Monday, 18 May 2015

Najib counters allegations against him and government: Are we still doubtful?



Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak countered allegations hurled at him and the government, among them the Altantuya case.

Najib in his latest postings on his Twitter and blog NajibRazak.com said: “I have taken some time to look at various questions and issues that have been raised by certain parties and have penned down my thoughts on them.” He listed 13 allegations and claims along with his response:

We don't want Baram Dam, anti-dam citizen groups demand



 By Doris Yoong
MIRI, May 18, 2015 - Anti-dam citizen groups have expressed their strong objection for the proposed construction of the Baram Dam, saying that Chief Minister Adenan Satem was not fully informed after meeting a few hundred unnamed people at a closed door session.

 They urge Chief Minister Adenan Satem to immediately withdraw his statement granting Sarawak Energy Berhad's (SEB) permission to proceed with the Baram Dam.

Insead, they said the chief minister should consult with affected landowners and other stakeholders, and take heed of academic studies showing that Sarawak’s future energy demands can be met by innovative technologies that do not have a destructive toll on forests, the climate and communities.

Friday, 15 May 2015

PKR YB Michael Teo assaulted, left collar bone fractured



By Doris Yoong
MIRI, May 15, 2015 - Miri Member of Parliament Dr Michael Teo fractured his left collar bone after he was attacked by an assailant armed with a baseball bat as he walked to his clinic at Waterfront Commercial Centre this morning.
The assailant hit him on his left and right shoulders. However, only the left collar bone was fractured.

Liom on why Bunya Jalong was acquitted by the Court of Appeal



Augustine Liom explains why Bunya Jalong was acquitted

After so much furore, I feel compelled to emerge out of reticence to make some clarifications and to present a more balanced picture relating to the case, particularly, when the Honourable and learned panel of Judges of the Court of Appeal are in no position to go out to the open to explain their decision.

In fairness to them, they did, before pronouncing their verdict and after a lengthy deliberation, expressed, in the hearing of all those in Open Court, that they found the case very disturbing that a young girl got pregnant through a non-sexual intercourse activity but our law being such that sexual intercourse means only penile penetration their hands are tied and they could only leave it to the legislators to effect any amendment to the law if deemed necessary.

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Baram dam: Hearing of government's application to strike out suit by plaintiffs postponed for 11th time



By James Luhat Ngau
MIRI, May 14, 2015 - The Miri High Court  today postponed to June 16 this year the hearing of an application by the Minister of Resource  Planning and Environment and State Government to strike  out a civil suit  filed by a group of villagers from Ulu Baram challenging the move by the state to extinguish their customary rights over their traditional land.

Judge Lee Heng Cheong postponed the hearing of the application after hearing submissions from counsels for the respondents and the plaintiffs.