Kenyan police break up rallies, kill 2 protesters

NAIROBI, Kenya - Police firing tear gas and live bullets halted protests in cities across Kenya, preventing the mass rallies that the opposition hoped would show the power behind their demands the president step down and admit his election victory was rigged. At least two people were shot to death by police and six were wounded.

"We will go the extra mile for democracy. We are ready for bloodshed," said Philomen Bett, 30, a teacher in the western city of Eldoret.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga had called for three days of protests nationwide, starting Wednesday, after a week of violence that killed more than 600 people and international mediation failed to move President Mwai Kibaki, who insists he won the Dec. 27 election. Observers say the vote tally was rigged.

National police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said he had no word on casualties Wednesday, but a mortuary attendant in Kisumu, Kenya's third largest city, said there were two bodies with bullet wounds and nurses there said they were treating three wounded. In Nairobi, at least three men were taken to a hospital after they were shot in Kibera, one of two slums in the city where police fired tear gas and bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters.

Odinga said two people were killed in Kisumu and one in another western town, Migori.

Rioting mars Kenya's image
Riots and ethnic killings in the wake of the disputed vote have marred Kenya's image as a stable democratic oasis in a war-ravaged region and damaged its tourist-dependent economy. It has also aggravated long-simmering ethnic tensions and conflicts over land.

Police had declared Wednesday's protests illegal. In Nairobi, helmeted riot police on horseback chased small clusters of protesters from skyscraper-lined streets downtown. Businesses shut as tear gas was fired, and thousands of panicked office workers in suits and high heels streamed out of downtown on foot.

Some people, annoyed at the disturbance, shouted "Raila go home!"

His supporters chanted "No Raila. No peace."

Odinga vowed he would lead the march on Nairobi's downtown Uhuru Park, which was ringed by riot police. Though Odinga drove through town, neither he nor any other opposition member made it to the park.

Protesters' fervor was dampened by rain across much of the country, and by the response of police.

Call for peaceful protest
Odinga had called for peaceful demonstrations, and there were few of the serious clashes that characterized protests immediately after election results were announced. Most protesters were unarmed, but mobs in one Nairobi slum and the western town of Kisumu hurled rocks at police, who responded with tear gas and live bullets.

Protests touched the coastal tourist city of Mombasa, where police hurled tear gas and used batons to beat back several groups of protesters hundreds strong.

In Kisumu and Eldoret, thousands of rowdy young men massed, first marching peacefully. As the crowds grew, police lobbed tear gas canisters, forcing them disperse. They regrouped, and police then fired live rounds, immediately clearing out downtown streets.

"The police are overreacting. People are just demanding their rights," said one of the wounded in Kisumu, 26-year-old Dominic Okoth, where burning tires blocked roads and sent columns of acrid smoke into the air.

When police opened fire in Eldoret, a crowd of about 4,000 fled. Workers at a nearby gas station crouched under cars, their heads in their hands. Women fled with one shoe on.

Earlier in Kisumu, protesters carried a coffin with Kibaki's name on it.

On one makeshift roadblock on the outskirts of Eldoret, a dead dog was draped over a pile of rocks with a sign saying "Kibaki Death."

In the northwest, opposition supporters piled logs and rocks to block the main route into southern Sudan, used by aid agencies. Police later cleared the road.

Official admits ordering police to fire
Meanwhile, the provincial police chief in Kisumu said she had ordered her officers to fire on a rioting crowd there on Dec. 29,saying she was forced to because her force was overwhelmed.

The comments by Grace Kaindi to The Associated Press were the first to acknowledge police fired on crowds. Previously, police had denied shooting anyone in the turmoil.

"It was an extreme situation and there was no other way to control them," Kaindi said. "I gave the order to open fire myself when I heard that my officers were being overwhelmed. If we had not killed them, things would have got very bad."

The toll, according to hospital records: 44 shot dead, 143 wounded. Kaindi said one police officer was hurt by a rock hurled from the crowd.

Human rights workers say Kisumu, 200 miles northwest of Nairobi, suffered the worst police brutality because it is an Odinga stronghold.

U.S., Britain threaten aid cut
Thirteen nations, including the United States and Britain, increased pressure on rival politicians to find a solution, threatening Wednesday to cut aid to the government "if the commitment of the government of Kenya to good governance, democracy, the rule of law and human rights weakens."

Foreign and local election observers have said the vote count in the election was deeply flawed. Although the electoral chief pronounced Kibaki the victor, he later said he had been pressured to do so and did not know who won.

U.S. Ambassador Michael Ranneberger, speaking by telephone hookup Wednesday from Kenya to a conference at the Center for Strategic International Studies, a Washington think tank, said a power-sharing arrangement was "the only thing to do," but that it would not be easy to persuade Kibaki and Odinga to agree to such a compromise.

But "both have looked us in the eye and said they are willing to have a dialogue," Ranneberger said, adding Kibaki's one condition is that he will not step down.

The ambassador ruled out holding a new election. "Neither side has the money for it," he said.

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said "the post-electoral crisis in Kenya" continued Wednesday.

"The U.N. country team reports that the western towns of Kisumu and Eldoret as well as the capital Nairobi and towns along the Kenyan coast, including Mombasa, are all now theaters of clashes between security forces and youth gangs," Montas said.

MARINE on run

(CNN) -- A woman who once worked with fugitive Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean and the pregnant Marine he allegedly killed said Wednesday that Laurean has "MacGyver" skills and training that could enable him to adapt to life on the run.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, woman requested that she remain anonymous.

Earlier Wednesday, an FBI spokesman said the agency suspects Laurean may have returned to his native Mexico.

The woman, who left the Marines in December, described Laurean as well-trained to adapt to his situation.

He can rig just about anything -- as could the lead character in the "MacGyver" television series of 1985 to 1992 -- is strong, a fast runner and can handle weapons, including an M-16, she said.

She said Laurean is quiet but social, and has many friends. He often spoke to her about his 18-month-old daughter.

MAN on run BEWARE !!!!

Clinton, Obama battle for upper hand in Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- The battle for the Democratic presidential nomination heads west Saturday with caucuses in Nevada, where unions and a large Hispanic population are heavily expected to influence the results.

For years, the region was excluded from playing a significant part in nominating presidential candidates, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used his clout to move up his state's caucuses, increasing Nevada's profile on the primary calendar.

After the early, dramatic outcomes in Iowa and New Hampshire -- split between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, respectively -- the top Democratic campaigns are bringing in hundreds of extra staff and volunteers to Nevada.

The GOP also is holding caucuses Saturday in Nevada, but most Republican candidates will be focusing their attention that day on the South Carolina primary.

The Democratic race in Nevada appears tight, with the two front-runners in a statistical tie.

According to an American Research Group poll conducted January 9 through Monday, Clinton is leading Obama 35 percent to 32 percent among likely Democratic caucus-goers. Former Sen. John Edwards has the support of 25 percent. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The winner of the Nevada contest could gain the upper hand going into South Carolina's January 26 primary and the Florida one on January 29.

I SUPPORT CLINTON !!!!

Man in video clip knew official secrets

By CHELSEA L.Y. NG, CECIL FUNG and LISA GOH

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the V.K. Lingam video clip was left wondering as to how the man in the clip knew “official secrets” privy only to the Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Chief Secretary to the Government.

Commissioner Datuk Mahadev Shankar pointed out during the testimony of former Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman that the “man in the video” knew the details of a letter sent by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed to the then Chief Justice Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah regarding the nominations of High Court judges.

Samsudin, the sixth witness in the inquiry, was testifying on the correspondence in late 2001 between himself, Dr

Mahathir and Dzaiddin on a list of proposed candidates for the appointments.

These correspondence, he said, were official secrets that even ministers and deputy ministers had no access to.

In his testimony, Samsudin said the names of two lawyers originally proposed by Dzaiddin were dropped along the way.

Mahadev, who clarified with the witness on the date of this omission, pointed out that the man having the telephone conversation in the controversial video clip already knew about the matter 15 days later.

According to the transcript, the man in the video clip said in a telephone conversation:

“Then, there is a letter. It ... according to Tengku, I'm going to see him tomorrow, there is a letter sent to ... ah ... CJ ... ah I mean to Tan Sri Dzaiddin that Datuk Heliliah, Datuk Ali ... and Datuk Ramly Datuk Ramly and Datuk Maarop be made judges, ... and aa ... he rejected ah ... that Dr Andrew Chew and apa itu Zainudin Ismail lah because Zainudin Ismail who condemned your appointment and Tan Sri Mohtar's appointment.”

Mahadev: By Dec 5 (2001), the rejection of the two names (Dr Andrew Chew Peng Hui and Zainudin Ismail) were already an established fact. The event had already taken place and the only people who knew were the parties to the correspondence?

Samsudin: Yes.

Mahadev: Allegedly on Dec 20, 2001, according to the video clip, Dr Andrew Chew and Zainudin Ismail had been rejected. How did he (the man in the video) come to know about it?

Samsudin: I honestly don’t know. But I assure you whatever in the Cabinet we guard very closely. Security there is very, very tight.

Mahadev: If it is so tight, how it is that somebody can mention in the video clip something so confidential?

Samsudin: I’m puzzled too.

Mahadev: If he knows this, he might know a lot of other things too.

Samsudin: I don’t know. That’s the simple answer.

Mahadev: You can’t speculate?

Samsudin: I don’t even know this gentleman.

Earlier, Samsudin testified that Dzaiddin wrote to Dr Mahathir in October 2001 regarding the proposal to appoint five individuals as High Court judges.

He said Dr Mahathir forwarded the list – comprising the names of then Solicitor-General Datuk Heliliah Mohd Yusof, judicial commissioners Datuk Ramly Ali and Datuk Ahmad Maarop, and lawyers Dr Chew and Zainudin – to him to ask for his opinion.

“I asked the Attorney-General for input on the first three names. I also noticed that several judicial commissioners had been appointed at the same time as the proposed two.

“So I forwarded the names of these judicial commissioners together with the original list back to the Prime Minister for him to decide,” he said.

Samsudin said Dr Mahathir then wrote to Dzaiddin on Dec 5, 2001 and consented to the candidacy of Heliliah, Ramly and Ahmad.

“He also proposed to the Chief Justice for two more candidates to be selected from the list of five serving as judicial commissioners,” he said.

When commissioner Tan Sri Steve Shim asked why Dr Chew and Zainudin’s names were dropped, Samsudin replied that he did not know the reason.

The witness then said that Dzaiddin subsequently wrote to Dr Mahathir on Jan 11, 2002 to thank him for consenting to the appointment of the first three names he had proposed.

He said the Chief Justice also asked the Prime Minister to reconsider the two lawyers.

“But in a letter dated January 2002, the Prime Minister chose to nominate Datuk Sulaiman Daud and (Datuk) V.T. Singam for the appointments and refused the other two lawyers’ names,” he said.

Samsudin, who said he did not know Lingam, added that he had only seen the segment of the video clip shown on television.

He said he knew business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan as he often met people from the private sector in the course of his work.

As for Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Samsudin, who is now Putrajaya Corporation president, said he knew him because he had been a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department before becoming a minister.

“I interact with him a lot nowadays because he is the Putrajaya MP and Tourism Minister,” he said.

Too many or too little secret.. I think it doesnt really matter by this hour !

Dr Mahathir said: “I watched it on TV.”

LINGAM VIDEO CLIP:
DR M: I only got to know Lingam recently
BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17:

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad testified today that only recently he came to know lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam who is implicated in a video clip showing him allegedly brokering appointment of judges.

The former prime minister dismissed claims that prominent businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun had on several occasions brought Lingam to his house when he was the prime minister.

“That is not true,” said Dr Mahathir to a question by the Malaysian Bar representative Christopher Leong who referred to some passages of the conversation in the video clip to the former premier, implying that Lingam had occasionally went to his (Dr Mahathir’s) house.

Leong: "Do you know V.K. Lingam?"

Dr Mahathir: "I’ve heard about him in the newspapers involving several cases. I only got to know him recently when I engaged his services in a civil suit filed against me by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim."
Dr Mahathir, however, told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video clip, that Lingam has been to his house after he was no longer the prime minister and after the conversation in the video tape took place.

“After I engaged Lingam (as counsel) to represent me in the civil suit, then only he (Lingam) has been to my house,” he testified on the fourth day of the inquiry.

To Leong’s question on whether Vincent Tan had introduced Lingam to him, Dr Mahathir replied that he would not be able to say precisely, but added that in order for him to contact Lingam, he probably spoke to Vincent.

On why he chose Lingam to represent him in the legal suit, Dr Mahathir said he thought Lingam would be a good candidate.

He admitted that Lingam was still his counsel.

Asked on whether he had seen the video clip, Dr Mahathir said: “I watched it on TV.”

Dr Mahathir was also questioned on his relationship with Vincent Tan.

He admitted that they were friends.

“Yes, I know him (Vincent Tan). I have relationship with him for many years. I know him very well,” he said.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry was set up to ascertain, among others, the authenticity of a video clip featuring a lawyer allegedly brokering judicial appointments with a senior judge.

The five-member panel comprises chairman Tan Sri Haidar Mohamed Noor, who was former Cbief Judge of Malaya, former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Amar Steve Shim Lip Kiong, retired court of appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar, former solicitor-general Puan Sri Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh and historian Prof Emeritus Dr Khoo Kay Khim

Cops begin massive search for Sharlinie

PETALING JAYA: Police have begun a massive search for five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar who disappeared from a playground about 200m from her house in Taman Medan on Wednesday.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said a task force headed by Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed has been formed with Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor police

HELP US TO FIND HER

蔡細歷丑闻

衛生部長拿督斯里蔡細歷週二（1月1日）承認，他就是在柔佛流傳的光碟中的男士，並且向全國人民道歉。 他在新聞發佈會上發表一項聲明時透露，他也已經親自向正、副首相及馬華總會長拿督斯里黃家定解釋和道歉。 交首相決定命運 針對政治地位、未來動向包括是否考慮辭職的問題，蔡氏表示，他交由首相拿督斯里阿都拉決定其命運。 不過，他說，他的地位目前仍維持不變。

這項新聞發佈會原訂下午3時半舉行，但遲至4時零5分過後，蔡細歷才在警隊護送下抵達舉行新聞發佈會的現場即馬華拉美士區會黨所，至4時10分左右，發佈 會才正式舉行。 出席新聞發佈會者包括柔佛州馬華聯委會署理主席陳國煌、公共投訴局主席劉德賢、秘書鄭修強、利民達州議員李煌治、帆加蘭州議員高志財、士乃州議員陳潤福。 蔡細歷的夫人拿汀斯里黃薛卿聲明在另一則聲明中，表示她及家人已接受他誠心的懺悔，並已寬恕他。 獲妻兒家人諒解 拿督斯里蔡細歷醫生聲明： “我承認我是光碟中的男士。光碟中的女郎是我的朋友。 我在此鄭重聲明，那不是我自拍的光碟。我也不想繼續推測偷拍者的身份和目的。不過，肯定存有他的議程。 對我而言，如今獲得妻子、孩子和家人的諒解，這已經足夠了。 我也親自會見了首相拿督斯里阿都拉、副首相拿督斯里納吉，以及馬華總會長拿督斯里黃家定，並向他們解釋和道歉。 我特此要向所有馬華同志、同僚、我的支持者和全體馬來西亞人民致歉。 在這段時期，許多基層和支持者紛紛致電和發短訊慰問，我謹此感謝大家的關心、支持和鼓勵。 我同時要求各媒體給予我和我家人一個空間，讓我們可以從容面對接下來的挑戰。 謝謝。”

黃薛卿：我們寬恕他 拿汀斯里黃薛卿聲明： 我的丈夫拿督斯里蔡細歷醫生已向我和孩子們道歉。 我必須承認，這事件讓我們難過，但身為一家人，我們已經接受他誠心的懺悔，並已寬恕他。 我要強調的是，多年以來他一直是個稱職盡責的好丈夫、好父親和家庭成員。因此，我們願意給他無限的支持，共同與他走過這段艱難時刻。 馬華2日開緊急會議 馬華將在週三（2日）下午召開緊急會長理事會會議，以討論副總會長拿督斯里蔡細歷承認本身就是性愛光碟主角的事件。

馬華總會長拿督斯里黃家定說，他將會在會議後，發表馬華針對此事的正式聲明。 他於傍晚發表簡短文告說，他會把蔡細歷今天發表的聲明記錄在案。 這是黨領導層討論的重要事情，所以我們週三下午召開緊急會長理事會會議。 馬華將於下午3時在馬華總部召開緊急會長理事會會議。 這項緊急會議將決定蔡細歷的政治前景，包括是否採取紀律行動對付後者。 另一方面，據瞭解，大部份柔佛國州議員及區會主席將在週三到布城衛生部，支持蔡細歷。 （星洲日報•2008.01.02）

马来西亚的官僚门已经达到了一个官官相护的状态,而且官员们的脸皮已经厚达如我新家的石灰台一样,我只有两个字形容,可恶,此之在外真的没几个字了,还有黃薛卿应该自刮两下,说了这么侮辱女性的言论,丈夫在外嫖妓,老婆说没事,原谅? 亏你还是人家的母亲,何来榜样!