Big NEWS! Spinning in Action (Part 4)

Big, Big, Big Damned News!

Abdul Razak Baginda got a shock of his life when the High Court judge Datuk K.N. Segara refused to extend his RM1 mil bail and sent him to Sungei Buluh jail.

When the judge made his ruling, Razak's face crumbled and he turned around to his family and lawyers as if looking for a solution that is not forthcoming.

His new lawyer, Wong Kian Kheong had failed to submit a written application. "You had sufficient time to prepare a written application (since Dec 14, 2006)," Judge Segara said.

How is it possible for an experience counsel to be ignorant of this formality? Razak's previous counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had discharged himself from this case for unknown reasons (probably, because Shafee will be "fighting" against Karpal Singh in another case which will be related to this case contextually). Lawyer's mistake or blips, and Razak is off to Sg Buluh.

Read more at Susan Sloone In-Human Rights

Another Shocking News!

Datuk K.N. Segara had fixed the hearing date on March 10, to April 4, 2008, 14 months from today.

Judge Segara said it was not because the court did not want to give an earlier date, but priority had to be given to older cases.

"On average, we have about 120 daily cases for trial in each court and all cases in this court are non-bailable offences, where all the accused are held in remand. As such, we have devised a system to ensure justice is carried out fairly. Therefore, those held longest in remand should get the earliest date. We have to adhere to this system. Cases like this cannot supercede those others. I am willing to show the court register to anyone who wants to see my schedule. We have a case from as early as 2000, and it is till in the middle of the trial. There is also another case which the accuse is in remand since Nov 2002, which will only be heard in Dec 2007. So, can you imagine? It has been 5 years already. This is not because the court does not want to hear it (speedily). But it requires time, and justice must not be hurried. The court is not here to please the public, the Press or anybody else. We want cases to be carried out in a fair manner. Hence I do not see any need or urgency to fix an early trial date for this case. Publicity is not grounds to give an early date...it is not fair for those cases not taken an interest in by the Press to be left in the cold."

Special News for Special People

Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz said he will be meeting Segara and his judges to discuss how best to solve the problem. He said there was a possibility of hearing being brought forward. "The March 2008 hearing date is too far off," he said.

"I think what the judge did was to go on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, public interest cases should be given priority," he said.

The language used is funny? All cases involving those under remand (that is, detention without trial as yet) are construed as of "Public Interest" - That's the rule of law and the rule of natural justice. How is it that "high profile publicised cases" are framed as to be "Public Interest" case? Does it mean that those cases which the Press gave front page attention are Public Interest cases?

Judge Segara was right; "The court is not here to please the public, the Press or anybody else. We want cases to be carried out in a fair manner. Hence I do not see any need or urgency to fix an early trial date for this case. Publicity is not grounds to give an early date...it is not fair for those cases not taken an interest in by the Press to be left in the cold."

It sounds like Judge Segara might actually be wrong from the observation of the view of Ahmad Fairuz.


Damn Small News!

Lorry owners claim that Road Transport Department (RTD) enforcement officers have been harassing them to the extend that those with only one or two lorries have seen their business suffer.

Pan-Malaysia Lorry Owners' Association (PMLOA) president Er Sui See said desperation had forced some owners to resort to bribing enforcement officers.

Er listed several complains against RTD officers:

Fabricating charges against lorry owners;

Allowing oversized and over-loaded tankers and trucks on the road because of "Special Logos" which gave some lorry owners immunity against summonses;

Issuing summonses despite agreement with the association over some de minimis (minor) offences.

Is this new? Is this news? Is it unknown? This is the culture and value of the system and dates back to time inmomerial.

Small print, Big News!

Shamsuddin Hashim and Zuraidah Ibrahim could not pay the debt of RM995 to schoolbus operator. At such, their 5 children will not be going to school this year.

Their children were willing to walk about 13km to school, but even then, they still cannot afford their school uniforms, fees and books.

Shamsuddin is suffering from hernia and do not have a full-time job. His wife sells home-made ice-creams, earning RM5 a day.

The had sought help from local community leaders BUT NO ONE HELP; NOT EVEN THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES!

F**k you, Barisan Nasaional leaders - you talk about Malay Agenda, NEP and uneven level playing fields. You talk about Bumiputera Equity and Mega Billion projects and interest of the Malays. This is a Malay family. They are in destitute condition. They need help and you know what? Shamsuddin and Zuraidah said they didn't get help from any community leaders and relevant authorities - did you hear them, bastards?????

I hope fellow bloggers will help highlight their plights until the f**kers who are in power do something to help this family and many many others with similar predicaments.

In fact, we should visit some of these people and get the facts of their plight to highlight them in the blogspheres so that millions will get to know, so that it becomes cases of PUBLIC INTERESTS. Then, I believed, sharing Fairuz view, that PUBLIC INTEREST CASES WILL BE GIVEN PRIORITY by the corruptors.