Malaysia's AirAsia X to suspend Iran service

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - The long-haul arm of budget carrier AirAsia said on Monday it would suspend operations to Iran, citing currency "volatility" as the carrier mounts new profitable destinations across the Asia-Pacific.

Malaysia-based AirAsia X said the current four times weekly flights between Kuala Lumpur and Teheran will be suspended with the last flight on Oct 14.

AirAsia X said the suspension of its services to Teheran Imam Khomeini Airport was due to challenging economic and business conditions including the "volatility of the Iranian currency".

Pakatan: Kami tidak kenal George Soros

MP Pakatan Rakyat hari ini menolak dakwaan bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad bahawa undi untuk pembangkang adalah umpama undi untuk jutawan George Soros.

MP Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua juga berkata, Pakatan tidak mempunyai apa-apa hubungan dengan Soros.

"Kami tidak ada hubungan apa-apa dengan George Soros. Kami tidak kenal George Soros," katanya.

PKR S'gor mahu Faekah dipecat

Pengarah Pilihan Raya PKR Selangor Borhan Aman Shah mendesak supaya setiausaha politik menteri besar negeri itu, Faekah Husin meletakkan jawatan kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan yang didakwa mengeruhkan hubungan dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Katanya, beliau juga berharap Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim mengambil tindakan sewajarnya ke atas Faekah yang "menimbulkan salah faham" apabila mengulas mengenai kenyataan timbalan presiden Azmin Ali berhubung kedudukan Khalid.

"Kita minta agar menteri besar ambil tindakan pada Faekah. Semua tahu kita minta dia dilucutkan daripada jawatan yang ada. Ada beberapa perkara yang dia buat dah jadi salah faham.

Paderi kata Utusan 'menipu' dalam laporan kritik Guan Eng

Dua pemimpin Kristian hari berkata laporan memetik kenyataan mereka dalam Mingguan Malaysia semalam, yang didakwa mengkritik ketua menteri Pulau Pinang, adalah "penipuan semata-mata".

Biskop Gereja Lutheran Evangelical, Solomon Rajah dan bekas presiden Majlis Gereja Malaysia Thomas Philips hari ini berkata, kenyataan mereka dilaporkan di luar konteks dalam berita bertajuk 'Gereja bukan tempat politik'.

Mereka menuntut supaya akbar edisi Ahad Utusan Malaysia itu menarik balik laporan berkenaan dan mengeluarkan permohonan maaf dalam edisi mereka selepas ini.

Dalam satu sidang media hari ini, kedua-dua paderi itu menjelaskan bahawa pemberita berkenaan hanya menghubungi mereka untuk mendapatkan pandangan umum mengenai "gereja dan politik".

Rajah berkata, kenyataannya itu bukan reaksi atau ulasan kepada dialog antara ketua menteri Pulau Pinang Lim Guan Eng dengan pemimpin gereja di negeri tersebut.

Economist: Najib gagal adakan p'raya ketika popular

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak mirip bekas perdana menteri Britain Gordon Brown yang gagal mengadakan pilihan raya ketika beliau secara relatifnya masih popular, kata majalah antarabangsa mingguan Economist.

Ini berlaku ketika usaha Najib menonjolkan dirinya sebagai pembawa perubahan progresif dengan imej pendahulu Brown - Tony Blair; hatta mengupah penasihat Blair.

"Bertahun-tahun Brown gelisah untuk menolak lawannya ke tepi. Apabila berjaya, Brown mensia-siakannya dengan gagal memanggil pilihan raya ketika beliau secara relatifnya beliau masih popular," kata akhbar yang berpangkalan di London itu.

Medical students in Malaysian university brainwashed into quitting

PETALING JAYA: A group of medical students from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, one of the biggest universities in Malaysia, has allegedly been brainwashed into leaving their studies by a Buddhist monk.

The student Buddhist association from the campus in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, had voiced its concern that around 30 medical students had shown behavioural changes and disinterest in their studies after returning from a trip to Thailand with the monk in August, the Star newspaper cited Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia lay adviser Chong Hung Wang as saying.

Malaysian couple charged with abusing Indonesian maid

KUALA LUMPUR (AP) - A Malaysian couple has been charged with beating, scalding and exploiting their Indonesian maid in the latest such abuse case in Malaysia, despite new rules to protect domestic workers, a prosecutor said on Saturday.

Prosecutor Chuah Shyue Chien said Mohamad Shukur Suradi, 28, and his wife, Daeng Norulasyikin Bachok, 27, pleaded not guilty on Friday to causing grievous harm to their 21-year-old maid, Marsini, who like many Indonesians uses one name.

Malaysian authorities raid 3 more gold trading firms

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian authorities on Friday raided three more gold trading firms suspected of taking deposits illegally, money laundering and tax evasion.

The raids on the offices of Pageantry Gold, Caesar Gold and Worldwide Far East were conducted as Bank Negara announced formal investigations into gold trading firm Genneva's Malaysia operations, The Star reported.

Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department raided last Monday Genneva's offices at Orchard Towers following complaints that the company had stopped paying its customers and agents, and failed to fulfil its buyback guarantee. Genneva's offices in Malaysia were raided on the same day.

Ranking Musa Aman jatuh bawah 50 peratus

Tinjauan awam mendapati, tahap kepuasan pengundi terhadap Ketua Menteri Sabah Datuk Seri Musa Aman jatuh bawah 50 peratus walaupun kedudukan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak masih kekal tinggi.

Ali Rustam: Pakatan dengki dengan kenduri anak saya

Ketua Menteri Melaka Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam berkata, Pakatan Rakyat "dengki dan iri hati" apabila sengaja memperbesar-besarkan isu majlis perkahwinan 'mega' anak lelakinya.

Beliau berkata, perkara itu hanyalah mainan politik pembangkang dan beliau tidak kisah apa yang dilakukan oleh pihak berkenaan.

"Dia orang ini memang dengki dan tak ada kerja lain, gasak dia oranglah nak buat apa. 

"Orang nak datang rumah saya sampai 130,000 sehingga dicatat dalam MBR (Malaysia Book Of Records) apa saya boleh buat, nasib baik anak saya kahwin kalau saya kahwin lagi ramai orang datang.

"Mereka datang pun kerana mereka menyokong BN, tetapi yang bukan penyokong BN pun ramai yang datang," katanya ketika ditemui pemberita di Ayer Keroh hari ini.

Taib's son rich from gov't deals, but no proof of abuse

While Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's son Mahmud Abu Bekir had richly benefited from the state, provisions in the law are hindering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from charging Taib with abuse of power.

French lawyer Bourdon agrees to brief lawmakers

French lawyer William Bourdon, who represents Suaram in the Scorpene case, has indicated that he is willing to brief the Malaysian parliament on the matter.

Malaysia government losing Chinese support, putting reforms at risk

KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) - Ethnic Chinese voters, upset over policies that favour majority Malays, have become increasingly alienated from Malaysia's ruling coalition, raising the risk of racial polarisation and a slowdown in the pace of reforms.

Support for Prime Minister Najib Razak among Chinese voters plunged to 37 per cent in May from 56 per cent in February, a survey by the independent Merdeka Centre showed on Friday.

It found 56 per cent of Chinese were dissatisfied with the government, compared to 30 per cent of Indians and 23 per cent of Malays.

Thieves in Malaysia cart away ATM containing RM37,520

Thieves carted away an ATM which contained RM37,520 after they dragged it out of a building in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi near Sepang.

The incident occurred at 3.20am on Friday when it is believed more than one suspect used a rope to pull the ATM and loaded it onto a Toyota Avanza before fleeing.

Selangor CID chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Mohd Adnan Abdullah said a security guard working in the building discovered the theft when he heard the sound of breaking glass.

Malaysia family finds 2m long cobra eating lizard in cupboard

KUALA TERENGGANU - A bad odour led a family in Batu Rakit near here to a shocking find a 2m cobra was in the midst of eating a lizard in a cupboard.

School teacher Karimah Abdul Karim, 31, and her family had caught a strong stench at their home in Kampung Darat at about 3pm on Friday and traced it to a cupboard.

She and her siblings were shocked to see the cobra swallowing the lizard. 'We quickly contacted the Civil Defence Department, which came and took away the reptile,' she said.

Terengganu civil defence director Lieutenant-Colonel Kamal Mokhtar advised the people to be wary of snakes entering their homes, especially when it floods.

Decision on PPSMI final, says DPM

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today that the government’s decision to abolish the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) is final.

“The matter is closed. I can say that as of this year, PPSMI is not here anymore; we have started a new policy. Maybe people have misunderstood, we’re now actually looking at the beginning of the soft-landing of the MBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language, Strengthening the English Language) policy,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after attending the English Language training mentor programme where Primary Year 1, 2, 3 English teachers are being trained by foreign native English-speaking teachers.

“It’s final. Period,” Muhyiddin said, adding that he would be explaining this in more detail tomorrow to finally put the matter to rest. “As far as the government is concerned, we want to put this issue to rest.”

MIC, MCA: Give students a choice

Malaysian Post l KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel today urged the Education Ministry to reconsider its decision to scrap the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI).

He wanted the government not to rush into things but to think over the matter carefully.

“We have to consider the ongoing public’s reaction on this issue.” he said.

Palanivel, who is also the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the education ministry should carefully listen to the reactions and suggestions from the PIBGs, parents and also the concerned NGOs.

Najib needs Alastair to scrub out the dirt

Malaysian Post l Mariam Mokhtar - It takes a liar to know another liar. So good luck to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, if he has secured the services of Alastair Campbell, to help him plot his next moves, in the 13th general election. Campbell is as slippery as an ikan keli, and teeth as sharp as a barracuda. Anything he says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

After the recent furore about Malaya not being colonised, why is Najib taking orders from a “mat-salleh”?

Najib is deluded to think that a non-Malaysian can resolve Malaysia’s problems. It is only the Malaysians who have the power to find the solution to our many problems and we do not need help from outside.

Campbell’s services are not known to be cheap. How could Najib shamelessly use public money in a vain attempt to win votes and improve his international reputation?

Campbell must realise that Apco, CNBC and FBC all failed. In fact, Najib’s image plummeted when it was revealed that Najib had paid them millions of ringgits on futile PR drives to spruce up his image.

‘Is Umno tacitly backing Himpun rally?’

GEORGE TOWN: A Hindraf Makkal Sakti leader says he sees the hand of Umno behind Saturday’s “Himpunan Sejuta Umat” (Assembly of One Million Believers Defending the Faith) gathering.

Hindraf Makkal Sakti leader P Waythamoorthy claims that Umno is tacitly backing the assembly and he is calling the relevant authorities to stop the gathering.

Waythamoorthy said the assembly was an Umno ruse to stir up the Malay psyche and create a split among Malaysians along religious and racial lines.

He said Hindraf was shocked that the police were so quick to issue a permit for a mammoth gathering that could generate so much anxiety, discontent and disharmony in the country.

Umno bloggers used photo of UK chess champion to malign Guan Eng's son

Despite a heated defense by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who insists there is basis for the Umno bloggers' accusations that Lim Guan Eng's 16-year-old son is a sex maniac, DAP leaders have provided proof to show up the "Umno lies".

DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua said the girl appearing besides Marcus Lim in the blogs run by Papagomo and Bukit Gelugor Umno chief Novandri Hasan, was 21-year-old chess Grandmaster Anya Sun Corke.

Anya, who represents England, is currently an undergraduate of Wellesley College in the United States. She has no ties to Penang,

“The chess board has been edited from the picture. This proves beyond doubt that the accusations by these Umno cyber-troopers are nothing but barbaric lies," Tony Pua told a press conference on Wednesday.