A Chinese-language newspaper has apologised for printing a report that a Penang Island municipal councillor had engaged a prostitute during a recent working visit to Singapore – after 23 councillors had openly denied the allegation.
China Press today apologised to the MPPP councillors for its report titled "Who sought prostitute? Alleged scandal in councillors’ working visit to Singapore" in its street edition on Sunday, and retracted the article.
"The report had being proven to be untrue after the 23 councillors had openly denied it," the newspaper said.
The report had said a councillor had brought a prostitute back to his hotel room during the working visit between Oct 4 and 7, and that two other councillors went to a nightclub to watch "dances by sexy girls".
The group, which included all the MPPP councillors except Lim Kah Cheng, was led by council secretary Ang Aing Thye on the working visit to learn about management of traffic, hawkers and environment, development control, housing development and urban transformation.
In a joint statement issued by the 23 councillors on Sunday, the group said they could provide an "alibi" that none of them had engaged a prostitute during the visit. They described the report as "vicious" and "unprofessional".
The statement added that the report had lowered the esteem of the councillors in the eyes of the public.
Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) lodged a police report on the matter, asking the police and Interpol to investigate.
Penang Opposition Head Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga, centre), who has been referred to the state Rights and Privileges Committee, standing outside the State Assembly during a break.
DAP assemblymen (from left) Lim Hock Seng, Koid Teng Guan,
RSN Rayer and Jagdeep Singh emerge from the state assembly
after a contentious session.
Opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (Penaga - BN) has been referred to the Special Rights and Privileges Committee for uttering words that could bring about public unrest when he engaged in a war of words with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today.
Backbencher Jagdeep Singh Deo (Datuk Keramat - DAP) proposed a motion to refer Azhar to the committee for violating rule number 46 (17b & c) by using provocative words, such as saying Umno has three million members, that he could call in the Malay 'Tiga Line gang' and asking the army to take over the duties of the police.
Ten backbenchers supported and agreed on the urgency of the motion to be decided upon and passed immediately.
The tussle between two Hindraf factions has escalated into a legal battle with the filing of a RM100 million suit by the movement's chairperson-in-exile P Waytha Moorthy against four individuals and six news organisations.
In his statement of claim, Waytha Moorthy said the six news organisations carried statements of the four individuals who had alleged that he misappropriated public donations for Hindraf.
The four individuals are Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Sungkai state assemblyperson A Sivanesan, and two former ISA detainees V Ganabatirau and K Vasantha Kumar.
The six news organisations named as defendants are English daily The Star, online news portals Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider, and three Tamil dailies Makkal Osai, Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban.
Exiled self-proclaimed Hindraf leader P. Waytha Moorthy has filed lawsuits totalling RM100 million against 10 people and organisations over claims that he mismanaged the outlawed organisation’s funds.
His brother, lawyer P. Uthayakumar, filed the suit on his behalf against Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr Ramasamy Palanisamy, Sungkai assemblyman Sivanesan Achalingam, Ganabatirau Veraman, ASP Vasantha Kumar Krishnan and six media organisation.
The media organisations are Makkal Osai, Tamil Nesan, Malaysia Nanban, Star Publications, M.Kini.Com (Malaysiakini) and The Malaysian Insider.
Uthayakumar explained that the suit was based on false allegations on the financial mismanagement in Hindraf published by the six media defendants.
“The media when they report, they cannot simply go around and report everything because it causes damage with far reaching consequences. So this is also a message to the press, just because somebody makes a statement you cannot go around publishing whatever you want,” he told reporters at the High Court here.
Uthayakumar also stressed that all 10 defendants cannot repeat the statement on the mishandling of funds by Waytha.
“They cannot publish or repeat the libellous statement because a civil suit has been filed specifically with regards to the plaintiff allegedly cheated and misused money collected from the Indian community,” he added.
Dr Ramasamy, Sivanesan, Ganabatirau and Vasantha are being sued for allegedly making false and incriminating accusation against the plantiff through the the six media organisation.
In his statement of claim, he said that Dr Ramasamy had written and published an article with false information defaming him in the Makkal Osai newspaper dated Aug 11, headlined Di mana wang RM700,000 yang telah dikutip, tunjukkan akaunnya, Dr Ramasamy mencabar Waytha Moorthy (“Where is the RM700,000 collected, show us the accounts, Dr Ramasamy challenges Waytha Moorthy”).
He also claimed that Sivanesan, Ganabatiau and Vasantha Kumar defamed him in several articles published in the Makkal Osai, The Star, Malaysia Nanban, Tamil Nesan and news portals The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini in July and August.
The four had used the six media to defame and tarnish his good name as the Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) chairman, he said.
He added that the alleged defamatory words gave the meaning that he was a Hindraf leader without integrity and had cheated the Indian community of its money for the purpose of filing a civil suit agaisnt the British government in London.
He is seeking RM10mil in damages from each defendant, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to restrain them from continuing to publish similar demafatory articles against him.
He also seeks several other court orders, including an injunction to restrain the four individuals from making any press statement on Hindraf
Down it comes: A couple of workers from the developer’s office demolishing one of the houses in Kampung Buah Pala.
Final decision: Lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira (third from left) and former ISA detainee P. Uthayakumar (third from right) speaking to Kampung Buah Pala residents outside the courtroom in Putrajaya Friday. The people have vacate their kg. The land sell is legal.
Rising tension: Ho (right) being surrounded by Kg Buah Pala supporters and residents over the demolition of a house in the village. Nusmetro director Gary Ho at the far right corner.
The 11 remaining temporary occupation licence (TOL) holders of Kampung Buah Pala now want to accept the developer’s double-storey house offer.
They have asked to be given the ex-gratia offer -- which was taken up by the other holders -- again during a meeting on Wednesday night, said developer Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd executive director Thomas Chan.
The meeting was attended by Chan, the village committee members and representatives of landowner Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang.In an immediate response, residents association chairman M. Sugumaran, one of the 11 TOL holders yet to sign on the ex-gratia deal, said they had always wanted to accept the offer -- provided terms and conditions were fully spelled out in black and white.
“We will probably arrange a meeting for them with the state government tomorrow (Saturday). A lot will depend from the outcome of the negotiation before we can build additional houses,” he said. Initial 24 house now 33 house. Additional house will require approval from government.
He added they could seek assistance from deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, who is in charge of the matter.
He said they would submit a new development plan by next week.
“Once it is approved, we anticipate the 33 houses to be ready in two years time,” he said.
Chan also said the state government had set a bad precedent over the Kampung Buah Pala land issue by raising the expectation of squatters in Penang.
“It is no longer a RM75,000 low-medium cost house that they want as settlement. They want double-storey houses now.
“This move has create issues in several areas like Tanjung Tokong and Mak Mandin where squatters are expecting more from the developers or land owners,” he said.
Chan said the demolition of houses at the village will continue on Saturday. He hoped there would not be any more repeat of Thursday’s high drama, when police detained 18 people, of whom only five were from the village. They were later released on police bail.
Residents and their supporters stand off with riot police as they tried to prevent a demolition team from pulling down their homes
Plans foiled: Villagers being prevented from entering the state administration office at Komtar yesterday.
-Police personnel trying to restrain angry Kg Buah Pala residents on Thursday.
Police detained 18 people, including three women and the villagers' lawyer Dharshan Singh.
The tractors finally moved in and four houses came down.
It was D(emolition)-Day again at Kampung Buah Pala on Thursday with the villagers realising it would be futile to stop their houses from being torn down.
They, however, managed to take out their frustrations at developer Nusmetro Ventures Sdn Bhd director Gary Ho over how many houses would be demolished.
Policemen had to escort workers from house to house to carry out the demolition as earlier the villagers blocked tractors from entering the village.
Below is an account of what transpired:(Source the star)
2.02pm: Workers and light strike force team start to leave village. Only three houses and one room of the fourth house were demolished.
1.50pm: Gary Ho says that only four houses will be demolished today while the rest would be demolished in the coming week.
1.20pm: Workers move on to house No 481, which has been vacated. The owner allows them in without incident.
All three houses were vacated by the owners earlier.
Demolition work starts on the fourth house 473 where the residents have not vacated.
Only a room located outside the house has been torn down.
1.16pm: Workers move out of house No 486, stopping to break down the gate with sledge hammers on their way out. Third house to be demolished now.
1.03pm: The rain peters out to a slight drizzle.
12.58pm: They arrive at House No 486 and workers begin demolishing the house.
12.55pm: Police and the light strike force advance up the road, escorting demolition workers. They meet little resistance because of the rain.
12.50pm: Heavy rain begins, curious onlookers disperse. Those who remain are mainly police and media.
12.45pm: Police stay put on road to village while residents retreat into the village.
12.40pm: At least 14 people were detained including lawyer Darshan Singh and three women.
Light strike force team escorting court officials was obstructed by the people.
12.30pm: The villagers, supporters and MIC youth members are lining up at the entrance of the village obstructing the light strike force team.
One person has been detained by police for obstruction.
12.20pm: Villagers release goats and gather to block the entrance chanting anti-DAP slogans as they blame the state government for their demolition.
12.10pm: Crowd gets restless as police try to restore order. They start chanting “developer balik” as their representatives, developer and bailiff hold discussions in police mobile station on more demolitions.
Villagers’ lawyer Dharshan Singh arrives telling the crowd that the developer has no right to demolish the houses and the crowd gets more worked up.
11.20am: While demolition of house number 467 continues, other villages who fear their homes would be demolished next, appeal to Thomas Chan who is standing outside a mobile police station to save their homes.
10.36am: House 467 is believed to be demolished as sounds of house being broken can be heard by press members who are barred from entering the village.
10.31am: Police lead five contractors with sledgehammers into the village to house number 467 to demolish it.
10.20am: Police discuss with Sugumaran and resident association assistant secretary C. Tharmaraj and urged villagers to keep to their word given to the developer.
The police also asked MIC youth chief T. Mohan to stop party youth members from creating further fracas such as stopping the tractors.
10.15am: Gary Ho is rescued by the police.
10.10am: Tractors start to move in after several villagers agree for the developer to help in the demolition works.
However, due to ignorance about an agreement made to demolish the houses, some other villagers and supporters tried to stop the tractors.
Some also wanted to attack Gary Ho. The police light strike force steps in to maintain order.
10.07am: Villagers outside house number 467 come to an agreement with the police on the demolition.
Still unclear who will break the houses as the police ask reporters to leave the area.
9.55am: Nusmetro director Gary Ho arrives with house keys. He appeals to the residents not to delay the demolition process.
Residents and developer are still debating on who should conduct the demolition of the two houses.
9.30: Sugumaran said the villagers want to demolish the two houses themselves.
They marched to the houses. Villagers and supporters blocked the press entering the village and a scuffle breaks out.
9.20am: Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairman M. Sugumaran met Nusmetro Venture executive director Thomas Chan and later informed the press that two families had agreed for their homes to be demolished as they had accepted compensation and handed over their house keys to the developer.
8.30am: Two mobile police stations and three police vans arrive at Kampung Buah Pala.
Demolition of houses stated to take place today.
7.30 am: MIC youths and residents line-up to block entrance.
More than 20 contractors with hammers and crowbars ready to move into the village.
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The highly controversial eviction of Kampung Buah Pala villagers started today as developer Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd moved in to tear down houses of owners who had agreed to relocate.
The demolition job started with a house whose owner had accepted compensation in the form of an alternate house and a relocation cost. The owner voluntarily handed over his house keys to the developer.
Under the watchful eye of the police and the residents association committee, the demolition team moved in to tear down this house. Some hours later, a second house was also torn down.
Just another day of everyday chores in Kampung Buah Pala.
Where motorbikes and cows roam for now, maybe not for long - Kampung Buah Pala.
Draviam Arul Pillai, he wants to know where gets to live now if evicted.The oldest resident in Kg Pala.85 years old cattle herder who owns a little grocery shop. Father was bought in by Brown Family in 1920s.
Family in Kg Pala . Will this be their last Merdeka Celebration in Kg Buah Pala?
Village people: Family members and supporters waiting for the trio to be released at the Jelutong police station Sunday.
The Kampung Buah Pala residents and media members waiting outside the the administration lobby of Komtar on level 3 with police personnels as the former were not allowed to enter into yesterday.
Several Kampung Buah Pala residents sitting at the public lobby of Komtar while holding up banners as part of their hunger protest yesterday.
Twenty-three families in Kampung Buah Pala who are supposed to vacate their houses handed a memorandum to the police on Tuesday, seeking assurance of their safety in the village.
The two-page memorandum was handed over by Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairman M. Sugumaran to the Head of Management of the Penang police headquarters, ACP Zakeri Kamaruddin, at 10.30am.
Sugumaran said the residents had sought police assurance of their safety as they were firm on staying in the village until a consensus was reached between the residents and the developer.
"Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's attitude towards this issue has left us in a lurch.
"We want to move but refuse to do so due to the loose offer and unkept promises by the developer. Until the problem is solved, we won't budge," he told reporters after handing over the memorandum, here.
Meanwhile, Penang acting police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah refuted the allegations that the police favoured the developer and the state government in the issue.
The majority of the villagers, about 300 ethnic Indians, have resisted all attempts by the developer to get them out. They have even threatened to go on a hunger strike on Tuesday.
All is quiet at the village with a few residents keeping vigil at the entrance, local online reports said.
The Kampung Buah Pala villagers will have to vacate their land by Wednesday following the Federal Court's decision on August 20 which rejected the appeal of the 23 families to stay on the prime land.
The developer had failed in its two attempts to demolish the village due to protests by the affected families.
Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd executive director Thomas Chan had said the company would take vacant possession of the land any time after September 1.
The developer had offered the residents a double storey house in return of their vacating the premises. However, most of them have rejected the offer.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng says the state government had nothing to do with the recent arrest of three Kampung Buah Pala residents committee members.
Lim said he did not control the police, and thus had no knowledge of why they were detained.
“Since the residents have sought the help of Umno, they should ask Umno for an explanation.
The state government has no idea about any action taken by the police (against them),” he said after visiting a Merdeka baby at KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital in Bandar Perda here Monday.
On Saturday, police detained the committee’s chairman M. Sugumaran, secretary J. Steven and assistant secretary C. Thamaraj at about 10pm on grounds of criminal intimidation.
They were arrested over an Aug 4 police report lodged against them by several contractors who claimed that the three men had threatened them.
Lim said it was clear that there was an attempt by certain quarters to undermine the state government.
“But, I am certain they will not succeed because the people of Penang are solidly behind the Penang state government.
The villagers had been locked in a protracted battle to save their homes from being demolished after the land was sold to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang (KPKPP) by the previous state government.
After the villagers lost a court battle against the sale of the land, Nusmetro, under pressure from the Pakatan Rakyat state government to reach an amicable settlement, offered link houses to the residents.
But many of the villagers rejected the offer, and claimed the agreement presented to them by Lim was full of loopholes and placed them at a disadvantage.
Chief among the restrictions was that the residents were required to drop all legal action filed against the landowner, KPKPP, and relevant parties, and to refrain from filing any new suits.
The agreement would also be automatically cancelled if the project was not approved by the authorities, putting residents at risk of being left high and dry.
Lim however has dismissed the concerns, saying the clauses are part of a “standard agreement.”
What Penang People feel now? Public sentiment has clearly turned against the residents of Kampung Buah Pala and they know it.
Any sympathy for the community, which trace their roots back to the colonial Brown Estate over 150 years back, was lost after news spread that they had rejected an offer for double stories houses from developer, Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd.
However residents claim they were being given a raw deal and have been unfairly maligned in the press.
Why reject the link house deal by the developers?
Draviam Arul Pillai, the oldest surviving villager whose father was first brought to Kampung Buah Pala in the 1920s by the Brown family ,acknowledged himself they had no documents giving them rights over the land.
But he said he refused to take the offer because no mention was made about when and where the new houses would be built or what would happen to the villagers in the meantime.
“There was nothing in black and white, all we had were promises.” He said, insisting that he would have taken the deal if it was more concrete.
He argued that today’s DAP government could be gone tomorrow and there was nothing in the document to ensured the houses would be built.
Besides a brief description on size of the houses, there was little else in the offer letter.
There was also a requirement for the villagers to drop all their legal claims while the houses would be built subject to approvals from the local government, failing which the villagers would have no legal recourse.
The concerns of the villagers were relayed to the state government after the offer by Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj.
When contacted Dr Jeyakumar said the concerns of the villagers were legitimate and not unreasonable.
“They wanted safeguards because the company could go bust and then they would be left with nothing.”
Who resposible for this problem face by Kg Pala people?
Originally Brown family in 1920s bought in the Kg Pala people here to management the estate.Later the land was given to the government of that time and the people are issued Temporary Occupation License. However , under the BN government Tun Koh Tsu Koon sold off the land and let the developer deal with the settlements.
Draviam blames both the present and past state governments for the dilemma but is more bitter with the DAP, who he said had made the plight of the village an election issue.
“We had always supported BN until they sold our land so we voted for the opposition because they promised to help us, but they have forgotten this,” he said.
He also lashed out at the MIC as well as other political parties and Non Government Organisations (NGO) which he said were trying to get political mileage but have done nothing to solve their problem.
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Hindraf, previous Barisan Nasional state government and the current Penang state government under Pakatan Rakyat are involved in the Catch 22 situation faced by Kampung Buah Pala villagers. Hindraf is reported to organize a demonstration nationwide, burning of Lim Guan Engs effigy at Komtar, Penang and defend the villagers of Kampung Buah Pala. Meanwhile, the Pakatan Rakyat state government under CM Lim Guan Eng are looking for an amicable solution for the villagers. Barisan Nasional is blamed for the sticky mess .
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The mainstream media reported that MIC President, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is working with CM Lim Guan Eng to resolve the Kampung Buah Pala issue. Datuk Samy Vellu is said to have spoken to CM Lim. However, CM Lim revealed in a press conference in his office on 27 July 2009 refuting the claim and even remarked that, "It is all a big bluff by MIC. " Further, CM Lim said the biggest bluff of all is the Maika Holdings shares where shareholders have been cheated of their savings and have not got a single cent in return.
-Stepping at the cow head.Protesting at the construction of a Hindu Temple in Shah Alam.-
Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered the police to take swift action against a group that brought a cow's head to Shah Alam to protest a Hindu temple relocation in a bid to calm swirling racial tensions.Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan after Selangor police stood by in the after Friday prayers protest were given the instructions by the outraged PM.
The group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 had dumped the severed cow's head outside the Selangor state secretariat and threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.
The "residents" said that the construction of a Hindu temple in a 90 per cent Malay- Muslim neighborhood was insensitive because activities there would disrupt their lives.
A group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 have threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.
“I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,” shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of “Allahu Akbar!” as he referred to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his state administration.
Reasons for protests. Mohd. Zurit Bin Ramli, who claims to be the secretary of the "Coalition of Malaysian NGOs" echoed Ibrahim’s stand on the matter, saying that it was irresponsible on the part of the state government to approve the construction as there was apparently a “90 per cent” majority Muslim population in Section 23.
“With a temple on our residential area, we cannot function properly as Muslims. The temple will disrupt our daily activities like prayers in the Surau. We cannot concentrate with the sounds coming from the temple,” stated Zurit.
When asked whether members of the protest were affiliated with any organisations or movements, Ibrahim claimed that the people present today were members of PAS, PKR as well as Umno who are “united in the name of Islam and the Malay spirit.”
The issue first cropped up when the Selangor government proposed that the Sri Mariamman temple be relocated from Section 19 to Section 23.
Section 23 Shah Alam has a 90% Muslim populations.
Responds from Leaders Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin condemned the protest, calling it insensitive and disrespectful to another religion.
“This kind of emotional and insulting action can wreck the country’s peace,” the Rembau MP said in a statement.
National Unity and Performance Management Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon also called for calm and asked the state government resolve the issue.
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu called the group extremist but asked Indians in the state to be calm.
"It is the right of Malaysians of any faith, including Hindus to build temples and other places of worships. I am very sad that this group had paraded the cow's head on their way to the state secretariat building," he said in a statement."I am worried that this action may lead to retaliation from the Hindu community. However, I wish to urge the Hindus especially to be calm and let the authorities deal with it," he added, saying the protesters must be punished for endangering racial harmony.
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy who called the protest a "disgraceful" act" while Human Rights Party leader P Uthayakumar was disappointed that the police did not arrest those involved in the protest.
In a statement, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & Taoism (MCCBCHST) called for calm to enable the authorities find a “peaceable agreement and understanding”.
“Nothing can be gained by provocative action on the part of any side. MCCBCHST regrets that a severed cow’s head was brought along in the demonstration,” said president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips, noting the cow is sacred to the Hindu religion.
A symbol of objection?... The cow's head being paraded by the protectors in their march.
The group making their way to the Selangor secretariat building after their prayers.
Amid chants of "Allahuakbar," the group also left the severed head of a cow at the entrance of the State Secretariat here as a warning to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Ibrahim Haji Sabri,deputy chairman of the Sec 23 resident's committee speaking at the protest today. Some 50 residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head this afternoon.
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Some 50 residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head this afternoon.
The residents - from Section 23 in Shah Alam - who gathered after the Friday prayers, placed the head outside the gates of the state secretariat building for a short period before removing it.
"Where is Xavier? This head is for him," shouted one of the protesters in reference to Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.
