MORE PICS & Goodies in Ijok – Land Titles, Access Centre; Mineral Bottle Attack; Najib: Allegations Baseless, Altantuya “has nothing to do with me"

The Lethal Weapon (over 400gm in weight, as in Screenshots) – an almost full 500 ml bottle was smashed through an open window at the driver's face damaging his glasses (a press friend of PKR candidate Khalid Ibrahim together with Blogger Jeff Ooi out at Ijok "shooting" with their cameras ) trying to escape from a mob of 20. Full eye-witness details H E R E on injuries sustained. Just imagine the force used to cause the neck of the bottle to be twisted.
and the damaged eye... from Screenshots
protected by the broken glasses he was wearing, details H E R E

= = == = =
What we are witnessing is a desperate attempt by BN not to allow Ijok to be another Lunas in the making. The 482 families who received their windfall Land titles could be translated to over 1000 votes for the BN and with the roping in of the sick Indian Progressive Party (IPF), Datuk M. G. Pandithan, another 1000 votes can be added and yet the Selangor menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohd Toyo has the cheek to say the issue of titles “is not a bribe to garner votes”

Even the Education Minister Datuk Hishamuddin challenged the opposition to bring these “bribery issues to court.

482 Familes received Land titles after 30 years

ABOVE & BELOW: The grateful residents Kampong Sentosa, Sri Aman, Jaya Setia and Ijok receiving their land titles are expected to show their kindness in return. What about all the other squatters in the country? Will titles be given during the GE campaign?

The State government has finally approved their application for Land Titles on the house they have lived for the past 30 years. The people in Kampong Sentosa, Sri Aman, Jaya Setia and Ijok squatters areas were offered their Land titles.

ABOVE & BELOW: After 30 long years, their prayers were answer in this By-election


The land they have been staying so long is officially theirs.

ABOVE: Samy Vellu listening in "disbelief" or was it his idea to fish for certain votes in the Squatter areas?

Selangor MB Datuk Sri Dr Mohd Toyo has the cheek to assure the public that these land titles “is not a bribe to garner votes”. He also added that the squatters are offered special premiums to purchase their lands.

The land fill issue is closed.

“Area would be turned into a recreational park. Lorries seen entering are carrying waste & dirt and not rubbish Why no compensation to Wrorldwide holding Bhd raised by Tian Chua. Don’t forget that Worldwide is a subsidiary of the State Government and we build a new landfill for Worldwide in Jeram.

ABOVE: At the opening g of Computer Access Center at SMK Raja Muda, Batang Berjuntai.

What a cocincident?

Meanwhile UMNO youth Chief Datuk Hishamuddin has declared that the Ijok By-election is NOT a reason for the influx of development projects. He challenged the opposition to bring the matter to the court. “What we are doing is not due to the By-election. If you do not believe us... sue me in court as I can prove that the plans were approved long time ago”

ABOVE & BELOW: The BN candidate Partiban doing his campaign rounds

= == = = = = == = == == = === = = = = =

ABOVE: PKR Tan Sri Khalid has no choice but to meet the voters and BELOW: He must use his "machai" to do the saying with the Indians community

April 21, 2007 21:12 PM

Opposition Bankrupt Of Issues In Ijok - Najib

KUALA SELANGOR, April 21 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the opposition no longer have any issues to raise in the by-election for the Ijok state seat and are resorting to issues which have nothing to do with the locals, including the murder of the Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu. "What is the relationship between the Mongolian woman and the people of Ijok? There is no relationship, it has nothing to do with me too. It has nothing to do with me, yet it is being raised up here as an election issue," said the Deputy Prime Minister when opening the new SRJK (Tamil) Bestari Jaya building, here today.

“BN has its own strategy and not dance to the opposition tune. The most important thing in Ijok is to win the support and trust of the people. We don’t want to follow the opposition tune”

Yesterday, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pressed Najib to clarify whether he knew about the involvement of his senior officer in the killing of the Mongolian woman as it had received wide media coverage internationally. Najib was earlier reported to have said that he would reply all the allegations made against him by the opposition who continuously linked him to the Altantuya case in the Ijok by-election. In his speech, Najib also criticised the opposition who claimed that they were capable of championing the cause of the estate workers when the candidate they were fielding to contest against the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate was a corporate man (Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim) who had always been `at the top' and did not know of the problems of the grassroots.

“They raised issues not connected here. What connection has the Mongolian woman with the people Ijok? What connection has Altantuya with the people here? There is no connection at all even with me, but it has been made into an issue. The allegations are baseless"
"I don't have to sue him, but I have the option to sue him"

"Who knows better about the problems of the estate workers other than people who were born in the estate such as the BN candidate, K. Parthiban?" he said. On education, the Deputy Prime Minister said the government would certainly give consideration to and look after the Tamil and Chinese national type schools in the country and if one were to look within the South-east Asian region, no other country except Malaysia had allowed the setting up of vernacular schools. This was because the leaders in this country strictly maintained the understanding that existed under Malaysia's social contract.

What was decided by the country's founders had always been upheld by the government until today and this was reflected in the by-election for Ijok where the BN was fielding a candidate from the MIC although more than 50 percent of the registered voters in the constituency were Malays, he said. This was because the majority of the Indian community was strong supporters of the BN as proven all this while, he said.

ABOVE: Najib, Hishamuddin and MB Mohd Toyo at the School ceremony

Najib also announced that the Education Ministry would build an additional block for the SRJK (Tamil) Bestari Jaya, here soon and would solve the problem of transport for students going to school, as requested by the school to achieve the single session schooling system. At a separate function earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister announced an allocation of RM800,000 for the construction of a hall for SRKJ (C) Yuk Chih, here.

= = == = == = = = = =
April 19, 2007 17:35 PM

Najib To Reply Allegations Made Against Him Within The Law

BATANG BERJUNTAI, April 19 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today he would reply, within the law, to all the allegations made against him by the opposition political parties, including the claims linking him to the case of a murdered Mongolian woman. The deputy prime minister and defence minister said he had already begun replying to the allegations. “I will reply to the claims raised. I began to give my replies last night," he said when asked by reporters about the personal verbal attacks allegedly made against him by the supporters of the opposition parties outside the Ijok state by-election nomination centre at the Batang Berjuntai Community Hall, here.

During the process of nomination, from 9 am to noon, supporters of the opposition political parties, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), PAS and the DAP, were heard shouting "Altantuya" and "Mongolia". Altantuya Shaaribuu is the name of the Mongolian woman who was murdered and her body blown to bits with explosives at a secondary forest near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, last October. Two policemen, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, have been charged with her murder while political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 46, has been charged with abetment in the murder. The trial is set to begin on June 4. Najib, when launching the Barisan Nasional (BN) election machinery for the by-election last night, had hit out at the attitude of the opposition parties which preferred to use the strategy of personal attacks.

Today, after the announcement of the candidates contesting the by-election, Najib told reporters he would do everything necessary within the law to counter the allegations.

"I will do what I feel is right in the context of the country's laws because we cannot do something that contravenes the law," he said. He said it was important to allow the process of law to proceed unimpeded. Najib described the opposition tactic as personal attacks but expressed confidence that the voters of Ijok would dismiss the allegations.

"It is the same as in the case of Machap (the recent by-election in Melaka). The people of Machap dismissed them," he said. Najib said the opposition would raise similar issues during the campaign in the Ijok by-election, polling for which is on April 28. "Of course ... it is okay, we will give the replies. We are not afraid of that," he reiterated. Asked whether he would take legal action against whoever it was who had made the allegations, Najib said he held that option.

"I don't have to sue him, but I have the option to sue him," he said. The Ijok by-election will be a straight fight between BN candidate K. Parthiban, 38, and Tan Sri Abdul Khalib Ibrahim, 61, of the PKR. The by-election is being held following the death of BN State Assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, on April 4.
Sivalingam had won the seat by beating Abdul Rahman Moharam of the PKR by a majority of 1,649 votes in the general election in 2004.

= == =

And AG, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail responding to queries from newsmen on the impending court case: “Don’t’ Assume. This is the trouble with you. I keep on telling you people, be fair, just look at the facts. I am siding with anybody. Side with the makamah or side with the government. It doesn’t mater to me. I look at hard facts whether there is evidence. I have not actually confirm these exact words were spoken”

= = =
April 21, 2007 22:25 PM

Samy Vellu, Pandithan On Same Stage Sunday After Eight Years

KUALA SELANGOR, April 21 (Bernama) -- The small Batang Berjuntai town will see a history being made tomorrow as MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and his counterpart from the Indian Progressive Party (IPF), Datuk M. G. Pandithan, will share the same stage after eight years. Samy Vellu is expected to attend and speak at a function hosted by the IPF at 2.30pm at the party's operations room in Taman Sri Cahaya as part of Barisan Nasional (BN)'s campaign in the Ijok by-election. The presence of two Indian community leaders who at one time were political foes is expected to boost the spirits of workers from both parties to ensure a bigger victory for the BN. In the 2004 general election, K. Sivalingam of the MIC won the seat with a 1,649-vote majority. He died on April 4.

IPF deputy president V. Senggutuan told Bernama that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo and Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon were also expected to attend the function. The function was expected to draw 1,500 people, he said. "The IPF has strength of 1,087 votes in the Ijok state constituency and will work hard to ensure they are given to BN candidate K. Parthiban of the MIC in the straight contest against Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim," Senggutuan said. The last time Pandithan and Samy Vellu appeared on the same political stage was during the Teluk Kemang by-election that was won by the BN, about eight years ago. Pandithan was an MIC vice president but was sacked from the party in 1989 and became Samy Vellu's political foe.

Despite that, the IPF has always supported the MIC and other BN candidates though it is not part of the BN components. Several months ago when Pandithan fell sick and was hospitalised, Samy Vellu visited him several times?????????????. Pandithan has also said that the clash between them has ended and he wants to work with Samy Vellu in the interest and for the sake of unity of the Indian community.

= = ==

April 21, 2007 23:59 PM

Welfare Of Malays In Ijok Will Be Well Taken Care Of, Says Ahmad Zahid

KUALA SELANGOR, April 21 (Bernama) -- The Malay community in Ijok will be well taken care of although the Barisan Nasional (BN) is fielding a candidate from the MIC, said Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. "Athough the Malay community had wanted a Malay candidate to be fielded in Ijok this time, it needs to realise that the BN practises a power-sharing concept," he told Bernama after campaigning in Kampung Jaya Setia here today. He said the Malays need not worry that their welfare will be neglected as the state's leaders would ensure this will not happen.

He also took to task the opposition for engaging in personal attacks on BN leaders saying the opposition parties were resorting to that because they were bankrupt of issues.

The Ijok by-election is being held following the death of BN Assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam on April 4. The BN is fielding K. Parthiban while the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Polling is on April 28.

= = ==

April 21, 2007 16:02 PM

Provocations In Elections Doesn't Promise Victory - Abdullah

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said “I hope it will not be a trend” - on the violence?

From Amer Hamzah Md Sap
WINDHOEK, April 21 (Bernama) -- Political parties resorting to provocative actions in election campaigns, like what happened during nomination for the Ijok by-election on Thursday, did not mean victory for the parties, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The prime minister said such actions should not happen during election campaigns and must be avoided. "Provocative action approach should not be adopted in election campaigns. It's important for political parties to abide by the election laws. If one wants to campaign, do it properly," he told Malaysian journalists covering his three-day visit to Namibia which ended today. The prime minister was asked on party supporters hurling plastic bottles and pieces of wood at each other during the nomination process for the April 28 by-election.

Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and several others sustained minor injuries in the incident. Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, said his reminder was for both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) contesting in the by-election. He also said personal attacks were also not a good approach to be used in any election, hoping that it would not become a trend as it was unhealthy. Abdullah, who is also BN chairman, said he had never issued a directive to the BN machinery to get prepared for the general election.

"I don't have to tell (anybody to be prepared for elections), everybody seems to know," he said, adding that three or four years after a general election is held, all parties would talk about another election. Nevertheless, the government had a responsibility to implement projects that had been planned so that they were not disrupted or stalled because that was what people wanted, he said. Namibia is the last leg of Abdullah's eight-day three-nation tour of Africa. Earlier, he visited Sudan and Kenya.

contd .. H E RE ON

MORE PICS – WHY is MIC SAMY VELLU Torturing MG Pandithan in IJOK? Desperate for that 1000 Votes? NAJIB: Never Met ALTANTUYA; More Goodies to give in Ijok; BN Parthiban Chicken out in Debate Challenge from Khalid; Mohd Toyo Interested

= == = = and or contd .. H E RE ON

MORE PICS- Another 38 China Dolls Nabbed in Raids on Massage Parlors in Medan Selera, Jalan Pasar, KL; 12 Muslims (Malays or Indonesians?) Masseurs in USJ 10, Subang Jaya & 4 in Kinara, Section 1

Malaysians Women Fall Prey to Syndicates - Promises of Love & Overseas Vacations but being used as Carriers of Drugs; PENANG Student Duped off RM140 K

2007/04/20

Women unwitting mules of drug rings
By : Alang Bendahara, NST
KUALA LUMPUR: One is doing her degree in business management at a local university while the other has just completed her diploma in accountancy. Both women, in their early 20s, are now languishing in a jail in Guangzhou, China, awaiting trial after they were caught trying to smuggle syabu into the country last week. Checks by Chinese police showed that the women had taken a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur. A few days earlier, another Malaysian woman was arrested at an airport in Lima, Peru after she was found in possession of an undisclosed amount of cocaine.

She was on her way to Madrid, Spain when police in the South American country nabbed her. These are among several reports Malaysian police have received in the past one week on Malaysians arrested abroad for drug trafficking. So far this year, 15 Malaysians have been arrested worldwide for drug trafficking, 13 of them women. "This is alarming. These women are being duped with promises of love and money," said Federal Narcotics Department director Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai. Abdul Wahap said the figure represented a huge increase from last year where out of 32 Malaysians arrested overseas for the same offence only two were women.

He said these women were usually approached by foreigners who were "recruiting agents" for drug syndicates. "The agents prey on single women, between the ages of 20 and 30, who are doing part-time jobs," Abdul Wahap said. "They get into a relationship with the women, take them on overseas holidays and would then ask them to carry packages for them to another country. "These women are so gullible and they do not suspect that the package they are carrying contain drugs.

"When they do find out, it is too late for them." He said these recent cases have increased police suspicions that more and more Malaysians were being used as mules by international drug syndicates. "They avoid sending these women to countries with tough anti-drug trafficking laws like Malaysia and Singapore. "That is why more such cases are surfacing in South America, China, Australia and European countries." He said Malaysian tourists were unlikely to raise suspicions overseas due to the country’s good relations with other countries. "This is being exploited by the drug syndicates."

Abdul Wahap advised local women to be wary when approached by foreigners with promises of relationships or overseas vacations.

= = == = = = =

Friday April 20, 2007, STAR

College student loses RM148,000

PENANG: A college student lost all her college fees totalling RM148,000 to a syndicate which told her that she had won RM3.3mil in two Internet lucky draws. The 20-year-old student first received a call on March 20 from a woman telling her that she had won RM120,000 in a Hong Kong Turf Club online draw. But in order to collect her winnings, she was told to deposit RM46,000 as insurance and processing fees. She then transferred the amount into an overseas bank account on March 30. George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said later the same day, she received another call from a man informing her that she had won another RM3.2mil in a bonus draw.

"She managed to raise another RM102,000 which was the fees for the whole duration of her course. The money was then deposited into the same account on Wednesday. "After not hearing anything from the callers, she realised she had been cheated and made a police report the next day,” he said on Friday. ACP Azam said a check showed that the phone number used to call the victim was registered in China, adding that the case had been classified as cheating. "This was not the first time that such a thing had occurred. We have warned several times through the media but such a thing continues to occur. "The syndicate could also be behind several cases reported in the state over the past several months," he said.

MORE PICS – Supporters thrrew Flying Bottles; By-Election-BN (Partiban) Vs PKR (Khalid); How Much for Thirumoorthy’s U-Turn & Loganathan’s withdrawal?

Update: April 20th 2007

Riot police stepped in after rival factions hurled bottles, stones and abuse at each other ahead of next week's by-election. Apr 19, 2007; Reuters

IJOK, Malaysia, April 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian riot police stepped in to calm political tensions on Thursday after rival factions hurled bottles, stones and abuse at each other as the nation geared up for a possible early general election. In heavy rain, thousands of supporters of the ruling coalition and of opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim traded insults in a small town outside the capital where a by-election will be held next week. Police armed with batons, shields and water cannon moved in to keep the peace after about 2,000 Anwar supporters confronted a pro-government crowd of about 5,000, accusing the coalition of corruption and raising living costs.

Ethnic Malays, who dominate politics in this multi-racial society, made up the majority of both factions. Holding party flags and banners, they rallied outside a hall where candidates were to be formally announced. Some chanted "Reformasi", an old war cry of Anwar's reform movement of the late 1990s, one of the most tumultuous chapters in Malaysian politics. Anwar, a former deputy premier, was arrested for leading a "Reformasi" protest in 1998 and jailed for six years on what he called trumped-up charges. Several of his supporters carried a poster of Anwar headlined "He is the best for Malaysia" -- though Anwar is banned from standing for office until April 2008, due to his criminal record.

Other Anwar supporters touched on a raw political nerve for the coalition, shouting out "Altantuya!" -- the name of a 28-year-old Mongolian model murdered in Malaysia in October.A policeman who doubled as a government bodyguard and a former adviser to the current deputy prime minister are among those accused of her murder. They have all pleaded not guilty.'SPREADING LIES' Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak has accused the opposition of spreading lies about him in relation to the case. He said the opposition was using the murder in the by-election to try to discredit him, the New Straits Times reported on Thursday. The coalition said several of its supporters were injured after campaigners from Anwar's Keadilan party hurled stones, sticks and bottles.

"They started it first," said Khairy Jamaluddin, a leader in the main ruling party and son-in-law of the prime minister. Keadilan chief Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of Anwar, denied the allegation. The April 28 by-election in the sleepy constituency of Ijok, in central Selangor state, is shaping up as a test of the political currents that appear to be sweeping Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi toward an early election. A general election is not due until 2009, but Abdullah is expected to hold one before April 2008, when Anwar's political ban is due to be lifted and he can stand for parliament.

The government is expected to win the Ijok by-election, but political analysts say the poll will mean more for Anwar and his Parti Keadilan than Abdullah's Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957. "Keadilan needs to win or lose just by a razor-thin margin to show it is relevant in the next general elections," said Syed Ahmad Hussein, political analyst at Malaysia's Universiti Sains. Barisan is fielding an ethnic Indian candidate and Keadilan a Malay candidate for Ijok. Malays make up just over half of the constituency, just as they do for Malaysia as a whole.

= = = =

ABOVE: The UMNO Youth Chief (flanked by his Deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin ) complained bitterly of this disruptive tactics by the opposition. It happened in Lunas and now here. He finally with the supported of his "ma chais" lodged a report about this incident at the nearby Ijok police Station

Friday April 20, 2007; STARPPKR likes to provoke, says Hisham

BATANG BERJUNTAI: Problems always arise whenever the Barisan Nasional and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) contest in an election, Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussien said. Referring to the flared tempers outside the community centre here during nomination yesterday morning, he said: "We did not have such problems when we contested against other parties. "PKR likes to provoke and use scare tactics as well as touch on personal issues when campaigning." He said PKR came across as desperados wanting their candidates to win at any cost.

Tension was high among the thousands of party supporters who accompanied their candidates to the nomination centre, leading to stones, bottles and sticks flying across each side. Hishammuddin said whenever incidents such as this happened, the PKR would allege that the Barisan Youth started the problem. "They have to ask themselves why when the Barisan faces either PAS, DAP or independent candidates, no such incidents occur," he said.

"Enough is enough. There is a limit to our patience. If you see their slogans and posters, you will see very personal attacks against our leaders. "How do you expect us to feel?" Hishammuddin asked. He added that none of the Barisan campaign slogans or posters touched on PKR leaders personally. Hishammuddin claimed the situation could have taken a turn for the worse if the Barisan Youth members had not been disciplined and had not controlled themselves. Umno deputy youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin claimed the fracas was started by opposition supporters. "They were the ones who started throwing the bottles. They came behind the Barisan supporters and picked up our water bottles and filled them up with stones before throwing them at us," he said.

= = == =

ABOVE & BELOW: Ijok came alive with the By-election on April 28 07. MB Selangor has spent RM36 million ringgit to retain this "shaky seat"

BN And PKR In Straight Fight In Ijok

STRAIGHT FIGHT… The Ijok state by-election in Selangor on April 28 will see a straight fight between Barisan Nasional’s K. Parthiban (left) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (right).

ABOVE: The "bad boys" of Samy Vellu arriving with their characteristic flags and attire and BELOW: The grand BN entourage arriving in style in an open convertible leading the way

KUALA SELANGOR, April 19 (Bernama) -- The Ijok state by-election in Selangor on April 28 will see a straight fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). BN's K.Parthiban, 38, who is Tanjung Karang MIC secretary, will face PKR's Selangor chairman Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61. The announcement was made by the returning officer, Haris Kasim, after the nomination and objection period ended at 11am at the Batang Berjuntai community hall which served as the nomination centre. No objections had been filed over the nomination of the two candidates.

Haris' announcement at 11.05am was greeted with loud cheers and applause from the supporters of both parties. The by-election is being held following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, of heart failure on April 4. Polling is on April 28. This is PKR's second attempt for the Ijok seat. In the 2004 general election, Sivalingam beat PKR's Abdol Raman Moharam by a 1,649-vote majority. Among the BN leaders present to lend their support for Parthiban were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is BN deputy chairman, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo who is Selangor BN chairman, MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas and acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

ABOVE: PKR President arriving "hot" with a double crescent fan to cool down!

and BELOW: Her noisy supporters with party flags

ABOVE and BELOW: The PKR supporters were all there to show their presence and support for the PKR candidate who might have an outside chance to capture the seat

Abdul Khalid was accompanied by PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Parthiban filed his nomination papers 20 minutes after the nomination centre opened at 9am while Abdul Khalid filed his at 9.36am today.

= == = ==
April 19, 2007 16:33 PM

Local Boy Khalid Confident Of Voters Support

KUALA SELANGOR, April 19 (Bernama) -- The "local boy" factor backed with vast experience in the corporate world, have made Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim confident on his chances of winning the Ijok state by-election. "I hope that the voters in the constituency will give me a chance to serve the place where I was born. "I promise to work hard and hope that the state government will pay attention to the Ijok community which has so far been marginalised," he told reporters after the nomination for the Ijok polls closed here today.

Abdul Khalid, 61, who is Selangor PKR chairman, is facing Barisan's K.Parthiban, 38, who is Tanjung Karang MIC secretary, in the April 28 polls. He expressed the hope that the voters would choose their new assemblyman based on certain criteria and for the by-election to run smoothly. The former Permodalan Nasional Berhad chief executive officer regretted a bottle-throwing incident involving supporters of the two parties and the "barriers" encountered while he and PKR supporters were making their way to the nomination centre. Meanwhile, PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was confident that Abdul Khalid would be able to woo the voters as he was a local boy and a man with wide-ranging experience. She also hoped that the Election Commission would play its role to ensure a free and fair election in Ijok.
= = == =

ABOVE: The supporters "crossing" each other paths results in shouts and pushing when they were obstructed.

ABOVE & BELOW: Tensions started when the supporters crossed each other paths; Booing and trading of insults started, and there were pushing and jostling; the FRU came to the resucue

Earlier, the nomination was marred by a shoving incident involving the supporters of both parties when they inadvertently crossed each other's path on the way to the nomination centre. They were heard trading insults and seen shoving each other for 10 minutes. The situation returned to normal following police intervention as the BN entourage made way for the opposition.

ABOVE & BELOW: The FRU present on seeing the commotion rushed to the scene, about 1/2 km from the nomination centre and separated the heated up supporters

= == = == = === = == =

ABOVE & BELOW: Once separated by a short distance, the supporters vented their anger and hatred for each other by throwing the empty mineral bottles (you can observed them as white streaks in the pictures) and thees bottbles were flying from left to right and vice versa)

= = == = = == = == = = == = = == =

ABOVE: Top corner left, the white mark is another bottle flying L to R and R to L and BELOW More Bottles flying. After sometime, short sticks were used and even small stones as claime by UMNO Youth Chief who lodged a police report over the incident

= = == = = =

BN and Parti Keadilan in straight fight in Ijok by-election

KUALA LUMPUR: The by-election for the Ijok Selangor state assembly will be a straight fight between the Barisan Nasional and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR). The BN candidate K. Parthiban, 38, and PKR's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61, Ibrahim filed nomination papers Thursday for the by-election to be held on April 28. The seat fell vacant following the death of BN's Datuk K. Sivalingam, in Chennai, India, during a visit there on April 4. The candidates were announced at about 11am by returning officer

Haris Kasim after the nomination and objection period ended. During the general election in 2004 Sivalingam defeated another PKR candidate Abdol Raman Moharam by a 1,649 vote majority. Party leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, led their respective party candidates to nomination centre.
= = =

April 19, 2007 12:31 PM Only BN And PKR Nominate Candidates For Ijok Polls

KUALA SELANGOR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Only two candidates from the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) filed their papers when nomination for the Ijok by-election in Selangor closed today.

BN candidate, Tanjung Karang MIC secretary K. Parthiban (ABOVE), 38, filed his papers 20 minutes after nomination opened at the Batang Berjuntai community hall here at 9am. His candidacy was proposed by Rahim Mohd Yatim and seconded by Chong Yau Peng.

PKR's choice, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (ABOVE) who is the party's Selangor chairman, filed his papers at 9.36am. He was proposed by Abdol Raman Moharam and seconded by Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahim.

Nomination ended at 10am followed by the hour-long objection period. The nomination papers were being displayed on a notice board near the hall's parking lot amid rainy conditions. The Ijok by-election is being held following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K.Sivalingam on April 4. Polling is set for April 28.

= = =
April 19, 2007 12:30 PM
Partibhan, Khalid Submit Nomination Papers

KUALA SELANGOR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional candidate K. Parthiban submitted his nomination in the Ijok state by-election at the nomination centre at the Batang Berjuntai community hall at about 9.2Oam today. Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim filed his papers at 9.36am. Parthiban, 38, was escorted to the centre by 3,000 supporters including Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo, Penang Chief Minister and acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, and MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was present at the nomination centre to lend his support for the BN candidate. The Ijok seat fell vacant following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam in Chennai, India, of heart failure on April 4. Polling has been set for April 28 in the event of a contest.

= = =
April 18, 2007 19:28 PM

Thirumoorthy Expresses Support For BN Candidate In Ijok

ABOVE & BELOW: How much is this "dogie" worth to BN?; Two days after throwing in the towel, he wagged his tail and came running back and declared his whole hearted support. (See previous related post on his exact spoken words). Mohd Toyo can spent RM36 Million on development, Thiru can quit his teaching post now and "retired" forever with the windfall "buy-election" pension.

KUALA SELANGOR, April 18 (Bernama) -- Two days after announcing his withdrawal from the MIC for not being selected to contest the Ijok state by-election, Kuala Selangor MIC Division chief S.P. Thirumoorthy, Wednesday openly expressed his support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate.
"Two days ago, I announced my withdrawal as chairman of the division and the MIC because I was not happy with the choice of candidate. Today, I announce that my supporters and I accept the decision (on the choice of candidate) of the prime minister and deputy prime minister," he told a news conference in Batang Berjuntai near here.

Thirumoorthy, 55, a secondary school teacher, said his announcement to withdraw from the party was only made orally and not in writing. He said his status as an MIC member and Kuala Selangor MIC Division chief would be determined by MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu. When announcing his resignation from the post, Thirumoorthy had said he was disappointed because his hard work and service for the party had not been appreciated.

He has been the Kuala Selangor MIC Division chief since 1994. The BN has chosen Tanjung Karang MIC Division secretary K. Parthiban, 39, to contest the seat, which fell vacant following the death of Selangor MIC Deputy Chairman Datuk K. Sivalingam on April 4. Thursday is nomination day in the by-election and polling is on April 28. Thirumoorthy said that though he still felt disappointed, he would continue to support the BN leadership and the BN candidate. "Personally, the disappointment is still there but for the common cause and the national cause, I am putting that aside," he said. Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, asked about the issue involving Thirumoorthy, said: "I understand that the matter has been resolved."

= = == = =
April 18, 2007 20:40 PM

Govt Has The Right To Carry Out Projects At Any Time, Says Samy Vellu

KUALA SELANGOR, April 18 (Bernama) -- The government reserves the right to implement development projects including road repair and resurfacing works at any time for the benefit of the rakyat, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Wednesday. He defended the ones being undertaken in the Ijok constituency, the stage of the April 28 state by-election, describing them as something routine. "As a minister, I can order such works to be carried out for which the allocation has been approved some time ago. We are carrying out such projects in Ijok.

It is at the request of the rakyat," he told reporters here when queried on allegations by the opposition that, in so doing, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government was fishing for votes. He jokingly said that the road repair works would also benefit opposition parties as it would be much easier for them to enter the villages and estates to campaign. The by-election is being held following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, of heart failure on April 4. Nomination has been set for tomorrow while polling is on April 28. Tanjung Karang MIC secretary K. Parthiban is the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate-designate while Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is pinning its hope on former Permodalan Nasional Berhad chief executive officer Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan warned that stern action would be taken against those trying to create trouble in the Ijok polls. He told reporters here that 1,000 police personnel would be stationed in the constituency to ensure security. At a separate function, Puteri Umno chief Datuk Noraini Ahmad expressed confidence that the BN candidate would do well in the Ijok polls. "The opposition candidate-designate is only known in the corporate world whereas the BN man has a wide experience," she said, adding that some 1,000 Puteri members would be mobilised to ensure a BN victory. Meanwhile, returning officer Haris Kasim told Bernama that preparations for tomorrow's nomination process were going on smoothly.

= = = =contd..read the latest post H E RE On

MORE PICS – Najib: Allegations Baseless, Altantuya “has nothing to do with me.” More Goodies for Ijok – Land Titles, Access Centre; Additional block SRJK (Tamil) Bestari Jaya; Mineral Bottle Attack smashed on face – on Khalid’s Press Friends escaping

PUZZLE - Why Do the Rich Save So Much? What do they have in mind - Money? No intention to Spend, give to children, or to charity, for its Own Sake?

For the Super-Rich, Too Much Is Never Enough

Article Tools Sponsored By By AUSTAN GOOLSBEE, professor of economics at the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business and a research fellow at the American Bar Foundation.; March 1, 2007 via Forbes magazine

For voyeurs of billionaires, a brief period from mid-February to mid-March serves up two of the juiciest glimpses they will get all year. In February, the Slate 60 list of the year’s biggest philanthropic gifts comes out followed in March by the Forbes magazine list of the world’s richest people. This time, one name — Warren E. Buffett — will appear conspicuously on both. His fortune will probably rank second in the world behind only Bill Gates’s, as it has for some years.

In philanthropy, however, Mr. Buffett is No. 1 by a wide margin. Last year, he shook the world of billionaires by pledging more than $42 billion for charity — by far the largest philanthropic donation in history and close to the total of all the Slate 60 donations for the last six years combined. You could almost see the editors at Forbes airbrushing the perplexed and stricken looks off the faces of their other billionaires. He’s giving away $42 billion? Is he crazy? Certainly that is not what most of them had in mind for their fortunes. But the move by Mr. Buffett raises the question of exactly what the According to the economist Christopher Carroll at Johns Hopkins University, in his article “Why Do the Rich Save So Much?,” the seemingly obvious question of why people would want so much money turns out to be a real puzzle.

The rational economic argument for accumulating wealth says that people want to use it for something: to spend, to give to their families to enhance their future standard of living or to do something philanthropic. When you look at the Slate 60 list, however, you see that philanthropy can’t be the main reason. For all of their amazing generosity, the super-rich typically do not give away their entire fortunes, or even a big share. That’s what makes Mr. Buffett so notable. For 2006, the Slate 60 not including Mr. Buffett pledged or gave a little over $7 billion to charity. Yet as of September 2006, the 60 richest Americans had an estimated $630 billion of wealth, up more than $62 billion (about 10 percent) from the year before. People are accumulating money much faster than they are giving it away. Professor Carroll says the super-rich can’t be accumulating the money with the intention of spending it, either, because no one could spend that much.

To see his point, take Oracle’s founder, Lawrence J. Ellison. Mr. Ellison’s net worth last year was around $16 billion. And it will probably be much bigger when the list comes out in a few weeks. With $16 billion and a 10 percent rate of return, Mr. Ellison would need to spend more than $30 million a week simply to keep from accumulating more money than he already has, to say nothing of trying to spend down the $16 billion itself. He spent something like $100 million on his Japanese-style mansion in Woodside, Calif., making it among the more expensive private residences ever built. But that is only about three weeks worth of the interest he earns on his wealth. And a house doesn’t actually spend down his net worth because it is an asset that can be resold.

At least part of the $100 million is just a different way of saving. Mr. Ellison would have to spend that $30 million a week — $183,000 an hour — on things that can’t be resold, like parties or meals, just to avoid increasing his wealth. While somebody might be able to spend like that — Paris Hilton, maybe — it certainly wouldn’t be easy, and it can’t explain why the super-rich accumulate. The last of the seemingly rational explanations is that the billionaires want to pass it on to their children. But, again, their fortunes are growing far faster than their number of heirs, so each of the children will have the same problems spending the money that their parents had.

Sam Walton’s fortune is now divided among his family, and the Forbes list will probably show that his children account for 4 of the 10 richest Americans in the world (with his wife being No. 11). The children are in their 50s and 60s, and if they live to be 80, and their wealth grows at 10 percent a year, their fortunes will rise by four to eight times and they will each have more than they can ever spend or their children can spend, and so on. Further, the data, according to Professor Carroll, just doesn’t indicate that children make much of a difference. He found in the government’s 1992 Survey of Consumer Finances, for example, that only 4 percent of the richest Americans said that providing an inheritance ranked in their top five reasons for saving.

On top of that, he says, the data shows that elderly super-rich people who do not have children save just as much as the ones who do. If it isn’t to spend, to give to their children, or to give to charity, then why do the rich save so much? Professor Carroll says maybe they love money, not for what it can buy but just for its own sake. Perhaps they get something different from having money — clout, power, the ability to dominate an industry. Or perhaps these are just competitive people who care about their position compared with other people on the list. They accumulate more so they can lord it over the other families who have less — a bit like having enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world several times but making more to stay ahead of the other guy.

However you look at it, though, it isn’t for the reasons that everyone else saves money. In a few weeks, you will see the list of the world’s wealthiest people and how vastly their wealth has increased. Warren Buffett will probably be the only one pledging to give his fortune away. The other billionaires will probably think he’s crazy, but it may make him the most rational person on the list.

= = == = == your first step...

You form your experience; you form your past, your present, and your future. You are responsible for each daily moment, individually and en masse. En masse, your beliefs bring about the world conditions that you know. Individually, they form your intimate daily life. You are given the gifts of the gods. Your beliefs become reality. What you believe in, it becomes real in your experience. There are no other rules. There is no area in your life to which this does not apply. You make your own reality: your dreaming reality, your waking reality, and all realities in which you have existence. There are no accidents. Your joys come from you, and your successes, and your failure, or what you think of as failure. Change your beliefs and you change your life; so if you think and believe you are rich, you can achieve it.

How about a second income? Go H E R E for a start

DUREX SEXX SURVEY: M'SIANS SATISFIED: MALE: 38% WOMAN 40%; Spent 19.9 mins Doing Sexx; 115 times/Yr; Fastest: Indians (13.2 mins) & Nigerians 23 mins

Update: DUREX SEXX SURVEY: How the Africans & Australians performed? Indian Campus Survey: More than a third of women fake orgasms on a regular basis

= = ==

South Africans beat Aussies in sex stakes

Sydney, Australia; 17 April 2007 12:05

Australians have sex twice as often as Japanese, but are way behind top-of-the-league Greeks and the citizens of 13 other countries, including India, China, South Africa and Malaysia, a survey released on Tuesday showed. Australians have sex 106 times a year, above the average for 26 countries worked out after a phone survey of 26 000 people for the condom maker Durex. The survey found 42% of Australians were happy with their sex lives -- the same as China, Switzerland and Britain. In contrast, respondents in Nigeria, Mexico and India reported satisfaction above 60%. The Global Sexual Wellbeing 2006-07 Survey, to be presented this week at the World Congress on Sexual Health in Sydney, showed twice as many men as women were achieving orgasm. Australia was among 16 countries -- including the United States, Germany, Thailand, Russia and South Africa -- where more than half the respondents were recording regular orgasms. The poorest performers in this regard, at just a quarter of respondents, were in China and Hong Kong. -- Sapa-dpa

= == =

Australians just so-so at sex

dpa German Press Agency; Published: Tuesday April 17, 2007

Sydney- Australians have sex twice as often as Japanese but are way behind top-of-the-league Greeks and the citizens of 13 other countries, including India, China, South Africa and Malaysia, a survey released Tuesday showed. Australians have sex 106 times a year, above the average for 26 countries worked out after a phone survey of 26,000 people for the condom maker Durex.

The survey found 42 per cent of Australians were happy with their sex lives - the same as China, Switzerland and Britain. In contrast, respondents in Nigeria, Mexico and India reported satisfaction above 60 per cent. The Global Sexual Wellbeing 2006-07 Survey, to be presented this week at the World Congress on Sexual Health in Sydney, showed twice as many men as women were achieving orgasm. Australia was among 16 countries - including the United States, Germany, Thailand, Russia and South Africa - where more than half the respondents were recording regular orgasms. The poorest performers in this regard, at just a quarter of respondents, were in China and Hong Kong.

= == = =

More than a third of women fake orgasms on a regular basis
Summary: Click above for details: More than a third of women regularly fake orgasms, according to a survey. And 30% admit they have faked it with every partner. The average woman will have sex 99 times during the year - but on 34 occasions love-making will end up with a whimper rather than a bang. But girls are clearly great at faking, because 90% of females reckon their partners can't tell the difference between a fake orgasm and a real one. The lack of satisfaction is having an impact: Just over 20% of females insist their interest in lovemaking has tailed off as a result. Almost the same number think about other men while having sex in a desperate bid to turn themselves on.
by dailyrecord | 2007-04-04 | Sex Surveys, Quiz

= == = Women and Bisexuality - The most popular male fantasy
Summary: Click above for details: The concept of two women making love with their bodies pressed against each other has been proven by surveys to be the most popular male fantasy. There are 3 groups based solely on age. The first group is aged 20-35, and the women in this category are far more inclined to be with another woman for the sheer pleasure and experience of it. Women older than 35 have often been married and divorced. They may have become disillusioned with men, and are now seeking the emotional connection that has been absent from their relationships with men. The last group is the young female population, aged 14-19, impressionable and keen to impress.
by askmen | 2007-04-18 | Sexuality

= = = = Chocolate is better than a passionate kiss

Summary: Click above for details: Melting chocolate is better than a passionate kiss, scientists have found. Couples in their 20s had their heart rates and brains monitored whilst they first melted chocolate in their mouths and then kissed. Chocolate caused a more intense and longer lasting buzz than kissing, and doubled heart rates. "There is no doubt that chocolate beats kissing hands down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz. A buzz that, in many cases, lasted four times as long as the most passionate kiss."
by bbc | 2007-04-18 | Funny Side - Humor and Jokes

= = = = =Many cheat for a thrill, more stay true for love
Summary: Click above for details: For most people in relationships, a commitment means no playing around. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of love rats out there. About 22% of adults in monogamous relationships have cheated on their current partner. The rate is even higher among married men. And nearly half of people admit to being unfaithful at some point in their lives. Spending years together, exchanging wedding rings, or having children doesn’t inoculate a couple against cheating. Married folks with kids are nearly as likely to commit adultery as childless couples. The rate of cheating has stayed pretty consistent.
by msnbc | 2007-04-17 | Surviving Infidelity & Cheating Husband, Wife

= = = = =More women are looking for a younger lover - Age Difference
Summary: Click above for details: As young women they dreamed of bagging a sugardaddy with a fat bank balance. Now they are in their prime, they are seeking something a little more tender, in age. The current crop of over 45s is increasingly on the hunt for a younger man, a survey showed. Over the past year, the number hoping to cradle-snatch has risen by 20% to almost one in ten. And, of those, 3% want a man who is more than 10 years younger than they are. Interestingly around 2/3 of sugarmummies live in rural areas, with their romantic liaisons generated by Internet dating sites.
by dailymail | 2007-04-17 | Age Difference in Relationship - Age gap

== = == There are more ways you can attract men
Summary: Click above for details: Women flock to women’s magazines for advice on how to be desirable to men. Unfortunately, most of the tips were written by women and they don’t give an accurate take on what men consider sexy. That nice new shade of lipstick rarely turns a man on. Beauty is a powerful attractant, but there are other qualities that capture a man’s heart. I bet you thought I would be writing on how you can get sexy by opening a few more buttons or how you would do the sexy walk. Believe me, all that is good. It would get a man in your bed, but that is not what we are about. I am so sure you know some women who are not pretty, but seem to attract the most men anywhere they go. Men are drawn to these women.
by vanguardngr | 2007-04-14 | Attraction - Falling In Love

= = = = =Mixed marriages on rise - Acceptance growing for interracial couples
Summary: Click above for details: Susan Sakurai remembers her parents' words of caution when she told them she planned to marry a Japanese immigrant. "They had seen after WWII how people treated children that were half. They just worried about that and didn't want that to happen to me." Sitting next to her husband, Mitsuyuki, Sakurai smiles as she says, "It wasn't a problem." On June 12, 1967, the Loving v. Virginia ruling said states couldn't bar whites from marrying non-whites. Fewer than 1% of the US's married couples were interracial in 1970. However, in 2005 the number of interracial marriages has soared to 4% of the nation's married couples.
by deseretnews | 2007-04-14 | Interracial relationship - Intercultural

= = = =Fertile Women Prefer Manly Men
Summary: Click above for details: A woman prefers a more masculine man when she is fertile and looking for a fling rather than a mate for life, study says. The value that women place on masculinity changes with context and with women’s reproductive cycles and goals. A woman's preference for manly men also vary based on how attractive she rated herself. And some of a woman's sex drive might involve tricks in the brain over which she has no control. Previous research has shown that women view facial masculinity as good characteristics for short-term partners, while more feminine traits are perceived as better for long-term mates.
by livescience | 2007-04-13 | Attraction - Falling In Love

= = = = = for your daily take on NEWS For TWO go HERE

News for Two is a review of hand-picked news and articles related to marriage-relationship troubles & problems providing self-help tips and advices.

= = == = ==

There was this seminar on the"Joys of Sex" and this learned Professor stood up and just said " Ladies & gentlemen, it gives me much pleasure" and sat down. Sex does give you pleasure and a good night sleep. But there must be a balance and should not be overdone.

Excessive sexual behavior obviously will be considered depraved by those most afraid of their sensual natures. Such rigid group will believe that youth is innocent and will deny sexual experience as having any place in childhood.
But for young adults if you believe sex is GOOD but old age is BAD, then you will find it impossible to consider exuberant sexuality as a portion of an older person's experience. Trust yourself for greater self-understanding and you will need not project repressed tendencies upon others. As humans we are all animals, if not what are we, vegetables? We are here our spirit joined itself with flesh, and in flesh, to experience a world of incredible richness. You are here to use, enjoy, and express yourself through the body with sex.

In the dream state the child and the old man or woman can exits simultaneously and the individual is made quite aware of the full range of creature hood at all ages. Your spirit joined itself with flesh, andin flesh, to experience a world of incredible richness. Your spirit was born in flesh to enrich a marvelous area of sense awareness, to feel energy made into corporeal form.

You are here to use, enjoy, and express yourself through the body. You are here to aid in the great expansion of consciousness. You are not here to cry about the miseries of the human condition, but to change them when you find them not to your liking through the joy, strength and vitality that is within you; to create the spirit as faithfully and as beautifully as you can in flesh. In the most basic sense, the purpose of life is being--as opposed to NOT being. Enjoy yourself spontaneously

And what did John Remsburg said? "An ignorant people are generally a religious people, and a religious people nearly always an immoral people." Look what religion has done to these people with their beliefs. No wonder so many people question religion. To them (most afraid of their sensual natures) excessive sexual behavior obviously will be considered depraved and immoral. They demand abstinence and denial of you as sexual beings. Trust yourself for greater self-understanding and you will need not project repressed tendencies upon others.

= = == = == == = == = =

Few Malaysians satisfied with their sex life

KUALA LUMPUR: Although most Malaysians agree that sex is important, fewer than two in five (38%) of them are satisfied with their sex lives. According to the latest Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey 2007/08 report, loss of romance and sexual prowess are key factors for the lack of sexual satisfaction. SSL Healthcare Malaysia general manager Voong King Yee said: “Many Malaysians have lost the sense of adventure, interest and romance, which explains why they are not fully enjoying their sex lives. “Sex plays a fundamental role in our physical and emotional well-being.

Thus, it is important that we protect and nurture our sexual health as well as that of our partner's,” he said, adding that 64% of Malaysians would like more intimacy and better communication with their partners. The survey was conducted on more than 26,000 respondents across 26 countries, of which 1,026 were Malaysians. The respondents were asked about every aspect of their sex lives. covering health, general well-being, education, beliefs, attitudes to sex, and social circumstances, in a bid to comprehensively chart what constitutes sexual well-being. Consultant clinical andrologist, reproductive and sexual health specialist and Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey local expert Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi said: “There are reasons why people are not satisfied with their sex lives.

It could be due to problems in physical and emotional health as well as physiological issues such as vaginal dryness, painful sex, and erectile dysfunction.” “Such issues can be dealt with and cured. Despite sex being perceived as fun and exciting by most, satisfaction is still only marginally equal between men and women, with 40% of Malaysian women saying they are satisfied, compared to 37% of men,” said Dr Ismail. He pointed out that people could also improve their sex lives and sexual satisfaction by spending more time with their partners, de-stressing and introducing more romance into their sex lives. “The ability to talk things out with your partner can lead to an emotional relationship filled with love and respect, which can then lead to ultimate sexual pleasure.
= == = == = =
007/04/18
Malaysians rank sixth fastest in love-making

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians spend an average of 19.9 minutes when they make love. Hardly the stuff romance novels are made of, they ranked sixth quickest in the world in terms of time spent in a love-making session. However, if it’s any consolation, the average time spent is above the global average of 18.3 minutes. India’s lovers were the world’s quickest, spending only 13.2 minutes per session. Nigeria once again topped the ranking on a leisurely 23 minutes.

Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Australia were all well below the world average time. Malaysians were just a heartbeat ahead of China’s lovers who took 20 minutes.This was the findings from the "Global Sexual Wellbeing Survey" by condom-maker Durex. It was revealed at the ongoing World Congress on Sexual Health in Sydney, Australia. More than 26,000 people from 26 countries were screened online by global research firm Harris Interactive from August to September last year. Durex’s local distributor SSL Healthcare Malaysia general manager Voong King Yee said sex played a fundamental role in the physical and emotional well-being of a person.

The survey found two in five (or 38 per cent) of the 1,026 Malaysians polled were fully satisfied with their sex lives. Forty per cent of Malaysian women were completely satisfied compared with 37 per cent of their male counterparts. Want to know how you can spice things up? "Seven in 10 (74 per cent) of the Malaysians surveyed said the situation could be remedied by injecting some old-fashioned love, tenderness, adventure and romance. "Two-thirds (64 per cent) like more intimacy and better communication with their partners," said Voong. Even in the "country of romance", France, they do not get it right all the time. Only 25 per cent said they were satisfied with their sex lives. Nigerians, on the other hand, know something others don’t. They have the most people (67 per cent) satisfied with their sex lives, followed by Mexicans (63 per cent) and Indians (61 per cent).

The survey found that Malaysians have sex 115 times a year compared with the global average of 103. The Greeks made an Olympian effort of 164 times, with Brazilians the next most amorous at 145, followed by the Poles and Russians (both 143) and Indians with 130. The survey also found that Asians were least satisfied with their sex lives. Australia’s Bond University sex expert Gabrielle Morrissey said it reflected cultural issues relating to sex in Asia. "Work is more important than sex in many Asian countries."

MALAYSIAN STOCKS - ALL Time 13-Year High & RINGGIT NEARS 10-YEAR HIGH; Investors Bet on Growth; PM Abdullah Happy - KLCI Surge; Sustainable Till GE?

April 16, 2007 23:48 PM

PM Happy With High Confidence Shown In Bursa Malaysia

From Amer Hamzah Md Sap KHARTOUM, April 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today expressed happiness with the level of confidence shown by local investors in the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange. Commenting on Monday's rise on Bursa Malaysia, where the Composite Index rose to a record high of 1,323.91 compared with the previous high of 1,314 reached in January 1994, he said the uptrend was a reflection of the maturity of local investors and their ability to deal in the share market.

He said local investors were also taking a new approach in the way they were investing by keeping ahead and making their investments before the others enter the market. With their confidence, Malaysian investors are also attracting other investors to buy shares in the local bourse, he told Malaysian journalists covering his visit to Sudan. Hopefully, the rise in the CI will continue to be sustained and reflect the value and confidence in the market, he said. -Abdullah also expressed confidence that the people would see that the government's current efforts were giving rise to a new level of confidence and hope for the country's future economic growth.

On another note, he said he expected to relate the requests of entrepreneurs in Sudan who have asked for Malaysia to open a bank in their country, if the Sudanese government agrees to give the licence. "If Bank Islam opens a branch here, that would be good," he said.

= = = == = =
April 16, 2007 22:13 PM
Heavy Institutional Buying Sends KLCI To All-time-high

ABOVE: KLCI at Record High on April 16 2007

By Massita Ahmad

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Heavy buying from both local and foreign institutional funds pushed up the benchmark Composite Index (CI) to close the day at a new all-time-high of 1,322.91. Its last recorded high point was on Jan 5, 1994 where the KLCI hit 1,314.46. On the same day, it saw an intraday high of 1,332.04. Today's CI closing was also its highest level for the day, up 14.71 points after opening 2.34 points higher at 1,310.54 this morning. The stronger interest was spurred by a string of positive news for sectoral as well as individual stocks, said one analyst who spoke on the condition of annonymity. The plantation stocks were mostly higher on expectations of better earnings following higher crude palm oil prices (CPO), the analyst told Bernama.

Price on the CPO futures market surged to record a new eight-year high of RM2,288 per tonne today, boosted by a huge increase in exports. The rise was also supported by news that one of the largest importers of CPO, India, will be cutting down palm import tariffs.

Representing the sector, Plantation Index was the biggest gainer, up 2.84 percent to 5,932.65. Among the stocks were IOI Corp which rose six percent to RM1.50 and PPB Oil Palms which rose 3.18 percent to RM16.20. The property stocks were the second runner up, with the Index rising 1.24 percent to 1,032.36. The government last Friday announced new measures to boost the sector, among them being speedy approvals for development projects. Among the stocks, LBS Bina gained 5.5 sen to 82 sen, Crescendo gained 13 sen to RM1.75, and A&M Realty rose 16 sen to RM2.10. The analyst said Tenaga Nasional Bhd, which reported a commendable performance for the half-year financial period ended Feb 28, 2007, gave further support to the CI. Tenaga Nasional which carried the highest CI weightage of 9.050 per cent rose 20 sen to end the session at RM12.20. The company reported that its net profit rose to RM2.823 billion from RM1.003 billion in the same period of 2006 on increased sales. It also posted a 28.4 per cent increase in forex translation gains due to the stronger ringgit while revenue rose 15.8 per cent to RM11.284 billion. Commenting on the CI performance, Bursa Malaysia Bhd's chief executive officer Datuk Yusli Mohamed Yusoff said that this was an indication on how far the market has grown in the last few years.Yusli who is in Hanoi attending a seminar on the benefits of cross-regional listings said: "What is vital to note is that today's performance is reflective of a strong Malaysian capital market that is fundamentally sound."

Malaysian Stocks Advance to Record as Investors Bet on Growth

Updated : 16-04-2007 Media : Bloomberg; Story By : Chan Tien Hin

April 16 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysian stocks closed above a record that had stood for 13 years after investors bet the government's moves to offer tax breaks and ease foreign ownership rules will fuel growth and spur corporate earnings.``For so long, Malaysia has been an underperformer; we're still a laggard,'' Pankaj Kumar, who manages about $430 million as chief investment officer at Kurnia Insurans Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. New

government policies are now attracting foreign investors while higher palm-oil prices are ``making investors bullish'' on IOI Corp. and other plantation stocks, he said. IOI surged today after palm-oil prices rose to the highest in more than eight years. Sunrise Bhd. led property shares higher after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced speedier building approvals and offered incentives to build homes. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index climbed 14.71, or 1.1 percent, to 1322.91, surpassing the previous record close of 1314.46 set on Jan. 5, 1994. The all-time high was 1332.04 set on the same day. The

measure has risen 21 percent this year, the third-biggest gainer among regional benchmarks. The index's futures contract expiring April jumped 3.2 percent, its biggest gain since March 12. Malaysian stocks have rallied since the government began easing rules on foreign ownership and cutting taxes. The policies are part of the prime minister's 200 billion ringgit ($58 billion), five-year development plan to build new infrastructure to reinvigorate the building industry and lure investment to Southeast Asia's third-biggest economy. Strong Fundamentals ``Foreigners are in the market,'' said Alicia Tan, Executive Chairmanof TA Enterprise Bhd., Malaysia's biggest retail brokerage in Kuala

Lumpur. ``The fundamentals are strong.'' On April 13, the government said it will accelerate building approvals and property transactions in a bid to cut red tape, less

than a month after it removed a capital gains tax on property. It also allowed foreign investors to take out more than three mortgages from local lenders and offered tax incentives to turn the southernmost state of Johor into an international business and

leisure destination. In December, the government allowed non-nationals to buy Malaysian properties priced above 250,000 ringgit without having to seek state

approval, as they had previously. ``These measures are positive for the property sector,'' Tan Ting Min, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group, wrote in a report today. ``The good news is that the holding cost of land will be reduced, as the approval period will be shortened,'' said Tan, who kept an ``overweight'' call on the sector. Best Quarter Malaysian stocks completed their best quarter in seven years when the stock index gained 14 percent in the first three months of the year. That was its biggest quarterly gain since the first three months of 2000, as foreign investors bought more shares. Overseas fund managers bought a net 9.1 billion ringgit of stocks in the fourth quarter of last year, the most since March 2004, according to the central bank's data. ``From being an isolated market, the Malaysian stock market is back on the radar screen of most foreign investors,'' Choong Wai Kee, Andrew Chow and Julian Chua, analysts at Citigroup Inc., wrote in a March 13 report in Kuala Lumpur.

The benchmark Composite Index may rise to 1406 by the end of the year, Colbert Nocom, an analyst at UBS Investment Research, said in a note on April 9, citing a ``return of private investments'' and ``solid corporate fundamentals.'' That's 6.3 higher than today's close. Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd., Malaysia's second-biggest lender, AMMB Holdings Bhd., the fifth largest, Tenaga Nasional Bhd., the No.

1 Malaysian power producer, and Maxis Communication Bhd., the country's biggest mobile-phone company, are among his top picks, hesaid in the report. `Defy Logic' To be sure, as the stock market ``goes higher, it also gets tougher'' to pick stocks as some of the shares are getting expensive, said Kumar of Kurnia Insurans. Gains in some property stocks ``defy logic,'' he said. TA Enterprise Bhd., a brokerage whose property sales almost tripled last year, has surged 147 percent this year, making it the best performing stock in Malaysia. Seven property-related companies, such as UEM World Bhd., Selangor Properties Bhd. and Sunrise are among the top 10 biggest gainers in the benchmark stock index this year. The Kuala Lumpur Composite's relative strength index, based on its 14-day moving average, climbed to 77.3 today from 68.6 on April 6. A

reading above 70 indicates to some technical analysts that shares are poised to fall. Sunrise Sunrise, Malaysia's biggest developer of luxury condominiums, today gained 18 sen, or 5.5 percent, to 3.46 ringgit, a record, after Aseambankers Research said the company will benefit the most from recent property policy changes announced by the government. Ong Chee Ting, an analyst, rated the stock ``buy'' in new coverage with a

share-price estimate at 3.92 ringgit. SP Setia Bhd., Malaysia's biggest property developer, gained 15 sen, or 1.9 percent, to 8.10 ringgit, set for its second day of gains.The Malaysian government will cut the time for development approvals to as little as four months, from one-to-two years, Abdullah said on April 13. Plantation stocks such as IOI Corp., the world's biggest oil-palm planter, have surged. Palm-oil futures in Malaysia, the world's largest producer of the commodity, are at their highest in more than eight years on speculation demand will increase, and as the prices of alternative oils advanced as crude trades about $64 a barrel. Palm-Oil Rally Malaysia is estimated to have exported 666,793 metric tons of palm oil in the first 15 days of April, up 47 percent from 454,791 tons recorded in the same period last month, independent cargo surveyor Intertek said.

Palm oil for June delivery, the most active contract, rose as much as88 ringgit, or 4 percent, to 2,307 ringgit ($671) a ton on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange. That's the highest since Dec. 1, 1998, when it touched 2,311 ringgit. The contract traded at 2,278 ringgit at 5:33 p.m. local time. It has risen 49 percent in the past six months. IOI jumped 1.50 ringgit, or 6 percent, to 26.50 ringgit, its sixth day of gains. It also climbed after the stock exchange approved the company's plans to split its shares. Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd., Malaysia's second-biggest oil-palm planter, added 20 sen, or 1.5 percent, to 13.20 ringgit. Vegetable oils from oil palms, soybeans and corn are increasingly being turned into chemicals that are added to fuel. As a cooking oil, it is consumed largely by China, India and Pakistan. In the market today, some 562 stocks rose while 355 declined and 267 were unchanged. About 2 billion shares worth 2.6 billion ringgit changed hands, lower than its three-month daily average of 2.1 billion shares. The smaller Second Board Index was little changed at 102.61. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Emas Index advanced 1.3 percent to 8883.48.

April 16, 2007 20:33 PM

Ringgit Hits New High Of 3.43 Against US Dollar

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- The ringgit surged to 3.43 against the US dollar, a new high of almost 10 years, due to brisk demand as foreign funds went on to accumulate shares on Bursa Malaysia, dealers said. At 5.00pm Monday, the ringgit touched 3.4390/4410 against the greenback, its strongest since the start of the 1997/1998 Asian financial crisis. The local currency was quoted at 3.4400/4425 in the earlier session today. According to the dealers, the upward trend of the local bourse was spurred by the country's strong economic fundamentals. The key Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) today reached an all-time high of 1,322.91, up 1.12 per cent or 14.71 points in line with the rally in regional bourses as institutional funds continued to hunt for bargains on property stocks as well as oil and gas counters.

"The ringgit's appreciation was supported by dollar-selling by foreigners as they remained confident over the country's positive economic factors," said one of the dealers from a local investment bank. He added that the Malaysian economy was getting stronger on expectations of better economic performance and rising foreign reserves coupled with the government's recent move to liberalise the foreign exchange policy. The new foreign exchange policy came into effect April 1. Earlier in 2005, Bank Negara Malaysia lifted the peg on the ringgit which was introduced in 1998. The ringgit had been fixed at 3.80 to the dollar. The peg was removed in July 2005 in favour of a managed float and following the de-peg, the ringgit barely moved initially but to date has gained more than 9.5 percent.

"Based on the current trend, the ringgit is expected to climb further. It could possibly touch 3.40 per US dollar in the next two to three months. This is not impossible," another dealer said. The dealer said the ringgit's rise was also due to weakness of the greenback in most of the overseas markets as investors remained cautious over uncertainties of the US economic outlook. The US dollar currently traded at 119.49/51 against the Japanese yen.
= == = = == == = == == = == = ==

KLCI at all time high of 1,322.91 Updated : 16-04-2007 Media : The Edge

Story By : Joseph Chin

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) closed at an all-time high of 1,322.91 on April 16, lifted by the impressive performance in regional markets, last Friday’s closing on Wall Street and the strong ringgit, which surged to a fresh nine-year high. The KLCI rose 14.71 points to 1,322.91, surpassing the previous life time closing high of 1,314.46 on Jan 5, 1994, while the FBM Emas rose 105.02 points 8,879.23. The KLCI futures surged 40.5 points to 1,323. Turnover was 2.03 billion shares valued at RM2.62 billion with 563 advancing counters against 354 decliners while 268 counters were unchanged. Asian markets ended the day on a stronger note with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index surging 416.56 points to 20,757, Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 264.35 points to 17,628,30 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index added 40.56 points to 3,414.15. The ringgit was quoted at RM3.439 to the US dollar and economists expect the local currency to strengthen further to RM3.4 in the next few months because of liquidity flow. On Bursa Malaysia, plantation counters were among the top gainers with the Plantation Sector Index rising 3.38% or 195.13 points to 5,964.08.

They were underpinned by the strong crude palm oil (CPO) prices which was more than its eight-year high. CPO futures for May rose RM48 to RM2,303 per tonne while for the July futures, it jumped RM50 to RM2,250. Palm oil exports rose 29% from April 1 to 15 from a month ago. Malaysia exported 642,292 tonnes of bulk palm oil shipments, according to Bloomberg. IOI Corporation Bhd topped the gainers list, rising RM1.50 to RM26.50, IOI Corp-CB 50 sen to RM2, IOI Corp-CC 46 sen to RM1.90. PPB Oil Palms Bhd added 50 sen to RM16.20, Asiatic Development Bhd 25 sen to RM6 and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd 20 sen to RM13.20. Steel stocks were also in the limelight as investors bet on improving

demand and prices to lift earnings in the coming months. InsiderAsia said the steel sector was still trading at relatively low valuations. Integrated steel makers Ann Joo Resources Bhd rose 36 sen to RM3.60, Kinsteel Bhd 35 sen to RM5.85 and Malaysia Steel Works Bhd 16 sen to RM1.53. Malayan Banking Bhd rose 30 sen to RM12.70, Tenaga Nasional Bhd 20 sen to RM12.20 and Telekom Malaysia Bhd was flat at RM10.30. The major losers were BIMB Holdings Bhd, which fell 23 sen to RM1.40 ahead of the listing of its new shares on April 17, while Proton Holdings Bhd and Lion Diversified Holdings Bhd dropped 15 sen each to RM6.25 and RM8.05, respectively. Aseambankers Equity Research head Vincent Khoo said the market could continue to rise in tandem with the strong regional markets and also the positive steps taken by the government. He added that the market was also driven by liquidity into the market. “Without any external shocks, the market could continue its upward trend. Global markets had shrugged off the worries following the yen-carry trade and the US economy's slow down,” he said._

Other headlines across other markets

S'pore - Shares close 1.2% higher

Indonesian shares hit new record

Australian stocks rise to record highs

Seoul shares close at new high

RINGGIT NEARS TEN-YEAR HIGH ON DOLLAR SALES BY FOREIGN FUNDS

= = == == = == =

Tenaga Posts Net Profit Of RM2.823 Bln In First Half

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) today reported that net profit for its half year ended Feb 28, 2007, rose to RM2.823 billion from RM1.003 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year on increased sales and 28.4 percent gains in forex translation gains due to the strong ringgit. TNB also recognised a write-back in deferred tax provision of RM408 million over the first half year following the government's announcement to reduce corporate tax from 28 per cent to 27 per cent in 2007 and 26 per cent in 2008. The group's net profit, excluding new tariff, forex translation and deferred tax write-back, reflected an increase of RM331.7 million or 64.3 per cent if compared against the same period of financial year 2006.

Its revenue increased 15.8 per cent to RM11.284 billion from RM9.743 billion on six per cent increase in demand and introduction of new tariff since June last year. However, for the six months the group also managed to reduce its economic loss to RM97.9 million from RM998.4 million in the corresponding period in the previous year. For the second quarter, TNB said net profit increased to RM1.555 billion from RM399.5 billion in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The national utility giant said revenue for the quarter rose to RM5.682 billion from RM4.831 billion.

Its chairman Tan Sri Amar Leo Moggie said the group reported a pick-up in electricity unit growth for the industrial sector of 4.7 per cent in the first half compared to a contraction of 1.6 per cent in the same period in the previous year. In the first six months of the current financial year TNB spent RM1,120 million on capital expenditure for new supply and system improvement, he said at a press conference to announce the results Monday. On TNB's dividend policy, Moggie said the utility company intended to distribute dividends within a range of 40 to 60 per cent of its annual free cashflow to shareholders, with effect from financial year 2007. He said the policy has been formulated to ensure sustainable and sound dividend payout after considering the company's financial performance, debt obligations, market expectation, optimal capital structure, credit and tax considerations.

"Going forward, the policy will be reviewed accordingly to ensure sustainability and growth in line with the underlying business growth," he added. TNB's board of directors approved an interim gross dividend of 10 sen per ordinary share less income tax of 27 per cent, equivalent to a net dividend of 7.3 sen per ordinary shares, in respect of the financial year ending August 31, 2007. As for the performance in second half of the year, chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said a challenging period is expected for TNB to achieve return on asset of 6.5 per cent that it registered in the first half. He said operating cost is expected to increase further following commissioning of the second unit of the Tanjung Bin power plant on Feb 28, 2007. Independent power producer cost is expected to further increase, thereby impacting profitability, he added.

On the proposed disposal of TNB's stake in a coal mine in Indonesia, Che Khalib said it will not have any material impact on the account. "We have made sufficient provision of RM180 million and the write-back would not going to be material," he said. Che Khalib said it would not have an impact on coal supply to TNB as it had already secured a long-term supply for 30 per cent of its coal requirement from sources in Indonesia and Australia. Previously, it had yearly contracts, he said

IJOK By-Election: An ALL Indians Affair? BN Candidate - Parthiban; Independent: Businessman K. Loganadan; PKR: Kepong Datuk S. Nallakaruppan?

DISARRAY in BN over Choice of Ijok Candidate Parthiban Over Kuala Selangor MIC Division chief S.P. Thirumoorthy; who Left Party Disgusted; Najib Lashed out his Whip: All BN Component parties must support BN Candidate

ABOVE: The chosen one Parthiban, 38 with Datuk Samy Vellu, after the announcement. How can RTM1 telecast live this BN announcement, a political event?

April 16, 2007 22:03 PM

Kuala Selangor Chief Quits MIC

KUALA SELANGOR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Kuala Selangor MIC Division chief S.P. Thirumoorthy said Monday he was leaving the party because he was not picked as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate to contest the Ijok state by-election later this month. He made the announcement after Selangor Menteri Besar and BN chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo announced K. Parthiban, 38, the Tanjung Karang MIC secretary, as the BN candidate for the by-election, nomination for which is on April 19 and polling on April 28. Thirumoorthy, 55, a secondary school teacher, claimed that MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had not taken into consideration his long years of service with the party.

He also denied that he had backstabbed the party by supporting an independent candidate against the BN's Datuk K. Sivalingam in the 2004 general election in the constituency. Sivalingam, who won the seat then, died of a heart attack in Chennai on April 4, necessitating the by-election. On his future in politics, Thirumoorthy said he would take a break and then discuss it with his supporters. Thirumoorthy, who had been the division chief since 1994, had on Sunday threatened to resign from the post if he was not selected to contest the seat on a BN ticket. He has also claimed that the chairmen of 18 of the 36 MIC branches in the constituency would also resign.
= = = == =
April 16, 2007 20:14 PM

BN Picks Parthiban As Candidate For Ijok By-election

KUALA SELANGOR, April 16 (Bernama) -- A former Co-Academic officer at the Kuala Selangor District Education Office, K. Parthiban, 38, was chosen as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the by-election for the Ijok state constituency today. Selangor BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, who is also Selangor Menteri Besar, made the announcement in front of about 3,000 BN supporters at Dewan Harmoni, Batang Berjuntai, here Monday afternoon. All those present in the hall gave a loud applause to demonstrate their solid support to Parthiban as soon as he was announced as the candidate at 5.20pm. The event was broadcast live on TV over RTM 1.Among those present were MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, his deputy Datuk G. Palanivel, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

In his speech shortly after he was introduced by Dr Mohamad Khir, Parthiban promised the BN supporters and voters in the Ijok state constituency that he would continue the tradition of the BN to champion the cause of the people regardless of race or religion. "I will ensure that the BN retains the seat and I appeal to you all to help me (do it)," he said. He also pledged to continue implementation of all the current and future development programmes by the government. Born on Oct 6, 1968 in Ladang Raja Musa, Kuala Selangor, Parthiban, who is also the secretary of the MIC Tanjung Karang division and a former Co-Academic Officer at the Kuala Selangor District Education Office, holds key positions in several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including as president of the Council of the Federation of Kuala Selangor District Youth Associations. He is also chairman of the Tanjung Karang Hindu Youth Organisation (HYO) and the Ladang Raja Musa Rukun Tetangga sector and a former secretary of the Kuala Selangor Tamil Youth Club from 1990 to 2001.

Parthiban has a Masters in Education Management from the University of Malaya and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the same university. He joined MIC in 1989 and among the key political posts he held was as special officer to the Tanjung Karang Member of Parliament, personal representative of the Permatang Assemblyman for the Indian community, a committee member of the Tanjung Karang Barisan Nasional, and head of the Kampung Bukit Belimbing MIC branch. Parthiban is also a member of the Kuala Selangor District Counci

= = = == = = = = = = == = = = = =

April 16, 2007 15:33 PM

Members Of BN Components Must Support Candidate For Ijok - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today said that all members of Barisan Nasional (BN) components especially the MIC must accept and fully support the candidate nominated to defend the Ijok state seat. The deputy prime minister who is also the BN deputy chairman, said the decision of whom would be nominated was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after a deep scrutiny."The important thing is the decision that we make on the candidate is to select one who is thought to be the most suitable to ensure victory for the BN. "So, as party members, we have to accept the decision. That's the meaning of us serving the party and abiding by the party's principles," he told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the Malaysian Smart School International Conference here. He was commenting on a threat by Kuala Selangor MIC chief P. Thirumoorthy to resign from the post if he was not named as the BN candidate for the Ijok by-election.

= = = == == = =
April 16, 2007 22:15 PM E-mail this news to a friend Printable version of this news

Register By August For Eligibility To Vote If Election Before December

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysians who have yet to register as voters have until August to do so to be eligible to vote in the next general election if it is to be held towards the end of the year. Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said this was because it took three to four months before the names can be included in the electoral roll. "After August, I cannot guarantee that the names can be included in the electoral roll if the election is held towards the end of the year," he told a press conference after launching a nationwide campaign to register new voters here, Monday. Abdul Rashid said there were about 4.9 million Malaysians eligible to vote who had yet to register with the EC, of which 80 per cent are urban youths aged from 21 to 30 years. Selangor had the highest number of people who had not registered to be voters at 745,515, followed by Johor at 583,000 and Perak 410,000. Asked if the campaign was a hint that the election was very near, Abdul Rashid said: "It is all in the hands of the party in power. It reserves the right to call for an election anytime before its five-year term is up. We are preparing ourselves should it be called before the year is out." The last general election was held in March 2004 and under the Westminster system practised here, the government need not call for one until March 2009.

= = == == = ==
The unselected and disappointed outsider is a bitter Division leader P. Thirumoorthy, 55, the Kuala Selangor MIC Chief who has been in the post since 1994 expressed his frustration at a media conference on Sunday. Once again, this Ijok By-election shows the quarrelsome and emotional nature of the Indians. There are TOO many Chiefs vying for limited posts for the Indian community everywhere. They are a force to be reckoned as such but when there is no accommodation, you can see this infighting that is taking place now in MIC and in PKR.

With the independent coming in and the split in MIC, the PKR candidate might stand a remote chance considering the small majorrty in the last GE obtained by Datuk Sivalingam

= = == the Spat between Samy Vellu & the Kuala Selangor Chief

“The most eligible candidate is the Ketua MIC Bahagian. I am not blowing my own trumpet; that is the justification of the voters. The most eligible; they say why can’t you be given a chance. You are here; you have been serving so long. And they say “if you are a candidate, we don’t have to campaign. BN is sure of a victory if P. Thirumoorthy can be considered as a candidate. That is the advice I received from the voters. Any opposition will not go through. In this situation, why the party can’t considered an eligible candidate who can bring victory to Barisan. If you are going to bring a local born (referring to the chosen candidate) here but staying in Klang, that candidate doesn't know people here.

Whereas the committee here is part and parcel of the community here; you have been serving here, you have been going in an out. That is the stand, why? why? I am from MIC and I am also from Barisan. We have been serving we have been helping and assisted all the candidates not only Tan Sri M S Maniam, Datuk Mahalingam, Datuk Sivalinam, Yang Amat Dihormati Tan Sri Haji Dr Abu Hassan for 25 years. 25 years I have worked for him who has been the Federal Minister, who has been the Mentri Besar. So where do you put my service?

Menwhile Datuk Samy Velu said he was not moved by the statement and noted that the Kuala Selangor chief does not deserve to be a candidate.

Datuk Samy: “There were a lot of complaints about him. I said “ let the chairman who is elected be there” Otherwise we would have dissolved the cawangan and called for new election.
“Anyway I appreciate him for bite backing the party. Tell you the fact; we are not an inch worry about it. I will never like to meet him again. We don’t like traitors

ABOVE: Samy closed his eyes in anger after calling Thiru a "traitor"

Responding to threats if he is not selected, BN might be on a losing en“I have also support of 98% of the branches; if you want I can bring them here tomorrow” Samy Vellu refused to bow to pressure to change the candidate to be announced by 5 pm on Monday.

ABOVE:Hishammudin: "Beginning today , we must move forward, activate the operations room until elections day”

ABOVE: Selangor MB Mohd Toyo: “The BN has proven its mark for the people. The opposition merely talk of issuing a white paper to administer the government”

Parthiban tipped to contest in Ijok

By A. LETCHUMANAN

KUALA LUMPUR: Tanjung Karang MIC division secretary K. Parthiban is tipped to be named the candidate for the Ijok state seat which fell vacant following the death of Datuk K. Sivalingam on April 4. Sources said Parthiban, 38, who was an officer in the Kuala Selangor education department, had tendered his resignation on Friday. Though MIC officials refused to confirm this, it is believed that Parthiban was chosen as he was born in the Raja Moosa Estate in Kuala Selangor.

A week ago, during a meeting with Selangor MIC chairman Datuk G. Palanivel, the component parties had indicated that they wanted a local to be the candidate. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo is scheduled to announce the Barisan candidate today. Parthiban, who previously taught in schools in Kuala Selangor and Tanjung Karang, was also the special assistant to Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar, who is also Tanjung Karang MP. MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who met the Kuala Selangor MIC branch leaders late on Saturday, said the person chosen as the candidate would be someone who is able to work with all the Barisan component parties and the people. He said that the party had nominated two lawyers and a teacher to be considered as the candidate and one of them had been chosen for the seat. Samy Vellu had said that 23 people had submitted applications to be considered for the seat but the one chosen was not among them.
= = = ==

April 15, 2007 20:00 PM

Businessman To Contest As Independent In Ijok By-election

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- A, announced today he would contest as an independent in the Ijok state by-election. Loganadan told Bernama his decision to contest was not on the instigation of anyone but to fulfil his desire to serve the rural folk. He claimed the area had not tasted much development and progress under the previous assemblyman. Loganadan, 47, who lives in Klang, was born in Caledonian Estate, near Ijok town. He received his primary education at a Tamil school there and went to a secondary school in Batang Berjuntai and Batu Arang. "I'm a local boy who lived in Ijok for 18 years and I'm very familiar with the people's problems in the constituency," said Loganadan, who is also deputy president of Kelab Motivasi Insan Cemerlang Selangor, a non-governmental organisation. Claiming that he was an MIC member for about eight years, Loganadan said he had many relatives and friends in Caledonian Estate, which comes under the Ijok constituency. The Barisan Nasional (BN) would announce its candidate in Ijok tomorrow at a function attended by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo and MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

The BN candidate from MIC has been endorsed by Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The Ijok seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent BN assemblyman Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on April 4. The Election Commission has set Thursday for nomination and April 28 for polling in the event of a contest. Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief Tian Chua said the party would announce its candidate on Tuesday.

Monday April 16, 2007; STAR

Trouble brewing in PKR over nomination

KUALA LUMPUR: Trouble is brewing in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) even before nomination day. The party was to have revealed its candidate after a meeting yesterday but chose to announce the shortlisted candidates instead – national treasurer Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Kepong division chairman Datuk S. Nallakaruppan. However, the party’s Indian leaders, who have been pushing for an Indian candidate, are convinced that the leadership has settled on Khalid. Youth vice chief S. Manikavasagam claimed the choice was made by the political bureau on Saturday.

The group, he said, would hold a meeting on Tuesday, to be chaired by Nallakaruppan, to decide on their next course of action. PKR vice-president Azmin Ali stressed that the council decided to defer naming the candidate as a “tactical move.” Meanwhile DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng said the party’s central executive committee would meet on Tuesday to discuss the by-election. “We have already indicated to PKR that there were calls for an Indian to be allowed to contest. There was no reaction from them,” he said. Meanwhile, businessman K. Loganadan announced yesterday that he would contest as an independent. Loganadan, 47, was born in Caledonia Estate, near Ijok town. “I'm a local boy who lived in Ijok for 18 years and I'm very familiar with the people's problems,” said Loganadan. – Bernama

= == = NST
2007/04/16

MIC division chief threatens to quit

BATANG BERJUNTAI: The MIC Kuala Selangor division chief and 33 branch heads aligned to him have threatened to resign following a disagreement over the party’s candidate for the Ijok by-election.

Division leader P. Thirumoorthy (ABOVE), 55, said he was disappointed that party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had overlooked him for the seat despite his many years of service in the MIC. "I have been in the party for more than 30 years and the grassroots want me to contest. "If I am the candidate, there is no need to campaign. We will surely win as I know the people here," he said at a press conference. The MIC candidate for the seat will be officially announced today about 5pm in Ijok.

It is understood that the candidate will be 38-year-old K. Parthiban, who is Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar’s special officer in his Tanjung Karang parliamentary constituency. Thirumoorthy said he would only resign from his division post but remain as a party member. "I am a loyal supporter of Samy Vellu and will always work for the party. However, the feelings of the grassroots here are very strong. They never consulted us before deciding on the candidate." He wanted the party leadership to reconsider the decision on the candidate. Samy Vellu, who was at the MIC service centre just 100 metres away, said the choice of the candidate was up to the party president. "If he wants to leave, he can do so and I don’t feel threatened about this."

He also refuted Thirumoorthy’s claims of support in many branches, saying he was the division chief only because he had been saved by the party president from the division’s in-fighting. Former teacher Parthiban, who is single, is currently a co-academic officer at the Kuala Selangor district education department. He was born in Ladang Raja Musa, Kuala Selangor, and has a Master’s in Education from Universiti Malaya.