Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Gani position under threat

Attorney General’s position under threat? Reportedly in Dr M camp’s sights.....

BY ZULKIFLI SULONG AND V. ANBALAGAN
NOVEMBER 06, 2013
LATEST UPDATE: NOVEMBER 06, 2013 04:01 PM
Abdul Gani Patail's alleged misconducts were reportedly discussed in the meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, Mat Zain and Shafee. - The Malaysian Insider pic, November 6, 2013.Abdul Gani Patail's alleged misconducts were reportedly discussed in the meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, Mat Zain and Shafee. - The Malaysian Insider pic, November 6, 2013.Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail's position as the Attorney General appears under threat as reports and sources say former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has met several people to discuss the top government lawyer's misdeeds.
The speculation is based on a meeting attended by Dr Mahathir, former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim and prominent lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
News portal Malaysiakini reported that three months ago, Mat Zain received a surprise phone call from Shafee to attend the meeting.
The report revealed that Mat Zain met Shafee at the lawyer's office-cum-residence in Bukit Tunku on August 10, three days after Hari Raya.
The two was said to have discussed Gani's alleged “misconducts”, as well as the highly-publicised case on Pulau Batu Puteh - the island off Johor which the International Court of Justice awarded to Singapore following a legal dispute in 2008.
The news portal said Mat Zain and Shafee later met Dr Mahathir at his residence in Country Heights, Kajang, on the same day.
Present at the meeting were Dr Mahathir's former political secretary Matthias Chang and former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director, Datuk Ramli Yusoff, who briefed the former premier over his run-ins with Gani.
Their discussion also touched on other alleged wrongdoings by the AG, including fabrication of evidence in the famous "black eye" case of 1998 involving former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Mat Zain, who was the investigating officer in that case, had informed Dr Mahathir of fabrication of evidence allegedly committed by Gani, then a senior deputy public prosecutor handling Anwar's first sodomy and power abuse case, following his dismissal from the government.
The alleged fabrication took place when Gani was said to have brought in pathologist Dr Abdul Rahman Yusoff to accuse Anwar in court of self-inflicting his injuries, contradicting medical reports.
As a result, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the black-eye incident, resulting in the admission by former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor that he had beaten Anwar hours after his arrest on September 20, 1998.
In 2008, Anwar filed a police report against Gani and former police chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who was involved in the first sodomy case thrown at Anwar.
The accusations of fabrication and misconduct on the part of Gani and Musa were however dismissed by a three-member committee comprising retired judges formed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
It was reported  that in the meeting with Mahathir, Shafee (pic, right) agreed that the appointment of the MACC committee to clear Gani and Musa was illegal.
Two months after the meeting, Mat Zain on October 7 made a statutory declaration on the matter, with copies sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, solicitor-general Datuk Idris Harun and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
In August, Gani appointed Shafee to lead the prosecution team in its appeal against Anwar's acquittal in the Sodomy II charge.
Gani, 58, joined the Attorney General's Chambers in 1980 and was appointed AG in 2002.
He had come under heavy criticism from the opposition and non-governmental organisations over his handling of several high profile cases, including the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder and the cheating case involving former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.
Dr Mahathir is also said to have pressured Gani and called Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for a discussion. During the meeting, Dr Mahathir claimed that the AG's Chambers employed two CIA agents. Ahmad Zahid had agreed to probe into the claim. - November 6, 2013.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

First Admiral (Rtd) Mohd Imran Abdul Hamid MP Lumut

Imran meredah ombak, daripada tragedi kepada kemenangan

OLEH JENNIFER GOMEZ
NOVEMBER 03, 2013
Surat takziah peribadi daripada Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat (gambar) lapan tahun lalu merubah kehidupan Laksamana Pertama (B) Mohd Imran Abdul Hamid. Daripada menyokong kerajaan, beliau mula beralih kepada parti Islam pimpinan Nik Aziz.
Hari ini, Mohd Imran adalah nama besar yang menduduki kerusi parlimen Lumut menewaskan Menteri Pengangkutan ketika itu, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13).
Lapan tahun sebelumnya, bapa kepada enam anak ini menerima kejutan apabila kehilangan empat anaknya dalam kemalangan di Grik pada Februari 2005 ketika dalam perjalanan pulang dari Kota Baru.
Menerima takdirnya, beliau berkata surat Nik Aziz memberinya kekuatan untuk menyertai PAS.
"Saya bertanya di dalam hati, lelaki ini tidak kenal saya tetapi menghantar surat," katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider ketika berehat di Parlimen, Kuala Lumpur.
Pesara tentera kepada ahli politik
Namun kurang lima tahun kemudian, beliau bersara dan secara rasmi menyertai PAS dan menjadi ketua di bahagian Sitiawan Barat.
"Selepas 2005 saya mula menyokong PAS secara terbuka kerana saya telah melalui kehidupan yang teruk, apa lagi nak takut.
"Kalau nak ambil tindakan pun saya tak kisah," katanya yang kini berusia 59 tahun.
Mohd Imran berkata, sebagai anggota tentera, beliau dijangka menyokong kerajaan dan ia berlaku disebabkan kematian anak-anaknya.
"Bila kita memakai uniform, kita dilihat menyokong Umno. Mereka beritahu apa yang perlu dipercayai dan mengikut aturan," katanya yang telah 37 tahun berkhidmat.
Pilihan Raya 2013
Ketika berlangsungnya PRU13  lalu, Mohd Imran dinamakan sebagai calon ketiga di kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri Pasir Panjang selepas bekas Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin dan Ketua Dewan Muslimah PAS Rohawatu Abidin.
Nizar kemudiannya dicalonkan bagi kerusi Changkat Jering, dan Rohawati kerusi Pasir Panjang. Mohd Imran ketinggalan.
Perkara yang mengejutkan kemudian berlaku - beliau menerima panggilan daripada Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"Saya macam tak percaya beliau menghubungi saya dan minta saya berjumpanya."
"Malah ketika memandu ke KL, saya masih tak percaya. Betulkah ia berlaku," kata Mohd Imran.
Apa yang Anwar beritahunya di Ibu Pejabat PKR amat mengejutkan.
"Beliau tanya sama ada saya berminat untuk bertanding di Kerusi Lumut tetapi jangan lupa, beliau PKR, saya PAS.
"Jika saya berminat katanya, saya perlu tukar baju, maknanya saya perlu tinggalkan PAS dan sertai PKR," katanya.
Selepas berfikir dan membuat pertimbangan, beliau menerima tawaran Anwar.
Semuanya bermula di Grik
Anwar membuat pengumuman Mohd Imran adalah calon PKR untuk Lumut, di Grik, kawasan sama beliau hilang empat anaknya, suatu perkara yang tidak dijangkakan.
"Ini adalah petanda. Di sini tempat rakan-rakan saya mengadakan doa selamat untuk anak-anak saya. Ia sangat signifikan untuk saya," katanya.
Beliau kemudiannya memulakan kerja kerasnya dan menerima bantuan tidak dijangka, daripada komuniti Cina.
"Sebagai orang muda, saya ada rakan Cina sebagai ayah yang memandu untuk berjumpa taukeh Cina.
"Selepas 13 Mei, perkara berubah, Melayu dan Cina berasingan," katanya merujuk peristiwa 13 Mei 1969.
Mohd Imran amenambah berada dalam tentera turut bermaksud beliau tidak mempunyai ramai rakan Cina.
Disebabkan itu, Mohd Imran tersentuh apabila Pengerusi DAP Perak Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham dan Penasihat DAP Lim Kit Siang membantu di peringkat akar umbi.
Dengan bantuan komuniti Cina, membantu beliau menewaskan Kong dengan majoriti 8,168 undi.
"Saya bertanding menentang menteri, tetapi hampir semua Cina mengundi saua," katanya.
Mohd Imran, bagaimanapun tidak menerima sokongan rakan tenteranya.
"Mereka berkata jika mengundi saya mereka tidak mendapat kenaikan pangkat.
"Tetapi saya menerima undi masyarakat Cina di bandar-bandar," katanya.
Beliau bagaimanapun memuji lawannya yang menjadi individu pertama memberikan ucapan tahniah.
"Kong Cho Ha datang ke pusat mengundi di Dewan Merdeka pada jam 10 malam dan mengucapkan tahniah. Saya tak tahu sama ada betul atau tidak," kata Mohd Imran.
Beliau turut berterima kasih untuk bantuan kewangan daripada saudara-mara yang kebanyakannya penyokong BN.
"Mereka menyokong Umno tetapi bangga sebab saya bertanding. Tiada isu mereka mengundi saya kerana mereka berada di kawan pengundian lain di Shah Alam, Klang dan juga Kelantan," katanya.
Ahli Parlimen satu penggal terus bekerja
Dengan kemenangan tidak dijangka, Mohd Imran mengharapkan kepimpinannya untuk menjadi ahli Parlimen.
"Sudah tentu sebagai ahli Parlimen kita perlu mendengar kepada rakyat, bukan sebaliknya. Tapi saya tahu bila masanya perlu tegas dalam membuat keputusan, dan saya tahu mengetuai orang," katanya.
Pertama di Parlimen dan terakhir dalam sesi harian, Mohd Imran kini sedang meneliti kontroversi perjanjian Scorpenen.
Beliau turut ditugaskan untuk mendapatkan respons Kementerian Pertahanan berhubung dana tambahan RM238 juta.
"Dana awal adalah sangat banyak, takkan mereka telah menghabiskannya," katanya.
Beliau bagaimanapun mengakui belum lagi mencapai tugasan utamanya, melawat Nik Aziz yang menjadi penyebab beliau menyertai politik.
"Saya ingin melakukannya. Insya-Allah," katanya. – 3 November, 2013.