Media Monitor – Page 8

People’s hope in the Judiciary has been Misplaced

March 9, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://aliran.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=858:peoples-hope-in-the-judiciary-has-been-misplaced&catid=77:2009&Itemid=11

Published by Aliran

Confronted by crisis in Perak, the people had reason to believe that the judiciary would be our last hope for justice to prevail. That hope is apparently misplaced. What a disappointment that proved to be!

It is difficult to believe or accept the decision of the Judicial Commissioner, Ridwan Ibrahim. To say the least, Malaysians are shocked into disbelief by his verdict. Technicalities were used to prevent a fair trial and counter arguments to help the judge to arrive at a sound decision. In this instance we are reminded of Aeschylus who said, “Wrong must not win by technicalities.??? But that was what happened in the Ipoh High Court on 3 March 2009. It is a matter of grave disappointment to all of us.

Pas lawyer writes on Police supremacy replaces Constitutional supremacy

March 5, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/19609-police-supremacy-replaces-constitutional-supremacy

Published by The Malaysian Insider

Police supremacy replaces Constitutional supremacy

MARCH 4 – Malaysiakini reported recently that the Inspector General of Police ( IGP ) had issued a statement that all public rallies in Perak would be forbidden. This is yet another glaring example of abuse of power by one of our mercenaries of justice.

Perak Crisis results in Stalemate

March 5, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/19598-perak-palace-will-take-some-convincing

Published by The Malaysian Insider

Perak palace will take some convincing

Analysis

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 – The Perak crisis is far from over although – against all odds and without precedent – the ousted Pakatan Rakyat state government held an “under the tree??? emergency assembly Tuesday and approved motions to dissolve the legislature.

It is a moral victory and a signal of their determination not to accept defeat or let the Barisan Nasional (BN) rule in peace in a state PR had ruled for 10 months from March 2008.

MP Kula Segaran on… Speaker can hold sitting Anywhere

March 3, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/19505-mp-speaker-can-hold-sitting-anywhere

Published by The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 2 – The MP for Ipoh-Barat, M. Kula Segaran, sys that the Perak Assembly Speaker has the right to decide where to hold the emergency meeting tomorrow.

“The place of assembly is up to the speaker to interpret,??? Kula Segaran said, quoting from the Perak Assembly Standing Orders Nos. 10, 11, 89 and 90, which describe the sessions of assembly.

Bar Council member Writes……

March 3, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/19500-a-legal-opinion-power-of-speaker-to-convene-legislative-assembly

Published by The Malaysian Insider

A legal opinion: Power of Speaker to convene Legislative Assembly

MARCH 2 – I have been asked to advise whether the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Perak was entitled in law to convene the Legislative Assembly on 3rd March 2009.

Ultimately, the issue turns on whether the last meeting of the Assembly in November 2008 was prorogued (“di-berhentikan???) or adjourned (“di-tangguhkan???). If it was prorogued, only the Sultan of Perak (“HRH???) can summon the Assembly: if it was adjourned, then the Speaker can convene.

This financial crisis is now truly global

February 22, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/business/18888-this-financial-crisis-is-now-truly-global
Published by The Malaysian Insider

LONDON, Feb 21 — The financial crisis has moved from Wall Street to all streets, as the economic shock causes strains and suffering in every part of the world economy.

In Florida, a state devastated by tumbling house prices and repossessions, the inhabitants are arming themselves against recession, with requests for concealed weapon permits up 42 per cent in the past 45 days. In Moscow, the murder rate has climbed by 16 per cent. At Tetsuya’s — the most exclusive and expensive restaurant in Sydney — the waiting list has shrunk from three months to 24 hours.

Was Elizabeth Wong sabotaged?

February 22, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20090219-122969.html
Published by asiaone.com

THE scandal over the seminude photographs of a state minister from the opposition- run state of Selangor has taken on a life of its own.

It is no longer an issue of personal betrayal or intrusion of privacy, which was Miss Elizabeth Wong’s contention when she lodged a police report over the photos. She said they had been taken without her consent and while she was asleep in the privacy of her own home.

The talk in some circles is now of political sabotage.

PPPA bad for business

February 22, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.thenutgraph.com/pppa-bad-for-business
Published by The Nut Graph

THE recent seizures of Suara Keadilan and Harakah have once again highlighted inherent difficulties posed by the Printing and Publications Act (PPPA) and its impact on our publishing industry.

One aspect that has fallen by the wayside in the rush to speculate on the seemingly arbitrary confiscation — if they were part of a routine inspection, why now?— is that such actions scare businesses.

Seizures of Suara Keadilan happened nationwide and at street-vendor level. Ministry officials carted away stock — 453 copies in one instance in Penang — and issued “last warning” letters, threatening court action should news-stands continue to sell the alleged contraband.

A question of morality

February 21, 2009 by johnlee_my

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/khalid-samad/18793-a-question-of-morality
Published by The Malaysian Insider

21 February 2009

FEB 20 — I was told that Selangor Pas released a statement which, among others, requested that Elizabeth Wong be investigated for any moral wrongdoings as a result of this “scandal??? of her nude photos and, if found to be guilty, she is then to be “suitably??? punished. The statement also talks of the need for all PR elected representatives to be morally upright so as to be examples to be emulated by all.

Unfortunately I have to comment on this statement which I believe is very ill-advised. Before that I do have to clarify that the meeting held by Selangor Pas prior to the release of the statement was a meeting of the Dewan Harian, which is made up of the state commissioner and all other appointed office bearers. It was not the full state meeting as such.

Perak Sultan has no powers to ask Nizar to quit

February 20, 2009 by johnlee_my

Published by Malaysiakini

According to the Perak constitution, the ruler has a personal discretion in the performance of two functions – the appointment of a menteri besar and the withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of the legislative assembly.
MCPX

On Feb 4, Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, the mentri besar, was granted an audience by the sultan to request for the ruler’s consent to dissolve the Perak State Assembly.

The next day, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak also requested for an audience with the sultan as the Perak BN chief and consent was granted for him to present himself before the ruler.