Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2011 11:00 PM PDT What exactly in present day is the definition of freedom and why is it of paramount importance that the Malaysian youths of today recognise, realize, advocate and preserve its intrinsic value? By Vivek V. Velan Mark Twain once proclaimed that "it is by the goodness of God that in our country we have these three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them." Growing up in a suburban city, it never occurred to me as to how much of an impact a word could carry. One only has to 'Google' the word freedom and will find that such has been made about the literal meaning of this word. In today's modern climate however, the word freedom is often spoken if only in the context of debates and laws which precedes our societal standards and as such very few in the present day actually understands or appreciates the underlying significance and meaning of which this one word holds. The question then that begs to be answered is what exactly in present day is the definition of freedom and why is it of paramount importance that the Malaysian youths of today recognise, realize, advocate and preserve its intrinsic value. From the early days of slavery rebellion of the ancient Romans to the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, men have always stood steadfast in their fight against oppression. The term liberty has often more so than not contributed to raging wars, countries dividing and countless lives to be lost. Closer to home, the independence that we enjoy today comes at the expense of our forefathers who gave up everything to liberate our beloved country from the shackles of the British Empire. Fast forward 54 years since then, the connotation of freedom has altered with a shift in paradigm and we now face a far more complex conundrum, a battle to preserve a different kind of freedom against not invaders or conquerors but rather the current regime itself. Malaysia in all its glory today is plagued with various problems that have hindered its progress and at the same time constrict society's development as a whole. Five decades of being governed by a single party has certainly taken its toll and the end result being the compromise of democracy, basic human rights and freedom of the people. The political framework in which our country is currently built upon has long since been proven flawed and without going into details, the fact remains that we face a sad disposition being that our alternative is no better than the incumbent government and this has led to many believing that hope is indeed lost for progressive change. Barring the select few who continue to fight for the cause, we have begun to go into a spiral decline where we simply accept and settle for a flawed system. The dire plight of our country only came to light after the post-Mahathir era and it was plain to see how the regime in power had breached various articles of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) 1953 including Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Fair Trial to stay in power. Archaic laws such as the Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance until recently have been abused to arrest any and all reformists and activists who were not in line with government policies. The media was not to be spared either as laws and sanctions were put in place to block news the government deemed unsuitable for the masses and failure to comply with the rules in place would lead to the revoking of license to broadcast or publish. Furthermore, the Police Act of 1967 is not only in direct violation of Article 12- Freedom of Assembly but also gives law enforcers heightened powers to restrict and regulate the movement of the people. The recent Bersih 2.0 rally is concrete proof of how basic freedom was violated and for far too long we have been forced to live within the boundaries set by men who were put into power and meant to work for the benefit of the citizens and country. If ever there were a time to point fingers and ask who is to be blamed for the predicament we now find ourselves in, then look no further than the mirror in front of you. In our quest for domestic luxury and for fear of stepping out of our comfort zone, we have not only forsaken inch by inch our dutiful rights as citizens of Malaysia, we have become afraid to think and question. A personal favourite quote of mine based on the Gunpowder Treason says that, "the people should not be afraid of the government; it is the government who should fear the people". There will be those in turn who will ask what is it that can we do as normal citizens? Being a firm believer in moderation, the first issue that should be addressed is how do we break free from the chains of biblical ideologies that have for so long suppressed intellectual thinking, positive reforms and progressive change? Lucid reasoning will tell you that by thinking independently as well as questioning critically, proper check and balance to the incumbent government automatically occurs. In one of his many speeches, Ronald Reagan said that "freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We cannot pass it to our children via the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same". Never before have these words held true more so than now as the coming generation of today's youths and the future leaders of our country come to pass. I will not be the first neither will I be the last to state that the only way forward, the only way to champion this noble cause would be to educate the succeeding generation, for a man can be captured, tortured and killed but an idea can never be put to end. The fight for freedom will always continue and is a never ending one at that. It is a privilege accorded to us by our founding fathers that should always be treasured for only when it is taken away, will you truly cherish its value. |
| Open House in FELDA for Pakatan Rakyat Leaders Posted: 02 Oct 2011 10:22 PM PDT By Suara Felda There's a big raya open house currently happening at Felda Settlements all over Malaysia. The invitation for the open house is only for Pakatan Rakyat leaders all over Malaysia. However, this Raya open house is different from the usual. There is no lemang and ketupat. Instead of being happy and in a festive mood, the Felda people are sombre and gloomy as if they are at a burial ceremony. Perhaps it is also a 'tahlil' ceremony to BN in Felda as well. Felda citizens would like PR to know that all this while they did not mind PR coming to their house; but now, PR leaders have started bashing and whacking the Felda Management and instigating the settlers to sue Felda. PR does not realize that the Felda management, staff and settlers need each other and value each other. It is a fact that if a settler dies and leaves his wife and children, he doesn't count on his fellow settlers to look after his wife and children. He would be at peace at the thought that the Felda management and staff will look after them after he has died. The settlers can sue Felda all they want, but in the end when all dust is settled, the ones laughing to the bank are the lawyers while Felda images and fund will be weakened and taken advantaged of by politicians or even closed down. Who will they look upon then? The status of a Felda settler and its advantages are secured as long as there is Felda around and well managed. If there is none, they will be in the same dock as any normal Malay village chap. Even other races such as Indian, Chinese and Sabah natives who are in Felda feel much better in Felda than being an ordinary Malaysian citizen. It is a well known fact that with Felda, you have a lot of advantages. Zero interest house expansion scheme, business loans, contracts, jobs opportunity, education to the highest level and many more. Being in Felda is like being in another world, a special world. In the past, being in Felda means you are scorned by your family and relatives for choosing the unknown, but now many of your families appreciate your decision, share your new found wealth and seek opportunity to enter Felda as a settler. Above is one little secret that PR miscalculated to win the votes of the Felda people. If they persistently try to win only through settlers and feel proud that the settlers are now beginning to wave summonses at Felda, they will learn again and again that the most votes they will obtain is 20%. And basically this figure has been the case even when Anwar was a Deputy Prime Minister. Felda people want to know that PR wants to protect Felda for now and in the future and will be with the management and staff if they are doing the right thing. There is no point of summons after summons if at the end, Felda is no longer around and they lose their entitlement as Felda citizens. That's why the figure will always be that way. Why UMNO succeeds until now is because they are able to convince the Malays that UMNO is the protector of Malay rights and for Felda people, UMNO says that it is defending Felda from people who like it to be destroyed. It is no secret that people would rather not lose RM100 than to obtain another RM100. The formula to win Felda people is to say that you will lose Felda under Isa and Najib and we are here to rescue Felda. By virtue of Felda you must involve the management, staff and settlers to be succesful. Now is the time to reconcile the management, staff and settlers and say that PR will protect Felda. Felda is no longer protected by UMNO. They send a useless guy from Port Dickson to helm the Felda Chaiman's chair with the aim to make Felda as their cash register. Together with his Rosmah-attitude wife, his greedy officers and countless political allies to feed their lust, the useless guy is currently twisting, changing and hijacking every business opportunity and other daily decisions of the Felda management. Never has the Felda management and staff had this kind of rogue chairman before. Felda people, management, staff and settlers love their current Director General. Humble, polite, soft spoken, intelligent but brave enough to face risks make him popular among Felda people. He is in fact considered one of their own. He can be relied on to protect Felda from opportunists from UMNO especially from the useless guy from the PD camp. This makes the useless guy from PD very angry. He is not used to being tied down from making the ultimate decision as he was the Negeri Sembilan MB, for heaven's sake! He must have thought that while he was Menteri Besar a few years' back, whatever it is in Negeri Sembilan be it in the land, water and air is UMNO's and so does Felda, Felda Holding and other subsidaries, Koperasi Permodalan Felda (Felda Cooperatives), Yayasan Felda, Felda United and other Felda affiliates. He stomps his feet towards Najib's office and brings along hisr wife, which appears to be Rosmah's evil twin sister and both having husband meet husband and wife meet wife meeting. Probably after watching that special video from Port Dickson with Najib, and commenting how smart Najib looks in the video, Najib grants him his All Entry Passport to Felda akin to Genting or Disneyland's All Entry Ticket. He planned and schemed with other politicians in Felda's Boardmembers and lured the CEO of Felda Global Venture (whose position will always be filled by UMNO goons who has the most ability to venture Felda fund towards the most ridiculous, money wasting and unprofitable venture) and while the Felda Director General was away performing Umrah at Makkah, he sprang his surprises and showed the Felda Board Members his All Entry Passport. While he thought that he is the most brilliant UMNO member to hijack a professional board member meeting, he forgot that watching his attitude on behalf of the Director General are the representatives from the settlers and the management.The useless guy from Port Dickson rejoiced at the thought of Felda riches and the skills he used reminiscent of his past skills to woo his current wife. In one stroke, the Felda people lost the Koperasi Permodalan Felda chairmanship to a man who was found guilty of money politics, lost thousands of its lands worth billions currently managed by Felda Plantations to the hand of Felda Global Venture Holding for 60 years, and even lost power over direction and control of a Felda subsidiary by virtue of a new structure which will be announced soon. The next few weeks are very crucial to the Felda management, staff and settlers. They are waiting for the dreaded news from the sky and expecting mumbo-jumbos term from Isa's blue eyed boy, the CEO of Felda Global Ventures (or fondly known as the President of Felda Global Misadventures) to justify whatever action that is going to be taken to elevate Felda higher, perhaps to the 7th Heaven where all souls of past and present Felda people will go and mourn. Isa would have never been able to do this without the brainchild of Dr Suzana Idayu and of course his boss, the CEO of Felda Global Ventures, Dato Sabri Ahmad (whose contract is about to expire and had to offer something extraordinary). Of course, a special thank you also goes to Felda Innovation and Youth Director, Mr. Faizoull Ahmad who willingly became the mercenary for Isa as Faizoull has eaten the bait to become the next Director General latest just before election (early next year). As the saying the dog who bites the hand that feeds him, it is the same from him towards the Felda Director General who elevated him to the Director position and created this new department as a platform for him to propose an innovation and transformation program for Felda and at the same time create a meaningful and balanced Felda youth program. Last but not least, kudos to the central committee of Majlis Belia Felda Malaysia led by Anuar Manap who without the support and trust of the current Felda Director General, would not be known and be as popular as he is now and even named as a potential candidate for DUN Johor. This young politician, realizing that Isa has been appointed by the Prime Minister as one of the panel to choose DUN and Parliament candidates for UMNO, has quickly asked the support of his central comittee and his two beautiful wives to realign their support to the useless guy from Port Dickson and become honchos of Faizoull, even though it is the current Director General who gave them a lease of life by giving funds and projects, involved in planning for Felda youth future plans and even appointed one of MBFM's central committee as a Felda officer with Grade 44 and emolument of RM6,000 every month. However, Anuar Manap stumbled at this moment to convince the MBFM grassroots to support the useless guy from Port Dickson, as their grassroots chose to support their own regional Felda management and staff. At the same moment, other Felda youth movements such as Persatuan Usahawan Generasi Felda and Gabungan Wawasan Generasi Felda were inclined to support the Felda management and staff and understood well that the above issue also affects settlers and their futures in the long run. The above is not just a story. It is a key factor for BN's biggest defeat ever in Felda and the whole nation. The useless guy from Port Dickson has promised that if settlers were to accept him as KPF chairman and other decisions, each settler would receive RM15,000. To pay 122,000 settlers, he would have to have a minimum fund of RM1.8 billion to do so. This exercise would be funded by the money from the leasing of the Felda Plantation land exercise. What other strategy do you expect from a guilty money politics offender? Again, as a reminder to PR leaders not to syok sendiri at this crucial moment to whack the Felda management and staff and use the same tactic to instigate settlers to sue Felda as time again and again would tell you that this will only give you 20% of the votes in Felda areas. Show your support for the Felda management, staff and settlers by bringing them together into this issue and make the fence-sitters and BN voters among management, staff and settlers know and understand this issue. All these news are currently tightly held and barred from leaving the headquarters. However from SB and Seranta reports, the grounds at Felda areas are now shaking hard and in every Felda region, the management, staff and settlers have some idea on this issue and are against it with all their hearts. Some even tore down Najib's and Isa's posters from their walls in anger. In response to this, the useless guy from Port Dickson has issued a complete stop to all Felda programs until Budget 2012 is announced by the PM. He fears that the Felda management, staff and settlers will converge and release all this information early to everybody and conspire to plan his fall. Currently, all management and staff are in a curfew state and only his men are allowed to travel and do their own planning and programs. The Director General himself is not spared and he was reported to KDN as trying to instigate a movement among Felda people to topple Najib. It is a cheap tactic to tell Najib that what he, the useless guy from Port Dickson has done to Felda is not wrong and the Felda people currently resents us not because we are wrong but because the Director General instigated them. The result is now the SB is everywhere, following the Director General's car, tapping into his conversations, hacking his emails, attending his functions and he has to videotape every speech in anticipation of any wrongful report to KDN that he plans to topple Najib. To PR leaders, welcome to Felda's biggest open house. Choose wisely whether to win that mere 20% votes or our 100% votes. Please do tell our people the story above (and others) and let us have it in our face that UMNO no longer defends Felda. They might have accused PR of wanting to break and weaken Felda, but they have shown that they are more creative and better at doing the job. If you have difficulties in entering any Felda scheme, just tell them that you are acting with the management and staff and try to explain the Felda issue to the settlers. You will find that when you raise the issue above, the management, staff and settlers will sit down together with their families at any Felda scheme all over Malaysia and listen to you defending them. We also want PR leaders to ask in Parliament regarding the Felda Global Ventures loss that is now nearing RM1 billion. The useless guy from Port Dickson think that the settlers are as stupid as the politicians and will give them big money before the election. Let that be the extra Duit Raya for all, before all Felda people sink the useless guy from Port Dickson and all BN representatives that all this while collects Felda votes including Mr. Prime Minister. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan