CNN Interviews PM Abdullah Tonight (25th Jan 08) 8.30pm (Malaysian Time) Tonight; Stay Tune – Full 5 min Video Clip Loaded, Transcript to follow

Watch the Video Clip Full Interview (5.09 mins) loaded Transcript in next Post

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PM, Jeanne Leave Davos For Home
From Yong Soo Heong
DAVOS, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife, Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, left for home Saturday after attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) here for the past three days.

ABOVE & BELOW: PM Abdullah lapping it up at the Forum

They were seen off at the Zurich airport by Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis and the Malaysian Ambassador to Switzerland, Datuk Mohd Yusof Ahmad.Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh also left for home today. Besides speaking at two plenary sessions at the WEF, Abdullah also held several bilateral meetings with political and business leaders, including President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google Inc,(BELOW) during his working visit here.

The prime minister described the WEF as a useful and responsive forum as it discussed various matters of vital concern emerging in the world today. A case in point was the problem affecting global financial markets today, he said. Jeanne, meanwhile, participated in a separate programme and visited an Alpine cheese factory.

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Fresh mandate will be timely, says Abdullah
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said a fresh mandate would arm the Barisan Nasional government to meet the challenges of the near future. The prime minister told CNN that an early general election was being considered due to several factors. "There are a lot of issues in the future and having a (new) mandate will be good," he said in a live interview from Davos, Switzerland yesterday. "We will call for the election when I think everything is all right and at the moment I think people are ready for the election."

Abdullah said he was not mulling a snap poll more than a year before the current parliamentary term expires in order to pre-empt former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from contesting the elections. "There are other factors in my mind that I have to think about before I recommend the dissolution of parliament and fix the date for the elections," he said. Asked on the Hindraf street protests, the prime minister said the government was talking to non-governmental organisations representing the Indian community and meeting Hindu priests on the status and welfare of temples.

He said the issues concerning the country's Indian minority had been attended to for a long time. "We know that we have done fairly well but still there is a small percentage of people who are poor." Abdullah said 1.2 per cent of the population was still categorised as hard-core poor and the poverty level stood at 5.7 per cent. "We got this figure after reducing poverty from 60 per cent when we became independent. It's a success. But if you want to pick up on poor people, it is because we have yet to complete our agenda on the eradication of poverty," he said. Abdullah, who chairs the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, was also asked whether the voices of moderate Islam were being drowned by the rise of Islamic extremism and anti-Western sentiment.

He said the root causes of violence and terrorism had to be addressed first. "But this is a subject not many people want to discuss. They don't want to know the root causes and just want to see what is happening and take action. "Mostly, the actions are very strong in terms of military responses," he said. He added that poverty, illiteracy and backwardness among some Muslim groups must be tackled.

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A brief account of Interview
January 25, 2008 22:32 PM
BN Wants Good Mandate To Weather Many Issues
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) needs a good mandate from the people to allow the government to deal with a myriad of issues in future. "There are too many things, we have to face a lot of issues in the future, (thus) having a good mandate from the people will be very good," said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when interviewed "live" on the CNN tonight. While acknowledging that the people were prepared for the election, Abdullah however kept the date of the election to his chest.

"We will call for the election when I think everything is alright and at the moment I think people are ready for the election," he said. "Can't tell you the date, we have to dissolve the Parliament first," he said. In the interview, Abdullah refuted claims that he would be calling for an early election so that former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would not be eligible to contest. "That is not a factor in my mind. There are other factors I think about before deciding on the date of the election," he said.

On allegations that the Indian community was not being treated fairly, Abdullah said the government was engaged in constant discussions with them to address any of their grievances. "We are talking to their group and NGOs representing the Indian community, we also have representatives talking to Indian priests, we are talking to many people as far as addressing the issues affecting various people, we are doing it," he said. On poverty, he said, the government had successfully reduced the poverty rate from 60 percent during the pre-independence period to only 5.7 percent now including 1.2 percent hardcore poor category through various programmes.= == = == == = == = == == =

It will be on at 8.45pm, Astro Channel 511 - CNN

ABOVE: Interviewed with a CAP on from Davos, Switzerland. Live pic captured at 8.49pm

Interview lasted 5 mins, Transcript Coming soon, Check back later

He was asked on a few issues like the date of election, need for an early election, (good mandate) willing to face Anwar Ibrahim in an election, the protest Hindraf Rally, steps to address them, OIC Chairman (57 members) rise of Islamic problems, voice of moderate Islamic voice

with footages of the protest see BELOW. More details & pics & Video of Interview soon

CNN Interviews PM Abdullah Tonight (25^th Jan 2008) 8.30pm (Malaysian Time); Stay Tune – Transcript & Video will be available as soon as Possible

PM Abdullah attending the World Economic Forum is seeking some publicity to salvage the image of Malaysia after all the exposes in recent months. What can he say to correct the image given the limited time? Stay tune if you have the time to listen. It must be in English in CNN

In addition he is also seeking an “audience” (ABOVE) with Google CEO Eric Schmidt to “discuss” investment opportunities with special offers perhaps. BELOW: The "tag along hanger on" Ministers at Davos - Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar

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January 25, 2008 17:51 PM
Abdullah To Be Interviewed By CNN Tonight

From Yong Soo Heong; DAVOS, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will join the ranks of other world leaders and business leaders attending the World Economic Forum here to be interviewed "live" by CNN Friday. He is scheduled to be interviewed by the TV station at 8.30pm Malaysian time. During his three-day working visit here, Abdullah also met with editors from leading media groups, including The Economist, to enable them to have a better insight on developments in Malaysia. On the final day of his visit Friday, the prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and former Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

He will also call on the President of Switzerland, Pascal Counchepin. Abdullah is also expected to hold a meeting with Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, Inc, the Internet search engine giant which has expressed interest to invest in Malaysia. The prime minister will speak at a plenary session on "The Emerging Asian Community: The Role of Asean" and attend a private meeting with the co-chairs of the 2008 World Economic Forum on East Asia, scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur on June 15 and 16

= == = = =Some UPDATE on Day 9 – RCI; Morning testimony was in Camera . Open in afternoon and the Video Clip was again stated as authentic. There was a silly question about the “age of the Video Clip by analyzing the Camera”. Easier & Better to check the Model the Sony Camera was released in the market and you can tell if the Clip age is in the year 2001 as the recorder Gwo Burne mentioned he got the camera two weeks before he corded the Clip

January 25, 2008 20:01 PM
Video Clip Is Authentic, Says Witness
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- An expert witness today maintained his finding that the content of the controversial "Lingam" video clip is authentic. Mohd Zabry Adil Talib said the two tests he carried out showed that the voice of the speaker in the video clip was consistent with his movement. Replying to Royal Commission of Inquiry chairman Tan Sri Haidar Mohamed Noor, Mohamad Zabry, a digital forensic expert with Cyber Security Malaysia, confirmed that there was no dubbing or interference with the content of the 14 minutes and 15 seconds video clip. "Each video file has acceleration. If there is dubbing, we will definitely detect it although it requires closer analysis and audio

tests," he said. To a question from Salehuddin Saidin, counsel for former chief justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim who has been implicated in the video clip, he said that after analysing the video camera, he could not establish the age of the recording. The inquiry is to ascertain, among others, the authenticity of the video clip purportedly featuring lawyer V.K.Lingam brokering judicial appointments over the phone.

More details & pics of Vincent Tan at Day 9 of RCI

ABOVE & BELOW: The powerful business tycoon Vincent Tan at Day 9 of the RCI, who could snap his finger and demanded anything he wanted at the height of the Mahathir's era

= == = == =Coming next post 51 Arrested in KLCC Protes against Price Hikes including PAS Treasurer HATTA

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