2  theSun | WEDNESDAY JUNE 17 2009

news without borders

‘PAS, Umno talks like

marriage proposal’
by Maria J. Dass
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS and Umno are still

assessing each other, just as bridal couples
do before a marriage takes place, said Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
“This is the starting point where we are
investigating each other, just like before a
marriage when we conduct checks,” he said
in a comment on PAS’s proposed unity talks
between the two political parties.
“Whether it happens or not depends on
fate … in what form we do not know yet,” he
said, adding that he sensed PAS was sincere
in this case.
“I’ve said before that we are open and
ready to hear and accept any suggestions for
the best way to cooperate through continued
discussions. We never turn away suggestion
of cooperation that are of benefit to the coun-
try,” he told the media after opening the 17th
Conference of Commonwealth Education
Ministers (17CCEM) at the Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre yesterday.
Earlier, he said the country was looking
at sectors that can be given greater impetus,
like the service and financial sectors.
“We are looking at new growth areas that
we have not exploited, but the important
thing central to the new economic model is
the growth of human capital and that’s why
we have a new cabinet committee under the
deputy prime minister (Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin) to boost skills development through
education.”
Asked how the New Economic Policy
(NEP) would fit into this, he said: “You
are making too much of the NEP because
technically there is no longer NEP, only
elements of affirmative action – but even
then we are trying to ensure that it is more
in tune with the dictates of the market. Our
domestic policies will be more and more
market friendly.”
Earlier, in his speech, Najib said Malay-
sia’s new economic model under his admin-
istration is designed to propel the country
from its current station as an upper middle
Nasharudin
Najib presents income country. welcomes
“The new economic model will shift
a mock
cheque for our reliance from a manufacturing base Najib’s response
£500,000 dependent on semi-skilled and low-cost to unity talks
(RM3 million) labour to one that hinges on a modern
to Com- services sector dependent upon skilled KUALA LUMPUR: PAS deputy
monwealth and highly paid workers,” he said. president and Bachok MP
secretary-gen- Najib said the new economic model Nasharudin Mat Isa has welcomed
eral Kamalesh seeks to leverage on creativity, innovation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Sharma high value added, entrepreneurial spirit Abdul Razak’s comment that PAS
(right) after and the ability to master more than one is sincere about unity talks and
officiating the language. that Umno is willing to listen.
Conference On the role of Commonwealth coun- Nasharudin said the party has
of Com- tries, Najib said the theme for the 17CCEM always kept its doors open to dis-
monwealth – Towards and Beyond Global Goals and cussions with anyone but the issue
Education Targets – was apt as it was a timely re- joining Umno or Barisan Nasional
Ministers minder of commitments under the Millen- (BN) does not arise at all.
yesterday. nium Development Goals which is chiefly “We have suggestions that we
to halve poverty, improve education and can give the government which
combat child mortality by 2015. may help solve the current crisis
whether it is economy, politics,
education,” he told reporters in

Bar concerned over Call to ban SIS cannot be

the parliament lobby yesterday.
Nasharudin said it is not the

police harassment agenda of PAS leaders to join the

PETALING JAYA: The Bar Council
is alarmed that the police con-
tinue to harass and intimidate
lawyers by calling them in for
questioning on matters relating
to the execution of their profes-
sional duties.
President Ragunath Kesavan
said recently, lawyer Chan Kok
Keong was served a Section 111
notice that was silent on the
subject he would be questioned
about. At the interview, he was
asked regarding an affidavit that
had been affirmed by his client,
former Perak assembly speaker
V. Sivakumar, in a suit where
Chan is representing the said
client.
Lawyers representing Chan
in this matter were themselves
informed that they would be re-
quired to give statements if they
wished to accompany Chan at
Don’t over react,
Iranians told
KUALA LUMPUR: Home Min-
ister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin
Hussein yesterday warned
Iranian nationals not to resort
to excessive actions while in
Malaysia.
“I have told the authorities to
take firm action because safety
in the streets, and the safety of
our people should not be directly
brought into their country’s
political crisis,” he said at the
Parliament lobby.
He was commenting on
the commotion on Jalan Se-
mantan yesterday when about
700 Iranians staged an illegal
gathering to protest the re-elec-
tion of Iranian President Mah-
moud Ahmadinejad on Friday.
– Bernama
the interview.
“Such questioning makes a
complete mockery of the funda-
mental principle of solicitor-client
confidentiality by which lawyers
are bound,” he said.
“It shows a grave lack of
respect for the criminal justice
system, as the solicitor-client
privilege lies at the core of this
system. This harassment must
stop if we are indeed commit-
ted to the principle of access to
justice and to the Rule of Law,”
said Ragunath, adding that it is
internationally recognised that
lawyers perform a vital function
when they act for their clients in
the pursuit of justice, and that
they must be permitted to carry
out these functions freely.
He urged police to immedi-
ately stop such unwarranted
action.
Unnatural sex
crimes rise
KUALA LUMPUR: Sexual
crimes against the order of
nature have been going up
since 2006 and although the
number of reported cases has
not reached thousands like
rape cases it is still considered
serious as the majority of vic-
tims are teenagers below 18
years of age.
From 2006 till April this
year, 716 cases were reported
and 411 of those were school
and college students.
More worrying was during
that period there were two
cases of unnatural sex involv-
ing animals, said the Bukit
Aman officer for sexual/child
investigation ASP Suraini Hus-
sain. – Bernama
retracted, says Khalid Samad
by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The resolution to ban
Sisters-in-Islam (SIS) by PAS cannot be
retracted as it was a resolution passed in
the muktamar (general assembly), said the
party’s Shah Alam division chairman Khalid
Samad yesterday.
Speaking to reporters in the parliament
lobby, Khalid who is Shah Alam MP, admitted
the resolution should have been reworded
but he did not follow up on the correction
before it was submitted as a resolution
passed by the party during its muktamar
two weeks ago.
“I had made a clarification to avoid
misinterpretation of the resolution. We will
write to the central leadership so that the
party will understand what was intended
by the resolution.
“It cannot be retracted because it was
tabled in the muktamar. What the party
leadership can do is to interpret the resolu-
M’sia back on human trafficking list
WASHINGTON: The US yesterday added six
African countries to a blacklist of countries
trafficking in people, and put its trading
partner Malaysia back on the list.
Chad, Eritrea, Niger, Mauritania,
Swaziland, and Zimbabwe were added to
the list in the annual report, which analysed
efforts in 173 countries to fight trafficking
in humans for forced labour, prostitution,
military service and other reasons.
“The global economic crisis is also boost-
ing the demand side of human trafficking,”
the report said.
Staying on the blacklist list are US allies
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait but also Cuba, Fiji, Iran,
Myanmar, North Korea, Papua New Guinea,
Sudan, and Syria, according to the State De-
partment report for 2009. Removed from the
list were Qatar, Oman, Algeria, and Moldova.
All the countries on the list risk sanc-
tions, including the suspension of US non-
tion in light of my explanation and that is
what matters,” he said.
PAS vice-president and Kubang Kerian
MP Salahuddin Ayub said although the reso-
lution was a decision made in the muktamar,
the party is willing to discuss with SIS.
“The motion is very clear. We will allow
the National Fatwa Council to investigate
the matter,” he said.
On Monday, Khalid admitted his mistake
in overlooking the resolution by the division
to ban Sisters-in-Islam, which has drawn
strong reaction from various quarters.
He said the division wanted its repre-
sentatives to hold discussions with SIS on
religious issues and not ask for SIS to be
banned or its members to be arrested.
The resolution, which was passed
without debate during the muktamar, was
condemned not only by Women, Family and
Community Development Minister Datuk
Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil but also Pakatan
Rakyat leaders from DAP and Parti Keadilan
Rakyat.
humanitarian aid.
The “Trafficking in Persons Report” said
that Malaysia “does not fully comply with
the minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking and is not making significant
efforts to do so.”
Last year the report bumped Malaysia
up to a “watch list” from the 2007 blacklist
after finding that it was “making significant
efforts” to comply with such standards.
The new report said that “while the gov-
ernment took initial actions under the anti-
trafficking law against sex trafficking, it has yet
to fully address trafficking in persons issues,
particularly labor trafficking in Malaysia.”
It said initial efforts by the Malaysian
immigration department to fight human
trafficking were overshadowed by “credible
allegations” that some immigration officials
took part in trafficking and extorting refu-
gees from Myanmar. – AFP
ruling coalition and the stand of
PAS is not about forming unity
government.
“I welcome the response but
since PAS president Datuk Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang is not in the
country, I will have to inform him
of the news and we will wait for
his response.
“This is the first serious response
from the PM,” Nasharuddin said.
He said the issue is expected
to be discussed at the upcoming
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership
meeting.
Police seek
seven robbers
PETALING JAYA: In just an hour, a gang
of youths struck five restaurants and a
hotel, robbing 11 victims of their cash
and valuables worth about RM9,000,
early yesterday.
Armed with machetes, the gang also
took away seven mobile phones, five
rings, necklace and a school bag from
the victims who were mostly restaurant
owners, workers and customers.
The hold-ups were in Puchong Jaya,
Bandar Baru Puchong and Kinrara be-
tween 5.30am and 6.30am.
Subang Jaya police chief ACP Zainal
Rashid Abu Bakar said the police would
use footages from closed-circuit tel-
evision cameras at the restaurants and
hotel to facilitate investigations.
One of the restaurant owners,
known only as Ho, 45, said three of her
Myanmar workers were attacked by
three men armed with machetes when
they were about to open the restaurant
in Taman Kinrara for business.
Another victim, known only as
Guan, in her 60s, said three men in a
black Honda car confronted her at
6am, in front of her restaurant near a
Tesco hypermarket in Jalan Bandar 9.
– Bernama