Ex-MACC chief clarifies sudden exit not resignation, denies conspiracy


Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull said he had informed Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from the onset during their meeting on May 14 last year that he would only serve as the MACC chief for one year. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull said he had informed Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from the onset during their meeting on May 14 last year that he would only serve as the MACC chief for one year. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 ― Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull today sought to dispel rumours of a political plot behind his recent departure as the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Shukri said he had informed Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from the onset during their meeting on May 14 last year that he would only serve as the MACC chief for one year.

“I had to come forward about the shortening of my service, and please tell the public that I did not resign, I merely shortened my service,” he told a news conference at the Everly Hotel in Putrajaya this morning that was also aired on Facebook.

He said he was compelled to clear the air publicly due to allegations that he had to leave because of some case cover-ups.

However, Shukri disclosed that he only knew the identity of his successor, Latheefa Koya, on June 4 ― same as everyone else when her appointment was announced by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Media reports previously stated that Shukri’s term of service with MACC was to end in May 2020.

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Raptors reach brink of first NBA title by beating Warriors

Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard charges between Stephen Curry (left), and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors in the second half during game four of the NBA finals (AFP pic)

OAKLAND: Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points and the Toronto Raptors moved to the brink of their first NBA title Friday by beating defending champion Golden State 105-92 in the NBA Finals.

Serge Ibaka netted 20 points off the bench and Pascal Siakam added 19 for the Raptors, who grabbed a commanding 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven series, which could end with game five Monday in Toronto.

The Raptors are one victory shy of the first crown in their 24-season history while the Warriors seek their third consecutive title and fourth in five seasons.

“Just (got to) be patient, come in focused and ready to play defence and make some shots,” Leonard said. “As long as we win, I’m satisfied.”

Only once in 34 chances in NBA Finals history has a team rallied from 3-1 down to win the title, that being in 2016 when LeBron James led Cleveland back to defeat the Warriors.

Leonard, who grabbed 12 rebounds in the game, scored 17 points in the third quarter when Toronto seized command, while Ibaka and Siakam’s second-half surge helped ensure Golden State did not overtake them late.

The Warriors welcomed back guard Klay Thompson, averaging 19.5 points a game, who missed game three with a left hamstring strain, and reserve forward Kevon Looney, who had been declared done for the series due to a chest injury.

But the Warriors remained without playoff scoring leader Kevin Durant, out the past month with a right calf injury, and lacking him they were no match for the fast-moving Raptors.

Leonard opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers, giving the Raptors their first lead at 48-46.

Toronto closed the third quarter with a 20-6 run to seize a 79-67 lead entering the fourth quarter, Leonard scoring 11 and Ibaka adding seven in the pivotal span.

Fred VanVleet opened fourth quarter with a 3-pointer for Toronto but was taken to the locker room moments later for seven stitches after a bloody gash was opened under his right eye when he was struck by the left elbow of Golden State’s Shaun Livingston under the basket.

The Warriors got within 97-89 on a Curry 3-pointer with 2:56 remaining but came no closer.

It could have been the final game at 53-year-old Oracle Arena for the Warriors, who move into a new arena next season in San Francisco. The arena has been the club’s home since 1971.

Defensive work dominated early, both teams struggling to make shots and combining for 13 first-half turnovers.

Leonard scored 14 points in the first quarter but the rest of the Raptors shot 1-for-13 and the Warriors, led by six points from Looney, jumped ahead 23-12 before Leonard scored five points in a 7-0 Toronto run.

Thompson caught fire in the second quarter, going 4-of-5 from the floor as Golden State led 46-42 at half-time.

Sri Lanka president vows to block Easter attacks probe

Maithripala Sirisena has repeatedly denied he was aware of an impending threat. (AFP pic)

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s president has told his cabinet that he will not cooperate with a parliamentary investigation into security lapses leading to the Easter suicide bombings, official sources said Saturday.

Maithripala Sirisena summoned an emergency meeting of his cabinet on Friday night to oppose the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the April 21 attacks that killed 258 people and wounded nearly 500.

A ministerial source told AFP Sirisena has refused to allow any police, military or intelligence personnel to testify before the committee.

“The cabinet meeting ended inconclusively,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “The government did not agree to suspend the PSC either.”

Sirisena’s office did not comment on the outcome of the heated cabinet meeting, but said the president had told senior police officers on Friday that he will not allow any serving officer to testify before the PSC.

Last week, Sirisena’s intelligence chief Sisira Mendis told the committee that the president had failed to hold regular security review meetings to assess the potential threat from Islamic radicals.

Halfway through his testimony, the live telecast of the proceedings were stopped on Sirisena’s orders, official sources said.

Sirisena’s defence secretary and police chief have suggested that the president, who is also the minister of Defence and Law and Order, did not follow proper protocols in dealing with intelligence reports, including advance warnings about the April 21 bombings.

Sirisena has repeatedly denied he was aware of an impending threat.

A local jihadist organisation and the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks against three churches and three luxury hotels.

Sirisena said last week that he had met with the national police chief and his top brass 13 days before the Easter Sunday attacks but no officer had raised the warnings which had been relayed by India.

Official sources said New Delhi had provided details of planned attacks based on information from a jihadist in Indian custody.

The government has admitted there were intelligence failures before the attacks, in which 45 foreign nationals died.

Sirisena subsequently suspended police chief Pujith Jayasundara and dismissed his top defence official Hemasiri Fernando.

Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency since the attacks.

Quit MACC if you’ve any integrity, PKR Youth veep tells Latheefa


PKR Youth vice-chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman says Latheefa Koya (pic) should voluntarily step down as MACC chief to prove that she is a person with integrity. — Picture by Azinuddin Ghazali
PKR Youth vice-chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman says Latheefa Koya (pic) should voluntarily step down as MACC chief to prove that she is a person with integrity. — Picture by Azinuddin Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 ― Latheefa Koya should voluntarily step down as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief to prove that she is a person with dignity and integrity, Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman said today.

The PKR Youth vice-chief’s stand contrasts with that of his party colleague and the wing’s deputy chief Hilman Idham who yesterday urged members not to sign an online petition against Latheefa’s appointment.

“Latheefa Beebi Koya who was appointed as chief commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should relinquish the position to prove her dignity and integrity,” Syed Badli Shah said in a statement.

He echoed views from critics who said Latheefa’s views failed to follow the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition’s reform measures aimed to address transparency and proper check-and-balance against authoritarianism.

“We should be more aware of the people’s wishes, especially in fulfilling the manifesto promise as listed on the 14th promise of the Harapan Book, which clearly states that under the PH government ‘MACC will report directly to Parliament instead of the prime minister’,” Syed Badli Shah added.

Latheefa, a former PKR member, was made MACC chief effective June 1 for a two-year term.

Though many lauded the selection and called the prominent human rights lawyer and activist apt for the role, both supporters and critics alike questioned the appointment process that ignored consultation safeguards the PH set up after it was voted into power last year.

Bloomberg pledges US$500 million to fight climate change

<p>US billionaire Michael Bloomberg said yesterday he will spend half a billion dollars in the “fight of our time”&nbsp;to move the US away from carbon energy and combat climate change.</p> <p>The former New York mayor and philanthropist said the US$500 million&nbsp;(RM2 billion)&nbsp;investment will go towards&nbsp;launching the Beyond Carbon initiative, which aims to close nearly 250 coal plants throughout the country by 2030 and prevent new ones being built.</p>

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Iraq harvests go up in smoke, but who lit the fires?

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Don’t renew Lynas’ licence if Malaysia, Australia lock horns over waste, says MP

The Lynas rare earths processing plant in Kuantan, Pahang. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has urged the government not to renew the operating licence of Lynas Malaysia if an impasse is reached between Putrajaya and Canberra on the handling of the company’s low-level radioactive waste.

Fuziah, a vocal critic of the rare earths company, said Malaysia must exhaust all efforts to send back the water leached purification (WLP) residue produced by Lynas’ Advanced Material Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng, Kuantan.

LAMP produces two kinds of waste: non-radioactive neutralisation underflow and WLP which contains thorium, a naturally occurring, low-level radioactive material.

Fuziah said it was “totally unacceptable” for the waste to be reused or even spread throughout the country, as recently suggested by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“Even though it is low-level radiation, the half-life of thorium in the waste is 14 billion years,” she told FMT.

Half-life refers to the time it takes for the radioactivity of a certain material to fall to half of its original value.

The best practice, Fuziah said, would be for the waste to be sent back to Australia where the rare earths were mined. She said this was why Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin had set this as a precondition for the renewal of Lynas Malaysia’s operating licence.

“Failing this, the lesson to be learnt is that Australia has shortchanged Malaysia in the name of investments.”

In the case of an impasse between Malaysia and Australia on the handling of the low-level radioactive waste, Fuziah said Malaysia would have no choice but to refrain from renewing Lynas’ operating licence.

“The waste generated up till now must then be stored in a permanent deposit facility (PDF), and there is still no PDF site identified for Lynas’ waste,” she added.

Fuziah was commenting on West Australia Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston’s recent remarks that the state would not budge from its stand not to accept Lynas’ waste from Malaysia.

In an Australian Financial Review report yesterday, Johnston also indicated that Yeo would be wasting her time when she visits Perth to discuss the matter.

Yeo, who has continued to push West Australia to accept some 450,000 tonnes of waste from the processing of rare earths stockpiled near LAMP, is scheduled to meet Johnston to discuss the issue on June 20.

Meanwhile, Dr Looi Hoong Wah, a fellow of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, said the radioactivity of Lynas’ waste had been misunderstood, and that there were opportunities for it to be reused.

Speaking in his personal capacity, he told FMT that Lynas’ waste contains phosphates which could be turned into quality fertiliser.

“Over the years, Malaysia has imported millions and millions of tonnes of equally radioactive phosphate fertilisers with radioactivity of 2-7 becquerels per gramme.

“These imported radioactive fertilisers have been spread out over all our land and have not been proven to cause any harm or any increase in radioactivity,” said Looi who previously specialised in radiology and radiotherapy.

Looi said for the “far-sighted”, Lynas’ waste was a “mountain” waiting to be turned into a fortune, but for those who do not understand science, it will only ever be a pile of waste.

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