Australia avoiding investigating Malaysian corruption scandal, says former PM Mahathir – SBS World News

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Photo by King Chai Woon for SBS

The Australian government is trying to avoid investigating local links to a Malaysian corruption scandal, according to the country’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

In an exclusive interview with SBS World News the former leader of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad – who ruled the country with an iron-grip for 22 years – said Australia was turning a blind eye to corruption over the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state investment fund.

“Australia has been involved to a certain extent but it looks as if the government of Australia wants to avoid any involvement in this crime committed,” Dr Mahathir said.

Read the full story and watch the full interview here – http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/05/09/australia-avoiding-investigating-malaysian-corruption-scandal-says-former-pm

‘Cutting it fine’: Questions raised over future of Nauru detention contracts – SBS World News

020217m_NauruPregnant_800x600.jpgThe Immigration Department is “cutting it a bit fine” by having not yet secured a new provider to run the offshore detention centre on Nauru, according to an independent expert.

The contracts for running both the Nauru and Papua New Guinea detention centres expire by the end of October – six months from now.

The current provider, Broadspectrum, and its parent Spanish company Ferrovial, have announced they will not continue operating the centres beyond the current contract.

Read the full story here – http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/04/12/cutting-it-fine-questions-raised-over-future-nauru-detention-contracts 

Japanese survivors recall Australia’s WWII civilian internment camps – SBS World News

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Photo courtesy of Australian War Memorial

When war broke out between Australia and Japan 75 years ago, it had a profound impact on the lives of Japanese civilians living in Australia.

During the Second World War, around 4,000 men, women and children were rounded up and sent to civilian internment camps in Australia, which were already detaining thousands of Italians and German civilians.

Joe Murakami was just 14 years old and living in Darwin when his life was thrown into chaos.

Read and watch the full story here – http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/04/20/japanese-survivors-recall-australias-wwii-civilian-internment-camps 

‘Time for a different voice’: Christian group to tackle homophobia within the Church – SBS News

Church-goers gather at St. James in Sydney for a service apologising to LGBT for discrimination (2).JPGGrowing up in Malaysia’s Catholic community, Benjamin Oh would go to church with his family most nights of the week. But visits became more difficult after he came out as gay when he was in his teens.

While the homophobia he experienced in the Christian community never shook his faith, at times it did make him feel uncomfortable and unsafe going to church, both in Malaysia and in Australia, where he moved to study.

Read the full article here – http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/02/28/time-different-voice-christian-group-tackle-homophobia-within-church

And listen to the story here – http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/02/28/one-church-apology-treatment-gays

Meet the rebel road fixers making Malaysia’s roads safer – ABC Radio National

road rebel.jpgMalaysia has some of the most dangerous roads in the world, but a ragtag group of vigilantes have been taking matters into their own hands.

Listen to the full audio documentary – http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rnafternoons/taking-road-repairs-into-their-own-hands/8138368

And read the article here – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-21/meet-the-rebel-road-fixers-making-malaysias-roads-safer/8093470

Life Beyond Coal; Can a tiny Australian coal town reinvent itself? – Earth Island Journal

coal.jpgThe Hazelwood power station and coal mine are just visible from David Briggs’ property up in the mountains that surround the town of Morwell. He sweeps an outstretched arm across the valley and points, in case I miss it. His old fluorescent mining jacket hangs loosely on his frail limbs.

Morwell is a small town encircled by open-cut coal mines and power stations in the Australian state of Victoria, less than a hundred miles east of Melbourne. A few miles to the north of it stand the massive exhaust stacks of the Yallourn power plant. Farther east lies the Loy Yang plant. The Hazelwood power plant and mine complex pushes right up against the town’s southern border; only a four-lane freeway and a thin strip of grass separate the mine from some homes. All power lines from here lead to Melbourne.

Full article – http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/life_beyond_coal/

Malaysia’s former PM Mahathir Mohamad unites with enemy Anwar Ibrahim in bid to oust Najib Razak – ABC News

7830866-3x2-700x467Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has met face-to-face with his one-time sworn enemy Anwar Ibrahim for the first time in 18 years, as the two unite behind a push to oust embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The historic meeting of the two titans of Malaysian politics took place in a courtroom on Monday, where imprisoned Opposition Leader Anwar was mounting a legal challenge to controversial security laws recently introduced by Mr Najib.

Full article – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-09/mahathir-mohamad-meets-with-enemy-anwar-ibrahim-in-malaysia/7827558

Dirty money? The ‘corrupt’ Malaysian pollie who bought into Adelaide Uni – Crikey

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Adelaide Uni is in damage control over its links to Taib Mahmud, writes freelance journalist Jarni Blakkarly.

Australian universities have been confronted with a new cautionary tail about the perils of accepting donations from potentially corrupt foreign officials.

Full article – https://www.crikey.com.au/2016/07/21/malaysian-pollie-gets-uni-forecourt-named-in-his-honour/

Hurdles mar Japan’s renewable energy equation – The Japan Times

b-renewable-a-20160723-870x566.jpgAt Yamakura Dam, 45 km southeast of Tokyo, construction workers are screwing together a 51,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of floating solar panels. When completed, it will be one of the world’s largest floating solar projects.

Roughly 30 percent of the work on the project in Chiba Prefecture is complete, and when it comes online in 2018, the 13.7 megawatt facility will provide enough electricity to power almost 5,000 households annually.

Full article – http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/22/business/hurdles-mar-japans-renewable-energy-equation/#.V8kAKGM_sw0