MACC agent wanted to make political donation?

IPOH, Nov 11 – Former PKR state executive councillor Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, who is on trial for corruption, was under the impression that the agent provocateur who caused his arrest was just interested in helping his party in the Permatang Pauh by-election when he met him last year.

In fact, on the day he had supposedly received a bribe from the agent, there had only been discussion of the by-election and nothing about the RM180mil housing project he had been arrested over.

The startling evidence submitted by the agent himself, Mohamad Imran Abdullah, in court today, throws light on just how far Jamaluddin was involved in the case, and is a departure from the former's original statement.

Jamaluddin was charged alongside his colleague, another former PKR state executive councillor Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu, and three others, for allegedly receiving bribes in exchange with helping Mohamad Imran obtain the RM180mil housing development in Seri Iskandar last year.

Jamaluddin however merely faces a single charge involving RM5,000 in cash, which Mohamad Imran had allegedly given to him on Aug 14, 2008, at his office in the Perak State Seceretariat.

The money was allegedly given as gratification to Jamaluddin to help Mohamad Imran secure the project.

During cross-examination of the star witness today however, Mohamad Imran admitted that in his only meeting with Jamaluddin, which was on Aug 14 itself, he had been introduced to the latter as a person who was “interested in helping with the Permatang Pauh by-election”.

The question was put to him by defence counsel Surjan Singh, who asked if his client, another accused, PKR politician Usaili Alias, had made the introduction.

Surjan Singh: Did Usaili tell Jamaluddin that you came to meet him because you were interested in the Permatang Pauh by-election?

Mohamad Imran: Yes, that is true.

Surjan Singh: Did Usaili ask you to bring RM5,000 to give to Jamaluddin.

Mohamad Imran: No, he did not ask.

Surjan Singh: Who was the one who told you that the money was to go to Permatang Pauh as well as to help secure the project?

Mohamad Imran: (Another accused former Perak Development Corporation technician) Ruslan (Sahat) was the one who asked for it.

Surjan Singh: Whatever Ruslan asked for, we would never know, but to Usaili, Ruslan had said that it was for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Mohamad Imran: That, I do not know.

Surjan Singh then drew the court’s attention to a report that Mohamad Imran had met with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after his meeting with Jamaluddin at the latter’s office on Aug 14.

Surjan Singh: You said in your report that the money was for Permatang Pauh and to help secure the project but actually, during your meeting, they never once spoke about your project. It was you who brought up the topic of the project but they never spoke about it. Only you did.

Mohamad Imran gave a long pause and appeared to be trying to recall the events of Aug 14 and when he finally responded, he agreed with Surjan Singh.

In his testimony yesterday, Mohamad Imran had also said that both Jamaluddin and Usaili had been avidly discussing the by-election and political matters during his meeting.

He said that when he mentioned his project, Jamaluddin had merely nodded his head.

During the earlier hearings in court, Mohamad Imran had also mentioned that when he had produced the RM5,000 in marked ringgit notes to Jamaluddin, the latter had not touched the money.

He had also admitted that the words “contribution for Permatang Pauh” had been used during the exchange of the money.

The money, Mohamad Imran had added, had subsequently been passed to Usaili, under orders from Jamaluddin.

At the time of the incident, Usaili was the election director for the Permatang Pauh by-election.

During the hearing later today, Surjan Singh decided several times to give a “Bahasa Malaysia” lesson to Mohamad Imran whom he claimed was having trouble understanding the language.

Mohamad Imran had claimed that the words “dalam pertemuan sama” (in the same meeting), which were used in his report on Aug 14, had meant the entire events that had taken place in the Perak State Secretariat that day and not just his meeting with Jamaluddin.

Surjan Singh: In your report, you said “in the same meeting, Usaili had asked for another RM5,000 and told me to meet him tomorrow.” But this is not true because during the meeting with Jamaluddin, Usaili never asked for the money.

Mohamad Imran: In the (Jamaluddin’s) room, he did not. But he asked for it on the way out towards the lift.

Surjan Singh: Mr Imran, the words “in the same meeting”, it refers to the meeting with Jamaluddin. Are you stupid? If you cannot understand Bahasa Malaysia, don’t you worry, I can teach it to you.

Looking angry, Mohamad Imran replied that he disagreed with Surjan Singh.

Later the witness and the counsel clashed again over another discrepancy in Mohamad Imran’s report, causing Surjan Singh to tell him again that he needed to learn Bahasa Malaysia.

In his report on the events of Aug 14 at the Sri Sayang Apartments in Penang, Mohamad Imran had claimed that he had given RM2,000 to Ruslan and two other accused, former Perak Tengah district councillor Zul Hassan and businessman Fairul Azrim Ismail.

Despite admitting that the money had not only been requested by Ruslan but also given directly into his hands, Mohamad Imran still maintained that his report was accurate.

Surjan Singh: Your report that you gave the cash to all three men was not true because in the videos, you were seen only giving the money to Ruslan.

Mohamad Imran: The report is correct because the others were there too.

Surjan Singh: Imran, Ruslan was alone in the living room when you gave him the money.

Mohamad Imran: Yes, he was alone. But the others were around in the apartment unit.

Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh looked up at this and repeated Surjan Singh’s question on behalf of the counsel.

“So you are saying that your report is accurate?” he asked Mohamad Imran.

Mohamad Imran: Correct, Tuan. Because they (Ruslan, Zul, Fairul) were all in the unit. Including (MACC officer) Norliza (Musa).

Norliza had gone undercover in the case as Mohamad Imran’s girlfriend.

At this testimony, Surjan Singh stared at Mohamad Imran and said, much to the amusement of everyone in court, “Oh? You say Liza was in the unit too, right? And that just because the others were in the room, they too received the RM2,000 bribe from you? So you are saying that Liza is one of them now? She too received the money? Then why isn’t she sitting here in this dock with the others?”

As he spoke, Surjan Singh gestured to where the five accused were seated.

Mohamad Imran look stumped at the exclamation and took some time before he answered, “What I meant was that they were all inside the unit.”

The hearing proceeds tomorrow.

Anwar sues NST for RM100m

Anwars (left) has filed a RM100 million suit against the NST. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is suing the News Straits Times for RM100 million in damages, for insinuating he is an American agent in an article written six years ago.

The English-language daily’s former deputy group editor Datin Rose Ismail today denied defaming Anwar in the article.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court which heard both their testimonies today fixed submissions for tomorrow.

By Debra Chong

Royal Commission To Check MACC

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has formed a special team to check corruption, abuse of power and misappropriation of funds by elected representatives.

The special team, managed by its inspection and consulting division will conduct an overall study of the rules, procedures and systems used by state assemblymen and Members of Parliament in spending the allocations to close the avenues and opportunities for corruption. - Bernama.

Hello 1 Malaysia, The Commission you should form is "The Royal Commission To Check The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)" They are the commission where most culprit gether.

Corruption costs $56b a year

'Now what we need to do is move to action,' managing director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

DOHA - CORRUPTION costs developing nations US$20 to US$40 billion (S$28 billion to S$56 billion) each year, while emerging markets and financial centres are increasingly havens for stolen assets, a top World Bank official said on Saturday.

Managing director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said 'concerted global action' by both developed and developing states was needed to stem the flow of illicit funds and urged governments to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

There's an estimate that US$20-US$40 billion a year, in terms of corruptly stolen assets, leaves developing countries to go to developed countries each year,' Ms Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister, told Reuters ahead of an anti-corruption conference in the Qatari capital. 'Now increasingly, we find that emerging market countries (and) financial centres are also harbours for this money.'

The World Bank official said the pledge by the Group of 20 nations (G-20), meeting this weekend in Scotland, to help prevent illicit outflows of capital and seek the return of stolen assets to developing countries, was a welcome first step.

'Now what we need to do is move to action,' she said. 'Developed countries that have these assets have to implement the UNCAC convention and send these assets back, and developing countries need to make the move to request the assistance from developed countries.'

Adopting the UN convention would provide a framework to fight corruption, she said, and help overcome thorny legal hurdles in different jurisdictions. -- REUTERS

Double-tracking project the next PKFZ?

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — With former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy implicated in the Port Klang Free Trade (PKFZ) scandal yesterday, will the RM6 billion double-tracking project be the next?

The Public Accounts Committee yesterday recommended that Chan and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang to be investigated for criminal breach of trust in the PKFZ scandal.



According to the report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), it said the project outlay of RM4.947 billion will go up to RM7.453 billion due to interest payments and PKA must restructure the loan or it will balloon to RM12.453 billion by 2051.

But PAC also recently announced that it was planning to investigate the RM6 billion double-tracking project, after recent revelations that the project has been managed poorly, resulting in losses amounting to more than RM1 billion so far.

According to this year’s audit report, the government may have to bear part of the RM1.14 billion loss in the 179km double-tracking rail contract between Rawang and Ipoh as the project was poorly managed.

But Chan told the PAC that the double-tracking project is “three times the size” of PKFZ.

“No, it is not the biggest (project under the Ministry of Transport). Double-tracking project is much bigger. It is 12 almost 13 billion? It is three times the size of this project (PKFZ).

“We are talking only the northern, the southern part is almost four billion,” he said in his testimony to PAC on PKFZ.

The Rawang to Ipoh (southern) double-tracking and electrification project was completed in 2008 while the Ipoh to Padang Besar portion was proposed in 2002 as a continuation of the existing tracks.

In 2003, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that the government had decided to postpone the project which drew heavy criticism from his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

However, the project was revived when then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that the Cabinet Committee on Public Transport had decided to revive the shelved northern section double-tracking project in 2007.

Dr Mahathir had said the cancellation was a wastage of public funds.

"When the double-tracking and electrification of the railway from Johor Baru to Padang Besar was proposed the lowest proposal cost RM14 billion and would take six years to build. Roughly the government would need RM2 billion a year for the project. It could be started in 2004.

“But upon taking over the Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi government decided to postpone it for some reason or other, although Abdullah had promised the former prime minister to go ahead with the project.

“Now the government has found that there is a need to go ahead. Unfortunately the cost has gone up. To build the double tracks and electrification of the portion from Ipoh to Padang Besar alone would cost RM12 billion, an increase of roughly 50 per cent or roughly RM7 billion if the line from Johor Baru to Padang Besar is to be constructed (as it must)," he wrote in his blog on June 24, 2008.

The project was awarded to Gamuda Berhad and MMC Corporation Berhad.

The major stakeholders of Gamuda and MMC are Raja Datuk Seri Eleena Sultan Azlan Shah and Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary respectively.

Mahathir dashes hopes of groups eyeing Proton sale

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 – Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has dismissed news reports that national car maker Proton Holdings is for sale, writing in his blog that he has told the company’s chairman and chief executive that it “is not for sale”.

Dr Mahathir’s influence has soared in the new administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak, and the former PM indicated that he is back as Proton’s adviser and “busy on a plan to resuscitate the company”.

Under the previous administration of Abdullah Badawi, Dr Mahathir hinted that he had no role in Proton as “no one asks me for advice”.

His unequivocal statement that Proton is not for sale will dash the hopes of at least three parties said to be interested in the company. They are the DRB- Hicom conglomerate, the Naza auto group and the management of Proton itself, whose chairman suggested it two weeks ago.

Dr Mahathir began by saying that Proton is returning to profitability given the number of new cars he keeps seeing on the roads. “I know that a new car is not noticed on the roads until a certain volume of sales is achieved,” he said in his blog.

“Since Proton acquired a new chairman in the person of Nadzmi Salleh, I find it easier to perform the work of Proton adviser,” he continued. “The Prime Minister has also indicated that Proton’s affairs should be referred to me. Accordingly, I have been busy on a plan to resuscitate the company and have been talking to potential technology partners for Proton.”

Then he got to the point. “Lately I have been disturbed by media reports that Proton is to be sold to certain parties. This talk has agitated the staff of Proton. Their worry affects their performance. I have told the chairman and the chief executive that Proton is not for sale – and there is no plan to sell Proton in the foreseeable future.

“The need is to restructure the company and reach agreement with the potential partner,” said the former premier. “After that, work has to be done to ensure Proton fully recovers.”

Dr Mahathir’s comments are likely to have been noted seriously by the government, as Proton was his brainchild back in 1984. They would also have been noted with regret by Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, the controlling shareholder of DRB-Hicom, which news reports indicated was front runner for the car firm.

The tycoon bid for Proton six years ago but his bid was rejected by the-then premier Abdullah. DRB-Hicom was thought to be looking at buying 32 per cent of Proton.

The car firm posted a net loss of RM320 million for the year to March 31, 2009 but is expected to be back in the black in the current financial year. Its sales have climbed steeply and it expects to sell 155,000 units by the time its financial year closes in March 2010. – Business Times Singapore

Anwar slams poor effort to fight graft

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 – Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today slammed the ruling coalition for what he alleges are cases of “selective prosecution”.

The arrest of maverick ex-Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin on Sunday night allegedly for delivering a lecture in Ampang without permission from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) was a case in point, the PKR adviser said.

Anwar, who was in court today for his sodomy case to be mentioned, explained that he had just been updated on the happenings in the country by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

The high-profile politician, who is fond of quoting from the Quran during his many public lectures, noted there was no valid reason for the Dr Asri's arrest.

“We do not condone those measures,” the PKR adviser stressed.

The former Umno man appeared cynical of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commision’s (MACC) seriousness about fighting graft when asked to comment on yesterday’s arrest of several lawmakers for corruption, including one from his rival Barisan Nasional (BN) faction.

He noted that they were merely hauling up the “small fry” instead of catching the “big fish.”

Anwar named several highly-controversial BN government business deals as cases the MACC should prioritise for prosecution; from the ongoing hulabaloo over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project to old stuff such as the Defence Ministry's submarine and Sukhoi fighter jet purchases and state-owned Perwaja Steel corporation calamity.

“You can’t ignore these major cases,” he said.

“If they are serious in combating corruption, we will support them,” Anwar said.

Sabak Bernam MP and five others charged with graft

FINAL UPDATE

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

SHAH ALAM, Nov 3 — After waiting for hours at the Shah Alam Sessions Court this morning, Sabak Bernam Umno MP and former Sg Air Tawar assemblyman Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri was charged with graft.

He claimed trial to the eight charges for abusing funds worth RM10,000 and producing a fake invoice for a bogus event in his former state constituency.

In the charge sheet, the Sabak Bernam MP was accused of submitting a form with fake details including the purchase of gifts requesting for allocations for several public events which did not take place.

The court set bail at RM30,000, with guarantor, for all charges and hearing has been fixed for Dec 14.

Rahman was accompanied in court by a large crowd of supporters from Sabak Bernam, along with several MPs.

Charged alongside Abdul Rahman is his aide, Mohd Rosli Bushra, who claim trial to similar charges as the former. He was charged at a separate court here and posted bail which was set at RM 9,000.

The same court also set bail of RM5,000 for Wong Choon Hau, a special aide to Selangor exco Ronnie Liu, who was accused of committing criminal breach of trust.

The first charge involves the alleged abuse of allocation for a public event in Sg Pelek worth RM5,000, the second for producing a fake invoice for the supply of car flags worth RM2,500 and the third for another abuse of state allocation worth RM2,500.

Hearing has been set from March 29 to April 9, 2010. Nine witnesses will be called to testify.

Meanwhile, the former aide to Selangor Mentri Besar, Yahya Saari, claims trial to two charges of tricking a donor to donate RM50,000 for a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) event and for producing a fake involice for another PKR event.

Court set bail at RM10,000 with surety. Hearing date for the first charge is set at April 12 to 16, 2010 and the second charge from April 19 to 23, 2010.

Two others were also charged with graft today. Firdaus Abu Karim, a director with a GLC, claimed trial to seven charges of graft.

He was charged with providing fake invoices to an accomplice who allegedly abused state allocations through a fake state government application from worth RM 10,000 for several bogus events.

His accomplice, former Gerakan Teratai state lawmaker, Yap Soo Soon, was charged with the same charges as Firdaus in a separate court here.

Bail for Firdaus was set at RM8,000 for all charges with a guarantor and Yap at RM 25,000. Both Firdaus and Yap will be tried together.

Mention date has been set for Dec 14 with the hearing fixed for April 26 to May 7, 2010 for Firdaus, while Yap will face trial from May 3 to 7 next year.

MACC arrests ex-sec-gen of ministry over RM10mil projec

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested a former secretary-general of a ministry for alleged graft involving a project worth more than RM10mil.

It is believed the 56 year-old Datuk, who was seconded to the Public Services Department pending investigations, was arrested at his office at about 10am Tuesday by a combined MACC task force headed by Penang MACC director Latifah Md Yatim.

Sources said the former secretary-general, who was alleged to have accepted kickbacks over a government grant for a technology project in Penang, is expected to be charged Wednesday.

They said MACC had been investigating the man from early this year and was also expected to slap him with no less then eight charges under the MACC Act.

A MACC statement later confirmed the deatils and said that he would be charged in Shah Alam.

Jailed a day for RM5,000 bribe

SHAH ALAM: A sand-mining operator was sentenced by a Sessions Court here to a day’s jail and fined RM30,000 for giving a RM5,000 bribe to an assistant enforcement officer six months ago.

Lee Kui Sun, 47, was charged on May 8 with bribing Nor Zaini Ratiman, of the Hulu Langat district office, as an inducement not to take action against him for transferring and selling sand illegally.

He was accused of committing the offence at Sungai Long quarry in PN8602 Lot 7700 Hulu Langat about 7.30am on April 3.

He was charged under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009.

During mitigation, Lee’s counsel Lim Kien Huat said his client, a father of seven, was only a subcontractor as well as being the sole breadwinner for his family.

According to the facts of the case, the MACC Putrajaya, Hulu Langat Land Office and Rela were in a joint operation to check the Sungai Long quarry about 4am on April 3.

During the operation, the enforcement team caught lorries carrying sand out of the area without permit.

About 7am, Lee had approached Nor Zaini and another enforcement officer Mohd Shahril Che Saad, admitted that the sand activities had been carried out without a permit and begged them to settle the matter there.

He then offered RM5,000 to Nor Zaini so that no action would be taken against him.

Lee insisted on giving the money although he was told it was wrong for him to do so, calling his wife to get the money.

The MACC enforcement officer arrested Lee after he handed the money to Nor Zaini.

Judge Mat Ghani Abdullah ordered Lee to be jailed six months if he failed to pay the fine.

Malaysia Boleh: Corruption Case

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA has said it will not prosecute a lawyer who featured in a sensational video where he appeared to broker judges' appointments.

The footage of lawyer V.K. Lingam, released by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in 2007, unleashed a furore in Malaysia and cast a shadow over the reputation of the judiciary.

But cabinet minister Nazri Abdul Aziz told parliament on Wednesday that no legal action would be taken because an official probe into the affair had failed to turn up sufficient evidence or proper testimony.

'After (the anti-corruption authorities) investigated those involved in the Lingam tape, there was no evidence to show a criminal offence was committed in relation to abuse of power in the appointment of judges,' he said. 'Therefore the attorney-general's chambers decided there was no further action required.'

At a 2008 Royal Commission into the video, Mr Lingam said he was too drunk to remember the telephone conversation in which he appeared to discuss judicial appointments and also denied he had ever tried to influence the selection of judges.

In the phone call Mr Lingam purportedly assured Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, who was then a judge, that he would push him for a top position, with the help of a prominent businessman and a politician. Ahmad Fairuz went on to be appointed to the nation's number-two post and was quickly elevated to the top position of chief justice. He completed his term and stood down in 2007. -- AFP

RM42,320 for a laptop

KUALA LUMPUR: Who in their right mind would pay RM42,320 for a laptop?

Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara Balik Pulau in Penang not only paid the price but bought two units of the same brand – Acer Aspire-5052ANWXMI, at a whopping price of RM84,640, said the Auditor-General’s Report.

In addition, the college purchased 450 units of computer CAD with network card at RM3.45mil for 12 labs. Each 19-inch monitor costs RM8,500 while a 17-inch monitor costs RM7,500.

“A check with local companies showed that the market price for the latest model is between RM5,350 to RM6,500 each. Worse still the computers, Precision 390 Dell, that were supplied are no longer in the market,” it said.

Also purchased were 15 laser printers, Hewlet Packard P3005X, at the price of RM7,722 each when the market price was about RM5,000 per unit.

In reply, Mara said the equipment were purchased in a lump sump and there was no price breakdown for the laptops.

The price breakdown was only done after the equipment was supplied for the purpose assets record and it could not be used as a basis for reference.

“Nevertheless, Mara has created a task force and is conducting a price adjustment for all the equipment,” it said.

The report also stated that the college had paid between RM1,398 and RM2,945 for 204 teaching manuals.

“Checks found that the teaching manuals supplied were bound using comb binding. The teaching manuals obtained at a cost of RM358,476 is a waste because they were never used,” it said, adding that the supplier has been notified to provide the original version of the teaching manual in hard cover.

Mara also spent RM2.08mil buying computer software it didn’t need.

Audits also found many discrepancies in prices paid for the same equipment, including the same LCD projectors that costs RM3,500 and RM8,000 for two different laboratories.

“Swivel stools were also purchased at three different prices – RM340, RM350 and RM450 per unit and they did not even meet the agreed specifications in the agreement.

“Other swivel chairs were bought for between RM810 to RM1,050 per unit when the college had bought the same chair previously at RM336 per unit,” it said.

The report also stated that the German-Malaysian Institute which was picked as the consultant, had proposed a ceiling price of RM84.5mil for the purchase of equipment for the college while the Economic Planing Unit (EPU) fixed the price at RM127.65mil.

“The reason for the higher price was to speed up the process of obtaining the supplies. In the end the agreed contract was fixed at RM112.42mil. Mara had submitted a letter to the Finance Ministry to say that the figure was reasonable.

“Audit found that the agreed price for the purchase of equipment is not reasonable. This is because the approach taken by Mara did not fufill the criteria set by the Finance Ministry, which is to negotiate for the lowest price possible.

'Teoh was killed': Expert

Dr Pornthip, head of the Thai Central Institute of Forensic Science, outside the courtroom in Shah Alam yesterday. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS

KUALA LUMPUR - THE inquest into the mysterious death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, after a well-known Thai pathologist said that it was most likely a killing.

Pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunand said the likelihood of a killing was 80 per cent.

Her testimony at the coroner's court is at odds with that of the two government-appointed pathologists involved in the inquest. They felt that Mr Teoh, 30, committed suicide.

Dr Pornthip was hired as an expert witness by the Selangor state government - which is ruled by the Pakatan Rakyat alliance - and her views yesterday suggested that he had suffered injuries before he fell to his death. He was then under detention by a federal anti-corruption commission.

She pointed out that Mr Teoh's skull fracture was not typical of an injury suffered from a fall. Instead, it appeared as if the skull was hit by a blunt force.

She added that, before his fall, Mr Teoh also suffered anal penetration and that he could have been strangled as there were bruises around his neck.

DAP man wants cops to probe graft allegations against MCA’s Liow

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 - Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng wants police to investigate MCA’s newly appointed deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai over graft allegations posted on the Malaysia Today website.

Giving Ringgit 500 million for ‘services rendered’ to your running dog? You have done it.

The website alleges an inappropriate relationship between the Health Minister and a company which has dealings with the ministry.

“We are lodging a police report today because we want to find out the truth ... whether the allegations posted on Malaysia Today on October 14 are true, or whether it is fabricated,” said Lim, who was accompanied by Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo-Burne at the Sentul police station here today.

Lim said he had waited till today to lodge a report because he wanted the health minister to answer the allegations. He claimed that after waiting for five days, no answer had been given by Liow (picture) over the matter.

“We have no concerns at all with MCA internal fighting. We don’t bother and do not want to interfere,” said the Pakatan Rakyat MP.

“It is understood that the letter was penned by a self-proclaimed “Ong Tee Keat Supporter.”

When asked why was the report not lodged with the MACC, Lim said that they were uncertain of the validity of the letter.

“We don’t know if it’s true. If it is, the police should forward the investigation to the MACC. If it is false, the police should take action against the publisher as well as the writer of the article.”

The Segambut MP felt that the letter looked authentic as it was very detailed, and this view was echoed by Kelana Jaya MP Loh.

“I hope that the police will do their job and come up with the facts. What we are asking for is a bit more transparency so that we know whether the allegations are true or not,” said Loh.

Media exaggerating PKR problems

By Neville Spykerman

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — PKR’s de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim played down today Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s six months’ leave of absence from the party, but conceded there were problems in the opposition party.

“He is still in the party and still in the leadership.” said Anwar, who added the former Umno law minister would be going to perform the Haj during his leave of absence.

Murder most foul. You have done it.

Anwar said he did not understand why Zaid's leave was being interpreted in such a negative manner.

“I concede, yes we have to address this, if there are issues to be discuss.” said Anwar, but he blamed the media for sending the negative signal that there was serious infighting in the party and that PKR was unravelling.

Anwar said the problems in PKR were not as major as those in MCA, MIC or even in Umno.

On Friday, Zaid said he would not be attending PKR political bureau meetings because he did not want to be “constrained” and instead wanted to concentrate on his primary purpose of establishing a common platform for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition.

PKR insiders have indicated that Zaid’s decision stems from infighting and his decision to visit Sabah where local leaders are in open revolt over PKR vice-president Azmin Ali's appointment as state chief.

"He (Zaid) is very much in touch with us. He is now in Sabah and later, will be joining the PKR president in Sarawak for a function," said Anwar, who was speaking at the Hari Raya open house of his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, the Lembah Pantai MP.

Anwar said there was no problem with Zaid being in Sabah.

He said the party’s stand was that national leaders should only attend functions organised by branches or divisions which had been endorsed by the state leadership.

Anwar said the reports about the open revolt in Sabah and Sarawak, where local PKR leaders oppose the appointment of Peninsular Malaysia-based vice-presidents Mustafa Kamil Ayub and Azmin as state leaders, were exaggerated and misleading.

He said the appointment of both leaders was a temporary measure and they have been given till the end of the month to obtain consensus on who locals want to lead them.

Meanwhile, Anwar said Zaid may have taken his leave of absence because he is under pressure to strengthen PR as a formal coalition which was the main priority entrusted to him.

“The leaders of all the component parties have agreed that this is our priority.”

However, he said no time frame has been set.

Anwar also denied the problems in PKR were contributed because he had taken his foot off the pedal by travelling overseas rather than handling party matters.

Anwar said he only started going overseas in October and that most of his trips were during the weekends and there was no disruption in his party’s affairs.

He defended his trips and said the international networking was important in the interest of civil society, democracy and international understanding.