PM Hints - Delay in GE? – Mandate has 2 more Years; Due to Uncertain US Sluggish Economy - Federal Interest Rate affects & impacts stock market?

UPDATE, see Below

MORE PICS & Video – Day 38 (Sep 24 07) Altantuya Murder Trial;
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PM Hints of delay in GE – Mandate has 2 more Years; Uncertain US sluggish Economy - Federal Interest Rate affecting & impact local stock market

Pm Abdullah is waiting for the return of the "feeling good" factor to decide on the date of the next GE. It looks like the GE widely hinted after the 50-years Merdeka bash to be in November will now have to wait. From his latest interview, he responded thus- "Wait first. Our mandate still has two more years to go." . So as he said "Everything is conditional" and subject to changes, the GE will have to wait.

September 23, 2007 21:40 PM
Sluggish US Economy Will Harm Malaysia, Says Abdullah

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- If the US economy dwindles to a serious sluggish state, it will have an adverse impact on Malaysia's economic growth, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Sunday night. If this happens, it will lead to reduced country-to-country exports, a scenario similar to that which happened previously when the US economy slipped into a recession, resulting in a marked drop in demand for Malaysian goods, he said." The situation will be a repeat of what happened before. A lot of goods produced by our manufacturing sector could not be sent to the US at all because all orders were cancelled due to the economic crisis in that country.

"Everything is conditional. If the US faces a serious sluggish economy, it will definitely hit us. This has a bearing on the Federal Interest Rate whose fluctuation will in turn influence the investment climate in our country. "It will also have a direct impact on the stock market," he said when interviewed on the 30-minute "VIP Awani" programme aired over Astro's Channel 95.

The interview, conducted by Suhaimi Sulaiman (ABOVE), was recorded at the Finance Ministry in Putrajaya on Thursday. Abdullah, who is also Finance Minister, was fielding questions on preparations being made by Malaysia to face the possibility of the US economy slipping into recession following the subprime mortgage financial crisis.

Economic analysts predict that the US economy will face a slowdown after the US Federal Reserve recently slashed the interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.75 per cent to stimulate the country's economy severely hit by the crisis. Abdullah, however, said Malaysia will not face the same crisis as the US due to the country's strong economic indicators. "For instance, the construction sector has rebounded, registering increased momentum, despite facing problems all this while ... suddenly the growth has soared to four per cent," he said. The prime minister also said that the manufacturing sector recorded further improvements despite being on a firm footing while the country's foreign reserves were still strong.

The service sector also recorded significant growth, emerging as one of the key economic sectors, performing even better than manufacturing. "Our currency is also stable. All these give us strength and confidence so long as we keep closely monitoring the goings-on around the world that may have a bearing on us," he said. Asked whether the positive and strong economic pointers would culminate in a snap general election before the current mandate ends in 2009, Abdullah said: "Wait first. Our mandate still has two more years to go."

On the integration of the Asean economy in 2015, the prime minister said measures towards realising the objective have been implemented, taking into account the varying levels of economic growth of the member states. He said local companies must ensure that their products are of superior quality and sold at reasonable prices, besides allocating sufficient funds for promotions if they want to penetrate the international market, despite some countries imposing non-tariff barriers.

= = == == = = == = = and Tan Sri Dr Koh calls for quick action to Judiciary Video Clip; worries foreign investors will shy away
September 23, 2007 21:43 PM

Address Promptly Concerns On Judiciary System - Koh

BATU PAHAT, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- Gerakan president-designate Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (ABOVE) Sunday called for immediate action to address concerns on the country's judiciary system. If left unattended, the Penang Chief Minister said it could harm the credibility and integrity of the judiciary system, hence causing foreign investors to shy away from investing in Malaysia. Malaysia has a good judiciary system and legal framework that were well understood by foreign investors compared to other developing countries. "This has become an advantage for the country to attract foreign investments.

But once we lose credibility, it is going to affect our ability to woo investors," he told reporters after opening the Johor Gerakan delegates conference. Koh expressed Gerakan's support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's order to the police to immediately start investigations into a video clip recording implicating a senior lawyer allegedly brokering the appointment of judges. He said action must be taken against the individuals implicated in the issue if the contents of the video clip proved authentic.

The prime minister said on Friday that he viewed the issue seriously and had asked the police to investigate it as soon as possible. He said the video clip bore a story that could harm the good name of the judicial system. "We cannot take this lightly and the matter must be addressed promptly," said Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister. Yesterday, the Bar Council, in an emergency meeting convened to discuss the video clip issue, called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the matter. Council president Ambiga Sreneevasan said the commission should also investigate all problems concerning the judiciary. On Wednesday, the Bar Council will submit a memorandum to the prime minister, calling for the cabinet to discuss the setting up of the commission.

= === == = = = == = and how the wire agency reported the video expose

Calls escalate for probe into Malaysian judicial fixing claim

Fri Sep 21, 4:34 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's opposition, rights groups and two prominent anti-corruption campaigners on Friday joined calls for a probe into allegations a lawyer "fixed" judicial appointments with a senior judge. Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim unleashed a furore Wednesday by releasing a video clip that purportedly showed a well-connected lawyer telling a judge over the telephone that he would push his name forward for a senior appointment.

Param Cumaraswamy (ABOVE), a former United Nations special rapporteur on judicial independence and one-time head of Transparency International Malaysia, called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to remove the judge for gross misconduct. The video clip's contents "confirm the concerns expressed by many in the past on how our justice system has been manipulated by certain personalities," Param told reporters. "It also confirms that there must be a sizeable number of litigants who must have been subjected to judicial injustice before Malaysian courts as a result of such manipulations." Together with Abdul Aziz, also a former Transparency International president and a special advisor on ethics to former UN chief Kofi Annan, Param urged the prime minister to reform the judiciary. Anwar said he believed the conversation, allegedly conducted in 2002, had affected the outcome of his treatment in the courts.

The ex-deputy was heir apparent to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad until his sacking in 1998, when he was hit with sodomy and corruption charges that landed him in jail for six years. The sodomy conviction was later overturned but the corruption verdict stands, barring Anwar from standing for public office until April 2008. Human rights group Aliran called for an investigation into several legal cases where it said the presiding judges had leap-frogged more senior judges. "All these cases only confirmed that the ugly hands of politics were pervasive in our system of justice which was manipulated as a political tool," Aliran president P. Ramakrishnan said in a statement.

Opposition Democratic Action Party leader Lim Kit Siang also pressed for the judge's suspension and a probe into the affair, saying it had triggered "a crisis of confidence in the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary". "Forty-eight hours have passed and neither ... had denied that there was such a telephone conversation between them, which would be the first reaction of anyone to a doctored video tape," Lim said.

= == = == == = = Meanwhile an Update on the condition of Dr Mahathir, apparently underwent another OP on "wound infection". BELOW: Malaysiakini Sunday Update

Mahathir has surgery for chest infection
The choice of heading is inaccurate. A world of difference between "chest infection" and "wounds infection"

This Debridement exercise can lead to complications. The scrapping of dead tissue is beneath the wound and healing would take awhile. But with the best that is available in IJN , let' s pray he will come through and be aware and enjoy this "judiciary video".
September 23, 2007 14:04 PM

ABOVE & BELOW: IJN is situated along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak - opposite of the Eye of Malaysia and just before the KL Hospital

Dr Mahathir Undergoes Wound Debridement Surgery

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is recovering from a coronary bypass operation, Saturday night underwent surgical wound debridement owing to a wound infection. The surgery commenced at 11.30pm and ended at 2.30am today, said a statement issued by the National Heart Institute (IJN) here. The procedure was undertaken by the same surgical team, led by Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang, which had performed the coronary bypass surgery on Dr Mahathir at the IJN on Sept 4.The statement said Dr Mahathir was in stable condition and had been put on routine post-cardiac surgery support. He is expected to remain on the support for at least 36 hours for post-operative care and would be closely monitored and observed by the IJN doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), it added. The statement said the next 72 hours would be a crucial period in the post-operative care.

Debridement is the surgical excision of dead, devitalised or contaminated tissue and removal of foreign matter from a wound. It is said to increase the rate of wound healing. Dr Mahahir, 81, who underwent his second coronary bypass surgery on Sept 4 at the premier heart centre, was transferred back to ICU 10 days later. He had been placed in the normal Bunga Raya Ward on Sept 12. The former prime minister underwent his first coronary bypass surgery, at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, on Jan 24 1989 following a heart attack.

For a detailed up to date account (by Marina Mahathir) Go H E R E

= == = =Go H E R E last post On

Lingam Ranting with Whom - Video Clip? Nazri: CJ not at the other end; Who is that Datuk then? Hasn't DAP Lim KS nailed him on the sequence of dates?

= = == =or Go H E R E - Updates on Nurin's Death & interalia

Jazimin to sue over sensational stories

Bangladeshi held for forcing girl to perform oral sex on him

Magic “the face was now recognisable even though just a day before it was not” when they claim it the next day. They explained it as “hikmah”

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UPDATE

MORE PICS & Video – Day 38 Altantuya Murder Trial; More Stories & Memory Lapse; Sgt Rosli – “No see” Slippers in Sirul Jeep but Camera can; Sgt Nagen: no guns, bullets or explosives were found in Sirul’s apartment; C/I Koh: No Promise to Sirul during Interrogation

Sgt says he did not notice pair of 'blood-stained' slippers

Trial-within-a-trial submissions onlt at end of prosecution

Maria J. Dass; SUN
DAY 38 - (Sept 24, 2007):

ABOVE : Arriving in Court on Day 38; BELOW: Razak Baginda wearing his modified glasses after the eye operation;

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BELOW: Sgt Rosli Ramli testified now- he "Cannot see bloodied Altantuya Slippers in Sirul Jeep" yet the camera (cannot lie) can captured that pair of slippers in the photo

SHAH ALAM (Sept 24, 2007): Sirul Azahar’s colleague in the Special Action Squad (UTK) communications unit, Sgt Rosli Ibrahim, testified today he did not notice a pair of slippers in Sirul’s Suzuki jeep when he looked into the vehicle on the two occasions when he started the engine to warm it up. It was reported that a pair of Altantuya’s blood-stained slippers were found in the jeep. Referring to some police photographs, Rosli said he remembered seeing some newspaper in the jeep as shown in the photos but he did not remember seeing the slippers. "From the time I got the keys until the time I handed them over to investigating officer ASP Tony Lunggan, I do not remember seeing the slippers," he said during cross examination by Sirul’s counsel, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal. He said he had noticed some differences in Sirul’s jeep compared to the last time he had driven it, like a missing seat in the back. Earlier, Rosli told the court that Sirul had asked him to warm up his jeep engine using the keys that he had left in a tray on Rosli’s table at the UTK communications section’s store, while he was away in Pakistan.

He said he had started Sirul’s jeep bearing the registration number CAC 1883 two times during Sirul’s absence. Rosli only remembers that the second time he started the vehicle engine was in Nov 3 after Friday prayers. He said he handed over the jeep keys to DSP Mohd Khairi Khairuddin on Nov 3 but did not know the reason why Mohd Khairi had asked him for the keys. "Mohd Khairi returned the keys to me on Nov 6, and told me to hand it over to ASP Tonny when he comes later in the night," Rosli said, adding Tony turned up at 11pm to collect the keys.

Rosli said he did not touch anything in the jeep other than shift the gear and start the engine. He said on the two occasions that he started the engine, he left it running for half-an-hour while he had a drink at the nearby mess canteen. Questioned by Ahmad Zaidi, Rosli said during the time the engine was left running, the doors were unlocked. Asked if anyone was watching over the vehicle, Rosli said: "No. (I) believe that the area (where the jeep was parked) was safe." He agreed with Ahmad Zaidi that Sirul’s jeep was left unattended for a total one hour – half an hour for the first time he started the engine, and another half an hour the second time. Rosli also told the court he was not the only one using the room in the UTK communications section where Sirul’s jeep keys were placed in a tray on his table. "There are six other people who had access to that room," he said adding that the door to the room was sometimes left unlocked.

Rosli said other than Sirul’s jeep keys, there were other keys on the tray, including his motorbike keys, land rover keys and van keys. During re-examination by DPP Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah Rosli on whether he had checked the car thoroughly before concluding that he did not see the slippers, Rosli said: "I did not check the car thoroughly, but I did not noticed any slippers in that place (in the picture)." He added that Sirul’s car was neat when he had entered it to start the engine and not messy as depicted in the police photographs. Trial-within-a-trial submissions only at end of prosecution

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Witness Sgt. Nagendraroo testified no guns, bullets or explosives were found in Sirul’s apartment

SHAH ALAM (Sept 24, 2007): Submissions on the second trial-within-a-trial to determine if a statement by second accused Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, should be excluded will be made only at the end of the prosecution's case. Judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin said that during the trial-within-a-trial there was also an application by the prosecution to impeach DSP Yusri Hasan Basri from the Special Action Squad (UTK). Yusri had during the trial-within-a-trial maintained he did not lie when he said that he and UTK personnel accompanying him had entered Sirul’s apartment together with the Serious Crimes Division (D9) officers from the Kuala Lumpur contingent headquarters (IPK KL). He also denied he had been coached to answer the question. "The decision on the impeachment will only be made at the end of the prosecutions case and therefore the submissions for the application to exclude Sirul’s statement will also be made at the end of the prosecutions case, together with the submissions for impeachment," said Mohd Zaki.

Earlier the last witness for the trial-within-a-trial Sgt Nagendraroo Surapudu (ABOVE) from IPK KL testified that no guns, bullets or explosives were found in Sirul’s apartment by the bomb disposal unit. He agreed that there was no serious threat and that was why there was no need for the bomb disposal unit to go in first. Nagendraroo said that when the unit reached Sirul’s apartment in Kota Damansara ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin had told them to wait about 40 meters away from the apartment block. He said the unit was called in to check Sirul’s apartment for guns, explosives and bullets about 10 minutes later.

ABOVE: Chief Inspector Koh Fei Chow said he did not hear ASP Zulkarnian Shamsuddin giving any sort of promise to 2^nd accused Sirul Azhar when investigation was conducted

= = == = = = = = == Bernama Brief report
September 24, 2007 18:45 PM ; 'No Slippers In Sirul's Jeep' - Witness

SHAH ALAM, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- A special action squad (UTK) member told the High Court here today that he did not see a pair of slippers in Sirul Azhar Umar's jeep. Sgt Rosli Ibrahim, 36, attached to the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters, said he had the key to the jeep and had switched on the engine twice before the key was handed over to a police officer investigating the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. "From the first time I had the engine running until I handed over the key to investigation officer ASP Tonny Lunggan, the slippers never existed," he said when cross examined by lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal who represented Sirul.

He also told the court that the inside of the car was different before he handed over the key and several pictures shown to him in court, namely a mineral water bottle by a side of the backseat, the backseat's position and strewn newspapers. Sirul is the second accused in the murder trial. On the first day of trial on July 18, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah said the prosecution would prove a pair of slippers with traces of Altantuya's blood was found in Sirul's car.

= == = = = = == =Watch the Video Clip - 1 .03 min - Day 38 -Altantuya Murder Trial
being edited and loading soon

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Proton Debuts in Thailand; Phranakorn Auto Sales Co Ltd - Authorized Dealer; VW Boss Martin Winterkorn Coming to ink Deal with ailing Proton

ABOVE: Malaysiakini has a story that

VW boss to visit to finalise Proton deal

To shore up its prospects, Proton Cars are set to debut in Thailand, almost 20 years too late. And this is achievable after the Thai Government agreed to give tariff of between zero to five percent to vehicles coming from Malaysia under the Association of South-East Asian Nations Free Trade Agreement. This is an opportunity for Proton to prove itself and can mark the emergence of PROTON from its low ebb. It's now or never.

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September 21, 2007 18:19 PM

Proton To Enter Thai Market By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- After almost two decades in existence, Proton Holdings Bhd is set to break into the Thai market with the appointment of Phranakorn Auto Sales Co Ltd as its authorised dealer.

Managing Director,(ABOVE) Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir expressed optimism at the Persona launch that it will be a car that excites, with its stylish yet practical exterior and interior.
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The signing ceremony to mark the appointment will be held on Sept 27 here, between Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir and Phranakorn managing director, Thawatchai Jungsanguanpornsuk. Thawatchai said Proton models, including the latest Proton Persona, were expected to be launched during the Thailand Motor Show in early December. The company is one of the largest car distributors in Thailand, with the mega dealer status for Honda, Isuzu and Chevrolet. It also does body painting for several BMW models manufactured in Thailand. Previously, the company was distributor for Daihatsu, Opel, Hyundai and Holden. Its parent company, the PNA Group, had a turnover of US$510 million (US$1=RM3.44) in 2005, with profit of US$20 million.

Last month, Syed Zainal said Proton hoped to export the new car to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Britain and Australia to reap economies of scale. "We are finalising the product portfolio. Thailand is a competitive market, so whatever products that we plan to introduce there will have to be what the people want and based on the right specifications and pricing," he had said. Proton's entry was made possible after the Thai Government agreed to give tariff of between zero to five percent to vehicles coming from Malaysia under the Association of South-East Asian Nations Free Trade Agreement that would make it competitive in the crowded Thai market.

= == =Preview More posting coming & More pics

MORE PICS & Video – 2 AFRICANS HELD - Double Murder in Kepong; Beautician Ang Chin Ping, 36 & D Sales Agent;Wong Tan Yong, 32

Two Africans nabbed for double-murder
Charles Ramendran; SUN

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 24, 2007): Police have arrested two Africans after the stabbed bodies of two women - one naked - were found in a shophouse next to a hypermarket in Kepong today. The naked victim was beautician Ang Chin Ping, 36, whose two children - a four-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son - survived by locking themselves up in a room. They had lost their father who fell to his death from a building here early this year. The other victim, Ang's housemate, a direct sales agent was also found sprawled with multiple stabbed wounds.

Police picked up the Africans who stayed a floor below the murdered women.

Ang's children are believed to have witnessed the double-murder before locking themselves up in a room in the shophouse on Jalan Metro Perdana Timur 2 at 11am. Ang's son only emerged from the room after Ang's younger sister persuaded him to hand over the keys to the shophouse. The sister had gone to the second floor shophouse to look for Ang after the latter failed to turn up for work and also did not answer her phone. The sister found on the front grilled-gate locked and was shocked when she took a peek and saw her naked body on the floor. She called out for her nephew who was too terrified to respond. The boy calmed down after being persuaded and pacified. She then called the police.

Police found a knife, believed to be the murder weapon, in the house. Investigators from Sentul police and a forensic team spent five hours dusting for clues. They found no signs of forced entry.

Except for the victims' handphones and identity cards, nothing else was missing.

The victims remains were sent to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur mortuary. Police said only a post mortem can acertain if the victims had been sexually assaulted as no seminal stains were traced at the scene. Police were also seen taking away two Indonesian women who were in the company of the murder suspects for questioning. However, it is unknown if they will be detained.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC II Ku Chin Wah said both suspects will be remanded to help police in investigations. Police have yet to establish the motive for the double-murder. He appealed to anyone with information on the murders to contact the Sentul CID at 03-4042 2222.
According the sister who declined to be named, Ang moved into the place about two months ago. Ang's cghildren are now under the custody of relatives

More PICS to come....