Bala 'vindicated' by Deepak's expression of regret

The man who claimed to have been coerced to reverse his sworn testimony linking then deputy prime minister Najib Razak with murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaaribuu, said he was please that the truth had finally emerged.



Private investigator P Balasubramaniam said carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan (left), who was involved in getting him to reverse his statutory declaration (SD), did "the correct thing".



In an email response to Malaysiakini over Deepak's about-turn, Balasubramaniam urged the carpet trader to reveal everything he knows about the sordid affair.



"I would like him to confirm who exactly put him up to all this and exactly who were the individuals involved from the beginning to the end," said Balasubramaniam, who has been living in exile with his family in India for three years since he fled the country after signing the second SD.



Deepak, in an interview with Malaysiakini early this week, said his participation in the conspiracy was due to a request from a "female friend" associated with the parties who would be affected by the fallout of Balasubramaniam's original statutory declaration.



Meanwhile, Balasubramaniam (right) added he wanted to know who the lawyer who allegedly drafted the second SD, which he said was prepared without his "knowledge or input".



"The question is who did it? No one interviewed me before preparing that second SD. It was prepared without my knowledge or input. I would like to find out who this lawyer is."



The following is Balasubramaniam's email response to Malaysiakini.



Malaysiakini: Deepak has more or less confirmed his involvement in your second SD case. Do you feel vindicated?



Balasubramaniam: I am pleased that Deepak has finally come out and told the truth. Now perhaps everyone will believe what I have been saying for the past three years.



I was asked to sign that second SD when I was being held in a room at the Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on the night of July 4, 2008, while my wife and children were being intimidated by members of the military intelligence.



I had earlier the night before been taken to meet Nazim Razak (brother of then deputy prime minister Najib) at the Volkswagen showroom in The Curve, Damansara. He basically warned me to follow Deepak's instructions if I loved my family and wanted them to be safe.



I did not read that second SD. I was just asked to sign it and was told everything would be okay.



A commissioner for oaths turned up in my room at the Hilton Hotel in the early morning to witness my signature. This commissioner for oaths had an address at the law office of Zul Rafique & Co.



I don't know who prepared that second SD but it must have been a lawyer the way it was written. I did not see any other lawyer that night. The only lawyer I saw was (M) Arunampalam () in the morning at the Prince Hotel. Deepak has confirmed Arunampalam did not prepare that second SD.



The question is who did it? No one interviewed me before preparing that second SD. It was prepared without my knowledge or input. I would like to find out who this lawyer is.



According to Deepak, he never got any money from you or your lawyer. Your response?



That is true. This payment of RM100,000 was made in cash into my wife's account in KL by a friend of Deepak. After the payment had been made, he emailed me the paying-in slip.



This payment, plus the apartment at Berjaya Times Square, was supposed to be for a media statement I was asked to release just before the Sarawak elections in April 2011.



I have a copy of the S&P (sales and purchase) agreement for this apartment in my wife's name. This agreement was again prepared by the lawyer, Arunampalam.



The script for this media statement had been prepared by Deepak. It was full of lies and implicated my lawyer Americk Sidhu for accepting money from (PKR leader) Anwar Ibrahim to concoct the first SD.



It was never my intention to release this media statement. I had been advised by my lawyer to play along with this scheme and to gather evidence against Deepak.



At the last moment, I told Deepak I would not release this statement. He got very angry and called me a ‘sodomite'. I have this telephone conversation recorded.



My wife did not sign the S&P agreement for the Berjaya Times Square apartment (right). I instructed my lawyer to write to Deepak asking to return the RM100,000 to him.



My lawyer received no response so he sent a reminder. Still no response. So Deepak is correct in saying this RM100,000 was never returned to him. It is still sitting in my wife's account.



If Deepak confirms he is the one who banked in this cash into my wife's account, I will gladly return this dirty money to him. At the same time, I will lodge another report with the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission).



What would you advise Deepak to do?



I think what Deepak is doing at the moment is the correct thing. Eventually the truth will emerge. I would like him to confirm who exactly put him up to all this and exactly who were the individuals involved from the beginning to the end.



Perhaps he will now achieve some inner peace for what he has done to me and my family. I want to return to Malaysia to carry on with my life without fear for my safety and the safety of my family.



Source: Malaysiakini

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Bala 'vindicated' by Deepak's expression of regret

Masalah tanah dan tanah adat berleluasa di seluruh Sabah

KENINGAU - Masalah tanah dan tanah adat (NCR) begitu berleluasa diseluruh negeri Sabah. Kejadian rampasan tanah dan hak anak negeri terabai oleh kerajaan BN. Demikian juga masalah tanah berlaku di kawasan Mukim Dalit dan di Kg Rimbayan kawasan Sook.



Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP) telah menggubal polisi untuk menyelesaikan masalah tanah di Sabah. Tanah adat (NCR) dan tanah-tanah yang dahulunya dipohon oleh penduduk kampung dan telah diambil oleh orang lain atau syarikat akan dikaji semula dan akan dikembalikan kepada penduduk kampung termasuk geran komunial juga akan di kaji semula seterusnya akan dibahagi-bahagikan dalam bentuk geran NT kepada penduduk kampung. Demikian saranan Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee, Presiden SAPP semasa lawatan ke Kg. Dalit Station dan Kg. Rimbayan Sook.



Orang asing (PTI) dengan senang wenang mendapat kad pengenalan MyKad sudah sampai ke satu tahap yang membimbangkan. Projek IC dibawah pemerintahan Umno/BN menjadi masalah besar kepada rakyat Sabah, mereka jadi warga Negara dengan begitu mudah sekali yang diurus oleh Putrajaya. Hak dan keselamatan rakyat Sabah sudah terancam, masalah sosial, masalah jenayah dan rampasan hak dan peluang rakyat Sabah amat terasa disemua pelusuk negeri Sabah.

Untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini SAPP akan mengeluarkan Kad Pengenalan Sabah (IC SABAH), untuk rakyat tulin Sabah. Orang Sarawak dan Semenanjung yang sudah jadi penduduk tetap di Sabah juga layak memohon. Cara ini sahajalah dapat membezakan orang asing yang ada MyKad dengan rakyat Sabah tulin yang ada Mykad dan Sabah IC.



Semua urusan kerajaan termasuk permohonan lesen perniagaan, biasiswa, permohonan kerja, kebajikan, permohonan tanah dan sebagainya perlu gunakan Sabah IC untuk mendapat kelulusan.



Dalam majlis Harapan Baru Sabah tersebut, Presiden SAPP telah Melancarkan Markas SAPP Mukim Dalit dan Sub Markas Kg. Rimbayan. Seramai 100 orang meyertai SAPP di Kg.Dalit dan seramai 120 orang meyertai SAPP di Kg.Rimbayan.



Turut hadir ialah Datuk Hj Md Noor Mansor, Timbalan Presiden Datuk Eric Majimbun, Hj.Amde Sidik, Naib Presiden Datuk Frankie Chong, Edward Dagul, Jimmy Jawatah, Japiril Suhaimin, AMT, Aloysius Danim, Abdul Malik, Kpt Joseph Lakai, Puan Irene Chan dan pemimpin-pemimpin CLC Sook.



SAPP Media

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Masalah tanah dan tanah adat berleluasa di seluruh Sabah

Warga Asing Pakistan Bawa 1.5kg Syabu Diceup

Ruzaini Zulkifli



BAGASI......JANATHAN (kiri) menunjukkan syabu yang disorok suspek di dalam paket plastik ketika pemeriksaan bagasi di Wisma Kastam, Kota Kinabalu kelmarin.



KOTA KINABALU: Hasrat seorang lelaki warga asing untuk ‘mengaut hasil’ dengan taktik menyeludup dadah yang disorokkan di dalam bagasi pakaian akhirnya tidak kesampaian setelah dikesan dalam mesin pengimbas di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsan Kota Kinabalu (LTAKK) kelmarin.



Dadah seberat 1.5 kilogram dan mempunyai nilai pasaran sekitar RM375,000 berkenaan difahamkan telah disembunyikan oleh suspek di dalam dua bekas paket plastik gula jenis Gulaku Murni berasal dari Indonesia di bagasi miliknya bagi mengaburi mata penguatkuasa.



Insiden yang berlaku pada 25 November sekitar jam 7.30 petang itu, suspek berusia 35 tahun terbabit dikatakan baru tiba daripada negara Brunei Darussalam sebelum melalui pemeriksaan bagasi di situ.





Pengarah Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia (JKDM) Sabah, Dr Janathan Kandok berkata ketika pemeriksaan imbas itu dilakukan, pihaknya telah mengesan imej mencurigakan yang terdapat dalam bagasi milik suspek.



Beliau menjelaskan pemeriksaan lanjut telah dibuat ke atas bagasi suspek dan pihak Kastam telah menjumpai satu beg plastik yang mencurigakan di dalam bagasi berkenaan.



“Ketika pemeriksaan dilakukan, para pegawai daripada Cawangan Pemeriksaan Penumpang LTAKK JKDM telah menemui beg plastik yang mengandungi dua bekas paket plastik bersama pakaian yang lain.



“Lanjutan daripada itu, kita telah menjumpai serbuk kasar di dalam kedua-dua bekas paket plastik itu dan hasil pengesanan awal dadah ianya merupakan dadah jenis syabu.



“Anggaran berat kasar dadah itu dianggarkan lebih kurang 1.5 kilogram dengan nilai pasaran difahamkan mencecah RM375,000,” katanya pada satu sidang media kelmarin.



Menurut Janathan, pihaknya tidak menafikan suspek dipercayai terlibat dengan aktiviti membawa masuk dadah ke negeri ini berdasarkan rekod keluar masuk termasuklah beberapa destinasi lain seperti negara Brunei dan Indonesia.



“Suspek yang ditahan fasih berbahasa Malaysia dan dipercayai tinggal di daerah Papar sejak beberapa tahun dahulu.



“Kes akan disiasat mengikut Seksyen 39B Akta Dadah Berbahaya 1952 iaitu mengedar dadah yang memperuntukkan hukuman gantung sehingga mati jika sabit kesalahan,” katanya.



Beliau menambah, ini merupakan kes kedua bagi tahun ini oleh Kastam Sasbah melibatkan cubaan untuk menyeludup dadah melalui pintu masuk lapangan terbang.



Pada 20 November lepas, JKDM berjaya menahan seorang lelaki tempatan berusia 31 tahun di Terminal Dua Tanjung Aru kerana membawa masuk syabu seberat 4 kilogram yang bernilai RM1 juta.



“Kita mengalu-alukan kerjasama orang ramai untuk menyalur maklumat kepada Kastam dengan menghubungi mana-mana pejabat berdekatan atau hubungi talian bebas tol 1-800-88-8855 sekiranya mempunyai sebarang maklumat berhubung kes seumpama ini,” katanya.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Warga Asing Pakistan Bawa 1.5kg Syabu Diceup

Deepak to reveal more dirt from under the carpet

Controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan, however, wants protection for himself as he would be talking about the 'prime minister and his family'.



KUALA LUMPUR: Businessman Deepak Jaikishan, who said he “can’t get the ghost of Altantuya out of me”, yesterday promised to reveal more details on the behind-the-scenes dealings surrounding the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.



But said that he required protection for himself first as he would be talking about the “prime minister and his family”.



In a press conference he called yesterday, Deepak, a well-connected carpet dealer, said he is appearing now to clear his conscience as “the ghost of Altantuya continues to haunt” him.



He said that he had suffered in his business and mentally after he got himself involved with arranging for the second Statutory Declaration (SD) for private investigator P Balasubramaniam on the behest of a “female friend”.



The second SD reversed an earlier one which had directly linked prime minister Najib Tun Razak to the Altantuya murder.



“I can’t get the ghost of Altantuya out of me. It is bothering me. I want to come clean, I want to apologise to her that I was trying to conceal the fact that I was involved in facilitating the second SD,” he said.



“I want justice for her. I want the people responsible to be incriminated, given appropriate sentences. Whoever actually killed her and instructed it, they must take the responsibility.”



When asked if he had direct knowledge of who instructed the killing, Deepak said he did not.



However, he revealed more details surrounding the reason why he was roped in to help facilitate a second SD in such a hurry.



‘Police have all the evidence’



“Everybody knew there was a second SD, but why was there this urgency for it to be done the next day, and not the next week?”

“The SD was not just about the opposition. There was a concentrated effort of two factions here. You had Bala sitting down with Anwar and you had another faction who didn’t want the people named in the first SD to come to power. They were determined, although they were from different sides, to work together to achieve this. Both had the power to do this,” he said, adding that the other side came from Umno itself.



He said that the side that wanted to push for the second SD and overturn the original SD was the one that protected or ensured that Najib became prime minister.



“I got involved in the second SD to protect the interest of Najib. There is no other logical reason, is there?” he said.



Deepak said that if the police were serious about solving the case, they would be able to. “They have all the evidence already, it’s whether they want to or not.”



He said the faction supporting Najib was not so much worried about the contents of the first SD, but the subsequent repercussions.



“[As a result of the first SD], there were people involved in the actual act… one of these persons was going to come out and admit that he was involved [in the Altantuya incident] and who had instructed him. They [faction supporting Najib] were worried of this repercussion, because they knew this was the next stage,” he said.



In July 2008, Balasubramaniam had gone public with the first SD but withdrew it at another press conference the following day.

Balasubramaniam then produced a second SD, claiming that he had made the first one under duress and fled the country the next day.



‘We have been intimidated’



Balasubramaniam re-emerged on Nov 12, 2009, in the form of a five-part YouTube video interview – believed to be shot in India – retracting his second SD and claiming that he had only made it after being offered RM5 million by Deepak.

Deepak, who only addressed the controversy on April 6, 2011 after whistleblower Raja Petra Kamarudin revived the matter, then described Balasubramaniam as his mere clubbing mate.



In the press briefing yesterday, Deepak said that subsequent to his involvement in 2008, he has been pressured by the “powers that be” to be silent.



“[During 2010 and 2011], I have been raided by various agencies sent by the government to silence me not once but many times. They have taken documents from us. We have been intimidated and kept silent all this while,” he said.



“This was the first time I saw the magnitude of the government machinery coming down on me. I had government officers everywhere – in my bedroom, my office, my factory, my secretary’s office, my father’s room, everywhere.”



Deepak said that he also lost a lot of business deals with the government.



“Other things have happened. There has been a lot of withdrawal and cancellation of contracts and concessions given to us. We had a 20-year contract to build 16 1Malaysia Mara hostels overseas worth RM2 billion. It was suspended,” he said.



He said that he may now take legal action against the government, including the prime minister himself, for terminating the various contracts.



‘I don’t know Muhyiddin’



“We are also looking at the involvement of a particular person, who is not in the government, to claim damages from this person,” he said.



However, when asked if he was referring to Rosmah Mansor, wife of the prime minister, Deepak promptly replied: “I will not comment today. I will give you the documents [later] and we will talk more. I won’t name the person.”



Yesterday, Deepak was also grilled on his reasons for coming out now but denied that it had anything to do with the ongoing Umno annual general assembly.



Asked if he had “switched camps” to support Muhyiddin Yassin to take down Najib, Deepak said that he does not know the deputy prime minister personally.



“Well I have never actually sat down with Muhyiddin and talked to him. I did meet him once at a function, maybe about two or three years ago; aside from that, I have never met him.



“I don’t know him personally, I don’t have his phone number, and honestly after my experience I don’t want to have anything to do with politicians. I’d rather just stick to my business, ” he said.



Deepak said that he had also suffered mentally as a result of his “minimal” involvement, and has lost a lot of weight.



“I used to be a very bubbly person. My father says I have grown from a boy into a worried man,” he said.



He said that following his media interviews in the past few days, he has been asked to resign from the board of 26 companies that he has equity in for his involvement in the Bala controversy.



“The lesson learnt is that it is best to focus on business. No need to get involved in helping politicians in these Bala-type scenarios. It is not worth it at all,” said Deepak.



He added that he would be going on a “long holiday” in Myanmar from Dec 10 to March 11, on his birthday.



By Teoh El Sen

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Deepak to reveal more dirt from under the carpet

Local girl raped and murdered by Pakistani

KOTA KINABALU: Police have arrested a 40-year-old man in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Sabah's northern Kota Marudu district.



The suspect, a foreigner who operates a furniture shop, was arrested at about 10am Tuesday after the body of Norikoh Saliwah was found thrown by the roadside near Kampung Ranau at about 12.40pm on Sunday about 2km from Kota Marudu town.



Acting Kota Marudu district police chief Asst Supt Kamaruddin Sulaiman in confirming the arrest said that police believe that the girl was raped and murdered.



"We are questioning the suspect," he said without wanting elaborate further on the case that has sparked outrage among the people in Kota Marudu.

According to friends and family, Norikah Saliwah (right) was last seen going into a furniture shop with her sister and their cousin.



The sister and cousin had apparently left her at the shop as she had gone to see furniture at the upper floor of the shop.



It was the last time she was seen by the sister and her cousin who only realised she was missing at round noon on Sunday.



Police, who initially found the body by the road, suspected that she might been a victim of hit and run.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Local girl raped and murdered by Pakistani

French lawyer: Najib, Razak Baginda 'priority witnesses'

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his confidante Abdul Razak Baginda are the “priority witnesses” in the investigation of the Scorpene scandal, said French lawyer Apoline Cagnat.



She is representing human rights NGO Suaram in the probe by the French judiciary.



Cagnat (left in photo) told a briefing for Malaysian parliamentarians today in Singapore that, of the seven witnesses submitted by Suaram and accepted by the French judiciary, Najib and Razak are the most important.



“I hope the judges manage to interrogate them,” she said.



The other five witnesses are:



- Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi



- Setev Shaariibuu, the father of murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu



- private investigator P Balasubramaniam



- Boustead Holdings Bhd group managing director and deputy chairperson Lodin Wok Kamaruddin



- Jasbir Singh Chahl, said to be Razak's right-hand man



By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - French lawyer: Najib, Razak Baginda 'priority witnesses'

Deepak: I regretted getting involved in Bala's SD

Businessperson Deepak Jaikishan regretted his involvement in getting private investigator P Balasubramaniam to make a second statutory declaration (SD) which reversed an earlier one linking Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.



In an interview with Malaysiakini last night, Deepak said he had only become involved at the request of a female friend associated with the parties who would be affected by the fallout of the first statutory declaration.



“I was asked to help by a friend, I agreed to help her because I could see the repercussions will affect their entire group. It was to me - getting involved in this whole Bala fiasco - a mistake.



“I had no business being there, I am a businessman. I regret helping a friend whom I thought was true... I am not supposed to be involved in this James Bond movie,” he said.



However, Deepak (left) declined to elaborate on the identity of this female friend.



Asked to elaborate on his regret, after a long pause, Deepak replied: “Would you not regret getting involved in something so murky, that involves murder, that involves so many things which are so negative, would you not regret it? Anybody would regret it.”



The carpet merchant added that the fiasco had created a “negative aura” for him as a businessperson.



Balasubramaniam, who had gone public with the first SD on July 3, 2008 abruptly withdrew it at another press conference the following day.



Accompanied by lawyer M Arulampalam on that day, Balasubramaniam produced a second SD, claiming that he had made the first one under duress and fled the country the next day.



Balasubramaniam (right) re-emerged on Nov 12, 2009 in the form of a five-part YouTube video interview - believed to be shot in India - retracting his second SD and claiming that he had only made it after being offered RM5 million from Deepak whom he claimed was linked to the premier’s wife Rosmah Mansor.



Deepak, who only addressed the controversy on April 6, 2011 after whistleblower Raja Petra Kamaruddin revived the matter, dismissed his links to Balasubramaniam as a mere clubbing mate and described Rosmah as like an “older sister” who buys carpets from him.



‘I brought everyone together for SD 2.0'



However, in the interview yesterday, Deepak said there was a “tinge of truth” to what the private eye had been claiming in the SD saga.



Explaining his role, Deepak said he was responsible for facilitating the meeting between Balasubramaniam and the party that was implicated by the first SD.



“It was damage control to stop the problem... I was tasked - don’t ask me who tasked me today - with getting him to agree to sign another SD, not because of the (first) SD itself but because of the repercussions that will happen the next day if that (first) SD was not reversed,” he said.



“For today, let’s just put it this way, we assisted, we did not draft (the second SD)... it was not (drafted by) the same lawyer that appeared (at the press conference) the next day, it was (by) a completely different lawyer.



“We assisted in getting everybody together but the first lawyer was not mine, it was sent by the people who were in the group (implicated in the first SD) that we merely put in the same room,” he said.



Asked if the RM5 million incentive Balasubramaniam claimed he was offered for doing the second SD was true, Deepak replied: “Knowing Bala, he would not have done it for nothing.”



However, when pressed if the money came from him or from the parties implicated by the first SD, Deepak declined to elaborate, stating that it may be revealed in future interviews.

In July this year, Balasubramaniam, who briefly re-emerged in Kuala Lumpur, told Malaysiakini that Deepak had tried to bribe him a second time, this time with RM200,000 and an apartment at Times Square, for the private eye to produce a video recording implicating opposition figures for making him retract his second SD.



For this, Balasubramaniam claimed that an intermediary by the name of Suresh had banked in RM100,000 in advance to account of the former’s wife, but he later had the money transferred to his lawyer, asking that it be returned to Deepak.



‘No one returned any money to me’



Responding to this, Deepak said: “I read about this in the papers, about him wanting to return money to me, but I never got any money from him or his lawyer, that’s the truth.”



“I don’t know where this RM100,000 scenario came into play, because out of the blue he came and mentioned about this RM100,000 he wanted to return to me.



“Of course, if he has taken money from me and he wants to return (it to me), very good lah,” he added.



However, Deepak refused to respond further to repeated questions on Balasubramaniam’s second round of allegations, stating that it may be done in the future.



“I also want to get the Bala matter off my chest. I think as a businessman, I don’t want this cloud hanging over my head and it is best that it is resolved at the right time, (but) not tonight,” he said.



Asked if he has decided to go public on this because of a particular business dispute with the powers-that-be, he replied: “Nothing... We have done other bigger building transactions through the same group and the same people.”



However, asked if the “same people” meant Najib, Deepak nodded silently, and when queried for details, he replied: “Not today”.



This interview was jointly conducted by Fathi Aris Omar, Wong Teck Chi and Nigel Aw.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Deepak: I regretted getting involved in Bala's SD

My Life My Stories: Facts About Sex

What is sex?

Do you agree that every Malaysian were enjoying their Sex Pleasure during Friday Night???

Sources: Blog Serious

Link: RSS Syndication

READ MORE - My Life My Stories: Facts About Sex

‘Virgin Mary’ image still drawing hundreds

Malaysians of various races and religions continue to gather before the purported image of the Virgin Mary.



SUBANG JAYA: Hundreds of devout Catholics, sceptics and curious onlookers continue to gather at the Sime Darby Medical Centre, where a purported image of the Virgin Mary first appeared on one of the hospital’s window panes a little over a week ago.



Many were seen clasping their hands, their eyes shut in prayer. Others took snapshots or stood on tiptoe to peer at the window panel, where the image was easily visible to the naked eye.



Several uniformed nurses were also among the multiracial crowd, clearly taking a short break from work to utter their prayers.



But despite the large gathering present and the religious tensions gripping the country the past few days, the atmosphere was peaceful; the people united irrespective of their race and religion.



Among those drawn to the image were a tudung-clad mother and daughter. They weaved through the obliging crowd to get a better view of the window panel, despite looking out of place among the throng of non-Muslims.

“We came here because it’s so interesting – it’s something ‘unexplainable’, you know?” the mother explained to FMT while her daughter fumbled for her camera.



“One’s interpretation of the phenomena depends on one’s faith,” she said with a smile.



“Curiosity brought us here,” the daughter added, wiping her sweating brow as the sun’s rays beat upon them.



The duo’s presence did not go unnoticed – others smiled warmly their way, while one Catholic named Christopher Yap approached FMT to express his happiness that members of different faith had also come to witness the sight.



“It’s wonderful that people from different religions want to learn and understand more about this,” beamed Yap, nodding towards the two.



Religious matters are considered sensitive in Malaysia – in January 2010, a court decision over the use of the word “Allah” in Malay-language bibles sparked a series of attacks on churches, and other places of worship, all over the country.



More recently, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar has courted controversy for allegedly saying that Malays were free to choose their religion, with the police opening up investigations under the Sedition Act.



“For me, I am personally sceptical that it is a genuine image of the Virgin Mary. There have been too many hoaxes. But if it is real, then that is really good for Catholics,” said Yap, adding that he had come here with his mother, aunt and children.



Another member of the crowd, Shamala, enthusiastically shared with FMT the purported special qualities of the image.



“The aura of the image is very clear; it is so interesting to see,” said Shamala, gesturing towards the window panel.



“And as you can see, all the other window panels reflect the sun, but this one is faded.



“They also say that every time a photo is taken, it appears different in the picture,” she added.



But, like Yap, she said she was not entirely convinced that it was truly an apparition.



“To me, it could be an image of a man, so I’m not entirely convinced. But this is bringing Catholics together in prayer, so that is a good thing,” she said.



Meanwhile, over the quiet hum of the crowd, the soft melody of a hymn could be heard; to one side stood a multiracial group of Catholics praying together.



Among them were sisters Jesintha and Rosalind Joseph, and their friend Theresa Henry, who told FMT that this was their seventh visit to see the image.



“We feel so blessed that we can see our Lady Mary here,” said Henry, a wide smile on her face.



“She has a message, and it is a message of peace for the world, and for us to come back to God. She wants to tell us how much she loves us,” she added.



Jesintha said she had just returned from the Louvre, where an apparition of the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared.



“I felt so peaceful there, so happy, I didn’t want to leave. And I thought that the Virgin Mary would never come to Malaysia – I even told that to my husband. But she proved me wrong,” said Jesintha with a laugh.



“When I heard that she appeared here, I prayed fervently she would still be here when I arrive in Malaysia. And she is,” said Jesintha.



Her sister Rosalind added: “Our Lady is here for everyone, regardless of race, religion. Because we are all one people, we are all God’s creation.



“It is a message of peace and love for everyone.”



The window pane is not expected to remain at the hospital for long, however; on Tuesday, the hospital agreed to give it to the Catholic Church, to be placed at the Marian Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Klang.



When contacted, a spokesperson of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes told FMT that they did not know when the window pane would be transferred, and that they were still awaiting a decision from authorities.



The Catholic Church said it will withhold comment until the image has been tested and verified by authorities.



Anisah Shukry

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - ‘Virgin Mary’ image still drawing hundreds

Wanita 61 Tahun Dagang Gadis Bawah Umur, Di Penjara 6 Tahun

Seorang wanita tempatan berusia 61 tahun dijatuhkan hukuman penjara selama enam tahun oleh Mahkamah Tinggi di sini kelmarin atas kesalahan memperdagangkan seorang remaja perempuan bagi tujuan eksploitasi.

Ketua Hakim Sabah dan Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum (gambar atas) mengenakan hukuman itu terhadap Mak Gonda Ad Rahman (gambar post atas), selepas membenarkan rayuan daripada pihak pendakwaan atas hukuman yang dijatuhkan oleh mahkamah rendah.

Richard dalam penghakimannya berkata, mahkamah memandang serius kesalahan berkenaan, yang mana berkaitan dengan eksploitasi.

Tambahnya, responden seharusnya melindungi mangsa dan aktiviti seumpama itu tidak mudah dikesan, oleh itu, hukuman harus ditingkatkan daripada dua tahun setengah kepada enam tahun.

Responden dijatuhkan hukuman penjara dua tahun setengah oleh Mahkamah Sesyen pada 9 Oktober tahun ini, selepas mengaku bersalah memperdagangkan mangsa berusia 13 tahun, pada 27 September lalu jam 2 petang, di sebuah bilik hotel, Jalan Hj Yaakub, Kg Air, Kota Kinabalu.

Sumber: Utusan Borneo

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Wanita 61 Tahun Dagang Gadis Bawah Umur, Di Penjara 6 Tahun

Another Indonesian raped in Malaysia

An Indonesian maid has allegedly been raped by her employer in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, Indon Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa revealed on Tuesday.



The incident took place two days after allegations of a shocking rape of an Indonesian migrant worker (pic at left - Siti Maemanah Kasman) in Penang by three Malaysian police officers.



“We just heard today that another Indonesian citizen has been raped. This time, by her employer,” Marty said.



The Acehnese maid was reportedly raped on Nov. 5 by her employer and assaulted by the employer’s wife. However, the Malaysian police only informed the ministry of the case on Monday night.



Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene said the matter was discovered when the employer’s wife took the maid to a police station, accusing her of theft.



“Noticing that the maid was injured, police officers questioned her. She later testified that she had been abused and raped.



When police tried to obtain statements from the employers, they were found to have run away,” he said via telephone.



The Negeri Sembilan police are still looking for the couple, while the maid is now being treated at a hospital in Seremban.



The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur deployed a team on Tuesday to give her support and protection.



“Doctors say her condition is improving. This incident saddens us and we cannot accept this,” Marty added.



He called on the Malaysian authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the case.



“The Malaysian police must detain the employers who have reportedly run away,” he said.



Responding to the two rape cases of Indonesian workers, Marty has corresponded with Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, requesting the Malaysian government give its fullest attention to the cases.



Separately, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the suspension of permission for migrant workers to travel to Malaysia, which began last December, would continue until the two countries agreed on appropriate protection for Indonesian migrant workers and until Malaysia was seen to uphold justice in four major outstanding cases involving Indonesians there.



“The government will continue to discourage migrant workers from traveling to Malaysia until all those involved in the four cases are brought to justice,” he said.



He was referring to the killing of three migrant workers from West Nusa Tenggara on March 25, three East Javanese workers on June 19 and five from Batam on Sept. 7.



Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno on Monday submitted a diplomatic note of protest to the Malaysian government over the rape case, which has sparked public outcry.



Muhaimin said Indonesia would resume labor supply only when the Malaysian government could guarantee the safety of Indonesian migrant workers in that country.



“I have instructed the Indonesian team in the bilateral working group to put the strongest emphasis on protection for migrant workers and their families as a preliminary condition in the ongoing review of our labor agreement,” he said.



The director general for overseas labor placement and protection at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, Reyna Usman, said her office was awaiting the arrival of the Malaysian task force before evaluating the increasing number of crimes against Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.



“If the current conditions are found to be unsatisfactory, we will continue to suspend the sending of workers to Malaysia until our neighboring country improves conditions and can guarantee our workers’ safety,” she added. (yps)



Ridwan Max Sijabat

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Another Indonesian raped in Malaysia

Menyerang Lahirul Latigu (Pas Sabah) Akan Menjamin Kekalahan Umno Sabah

awang_tongkol via email







Seteruk-teruk anjing tidak menyalak orang yang memberinya makanan.

Tetapi Umno Sabah hendak membakar rumah sendiri dengan mendedahkan asal usul

penyokong mereka melalui RCI.





Timbul cerita di Sabah. Tiba-tiba belanga mengutuk kuali hitam legam. Yang mana satu hitam, yang mana satu legam cuma nenek kebayan yang tahu sebab si nenek menggunakan kedua-duanya sebagai



ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Menyerang Lahirul Latigu (Pas Sabah) Akan Menjamin Kekalahan Umno Sabah

Pemuda SAPP diserang oleh PTI

Saudara Pengarang,



JASON Dino (Pemuda SAPP CLC Bingkor) dimasukkan ke Hospital Queen II, Damai selepas cedera parah diserang dan ditetak oleh PTI dengan pedang samurai di Keningau semalam. Jason kini selamat selepas melalui 10 jam pembedahan di SMC, Hospital Queen Elizabeth II,Damai Kota Kinabalu.



Bagaimana jika Individu/pemimpin yang bersuara tentang kebanjiran PTI dan mahu kerajaan membenteras PTI diperlakukan seperti ini.



Siapa lagi yang berani bersuara?



Mana Hak Rakyat Sabah?



Malang bagi anak-anak generasi akan datang merasa keadaan seharian seperti ini?



Tanpa sedar, kita masih menyokong pemimpin/kerajaan yang menghalalkan PTI di Sabah.



Salam Hormat,



JOSEPH LAKAI

ORIGINAL ARTICLE / Artikel Asal

READ MORE - Pemuda SAPP diserang oleh PTI