Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Karpal Singh said today they will sue Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Permatang Pauh candidate Dr Mazlan Ismail and three media outlets next week for defamation over corruption claims.
Karpal also denied Mazlan’s allegations that he was paid over RM50 million by Anwar as legal fees and to bribe judges and prosecutors.
“They’re ridiculous, frivolous, without any basis and made recklessly,” Karpal told reporters at the PKR headquarters here today, after lodging a police report jointly with Anwar on the matter.
“We intend to collate the necessary evidence to file actions against TV3, Utusan and New Straits Times, and of course, Mazlan himself,” added the DAP chairman.
Media Prima, which publishes the English daily New Straits Times, is owned by Umno. The ruling party also owns the Utusan Group that publishes Utusan Malaysia, a Malay-language daily. TV3 is a news network operated by Media Prima.
The Federal Court will decide whether the court can interfere with the punishment imposed by Parliament on its members for misconduct.
This key constitutional point on separation of powers would be dealt by the apex court in the hearing of an appeal brought by the Dewan Rakyat speaker against a Kuala Lumpur High Court declaration that Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo's suspension was legal, but Parliament could not deprive him of his remuneration and other privileges.
In March this year, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision.
DAP MP M. Kulasegaran (pic) filed a petition today to disqualify two ministers and three deputy ministers in the Cabinet, saying their appointments did not comply with the Federal Constitution.
Kulasegaran named ministers Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and Datuk Paul Low, deputy ministers P. Waythamoorthy, Dr Loga Bala Mohan and Datuk Ahmad Basha Md Hanipa as respondents in the judicial challenge.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) should disclose its terms of settlement with its ex-chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have said, adding that the lack of transparency was unacceptable as millions of taxpayers’ money were at stake.
Last Friday, MAS settled out of court its three lawsuits against Tajudin (picture), a move the national carrier described as “considerably viable”.
“He (Tajudin) has agreed to surrender valuable land in Langkawi where the Four Seasons Hotel stands,” a court source told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.
“What exactly is the value of the land in Langkawi which is able to settle all outstanding disputes with MAS?” asked Tony Pua, the DAP’s national publicity secretary.
He said the settlement was “highly suspicious” and “MAS has no right to claim this being a private company settlement because it has been bailed out one too many times with taxpayers’ money.
Defeated PKR candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today filed an election petition to declare the Hulu Selangor by-election void, alleging bribery by rival Barisan Nasional.
The petition was filed at the Shah Alam High Court registry, under Section 32(a) and 32(c) of the Election Offences Act 1954.
The petition identified five instances of alleged corruption, including the allocation of RM3 million to SJK(C) Rasa and next-of-kin payments to Sungai Buaya Felda settlers in the run-up to the April 25 by-election.
Zaid lost by 1,725 votes to MIC public relations chief P. Kamalanathan, who recaptured the BN stronghold that was lost by 198 votes in Election 2008.
The ruined remains of the suspension bridge after it collapsed, leaving three schoolchildren dead.
Muhyiddin admits Kampar bridge construction flawed
The fathers of the three pupils who drowned in the Kuala Dipang bridge tragedy on Oct 26 have filed a RM105 million suit alleging negligence on the part of 10 parties.
K.Mageswaran, K.Vasudevan and T. Nathan named as defendants the headmasters of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Mambang Diawan and SJKT Gopeng; the head of the Kinta Selatan district education office; the Perak State Education Department director; Kampar District Council president; Perak Public Works Department director and the commandant of the 1Malaysia Camp in Kuala Dipang.
Others are the donor of the suspension bridge that collapsed in the tragedy GS Synergy Sdn Bhd, CWL Enterprise which is the contractor responsible for the construction of the bridge, the Education Minister and the Government of Malaysia.
The suit was filed through the law firm of Messrs A.Sivanesan & Co. at 10.22am today the High Court registrar's office here.
Besides seeking RM35 million in general damages for each of the victim, the plaintiffs respectively also want RM19,120 in special damages, RM100,000 in exemplary damages, interest at eight per cent from the date of the children's drowning till the realisation of payments, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
Among others, the plaintiffs cited lack of lighting in the area, lack of supervision by the persons responsible for the safety of the pupils attending the 1Malaysia camp in Kuala Dipang organised by the Kinta Selatan district education office , non-provision of life jackets and not ensuring that the bridge was safe for use as contributing to the deaths of their children.
Their children, M. Devatharshini, 11, V. Divyashree, 12, and N. Dinadevi, 11, drowned in the Kampar River after they fell into it when the suspension bridge collapsed as they were crossing it together with scores of other pupils attending the camp.
In an immediate reaction, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the parents had the right to file the suit.
"We (government) cannot stop them from pursuing this action as they lost their loved ones in the tragedy," he told reporters here today.
However, he cautioned against the tragedy being used for political mileage and some people trying to be "champions" in the matter.
On another matter, Zambry said the state government was in the process of working out a mechanisn to channel education aid of RM200 for each child born in Perak next year and that it would most likely be in the form of a savings account.
Education Ministry to defend from lawsuits
The Education Ministry will defend itself against a suit filed by the fathers of the three pupils who drowned in the suspension bridge collapse tragedy in Kuala Dipang on Oct 26.
Deputy Education Minister, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, said during the camping programme regulations and safety steps determined by the ministry were followed.
"Just that on the bridge collapse, we leave it to the Public Works Department (PWD) to investigate and take action as the bridge was not built by the state education department," he told reporters after officiating the 55th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Peninsular Malaysia Malay Students (GPMS) here on Saturday.
Yesterday, the fathers of the three pupils filed a RM105 million suit alleging negligence on the part of 10 parties.
Among defendants named are the the Government of Malaysia, the Education Minister, the Perak State Education Department director, the head of the Kinta Selatan district education office, headmasters of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Mambang Diawan and SJKT Gopeng.
The suit was filed through the law firm of Messrs A.Sivanesan & Co. at 10.22am today at the High Court registrar's office here. Sivanesan is the state assemblyman for Sungkai from the DAP.
In the incident, the three pupils were part of a group of 298 Year Four, Five and Six from the Kinta Selatan district for a 1Malaysia Camp for four days at the Kinta Selatan District Education Office's Co-Curriculum Centre.
Dr Mohd Puad said the ministry will ensure from time to time that safety characteristcs for the camping programmes organised by the private sector were adhered to.
