Saturday, June 29, 2013

Question on Taib's 'naughty' MACC rejected

The parliamentary secretary today rejected a question by DAP’s Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) action against Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Lim told reporters at a press conference outside the Dewan Rakyat today that his question was rejected by Dewan Rakyat secretary Rosmee Hamzah on the basis that it was a "hypothetical" question.
Lim wanted to ask whether the government would take any action against Taib for calling MACC "naughty" earlier this year, and who had also expressed his refusal to cooperate with MACC in the wake of a controversial video by international corruption watchdog Global Witness. Rosmee in the rejection letter, says a question cannot be asked "with purpose of obtaining just an opinion".
Taib had in April, while attending the BN supreme council meeting in Kuala Lumpur, said he would not cooperate with the "naughty and dishonest" MACC.
He said so when asked about MACC's probe into the Global Witness video that exposed alleged corruption in the Sarawak timber industry, with the individuals implicated in the video claiming to be related to Taib. Taib had previously dismissed the allegations as "normal business conversations".
"Probably, after this whenever MACC wants to investigate Malaysians, they can just call MACC ‘naughty’ and no action will be taken against them," Lim mocked. "This is a very bad example. If MACC does not want to take action against Taib, it can just say so. Don't reject the question," he added.
Related news: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/234323 MACC plays down Taib's 'naughty, dishonest' remark
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/29/lebih-20-individu-disoal-dakwaan-rasuah-taib/ Lebih 20 individu disoal dakwaan rasuah Taib

Thursday, June 27, 2013

No chemicals, only food colouring in EC's ink

The Election Commission (EC) has said that there were "no chemicals" in its indelible ink that was used for the 13th general election.
In a parliamentary written answer to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) today, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim said that all the chemicals in the ink were replaced by food colouring.
"No chemicals were used in the ink, they were instead replaced with food colouring ingredients which were approved," the short answer read to a question as to why the ink did not last seven days as initially promised.
"The durability of the ink is subject to the efforts taken to wipe off the ink by individuals," the reply said. It also said that a test conducted on EC officials and media personnel on May 2 "proved" that the ink worked the way it was supposed to. The EC has previously said that silver nitrate was used in the ink and was supposed to last seven days. However, many individuals have complained of being able to easily wash off the indelible ink within hours of being applied.
Lim later laughed at the parliamentary reply in his Twitter account, noting that the indelible ink was now "edible" based on the reply. One netizen who was bemused by the reply later tweeted in response, cheekily asking if the ink was "finger licking good".
Supplier’s identity secret for ‘security reasons’
Meanwhile in a separate reply to another DAP MP, Anthony Loke (DAP - Rasah), Shahidan stated that the cost for the use of indelible ink during the May 5 polls was RM6.9million. Reading out the answer prepared by the EC, the minister said the amount also covered the costs for designing special ink bottles, the brushes, the boxes as well as the cost for the unique ink mixture, seeing as how it was not available in the market.
“Other additional costs consist of transport cost, packaging and storage, about RM200,000, making the total costs RM7.1 million,” Shahidan said in the written reply. He added that at this time, there is no plan to reveal information on the indelible ink supplier to the public for “security reasons”.
Related news: Dakwat kekal boleh dimakan, hingga menjilat jari
Food dye in indelible ink
Tests show that ink used in GE was indelible

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Cops urged to release fourth suspect's identity

THE POLICE have come under fire for not disclosing the identity of the fourth suspect, believed to be a cop, in the murder of detainee N. Dhamendran.
Many parties have raised questions why the police have yet to disclose the identity of the suspect, believed to be a chief inspector.
DAP's Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng yesterday lodged a police report at the Sentul police headquarters, urging them to disclose the suspect's identity so the public can help track down the suspect.
Dhamendran was found dead on May 21 while under police custody at the KL police headquarters.
Four policemen were charged with the murder on June 5, but one of them is still at large.
Police have withheld his identity, only disclosing that he holds the rank of inspector.
The other three that have been charged are sergeant Jaffri Jaafar, corporal Mohd Nahar Abdul Rahman and corporal Mohd Haswadi Zamri Shaari.
Lim said there was no reason to keep the other suspect's identity a secret since he was already on the police wanted list.
He said the police have always been quick to release photo-fits and identities of suspects in other crime cases to ask for public help.
"I urge the police to apply the same method in Dhamendran's case to show there is fair treatment," he said.
Lim said failure to do so would make it seem as if the police are biased in cases involving one of their own.
"It will appear as if they are practising double standards," he said.
He also urged the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) to investigate why, in the early stages of Dhamendran’s death, the police provided a different cause of death to that later determined by the coroner.
"I will write an official letter to urge the EAIC to add one more term of reference — to investigate why police initially said Dhamendran's death was due to breathing difficulties."
A post-mortem carried out at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) stated that Dhamendran died as a result of "multiple blunt force trauma".
Related news:
Kes Dhamendran: 'Siarkan foto polis ke-4'http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/232694
Dhamendran murder: Who’s the 4th cop?
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/12/dharmendran-murder-who%E2%80%99s-the-4th-cop/