2 theSun | THURSDAY APRIL 30 2009

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Dr M: Strong govt needed

to tackle economic woes
BEIJING: Malaysia must
return to having a strong
government to manage the
global financial crisis and
place the country back on the
growth path, Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad said yesterday.
Recalling the Asian crisis
over a decade ago, the former
prime minister said Malaysia
could implement radical and
unorthodox measures to
recover because the govern-
ment had two-thirds majority
in Parliament to support its
policies.
The calm political situation
then also allowed the govern-
ment to think through how it
could tackle the crisis which
had affected Malaysians of all
races, he said.
“It is important that we try
to return to a situation where
the government is strong,
where the government can
have two-thirds majority,” he
said after delivering a lecture
at Peking University on les-
sons for Asia from the global
meltdown.
“Hopefully, if the present
government navigates well the
economy as well as politics, at
the next election, we can win
two-thirds majority and go
back to the growth path we
had for the past 50 years.”
Mahathir, who arrived
on Tuesday for a three-day
private visit, was asked by a
Malaysian student if the eco-
nomic crisis would lead to a
political crisis back home.
He said a government with-
out a strong majority and beset
with demonstrations would
not be able to tackle a crisis
when it was being attacked
and uncertain of its position.
“But I think if people are
sensible enough, they will
give sufficient support to the
government,” he said.
Mahathir was accompa-
nied by Tun Dr Siti Hasmah
Mohamad Ali, ambassador to
China Datuk Syed Norulzaman
Kamarulzaman and business
tycoon Tan Sri Mokhtar Al-
Bukhary to the lecture, attended
by about 200 students.
He is a guest of the Chinese
People’s Institute of Foreign
Affairs. He last visited China
in 2005, two years after he
stepped down as the prime
minister. – Bernama
» See also Page 17
Public now have better
opinion of judiciary, says CJ
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: Chief Justice Tan Sri
Zaki Tun Azmi yesterday praised the
delivery system of the judiciary for
improving vastly over the last few
years and said the public now have a
better opinion of the judiciary.
Zaki, who officiated at the judi-
ciary’s excellence service awards
presentation ceremony at Putrajaya
International Convention Centre,
said there was also improvement in
the quality of service as well as the
dedication and commitment shown
by the judiciary staff.
“The courts are where people
seek justice and it is not only the
responsibility of the judges or court
officials to play their roles but also
the support staff,” he said.
“A proactive approach in carrying
out our duties will enable us to increase
our service quality.
“Our ability to overcome obstacles
will also make us respected not only in
the country but also worldwide.
“We have to encourage our fellow
colleagues to continue working for
progress.”
Zaki cited an
example of how draft orders, which
once took two months to prepare,
now takes less than four days, or
20 minutes at the Federal Court
Registrar’s office.
“File searches, which once could
take a few days, can now be done on
the same day,” he said.
“That is why a successful system
is one which benefits, and is con-
venient to, all parties, especially the
users.”
He said he had also instructed
lawyers to test the effectiveness of
the courts and their views must
never be misinterpreted.
He said the committee of lawyers
from Kuala Lumpur gave good
comments on the Federal Court and
Court of Appeal in Putrajaya and
Kuala Lumpur for clearing backlog
cases, while the committee of lawyers
in Selangor was satisfied with the Klang
magistrate’s court for clearing cases.

Selangor sultan leaves for

heart surgery in US
SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor,
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, left for
the United States yesterday to undergo
heart mitral valve repair or replacement
at Stanford University Medical Centre in
Palo Alto, San Francisco.
He will undergo the surgery on Sat-
urday and will be under treatment at the
hospital for three weeks, Selangor State
Secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud said.
The sultan left for Singapore on
Tuesday and flew to San Francisco from
there yesterday morning, Ramli told a
news conference, attended by the sul-
tan’s private secretary, Datuk Mohamad
Munir Bani.
He said cardiothoracic surgeon Prof
Ramli said the sultan has asked the
people of Selangor not to worry and to
pray for a successful surgery.
“I have also asked the Selangor
Islamic Affairs Department to seek the Najib and
cooperation of the mosque and surau Rosmah
committees to recite the Yassin and doa are
selamat on Thursday (today) and to hold welcomed
the solat hajat after the Friday prayers in by Pehin
all mosques during the treatment of the Awang
sultan,” he said. Adanan
The sultan was accompanied by his at Brunei
younger brother Tengku Ahmad Shah, International
medical specialist from Sime Darby Airport.
Medical Centre Datuk Setia Dr Anuar
Masduki, member of the Council of the
Royal Court of Selangor Tan Sri Syed
Najib arrives in Brunei
BERNAMAPIX

Dr Alan Yeung and mitral valve special-
ist Prof Dr Craig Miller would attend to
the sultan at the medical centre.
Mohd Yusof Tun Syed Nasir, and Datuk
Pengelola Bijaya Diraja Datuk Zakaria BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Datuk Seri Najib
Abd Rahman. – Bernama Abdul Razak arrived here yesterday for a
two-day visit to Brunei, his first since be-
coming the prime minister in early April.
Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah
Mansor were met on arrival at Brunei Inter-
national Airport by Home Affairs Minister
Pehin Awang Adanan Awang Mohd Yusof,
who is the minister-in-attendance, and his
wife Datin Paduka Salmah Hanafiah.
Najib’s delegation included Information,
Communications and Culture Minister
Datuk
Seri Dr Rais
Yatim, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hisham-
muddin Hussein, Sabah Chief Minister
Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Sarawak Deputy
Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and
Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay.
Najib and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah are
expected to discuss issues of mutual
interest to enhance and strengthen co-
operation between the two countries.
– Bernama

Assembly sec receives Case management of

motion to remove Sivakumar
IPOH: The Perak Legislative Assembly Secretary
Abdullah Antong Sabri yesterday confirmed
his office had received a motion last week to
remove V. Sivakumar as assembly speaker at
its sitting on May 7.
He also confirmed he had posted letters to
all the assemblymen on the matter and had at-
tached together with the letters the nomination
forms for the new speaker.
Although Abdullah said the matter should
not have been announced before the sitting,
several news portals yesterday reported that
Abdullah, in his letter, had stated that the
nomination forms for the new speaker should
be submitted together with the agreement form
of the selected candidate to the assembly office
by today at the latest.
“The letters were sent administratively. It
should have been for the information and action
of the assemblymen concerned,” he said when
contacted by Bernama.
Senior Exco Datuk Hamidah Osman, when
contacted, confirmed she had seconded the
motion to remove Sivakumar, which was pro-
posed by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry
Abdul Kadir.
Karpal’s suit on July 2
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court yesterday
fixed July 2 for case management of Bukit
Gelugor MP Karpal Singh’s RM10 million suit
against Utusan Melayu (M) Sdn Bhd over an
article on his comments on Islam.
Deputy registrar Nazri Ibrahim fixed the
date in chambers.
In his statement of claim, Karpal, who is
also a lawyer, claimed the article titled “DAP
diingat jangan bakar perasaan Melayu” (DAP
reminded not to inflame sentiments of Ma-
lays), published on Aug 25 last year, stated
that he made the comments on Islam in his
welcoming speech at the 15th DAP National
Congress held the previous day.
Karpal claimed the words published were
false and malicious and intended to destroy
his professional and political careers.
He sought RM10 million in damages and
any relief deemed proper by the court.
In its statement of defence, Utusan
Melayu claimed the report was an honest
mistake and that an apology published by
the newspaper was accepted by Karpal as
fulfilling his letter of demand. – Bernama