The Star Online: Nation

Court wants TV3 to explain news item attacking lawyer
EC says it's ready to meet Bersih
PM: Polls at any time, not tied to select committee

Court wants TV3 to explain news item attacking lawyer

Posted: 19 Aug 2011 06:13 AM PDT

SHAH ALAM: The High Court here ordered a TV3 producer to explain a news item which a lawyer in the trial of the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others claimed was a personal attack on him.

Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir made the order following an application by the lawyer, Manjeet Singh Dhillon, representing the first accused, N. Pathmanabhan.

On Thursday, the court allowed an application by Manjeet for a reporter and an editor of Utusan Malaysia to come to the court to explain an article on the same issue.

The lawyer said that the news item, which had the same content as the article by Utusan Malaysia, titled "Manjeet selalu burukkan kerajaan" (Manjeet always smears government), was from an interview by reporter Raja Syahrir Abu Bakar with Padang Serai MP N.Gobalakrishnan.

Manjeet said the news item was watched nationwide in TV3's prime-time news, Buletin Utama, at 8pm on Aug 17, including by his lawyer friends Amer Hamzah Arshad and Datuk Ng See Teong.

Akhtar said an order had been issued for Raja Syahrir and the editor of Utusan Malaysia to come to the court next week.

Manjeet drew the court's attention on the publication of the article in Utusan Malaysia which he claimed were subjudice because the trial was still ongoing. BERNAMA

More of the trial in The Star Saturday.

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EC says it's ready to meet Bersih

Posted: 19 Aug 2011 05:03 AM PDT

PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission (EC) is prepared to meet Bersih to discuss the country's electoral process, its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said on Friday.

The EC has received an official letter from Bersih asking for a meeting and the commission is now looking at a suitable date, he said.

"The EC welcomes any party who wants to come and discuss and exchange views; just don't put a gun to my head," he told reporters here.

He said three issues would be discussed at the meeting but declined to elaborate.

"Let's discuss. However, don't come under the impression that all suggestions or demands will definitely be accepted," he said.

Earlier, Abdul Aziz met representatives of the Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) to discuss the association's report on human rights and electoral reforms.

He said the report touched on automatic registration of electors, the use of biometrics system, postal voting issue and the campaigning period, among others.

Proham executive council member Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria said Proham had suggested that the government give priority to the EC especially in terms of financial allocation and increase in the number of staff.

"The EC shoulders a huge responsibility and it needs to improve on the system. This will need a huge allocation," he said. - Bernama

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PM: Polls at any time, not tied to select committee

Posted: 19 Aug 2011 04:32 AM PDT

Published: Friday August 19, 2011 MYT 7:05:00 PM
Updated: Friday August 19, 2011 MYT 7:32:33 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The next general election can be held anytime and is not bound by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms to be formed in October, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the government, however, would strive to implement any recommendation made by the committee before the elections.

"We will try; there must be something that can be done immediately," he told a news conference after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting Friday.

Asked on the move by the opposition to wait for terms of reference before deciding on their participation in the committee, Najib said the committee was the government's sincere offer so that decisions can be made based on consensus.

More in The Star Saturday.

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Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Jumaat, 19 Ogos 2011