2 theSun | TUESDAY MARCH 24 2009

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‘High Court must decide on
Perak constitutional issues’
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court here yesterday
ruled that issues involving the interpretation of
Article 16 (6) of the Perak Constitution must be
heard and decided at the High Court and can only
be brought to the Federal Court by way of appeal.
The five-member bench presided by Court of
Appeal President Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff
made the decision after allowing a preliminary ob-
jection by Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamalud-
din’s lead counsel, Sulaiman Abdullah, that the
Federal Court was not seised of jurisdiction to hear
the four questions to be referred to it for determina-
tion.
The court was to have heard the four questions
in Mohammad Nizar’s suit challenging the legiti-
macy of Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir’s appointment
as Perak mentri besar.
Both Mohammad Nizar and Zambry were
present.
In the unanimous decision, Justice Alauddin
said the High Court judge had no power to make
BERNAMA/PIX
the order for the four questions to be referred to
the Federal Court under Section 84 of the Courts
of Judicature Act (CJA) because that section was
confined to the Federal Constitution and not the
state constitution.
He then set aside all the orders made by the
Court of Appeal on March 20, including that which
ruled that the four questions must be heard and
decided by the Federal Court, and remitted the case Abdullah shakes hands with deputy
to the High Court, before the same judge, Lau Bee director-general of the Kuwait Fund for Arab
Lan. Economic Development in Kuwait yesterday.
On March 10, Justice Lau pronounced four
constitutional questions to be determined by the
Federal Court.
Mohammad Nizar, 52, who is also Perak PAS
deputy commissioner, had filed for a judicial
Developing human capital
review seeking to declare that he is the rightful
mentri besar of Perak. the way forward: Abdullah
He has also filed an injunction to bar Zambry
from discharging his duties as the mentri besar. KUWAIT CITY: Malaysia and Ku- discussed the situation in war-torn
– Bernama wait may draw up programmes to Gaza. “It’s a sad situation that calls
Company help backward Muslim countries for the Organisation of the Islamic

Component parties responsible

boost human capital development, Conference (OIC) countries to as-
paid for said Prime Minister Datuk Seri sist the Palestinians in Gaza,” he
Balkis’ Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. said.

for leaders they choose shopping

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) component
parties must be responsible for the leaders they
choose to lead them, said Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
yesterday.
“We don’t interfere in the affairs of any BN compo-
nent party. We leave it to their members to elect the
leaders they think deserve their support through their
internal process.
“We hope that the election of leaders in the BN
component parties will have an impact on the re-
spective parties ... they should be responsible for the
leaders they choose,” the deputy prime minister told
reporters after opening a bumiputra entrepreneurs
symposium organised by Malaysian Industrial Develop-
ment Finance Bhd (MIDF) here.
He was asked to comment on the election of Datuk
Seri S. Samy Vellu as MIC president for a record 11th
consecutive term after more than 90% of the nomina-
tions for his challenger, Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan,
were rejected by the party’s presidential election
committee during nominations yesterday.
Asked whether Samy Vellu’s election would further
hamper the BN’s efforts to gain the support of the In-
dian community, Najib said: “There are various opinions
trip
He said having a pool of
knowledgeable human capital was
important if Muslim nations were
but he (Samy Vellu) has been elected by MIC members pg 4 to scale greater heights.
so we have to accept it and we have to work hard to “There is a need for Malaysia
convince the Indian community that the BN is serious and Kuwait to think of ways to
about their interests.” help less developed Muslim coun-
The deputy prime minister said BN had, in fact, tries move forward with training
taken various measures towards this end, the latest programmes tailored for their
being the aid given to repair Tamil primary schools as youths,” he said.
announced in the economic stimulus plan. Abdullah was briefing Malay-
Asked whether Samy Vellu’s election would affect sian journalists here on Sunday
the BN’s chances in the April 7 Bukit Selambau by-elec- on the outcome of his talks with
tion, he said: “We’ll see the result then.” his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh
“But for now we are working hard and we must Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed
go down to the ground and meet all the voters and Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait Fund
convince them that the BN has an agenda to fight for for Arab Economic Development
the interests of all races,” he said. deputy director-general Ghanem
He also added that the voters in Bukit Selambau Al-Ghenaiman and Kuwait Invest-
could gauge how well their assemblyman from the ment Authority managing director
opposition had served them since the general election Bader Al-Saad.
in March last year. The meetings were held in
The Bukit Selambau seat fell vacant after state conjunction with Abdullah’s official
executive councillor V. Arumugan resigned last month. visit to Kuwait. Elaborating on his
Nomination is on Sunday. talks with Sheikh Nasser followed
The BN has named Kedah MIC deputy head, Datuk by the Malaysia-Kuwait delegation
S. Ganeson, 49, as its candidate. – Bernama meeting, Abdullah said they also
He said the sufferings of the
people in the coastal enclave
should be brought to an end.
He also said efforts to en-
hance trade and investment links
between the two countries also
featured prominently in the Kuwait
discussions.
The emphasis, he said, was on
the need to speed up the proposed
bilateral trade agreement between
Malaysia and Kuwait.
“Hopefully, all issues pertaining
to the crafting of the agreement
can be ironed out in a meeting to
be held in Kuala Lumpur so that it
can be inked as soon as possible,”
said Abdullah.
According to him, Kuwait
backed Malaysia’s call for a free
trade agreement (FTA) between
the Southeast Asian nation of 27
million and the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) comprising Bahrain,
Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates and Saudi Arabia. – Ber-
nama

Jawah Gerang PKR

candidate for Batang Ai
KUCHING: Former
Lubok Antu MP, Jawah
Gerang, 55 (pix) has
been named PKR’s
candidate for the
April 7 Batang Ai
by-election, PKR de
facto leader Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim
announced here yes-
terday.
Another leading
candidate, Nicholas
Bawin, 51, who con-
tested on the Sarawak
National Party (SNAP) ticket in the
May 2006 state election and lost
narrowly by 806 votes to incum-
bent, the late Dublin Unting Ingot,
was made director of operations
for Jawah’s election campaign.
Anwar said Gerang, a five-
term Lubok Antu MP, was chosen
after much discussion between
supporters of the two proposed
candidates.
“I hope everybody will give their
cooperation as PKR is confident
in Gerang’s ability in solving the
people’s problems and in looking
after the interests of all communi-
ties in the state.
“I believe that with the strong
briefs
Dundang said his party’s deci-
sion to skip the by-election was
part of its contribution to the op-
partnership of Bawin
and Gerang, PKR can position front in the state which
wrest the Batang We’re not scared: wanted a straight fight in Batang
Ai. – Bernama
Ai seat,” he told re- Snap president
porters in a packed
MIRI: The Sarawak National Party Conference on
conference room.
(Snap)’s decision to stay out of the
Gerang, a gradu-
Batang Ai state by-election is due anti-corruption
ate in Economics
to its pact with other opposition KUALA LUMPUR: The Asian Strat-
from University Ma-
parties to win the seat and not egy & Leadership Institute (Asli)
laya, said he would
because it fears Barisan Nasional and Transparency International
work hard to deliver
(BN)’s might, Snap president Edwin Malaysia (TI-M) will jointly or-
the seat.
Dundang Bugak said yesterday. ganise an anti-corruption confer-
“I believe we can
He said the party was willing ence on March 30 and 31.
make a good start,”
to opt out of the by-election so Themed “Zero Tolerance For
he said.
that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Corruption,” the conference is
The Batang Ai seat fell vacant
could spearhead the opposition open to the public at Sime Darby
following the death of Parti Rakyat
challenge for the seat which fell Convention Centre, Bukit Kiara.
Sarawak (PRS) vice-president Dub-
vacant following the death of ASLI chief executive officer,
lin on Feb 24 after being in coma
Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot on Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh, said
following a stroke last May.
Feb 24. the conference was aimed at
Batang Ai is one of the two
“We are not scared of Barisan getting participants to agree
state seats in the Lubok Antu
Nasional but instead, we want to on the need to fight corruption
parliamentary constituency. The
make it tough for them,” he told intensively.
other is Engkilili.
Bernama here. Participation would come
Gerang is up against Agricul-
Dundang was asked to com- from the government, private
ture Department engineer Mal-
ment on a remark by Pantai Damai sector, non-governmental or-
colm Mussen Lamoh, 49, fielded
assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman ganisations and universities.
by Barisan Nasional.
Junaidi yesterday, that Snap might For queries call CikAini Salwa at
Expected to contest as an
be scared of Barisan Nasional, 03-20935393/210 or visit its
independent candidate is Johnny
which led the party to skip the website at www.asli.com.my.
Chuat, 38, the publisher of a well-
by-election. – Bernama
known Iban cultural, educational
and entertainment magazine.