Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
| Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:39 PM PDT
By Mariam Mokhtar Just because you drive a Bentley doesn't mean you're loaded. You could be the chauffeur, on his way to fetch the towkay ….but your grey uniform gives you away. The Hermes Birkin that you carry is no proof that you are from high society. The must-have item could be a knock-off….all of RM30, from the stall down the road in Petaling Street. The pedigree dog which mopes around in its tiny cage under the front porch, doesn't mean you're a dog lover. The canine is a subtle showpiece to exhibit your wealth. And what use is attending St. Hugh's, if you've failed to use your university knowledge to do good but instead, attack a defenceless schoolboy, who happens to be the son of an opposition leader. Criticise the father (of the boy) if you must, but show your intellect and base your objections on sound policies and arguments. Khairy Jamaluddin is an Oxford graduate who may speak better English than the average Malaysian (according to those who have heard him speak). But he hasn't put his education to good use. At one time he was touted as an improvement on the uneducated Umno political candidate. But in the end, Khairy found it easier to drop his standards. After 54 years of perfecting the art of public manipulation, Umno is adept at making us part with our votes, mostly in exchange for a load of lies. In some cases, they threw in packs of milo anda few kilos of rice, perhaps a saree, an outboard motor or a shopping trip to Medan or Haadyai. Well this time, Khairy, the much touted 'Oxford grad' (as if that meant he could walk on water or had a brain size that was twice the normal person's) bit off more than he could chew. The Umno Youth chief used Twitter to spread malicious gossip about the son of Lim Guan Eng, the chief minister of Penang. The aim? To shame Lim's family and bring him down. Using Twitter, Khairy had written, "Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada" in response to another tweet by pro-Umno blogger"@PapaGomo". When translated: "He possibly destroyed Kampung Buah Pala because he wanted to replace it with Kampung Buah Dada". (Buah dada is a derogatory term for female breasts). Lim issued a stern rebuke to pro-Umno blogs and sites, about the "barbaric lies" concerning his son. He named Khairy Jamaluddin and other party leaders like Bukit Gelugor Umno division chairman Dr Novandri Hasan Basr. Lim said,"My family and I deplore these lies and fabrications against my young son as morally despicable and barbaric. Umno should act against those trying to wreck the life of my young son with cruel and barbaric lies just to finish me off politically." The ploy by Khairy, Novandri and other Umno diehards, has backfired. Even the most hardened of politicos are appalled, except the extremists who are without conscience. What Umno lacks in policies, it makes up for with its unhealthy use of sex as a political weapon. It is desperate and will clutch at straws, even fabricating lies about school children,simply to gain political mileage and deceive the rakyat. Sex is being used to bring down Anwar Ibrahim the opposition leader, in the protracted sodomy trials and the release of sex videos. Umno sympathisers tried to discredit Mat Sabu with phone-sex allegations. Why? They are trying to distract the rakyat from the high level electoral fraud, for which the government, the EC, NRD, and PDRM are all implicated. If anyone thinks Umno/BN are clean, think again. This is a list of men who are in positions of responsibility: Which uncouth MP committed polygamy? Which ex-minister and current president of another BN component party featured in an oral sex DVD? Which ex-minister and current Malaysian Ambassador was allegedly accused of sexually exploiting women? Which serving cabinet minister is allegedly accused of raping his domestic help? Which senior politician who is currently serving in the cabinet was allegedly caught with his pants down with a pop singer in a Port Dickson hotel and is allegedly implicated in the murder of another model? The list excludes past ministers, politicians and leaders of media or religious organisations. No conviction seems to stick. So, do they buy their way out of any conviction or just use threats? We have been inundated with the sexploits of these lotharios and have become immune to the scandals. After much brainstorming, Umno has decided on a better way to shock: Attack the children of the opposition. When the sex videos were released into the public domain this year, to discredit the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, it was discovered that the former Chief minister of Malacca, Rahim Tamby Chik was one of the ring leaders. Two decades ago, Rahim Thamby allegedly raped a minor and was forced to resign. The underage girl's grandmother sought the help of a DAP MP to bring Rahim Thamby to trial. Doesn't this show the level of mistrust Malays have for the elected Umno Malays? The DAP MP was Lim Guan Eng and he was jailed for his efforts. None of the other Umno Malays came to the defence of the girl and all were too afraid to support Lim. Today, Khairy Jamaluddin has joined the ranks of the morons and malfeasants in Umno. Umno plays dirty because it is desperate. And desperate people like Khairy, will do anything to be included in Najib's, or perhaps Umno's, plans for the future. Even if that means discarding their integrity and intellect.
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| Chairman Najib and the cultural revolution Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT
By Mariam Mokhtar, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's interpretation of the "best democracy" for Malaysia is to have a tight grip on the growing student movement and an even tighter hold on academics in Malaysian universities. In a move which could be seen as throttling intellectual discourse and stifling creative thinking, the authorities have sought to silence constitutional law expert, Professor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari of Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA). So are we experiencing an Umno-inspired cultural revolution? Today, Umno gags those in the world of academia. Will they resort to the burning of books, tomorrow? The Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) was enacted in 1971 to curb the growing student movement. It created an environment where students and lecturers did not feel free to express their views and opinions. Critics want the act abolished because this would eventually pave the way towards a world-class higher education. Perhaps this will explain why not one Malaysian university was included in the Times Higher Education (THE) 400 Top World University Ranking 2011/12. Students who dare express an opinion, especially an opinion which does not toe the government line, are arrested, and possibly expelled. Even students who are studying politics, and who observe the progress of by-elections, have to be careful as their actions may be misconstrued by the authorities. The fear inspired by Umno-BN has far-reaching tentacles. Students studying overseas fear having their scholarships or study loans withdrawn, if they attend any talks by opposition politicians. The latest outrageous Umno attack on our intellectual fraternity is the harassment of Abdul Aziz Bari, who said that the sultan of Selangor's decree relating to the Selangor Islamic Affairs (JAIS) raid on the dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) had been "unconventional" and that any intervention by the sultan had to be in line with the principles of the religion. Abdul Aziz added that "under the Sedition Act 1948, it is fine to criticise the rulers so long as it does not advocate the abolition of the institution (of monarchy)". However, this did not stop the authorities and pro-Umno sympathisers from hounding the professor. He has since been issued a show-cause letter and in a move that would affect all of his students, was suspended from lecturing for an indefinite period. The professor who has taught at the UIA for the past 22 years has had his access card confiscated and is barred from his office at the Gombak campus. Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said that "the suspension raises questions" and has asked for an explanation from UIA. He has also twitted that he backed students or people wishing to express support for the professor. A thinking person is dangerous Saifuddin is not alone. The suspension of Abdul Aziz has been condemned by several institutions ranging from student bodies, academics from other educational establishments to Lawyers for Liberty. The Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia or Malaysian Graduates in Solidarity have organised a protest march which will involve students from campuses across the Klang Valley today, after Friday prayers. Abdul Aziz's comments about the sultan of Selangor were not the first involving royalty. He had previously criticised the behind-the-scenes Perak debacle of 2008. He has also made his views known about the other royal households and the Umno domination of them. Perhaps Abdul Aziz's willingness to talk about sensitive issues based on his expertise is what Najib fears most. A law lecturer who is able to stimulate the minds of his students and the general public, is dangerous. A thinking person will not allow Najib and Umno to get away with a fraction of the things they get up to, these days. A thinking electorate, which is able to ask questions, which is able to criticise freely and which is able to analyse for itself, is like an uncontrollable beast. Najib knows it and so does Umno. That is why Najib will try to make an example of Abdul Aziz by punishing him. Najib's latest ploy is the use of the three Rs: Race, religion and royalty. A subtle ploy to strike fear Mahathir started the trend and Najib is continuing this practice. If the Malays are allowed to interact with the other communities, they will be exposed to outside influences and so the power base of Umno will be placed at risk. Najib has formed a special team to concentrate on the 3Rs. The main characters are Othman Razak, the Special Adviser to the Prime Minister; Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, deputy Election Commission chairman; Kamarudin Baria; Tajuddin Wahab; Rahman Dahlan; Harun Che Su; and Misri Barham.
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