Obama seeks US$1.5 billion for swine flu as cases jump

WASHINGTON, April 29 – US President Barack Obama asked Congress today for an additional US$1.5 billion (RM5.4 billion) to fight swine flu as the confirmed caseload jumped to 65 people across six states in what doctors fear may become a pandemic.

Lawmakers convened an emergency hearing on Capitol Hill to assess the government’s preparedness for a more severe outbreak.

“With a new infectious agent you don’t sit back and wait and hope for the best. You take bold steps, and then you pull back if you need to,” Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news briefing.

The CDC total included 10 cases in California, 2 in Kansas, 45 in New York, one in Ohio and 6 in Texas. An additional case was reported by Indiana state authorities.

While the new flu strain has killed up to 149 people in Mexico, cases seen in the United States and elsewhere have been mild. CDC officials said only five US cases have required hospitalization, but they have said they expect more serious cases – and possibly deaths – as surveillance expands.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency over the outbreak, enabling deployment of funds and personnel to fight the disease. Federal officials declared a national public health emergency on Sunday.

Worldwide, 79 cases have been confirmed in laboratories recognized by the World Health Organization.

MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY

Obama, in a letter to Congress, said the additional US$1.5 billion would give the government “maximum flexibility” as it fights the disease, supplementing antiviral stockpiles, adding medical equipment and starting preparations for a vaccine.

As public health headlines gripped the country, senators approved the last of Obama’s Cabinet nominees — Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services secretary.

Republican critics had delayed confirming Sebelius because of her stance on abortion.

Analysts said the addition of Sebelius and the filling of other senior health vacancies would help Obama, who hopes to appear concerned and in control while seeking not to generate panic.

“You’re almost always going to basically deal with the possibility that there will be some other crisis that emerges just as you’re juggling other balls. Obama seems ready to do that compared to other presidents,” said Norm Ornstein, a political expert at the American Enterprise Institute.

On Capitol Hill, health officials told an emergency hearing the funding would be crucial if the flu virus spreads.

“In the face of these cutbacks and layoffs and vacancies, we don’t even have the workforce we had two years ago,” said Dr. Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

In California, Texas and New York City, authorities have ordered schools shut where students have tested positive for the swine flu virus.

In New York, most confirmed cases of infection were at a Queens private school where the virus has sickened at least 28 students. Officials had said earlier as many as 100 students might have been ill, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Tuesday officials have stopped testing more people because the symptoms are mild, with only two people going to the hospital.

“This is following the pattern of normal, seasonal influenza,” Bloomberg told reporters at City Hall. “So far, nothing about the spread of swine flu has surprised us.”

A University of Notre Dame student was the first confirmed flu case in Indiana, according to state and school officials. The student, who did not become seriously ill, traveled in mid-March, officials said, without specifying the destination, except to say it was not to Mexico.

There were few signs of panic across the country, although sales of flu medication and items like face masks were up in some areas close to where cases have been confirmed.

“Everyone’s a little leery of anyone coughing. Even though the news makes it seem really, really bad, it doesn’t seem like it’s actually that much of a concern,” said Aaron Armelin, 33, a telecommunications technician in Los Angeles.

US stocks rose as traders shook off some of the more immediate flu fears that hit the market on Monday.

Despite advice that no pigs have been affected by the virus, Ecuador joined a long list of countries putting bans on imports of some US pigs and pork products, further worrying pork producers. – Reuters

Flu kills 149 in Mexico, world closer to pandemic

MEXICO CITY, April 28 — A new virus has killed up to 149 people in Mexico and the World Health Organisation moved closer yesterday to declaring it the first flu pandemic in 40 years as more people were infected in the United States and Europe.

The WHO raised its pandemic alert level for the swine flu virus to phase 4, indicating a significantly increased risk of a pandemic, a global outbreak of a serious disease.

The last such outbreak, a “Hong Kong” flu pandemic in 1968, killed about 1 million people.

Although the new flu strain has so far killed people only in Mexico, there were more than 40 confirmed cases in the United States, including 20 at a New York City school where eight cases were already identified.

In Mexico City, fearful Christians paraded a centuries-old statue of Jesus, believed to protect against disease, through the streets for the first time in more than a century.

The swine flu is not caught from eating pig meat products, but several countries imposed import bans on pork from the United States. Stocks in companies such as airlines were also hit as investors worried about the impact on travel.

Spain became the first country in Europe to confirm a case of swine flu when a man who returned from a trip to Mexico last week was found to have the virus.

Texas health authorities confirmed a third case of swine flu at a school near the Mexican border and California said it now had 11 confirmed cases.

The US State Department and the European Union urged citizens to avoid non-essential travel Mexico and other areas affected by swine flu.

Mexico relies on tourism as its third biggest source of foreign currency and millions of Americans travel there every year.

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said the outbreak was now suspected of having killed 149 people and warned the number of cases would keep rising.

Thirty-three million Mexican schoolchildren will be off school until the middle of next week as authorities seek to contain the outbreak. Schools in the sprawling capital had already been closed but the government ordered classes canceled across the country until May 6.

Most of the those who died were between 20 and 50 years of age, an ominous sign because a hallmark of past pandemics has been the high rate of fatalities among healthy young adults.

Worldwide, seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people in an average year but the new strain worries experts because it spreads rapidly between humans and there is no vaccine for it.
NEW BLOW TO ECONOMY

Oil prices fell more than 2 percent to close to US$50 (RM180) a barrel as investors feared a new blow to an already fragile global economy if trade flows are curbed and manufacturing is hit.

The MSCI world equity index fell 0.8 per cent and US stocks also slipped.

Flu fears hit US airline stocks hard as investors worried that the travel industry would suffer. Shares prices for UAL Corp, the parent of United Airlines, shed 14 per cent, while Continental Airlines Inc lost 16 per cent.

Other travel and leisure stocks such as Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways and British Airways fell sharply, whereas makers of drugs and vaccines, such as Roche, were higher.

But his condition, like that of the cases in the United States and six in Canada, was not serious. Spain had 26 suspected cases under observation, health officials said.

A New Zealand teacher and a dozen students who recently traveled to Mexico were being treated as likely mild cases.

In the first confirmed cases in Britain, Scotland’s health minister said two people tested positive for swine flu and were being treated under isolation near Glasgow.

Suspected cases were also reported in France, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Israel.

Large numbers of Mexicans made it to work in the capital despite the flu outbreak. Traffic in the city of 20 million was brisk as workers, many in surgical masks, packed buses.

“I preferred to come by car instead of public transport because I didn’t want to be in contact with so many people,” said 25-year-old graphic designer Andres Beltran. – Reuters

Exchange of talent between govt and GLCs? Not really — The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 28 — Of the raft of initiatives and ideas unveiled by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak since becoming prime minister, this one just doesn’t make sense.

Pray tell why should Malaysians get excited over the prospect of civil servants being seconded to government-linked companies and vice-versa? It is akin to having an exchange of talent between teams Kelantan and Selangor and then going away believing that a spike in the overall standard of football in the country is on the way.

The fact is that there isn’t much difference in the level of efficiency and competency between civil servants and GLC personnel. Their salaries are higher and their perks better but GLCs in Malaysia are mostly about cost overruns, suffocating red tape, corruption and heavy dependence on government largesse to survive.

Please do not get fooled by the glowing report cards handed in by the CEOs of some of these GLCs. Their key performance indicators are padded up by sweet deal contracts from the government. Without government assistance, many of these GLCs will be floundering.

In an address to civil servants today, Najib proposed an open door policy where civil servants can be seconded to GLCs and vice-versa for mutual acquisition of knowledge. In this way, he felt that the public sector will be exposed to the needs of the private sector, the main drivers of Malaysia’s growth.

Sadly, if this plan is implemented it will merely reinforce the incestuous relationship between the civil service and GLCs, and strengthen the perception in the private sector that there is an uneven playing field.

For the last few years, the biggest concern in corporate Malaysia has been the strong bias by government officials to award contracts and projects to the likes of UEM, MRCB and Sime Darby. This has prompted talk of the private sector being crowded out by GLCS from many sectors of the economy, and has resulted in entrepreneurs moving their capital outside the country.

This trend would have been easy to ignore in the days of plenty. But with the Najib administration facing a revenue crunch and the budget deficit widening, it is critical that the cash and liquidity flush private sector takes a lead in driving the local economy.

Will the private sector pour the much-needed funds to spur economic activity in Malaysia? Yes but only if corporate figures and entrepreneurs believe that they will have a fair shot at winning some of the big contracts.

The thought of an even stronger old boys’ network developing between civil servants and GLCs will be enough to persuade businessmen to hedge their bets about Malaysia.

UN food body checks if ‘swine flu’ linked to pigs

 

 A swine by any other name? UN’s food agency is unsure whether swine flu is actually from pigs, and they are testing to find out the truth. – Reuters pic

ROME, April 28 — The United Nations’ food agency said today it was mobilising its animal health experts and sending some to Mexico to check if the new strain of flu virus widely described as swine flu is really directly linked to pigs. 

“At present, transmission seems to be occurring solely from humans to humans,” said the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“So far evidence that the new strain of influenza A virus has entered the human population directly from pigs has not been established,” the Rome-based UN body said in a statement.

The FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said there was “no evidence of a threat to the food chain; at this stage it is a human crisis and not an animal crisis”.

The flu outbreak has killed as many as 149 people in Mexico and the World Health Organisation has indicated a significantly increased risk of pandemic, though so far the virus has not caused any known deaths outside of Mexico.

Despite advice that the virus is not caught from eating pork products, several countries have banned pork imports from the United States, where 50 infected people have been found.

But animal health authorities such as the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (known as the OIE) say it should not be termed “swine flu” as it has avian and human components and no pig has so far been found ill with the disease.

The European Commission says it has no plans to restrict trade in pork as the flu has nothing to do with the food chain.

The FAO said it was sending FAO-OIE experts to Mexico this week to help the government “assess the epidemiologic situation in the pig production sector”, while FAO staff around the world were on “full alert” to report any flu-like illness in pigs.

The Rome-based FAO urged governments and the international community to step up disease surveillance in swine. — Reuters

Michelle Obama Breaks Ground in 100 Days

Pemilihan barisan pimpinan PAS: Akan adakah kejutan?

APRIL 28 – Perbualan orang PAS hari ini ialah tentang Mesyuarat Agung Kawasan yang berlangsung dan dijangka tamat pada pertengahan Mei ini. Saya ada menerima beberapa jemputan untuk resmikan Mesyuarat Agung Kawasan tertentu, itu pun beberapa kawasan jemput kerana dah tak dapat ‘top guns’ jadi saya yang kerdil ini pun gantilah!

Ada seorang kawan rapat saya yang selalu jadi penasihat yang tak dilantik pernah bisik kat saya: “ustaz kena terima jemputan resmi kawasan ni pasai masa tu kita boleh promosi kita, yang minta untuk resmi pun ada” sambil ‘penasihat’ bercakap dalam loghat utara yang pekat, saya mengangguk tanda faham, tapi sebenarnya saya tak faham tentang promosi diri kerana satu perkara yang paling berat untuk saya lakukan ialah mempromosi diri sendiri, kalau istilah orang tua kita: “masuk bakul angkat sendiri!”

Tidak seperti Umno cara pemilihan dalam PAS berjalan dalam keadaan penuh berhati-hati supaya tidak dilihat sebagai ‘mahukan kedudukan’ kerana tok-tok guru PAS ajar pengikut supaya jangan meminta jawatan malah yang meminta itulah yang tidak akan diberi jawatan!

Bersandarkan kepada hadis Nabi s.a.w “Bukan di kalangan ku mereka yang meminta-minta” maka jadinya dalam PAS hanya semata-mata kerana ‘dilihat’ meminta-minta jawatan sudah cukup menjadi satu kepelikan dalam PAS.

Setiap kenyataan yang dibuat dalam dan luar parti berkenaan dengan pencalonannya sudah cukup untuk menghantar mesej yang positif atau negatif kepada ahli. Seorang veteran dalam PAS pernah nasihat saya semasa nama saya dicalonkan untuk AJK PAS Pusat sesi 2005-2007, dia kata “mujahid kena berhati-hati, saya tengok Mujahid boleh pergi jauh biarlah Mujahid menang dengan ‘restu’ , jangan menang kerana ‘dipaksa’ menang”! saya tidak mengerti maksud ‘restu’ yang dimaksudkan tetapi penglaman yang sedikit dalam PAS ini mengajar saya maksud ‘restu’ tadi ialah ‘berendah diri’ sehingga dilihat oleh perwakilan sebagai calon bermoral, seolah-olah moral keperibadian yang tidak meminta-minta jawatan walaupun layak, itulah yang akan menjadi kayu pengukur perwakilan, bukan sekadar sekadar berbekalkan kelayakan.

Kata-kata itu lima tahun  yang lalu kembali teriang-riang di telinga saya, dan sekali gus mengenangkan saya kepada tokoh veteran ini yang sudah pun meninggal dunia, moga dia diterima di sisi Allah.

Kini PAS terpaksa mematuhi kehendak perlembagaan parti bagi memilih barisan pimpinan baru, soalannya apakah akan berlaku kejutan?

Saya mengandaikan akan berlaku kejutan dengan line-up baru di peringkat atasan, melainkan Presiden parti, semua jawatan tertinggi yang lain dari Timbalan Presiden, Naib-naib akan dipertandingkan.

Penyandang akan dicabar dengan satu pemilihan yang saya andaikan agak sengit. Mengapa saya berkata demikian?

Pertama kerana harapan orang ramai kepada PAS agak tinggi, berbanding dengan sebelumya, orang ramai tidak berminat untuk melihat siapa yang akan terajui PAS, tapi dengan dua kemenangan PAS di dua PRK minat orang ramai semakin meningkat.

Apatah lagi PAS kini muncul sebagai sebuah parti yang dilihat mempunyai ‘moral standing’ yang tinggi di antara ketiga parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat, malah cakap-cakap PAS akan menjadi alternatif kepada Umno mula ditanggap serius oleh orang Melayu khususnya.

Dalam kekosongan alternatf parti Melayu ini kedudukan PAS menjadi penting dan sudah tentulah pemilihan kepimpinan PAS akan menjadi tumpuan.

Kedua ialah harapan ahli PAS sendiri yang ‘sahamnya’ dilihat ‘melambung ‘tinggi dan dengan itu membuat pilihan kepada kepimpinan yang baru bukan hanya menjadi tanggungjawab tetapi ada unsur nilai strategik yang akan menjadi perkiraan.

Ketiga, bagi rakan-rakannya dalam Pakatan, pemilihan kepimpinan baru akan memberi satu gambaran awal bagaimana masa depan hubungan dengan PAS.

Terakhir ialah persepsi musuh tradisi PAS iaitu Umno, mereka pun mengintai-intai siapa yang akan menerajui PAS, paling ‘menggerunkan’ mereka ialah apabila kepimpinan baru nanti akan dilihat lebih berwibawa dari sudut ketokohan dan kemampuan intelek di mana ini akan menjadi masalah kepada Umno kerana unjuran PAS akan menjadi alternatif kepada Umno bukan lagi khayalan!

Saya melihat dengan alasan tadi kejutan pasti akan berlaku, saya tidak berminat untuk menyenaraikan siapakah mereka yang akan menjadi kejutan dalam Muktamar nanti kerana saya hanya berminat unuk melihat bagaimana proses ‘kejutan’ akan berlaku. Dengan kata lain kejutan kalau berlaku hanya di hujung tetapi yang lebih menarik ialah bagaimana kejutan ini dicipta?

Sebagai AJK PAS Pusat saya bertemu dengan bermacam jenis ahli PAS, ringkas ada dua trend ahli yang dominon dalam PAS, pertama ialah ahli yang terlalu berhati-hati sehinggakan ‘perubahan’ agak sukar menembusi pemikiran mereka, ke dua ialah ahli yang mempunyai keterbukaan untuk mengambil risiko-risiko kepada ‘perubahan’ dalam parti.

Trend in sudah tentu mempengaruhi kecenderungan ahli bagi menentukan siapakah barisan mereka.

Satu hari semasa saya bersembang-sembang dengan seorang kuat media dari lidah resmi Harakah dan Siyasah yang pro PAS, dia melontarkan satu ide yang menarik katanya “ahli PAS ni susah kita nak baca sebab budaya parti ini tak seperti Umno yang terang-terang membicarakan soal barisan kepimpinan, dalam PAS kita hanya dapat isyarat-isyarat yang lemah, itu pun calon-calon yang beraspirasi untuk menjadi kepimpinan tertinggi tak ‘berani’ nak menampakkan hasratnya terang-terangan, inilah masalah kita!’

Lontaran ini menarik dan inilah yang membingungkan Joceline Tan, wartawan politik The Star, dia kerap menghubungi saya untuk ‘korek’ maklumat , tapi berhempas pulas dia ‘korek’ dari saya namun tak berhasil lalu katanya ‘You all memang susah kita nak baca, kami tak dapat nak buat ukuran populariti calon-calon..”

Katanya itu yang mengakhiri perbualan telefon yang panjang menggambarkan memang ‘susah’ dalam PAS  nak tengok ‘kehangatan’ pencalonan. Kalau ‘hangat’ pun ia terlalu rahsia!

Tapi apa yang saya boleh saya kongsi dalam tulisan ini ialah, dalam PAS memang ada style mereka tersendiri untuk memilih kepimpinan.

Kalau untuk AJK Pusat, kecenderungan memilih ialah faktor latarbelakang agama samada latarbelakan formal atau tidak formal.

Tidak formal ialah calon itu tertonjol keilmuan Islamnya melalui petikan ayat Quran dan Hadis. Bagi mereka yang tak berapa ada kebolehan ini agak sukar untuk diangkat menjadi AJK.

Ada juga faktor kelantangan dan keberanian di pentas-pentas ceramah menjadi perkiraan. Keberanian menghadiri ceramah yang tidak ada permit , kena ‘tahan’ dan berani ‘lawan’ pihak berkuasa.

Faktor lain seperti keintelektualan, walaupun tidak dominon tetapi sudah mula diambil kira oleh perwakilan dari kawasan-kawasan Bandar.

Untuk jawatan tertinggi seperti Presiden, era kepimpinan ulamak tidakpernah menyaksikan apa-apa pertandingan, manakala Timbalan, style perwakilan masih terikat dengan kecenderungan melihat calon Timbalan sebagai seorang yang ada nama Ustaz. Pernah saya mendengar dari kepimpinan akar umbi yang mengatakan orang nombor dua mesti ulamak juga kerana dia akan menolong Presiden kalau dia tidak ulamak macamana dia nak tegur Presiden?

Trend mengundi ini masih kuat dan  belum lagi dicabar kes dahuluan yang sememangnya no 1 dan 2 mesti ada title Ustaz. Mungkin kejutan akan berlaku untuk mencabar amalan ini?

Manakal Naib-naib dipilih mengikut aturan yang secara otomatik disusun oleh perwakilan. Dalam tiga itu seorang mesti ustaz, seorang lagi ‘loyalist’ manaka seorang lagi ada status sosial yang diiktiraf samada populariti atau daya keintelektualan yang tinggi.

Kejutannya pada kali ini ialah kemungkinan susunan ini tidak lagi diambil kira, bahkan bagi memenuhi desakan mahukan perubahan kemungkinan title ustaz tidak lagi menjadi perkiraan, yang menjadi perkiraan ialah ‘performance’ dan ‘achievement’.

Kalaupun kita bleh membaca trend kecenderungan perwakilan, tetapi ia tidak semestinya begitu. Nama-nama calon untuk Timbalan dan Naib-naib turut dilontarkan dengan satu pendekatan yang mudah dan gelihati, iaitu jika ada mana-mana nama sudah mula mendapat satu dua pencalonan, barulah kawasan lain ‘teringat’ nama ini perlu dicalonkan!

Ini yang jenis Kawasan ‘baru teringat’ mereka tidak ada dalam perkiraan mereka kepentingan strategic untuk membawa parti ke tahap yang lebih baik. Ia agak melucukan tetapi trend ini masih ada dalam PAS.

Yang lebih panas ialah spekulasi-spekulasi yang dimainkan oleh media dan penganalisa-penganalisa.

Ada yang di ‘upah’ oleh Umno untuk membuat analisis yang nakal seperti mengatakan ada kumpulan Erdogan yang membawa trend ‘perubahan’, ada yang mengatakan group Erdogan di’taja’oleh Anwar Ibrahim dan ada yang menganggap perubahan kepada kumpulan Erdogan akan menyaksikan berakhirnya style PAS yang ‘ortodoks’ kepada style yang ‘terbuka’ malah Negara Islam langsung tidak ada dalam slogan-slogan kumpulan Erdogan ini.

Bagi saya ini analisis nakal yang akan mewarnai suasana pemilihan dalam PAS pada Muktamar akan datang.

Agak menarik untuk dijadikan sebahagian dari lembaran sejarah PAS dalam era sahamnya sedang menaik, sekurang-kurangnya tulisan ini membantu Joceline Tan untuk membaca dan mengukur populariti calon-calon.

Mukhriz wants Umno in Penanti, touts new approach

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

SHAH ALAM, April 28 – Echoing his father’s views, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has urged Umno to contest the Penanti by-election with a new approach to get voters on the ruling federal coalition’s side.

The International Trade and Industry deputy minister covered his bases by agreeing the vote could be deemed “a waste of funds” but argued that Umno had to contest to fight the opposition’s smear campaigns and because the Election Commission had already confirmed a by-election.

“I believe in Penanti, we will be using  a new-out-of-the-box approach which is not normally used by us in previous by-elections. I hope this will make opposition hesitate and wonder what our next step will be,” Mukhriz said without elaborating on the approach.

He said the new approach was needed as many former Umno members were in the opposition and have countered the party’s traditional approach and strategy.

“They can stop us and also influence the people with their baseless arguments.”

His father, former prime minister and party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has told Umno to fight for Penanti which is a state seat within PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political stronghold of Permatang Pauh.

Dr Mahathir sacked his one-time protege Anwar as deputy prime minister in 1998 who was later jailed until 2004 when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over from the long-serving premier.

The Jerlun MP also condemned Pakatan Rakyat election campaigns, claiming it used children and dirty tactics to win votes and deceive the voters.

“The smear campaign may be effective for them but what happens in the long run? They seem not interested in unity and the long term future of the country. They are willing to see the rakyat break so that a certain person can become prime minister. I think that is very selfish of them.

“Our strategy has always to make sure that whatever we do does not jeopardise the greater unity of the people in the long run. We are ever mindful of that but sometimes being mindful of that means we lose in the by-election,” Mukhriz said, adding that “it is a sacrifice that we have to make.”

But he reaffirmed that Umno must contest despite the uphill task to win Penanti.

“I believe it is good that we contest because we have plenty of supporters in Penanti and we do not want to disappoint them. Even though there are rumors that we are bound to lose but we take advantage as an underdogs and ask the voters in Penanti to vote for us,” he added.

Inter-parliamentary caucus meeting ends on high note

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — The first Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Caucus Meeting ended on a high note today with all member countries, minus Thailand, agreeing to adopt the resolutions on common legislations for harmonisation of laws.

“All ten resolutions were thought out, decided on and agreed thoroughly by the AIPA Caucus delegates,” AIPA Caucus chairman Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told reporters after the conclusion of the two-day meeting at Parliament House today.

The eight countries that make up the AIPA Caucus meeting are Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Thailand’s representatives, however, could not make it to the meeting due to political unrest back home. Myanmar and Brunei meanwhile were here as observers.

Wan Junaidi said among the resolutions agreed included the establishment of specific working groups to look into developing common legislative initiatives of various related laws.

They also agreed that the AIPA Caucus would undertake measures to work closely, continuously and effectively within all member countries.

He also said the meeting had agreed that the AIPA secretariat should coordinate and identify issues and a common set of protocols applicable within AIPA member countries to address immediate problems with a view to facilitate regional cooperation in the area of legal harmonisation and enforcement in the long run.

Wan Junaidi said the resolutions also included an initiative to set up an effective mechanism to address harmonisation of procedures, enforcement, training and investigations and endeavor for an Asean-wide convention/treaty on repatriation/extradition.

The meeting also agreed to encourage AIPA member countries to concentrate on the practical aspects of enforcement and share best practices/success stories in effectively addressing these problems.

He also said that the meeting recommended that the AIPA Caucus consult the Asean Secretariat on regular basis including but not to limited to senior law officials to obtain expert legal advice on harmonisation of laws. — Bernama

Mansor dropped as senator on Wan Azizah’s request — Guan Eng

PENANG, April 28 — The dropping of Dr Mansor Othman, the Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)’s deputy liaison committee chairman, as a state nominee to the Dewan Rakyat was made on the request of PKR’s president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the PKR leader sent a letter to him to drop Mansor and replace him with the state liaison secretary, Mustafa Kamal Mohd Yusoff, who is also the PKR state election director.

“No reason was given in the letter but I know why,” he said with a smile at a news conference at Fort Cornwallis here today.

While most can expect the possibility of Mansor being picked as the PKR candidate for the Penanti state seat, Lim however would not confirm it and asked reporters to be patient for an announcement by PKR advisor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Yayasan Aman tonight.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin on April 16 and yesterday the Election Commission fixed May 23 as nomination day and May 31 as polling day.

On March 21, Lim announced the resignation of Mohammad Fairus as deputy chief minister I and state executive councillor.

On the a replacement as DCM I, Lim said he left it to Anwar. — Bernama

peguam pas

HANIPA JAWAB KENYATAAN PEGUAM UMNO , DATO’HAFARIZAM

Saya mengucapkan terima kasih di atas keperihatinan Dato Hafarizam untuk menjawab artikel saya yang tersiar secara meluas di alam internet ini (“ Zambry perolehi perintah yang tidak laku” ) Paling kurang saya berterima kasih beliau membaca artikel saya. Terima kasih sekali lagi.

Sebagai peguam saya menghormati pendapat beliau dan bagi saya tidak salah untuk beliau mengambil keputusan menjawab artikel saya tersebut . Menyanjung roh demokrasi yang sebahagiannya adalah kebebasan bersuara , kita wajar menghormati kenyataan beliau ketika menjawab artikel saya tersebut.

Saya tidak bercadang menjawab satu persatu apa yang beliau tulis sebaliknya memadailah saya hanya menjawab isu teras yang beliau bangkitkan di dalam kenyataan beliau tersebut.

Ramai meminta saya jelaskan kenyataan beliau bahawa

“Keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan bahawa penggantungan Menteri Besar BN Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir dan enam exco kerajaan negeri itu oleh Speaker DUN Perak, V Sivakumar batal dan tidak sah, adalah konklusif dan tidak boleh dipertikaikan”

Sebenarnya kalau para pembaca membaca tulisan saya dan memahami betul-betul apa yang saya cuba sampaikan, para pembaca akan tahu bahawa dua perintah deklarasi ( perisytiharan ) yang Zambry dan enam exconya perolehi tidak membawa apa-apa kesan .

Bagi sesiapa yang pelajari dan terdedah dengan undang-undang pentadbiran ( administrative law ) mereka akan tahu perintah deklarasi sahaja tidak cukup kuat untuk mengikat Sivakumar.

Memanglah susah nak terangkan pada mereka yang bukan ahli undang-undang ( laymen ) khususnya ahli dan penyokong Umno tentang apa dia certiorari dan apa dia mandamus kerana bukan sahaja orang awam susah untuk faham malahan tidak semua para peguam juga dapat memahaminya atau memahaminya dengan baik..

Saya tidak pasti sejauh manakah Dato ‘Hafarizam biasa dengan kes-kes semakan kehakiman ( judicial review ) dan jenis-jenis perintah ( remedies ) yang biasa dipohon di dalam kes-kes semakan kehakiman.

Bagi pihak saya dan bukan niat nak membanggakan diri, sudah hampir 16 tahun saya menjadi pengamal undang-undang dan dalam tempoh tersebut antara cabang undang-undang yang saya banyak kendalikan kes adalah melibatkan kes-kes semakan kehakiman .

Saya akui tidak semua kes saya menang tetapi pendedahan kepada undang-undang tersebut agak mungkin agak lebih sikit dari Dato’ Hafarizam ( yang juga kawan baik saya )

Saya lihat di dalam jawapan beliau kepada artikel saya , Hafarizam tidak menjawab mengapakah Zambry tidak memohon perintah certiorari ( quashed the decision of Sivakumar ) dan perintah mandamus ( supaya Sivakumar benarkan beliau dan enam exconya masuk ke dalam siding DUN Perak )

Hakikatnya apabila persoalan tersebut dibangkitkan oleh Haji Sulaiman Abdullah, peguam Zambry iaitu Encik Fairuz Hussin mengakui bahawa berdasarkan doktrin pengasingan kuasa Zambry tidak dibenarkan memohon dua perintah tersebut

Berdasarkan jawapan dari Encik Fairuz tersebut, beliau sendiri mengakui bahawa Zambry terikat dengan doktrin pengasingan kuasa – bermakna Mahkamah tidak boleh perintah untuk Speaker membuat sesuatu atau melarang speaker membuat sesuatu. Dengan lain perkataan Fairuz mengakui Zambry tidak boleh mendapatkan perintah certiorari dan mandamus ke atas Sivakumar.

Tanpa perintah certiorari dan mandamus sebaliknya hanya mendapat perintah deklarasi sahaja , ianya tidak membawa apa-apa kesan kerana perintah deklarasi tidak boleh memaksa Sivakumar membuat sesuatu atau melarang Sivakumar membuat sesuatu perkara.

Bagi orang awam mereka mungkin bertanya kenapa perintah deklarasi bersifat begitu ?

Saya boleh jawab tetapi saya jika saudara tanya begitu samalah seperti saudara tanya seorang doktor kenapa ada ubat demam dalam bentuk pil dan ada dalam bentuk minuman atau pun saudara tanya seorang Ulama kenapa solat zohor empat rakaat dan kenapakah solat subuh hanya dua rakaat ?

Di dalam kenyataannya Hafarizam menyatakan bahawa isu mengapa Zambry tidak memfailkan semakan kehakiman sebaliknya hanya memfailkan Saman Pemula sahaja tidak wajar ditimbulkan kerana Mahkamah Persekutuan telah menolak bantahan peguam Nizar berkenaan isu tersebut .

Ya, benar Mahkamah telah menolak bantahan awal peguam Nizar terhadap isu tersebut, Tetapi apa yang Hafarizam tidak jelaskan adalah meskipun Mahkamah menolak bantahan tersebut ianya tidak bermakna perintah -perintah deklarasi yang Zambry pohon sama tarafnya ( dari segi kekuatan dan keberkesanannya ) dengan perintah seperti perintah certiorari dan perintah mandamus.

Hafarizam mungkin terlupa untuk menyatakan bahawa dengan penolakan bantahan tersebut , Mahkamah , pada hemat saya, pada hakikatnya ingin menyampaikan mesej kepada Zambry dengan mesej berikut :-

a. Bahawa memandangkan kamu hanya memohon perintah deklarasi sahaja , kami ( para hakim ) hanya benarkan untuk kamu memohon perintah tersebut melalui kaedah Saman Pemula dan tidak melalui Semakan Kehakiman di bawah Perkara 53 Kaedah-Kaedah Mahkamah Tinggi 1980.

b. Tapi kamu juga kena faham apabila kamu hanya memohon perintah deklarasi sahaja dan tidak memohon perintah certiorari dan mandamus, kami boleh beri perintah yang kamu pohon tapi jangan salahkan kami kalau perintah tersebut tidak boleh membawa apa-apa kesan pemaksaan ( coercive force ) ke atas Sivakumar.

c. Kamu sendiri harus dipersalahkan kerana tidak memohon perintah certiorari dan mandamus bagi memastikan sebarang keputusan Sivakumar bukan sahaja dapat dibatalkan tetapi juga dapat dibuang/dipadam dari rekod DUN Perak. Tanpa perintah certiorari, keputusan Sivakumar tersebut akan kekal di dalam rekod di DUN Perak kerana kamu tidak pohon untuk padamkan perintah tersebut.

d. Kalau peguam kamu sendiri mengaku bahawa kamu tidak boleh pohon perintah certiorari dan mandamus bagi memadamkan keputusan Sivakumar, mengapa kamu masih juga memfailkan permohonan saman pemula ini dan meminta kami memerintahkan perintah yang tidak membawa apa-apa manfaat untuk mencabar keputusan Sivakumar.

e. Memandangkan kamu dah berada di Mahkamah ini dan memohon perintah-perintah deklarasi ( sebanyak 10 perintah ) kami bagi jugalah sebagai “saguhati” kepada kamu iaitu dua perintah deklarasi dari 10 perintah tersebut.

Sama ada mesej tersebut difahami oleh Umno atau tidak kita lihatlah pada 7 hb Mei ini .

posted by hanipamaidin