Updated with Bombing video - SE ASIA IN FEAR – WHO NEXT WILL BE THE TERROR TARGET? EAST JAKARTA IN CHAOS AFTER BOMB BLASTS, BLOODIED BODY PARTS FOUND AT GORY SCENE

Posted on 25/05/2017 by emily mc

Watch Video on how the suicide Bomber detonates the bomb

JAKARTA – At least one man was killed and an Indonesian policeman injured after they appeared to have been caught in an explosion on Wednesday (May 24) night in Kampung Melayu.

According to eyewitnesses in the densely populated neighbourhood in East Jakarta, the officer was hurt after two loud explosions were heard at about 9pm, reported Elshinta radio so far.

Details are still unclear but various witnesses have said the first and second blast occurred between five and 10 minutes apart near a bus stop and a parking area for motorcycles.

At least three dead in Jakarta suicide bombing: police 

The police have yet to determine the cause of the blast but photos and videos from the scene that circulated shortly after showed pieces of bloodied human flesh and dismembered body parts, including a limb and what appeared to be a severed head at the bus stop. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network

LIVE: Blast scene in Jakarta Indonesia a suspected suicide bomb exploded near a bus terminal 

All is possible as the criminal empire is close to collapse and the thieves will be soon send to prison

MUHYIDDIN VOWS TO BRING NAJIB TO JUSTICE: ‘I WAS CERTAIN THE MONEY HAD GONE INTO A PRIVATE ACCOUNT. LIAR!’

PARTI Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Muhyiddin Yassin last night denied receiving a single sen from state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) as alleged by Culture and Minister Nazri Aziz.

“It’s slander. None of the money went into my pocket. The umrah package was sponsored by a company,” he said in his address to a crowd of about 1,000 at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur last night.

Muhyiddin said he had questioned the alleged RM2.6 billion donation banked into the prime minister’s personal bank account and not the US$3.5 billion (RM13 billion) that the US Justice Department reported was stolen from 1MDB.

“I was certain the money had gone into a private account. Liar. He took the money and then returned it,” he said.

On May 22, Nazri accused former deputy prime minister Muyhiddin and former cabinet minister Shafie Apdal of being the biggest recipients of 1MDB funds.

MUHYIDDIN VOWS TO BRING NAJIB TO JUSTICE: ‘I WAS CERTAIN THE MONEY HAD GONE INTO A PRIVATE ACCOUNT. LIAR!’

Nazri pointed out that each Umno branch had received RM5,000 from the funds, and as a former Umno leader and the Semporna MP, Shafie had more than 200 party branches in his constituency. Muhyiddin, as Pagoh MP, had more than 100 Umno branches in his constituency.

Shafie yesterday also denied receiving money from 1MDB.

Earlier in his speech, Muyhiddin vowed to abolish the goods and services tax if Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan formed the next government.

He also promised to initiate an inquiry to investigate the 1MDB scandal and bring those responsible to justice, even if the person should prove to be the prime minister.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/

SHOUTS OF ‘HIDUP TUN’ RING OUT AS ANTI-NAJIB REBELLION SWEEPS THROUGH UMNO’S BIRTHPLACE

Posted on 25/05/2017 by emily mc


IN its 116 years, Kelab Sultan Sulaiman in Kg Baru has seen its fair share of Malay politics.

It hosted the first Malay journalists’ conference in 1940, which was the prequel to Umno’s birth in 1946 as the first Malay congress. In 1969, during the May riots, it served as a shelter for hundreds fleeing the violence.

The club saw a glimmer of its past glory last night, playing host to former Umno leaders, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir, dubbed the “3Ms”.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia marked the end of its Semarak campaign in Federal Territory with a ceramah there yesterday in its campaign against the Barisan Nasional government.

The Bersatu tour is set to continue in Penang, Perak, Perlis, Pahang, Malacca, Terengganu and Negri Sembilan after Ramadan.

Starting around 9pm, some 1,000 people of all ages started to fill the area hoping to listen to the 92-year-old former prime minister.

Cheers of “Hidup Tun” rang out as Dr Mahathir started speaking.

“We are just poor people, that is why we are passing the box around asking for donations. RM1 or RM20 also can. But if you don’t want to donate, you can hear us three people amuse you,” Dr Mahathir began.

But after the quick jibe, he trained his gun on Prime Minister Najib Razak and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd saga.

During his 20-minute speech, Dr Mahathir highlighted a report by Time magazine, which listed Najib as one of the few leaders more unpopular than United States President Donald Trump.

The architect of Malaysia’s first national carmaker also took the opportunity to mourn the sale of Proton to Chinese auto maker Geely Holdings yesterday.

Earlier, Bersatu president Muhyiddin told the crowd that he had not taken any funds from 1MDB and promised an inquiry into the scandal if the opposition wins the next elections.

Raja Nazaruddin Raja Nasron, 64, said he wanted to hear what Bersatu leaders would do if they were to take over Putrajaya.

“My son, who is in college, asked if the RM2.6 billion was really a donation and why was the money not returned to the donor,” he said, referring to the funds channelled into Najib’s bank accounts.

Raja Nazaruddin was an Umno member since 1974 and left the party last year to join Bersatu.

For 24-year-old Patrick Lim, this was a rare chance to see Dr Mahathir in the flesh.

SHOUTS OF ‘HIDUP TUN’ RING OUT AS ANTI-NAJIB REBELLION SWEEPS THROUGH UMNO’S BIRTHPLACE

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin (second from left) with his deputy, Mukhriz Mahathir (second from right), at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman in Kg Baru, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Najjua Zulkefli, May 25, 2017.
“I am curious. I have always regarded him as a sort of oracle who first predicted that this current situation in the political parties would happen. There are some things he said that I don’t agree with. But I am disappointed in the current government.”

Lim, who will be voting for the first time in the 14th general election (GE14), said he has been disappointed with the government since he was very young.

“I read a lot of newspapers and online portals about the current state of Malaysia, and I can only say I’m disappointed. I’m looking forward to the next general election where I can vote for the first time. And it will not be Barisan Nasional,” said the Johor born.

Owen Tee said he came to support Bersatu because he is sick and tired of the political state of the country.

“I am here to unite with my friends from Sri Kuching, Segambut, to see change in the country and how Dr Mahathir is going to bring Malaysia back to its former glory,” he said.

He also said he wished the economy would be fixed, as young people like him are finding it hard to get a job.

“I don’t like a corrupt country, I want to see something happen, I have a lot of friends who are jobless now. The younger generation is the next generation, is this the end for us?” he asked in despair.

Isaiah Jacob, from the Batu contituency, said he is prepared to give his support to Bersatu if the party works with other opposition parties.

“We need a change. I would like all of the opposition parties to bring about this change,” he said.

The Pakatan Harapan supporter said he had never voted for BN during Dr Mahathir’s rule.

“But I will keep an open mind now, as Mahathir is back,” said the 51-year-old.

Steven Lee, 59, from Sentul said he stopped voting for BN parties since 2008 because he noticed there were a lot things wrong with the government.

“We need a change. When I came back from Australia, I noticed there had been a lot of things the government is doing wrong. It’s no longer what it used to be back when Mahathir was in power where Malaysians of all races come together in nation-building,” he said.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/

CHINA SHOT IN THE ARM FOR ‘MALFUNCTIONING’ PROTON

PUTRAJAYA – The entry of a major Chinese carmaker into Proton Holdings Bhd will not only ease its financial woes, but also bring fresh capacity to the group’s underutilised factories.

Zhejiang Geely Automotive Co Ltd plans to turn Malaysia into its global hub to manufacture all of its right-hand drive cars, including its premium Volvo brand.

Geely will take a leadership role in production, sales and marketing. Proton will be responsible for distribution of the brand in Malaysia.

These were among the highlights mentioned at the signing ceremony in Putrajaya between DRB-Hicom, the parent company of Proton, and Geely.

Proton and Geely yesterday signed an agreement that would see Geely take a 49.9% stake in Proton. Both parties have not finalised the price Geely would pay for the stake.

Through the partnership, Geely executive vice-president and chief financial officer Daniel Li said Geely would focus on assisting Proton to sell 500,000 cars in Malaysia and around the region by 2020.

He said Geely would be contributing technology, talent and money to Proton. These include platform-sharing that would see the development of Proton’s first-ever SUV model from Geely’s best selling model – the Boyue.

DRB-Hicom group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar said in the competitive automotive industry, partnership among carmakers globally was common.

A partnership would also further expand Proton’s reach to other markets and give it better economies of scale.

“This partnership with Geely will create more jobs in Proton,” he told reporters yesterday.

PROTON Holdings
Automobile company
proton.com
PROTON Holdings Berhad, is a Malaysia-based corporation active in automobile design, manufacturing, distribution and sales. Proton was established in 1983 as the sole national badged car company until the advent of Perodua in 1993. Wikipedia
CEO: Ahmad Fuaad (Apr 1, 2016–)
Headquarters: Shah Alam, Malaysia
Founder: Mahathir Mohamad
Founded: May 7, 1983
Subsidiaries: Lotus Cars, Proton Tanjung Malim Sdn.Bhd, More
Parent organization: DRB-HICOM

Proton has a workforce of about 10,000 which produces about 100,000 cars a year. In 2016, sales of Proton cars dropped 30% to 72,290 units from 102,174 previously.

The company reported a loss of almost RM1bil last year.

Proton’s Tanjung Malim plant, which is designed to produce a million cars every year, will be made a new manufacturing hub for Geely.

Syed Faisal said Proton would relocate its entire production from Shah Alam to Tanjung Malim within five years.

Despite the entry of a new foreign partner, Proton will maintain its national car status. This means its industrial linkages, including vendors and dealers, will not be affected by the change in shareholding.

Perkasa: Proton must continue serving Bumiputera interests

Under the heads of agreement signed between DRB-Hicom and Geely, the Chinese carmaker will take a 49.9% equity interest in Proton and also a controlling stake in Lotus, the British sportscar maker, from Proton.

No financial details were disclosed in the sale of a stake in Proton, while for Lotus, Geely would be paying £51mil (RM284mil) for a 51% stake in Lotus.

Syed Faisal said DRB-Hicom planned to sign a definitive agreement with Geely in July.

Mahathir bemoans ‘loss’ of Proton, says more assets may be sold

Also present at the signing ceremony was Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, who clarified that with the partnership with Geely in place, Proton would need to repay its RM1.25bil soft loan from the Government.

As part of the conditions for the soft loan, Proton was required to collaborate with a well-known strategic partner.

The requirement to collaborate with a well-known strategic partner was imposed on Proton as part of the conditions issued by the Government for its approval of the RM1.25bil soft loan to Proton, in which a bulk of the money was used to pay its vendors.

Separately, Johari said Proton was entitled to a RM1.1bil reimbursement from the Government for its RM3.5bil spent on research and development in the past.

Johari also said there would be no more “subsidy” for Proton from now on, and that the Government would no longer have a golden share in Proton with Geely entering into a partnership with the national carmaker.

– ANN

Malaysian Government schools - Today English tomorrow Malay and the day after Chinese or Tamil

NAJIB’S CUNNING PLOY TO DO AWAY WITH VERNACULAR SCHOOLS, WHILE WINNING S’WAK & SABAH SUPPORT? UMNO YOUTH WANTS RETURN OF ENGLISH-MEDIUM SCHOOLS

SUBANG JAYA – An Umno senator expressed his personal support tonight to bring back English-medium schools to improve proficiency in the language.

Khairul Azwan Harun who is also Umno Youth deputy chief said the idea was sound, but added that there likely needed to be several policy adjustments to allow it in the current education system.

“Personally I support the initiative to have more English-medium schools in the country. But, I don’t know if the current policy will allow for this. There needs to be some policy adjustments,” he said during a National Transformation 2050 (TN50) dialogue here.

He was responding to Parent Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim who said having English-medium schools will help train better English teachers who in turn can improve the current standards in the country.

“We have failed our kids in teaching English. We have to pick up slack in schools, which is unfortunate

“What is our solution to this? Should we revisit the idea of English-medium schools to produce better teachers?” she asked.

Khairul Azwan said the main problem with Malaysians is that they were “shy” to speak in English and this can be avoided if they step out of their comfort zone and mix English with their native language.

“The problem with Malaysians is that we are very shy. We don’t want be laughed at. We want to be perfect. We are afraid of committing mistakes.

NAJIB’S CUNNING PLOY TO DO AWAY WITH VERNACULAR SCHOOLS, WHILE WINNING S’WAK & SABAH SUPPORT? UMNO YOUTH WANTS RETURN OF ENGLISH-MEDIUM SCHOOLS

“We should try and start somewhere. There is nothing wrong in encouraging the younger generation to use English together with our native tongue,” he added.

TV producer Ally Iskandar meanwhile suggested that more pop culture-based English language programmes be introduced to help Malaysians embrace the language better.

“We have to think about how to make English as part of pop culture in social media. Let it be a culture and you realise you would want to learn English more and more,” he said during the session.

Project Fearless’ Nurul Ashiqin on the other hand said that English proficiency in the country should not be “politicised” and instead be encouraged even if speakers are not well versed in grammar.

“English shouldn’t be viewed as an identity threat. You can’t take away the Malaysian in us.

“Some say English will erode the national identity. Some politicians are going strong on that notion to gain popularity. My personal belief is that you should not politicise education,” she stressed.

It is not just the duty of Malaysian educators to improve the country’s English proficiency; the surrounding community plays an important role as well.

Myreaders programme coordinator Charis Ding said methods to empower communities to improve English in their areas should be emphasised on to ensure that even rural areas have access to good education.

“The only way to do this is to work with communities, empower children through communities by providing sustainable and structured reading programmes. It takes a community to raise a child,” she said.

The round table tonight was organised by Teach for Malaysia as part of its engagement process for the TN50 programme.

– Malay Mail

Today's Stunted Oil Prices Could Cause Oil Price Shock In 2020

As oil prices remain unsteady and OPEC continues to make headlines every hour, the world is focused on oil’s immediate future. As Saudi Arabia announces plans to slash production and move their economy away from oil dependency, many industry insiders are predicting that the now over-saturated market will reach an equilibrium with higher commodity prices by 2018 and U.S. shale production will continue to grow along with global demand.

Robert Johnston, the CEO of one of the world’s biggest political risk consultancies, is unconvinced. In a speech made at the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators’ 2017 International Petroleum Summit, Johnston laid out his concerns for the future of oil.

“What I don’t hear people asking is, ‘then what?’ Are the Saudis going to maintain these production cuts forever, or at some point do they have to start reversing that? I think in 2018 they will be reversing those production cuts,” he said. These important questions aren’t getting enough attention according to Johnston, whose firm Eurasia Group foresees a fast-approaching supply gap that Saudi Arabia and U.S. oil may not be able to fill.

Eurasia Group forecasts about 7 million barrels per day (MMbbl/d) of new crude supply by 2022. This includes about 5 MMbbl/d of U.S. shale growth and about 2 MMbbl/d from oil sands and deepwater extraction. But by the year 2022, another 15 MMbbl/d of new supply may be needed, as demand trends predict an annual growth rate of about 1 MMbbl/d. With this kind of impending discrepancy between supply and demand, the industry needs to start looking for new sources of oil, and quickly.

Despite the recent dip in oil prices, industry experts have been predicting a supply-gap and rising oil prices for years. This is due in large part to an oil investment drought marked by two year of consecutive decline, a statistic that has no precedent in the oil industry. This year a report by the International Energy Agency concluded that if oil investment remains stagnant over the next few years, by 2020 we will see a significant increase in the price of oil as global demand continues to climb.

The IEA’s Executive Director Fatih Birol addressed these findings in a keynote address at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi in January, announcing that no major oil projects were started in the last year and there were zero large oil discoveries “because there is no money for exploration. You find something if you look for it," Birol said.
Related: Oil Prices Rise As Most OPEC Members Back Deal Extension
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The potential supply gap has far-reaching implications that we are not ready to combat. Gas and oil are still fundamental to much of the world’s infrastructure, despite a steady increase of research and utilization of renewable energy resources. While electric cars continue to show a promising future, especially in the light of ambitious new green car policy initiatives in India and China, they still account for less than 2 percent of the world’s cars. And, as the global middle class continues to grow and exercise their buying power, the demand for oil will continue to grow alongside them.

The oil industry desperately needs new sources of oil, and they need new investors and technologies to find those sources quickly. There are currently a wide variety of techniques employed to find new deposits (seismic prospecting, well logging, gravity surveying, magnetic prospecting, and geochemical prospecting, etc.) but these are all methods with significant limitations in their ability to accurately estimate the size of new oil and gas deposits.

Many companies, including oil giant BP, have begun efforts to develop of artificial intelligence programs with algorithms that will allow them to find and drill with unprecedented accuracy in the future, but the technology is not yet ready. We can only hope that it will be ready by 2020 or that the IEA is wrong in their predictions.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

Asian neighbors still leery of China's Belt and Road initiative

India boycotts Beijing gathering; Russia sends Putin despite concerns about China's growing regional influence

OKI NAGAI and YUJI KURONUMA, Nikkei staff writers

Chinese President Xi Jinping, center left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, center right, with other national leaders at the Belt and Road Forum. © Reuters

BEIJING/NEW DELHI -- Many Asian countries, notably India, remain leery of throwing their support behind China's Belt and Road initiative, fearing that the efforts by Beijing to create a new sphere of economic influence in Asia could erode their own regional power.

At the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Sunday and Monday, more than 100 nations attended. But the delegation from New Delhi was conspicuously absent. No Indian government officials came, but rather only a few academics, a diplomatic source said. In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the event in person, and met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.


India has been eager for economic cooperation with China in the past, for example joining the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. But long-standing regional tensions are at play in this case: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a key piece of the infrastructure-building initiative, passes through Kashmir, which both India and its neighbor claim as their own.

The project will ultimately establish road and rail links between China's far western Xinjiang region and the Pakistani port of Gwadar, fueling Beijing's maritime expansion efforts. India's Ministry of External Affairs stood firm against the plan Saturday. "No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Washington did send a delegation to the event, likely aiming to secure Beijing's help in addressing North Korean nuclear and missile development and in reducing the U.S.-China trade imbalance. However, the team was lacking in cabinet-level clout, featuring as its leader Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council. Pottinger said in a breakout meeting Sunday that the U.S. recognizes the importance of infrastructure development but noted that transparency is key when governments are involved in procurement.

Changing of the guard

Even Russia has reservations, despite being a frequent collaborator with China. Moscow regards much of Central Asia, the main stage for the Belt and Road initiative, as its own backyard and is reluctant to cede influence in the region to Beijing.

Putin met with Xi on Sunday, and proposed linking the Eurasian Economic Union, Moscow's own regional economic project, to Beijing's initiative. Putin arrived more than 10 minutes later than his peers to a leaders' summit the next day, in what some have called a warning to Beijing.

China must avoid having the Belt and Road initiative characterized as a purely unilateral strategy, according to a book the Chinese Communist Party has recommended on the subject. Xi referred to this advice in his opening address Sunday: "We are ready to share practices of development with other countries, but we have no intention to interfere in other countries' internal affairs, export our own social system and model of development, or impose our own will on others," he said.

"What we hope to achieve is a new model of win-win cooperation," Xi said.

India boycotts Beijing gathering; Russia sends Putin despite concerns about China's growing regional influence

In short, China aims for an alternative to a U.S.-led international order where aid and cooperation have been predicated on shared values of liberalism and democracy.

Terrorism once again proving to be grave concern in Asia

Recent spate of attacks has governments scrambling to take countermeasures

SHOTARO TANI, Nikkei staff writer

Indonesian policemen guard the site of a suspected suicide bomb in Jakarta on May 25. © Getty Images

TOKYO -- Counter-terrorism measures, including expanding support for anti-Islamic State operations, are likely to feature prominently in the Group of Seven summit taking place in Italy on Friday and Saturday. Much of the talk will center around the deadly bombings at a pop concert in Manchester, U.K., but a string of attacks in Asia this week has highlighted once again that the region is no exception to terrorist activities, with governments stepping up efforts to contain future violence.

Thailand was the first Asian country to suffer a terrorist attack this week. A bomb attack on Monday, the third anniversary of a 2014 military coup, on a hospital in the Thai capital Bangkok wounded 24 people. There have yet to be any claims of responsibility, but suspicion is falling on political dissidents opposed to military rule, or Muslim separatists based in the south of the predominately Buddhist country.

In response, Thailand is deploying more soldiers and police in busy places such as harbours, transit stations and hospitals. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the government would thoroughly check to make sure security cameras were running in public and commercial facilities.

On Tuesday, it was the Philippines' turn, with fierce fighting between the security forces and the Maute group, militants linked to Islamic State, taking place in Marawi, a predominantly Muslim city. The siege has killed at least 20 so far, 13 Maute rebels, five soldiers, and two police officers. Over 30 soldiers have been wounded, the armed forces said on Wednesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law on the southern island of Mindanao on Tuesday, and later warned he might extend it if terrorism spread beyond Mindanao. "If I think that the ISIS has already taken foothold also in Luzon [Island], I might declare martial law throughout the land to protect my country," Duterte said after getting back from a shortened visit to Russia.

A day after the conflict in the Philippines, two suicide bombers using pressure cooker bombs  containing nails and buckshot killed three police officers in an attack near a bus terminal in East Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday night, local police said. At least 10 others were injured. National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said the incident may have been inspired by recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and in Marawi.

"We were anticipating an attack as soon as we heard about the Manchester and Marawi incidents," Wasisto said. "It's just that we didn't know where they would strike." No group has claimed responsibility so far, but the state police have determined the attack was targeting the security authorities.

Authorities and companies in countries yet to be affected are considering stepping up security in the wake of the Manchester bombing and the increased threat in the region. Singaporean companies managing concert spaces are looking at boosting security measures such as bag checks and deploying more guards, according to local news. Ariana Grande, the U.S. pop singer whose concert in Manchester was targeted in Monday's attack, is scheduled to perform at a Formula One race in Singapore in September.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday that the country was re-evaluating its security measures for large events like concerts, as well as tourist hot spots and sports arenas, though it had not raised its terror threat level.

Japan's government and businesses have warned overseas travellers and employees to be careful of a heightened terrorism risk during Ramadan, a Muslim holy month. The Islamic State has exhorted its followers in recent years to launch terror strikes during the period. Travel agency JTB has been informing customers of the government warning.