We boycotted unfair DUN sitting!

15 ADUN pembangkang boikot sidang Dewan

SEREMBAN 27 Ogos - Persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri, Negeri Sembilan hari ini tercemar apabila 15 wakil rakyat pakatan pembangkang bertindak keluar Dewan beramai-ramai selepas 25 minit ia bersidang.

Semuanya bermula apabila Ketua Pembangkang, Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Lobak) bangkit dengan menyatakan rasa tidak puas hati dengan sistem penggiliran untuk bercakap sehingga menyebabkan mereka langsung tidak berpeluang mengemukakan soalan-soalan lisan.

Kata Siew Fook yang juga Ahli Parlimen Rasah, beliau telah mengemukakan memorandum kepada Speaker Dewan, Datuk Razak Mansor baru-baru ini supaya membenarkan penggiliran dalam mengemukakan soalan, yang mana satu dari pakatan pembangkang dan satu lagi dari Barisan Nasional (BN) sehingga habis bersidang.

''Kami keluar Dewan kerana tidak berpuas hati dan ini adalah protes terhadap penolakan cadangan yang kami kemukakan," kata Siew Fook yang mewakili 10 wakil rakyat dari DAP, empat dari Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) dan satu dari Pas.

Siew Fook bangkit sebaik Datuk Roslan Yusoff (BN-Johol) selesai bertanyakan prestasi atlet Negeri Sembilan pada temasya Sukma di Terengganu, Jun lalu kepada kerajaan negeri.

''Saya tidak faham mengapa soalan berulang-ulang dibangkitkan oleh wakil rakyat BN dan diberi keutamaan pada soalan lisan yang pertama, sedangkan kita semua sudah tahu prestasi atlet negeri ini," tegas beliau.

Siew Fook mendakwa, banyak soalan dari pakatan pembangkang yang dikemukakan dalam soalan lisan tidak dapat dijawab oleh kerajaan kerana kesuntukan masa.

''Contohnya saya mahu tahu wang yang dibelanjakan oleh kerajaan dalam penyelengaraan kereta terutama yang digunakan oleh Exco," jelas beliau.

Siew Fook berkata, walaupun beliau akan memperoleh jawapan melalui tulisan tetapi tidak berpeluang bertanyakan soalan tambahan yang memerlukan jawapan ketika itu.

''Saya bertanya Speaker dengan kuasa yang ada padanya, apakah beliau boleh menerima cadangan penggiliran tersebut tetapi memberitahu saya untuk merujuk kepada jawatankuasa (peraturan Dewan) terlebih dahulu.

''Saya tidak faham mengapa dia perlu merujuk kepada jawatankuasa, sedangkan dia mempunyai kuasa untuk membuat keputusan ," jelas beliau.

Sementara itu, Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (BN-Rantau) yang ditemui pemberita selepas tamat sesi sidang dewan hari ini berkata, beliau kecewa dan menyatakan apa yang berlaku hari ini ibarat 'sarkas'.

''Masing-masing menjerit dan terpekik untuk memaksa cadangan yang mereka bawa diguna pakai segera pada Sidang Dewan kali ini.

''Jangan jadi 'koboi' tembak sana, tembak sini. Kita ada peraturan, ikutlah dengan betul. Sebagai wakil rakyat kita harus tahu mengawal diri," tegas beliau.

Beliau menjelaskan, dalam menentukan perjalanan Sidang Dewan terdapat beberapa jawatankuasa diwujudkan antaranya berkaitan pentadbiran Dewan, tatatertib Dewan, peraturan dan pindaan dewan.

Mohamad menegaskan, tindakan yang dilakukan oleh ahli pakatan pembangkang cukup biadap kerana meninggalkan Dewan selepas Speaker Dewan membuat keputusan menolak cadangan dan perlu dibawa ke dalam mesyuarat jawatankuasa yang berkaitan.

''Hak mereka tidak diketepikan. Kalau Speaker tidak jalankan tugas dengan baik, mereka keluar dewan pun saya tak kisah. Speaker telah menjalankan tugas dengan baik dan membuat keputusan yang betul," jelas beliau . Read more!

You will be subjected to DNA Act soon!

The bill on DNA was tabled for second reading in Parliament today. And the debate at policy stage has started. This bill was tabled only last week and it was originally slotted after the debate on Universities and Universities Colleges Act (UUCA). But the sequence for debate in the Order Paper was changed yesterday morning to give priority to the DNA bill to be debated first. The government seems to be bulldozing the bill within this week itself! What is your conclusion? Mine is that the government gave higher priority to "someone" sodomy charges than the future of our university students.

The PM said the bill was nothing to do with any particular case and it was planned many years ago. If we have already waited a few years, why can't we wait another few months? It is very clear the bill needs to be passed as soon as possible as wanted by the government. The Human Rights Committee of the Bar Council presented their views to DAP MPs in Parliament this afternoon and we held a press conference to highlight the matter. The bill is very important in the sense that it might be applied to anyone. If you are detained by the police even on minor offences, you are legally obligated to give your DNA.

Our position is that while we acknowledge the importance of DNA is solving criminal cases, there must be sufficient safeguards in the law to protect everyone and prevent it to be misused by the authorities. In this case, the police is given absolute power to govern the whole thing. The head of the DNA data bank is a police officer, those who take the samples are police officers and they are managing it as well. There is not check and balance in the system. The authencity of the samples cannot even be challenged in court!

And the bill did not go through the process of consultation with the staekholders, NGOs, Bar Council, criminalogists and other relevant experts. Even some backbenchers agreed that there are many loopholes in the bill including the MP for Kinabatangan Bung Moktar. I have suggested that the bill should be referred to a Parliamentary Select Commitee so that a nationwide public hearings can be held to obtain feedbacks from all stakeholders to ensure a proper bill can be presented to the Parliament which take into considerations the views of the civil society.

Here are some of the concerns raised by the Bar Council:

1. There are no safeguards in relation to the storage and testing of DNA samples and for DNA profiles as well as how they are to be handled. No regulations were prescribed.

2. No provision for the accused to do his or her own independent DNA test which means that the accused have no way of testing the authenticity of the DNA sample claimed to be his or hers.

3. Categories of persons from whom samples may be taken from are to arbitrary and wide meaning that regardless of whether or not one is being investigated for an offence, DNA sample can be extracted from them.

4.Criteria and power safeguards are lacking in relation to suspected and convicted persons rendering it susceptible to manipulation

5. Privacy rights is illusory and those who refuse to provide samples will be subject to punishment and criminalisation

6. The bill would mean that those who have not been charged or convicted prior to the passing of the bill would be affected by it

7. Destruction of samples should not only be permissive but mandatory after a certain period of time as this provision will leave the head of the DNA databank discretionary powers to do anything with it.

8. Clause 18 of the bill gives no assurance that the extracted DNA sample is not to be used and stored somewhere else after it has been used for a particular case.

9. Clause 24 of the bill states that the extracted samples are conclusive evidence which means that the court and the accused have no authority to question the process of the DNA profiling.

10. Without proper DNA data protection laws, the power to export DNA samples to foreign law agencies should be curtailed all together.. Read more!

Now only Pak Lah knows about our sufferings

All newspapers gave prominent coverage to Pak Lah's "spot check" on KTM Komuter and the LRT services yesterday. While I welcome Pak Lah to have a "personal feel" about the problems faced by the general public on a daily basis, it reflects very badly on the government. Pak Lah said he was very dissapointed with the services as it took him more than 1 hour to travel from Serdang to Masjid Jamek!

He made a few observations on the weaknesses of the train system. Well, nothing wrong with his observations but it don't need a PhD in Transportation or a Prime Minister to make those points. Everybody who used our trains system before can tell you what are the problems we faced. There are almost daily write-up in the newspapers or the "Letters to Editor" section on the mess of our public transportation system.

And many debates and complaints have been articulated in Parliament including myself on those issue. A few possibilities here. Maybe our dearest PM did not read newspapers or his "4th floor boys" did not brief him about what are the issues highlighted in the press. Or our Transport Minister never raise up those issues before in the Cabinet. Is it mean that Chan Kong Choy was just "makan gaji buta" when he was Transport Minister from 2004-2008? And Tee Keat should also be ashamed about the state of our transportation system. Just wondering why Pak Lah don't even bother to invite for the train ride? No respect or confidence whatsoever to his own Minister?

Well, we don't need the PM to tell us what are the problems we faced in the transportation system. What the public wants to hear are solutions and actions by the government to improve the services be leaps and bounds. No more excuses such as LRT are not under Transport Ministry...bla bla bla...There are all under the same Federal Government.

Pak Lah, we want you to solve the problems immediately, not taking pictures in the train by showing how "prihatin" are you to the people! Read more!

Interest rate for housing loan averaged 4.62% in June

Soalan:

Tuan Loke Siew Fook (Rasah) minta MENTERI KEWANGAN menyatakan sama ada Kerajaan bercadang untuk menurunkan kadar faedah pinjaman untuk pembeli rumah untuk menjana industri perumahan dan membantu golongan berpendapatan rendah supaya lebih mampu memiliki rumah milik sendiri. Sekiranya ya, bila dan berapa kadarnya. Sekiranya tidak, mengapa.

JAWAPAN:

Untuk makluman Yang Berhormat, kadar faedah untuk pinjaman perumahan baru pada Jun 2008 secara puratanya adalah 4.62% setahun. Kadar ini adalah lebih rendah berbanding purata kadar berian pinjaman asas (BLR) yang berada pada 6.72% bagi pinjaman lain. Dalam menentukan kadar faedah untuk pinjaman perumahan, institusi-institusi perbankan akan mengambil kira kos dana mereka, tempoh pinjaman dan kemampuan pembayaran balik pinjaman serta keadaan pasaran semasa.

2. Bagi membantu golongan yang berpendapatan rendah membeli rumah kos rendah dan sederhana, Syarikat Jaminan Kredit untuk Perumahan Berhad telah melancarkan skim pinjaman berjamin pada 1 Januari 2008. Melalui skim itu, golongan yang tidak mempunyai pendapatan tetap seperti nelayan, petani dan peniaga kecil berpeluang membuat pinjaman perumahan yang dijamin oleh Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan Bhd menerusi Bank Simpanan Nasional dan Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd. Skim ini disasarkan untuk pembelian rumah yang bernilai kurang daripada RM60,000 pada kadar faedah kadar pinjaman asas (BLR)+ 0% dengan tempoh pinjaman selama 40 tahun atau pinjaman untuk dua generasi.

3. Institusi-institusi perbankan digalakkan menetapkan sasaran pinjaman kepada pembelian rumah bernilai tidak lebih daripada RM100,000. Ini bertujuan memastikan peminjam yang layak untuk membeli rumah dalam lingkungan harga tersebut terus mendapat akses kepada pinjaman pada kos yang berpatutan. Pada masa ini, kadar faedah pinjaman yang dicaj oleh institusi-institusi perbankan bagi pinjaman kategori ini tidak boleh melebihi 1.75% di atas kadar pinjaman asas (yang berada pada tahap 6.75% buat masa ini). Di samping itu, institusi perbankan telah memberikan komitmen untuk membantu meringankan beban peminjam. Antara usaha-usaha yang telah dilaksanakan adalah seperti berikut:

i. merangkumkan kos awal seperti fi guaman sebagai sebahagian dari pinjaman. Dalam kes-kes tertentu institusi perbankan boleh menanggung kos fi guaman dan duti setem bagi pihak pembeli;

ii. menawarkan produk-produk yang mengenakan kadar pinjaman faedah yang amat kompetitif; dan

iii. institusi perbankan bersedia mengadakan rundingan awal dengan peminjam sebelum mereka menghadapi masalah bayaran balik. Institusi perbankan juga bersedia menstrukturkan semula pinjaman dengan melanjutkan tempoh pinjaman kepada mereka yang benar-benar menghadapi masalah bayaran balik. . Read more!

Memorandum to State Assembly Speaker

The Negeri Sembilan State Assembly second sitting for the year which was scheduled for 25-26 August has been postponed for 2 days. Reason? I don't think it is co-incident that 26 August is the polling day for Permatang Pauh by-election. I heard sources that the NS MB wants to be seen in the BN's campaign. Not so much for Permatang Pauh but the bigger battle, UMNO Supreme Council election.

I have openly criticized the move to postpone the assembly sitting. This shows that the BN leaders put their own political interest above the people. Nothing is more important than the Assembly sitting for all ADUNs in NS.

The state government also rejected 6 out of my 16 questions submitted. They refused to answer my queries on the official cars, MB's holiday expenses and a few more.

Attached is my memorandum to the State Assembly Speaker submitted 2 hours ago:

19 Ogos 2008

YB Datuk Razak Mansor
Yang Di Pertua
Dewan Undangan Negeri
Negeri Sembilan

YB Datuk,

CADANGAN UNTUK MELICINKAN PERJALANAN PERSIDANGAN DUN

Adalah dengan segala hormatnya saya merujuk kepada perkara yang tersebut di atas.

2. Saya mewakili ADUN-ADUN Pakatan Rakyat ingin membuat beberapa cadangan kepada pihak YB untuk dipertimbangkan bertujuan untuk melicinkan perjalanan persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri Negeri Sembilan. Saya berharap pihak YB boleh mempertimbangkan bahawa pada masa kini terdapat 15 ADUN dari Pakatan Rakyat dalam Dewan dan justeru itu, adalah wajar kami diberikan peluang yang sama rata untuk mengemukakan soalan-soalan lisan dan mengambil bahagian dalam segala perbahasan.

3. Cadangan-cadangan yang ingin dikemukakan adalah seperti berikut:

a) Soalan Lisan

Pada persidangan April yang lalu, susunan soalan lisan adalah mendahulukan ADUN-ADUN Barisan Nasional. Selepas semua ADUN BN bertanya, baru dimulakan ADUN Pakatan Rakyat. Dalam masa yang disuntukkan selama satu setengah jam, adalah mustahil ADUN dari Pakatan Rakyat mempunyai peluang untuk mengemukakan soalan lisan kami.

Kami mencadangkan supaya susunan soalan ini mencontohi cara Parlimen membahagikan soalan iaitu soalan dari BN dan Pakatan Rakyat diselang-selikan. Ini bermaksud sekiranya wakil BN diberikan soalan pertama, maka soalan kedua seharusnya datang dari wakil Pakatan Rakyat. Selepas itu, soalan ketiga kembali kepada wakil BN dan keempat kepada Pakatan Rakyat dan susunan ini diteruskan sehingga tamat masa soalan. Cara susunan ini adalah lebih adil supaya setiap ADUN mempunyai peluang untuk mengemukakan soalan mereka berbanding susunan sebelum ini. Sekiranya ada ADUN yang tidak sempat bertanya pada hari pertama, maka soalan hari kedua perlu diberikan peluang kepada mereka. Yang Di Pertua bolehlah menentukan siapa yang bertanya dahulu dan soalannya mengikut kedudukannya dalam parti.

b) Masa Berbahas

Kami juga berharap Yang Di Pertua boleh memberikan kelonggaran dalam masa berbahas. Oleh kerana persidangan DUN hanya berlangsung secara puratanya 8 hari setahun, maka adalah wajar ADUN diberikan masa yang lebih panjang untuk berbahas. Saya mencadangkan dalam setiap usul atau Rang Undang-undang, setiap ADUN seharusnya diberikan masa minimum 20 hingga 30 minit. Dalam perbahasan yang penting seperti Usul Menjujung Kasih Ucapan Diraja dan usul BAJET, seharusnya 30 ke 45 minit diperuntukkan untuk setiap ADUN.

Saya juga berharap keistimewaan dari segi masa perbahasan yang lebih panjang boleh diberikan kepada Ketua Pembangkang DUN. Ini merupakan satu kebiasaan di Parlimen kerana semasa ucapan Bajet, Ketua Pembangkang tidak dihadkan masa untuk berbahas.

c) Soalan ADUN ditolak

Salah satu fungsi utama dalam DUN ialah membolehkan ADUN mempersoalkan segala pemasalahan, isu, dasar dan segala perbelanjaan yang dilakukan oleh Kerajaan Negeri untuk kepentingan dan pengetahuan orang ramai. Namun, saya berasa amat dukacita melihat bahawa banyak soalan yang dikemukakan oleh ADUN pembangkang ditolak tanpa memberikan sebarang sebab dan alasan. Contohnya, untuk persidangan akan datang, 6 soalan saya telah ditolak tanpa sebarang sebab. Soalan-soalan saya berkait dengan dasar dan perbelanjaan kerajaan telah ditolak dengan sewenangnya.

Saya melihat perkara ini secara serius dan merasakan ia adalah sesuatu yang sangat tidak sihat. Kerajaan Negeri tidak boleh memilih untuk tidak menjawap soalan yang mungkin akan menimbulkan persoalan kepada mereka di kalangan orang ramai.

Saya berharap Datuk Yang Di Pertua boleh memberikan pertimbangan yang serius dalam perkara ini dan mempertahankan kewibawaan dan kemuliaan Dewan Undangan Negeri.

d) Susunan kerusi ADUN Pakatan Rakyat

Saya juga berharap YB Datuk boleh menyusun semula susunan kedudukan kerusi ADUN Pakatan Rakyat sebelum bermulanya persidangan Ogos ini. Ini adalah kerana susunan sekarang sebenarnya tidak mengikuti kedudukan atau jawatan mereka dalam Parti masing-masing. Jawatan Parti yang lebih tinggi seharusnya menjadi ukuran untuk menentukan kedudukan mereka yang lebih depan dalam Dewan.

4. Kami dalam Pakatan Rakyat amat mengharapkan YB Datuk dapat mempertimbangkan cadangan-cadangan ini dan dapat melaksanakannya dalam Persidangan 27-28 Ogos ini. Kami amat menghormati kewibawaan kerusi Yang Di Pertua DUN dan kami mengharapkan YB Datuk dapat melaksanakan tanggungjawab ini mengatasi kepentingan politik kepartian. Pertimbangan YB Datuk sangatlah dihargai untuk kepentingan bersama mempertahankan kemuliaan Dewan Undangan Negeri.

Sekian. Terima kasih.

Berkhidmat untuk rakyat,

……………………………………..
LOKE SIEW FOOK
Ketua Pembangkang DUN NS
Merangkap ADUN Kawasan Lobak

. Read more!

4 years legal battle over a RM304 bribery case

In 2004, I brought a 17 years old girl to lodge an ACA report for an alleged bribe of RM304. The Investigating Officer screwed up the case and the case was thrown out on technical grounds. The ACA did not even appeal to Higher Court. But even before the policeman was acquitted, he sued the girl for defamation which he claimed had tarnish his "reputation" and caused him be suspended from the police force.

The case became national issue when i brought the girl to lodge a complain to the Parliamentary Human Rights Caucus Chairman Datuk Nazri in 2005 on the ground that a civil servant should not sue a complainant who lodge a bribery case to the authority. Who will dare to come forward to complain to the ACA in future.

Nazri brought the case to the Cabinet and subsequently the Cabinet advised the policeman to withdraw the civil suit. The policeman refused to do so! See how great he is. The case went on and finally judgement was delivered yesterday. The Magistrate Court dismissed the policeman's case and ordered him to pay costs.

A big sense of relief...though it is not final yet...the policeman immediately appealed to the High Court. He has all the rights to do so..and our DAP's lawyer Siow Kim Leong who represents the girl has vowed to fight the case all the way. And Siow provided his service on a "pro-bono" basis (free legal service for a public-interest case).

Court throws out policeman's suit

2008/08/16

SEREMBAN: The magistrate's court yesterday dismissed a suit filed by a police lance corporal against a teenager who accused him of soliciting a bribe from her when she was stopped at a roadblock here in June 2004. Magistrate Saiful Bahari Adzmi said he was dismissing the suit on the "balance of probabilities" and he would give his grounds of judgment at a later date.

Lance corporal Bahrin Awang had sued Foo Sze Kuan, 20, for lodging an Anti-Corruption Agency report against him for allegedly asking her for a bribe when she was stopped at the roadblock.

Foo had claimed that the policeman asked her for RM304 to settle two traffic offences which she had committed.

Bahrin, who was at the time attached to the Rahang police station, filed a suit against Foo in March 2006.

The suit drew the attention of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, who advised Bahrin to withdraw it, saying that it was a form of "veiled threat" that would discourage people from reporting corrupt practices.

However, the then Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said it was Bahrin's fundamental right and that they would not interfere.

Bahrin insisted on his right to sue, saying that the charges brought against him had embarrassed him and his family, and that the cabinet and others should refrain from commenting on the case. He said due to the charges brought against him, he was suspended on half pay and this caused great hardship to his family.

Foo was represented by Siow Kim Leong while Rajinder Singh appeared for Bahrin.

In his submission, Siow told the court that Foo was protected under Section 54 of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 which clearly states that "no legal proceedings, civil or criminal, shall be taken against any officer of the agency or any individual assisting such an officer for any act which is done in good faith or for any omission which is omitted in good faith by such officer or other person".

Met outside court, Rajinder said his client would appeal against the decision. Bahrin, who was present with his son, declined comment.. Read more!

Are there any safe places in Malaysia?

I attach 2 news reports by NST below for you to analyze and see how contradict between the Home Minister and the NS CPO. I held a press conference just now and raised a few questions that needs to be answered by the police and the Home Minister.

Please see my points after the article.

Negri Sembilan police confirm drug theft by detainee

2008/08/13

SEREMBAN: Police yesterday confirmed that a detainee was responsible for the theft of 3kg of drugs from their evidence room more than two months ago. State police chief Datuk Osman Salleh said investigations into the theft of the drugs, believed to be evidence from a drug haul worth RM1.2 million in May, had been completed. He said the case had been sent to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Osman, however, did not want to reveal if the 3kg of ketamine were recovered.

"That is for us to know. The police know where it went," he said on the missing evidence linked to an international drug syndicate, at a press conference here yesterday.

Osman, however, took offence at the New Straits Times' front page report yesterday which said that the stolen drugs were shared among detainees in the cell at the Seremban district police headquarters.

He said the prisoners did not have a "party" as reported, adding that the report implied that the detainees were high on drugs.

"This gives the police a bad image," he said, adding that the reporters who wrote the article would be called to have their statements recorded.

He claimed that the facts in the report were wrong and that the newspaper should apologise as it was published on the front page.

Asked if police would be taking action against the policemen on duty on the night of the theft, Osman said it was an internal matter that would be handled accordingly.

"It was just a weakness on our side which we have rectified."

The New Straits Times reported that the 30-year-old detainee was brought to the lock-up from the Sungai Buloh prison in June to be tried in the Seremban Sessions Court for various offences.

The detainee allegedly used a piece of metal pulled out from the toilet retainer in his cell and picked the lock in the cell. He then allegedly picked the lock at the evidence room where he stole the drugs and shared it among the detainees in his cell.


Change all locks, orders minister
By Hamidah Atan

2008/08/14

PUTRAJAYA: Lock systems at all cells and evidence rooms in police stations nationwide will be changed immediately. The order was given by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar following the theft of drugs from the Johor and Seremban police headquarters in the last two months.

The two incidents, he said, showed that security at police stations and other government buildings must not be taken for granted.

"This is what happens if such things are taken lightly and standard operating procedures not followed.

"Although action has been taken against those involved, the locks must be replaced immediately to prevent a recurrence."

On the Seremban case, he said: "I was told that they brought a remand prisoner, who is a key expert, to clean the lock-ups. This person seemed familiar with the people (policemen) there.

"As far as I am concerned, the officers in this case did not pay attention to procedures. They took things for granted."

Syed Hamid said police officers must comply with the standard operating procedures.

"If they comply, they will not leave prisoners unattended no matter how friendly they are with them. These are prisoners with records!"

On the allegation that the prisoners had a drug party, he said: "I was told there was none. But they are still investigating."

He did not dismiss the possibility that some of the drugs which were stolen were flushed down the toilet to get rid of the evidence.

"I don't think there should be any excuse. Still, these incidents have occurred and remedial measures must be taken."

The stolen ketamine is believed to be evidence from a drug haul worth RM1.2 million in May in which five members of an international drug syndicate were arrested.



Based on what the CPO and Home Minister said on the incident,many mind-boggling questions arises.

1) Is our police station safe? Why the most "security-sensitive" area can be so easily broken into? If even police stations are not safe, are there any safe places in our country?

2) The CPO did not deny the earlier NST report that the whole incident was captured by CCTV. My question is if it was captured by CCTV, why the police did not take action immediately at the time of incident? Was the control room in the IPD which monitored all the CCTVs not manned by any officers? How can this be? The control room must be monitored at all times, isn't it? If the officer in the control room failed in his duty, shouldn't he or she be suspended immediately?

3) If the CPO is so sure that the so-called "drug party" never took place, why there is a need of further investigations as said by Syed Hamid?

4) Syed Hamid said "This person seemed familiar with the people (policemen) there". This is very serious. This statement can give the impression to question that whether the whole incident was the job of the detainee alone or was it a coordinated theft?

5) To Syed Hamid, it is not the locks that need to be changed, it is the system in the police and the officers that need a change!

Many questions are arising from this incident. I will definitely raise this issue in the coming Parliamentary session in the very first instance where i have a chance to quiz the Home Minister or his deputy.

I call on the Anti-Corruption Agency to probe into the matter as it was not proper for the police to do the investigations involving their own turf. . Read more!

Clarification on "ISA statement"

I received a call from MP for PJ Utara Sdr Tony Pua last night informing me that there are a lot of attacks on the DAP by many bloggers over the "statement" by DAP NS Deputy Chairman, Sdr P Gunasekaren which was reported by The Star online (reports attached below). The report quoted Sdr Guna as calling on the police to invoke ISA against the demonstrators.

I have immediately called up Sdr Guna to clarify the matter and he denied making the statement and said he was misquoted. Guna and I went to the The Star's office in Seremban this afternoon and spoke to the reporter who covered the event yesterday. The reporter admitted that he misinterpreted the statement and a correction over the confusion will be reported in The Star tomorrow. In actual fact, a group of DAP NS leaders went to lodge a police report yesterday over the threat by Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to use ISA against the forum organizers. The report also called on the police to act against the demonstrators who disrupted the forum.

I would like to reiterate that the DAP's position on ISA has always been consistent that we call for the total abolishment of the Act. We never agreed to use ISA against anyone, not even to our political opponents or extreme views that we disagreed with such as those who disrupted the Bar Council forum. We believe that there are adequate laws to deal with them. As such, the so-called "statement" by DAP NS Deputy Chairman to call for the use of ISA is inaccurate and was misquoted.

I hope this clarification will clear the confusion over the statement and I hope those who criticized the "statement" will publish my clarifications too.

Thank you.

Loke Siew Fook
DAP NS Chairman


Tuesday August 12, 2008 MYT 3:35:09 PM
Cops urged to act against forum-bashers

SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan DAP wants the police to charge the demonstrators who disrupted and threatened to storm the Bar Council forum on Saturday.

Its state deputy chief and Senawang asemblyman P. Gunasekaren said police should have arrested the demonstrators rather than allowed three of them to enter the Bar Council office, which was private property.

“It is sad that the police allowed them to dictate terms. The demonstrators should be arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act for stoking racial sentiments,” he said when met at the district police station in Seremban 2.

Earlier, Bukit Kepayang assemblyman Cha Kee Chin lodged a report at the police station against the demonstrators. Accompanying him were Seremban MP John Fernandez, Temiang assemblyman Ng Chin Tsai and Gunasekaren.

In his report Cha said he failed to understand why the police couldn’t control the crowd and ask them to disperse although they numbered only a few hundred.

“We have to reiterate here that the DAP respects Article 3 of the Federal Constitution which states that Islam is the official religion of this country.

“But Article 10 of the same Constitution also states that we have freedom of association and freedom of speech,” he said.

Cha said the DAP was also unhappy with statements by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which he described as “threatening.”

“The participants at the forum were multi-racial. They were only having discussions in the best interest of all Malaysians,” he said.. Read more!

Snake house of death shocker

Below is news excerpt from NST online. It reported that I highlighted the issue. In actual fact, it wasn't me who highlighted the matter. The news was scoop by Sin Chew Daily more than a week ago. I knew about the issue through the paper. A senior NST reporter called me yesterday and asked me to comment about it. So i did comment about it which was reported below. I will never claim credit which was not due to me :)

SEREMBAN: Almost all of the 70 snakes at the government-run Kuala Pilah Snake Farm near here have died in the past few months.The dead snakes are believed to include a green anaconda from Brazil, which made the headlines in May when it gave birth to 13 offspring.

The anaconda was one of a pair that had arrived at the snake farm at the Ulu Bendul Forest Reserve here in March.

It is believed all the anacondas, including the babies, have died.

State DAP chairman Anthony Loke Siew Fook, who highlighted the matter, said almost RM1 million was spent on the farm, which opened in February.About 30 species of snakes were brought in from various parts of the world but only two or three Malaysian and Thai species are surviving.

Among the snakes at the farm were six red-tailed boa imported from Brazil and a Burmese python from Myanmar.

Others included the blood python, Borneo short-tailed python, Amazon tree boa, Columbia boa, Brazillian rainbow boa, Albino Burmese python, Indian python and the Bolivian anaconda.

When it was first opened, the 4ha farm attracted thousands of visitors and was the pride of Kuala Pilah. But things are different these days.

"Although the farm remains open, there are hardly any visitors. We don't know what the future of the farm is going to be," Loke said, adding that so much of the state's money was spent on the project but it had not been properly coordinated and monitored.

Loke claimed that no proper research was done about the snakes' natural habitat and living conditions before they were brought to the farm.

"What is even more shocking is that we were told that the caretakers who were in charge of the monkeys and orang utans were given the task of caring for these rare species of snakes."

Loke said the matter should be investigated, and the DAP would demand a detailed explanation at the coming state legislative assembly sitting this month.

Among other matters, he said it was important to find out who had been responsible for procuring the snakes, the preparations undertaken before the snakes were brought in and what caused their deaths.

Attempts to get comments from the Wildlife Department failed. Read more!

DUN questions 25-26 August

Soalan-soalan Lisan ADUN LOBAK (Hari Pertama – 25 Ogos 2008)

1)Langkah-langkah pembaharuan kerajaan negeri

Sila huraikan 5 langkah pembaharuan dalam sistem pentadbiran kerajaan yang telah atau akan dilaksanakan oleh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan selepas menghadapi tsunami politik dalam pilihanraya umum ke-12.

2)Menarik balik perintah subsekyen 36 (1) Ordinan Haiwan 1953

Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan telah mewartakan satu perintah berkuatkuasa 20 Mac 1999 di bawah subseksyen 36 (1) Ordinan Haiwan 1953 yang mengisytiharkan Negeri Sembilan sebagai satu kawasan dijangkiti, kawasan kawalan dan kawasan pembasmian penyakit viral ensefalitis. Memandangkan Negeri Sembilan kini telah bebas daripada penyakit ensefalitis, adakah Kerajaan Negeri bercadang untuk menarik balik perintah ini? Jika ya, bila? Jika tidak, mengapa?

3)Kos pembinaan plaza tol Seremban yang baru

Adalah difahamkan bahawa projek pembinaan plaza tol Seremban yang baru akan dilaksanakan dalam separuh penggal kedua Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan dan memakan belanja sebanyak RM168 juta. Siapakah yang akan menanggung kos ini dan sila berikan pecahan kos yang terbabit? Berapakah keluasan tanah yang perlu diambil balik dan berapakah kadar tanah yang perlu dibayar oleh Kerajaan Negeri?

Soalan-soalan Lisan ADUN LOBAK (Hari Kedua – 26 Ogos 2008)

1)Status pegawai khas di pusat khidmat masyarakat Barisan Nasional

Adalah difahamkan bahawa Kerajaan Negeri akan melantik pegawai-pegawai khas untuk ditempatkan di pusat-pusat khidmat masyarakat Barisan Nasional di kawasan-kawasan DUN yang dikuasai oleh wakil DAP, PKR dan PAS. Apakah status pegawai-pegawai ini dan samada mereka ialah kakitangan kerajaan? Berapakah gaji mereka dan ditanggung oleh jabatan mana? Apakah skop kerja dan kuasa mereka dan berdasarkan peraturan dan perintah am apa atas perlantikan mereka?

2)Langkah-langkah mengurangkan kos

Sila nyatakan secara terperinci 5 langkah utama yang telah dan akan diambil oleh Kerajaan Negeri untuk mengurangkan kos perbelanjaan dan pengurusan dalam pentadbiran kerajaan negeri dan nyatakan sejauh manakah keberkesanan langkah tersebut dan jumlah kos yang telah dijimat setakat ini.

3)Rancangan Tanah Terpinggir

Berapakah keluasan tanah di seluruh Negeri Sembilan yang telah dikenalpasti untuk tujuan pembangunan dalam Rancangan Tanah Terpinggir? Apakah jenis pembangunan yang dirancang untuk tanah-tanah tersebut dan apakah mekanisme untuk masyarakat setempat terlibat dalam rancangan tersebut?


Soalan-soalan Bertulis ADUN LOBAK (Sidang DUN 25-26 Ogos 2008)

1)Kereta-kereta rasmi yang dimiliki oleh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan

Sila nyatakan senarai terperinci semua kereta rasmi yang dimiliki oleh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan mengikut model kereta, kos semasa dibeli, kos pasaran sekarang, tahun dibeli, nombor plet kereta dan siapa yang menggunakan kereta tersebut.
Sila nyatakan kos penyelenggaraan setiap tahun bagi tahun 2004, 2005, 2006 dan 2007 untuk setiap kereta yang disenaraikan seperti dalam soalan (a)
Adakah Kerajaan Negeri bercadang untuk membeli kereta-kereta rasmi yang baru untuk Menteri Besar dan Ahli-ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri dalam masa terdekat?

2)Projek menaiktaraf Jalan Temiang

Pihak Majlis Perbandaran Seremban sedang dalam proses pemberian tender untuk projek menaiktaraf Jalan Temiang. Adalah difahamkan bahawa projek tersebut melibatkan jalan dari persimpangan Jalan Temiang sehingga Pondok Polis Temiang.

Berapakah jumlah kos untuk projek ini dan bilakah ia dapat disiapkan sepenuhnya?
Adakah pihak MPS bercadang untuk memanjangkan jalan yang ingin dinaiktarafkan sehingga bulatan di Taman Desa Temiang sekiranya mendapat peruntukan tambahan memandangkan jalan dari Pondok Polis Temiang sehingga Taman Desa Temiang adalah sangat sempit dan tidak pernah dinaiktarafkan?
Siapakah kontraktor untuk projek ini dan samada tender terbuka dipanggil?

3)Projek menaiktaraf Jalan Tan Sri Manickavasangam

Dewan yang mulia ini pernah dimaklumkan bahawa Jalan Tan Sri Manickavasangam iaitu jalan utama di kawasan Lobak yang pesat membangun menjadi pusat komersial akan dinaiktarafkan.

Apakah status projek ini dan bilakah projek menaiktaraf jalan ini dapat dilaksanakan? Berapakah kos untuk melaksanakan projek ini dan samada peruntukan telah diluluskan? Sila berikan butir-butir teknikal seperti panjang, lebar dan kerja-kerja berkaitan yang telah dirancang untuk projek naiktaraf ini.

4)Projek membina “culvert” di persimpangan Jalan Vello

Pihak Majlis Perbandaran Seremban telah memulakan projek membina “culvert” besar di persimpangan Jalan Vello untuk mengatasi masalah banjir kilat kira-kira 4 bulan yang lepas. Sebahagian jalan di Jalan Tuanku Munawir juga ditutup kepada kenderaan untuk tujuan projek ini namun projek ini masih belum diselesaikan sehingga kini kerana dikatakan masalah-masalah kabel perkhidmatan utiliti yang lain yang perlu dialihkan.

Secara spesifiknya, bilakah projek ini dapat diselesaikan?
Mengapakah pihak jurutera tidak mengenal pasti kabel-kabel di bawah jalan tersebut sebelum projek dimulakan dan siapakah yang patut dipertanggungjawabkan dalam perkara ini? Masalah seumpama ini pernah berlaku dalam projek awam yang lain juga. Apakah tindakan dan langkah yang diambil oleh pihak berkuasa untuk memastikan ia tidak berulang lagi?

5)Kos Cuti Seberang Laut untuk Menteri Besar dan Cuti Khas Luar Negara untuk Ahli EXCO

Sila berikan butir-butir terperinci kos yang ditanggung oleh Kerajaan Negeri dalam tuntutan untuk “Cuti Seberang Laut” yang dinikmati oleh Menteri Besar bagi tahun 2004, 2005, 2006 dan 2007.
Sila berikan butir-butir terperinci kos yang ditanggung oleh Kerajaan Negeri dalam tuntutan untuk “Cuti Khas Luar Negara” yang dinikmati oleh Ahli-ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri bagi penggal 2004-2008.

6)Industri kelapa sawit di Negeri Sembilan

Berapakah jumlah keluaran kelapa sawit dalam tan metrik di Negeri Sembilan mengikut setiap bulan dalam 12 bulan yang lalu? Berapakah nilai hasil keluaran tersebut mengikut setiap bulan? Sila nyatakan jumlah keluasan tanah yang mengusahakan tanaman kelapa sawit di seluruh Negeri Sembilan dan pemilik-pemilik utama ladang-ladang tersebut.

7)Status tanah di alamat 529A, Jalan Tuanku Antah, 70100 Seremban

Apakah status terkini lot tanah yang beralamat 529A, Jalan Tuanku Antah, 70100 Seremban? Adakah ia masih tanah “TOL” atau tanah beri milik?
Sekiranya tanah beri milik, siapakah pemilik tanah tersebut sekarang?
Sekiranya tanah beri milik, bilakah ia diberi milik dan berapakah premium tanahnya?

8)Penyelenggaraan untuk Rumah-rumah Pangsa Awam di Lobak

Berapakah peruntukan yang diberikan oleh Kerajaan Negeri dan PBT untuk tujuan penyelenggaraan Rumah Pangsa Templer dan Rumah Pangsa MPS di kawasan Lobak untuk tahun 2008? Adakah pihak MPS yang menyelenggarakan rumah-rumah pangsa di Lobak bercadang untuk mengecat semula dinding luaran yang telah lama dan mencacatkan penglihatan?Adakah sistem pendawaian elektrik di rumah-rumah pangsa tersebut dalam keadaan selamat dan diselenggarakan secara berkala?

9)Bantuan kewangan kepada anak-anak Negeri Sembilan yang berjaya mendapat tempat di IPTA dan IPTS

Apakah jenis bantuan kewangan yang diberikan oleh Kerajaan Negeri untuk anak-anak Negeri Sembilan yang berjaya mendapat tempat di IPTA dan IPTS? Sekiranya ada, berapakah amaun yang diberikan kepada setiap pelajar?
Apakah syarat-syarat untuk memohon bantuan kewangan tersebut? Sila senaraikan secara terperinci. Apakah prosedur dan mekanisme untuk memohon bantuan tersebut? Sila huraikan

10)Perjalanan mesyuarat Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan

Adalah difahamkan bahawa semua mesyuarat pihak berkuasa tempatan di Negeri Sembilan dijalankan secara tertutup padahal kebanyakan mesyuarat PBT di negeri-negeri lain dibuka kepada orang ramai dan pihak media.

Adakah ini merupakan dasar yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan Negeri dan sekiranya ya, apakah rasionalnya? Adakah Kerajaan Negeri sedar bahawa perjalanan mesyuarat PBT yang tidak dibuka kepada orang ramai adalah bercanggahan dengan seksyen 23, Akta Kerajaan Tempatan 1976? Adakah Kerajaan Negeri bercadang untuk membuka semua mesyuarat PBT di Negeri Sembilan kepada orang ramai untuk menggalakkan ketelusan dalam sistem pentadbiran PBT? . Read more!

Where are you watching Olympics opening?

Any plans to watch the Beijing Olympics's opening ceremony with your friends this Friday night? As all of you know, the 2008 Olympics will start on 08.08.08..a 4-years-once kind of event which everyone has an interest in. It is not much fun if you watch such historic event alone at home right? Do you feel like watching it with a big group? Watch it with a big screen, have some bites and play some games over a Friday night? Well, if you are interested...i have a date with you!

We are organizing a party to watch the event together this Friday...details as below:

Date: 8th August 2008 (Friday)
Time: Start at 7.30 p.m.
Venue: 1388 Seremban Country Club (Rasah kemayan)
Cover charge: RM20 per pax (buffet dinner with a bottle of drinks)

For reservation, call my office at 06-763 4525...pls confirm first and you can pay on the spot. See you there! Read more!

Running around...

I apologize for not updating this blog in the last few days. Were busy running around the state for various programmes and visits. Was in Batu Kikir, Bahau on Tuesday night for the ceramah with Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim..huge crowd, more than 5 thousand folks. Visited Site A village Tanah Merah near Bukit Pelandok on Wednesday to talk and listen to the former pig farmers in that area. Bukit Pelandok was the biggest pig farms in the country prior to the JE outbreak. I will blog about their stories later.

Went to Nilai and Mantin on Thursday to visit the constituency with the local DAP ADUN. Then, attended a thanksgiving dinner in the evening at our Rasah branch premise at Rasah New Village. Friday went to Tampin to visit our DAP SA's service center and later attended a mammoth dinner in Malacca to welcome the return of Sdr Lim Guan Eng to Malacca (more than 350 tables). I have many things to blog about this week but just no time to sit down to blog about it. Many interesting issues and cases that i came across in the last few days.

Anyway, hope all of you had a wonderful weekend and i will first put up my DUN questions which was just submitted to the Unit Dewan for your perusal :)

P/S: encountered some technical problems with this blog site and faced difficulties to update my blog. Read more!