Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Malaysian states to punish homosexuality
- Police record statement from Malaysian Bar Council President
- Philosophy as taught by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)
- ‘Aunty Bersih’ promises to show polls reform panel how to fix system
- Is Time to Move Bangkok?
- Political freedom would threaten peace and unity, says UiTM's VC
- States eye harsher laws for Muslim gays
- The Bangsar beef pie in the sky
- Karpal wants open inquiry on Saiful-DPP love affair
- Anwar like a chameleon, says Tee Yong
- ‘Rosmah, a thorn in Najib’s side’
- Najib’s magic trick for 13th GE
- SPOTLIGHT: A test of Umno's reinvention
- RM10m cattle condo was an investment, says Khairy
- Anwar just placating civil servants — Abdul Karim
- Karpal quizzed on PM choice
- Populist policies will undermine reform
- PKR’s load of bull
- Cops open new probe on Anwar’s Datuk T report
- 5 Reasons Why Penang Will Not Go To The Polls This Year If Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun ...
- Poll outcome rests on bread and butter, survey finds
- “1311 Whack a Pinata Family Day at Taman Gelora”
| Malaysian states to punish homosexuality Posted: 11 Nov 2011 01:52 PM PST The Guardian Two Malaysian states are set to change their Islamic laws to punish Muslims who engage in homosexuality, increasing the prospect of gay Muslims being punished under both federal and state religious laws and adding to concerns about rising intolerance. In Malaysia, homosexuality is punishable by law by caning and up to 20 years in prison, but the amendments planned by the Pahang and Malacca religious authorities would give the state governments additional powers. If the proposed changes come into force, jail terms could run consecutively if a gay Muslim person is punished under both laws. Malacca's chief minister, Mohd Ali Rustam, said the state would review its Islamic law provisions to allow Muslim gay men and lesbians to be tried in court and punished by a prison sentence or a fine to "deter" homosexuality. "So many people like to promote human rights, even up to the point they want to allow lesbian activities and homosexuality," Ali told Reuters. "In Islam, we cannot do all this. It is against Islamic law," he said, adding that gay Muslim people would also be required to attend counselling. Ali, who is also the Malacca Islamic religious department chairman, said the proposed penalties would also apply to those who "supported" homosexuality. "We want to put it in the enactment so that we can enforce it and bring them to our sharia court. Then we can charge them for promoting or supporting these illegal activities," he said. On Thursday, the leading cleric of central Pahang state was quoted in the Star newspaper as saying it would also amend its Islamic laws to allow for action against homosexuality. "Islam prohibits deviant sexual orientation or behaviour," Abdul Rahman Osman was quoted as saying. "Appropriate action should be taken to address these problems. We fear that this abnormal behaviour will be regarded as a norm." In Malaysia, religion is within the respective states' purview and the authorities do not need federal government approval to effect legislative changes. Last week, organisers were forced to cancel an annual sexuality rights festival in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after police threatened to crack down on the event, claiming it could create unease and public disorder. About 60% of the country's 28 million population are Muslims, and Islamic law tenets are used as an official yardstick for the behaviour of followers. Nevertheless, Muslims often throng Kuala Lumpur bars that serve alcohol. Extramarital sex is frowned upon and same-gender relationships often draw criticism, although the rise of alternative media channels has resulted in a greater openness in debates about homosexuality. But public discussions involving sexuality often assume a conservative veneer. Films and music are also heavily censored to remove explicit content, and gay people and transvestites complain of professional and social discrimination. |
| Police record statement from Malaysian Bar Council President Posted: 11 Nov 2011 05:47 AM PST (Bernama) - The police have recorded a statement from Malaysian Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee in connection with the banned '2011 Seksualiti Merdeka' program. The statement was recorded at 3.20pm, at the Duta Court police station here today. Later, Lim told reporters he was called up by the police to answer questions over the council's involvement in the program. He said, as the council was listed as one of the organizers of Seksualiti Merdeka, the police wanted to know who its organizers were, and the council's role, among others. The program, which was held for the fourth time since 2008, was scheduled to have begun from Nov 2 until Nov 13, but was discontinued by the organizers when there was strong opposition from various groups as it was alleged to promote the rights of lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transsexuals in the country. In the interest of public order, the police have banned functions organized by any group relating to the 'Seksualiti Merdeka' program.
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| Philosophy as taught by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Posted: 11 Nov 2011 01:54 AM PST
Unless the Malays unite they are going to be reduced to a minority, said the one-time Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Indians are united into seven political parties. The Chinese are united into six political parties. But the Malays are divided into three political parties. And this is not good for the future of the Malays. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin 1. We should not allow political freedom for students. Political freedom will threaten peace and unity, said the VC of UiTM. The most peaceful countries in the world are those that do not allow political freedom. |
| ‘Aunty Bersih’ promises to show polls reform panel how to fix system Posted: 11 Nov 2011 12:57 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Annie Ooi Siew Lan, the retired teacher dubbed "Aunty Bersih", challenged today the polls review panel's sincerity to electoral reform and vowed to show it her list of how to fix the system in the next seven days.
The slight, skinny 65-year-old became an accidental icon when she was pictured battling chemical-laced water cannons and tear gas shot by the police into the locked-down capital city to join in the Bersih 2.0 march on July 9 for cleaner elections.  File photo of Ooi during the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9, 2011. To this, she cited as examples nurses, doctors, soldiers and policemen on duty on polling day. "We don't want any more corruption," said the short-haired woman dressed in a pale yellow top reminiscent of the Bersih T-shirt she wore on July 9. The coalition of 62 civil societies has adopted yellow as its colour. The nine-man PSC appeared perplexed by Ooi's statement. Its chair, Kota Marudu MP Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, explained that it was the panel's aim and asked her for suggestions, which appeared to vex Ooi. "There are eight demands out there. Loud and clear. I've no need to repeat them," she said, referring to Bersih 2.0's list of demands. "Cakap pun tak dengar, ada yang dengar pun tak bertindak, apa lagi? Susahkah ini keadilan? [What's the point of speaking further, those who hear don't act, what else is there? Is justice so difficult?]" she asked. When Kangar MP Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad ventured to reply that it was because those who qualified to vote did not do so, Ooi shot back: "Why is it so hard? Why so long and hard [to register voters]?" "You want solutions? Solutions to what?" she pushed the panel to answer before promising to return in seven days with her list of practical solutions to carry out electoral reform. "If the sick can't go to the voting stations, can't you do something about it?" she asked, her voice rising as with her temper. "I speak for the voiceless. What you're asking from me is solutions. I'm just a simple, simple, simple person," she cried out, prompting Ongkili to plead with her to calm down. Bersih 2.0 has been pushing the Election Commission to carry out eight steps they claim can be carried out immediately and will improve the electoral system before the next national polls are held, widely expected to be called early next year.
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| Posted: 11 Nov 2011 12:48 AM PST THE DIPLOMAT The flooding in Bangkok shows little sign of getting better, and its impact on Thailand's economy and the global supply chain of many computer and automotive components has yet to be fully tallied. Japanese companies in particular have made enormous investments in Thailand and have been particularly hard hit by the flooding, but all computer disk drive makers and many car manufacturers have been affected. People are stranded throughout Bangkok, the government's messages are still confusing and hard to understand, and the divisions in Thai political society have prevented the type of unity in the political system that should be necessary at such a time of crisis. In addition, diseases carried by the fetid water are beginning to be a problem in Bangkok and the outlying suburbs. Many foreign investors will now rethink their decisions to place so much of their supply chain in Thailand. But even more worrying, these floods, which are the worst in Thailand in 50 years, could be a harbinger of the future. In an excellent story by Agence France Presse, reporters in Bangkok examine why the Thai capital is likely, in years to come, to face similar if not worse floods. Such floods could repeatedly devastate Thailand's manufacturing base and threaten the millions of people in the capital, which dominates Thailand as the country's political, cultural, and economic epicenter. Urbanization in the city's outlying areas has reduced regions of vegetation that absorbed water in the past; overbuilding in the city core has done the same. The capital, built on swamp, is still sinking every year, and with global temperatures rising and weather patterns changing, Thailand is likely to face a longer, more intense rainy season for years to come — which would in turn make the city harder to drain and would more consistently overflow the Chao Praya River. The OECD has classified Thailand's capital as one of the ten most endangered cities in the world, according to the AFP report. "In 50 years…most of Bangkok will be below sea level," Anond Snidvongs, an expert on water management, told AFP.
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| Political freedom would threaten peace and unity, says UiTM's VC Posted: 11 Nov 2011 12:42 AM PST
(Bernama) - There is no necessity to amend the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) because politicking will only split the students, said Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar. He said the university was not in favour of the proposed amendment to the UUCA as political freedom would only threaten peace and the unity of Malay and bumiputra students in the university. "My wards (UiTM students) are peaceful and in harmony in their struggle for knowledge to become a useful human being. "What is important is that all of us are united and not divided," he told a press conference. He was commenting on the proposal by several groups who wanted the UUCA to be amended to give space and freedom to the university students to be involved in politics. Sahol Hamid said currently, the students had been given an opportunity to express their views and opinions through the associations and campus elections that were being held, and these were sufficient for them. "In fact, I personally have my own Facebook account which is used to contact the UiTM students directly. "They can make whatever complaints to me and appropriate action will be taken," he said adding that Malay politics these days would lead to division instead of unity.
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| States eye harsher laws for Muslim gays Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:45 PM PST
(REUTERS) - Two states are set to change their Islamic laws to punish Muslims who engage in homosexuality, raising the prospect of gay Muslims being punished twice and stoking concerns about rising intolerance towards same-gender relationships. Homosexuality is punishable by law by caning and up to 20 years in jail, but the legal amendments planned by Pahang and Malacca religious authorities would give the state governments additional ammunition. If the proposed changes came into force, a Muslim homosexual could be punished under both federal and state religious charges, meaning that jail terms could run consecutively and result in longer time. Analysts said the proposed amendments hinted at an increasing intolerance towards homosexuality and could erode support for the government among the majority ethnic Malays, who are Muslims by birth. "The irony of the situation is that the overwhelming majority of gay people in this country are Malays," said James Chin, a political analyst at Monash University. "When they have these laws to target non-mainstream sexual minorities, they are actually targeting their own people." Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the state would review its Islamic law provisions to allow Muslim gays and lesbians to be tried in court and punished by a jail term or a fine to deter homosexuality. "So many people like to promote human rights, even up to the point they want to allow lesbian activities and homosexuality," Ali told Reuters. "In Islam, we cannot do all this. It is against Islamic law," he said, adding that Muslim homosexuals would also be required to attend counselling. Ali, who is also Malacca Islamic Religious Department chairman, said the proposed penalties would also apply to those who supported homosexuality even if they did not practise it. "We want to put it in the enactment so that we can enforce it and bring them to our sharia (Islamic law) court. Then we can charge them for promoting or supporting these illegal activities." Yesterday, the top cleric in Pahang was quoted in The Star newspaper as saying the state would also amend its Islamic laws to allow for action against homosexual-related activities. "Islam prohibits deviant sexual orientation or behaviour," Abdul Rahman Osman was quoted as saying. "Appropriate action should be taken to address these problems. We fear that this abnormal behaviour will be regarded as a norm." Religion is within the respective states' purview and the authorities do not need federal government approval to effect legislative changes. Last week, organisers were forced to cancel the annual sexuality rights Seksualiti Merdeka festival in Kuala Lumpur after police threatened to crack down on the event, saying it could create widespread unease and public disorder. About 60 per cent of the country's population of 28 million are Muslims, and Islamic law tenets are used as an official yardstick for the behaviour of followers. Still, Muslims often throng bars serving alcohol in Kuala Lumpur. Extramarital sex is frowned upon and same-gender relationships often draw criticism although the rise of alternative media channels has bred a greater openness in debates about homosexuality. But public discussions involving sexuality often assume a conservative veneer. Films and music are also heavily censored to remove explicit content, and homosexuals and transvestites complain of professional and social discrimination.
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| The Bangsar beef pie in the sky Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:37 PM PST
THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER It is understandable that Khairy Jamaluddin wants to defend fellow Umno ex-officio vice-president Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil over excess public funds for a cattle-farming project being used to buy a luxury condominium in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. It makes good financial sense. Get into real estate rather than livestock and see your money multiply quickly in the capital city's upscale residential suburb. Except, the money for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project wasn't for such investments. The money is part of public funds for a project to reduce Malaysia's dependence on beef imports. And the NFC and the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC), a management company owned by Shahrizat's family, is in the business of cattle-farming, not real estate. If Putrajaya wanted to make quicker money, it might as well play poker in the casinos. Or buy and sell properties in Bukit Tunku, Bangsar and Ampang to reduce the federal deficit. The Umno Youth chief said today that when the government ran out of funds to develop satellite cattle farms, NMLC was left with surplus funds that had been disbursed to it and that it decided real estate investment was a good way to get returns. "Should they have left the money in the current account which does not have a high yield while waiting for the satellite farms or should they have invested the money while waiting?" asked Khairy. "The management made a decision that the best return on investment would have been from real estate." He was referring to PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution's statement yesterday that the luxury apartment at One Menerung, Bangsar, was recorded by NFC, a cattle-farming project managed by the minister's family, as part of a RM83 million "loan" to the NMLC. Khairy also said the condo has since been rented out and has also appreciated in value since it was purchased but did not specify the rental yield. His explanation might make sense to Umno delegates at its annual congress at the end of November as much as one can believe there's a pie in the sky but not to the public or even civil servants who have to account for every sen spent for specific projects. If anything, Khairy's stout defence of Shahrizat and her family, while admirable, only draws further scrutiny to the project that the government auditor said was "in a mess". Right now, the stench from the project has just become a lot more overwhelming.
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| Karpal wants open inquiry on Saiful-DPP love affair Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:32 PM PST
Anwar's counsel Karpal Singh says the AG's clearance raised more questions than answers and that there should be an independent inquiry into the alleged affair. (Free Malaysia Today) - The allegation of an affair between deputy public prosecutor Farah Azlina Latif and Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan cries out for an open inquiry and should not have been investigated and closed by the Attorney-General's Chambers, veteran lawyer Karpal Singh said today. Responding to the findings of the Attorney-General's Chambers in clearing the two from having an affair, Karpal said the Attorney- General cannot be judge and jury in his own cause. "It is elementary that there should been an independent investigation by a body with no affinity to the Attorney-General's Chambers. The position cries out for transparency," he said in a statement today. He added that the findings of the AG Chambers raised more questions than answers. Farah Azlina was part of the prosecution team in Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial while Saiful is the alleged victim. Yesterday, in response to Karpal's question in Parliament on the matter, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Razak said the AG's Chambers had probed the matter and found that the allegation to be "baseless" and that there was no "concrete evidence" to suggest of a love affair. Following the allegation, Nazri said Farah Azlina was removed from the prosecution team to prevent any further allegations of impropriety and to maintain the prosecution's credibility. Karpal, who is Anwar's leading lawyer in the case, however, was not satisfied with the explanation given by Nazri on the alleged affair. No public denial
He noted that there had been no public denial by both Saiful and Farah Azlina on the affair. Neither have they denied in court under oath despite the opportunity being there, he added. He also asked as to why Farah Azlina was reassigned to a different section within the AG's Chambers if there was no basis to the allegation. "Why should she have been punished through this move if she was innocent of any impropriety?" asked Karpal. He said that if an affair between the pair existed, then questions arise as to their criminal culpability in a Syariah Court.
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| Anwar like a chameleon, says Tee Yong Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:55 PM PST
(The Star) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a political chameleon who changes his stand when facing different crowds, said MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief Datuk Chua Tee Yong. Chua said the Opposition Leader had openly supported the implementation of hudud law in Kelantan in September but in November, he backpedalled to a Chinese crowd in Selangor by saying that hudud law was not part of Pakatan Rakyat's policy. He said Anwar's backing of hudud law and for PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat was made only to cater to the large Muslim population. "This is where we see his political chameleon ways' in full play. There is no sincerity in his words at all," Chua said in a statement yesterday. To gain the support of the urban Chinese community and leaders of 65 Chinese associations and guilds at a function in Subang Jaya on Nov 8, Anwar had stated that Pakatan would not implement hudud law, Chua added. He said that if PKR or DAP were genuine in ensuring that hudud law would not be enacted as a federal policy, Pakatan should spell it out clearly in its Buku Jingga or Orange Book. "Such recourse is more so pertinent in view of PAS' backing for the Orange Book," he said. Chua said Anwar and other PKR leaders had fervently denied Pakatan's plan to reduce the number of civil servants when it was revealed by DAP MP Tony Pua but they did not demonstrate the same enthusiasm in pushing back PAS' plan to implement hudud law in Kelantan, despite concerns and condemnation by Malaysians. "This clearly shows the double-standard treatment by Anwar and the lack of courage by PKR to challenge PAS, even if it means putting the interest of non-Muslims at risk. "What's more, should Pakatan come to power, there would be no guarantee that the implementation of hudud law nationwide could be stopped by either Anwar or DAP leaders," he said.
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| ‘Rosmah, a thorn in Najib’s side’ Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:43 PM PST
Umno grassroots members wish BN would lose at the polls just so her antics and extravagant lifestyle can be toned down, says the author of 'Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib'. Several of the chapters headings include: 1Malaysia Silap Pertama Di Hari Pertama Sebagai PM (1Malaysia the first mistake on the first day as PM); Pelantikan Apco (Engaging foreign public relations consultancy firm Apco Worldwide) and; Gagal Mengawal Karenah dan Gaya Mewah Rosmah (Failure to control (his wife) Rosmah (Mansor)'s luxurious lifestyle. Tarani Palani, Free Malaysia Today The author of "Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib" (Najib's Mistakes), Shahbudin Husin, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should step down if he does not rectify his errors soon. Shahbudin, a member of Umno's Wangsa Maju branch, said: "It serves as a warning… he should correct his mistakes before the next general election." "If he fails to do so, then he should step down. We support our party but we cannot support a weak leader," added the former deputy Youth chief of Wangsa Maju. Shahbudin's 267-page book touched on various issues, including Najib's 1Malaysia concept, his use of international public relations firm Apco and the alleged influence of his wife Rosmah. Several of the chapters headings include: 1Malaysia Silap Pertama Di Hari Pertama Sebagai PM (1Malaysia the first mistake on the first day as PM); Pelantikan Apco (Engaging foreign public relations consultancy firm Apco Worldwide) and; Gagal Mengawal Karenah dan Gaya Mewah Rosmah (Failure to control (his wife) Rosmah (Mansor)'s luxurious lifestyle. "I even caught my 12-year-old child's friends discussing Rosmah's hairstyles and her luxurious spending. Her antics have not gone unnoticed by many of the Umno grassroots members." "Many didn't like ex-premier Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) because he crossed so many people. But no one made nasty comments about his wife Siti Hasmah. Rosmah gets everyone talking," he told FMT. Shahbudin added that her antics were so distressing to some Umno members that they wish Najib will not retain two-thirds in the polls so as prevent Rosmah's antics from getting worse. He also touched on the US$24 million (RM73 million) diamond ring fiasco implicating Rosmah, which was exposed by Pakatan Rakyat NGO, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM). Its president, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, claimed that the ring had passed through Customs without import duties paid on it. 'No smoke without fire' Pro-Umno bloggers came to Rosmah's defence, claiming that the ring was brought into the country for a four-day private display. Forced to respond to the issue, Najib denied that the ring was purchased by Rosmah or used for private display. Asked if he, as an Umno member, believed that pro-Pakatan bloggers may have exaggerated the issue, Shahbudin said that there was no smoke without fire. "I believe there has to be a basis for such an extravagant story. In three to four days they wanted to return the ring. But why did it come here in the first place?" he asked. He said that history has shown many leaders fell because of their spouses such as former Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos, and his infamous wife Imelda Marcos. But Najib seems to pay no heed to it. Shahbudin whose first book, "Najib, the last Prime Minister", which was also highly critical of the premier's leadership, denied that he was sponsored by any faction within Umno. "I did it on my own time and money. I paid for the 13,000 copies of the first book with my own money. In fact, I was quite embarrassed to approach Harakah daily to advertise my book because I'm an Umno member. "So how can people say that someone within Umno or even the opposition is funding me?" he asked.
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| Najib’s magic trick for 13th GE Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:29 PM PST
The rakyat should support calls for the 13th general election to be postponed until after ALL the recommendations (on electoral reforms) have been implemented. Any reforms, which BN announces now, are purely cosmetic. They give the appearance that Najib is listening. It is like a roué wooing a schoolgirl with sweet talk, before he has his way with her. He walks away smiling, because she was fool enough to believe him. He outsmarted her. Mariam Mokhtar, Free Malaysia Today Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's flurry of reforms in the last couple of months, raises disturbing questions about his desire to make Malaysia the "best democracy in the world". Who stands to benefit most from his idea of the "best democracy" in the world? The rakyat or the Barisan Nasional (BN) political elite? The naïve rakyat, who are lulled into a sense of security by Najib's rash of reforms, may think it will be the main beneficiaries. On the other hand, BN's political elite and their cronies hope to woo the electorate by appearing to accede to calls for political reforms and then undo the reforms, after they have secured a win. Judging by the number of times BN has reneged on election promises in the last 54 years, it will be the latter group who will benefit. Any reforms, which BN announces now, are purely cosmetic. They give the appearance that Najib is listening. It is like a roué wooing a schoolgirl with sweet talk, before he has his way with her. He walks away smiling, because she was fool enough to believe him. He outsmarted her. That is the danger the rakyat faces now – to be lulled into thinking Najib will enact the reforms that he has promised. After the 13th general election (GE), he will sing a different tune, if BN wins. BN's promise of reforms is pointless when all other aspects of BN rule ignore human rights, the rule of law, endemic corruption and economic enhancement. The "best democracy in the world" is not one which elevates one race but ignores the others. A government which allows family members and close associates to benefit in multimillion ringgit projects is not fit for purpose. Launching personal attacks on members of the opposition and smearing their children's reputations are morally wrong, distasteful and will backfire. The prime minister's reputation was trashed after his disastrous handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 "pro-democracy march". This was a terrible blow for someone who values spin and image above all else. So, Najib felt compelled to pull out all the stops to try to rebuild his image both within his own party and with the rakyat. He started with the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA). Just like the magician doing his illusory show, who made the rabbit disappear, he then produced two more from a hat. Yes, Najib promised that there would be two new laws to replace the ISA. Why did a sea change envelope Najib and make him repeal the ISA? For several decades, various groups which wanted the ISA abolished were ignored, but with the 13th general election around the corner, Najib acquiesced. Paramount importance Najib's deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, was adamant that science and mathematics should be taught in Malay. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad joined in the chorus to maintain the teaching of these subjects in English. Parents vowed to vote for the opposition. The day after announcing his final decision, Muhyiddin was forced into an embarrassing U-turn. In Najib's "best democracy in the world", a Muslim girl can get married and start a family as soon as she reaches puberty, without her parents' consent. Some girls reach puberty at nine years old. At 18 years old, teenagers can drive a car and buy cigarettes, but they can't vote until they are 21. Furthermore, the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) prohibits students from engaging in any political activity. It isn't just the students who are restricted. Any academic who does not toe the political line may find himself suspended and his academic career in jeopardy. Compare the two university lecturers, Professor Abdul Aziz Bari and Ridhuan Tee. Mind control is what Umno-BN is after and not freeing the mind for intellectual expression and advancement. As we have only one chance to reform our government and vote for a party that will govern properly, the run-up to the 13th general election is of paramount importance. It matters to all of us. Najib and BN are doing a magic trick. What has BN done to improve the lot of the rural population in the more economically deprived areas? Some kampungs and longhouses still lack water, electricity and proper roads. Schools and clinics are poorly funded. And yet, the prime minister, his self-styled "First Lady", their family and his political party have spent billions of ringgit on personal travel, luxury goods and bribes, all funded by the taxpayers. One way is to deprive these people of their luxuries, so they can focus their efforts on solving the nation's problems. For example, we should make them commute to work using public transport. That means taking away their chauffeur-driven cars, their outriders and the police who restrict traffic on the roads when these VIPs travel. Once they suffer the traumas we go through, our public transport system might not be in such a deplorable condition. When Najib made his maiden speech at the UN general assembly, he talked about rejecting extremism and being a moderate. So why does he don the cloak of racism at home? Does he have a split personality or is he just a scheming con-man who knows which side his electoral bread is buttered?
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| SPOTLIGHT: A test of Umno's reinvention Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:23 PM PST
The Umno general assembly in three weeks' time will be closely watched for proof that the party has reformed and prepared itself for the next general election "How the assemblies of Umno's three wings, Wanita, Youth and Puteri, take shape will indicate what can be expected at the general assembly proper the next day. The wings are the movers, their assemblies are a prelude to the main assembly," said Prof Datuk Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, head of the politics, security and international affairs cluster of the National Council of Professors.
Umno, the linchpin of the 13-party ruling Barisan Nasional, holds its general assembly in less than three weeks -- likely its last before the 13th general election. |
| RM10m cattle condo was an investment, says Khairy Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:18 PM PST
By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider Khairy Jamaluddin savaged PKR today for claiming corruption in the purchase of a RM10 million Bangsar condominium by a federally-funded cattle project owned by a minister's family. The Umno Youth chief claimed the condo was bought as an investment when the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC), a company wholly-owned by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil's family, found itself with excess funds. Khairy, who has appeared as Shahrizat's staunch defender over the National Feedlot Centre controversy, said NMLC was left with surplus funds that when the government ran out of funds to develop satellite cattle farms. It then decided on real estate investment as a means to put the excess liquidity to work. He did not, however, say if the company was authorised to make the property investment. "Should they have left the money in the current account, which does not have a high yield, while waiting for the satellite farms or should they have invested the money while waiting," said Khairy. "The management made a decision that the best return on investment would have been from real estate." Khairy added that the condo has since been rented out and also appreciated in value since it was purchased. He did not, however, specify the rental yield. Many real estate experts have concluded that Kuala Lumpur is facing a glut of luxury properties, with rental yields falling as much as 50 per cent in some cases. PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said yesterday the luxury apartment at One Menerung, Bangsar, was recorded by NFC, a cattle farming project managed by the minister's family, as part of a RM83 million "loan" to NMLC. Today, Khairy also slammed PKR strategic director Rafizi Rami and accused him of lying when the latter said beef from the feedlot project was sold only to elite restaurants. According to the Rembau MP, beef from the project was also sold to Carrefour, Giant and wet markets.
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| Anwar just placating civil servants — Abdul Karim Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:14 PM PST
(Borneo Post) - KUCHING: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was just trying to cool the situation down when he said Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had scrapped its intention to reduce the number of civil servants if it ruled the country. Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Assistant Minister of Housing Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said civil servants were very angry with the proposal by DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua, and Anwar was just trying to cool them down. "When he (Anwar) disagreed with the proposal, it is just to cool down the anger of the civil servants towards DAP and PR," Abdul Karim said when contacted yesterday. He was asked on Anwar's online comment on Tuesday that PR had scrapped the proposal to reduce the number of the 1.2 million civil servants if it wins the general election, as earlier proposed by Pua. Abdul Karim, who is chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, said DAP's contention to reduce the number of civil servants was an insult to all civil servants, be they at the federal or state levels. The proposal, Abdul Karim said, also reflected how ignorant DAP was about the role of the civil servants in transforming the country to become vibrant. "Bumiputeras in the civil service should be able to see DAP's real agenda. They just don't have any love for the Bumiputeras," the Asajaya assemblyman said. Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi said the contradicting statements by Anwar and Pua indicated "the nature of their uncertain "To me, this is one of the few different opinions that surface from PR leaders and I believe there will be more contradicting opinions in the future," Dr Rundi said when contacted. The Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications) also said the statement reflected how low PR thought of civil servants, adding that civil servants had done so much to bring the country to what it was today. Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing said he was not surprised at the contradicting statements by Anwar and Pua, adding that differences in opinion would always happen as they seem to politicise every policy. "I just hope Malaysians will see through all these before casting their votes," the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president said. |
| Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:12 PM PST
(The Star) - The MCA has taken Karpal Singh to task over a statement by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be prime minister should the Pakatan Rakyat alliance take over the Federal Government. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said he wanted to know if Karpal, the DAP national chairman, would support and stand by Lim's statement that the PKR adviser would be the prime minister. "Since Lim has expressed his views, we want to find out if Karpal and PAS are united in their views as well. "I recall that, not long ago, Karpal had wanted Anwar to resign as Opposition Leader," Dr Chua said after launching the 39th students' excellence award of SJK(C) Ai Chun here on Wednesday. He was earlier asked whether he thought non-Muslims should first convert to Islam if they wanted to be deputy prime minister should Pakatan administer the country. The question followed reports quoting Anwar that a Chinese could be considered for the deputy prime minister's spot should Pakatan take over the Government. Dr Chua said Anwar made the remarks because the Chinese are under the impression there will be a Chinese deputy prime minister under a Pakatan-ruled Government. "So, now I want to know if there is such a thing. Or, do non-Muslims need to convert in order to become deputy prime minister?" he asked, adding that if no proper explanation was given, it could be just another publicity stunt and more political spinning. Dr Chua also asked the DAP to clarify if hudud law being pursued by PAS would affect non-Muslims. "If the answer is no, we need to know why? Because, in order to implement hudud, there would be amendments to the Constitution." In his speech, Dr Chua said the MCA would continue to suggest to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister ways to improve Chinese schools. He added that the party was doing its best to bring up issues faced by Chinese schools to the nation's leaders to find effective solutions.
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| Populist policies will undermine reform Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:05 PM PST
We can say goodbye to Reformasi if the national agenda for change is usurped by populist desperadoes. Pakatan Rakyat has also indulged in populism since they came into power, which makes us wonder about the substance of 'reformasi'. By Kua Kia Soong, Free Malaysia Today Watching recent events and statements by Malaysian politicians, the urgent need for reform in our country risks being undermined by populism on both sides of the political divide as they jostle for votes in the coming general election. From the Barisan Nasional, we have seen the free hand-outs of RM100 ringgit to every student in the school system without any form of means testing. We have also recently witnessed the extreme form of populism, namely, "mobocracy", whereby mob rule can dictate that a perfectly legal and peaceful gathering, Seksualiti Merdeka be banned by the police. Pakatan Rakyat has also indulged in populism since they came into power, which makes us wonder about the substance of 'reformasi'. First, the Selangor state government gave away free water without any form of means testing and without thinking about "demand management" which is crucial to water conservation. Now, to the suggestion that we should look into making the civil service lean and mean, Pakatan says that while this makes economic sense, it is politically foolhardy. One wonders if the promised rescindment of the New Economic Policy will later be similarly jettisoned because of "political consideration". Progressive means testing During the fifties and sixties, Malaysian schools had some form of means testing to ensure that deserving students (ie. those from lower-income families) could have access to fee-waivers, free textbooks and even free meals. Such a progressive policy was a prudent use of valuable resources and did not create any resentment among the better-off students. In contrast, the hand-out of RM100 recently promised by the BN government to every student regardless of income is not only an imprudent use of taxpayers' money, it is likely to be ridiculed as meaningless by the students from rich families. Likewise, the populist granting of free water by the Selangor state government to all and sundry. Why should those who squander water in washing their cars every day be entitled to free water? How do the Orang Asli feel about such wastage when they were displaced from their ancestral land for the Selangor Dam supposedly because they had been told the dam was vital for the needs of the Klang Valley? Is such a populist measure congruent with the call for demand management which is crucial to water conservancy everywhere in the world? It makes nonsense of the call for rainwater harvesting when we can have access to free treated water. Full audit and action Every organisational transformation – especially in the loss-making government agencies – needs a full audit and swift remedial action to follow. That is what the BN government's recent razzmatazz about "transformation this and transformation that" ought to be about. Nowhere is this more obvious than in our heavily bloated civil service. For example, our power plants have failed to run at full capacity, about which I have repeatedly called for thorough audits. The crisis in our energy industry is certainly not just due to the current gas shortage. The same can be said for the decades-old mismanagement and inefficiencies in KTM. In my 2010 title 'Questioning Arms Spending in Malaysia', I not only called for the drastic reduction of our defence budget but also the conversion of arms production to socially useful production and the promotion of a culture of peace. The billions of ringgit in savings could be used for creating thousands of jobs.
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| Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:56 PM PST
In PKR's original allegation, they characterised NLMC as only handling marketing, hence queried why that would require such a large sum of money. I have explained previously and once again here that NLMC's involvement spans the entire supply chain from processing to marketing. Another allegation explained away by fact and reason. By Khairy Jamaluddin, The Malaysian Insider Over the past couple of days the PKR machinery has gone into overdrive to paint a picture of power abuse surrounding the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC). I have systematically engaged, both in Parliament and through my blog, many of the accusations and insinuations. I took care to be clear and detailed about why this picture the likes of YB Saifuddin Nasution and PKR director of strategy, Rafizi Ramli, are keen to paint does not stand the test of scrutiny. Through a comprehensive examination of the facts, each allegation has been conclusively rebutted and exposed as founded on a fatal combination of shoddy mathematics, cherry-picked figures and outright lies. I will subject Rafizi's latest attempt to flog the dead horse to the same process below. Something that has become terribly clear to me is that throughout this debate, Rafizi has shown himself to be disingenuous, dishonest and in the habit of shifting the goalposts the very moment he realises a line of attack is broken down. Let me explain why. First, he alleged that NFC was given 5,000 acres of land in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, for free. As I have stated, this is categorically false — NFC was only offered 1,500 acres on lease by the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Incorporated. Two major errors: On the acreage of the land in question and the fact that it is on lease, not handed out for free. You will notice that he makes no mention of this in his Malaysiakini piece on November 10, although there is still the November 1 blog entry with the words "1 lembu = 5 ekar". Great math. Secondly, he was also absolutely caught out on the allegation that — and I quote him here — "the (NFC) beef is only being supplied to luxurious restaurant chains owned by Shahrizat's family called Meatworks, Senor Santos and Brawns in Singapore". More about where NFC beef is supplied to later. But for the moment, I reiterate what I have said repeatedly: NFC simply could not have supplied meat to Senor Santos and Brawns because the Singapore government prohibits the import of raw beef from Peninsular Malaysia due to fear of foot and mouth disease. When I directed this to his attention on Twitter, Rafizi, perhaps excitably, sought to correct me by posting a link to the Singaporean Agri-food and Veterinary Authority website purportedly showing that Malaysia is amongst the countries approved to export beef to the Republic. What he failed to do — and I suspect this was more out of incompetence more than anything else — was to scroll down to the footnote on the list, which clearly shows that Malaysia may only export processed, and not raw meat, which relates to NFC. Again, you will not see this allegation in his more recent remarks. Incidentally, in his desperation he did try to deny ever saying NFC sold beef to the restaurants in Singapore. (This was his tweet on November 8: "I nvr said NFC sold its raw meat 2 Senor Santos/Brawn in Singapore"). You would've thought a Strategy Director knows that direct quotes are quite easily searchable on the Internet. He was unceremoniously exposed as a liar within minutes. That jig, too, was up. He then quickly shifted to the question of the RM250 million government loan to NFC. On this matter, he was wrong to say that all RM250 million had been spent or disbursed; to date, the total drawdown available for use by NFC is RM181 million, consistent with the reply given by the prime minister, the minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, and verified by the Auditor-General's report. The remainder of the loan is still in the Special Loan Account (SLA) in which the loan was placed initially or put into fix deposit instruments in order to gain returns while waiting for further operational drawdowns from NFC. I have written about this process extensively on my blog. Rafizi then tried to kick up a storm over the disbursement of the RM81.2 million to a related company of NFC, the National Livestock & Meat Corporation Sdn Bhd (NLMC). But there is no fuss to be made. Such disbursements are reasonable, considering that NLMC is tasked to operate the abattoir, develop the supply chain and market for NFC's products, as well as purchase cattle from satellite farms. This ties in with the feedlot project's broad overall goals, spanning from infrastructure, processing to distribution and marketing. In PKR's original allegation, they characterised NLMC as only handling marketing, hence queried why that would require such a large sum of money. I have explained previously and once again here that NLMC's involvement spans the entire supply chain from processing to marketing. Another allegation explained away by fact and reason. Shifting his sights to another NFC sister company, the Real Food Company (RFC), Rafizi questioned why RFC was given pricing discounts totalling RM3 million — insidiously employing the term "subsidy" for a particular effect. I provided a straightforward explanation for that discount in my earlier blog entry. RFC is the sole distributor of NFC meat; the discount allowed the final product to be sold to wholesalers, wet markets and hypermarkets at competitive prices, which most will recognise as a fairly common aspect of any market entry strategy — the discount was not given to engineer a larger profit margin for RFC but rather passed through to retailers and consumers. When demand is established and economies of scale attained, prices can be normalised. And in any case, is it not the consumers who ultimately benefits through that discount? Where's the beef? But of course, Rafizi only banged on this just so he could link it to his earlier remark about NFC supplying only to luxurious restaurants owned by the minister's family. In his recent article, he wrote, "NFC was entitled to subsidise the operations of Meatworks through a scheme that cost taxpayers nearly RM3 million in 2009". (Note again the conspicuous absence of the two restaurants in Singapore after being exposed on that allegation). This is another lie, because alongside the likes of Carrefour, Giant and numerous wet markets, NFC beef is also supplied to restaurants like Jake's Charbroil Steak, Tony Roma's, Dome Café, Smokin Salma and Jarrod & Rawlins — all of which enjoy the benefits of the discount as Meatworks does. Sure, these are up-market establishments, but premium meat accounts for only five percent of a cow carcass anyway. Most of the rest of the cow are sold in hypermarkets and wet markets and also enjoy this discount that Rafizi so desperately wants to link only to Meatworks. So this talk of "a subsidy for the elites who have expensive taste buds" is absolute nonsense on multiple levels. Having been proven wrong on every single point despite jumping around from one baseless accusation to another, Rafizi's final throw of the dice was to press on over this same issue of disbursements and discounts, but without at all challenging the reasons I offered. Running out of arguments that he can cook up, he accused me of saying that the SLA was an "escrow account but not an escrow account" — even managing to slip in a comment about how he "had spent many years as a chartered accountant and an auditor". I'm not too sure how much good those years did him in terms of understanding the simplest of analogies — we already know from above they didn't help much in building meticulousness or attention to detail. I never said the SLA was an escrow account — it is what it is, a Special Loan Account; not an escrow account. In my press conference on November 9, I merely drew a comparison to an escrow account to illustrate the strict processes involved in any drawdown from the SLA, which requires approval from several parties, in this case both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance. Sure, there is no independent third party disbursing money as per an escrow account, but the principle I was establishing is that monies in the SLA cannot be freely accessed by NFC without the approval of two government ministries. Surely that reference to the principles of trust and accountability also found in an escrow arrangement is not too difficult to comprehend? Despite his lies, deceit and incompetence, Rafizi is right about one thing: "It's not about the cows". It is about his and PKR's politicisation of the NFC issue, simply because it is linked to a minister's family. Make no bones about it, I fully expect the opposition to play a role in pursuing the truth, especially when there is suspicion of wrongdoing. But once facts are provided that do not support that suspicion, the honourable thing is not to demand for the minister's resignation, but to accept that you are wrong and move on. By the way, Rafizi closed his latest article by saying that this debate "is not about technicalities". I disagree. In many ways, it is precisely about technicalities, details and facts — only through rigorous examination and reasoned argument can one decide whether to make the charge of abuse of power. But perhaps you can tell that someone is out of his depth when he relents — no longer wanting to engage you on facts and details, appealing instead to unsubstantiated sentiment. p.s. You're probably wondering where the explanation for the condominium purchase is since that's the latest salvo from PKR. Admittedly it's a great issue to spin. It is easily distilled to a sensational punch line: "Feedlot uses government money to buy luxury condo". People who are prejudiced will be attracted to PKR's cheap shot without wanting to hear an explanation. Anyway, the explanation is provided for below. It is in Bahasa Malaysia and separate from my reply to Rafizi above for reasons of consistency. Rafizi's last article, which the above is a response to, first appeared in English and did not refer to the apartment purchase. Hence my reply above is in English and excludes an explanation for that. The apartment purchase was raised by YB Saifuddin Nasution in a press conference at Parliament yesterday. So, to be consistent, I have responded to that in Bahasa Malaysia as below. Isu apartmen dan projek NFC PKR sekali lagi telah membuat tuduhan tidak berasas untuk memesong rakyat berhubung isu National Feedlot Corporation (NFC). Semalam mereka cuba memesongkan rakyat dengan tuduhan penyelewangan dana bagi membeli apartment One Menerung, Bangsar yang dikatakan hak milik keluarga Menteri Keluarga, Wanita dan Masyarakat. Perkara ini mudah disensasikan kerana jika dilihat sepintas lalu pasti ramai akan tanya apa kaitan projek NFC dengan pelaburan hartanah? PKR mungkin rasa teruja dengan hujah mereka tapi saya ingin tegaskan bahawa tuduhan tersebut jauh terpesong, bak jauh panggang dari api. Mengikut kajian saya, memang benar National Livestock & Meat Corporation (NLMC) telah membeli apartment One Menerung di Bangsar. Pelaburan ini dibuat dengan dana yang telah disalurkan kepada NFC dari akaun pinjaman khas (SLA) yang dikawal selia oleh Kementerian Kewangan dan juga Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani. Daripada sumber ini, NFC telah memindah sebanyak RM81.2 juta kepada NLMC. Antara tugas dan skop kerja NLMC ialah proses operasi penyembelihan, boning atau proses pengasingan daging dan tulang, pembungkusan serta penghantaran disamping berperanan membeli hasil daripada ladang-ladang satelit apabila ladang-ladang ini beroperasi. Dalam tuduhan asal, PKR sebut NLMC ini cuma membuat kerja pemasaran bagi NFC. Jelas disini tuduhan itu tidak berasas memandangkan skop menyeluruh yang diberi kepada NLMC yang memerlukan perbelanjaan operasi yang besar. Sebab itu, NLMC diperuntukkan RM81.2 juta untuk menampung kos operasi. Malangnya, projek NFC telah mengalami kelewatan operasi. Kelewatan operasi ini tidak disebabkan oleh pengurusan NFC. Antara sebab kelewatan ini sepertimana dijelaskan oleh YB Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani di Parlimen pada 8 November ialah Kerajaan tidak ada peruntukan yang mencukupi untuk membangunkan ladang-ladang satelit. Apabila ladang-ladang ini tidak dibangunkan sebahagian dari duit yang ada pada NLMC tidak dibelanjakan. Kerajaan juga masih tidak dapat membina pusat penyembelihan yang menepati piawai antarabangsa atau Export Quality Abattoir (EQA) sepertimana perjanjiannya dengan NFC. Apabila kelewatan ini berlaku, pihak pengurusan NFC berdepan dengan keputusan penting. Apakah mereka hanya biar duit yang diberi kepada NLMC itu dalam akaun semasa yang tidak memberi pulangan yang besar sambil menunggu ladang-ladang satelit dan EQA dibangunkan atau mereka melabur duit itu dan mendapat pulangan sambil menunggu masalah kelewatan operasi tersebut diatasi? Kalau dibiar sahaja duit itu dalam akaun semasa, bukan sekadar ia tidak membawa pulangan tetapi dengan iklim ekonomi dunia yang melihat fenomena inflasi atau kenaikkan harga barang, nilai sebenar duit ini mungkin terhakis. Sebagai contoh mudah, kalau NLMC membeli lembu dari ladang-ladang satelit hari ini, kosnya mungkin lebih murah dari pembelian yang dibuat tahun depan disebabkan kenaikkan harga barang dan komoditi. Jadi apabila semua ini tidak dapat dibeli dan ditangguhkan, sudah menjadi tugas pengurusan untuk memikirkan apa mereka nak buat dengan duit tunai yang ada dalam akaun semasa itu. Pihak pengurusan telah membuat keputusan bahawa pelaburan yang paling selamat, yang memberi pulangan yang besar, yang boleh dijual apabila duit diperlukan untuk operasi adalah aset hartanah. Sudah pasti mereka telah mencari projek perumahan yang berkualiti tinggi dan popular agar pulangan NLMC dalam bentuk sewa dan juga kenaikkan harga apartment itu lebih besar dari pelaburan lain seperti akaun simpanan tetap. Difahamkan, apartmen berkenaan telahpun disewa dan mula memberi pulangan kepada NLMC. Nilai apartmen tersebut juga telah naik sejak dibeli NLMC. Mungkin ada yang bertanya, kenapa duit dari SLA yang dikawal selia oleh kerajaan disalurkan kepada NFC sekiranya ada kelewatan operasi? Harus diingat, projek ini dimulakan dalam iklim ekonomi dunia yang tidak menentu. Krisis kewangan dunia telah memberi kesan kepada perbelajaan kerajaan yang disusun semula mengikut keutamaan rakyat. Saya yakin kerajaan telah meluluskan pengunaan pinjaman dari SLA kepada NFC mengikut perancangan awal tanpa apa-apa kelewatan kepada operasi NFC. Tetapi apabila keadaan ekonomi dunia dan negara menjadi lebih mencabar, adalah menjadi wajar untuk kerajaan menyusun semula keutamaan perbelanjaannya dan inilah yang menyebabkan kelewatan operasi NFC seperti dijelaskan di atas. Saya rasa walaupun penjelasan diatas amat logik dan munasabah khususnya dari sudut perniagaan di mana pelaburan dibuat sambil menunggu kelewatan projek yang disebabkan faktor di luar kawalan NFC dan NLMC, PKR akan tetap mempolitikkan isu ini dan tidak akan menerima penerangan yang diberi. Tetapi walau apa pun tohmahan palsu yang diberi oleh PKR, kebenaran alam kes ini sudah terang lagi bersuluh bagi mereka yang tidak prejudis. Dalam kes apartmen One Menerung, pengurusan NFC dan NLMC telah membuat keputusan untuk melabur duit yang masih tidak dapat diguna disebabkan kelewatan operasi supaya mendapat pulangan. Hujahnya mudah dan jelas. * Khairy Jamaluddin is Umno Youth chief and the MP for Rembau
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| Cops open new probe on Anwar’s Datuk T report Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:43 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - The police are now probing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly providing false information when questioned about the "Datuk T" sex video, a move PKR says is politically motivated. The probe was opened after investigating officer, DSP Shanmugan Moorthy, lodged a police report claiming Anwar had knowingly given him false information, an offence under Section 182 of the Penal Code. The crime is punishable by a six-month jail term or a fine of RM2,000. The new police investigation is expected to pile pressure on the opposition leader, who has steadfastly denied being the man seen having sex with a purported prostitute in the video. The video was shown to the media in April by former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik, businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and former Perkasa treasurer-general Datuk Shuib Lazim – collectively known as Datuk T. PKR today claimed that the probe was yet another politically-motivated attack on Anwar, who is also the party's de facto leader. "This is a very disturbing new development," PKR vice president N. Surendran told reporters at the party's headquarters here today. "What we see here is the start of a new political trial against the federal opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim." Surendran said he had no doubt Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) were colluding with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General (A-G) to bring down Anwar, "just as they were behind the persecution in 1998 and... in 2008". "They are all in it together. They are planning it together," he said, adding that the police should end the probe immediately. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the probe appeared to be an attempt by BN to distract Malaysians from the ongoing controversy over the National Feedlot Centre (NFC), linked to Umno vice president Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil. He pointed out that it was odd the police decided to bring up the issue now even though Shanmugan lodged his report on September 28.
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| 5 Reasons Why Penang Will Not Go To The Polls This Year If Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun ... Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:30 PM PST
LIM GUAN ENG As speculation rises whether Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak will call for snap elections on this auspicious date of 11 November 2011, there are 5 key reasons why Penang will not follow suit and hold concurrent elections with the federal parliamentary seats this year. One, BN has still not fulfilled its promise to repeal the Internal Security Act and disbursed RM 500 to all households earning below RM3,000 per month. Questions are raised as to whether BN will conduct a mere cosmetic exercise of repealing the ISA but replacing it with two ISA-like laws. resulting in Malaysians ending up with two ISAs instead of one. The disbursement of RM100 to students this year when this measure is included in the budget is for 2012 and not 2011 raises questions of legality especially when the 2012 Budget has still not being passed in Parliament. Further if the RM100 is to be paid this year when it is not budgeted in this year 2011 budget, where is the Federal government getting the money from. Lest we forget Malaysia recorded a budget deficit this year as has been a deficit for 15 years. The National Deficit for 2010 is RM43.27billion, for 2011 is RM45.51 billion whilst the 2012 projected deficit for is RM43billion. (4.7% out of RM918 billion nominal GDP projected). Where is the Federal government going to get the extra RM530 million for giving to school students RM100 this year when it is not budgeted for 2011 and will only increase the 2011 deficit further? Two, holding general elections now would be unfair to those performing the haj as they will be denied their right to vote and determine the next government. The last batch of the Haj pilgrims are not expected back until Dec 11 and almost 30,000 Malaysians went to Mecca to perform their pilgrimage Three, the failure and refusal by the BN government to explain the misappropriation of funds, gross irregularities and abuses of power as outlined in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report. The 2010 Auditor-General Report reminds Malaysians of everything that is wrong in the BN Federal government. Night-vision marine binoculars costing only RM 1,940 are bought at a price of RM56,350, a TV LCD and DVD player bought with a contract price of RM16,100 was supplied with an inferior brand valued at only RM195; RM770,000 was spent to supply electricity to one house. The Auditor-General's Report said nine ministries or departments had overspent their operating allocation for last year by a total of RM3.73 billion and even a Minister Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is involved when a RM73.6 million cattle-farming project is given to her family's company. Her husband is the Executive Chairman while her son is the CEO. The rest of her children, meanwhile, are executive directors. Many questions remained unanswered about this National Feedlot Corporation project in Gemas, Negri Sembilan. Chief amongst its failures is its production of only 3,289 heads in 2010 or 41.1 per cent of its intended target of 8,000 heads. The AG's report also cites poor management as a key factor and points to other failings such as its failure to train enough farmers, a 5,000-acre farmland that is overgrown and poor maintenance of its facilities. Naturally, Malaysians are concerned about public money which includes an additional soft loan of RM250 million being used to fund this "family business", especially when it is turning out to be a monumental failure. In addition, Sharizat has still to deny reports of how the funds were used on non-cow related purposes including an allegation by PKR that nearly RM10 million was spent to purchase a high-end condominium. Four, the Parliamentary Select Committee of Electoral Reforms have still not completed its hearings to carry out reforms to ensure a free, fair and clean elections. Failure to do so would permit the dirtiest general elections in history with phantom voters and illegal immigrants being transformed magically to citizens and voters in a few hours. Would Malaysia's destiny be determined by Malaysian citizens or phantom voters and illegal immigrants? Five, the national agenda for the end of this year should be focused on flood prevention and mitigation. Malaysians should learn from the horrors of floods in Thailand that has caused tragic loss of life and huge financial losses. To hold general elections now during the rainy monsoon season when flood victims are more bothered about surviving than voting, would be not only be a denial of their democratic right of choice but cruel and inhumane. If Najib insists on calling snap polls this year, then the Penang Pakatan Rakyat will hold a special convention where a recommendation will be made not to hold the state election together with the federal parliament.
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| Poll outcome rests on bread and butter, survey finds Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:26 PM PST
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider The rising cost of living remains the battleground issue in the next general election for undecided voters who make up a fifth of the electorate, a new internal PKR poll shows. This was in contrast to Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters who saw Bumiputera rights and greater government transparency as key issues respectively. Fence sitters who make up 21 per cent of the electorate were more likely to be Chinese-speaking women aged 30 to 39 from Johor, according the survey results obtained by The Malaysian Insider. The report also found that bread-and-butter issues would be the number one factor in deciding how Malaysians voted on polling day (24 per cent), followed by government transparency (18 per cent) and upholding Bumiputera rights (13 per cent). Voters were overwhelmingly dissatisfied with BN's performance on cost of living issues, citing the high price of petrol (68 per cent), road tolls (68 per cent), food and groceries (67 per cent), and the gap between rich and poor (67 per cent). They also highlighted inadequate wage levels (65 per cent), housing affordability (59 per cent) and the country's overall economic management (52 per cent) as particular concerns. But voters were not convinced that PR would do better, with more Malaysians placing greater faith in BN's ability to tackle cost of living issues. Between 34 and 40 per cent of voters polled said the ruling coalition could better address issues ranging from the wealth gap to housing affordability, compared to 19 to 25 per cent for PR.
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| “1311 Whack a Pinata Family Day at Taman Gelora” Posted: 10 Nov 2011 03:04 PM PST Save Malaysia Stop Lynas Media Brief Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) to introduce a new interpretation of the piñata to mark residents' strong opposition of the Lynas rare earth project. Traditionally, a piñata is a papier-mâché that is filled with goodies and then broken as part of a ceremony in Mexico and many Latin-American countries. On Sunday, 26 colourful and stunningly handmade piñatas will be hung up at various locations around the lake for this ritual. Participants will take turn to whack the piñata to symbolise their anger and frustration towards the Lynas rare earth project. Samples of these piñatas will be shown at the press conference today. Yet we find the Chairman of the Pahang Tourism, Arts, Heritage and Family Development Committee, Datuk Shafik Fauzan quoted in Sinar Harian in October 24th alleging that SMSL should focus on picking rubbish and not picking on the Lynas rare earth project! One wonders if Datuk Shafik truly understands the implication and impact of the Lynas project on tourism and family for him to make such a statement. He should be on SMSL's side to fight for the integrity of the tourism industry. After all who will want to spend money to come to holiday near the world's largest rare earth plant? The recent revelation by the AELB that Lynas Corporation has failed to meet any of the conditions set out by the Government is a step in the right direction. It is a stark contrast to Raja Datuk Aziz's earlier careless dismissal of public concern. Similarly, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister for International Trade and Industry (MITI) has very recently slammed Lynas Corporation for pre-empting the government by repeatedly project unrealistic early start dates in the media for its Gebeng rare earth plant. Clearly, Lynas Corporation has proven itself to be a recalcitrant company that have consistently misled its shareholders and potential customers on the progress of its plant against advice by the Malaysian authorities and against the reality on the ground. Why then is our Government allowing the plant construction to be continued? How can we trust such a corporation to operate a plant that will produce so much hazardous waste when it is already not facing up with its home truth? How can we trust our government to be vigilant when it has continued to tolerate Lynas' risky modus operandi? How can Lynas take us seriously when our Government has done nothing to show Lynas Corporation that we mean business by putting an immediate stop to its construction when it failed to meet government's requirement? It is on these bases that SMSL has to continue to do our duty to keep the public informed and to keep creating democratic space for ordinary citizens, mums and dads to take part in legitimate activities to show their concerns. SMSL fear this Sunday's action may well be given the same treatment as the 109 Himpunan Hijau gathering with the government deploying large force of tax payers funded security forces to stop ordinary citizens and their family from taking part in a community event with a legitimate message to keep dangerous project out of our country. Already we have been informed of empty tents being set up at Taman Gelora to take away public space and to create excuse for the authority to stop the 1311 event. We also heard that the police force has recalled all its personnel from their leave in preparation for the Sunday event. Why are our hard earned taxes being used to safeguard a foreign corporation's interest when in the end our taxes will be needed to clean up and manage any accident and dangerous pollution from the plant? How can the state apparatus funded by our own taxes be used to safeguard Lynas' interests in a supposedly democratic nation such as Malaysia? If Lynas is allowed to proceed despite our strong opposition and show of strength, we will be sending a message to the dirty polluting industry the world over that Malaysia is a haven for toxic projects with lax environmental law enforcement. This is a dangerous message to be sending out when industrialised nations are forced to drastically cut their greenhouse gas emissions and shelved their nuclear plans. They will not be any shortage of dirty polluting projects looking for a home to park tax-free under lax environmental conditions. We simply cannot allow Malaysia to become their haven! |
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