Pas Lacks Respect for the Law, Says Syed Hamid

Respect the law as law is infallible. If you break the law, you must face the consequences. PAS saying it will ignore the Police's orders shown that PAS lacks respect for the law. It reduces greatly the degree of respectfulness toward PAS.


Syed Hamid

The question remains: Should we support the party that does not respect the law and considers his own word above that of the law?

PAS saying it will ignore the Police's orders to political parties not to make seditious statements when campaigning for the three upcoming by-elections shows the party lacks respect for the law, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said.

Syed Hamid said the tendency of PAS to "do whatever it thinks is right and likes" could lead to instability in the country.

"We put in place rules, they (PAS) break them...when we take action they accuse us of being cruel and oppressive," Perak PAS commissioner Asmuni Awi said that the party would pay no heed to police instructions asking candidates and campaigners involved in the by-elections not to make seditious remarks.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan issued a warning that the police would come down hard on anyone resorting to making seditious remarks while campaigning for the by-elections, irrespective of which parties they came from.

Syed Hamid said the country was safe and peaceful because of the rule of law which the police had taken pains to maintain.

"Certain matters that are before the courts should not be made campaign material... if dissatisfied with something please lodge police reports but do not condemn the police and accuse them of being highhanded and cruel. Imagine what will happen if the police institution crumbles," he said.

Prime Minister takes over as defense minister

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has announced that effective immediately his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, will be Finance Minister while he takes over as defense minister.


Abdullah also said that he may step down earlier than 2010 depending on Najib's performance.

The prime minister also described Anwar as a "threat" to national security.

"He has become a threat to the economy and security," he said

"I will not indicate what plan I will take, what I do will be in the best interests of the people and the country," Abdullah said .

He also confirmed he would not agree to the opposition leader's request for a meeting to discuss a peaceful transition of power.

"There is nothing to discuss," he said.

Police warns, stop making statements that will incite racial hatred

The professionalism, expertise and integrity of the polis force are well respected. As the body responsible for maintaining internal security and public order, polis carry out its duties in a professional manner and always comply with the constitution and abide by the law of the country.

In the highly sensitive political racist sentiment issues, polis once again commit to acts with the independence necessary to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing without fear or favor. The professionalism consistently had shown the enhancing in maintaining internal security and public order.

In the strongest manner yet, police yesterday warned all political parties, the public and the media not to make or post any statements on racial issues.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the issue was getting out of hand and threatening national security.

"We are warning everyone, irrespective of who you are, that all statements on racial sentiments must cease immediately or police will take action.

"This includes the press, whether it is the print, broadcast or electronic media. There have been too many statements on racial issues by various parties, which have been nothing but lies and deceit.

"These statements are in turn exploited by other irresponsible parties through text messages, multimedia messaging and various blogs on the Internet," he said.

Ismail said police would not hesitate to use the powers at their disposal against irresponsible parties.

"These statements on racial issues and sentiments are a threat to public order and national security. It is time to nip the problem in the bud before it boils over."

He assured the public that police were investigating the case against Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail, who was suspended for three years from the party yesterday, adding that it would be wrapped up as soon as possible.

Armed Forces Chief: Take stern action against anyone who stir racial sentiments

Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal has asked the government to take stern action against any quarters who stir up racial sentiments in the country.

He described it as a serious matter and could jeopardise the country’s peace and harmony.

“One should not stir up racial sentiments as it has a wide impact on the peace and stability in the country,” he said at the Wanita Umno Hari Raya contribution presentation to the armed forces and the police at the Putra World Trade Centre here on Tuesday.

NEW OSAMA TAPE THREATENS EU

In a new audio message purportedly from Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader threatens the EU over the re-printing of a cartoon offensive to Muslims.

The voice on it says the cartoon, re-published recently in all major Danish newspapers, was part of a crusade involving Pope Benedict XVI.

The drawing, first published in 2005, depicts the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban.

The voice on the audio has not yet been verified as belonging to bin Laden.

The message comes on the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

It appeared on a Islamist website that has carried al-Qaeda messages in the past.

Over the audio is a graphic with a still image of bin Laden holding an AK-47 and bearing the logo of al-Sahab, the media wing of al-Qaeda. There is a written translation of the message in English. -BBC

PRO-DEB DEMO IN PENANG

It was reported that about 1,000 Pro-NEP street protester demonstrated outside the Penang state government and the Chief Minister office in Komtar after Friday prayers (March 14, 2008) for an-hour for the NEP controversy.

They protested against the state government’s stand in not using the New Economic Policy (NEP) but an open tender system instead.

They chanted the slogan “Hidup Hidup! Hidup DEB!"

North East district police chief assistant commissioner Azam Abdul Hamid later ordered the crowd to disperse after informing them that police had not issued any permit for the gathering.

Also present were state Umno leaders including former deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah, Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim and Bukit Mertajam division chief Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir.

The crowd dispersed peacefully after shouting slogans. Police did not arrest anyone.

Finally everything ended peacefully.

US submarines killer patrol planes to begin production

American Spirit Aviation Systems, Inc. has begun the first Boeing P-8A "Poseidon" maritime patrol aircraft fuselage manufacturing work. Based on the next generation of such modified Boeing 737 of the aircraft will be used to replace the service of the United States Navy P-3 maritime patrol aircraft.

According to the British "Flight International" on December 11, the same day, Spirit of Kansas Weiaisa factory began assembling frame loading, the fuselage is expected to be the first in the 100 days after the March 19, 2008 through railway transportation the Washington, and Boeing 737 assembly line.　　

The first P-8 will be the development and verification system projects (SDD) phase of the five aircraft production one of this five aircraft in the three will be used for flight testing, two for ground testing using machine.

P-8 and 737 civil aircraft fuselage in the Spirit of the same production line.

P-8 production on the 737 production line needs to do to comply with the United States, including changes in the international arms trade regulations (ITAR) security restrictions, as well as the procedures to increase the assembly and installation of the fuselage weapons cabin.

P-8 will be Brandi No. 3 with the 737 assembly line ITAR completed assembly, the first P-8 in August 2008 off the assembly line, in Seattle, Boeing test site after the system is installed mandate, the first P - 8 (T-1 aircraft) will be in September 2009 for the first flight.

The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. It possesses an advanced mission system for maximum interoperability in battle space.

Capable of broad-area, maritime, and littoral operations, the P-8A is expected to influence how the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate, and deploy.

Israel Is 4th Largest Arms Exporter

Associated Press reported that Israel became the world's fourth largest defense exporter in 2007, surpassing Britain, with $4.3 billion in signed contracts, officials said Tuesday amid efforts to tighten controls on the nation's arms sales to banned countries or groups.

Israel exports mostly radar systems, drones and anti-tank missiles to India, Turkey, Britain, the United States and other Western nations, defense officials said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. But Israel has earned a questionable reputation for the small percentage of its sales -- usually of shells, rifles and ammunition -- that go to war-torn countries, analysts said.

A new Israeli law attempts to ensure that Israeli weapons do not end up in the wrong hands.

Under pressure from the United States, the No. 1 arms exporter, Israel enacted the law that will make it illegal for Israeli residents to sell any weapons, even if they are not Israeli-made, to embargoed countries or militias.

Those convicted could serve as much as three years in prison and be fined up to $1.5 million, said Eli Pinko, the head of the new inspection department set up to comply with the law. The new law takes effect Jan. 1.

Israelis have in the past sold arms to embargoed countries and groups. Despite the violations and international pressure on Israel to take action, local law did not allow for their arrests.

"About 5 percent of the exports are meant for problematic countries in the Third World, in Asia and Africa, for countries that are in the midst of civil war," said military affairs expert Yossi Melman. "These are the markets that give Israel a bad name."

Israel also deals with countries with poor human rights records, like a sale to Zimbabwe in 2001 of crowd dispersal equipment that was later used against demonstrators protesting Robert Mugabe's rule, Amnesty International's Israel branch said.

Israelis also have been suspect in sales to Croatia during the war there in the mid-1990s and to Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

Amnesty welcomed Israel's attempt to improve its laws but the organization's campaign director, Ilan Lonai, said the efforts needed to go further.

"Israel needs to come up to standards that are not only better than what they are at the moment, but to international standards, like those of the United States and European Union," Lonai said.

Israeli defense officials have said Israel must export arms to keep its defense industries viable. Israel needs to develop and manufacture weapons for its military, which faces threats from hostile neighbors, but the Israeli military by itself is too small a market to sustain the industry.

Abdullah : using ISA against street protestors

The Government will use the Internal Security Act (ISA) against street demonstrators who threaten national security and disrupt racial harmony if necessary, warned the Prime Minister.

“If there are reasons for us to use it, we will use it,” Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stressed.

He was commenting on illegal street demonstrations held in Kuala Lumpur recently, including the latest by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which claims to be fighting for the Hindus in Malaysia.

Abdullah said using the law, which allows for detention without trial, would be preventive action to spare the country untoward incidents that could affect its peace and national security.

“The ISA is there, if the situation warrants it, it will be used,” he told reporters at the RMAF air base in Subang here upon his return from Cairo yesterday.

On calls by certain quarters for the ISA to be invoked against illegal street demonstrators, Abdullah said: “I am very surprised that people want the ISA. I thought they never wanted it.”

The police, he said, would decide on the appropriate action to be taken.

Abdullah also warned that action would be taken against those who download and distribute the memorandum signed by Hindraf legal adviser lawyer P. Uthayakumar addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which had been published in the Internet. The memorandum alleges persecution of Malaysian Indians..

He said the Government acknowledged freedom of the Internet but action could be taken against those who misuse it to spread allegations against the Government.

The memorandum appeals to Britain to refer Malaysia to the World Court for crimes against ethnic Indians. It also claimed that “100 over Indians were slashed and killed by the Umno-controlled Malaysian government in the Kampung Medan mini genocide”.

To this, Abdullah said that if Hindraf had indeed made such claim, Umno would act.

“We want to know what proof they have (to support their claim). This is a serious accusation because they say it was Umno,” he said.

On Hindraf’s action, he said: “They want to kiss the orang putih (British). They want the orang putih to take action because they are not satisfied with us”.

Abdullah said Hindraf got support from the Indian community who thought they would each get RM1mil in compensation from its class-action suit filed against the British Government for bringing Indians into Malaya to work as labourers.

The Prime Minister also said that everyone must realise that accusations against the Government were made because certain people thought that the election was around the corner, and this was the case in every elections.

“But we hear what they say. Some of the demands are in the process of being addressed while some have been addressed but they are still harping on it,” he said.

On Cameron Highlands MP S.K. Devamany’s comment in Parliament that the Hindraf demonstration showed there was frustration at the lower levels in the community, Abdullah said the Government must be fair to all.

“If we focus on the interest of one group, others will be jealous, others will complain,” he said.

Abdullah:Hindraf testing the government's patience

KAMPALA, Nov 25 -- Police had to be firm in dispersing the illegal gathering in Kuala Lumpur in the interest of public safety and security, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

He said the situation could have easily turned violent if police did not take the necessary action to break up the demonstration.

"I was told that one group of demonstrators pelted policemen and police vehicles (with stones and bricks) at Batu Caves and they also tore down the temple gate there," Abdullah told Malaysian reporters at the end of the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2007) here.

Abdullah said if police did not take the necessary action to disperse the crowd, others would have blamed them for not protecting the public.

However, police did not retaliate violently although they were provoked, he added.

To a question, Abdullah said those who had been organising street demonstrations seemed to be testing the government's patience.

"Don't abuse the freedom that has been given to you," he said, adding that those who took part in the illegal gathering would not go unpunished.

Abdullah said claims that a particular race was being marginalised was not true as there were poor and rich people among all races in the country.

He said if the Barisan Nasional government did not help the poor, it would have been rejected by the people long ago.

"In every society, there are poor people and we have been doing our best to help the Indian community through the MIC, and we will continue to help them," he said.

Abdullah also questioned Hindraf's (Hindu Rights Action Force) intention to go ahead with the demonstration despite police warning not to do so.

"If you want to submit a memorandum, there are other ways of doing it," he said, adding that action could also be taken against public servants who took part in the illegal demonstration.

He said the demonstration yesterday disrupted business and caused people, including tourists, to stay away from the city centre.

Abdullah also refuted claims that there was no democracy and media freedom in the country. (Bernama)

24 China J-10s Sold To Iran, Big Challenge To US F-16

Russian news agency Novosti reported that Iran has signed a deal with China to purchase 24 J-10 fighter jets between 2008 and 2010. The jets were developed based on the technology of Israel's Lavi fighter jet, whose technology was sold to China against the wishes of the US.

Novosti stated that the J-10 has a range of 2,940 kilometers, bringing it within range of Israel. Iran's current MiG-29 jets have a range of 2,100 kilometers.

A Russian military expert, quoted by the agency, said that Iran plans to use the new aircraft as part of its defense of the Bushehr nuclear facility in the face of a possible attack.

The Israeli Lavi fighter jet was developed in the 1980s but the project was canceled following pressure from America, which feared that the new jet would compete with its F-16 in international markets. The US subsequently sold F-16s to Israel at reduced costs.

China began developing the J-10 in 2004 and currently has 89 aircraft in active service. Novosti added that no response was given by the Prime Minister's office.

On October 25, 2007, China denied reports published in Russian and Israeli media stating it agreed to sell its home-designed J-10 fighter plane to Iran.

"It's not true, it is an irresponsible report," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told the International Herald Tribune. "China has not had talks with Iran on J-10 jets."

RIA Novosti first ran the story Tuesday, claiming it was a done deal. China purportedly agreed to sell two squadrons -- 24 fighters -- to the openly belligerent Islamic state. Russian news reports say the planes would be delivered next year, in a contract valued at $1 billion.

The J-10, also referred to as F-10, incorporates technology and components Israel provided to China, based on the now-defunct Lavi project, is a collaboration between Israel Aircraft Industries and US firms to develop an advanced multi-role aircraft, that was cancelled in the mid-1980s.

Experts tell The Jewish Bugle the J-10, considered roughly equivalent to the stalwart F-16, poses little risk of superiority over the advanced aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, but then again, that's not the immediate concern.

The sale of such high-profile arms to Iran would signify a deepening relationship between the two countries, already economic partners due to Iran's status as an important oil supplier to China. That's a relationship Israel, and the US, would rather see experience a falling-out.

Analysts believe that "China will sell Iran the F-10" deliberately is the false news and plugging proactive in blocking foreign arms dealers in the F-10 export plan ahead. Western media played up its "attack force" and foreign arms dealers’ worry that it is the F-10 to bring out; their impact will dominate the world arms market.

The F-10 is a high-performance fighter, longer than for the air and ground attack at the same times both capacities. F-10 shoulder with the aircraft are American F-16, Russia's MiG-29 and France's "gust" fighters, and so on. Comparatively, the F-10's ability to maneuver a better aerial combat is the outstanding advantage.

In the implementation of national air defense, air combat fighting, the army, navy and air attacks, and other joint task can have attained the performance.

International arms dealers generally believe that, although China has no intention to export F-10's, but does not rule out future possibilities.

Technologically and materials wise, F-10 is fully domestic, exports will not be subject to external restrictions. Comparatively, the F-10 has the price advantage over the US advanced warplanes.

It is estimated that from 2006 to 2015, global scale of the fighters and trainer aircraft for the more than 3,800-output, the total value of more than 1500 billion dollars.

Asia, Europe or Latin America and some countries may not be willing to consider cost-effective to choose the F-10 rather than the US or Russia's fighters.

Professionals’ estimates that if the F-10 exports for China to liberalize, the US F-16 market share cake will be at least hundreds of warplanes orders be lost. US will disrupt the operation of the arms trade through the international network.

Those high-performance China fighters may play a more independent role in the international community, rather than the baton around the US.

Concurrently, the reduce costs by producing large number of fighters through exports permit China to explore the experiences like US military operations in the overseas. Out of the above concerns, the F-10 by far is the sensitive issue.

Evidently, the export of F-10 fighters will cause the US to create public opinion as a pressure release, such as "China to the state sponsors of terrorism and human rights record is poor national export of advanced weapons", thereby exercising strict control over the export-related goods and technology, is very to sophistical some countries to jointly implement certain sanctions on China to achieve the interests of US.