Thesun 2009-05-04 Page02 Tee Keat Denies Iwg Out To Topple His Deputy

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Reconsider decision, Penang PAS urges top leaders

| MONDAY MAY 4 2009

Tee Keat denies IWG out to topple his deputy

by Bernard Cheah

by Tan Yi Liang

[email protected]

[email protected]

SEBERANG PERAI: Penang PAS has called on its top leaders to reconsider its decision not to field a PAS candidate in the upcoming Penanti by-election. Penang PAS deputy commissioner Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa said the state party hopes to field a candidate in the by-election on May 31 in an effort to preserve a healthy democratic practice. “This decision is made not to eye the post of deputy chief minister (I) which was promised by the state government but to clear the bad air around Pakatan Rakyat (PR) over the resignation of former DCM (I) and Penanti assemblyman Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin. His sudden resignation has tainted the image of PR,” he told a press conference in Penaga yesterday. Speaking on behalf of Penang PAS commissioner Mohd Salleh Man, he said the PR should take into account the opinions of the grassroots who are not happy with the “trend” of resignations among the wakil rakyat. Mujahid said the proposal was based on democratic principles and not to create the impression that there is internal conflict in PR. He said the proposal will be conveyed to PAS election director Datuk Mustafa Ali today. “If the top leaders are adamant about following PR’s decision to field a PKR candidate in the byelection, we will adhere to it,” he said. He also said if a PAS candidate was fielded in the by-election, it would be a sure win for PR. “In Penanti, we have about 3,000 to 5,000 PAS members and 11 branches. There is enough manpower here,” he said. On April 28, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had announced that Penang PKR deputy chief Mansor Othman, 56, will be the party’s candidate to contest the Penanti state seat, which fell vacant after Fairus tendered his resignation on April 16.

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat yesterday denied that the MCA Integrity Watch Group (IWG) was set up to topple his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. “Substantiate the allegation. And on him (Chua) mulling a move to Pakatan Rakyat, go ask him. He’s the newsmaker, not me,” Ong said. Chua had, in an interview with online news portal The Nut Graph, said even the IWG had called for him to resign despite being duly elected as the party No. 2. He said he and his son (Labis MP Tee Yong) were approached by Pakatan to join the Opposition and that he was mulling the offer and would decide positively if “I cannot function in a role that I’m given”. Chua told theSun: “The IWG is all the president’s men.” After the MCA elections in October, the IWG was set up

last Dec 15 by “a group of MCA members” chaired by Dr Daphne Loke, a director of the SEGi University College Graduate School of Business. The college boss, Datuk Clement Hii, is now the executive deputy chairman of Star Publications (M) Bhd, publisher of The Star. Simon Lim Seng Chai, an independent director of Cityneon Holdings Limited (Singapore), a company substantially owned by Star Publications (M) Bhd, was appointed Ong’s political Chua secretary on April 1. Ten days after the birth of IWG, the group called on Chua to follow the example set by Chinese educationist Loot Ting Yee who quit all his posts after being accused of sexual harassment. Asked about a possible meeting between Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Chua, Ong said: “I am not aware (of that). I have

no knowledge on this issue.” Asked whether he would be meeting Chua on this, he said: “No.” Pressed further on the issue, Ong said: “All I know is what I read in media reports. We are not born to answer all sorts of allegations. We are born on this planet to shoulder greater responsibility. “Don’t you think that all the allegations are nothing compared to the bigger picture which we are witnessing now?” Ong was speaking to reporters after receiving three corneas for Malaysians at the Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple here. “As I said earlier, I am not interested in answering petty questions linked to personal interest,” said Ong, who had earlier called on Malaysians to discard the “zero-sum” mentality and to embrace the 1Malaysia policy.

State assembly sitting open to all media, says speaker Press Digest: Chua thanks BN leaders for their confidence in him pg 6

IPOH: All media organisations will be allowed to cover the proceedings of the Perak State Assembly sitting on Thursday. The decision was made by State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar. In a statement issued here yesterday, he said they were, however, required to submit written applications to the Speaker’s Office at Level 2, Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan, from 9am tomorrow. “I’ll issue the permission letters to the media organisations at my own discretion, as provided under the Perak State Assembly Standing Order 84,” he added. Sivakumar said he was issuing the ruling to safeguard the principles of democracy and freedom of the press. “There is no reason to bar any media organisation from covering the sitting. The

briefs TV channel for local sports by year-end KUALA LUMPUR: A TV channel dedicated to local sports and sports role models is expected to be launched by the end of the year. Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar said OCM and Astro, the pay TV operator, were finalising the details of the channel which would cover domestic sports as well as regional and international sports in which Malaysians are taking part. In an interview with Bernama, he said a TV sports channel was the “missing link” in the country’s efforts to develop sports to higher levels. “All our TV in terms of sports focus on international events. So what we desperately need and what OCM is talking to Astro is a sports channel that focuses on domestic sports and building up the role models,” he said.

Zambry lodges police report against PAS rep IPOH: Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has lodged a police report against PAS assemblyman for Titi Serong, Khalil Idham Lim, for allegedly making extreme accusations through a media statement yesterday. Zambry, who is also the assemblyman

people have the right to know the antics of their elected representatives during the state assembly sitting,” he said. Prior to this, the State Information Department, in a letter dated April 30, stated that only 13 media organisations would be allowed to cover the state assembly sitting. They are RTM, BernamaTV, TV3, TheStar, New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, China Press, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, Tamil Nanban, Tamil Nesan and Bernama. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir is expected to call for a press conference tomorrow to clarify the matter, reports Bernama. Meanwhile, Gerakan secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow said state secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri’s “media restriction” was

for Pangkor, said the extreme accusation was also carried in Khalil Idham’s blog site idhamlim.blogspot.com. “He has made a desperate allegation. I have lodged a police report and discussed with my lawyer to take legal action,” he told reporters at his residence last night. He said this when commenting on the entry entitled “Titi Serong assemblyman’s media statement” which was carried by the blog. Among other things, the entry claimed Zambry and the Barisan Nasional had allowed a “bomoh” to enter the State Legislative Assembly to cast a spell on the speaker’s seat and calling on the Perak Mufti, Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria, to come up with an edict or “fatwa” on the matter. – Bernama

Ministry to introduce ‘1Youth’ concept KANGAR: The Youth and Sports Ministry will introduce the concept of “1Youth” to expedite the process of achieving “1Malaysia”, its minister, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said yesterday. He said as almost half of the 27 million population in Malaysia are youths, there was a need to instil the spirit of the “1Malaysia” concept mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak among youths, and for them to embrace it. Speaking to reporters after launching the national-level National Youth Day and Week celebration here yesterday, Ahmad Shabery, who represented Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said failing to do so could delay efforts to realise the “1Malaysia” concept.

most uncalled for as the assembly is the highest body to formulate laws and policies for the people. “Antong is denying the people’s right to be informed of the laws and policies put forth by their government in the assembly. In this crucial and critical moment of the state, it’s even more vital for the people to be well informed of the proceedings and development taking place in the assembly. “Antong is usurping the authority of the state assembly. Provisions in the Standing Orders of State Assemblies do not give the state secretary, who is an ex-officio, the authority to decide on the covering of the proceeding by the media,” he said in a statement yesterday. Teng said the state government should instruct Antong to lift the restriction.

Highlight human interest stories, Rais tells media KUALA KLAWANG: Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim wants all the media in the country to highlight human interest stories. He said most of the stories featured on TV today portrayed dignitaries or speeches of certain individuals but rarely on human interest. “The success story of a Chinese smallholder in a new village who gets aid from Risda is one example, but such stories are not aired at all. Another example is that of an Indian community obtaining success from breeding goats ... such stories also we seldom see. “The focus is always on socio-political speeches. I’m not saying such statements are not important. They are, but the TV stations should realise that we are building a society and we should project healthy practices,” he told reporters.

Police nab ‘Myanmar refugee’ with fake IC KUALA LUMPUR: A 53 year-old man, claiming to be a Myanmar refugee, was detained when he was found in possession of a fake identity card during a police operation in the Bukit Bintang area last Friday. Dang Wangi OCPD ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman told Bernama yesterday police approached the man who was behaving suspiciously in the area at about 4.30pm and found that he was in possession of the card.