Day: December 1, 2015

Return to the Royal Belum State Park

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Source: The Star

BY ELROI YEE, MARYAM ZAINOL, SHANJEEV REDDY and LIM MAY LEE

“HURRY up and gather everyone, there are important people here who want to see you,” said a young doctor, snapping his fingers at Kurup.

We were in front of Kurup’s house, along the Sungai Kejar in the Royal Belum State Park. Kurup is the orang asli man who lost his granddaughter Malini to sickness last month. We were there the morning the young girl passed away, and later witnessed the burial rituals.

Malini’s death, along with the accounts of many more child deaths from an illness known to locals as serawan, were documented in a report by R.AGE on the plight of the orang asli in Sungai Kejar. Read more →

Court told it has no jurisdiction on TPPA

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Source: FMT News

Pic taken from FMT News

Pic taken from FMT News

KUALA LUMPUR: The government raised a preliminary objection on the grounds of “non-justifiability” before the judicial review, filed by three non-governmental organisations to stop it from signing the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan said he raised a preliminary objection before Justice Asmabi Mohamed in chambers on Tuesday. “We raised an issue of non-justifiability before the proper leave hearing.”

“The preliminary objection the government brought up means the courts have no jurisdiction to decide on government policy decisions and treaties,” he told reporters, adding that judicial review cannot quash the government’s decision. Read more →

Economist: Indefinite protection of Bumi interests in TPP undermines aim to be competitive

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

tppa_graphic_bahasa_101015KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — The protection of Bumiputera interests within the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) may conflict with Malaysia’s aims of increasing its competitiveness if there is no time limit on the preferential terms, economist Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam cautioned today.

Ramon congratulated the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) in securing favourable terms in TPP negotiations, singling out in his praise the terms on state-owned enterprises (SOE) where preference is given to Bumiputera companies when contracts are awarded.

“On Bumiputera and SOE, I think it’s a great job. My only question, my only concern is that I’m not sure whether there is a time limit.

“If there is no time limit, I fear that in the longer term, the purpose of getting into TPP might be somewhat eroded, which is TPP intends to increase competition and access,” he said when posing a question during a question and answer session at MITI’s public dialogue on TPP.

In response, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said some general provisions in TPP will be reviewed in five or 10 years’ time, while the value of contracts set aside for Bumiputera firms will be gradually reduced. Read more →

Govt does not intend to give prosecution power to MACC, says Paul Low

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Source: The SunDaily

The Malaysian Insider filepic, August 4, 2015.

The Malaysian Insider filepic, August 4, 2015.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no plans to empower the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to fully initiate prosecution in corruption cases without referring to the Attorney-General.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan said this was to provide a check and balance in the investigation and prosecution of cases.

“It has also become a practice in almost every country in the world where a decision to initiate, conduct or discontinue any proceeding is made by the public prosecutor and not influenced by the investigating agency,” he said in a written reply to a question from William Leong Jee Keen (PKR-Selayang) in the Dewan Rakyat today. Read more →

Putrajaya bentang rang undang-undang MKN, kembalikan kuasa Ordinan Darurat

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Sumber: The Malaysian Insider

Putrajaya hari ini membentangkan Rang Undang-undang Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) 2015 di Parlimen, yang dilihat tujuannya hampir sama untuk mengembalikan kuasa di bawah Ordinan Darurat yang dimansuhkan pada 2012.

Majlis itu akan diketuai Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak selaku pengerusi dan turut dianggotai Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Menteri Pertahanan Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Ketua Setiausaha Negara Tan Sri Ali Hamsa serta Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

Majlis itu juga diberikan kuasa mengisytiharkan mana-mana kawasan sebagai “kawasan keselamatan” jika dilihat ia menerima ancaman.

Di dalam kawasan keselamatan itu, pasukan keselamatan termasuk tentera dan polis dibenarkan menahan tanpa sebarang waran mana-mana individu yang dilihat mendatangkan ancaman.

Rang undang-undang itu dibacakan kali pertama hari ini di Dewan Rakyat. – 1 Disember, 2015.

New National Security Council Bill moots wide powers to combat terrorism

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

Malaysia Polis - AFP pic

Malaysia Polis – AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — The federal government today tabled a new bill in Parliament seeking to revamp the National Security Council (NSC), granting it far-reaching enforcement powers in dealing with any and all threats to national security.

The Bill, which was tabled for its first reading by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim this morning, proposes to allow the NSC to take command of the country’s security forces and impose strict policing of areas deemed to face security risks.

According to the Bill, the NSC’s jurisdiction takes effect once the prime minister declares in writing that an area is a “security area” — a status that is valid for six months at a time, subject to renewal by the prime minister.

Once the NSC takes over control of a security area, security forces will have the right to search or arrest without warrant any individual “found committing, alleged to have committed, or reasonably suspected of having committed any offence under written laws in the security area”. Read more →

Cops can’t question Charles Morais’s lawyer, says Ambiga

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Source: The Malaysian Insider

Americk Sidhu, the lawyer of Charles Morais, is protected by the principle of effective legal representation, says Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan in hitting out at Inspector-General Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for harassing the lawyer. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 1, 2015.

Police cannot question lawyer Americk Sidhu for what his client Charles Morais did as it violates the rights guaranteed under the Federal Constitution, says National Human Rights Society Malaysia (Hakam) president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Ambiga today said Americk was protected by the principle of effective legal representation, which included the right to privileged communication.

“There cannot be effective legal representation if there is no privileged communication. This means every police officer has a duty to protect this inherent right,” she said in a statement.

Ambiga added that the inspector-general of police’s (IGP) “uncalled-for defamatory remarks” against Americk reeked of harassment of a lawyer in the course of his duties. Read more →

KENYATAAN: Berkenaan keputusan Ketua Polis Negara menyoal-siasat peguam Americk Sidhu

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KENYATAAN BERTARIKH 1 DISEMBER 2015
BERKENAAN KEPUTUSAN KETUA POLIS NEGARA MENYOALSIASAT AMERICK SIDHU

SIASATAN POLIS MESTI MENCERMINKAN TANGGUNGJAWAB YANG TIDAK BERAT SEBELAH

Americk Sidhu, the lawyer of Charles Morais, is protected by the principle of effective legal representation, says Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan in hitting out at Inspector-General Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar for harassing the lawyer. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, December 1, 2015.

HAKAM mengecam keras keputusan Ketua Polis Negara untuk menyoalsiasat peguam Americk Sidhu berdasarkan surat akuan yang diikrar oleh anak guamnya, Charles Suresh Morais. Keputusan ini merupakan satu pelanggaran prinsip asas “solicitor-client privilege” di mana komunikasi di antara peguam dan anak guamannya adalah dilindungi dan tidak seharusnya didedahkan tanpa kebenaran anak guaman tersebut. Selanjutnya, seruan Ketua Polis Negara yang diiringi dengan kenyataan berunsur fitnah terhadap Americk Sidhu merupakan satu ugutan terhadap seorang peguam yang bertugas melaksanakan tanggungjawab profesionalnya.

Sebagai seorang ahli pasukan polis, agen kerajaan dan sebagai seorang anggota penguatkuasa undang-undang, Ketua Polis Negara mempunyai tanggungjawab positif untuk menghormati dan melindungi martabat manusia serta mempertahankan hak-hak asasi manusia semua insan yang melaksanakan tugas profesionalnya. Tanggungjawab ini adalah termaktub dalam Artikel 2, Kod Etika Pegawai Penguatkuasaan Undang-Undang 1979, Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu. Read more →

STATEMENT: On the IGP questioning lawyer Americk Sidhu

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pdfSTATEMENT DATED 1 DECEMBER 2015

ON THE IGP QUESTIONING AMERICK SIDHU
INVESTIGATIONS MUST REFLECT THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE POLICE FORCE

HAKAM strongly condemns the IGP’s call to question lawyer Americk Sidhu on the Statutory Declaration affirmed by his client Charles Suresh Morais which is a violation of the fundamental principle of solicitor-client privilege. This coupled with the IGP’s uncalled for defamatory remarks against Sidhu smacks of harassment of a lawyer in the course of his professional duties.

As a member of the police force, an agent of the government and as a law enforcement officer, the IGP has a positive obligation to respect and protect human dignity and uphold the human rights of all persons in the performance of his professional duty. This is clearly stated in Article 2 of the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officers 1979.

A law enforcement officer cannot violate the basic principles of effective legal representation as it is a fundamental right guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. An essential aspect of the exercise of this right is privileged communication. There cannot be effective legal representation if there is no privileged communication. This means every police officer has a duty to protect this inherent right. Read more →

Putrajaya cites national security as reason for banning Al-Jazeera reporter from Malaysia

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Source: The Malay Mail Online

MMO File pic

MMO File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 ― The Home Ministry said today that local authorities had banned Al-Jazeera journalist Mary Ann Jolley from entering Malaysia because her actions were deemed a threat to national security and public order.

The ministry, in a written reply to a question by Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian yesterday, also said the ban was within the right of the Malaysian immigration.

“To answer the question, Al-Jazeera reporter Mary Ann Jolley was banned from entering the country because of her actions that could be prejudicial to national security and public order.

“The Immigration Act 1959/63 gives power to the immigration director-general to block the entry of any foreigner coming to Malaysia if it is believed that the individual could threaten national security,” the ministry said. Read more →