Queen 'Bersih' meets Najib

Britain's Queen Elizabeth greeted Prime Minister Najib Razak during an audience at Buckingham Palace in central London on Thurdsay. What could not be missed was the bright yellow dress worn by the British monarch, known for her subtlety and wit.

But amused or not, Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor bowed low before Her Majesty despite the unmistakable the shade of yellow she sported and which had been adopted by Bersih, a Malaysian movement for free and fair elections that was recently outlawed by Najib.

The diamonds-studded First Lady of Malaysia

It is not only NOT surprising but equally shocking to hear of our diamonds-studded First Lady of Malaysia.

Where on earth and who in Malaysia will think, feel and act kindly to such revelations? Mind you she is only the wife of a man who happens to be the prime minister this season. She is not the spouse of a majestic king of a bygone era. Yet she has multi-million ringgit worth of exquisite jewelry?

Rosmah in hot soup over gargantuan RM24.4mil diamond ring

After days of swirling speculation and mounting outrage over how Rosman Mansor, the wife of Prime Minister Najib Razak, could afford to blow RM24.4 million on an elephantine diamond ring, PKR Youth leader Badrul Hisham Shahrin has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission.

Analysts: Bad press won’t unseat Najib

They say the negative publicity about anti-Bersih actions will have minimal electoral impact

KUALA LUMPUR: The international media’s attack on the Najib administration over its handling of the July 9 Bersih rally will not threaten Barisan Nasional’s grip on 
Putrajaya, according to two political analysts.

Now everyone can make change

To the living who are among the living dead,

Let the sun’s dawn upon the nation and upon you on July 9 be not in vain. May its light not be eclipsed in you, but the brilliance of 10.000 suns flow through the children of the sun.

Rings of questions over Rosmah

Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers are asking where and how, if true, did the prime minister's wife get her alleged RM73 million ring.

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor’s alleged RM73 million diamond ring has left many in Pakatan Rakyat curious.

PAS Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar asked how Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak got his hands on the funds needed to buy the ring.

“If the allegation is true, where did the money to buy this blue diamond come from?” he asked.

Rais-ing the ire of media experts

Experts say Rais Yatim is wrong in slamming the foreign and alternative media over their reports on the Bersih 2.0 rally.

PETALING JAYA: Media experts have rapped Putrajaya’s seemingly skewed understanding of journalism, in the wake of the Bersih 2.0 protest last week.

Media Defence South East Asia (MDSEA) executive director HR Dipendra said that Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim had wrongly slammed the foreign and alternative press for its coverage of the July 9 rally.

“It only exposes the minister’s lack of global understanding of how the media in general operates,” he told FMT.

Teacher's act goes viral

Malaysia's Rebecca Black is known as Cikgu Syida, who has attracted more than a million hits with her YouTube videos.

Click on thumbnails to view media. 

      

FORGET Rebecca Black there is a new YouTube sensation. For Malaysia at least, and she is called Cikgu Syida.


The real-life primary school teacher from Bota, Perak, has attracted more than a million hits on the video sharing website with her wacky, mimed music videos.


From Shakira's World Cup theme song Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) to local hit Kalau Berpacaran by Sohaimi Meor Hassan and Anna Raffali and Arabic pop smash For The Rest Of My Life by Palestinian-born Swedish R&B singer Maher Zain, some 40 popular songs have gotten the Cikgu Syida treatment of weird costumes, funny dance moves and silly facial expressions.


True, there are more than a few music videos of the sad-wannabe-in-the-bedroom variety that will make you cringe but the more you watch, the more impressed you will get with the irreverence and sense of freedom that Cikgu Syida infuses in them.


What started out as a fun hobby and outlet for letting off steam has become a teaching aid for the 38-year-old English teacher, who sees her videos as an effective motivational tool for her students.

Cop: Use of excessive force was wrong

There were special police teams who were already targeting those leaders behind the rally, such as Bersih chairman S Ambiga, says a policeman.

KUALA LUMPUR: The police force has been denying the use of violence during the Bersih 2.0 march on July 9. But among them is one lone voice who condemned the use of violence on the protesters.

A brave policeman said the use of excessive force when arresting Bersih 2.0 marchers was uncalled for and wrong.

The policeman who was in charge of making arrest spoke to FMT on condition of anonymity.

Maths puts Bersih crowd at 45,000 to 50,000

A research firm using tweets, photos has charted a way to measure just how many people turned up at the 'Walk for Democracy' rally.

PETALING JAYA: Crowd estimates for the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally are almost as contentious as the rally itself. Various figures have been bandied about. Just about everybody has their own estimation – the organisers, police and the media.

Mahathir is responsible for Bersih

An Australian researcher believes that Mahathir's elimination of a level political playing field created a need for a movement like Bersih.

PETALING JAYA: An Australian political researcher has credited former premier, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, for the formation of the Bersih and Bersih 2.0 coalitions.

In an interview with ABC Radio Australia yesterday, Greg Lopez of the Australian National University (ANU) bluntly stated that Mahathir had “virtually destroyed any check and balance available” during his lengthy reign.

“He put the judiciary, police and royalty under Umno so that it was just impossible for the opposition to have any fair go at winning an election,” Lopez said. “And this (conclusion) is born of numerous studies conducted at the ANU and in many other countries. It is a fact.”

US airs concerns on crackdown

The US says it will continue to monitor the situation closely.

WASHINGTON: The United States yesterday voiced concern about Malaysia’s weekend crackdown on an opposition-backed rally and said it would keep an eye on developments.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to end Saturday’s electoral reform rally and arrested more than 1,600 people.

One man died during the rally. His family said he collapsed after fleeing tear gas, while police said he was a bystander who died of a heart attack.

MCA, police web of lies exposed: Tung Shin doctors confirm tear gas attack

It looks like the more the Najib administration tries to wriggle out of the Tung Shin Hospital fisaco, the worse it becomes.

The fact MCA president Chua Soi Lek and his deputy Liow Tiong Lai are leading the BN's defense that the iconic hospital was not hit by tear gas and chemical-laced water has made citizens even more upset as neither leader holds much traction in the credibility stakes with the public.

The prime minster of Malaysia had challenged the opposition political parties and the citizens by alleging that they do not have the guts.

“If you have guts, then fight us during the election and not this way. Only those with no guts will hold demonstrations," he had told the PPP's annual assembly.

Now that the citizens of Malaysia – real people without color and creed bars and going beyond politics and social class, who courageously and in the face of great risks inflicted upon them (including one death!) have demonstrated that they want justice in governance as enshrined and guaranteed by the Constitution, why don’t you Mr. Prime Minister, do the following:

UN condemns Najib administration for "excessive" crackdown on Bersih

The United Nations has condemned Prime Minister Najib Razak's crackdown on the Bersih 2.0 rally  as "excessive", also expressing diappointment and "alarm" at the targeting of individuals in the run-up to the July 9 citizens march for free and fair elections.

"We are very concerned by the recent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators by the government in Malaysia," AFP reported Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as saying.

MACC report filed over diamond ring

A pro-Pakatan NGO wants the commission to probe the allegation that Rosmah Mansor acquired a diamond ring for RM73 million.

GEORGE TOWN: A report has been filed with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the RM74 million ring allegedly acquired by the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.

The report was filed by pro-Pakatan Rakyat NGO Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) president Badrul Hisham Shaharin.

Nurul: Kami tak ingin seperti Mesir

"Kami mengambil pelajarannya. Tapi, penerapannya di Malaysia akan kami sesuaikan sendiri," tegasnya.

PETALING JAYA: Naib Presiden PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar berkata, perhimpunan jalanan mungkin tidak berlaku lagi kerana tidak mahu apa yang berlaku di Mesir atau Syria berlaku di negara ini.

“Kami ni masih cintakan Malaysia. Dan apa pun masalah yang dibuat oleh Barisan Nasional (BN), bila kami menang, tentu kami yang akan mewarisinya.

“Semangat kami adalah semangat memperbaiki keadaan,” katanya dalam temubual dengan akhbar Jawa Pos.

Utusan marah media luar, portal pembangkang

Akhbar itu mendakwa, dua portal berita tempatan Malaysiakini dan The Malaysian Insider sealiran dengan akhbar luar negeri membuat laporan palsu mengenai perhimpunan Bersih Sabtu lalu.

PETALING JAYA: Akhbar milik Umno, Utusan Malaysia mahu Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) tidak lagi memberi muka kepada akhbar asing dan portal berita yang menurutnya menyokong pembangkang.

Menurut akhbar itu, media asing terutama portal pembangkang di negara ini begitu berani membuat laporan yang tidak benar kerana begitu yakin kerajaan melalui KDN tidak akan mengambil tindakan.

170,000 ‘like’ Facebook page urging Najib to go

The number of people wanting the prime minister to resign keeps mounting on a Facebook petition.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Facebook petition has seen more than 170,000 people back a call for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to quit, days after an electoral reform rally was broken up by police firing tear gas.

The page titled “100,000 People Request Najib Tun Razak Resignation” was set up on Saturday, the same day police arrested more than 1,600 people during the mass protest here.

RM73 mil diamond ring for Rosmah?

A blog claims that the self-styled First Lady received a 'Natural Fancy Blue Gray Cushion Cut Diamond Ring' in April.

PETALING JAYA: As Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak still reels from the Bersih 2.0 rally’s political aftershocks, a glittering new allegation has surfaced about his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Now: Rosmah’s ‘diamond bangles’

A day after the whopping RM73 million diamond ring allegation, comes a new glittering charge. This time its Zebra-print diamond bangles from Jacob & Co.

Sodomy II: Anwar first witness to take the stand

Prosecution claims that witnesses 'not obliged' to come.

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim will be the first to take the witness stand at the High Court here from Aug 8 to 26 to make his defence against a charge of sodomy.

.

The date was fixed by Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah after meeting Anwar’s lawyers and the prosecution twice in his chambers this morning

Tali leher logo Bersih dijual di Dun S’gor

Tali leher berlogo Bersih itu dijual dengan harga RM15 di lobi Bangunan Annex ketika sidang Dun berhenti rehat tengah hari tadi.

DUN SELANGOR

SHAH ALAM: Bahang Bersih 2.0 masih belum reda apabila para penyokong kerajaan negeri menjalankan kempen penjualan tali leher berwarna kuning simbolik kepada perhimpunan 9 Julai itu ketika sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun) Selangor berlangsung di sini hari ini.

Man runs over girlfriend with wife's car

A NEW York woman whose cheating husband was charged in the drunken hit-and-run of his mistress said today she has broken up with him over his betrayal.

"He's supposed to be my husband - he's supposed to be not cheating," a fuming Rosa Estevez told the New York Post at her Bronx home.

Sex slave tells of 18-year ordeal

A CALIFORNIAN woman kidnapped as a schoolgirl and repeatedly raped over 18 years in captivity described graphic details of her ordeal, in a first ever TV interview aired yesterday. 

Jaycee Dugard, who was 11 when she was seized and kept in a back yard compound by Phillip and Nancy Garrido in 1991, described how she gave birth to two daughters of her own - and how that helped her survive.

Giving birth, alone in a backyard and aged 14, was the most painful experience of her life, she said, describing her thoughts about when she first saw her baby daughter.

'Controlling mum killed her children and left them in holdalls in car boot to punish husband for alleged affair'

Fiona Donnison appeared in court
today for the opening of her trial for the
alleged murder  of her two children

A jealous wife murdered her two young children to punish her estranged husband after he met another woman, a court heard today. 

Fiona Donnison, 45, suffocated Harry, three, and Elise, two, when she wrongly suspected her husband Paul had started an affair with an old schoolfriend.

She then armed herself with two kitchen knives in an attempt to kill Paul, 48, and blame him for the death of their children, it was alleged.

But Mr Donnison did not return to the family home that night. The next day she handed herself in to police saying she had killed her children.

Questions surround Baharudin's death despite police denial

KUALA LUMPUR - The family of the late Baharudin Ahmad, one of the protesters at Bersih's massive rally on Saturday whose funeral was attended by Pakatan Rakyat top leaders yesterday, has disputed claims by police that he had died of heart problems.

Earlier reports said Baharudin, 56, had suffered difficulty in breathing after the police charged tear towards him to disperse crowd of people near KLCC. He then collapsed, but was denied immediate care due to ambulance being prevented from arrival.

Watch out foreign media: Uncle Najib is coming after you too!

People got hurt. Some bled. Some had fractures. One brave soul even died. Thousands suffocated and gasped and were blinded under torrents of chemical laced water cannons and stinging tear gas. This was the world attention grabbing Bersih 2.0 walk for Democracy in Malaysia.

Now the government of Malaysia has officially responded: No, no do not twist and turn the facts. The people got hurt because they were careless. The ones that bled were because they fell down, lah.

Fractures? The bandage could be a fake just like the case of that one man who once punched his own eyeball, remember? And the one and only death was he died of ‘heart attack’ – also cannot eh?

So stop accusing the government and its faithful police force.

Religious leaders rebuke Najib for lack of understanding, compassion to Bersih

An interfaith group has rebuked the Najib administration for not dealing with the high-profile Bersih 2.0 rally with "understanding, compassion, honesty and respect", adding that if it had done do, the "untoward events" could have been prevented.

What Umno fears most: Bersih 2.0 is spreading into the Malay heartland

What UMNO has been dreading is starting to happen - Bersih 2.0 is starting to spread and into the hard-to-penetrate Malay middle ground.

Something that pundits say the UMNO top leadership should take close note of, even as Prime Minister Najib Razak and his cousin Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein try to damage control the fiasco they created due to mishandling and disconnect with the rest of the nation.