Home Minister Dato’ Seri Hishamuddin Hussein said in the media conference this morning in Sunway that there was no court order submitted to him or his minister, to stop the repatriation of Saudi journo Hamza Kashgari back to Saudi to face the law, for insults made against Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.
13 February 2012 | last updated at 01:00pm‘No order to halt repatriation of Saudi columnist’
SUBANG JAYA: Claims that there was a court order issued to prevent the repatriation of Saudi Arabian columnist Mohd Najeeb Kashgari was not true.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said there was no such order issued by Malaysian High Court to prevent the sending back of the 23-year-old columnist, better known as Hamza Kashgari, as claimed by several parties.
“If a court order was issued to prevent his (Hamza Kashgari) deportation, we surely would have obeyed it. We have never failed to obey the justice system.
“The columnist is a Saudi Arabian national, who is wanted by his home country to be tried in the justice system for his offense.
“The ministry will never let Malaysia to be perceived as a haven for terrorists, criminals and wanted person, who want to seek hiding or as a transit for them (to evade the laws),” he told reporters at Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa here earlier today.
Hishammuddin was at the hotel to launch the International Conference on Principled Policing jointly organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) and the police.
He said allegations made by several parties that the columnist would be killed if he was deported was also “illogical” (tak masuk akal”).
“This is a credible country that they are talking about, and allegations that ‘blood is in my hand’ and such for sending him back – were baseless.
“Do not bring politics of Malaysia to Saudi Arabia.”
“There were also claims that the request for Kashgari’s deportation was made by the Interpol, which is not true. The request was made by the Saudi government,” he said.
Hishammuddin said the decision was not a matter of the government’s policy, but about wanted person navigating in the country’s landscape.
“Deportation decision is made on case-by-case basis. Not all whom we apprehend were sent back, and also not all whom we let free.”
Kashgari was nabbed by Malaysian police soon after he arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday.
He was wanted by the Saudi authorities to be charged in court allegedly following a series of tweet which insulted Prophet Muhammad last week.
Kashgari was picked up by Saudi officials yesterday afternoon and was flown back in a private jet, which departed from KLIA at 12.06pm.
Read more: ‘No order to halt repatriation of Saudi columnist’ – Top News – New Straits Timeshttp://www.nst.com.my/top-news/no-order-to-halt-repatriation-of-saudi-columnist-1.45936#ixzz1mEwFGvvp
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He issued this statement amidst so many Opposition claims, including top PKR leaders such as Latheefa Koya and N Surendran and former Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenivasen that an interim court order was obtained yesterday.
The news portal which lost its credibility this afternoon posted this story:
Court document shows authorities barred from repatriating Saudi blogger
By Clara ChooiFebruary 13, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — Despite today’s denial by the authorities, a High Court document here shows that lawyers for Saudi Arabian blogger Hamza Kashgari had yesterday obtained an order blocking his repatriation, at least until tomorrow.
In a copy of the order, obtained by The Malaysian Insider via email this afternoon, the court ordered that “any act of deportation against the applicant is suspended until Tuesday 14.2.2012 or until the completion of the final hearing of a habeas corpus application, of which the hearing date will be determined on 14.2.2012 at 9.30am”.
In the order of application, Kashgari, 23, (picture) had named the Inspector-General of Police, Immigration Department director-general, home minister and the government of Malaysia as respondents.
Former Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan acted for the blogger in the matter.
Despite this, however, Kashgari was repatriated to Riyadh yesterday and was taken into custody immediately upon his arrival last night.
Speaking to reporters today, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein denied the existence of such an order and suggested that the claim was made up.
“In the Internet there was a court order… there was no injunction. No court order was given to prevent us from returning him to Saudi.
“If there was a court order, we would abide by it, but there wasn’t, so don’t make up stories,” he told reporters here.
Hishammuddin said he stood by the decision to repatriate Kashgari despite widespread criticism from international rights groups.
“I will not compromise. Do not look at Malaysia as a safe transit… do not think you can come in and out of Malaysia,” he said, adding that Malaysia was often seen as a safe haven for terrorists and individuals wanted by foreign authorities.
“He is a foreign national, he is wanted by his own country of origin,” said the home minister.
According to Saudi Arabia’s English daily Arab News, Kashgari will face charges of blasphemy for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammad on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Blasphemy is a crime punishable by execution under Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Islamic syariah law. It is not a capital crime in Malaysia.
Following the outrage his comments had sparked, Kashgari fled his country, but was arrested by police in majority-Muslim Malaysia on Thursday as he transited through Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Malaysian police have said that any charges brought against Kashgari by Saudi Arabia are “an internal Saudi matter.”
Malaysia has a close affinity with many Middle Eastern nations through their shared religion. But it is also a US ally and a leading global voice for moderate Islam, meaning that the decision to extradite Kashgari is certain to be controversial.
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The fact that this order was never served to the authorities, despite this report about a hearing fixed tomorrow at Kuala Lumpur High Court, does not justify that the decision to send Kashgari back to face the music under strict Islamic laws practice by Saudi Arabia was wrong and unlawful.
Malaysia respect the wishes of the Saudi authorities for someone who insults Prophet Muhammad S.A.W., just the authorities worked closely with other nation’s security agenies. Moreover, when the investigation is also believed that he had linkage with most wanted terrorist organization Al Qaeda.
Opposition leaders lied stating that they attempted to serve the interim court orders yesterday.
The likeliness that they pandered into international pressure to promote anti Islam activity reflects their attitude to undermine Islam as the religion of the Federation of Malaysia and make systematic effort to provoke the sensitivities of the majority Malay Muslim.
In recent times, Opposition leaders have shown their anti Islam tendencies. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim recently said to Wall Street Journal that he supports the right for Israel to maintain their security, which means that indirectly he approves all brutal tactics against the Palestinians. DAP Chairman Karpal Singh commented “Over my dead” on Hudud. Dap MP for Seputeh Theresa Kok uttered offensive remarks against the azan prayer. Serdang DAP MP Teo Nie Chieng two Ramadhan ago spoke in a surau after terawih prayers in the prayer hall, without proper attire. DAP MP for Taiping Nga Kor Ming read verses from the Al Quran, to justify his ceramah.
Aren’t all of these work of anarchists trying to disrupt the harmony by provoking sensitivities of the majority?
Bayan Mutiara Guanomics
Guanomics Guru
The recent development of the Bayan Mutiara scandal where Penang Development Corporation (PDC) was stood up and which currently plagues Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s leadership really revving into high gear. So many Penang stakeholders demand the truth from what seemed to be a discounted deal, for a specific political purpose.
Obviously PDC had expertise to develop the project on its own and with its potential and being a state GLC, PDC could have raised the financing for the project. PDC could have realised the whole value for Penang instead of hiving it off to a private developer to take the full realization of the value.
Interesting to note that in a recent transaction inked in the neighborhood of the Bayan Mutiara project, the value of the land is recorded at RM 474.oo psf. This is vast contrast to the 41.5 acres that was sold off to Ivory Group for a mere RM 24o.oo psf. Business Times has the report:
So what is with the discounted sale?
Ivory Properties and DiJaya stand to gain the most from this. Even their share prices rose comfortably. It is reflective of the huge profitably potential these companies would realise from acquiring premium land parcel at below market price.
It is clearly the market is very receptive and bullish for this project. PDC should have been given the full opportunity to gain from the huge potential of this project and eventually plough it back for the betterment of Penangites. Programs that could be subsidized for Penangites from the huge profits of this Bayan Mutiara project include cheap public housing, training and re-skilling of workforce and talent development for the industrious state, development programs for the huge potential from the tourism industry and also entrepreneurial development programs as Penang has huge potential for small and petty retail business due to the tourism industry.
It makes no economic sense when PDC as a state GLC has been denied to develop the said property but instead the project was hastily sold off without realising its full economics gain, based on the recent transacted deal in the neighborhood. No clear minded decision maker would pass an opportunity to sell the asset knowingly it could make better gains. Especially if the 41.5 acres be subdivided into smaller parcels. This is Lim Guang Eng’s ‘Guanomics’.
Penangites are demanding on the rational why PDC was by-passed for this huge potential project:
Then again, the political motive for the sale is clear. Between the outright sales and then to the new joint venture development company, some quarters are making the ‘middle-man’ deal. If the going rate is 2%, then the ‘commission’ for the sale is RM 22 million. If its 5%, then its RM 55 million. They found a ‘friendly’ party to acquire the assets for the acquirers affordability and realise the middle man commission.
That is not withstanding gains realised from the soaring share prices of both plcs.
It is almost obvious Lim is building his political ‘war chest’. 13th General Elections is drawing near. For him to maintain status quo in Penang and fund his expanding DAP ’empire’ elsewhere, as the Secretary General he needed the ‘acquired funds’. After all, DAP is ambitious to recapture Perak, retain status quo in Pulau Pinang, Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor and get more footing in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and Pahang.
DAP can no longer depend on its ‘Unwilling-backstabbing-partners-in-an-unholy-marriage-of-(in)convenience’, in the upcoming 13GE. PKR is plagued with its spiraling internal problems and recently, so is PAS. DAP must be prepared to go alone and face the voters, purely on its own Chinese Chauvinism strength.
To achieve that, DAP must have enough in its coffers. The previous ‘fund raising dinners’ are no longer adequate and they are ‘institutionalising’ its power and position with ongoing business entities. A few of these projects would fill the DAP coffer enough funds, at least to comfortably manage a strong campaign in Penang.
Guanomics is about not realising the full economic potential for the strategic and larger Penangites’ benefit even though the huge potential is clearly visible.
- Economic analysis and commentary
on February 13, 2012 at 09:15 Comments (6)