Yesterday Karoke Singer Is Today's Star

Datuk Zainuddin Maidin was information minister during the premiership of Tun Abdullah Badawi.

Zainuddin’s article in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper referred at length to “the special position of Malays and Islam and other sensitive issues that Lee Kuan Yew disputed then”.

He added that similar controversies are resurfacing, alluding to concerns `among Umno leaders that Malaysian minorities are questioning the position of Malays and Islam.

“The special position of Malays and Islam and the other sensitive issues that Lee Kuan Yew disputed then, causing the outbreak of the May 13th incident, have again become the subject of hot debate following incidents involving the dumping of a cow’s head by protesters that challenged the Hindus, and the wrapping of a pig in the Umno flag that challenged the Malays,’ he wrote.

It was not clear what incident he was referring to when a pig was wrapped in an Umno flag.

Wrote Zainuddin: “If 50 years of independence have given a deeper understanding of the poison sowed by Kuan Yew 40 years ago, the recent events mentioned would not have occurred.”

He added that although Singapore is more advanced than Malaysia, the Republic does not enjoy the same freedom: “Singapore sticks to a Third World democracy despite having a developed world mentality, while Malaysia has a Third World mentality but a developed world democracy.” — Straits Times

State Secretariat Building - Ipoh.

Perak’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) faction will be rushing to the Ipoh magistrate’s court at 8am today to set aside another court order barring the public from going near the state secretariat building, ahead of its scheduled assembly sitting at 10am.

Reporting on site by : KH Yoh.

8.37 a.m. - Reporters are more than the people's support. YB Nizar arrives.

8.50 a.m. - Speaker Sivakumar arrived. Gathered at DAP Headquarters.

The Perak DAP chief expects the police to stop PR assembly members from going into the state secretariat.

And he pointed out that anyone who blocks a lawmaker from carrying out his duties can be jailed up to seven years under Section 124 of the Penal Code.

9.05 a.m. - Adun for Tebing Tinggi - Ong Boon Piow arrived in his Honda "kapcai".

9.17 a.m. - A good sign. Crowd is growing.

9.28 a.m. - DAP members wearing black are chased away from entering the Medan Istana area.

9.32 a.m. - FRU not in standby mode yet. One water canon and FRU bus are at the entrance of the building.

9.38 a.m. - All YBs are ready to go for the Assembly. Emerging from DAP building.

9.44 a.m. - Police in action now, stopping all the YBs. Cannot go beyond the Democracy Tree.

9.49 a.m. - Ngeh negotiating with the police using a loud hailer. The YBs moved forward but stopped by the police.

9.52 a.m. - Situation is tense at Democracy tree. One arrested. Umno supporters in yellow t-shirts are provoking the YBs. Police chased them away.

10.02 a.m. - Ngeh was arrested.

10.04 a.m. - Two more supporters were arrested.

10.06 a.m. - Cham Min Kai (Simpang Pulai) and Keshvender Singh (Malim Nawar) arrested. Other YBs retreated to DAP HQ.

10.10 a.m. - Press Conference at DAP Hq now.

10.31 a.m. - Press Conference ended. The entourage headed to Heritage Hotel.

10.42 a.m. - A total of seven people arrested including three Aduns.

10.52 a.m. - YB Keshvinder Singh suffered head injuries.

10.56 a.m. - Umno thugs in yellow t-shirts were also at the Heritage Hotel.

END