Lest We Forget

Sungei Petani

2009-02-23T12:18:00.006+08:00

Batu Kawan

2008-11-14T14:14:00.008+08:00

The Penang Batu Kawan Stadium was built in 2000 for the 8th SUKMA games in Malaysia.

Bukit Tambun Jetty is just a short distance away (via shortcut path) away from the Stadium. The Jetty was once the place to take a boat to Pulau Aman. The new jetty is still very difficult to find due to lack of information and signages.

From Video-clips

Guard Our Money During Financial Tsunami

2008-10-17T14:23:00.001+08:00

Guard our money during financial tsunami
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam

Bank Negara's assurance to Malaysian depositors that their money in banks and insurance companies in Malaysia are safe is most welcome given the current global financial crisis.

But is this assurance by itself sufficient to remove the fears of Malaysians that they could lose their money in the financial system? I would seriously doubt it.

Bank Negara has to do more than just give out some assurance that may not be sustainable if the financial turmoil in the rich industrial counties becomes even worse.

Asean/Asian central banks should call for an emergency meeting to appraise this financial tsunami and come out quickly with a contingency plan to defend the financial system from the destructive tides sweeping the world's financial markets .

The central banks or those that can do so, should introduce schemes to guarantee the safety of all deposits in their respective countries as soon as possible.

If Asia as a whole cannot agree, then Asean countries should. If Asean countries also cannot find consensus, then at least Malaysia and Singapore should provide the deposit guarantees since our economies are relatively healthy and so intertwined.

The present Malaysian guarantee for RM60,000 per depositor is just not enough. It covers only about 25 percent of total deposits. It is therefore little comfort to advise our depositors that we have defensive systems based on our well-capitalised banks and good revised regulations when our Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia or deposit insurance scheme is inadequate.

It is also not persuasive to tell our depositors that our economic and financial fundamentals are strong and that there is no need or that it is too early to introduce a guarantee for all deposits.

At least the authorities should promise to guarantee the deposits of individuals (not companies) to give confidence to ordinary savers who have sacrificed their hard -earned incomes to provide for their future.

If we keep claiming that our economic and financial fundamentals are really strong, then we should also be equally bold in promising to protect the deposits of the ‘small man/woman’ even if it is difficult to provide a blanket guarantee for all depositors, including the big corporations, many of which caused this problem in the first place in the US and Europe.

Malaysians wait with bated breath for quick preventive action before it is too late and the financial tsunami hits our shores with its disastrous effects on the economy and our country.

We urge the authorities to please act decisively and immediately in public interest for the good of our country.

The writer is chairperson, Asli-Center of Public Policy Studies.

Source: Malaysiakini.com

Bank Structured Products

2008-10-14T12:53:00.003+08:00

$250k down the drain

THE injustice that she felt was so strong, she was trembling as she spoke.

Last year, her parents, both retirees, had invested $250,000 in three structured products.

The life savings of her father, 62, a former civil servant, and her mother, 60, a housewife, were wiped out when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt.

Over eight months, her father had put $150,000 in three structured products sold by a bank.

The long-time bank customer had first invested $50,000 in the Pinnacle Notes Series5B in March last year.

Two months after that, he made another $50,000 investment, this time in the Jubilee Notes Series3.

Last November, he put a further $50,000 of his life savings into another Pinnacle Notes product, the Series9.

Her mother had also invested $50,000 each in the Pinnacle Notes5B series and the Jubilee Notes Series3.

Their daughter, who wanted to be known only as Ms Koh, said: 'My parents still do not believe that their investments have been reduced to zero because they were told by the bank relationship manager that only their returns have been affected.'

She was at an event organised by former NTUC Income boss Tan Kin Lian at Hong Lim Park yesterday.

Whipping out a document released by the Monetary Authority of Singapore from her paper bag, Ms Koh said: 'It was written in black and white on this document that if a credit event happened, they (her parents) would still be able to get back their principal.

'My parents thought that the worst that could happen would be that they would lose their 5 per cent interest.'

Ms Koh had approached The New Paper on Sunday at the Speakers' Corner, where investors seeking recourse had gathered.

Frustrated after hearing how one of the speakers, Mr Leong Sze Hian, cautioned against putting all of one's eggs in the same basket, she said: 'My parents were told that these products were different from each other. They were told that these products were all different baskets.'

Now, Ms Koh is just trying to break the news gently to her parents and trying to recover as much of their investment as she can.

As the 'most highly educated' of three children, Ms Koh, an IT executive, is now going to hire a lawyer to prepare an affidavit for her parents so that, with other such investors, she can get the bank to take her complaint more seriously.

She had stayed up till 3.30am the previous night to prepare a letter of complaint she was going to send to the CEO of the bank and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The letter, which she showed The New Paper on Sunday, had details of how her parents ended up investing with the bank and included questions on why bank employees were allowed to 'mis-sell' the products.

She said: 'I do not blame the person who sold these products to my parents. It is the person who designed the product that is out to bluff laymen like us.

'How could they have not told us that we could have lost 100 per cent of our investment? My parents had bought the products thinking that their exposure was only 5 per cent at the most. What kind of (a) deal is this? You stand to gain only 5 per cent, but you could lose 100 per cent.

'My parents had jumped into the swimming pool thinking that the water would only come up to their feet. Now, it seems like there is a black hole in the swimming pool that is sucking everyone in and drowning them.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on October 12, 2008.

Source: AsiaOne

Cherok To' Kun Raya Adilfitri Open House

2008-10-11T17:21:00.010+08:00

I'll Stick To Fixed Deposits

2008-10-08T11:58:00.002+08:00

I'll stick to fixed deposits
By Sumiko Tan

I can still remember my one and only encounter with a 'relationship manager'.

He was a tall, tanned, beefy man in his 20s with a bushy head of hair. He wore a white shirt and a colourful tie and was a smooth and fast talker.

He persuaded me to part with $80,000 for five years.

I was at the POSB outlet in Great World City in mid-2003 to close several Save-As-You-Earn (SAYE) accounts. The amount totalled $80,000.

I'd kept a few POSB Save-As-You-Earn accounts ever since I started work. Under that conservative savings plan - which is no longer offered - you saved a fixed amount every month for two years.

At the end of the first 12 months, an additional 10 per cent was paid on the interest earned, and at the end of 24 months, you got a 20 per cent bonus on the interest.

The interest was paltry - less than 0.5 per cent - but the scheme forced me to set aside some money each month. I also liked how I got that little extra on my interest.

Anyway, the teller must have alerted the relationship manager because the next thing I knew, he was at my side, politely ushering me to a booth.

He sat me down and launched into a sales pitch on why I should put the $80,000 in the DBS Star Track Fund.

He sure made it sound like I was in for a fantastic deal.

What I recall him telling me most clearly was that no matter how the fund fared, I would definitely get my $80,000 back.

I queried him on this and he kept repeating that I had nothing to worry about. There was '100 per cent capital protection' if I held it to maturity.

I still have the Star Track brochure with me. In it, investors were told that this was 'a chance to participate in the performance of global leaders that will be the star performers in a stock-market recovery'.

I would get 'a minimum payout of 3.75 per cent after the first year. In addition, you may receive a potential additional payout of up to 2.25 per cent'.

To cut a long story short, after half an hour with him, the relationship manager convinced me to invest my $80,000 in the fund.

In September 2004, I received $3,000 from the 3.75 per cent payout.

Over the next four years, I got letters updating me on how the fund was doing.

If I'm not wrong (because I didn't keep all the letters), the market value of the units I'd bought were consistently below $80,000. I never got another payout.

But I wasn't worried because the relationship manager (whom I never heard from again) had assured me I'd at least get the $80,000 back.

In July this year, I got a letter and a five-page document from DBS, basically saying that a bond in the fund's portfolio had to be replaced by another in 2005 because its credit rating had been downgraded.

'The replacement resulted in a trading loss which affected the protection provided by the bond portfolio.' In layman's language, I wasn't going to get my 'protected' $80,000 back.

But all was not lost, the bank told this 'dear valued client', that is, me.

DBS had put together 'a special promotion package' (this was underlined) for us.

I would get 'an exclusive 50 per cent off sales charge!' (this was in bold font, complete with exclamation mark) if I re-invested my (now-diminished) proceeds from the Star Track Fund in any of five other funds it was offering.

Gee, did the bank really think I was that dumb?

In the end, I got back $79,342.40 from the $80,000 I put in. If you consider the $3,000 I received earlier, I got $82,342.40 - that is, I made $2,342 over five years.

But if I had put the $80,000 in a fixed deposit at a conservative 1 per cent interest during that period, I would have been $4,000 richer.

But I'm lucky.

Some investors are now reeling from the DBS High Notes 5 debacle where they might not get back even a cent of the principal because of its links to the now-bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers.

Still, it bothers me that my 'relationship manager' had not been more open with me. Why did he keep going on about how safe my money was when there was no guarantee I would get it all back?

But I am also reasonable enough to realise that it was ultimately nobody's fault but my own that the fund didn't live up to expectations.

Although I am not financially savvy, I am an adult, I am educated, it was my money and the burden was on me to do research on the fund before I committed myself. Indeed, if I had made pots of money, I would have had no complaints about the relationship manager.

Instead, I was goaded by greed. I wanted easy money and the interest sounded good. Too bad for me that I took a gamble that didn't pay off.

It's a lesson that I never seem to learn.

I was looking at some old Central Depository account statements the other day and it pains me to realise that one stock I'm holding was trading at $5.65 in December last year. It is now $1.80.

Why-oh-why didn't I sell it then and make a big profit? Because I thought it would go up to $6.

Why-oh-why didn't I sell it when it went down to $4 or even $3? Because I thought the price would recover. What am I to do now? Hold or sell? I have no idea.

I don't think I'm a particularly greedy or materialistic person, but I certainly would like to increase my wealth so that I'll have an easier life when I'm old and can't work.

In fact, when you think about how the cost of living is rising every day, greed doesn't even come into the picture anymore. It's about survival and it's about fear.

People need to find ways to invest their money such that the returns are higher than the scary inflation rate. The question is, how?

I've come to the conclusion that I'm a tortoise rather than a hare when it comes to making money.

I'm one of those who have to work hard and plod all their life to grow their wealth. I'd never be a hare who can take wild gambles, play the market and strike brilliant deals to fatten his bank account.

But the desire to make a quick buck is hard to suppress.

Last week, after the United States House of Representatives turned down the financial bailout plan and stock markets plunged, top on my mind was whether I should take advantage of the situation and do a mini-Oei Hong Leong.

As reported, the Singapore tycoon had bought one million AIG shares recently when the company was in trouble and its share price dived, then made a killing when it was saved by the US government and its price shot back up.

But, of course, I didn't have the money, acumen, expertise, experience, guts and gumption to buy any stocks, let alone strike it rich, which is why Oei Hong Leong is Oei Hong Leong and I'm, well, a salaried journalist.

But that's the safest route for me.

I just need to look for a reliable bank to park my money in fixed deposits, never mind if the interest is paltry. At least my money will be safe.

Perhaps DBS could do us a favour and bring back its Save-As-You-Earn scheme.

Source: AsiaOne

50 & Over Perks

2008-09-26T09:31:00.004+08:00

Don't laugh... it is all true!

Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
4. People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you?
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach-in, no matter who walks into the room.
13. Your eyes won't get much worse.
14. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
15. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
16. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
17. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
18. You can't remember who sent you this list.

And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.

Anyway, have a good weekend. Cheers

Don't Be Too Greedy With Investments

2008-09-25T13:31:00.001+08:00

MANY must have been jolted by the recent financial crisis, and some may even have lost a fortune in stocks and other investments.

I am sure many Singaporeans have lost sleep in the past week due to the turbulence in the financial markets. Some have invested their life savings in questionable investment instruments with a much reduced return, whereas others will now have to delay their retirement as their investments have gone sour.

I lost six-figure sums during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and have sworn off stocks and shares since then.

It was a wise decision, as the stock market took another battering during the 2001 crash due to 9/11 and Sars.

Aside from a $10,000 CPF unit-trust investment, I now have practically zero exposure to the wild swings of the stock market, for which I am very grateful.

Many have told me that money deposited with banks earns less than 1 per cent in interest and cannot beat the high inflation rate here.

However, I could argue that my principal sum saved in the bank is very safe and liquid, and I can sleep peacefully at night.

If I had always taken this approach to money, I am sure that my savings would have multiplied many times over.

Many invested in the stock market and structured investment products to earn a better return on their hard-earned cash.

Sad to say, not many are able to realise that appreciation without seeing the effects of market volatility on their investment.

Even for insurance products, which are technically foolproof, there is the risk of the insured losing money when the insurer goes bust.

It goes to show that nothing is safe, even if we go for banker- guaranteed investment products.

In any form of investment, there is no such thing as a principal- guaranteed financial product.

One has to pay management fees and annual charges, and Singaporeans need to be financially astute to realise that their investment will be exposed to some form of risk regardless of how financial advisers ?guarantee? their products.

Once he signs on the dotted line, the investor has little chance of reversing his decision.

As Singaporeans slowly recover from the financial shock of the century, let us learn not to be too greedy in how we approach our finances.

Even if the CPF Board gives an annual interest rate of 2.5 per cent on our CPF money, it is better than putting it in stocks and unit trusts and hoping for the best.

It is better to be conservative with our hard-earned money than to put it in the hands of brokers and traders whom we have little control over when the tide turns against our investment.

Those who have lost much in this financial crisis should learn a hard lesson and be shrewder with our investments.

Sometimes, it is prudent just to leave our money with commercial banks.

The heartache from our investments being caught in a financial downswing is just too much for many to bear.

Mr Gilbert Goh Keow Wah

Source: AsiaOne

Pakatan Rakyat Has The Numbers - Press Statement

2008-09-17T13:39:00.003+08:00

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA, 16 SEPTEMBER 2008

Today Malaysians celebrate Malaysia day – the day our country became whole and our people become united. This day has a new meaning. After years of struggle, after fighting against a system that is corrupt and unjust—we affirm that victory is finally at hand. Our vision of rebuilding this country and bringing its people together, as the founding fathers envisioned, is within reach.

The economy is in turmoil with runaway inflation and joblessness creating widespread discontent. Racial tensions have been rising, exacerbated by the propaganda spread in the government owned mainstream media. The administration has offered no vision to steer the nation out of this quagmire and there is manifest erosion in confidence in the current government.

We in Pakatan Rakyat believe we can save Malaysia from economic ruin and the dangerous politics of racism. We will do so prudently, legally and in doing so we will not jeopardize the security and stability of the country and the safety of its people.

We have received firm commitments from members of Parliament in excess of the number required to form a new government, and our government will reflect the diverse makeup of Malaysian society.

It has been our concern to ensure a peaceful transition of power. We do not wish to see a repeat of what transpired in the Selangor and Perak State governments, where following the victory of Pakatan Rakyat on March 8th, documents were shredded and removed by the outgoing administration.

We furthermore advise radical elements within BN against the abuse of state power to unlawfully harass and detain our supporters. The immediate investigation by the ACA of Dato Seri Yong Teck Lee after the announcement by SAPP of its intention to move a motion of no-confidence against Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is another example of the tactics we reject. The use of the ISA, as has happened to MP Teresa Kok, would be an unlawful impediment to the transition process.

In light these serious concerns, yesterday leaders of Pakatan Rakyat sent a letter to the Prime Minister at 2:30 PM requesting a meeting to discuss the future course of the nation’s leadership and to seek his assurance on the following important matters:

1) That the BN shall not hinder or prevent their BN MPs from acting in accordance with their conscience, constitutional rights and independent judgment;

2) That the BN government shall not invoke the Internal Security Act to detain any of the MPs who will join Pakatan Rakyat, or any of the present 82 Pakatan Rakyat MPs;

3) That the BN government shall not invoke emergency or police powers, or suspend the constitution, or dissolve parliament in response to our intention to form a new government;

4) That the Barisan Nasional government shall not impose road-blocks and impede the MPs from gaining access to the House of Parliament and the institutions of government.

We believe the Prime Minister will share Pakatan Rakyat’s concerns for the welfare of the people and security of the nation. We are confident he will ensure the BN will act constitutionally and democratically to ensure that the transition will be peaceful, and there will be no actions taken to sabotage the wishes of the people or play on racial tensions in the country.

We appeal to all quarters in Malaysian society to understand our intentions are for the betterment of Malaysian society. The mainstream media, in particular, should accept the reality of these historic times and report fairly, accurately and without bias. The irresponsible tact that is used by the media to obfuscate issues, attack opposition supporters and instigate racial tensions must end immediately.

Following our meeting with the Prime Minister we intend to proceed within the framework established by the Federal Constitution in the formation of a new government, with the assent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

ANWAR IBRAHIM
Leader of Opposition
De-facto leader, Keadilan

A Retiree's Sad Tale

2008-09-16T14:03:00.002+08:00

She wants higher interest but loses $20,000 instead
By Elysa Chen

SHE wanted to put her $50,000 in a fixed deposit account to earn more interest.

But the 62-year-old grandmother, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Ong, ended up putting all the money in a unit trust fund because she ignorantly listened to a bank employee, who allegedly told her it would earn her a higher interest.

So she did, not realising that it was high risk, unlike a fixed deposit which is risk free.

But as the global market tumbled, so did her investment in the fund.

Now, six years later, she has only $30,000 left, after suffering a 40 per cent loss.

Mrs Ong claimed that despite the bank employee's explanation, she did not understand what the fund was about at the time, but was under the impression that she was opening a fixed deposit.

Mrs Ong told The New Paper: 'I was frightened to death when I realised how much I had lost. I'm so angry with myself for making this mistake.'

She had no inkling of the huge loss that she suffered until last week when she went to the bank to withdraw the money.

What is worrying, is that Mrs Ong is not the only customer who has lost money as a result of such investment products.

Be transparent

A check with the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) revealed that there have been 28 cases of misleading claims by banks reported since last year.

Of these, seven involved elderly and illiterate people.

Case President Yeo Guat Kwang said banks need to exercise special care when recommending investment options to senior citizens or illiterate consumers who do not understand the risks involved.

Families should also tell elderly parents that they should not sign any agreement before consulting them.

Said Mr Yeo: 'The bottomline is that all financial institutions should be transparent, adopt fair trading practices and should not mislead or make misrepresentation at all.'

In Mrs Ong's case, she had gone to the POSB bank at Beauty World in September 2002 intending to open a fixed deposit account.

She claimed a bank employee then told her that leaving her money in a fixed deposit would earn her little, and advised her to invest in the unit trust fund instead.

After the bank employee allegedly reassured her that she would get her principal investment back after five years, Mrs Ong signed the papers, even though, she claimed, she did not understand what was written on them.

She claimed she had asked for Chinese copies of the documents, but was told by the bank employee that they could not provide such copies.

She did not tell her husband or her children about her investment, because she assumed it was a normal fixed deposit.

She said: 'I didn't want my children to worry about me, and my friends tell me that we do not need to let our husbands know how much we have.

'I realise now that kind of thinking is wrong. We should always let them know.'

Although the bank had sent her quarterly updates on how the fund was doing, Mrs Ong said she was unaware of her losses as she did not understand the letters, which were written in English.

She also did not pass these documents to her children.

Mrs Ong had needed the money to pay the deposit for a $300,000 resale HDB flat in Bukit Panjang that she and her husband wanted to buy.

To her horror, she found out that there was only $30,000 left in her account.

Worried, she called her eldest daughter to tell her what had happened to her savings.

Her daughter, a 38-year-old hawker, said: 'This was money that my mother had saved since she was 24 years old. It was her life savings.'

Mrs Ong was so affected by the incident she claimed she could not sleep for days.

She said: 'I never dared to splurge on myself, or to spend on expensive food and clothes, so that I would have enough savings to get by in my old age.

'It was such a waste to have my hard-earned money lost like this.'

She has not only closed her accounts with the bank, but has also withdrawn all her other savings which had been placed with another bank.

Worried that another person would go through the same ordeal, Mrs Ong decided to share her plight.

She said: 'The bank was wrong for not explaining the investment more clearly to me, and I was also wrong for not finding out more.'

When asked about the details of Mrs Ong's case, a DBS spokesman said they could not comment as investigations are ongoing.

The spokesman said: 'In general, the bank's process is to conduct a fact find to understand the client's financial needs, risk tolerance, investment time horizon, prior to recommending any investment product to a client.

'Features of the product, the risks involved, fees and charges, etc will be explained to the client.

'For all unit trust investments, relevant prospectus will also be given to them.'

Check what you invest
Familiarise yourself with the financial products offered on the market to get the best deal.
Go through the terms and conditions of the agreement carefully, even if they are mostly in fine print.
Beware of hype. Never focus solely on expected profits, but pay close attention to possible risks and losses as well.
Most banks have a quality service manager whom you should contact first in the event of a dispute.
If the dispute remains unresolved, the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre can help to resolve the dispute. It is an independent and impartial institution specialising in the resolution of disputes between financial institutions and consumers.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Sept 14, 200

Source: AsiaOne

Thrust God... Never Fails

2008-09-11T12:17:00.012+08:00

Anwar's Victory Press Statement

2008-08-27T11:20:00.000+08:00

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PERMATANG PAUH, MALAYSIA, 26 AUGUST 2008

We won! And our victory is decisive and overwhelming.

I share in the joy felt by all Malaysians on this historic day. This is a victory for the people. And it’s great to be back!

On March 8th Malaysians voted for a New Dawn. Today, on the eve of our independence day, we have reasserted that call. We celebrate our nation’s independence in the spirit that our founding fathers intended - a nation of one and a people united.

In the face of the greatest adversity, our campaign focused on the issues that matter to Malaysians. Our calls for national unity, good governance and a vibrant democracy have silenced the voices of racist chanting, those who profit from the abuse of power and exploit the politics of fear and deceit.

We have promised a New Dawn for Malaysia and we will deliver on our promise. We will forge ahead on our Malaysian Economic Agenda to revive the economy, and to uplift the poor and the marginalized of all races. We will restore the integrity of the judiciary, fight corruption and build a truly unified nation.

We will be a government that is totally committed to realizing the people’s aspirations.

With the success of the eight of March and tonight’s resounding victory, I daresay we are indeed ready to face the challenges of the future, together.

We could not have won without the firm, unwavering support of our friends in the Pakatan Rakyat and the tens of thousands of Malaysians – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadhazans - who have come to Permatang Pauh to work hard for this victory. I truly appreciate your courage, conviction and valour; and congratulate your commitment to our shared principles of freedom, justice and democracy.

This may be one small step for Permatang Pauh but one giant leap for the people of Malaysia.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

P44 By-Election

2008-08-20T14:17:00.012+08:00

P44

2008-08-10T12:06:00.006+08:00

Office of Anwar Ibrahim - Press Statement

2008-08-09T12:07:00.003+08:00

08 AUGUST 2008, PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA

I promise that under a Pakatan Rakyat government Malaysians will never again be subjected to such gross abuse of executive power as we are again witnessing today. Arbitrary arrest and detention, frivolous investigation and malicious prosecutions shall be a thing of the past. Police officers and prosecutors who launch conspiracies to defame and humiliate the innocent will be severely punished. The use of police powers as well the office of the Attorney General to persecute political opponents will be criminalized so as to ensure a healthy and vibrant democracy where dissent is not only tolerated but nurtured.

In this regard every Malaysian’s fundamental liberties will be treated as sacrosanct and safeguarded by a truly independent judiciary guided by principles of utmost integrity and an adherence to the spirit of the federal constitution.

The politically motivated trial launched against me will, Insha’Allah, be the last of its kind. No Malaysian will suffer from this cruel injustice ever again.

Yesterday’s events confirm my innocence from the charges that recently surfaced. The medical report and statutory declaration by Dr. Osman Abdul Hamid of the Pusrawi Hospital that surfaced on Thursday shatter lingering doubts as to whether the alleged act ever took place. Dr. Osman’s statement also confirms what we have already stated regarding deplorable actions by the police to fabricate evidence in a manner identical to the manipulation of my case in 1998. Anything short of a thorough investigation into the mishandling of this investigation would further tarnish the credibility of the police.

The doctor’s personal safety is a matter of deep concern to us. Material witnesses in high-profile cases in Malaysia have gone missing in the past such as the PI Balasubramanian. I applaud those brave individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to freedom and justice by coming forward with important evidence, and call upon the authorities to ensure their protection.

Yesterday in court we learned that the prosecution’s case has, in a manner similar to the botched trials of 1998, shape-shifted from a charge of assault to one of a consensual act. The conspiracy launched against me in the final week of June 2008 is falling apart. There is a hasty attempt by some to patch up glaring holes in the complainant’s testimony. This will certainly fail given the preponderance of evidence confirming my innocence.

The Prime Minister has actively involved himself in this matter in an attempt to derail the process of transformational change in Malaysia and stave off his own political demise. But in soiling his hands with this sordid matter he has deepened the crisis within his own administration. His most ardent supporters among the Malays have also expressed their disgust with the matter. Furthermore Prime Minister Badawi now faces investigation by the Anti Corruption Agency for his involvement in corruption and money politics.

The shadow of corruption and mismanagement of the economy darkens the legacy of his Premiership. Prime Minister Badawi has still offered no convincing explanation over the huge profits reaped by his family in the Oil For Food scandal at the expense of dying Iraqis.

I advise those around him to leave the sinking ship of his leadership while there is still a chance to do so.

Pakatan Rakyat’s reform agenda is firmly back on track and the New Dawn for Malaysia is well within reach. We will mount a unified campaign to win in Permatang Pauh with a solid majority encompassing that constituency’s diverse population. I look forward to entering Parliament on August 27th with the support of my friends in the coalition.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

8hb OGOS 2008, PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA

Saya berjanji sebuah kerajaan yang diperintah Pakatan Rakyat, rakyat Malaysia tidak perlu lagi takut kepada penahanan dan perbicaraan yang wewenang. Pegawai polis dan pendakwaraya yang berkonspirasi untuk memfitnah dan memalukan orang yang tidak bersalah akan dihukum. Setiap rakyat Malaysia pasti akan mendapat perbicaraan yang adil, di mana seseorang itu tidak bersalah selagi adanya bukti yang jelas untuk membuktikan sebaliknya. Penggunaan kuasa polis dan Peguam Negara untuk menghukum musuh politik akan diharamkan bagi memastikan demokrasi yang sihat, di mana sebarang perbezaan pendapat bukan sahaja di benarkan malah digalakkan.

Dengan ini setiap hak rakyat Malaysia akan dianggap sebagai suci dan akan dilindungi oleh kehakiman yang bebas dipandui oleh prinsip-prinsip yang selari dengan semangat Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Perbicaraan bermotifkan politik yang dibuat ke atas saya, dengan izin Allah merupakan yang terakhir.

Apa yang berlaku semalam membuktikan saya sememangnya tidak bersalah dari sebarang pertuduhan yang muncul baru-baru ini. Laporan perubatan dan akuan bersumpah oleh Dr Osman yang muncul pada hari Khamis seharusnya menghilangkan sebarang keraguan dan pertanyaan yang masih timbul samada kejadian itu berlaku ataupun tidak. Kenyataan Dr Osman juga mengesahkan apa yang kami nyatakan sebelum ini berkenaan usaha memualkan pihak polis untuk memalsukan bukti di dalam kes ini, dengan cara yang sama di dalam memanipulasikan kes saya pada tahun 1998. Kredibiliti pihak polis pasti rosak dengan tiadanya penyiasatan yang teliti terhadap wujudnya salah tata urus penyiasatan kes saya.

Keselamatan doktor tersebut ternyata menjadi kebimbangan kami. Saksi utama kes berprofil tinggi di Malaysia sering hilang pada masa lalu seperti PI Balasubramaniam. Saya memuji individu-individu berani yang mempamirkan komitmen mereka kepada kebebasan dan keadilan dengan melangkah ke hadapan membawa bukti penting. Saya mahu pihak berkuasa memastikan keselamatan mereka.

Semalam di mahkamah, kita sedar kejelikan kes yang dibawa oleh pihak pendakwaraya ternyata mempunyai persamaan dengan kegagalan perbicaraan 1998, pendakwaan sudah pun bertukar dari aksi yang memaksa kepada aksi sukarela. Ini semua terjadi kerana konspirasi yang dicipta pada minggu terakhir bulan Jun sudah mulai retak dan berkecai. Ada usaha yang terburu-buru dari pihak polis untuk menutup sebarang kelemahan pengakuan petuduh. Usaha mereka pastinya gagal kerana bukti yang ada sangat jelas menunjukkan sebaliknya serta adanya rakyat Malaysia yang berani ke hadapan untuk membuktikan bahawa saya tidak bersalah.

Perdana Menteri telah secara cuai melibatkan dirinya dengan kes ini, dalam usaha untuk menggagalkan sebarang proses perubahan di Malaysia dan untuk menghindari kejatuhan kareer politik beliau. Penglibatan beliau dalam kes ini pasti mengakibatkan krisis tenat di dalam pentadbirannya. Penyokong kuat beliau di kalangan orang Melayu sendiri mulai muak dengan perkara ini. Tambahan lagi Perdana Menteri Abdullah Badawi sedang berhadapan dengan penyiasatan Badan Pencegah Rasuah berkenaan penglibatan beliau di dalam korupsi dan politik wang.

Bayangan korupsi dan salah urus ekonomi menjadi legasi pentadbiran beliau. Perdana Menteri Abdullah masih gagal memberikan sebarang penjelasan yang meyakinkan berkenaan keuntungan besar yang diraih oleh keluarga beliau hasil dari penglibatan keluarga beliau dalam skandal Minyak untuk Makanan yang melibatkan rakyat Iraq yang terdesak dan di ambang kematian.

Saya menasihati mereka di sekeliling beliau untuk menjauhi bahtera kepimpinan beliau yang bakal tenggelam itu selagi mereka mempunyai peluang.

Agenda Reform Pakatan Rakyat kembali ke landasan yang tepat dan Harapan Baru untuk Malaysia sudah semakin dekat. Kami akan memastikan kempen yang bersepadu untuk memenangi Parlimen Permatang Pauh dengan majoriti besar meliputi penduduk yang pelbagai latar dan etnik dari kawasan tersebut. Saya berhasrat untuk memasuki Parlimen pada 27hb Ogos 2008 dengan sokongan rakan-rakan saya di dalam pakatan sebagai pemimpin mereka yang baru.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Permatang Pauh

2008-08-08T12:46:00.007+08:00

Letter From Anwar Ibrahim

2008-08-07T13:24:00.002+08:00

6 AUGUST 2008, PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA

This morning the Malaysian Election Commission announced nomination and polling day for the by-election that I will contest in Permatang Pauh. I look forward to the campaign period to meet with voters in my home constituency. I invite all Malaysians to join me in this historic campaign to bring forth a New Dawn for Malaysia as we work together to build a more peaceful and prosperous nation.

At the same time we would reiterate our longstanding concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. To this date, the evidence of phantom voters and ballot box stuffing has yet to be addressed by the Election Commission. The poor handling of the use of indelible ink in the General Elections gives all Malaysians, particularly those in Permatang Pauh, reason to be concerned about the conduct of polling this month. I urge the Election Commission to take this opportunity to restore some credibility to its reputation by fulfilling its constitutional mandate to ensure that voting is fair and unbiased.

On a darker note, I regret to say that I fear an enormous injustice is about to be perpetrated upon the Malaysian people, worse than those actions taken in 1988 and 1998 which rendered almost irreparable harm against the institutions of democracy and the rule of law. While some individuals suffered greatly by those actions, the Malaysian people have been the greatest losers.

Tomorrow I will be charged with a crime I did not commit. The real criminals will, in their efforts to humiliate me and to derail the people's aspirations for transformational change in Malaysia, hide behind a smokescreen created by the government controlled mainstream media.

This travesty of justice will take place. It will happen with the active support and the criminal involvement of the highest echelons of the police and politicians—including the office of the Prime Minister.

We have been informed that the Attorney General's chambers has advised against charging me after having studying the investigation papers. Despite its views, some individuals within the Police have insisted on pursuing this case even though the legal professionals in the AG's Chambers take a different view.

The evidence proves that the accuser lied in his initial report. He has been seen to be working in close collaboration with the police, notably his meeting with SAC2 Rodwan who was working hand in hand with Musa Hassan to conspire against me in 1998. Other witnesses in this matter have been threatened and harassed in order to fabricate evidence. Doctors appear to have been pressured to violate all norms of medical ethics. Senior Ministers, in their comments about the case, have demonstrated their consistent interference in the investigation.

We are also informed that some individuals within the Prime Minister's close circles are adamant about pursuing this case. Their involvement further undermines the credibility of the case and proves that the entire conspiracy hatched against me is politically motivated.

Today the Prime Minister faces a crisis of confidence. His approval ratings have plummeted since the March elections and senior members of the Barisan Nasional have joined Pakatan Rakyat in droves. The economy under his abysmal management has reached its lowest ebb in decades and all signs point to further weakening. And just yesterday prominent UMNO members have initiated an investigation into his own involvement in corruption and money politics. This is a man under siege – and he sees no way out but to deflect the attention of the Malaysian people with a sham trial against me.

He is now burning the forest to save his own tree!

I have thus far constrained my criticism of the Prime Minister to his failed policies and general incompetence in leading the nation. But now it is clear that his vendetta against those who would seek his early dismissal from office knows no boundaries and will transgress all limits of the rule of law.

I hold the Prime Minister personally responsible for the damage that is about to be done to the nation and to the integrity and dignity of the Malays.

Our international standing, recently lambasted by prominent leaders from around the world, will plummet even further. Overseas investors are already deeply skeptical about Malaysia on account of its reputation for deeply engrained corruption and economic inefficiency. They will certainly be further dissuaded from any further activity in Malaysia. The continued decline in the economy will lead to greater unemployment and rampant stagflation.

I will fight this with the hope and energy of the people who have supported reformasi in Malaysia. I will not allow this cowardly attack to derail Pakatan Rakyat's agenda for change. Insha'Allah we will win in Permatang Pauh. Insha'Allah we will win convincingly. I look forward to joining my colleagues in the Parliament to prepare for the historic transition that the country is eagerly awaiting.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Lembah Bujang Archaeological Park

2008-02-19T13:10:00.010+08:00

Pantai Merdeka

2008-02-12T12:02:00.000+08:00

Singapore Public Transportation

2007-11-03T12:13:00.001+08:00

Kuala Muda Fishermen

2007-10-26T12:04:00.000+08:00

Nine Emperor Gods Festival

2007-10-17T13:27:00.000+08:00

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival falls on October 11-19, 2007. Kow Ong Yah in Hokkien, it is observed in many parts of Malaysia. In Penang, a Float Procession was held on the night of October 15, this year being a big affair as many temples send their representation to this festival.

Hutan Lipur Sungei Sedim

2007-10-12T13:03:00.001+08:00

Hutan Lipur Sungei Sedim is in Sedim, Kedah in Malaysia. It is 32 km from Kulim. This forest recreational resort is accessible by road, a new road was being built when the photos were taken in October 2007. It was a narrow tarred-road, partly dirt-track then. Only for the eco-traveler or quiet seeking folks.

Malaysia's 50th Independence Day

2007-09-01T11:06:00.002+08:00

Penang Botanical Garden

2007-08-30T11:38:00.000+08:00