Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Washington Seeks “Regime Change” in Malaysia: US-backed Opposition Complicit in Corruption and “Dirty Tricks”

Washington Seeks “Regime Change” in Malaysia: US-backed Opposition Complicit in Corruption and “Dirty Tricks”

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MALAYSIA
In the coming General Election, condemning the Barisan Nasional (BN)  as “totally corrupt” would be the Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) main line of attack. It will be used as a rallying cry to oust the incumbent. Corruption is undoubtedly a major challenge. There is elite corruption in both the public and private sectors. There is petty corruption within various strata of society.
It is because it is a challenge that the government recognises combating corruption as one of the seven National Key Result Areas (NKRAs). And since 2004 a number of significant measures have been implemented, among them the establishment of 14 special anti-corruption courts with the mandate to adjudicate all corruption cases within 12 months; the enactment of the Whistleblower Act; the signing of Corporate Integrity Pledges and
Integrity Pacts; and the acceptance of open tenders publicised through the media for procurement exercises thus enhancing transparency and accountability. The endorsement of Transparency International’s Election Integrity Pledge, an affirmation of the government’s commitment to electoral ethics, is the latest example of its present battle against corruption.
At the same time, there has been a marked increase in the number of arrests of those allegedly involved in corruption including former political leaders, highly placed public servants, and top-notch corporate figures. Givers as well as takers of bribes are now nabbed regularly. It is because of these sustained efforts that Michael Hershman, one of the founders of Transparency International observed in an article in the Huffington Post (June 22 2012) that Malaysia has a “comprehensive anti-corruption system.”
In this regard, it is worth noting that Malaysia’s fight against corruption has been going on for more than four decades. Malaysia is one of the first countries in the Global South to have established an anti-corruption agency and formulated an anti-corruption law way back in 1967.Even before 2004, a number of Federal Ministers, Mentris Besar and State Executive Councillors have been tried and convicted for corruption.
Nonetheless, as many of us have been arguing for some time now much more can be done to curb this social malaise. Apart from effective enforcement that metes out stern punishment to the wrongdoer regardless of his status, we should also address some of the underlying causes of corruption such as the widening gap between the “have-a-lot” and the “have-a-little” which engenders a widespread feeling of relative deprivation which in turn prompts people to justify their corrupt acts. To make it worse, elite opulence which has become more pronounced in our society in recent years also feeds into this vice. At the same time, both the government and the opposition should craft a mechanism for financing general elections which would eliminate donations from business entities.
The public financing of elections as a concept was accepted by the Dewan Rakyat in April 2012. Whatever new measures are adopted to combat corruption, Malaysians should not be duped into believing that changing the government of the day is THE solution. Other democracies in Asia have tried. In India the Indian National Congress was ousted through the ballot-box in the seventies on an anti-corruption, anti-authoritarianism wave; the people discovered soon afterwards that the successor government was incapable of curbing the scourge. Similarly, in Japan, the people have come to realise that getting rid of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and replacing it with some other party has not helped to minimise the prevalence of graft which is embedded to a large extent in the incestuous relationship between business and legislative politics.
There is a reason why regime change per se in most cases does not result in the eradication of corruption. Regime change revolves around political actors. Political actors are focused upon power. And power, as the ancient adage goes, corrupts.
Even in our country we have seen this happening with the opposition parties which are now in power in four states. Vociferous opponents of corruption for the longest time, these parties are now forced to grapple with allegations of shady contracts, zoning irregularities and questionable land deals. Their claim to integrity is being challenged by segments of their own constituencies.
Indeed, how can Pakatan Rakyat project itself as a champion of probity when it is led by a Machleon (a Machiavellian  Chameleon) with such a tarnished record  on issues of ethics? When he was in power — an overly ambitious Cabinet Minister — he was allegedly involved in money politics and cronyism on a massive scale. In his book, The Mahathir Legacy A Nation Divided, a Region at Risk (Allen & Unwin, 2003) Ian Stewart observes, “While Anwar’s followers — as witnessed by myself and other journalists — were handing out packets of money to acquire the support of UMNO division leaders in his 1993 campaign against Ghafar Baba, Anwar himself was winning over influential people in the party by promising positions in the administration he would form when he took over from Dr. Mahathir.” (page 23).
Pakatan supporters insist that Anwar has changed after his incarceration from 1998 to 2004 and now walks the straight and narrow. In other words, like Saul on the road to Damascus, Anwar on the road to Putrajaya has become a paragon of virtue. Really?  If that is so, how does one explain his September 16th saga in 2008 which was a blatant attempt to topple a legitimately elected government through the backdoor, employing allegedly unethical tactics? And what about the electoral fraud within his party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, in 2010 or his approach to the recent defections of two Barisan Nasional leaders in Sabah to his side?
What this shows is that Anwar and Pakatan can lay no claim to the moral high ground in the battle against corruption. Voters should understand this. They should evaluate them for what they are and not be mesmerised by their words.
Dr. Chandra Muzaffar is President of JUST (The International Movement for a Just World) and has been a political commentator for more than four decades.

Leaked US regime change manual, admits Ukraine’s its ‘Playbook’ (E31)

Leaked US regime change manual, admits Ukraine’s its ‘Playbook’ (E31)

December 29, 2013 08:45
Ukrainian cossaks cross themself during a service before taking their guarding duty at the camp of the pro-EU opposition at Kiev's Independence Square on December 24, 2013 (AFP Photo / Sergey Supinsky)
Download video (95.99 MB)
Happy Xmas Ukraine! Openly pro-Nazi rioters ripping up paving stones for weapons and driving bulldozers at people get sweets from America’s Asst. Secretary of State, the surprisingly long list of countries where the US attempts regime change under cover of 'human rights'; and George Clooney becomes the Pentagon’s sexy new weapon.
Seek truth from facts with Humanitarian Imperialism author Jean Bricmont, UN Human Rights Rapporteur Richard Falk, political analyst Richard Becker, Asia Times' Pepe Escobar, On Immoral Interventionism author Gilad Atzmon, and 'worth 500,000 dead kids' Madeleine Albright.
Watch live on RT:
Sunday December 15 at 04:45, 08:45, 12:45, 16:45, 20:45 GMT.
Monday December 16 at 00:45 GMT.

200 Students Slaughtered On The Way To Exams… Guess Who Did It?

200 Students Slaughtered On The Way To Exams… Guess Who Did It?

"It would be wrong to keep quiet..."


African School Children SC
At least 200 students were recently slaughtered on their way to school by a group of Muslim militants known as Boko Haram. Boko Haram, which translates to “Western Education is Forbidden,” seeks to build an Islamist state in north-east Nigeria.
There have been numerous attacks on civilians during Boko Haram’s insurgency. Boko Haram was founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002 to prevent the “Westernization” of Nigeria. One of the ways it has done so is to cowardly target unarmed students on different occasions.
The Boko Haram insurgents made sure that they were well-equipped against the students and other villagers, arriving in two armored personnel carriers and seven double cabin pickups.
Senator Zannah Ahmed, a local Nigerian leader, stated the following:
“It is a must for me to speak since people’s lives are involved and they are my people. All these are happening in my constituency and it will be wrong to keep quiet. I feel so much pained and would have not love to speak (sic) but definitely my conscience will not let me do that.”
Boko Haram also committed another atrocity against students, this time enslaving at least 200 schoolgirls. In the past, when Boko Haram has captured girls, they have often gone on to become cooks and sex slaves for the militants. Instead of the better life for themselves they sought through schooling, these girls are now more likely to be sex slaves rather than proper housewives, and cooks rather than professionals.
Boko Haram is committing travesties in the name of Allah. Through numerous brutal attacks on civilians, they seek to impose through force their warped vision of a good society. Indeed, their attacks on students are cowardly abominations that should not go unchallenged. The extremely liberal Soros-funded site MoveOn.org actually made a petition asking that Boko Haram not be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State. Thankfully, the Department of State ignored such lunacy and went ahead with the designation.

proof obama is behind the missing plane he set up a Regime Change” in Malaysia

US Attempting “Regime Change” in Malaysia: Fact or Fiction?

US Attempting “Regime Change” in Malaysia: Fact or Fiction?

MALAYSIA
 As the South-East Asian nation of Malaysia prepares for general elections, distrust of the political opposition and accusations of foreign interference have been major talking points in the political frequencies emanating from Kuala Lumpur. The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) leads the country’s ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, and has maintained power since Malaysian independence in 1957. One of Malaysia’s most recognizable figures is former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who has been credited with ushering in large-scale economic growth and overseeing the nation’s transition from an exporter of palm oil, tin, and other raw materials, into an industrialized economy that manufactures automobiles and electronic goods.
The opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, is headed by Anwar Ibrahim, who once held the post of Deputy Prime Minister in Mahathir’s administration, but was sacked over major disagreements on how to steer Malaysia’s economy during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Today, the political climate in Malaysia is highly polarized and a sense of unpredictability looms over the nation. Malaysia’s current leader, Prime Minister Najib Razak, has pursued a reform-minded agenda by repealing authoritarian legislation of the past and dramatically loosening controls on expression and political pluralism introduced under Mahathir’s tenure. Najib has rolled back Malaysia’s Internal Security Act, which allowed for indefinite detention without trial, and has liberalized rules regarding the publication of books and newspapers. During Malaysia’s 2008 general elections, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition experienced its worst result in decades, with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition winning 82 parliamentary seats. For the first time, the ruling party was deprived of its two-thirds parliamentary majority, which is required to pass amendments to Malaysia’s Federal Constitution. In the run-up to elections scheduled to take place before an April 2013 deadline, figures from all sides of the political spectrum are asking questions about the opposition’s links to foreign-funders in Washington.

Protestors form a human chain in the city center of Kuala Lumpur during April 2012 protests in support of the Bersih coalition.
The question of foreign-funding 
Malaysia’s former PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has long captured the ire of officials from Washington and Tel Aviv, and though he’s retired, he has channeled his energies into the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, which recently hosted an international conference in Kuala Lumpur calling for a new investigation into the events of 9/11 and has sought to investigate war crimes committed in Gaza, Iraq and Afghanistan. Mahathir has been an ardent critic of Israel and organizations such as AIPAC, and has recently accused US-based organizations the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Open Society Institute (OSI) of holding a concealed intention to influence Malaysia’s domestic politics through the funding of local NGOs and groups directly linked to Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition.
In an article the former prime minister published in the New Straits Times, a leading mainstream newspaper, Mahathir accuses financier George Soros and his organization, the Open Society Institute, of “promoting democracy” in Eastern Europe to pave the way for colonization by global finance capital. Mahathir acknowledges how OSI pumped millions into opposition movements and independent media in Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia under the guise of strengthening civil society, only to have like-minded individuals nominated by Soros’s own foundation come to power in those countries.
The former prime minister has also pointed to how Egypt (prior to Mohamad Morsi taking power) has cracked down on NGOs affiliated with NED, namely groups such as the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Freedom House, which are all recipients of funding from the US State Department. In Malaysia, high-profile NGOs and media outlets have admittedly received funding from OSI and satellite organizations of NED. Premesh Chandran, the CEO of the nation’s most prominent alternative media outlet, Malaysiakini, is a grantee of George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and launched the news organization with a $100,000 grant from the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), another organization with dubious affiliations to the US State Department.
Malaysiakini has come under pressure from local journalists for the lack of transparency in its financial management and hesitance in revealing the value of its shares. Additionally, Suaram, an NGO promoting human rights, has borne heavy criticism over its funding and organizational structure. The Companies Commission of Malaysia launched investigations into Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, a private company linked to Suaram, and found it to be a conduit for money being used to channel funds from NED. Suaram has been instrumental in legitimizing allegations of a possible cover-up of the murder of a Mongolian fashion model, Altantuya Shaaribuu, who was living in Malaysia in 2006 and associated with government officials that have been linked to a kickback scandal involving the government’s purchase of submarines from France. Senator Ezam Mohd Nor, himself a recipient of Suaram’s Human Rights Award, has accused the organization of employing poor research methods and attempting to disparage the government:
“Malaysians have the right to feel suspicious about them. They have been making personal allegations against the Prime Minister [Najib Razak] on the murder of Altantuya and many other cases without proof… their motive is very questionable especially when they are more inclined towards ridiculing and belittling the ruling government.”
The German Embassy in KL has reportedly admitted that it has provided funds to Suaram’s project in 2010. Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Aman followed by making strong statements to the German Ambassador and declared that Germany’s actions could be viewed as interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state.
Since 2007, Bersih, an association of NGOs calling itself the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, staged three street protests in which thousands of yellow-clad demonstrators took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur demanding electoral reform. After coming under heavy scrutiny for obfuscating funding sources, Bersih coalition leader Ambiga Sreenevasan admitted that her organization receives funding from the National Democratic Institute and the Open Society Institute. Sreenevasan herself has been the recipient of the US State Department’s Award for International Women of Courage, and was present in Washington DC in 2009 to receive the award directly from the hands of Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While Sreenevasan’s organization claimed to be non-partisan and apolitical, members of Malaysia’s political opposition openly endorsed the movement, and some were even present at the demonstrations.
Anatomy of Malaysia’s political opposition 
Malaysia is a multi-cultural and multi-religious state, and both the ruling and opposition parties attempt to represent the nation’s three largest ethnic groups. Approximately 60 per cent of Malaysians are either ethnic Malay or other indigenous groups and are mostly listed as Muslim, while another 25 per cent are ethnic Chinese who are predominantly Buddhist, with 7 per cent mostly Hindu Indian-Malaysians. The United Malays National Organization, the Malaysian Chinese Association, and the Malaysian Indian Congress head Barisan Nasional. The opposition, Pakatan Rakyat, currently controls four state governments and is led by Anwar Ibrahim’s Keadilan Rakyat, the Chinese-led Democratic Action Party (DAP), and staunchly Islamist Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).
While a large percentage of urbanites with legitimate grievances are quick to acknowledge the government’s shortcomings, many are hesitant to back Anwar Ibrahim due to his connections with neo-conservative thinkers in Washington and general disunity within the opposition. Ibrahim maintains close ties with senior US officials and organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy. In 2005, Ibrahim chaired the Washington-based Foundation for the Future, established and funded by the US Department of State at the behest of Elizabeth Cheney, the daughter of then-Vice President Dick Cheney, thanks in large part to his cozy relationship with Paul Wolfowitz.
While Ibrahim was on trial for allegedly engaging in sodomy with a male aide (something he was later acquitted of), Wolfowitz and former US Vice-President Al Gore authored a joint opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal in support of Ibrahim, while the Washington Post published an editorial calling for consequences that would affect Malaysia’s relations with Washington if Ibrahim was to be found guilty. Ibrahim enraged many when he stated that he would support policy to protect the security of Israel in an interview with the Wall Street Journal; this is particularly controversial in Malaysia, where support for Palestine is largely unanimous. Malaysian political scientist Dr. Chandra Muzaffar writes:
“It is obvious that by acknowledging the primacy of Israeli security, Anwar was sending a clear message to the deep state and to Tel Aviv and Washington that he is someone that they could trust. In contrast, the Najib government, in spite of its attempts to get closer to Washington, remains critical of Israeli aggression and intransigence. Najib has described the Israeli government as a ‘serial killer’ and a ‘gangster’”.
Members of Barisan Nasional have addressed Ibrahim’s connections to the National Endowment for Democracy in the Malaysian Parliament, including his participation in NED’s ‘Democracy Award’ event held in Washington DC in 2007. Independent journalists have uncovered letters written by Anwar Ibrahim, two of which were sent to NED President Carl Gershman in Washington DC that discussed sending an international election observer team to Malaysia and general issues related to electoral reform. A third letter was sent to George Soros, expressing interest in collaborating with an accountability firm headed by Ibrahim. Pakatan Rakyat’s Communications Director, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, verified the authenticity of the documents. This should come as little surprise, as Ibrahim’s economic policies have historically aligned with institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, in contrast to Mahathir, whose protectionist economic policies opposed international financial institutions and allowed Malaysia to navigate and largely resurface from the 1997 Asian financial crisis unscathed.
An issue that concerns secular and non-Muslim Malaysian voters is the role of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) as part of the opposition. In sharp contrast to the moderate brand of Islam preached by UMNO, the organization’s primary objective is the founding of an Islamic state. The PAS has spoken of working within the framework of Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy, but holds steadfast to implementing sharia law on a national scale, which would lead to confusing implications for Malaysia’s sizable non-Muslim population. The debate around the implementation of Islamic hudud penal code is something that other Pakatan Rakyat coalition members, such as figures in the Chinese-led Democratic Action Party, have been unable to agree on. The PAS enjoys support from rural Malay Muslims in conservative states such as Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu in northern Malaysia, though they have very limited appeal to urbanites. While certain individuals in PAS have raised questions about NGOs receiving foreign funding, Mahathir has insinuated that PAS’s leadership has been largely complicit:
“They [foreign interests] want to topple the government through the demonstration and Nik Aziz [Spiritual leader of PAS] said it is permissible to bring down the government in this manner. They want to make Malaysia like Egypt, Tunisia, which were brought down through riots and now Syria…. when the government does not fall, they [Pakatan Rakyat] can appeal to the foreign power to help and bring down, even if it means using fire power.”
Despite claims of being non-partisan and unaffiliated with any political party, the country’s main opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, fully endorsed the Bersih movement.  
Feasibility of ‘regime change’ narrative 
It must be acknowledged that the current administration led by Prime Minister Najib Razak has made great strides toward improving relations with Washington. At a meeting with President Barack Obama in 2010, Najib offered Malaysia’s assistance to cooperate with the United States to engage the Muslim world; Najib also expressed willingness to deploy Malaysian aid personnel to Afghanistan, and allegedly agreed on the need to maintain a unified front on Iran’s nuclear program. Najib has employed a Washington-based public relations firm, APCO, to improve Malaysia’s image in the US and has seemingly embraced American economic leadership of the region through his support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Some would argue that Najib is perhaps the most pro-American leader Malaysia has ever had – a stark contrast to the boldness of Mahathir. Despite Najib having good rapport with formal Western leaders, it is clear with whom the thank-tank policy architects, Zionist lobbies, and foundation fellows have placed their loyalties.
Sentiment among Malaysia’s youth and “pro-democracy” activists, who constitute a small but vocal minority, tend be entirely dismissive of the ‘regime change’ narrative, viewing it as pre-election diversionary rhetoric of the ruling party. While bogeymen of the Zionist variety are often invoked in Malaysian political discourse, it would be negligent to ignore the effects of Washington-sponsored ‘democracy promotion’ in the global context, which have in recent times cloaked mercenary elements and insurgents in the colors of freedom fighting, and successfully masked geopolitical restructuring and the ushering in of neo-liberal capitalism with the hip and fashionable vigor of ‘people power’ coups. As the United States continues to militarily increase its presence in the Pacific region in line with its strategic policy-shift to East Asia, policy makers in Washington would like to see compliant heads of state who will act to further American interests in the ASEAN region.
Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room; the real purpose of America’s resurgence of interest in the ASEAN bloc is to fortify the region as a counterweight against Beijing. The defense ministries of Malaysia and China held a landmark defense and security consultation in September 2012, in addition to frequent bilateral state visits and enhanced economic cooperation. It was the father of the current leader, Malaysia’s second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, who made the landmark visit to Beijing to normalize relations in 1974, and under his son Najib, Sino-Malaysian relations and cooperation have never been better. Following the global economic crisis of 2008, Najib looked to Beijing to revive Malaysia’s export oriented economy, emphasizing increased Chinese investment into Malaysia and expanding the base of Sino-Malaysian trade in areas like education and student exchange, finance, infrastructure development, science and technology, yielding lucrative and mutually beneficial results. China has been Malaysia’s largest trade partner, with trade figures reaching US$90 billion in 2011; Malaysia is China’s largest trading partner among ASEAN nations.
In asking the question of regime change in Malaysia, Dr. Chandra Muzaffar reflects on Washington’s moves to bolster its military muscle and dominance over the Asia-Pacific region:
“Establishing a military base in Darwin [Australia], resurrecting the US’ military alliance with the Philippines, coaxing Japan to play a more overt military role in the region, instigating Vietnam to confront China over the Spratly Islands, and encouraging India to counterbalance Chinese power, are all part and parcel of the larger US agenda of encircling and containing China. In pursuing this agenda, the US wants reliable allies – not just friends – in Asia. In this regard, Malaysia is important because of its position as a littoral state with sovereign rights over the Straits of Malacca, which is one of China’s most critical supply routes that transports much of the oil and other materials vital for its economic development. Will the containment of China lead to a situation where the hegemon, determined to perpetuate its dominant power, seek to exercise control over the Straits in order to curb China’s ascendancy? Would a trusted ally in Kuala Lumpur facilitate such control? The current Malaysian leadership does not fit the bill.”
‘Backwards’ and forwards 
Pakatan Rakyat, the main opposition coalition pitted against the ruling party, has yet to offer a fully coherent organizational program, and if the coalition ever came to power, the disunity of its component parties and their inability to agree on fundamental policies would be enough to conjure angrier, disenchanted youth back on to the streets, in larger numbers perhaps. What is ticklishly ironic about reading op-eds penned by the likes of Wolfowitz and Al Gore, and how they laud Malaysia as a progressive and moderate model Islamic state, is that they concurrently demonize its leadership and dismiss them authoritarian thugs. Surely, the ruling coalition has its shortcomings; the politicization of race and religion, noted cases of corrupt officials squandering funds, etc. – but far too few, especially those of the middle-class who benefit most from energy subsides, acknowledge the tremendous economic growth achieved under the current leadership and the success of their populist policies. Najib’s administration would do well to place greater emphasis on addressing the concerns of Malaysia’s minorities who view affirmative action policies given to Malay ethnicities as disproportionate; income status, not ethnicity, should be a deciding factor in who receives assistance. The current administration appears set to widen populist policies that make necessities affordable through subsides and continue to assist low-income earners with cash handouts.
Najib has acknowledged the need for broad reforms of Malaysia’s state-owned enterprises over concerns that crony capitalism may deter foreign investment; this should be rolled out concurrently with programs to foster more local entrepreneurship. To put it bluntly, the opposition lacks confidence from the business community and foreign investors; even the likes of JP Morgan have issued statements of concern over an opposition win. It should be noted that if Islamists ever wielded greater influence in Malaysia under an opposition coalition, one could imagine a sizable exodus of non-Muslim minorities and a subsequent flight of foreign capital, putting the nation’s economy in a fragile and fractured state. And yet, the United States has poured millions into ‘democracy promotion’ efforts to strengthen the influence of NGOs that distort realities and cast doubt over the government’s ability to be a coherent actor.
Malaysia does not have the kind of instability that warrants overt external intervention; backing regime-change efforts may only go so far as supporting dissidents and groups affiliated with Anwar Ibrahim. No matter the result of the upcoming elections, Najib appears to have played ball enough for Washington to remain more or less neutral. According to Bersih coalition leader Ambiga Sreenevasan, Malaysia’s electoral process is so restrictive that a mass movement like Bersih is required to purge the system of its backwardness. These are curious statements, considering that the opposition gained control of four out of 13 states in 2008, including Selangor, a key economic state with the highest GDP and most developed infrastructure. In response, Najib has adhered to Bersih’s demands and has called for electoral reform, forming a parliamentary select committee comprising members from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. As elections loom, Bersih coalition leader Ambiga Sreenavasan is already dubbing them “the dirtiest elections ever seen” – unsurprising rhetoric from a woman being handed her talking points by the US embassy.


Democracy is dead”: Pilot of missing Malaysian airliner was “fanatical” supporter of Muslim Brotherhood-linked politician

MalayPilotDemocracyDead-300x217Jihad Watch, By Robert Spencer:
Zaharie Ahmad Shah was a “fanatical” supporter of Anwar Ibrahim. ” That is telling: “Anwar Ibrahim’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood run deep. Ibrahim helped establish the International Institute for Islamic Thought, or IIIT, a Muslim Brotherhood front group in the United States. IIIT has come under fire for their connections with terrorist organizations. In 2002, Anwar Ibrahim’s IIIT was included in a lawsuit by victims of 9/11 seeking damages from organizations linked to ‘rendering material support to radical Islamism.’ In 2003, US government prosecutors ‘submitted court documents detailing financial support (PDF) from the IIIT for convicted Palestinian Islamic Jihad fundraiser Sami al-Arian.’ They also found that Taha Jaber al-Alwani, the president of IIIT had once stated via a fatwa that ‘jihad is the only way to liberate Palestine.’ A US Customs official said that the government is also looking into the possibility that IIIT was involved in ‘terrorism-related money laundering activities.’”
“‘Democracy is dead’: ‘Fanatical’ missing airliner pilot pictured wearing political slogan T-shirt,” by Simon Parry, Amanda Williams and Wills Robinson for the Daily Mail, March 15:
An image has emerged of the pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet wearing a T-shirt with a ‘Democracy is Dead’ slogan as it has been revealed he could have hijacked the plane in an anti-government protest.
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a father-of-three, was said to be a ‘fanatical’ supporter of the country’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim – jailed for homosexuality just hours before the jet disappeared.
It has also been revealed that the pilot’s wife and three children moved out of the family home the day before the plane went missing.
It comes as FBI investigators say the disappearance of MH370 may have been ‘an act of piracy’ and the possibility that hundreds of passengers are being held at an unknown location has not been ruled out.
Officials also revealed that it is possible the aircraft could have landed and transmitted a satellite signal from the ground. If the plane was intact and had enough electrical power in reserve, it would be able to send out a radar ‘ping’.
Captian Shah was an ‘obsessive’ supporter of Ibrahim. And hours before the doomed flight left Kuala Lumpur it is understood 53-year-old Shah attended a controversial trial in which Ibrahim was jailed for five years.
Campaigners say the politician, the key challenger to Malaysia’s ruling party, was the victim of a long-running smear campaign and had faced trumped-up charges.
Police sources have confirmed that Shah was a vocal political activist – and fear that the court decision left him profoundly upset. It was against this background that, seven hours later, he took control of a Boeing 777-200 bound for Beijing and carrying 238 passengers and crew.
Yesterday, Malaysian police searched his house in the upmarket Kuala Lumpur suburb of Shah Alam, where he had installed a home-made flight simulator. But this newspaper can reveal that investigators had already spent much of last week examining two laptops removed from Shah’s home. One is believed to contain data from the simulator
Confirming rising fears, Malaysia’s prime minister Najib Razak announced yesterday that MH370 was deliberately steered off course after its communication system was switched off. He said it headed west over the Malaysian seaboard and could have flown for another seven hours on its fuel reserves.
It is not yet clear where the plane was taken, however Mr Razak said the most recent satellite data suggests the plane could have been making for one of two possible flight corridors. The search, involving 43 ships and 58 aircraft from 15 countries, switched from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean.
In another dramatic twist early Sunday Indian officials however, said the search was on hold until ‘fresh search areas’ were defined by Malaysia. It is unclear what the reason was for the delay.
Data showing the number of plausible runways where the plane could have touched down – which need to be at least 5,000ft – offer a baffling number of potential locations.
According to a map drawn up by U.S. radio station WNYC, there are 634 locations which could fit, from Australia to the Maldives to Pakistan.
However, the true number is likely to be even higher, as estimates of how far the plane could have travelled have been increased since the calculations were carried out.
US investigators say faint ‘pings’ were being transmitted for several hours after the flight lost contact with the ground.
Meanwhile, military radar showed the jet climbed to 45,000ft – above its service limit – which could have been a deliberate attempt to knock out the passengers and crew.
Anwar Ibrahim is a broadly popular democracy icon and former deputy prime minister whose prosecution on a charge of sodomy is seen by many Malaysians as political persecution.
The raids on Captain Shah’s home appeared stage-managed as a display of intent after the Prime Minister said the focus of the investigation was now on ‘crew and passengers’ as a result of the latest leads.
But investigators have told the Mail on Sunday inquiries into the background of the pilot actually began days earlier.
Malaysian police, helped by FBI agents from the US, are looking into the political and religious backgrounds of both Zaharie and his co-pilot. Zaharie’s home was sealed off yesterday as police spent an hour inside.
However, a senior investigation source said two laptops were taken from the property in low-key visits by police early last week despite a series of denials by officials that his home had been searched or raided.
One laptop taken away is thought to contain data from the flight simulator while a second contained little information. Zaharie’s personal laptop was not found, and is thought to have been with him in the cockpit of the plane, the source said.
Zaharie’s co-workers have told investigators the veteran pilot was a social activist who was vocal and fervent in his support of Ibrahim.
‘Colleagues made it clear to us that he was someone who held strong political beliefs and was strident in his support for Anwar Ibrahim,’ another investigation source said. ‘We were told by one colleague he was obsessed with politics.’
In their interviews, colleagues said Zaharie told them he planned to attend the court case involving Anwar on March 7, just hours before the Beijing flight, but investigators had not yet been able to confirm if he was among the crowd of Anwar supporters at court.
Zaharie is believed to be separated or divorced from his wife although they share the same house, close to Kuala Lumpur’s international airport. They have three children, but no family members were at home yesterday: only the maid has remained there.
Anwar Ibrahim is a broadly popular democracy icon and former deputy prime minister whose prosecution on a charge of sodomy is seen by many Malaysians as political persecution.
Campaigners say the politician, the key challenger to Malaysia’s ruling party, was the victim of a long-running smear campaign and had faced trumped-up charges.
Captain Shah, who is thought to have attended the trial in Putrajaya hours before flying, is thought to be incensed by the verdict.
Co-workers have told investigators the veteran pilot was a social activist who was vocal and fervent in his support of Ibrahim.
Investigators said: ‘We are looking into the theory that Zaharie’s political beliefs may be a factor. There are huge sensitivities surrounding this but we cannot afford not to pursue any angle brought to our attention.’
In the days after Flight MH370 disappeared, Zaharie was affectionately described as a good neighbour and an eccentric ‘geek’ who had a flight simulator at home simply because he loved his work so much.
Malaysian officials initially appeared keen not to direct any suspicion towards Zaharie or his co-pilot, 27-year-old Fariq Abdul Hamid, who was last week revealed to have invited two women passengers into the cockpit and smoked on an earlier flight to Phuket.
But evidence of the way the plane’s transponder and communication systems were disabled and the way the plane was expertly flown over the Indian Ocean apparently using navigational waypoints meant only a skilled aviator could have been at the controls. Investigators were also baffled by why, if hijackers took over the plane, there was no Mayday call or signal from the two pilots to say the cockpit had been breached.
At yesterday’s press conference, the suspicion over the pilot’s involvement mounted as prime minister Najib Razak said that investigators had found ‘deliberate action’ on board the plane resulted in it changing course and losing contact with ground crews.
As a result of the new information, Malaysian authorities had ‘refocused their investigation on crew and passengers aboard’, he said. Police sealed off the area surrounding Zaharie’s home and searched the house shortly after the press conference.
Mr Razak said the new satellite evidence shows ‘with a high degree of certainty’ that the one of the jet’s communications devices – the Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System was disabled just before it had reached the east coast of Malaysia. ACARS is a service that allows computers aboard the plane to relay in-flight information about the health of its systems back to the ground.
Shortly afterwards, near the cross-over point between Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic controllers, the plane’s transponder, which emits an identifying signal, was switched off or, less likely, failed.
According to a military radar, the aircraft then turned and flew back over Malaysia before heading in a north-west direction.
Here is Anwar Ibrahim with Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the international Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader who has praised Hitler and endorsed jihad/martyrdom suicide bombing:
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Discover The Networks profile on Anwar Ibrahim:
See also:  International Institute of Islamic Thought 
Born in Malaysia in August 1947, Anwar Ibrahim was heavily influenced, from an early age, by the teachings of Sayyid Qutb and Maulana Maududi, the ideological fathers of the Muslim Brotherhood. A radical Muslim student leader in the late 1960s, Ibrahim rose to considerableprominence in 1971 when he founded an organization called Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia(ABIM), known in English as the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement. Highly critical of the West, ABIM urged young Muslims to embrace Islamic fundamentalist tenets and principles as enshrined in the Quran and the Sunnah. In 1974 Ibrahim was arrested for participating in student protests against rural poverty and hunger, and he subsequently spent 20 months in a Malaysian prison.
At a 1979 ABIM meeting, Ibrahim delivered a speech outlining the direction in which he wished to lead the organization. “It is our conviction,” he said, “that if all parties concerned are sincere and serious about understanding Islam, its concepts and principles, they will accept Islam as the only practicable and viable alternative to the present order.” To achieve this goal, Ibrahim proposed that “[s]chools, especially institutions of higher learning, must be encouraged to cultivate the spirit of Islamic universalism to break down the present communal barriers.”
In 1981 Ibrahim co-founded the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a Virginia-based front group of the Muslim Brotherhood. That same year, he joined the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), Malaysia’s ruling political party. UMNO was led by the country’s recently elected Prime Minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad, and it actively promoted Malay-Muslim rule over all other races.
In 1983 Ibrahim became Malaysia’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. The following year he was elected Leader of UMNO Youth and was appointed as the nation’s Minister of Agriculture. In1986 he became UMNO’s Vice President as well as Malaysia’s Minister of Education. In 1991 he was named Minister of Finance, and two years later he became Mahathir’s Deputy Prime Minister.
As the nineties progressed, Ibrahim appeared to be Mahathir’s heir apparent, frequently alluding in public to his “son-father” relationship with the Prime Minister. When Mahathir took a two-month holiday in 1997, he appointed Ibrahim to serve as acting Prime Minister during his absence.
As the the decade drew to a close, however, Ibrahim’s relationship with Mahathir began to deteriorate due to political differences that emerged. Thus, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mahathir in 1998 engineered “a blatantly political fix-up” and had his younger rival arrested on corruption and sodomy charges. Convicted, Ibrahim spent six years in jail before a review courtoverturned the sentence and set him free in 2004.
During his incarceration, Ibrahim maintained mail correspondence with fellow IIIT director Abdul Hamid Abu Sulaiman, who was a former Rector of the International Islamic University of Malaysia. When Sulaiman became Rector of Islamic University of Kuala Lumpur, he aggressively worked to Islamize the university’s curriculum — introducing Islamic Law and Jurisprudence as compulsory courses.
In 2003 Ibrahim and his family were the beneficiaries of an apparent tax fraud perpetrated by IIIT. According to its own tax filings for that year, IIIT made $92,200 in contributions to Ibrahim’s daughter, Nurul Izzah. Where it listed the donations to Izzah on the tax forms, IIIT violated U.S. law by indicating “none” under the heading “Donee’s Relationship.” The group would have lost its tax-exempt status had it been known that it was sending money to the family member of a director. Ibrahim never disavowed this act when given the chance and even stated explicitly that these contributions were made for the education of his six children.
At a 2005 ABIM conference in Malaysia, Dr. Ahmad Totonji — IIIT’s Vice President and a co-founder of a Saudi-financed Islamic charity with ties to the SAAR Foundation and al Qaeda –praised Ibrahim’s efforts to promote Islamic rule in his homeland: “We have changed the world. I first came to Malaysia in 1970 and was met by Br[other] Anwar…. I am glad to see sisters everywhere in Malaysia today wearing [the] hijab. We have made a better world for Muslims.” Totonji further congratulated Ibrahim for his success in disguising his underlying desire to replace Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy with a system based on Sharia Law: “It was wise not to involve ABIM in the political work, it was wise to keep daawah [proselytization] separate from politics.”
Returning to the political arena in time for Malaysia’s 2008 general election, Ibrahim led the Opposition Coalition to winning more parliamentary seats than ever before, though not enough to defeat the UMNO. Later that year, new charges of sodomy were brought against Ibrahim. As of September 2011, they had not yet been adjudicated.
On numerous occasions, Ibrahim has expressed anti-Israel and anti-Semitic views. A few days after the Israeli seizure of the terrorist-laden Free Gaza Movement flotilla in May 2010, for instance, heled a chanting protest mob of thousands in front of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. “Israelis are able to continue with their aggression because of the soft position taken by the [American] President,” Ibrahim declared. Three days later, in the Malaysian parliament, he said: “Israel wouldn’t dare to attack the flotilla and set up blockades in Gaza without the support of America.”
When Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2010 decided to cut off oil supplies to an Iran which was seeking nuclear weapons, Ibrahim stood in the legislature to charge that a “Jewish-controlled” public-relations firm hired by Razak was covertly working to manipulate Malaysian policy on America’s behalf. “How can our foreign policy have changed [so] dramatically?” Ibrahimdemanded. “Our policy on Iran shows how weak we are. Unprecedented in the history of our country, even Mahathir Mohamad himself never shifted in Afghanistan and the Palestinian question.”
Ibrahim was formerly a trustee for the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.



Gaza - Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia handed over memorandum to Malaysian Armed Forces PDF Print E-mail
Ahad, 11 Januari 2009 14:55
KUALA LUMPUR 9 Jan – The Headquarters of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) at Jalan Padang Tembak experienced a totally different atmosphere today. Cry of takbeer and calls for jihad filled the air as activists of Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia (HTM) assembled in front of the gate of MAF headquarters with the intention of handing over a special memorandum to the Malaysian Armed Forces calling them to move against the cruel Zionist regime in an effort to protect the Muslims in Gaza. March towards the MAF office begun after Friday prayers at the Khalid al-Walid Mosque situated near the headquarters. HTM called upon the ummah to join arms in demanding that MAF declare jihad against Israel. Jihad that needs to be declared is the real jihad jihad fi sabilillah – with MAF moving all its Armies, Air Forces and Navy in order to protect our brothers and sisters that are currently being slaughtered by the Zionist regime in Gaza. As one of the Armed Forces of the Muslim ummah, it is obligatory (wajib) that MAF moves to Gaza without any delay!

Ustaz Umar Hussein, speaking in front of more than 1,000 Muslim after the prayers, called with full vigour and spirit to the Malaysian Armed Forces to accept the call of jihad from Gaza. In his speech, he made clear that the only real solution for the leaders to make is to send armed forces to Gaza to fight the Zionist regime of Israel who is now, as he speaks, freely slaughtering Gaza without being opposed by a single Muslim army.

Cruelty of the Zionist regime in Gaza can only be stopped by sending armed forces to fight the Jews, the enemy of Allah and of the Muslim ummah. An act of war must only be answered by act of war. Strength can only be answered by strength. Boycott of Israeli and American products, sending humanitarian aid and condemnation is just not enough!

Just before the rally, the khutbah delivered at the Khalid al-Walid mosque also talked about the slaughter in Gaza. The khatib delivered the khutbah in high spirit and lectured about how the illegal state of Israel was established. He forcefully condemned the perpetration carried out by Israel, a state which was delivered (its birth) by the British under the Balfour declaration. However, the khatib failed to present the real solution to the problem in front of the hundreds of army officers listening to his khutbah in the mosque.

Instead of calling for jihad, he called upon Muslims to read history in order to have the right perception of what is going on in Palestine. He also called for Muslims to have tawakkal, spend effort to rid themselves of wahn (love of life and hatred of death) and finally called for the boycott of American and Israeli products, conduct more exhibitions on Palestine and for Muslims to build emotional strength in order to move.

Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia was very clear in its call after the Friday prayers, right in front of the mosque, that the only right and rational solution to the problem of Palestine is to move the armed forces of the Muslim ummah for jihad fi sabilillah. The armies must be directly involved in the fight (jihad) against the Zionist regime who is at the moment without any mercy killing our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Ustaz Isa Abdullah, an HTM activist continued the speech by reminding the military that as he is speaking, hundreds of children have lost their parents, wives losing their husbands and suffering seems far from subsiding - houses continue to be bombed and destroyed by the Zionist regime of Israel leaving our brothers and sisters exposed and shivering in the freezing winter of Gaza. He also reminded the armed forces of the Muslim ummah that they are in fact, strong. It is however unfortunate that the leaders of the ummah have stopped the armies from moving and declaring jihad. The armed forces and their weaponries are instead made objects of exhibition and show.

At the end of his speech in front of the Khalid al-Walid mosque, the rally, which consists of HTM members and the ummah started to move towards the main gate of the MAF headquarters in order to deliver the memorandum to the The Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces. along the parade, which took about 15 minutes, roars of jihad slogans directed towards the military filled the air - “Aina jundul Muslimin! Li Tahriri Falastin” (Where are the Muslim armies! To free the land of Palestine) “Khaibar Khaibar Ya Yahud! Jaisyu Muhammad Saufa Ya’ud” (Khaibar Khaibar oh Jews! The armies of Muhammad shall surely return). Takbeer and tahmeed also filled the air and these were repeated until the parade reached the gates of MAF headquarters (Ministry of Defense).

Upon reaching the main gate, Ustaz Umar Hussein gave instructions to the masses to control themselves and not to obstruct the traffic. Cry of takbeer and tahmeed continuously filled the air.

Ustaz Abdul Hakim Othman, the President of Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia headed the HTM delegation to meet and deliver the memorandum to the Chief Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces. The delegation included Ustaz Umar Hussein, Brother Tarmizi Salleh and Brother Norazman Mustafar who are all members of the Central Committee of HTM.

The memorandum reminds MAF that the only solution to the problems in Gaza is to send the Malaysian armed forces there. This responsibility is not only on the shoulders of the Malaysia Armed Forces but it is also the responsibility of all the armed forces in the Muslim lands. HTM also reminds that the weaponries of MAF are not meant to be objects of exhibition and training but should be used to help our brothers and sisters in Palestine and must be used to destroy the enemies of Allah.

The leaders of the Muslim ummah have committed a grave crime by not moving our armies to Palestine. They instead continue to betray the ummah by putting their hopes on kufr organizations such as the UN to save Palestine although in fact it is the UN that was responsible for the creation of Israel and have always supported it.

The HTM memorandum instills in MAF the spirit of jihad to save the Muslims in Palestine who are still being slaughtered by the Jewish army la’natullah. HTM reminds MAF that it is the army who is most capable of carrying out this duty (jihad). The army is advised not to betray the Muslims by supporting the coward leaders that have betrayed the ummah. HTM stressed that jihad is the only solution to this problem, and if jihad is launched, our brothers and sisters will be delivered from the evils of the enemies of Allah and InsyaAllah, Israel will be destroyed. This is because Allah and His Angels will be with the Muslims armed forces when they fight the enemies. Allah says:

“Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands, and disgrace them and give you victory over them, and heal the breasts of a believing people” [TMQ at-Taubah (9):14].

Probably due to the fact that the MAF is not used to this new situation (handing over of such memorandum) or probably due to tight protocols, the delegation headed by Ustaz Hakim had to wait for quite a while before the memorandum was successfully handed over. Initially HTM was told that the Chief of MAF had been informed of the intention and would receive the memorandum himself or via a representative. After a short while, the main gate was closed and the HTM delegation was left outside the gate and faced a long delay in delivering the memorandum. All the while takbeer and tahmeed filled the air consistently.

In the wait, there was no sign that the Chief of the MAF or his representative was prepared to receive the memorandum. The HTM delegate was also asked to leave the area, without handing over the memorandum. Nevertheless, after some negotiation, a number of MAF staff was willing to accept the memorandum on behalf of the Jeneral of MAF. We would like to express our gratitude to the MAF staff who was ‘brave’ enough to accept such memorandum.

Alhamdulillah, the delivery of the memorandum went on well. HTM hopes that the memorandum will indeed arrive at the hands of the Commander of MAF or the Prime Minister of Malaysia himself, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the Minister of Defence.

At around 3.00pm, the occasion ended with the making of do’a by Ustaz Isa, asking help from Allah SWT so that the Malaysian Armed Forces realises its responsibility and so that they and all the Muslim armed forces be aided in destroying Israel if they were to move in jihad against the illegitimate state. If they do not move, HTM makes do’a to Allah that this government is replaced by the Khilafah that rules by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Rasul. This state will then send armed forces for jihad to defeat the enemies of Allah and to free Muslims all over the world from their clutches and domination. Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
 














 
 





 

MISSING Malaysia Airlines Flight 370′s ‘devout’ Muslim pilot was also a political fanatic

Muslim Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah
Muslim Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah

Hours before taking control of flight MH370, pilot Zaharu Ahmad Shah attended trial of jailed  opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, as FBI reveals that passengers could be at a secret location.

UK Daily Mail (h/t James C)  Police are investigating the possibility that the pilot of missing Flight MH370 hijacked his own aircraft in a bizarre political protest. The Mail on Sunday has learned that Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was an ‘obsessive’ supporter of Malaysia’s opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim. And hours before the doomed flight left Kuala Lumpur it is understood 53-year-old Shah attended a controversial trial in which Ibrahim was jailed for five years.

Campaigners say the politician, the key challenger to Malaysia’s ruling party, was the victim of a long-running smear campaign and had faced trumped-up charges.

Jailed: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim
Jailed: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim

Police sources have confirmed that Shah was a vocal political activist – and fear that the court decision left him profoundly upset. It was against this background that, seven hours later, he took control of a Boeing 777-200 bound for Beijing and carrying 238 passengers and crew.

Yesterday, Malaysian police searched his house in the upmarket Kuala Lumpur suburb of Shah Alam, where he had installed a home-made flight simulator. But this newspaper can reveal that investigators had already spent much of last week examining two laptops removed from Shah’s home. One is believed to contain data from the simulator.

Confirming rising fears, Malaysia’s prime minister Najib Razak announced yesterday that MH370 was deliberately steered off course after its communication system was switched off. He said it headed west over the Malaysian seaboard and could have flown for another seven hours on its fuel reserves.

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It is not yet clear where the plane was taken, however Mr Razak said the most recent satellite data suggests the plane could have been making for one of two possible flight corridors. The search, involving 43 ships and 58 aircraft from 15 countries, switched from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean.

US investigators say faint ‘pings’ were being transmitted for several hours after the flight lost contact with the ground. Meanwhile, military radar showed the jet climbed to 45,000ft – above its service limit – which could have been a deliberate attempt to knock out the passengers and crew.

Anwar Ibrahim is a broadly popular icon and former deputy prime minister whose prosecution on a charge of sodomy is seen by many Malaysians as political persecution.

The raids on Captain Shah’s home appeared stage-managed as a display of intent after the Prime Minister said the focus of the investigation was now on ‘crew and passengers’ as a result of the latest leads. But investigators have told the Mail on Sunday inquiries into the background of the pilot actually began days earlier.

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Malaysian police, helped by FBI agents from the US, are looking into the political and religious backgrounds of both Zaharie and his co-pilot. Zaharie’s home was sealed off yesterday as police spent an hour inside.

However, a senior investigation source said two laptops were taken from the property in low-key visits by police early last week despite a series of denials by officials that his home had been searched or raided.  One laptop taken away is thought to contain data from the flight simulator while a second contained little information. Zaharie’s personal laptop was not found, and is thought to have been with him in the cockpit of the plane, the source said.

Zaharie’s co-workers have told investigators the veteran pilot was a social activist who was vocal and fervent in his support of Ibrahim. ‘Colleagues made it clear to us that he was someone who held strong political beliefs and was strident in his support for Anwar Ibrahim,’ another investigation source said. ‘We were told by one colleague he was obsessed with politics.’

At yesterday’s press conference, the suspicion over the pilot’s involvement mounted as prime minister Najib Razak said that investigators had found ‘deliberate action’ on board the plane resulted in it changing course and losing contact with ground crews. 

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Israel PM blames Palestinian leaders after Hebron killing

April 16, 2014
Israeli soldiers check their weapons at a staging near the West Bank city of Hebron April 15, 2014. — Reuters picIsraeli soldiers check their weapons at a staging near the West Bank city of Hebron April 15, 2014. — Reuters picJERUSALEM, April 16 — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pinned blame on the Palestinian leadership after a deadly attack on an Israeli police officer near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron.
“This assassination is the result of the incitement to hatred by Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders who continue to peddle hate-filled material against Israel,” Netanyahu charged yesterday.
He said that this attitude had led to the murder of “a father driving home to celebrate a Passover dinner” on Monday, and deplored the lack of condemnation of the attack by the PA.
Israeli police said yesterday the policeman killed was Baruch Mizrahi, a 47-year-old father of five who was a high-ranking officer in the intelligence division.
Israeli troops scoured a village near Hebron yesterday, a day after a gunman killed Mizrahi in the area.
The killing at the start of the Jewish Passover holiday was the first deadly attack this year on an Israeli in the occupied West Bank.
It came at a time of high tensions over the near-breakdown of US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The army searched several houses and businesses close to the scene of the killing southwest of Idhna, a village outside Hebron, residents told AFP.
They said soldiers roughed them up while searching homes, and added that army checkpoints set up around Idhna were still in place.
The army said it was “conducting widespread searches for the perpetrators” of the attack.
Mizrahi’s wife was seriously wounded and a nine-year-old child also hurt. Three other children were in the vehicle, according to Israeli military radio.
Israelis in another car said they saw a man wearing a helmet and firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle on the side of the road.
Army spokesman Peter Lerner said it was unclear if the attack was carried out by a single shooter or with accomplices, or if it was the work of a “local terrorist organisation.”
The Palestinian movement Hamas that rules Gaza and a smaller Islamist group, Islamic Jihad, praised the attack.
It linked the assault to unrest in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, where five Palestinians were arrested by Israeli police on Sunday.
But neither group claimed responsibility.
Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya called for “Palestinian resistance in all its forms” against Israel at a news conference, in which he also praised the shooting and urged the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers.
The city of Hebron is home to nearly 200,000 Palestinians. Around 80 settler homes in central Hebron, housing about 700 Jews, live under Israeli army protection. — AFP


Malaysia: Federal Territories Official Sermon Declares ‘Jews Are the Main Enemy to Muslims’


Thank goodness Malaysia is a moderate Islamic state, otherwise we might get the impression that they don’t like Jews  …
By Shannon Teoh – “The Federal Territories’ official sermon today told Muslims Jews are their main enemy as proven by their ego and murderous acts.
The Friday sermon, delivered at lunchtime in mosques across the capital city, said Muslims must ‘free your brethren in Palestine from the grasp of Zionist rule and economic siege by donating money, food, medicine and whatever is suitable.’
‘Firstly, Muslims must understand Jews are the main enemy to Muslims as proven by their egotistical behaviour and murders performed by them,’ said the sermon prepared by the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (JAWI).
It called on ‘community leaders and NGOs to intensify activities that increase awareness and understanding to the public about the importance of al-Quds (Jerusalem),’ referring to the city that is sacred to Jews, Muslims and also Christians.
‘The honour of al-Quds and the al-Aqsa mosque must be defended by all Muslims as it is holy land that is blessed,’ the sermon added.” Read more.
Flashback: Malaysia: Rise of Strict Islam Exposes Fears and Tensions, ‘If You Don’t Follow the Mainstream You Will Be Lynched’ – “Muslim women without headscarves are a common sight on the streets of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. But engaging them in a discussion about the hijab is difficult. Norhayati Kaprawi is a Malaysian activist whose recent documentary Aku Siapa (Who Am I) deals with the issue of how women in Malaysia should dress. She found some women unwilling to show their faces in her film – not on religious grounds, but becasue they feared reprisals. This is a damning reflection on Malaysia’s Muslim society, says Ms Norhayati.” Read more.
Flashback: Muslim Group in Malaysia Declares Jihad Against Christians Who … Disagree With Them – “An umbrella coalition of Muslim groups held a protest today and declared bloodshed against ‘extremist’ Christians that insult and ridicule the position of Islam in the country. The Muslim Organisations in Defence of Islam (Pembela), comprising 20 groups, protested after Friday prayers at the National Mosque against Putrajaya’s release of Malay-language bibles and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s promise to never impound the Alkitab again.” Read more.
Flashback: Non-Muslims in Malaysia Who Recite Quranic Verses ‘Insincerely’ Can Be Charged With Blasphemy – “The government can take action against people who abuse Quranic verses for certain interests and dispute all forms of worship by Muslims in this country. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said this followed the special conference of the National Fatwa Council on Dec 3 last year to discuss issues including abuse of Quranic verses. ‘The muzakarah agreed that non-Muslims who cite Quranic verses according to their own understanding without sincerity is an affront to the sanctity of al-Quran and can cause doubt and slander in society,’ he told Dewan Rakyat today.” Read more.

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Wu-Tang-Affiliated Rapper Cuts Off His Penis in Suicide Attempt


Wu-Tang-Affiliated Rapper

Cuts Off His Penis

in Suicide Attempt


4/16/2014 8:34 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
EXCLUSIVE
Wu Tang Rapper Cuts Off PenisA rapper affiliated with Wu-Tang Clan was rushed to the hospital early Wednesday after he cut off his penis and then jumped off a second story balcony in what police believe was a suicide attempt ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Our sources say ... cops were called to an apartment building in North Hollywood at around 1:00 AM and found Christ Bearer -- aka Andre Johnson -- on the sidewalk critically injured. 

Christ Bearer is a member of the rap group Northstar ... a group discovered by members of Wu-Tang Clan.  Two members of a group Bearer collaborates with live in the same apartment building and tell TMZ they were there early this morning when Christ Bearer suddenly -- without warning -- cut off his penis and jumped off the balcony.  They say they were not on "any hard drugs that would cause him to do such a thing."

The two men say they rushed downstairs and Christ Bearer had already jumped up and began screaming incoherently.

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Johnson was rushed by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.  It's unclear if doctor's are attempting to reattach Johnson's penis.

Johnson is a rapper who was in a group founded by members of Wu-Tang Clan.



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