'All UMNO taught us was about circumcision'

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 9: Cutting of hands and circumcision - these two things are UMNO's specialisation when it comes to giving non-Muslims the right understanding about Islam.

Former Health minister and Johor PKR chairman Chua Jui Meng (pic), recalling his interactions with UMNO leaders during his years in MCA, revealed that UMNO always attempted to portray Islam and PAS as frightening and extreme.

Chua said besides not being given the correct understanding about the religion, BN's non-Muslim partners had only understood Islam from two contexts – cutting of hands (part of the Islamic penal code which is executed after an exhaustive judicial process), and circumcision.

“We were not given the right exposure. In fact, they go around saying that if PAS were given the mandate to rule, a lot of disastrous things will happen,” he said in a speech at Kepala Batas.

Chua however claimed that upon closer interaction with PAS leaders, his perception about Islam changed.

“I find that Islam is a moderate religion. UMNO is the one which talks about an 'extreme' Islam to scare us. PAS has taught us the truth about the religion.

"I now understand the real meaning of moderation in Islam. In fact, my son had circumcised because he understood its benefit like what is practised by Muslims,” he added.

Chua said Islam placed much emphasis on the welfare of the non-Muslims.

Chua, who is also PKR's vice president, praised Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS Murshidul Am, Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, describing him an example of a moderate leader, and urged non-Muslims not to succumb to UMNO's propaganda to them about PAS.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2415:all-umno-taught-us-was-about-circumcision-chua-jui-meng&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56

Judi: Muhyiddin persenda Islam

M Faqih

KOTA BHARU, 9 Mac: Sejak 20 tahun lalu rakyat negeri ini tanpa mengira kaum dan agama faham, Kelantan berbeza dengan negeri lain kerana tiada premis perjudian dan pusat-pusat hiburan.

Malah kelebihan itu menjadi instrumen utama bagi menarik kehadiran pelancong ke negeri ini, sehingga Kota Bharu dan Rantau Panjang sesak setiap kali musim cuti persekolahan.

Masyarakat bukan Islam juga faham keharmonian hidup mulai dirasai kerana perbuatan yang menyalahi moral dikawal kerajaan negeri.

Bukan setakat itu sahaja, ada isteri penduduk bukan Islam datang menemui Menteri Besar, Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat merakam ucapan tahniah kepada kerajaan negeri kerana bertindak mengharamkan premis perjudian.

Kata nyonya terbabit sebelum ini keluarganya porak peranda kerana suami suka berjudi.

Anehnya selepas 20 tahun keharmonian dalam kehidupan masyarakat berlangsung, tiba-tiba ada pihak yang mempertikaikan langkah Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu Bandar Raya Islam (MPKB BRI) menyerbu tempat menjual loteri secara gelap.

Setiausaha Badan Perhubungan PAS Kelantan, Mohd Zaki Ibrahim berkata, tindakan MPKB BRI menyerbu premis yang disyaki menjual loteri sepatutnya disokong semua pihak.

“Rakyat Kelantan tanpa mengira agama dan kaum sudah faham, perbuatan judi mendatangkan banyak kesan negatif. Rumah tangga porak peranda, anak-anak terbiar.

“Jadi langkah pihak berkuasa tempatan mengambil tindakan kerana ada pihak yang melanggar peraturan sesuatu yang perlu dipuji.

“Tidak berbangkit PBT tidak berbincang dengan premis berkenaan kerana tuan punya kedai tahu mereka melanggar peraturan,” katanya di sini.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sebelum ini dilaporkan berkata, tindakan kerajaan negeri mengharamkan penjualan tiket loteri memperlihatkan wajah sebenar PAS melayan masyarakat bukan Islam.

Malah ada pemimpin masyarakat bukan Islam di sini berhujah tindakan membanteras premis perjudian boleh mengurangkan sokongan masyarakat bukan Islam terhadap PAS.

Mohd Zaki yang juga Timbalan Speaker Dun Kelantan berkata, setiap premis peniagaan menjalankan urusniaga berdasar kepada permohonan lesen yang dibuat.

“Tak kan pula kedai menjual buku mengambil kesempatan menjual benda lain yang tidak terkandung dalam syarat lesen premis seperti yang dimohon kepada MPKB BRI.

“Lebih-lebih lagi kalau mereka menjual tiket loteri lagilah salah kerana ia bertentangan peraturan PBT di negeri ini,” katanya.

Oleh itu beliau menyifatkan kenyataan Muhyiddin Yassin mempertikaikan langkah Kelantan mengharamkan judi sebagai mempersendakan agama sendiri.

Pengerusi Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Negeri, Abdullah Ya’kob berkata, tindakan tegas PBT membanteras pihak yang melanggar peraturan dapat menyelamatkan gejala sosial daripada terus menular.

http://www.harakahdaily.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31280:judi-muhyiddin-persenda-islam&catid=1:utama&Itemid=50

Gambling: Can't have your cake and eat it too

Li Fook Gao

Before I go for some serious hitting, consider the following: Smoking is legal, but some shops ban smokers. So did they violate the Federal constitution for not allowing patrons to smoke there?

Shop owners argue that smoking causes pollution to other customers, therefore they ban it. Critics say they should not as it is a violation of human rights. They even rubbish claims of smoking being linked to lung cancer because the disease is also caused by other factors. They point out that many other shops do not ban smoking and there should be no exception. They claim people have freedom to emit smoke whenever and wherever they want. They somewhat suggest that non-smokers have the choice of whether to inhale the second hand smoke or simply hold their breath. For them, those who ban smoking are 'extremists'.

It took me a while before writing this piece. Should I be blunt or polite in hitting some senses back to a section of non-Muslims, especially the Chinese community, with regards to the PAS-led Kelantan state government's decision to consolidate its 20-year ban on gambling?

Why now?

The ban on gambling activities has always been there, since before the existence of Pakatan Rakyat. So why did it now make it into news headlines?

And some even went to the extent of urging PAS to reconsider the ban, or "risk not marching to Putrajaya".

And because of one non-issue that has been propelled into something big, it has become convenient to heap all the problems faced by PR on PAS. This is confounded by the fact that PAS had just lost four by-elections in a row. One may even add that they have lost every general election for the last 50 years! But does this mean the party's consistency and principled stand should be thrown away?

These same 'turbaned people' who some call 'hardliners' are the same people who have continued to oppose the government through thick and thin, way before non-Muslims suddenly woke up from their 50 years of blind support for BN, which in turn encouraged UMNO's metamorphosis into a monster.

Why do the Chinese support Pakatan Rakyat?

They hate MCA and Gerakan for not having the ball to reprimand their big brother UMNO who continues to make decisions against the wishes of the Chinese community.

Sustaining Chinese support

DAP has tried to keep this factor in mind, to sustain this hatred against MCA and Gerakan and thereby consolidate Chinese support for the opposition, often by openly reprimanding the Malay-dominated PAS on any issue.

They do it publicly to prove to MCA, Gerakan and the Chinese community that they will not kow-tow to anyone, gaining applause from the Chinese. This washing of dirty linen in public goes a long way towards getting political mileage among MCA and Gerakan's vote bank.

When reprimanded by its Malay partners, DAP leaders have often been quick to justify their action as a sign of their courage to speak out. Never mind that more harm has been done to PAS, whose win will be crucial in determining whether or not PR gets to go to Putrajaya.

It appears that a section of the Chinese politicians are taking advantage by repeatedly asking PAS to change, change, and change in order to suit their personal habits and lifestyle. These politicians knew too well that doing the same to UMNO would invite threats.

Hence, many agree that PAS has been heading to the middle in their cooperation within Pakatan Rakyat.

Three years after the 2008 general elections, the Malays' protest vote against UMNO seem to be reverting back to Barisan Nasional. As a result, PAS's grip on its traditional vote bank is fast losing.

To assure the non-Muslims, PAS adapts the slogan "PAS for All", telling them that Islam is fair to all races, unlike UMNO-BN's 1Malaysia/Ketuanan Melayu irony. PAS has always come to DAP’s rescue in times the latter finds itself at the mercy of UMNO ulama. In all this, PAS has taken the huge risk of further losing Malay support to UMNO's propaganda.

PAS has continously emphasised it commitment in Pakatan Rakyat, but to expect it to dump their Islamic ideology is to overstep the boundary.

Holding PAS to ransom

The recent brouhaha created over the ban on lottery in Kelantan serves as a good example of how some non-Muslims tried to hold PAS to ransom for upholding something a principle which they held way before non-Muslims understood the monster that was BN.

Some ill-informed observers even go to the extent of attributing PAS's recent losses in Merlimau and Kerdau to its ban on gambling in Kelantan, completely ignorant of the fact that such a policy has kept BN at bay for the past 20 years.

Ther term 'hardline' is subjective. DAP can also be called 'hardline' from the Muslim point of view, and this can also be the reason why Malays, whose vote is ever crucial, are actually ditching Pakatan Rakyat.

Support comes with understanding. Just because you voted for a certain party, it does not mean the party should be held to ransom. It is this kind of understanding that has kept both DAP and PAS alive for decades despite the odds stacked against them.

Heavily beaten in 1999 (DAP) and 2004 (PAS), both parties held on, and then in 2008, Malaysians suddenly looked for them upon realising who they had been voting for in the last half-a-century.

No party can claim credit over their gains in 2008, though credit is due to Anwar Ibrahim who managed to pull the opposition together.

While PR's component parties are still intact, it must be remembered that protest votes are no longer such nowadays, what with the way PR handled itself in public.

Prior to 2008, Kelantan was the only opposition state in Malaysia. Gambling was, and still is, banned, but some shops sold them illegally. It would now seem that DAP had eaten the bait by UMNO and MCA by making a fuss about the ban.

The current controversy stems from anti anti-PAS blogger from Kelantan who reported that lottery tickets were still being sold illegally in Kota Bharu, a claim highlighted by UMNO in the state assembly, and for which PAS decided to take action to enforce the law.

Then came MCA, screaming about their gambling rights in the dailies they control, baiting DAP to jump into the fire. And jump the DAP did. After all, the 'courage' to speak up has been the deciding factor for Chinese support.

PAS's reaction

Instead of countering the attack, PAS reacted by calling on a meeting among top PR leadership to look for an amicable solution. Even then, Selangor DAP issued a warning to PAS, giving the cliched excuse that “If PAS pushes this further, it’s not going to help them win more Malay votes and it might cost them non-Malay votes.”

In other words, it means: “You are going to lose Malay votes anyway, but don’t kill our Chinese votes too!”. Again, never mind about PAS’s support base which is crucial for the march to Putrajaya.

UMNO would soon be going to town crying “PAS kuda DAP” to tell unsuspecting Malays that unlike UMNO, which controls everything in BN, PAS and Anwar could not even weigh in on small matters such as this. Such propaganda have worked really well recently.

Kelantan

It takes only a 5-10 percent swing in Malay votes to present Kelantan and even Penang, that fort of DAP, to BN in the next general election.

As far as support for the opposition is concern, Kelantan has proved time and again. It would be silly to now ask for the state government to bend its policies when it had been managed well both economically and politically by PAS, keeping BN at bay for two decades.

In the gambling issue, some DAP leaders appear to have stepped into uncharted waters. It is therefore no suprise that many Muslim supporters of Pakatan Rakyat find it unacceptable.

DAP should not get too big-headed either. The Chinese support for PR was not merely due to their effort. It has more to do with UMNO's actions. One can also argue that sustaining Chinese support has been due to PAS's movement towards the middle, not DAP's 'hardline' modus operandi.

By the same logic, one can also conclude that PR's dwindling Malay support has been mainly due to DAP’s hardline policy rather than PAS's softening of its 'hardline' stance on many issues.

No matter how flawed, both arguments may augur well with the Malays.

If one follows the debates on cyberspace, one gets the impression that gambling is so ingrained in the Chinese psyche that by just banning it will make them vote for UMNO!

If that is the case, then go ahead, vote and gamble. And while at it, gamble your future away too.

Universal scourge

To oppose the eradication of a universally-recognised social ill is not justified. The story of the smokers' right to pollute and spread diseases is just one example of how small minds are at work.

Having said that, the realities in Malaysia are such that change must come gradually, creeping through social and communal structures. A nationwide ban on gambling may be unwise, as much as it is unwise for Kelantan not to ban gambling now.

If Chinese opposition leaders insist on maintaining UMNO-BN’s legacy of the gambling industry for eternity, will not the same argument justify the perpetuation of the NEP. Why not, if majority of the Malays want such an unjust policy to continue, it can be argued.

One must know to pick one's battle. One can't have the cake and eat it too. Our Muslim brothers in PR must also breathe easier by staying in the coalition. For those who chide PAS for focusing on what they term "petty issues" instead of corruption, then pray, why then do you make a big fuss out of it?

If such an issue could drive you to punch your fist in the air crying "injustice", then it is anybody's guess who is being petty.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2407:gambling-cant-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too&catid=50:li-fook-gao&Itemid=103

Education and women's employment in Saudi Arabia

Diana al-Jassem / Arab News

The challenges women face in the Saudi job market continue to rise. One of the more poignant challenges they face involves not finding jobs in the fields that they studied when at university.

Saudi telephone operators work at the International Medical Center in Jeddah

Saudi women are confined to study certain majors such as education, health, business, computer science, literature and Islamic studies. They are not accepted for other subjects such as law, aviation, security, journalism and other engineering specialties.

Two private women colleges have recently opened in the Kingdom. They both offer new majors such as information systems, interior design and special education. However, not all female students in Saudi Arabia can study these fields, as women’s rights to study and work is dependent on their guardians.

Despite difficulties facing women in the labor market, there are many who are studying in private colleges subjects for which there are no jobs available for women. Such is the case that after graduation many of these women find it impossible to find jobs in their actual fields of study.

“I graduated with a degree in graphic design from Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah two years ago. For the past two years, I have been searching for a job in my field. I’ve not found anything in the government sector because my major is not listed in the list of government job openings. I am disappointed because this means I will never get an opportunity to work in the public sector,” said Rana Ramadan, an unemployed Saudi girl.

“When I decided to search for a job in the private sector, I was looking for a job that suits my field and ambition. I joined a private company as an advertisement designer for SR1,500 a month. After joining there, they gave me additional duties such as accounting and secretarial work… I was given these additional duties without a salary rise,” she said.

Ramadan now prefers to stay at home than be forced to work in a field for which she did not study at university.

Al-Anoud Fakhani, a young Saudi girl who graduated in psychology at Effat University eight years ago, was also unable to find a job in her field. As a result, she decided to take a job outside the field of specialty.

“I studied child psychology at Effat University in Jeddah. After graduation, I couldn’t find a specialist center that focuses on child psychology. Because of that, I spent about one year without a job,” she said. “Recently, my father persuaded me to try another field, which I did. I joined a private medical center and worked as a marketing coordinator. It was difficult to understand the issues at the beginning, but after a few months I became proficient in this,” she added.

Manal Shaker, a Palestinian interior designer who studied at Dar Al-Hekma College in Jeddah, decided to abandon her dream to become an interior designer and opted to sit at home to raise her children.

“I was concerned about my future after graduation. I realized that entering the interior design field would not be easy. Such work requires one to work in offices. Unfortunately, these companies prefer male staff and do not hire women designers,” said Shaker.

To avoid unemployment, Shaker decided to work as an English teacher at a private school in Jeddah. “I worked at a private school as an English teacher. They hired me to teach the first three grades for SR2,000 a month because I didn’t have any qualifications in English,” she added.

Statistics published in a local daily by Nahed Taher, a consultant at a private bank in Saudi Arabia, confirmed that over 22,000 commercial licenses have been issued to women, many of who run their own beauty, furniture and fashion businesses.

According to the statistics, women are beginning to realize the importance of investments. Women own nearly 20 percent of mutual funds, while it is believed about SR15 billion (RM15 billion) of cash assets are owned by women and stored in current accounts.

Dr. Haifa Jamalallail, president of Effat University, confirmed that the university is still finding it difficult to find jobs for female graduates in fields such as architecture.

“Although we don’t have many graduates from the Architecture College, we’re still unable to find job opportunities for them. So far we’ve only had five batches of graduates in architecture. Each batch contains about six to 10 girls,” she said.

“We are targeting foreign companies that exist in Saudi Arabia to try getting them to accept some of our Saudi female workers and engineers. We’re still in the preparation stage when it comes to Saudi companies,” she added.

Jamalallail said that Effat University has spoken to a number of electricity and phone companies such as STC and Mobily asking them if they could create job opportunities for female graduates.

“They’ve said they will try to establish a working environment suitable for our female graduates,” she said, adding that only three foreign companies have established specialized centers for women engineers.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2412:education-and-womens-employment-in-saudi-arabia&catid=47:edu-spective&Itemid=90

Gobala's two fat cheques got PKR guessing

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 10: Even as he accused an absent Anwar Ibrahim of refusing to return one of his cars during a parliamentary session to debate the royal address yesterday, PKR's former member N Gobalakrishnan (right) has found himself in the centre of an allegation that he had received bribe worth RM1.4 million to quit the party last January.

Revealing the details, PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution questioned how Gobala could "suddenly" settle his company's land lease with Kumpulan Pertanian Kelantan Berhad, worth RM1,401,250, and urged tax officers to investigate.

Backing his claim, Saifuddin showed two post-dated cheques from Hong Leong Bank, one dated January 12, 2011 for RM700,000 and the other March 15, 2011 for RM701,250, both payable to Kumpulan Pertanian Kelantan Berhad.

“Between January and March 2011 was the height of attacks, threats and slanders from Padang Serai MP against PKR. At the same time, he found himself able to pay RM1,401,250 million for the land purchase,” he said, and added that Gobala's financial woes had not been a secret.

“Gobalakrishan had sold his own house, his wife’s bakery business and faced with all sorts of difficulties to pick up bills," said Saifuddin, adding that Gobala had however remained patient in facing the hard times.

However, Saifuddin (left) said Gobala showed his true colours three years after winning the Padang Serai seat on PKR's ticket, and his disgruntlement reached a peak after he was not given any lucrative post in state-linked cooperations.

Gobala, who was once a staunch supporter of Anwar following his sacking and incarceration in 1998, had been posting messages deriding Anwar and several other PKR leaders early this year. Gobala had demanded that the construction of a temple on the top of the Bukit Gasing green belt in Petaling Jaya be legalised, despite environmental concerns.

'Defections due to money'

Saifuddin said the spate of defections in PKR had been due to lucrative offers.

“Because of this offer, many succumbed. But they made the mistake of giving fancy excuses to justify their betrayal. The question is if Padang Serai Member of Parliament can settle a land payment worth RM1.4 million, how much in total did he receive?" he asked.

"And if that’s the price for Padang Serai MP, what’s the price for Wangsa Maju, Bagan Serai, Kulim Bandar Baharu, Bayan Baru and Nibong Tebal members of parliament?" he pressed on, referring to five other PKR elected representatives who had since left the party.

Meanwhile, Kapar member of parliament S Manikavasagam joined calls for the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission to immediately investigate Gobala over his "sudden" wealth.

Related:

Staunch supporter-turned-enemy continues attack on Anwar

Gobala attacks PKR leaders, urges to focus on poor

Letter: Gobala should avoid screaming on Twitter

Letter: Gobala's exit: Good riddance to bad performers

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2425:gobalas-two-fat-cheques-got-pkr-guessing&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56

Mesir: Kelantan belanja RM2 juta

Salmah Mat Husain

KOTA BHARU, 10 Mac: Kerajaan Kelantan membelanjakan sejumlah RM2 juta bagi menampung 939 orang pelajar di negeri ini yang akan meneruskan pengajian mereka di Mesir.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Insan, Belia, Sukan dan NGO Negeri, Abdul Fatah Mahmood, berkata seramai 70 orang kumpulan pertama akan bertolak bagi meneruskan pengajian mereka bermula 13 Mac ini.

“Ini kerana 60 orang daripada mereka akan menghadapi peperiksaan pada 15 Mac,” ujarnya.

Menurut Fatah lagi, kumpulan kedua, ketiga dan seterusnya masing-masing 100 orang akan bertolak pada 15, 16 dan 17 Mac.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada media selepas mesyuarat exco ketika ditemui di pejabatnya, semalam.

Jelasnya lagi, sebelum ini seramai 1,006 orang telah didaftarkan dengan kerajaan negeri namun hanya 939 orang sahaja yang tinggal memandangkan sebahagiannya ada yang pergi sendiri termasuk mendapat sumbangan JPA dan lain-lain.

Sehubungan itu, beliau berharap semua pelajar dapat mengikuti pengajian mereka dengan baik dan tenang, terutama yang bakal menghadapi peperiksaan yang terdekat ini.

http://www.harakahdaily.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31301:mesir-kelantan-belanja-rm2-juta&catid=51:negeri-kelantan-darul-naim&Itemid=96

Selangor: Not yet to ban gambling

Posted by admin on March 9th, 2011

Gamblers can continue to stake their money at any legal gaming joint in Selangor. The state has no plans to imitate Kelantan and outlaw lotteries or any other form of gambling currently allowed. Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim told reporters today that his administration had not deliberated on the subject and indicated that it was not likely to do so in the foreseeable future.

No additional regulation on gambling would be introduced, he said.

“This is our stand at the moment,” he added.

Last week, the PAS-led Kelantan state government caused an uproar when it extended its gambling ban to include the sale of lottery tickets.

State PAS leaders also called for similar ban to be imposed in all Pakatan-ruled states, including Selangor.

The move drew criticism even from Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh called on the state to lift the ban, reminding it that federal laws permitted non-Muslims to gamble.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had also lashed out at PAS over its gambling ban in Kelantan and ruled out implementing such a measure nationwide, adding that gambling was legally permissible for non-Muslims.

State FOI bill for second read

At his press conference today, Khalid also shared his thoughts on the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill scheduled for another reading in the state assembly.

He agreed with critics that the first draft tabled last year appeared to be a “watered down” version of what democracy activists would expect from such legislation.

“But the first draft was to ensure that we accommodate the interests of both the state and the federal government,” he said.

After the first draft was tabled last July, the Bar Council noted that the new law would retain the Menteri Besar’s right to classify certain types of information as secret.

Khalid said he had not studied the latest draft and would need another week before he could offer comments.

Free Malaysia Today

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14550

Kerajaan tambah subsidi petrol jika…

Posted by admin on March 9th, 2011

Subsidi petrol dijangka menokok dengan tambahan sebanyak RM4 bilion tahun ini jika harga bahan api itu kekal di pasaran sekarang iaitu RM1.90 setiap liter bagi RON95 dan RM2.50 seliter bagi RON97. Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, kos yang tinggi itu terpaksa ditanggung kerajaan jika tiada perubahan bagi harga petrol di pasaran kini yang menyaksikan kenaikan harga bahan api itu di peringkat global.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menerima taklimat daripada Gabenor Bank Negara, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz di sini Rabu.

Ini bermakna subsidi minyak dalam Bajet 2011 yang ditetapkan sebanyak RM10 bilion berdasarkan harga minyak mentah dunia iaitu AS$85 (RM259) hingga AS$90 (RM274) setong meningkat kepada RM14 bilion tahun ini.

Selain itu kerajaan turut mempertuntukkan sebanyak RM4 bilion untuk subsidi lain. Bagi tahun 2010, subsidi minyak meningkat sehingga RM10 bilion.

Pakar ekonomi menjangkakan harga minyak mentah dunia akan kekal melepasi AS$100 (RM305) setong, mengakibatkan kerajaan terpaksa menanggung subsidi kira-kira RM4 bilion.

Najib berkata, perbelanjaan defisit itu bergantung kepada nilai pendapatan kerajaan mampu diperoleh dengan peningkatan kos subsidi.

Kerajaan menyasarkan defisit dalam bajet pada 5.4 peratus dalam Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) tahun ini berbanding 5.6 peratus tahun lalu sedangkan sasaran ialah untuk menurunkan kadar defisit kepada 2.8 peratus menjelang tahun 2015.

Bulan lalu, Najib berkata mungkin akan mengkaji subsidi minyak jika krisis di Asia Barat berterusan, namun sehingga kini tiada perancangan ke arah itu buat masa ini.

Kali terakhir harga RON97 naik ialah pada 1 Februari lalu selepas naik 10 sen pada 4 Januari. Pada Disember, harga petrol RON95 dan diesel meningkat 5 sen seliter masing-masing kepada RM1.90 dan RM1.85 seliter.

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14553

Dewan Rakyat: PKR Desak SPRM, LHDN Siasat Gobalakrishnan

Published: Khamis Mac 10, 2011 MYT 3:46:00 PM

Oleh ARIFFUDDIN ISHAK

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) menggesa Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) dan Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) menyiasat mengenai kemampuan kewangan Ahli Parlimen Padang Serai, N. Gobalakrishnan menjelaskan bayaran pajakan tanah di Kelantan bernilai RM1.4 juta.

Setiausaha Agung PKR, Saifuddin Nasution mendakwa, pihaknya mempunyai bukti berupa dua salinan cek Hong Leong Bank masing-masing bernilai RM700,000 bertarikh 12 Januari 2011 dan RM701,250 bertarikh 15 Mac 2011.

Menurut Saifuddin, kedua-dua cek berkenaan bagi menjelaskan bayaran pajakan tanah seluas 40.47 hektar di Lojing, Kelantan di antara syarikat milik Gobalakrishnan iaitu Embun Megah Sdn Bhd dengan Kumpulan Pertanian Kelantan Berhad.

"Adalah aneh secara tiba-tiba Ahli Parlimen Padang Serai dapat menjelaskan bayaran berkenaan sejurus selepas keluar parti dan berterusan menyerang PKR.

"Dari mana sumbernya, siapa yang bermurah hati menolong, urusniaga apa yang dilakukan beliau hingga memungkinkan wang sebanyak itu diperolehnya?

"Januari dan Mac adalah kemuncak tempoh serangan, kecaman dan fitnah Gobalakrishnan terhadap PKR dan ketika ini jugalah beliau secara tidak semena-mena mampu membayar RM1.4 juta untuk bayaran tanah ini," katanya pada sidang media di lobi Parlimen di sini, Khamis.

Gobalakrishnan mengumumkan keluar daripada PKR dan menjadi Ahli Parlimen Bebas pada 29 Januari lalu kerana hilang kepercayaan terhadap kepimpinan parti itu yang dianggap gagal menyelesaikan masalah kaum India.

Selain itu Saifuddin mendakwa, PKR mengesyaki pengkhianatan beberapa Ahli Parlimennya yang bertindak keluar parti adalah atas dorongan habuan lumayan.

Sementara itu, pada sidang media berasingan, Gobalakrishnan menafikan menerima wang berjumlah RM1.4 juta seperti yang didakwa Saifuddin.

Malah beliau turut bersedia disiasat oleh pihak berkuasa berhubung dakwaan berkenaan.

"Saya sedia untuk disiasat pada bila-bila masa. Saya tidak pernah menerima apa-apa bayaran berjumlah RM1.4 juta daripada mana-mana pihak seperti yang dikatakan mereka.

"Anda boleh periksa tandatangan saya, malah saya tak ada tunaikan apa-apa cek lagi pada tahun ini," katanya.

Menurutnya lagi, syarikat Embun Megah Sdn Bhd yang dimaksudkan Saifuddin bukan miliknya.

"Syarikat itu bukan milik saya, sebaliknya keluarga saya mempunyai kepentingan di dalamnya, bukan saya," katanya.

http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita.asp?file=/2011/3/10/mstar_berita/20110310154427&sec=mstar_berita

Bukti dapat cek untuk MP lompat PKR?

Posted by admin on March 9th, 2011

Setiausaha Agung KEADILAN, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (gambar) mempersoal tindakan Ahli Parlimen KEADILAN yang keluar parti, baru-baru ini , disebabkan menerima wang dari pihak tertentu untuk membuat bayaran hutangnya. “Cek pertama adalah cek tunai berjumlah RM700,000 dengan tarikh 12 Januari beralamat di sebuah bank di Ipoh manakala cek kedua adalah cek yang mempunyai tarikh sah laku sehingga 15 Mac dengan jumlah RM700,000.

“Cek itu beralamat syarikat milik Ahli Parlimen yang juga alamat kediamannya sendiri. Ia dibayar kepada tuan punya tanah dengan jumlah RM1.4 juta. Persoalannya, dari mana datangnya duit ini?” soalnya sambil menunjukkan bukti salinan bayaran cek berkenaan.

Terdahulu, Saifuddin berkata, Ahli Parlimen yang keluar KEADILAN itu membeli tanah pada 2010 dengan harga RM1.5 juta tetapi gagal membuat bayaran dalam masa 60 hari mengikut perjanjian.

“Saya mendapat salinan perjanjian antara Ahli Parlimen ini dengan pihak yang memiliki tanah. Perjanjian itu dibuat pada Mei 2010. Bayaran mesti dibuat, namun beliau tiada wang,” katanya kepada KeadilanDaily di lobi Parlimen, hari ini.

Menyatakan maklumat itu diperoleh daripada pihak tertentu yang bersimpati dengan KEADILAN, Saifuddin berkata: “Kita ada dokumen dan mereka datang menemui saya menyerahkan bukti.

“Selepas membuat kajian, ia memang sah. Data itu adalah dokumen asal dan saya buat salinan.

“Tindakan ini dilakukan oleh mereka yang tidak tahan melihat lakonan Ahli Parlimen kononnya keluar parti mendakwa kononnya KEADILAN tidak membela rakyat,” katanya yang sudah menjangka tindakan individu itu untuk keluar parti.

“Namun, mereka khianat sebab bertanding dan menang atas tiket KEADILAN. Kita sentiasa mempertahankan bahawa mereka yang mengkhianati parti adalah kerana mereka dibeli,” kata Saifuddin.

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14556

Gobala terima cek bagi keluar PKR?

Posted by admin on March 10th, 2011

PKR menggesa Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) menyiasat kewangan ahli Parlimen Padang Serai, N. Gobalakrishnan yang didakwa mampu membayar segala hutangnya secara tiba-tiba. Setiausaha Agung PKR, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail yang merujuk kepada Gobalakrishnan yang bertindak keluar PKR Januari lalu mempersoal keupayaan kewangannya selepas keluar parti, sedangkan beliau sebelum ini diketahui mempunyai masalah kewangan.

Menurut Saifuddin yang juga ahli Parlimen Machang, Gobalakrishnan secara tiba-tiba dapat menjelaskan bayaran pajakan tanah di antara syarikat miliknya, Embun Megah Sdn Bhd beralamat 1525, Kulim Height 3, Kulim Golf and Country Resort, Kedah dengan Kumpulan Pertanian Kelantan Bhd bernilai RM1,401,250,00.

Katanya, bayaran cek Hong Leong Bank masing-masing bernilai RM700,000 bertarikh 12 Januari 2011 dan RM701,250 bertarikh 15 Mac 2011 jelas menunjukkan kemampuan kewangan Gobalakrishnan yang secara berterusan menyerang PKR.

“PKR menggesa Lembaga hasil Dalam Negeri memulakan tugas ‘bertanya khabar’ keupayaan kewangan beliau yang membolehkan bayaran berjuta ringgit dibuat terhadap urusniaga ini. Dari mana sumbernya? Siapa yang ‘bermurah hati’ menolong? Urusniaga apa yang dilakukan beliau yang memungkinkan wang sebanyak ini diperoleh?

“Januari dan Mac 2011 adalah kemuncak tempoh serangan, kecaman dan fitnah ahli Parlimen Padang Serai terhadap PKR. Ketika ini jugalah beliau secara tidak semena-mena mampu membayar RM1,401,250 untuk bayaran tanah ini,” kata beliau pada sidang media di lobi Parlimen hari ini.

Mengulas lanjut, Saifuddin berkata, Gobalakrishnan pernah menjual rumahnya sendiri, kedai kek isterinya terpaksa ditutup dan kesukaran menjelaskan pelbagai bil-bil lain.

Beliau tabah dan sabar menghadapi situasi itu sehingga memenangi kerusi Padang Serai dengan tiket PKR.

Namun dakwa Saifuddin, Gobalakrishnan mula berubah apabila tiga tahun bersama PKR akibat masalah kewangan dan beliau mua tidak berpuas hati akibat tidak dilantik menduduki jawatan dalam anak-anak syarikat kerajaan negeri yang difikirkan menjanjikan pulangan lumayan.

PKR tegasnya mengulangi pendirian bahawa pengkhianatan keluar parti sejumlah ahli-ahli Parlimen PKR didorong habuan lumayan yang tidak mungkin diperoleh mereka jika kekal dalam PKR.

“Kerana dorongan inilah ramai tewas. Ralatnya mereka mencipta alasan-alasan yang tidak masuk akal untuk menjustifikasikan tindakan khianat mereka.

“Persoalannya ialah jika ahli Parlimen Padang Serai mampu menjelaskan bayaran tanah RM1.4 juta dalam masa tiga bulan, berapa agaknya habuan yang beliau terima sebagai harga pengkhianatan ini?

“Dan kalau ‘nilai’ ahli Parlimen Padang Serai sejumlah tersebut, berapa pula habuan yang diterima oleh ahli-ahli parlimen Wangsa Maju, Bagan Serai, Kulim Bandar Baharu, Bayan Baru dan Nibong Tebal, ‘rakyat hakim terbaik’,” katanya.

Sementara itu, ahli Parlimen Kapar, S. Manikavasagam terkejut dengan kemampuan Gobalakrishnan membayar hutangnya dan meminta Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) menyiasat perkara itu.

“Saya terkejut dengan kemampuan Gobala. Saya yakin semua yang keluar parti itu dibeli dan seharusnya SPRM menyiasat bagaimana mereka ini boleh menjadi senang secara tiba-tiba,” katanya.

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14577

Buku Jingga bankrapkan negara?

Posted by admin on March 9th, 2011

Seorang penyokong kerajaan yakin buku jingga yang dikeluarkan oleh pembangkang boleh menyebabkan Malaysia bankrap dalam masa dua tahun sekiranya pakatan itu diberi peluang menerajui Putrajaya. Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahalan (BN-Kota Belud) berkata, ini kerana buku itu lebih bersifat manifesto politik dan populis yang boleh membahayakan negara.

“Saya amat kecewa bila melihat dan membaca buku jingga ini kerana berdasarkan fakta-fakta ekonomi yang terdapat di dalamnya, Malaysia boleh bankrap dalam tempoh dua tahun sekiranya pakatan pembangkang diberi peluang menguasai Putrajaya,”katanya.

Berucap membahaskan usul menjunjung kasih titah Yang di-Pertuan Agong pada persidangan Dewan Rakyat di sini hari ini, Abdul Rahman berkata, penghasilan buku jingga itu bukan berdasarkan kehendak rakyat kerana ia langsung tidak menggambarkan kehendak akar umbi.

Pakatan pembangkang memperkenalkan Agenda Pakatan atau dikenali sebagai Buku Jingga pada Konvensyen Pakatan kedua di Kepala Batas tahun lepas. Buku Jingga turut menggariskan agenda pada 100 hari pertama pentadbiran pakatan pembangkang sekiranya diberi peluang menerajui negara.

Antara yang dicadangkan ialah mereformasikan institusi penting negara seperti Suruhanjaya Pilihana Raya (SPR), Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), Pejabat Peguam Negara dan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) untuk mengembalikan kewibawaan kepada sistem pentadbiran kerajaan, memansuhkan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dan mengarahkan Khazanah Berhad, Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) dan lain-lain badan milik kerajaan yang memiliki konsesi lebuh raya untuk menyempurnakan ambil alih aset lebuh raya oleh kerajaaan dengan tujuan menghapuskan tol.

Pakatan pembangkang juga bercadang menjadikan air sebagai hak rakyat dengan mengembalikan semua konsesi pengurusan air yang diurus swasta kepada kerajaan selain menyediakan perkhidmatan internet Wi-Fi percuma kepada semua rakyat di kawasan bandar dan separa bandar.

“Jika dilihat pada cadangan ini pastinya menggunakan banyak perbelanjaan misalnya untuk menyediakan perkhidmatan wi-fi percuma sahaja sekurang-kurangnya memerlukan RM1.2 bilion, jadi kalau dikaji cadangan dan perbelanjaan yang akan dibuat boleh menyebabkan negara bankrap pada tahun kedua pembangkang menerajui negara.

“Walaupun mereka mendakwa buku ini digubal oleh pakar-pakar ekonomi, itu tidak bermakna ia menggambarkan kehendak rakyat secara keseluruhan dan ini amat berbeza dengan program-program yang dilaksanakan oleh kerajaan,” katanya yang merujuk kepada program-program transformasi kerajaan seperti Model Baru Ekonomi (MEB) yang merangkumi Program Transformasi Kerajaan (GTP) dan Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP).

Malah, katanya sebelum MEB dilaksanakan kerajaan telah mengambil kira segala pandangan rakyat melalui pelbagai pendekatan antaranya melalui khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS), telefon, bengkel serta hari terbuka.

Selain itu katanya, buku jingga juga hanya menonjolkan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) sahaja dan bukannya kepentingan pakatan pembangkang secara keseluruhan.

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14559

Kerjasama PAS & DAP diperjelaskan

Posted by admin on March 9th, 2011

Nasrudin bin Hassan

Kelihatan UMNO dan BN ‘all out’ menggunakan isu PAS alat DAP, PAS kuda tunggangan DAP, PAS boneka DAP, PAS menggadai prinsip perjuangan dan 1001 tohmahan dilemparkan kepada PAS dan disogok kepada rakyat khasnya orang – orang melayu untuk menanam rasa benci dan curiga yang mendalam terhadap PAS. UMNO dan BN melengkapkan adu dombanya untuk masyarakat melayu menolak perjuangan PAS secara konsisten dengan “sepanduk” mereka bahawa “PAS berkawan dengan kafir DAP tetapi lawan melayu UMNO”. Secara sentimennya, sebahagian masyarakat melayu yang hanya terdedah kepada maklumat sebelah pihak akan terpengaruh dengan dakyah ini.

Saya tidak menafikan kemungkinan sebahagian pengundi menolak untuk memberi sokongan kepada PAS atas faktor ini, namun ia bukanlah faktor besar dan sebenar justeru unjuran undi sokong yang diperolehi oleh PAS tidak menunjukkan aras menjunam sebaliknya menurun dengan peratus yang kecil sementelah pula ia diukur nilai dalam saingan pilihanraya kecil.

Saya sangat optimis, kiranya PAS diberi laluan serta kemudahan untuk akses dengan media elektronik dan cetak arus perdana bagi menjelaskan segala kekeliruan yang tersimpul, PAS mampu memberi saingan sengit secara sihat kepada UMNO dan BN lalu memenangi pilihanraya secara gentleman. Malang demokrasi negara kita diurus secara pincang oleh UMNO dan BN selaku pemerintah, lalu memaksa kita bersaing tanpa peluang yang seimbang.

Insyaallah, jika UMNO dan BN masih gagal membuka peluang untuk PAS dan rakan – rakan Pakatan Rakyat akses dengan media elektronik dan cetak arus perdana menjelang 1 Mei akan datang, Himpunan 500K BERSIH 2 akan menjadi kenyataan pada bulan june akan datang.

Menjawab persoalan kenapa PAS sedia berhubung, berkawan dan bekerjasama dengan DAP, saya mulakan dengan mengajak seluruh rakyat khasnya ummat Islam untuk mengkaji kebijakan Baginda Rasul saw bertindak melalui seerah perjuangan Baginda demi menyelamatkan ummah sekaligus menyalakan obor menerangi kegelapan jahiliyyah. Baginda Rasul saw telah bertindak sebagai Rahmatan Lil A’lamin [ rahmat - naungan kasih buat seluruh alam ].

Antara tindakan bestari Baginda Rasul saw ialah Baginda telah mengadakan kerjasama sosial dan politik dengan golongan non muslim pada waktu itu untuk tujuan mempertahankan hak dan menentang kezaliman:

• Hilful Mutaiyyibin : Nabi saw. pernah menjelaskan mengenai Tahaaluf ini . Sabda Baginda saw :

شهدت حلف المطيبين و ما أحب أن أنكثه و أن لي حمر النعم

Aku telah menyaksikan berlakunya perjanjian ( tahaaluf ) al Mutayyibin dan aku tidak ingin memungkirinya walaupun diberi kepada aku unta berwarna merah yang terbaik sekali .

Diriwayatkan oleh Imam Ahmad. al Musnad Jil 1. hlm 190 – 193

Perjanjian atau kerjasama [ tahaaluf ] ini wujud apabila timbul persengketaan dikalangan kabilah dalam merebut kuasa pengawasan Kaabah, hak penyediaan makanan dan ketenteraan serta pengurusan air zam – zam . Lalu mereka berkumpul dan mengadakan perjanjian atau kerjasama [ tahaaluf ] untuk tidak merampas hak masing – masing .

• Hilful Fudhul : Urutan Perjanjian Mutayyibin , Perjanjian atau kerjasama Fudhul dimeteri untuk menghentikan kezaliman daripada berleluasa di Kota Makkah . Samaada Kezaliman itu ke atas penduduk asal Makkah , juga kepada orang – orang asing yang berurusan di Kota Makkah . Mereka berkumpul di rumah Abdullah bin Jud’an lantaran beliau seorang yang sangat dihormati dan yang paling tua dikalangan mereka .

Sabda rasulullah saw : Aku telah menyaksikan di Rumah Abdullah bin Jud’an , adanya satu perjanjian atau kerjasama [Fudhul] yang aku tidak akan membatalkannya sekalipun aku diberikan seekor Unta Merah . Dan sekiranya perjanjian atau kerjasama itu diajak semula pada masa Islam , maka aku akan menyetujuinya .

Diriwayatkan oleh Ibn Ishak dari Muhammad bin Zaid bin Muhajir. Hadis ini bertaraf Mursal namun tidak terjejas kerana tadlis Ibn Ishaq . Ibnu Ishaq tidak melakukan kecurangan ( tadlis ) disini melainkan beliau telah menyebutkan sanadnya.

Al Imam Suhaili menyebut bahawa Hilful Fudhul adalah sebaik – baik perjanjian atau kerjasama yang pernah di dengar dan perjanjian yang paling mulia dikalangan bangsa Arab . Ianya tercetus apabila berlaku penindasan yang dilakukan oleh al- Ashi bin Wai’l , seorang yang kaya raya dan ternama di Kota Makkah membeli barang dagang seorang badwi tetapi enggan membayarnya .

Kedua, suka saya tarik perhatian semua kepada satu analogi :

Saya tinggal di kawasan taman perumahan. Suatu malam rumah saya dinaiki pencuri [ waliyazubillah - sbg contoh ]. Sejurus saya sedar, saya dapati wang saya hilang sebanyak RM 134.000. Pencurinya hanya seorang perempuan tapi lariannya agak licik dan pantas, lalu saya berteriak : Tolong ! Tolong ! perempuan itu curi wang saya ! Tiba – tiba jiran – jiran saya yang terdiri orang India beragama hindu namanya Balendran [sekadar contoh ] dan juga orang cina beragama kristian namanya Vincent [ sekadar contoh ], malah ramai lagi jiran saya turut keluar dan mereka terdiri dari pelbaga bangsa dan agama yang tidak serupa dengan saya.

Hasrat mereka mahu membantu saya untuk mengejar dan menangkap pencuri itu. Rupa – rupanya bulan lepas rumah mereka juga dinaiki pencuri yang sama. Ada yang lesap RM 100.000 satu malam begitulah juga yang lain dengan jumlah yang tidak sedikit. Mereka sama – sama nekad mahu menangkap pencuri itu. Mereka berkumpul dihadapan rumah saya di Jalan Raja Laut [ sekadar contoh ], lalu mereka melafaz ikrar untuk bekerjasama bagi mengejar dan menangkap pencuri tersebut demi memelihara keamanan dan kesejahteraan Taman perumahan kami.

Kendati pun saya seorang muslim dan mereka yang menghulur tangan untuk bekerjasama menangkap pencuri licik itu pula terdiri kalangan non muslim, Islam membenarkan saya memeteri perjanjian kerjasama untuk menangkap pencuri profesional itu. Bodohlah saya yang baru kehilangan RM 134.000 dek kerana pencuri perempuan itu, tiba – tiba saya menolak kerjasama yang dihulurkan oleh non muslim yang juga mahu menangkap pencuri yang sama, semata – mata kerana mereka berbangsa cina, india dan pula tidak Islam. Saya tidak akan belajar sampai ke Mesir untuk jadi sebodoh itu.

9. Kenapa UMNO dan BN marah sangat PAS bekerjasama dengan DAP ? bagaimana pula dengan UMNO sendiri yang berselimut toto dengan MCA dan MIC ? Bukankah MCA itu juga Cina dan MIC itu India ? atau ada yang lebih cina dari MCA dan terlebih India dari MIC ? Perangai UMNO ini tidak ubah sebagaimana kata pepatah arab :

ضربني و بكى شتمني واشتكى

Dia pukul aku dia yang menangis , dia fitnah aku dia yang mengadu .

Begitu juga orang tua – tua pernah bisik pada saya, UMNO ni macam paku dulang paku serpih, mengata orang dia yang lebih. Tapi lain pula kata orang muda pada saya mengenai UMNO ini. Kata mereka , paku sana paku sini, serpihnya balik atas dia juga.

10. Siapa sebenarnya menjadi alat dan boneka ? bukankah UMNO menjadi alat dan kuda tunggangan dalam Barisan Nasinal ? :

• Sekian lama UMNO bertanding di kerusi Parlimen Raub akhirnya menyerahkan kerusi itu kepada MCA, demikian juga kerusi Parlimen Kuantan yang akhirnya UMNO terpaksa gadaikannya kepada MCA.

• UMNO pernah menang besar dan memiliki majoriti kerusi berbanding parti Gerakan di Pulau Pinang semasa dahulu kala, tetapi malang UMNO menyerahkan kerusi Ketua Menteri kepada parti Gerakan.

• Lebih dari 3 penggal pilihanraya, UMNO yang menjadi kerajaan tidak pernah menambah kerusi melayu di negeri Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah dan Perlis pada setiap kali persempadan semuala kawasan pilihanraya dilakukan, sebaliknya menambah kerusi di negeri – negeri lain yang akhirnya mengurangkan peratus majoriti dan penguasaan melayu di Parlimen. Bukankah UMNO menjadi alat dan boneka kepada pihak lain ?

rasa macam nak sambung siri penjelasan ini…. tengoklah macam mana …

Nasruddin adalah Ketua Pemuda PAS

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14562

MCA jumpa Nik Aziz isu loteri

Posted by admin on March 10th, 2011

Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (gambar) bersedia untuk bertemu dengan Menteri Besar Kelantan, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat berhubung isu pengharaman penjualan tiket loteri di negeri tersebut. MCA, katanya, tidak memahami kenapa keputusan untuk mengharamkan penjualan loteri itu diambil hanya selepas 20 tahun PAS memerintah Negeri Kelantan. Menurut beliau lagi, keputusan itu telah menyekat hak masyarakat bukan Islam yang bebas menentukan sama ada mereka mahu berjudi atau tidak.

“Kerajaan PAS Kelantan perlu diingatkan bahawa kebebasan untuk memilih terpelihara di dalam perlembagaan negara dan mereka (PAS) tidak mempunyai hak untuk melanggar hak tersebut,” ujarnya.

Tegasnya, PAS telah membuktikan bahawa mereka akan mengenakan nilai-nilai yang mereka percaya betul untuk rakyat Malaysia tanpa terlebih dahulu mengambil kira sama ada tindakan mereka itu melanggari hak demokratik rakyat Malaysia yang berlainan agama dan kepercayaan.

Kata Dr Chua, apa yang berlaku sekarang adalah prebiu kepada apa yang akan berlaku seandainya PAS berjaya mengambil alih kepimpinan kerajaan pusat.

“Tapi saya bersedia untuk berjumpa dengan Menteri Besar Kelantan, Datuk Nik Aziz untuk mendengar apa yang beliau ingin katakan berkaitan isu tersebut.

“Walaupun saya tidak faham rasional di sebalik keputusan mengharamkan penjualan tiket loteri di negeri itu tapi saya bersedia untuk bertemu dengannya supaya dia boleh menjelaskan tindakan di sebalik keputusan itu,” ujar Dr Chua.

Sebelum ini Exco Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan telah mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa mereka ingin bertemu dengan presiden MCA dan parti itu untuk menjelaskan kenapa Kerajaan PAS Kelantan mengambil pendirian untuk mengharamkan penjualan loteri Big Sweep di negeri itu.

http://www.kl-today.com/?p=14571

Oil installations ablaze in Libya as battles rage

Getty Images/John Moore

Libyan rebels fire rockets at government troops on the frontline on March 9, 2011 near Ras Lanuf, Libya. More photos »

AP – EDS NOTE: RECROP OF ABC102 Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi arrives at a hotel to give television interviews …

By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Paul Schemm And Maggie Michael, Associated Press – 33 mins ago

RAS LANOUF, Libya – A giant yellow fireball shot into the sky, trailed by thick plumes of black smoke Wednesday after fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi set two oil installations ablaze and inflicted yet more damage on Libya's crippled energy industry.

In the west, Gadhafi claimed victory in recapturing Zawiya, the city closest to the capital that had fallen into opposition hands. The claim could not immediately be verified; phone lines there have not been working during a deadly, six-day siege.

State TV showed a crowd of hundreds, purportedly in Zawiya's main square, shouting "The people want Colonel Gadhafi!" but the location of the rally could not be independently confirmed.

Western journalists based in Tripoli were taken late Wednesday to a stadium on the outskirts of Zawiya that was filled with Gadhafi loyalists waving green flags in a similar scene, complete with fireworks. Libyan TV cameras filmed the celebrations as food, drinks and cooking oil were distributed.

Government escorts refused journalists' requests to visit the city's main square.

The fall of Zawiya to anti-Gadhafi residents early on in the uprising that began Feb. 15 illustrated the initial, blazing progress of the opposition. But Gadhafi has seized the momentum, battering the rebels with airstrikes and artillery fire and repulsing their westward march toward the capital, Tripoli.

Gadhafi's successes have left Western powers struggling to come up with a plan to support the rebels without becoming ensnared in the complex and fast-moving conflict. On Wednesday, a high-ranking member of the Libyan military flew to Cairo with a message for Egyptian army officials from Gadhafi, but no further details were known.

President Barack Obama's national security team weighed how to force Gadhafi from power and halt his crackdown on rebels, but the White House said no action was imminent and set no timeline as attention shifted to a pivotal NATO session in Brussels.

Click image to see photos of protests in Libya

AFP/Marco Longari

The NATO alliance said it was planning for any eventuality in the Libyan crisis. But with Defense Secretary Robert Gates preparing to join a meeting of alliance defense chiefs to discuss military options on Thursday, there was little sign they would agree to set up a no-fly zone over the North African country.

A rebel spokesman said Wednesday they will buy weapons if the international community fails to declare a no-fly zone.

"If a no-fly zone is not imposed, we do have the means to get armaments. We don't expect any country to refuse to deal with us in terms of an arms sale," said Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga, a spokesman for the rebels' provisional transitional national council.

He did not elaborate or say where the rebels would get the money for arms.

Britain and France are pushing for the U.N. to create a no-fly zone over the country, and while the U.S. may be persuaded to sign on, such a move is unlikely to win the backing of veto-wielding Security Council members Russia and China, which traditionally object to such steps as infringements on national sovereignty.

Gadhafi said in a Turkish television interview that Libyans would fight back if Western nations imposed a no-fly zone to prevent his regime from using its air force to bomb government opponents staging a rebellion.

He said imposing the restrictions would prove the West's real intention was to seize his country's oil wealth.

"Such a situation would be useful," Gadhafi said. "The Libyan people would understand their real aims to take Libya under their control, to take their freedoms and to take their oil and all Libyan people will take up arms and fight."

In eastern Libya, an Associated Press reporter at Ras Lanouf near the front line of fighting saw an explosion from the area of the Sidr oil facility, 360 miles (580 kilometers) east of Tripoli.

Three columns of thick smoke rose from the area, apparently from burning oil.

Mustafa Gheriani, an opposition spokesman, said the government artillery hit a pipeline supplying Sidr from oil fields in the desert. An oil storage depot also was hit, apparently by an airstrike, he said.

Gheriani accused Gadhafi forces of intentionally targeting oil facilities as a warning to Europe that the chaos in Libya will hurt oil supplies.

"Gadhafi thinks he can put pressure on Europe, but I think this is just going to work against him," Gheriani told the AP.

Shukri Ghanem, chairman of the Libya's National Oil Corp., said the Sidr explosion was from "a small tank for diesel" that caught fire and he insisted it would not affect oil production.

Ras Lanouf is the westernmost point seized by rebels moving along the country's main highway on the Mediterranean coast. Four bodies were brought to the morgue at the hospital in Ras Lanouf, doctors said.

In Cairo, an Egyptian army official told the AP on condition of anonymity that Maj. Gen. Abdul-Rahman bin Ali al-Said al-Zawi, the head of Libya's logistics and supply authority, was asking to meet Egypt's military rulers.

Diplomatic attempts to calm the crisis accelerated Wednesday.

A Libyan envoy met with Portugal's foreign minister in Lisbon on Wednesday, and an envoy will hold talks in Athens on Thursday with Greece's deputy foreign minister. The visits come ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the situation in Libya.

The violence in Libya has taken a toll on the country's oil production. For the past week, government forces and rebels have been battling around several key oil ports east — Brega, Ras Lanouf and Sidr. At their peak, those three export terminals handled about 715,000 barrels of crude per day, or roughly 45 percent of the country's exports, according to figures published in industry publication Africa Energy. A fourth eastern port, Marsa al-Harigah, handled another 220,000 barrels per day.

In total, those four ports would then account for almost 60 percent of the country's crude exports.

"We were already seeing Libya as pretty much being closed," said Samuel Cizsuk, Mideast oil analyst with IHS Global Insight in London. "It was only a question of time before the escalating violence would damage oil facilities."

"Libya has been discounted from the global markets," he said.

The British Broadcasting Corp., meanwhile, said three of its staff had been detained, beaten and subjected to mock executions by pro-regime soldiers while attempting to reach Zawiya on Monday. The BBC said the men were held for 21 hours before they were released, and have since left Libya. It reported the details of their detention in bulletins late on Wednesday.

_______

Michael reported from Tripoli. Ryan Lucas in Benghazi, Libya, Bradley Klapper and Matthew Lee in Washington, Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and Tarek El-Tablawy in Cairo contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110310/ap_on_re_af/af_libya

NATO could easily impose no-fly zone in Libya

AP – Anti-Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi rebels, prepare to fire rockets during fighting against pro- Gadhafi …

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press Michael Weissenstein And Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press – Wed Mar 9, 7:33 pm ET

CAIRO – Western leaders know NATO jets could easily force Moammar Gadhafi's few dozen Cold War-era warplanes from the skies and rob the Libyan dictator of a powerful weapon against rebels trying to oust him. But they're wary of involvement.

Imposing a no-fly zone from a string of Mediterranean bases and aircraft carriers could become a complex, long-term commitment for the U.S. and its allies. It would require airstrikes on Gadhafi's anti-aircraft weapons and risk drawing the West into another grueling military conflict in the Muslim world.

The Libyan rebels, who lack planes, have pleaded for such a zone — a plan endorsed by Britain, France and some key U.S. lawmakers. But NATO nations appeared torn Wednesday between the desire for action and fears of unintended consequences in a conflict that has divided Libya and driven oil prices to 2 1/2-year highs.

The White House said a meeting of President Barack Obama's top security advisers would not result in an immediate decision on U.S. action. NATO said it was planning for "all eventualities" but gave little sign of moving to set up a no-fly zone.

"NATO is not looking to intervene in Libya," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

Although many nations want to tip the balance of military power away from Gadhafi, protecting civilians would be the key public rationale for any no-fly arrangement.

A senior U.S. official in Brussels said a no-fly zone would be "a difficult, costly and large operation," and noted that there was no evidence of any large-scale bombardment of civilians. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates observed last week that attacking Libyan air defenses would be necessary before imposing a no-fly zone, and would be tantamount to war. Gadhafi has warned of retaliation against no-fly patrols.

Weighing heavily on the debate are the lessons of Iraq and the Balkans, where no-fly zones lasting years were credited with preventing much bloodshed in the 1990s but still did not stop some massacres.

The U.S., France and UK declared no-fly zones for fixed-wing aircraft after the 1991 Gulf War in order to protect Kurds in Iraq's north and Shiites in the south from Saddam Hussein's air force.

However, Saddam circumvented them by using helicopters to devastating effect when he hunted down dissenters through marshes while putting down protests across southern Iraq, said Michael Rubin, a Middle East scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative U.S. think tank.

Rubin, who advocates a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians, says the ban must include helicopter flights.

Other U.S. experts have cited the Iraq experience as an argument against a no-fly zone.

"The no-fly zone remained in place for about 12 years without forcing change in Saddam's policies," George Friedman, CEO of the Stratfor intelligence analysis group, wrote in a recent report. "The same is likely to be true in Libya. The no-fly zone is a low-risk action with little ability to change the military reality that creates an impression of decisive action."

And such a zone might fail to eliminate one of the major threats from the air.

Gadhafi has between two and three dozen Russian-built Mil helicopter gunships, some of which have mounted the deadliest known attacks against the rebellion. The fast NATO fighter jets would have a hard time detecting and targeting the slow-moving, ground-hugging helicopters.

After ethnic fighting erupted in Bosnia, the U.N. Security Council ordered a no-fly zone in 1992 to protect areas under government control from strikes by rebel Serbian jets.

Allied interceptors shot down four Serbian attack jets, but the zone failed to stop fighting on the ground. In the bloodiest incident, Serbian troops overran the government-held enclave of Srebrenica and massacred 7,000 captured soldiers and refugees in the worst slaughter in Europe since World War II.

A no-fly zone requires complex planning on legal authority, rules of engagement and details on how much territory it covers and during what times of day, said David Deptula, a retired U.S. lieutenant general who oversaw a no-fly zone over northern Iraq after the 1991 war.

"This isn't just sending a bunch of airplanes to shoot down other aircraft," he said.

The zone need not span all of Libya, one of Africa's largest countries, because much of the fighting has been confined to its coastal strip.

NATO and the U.S. say they would not act without U.N. Security Council authorization, and Western diplomats have said a Britain- and France-backed resolution to impose a no-fly zone won't be introduced to the council unless it is endorsed by the Arab League and the African Union at meetings in coming days.

Gadhafi's pilots would almost certainly be routed if they tried to flout a Western flight ban.

Since the 1990s, poor maintenance and lack of funding have shrunk Gadhafi's fleet of more than 400 fighter-bombers, light attack jets and helicopter gunships to a few dozen aircraft. What remains are mostly Sukhoi Su-22 and Mig-23 fighter bombers and Yugoslav-made Jastreb light strike jets dating from the late 1960s. Several have been destroyed by the insurgents, or been flown out of the country by pilots defecting from Gadhafi's forces.

The government has only a handful of planes designed to intercept other aircraft, the Mig-21 and Mig-25, also dating from the 1960s.

NATO officials say they could quickly deploy 200-300 jets to Libya from bases stretching from Gibraltar to Greece, and from U.S. carriers in the Mediterranean.

These would include top-of-the-line Eurofighter Typhoons used by the British, Italian and Spanish air forces. Also available are the formidable French Dassault Rafale fighter and the U.S. Boeing Co.'s F-18 Super Hornet, the backbone of U.S. Navy air power.

The alliance also would have a huge advantage in its AWACS planes — whose rotating radars can look 200 miles (320 kilometers) deep into enemy airspace, monitor all aerial movements over Libyan territory and direct planes to any violators of the no-fly zone.

They also are equipped with the latest air-to-air missiles, which are far more sophisticated than the Soviet-built models of the 1980s in the Libyan arsenal.

____

Rebecca Santana in Baghdad and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110310/ap_on_re_af/af_libya_no_fly

Pekerja Asing Berkhidmat 5+5 Tahun Di Semua Sektor Dibenarkan - KDN

Khamis Mac 10, 2011

PUTRAJAYA: Kerajaan akan mempertimbangkan untuk melanjutkan tempoh berkhidmat bagi pekerja-pekerja asing selama lima tahun lagi selepas tamat tempoh lima tahun pertama (5+5) untuk semua sektor yang dibenarkan dalam urusan pengambilan pekerja asing.

Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam berkata perkhidmatan pekerja-pekerja asing yang sah dan berpengalaman tinggi dalam semua sektor perlu dikekalkan kerana ia mempunyai kaitan rapat dengan peningkatan produktiviti dan daya saing negara.

Kerajaan telah mengarahkan supaya kajian mendalam dijalankan mengenai keperluan memanjangkan tempoh permit bekerja bagi pekerja-pekerja asing dalam sektor-sektor lain, katanya dalam satu kenyataan, Khamis.

"Berdasarkan kepada kajian serta kepentingan sektor industri dan ekonomi negara, kerajaan telah memutuskan supaya kemudahan yang sama (5+5) tahun ditimbangkan kepada sektor-sektor lain yang dibenarkan dalam urusan pengambilan pekerja asing," kata Mahmood.

Sebelum ini, kerajaan mengumumkan pada Mei lepas bahawa tempoh 5+5 itu hanya diberikan kepada pekerja-pekerja di sektor perladangan kelapa sawit untuk mengatasi masalah kekurangan tenaga kerja dalam sektor itu serta mengelakkan mereka yang berpengalaman pulang ke negara asal.

Dalam perkembangan lain, Mahmood berkata laporan mengenai Makmal Khas Warga Asing Sabah telah pun siap dan dibentangkan kepada kabinet kerajaan negeri Sabah.

Katanya makmal yang berlangsung di Sabah pada 4 Mei hingga 27 Mei lalu telah mengemukakan sejumlah syor dan inisiatif sebagai tambahan kepada Makmal Pengurusan Warga Asing peringkat nasional.

Katanya kerajaan negeri Sabah telah bersetuju dengan syor dan inisiatif yang dikemukakan.

"Laporan itu akan dibentangkan di Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Kabinet Pekerja Asing dan Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin yang akan dipengerusikan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pada 17 Mac depan untuk dipertimbangkan," katanya. - BERNAMA

http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita.asp?file=/2011/3/10/mstar_berita/20110310132534&sec=mstar_berita