Lawyer team to file lawsuit over Bali bombers' executions

The Bali bombers' team of lawyers, the Muslim Defence Team (TPM), are planning to file a lawsuit against the government over their clients' execution which they say violated human rights.

"The executions were not conducted in accordance with existing procedures. We are preparing to take legal action," one of the lawyers, Agus Setiawan, said as quoted by Antara.

The rights of the convicts' lawyers and families were violated because they had been forbidden to meet the convicts at Batu Prison, Nusakambangan Island, and were not able to fully take care of the bodies after the executions, Agus said.

Separately, Lulu Jamaluddin, the younger brother of Bali bomber Imam Samudera, said his family could not accept his brother's death.

"We will file a lawsuit against the Attorney General's Office," he said.

Amrozi, 47, Muklas (Ali Gufron), 48, and Imam, 38, were executed by firing squad near their prison, shortly after midnight early on Sunday, for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. (dre) -- The Jakarta Post, Mon, 11/10/2008 8:31 AM (GMT + 9)

Indonesia executes Bali bombers, backlash feared

Islamist jihadists protest...

Islamic extremists (jihadists –ed.) rallied in the Indonesian capital Thursday against the imminent execution of three Bali bombers, as defence lawyers demanded the families be allowed final visit.

Chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great -ed.), some 100 militants descended on the offices of the national human rights body as the bombers' lawyers met officials inside to demand access for the families.
The radicals condemned the executions, believed to be hours or days away, and praised bombers Amrozi, 47, his brother Mukhlas, 48, and Imam Samudra, 38, as "holy warriors."
They carried banners pledging to follow the bombers' path of jihad or "holy war" and warning that "hell" awaits the executioners.

Defence lawyer Mahendradatta urged the human rights body, Komnas Ham, to back the families' demand for visiting rights.
Komnas Ham chairman Ifdhal Kasim said the prisoners had a right to meet their families before they faced the firing squad. "A prisoner awaiting execution must be given a chance to meet their families," he said, promising to take up the matter with the prosecutors office which handles executions.

Meanwhile the families wrote to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pleading for a delay in the executions, defence lawyer Fahmi Bachmid said. He said however that the letter was not a request for clemency.



The bombers have said they want to die to become "martyrs" for their dream of creating an Islamic utopia (caliphate -ed.) across Southeast Asia.
"We don't know the contents of the letter. The families only told me that they hope the execution will be postponed until the president gives an answer to the letter," he said.

The bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

The government has said the condemned men will be executed by firing squad in "early November" after they exhausted the appeals process (except for seeking presidential clemency khuda kay liye. -ed.). -- Agence France-Presse - 11/6/2008 5:19 AM GMT

Oh Muslims - HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WE WAIT?

KEJAM...

Israel terus berdolak-dalik, tidak mengaku bertanggungjawab melakukan keganasan terhadap penduduk awam Palestin.

Dalam satu serangan udara oleh tentera Israel di perkampungan Beit Lahiya di utara Semenanjung Gaza yang dikuasai pergerakan Hamas, tiga orang awam terbunuh manakala 40yang lain cedera. Bangunan pula musnah.

pix: Penduduk Palestin mengangkat seorang budak lelaki yang cedera akibat ditimpa runtuhan bangunan untuk diberi rawatan apabila rumahnya musnah dalam serangan udara oleh tentera Israel.

Perdana Menteri humban rakyat ke arah hidup lebih terdesak

sumber: harakahdaily
KOTA BHARU, 4 Jun (Hrkh) - Terima kasih rakyat Malaysia yang memberi kuasa kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk bertakhta semula pada pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu. Hari ini BN membalas budi baik itu dengan menaikkan harga petrol sebanyak 41 peratus. Kerajaan telah menunaikan janjinya dan terimalah pengundi BN dengan dada terbuka.
Pengerusi Perhubungan KeADIlan Kelantan, Haji Abdul Aziz Kadir berkata, kerajaan BN benar-benar sudah membalas budi rakyat Malaysia dengan kenaikan bebanan hidup yang semakin mendesak sekarang. "Inilah hadiah istimewa kepada mereka yang mengundi BN pada pilihan raya umum lalu. Kerajaan membalas pengorbanan rakyat dengan menghumbankan mereka ke kancah kehidupan yang lebih teruk.
"Tidak pernah berlaku dalam sejarah tamadun Malaysia begitu teruk pengurusan negara di bawah Perdana Menteri yang hanya diselamatkan oleh wakil-wakil rakyat dari Sabah dan Sarawak pada pilihan raya umum lalu," katanya di sini.
Petang tadi Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengumumkan kenaikan harga petrol sebanyak 78 sen iaitu daripada RM1.92 kepada RM2.70. Ini bermakna kenaikan sebanyak 41 peratus. Manakala harga minyak diesel pula naik kepada RM2.58, naik RM1 berbanding harga sekarang sebanyak RM1.58 seliter. Kenaikan harga bahan api itu akan berkuatkuasa mulai tengah malam ini.
Sejak awal 2004, Abdullah sudah tujuh kali menaikkan harga petroleum dan ia ternyata berjaya mencecah rekod Perdana Menteri sebelum ini. Kenaikan harga itu merupakan sebahagian langkah kerajaan untuk mengawal subsidi bagi menampung kenaikan petrol, diesel dan gas, yang dijangka berjumlah RM56 bilion tahun ini.
Abdul Aziz yang juga anggota Parlimen Ketereh berkata, kerajaan BN cuba memujuk rakyat dengan membandingkan harga minyak dengan negara-negara lain di Asia Tenggara. "Kerajaan sebenarnya cuba memperbodohkan rakyat dengan statistik seperti itu, sedangkan negara terbabit bukan pengeluar minyak seperti Malaysia. "Lagi pun kos hidup rakyat di negara berkenaan seperti Thailand jauh lebih rendah berbanding di negara ini," ujarnya. Oleh itu beliau percaya masa untuk kejatuhan Perdana Menteri yang begitu lemah sudah tiba dan rakyat perlu bergerak seiring dengan Pakatan Rakyat bagi mengembalikan semula negara ke landasan yang betul.
Sementara itu, orang ramai mulai berpusu-pusu ke stesen-stesen minyak di sekitar bandar ini sebelum kenaikan 78 sen berkuatkuasa tengah malam ini. - mj/mks.

Restoring Peace In Complex Emergencies: Give military bigger role in disaster relief ops, says Najib

SINGAPORE: The military has to be given greater role in carrying out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as it has the capability and experience to handle such crisis situations. "It has to be recognised that military is a critical component in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told an international security dialogue yesterday.
Najib, who is also the defence minister, said the recent natural disasters in Myanmar and China had proven the military's important role in humanitarian relief operations. The traditional relief mechanism, which incorporated the government, business and volunteer organisations that for years had been adequate to meet the needs for relief work were found to be inefficient and ineffective when dealing with crises involving an entire nation.

Speaking at a plenary session themed "Restoring Peace In Complex Emergencies" at the 7th IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies) Asia Security Summit - The Shangri-La Dialogue, Najib said challenges of such magnitude required for a more comprehensive and dynamic approach. He said the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management should recognise the military role if it wanted to increase its capacity building to enable it to undertake assistance in a more effective manner.
Although there were diverging views on the military involvement, there was wider consensus among Asean countries that the armed forces indeed had a key role in the area. "This is in line with the secondary or peace time role of the military in support of the ideals of a security community,” said Najib, who is also Defence Minister, noting that the standby arrangement under the Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, which were still being finalised, would facilitate deployment of military and civilian components at short notice.
On the centre, Najib said he hoped it could provide the leadership for regional response as it would deal with multiple contributors and agencies, and coordinate its activities effectively and eliminate the risk of inappropriate use of funds and resources. The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasised on the need to share information as it was vital for bthe success of the complex emergency operations.
On restoring security in complex emergencies, Najib said he was of the view that such efforts should not be undertaken on the basis of a unilateral action and Iraq was a classic example in the case. He said it was of utmost importance to respect the sovereignty of the affected state to dispel fear of interference into the internal affairs of that particular state. “Therefore, upon restoring security, there should be graceful exit by the countries involved in the process,” Najib said.
He said peace building in a complex emergency must be based on trust and transparency and the mediator should not dictate terms and conditions in cases where there was a need for parties to negotiate settlements. “Instead, it was important to create a conducive environment for them to negotiate to ensure lasting peace,” he added.
Speaking at a media conference after the summit, Najib said the cyclone tragedy serves as an acid test for Asean’s capability in helping its members faced with a real crisis. He said it was important for Asean, as an association, to show the world it had come a long way and that in the Myanmar case it should be able to help the country.
He said Asean was willing to send more military personnel and logistics requirements such as helicopters and boats to help distribute foreign aid to the victims who remained cut off in the cyclone-stricken zones and were starving.

Myanmar Cyclone Nargis: UN's Ban says will meet Myanmar junta leader in effort to boost aid

source: AfP via MSN Malaysia News
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would meet Myanmar's junta leader Senior General Than Shwe during a visit starting Thursday to convince the generals to accept a wider cyclone relief effort.

"After going to the affected areas, I will meet with senior government officials, including Senior General Than Shwe," Ban told reporters shortly after landing Wednesday in neighbouring Thailand.

Ban, who could not get through to the reclusive junta leader in the aftermath of the May 2-3 storm which has left at least 133,000 people dead or missing, also said he wanted a relief logistics base set up inside Myanmar.

He was to spend the night in the Thai capital Bangkok before heading to Myanmar, one of the most poorest and most isolated countries in the world, on Thursday.

There has been an international uproar over the limits on the aid operation imposed by the isolated junta, which is deeply suspicious of the outside world.

Ban also echoed warnings about the upcoming planting season for Myanmar's next rice harvest, with aid groups warning that hunger and disease are stalking around two million desperate survivors of Cyclone Nargis.

"It may be too late for farmers to plant for the next harvest," the secretary general said.

Malaysia to spend 1.472 billion ringgit to subsidise rice farmers this year

source: AFP via MSN Malaysia News
Malaysia will spend 1.472 billion ringgit (458 million dollars) this year to subsidise rice farmers and import more rice from Thailand to bolster its stockpile, the agriculture minister said Tuesday. Agriculture minister Mustapa Mohamed said the government would also spend an additional 254 million ringgit to boost local rice production, as the price of Asia's staple diet continued to soar. "We want to make sure that the interest of the low-income earners are protected and that is why the government is willing to accept a big loss as a result of the large subsidies we are giving," Mustapa told reporters. "We cannot afford to let down the poor in society who will be hit the hardest by the increase in rice prices," he added.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi late Monday announced the country would, for the first time, spend at least 725 million ringgit to subsidise foreign rice imports to keep retail prices of the staple affordable. He also said the price of two popular local rice types -- a higher quality and an average grade -- will be capped from June 1 to keep manufacturers from raising their prices further and burdening consumers. The minimum guaranteed market price has also been raised to benefit farmers who sell rice to encourage them to grow more of the crop. -- MORE

Measures to keep price of rice down KUALA LUMPUR: The government announced measures to hold down the price of rice yesterday, including securing supplies of price-controlled 15 per cent broken rice and setting price caps for two other grades of the grain. Full Story
Move to cost govt RM719m a year KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's move to raise the retirement age of civil servants will cost the government about RM719 million a year starting from next year, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said. Full Story
Thai sellers want us to pay more BANGKOK: The Malaysian government and Thai rice exporters are deadlocked over the "price tag" for new purchases, with the world's biggest rice exporter insisting on the current market level of about US$1,000 (RM3,197) a tonne. Full Story

iProperty.com Malaysia Wins Best Property Portal Award

text taken from bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Bernama) -- iProperty.com Malaysia has been named the country's Best Property Portal in the CNBC Asia Pacific Property Awards 2008.
Other property portals within the extensive iProperty.com network, including Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines, also clinched similar awards for their respective markets.

iProperty.com is the first company to have ever won an award in four countries for the same category at the International Property Awards, iProperty.com said in a statement today.

The CNBC Asia Pacific Property Awards is part of the International Property Awards, which began in 1995 in London, and has since established itself as the premier annual programme that distinguishes Asia Pacific companies with the highest levels of achievement in a range of property-related fields in 21 categories.

Winners are usually identified as companies and individuals raising the standards by providing excellent skills and services and continually reaching new heights in quality and innovation.

Patrick Grove, Executive Chairman of the iProperty.com Group, said: "In Malaysia, we are already the clear market leader in the online property space, with over 35,000 quality property listings by over 1,500 accredited real estate agents and the country's top developers."

He said the prestigious win definitely reinforces its position in Malaysia and the region as Asia’s leading online property group.