MALAYSIAKINI - Mukhriz Mahathir - We need Survey Posted: 29 May 2008 10:28 AM CDT Tun Mahathir son, Mukriz suddenly being so famous after all these years. Of course one of the reason because his father was very loud criticizing Pak Lah and other UMNO leaders. It was phenomenal, when someone had dedicated most of his life for UMNO, quits just like that. But of course, Tun Mahathir had think it carefully ahead all of us. However, MUkhriz does not follow Tun action like his brother Mokhzani and other UMNO members. Mukhriz suggest we need a survey. A survey involving all three million Umno members should be held to gauge the support for party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. This call was made by Umno Youth executive council member Mukhriz Mahathir today. In fact, he said, the survey was also the wish of the Umno grassroots. Bernama reported him as saying that the survey could be conducted by distributing special forms to party members to enable them to state their actual stand. Party members can be asked to decide if they support the present leadership or otherwise, added the Jerlun MP. "There are probably many Umno members who wish to express their feelings but unfortunately they have been deprived of their rights by leaders who are more interested in their own position," he told reporters in Temerloh after attending a function last night. Mukhriz said that he had met with several Umno members who had expressed their disappointment because their rights had frequently been denied. These members have decided not to be active in the party, added Mukhriz. Silent protest "The silent protest by the party members is even more dangerous than open expression of opinion," he said. Mukhriz said the grassroots members had also suggested that they be allowed to vote in the party elections in future. Mukhriz has been a constant critic of Abdullah, also the prime minister, and has even openly urged the latter to step down for failing his task as the party president. His father Mahathir, another vocal critic of Abdullah, had shockingly quit the party on May 19 in protest over the present leadership. He has vowed to return only after Abdullah has been replaced. Mukhriz has indicated his willingness to vie for the Umno Youth chief post in party polls in December.

CHERAS TRAGEDY - FRU SQUAD Posted: 29 May 2008 08:25 AM CDT I went through Malaysiakini news today and read about this. It was something fishy going on. A teenager claim that he was beaten seriously by a group of FRU squad. By his account, he was only a curiosity-seeker who wanted to know what was going on at the site of a disputed barricade near Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) last night. In no time at all, however, Chang Jiun Haur was soaked in his own blood after being repeatedly beaten by 20 riot squad (FRU) personnel armed with batons and kicked with boots. Chang, 21, his sister and two friends were driving away from the site of the barricade about 11.30pm, when their car was surrounded by police personnel who had earlier dealt with a fracas involving BMC residents. A high-ranking police officer at the scene claimed that Chang had run over a FRU personnel with his car. “He asked for it. He ran over a policeman and he got what he deserved,” the officer toldMalaysiakini a few minutes after the incident. Asked to identify the person who was hit by the car, the officer had initial difficulty in persuading the individual to come forward. When he did so, the man - who appeared unscathed - claimed: “He tried to run me over... look at my baton, it is broken. What more evidence do you want?” However, a police officer who took Chang to the Kajang Hospital said none of the personnel had been hit by the car. Chang, when met at the hospital at 12.30am, denied this as well: “We had just come back (to Kuala Lumpur) from Port Dickson and wanted to see what was going on.” He was lying on a bed, with a bloodied mouth. His shirt had been torn off by the police, and his shorts were drenched in blood. He was crying from the shock and trauma, and was unable to say much more. It is learnt that Chang was placed in the intensive care unit. The other occupants of his car were arrested last night, but were released today according to BMC Open Road Committee chairperson Tan Boon Hwa who has been keeping tabs on last night’s dramatic events. DAP Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu, who visited Chang later last night, said the police had over-reacted and that the excessive use of force could not be justified. “The police should maintain law and order and not assault people. I am disappointed. My party will provide Chang and the others with lawyers,” Liu said. According to Liu, the beating was so severe that Chang lost one or two of his teeth. ‘Journalists attacked’ Chinese-language dailies reported today that more than 10 people were seriously injured in yesterday’s incident, which saw BMC residents assaulted by ‘thugs’ allegedly hired by toll concessionaire Grand Saga. However, the company has disassociated itself from the incident, also saying it does not condone violence. About 7pm yesterday, defiant residents attempted to tear down the barricade that had just been rebuilt, but were confronted by unidentified men armed with iron rods, helmets and sticks. “They attacked the residents immediately. About 10 people were assaulted, and three of them were reporters. Their cameras were confiscated as well,” claimed Tan. Star reported that Utusan Malaysia photographer Roy Azis Abdul Aziz had been beaten up when he tried to take photos of the fracas. BMC resident Chin Kee Chong’s right arm was broken (right) and he suffered injuries to his head, while another resident - Lee Ah Seng - sustained severe injuries to his head, which required seven stitches. Some residents claimed that several policemen present during the incident had failed to intervene. Kajang police chief Shakaruddin Che Mood, however, said they were only traffic policemen whom he had sent to the area for traffic control. “They were too busy controlling traffic and could not do anything,” he told reporters, adding that five police reports have been lodged on the assault. Grand Saga has been involved in a long-running dispute over its bid to block a toll-free access road from BMC to the Cheras-Kajang Highway. The barricade has been rebuilt on three occasions, after being torn down by residents. The Selangor menteri besar's political secretary, Nik Nazmi Nik Ali, has said that a response will be issued today over last night’s incident. Watch 6-min video of police beating Chang

Release HINDRAF 5- International Watch dog Posted: 29 May 2008 08:20 AM CDT Malaysiakini reports that an international human rights watchdog today urged the government to immediately release the five Hindraf leaders presently being detained under the Internal Security Act. The watchdog also wants the government to repeal the colonial era law which provided for detention without trial. The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), in a report released today, said that the five Hindu Rights Action Force leaders should be released immediately and unconditionally as their detention was arbitrary. FIDH also urged the government to similarly release all other ISA detainees who are being held without valid legal charges. The five Hindraf leaders - P Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar - were detained on Dec 13 last year for allegedly being a national threat for organising talks and demonstrations highlighting the plight of the Indian community here. "I perceive personally ISA is a risk to Malaysian security because if there are people who have committed terrorist offences, we have to know what they did. "But in fact, it is all unknown," said Laurie Berg, an Australian lawyer, who was present during the release of the report. She added that everyone has a right to know when someone was detained under the ISA and on what grounds they were being detained. "(However) it's impossible to know why anyone is detained under ISA and we might have to just speculate the reason," Berg told the press conference held at Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Kuala Lumpur today. According to an official figure, some 70 people are presently being held under the ISA. Appearance before a judge vital The report also said that the physical and psychological integrity of the five Hindraf leaders should be guaranteed in all circumstances. It also added that the five should have access to their legal counsel, medical assistance and family members. In recent months some of the Hindraf leaders, especially Uthayakumar, have complained that they were not being afforded proper medical treatment. The Federal Court had recently thrown out the appeal by five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders to be released from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA). The ruling meant the five have almost exhausted their legal battle and will have to remain detained under the security law. Berg said that the report prepared by the Paris-based organisation would be submitted to the Malaysian government, the European Union and the United Nations. Apart from repealing the Act and releasing all ISA detainees, the watchdog also recommended that: All arrested under the ISA should be brought before a judge to be informed of the charge(s) being preferred against them. The detainees must be allowed access to their lawyers and family. Everyone must be tried in conformity with international fair trial standards. ‘Not interfering' Berg also brushed aside questions when asked if the report would be perceived as interfering in Malaysian affairs. "We are just trying to encourage the government to do what it has told the international community it will do in respecting the human rights," said Berg. "What we can do is to get Malaysians to see what we believe is their own interest to abolish ISA and also to create more secure and prosperous nation." The press conference was hosted by Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) and was attended by the families of the detainees, including Vasantha Kumar's wife K Vickneswary.