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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Cigarette filters may contain pig blood.

Here’s a really good reason to quit smoking: cigarettes may contain traces of pigs’ blood.

Simon Chapman, Professor in Public Health from the University of Sydney points to a recent Dutch research which identified 185 different industrial uses of a pig – including the use of its haemoglobin in cigarette filters.

The research found pig haemoglobin – a blood protein – was being used to make cigarette filters more effective at trapping harmful chemicals before they could enter a smoker’s lungs.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Maria Bertha Hertogh a.k.a. Nadra

monsoonpictures.com  - a movie next. | 2009

Reproduced below is a statement released by Bertha Hertogh’s family

Huijbergen, The Netherlands, July 8th 2009

Today, at the age of 72, Bertha Hertogh passed away in her place of residence Huijbergen, The Netherlands. Bertha was world news in 1950 when she was at the center of a legal conflict between her Dutch parents and her Malaysian adoption mother. After the judge had assigned her to her Dutch parents, ethnic riots broke out between Muslims and Christians in Singapore. Eighteen people were killed and some two hundred injured.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

'Diploma holder' IGP accused of perjury.


By B Nantha Kumar |KUALA LUMPUR:   FMT

PKR vice-president R Sivarasa has accused Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan of committing perjury during Anwar Ibrahim's first sodomy trial in 1998.

In a report filed with the Damansara Utama police station today, the Subang MP claimed that Musa, then a senior police officer who spearheaded the investigations, had told the court that he possessed a degree in law.

“In fact at the time of the trial, he possessed a diploma,” he told reporters.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

10 Places NOT to Use Your Debit Card


by Dana Dratch | YahooFinance - Friday, March 19, 2010

Debit cards have different protections and uses. Sometimes they're not the best choice.

Sometimes reaching for your wallet is like a multiple choice test: How do you really want to pay?

While credit cards and debit cards may look almost identical, not all plastic is the same.

"It's important that consumers understand the difference between a debit card and a credit card," says John Breyault, director of the Fraud Center for the National Consumers League, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. "There's a difference in how the transactions are processed and the protections offered to consumers when they use them."

Friday, March 19, 2010

Getting to know APCO

and its Israeli links | harakahdaily - Abdar Rahman Koya, KUALA LUMPUR, March 19: The name Apco Worldwide has suddenly gained fame (or notoriety) in Malaysia after Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim drew comparison of the firm's image-building campaign for its Malaysian client to a similar campaign by the Israeli government.

Anwar in his speech in the Dewan Rakyat on March 17 said that prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1-Malaysia concept was actually an imitation of the 'One Israel' concept of the Zionist regime, who is also a client of Apco.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Loophole for independent MPs.


malaysiakini | March 18, 2010 - Veteran parliamentarian Karpal Singh has suggested to newly-minted independent members of parliament to be absent from Parliament for six months to pave away for by-elections in their constituencies.

In this way, the existing MPs can run again, this time as independents to prove they have the support of their constituents.

According to the election law, an elected representative who quit his or her seat is banned from contesting for five years.

Former CCID is vindicated for the Third Time.


March 18, 2010 | MACC’S APPEAL IN DISMISSED IN SABAH -  DATO RAMLI VINDICATED THE 3rd TIME | By Din Merican

There was suspense this morning at the Kota Kinabalu High Court, when High Court Judicial Commissioner Dato’ Abdul Rahman Sebli refused to adjourn the hearing of the MACC’s appeal against the acquittal of Dato’ Ramli  Yusuff for the charge of abuse of power in using a police Cessna purportedly to view land that Dato’ Ramli was said to have interest in.

The adjournment was sought because Dato’ Shafee Abdullah had to attend to another appeal in the Court of Appeal. Assisting counsel, James Tsai, had no choice but to proceed after DPP Ahmad Bache said that he was ready with his written and oral submission. After hearing the submissions, the JC took a short adjournment. More suspense.

Ramli Yusuff: Still ready to serve .

By Neville Spykerman | Malaysianinsider


PETALING JAYA, 15 March 2010 — Once a cop, always a cop. And Datuk Ramli Yusuff (picture), who was acquitted of not disclosing his assets last week, intends to report for duty at Bukit Aman although he reached retirement age of 58 on March 1.

In the event he is told to retire, Ramli wants his pension, gratuity and all retirement benefits befitting his rank of Police Commissioner.

“I hope to meet the Home Minister before reporting in, to see what advice he gives me,” the Former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department Director told The Malaysian Insider last night after holding a doa selamat or thanksgiving prayers at his Petaling Jaya home.

Ramli explained that he was informed he would be suspended until his case was over after he was charged on Nov 2, 2007 for not disclosing information about his assets.

“So I am still a police officer and I have to report. It is up to government to decide if I should continue (on contract) or retire.

“I want a proper send off, because I know I was fixed,” Ramli said, citing legal constraints when declining to elaborate on his case.

He pointed out that the judgment for his case was supposed to have been delivered on Feb 24 but was somehow delayed till last Friday.

“Had I been acquitted on Feb 24, I would have reported in the very next day.”
The veteran police officer was charged with failing to declare ownership of 20,000 Telekom Malaysia Berhad shares, 154,000 Permaju Industries Berhad shares and interest in two office properties worth RM1,032,840.

He was also charged separately in the Kota Kinabalu Sessions court for allegedly using police aircraft to view two pieces of property in which he was alleged to have had an interest in.

That case also ended in an acquittal for Ramli last July 27 after Sessions Court Judge Supang Lian ruled that, “The prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case and the accused deserves to be acquitted and discharged.’’

The prosecution is appealing both cases.

“What are they trying to prove? Haven’t I been through enough? Why do they need to appeal?” he asked.

Having served the force with distinction, the police veteran pointed out that both cases could have been handled internally by the police disciplinary board.
“Instead they choose to play with my life after 38-year-of service. They should not have treated me like this,” Ramli said.

He lamented that as senior police officer, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could have just called him but that courtesy was not extended to him.

“Pak Lah was the Home Minister, I was third most senior police officer in the force, he could have at least called me and I could have explained,” he said, using the popular dimunitive for the former premier.

Ramli, who has a law degree, pointed out he was the longest serving Investigating Officer that has served both the Criminal and Commercial Crime Investigation Departments.

Among his top cases was the Jean Pereira murder, where the court allowed a conviction based on circumstantial evidence for the first time.
He added his investigation diary for the case is now a manual for police officers in training.
He pointed out that even Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had once served directly under him for six years.

Ramli was deputy director of the CID at the time while Musa was head of prosecution.

“At one time, I treated him like my own brother. I never expected this sort of treatment.”

As for the future, Ramli said he has to rebuild his life and reputation from scratch.

“I hope they let me live in peace to do it,” he added.

Dozens of serving and retired police officers, among them former Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Dell Akbar Khan attended the doa selamat prayers last night.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

PIBG & UMNO - Kelantan's Phenomena?


Yesterday 13 Mar 2010 Sek Keb Hamzah 2 had its PIBG 14th AGM

The man invited to grace and officiate the occasion was Ybrs. Tn.Hj.Abd. Halim bin Hj. Ismail, Timbalan Pengerusi Majlis Pembangunan Pertanian Parliament Machang. It  was not explained what does "Pembangunan Pertanian" has to do with the occasion or PIBG or the School.

Ku Li tweets recently , "Umno Kelantan so short of platforms now we have to spread
disinformation in schools? What next? Kindergartens?"  on Feb 17

That was on the Oil Royalty for Kelantan issue. Well, here we may not be talking about "disinformations" but more of the "so short of platforms". Is UMNO Machang so desperate that it has to revert to this unwarranted actions?  

One might understand, by the level of desperation -  if  one knew  that  BN lost only by two votes in the 2004 GE in this constituency. Though BN subsequently, won a by-election in one of the DUN's, presently under the independent YB Brahim Ali - as MP, but that was not good enough to take over the State because of the two votes.

Basically PAS held on to Kelantan by only that two votes -those days. But this is not about GE or Political parties it is about PIBG. However I have been observing this phenomenon for the past five years in Kelantan. This  too is not about UMNO, PAS, PKR or politics but it is about PIBG!


Let us look at the DG Education's  directive.

D-G: Only ministry officers allowed at school functions

JOHOR BARU: Only officers from the Education Ministry are allowed to officiate at school functions to prevent such functions from being politicised.

Ministry director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said that that the ministry would be sending out circulars to all schools next week as a reminder, but stressed that it was not a new ruling.

According to him, those who were allowed to officiate school events included the Education Minister, the deputy minister, the director-general, and state level Education Department directors and their representatives. < Star  Sunday March 30, 2008 > 

The directives further states that:

 “The school principals have to write to their respective Education Departments if they want to invite anyone outside and obtain permission from the state director.” 

I do not know whether the School Head Master had a written permission from the Kelantan's Education Department. That matter was not discussed at all in the AGM.  Anyway our PIBG should know that better for the  "Naib Yang Dipertua", En Azmi bin Daud is the number three man in the local PPD. 

If it is worth mentioning here, it could  have been better camouflaged if the "Timbalan Pengerusi Majlis Pembangunan Pertanian Parliament Machang" would officiate the school agro-garden instead of PIBG.


The Problem with Majlis Pembangunan Pertanian Parliament Machang.

I do not know how many people in Machang knew about this, but the MP of Kuala Krai  had recently explained in the you tube below:












So it lacks credibility, as a representative of  the Federal Government 's Machinery.


What is PIBG.


I had googled ages ago. The stated uno-numero objective of  PIBG according to their constituion is  " Untuk pembantu pelajaran dan pembelajaran dengan kebendaan" I would translate that as  " To assist schooling and education in material terms."


That means that PIBG needs that "kebendaan" or material. We  can  also conclude that the original framers of PIBG would want PIBG to be a separate entity from any political parties or government bodies including the MOE, and to raise that "kebendaan" with their own (PIBG) efforts and strengths. 

But not in Kelantan, PIBGs or PIBG AJK's  - I saw so far, are 180 degrees different, they are more into apple polishing the local UMNO stalwarts for material support and/or may be more. More so, education being a Federal matter. So far that material support from UMNO for PIBG Hamzah 2, have been nominal, more so lately...if that is nominal, what other things are PIBG or the local PIBG activist are using the relationship it has with UMNO for?

 
Reiterate that..

" Untuk pembantu pelajaran dan pembelajaran dengan kebendaan" I would translate that as. " To assist schooling and education in material terms."

Having said that...


Any PIBG would welcome any well-wishers including from UMNO or any other NGO's incuding Brahim Ali's PERKASA. So would PIBG Hamzah 2, UMNO Machang may give to the PIBG any amount of donation, UMNO Machang wanted, if agreeable to the PIBG, UMNO may even buy a full page advertisements to show their charitable courses. That bona fide act is always welcome. This is a different kind of relationship.

I do not think anyone would be against that!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Tuduhan tak isytihar harta: Mahkamah lepaskan Ramli


Hafiz Yatim  |  Mac 12, 100  -  Setelah perbicaraan lebih dua tahun setengah, bekas pemimpin ketiga tertinggi dalam pasukan polis diraja Malaysia, Datuk Ramli Yusuff dibebaskan oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Kuala Lumpur hari ini tanpa dipanggil membela diri berhubung dakwaan tiga kes kegagalan mengisytiharkan asetnya.


Hakim M Gunalan membuat keputuusan bahawa Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang dahulunya dikenali sebagai Badan Pencegahan Rasuah gagal membuktikan kes prima facie ke atas Ramli.

Jawatan terakhir Ramli adalah Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Perdagangan (CCID) dan beliau menyertai PDRM pada 1979.

Dia juga merupakan pegawai tertinggi polis yang pernah didakwa SPRM setakat ini.

Sebanyak 35 saksi pendakwaan memberikan keterangan sepanjang perbicaraan kes itu termasuk dua adik Ramli, Roslina dan Rohmah.

Rakan Ramli, Datuk Ling Keak Ming, yang membantu dua adik perempuan bekas pegawai kanan polis itu memperoleh dua lot kedai di Jalan Yap Kwan Seng di Kuala Lumpur turut memberikan keterangan.

Ramli, 57, dituduh gagal mengisytiharkan pemilikan 20,000 unit saham Telekom Malaysia Berhad, 154,000 unit saham Permaju Industries Berhad dan kepentingan dalam dua lot pejabat itu bernilai RM1,032,840.

Kesalahan itu didakwa dilakukan di pejabat Timbalan Pendakwa Raya BPR di Putrajaya pada 17 Sept, 2007.
Sebelum didakwa pada 2007, Ramli mendakwa beliau dan pegawainya dijadikan mangsa setelah jabatan yang diketuainya bertindak menyiasat aktiviti kongsi gelap yang berkaitan dengan seorang ahli perniagaan Johor, Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku.

Kegiatan kongsi gelap dan kegiatan 'bawah tanah' itu dikaitkan dengan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan ketika ini, yang kemudiannya dikenakan perintah tahanan terhad oleh jabatan Rahim.

Berikutan tindakan itu, Pejabat Peguam Negara enggan mengeluarkan affidavit untuk permohonan habeas corpus untuk Goh dan Ramli dengan Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri ketika itu, Datuk Johari Baharom terpaksa mengupah peguam Rosli Dahlan untuk berbuat demikian.


Sementara itu,Bernamamelaporkan sebaik mahkamah mengumumkan keputusan, Ramli yang berpakaian kot warna kelabu dan bersongkok, terus memeluk peguam-peguam, anggota keluarga dan akan-rakannya.

Ramli memberitahu pemberita kemudian bahawa beliau hampir kehilangan segala-galanya termasuk kerjaya dan reputasinya.

"Saya tidak menerima gaji atau pencen sejak 2008. Saya perlu bina semula kehidupan saya.

"Saya kasihankan anak perempuan saya, adik-adik saya dan bapa saya kerana terpaksa turut melalui tempoh yang sukar ini," kata Ramli yang telah membuka sebuah firma guaman.

Ketua Pendakwaan SPRM Datuk Abdul Razak Musa memberitahu pemberita bahawa pihak pendakwaan akan membuat rayuan terhadap keputusan hari ini.



Former CCID chief acquitted of corruption


By M. MAGESWARI

Ramli: Former CCID chief
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Ramli Yusuff was acquitted of not disclosing information on his assets and shares more than two years ago.
Comm Ramli, 58, who now owns a law firm, was in tears upon hearing the verdict in a packed courtroom. While trying his best to smile, he kept wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. His family also sobbed openly.
Relatives and friends clapped hands and cheered his freedom at the public gallery. They hugged and congratulated him.
He immediately embraced his lead counsel Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and thanked him for his work.
In acquitting him, Sessions Court judge M. Gunalan said the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against Comm Ramli for all three charges.
Gunalan said the prosecution had failed to adduce credible evidence through 35 witnesses against Comm Ramli.
Therefore, he said the court had to discharge and acquit Comm Ramli without calling him to enter his defence.
Comm Ramli had claimed trial to failing to disclose information on his interest in two office units worth RM1,032,840 and his ownership of RM154,000 worth of shares in Permaju Industries Bhd as well as 20,000 units of shares in Telekom Malaysia.
He is said to have committed the offences at the then Anti-Corruption Agency headquarters in Putrajaya on Sept 17, 2007.
In his grounds, Gunalan said the “question of legal interest by the accused in the properties (office units) can be totally ruled out.”
“The registered owner of the said properties is a private limited company called Bonus Circle Sdn Bhd. The accused is neither a director nor shareholder of this company. The only shareholders and directors at the material time are his sisters.
“Any individual, regardless of his contributions to or participation in the company, cannot, in law, have any rights or interest in the company’s immovable assets,” he said.
He said the accused did not benefit at all from the assets and that the accused had only participated in the management of the company.
On the second charge for the Permaju shares, Gunalan said Comm Ramli had no intention to conceal the shares as he had enclosed a statement of account from a bank on its transactions and actual balance when making his declaration to the ACA.
On the third charge over the Telekom shares, Gunalan ruled that the charge was groundless.
“The charge states that he failed to disclose the ownership on Sept 17, 2007 when in fact he had yet to own the shares,’ he said.
In elaborating, Gunalan said although Comm Ramli had placed an order for the Telekom shares on Sept 13, 2007, the accused had only became the owner of said shares on Sept 19, 2007.
In an immediate response, Comm Ramli said justice had been delivered.
“Thank God. I have been vindicated from all these false allegations. I have lost everything -- my rank, my career and reputation,” he said, adding that he was grateful to his wife Datuk Anita Harun for her moral support throughout his ordeal.
Lead prosecutor DPP Datuk Abdul Razak Musa said he would appeal against the court ruling.
On July 27, 2008, the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court freed him over a charge of abusing his powers in 2007.
Comm Ramli still has a trial pending at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, which was scheduled for a week from March 22, for allegedly taking part in business as a company director while holding his previous post in 2006.

Judgment Day for Dato’ Ramli Yusuff (Former CCID)

March 11, 2010 | – Din Merican
March 12 is Dato Ramli Yusuff’s Judgment Day

Tomorrow, March 12, in Sessions Court No.1 on the 4thFloor of the Jalan Duta Courts Complex, Kuala Lumpur will be judgment day for Dato’ Ramli Yusuff. Judge Gunalan will decide whether Dato’ Ramli will be acquitted without his defence being called.

Let us recall what happened. In 2006, Musa Hassan became IGP. At that time, the loan shark syndicate, theAlong, was a menace that had gripped the whole country. The government was worried. A task force was formed. The Director of Commercial Crimes Investigations Dept (CCID), Dato’ Ramli Yusuff wasappointed to be the joint Chairman of that Task Force.The Deputy Minister of Home Security, Dato’ Johari Baharom received information that the Along syndicate involved VIPs. Dato’ Johari directed Dato’ Ramli toinvestigate the matter and report directly to him.

At the same time, the CCID intelligence by several ground operatives made a startling discovery – it seems the crime syndicate controls the Police hierarchy. No less than IGP Musa Hassan was implicated. The intelligence report went up to the Director CCID. Dato’ Ramli reported this to Dato’ Johari Baharom. Suddenly, a mysterious blog appeared to accuse Dato’ Johari of being corrupted. It was a single posting blog and it disappeared after that.

Several statutory declarations appeared in RPK’s Malaysia Today including one by the Aide d’ Camp (ADC) of IGP Musa Hassan accusing IGP Musa Hassan of being in cahoots with the warlord BK Tan and his underworld operatives Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku Goh. The ADC’s SD also revealed that former CID Director Dato’Christopher Wan conspired with IGP Musa Hassan to set up this blog. The objective was simple- attack Dato’ Johari to discredit the CCID investigation. That worked.

A deal was cut with the involvement of the MACC – Dato’ Johari was cleared, IGP Musa was also cleared. They will not attack each other anymore publicly. It doesnot matter that that the crime index during Musa Hassan’s tenure as IGP soared to an all time high. But someone must be made the scapegoat.

The CCID operatives – 6 rank and file officers were charged for fabricating evidenceagainst the IGP Musa Hassan. Does it make sense that 6 lowly ranked officers would try to dethrone the IGP? No, that was just a message. And the message is this – you will be destroyed if you go against those in the corridors of power. You will face the might of the Unholy Trinity – The A-G, The IGP and The MACC. This Unholy Trinity has been the apparatus of oppression in all the recent politicalmaneuverings in Perak, Selangor, Penang and Kedah.

Back to Dato’ Ramli’s case, he was scandalized by the MACC and the mainstream media as being a corrupted cop- the RM 27 million Cop. That was enough to destroy a public servant. They fabricated a case against him by using an EO detainee, one shadowy figure known as Moo Sai Chin.

Dato’ Ramli engaged lawyer Rosli Dahlan. Rosli set up a team of accountants and did a full audit of Dato’ Ramli’s assets. Rosli showed that Dato’ Ramli had filed no less than 35 assets declarations in his 32 years of service. Rosli also piled on theMACC several boxes of documents to show that all of Dato’ Ramli’s assets are legitimate. A-G Gani was furious, so they decided to fix Lawyer Rosli Dahlan and teach him a lesson that he will never forget.

A-G Gani and IGP Musa Hassan were also angry that Rosli had acted for the CCID in preparing the affidavits for the CCID after the A-G’s Chambers refused to act for the CCID in the habeas corpus application by Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku Goh. At about that time, Rosli was also acting for the national airlines, MAS, which had been raped to the bones by its Chairman. Rosli was oblivious that he was making all these enemies.

So on the 27th day of Ramadan, just two days before Hari Raya of 2007, the MACC stormed Rosli’s office, assaulted him and dragged him to their dungeon cell and kept him there to suffer. They charged Rosli the next day and splashed that story in all the major newspapers.

In defence of his friend and counsel, Dato’ Ramli gave a press statement of the syndicate’s activities and the conspiracy to eliminate him and of the persecution against Lawyer Rosli Dahlan. Dato’ Ramli was charged on 2nd November 2007.There was no RM 27 million!

In his defence, Dato’ Ramli cried Conspiracy! The MACC DPP Dzulqarnain said that conspiracy is irrelevant because Dato’ Ramli was not charged for corruption! So, this is not a corruption case after all! In the end, Dato’ Ramli was charged forwillfully failing to declare some small change. But, A-G Gani did not charge Khir Toyo for building a RM 24 million palace. A-G Gani did not charge MohamedHassan, MB of Negri Sembilan for sending out RM 10 million through a money changer.

To further confuse the public, A-G Gani Patail also charged Dato’ Ramli for using a Police Cessna as if he went on a joy ride while in uniform, as if Dato’ Ramli was a school truant. In the end, Musa Hassan was revealed as the Chief Conspiratorwhose evidence as the 75th prosecution witness was not to be relied on. Judge Supang Lian dismissed that case without bothering to call for Dato’ Ramli’s defence. It was clear in her mind this was a fix –up. In other words, Musa Hassan is a liar just as A-G Gani is a liar.

A-G Gani went on record that the investigation against Dato’ Ramli has been completed. This is now shown to be a lie in the trial of Dato’ Ramli. Out of 35Prosecution Witnesses who testified, 28 stated that their statement was recorded in 2008. The A-G had also been accused of lying in Anwar Ibrahim’s case. There are just too many accusations against this A-G for him to have any credibility.

Yet, he is the all powerful A-G. It is he and he alone who decides who gets chargeand who don’t. So, in the case of the Al-Islam reporters who desecrated a Holy Communion rites, he decided they were innocent and should not be charged . In theAltantuya murder, he decided there should be no appeal against Razak Baginda.

In Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was warned to Beware the Ides of March! That wasthe date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Although the Ides of March is the 15th of the month, yet Dato’ Ramli’s judgement day, 12th of March is close enoughto the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated by his friend Brutus. My heart would bleed for Dato’ Ramli if justice is assassinated by the courts tomorrow
 .....................................................................

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Ku Li calls for review of federal-state relations.

Malaysiakini | March 11, 2010 - Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has called for a review of the federal and state relations, in order to keep up with recent developments.

He said when the Malay Rulers signed the Federation of Malaya agreement in 1947, they did not foresee future circumstances.





Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Trial begins over death of Rachel Corrie.










by Associated Press  |  Posted on March 10, 2010 at 8:21 AM


HAIFA, Israel — The family of an American activist who was fatally crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza accused the Israeli military of whitewashing its investigation into the death Wednesday in opening a civil case against Israel.
The parents of Rachel Corrie are seeking unspecified compensation from Israel's Defense Ministry for their daughter's death in 2003.
Corrie, 23, was killed when she tried to block a bulldozer from demolishing a Gaza home The driver said he didn't see her, and the Israeli military has ruled her death an accident - a version her parents reject.
Corrie was an activist with the International Solidarity Movement, a group that sends foreigners into volatile hot spots to assist Palestinians. The activists often place themselves between Israeli forces and Palestinians to try to stop the Israeli military from carrying out operations.
At Wednesday's opening of the civil case, the Corries' lawyer demanded a new investigation into her death.
"The Israeli government is covering this up under the umbrella of combat activity, which absolves soldiers of responsibility, said Husein Abu Husein. He said he would present his case over the next two weeks, but a ruling isn't expected for about a year.
Corrie's story has become a rallying cry for international anti-Israel activists. Based on her diaries and e-mails to her parents, the story was adopted into an off-Broadway play called "My Name Is Rachel Corrie."
A small crowd of supporters gathered outside the court, holding posters of Corrie and calling for justice for her family.
"On March 16, 2003, Rachel was ripped away from our family and it left an enormous void in our life that can never be replaced and I know that many people in this part of the world have similar voids in their lives," her mother, Cindy Corrie, told reporters.
The Corries have previously unsuccessfully tried to sue Caterpillar Inc., the U.S. company that manufactured the bulldozer. They claimed the company was liable for aiding and abetting human rights violations.
Corrie was from Olympia, Wash. Her parents have repeatedly returned to the Palestinian territories, including to the spot where she was killed. One other International Solidarity Movement activist has died from Israeli fire, and at least two others have been seriously wounded.












Charge NH Chan for contempt or resign, CJ?

Malaysianinsider | Martin Jalleh - 10 MARCH 2010

The integrity of the judiciary has been badly mauled by a legal who does not mince his words no matter how high or mighty a judge thinks he is. He has called a spade a spade and certain members of the judiciary an “incompetent” and even an “idiotic” bunch!

All the Chief Justice (CJ) and the judges in the Palace of Justice have managed to do is remain mum, mute and mumble amongst themselves as NH Chan methodically makes them out for who they really are and the mockery they have made of the law!

The respected, renowned and retired Justice NH Chan is very frustrated, fed-up and furious at how the judiciary which he had served so faithfully has been reduced to a farce run by those who are legal and intellectual frauds or what he has called “imposters”!

With each passing compromised judgment NH Chan unhesitatingly hits out at judges with an increasingly sharper sting. He leaves no stone unturned, no errant judge uncovered. They can “no longer mask their hyperbole judgments with unintelligible garbage”.

“Fools on the bench”

In his latest scathing critique, he said the rakyat is “stunned by the ignorance of our judges of the highest court in the land”, as seen in the recent Federal Court’s decision not to review Anwar Ibrahim’s application to review its previous decision dismissing his application for disclosure of documents for his second sodomy trial.

NH Chan (picture) said the Federal Court’s approach to Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995 was “inconsistent” and “dishonest” and “those ignoramuses” were talking “utter nonsense”. Those “inane judges cannot even understand plain English”! He put it very plainly and painfully!

Calling the three-member panel of Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff and Heliliah Mohd Yusof “incompetent”, he added “perhaps they were clowns as their statements were laughable”.

His searing criticism was that they “…do not know justice from injustice”, and that “such lowly individuals should never be allowed to sit on the seat of Justice…(and) to be judges at all. And yet there are so many of them in the judiciary today ever since the rot begun.”

He shredded into smithereens the “judicial renaissance” of the CJ: “Our country does not need impostors, who pose as judges, to deceive the common people any longer. The common citizenry can now uncover the impostors hiding beneath the mantle of the judicature.”

He laid bare the judicial sham: “With judges such as these in the Malaysian judiciary where, to them, the principles of the law are not to be consonant with justice to be manipulated by them to uphold injustice, it is no wonder that the errant judges have forfeited the confidence of the people. “

He left them with a stinging slap in the face: “The general public does not respect such judges anymore! They have put themselves beyond the pale. Just like pariahs. Don’t you think they should be despised?”

On High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah’s rejection of Anwar’s application to have the judge recuse himself from further hearing the sodomy trial, NH Chan said that the judge was talking “utter nonsense” and “knew next to nothing about judicial bias”.

He added that the “moral of this unsavoury episode” is this: if you appoint mediocre lawyers to the Bench you will get substandard judges. The solution to this problem is a simple one. Appoint judges from the cream of the legal profession and you will not find me assailing the judges for incompetence simply because I will not be able to do so.”

Such was his cutting conclusion: “It is only when we have fools on the bench that I can point out that what they have decided is not the law.”

“Bunch of idiots in high places”

NH Chan had not spared the judges in the cases related to the Perak constitutional crisis of his very strong language when scrutinising their decisions (with the exception of Kuala Lumpur High Court Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim whom he had praised).

He highlighted the “bad” and “perverse” judgments, especially those in the appellate courts, the collective written judgements which were “riddled with contradictions” and how the Perak and Federal Constitutions were toyed with and trampled on by the judges!

During the Perak debacle NH Chan had said that there are “many of our judges today especially among those judges in the higher echelon of the judicial hierarchy who do not seem to know the true meaning of separation of powers in constitutional law. This is most apparent.”

He called some of the judges of the cases of the Perak imbroglio: a) Bad judges — they “seem to think that independence means that they can do what they like” b) Recalcitrant judges — “they think that words can mean whatever they want them to mean” c) Humpty Dumpty judges — “they also think that they are independent of the legislature”.

NH Chan has brought to light how beholden the judiciary is to the Umno-dominated Government. He said the “so-called Perak crisis has brought out a host of cases that showed that the judges gave the impression that they were one-sided. The perception of the people is that they sided with the BN government.”

In the “shocking case” of Zambry v Sivakumar in the Federal Court, he called the judgment by the “infamous five” (judges) Alauddin Mohd Sheriff , Arifin Zakaria, Nik Hashim Ab Rahman, Augustine Paul and Ahmad Makinnuddin, a “perverse decision”.

In the case of Nizar vs Zambry he called the panel of five Federal Court judges made up of the President of the Court of Appeal Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Chief Judge of Malaya Arifin Zakaria, Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Ghazali Mohd Yusoff and Abdul Hamid Embong, “myopic judges”.

They “were lost in a quagmire of confused thinking caused by their own incompetence. They found themselves deep in the forest unable to see the wood for the trees. Does this mean that we have a bunch of incompetent judges who sit in the highest court in the land?”

Alas, with the help of NH Chan the public especially those in Perak were able to see for themselves how members of the judiciary had left behind a dead constitution, “bad” and “perverse” decisions, dubious declaratory orders, judgments devoid of reasoned grounds, and disgraceful double standards.

Blind and Biased Judges

NH Chan has “judged the judges”. He considers them, especially those in the appellate courts’ “ignorant”, “inane”, “incompetent” and even “idiots” (which he has strongly inferred).

The public shares his view. In their eyes the judiciary has allowed itself to be intimidated, its independence and impartiality interfered with, and its integrity reduced to ignominy.

In the light of the severe criticism of NH Chan of the judiciary (which is quite unprecedented by a retired judge), surely the Chief Justice cannot stand idly, silently and stoically by — unless Zaki Azmi strenuously, staunchly and solemnly agrees with him!

Further if Zaki continues to remain silent the public will assume that he shares NH Chan’s searing criticism of the judiciary. Logically he would have to resign for he has allowed the reputation of the judiciary to be sullied irreparably.

The judicial shenanigans whom NH Chan has criticised and castigated should also resign for having shamelessly sacrificed justice on the altar of political expediency.

NH Chan’s comments on members of the judiciary have no doubt been bold, blunt and blistering. He has accused judges of being blind, biased and being a bunch of “idiots” and “fools”. He has thrown the gauntlet down.

If the CJ disagrees with NH Chan’s criticisms he should haul the former Court of Appeal judge into court and demand that the latter shows cause for why he should not be cited for contempt! Does Zaki have the guts to take up the gauntlet or will he prefer to allow the judicial circus to go on?

NH Chan has made no bones about it. His blitzkrieg on the judiciary will continue. “Bad guys” had better beware! He will ensure that their names remain in infamy for generations to come unless they recant the wrongs that they have done! He will even write their obituary and if they outlive him there will be others who will take his place!

NH Chan sees the next general elections as the only solution to an unsalvageable judiciary viewed by the public with greater suspicion, scepticism and even scorn. He once commented: “At the present time and judging by what we have experienced so far from the Perak takeover cases, the quality of most of our judges is suspect”.

“In the meantime what should we do with so many bad apples in the barrel? If only there could be a change in government in the next general elections with the opposition winning by a landslide. Then we could get rid of all the bad apples by Act of Parliament.”



* This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.