Of Policemen, Lawyers and Politics : Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them

Yesterday, in "Anwar claims symbolic win after former prosecutor joins legal team"-

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed a symbolic victory today in having the man who unsuccessfully prosecuted him for sodomy join his legal team to defend an illegal assembly charge pointing out that someone who was in government did not want to be a part of what he called the “dirtiness”

Anwar has repeated his charge that the latest charge against him is politically-motivated, and said that former Solicitor-General II Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden’s entry into his legal team was “meaningful” to him and a “positive development”

This is nothing new nor earth shattering. Small potato news.

Lawyers changing sides.

Karpal defending Anwar is a more shocking change of side.

After all, most if not many, except first time voters in 2008 and the GE this time round who were aged 12 and 6 years old respectively then, know that it was Karpal Singh who first exposed the dastardly acts of Anwar Bin Ibrahim -

Tuan R. Karpal Singh: Khasnya, Tuan Speaker, ini adalah satu perkara yang saya ada bangkitkan dalam Dewan yang mulia ini pada 22 Oktober tahun ini. lni adalah mengenai dua surat yang ada ditulis, dua aduan yang dibuat kepada Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri. Satu adalah ini, Tuan Speaker,jika saya boleh baca, 'Pengakuan Bersumpah oleh seorang, Azizan bin Abu Bakar '. Pada 22 Oktober, saya tidak memberi butir-butir surat sumpah ini dan saya ada merayu kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri untuk mengambil tindakan. Apa yang beliau ada menjawab ialah bahawa perkara ini ada dalam tangan Peguam Negara. OIeh itu, beliau tidak teIjejas dengan apa yang ada dibuat oleh Peguam Negara dan menunggu keputusan Peguam Negara.

Tuan Speaker, hari ini adalah hari yang akhir persidangan Dewan ini. Sampai sekarang tidak ada mendapat apa-apa daripada Peguam Negara mengenai perkara ini. Tohmahan yang ada dibuat ke atas Timbalan Perdana Menteri adalah serius, saya baca bukan semua bahagian, tetapi apa yang penting di sini:

'Pengakuan Bersumpah Dengan nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Pengasih, saya Azizan bin Abu Bakar dengan ini membuat pengakuan bersumpah bahawa saya telah menjadi mangsa hubungan sejenis yakni homoseksual dengan Anwar bin Ibrahim yang kini memangku jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Perbuatan terkutuk ini telah dilakukan untuk beberapa kali sekitar tahun 1992 tanpa kerelaan saya. Ianya kerap berlaku di hotel-hotel mewah seperti PJ Hilton, Hyatt Saujana dan Holiday Villa tanpa pengetahuan umum dan isterinya. Buat makluman, saya merupakan bekas pemandu peribadi kepada isterinya iaitu Datin Seri Wan Azizah.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua: Yang Berhormat, cukuplah.

Karpal Singh: Ada yang lain di sini, Tuan Speaker.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua: Cukuplah.

Tuan R. Karpal Singh: Bukan terbang, ini adalah satu surat bersumpah, bukan surat layang

(Edited, full Hansard here)

The day before, it was "Ex-CID chief joins PAS, says to strengthen Islamic efforts".

Another retiree, ex-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director, Datuk Fauzi Shaari, joins PAS.

News worthy no doubt but what is more interesting is this little snippet from the report -

The ex-Criminal Investigation Department CID director the third highest office in the force was reported by Harakah as saying he had joined PAS after being confident he had not been involved in any criminal activities while in the force.

Now, isn't that a rather odd statement to make?

Checking the source, Harakah Daily, it was exactly as reported by The Insidious.

"Datuk Fauzi Shaari serah borang sertai PAS"-

Beliau turut menjelaskan, penyertaan dalam PAS itu dibuat selepas yakin dirinya tidak terlibat dalam sebarang kes jenayah semasa berada dalam pasukan polis.

Am still wondering why it was necessary to make that extraordinary statement.

Also mentioned in The Insidious was that -

Fauzi was rumoured to be joining PAS a month ago along with former Bukit Aman commercial crimes investigation chief Datuk Ramli Yusoff and ex-Umno Cabinet minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir is also small potatoes and nothing new when compared to the more high ranking and senior UMNO stalwart, Tengku Razaleigh, who actually joined the opposition, leading Semangat 46 as Gagasan Rakyat.

Datuk Ramli Yusoff, the ex-Commercial Crimes director, came into the limelight when he was charged in 3 high profile cases, one in which the then highest ranking police officer, Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, was a prosecution witness in a case in the Sabah sessions court.

Fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, took the opportunity to brand the ex-IGP a "liar" solely on legal jargon in the decision by then sessions court judge, Supang Lian, acquitting Datuk Ramli.

A case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend perhaps.

Datuk Ramli was also acquitted in the two other charges and all 3 acquittals upheld when "MACC appeal dismissed against ex-Sabah Police Commissioner" and "Two courts uphold Ramli Yusof acquittals

It is politically "correct" nowadays to charge the judiciary to be compliant to the Executive. They are silent when court decisions, like those for Datuk Ramli, that went against the MACC prove otherwise.

In fact, the sessions court judge, Supang Lian has been promoted to High Court judge.

But the Bar Council has the other take on the Datuk Ramli case when it endorsed the Insidious, "In anti-graft fight, another case, another loss" -

Malaysia’s much-hyped fight against graft is headed nowhere unless there is a seismic shift in the competence of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

But this is what Sessions Court Judge Supang Lian had to say "The prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case and the accused deserves to be acquitted and discharged"

Another big case another resounding defeat in the court room.

Taking that to mean if the MACC and the AG Chambers had been competent, Datuk Ramli could have been found guilty.

Of special note in Datuk Ramli's cases, "MACC appeal dismissed against ex-Sabah Police Commissioner"  he was "represented by Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and James Tsai, was charged on Nov 19, 2007 on charges that he had abused his powers as Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Department director for his pecuniary gain by ordering and using a Royal Malaysia Police Cessna Caravan aircraft to take him on an aerial surveillance of two lots in Ulu Tungku, Lahad Datu, in which his real estate company Kinsajaya Sdn Bhd had an interest" and in Two courts uphold Ramli Yusof acquittals,  "Ramli was represented by Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah while DPP Mohd Sophian Zakaria prosecuted."

Yes,  the same lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who then represented the MACC in Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Do keep lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in mind for later on and Datuk Ramli is a qualified lawyer himself doing very well, thank you -

Dato’ Ramli graduated with a LLB (Bachelor of Law) with Honours from University Islam Antarabangsa (“UIA”) in 1987 and he was registered as a Peguambela and Peguamcara since 1990. He also holds a LLM (Master of Law) in Commercial and Corporate from University College London (“UCL”) in London.

as Deputy Chairman of Ho Hup.

Another enemy of the enemy, Tan Sri Musa Hassan. is my friend, is another police officer, former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim. Though I don't know whether he's doing just as well as Datuk Ramli, no thank you.

Here is one loose cannon going about to anyone willing to hear like The Insidious or the Malaysiakinki, about the former IGP, Tan Sri Musa's, "transgressions" especially in Anwar Sodomy 1.0 and the black eye incident.

Before proceeding, read in blogger Just Read!, "So, Najib is 'chief of criminals'?" -

Back to this police melodrama. I was having coffee with a few friends at a hotel in PJ last night when a text message came in. It reads: "Ramli Yusof (ex-CCID chief) says Musa Hassan (ex-IGP) provided protection to Johor kingpin Goh Cheng Poh aka Tengku Goh. Former KL CID boss Mat Zain Ibrahim also asked the govt to reopen investitagion into the murder of Altantuya..."

I immediately showed it to my friends, one of whom is a diplomat who had a good laugh. He said: "We don't trust people like this, Jay (he's fond of calling me by that name). Listening to them is wasting time. And when they are on the opposition bench, better not listen at all.

"If they are honest, they wouldn't be caring too much about their position and opportunity to rise when they were still in service. They should have made such exposure there and then and not wait until retirement."

Thought I'd mention that just to keep things in perspective.

Back to Mat Zain, as "SAC II Mat Zain Ibrahim, the head of the Special Police Team investigating the police assault on former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim" in implicating not only Tan Sri Musa but also AG Tan Sri Gani Patail  of having "duped Dr M into sacking Anwar", inadvertently absolved any wrong doing and debunks conspiracy theories of Tun Mahathir getting rid of Anwar to stay in power -

He also accused Musa and Abdul Gani of fabricating the case for their joint benefit but insisted that Dr Mahathir himself was not involved as he had repeatedly told the police, including Mat Zain during his investigations into the black eye incident, that there should be no cover up.

Read the above together with these two relevant excerpts in Go ahead, Mohtar, make my day, by Anwar Ibrahim, Sungai Buloh Prison, May 20, 1999 -

6. In dealing with the issue of my injuries, Mohtar deliberately ignored they report submitted by police investigator ACP Mat Zain Ibrahim, which implicates Gani and Deputy Public Prosecutor Azhar Mohamad. They plotted to downplay the findings of doctors and specialists who examined me. Instead, Mohtar appointed his own consultant, Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof, who gave his findings without examining me. Mohtar said in a statement that some of my claims were false. The royal commission which inquired into my injuries found, on the contrary, that Rahim Noor’s assault was so severe that I could have died. Mohtar’s negligence and feebleness in handling the case – how he dragged his feet before acting upon the police and medical reports -- were plain for all to see.

7. The statutory declaration of lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon implicates Mohtar, Gani and Azhar in a scheme to pressure Nallakarupan to disgrace me in exchange for a guarantee of release from prosecution that could lead to the death sentence. But Dato Nalla would rather face prosecution than lie.

In this Utusan report the only mention Anwar has of Mat Zain is -

Anwar juga memberitahu siasatan bahawa beliau pertama kali memberikan kenyataan terperinci mengenai serangan itu kepada ketua pasukan penyiasat khas yang diketuai ACP Mat Zain Ibrahim tetapi tidak memberikan butiran tertentu terutama yang merujuk kepada nama-nama pegawai kanan yang terlibat.

"Saya memberitahunya bahawa saya harus merahsiakannya. Pasukan penyiasat khas itu terdiri daripada para pegawai polis dan ditubuhkan di bawah arahan perdana menteri yang sebelum ini mengatakan kemungkinan kecederaan itu dilakukan oleh saya sendiri," katanya.

Pada peringkat ini, Anuar memberitahu beliau bahawa suruhanjaya telah menerima laporan itu dan Anwar boleh mengulasnya lebih lanjut jika beliau ada fakta lain yang boleh membantu siasatan itu.

Semasa memberikan keterangan, Anwar telah diingatkan beberapa kali agar tidak memberikan keterangan berdasarkan dengar cakap tetapi memberikan keterangan berdasarkan pengetahuannya sendiri.

Anwar does not mention any "report submitted by police investigator ACP Mat Zain Ibrahim" worse still Mat Zain did not disclose a more "heinous" crime -

"But Mat Zain noted that according to testimony by Hospital Kuala Lumpur doctor Dr Zahari Noor, Musa, who later rose through the ranks to become Inspector-General of Police, had “stolen” Anwar’s blood samples on October 15, 1998.

“But at that point, Anwar was already charged in court and waiting for a hearing date. The process of gathering evidence should have been completed by then."

to the Royal Commission of Inquiry of the black eye incident. Tellingly what "testimony" is Mat Zain referring to when "at that point, Anwar was already charged in court and waiting for a hearing date"? The trial had not begun. See The Star Chronology of events.

Surely such damning testimony from Anwar and Mat Zain would have been taken seriously into cognizance by, according to the Bar Council a highly regarded judge - Tan Sri Anuar Zainal Abidin, "who headed the independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the police assault on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim while in their custody" that even Aliran "welcomed the transparent manner in which the Commission of Inquiry has conducted its hearing thus far that elicited Rahim's confession."

Getting back to Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who defended Datuk Ramli and won, and Anwar from Sungai Buloh Prison exclaiming "But Dato Nalla would rather face prosecution than lie".. well,

Senator Datuk S. Nalla­karuppan has handed over a video tape as part of his “evidence” in a RM100mil defamation suit filed by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim against him.

The Malaysian United Indian Party (MUIP) chief handed over the tape, sealed inside an envelope, to his lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in the presence of reporters yesterday at the Jalan Duta court complex lobby here - The Star "Nalla hands over ‘evidence’ in RM100mil defamation suit"

I'm done but it's too early in this wee hour for ice-cream.

Latest update nothing to do with this post 12.12PM:

This has got to be the most outrageous, ludicrous and mother of all announcements: A MAS read

Malaysian Airline System Berhad (hereinafter referred to as MAS) wishes to announce that it had on 16 May 2012 entered into a Sponsorship Agreement ("QPR Agreement") with Queens Park Rangers Football Club (hereinafter referred to as QPR) following the announcement on 12 September 2011 that it will become the Official Home Jersey Sponsor of QPR for the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League (BPL) Season.

This announcement is dated 17 May 2012

*The Barclays Premier League (BPL) Season ended with that dramatic Manchester City win on 13 May 2012.

I am Guilty Until Proven Innocent But I Feel Good

The Sundaily says I am "Presumed Guilty". Yes folks, someone, the opposition or even the government, if frequent allegations of trumps are to believed, can do some pretty ugly things, using "your" identity. And you're headed for some nasty discovery expedition of National Geographic proportions with the authorities.

But I feel good today. I won't be admonishing Nazri or Hisham or Gani, whoever authored such an uncommon sense law, on account of what is reported in a mainstream media.

The opposition MPs must be sleeping on this, don't you think?

If anyone is feeling blue today, cannot blame them. Manchester City and Chelsea has many seeing red.

But I feel good today. The Reds managed to prevent total blues even if it was the Carling.

They say, no, Mourinho himself says he is the "Special One".

But I feel good today. I say Matteo is the "Only One". All the best to him.

Some may have probably heard about Martin Jalleh. I am not presumed. I am guilty when I opine this guy is an extreme right Christian with footprints of the opposition.

But I feel good today. I won't say nasty things about the silly man and his latest in the insidious, "The mutation of Tunku Aziz — Martin Jalleh".

To quote the same from MJ (the real one is deceased), all I will say is  - "The excerpts of his article and his glaringly contradictory silly stance today are sufficient to reveal the transparent and telling self-inflicted tragedy of the man"

Feeling good, I append what Tunku Aziz has said and readers can decide whether MJ, the fake one, is spitting in the right direction.

I at no time had withdrawn my support for Bersih. I have always supported Bersih for what Bersih stands for. I've spoken for free and fair elections on several occasions. Not as vice-chairman of DAP but in my other capacities. So to say that Tunku is opposed to Bersih is something that the party and Pakatan Rakyat had been working hard to promote, is a little disingenuous.

And somehow it smacks of a reluctance or inability to see the difference between supporting free and fair election activity, and not supporting these activities if they were illegal

I support Bersih but I do not support breaking the law. As simple as that. But you check that rebuke of me and there's no mention that I was not against Bersih but merely against sitting at Dataran Merdeka because the court had ordered the participants not to breach it and the owner of the land. - Tunku Aziz. Full version of the Q&A with Tunku Aziz

Because, I feel good today.

Blogger Note:

Since it has been a Happy Blue Year and the colours of the Barisan Nasional is Blue, it bodes well to have the 13th General elections this year.

BERSIH, Soros Open Society Foundations, Abetting Fraud

BERSIH's "BERSIH 2.0: Two Steps Rakyat Can Take to Fight the Fraud"

"New evidences of fraud continue to emerge without any concrete action taken to remedy the fraud."

Now for the most asinine but clever, to the unsuspecting, mind-boggling first step -

The first and most important step is to “Keluar Mengundi, Lawan Penipuan!” (Come out and vote, fight the fraud). BERSIH 2.0 calls on all registered voters to use your vote as a key tool in mitigating the fraud.

Guys, these are the eminent elders of civil society:

The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises:
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan (Co-Chairperson), Datuk A. Samad Said (Co-Chairperson), Ahmad Shukri Abdul Razab, Andrew Ambrose, Andrew Khoo, Anne Lasimbang, Arul Prakkash, Arumugam K., Awang Abdillah, Dr Farouk Musa, Hishamuddin Rais, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Matthew Vincent, Niloh Ason, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dato’ Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Dato’ Yeo Yang Poh and Zaid Kamaruddin

who lead thousands by their noses perpetuating spin and deceit.

The Spin
The whole election process is a fraud.  BERSIH, calls on voters to vote despite fraudulent electoral rolls and all other forms of election fraud.

The Deceit
Formula: Election Commission=Barisan Nasional Government=Fraud
Therefore: Vote against Barisan Nasional = Vote against Fraud

Conclusion
BERSIH, by the same token, calling voters to vote despite fraudulent electoral rolls and all other forms of election fraud and therefore abetting fraud, are the true fraudsters.

BERSIH, SOROS OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS

Member of BERSIH steering committee with ties to foreign Soros NGO foundations, hiding his track, is Arul Prakkash.

This link http://pipl.com/directory/name/Prakkash/Arul/ -
Right: KOMAS' lead co-ordinator, Arul Prakkash and EngageMedia assistant trainer, Mien Lor, assisting Brenda Danker during a hands-on session ... [ Komas: Latest News & Events - www.komas.org ]

Blogger calls on Arul Prakkash to explain why the above link has been deleted and what are KOMAS ties with Engagemedia?

About Engagemedia.

Engagemedia and Komas, "EngageMedia delivers skills training to Komas "

BERSIH, KOMAS and Southeast Asian Centre for e-Media (SEACEM) at JOM PANTAU and more Soros Open Society ties.

About Southeast Asian Centre for e-Media (SEACEM).

Malaysians beware! This is the actual motive of BERSIH and the recent riotous BERSIH 3.0.

To create instability and provoke Police actions.

BERSIH by their highly trained NGO cohorts like KOMAS will then widely disseminate videos of "police brutality" in various medium which incite hatred against the Government.

If by chance it results in regime change, so much the better, for "democracy" sake.

Who is George Soros and his Open Society here, here, here and here.

*More Engagemedia with SUARAM and others.

One of the earliest reports online in the Sundaily on that infamous BERSIH 3.0 day, first Posted on 28 April 2012 - 05:14pm and updated 28 April 2012 - 08:24pm "Suaram decries police action against protesters", had already started the "police brutality" allegations.

No surprises if SUARAM comes out with video "proof".

Additional material included @ 9.39 am

Astro American Idol Question

 Putra Brand of the Year winner Astro broadcasts the popular American singing contest "via satellite".

Does that mean it's broadcast live?

Oi, I already know the results before hand, as in previous years, to be revealed only @ 6.00pm on Astro.

Always wanted to ask that question.

Oon His Knees Bowing, Hail DAP, Good Riddance Tunku (Part 2)

PART 2: OON YEOH, THE LOYAL DAP LACKEY

His blog is called the Oon Yeoh New Media Guy, this is the link that reveals hides his rocking love for the DAP entitled "3 Hot Days in Penang - Day 1 (DAP Rocks Penang)" -

The missing link is here.

Rocking DAP pics by Oon, the DAP lackey. I like the caption on this one. Caesar Lim arriving.

"Guan Eng arrives in style, carried by supporters from one end of the padang all the way to the stage."

This closet DAP sycophant writes about ex-DAP vice-chairman, Tunku Abdul Aziz and the DAP PR disaster, who, unwanted for an honest view, Tunku Aziz quits DAP.

The lackey calls it, "Irreconcilable differences".

Trying to be smart it only shows toady Oon to be a toad.

If of an honorable man who espouse observing the rule of law, the irreconcilable difference is one who would do otherwise, encouraging transgression of the law.

Here is someone who probably could not get anyone to speak for him and Tunku Aziz obliging a fellow DAP man,

"I don’t know the man personally. The closest interaction I’ve had with him was when he gave the opening speech at the launch of my book Najib’s First 100 Days in mid-2008"

And like leaders of the opposition, Oon Yeoh lies thru his bloody teeth, "Najib 1st 100 days: honeymoon or not?"

GERAK BUDAYA invites you to a book launch, Najib’s First 100 Days – No Honeymoon, by Oon Yeoh. This book will be launched by Tunku Abdul Aziz, a senator and former president of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International on:

Date : August 12, 2009 (Wednesday)
Time : 8.00 pm – 10.00 pm
Venue : Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, 50150 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ulasan Buku: Najib's first 100 days-no honey moon -

Tarikh/Tahun, Terbit: 2009

Come on lah toad, trying to dissociate yourself from Tunku Aziz and do some hiding ah?

That should suffice but I have to give him a kick up his backside.

Oon toad, you wrote -

"Rather, Hong believes that “the Tunku not only appears to be out of step with his party but also out of touch with public sentiment”. I think this is spot on.

If obeying the law is out of touch with public sentiment, you are the type of public person I will avoid with a 20 foot pole.

Oon His Knees Bowing, Hail DAP, Good Riddance Tunku (Part 1)

First father, Julius Lim, gives you a welcome mat. They "incentivise" you with a position. Then, when things don't go their way, son Augustus Lim lets the dogs out.

These rabid dogs don't just bark, they bite.

So when your are in a place where rabid dogs bark incessantly day and night, worse still they bite, you either get rid of dangerous dogs or you move out.

So it was when DAP vice-president and ex-Senator, Tunku Abdul Aziz spoke his mind, he was not only punished, he was fed to the dogs.

The welcome mat is now littered with dog shit.

And when the DAP vice-president, Tunku Abdul Aziz did the honourable thing by leaving a party that no longer welcomed him, out poops Augustus Lim asking the ex-Senator to reconsider.

What a bloody hypocrite.

UP NEXT PART 2: OON YEOH, THE LOYAL DAP LACKEY

Marina Mahathir and Some Guy Named Sam Peh -The State of Malaysian Media

I thought deep and hard about what these two writers opined, both appearing in that alternative, The Malaysian Insider, and write what my conscience bids.

First Sam Peh, I was tempted to make fun of the name (am being honest), and his two sen worth, Malaysia’s sad media – Sam Peh.

When he picks the Bar (he was also there) and a liar Xeno, to make his point, you know where the person is coming from.

Well, choosing a portal that never learns prone to apologies, as his choice mouthpiece, says much about the person's discerning faculties.

That and all I can say, with "Yesterday more than 1,200 lawyers voted at a Bar Council EGM to condemn police brutality at Bersih 3.0 but the Umno owned paper focussed on 16 little known lawyers who dissented. And to make matters worse the report focussed on whether the quorum was reached (which it was) and whether all those who turned up were lawyers. What rubbish reporting", 1,200 lawyers should be enough personnel and munition to sue the NST if the report slandered the Bar.

Now for Marina Mahathir, sadly also.

Blogger wonders why she does not use her column, in The Star where she contributes, to disclose the state of affairs behind the scenes, after all these years.

She has enough experience to slip through self-censorship without notice, of her latest experience.

That said, I will agree with her that the mainstream media and their journos should publish and report without fear or favour, with the strictest proviso - responsible and truthful reporting.

Digressing, reading the Malaysian Insider report, "Self-censorship futile, says Marina Mahathir", I feel vindicated, even if only a bit.

“I’ve been writing there for something like 23 years I’m a bit sentimental about it I do know that a lot of people just read me there and nowhere else so I feel a bit reluctant to just completely stop ” she said.

She does need the the attention.

Continuing, the Home Ministry should not be overly sensitive and seen to be high-handed when reports and articles run counter to the government's political point of views and stand.

We deride the opposition DAP in the Tunku Abdul Aziz affair and admonish them, rightfully, as false champions of freedom of everything especially freedom of speech and expression. Yet, we are seen not offering the same press freedom when the government is at the other short end of an issue.

It is altogether another matter when publications crosses the line on religious and racial issues, a very thin line.

Therefore, I beg to differ with her Erykah Badu thing. The Star did the write thing to apologise whether before or after facts that arose.

What both Sam Peh and Marina imply are that Malaysian mainstream media are biased, with deliberate intent or with a twist, of the arm, to favour the ruling establishment.

Media bias is not a Malaysian phenomena, the "Majority in U.S. Continues to Distrust the Media, Perceive Bias", for example.

Apart from The Star and the NST, are The Sundaily, The Malay Mail, and I want to add The Edge Malaysia, frequently self censoring and biased?

Ten ways for an altered state of Malaysian media:

1. The mainstream media must give personalities like Ambiga and members of the opposition like  Lim Guan Eng and Anwar Ibrahim more exposure for the reading public.

2. Give more permits for Chinese vernacular newspapers.

3. As the Printing Press and Publications Act has been loosened, remove those inconvenient caveats imposed on the Harakah for members only, The Rocket for members only, The Herald for Catholics only. The non member Chinese also want to read the Harakah, the non member Malays also want to read the Rocket and everyone wants to read The Catholic Herald.

4. Since there are only government controlled public listed newspapers, The Harakah and The Rocket should merge as a single publishing entity and apply for a permit and the Home Ministry should grant one without conditions (see #3) that are as effective as remedies for the common cold.

5. Pakatan Rakyat can call for ubah donations to take over The Edge Malaysia and make offer the can't refuse.

6. Since Home Ministers past and present have always been questioned for their wisdom on the subject in question, appoint someone from the opposition to the post. Someone widely seen to uphold the rule of law, for example Tungku Abdul Aziz.

7. Police must not use extreme force with officers of the press, foreign or local, in any situation. Especially local press corps as they are only doing their job to give the government's view.

8. All state governments should publish and distribute free of charge, publications of special interest to the Rakyat even to places of worship, like the Selangor State Government's "Selangor Times".

9. Since foreign mainstream media are often cited as free and fair, offer foreign media moguls opportunites and incentives to invest, base their operations and publish news in Malaysia, Rupert Murdoch comes to mind.

10. Do away ALL laws not loosen laws pertaining to printing and publication, allow everyone and anyone to feel free to print anything and everything without exception. There must be no restrictions. As a gesture of sincerity on the part of the government, by legislation:

(a) The BAR Council be appointed sole legal representatives and custodian of printing and publishing.

(b) Ten copies of the publication, within 48 hours after printing, must be sent to the BAR Council, to protect individuals/groups/entities from any legal proceedings, claims and suits should any publication result in conflict, riots, damage to goods and property, and any other injury the Bar Council deem fit.

(c)  Laws pertaining to slander and defamation will still apply to any publication to protect the reputation of individuals, groups, entities  and lawyers incomes.

That should make everyone happy.

Blogger note:

PAS and DAP should seriously consider merging their print mediums, Harakah and Rocket. The same silly caveat should not be a problem as the enlarged entity would still be for members only. It would provide for some very politically and socially informative, vibrant and entertaining fare. At last, a fair and free-for-all newspaper.

Post Script

As for free to air and satellite TV and radio medium, when Pakatan Rakyat takes over - it will be status quo. Believe you, me.