Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Odds against ‘betting for education’ fund winning Chinese votes
- Page accuses Putrajaya of ‘buying time’, wants English-language option restored
- WIKILEAKS: SABAH: POROUS BORDERS; PROBLEMS WITH FOREIGNERS; UNHAPPY UMNO COALITION PARTNER
- Statement from LDP Deputy President Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin
- Malaysia's Najib Calls for Electoral Reform
- Sita gereja: Blogger Umno tipu
- PAS real target of JAIS’ raid: DUMC dispensable collateral damage
- Can PAS Lead A Future Government?
- Polls reform panel useless if under government control, says PAS
- PM needs to put a little crazy in his circle
- Enough Excuses, Prasarana!
- A short rebuke of Ezam Mohd Nor
- Najib’s latest moves a sign of returning to the centre
- Felda loses RM200mil defamation suit against ex-deputy minister
- PAS ganti Umno atau PAS bersama Umno?
- PAS, DUMC meeting called off
- Create philosopher-leaders, not sophisticated plunders
- HINDRAF suit against BRITAIN government spearheaded by a righteous MUSLIM
| Odds against ‘betting for education’ fund winning Chinese votes Posted: 16 Aug 2011 12:45 PM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider A Putrajaya-backed plan to pump up to RM20 million in gambling profits annually into Chinese and Indian vernacular education is unlikely to sway the Chinese vote back to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), pundits say. The RM2.1 billion takeover of billionaire Ananda Krishnan's Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd by a consortium of Chinese tycoons led by Tan Sri Lim Kok Tay of gambling giant Genting last week, will also lead to profits channelled to "Jana Pendidikan" — a trust fund for vernacular schools. But politicians and analysts told The Malaysian Insider that the purchase will not be seen as a government effort, or worse, a case of the Najib administration abdicating its responsibility to the education needs of minorities. "I don't think this will translate into votes for Barisan Nasional at all. I fail to see any fundamental change in government policy toward mother tongue education," said Chinese educationist Kua Kia Soong (picture). DAP publicity chief Tony Pua also agreed, pointing out that "all this time, Chinese businessmen have donated to Chinese schools, so what is the difference now that its profits from a company run by Chinese?" The Singapore Straits Times had recently cited financial executives involved in the deal as saying that it could improve Barisan Nasional's (BN) standing among Chinese and Indians who swung away from the ruling coalition in the landmark 2008 election. Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is expected to call an election within the year, has been tasked with reversing losses that denied BN its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament and five state governments. The take-over of the gambling company came just before Najib announced a parliamentary select panel to review the electoral system and an end to crude media censorship this week, in a concession to the middle class and urban vote after being criticised for the security crackdown on the July 9 Bersih rally. Education has also long been a source of dissatisfaction from the Chinese and Indian community. While Malays enjoy extensive state support for education including financial grants, scholarships and enrolment quotas in public universities, Chinese and Indian schools struggle each year for funding. Kua said the government's cap on the number of state-funded vernacular schools has seen the number of Chinese and Tamil schools drop from 1,350 and 880 respectively in peninsular Malaysia at independence in 1957, to just 1,280 and 550 today despite their combined population doubling.
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| Page accuses Putrajaya of ‘buying time’, wants English-language option restored Posted: 16 Aug 2011 12:27 PM PDT
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (Page) wants Putrajaya to restore 'teaching science and maths in English' option before it kicks off a new policy next year. Its vice-chairman, Sulaiman Mahran, ticked off Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for saying the Education Ministry will study further the possibility of using two languages to teach the two subjects in national schools, as reported by state news agency Bernama yesterday. "It's only buying time until 2012 when the MBMMBI will be fully implemented," Sulaiman said in a statement, referring to the "Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening Command of English" policy that is to take over the existing language policy for science and maths (PPSMI). The English-language lobbyist pointed out that the long-term advantages of English had been identified during the Mahathir administration but that its implementation was miscarried during the Abdullah administration. "Datuk Seri Najib's administration should repair its implementation, not dismantle it, "What should be studied deeper is MBMMBI, which is clearly defective because it reduces the students' exposure to English by 50 per cent," Sulaiman said. Prior to the Sarawak polls on April 16, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had also announced he would consider using dual languages as the medium of instruction for Mathematics and Science in schools. PPSMI was first introduced in 2003 but the Education Ministry decided last year to stop it by 2012 after consulting with teachers and parents around the country.
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| WIKILEAKS: SABAH: POROUS BORDERS; PROBLEMS WITH FOREIGNERS; UNHAPPY UMNO COALITION PARTNER Posted: 16 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT
Two PBS state assemblymen, Ching Eng Leong and Samson Chin Chee Tsu, told us on October 4 that former PM Mahathir began the initiative prior to the 1994 state assembly election, in order to ensure UMNO's political takeover of Sabah. UMNO's control was further solidified during the 1999 state election, as UMNO granted more foreigners citizenship and voting rights under what came to be known as "Project Mahathir." THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 001948 SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, DS/ATA AND DS/IP/ITA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2016 TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PGOV, PINR, KDEM, KISL, SMIG, ASEC, MY
SUBJECT: SABAH: POROUS BORDERS; PROBLEMS WITH FOREIGNERS; UNHAPPY UMNO COALITION PARTNER
REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 1862 B. KUALA LUMPUR 1935
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b , d).
Summary 1. (C) The police, political leaders, a human rights official in the East Malaysia state of Sabah recently expressed their concerns to us about rising crime and the security impact from the high number of foreigners - both legal and illegal - residing in the state. Sabah's Acting Police Commissioner said illegal migrants and other foreigners committed three out of four violent crimes in the state, but he did not address terrorist threats or transnational crime syndicates. On other issues, a Sabah state minister from Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's political party, UMNO, criticized the PM's intellectual capacity and said the PM's inner circle gives him "bad advice." The minister predicted the UMNO national assembly in November would be "a timid affair." One of the 16 commissioners from Malaysia's government-funded national human rights commission (Suhakam) told us the government views Suhakam as "a pest." Seconding other comments from the Suhakam commissioner about the large influx of foreigners into Sabah, two state assemblymen expressed trepidation about the state's security situation. The pending U.S. Border Control Assessment Initiative (ref A) will assist our efforts to better understand the security ramifications of Sabah's porous borders and identify ways the U.S. can assist. End Summary. Police Face Challenges from Criminals - And Parliament 2. (C) Sabah's Acting Police Commissioner, Mohd Bakri Zinin, told us on October 4 that "illegal migrants and other foreigners" account for about three-fourths of violent crimes committed in the state. He said almost all the crime was locally based and that transnational crime syndicates were "not much of a problem" in Sabah. Zinin notably did not address the issue of terrorists either located in or transiting Sabah. When asked about the potential for human trafficking into the Malaysian federal territory island of Labuan, near Sabah's western coast, Zinin stated flatly, "There is no trafficking problem in Labuan. Those women are all volunteers who claim to be victims when caught." (Note: Septel addresses prostitution on Labuan. End Note.) 3. (C) Zinin criticized a recently enacted amendment to the criminal procedure code that eliminated prosecutors' usage of police-obtained confessions in trying criminal defendants. Confessions are now only admissible if done in front of a magistrate. Zinin said the amendment "will hurt our ability to get convictions." He stated, "As a result, we'll likely make greater use of (Malaysia's four preventative detention laws), even though we know this will bring criticism from Suhakam and the NGOs." (Note: The laws he referenced are the Internal Security Act, Restricted Residence Act, Dangerous Drugs Act, and Emergency Ordinance. They allow the police and the internal security ministry to jointly incarcerate individuals for extended periods without trial, in cases where police lack sufficient evidence to obtain a criminal conviction. From our local sources, we believe 700 - 1,000 Malaysians suspected of criminal activity are currently jailed under the Emergency Ordinance alone. End Note.) UMNO Minister Swipes at Prime Minister Abdullah... 4. (C) While making unsolicited comments about Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's public image and job performance, Sabah's Minister of Youth and Sports, Masidi Manjun, told us, "Abdullah is not an intellectual and is a bit slow in his thinking." He said the PM is "getting bad advice from his inner circle" regarding both the content and "scripted shouting" of some of his latest speeches to his ethnic Malay political base. Manjun, who formally headed Sabah's primary government-funded think tank (the Institute of Development Studies), told us of a private comment made by former PM Mahathir during a recent trip to Japan. Mahathir reportedly told a senior Japanese politician, "Japan is the home of the rising sun, and Malaysia is home to the rising son-in-law." This was a reference to PM Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, who serves as the deputy president of UMNO Youth. With Mahathir's recent failure to be elected as an UMNO delegate at the party's national assembly in November, Manjun predicted the assembly will be "a timid affair," with no major pronouncements or surprises. ...And Foreigners in His State 5. (C) Manjun complained that Sabah was "flooded with foreigners." He singled out Filipino Muslims from Mindanao as "especially troublesome." He said, "They are not as devout as us." He told us the state's Filipinos were "using our social services and not integrating into society," and that "vagrancy and violence" were rampant within Sabah's Filipino community. He called Sabah's maritime and land borders "very porous" and expressed concern that Sabah's foreign residents were starting to become politically active. He acknowledged, however, the economic importance of Sabah's foreign population. With regard to Sabah's large number of illegal foreign workers, estimated to total over 750,000, Manjun said, "We need them here, or our economy would collapse." Fallout from UMNO-Fueled Population Boom in Sabah 6. (C) UMNO's main Sabah-based partner party, PBS, remains publicly indignant about UMNO grants of citizenship and related voting rights during the 1990s to over 600,000 foreigners (predominantly Muslims from Indonesia and Mindanao), in return for those individuals' votes in Sabah's state assembly elections. Two PBS state assemblymen, Ching Eng Leong and Samson Chin Chee Tsu, told us on October 4 that former PM Mahathir began the initiative prior to the 1994 state assembly election, in order to ensure UMNO's political takeover of Sabah. UMNO's control was further solidified during the 1999 state election, as UMNO granted more foreigners citizenship and voting rights under what came to be known as "Project Mahathir." According to Samson, PBS switched from its opposition party status in 2000 and allied itself with UMNO. Ching said, "UMNO had completely taken over by that time. They paid off our party leaders and several assemblymen in cash, and threatened to freeze our constituencies out of federal and state funding if we didn't join them." Since 2000, the state assembly has remained 100 percent controlled by the UMNO-led coalition; opposition parties in Sabah have no elected representatives. 7. (C) Suhakam recently researched the allegations surrounding Project Mahathir and concurred with PBS' findings. According to Suhakam, Sabah's legal resident population increased 362 percent to 2.6 million from 1970 to 2000, compared to a population increase of only 135 percent over the same time period in the neighboring state of Sarawak. This substantial increase in Sabah's legal residents excludes an influx of over 750,000 foreigners holding invalid identity cards and visas - or no documents at all - according to Suhakam. According to Samson, a UK-educated lawyer whose electoral district encompasses Tawau on the east coast near the Indonesian border, Filipinos and Indonesians outnumber Malaysians 3 to 1 along Sabah's east coast from Sandakan to Tawau. He said, "The security situation in the area is not good." He also claimed that corruption in Tawau is rampant among police and immigration officers. He said it had "tripled over the last 30 years." He and his wife recently refused to attend an event that gathered public and private sector leaders on the resort island of Mabul, off the east coast of Sabah, as he feared an attack on the gathering by Mindanao-based Muslim extremists. The event took place without incident. Government Ignores Suhakam 8. (C) With regard to the plight of Malaysia's largely impoverished rural indigenous persons in Borneo, Suhakam's Vice Chairman and resident Commissioner in Sabah, Simon Sipaun, echoed the sentiments expressed to us by his fellow Suhakam commissioner in Sarawak (ref B). He said he spends most of his time on indigenous persons' issues and lamented the government's lack of support for Suhakam. He said, "We're viewed as a pest." Sipuan told us that prisons in the state are "50 percent to 75 percent overcrowded" and that about three-fourths of all prisoners are illegal migrants and other foreigners. He described conditions in the state's three illegal migrant detention centers as "overcrowded and generally poor." Sipuan felt the large number of Filipinos on the state's east coast represented a potential security threat "if they decide to become more politically active, or if parts of Mindanao become more autonomous." Comment 9. (C) Among all Malaysian states, Sabah faces uniquely severe border control and related security pressures. Filipinos and Indonesians move easily - and often illegally - between Sabah and their respective home countries. UMNO leaders in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur will likely continue to remain silent with regard to the deleterious effects of Project Mahathir, as this initiative achieved its primary goal (UMNO political dominance) many years ago; they consider it "old news." In any case, a significant reduction in Sabah's foreign-born population could only be reversed in the near term through an UMNO-led effort to round up and deport the very workers that drive Sabah's natural resource-based economy. While Malaysia periodically launches campaigns to expel illegal workers, even PBS' leaders concede this is highly unlikely to be carried out to the point of seriously harming the state's economy. The U.S. Border Control Assessment Initiative (BCAI) focused on the Sulu and Sulawesi sea areas of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines will enhance our understanding of the security challenges facing Sabah and ways we can assist. We currently are working to obtain GOM approval for the Sabah field portion. SHEAR
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| Statement from LDP Deputy President Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin Posted: 15 Aug 2011 10:50 PM PDT KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Deputy President Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin has refuted Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman's statement that LDP is putting pressure on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over the issue of seats allocation in the coming general elections. He said like other BN component parties, LDP President Datuk VK Liew was merely expressing the aspirations of party members during the annual general meeting of the LDP divisions. "The LDP never put pressure on the Prime Minister. In fact, those who put pressure on the Prime Minister are certain leaders who created problems within the BN coalition. "We strongly believe that the BN leadership need to take action to resolve the problems within the BN coalition in Sabah so that all the component parties can unite and work together in ensuring BN victory in the 13th general elections," said Chin when responding Abdul Rahman yesterday. Chin said there is nothing wrong for Liew to voiced LDP's aspiration to defend the four seats - the parliamentary seat Sandakan and the state seats of Tg Kapor, Karamunting and Merotai - that wwere allocted to the party in the 2008 general elections. "We worked really hard to win the four seats despite the back-stabbings from certain quarters within the BN coalition who were bent on destroying the LDP. "We in LDP strongly believe that we've the right to defend the four seats," he added. Chin also fully supported Liew that LDP is the only Sabah-based Chinese party eligible to lay claim on the six seats left 'vacant' following the pull out of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) from the BN in September 2008. In dismissing Abd Rahman's contention that Liew's statement amounted to putting pressure on the Prime Minister into a defensive situation, Chin pointed out it is normal for any of the BN component parties to voice out their stand and the problems raised during the AGM. "It's not just the LDP, even other BN component parties like Upko and Umno are also doing the same thing. At one time, Sabah Umno openly laid claim on the Merotai seat currently held by LDP and Putatan parliamentary seat now held by Upko. "When Sabah Umno made such claims, does Umno care about the feelings of other BN component parties," he asked. "LDP president only stated the party's aspiration to defend the four seats it had won in 2008 general elections, apart from conveying the party's members wish to contest the six seats now held by SAPP. Ultimately, we will leave it to the wisdom of the Prime Minister's in deciding on the seats allocation," he stressed. Chin also reminded Abd Rahman of the latter's obligations as the State BN Secretary he must be fair to all the BN component parties and not just to speak up for one person only. "Each time LDP makes a statement, you said it's wrong but every thing said by your big brother is always right," he said, without elaborating. He added as the State BN secretary, Abd Rahman should remain neutral. Chin also disagreed with Abd Rahman that the BN component parties in Sabah can sit down together as a family in deliberating on issues affecting the coalition. "If that is actually the case, then there should not be any disagreement amnong the BN component parties in Sabah," he contended.
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| Malaysia's Najib Calls for Electoral Reform Posted: 15 Aug 2011 10:43 PM PDT
By Asia Sentinel Apparently bending to widespread criticism of a government crackdown of a July 9 march demanding electoral reform, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said Tuesday that a parliamentary select committee is to be formed as soon as possible to seek to reform the current system. The announcement appears to answer a central demand of the reform group Bersih, a coalition of good-government organizations backed by opposition parties to clean up the electoral process.
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| Sita gereja: Blogger Umno tipu Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:40 PM PDT
(Harakah Daily) - Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam, Khalid Samad menafikan tuduhan blogger Umno, Papa Gomo kononnya beliau dan beberapa Adun Selangor mengarahkan pembatalan sita Gereja Methodist Damansara Utama (GMDU). Menurut Khalid, Papa Gomo dalam blognya menyiarkan surat palsu dari Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) berkaitan kontroversi serbuan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) ke atas gereja tersebut baru-baru ini. Ia kononnya mengandungi bukti campur tangan Khalid, Nik Nazmi, Ronnie Liu, Teresa Kok dan Elizabeth Wong dalam operasi sita tersebut. "Saya menafikan sekeras-kerasnya tuduhan ini dan pemalsuan yang dilakukan Papa Gomo itu hanyalah untuk beri gambaran buruk kepada Pakatan Rakyat," kata beliau pada sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PAS, Jalan Raja Laut, dekat sini, hari ini. Beliau juga berkata, Papa Gomo jelas tidak melakukan persediaan sebelum melakukan penipuan apabila menyatakan lokasi GMDU terletak di Damansara Utama sedangkan lokasi sebenar rumah ibadat itu adalah di Seksyen 13, Petaling Jaya. "Papa Gomo kata MBPJ menerima aduan daripada seorang penduduk Damansara Utama tapi yang sebenarnya gereja itu di Seksyen 13 Pataling Jaya. Nampak sangat tak study betul-betul," katanya. Sehubungan itu, beliau bersama-sama MBPJ membuat laporan polis di Ibu Pejabat Polis Petaling Jaya petang ini meminta satu siasatan dijalankan terhadap Papa Gomo.
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| PAS real target of JAIS’ raid: DUMC dispensable collateral damage Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:22 PM PDT
THE MICAH MANDATE The war drums beat ominously. The platoons are quickly mobilized for attack. The commanders are confident that their target will be hit and destroyed given numerous artillery salvos. I am not talking about shock and awe in the Iraq war. I am talking about how Jais and Umno activists have carefully orchestrated their recent attacks on a Malaysian church after their illegal raid of DUMC. It is easy to be confused, especially when Jais and Umno activists deliberately cloud the issues with wild claims, hoping that their illegal transgression into a church will be overlooked and the innocent victim (DUMC) will somehow appear guilty, if accused repeatedly. It does not matter that till now Jais has failed to produce any credible evidence to support the raid. Jais seems to operate on the basis that people will end up believing lies so long as they are repeated enough in the media. An undeniable violation of a holy place But how does one sift out the truth from the lies? First we stress the undeniable facts: A group of 20-30 members from Jais and the police raided the premises of DUMC where there was a thanksgiving dinner held by Harapan Community in appreciation of people who have supported their community service. This raid was undeniably an illegal act since the officials were unable to produce a search warrant. In effect, the Jais violated the sanctity of a house of God. The raid is not only illegal; it is an almost unforgivable sin. Any Muslim should know this and would shrink in horror and be tempted to retaliate should officials from another religion violate their mosques. Jais initially defended the raid by claiming that they are empowered to act on grounds of suspicious activities. But even if we go by the requirements of the Penal Code, such raids must be backed by reasonable suspicion, that is, there must be prima facie evidence to justify the raid. Till today, Jais has failed to offer the slightest modicum of evidence that can be accepted as "reasonable suspicion", much less be accepted as prima facie evidence. Jais backpedalled from its claim to have the authority to raid DUMC and now describes its act as an "inspection" — a definite sign that it realises (but is not admitting publicly) that the raid was illegal. But what gives Jais the authority to inspect DUMC, or any church for that matter? The supreme law of the land, the Federal Constitution, specifies that Syariah law has no jurisdiction over non-Muslims. Jais officials, accompanied by the police or not, have no business to interfere with what is going on inside a church – especially when there is not the slightest reasonable suspicion. To repeat, Jais violated the sanctity of the sanctuary of another religion. The raid is not only illegal; it is an almost unforgivable sin. Flimsy evidence for charge of proselytisation Jais' violation is unjustifiable and would set a dangerous precedent if left unchallenged. Christians are naturally aggrieved (and MBBCHST publicly shares the same sentiments with a public statement) and have good reasons to demand an apology and receive an assurance that such acts will not be repeated. This grievous issue must be kept in the forefront, especially now that Jais is desperately trying to muddy the controversy by heaping a series of accusations about Christian proselytisation and conversion of Muslims. But the allegation of proselytisation just won't hold water. First, Jais has not linked, much less produced evidence to support allegations of proselytisation in DUMC. If there is any allegation of proselytisation, it is directed towards Harapan Community. DUMC is only the renter letting out its premises to a bona fide NGO. DUMC's innocence and integrity is above reproach. In contrast, Jais exceeds its bounds of authority. Second, Jais has failed to produce credible evidence to support the charge of proselytisation by Harapan Community. It produced a scanned picture of a quiz on Islam and took offense that words like "Allahu Akbar" and "Alhamdullilah" were used at the dinner. But this evidence proves to be dubious upon a closer examination. The quiz turns out to be an exercise to help people understand Islam better with questions like. "What does the word 'Quran' mean? How many sura are there in the Quran? What are the pillars of Islam?" It may be granted that Jais may have (still disputable) grounds to charge Harapan community if the quiz was on Christianity, but it turns out that the quiz was on Islam. If anybody has reason to be offended, it is the Christian community, since apparently Islam was taught in church! Likewise, what's wrong with Christians using the words "Allahu Akbar" and "Alhamdullilah"? The phrases mean "God is great" and "Praise to God". Malay speaking Christians who share strong historic links with Arabic Christians would feel as natural singing these phrases as when singing "Hallelujah". As such, praise to God there certainly was, but proselytisation, there surely wasn't. All in all, Jais must be pretty desperate to clutch to these "evidence" to support the alleged proselytisation. Jais tries to buttress it case by making reference to Muslims who have converted to Christianity, but these cases have nothing to do with Harapan Community. But for the sake of argument, even if a Malay attending the thanksgiving dinner eventually declares he is a Christian, Jais cannot simply jump to the conclusion that Harapan Community was guilty of proselytisation. It could be the case that this Malay became a Christian on his own initiative (given easy access to teaching of Christianity in the internet) or that he was influenced while studying overseas. Jais may implicate Harapan Community of proselytisation only if it produces evidence that directly links the social services of Harapan Community to proselytisation. So far, Jais is unable to produce any evidence. A fortiori, it is even less able to associate DUMC with questionable allegations of proselytisation. To conclude and to recapitulate to the main issue, Jais has no justifiable grounds to raid and violate the sanctity of a church (DUMC).
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| Can PAS Lead A Future Government? Posted: 15 Aug 2011 04:43 PM PDT
A KADIR JASIN OFTEN, in this blog and elsewhere, people asked me if the Parti Islam Se Malaysia (Pan Malaysian Islamic Party aka PAS) could rule the country? As I wrote in my "Other Thots" column in the Aug.1 issue of the Malaysian Business magazine, the temptation is to refer them to the iconic song "Blowing in the Wind" by Bob Dylan. Why not? If it gets enough support, it could. Whether it will do a good or a bad one is another issue altogether. In democracy, you don't always choose the best to govern. But one thing is sure. PAS could not rule the country alone. It could rule the country only if it is able to lead the Pakatan Rakyat or any other alliance. But before it could hope to do that, it must first take over UMNO's role as the principal Malay party. PAS has to win as many seat as Umno and has to have the financial, organisational and intellectual capabilities matching that of Umno. Given the country's demography, political history and the ongoing trends, a Malay party will continue to lead. This dominance is clear in the BN, where Umno is the alpha male, but not so in the PR. In the 2008 general election, PAS came second to PKR among the three PR parties in terms of popular votes. The PKR won 1,529,265 votes that translated into 31 Parliamentary seats, PAS 1,140,598 (23 seats) and the DAP 1,097,752 (28 seats). Umno raked in 2,381,725 votes that translated in 79 seats, the MCA 840,489 (15 seats), the MIC 179,422 (3 seats) and Gerakan 184, 548 (2 seats). PAS Has To Lead PR PAS could only hope to rule the country if it leads the PR the way UMNO has been leading the Alliance/BN since independence. For now, there's no dominant party in the PR. The alliance is an equal partnership among the Malay dominated PAS, the Chinese dominated DAP and the multi-racial, but Malay-led PKR. This equal partnership may be attractive to the liberals and those fighting for equality, but politically it cannot guarantee strength and cohesiveness. Collective leadership among equals is difficult to manage, more so in a multi-racial environment like Malaysia. From the viewpoint of the Malay support, Pas has been inching closer to Umno, but it cannot hope to be as strong as Umno if it continues to share the Malay-majority seats, hence Malay votes, with PKR, another Malay-centric party in the Pakatan. In the last general election, thanks to the electoral pact cobbled together by Anwar Ibrahim, and the widespread disgruntlement with the then Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Pas won Kedah in addition to retaining Kelantan. It won seats in places that it had not dreamt of and gained supporters in places where Umno ruled supreme like Johor and Malacca. With the benefit of hindsight, we can say that the hatred for the so-called Fourth Floor Boys (FFBs) cost Umno a lot of votes. Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is undeniably better and more capable than Abdullah, but whether he too suffers from the FFB-type burden is anybody's guess. If he is, the opposition can count on another fruitful outing. In today's ICT-driven world, perception plays as important a role as reality. Mohd Najib has to prove to the voters, especially members and supporters of his own party, Umno that he's not only the master of the Malay destiny, but also the lord of his castle, failing which his Achilles heel will buckle. Those us who are familiar with the song "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" made popular by Neil Diamond, can more easily figure this one out. The Changing Face Of Pas In recent years, Pas had undergone considerable leadership and policy changes with the non-ulama now dominating the leadership and Islamic State objective morphing into welfare state. But its relationship with its partners, in particular the DAP, remains touchy due to vast ideological and policy differences. The three PR parties appear to be moving in tandem at the federal level, especially in taking on the BN in Parliament, but show considerable differences in the states that they rule. A case in point was the recent attempt by the Pas-led Kedah government to shut down entertainment outlets during this fasting month and the reaction to the recent "inspection" by the Selangor Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIS) of a dinner gathering by an independent evangelical church, which were attended by Muslims, and features, among other things, a quiz on Islam. Following a strong objection by the DAP, the party's national leadership back downed, leaving the Kedah Menteri Besar, Azizan Abdul Razak red-faced, and many Pas supporters angry. The church issue is far more complicated. After days of trying to ride the political wave, Pas, on Aug. 13, moved to the side of JAIS, urging the department to take immediate action if it finds proof that Christians were proselytising to Muslims. The statement by the party's non-ulama Deputy President, Mohamad Sabu, came after reports in the mainstream and alternative media suggest that there were evidence that some independent churches are engaged in the activity.
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| Polls reform panel useless if under government control, says PAS Posted: 15 Aug 2011 04:23 PM PDT
By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider The parliamentary select committee on electoral reform is useless if it is under the control of the government, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said today. "There is no use having a select committee if it is still follows parliamentary culture and the government is in charge and we are the minority," he told reporters at the PAS headquarters this afternoon. His remarks today followed the Najib administration's announcement yesterday that it would form a select committee on electoral reform. "We were not informed. There was no consultation with us at all. What type or structure of select committee, we do not know. So now we are waiting for the terms of reference of the committee," Salahuddin said. "We are disappointed as to why the PM rushed to form the committee when all political parties were not consulted," he added.
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| PM needs to put a little crazy in his circle Posted: 15 Aug 2011 04:19 PM PDT
He would suggest that a much better and cheaper way would be to perhaps invite a few hundred avid Malaysian bloggers to Seri Perdana for tea and curry puffs and tell them to help promote Malaysian tourism instead. David D. Mathew, The Malaysian Insider There is a man in London who travels six miles to work on his bicycle. He often walks around the office barefoot and has been spotted at work wearing a T-shirt saying "Love Me, Love My Bike". If you're thinking that this man is some random bloke working dispatch — think again, because you'd be wrong. His name is Steve Hilton — the British prime minister's director of strategy and close confidant. Yes, Hilton, a political outsider, works at No. 10 Downing Street. Famed for his out-of-the-box "blue-sky thinking", Hilton was recently thrust into the spotlight when the Financial Times ran an article about his more radical ideas such as scrapping maternity leave because it is "the biggest obstacle to woman finding work." Frustrated with the lumbering government machinery, Hilton was also reported to have suggested sacking hundreds of government press offices and replacing them with a blog for each Whitehall department. He is also in favour of employing "cloud busting" technology to create longer summers. The list does not end there. Some of his other ideas to boost the economy come in the form of abolishing Job Centres, suspending consumer rights laws for nine months "to see what would happen" and ignoring some EU employment regulations. Not all off his proposals are actually carried into becoming government policy but Hilton's barmy ideas serve as intellectual challenges and spark debate within David Cameron's inner circle, many of whom are traditionalists who tend to play it safe. Perhaps Prime Minister Najib Razak needs a Steve Hilton as well. Let us name this hypothetical character Jebat. Jebat will tell the prime minister that spending RM1.8 million to develop six Facebook pages to promote Malaysian tourism is a waste of money and something this country can ill afford in these difficult times. He would suggest that a much better and cheaper way would be to perhaps invite a few hundred avid Malaysian bloggers to Seri Perdana for tea and curry puffs and tell them to help promote Malaysian tourism instead. After deducting the cost of the tea and curry puffs, the remainder monies could perhaps be channelled as scholarships for gifted students. Jebat will then tell the prime minister that no matter what, inviting strange African dictators like Robert Mugabe to town and spending taxpayers' money on him is a terrible idea. Rather than spending money holding events such as the Langkawi International Dialogue, out of which the public sees little positive outcome, it would be better to spend that money hosting the Simpang Pulai Local Dialogue on Reducing Horrendous Annual Bus Accidents, for example. Jebat will also tell the prime minister that since there is no real emergency in this country it should follow that the Emergency Ordinance and its evil twin brother the Internal Security Act be repealed. In its place, the government could look into enacting a variety of other more palatable legislation.
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 04:11 PM PDT By Tony Pua Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd project development director Zulkifli Mohd Yusoff said last week that the land and buildings above the tunnel in Chinatown had to be acquired because "Section 44 of the National Land Code 1965 states that property owners not only have the right to the plot itself but also the air above and ground below." At the meeting with the affected property owners on Thursday last week, Zulkifli said that SPNB had spent "three to four months" in talks with the Attorney-General's Chambers to see if it was possible to tunnel underneath existing properties without having to acquire them but was told it could not be done. "We had months of discussion with the Attorney-General's Chambers on how we can have the tunnel underneath and the buildings remain... but under the current law, there is no such provision," he said. The above "excuse" for the compulsory acquisition of land above the tunnel is complete and utter nonsense. Either Prasarana is trying to get away by telling tall tales, or the Attorney-General's Chambers does not know what laws have been passed in this country. The National Land Code 1965 had been specifically amended in 1990 to allow for the acquisition of underground land without affecting surface property by inserting Part Five (A) (section 92A to 92G) under Clause 3. The amendment enables the disposal of "underground land", which can then either be alienated or leased or can be subject to the right of use. In fact, when the Amendments were debated and passed in parliament on the 15 December 1989, the then Deputy Land Development Minister, Haji Mohd Khalid bin Mohd Yunus had presented the bill and clarified that this was to enable the construction of underground car parks, underground railways and underground pipes and other conduits. …Terdapat juga keadaan di mana kawasan-kawasan yang terhad yang berada di kawasan strategik, perlu dikekalkan sebagai kawasan lapang, padang permainan dan lain-lain kegunaan awam. Dalam keadaan sekarang tanah yang berada di bawah paras bumi tidak dapat dilupuskan secara berasingan. Dengan kemampuan teknologi yang ada pada masa ini, tanah di bawah permukaan bumi mungkin boleh dimajukan bagi kegunaan yang tertentu, seperti tempat letak kereta, keretapi bawah tanah dan lain-lain. …Pindaan kepada Kanun Tanah Negara pada kali ini timbulnya dari… Keperluan mengadakan peruntukan bagi membolehkan pelupusan tanah di bawah paras bumi bagi kegunaan yang berlainan daripada kegunaan tanah di permukaan bumi dan Kajian semula Akta Hakmilik Strata 1985… (Hansard 15 December 1989 pp 11320-11321) Clearly then Prasarana is attempting to hijack the above pieces of land which affects the heritage shop lots in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown for the purposes of profit and not for the purposes of MRT construction works 100 feet underground. Such action for profit is clearly the use and abuse of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in bad faith. Given that it is possible for Prasarana to acquire the use of land underground without having to acquire property on the surface, it must now immediately withdraw its order to the affected landowners without causing any further inconvenience to them.
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| A short rebuke of Ezam Mohd Nor Posted: 15 Aug 2011 04:07 PM PDT By Art Harun Dear Ezam, With reference to your manic and almost maniacal spewing of hatred last Friday, I just have this to say to you. You are an embarrassment. This is Ramadhan. Muslims fast during Ramadhan. Good Muslims do not only fast and suffer mere physical pain during the fasting – a 6 year old can do that – but they reflect upon themselves and upon their surroundings and they abstain not only from food and drinks, but also from all things evil and ungodly. The hunger pang and thirst which Muslims suffer during the fast are just the surface of something which is deeper and more meaningful. Good Muslims correlate the mere physical abstention to a more meaningful spiritual experience. Without the spiritual experience and realisation of fasting, the act of fasting becomes and is reduced to a mere ritual and yearly routine. Perhaps it was not a surprise that you did what you did last Friday. That is because, well, you are just being yourself. Jihad in Islam has been totally misunderstood, by the non-Muslims and Muslims alike. And who is to blame for such misunderstanding when there are people like you going around running amok after Friday prayer and rabidly calling for jihad and threatening to burn down news portals? May I ask you Ezam Mohd Nor, exactly against whom were you going to jihad? All Christians in Malaysia? The Damansara Utama Methodist Church? Oh yes, against those Christians who are conspiring to proselytise all Muslims in Malaysia and elsewhere. Yes, I forgot. But exactly who are they? And where are they? Jihad does not mean declaring a war. The word "jahada", which is the base word for jihad simply means "to strive" or "to struggle". Throughout time, this word has been twisted, manipulated and misinterpreted by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The result is that Islam has been painted with this black images of suicide bombers seeking martyrdom and of cartoons like yourself running amok after Fridar prayer and in the compound of a mosque no less. The Quran ordains: "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors." (2:190) Yes. It asks us to fight and strive. But only in the cause of Allah and against those who fight us. We are not asked to look for fights. Even if circumstances require and demand us to fight, the Quran implores us not to transgress limits. May I therefore ask you Ezam, were there any party fighting us last Friday? If so, who? And did you not stop to think that you were not transgressing the limits last Friday considering the nature of our society? What is the best jihad of all jihads? You think it's burning down other people's office is the best? Well please go and study the Quran and the traditions.
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| Najib’s latest moves a sign of returning to the centre Posted: 15 Aug 2011 04:03 PM PDT
The Malaysian Insider understands that at last Wednesday's retreat involving ministers and chief ministers/mentris besar, Najib spoke about the need to understand clearly the aspirations of the people and not be dismissive of people who did not agree with the government. Datuk Seri Najib Razak's announcements last night of a select committee on electoral reform and rolling back censorship of international media are the clearest sign that he has decided to put some space between himself and hardliners in government, especially Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. Sources in the prime minister's camp say that Najib now realises the folly of a sledgehammer approach — one which has soiled his aim of being seen as a moderate and reformer and has caused him support of middle Malaysia. Privately, he has blamed several ministers and aides who have been counselling tough action against Bersih 2.0 and painted an erroneous picture of some of the challenges facing his administration. "The tough action has widened the disconnect between PM and the people, and the reality of the situation. He is taking steps to repair that damage," a source told The Malaysian Insider. The Malaysian Insider understands that at last Wednesday's retreat involving ministers and chief ministers/mentris besar, Najib spoke about the need to understand clearly the aspirations of the people and not be dismissive of people who did not agree with the government. Notably, many ministers stayed clear of the topic of Bersih 2.0 and electoral reform, with only Hishammuddin giving a stout defence of the police crackdown on the July 9 rally, justifying and saying it was correct. Since the fallout of the rally, some of Najib's aides have been at pains to say that he received wrong advice from certain ministers, advice which may explain the PM's decision to rescind the stadium offer. The Malaysian Insider understands that Najib had informed economic advisers on July 5 that the government had agreed to the stadium after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong met Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan but he then inexplicably changed his mind later. There has been some pressure from the more conservative elements of Umno for Najib to go hard after the organisers of Bersih, and these hardliners have the support of a couple of senior Umno ministers but the PM knows that this approach will cut his support among middle-class Malays and the non-Malays even more, and reduce chances of a good win at the polls. It is still unclear why Najib took so long to find out or decide that the hardline approach was leading him down the path of political demise.
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| Felda loses RM200mil defamation suit against ex-deputy minister Posted: 15 Aug 2011 03:59 PM PDT  By M Mageswari, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and its investment company Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd have lost their RM200mil defamation suit against former Deputy Land and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong. In court papers, the two had claimed that Dr Tan had caused the publication of defamatory words in Suara Keadilan in its June 22-29 edition last year. In the suit filed on Jan 25,the two claimed that the words implied that the plaintiffs were involved in corruption and had committed an unlawful act. Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Zabariah Mohd Yusof held that the plaintiffs failed to prove that Dr Tan uttered defamatory words and was responsible for the publication of such words in the newspaper report. Felda has to pay RM100,000 in costs to Dr Tan. However Felda has to pay only RM70,000 in costs as the defendant has to pay RM30,000 costs to plaintiffs for the preliminary point raised in the suit earlier. In his statement of defence, Dr Tan had admitted to have given an interview to a Suara Keadilan newspaper reporter named as Faizal Zakaria, but claimed he did not defame the two plaintiffs. Alternatively, Dr Tan said the words were true, in fact, and that they were published on an occasion of qualified privilege. | |
| PAS ganti Umno atau PAS bersama Umno? Posted: 15 Aug 2011 03:43 PM PDT
(Siasah Daily) - Dua tulisan terkini oleh dua pemerhati politik tempatan berhubung kedudukan politik PAS dan Umno, amat menarik untuk dinilai. Apapun kecenderungan politik parti yang boleh dikaitkan dengan dua penulis tersebut, beberapa persoalan realistik yang dikemukakan - isu yang agak diabaikan oleh pembangkang yang berbilang kaum itu - wajar diberi perhatian.
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 03:25 PM PDT
The Damansara Utama Methodist Church had cancelled the scheduled meeting with PAS leaders today due to "recent developments"and because it was sensitive in nature. (Free Malaysia Today) - Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) has cancelled the scheduled meeting with PAS today on reasons that there have been "recent developments" and that the case was sensitive in nature. Confirming this, PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that DUMC had sent a letter of postponement to the PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali last night. PAS was scheduled to meet with the church this afternoon as part of their internal probe over the controversial raid by Selangor Islamic Religious Department(JAIS) during a thanksgiving dinner at the church two weeks ago. "The decision by the church was to diffuse tension over the issue. It may also be the Selangor Sultan's advice to JAIS not to meet any parties to ensure information from the investigation is not leaked to anyone," said Tuan Ibrahim. JAIS, supposed to meet PAS yesterday, had also put off meeting. "If the meeting with PAS and JAIS occured yesterday, perhaps we'd still be meeting the church," the PAS Pahang commissioner said, adding that the meeting may be re-scheduled to after the Ramadan month. A DUMC spokesperson said both parties had agreed to postpone the meeting. He said it was due to "recent developments" and sensitive nature of the case, without elaborating further. PAS youth vice-chief Ahmad Sabki Yusof said DUMC's explanation over the postponement was unclear and that the postponement would be indefinite.
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| Create philosopher-leaders, not sophisticated plunders Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:42 PM PDT
Azly Rahman What we have is now, after over 50 years of independence, are a broken education system; a population that does not read books that help in the improvement of the soul, mind, and spirit; a ruling regime that is holding its last dying breath by chanting the mantra of racial and religious bigotry in the hope that it can continue to live in luxury for the next decade or so. We see no respect for the rule of law, an increasing gap between the rich and the poor, conspicuous consumption at the highest level of vulgarity, a continuing massacre of the voice of critical sensibility, a direction-less educational progress, production of public statements championing racial and religious bigotry, prostitutionalisation of the electoral process, drunkenness of politicians in attacking pluralists and multiculturalists, fear and trembling upon hearing the words "socialism" and "communism" - all these are indicators of the chaos Malaysians are experiencing in their attempt to understand where their leaders are taking them and why this nation is being torn apart. Has Malaysia made a wrong turn in conceptualising its economic, social, and political policies, merely transplanting a system left by the colonials?
Why are we experiencing this phenomenon? Why are our elected officials becoming corrupted to the core - both in the way they use power and the way they display the image of being in power? What has crept cancerously into the cognitive faculties/thinking process of our leaders in these five decade of unilinear developmentalist agenda that necessitates such a brutal image of arrogance in the way the leaders react to the voices of discontent as in the Bersih rally and in investigations on corrupt practices? Have Malaysians failed to examine their lives, borrowing the Socratic maxim "the unexamined life is not worth living"? Are we summoning our greatest enemy - ignorance - to lead us to the path of developmentalism and putting knowledge in front of the firing squad circa Merdeka/Independence, borrowing again another Socratic maxim "the greatest enemy of knowledge is ignorance"? I suppose we have installed rulers who are not philosophers. We continue to install exploiters and abusers of power that use the ideological state apparatuses to allow a certain paradigm of human and material development to reign supreme. We have installed robber barons who speak with a two-pronged tongue of national development; skilled users of Orwellian doublespeak. What we have is now, after over 50 years of independence, are a broken education system; a population that does not read books that help in the improvement of the soul, mind, and spirit; a ruling regime that is holding its last dying breath by chanting the mantra of racial and religious bigotry in the hope that it can continue to live in luxury for the next decade or so. We have a philosophically dead society by those who could not even see the need to look at society through the lens of political economy but rather see the bastardised version of specialised functions of governance as the only way to run society as a political entity. We need to groom philosopher-rulers - not as an elitist Platonic or Confucian type of ruling elitism, but to create the everyday philosopher-ruler in our project of grooming future leaders in virtually all sectors of our lives. Through education conceived differently to meet the needs of a degenerating society, members of society need to be taught how to analyse complex social, ethical, technological, and social issues in this post-industrial and informational age and offer scientific ideas to effect humanistic and social change in virtually all sectors of human intellectual-macro level activities. To save this nation from total destruction, we must go back to philosophy and through a rigorous curriculum adaptable to varying contexts of learning, teach our future leaders the following:
DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. | |
| HINDRAF suit against BRITAIN government spearheaded by a righteous MUSLIM Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:31 PM PDT Mr Imran Khan is a true Muslim as during this Ramadan month, besides fasting, he made an effort to bring justice for the hunger suffered by the poor, needy, marginalized and discriminated Malaysian Indians. By Muhyiddin Yasin
I find it amusing that a Pakistani born Muslim British citizen is able, ready and willing to head the suit against the British government for the misplaced and systematically discriminated Malaysian Indians. What is even more interesting is the so-called Muslim nation in Malaysia would refuse and bar entry to this Muslim brother who has been fasting during the Ramadan month. Mr Imran Khan practiced one of the five tenets of Islam, the third pillar of fasting during Ramadan, considered to be a way of experiencing what hunger is all about, sympathizing with the poor and the needy, and thanking god for everything one has received in life. Seriously, Mr Imran Khan is a true Muslim as during this Ramadan month, besides fasting, he made an effort to bring justice for the hunger suffered by the poor, needy, marginalized and discriminated Malaysian Indians. To provide them with an alternative, via the British courts, as the name sake politicians of so-called Malaysia, do not give two hoots to what happens to their fellow minorities. As a Malaysian Muslim, I am filled with pride and joy that this British Muslim subject is more concerned for the poor and discriminated Malaysian Indians and has embarked on his journey for what is righteous for humanity, inherent during the Ramadan month. It is shameful that most Muslim Malaysians don't understand the core teaching of our religion, as during Ramadan, we Muslims re-evaluate our lives under the principles of Islam. They are expected to make peace with their dear ones irrespective of their race, religion or creed even though the latter may have wronged them. Muslims are expected to purify their minds during the month of Ramadan. Not only should they purify their thoughts, but also their words and actions. It is sickening and sad that UMNO play the Muslims at the same game that was preached during the Dr M era, only to serve their own needs as opposed to the needs of the community, as in this case, the Malaysian Indians who have given, provided and accommodated everything for the betterment of Malaysia. As much as I am a Muslim, my Islamic religion teaches me to do good, and if good is what I can do, it does not matter what race, religion, or creed I impact, as long I can do right for the poor, marginalized and discriminated on my own accord. Trust me, you will never find such moderated Muslims in the world as you would find in Malaysia, as we are Malaysians. The Muslims in Malaysia are the best people in the world because we are more humane and practical having dealt with our multicultural brethren. Therefore, it does not make sense for us in allowing religious agendas to run its course for the benefit of our politicians. It is high time that we Malaysian Muslims listen to the grievances of the non-Muslims, who continue to be sidelined in their socio-development aspects rather than yielding to politicians who see no endgame unless their own needs are satisfied, even at the expense of religion.
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Have we nurtured a culture that ensures the continuation of a system of exploitation adorned with a façade of nationalism and patriotism derived from the much contested ideology of ketuanan Melayu that is fast losing its force of populism and gaining an image of neo-colonialist Sartrean nausea offering a "no-exit" route to a collapsing grand narrative of an Asian despotic form of deformed developmentalism?
We need to reconceptualise the way we run our universities and public institutions in the training of the mind to lead organisations. We need to help members of society understand what knowledge is, its origin, its transformative power, and how it should be applied for the good of those that are potentially marginalised, alienated, or even mentally enslaved in newer and more subtle ways.| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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