Catholic paper will get 2010 permit

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 – The dispute over next year’s publishing permit for Malaysia’s sole Catholic newspaper The Herald is settled and it will continue to be published next year while Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein today hotly denied it had ever revoked the permit.
Reverend Father Lawrence Andrew confirmed talk that the newpaper’s annual licence, which is under the scope of the Home Affairs Ministry, has been approved.
“It’s not a victory or anything,” Andrew told The Malaysian Insider over the phone while on his way home after an hour-long dialogue with senior aides to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in Putrajaya this evening.
“They are now talking sense, using reason instead of emotion,” he added.
Andrew expects to receive the permit within a week, after he reminded ministry officials of the bad experience he had in getting the current permit.
He had been notified the 2009 permit was approved only on Dec 31, the expiry date of the previous year’s permit, and received the permit proper only in January.
“They said they are issuing it,” Andrew said.
All print media owners here must have a publishing permit or risk jail and a fine under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The issue had caused a public outcry a few days after being highlighted by The Malaysian Insider earlier in the week.
But national news agency Bernama reported Hishammuddin today calling the revocation report baseless as the weekly's publication was still allowed in four languages namely Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
"The only issue here is whether they would be allowed to print The Herald in Kadazandusun," he told a news conference after chairing a post-cabinet meeting here today.
Hishammuddin said that the weekly's editor had sent a letter to the ministry informing them of a deferment in the publication of the Kadazandusun version.
The parish priest of St Anne’s Church in Port Klang had been invited to a meeting yesterday with Hishammuddin’s special officer, Datuk Lau Yeng Peng, to clear up the confusion caused by two letters issued by the ministry a few months back.
Other key staffers also present at the meeting included Datuk Michael Chong, also a special officer to the home minister; and the head of the publication control and Quranic text division.
“We are to take the first letter and ignore the second letter,” Andrew said, adding that “the confusion was caused by wrong wording in the letters.”
Andrew did not want to comment further on the explanations from the ministry, but confirmed that one of the reasons given requested him to write in for a refund for “payment made too early”.
Ministry officials said the church only needed to pay the fee three months before the permit expires, implying that it was too hasty when it paid in August instead of October.
The ministry had on Aug 5, sent out a letter approving the 2010 permit for the paper to publish in four languages: Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
In the same letter, it noted the church had applied to publish in Kadazandusun, an ethnic language widely used in Sabah, but rejected the request, even though a large number of Malaysia’s 850,000 Catholics hail from Borneo. No reasons were given.
The ministry then requested the church to pay the RM800 fee made out to the Chief Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry through a bank draft or money order within a month from the date of the letter, or before the current permit expires, which is on Dec 31.
The letter was undersigned Norlin Mudzafar on behalf of the home ministry’s chief secretrary.
The church promptly paid up within the month.
The next month, Andrew said, he received another letter from the ministry, dated Sept 3, and undersigned by Abdul Razak Abdul Latif from the publication control and Quranic text division, also on behalf of the ministry’s chief secretary.
The second letter rejected an application to change the language, which puzzled Andrew because he did not remember applying to change any language in The Herald.
The priest was more confused when the letter instructed him to furnish the ministry with four documents for a refund on the RM800 fee, namely: a valid copy of the bank statement in the name of the publisher, the “Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur”; a valid copy of the applicant’s identity card (IC); a valid copy of the organisation’s registration certificate; and a letter requesting a refund.

Christians Here Called God "Allah" Since Year 1631

Home Ministry officials in Putrajaya today were stunned to learn that the word “Allah” had been used by Catholics in this country to refer to the Christian God hundreds of years ago.
“I told them that ‘Allah’ had been used in this country because the lingua franca at that time was Malay,” Reverend Father Lawrence Andrew, the priest-editor of The Herald, told The Malaysian Insider.
The priest had met several senior aides to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in Putrajaya earlier this evening to clear up the confusion over the Catholic paper’s on-off publishing permit for next year.
Among the staffers present were the ministry’s head of publication control and Quranic texts and two special officers to Hishammuddin, Datuk Lau Yeng Peng and Datuk Michael Chong.
Andrew described the meeting as “cordial”.
During the hour-long dialogue, Andrew took the chance to draw their attention to a Malay-Latin dictionary published in 1631 which showed the translation for “Allah” and a Catholic prayer book published in 1894 brought over from Hong Kong.
The priest related that Hishammuddin’s aides were surprised to learn that Catholics had used the word “Allah” outside the Muslim context over four hundred years ago but declined to comment on the issue, explaining it was beyond their scope.
The church is challenging the home minister’s ban in recent years on it publishing the word “Allah” to refer to the Christian God.
The ministry first threatened to cancel The Herald’s licence last year, effectively shutting down the country’s only Catholic publication.
The High Court here had earlier this week ejected nine Islamic bodies from intervening in the suit.
The fight to decide who can use the word “Allah” to mean what will be heard on Dec 14.

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The Top 10 Sexiest Female Politicians in the World

It seems this year in politics is all about women. We had one who nearly became the Democratic nominee, one who is the Republican VP nominee and possibly a heartbeat away from the presidency. Women are the hot topic in politics, but are they hot? Earlier in the primaries, Jack Nicholson recorded a commercial in favor Hillary Clinton and used a quote from one of his movies where he said “There is nothing on this earth sexier, believe me gentleman, than a woman that you have to salute in the morning.” With that, here are 10 of the world's sexiest female politicians.

10. Sitrida Geagea

Sitrida Geagea is a Lebanese politician renowned for her beauty and a media favorite in Lebanon. She is from a wealthy, prominent Lebanese family. While at University, she met and married Samir Farid Geagea, the leader of the right wing Lebanese Forces (LF) political party. When Samir was imprisoned for 11 years for political reasons after the Lebanese Civil war, Sitrida led LF. Being kept away from Sitrida for 11 years is quite a sentence.

9. Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton is the lady that nearly made it to the White House on her own accord. That takes balls. This is one female politician people either love or hate. She clearly isn't the most attractive female politician in the world, and SNL even call her a flurge. That said, you have to respect her tenacity, gustiness and those 18 million cracks. No matter who wins this year's election she'll still be one of the most powerful politicians in American, and power is damn sexy!

8. Belinda Stronach

Belinda Stronach is a member of the Canadian Parliament and a bombshell to boot. She is the daughter of a wealthy auto parts manufacture and a respected business woman herself. In 2001 the National Post named her "the most powerful business woman in Canada". Her entry into politics has not been smooth - she's switched parties, made mistakes and had her head Photoshopped onto someone else body. The twice married mother of two has a long history of dating or having affairs with Hockey players. When asked about her personal life she retorted "Let's face it. I don't sit at home and knit on Friday nights." This is my kind of politician.

7. Julia Gillard

Julia Gillard ain't no oil painting, but she is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Australians love her (and Australians usually have pretty good taste). The red headed power house has a kick wit, a way with words and has been dubbed "sexy" by the Australian press. Last year she came in behind former Miss Universe Jenifer Hawkins as the number two sexiest woman in the country by men's magazine Ralph. The magazine then offered her $50,000 to pose in a bikini, which she declined.. Australia has either run out of beautiful women, or Julia's power has gone to there head.

6. Cristina Fernadez de Kirchner

Cristina is the President of Argentina, with a style likened to Eva Peron. Prior to leading the people of Argentina she was Argentina's First Lady and a Senator for Buenos Aires Province. That's right - she one upped Hillary Clinton and stole her play book. This sexy South American thrashed the other candidates in the 2007 election, beating her nearest rival by 22%. Interestingly she won by winning the votes of the urban working class and the rural poor. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has a sexy name and is a total PILF.

5. Ruby Dhalla

Ruby Dhalla is a 34 year old Canadian politician of Indian descent. She is a member of the Liberal party, a power house of Canadian politics. She has long worked to make a difference. In 1984 when some Sikhs were shot by Indian soldiers at Punjab’s Golden Temple, a 10 year old Ruby wrote to India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asking for the violence to end. Gandhi personally responded to the letter and quoted it at a subsequent press conference. Compassion is as sexy as looking fine in a fancy dress.

4. Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin is currently a political phenomenon in the United States. Four years ago she was the mayor of a small town in Alaksa and now she’s possibly a heart beat a way from the Presidency. The small town self described hockey mom is a former beauty queen and star athlete. The Tina Fey look-a-like can hunt, shoot hoops and just gave birth while Governor of Alaska. You may disagree with her politics – but you can’t help admire her. Plus - all those sexy Photoshopped images are making this election very entertaining.

3. Yulia Tymoshenko

Yulia Tymoshenko is the current Prime Minister of Ukraine. She was instrumental in Ukraine’s Orange Revolution – where in 2004 the country came to a stand still following a Communist-backed, rigged election. Yulia was deemed the Joan of Arc of the Revolution. She is famed for her plaited hairstyle, which almost looks like a crown.

Since coming to power Forbes Magazine has named her the 3rd most powerful woman in the world and Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail dubbed her “one of the most beautiful women to ever enter politics”.

2. Alina Kabaeva

Alina is most famous for her career in gymnastics. She is Russia’s most successful gymnast to date and has won 18 World championship medals, 2 Olympic Medals and 25 European Championship medals. In 2007 after retiring from Gymnastics, Alina became a member of the Russian parliament, representing the pro-Kremlin United Russia party. Earlier this year it was rumored that Former Russian President and Current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was to leave his wife and marry Alina. Both dismissed the rumor. Alina is best known for her extreme flexibility – a good quality for a politician.

1. Mara Rosaria Carfagna

Mara Carfagna is an Italian politician and currently serves as the Minister for Equal Opportunity. The former showgirl, model and TV presenter has been described as “the most beautiful minister in the world" and is referred to as "Mara La Bella" ("Beautiful Mara"). Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is enamored with her and was once overheard saying "If I was not already married I would have married her immediately". It is speculated that Carfagna and Berlusconi are entangled in a secret affair. Recorded telephone conversation between the two has been described as “erotic in nature” and involving oral sex. The yet to be published conversations were recorded while Berlusconi was under investigation and had his phones tapped. Mara is one hot female politician who’s not afraid to get on hands and knees and do the hard work. She puts Monica Lewinsky to shame.

What about the female Politicians in Malaysia. Do we have any sexy female politicians? None in BN but I may dare to say that we have few beautiful, young and sexy female politicians from DAP and PKR.

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Alantuya Murder-PI Bala drops Bombshell 3: Update 1

VVIPs likely to be named


FINALLY, private investigator P.Balasubramaniam has come out of hiding after 15 months to give a no holds barred interview on what happened to him.
In the presence of three prominent lawyers on Oct 27, he reaffirmed that his first statutory declaration released on July 3 last year was true and that he was offered to RM5million to retract it.
He named carpet businessman Deepak—who is said to be an associate of Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Prime Minister Najib Razak—as the person who met him at a Rawang restaurant and made the cash offer.
Excepts of the video interview has been posted on YouTube

In the interview, Bala said Deepak made more than a cash offer.

“He asked me to go to Putrajaya but he never mentioned who he wanted me to go and meet… then after that he offered me RM5million to retract the SD,” Bala said.
The meeting allegedly took place at a restaurant in Rawang, on the same day Bala’s statutory declaration became public alleging links between Najib, his aide Razak Baginda and murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribu.
Today, the first part of Bala’s interview appeared on YouTube and Raja Petra’s Malaysia-today.net .This is to be followed by a series of other portions of his Bombshell 3 expose.
Bala is likely to name people who played a role in the retraction of his first statutory declaration, which was replaced by a second one read out at a press conference the next day, on July 4 last year.
It is learnt that some of the personalities to be named are those close to the Prime Minister and his wife as well as senior police officers.
The 50-year- old former Special Branch officer is also expected to give a full account of his family’s ordeal while hiding away from Malaysia.It is learnt that he and his family first went to Singapore , then flew to Bangkok before arriving in New Dehli via Kathmandu.
Who are the people and why they went to such lengths to buy Bala’s silence is likely to become clearer as his expose in the interview unfolds.

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Barisan Nasional Sarawak Dictatorship

"2nd Suspension Due to Abuse of Power and System By BN"

Dictatorship according to Wikipedia is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator, without hereditary ascension.

The most recent, highly-publicized example of a country that was undeniably a dictatorship was Germany in World War II, which was under the absolute rule of Adolf Hitler. Whereas the most recent dictatorship that I experience myself is a Barisan Nasional under Taib Mahmud that has been ruling Sarawak for more than 25 years.

Since the number of opposition assemblymen in Sarawak DUN has increased, BN Sarawak has been criticized heavily by the opposition assemblymen. Barisan Nasional in the past especially after PBDS joined BN, has been having freedom to hide their blunders from the public. To maintain their freedom, in year 2007 they(BN Reps) have approved the DUN (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance 2007.The main purpose of the Ordinance is to curb opposition assemblymen from criticizing Taib Mahmud or Barisan Nasional.

The latest casualty of the Ordinance was a Kota Sentosa Assemblyman who is also the Bandar Kuching MP and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary YB Chong Chieng Jen.Yesterday, YB Chong Chieng was suspended from attending the DUN sitting for the rest of the sitting starting from Yesterday. He was suspended due to his comment which was published in a local newspaper, which said that a single person had control over the state budgetary allocation.

In defending his move in tabling the motion to suspend Chong, Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday described state Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary Chong Chieng Jen’s statement as damaging to the state and could “destroy” Sarawak economically because no investor would invest in the state if its coffer was controlled by one single person.

All BN Politicians are in Taib Pocket

Even though Datuk Wong Soon Koh said that the budgetary allocation had to pass through several processes or committees before it reached the state cabinet and the chief minister, but the question is, who is among the BN Assemblymen that dare to question or oppose  Taib ? 

And if Taib has no influenced over Sarawak   budgeter y allocation, why the budget was not fairly distributed among  all the divisions in Sarawak. For example the 10th MDP Budget , 85% of its went to Northern part of Sarawak (Taib hometown)? 

Abuse of Power

Invoking  the DUN (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance 2007 against the assemblyman  that exposing BN wrongdoing was an abused of power. MACC should take immediate action without waiting for someone to come forward to make a  report.

Hope with the pro-active action by MACC, Sarawak BN will not abuse their  power in the future. As a reminder for Taib Mahmud and his cronies...Please learn something from Selangor and Penang, your wrondoing will be exposed to the  public once PAKATAN took over Sarawak...

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New Twist in Alantuya Murder Case-RPK suggests PI Bala may soon resurface to attack Najib

RPK Will be " Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban" Until Najib Step down as PM!

The fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, or RPK, has raised the ante again against Datuk Seri Najib Razak by threatening to expose another statutory declaration by missing private investigator P. Balasubramaniam.

Talk has been swirling for several weeks now that the private investigator was going to surface after going missing since July last year.

There has been speculation that Balasubramaniam would restate allegations against the prime minister he first made in a statutory declaration last year linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

In a posting on his Malaysia-today.net portal, RPK alleges that Balasubramaniam had been living in India since he went missing and had been paid to keep quiet.

“Little did they know that Bala was just biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike back.

“And now he is striking back and has come out to reveal what really happened since the time he signed his first statutory declaration, followed by the second one the following day, 16 months ago,” RPK wrote.

For the opposition, this development, if true, will provide a chance to put the prime minister under pressure and put a difficult issue for him back on the table.

While RPK provides little concrete evidence for his allegations, such is his following and influence among Malaysians that his attacks against Najib remain damaging.

In his latest attacks, he publishes photographs of cheques allegedly made out to Balasubramaniam.

And he promised to make more revelations within the next month.

Abdul Razak Baginda, one of Najib’s closest associates, had been charged for abetment and tried for the 2006 murder of Altantuya.

Abdul Razak was eventually acquitted. But two policemen who were once on Najib’s security detail were found guilty of the murder.

PI Bala will Appear and Expose Everything, Eventually Rosmah husband will Admit Everything...RPK Theory!

Abdul Razak had admitted that Altantuya was his lover.

But the close ties between the major players in the murder and Najib have always dogged the prime minister, with critics like RPK frequently accusing the government of a conspiracy to protect the PM.

Last year, Balasubramaniam caused a stir when he made public a statutory declaration in which he alleged Najib had a sexual relationship with Altantuya.

But he then made another statutory declaration a day later retracting the accusations against Najib.

After that Balasubramaniam disappeared.

The private investigator had been hired by Abdul Razak to help him deal with Altantuya, who was alleged to have been harassing him.

Balasubramaniam was also a witness in the murder trial.

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North and South Korea Clash at Sea

The two Koreas briefly exchanged naval fire Tuesday along their disputed western sea border, with a North Korean ship suffering heavy damage before retreating, South Korean military officials said.
There were no South Korean casualties, the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, and it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties on the North Korean side. Each side blamed the other for violating the sea border.
The clash - the first of its in kind in seven years - occurred as U.S. officials said President Barack Obama has decided to send a special envoy to Pyongyang for rare direct talks on the communist country's nuclear weapons program. No date has been set but it would be the first one-on-one talks since Obama took office in January. Obama is due in Seoul next week.
"It's a regrettable incident," South Korean Commodore Lee Ki-sik told reporters in Seoul. "We are sternly protesting to North Korea and urging it to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents."
North Korea's military issued a statement blaming South Korea for the "grave armed provocation," saying its ships crossed into North Korean territory.
The North claimed that a group of South Korean warships opened fire but fled after the North's patrol boat dealt "a prompt retaliatory blow." The statement, carried on the official Korean Central News Agency, said the South should apologize.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who convened an emergency security meeting, ordered his defense minister to strengthen military readiness.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that a North Korean patrol boat crossed the disputed western sea border around 11:27 a.m. (0227 GMT), drawing warning shots from a South Korean navy vessel. The North Korean boat then opened fire and the South's ship returned fire before the North's vessel sailed back toward its waters, the statement said.
The clash occurred near the South-held island of Daecheong, about 120 nautical miles (220 kilometers) off the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul, the statement said.
The North Korean ship was seriously damaged in the skirmish, a Joint Chiefs of Staff officer said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. Prime Minister Chung Un-chan told lawmakers the ship was enveloped in flames when it fled north, according to Yonhap news agency.
Lee, the commodore, said the shooting lasted for about two minutes, during which the South Korean ship fired 50 rounds from naval guns at the North Korean vessel, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away. He said the South Korean ship was lightly damaged.
Lee said several Chinese fishing boats were operating in the area at the time of clash, but they were undamaged. He said it wasn't clear if the North Korean ship was trying to clamp down on the Chinese boat for possible poaching.
He said the South Korean military was investigating if the North's alleged violation was deliberate, but Prime Minister Chung was quoted as telling lawmakers that the clash was not intentional.
The Koreas regularly accuse each other of straying into their respective territories. South Korea's military said that North Korean ships violated the sea border on 22 occasions this year.
The two sides have fought deadly skirmishes along the western sea border in 1999 and 2002.
No South Korean sailors were killed in 1999, but six South Korean sailors died in 2002, according to the South Korean navy. It said exact North Korean causalities remain unclear.
Baek Seung-joo, a North Korea expert at Seoul's state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said the clash would not have a big impact on inter-Korean relations.
He said the Koreas held a landmark summit in 2000 and the North sent a cheering squad to the South for the Asian Games in 2002. Both events took place after the separate clashes in 1999 and 2002.
"It was an intentional provocation by North Korea," Baek said, noting that Pyongyang appears to want to create tensions and use them for domestic political consumption.
The two Koreas have yet to agree on their sea border more than 50 years after the end of their 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice and not a permanent peace treaty. Instead, they rely on a line that the then-commander of U.N. forces, which fought for the South, drew unilaterally at the end of the conflict.
North Korea last month accused South Korean warships of broaching its territory in waters off the west coast and warned of a clash in the zone, which is a rich crab fishing area.
The latest conflict comes after North Korea has reached out to Seoul and Washington following months of tension over its nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April and carried out its second underground nuclear test in May. But it subsequently released South Korean and U.S. detainees, agreed to resume joint projects with South Korea and offered direct talks with Washington.
Two administration officials said Monday in Washington that Obama has decided, after months of deliberation, has decided to send a special envoy to Pyongyang for direct talks on nuclear issues.
Obama will send envoy Stephen Bosworth, although no date for his trip has been set, the officials said. The officials discussed the matter on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been publicly announced.
Hundreds of thousands of combat-ready troops on both sides face across the 155-mile-long (248-kilometers-long) land border that is also strewn with land mines and tank traps and laced with barbed wire. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to deter a potential North Korean aggression.

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NCR Land Robbery At Kampong Gua Sri Aman

Monday, 9th Nov 2009

Despite the document that they have, they Still failed to stop company from robbing their NCR Land.

Despite sufficient documents that support their claim over their NCR land, but until now their plight had not been responded to.
According to Lebi Impin, his land located at Kg Gua at the vacinity of KM36 Sri-Aman-Kuching Road had been cleared for oil palm plantation by the JV company since year 2001.
They have made several complaints to Land Survey Department and even to the Chief Minister but until now no concrete action has been taken by the authority.
Lebi said before the land was cleared for oil palm plantation it has been planted with rubber trees and other crops.
Lebi further said that he will take legal action against the company soon.

Iban Ministers and Assemblymen of Taib Cabinet Failed To Protect Our NCR

Despite the fact that Iban has enough Ministers and Assemblymen in sarawak cabinet but so far they failed to protect the NCR Land. In the past many NCR land encroachment occurred in this area but so far none of the Iban ministers and assemblymen ever came forward and took appropriate action to protect Iban most valuable belonging the NCR land.

Iban Should Forget BN and Join Keadilan

With current situation whereby Iban representative in BN failed to protect  our NCR land there's no reason why we should still hang-on to BN. The only hope that we have now is in PKR, therefore I would like to urge all Iban to abandon BN and Join PKR......

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Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan-the man accused of opening fire at Fort Hood had embraced an increasingly extremist view of Islamic ideology

FORT HOOD, Texas -- A key U.S. senator said Sunday he would begin an investigation into whether the Army missed signs that the man accused of opening fire at Fort Hood had embraced an increasingly extremist view of Islamic ideology.

Sen. Joe Lieberman's call for the investigation came as word surfaced that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan apparently attended the same Virginia mosque as two Sept. 11 hijackers in 2001, at a time when a radical imam preached there. Whether Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, associated with the hijackers is something the FBI will probably look into, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Classmates participating in a 2007-2008 master's program at a military college complained repeatedly to superiors about what they considered Hasan's anti-American views. Dr. Val Finnell said Hasan gave a presentation at the Uniformed Services University that justified suicide bombing and told classmates that Islamic law trumped the U.S. Constitution.

Another classmate said he complained to five officers and two civilian faculty members at the university. He wrote in a command climate survey sent to Pentagon officials that fear in the military of being seen as politically incorrect prevented an "intellectually honest discussion of Islamic ideology" in the ranks. The classmate also requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, wants Congress to determine whether the shootings constitute a terrorist attack.

"If Hasan was showing signs, saying to people that he had become an Islamist extremist, the U.S. Army has to have zero tolerance," Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, said on "Fox News Sunday." "He should have been gone."

Authorities continue to refer to Hasan, 39, as the only suspect in the shootings that killed 13 and wounded 29, but they won't say when charges would be filed and have said they have not determined a motive. Hasan, who was shot by civilian police to end the rampage, was in critical but stable condition at an Army hospital in San Antonio.

He was breathing on his own after being taken off a ventilator on Saturday, but officials won't say whether Hasan can communicate. Sixteen victims remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds, and seven were in intensive care.

Hasan's family described a man incapable of the attack, calling him a devoted doctor and devout Muslim who showed no signs that he might lash out.

"I've known my brother Nidal to be a peaceful, loving and compassionate person who has shown great interest in the medical field and in helping others," his brother, Eyad Hasan, of Sterling, Va., said in a statement Saturday. "He has never committed an act of violence and was always known to be a good, law-abiding citizen."

Army Chief of Staff George Casey warned against reaching conclusions about the suspected shooter's motives until investigators have fully explored the attack. "I think the speculation (on Hasan's Islamic roots) could potentially heighten backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers," he said on ABC's "This Week."

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, outreach director at the Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center, said he did not know whether Hasan ever attended the Falls Church, Va., mosque but confirmed that the Hasan family participated in services there. Abdul-Malik said the Hasans were not leaders at the mosque and their attendance was utterly normal.

In 2001, Anwar Aulaqi was an imam, or spiritual leader, at the mosque. Aulaqi told the FBI in 2001 that, before he moved to Virginia in early 2001, he met with 9/11 hijacker Nawaf al-Hazmi several times in San Diego. Al-Hazmi was at the time living with Khalid al-Mihdhar, another hijacker. Al-Hazmi and another hijacker, Hani Hanjour, attended the Dar al Hijrah mosque in early April 2001.

The mosque is one of the largest on the East Coast, and thousands of worshippers attend prayers and services there every week. Abdul-Malik said it's a mistake for people to conflate regular attendance at a mosque with extremism.

Many Muslims pray at the mosque multiple times a day, he said. "It's part of family life. It's like going out for ice cream after dinner."

A government official speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the case said an initial review of Hasan's computer use has found no evidence of links to terror groups or anyone who might have helped plan or push him toward the attack. The review of Hasan's computer is continuing, the official said.

Hasan likely would face military justice rather than federal criminal charges if investigators determine the violence was the work of just one person.

There is no time limit on charging Hasan, but once he is in pre-trial confinement, the military has 120 days to start his trial, said John P. Galligan, an attorney who has represented Fort Hood soldiers but is not involved in the Hasan case. However, defense attorneys often file motions that stop the 120-day clock. Authorities have said Hasan is "in custody" in the hospital, but it's unclear if that is considered pre-trial confinement.

Across the sprawling post and in neighboring Killeen, soldiers, their relatives and members of the community struggled to make sense of the shootings. Candles burned Saturday night outside the apartment complex where Hasan lived. Small white crosses, one for each of the dead, dotted a lawn at a Killeen church on Sunday.

Even as the community took time to mourn the victims at worship services on and off the post, Fort Hood spokesman Col. John Rossi acknowledged that the country's largest military installation was moving forward with its usual business of soldiering. The processing center where Hasan allegedly opened fire on Thursday remains a crime scene, but the activities that went on there were relocated, with the goal of reopening the center as soon as Sunday.

Fort Hood is "continuing to prepare for the mission at hand," Rossi said. "There's a lot of routine activity still happening. You'll hear cannon fire and artillery fire. Soldiers in units are still trying to execute the missions we have been tasked with."

At the post's main church Sunday, Col. Frank Jackson, the garrison chaplain, asked mourners to pray for Hasan and his family "as they find themselves in a position that no person ever desires to be - to try and explain the unexplainable."

"Lord, all those around us search for motive, search for meaning, search for something, someone to blame. That is so frustrating," Jackson told a group of about 120 people gathered at the 1st Cavalry Memorial Chapel. "Today, we pause to hear from you. So Lord, as we pray together, we focus on things we know."

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Sarawak Cabinet Reshuffle To Lure Iban and Bidayuh Voters

Sunday, 9th November 2009

Cabinet Reshuffle Nov 2009- To lure Iban and Bidayuh Voters!

Accompanied by his two deputies Jabu and George Chan, Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud announced his cabinet reshuffle.

The reshuffle saw changed portfolios for some ministers while six new faces were appointed as Assistant Ministers. The new cabinet line-up will take effect on December 2009, and the sworn in of the new appointees will be made at a later date, according to the reliable source.

Switching Portfolios

Deputy Chief Alfred Jabu has been given his old Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture (MOMA) as well as retaining his Ministry of Rural Development. Jabu’s Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communication has been given to Michael Manyin who was then the Minister of Urban Development and Tourism.

Deputy Chief Minister George Chan is now the Minister of Tourism and Heritage as well as the post of Minister of Industrial Development. Abang Zohari is now the Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

The new faces

The new faces are 3 from PBB, 2 from PRS and 1 from SPDP. There was none from SUPP. These new faces are :-

Abdul Wahab Aziz - Assistant Minister of Rural Development and Assistant Minister of Housing and Urban Development

John Sikie Tayai -Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department and Assistant Minister of Rural District Council;

Mong Dagang -Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Research and Co-ordination) and Assistant Minister of Tourism.

Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie -Assistant Minister of Environment

Dr Stephen Rundi Utom  -Assistant Minister of Public Health and Assistant Minister of Public Utilities

Datuk Talib Zulpilip -Assistant Minister of Tourism

The Clash of the PRS in P202-Mong Appointment Better Late Than Never!

YB Mong Dagang appointment as Assistant Minister will cause further split in PRS between James Masing and Donald Lawan groups. According to the political scenario in N202, there are two groups in PRS. One group is aligned to Alfred Jabu/Donald Lawan while another group is  aligned to PRS President James Masing. The group that aligned to Alfred Jabu/Donald Lawan which is more powerful than JJM group, preferred with Snowdan Lawan to be appointed as an Assistant Minister, to fill-up the post that had  vacant since the demised of late Dublin Unting. But James Masing prefer Mong Dagang. With Mong appointment it seem that JJM group had won over Donald Lawan/Jabu Group. Or could it be that Mong appointment as an Assistant Minister was just to enable him to recieve the Asst Minister pension because he will not be elected as the PRS candidate for Bukit Bangunan in the coming state election ..

None From SUPP being appointed

Eventhought state BN still owed SUPP ministerial posts but none was appointed for the post yesterday. Many believed it was due to SUPP poor performance during the previous GE in 2008, and also due to the current crisis in SUPP.

But to a question, Taib said he did not appoint any assemblymen from Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) as assistant ministers due to insufficient representation from the party.

“If I appoint two, all or 100 per cent will be in the government. If I do that, PBB will ask for 10,” he said.

SUPP lost two assistant minister seats when Datuk Sim Kheng Hui and Datuk Alfred Yap lost in the 2006 state election.

Why Taib Mahmud still retained Larry Sng?

When asked on Larry Sng, a partyless assemblymen inclusion in the new cabinet, Taib Mahmud said :-

“We don’t have enough young Chinese ministers. I allow him to work for a couple of years and let him make up his mindon how he likes to play his role as a young Chinese leader (Assistant Minister)”

But many believed the main reason why Taib still retained Larry Sng was mainly due to the later relationship with Ting Pek Khiing.

No matter what the reason of the cabinet reshuffle as said by Taib Mahmud, but majority of the people in Sarawak believed the reshuffle was meant to lure Iban and Bidayuh voters in preparation for the coming state election.

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Najib changes tune over ‘dirty’ coal

MALAYSIA’s Prime Minister appears to have changed his mind over his green and renwable energy policy in less than a fortnight.

In a keynote address at the Tenaga Nasional anniversary celebrations in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 31, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (picture) had asked Tenaga to revamp its obsolete energey policy, saying “coal is what we call dirty technology, it’s not environmentally friendly.”

But on Saturday, Najib asked Sabahans to compromise on a controversial RM2 billion coal power plant of 300MW to be built in the Felda Sabahat scheme in the east coast of Sabah.

“First, it was to be built in (Silam) Lahad Datu but the people there objected… and then (the proposed project was) moved to Sandakan but the people there also objected; so lastly in my capacity as the Minister overlooking Felda, I propose to build it in a Felda area,” he was quoted as saying at the launching the Parti Bersatu Sabah congress in Kota Kinabalu.

Najib went on to further state that despite the dire need for power supply in Sabah, the setting up of the power plant was objected to just because it will rely on coal to generate power.

“Otherwise, we won’t have any power. Our people must decide. You want power (but) at the same time you don’t want the power plant. You want the plant somewhere else, not in your backyard. So, this our problem. We have wasted much time pushing it around,” he said, adding that in order to achieve something good, there was a need for all to make some sacrifices.

This statement by Najib, front-paged in local newspapers today, came as a surprise to Sabah environmentalists who last month had formed a Green Surf group comprising NGOs opposing the coal-fueled power plant project.

“We are disappointed. It’s heart breaking for Sabahans to hear the Prime Minister asking us to compromise on dirty coal,” said Wong Tack, president of the Sabah Environmental Protection Association, a member of the Green Surf group.

Wong hoped local leaders would properly brief Najib on the concerns of the people as he could have been misinformed. “Otherwise, we will have to present the views of the people directly to the Prime Minister,” he said.

The Green Surf group which has set up a webpage on Facebook with a 1,000 members has urged more to visit www.nocoalsabah.blogspot.com to sign its online petition against the coal plant.

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