SHAH ALAM, Dec 6 ― All of Parti Amanah Negara’s (Amanah) ministers and deputy ministers were voted into their party’s leadership line-up tonight, except for Anuar Tahir, who is the party’s secretary-general and deputy works minister.

In Amanah’s first party polls since it was founded in 2015, outgoing president Mohamad Sabu, deputy president Datuk Seri Salahudin Ayub, vice-presidents Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Datuk Mahfuz Omar were voted in by 822 party members.

Amanah’s outgoing election director Datuk Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, strategy director Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad and communications director Khalid Samad also made it into the line-up.

Khalid won with the most number of votes at 786, followed by Mahfuz (780), Salahuddin (765), Mujahid (755), Dr Hatta (725), Zulkefly (687) while Mohamad received 681 votes.

The new national top office bearers of Amanah would be announced tomorrow, after a special meeting tonight among the elected committee members.

Delegates voted via an online platform to select the 27 Amanah national leadership committee members, during the party’s national convention at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) here.

This is the first Amanah party convention, which saw an election at all levels of the party leadership.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 ― The decision to appeal the acquittal of Rafizi Ramli for offences under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) was done without his direct knowledge, said Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas.

A report by financial daily The Edge quoted the government’s top lawyer as expressing shock after having learnt about the appeal, which he said was in contradiction with what he had previously discussed with the Election Commission Chairman Azhar Azizan Harun.

Thomas was then quoted saying the appeal would be rescinded on Monday, with disciplinary action set to be taken against officers who moved for the appeal.

“I am shocked as it was decided after a discussion I had with Election Commission chairman Azhar Azizan Harun that we will not be appealing. And the decision was conveyed to the relevant officers

“We will also find out why the appeal was filed when clear instructions were given not to file. Disciplinary action will be taken against those responsible,” Thomas was quoted saying by daily.

Separately, PKR vice-president Rafizi himself was quoted by online portal Malaysiakini saying he found it odd that as a figure appointed to champion reforms, Thomas had used his prerogative to pursue what he labelled as ‘politically motivated’ charges that were brought against him.

“At a personal level, of course it is of the greatest irony that Thomas became AG out of the hard work of people like me who put our necks (on the line) to change the government, only for him to show overzealousness in maintaining a jail sentence against me.

“The contrast is too obvious. He used his prerogative to withdraw cases against other Pakatan Harapan leaders, including (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng and (Amanah information chief) Khalid Samad, yet he pursues the jail sentence against me till the last court,” Rafizi was quoted in the report.

Rafizi reportedly said his acquittal was a clear-cut issue which was based on the lack of evidence submitted by the prosecution needed to meet requirements of the Evidence Act, adding how his legal team was ready and would go through the proper legal steps.  

This was after Rafizi earlier had tweeted his hopes for Thomas to also take action against those behind the National Feedlot Corporation scandal, namely against the family members of former minister Tan Sri Sharizat Abdul Jalil who were implicated in the case.

“I hope he (Thomas) is as diligent to bring to justice the ex-minister’s family members who benefited from the RM250 million. None of them have been charged in court so far,” read Rafizi’s tweet this evening.

Last month, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted and discharged Rafizi after overturning his conviction last year of revealing bank accounts related to NFC, its subsidiary companies and chairman Salleh Ismail.

Before the 14th General Elections last year, Rafizi and former bank clerk Johari Mohamad were sentenced to 30-months imprisonment by the Shah Alam Sessions Court for offences under the Bafia, an act that was repealed after his initial charging in 2012.

GOMBAK: More than 600 traders from Uptown Danau Kota held a peaceful protest today to voice their dissatisfaction over their forced closure.

Traders claim they were given a notice yesterday by the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) to close their stalls and move to a new plot opposite the current one.

The traders are refusing to move as they claim they were promised a new spot at Genting Klang.

Moreover, the traders claim that the new lot is already occupied by other traders, not originally from Danau Kota.

“The deal was to move all 640 traders to a new plot along Genting Klang, next to the Road Transport Department (JPJ) office.

“We asked the authorities to make that plot (opposite the current one) into a parking lot — not move us there,” said Omar Abdul Hamid, the traders’ representative.

Another trader, who declined to be named, said the plot they were forced to move to was built on sewerage land, claiming that it smells bad when it rains.

“And if they are sincerely asking us to move, don’t give the lots to outsiders. Give it to the traders at Danau Kota.

“There are only about 100 traders from Danau Kota on that new plot. The rest are not from Danau Kota,” he said.

Omar said Wangsa Maju MP Tan Yee Kew had never met the traders to discuss the matter.

“We have three associations, but she has never held discussions with us, claiming that we practise gangsterism. We are not gangsters. We are traders who want to make money by selling our goods.”

Police are still at the scene to keep the situation under control. No untoward incidents were reported.

The traders have been allowed to continue their business after discussions with the Wangsa Maju police.

ATHENS: Pirates have kidnapped 19 crew members from a crude oil tanker off Nigeria in an area where acts of piracy are on the rise, an official with the ship’s operator said on Thursday.

The loaded vessel, the Nave Constellation, was attacked 77 nautical miles off Bonny Island on Tuesday and 18 Indians and one Turk from the crew were seized, the official said.

Seven other crew members remain on board the vessel.

Neither the vessel nor the cargo were damaged, the official said.

The shipping industry has warned in recent months about the increasing dangers faced by seafarers sailing through the Gulf of Guinean, particularly around Nigeria, including kidnappings by pirate gangs.

The International Maritime Bureau said in October the Gulf of Guinea accounted for more than four-fifths of crew kidnappings globally.

Maritime security officials say that over the past year there has been a growing shift by pirate gangs in the Gulf of Guinea and especially Nigeria towards kidnapping crews rather than stealing cargoes, aiming to extract ransom from ship owners for crews being held and subjected to violence.

The Hong Kong-flagged supertanker, capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of oil, is operated by Greek shipping company Navios Tankers Management.

“We are doing everything necessary to make sure that the 19 crew members will return safe,” the official at Navios said, adding that their families have been informed.

An Indian government source said its mission in Nigeria had taken up the matter of the kidnappings with the Nigerian government and security agencies.

The vessel was carrying crude for Indian refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp, a source at the company said.

The vessel was chartered by French oil company Total to deliver Bonny Light oil at Vizag in southern India, the source said.

“Total has told us it would arrange alternative crew to get the cargo delivered on time,” the source, who did not wish to be identified, told Reuters.

In a statement sent to Reuters, Total confirmed the piracy act.

“The vessel is chartered by a Total shipping entity. Crew management and nautical operations are managed by the shipowner and technical operator of the vessel,” it said.

Nigerian Navy commander Captain Kolawole Oguntuga said the vessel, which loaded Shell Bonny Light, was hijacked soon after leaving the terminal.

The ship did not request a navy escort to provide them with adequate protection, he said.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — The Sessions Court here today set Dec 11 to hear the bail application filed by a restaurant operator and a scrap metal dealer alleged to have links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group.

Judge Azura Alwi fixed the date after lawyer S. Selvam, representing B. Subramaniam, 57, said that the application was filed last week and that it had been submitted for the prosecution’s action yesterday.

Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Low Qin Hui said he needed time to respond to the lawyer’s request as he received the document at 4pm yesterday.

Lawyer MV Yogesh, representing A. Kalaimughilan, 28, said his side had just filed an application for his client’s bail and the court had set December 11 to hear the bail application.

Today, the court is set to investigate complaints by Subramaniam and Kalaimughilan, who claimed they were ili-treated at the Sungai Buloh jail.

Subramaniam, who testified under oath from the witness stand claimed he had not been physically abused but was mentally abused.

Tomorrow the court will hear scrap metal dealer Kalaimughilan’s complaints.

On October 31, Subramaniam, who operates a restaurant, was charged with knowingly supporting the LTTE via his Facebook account under the name ‘US SUBRA SUBRAMANIAM’.

He was charged with committing the offence at the E8 (M) Counter Terrorism Investigating Officers’ office of the Bukit Aman Special Branch, here at 5.30 pm on October 7, 2019.

The charge under Section 130J (1) (a) of the Penal Code carries a penalty of life imprisonment or 30 years’ imprisonment or a fine and forfeiture of any property used or intended to be used for committing the offence, upon conviction.

Kalaimughilan was charged with knowingly distributing items connected to the LTTE at Dewan Tan Sri Soma, Wisma Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Attap, here, about 8pm to 11.30pm, on March 17, 2014.

On Oct 29, he was charged in the Selayang Sessions Court here with two counts of possessing items related to the group at a house in Jalan Anggerik 5D, Bukit Sentosa, Rawang and in a car at the same place, at 9.30am and 12.35pm, on October 10.

All charges against Kalaimughilan are filed under Section 130JB (1) (a) of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of up to seven years or fine and forfeiture of the items, if convicted.

Both accused are remanded at the Sungai Buloh Prison under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) which does not allow bail pending trial.

However, the court has the discretion to grant the accused bail in the event of special circumstances. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) National Convention 2019, which begins tomorrow for three days, will become a platform for its members to decide the party’s future direction via a new leadership line-up, to be elected during the convention. 

With an expected attendance of 925 delegates from 154 areas, they will elect the National Leadership Committee members as well as provide their insights for the betterment of the party.

Despite the party’s young age on paper — established in 2015 — Amanah is a party that is matured in terms of the country’s political scenario due to the fact it is a fragment of PAS.

This is proven by its cooperation with three other parties — PKR, DAP and Bersatu — to form Pakatan Harapan that toppled the Barisan Nasional government in the 14th General Election and took over the federal government.

Thus, the convention is also expected to assess the party’s strength in the PH government after 18 months of ruling the country.

Its vice-president Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the convention was expected to be intense as delegates were given the freedom to express their views.

“We are expecting criticism in both harsh and gentle manners, we are ready to face them,” he told Bernama.

Themed ‘Kestabilan Memacu Kemakmuran Bersama’, (stability drives mutual prosperity), Amanah fourth national convention will take place at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam, Selangor.

The election will see delegates choose a speaker and deputy,  two auditors and 27 members of the National Leadership Committees for 2019/2022 term.

A total of 87 candidates are eyeing 27 seats in the National Leadership Committee with almost all top leaders are contesting, including its president Mohamad Sabu and deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.

On motions for debate, the delegates will touch on the PH manifesto, the needs of the people and some national issues, while its women wing Angkatan Wanita Amanah Nasional (AWAN) will propose a few key motions.

It includes urging the government to curb the spread of hate politics, carry out a review on poverty in the country and women leadership for all.

Mohamad is scheduled to launch the convention tomorrow followed by party election with results on the National Leadership Committee being announced the same day before the debate session begins.

The next day, the results of top leaders’ election will be announced, followed by the debate session.

On Sunday, the focus will be on the winding-up speech by the members of the National Leadership Committee as well as the adjournment speech by the president.

Its young women wing (WARDA), established on Dec 1, will attend as observers as its establishment has yet to receive approval from the Registrar of Societies (ROS). — Bernama