
Guar Chempedak: Datuk Dr Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail
Gurun: Dr Leong Yong Kong
Belantek: Datuk Mohd Tajudin Abdullah
Jeneri: Mahadzir Abdul Hamid
Bukit Selambau: M Maran
Tanjung Dawai: Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain
Pantai Merdeka: Datuk Ali Yahaya
Bakar Arang: Dr Lee Yean Wang
Sidam: Bee Shiong Heng
Bayu: Datuk Azmi Che Husain
Kupang: Harun Abdul Aziz
Kuala Ketil: Mohd Khairul Azhar Abdullah
Merbau Pulas: Datuk Marlia Abdul Latif
Lunas: S Ananthan
Kulim: Chua Thiong Ghee
Bandar Baharu: Nor Sabrina Mohd Noor

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/226941

Naib presiden PERKASA Zul Noordin calon BN Shah Alam

Naib presiden kumpulan pendesak Melayu PERKASA Zulkifli Noordin dipilih sebagai calon BN di Shah Alam menentang penyandangnya Khalid Samad.

Zulkifli sebelum ini menang di Kulim Bandar Baru menggunakan logo PKR sebelum menjadi wakil bebas.

Namanya diumumkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang juga pengerusi BN Selangor di Shah Alam hari ini.

Pertembungan ini pasti mengimbau kembali kes 2010 apabila Zulkifli dipecat oleh PKR, ekoran kes berkaitan Khalid.

Tindakan itu diambil antaranya kerana beliau membuat laporan polis terhadap Khalid atas dakwaan menghina enakmen Selangor yang menghalang bukan Islam menggunakan kalimah Allah.

Menariknya juga, Zulkifli juga kali ini akan menentang calon daripada PAS, yang juga parti lamanya, sebelum menyertai PKR sebelum ini.

Mohamad Hassan kekal di Rantau, Lilah ke Palong

Menteri Besar sementara Negeri Sembilan, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan bakal mempertahankan kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Rantau yang kini disandangnya, dalam pilihan raya umum 5 Mei ini.
Rantau adalah satu daripada empat kerusi DUN dalam parlimen Rembau.
Manakala ketua bahagian Jempol Datuk Lilah Yassin pula, berpindah ke kerusi DUN Palong untuk memberi laluan kepada bekas menteri besar, Tan Sri Isa Samad untuk bertanding di parlimen itu.
Sebelum ini Lilah adalah ahli parlimen Jempol. DUN Palong adalah satu daripada empat kerusi dalam parlimen itu.

Pengumuman itu dibuat Mohamad Hassan selaku pengerusi BN Negeri Sembilan di kediaman rasminya di Seremban pagi tadi.

Isa Samad lawan Aishah di Jempol

Bekas menteri besar Negeri Sembilan Tan Sri Isa Samad bakal mencabar calon PAS Aishah atau Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin di parlimen Jempol pada pilihan raya umum 5 Mei ini.

Sebelum ini Isa yang juga pengerusi Felda merupakan wakil rakyat DUN Bagan Pinang selepas menang dalam pilihan raya kecil 2009.

Manakala Aishah yang terkenal dengan lagu "Janji Manismu" pula pertama kali menyertai pilihan raya selepas menyertai parti itu.

Manakala naib ketua bahagian Jelebu, Zainuddin Ismail pula menggantikan penyandang kerusi parlimen itu Datuk Seri Rais Yatim yang juga bekas menteri penerangan.

Zainuddin akan berdepan dengan ketua penerangan Dewan Muslimat PAS Aiman Athirah di kerusi tersebut.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/226948

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Pengarah SPR S'gor akui ada pengundi meragukan

Ahli Parlimen Klang, Charles Santiago mendakwa bahawa Pengarah Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Selangor, Dzulkifli Abdul Rahman mengakui bahawa seorang penolong pendaftar Umno telah mendaftarkan ramai pengundi yang meragukan.

Charles mendakwa, perkara itu diakui oleh Dzulkifli dalam satu pertemuan dengannya selama 45 minit di pejabat SPR Selangor hari ini.

NONESPR sebelum ini berkata, individu yang sama telah mendaftar S
Dinesh, 32, yang tinggal di Britain, sebagai seorang pengundi tahun lalu tanpa pengetahuannya.

"Saya bertanya kepadanya (Dzulkifli) berapa ramai pengundi yang telah didaftar oleh orang ini. Beliau kata 'ramai'," kata Charles.

Bagaimanapun Dzulkifli, menurut Charles, berkata SPR tidak boleh mengeluarkan nama Dinesh dari daftar pemilih  kerana Seksyen 9(a) Akta Pilihan Raya, melarang nama dibuang dari daftar pemilih yang telah diwartakan.

"Mereka berselindung di sebalik Seksyen 9(a)," kata Charles yang mendakwa mereka mengakui undang-undang dilanggar tetapi tidak mengambil sebarang tindakan.

Dzulkifli bagaimanapun tidak hadir di sidang media Charles itu yang diadakan di pejabat SPR Selangor.

source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/225578