2 theSun | MONDAY MAY 4 2009

news without borders

Reconsider
decision,
Penang
PAS urges
top leaders
by Bernard Cheah
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SEBERANG PERAI: Penang PAS has called on its
top leaders to reconsider its decision not to field
a PAS candidate in the upcoming Penanti by-elec-
tion.
Penang PAS deputy commissioner Dr Mujahid
Yusuf Rawa said the state party hopes to field
a candidate in the by-election on May 31 in an
effort to preserve a healthy
democratic practice.
“This decision is made
not to eye the post of deputy
chief minister (I) which was
promised by the state gov-
ernment but to clear the bad
air around Pakatan Rakyat
(PR) over the resignation of
former DCM (I) and Penanti
assemblyman Mohammad
Fairus Khairuddin. His sud-
den resignation has tainted
the image of PR,” he told a
press conference in Penaga
yesterday.
Speaking on behalf of
Penang PAS commissioner
Mohd Salleh Man, he said
the PR should take into
account the opinions of
the grassroots who are not
happy with the “trend” of
resignations among the wakil rakyat.
Mujahid said the proposal was based on demo-
cratic principles and not to create the impression
that there is internal conflict in PR.
He said the proposal will be conveyed to PAS
election director Datuk Mustafa Ali today.
“If the top leaders are adamant about following
PR’s decision to field a PKR candidate in the by-
election, we will adhere to it,” he said.
He also said if a PAS candidate was fielded in
the by-election, it would be a sure win for PR.
“In Penanti, we have about 3,000 to 5,000
PAS members and 11 branches. There is enough
manpower here,” he said.
On April 28, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim had announced that Penang PKR
deputy chief Mansor Othman, 56, will be the party’s
candidate to contest the Penanti state seat, which
fell vacant after Fairus tendered his resignation
on April 16.
Tee Keat denies IWG out
to topple his deputy
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat yesterday
denied that the MCA Integrity Watch
Group (IWG) was set up to topple his
deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“Substantiate the allegation. And on
him (Chua) mulling a move to Pakatan
Rakyat, go ask him. He’s the newsmaker,
not me,” Ong said.
Chua had, in an interview
with online news portal The
Nut Graph, said even the IWG
had called for him to resign
despite being duly elected as
the party No. 2.
He said he and his son
(Labis MP Tee Yong) were
approached by Pakatan to
join the Opposition and that
he was mulling the offer and
would decide positively if “I
cannot function in a role that
I’m given”.
Chua told theSun: “The
IWG is all the president’s
men.”
After the MCA elections in
October, the IWG was set up
State assembly sitting open to all media, says speaker
IPOH: All media organisations will be allowed
to cover the proceedings of the Perak State
Press Assembly sitting on Thursday.
Digest: The decision was made by State Assembly
Chua Speaker V. Sivakumar.
In a statement issued here yesterday, he
thanks BN said they were, however, required to submit
leaders written applications to the Speaker’s Office at
for their Level 2, Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan, from
9am tomorrow.
confidence “I’ll issue the permission letters to the
in him media organisations at my own discretion,
pg 6 as provided under the Perak State Assembly
Standing Order 84,” he added.
Sivakumar said he was issuing the ruling
to safeguard the principles of democracy and
freedom of the press.
“There is no reason to bar any media
organisation from covering the sitting. The
last Dec 15 by “a group of no knowledge on this
MCA members” chaired issue.”
by Dr Daphne Loke, a Asked whether he
director of the SEGi Uni- would be meeting Chua
versity College Graduate on this, he said: “No.”
School of Business. The Pressed further on
college boss, Datuk the issue, Ong said: “All
Clement Hii, is now the I know is what I read in
executive deputy chair- media reports. We are
man of Star Publications not born to answer all
(M) Bhd, publisher of The sorts of allegations. We
Star. are born on this planet
Simon Lim Seng Chai, to shoulder greater
an independent director responsibility.
of Cityneon Holdings “Don’t you think
Limited (Singapore), a that all the allegations
company substantially are nothing compared
owned by Star Publica- to the bigger picture
tions (M) Bhd, was ap- which we are witness-
pointed Ong’s political Chua ing now?”
secretary on April 1. Ong was speaking
Ten days after the to reporters after re-
birth of IWG, the group called on Chua ceiving three corneas for Malaysians
to follow the example set by Chinese at the Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple
educationist Loot Ting Yee who quit all here.
his posts after being accused of sexual “As I said earlier, I am not interested
harassment. in answering petty questions linked
Asked about a possible meeting be- to personal interest,” said Ong, who
tween Umno vice-president Datuk Seri had earlier called on Malaysians to
Hishammuddin Hussein and Chua, Ong discard the “zero-sum” mentality and to
said: “I am not aware (of that). I have embrace the 1Malaysia policy.
people have the right to know the antics of most uncalled for as the assembly is the
their elected representatives during the state highest body to formulate laws and policies
assembly sitting,” he said. for the people.
Prior to this, the State Information De- “Antong is denying the people’s right to be
partment, in a letter dated April 30, stated informed of the laws and policies put forth by
that only 13 media organisations would be their government in the assembly. In this cru-
allowed to cover the state assembly sitting. cial and critical moment of the state, it’s even
They are RTM, BernamaTV, TV3, TheStar, more vital for the people to be well informed
New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Utusan Ma- of the proceedings and development taking
laysia, China Press, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang place in the assembly.
Siang Pau, Tamil Nanban, Tamil Nesan and “Antong is usurping the authority of the
Bernama. state assembly. Provisions in the Standing
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Orders of State Assemblies do not give the
Kadir is expected to call for a press confer- state secretary, who is an ex-officio, the
ence tomorrow to clarify the matter, reports authority to decide on the covering of the
Bernama. proceeding by the media,” he said in a state-
Meanwhile, Gerakan secretary-general ment yesterday.
Teng Chang Yeow said state secretary Abdul- Teng said the state government should
lah Antong Sabri’s “media restriction” was instruct Antong to lift the restriction.

for Pangkor, said the extreme accusation Highlight human interest

briefs
TV channel for local
sports by year-end
KUALA LUMPUR: A TV channel dedicated to
local sports and sports role models is expected
to be launched by the end of the year.
Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president
Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar said OCM and Astro,
the pay TV operator, were finalising the details of
the channel which would cover domestic sports
as well as regional and international sports in
which Malaysians are taking part.
In an interview with Bernama, he said a TV
sports channel was the “missing link” in the coun-
try’s efforts to develop sports to higher levels.
“All our TV in terms of sports focus on inter-
national events. So what we desperately need
and what OCM is talking to Astro is a sports
channel that focuses on domestic sports and
building up the role models,” he said.
Zambry lodges police report
against PAS rep
IPOH: Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry
Abdul Kadir has lodged a police report against
PAS assemblyman for Titi Serong, Khalil Idham
Lim, for allegedly making extreme accusations
through a media statement yesterday.
Zambry, who is also the assemblyman
was also carried in Khalil Idham’s blog site
idhamlim.blogspot.com.
“He has made a desperate allegation. I
have lodged a police report and discussed
with my lawyer to take legal action,” he told
reporters at his residence last night.
He said this when commenting on the
entry entitled “Titi Serong assemblyman’s
media statement” which was carried by the
blog. Among other things, the entry claimed
Zambry and the Barisan Nasional had allowed
a “bomoh” to enter the State Legislative As-
sembly to cast a spell on the speaker’s seat
and calling on the Perak Mufti, Datuk Seri
Harussani Zakaria, to come up with an edict
or “fatwa” on the matter. – Bernama
Ministry to introduce
‘1Youth’ concept
KANGAR: The Youth and Sports Ministry will in-
troduce the concept of “1Youth” to expedite the
process of achieving “1Malaysia”, its minister,
Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said yesterday.
He said as almost half of the 27 million popula-
tion in Malaysia are youths, there was a need to
instil the spirit of the “1Malaysia” concept mooted
by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
among youths, and for them to embrace it.
Speaking to reporters after launching the
national-level National Youth Day and Week
celebration here yesterday, Ahmad Shabery,
who represented Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin, said failing to do so could de-
lay efforts to realise the “1Malaysia” concept.
stories, Rais tells media
KUALA KLAWANG: Information, Communi-
cations and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr
Rais Yatim wants all the media in the coun-
try to highlight human interest stories.
He said most of the stories featured on
TV today portrayed dignitaries or speeches
of certain individuals but rarely on human
interest.
“The success story of a Chinese smallhold-
er in a new village who gets aid from Risda is
one example, but such stories are not aired
at all. Another example is that of an Indian
community obtaining success from breeding
goats ... such stories also we seldom see.
“The focus is always on socio-political
speeches. I’m not saying such statements are
not important. They are, but the TV stations
should realise that we are building a society
and we should project healthy practices,” he
told reporters.
Police nab ‘Myanmar
refugee’ with fake IC
KUALA LUMPUR: A 53 year-old man, claiming
to be a Myanmar refugee, was detained when
he was found in possession of a fake identity
card during a police operation in the Bukit Bin-
tang area last Friday.
Dang Wangi OCPD ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rah-
man told Bernama yesterday police approached
the man who was behaving suspiciously in the
area at about 4.30pm and found that he was in
possession of the card.