Teoh RCI keeps submissions secret to avoid trial by media

The Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) will not release lawyers’ submissions now pending its report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to prevent a trial by media.

The RCI investigating Teoh’s high-profile death is to submit its report to the King by June 25, almost two years after the DAP political aide mysteriously fell to his death outside the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in ShahAlam.


“We want to avoid the media picking perhaps juicy parts and not getting the gist of it,” said MACC lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at a joint press conference today with Bar Council lawyer Christopher Leong, conducting officer Amarjeet Singh and RCI secretary Datuk Saripuddin Kasim.

“It’s to avoid a trial by media until a proper decision is made,” added Shafee.

Saripuddin said it was a unanimous decision made at a lawyers’ meeting with the commissioners earlier today.

Sudirman Cup: China reigns again

China emerged as the Sudirman Cup champion for the eighth time after beating Denmark 3-0 in the finals at Qingdao on Sunday

Maid insurance available at Pos Malaysia outlets

Employers can now purchase insurance protection plan for their foreign maids at Pos Malaysia outlets nationwide.

Exclusively designed and underwritten by RHB Insurance Berhad, the insurance plan, also known as "Pos Maid Insurance", is meant for foreign maids working in Malaysia from countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and others.

In a statement, Pos Malaysia said the scheme allows employers and households to provide personal accident coverage for their foreign maids in the event that the maids met with an accident or death, or an unexpected accident or damages, whether bodily injury or property damage of third party due to the negligence of the maids.

Perkasa defends Ibrahim Ali, calls Anwar ‘worst politician’

Perkasa defended Datuk Ibrahim Ali today as a man of integrity who has earned both the trust and confidence of professionals as well as politicians.

Syed Hassan Syed Ali, the group’s secretary-general, also launched a broadside against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for calling Ibrahim the worst example of Malaysian politics.


“Even when Ibrahim Ali (picture) was in Semangat 46... the government then could not find one fault against him because Ibrahim is well known to be a man of integrity, he would not do what is not right and he would cause trouble for those in the wrong even though they were his close friends,” Syed Hassan said in a statement today.

He charged that it was Anwar who should have admitted that he was the “worst politician”, pointing out that in all the years of Ibrahim’s political career he had never been slapped with charges in court like Anwar.

PSD scholarships: Perkasa wants 67% for bumis

The Public Services Department (PSD) scholarships should be given out on a 67:33 ratio between bumiputera and non-bumiputera students, said Perkasa.

The right wing pro-Malay group said this would be a fair ratio as it would be based directly on the country's current racial breakdown.

"Since the BN rules this country based on majority support from the Malays and bumiputeras from Sabah and Sarawak, they must get priority for all allocations, including PSD scholarships," he said at a press conference after meeting senior PSD officers today.

Scorpene deal heads for French court

Suara Rakyat Malaysia’s (Suaram) suit in a French court over the controversial Scorpene deal will soon enter the full trial stage, which could see top government officials, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, being asked to testify.

Suaram leaders told a press conference today that its December 2009 suit against DCNS, the French makers of the Scorpene submarine, was nearing the end of its inquiry stage and its lawyers in France were confident they had enough evidence to move into full trial.

Cynthia Gabriel, a Suaram director, announced that an application had already been filed in March this year to a French court for an instruction judge and if evidence was sufficient, the case would be brought for trial in open court.

PM pays tribute to Japanese

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has paid tribute to the people of Japan for their honour, discipline and fortitude in facing the aftermath of the March earthquake and tsunami.

The Prime Minister, in expressing Malaysia's deepest sympathies for the calamities that have befallen Japan, said such Japanese qualities that have steered Japan to dizzying heights of economic success would continue to play a big part in the country's recovery.

"This is important, because utimately any effort to meet Asia's challenges and to rise above adversity will start, as it will end, with our people.

"Yes, we will need to put in place the physical structure, the industrial capacity, the technology and of course the finance.

Jais nabs four suspected members of deviant cult

The Selangor Religious Department (Jais) has detained four suspected members of the Huazah Ar-Ridha cult at a mass Shiite gathering in Gombak on Tuesday.

About 200 people attended the event themed Women’s Role in Solving Global Issues and Universal Harmony that was organised to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Fati-mah.

Select students based on results

Four MCA ministers have proposed that the top 300 SPM students be selected for PSD overseas scholarships based purely on academic results and need not go through an interview.

Daylight armed robbery in Kuchai Lama

A gang of robbers armed with lethal weapons, including a firearm, made off with about RM10,000 after slashing one of their victims on the head and neck near a bank in Jalan Kuchai Lama yesterday.

The five-minute incident occurred at 9.15am when the victims, who worked at a cybercafe nearby, was about to reach the bank to bank-in the cafe’s takings.

A source said the robbers came in two cars, a Proton Gen 2 and Waja, and blocked the victims' car, a Perodua Myvi.

Four of the robbers, armed with pistol, hammer and machete, charged at the victims, injuring one of them on the head and neck. After grabbing the money from the victims, the robbers fled in the Gen 2, leaving the Waja behind.

Checks on the Waja showed it was stolen in Damansara last Monday and a police forensics team had also lifted fingerprints from the car.

Cendol stall splashed with red paint, pig head left attached

Library Picture

A cendol stall near Masjid Lama Sungai Bakap was splashed with red paint and a pig's head was found hanging from it.

Penang police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakob said a team rushed to the scene after receiving a report this morning.
"The discovery was made by a group of people returning from subuh prayers at the mosque at 7am," he told reporters here today.Ayub said initial investigation found that the stallholder had in March received a phone call from someone warning him."The caller did not make threats but reminded the stallholder to be careful. Police have not dismissed that the case is linked to secret societies."

He advised all quarters not to link the case to race and religious issues as it only affected one person adding police will not tolerate such action.The case is being investigated under Section 506 and 427 of Penal Code for making threats and committing arson.

No fuel, gas price hike for now, says Ismail Sabri

The government will not increase the price of RON95 petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for now, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

Ismail Sabri, however, refused to specify how long the government would maintain current prices.

“This decision was made because the government is concerned for the people’s welfare,” Ismail Sabri told reporters today.

“But at the same time, the government will continue studying subsidy rationalisation as a whole following the increase of fuel and gas prices in the global market,” he added.

The government announced recently that diesel subsidies for deep-sea fishing vessels and nine classes of commercial vehicles would be removed on June 1, slashing RM886.1 million from the federal subsidy burden annually.