Disappearance of P. Balasubramaniam:
Najib: We’re not responsible
By : Ridzwan Abdullah and R. Sittamparam
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday denied charges that the authorities were behind the "disappearance" of private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his family.The deputy prime minister shrugged off the claims as baseless.He was speaking to reporters at the launch of Ibrahim Pahlawan Melayu (Ibrahim, the Malay Warrior), a memoir narrating the life and experiences of former armed forces chief Gen (Rtd) Tun Ibrahim Ismail.Najib, who is also defence minister, was asked on an ultimatum made by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) for the government to "release" Balasubramaniam.Hindraf coordinator S. Jayathas, at a candlelight vigil held in Brickfields on Tuesday night, said Hindraf would organise a massive rally in three days' time if Balasubramaniam and his family were not released by then.Responding to this, Najib replied: "Then I guess you have to ask them (Hindraf)."Balasubramaniam made headlines last week with a statutory declaration linking Najib with the murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, but retracted it the next day.He and his family have since gone missing and on Saturday, his nephew lodged a report at the Gombak police station.On Tuesday, however, his nephew, K. Kumaresan claimed Balasubramaniam called him from a private number. The conversation lasted two minutes.On whether the defence ministry would scale down its operational expenses following uncertainties due to rising global oil prices, Najib said 10 per cent of the original budget under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, or RM300 million, had been slashed under the mid-term review."This is part of the government's austerity drive as we are setting our priorities in line with the current economic conditions."Nevertheless, Najib said most of the ministry's existing projects would continue, including the programme to replace its 40-year-old fleet of Nuri helicopters.On reports that Singapore has shown interest in buying up to 100 of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft over the coming decades, Najib said it was too early to speculate."I cannot confirm the authenticity of the report, but at the same time, I am not sure if Singapore needs that many (F-35s)."At a separate function at the RMAF base in Subang, Air Force chief Gen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin said the news, if accurate, was not something to be alarmed about as Singapore might only be replacing its old fleet.Ibrahim, the Malay Warrior embodies Ibrahim's struggle of constantly proving himself to the discriminating British.It also tells his experience as a prisoner of the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police, in World War 2 (1944-1945).
Najib: We’re not responsible
By : Ridzwan Abdullah and R. Sittamparam
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday denied charges that the authorities were behind the "disappearance" of private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his family.The deputy prime minister shrugged off the claims as baseless.He was speaking to reporters at the launch of Ibrahim Pahlawan Melayu (Ibrahim, the Malay Warrior), a memoir narrating the life and experiences of former armed forces chief Gen (Rtd) Tun Ibrahim Ismail.Najib, who is also defence minister, was asked on an ultimatum made by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) for the government to "release" Balasubramaniam.Hindraf coordinator S. Jayathas, at a candlelight vigil held in Brickfields on Tuesday night, said Hindraf would organise a massive rally in three days' time if Balasubramaniam and his family were not released by then.Responding to this, Najib replied: "Then I guess you have to ask them (Hindraf)."Balasubramaniam made headlines last week with a statutory declaration linking Najib with the murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, but retracted it the next day.He and his family have since gone missing and on Saturday, his nephew lodged a report at the Gombak police station.On Tuesday, however, his nephew, K. Kumaresan claimed Balasubramaniam called him from a private number. The conversation lasted two minutes.On whether the defence ministry would scale down its operational expenses following uncertainties due to rising global oil prices, Najib said 10 per cent of the original budget under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, or RM300 million, had been slashed under the mid-term review."This is part of the government's austerity drive as we are setting our priorities in line with the current economic conditions."Nevertheless, Najib said most of the ministry's existing projects would continue, including the programme to replace its 40-year-old fleet of Nuri helicopters.On reports that Singapore has shown interest in buying up to 100 of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft over the coming decades, Najib said it was too early to speculate."I cannot confirm the authenticity of the report, but at the same time, I am not sure if Singapore needs that many (F-35s)."At a separate function at the RMAF base in Subang, Air Force chief Gen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin said the news, if accurate, was not something to be alarmed about as Singapore might only be replacing its old fleet.Ibrahim, the Malay Warrior embodies Ibrahim's struggle of constantly proving himself to the discriminating British.It also tells his experience as a prisoner of the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police, in World War 2 (1944-1945).
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