Anwar Ibrahim |
- Enggan Ke Mahkamah: Najib, Rosmah Takut Konspirasi Terbongkar
- CNBC Drops ‘World Business’
- BBC Suspends FBC Shows, CNN Denies Paid For Najib Interview
- PR Jadi Warganegara, Najib Dicabar Perjelas Pada Agong
- Voters’ Lobby Group Ticks Off ‘Ignorant’ Najib
| Enggan Ke Mahkamah: Najib, Rosmah Takut Konspirasi Terbongkar Posted: 04 Aug 2011 01:57 AM PDT Perdana menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan isterinya, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor enggan ke mahkamah sebagai saksi dalam kes Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kerana bimbang konspirasi mereka terbongkar. Pengarah Strategi KEADILAN, Rafizi Ramli berkata, Najib dan Rosmah tidak mungkin dapat menyembunyikan penglibatan mereka dalam kes itu, sekiranya dipanggil ke mahkamah. Ini kerana bukti menunjukkan Najib berjumpa dengan Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, dua hari sebelum pengadu itu membuat laporan polis pada 28 Jun 2008, mendakwa diliwat Anwar. Selain itu Saiful juga bertemu Datuk Mumtaz Jaafar iaitu pembantu khas kepada Rosmah. Kenyataan Najib dan isterinya turut direkodkan oleh Pegawai penyiasat DSP Jude Pereira sepertimana yang diberitahu pegawai polis itu di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada Mac lalu. "Dalam dua-dua latar belakang ini, Najib dan Rosmah ada peranan penting dalam keseluruhan kes fitnah ini. Kalau mereka disoal siasat, saya tidak yakin mereka boleh sembunyikan konspirasi ini.
"Kita tahu di mahkamah, soalan akan ditanyakan secara khusus, sebab itu mereka tidak berani tampil sebagai saksi," kata Rafizi kepada Keadilandaily. Tambahnya lagi, Najib sepatutnya menggunakan peluang yang ada untuk membersihkan imejnya dengan hadir ke mahkamah, namun ternyata mengelak berbuat demikian. "Kalau betul Najib tak terlibat dia boleh hadir sebagai saksi kerana ia baik untuk imejnya dan Rosmah. Lebih baik tampil di mahkamah berikan keterangan yang betul," katanya. Sementara itu, beliau turut menyatakan kes itu hanya mengulangi semula skrip pada 1998 dengan beberapa watak masih dikekalkan. "Kaedahnya sama dari segi cara , malah watak-watak dari 1998 juga adalah orang yang sama seperti Musa Hassan (bekas Ketua Polis Negara) dan Rodwan Yusof (bekas Ketua Polis Melaka). Semalam, Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur dimaklumkan oleh Peguam Cara Negara II, Datuk Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden bahawa Najib dan Rosmah,akan hanya ditemubual jika mereka disepina dengan alasan mereka bukan saksi utama. Ia termasuk juga bekas Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Musa Hassan dan bekas ketua polis Melaka Datuk Mohd Rodhwan Yusof. Justeru mahkamah akan memutuskan Isnin ini sama ada permohonan Anwar memanggil 15 orang saksi termasuk Najib dan Rosmah untuk dibawa ke mahkamah dibenarkan atau sebaliknya. |
| Posted: 04 Aug 2011 12:11 AM PDT From http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0811/CNBC_drops_World_Business.html# CNBC has pulled its weekend international business show, "World Business," after a blog edited by Gordon Brown's sister-in-law found that the show's production company was doubling as a PR firm for Malaysian politicians. The blog, the Sarawak Report, named after one of the states on the island of Borneo, reported that the London-based television production-company, FBC Media, had a contract with Sarawak's Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud, to improve his international image. It suggests FBC carried out this contract in part through puff pieces in the news shows it produced. "In light of serious questions raised last week, CNBC immediately initiative an examination of FBC and its business practices and has withdrawn the program 'World Business' indefinitely," Brian Steel, senior vice president of media relations at CNBC, told POLITICO. 'World Business' did not run in the U.S. market, but aired in Europe on Friday nights and in Asia on Saturday evenings. FBC Media, short for Fact Based Communications, was formed in 1998 as a "European-based media and entertainment group specialising in television format creation, production and distribution," according to a cached version of its website. Its active website has apparently been taken down. The company's executive chairman is Alan Friedman, an American journalist who interned in the Carter White House and worked as a columnist for the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. Last year, he wrote for The Atlantic as a special correspondent from Davos. Although staffers were around to answer phones at FBC Media on Wednesday, messages left for Friedman were not returned. On Friedman's Wikipedia page, FBC Media is listed as as a "a London-based strategic communications, national branding and television and online content group with interests primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Asia." FBC Media is listed in lobbying reports as having paid tens of thousands of dollars to Washington-based lobbying firm Apco in recent years to lobby on behalf of the Malaysian government, the blog points out. FBC Media has also produced content for an array of top news broadcasters, including CNN and the BBC. Although the Sarawak Report alleges that CNN has "carried a number of shows made by FBC, including a number of interviews with [Malaysian Prime Minister] Najib [Razak] by the company's President, John Defterios," a CNN spokeswoman says this is not true. "CNN's recent interview with the Malaysian Prime Minister was set up solely y CNN with the PM's office," CNN spokeswoman Lauren Cone told POLITICO. "John Defterios became a full-time employee with CNN in March, at which time he severed his affiliation with FBC." Cone added that "there has never been a contract between CNN and FBC to carry any editorial content on CNN," and "the only FBC content CNN has carried is FBC advertorial, clearly labeled, in commercial time." A spokesman from the BBC said the broadcaster "was not aware of some of the information provided and we will examine the claims made as a matter of urgency." All independent TV companies who make shows from BBC World News have to sign strict agreements to ensure against conflict of interest, the spokesman said. "As a precautionary step, we will not broadcast programmes made by FBC whilst we look into these claims.” The Sarawak Report was founded and is edited by Clare Rewcastle Brown, an environmental journalist who lived in Sarawak as a child and is a frequent critic of Mahmud's leadership and its impact on Sarawak's rainforests. |
| BBC Suspends FBC Shows, CNN Denies Paid For Najib Interview Posted: 04 Aug 2011 12:08 AM PDT US-based broadcaster CNN has denied it was paid to interview Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak but questions remain about the role played by its anchor John Defterios after the latter's FBC Media programme World Business was axed yesterday by rival network CNBC. The spotlight is on the relationship between FBC Media — the British publicity firm led by media giant Alan Friedman with Defterios (picture) still listed as its group president — and broadcasters like CNBC, CNN and the BBC. As a result of the allegations, BBC has also said it will suspend programmes produced by FBC Media and investigate the company. Influential Washington-based news website Politico.com reported today a CNN spokesman as saying there had never been any contract between the satellite news channel and Friedman's FBC Media for editorial content, only advertorials that are clearly labelled as such and which run only during the commercial slots. According to Politico, FBC Media is listed in lobbying reports as having paid tens of thousands of dollars to Washington-based lobbying firm APCO in recent years to lobby on behalf of the Malaysian government. CNN's denial comes on the heels of rival CNBC's decision to drop its flagship show World Business, which has similarly been alleged to have been paid to feature Najib in its prime-time news slots last month after his administration cracked down on a civil rally pushing for cleaner and more honest elections. Both interviews were conducted by Defterios which has raised eyebrows over his appearance on the rival channels as well as questions over a conflict of interest to his unclear ties with FBC Media. Defterios was listed as director in the British firm on the FBC Media website before it was stripped down to a one-page fact sheet yesterday, with all information about its board members removed. The information remains available on the whistleblower Sarawak Report website. CNN told Politico that Defterios had been a full-time employee since March and had cut all ties with FBC Media at that time, but he remains listed as CNBC's managing editor for the just axed World Business programme. In profiles of Defterios available online, he is listed as the group president of FBC Media. Global broadcasters have been scrambling to contain potential damage after allegations of impropriety surfaced following an expose by whistleblower Sarawak Report, which linked the interviews and other programmes produced by FBC Media as having been paid millions of ringgit by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to shine its international image. "CNN's recent interview with the Malaysian prime minister was set up solely by CNN with the PM's office," Politico reported CNN spokeswoman Lauren Cone as saying in its story today headlined "CNBC drops 'World Business'". Apart from CNN, FBC Media has also produced editorial content for the UK broadcaster BBC. The British broadcaster told Politico all independent TV companies are required to sign strict agreements with it to prevent conflicts of interests and that it was not aware of some of the information provided by FBC but will be investigating the claims "as a matter of urgency." "As a precautionary step, we will not broadcast programmes made by FBC whilst we look into these claims," Politico reported the anonymous BBC spokesman as saying. Putrajaya and the Sarawak administration under Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud have been questioned by the opposition PKR to come clean on the allegation they had paid FBC Media RM15 million a year from public coffers to produce programmes biased towards the BN coalition at federal and state levels on international media. The Sarawak Report, in a story published three days ago, claimed insider sources revealed Najib "suggested" to Taib that he hire FBC Media to bolster his seemingly flagging popularity after the Sarawak chief minister appeared to suffer a publicity crisis due to allegations of extensive corruption. Both have not denied the report since it was published by the whistleblower website. FBC Media's dealings with the Malaysian government came to light after supplementary supply Bills showed vast payments made for a "Global Strategic Communications Campaign". The records showed that between 2008 and 2009, RM57.7 million was paid by the Prime Minister's office to FBC Media for the campaign. Attempts by The Malaysian Insider to contact FBC Media since yesterday to clarify the reports have been unanswered. |
| PR Jadi Warganegara, Najib Dicabar Perjelas Pada Agong Posted: 03 Aug 2011 05:15 PM PDT Sekurang-kurangnya 169 pemegang status Pemastautin Tetap (PR) yang dikesan telah didaftarkan sebagai pengundi di Malaysia, kata Ketua Penerangan Selangor, Shuhaimi Shafiei. Shuhaimi menjangkakan, 'kaedah Jus Soli' itu akan terus meningkat kepada jumlah yang lebih besar, terutama di beberapa kawasan BN yang mengalami kekalahan pada Pilihan Raya Umum 2008.
"Kami mendesak Perdana Menteri Najib Razak menjelaskan isu pemberian kerakyatan seterusnya pendaftaran warga asing ini sebagai pemilih sah SPR kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia, para Sultan dan DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda yang diPertuan Agong dengan kadar segera," kata Shuhaimi dalam kenyataannya hari ini. Menyifatkannya sebagai pengkhianatan kepada negara, beliau juga menganggap ia taktik kotor Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang juga pengerusi BN di Selangor- untuk merampas negeri itu, sehingga sanggup menggadai tanah air kepada warga asing. "Adakah dengan pemberian kad pengenalan biru kepada warga asing untuk mengundi ini merupakan langkah terakhir UMNO Selangor merampas Selangor setelah usaha gigih sebelum ini menemui jalan buntu?," soal beliau. Bagi mengukuhkan bukti itu, Shuhaimi turut melampirkan senarai nombor kad pengenalan pengundi di Parlimen Hulu Langat yang berjaya dikesan mempunyai status PR. Sementara itu, dalam perkembangan yang sama, Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) dikesan mengubah status Mismah, selepas sistem talian pengesahan Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) berbuat demikian. Status rekod terbaru menunjukkan permohonnya untuk mendaftar sebagai pengundi dalam laman SPR itu tertera 'Dalam proses pengesahan daftar pemilih'. Semalam Malaysiakini melaporkan Mismah dikategorikan sebagai PR dalam sistem Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara dan memegang My PR kad bernombor 640704715238, namun turut mempunyai rekod dalam draf daftar pemilih tambahan SPR. Namun kira-kira empat jam selepas laporan itu, status Mismah telah ditukar kepada warganegara dalam sistem pengesahan talian JPN. |
| Voters’ Lobby Group Ticks Off ‘Ignorant’ Najib Posted: 03 Aug 2011 04:59 PM PDT A group advocating voting rights of Malaysians living abroad has expressed disappointment with the premier’s ignorance of the issue of overseas voting. It has also urged Najib Abdul Razak to take immediate action to rectify the disenfranchisement of overseas voters. The lobby group, MyOverseasVote, claimed that Najib’s answer to a question during the 5th Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit last Sunday proves that he is not clued-in about the rights of voters living abroad. Najib had said that allowing Malaysians students and workers overseas to vote is a constitutional issue that will require constitutional amendments. In a statement issued last night, however, MyOverseasVote clarified that Article 119 of the federal constitution states that every citizen who has attained the age of 21 has the right to vote, either as a resident in a constituency or as an ‘absent voter’. The constitution does not define which voters fall into the category of ‘absent voter’. This is instead defined by the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2002. This regulation made by the Election Commission (EC) and approved by the government allows only three categories of Malaysian citizens to register as absent voters: .those serving members of a Malaysian, Commonwealth or foreign military and their spouses; .government servants serving outside Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah or Sarawak and their spouses; and .full-time students studying outside Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah or Sarawak and their spouses. MyOverseasVote is of the view that this regulation has discriminated against citizens on the grounds of occupation and employment. “The regulation excludes nearly a million Malaysians stationed overseas who work in the private sector or who are retired," said the group. "The prime minister should explain why it is that a Malaysian who is serving with a foreign military is entitled to vote as an absent voter, (while) a Malaysian who works overseas for a Malaysian or multinational company is deprived of the right to vote." The group urged Najib, who had claimed that the government is committed to and will undertake electoral reforms, to do away with the EC regulation which is contrary to the constitution. Another anomaly in overseas voting rights, said the group, is the disenfranchisement of full-time students from Sabah or Sarawak who are studying in the peninsula, and vice versa, even though the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2002 categorises them as ‘absent voters’. “We are unaware of any (such) student who has successfully registered as an absent voter.” Lapses of diplomatic missions MyOverseasVote also raised the failure of Malaysian foreign missions to register overseas students as ‘absent voters’. According to the group, Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman, at a meeting with concerned citizens in Melbourne on Monday, had said he agreed that "every Malaysian overseas has the right to vote" but added that "it is not easy to implement". He was also asked about the progress of appointing assistant EC registrars at Malaysian diplomatic missions to facilitate the registration process as mentioned by EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof in January 2011. Anifah (right) answered: “Again, that may be his statement but the system has not been set up yet, so we have to wait for the EC to brief us on how the overseas voting works. Believe me, we are working on it but these things take time." On the issue of improving the postal voting system by learning from other countries, the group claimed that Anifah’s reply was: “Not everything that works overseas can work in Malaysia. We cannot compare mature democracies to our situation in Malaysia. For those who want to vote, we must put in the effort to allow people to vote. "I’ll give you an example of an American missionary in Sabah who had to fly to Kuala Lumpur to vote. Perhaps a solution we can consider is to set up voting centres at the consulates for people to vote, but we can’t set one up in remote areas." During the session, Anifah was handed a memorandum on behalf of NGO Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and MyOverseasVote, as well as 24 ‘frequently asked questions’ (FAQ) about voter registration at Malaysian missions and procedures surrounding postal voting. The FAQ was compiled after MyOverseasVote found that Malaysian missions are not adequately briefed on, or equipped to handle, voter registration. “We would like to remind the minister that a system already exists to enable students, civil servants and the armed forces who are overseas to vote with a postal vote,” MyOverseasVote said. “It seems clear to us that the problem with overseas voting is not the lack of any provision in the constitution or in any laws passed by Parliament, but rather the nonsensical and discriminatory regulations that have been drawn up by the EC and the government, coupled with the government’s failure even to comply with its own existing regulations.” The group told Najib to act immediately to demonstrate that he abides by the constitution and that he walks the talk. |
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