Prompt Action From Australia !

Australian Foreign Minister,
Kevin Rudd, addressing
the UN earlier this week

Kevin Rudd, Australia’s former Premier and current Foreign Minister has issued a prompt and positive response to our request for an investigation into the Taib family’s foreign assets in that country.

Oil up in Asian trade

Oil prices rose in Asian trade Friday after German lawmakers passed an expansion of the eurozone's rescue fund and positive US economic data boosted investor sentiment, analysts said.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in November, gained 53 cents to $82.67.

US a 'committed partner and friend' of China: Clinton

The United States is China's "committed partner and friend," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said as she sent greetings to Beijing ahead of its National Day celebrations.

"Together, our two countries are seizing this moment in history and developing the positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship envisioned by our presidents," Clinton said in a statement.

Taib Mahmud deports Haris Ibrahim

By Patrick Lee

Haris Ibrahim has been barred from entering Sarawak and will be deported back to KL

PETALING JAYA: Human rights activist Haris Ibrahim has been denied entry into Sarawak and is currently awaiting deportation.

New ‘senior minister’ post a Taib Mahmud ‘trick’

By Joseph Tawie

Opposition DAP has described Taib Mahmud's cabinet reshuffle as a 'shock sendiri' lineup.

KUCHING: While Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders welcome the appointment of three “senior ministers” in the state cabinet of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sarawak DAP not only ridiculed it, but also described it as “shock sendiri” (self-satisfaction).

Mystery of the detained airman

By Joe Fernandez

An air force wife makes a police report about her husband’s mysterious arrest and the harassment of her family

LABUAN: The RMAF has detained a flight sergeant for mysterious reasons and has been subjecting his family to harassment, according to a police report that his wife lodged here early last week.

Guan Eng "jealous" or Umno trying to stir up Johoreans against Pakatan

by  Melissa Lee

Amid accusations he was "jealous" of Johor, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has decided to break his silence over the latest media attacks against him, this time over allegedly disparaging comments over Johor's crime rate.

As 'hudud' backfires on BN, a smiling Nik Aziz reaches out to non-Muslims

by  Maria Begum

With the dust settling on the hudud law issue, PAS' revered Spritiual Adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat has reason to smile. He and his party have won a major concession from coalition partner, the DAP.

Staff union fires salvo at Mahathir over plight of MAS

Malaysian Airlines System Employees’ Union (Maseu) secretary general Ab Malek Arif said the staff of the national airlines had not forgiven former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for appointing Tajuddin Ramli to replace Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman as chairman in the 1990s.

Scorpenes should dive and Altantuya should be alive, not a pile of ashes

by  Ismail Dahlan

Summer is turning to autumn in London, the chill is in the air, and the Guards in Buckingham Palace have swapped their bright red summer outfits for grey winter greatcoats. Weather never stops the tourists from coming to London though and they will still be thronging Buckingham and the busy streets of London.

Concern grows over militant activity in Libya

By Mark Hosenball

As the dust settles after six months of fighting in Libya, U.S. officials are stepping up efforts to identify Islamic militants who might pose a threat in a post-Gaddafi power vacuum.

Syrian crowd stones U.S. envoy's convoy

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hurled rocks and tomatoes at U.S. ambassador Robert Ford's convoy as he visited an opposition figure in Damascus on Thursday in an attack the U.S. said was "wholly unjustified."

Justice Department probing Chinese accounting

By Andrea Shalal-Esa and Sarah N. Lynch

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating accounting irregularities at Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges, said an official with the Securities and Exchange Commission, suggesting criminal charges may be brought in addition to civil proceedings.

Crude slumps on stronger dollar, profit-taking

Crude prices fell in Asian trade Wednesday as traders took profits from an new York rally and were scared off by a stronger dollar, analysts said.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in November, slipped $1.34 to $83.11 a barrel in the afternoon.

Malaysia's Petronas to buy 30 percent of GMR

Malaysian state energy firm Petronas said Wednesday it will acquire a 30 percent stake in GMR Energy, a Singapore-based subsidiary of India's GMR Infrastructure.

"The proposed acquisition marks Petronas' maiden venture into the international power market... as part of its future growth strategy," it said in a statement.

Petronas did not disclose the purchase amount.

GMR Energy is developing an 800MW gas turbine power plant on Jurong island off Singapore.

China 'shadow-boxing' US at sea: Philippines' Ramos

Philippine ex-president Fidel Ramos said Wednesday that China's recent assertiveness over sea disputes was motivated by a desire to challenge US power, as he predicted more tensions to come.

On a visit to Washington, Ramos described China and the United States as "shadow-boxing" over the South China Sea and East China Sea where Beijing has growing friction with countries including the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.

Eurofighters: Has Zahid run dry or is money being used on Scorpenes upkeep

by  Maclean Patrick

The planned purchase of Eurofighters to replace the 10 Soviet-made MIG-29 has been shelved for the time being according to Defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He cited the government's lack of funds and also the need to allocate money to other more important projects under the 10th Malaysian Plan, as one of the reasons for the change of heart by the Defence Ministry.

D-Day Najib-Rosmah, but will the court ignore Najib's material witness status

by  Maclean Patrick

Thursday is D-Day for Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor’s court appearance to strike out their subpoena to appear in the Sodomy II trial. Already, expectations are high that the two will never take a step into a court room, but instead, as in the case of Mahathir Mohamad, their lawyers will represent them.

Najib infiltrated by spies? Then his Pandora's Box of scandals will soon open...

by  Wong Choon Mei

PKR leaders ridiculed an article published in the Umno-owned Utusan newspaper accusing Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim of establishing a network of spies inside the top rungs of the BN government as part of a plot to topple Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Christian pastor faces execution for apostasy

THE UK's Foreign Secretary and the Archbishop of Canterbury intervened today to try to save a Christian pastor in Iran who has refused to renounce his faith to escape a death sentence.

An Iranian court gave Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, (pic) a third and final chance to avoid hanging, but he replied, "I am resolute in my faith and Christianity and have no wish to recant."

Car bomb kills eight in Russia's Dagestan

One policeman and seven civilians were killed when a car bomb exploded in Russia's Muslim North Caucasus province of Dagestan on Wednesday, authorities and local media said.

Syrian tanks pound anti-Assad fighters for 2nd day

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

Tanks pounded a Syrian town that has become a refuge for army deserters for a second day on Wednesday, residents said, in the first major battle with defecting soldiers since a six-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began.

Libya's NTC thinks Gaddafi hiding near Algeria

By Joseph Logan and Sherine El Madany

Libya's new rulers have said they believe fugitive former leader Muammar Gaddafi is being shielded by nomadic tribesmen in the desert near the Algerian border, while his followers fend off assaults on his hometown.

Crude up in Asia on hopes for eurozone action

Oil prices rose on Tuesday amid rumours that eurozone nations are planning steps to rescue debt-addled nations, analysts said.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, surged $1.41 to $81.65 per barrel in the afternoon.

Brent North Sea crude for November delivery rose $1.15 to $105.09.

Asia's IT industry more competitive: study

Asian economies are closing the gap on the West in terms of their IT competitiveness, a study showed Tuesday, as they strengthen copyright protection and implement regulatory reforms .

While the West leads the world in terms of an attractive place for IT firms to work, more Asian nations are moving up the ladder, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Three Malaysians to hang for trafficking heroin

Three Malaysians including a housewife have been sentenced to hang for trying to smuggle heroin to Australia hidden in more than 200 rubber capsules they swallowed, a defence lawyer said Tuesday.

The trio were arrested at an airport in the Malaysian city of Penang in January 2005 while waiting to board a plane to Australia.

Russia's Putin rebuilds economic team, seeks unity

By Darya Korsunskaya

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin put a trusted ally in charge of the economy on Tuesday and named a low-key finance minister to address concerns about reforms and restore unity over his plan to return to the Kremlin.

Merkel risks rebellion on euro rescue fund

By Andreas Rinke and Ingrid Melander

German Chancellor Angela Merkel may fall short of a majority in her own coalition for a crucial reform of the euro zone rescue fund meant to stop a sovereign debt crisis spreading, in what would be a severe blow to her authority, a test vote showed.

Was JWW Birch killed because he played with the women of the Palace?

JWW Birch

by  Subky Abdul Latif

The Mat Sabu-Bukit Kepong-Mat Indera saga went to the court recently. Rest assured the court will handle it. But for issues, where the nation’s history is to be revisited and rewritten may require historians to further study.

Rosmah, a pinch of salt on an open wound

by  Wong Choon Mei

Malaysia's First Lady Rosmah Mansor is back in the news. And this time, her flamboyant image is getting the ordinary Malaysian workers all hot under the collar. While they sweat, she sings. While they toil, she travels. And when the bill comes, they pay!

US crude back below $80

Oil prices sank in afternoon Asian trade Monday, upending a short-lived rally as crude prices tracked diving Asian equities amid a strengthening dollar, analysts said.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in November, fell $1.09 to $78.76 per barrel in the afternoon.

Homemade bomb found after Indonesia suicide attack

Indonesian police on Monday said it found a home-made bomb in Ambon, a city with a history of major sectarian violence, a day after a suicide bomber attacked a packed church in Central Java province.

National police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam told reporters that the bomb was found near a church in Ambon, and is investigating any link to Sunday's suicide attack in Solo town of Central Java.

Analysis: U.S., Palestinians race for votes at U.N. council

By Louis Charbonneau

The Palestinians' initiative to seek U.N. recognition as a state, which goes to the Security Council on Monday, faces an uphill struggle to secure the nine votes needed for approval.

Unleashing every trick, Najib fights tooth and nail for the Malay vote

by  Maclean Patrick

Things are heating up and rightly so, for BN to remain in power; it is not the Chinese vote that matters but rather the Malay vote. Why? The Chinese swing away from BN is pretty constant and getting wider, thus it does not make much difference whether the Chinese vote or not for BN.

Will non-Muslims really be protected from 'hudud'

by  Maclean Patrick

Back in the days when Mahathir Mohamad was the prime minister and UMNO and BN was in its prime, Kelantan was the only state under opposition rule and the party in charge there was PAS. An Islamist party, PAS has been consistent through the years that its religion would be its raison detre. 

Southeast Asia sets up fund in integration step

Southeast Asian nations launched a nearly $500 million fund Saturday to build infrastructure, pooling resources in hopes of closing the gap between the dynamic region and major wealthy economies.

In a step toward an ambitious goal of regional economic integration by 2015, finance ministers of the ASEAN bloc said the fund would offer loans to build roads, railways and other projects without direct foreign assistance.

Singapore rejects calls to scrap tough security law

Singapore has rejected a call by former political prisoners to scrap a British colonial law allowing detention without trial, saying it allows the government to fight serious security threats.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the former detainees were held under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for "subversive" activities and not for their political beliefs.

Hudud, MCA and the sexually tainted politician

by  Moaz Nair

Hudud, the singular hadd (حد) literally means "limit", or "restriction", is the word commonly used in Islamic literature for the realms of acceptable behaviour and the punishments for serious crimes. Hudud is actually a non-issue if politicians do not mess around with it for political expedient. 

Sex, Sex, Sex, is this all Umno knows; Blackmail ahead of Sarbaini verdict?

by  Maria Begum, Wong Choon Mei

It looks like the Pakatan Rakyat opposition may be right. Umno is really starting to lose it. Its traditional Malay electorate is beginning to see the party as it is and no longer as it was.

In the past due to its awesome power, Malays flocked to join the party, hoping to tap into its huge gravy train. 

Separate AG from prosecutors’ office

By G Vinod

Legal eagles call for a constitutional amendment to separate both offices as it creates a conflict of interest.

PETALING JAYA: The Federal Constitution should be amended to separate the Attorney General’s Chambers (AG) from the public prosecutors’ office, said Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee.

Foreign NGO to Najib: Action speaks louder than words, repeal ISA now

The Malaysian prime minister’s major announcement that the government would abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) and other repressive laws should be achieved promptly and without passing new legislation in their place, Human Rights Watch said today.

Copycats Najib and Rosmah take a leaf from Dr M's 2001 move

by  Maclean Patrick

Were we ever surprised that things would turn out this way? Was it ever going to be a surprise that Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor would apply to strike out the subpoena placed on their heads?