AIR ASIA Soars HIGHER; EXPECTED 67% PASSENGER Rise 2007; NEW Flights to CHINA, INDIA , PELAMBANG, PEKANBARU; MAS Fares Hike Irks TRAVELLERS

The CEO of AIRASIA has refuted talks that a low budget carrier has made fresh bids to fly to Singapore. He said that Singapore was one of the routes Airasia is interested in; the island state was not a priority destination.

AirAsia Bhd will not raise its air fares following the move by national carrier Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) to hike fares on domestic routes.

The increase was unavoidable because of rising fuel prices for it to stay afloat. MAS managing director Idris Jala announced Monday that the airline's domestic fares for business class will be increased by 25 per cent and the economy class by 15 per cent effective Aug 15.

The fuel surcharge was also increased to RM15 effective Tuesday.

Many will fly budget airline AirAsia or travel by car, bus or train. This is welcoming news to most travelers as they can now rely on Air Asia for cheaper tickets. But for many at certain route sectors, there is no choice as Air Asia do not covered all the MAS routes.

AirAsia's has started operating all the 99 local routes under the Government¡¦s domestic air services rationalisation plan. The airline started flying to Brunei on July 11. With its new regional routes on line - services from Malaysia's Sabah state to China's Xiamen and Shenzhen by the end of this year. And flights to India by next year its passengers numbers will rise 67% by 2007
read on for the details

AirAsia Says Passenger Numbers to Rise 67% in 2007

Updated : 04-08-2006 : Bloomberg Story By : Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja via www.biznewsdb.com

Aug. 4 (Bloomberg) -- AirAsia Bhd., Southeast Asia's biggest low-fare carrier, expects its passenger numbers to rise 67 percent to 15 million in the year ending June 2007 as it adds routes to meet travel demand, Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes said today.

The airline, based in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, likely flew 9 million passengers in the fiscal year ended June 30, Fernandes told reporters today. The company has yet to report earnings for the 12 months to June.

”A large part of our growth is foreign tourists,'' Fernandes said. “Many foreigners are now using AirAsia as we market'' Southeast Asia “as one tourist destination. For instance, a lot of Koreans and Japanese going to Brunei have two or three stops within'' the region.

AirAsia, which last month agreed to buy 40 more Airbus SAS A320 planes for about $2.6 billion, is expanding its routes to win over passengers and keep its lead among at least 18 discount carriers in the region. The airline started flying to Brunei on July 11 and plans to begin services from Malaysia's Sabah state to China's Xiamen and Shenzhen by the end of this year. It is seeking flights to India by next year.

AirAsia is able to speed up the introduction of new international routes after the government last month agreed to include the carrier in its bilateral talks for air rights.

The airline expects about 3 million passengers of the 15 million passengers will travel routes in Indonesia. About 2 million of the 9 million travelers in the year ended June 30 also flew Indonesian destinations.

"We are very keen to go to Pelambang, PekanBaru, Sumatra to have a daily flight and increased frequency flying to Jogjarkarta"

AirAsia soon plans to introduce new routes in Indonesian cities including Palembang and Pekanbaru in Sumatra, he said.

Aside from the 40 Airbus planes, AirAsia also has an option to acquire as many as 30 more aircraft. The order is in addition to the 60 planes it placed in March 2005.

AirAsia has carried over 20 million passengers since it started operations five years ago, the company said in an e-mail statement today.

Fare buckeT' scheme for MAS

Updated : 02-08-2006 ;Media : The Star ;Story By : B.K. SIDHU
via www.biznewsdb.com

PM Datuk Seri Abdullah: "If MAS continued to offer low fares even after fuel prices had gone up, it would lose and that would put it in difficulty," he told reporters.
"I think MAS has done its homework and knew that the fare increase has to be done to avoid losses and other problems," he added.

Now one of the other problems is the MSS (Mutual Separation Scheme) whereby MAS is compensating employees leaving with golden and diamond handshakes (check the details at Lim Kit Siang Blog)

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) kicked up so much fuss over the floor pricing for domestic airfares that the Government had to lift it. But instead of lowering fares, the national carrier announced a weighted-average fare hike for the 22 routes which takes effect in two weeks.

So much for giving rival AirAsia a run for its money with competitive pricing.

Contrary to market perception that AirAsia would follow suit in raising its airfares, group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said the no-frills carrier had no such plans, at least for now.

”We are not raising our airfares” Fernandes told StarBiz via SMS.

Yesterday was AirAsia's first day operating all the 99 local routes under the Government¡¦s domestic air services rationalisation plan. Asked how the airline managed day one with the increased number of routes, frequencies and passengers, Fernandes said it was “perfect”.

”We are thrilled and sales have never been better” he said.

While Fernandes may be delighted with the roaring sales the airline is experiencing, MAS is highly unlikely to out-price itself, given that it is after the same leisure and business travellers markets as AirAsia.

This is despite the MAS announcement on Monday that effective Aug 15, its weighted-average fares will be increased by 15% for economy class and 25% for business class for the 22 routes.

However, it was also reported that MAS would launch its cheapest domestic fares ever to be sold via its revamped online booking..

While MAS is keeping the final pricing close to its chest, the team working out the fares would likely come up with seven to nine buckets - seven for economy and two for business class. (Fare bucket refers to the allocation of a certain number of seats at a certain fare.)

A meeting to decide on the fares is likely to be held over the next few days and an announcement expected on Aug 15.

An analyst, who did his own math based on the proposed percentage rise, expects one-way economy airfare including taxes to Penang from KL International Airport (KLIA) to cost RM227 from RM184 currently, reflecting a 23.2% increase.

Fares for other routes such as KLIA to Johor Baru are likely to be RM207 (from RM167), KLIA-Kuching RM377 (from RM309), KLIA-Kota Kinabalu RM579 (from RM484) and Kota Kinabalu-Labuan RM105 (RM78).

”MAS would start quoting domestic fares in seven fare buckets, emulating AirAsia¡¦s tactic for attracting public attention. Early birds would secure below-average fares while late bookings will be subject to higher-than-average farr” the analyst's report said.

The analyst noted that fares for bookings closer to departure dates would increase much more than an average 23.4% and the weighted average revenue enhancement was probably just over 13% because seat capacity would be cut.

MAS is reducing weekly frequencies from 1,783 to 1,182. The report said the reduced “system-wide capacity and the higher average domestic fares MAS (would impose) are clearly beneficial to AirAsia, as it can absorb the spill-over of passengers unhappy with MAS” price hikes and (AirAsia can) gradually increase its average fares.

However, it added: “MAS will also gain as the impact on the national carrier should be positive as lower frequencies and higher fares mitigate the domestic route losses, which MAS must consolidate from Aug 1”

That aside, Fernandes said the MAS proposal for a fare hike “only proves that for years AirAsia has suffered while MAS' domestic operations were paid for by the Government as their pricing was not commercial.'

”Now (that the 22 routes) are in their profit and loss, MAS has to be commercially (oriented). And that is great news for AirAsia because we can now truly grow as there is fair market competition.”

Shares in MAS gained three sen to RM2.83 while AirAsia edged up one sen to RM1.29 in yesterday’s trading.

www.biznewsdb.com

---

and read the dissatisfactions in NST

MAS airfare hike given the thumbs down
02 Aug 2006

SEPANG: The domestic fare hike by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) did not go down well with Malaysians.

They say they will fly budget airline AirAsia or travel by car, bus or train. They also think that it is unfair to pass the high cost of oil to the public.

MAS is raising its economy class fares by 15 per cent and business class fares by 25 per cent from Aug 15.

S.M. Rajah, manager of an IT company in Kuala Lumpur, said the move would deter people from flying with the national airline.

"The increase is steep. Who wants to spend so much to fly locally when alternatives are available?"

Rajah, who was at the KLIA to go to Brisbane, said he flew with MAS twice a month. "Now, I would have to consider other ways of travelling," he said.

Teoh Yang Ming, a goldsmith, said it was unfair for MAS to hike the fares so much to recover its losses. "They should not pass the buck to consumers."

Businessman Alwi Abdul Karim said he would switch to AirAsia to visit his son, who was studying in Bintulu.

"We used to fly MAS to visit him and vice-versa. Now, we have no choice but opt for cheaper alternatives."

Businesswoman Noorshilah Rusli is saddened by the increase and said she would look for cheaper transport.

"Such a drastic increase will hurt my pocket as I travel a lot around the country. Now, I will have to take AirAsia."

Ryan Song, marketing manager of a company in Kuala Lumpur, said MAS should have increased its fares gradually.

He said the airline should justify the higher fares by offering better service and quality meals.

Retiree Diana Kok said the hike would affect the middle- and lower-income people.

"The rich will not feel the pinch. They can still fly on MAS," said the 65-year-old who had just arrived at the KLIA from the US.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Ngiam Foon said the higher fares would not have an adverse effect on MAS.

He said offers given by MAS from time to time would cater to those looking for cheaper travel.
____


NST Editorial: Room enough for two 02 Aug 2006

---

FOR a Malaysia Airlines once sinking deeper into the red, government price controls, particularly for domestic flights, were like a diver’s weight belt around an already obese waist.

Thus, after the much-needed and hard-won cost-cutting to get back into operational shape, the national carrier must count the Transport Ministry’s agreement not to interfere in the way it sets fares as a major and long-sought-for victory.

On Monday, as it announced a route rationalisation plan that substantially reduces its obligations to fly to every far-flung corner of the country, it duly exercised its new freedom — by raising ticket prices for the first time in 14 years.

The increases are far from arbitrary, however. Dearer oil, which has caused fuel surcharges to go up three times this year, was bound to pummel the consumer sooner or later, and airlines worldwide have got badly burnt by choosing delay in a vain attempt to hold on to passenger volumes.

Even so, managing director Idris Jala says that "only part of the rising cost is being fobbed off, leaving air travel by MAS in Malaysia still one of the cheapest around"

From Aug 15, economy and business class fares will be jacked up by 15 and 25 per cent respectively, to accurately reflect what it takes to balance its accounts this year and turn a small profit in 2007.

Higher ticket prices alone aren’t going to solve MAS’s woes in the low-margin domestic sector. One of Idris’s predecessors, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, told the NST that with load factors of up to 95 per cent required to break even, the super-frilly MAS wouldn’t stand a chance against its no-frills competitor, AirAsia.

A rejigging of costs to prices could sweeten the numbers, but Idris’s no-nonsense management team will have to rely even more on their flag-bearer’s built-in advantages, such as "weather-proof access to aircraft, allocated seats, more legroom and free refreshments on board".

For AirAsia, the Transport Ministry’s removal of MAS’s "floor price" brought on an intimation of any budget carrier’s worst nightmare — a price war. Monday’s announcement, however, showed how such worries are moot, for now if not for the long haul.

Even with maximum liberalisation, full-service carriers would have to be unscrewed bolt by bolt and rebuilt from wrought iron before they can come close to the fleet-footed nimbleness of the likes of AirAsia. For the time being, the division of the market between it and MAS looks just about right.

AirAsia Plans China Flights This Year, India in 2007

Updated : 02-08-2006 Media : Bloomberg Story By : Stephanie Phang via www.biznewsdb.com

Aug. 2 (Bloomberg) -- AirAsia Bhd., Southeast Asia's largest low-fare carrier, will start flights from Malaysia's Sabah state to China's Xiamen and Shenzhen by the end of this year after winning government approval for the routes.

The airline, based in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, aims to fly to six Indian cities, starting with two destinations next year, Tony Fernandes, AirAsia's chief executive officer, said in a telephone interview in Kuala Lumpur today.

AirAsia is able to speed up the introduction of new international routes after the government last month agreed to include the carrier in its bilateral talks for air rights. International air traffic in China and India, the world's two most populous nations, may expand 10 percent in 2006, leading Asia's growth in passenger traffic, the International Air Transport Association said in February.

``It has opened up a whole list of possibilities for us and we're excited,'' Fernandes said. The government has given AirAsia ``routes that we never dreamt of getting before.''

The move by the Malaysian government came after it removed the floor prices for Malaysian Airline on some domestic routes, which allows the carrier to offer cheaper fares, a move opposed by AirAsia.

The government has approved the two China routes from Sabah and has given AirAsia permission to apply for routes to India, he said. Negotiations for rights to China and India tend to take long, the carrier said in July.

Singapore-based discount airline Tiger Airways Pte flies to Guangzhou, Haikou and Shenzhen. No-frills airline Jetstar Asia, which combined with Valuair Ltd. last year, flies to Bangalore.

Singapore Flights

AirAsia is still considering flying to Singapore, Fernandes said. The Malaysian airline, which had failed to secure landing rights from Singapore in its previous bids to fly to the city- state, has submitted a request to the Malaysian government, which will help it negotiate landing rights with relevant authorities overseas, the Business Times reported yesterday, citing an unidentified official.

``There's a huge potential for AirAsia there,'' Fernandes said today, declining to say if he is reviving efforts to fly to Singapore. ``We're looking at all routes and Singapore is one of them, but our focus right now is more China and India.''

AirAsia is negotiating with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd. for ``substantially lower'' airport landing and parking charges at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang, he added. Passenger service charges and airport taxes for domestic passengers should also be cut, he said, without elaborating.

Fleet Expansion

AirAsia agreed last month to buy 40 more Airbus SAS A320 planes for about $2.6 billion and has an option to acquire as many as 30 more. The order is in addition to the 60 planes it placed in March 2005.

The airline may exercise its option to buy the additional 30 planes soon, Fernandes said. ``In our planning, we believe we can absorb those 30 very quickly,'' he said. The airline doesn't have enough planes to immediately start flying to the two China routes it seeks to serve this year, he said.

The airline is ``comfortable'' with its current fuel surcharge, until fuel prices rise to $100 a barrel, he said.

Jet fuel traded at an average of $85.39 a barrel in Singapore in the three months ended June, 26 percent more than the same period a year earlier, according to Bloomberg data. The price of jet fuel has risen as much as 27 percent this year to a record $90.35 a barrel on July 17

from Busineee Times
Above: From Left: Tan Sri Abdul Azia (former MAS Chairman); Tunku Iskandar (Past President MATTA), Ms Estee Ng, Air France- KLM Manager

Who wins in Malaysia-Singapore open skies pact?

By Kang Siew Li August 2 2006

AIRLINE passengers and Singapore's aviation industry are likely to emerge as the biggest winners and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) the biggest loser if Malaysia and Singapore were to sign an "open skies" agreement.

An open skies agreement give airlines in the nations unlimited rights to fly between each other's borders.

As budget airline AirAsia Bhd prepares to make a fresh attempt to secure landing rights in Singapore, speculation is rife that an approval will also lead to Malaysia granting an approval to a Singapore carrier to fly to Malaysia. This could eventually lead to an open skies pact with Singapore.

However, travel professionals are divided over the move towards opening up Malaysia's skies to Singaporean carriers, with some saying that MAS could be hurt by the competition just when it is making big improvements in turning itself around.

Former MAS managing director and chief executive Tan Sri Dr Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said he is against Malaysia signing an open skies agreement with Singapore as it puts Malaysia at a significant disadvantage.

"Malaysia is different from Singapore. And what do we get from Singapore? An open skies policy is detrimental to our national interest," he told Business Times.

"Singapore has always been asking for it (open skies) because it is to their advantage. They are already an aviation hub," he added.

Abdul Aziz believes that Singapore Airlines (SIA) will syphon away passenger traffic from Kuala Lumpur as it offers a wider network of destinations compared with MAS.

In addition, Singapore has open skies pacts with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Peru, unlike Malaysia.

"With the open skies pact with Malaysia, they (SIA) can then pick up passengers while on transit in Malaysia to fly to other destinations. This will make MAS more miserable as it is in no position to compete in Singapore," he said.

On allowing low-cost carriers (LCCs) such as AirAsia to operate the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route, Abdul Aziz said it will likely result in MAS losing three-quarters of its passengers to AirAsia.

"This will make MAS even more miserable," he added.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) immediate past president Tunku Iskandar Tunku Abdullah said he favours open skies between Malaysia and Singapore as it would help sustain and increase the flow of Singaporeans to Malaysia.

"Right now, the airfares between Singapore and Malaysia are artificially high in comparison with fares from Singapore to Bali, Manila and Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur to Bali, Manila and Bangkok.

"The consequence of this is more and more Singaporeans will opt to travel to other cheaper destinations such as Bangkok and Bali rather than Malaysia.

"Thus, a liberal aviation policy is necessary for our tourism industry because 60 per cent of our arrivals into Malaysia are Singaporeans. We need to keep them here or keep them interested to come here and make it more affordable for them to come here," he said.

Tunku Iskandar also believes that MAS will be able to compete with AirAsia.

"MAS provides frills and has to position itself at a different level. It should focus on the business and higher-end traffic between Malaysia and Singapore.

"It is not going to compete with the holidaymakers because it is going to lose out anyway. There will be reduced number of people flying to Malaysia because of cheaper alternative destinations," he added.

Air France-KLM country manager Estee Ng sees passengers benefiting from an open skies agreement between Malaysia and Singapore as Singapore provides more direct connectivity to other countries around the world.

However, an unlimited open skies arrangement with Singapore would be less favourable to Malaysia's aviation industry.

"Such a pact would strengthen Singapore's aviation industry because foreign airlines that are already operating in Singapore can equally capture Malaysia's business from Singapore as there would be a good feeder service then," she said.

Ng said, however, it could work a different way.

"If Malaysia were to package itself right, it could in turn attract more foreign carriers into Malaysia and those carriers don't have to go to Singapore because then you have so much connections into Singapore. It is also cheaper to operate in Malaysia.

"But this will be a difficult task because Singapore has long established itself as an aviation hub. The number of transit passengers in Singapore is more than Malaysia," she said.

On opening up the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route to LCCs, Ng said there will be an impact on network carriers like MAS and SIA.

"But so far, we (full service carriers) have learnt to co-exist with the LCCs," she added.

And check also the INTERVIEW Tonight (Aug 07 06, Monday)8.30 pm, TV3 with PM ABDULLAH; details at

SLANDEROUS ACCUSATIONS – 9 MP PROJECTS AWARDED to Close RELATIVES – PM Abdullah; CHALLENGE: Put them in WRITING, ACTION will be TAKEN

See previous post (Jul 16 06) on AirAsia:
MPs ATTACK Air ASIA in Parliament; CEO TONY Fernandes response to Criticism; TRANSPORT Minister; Datuk CHAN K C defends LIFTING FLOOR Prices for MAS

ALIRAN: STOP PROBE against MALAYSIAKINI. Arising from an Inaccurate BREAKING NEWS report on the SPRAYING Incident of Tun Dr Mahathir

The call by Ailiran is timely but the Police would have to carry out their duties since a report (by themselves ) has been made they have to see the investigations to the end and the final decision would rest with the Home Minister if he wants to proceed to prosecute them.

The police have been waiting for this opportunity and would demand its “pound of flesh” from Malaysiakini.

But a pertinent pressing question is what the police going to do about the numerous reports made over the years by non-governmental organisations, as well as opposition parties, on similar transgressions done by the authorities in power?
(see letter below). Why no action taken on such cases and there seems to be no urgency?

Please support Aliran by buying a copy of their print publication, Aliran Monthly, from your nearest news-stand. Better still take out a subscription now. If you prefer to read the web-based edition, please support their work and make a donation.

To subscribe go to: http://www.aliran.com/subsform.html

To make a donation,

Police urged to stop probe against Malaysiakini ;Friday, 04 August 2006

Aliran is perturbed that police have begun investigations into a Malaysiakini report which allegedly slandered the police. The news portal's breaking news-report had initially stated - incorrectly as it turned out - that police personnel could have been involved in the incident where a man sprayed chemical irritant at former premier Tun Dr Mahathir and former Umno strongman Datuk Ibrahim Ali.

The incident took place at the Sultan Ismail Petra airport in Kota Baru, Kelantan on 28 July 2006.

The police action is ominous, coming as it does soon after the negative ministerial comments about Internet reports - which have the unfortunate effect of curbing the vibrant and bold news coverage of political happenings in the country. Is this the forerunner of a crackdown on our democratic space and a denial of access to news that the authorities find unpalatable? Are we about to witness the encroachment of oppressive rule in Malaysia?

Malaysiakini editor Steven Gan has explained that the initial newsflash merely mentioned the possibility of police involvement. With the presence of men dressed in dark jackets and in the chaos and confusion of the moment, it would appear that a genuine mistake could have been made in suggesting police involvement in the episode.

But what is remarkable is that the moment the situation became clearer and it was established that the police were in no way involved in the drama, Malaysiakini, to their credit, promptly rectified their unfortunate reporting within the space of an hour. Clearly, Malaysiakini did not wantonly implicate the police. There was no malice or deliberate intention to malign the police. Malaysiakini did not state as a matter of fact that the police were involved but rather merely suggested such a possibility arising from a chaotic situation.

Malaysiakini have expressed their regret over their initial report that erroneously implicated the police and are prepared to apologise to the police. They should be commended for owning up to their mistake and making amends for it. This is a noble gesture that must surely be appreciated by the police.

Aliran would like to urge the police to accept Malaysiakini's apology and close this unfortunate episode. We hope that the people-friendly image - mesra - that the police are projecting in trying to build rapport with the public will prevail in this instance and convince the public that the police have a human face and heart.

On the other hand, a refusal to close this chapter on an amicable note may only reinforce the perception that the police are going after Malaysiakini for all their previous courageous reports highlighting the abuse and heavy-handedness of the police. People should not in any way conclude that it is payback time against Malaysiakini. This will be the inevitable conclusion especially in the light of what Mahathir himself has said. After
all, according to the Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, Mahathir later said he had initially thought it was police tear gas that struck him.

Malaysians would wonder what the difference is between what Malaysiakini reported and what Mahathir said. Would the police lodge a report against Mahathir and start another investigation in order to appear to be even-handed and convince Malaysians that there are no double standards in their action?

P Ramakrishnan ; President ; 4 August 2006
____

Background to the Malaysiakini’s case

This is Bernama’s report on

Police Lodge Report Against Malaysiakini.com ; August 02, 2006 18:55 PM

KOTA BAHARU, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- Acting Kelantan CID chief Supt Shafie Ismail has lodged a police report over an article posted on a website which claimed that the police were behind the pepper spray incident involving former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Shafie said the report against Malaysiakini.com was lodged at the Kota Baharu police station at 4.25 pm on July 31.

He said the report posted on the website which stated former Pasir Mas Member of Parliament Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali was sprayed with pepper by the police in the incident at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa last Friday was defamatory.

The police report was lodged to enable police to conduct investigations, he added.

A businessman, who is a "Datuk", was detained in connection with the pepper spray incident on Friday and was released after his remand expired yesterday.

The businessman's legal counsel Zainal Abidin Mustafa said a report stating that his client was released on police bail and that police had obtained an order to impound his passport was inaccurate.

Meanwhile, Kelantan police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah, in a statement issued to Bernama today, said police had applied to release the businessman on bail and for his passport to be impounded but was dismissed by the court.

However, he said police were still investigating the case and follow-up action had been taken pending instructions from the Attorney-General's Chambers.

This is the clarification from Malaysiakini yesterday:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/54837

Editor's note: Malaysiakini's newsflash on the incident which initially mentioned the possibility of the police being involved was due to the confusion at the scene where conflicting versions had surfaced on what had happened.

The newsflash was based on our journalist who was at the Kota Bahru airport where he initially filed the report that it was Ibrahim Ali who was attacked, not Dr Mahathir Mohamad. This was because of the great commotion among the 1,000-strong supporters who were at the airport to welcome Mahathir.

Malaysiakini had also immediately tried to contact Deputy Inspector -General of Police Musa Hassan several times for comments but the calls went unanswered.

However, the report was rectified an hour later when the situation became clearer and the mention of possible police involvement was promptly removed. Malaysiakini regrets the error. I heard everybody is keeping vigilant.
____

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/54874

Police start probe on Malaysiakini ; Aug 3, 06 6:05pm [extract]

The police have started their investigations into an article by malaysiakini which stated that police personnel could have been involved in the 'sprayattack' which hit former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and ex-Umno strongman Ibrahim Ali last week.

According to a Bernama report today, Kelantan acting CID chief Shafie Islmail said the state police was being assisted by IT experts from the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters.

"We need the services of technology experts to trace those responsible in producing the report which has been classified as slandering the police," he added.

Shafie said the online media's report that Ibrahim Ali was sprayed with a chemical substance by a person, believed to be from the police force, and was defamatory.
[...]


Current_News Editorial: Law and censorship
04 Aug 2006

FREEDOM of speech is often selfishly defined as the freedom to say what you like. But a frequently forgotten corollary is that it also means the freedom to listen to things you don't like to hear.
Since the arrival of the Internet, Malaysia's energetic cyber-scribblers have been peddling ever louder earfuls of calumny, character assassination and the rest of the sordid stuff that their audiences appear to relish in.
In response, the itch to bring the websites to heel has now spread into a rash, with growing calls for the Government to inflict strong medicine on the propagators of rumour and falsehood.

Such calls must be resisted if they are only intended to scuttle debate and the free-wheeling opinion-making that the web has uniquely spawned. It isn't just about politics, either. Censoring the Internet would be tantamount to throwing the baby of the knowledge economy out with the bathwater of dissent.

If all the country can do to reassert public order in the era of unbridled expression is to resort to 20th-century methods of command and control, it will have failed its first meaningful test of the liberties unleashed by new technology.

The mass media editors who are alleged to have petitioned the Internal Security Ministry to pull the websites down to a "level playing field" have also missed the point. Newspapers are supposed to hold themselves to higher standards of accuracy, integrity and accountability than the freelancers the complaining editors feel they are up against.

If the Internet is really being seen as competition, then it is the mainstream journalists who have to raise their game and press for greater openness and disclosure.

Where the lobby for Internet censorship does have a leg to stand on is in the authorities' flaky enforcement of the laws. Apart from a few cack-handed raids some years ago, the police have barely lifted a finger.

The Multimedia Super Corridor's Bill of Guarantee and the anonymity and untraceability afforded by cyberspace are claimed to make offending bloggers and posters impossible to get at. But these are weasel words to excuse inaction, the persistence of which has encouraged the scandal-mongers to think they are beyond reach.

Warnings and threats are merely going to reinforce the outlaw Netizen's sense of invulnerability. The obvious answer to the clamour for restraining the Internet's wilder fringes is not to impose fresh regulations but to resolutely apply the ones already there.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

UPDATE: Letter to Malaysiakini

Allow police to probe M’kini ; Ahmad Ikhlas Aug 9, 06 3:53pm

I refer to your Aliran urges police to halt Malaysiakini probe.

I wish to emphasise here that, in my opinion, it is only appropriate that we permit the police to conduct a complete and, hopefuly, unbiased investigation into the report implicating members of the police force having been involved for the pepper spray attack on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The fact that malaysiakini did file the report is justification for such investigation, the retracting and apologising for such inaccurate reporting notwithstanding.

If we demand that the police act fairly towards all, then we ought never to insist that malaysiakini be treated differently, no?

If malaysiakini feels that it has not done anything wrong on purpose and, based on the fact that it was willing to apologise for such incident, then, most probably the police probe would be procedural in nature, nothing more, nothing less.

Now, having said that, may I query what is the police going to do about the numerous reports made over the years by non-governmental organisations, as well as opposition parties, on similar transgressions done by the authorities in power?

I'll wait with bated breath...

contd. reading the latest postings:

RAZALEIGH : EXCL INTERVIEW-(Final PART); INVESTMENTS in DOLDRUMS; UNEMPLOYMENT; CONTINUE SPENDING WISELY; Combat CORRUPTION without OSA

Datuk Samy Vellu REWARDS CLASS F Contractors. ARE there ANY NON-BUMIPUTRA Class F CONTRACTORS around? MCA Class “Contractors” getting 9MP CRUMBS?

FEER Prognosis on 9MP-AN IMPERFECT PLAN; MALAYSIA WHICH WAY? Mind the MINDSET GAP; IMPLEMENTATION; NO More HEADY GROWTH

or GoTo TOP (Main Page)

CRACKS in RM57M SULTAN HALIM AIRPORT in Alor Setar; OPENED in MAY 2005; ANOTHER MMR2 in the MAKING? MB Ordered REPAIRS

Above: The main airport building from the car parks

The Sultan Halim Airport in Alor Star seems to be experiencing the same problems that plagued the MMR2. Cracks have appeared in the RM57 million airport building which was just officially opened in May 5^th last year.

Above: 10 cm Cracks on the floors
Below 20 - 30 cm cracks between walls

The contractor Bina Darul Aman Bhd is a subsidiary of the Kedah State Government and would have to bear the cost of repairs.

Sinking seems to be occurring at the site and the contractor would have to do the repairs according to Malaysia Airports Berhad.

Take a walk around the new building and you cracks everywhere with signs of sinking. Tiles are dislocated and buckling up but no cause for alarm.

However the Airport authorities confirmed that the building is in no danger of collapsing and is normal when the ground is settling in and of course the airport is safe to use especially the runway which is on solid flat ground

The Airport has no Certificate of Fitness and is operating on a temporary CF .

The Menteri Besar of Kedah, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid paid a surprise visit to the airport to have a first hand knowledge of the situation.

The Menteri Besar "hands on" experience at the airport; looking at the gaps (Above) and lifting a loose tile (Below)

He described the problem as serious which should not occur in the first place and has called for immediate repair works to be done.

“The damage is new and obviously the contractor and Malaysian Airports Berhad should take the necessary steps to repair them. More crucially is to ensure the building is safe to be used after a thorough check and assessment.

Workers were seen doing repairs at the ground

The repairs might take about a month but during this period the airport would be operational as usual. The Menteri Besar stressed the necessary measures be taken to avoid a recurrence.

Check latest UPDATES (Aug 04 06) on Dr Mahathir Spraying

Bloggers or “Meta REPORTERS” - SELF-Indulgent; OPINIONATED Folks Reporting on WHAT has been REPORTED; depend on Mainstream MEDIA for TALKING POINTS

Amateur Bloggers or “Meta Reporters” are self-Indulgent; opinionated folks reporting on what reporters have reported and depended on mainstream media for talking points and whose obligation is to be interesting. Compared to the professional journalists who get accurate information about something new, disseminate and analyse issues.

Very true indeed for this detailed discourse and comparison of bloggers and the professionals in the media–the professional journalists as taught in the Schools of journalism. But in reality on many issues the spin is always introduced for the professionals to give the “necessary emphasis and image”

As for the accuracy, many papers have committed their “unforgettable mistakes”. Even in the recent “spraying incident” of Tun Mahathir the STAR and Bernama accounts are not that accurate (see earlier posting).

And in the STAR’s report yesterday, they have overblown the issues by spicing it up with “salt & fire” and having it in the front page as compared to the NST report on the passing remarks by PM Abdullah.

The incoherent statement raised by AILIRAN "'If information in blogs. compelled the public to lose faith in the nation's economic policies'" is in conjuction with the Visit Malaysia Year 2007. We have seen repeated statements by the Defense Minister Najib lamenting about the Llyods declaring the Straits of Malacca as a "War Risk Zone" and this was also mentioned by Transport Minsietr Chan Kong Choy. This declaration gives a bad image to the country and would frightened away tourists and sabotage the 'nation's economic policies'. Similarly Info MInister also complained about reports of dead bodies and crimes in the media.

So this is the loud message they would want media and bloggers to be aware of and project the "right image" but can be "false image"

the following is Bernama Report on "War Risk Zone" in the straits

August 03, 2006 19:30 PM Straits Of Melaka Free From Piracy

LUMUT, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has denied that the busy Melaka Straits is infested with pirates as claimed by London-based Llyod's Market Association Joint War Committee (JWC).

"Contrary to the (JWC) report, the Melaka Straits is in fact the safest in the world," Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Tan Sri Ilyas Din said when asked to comment on the report Thursday.

He condemned the report, saying it had besmirched the world's busiest shipping lane and caused unnecessary fear among the international shipping community.

He said JWC reports about piracy in the Melaka Straits were mostly "inaccurate and unclear" and had somewhat undermined naval policing efforts mounted by the Malaysian navy in the area.

"Small incidents along the straits are being sensationalised...our efforts in policing the straits have been undermined," he said after witnessing the commissioning of the new generation patrol vessel "KD Pahang" at the RMN Armada base here.

He also said that some of the piracy incidents that were reported by the JWC had happened elsewhere and not within the Melaka Straits.

He pointed out that the JWC had obtained most of its information and data from the International Maritime Bureau and commercial ships plying the Melaka Straits.

"Some of these ships could have provided inaccurate information to JWC. Sometimes, the ship captains spotted small vessels plying the straits and assumed that they were pirates' boats," he said.

He added that many ship captains were not familiar with the geography of the Melaka Straits. As such, when they came across incidents involving pirates elsewhere, they assumed that these happened in the Melaka Straits.

and from ST in S'pore;

Blogging's more than idle chatter; It may, over time, help to raise political consciousness

By Andy Ho, Senior Writer;Aug 02, 2006 The Straits Times

THE Government recently ticked off a columnist-blogger going by the moniker of 'mr brown' for airing what were deemed to be cynical and non-constructive remarks. A minister argued that because the views appeared in the print medium, the writer had to be more responsible, as compared to the case if chose views had remained Internet chatter.

Clearly, the Government feels that bloggers have more wiggle room than mainstream journalists whose vehicle can 'push broadcast' to millions while bloggers can only 'pull narrowcast' mainly to the converted.

Some ask if bloggers are journalists at all or merely self-indulgent; opinionated folks expressing their views. This invites the question of what a journalist is in the first place.

Journalists are those who primarily do two things, maybe one more than the other in each individual case:

First, they get accurate information about something new - thus the news - and disseminate it. Secondly, they analyse issues of public concern that this piece of news evokes and comment upon it.

For both of these, but especially the first, that which sets the professional journalist - whose first obligation is to be accurate – apart from the blogger - whose first obligation is to be interesting - is an editorial structure.

This structure entails questioning and challenging assumptions, and editing to ensure that established standards of, among other things, accuracy, truth, objectivity and fairness are upheld.

Most bloggers, on the other hand, do not generally report on something new. Typically, they report on what reporters have reported.

Thus, at best, they are 'meta-reporters'. Yes, in stories like a 9/11, or the July 7 London bombings, where there are crowds, citizens armed with always-on wireless connections, powerful yet inexpensive mobile digital devices as well as easy-to-use, free Internet publishing tools, citizens in many countries can do first-person, grassroots reporting.

This they then publish on their own blogs using tools such as photo-sharing on Flickr, video-sharing on YouTube, or blog-sharing on Technorati.

But this amateur horde will tell few new stories about something newsworthy but which does not have too many people around since they won't be on the scene either. For example, a bomb alert that turns out to be, mercifully, a false alarm has little for them to capture on video, so they will have nothing much to 'report'.

Likewise, the Guardian newspaper's Blair Watch Project - where citizen journalists were asked to contribute mobile phone pictures of the British prime minister on the hustings in 2005 - failed to deliver since that campaign took place mainly before party members, not the public. So bloggers do little news reporting.

A random glance at several blogs will show you that they depend on the mainstream media for their talking points.

They feed on traditional media for content, remaking news the latter may have overlooked or handled (in) differently. Its purveyors are more interested espousing views not regularly covered by the mass media.

The blogging world has no professional writers, publishers, printers or distributors. There is no top-down structure. So who weeds out inaccuracies, lies, spoofs or plain bad taste - and bad writing? Other blogs? If so, who determines the hierarchy of blog believability?

What readers end up with, at best, is truth by majority vote - assuming they have the time to read several blogs on the same matter to carry out a poll of diverse views on a particular issue?

In regard to the journalist's other duty - that of offering fair comment - democratic deliberation and constructive dialogue represent hard work that few bloggers can afford the time to do, even if they had the knowledge and the skills needed. As a result, much of what bloggers offer is either misinformed, self-indulgent opinion or thoughtful but unargued ones.

Of course, bloggers occasionally come up with gems. But in the main and on the whole, we over-romanticise all that Internet chatter if we think that somehow the alternative media will rise up and supplant mainstream media.

For now, that is.

For the blogosphere continues to expand. The significance of the fact that publishing on the web has become so easy is that the barriers of professionalism and specialisation have been removed such that 'ordinary' people come to see media production as something they can do and as part of the everyday, according to Dr Chris Atton, a reader in journalism at the Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

As Dr Atton told The Straits Times, participating in this alternative media can 'shape one's political awareness by raising one's consciousness'. How? Liken the activity to glue, he suggested, but one that is subject to refinement to make it a more effective social glue.

The activity itself provides an opportunity to research, write and reflect on issues that impact upon our status as citizens. It also encourages a more thorough going relationship with one's community.

Finally, that communication also works outwardly to government bodies, city councils, business corporations and nonprofits, Dr Atton added.

Essentially then, blogging provides an opportunity for citizens to reflect on their place in the world and develop solidarity with and communicate their needs, demands or desires to others, he said.

At the heart of this activity is creativity. It is not about joining a protest group or going to a demonstration. It is, Dr Atton said, about developing a personal voice through which to make sense of the world, both for oneself and for one's community.

So while blogging may not impact government institutions in radical ways for now, it has the capacity to change the polity in small, indiscernible ways that may accumulate to make a difference - even at the polls - some day down the road.

With Technorati, the blog search engine, showing more than 940,000 blogs that are associated with the search word 'Singapore', it may be high time the Government began to take this more seriously than just chatter.

As seriously as the mainstream media, perhaps.
____
and the AP's account

Malaysia may crack down on rumor-spreading blogs; says harmony at risk
Aug 1, 11:45 PM EDT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's prime minister said authorities will begin cracking down on bloggers who spread rumors that could destabilize the economy and cause disharmony, local media reported Wednesday.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's comments late Monday from the northern state of Terengganu were the latest from his administration on its intent to patrol cyberspace. Officials have said proper Internet governance is needed to prevent disunity in the multiethnic Southeast Asian nation.

"If blogs and SMS (short message services) are used to spread false reports which can cause disharmony and destabilize the economy, those responsible should be detained and questioned," said Abdullah, according to the official Bernama news agency.

But one blogger said the move was simply an effort to govern the flow of information.

"The Malaysian leadership does this every time they are under siege: Try to control the media, and hence, what they think are the means of information to the public," said blogger Ong Hock Chuan on his Web site.

Abdullah has recently come under scathing attack from his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, over decisions that run contrary to Mahathir's policies.

Mahathir said the mainstream media, which he once controlled, is now giving him scant coverage, forcing him to seek coverage elsewhere. Independent Internet Web sites have been quick to pick up on his comments. Malaysia maintains a tight grip on print and television media, which rarely deviate from the government line. Analysts say this has led to many people seeking news and commentary from the Internet.

Abdullah said there was enough liberty online, and bloggers had been given much more freedom than print or television media.

"These people are practicing the sort of freedom where they spread lies if they feel like doing so ... Where can you find that sort of freedom in the world?" the New Straits Times reported Abdullah as saying.

and from
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/54802

Go after real culprits, Zam
Aug 2, 06 1:03pm [extract]

[...]
Meng: Again, its double standards time. The former PM, Tun Mahathir has been spewing out what, according to current cabinet ministers, as half-truths and inaccurate facts. The former PM maligns Pak Lah, refers to the current president of Umno as weak and inept to run the country.

Can the Information Minister please tell all of us if it is Tun Mahathir's statements which he is talking about when referring to the Internet bloggers? Rather than warn Netizens and bloggers, why not warn the former PM as well?

What is the percentage of Malaysians who have access to the Internet? I would think many in the rural heartland do not even have access to the Internet. The ceramahs which Tun Mahathir is having definitely has more coverage than Internet websites

**************

and from the Malay Mail and comments by some BLOGGERS

Blog attack -by RAHMAN DAROS - Thursday, August 03 2006

THE Government's warning to bloggers to stop rumour-mongering and spreading malicious gossip has caught the ears of the on-line community.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned that offenders could be detained and have their websites or blogs investigated.

He said that the freedom given had been abused, resulting in some people spreading lies.
We checked with some well-known bloggers for their take on the issue.

Most, however, agreed that 90 per cent of blogs are not malicious as they mainly deal with trivial issues, serving as a diary of sorts.

Most believe that only the remaining 10 per cent touch on sensitive issues, and whether intentionally malicious or not, are involved in spreading half-truths and gossip.

All the respondents felt that the Government should not cast aspersions or blame the community squarely because some blogs ran malicious comments.

They said blogs are media to express constructive opinions and other thoughts, in the name of freedom of speech. Here are their comments:

- Mack Zulkifli, 35, www.brandmalaysia.com:

"First, the authorities should investigate thoroughly before detaining the person running the blog or website. "Once found guilty of the crime, only then can they act on it.

"But I don't want to see a scenario where only certain bloggers will be investigated, because their opinions run contrary to the 'official' stand.

"I also hope the public as well as the authorities know the difference between blogs and other types of media. A blog is a medium to express a person's thoughts and share it with other bloggers.

" It's like a diary. Most bloggers speak about themselves and diary up their life. However, some abuse it for political or personal gain.

"Most of the time, there'll be disagreements on certain topics among bloggers which is healthy, though. Bloggers should not fear action by the Government. I think as long as you know you're telling the truth and not posting rumours or malicious comments to damage the other person's reputation, you're okay.

"I think disclosing your identity for the readers don’t necessarily enhance a blogger's credibility. You can be anonymous for many reasons. Maybe you don't want your employer or family to know about your stand on an issue. It's the freedom you choose. If you are an anonymous blogger but still have your comments linked to other sources of information from the reliable mainstream media, you can still maintain credibility."

- Muzaffar Mustapa, 31, sultanmuzaffar.blogspot.com:

"The Government can take action but they must get those who are involved in making malicious comments.

"What Pak Lah said is important because, apart from having their views aired on topics, bloggers should also be more responsible when giving constructive criticism.

"When there's a medium to voice their concerns, they should also have the responsibility to give the correct information.

"The freedom to blog should be used wisely and responsibly. Like everything else, there're pros and cons to blogging. We can read and learn a lot of constructive comments and suggestions from it.

"The Government can closely monitor the content of blogs or websites but proper investigations should be made first before they detain someone. People shouldn't generalise blogs as negative or malicious. It's like pornography and the Internet. Just because web-based porn exists, it doesn't automatically mean that the Net does more harm than good."

- Terrence Smith (aka TV Smith), in his 30s, www.mycen.com.my/duasen:

"It's not practical. The Government can detain bloggers who publicly disclose their identities, but what about the anonymous ones? There are many bloggers who remain anonymous and have a tendency to come out with malicious comments. If the information or comments on the Internet or blogs are wrong, the Government should dispute it and come out with their side of the story. Detaining the owners is a little extreme.

"We should leave it to people to decide what's good, what's bad, what's
malicious and what's not.

- Patrick Teoh, 58, actor/former radio deejay, patrickteoh.blogspot.com:

"I don't agree with the Government's plan to control the Internet. It should be a free medium to express views on something.

"The Internet should be treated as any other media. Give freedom to it."

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/54822

LETTERS: Time to cut ISA's tentacles from nation
Suguna Papachan Aug 2, 06 4:28pm

Yesterday marked 46 years of the Internal Security Act (ISA). Forty-six years of tyranny, torture, cruelty and oppression.

For 46 years, the ISA has been used by the Malaysian government to muzzle the voices of those who dared speak out on the many wrongdoings of the government of the day. People who dared to speak about omnipresent corruption from the highest echelons of government to the lowest levels, unfair elections, clampdown on rights of women, minorities, students and workers, poverty in the rural areas and many more other issues.

We have now moved into the 21st century and we still hold on to an archaic piece of legislation that does not even allow the detainees the right to question their detention.

Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor's (PSWS) own president, Irene Xavier, along with a few hundred was detained in 1987 under the infamous 'Operasi Lallang' (Operation Weed) for about a year. These people who were detained were not criminals but honest folks who dared to struggle for change for an oppressed community.

Is it wrong to struggle for a community who cannot get their grievances heard by the government of the day? Is it fair to arrest these people who spent their time struggling for change to improve the lives of people in our society? Is it fair to arrest them under obnoxious legislation such as the ISA?

To the families of those who had been arrested and for those being detained today, no words can aptly describe their suffering, their sacrifices, their undying love and dedication to their loved ones.

If Guantanamo Bay has been advised to be closed by Un Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should be doing the same for Kamunting Camp?

We, from PSWS, request that the government of Malaysia repeal this archaic piece of legislation once and for all. It is time to cut this deadweight from our legislation.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The writer is secretary, Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Selangor (PSWS).

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

UPDATE: lastly comments from ALIRAN

Please support Aliran by buying a copy of Aliran Monthly from your nearest
news-stand. Better still take out a subscription now. If you prefer to read
the web-based edition, please support their work and make a donation.

To subscribe to Aliran, go to: http://www.aliran.com/oldsite/subsform.html
To donate to Aliran, go to: http://www.aliran.com/content/view/1/7/
__________________________________________

http://www.aliran.com/content/view/114/11/
and from ALIRAN
PM takes two steps backwards with Web warning Thursday, 03 August 2006

Charter 2000-Aliran is deeply disturbed by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's warning to rein in those who supposedly 'spread untruths and slander' using the Internet and cell-phone text messages.

We understand the gravity of slander and lies in public life, but we feel that such a warning does disservice to blogs, portals and websites that provide democratic space for well-intentioned discourses on politics, economics and culture. A nation, as we know, doesn't live on bread alone. These alternative sites have provided intellectual and political nourishment, which is vital for the growth of a nation.

Abdullah's warning also may be construed as a veiled and unjustified government attempt to censor the Internet, thereby going back on the Mahathir administration's public pledge not to do so. Equally disturbing is that the premier's remarks signals a dramatic reversal of his electoral promise to introduce meaningful reforms and to promote accountability, good governance and transparency.

Malaysians who long for broader freedom of expression are most disheartened to learn of Abdullah's move to monitor and effectively censor the communication of views and ideas - even to the level of monitoring cell-phone text messages. This would have far-reaching implications for democracy. Right-minded Malaysians are appalled by this turn of events.
Notions such as 'untruths' are often subject to the final decision of the Executive which can be quite arbitrary. Such arbitrariness can have a crippling effect on Internet users, making them more wary, overcautious, and even scared and prompting them to practise self-censorship.

And what does this incoherent statement really mean: 'If information in blogs. compelled the public to lose faith in the nation's economic policies' ? Are Malaysians to believe that the government's economic policies are cast in stone so that the public is compelled to have confidence in them for eternity despite obvious social contradictions and shortcomings staring them in the face? Should a discussion on economic policies in a sober and mature manner on the Internet be construed as trying to create social instability?

The mark of a thriving democracy is when citizens are able to discuss, agree or disagree in the most intellectual fashion possible. Since this space is not available elsewhere, the Internet fulfils a pressing need. The government needs reminding that the more curbs are imposed on public communication, the more they are likely to spawn a culture of gossip, backbiting and rumour mongering.

The government would then fall out of touch with the needs and desires of the very people it supposedly serves. If the Abdullah administration is serious about extricating Malaysians from a "Third-World mentality" syndrome, the most logical and democratic thing to do would be to lift the curbs on the peoples' right to communicate, to discuss and to dissent.

Dr Mustafa K Anuar & Anil Netto; Coordinators, Charter 2000-Aliran ;3 August 2006

##############

UPDATE: AUG 04 2006, 22.45pm

And some sane comments from the SUN Newspaper; 3 August 2006

Control the hot air over media control

When all else fails to convince, national security is often invoked. To be fair, quoting national security is not the prerogative of our government alone. Other governments, including those of the United
States and Britain, resort to citing it as well whenever they want to
make some unpopular decisions especially those affecting personal
privacy and freedom.

In the so-called war against terror following Sept 11, a number of
countries passed tough security laws which entailed the curtailment of
some personal freedom. Frightened by what happened on that fateful day in 2001 most people and their elected representatives acquiesced quite easily when their governments proposed those tough laws. They must have consoled themselves with the thought that after all who else knows best if not their governments.

We do that too, and often. Thus, when Information Minister Datuk
Zainuddin Maidin suggested on Sunday that the popular internet media should be put on a leash, in keeping with what has been done to the mainstream media, and quoted national security as a reason, need we remonstrate?

Certainly not. After all as information minister he must be well-informed about all national security issues.

The public, of course, are out of the loop, and kept out of it - for
security reasons. And so when the minister said that it is for reasons
of national security that some form of control must be exercised on
the internet media, there's no need to demur, since the honourable
minister knows best.

Even though security and media come under the purview of the internal security ministry - as pointed out by one of its deputy ministers - Zainuddin as a good information minister makes it his business to keep abreast of all developments in the country so that he could explain them to the rakyat whenever he is on the ground.

Also, as a former newspaper editor-in-chief he knew what he was
talking about when he also said that control is good for the internet
media as it has been good for the mainstream media. He said in his speech in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of agencies under the information ministry that control has given credibility to the
mainstream media.

Thus, he reasoned, control should be welcomed as it could accord the
internet media similar credibility while at the same time preventing
them from being used as tools to spread national disunity and racial
disharmony. Nevertheless it must be reassuring to internet media
writers to hear him say that they would not go to jail for writing
about racial issues. They should thank him deeply.

And while we are at it, we should also control if not outright ban all
politicians from giving speeches since more often than not they are the ones who stir up racial and religious emotions, as we often see
happen even in parliament.

Check the latest posting on:
AIR ASIA Soars HIGHER; EXPECTED 67% PASSENGER Rise 2007; NEW Flights to CHINA, INDIA ,PELAMBANG, PEKANBARU; MAS Fares Hike Irks TRAVELLERS

NOD for PENANG BRIDGE & MONORAIL; UEM Group AWARDED Bridge Project ON a SILVER PLATTER; Proposals for MONORAIL; BULLET TRAIN considered

ABOVE:2nd Penang Bridge 2nd Link - Approved and awarded on "a silver platter" to UEM Group
BELOW: MONORAIL approved - proposals from qualified players (SCOMI & PPSB see below )



The government gave its nod to the Private Finance Investment (PFI) Penang Bridge and Monorail projects. The other bullet train project between KL/Singapore is also given serious consideration. The decision showed the government commitment to streamline the privatization programme via the PFI encouraging the private sector to be the catalyst for economic growth.

UEM Group was awarded the Penang bridge project and qualified companies to submit proposals. The well connected and the rich will continue to increase their fortunes by political pull, by having government grant them favors and franchises. There is no change in government policies.

Below: YTL propose KL-Singapore Bullet Train - seriously considered

Malaysia Awards Penang Bridge Project to UEM, Approves Monorail

Updated : 02-08-2006 Media : Bloomberg; Story By : Stephanie Phang

Aug. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia has approved the construction of a bridge and monorail project in northern Penang state, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi said.

The Cabinet approved the two projects, which will be privately funded, at its meeting today, Abdullah said in a statement on his Web site. The government will also consider a company's proposal to build a high-speed railway between Singapore and Malaysia, he said.

UEM Group will be given the concession to build, manage, and operate the bridge, a second link between Penang island and the mainland of Peninsula Malaysia, the statement said. UEM Group operates an existing Penang bridge. The government will invite ``qualified'' companies to submit proposals for the monorail, it said, without giving the value of the projects.

Prime Minister Abdullah is aiming to bolster the economy with a 200 billion ringgit ($54 billion) development budget for the 2006 to 2010 period as record oil prices threaten global demand for Malaysia's exports this year. The nation in March announced an 18 percent increase in public development spending in the five-year plan.

The projects announced today will be funded by the companies undertaking them, under a so-called private finance initiative. Under Abdullah's five-year plan announced in March, the government had planned for an additional 20 billion ringgit in projects which would be financed by companies that aren't government-controlled.

Rail Link

Abdullah said last month Malaysia may consider a high-speed rail link between the capital Kuala Lumpur and Singapore proposed by YTL Corp., and may invite other companies to make alternative proposals.

YTL, which runs the train service from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the city, said last month it's in talks with the government for a rail link to Singapore. The company plans to take its rail unit public to raise as much as 8 billion ringgit ($2.2 billion) to fund the project if it gets the concession for the line to Singapore.

The government views the proposal for the rail link ``positively'', Abdullah said today. It will order a study on the social and economic impact of the project before proceeding with it, he added.

and the account from Bernama

Cabinet Nod For Penang Monorail & Second Penang Bridge
August 02, 2006 19:10 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- The Cabinet Wednesday gave the green light for the Penang monorail and second Penang bridge projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to be built through the private finance initiative (PFI).

Announcing this here today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also said the government would study the proposed bullet train project between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

For the Penang monorail project, eligible companies would be invited to submit proposals for its implementation, Abdullah, who is also Finance Minister, said in a statement issued from his office in Putrajaya.

As for the second Penang bridge project, he said the concession to build, manage, operate and maintain it would be given to the UEM Group as it was the concession holder for the Penang bridge built in 1985.

"UEM is also a company which has extensive expertise and experience in such projects," he added.

As for the bullet train project proposal submitted recently by YTL, the infrastructure group, he said the government viewed it positively.

He said the government would ask for a socio-economic study to be undertaken to scertain its impact on national interest before proceeding with the project.

Through the PFI, Abdullah said the financial risks associated with the projects would be borne by the private sector while the government could use their expertise and fficiency to undertake complex infrastructure projects.

The government would provide the support and facilitate the undertaking of these projects by the private sector, he said.

This showed the government's commitment to further streamline the privatisation programme via the PFI, besides encouraging the private sector to be the catalyst for economic growth. -

&&&&&&&&&&&&

UPDATE: Aug 04 60

As to eligible bidders for the PENANG Monorail, BERNAMA has reported back in June 26 2006 (see below)that SCOMI would be submitting proposals “winthin weeks”. Anymore contenders?

Scomi To Submit Final Proposal For Monorail Project Within Weeks; June 26, 2006 19:07 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- Scomi Engineering Bhd will be submitting its final proposal for the proposed monorail system in Penang within the next few weeks.

"We are working with a few parties to produce a more detailed final submission.

"We have submitted a preliminary proposal," senior vice president, Hilmy Zaini, told reporters after the company's annual general meeting here Monday.

He said Scomi's portions of the project involved supplying the technology and fabricating monorail cars.Hilmy, however, did not reveal the names of Scomi's partners in the project.

There are at least three groups bidding for the project, and the Melewar group had already announced it could build the system for RM1.58 billion.

Hilmy said Scomi's participation would be through MTrans Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd, which owned the technology and was also involved in fabrication of the monorail cars.

"Scomi is currently awaiting approval from the authority for the acquisition of 51 percent stake in MTrans, which was announced in April.

"If it goes according to plan, the acquisition of MTrans should be completed in a week or two as there are no major issues.

"Scomi has already completed the legal, financial and technical due diligence on MTrans," he said.

Meanwhile, chairman Datuk Zainun Aishah Ahmad said in the annual report that Scomi was confident of securing some of the infrastructure projects in the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

###############
from SUN

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=14990

PPSB proposes RM1.1b monorail for islanders
Mohd Tajudin Updated: 06:01PM Thu, 03 Aug 2006

PENANG: Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) had last week submitted a proposal to construct an estimated RM1.1 billion monorail for the island.

PPSB's announcement follows the Cabinet approval for the second bridge to be constructed by UEM Group and the decision to make an open tender for the monorail project.

PPSB managing director/CEO Datuk Ahmad Ibni Hajar said PPSB is confident to land the project due to its massive experience in the logistic and transportation business for the past 50 years.

"We believe PPSB is the only Penang-based company to bid for the project. It is fair for Penangites to reap the benefits as the bridge project was given to Kuala Lumpur-based UEM," he said in a press conference in his office here today (Aug 3, 2006).

"We have also been doing social service by operating the ferry services for more than 40 years. The losses have escalated from just hundreds of thousands of ringgit a year in 1985 (when the Penang Bridge was opened) to RM13 million last year.

"We also estimate that in the next five years, we will be losing RM30 million and this will be much worse when the second bridge is completed," he added.

Ahmad said PPSB first submitted its proposal to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department in March 2005, while the feasibility study was conducted in August the same year.

"Our proposal consists of three phases of construction. Phase 1 is an 18km link from Bayan Lepas Airport to the ferry terminal, Phase 2 an 11km connection from the ferry terminal to Paya Terubong and Phase 3 a 9.5km link from Komtar to Tanjung Tokong," he added.

&&&&&&&

Work On Second Penang Bridge To Begin Middle Next Year; August 03, 2006 18:19 PM

PENANG, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- Work on the 24-kilometre second Penang bridge is to start in the middle of next year, after the state government completes land acquisition for it.

Disclosing this, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the state government was waiting for a detailed report on the land-ends of the bridge at Batu Kawan on the mainland and Batu Maung on the island.

He said much of the land to be acquired for the project belonged to the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and as such the process of providing the needed land would be made much easier.

"The engineering design of the bridge is also expected to be completed soon," he told reporters after opening the Penang Housing Symposium, here

TWO LANES on MMR2 Opens to LIGHT TRAFFIC; SAMY Boasts: MMR2 Factor of Safety 1.7 greater than BRITISH STANDARD 1.5; Then WHY the HELL it Cracks Samy?

Datuk Samy Vellu "waving his magic red flag" assured that the MMR2 is now safe and above the International Safety Benchmark. We must believe him Traffic flow was smooth after being flaged opened by him at 2.00 pm

And Samy explains “You see we have a standard. We do according to the British Standard. When it is done to the British Standard, everything is OK. If after sometime, if there is an earth movement at the bottom of the pier which is of natural causes. If there is anything wrong, you cannot detect it now, you cannot forecast it now.”

“The British Standard is 1.5; we have here 1.7 Factor of Safety”. And yet it cracks!

This is another story to the many we have heard about this MM2 saga. But this one does not explain the cracks at all. It is another “Semua OK” made famous by our Selangor MB.
Above: The faulty Crosshead? Look at them, these are probably the smallest ones you can find. Can some Kepong folks hire a crane and measure its size and do a comparison?

Look at the photos (below) . Are the piers (columns) undergoing repairs? No, only the Crossheads are being structurally reinforced. It looks like huge 25mm diameter U steel bars are being welded onto the steel ones inside the gorged out piers. So with cement covering up again, we have to wait and see when the cracks might appear again.


Above: The Cross head being reinforced (make stronger?)
Below: How? By Adding more steel bars to strengthen them

And Samy talks of natural earth movements; why other stretches of the MMR2 are not affected except this short stretch under this design and built team?

The British Standard Safety Factor is in the designs only and if the construction was not properly monitored for quality of materials, cement-sand-aggregate ratio and workmanship, then the safety factor is meaningless. Is Mother Nature being blamed? Are we in the earthquake prone region for earth movements?

In the earlier investigation it was suggested due to water seepage there were corrosion in the steel etc. And there will be more stories coming when the repair is completed and monitored again.

What Samy should do now is to declassify all the appointed consultants’ reports and let the many qualified structurally engineers read them and inform the public the truth about these MMR2 cracks once and for all.

An interesting observation in the official Bernama report is that “Public Works Department was actively carrying out repair work” . So are the designers and contractors being billed for these repairs?

Another observation: “One test was done when the piers were made and another after they had been installed. They are now above the international safety standards."
If they are above international standards, WHY is Preliminary pier crosshead reinforcement work necessary?

And the following is the account as dished out by Bernama

MRR2 Opens To Light Vehicles Today, Says Samy Vellu

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- Two lanes on the Middle Ring Road II (MRR2) in Kepong, closed for repair work since March, will open to light vehicles from 2pm Tuesday, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said the third lane would remain closed for structural reinforcement work.

However, the three lanes would be closed every weekend from 10pm on Saturday till 6am on Sunday for structural reinforcement work, he told reporters after visiting the MRR2.

Samy Vellu said the road below the MRR2 would be opened to all vehicles and closed periodically for structural reinforcement work.

He said the Public Works Department was actively carrying out repair work on the MRR2 between the bus-stop near the Manjalara junction and the access road to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, near Taman Indah Perdana.

Currently, only light vehicles of below 2.1m in height are allowed to use the MRR2.

Samy Vellu said repair work on the MRR2 was 70 per cent complete and progressing smoothly without any delay.

"Preliminary pier crosshead reinforcement work on all the pillars has been completed. This is to allow light vehicles to ply the MRR2.

"Further structural reinforcement work is being done on all pier crossheads and is expected to be completed by end of November," he added.

In terms of safety, Samy Vellu said the MRR2 was now above the international standard safety benchmark.

"All the 33 crosshead piers had undergone the "pre-stress" test twice. One test was done when the piers were made and another after they had been installed. They are now above the international safety standards."

Asked on the repair cost, he said, it had not been finalised, adding that "when work is fully completed, only then we will know".

Samy Vellu said repairs to the Sierra Mas bridge in Sungai Buloh, damaged by flood recently, was expected to be completed by end of this month and would be opened to all vehicles by Sept 1.

"Initially, we thought it would take four months to repair the bridge but work would be completed in two months.

"Opening of the two lanes on the MRR2 and the bridge will significantly ease traffic congestion between Sungai Buloh and Kepong," he said.

Samy Vellu also said the new tiered-interchange near Sungai Buloh Hospital, linking Sungai Buloh town with the North-South Expressway, was expected to be opened to all traffic from Aug 14.

He said the RM52.85 million interchange had been completed and was waiting to be gazetted by the government.

"The legal advisers of the Public Works Department and the Attorney-General's Chambers are working on gazetting the interchange," he added

INTERNET, WEBSITES and BLOGS? To be CONTROLLED: Datuk ZAINUDDIN Supports Datuk FU AH KIOW on Rumours News & RACIAL Undertones Articles & Features

There has been much controversy and “misquotes” surrounding the call by Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow on the curb of Internet Websites and possibly Webblogs to stop the spread of news based on rumors, and articles and features with racial undertones.

The uncertainties were first highlighted in the Sunday Times article (below) on inaccurate and speculative reports on the pepper spray incident. And now the Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin is supporting the call for “stern warning must be issued and action taken against rumour-mongers for causing problems to the extent of disturbing public order”.

It looks like there will be changes for a lot of websites dishing out “breaking news” without verifying the facts. But will “control of media content will boost the credibility of a website as the people will know the news published is accurate and no longer based on rumours”??

Will the day come when websites may be installed or bought over and controlled to continue the “print media agenda”? At the end of the day, it is the Joe public with the power of discernment that will determine the credibility of a website giving out balanced views.

It is shocking that the Information Minister can slam newspaper for publishing the truth about the crime situation in the country just to appease the tourism industry. This is the height of advocating “self denial” we have seen in so many places like the mess in the education policies. It is always the image that they want to portray and sweep everything unpleasant under the carpet and try to solve things under “closed doors” policy without the participation and input from the public or other experts.

Internet, Websites Must Be Controlled, Says Zainuddin; July 31, 2006 13:44 PM

KANGAR, July 31 (Bernama) -- The Government must control the Internet and websites to curb the spread of rumours and news that can harm racial unity in the country, Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin said.

He said he agreed with Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow that stern warning must be issued and action taken against rumour-mongers for causing problems to the extent of disturbing public order.

The control was not to muzzle press freedom but to stop the spread of news based on rumours, and articles and features with racial undertones, he said.

"In one aspect, the," he told reporters at the "Seiring Melangkah Bersama" (Together We Move Forward) event in conjunction with the 60th anniversary celebrations of the state-level agencies under the Information Ministry,here last night.

Zainuddin said so long as the mainstream media was not involved in publishing rumours and articles that were seditious in nature, the people would not be influenced or take seriously what was posted on the Internet.

He slammed the media for often publishing crime stories as important news with sensational reports merely to sell the newspapers or to boost viewers' rating for a particular television programme.

"If we do so, we are indirectly portraying a picture that our country is not safe, with a high crime rate and this will bring adverse effects to our economy and tarnish the image of our country.

"At one time, news on murders and recovery of bodies were rarely published with gruesome pictures, but nowadays some newspapers are boldly printing such photographs without realising it is against journalism ethics," he said.

Compare the following STAR report with the Bernama above and see the emphasis

Zam: Some control on Net media needed

KANGAR: Imposing some control on Internet media will not make the medium less popular, but rather give it credibility, says Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin.

He said mainstream media had gained credibility because of the laws making them responsible for what they published.

“We need to have a similar form of control over Internet media and blogs, as the medium is used to spread unfounded allegations that pose a threat to national security and racial unity,” he added.

He was at the state-level Seiring Melangkah Bersama (Step Forward Together) function organised in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of agencies under the Information Ministry last Sunday.

Zainuddin said he supported Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow’s statement that there should be some form of control over sensitive issues to protect national security.

He said some websites and blogs had touched on Islam and Malay rights, which threatened harmony in multi-racial Malaysia.

If left uncontrolled, the medium could be used as a tool to disturb the peace and stability in the country.

“It is not our intention to curb freedom of speech. It is all right to present views but it is not acceptable if the content is instigative in nature,” he added.

“We have come across cases and stories that are posted based on hearsay. Some of the comments and arguments are baseless,” he noted.

Zainuddin said the Government had no intention of jailing those who write about racial issues in blogs.

“We will not stop bloggers and Internet media operators from expressing their views, as long as the views are presented in an ethical manner,” he added.

The background of this Fu’s need was first highlighted by the Sunday Times

Websites under probe for ‘inaccurate’ reports; 30 Jul 2006

KUANTAN: Police are investigating several websites which allegedly carried inaccurate and speculative reports on the pepper spray incident involving Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Friday.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said yesterday that action would be taken against the website owners if they had breached the Sedition Act.

Fu said the contents of the offending reports would be analysed and whether the websites had promptly retracted them.

The websites were not named.

Fu said statements carrying the qualification "believed to be" would still be deemed irresponsible even if they were later retracted.

"The initial impact of such speculative reports may not only be damaging, but could also be ‘irreversible’," said Fu, who is also the Kuantan Member of Parliament, after attending a community programme at SMK Sungai Soi near here.

At least one website flashed a report under its newsbreak segment on Friday which, among other things, indicated the possibility that the former prime minister was attacked by members of the police special operations force.

The report, filed shortly after the 10.30am incident at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, Kota Baru, was retracted an hour later.

Fu said the Government was keeping to its promise of not censoring Internet access in the country but cautioned those using it as a news medium to be responsible and not break the law, particularly when it involved sensitive issues.

He denied a report on Thursday which quoted him as saying that the Government was planning to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 to place websites under its control.

"What I said was that we are studying the Act to see if it meets our current needs. I never said we were going to amend it."

On the issuance of permits for public gatherings, Fu said the police based their decisions after careful studies of the potential risks they posed

...here is the denial from Fu Ah Kiow via bernama
"Nobody has said that we are going to enact a law to control the internet media. I only said we are going to study the existing Printing Presses and Publications Act"

July 29, 2006 17:18pm
No Plans To Amend Act To Control Internet Media

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- The government has no plans at the moment to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act to include the electronic and the internet media, Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow clarified Saturday.

He said the government was only studying whether the 20-year old act needed to be amended with the new developments in the media world.

There had been complaints from the (print) media that the present act was not fair since it only covered the print media, he said.

"So, after listening to the complaint, I said we would study the matter, never did I say that we would amend the act," he told Bernama here.

He said some media had misreported his statement during the ministry's Mass Media Conference 2006 in Putrajaya recently by reporting that the ministry was going to amend the act to cover the electronic media and the internet.

"That's not true. I have to clarify that for the electronic media, it is still under the purview of the Multimedia Commission. I never said we would amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act (to cover electronic and internet media). It's (under) a different ministry," he said.

Fu explained that the reason the ministry would study the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 was to ascertain whether the act was still relevant for today's needs as there was a gap between the various types of media that existed today.

"This is particularly so for the print media which has been subjected to various regulations, while the electronic and internet media are able to get away with things that the print media could not.

"We study the relevance of the act and it is just a normal study. It is an ongoing study of the ministry," he said.

Asked on the complaints from the internet media relating to the matter, Fu said : "What is there to complain about? Never did I say we are going to amend this law to control the internet media"

"Nobody has said that we are going to enact a law to control the internet media. I only said we are going to study the existing Printing Presses and Publications Act, " he said.

..and here are TWO comments in Letters to Malaysiakini on the STOP the Forum issue
LETTERS: Gag order will only work for the short-term;A Sepet Guy Jul 31, 06 5:26pm

Why have people responded with great disappointment to Pak Lah's order to stop the Article 11 forums? Because his statement actually hurts us deeply. It was so painful to swallow on that Wednesday morning. I believe many of us never intend for strife to happen.

I believe many of us are peaceful people. I believe many of us actually love Malaysia. We want to be good Malaysians. That's why we bother to invest our time to write to the newspapers. We want to love our prime minister. Yet his statement actually hurt many of us deeply. That's why we say we are disappointed. It is not that we are anti-PM.

I remember during my primary school days in the 1980s, we used to have few chapters on religions (I think it was in the Sejarah textbook if I am not mistaken). One chapter was on Islam where all of us learn about the Prophet Muhammad and his work and about the five pillars of the faith. Another chapter was on Christianity, another on Buddhism and so on.

Perhaps, with Pak Lah's blanket order, I am afraid we might have to even delete those chapters because the inquisitive mind of a child would want to know why the God that he believes in is different from the God of other religions. If not, these kids (including mine), too, would one day, grow up to form groups like Article 11 going around explaining the Federal Constitution.

Or else, if we still want to maintain those chapters, we probably need to put warnings like films: 'These chapters are meant for reading only. Do not ask any questions'.

So while I believe the PM's intention is good, I think it would work in the short-term. In the long term? I don't think it would because if we do not deal with the root cause, the 'lalang' would grow again.


http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/54727

LETTERS: Allow forums to continue;Khoo Kay Peng Jul 31, 06 5:35pm

The recent 'stop talking' order given by the prime minister to the Article 11 forum organisers sends a wrong signal to the international community on Malaysia's intention to join the ranks of the civilised world. The action is an antithesis to the perception painted by the government to the international community that Malaysia is a modern, moderate and democratic nation which celebrates its religious and cultural diversity. The gag order bears serious constitutional consequences for all Malaysians.

There are a few pertinent questions that ought to be answered: first, are Malaysians legally allowed to discuss issues pertaining to their rights enshrined in the federal constitution even if these issues are related to ethnic relations, religion, cultural and social rights? Who is to decide if
the average Malaysians are ready or not to discuss ethnic relations and religious issues affecting them?

Second, is the action taken by the state in stopping a legally constituted forum an act of undermining the rights to freedom of speech enshrined in the federal constitution?

Third, what are the constitutional consequences faced by all citizens in the event that their constitutional rights are usurped by the state? What is the recourse available to them to seek protection of their constitutional rights?

Fourth, by stopping any civilised discourse on ethnic relations or religious freedom, can the state find an amicable solution to the inherent issues surfaced in the Moorthy, Shamala and Lina Joy cases or the ethnic biases which appeared in several ethnic relations and history publications?

A democratically elected government is responsible to defending and protecting the constitutional rights of its people freely to exercise their rights within the boundaries of the nation's legal framework. In this case, the anti-Article 11 protesters can continue their peaceful and non-violent protests against the proceedings of Article 11 forums but the forums should be allowed to continue. The role of the state is to ensure that the action of the opposing parties is not affecting the rights of the other.

With the control of coercive instruments of power including several draconian legislation eg, the Internal Security Act at the disposal of the government, it is beyond doubt that the threat from the government to act against the continuation of the discourse is real. The only thing that we
can do is to remind the government that its action is a recipe of authoritarian rule. The price is Malaysia's international standing as the champion of the oppressed nations. We should not preach what we cannot practice.
____
contd. reading (on War Risk Zone)at :
Bloggers or “Meta REPORTERS” - SELF-Indulgent; OPINIONATED Folks Reporting on WHAT has been REPORTED; depend on Mainstream MEDIA for TALKING POINTS

PROTON & EON Fortunes TUMBLE as PERODUA overtakes PROTON in Car Sales; Will New PROACTIVE Governance; Best PRACTICES; MITSUBISHI 380 Save PROTON?

For the first time ever Malaysia second car manufacturer outsold Proton with the sales of national passengers car. Total Perodua sales for the first six months this year rose to 78,396 units while sales of Proton cars dropped to 60,246 units. According to the Malaysia Automotive Associate, this can be attributed to higher demand for small sized cars which Perodua is popular for.

“I think Proton has been No. 1 for several years. Since 1985 (sales 7000 units) and after that they were No 1. This is the first time that Perodua has overtaken Proton”

Total vehicle sales in 2006 is expected to drop by 6% to 520,000 units compared to 2005. Higher interest rates and rising fuel prices are among factors that are expected to cause sales to wilt this year.

Will the adoption of new corporate governance with current best practices and tighter controls in it management practices arrest the decline?

From Business News
Malaysia's Auto Sales May Post First Drop in 3 Years(Update 1)

Updated : 27-07-2006 Media : Bloomberg Story By : Stephanie Phang and Chan Tien Hin (Adds analyst's comment in the sixth paragraph.)

July 27 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's 2006 vehicle sales may fall for the first time in three years as lower used-car prices, stricter lending and higher interest rates curb demand, the Malaysian Automotive Association said.

Sales of cars, vans and sport-utility vehicles may fall 6 percent to 520,000 units this year from 551,042 in 2005, the association said in a statement today. It had in January forecast sales would rise 2.5 percent. Last year, Malaysia sold 13 percent more vehicles than in 2004.

``This is an unusual dip'' because sales typically fall only every five or six years compared with the current cycle of three years, Aishah Ahmad, association president, told reporters in Petaling Jaya. ``We hope it will improve by year-end.''

Sales are falling mainly because the value of used cars, which are sold to fund subsequent purchases, slid after carmakers reduced prices of new vehicles following the government's changed auto policy, Aishah said. On March 22, Malaysia cut import taxes for vehicles made in Southeast Asia.
Higher interest rates and fuel prices are also crimping demand for national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd., Kia Motors Corp. and other assemblers. This year's sales decline would mark the first annual drop since 2003. The central bank, in a bid to curb inflation, raised its key interest rate three times since November when Malaysia increased borrowing costs for the first time after the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis.

Asean Sales

``The biggest factor for the car sales not moving up is the low trade-in value,'' said Wan Azhar Wan Mustapha, an analyst at OSK Research Sdn. In Kuala Lumpur. ``Spending a lot on a car might not be high on the list of consumers' needs. Coupled with rising interest rates, more strict credit requirements, it will further dampen the potential of sales.''

Malaysia's inflation rate more than tripled after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government raised fuel prices five times since May 2004 to cut its subsidy bill.

Bank Negara last raised borrowing costs on April 26 to 3.5 percent, the highest since the benchmark rate was introduced in April 2004.

``It's not unique to Malaysia,'' Aishah said. Car sales have fallen in most Southeast Asian markets because of higher fuel prices and weak consumer confidence, she said. In Indonesia, vehicle sales plunged 49 percent to 149,886 units in the first six months, she said.

Second Half

Malaysia's passenger car sales may fall 8 percent to 368,000 units this year from 400,835 units in 2005, the association said. Commercial vehicle sales may rise 1.3 percent to 114,000 units in 2006 from 112,531 last year, it said.

Sales may ``stabilize'' in the second half of the year and resume growth in 2007 as consumer sentiment strengthens, helped by lower car prices and promotions by car companies, Aishah said. The implementation of projects under the government's five-year development plan announced in March will also lift demand for commercial vehicles, she said.

``Soft demand will be apparent for this year and could extend towards next year,'' said Wan Azhar. ``Whether sales will rebound next year is yet to be seen.''
The association will ask the government to introduce an incentive for car
owners to scrap very old cars and buy newer used cars to boost sales, Aishah
said.

Proton, Perodua
First-half auto sales fell 5 percent to 248,407 units from 261,111 a year earlier, the association said. Passenger cars accounted for 74 percent of sales with 184,725 vehicles sold, compared with 76 percent, or 199,554 units, a year earlier. Industry sales will be unchanged from a year earlier at best in the second half, Aishah said.

Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Nasional Sdn., or Perodua, overtook Proton as the country's largest carmaker in the first half of the year, the association said. Perodua sold 78,396 passenger cars in the first half, or 42 percent of total car sales, compared with Proton's 60,246 units, or 33 percent.

``This is the first time that Perodua has overtaken Proton,'' Aishah said. Perodua's 1.3 liter Myvi model ``is a real success and also, people are downsizing.''

OSK has a ``trading buy'' recommendation for Proton's stock and recommends that investors ``buy'' UMW Holdings Bhd., which owns a stake in Perodua. The research house, which earlier this year forecast Malaysia's 2006 vehicle sales would decline 4 percent, won't change its recommendations after today's industry report, Wan Azhar said.

``Proton's problem still lies deep in their inability to come up with any new products,'' said Wan Azhar. ``But you look at UMW, they are doing very well.''

Production grew 1.7 percent to 278,646 vehicles in the first half, as non-national carmakers such as Kia and Toyota Motor Corp. increased output 7 percent to 89,214 units, while production of national cars was unchanged at 189,432 units.

EON tumbles to 5-year low Updated : 31-07-2006; Media : The Edge Story By : N/A
via www.biznewsdb.com

Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd’s share price closed at more than a five-year low of RM2.07 on July 31 as investors worried about uncertainties ahead, especially after the company offered a voluntary separation scheme to all its 2,500 employees.

It ended the day 18 sen down to RM2.07. There were 235,500 shares done at prices ranging from RM2.02 to RM2.25. The share price was at its lowest since May 14, 2001 when it closed at RM2.07.

Based on the share price of RM2.07, it was trading at less than half of its net tangible asset per share of RM4.24 per share as of March 31, 2006.

Analysts said there were concerns about the declining sales volume of its cars. EON’s sales of Proton cars have come under pressure against Proton Edar and lower demand for national cars.

They said investors were also concerned about the changes in the top management and the direction they were taking the company. Another concern was inventories that totalled RM617.9 million and receivables of RM266.73 million as of March 31, 2006.

However, they said EON is still cash rich with RM176.93 million and reserves of RM807.14 million.
and from the theEDGE
Proton: Tighter systems in place ;By Tamimi Omar 31 Jul 2006 7:46 PM

Proton Holdings Bhd has taken a proactive approach to, its managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said.

"New systems are in place, which clearly define limits and accountability. We are happy with these steps, and we will continue monitoring and tightening these procedures," he said in a statement on July 31.

Syed Zainal said this was after Proton had undertaken a review of the major processes, decision-making structures and limits of authority.

He was responding to the cover story of The Edge this week titled "Proton Expose", involving a special investigation into the workings of Proton dating back to 2002 exposing a number of instances, decisions and actions taken by the management without the knowledge and approval of the Proton board.

The story highlights several parts of a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers for
Proton chairman Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim late last year.

"As part of our review, we had appointed external auditors to assist in re-examining Proton's internal processes and procedures.

"The goal was to determine potential weaknesses in the process leading to decisions, as well as identify means to address these weaknesses," Syed Zainal said.

Syed Zainal said one of the first steps was an evaluation of the internal governance structure where changes were made to the management committee and board composition at related subsidiaries.

"It is an ongoing process of improving policies, guidelines in ensuring proper governance relating to areas such as procurement, limits of authority, roles and responsibilities," added Syed Zainal.

from Bernama
Tighter Systems In Place, Says Proton
July 31, 2006 20:46 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Proton Holdings Bhd Monday stressed that
it had already taken a proactive approach to align corporate governance with current best practices.

"We had undertaken a review of the major processes, decision-making structures and limits of authority," its managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said Monday in response to a recent news article regarding a report by Picewater- houseCoopers on Proton.

According to the report, the national car maker has poor corporate governance in the past.

The report was commissioned by Proton chairman Datuk Mohamed Azlan Hashim and the present management on Sept 2, 2005, to investigate the company's past affairs.

Among others, PricewaterhouseCoopers mentioned that some projects were implemented without proper consultation or consent, billions of ringgit in expenditure spent without indepth discussion, and the board being unaware of legal problems.

"As part of our review we had appointed external auditors to assist in re-examining Proton's internal processes and procedures," Syed Zainal said in a statement.

The goal, he said, was to determine potential weaknesses in the process leading to decisions, as well as to identify means to address these weaknesses.

"Resulting from this, one of the first steps taken was an evaluation of the internal governance structure of Proton where changes have been made to the management committee and board composition at related subsidiaries," Syed Zainal said.

"Now systems are in place, which clearly define limits and accountability. We are happy with these steps, and we will continue monitoring and tightening these procedures," he said.

"It is an ongoing process of improving policies, guidelines in ensuring proper governance relating to areas such as procurement, limits of authority, roles and responsibilities," he added.

In a news report Monday, Proton was quoted as saying that it was too early to decide whether any legal action would be taken against the previous management after the third party report may have showed mismanagement in the company's affairs from 1996 until late 2005.

However, the company did not rule out the possibility of going to court, the report added.

Will this imported Mitsubishi 380 somewhat brake Proton's woes? With proper pricing it can capture back some of the "big car" market apart from its monopoly in the government sector

Proton May Bring In Mitsubishi Cars From Australia ;July 31, 2006 17:18 PM

MELBOURNE, July 31 (Bernama) -- Proton Bhd may import the Australian-made
Mitsubishi 380, according to a report in the Herald Sun here.

The newspaper reported that Proton was working on a programme which would make the 380 its flagship car, with a deal which Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMA) spokesman, Kevin Taylor, said was likely to be signed "any day".

While Proton saw the 380 as an ideal replacement for its elderly Perdana, the carmaker has indicated it was not interested in "rescuing" MMA.

Sales of the Perdana replacement vehicles would be aimed at government officials, police and wealthy businessmen.

"The Perdana is so ... far past its use-by date," Proton's head (product planning/ programme engineering) Bob Hall, told Australian journalists recently.

Proton was also pushing MMA to consider a four-cylinder engine for the 380 and hopes to make a decision on a potential deal before year-end.

"It's still alive. It's a heavily-studied project," the report quoted Hall as saying.

Proton has done most of the groundwork on the 380, including shipping cars to Malaysia and sending its engineers to Australia. The deal would involve as many as 8,000 cars from Australia.

The original plan was to ship the 380s from Australia to Malaysia but Proton now preferred to take car kits which it could assemble in its own factory to cut duty costs.

The newspaper said Proton hoped to get the car with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder motor, a project which Mitsubishi has admitted it was studying as a result of the petrol price increase in Australia.

Mitsubishi's Taylor said a deal could be signed any day now. "They are keen to get the car and we are obviously keen to supply it," he said.

For a feature and technical preview goto Mitsubishi 380

UPDATE AUG02 06:

Tengku Mahaleel had the gall to ask who release this confidential report and by whom and why only up to 1996. He should respond directly and answer the findings questioning his style as CEO running Proton like his grandfather's company. And the gullible Tun was praising him "sky high" and complaining about his replacement

Proton report: Tengku Mahaleel surprised by leak
Muhammad Razif Aug 2, 06 2:48pm

Proton's former chief executive officer Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff is surprised as to how an audit report of the national car manufacturer by Pricewaterhouse Cooper had leaked to the media.

"The report is confidential...how was it exposed to the public. How did it get to the media?" he asked when contacted today.

In view of this, Tengku Mahaleel said the Proton management must investigate how the report had leaked. "They must find out who leaked it and why," he added.

He also asked why the report only covered decisions made in the company for a decade. "Why only up to 1996, why not 1995?"

The former Proton CEO was responding to a report in the business weekly, The Edge which published the comprehensive Pricewaterhouse Coopers findings.

No consultation

The report found that Proton's corporate governance was poor. Among others, it claimed that some projects were implemented without proper consultation resulting in billions being spent without in-depth discussions.

It also stated that approval from the board of directors was only sought after decisions had been made or agreements signed by the management.

Following this, Proton said it was looking into the matter.

Its managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the company did not rule out the possibility of legal action against the previous management. He also said that it is natural for the new management to find any weaknesses if it wants to improve the company.

Tengku Mahaleel was Proton's CEO from 1997 until he was ousted in July last year.
He oversaw the purchase of debt-ridden motorcycle maker Agusta for 70 million euro (now US$89.6 million) in 2004. After his departure, Proton sold Agusta to Italy's Gevi SPA for a token sum of one euro.

Mahaleel and Proton advisor and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad have strongly criticised the Agusta sale, demanding information on why it went ahead and saying their credibility is at stake over the deal.
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INTERNET, WEBSITES and BLOGS? To be CONTROLLED: Datuk ZAINUDDIN Supports Datuk FU AH KIOW on Rumours News & RACIAL Undertones Articles & Features

MORE Pics TRAGIC CRASH of BUS at JURU – 11 KILLED; 9 Seriously INJURED; CHARTERED BUS Passengers MAINLY from CHURCH of our LADY - IPOH

The Chartered bus overturned 3 times and landed on its roof
Below: The scene of the accident, a slight curve at 160.8 km

Above and below: The helpful effort of survivors and passerbys pushed up the bus and try to extricate the bodies and injured inside the bus

Our condolences must be to all the families of the victims in their hour of grief for the loss of loved ones especially to Paul.

This is the worst N-Express highway accident in 21 years. The accident occurred when the bus was negotiating a corner, skidded and overturned into a ditch near the Jawi Toll Plaza near Juru at 160.8 km this morning at 6.35 am while on the way to St Anne’s Church. The chartered bus had earlier left Ipoh at 5.30 am.

The grusome sight of motionless bodies taken from the bus



The bodies properly covered were difficult to identify for some

10 were killed on the spot and 1 died later in hospital and 9 is seriously injured, 2 being children with 26 suffering light injuries and received out patient treatment. The 11 includes 2 children and 4 members from the same family and ages from 11 – 60 years.

The 46 people on the bus were on their way from Ipoh to celebrate the Festival of St Annes in Bukit Mertajam. The passengers in the bus were from the Church of our Lady in Silibin, Ipoh.

Penang CPO, Datuk Christopher Wan So Kee said that investigation had began. Urine sample and a statement would be taken from the 24 bus driver who is being treated for neck and spinal injuries in the Sebrang Jaya hospital as soon as possible.

He said the stretch of the highways where the accident happened was not known to be dangerous and neither was it raining at that time. Puspakom would have to look at the worthiness of the bus.

Above: Samy Vellu & Penang CPO visited the crash site

Works Minister Datuk Samy Vellu who happened to be in Penang Bridge Run visited the site of the crash and have a “look-see” with the Penang CPO. He described it as the worst ever accident to occur in the history of the expressway

Above: Samy Vellu showing his caring nature in consoling an injured in hospital

He also visited the injured in the hospital and extended his sympathies and offer to help the victims who are now being treated at the Seberang Jaya and Sungei Bakap Hospitals.

Above & Below: Survivors, Relatives & Friends were at the hospital waiting anxiously to check on the injured and trying to identify those killed.

Speaking to reporters at the site “The drivers worked from 7am to 1am. They cannot work until so late as they are humans, even though they get overtime. They cannot work such long hours, their judgment would be affected and they get sleepy”

The saddest person must be Paul (above) who survived but lost his father, aunt & her husband and his youngest sibling. His mother is injured and hospitalized.
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Above: An unidentified passenger reccalling the moment of crash

“I was resting when I became aware the bus was overturning 3 times. When it rest I could not move because of the mangled metal and chairs on top of me. My feet were trapped. I could hear screams of children crying for help. At that moment I could only asked for God’s help for everybody.”

Meanwhile Transport minister Chan Kong Choy has promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident on the N-S highway. He said severe action would be taken against that those responsible and those found to be responsible.

Our PM Abdullah when informed of the accident expressed his deepest condolences to the families and said assistance would be extended to the families of the victims

..and the account from Bernama with other details but no pictures

11 Killed, Nine Seriously Injured After Bus Overturns ; July 30, 2006 16:01 PM

PENANG, July 30 (Bernama) -- Eleven people were killed, nine seriously injured while 26 others sustained minor injuries when a chartered bus on its way from Ipoh to Bukit Mertajam overturned at KM160.8 of the North-South Highway near the Jawi Toll Plaza in Juru here Sunday.

Penang CPO Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee said 10 of the passengers were killed instantly while the other died at the Hospital Sungai Bakap near here.

He said the incident occurred at 6.45 am when the bus, carrying 46 passengers to the St Anne's Church in Bukit Mertajam for the St Anne's Feast, skidded at a corner in the road and overturned in a ditch.

The bus had earlier left a church in Buntong in Ipoh at 5.30 am.

Wan said the dead included two children who were identified as Andrew Nelson and Alvin Arulsamy, both 13, and a married couple, M. Arokiasamy, 38, and G. Santha, 34.

The identities of three others who died were given as Arokiasamy Ponniah, 56, from Jelapang, R. Yoganathan, 36, from Silibin and Rayayapan Sebastian, 55 also from Jelapang.

Police are having difficulty establishing the identities of the other four dead, all women, as their handbags were strewn all over the place.

Wan said that 11 injured had been admitted to the Seberang Jaya, six at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital and two at the Sungai Bakap Hospital.

Those lightly injured were given out-patient treatment at the Sungai Bakap Hospital.

The identities of the seriously injured were as yet unavailable.

The remains of the deceased have been sent to the Sungai Bakap Hospital mortuary.

Wan said that the 24-year-old driver of the bus, which had been chartered to bring the passengers to the St. Anne's Church, was among the injured and had been admitted to the Seberang Jaya Hospital for neck and spinal injuries.

"We will record a statement from him as soon as its possible and are also conducting urine tests on him. The cause of the accident has not been determined, whether it was because of technical problems or negligence. We want to know why the bus went out of control," he said.

He said the corner was not a dangerous one and that this was the first time an accident involving a bus had happened at that stretch.

"It was not raining, neither was the road slippery...we are also investigating the driver's background. The area of the accident is not blacklisted for a high accident rate. Unless a vehicle is speeding or is faulty, it is not likely for an accident to happen there. These are factors we will have to consider in our investigations," he said.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who visited the injured at the Sungai Bakap Hospital, said this was the worst accident to have happened on the North-South Expressway since it was opened.

Samy Vellu said that one of the passengers had alleged that the driver had picked them up after having just dropped a group of passengers from Kuala Lumpur in Ipoh earlier in the morning.

The bus was one of three that was bringing churchgoers at the Buntong church to the St Anne's Feast in Bukit Mertajam and comprised Christian as well as Hindu worshippers who wanted to attend the annual event.

The worshippers were from Buntong, Jelapang, Silibin, Taman Jati and Taman Meru in Ipoh and Tronoh nearby.

Samy Vellu also said that he had been informed by PLUS Epxressways Bhd (Plus), the concessionaire of the expressway, that the accident-area had not been categorised as a dangerous area for vehicles.

"The road conditions are good and there are no dangerous corners there. We don't know if it was the result of speeding. This will be investigated by the police," he told a press conference at the Sungai Bakap Hospital. He had earlier visited the accident scene together with Wan and Plus officials.

Samy Vellu was in Penang to flag off runners participating in the Penang Bridge Run earlier this morning and according to him, he rushed to the hospital and the scene of the accident on being informed the news.

"This is the worst tragedy to happen in the history of the expressway. We usually only hear of three or sometimes up to six fatalities in really bad cases. I express my sympathy to the victims and condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones," he said.

Samy Vellu also briefed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who called him on his handphone about the tragedy.

He said Abdullah was saddened by what happened and extended his sympathy to to the families involved. After the call from Abdullah ended, Samy Vellu, who is also the MIC president, said aid would also be extended to the families of the victims of the tragedy.