4 theSun | FRIDAY JANUARY 30 2009

news without borders

Second post mortem results ‘very different’

by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The second post
mortem carried out on lock-up de-
tainee A. Kugan, who died in police
custody last week, is said to differ
significantly in its findings.
Lawyer N. Surendran, who is rep-
resenting the deceased’s family, said
yesterday the post mortem report was
not comprehensively ready as several
tests are still being carried out.
He declined to reveal details
of the preliminary findings of the
post mortem except that it was sig-
nificantly different from the results of
the first one, which was conducted at
Serdang Hospital soon after Kugan’s
death.
He said the report will be submit-
ted to the relevant authorities when
it is ready.
Earlier, Surendran and Kapar MP
S. Manikavasagam lodged a report at
the Brickfields police headquarters
against Selangor police chief DCP
Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar for alleg-
edly making inaccurate and false
statements to the media on the case.
Manikavasagam said Khalid’s al-
legations of trespass and tampering
of the body by the family and others
who turned up at the mortuary the
day Kugan died were not true.
He said he had proof in the form
of a CD and had shown the video
footage to the investigating officer
who is probing the report lodged
by a mortuary attendant at the
hospital.
“The investigating officer came to
my office to record a statement from
me earlier today and he was shocked
on seeing the video footage. It clearly
showed a hospital attendant opening
the doors and gesturing to us to enter
the place to see the body. There was
neither any forcible entry nor did
anyone threaten hospital authori-
ties or tamper with the body. The
investigating officer agreed with me
that no offence of trespass had been
committed,” he said.
Surendran expressed regret over
media reports yesterday which quoted
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid
Albar as labelling Kugan as a criminal
who should not be made a hero.
“Kugan’s family is upset over this
statement. As a minister, he should
be more familiar with the law. A
suspect is presumed innocent until
proven otherwise and Kugan did not
have any criminal record nor was he
ever charged in court.”
He also said Syed Hamid’s other
statement that raising such issues
could spark racial unrest and hence
should be avoided, did not make any
sense as it appears that only he was
getting racial over the matter.
“Such incidents are happening to
dozens regardless of race and that’s
what we are concerned about. Every-
body regardless of race is concerned
over this incident.”
Manikavasagam said it was the
police who turned Kugan into a hero
by their actions.
“The police should be protecting
the people and if they need to take ac-
tion then charge the suspect in a court
of law. The police are not licensed to
kill,” he added.

Right time to enact anti-hop law: Pairin

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin
Kitingan said yesterday the time
is ripe to amend the Federal
Constitution for the enaction of
the proposed anti-hop law.
“We have seen enough
political instability in the past.
It is time to give this proposal
its due merit and approval. By
having anti-hop provisions in the
constitution, we will add another
significant milestone in the sta-
bility of our social and political
landscape,” he said.
Pairin, who is also Parti Ber-
satu Sabah (PBS) president, said
he would support “all those who
are advocating to propose this
amendment to the federal and
state constitutions”.
He was commenting on
Umno Supreme Council mem-
ber Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim’s
statement on Wednesday asking
the Perak Barisan Nasional to
organise a mass movement to
demand that Bota assemblyman
Datuk Nasarudin Hashim give up
the seat to enable a by-election
as he had chosen to cross over
to Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
Rais, who is also foreign min-
ister, had said Nasarudin won
the seat on the BN ticket in the
general election and by deserting
the coalition, he had betrayed
the trust of the people.
He said debate on the proposed
anti-hop law should be brought
to a conclusion so that political
stability based on honesty and
sincerity in joining a political party
and the social contract between
the voters and the candidate could
be properly crystallised.
“This will justify the place-
ment of the anti-hop law in the
constitution both at the federal
and state-levels. I believe it is
now an appropriate time to push
this anti-hop law through Parlia-
ment,” Pairin said.
The then-PBS Sabah govern-
ment enacted such a law in the
1980s but was later declared ul-
tra vires the Federal Constitution
as it restrained one’s freedom of
association.
Consequently, the constitu-
tional freedom denied PBS, an
opposition party in 1994, the
right to bring action against the
majority of PBS assemblymen
who hopped over to the BN after
winning in the ninth general elec-
tion. The mass defection caused
the fourth-term PBS government
to last only two weeks before it
was forced out of power.
However, Liberal Democratic
Party president Datuk V.K. Liew
said any attempt to amend the
Constitution is not legally sustain-
able as the BN falls short of a two-
thirds majority in Parliament.
He said under the Constitu-
tion, any proposal to restrict
Seventh
anyone from joining any organi- wonder ...
sation is against the freedom of South Korean
association. “As such, it is futile amateur golfer
to talk about it unless of course, Choi Son Eub
we overcome the prohibition in with a plaque in
the Constitution first.” recognition of her
In KUALA TERENGGANU, hitting a hole-in-
state PAS commissioner Datuk one seven times
Mustafa Ali said party-hopping in less than 100
from BN to the Pakatan Rakyat, days. The 63-year-
especially PAS, is not wrong. old housewife,
He said this is because who is a cancer
getting out of something nega- patient, had the
tive to something positive is a latest “miracle”
requirement in Islam. hit last Saturday
However, he said PAS will not at the Tunku
tolerate any of its members join- Jaafar Golf Club
ing BN, saying the basis of the in Negri Sembilan
party’s struggles was not right. witnessed by
“We don’t agree with this many local and
(PAS representatives joining BN) Korean golfers.
because it is not good for them The plaque was
... this (PAS) struggle is right but awarded by
they want to run to the wrong Tunku Jaafar
side. There is something wrong Golf and Country
here. It is right for the others Resort president
to want to join PAS. This is not Dalton Kim.
double standards but a principle
in terms of humanity,” he said at
a news conference. – Bernama

Cabinet to get report on Manila’s request

PUTRAJAYA: Wisma Putra will table a report to
the cabinet next week on the Philippine govern-
ment’s request that Malaysia play a role in the
resumption of the peace talks between Manila
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
said yesterday the cabinet would then advise
the ministry on the next course of action.
“An officer of the Philippine government
met the ministry’s secretary-general Tan Sri
Rastam Mohd Isa recently and conveyed the
republic’s wishes that Malaysia again play its
role in the peace negotiation,” he told report-
ers after launching the ministry’s 2009-2015
Strategic Plan here.
He was commenting on reports that Philip-
pine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had
sought assistance from Malaysia, Brunei, Japan
and Libya to resume the peace talks.
Asked on when the two Malaysians, cur-
rently held at the Guantanamo military prison
in Cuba, could be brought back, Rais said: “We
cannot pinpoint the exact date”.
The government, however, had put forward
its requests and hoped that the reply would
be forthcoming soon, he said. “This could take
weeks, perhaps months.”
On the ministry’s strategic plan, Rais said it
was needed as the ministry had large units and
departments apart from having to deal with
international issues which had grown more
complex in nature.
Under the plan, six main objectives are
outlined to ensure the ministry remains ef-
fective at global level, including safeguarding
and protecting national sovereignty in the
international arena and strengthening Asean.
– Bernama
Questions raised over RM51m
Syabas office renovation
» From Front Page
Aside from the breach of contract issue,
questions are also being raised over the
RM51.2 million spent to renovate the Syabas
office when the Selangor Water Regulatory
Department (JKAS) only approved RM23.2
million for this in 2005.
The audit review found that Syabas had
failed to comply with the requirement as
approved by JKAS.
At the heart of this tussle over the water
contract is the state government’s desire to
see water tariff kept low to benefit the people
of Selangor. When it came to power, among
the first things the new administration did
was to give up to 20 cubic metres of free
water a month.
In December last year, Energy, Water and
Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman
Abu Mansor had said that according to the
concession agreement, water tariff in Putra-
jaya, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur was to be
increased by 31% this month but the hike
has been deferred to March 31 to allow the
state government to restructure the water
industry in Selangor.
Shaziman said the 30-year concession
agreement (from Jan 1, 2005 to Dec 31,
2034) could be revoked and the water tariff
could be restructured after the assets had
been handed over to Pengurusan Aset Air
Bhd (PAAB) which is under the Finance
Ministry.
Selangor, however, wants PAAB to allow
the state to manage its own resources to
ensure consumers pay a fair price without
having to put up with scheduled hikes as per
the agreement.
Under the agreement, consumers face
more water tariff hikes until 2034. The next
hike of 25% is scheduled for 2012, followed
by a 20% hike in 2015, a 10% hike in 2019
and a 5% hike on 2021, 2024, 2027 and 2030.
Negotiations between Puncak Niaga and
the Selangor government are still under way
with the state looking for a deal which will
benefit the public in the long run whereas
Puncak Niaga, as a public-listed company, is
looking for the best value for its sharehold-
ers.
Speculation is that the concessionaire
is looking at beyond RM6 billion, based on
capital expenditure and exit value. The mat-
ter will also be discussed at the Selangor state
economic council meeting today.