Cabinet accepts Zahid’s reasons for writing FBI letter, says report

The Cabinet has heard and accepted the home minister’s explanation on the letter he wrote to the Federal Bureau of Investigation advocating for gambling kingpin Paul Phua, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

Malaysiakini reported Anifah as saying that Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi provided an explanation at a recent cabinet meeting.

In the letter, Zahid cleared Phua of being involved in a triad, and vouched for him as a "government asset" for national security projects.

"We listened to the explanation put forward by him and we had agreed to accept the explanation given," Anifah was quoted saying by the news portal.

Anifah declined to reveal what Zahid said, adding that the media should question the home minister on the subject.  

Phua, a former Macau casino junket operator, faces illegal sports betting charges in Las Vegas, Nevada, after being arrested during last year's FIFA World Cup football in Brazil. His son also faces the same charges.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday told the media that the cabinet was not aware of Zahid's letter dated December 18, 2014.

The letter only came to light when it was exposed in an article by the South China Morning Post.

No Putrajaya official has commented on the letter and Zahid himself has kept mum.

But, Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, claiming that Phua's lawyers in the US had contacted him, held a press conference to say that Zahid wrote the letter at the request of the lawyers to "correct" information given by the Malaysian police to the FBI in 2008.

The police are upset as the letter contradicts their intelligence work on Phua, who they have found to be involved with the Hong Kong 14K triad.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar defended the police by saying that although the 14K did not exist in Malaysia, "there are Malaysians abroad who are known to be members of the triad".

The police also feel Zahid failed to follow procedures by not checking the facts on Phua, not obtaining legal advice before sending it, and not going through the foreign ministry as required.

Zahid has been severely condemned by opposition politicians and Malay right wing group Perkasa for acting unilaterally and abusing his office. – January 14, 20/

www.themalaysianinsider.com

admin: berdasarkan laporan berita tersebut maka benarlah surat di atas yang dihantar oleh Menteri Dalan Negeri Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi kepada FBI berhubung kes Paul Phua . In bukan cerita dongeng, ini betul-betul

KDN rampas tabloid Suara Keadilan, Harakah, The Rocket

KUALA LUMPUR - Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) merampas 2,540 akhbar tabloid pembangkang dalam operasi di seluruh negara semalam kerana melanggar Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan (Pindaan) 2012.
   
KDN dalam kenyataan hari ini berkata sebanyak 1,408 tabloid Suara Keadilan, 1,062 tabloid Harakah dan 70 tabloid The Rocket dirampas.
   
Rampasan itu dibuat setelah KDN mendapati pihak tabloid berkenaan gagal mematuhi syarat-syarat ditetapkan di bawah akta itu iaitu kesalahan untuk mencetak, mengimport, menerbit akhbar tanpa permit dan tidak mematuhi syarat-syarat permit iaitu untuk edaran ahli sahaja seperti yang ditetapkan KDN.
   
"Operasi penguatkuasaan ini dijalankan di premis-premis yang menjual tabloid di seluruh negara pada 22 Mei dengan mengambil kira tindakan pemantauan dan teguran yang telah dilakukan oleh KDN sebelum ini," kata kenyataan itu.
   
Kenyataan itu berkata operasi akan dilakukan secara berterusan bertujuan menguatkuasakan undang-undang di bawah akta berkenaan bagi memastikan semua pihak tidak melanggar akta itu.  - Bernama

Zahid: 133,000 MyKad hilang dalam tempoh 3 bulan

PUTRAJAYA - Kehilangan 133,000 MyKad dalam tempoh tiga bulan iaitu dari Januari hingga Mac tahun ini menimbulkan kebimbangan kepada kerajaan, kata Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Menyifatkan jumlah itu agak tinggi, Ahmad Zahid berkata kehilangan MyKad, walaupun tidak disengajakan, menyebabkan ia boleh diguna untuk tujuan jenayah.

"Apa yang membimbangkan kami ialah jika kehilangan itu mempunyai kaitan dengan sindiket. Kami khuatir MyKad ini diguna untuk pelbagai tujuan terutama jenayah," katanya kepada pemberita selepas melawat Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata sekiranya siasatan mendapati ada sindiket terlibat dalam menghilangkan MyKad dan menggunakannya untuk tujuan jenayah dan sebagainya, JPN perlu mengambil langkah-langkah pencegahan dan pemantauan bagi menyelesaikan masalah itu.

"Saya yakin JPN mampu menyelesaikan masalah itu agar tidak berterusan," katanya.

Ahmad Zahid berkata bayaran denda mungkin akan ditingkatkan terhadap individu yang menghilangkan MyKad selepas ini.

"Saya minta Ketua Pengarah JPN mencadangkan (bayaran denda) kepada KDN dan saya akan bawa ke kabinet untuk mendapatkan pandangan dan kelulusan daripada kabinet," katanya.

Pada masa ini denda kehilangan MyKad bagi kali pertama ialah RM100, RM200 kali ke-2 dan RM300 bagi kehilangan kali ke-3. - Bernama