Give Paul Low six months before we judge him

Francis Paul Siah

COMMENT Newly-minted minister Paul Low must be having mixed feelings these days.

Surely, it must have been a great honour to be appointed a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. Low must feel proud to be recognised for his past contributions to the nation, both as a business and civil society leader. Rightly, he should.

On the other hand, the barrage of criticisms against Low could have weighed him down and dampened his spirit considerably.

It must be particularly uncomfortable when people in Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M), the very organisation he served as chairperson, started casting aspersions on some of his decisions.

Then, some Pakatan Rakyat leaders unleashed some harsh words on him immediately after he gave his first press conference as a minister.

I thought that was a bit premature and unfair to the man who has just started work (at a ripe age of 66, mind you) and in an unfamiliar setting.

Yesterday, former MACC adviser Robert Phang dropped another bombshell when he said that Low had violated Transparency International’s code of ethics by accepting his appointment as a minister.

Referring to Low’s statement that he has no enforcement powers, Phang said it was an admission by Low that he is a lame duck.

Not very uplifting words from people whom Low would gladly call friends, I’m sure.

300 Sarawak natives protest at hydropower confab

About 300 people from various native groups held a protest this morning at an international conference of hydropower industry stakeholders in Kuching, Sarawak.

This was intended to highlight the plight of indigenous peoples who are suffering the negative effects of the state’s numerous hydropower dam projects.

According to Save Rivers, a pro-native rights NGO, the protestors included people from the Penan, Kayan, Kenyah and Iban ethnic groups.

They have consistently raised issues with the construction of dams in Bengoh, Murum, Bakum, Baram and Limbang.

The 40-minute protest kicked off at 11am today at the entrance of the Borneo Convention Centre and protestors handed leaflets to participants at the conference organised by the International Hydropower Association.

‘GST will burden every M’sian by RM1,000 a year’

Every Malaysian will be burdened by an extra RM 1,000 a year should the government impose a 7 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said.

He also said that the GST rate would make it easy for the federal government to hand out Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) of RM1,200 as it has promised, because the government stands to earn an extra RM5,000 from every household by implementing GST.

“BN will reap great profits while the rakyat who are of the lower income group will be the ones who will suffer losses,” he said in a statement today.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Idris Jala recently hinted that the government could earn up to RM27 billion in extra revenue by imposing a 7percent GST rate.

Worst custodial death case since Kugan, says Surendran

By Hafiz Yatim

The latest case of custodial death, that of N Dharmendran, is the worst that lawyer and newly-elected lawmaker N Surendran has seen since the death of A Kugan in 2009.

Surendran (left) – who has been appointed as lawyer for the family – said both Dharmendran’s ears were stapled, and that there had been severe marks of having been hit by the authorities on his thighs and back.

“I have been allowed to view Dharmendran’s body with lawyer Latheefa Koya and the family members of the deceased after the pathologist had allowed us to view it at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) mortuary.”

“There were physical evidence of beatings and torture to the front of his thighs, and at the back of his body, there were beating marks on his back (severe to the point that) it had swelled up.

“The ears are stapled and there are staples left intact, which could be (clearly) seen on the ears.

“This is the worst case that I have seen since Kugan,” said Surendran, who is the newly-elected Padang Serai MP.

Utusan escalates attack on AirAsia

Utusan Malaysia has expanded its criticism of AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani to the low-cost carrier itself, dedicating one full page to negative reports today.

The Umno-owned newspaper quoted several individuals including Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George and Malaysia Muslim Consumer Association activist Mohd Mustaffa Hamzah in a report headlined ‘AirAsia censured’.

This was a reference to the case of Izan Suhaila Mohd Ali, 36, and her 14-month-old daughter Mariam Sofea Mohd Reza who were not allowed to board an AirAsia flight at Ho Chi Minh airport in Vietnam to return home last Saturday.

AirAsia had explained that it followed international guidelines in rejecting the duo as a doctor had diagnosed the baby with chicken pox.

The rival Malaysian Airlines, which later flew the duo back, claimed that another doctor confirmed that the baby could be taken on board the aircraft as she had recovered from the disease.

Another report headlined ‘AirAsia’s excuse disputed by consumers’ quoted posts by Internet users on the airline’s Facebook webpage, rebutting its explanation.

Pope tells Catholics to shout ‘Jesus’ instead of ‘Francis’

Pope Francis during his general audience on May 15, 2013.

By Estefania Aguirre

Vatican City, May 20, 2013  (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis asked those gathered for the Pentecost Vigil Mass at the Vatican to chant Christ’s name instead of his own, highlighting his role as Christ’s vicar on earth.

“From now on no more ‘Francis,’ only ‘Jesus,’ alright?” he asked rhetorically during the Pentecost Vigil Mass said May 18 at Saint Peter’s Square.

“All of you in the square shouted out ‘Francis, Francis, Pope Francis,’ but where was Jesus?” he admonished them. “I want to hear you shout out ‘Jesus, Jesus is Lord, and he is in our midst.’”

During his homily, he spoke to the more than 200,000 people gathered from ecclesial movements from around the world.

The Pope told how his grandmother was the first to pass on the faith to him, and insisted that a person’s faith begins through their family.

“I received my first Christian proclamation right from this woman, from my grandmother. That is something beautiful,” he exclaimed.

Barred Sarawak activist lodges police report

By Joseph Tawie

Save Rivers chief Peter Kallang was barred from participating in the International Hydropower Association’s global conference despite having paid RM5,270 delegates fee.

KUCHING: A prominent anti-dam activist was barred from two International Hydropower Association (IHA) pre-conference workshops here yesterday because of a letter he wrote requesting the IHA to allow communities affected by the construction of dams in Sarawak to participate.

In his letter to IHA chairman Richard Taylor, Save Rivers Network chief Peter Kallang had also been critical of the association’s cooperation with Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Kallang, who had paid the USD1,750 (RM5,270) delegates fee, said that he was told that he had been denied entry into the workshops as he attempted to board the bus.

He said they told him that the ban was at the request of state-owned Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) – the organisors of the workshops – because of a letter he wrote to the IHA.