Mustapa baru sedar loteri, pelacur haram?

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 Feb: PAS mengucapkan tahniah kepada Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed kerana baru sedar loteri dan pelacur adalah haram di sisi agama.

“Apakah sejak Gelombang Merah dilancarkan beliau baru berjumpa dengan hukum loteri dan pelacur adalah haram di sisi agama?” tanya Kertua Penerangan PAS Pusat, Ustaz Idris Ahmad dalam kenyataan kepada Harakahdaily.

Katanya, kenyataan Mustapa seolah-olah isu ini hendak dipolitikkan.

Tambahnya, jika benar ada kegiatan seperti begitu di Kota Bharu, Mustapa tidak boleh untuk berdiam diri.

“Jika ada mana-mana pihak yang melindungi kegiatan ini sila laporkan kepada pihak berkuasa.

“Kerajaan Kelantan yang dipimpin oleh PAS, tidak pernah berkompromi dalam soal ini. Jika terbukti, ada di kalangan ahli PAS yang bersetongkol dengan kegiatan ini, PAS akan mengambil tindakan,” tegasnya.

Katanya lagi, jika benar kenyataan Mustapa, secara tidak langsung beliau telah memperlekehkan kewibawaan polis yang berkhidmat di Kelantan, kerana tidak bertindak.

Jelasnya, mustahil polis Malaysia yang cekap tidak dapat menghidu kegiatan yang tidak bermoral dan menyalahi sisi undang-undang.

Beliau berkata, Mustapa mungkin lupa bahawa polis di bawah dagu kerajaan pusat dan bertindaklah segera, jangan berkompromi kerana perkara jahat tidak perlu hendak dipolitikkan.

Justeru, katanya PAS mengharapkan kesedaran Gelombang Merah, boleh juga menyedarkan Mustapa dan Datuk Dr Awang Adek bahawa kedua-dua perbuatan itu salah di sisi Islam.

Katanya, walaupun baru-baru ini kerajaan BN telah meluluskan judi bola sepak, akhirnya dibatalkan kerana bantahan daripada PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat serta pemimpin agama bukan Islam.

“Perkara yang sama bolehlah dibawa dalam kabinet 1Malaysia untuk diharamkan kegiatan judi dan perbuatan yang tidak bermoral di negeri-negeri yang Barisan Nasional perintah,” katanya.

http://www.harakahdaily.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30846:mustapa-baru-sedar-loteri-pelacur-haram&catid=1:utama&Itemid=50

Tentera bubar Parlimen Mesir

SEJUMLAH penunjuk perasaan membawa bendera Mesir di Dataran Tahrir, Kaherah semalam.

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KAHERAH - Majlis Tertinggi Ketenteraan Mesir semalam membubarkan parlimen dan menggantung perlembagaan semalam.

Langkah pembubaran parlimen dan menggantung perlembagaan itu merupakan tuntutan para penunjuk perasaan yang sebelum ini berhimpun di Dataran Tahrir bagi mendesak Hosni Mubarak meletakkan jawatan.

Tentera mengambil alih kuasa memerintah Mesir selepas Hosni meletakkan jawatan pada Jumaat lalu selepas penunjuk perasaan mendesak beliau berundur sejak 25 Januari lalu.

Pengumuman mengenai pembubaran parlimen dan perlembagaan digantung itu dibuat menerusi siaran televisyen.

Dalam pengumuman itu, tempoh masa enam bulan ditetapkan untuk satu pilihan raya diadakan sekali gus mengembalikan semula pemerintahan kepada orang awam.

Pengumuman itu dibuat selepas sejumlah penunjuk perasaan masih berkumpul di dataran berkenaan tetapi dalam jumlah yang kecil bagi menuntut parlimen dibubarkan dan perlembagaan digantung.

Hosni dibenci oleh rakyatnya selepas pemerintahannya selama hampir 30 tahun gagal membawa kemakmuran ekonomi dalam kalangan penduduk miskin selain melakukan penindasan ke atas kebebasan bersuara. - Agensi

http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2011&dt=0214&pub=Kosmo&sec=Dunia&pg=du_01.htm

Tentera bubar parlimen Mesir, gantung perlembagaan

Harakahdaily

KAHERAH, 14 Feb: Pemerintah Tentera Mesir telah membubarkan parlimen dan menggantung perlembagaan negara itu, dalam pengumuman perubahan drastik demokrasi negara itu.

Ianya dibuat berdasarkan refrendum popular yang diterima mereka.

Dalam pengumuman terbaru mereka semalam, pemimpin tentera yang menjalankan pemerintahan sementara selepas Hosni Mubarak dijatuhkan, berkata mereka akan memerintah Mesir dalam tempoh enam bulan atau sehingga pilihan raya parlimen dan presiden baru diadakan.

Mereka juga memaklumkan, Perdana Menteri, Ahmed Shafik akan terus mengetuai kerajaan sementara Mesir.

Perkembangan terbaru itu memberi harapan baru buat rakyat Mesir yang masih lagi meneruskan protes mereka hari ini.

Difahamkan beberapa orang daripada mereka ditangkap apabila bertembung dengan pihak tentera semalam.

Jumaat lalu, Mubarak akhirnya berundur selepas akur dengan tekanan rakyat yang mengadakan demonstrasi mendesak beliau meletak jawatan.

http://www.harakahdaily.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30843:tentera-bubar-parlimen-mesir-gantung-perlembagaan&catid=1:utama&Itemid=50

Bertanding dalam kumpulan relevan

Harakahdaily

JOHOR BAHRU, 13 Feb: Berikutan bahang pilihanraya kampus yang semakin dirasai di kampus-kampus utama dalam negara, Pro Mahasiswa UTM telah menghantar memorandum berisi 5 tuntutan kepada pihak universiti.

Pengerusi Pro Mahasiswa UTM, Leftenan Muda Ku Abdul Muhyi berkata, tuntutan-tuntutan itu ada asasnya memandangkan universiti bukan sahaja pusat pembelajaran dan penyelidikan terutama dalam aspek sains dan teknologi, tetapi juga sebagai institusi pendidikan dalam pelbagai aspek iaitu idealisma dan aktivisma.

Justeru, katanya salah satu tuntutan yang dikemukakan oleh Pro Mahasiswa UTM ialah universiti membenarkan pilihanraya kampus dipertandingkan dalam bentuk berkumpulan dan berlogo.

Dalam memorandum setebal 12 muka surat itu, Pro Mahasiswa UTM telah menggariskan sebab dan rasional kenapa perlunya pertandingan secara berkumpulan dan berlogo dibenarkan.

“Jika diteruskan sistem sedia ada, bagaimanakah seorang calon mampu berkempen untuk dirinya sendiri kepada 20,000 mahasiswa di seluruh kampus?

“Adakah ia relevan dalam konteks seorang mahasiswa? Adakah sistem pilihanraya kita hanya sekadar melepaskan batuk ditangga tanpa mengambil kira faktor kepimpinan sebenar mahasiswa?

“Jika diteruskan sistem sedia ada, apakah relevannya manifesto seseorang calon disampaikan secara perseorangan sedangkan dalam kabinet Majlis Perwakilan Mahasiswa, pentadbiran dijalankan melalui sistem pentadbiran kolektif? Seseorang calon yang menang kemungkinan diletakkan di fakulti, atau jabatan yang tidak selari dengan manifesto yang dijanjikan.

“Bukankah sistem ini membuka ruang kepada calon tidak melunaskan janji dan membuka ruang untuk pengundi (mahasiswa) mempertikaikan kejujuran calon semasa berjanji dan menabur manifesto?” soalnya.

Duta Pro Mahasiswa UTM, Munzir Musa turut menyokong usaha Pro Mahasiswa UTM untuk membenarkan pertandingan secara berkumpulan dan berlogo.

“Idea ini selari dengan agenda PTPM iaitu aspek kepimpinan mahasiswa. Kita perlukan inovasi dalam sistem pemilihan kepimpinan mahasiswa. Saya berharap universiti mempertimbangkan tuntutan ini kerana persaingan sihat akan wujud dalam kalangan calon yang bertanding dan mahasiswa akan lebih kreatif semasa berkempen.”

Dalam memorandum itu juga, Pro Mahasiswa turut menjawab dakwaan jika sistem ini dilaksanakan akan membawa perpecahan kepada mahasiswa.

“Universiti perlu menyedari bahawa kita mempunyai budaya yang istimewa berbanding kampus-kampus lain yang lebih ‘panas’. Keistimewaan ini yang kita perlu angkat supaya menjadi contoh kepada universiti lain.

“Dalam kabinet Majlis Perwakilan Mahasiswa (MPM), ahli Exco daripada pihak Pro Mahasiswa dan Evolusi boleh duduk semeja dan bekerjasama selepas tamat pilihanraya kampus untuk membawa agenda bersama sepanjang MPM mentadbir,” katanya.

http://www.harakahdaily.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30842:bertanding-dalam-kumpulan-relevan&catid=1:utama&Itemid=50

After Egypt, next stop Algeria?

France 24

ALGIERS, Feb 14: Braving a massive police presence, thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of the Algerian capital of Algiers Saturday, defying an official ban on demonstrations and briefly forcing through a police cordon in the centre of the city.

Reporting from Algiers, FRANCE 24’s Tahar Hani said protesters had gathered at May 1 Square chanting, “Free and democratic Algeria”.

Saturday’s protests came a day after Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak stepped down from office, thereby reinvigorating the long-planned for demonstration in Algiers.

Protesters held signs saying, “After Mubarak, it will be Bouteflika,” referring to the 74-year-old Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in office since 1999.
Skirmishes broke out between riot police preventing protesters from reaching central Algiers, reported FRANCE 24's Hani.

While police said about 800 protesters had taken to the streets, journalists and opposition members put the figure at 2,000.

Police presence turns Algiers into a ‘city of blue’

Security was tight ahead of the protests with police blocking access to the capital.

“Hassiba Ben Bouali Street, the main road leading to May 1 Square, is virtually under siege by policemen equipped with riot shields and batons,” said Hani. “Access to Algiers has been blocked with a heavy police presence on the roads linking the city with the rest of Algeria. Train services between central Algiers and the eastern and western suburbs have been cancelled.”

The Algerian capital famed for its luminous white walls had turned into a city of blue, said Hani, referring to the massive police presence. Opposition groups say 35,000 police officials had been deployed, including reinforcements that arrived from other parts of the country.

Saturday’s march was organised by an umbrella group of human rights activists, trade unionists, lawyers and political parties, including the opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) party.

Four senior RCD officials were arrested Saturday morning along with about 60 other members, according to RCD spokesman Mohsen Belabas.

Reporting from Algiers earlier Saturday, Hani said the RCD headquarters on the main Didouche Mourad Street had been “surrounded by police”.

The impressive police presence succeeded in intimidating some residents. Yacine, a 25-year-old Algiers resident, told FRANCE 24 that he woke up early to get his supplies of bread and milk in case things go wrong during the day.

Seeking a 'rupture' and 'genuine democracy'

In an interview with FRANCE 24 earlier this week, Fodil Boumala, a writer and member of the CNCD (National Coordination for Change and Democracy) the umbrella group organising Saturday’s demonstration, said the purpose of the march was to achieve “a rupture, the departure of the current government and the establishment of genuine democracy”.

Boumala was one of the many opposition activists arrested on Saturday.

Demonstrations have been banned in Algeria because of a state of emergency that has been in place since 1992 when the military cancelled free elections, sparking Algeria’s descent into a brutal civil war.

Last week, President Bouteflika announced that he would lift the state of emergency “in the very near future”, following a spate of copycat suicide attempts mimicking that of the 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi, whose self-immolation in protest at unemployment sparked the Tunisian uprising that led to the overthrow of the president. Bouteflika has also promised to allow more democratic freedoms and generate more jobs.

But organisers of Saturday’s march have dismissed the president’s promises, demanding an actual end to the state of emergency and calling for Bouteflika himself to step down.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2271:after-egypt-next-stop-algeria&catid=37:world&Itemid=59

DAP, not MCA, is where the action is

Selena Tay

I used to respect MCA. In its heyday it had good and credible leaders and was looked up to and well-respected. But is it still relevant today?

Although MCA stands for Malaysian Chinese Association, my family members and relatives had never really felt enough of a sense of belonging to join or support the party.

Instead, to them DAP (Democratic Action Party) sounded much better although the word 'Chinese' is not in DAP's name.

Since the dawn of time, MCA was, is and always will be the rich Chinese businessman's party. Although it claims to champion Chinese causes, it has never really been the voice of those Chinese who are poor and downtrodden eventhough it has done good work for the cause of Chinese education, for instance in getting recognition for TAR College which has since been acknowledged and become known as UTAR. MCA has failed to capture the soul of the poor and downtrodden Chinese. In this aspect, the other Chinese-based party, Gerakan has also failed miserably.

It cannot be denied that DAP is a Chinese-based party as many of its leaders and members are Chinese although there are top non-Chinese leaders and members, namely Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz and Karpal Singh in the present era. Currently too, there are a good number of Indian leaders in Perak DAP who are Members of Parliament and State Assemblymen. Well-known non-Chinese DAP leaders in the past were P. Patto, V. David and Ahmad Nor.

Since the late 1960s to the current era, DAP has always been known as the poor Chinese layman's party, a great contrast to MCA being known as the rich Chinese businessman's party.

DAP leaders wearing their trademark short-sleeved white shirts and black trousers are still a symbol of the no-frills party since its founding date on 19 March 1966. It still champions the cause of the poor to this very day and recently the party has embarked on an ongoing signature campaign to protest against the constant price hikes of petrol and daily foodstuffs which are burdening the poor and the low-income group.

DAP has always been credible and relevant to the Chinese. Even when it has little support, especially in the 11th General Election in 2004, it still managed to soldier on. Its leaders have fought on relentlessly for the cause of justice for all races, not just the Chinese alone. A case in point is A. Sivanesan (currently State Assemblyman of Sungkai) who has been fighting for minimum wage since 1985! That's more than a quarter of a century! Another example is Lim Guan Eng who had to endure a prison term for fighting for the rights of a girl, a Malay, who was a victim of statutory rape.

No way is DAP anti-Islam or anti-Malay! The facts speak for itself. That sort of accusation is done with malicious intent. No sane person should ever believe such blatant lies.

In regards to MCA, this once great Chinese party has now degenerated into a small fry, ever-fearful of UMNO, its big brother in Barisan Nasional. It dares not speak out against UMNO and only knows how to parrot UMNO's words.

The Chinese in Lim Kit Siang's blog refer to MCA leaders as 'running dogs'. 'Running dogs' is a derogatory term used to refer to the Chinese in Malaya during World War II who betrayed their fellow-Chinese to the Japanese forces. In its current usage, it simply means that the MCA leaders are traitors to their race. There are worst names being used to label the MCA leaders but which are not printable here.

The Transport Ministry headed by a MCA minister has allowed the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue to sink to the bottom of the ocean while the Tourism Ministry which is also headed by a MCA minister has allowed all sorts of shenanigans to go on.

Yes, MCA is no longer credible. And no longer relevant to the Chinese except to the rich Chinese businessmen and its cronies whom it looks after very well in exchange for their patronage.

On the other hand, DAP continues to be a beacon of hope to the people like a campfire in the night (which happens to be the symbol of its founding date in the Chinese almanac). In the night when it is dark and cold, many people need the campfire and crowd round it for warmth and sustenance (cooking food).

Yes, DAP has and will always have an important role as the voice of the poor and the oppressed in the Malaysian political scene. DAP is where the action is, now more so than ever in this era of the new political landscape post-March 2008.

Selena Tay is a member of PAS Supporters Congress (DHPP).

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2230:dap-not-mca-is-where-the-action-is&catid=38:analysis-and-opinion-&Itemid=72

Omar Suleiman: US-Israel's most trusted man to replace Mubarak

Leela Jacinto / France24

On January 29, when embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named him vice president, Omar Suleiman emerged from the shadows of Egypt’s extensive security-intelligence apparatus to become a pivotal international figure. But for many analysts and followers of US-Mideast policy, Suleiman was already a familiar figure. And not all of them felt reassured by the new appointment.

TRUSTED GUY ... From helping Israel to block Palestinians to supporting attack on Iran, Omar (right) is the US's preferred choice for 'reforms' in Egypt

Suave, sophisticated, and fluent in English, Suleiman had been the country’s spy chief since 1993, when he took over as head of Egypt’s powerful General Intelligence Service (GIS) – or “Mukhabarat” as it is commonly known in Egypt.

A Soviet-trained, former army man, Suleiman looked set to fill the “shadowy intelligence chief” mould when he took over the GIS.

But all that changed with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the US.

In 2009, US magazine Foreign Policy ranked Suleiman the Middle East's most powerful intelligence chief, ahead of Meir Dagan, the head of Israel’s Mossad.

When the whistleblower website WikiLeaks published US diplomatic cables last year, analysts learned that Suleiman had already been singled out by Egyptians as a likely Mubarak successor.

A May 14, 2007, leaked US cable reads more like prophesy than a diplomatic memo. “…in past years Soliman (sic) was often cited as likely to be named to the long-vacant vice-presidential post,” read the cable.

Suleiman in fact filled a post Mubarak vacated 30 years ago when he took over the presidency following the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat.

Just pick up the phone and talk

The Jan. 29 appointment of a new vice president was greeted with relief in some quarters, notably because it signalled that Mubarak had acknowledged the unpopularity of his son and widely rumoured successor, Gamal Mubarak.

Privately, many US officials were relieved to have a man in Cairo they could phone and “level with”.

Indeed as the situation in Egypt subsequently deteriorated, Suleiman rapidly turned into Washington’s point-man in the Egyptian administration.

On Feb. 2, as pro-Mubarak demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square waged pitched battles against anti-government protesters, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton phoned Suleiman to urge him to investigate who was behind the day’s violence and hold them accountable.

Former US Ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner, who was dispatched to Cairo by Obama to try to diffuse the crisis, also met with Suleiman during his visit.

‘Not squeamish’ about ‘torture and so on’

Negotiations between Suleiman and US ambassadors go a long way back and have historically proved fruitful.

In her book “The Dark Side,” New Yorker correspondent Jane Mayer quotes then US Ambassador to Egypt Edward Walker describing Suleiman, as “very bright, very realistic”. Walker acknowledged that the GIS head was involved in “some of the negative things that the Egyptians engaged in, of torture and so on. But he was not squeamish, by the way”.

“The Dark Side” examines the murky chapter of US renditions under the Bush administration’s “war on terror”, when the CIA snatched suspected terrorists from across the world and turned them over to authorities criticised for using extensive torture.

Egypt, a country ruled by the same man under emergency laws for decades, was an enthusiastic partner in renditions, wrote Mayer as she followed the cases of terror suspects who claimed to have been captured by the US and sent to Egypt, where they were tortured.

Torture in Egypt has been a longstanding issue that has dominated human rights reports on the world’s largest Arab nation for decades.

As the Mukhabarat chief, Suleiman was considered the “hit man” for Mubarak’s regime, wrote Ron Suskind, author of the book, “The One Percent Doctrine”.

In an interview with the United States ABC News network, Suskind sarcastically described Suleiman as “a charitable man, friendly," before going on to add: "He tortures only people that he doesn't know."

‘Liars who only understand force’

Suleiman also played a key role in the Egyptian-negotiated indirect talks between Israel and Hamas over the past two years, paying official visits to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where he met with Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.

He has extensive experience on the Palestinian dossier, which included a failed attempt by Egypt to negotiate a Palestinian unity government between rivals Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2008.

Familiar with Hamas and PA leaders, Suleiman also played a critical role in demolishing underground smuggling tunnels from Gaza into Egypt.

As the spy chief of the Arab world’s largest Sunni Muslim nation, Suleiman concurred with Israeli and US policies on tightening the reins on Shiite Iran.

But most appealing for the US has been Suleiman’s reputation as an ardent anti-Islamist with a visceral dislike of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s officially banned but tolerated Islamist group.

According to British daily The Guardian, Suleiman has in the past described the Brotherhood as "liars who only understand force".

In his new role of vice president, Egypt’s former spy chief will now have to negotiate with a group he has traditionally considered the country’s most serious security threat. It will not be easy for the vice president, nor for his Islamist negotiating partner.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2223:omar-suleiman-us-israels-most-trusted-man-to-replace-mubarak&catid=38:analysis-and-opinion-&Itemid=72

'Stop BTN poison on Malays'

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14: Addressing a forum in an 'enemy territory', PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali (pic) lashed out at the government's National Civics Bureau (BTN) programme, saying it was indoctrinating the minds of the Malays by claims that they would lose 'political power' without UMNO.

“If Malays are not with UMNO, they will be with PAS, which means it remains in the hands of Malays,” argued Mustafa, at a forum on the future of Malay leadership at Putra World Trade Centre over the weekend.

Saying Malay parliamentarians occupy 112 of the 222 seats in Dewan Rakyat, Mustafa reasoned that Malays could not lose their political power unless UMNO short-changed their constituencies like how it was in 2003.

In 2003, the UMNO-led Federal government refused to increase the number of parliamentary seats for the Malay heartlands such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis, while adding more seats in other states.

“When I represented PAS for Terengganu state government to discuss with Election Commission, they said they would at least add two parliamentary seats for Terengganu.

"When the motion was brought to Parliament, not a single parliament seat was added to any of the four states. The reason was UMNO's fear that these seats would be won by PAS,” said Mustafa, pointing out an example to show that UMNO could not bother about Malay interests.

He added that the solution for the Malays was to return to the true teachings of Islam, saying Islam would transformed the Malays for the better.

Mahathir is courageous, but...

Mustafa also described former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a "courageous man" who had unfortunately misplaced his courage by discriminating the Malays.

“If I were asked, who was the most courageous Prime Minister when it comes to criticising the West and Israel, I would say Dr Mahathir,” said Mustafa, drawing applause from the participants.

“Mahathir’s courage was misplaced. In 1999, when PAS won in Terengganu, he together with Daim (Zainuddin) as the Finance Minister went on to rob the people of Terengganu of their oil royalty.

"His courage made him to violate the principles of justice, the agreements with Petronas, and indeed democracy. All this should be rectified if we want to discuss about the Malays,” said Mustafa.

The forum's moderator Dr Nordin Kardi, former vice chancellor of Universiti Utara Malaysia later said that after listening to Mustafa's comments, he had wanted to apply to become a PAS member, but stopped from doing so because Mustafa was a political figure.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2269:stop-btn-poison-on-malays&catid=36:headline&Itemid=70

Najib urged to come clean on 'money for the Lady'

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14: The existence of a new division in the Prime Minister's Department dedicated to the wife of none other than the PM himself continues to raise questions.

DAP Bukit Bendera member of parliament Liew Chin Tong (pic) has called on Najib Razak to explain his contradictory statements regarding the 'First Lady of Malaysia Division' (FLOM) which was supposedly to manage the affairs and activities of Rosmah Mansor.

Pointing a parliamentary reply in November 2010 by Najib, Liew reminded that Najib stated there would be no full-time staff or contract staff assigned for his wife.

This was proven otherwise with the recent revelation of FLOM's existence, earlier reported by Harakahdaily (see here).

A check on the website of the PM's Department then had enlisted five officers for FLOM, led by one Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod as its special officer.

“When the information was discovered and made public by certain media and by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, the related information 'mysteriously' disappeared from the website. The truth about the allocation remains to be told.

"The 'newly discovered' First Lady of Malaysia division was not mentioned in the four-volume Federal Staff List, which forms part of the federal budget 2011 documents," stressed Liew, adding that the public should also know "how much the division has been allocated" as well as its functions.

Hours after Harakahdaily's report, the link to FLOM's directory had been missing.

Besides FLOM, Liew said the directory had also listed several advisors the positions of whom were not mentioned in Budget 2011.

This included Dr. Abdullah bin Md Zin as advisor for Islamic Affairs, Shahidan Kassim as advisor on North Corridor Economic Region (NCER), Jalaludin bin Bahaudin as the media advisor, Mohammad Kamal Yan Yahaya as advisor for International Relations, and Dr Zakri Abd Hamid as the Science advisor. Each advisor in turn has been allocating their own staff, said Liew.

Liew reminded that the PM's Department was the biggest spender among the various ministries, receiving some RM15.8 billion this year which excluded the allocations for the Attorney-General's Chamber and the Public Services Department.

“With a record setting amount compared to past years and had been more than doubled from the RM6.87 billion allocation in 2007, I press on the Prime Minister to present a truthful reply on this issue and to remain accountable to the people.

"The people of Malaysia deserve to know how their money is spent."

Related:

First Lady Of Malaysia Division - latest addition to PM's Dept?

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2272:najib-urged-to-come-clean-on-money-for-the-lady&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56

Isa Samad says corruption is not a problem

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14: Felda's controversial new chairman Isa Samad corruption is "everywhere" and in Malaysia it "is not that bad".

“Corruption is everywhere, it’s not that bad. If bad, Malaysia would have crumble,” the former Menteri Besar of Negri Sembilan, who was once suspended as UMNO member after being found guilty of money politics, told a forum here on the future of Malay leadership.

Isa’s view however contrasted with the other panelists at the forum.

One of them, PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali, said the biggest challenge for Malay leadership was rampant corruption plaguing the country, which he said had affected all quarters from the country's top leaders to the middle class and students.

“A research by Institute Integrity Malaysia (IIM) reveals that 35 percent of the student respondents said they would take bribe if there is an opportunity,” said Mustafa.

UMNO and PAS unity

On the question of UMNO and PAS uniting, Isa, who is also the Bagan Pinang state assemblyman, said it would be a very difficult task and would not be the answer for Malay unity.

“If PAS and UMNO unite, someone else will establish another Malay political party. Recently, Kita was borne, next it will be Kami,” he quipped, referring to former PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim’s political party, People's Welfare Party (KITA).

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2270:isa-samad-says-corruption-is-not-a-problem&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56

Dr Asri: Tidak mustahil kuasa rakyat berlaku di M'sia

Dr Asri: Tidak mustahil kuasa rakyat berlaku di M'sia

Feb 13, 11 9:24pm

Bekas Mufti Perlis Dr Mohd Asri Zainol Abidin berkata tidak mustahil kuasa rakyat yang menumbangkan Presiden Hosni Mubarak di Mesir berlaku di Malaysia jika penduduk negara ini tidak tahan dengan kekangan dan penindasan.

TV Selangor memetik beliau berkata walaupun Malaysia jauh makmur berbanding Mesir, namun, rasa tidak puas hati rakyat boleh dicetuskan oleh aspek lain seperti kebebasan bersuara yang terhakis.

"Dari segi kemiskinan kita tak sama, Mesir ada 42 peratus rakyat di bawah taraf kemiskinan. Dari segi faktor yang menyumbang ruang seperti Internet, mungkin Malaysia lebih.

“Tapi ketidakpuasan hati rakyat itu berbeza mengikut negara. Negara miskin mungkin tak puas hati kerana tak ada makanan. Negara yang lebih 'educated' mungkin tak puas hati kerana tiada kebebasan menyuarakan pendapat," katanya.

Justeru Asri berkata, mana-mana kerajaan termasuk di Malaysia terdedah kepada menghadapi kuasa rakyat di jalanan jika terlampau mengekang dan menindas penduduk khususnya bersabit hak asasi mereka.

Kuku besi

Asri berkata Mesir menjadi contoh bagaimana sebuah kerajaan kuku besi dijatuhkan semata-mata menerusi penduduk yang tidak menggunakan kekerasan, mereka hanya berbekal tekad dan iltizam untuk mengubah nasib mereka.

"Kalau ada faktor-faktor tidak puas hati itu merebak ke dalam rakyat, saya rasa tak mustahil perkara yang sama boleh berlaku. Kerana kejadian perubahan di Mesir beri pengajaran kepada semua pemerintah bahawa perubahan boleh berlaku bukan dengan cara dulu tapi dengan cara baru, kuasa rakyat turun di jalan tanpa senjata, tanpa peluru dan hanya menzahirkan pendapat mereka," katanya.

Asri menegaskan pengaruh Internet dan keluhan generasi muda tidak boleh diambil ringan dalam era globalisasi sebagaimana yang terbukti dalam kes Mesir.

"Bermula dari mereka dididik untuk meluahkan perasaan di facebook, di blog mereka, mereka luahkan di jalan raya. Tak perlu nak rosakkan harta awam, tetapi mereka turun demi kepentingan rakyat beramai-ramai. Tentera dilatih hadapi orang bersenjata tapi dilatih hadapi rakyat tak bersenjata. Jadi mereka terpinga-pinga di hadapan kuasa rakyat yang tak bersenjata," kata Asri.

Lewat malam Jumaat lalu, kerajaan Mubarak tumbang apabila melancarkan tunjuk perasaan dan demonstrasi jalanan berterusan kerana hilang kepercayaan ke atas pentadbiran presiden itu yang didakwa dicemari rasuah dan salah guna wang rakyat .

Dengan menggunakan rangkaian media seperti Facebook dan Twitter, sentimen anti kerajaan menular dengan luas ke seluruh negara ibarat api yang merebak. Tindakan selama 18 hari itu berjaya menyaksikan Mubarak akhirnya tunduk dan meletakkan jawatan.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/155934

S'gor perluas kempen anti zina, banteras gejala sosial

S'gor perluas kempen anti zina, banteras gejala sosial

Feb 13, 11 9:35pm

Rentetan kejayaan Kempen Anti Zina siri satu dan dua sebelum ini telah membuatkan kerajaan negeri Selangor meneruskan kempen tersebut sehinggalah isu gejala sosial yang melanda masyarakat dapat dibanteras, lapor TV Selangor.

Menurut Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, sejak kempen ini diperkenalkan oleh kerajaan negeri, ia telah mendapat sambutan yang menggalakkan daripada pelbagai pihak.

"Saya berasa amat gembira apabila diberitahu sambutan anti zina kedua yang diadakan pada malam sambutan tahun baru yang sama, amat menggalakkan, telah berjaya mengumpulkan lebih daripada 5,000 sukarelawan," katanya.

Menurut beliau lagi, kempen seperti ini adalah bertujuan untuk memberi kesedaran kepada masyarakat Melayu beragama Islam dan bukan bertujuan untuk menakut-nakutkan masyarakat bukan Islam.

"Kempen anti zina ini bukanlah untuk mengganggu masyarakat bukan Islam tetapi adalah tanda amaran kepada umat Islam, dan ini bukan dianggap sebagai serbuan tetapi peringatan kepada orang Islam dan menjadi tanggungjawab mereka dalam mencegahnya," katanya.

Simbolik

Beliau yang bercakap ketika merasmikan Majlis Pelancaran Kempen Anti Zina Siri 3 yang diadakan di Dataran Shah Alam sebagai simbolik pelancaran ini Menteri Besar telah melepaskan sekumpulan konvoi yang disertai oleh 80 buah kereta dan 30 buah motosikal berkuasa tinggi.

Kumpulan yang dianggarkan kira-kira 500 orang ini akan berpusing seluruh Shah Alam sebagai "tanda amaran" untuk memberitahu orang awam bahawa kempen ini telah bermula sambil membunyikan hon.

Kempen siri kali ketiga ini mempunyai 3 fasa, iaitu fasa pertama adalah majlis pelancaran oleh Menteri Besar, manakala fasa kedua pula akan bermula pada jam 8 malam hingga 2 pagi, melibatkan sukarelawan yang terdiri daripada NGO yang diketuai oleh Yayasan Amal Malaysia Cawangan Selangor akan mengedarkan risalah mengenai bahaya zina kepada masyarakat.

Antara NGO yang terlibat adalah Briged Amal, Angkatan Belia Malaysia (ABIM), Perkim (Selangor), Bakewanis dan lain-lain lagi.

Fasa ketiga bermula jam 2 pagi hingga 6 pagi, di mana akan menggempur beberapa lokasi dan premis yang telah dikenalpasti untuk diperiksa, kempen ini melibatkan semua jabatan dan agensi kerajaan, antaranya Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS), Agensi Anti Dadah Kebangsaan (AADK), Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) dan lain-lain jabatan yang berkaitan dalam penguatkuasaan.

Kempen Anti Zina merupakan salah satu aktiviti yang dirancang oleh Program Generasi Idaman Selangor (GeMS) yang merupakan satu program khusus yang diwujudkan di bawah Jawatankuasa Tetap Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan.

Khalid berkata kerajaan negeri sentiasa komited dalam menangani isu gejala sosial di Selangor apabila kempen seumpama ini dijalankan secara berterusan dari semasa ke semasa bagi mewujudkan persekitaran yang aman dan tenteram.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/155935

Egypt's military rulers dissolve parliament

AP Photo/Ben Curtis

Young Egyptians take photographs of themselves standing in front of newly-painted murals on a street leading off from Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. More photos »

AP – Remaining Egyptian protesters shout slogans as they are surrounded by army soldiers trying to lead them …

By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press – 2 hrs 33 mins ago

CAIRO – Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to transition to democratic, civilian rule after forcing Hosni Mubarak out of power.

The military rulers who took over when Mubarak stepped down Friday and the caretaker government set as a top priority the restoration of security, which collapsed during the 18 days of protests that toppled the regime. The caretaker government held its first meeting since the president was ousted and before it began, workers removed a giant picture of Mubarak from the meeting room.

The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council, led by Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, to immediately move forward with the transition by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing political prisoners.

"They have definitely started to offer us what we wanted," said activist Sally Touma, reflecting a mix of caution and optimism among the protesters. Thousands have remained in Cairo's central Tahrir Square to demand immediate steps by the council such as the repeal of repressive emergency laws that give police broad power.

The suspension of the constitution effectively puts Egypt under martial law — where the military makes the laws and enforces them in military tribunals. The ruling council is expected to clarify the issue in upcoming statements and the role of civilian courts remains unclear.

Judge Hisham Bastawisi, a reformist judge, said the latest measures "should open the door for free formation of political parties and open the way for any Egyptian to run for presidential elections" which the constitutional amendments are expected to do.

Hossam Bahgat, director of the non-governmental Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said the military's steps were positive but warned that Egypt was on uncharted legal ground.

"In the absence of a constitution, we have entered a sort of 'twilight zone' in terms of rules, so we are concerned," he said. "We are clearly monitoring the situation and will attempt to influence the transitional phase so as to respect human rights."

The ruling council said it will run the country for six months, or until presidential and parliament elections can be held. It said it was forming a committee to amend the constitution and set the rules for a popular referendum to endorse the amendments.

Both the lower and upper houses of parliament are being dissolved. The last parliamentary elections in November and December were heavily rigged by the ruling party, virtually shutting out opposition representation.

The caretaker Cabinet, which was appointed by Mubarak shortly after the pro-democracy protests began on Jan. 25, will remain in place until a new Cabinet is formed — a step that is not expected to happen until after elections. The ruling council reiterated that it would abide by all of Egypt's international treaties agreed in the Mubarak era, most importantly the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

"Our concern now in the Cabinet is security, to bring security back to the Egyptian citizen," Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told a news conference after the Cabinet meeting.

Shafiq said the military would decide whether Omar Suleiman, who was appointed vice president by Mubarak in a failed attempt to appease protesters, would play some role in Egypt's transition.

"He might fill an important position in the coming era," the prime minister said.

He also denied rumors that Mubarak had fled to the United Arab Emirates, saying the former president remained in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. He went there just hours after stepping down.

"In a country like Egypt, with a pharaonic legacy, having no president and no head of state is not easy," said Amr el-Shobaky, a member of the Committee of Wise Men — a self-appointed group of prominent figures who are allied with the protesters.

The police, hated for their brutality and corruption under decades-old emergency laws, marched Sunday through Tahrir Square to the Interior Ministry, which oversees them. They demanded better pay and conditions, but also sought to absolve themselves of responsibility for the police's attempted crackdown at the start of the protests that killed many demonstrators.

"You have done this inhuman act," one of the Tahrir protesters said to the police. "We no longer trust you."

Hearing the accusations, Said Abdul-Rahim, a low-ranking officer, broke down in tears.

"I didn't do it. I didn't do it," he implored. "All these orders were coming from senior leaders. This is not our fault. "

About 2,000 police demonstrated, at times scuffling with soldiers who tried to disperse them. Some troops fired gunshots in the air, but later withdrew to avoid antagonizing the protesters. A few tanks remained outside the ministry.

"This is our ministry," the police shouted. "The people and the police are one hand," they chanted, borrowing an expression for unity.

The interior minister, Mahmoud Wagdy, emerged from the building to talk to the police through a megaphone. He said they had a right to be angry.

"Give me a chance," he said.

Separately, Egyptian troops scuffled with holdout protesters in Tahrir Square as the caretaker government sought to impose order, but outbreaks of labor unrest, including the police protest, underscored the challenges of steering Egypt toward stability and democratic rule.

There were also protests by workers at a ceramic factory, a textile factory and at least two banks as Egyptians emboldened by the autocrat's fall sought to improve their lot in a country where poverty and other challenges will take years or decades to address.

Troops took down makeshift tents and made some headway in dispersing protesters who didn't want to abandon their encampment in Tahrir Square, fearful that the generals entrusted with a transition to democratic rule will not fulfill all their pledges.

Still, the crowds of protesters were thinning out and traffic moved through the area for the first time. Many local residents shouted at the protesters that it was time to go.

The crowd on the square, the center of protests during the 18-day uprising, was down from a peak of a quarter-million at the height of the demonstrations to about 10,000 on Sunday.

The Armed Forces Supreme Council is now the official ruler of Egypt after Mubarak handed it power. It consists of the commanders of each military branch, the chief of staff and Defense Minister Tantawi, who is now the top leader of Egypt.

The military took power after pleas from protesters, and it has promised to ensure democratic change. The institution, however, was tightly bound to Mubarak's ruling system, and it has substantial economic interests that it will likely seek to preserve.

Egypt's state news agency said banks will be closed Monday due to strikes and Tuesday for a public holiday.

___

Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

New pro-reform rally in Algeria called for Feb. 19

By AOMAR OUALI, Associated Press Aomar Ouali, Associated Press – 14 mins ago

ALGIERS, Algeria – The organizers of a pro-reform protest that brought thousands of Algerians onto the streets of the capital over the weekend called Sunday for another rally next week.

The Coordination for Democratic Change in Algeria — an umbrella group for human rights activists, unionists, lawyers and others — has called for the Feb. 19 demonstrations to take place throughout the country.

Saturday's rally — which came a day after an uprising in Egypt toppled that country's autocratic ruler — took place only in the capital, Algiers.

Organizers said around 10,000 took part in the gathering, though officials put turnout at 1,500. Many protesters held signs reading "Bouteflika out," in reference to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power in the impoverished but gas-rich North African nation since 1999.

Under the country's long-standing state of emergency, public protests are banned in Algiers, and an estimated 26,000 riot police set up barriers throughout the city in a failed bid to quash Saturday's gathering, organizers said.

A human rights campaigner said police briefly detained around 400 people. No injuries were reported.

The hours-long rally dissolved peacefully Saturday afternoon, and Sunday was calm in the capital, though youth clashed with riot police in the eastern coastal city of Annaba.

The skirmish broke out after thousands of people responded Sunday to an ad in the local paper announcing job vacancies at Annaba's city hall. When it turned out no jobs were on offer, members of the angry mob started throwing stones at police.

Click image to see photos of the protests in Algeria

AP/Sidali Djarboub

Annaba is 375 miles (600 kilometers) east of Algiers, near the border with Tunisia.

Tensions have been high in Algeria since a spate of riots over high food prices early last month that left three dead. and recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that deposed those country's leaders.

The success of those uprisings is fueling activists' hope for change in Algeria, although many in this conflict-scarred nation of 35 million people fear any prospect of a return to violence. The country lived through a brutal Islamist insurgency in the 1990s that left an estimated 200,000 people dead.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley called on the security services to exercise restraint.

"In addition, we reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including assembly and expression," Crowley said. "These rights apply on the Internet. Moreover, these rights must be respected. We will continue to follow the situation closely in the days ahead."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_af/af_algeria

Bahrain security on alert amid protest calls

AP – An unidentified Bahraini passes with his bicycle Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, in front of a graffiti-sprayed …

By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Brian Murphy, Associated Press – 1 hr 1 min ago

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Bahrain's security forces set up checkpoints and clashed with marchers in at least one village Sunday as opposition groups blanketed social media sites with calls to stage the first major anti-government protests in the Gulf since the uprising in Egypt.

The wide-ranging clampdown appeared directed toward Bahrain's Shiite majority — which had led the drive for Monday's rallies — and reflected the increasing worries of the Sunni rulers who have already doled out cash and promised greater media reforms in an effort to quell the protest fervor.

A prominent human rights activist predicted "chaos and bloodshed" if attempts are made to crush the planned demonstrations.

The tiny kingdom of Bahrain is among the most politically volatile in the Gulf and holds important strategic value for the West as the home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Bahrain's Shiites — accounting for nearly 70 percent of the population — have long complained of systematic discrimination by the ruling Sunni dynasty, whose crackdown on dissent last year touched off riots and clashes.

Shiite-led opposition groups and others have joined calls for the demonstrations on a symbolic day — the anniversary of Bahrain's 2002 constitution that brought some pro-democracy reforms such as an elected parliament.

In Karzakan, a Shiite village in western Bahrain, riot police clashed with a small group of youths who staged a march following a wedding ceremony. An Associated Press photographer saw several people injured and others gasping from tear gas.

Security forces set up checkpoints around the Shiite villages and throughout the capital Manama to monitor people's movements. Units also patrolled malls and other key spots in a clear warning against holding the rallies, which have been the focus of social media appeals and text messages for more than a week.

One cartoon posted on a Bahraini blog showed three arms holding aloft a mobile phone and the symbols of Facebook and Twitter.

Bahrain's leaders, meanwhile, have stepped in with concessions to try to defuse the protests.

Government media monitors began talks Sunday with newspaper publishers and others to draft new rules to limit state controls. The official Bahrain News Agency, meanwhile, launched a new multimedia service that includes social media applications to seek more outreach.

It's unclear, however, whether activists and rights groups will be satisfied with the proposed changes after facing widespread blocks on websites and blogs.

Last week, Bahrain's king, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, granted each Bahraini family the equivalent of nearly $2,700 in an apparent bid to calm tensions.

But the demands go deeper than economics.

In an open letter to the king, the independent Bahrain Center for Human Rights called for wide-ranging reforms to avoid a "worst-case scenario," including dismantling the security forces, prosecution of state officials for abuses and the release of 450 jailed activists, religious leaders and others.

The rights center's president, Nabeel Rajab, urged the king to "avoid the fatal mistake committed by similar regimes in Tunisia and Egypt" and not try to crush planned protests Monday. He warned further pressures by authorities could push the country into "chaos or bloodshed."

On Friday, hundreds of Bahrainis and Egyptian nationals went out in the streets chanting and dancing near the Egyptian Embassy in Manama moments after Hosni Mubarak stepped down as president. Bahraini authorities quickly set up roadblocks to contain the crowds.

The chances for confrontation in Bahrain have been further elevated by the ongoing trial of 25 Shiite activists — including two charged in absentia — accused of plotting against the state. The detainees have alleged police torture and being made to sign forced confessions, but the court has moved ahead with the proceedings. The next session is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Bahrain's Al-Wasat newspaper reported Sunday that one of the suspects had a heart attack while in custody and was hospitalized.

Opposition groups in Kuwait had called for an anti-government protests last week, but shifted the date to March 8 after the resignation of the country's scandal-tainted interior minister.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_bahrain_protests

Egypt unrest puts Mideast peace efforts on hold

Play Video Mideast Video:Palestinians consider election call Reuters

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Josef Federman, Associated Press – 1 hr 6 mins ago

JERUSALEM – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's downfall appears to have nudged Israel and the Palestinians toward some common ground: Neither side seems to think now is the time for brave moves toward peace.

For Israel, Mubarak's departure has left behind an all-consuming worry that the influence of Islamic extremists will grow, and the two countries' historic 1979 peace treaty could be in jeopardy. For the Western-backed Palestinian leadership, the fall of Egypt's strongman deprives them of a key mediator with the Israelis and — just as crucially — with their Palestinian rivals in the militant Islamic Hamas movement.

Both sides are now waiting to see what kind of Egyptian government emerges in Mubarak's wake. It's one more distraction preventing Israelis and Palestinians from reviving a U.S.-backed peace push that ground to halt only weeks after it started last year.

The Palestinians were already reeling from last month's leaks to Al-Jazeera TV disclosing that they had offered deep concessions to Israel in past peace talks. The revelations triggered public outrage. Hoping to diffuse the anger on the street, the Palestinians are now focused on moving ahead with long-delayed elections.

One Palestinian official said that with both sides preoccupied and disillusioned it was once again up to America to push for peace.

"When it comes to the Palestinian people, this is a test for the Americans," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the top Palestinian decision-making body, the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee. "They must understand it's a critical issue."

She said that just as President Barack Obama ultimately sided with the Egyptian protesters who brought down Mubarak, he should change what is viewed by the Palestinians as an unfair pro-Israel bias.

Obama made Mideast peace a top priority upon taking office two years ago, believing that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would remove a major source of tension in the region. He personally presided over the relaunch of peace talks at the White House last September, pledging to forge an agreement within one year.

The talks broke down just three weeks later with the expiration of an Israeli slowdown on settlement construction, and Obama's September target for an agreement has since appeared increasingly unrealistic. The Palestinians say there can be no good-faith negotiations if Israel continues to build settlements on the occupied lands they claim for a future independent state.

Palestinian officials claim that even with the Middle East in turmoil, Israeli settlement construction remains the top obstacle to peace.

"Any negotiations with Israel now, while the settlement-building continues, will be a political delusion," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

But the U.S.'s inability to coax Israel into a settlement freeze is just one of the issues dogging peace efforts.

The Palestinians are still recovering from last month's leak of dozens of sensitive negotiating documents to the Al-Jazeera satellite channel, and the Egyptian unrest continues to ripple throughout the region.

The Al-Jazeera documents, which showed that Abbas and other top officials were amenable to key concessions to Israel during failed peace talks in 2008, deeply embarrassed the Palestinian leader and over the weekend compelled his chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, to resign.

Analysts say Abbas, seen as weak by the Palestinian public, would have a hard time presenting the resumption of negotiations to his people in the current environment.

On Saturday, pushed by both the Al-Jazeera leaks and the events in Egypt, Abbas' government said it would hold long overdue general elections by September.

Abbas has repeatedly delayed elections, both due to fears that his Fatah Party would lose, and because of the geographical split in Palestinian society.

Abbas governs from the West Bank while the rival Hamas militant group rules the Gaza Strip, having taken it over by force in 2007. The Palestinians hope to turn both territories — located on opposite sides of Israel — into a state. Elections could conceivably provide a way for the rivals to reconcile, though Hamas has said it will boycott the vote.

In the absence of peace talks, Abed Rabbo said the Palestinians would spend the coming months preparing for the elections, pursuing reconciliation and trying to rally international support for Palestinian independence at the United Nations. They have set September as an informal target date for declaring statehood, with or without a peace deal.

For Israel, the reluctance to resume talks is far more straightforward.

Mubarak's downfall has robbed Israel of a key ally and raised concerns that the radical Muslim Brotherhood could play a role in a future Egyptian government. The Egyptian army's pledge on Saturday to preserve a bedrock peace treaty with Israel helped ease fears, but jitters remain.

At a time of such great uncertainty, Israeli officials are highly reluctant to turn over full control of territory on their doorstep to Abbas, a man they view as well-intentioned but weak.

Just as Abbas' forces lost control of Gaza to Hamas, they fear the same thing could happen in the West Bank — a scenario that would put a hostile group just a few miles from the country's largest cities.

"In our pursuit of peace, we have to ensure that there are rock-solid security arrangements, both to protect the peace ... but also to reflect the fact that reality can change tomorrow," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a speech last week.

Some, however, took the view that in the long run, the changes under way in the region could boost prospects for peace.

"The good thing could be that we see more democratic regimes here, and a democratic regime is more stable and more likely perhaps to conclude peace agreements," said Eytan Gilboa, an analyst at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.

___

Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians_peace_later

Yemeni police crack down on anti-government crowds

AP Photo/Hani Mohammed

An anti-government Yemeni demonstrator celebrates the resignation of Egyptian Hosni Mubarak and demands the ouster of the Yemeni president. More photos »

Slideshow:Anti-Government Demonstrations in Yemen

By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press Ahmed Al-haj, Associated Press – Sun Feb 13, 10:52 am ET

SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni police armed with sticks and daggers beat back thousands of protesters marching through the capital in a third straight day of demonstrations calling for political reforms and the resignation of the country's U.S.-allied president.

The protests have mushroomed since crowds gathered Friday to celebrate the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after an 18-day revolt fueled by similar grievances. Yemen is one of several countries in the Middle East feeling the aftershocks, as pro-reform demonstrators take inspiration from the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

On Sunday, uniformed police used truncheons to stop protesters, many of them university students, from reaching the capital's central Hada Square. Witnesses said plainclothes policemen wielding daggers and sticks also joined security forces in driving the protesters back.

Much is at stake in Yemen — already a deeply troubled nation — if the pressure on President Ali Abdullah Saleh further erodes stability.

The U.S. is most worried about an al-Qaida offshoot that has taken root in Yemen's mountains in the last few years and used the haven as a base to plot attacks beyond the country's borders, including the failed attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner in December 2009 by an attacker with a bomb sewn into his underwear.

Saleh — in power for three decades — is quietly cooperating with the U.S. in efforts to battle the al-Qaida franchise, but his government exercises limited control in the tribal areas beyond the capital. The U.S. is funneling him military aid and training.

The country's security forces, however, are already stretched thin on two other fronts: Since 2004, they have struggled to contain a serious rebellion in the north by members of the Zaidi sect of Shia Islam who complain of neglect and discrimination. At the same time, police and army forces are clashing with a secessionist movement in southern Yemen, which was a separate country until 1990.

Now, the protests calling for the president's ouster over corruption allegations and other complaints are adding another serious challenge to the list.

Opposition parties set several conditions Sunday for joining talks with the government, including a definitive timetable for "constitutional, legal and economic reforms."

The parties also demanded that Saleh remove his sons and other relatives from army, security and government posts.

Saleh has tried to defuse the unrest by promising not to run again when his term ends in 2013 and guaranteeing that he will not seek to pass power to his son.

Several people were injured in Sunday's demonstrations, and police detained 23 protesters, witnesses said.

The Interior Ministry, which oversees the internal security forces, accused the protesters of "spreading sabotage and chaos" and "threatening security and stability."

The crowds took up the protest cry that became famous in Tunisia and then in Egypt, shouting, "The people want to overthrow the regime."

They have also tried to reach a square in the capital with the same name as the plaza that became the epicenter of Egypt's protest movement: Tahrir, or Liberation, Square.

Seeking to stop them, the police have ringed the square with barbed wire and bussed in government supporters to set up a tent camp and occupy and defend the square around the clock.

On Sunday, local officials gave police and government supporters free portions of the leafy narcotic qat, which many Yemenis chew throughout the day, witnesses said.

Yemen is the Arab world's most impoverished nation. Its main source of income — oil — could run dry in a decade, and the country is also rapidly running out of water.

Yemen has been the site of anti-U.S. attacks dating back to the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden harbor, which killed 17 American sailors. Radical U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, thought to be hiding in Yemen, is suspected of having inspired some attacks, including the deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_yemen