PBS invites Jeffrey to join BN

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has thrown open its doors to Jeffrey Kitingan and other former PKR members and leaders following their exit from PKR.

PBS secretary-general Henrynus Amin said the open invitation to the groups was aimed at strenghthening unity within the Kadazandusun Murut community.

PBS, which is a component party in the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is led by Jeffrey’s older sibling, Jospeh Pairin Kitingan.

Henrynus said the party was not surprised by the developments in PKR, adding that the exit of top Kadazandusun and Murut leaders who were disheartened by the way they were treated by the KL- based opposition party “speaks for itself”.

“There is no need to add more as Jeffery’s departure from PKR with most of the Kadazandusun and Murut leaders has reinforced lingering suspicions that all is not well within the opposition camp.

He added that PBS expects more PKR Kadazandusun and Murut members and leaders to quit the opposition party.

Indonesian maid denies Rais raped her

KUALA LUMPUR: The Indonesian maid who once worked for the Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has denied that she has ever been raped by him.

A newsportal, www.detik.com, reported that the woman, Robengah , 46, denied the allegations when met by reporters at her home in Banjarnegara, Indonesia.

She reportedly issued the denial in a statement given to four officials from the Indonesian Workers Protection and Placement Centre (BNP2TKI) in Semarang, central Java. Her husband was also present.

“I worked for eight years in datuk’s house. I was treated well all the while; there were no problems and definitely no rough or undesirable treatment towards me,” she reportedly said in the statement.

Longhouse folk ‘detain gangsters’ sent to scare them

KUCHING:  About 500 Ibans of Rumah Ranggong in Ulu Niah surrounded and “detained” 20 individuals believed to be “gangsters” allegedly sent by a renowned timber concessionaire to intimade and frighten them.

The 20 “gangsters” are allegedly part of a group of 80 infiltrators purportedly sent by an oil palm company, linked to the concessionaire, to not only to frighten the natives but to destroy a blockade mounted by them.

Tau Dali, a spokesman for community, said that on Jan 4, word of the “gangsters” reached the longhouse.

“As they (gangsters) entered the oil palm plantation after midnight on Jan 4, we waited and surprised them. There were about 500 of us.

“The ‘gangsters’ are still inside the plantation and they told us that more will be coming to disturb us. But we are not afraid of them,” said Tau.

Tau said the “gangsters” were sent to intimidate them when they refused to surrender their native customary rights (NCR) land to the company.

Tau named the company as KTS, a very well-connected Foochow company which also controlled timber concessions and newspaper companies.

Table ‘Democracy Act’ now, urges Jeffrey

Luke Rintod of FMT

KOTA KINABALU: United Borneo Front (UBF) leader Jeffrey Kitingan said Opposition MPs should table the proposed Democracy Restoration Act (DRA) in Parliament now rather than wait until after the 13th general election.

“The Pakatan Rakyat Convention in Penang several weeks ago agreed to introduce the DRA after the general election but UBF feels it should be introduced now in Parliament.

“It will be interesting to see if MPs from Sabah and Sarawak will support it as this Act will recognise Sabah and Sarawak’s special rights,” he said at a press conference to announce the dissolution of Sabah PKR’s KDM Task Force yesterday.

Sue them, PAS leader dares Rais

Source

SEREMBAN: An opposition leader today challenged Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim to sue all those who implicated him in a rape case.

According to Negri Sembilan PAS commission Zulkefly Mohamed Omar, a mere denial was not sufficient.

“His denial is not sufficient, he should sue WikiLeaks, the bloggers and the Jakarta-based Migrant Care (organisation) to clear his name,” he told FMT.

Zulkefly, who led a delegation of PAS leaders to file a report against Rais, was responding to the latter’s claim that the allegation was a wicked lie concocted by the opposition.

The allegation came about following a purported WikiLeaks disclosure that former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had covered up the case.