Iraq's al-Sadr Urges Rejection of US-Iraqi Deal

pix: Demonstrators carry banner during rally in Baghdad to protest draft US-Iraqi security agreement, 18 Oct 2008

Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called on Iraq's parliament to reject a security agreement with the United States, as tens of thousands of his supporters rallied in Baghdad against the deal.

The demonstrators chanted anti-U.S. slogans and waved Iraqi flags as they marched from the capital's Sadr City district to the central Mustansiriyah Square Saturday.

A Sadr aide read aloud a statement from the influential cleric, who urged Iraqi lawmakers not to vote for the proposed security deal. He said the agreement will not end the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq, and will not give sovereignty to the Iraqi people.

The mass demonstration comes as U.S. and Iraqi leaders try to build political support for the draft security agreement. The deal would allow for the extension of the presence of American forces in Iraq after their United Nations mandate expires on December 31.

The U.S. Defense Department spokesman, Geoff Morrell, has said the draft includes target dates for the withdrawal of at least some of the 154,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice briefed key members of Congress on the draft Friday to try to build broad political backing for it. It has not been publicly released.

The Bush administration has said the text does not need ratification by Congress. But a final deal will require the approval of Iraq's parliament and other bodies.

Separately Saturday, Bahrain's foreign minister arrived in Iraq's capital for a visit aimed at improving bilateral relations between the countries.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters. -- source: VOA News 18 October 2008

ROAD BLOCKED: The sign says it all.

ROAD BLOCKED: The sign says it all. The road to Parliament is off-limits to all except those on duty and Members of Parliament from 7am tomorrow. Police today obtained a court order barring any rally from being held within a five-kilometre radius of Parliament House tomorrow. NST PIX BY Mohd Radzi Bujang.
Kelantan : Lanskap baru politik negara bermula Isnin ini - Anwar

Kedah : Jika ditangkap - Anwar mahu PAS, KeADILan dan DAP teruskan perjuangan

Malaysia beefs up security in case of mass protest

Malaysia beefs up security in case of mass protest
Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:59pm IST

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Police began beefing up security in parts of the Malaysian capital on Saturday in case of possible opposition-led street protests next week against the ruling coalition.
The government has been trying to quell growing public and opposition discontent after a series of political scandals and a steep rise in fuel prices, leading to fears about the country's political and economic outlook.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman said several roads leading to parliament would be closed on Monday and security personnel would be deployed in some areas.
"Police have also taken preventive measures and have set up roadblocks from 2 p.m. (0600 GMT) today," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Bernama news agency.
Police are preparing for a mass gathering outside parliament on Monday called by the opposition, which wants a parliamentary debate on a motion of no-confidence in the government.
"We are having a gathering to show our support for the motion of no-confidence to be debated," said Ginie Lim, a spokesman for the opposition People's Justice Party.
The Barisan Nasional coalition, which has led Malaysia since independence from British rule in 1957, is facing its worst crisis in 50 years.
Its popularity has plummeted since a March general election when the opposition alliance made surprisingly strong gains.
The opposition, led by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, needs just 30 more seats to win a simple majority and form a government. It won a record 82 seats in the 222-seat lower house in the March election. The remaining seats are held by the ruling coalition.
In Malaysia, a gathering of five or more people requires a police permit. In practice, police deny permits to anti-government protests but often grant permits for protests against foreign governments such as the United States.
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

Perak: Hari ini perintah Malaysia, esok turun harga minyak - Anwar

TAIPING, 9 Julai (Hrkh) - “Hari ini saya nak ulang lagi, kalau kita dapat ambil alih. Menang Kerajaan Persekutuan hari ini, percayalah pada saya, saya tak cakap bohong. Menang hari ini kita ambil alih, esok harga minyak turun.”
Demikian Ketua Umum Parti KeADILan Rakyat (KeADILan), Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengulanginya sekali lagi semasa berceramah di Changkat Jering dekat sini malam tadi sambil menegaskan bahawa kalau Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih memerintah seluruh Malaysia maka harga minyak akan turun serta- merta esoknya.
“Pedulikan cakap-cakap ‘depa’ yang iri hati jika Pakatan Rakyat dapat perintah semua negeri yang mereka rasa tak yakin saya boleh turunkan harga minyak itu. Cuba tengok, cuba tengoklah nanti. Kalau tak percaya cubalah jangan halang kami ambil alih perintah semua negeri di Malaysia. Hari ini jadi kerajaan baru, esok diturunkan harga minyak dan bahan bakar lainnya,”cabarnya di hadapan kira-kira 20,000 orang penyokong parti.
Beliau yang menegaskannya dalam program “Tour Anwar Ibrahim Seluruh Malaysia” menyatakan, kalau tidak percaya maka tunggulah pada 15 Julai ini di televisyen dan beliau akan kupas dengan panjang lebar dan terperinci bagaimana cara untuk turunkan harga minyak dan bahan bakar lainnya. LAGI
'Tour Anwar Ibrahim Seluruh Malaysia' : Anwar Jelajah Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan & Kedah 10 - 12 Julai

Malaysia in Crisis: Nation on edge as dissent grows

Anwar 'gempur' Perak esok!
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Anwar dares PM, DPM to debate on fuel prices
Selangor : Turun Harga Minyak atau BN Mesti Bersedia Untuk Turun!, gertak Anwar
Pulau Pinang : Ayuh! Membujur Lalu Melintang Patah! – Anwar

[Lokasi]Stadium MBPJ Kelana Jaya

the Khilafah... is Coming!

timurlane: 1 juta rakyat gerammm…, turun padang... protesss…

Police on high alert in the Klang Valley

[Kemaskini]Protes Sejuta Rakyat Ditukar Ke Stadium MBPJ Kelana Jaya

timurlane: protes - sejuta rakyat turun padang...

timurlane: “Mari turunkan harga minyak”- Hishamuddin Rais

timurlane: sejuta rakyat gerammm…

Anwar to kick off nationwide tour on Sunday

Malaysian election reform activists threaten mass rally

Malaysian activists have accused electoral authorities of dirty tricks ahead of March 8 polls and are threatening to hold a mass rally in Kuala Lumpur in protest.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) which last November gathered some 30,000 people in the capital to demand reforms, slammed last-minute changes to electoral rules ahead of nomination day Sunday.

They said that opposition candidates, particularly in northern states where Friday and Saturday are holidays, could be disqualified by a rule announced Thursday that they must pay stamp duty on their applications to contest.

"How are opposition candidates in states like Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu supposed to get the stamps especially when Friday and Saturday is the weekend here?" BERSIH organiser Mohammad Sabu told a crowd of 5,000 supporters.

If opposition candidates are disqualified over the issue, "we will get half a million people in KL for several days," he told a rally in northeastern Terengganu state late Friday. MORE HERE

Malaysia's PAS warns of tension ahead of polls: MALAYSIA's Islamic opposition party has warned its supporters could 'run amok' if the election authorities block its candidates from standing in next month's general election. Saying that Malaysia should avoid post-election violence that gripped Kenya, leaders of Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) told a rally late on Friday that the March 8 election could turn into one of the country's dirtiest. 'We anticipate this election will not be free and fair,' party leader Syed Azman Syed Ahmad told the 5,000-strong rally in Kuala Terengganu, the northeastern city that saw a violent anti-government protest last September

Peraturan baru SPR boleh kecohkan hari penamaan calon: Belum pun hari penamaan calon, wibawa Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) khususnya Pengerusi badan tersebut, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman dipertikaikan parti-parti pembangkang. Malah peraturan baru yang dikuatkuasakan pada saat-saat akhir hari penamaan calon bakal menimbulkan kekecohan pada hari penamaan calon, kata Pengerusi Lajnah Guaman dan Undang-Undang PAS Pusat, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin. Ini ekoran arahan yang diterima daripada SPR pada Khamis, 21 Februari lalu agar Surat Akuan Berkanun, Borang 5 (bagi Parlimen) dan 5A (bagi Dewan Undangan Negeri) perlu disertakan dengan stem duti.

ELECTION 2008: Stamp duty requirement in accordance with law, says Commission: The stamp duty requirement for candidates’ statutory declarations for the March 8 general election is in accordance with the law, EC secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said. It was not implemented to create problems for the candidates, he said in response to a claim that the move was an attempt to disqualify the opposition parties candidates.Kamaruzaman said that the EC has obtained legal advice concerning the implementation on Thursday and has informed all the parties on the same day.