Pasok boss wants to contest against the CM

Daily Express

Kota Kinabalu: Opposition Pasok (United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation) President J. Richard Jayasuriya declared Friday that he will contest against Sabah Umno Chairman and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman in the next elections.

"I will contest wherever the Chief Minister is going to stand," he told a press conference at the party's headquarters in Tanjung Aru Plaza, Friday.

In doing so, it became the first party to name eight candidates in the yet-to-be announced polls.

At the press conference, the eldest son of late Datuk Mark Koding, Vitos, said he will contest the Ranau Parliamentary seat.

This mean Vitos, 29, the eldest of four children of the founder of now defunct Parti Akar, will be up against his father's former colleague, Upko President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department

Richard's Deputy President Datu Abdul Razak Datu Abdul Salam will stand in Kudat, its Youth Chief Muhd Al Aprinuddin in Silam, National Council Member Gabriel Uwing Agunsung in Pensiangan and Asang Rawai (Tandek) among others.

Saying the party is still finalising the lists of candidates for the rest of the Parliamentary and State seats, Richard said they are expected to finalise within six months.

"Our members have also increased from the previous figure of about 6,000Émost of our new members are also coming from within the Barisan Nasional components especially Umno, PBS, PBRS and Upko," claimed Richard.

He claimed many Umno members in Tanjung Aru have joined Pasok until 'it (Umno division) has nearly collapsed in Tanjung Aru".

However, he said the response from Chinese members of SAPP, MCA and LDP are still slow.

Asked whether the party has been pinching members from the other opposition parties in Sabah, Richard said it never force any one to join the party and "it is all up to them to choose".

He said the party is fighting for the rights of Sabahans, which is among the main reasons why Vitos and the others are attracted to join the party.

Vitos, meanwhile, said he wish to continue with what his late father had been doing although he will have to do it through the opposition.

Although having no experience in politics, he is confident of his chances in Ranau.

In cold storage for probing Sabah cases: Ex-ACA boss

Daily Express News

Putra Jaya: Mohamad Ramli Manan, the ex-Anti-Corruption Agency director who brought allegations of corruption against his former boss, has claimed that he was put in "cold storage" in 2000 four his diligence in pursuing cases in Sabah.

Ramli, who was the State ACA director, said that he had been investigating high-profile cases, including that of former Cabinet Minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam, prior to his 78-hour transfer to the ACA headquarters here.

"I was transferred in September 2000 to the headquarters until my retirement last year. I was given non-operational duties. In fact, I was not doing any work at all. It was cold storage because I had been actively investigating cases in Sabah. My last case was Kasitah Gaddam's," he said Friday.

Kasitah is on trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court for two charges of corruption.

Ramli also denied claims that he was under investigation for being absent without leave (AWOL) prior to his retirement last year.

A report had quoted an official as saying that Ramli had been investigated for going AWOL before his retirement on Dec 8.

Ramli said his lawyer had sent a letter to the daily demanding an apology.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan said action by former Sabah Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Director (Mohamad Ramli) to openly allege that ACA Director-General Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor was involved in corruption and abuse of power to the media was "not right".

"My advice to him (Ramli) is come forward and cooperate with the police. I am not saying that his action was wrong as he is free to voice out but it was just not right.

"I am studying this case in detail. We are doing our level best fairly," he said, when contacted, Saturday.

Ramli, 56, who retired from ACA last Dec. 8 claimed that other than Zulkipli, he had also lodged reports of corrupt practices of several senior ACA officers.

He added the report against Zulkipli was made in July 2006, under Section 107 Criminal Procedure Code that should lead to police investigation.

Ramli said the reports of corruption and abuse of power against senior officers were made under the Corruption Prevention Act 1997 between 2003 and 2004.

Musa hoped the media would be extra careful in reporting the case and that it would not be sensationalised.

"This is not an easy case and every information is important in determining its outcome. Media please play your role wisely.

"Since this case need to be studied from various angles, the police hope that all parties involved will be patient until it is resolved," he added.

The issue surfaced when the Democracy and Anti-Corruption Movement or Gerakan Demokrasi dan Anti Korupsi (Gerak) in its blogsite stated that former Sabah ACA Director Ramli wrote to former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamed Bakri Omar last year alleging that Zulkipli owned properties beyond his source of income.

Sipitang Wanita Umno all geared up for coming election

PREPARATIONS... Surinam (back 2nd right) chairing the meeting in Beaufort recently

New Sabah Times, 3rd March, 2007

SIPITANG: Although the date for the next general elections has not been announced yet, the Wanita Umno division here is already busy preparing for the polls. Datuk Surinam Sadikun who heads the division said it would very soon mobilise the K10 or Group of 10 to gather the names of voters and identify current issues afflicting the people so that they can be fully addressed.

“These issues can be on problems like clogged drainage, damaged roads, uncollected garbage that must be settled now or it will be too late to do it at the last minute because then we will lose voters’ confidence,” she said. Surinam was speaking when chairing a meeting on the election machinery for the Sipitang Wanita Umno at the Weston Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary in Beaufort here recently.

The Group of 10 will have to identify the voters and the number that will vote for Barisan Nasional (BN). “Find out which voters are not within the area or cast their ballot outside the constituency and those who have passed on or names are not listed in the area. This requires meticulous work and time so we must do it now so that by the time the elections come we are prepared,” said Surinam, who is also the assemblywoman for Lumadan.

Just recently, Sabah Wanita Umno chief, Datuk Armani Mahiruddin ordered all divisions to visit the grassroots and update the list of Umno members yet to register as voters.

Surinam said past records had shown the K10 concept to be effective as there was very little difference between the figures collected by the group and the actual number of votes obtained during election day.

She reminded that it was of the utmost importance to make sure all voters come out to cast their ballots on polling day.

Dealers to be scrapped

Sabah Times, 3rd March, 2007

KOTA KINABALU: Appointing just one sole agent, owned by the government, to purchase scrap iron could well be the answer to the rampant sale of stolen scrap metal in the state.

The Ministry of Local Government and Housing will make the proposal among others to the government seeing that the problem has escalated to a scale that it can no longer be controlled by the local authorities.

Its minister, Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor (picture) said the widespread theft of cables and scrap metal belonging to the government and private sector had caused losses running into millions of ringgit.

“I will ask officers of the ministry to prepare a proposal to appoint just one company to buy scrap iron to put a stop to this problem. I realise there are many items made of metal that belong to the public and government stolen by the unscrupulous who just want quick money,” he said.

Hajiji was speaking after receiving a group of visitors from Telekom Malaysia led by general manager Haji Umran Uthman at his office here yesterday.

He said if the proposal is accepted then several scrap iron dealers will have their licences cancelled to sanction just one agent to buy the material.

“If the sole agent owned by the government becomes a reality then the government will work closely with the Royal Customs Department to monitor the export of scrap iron too,” he added.

Other than Telekom, the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and local authorities also suffer hefty losses from the theft of scrap metal.