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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Why the fuss over the 2010 AG Report
• Salahuddin: Foreign consultants can't turn a frog into prince
• Living From Hand To Mouth
• You want it, you got it
• The court and the PM’s Department
• ‘Sick’ projects, sick nation
• Paid to shine Najib’s government, UK firm goes under
• Two views on BN's premature optimism
• Will PAS be able to transform itself?
• Barking up the wrong tree for Malay unity
• Winning the mind, not the heart
• Proxy war in the battle of three PMs
• Yen Yen denies overpaying RM270m
• Don’t legalize discrimination at work place
• The history of Kuala Lumpur
• Lawyers For Liberty Condemns Najib's Continued Support for the Illegal Refugee Deal With Australia
• Lawyers For Liberty Condemns Irresponsible Statement on Human Rights by Rahim Noor and Tun Mahathir
• SMSL press release on the press conference held on the 28th Oct 2011
• KDM Malaysia a desperate attempt to entice KDMs to Umno
• Compulsion in Islam?
• What Occupy Wall Street Can Learn from Occupy Tel Aviv
• Beng Hock’s family demands criminal charges against MACC trio
• An Open Proxy Shot?
• Tsu Koon and Taib Mahmud: Too Selfish to Step Down
• Laporan audit: Syarikat kerajaan Johor tidak memuaskan
• Court discharges PSM 6 from subversion, illegal assembly case
• #OccupyPenang 29.10.11
• Curb ‘fascist’ Perkasa, Rahim Noor, Pakatan MPs tell Najib
• The Assunta Hospital Dilemma
• A Mischievous and Irresponsible Claim
• A Deputy Premier from the Borneo States?
• Police inaction over MACC trio totally unacceptable
• Equating human rights movements to communism?
• 'Expose culprits delaying indelible ink rule'
• Kenneth Eswaran behind new pay-TV venture
• I am Malay, and you better not forget it
• WIKILEAKS: MALAYSIA'S ELECTION: EMBASSY OBSERVATIONS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES
• Mat Sabu tells of UMNO's '3R' strategy
• Let the burnings begin!
• Docile academics and the case of Prof. Aziz Bari
• Cadangan penyelesaian kepada kemelut bahasa Malaysia
• What Do We Expect of Condemned Human Rights Violators?
• Who Will Bear Responsibility?
• Petronas will make Mokhzani RM400m richer
• Shamed Sabah Gerakan officials should quit
• Slogan baru rakyat - ABU! (anything but UMNO) atau (asalkan bukan UMNO)
• Transparency needed for financial improvement, TI-M tells government
• Dr M is against full human rights
• Music fans slam PAS Youth over call to ban Elton John
• Loud-mouthed Ng ripe for roasting

Why the fuss over the 2010 AG Report Posted: 28 Oct 2011 04:28 AM PDT SAKMONGKOL AK47 Let us show you a few examples. Perhaps then readers will understand what all the fuss is over the AG Report. Bizarre overpricing- the National Youth Skills Institute (under the Youth and Sports Ministry) approved the purchase of a car jack that cost RM50 for RM5,700, a digital camera that cost RM2,990 was bought for RM8,254 and RM1,146 was paid for a set of technical pens with a market price of RM160; Negligence- the Police Air Wing purchased two helicopters worth RM117.75 million, which could not be used, as they did not meet specifications. Another RM15.4mil was spent to train pilots to fly these helicopters. Incompetence- Customs Department under-utilized its RM290mil information technology system but was planning to spend another RM451.30mil to develop a new one. These are the findings of the Auditor General's report a few years ago.  From there we can more or less expect what's coming. We have all the reasons to believe that the report for 2011, will reveal the same story about misappropriation of funds, bizarre overpricing, projects not completed. These are indicators of negligence and incompetence. What is even more horrifying; these are more or less the same findings that are similar to the reports of preceding years. What does that say? It says loud and clear, the same transgressions committed were not rectified or even allowed to continue. It means the same wrongdoings are allowed to be perpetrated because the enabling circumstances and possibly the same perpetrators were allowed to persist. It further shows those responsible to ensure the transgressions are not repeated have been incompetent and negligent in carrying remedial actions. The same people who did all the transgressions are still in commanding positions; they will have the opportunity to improve upon their incompetence by doing more damage. The Chief Secretary's village fool response by way of saying he is not worried and that the problem has been dealt with because he has sent circulars asking officials to exercise more discipline is a negligent expression and ensuing act of gross callousness. I am afraid, the public isn't that forgiving. We don't want circulars- we want those transgressors punished or even sacked. As them to publicly explain what happened to those overspendings? Let's ask the chairman of Giatmara for example, where is the shop that sells the heavy duty blender for 4 times the market price. Let's make it the 1 Malaysia shop for heavy duty blenders. Maybe even give them soft loan from EPF.  Let us Mydin the shop. Yet we want to extend the services of such a fellow. Let's elect Allred E Newman for Chief Secretary then.  Then, we are assured the same transgressions repeated, will be met with the same incredulous response of what me worry! The answer is also, we don't have to suffer the incompetence of those entrusted to manage public money. If they don't manage properly and because it's our money they are managing, they deserve to be publicly assailed. This isn't about being perplexed as to why the opposition should bicker about the report. If you do, then we shall have to explain to you in as simple terms as possible. This is beyond opposition. This is about, the mismanagement of our money which deserves being treated as a cause of concern for possible fraud and deception. The short answer to the question then as to why the opposition gets irked by the audit report as do all right thinking Malaysians is the money being treated isn't the property of the transgressors. That being so, the administration of the money and the application of the funds thereof, must be done with utmost care. It's not your father's money. That is the short answer. The long answer is, Malaysians are fed up of the deception and misappropriation of funds. READ MORE HERE

Salahuddin: Foreign consultants can't turn a frog into prince Posted: 28 Oct 2011 01:04 AM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Prime minister Najib Razak's obsession with foreign consultants to boost his image is a waste of money, according to PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub. Reacting to a claim by the website Sarawak Report that Najib had recently engaged Alastair Campbell, who once worked as public relations head for Britain's Tony Blair, Salahuddin said if the report was true, Najib would be guilty of using public funds to boost his image. The portal also claimed that Campbell had been spotted in Kuala Lumpur as part of his assignment to advise Najib on strategies to win the upcoming general election. "Najib doesn't have to go that far and waste public money hiring foreign consultants to understand the people's acceptance towards him and his government. "Just look at Bersih 2.0 and Himpun (Gathering of a Million Muslims) as an example," said Salahuddin, in apparent reference to the well-attended Bersih rally of July 9 as opposed to the latter, an UMNO-endorsed rally which only attracted some 5,000 people. "There is no need to waste money to hire people like Campbell. One finds true the saying that even foreign consultants can't turn a frog into a prince," he quipped. The report has been denied by Campbell, who claimed that he had not been in Malaysia as alleged. "I see I have been spotted in Malaysia. Therefore I must be advising the government. Must have a double. Not been. Not advising. End of story," he remarked.

Living From Hand To Mouth Posted: 28 Oct 2011 12:49 AM PDT By Masterwordsmith   Recent articles on What AG's report Says on Penang, Selangor, Kelantan, and Kedah provide evidence that state governments under PR doing well (financially). But does this mean the rakyat are happy? There is hardly any point if the state is rich while the rakyat remain poor. While such glowing reports make netizens happy, voters care more about making ends meet than about sterling performances, especially in the light of this Bloomberg report which said that "Malaysia's inflation unexpectedly quickened in September as food and transportation costs climbed and a weakening ringgit made imports costlier". According to Monsoon (Cup) winds of change,  a well-known Malaysian business magazine reported that Terengganu is the second richest state after Selangor but its rakyat are the second poorest after Perlis. The Kelantan Menteri Besar, Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, retorted that Kelantan may be poor compared to Terengganu, but its people are rich. "Kekayaan Kelantan di tangan rakyat," said Nik Aziz.  In early 2000, he also said that Terengganu is 2nd richest state in Malaysia but rakyat are poor while Kelantan is 2nd poorest state butthe rakyat are rich. With all the economic hardship that people faced despite the fact that the state was rich, the opposition lost Terengganu back to BN in 2004. However, Kelantan stayed with opposition in spite of no development for different reasons - namely dignity and pride in the their faith of surviving without federal funding and in spite of being squeezed of federal funding. That lesson from the pages of history is an illuminating one. Our political landscape  is currently in a very unpredictable and fuzzy state. Is there any point in PR crowing and boasting about how well state is doing? Positive reports are impressive and leaves one with a syiok sendiri feeling but when rakyat vote, it will be based on how well they are REALLY doing. In the light of rising food prices, people are not as happy as PR may think. So PR had better be aware! In reality, there are many individuals, families and large groups which have been pushed to the margins of society. These marginalized citizens are limited in education and employment opportunities as well as social and community networks. They have little access to power and decision-making and few opportunities to improve their standard of living. Most worrying is that in time, more and more will be marginalized and if things do not improve in every area of governance, what will happen to Malaysia? It is imperative that the government focuses on addressing real and serious issues that affect the rakyat instead of pushing their grandiose dreams and going on spending sprees. Tax revenue is from the rakyat and should directly benefit the rakyat in relevant ways. Poverty is still very real in many ways with greater income inequality as the current system has serious limitations. According to the Central Intelligence Agency of US, 3.6% of the population (2007) live below the poverty line. Imagine - just a few years ago, a can of tuna was RM2.80. Three or four years down the road, that same can of tuna is RM4.90 whilst our real income has not improved much! READ MORE HERE.

You want it, you got it Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:51 PM PDT Malaysians actually have split personalities. If they think you know who they are they can be very nice people. But if they think you do not know who they are they are downright rude and inconsiderate people. That is why they drive the way they do and comment in Malaysia Today the way they do when they think they are doing so anonymously. But if I reveal who these people are they will feel ashamed and will not want to make any more uncouth comments. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin There are some who have asked me to close the comments section because most of the comments do not add value to what we are discussing. I realise that many just want to use Malaysia Today to lepas geram (let off steam) or as a punching bag. (There is one Japanese company (can't remember which one now) that has a punching ball with the boss's face painted on it in their gym so that employees can go there to punch the 'boss' whenever they feel frustrated). I know the Ministry of Health has reported that about 50% of public transport drivers suffer some form of mental problem and a very high number of Malaysians are in the category of needing professional help. (Is this why there have been two reported cases recently of husbands burning their wives?) However, as much as you may be frustrated with your job, your boss, your wife, the government, Umno, Barisan Nasional, PERKASA, racist Malays, or whatever, Malaysia Today is not where you release your tension but where we seek solutions to the problems plaguing the nation. Then there are some who resent censorship and want to be allowed to comment without any moderation. Comments should not be blocked or deleted, they argue. If not then Malaysia Today is not practicing free speech and democracy. I have decided to accommodate both groups. We shall allow uncensored comments but you will first have to register to be allowed to comment. You see, with freedom comes accountability. You are free to murder your neighbour but you will have to suffer the punishment for murder. You are also free to be as racist and as anti-Islam as you want (no holds barred) but you must also take the risk of the government tracking you down and taking action against you. As Anwar Ibrahim said back in 1998, ''If you fear the risks then don't talk about struggles." So we shall struggle to make Malaysia a better country. But we shall have to suffer the risks. You may be hounded by the government or forced into exile. But that is the price we shall have to pay for the ideals of our struggle. My main concern is that many Malays no longer visit Malaysia Today. They have classified Malaysia Today as an anti-Malay and anti-Islam website. But I don't mind that too much. What I do mind is that Malaysia Today is becoming the catalyst for driving the Malays back to Umno. The opposition Chinese are only in power in Penang and are sharing power in Selangor. Yet they are already demonstrating arrogance, say many Malays (even my Chinese friends have told me that they have heard Malays saying this). Imagine what will happen if they control the federal government. Malaysia will be like Singapore. That set me thinking. Are maybe all those who embark on Malay and Islam bashing really opposition supporters? In the first place, are they even non-Malays or non-Muslims? They could be Umno Malay cyber-troopers who want to make the Malays angry by posting anti-Malay/anti-Islam comments in Malaysia Today. We certainly cannot rule out that possibility. Then again, they could just be arrogant Malaysians who think that they are better than others. We will never know for sure but if you observe the way the majority of Malaysians of all races drive on Malaysian roads, it certainly reflects their arrogance. In the mosque, church or temple they will be very humble. But as soon as they get behind the steering wheel they start acting like Satan. Even Muslims who wear tudung and white skullcaps act no better behind the steering wheel. Malaysians actually have split personalities. If they think you know who they are they can be very nice people. But if they think you do not know who they are they are downright rude and inconsiderate people. That is why they drive the way they do and comment in Malaysia Today the way they do when they think they are doing so anonymously. But if I reveal who these people are they will feel ashamed and will not want to make any more uncouth comments. So, feel free to comment whatever you want. However, first register yourself so that we know who you are. And note that you cannot throw stones and hide your hands like cowards. Throw stones by all means but we will be able to see which hand threw that stone.

The court and the PM’s Department Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:58 PM PDT The separation of powers is a central principle woven into the fabric of our Constitution. And it is essential that the judiciary is not only independent, but also seen to be independent of the other branches of Government. The separation of powers is a central principle that was woven into the fabric of our Constitution. The Alliance submission to the Reid Commission, reflecting the unanimous view of all parties in Malaya, stated that "The Judiciary should be completely independent both of the Executive and the Legislature". Andrew Yong, The Star "MAHKAMAH Jabatan Perdana Menteri". I have to admit to have been slightly taken aback, to say the least, when I saw these words the other day, embroidered in gold on the black cotton jacket of a member of the court staff at the High Court in Penang. I blinked. Was I at the wrong court? Had the High Court suddenly been subsumed into the Prime Minister's Depart­ment? Or was it that the Prime Minister's Department was now a department of the High Court? Perhaps I should have understood that cashiers, clerks and other administrative staff at the High Court were civil servants appointed by the executive and assigned to the courts to support the administration of justice. Perhaps I should have appreciated that in the absence of a dedicated Justice Ministry (which was abolished in 1970), it was only natural that such staff members would come under the Prime Minister's Depart­ment. And yet, in spite of every rationalisation that I could think of, I knew, deep down, that the words in gold thread looked wrong, and were plainly inappropriate. They could not possibly be read by a litigant appearing before the courts without giving him the wrong impression about the relationship between the courts and the head of the executive. And yet some staff manager had ordered those jackets. Some court staff members were plainly wearing them. And there must have been some judges and registrars who saw them being worn on a day-to-day basis without raising any objection. The separation of powers is a central principle that was woven into the fabric of our Constitution. The Alliance submission to the Reid Commission, reflecting the unanimous view of all parties in Malaya, stated that "The Judiciary should be completely independent both of the Executive and the Legislature". And for the public to have confidence in the judiciary, it is essential that the judiciary is not only independent, but also seen to be independent of the other branches of government. Our Merdeka Constitution originally contained admirable safeguards of judicial independence. Until 1960, Supreme Court judges were appointed by the King upon the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, after consulting the Conference of Rulers, with no input from the executive. Only in the appointment of the Chief Justice was the Prime Minister consulted. The Merdeka Constitution likewise gave the executive no power to suspend or to constitute tribunals for the removal of judges, such powers being vested in the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, which was chaired by the Chief Justice and consisted mainly of judges or retired judges. History sadly shows that the amendments of 1960, which vested in the executive the right to select, suspend and to commence removal proceedings against judges, ultimately paved the way for the 1988 constitutional crisis, the darkest days of the Malaysian judiciary, during which Lord President Salleh Abas and two other Supreme Court judges were dismissed by the executive. Yet, even the Merdeka Constitution did not provide for a perfect separation between the executive and the judiciary. This shortcoming can best be seen in the Judicial and Legal Service (JLS), which supplies magistrates and subordinate court judges as well as government legal officers. Unlike in India, where the leaders of independence comprised many people imprisoned by the colonial justice system, and where the independence movement therefore campaigned for a strict separation of the judiciary and the prosecution services, in Malaya there has never been any pressure for such a separation. To this day, it is normal for a JLS officer to alternate between the subordinate judiciary and the government legal services, and for magistrates and Sessions court judges to be junior in the JLS to Senior Federal Counsel who appear before them. Lawyers will even tell tales of Sessions court judges standing up and addressing senior government lawyers as "Tuan" when the latter enters the judge's chambers! This state of affairs is plainly unsatisfactory. Once a judge is appointed to the High Court, he enjoys security of tenure and cannot be removed except for misbehaviour or disability. Nor can the terms of his employment be altered to his disadvantage. However, that does not prevent him from being given additional benefits by the executive. The most obvious discretionary benefit today is in the conferment of titles. In England, every High Court judge is knighted, every Court of Appeal judge is made "The Right Honourable" and every Supreme Court judge without exception gets the title of "Lord" or "Lady". But in Malaysia, there is no standard system of titles for judges. A judge who is showered with federal titles will naturally be regarded as being a favourite of the executive, whereas if a senior judge retires without any federal title, it will generally be assumed that he has displeased the executive. The inconsistent awarding of titles within the gift of the executive is detrimental to public confidence in the independence of the judiciary, and has even led to public scandal. It is high time that the judiciary, the executive and the legislature take concrete action to improve public confidence in the independence of the judiciary. The setting up of the Judicial Appointments Commission has been one positive step in recent years. It should be followed by further confidence-building reforms. > The writer is a young lawyer. Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column – a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, visit www.malaysianbar.org.my.

‘Sick’ projects, sick nation Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:50 PM PDT WIKISABAH The government is still awarding the building contracts of hospitals to obscure and inexperienced companies. Every year the Auditor-General's Report shows that the federal government is not prudent in spending the people's money and it is no different this time around. The Health Ministry, for instance, is also one of the ministries that is guilty of spending money unwisely and this article attempts to look at the wastages committed by the ministry, most notably involving botched-up hospital projects. Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (October 2008) There was infrastructure failure in this hospital which was caused by poor maintenance and planning, which led to the intensive care unit (ICU) and surgical units being shut down. A few hundred of the hospital's patients were transferred after three blocks were declared unsafe by structural engineers.  The hospital's management had reported the deteriorating conditions as early as 2000.  The Health Ministry was supposed to have carried out maintenance and repair work on the hospital from time to time through its concession company, Syarikat Faber Mediserve Sdn Bhd. Pekan Hospital, Pahang (March 2007) This hospital located in the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was scheduled for completion in 2003 but was only finally handed over to the Health Ministry in March 2007. Among the defects were leaking pipes, collapsed ceilings and problems with the main water tank. Sultan Ismail Hospital, Johor (April 2007) In September 2004, the hospital which cost RM550 million was shut down for 17 months due to a fungus problem. Two years later, large sections of the ceiling had to be removed due to structural problems. The company responsible for maintenance work was Pantai Medivest. Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar, Kedah (March 2007) Built at a cost of RM550 milion, the hospital was opened four years after its scheduled completion date. The then health minister, Dr Chua Soi Lek, stated that the contractors lacked the necessary expertise. Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, Sungai Petani (February 2007) Human faeces was found to be overflowing from a toilet and this forced an ICU unit to be closed temporarily. This hospital, built at a cost of RM450 million, was hailed as a state-of-the-art hospital. Another leakage had also occurred in the hospital cafeteria due to a defective sewerage pipe and there were also collapsed ceilings. Ampang Hospital, Kuala Lumpur (March 2007) This hospital was scheduled for completion in 2004 but it only opened its doors in 2007. The pediatric ward was ridden with fungus and the ceiling was similarly infected besides having the usual problem of leaking sewerage pipes. Then health minister Dr Chua Soi Lek commented that teething problems were to be expected in new buildings! Despite the existence of such problematic hospital projects, the government is still awarding the construction of public infrastructure projects and building contracts of hospitals via direct negotiations, often to obscure and inexperienced companies. This practice is absolutely unacceptable and has resulted in losses amounting to billions. None of the above contracts was awarded based on open competitive tenders and the cost of these "rent-seeking and patronage" is now taking a heavy toll on the nation's economy. And what is worse is that the government still has the audacity to expect the rakyat to pay for its faults, follies and foibles by introducing new and higher types of taxes such as the credit card tax, the real property gains tax and the soon-to-be implemented goods and services tax (GST). One special hospital project that should be mentioned here is the Shah Alam Hospital that has an "Ali Baba" twist, where the main contractor for the RM482-million project did not even lift a finger to do any work at all and yet made a bountiful profit. READ MORE HERE

Paid to shine Najib’s government, UK firm goes under Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:46 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - TV company FBC Media, at the centre of the Malaysia news-fixing scandal facing broadcasters BBC and CNBC, is facing collapse, The Independent newspaper reported in London today. The British daily said the London-based firm and its parent company FBC Group had gone into administration — a legal term that allows a company facing bankruptcy to carry on business — following reports it accepted £17million (RM85 million) from Putrajaya to burnish the Najib administration's image on global broadcast networks. The newspaper said FBC Media called in administrators last Monday, days before the BBC Trust was to review a BBC Executive report on a series of programmes the production company made for broadcast on the British corporation's international news and current affairs channel. FBC is also being investigated by the UK's communications industry regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), and US broadcaster CNBC, for which it produced content on the latter's flagship programme called World Business. The show has been dropped. CNBC has suspended all shows produced by FBC, which has been exposed to have also doubled up as a publicity firm for the Najib government and was paid millions of pounds to conduct a "Global Strategic Communications Campaign". FBC was set up in 1998 by award-winning US journalist Alan Friedman and other prominent media individuals who built a network of blue-chip clients that included the governments of Greece, Italy and Zambia, with contracts to promote tourism in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hungary. But Putrajaya has ended its RM96 million contract with FBC which started in 2009 after it was revealed Malaysian government leaders regularly appeared in paid-for-TV programmes. The Malaysian Insider has reported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been contracting a series of public relations strategists, including APCO Worldwide, to shine his personal image and his government's locally and worldwide. APCO's time in Malaysia was marked by controversy after the opposition alleged the public relations firm was linked to Israel. READ MORE HERE

Two views on BN's premature optimism Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:40 PM PDT SAKMONGKOL AK47 I find two comments that deserve to be read by a wider audience. Both are strong opinions on the article that I just wrote.  In my article I wrote about UMNO being the dominant partner in BN in the peninsula.  But as the first commentator wrote, this position doesn't invite envy at all. UMNO could very find itself orphaned soon. Assuming that if 18( out of 20) of the seats now held by MIC, MCA and Gerakan fall to non BN parties, the BN's position does indeed rely on the BN partners in Sabah and Sarawak. Sarawak has 30 parliamentary seats while Sabah has 11. As the writer observed, the Sarawak strongman doesn't seem to give two hoots what Najib and Muhyidin want. Indeed he was sworn in the very night BN Sarawak was announced the winner fearing that delays would invite intrigues and machinations from national leaders. So, before the federal leaders can do him in, he thumped their noses. The message is clear. He doesn't trust our federal leaders.  Maybe it's time for him to make deals with other leaders and then agree on a timetable where he can exit with dignity and not unceremoniously evicted as he nearly was after the recent Sarawak elections. PBB and its partners in Sarawak are friends under the same banner with BN leaders in Peninsula. Can the Sarawak people trust their partner in Semanjung who seemed willing to abandon its own partner in Sarawak just to retain power? With that kind of partner, they don't need enemies. Indeed Taib Mahumud who must have felt humiliated by the treatment he got from federal leaders during Sarawak elections recently, now holds the trump card. He is said to have control over 23 of the 30 MPs. He must have felt immensely chagrined as Najib repeatedly told audiences that Taib Mahmud will retire. Taib Mahmud did not say anything about retiring. He said he will retire by a schedule of his own choosing. He is not an UMNO member and therefore doesn't have someone to watch over him. His party delivered 100 per cent results while UMNO in the Peninsula couldn't hold a candle to his track record. In short UMNO has no influence at all over Taib Mahmud. He can do very well as he damn pleases. I have not said anything about Sabah and Sarawak. If the lifeline needed isn't extended to UMNO and BN in Semanjung, UMNO and BN will find themselves on the opposition benches. That would usher in the much needed cleansing process and the weak in constitution will be weeded out. It's a common anecdotal observation that should there be a hung government or BN and UMNO loses in the GE, its MPs can be induced and encouraged to cross over while just having teh tarik. Its that simple. READ MORE HERE

Will PAS be able to transform itself? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:31 PM PDT The Islamic party can rule Malaysia if certain crucial issues are addressed urgently. What PAS has not done successfully is to articulate and implement new economic measures to help the Muslim community. They must have a group of economists and technocrats to explain how they can govern better than Barisan Nasional; how they can uplift the lot of Muslims in Malaysia. Zaid Ibrahim, Free Malaysia Today The Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) rally was held recently, ostensibly to protect the Muslim faithful from scavenging Christian evangelists. Himpun supporters believe that as many as 250,000 Muslims have deserted their faith as a result, and those who gathered at the Shah Alam Stadium for the rally were there to say they want the government to stop this Muslim exodus. Of course, the gathering was not just organised to save Islam, but also to enable a certain political party to shore up its faltering support. In politics, when everything else fails, you ride the religious bandwagon. Still the concern of some Muslims to attempts by Christian groups to induce vulnerable members of the faith to convert must be addressed. The gathering may be small, but the message of concern on the issue of conversion is real. Unfortunately Muslim leaders from both parties seem to think that the remedy to the problem is to punish apostasy. What they should propose is how to make Muslims have stronger faith and belief in their own religion. Don't blame others for our own weakness. Putting in place severe punishment for those who want to walk away from the religion is also futile. You cannot imprison belief and faith; nor deter people from believing just because of the severity of punishment. Look at what the Romans did to the early Christians – they imposed brutal and severe punishment but to no avail. The good thing that emerges from the rally is PAS refusal to participate. By refusing to participate in the rally, PAS has shown its maturity, one that's suitable for a modern country in the 21st century. This they have done reasonably well. Non-Muslims today trust PAS more than Umno in terms of bringing about racial unity. They have also done better on the religious tolerance score card, as they seem to allow other religions more space to practise their faith. READ MORE HERE

Barking up the wrong tree for Malay unity Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:27 PM PDT Umno began digging its grave when it allowed Mahathir to refashion it as Umno Baru. It is no longer possible for Malay nationalists to continue to harp on the so-called economic weakness of their community or project the Chinese as the bogeyman to foster Malay political unity under one platform, the platform of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Umno Baru. Joe Fernandez, Free Malaysia Today Umno, from time to time, beats the drums of war on "political unity", one of the sacred cows in things Malay. Witness the call for PAS-Umno unity talks and a myriad other stage-managed events since 2008, including, at one time, stomping on a cow's head to rile the Hindus. Nowadays, these drumbeats are more a ventilation of the Umno activists' ignorance of their party's history, which began with the anti-Malayan Union movement in 1946, although the spiritual roots go further back in the concept of Malay nationalism first espoused by the Jawi Peranakan. The Jawi Peranakan were the Singapore-born offspring of immigrant Muslims, many of whom came from Kerala, India (see William Roff's "Origins of Malay Nationalism"). All nationalisms are defined by what they oppose. Indian nationalism, for example, opposed the idea of the British continuing to rule over large parts of the sub-continent. Malay nationalism, meant to draw together the Muslims in Malaya and Singapore into a political movement, harped on the economic weakness of the Muslims vis-à-vis the local Chinese. Malay nationalism eventually saw the departure of the British from Malaya and Singapore, the regaining of independence, and the birth of Malaysia with the coming together of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak in a greater federation. Subsequently, Malay nationalism saw the expulsion of Chinese-dominated Singapore from Malaysia for being the thorn in Malay economic and political aspirations, the death of the 1963 Malaysia and Malay re-colonisation in 1965 of Dusun Sabah and Dayak Sarawak, the birth of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the deviations in the implementation of Articles 3, 152 and 153 of the Federal Constitution. The distortion of the constitution led, ultimately, to a backlash from the Indian underclass in 2007, spearheaded by Hindraf Makkal Sakthi. Malay nationalism is dead in the wake of that backlash. The new nationalism in Malaysia is that of the Dusun and Dayak against Malay neo-colonialism. It is no longer possible for Malay nationalists to continue to harp on the so-called economic weakness of their community or project the Chinese as the bogeyman to foster Malay political unity under one platform, the platform of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Umno Baru. The Chinese, on their part, have more than a few issues to pick with the Malay nationalists for the manner in which they have been running the country since independence. So, is it any wonder that the so-called Malay nationalists are looking for new imaginary foes? Himpun failure The Himpun call for a gathering of one million of the faithful is a case in point of Malay nationalism trying to reinvent itself for the 21st century. The police, clearly "racist to the core" as more than one commentator has observed, bent over backwards and indeed fell all over themselves in approving the permit for the gathering in record time. Their rationale: "The gathering presented no security threat" and moreover would be confined to a stadium. It is difficult to fathom how the police define "threats to national security". The Himpun organisers, who claim a membership of four million members, could only muster between 4,000 and 5,000 people. In stark contrast, the old Umno had the total, undivided, unanimous support of Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia and, at one time, in Singapore. Umno has lost its moorings on the concept of Malay unity, the Himpun gathering being the latest illustration after the hoo-hah over the Bible being in Malay print and Christians calling out to Allah. The blame for that loss must lie with Mahathir, who stage-managed the court declaration that Umno was unlawful. Had the court discounted the illegal votes of the 30-odd unlawful branches in the 1987 Umno presidential election, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah would have won hands down against Mahathir. The declaration allowed Mahathir to bury the Umno of the anti-Malayan Union movement (and Malay nationalism with it) and initiate the offshoot Umno Baru based on his own perceptions and aimed at fostering dynastic politics, that is, the rotation of political power among a few "Malay" families of Indian, Bugis and other origins. Mahathir also buried his arch enemy Tengku Razaleigh by keeping him and his supporters out of Umno Baru. READ MORE HERE

Winning the mind, not the heart Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:20 PM PDT A business leader says that Barisan Nasional must not take the Indian community for another ride, and calls for concrete steps to be initiated. "Spending millions on Deepavali bashes, fancy billboards and holding concerts will not benefit the community. We must journey beyond such superficial efforts to remedy the malaise," he told FMT. RK Anand, Free Malaysia Today The mammoth turnout for the Deepavali open house in Batu Caves has been trumpeted as another sign of the Indian community's support returning for the ruling coalition under the stewardship of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. In the last general election, Indian voters, whose support for BN remained unwavering till then, cast their ballots for the opposition, leaving the coalition with a bloodied nose. Upon assuming office in the following year, Najib embarked on a quest to win back the heart and mind of the Indian electorate. While a spate of by-elections revealed that his efforts to woo Chinese votes yielded little, if no success, the voting trend in the same by-elections appears to be encouraging as far as Indian support is concerned. Indian leaders in MIC and other pro-BN organisations have lauded Najib for his willingness to elevate the socio-economic standard of the community. However, a seasoned political observer and business leader noted that the prime minister is winning over the minds with mere cosmetic changes and fanfares but has yet to make inroads into the hearts of the Indians. Politician or statesman? According to Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar, Najib must make an important decision. He must decide between being another run-of-the mill politician churning out "quick-fixes" to win votes and a statesman who will initiate genuine reforms to uplift a community that has been, in the words of MIC president G Palanivel himself, marginalised for decades. "Spending millions on Deepavali bashes, fancy billboards and holding concerts will not benefit the community. We must journey beyond such superficial efforts to remedy the malaise," he told FMT. "BN should not take the Indian community for another ride," he stressed, showering criticism on the community's leaders who are willing accomplices in this plot. The community leaders who help the ruling coalition perpetuate the oppression of the Indian community, he added, are committing a cardinal sin. "This is because they are digging the graves of the future generation even before the dust has settled on the graves of the older generation," he said. GLC ads meaningless Commenting on the Deepavali advertisements by government-linked companies, Sivakumar said it would have been more meaningful if Najib had announced that a certain percentage of employment opportunities or business contracts have been set aside for the Indians in GLCs such as Petronas and Pos Malaysia. "For years, these companies only display their 'all-encompassing' attitude in advertisements during the festive season but the reality on the ground is starkly different. "Are we as Malaysian citizens whose forefathers' sweat and toil contributed immensely towards the progress of this nation, asking for too much?" he added. Acknowledging that Indian support is growing for BN, the Miba president warned that the urban middle class and more educated Indian voters remain unconvinced and the government should not make the mistake of resting on its laurels thinking that all is well. "These voters want to see significant changes and not dancers prancing on the stage. They are not interested in being paid to attend functions or a free lunch. If the government fails to deliver the goods, they will not deliver the votes. It's as simple as that," he added. He said these voters want a just, equitable, transparent and accountable government which respects fundamental human rights. READ MORE HERE

Proxy war in the battle of three PMs Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:08 PM PDT Lim Kit Siang says that Najib's credibility rests on his human rights stand at CHOGM. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP adviser, Lim Kit Siang, today questioned whether the twin warnings by former Inspector-General of Police, Rahim Noor, and former premier, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on human rights in Malaysia was in fact "an open proxy shot in a battle of three prime ministers". Rahim had likened the rise of human rights movements to communism during Perkasa's general assembly on Wednesday. His statement sparked outrage among various human rights groups but won endorsement from Mahathir who warned that human rights was being used for political benefit by the opposition. In his latest blog post, Lim noted the uncanny timing of both warnings with the opening of the CHOGM today, which will consider a report of an 11-member Eminent Persons Group (EPG). The report contains reform proposals to end its organisational "decay" and avoid the Commonwealth being condemned as "hypocritical" for allowing rogue member states to violate human rights and democratic conventions. Lim said that the EPG report includes 106 recommendations including the appointment of an independent Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights commissioner empowered to monitor violations and propose action against rogue states. "And heading the EPG is none other than our fifth prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi," he pointed out. "Were the warnings by Mahathir and Rahim a warning to Najib not to support Abdullah's EPG proposals in improving the Commonwealth's response to human rights violations?" Poor analysis The Ipoh Timur MP further queried whether Najib would now endorse Abdullah and the EPG proposals or buckle under pressure by Mahathir and Rahim to shield rogue Commonwealth countries from scrutiny and censure. "The stand Najib takes in Perth will be a clear indication as to whether his promises of democratisation and political transformation have any credibility," he said. The EPG report had also warned that it was time for the Perth CHOGM to authorise the urgent reform it recommends and to mandate a concrete implementation plan. READ MORE HERE

Yen Yen denies overpaying RM270m Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:06 PM PDT The prices paid for the advertisements are never above the market price, says the tourism minister. (Free Malaysia Today) - Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen denied today that her ministry had overpaid close to RM270 million worth of advertisements as reported in the 2010 Auditor-General's (AG) Report, which is a breach of Treasury rules. "The ministry did not overspend, did not spend more… The report says that the amount of direct buy is more but not the total amount of promotion is more, there's a difference," Ng, who is MCA vice-president, told reporters today after launching the 2011 Art Expo Malaysia here. In the report, the AG had reported that the ministry had overpaid in advertising fees when it tendered out its contracts directly. Ng failed to reply to this but merely said direct negotiations were permitted and maintained that the prices paid were not above market rates. "With direct negotiation, you deal directly with the media, you do away with intermediary. The prices we paid are never above the market price". Ng has been implicated in a similar financial controversy in the past. Her ministry was accused of blatant abuse of power when opposition leaders revealed the payment fee of close to RM2 million to start up the ministry's Facebook page. She denied any wrongdoing and justified the payment of the fees. Report true, says Ng Ng admitted today that the report is "true" but again denied that her ministry had overspent, pointing out that her ministry had obtained a "Sijil Bersih (Clean Certificate) in the Auditor-General's Report. "We admit that the report is true, but we did not overspend. In fact, our promotion budget was the lowest in 2009 and 2010, but the amount of direct negotiations was higher because we wanted to go right on and get as much value for money as possible," she said READ MORE HERE

Don’t legalize discrimination at work place Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:04 PM PDT Civil rights groups here and overseas want the Malaysian government to withdraw 'unjust' amendments to the Employment Act 1955 (Free Malaysia Today) - More than a 100 civil society groups locally and abroad have called for the government to withdraw 'unjust' amendments to the Employment Act 1955,  ahead of a nationwide Malaysian Trade Union Congress(MTUC) picket on the same issue next week. In a joint press statement 107 civil society groups expressed concern over the government's actions to "speedily" table and passed the the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2011 on Oct 6 at the Dewan Rakyat, despite protests from various groups against it. "The proposed changes to the Employment Act would be most detrimental to worker rights, trade unions and the existing just direct two-party employment relationship between worker and end-user (the principal)," said the group, which included the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), representing 175 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 308 national affiliates. A spokesman for the group Charles Hector said: "Malaysia's action goes contrary to justice. "In many countries employers have been wrongly trying to avoid/disguise employment relationships by way of contracts/agreements and triangular relationships, and Malaysia rather than fighting against this negative trend is now trying to legalize it, hence showing itself to be anti-worker anti-unions." The groups noted that the amendments went against the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed equality of persons, as it would result in "discrimination at the workplace". "Workers doing the same work at the factory, would be treated differently in terms of wages, work benefits and even rights by reason of the fact that their employers are different," said the statement. The statement stressed that workers in the same workplace should be treated equality— in terms of wages, work benefits, rights, union rights, and so on. 'Destroying' ties The civil groups also said the proposed amendments would also "destroy" direct employment relationships between owner-operator of workplaces. "A just employment relationship dictates that all workers should be employees of the owner-operator employer not some other third party labour supplier, whether they be known as 'contractor for labour', outsourcing agent or by any other name." It stressed that such a "relationship" must be a direct relationship, and should exclude all third parties. "The availability of short-term employment contracts is another reason why there is no need to legalize triangular or other employment relationships in Malaysia through the creation of the 'contractor for labour' (system)," it added. If the amendments become law, then workers would also lose their rights to form or be members of the trade union at the workplace. This will subsequently affect their right  to directly and effectively negotiate with the principal  who effectively controls the work place, working conditions and benefits. 'Union busting' policy This would also weaken existing workers and unions, by reducing their negotiating power, and in turn make workers' struggle better rights  wll become "almost impossible". "This proposed amendment is a 'union busting' exercises and allows employers to utilize 'divide and rule' tactics to counter legitimate demands of their workers and avoid employer obligations and responsibilities," said the groups. The groups also said the amendments further made unjustifiable changes to delay in overtime payment and work on rest days, as well as issues regarding sexual harrassment. "With regard to sexual harassment, the new provision provides only for inquiry by an employer even when the alleged perpetrator is a member of the management, a partner, shareholder and/or director of the employer's business, and provides no clear right of appeal to the Labour Courts or the High Court." "Remedy for the victim of sexual harassment is also absent, save maybe the right to resign without the need to give the required notice when the perpetrator is a sole proprietor." READ MORE HERE

The history of Kuala Lumpur Posted: 27 Oct 2011 06:34 PM PDT I suppose to say that Yap Ah Loy was the biggest pimp in Malaysia would not be wrong -- historically speaking, that is. But do I need to say that? And why would I want to say that if not merely to insult the Chinese? And I am not that type of person who would want to insult the Chinese in that manner, unlike many Malaysia Today readers. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin I have deleted quite a number of comments in my article 'I am Malay, and you better not forget it'. The reason I deleted them is because I am of the opinion that they are stupid comments and if I were to allow the comments then it would make Malaysia Today look stupid. And I hate to look stupid. It upsets me. Furthermore, some comments were posted with mala fide intentions. It was not what they said but the way they said it. You do not need to be an Oxford graduate to detect the intentions behind the comment. Anyway, I will expand a bit more on this later. Of course, that is my opinion and I am entitled to my opinion. So if you are one of those who posted a comment but can't see it published, then you will know what I think of you. And if you feel insulted then rest assured that that is my intention. What about freedom of expression? What about the democratic right to say what you want? Well, you have every freedom and democratic to start your own blog and post whatever you want in that blog. But I own Malaysia Today so I too have the freedom and democratic right to block or delete comments I don't like. That is how freedom and democracy works. You have the right to comment and I have to right to disallow the comment. We are both within our rights. If you have the right to comment but I, as the owner of Malaysia Today, have no right to block or delete the comment, then that is not democracy. But that is not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is the history of Kuala Lumpur. I want to correct some misconceptions about how Kuala Lumpur was founded. Raja Abdullah, the brother of Sultan Abdul Samad, had the rights to mine tin in Selangor. But he did not have the expertise. So he teamed up with a Chinese named Yap Ah Loy. Maybe this can be called the first Ali Baba enterprise in Malaysia. So my ancestors started the concept of Ali Baba. Yap Ah Loy and Raja Abdullah sailed up the Kelang River to the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak Rivers. They disembarked at where the Masjid Jamek now stands and trekked overland to Ampang. That was where they decided the first tin mine would be opened. Yap Ah Loy then brought in boatloads of Chinese labourers from China to work the tin mines. Most died of diseases. Sometime entire kongsis were wiped out. But China was never short of people so Yap Ah Loy just brought in new boatloads to replace those that had died. Life was cheap in those days. Eventually, Ampang grew and the area around the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak Rivers prospered. That was where Ampang Road started, which was not only the first road but also probably the longest road in Kuala Lumpur that stretched all the way to the Ampang Village where the tin mines were located. Yap Ah Loy saw a great opportunity in servicing his Chinese community. So he opened up gambling dens, opium dens and brothels. He then brought in boatloads of young Chinese girls to work as prostitutes in his brothels. So it can be said that the first Chinese women to come to Malaya were prostitutes. Even the British officers patronised Yap Ah Loy's brothels for a taste of the best Chinese girls.  Invariably, the British got first tasting of newly arrived Chinese girls and only after the British were done with them were they placed on the open market for the Chinese labourers to enjoy. The history of Kuala Lumpur is not as glamorous as some historians try to portray it. Of course, Yap Ah Loy did found Kuala Lumpur; that was no lie. But Kuala Lumpur was founded against the backdrop of the vice trade -- gambling, opium and prostitution -- and mainly to serve the Chinese market plus some British officers whose job was to keep the peace in Selangor and administer the state. Now, that is the true history of the founding of Kuala Lumpur. You can look it up in the history books. Royal History Professor Khoo Kay Kim can confirm this. The question is though: why am I telling you this history? If it is with intention to educate you and to correct some errors and misconceptions in what is being written by Utusan Malaysia that is well and fine. After all, history is history and the truth is the truth. But if my intention is to insult the Chinese and to remind the Chinese that the first women to be brought in to Kuala Lumpur were prostitutes and therefore many Chinese in Malaysia are actually descendants of prostitutes, then this is being done with mala fide intentions. So, sometimes, the truth is not just the truth. The truth can also be provocation and insults. The manner you say it and the reason behind why you are saying it can change the truth to an insult or provocation. This appears to be a concept lost to many Malaysia Today readers. Maybe we should blame the education system. Maybe these people were not taught proper manners by their parents. Maybe it is because of a superiority complex they are having  -- so they feel they can run down others because they are better than others. Maybe these people know they are not that great so by running down others they can feel great. Or maybe they just don't have a well-developed brain and are slightly better than country bumpkins. Or maybe it is a combination of all the above. Nevertheless, many have still not grasped the concept of freedom of expression and constructive criticism. They still think that freedom of expression and constructive criticism means the freedom to say that the Malaysian Chinese are descendents of prostitutes brought in from China to work the brothels owned by Yap Ah Loy. I suppose to say that Yap Ah Loy was the biggest pimp in Malaysia would not be wrong -- historically speaking, that is. But do I need to say that? And why would I want to say that if not merely to insult the Chinese? And I am not that type of person who would want to insult the Chinese in that manner, unlike many Malaysia Today readers.

Lawyers For Liberty Condemns Najib's Continued Support for the Illegal Refugee Deal With Australia Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:43 PM PDT By Renuka T Bala, Lawyers for Liberty Lawyers for Liberty once again calls upon Prime Minister Najib Razak not to dilute the protection that international law accords to refugees. With the purported agenda of busting people smuggling and combating human trafficking, the Malaysian Government, has reiterated its determination to revive the scandalous refugee swap deal despite the Australian High Court's finding which declared the deal  illegal.   Given the findings of the Australian High Court which found that the Minister in charge  was unable to satisfy the Court that Malaysia had met three important criteria that would deem it safe for asylum seekers, the Malaysian Prime Minister's insistence that refugees are treated very well rings hollow.The safe third country criteria are that the country must be legally bound by international law or its own domestic law to: provide access for asylum seekers to effective procedures for assessing their need for protection; provide protection for asylum seekers pending determination of their refugee status;  and provide protection for persons given refugee status pending their voluntary return to their country of origin or their resettlement in another country.   The Australian High court also stated that in addition to the above criteria the Migration Act requires that the country meet certain human rights standards in providing that protection.   Lawyers for Liberty maintain that as long as Malaysia remains non-committal to any form of meaningful protection to asylum seekers in Malaysia, as evinced by legal framework- such illegal deals should never be endorsed.   To start with, Malaysia has yet to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention - which would declare Malaysia's commitment to recognizing fundamental legal rights of asylum seekers. Further to date, refugees and asylum seekers are not allowed to work, frequently vulnerable to arrests and held in deplorable conditions of detention and if found guilty and convicted under Section 6 of the Immigration Act, are liable to be punished with whipping.

Lawyers For Liberty Condemns Irresponsible Statement on Human Rights by Rahim Noor and Tun Mahathir Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:42 PM PDT By Murnie Hidayah Anuar, Lawyers for Liberty    Lawyers for Liberty, as an organization that stands for human rights is appalled by recent statements made by former PM Mahathir and former IGP Rahim Noor. It seems that these well-known figures are getting away with making absurd and irresponsible statements such as likening the human rights struggle to communism.  Indeed it comes as no surprise that Rahim Noor – who was once the country's highest police officer would make such remarks. During his time in office, Rahim Noor was guilty of widespread human rights abuses carried out by his police force under his directions, particularly during the reformasi period.  Nobody in their right mind can fathom his poor analysis in trying to dismiss human rights as a communism-like wave. However, a key prominent figure, former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir has joined the fray in support of Rahim Noor, who has been heavily criticised for his outrageous remarks.    Moreover, Mahathir himself was another blatant violator of human rights during his tenure as PM. One clear example is the mass arrests during Ops Lalang and police brutality during the early years of Reformasi.   We should also not forget that it was under Mahathir's orders to destroy Anwar Ibrahim and the rakyat's reformasi movement that Rahim Noor beat Anwar close to death on the night of 20 September 1998.  Mahathir immediately covered up Rahim's crime by suggesting Anwar had beaten himself up just to get sympathy. Rahim later confessed to his crime and was convicted.   The attitude of  BN governments since independence is that  Human Rights advocates and activists are mere pests who should be disregarded and  persecuted. In taking this position they are absolutely wrong and failing in their duty to the Rakyat.   Human rights are an important pillar for the people to ensure that the State exercises full and frank disclosure in the affairs of the state. In any truly democratic state, human rights advocates ought to be hailed as the voice of the people in guaranteeing the people's freedoms and the accountability of the State.    In pursuit of true democracy, one should ensure the human rights of the people are not breached.  Recognizing this many organization and Unions of sovereign states claim to subscribe to human rights standards but fail to do so in reality.  Malaysiabeing a member of OIC should not forget that even OIC has its own charter on Declaration of Human Rights. Malaysia is also part of the Human Rights Council under the United Nations, - such remarks made by Rahim Noor, Mahathir and other anti Human Rights figures is a major embarrassment to our nation.

SMSL press release on the press conference held on the 28th Oct 2011 Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:40 PM PDT By Steve Hang, SMSL SMSL has on the 7th of Oct 2011 met with MITI and ensuing from the meeting MITI has agreed to send a team of officials comprising of various relevant departments to come to Kuantan to conduct a dialogue with the stakeholders concerning the LAMP issue. We have written to MITI and posted the letter to MITI by express post on the 14th Oct 2011. Till this day we have yet to receive a reply. We hereby urge the department concerned especially MITI to  walk their talk and send a team of the officials as promised to come and have an open dialogue with the local stakeholders on the issue. We shall send them a reminder and we hope they will demonstrate their sincerity in carrying out their promise and come to Kuantan to engage in a civil and open dialogue with the residents living around this region. We have also written to Lynas Malaysia at the local office in Gebeng to start a dialogue with them through an email on the 19th Oct 2011. We understand that Lynas Malaysia has claimed that they had engaged the local residents as required by the IAEA report published on the 30th June and since then they claimed to have engaged 3000 residents inclusive of SMSL representatives. We wish to state categorically here  that we had never been invited nor engaged by Lynas Malaysia since the publication of the IAEA report to have a dialogue with them. We have voluntarily called Lynas Malaysia at the local office here on the 14thOct 2011 to  request for a meeting with them concerning the LAMP issue. We subsequently followed up with the email on the 19th Oct after the committee had deliberated and agreed  to initiate the move to engage with them. We wholeheartedly believe in civil discourse with any party that has an interest in this issue. We are still waiting for Lynas Malaysia to make a reply. "1311 FOR OUR FAMILIES" EVENT (13/11/2011 at Taman Gelora,  7.30am) Meanwhile we believe that people's wishes should be respected by all parties be it Lynas Malaysia as well as the Government of the day. In order to deliver a clearer message to these parties concerned, we are organizing an event with the theme ' For our families…" on the 13th Nov 2011. On this day we call upon all families in Kemaman, Gebeng, Balok , Kuantan and Gambang to come forth and gather at the Taman Gelora to demonstrate peacefully  their stand on the LAMP issue! We urge them to  wear the SMSL T shirts to say NO to the LAMP! We urge all residents and individuals who love their home and family to come forward and tell our government that we don not want LAMP!  We want to send the similar message to the Australian Government and Lynas Australia that we DO NOT WANT LYNAS TO BE AROUND OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD NOR ANYWHERE IN MALAYSIA! We want them to know even if our government has no will to stop the project we will endeavor all we can to stop it from operating! We call upon all supporters who share the same goal to stop Lynas to come forward to walk their talk and demonstrate to the authorities that we will do anything within our means to stop this toxic project that will leave behind millions of tons of solid wastes that are  radioactive and full of heavy metals that will eventually seep into the waterway and end up on our dinner table through the food chain!

KDM Malaysia a desperate attempt to entice KDMs to Umno Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:37 PM PDT By Daniel John Jambun   Datuk John Ambrose, as the founder and President of the newly registered KDM Malaysia (KDMM) has been making a lot of publicity about the new association. Immediately we can sense that, although it is an NGO, it is not your usual type of voluntary organization. Firstly, it unashamedly declared that it number one purpose is to get KDMs to support Umno. KDMM has no intention to go into cultural and identity preservation work for the KDMs. It aims mainly to break the KDMs further by enticing them to Umno, i.e. away from PBS, Upko, PBRS and the opposition. So Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan is right in saying it a tool of divide and rule by Barisan Nasional. The first question that comes to our mind when contemplating on the honest and open declaration by Ambrose is: Why the need for KDMM to help Umno? Can't Umno, on its own credential as a political party, have enough attraction to entice KDMs to join it? Does Umno Penampang believe that it can entice firstly the people of Penampang to join Umno by getting them to love KDMM first and then later to love and embrace Umno? Does Ambrose believe he can use the same formula being used by PBS (to entice people by getting them to join KDCA first and then join PBS)?   In May this year, after Ambrose belatedly formed the Umno KDM Task Force to ingratiate himself to Umno, the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth Secretary cum Kimanis Umno chief Mohamad bin Alamin strangely made a harsh attack to tell Ambrose that, "Having the task force in the party may cause disunity and create racial factions. It will also encourage other leaders from different ethnic groups in Umno and BN to create similar task force to safeguard and serve their respective communities. Who knows may be the Brunei or Bajau leaders also want to establish a similar task force group to ensure their rights are also taken care of and such situation can lead to disunity without us realising it." He said the task force was illegal because it wasn't part of the Umno Constitution and never got any sanction from the Umno Supreme Council. We can smell that Mohamad was jealous because he couldn't form a Malay Task Force in Umno because it would look ridiculous. Or was he afraid that Ambrose could increase his (Ambrose's) popularity too much in Umno, and that Ambrose could become too important and bigheaded? Isn't this a case of a condescending attitude on the part of Umno who must ensure the Malays keep being the seniors in the party and KDMs shouldn't try to be too smart and overtake the bossy Malays who are supposed to be from a greater race of people?   Most importantly, Mohamad pointed out that "There is no need to have a Malaysia Umno KDM Task Force as having Sabah Umno here is already sufficient to meet the needs and interests of all races including the KDM through the BN component parties." But most importantly he pointed there is NO NEED for a KDM Task Force in Umno. He also conveniently missed the point that task forces of various radical groups in Umno would try to get support for Umno and not to compete for positions.   But now that Ambrose has circumvented this silly protest by Mohamad,  and registering and announced KDMM, what can Mohamad say anymore? Why doesn't he say this is wrong because then the Bajaus will now have to form and register Bajau Malaysia, the Bruneis Brunei Malaysia, the Indonesians Indonesia Malaysia, the Suluks Suluk Malaysia and the Malays Malay Malaysia?   So far no Umno leader had responded to KDMM's announcement. But we need to ask again: What is KDMM really for? It is, again, by Ambrose's own admission, strictly for a political purpose, i.e. to try to increase KDMs' support for Umno. The obvious question is, why? It clearly means Umno Sabah has failed to get enough support from the KDMs. But we wonder how many KDMs with enough intelligence would rush to join KDM Malaysia because Ambrose said they will be encouraged to support Umno as well! Ambrose also proudly announced KDMM will undertake welfare programs to build houses for the KDMs which begs the question: Where will KDMM get the money to build thousands of houses for the poor? If it aims to get funding from the government for this project, then what is the PPRT program for and won't KDMM clash also with the ministry of Rural Development?   And will KDMM behave like a political party by campaigning for political support and  asking for project allocations as if it is a political party, and as if Ambrose was an Assemblyman or a Member of Parliament? If he can do that, so can the Kadazandusun cultural Association (KDCA), the United Sabah Bajau Organisation (USBO), the United Sabah Bisaya Association (PBBS), the Sabah Sungai People Association (SABAS) and so on and so forth. And to stretch the strange logic further, why don't all associations join the BN and ask for development allocations as well? Isnl;t it the more the merrier? What's so special about KDMM that only it can get rural development allocations while the other similar association can't? Is it because Ambrose is the blue-eyed boy of Najib and Rosmah?   What KDMM aims to do may be noble but it has the potential of creating precedents with very unpleasant consequences. As is always in cases of NGOs having stated political leanings to a certain party, KDMM can't escape from the problem of conflicts of interests. Ambrose claims there is no conflict of interest in KDMM supporting Umno, but how about the situation of some members who joined the association but are interested only to help the KDM communities voluntarily but are not interested in politics, or have a dislike for Umno? One way or another they will be seen as pro-Umno or pro-BN, just like the KDCA members are seen as pro-PBS. If they are members of the opposition, will they be accepted into KDMM? Will present KDMM members who are now pro-Umno later decide to support the opposition? If so, what if they spend some of their time campaigning for the opposition, and against Umno and BN? And what if they are holding high positions in KDMM as well? Will Ambrose tolerate them for long? They can even gather enough support to oust Ambrose and take over the KDMM, and convert the association into a apolitical entity or even become pro-opposition! This proves that Ambrose was lying through his teeth when he said there was no conflict of interest in KDMM being pro-Umno. Maybe Ambrose might as well convert KDMM into a political party and stop all the lame pretences and lies.

Compulsion in Islam? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:12 PM PDT ART HARUN With all due respect to Associate Professor Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah - a well known academic, ulamak and preacher in Malaysia - I must admit of being astounded by his remark at a forum entitled 'Hudud: Its dilemma and implementation' organised by Malay-language daily Sinar Harian in Shah Alam on 25th October 2011. (His speech at the said forum can be viewed on YouTube.) At around the 9th minute of the video, Dr Ridhuan  strongly asserted that Islamic law has to be implemented by force and there is no other way to educate the non-Muslims on Islamic laws than by force. Dr Ridhuan added that the most opportune time for "us" to do so was after the 13th May 1969 incident and lamented the fact that "we" had let that opportunity gone. During the speech, Dr Ridhuan lamented the fact that non-Muslims, especially the Chinese, have a negative view of Islamic state and hudud generally. Speaking from experience, as a Chinese, Dr Ridhuan insisted that he knows the Chinese's attitude towards Islam and that that attitude has not changed. Firstly, I must confess that I am more than a little bit perplexed by Dr Ridhuan's attempt to connect the racial riot of 13th May 1969 with the idea of an Islamic state and the implementation of hudud or Islamic laws in Malaysia. The riot of 13th May 1969, as far as I know, had nothing to do with the desire by any particular section of our society, including the Muslims/Malays, for an Islamic state or for the implementation of Islamic laws in Malaysia. If the mainstream version of the riot were to be believed, that riot was caused by the economic imbalances between the Malays and the non-Malays, giving rise to a deep and seething anger between the two sections of the society culminating in racial hatred. This was sparked by the unprecedented  victory of the DAP in the general election immediately preceding the riot and the subsequent victory march by the DAP. The whole situation was worsen by the election campaigns which were full of racial rhetoric and overtone and the killing of some Chinese suspected to be communists. Never have I read about the riot being anything about Islam, Islamic state or the implementation of Islamic laws. Even the non-mainstream version of the riot has omitted mentioning anything about those issues being the possible cause of the riot. As neither Islam, Islamic state  nor Islamic laws was part of the catalyst or cause of the riot, how could Dr Ridhuan surmise that the most "opportune of time" to implement Islamic laws in Malaysia was after the riot? There is an obvious lack of cause, causation and result here. I mean, Dr Ridhuan may very well say that 31st August 1957 would be the most opportune time for all of us to choose Islamic state as the governing model of our nation. I would certainly understand that remark because that was the starting point of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu as an independent state. But to relate the choice of an Islamic state as a model "after" the riot of 13th May 1969 is as perplexing as any suggestion that the most opportune time to implement Islamic laws in Malaysia would be just after the Bersih rally, for example. Regardless of the lack of any tangible connection between the May 13th riot and the issue of Islamic state, Dr Ridhuan had, by his remark, obviously – or even perhaps, inadvertently – exposed the notion, which could be popular among the neo-right winged-nationalist in contemporary Malaysia that the May 13th riot was "won" by the Malays or Muslims. Premised on this notion of a "victory" being achieved by the Malays/Muslims during the May 13th riot, Dr Ridhuan quite obviously thought that the Malays/Muslims, as the victors, could have imposed an Islamic state model on Malaysia or implement hudud/Islamic laws as the laws of Malaysia after the said "victory." Conversely, the non-Muslims, particularly the Chinese, as the "vanquished", would not have been able to resist such forceful imposition of Islam on them at that point of time. That, to my mind, would have been the natural conclusion of Dr Ridhuan's remark. With all due respect to Dr Ridhuan's scholarly position, I view that with sadness. The May 13th riot has no victors. Malaysia as a nation, society and people were all losers on that fateful day and from that dark blot on our history. May 13th 1969 was an absolute failure of all of us as a people. It was a day when we had left our power to reason and rationalise and let our primordial kinship and tribalistic emotions to take over. It was a day when we discarded civility and civilisation and opted for barbarism. Victory on the May 13th riot and its aftermath, in my opinion, could only be measured by our collective ability and willingness, as a people and a nation, to learn the lessons brought about by the riot and to take measures to address the causes which sparked the riot. Anything else is a failure. The notion that the Malays/Muslims could have done anything, including imposing an Islamic state model during its aftermath, is a perversion and represents an almost nihilistic view of the riot, its causes and consequences. It is yet another unwelcome addition to the plethora of abuses to which the Malay psyche has been subjected all this while. As a Malay Muslim, I find it absolutely objectionable. Dr Ridhuan's lamentation that the Chinese, particularly, has a negative view of Islam and that their negative attitude towards Islam has not changed while at the same time asserting that hudud or Islamic laws must be implemented by force is, with respect, the peak of irony. It is an irony because one of the main reason why the non-Muslims throughout the world have such a dim view of Islam is answered by Dr Ridhuan himself in his statement that Islamic laws should be implemented by force, regardless of any party's objection to it. To many, the attitude of some of our ulamaks and mullahs are reflective of Islam's supposed intolerance of others, most particularly other faiths and not to mention cultures, breed and creed. If Dr Ridhuan would stop and think at the repercussion of his assertion as such, he would realise that by making that assertion, he had managed to isolate millions of non-Muslims from the beauty of Islam, a faith that was premised on absolute respect for each other. Dr Ridhuan would do well to realise that the  Kharijite-ist approach towards maintaining Islam as the one and only faith does not bode well with Islam's core teaching of mutual existence, respect and co-operation. If we were to force the implementation of Islamic laws in Malaysia, by extension, why don't we, as Muslims, force everyone to convert to Islam then, if I may ask? The answer is provided by God Himself, when in the Quran He says:- "Let there be no compulsion in religion.  Truth has been made clear from error.  Whoever rejects false worship and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks.  And God hears and knows all things." (Quran 2:256) Then He says again: "If it had been your Lord's will, all of the people on Earth would have believed.  Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?" (Quran 10:99) Dr Ridhuan insisted that as a Chinese coming from a family who are staunch non-believers of Islam, he knew how the Chinese feel about Islam. His disdain for the parties whom he always describes as "ultra-kiasu" is well known. Dr Ridhuan may have his own deeply personal reason for that. It is not for me, or for anybody else, to judge him for that. But surely Dr Ridhuan should not let his disdain prevent him from being just. The Quran says: "O you who believe! Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably, that is nearer to piety, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do." Quran 5:8) Muslims and non-Muslims must be made to know and realise that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent as a "mercy for all the world" (Quran 21:107). He was not sent to force or compel anybody towards Islam or Allah. God says: "Nothing is (incumbent) on the Messenger but to deliver (the message), and Allah knows what you do openly and what you hide." (Quran 5:99) "So if they dispute with you, say 'I have submitted my whole self to God, and so have those who follow me.'  And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: 'Do you also submit yourselves?'  If they do, then they are on right guidance.  But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message.  And in God's sight are all of His servants." (Quran 3:20) Why then do we want to force Islam on anybody? Isn't that un-Islamic? READ MORE HERE

What Occupy Wall Street Can Learn from Occupy Tel Aviv Posted: 27 Oct 2011 05:02 PM PDT By Karl Vick, TIME The tents seem to be everywhere now — Wall Street, London, Hong Kong, Madrid — but very little really comes close to what happened in Israel this summer: thousands camping out, hundreds of thousands marching, a society transformed. "It's all part of the same thing. It's people saying, 'We want to be in charge,' " says Stav Shaffir, 26, one of the first Israeli campers. Yonatan Levi, also 26 and an early organizer, offers a comparison with the scale of things in New York City: "Sadly, I think we were much more successful in transmitting our message and our ability to show up in great numbers. I mean, a half-million to a million people!" The tent protests in Tel Aviv began in muggy mid-July with a handful of young people pitching tents to protest the skyrocketing price of housing in Israel. (Tents — get it?) The first night, reporters outnumbered protesters, but a chord had been struck. The focus quickly widened to take in a gamut of shared complaints about an economy that looked great at the macro level but had created a growing gap between rich and poor. Inspired in part by the Arab Spring ("People thought, Wow, if they can do it, why can't we do it?" says Shaffir) and in part by Madrid's indignados movement, the Israeli protests combined and managed the contagious spread seen in Israel's neighbors as well as the difficult economic and social issues similar to those that emerged in Spain. Ground zero in the Tel Aviv protests, fittingly enough, was Rothschild Boulevard, a shady walkway named for a fabulously wealthy family who helped found Israel as a state originally grounded in social welfare. Within two weeks, 40 camps sprang up around the country. Two weeks later, the camps numbered 100 and marchers 350,000, a whopping turnout in a country of just 7 million.(See photos of Occupy protests from around the world.) "The spirit of this was amazing," says Shaffir. "That's maybe something you can send to the people at Wall Street: happiness was the key. Journalists asked, 'Is it really serious? Because I see a lot of people smiling.' I said that's what makes it serious. People have hope again." Another key: nonpartisanship. There was no room for labels and even less for parties in a protest that strove for a "new language" based on common ground staked out in group discussions, assemblies or councils. People shared with strangers what they were embarrassed to confess to their children: We can't afford the expensive ice cream. "The other thing that's very important is chaos," says Shaffir, who arrived for a breakfast interview after spending the night talking on Rothschild Boulevard, where a handful of tents had gone up anew, weeks after police dismantled the last vestiges of the main camp. "As a movement that goes up against the most powerful force, if you act like an organization, like an institution, you lose. If you have one head, they know what to cut off. You have to be like water, to be everywhere, to be unpredictable. We work like an open code. Everybody should act their part. Everybody should act like a leader."(Read about the New York City protesters holding ground in Zuccotti Park.) At one end of Rothschild, a headquarters of sorts went up, though it amounted to a few workstations under fabric stretched to reduce the glare on the computers that lay underneath. "I think in a way what we see in the streets today is a result of things we were trained for from using the Internet since age 5," says Levi. "I think these assemblies are chat rooms, wide open, with this sense of nonhierarchy, that everyone is equal in the kingdom of the Internet, where there are no kings or queens. We've taken these tools that we've acquired unknowingly — this generation of ours which was blamed for not doing anything in the world — and now we've taken these things we've learned out into the street. And it's pretty impressive, I must say." In Israel, the leap to the masses was both more challenging and, in other ways, a bit easier than elsewhere. Jewish Israeli society is relatively small and cohesive, united in a sense of nationhood and shared risk; almost everyone, for instance, serves in the army. But it is also riven by differences, between secular and religious, between Jews and the 20% of the population who are Arab, between recent immigrant and native-born. Only the black-clad ultra-orthodox religious, who gather in residential enclaves, started the summer with a community, Shaffir notes. "If you're secular, your community is your family. That's all." "If we talk about tips, the most important thing is to connect the different groups, the different social classes," she says. "And that's the hardest thing." Yet it happened. In just weeks, the protests that some conservative politicians reflexively dismissed as elitist or leftist swelled into a national movement, drawing Israelis from every class and cohort, all of them beaming as they found one another on the street together. In the tent cities, campers organized kitchens, kindergartens, trash removal. They even elected representatives to reclaim a political realm that had grown alien and remote, the province of professional politicians. "And people were so happy," Shaffir says. "Israelis, for so many years, didn't feel like we could do anything."(Read about rioters hijacking Rome's Occupy protest.) In time, the political establishment scrambled to respond, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu naming a committee to list specific actions — more money for child care, less for defense — that many in the group call a misapprehension of what was, at bottom, something more diffuse: a remaking of the national consciousness. "The fact that we have no specific list of demands is very hard for them," says Levi, referring to the Knesset, the Israeli legislature. "I'm not sure we've directly affected the political system yet, but I'm sure we will. Because the people who elect these robots spent many hours in the tent cities. It was a learning experience." The lessons continue. The other day, organizers set out to secure Tel Aviv's main public gathering place, Rabin Square, for a follow-up demonstration. They learned it would cost them about $5,000. "That's a disgrace," says Shaffir. "It's like your right of protest is also privatized." So they decided they didn't need the permission of the very people they were opposing. "We just told everybody we're going to reoccupy Rothschild," she says. "It made everybody happy, because we were getting back to the streets." — With reporting by Aaron J. Klein / Tel Aviv

Beng Hock’s family demands criminal charges against MACC trio Posted: 27 Oct 2011 04:42 PM PDT By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider Teoh Beng Hock's family today demanded that the police investigate the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers named in the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into Teoh's death for contributing to the DAP aide's death. The family accused the Najib administration yesterday of "taking grieving family members for a ride" by not pushing for criminal charges against three national graftbusters despite a royal investigation panel finding the trio contributed to the political aide's death two years ago. Today, the family lodged a police report in the hope of initiating a criminal probe. "It's not that we do not have patience. We have been so patient but it has been taken advantage of. "We've waited long enough and there is still no serious action from the government," Beng Hock's sister Lee Lan told reporters outside the Tun H.S. Lee police station here. The Teohs had said the government's inaction casts serious doubt not only on the credibility of the RCI the prime minister foisted on the family, but its chairman, Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong Cheng Yuen. The still-grieving family was responding to de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz's statement four days ago that the government would not be prosecuting the three officers from the MACC despite being named in the RCI report released three months ago because no one had filed a police report to do so. Today, Lee Lan, accompanied by lawyer and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo and Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, lodged a police report. Teo pointed out that the police could have lodged a report and started an investigation, just as they did with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, when he claimed that Beng Hock was murdered. The Teohs said they found it incredulous the government remained suspicious and sceptical of the RCI report and left it to the MACC to head another "special task force investigating their own officers". They pointed out the RCI had incriminated the MACC trio — Mohd Anuar Isamil (named in the report as "the bully"), Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus ("the abuser") and Hishammuddin Hashim ("the arrogant leader") — in its report for using inappropriate violence to draw information out of Beng Hock who was only a witness.   READ MORE HERE.

An Open Proxy Shot? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 04:08 PM PDT By Lim Kit Siang Was Rahim Noor's Perkasa speech warning of "a human rights wave" an open proxy shot in a battle of three Malaysian Prime Ministers about human rights not only in Malaysia but the Commonwealth and the world? Was the former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor's Perkasa speech warning of "a human rights wave" which would be like "a new religion" and threaten and erode the basis on which the nation was founded an open proxy shot in a battle of three Malaysian Prime Ministers about democracy, human rights and the rule of law not only in Malaysia but in the Commonwealth and the world?   It can be no coincidence that Rahim Noor's speech was immediately given endorsement by his former boss and the fourth Malaysian Prime Minister of 22 years, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who warned that "Opposition politicians are using human rights issues for their political benefit".   It can also be no coincidence that the two warnings by Mahathir and Rahim, made in a matter of 24 hours, came on the eve of the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, which is to consider the scathing report of the 11-member Eminent Persons Group (EPG) with wide-ranging and far-reaching reform proposals to end its organizational "decay" and to avoid the Commonwealth being condemned by history as "hypocritical" allowing rogue member states to violate human rights and democratic conventions.   It has been reported that the 220-page report of the EPG, which has not been made public despite the EPG's request that it be released before the CHOGM opening this morning, contained "a wide ranging and at times unexpectedly radical road map for change, outlined in 106 detailed recommendations aimed at hauling the organization into the 21st century" – including the appointment of an independent Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights commissioner empowered to monitor violations and propose action against them.   And heading the EPG – which includes former British Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind and retired Australian High Court justice Michael Kirkby – is none other than the fifth Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.   Were the warnings by Mahathir and Rahim Noor pre-emptive strikes in the battle of the three Malaysian Prime Ministers, with the fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad warning the sixth and current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak not to support or have any truck with fifth Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah's EPG proposals to improve the Commonwealth record in responding to human rights violations?   What is Najib's stand – to endorse Abdullah and the EPG proposals at the Perth 2011 CHOGM or to buckle under to pressures by Mahathir and Rahim Noor and to prevent the  rogue Commonwealth countries which violate human rights from scrutiny and censure by a Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights?   The stand Najib will take in Perth 2011 CHOGM on the EPG report on Commonwealth reforms and the appointment of a Commonwealth Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights -  whether to back Mahathir or Abdullah -  will be a clear indication as to whether his promises of democratisation and political transformation, whether on electoral reforms, repeal of the Internal Security Act, removal of draconian and undemocratic laws and measures, have any credibility at all.   Najib should take serious note of the blunt warning of the EPG report about the Commonwealth "in danger of losing its relevance".   The EPG report had warned:   "Now is the time for the Perth CHOGM to authorise the urgent reform this report recommends and to mandate a concrete implementation plan.   "Reform has never been more necessary.   "There may not be another chance to renew, reinvigorate and revitalise the Commonwealth to make it relevant to its times and people in the future."   The warning of the EPG report that "there may not  be another chance to renew, reinvigorate and revitalise Commonwealth to make it relevant to its times and people in the future" is of equal pertinence to Najib as to the relevance of his premiership and UMNO/Barisan Nasional rule to the people and country of Malaysia.   Will Najib prove to be unequal not only to the task of Commonwealth reform but also to the challenge of reform and national transformation of Malaysia?

Tsu Koon and Taib Mahmud: Too Selfish to Step Down Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:56 PM PDT By Aidil Syukri, Malaysian Digest   After a humiliating defeat in the last general election, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had contemplated on stepping down as president of Gerakan. The former Penang chief minister said he intends to quit the post because he wants to be responsible for Barisan Nasional (BN) losing Penang – the party's stronghold – to the Opposition. However, he had to do away with this intention because Gerakan's supreme committee had rejected his resignation on the grounds that it was not a suitable time to blame anyone and that the party instead needs to remain united to restore people's confidence towards the perturbed party. That was three years ago. Now, Koh's party members have decided to voice out their demand for their president to give up office. What makes it even more ironic is that he was asked to resign on the same reason that he was asked not to three years ago; to restore people's confidence in the party. Those who had openly criticized him were the party's Woman Chief, Datuk Seri Tan Lian Hoe who suggested that he should not contest in the next elections. Previously, most of the criticisms that were hurled at Koh mostly came from those outside the party such as former AMK Chief Ezam Md Nor as well as Independent MPs Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim (Bayan Baru). In 2008 General Election, Penang BN only managed to defend 11 seats while 29 seats fell to Pakatan Rakyat. Koh himself lost in the election to the DAP candidate, Prof Dr P Ramasamy in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat with a majority of 9,485 votes. However, despite this embarrassing defeat, nobody suggested for Koh to resign at that time. These sentiments went public only recently. In fact, Koh was not the only chairman from a BN component party who faced this sort of situation. There were other BN leaders that face similar pressure such as former MIC President, Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu and PBB President who's also Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud. In the case of these two veterans, Samy, who lost his Sungai Siput seat to PSM's Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, bowed to the pressure and passed his leadership on to his deputy, while Taib still remains as chief of his party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB). Actually, there are pros and cons regarding to this issue. One might suggest that based on the situation that hit BN on the last elections, new leadership might help in 'rebranding' the party's image, like what we can see in Umno and MCA. However, in case of MIC, honestly I can say that the new leadership has not brought any changes to the party, let alone the Indian community. It's also very noticeable that the party's current president, G Palanivel, who himself lost his Hulu Selangor seat to the late Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin in the last election, is less popular than a junior by the likes of  P Kamalanathan (the present Hulu Selangor MP). This is obvious from the fact that Kamalanathan was chosen over the then MIC deputy president as a candidate to contest for the Hulu Selangor constituency, denying Palanivel the chance to redeem himself by taking a crack at reclaiming the seat he lost. Not only was newbie Kamalanathan favored by BN's big bosses, as a matter of fact, the then PKR opponent he overcame in the Hulu Selangor by-election last year was a former law minister, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.     READ MORE HERE.

Laporan audit: Syarikat kerajaan Johor tidak memuaskan Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:18 PM PDT (FMT) - PETALING JAYA: Tiga syarikat milik kerajaan negeri Johor dikesan diurus dalam keadaan tidak memuaskan dan dua mengalami kerugian, menurut lapuran ketua audit negara 2010. Tiga syarikat berkenaan ialah YWJ Citra Holdings Sdn Bhd; Johor Skills Development Centre Sdn Bhd dan Kumpulan Pendidikan YPJ Sdn Bhd. Prestasi kewangan YWY Citra tidak memuaskan kerana mengalami kerugian bagi tahun 2007 hingga 2009. Kedudukan aset dan liabiliti juga tidak memuaskan kerana modal keraja pada tempoh sama  semakin kurang nilainya. Syarikat juga  tidak mempunyai sumber pendapatan dan belum mendapat pulangan dari aktiviti perladangan dan hartanah yang diceburi. "Bangunan rumah kedai miliknya masih belum ada penyewa, selain kelemahan pengurusan dan pekeliling tidak dipatuhi," kata lapuran audit berkenaan.   Seterusnya di sini.

Court discharges PSM 6 from subversion, illegal assembly case Posted: 27 Oct 2011 03:09 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and five other Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members were today given a discharge not amounting to acquittal for allegedly owning subversive papers and gathering illegally ahead of the Bersih rally that took place on July 9. Dr Jeyakumar told reporters of his relief over the Sessions Court ruling in Butterworth. He said the PSM 6 would try to meet with the Home Ministry for an explanation over the offences which they allegedly committed before the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally. On September 19, police dropped all charges against 30 PSM activists arrested for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, including the six who were also detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO). This came just days after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced reforms to security and press laws, including the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the lifting of three Emergency Declarations. In place of the ISA, Najib had announced the drafting of two new laws to curb terrorism in the country, much like the Patriot Act in the US, which was enacted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.   READ MORE HERE.

#OccupyPenang 29.10.11 Posted: 27 Oct 2011 02:40 PM PDT The spirit of #OccupyDataran & the global #Occupy Movement is spreading to Penang! In more than a thousand cities all over the world, from Madrid to New York, from Porto Alegre to Seoul, from Athens to Kuala Lumpur, young people are taking over public squares, organising People's Assemblies and building a new grassroots democratic movement for "Real Democracy". On 29th October 2011, join us at Speakers' Square, Esplanade as we#OccupyPenang for the first time! --------------------------------------------------------- SCHEDULE 6:00pm-7:00pm Speakers' Corner session + open mic + acoustic music Stand up, speak up, voice your opinion & express yourself! Everyone is free to make a speech, read a poem, sing a song or give a pidato on any subject or topic they want without censorship, without restrictions. Share with us what "real democracy" means to you! 8:00pm-11:00pm "Penang People's Assembly" The "Penang People's Assembly" is an open, egalitarian and democratic platform for people to share ideas, address problems, explore alternatives, propose solutions & make decisions on any issues collectively through consensus decision-making & direct participatory democratic processes. 12:00am-2:00am "Sekolah Demokrasi Rakyat" Sekolah Demokrasi Rakyat (People's School of Democracy) is a open and participatory learning space where people share knowledge & skills using popular education tools & participatory learning methodologies. --------------------------------------------------------- This event is open to all citizens and all persons irregardless of race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, lifestyle choices, national origin or political affiliation. #OccupyPenang is an independent & autonomous grassroots initiative by the youth to reclaim Esplanade Penang as an open and democratic space for people to explore the true meaning of democracy beyond the representative system, to redefine democratic participation beyond the ballot box, to imagine a new political culture beyond race, ideology and political affiliation. #OccupyPenang is not affiliated to any ideology, political party or NGO.     READ MORE ABOUT OCCUPY SOUTH-EAST ASIA HERE.

Curb ‘fascist’ Perkasa, Rahim Noor, Pakatan MPs tell Najib Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:09 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — The federal opposition has called Perkasa and Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor "fascist monsters" after the former top cop likened the rise of human rights movements to communism during the Malay rights group's general assembly on Wednesday. Pakatan Rayat (PR) lawmakers said today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak "must immediately put a stop to this fascism movement and openly condemn the former IGP and Perkasa... if he is sincere about his political transformation programme." "The latest attacks against the human rights movement is clearly an attempt to reverse Najib's capitulation to civil society movements such as Bersih," said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua, referring to the electoral reform movement which saw tens of thousands take to the streets of the capital on July 9. The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said Perkasa, comprising many hardliners from Umno, opposed the prime minister's parliamentary select committee to improve the electoral system and a raft of reforms that include the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA). PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar also told The Malaysian Insider that "the tragedy lies not in Rahim Noor's archaic, irrelevant and misguided views, but in the fact there remain organisations that prop up and bring new life to such monsters." The Lembah Pantai MP also accused Perkasa and the former IGP of "a hidden, dangerous agenda... an affront to common sense and should be rejected by all peace loving Malaysians." Nurul Izzah said Perkasa and Rahim had 'a hidden, dangerous agenda'. — File pic Abdul Rahim, who resigned from the police force in1999 after confessing to assaulting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when the former deputy prime minister was under custody over sodomy charges, had called the "human rights wave" a "new religion" that would lead to Malaysia's social contract being questioned.   READ MORE HERE.

The Assunta Hospital Dilemma Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:24 PM PDT By a concerned malaysian The Assunta hospital was founded by a group of missionaries from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in the year 1954. In the tradition of the catholic church it pioneered care for the poor and underpriviledged needing medical assistance. It opened its doors based purely on the goodwill of generous people who seeing the good intentions of the nuns provided all that they needed. Many of the wings of the hospital are donated by individuals who seeing the good work of the nuns gave large sums of money to expand to accomodate the growing number of poor and underpriviledged who were coming to the hospital for care. Many fund raising events were promoted and Archbishop Murphy Pakiam and Dato Peter Mooney even graced these occassions . The primary purpose of the hospital was to provide healthcare to the poor and underpriviledged in the tradition of the caring spirit of the FMM sisters The Assunta Foundation was established as a "charitable" hospital catering exclusively to the poor and underpriviledged, and in the name of charity much money was collected and used to expand the hospital. The Assunta foundation has been now sidelined to merely collecting funds to help needy people needing help with cancer treatment, the latest being the "DontDuckIt" campaign The Assunta foundation and the Catholic church in Malaysia has been faced with a lot of allegations that the original vision of the Assunta foundation from being "charitable" has now turned into a private hospital catering for the rich. The questions that need to be asked and addressed are :- 1) How did a charitable foundation become a "private" entity? 2) Was a charitable foundation ( hospital ) built on funds donated by the public, sold or given away merely because the original trustees felt like giving it up? 3) How did the FMM sisters a catholic religious order of nuns whose primary vocation was caring for the needy and poor in the areas where they are   established suddenly change the direction of their calling? It is time that The Malaysian catholic church came out and publicy answer to these allegations truthfully , so that this "ghost" can be put to rest. Thank You, A Deeply concerned Malaysian.

A Mischievous and Irresponsible Claim Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:13 PM PDT By N Surendran, Keadilan VP I refer to the statement by former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamed that Malaysians should be granted human rights " only as far as we are able to" and that the opposition's struggle for human rights is for their own benefit and "excessive". It is no surprise that Dr Mahathir has taken this irresponsible, mischievous and dishonest position. During his harsh and intolerant 22 year long reign as the country's Prime Minister, Mahathir subverted and undermined most of the rakyat's basic rights. Key fundamental rights guaranteed to the rakyat under Part 2 of the Federal Constitution were rendered ineffective and meaningless under Mahathir's rule, and remain so under current Prime Minister Najib. Detention without trial laws were used against the opposition, activists, social workers and even against opponents within the ruling UMNO itself. A prominent victim was former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked, beaten and detained under the ISA in September 1998, for having opposed Mahathir's policies. Cynically using the excuse of national security and race relations, Mahathir used an arsenal of oppressive laws to intimidate and imprison political opponents, and to strengthen his personal grip on the country. In fact, Mahathir should be put on trial for abusing state powers and undermining independent institutions such as the police, judiciary, civil service and election commission. His acts when in power were criminal in nature, and caused far-reaching damage to our institutions and structures of governance.  History will judge Mahathir harshly.   The objective of the long struggle for human rights by the political opposition and activists is to return to the Rakyat the fundamental rights once given to them in the Federal Constitution. How can it be 'excessive' to demand freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association or freedom from arbitrary detention? These are among the basic freedoms that were stolen from the Rakyat by Mahathir and his various predecessors and successors. It is not "excessive rights like the West" that the rakyat ask for, but the basic rights provided for in the Malaysian Federal Constitution. These fundamental freedoms are essential to preserve our dignity as human beings, and to enable us to question and keep the government in check. It is increasingly clear that PM Najib and UMNO are fighting a proxy war against the Rakyat's struggle for human rights using irresponsible and intolerant organisations and individuals like Perkasa and Dr.Mahathir. This kind of transparent stratagem fools no one. We call upon Prime Minister Najib and his government to do the right thing: return to the Rakyat their stolen freedoms.

A Deputy Premier from the Borneo States? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 12:02 PM PDT By Mohd Jefri Radius THE Book   " The  Politics  of  Federalism  " written by Bruce – Ross Larson published  way back in 1976  outlined  some description about the  political roles / contributions of the  late  Gunsanad  Samuel  Sundang , better  known as   G.S  Sundang , who was primarily   instrumental in forming  The  United  National Pasok – Momugun Party ( Pasok Momugun ) , which  later posed  a challenge to the  late  Tun Fuad Stephens' United  National  Kadazan Organisation (  UNKO ) over the  non – Muslim indigenous communities comprising  the Muruts and  Dusuns in the  Interior Residency . Historically , Pasok – Momugun was set up as a  consequence of  Sundang's dissatisfaction over  UNKO's  inclusion of  Muruts into the  group " Kadazan ", which the then North Borneo News carried  as  its  headline on the eve  of the maiden political development . The fact is the Muruts and the Kadazans differ both culturally and dialectically . The memories of the late   Sundang still  linger in the hearts of many ethnical Muruts in the Interior , saluting  him for his firm stand and precise  argument as far as  the ' racial swapping ' move was  concerned . Nevertheless , those rows of misunderstanding over  the move was  amicably settled in subsequent years , when  the  two leaders  managed  to secure  a  compromise , which eventually resulted in the amalgamation of the two  non – Muslim native parties into  one political entity after a series  of meeting . It was just before  the first  indirect  State  election was  due to be held  in June 1964 , the combination of Fuad Stephens and Sundang's  vision  led to the  creation of  a new  political  organisation  known as  " United Pasok – Kadazan Organisation " ( UPKO )  become reality . Allocations for seats were conducted  within the  framework of  the Sabah Alliance through the inter- party negotiation . The United  Sabah  National  Organisation (  USNO ) the  Muslim bumiputera  party led by the  late Tun Mustafa was  given 14 seats ,UPKO 11 , the  Sabah  Chinese  Association ( SCA ) 7 , while  the  four nominated  seats  seats were given to each of the existing political  parties then , including  the  Sabah Indian Congress  ( SIC ) whereas  two of the remaining  nominated  seats  were  reserved  for the speaker  of the  Legislative Assembly and a government  servant  pensioner  not a member of  any political party  respectively . Subsequently , UPKO's President the late Fuad  Stephens while  representing  the  State  in the  Federal Government as  Minister  of Sabah Affairs , once questioned  the  attitude of top Federal leaders  when he was  not consulted  in major decision making . The  separation of  Singapore , which was  later  approved  by Parliament  in 1965 is a  case in point . This  disappointment  led  Fuad  and the  late  Datuk Peter  Mojuntin , the Secretary General  of  UPKO , to embark  on a State wide  tour  clamouring for the  re-examination of the  Twenty Points , upon which  the  conditions of  Sabah's  entry  into  the Federation had been spelt out. Analytically , one could  rationalise that  UPKO could  not have  existed as  a  political organisation without  the instrumental  roles of  Fuad  neither could he have  achieved his political vision fruitfully  without the significant and smart partnership of   Sundang. On May 15th , 1967  UPKO  opted  to be  in the Opposition when its  leaders ' claim for power sharing of  three  ministerial  State  Cabinet  port polios in the  newly  formed  Alliance  Government  under Tun Mustafa  was not entertained  or fairly considered by USNO  leaders . In the 1967  First  Direct  State  General  Election  USNO won 14 , UPKO 12 , SCA 5 and Independent 1 out of the  32  State  Assembly seats . A  paragraph  quoted  from  " The  Politics of  Federalism " could  be interpreted  as  one of the  fundamental  reasons  UPKO  was not  welcome to  be  a component  in the  then Alliance  -  USNO  led  State  Government .    "  Mustafa  was  aware that  UPKO  had many  well – educated  people  than USNO and would  be  better  able  to articulate  their arguments  on the  floor of the  assembly .He was  aware  of the influence of many  high – ranking expatriates who in  collaborating with UPKO , would  make ruling tenuous and  cabinet  meetings embarrassingly uncomfortable   and  he was  aware  of his  personal limitations  - with  little education, he felt ill equipped to administer  the details  of  government  in the  face  of such  opposition. " Mustafa  needed  help in the  immediate  battle with UPKO and  he knew this would not be forthcoming from those  in his  own party or in the  SCA . Consequently , he wanted Syed Kechik to  stay  in Sabah to help him eliminate UPKO and  the  expatriates as threats to his  leadership and power  " On Dec 28th 1967 ,UPKO  was  dissolved by the  party congress .The party leaders were forced  to make this crucial decision in the  name of  bumiputera  unity . After  32 years of  hibernation UPKO appeared  ready to make  a fresh endeavour in the new millennium ,when it was  legally  revived and  chosen as  an alternative to Tan Sri Bernard Dompok 's Parti Democratik Sabah  ( PDS ) . The name changed  was officially announced  on Aug 8th 1999 , thereby making Dompok possibly as the  first  politican in the  country to have  successfully  reactivated a dormant party . Upon revival in the following year , the  credibility  of  the new UPKO leaders were thus put to test  on whether  they could  restore  the glory  of the party  once achieved  by the  predecessors  judging  from one sole factor :- The  political environment and the  mentality of our indigenous people in the  past are  incomparable to the  present  day  situation .In those  days , UPKO  was  the  sole choice through which  the non – Muslim rural natives could  affiliate  with as the  mean of expressing their political rights. Presently ,Sabah  has  several active political  parties registered  either  as racial  or multi racial based  parties . The Kadazan Dusun Murut  ( KDM ) communities along with other  races in the State are  found as members not merely in the KDM based parties  namely PBS , PBRS and UPKO but   in the nation's backbone  party UMNO as well maybe some in Gerakan or LDP and even in the   opposition  camp  SAPP , PKR ,DAP , PAS  ,Sabah People Front (SPF )  formerly Bersekutu   & Malaysian United People Party ( MUPP /Bersama ) initially known as Parti Setia   etc. In theory  and practice ,a party  that tends to  focus on the older generation voters  for support during any poll in the  midst of  the current situation , dominated by  a number of  existing  political parties  , would  be making a major blunder , as  this  strategy appears outdated judging from the growing statistics of  younger generation voters , who may have outnumbered  the older generations unlike 40 years ago .  Some say ,  even if  PDS  did not change it political status quo including its  name /initials, the party could still warrant memberships  irrespective  of races  and  social beliefs etc. The   image and popularity of any party would depend upon the backgrounds and  fine reputation of its leaders , whose  credibility  would be assessed  by the people from time to time  as  to whether  such leaders are  worthy of  support from the people either during pre or  post  election days. Ideologically ,the option made by former PDS leaders of going back to communal politics is  rational indeed for a definite  and sensible reason,   as it is  still being viewed  as  a realistic  political system ,whereby each community can express their political rights ,but cooperate with  other racial based  parties through the concept of power sharing as practised by the BN nationwide  for  over  a  decade . Retrospectively ,on the  broader  screen no one could deny that  Parti  Bersatu  Rakyat  Jelata  Sabah (  BERJAYA )  once led by  Fuad  in just less than a  month's time  before his death in the Double Six 1976 Sembulan Air crash Tragedy and Datuk Harris ( now Tan Sri ) took over the  Chief Ministership position   until the party's downfall  in the  1985  State  Election  , was the only political  organisation known so far  that  truly  made  multi – racialism worked  for the  benefit  of all  races in the  State when it took the helm of administration for  almost ten years  ( 1975 – 1985 ) . PBS emulated the concept for a while , but its  nine year administrative period   did expose the true colour  of its leaders , who did not really practised what they preached . The party's so called multi racial policies turned out to be  discriminatory especially  when it  stayed put  as opposition mostly during its administrative  period . This  explained the factor   why UMNO was strategically invited by the late Tun Mustafa to enter and intervene  into Sabah's  politics  with  the blessing  of former UMNO President cum PM Tun Dr Mahathir then. In 1994 , USNO was  dissolved sacrificially by the party supreme council  upon getting  the green light from  Mustafa thus paving the way for    UMNO's entry to  accomplish its sole mission of  ' putting things right where PBS  had  put it  wrong  ' on Sabah soil. Previously , a group  of  politicians  had thought of   reviving   the  defunct  USNO    , but  looks like those  effort  may  take  a  time consuming  process , before they could see light at the end of the tunnel ,as  the Registrar of Societies ( RoS ) would definitely conduct ' microscopic examination  ' with reference to relevant federal leaders   including studying the points from every angle  whether  there is justification to revive   this  historic  dormant  political  party. Back on to the current political  scenario ,during UPKO's 13th triennial delegates conference held in Penampang   recently , the party's resolution had called for BN second Deputy Prime Minister from the Borneo States ( Sabah & Sarawak ) as the means of ensuring more balance in  the implementation of  development policies  between the Borneo States in question and the Peninsular , by virtue of  the ' equal partner 'concept adopted during the incorporation of Malaysia in 1963 , apart from  aiming at  invigorating  BN's  power sharing concept , whereby every  component member  could play significant roles in the coalition. The paradox is  in the words of  Deputy Premier Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin who was invited to  officiate the function  advised the delegates  ' It was  better  for the matter designed to see whoever is appointed is made a Second Deputy Prime Minister  be discussed at Supreme Council . Any proposal can be brought before the top leaders . We  have a  council where all leaders sit and submit any matter that  they want  to . Normally a decision is reached by consensus  ' (  The  Daily  Express  25th Sept 2011  ). Certainly , there are  other factors  that need  to be considered  before  the resolution in question could be realistically  materialised   although it may appear  excellent  in the name of  national  integration . Other  BN component parties  based  in the Peninsular  ( GERAKAN , PPP , MIC and MCA  ) will surely  support  the  idea upon sensing  the feasibility  that they could as well be considered to  fill  one of  the  slot   to spin the wheel of DPM rotation if the  situation warrants them  to  do  so  alternatively  ,whereas  UMNO will certainly be  given one of the  deputy premier  slots  for the Malay community  as  set  by its political tradition since  the dawn of independence , unless  the party's Supreme  Council is willing to abolish  the quota via  amendment to its party's  constitution . The proposed Rotation System of  DPM  maybe identical  to  the  concept of  the two year  CM post  as  implemented  in Sabah  during  the era of  Mahathir Administration ,specially designed  with the  political missions and  visions of  unifying the people of  Sabah , following  UMNO's success  in taking over  the reign of  the  State  administration from PBS nine year  rule in 1994 , before  it was  scrapped  in 2004  after  having being in practice  for ten years ,leaving some quantum of '  hangover ' haunting most Sabahans with the realisation that ' Rotation  was a  curse '. The  Rotation  practised in Sabah also  created  history in our local Malaysian politics ,  as  the concept rendered  the opportunity to every BN State Component  including the  party that  won only one State  seat to become the Chief Minister of  Sabah (  Former  President of  LDP Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat ). it  appeared rather amusing indeed  and run counter to  the context of  democratic principle , but  that  was  the strategic  move and  decision made on the domestic  political chess board by  someone who had the full  authority ,discretionary power and command in the country's administration at  that material time . In the event that  this proposal is accepted  by every BN component , Malaysia will possibly be the first  nation in the South East Asian Region  to  have two or three  deputies  to assist  the  Premier  to run the  country . This  concept  would also make  Malaysians  in  Sabah and Sarawak  proud that  their leaders  had  fairly being appointed to represent  their respective States to  fill  the  slot in the Nation's second highest administrative position   for  certain period of time . The appointment  that  had never been spelt out within the terms and conditions of the Twenty Points of Sabah & Sarawak entry into the Federation of Malaysia neither  had such a  resolution ever being brought  forth  by any  BN component parties  in the  coalition  before  this  , but the  bold driving force for highlighting  the  transparent resolution hailed from the  initiatives of the  present  leaders of UPKO, the political  entity which was created  from the combination of two masterminds ( the late Fuad Stephens and late G.S  Sundang respectively ) at  the  dawn of  Sabah's Independence .   Present  UPKO's President Tan Sri  Bernard  Dompok was   quoted  as saying ' UPKO allowed its members to tackle difficult issues even at the risk of being  labelled as opposition party . Dompok also reiterated calls by  the party for a Royal Commission of Inquiry ( RCI ) to look into the problem of illegal immigrants  in Sabah and the  possibility of the oil and gas industry  never getting off the  ground in Sipitang ' ( The Sunday Star 25th September 2011 ). Many Malaysians  in Sabah  are  looking  forward  to  see  that  the calls  made  by our  State leaders  would  become a reality  one  day for  the benefit of everyone regardless  of their  races , creeds , social  belief  , religion or political  affiliations etc . in the Land Below The Wind . Abraham Lincoln , the 16th US  President 1861 had left behind a famous quotation for the living generations to ponder  universally , thereby guiding us to be on track transparently with the principle of democracy at all  time '  Let the  people know the facts ,the  country will   be safe  ' .

Police inaction over MACC trio totally unacceptable Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:53 AM PDT By Teo Nie Ching DAP's National Assistant Publicity Secretary and Serdang MP, Teo Nie Ching has criticized Minister in Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz, and the police for practising double standards by coming up with various excuses for not taking action against the three MACC officers identified by the Royal Commission of Inquiry to be linked to the death of Teoh Beng Hock. Nazri had explained in Parliament on Monday that the Attorney-General could not charge the three officers because the police did not receive any police reports requesting an investigation into the three officers named in the RCI.  However, two DAP members who are also Klang councillors had immediately rebuked the Minister by stating that they had lodged a police report requesting that the police investigate whether the three MACC officers were directly or indirectly involved in Beng Hock's death. Therefore, either Nazri is totally out of his depth or he is deliberately protecting the three officers involved. Therefore, both Nazri and the IGP owe the nation a clear and thorough explanation. Nazri's explanation that the police cannot commence investigations before receiving a report does not hold water, seeing how there have many notable instances in the past in which the police have resorted to lodging reports themselves to kickstart their investigations. In December 2009, when DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng uttered the words "Beng Hock was murdered" at the party's annual convention, Selangor police quickly lodged a report themselves to enable them to investigate Lim Guan Eng under the Sedition Act, 1948. Similarly, when DAP assemblyman for Seri Kembangan and Selangor Exco Ean Yong Hian Wah (who was also Beng Hock's former boss) issued a press statement claiming that the police investigation on Lim Guan Eng was politically motivated, the police once again lodged a report claiming that his statement was incorrect and amounted to an attempt to intimidate the police. They then commenced their investigation under Section 506 of the Penal Code, as well as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. On the contrary, when Nazri and the former chairman of MACC Ahmad Said claimed that the cause of Beng Hock's death was suicide, the police took no action whatsoever against any of them. From the time of Teoh Beng Hock's fatal fall from the MACC headquarters, the police have been investigating the case purely based on their own assumption that Beng Hock had committed suicide, and have completely refused to consider the possibility that he was murdered. Now that the RCI report has clearly pointed out that Anuar (the investigation officer known as "the bully"), Amran (the assistant investigating officer known as "the abuser") and Hishammuddin ("the arrogant leader" who is also former deputy director of MACC Selangor) were guilty of excessive use of violence on Beng Hock, the police have more than enough reason to commence investigations against the trio for possible offences under Sections 304 and 304A of the Penal Code, namely for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and for causing the death of TBH by negligence, respectively. Apart from that, there were 10 MACC officers who gave false testimonies during the RCI proceedings. They should be investigated under Sections 191 and 192 of the Penal Code for giving false evidence and fabricating evidence to protect certain parties from being held responsible for Beng Hock's death. However until today, the police refuse to take action. Coupled with the extremely lame "no one has lodged any police reports" excuse from Nazri, it is clear that double standards are being blatantly practised and this has resulted in extreme hurt and disappointment for upright Malaysians who care deeply about the truth and outcome of the Teoh Beng Hock case.   TEO NIE CHING DAP Assistant National Publicity Secretary & Serdang MP

Equating human rights movements to communism? Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:39 AM PDT By Tony Pua   Is disgraced former Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor's equation of human rights movements to communism part of a concerted attempt to derail the Prime Minister's "political transformation programme"? It comes as  a complete shock that one of the country's former Inspector General of Police (IGP)  had the nerve to "liken the rise of the human rights movement in Malaysia to communism".    Disgraced Tan Sri Rahim Noor who gave Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the infamous "black eye", had referred to the human rights movement as a new "religion". He warned that civil liberties activists saw the US and UK as their spiritual home and drew parallels to how the Comintern had engineered the global spread of communism from its Moscow base.   If human rights can be akin to communism, then surely what Tan Sri Rahim Noor is attempting to do during his speech at the 2nd Perkasa General Assembly is to seed and grow the fascism movement in Malaysia.  "Fascism" is described in the Oxford English dictionary to include "a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach".   The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 had emphasized among other things, the fact that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights", that "all are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law", that "no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile" and that "the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage".   Tan Sri Rahim Noor's speech and reception at the right-wing Perkasa assembly marks the second time the movement is attempting to derail "reforms" put forth by the Prime Minister, since the latter's inauguration in 2009.   In the first instance, Perkasa was able to force the Prime Minister to reverse his landmark "New Economic Model" (NEM) which sought to reform the country's race-based affirmative action system.  The NEM when launched in March 2010, had called for an "affirmative action approach based on "transparent and market-friendly affirmative action programmes", which "will mean greater support for the Bumiputera, a greater support based on needs, not race". It is as opposed to the previous New Economic Policy (NEP) of "imposing conditions to meet specific quotas or targets".   However, within 3 months from the launch of the NEP, the affirmative action policy reform was reversed when the 10th Malaysia Plan re-incorporated the race-based agenda and quota system. Even at the earlier Malay Consultative Council (MPM) lead by Perkasa in May 2010, the Prime Minister had already referred to the NEM as a only a "trial balloon", a clear reversal from the bold reforms announced.   The latest attacks against the human rights movement deemed as subversive is clearly an attempt to reverse Najib's capitulation to civil society movements such as Bersih.  Such movements have recently led to the setup of a Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reforms as well as the proposed abolishment and amendment of several draconian such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Printing, Presses and Publications Act (PPPA).  These measures are opposed by Perkasa, comprising of many hardliners within UMNO.   Datuk Seri Najib Razak must immediately put a stop to this fascism movement and openly condemn the former IGP and Perkasa's attempt to allude the human rights movement to communism.  He must also openly declare his full support for the human rights objectives, as enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, if he is sincere about his "political transformation programme".   Otherwise, the latest hype surrounding the "political transformation programme" will just become a "trial balloon" like the NEM, where the promised reforms will be severely curtailed or worse, equally draconian laws will be adopted to replace existing ones such as the ISA.

'Expose culprits delaying indelible ink rule' Posted: 27 Oct 2011 11:20 AM PDT (Harakah Daily) - The former Election Commission chief's criticism of the body's latest about-turn on the use of indelible ink in the next general election has raised questions over who is delaying its implementation. "So, who's the real culprit delaying the use of indelible ink?" asked Youth's Democracy Restoration and Mobilisation bureau chairman Suhaizan Kaiat. Earlier, former EC chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman (right) described the EC's excuse that more time was needed to study the use of the indelible ink as a "joke". In an interview with news portal Malaysiakini, Rashid said the last-minute reversal in 2008 of a decision to use the ink, which is to curb instances of a voter voting more than once, was his biggest failure as an election official, and had prompted him to mull resignation. Rashid blamed "the attitude of some sectors of the government" for the reversal, adding that they were "uncivilised and stupid" for that decision, he told Malaysiakini. Following the revelation, Suhaizan said Rashid should now come clear and expose those dragging the matter. "Who is actually blocking the use of indelible ink in the election? This is something Rashid himself must answer as someone with experience and who had been directly involved in the matter," he added. Suhaizan said indelible ink had been proven practical and effective in preventing double voting. Recently concluded elections in several developing countries, including in Tunisia which saw Islamist party Ennahda emerging as winner, also used indelible ink on voters. Ink is normally applied to the left hand index finger, especially to the cuticle to slow down its disappearance. It normally remains visible for at least 72 hours, and will take 2-3 weeks for the cuticle to be free of all signs of staining. "The method is far more effective than the costly biometric system. If indelible ink can't be used, what other method can be used to ensure a transparent and fair election in the country?" asked Suhaizan, referring to an earlier decision by the government to use the controversial biometric system. Prior to this, PAS Youth information chief Riduan Mohd Nor rapped the EC for claiming that the implementation of indelible ink depended upon an approval from the National Fatwa Council, stating that the Council had already made it clear that the ink was allowed on Muslims, especially in performing ablution and prayer.

Kenneth Eswaran behind new pay-TV venture Posted: 27 Oct 2011 09:05 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Businessman Datuk K.K. Eswaran, who has close ties with Datuk Seri Najib Razak's family, is behind the new cable television venture Nilamas Corporation Sdn Bhd, which is to start service as early as the first half of next year, say industry sources. The Malaysian Insider understands that the company, which expects to spend RM2 billion to challenge satellite TV operator Astro for a share of the local market, has now been renamed Asian Broadcasting Network Sdn Bhd. The new brand will be launched next month. "Datuk Kenneth Eswaran (picture) is behind this venture and his ties with the first family have ensured he got fast approval for the required licences," an industry source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the Indian businessman's preferred name. Those close to the venture confirmed Eswaran's interest, pointing out that Nilamas shares two common directors with the businessman's main corporate vehicle, Pinehill Pacific Berhad. The two are former top civil servants Tan Sri Mohamad Noor Abdul Rahim and Datuk Nik Mohd Amin Nik Abu Bakar. "Eswaran is politically connected. It's no surprise he got quick approvals but he now has to launch it," another industry source said, confirming the new brand name launch is slated for next month. Eswaran is the deputy executive chairman of Pinehill Pacific, where he is a substantial shareholder. The company has made a few name changes from its original Benta Plantations to Best World Land Bhd in 1995, a year after Eswaran came in, and then renamed Multi Vest Resources Bhd in 2000. It took its present name last January. The businessman was elected president of the Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) in June 2008 and was linked to Najib's family by popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who edits the Malaysia-Today news portal. The Star daily reported last week that Nilamas had secured all the requisite licences to offer digital cable TV in the country, and will compete in the pay-TV space with Astro All Asia Networks plc (Astro) and several IPTV providers including Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM). The set-up cost for the cable network offering is expected to be more than RM2 billion over a five-year period and Nilamas, according to sources, is looking at a 40:60 equity-debt combination to fund its venture. Retired navy chief and former armed forces chief Admiral (Ret) Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor is one of the directors of the company, which has invested in a building in Puchong for its broadcasting centre. The newspaper also said the new station plans to offer entertainment and educational programmes with an interactive focus. Nilamas secured the requisite licences to offer subscription broadcasting in the country from the industry regulator, Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission, on August 11 and with this licence it is allowed to offer broadcasting services for a fee. The company also has network facilities licences that will allow it to build up a network and also a network service provider licence. The licences are valid for five years. READ MORE HERE

I am Malay, and you better not forget it Posted: 27 Oct 2011 07:22 AM PDT So I whack the Malays. I whack them because foreigners think that the Malays are a joke. I am angry with these foreigners. I feel insulted that they say these things about the Malays. I am also Malay. So when they run down the Malays they are also running me down. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin My Malay friends ask me why is it I am very harsh towards the Malays. I am Malay. So why am I cruel towards the Malays? Well, it is because I am Malay that I am cruel. If I am not Malay then I would not be bothered about the Malays. Do I criticise the Arabs? I have been to Mekah ten times in my life so I know the Arabs very well even if I don't live in their country. I know what the Arabs are like. They too are Muslims like me. In fact, Mekah is the centre of Islam. So why don't I also whack the Arabs? That's because I don't care about the Arabs. I do not have nice things to say about the Arabs. So better that I don't say anything because anything that I would say would be far from complementary. I am not Arab so the Arabs can make fools of themselves for all I care. And they do make fools of themselves. But when the Malays make fools of themselves I do care. And that is why I am very uncompromising towards the Malays. I care that the Malays make fools of themselves. I regard it as my right to whack the Malays. Malays have every right to whack the Malays. But I don't take kindly to the Chinese and Indians whacking the Malays. Malays can whack Malays. But when the Chinese and Indians whack the Malays I will whack them back. I will not let them get away with it. Okay, I am not a thoroughbred Malay. I am only part-Malay. Only my father is Malay. My mother is Welsh. But then who is a thoroughbred Malay? Most Malays are of mixed blood. The only thing is that my blood is mixed with Welsh blood, not with Javanese, Sumatran, Siamese, Minangkabau, Acheh, Indian, Chinese, etc., blood. So what if my blood is mixed with Caucasian blood and not with Javanese, Sumatran, Siamese, Minangkabau, Acheh, Indian, Chinese, etc., blood? Mixed blood is mixed blood. Whether it is Asian-European or Asian-Asian, it is still mixed blood. In fact, my great grandmother was Orang Asli. Her name was Hasnah Binti Pelong. She was the second wife of Sultan Ala'Eddin Suleiman Shah, the Fifth Sultan of Selangor. Sultan Suleiman was Bugis. So that, in fact, makes me more Malay than many Malays in Malaysia in spite of my Welsh blood. I have Orang Asli blood in me. I have more right to Malaysia than millions of other pendatang Malays who invaded my country and now claim it as their own. Bumiputera konon! Hello brader. We Orang Asli were here first. So don't try to play that who is more Malay game with me. You will lose. I interact with Japanese, Koreans, Americans, British, French, Germans, Indonesians, Thais, Singaporeans, Filipinos, and people from many other countries. Somehow they don't see me as Malay. Maybe it is because of how I look. So they talk to me. They tell me a lot. They tell me what they think. And they think very poorly of the Malays. These foreigners tell me that the only reason they employ Malays is because of the requirements of the New Economic Policy. If not for that they would not employ Malays. They said they could employ one Chinese for three Malays they employ. One Chinese can do the job of three Malays. They think Malays are lazy. They think Malays are very slow. They think Malays lack initiative. They think Malays lack grey matter. There I sit listening to foreign investors and managers running down the Malays while forgetting that I am also Malay. If it were one or two who say this I would say these people are bigots who are prejudiced against the Malays. But when everyone tells me this then the problem must be real. The problem must be the Malays. So I whack the Malays. I whack them because foreigners think that the Malays are a joke. I am angry with these foreigners. I feel insulted that they say these things about the Malays. I am also Malay. So when they run down the Malays they are also running me down. I cannot whack the foreigners. I cannot whack them not because I am scared they will not come to Malaysia. I cannot whack them because I know they are telling the truth. Of course the truth hurts. The truth always hurts. And because it is the truth I cannot whack the foreigners for running down the Malays. The anger builds up in me. I need to whack somebody. But I can't whack those who are telling the truth. So I whack the Malays instead. I whack the Malays because I am ashamed that the foreigners say bad things about the Malays and also because what they are saying is the truth and there is no way I can argue with them or prove them wrong. But that does not mean I like others whacking the Malays. If you whack the Malay I will whack you back. If you are another Malay then that is okay. But if you are not Malay and you whack the Malays then I will whack you back. I have my pride and dignity and if you insult the Malays then you are insulting me as well. And I don't take kindly to insults. So you whack the Malays at your own peril.

WIKILEAKS: MALAYSIA'S ELECTION: EMBASSY OBSERVATIONS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES Posted: 27 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT On March 6, we went to a DAP ceramah that drew some 50,000 people. In contrast, we attended a BN ceramah in Jelutong for Gerakan candidate Thor Teong Gee. There were only about 100 people in attendance, and they milled around and chatted while he spoke. The crowd was completely ethnic Malay and Dr. Thor spoke Bahasa. BN provided food and drinks, but still there were many empty chairs. Dr. Thor was not very animated, and after he finished his 30-minute speech he left immediately. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Summary 1. (SBU) Embassy KL positioned election observers in six hotly contested states during the final days of Malaysia's campaign period and on the March 8 polling day.  In addition to our previous reporting on campaigns in the capital city areas of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, this message provides first hand observations from Perak, Terengganu, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Sabah.  We observed common patterns in many of these states which highlight some factors that may have brought about the unprecedented opposition gains (ref A).  Despite the prevalence of signs, banners and flags around the country for Prime Minister Abdullah's National Front (Barisan Nasional or BN) coalition, and despite the coalition's heavy dominance of the mainstream media, the BN was out-campaigned in many areas.  The opposition parties' ceramahs, or street rallies, dwarfed BN's efforts, and the coalition's decision to limit most campaigning to small groups and "walk-a-bouts" failed to draw the large number of votes to which it was accustomed.  Issues of corruption, crime, good governance, fair elections and racial equality resonated loudly in the communities that eventually fell to the opposition, and many voters chose "anyone but BN." Finally, on the peninsula we also saw a general lack of confidence among both BN volunteers and candidates in constituencies that the eventually fell to the opposition. The opposition's energetic campaigns contrasted with lackluster BN efforts, foreshadowing the serious political setback suffered by Prime Minister Abdullah and BN in the March 8 polls.  End Summary. Perak 2. (SBU) In our early visits around Perak's capital of Ipoh we heard many conclude that the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) would have a tough time beating DAP.  The MCA ceramahs were far from a success and turn outs were minimal.  Staffers of the BN-MCA candidates went around the tables, shook hands and handed out brochures, hand fans and CDs.  We attended a typical ceramah that had a maximum of 500 people in attendance with about 30 per cent of the crowd being children.  They were there primarily to watch the Lion Dance (which the party paid RM 8000 for a 10 minute performance). When the performance ended the people began leaving.  By the time the 3 late-teens girls act finished singing and the politicians started talking, the crowd was less than 200 and most were ignoring the speakers.  People were just not interested.  Looking for other BN activities, we walked into the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) building, but it was sparsely staffed and looked like a ghost town.  We were told they were not holding any ceramahs, only going door-to-door. 3. (SBU) We also attended parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang's last ceramah in Perak.  It was raining heavily up until the start of the event.  When we arrived the rain had just stopped and there were almost 2000 people, with umbrellas.  There were no performances or gimmicks to attract the crowd, only speakers.  The people came in droves and by 11:30pm there were about 20,000 people mostly of Chinese and Indian descent, at the event.  Speakers worked up the crowd mentioning the brandishing of the ceremonial Malay kris at the UMNO conventions. They emphasized that Chinese born in Malaysia are also true Malaysians; and touched on religious cases of Lina Joy, and other conversion cases; and on education and the number of Chinese schools allocated in the last 10 years.  Speakers also complained of the Altantuya murder case and called it the "MongolianNajib" case, in reference to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's alleged connections to the case.  Making fun of Prime Minister Abdullah's reputation of sleeping through meetings, one speaker commented that the Royal Malaysian Customs close "one eye" to matters but the Prime Minister closes "both eyes".  Speakers frequently referenced the rising crime rates and linked the crimes with corruption and poor governance. Speakers made reference to the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and renamed it "Another Collection Agency," and highlighted the endemic corruption that was apparent in the VK Lingam case. 4. (SBU) Election day was uneventful.  Embassy observers traveled around Ipoh to different polling sites.  At each site the people were coming in a steady trickle.  Volunteer civil-defense personnel (RELA) or police were at all the polls, with a BN booth (locally called a "pondok panas") set-up near-by to help voters verify their registrations. Observers did not see any buses or other overt forms of possible voting irregularities. Terengganu 5.  (SBU) We observed the election in three districts - Marang, Kuala Terengganu, and Kuala Nerus. Kuala Terengganu was awash with banners and posters of both parties.  However, both the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) and UMNO did not hold any mass ceramahs two days prior to polling, but instead focused on smaller neighborhood ceramahs door-to-door campaigning and the distribution of political pamphlets and CDs. In Kuala Nerus, it was a similar situation as in Kuala Terengganu.  However, in the PAS stronghold of Marang and the state constituencies within the district, it was obvious that there were many more PAS posters and banners compared to BN. 6. (SBU) In PAS ceramahs, we noted that speakers were focusing on two issues - Islamic values and the "kain kapan" (or funeral shrouds). The speakers were emphasizing the importance of Islam and the afterlife. They told the people that they should vote for the "right candidate" but reminded everyone that it is sinful to vote for a candidate or party who is corrupt.  The rationale being, since all BN candidates are corrupt, the vote should go to PAS. In one small ceramah at Kuala Terengganu, a local PAS leader campaigning for PAS Vice President Mohamed Sabu, also stated that although they hated Mahathir, they could still tolerate him but not PM Abdullah whom they claim was "stupid."  PAS also accused BN of stealing the people's money and added that Terengganu does not need any more development that only benefits the rich. 7. (SBU) BN supporters on the other hand were generally happy with the PM and developments in Terengganu.  A MCA party worker told us that the people should give the PM at least two terms before judging his administration but "the uneducated folks in Terengganu want to see results in a day." Another BN supporter shared her experience on how PAS supporters had openly questioned her at the local market for supporting the BN and gave her a "religious lecture" on why she should be supporting PAS.  Due to these incidents, BN supporters told us that they would normally pretend to agree with PAS whenever they are approached by the Opposition party to avoid a lecture, and because of "the fear of a mishap from Allah" (as PAS supporters would claim if someone did not support the party). Penang 8. (SBU) On March 6, two days before the election, we met DAP candidate Liew Chin Tong and asked if he felt confident.  He replied that he felt confident in himself, but still not sure if the voters would turn out.  Nevertheless, the DAP headquarters and PKR operations center we visited were buzzing with people and activity.  Groups of people were chatting outside, and seemed charged up and excited. A steady stream of people were coming and going, while candidates Liew Chin Tong and Jason Ong Khan Lee (PKR) were among the group of workers greeting people and handing out literature. 9.  (SBU) On March 7, at the People's Movement Party (Gerakan) headquarters, a volunteer told us that he felt like it was hopeless, and that he felt very discouraged. We visited Barisan Nasional's MCA headquarters and Gerakan headquarters and both were relatively quiet and empty.  In fact MCA's office was so quiet that we initially thought it was closed.  We tried calling one of the Gerakan election centers for directions to a ceramah, and no one answered. When we inquired about ceramahs at the MCA headquarters, a volunteer suggested that we attend the DAP ceramah instead. Issues of importance to Penang voters 10. (SBU) From Chinese and Indians, most comments were about the economy, high prices, and declining standard of living. Several Chinese mentioned that huge schools are being built for Malays in areas where there are few Malays, and the Chinese are packed into tiny schools.  There is anger on this point and on other race-related inequities. They said that they cannot demand higher wages from the multi-nationals or the companies will be driven out of Malaysia.  People are fed up that the government is not keeping costs down.  Many Chinese and Indians said that they are poor, and the government does not help them. 11. (SBU) We attended several ceramahs in the state, but without exception, only DAP and PKR were able to draw a crowd.  On March 6, we went to a DAP ceramah that drew some 50,000 people. Speakers included Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng, and Lim Kit Siang among others.  They spoke a mix of Hokkien, Mandarin, English, and Malay; all speakers using at least two languages and some using four.  The crowd's reaction to Lim Guan Eng stood out the most. He first approached while someone else was speaking.  The crowd which had been sitting on the grass stood and chanted his name, cheering wildly.  He didn't come up on stage then, but came back later.  Again the crowd stood, with deafening chanting and cheering greeted his entrance.  When he finally spoke, he was given a rock-star reception, again with deafening cheers to his words. Although others received enthusiastic receptions, the standing, cheering and roaring applause were reserved for Lim Guan Eng. 12. (SBU) In contrast, we attended a BN ceramah in Jelutong for Gerakan candidate Thor Teong Gee.  There were only about 100 people in attendance, and they milled around and chatted while he spoke.  The crowd was completely ethnic Malay and Dr. Thor spoke Bahasa.  BN provided food and drinks, but still there were many empty chairs.  Dr. Thor was not very animated, and after he finished his 30-minute speech he left immediately.  BN later hosted several other speakers, and though the crowd fluctuated in size, there were at most only 200 people at its height. Kedah 13. (SBU) Upon arriving in Alor Star, the capital of Kedah, we stopped at the UMNO headquarters and spoke with a worker. The office was empty except for him and one other, and they were entirely at a loss when asked about ceramah schedules. They said another office took care of that, and searched for the phone number of someone to call.  When we called, we only got an error message.  With little support from the party we decided to speak with locals about the campaign.  We spoke with a Chinese Malaysian vendor at a printing shop with large a Gerakan banner posted above the entrance.  He said that a large number of BN banners around Alor Star were not necessarily representative of widespread support, and estimated the town at 60-40 pro-BN.  He himself was not sure whom he would vote for and seemed to weigh some of the same things that media had been harping on -- making votes "count" by voting for BN vs. voting for the opposition as a way to signal displeasure at the current government. 14. (SBU) As we drove through the rural areas of the state we saw considerably more PAS banners, which increased markedly as we made our way into the small town centers. The owner of a local shop confirmed that PAS would be holding 22 ceramahs across the state every night of the campaign.  When talking about his own district of Pendang, he said the race was "hot" between PAS and UMNO but guessed it 50-50 that either side would win.  Not surprisingly for this conservative area, very few women were seen to be involved in the political process, and the people we spoke to seemed generally suspicious and uncomfortable when an American woman asked questions about the elections.  Although it was considered a "hot" race, there was little outward political activity to suggest active mobilization or participation on either side.  In general, it was very quiet for 2 days before polling, and we surmised that most voters had long since made up their minds about which party to vote for. 15.  (SBU) On the last day of campaigning we happened upon one of the campaign offices of PKR candidate Gobalakrishnan (a recent Embassy IVP alumnus) in Padang Serai.  One of the campaign's biggest concerns was about polling-day shenanigans, including phantom voters.  The indelible ink issue was brought up constantly, as evidence that the government was intent on ensuring that voting would not be fair while at the same time blaming others for it. Gobal described how the local Indians were very angry with Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) President Sammy Vellu, so much so that when Samy came to the town last week to support the BN candidate he did not inform the Indian community. When word got out, according to Gobal, there was a spontaneous protest demonstration by 10,000 people that clogged roads and brought out the police.  Police arrested the PKR candidate's son, claiming his stereo speakers were too loud, then told Gobal they would release him if Gobal told the crowd to disperse.  Gobal proudly said that he told them to keep his son locked up.  The campaign figured their chances of success were about 50-50, but in the end won by almost 12,000 votes and the opposition took the state. Kelantan 16. (SBU) In the battle of banners, Kelantan was the Maginot Line of Malaysia where the green banners of PAS buttressed the navy blue of Barisan Nasional at every corner.  Yet despite the constant flag warfare, and despite repeated visits earlier in the campaign by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, little else was observed that would indicate BN was truly prepared to fight.  In the final days of the campaign, while PAS held street rallies (ceramahs) and mass prayers at the local stadium in Kota Bahru, BN candidates quietly visited their neighbors and limited their campaigns to "walk-a-bouts."  On March 6, just two nights before the election, we were informed by a sparsely staffed campaign headquarters that UMNO would not be holding any ceramahs or public events before the elections. 17. (SBU) Nevertheless, PAS candidates continued to campaign hard throughout the state and in the capital city.  Former State Assembly Speaker and parliamentary candidate Wan Rahim Wan Abdullah invited us to attend a PAS ceramah in a Chinese village on the outskirts of Kota Bahru, "to get a real feeling for the issues facing Kelantan."  Upon arriving, we quickly noticed that the only Muslims at the ceramah were the candidate and his family. Yet, a crowd of some 200 Chinese voters bought food from local hawkers and listened for hours as Hokkien speakers explained why even non-Muslims should support PAS over Barisan Nasional.  The crowd laughed and cheered as the speakers disparaged the BN national government.  As one attendee explained, "PAS cleaned up our state.  So you want to gamble or go to a night club. . .go to Thailand.  It's not far.  Some of us go, but we don't need he problems those things bring us here." 18. (SBU) We spent the final day of campaigning in Bachok, the hotly contested seat of Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Awang Adek Hussin and his challenger PAS Deputy President Nasharuddin Mat Isa.  BN supporters confirmed that the coalition had taken the same approach throughout the campaign and limited most of their campaigning to small group meetings, door-to-door encounters, and relied heavily on the personal reputation of the candidate.  We met briefly with Awang, and he expressed optimism of retaining his parliamentary seat, but less confident of winning the state seat which would designate him the coalition's choice for Chief Minister.  PAS supporters remained confident of sweeping the parliamentary and state assembly elections in the district and held ceramahs nightly even to the last day of campaigning. 19. (SBU) Election Day in Kota Bahru remained calm and voters flowed to the polls in steady streams throughout the day. There was a true feeling of excitement in the air as both PAS and BN "pondok panas" workers greeted arriving voters with enthusiasm and attention.  But by the end of the day, BN workers confided that they had hoped for a better turn out. They estimated that turn-out was around 70 percent, and they had hoped for 80 percent to ensure a BN victory.  In the end they were right, and PAS and PKR candidates handily defeated BN in both state and parliamentary elections across Kelantan. Sabah 20. (SBU) Prior to election day in Sabah, there was sentiment expressed both in news articles and even by some supporters within the BN's Sabah People's Progressive Party (SAPP)  that some Barisan seats were likely to be lost in the general election, with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) expected to reap the benefit of any BN losses.  Journalists speculated in the run-up to Election Day that the areas with Chinese voter majorities were being targeted by opposition parties such as the People's Justice Party (PKR) and DAP. 21.  (SBU) When the voting was done and the ballots were counted, DAP managed wins only in the Kota Kinabalu and Sri Tanjung districts.  Just days before the election, however, many BN candidates confided that they were not sure how well the BN would perform in urban areas, and that they expected to lose more seats.  Still, one BN party activist we interviewed made the interesting comment that Chinese voters in Sabah become anxious when they see demonstrations leading to crackdowns such as those taking place in the peninsula where Bersih and Hindraf demonstrations came to grief.  He noted that Chinese in East Malaysia would, in order to avoid strife, rather stay away from supporting parties like PKR in the elections and prefer instead to support moderate mainline groups like the SAPP who are already aligned to folks in power. 22. (SBU) During the period of observations, we saw no buses being used to transport potential voters.  However, at one site we could overhear an UMNO worker on his cell phone requesting that transportation (including buses) be provided to bring voters to the station.  We observed an interesting situation when a youthful voter exited from the polling area and asked one of the uniformed UMNO party workers what he should do now.  Paraphrasing, she told him "not now" but to "come to the office tomorrow." KEITH (March 2008)

Mat Sabu tells of UMNO's '3R' strategy Posted: 26 Oct 2011 09:52 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has cautioned the people about what he termed as UMNO's "3R" strategy, using the racial, religion and royalty cards, in order to win the next general election. Addressing some 3,000 people at the party's 60th anniversary even held in Kerdau, Pahang last night, Mat Sabu said the strategy was adopted after UMNO lost confidence about ever regaining lost support after the 2008 election. "In the present political situation, to win the election, UMNO only banks on four groups: rural Malay votes, Felda settlers, postal votes and Sabah/Sarawak. "Their strategy is to play issues related to 3R. And the three top states they are gunning for are Selangor, Penang and Perak," said Mat Sabu, who warned that such a method would heat up emotions in the country's politics although the public was well aware of this deliberate strategy by UMNO. Mat Sabu cited how the palace was dragged into politics over alleged remarks by Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng about public safety in Johor. Similarly, the same strategy was applied against law lecturer Dr Abdul Aziz Bari for disagreeing with the Sultan of Selangor over his comments in relation to the controversy involving the Selangor Islamic Religious Department and Damansara Utama Methodist Church, added Mat Sabu. "All these to show UMNO is behind the palace. Let me remind them, in 1993, when I was a member of parliament, the speaker suspended a rule in Dewan Rakyat prohibiting any discussion about the royalty. That was the time they attacked all Malay rulers and their legal immunity," he stressed.

Let the burnings begin! Posted: 26 Oct 2011 07:23 PM PDT In fact, fatwa (decrees) are also opinions. This is how the Mufti or Imam interprets the rulings. I am not saying they are wrong. They could be right. Nevertheless, they are still merely opinions and, therefore, should be rejected and the Muftis and Imams charged under criminal defamation. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Dec 19 trial for Mat Sabu's Bukit kepong remark (Bernama) - The Sessions Court here set Dec 19-23 to hear the case against PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu who was charged with defaming Bukit Kepong policemen and their families during a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor here in August. Judge Ikmal Hishan Mohd Tajuddin set the date after an application by Deputy Public Prosecutor Lailawati Ali for the court to fix other trial dates because the prosecution had to attend a conference during the Dec 5-9 trial dates set by the court earlier. On Sept 21, Mohamad, 57, also known as Mat Sabu, pleaded not guilty to a charge under Section 500 of the Penal Code for criminal defamation against policemen and their families who had been attacked by communists in the Bukit Kepong tragedy in Johor in 1950. He was alleged to have committed the offence in front of a kindergarten at the PAS education centre at Padang Menora in Tasek Gelugor last Aug 21. Mat Sabu faces a jail sentence of up to two years and a fine or both upon conviction. Mat Sabu was alternatively charged with defaming Constables Marin Abu Bakar Daud, Jaafar Hassan and Yusoff Rono and their families at the same time and place. The charge followed a report by three family members of the constables, Jamilah Abu Bakar, Azlas Jaafar and Nazir Yusoff. ***************************************** The Mālikī (Arabic: مالكي‎) madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia. In the past, it was also followed in parts of Europe under Islamic rule, particularly Islamic Spain and the Emirate of Sicily. Despite his reluctance to render religious verdicts, Malik (founder of the Mālikī school of Sunni Islam) was outspoken. He issued fatwas against being forced to pledge allegiance to the Caliph Al-Mansur, and received a flogging for his stance. Al-Mansur apologized to Malik, and offered him money and residence in Baghdad, but Malik refused to leave the city of Prophet Muhammad. Later, Harun al-Rashid asked Malik to visit him while Harun was performing the hajj. The Imam refused, and instead he invited the new caliph to his class. -- Wikipedia ****************************************** Almost two years ago, the UK repealed the criminal defamation and sedition laws. In fact, it was more than 30 years since Britain ever charged anyone for criminal defamation. It made sense, therefore, that these laws be repealed. Anyway, Britain believes in freedom of opinion -- as long as you do not make a racist statement like most Malaysia Today readers do (in Britain, quite a number of Malaysia Today readers would be in jail by now). Rulers/leaders have never tolerated freedom of opinion (even the opposition). That is why laws such as criminal defamation and sedition were introduced. Even in so-called Islamic States ruled by so-called Caliphs of Allah, they were equally intolerant, as that short piece by Wikipedia on Imam Malik will demonstrate (by the way, it is accurate -- I checked). So please don't think that Islamic States have always been better. Anyway, before all of you start arguing about religion and Islam and Hudud (as many of you would because you prefer to talk about the colour of the dog collar rather than how the dog was butchered), today I want to focus on freedom of opinion. Mat Sabu is going to face trial because he expressed his opinion, which was opposite to Umno's opinion. Is having an opinion now a crime? Why do we need, therefore, to send Malaysians to school? When you go to school you will learn how to think and when you can think you will have an opinion. Malaysia has done many very stupid things but this one is probably the most stupid act so far. A man who expresses his opinion is going to be sent to jail. What next? Are we going to burn all our history books like what the Mongols did when they invaded Baghdad in 1258? They too burned all the books at a great loss to the world. History books are the opinion of the writer. It is how the historian has interpreted events. The historian may be right or he/she may be wrong. But that is his/her opinion of what happened. What about kitabs? Kitabs are not from God. Kitabs are opinions of scholars. It is their interpretation and view of what God said and what the Prophet said and did. Hadith should also be banned. The Hadith did not come from God through Gabriel. They were written by third parties and not by the Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad did not write anything. He is supposed to have been illiterate. Other unknown people wrote all the Hadith. And that, too, is their opinion. This is what they said. This is not what we heard from the Prophet ourselves. In fact, fatwa (decrees) are also opinions. This is how the Mufti or Imam interprets the rulings. I am not saying they are wrong. They could be right. Nevertheless, they are still merely opinions and, therefore, should be rejected and the Muftis and Imams charged under criminal defamation. Yes, if we want to start making opinions a crime, then all so-called 'holy' books and history books would need to be banned and burned. And anyone expressing his opinion or interpretation will have to be sent to jail. Other than the Quran (which Muslims regard as the word of God) all other publications need to be placed onto the bonfire. Let the burnings begin!

Docile academics and the case of Prof. Aziz Bari Posted: 26 Oct 2011 06:41 PM PDT Dr Lim Teck Ghee Minister of Higher Education Khaled Nordin, in his speech announcing the establishment of the National Council of Professors, reminded Malaysian professors to not only be "super gurus" in focusing on their respective careers but to contribute their expertise and participate in national life. The recently established professors' council comprising over 1,500 professors in the public universities did indeed weigh in on a national debate not too long ago, namely, 'Was Mat Indera a communist or a patriot?' Academics such as professors and professor emeritus Ridhuan Tee, Ramlah Adam, Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Khoo Kay Kim, and their ilk enjoy the academic rights and freedom of expression through their comments appearing regularly in the mass media. Having themselves taken advantage of these rights – in my view, correctly so, and one further assumes they would want to continue to enjoy such freedom – their silence therefore on the action taken by International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) don, Prof. Abdul Aziz Bari, is somewhat of an anomaly. Prof. Aziz Bari has the responsibility to use his expertise to enlighten the public on matters related to his field of interest and scholarship, which extends to commenting on Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's recent decree in relation to the raid on a Methodist church in Damansara Utama by the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor. Over 140 academics signed a petition supporting Prof Aziz Bari in this and condemning the authorities for coming down on his academic rights and freedom. In addition to the petition signed by academics in their individual capacity, there have been statements from five academic organizations condemning the actions by the authorities against Prof. Aziz. The five organizations are the academic staff associations of IIUM, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia;  Ikatan Ilmuan Nasional (Ilmuan); and the Malaysian Academic Movement (Move), with the last being the earliest to come out with a press statement on Oct 19 decrying the actions taken by the authorities. But where is the voice of the National Council of Professors on this developing controversy? Or for that matter other prominent academic organizations such as the Malaysian Social Science Association. And what about the rest of the numerous academic staff associations as well as other professional organizations spawned by and working in the burgeoning number of public and private universities in the country? Prof. Aziz Bari presents an important test case of academic freedom. Yet the majority of staff associations and many thousands of individual academics have not put their names to the petition or voiced their support for Prof. Aziz Bari and in defence of the cause of academic freedom. The silence of the great majority of the country's academia – individually and collectively – can be attributed to various reasons including: They are not aware of the case of Prof Aziz Bari. They could not care less about what is happening in the case. They are concerned but either cannot be bothered to voice their concerns or are too afraid of what they feel may be adverse repercussions to their careers. What is especially noticeable is the silence from some of the most vocal academics whose views on race, religion, history and politics, etc. are much sought after by the mainstream media. One assumes that they should want to provide feedback in their own areas of expertise without fear of being victimised by the authorities or being hauled up under the Universities and University Colleges Act; Aku Janji; or other regulations. One also assumes that they would be in sympathy with Prof. Aziz Bari and should be among the first to protest against the harsh and unacceptable actions taken. But perhaps their silence is because they think Prof. Aziz Bari deserves being punished whilst they themselves have special immunity from the treatment meted out to other academics that dare to speak out against the status quo. However now is not the time for the rest of the traditional 'silent majority' (over 35,000 academics in the public universities and possibly similar numbers in the private universities) to become deaf and mute. If they have not done so, it is not too late for them to declare their support for academic freedom by adding their names to the signature campaign which can be found here. Prof. Aziz Bari was doing exactly what the Minister of Higher Education was calling for, that is, for academics to descend from the ivory tower and contribute their knowledge to national issues. All academics should stand by and with Prof. Aziz Bari. We should also all be aware of the truism: 'If you don't exercise your rights, if you don't show the government that you value those rights, eventually you will lose them.'

Cadangan penyelesaian kepada kemelut bahasa Malaysia Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:51 PM PDT Sebagai seorang penterjemah bahan audiovisual dan seorang yang berminat dalam perihal bahasa (apatah lagi bukan dari golongan yang bergelar Bumiputera), saya ingin meluahkan kebimbangan dan rasa muak saya terhadap kontroversi PPSMI, penggunaan bahasa Inggeris dalam sekolah dan "krisis identiti" Bahasa Kebangsaan (nak panggil apa, bahasa Melayu atau bahasa Malaysia?) yang semakin hari semakin sesat daripada menemui jalan penyelesaian, apatah lagi di tengah-tengah Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan. Demi memuaskan seramai mana pembaca, saya menggunakan istilah "Bahasa Kebangsaan" untuk merujuk kepada satu bahasa yang dipanggil bahasa Melayu atau bahasa Malaysia oleh masyarakat Malaysia yang berbelah-bagi, yakni bahasa yang digunakan dalam surat ini. 1. "Sengketa" sesama bahasa Pada pengamatan saya, didapati segelintir penyokong dasar itu mengeluarkan kenyataan yang seolah-olah menghina Bahasa Kebangsaan dan bahasa-bahasa ibunda yang lain, misalnya dengan mengatakan bahawa Bahasa Kebangsaan kita tidak berdaya maju terlalu banyak meminjam perkataan bahasa lain sejak dahulu kala. Itu tidak boleh dinafikan tetapi bukankah bahasa Inggeris banyak menyerap perkataan dari bahasa Latin, Yunani dan Perancis? Bolehkan dikatakan bahawa bahasa Inggeris lebih kuat meminjam perkataan asing berbanding Bahasa Kebangsaan kita sendiri? Tingkah laku sedemikian yang ditunjukkan oleh puak pro-bahasa Inggeris itu bukan sahaja nyata tidak membina dan tidak mendatangkan manfaat kepada diri mereka, malah saya boleh menganggapnya sebagai dosa besar yang amat sukar diampunkan kerana hina-menghina ini hanya boleh memburukkan ketegangan hubungan sesama masyarakat pelbagai budaya, di samping menghilangkan rasa minat untuk belajar bahasa Inggeris di kalangan mereka yang tidak fasih. Saya yang mengakui fasih berbahasa Inggeris pun berasa amat malu dan kecewa dengan sikap mereka yang kelihatan tidak waras. Lebih buruk lagi, golongan muda yang mudah terpengaruh dengan hasutan sebegini akan didorong untuk melupakan bahasa sendiri dan mengutamakan bahasa Inggeris ketika berbual dengan anak cucu pada masa akan datang. Dengan ini, ramailah "mat saleh celup" yang lahir dan semakin menularnya pemikiran "zero-sum", yang mana Bahasa Kebangsaan dan bahasa Inggeris itu dianggap tidak serasi dan hanya salah satu boleh diambil sepanjang hayat. Kadang-kadang saya berpendapat bahawa pelaksanaan PPSMI ini sengaja tidak dirancang dengan betul oleh pihak berwajib sehingga membuat sesetengah rakyat kita (terutamanya golongan luar bandar) merasa benci kepada bahasa Inggeris, setelah sekian lama disogokkan dengan drama-drama tempatan yang sesetengahnya kuat berbahasa rojak yang lama-kelamaan merancui Bahasa Kebangsaan sambil meninggalkan gambaran buruk tentang bahasa Inggeris kepada mereka. 2. Pengaruh bahasa Inggeris tak terkawal? Kegusaran terhadap pengaruh negatif bahasa Inggeris dalam kebudayaan sedunia jika tidak dikawal juga pernah diluahkan oleh ahli-ahli linguistik yang berasal dari England dan Amerika. David Graddol dalam kertas kerja "The future of English" (1997) terbitan British Council, berpandangan bahawa penyebaran bahasa Inggeris yang terlalu berleluasa hingga mengancam bahasa-bahasa lain boleh disamakan dengan penebangan hutan secara eksploitasi, sehingga mampu mendorong masyarakat dunia supaya menentang peluasan bahasa Inggeris yang dikaitkan dengan kemusnahan kepelbagaian budaya, pencabulan hak asasi manusia, imperialisme budaya global dan menjadi-jadinya ketidaksamaan sosial. Dalam sebuah wawancara bersama Riz Khan di saluran Al Jazeera English pada Oktober 2010, Robert Phillipson, seorang ahli linguistik yang terkenal kerana sering membincangkan "imperialisme bahasa Inggeris", berhujah bahawa tekanan yang dirasai masyarakat di Singapura untuk menguasai bahasa Inggeris semata-mata demi mengukuhkan daya saing ekonomi membuat separuh jumlah rumah tangga di situ mengetepikan bahasa ibunda dan bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris dalam rumah. Tambah Phillipson lagi, ramai golongan elit Arab menghantar anak-anak mereka ke sekolah antarabangsa yang amat menekankan bahasa Inggeris sehingga anak-anak itu kurang fasih berbahasa Arab, serta mengakui ramai juga golongan belia Arab di rantau Teluk yang "merojakkan" bahasa Arab dan Inggeris gara-gara tiadanya dasar kerajaan yang kukuh untuk memartabatkan bahasa tempatan sambil memperkasakan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris. Masalah mengimbangi bahasa oleh masyarakat kita nyata banyak persamaannya dengan kegusaran yang diluahkan oleh saudara-saudara Phillipson dan Graddol. Hujah-hujah mereka ini wajar dipertimbangkan oleh kedua-dua pihak pro-bahasa Inggeris dan pro-Bahasa Kebangsaan/ibunda dalam perjuangan masing-masing. Jika kita melihat pendekatan mengajar bahasa ibunda dan bahasa luar negara di negara-negara maju khusunya di Eropah dan Asia Timur, mereka tidak mementingkan berapa lama masa yang diperuntukkan dalam jadual untuk mata pelajaran bahasa tersebut, sebaliknya mereka menekankan mutu dan kekayaan sukatan pembelajaran di samping menjadikan sistem pendidikan berteraskan kefahaman dan pemikiran kritis dan bukan sistem penghafazan yang diamalkan di negara kita. Jika orang Jerman cepat dan mudah menguasai bahasa Inggeris walaupun hanya mempelajarinya di sekolah selama tidak lebih tiga jam seminggu (tanpa mengajar mata pelajaran lain dalam bahasa itu), apatah lagi kurang pendedahan kepada bahasa Inggeris dalam media massa disebabkan dasar Bahasa Kebangsaan yang tegas di negara itu, mengapakah setelah terlalu lama belajar bahasa Inggeris dan juga belajar Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris, di samping banyaknya bahan-bahan yang berbahasa Inggeris di corong radio dan kaca TV, penguasaan bahasa Inggeris rakyat Malaysia masih lemah? 3. Menyelamatkan bahasa kita Pejuang Bahasa Kebangsaan juga sama bersalah kerana terlalu mengharapkan sistem pendidikan untuk memartabatkan bahasa, tanpa menyedari bahawa peranan Bahasa Kebangsaan di luar pagar sekolah agak luntur sekarang berbanding zaman dahulu. Sekalipun kerajaan kelak terpaksa akur kepada kehendak pihak pro-bahasa Inggeris supaya PPSMI dan sekolah berpengantar bahasa Inggeris dipulihkan, masih ada banyak cara lain yang berkesan untuk melestarikan dan memajukan Bahasa Kebangsaan baik di dalam mahupun di luar sektor pendidikan. Saya melihat bahawa acara Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan masih di takuk lama, iaitu hanya menyasarkan murid-murid sekolah dan sektor awam dan mengetengahkan acara-acara berlagu, deklamasi pidato dan puisi tanpa memikirkan langkah-langkah yang asas dan proaktif untuk menyergahkan Bahasa Kebangsaan dalam kehidupan seharian. Antara cadangan-cadangan yang boleh saya kemukakan untuk menambahbaik martabat Bahasa Kebangsaan ialah: 3.1. Membetulkan penggunaan bahasa Penggunaan bahasa rojak, bahasa cacamarba dsb. dalam media massa (termasuk Internet) perlu dibendung, tetapi bukan dengan mengawasi dan menghukum terus mereka yang membuat kesalahan (kerana sememangnya ia agak keras), sebaliknya dengan mendidik seluruh masyarakat, terutamanya golongan ahli politik, usahawan dan seniman selaku golongan tokoh ternama yang paling cenderung berbahasa rojak, tentang kesan buruk bahasa rojak kepada Bahasa Kebangsaan dan bahasa Inggeris dalam jangka masa yang panjang. Bahasa yang ingin berkembang maju Seperti yang saya telah katakan tadi, bahasa rojak bukan sahaja merancui Bahasa Kebangsaan dengan kata-kata serapan Inggeris yang tidak perlu serta menjejaskan keutuhan tatabahasa, malah ia juga meninggalkan gambaran yang buruk kepada rama rakan-rakan kita khususnya di luar bandar yang dikehendaki menuntut ilmu dalam bahasa Inggeris, seolah-olah bahasa antarabangsa itu merupakan anasir yang mengakis dan mengancam kelestarian bahasa ibunda. Proses penyerapan istilah bahasa asing untuk memperkaya kosa kata Bahasa Kebangsaan wajar dilakukan secara sistematik dan melibatkan penelitian menyeluruh seperti menyemak sama ada wujudnya istilah sedia ada dalam kosa kata. 3.2. Memartabatkan bahasa dalam Internet Laman-laman web tempatan yang ditujukan khusus kepada pengguna Internet tempatan (iaitu yang tidak begitu berguna kepada pengguna antarabangsa) wajar memberikan perhatian yang sekian lama ditunggu-tunggu kepada Bahasa Kebangsaan, terutamanya sektor peruncitan, perkhidmatan, kewangan dan perbadanan bukan kerajaan yang menyasarkan pengguna pelbagai kaum. Ini wajar dilakukan dengan menyediakan pilihan Bahasa Kebangsaan kepada mereka yang mengehendakinya, lebih bagus kalau dijadikan bahasa asali (default). Saya pasti, ramai penduduk Malaysia khususnya penduduk pekan dan luar bandar merasa kecewa jika melihat tanda-tanda Bahasa Kebangsaan diperlekehkan. Mujurlah laman-laman dari luar negara seperti Google, Facebook dan Twitter menyediakan pilihan Bahasa Kebangsaan, ini memperlihatkan seolah-olah orang Amerika lebih prihatin terhadap Bahasa Kebangsaan berbanding rakyat Malaysia sendiri. Portal berita alternatif yang selama ini berjuang demi kebebasan akhbar tidak wajar melupakan tanggungjawab mereka untuk melestarikan Bahasa Kebangsaan. Khusus buat The Malaysian Insider, Malaysian Digest Free Malaysia Today, janganlah bermalas dengan sekadar mencampurkan Bahasa Kebangsaan ke dalam lautan artikel berita berbahasa Inggeris, sebaliknya bukalah portal berita berbahasa kebangsaan sepenuhnya yang tidak berada dalam bayangan portal berbahasa Inggeris yang sedia ada. Yang sudah berbuat demikian, syabas diucapkan, tetapi adalah lebih elok untuk portal versi Bahasa Kebangsaan diberi nama yang berasingan dalam Bahasa Kebangsaan daripada berkongsi nama dengan versi bahasa Inggeris. 3.3. Memperagakan kekayaan kosa kata Masyarakat wajar melatih diri supaya menggunakan sebanyak mana istilah-istilah yang disediakan oleh Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, terutamanya istilah teknologi maklumat kerana semakin ramai pengguna komputer dan telefon pintar. Sepatutnya komputer-komputer kita dilengkapi dengan perisian yang berantaramuka (interface) dalam Bahasa Kebangsaan, siap lagi dengan penyemak ejaan (spell-checker) Bahasa Kebangsaan yang terpasang sedia (tidak seperti Dewan Eja Pro yang perlu dibeli dan menyusahkan golongan berpendapatan rendah), barulah Bahasa Kebangsaan nampak martabatnya. Akan tetapi, saya memahami bahawa ada sesetengah istilah yang agak lari dari maksud istilah asal dan boleh menimbulkan kekeliruan (contohnya, default diterjemahkan menjadi "lalai" oleh DBP) ini pun masih boleh dibetulkan dengan memberikan kritikan dan cadangan membina kepada badan pemantau bahasa tersebut (berbalik kepada contoh tadi, saya syorkan "asali"). Ada baiknya juga DBP distrukturkan semula dan diperbaharui menjadi sebuah badan pemajuan Bahasa Kebangsaan yang bebas daripada pengaruh politik yang rakus seperti yang dialami sekarang. 3.4. Memajukan penterjemahan Bidang penterjemahan buku dan karya sastera wajar dimajukan lagi hingga sejauh mana yang mampu, bukan semata-mata untuk memuaskan kehendak mereka yang tidak fasih berbahasa Inggeris, malah sebagai langkah untuk menunjukkan kemampuan Bahasa Kebangsaan untuk mengungkapkan gagasan-gagasan yang dizahirkan di negara luar. Negara-negara Eropah yang kecil dan sedikit jumlah penduduknya berbanding negara kita seperti Belanda, Denmark, Norway, Sweden dan Finland tidak menjadikan kekurangan penutur asli bahasa masing-masing sebagai alasan untuk tidak menterjemahkan bahan-bahan dari bahasa yang lebih besar kepada bahasa masing-masing, sebaliknya menggunakan penguasaan bahasa asing sebaiknya untuk mempergiatkan industri terjemahan kepada bahasa ibunda masing-masing. Tengok, dah fasih berbahasa Inggeris pun masih nak baca bahan terjemahan, inilah sikap yang wajar dicontohi untuk menyelesaikan kemelut bahasa di negara kita. Institusi pendidikan tempatan yang mengutamakan bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa pengantar (misalnya sekolah dan maktab swasta) wajar menubuhkan kelab-kelab Bahasa Kebangsaan untuk memupuk rasa cinta kepada Bahasa Kebangsaan di kalangan pelajar tempatan di samping menarik minat pelajar luar negara kepada bahasa kita. Antara kegiatan-kegiatan yang boleh dilakukan oleh kelab-kelab sebegini ialah menterjemahkan rencana-rencana Wikipedia dari bahasa Inggeris atau apa sahaja bahasa asing kepada Bahasa Kebangsaan secara berkumpulan di samping melakukan kegiatan kokurikulum yang berketengahkan Bahasa Kebangsaan seperti seni pementasan drama dan permainan kuiz. Mari kita tengok sejauh mana kita boleh menterjemahkan drama-drama karya Shakespeare ke dalam nuansa Bahasa Kebangsaan. 3.5. Alih suara Semua rancangan televisyen dan filem import yang dikhususkan kepada kanak-kanak, termasuk yang bahasa asalnya bahasa Inggeris, wajar dialih suara (bukan sekadar diberi sari kata) ke Bahasa Kebangsaan sebagai langkah yang penting untuk memupuk cinta anak muda kepada Bahasa Kebangsaan. Selain itu, dengan industri televisyen kanak-kanak yang tidak terlalu mendewa-dewakan bahasa Inggeris, ini sedikit sebanyak mengikis tanggapan bahawa bahasa Inggeris merupakan anasir imperialisme budaya. Amalan mengalih suara animasi buatan Disney dan sebagainya kepada bahasa-bahasa ibunda telah sekian lama diamalkan di kebanyakan negara di dunia, dan ini tidak serba sedikit menghalang anak-anak muda daripada menguasai bahasa Inggeris di masa hadapan. Sama seperti hujah amalan penterjemahan bahan bacaan tadi, inilah tradisi yang diamalkan untuk memupuk budaya sihat "junjung bahasa sendiri, kendong bahasa luar" di kalangan masyarakat luar negara. Jika tidak percaya, carilah "disney multilanguage" dalam YouTube, barulah anda faham maksud saya. Tiada salahnya mengedarkan filem dan rancangan televisyen import dalam bahasa asal pada pokoknya, tetapi dalam bab tontonan kanak-kanak dan golongan muda, adalah amat wajar untuk pengedar filem menayangkan filem-filem tontonan seisi keluarga (family film) dalam versi alih suara Bahasa Kebangsaan di samping versi bahasa asal dalam pawagam, dan juga mengedarkan DVD filem-filem berkenaan dengan runut audio Bahasa Kebangsaan di samping bahasa asal dan bahasa-bahasa lain. 4. Kata akhir Demikianlah antara cadangan-cadangan bernas yang saya ingin sampaikan kepada seluruh masyarakat, sama ada mereka prihatin terhadap permasalahan yang dihadapi oleh Bahasa Kebangsaan atau tidak. Maaflah jika anda mendapati saya terlalu memberati Bahasa Kebangsaan kerana sesungguhnya inilah tujuan utama surat ini, tetapi jika anda membaca dengan teliti saya turut mengharapkan cara-cara yang terbaik untuk meningkatkan penguasaan bahasa antarabangsa tanpa mengundang masalah kepada Bahasa Kebangsaan dan jati diri bangsa. Kita sudah terlalu banyak membuang masa untuk memikirkan nama yang sesuai untuk Bahasa Kebangsaan kita tanpa mengambil tindakan yang membina untuk memastikan kemandirian bahasa ini dalam arus pengglobalan (globalisasi) yang deras. Tunggu apa lagi? Jangan memandai cakap sayang bahasa, buatlah sesuatu tanpa terlalu bersandar pada dukungan kerajaan. Hendak seribu daya, jangan seribu dalih! Saya berharap agar tuan editor bersikap cermat jika mendapati surat saya begitu panjang lebar sungguh dan perlu disunting kerana setiap satu patah kata dan ungkapan dalam surat ini adalah penting kepada keseluruhan erti mesej yang disampaikan. Sekian, terima kasih. Yang benar, ORANG AWAM

What Do We Expect of Condemned Human Rights Violators? Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:27 PM PDT By Dr Kua Kia Soong, Director of SUARAM On this 24th anniversary of Operation Lalang, we would have expected the former autocrat Dr Mahathir to recant his cynical use of the ISA for his political purpose in 1987. Instead he supports the former IGP's warning about how human rights will harm the country. Rahim Noor, the former IGP has already served his sentence for nearly killing the former Deputy Prime Minister in 1998. This was not only his failure as a human being but he also brought dishonour to the nation's highest police post by making us look like a banana republic. The police force in a civilised state is meant to be the protector of all citizens and the right to security of the person is the most fundamental human right to be enjoyed by every person in this world. He should therefore be the last person in this country to talk about human rights because he was condemned as a most despicable human rights violator for beating up the former Deputy Minister who was in his custody. Obviously, his short sentence (two months?) has not served as a deterrent to his scorn for human rights. All the detainees who have died under police custody have likewise been deprived of their fundamental human right to safety of the person. What this country desperately needs is a human rights wave to make our country ratify the Convention against torture and other forms of ill-treatment and the International Covenant on Civil and political rights so that human rights violators including the police and political leaders do not get away with impunity but are given the most severe deterrent sentence. Dr Mahathir knows full well how he used Operation Lalang for his political purpose in 1987 when Team B of UMNO had applied to the courts to declare the UMNO elections (the one in which Mahathir's Team A had won by the skin of their teeth) null and void. During the white terror following the mass arrests, the Lord President was sacked and other Supreme Court judges suspended. The rest is history and it allowed him to continue as Prime Minister for at least 15 more years! Yes, Dr Mahathir violated fundamental human rights of at least 106 Malaysians (including myself) in 1987 by detaining us without trial for his political purpose. He cannot wash his hands of this gross violation by pointing to the US violations in Guantanamo Bay. Human rights defenders condemn both these violators. Yes, Mahathir's record of human rights violations belongs to the same league as the US record in Guantanamo Bay. The only difference is of course, while the US violates the human rights of non-US citizens, Dr Mahathir has violated the human rights of Malaysian citizens. In the light of the Arab Spring, all autocrats – current as well as spent ones – should be prepared to answer for their human rights violations sooner or later!

Who Will Bear Responsibility? Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:24 PM PDT By Lim Kit Siang Who must bear responsibility for the deception and sleight-of-hand delaying tabling the 2010 Auditor-General's reports on the annual and  continuing "horror of horrors" of government financial hanky-panky, mismanagement and misappropriations of public funds until after the general debate in Parliament on the 2010 Budget (except for the official Ministerial winding-ups) is over? Is he the Prime Minister or Chief Secretary? Or nobody need be held responsible for this gross parliamentary disrespect and deception?   Although the Auditor-General's Reports for 2010 rated most ministries and government departments as "excellent" in their financial management, the Auditor-General nonetheless made history producing two thickest and most voluminous reports in Malaysian history on the Federal Government's Accounts totally over 1,330 pages – retailing the hair-raising pecaddiloes and major transgressions in the government's public finances in the first full year of Najib's premiership in 2010.   The first public conclusion from the 2010 Auditor-General's Reports is that there is no difference between Datuk Seri Najib Razak's National Transformation Policy and his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's "Islam Hadhari" – as horror tales of financial hanky-panky, mismanagement and misappropriations continue unchanged, year in and year out, whether under Najib, Abdullah or even Tun Mahathir's time as Prime Minister.   Just before the political tsunami of the March 2008 general elections, Malaysians were outraged by the revelations at the end of 2007 of financial hanky-panky in the 2006 Auditor-General's reports, eg:   ·       National Youth Skills Institute (under the Youth and Sports Ministry) project where a car jack that cost RM50 was bought for RM5,700, a digital camera that cost RM2,990 was bought for RM8,254 and RM1,146 was paid for a set of technical pens with a market price of RM160; ·       Police Air Wing – purchase of two helicopters worth RM117.75 million, which could not be used, as they did not meet specifications. Another RM15.4mil was spent to train pilots to fly these helicopters. ·       Customs Department under-utilised its RM290mil information technology system but was planning to spend another RM451.30mil to develop a new one.   Now, on the eve of the 13th General Elections, Malaysians are equally outraged by the revelations of the 2010 Auditor-General Reports on the continuing financial scandals, hanky-panky and gross financial negligence in government, eg:   ·       National Sports Institute acquired 23 horses totally RM5.66 million without a Financial Ministry go-ahead with none of the horses competed in two recommended international championships;   ·       the RM142 million RazakSAT malfunctioned barely a year after being commissioned;   ·       The Malaysian Marine Parks Department spent a whopping RM56,350 for a pair of night vision Marine binoculars, 29 times more than its market value of RM1,940; and paid the same amount for another pair of night vision Bushnell binoculars, or 1,893 per cent more than its actual price of RM2,827. ·       Decimal point and accounting mistakes which should not happen if there are efficient and proper internal audit systems as  resulting in a pensioner receiving RM21,433 a month instead of RM214.33 for 16 months and the Giatmara Centre mistakenly paying RM170 per kg instead of RM1.70 per kg for sugar for a poverty eradication programme or RM25,500 for 150 kg of sugar! In his response to the 2010 Auditor-General's Reports, the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan has repeated his annual reaction and call to  all departments and agencies to take heed of  the Auditor-General's comments and views. Clearly, the Chief Secretary's past responses to previous Auditor-General Reports had been ineffective, or there would have been no need this year to resort to the parliamentary sleight-of-hand of delaying the tabling of the 2010 Auditor-General's Report to ensure that it would not completely overshadow Najib's 2012 Budget by focussing on the over 1,300 pages of exposes of financial irregularities, hanky-panky as well as misappropriation of public funds in the first full year of Najib's premiership. Malaysians are still waiting for the Prime Minister or the Chief Secretary to own up to the parliamentary deception in delaying tabling the 2010 Auditor-General Reports until after the end of the parliamentary debate on the 2012 Budget – so as to prevent the 2010 Auditor-General Report from becoming the foremost parliamentary issue.

Petronas will make Mokhzani RM400m richer Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:15 PM PDT In Malaysia's elite business circles, the big boys don't understand the conventional wisdom of 'competition'. Pre-empting any anticipated protests from pressure groups and other economic pressure groups, Petronas went on to quickly add that such moves would "expose local energy services companies such as Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd, Kencana Petroleum and Ramunia Holdings Bhd to competition". Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today Competition in Malaysian business lexicon means NO competition for the big boys. The feeding frenzy and free-for-all fight is actually only among the smaller boys. It's the smaller boys who fight it out for a smaller portion of the business. Petronas, it appears, has departed from its current practice of handing out jobs to only licensed players in certain segments such as oil and gas equipment makers and offshore support vessel operators. Licensed players are those who are registered with Petronas and have fulfilled certain strict requirements as demanded by the oil company. According to a report, state-owned Petronas will now award contracts to unlicensed energy services companies to encourage greater competition in the oil and gas industry. Trust me, this is a new practice. So what is the purpose of the relaxed rules? According to the report – intoned with its usual strictly business and professional disposition – "the measures will attract more foreign investment to develop Malaysia as a regional energy hub". Pre-empting any anticipated protests from pressure groups and other economic pressure groups, Petronas went on to quickly add that such moves would "expose local energy services companies such as Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Bhd, Kencana Petroleum and Ramunia Holdings Bhd to competition". No wisdom Conventional wisdom notes that "competition is good" for trade. But then we are talking about Petronas. There is no such thing as conventional wisdom as far as Petronas is concerned when it comes to competition. In so tender tones, Petronas further added in the report that the "change would not apply" to the Bumiputera vendor programme, where companies controlled by ethnic Malays are given preference under a policy aimed at redistributing national wealth. See, there is no such thing as conventional wisdom. The big boys such as Kencana and Sapura are not exposed to competition. They are given super preferential treatment. Who did Petronas select to partner with Petrofac to develop the not easily defined marginal oil fields? They chose Kencana and Sapura. Everyone in the industry knows that Kencana and Sapura are big at group levels only. They are not ground level people. 'Banker's dilemma' Kencana and Sapura's operations are mostly handled by their subsidiaries working with sub-contractors. Almost all of these subsidiaries are running inefficiently and incurring delays and so forth. That's translated into additional costs to Petronas in terms of time, delayed costs and even additional direct costs. How does Petronas handle those contractors operating through subsidiaries belonging to Kencana and Sapura? They practise what in banking circle is known as banker's dilemma. If one owes the banks small amount, they will come to you with brass knuckles. If one owes them super large amounts, the defaults of which can cause banks to keel over, they will treat you as the guest relation officers (GROs) do the well-heeled customers. They will treat you with extraordinary hospitality. Sit on your laps, let you fondle strategic places and so forth. READ MORE HERE

Shamed Sabah Gerakan officials should quit Posted: 26 Oct 2011 05:10 PM PDT The possibility of Sabah Gerakan getting three seats to contest in the coming general elections has riled friend and foe. (Free Malaysia Today) - Two Sabah state assemblymen, who resigned from their parties two years ago in order to retain their places in the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, are being mocked by the opposition for their weakness. The two – who had pleaded with their BN coalition members not to criticize them – are  Gerakan Sabah state assemblymen Raymond Tan Shu Kiah (Tanjung Papat) and Au Kam Wah (Elopura). Both have been advised by their former 'master'  Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) to resign from all their government posts immediately to retain their dignity. Tan had reportedly called on his collegues in BN component parties to stop being unfriendly to Gerakan. SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah described Tan's call as feeble. He said Tan, who is also the State Industrial Development Minister, is mistaking the hard truth that the peninsula-based party is irrelevant in Sabah. Chong said that Tan and  Au, who had joined Gerakan after leaving SAPP when it left the BN in Sept 2008, had still not understood that they had lost the respect of their BN colleagues. "Now that Raymond Tan and Au Kam Wah have lost face and the respect of their BN colleagues, the only honourable thing for them to do is to resign all their government posts immediately," Chong said in a statement here recently. Three seats for Gerakan Tan was a Deputy Chief Minister and the deputy president of SAPP when the party was still in the government coalition, while Au was the party's youth chief. Both defected from SAPP when the party leadership decided to withdraw its support for the BN government after the coalition lost its two-thirds majority in parliament. SAPP believed their withdrawal would precipitate the collapse of the government and open a "window of opportunity" to address the scores of issues affecting Sabah that had been ignored by the federal government. Tan and Au decided to join Gerakan, gifting the peninsular-based party, two state seats in the process and Tan was appointed as one of the party's vice-presidents later. Gerakan gained a third state seat when Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) former vice president, Peter Pang, who was then also a Deputy Chief Minister (replacing Tan), left his party after disagreeing with LDP over its stand that it could not work with Chief Minister Musa Aman. The prospect of Gerakan being given the three seats to contest in the coming General Election has alarmed the state BN coalition members with the MP for Kalabakan, Abdul Ghapur Salleh urging Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak not to field any candidate from Gerakan in the state in the coming election. His call was supported by several Sabah Umno, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and LDP members who said it had been proven in the last election that Gerakan had been rejected by the people in the peninsula and was unproven in Sabah. READ MORE HERE

Slogan baru rakyat - ABU! (anything but UMNO) atau (asalkan bukan UMNO) Posted: 26 Oct 2011 04:51 PM PDT ASPAN ALIAS Perkasa dan Ibrahim Ali begitu kecewa dengan kehadziran yang begitu kecil semasa Himpunan Sejuta umat di Stadium Shah Alam beberapa hari yang lepas. Hanya 5000 orang sahaja yang datang untuk menghadziri perhimpunan itu. Pada awalnya adalah dijangkakan seramai ratusan ribu orang Melayu Islam akan hadzir tetapi jelas walaupun dengan publisiti yang begitu meluas hanya 5000 orang sahaja yang hadzir. Tetapi kawan rapat saya memberi komen sinis yang jika himpunan itu hendak bercakap kepada 1 juta umat maka pengelola perhimpunan itu terpaksa mengadakan 200 kali perhimpunan seperti itu untuk menyukupkan jumlah 1 juta itu. Satu hakikat yang sangat jelas ialah jika apa-apa perhimpunan itu di anjurkan oleh kumpulan yang ada kaitan dengan parti pemerintah begitulah keadaan sambutannya. Persepsi rakyat begitu rendah terhadap parti pemerintah dan kedatangan seramai 5000 orang dari seluruh negara itu sudah boleh di anggap berjaya jika di bandingkan dengan persepsi rendah orang ramai terhadap pemerintah. Ramai dari rakan-rakan yang saya temui beberapa hari sebelum perhimpunan itu diadakan meramalkan yang kedatangan dan sambutan terhadap perhimpunan itu adalah rendah. Masing-masing memberi sebab masing-masing dengan andaian masing-masing. Tetapi yang pasti himpunan 1 juta umat itu adalah perhimpunan yang dipengaruhi oleh politik dan di sabitkan pula dengan penglibatan parti-parti dalam BN walaupun penganjurnya adalah di atas nama NGO. PAS dan parti-parti lain memang tidak terlibat dengan perhimpunan itu. Yang mampu membawa keluar ramai umat ialah parti-parti dari PR dan tidak ada mana-mana perhimpunan anjuran BN atau kumpulan yang bersimpati dengan BN itu berjaya mengumpulkan umat yang ramai. Isu tuduhan BN terhadapa kristian yang berusaha memurtadkan orang Islam itu (jika benar pun) tidak mungkin boleh di selesaikan dengan perhimpunan seperti itu. Jika kita sayangkan agama kita orang Islam mesti di hormati dan untuk mendapatkan penghormatan itu hanyalah dengan menunjukan kita sebagai seorang Islam yang baik lebih-lebih lagi kepada pemimpin-pemimpin yang beragama Islam. Menjadi pemimpin bukannya satu kerja mudah. Pemimpin mesti menunjukan kewibawaan yang tinggi dan jika di pandang dari sudut keagamaan pemimpin-pemimpin kita harus menunjukan yang mereka betul-betul menghormati dan menjunjung agama kita dengan tahap yang sewajarnya. Kita terlalu obses bercakap pasal Islam tetapi rakyat nampak jelas pemimpin kerajaan sendiri melanggar Islam dengan tidak merasa malu dan silu. Melakukan rasuah adalah bertentangan dengan Islam dan Islam menyamakan perasuah itu sebagai orang yang memakan daging saudaranya sendiri. Bagaimana sebuah kerajaan yang menjadikan Islam sebagai modal politik sedangkan apa-apa yang dilakukan itu semuanya bertentangan dengan kehendak Islam. Dalam lapuran Ketua Audit negara yang baru dikeluarkan itu nampak jelas tidak ada Islamnya lagi. Barang yang berharga RM 400 dibeli oleh jabatan-jabatan yang terlibat dengan harga lebih dari seribu ringgit. Pembelian alat keperluan angkatan tentera yang Def Tech boleh bekalkan dengan harga RM450 juta dibekalkan dengan harga lebih dari RM5 billion. Dimana Islamnya dan dimana amanahnya sebagai pemimpin yang beragama Islam. Apa semuanya ini? Apabila rakyat yang terdesak pergi meminta bantuan dari pihak gereja walaupun tidak ada bukti mereka dimurtadkan maka semua mereka (kerajaan) mempolitikannya dan mengadakan perhimpunan sejuta umat pula. Rakyat ramai yang terdesak kehidupannya tetapi mereka mendengar pemimpin-pemimpin melakukan kerja yang menyakitkan hati mereka. Mereka mendengar isteri-isteri pemimpin melalui TV memakai emas berlian berkarat-karat beratnya. Tas tangan kepunyaan setengah isteri- isteri pemimpin kita berharga ratusan ribu ringgit bagi satu beg tangan itu. Kalau dikaji latar belakangnya bukannya datang dari keluarga yang kaya-raya pun. Mereka semuanya datang dari taraf sosial yang tidak jauh bezanya dengan kita semua ini. Sikap menunjuk-nunjuk ini selalunya dilakukan oleh mereka yang berlatar belakangkan mereka yang baru jumpa 'dunia'. Mereka tidak senang hidup jika orang ramai tidak tahu yang mereka sekarang adalah isteri pemimpin yang kaya raya. Orang tua-tua dahulu ada berkata, 'kalau orang berdarah raja itu jika menjadi tukang sapu sampah atau jadi tukang cat sekali pun, ia tetap raja, tetapi jika si sengkek diletakan mahkota di kepala mereka sekali pun, mereka tetap sengkek'. Rakyat yang terdesak kehidupan mereka tidak dapat menyelesaikan masalah mereka dengan 'one-off payment' sebanyak RM 500 yang diumumkan oleh PM baru-baru ini. Kalau pemimpin kita tidak cukup dengan gaji yang besar sehingga melakukan rasuah bagaimana rakyat hendak hidup dengan bantuan RM500 itu? RM500 itu sebenarnya tidak cukup pun untuk membiayai makanan kucing orang-orang kaya dalam kerajaan pada hari ini. READ MORE HERE

Transparency needed for financial improvement, TI-M tells government Posted: 26 Oct 2011 04:49 PM PDT By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) today called for government transparency in order to bring about significant improvement to the country's financial management. "With the increasing government budget deficit and the removal of subsidies, the public is demanding more accountability and public disclosure of how and what decisions are made," TI-M president Datuk Paul Low said today in a press statement. "Going for significant improvement would require identifying the root causes that gave the abusers the opportunities to extract gains for themselves or for their proxies," he added. Low said that corruption is often fed by the process of "state capture", whereby those in a position to determine or influence important decisions abuse this privilege to change policies, procedures and processes to favour themselves or their proxies. "In many cases, the civil servants who are involved in these processes do not benefit personally from them. But, either for fear of reprisal, or because they want to be obedient to their bosses, they may carry out certain instructions," he said. "Furthermore, with the opaqueness in government decision making as fettered by the all-encompassing Official Secrets Act, public accountability is undermined." READ MORE HERE

Dr M is against full human rights Posted: 26 Oct 2011 04:41 PM PDT By Syed Jeymal Zahiid, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today Malaysia should support human rights but "only as far as we're able to", given the country's "unique" nature. Mahathir, whose 22-year reign as prime minister had been described as "dictatorial", said Malaysia should ignore critics who call for greater human rights, calling the demands "excessive". "In general, we have to support human rights but only as far as we're able to," he said after speaking at the National Entrepreneurs Corporation Bhd (PUNB) symposium here. He added that Malaysia's multi-racial society and conservative religious values could not accommodate excessive human rights that, among others, would allow gay marriages. Mahathir was responding to criticism against former Inspector-General of Police Rahim Noor who equated the fight for greater rights with the communist insurgency at yesterday's general assembly of right-wing Malay group Perkasa. Rahim had said the push for human rights was dangerous and could lead to racial strife, adding that the signs are already prevalent after activists allegedly question the existing "social contract". The former IGP was known for giving former deputy prime minister and current opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim a black eye when the latter was detained for sodomy charges in 1998. Mahathir was quick to point out that civil liberty fighters here often look to the West as the model for human rights but forget that developed democracies, like the US, often resort to greater restrictions when in crisis. "We detain people under ISA (Internal Security Act) but they detain people without laws… and even torture them," he said, referring to the abuse cases on detainees at the Guantanamo Bay camp which was widely reported by the international media. READ MORE HERE

Music fans slam PAS Youth over call to ban Elton John Posted: 26 Oct 2011 04:39 PM PDT (The Star) - Critics have lambasted Pahang PAS Youth for its call to ban Elton John. They say PAS should not impose its values on other Malaysians and not oppose the legendary singer-songwriter from performing in Malaysia without being intimidated. Pahang PAS Youth chief Shaahril Azman Abdul Halim was reported by Harakah as saying Elton promotes "hedonism" and his gay marriage would have a negative effect on young Malaysians. Elton, who has sold more than 250 million records in a career spanning four decades with hits such as Rocket Man and Your Song, married David Furnish in 2005 when same-sex marriage was legalised in Britain. Elton's concert, scheduled to be held in Genting Highlands on Nov 22, is his first in Malaysia. First in Malaysia: Elton John, who will perform in Genting Highlands on Nov 22, has sold 250 million records in a career spanning four decades. Politician Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said PAS Youth should not object to the "harmless" concert and should focus instead on addressing society's problems. The Kita president said Elton had performed for years and had many avid Malaysian fans who were keen to see his first concert in the country. "Let them watch the concert, it can do no harm. PAS must show its progressive image and be more flexible," he said. In a sarcastic note on his tweet, musician-turned-businessman Jason Lo said: "Dear PAS Youth, if you are against Elton John, please ask your members to stop calling me for free tickets." Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez said: "These people (from PAS) should all go and live in a cave." KRU member and Recording Industry Association of Malaysia chairman Norman Halim said the PAS Youth members were "just a few narrow-minded people trying to impose their values on everybody". Sisters In Islam communications member Akmal Zulkifli said there were far more corrupting influences on YouTube than at an Elton John concert. "He will go on stage to play the piano and perform not to kiss another guy," she said. Voice of Women president Chew Hoong Ling said there was a similar protest against eighth season American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert last year. She said the call for a ban on Elton John's concert was "sheer extremism", adding that PAS is "dangerously pushing Malaysia to become another Iran".

Loud-mouthed Ng ripe for roasting Posted: 26 Oct 2011 04:30 PM PDT By Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz The more pointed criticisms about deficit budget are the hidden financial indiscipline that goes along with wanton spending. The ministry waiting and wanting to be crucified is the Tourism Ministry because its minister, Dr Ng Yen Yen, is loud and appears to be pushing her bravado image to the limits. And so she shall reap what she has sowed. The Tourism Ministry overpaid nearly RM270 million for advertisements when it chose to use direct bookings instead of open tenders. So the paying of RM1 million to RM2 million for setting up websites is peanuts compared to the cost of placing advertisements. It is indicative of the minister's inability and incompetence of putting her ministry in order. The same vendor has been at it – placing exorbitant advertisement fees for years. If the same vendor can control the Tourism Ministry in an almost a cartel-like embrace, it does raise concerns of a possibility that ministry officials are more than just good friends with the particular vendor. Paying for lost racks It can suggest that corrupt practices and favouritism in return for consulting fees is rampant at the Tourism Ministry and the loud-mouthed Ng is not able to do anything about it. The ministry also spent a whopping RM1.95 million to buy 1,000 racks – at RM1,950 per rack – to hold its tourism pamphlets for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign. Perhaps it's time for the ministry to set up an in-house workshop for the fabrication of display racks since these are going to be used continuously. READ MORE HERE

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