Tun M : Politik wang dalam perebutan Timbalan Presiden Umno

(Hrkh) - Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad tidak menolak kemungkinan gejala politik wang juga wujud bagi jawatan Timbalan Presiden dengan mengambil kira keputusan proses pencalonan apabila persidangan perwakilan bahagian berakhir 9 November lalu.

Bekas Presiden Umno itu juga mengakui, seluruh negara mengetahui bahawa pemimpin-pemimpin Umno, walaupun bukannya semua, mengamalkan politik wang ketika pemilihan parti.

Walaupun mereka yang mengamalkan politik wang boleh menjadi pemimpin, tetapi Dr Mahathir menjangka mereka tidak mungkin dipilih oleh rakyat dalam pilihan raya.

Bagaimanapun jelas Dr. Mahathir, menghapuskan sistem kuota bukan cara untuk mengatasi politik wang.

Minggu lalu, Pengerusi Lembaga Disiplin Umno, Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail menyifatkan gejala politik wang sebagai paling serius.

Beliau meminta pucuk pimpinan Umno segera menyelamatkan parti itu daripada kehancuran berikutan berleluasanya politik wang pada pemilihan sekarang yang disifatkan paling serius dengan lebih 900 aduan telah diterima setakat ini.

Ketika diminta mengulas lanjut mengenai perebutan jawatan Timbalan Presiden Umno, Dr. Mahathir berkata, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin merupakan calon terbaik bagi jawatan.

Selain Muhyiddin yang juga Naib Presiden, turut layak bertanding jawatan tersebut ialah seorang lagi Naib Presiden, Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam dan Ketua Penerangan Umno, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib.

Bernama sebelum ini melaporkan bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menyifatkan calon-calon lain untuk jawatan Timbalan Presiden Umno selain Muhyiddin sebagai "pak lawak".

Mengenai orang yang berkemungkinan menjadi timbalan Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Dr Mahathir berkata, ia sepatutnya Muhyiddin dan pesaing lain yang ada sekarang bagi mengisi jawatan Timbalan Presiden Umno hanyalah 'pak lawak' semata-mata.

Tun M : Buang pemimpin amal politik wang dari Umno

(mStar Online) - Pemimpin-pemimpin Umno yang mengamalkan politik wang patut dibuang daripada parti supaya ia menjadi pengajaran kepada yang lain, kata bekas Presiden Umno, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr. Mahathir berkata, seluruh negara mengetahui bahawa pemimpin-pemimpin Umno, walaupun bukannya semua, mengamalkan politik wang ketika pemilihan parti.

Justeru, kata beliau, mereka yang mengamalkan politik wang boleh menjadi pemimpin tetapi tidak mungkin dipilih oleh rakyat dalam pilihan raya.

"Jika tidak kita akan kalah dalam pilihan raya seterusnya," katanya.

"Seluruh negara tahu pemimpin Umno guna wang. Bila datang kepada pemimpin semuanya korup tetapi tidak semua guna wang.

"Kamu boleh jadi pemimpin Umno tetapi tidak mungkin akan dipilih rakyat," kata beliau kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.

Bekas Perdana Menteri itu tidak menolak kemungkinan gejala politik wang juga wujud bagi jawatan Timbalan Presiden dengan mengambil kira keputusan proses pencalonan apabila persidangan perwakilan bahawan berakhir 9 November lalu.

Minggu lalu, Pengerusi Lembaga Disiplin Umno, Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail menyifatkan gejala politik wang sebagai paling serius.

Beliau meminta pucuk pimpinan Umno segera menyelamatkan parti itu daripada kehancuran berikutan berleluasanya politik wang pada pemilihan sekarang yang disifatkan paling serius dengan lebih 900 aduan telah diterima setakat ini.

Malah, Sabtu lalu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, anggota Umno yang terbabit dalam politik wang pada pemilihan parti Mac tahun depan sepatutnya tidak diberi tempat dalam kepimpinan parti.

Sambil berharap anggota Umno memilih pemimpin yang bersih untuk mengangkat perjuangan parti bangsa Melayu itu ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi lagi, Najib yang juga Timbalan Perdana Menteri berkata, jika mereka yang terbabit dalam mainan politik wang tetap diberikan tempat, akhirnya ia akan merosakkan kredibiliti Umno itu sendiri.

Ketika diminta mengulas lanjut, Dr. Mahathir berkata, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin merupakan calon terbaik bagi jawatan Timbalan Presiden.

Selain Muhyiddin yang juga Naib Presiden, turut layak bertanding jawatan tersebut ialah seorang lagi Naib Presiden, Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam dan bekas Naib Presiden, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib.

Muhammad kini merupakan anggota Kabinet dan Ketua Penerangan Umno serta Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Selangor.

Bagaimanapun jelas Dr. Mahathir, menghapuskan sistem kuota bukan cara untuk mengatasi politik wang.

Ketika ditanya cadangannya menghapuskan politik wang, Dr. Mahathir berkata: "Saya ada cangan tetapi tak tahulah sama ada akan diterima atau tidak."

Malaysiakini.com : Dr M: Beli undi jejaskan peluang Umno menang p'raya

Mantan Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mengingatkan ahli-ahli Umno bahawa perbuatan calon-calon menggunakan wang untuk membeli undi dalam pemilhan parti itu akan menjejaskan peluang Umno dalam pilihanraya umum akan datang.

Katanya, semua orang tahu yang pemimpin Umno menggunakan wang untuk terpilih memegang jawatan parti.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, bukan kesemua pemimpin Umno itu menggunakan wang untuk menang dalam pemilihan parti.

Namun, tambah Dr Mahathir, majoriti daripada mereka berbuat demikian.

Katanya, mereka boleh menjadi pemimpin dalam Umno tetapi rakyat tidak akan memilih orang yang rasuah dalam pilihanraya umum nanti.

Dr Mahathir memberita pemberita demikian selepas menyampaikan ucaptamanya mengenai Bangsa Malaysia di Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana di Putrajaya hari ini.

Malaysiakini.com : Pendakwa dibenar analisis semula CPU Raja Petra

Mahkamah Sesyen Petaling Jaya hari ini membenarkan permohonan pihak pendakwaan bagi saksi mereka mengekstrak dan menganalisis semula dokumen yang belum dibuka di dalam unit pemprosesan komputer (CPU) dan komputer riba milik Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin.

Keputusan itu disampaikan oleh Majistret Ho Kwang Chin yang menyebut bagi Hakim Rozina Ayob yang bercuti sakit pada hari ini.

Ho berkata mahkamah membenarkan saksi pihak pendakwaan, ASP Waie Isqal Kria Abdullah dari Unit Siasatan Forensik Komputer Bukit Aman, mengekstrak dan menganalisis semula dokumen yang masih belum dibuka.

Mahkamah turut membenarkan kehadiran peguam tertuduh dan pihak pendakwa untuk melihat proses itu yang akan dilakukan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman atau di mahkamah, menurut dilaporkan Bernama.

Raja Petra, 58, pengendali dan penulis blog Malaysia Today, dituduh menerbitkan artikel berbaur hasutan di rumahnya di No. 5, Jalan BRP 5/5, Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh.

Artikel bertajuk "Let's Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell" itu diterbitkan dalam www.malaysia-today.net pada 25 April.

Pertuduhan mengikut Seksyen 4(1)(c) Akta Hasutan 1948 itu membawa hukuman denda maksimum RM5,000 atau penjara tiga tahun atau kedua-duanya jika sabit kesalahan.

Ho kemudian menetapkan perbicaraan disambung selama tiga hari bermula 16 Disember depan.

Semalam, Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Ishak Mohd Yusof, memohon kepada mahkamah untuk Waie melakukan proses tersebut bagi mendapatkan maklumat berhubung beberapa dokumen yang belum dibuka dan dibaca ketika penganalisaan kali pertama dibuat.

Malaysiakini.com : Mahkamah tolak permohonan Samy

Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam hari ini menolak dengan kos perintah injunksi interim yang dipohon Presiden MIC Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu bagi menghalang bekas ketua pemuda MIC, M Vigneswaran dan tiga yang lain daripada terus menerbitkan artikel berunsur fitnah mengenai beliau.

Hakim Rosnaini Saub dalam keputusannya berkata Samy Vellu (foto) gagal memuaskan hati mahkamah mengapa beliau perlu perintah injunksi interim itu dikeluarkan terhadap keempat-empat defendan tersebut.

Rosnaini dalam penghakiman bertulisnya berkata, tiada keterangan yang menunjukkan defendan-defendan itu mempunyai niat atau bercadang untuk mengulangi penerbitan dari tempoh artikel itu diterbitkan pada 7 Julai 2008 sehinggalah kepada tarikh Samy Vellu memperoleh perintah injunksi interim ex-parte pada 29 Julai 2008.

"Oleh itu dalam keadaan yang sedemikian, saya tidak nampak mengapa mahkamah perlu memberikan perintah injunksi yang dipohon oleh plaintif (Samy Vellu) di sini. Dengan lain perkataan, plaintif telah gagal menunjukkan keperluan untuk mewujudkan injunksi interim itu," kata Rosnaini dalam keputusannya yang dibacakan di dalam kamarnya.

Menurut Bernama, pada 29 Julai lalu, Samy Vellu memperoleh perintah injunksi interim ex-parte daripada Mahkamah Tinggi sama bagi menghalang kesemua defendan daripada terus menerbitkan artikel mengandungi fitnah mengenai beliau.

Bagaimanapun, hari ini mahkamah setelah mendengar hujahan peguam yang mewakili Samy Vellu dan keempat-empat defendan dalam perbicaraan injunksi inter-partes memutuskan menolak permohonan injunksi Samy Vellu.

Bekas menteri kerja raya itu pada 24 Julai 2008 memfailkan writ saman terhadap Vigneswaran, editor syarikat akhbar harian Tamil iaitu Malaysia Nanban, M Maryanandy, penerbit akhbar Malaysia Nanban Penerbitan Sahabat (M) Sdn Bhd dan syarikat percetakan akhbar itu Aslita Sdn Bhd dan menamakan mereka sebagai defendan.

'Dakwa ada unsur-unsur fitnah'

Dalam pernyataan tuntutannya, Samy Vellu memohon gantirugi RM10 juta bagi libel, gantirugi untuk tort konspirasi, gantirugi teruk, kos dan lain-lain relif yang difikirkan sesuai oleh mahkamah.

Samy Vellu mendakwa defendan pertama Vigneswaran dan defendan ketiga iaitu Penerbitan Sahabat telah menerbitkan kenyataan fitnah berkaitan dirinya.

Defendan keempat Aslita Sdn Bhd didakwa telah mencetak artikel berbentuk fitnah itu dan defendan kedua merupakan pengarang akhbar berkenaan yang seharusnya bertanggungjawab terhadap artikel terbabit.

Samy Vellu berkata artikel berkenaan yang diterbitkan pada 9 Julai lepas pada muka surat satu dan sambungan artikel itu di muka surat empat akhbar Malaysia Nanban mempunyai unsur-unsur fitnah dan menjejaskan kredibiliti dan nama baiknya.

Beliau juga mendakwa tindakan para defendan bukan sahaja mencemarkan imejnya sebagai presiden parti tetapi juga mengubah tanggapan orang ramai terhadap keupayaan parti dalam melindungi kepentingan masyarakat India.

Vigneswaran pada 13 Ogos lepas memfailkan afidavit jawapan dengan mendakwa segala kenyataan yang dikeluarkan oleh beliau adalah benar dan bukan fitnah dan kenyataan yang dikeluarkan itu adalah untuk menjalankan tanggungjawab beliau membela nasib golongan belia India.

'Sukar tentukan terjemahan'

Samy Vellu diwakili peguam S. Selvam sementara Vigneswaran diwakili peguam A Vasanthi dan A. Kumar dan tiga defendan lain diwakili peguam C S Arumugam dan Khairun Niza Husnin.

Hakim Rosnaini dalam penghakimannya berkata artikel yang disiarkan dan diterbitkan dalam bahasa Tamil dan terjemahannya dalam Bahasa Malaysia telah mewujudkan pertikaian kerana plaintif dan defendan pertama, kedua dan ketiga masing-masing mengemukakan terjemahan sendiri.

Beliau berkata dengan keadaan sedemikian, mahkamah mendapati sukar untuk menentukan terjemahan siapakah yang lebih tepat dan harus diterima.

"Apa pun saya berpendapat elok isu ini diputuskan di perbicaraan penuh kes ini. Bagaimanapun kewujudan terjemahan yang berbeza ini menjadikan kes tuntutan fitnah plaintif bukan satu kes yang ketara atau jelas," katanya.

Mengenai pembelaan dan afidavit balasan yang difailkan oleh defendan pertama (Vigneswaran), Rosnaini berkata ia bolehlah dirumuskan bahawa dalam kes ini pembelaan justifikasi dan komen yang adil oleh Vigneswaran tidak boleh dikatakan tidak berasas, terutamanya mengenai peruntukan RM20 juta yang dikatakan diberikan oleh kerajaan atas permintaan plaintif.

Beliau berkata merit pembelaan ini bagaimanapun hanya patut diputuskan pada perbicaraan penuh kes saman. Mahkamah, bagaimanapun belum lagi menetapkan sebarang tarikh untuk pengurusan kes saman Samy Vellu itu.

Malaysiakini.com : Exco S'gor ditahan, dibebas dengan jaminan polis

Polis menahan exco Kerajaan Selangor, Ronnie Liu sewaktu tiba di bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri (SUK) di Shah Alam tengah hari tadi.

Ronnie ditahan berhubung laporan polis yang mendakwa beliau menghalang tugas pegawai penguatkuasa Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) dalam satu operasi mencegah maksiat di sebuah hotel di Puchong tahun lalu.

Ronnie yang ahli Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Pandamaran ditahan oleh anggota polis di pintu masuk ke bangunan tersebut pada kira-kira jam 2 petang.

Beliau ditahan ketika dalam perjalanan untuk menghadiri mesyuarat exco negeri.

Ronnie kemudiannya dibawa ke balai polis Puchong.

Elizabeth yang menyaksikan Ronnie ditahan berkata, Ronnie dijangka didakwa di mahkamah majlis Petaling Jaya Isnin depan.

Ronnie kemudiannya dibebaskan dengan jaminan polis pada jam kira-kira 3.15 petang.

Beliau juga telah diarahkan hadir di mahkamah majistret Petaling Jaya Isnin ini.

Utusan Malaysia melaporkan pada 3 November 2007 bahawa polis menahan Ronnie, yang ketika itu ahli jawatankuasa pusat DAP, kerana didakwa bertindak mengganggu tugas penyitaan oleh pihak berkuasa ke atas sebuah hotel yang menjalankan kegiatan tidak bermoral di Bandar Puchong Jaya.

Kejadian itu dilaporkan berlaku pada jam 6.30 petang berikutan serbuan ke atas hoel itu yang membawa kepada penangkapakan 22 pelacur warga asing dan 12 lelaki dipercayai pelanggan.

Ronnie,disiasat mengikut Seksyen 186 Kanun Keseksaan kerana kesalahan menghalang penjawat awam menjalankan tugas.

MalaysiaToday.net : Bala ‘U-turn’ and Raja ‘no-turn’

I was told that Raja Petra is working on a second Statutory Declaration or Affidavit in preparation for his trial that will confirm many things not said in the first Statutory Declaration -- which is the basis of his criminal defamation charge. The second Affidavit will be naming names of very senior personalities who walk in the corridors of power and who hold titles such as Tun and Tan Sri.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

The Pink Panther

The following news item titled ‘Missing PI and blogger figure in Altantuya murder trial’ was published in The Malaysian Insider today. Malaysia Today’s new The Corridors of Power columnist -- who has taken over this column, together with M. Bakri Musa who started writing for this column soon after Raja Petra was detained under ISA -- talks about what is really behind the missing private investigator mystery.

Missing PI and blogger figure in Altantuya murder trial

The Malaysian Insider

A missing private investigator and a blogger, both of whom had implicated Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the case of a murdered Mongolian woman, are being sought as defence witnesses in the trial. The case could become a political hot potato when it resumes in January, as investigator P. Balasubramaniam and blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin have made controversial allegations about Najib and the victim, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Balasubramaniam had alleged that Najib had sexual relations with her, while Raja Petra claimed that Najib's wife was present when Altantuya's body was blown up with explosives. Her remains were found in a jungle clearing outside Kuala Lumpur in 2006.

This case, with its brew of politics, sex and murder, gripped Malaysia after the Deputy Premier's close associate, Abdul Razak Baginda, was charged with instructing two policemen to kill Altantuya. Abdul Razak, who said Altantuya was his former lover, was acquitted recently but policemen Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri have been ordered to make their defence.

Najib, expected to become Malaysia's premier next March, has repeatedly denied knowing Altantuya but the scandal has continued to dog him. His Umno party has stood solidly behind him. When its divisions completed making their nominations for the party presidency last weekend, they overwhelmingly chose Najib except for one other nominee, Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. So far, there has been no proof to link Najib to this case.

Balasubramaniam has been missing for the last few months since he retracted the allegations he made against Najib. "The investigating officer has said he is trying to trace where he is. We do not know his whereabouts," defence lawyer Kamarul Hisham, who represents Sirul Azhar, told the court yesterday.

He also said he wants Raja Petra to testify about his statutory declaration in which he claimed that Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was present when explosives were placed on Altantuya. He said he was trying to contact the blogger, who was released last week after being detained under the Internal Security Act. Raja Petra was in another court yesterday, facing a sedition charge over a blog posting implicating Najib in the Altantuya case.

Lawyer Hazman Ahmad, who represents Azilah, plans to call Najib's senior security aide as a witness. According to court evidence, it was the aide, Musa Safri, who introduced Azilah to Abdul Razak after the latter sought his help, saying that Ms Altantuya had been harassing him. Neither Najib nor Abdul Razak are expected to be called as a witness.

The lead prosecutor, Tun Majid Hamzah, said that the prosecution has up to Friday to file an appeal against the acquittal of Abdul Razak. It has not decided whether to do so.

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

As much as they are trying to suggest that Bala ‘U-turn’ is ‘missing’, and some say he is in hiding in India, the truth is he is very much in Malaysia; at Bukit Tinggi to be exact. At least this is what my ‘little bird’ tells me. And if you want to know exactly where in Bukit Tinggi he is hiding, then ask the man whom I will, at this point of time, call ‘the Indian Carpet-man’.

Yes, that’s right, the ‘Indian Carpet-man’ knows where Bala ‘U-turn’ is hiding because he is the one who is hiding the missing private investigator in Bukit Tinggi. And he has paid Bala ‘U-turn’ RM3 million to remain in hiding until further notice.

The ‘Indian Carpet-man’, who I shall certainly name in due course when the time is right, works for Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. The ‘Indian Carpet-man’ is Rosmah’s ‘bagman’ and he is in charge of carrying hard cash to and from the Deputy Prime Minister’s house in Jalan Duta. He of course makes a lot more money acting as Rosmah’s ‘bagman’ compared to selling carpets and could easily pass as a Bollywood star to those who did not know any better.

The latest news is that later today the AG's Chambers is going to subpoena Raja Petra's lawyer, J. Chandra, to testify in court in Raja Petra's criminal defamation trial. This is a sneaky move to disqualify Chandra from acting as Raja Petra’s lawyer in his trial, which will commence on 24th November 2008. As for Raja Petra, it is not known yet if he is going to be subpeonaed to testify in the Altantuya murder trial and whether he is going to be a hostile witness, which therefore may actually jeopardise Sirul and Azilah’s case and strengthen the prosecution’s case against them. It makes one wonder whether Sirul’s and Azilah’s lawyer are acting for their clients or for the prosecution.

Raja Petra cheekily said that he will agree to testify in the trial only if Sirul and Azilah publicly apologise for threatening him when he spent three days in the Sungai Buloh Prison. Sirul and Aziah deny threatening Raja Petra who insists that it was made in front of a very senior prison officer named Thana. Thana, in fact, phoned Raja Petra’s wife, Marina, and asked her to come to the prison to try to persuade Raja Petra to accept bail and leave prison because they were worried about his safety. Marina, in tears, begged Raja Petra to agree to bail and the sight of his wife crying away softened him and prompted him to agree to bail.

I was told that Raja Petra is working on a second Statutory Declaration or Affidavit in preparation for his trial that will confirm many things not said in the first Statutory Declaration -- which is the basis of his criminal defamation charge. The second Affidavit will be naming names of very senior personalities who walk in the corridors of power and who hold titles such as Tun and Tan Sri. Raja Petra appears to be going for broke and seems bent on bringing down as many people with him as he possibly can if he were to suffer a fall.

When the press asked him, minutes after he was released from ISA detention last Friday, his opinion with regards to Najib taking over as Prime Minister in March 2009, Raja Petra replied with confidence, and of course very cheekily, that he does not care about Najib taking over in March 2009 because Anwar Ibrahim will instead be taking over in December 2008. Was he just being cheeky or does he know something the rest of us do not?

Just as we thought the plot had already thickened it thickens even more. I, for one, can’t wait to name the ‘Indian Carpet-man’ but you will have to remain patient a while longer while we see how the ‘other side’ reacts before I throw one more card onto the table. And this card will certainly not be the Joker from the pack but a very strong Ace that is going to make the Altantuya murder trial more interesting than it already is.

MalaysiaToday.net : Bala ‘U-turn’ and Raja ‘no-turn’

I was told that Raja Petra is working on a second Statutory Declaration or Affidavit in preparation for his trial that will confirm many things not said in the first Statutory Declaration -- which is the basis of his criminal defamation charge. The second Affidavit will be naming names of very senior personalities who walk in the corridors of power and who hold titles such as Tun and Tan Sri.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

The Pink Panther

The following news item titled ‘Missing PI and blogger figure in Altantuya murder trial’ was published in The Malaysian Insider today. Malaysia Today’s new The Corridors of Power columnist -- who has taken over this column, together with M. Bakri Musa who started writing for this column soon after Raja Petra was detained under ISA -- talks about what is really behind the missing private investigator mystery.

Missing PI and blogger figure in Altantuya murder trial

The Malaysian Insider

A missing private investigator and a blogger, both of whom had implicated Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the case of a murdered Mongolian woman, are being sought as defence witnesses in the trial. The case could become a political hot potato when it resumes in January, as investigator P. Balasubramaniam and blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin have made controversial allegations about Najib and the victim, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Balasubramaniam had alleged that Najib had sexual relations with her, while Raja Petra claimed that Najib's wife was present when Altantuya's body was blown up with explosives. Her remains were found in a jungle clearing outside Kuala Lumpur in 2006.

This case, with its brew of politics, sex and murder, gripped Malaysia after the Deputy Premier's close associate, Abdul Razak Baginda, was charged with instructing two policemen to kill Altantuya. Abdul Razak, who said Altantuya was his former lover, was acquitted recently but policemen Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri have been ordered to make their defence.

Najib, expected to become Malaysia's premier next March, has repeatedly denied knowing Altantuya but the scandal has continued to dog him. His Umno party has stood solidly behind him. When its divisions completed making their nominations for the party presidency last weekend, they overwhelmingly chose Najib except for one other nominee, Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. So far, there has been no proof to link Najib to this case.

Balasubramaniam has been missing for the last few months since he retracted the allegations he made against Najib. "The investigating officer has said he is trying to trace where he is. We do not know his whereabouts," defence lawyer Kamarul Hisham, who represents Sirul Azhar, told the court yesterday.

He also said he wants Raja Petra to testify about his statutory declaration in which he claimed that Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was present when explosives were placed on Altantuya. He said he was trying to contact the blogger, who was released last week after being detained under the Internal Security Act. Raja Petra was in another court yesterday, facing a sedition charge over a blog posting implicating Najib in the Altantuya case.

Lawyer Hazman Ahmad, who represents Azilah, plans to call Najib's senior security aide as a witness. According to court evidence, it was the aide, Musa Safri, who introduced Azilah to Abdul Razak after the latter sought his help, saying that Ms Altantuya had been harassing him. Neither Najib nor Abdul Razak are expected to be called as a witness.

The lead prosecutor, Tun Majid Hamzah, said that the prosecution has up to Friday to file an appeal against the acquittal of Abdul Razak. It has not decided whether to do so.

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

As much as they are trying to suggest that Bala ‘U-turn’ is ‘missing’, and some say he is in hiding in India, the truth is he is very much in Malaysia; at Bukit Tinggi to be exact. At least this is what my ‘little bird’ tells me. And if you want to know exactly where in Bukit Tinggi he is hiding, then ask the man whom I will, at this point of time, call ‘the Indian Carpet-man’.

Yes, that’s right, the ‘Indian Carpet-man’ knows where Bala ‘U-turn’ is hiding because he is the one who is hiding the missing private investigator in Bukit Tinggi. And he has paid Bala ‘U-turn’ RM3 million to remain in hiding until further notice.

The ‘Indian Carpet-man’, who I shall certainly name in due course when the time is right, works for Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. The ‘Indian Carpet-man’ is Rosmah’s ‘bagman’ and he is in charge of carrying hard cash to and from the Deputy Prime Minister’s house in Jalan Duta. He of course makes a lot more money acting as Rosmah’s ‘bagman’ compared to selling carpets and could easily pass as a Bollywood star to those who did not know any better.

The latest news is that later today the AG's Chambers is going to subpoena Raja Petra's lawyer, J. Chandra, to testify in court in Raja Petra's criminal defamation trial. This is a sneaky move to disqualify Chandra from acting as Raja Petra’s lawyer in his trial, which will commence on 24th November 2008. As for Raja Petra, it is not known yet if he is going to be subpeonaed to testify in the Altantuya murder trial and whether he is going to be a hostile witness, which therefore may actually jeopardise Sirul and Azilah’s case and strengthen the prosecution’s case against them. It makes one wonder whether Sirul’s and Azilah’s lawyer are acting for their clients or for the prosecution.

Raja Petra cheekily said that he will agree to testify in the trial only if Sirul and Azilah publicly apologise for threatening him when he spent three days in the Sungai Buloh Prison. Sirul and Aziah deny threatening Raja Petra who insists that it was made in front of a very senior prison officer named Thana. Thana, in fact, phoned Raja Petra’s wife, Marina, and asked her to come to the prison to try to persuade Raja Petra to accept bail and leave prison because they were worried about his safety. Marina, in tears, begged Raja Petra to agree to bail and the sight of his wife crying away softened him and prompted him to agree to bail.

I was told that Raja Petra is working on a second Statutory Declaration or Affidavit in preparation for his trial that will confirm many things not said in the first Statutory Declaration -- which is the basis of his criminal defamation charge. The second Affidavit will be naming names of very senior personalities who walk in the corridors of power and who hold titles such as Tun and Tan Sri. Raja Petra appears to be going for broke and seems bent on bringing down as many people with him as he possibly can if he were to suffer a fall.

When the press asked him, minutes after he was released from ISA detention last Friday, his opinion with regards to Najib taking over as Prime Minister in March 2009, Raja Petra replied with confidence, and of course very cheekily, that he does not care about Najib taking over in March 2009 because Anwar Ibrahim will instead be taking over in December 2008. Was he just being cheeky or does he know something the rest of us do not?

Just as we thought the plot had already thickened it thickens even more. I, for one, can’t wait to name the ‘Indian Carpet-man’ but you will have to remain patient a while longer while we see how the ‘other side’ reacts before I throw one more card onto the table. And this card will certainly not be the Joker from the pack but a very strong Ace that is going to make the Altantuya murder trial more interesting than it already is.

Salahuddin dengar sendiri BTN tuduh Presiden PAS pengkhianat

Abdul Aziz Mustafa, Harakah

Ketua Pemuda PAS, Salahuddin Ayub mendedahkan beliau mendengar sendiri penceramah dalam latihan Biro Tatanegara (BTN) memfitnahkan Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Hadi Awang sebagai anasir subversif dan pengkhianat negara.

"Ketika sedang berlangsung salah satu ceramah semasa latihan tersebut, salah seorang pesertanya diam-diam menelefon saya dengan telefon mudah alihnya dan membiarkan talian tidak dimatikan untuk membolehkan saya mendengar ceramah itu.

"Saya mendengar sendiri penceramahnya menuduh Tuan Guru, (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) dan (Lim) Kit Siang sebagai sebagai anasir subversif dan pengkhianat negara," kata beliau.

Baru-baru ini ketika berucap dalam Dewan Rakyat, Ahli Parlimen Kubang Kerian itu mengulangi pendedahan mengenai perkara itu setelah beberapa kali mendedahkannya.

"Nama Yang Berhormat Permatang Pauh (Anwar), nama Yang Berhormat Ipoh Timur (Lim), nama Yang Berhormat Marang (Tuan Guru Presiden PAS), nama saya dianggap sebagai subversif, pengkhianat negara. Orang merbahaya kepada negara.

"Jadi saya tidak faham mengapa ini boleh berlaku di samping fakta-fakta yang lain kalau saya dedahkan tentang ada modul yang mengapi-apikan perkauman dalam negara kita ini. Inikah dia negara yang kita hendak bina?" kata Salahuddin.

Beliau mengingatkan, negara ini akan runtuh jika isu-isu perkauman terus diapi-apikan termasuk di dalam BTN.

"Dalam diri saya ini Tuan Pengerusi separuh Cina separuh Melayu. Bangsa apa saya ini? Yang Berhormat Pokok Sena (Mahfuz Omar) bapa Pakistan, mak Melayu.

"Jadi kalau kita hendak bermain di atas premis ini kita mengambil BTN ini untuk tujuan ini, saya rasa negara kita akan runtuh.

"Negara kita akan hancur. Negara kita akan menghadapi suatu zaman yang cukup gelap. Kita mereput, kita rotten to the core," katanya.

Report: Airport Slammed For Govt Subsidy

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's 10-year-old international airport has come under criticism from lawmakers for relying on a government handout of 1 billion ringgit ($286 million) each year to fund its operations.

As a major regional aviation hub, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport should be self-sustaining and be able to meet its operational costs, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, a lawmaker with the opposition People's Justice Party was quoted as saying Tuesday (11 Nov) by the New Straits Times.

"The government should explain why the airport is costing the taxpayers so much," he was quoted as saying while debating the government's annual allocation for the airport in the 2009 federal budget in parliament.

N.Gobalakrishnan, another lawmaker from the same party, was quoted as saying by The Star that the Government should consider privatizing the airport _ which is currently run by state-own operator Malaysia Airports.

"This may ease the burden and save costs for the government," he said in the report.

Calls to Abdul Khalid and Gobalakrishnan seeking comment went unanswered.

Azmi Murad, the KLIA senior general manager, declined to comment when contacted Tuesday. He said the finance ministry would respond to the queries in parliament. Finance ministry officials couldn't be immediately reached for comments.

The airport, which opened in 1998 at a cost of 10 billion ringgit, can handle up to 35 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year but faces stiff competition from Singapore and Bangkok.

Some 55 airlines now fly to KLIA, which hopes to raise passenger traffic this year to 27.1 million from 26.5 million in 2007 despite the global economic slowdown, Azmi said.

- AP