Potted Plot

Suhakam faces an imminent downgrade in its UN status unless further amendments are made to the Human Rights Commission Act of Malaysia 1999.

MCPX

PKR members of parliament, Tian Chua and R Sivarasa, told a media conference that Suhakam (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) which has an 'A' accreditation will be downgraded to 'B' by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) unless the amendments are made soon.

According to the UN watch dog, amendments made to the Act last year are not enough and Malaysia has been given a last ditch repreive to make the changes, according to the opposition parliamentarians.

And the government only has until October to comply with the requirements.

Unsurprising, really. We need an independent body for the people by the people.

Haszrul (right), who could not come to terms with her eviction, said she attended the press conference to carry out coverage on MPSP, not the Pakatan state government.

"If it was in Komtar, I would accept it. But this is MPSP office and its council's function.

"I don't understand why Utusan should be banned," she said.

For the past few days, Utusan has been under attack for publishing an article containing racial slur against the non-Malays in the country.

Poor reporter. I think Guan Eng was wrong, and should take issue with the bosses. But then again, it always the underlings who are pawns in the game. I would have taken it in stride if I were Hasrul. I mean, Utusan does not practise the most unbiased and objective journalism in the world, which is common knowledge, so...

The Daily Mail says its readers have donated “tens of thousands of pounds” to a fighting fund to help prosecute MPs embroiled in the expenses scandal.

The paper launched the fund two weeks ago in conjunction with the Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign group.

Alliance chief executive Matthew Elliott said: “We are delighted to have received so much support from Daily Mail readers, and have been overwhelmed by their generosity and belief in our cause.

“Their help means we can show politicians of all stripes that they are not above the law and bring guilty MPs to justice.”

Wow, I wonder when a local newspaper, say Utusan, might start a fund to prosecute errant MPs....

"I deplore the racial slur made by the writer of the local Malay daily where he had indirectly referred to the Chinese and Indians of Malaysia as 'kaum pendatang' (immigrants).

"It is most disgusting, despicable and shocking. I suspect the writer is not part of the newspaper, but has been using it (the newspaper) to promote his own agenda," he said in a statement.

According to Samy Vellu, the Utusan writer with the pen-name Awang Selamat, "must, and should be, charged in court under the Sedition Act."
 
"His comments are most unbecoming, especially with our prime minister promoting the 1Malaysia concept," he said.

Interesting. I wonder if anyone writing for Utusan has ever been charged and found guilty of sedition...