Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Can M’sia reform and discriminate?
- Global BERSIH 2.0 - updated list of BERSIH hotspots around the world
- A delicate balance
- Running Scared In Malaysia
- Christian response towards Bersih and E.O
| Can M’sia reform and discriminate? Posted: 07 Jul 2011 11:18 AM PDT
(FMT) - PUTRAJAYA: Dr Mahathir Mohamad sits at a vast desk cluttered with work, hands clasped before him and looking at his visitors with a slight smile.
Dr M, as he is popularly known, was prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, the first commoner to ever hold the post in a land with nine sultans. His demeanour suggests the country physician he once was, ready with a frank diagnosis – and in his first interview with the foreign media in five years, he doles out prescriptions for what ails his nation. The man who made Malaysia part of the "East Asia Miracle" with a massive inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) doesn't think much of it today. The former miracle economy, now a muddle, needs a new policy direction, he says in his office in Putrajaya, the administrative capital he built on old plantation land in the 1990s. "We should not be too dependent on FDI anymore," says Mahathir. "We've come to the stage when locals can invest. They have now the capital. They have the technology. They know the market. And I think they can manage big industries." His thinking is at odds with government policy. But it gets to the heart of a debate over the future of Malaysia, a former emerging market star now in danger of becoming an also-ran, stuck in the dreaded "middle income trap". Foreign investment has been dwindling since the onset of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis. Capital outflows have even exceeded inflows in four of the past five years. This has been accompanied by an alarming "brain drain" of emigres voting with their feet against Malaysia's prospects. Malaysia is counting on foreign investment to provide a quarter of the investments needed to fund projects under its "Economic Transformation Programme", which aims to turn the country of 28 million into a fully developed nation by 2020.
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| Global BERSIH 2.0 - updated list of BERSIH hotspots around the world Posted: 07 Jul 2011 10:08 AM PDT  We, ordinary Malaysian citizens around the world, are supporting BERSIH 2.0 because we can and because we should. We believe that the future of Malaysia belongs to all our children and that together we can ensure that the legacy we leave them is a beautiful and just one. By Global Bersih 2.0 The BERSIH 2.0 Global Solidarity Network strongly supports the BERSIH 2.0 rally for Clean and Fair Elections in Malaysia on the 9th of July 2011. We urge all Malaysians abroad to unite in solidarity with our Malaysian brothers and sisters at home by joining BERSIH 2.0 walks and other events in cities across the world (see below for complete list). Malaysians have the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech in keeping with international human rights norms. As citizens, we demand free and fair elections, which provide the foundation a better, more democratic Malaysia. We support BERSIH 2.0's eight points of electoral reform and call in addition for a ninth: suffrage for Malaysians residing abroad. We, ordinary Malaysian citizens around the world, are supporting BERSIH 2.0 because we can and because we should. We believe that the future of Malaysia belongs to all our children and that together we can ensure that the legacy we leave them is a beautiful and just one. We are speaking out because we live in open democracies where the freedoms of speech and of peaceful assembly and the right to demonstrate are the norm rather than the exception. As is the case with the rally in Kuala Lumpur, we intend to gather peacefully and with dignity, and we shall do so without fear of water cannon, tear gas, police intimidation and brutality, or arbitrary arrest for dressing in yellow. Wherever we may be, we shall be wearing yellow T-shirts and carrying yellow banners, balloons and placards with peaceful slogans in support of clean and fair elections in Malaysia. We shall be bringing our family members both young and old. Together with Malaysians all over the world, we urge the Najib government to support electoral reform. Clean and fair elections are essential to developing a mature and open democracy, and to safeguard the integrity of our nation for future generations. We call on the Prime Minister to respect DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's advice to His Majesty's government to 'show prudence and fairness in carrying out the duties entrusted to it by the Malaysian people'. We also urge the federal government and the Inspector-General of Police to follow this advice by releasing all those detained in connection with BERSIH 2.0, and stop the ongoing, systematic harassment of BERSIH 2.0 supporters. It is not too late for the Prime Minister to fulfil his duties and responsibilities in a manner that becomes his office and to allow this gathering to proceed peacefully in recognition of the will of the people. With the proper cooperation of all government agencies, we are confident the gathering will be nothing more and nothing less than a peaceful expression of a just and legitimate cause. The eyes of the world are now on the Prime Minister and his government, in this pivotal moment that will surely define his legacy in the eyes of Malaysians as well as citizens and governments the world over. We urge him to rise to the occasion.
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| Posted: 07 Jul 2011 10:03 AM PDT
By Maria J Dass, The Sun Former Perak chief police officer and Special Branch commander Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng talks about managing mass gatherings and his experiences during the May 13 racial riots that he hopes never to see again. As someone who was at the forefront of the fight against the communists during the Emergency, he shares with Maria J. Dass his thoughts on idolising communist leaders by some quarters and the threat that the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) still poses in present time. How do you view recent developments in the country especially the turn of events that followed the plan to hold the Bersih 2.0 rally? There is nothing wrong with the demands that are being made by the organisers of Bersih per se, but the problem is the interference from outside the organisation. Other parties with different intentions have joined in the fray and are exploiting the situation. On top of that, the situation has been compounded by organisations coming out to make threats, and parties such as Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) whose members turned up to protest wearing t-shirts with pictures of communist leaders in the country emblazoned on them. Why is this worrying? The PSM does not seem to understand the parameters of the peace accord signed with CPM head Chin Peng in 1989. Under the accord, the CPM was never dissolved, it was only a disbandment of the communist armed forces that allowed some of them to come back. I agree with what the Special Branch had done. This problem has been thrown in the police's lap and involves national security and public order. But for a lot of people, the Communist Party of Malaya is practically redundant. I know the communists and how they operate. They won't dissolve the party until they really want to. Malaysians are so trusting. I can be compassionate and trusting too, but I know when they are telling half-truths. So as long as they do not say they are dissolved, this group which espouses armed struggle is at liberty to pick up arms when the legal system fails. It is different with communist parties in Australia, America and United Kingdom which espouse legal and not armed struggle. In these countries, they do not promote violence but only bear socialist objectives. Is it cause for concern that remnants of the CPM are still around? When they withdrew in 1953, a small group of them that survived made their way across the border where they recruited Thai Chinese and managed to continue propagating their ideology to Malaysians from across the border. This is how the second wave of the Emergency got started. The Special Branch, as an intelligence organisation, has to have the historical knowledge of the workings of the party, and note their ideology of armed struggle as the highest form of struggle. But where PSM and some other organisations are concerned, many people question why the police seem to act against only certain parties, while others who make seditious comments and threats get away. Won't the public equate this with police persecution? Yes and no. The police usually back the effort of the incumbent government of the day so long as it acts by the rule of law, but they need to be more courageous and brave to act when supporters of the incumbent government go too far. When they are hesitant, they are bound to be accused of being unfair. Being balanced will earn the police some respect. Also, the police will probably be doing a favour for leaders of political parties who find it hard to reprimand errant members. Let the police do that work for them. The police have a pragmatic policy where sometimes they have to do what seems to be the wrong thing at the right time to avert an escalation of emotions. You just have to do it, because if you do not do this wrong thing at the right time, the situation can blow up. So the police have to act as fast as possible on information on both sides. Troublemakers from both sides have to be picked up. But there is also a perception that politicians are interfering in police work. I don't envy the position the police are in now. During my time, the main problem they had to address was the communist insurgency. Once this was over, it seemed like Malaysians had won the war against the communists, but lost the peace among themselves. Is it necessary to bring in the army to assist the police (in keeping order) as is being proposed? It is quite natural for the army to be brought in to support the police. This was done to stamp out the May 13, 1969 racial riots, but at that time the move to call in the army was to resolve a situation that had already blown out of proportion. And this time around? This time the police action is more pre-emptive. They are putting in place measures to address the security risks that may arise. This is good as the problem is addressed before it happens. They are thus better equipped and organised to address any problems that may arise, as compared to May 13. I had seen the atrocities of May 13 and don't ever want it to happen again in my lifetime. I will never ever forget the state of the bodies I saw and the heart-wrenching task of having to look for my missing men by searching at all hospital mortuaries in Kuala Lumpur. But I will never forget the acts of my Malay colleagues who protected me when there were attempts to harm me, and likewise Chinese colleagues who protected their Malay friends. People involved in the rallies planned this time around are those who do not know anything about what had happened and can never fathom the effects of it. But aren't the people today more educated and perhaps more discerning and mature, and therefore less gullible and taken in with the rhetoric of rogue leaders? People are better educated, but they still think along the same racial lines, and education makes them do things in a more sophisticated way – and this applies to both sides of the divide. It is impossible for Malaysians to integrate when each is still stuck in his racial cocoon. To compound this problem, we now have a problem with corruption which is again being looked at through racial eyes due to power being held by certain political parties. The trouble is that the race-based political parties we have now are all looking after the needs of their own members, more than addressing the widening racial divide. This is why I feel that the Malay leaders who are in control should make an effort to look after the needs of the minority Chinese and Indians instead of sidelining them, since the race-based parties are not doing their job. But some say this is precisely why we need a strong opposition to keep things in check. The Opposition we have is not that strong actually. They only appear to be strong because the incumbent government has weakened itself by allowing corruption and racial polarisation to fester. These problems need to be addressed and I think the present Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak) is trying very hard to make the changes. Back to demands for free and fair elections – don't the people have a right to demand a stop to manipulation of the electoral process? They want the leaders that they choose to serve them. Why not address this once and for all? Interference by outside forces aside, there is nothing wrong with Bersih 2.0's demands and the incumbent government must hear the genuine worries of the people. They need to pry things apart and deal with people who are sincere with their concerns. Then legitimate complaints can be looked into. People must see that the incumbent government is really trying to make a difference by addressing genuine concerns. Both sides (government and opposition) must work together for the interest of the nation. The timing is such that there appears to be a united front against the government, and this frightens them. Similarities have been drawn between the recent uprisings in the Middle East including that in Tahrir Square, Egypt, and the Bersih 2.0 rally. Do you think the situation is the same? The situation here is different. There is still a lot of hope left here, but in those countries the situation is more acute. Except for demonstrations, there is no other avenue for the people there to speak up. In your opinion and experience in the Special Branch, should the Bersih walk be allowed to go on so that the people can express their views? People must be given an avenue for expression, so the police must be more liberal in issuing permits for gatherings. I would rather it be allowed to go on but be held in a place where there will be better crowd control and security, like in a stadium. The police can be there to guide them along. This is a process of growing up in a democracy. It is good that the organisers of Bersih 2.0 agreed to move their programme to a stadium. With the intervention and edict of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, all parties involved should use the opportunity to climb down from where they are in a dignified manner. No one has lost face, and the only one who has won is the nation and its security. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 07 Jul 2011 02:19 AM PDT
The Malaysian government has pulled out all the stops to prevent an opposition rally this weekend. This week, army units conducted crowd control exercises with banners that said, "Disperse or we will shoot!" By John Malott, The Wall Street Journal The police set up roadblocks and arrested Malaysians simply for wearing yellow T-shirts, the signature color of Bersih, a coalition of 62 nongovernmental organizations that demands changes in Malaysia's electoral system. To date, the police have arrested over 250 supporters of Bersih, claiming that they are "waging war against the king."
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| Christian response towards Bersih and E.O Posted: 06 Jul 2011 04:37 PM PDT
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