NewsKini News Engine Blog

Google and Motorola Mobility - Purely Genius or Simply Disaster?

2011-08-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

The answer can be found through the the following clues:

Conceptually - Google is a 'middle man' technology company

whose business is about connecting something with something using something

with superior quality and speed.

eg connecting 'billions of human' to 'massive amount of information' using 'sophisticated' technology
in the fastest way (and as accurate as) possible.

In other words Google is a 'medium' technology company which
aims to become a useful tool (eg Search/Email/Ads) and destination (eg Youtube).

As such it will always evolve to become the most sought-after and dependable content delivery company.

Google success will depend on speed, accuracy and style (like Apple) of
delivering (or connecting) those hungry users with the desired information.

Motorola has produced some innovative things with style in its history.
Perhaps Motorola compression patent is the 'most-wanted' in Motorola
innovation because wireless is an expensive medium. Or Motorola CPU
and chips experience inside flying GUI Apples. It is not just the invaluable
patents that Google is after - it is the speed and quality factor!

To achieve ultra speed user experience - the Android OS alone is insufficient:
Remember thats why Apple chose Motorola for those old Macs!

To summarize:
Google will acquire more company in the future - especially those
that have anything to do with the media content, media delivery and media connection.

Typical MACC disaster with Teoh and Sarbani

2011-04-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

A) For Teoh they said it was both suicide and homicide.
B) For Sarbani they concluded that it was an accidental falling down death.

If you read carefullty between the lines - it is not really diffcult to
understand :

1. Direct attack to the skull by banging head to wall.
2. Indirect attack to the brain by continuous slapping.
3. Attack to human sense of balance by spinning the
body around and around many times (create dizziness)
4. Tying the legs and hanging a person upside down for a few hours.

After either one of above (or a combination of any of above)
put the victim near a wide-open window of a tall building -
you will get the most probable answer!

It is a 'blood and brain' torture technique commonly used to
extract confession.

Reference: http://clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/6/10/49058.html

Upside Down Torture:

This is one of the commonly used tortures inflicted by labor camps and brainwashing classes on Falun Dafa practitioners who refuse to give up their belief. This torture makes the practitioner's blood back-flush, and can result in loss of consciousness or even death after a long period of time. Sometimes the police forbid the practitioner to use the toilet, and hang the practitioner upside down to humiliate him or her.

Newskini.serveftp.net suddenly dissappeared

2011-04-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

If you are accessing Newskini via newskini.serveftp.net then
you won't be able to reach us from 11th April 2011.

The reason is because DynDNS no longer provide free IP parking
inside serveftp.net domain name.

Dyndns has been doing this kind of drastic changes without
'proper' notice.

Newskini should be accessed from url http://newskini.cjb.net
This will forward to http://newskini.dyndns.org

In the future we intend to stop using DynDNS services completely -
thus do not bookmarked us at http://newskini.dyndns.org

We had similar experience before where our account was suddenly deleted by DynDNS.

This kind of problem is typical with the so called 'free' web services
which will change the "terms of services" anytime they like.

Datuk T and Stupid Sex Video Crap Propaganda

2011-03-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

If you are sick of hearing all the crap from the crony media
- then you are not alone.

Don't be like some so called 'loyar burok' who always act
with full lawlessness:

"KITA teguk benda mabuk tu dulu.... KITA tengok blue dulu"

The police can always check with Telcos of anyone's
location at the stated time (using mobile phone signal).
That's why the law for all mobile phone must be registered.

Yes - can check Datuk T, Anwar or whoever wherever.
No need to beat around the bush with bullshit!
It is a simple technology where Telco can 'see'
anyone anywhere.

Just Google for 'phone locator technology SS7':

You may get the Network World Magazine (Mar 2, 1998)
article : Telcos tussle with feds over surveillance

Stop Stupid Crap Please

Mobile Positioning and SS7 is a standard which glue things together.

- SS7 made Mobile Positioning easier.
- Every call in every network is dependent on SS7

AT&T developed SS7/C7 in 1975, and the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT)
[109] adopted it in 1980 as a worldwide standard. - Refer: Cisco: Role of SS7 :

It shows how stupid the so called 'One-Malaysia'
which claimed to be championing MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor).

Mobile phones are like little networked computers with built in
locator device with SIM identification.

From: Cisco: Role of SS7 :

Each time a cellular phone is powered up, SS7/C7-based transactions identify, authenticate, and register the subscriber. Before a cellular call can be made, further transactions check that the cellular phone is not stolen (network dependent option) and qualify permission to place the call (for example, the subscriber may be barred from International usage). In addition, the SS7/C7 network tracks the cellular subscriber to allow call delivery, as well as to allow a call that is already in progress to remain connected, even when the subscriber is mobile.

Telco has a location register to track anyone anywhere.
Refer CNET article: Legal spying via the cell phone system

Only telecom providers are supposed to have access to the location register, but small telcos in the EU are offering online access to it for a fee, mostly to companies using it for marketing data and cost projections, according to DePetrillo.

"Using previous research on the subject as a starting point, we've developed a way to map these mobile switching center numbers to caller ID information to determine what city and even what part of a city a phone number is in" at any given moment, he said. "I can watch a phone number travel to different mobile switching centers. If I know your phone number, I can track your whereabouts globally."

Microblogging Rosmah can be an app killer future

2011-01-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

We are about to see the rise of micro blogging using phones or using
personal computers (people too lazy to type or just want to broadcast
something important as brief as possible ).

This is ideal when

a) reporting disaster (accident, flood, traffic jam, harsh weather)
b) straight facts or figures (stock, election, percentage)
c) picturing scene via camera phone (crime scene, moving strategy).
d) mass broadcast of a political liability

This broadcasting trend has a potential....
especially if one's channel center (facebook/tweet or whatever)
has a reliable reputation.and integrity.

Imagine if people subscribing to that channel can receive
SMS (or auto feed internet message push) to their phones
instantly!

Sooner or later someone could write a program to generate
a Buzz automatically (with pictures too!) and tweet instantaneously.

Object -------- Action/Attribute/Happening

eg

teoh beng hock --- death

obama -- basketball accident

sometimes it can be difficult especially someone doing multiple object/words action:

rosmah -- dubai
rosmah -- fly (aeroplane, kite etc)
rosmah -- 600K money dubai
rosmah -- 100K hotel dubai
rosmah -- expenses

Speaking of Rosmah - if you look at the Star newspaper - almost everyday there will be
a picture of Rosmah (in color print) in the first few pages. There is a reason for
Star doing this but it may backfire... because it is already too excessive...
ie the paper has made Rosmah to appear more show stopper (prominent/active/power/important etc)
than Najib,

Look at above photo - which was probably taken from Kroni paper.
Rosmah was photo captured in more focus and in front of Najib.

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand: Teoh Beng Hock case 80% homicide

2009-10-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

This revelation is from one international forensic pathologist expert.
If we can bring more experts then more bizarre things will be exposed!

In case you didn't know, MACC's famous style of torture is by turning
off the lights so that you can't see or identify the culprits who beat
you. And they use things like wood to beat in order to mask or hide
any obvious external injuries.

Few important observation here in this report:

a) Attack to HEAD SKULL (signs of the culprit's impatience)
b) Attack to ANUS (torture to extract confession).
c) The attacker body size is probably bigger than Teoh's.
d) In order words - its too much force or excessive torture .....




Ref: The Star

Pornthip: Several of Teoh’s injuries appeared inconsistent with fall

By WANI MUTHIAH

SHAH ALAM: Renowned Thai forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip
Rojanasunand told the inquest into the death of political aide Teoh
Beng Hock that it was an 80% probability his death was a homicide.

She said it was only a 20% probability that Teoh had committed
suicide.

Dr Pornthip also testified that the marks on Teoh’s neck looked
like he had been manually strangled.


The Selangor government had invited Dr Pornthip, the
director-general of Thailand’s Ministry of Justices Central
Institute of Forensic Science, to give her expert opinion.

She is well-known for her prowess in cracking open complicated
homicide cases.

She is the author of Investigation of Corpses, which sold 100,000
copies in Thailand, and also led a group of international forensic
scientists in 2004 to identify the remains of the Asian tsunami
victims.

Her life and work was narrated in the National Geographic
documentary Crime Scene Bangkok in 2004.

Questioned by Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, counsel holding a watching brief
for the Selangor government, Dr Pornthip said that several of
Teoh’s injuries appeared to be inconsistent with a fall from
height and appeared to be pre-fall injuries.

(Dr Pornthip had been provided postmortem reports prepared by Dr
Khairul Aznam Ibrahim from the Klang Tengku Rahimah Ampuan and
Universiti Malaya Medical Centre’s Dr Prashant Samberkar as well
as pictures of Teoh’s injuries.)

Referring to an anal tear Teoh suffered as a “penetrative
injury”, Dr Pornthip said she had never seen this type of injury
in cases of a fall.

If the injury had indeed been caused by a bone protrusion, she said
it would have come from the inside of Teoh’s anus.

She said the abrasions on Teoh’s right upper thigh looked like he
had been beaten with a piece of wood.

She added that there was a need to cut open the skin to check for
internal bleeding to determine whether Teoh had been tortured.

(Both the pathologists who had conducted the postmortem on Teoh had
not done so.)

Dr Pornthip also said Teoh’s skull fracture was not typical of a
transferred injury due to a fall but was more compatible with a
blunt force being directly inflicted to the head.

She said the transferred injury to the skull due to the impact of
the fall would typically cause a ring fracture at the base of the
skull around the spinal column and not a cervical spine fracture as
suffered by Teoh.

Dr Pornthip said Teoh, 30, was probably alive when he hit the
ground but might have been unconscious before the fall.

She said this was because there was no reaction wounds on his ankles
and wrists to show he had instinctively tried to stop himself from
hitting the ground.

She said it was possible he was unconscious from manual
strangulation or pain from the anal region.

She estimated his time of death to have occurred between 6am and 8am
on July 16.

Teoh, the political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean
Yong Hian Wah, had been summoned to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) office at the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam to be
questioned over the irregular disbursement of state funds on July
15.

He was found dead on the fifth floor service corridor of the
building the following day.

Meanwhile, the Selangor government called on the authorities to
study the expert opinion of Dr Pornthip on Teoh’s death.

“Her evidence has indeed proven that the state’s fear on the
safety of government officials during interrogation by the MACC is
not totally unfounded,” Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said
in a statement yesterday.

Given her experience, he said Dr Pornthip’s evidence could not be
taken lightly.

He reiterated his government’s call for a Royal Commission of
Inquiry into Teoh’s death instead of just looking into the
interrogation methods used on him by the MACC.

Asia Sentinel: Malaysia's Port Storm

2009-08-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

A must-read article.... which main stream media should have put into front headlines.
Did MACC go to investigate aggressively and snatched PC or laptops like they did to Pakatan Rakyat?

Reference: Asia Sentinel

Monday, 24 August 2009

Malaysia's Port Storm

Written by Our Correspondent

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission dances gingerly around a huge
scandal

Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission has been tireless in the pursuit
of wrongdoers, particularly those from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat
coalition that controls Selangor, Malaysia's richest state. But
somehow – perhaps just an oversight – the MACC has been dawdling for
five years on a case that appears to be one of the biggest scandals
ever to hit a country that has generated some spectacular ones.

That is the RM7.45 billion (US$2.12 billion) cost to turn Port Klang,
the seaport 70 km. west of the capital of Kuala Lumpur, into a
national transshipment hub to rival the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai.
Its directors say it is likely to default on billions of ringgit in
loans, with the possibility, according to an auditor's report, that
accumulated interest could drive the cost to a whopping RM12.45
billion.

Conceived in 1999, the Port Klang Free Zone was yet another massive
development scheme put forward by former Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad although he had left office before the real carnival began.
The project appears to have ignited a virtual feeding frenzy for
politicians from the Barisan Nasional, or ruling national coalition.

The port development was awarded as a turnkey project without
competitive bid to well-connected political cronies of the United
Malays National Organisation and the Malaysian Chinese Association,
the two biggest components of the Barisan Nasional. Project outlays,
originally projected at RM1.95 billion, ballooned to RM3.52 billion,
with interest accounting for another RM3.9 billion by 2012. The
parties to the contract have fallen on each other, describing illicit
payments and filing lawsuits. The squabble appears set to wreck what
is left of the MCA, already in disastrous shape after the electoral
drubbing it took in March 2008 elections.

The case stands in vivid contrast to the MACC's zeal in prosecuting
opposition politicians from the Selangor state government. As many as
six or seven have had their office records dealing with constituency
expenditures taken away for investigation. The most publicized of
those was State Executive Councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah, whose aide,
Teoh Beng Kock, died on July 16, either by suicide or other means,
after undergoing a marathon questioning session in the MACC offices
over RM2,400 worth of flags the lawmaker handed out to his
constituents during a Merdeka (Freedom) Day celebration.

An anonymous letter written on MACC stationery was released to the
press last week, accusing Hishamuddin Hashim, an MACC deputy director
for Selangor state, of conspiring with Mohammad Khir Toyo, a leading
United Malays National Organization politician and former chief
minister in Selangor state, to start corruption probes into opposition
politicians. Khir Toyo has denied the charge. Opposition Democratic
Action Party officials have been accused of fabricating the letter.
Its origin is currently under investigation by police.

Certainly, there appears to be plenty about the Port Klang development
for the MACC to investigate. The project is mired in controversy and
name-calling, with Tiong King Sing, the head of Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd,
the company given the turnkey contract to build the massive facility,
saying he had paid RM10 million in three installments to Ong Tee Keat,
the head of the MCA, "for activities related to the MCA. Tiong is a
leader of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and head of the
influential Backbenchers Club in the Dewan Dakyat, or parliament. Ong,
also the transport minister, is offering to sue Tiong for his
assertion that he had channeled money to Ong. Other MCA stalwarts are
seeking to oust Ong from his leadership position, further fracturing
the party.

Kuala Dimensi in turn is wholly owned by Wijaya Baru Sdn Bhd, which is
the main contractor to Kuala Dimensi. Wijaya Baru is controlled by
Wijaya Baru Holdings Sdn. Bhd. Azim Mohd Zabidi, the former UMNO
treasurer, is chairman of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd. Chor Chee Heung,
former deputy was former deputy home minister under Mahathir, who was
home minister and fiance minister at the time. Chor was the Wijaya
Baru Global non-executive deputy chairman from April 2004 till July
2007.

"This Port Klang FreeTrade zone is a colossal mess, with billions upon
billions gone missing. It was earmarked for the MCA and the Chinese
community," said a lawyer with links to the United Malays National
Organization. "Many MCA/Chinese contractors benefitted from the deal.
It has been an issue for the last six years, but only now has it
become explosive."

Opposition member Ronnie Liu, a DAP official, lodged a police report
with the MACC on the scandal as early as 2004. The DAP has lodged a
series of other reports in the intervening years, said a spokesman for
the Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition coalition headed by Anwar Ibrahim.
None of the requests, the spokesman said, elicited any response from
the authorities. Recently Ahmad Said Hamdan, the chief commissioner
for MACC, declined to answer questions in a parliamentary accounts
selective committee hearing into the Port Klang scandal, saying the
case is still under investigation.

The story was broken wide open, however, with the recent publication
of a 51-page confidential report into the port's finances by the
international accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers. The report,
dated Feb. 3, was "not intended for general circulation or
publication. It must not be reproduced, republished, copied,
distributed, excerpted, disclosed, quoted, alluded or referred to,
whether in whole or in part, to any other party in any way without
prior written consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services Sdn
Bhd (PwCAS)." However, selected parts were indeed excerpted,
disclosed, quoted, alluded or referred to by the opposition, and since
been given wide distribution.

Among other things, according to the report, which was obtained by
Asia Sentinel, "…significant project costs, weak governance and weak
project management have severely undermined the viability of the
project. It is imperative that (the Port Klang authority) take
immediate actions to restructure the (ministry of finance) soft loan
of RM4.632 billion to avoid a potential default in 2012. The
Government of Malaysia would need to make a concerted effort to turn
the Port Klang Free Zone into a viable venture."

The report names a veritable rogue's gallery of MCA and other
officials involved in the development of the project including two
former transport ministers, Ling Liong Sik, the former MCA head, and
Chan Kong Choy; three former Port Authority chairmen, the former UMNO
treasurer Azim Mohd Zabidi, the first woman general manager of the
authority, O.C.Phang and the project executor, Tiong King Sing.

In addition to awarding the contract to Kuala Dimensi without
competitive bid, the land purchase was never vetted by the Malaysian
cabinet, although it cost RM1.088 billion against a market value of
the land of only RM442 million. Kuala Dimensi "may have overcharged
PKA for interest by between RM51 million and RM309 million in
connection with the purchase of the land," the report said.

According to another report, The 1,000 acres for the port were
purchased by the government from Kuala Dimensi at RM 25 per square
foot, or RM 1.8 billion inclusive of interest, giving Kuala Dimensi a
capital gain of RM 993 million because it in turn had purchased the
land from the Pulau Lumut Development Cooperative for only RM 95
million -- RM 3 per square foot. An UMNO assemblyman, Abdul Rahman
Palil, was both the Pulau Lumut Development Co-operative chairman and
a port director in 2002 when the land for the free zone was sold to
the port authority. The then-transport minister rejected an assertion
by the Malaysian Attorney General that the land could be acquired for
"public purpose" under the Land Acquisition Act at RM 10 per square
foot.

As a result, the report said, interest on a soft loan from the
Ministry of Finance "will increase the project outlay from RM4.947
billion to RM7.453 billion. Unless the MOF soft loan is restructured,
total outlay for the project will increase to RM12.453 billion.

And, five years into the project, it remains only 14 percent occupied
and "revenue generated is inadequate to cover its operating expenses."
The zone is expected to be in cash deficit from 2012.

The MACC said recently that it had formed a 30- member panel to
investigate further.

The MACC Lying Bunch of Liars: Anuar, Ashraf, Najeib and More to come

2009-08-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Another cut and paste of important news reports you should not have missed.

Sooner or later these MACC bunch of liars will meet their fate of doom.......
It can be seen they are nervous when being questioned to the specifics..
especially Mohd Anuar Ismail.

This Mohd Anuar Ismail and Hishamuddin Hashim are two monkeys which
will lead to the bigger "money keys" above them.

Note: The MACC Torturing by slapping one's face or hitting the soles of
one's feet is too FAMOUS already. I have friends whose hearing has been
seriously impaired because of the slapping. Hitting the soles has also
caused a serious walking or standing imbalance for the rest of one's life.

Reference: http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37495

Teoh Beng Hock inquest: MACC officer accused of torturing witnesses, suspects

by Tan Yi Liang

Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus
SHAH ALAM (Aug 28, 2009): The inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock got heated up today when a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Selangor branch officer was accused of torturing witnesses and suspects.

The allegation by Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyer for Teoh's family, was however denied by the officer, Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus, the inquest's 19th witness.

He also denied allegations by Gobind that he was being investigated over a police report that torture was used to extract statements at the Selangor MACC office.

Gobind then produced a police report which accused Ashraf of torturing a witness during an interrogation, saying that the witness would be brought to court to testify.

"This report details how the torture is done, how they physically and psychologically break you down, and when we bring this witness to testify, he will identify these officers and how it is done," said Gobind, who presented a copy of the report to Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas. The complainant was not named.

At this point, the counsel assisting the government, Tan Hock Chuan asked for Azmil to advise Ashraf of his rights in light of the evidence within the statement.

Tan said Gobind has the right to pursue this line, although it does not relate to this case, but that to be fair to the witness, he should be told that he can refuse to answer any question that incriminates himself, and it is his right to appoint a lawyer before Gobind pursues this line of questioning further.

Azmil, who then advised Ashraf of his right to decline questions and to seek counsel before answering questions on the report, then asked Gobind to outline the gist of the reports.

"I have a police report detailing how the witness was tortured by MACC officials on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam. Among the allegations were that officers took turns to slap the witness, blindfolding them, wrapping an iron bar to hit the stomach and buttocks, stripping, whipping of the genitals and soles of feet, and other abuse to the genitals," said Gobind.

He said there were more than one police report but no action was taken as "the police also feared the MACC".

This was objected to by MACC counsel Abdul Razak Musa, who questioned the relevance of the report to the inquest.

"This diverts the focus of the inquest, and there is no evidence to prove the claims," said Abdul Razak, who was countered by Selangor government counsel Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who said the two coroners, Dr Khairul Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Samberkar, had not ruled out the possibility that Teoh was tortured prior to his death.

"This report proves that torture does happen and testing this report will prove that the last three witnesses are lying," added Malik.

Azmil allowed the request, but directed that Gobind stick to one report to keep the focus on the inquest.

"A lot of possibilities were raised by Dr Khairul in his testimony, but possibilities remain. We need to keep the scope narrow, and if the allegations are the same, we can stick to one report. If you want to test that theory, we can restrict it to one report," said Azmil.

Reference: http://www.mysinchew.com/node/28753

Torture allegations levelled at MACC

2009-08-28 20:37

SHAH ALAM, Aug 28 — The inquest into Teoh Beng Hock’s death heated up today with allegations of torture by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against “victims” who have subsequently lodged police reports on the alleged physical and psychological abuses at its Plaza Masalam office.

Gobind Singh Deo, who is acting on behalf of Teoh’s family, said one of the complainants will be testifying at the inquest to dispute denials by MACC officers that no oppression takes place while they interview witnesses and suspects.

The lawyer made the revelations while cross-examining MACC officer Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus and sought the courts permission to read one of the police reports to him.

Coroner, Azmil Muntapha Abas was told the police report detailed torture which a victim was subjected to while detained by the MACC, on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam.

The political secretary of DAP’s Ean Yong Hian Wah was questioned at the same MACC office before he was found dead at a landing on the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam, on July 16.

Among the abuses in the police report include being stripped naked, blindfolded, and being kicked in the stomach by MACC officers, who took turns to slap him.

“They also hit him with an iron rod wrapped in newspapers besides canning him on his private parts and on the soles of his feet.”

Gobind said he had pictures of the injuries suffered by the victim and had interviewed him personally.

Lead lawyer for the Attorney-General’s (AG) chambers Tan Hock Chuan said he had no objections to the questions but said the magistrate ought to advise the witness on his rights against self-incrimination or saying anything that could implicate him in a criminal offence.

Both Tan and Azmil were given copies of the police report. However Gobind refused to hand a copy over to MACC legal director Datuk Abdul Razak Musa, citing concerns for the victim who lodged the report.

“To be fair, the witness was not one of the MACC officers mentioned in the police report.” said Tan but added the witness should still be given an opportunity to be advised by his own lawyer while the rights against self incrimination should be explained to him.

Meanwhile Abdul Razak argued that the court should not take into account the police report because “it’s not relevant to this case.”

He pointed out that a pathologist who testified earlier had said Teoh was not assaulted.

He added “Even if it happened….” but sat down before completing his sentence.

However lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who is acting for the state government, told the court the pathologist did not discount the possibility that Teoh may have suffered pre-fall injuries. Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus in the waiting room, before his testimony.

All MACC officers, who have testified so far, claimed suspects are not subjected to abuse, and it was important for this fact to be tested, Malik said.

Azmil said he would allow Gobind to used the police reports as a basis in his line of questioning of Mohd Ashraf.

He also explained what self incrimination meant to the 25-year-old MACC officer and informed him that he had a right not to answer the question.

Mohd Ashraf, who worked in a factory before joining the MACC in 2005, said he understood.

However the court was adjourned today before any further question was put to him, and will resume on September 8.

After today’s proceedings were adjourned, Gobind explained that as an officer of the court, he was duty bound to inform the coroner on what basis he was cross-examining witnesses on.

He said this was why he informed the court about the allegations in the police report against the MACC.

“The MACC claims there is no abuse of suspects, we will show otherwise and will do it by way of evidence.”

He added the police reports lodged against the MACC had never been investigated by the police and they too need to explain why.

He said this will be raised not only during the inquest but later at the Royal Commission, which was announced to probe if Teoh’s human rights were violated while questioned by the MACC. (By Neville Spykerman/The Malaysian Insider)

Reference: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/11636-macc-no-procedure-grilling-witnesses

MACC: No procedure for grilling witnesses

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 07:26:00

THERE is no standard operating procedure for the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) for its investigations or interrogation of witnesses.

MACC deputy superintendent Mohd Anuar Ismail, who said this at the inquest into the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Huat, added that all MACC actions must be within the ambit of the MACC Act 2009.

Asked by coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas if there were any procedures applied by the MACC during the custody period or if there was any standing order or internal practice directive, Anuar said they would inform the senior officers and wait for instructions.

Asked by Gobind Singh Deo whether, as the investigating officer, he was responsible for the witness, Anuar said "yes" and that his role was to ensure that witnesses did not face any problems in MACC .

Gobind: How did you ascertain this?

Anuar: Through my officers.

Gobind: But isn’t it not important for you to ask the witness?

Anuar: As an investigating officer, there is no need to ask all witnesses and accused.

Gobind: I f witnesses want to complain and you have this attitude, how are they supposed to complain?

Anuar: I do not know.

Gobind: As an investigating officer, you must be fair to both the accused and the prosecution. If your officer
had used force on witnesses, do you honestly believe that they will tell you about it? Think about it.

Anuar: No.

Anuar also said Teoh did not speak to him when he asked Teoh in MACC recording officer Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim’s room around 2am on July 16 if everything was all right. He did not ask Teoh anything further.

Gobind: How can it not cross your mind that something may have been wrong with Teoh? How can you go back to sleep? Are you not bothered about Teoh?

Anuar: I disagree.

The witness also told the court that as the investigating officer, he did not telephone the police upon receiving news that Teoh’s body was found on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam about 2pm on July 16.

Anuar said he referred the matter to the head of the investigations unit, Hishamuddin Hashim, who instructed him to go to Putrajaya.

Gobind: My God! You all go throughout the whole country while there is a dead body there. What is wrong? Why did you all go to Putrajaya?

Anuar: To get clear instructions.

Gobind: Why only three hours later did the police arrive at the scene? Why did you not tell the police, he (Teoh) was in your custody?

Anuar: The witness had been released.

Gobind: Stop messing around! Don’t play games here! Why did you not lodge a police report immediately?

Anuar: The situation was chaotic at that time because a body had been spotted.

Gobind: Yes, you panicked. But you should not panic if no wrong had been done. Anuar, who had earlier told the inquest that he practised as a lawyer before joining MACC, said he did not not know the law on the
finding of a dead body.

“Forget the law," said Gobind. "As a decent human being, when you find a person dead, will you not call the family or the lawyer of this person?"

Anuar grinned and said he would do so if the dead person was his friend. He later admitted that he did not
lodge a police report as his boss had not instructed him to do so. He did so only the day after the body
was found, when Hishamuddin instructed him make the police report.

Gobind: If you were instructed not to make a report, you would not do so?

Anuar: "I would not make one."

Gobind: But what about the body in the meantime? Leave the dead body there for one week? Is this how the MACC operates?

Anuar: We need to receive instructions first, to know what to do.

Gobind: But why wait for one day? Is this reasonable?

Anuar: To me, it is not reasonable. I waited because I was waiting for instructions on the actual procedure.

Gobind: Did it not hit your conscience that your main witness is dead, and you go into your office
and do nothing?

Anuar: Yes, it did.

Gobind: “You were hiding something, right? This is why you did not lodge a police report so the entire crime scene would be tampered with, because you people killed Teoh Beng Hock!"

MACC counsel Datuk Abdul Razak Musa objected to the question but Gobind said it was a question the witness could choose to agree or disagree with.

The inquest continues.

Reference: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/11873-teoh-beng-hock-inquest-‘i-have-no-reason-lie’

THE TEOH BENG HOCK INQUEST: ‘I have no reason to lie’

MACC officer not sure if he punched out, not sure who was with Teoh at that time

Pearl Lee

Friday, August 28th, 2009 06:57:00

A MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer was accused of lying and covering things up during the Teoh Beng Hock death inquest hearing in Shah Alam yesterday.

Mohd Najeib Ahmad Walad, 29, the third MACC witness, said he was not sure if he punched out on July 16 when leaving the MACC office at Plaza Masalam around 2.30am, after smoking, eating and going to the men's room.

He said he left with two officers he identified only as Ridhuan and Hassan. Najeib said he last saw Teoh about
10pm on July 16, sitting on a sofa in the guest area with two officers.

"But I can't remember who they were as I was merely passing by," Najeib said to a question from counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for Teoh's family.

Gobind: What was Teoh doing?

Najeib: He was sitting, I guess, as I did not see him standing. I am not sure if he was lying down or sitting.

Gobind: Can you remember now what he was doing?

Najeib: He was sitting.

Gobind:This is a court. Don't play around! What was his position?

Najeib: He was sitting.

Gobind: Who was there with him?

Najeib: I'm not sure.

Gobind: Did you punch out when you left?

Najeib:I am not sure how I left.

This is because besides punching out' we can also use the intercom to leave.

Gobind: How did you leave then?

Najeib: I'm not sure.

Asked by Gobind to describe the condition at MACC at night, Najeib said it was peaceful.

Gobind: There was no shouting and yelling at each other? Did you see anyone quarrelling when you went to the toilet?

Najeib: I did not hear anything.

Gobind: You were there (in the toilet), and if there was anyone quarrelling, you would know right?

Najeib: If there was I would run. His answer drew laughter from the public gallery.

Gobind asked Najieb if he had run that night, and the witness said no.

On Tuesday, MAAC deputy superintendent Mohd Anuar Ismail told the inquest thay he was told by an officer called Bulkini that he (Bulkini) had seen Teoh quarrelling with DAP Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah at 2am on July 16.

Gobind: How did you know you left the office at 2.30am?

Najeib: I merely estimated the time.

Gobind: How did you make that estimation?

Najeib: Because my friends suggested we leave about 2.15am.

Najeib said that there was a clock at the punch card machine that showed 2.30am and he may have seen the time there.

The lawyer lost his cool and suggested that Najeib was lying his way through the proceeding.

"You are lying, Ini semua satu penipuan (This is all a lie). All the answers are either tak pasti (not sure) when he says it's ‘pasti' (sure), he can't answer the question. You are covering up. That night Teoh Beng Hock was whacked and that is why all your testimony is inconsistent," Gobind said..

"No!" Najeib replied.

Questioned by government appointed lawyer Tan Hock Chuan, Najeib said he was part of a team that had gone to the Selangor State Secretariat building on the afternoon of July 15 to get documents on State allocations for the Seri Kembangan constituency.

The team was led by Mohd Anuar Ismail, the investigating officer in Teoh's case.

He said after checks were done on Teoh's laptop and desktop, he had found four invoices in the laptop and four letters on donations from the Seri Kembangan constituency.

"Teoh later insisted he wanted the laptop and the CPU (central processing unit) to be with him and he also insisted (after being told to go to the MACC building) that he wanted to drive there himself."

Najeib, who had followed Teoh in his car, said Teoh appeared restless as he drove to Plaza Masalam.

He also said that Anuar instructed him to print copies of the documents. Najeib said he had to ask Teoh for the passwords to access the laptop and desktop.

He also said that he did not jot down the password for the laptop but remembered the password for Teoh's desktop, which was ‘SUK 2009'.

Gobind: Because you did not jot down the password, you can't verify that the documents came from the laptop, can you?

Najeib: No.

The witness also said that he did not know whether MACC officers used force on suspects that were called in.
Asked by MACC lawyer Datuk Abdul Razak Musa whether he had reason to lie, Najeib answered:"No."

Razak: On the night of July 16, did you see anyone being interrogated loudly, the way Gobind questioned
you?

Najeib: No.

Reference: http://www.mysinchew.com/node/28635

MACC officer admits top officials gave orders

2009-08-25 18:46

SHAH ALAM: Anti-graft investigator Mohd Anuar Ismail told the coroner’s court Tuesday that top Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials had ordered him to step up investigations into allegations that Selangor assemblymen misused public funds.

He named the senior officials as Selangor MACC deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim and investigations unit chief Hairul Ilham Hamzah.

One of them was named in a mystery letter alleging political collusion in investigating the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

Mohd Anuar, 32, is the 16th witness in the inquest into political aide Teoh Beng Hock's death on July 16 at the MACC office in Plaza Masalam here.

Previously a lawyer, he had gone through six months of training at a police college in Kuala Kubu Baru before joining the MACC.

Teoh was earlier interrogated for nearly 10 hours before he was found dead the morning he was to register his marriage to his two-month pregnant fiancee.

The MACC investigator also admitted to Teoh family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo that it was unusual to question people into the wee hours of the morning.

He also told the court that he did not check if Teoh's lawyer M. Manoharan had turned up to be present during the interrogation. Gobind claimed Manoharan had waited an hour at the MACC office.

Gobind: Why did you need to question the witness at night?

Mohd Anuar: That's normal practice.

Gobind: Don't be silly. If I asked you to climb a tree, will you do it? I'm asking you why?

Mohd Anuar: To hasten the investigation.

Gobind: Why?

Mohd Anuar: [after hesitating] Because the issue had become sensitive.

Gobind: What issue?

Mohd Anuar: The issue on the allocation of state assemblymen. Because the newspapers were publishing it every day.

The MACC man's reply drew a snide remark from Gobind before he continued his heated interrogation of the witness.

Gobind: You were directed to bring them in and get confessions from them?

Mohd Anuar: No.

Gobind: Please! You're on oath here.

Mohd Anuar: [hesitates] Ya.

Gobind: Who directed you?

Mohd Anuar: There were two people.

Gobind: Who are they?

Mohd Anuar: The deputy director Tuan Hishamuddin Hashim and Tuan Hairul Ilham.

Gobind: Who is he?

Mohd Anuar: Head of investigations unit.

Gobind seemed satisfied that he succeeded in extracting some names from Mohd Anuar, but couldn't seem to stop from pointing out that the MACC investigator who had been asked to step up the investigations had been “sleeping all night”, causing the public gallery to erupt into chuckles -- even drawing a smile on the magistrate's face — and a faint protest from the witness.

MACC legal affairs director Datuk Abdul Razak Musa objected to Gobind's line of questioning and later called the inquest a “kangaroo court”.

Coroner magistrate Azmil Munthapa Abas asked Gobind to “soften” his manner of questioning the witness. (By Debra Chong/The Malaysian Insider)

Reference: http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=37342

IO ordered to pressure Beng Hock into spilling the beans

Tan Yi Liang

SHAH ALAM (Aug 25, 2009) : Senior Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers ordered an investigating officer to detain political aide Teoh Beng Hock and three other witnesses for questioning overnight to pressure them to spill the beans over alleged misappropriation of allocation for a state assemblyman, the inquest into Teoh's death was told today.

MACC investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail said this was done because the investigation into the case had to be "sped up" as the issue of the alleged misuse of public funds had become "sensitive" as it was all over the newspapers.

Under intense questioning from Teoh's family counsel Gobind Singh Deo, Anuar admitted he had held Teoh and three other witnesses over the night of July 15 as the Selangor MACC deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim and the head of investigations Hairul Ilham had directed him to extract information from the witnesses.

He said Teoh was questioned by two officers from 6pm until 3 to 3.45am the next day, and described the extended detention as "normal".

He said he was not aware that Teoh's lawyer M. Manoharan had been waiting to see Teoh for more than an hour, although he had agreed to allow the lawyer to be present during the questioning. He said he however had not checked if Manoharan was there, as Teoh was just a witness and had not been arrested.

Gobind Singh: "Isn't it oppressive for an individual to be interrogated late into the night?

"It may tire the witness," said Anuar, who admitted there were was no standard operating procedure for interrogating witnesses, except the procedures under the Anti-Corruption Act and several other laws.

Gobind Singh

On another matter raised by Gobind, Anuar admitted he did not make a police report immediately after seeing Teoh's body at the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam at 2pm on July 16 as he was directed by Hishamuddin to go to Putrajaya to seek instruction from MACC headquarters.

"There was panic upon seeing a body there. I informed Hishamuddin about the matter and sought further instruction," said Anuar.

This response shocked Gobind, who asked Anuar whether he cared about the fate of his "star witness".

Anuar replied that he would have made a report if he was "instructed to do so".

Gobind then suggested that Anuar was "actually hiding something". "That's why you were afraid to lodge a police report at that time, so that you could conceal the evidence at the scene because it was actually the MACC officers who killed Teoh," he said.

Anuar denied this, along with an allegation that the MACC routinely questioned witnesses at night to hide any evidence of torture as the surrounding offices were closed.

Mohd Anuar Ismail

Anuar said when he went to check on the recording of Teoh's statement at 2am by a junior MACC officer, Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim, Teoh appeared uncomfortable, as if he was holding something back.

"I suspected that something was amiss, but decided not to ask Teoh what was troubling him in front of the recording officer," said Anuar, who said he went back to sleep.

Gobind then accused Anuar of lying to the court when he testified yesterday that Teoh was not oppressed during the questioning, since he was sleeping.

When Gobind suggested that Anuar did not know whether Teoh was oppressed, Anuar nodded.

Under questioning by MACC counsel Datuk Abdul Razak Musa, Anuar said the MACC had seized boxes of documents from contractors linked to Teoh's boss executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah regarding the misappropriation, and testified that Teoh had seemed "nervous" when his laptop and desktop were seized at his office at the Selangor State Secretariat building. He said four pages of documents printed from the laptop were used in the questioning of Teoh.

The inquest continues tomorrow.

Teoh Beng Hock Mystery: Mystery Letter Exposed

2009-08-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have suspected Khir Toyo has something to do with this for quite
some time! This mystery letter has confirmed it all.

I was also wondering if the man who captured Elizabeth Wong private obscene
photo was actually hiding inside Khir Toyo's bungalow? Telco people could
easily check this out!!. It seems things are pointing to Khir Toyo - remember
the Balkis scandal which was exposed just after Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor.

Reference:

MalaysaToday: The shit has hit the fan

Politicsinmy Blog

We will cut and paste whatever from above here so that you will get an all-in-one info at one place here.

RE: BRIBERY, MISCONDUCT AND CORRUPTION OF A SENIOR OFFICER OF MACC SELANGOR

With due respect, we would like to refer to the above subject-matter.

Please be informed that we, officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), feel obliged to expose the misconduct and bribery of a senior officer of MACC, DEPUTY DIRECTOR (DD) MACC Selangor known as PKPj I HISHAMUDDIN BIN HASHIM, in connection with the case of TEOH BENG HOCK and another case involving the bungalow of DATO' SERI DR MOHAMAD KHIR BIN TOYO in Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor.

2. For the kind information of YBhg Tan Sri/Dato/Tuan/Puan, the DD was directly involved in the investigations on the fraud case of the Selangor State Government's funds allocation for YB Ean (ADUN Seri Kembangan). His involvement was not just on official orders, but he has also been given instructions to his subordinates to find, with any means possible, any evidence of wrongdoing by the Selangor State Government. He acted in this manner as he had made a conspiracy with Khir Toyo to topple the state government of Selangor. As a consequence of his greed, it had resulted in the death of TEOH BENG HOCK. There arise a few suspicious questions for us, officers of the MACC Malaysia, regarding how Teoh Beng Hock could have died. We suspect of the DD's involvement in the death of Teoh Beng Hock as based on the following allegations:

DD had ordered all MACC officers involved in the operation that he was not directly involved in the case. In fact, he was the one who gave all the orders in this operation and other operations of MACC Selangor. In fact, he was afraid to be involved directly because this could expose his conspiracy with Khir Toyo.

The chemists have discovered fingerprints and male DNA on the front side of both sides of Teoh Beng Hock's belt. Based on the knowledge of our officers of MACC Malaysia, DD has an individual style of interrogation techniques which include interrogating a suspect by holding the front of his belt, lifting him a few times while shaking him.

The process of collecting DNA from Selangor MACC officers was performed in 2 sessions. In the first session of collecting DNA, DD made every effort to evade from giving his DNA sample. The DD was said to have given his DNA sample in the second session, but suspicions arise because DD gave his DNA sample in the privacy of his own office while all other MACC officers including the MACC Director have given their DNA samples in a meeting room in the presence of many other individuals. Why did the DD give his DNA sample in a secretive manner? Was the DNA provided really his DNA? We, the officers of the MACC Malaysia, felt puzzled that there was no one else in the presence of the DD when he allegedly gave his DNA sample? We recommend that the DNA Test on the DD must be done again, witnessed by a group of people who can be trusted.

We have been informed that the DD had ordered his subordinates to erase/clean the fingerprints on the window that Teoh was believed to have fallen from. This proved so when the police could not find any signs of fingerprints, new or old, on the window. The question is, why did the DD order that to be done?

We suspect, based on information we have obtained, that the DD did not clock out with his punch-card when he left the office on 16th of July 2009, at 6:10 am. This is important because it can prove that the DD was the last person to see Teoh. The question is why he did not clock out with his punch-card as he is a person who always punches his card. For record, he is very diligent with his punch-card.

3. For the information of YBhg Tan Sir/Dato/Tuan/Puan, the DD in question is very influential in the enforcement of investigation operations around Selangor and the rest of Malaysia. In MACC Selangor, he is the most important person who decides whether a case should be prosecuted even if the power should rest in the hands of the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP). His decision is prompted by his personal interests and those of his co-conspirators. So, it is no surprise that he led the MACC Selangor Investigative Unit for decades, at least since the Selangor state government was under the helm of the Barisan Nasional government (Khir Toyo) until now. He was promoted ahead of schedule, from Grade 41 to Grade 54, within a period of 16 years without transfer to other positions or locations other than that of the MACC Selangor. Based on the terms of employment of MACC, any officer who has been promoted or who has worked for more than 5 years in a State should be transferred to a different location to avoid the officer being involved in local bribery. One of the reasons he was never transferred is because he was tasked to "take care of" the position of Dato' Seri Dr Khir Toyo in Selangor. As a result, Khir Toyo also "took care of" his position in Selangor as a reciprocal favour.

4. As a result of his position in MACC Selangor for these many years, he has been involved in various cases of bribery and misuse of power. Some of the incidents of bribery or misuse of power that we have investigated are as follows:

Closing the case of Khir Toyo connected to the approval of a road construction project, in Sekinchan measuring 20.5 km valued at RM 92.5 million to a contractor that was nearly blacklisted, Meram Holdings. According to the JKR's estimates, the road should have cost less than RM 50 million. The subcontractor that did the work on the project was Cabaran Wangsa, owned by Pua Kim An, the landlord of a house that had once been rented by Khir, while another company director, Ahmad Tarmizi Tajjeury is Khir crony that was also given 100 acres of land at a profit to him of at least RM 20 million.

Possess assets that exceed his emoluments such as:

He has been caught in close proximity with a subordinate officer, Investigator rank, named Nor Azlina bt Mustafa at the side of the Shah Alam Lake in early year 2009 by 2 police officers. He showed his identification card (MACC) and informed the police officers that he and the officer were in the course of an operation and they were released. These "intimacies" between him and the Investigator were repeated and are a common knowledge of many including his own wife. The only action taken by the Department was to transfer the officer involved to the MACC Headquarters in Putrajaya. This was ineffective because Azlina is still always with the DD at the Selangor office.

5. The objective of this letter is to uphold justice and prevent the further abuse of power especially in the MACC and throughout Malaysia. We in the MACC, are fed up to see his antics which have the blessings of the powers that be, like the sayings "beraja di mata, bersultan di hati". We in the MACC have lost all means to find departments/institutions/NGOs that can champion this issue so the appropriate action can be taken.

6. We, the officers of the MACC, would be touched and thankful that YBhg Dato'/tuan/puan could expose this issue to the people and the authorities so that an organisation/NGO can take the appropriate action, or an independent investigation, can be taken and raised to the Cabinet. This is very important because it involves the integrity of a serving officer of a department that upholds the laws involving human integrity. The DD is now making every effort to press his subordinates to find any faults involving ruling PKR with the hope that the PKR-led government will fall in Selangor and his secret will be safe. For your information, the DD is now very afraid whenever news about Dato' Seri Khir Toyo is released in the press and he would be very afraid if the case would expose his involvement.

7. We hope that any brave individuals or organizations can spread this information so that our actions can be brought to the attention of the responsible and trusted authorities and that justice can be done. We are unable to do it ourselves because he has "cable" with the higher authority.

8. Cooperation from YBhg Tan Sri/Dato'/tuan/puan is much appreciated and we hope that through your action, much more information can be brought to light involving individuals with no integrity. We hope that this will cleanse the MACC and its officers from further involvement in bribery and corruption.

Thank You.

"To serve for the beloved MACC/ Country"

We are by order of,

PEGAWAI-PEGAWAI SPRM MALAYSIA

KEGIATAN RASUAH, SALAHLAKU DAN PENYELEWENGAN PEGAWAI ATASAN SPRM SELANGOR

Kim Quek: A Royal Commission of Deception

2009-07-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

The following is a good commentary and observation by Kim Quek.

Notice the characters and the subjects:

a) Character of Police - slow in action and suppressing vital info
b) Character of MACC - secretive and trying to avoid responsibility
c) Teoh Beng Hock's Mobile Phone - remained 'invisible' until day 4
d) Room at 14th floor - Details remain undisclosed
e) CCTV records - was taken only on day 4

Article taken from: http://en.suarakeadilan.com/top-story-1/2009/07/12359

A Royal Commission of Deception

Friday, 24 July 2009

By Kim Quek

Prime Minister Najib Razak has finally announced the setting up of a
Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to assuage the nation’s anger
over the tragic death of Teoh Beng Hock in the hands of the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

But what a let down, and what a deception!

Instead of probing the death of Teoh, the Commission is asked to
look into the interrogation methods of the MACC.

The absurdity of this move is akin to a school boy caned to death in
a school, and the public inquiry is over the disciplinary procedure
of the school, not over how and why the boy met his death.

The injustice that befell Teoh Beng Hock – a clear victim of
political persecution – has infuriated the nation to boiling
point, and yet Najib thinks that an RCI looking into MACC’s
methodology would be sufficient to douse the anger and restore
confidence in his leadership.

What does he take Malaysians for? A bunch of dimwits?

Oh ya, I know what they will say, concurrent with this RCI is an
inquest where a magistrate would look into the cause of death. But
any one familiar with legal practice can tell you that comparing an
inquest to a RCI is like a child vs an adult.

An RCI is commissioned by the King, and it is usually made up of
senior members of society with distinguished records of competence
and integrity, and having wide power to summon for witnesses and
evidence, and reporting to the King; whereas an inquest is manned by
a junior legal officer whose source of evidence is limited to
feedings from the authorities (mainly police) with no power to call
for witnesses and other evidences, and forwarding the findings to
the attorney general.

Since an RCI is going to be set up in response to public demand to
uncover the truth pertaining to Teoh’s death, why create another
junior body to take away the principal task – finding out how and
why Teoh died – leaving RCI to do a side show?

Besides, without allowing RCI to probe into the death, how could it
fathom what has gone wrong with the operations of MACC’s? In fact
these two tasks are integral and inseparable.

Only when the full circumstances surrounding the death are
ascertained, can the defects of the system be defined and
recommendations made.

Umno’s intentional hide-and-seek

hideandseek1This is plain common sense, and I can’t imagine a man
of Najib’s intelligence cannot comprehend it. That leaves us with
no alternative but to conclude that the UMNO leadership is playing a
game of hide and seek with the public with respect to this tragedy.

Najib said “the government will do whatever that is necessary to
find the truth” and Inspector General Musa Hassan has repeatedly
warned the public not to speculate and hurl accusations but to trust
the police to carry out a “transparent and professional”
investigation, but what has transpired is contrary to these
assertions.

The police investigations in particular have been shockingly
questionable and unprofessional.

It should be plain from day 1 of the discovery of the body (July 16
) that Teoh died while under custody and he fell from the window of
the MACC’s 14 floor office.

That he was never released was verified by his personal articles
including his hand phone which were still being kept by MACC when
the body was found and the fact that he could not have walked off
the office on his own as implied by MACC as he did not have the
electronic card to open the door.

That he fell through the office window was evidenced from the 14th
floor window latch which was found next to Teoh’s body.

Questions Galore

Then why didn’t the police seal the office, seize all
relevant documents including notes of interrogation, dust for finger
prints particularly those at the window on the very first day (July
16), as death by foul means clearly could not be excluded.

Despite evidence of Teoh’s fall from the building while under
custody, why did Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar say that he
did not suspect foul play and classified the case as “sudden
death” – even before autopsy was performed? Didn’t this
presumption betray patronization of a fellow law-enforcing agency?

Why did the police forensics personnel visited the crime scene only
on Day 4 (July 19) to take evidence, removing articles such as
documents, CCTV records, window latch etc, knowing that vital clues
could have been erased, tampered with or removed in the intervening
3 days? Didn’t this reflect a lack of seriousness?

Why did the police deny repeatedly to assemblyman Ronnie Liu until
day 4 that it had Teoh’s hand phone, when in fact the phone has
been in its possession since day 1? What was the police secretly
keeping the phone for so many days for?

The body was discovered at 1:30 pm and Teoh’s boss assemblyman Ean
Yong Hian Wah arrived at the MACC office at 5 pm asking to see Teoh,
but the personnel therein including Selangor police chief Khalid Abu
Bakar did not entertain Ean Yong for more than an hour.

Why keep the news from Ean Yong for so long? Why wasn’t Teoh’s
family informed in the first instant? Was this long duration of
silence a needed interval to complete certain preparatory work
before the bad news was announced to the world? Shouldn’t such
improper conduct give rise to suspicious imputations?

The autopsy was completed on day 2 (July 17), why is the police
still keeping the findings under lid?

As for MACC, questions galore that suggest criminal liability over
Teoh’s death in the backdrop of a political conspiracy to sabotage
the Selangor Pakatan state government with corruption prosecutions.
Examples of these are:

1. Why did director of investigations Shukri Abdul lie that Teoh was
released at 3:45 am and that he had no idea how Teoh’s body landed
on the fifth floor balcony, when in fact Teoh was never released and
he fell off a window in the office? Was there a necessity to lie if
there was no criminal liability on the part of MACC?

2. Why was Teoh tortured in a marathon interrogation that stretched
into the early hours of morning when he was not a criminal suspect
but only a witness assisting in an investigation over a hearsay
allegation of misappropriation of a paltry RM 2,400 by his boss Ean
Yong?

Ean Yong was among a group of seven Pakatan assemblymen selected for
investigation for unspecified suspicion of miss-using their annual
allocations of half a million ringgit each. In contrast, Pakatan
complaints against BN assemblymen for having dubiously spent their
entire annual allocations within the short period of two months
shortly before the last election in Mar 8, 08 have been met with
silence for more than a year.

3. Why have Pakatan leaders been systematically hounded over dubious
petty allegations while MACC routinely playing deaf and dumb over
multi-million and even multi-billion scandals of corruption and
abuse of power by Barisan Nasional leaders?

Why keep silent over the RM 12.5 billion PKFZ scandal despite having
received numerous reports of complaints from Pakatan since 2004?

Why took no notice over the recently exposed mansion of former
Selangor Menteri Besar Khir Toyo reputedly worth RM 24 million which
was well beyond his accumulated official income?

Why took no action on Khir for the numerous reports of corruption
and abuse of power uncovered by the Pakatan state government since
the last election?

It is as clear as day light that MACC exists not to wipe out
corruption, but to wipe out Pakatan Rakyat – not only in Selangor
but all over the country.

It is in the realization of this despicable role played by MACC,
that the tragic death of an upright and dedicated young man – who
was due to get married on the day his life was so cruelly snuffed
out – has caused the tolerance of the nation to touch its breaking
point.

Let us resolve that the fascist power be not tolerated henceforth.
Let us all stand up for justice for Teoh Beng Hock.

.

[Kim Quek aka Yong Thye Chong is a well-respected political
commentator and author]

Teoh Beng Hock mystery notes

2009-07-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

The death of Teoh Beng Hock has become a mystery
waiting to be solved magically by power of the internet.

We are seeing very little information being slowly released
to the public which is suggesting as if a 'grand conspiracy'
is in progress.

a) The Police being too slow and unprofessional (Getting CCTV, Teoh's mobile phone and checking staircase)
b) MACC remained secretive (refuse office access and publishing details. Most loud PR was 3am discharge time!)
c) Official Sudden Death Plunge theory being mostly propagated (and some warning against speculation/opinion)
d) Death Details (Blurred/Small Photo) coverup (lacking details as if to hide something)
e) Broken Belt (unknown DNA?) and Stains (Rust or Blood) at staircase known for too late (weeks later)
f) No reason given for Teoh's torn trousers (No one suggesting it could be purposely being torn by someone)
g) The broken window latch analysis was missing (could be a planted evidence by somebody)
h) The Blue Marks on Teoh's stomach info was not highlighted or made into media headlines!
i) Teoh's missing wristwatch and marks on his palm.
j) Teoh's new shoes / soles condition (This is an MACC favourite torture technique - knock the soles of your feet)

Lets read a quote from Malaysia Mirror on 21st July 2009:

Well-placed sources and officials close to the MACC said Teoh was "manhandled and threatened" by investigators during a 10-hour interrogation as part of a political conspiracy to bring down opposition leaders, led by Anwar Ibrahim, and to implicate them for alleged misuse of funds.

"When he refused to do so, the officers dragged him to a window on the 14-story building and threatened to throw him out," the said the source who was not authorized to speak to media.

Out of many reports out there perhaps the biggest clue is
the MACC refusal to grant access to all rooms on the
15th floor!

[Latest Mystery Edit: 7th August 2009]

The Staircase Stain Clue?

As reported by MalaysiaKini on 7th August 2009, under the title
"TBH inquest: Blood on stairwell?"

“We were walking up the staircase to the 15th floor through the backdoor. When we reached the 15th floor, we found a two-feet long stain on the floor of the staircase,” a lawyer for the Teoh family Lim Lip Eng told reporters on Friday.

“We asked the director of Selangor MACC what was the stain but he didn’t know. The police investigating officer said he would inspect the substance.”

Lip Eng was part of the entourage of lawyers, court officials and police that accompanied coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas to Plaza Masalam, where the office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is.

The group was originally slated to visit just the 14th floor office and the 5th floor corridor where Beng Hock’s body had been found after a marathon interrogation by MACC officers.

But the lawyers also asked to see the 15th floor, where there were more interrogation rooms. Although they were not allowed to enter, they spotted similar looking stains on a wall in one of these.

Photo: Seriously Lacking in Details

For example, only one photo (Edit: Some days later, Kosmo published a closeup photo showing Teoh's torn pants but blurred) at the scene (with lacking details
of course!) was shown to the public. Why show only one photo
and why there was no close-up photo? It is simply because
they don't want to lead you to the 'ultimate information'!!!
Otherwise the police will state 95% instead of only 60% of
total investigation!

The following are some interesting findings/theories from
the net:

1. The picture didn't show any obvious pool of blood
and didn't specify reasons for such despite claiming
Teoh died because of the plunge.

2. Reports didn't mention which part of Teoh's body hit the
ground first.

3. Reports didn't say which parts suffered the most impact.
Reports should state the percentage of damage on all parts
of his body and details like which parts produced the most
blood vessels leakage.

4. There was no picture or description from which room and
which window Teoh was said to be falling from. The people was
just told it was from the 14th floor.

Ref: Merdeka Review

Malah, seandainya Teoh jatuh dari tingkap tingkat ke-14, bahagian pejabat tersebut perlu dikenalpasti. Sama ada tempat di mana Teoh jatuh itu merupakan ruang tamu, pantri, bilik soal siasat, bilik mesyuarat dan sebagainya, adalah petunjuk penting dalam siasatan.

5. If Teoh was merely a witness as said by MACC, then MACC
has already 'tortured' Teoh mentally and physically by detaining
him (and his mobile phone) up to 3am on that day.

(Note: United Nations Report classified depriving sleep as a kind
of popular interrogation torture)

Ref : United Nations, Economic and Social Council, Commission on
Human Rights (42d Session), P. Kooikmans (Special Rapporteur), Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, February 19, 1986, 28-29.

6. There was no report on what food or drinks that Teoh has
consumed on that day. CIA or KGB are well known to deprive
their victims of solid foods during interrogation or giving special
doses of interrrogation drugs systematically or hiddenly.

Refer: Essential Forensic Biology By Alan Gunn

7. There seems to be a systematic and massive mainstream
media propaganda against Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government
with Star newspaper printing a BIG cover headlines 'Shah Alam Raid'
on 16th July 2009.

Please note that Teoh was found dead on that same day, 16th July 2009 and Khir Toyo bungalow case issue was exposed about 2 weeks before that (7th July 2009)

See: MalaysiaKini Khir Toyo's Bungalow:

8. It was said that the building has security doors but until now
there is no report on whose card has been used to open the
door of the 14th floor or what has caused the door to be opened.
Besides this, there is also no report on what type of electronic
security door system that MACC is using.

9. The report didn't mention the physical journey and history of
Teoh's mobile phone. It also didn't state if Teoh did make any call
or contact after 3am. For a typical busy person like Teoh, it is natural
that he would have made some phone calls or checking SMS upon
release. The Telco providers can actually check whether his phone
was turned on/off or was sending/receiving SMS in the telco server log.
From this server log we can know when Teo has been released.

From : Merdeka Review

Dakwaan pihak SPRM bahawa Teoh Beng Hock telah dibebaskan pada jam 3.45pagi, 16 Julai, dan Teoh meminta untuk tidur di pejabat mencungkil keraguan, antaranya:-

Sekira-nya Teoh telah di- bebaskan, mengapa dompet, telefon bimbit dan dokumen penting yang lain masih berada di tangan SPRM?

Mengapa polis mengambil telefon bimbit Teoh dari pihak SPRM pada hari keesokan tragedi berlaku, dan bukannya pada hari kejadian berlaku?

Mayat Teoh ditemui pada jam 1.30 tengah hari, 16 Julai. Pegawai SPRM dikatakan telah mengenalpasti identiti Teoh pada ketika itu, namun mengapa polis gagal mengesahkannya, sehingga jam 5 petang?

10. MACC has been known to have prepared a written confessions
and then tortured their victim until he or she finally gave up and
signed the confessions. This is not a hearsay - we have friends with
proofs of such kind of torture.

11. There is a possibility that Teoh was punched/kicked somewhere
near the stomach and the genitals until he is lifeless. (This cause an
internal bleeding (haemorrhage) and sudden death - that's why no large pool of blood
can be seen around his body).

[Edit 31st July 2009 : He was beaten as the blue marks were found on
his stomach as reported in the press. ]

[Edit 7th August 2009: Media reported Mystery DNA on Teoh's belt. ]

The police can use DNA tracing on Teoh's clothes to identify those
who had made contact with him but so far we didn't get any info
on this.

Just for the record - the police didn't wear any special clothing
(like the Angkasawan thing) when they were around Teoh's dead body.
This is really bad for CSI.

Refer: Essential Forensic Biology By Alan Gunn

12. It might be true that he was already dead before being thrown
out of the window. Then the body position may have been adjusted
so that it is lying sideways in order to prevent zooming digital cameras
to detect some other important clues.

From what common sense can 'see' - Teoh's body may not have been thrown out
from the 14th floor and it seems he was already losing some blood (internally
or externally) before being put (but the too clever media reported as plunged)
on the 5th floor. By telling everyone Teoh fell from 14th floor it will hide
the possibility that he could have been killed somewhere on the 15th floor
and then was carried via backdoor staircase to the 5th floor.

Fake Evidence Possibility:
It is unfortunate that there is no focus on fake evidence possibility.. ie
someone could have purposely broke the window latch or handle and place it
near Teoh's body. Or those torn trousers could also be another fake evidence
trying to make it appears that it was caused by the latch. It could be that
Teoh was killed somewhere else (not at 14th floor) but it is really bad that
14th floor was exaggerated. There is a possibility that 15th floor could be
the culprit because MACC is very secretive on this floor.

The police should have sealed the MACC office (and stairways too) on 14th
and 15th floor from day one of the incident but this didn't seem to happen at all!

REFERENCE

In the Conclusion section of the book "Janus-faced justice - Political
Criminals in Imperial Japan" by Richard H. Mitchell, it was written:

... For beatings when they wished to leave no marks, interrogators used
rubber truncheons and small sandbags. Other techniques were blows to the
solar plexus or a hard kick to the genitals.... (page 171)

"A 1986 United Nations report on torture presents the following list of methods
of physical torture, which is not considered exhaustive: beating, burning,
extracting (teeth,nails, etc), suspending, suffocating, exposing to excessive
light or noise, denying sleep or food, assaulting sexually, administering drugs,
and electric shocks. " (page 173)

When Governments step up blogger arrests...

2008-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

It is a sign that your message has hit the target.
Not just any target - but the target where it hurts
the most. You message has made a tremendous
impact.

This is an important information revolution concept.

An analogy of this is the 'art' and 'strategy' in the game
of wrestling. You need to find the weakest part of your
opponent. Sometimes you need to pretend as being
too tired or nearly losing in order to fool your opponent....

ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION

In other words it is a blogger's tactical journey to achieve his
ultimate goals. A blogger purposely publishes certain articles
to lead his audience somewhere. Some could be plain explicit
while some could be too implicit but very effective and deadly.
In the end the audience is 'electronically' connected with
maximum 'data transfer' and minimum packet loss......

IT IS ALL ABOUT CONNECTION

It is an art of making a connection and shaping the information
to build or destroy something...... and this is all done using
a programmed flow or exposure of information. The intended
recipients will react to such information and this will spark
a chain of reactions.

THE CHAINS OF REACTION

This stage is very important because it is a movement
of information.

When something moves a lot of things can happen.
A movement of information will create a force and a momentum
that will change the society.

All great revolutions in this world begins with a messenger,
a message, and a guided movement of such message.

"If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've
got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot."
- Confucius

When a government arrests bloggers we know that the
government is already too weak. It is interesting to note
here that many governments were brought down after
such political arrests. It may happen sooner or later - but
the falling process has begun...........

Take that: Internet key to Obama victories and Beyond Blogging

2008-05-22T03:52:00.000-07:00

'Yes We Can'

You might have probably heard this 'magic phrase' many times
during the Obama campaign. It can bee seen that Obama is
using some crucial and important elements in his campaign:

1. A Belief that you can
2. Love to contribute and achieve the goals
3. Internet as the key transport mechanism
4. The spirit of togetherness

Love is probably the greatest thing in this life. Love can unite and energize people.

And when this love comes with Belief - the movement will be unstoppable....

Love and belief will bring people together irrespective of differences like race, skin color or status.

This is because love and belief will lead to support and sacrifice.

Look around and you will see a lot of things are moving in this (love and belief) direction.

Obama is receiving some 'magical' contributions nationwide - and some are very

imaginative that it will indirectly hit the intended target groups spontaneously........

For example, the 'Obama Girl' Youtube is a product of such elements.

Read the following two articles carefully - You will notice something:
- It is the Magical Power of Internet

a) Main site as a center for knowledge, activities, programs, mobilization and reference.
b) How blogs managed to engage (two way communication, as it happens event/issues)
c) Social Media to organise and network (expand) further.

Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412045.stm

Internet key to Obama victories

By Steve Schifferes
BBC News

From early on, Mr Obama adopted the internet to reach his supporters

With Barack Obama moving close to victory in the Democratic presidential primary campaign, the internet has proved one of the key tools to his success. And it may well give the Democrats a big advantage during the Presidential race itself .

The internet has been moving to the mainstream of political life in the US for some years.

But in this presidential cycle it has been particularly important for the Obama campaign, which was starting from scratch with few resources and little name recognition.

The internet favours the outsider, and gives them the ability to quickly mobilise supporters and money online.

And the more nimble use of the internet by the Obama campaign in its early stages helped him overcome the huge initial lead of Hillary Clinton in the presidential nominating race.

Ready to go

Mr Obama's internet strategy was at the heart of his plan to win the Democratic nomination, according to expert Phil Noble, who tracks trends in relation to the internet and politics.

When Senator Obama announced his campaign, his internet site was already fully developed and ready to go - with a set of tools which allowed supporters to meet and organise as well as contribute money.

According to Michael Turk, the e-campaign director for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign, the Democrats had learned the lessons of 2004 very well in an "arms race" between rival teams of developers.

John Kerry depended on online fundraising in the 2004 campaign

Mr Noble says he expects Mr Obama to raise $1 billion online during the 2008 campaign, 12 times as much as John Kerry raised through online fundraising in 2004.

And he says that two million Obama activists have already been mobilised to become volunteer workers for the campaign - a key advance in the "ground war" of getting out the vote.

And some key internet stunts - including the independently developed "Obama girl" mock ad on YouTube - helped increase Mr Obama's public profile early on.

Primary advantage

Both the fundraising and the mobilising potential of the internet proved key advantages for Mr Obama during the primary season.

Senator Clinton took more time to see the full potential of the internet

He was able to get more local volunteers on the ground in key states earlier than the Clinton campaign, which was especially important in smaller states and caucus states.

And his early success soon generated a wave of small-size campaign contributions that have continued to roll in.

This gave him a crucial advantage in campaign organisation and advertising over the Clinton campaign, which had raised a large sum of money, mainly from larger donors.

Funding shortages forced Mrs Clinton to dip into her own pockets, and limited the number of states she could campaign in.

New tools

One of the unique features of the Obama campaign has been its ability to embrace social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Mr McCain has invested less in internet tools despite being an early pioneer

Indeed Mr Obama's decision to run was influenced by the fact that a page created on MySpace by supporters not connected to any official campaign quickly signed up 160,000 supporters.

According Paul Zube and Rebecca Hayes of Michigan State University, Mr Obama is far more popular on Facebook - the social networking site most widely used by college students - than any other candidate.

And joining Mr Obama's Facebook site - unlike responding to an email message of support - is a public expression of support which can have a broader political impact.

As such, it may be a more powerful mobilising tool to gain new supporters than sending out emails or expecting activists to come to your website.

Youth vote

His use of social networking sites has helped Mr Obama to mobilise young people, a group which has traditionally been uninterested in politics, according to Professor Thomas Patterson of Harvard University.

"Since the start of this campaign in early 2007, I think what we've seen is a second source of energy for young voters and that's the Obama campaign. They were attracted to him in the first instance by his early opposition to the war in Iraq. At the same time, he happened to have the kind of personality, the kind of message that appealed to them," he says.

Mr Obama has consistently performed extremely strong among younger and highly educated voters, whose increased turnout could be critical to the general election.

Lessons of recent history

In some ways, Mr Obama has drawn the lessons of the failed Howard Dean campaign in the 2004 primaries.

Mr Dean was the first Democratic presidential candidate to use the internet - through his Blog for America - to mobilise his supporters.

But he failed to connect with the voting public in Iowa and crashed out of the race.

Mr Obama has therefore also drawn lessons from the very successful Republican internet campaign that helped re-elect President Bush in 2004

As Michael Turk, the Bush-Cheney e-campaign director in 2004 explained, the Republicans were able to mobilise their supporters through a combination of email lists and internet 'data mining'.

They identified potential Republican supporters in every precinct around the country, using technology which predicts voter preferences on the basis of commercial data on car ownership, magazine subscriptions, and the like.

And then they sent their campaign volunteers detailed instructions on who to visit, including local maps of the area and walking routes, and issues that each potential voter was likely to be most concerned about.

Mr Obama has been utilising similar data to target primary voters - where turnout is crucial - through both telephone banks of volunteers and personal contacts.

Looking forward

Mr Noble believes that the Democrats will continue to enjoy an enormous advantage over their opponents in the use of the internet for campaigning in this election cycle.

Ironically, the McCain campaign in 2000 - when he unsuccessfully challenged George Bush for the Republican presidential nomination - was an early example of using the internet to raise money online.

But according to Phil Noble, this time round, Republicans are far behind in resources and investment in internet tools, and that Mr McCain is having difficulty appealing to the traditional Republican base.

The most important advantage could be in fundraising.

If Mr Noble's predictions are right, then Mr Obama could have a massive lead in the money needed to carry his message to the American electorate.

Reference: http://www.businessweek.com/print/magazine/content/08_22/b4086044617865.htm

The Future of Tech May 22, 2008, 5:00PM EST

Beyond Blogs

Three years ago our cover story showcased the phenomenon. A lot has changed since then

by Stephen Baker and Heather Green

In the frantic news biz, where stories go stale overnight, one of our old articles is behaving very strangely. Year after year it continues to draw swarms of online readers, more than holding its own against up-to-date fare. Oddly, while technology races ahead, our story remains frozen in time. It describes a world in which YouTube (GOOG) has yet to emerge from the garage and Twittering, today's microblogging rage, is left to the birds.

The year was 2005, and the story was "Blogs Will Change Your Business." It marked our plunge into the world of bottom-up media, of news as a "conversation." Many people at the time—including a good number at this magazine and throughout the business world—considered blogs to be a publishing tool for trivia, banality, venom, and baseless attacks. This was all true, the article conceded.

But in the helter-skelter of the blogosphere, we wrote, something important was taking place: In the 10 minutes it took to set up a blogging account, anyone with an Internet connection could become a global publisher. Some could become stars and gain power. That was already happening. In this new world, any business that hoped to "control" information—and that included just about everybody—was in for a wild ride. This promised a seismic shock in our own media world. No mystery there. But it also posed challenges for businesses in practically every realm. Every e-mail or memo could be blogged. Every employee, no matter what rank, could become a voice for the company, either publicly or cloaked, some gaining more power than the entire public relations department. "Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out," we warned, adding: "Catch up...or catch you later."

Following our own advice, we ended the story by linking to our new blog, Blogspotting.net. The conversation continued on the blog, as it does to this day. Who cared that the magazine piece grew a bit musty? Canaries don't read the yellowing articles lining their cages.

SERIOUS GOOGLE JUICE

Turned out it wasn't quite that simple. The magazine article, archived on our Web site, kept attracting readers and blog links. A few professors worked it into their curricula, sending class after class of students to the story. With all this activity, the piece gained high-octane Google juice. Type in "blogs business" on the search engine, and our story comes up first among the results, as of this writing. Hundreds of thousands of people are still searching "blogs business" because they're eager to learn the latest news about an industry that's changing at warp speed. Their attention maintains our outdated relic at the top of the list. It's self-perpetuating: They want new, we give them old.

What to do? Update the old beast, naturally. Early this year, we put out questions on Blogspotting. What needed fixing? Responses streamed in. We called the old sources and contacted some new ones. We annotated the original article, bolstering the online version with dozens of notes and clarifications. That approach works for the Net, with its pop-up windows and limitless space. But for the more cramped confines of the paper magazine, we have to cut to the chase.

So here goes. Three years ago, we wrote a big story—but missed a bigger one. We focused on blogs as a new form of printing press, one that turned Gutenberg's economics on its head, making everyone a potential publisher. This captured our attention, not least because this publishing revolution was already starting to rattle the skyscrapers in our media-heavy, Manhattan neighborhood. But despite the importance of blogs, only a minority of us participates. Chances are, you don't. According to a recent study from Forrester Research (FORR), only a quarter of the U.S. adult online population even bothers to read a blog once a month.

But blogs, it turns out, are just one of the do-it-yourself tools to emerge on the Internet. Vast social networks such as Facebook and MySpace offer people new ways to meet and exchange information. Sites like LinkedIn help millions forge important work relationships and alliances. New applications pop up every week. While only a small slice of the population wants to blog, a far larger swath of humanity is eager to make friends and contacts, to exchange pictures and music, to share activities and ideas.

These social connectors are changing the dynamics of companies around the world. Millions of us are now hanging out on the Internet with customers, befriending rivals, clicking through pictures of our boss at a barbecue, or seeing what she read at the beach. It's as if the walls around our companies are vanishing and old org charts are lying on their sides.

This can be disturbing for top management, who are losing control, at least in the traditional sense. Workers can fritter away hours on YouTube. They can use social networks to pillory a colleague or leak secrets. That's the downside, and companies that don't adapt are sure to get lots of it.

But there's an upside to the loss of control. Ambitious workers use these tools to land new deals and to assemble global teams for collaborative projects. The potential for both better and worse is huge, and it's growing—and since 2005 the technologies involved extend far beyond blogs. So our first fix is to lose "blogs" from our headline. The revised title: "Social Media Will Change Your Business."

Even when researching a story like this, it's easy to fall into old patterns. Let's see, we thought as we started out: Which top executives are embracing social media? Sun Microsystems (JAVA) chief executive officer Jonathan I. Schwartz is a blogger. What's he up to? IBM (IBM) set up its own social network for employees, Beehive. It has 30,000 employees on it. We should definitely give them a call.

But hold on. If we're writing about new networks that extend beyond companies and break down their walls, and if these technologies are often beyond the control of executives, what are we doing calling the bosses? Like many others in business, we have developed top-down reflexes that are nearly Pavlovian. We have to deprogram ourselves.

So. How to get in touch with the grass roots? We try Twitter, the microblogging sensation. People use it to send tiny haiku-like messages (140 characters maximum) to everyone who chooses to receive their feeds. The two of us each has a few hundred people following our posts, either on the Twitter page, sites like Facebook, or (for a few fanatics) the cell phone. Who are these people? Well, they're just that, people. They're not organized by industry or rank. They're screen names, just like us (stevebaker and heatherlgreen). An estimated 1 million folks are on the Twitter service now. It's a small number, but it includes lots of influential voices, especially in tech. Some follow friends to learn what they had for breakfast or what they saw at the Vatican Museum. But they also may see what technologies their competitors are putting into alpha tests and get the buzz on new rounds of financing. Work and leisure, colleague and rival; they all blend on these networks.

THE 140-CHARACTER RESUME

We send out a few posts on Twitter (they're called "tweets") asking people how social media are changing their work. Scores of responses pour in. People learn what colleagues are up to, inside and outside the company. They see trends. They make contacts. They learn. Some even sell. A Dell (DELL) employee who goes by the Twitter name of Ggroovin tells us that Dell's service on Twitter has brought in half a million dollars of new orders in the past year. Some on Twitter sniff around for the next job. "The new résumé is 140 characters," tweets 23-year-old Amanda Mooney, who just landed a job in PR.

Still, we have to talk with a few corporate honchos. How are they dealing with this outbreak of communication tools? J.P. Rangaswami is a good person to start with. He runs technology at BT (BT), the British telecom giant, and is famous for an approach that blends inside and outside networks. We leave a message with the press department. A day passes. We wonder if we should try another number before it strikes us how silly we've been. We can go straight to the person! That's what social media lets you do. We leave a comment on Rangaswami's blog, ConfusedofCalcutta, and promptly get a reply. He's flying to San Francisco, but he leaves his Facebook and Twitter contacts, along with a cell phone number.

Hours later, Rangaswami describes the changes since the 2005 article. Then, he says, there were either traditional communications or weird stuff with funny names, like blogs and wikis. People at BT now embrace a full range of online tools, and they use them more and more, especially as young workers join the company. "The new people come infected with the new world," he says.

More than 16,000 BT employees work together on wikis, using the same technology as Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that lets anyone post or edit entries. But instead of teaming up to edit an online encyclopedia, employees gather on them to write software, map cell-phone base stations, launch branding campaigns.Nearly every new project hatches a wiki. This is especially valuable in a global economy, where engineers in Asia can pick up a project as Europeans go to bed. The new groups that evolve on these wikis raze traditional hierarchies: An intern can amend the work of a senior engineer. Meanwhile, some 10,500 employees at BT ( that Rangaswami knows of) are already on Facebook. BT is also offering an internal social network. But just like Facebook and Twitter, it won't work unless it attracts a crowd. Rangaswami can't force anyone to use it. It would be fruitless to try. To hear Rangaswami describe it, all his team can do is provide tools and watch.

There's a lot to look at. "We've spent years talking about the value of the water-cooler conversations," he says. "Now we have the ability to actually understand what these relationships are, how information and decision-making migrate. We see how people really work." Why does this matter? The company can spot teams that form organically, and then can place them on targeted projects. It can pinpoint the people who transmit ideas. These folks are golden. "A new class of supercommunicators has emerged," he says.

Good networkers have always had their ways to work around the direct reports and dotted lines diagrammed on company charts. They've created informal networks. Now, with social media, they have a fast-expanding set of tools to extend these relationships, and even to change their companies. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research detail an example from Best Buy (BBY) in their new book about social media, Groundswell. In 2006 two marketing managers at the company worked weekends to create an in-house social network, Blue Shirt Nation. Now it has grown to more than 20,000 participants, 85% of them sales associates. In a company with a 60% annual turnover rate, this group churns at only 8.5%, blogs Gary Koelling, one of the founders. And Blue Shirt Nation gets results. A promotional drive on the site helped persuade 40,000 employees to sign up for 401(k) retirement accounts. This bottom-up approach moves a whole lot faster than initiatives that wind through a corporate approval process. Drawbacks? The new order favors those who network, create buzz, and promote their brand. Managers have to make sure that quieter employees don't lose out.

The change is even more dramatic in media. In the world we envisioned in 2005, the old dogs of mainstream media (like us) would learn the new tricks of blogging and use them to extend our reach and clout. We figured we'd be surrounded by constellations of standalone bloggers, each with his or her own niche.

COMPETITION FROM THE MEGABLOGS

Steve Rubel was our example. The opening spread of our 2005 story featured a full-page photo of Rubel, PR executive and leading blog evangelist. He was stripping off a sweatshirt, Superman-style, in the vastness of Grand Central Terminal. Rubel's job was to help companies communicate in this new world. He extended his brand by blogging. It wasn't a bad gig. He remains a power in blogging, and his stature won him a job directing digital media at PR firm Edelman & Associates from an office with big windows overlooking Times Square.

Sitting there one recent morning, facing a widescreen Mac laptop, Rubel drops a bomb. He doesn't blog much anymore. He lets his popular Micropersuasion site sit fallow for days on end. That would have been sacrilege when we wrote our article. Back then he was posting a dozen times a day—even from bed.

What changed? Two big things, he says: technology and media. In 2005, a smart and hyperactive PR guy with a blog could actually be a leader in tech coverage. Rubel came up with scoops. Since then, megablogs with paid staffs, such as Michael Arrington's TechCrunch and Om Malik's GigaOm, have become titans. And sites like Techmeme and Digg aggregate the hottest news—much of it from the megablogs. These are New Media champions, and they come from outside Old Media ranks. Some of them, it could be argued, wield more power than large metro dailies, or even magazines. Go to the Technorati search engine and see how many blogs link to TechCrunch, the leading source for dealmaking in Silicon Valley. Links are only one measure of influence, but a vital one in the blogosphere. The number is 170,908. That's more than (gulp) BusinessWeek.com.

Fine. TechCrunch and the others get plenty of attention. But what's it worth? Valuation is a hot question in social media. Andrew Baron, the co-founder of Rocketboom, an early video blog, had some fun with it. A few weeks ago, he announced that he was auctioning his Twitter account, which had some 1,300 followers, on eBay (EBAY). Anyone who wanted an instant crowd with some influential followers could bid. (Of course, these followers might not stick around under a new regime. That was part of the risk calculation.) The bidding quickly rose above $500. As the auctioning continued, more people (including us) signed up to follow Baron's account so they could witness this drama in action. That increase in his crowd theoretically raised the value of his Twitter property. In the end, he called it off. As we write, his following has climbed to 2,309.

While we're talking money, let's revisit one of the boldest assertions in the old article. Could a blogging bubble burst? "That's easy," we wrote, answering our own question. "No." The logic was that blogging, a free form of publishing, was anything but a highly capitalized industry. Even blog technology companies such as Six Apart and Technorati were small fry, backed by just a sliver of the venture capital in Silicon Valley. How could an industry built largely on free labor and free software develop a bubble, much less burst? It can't.

But social media sure can. Since our story, major investors and corporations have focused on the profit potential of social sites. Like Baron's Twitter crowd writ large, they promise relationships, millions of them. Such media could be worth a fortune. Strike that: They'd better be. Over the past three years, tech and media companies have been opening up their checkbooks for these properties. Google gobbled up YouTube for $1.65 billion; NewsCorp (NWS) bought MySpace for $588 million; and Microsoft (MSFT) bought a pricey slice of Facebook that put a $15 billion valuation on the company. Venture firms, meanwhile, have been racing to fund socres of social media startups.

For many of them, the business plan remains blurry. Even giants like MySpace are struggling to figure out the financials. And there's no guarantee that Web masses will stay loyal for the long haul. If investors lose faith in these new ventures built on relationships, all hell could break loose. This could convulse Wall Street, deepen the recession, sink pension funds—you name it. But you know what? The next day, we'll be back on the blogs and social networks, checking up on each other, uploading our analyses, and sussing out opportunities in the storm.

Even if the bubble bursts—and we predict it will—the power of social media to transform our businesses and society will only grow.

Links

Two blogging giants, Jeff Jarvis and Arianna Huffington, give their takes on how Old Media is adjusting to the current state of the blogosphere

JEFF JARVIS, BUZZMACHINE
Three years ago, blogs were still a curiosity to a business audience—new enough to warrant a cover story, strange enough to require explaining. Now blogs and social media are not only better understood and accepted, but they are coming to be seen as a necessity in media and, more and more, in business.

Next, I think, BusinessWeek's readers will see that social media are changing their fundamental relationship with customers to be less about serving and more about collaborating. No, I don't mean that every product will be the product of a committee. But customers who want to talk will, and smart companies will not just listen but will engage them in decisions. This will have an impact not just on PR and image but on product design, marketing, sales, customer service—the whole company.

Three years from now, I predict BusinessWeek's cover won't be about blogs or tools but about companies as communities.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, HUFFINGTON POST
The growth of New Media journalism will be a hybrid combining the best aspects of traditional print newspapers with the best of what the Web brings to the table. We're getting a glimpse into this with the many changes afoot at Old Media places like the The New York Times, and from New Media players like, well, like the Huffington Post.

The online vs. print debate is totally obsolete. It's as musty as the old barroom argument about Ginger vs. Mary Ann. It's 2008, why not have a three-way? Traditional media have ADD: They are far too quick to drop a story. Online journalists, meanwhile, tend to have OCD—we chomp down on a story, refusing to move on until we've gotten down to the marrow.

The shifting dynamic between the forces of print and online reminds me of Sarah Connor and the T-101 in The Terminator. At first, the visitor from the future (digital) seemed intent on killing Sarah (print). But as the relationship progressed, the Terminator became Sarah and her son's one hope for salvation. Today, you can almost hear digital media (which for some reason has a thick Austrian accent) saying to print: "Come with me if you want to live!"

The Information that will change the society.

2008-04-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

It is not just any information. There must be something inside
that information that can really change the society.

The latest New Yorker article is interesting - it demonstrates how
"information can even shape the industry of the information itself!"

Now you see - information is a powerful weapon.

Again, it is not just the information - The information must have
some 'killer' substance. We will leave it to the reader to discover.

Hints on killer substance:

1) The ability to build interest (the power to attract) - current up-to-date and quality info
2) To serve relevant material (what people are most likely to be looking after)
3) To hit the target immediately with just few words (or powerful illustration)
4) Immediately identify the issues/subjects to the viewer (for quick absorption)
5) To trigger the human mind (break the barrier). and capture their heart (love).

Perhaps the last killer substance is the most important.
Human are known to do amazing things when they love something.
This is what we are after........

Consider this simple story with a powerful message:

The King and The Astrologer

Once upon a time, an astrologer went to a King’s Palace.
Accidentally, he saw one of the Palace’s woman, she looked tired
and sick............

He said to her: “You will die soon”

And that is what happened. She died few days after the date that the
astrologer appointed it. The King grieved on her death.

The King knew and heard about the astrologer. He decided to take
revenge on him, therefore, the King ordered two powerful and strong
men to hide themselves in the room. Whenever he signaled them, they
would attack the astrologer and carry him and throw him out of the
window to die. This way the King will be good and recover from
omen.

One day the King called on the astrologer, after he managed the plan
mentioned above and said to him: “You know the future of all the
people, and of course you know your future too, so tell me when you
will die?” The astrologer realized the critical situation, and the
king wanted nothing from him but to beat him down.

The astrologer looked at the ground for few minutes, then he lifted
his head and said with a voice full of confidence and accuracy: “I
will die three days before the King’s death.”

Therefore, the King had no chance to do anything except he allowed the
two strong men to leave the palace.

Finally, the astrologer lived a good life.

The following write-up by Leslie Lopez is a good example of
writing with substance:

Mahathir's last stand

Saturday, 12 April 2008

By Leslie Lopez, THE STRAITS TIMES

LAST month's stunning election results have once again thrust former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad into the country's political mainstream.

He has resumed his spirited campaign to oust his successor Abdullah Badawi, whom he accuses of being incompetent and chiefly responsible for the ruling Umno's poor showing in the elections. But there is a growing view that the government's defeat in five key states and the loss of its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament represented in fact the final verdict on the 22 years of Tun Dr Mahathir's rule. That rule was pockmarked with assaults against independent public institutions, rampant corruption, racial tensions and economic fiascos.

While there is widespread anger within Umno towards Datuk Seri Abdullah over the recent election results, party officials say that his main fault was that he attempted to restore confidence in the institutions Tun Dr Mahathir emasculated, but did not have the political will to push ahead with the much-needed overhaul.

Indeed, the political mudslinging and blame game stemming from last month's polls have reopened the debate on Tun Dr Mahathir's legacy. In response to his attacks on the government, politicians from both sides of the divide have lashed out at the former premier.

In recent days Umno leaders, including Datuk Seri Abdullah, have chided him for his alleged abuse of power when in office. Opposition leaders have also weighed in.

'The opposition doesn't need the unsolicited support of Dr Mahathir to ensure that the Barisan Nasional government is kept on its toes,' said Mr Karpal Singh, the chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP).

No stranger to controversy, Tun Dr Mahathir is insisting that he did nothing wrong. 'My conscience is clear. I have done what was my duty and I owe no one an apology,' he was quoted as saying in a letter to Mr Singh, made public this week.

For years, Malaysians have viewed Tun Dr Mahathir's autocratic political style through a soft-focus lens because he presided over a period of heady economic growth. For example, his crackdown on more than 100 government critics in October 1987 was defended as a necessity to prevent the country from descending into chaos. His assault on the judiciary was justified because large segments of the Malaysian public embraced his argument that judges were interfering in the business of government and were challenging decisions by his administration. Even his sacking of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 was often justified on the grounds that it reflected the realities of Malaysia's take-no-prisoners political culture:

Datuk Seri Anwar paid the price for challenging his boss. But those views are fast dissipating.

As Malaysia grapples with its worst political crisis in decades, Tun Dr Mahathir's legacy is coming under a not-so-forgiving spotlight. In fact, many analysts and politicians are now blaming the election debacle suffered by the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition on the overhang of the Mahathir years. Umno's sycophantic culture, the confidence deficit in the judiciary and security agencies, and widespread corruption are now viewed as elements framing his legacy.

Many Malaysian politicians believe that Datuk Seri Abdullah's position as Premier and party president is now untenable and the big question is whether he will be able to engineer a dignified political exit before Umno holds its own party polls some time in December. But his exit will not help rehabilitate Umno, and many party officials close to the Premier blame this on Tun Dr Mahathir. They say the party's decline began two decades ago after the High Court declared Umno illegal following a bitter leadership contest which almost unseated Tun Dr Mahathir.

He and his allies created a new party, but the democratic procedures that characterised Malaysia's oldest political organisation were removed. New rules made it virtually impossible to challenge the party leadership. That, say many Umno officials, sowed the seeds for the current disillusionment in the Malay community towards the party.

Tun Dr Mahathir's assault on the judiciary was the direct result of his problems in Umno. He led a campaign to sack the country's top jurist after the judge called for a full sitting of the country's highest court to hear an appeal by his political opponents.

They were seeking an order to overturn an earlier High Court decision declaring Umno illegal.

By removing the top judge and installing more compliant jurists, Tun Dr Mahathir removed potential political threats to his rule, lawyers and Umno officials say.

In all these battles, he won easily because he laid the ground rules and often moved the goal posts to get his way. But one fight that he has not been able to bring closure to is that with his former deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar.

The former premier's handling of Datuk Seri Anwar's sacking from Umno and the government in late 1998, and the subsequent imprisonment of Datuk Seri Anwar, ranks as one of his biggest political miscalculations. Even though Datuk Seri Anwar could not stand in last month's polls, he is widely credited with engineering the non-violent shift in the Malaysian mindset away from the divisive race-based politics that Tun Dr Mahathir promoted.

The public endorsement the opposition received can be viewed as a sharp rebuke to Tun Dr Mahathir.

Tun Dr Mahathir has challenged Datuk Seri Abdullah to carry out an international investigation into the alleged misdeeds of his years in office.

Some Umno leaders close to the Premier think that would not be a bad idea. They say it would provide a diversion from BN's political muddle and allow Datuk Seri Abdullah to proceed with rehabilitating his party and government.

The Mahathir years were Malaysia's most tumultuous. They will require careful examination to bring about the reforms Malaysia must undertake to move ahead.

Reference:

Internet is the future of news: The death and life of the American newspaper

You can see from that article that the young generations and the
'most politically engaged' are moving away from the main stream media.

"Taking its place, of course, is the Internet, which is about to pass
newspapers as a source of political news for American readers. For
young people, and for the most politically engaged, it has already
done so. As early as May, 2004, newspapers had become the least
preferred source for news among younger people. According to
“Abandoning the News,” published by the Carnegie Corporation,
thirty-nine per cent of respondents under the age of thirty-five told
researchers that they expected to use the Internet in the future for
news purposes; just eight per cent said that they would rely on a
newspaper. It is a point of ironic injustice, perhaps, that when a
reader surfs the Web in search of political news he frequently ends
up at a site that is merely aggregating journalistic work that
originated in a newspaper, but that fact is not likely to save any
newspaper jobs or increase papers’ stock valuation.

Among the most significant aspects of the transition from “dead
tree” newspapers to a world of digital information lies in the
nature of “news” itself. The American newspaper (and the nightly
newscast) is designed to appeal to a broad audience, with conflicting
values and opinions, by virtue of its commitment to the goal of
objectivity. Many newspapers, in their eagerness to demonstrate a
sense of balance and impartiality, do not allow reporters to voice
their opinions publicly, march in demonstrations, volunteer in
political campaigns, wear political buttons, or attach bumper
stickers to their cars."

Ignoring the Internet is stupid - Pak Lah says ignoring Internet is his biggest mistake

2008-03-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

“We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important," - Pak Lah

Internet is a 'corridor' of information and information can do many things.
This is the plain basics.

Is the internet a major factor?

YES - when the boiling point has been reached. When that happens
some of the water will overflow to the ground while some will
travel at high speed as a deadly invisible steam.

Information will change the society - how fast that will
happen will depend on your hard labour, your ingredient
and your transport mechanism.

NewsKini is an idea of that transport mechanism......

Internet is a killer app of this century - just look at how Google
has managed to topple Microsoft in just a very short time. And
Google is actually a transport mechanism too....

Source:
APac

Malaysian PM admits his “biggest mistake”

Wed, April 02 2008

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad BadawiIgnored by government-linked mainstream media, Malaysia’s opposition waged an aggressive online election campaign using blogs and news websites.

For example, 67-year-old opposition Democratic Action Party chairman Lim Kit Siang ran three blogs, which were meticulously updated with multiple posts every day. Like many other opposition leaders, he was able to reach out to young urban and educated people, many who were voting for the first time. Lim won a parliamentary seat in Ipoh Timor.

Last week Malaysia’s Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose position has been considerably weakened after his coalition’s drubbing at the polls, admitted that his ruling coalition made a blunder by underestimating the power of the Internet.

“We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important,” he said. The coalition suffered its worst results ever in March 8 polls that left five states and a third of parliamentary seats in opposition hands.

“We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber war,” Abdullah said in a speech to an investment conference. “It was a serious misjudgement. We thought that the newspapers, the print media and the television were supposed to be important, but the young people were looking at SMSes and blogs.”

His comments constitute a major about-face for the government, which had vilified bloggers, calling them liars and threatening them with detention without trial under draconian internal security laws.

Even as he spoke, his critics in the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), his power base, were moving to force him out of office. To make matters worse, Umno’s 3.2 million members have also received a poison-pen letter listing his faults. It is not known if he was aware of these moves when he was making his speech.

The poison-pen letter, which hopes to ignite hatred against Abdullah, talks about the manipulations of the government by his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin and his associates, the PM’s alleged willingness to appease Singapore and his inability to fight rising crime in the country.

But in his speech, Abdullah said that in line with reform promises after the humiliating election results, the government would “respond effectively” and move to empower young Malaysians. “It was painful . . . but it came at the right time, not too late,” he said. The PM admitted that it was also his inability to push through reforms that earned voters’ ire.

The government, he said, had been given one last chance to prove itself and is ready to change to address the people’s concerns. He promised to implement bold agendas to restore public and investor confidence.

The impact of young voters on the electoral results was particularly underscored in Selangor, which fell to the opposition. The state has about 143,000 new voters out of a total electorate of more than 1.5 million.

http://www.theedgedaily.com

26-03-2008: Pak Lah says ignoring Internet is his biggest mistake

by Kevin Tan

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said his “biggest mistake” in the recent general election was to ignore the political campaigns waged by the opposition on the Internet.

“We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber war. It was a serious misjudgement. We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important.

“We thought that the newspapers, the print media, the television were supposed to be important, but the young people were looking at SMS (short messaging service) and blogs,” he said at the Invest Malaysia 2008 Conference here yesterday.

Following the dismal election results for Barisan Nasional (BN), Abdullah said the government would “respond effectively”. “It was painful... but it came at the right time, not too late.”

In his keynote address, Abdullah also said the message from the general election was that he did not move fast enough in pushing forward the reforms he had promised to undertake.

“I thank the Malaysian people for this message. Point well made and point taken,” he said.

However, he also pointed out that the BN government was not constrained by dogmatism or rigidity and it was more than ready to listen to the people.

“Above all, it is a government that is ready to change and address the people’s concerns and grievances,” he said, adding that the government was now already in the rejuvenation process with the appointment of a new Cabinet last week.

Abdullah also said he intended to implement a “bold agenda” for addressing the concerns of the people as expressed through the ballot box.

Besides introducing a package to alleviate the burdens of the lower income group, he will drastically reduce crime, step up the fight against corruption, support reforms of the judiciary and ensure a fair number of places of worship for Malaysians of all religions.

“These are the major issues that resonated with the voters, regardless of ethnicity, background, gender or age,” he said.

Malaysia PM says 'big mistake' to ignore cyber-campaign

Mar 25, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysia's premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday his "biggest mistake" in disastrous elections was to ignore cyber-campaigning on the Internet which was seized by the opposition.

The powerful Barisan Nasional coalition suffered its worst-ever results in March 8 polls that left five states and a third of parliamentary seats in opposition hands.

The opposition, which was largely ignored by government-linked mainstream media, instead waged an enormously successful online campaign using blogs, news websites and SMS text messages.

"We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber-war," Abdullah said in in a speech to an investment conference.

"It was a serious misjudgement. We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important," he said.

"We thought that the newspapers, the print media, the television was supposed to be important, but the young people were looking at SMS and blogs."

The comments are a major about-face for the government, which had vilified bloggers, calling them liars and threatening them with detention without trial under draconian internal security laws.

In line with promises to reform after the humiliating election results, Abdullah said the government would "respond effectively" and move to empower young Malaysians.

"It was painful ... but it came at the right time, not too late," he said.

Malaysia's mainstream media are mostly part-owned by parties in the ruling coalition, and what was seen as biased coverage in the run-up to last month's vote alienated voters and boosted demand for alternative news sources.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index. It says mainstream media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down" opposition events.

Technology March 6, 2008, 10:16AM EST

Malaysian Ruling Party Lost in Cyberspace

As the nation votes on Mar. 8, analysts say the Barisan Nasional coalition is losing the political debate to scores of anti-government Web sites and blogs

by Lee Min Keong

As the nation goes to the polls on Mar. 8, analysts say Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is losing the political debate in cyberspace to the scores of anti-government Web sites and blogs campaigning against the BN.

Ironically, the incumbent coalition is poised to win the electoral battle on the back of strong support from rural, non-Internet savvy constituents.

While the opposition admits they are unlikely to deny BN a victory this election, they are optimistic the proliferation of anti-government sites and blogs, as well as the YouTube phenomenon, has created a chink in the armor of the political behemoth which has ruled Malaysia uninterrupted for the past 50 years.

Though the BN has vast financial and manpower resources compared to the opposition, the ruling coalition is less savvy and nimble when it comes to effectively utilizing information and communications technology (ICT) and the Internet to upstage its political foes.

While the main opposition party, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), has unleashed its e-election campaign, the dominant BN-component party Umno, has yet to do likewise.

Senior Umno politician and BN Backbenchers Club chairman Shahrir Abdul Samad confirmed the Malay-based Umno does not have an Internet strategy for the coming election. He told ZDNet Asia in a phone interview that while the Internet was a useful "window" for communication, the election candidates still needed to travel across Malaysia, speak at rallies, visit community centers and meet the constituents face-to- face. Member of Parliament for Malaysian city Johor Bahru, Shahrir is one of few Internet-savvy senior Umno leaders who blog.

Yip Wai Fong, advocacy officer at Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), said the ruling coalition has been "very complacent" with regard to using the Internet in the political arena. "The BN government has been quite slow in using the Internet," Yip said in a phone interview. "It has been too comfortable relying on the mainstream media over the decades."

She explained that BN's biggest constituency is the rural Malay heartland, where there is low Internet penetration and a non-IT savvy populace, and the pro-government mainstream media exerts greater influence compared to the Internet.

Yip said the BN, which comprises 14 political parties, has been slow to adapt their messages for the Internet, and to respond quickly to the barrage of allegations and criticisms from the host of pro-opposition news Web sites and blogs.

In contrast, the DAP appointed popular blogger Jeff Ooi to organize and head the party's e-campaign for the election. The party operates a Web site dedicated to provide election information and collaterals, including profiles of all its candidates, the party manifesto, YouTube-linked video clips and links to all the party's bloggers.

DAP candidates are also raising much-needed election funding through their individual Web sites, and complementing this effort with the use of (SMS) text messages to propagate its political views and messages to thousands of voters via the mobile platform.

The opposition's reliance on the Internet and communication systems is borne out of sheer necessity. Ooi, who is standing for a parliamentary seat in Penang, said: "DAP's e-election initiative is a platform to circumvent the media blackout on the opposition's messages imposed by the government-controlled mainstream media."
Internet paths way to information

Without access to the mass media, opposition parties were somewhat handicapped in past elections. The emergence of the Internet has now provided the opposition and anti-government groups an alternative platform to spread their political memorandum.

CIJ's Yip said the Internet has benefited the opposition much more than the ruling coalition. "Online news sites, blog sites, YouTube and citizen journalism have definitely cracked the BN government's monopoly on 'truth'," she said. CIJ, together with Writers' Alliance for Independence (WAMI), are monitoring elections coverage together with Charter2000-Aliran and a group of citizen volunteers.

"The government (BN) now has to respond to what its opponents say on the Internet. Previously, it could just ignore the opposition's allegations," she said. In today's connected world, however, the government they can no longer afford to do that, Yip said.

Steven Gan, editor-in-chief of Malaysiakini, said in a phone interview: "Previously, most Malaysians were dependent on the mainstream media for news. Now, with the Internet, they have many options for alternative, independent news. This allows them to make an informed choice in the elections." Malaysiakini is an independent online news provider, and its growing popularity is a cause of worry for the BN.

According to Malaysiakini CEO Premesh Chandran, the online news portal's paid subscriber base increased by 40 percent in the last three months.

"Last year, we had an average of 100,000 unique visitors accessing our news Web site. Since the beginning of the year, to date, the number of daily unique visitors has shot up to 150,000," Chandran told ZDNet Asia in a phone interview. He estimates Malaysiakini articles are read by about 500,000 people each month.
Reaching the young

Thanks also to the Internet, Malaysia's Generation Y voters are becoming more politically conscious and are expected to have a bigger say in the outcome of future elections.

"The mainstream newspapers don't provide fair coverage to the opposition during the election campaign," J. Yeo, who lectures at a local university, said in an interview. This has prompted Yeo, who is in her late 20s, to seek out information from the alternative online news sites such as Malaysiakini and political blogs.

Likewise, IT consultant Randy Tan who is in his twenties, admits he has lost faith in the local media's coverage of political issues. Tan told ZDNet Asia he now gets his news from Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today, Ooi's blog Screenshots and various political blogs.

Despite the BN's lack of Web presence, Umno's Shahrir said the Internet will have "minimal impact" on the outcome of the coming election.

"Elections are about votes, not [page] hits," he said, and argued that even in highly-connected countries such as Singapore, the Internet did not stop the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) from capturing a hefty majority.

CIJ's Yip said she considered the election a success if the opposition comes close to denying the BN its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority. In the 2004 polls, the BN won 90 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats contested.

Malaysiakini's Gan said as the country's Internet penetration rate grows, the Web and new technologies will play a major role in Malaysian politics.

About 10.9 million voters will cast their votes in Saturday's election.

Lee Min Keong is a freelance IT writer based in Malaysia.

Internet steers new way in M'sian election

By Lee Min Keong, ZDNet Asia

06/03/2008

URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62038595,00.htm

MALAYSIA--As the nation goes to the polls on Mar. 8, analysts say Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is losing the political debate in cyberspace to the scores of anti-government Web sites and blogs campaigning against the BN.

Ironically, the incumbent coalition is poised to win the electoral battle on the back of strong support from rural, non-Internet savvy constituents.

While the opposition admits they are unlikely to deny BN a victory this election, they are optimistic the proliferation of anti-government sites and blogs, as well as the YouTube phenomenon, has created a chink in the armor of the political behemoth which has ruled Malaysia uninterrupted for the past 50 years.

Though the BN has vast financial and manpower resources compared to the opposition, the ruling coalition is less savvy and nimble when it comes to effectively utilizing information and communications technology (ICT) and the Internet to upstage its political foes.

While the main opposition party, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), has unleashed its e-election campaign, the dominant BN-component party Umno, has yet to do likewise.

Senior Umno politician and BN Backbenchers Club chairman Shahrir Abdul Samad confirmed the Malay-based Umno does not have an Internet strategy for the coming election. He told ZDNet Asia in a phone interview that while the Internet was a useful "window" for communication, the election candidates still needed to travel across Malaysia, speak at rallies, visit community centers and meet the constituents face-to- face. Member of Parliament for Malaysian city Johor Bahru, Shahrir is one of few Internet-savvy senior Umno leaders who blog.

Yip Wai Fong, advocacy officer at Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), said the ruling coalition has been "very complacent" with regard to using the Internet in the political arena. "The BN government has been quite slow in using the Internet," Yip said in a phone interview. "It has been too comfortable relying on the mainstream media over the decades."

She explained that BN's biggest constituency is the rural Malay heartland, where there is low Internet penetration and a non-IT savvy populace, and the pro-government mainstream media exerts greater influence compared to the Internet.

Yip said the BN, which comprises 14 political parties, has been slow to adapt their messages for the Internet, and to respond quickly to the barrage of allegations and criticisms from the host of pro-opposition news Web sites and blogs.

In contrast, the DAP appointed popular blogger Jeff Ooi to organize and head the party's e-campaign for the election. The party operates a Web site dedicated to provide election information and collaterals, including profiles of all its candidates, the party manifesto, YouTube-linked video clips and links to all the party's bloggers.

DAP candidates are also raising much-needed election funding through their individual Web sites, and complementing this effort with the use of (SMS) text messages to propagate its political views and messages to thousands of voters via the mobile platform.

The opposition's reliance on the Internet and communication systems is borne out of sheer necessity. Ooi, who is standing for a parliamentary seat in Penang, said: "DAP's e-election initiative is a platform to circumvent the media blackout on the opposition's messages imposed by the government-controlled mainstream media."

Internet paths way to information
Without access to the mass media, opposition parties were somewhat handicapped in past elections. The emergence of the Internet has now provided the opposition and anti-government groups an alternative platform to spread their political memorandum.

CIJ's Yip said the Internet has benefited the opposition much more than the ruling coalition. "Online news sites, blog sites, YouTube and citizen journalism have definitely cracked the BN government's monopoly on 'truth'," she said. CIJ, together with Writers' Alliance for Independence (WAMI), are monitoring elections coverage together with Charter2000-Aliran and a group of citizen volunteers.

"The government (BN) now has to respond to what its opponents say on the Internet. Previously, it could just ignore the opposition's allegations," she said. In today's connected world, however, the government they can no longer afford to do that, Yip said.

Steven Gan, editor-in-chief of Malaysiakini, said in a phone interview: "Previously, most Malaysians were dependent on the mainstream media for news. Now, with the Internet, they have many options for alternative, independent news. This allows them to make an informed choice in the elections." Malaysiakini is an independent online news provider, and its growing popularity is a cause of worry for the BN.

According to Malaysiakini CEO Premesh Chandran, the online news portal's paid subscriber base increased by 40 percent in the last three months.

"Last year, we had an average of 100,000 unique visitors accessing our news Web site. Since the beginning of the year, to date, the number of daily unique visitors has shot up to 150,000," Chandran told ZDNet Asia in a phone interview. He estimates Malaysiakini articles are read by about 500,000 people each month.

Reaching the young
Thanks also to the Internet, Malaysia's Generation Y voters are becoming more politically conscious and are expected to have a bigger say in the outcome of future elections.

"The mainstream newspapers don't provide fair coverage to the opposition during the election campaign," J. Yeo, who lectures at a local university, said in an interview. This has prompted Yeo, who is in her late 20s, to seek out information from the alternative online news sites such as Malaysiakini and political blogs.

Likewise, IT consultant Randy Tan who is in his twenties, admits he has lost faith in the local media's coverage of political issues. Tan told ZDNet Asia he now gets his news from Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today, Ooi's blog Screenshots and various political blogs.

Despite the BN's lack of Web presence, Umno's Shahrir said the Internet will have "minimal impact" on the outcome of the coming election.

"Elections are about votes, not [page] hits," he said, and argued that even in highly-connected countries such as Singapore, the Internet did not stop the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) from capturing a hefty majority.

CIJ's Yip said she considered the election a success if the opposition comes close to denying the BN its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority. In the 2004 polls, the BN won 90 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats contested.

Malaysiakini's Gan said as the country's Internet penetration rate grows, the Web and new technologies will play a major role in Malaysian politics.

About 10.9 million voters will cast their votes in Saturday's election.

Lee Min Keong is a freelance IT writer based in Malaysia.

Techies sidestep Malaysian govt

By Lee Min Keong, ZDNet Asia

15/11/2007

URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62034449,00.htm

MALAYSIA--As police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of activists Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysians had to turn to the Internet in search of news reports and updates.

On Nov. 10, some reported 30,000 people staged a rally in the country's capital, calling for electoral reforms to ensure a free and fair general election which is expected early-2008. Organized by Bersih (which means "clean" in Malay), the rally involved a coalition of some 70 non-governmental organizations and opposition parties.
The Malaysian government was "caught with its pants down" in its attempt to impose a media blackout.
-- Jeff Ooi
Blogger-cum-politician

Mainstream print and broadcast media were advised to play down the incident, and most took heed.

Undeterred by the government-imposed media blackout, many turned instead to alternative new media--encompassing an array of online news sites, blogs and YouTube videos--to get updates on the country's biggest anti-government street protest in a decade. This move parallels recent events in Pakistan, where students turned to the Internet to bypass media blackout and galvanize the community during the Nov. 7 protest rally against President Pervez Musharraf.

In Malaysia, local online news site Malaysiakini, reported a massive spike in page views over the weekend, so much so that it had to put up a stripped-down version of its front page to ease network congestion.

Malaysiakini's editor-in-chief Steven Gan, told ZDNet Asia the Web site registered about 1 million unique visitors on Saturday, a 10-fold increase over average daily numbers. Gan said rally video clips streamed on the site were viewed by over 50,000 visitors over the past few days.

To further ease network bottlenecks due to the heavy demand, he added that Malaysiakini uploaded on Saturday its Bersih rally videos on YouTube, which is better able to provide much greater bandwidth capacity.

Gan's news site was not the only one to do so. A search on YouTube yielded at least 100 Bersih rally-related video clips, with the most popular registering 120,000 views to date.

Uploaded soon after the rally was staged, the clips ranged from videos filmed with the protestors' camera-enabled mobile phones, to news broadcasts run by CNN and Arabic news and satellite TV channel, Al Jazeera.

An array of blogs also gave extensive coverage, complete with on-the-scene citizen journalist reports, analyses, photographs, and links to rally video clips.

Popular local blogger Jeff Ooi recorded a five-fold increase in page views on his site Screenshots , last weekend.

In a phone interview with ZDNet Asia, Ooi said: "Screenshots recorded a spike of 24,600 page views and 21,000 unique visitors on Saturday alone. This is unprecedented for weekend traffic, which usually hovers around 5,000 page views a day."

Even theCICAK (which means "lizard" in Malay), an online socio-political youth magazine run mainly by Malaysian students from foreign and local universities, seemed to have covered the rally more comprehensively than the local mainstream media. Founded in 2005, theCICAK hopes to develop a generation of "thinking" Malaysian youth, states its Web site.

Plugging the independent hole
Ooi noted that alternative media platforms are filling the void of independent news coverage created by the abdication of local mainstream media in the country.

The Malaysian government, he said, was "caught with its pants down" in its attempt to impose a media blackout when activists and the opposition party were able to divert their campaign to the Internet, satellite TV channels, blogs, YouTube, and cell phones and text messages.

Local media reports quoted police as saying only 4,000 people turned up for the rally, while international wire services and Malaysia's local alternative media estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 people participated in the march. Thousands more were reportedly locked out of Kuala Lumpur, due to massive traffic jams as police set up roadblocks on the main arteries leading into the capital.

A senior editor of a local daily newspaper, who spoke to ZDNet Asia on the condition of anonymity, confirmed a media blackout was imposed and that the Malaysian government had instructed the local media to downplay coverage of the rally.

Activists also alleged that government operatives or its supporters conducted a campaign to sabotage the Bersih rally. Several pro-Bersih Web sites and blogs were hacked, while the SMS (short messaging system) tool of a key opposition party was commandeered to send out messages claiming the Nov. 10 rally was postponed.

The Bersih secretariat confirmed its Web site was hacked twice last week in the run-up to the rally. "On both occasions, the hacker inserted messages saying Saturday's rally had been postponed," said secretariat member Liew Chin Tong, in a phone interview.

He revealed the coalition has "learnt its lesson" and since moved its site to a more secured server. Liew also noted that the use of various technologies such as the Internet and YouTube, helped alleviate the impact of the local media blackout.

The opposition Peoples' Justice Party (PKR) claimed its SMS news system was hacked in the run-up to the rally. PKR information chief Tian Chua said in his blog that "someone infiltrated our [SMS news] system" and sent out a text message, purportedly from the king himself, saying the rally was canceled.

According to Malaysiakini's Gan, the government is uneasy about its inability to control the new media. He noted that ministers were unable to come to terms with the regular use of technology by opposition parties, activists, bloggers, NGOs (non-government organizations) and other groups.

"[The Malaysian government is] not able to deal with it. Technology is not going away, [society] is getting more open," he added.

Gan conceded, however, that the Internet is unlikely to have a major impact on the outcome of the upcoming general election. "But, the Internet and technology will play an increasingly important role in bringing about true democracy in Malaysia... In about 10 years' time, the full impact may be felt," he said.

Lee Min Keong is a freelance IT writer based in Malaysia.

NewsKini Goals, Strategy and Objectives

2008-03-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

Newskini is designed to be the next generation Search Engine
ahead of its time. As such, it explores into sophisticated
algorithm unimaginable by others.

In general NewsKini consists of news, blogs and youtubes with
emphasis on Malaysia Socio Political issues and Latest Tech
news/innovation.

The reason is obvious:

1) Tech is a tool or weapon.

2) News/Stories/Blogs Contents are the ammunition

We need to teach/inform the masses the latest tech tools
to grab, manage and disseminate 'relevant' and 'quality'
information.

"And whenever you learn things, teach them to other people.
The more you and others understand the technology that runs the
Internet, the more you'll be able to control it better
than your government." (JM - cikgu virtual aku)

Search Engines such as Google is great but it is too general.
However Google has started to focus in specialise areas
because this thing is a killer.

Google News is an example of the next step taken by Google
to pull and auto-assemble those similiar contents together
into one section called 'Google News'.

Maybe Google is some kind of following NewsKini trend .....
and Yahoo too.

Our next innovation is context analysis. With such
our search engine can now analyse and rank contents quality
based on relevance to the current issues (News) or
Trends (Tech). This will definitely beat Yahoo and Google
combined together..... but we should expect these two
web giants to follow suite our idea.

News Reporting study : Abdullah's Reign at Risk as Malaysian Islamists Stress Poverty

2008-03-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

News Reporting study

The following is an example of a good concise reporting.

As expected - such reporting contains some common charasteristics:

Quotes from the ground (BN/BA/Academics/Layman)

Factual Figures/Numbers/Percentage

The Issues/Subject

Our Newskini system should be such that it can be trained to learn
from such reporting.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aNrhO6aKZ5mw&refer=asia

Abdullah's Reign at Risk as Malaysian Islamists Stress Poverty

By Soraya Permatasari and En-Lai Yeoh

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- In the northeastern Malaysian state he oversees, Nik Aziz Nik Mat banned nightclubs and pool halls on the grounds they violate Islamic law.

Now that his party is contesting national elections, he promises a different fight: against poverty and corruption.

Nik Aziz, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party's spiritual leader and chief minister of Kelantan state, and other party leaders are avoiding religious rhetoric as they campaign for national and state elections March 8. PAS, as the party is known, may be the biggest threat to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's governing coalition.

``PAS has no choice but to tone down its Islamic hard-line stance,'' said Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, a political analyst at Universiti Malaya. ``They realize they have to show the public, quite seriously, that they are accepting the importance of pluralism in the country.''

Abdullah's multiparty, multi-ethnic National Front coalition already faces declining support from Chinese and Indian minorities upset by the country's legalized pro-Malay preference system.

Should he also lose too much support from ethnic Malays, Abdullah's United Malays National Organisation party might dump him, even though the coalition is unlikely to lose power.

``Abdullah will not be seen as a credible leader'' if Malay support drops off substantially, said Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, international studies dean at Universiti Utara Malaysia.

Majority

The National Front won more than 90 percent of the parliament's 219 seats in 2004 and has had a two-thirds majority for more than 30 years. The ruling coalition also won 453 of 505 state seats contested in the elections.

PAS won six parliamentary seats and took 36 state seats in 2004, most of them in Kelantan, the only Malaysian state ruled by the opposition. A strong PAS showing would increase pressure on the national government to do more for Malaysia's poor.

Approval for Abdullah, 68, among Malays fell to 76 percent in December, from 84 percent in October, according to a survey by the Merdeka Center, an independent Malaysian research group.

Awang Adek, who as UMNO nominee for Kelantan chief minister is seeking to oust Nik Aziz, said Abdullah isn't threatened.

``The momentum is on our side,'' he said.

PAS has two new advantages in this campaign. Nik Aziz, 77, has allied with former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, a well-known moderate Islamist who spent the last election in prison. And Abdullah's predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, is serving the interests of PAS, even though he opposes it, by calling for UMNO to replace the prime minister.

Kelantan

Malaysia's constitution defines all Malays as Muslims. PAS's biggest base of support is in Kelantan, where about 90 percent of the state's 1.5 million people are Malays, compared with 60 percent of the country's total population of 27 million.

PAS is trying to redefine itself after years of advocating strict adherence to Islamic law. The party is running its first non-Muslim candidate, a Hindu woman, for a seat in the southern state of Johor. It also has dropped a ban on pop concerts in Kelantan it introduced in 1991.

``There is no more talk like before of PAS being like the Taliban,'' Nik Aziz told reporters in Kelantan's capital, Kota Bharu, on March 4.

Anwar, 60, has played a key role in moderating PAS's stance and rallying opposition to the government.

``Anwar has managed to narrow the gap between non-Muslims and staunch PAS supporters with his moderate, multiracial approach,'' said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Center, an independent Malaysian research group.

Denied Allegations

Finance minister under Mahathir until he was fired in 1998, Anwar was later found guilty of having homosexual relations and of trying to cover up that alleged crime -- allegations he denied. The sex charge was overturned in 2004.

To increase the opposition's chances, Anwar's People's Justice Party, PAS and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party have agreed not to compete with each other in voting districts in mainland Malaysia.

The party, running on the slogan ``PAS For All,'' has dropped a previous goal of turning Malaysia into an Islamic state. Its manifesto promises free education, health services, low-cost housing, cheaper fuel and a minimum wage.

That message especially resonates in Kelantan. The state is Malaysia's third-poorest. The poverty rate was 11 percent in 2004, compared with 5.7 percent for the whole country that year.

PAS has gotten assistance in making its case from Mahathir, Abdullah's predecessor, who argues that corruption is increasing and calls for UMNO to replace the prime minister with Deputy Premier Najib Razak. Malaysia slipped to 43rd in Berlin-based Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index from 39th in 2004, when Abdullah won his landslide.

Abdullah counters that corruption prosecutions doubled to 1,317 in 2006 from 663 cases in 2001.

Corruption is a concern for retired civil servant Ahmad Othman, who runs a small palm oil farm in Kelantan. Folding his prayer mat after a two-hour weekly sermon by Nik Aziz, Ahmad said he'll switch to PAS from UMNO at this election.

``Not once have I seen corruption in Kelantan,'' he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Soraya Permatasari in at at soraya@bloomberg.net; En-Lai Yeoh in Kota Baru, Kelnantan at eyeoh1@bloomberg.net

Quality Articles - Articles that made an impact

2008-02-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Using Computer Algorithm to calculate relevance

In this example we cut and paste some writings from Michael
Backman and analyse it:

There are several keys to high quality articles that
can made an impact.

A computer program should parse the articles and learn the
characteristics.

1. Subjects of Discussion (Names/Nouns in Caps eg Proton, Mahathir, Anwar, Daim, Petronas, Razaleigh, Fairuz, Rafidah, KLCC etc)

2. Comparison sentences (eg Australia VS Malaysia)

3. Powerful sentences/words (eg yet, probably, obsession, disgrace, instead)

4. Popular word buzz nouns (Khairy, monkeys, boleh, bodoh, protest, judiciary, demonstration, police, fraud, corruption, video clip, arrest)

5. Figures/Numbers (eg 40,000, million, years, percent, time that happen or will happen, has happened aka ago)

6. Measure of Subject (eg Powerful, Tallest, Most)

7. Quotes (eg Section 15 of... )

8. Repercussion of action (eg fine, jail, arrest)

9. Sentences with questions (ie ?)

10. Paragraphs should not be too long and each has points/target.

11. The Chains of events/actions

12. The Reaction/response of subjects

Ref: http://www.michaelbackman.com/M7.html

Truth and justice are no longer Malaysian way

By Michael Backman
The Age
November 21, 2007

THE Government of Australia will probably change hands this weekend.
There will be no arrests, no tear gas and
no water cannons. The Government of John Howard will leave office,
the Opposition will form a government and
everyone will accept the verdict.

For this, every Australian can feel justifiably proud. This playing
by the rules is what has made Australia rich and a
good place in which to invest. It is a country to which people want
to migrate; not leave.

Now consider Malaysia. The weekend before last, up to 40,000
Malaysians took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur to
protest peacefully against the judiciary's lack of independence,
electoral fraud, corruption and a controlled media.

In response, they were threatened by the Prime Minister, called
monkeys by his powerful son-in-law, and blasted
with water cannons and tear gas. And yet the vast majority of
Malaysians do not want a change of government. All
they want is for their government to govern better.

Both Malaysia and Australia have a rule of law that's based on the
English system. Both started out as colonies of
Britain. So why is Malaysia getting it so wrong now?

Malaysia's Government hates feedback. Dissent is regarded as
dangerous, rather than a product of diversity. And
like the wicked witch so ugly that she can't stand mirrors, the
Government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi
controls the media so that it doesn't have to see its own
reflection.

Demonstrations are typically banned. But what every Malaysian should
know is that in Britain, Australia and other
modern countries, when people wish to demonstrate, the police
typically clear the way and make sure no one gets
hurt. The streets belong to the people. And the police, like the
politicians, are their servants. It is not the other way
around.

But increasingly in Malaysia, Malaysians are being denied a voice
— especially young people.

Section 15 of Malaysia's Universities and University Colleges Act
states that no student shall be a member of or in
any manner associate with any society, political party, trade union
or any other organisation, body or group of
people whatsoever, be it in or outside Malaysia, unless it is
approved in advance and in writing by the vice-
chancellor.

Nor can any student express or do anything that may be construed as
expressing support, sympathy or opposition
to any political party or union. Breaking this law can lead to a
fine, a jail term or both.

The judiciary as a source of independent viewpoints has been
squashed. The previous prime minister, Mahathir
Mohamad, did many good things for Malaysia, but his firing of the
Lord President (chief justice) and two other
Supreme Court judges in 1988 was an unmitigated disaster. Since
then, what passes for a judiciary in Malaysia has
been an utter disgrace and the Government knows it.

Several years ago, Daim Zainuddin, the country's then powerful
finance minister, told me that judges in Malaysia
were a bunch of idiots. Of course we want them to be biased, he told
me, but not that biased.

Rarely do government ministers need to telephone a judge and demand
this or that verdict because the judges are
so in tune with the Government's desires that they automatically do
the Government's beckoning.

Just how appalling Malaysia's judiciary has become was made clear in
recent weeks with the circulation of a video
clip showing a senior lawyer assuring someone by telephone that he
will lobby the Government to have him made
Lord President of the Supreme Court because he had been loyal to the
Government. That someone is believed to
have been Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim, who did in fact become Lord
President.

A protest march organised by the Malaysian Bar Council was staged in
response to this, and corruption among the
judiciary in general. But the mainstream Malaysian media barely
covered the march even though up to 2000 Bar
Council members were taking part. Reportedly, the Prime Minister's
office instructed editors to play down the event.

Instead of a free media, independent judges and open public debate,
Malaysians are given stunts — the world's
tallest building and most recently, a Malaysian cosmonaut.
Essentially, they are given the play things of modernity
but not modernity itself.

Many senior Malays are absolutely despairing at the direction of
their country today. But with the media tightly
controlled they have no way of getting their views out to their
fellow countrymen. This means that most Malaysians
falsely assume that the Malay elite is unified when it comes to the
country's direction.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister and today still a
member of the Government, told me several
weeks ago in Kuala Lumpur that he could see no reason why today
Malaysia could not have a completely free
media, a completely independent judiciary and that corrupt ministers
and other officials should be publicly exposed
and humiliated.

According to Tengku Razaleigh, all of the institutions designed to
make Malaysia's Government accountable and
honest have been dismantled or neutered.

It didn't need to be like this. Malaysia is not North Korea or
Indonesia. It is something quite different. Its legal
system is based on British codes. Coupled with traditional Malay
culture, which is one of the world's most
hospitable, decent and gentle cultures, Malaysia has the cultural
and historical underpinnings to become one of
Asia's most civilised, rules-based, successful societies.

Instead, Malaysia's Government is incrementally wasting Malaysia's
inheritance.

Ref: http://www.michaelbackman.com/LatestAgeColumn2.html

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry

By Michael Backman
The Age
November 15, 2006

MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the
economy each of its two main races
— the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an argument that's
been running for 40 years. That wealth
and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but
really it's time Malaysia grew up.

It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a
country that prefers to argue about
how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating
it.

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in
Malay hands, but the figure that the
Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public
companies to Malays but not to other
races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market
value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12.
And so the Government figure (18.9
per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last
month a paper by a researcher at a
local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on
actual stock prices. All hell broke loose.
The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part
of the problem is that he is
Chinese.

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It
translates to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly
can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly
endowed with natural resources and the
national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and
then collectively spray the proceeds
up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense
of its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on
their country and that their leaders are
world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia's tame media and the
bravado of former prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New
York could point to Malaysia on a
map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features
a newsreader trying to announce
that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He
couldn't pronounce the city's name and so
made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the
script writers — Kuala Lumpur is
inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when
compared to the disaster that passes for
a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some
respects, this is Malaysia's problem. The
very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all
manner of excess.

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It
includes the Twin Towers, the tallest
buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point.
It certainly wasn't that there was an
office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn't.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They
had little to do with them. The
money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was
contracted out to South Korean
companies. They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath
them. That's handled by Australia's
Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian
rocket — the first Malay in space.
And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by
Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and
Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next
target, aboard a US flight. There's
no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming
there's even a chance that they will
consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space
programs of others as a taxi service? There
are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be
told once again, that they are "boleh".
The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490
million on a sports complex near
the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there
and "get used to cold weather". But
the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill
missions by ministers and bureaucrats to
London to check on the centre's construction and then on the
athletes while they train might provide a
clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital
city — Petronas has paid for them all.
It's been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it
is, Malaysia will become a net oil
importer in 2011 — that's just five years away.

So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth
is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after
oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome
burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like
sending a Malaysian into space
when Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash,
and arguing about wealth
distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh"
(stupid).

Ref:
http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/05/29/michael-backman-most-wasteful-projects-in-malaysia/

Michael Backman - most wasteful projects in Malaysia

Exclusive Interview with Michael Backman

1. What was the initial thought that prompted you to write about
your “Boleh or Bodoh column”? What was and has been your
intention in writing the article?

Malaysia has good people, good resources and a legal system that
ought to function. It depresses me that Malaysia hasn’t been more
successful than it has and that it is still fighting the old fights
of the 1960s.

Malaysia ’s Chinese have accepted the NEP and its successor
policies. They define themselves as Malaysians first and foremost
and are among the proudest Malaysians. They have learned Malay.
Essentially, they have done everything that has been required of
them and yet still there is this endless preoccupation with race in
Malaysia.

Meanwhile the rest of the world is just so unbelievably dynamic now.
Malaysia is looking more and more like a sleepy backwater relative
to what’s going on elsewhere in the world.

Many Malaysians don’t seem to understand this. Many like to travel
overseas - but when they do, too many look but they don’t see.
They don’t see how things in Malaysia could be improved. They
don’t want to learn from anywhere else. They think Malaysia is a
special case. They should be bringing back new ideas to Malaysia.
Instead they just want to bring back duty free.

2. Have you ever considered the impact the column might have upon
your relationship with Malaysian government and its people? We
understand Rafidah Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister for Trade and
Industry, criticised your column by saying you probably know nothing
about Malaysia. Has there been any (positive or negative)
impact/response from publishing the column?

I write to be read and I write to have an impact, otherwise there is
no point in writing. I criticised the space program for Malaysia’s
first astronaut - the making of teh tarik and so on - and the
Malaysian Government changed its mind on that and announced that the
astronaut would be doing sensible scientific experiments after all.
Perhaps I had an impact there.

In any event, more than a thousand Malaysians e-mailed me to say
that they agreed with my views. If I am giving a voice to those
Malaysians who share the same views but feel that they can’t
express them then I’m happy to have been of some help.

But then why should I as a non-Malaysian comment about Malaysia? As
far as I am concerned, strict notions of nationality are breaking
down. We are all involved in each other’s countries now.
Malaysians have a lot of investments in Australia. Australians
invest in Asia and so on. We all have stakes in other countries and
so all should be able to comment on how they are run. The free flow
of ideas and openness are good things. The only people who do not
like this are politicians in Malaysia and Singapore. You will never
hear Australian or UK politicians complaining about those things. So
you should ask yourself, why do Malaysian and Singaporean
politicians dislike public debate and openness?

As for Rafidah, I know quite a lot about Malaysia. And I know quite
a lot about Rafidah, which is why I wrote about the corruption
allegations against her in my second column. Rafidah understands her
trade brief very well, but she is dictatorial. Look at how she rules
UMNO Wanita.

Sadly, I suspect I know more about Malaysia than many Malaysians.
One reason for this is because Malaysia’s media is so poor and
many things cannot be discussed openly. Ministers like Rafidah would
prefer that Malaysians are not told things. Perhaps they have
something to hide.

There is an idea among Malaysians that their country is particularly
special and unique and that non-Malaysians simply cannot know much
about Malaysia. That simply isn’t true. All countries are complex
and have their nuances. You can be expert in a country without being
from that country. Indeed, sometimes it helps not to be from that
country. If more Malaysians sent more time away from Malaysia, they
would gain a far clearer picture of what Malaysia is and what it is
not.

I have met many Malaysian politicians and business people, spent
time in almost every Malaysian state, sat through sessions of the
Malaysian parliament and even attended an UMNO general assembly,
stayed in kampongs, visited rubber plantations, and so on - that’s
more than most Malaysians. I have stayed with Malaysian friends in
Damansara, in Ampang and in Pandan Jaya. But Rafidah only stays in
Damansara.

3. We understand you’re an expert on Asia’s political and
economical affairs. But you seem to have taken an extra interest in
Malaysia (like having a special column for Malaysia’s articles on
your webpage
(http://www.michaelbackman.com). Why Malaysia?

I studied at an Australian university. Many of my classmates were
Malaysian students - Chinese, Malay and Indians. I became very
interested in Malaysia from that time on.

4. After reading the column, one can hardly not to think that
Malaysia is a somewhat badly “managed” country. We know it might
be a big question, but what do you think has contributed to the
“mismanagement”of the country?

It is not all bad news. Malaysia has handled race relations well.
The NEP with all its imperfections was good for Malaysia. But
Malaysia is rich in resources and there is a lot of squandering of
those resources.

Education is big part of the problem. Malaysian schools are not
nearly good enough. There are Malaysians who are now very regretful
and resentful that they attended school in Malaysia. Some have told
me that they have spent a lot of their adult lives trying to undo
the damage of rote learning and ‘follow the leader’-type
training that they were given in Malaysia.

Malaysian schools are a long, long way behind schooling in the West
in which emphasis is very much on learning how to question, be
creative and not being afraid to publicly voice your opinions. When
I was at school in Australia I was encouraged to write essays in
which I took the opposite view to my teachers. And the more I argued
against my teachers’ positions on things such as social and
political issues, the higher the grades that I received. Malaysian
schools need to become like this.

5. From the top of your head, what would you rank as the most
wasteful projects/policies ever implemented by Malaysia Government
in the past 10 years, and why?

Proton - Malaysia should NOT have a national car. You cannot get
sufficient economies of scale with a population as small as
Malaysia’s when it comes to car manufacturing
Putrajaya - removing civil servants from ordinary society does not
make for good government
KLIA - all that infrastructure, very little air traffic and it still
takes forever for your luggage to come though - it is ridiculous
Petronas Towers - the lower floors are mostly full of lift shafts -
you can’t rent out a lift shaft

AWSJ: Abdullah v. Anwar

2008-02-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA
February 19, 2008

Abdullah v. Anwar
By Rose Ismail

KUALA LUMPUR -- In the midst of preparations for national polls on
March 8, a curious ailment has struck Malaysia's top politician:
selective amnesia.

"I don't remember Anwar Ibrahim," said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi last Thursday, responding to press questions about the former
deputy prime minister, also the country's most prominent opposition
leader. When asked whether the polling date was set to keep Mr. Anwar
out of the elections, the prime minister said: "We forgot about him."

The prime minister's dismissive statements about one of his chief
political foes may possibly be a reflection of uncertainty over Mr.
Anwar's involvement in the election felt by the United Malays National
Organization (UMNO), the Malay-based party which leads the ruling
Barisan Nasional coalition. It can't be a coincidence that the polling
day has been fixed a month before Mr. Anwar is eligible to run for
political office. (Mr. Anwar was convicted and sentenced for
corruption and sodomy in 1999 and 2000, and released in 2004.
Malaysian law prevents those convicted of crimes from standing for
elections for four years.)

Despite his current ineligibility for public office, Mr. Anwar wields
considerable influence as an adviser to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a
marginal multiracial party which boasts only one parliamentary seat,
held by his wife. In recent months, he has forcefully re-entered
public life here, commenting on just about every issue, from poverty
to the price of essential goods. The media blitz is an indication of
his resolve to lead the nation, a goal he nearly reached when serving
as Malaysia's second most powerful politician in former Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad's government.

This strategy doesn't come without risks, however. In September last
year -- to great fanfare -- Mr. Anwar produced a 2002 video allegedly
showing a well-connected lawyer discussing the appointment of judges
with a senior member of the judiciary. Mr. Anwar probably meant to
discredit the previous regime's oversight of the judiciary. Instead,
the tape reminded Malaysians of the critical role he played in Mr.
Mahathir's government, for surely he would have known the machinations
in the judiciary while he was deputy prime minister.

Mr. Anwar may also not have the public confidence he once enjoyed. The
years in jail have kept him out of the public eye, allowing other
political figures to step in, such as the politically agile and
eloquent Khairy Jamaluddin, Mr. Abdullah's son-in-law. In fact, the
March polls may turn out to be Mr. Anwar's most difficult test yet --
or even mark the beginning of his end in national politics.

Outside Malaysia, Mr. Anwar may look like he presents a viable
alternative to a coalition that has been in power for five decades.
Inside Malaysia, his political ambitions are bound inextricably to the
PKR's upcoming electoral performance. If the party's past performance
is any measure, that's not a sure bet. The rumor that the party
intends to contest up to 100 parliamentary seats, out of 219, is
already being viewed as a sign of desperation rather than confidence.

Mr. Anwar has also optimistically declared that an opposition member
of parliament will vacate his or her seat for him come March, thus
triggering a sure victory in a by-election after the polls. While he
doubtless intends to publicize his party's unstinting loyalty, many
view this claim as a last-ditch attempt to remain in the political
game once his ban from politics is lifted.

All this seems to indicate that Mr. Abdullah's selective amnesia may
be justified. Malaysia's political opposition is in practice a loose
grouping of parties, including the Chinese-based Democratic Action
Party, the pro-Islamist Parti Islam SeMalaysia and the PKR. While
these parties are openly cooperating to deny the ruling coalition its
two-thirds parliamentary majority, their divergent and often
diametrically opposed ideologies have always weakened rather than
strengthened the opposition alliance.
* * *

Mr. Abdullah's biggest challenge may present itself after the
election, when the new government must begin translating its campaign
promises into action. In his first term, Mr. Abdullah was given wide
leeway from a public exhausted by a demanding and fast-paced 22 years
under Mr. Mahathir. People were also charmed by Mr. Abdullah's voluble
promises of clean governance.

The prime minister's efforts have, on occasion, produced dichotomous
results. In the early days of his administration, Mr. Abdullah seemed
open to public debate on delicate matters such as ethnicity and
religion as well as the social contract established at independence 50
years ago. Now, these debates are strongly discouraged. While the
government has made arduous efforts to be more accountable,
transparent and tolerant -- promises the prime minister made in 2004
-- the results there, too, have been mixed.

Public discontent, largely kept under control, is simmering. In recent
months, nongovernmental organizations have organized street protests
to air a variety of grievances, from alleged discriminatory treatment
of minorities to concern over judicial reform. The police have quashed
these gatherings and harshly penalized the organizers. A few
individuals have even been detained under the Internal Security Act,
which allows for detention without trial, and this has created a
public outcry. But the government is holding firm; on Saturday, police
used tear gas and chemical-laced water cannons to disperse a crowd
marching for ethnic Indians' rights.

Mr. Abdullah's second term will undoubtedly be more challenging than
his first. He is no longer viewed as a transitional leader, but as a
politician who must stand on his own merits. He has taken several
positive actions to bolster economic growth through tax cuts,
infrastructure projects and increased public spending. But there are
also challenges that he can't control, such as a slowing global
economy and rising imported inflation. That makes his choice of
cabinet advisers particularly important.

Mr. Abdullah enters the election with a clear lead over Mr. Anwar's
opposition partners. But Malaysia is still a democracy. The value of
the vote rises with each election, as does voter sophistication. Mr.
Abdullah must therefore deliver on his political promises to maintain
his coalition's credibility.

Ms. Ismail, a former editor with the "New Straits Times," now heads
Salt Media Consultancy.

A play of Shakespearean proportions

2007-06-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/corridors.php?itemid=3824

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

A play of Shakespearean proportions
One Episode, many Scenes

Tun Daim Zainuddin was sitting impatiently waiting for Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to make his appearance. What is keeping the man? He should have been here ages ago, Daim mumbled and grumbled under his breath to no one in particular. Daim should have anticipated this. After all, is not the Malaysian Prime Minister infamous for one who is never on time for his meetings and appointments? He is even late for official functions like dinner events and by the time he arrives the dinner guests are all almost doubled up with hunger. One sometimes wonders whether he will even be late for his own funeral.

Daim was in Putrajaya at the behest of Abdullah who phoned him earlier in London and requested that he come back to Malaysia for a powwow. “What can Abdullah want?” thought Daim as he twiddled his thumbs waiting for Abdullah to wake up from sleep. Abdullah is never to be awoken even though someone important is waiting to see him. That is the golden rule everyone who walks through the corridors of power or who squats on the fourth floor of the Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya are well familiar with. This is of course not uncommon of Abdullah. What would surprise most would be when one day he actually does turn up on time.

Anyway, we will allow Daim to wait awhile longer while we cut to another scene in this episode. One day, Najib Tun Razak’s aides, who met him at the airport on his arrival home from an overseas trip, told the Deputy Prime Minister that Abdullah had called for a Cabinet meeting. It was a Friday and Cabinet meetings since the time of Merdeka were always held on Wednesdays, never on Fridays. But they had missed the Wednesday Cabinet meeting that week because both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were out of the country.

This is something else that never used to happen in the old days. The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister never both leave the country at the same time. But nowadays this appears to be a regular feature. What happens if there is a crisis or emergency at that time? Who will make that most important decision that may result in the future of this country or the security of the nation?

Najib did not even bother to go home to change but went straight to the Cabinet meeting. When he arrived he found all the Cabinet Ministers assembled waiting for the meeting to start. But Abdullah was not to be seen. After an hour, and still no appearance of the Prime Minister, Najib asked what happened to Abdullah and he was told that the old man is still in bed.

Well, wake him up, replied Najib. That is not possible, came back the reply. The Prime Minister is not to be disturbed when he is sleeping. That is the golden rule. Not being one to break the golden rule, and not knowing what else they could do about the situation, Najib and the rest of the Cabinet members just sat there looking at each other while waiting for Abdullah.

Okay, and while Najib and Malaysia’s entire Cabinet are ‘locked up’ in the Cabinet meeting that was not actually meeting when they should instead be running this country, let us cut to yet another scene. Khairy Jamaluddin, the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, had a meeting with the man who has the ultimate authority and power to decide which judge gets promoted and which judge gets posted to which court. The top dog of all judges showed Khairy a list of three names. Khairy wanted to know which of the three can be ‘controlled’ and could be told what to do. The power-that-be of Malaysia’s judicial system pointed to one name on the list and said that this particular man is ambitious and can be told what to do since he wants to make a lucrative career for himself.

So it was decided. This man who is not even a judge but only a judicial commissioner would be given Abdul Razak Baginda’s case to hear. And he would be told how the case is to be decided. And it could be decided either way. Najib can be implicated in the case or he can be spared. The outcome will not be the court’s decision. It will not even be Khairy’s decision. It will be Najib’s decision. His future will be in his own hands. He decides his own fate. And how he plays ball will be that deciding factor.

And, with that in place, Khairy had successfully laid the groundwork for Najib’s downfall. One of Najib’s supporters who had smelled a rat went to meet him to inform him about this very troubling turn of events. Najib was also told that Razak’s lawyers had negotiated a ‘settlement’ with the Attorney-General. They will amend the charges against Razak if he turns crown witness. He will be spared the gallows but he will have to sing like a canary.

Najib did not demonstrate shock at this piece of information. He had already read the writing on the wall and had seen this coming. He did not even dispute the prognosis that his goose may finally be cooked. He only replied that if this is his fate then this is his fate. He will leave it to God. He offered no resistance whatsoever. He has resigned himself to the fact that his days may be numbered and that his future may no longer be his to decide.

Meanwhile, back in scene one, Daim could not imagine what in heaven’s name Abdullah wanted to see him for. But since he had flown all the way back from London at the behest of the Prime Minister he might as well wait. After all, he was curious as to what Abdullah wanted and though curiosity does sometimes kill the cat one can never resist satisfying curiosity. Finally Abdullah appeared, and quite surprised to see Daim sitting there, asked what he could do for the one-time top money man of Malaysia. There is nothing you can do for me, replied Daim. It is you who asked me to come see you, Daim reminded the Prime Minister.

Abdullah could not quite remember what it was that he wanted to meet Daim about. So they both sat there chatting about mundane stuff while Abdullah tried very hard to recollect what it was that he wanted to talk to Daim about. Finally he remembered. He wanted to talk to Daim about Najib.

Najib has been implicated in the Mongolian girl’s murder, Abdullah told Daim. According to what transpired, Razak was being hounded by the Mongolian girl for her share of the commission on the purchase of the submarines. It seems her share is RM50 million but the money does not belong to her. It belongs to the other party involved in the deal and this party is pressing her for the money. But Razak no longer had the money.

This girl was worried that the other party may do something to her if she does not hand them the RM50 million so she was chasing Razak for it. She went to Razak’s office but was not allowed in. She then went to Razak’s house and squatted outside waiting for him to come home.

Razak panicked. His wife was on the way back from Kota Bharu and he did not want her to find out what was going on. So he rushed to Najib’s house and asked for help. Razak’s ‘boss’ said she is prepared to pay the Mongolian girl only RM10 million. But the Mongolian girl was not prepared to accept RM10 million because the other party wanted RM50 million and that is the exact amount she has to deliver to them.

Razak’s boss then summoned a man named Musa and asked this Musa to help Razak out of his predicament. Musa in turn summoned two police SWAT team officers. Razak was a bit worried that other parties were now getting involved in the whole matter. “Can they be trusted?” he asked. He was given an assurance that they are very trustworthy. In fact, he has already killed six people, one of the police officers boasted. “And what do you want me to do about the girl?” the SWAT team officer asked. Get rid of her, came the reply from Razak’s boss.

And they did just that. And Razak’s wife has this testimony on a signed Affidavit which she showed Abdullah. But they have not filed this Affidavit yet. This is the second Affidavit, which Razak’s wife is keeping as a bargaining tool. The first Affidavit was filed during the bail application in front of Justice Segera which revealed only part of what is in the second Affidavit.

Abdullah is not sure though whether he can use this piece of evidence to get rid of Najib because this whole episode involves the police. Will the police swing to the side of the current Prime Minister or do their loyally lie with the previous Prime Minister? Officially, the police serve the government of the day. This is how it has always been and how it should be. But things are not normal anymore. Malaysia is not what it used to be. So there is no way of knowing which way the police will swing. After all, was it not the IGP who was behind the Anwar Ibrahim case and did not his loyalty then lie with Mahathir? How can Abdullah know whether this has now changed or whether the IGP is still with Mahathir?

Maybe the best thing would be to push the IGP into retirement. With him out of the way the nagging question of with who the IGP is no longer needs to be addressed. So the Deputy Minister of Internal Security, the same man who fixed Mahathir up in his Kubang Pasu division election, was tasked with the job of raising all sorts of issues like the high crime rate in Kuala Lumpur and how it has increased multi-fold. They also raised the issue of gangsters in Sarawak and how the police are partners-in-crime with these gangsters. This resulted in the Sarawak police chief being immediately summoned back to Bukit Aman and which sent the IGP rushing to Sarawak to look into the matter.

Now, over to the next scene, in another turn of events, a website mysteriously appears alleging that this same Deputy Minister received RM5.5 million in bribes as an inducement to release three Chinese underworld bosses from detention in Sungai Renggam. Who created this website? No one knows. It was certainly not one of the normal webmasters who created it. In fact, most did not even know about the existence of this website. No one even noticed it or was aware of its address. But somehow the police noticed it. They were aware of it. They knew the website address. They were in fact the only one who did.

The police now have to investigate the Deputy Minister since it has been revealed on this website that he took RM5.5 million in bribes to release three underworld bosses under detention. In the past, as is the normal tradition in Malaysia, the police do not launch an investigation unless a police report has been lodged. This is the procedure and the police have said so many times. The Prime Minister too has repeated this time and again. And they never investigate what is on the internet unless it is to investigate those running the website with intent to take action against the webmaster or writer. And an anonymous website, like the one that revealed the Deputy Minister’s corrupt act, is never given the time of day, let alone taken seriously.

But in this particular case they are taking it seriously, notwithstanding the fact it is an anonymous website and no police report has been lodged. The Deputy Minister suspects that the website was set up by the police themselves and he is boiling mad. But no one really knows who set it up so one can only suspect. The Anti-Corruption Agency then called the Deputy Minister in for interrogation. But he is not scared. In fact he is very angry, especially because the Prime Minister did not protect him and allowed this to happen. No doubt the ACA can always announce that they have not found any evidence that the Deputy Minister had committed a crime. But the fact that he is being investigated and interrogated is bad enough to cast doubt on his innocence.

The Deputy Minister then turned the tables on the ACA interrogators. If they pursue the corruption case against him then he is going to reveal that Kalimullah and Khairy gave him RM1 million to fix up Mahathir in the Kubang Pasu division election. If he goes down he is not going to go down alone. He will take Abdullah with him. He will reveal that Abdullah was behind the effort to sabotage Mahathir. This is a breach of the party Constitution and the party Code of Ethics. Abdullah can be suspended or sacked from the party. And Abdullah will then have to resign or would automatically lose his job as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

But the worst is not over. There is still more. Cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of those who initially thought the Deputy Minister was headed for doom when he revealed that the amount was actually not RM5.5 million but more than that. The RM5.5 million was only for the three Chinese underworld bosses in Sungai Renggam. There was another amount of RM7 million which was the bribe to release an even bigger underworld boss, the boss of bosses. This underworld boss, Datuk K, is well known in Kuala Lumpur and is the owner of ‘S’. He controls all the prostitution, illegal gambling, loan sharking, and much, much more.

The trouble with Datuk K is he likes to boast to all and sundry, especially when he has had a bit too much to drink. In the 2004 General Election he personally met the Prime Minister to hand over a RM20 million cash donation to help fund the election. So he now has immunity. He bought his immunity for RM20 million cash. And the man who brought him to meet the Prime Minister was the one-time MCA Youth leader, another Datuk K. And we all know that the MCA has links with the underworld, as do Umno and the MIC. So he is not scared of the police. He has the Prime Minister and the MCA in his pocket.

Soon enough the IGP got to hear about Datuk K boasting to all and sundry that he is untouchable and that the police cannot do a thing about him. So the IGP showed him who is the boss and arrested him. And this made Datuk K mad as hell. He had bought protection. How come they now arrest him? No sooner was he behind bars and even before they could lock the cell door his underworld empire breaks out into a power struggle. One of his young lieutenants gets assassinated in the fashion of Al Capone’s Chicago. Datuk K cannot remain behind bars. Every day off the streets is costing him millions. And if his empire breaks up beyond repair he will never be able to put it back together again. He needs to get out, and get out fast.

Datuk K sends an emissary to meet the Prime Minister’s son, Kamal. A price is negotiated. The figure of RM7 million is agreed upon. Kamal gets his brother-in-law, Khairy, to get the job done. The Deputy Minister is summoned. It is a three-way deal. The money will be shared equally three ways. Datuk K is allowed back on the street. And the Deputy Minister informs his executioners that this is the story that will emerge. Do they still want to hang him out to dry? He will not go down alone. The Prime Minister will go down with him. They will now have to declare that there is no case. Case closed.

Abdullah now has a knife at Najib’s throat. Mahathir in turn has a knife at Abdullah’s throat. It is a Mexican stand-off. Najib’s throat can get slit any time. But Abdullah too will have his throat slit in the process.

Whatever it may be, while we wait to see who makes the first move, Najib may have to go as early as July if he wants to stay a free man. For sure he cannot stay on as Deputy Prime Minister. But Abdullah too may not be able to stay on as Prime Minister in light of the crimes he committed. Thus far the only evidence against Abdullah is that he chaired the Umno Supreme Council meeting that made the decision to sabotage Mahathir and that the Minutes of the meeting was doctored with three pages expunged to erase the evidence. But if the Deputy Minister of Internal Security testifies that Kalimullah and Khairy paid him RM1 million to fix Mahathir up then Abdullah is dead meat. Then there is the matter of the bribes to release the underworld bosses and the RM20 million Abdullah received from the underworld boss of bosses in 2004.

All the ACA and police need to do now is pressure the Deputy Minister on the corruption case involving the Chinese underworld bosses. If he can’t take the heat he will turn on Abdullah and reveal the episode of the RM1 million, the RM5.5 million, the RM7 million and the RM20 million. That will end Abdullah’s career and Malaysia will see a new Prime Minister. And who will this new Prime Minister be? Will it be Najib? Well, maybe not Najib. Malaysia Today knows who this new Prime Minister might be. But then why should we tell. We may, I repeat, may reveal this in time. But then again we may not. Anyway, stay tuned. You might get lucky.