| WIKILEAKS: Anwar's second sodomy trial begins Posted: 12 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Anwar's second sodomy trial is extremely controversial in Malaysia, seen by many as a political ploy to derail him and the opposition, and as a repeat of the 1998 sodomy trial. In launching the trial -- and there were doubts there would be a trial -- the GOM appears to determined to pursue the charge notwithstanding the potential costs domestically and internationally. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000064 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, MY SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LEADER ANWAR'S "SODOMY II" TRIAL BEGINS 1. (SBU) Summary: After months of delay while his defense team submitted motion after motion ranging from a request to see all the evidence to outright dismissal, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's trial for alleged consensual sodomy with a former aide began in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on February 3. The prosecution immediately called to the stand the alleged victim, 25-year-old former Anwar aide Saiful Bahari, who described his relationship with Anwar and began a detailed account of the events of June 26, 2008 when the alleged sodomy occurred. At the defense's request, the judge stopped the testimony when Saiful was on the verge of describing sexual contact. The testimony will resume in camera (without the public present) on February 4. Among the 70 members of the public observing the trial from the small gallery were opposition politicians, local and international Journalists, and diplomats from several embassies. Polcouns and Pol staff attended the February 2 and 3 sessions. 2. (SBU) Comment: Anwar's second sodomy trial is extremely controversial in Malaysia, seen by many as a political ploy to derail him and the opposition, and as a repeat of the 1998 sodomy trial. In launching the trial -- and there were doubts there would be a trial -- the GOM appears to determined to pursue the charge notwithstanding the potential costs domestically and internationally. While there may be many days and weeks to go before this case concludes, and there is potential for further delays, the GOM has so far allowed Malaysians and foreigners access to the proceedings. Observers from the International Bar Association and International Council of Justice were seated alongside the attorneys in the front of the courtroom. The proceedings are being prominently covered in both the mainstream government-influenced media and the blogosphere, as well as in the international press. End Summary and Comment. 3. (SBU) Anwar Ibrahim's trial began at 3:30 pm on February 3 after High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah rejected lead Anwar attorney (and fellow opposition Parliamentarian) Karpal Singh's request for a stay to allow the Appeals Court to rule on a request to obtain the government's evidence before the trial. A clerk read the charges concerning the alleged incident aloud in front of Anwar, standing toward the rear of the courtroom, who said that the charges were "frivolous" and ordered by the prosecution's "political masters" before pleading not guilty. 4. (SBU) The prosecution immediately called 25-year-old former Anwar aide Saiful Bahari to testify, walking methodically through questions about his educational background, first association with Anwar (March 2008), and his job description. Saiful, testifying in Malaysian, said he was paid RM 1,000 per month (about USD 270) to help with Anwar's schedule, carry his private cellphone, and manage his finances. At that point, Anwar leaned over to his wife, PKR politician Wan Azizah, and said "liar" in Malaysian. The prosecution had Saiful describe in detail how he arrived at Anwar's condominium on June 26, 2008, and what happened next, presenting as evidence a one-page statement that Saiful had signed in front of police when he reported the alleged sodomy. The defense succeeded in having a reference to previous sexual contact between Anwar and Saiful expunged from the statement. When Saiful had described how Anwar had allegedly asked him to have sex and then ordered him to undress in the bathroom, the defense requested that the remainder of Saiful's testimony be heard in camera. The judge agreed to do so starting at 9:30 a.m. on February 4. 5. (SBU) In parallel with trial, Anwar's legal team continues to pursue motions to have the charges dismissed or to gain reviews of earlier decisions denying the defense access to the government's evidence. If accepted, those motions could lead to renewed delays in the trial. 6. (SBU) In the months before the trial, Anwar was careful to keep in touch both with prominent foreigners and Malaysian supporters. On January 25, his People's Justice Party (PKR) International Bureau held a closed door briefing for diplomats about the trial, arguing that the GOM was determined to convict "the Prime Minister in waiting" to remove him from the political scene. They also argued that there was clear medical evidence refuting the charges, and that the judiciary was being manipulated to ensure a conviction. KEITH |
| Saya sokong Najib Posted: 12 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
So you see, Najib, what you said is true. Politics is about perception, not reality. And you need to be good at perception management. But your people are not. They are too arrogant and they think they are smart. I alone can makan all your people. Yes, Raja Petra Kamarudin alone can take on your entire team. NO HOLDS BARREDRaja Petra Kamarudin Dear Najib, I sokong you. Well, to be exact, I sokong your statement below as reported by Bernama.
Yes, politics is about perception, not reality, as you said. I am glad you now understand this. In fact, your people have been using this tactic themselves.
You see, recently I gave an interview on TV3 and they very cleverly presented it as if I am now endorsing you and supporting you and that you have bought me off and I am now an Umno Trojan horse.
That may be just the perception created by Umno or TV3. But many believed this because, as you said, politics is about perception, not reality.
Let me give you another example. Many believe you are somehow, directly or indirectly, involved in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder. Whether this is true or not does not matter. That is the perception and, as you said, politics is about perception, not reality.
Many also believe that Anwar is innocent of both the Sodomy 1 and Sodomy 2 allegations plus he is not the man in the porn video. Again, whether this is true or not does not matter. That is the perception and, as you said, politics is about perception, not reality.
So you see, just on these two issues alone you and Umno lose. And I am yet to go into other issues like your wife's handbags that run into millions of Ringgit. And I have not even gone into her shoes, clothes and overseas shopping expenses yet. Your wife makes Imelda Marcos look tame by comparison. That, again, is the perception and can never be erased as much as it may be denied.
If I really wanted to get you, Najib, there are hundreds of issues I can raise. However, to be fair to me, I have picked and chosen only a few issues here and there. I have not really launched a crusade against you. If I did, you would suffer what Abdullah Ahmad Badawi suffered and you would go the way of the last Prime Minister -- into forced retirement.
The fact I have not attacked you enough is the reason why many say you have bought me off. But then these people are political novices who think they know politics but actually know nuts. That is why we need not bother with these dim-witted people. I call them bodoh sombong. Dah lah bodoh, sombong pulak.
Let me tell you why I do not wish for you to be forced out of office like Pak Lah before you. No, it's not because I love you. It is because I know that you are surrounded by stupid people. And I personally know many of these people. We used to hang out together in the days of the pre-March 2008 GE.
If you were to be forced out, then Muhyddin Yassin would take over as Prime Minister. And this would be more dangerous for the opposition.
I would rather you remain as Prime Minister until the next general election. Then the opposition has a better chance. If Muyhiddin takes over as Prime Minister before the next election then the opposition may suffer.
So you see, Najib, what you said is true. Politics is about perception, not reality. And you need to be good at perception management. But your people are not. They are too arrogant and they think they are smart. I alone can makan all your people. Yes, Raja Petra Kamarudin alone can take on your entire team.
So please don't flatter yourself when your people tell you that I am now your supporter because I no longer attack you too much. I don't attack you too much because I don't want you to fall and for Muhyiddin to take over as Prime Minister.
I personally know Muyhiddin's people. They are clever. I also personally know your people. They are not. So better we deal with you than with Muyhiddin.
Tell me, Najib, what is the best your people can do? So far they only know how to shout BABI. That's all, BABI -- Brother Anwar Bin Ibrahim. You think just by shouting BABI the opposition is going to fall?
Dear Najib, if you want to survive then you had better sack all your so-called advisers. Semua ego besar. Kepala bapak dia orang. Find better people or else you are finished. Remember, you said it: it's all about perception.
By the way, the answer is no! I do not wish to work for you if you sack all the idiots around you, not even if I come directly under Rosmah….if you know what I mean (pun intended). *******************************************
Umno and BN need to work hard to raise public perception: Najib
(Bernama) - The Umno machinery needs to work hard and draw up new strategies to raise the perception and aspiration of the people concerning the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in line with the current development in the mass communication technology such as the short messaging service (SMS), the social websites Twitter and Facebook, what was more important in politics was the perception and not reality.
"Politics is all about perception. Not the question of reality...the opposition knows how to play up perception and deny what is the truth. Even to get the DNA is turned down, the question on the Omega wristwatch has yet to be answered."
"That is why Umno and the BN must know how to influence the mind and aspiration of the people so that they will perceive Umno and BN as effective parties, the best and can champion the cause of the people compared to others who only know how to make promises but don't fulfill them," he said when opening the Ampang Umno delegates meeting, here.
Also present were the Selangor Umno Liaison deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar and Ampang Umno division head Datuk Ismail Kijo.
Najib said that as such, UMNO and the BN must strive for something that was more effective to show that it understood the aspiration of the people better so that the reality, perception and the people's sentiment favoured the party.
"The government had drawn up the Government Transformation Plan (GTP), we have a more detailed plan, a clearer road map unlike the opposition who only know how to make promises, the play up the promises but we cannot do so because we are the ruling party."
"We must be better than they (are), let the public perception be better than the others, if the people like the BN, then they will vote for it, but if they hate (the BN), then they will vote the other people to represent their constituency," he said.
Najib, who is also the Selangor Umno Liaison chairman, said Umno must always be prepared to face the coming general election, which could be held at any time this year, or next year or even 2013.
"We must be ready not only for the (election) dry run but must be ready for a better public perception and sentiment, this must be given priority," he said.
He said the party machinery should also pay attention to the party supporters as well as those who had yet to become supporters because Umno and the BN championed the welfare of all races. |
| Sg Buloh Nursery Posted: 11 Jun 2011 09:22 PM PDT We managed our assets to generate income to fund our education agenda in spite of not receiving any grants from the Selangor State to date. You call that mismanagement? By Ilham (GM Yayasan Selangor) Dear Wong Chun Wai, The Star Why shouldn't Yayasan Selangor be given the TOL if we can generate income to fund our Education Program? Please take a look at Yayasan Selangor's P&L for the last 10 years:-
2010-(RM5m),
2009-RM25.7m,
2008-RM127.6m,
2007-RM34.8m,
2006-(RM8.2m),
2005-(RM1.8m),
2004-(RM5m),
2003-(RM6.1m),
2002-(RM3.6m),
2001-(RM3.7m) From 2001 to 2007, Yayasan Selangor under the Chairmanship of Khir Toyo(BN), had continuous deficits except for a surplus in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, Yayasan Selangor under the Chairmanship of YAB TS Khalid Ibrahim(PR), Yayasan Selangor had continuous surplus except in 2010. Why the fuss? We managed our assets to generate income to fund our education agenda in spite of not receiving any grants from the Selangor State to date. You call that mismanagement? The land will never be developed with permanent structures for as long as the massive water pipes run underneath. Yayasan Selangor generates maximum income from land development. It should have been making much more than it has now if not for the "plundering" from 1991 to March 2008. The matter has been reported to MACC and we shall see how enthusiastic they are to probe the complaint. To date, investigations has not begun! The water pipes has been there for donkey years. Yayasan Selangor proposes to keep the site clean and safe especially the water pipes against possible damage by anyone. Yayasan Selangor also intends to beautify the surroundings to attract and facilitate customers, if the study by Waterworks Engineering Consultant allows the continuous conditional usage of the site with strict conditions to ensure safety of the water pipes. Yayasan Selangor awaits the Consultant study and report. If the recommendation is for the site to be cleared for safety and security reasons, the operators and Yayasan Selangor must abide by it. This is as clear as daylight. On the other hand if the findings allows the Nursery to continue, why not Yayasan Selangor, a Selangor State GLC managing it in an orderly manner. The operators, comprising "rent-seekers/landlords" who collect rental up to RM6k/month from some sub-tenants, have paid nothing to the Selangor State since March 2008. The nursery is still in a sorry state. But the "rent-seekers/landlords" can afford expensive cars. Yet they said business is bad. Shall we invite LHDN/Auditors to check their books, if they keep any? Please refer to Yayasan Selangor's audited financial statement of 2010. We hide nothing. All expenses are accounted for. All the Board Members have returned the RM5k bonuses to Yayasan Selangor. Please let us know if this has been done before. Yayasan Selangor hanya mahu Tolong, bukan jadi Along!
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| The 13th General Election will witness multi-corner contest Posted: 11 Jun 2011 09:15 PM PDT Todate, the third force has not pinpointed to where the PR government has gone wrong in the four states they are currently ruling. They did not provide any concrete criticism in the manner the state governments are running or how the state government could do a better job, which it supposedly has failed. By A. Tanasekharan (State assemblyman for Bagan Dalam, Penang) The 13th general election will no longer witness straight fights between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. On the other hand we will witness multi corner fights with BN, MCLM, HRP, KITA, SAPP, SNAP vs Pakatan Rakyat. HRP is hell bent to defeat all Indian candidates from Pakatan Rakyat whom they have termed as mandores. By so doing they are not going to win but will allow BN to win. As for KITA, its number 1 enemy is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR and it is working to defeat them; and its President sounds more like an UMNO man. MCLM has its own list of candidates which it believes is better than the Pakatan Rakyat's candidates or at least better than those who have jumped ship and they also want their candidates to win. Now, the MCLM argues that we need a third force for the people to choose. They probably got the idea from the results of the polls in England. In England a two party system has been in existence for years and it is very well rooted. So they could afford the luxury of a third force. In Malaysia, the two party system of government has not got started yet. We have been ruled by one single collusion since independence. We are just seeing some light after the 2008 political tsunami. We hope that the 13th general election will give Malaysians for the first time a choice of an alternative government. Would Malaysians want to miss this golden opportunity and allow Barisan Nasional to continue to rule until another tsunami comes and that will probably take another 50 years? Todate, the third force has not pinpointed to where the PR government has gone wrong in the four states they are currently ruling. They did not provide any concrete criticism in the manner the state governments are running or how the state government could do a better job, which it supposedly has failed. Why then would we need a third force for? If the performance of the PR governments in the four states are worse then the previous BN government, then we would probably need a third force to replace them. So what is the basis of their complaints? Do these third force leaders know that if they join in the fray and contest the general election it will be detrimental to Pakatan Rakyat and Najib will happily sail back to Putrajaya leaving the third force and PR to blame each other. I am sure that the third force leaders know the consequences of a 3 corner fight. Rather than threatening PR, why can't they talk. Why don't they have direct negotiations. PR is not just PAS, DAP & PKR, they have a partner Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM). If PSM can work with PR I am sure PR can accommodate the third force. PR is also not just about Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim. There are other many talented leaders. Even if DSAI loses his case, the third force need not be worried. PR leaders can handle the situation. Datuk Nizar Jamaludin, before he became the Mentri Besar of Perak he was an unknown. After he became the Menteri Besar the Perakians love him. If a person like Najib can be a Prime Minister, PR has a better pool of leaders for the job. However, if the third force still wants to contest which is their right to do so, the message Malaysians must give in the coming general election is that we do not want a third force but a two party system and give Pakatan Rakyat a resounding victory. |
| After Reading Mark Levine's Al Jazeera Article (Arab Revolutions Mask Economic Status Quo) Posted: 11 Jun 2011 09:08 PM PDT By batsman It struck me that many of the policies that Mark Levine described as friendly to the Arab populations were exactly what UMNO has been practicing in Malaya for the first 30 odd years since Merdeka (1) and that ruling Arab elites made a subtle but important shift in the 70's towards more friendly "Washington Consensus" policies (2) that were the unmitigated disasters that resulted in the current ongoing Arab Spring (3). It would seem then that we are going through a phase that the Arab countries went though in the 70's and 80's (4). It would seem that we are actually historically behind the Arab countries and that our grouses with UMNO stem from the fact that government policies are now migrating towards being more "Washington Consensus" friendly in line with what the Arab ruling elites did 40 years ago. Would this mean that we are due for a Malaysian Spring or a Hibiscus Revolution in 40 – 50 years time? Does it mean that what the Malaysian reform movement is striving for today will backfire horribly in 40 – 50 years time? It does seem that it will probably go that way, but I think not. To justify my opinion, it is necessary to look not only at historical phases of development of the countries involved but also current realities. The Arab struggle for modern economic development started much earlier than ours so it is no surprise that we are actually historically behind them (5). According to Mark Levine, the socialist experiments that the Arab countries tried in the 50's and 60's actually resulted in rapid economic development that gave the population a modicum of wealth, so what happened that forced the ruling Arab elites to turn towards IMF and World Bank "recommended" or "enforced" policies? Are these the same pressures that resulted in communist China and socialist Vietnam turning towards more market friendly economic policies? Sadly, I am not such a great historian, so I can only hazard a guess. I surmise that in spite of the socialist experiments, the ruling elites were actually national capitalists, as Mark Levine seems to have (6). These people harboured great ambitions for their countries and for themselves and they went for a short cut to glory, wealth and power that integration with the globalised capitalist economies promised. At any rate, socialist economic experiments which benefit the poor do very little for capitalist accumulation and concentrations of wealth within their own countries. Socialist experiments had to be quietly abandoned in favour of the seduction of glory, power and wealth. My second surmise is that short cuts to glory, power and wealth became shorter still over time and corruption became rampant as patience wore thin and it is easier to be a big fish in a small pond than a big fish in a big ocean. In Malaysia, the same trends can be seen in our history. First we wanted to be a big and famous player in the whole wide world with Malaysia Boleh and Vision 2020 as well as politicians with big opiniated mouths and politician's wives with big bags all to match their even bigger statures. Grand mega projects were the norm. Now apparently we are buying French submarines and Russian MIG jets to protect "our national security" in case we do become a great power in 2020 in line with the military might of all the great powers of the world. Corruption and vain glory apparently is common to both Arab countries and Malaysia. It is the same evil that screws up the works whatever phase of historical development each is in. In the Arab countries, corruption and vain glory screwed up the socialist experiments in the 50's and 60's and corruption screwed up the "Washington Consensus" economic policies of the 80's to the present. In Malaysia, corruption and racism screwed up the NEP and in spite of the privatizations, corporatisations, ETP's, GTP's, promised transparencies, 1Malaysia's, KPI's and so on, good people keep falling from tall buildings and policemen still protect themselves by shooting people from 45 degree angles at close range according to some brave claims. All this is quite apart from politicians and their sons happily spending rumoured RM6 million on renovations for their mansions or rumoured RM400 million for divorce settlements. To be fair to UMNO, it is actually not easy to come up with and implement a proper economic plan for a country – especially one that is smaller than the big powers. As Mark Levine (sort of) points out, they will do whatever it takes to ensure you are in your small little place and they have their tentacles in all the best economic pies. Traditions are difficult to change. In spite of the liberalism that the big powers cloak themselves with, their true faces often reveal themselves if you care to look honestly. For example, US universities invested heavily and profitably in S. African apartheid businesses in the past until they were forced by public opinion to give it up. Today they are using hedge funds to buy vast amounts of land in Africa, I suppose to make their assets and balance sheets look seductive. Old habits die hard. Old style colonialism makes way for new style IMF and World Bank recommended investments. Actually colonialism is heavy handed and clumsy and you have to deal with lots of troublesome natives often with brutal force. By buying vast amounts of land in impoverished countries, you sort of create Black Homelands in reverse. Labour will be at your pick and choosing and you can even claim to be offering jobs and security with better pay than the rest of the native employers. You don't have to deal with troublesome natives who will fall off tall buildings or get shot at 45 degree angles by their own kind and in case all else fails you can always depend on the UN and NATO to impose no-fly zones. Best of all you can process rare earths on your own land in faraway places if you wish. After all it is your land which you bought and paid for. So it is actually quite a difficult thing to survive in this dangerous world let alone come up with good economic policies and implement them well. UMNO must be given due credit. Unfortunately credit comes with the discredit of corruption. So while the Arab Jasmine Revolution (at some level) may be trying to achieve the opposite of what the Malaysian reform movement is trying to achieve – one is trying to free itself from IMF control and manipulation while the other is trying to be more competitive and integrate itself even more into the globalised economic system, it does not necessarily follow that Malaysia being behind the Arabs in historical development will have to follow in their wake at a later stage. Good economic policies and honest management and implementation can make the difference. I am for a strong domestic economy enhanced by world class competitiveness in niche sectors (above all, no more people falling off tall buildings or policemen defending themselves by shooting people at 45 degree angles). We don't have to take extreme positions to be isolationist like N. Korea or a complete slave to the IMF. What do you think? Notes - quoted from Mark Levine's article. (1) Instead, analyses by the IMF and World Bank "extensively praised this stabilisation success in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco", ignoring the social costs of policies such as reducing the size of the public sector through privatisation, removing controls over investment, eliminating subsidies and most tariffs on imports and liberalising trade regimes. (2) "Washington Consensus" policies, which advocate trade liberalisation, privatisation, opening economies to foreign goods and investment, stabilising budgets and exchange rates, and cutting government expenditures and presence in the economy. (3) Both the IMF and the Bank now state loudly that the Arab Spring has taught them the appropriate "lessons" and that they now realise that "we have to listen to people" and help ensure that wealth is now "for everyone" and not just the privileged few. (4) Despite the conflict with the United States and other Western powers, this period was in fact marked by unprecedented levels of both economic growth and relative economic equality within ostensibly socialist-inspired societies such as Egypt, Syria or Iraq. But by the 1970s, and especially in the 1980s, leaders of these countries began to integrate themselves into the Western political-economic fold, and such growth and egalitarian distribution of wealth changed for the worse. (5) …. a history of frustrated economic development that stretches from the mid-19th century, when Muhammad Ali's attempt at independent modernisation was met by a joint European-Ottoman front that ultimately forced Egypt - and the Ottoman state - into a European-dominated economic fold that, within three decades, led both states to bankruptcy (and soon thereafter, for Egypt, to more than half a century of British occupation). (6) IMF official Youssef Boutros-Ghali, who were accruing significant power through the financialisation of the economy and other policies that weaken the power of the army and the more traditional national capitalist elite. |
| Anak Malaysia - Expats Mushrooming in KL dated 11/6/11 Posted: 11 Jun 2011 09:01 PM PDT I write in reference to Anak Malaysia's comment that KL is being inundated with Expats and in his context, a bank in Cyberjaya. He appears to be frustrated and possibily he failed in getting a job there that led him to write this, but the very problem here lies in his inability to see the bigger picture. Thanks but no thanks to BN's 53 years of brain washing, making us mostly callow in mind. The first thing that comes to mind is what's wrong with these expats? They are after all, better educated than those unskilled and semi-skilled imports that we have today, including the illegal ones, with many creating fear in our everyday life insofar as safety is concerned. This is a typical cry of someone that is brought up in a "handout" culture. Come on, have some lateral thinking my friend. This won't work for our country if we continue to want to protect ourselves. Isn't it the same as bumi privilege? Just that now it is "Malaysian" privilege? What? You want 30% Malaysians to be employed? Let's face the fact. Malaysians are not that great anymore. They are an inferior nation! Firstly, we have a huge brain drain away from the country. Secondly, what makes one think we have the capability to manage such an organisation. The good ones left are generally those above 40 and many of them are already holding good positions in the corporate world which, anyway, is starved of good people. You think HR can be handled by someone local? Maybe, maybe not. Firstly, the command of the English Language for this job must be good. Without effective communication skills there is virtually no hope for the local to fulfill this position. Secondly, even if there are (please forget about Malaysians overseas. They won't come back and that is a fact. In other words, just look at what's left in this country), these people would be holding steady jobs here in Malaysia that are paying well (I personally know of an HR manager that is being paid very well and who always laments that there are not enough good people around). Additionally, this someone has to be above 40. Anything less is not good enough. Then comes the other positions, which basically require the same level of qualifications and communication skills. Your point obivously is, aren't there any Malaysians at all? My point is a big No! Just look at the corporate world around you. Almost every profit making corporation out there is saying they do not have the right kind of people for the right job. I have been an entrepreneur and professional for more than twenty years and I am beginning to give up doing business in Malaysia, simply because we do not have the right people here in this country anymore. Good ones who are educated overseas won't want to come back, leaving only rotten apples behind that do not have the calibre at all to be in the big league. I should say 80% of the graduates in Malaysia today are not even of the same standard compared to those who passed out from MCE and HSC some 30 years ago. In those days, if one passed out after Form 5, one would almost certainly have a good command of the English Language and if they fast forward to today, they will definitely get a good paying job - and without a degree! Say what you want, but communication skills is the number priority, not just locally but globally. Without that, there is no way one can ever progress. Just look at the quality of our local graduates. They cannot express themselves well enough, even in their own mother tongue! This is the reality in our country. It has been purposely engineered so that those who are in power will continue to be in power. Malaysia is a feudal state and in line with the history of feudalism, this country is doomed and will need at least 60 years after a revolution (i.e., at the lowest point in feudalism whence a revolt will start) before it can come back up. There is no guarantee that if the opposition wins tomorrow, we can come back up. In fact, it may be further downhill after that. This country is suffering from tertiary cancer and there is no recourse other than death, which is a matter of time. Back to your cry of too many expats. Isn't it good that they earn big dollars and spend it here rather than the semi and unskilled labourers sending our money back to their home countries? After all, the money these expats earned here is actually foreign income. As a matter of fact, I do not know whether you realise that but the money they earned is oursourced from their regional and/or global operations and therefore is foreign income and does not have anything to do with Malaysia at large. They may be chauffeured driven, go to expensive restaurants, rent expensive apartments and live an expensive lifestyle, but remember, they are contributing to Malaysia's economy and that's what we want from the little we can offer at this stage. I think you are barking at the wrong tree. The crux of the problem in this country that we have is not the expats. It is the system in which we are living in. It is a corrupt society and in a corrupt society, only a handful will eventually benefit, leading to general mass discontent. The current scenario is, they have created racial disharmony so much so that when the situation explodes it will be one layman versus another layman. This is what the ruling elite wants us all to see and eventually react to it and I can safely say that the elite is winning from this perspective. In my opinion, the only change that we can see is all the poor, whether they are bumis or nons, come together and vote the current corrupted Governement out. The majority of the poor are the local indigenous of East Malaysia and the Malays of West Malaysia. Unless they can overcome this oppression by the elites, we will not see daylight. Even if that happens, do not be too happy as we will definitely see the country going further downhill before it turns back up. In the absence of a revolution, maybe 20 to 30 years. In the event of a revolution, we can expect two generations of sufferings before things can turn around. Until then, enjoy your life and savour whatever little left in Malaysia as you may not be around by then. I know I will not be around for sure. |
| The Munafiq named Zul Noordin Posted: 11 Jun 2011 08:46 PM PDT
Zulkifli Noordin, the Kulim Bandar Baharu Member of Parliament, said, "Some Malays are willing to be used by this illegal gathering that is led by former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreevanasan. This is despite knowing the organisation has fought strongly against Islam." NO HOLDS BARREDRaja Petra Kamarudin Islam has a word for Muslims who talk about defending Islam and yet go against Islamic teachings. Datuk Ambiga is in fact upholding Islamic teachings. She is opposed to election fraud. Zul, on the other hand, wants to uphold election fraud. In this sense Ambiga is more Islamic than Zul. Zul, according to Islamic teachings, is a hypocrite or Munafiq. For those Muslims and non-Muslims who may not understand the concept of Munafiq in Islam, allow me to deliver my Sunday sermon. Munāfiq (n., in Arabic: منافق, plural munāfiqūn) is an Islamic Arabic term used to describe a religious hypocrite, who outwardly practices Islam, while inwardly concealing his disbelief (kafir), perhaps even unknowingly. The term munāfiq in Arabic, Bengali and Urdu is primarily a non-religious term that refers to a person whose actions are different from and opposite to his thoughts, which he conceals. In the Qur'anic sense the term refers to a person who does not have faith, but pretends to. The Qur'an has hundreds of ayāt (verses) discussing munāfiqūn, referring to them as more dangerous to Muslims than the worst non-Muslim enemies of Islam. The Qur'an states: The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire: no helper wilt thou find for them;- —Sura 4 (An-Nisa), ayah 145, Qur'an[2] According to the Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet said, "Whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up. 1. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. 2. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 3. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. 4. Whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner." According to the Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari Book 1 : Volume 2 : Hadith 32, narrated by Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ). 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)" And this is the Quran's word on hypocrites: 
Surat Al-Munāfiqūn (Arabic: سورة المنافقون) (The Hypocrites) is the 63rd sura of the Qur'an with 11 ayat. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 001 When the Hypocrites come to thee, they say, "We bear witness that thou art indeed the Apostle of God." Yea, God knoweth that thou art indeed His Apostle, and God beareth witness that the Hypocrites are indeed liars. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 002 They have made their oaths a screen (for their misdeeds): thus they obstruct (men) from the Path of God: truly evil are their deeds. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 003 That is because they believed, then they rejected Faith: So a seal was set on their hearts: therefore they understand not. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 004 When thou lookest at them, their exteriors please thee; and when they speak, thou listenest to their words. They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of God be on them! How are they deluded (away from the Truth)! Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 005 And when it is said to them, "Come, the Apostle of God will pray for your forgiveness", they turn aside their heads, and thou wouldst see them turning away their faces in arrogance. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 006 It is equal to them whether thou pray for their forgiveness or not. God will not forgive them. Truly God guides not rebellious transgressors. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 007 They are the ones who say, "Spend nothing on those who are with God's Apostle, to the end that they may disperse (and quit Medina)." But to God belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the Hypocrites understand not. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 008 They say, "If we return to Medina, surely the more honourable (element) will expel therefrom the meaner." But honour belongs to God and His Apostle, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites know not. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 009 O ye who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of God. If any act thus, the loss is their own. Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 010 and spend something (in charity) out of the substance which We have bestowed on you, before Death should come to any of you and he should say, "O my Lord! why didst Thou not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doers of good". Surah 63 - Al Munafiqun - Ayat - 011 But to no soul will God grant respite when the time appointed (for it) has come; and God is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. XPGU-AxwfHk |
| For heaven's sake, BE FAIR!!! Posted: 11 Jun 2011 08:08 PM PDT Masterwordsmith-Unplugged This morning, a very old and dear friend whom I have known for decades came to visit me. As we sat there reminiscing in my living room. we exchanged notes about our sons and how we are so blessed in many ways. Recently widowed, L, has always been a steadfast and strong character, always giving her very best in charity projects for the poor and needy in Penang. After talking for about two hours, she asked me if I had read THIS REPORT called The Pearl of the Orient needs a new polish, The Star editorial for today. I had not read it then although I came across it in the online version when I was having my breakfast. Then, she began her rant and opined that I should write about it and I promised to look at it and to blog about it if I feel angry enough.
As a Penangite, I do take umbrage to what I read in that article.
I always believe that we have to be as fair/objective as possible in our writing. In journalism, objectivity is of primary importance and encompasses fairness, factuality, and non-partisanship and a combination of these qualities that can assure readers of the neutral stand of the source/writer.
However, this particular editorial is certainly unfair in that it only highlights the negative aspects of the current Penang state government without highlighting THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.
What is the motive then of focusing on a few black dots and forgetting about the beauty/achievements of the Penang state government in an editorial that is to be read by the whole nation and international readers who log into the online portal?
Why did they NOT MENTION:
- The state-wide WiFi initiative
- The establishment of the Penang Science Council
- The Senior Citizens' Appreciation Programme where those who registered are given 100rm annually
- The holding of open tenders for all government contracts
- Initiatives towards making Penang a green state
- The increase of the annual allocation for Islamic religious activities from RM12.5mil in 2008 to RM24.3mil in 2010
- A huge amount of $ saved because the Penang govt now travel by Air Asia instead of other airlines
- and other achievements...
Why didn't the editorial highlight how the Penang government has emphasized a governance based on competency, accountability and transparency? Why didn't they mention that the state government has implemented not only an open tender system but also a 2 week objection period to allow a review if there any valid complaints by unhappy competitors? Why didn't they mention that to further reduce financial temptations, the Penang State government has cut out the middle men by disbursing the money into the accounts and practicing electronic tender so that the days of needing political cables to secure government contracts are long past and replaced by computer cables? Why did they just go on TO PROJECT A NEGATIVE IMAGE OF PENANG WITHOUT EXPLAINING HOW in their effort to protect and encourage whistle blowers, the Penang State government has introduced an Integrity Award of RM 10,000? The first recipient was a Penang Syariah High Court judge, Mohd Yusof who was also awarded a Datoship for exposing a cheating scam of more than RM 500,000. Why did The Star fail to include statements of how the Penang state government has reaped the some benefits from our reforms by having a surplus budgets for 2008 and 2009 despite projected deficits of RM 35 million and RM 39 million respectively? It is common knowledge that for 2008, the Penang state government achieved a turnaround of RM 123 million or 26% of the 2008 budget by recording a surplus of RM 88 million instead of a deficit of RM 35 million. If Transparency International Malaysia, which has commended the success of Penang CAT governance can recognize the Penang State government, why can't The Star do that? If the 2008 Auditor-General Report Department of Audit has complimented Penang's prudent financial management and people-centric governance, why hasn't The Star mentioned that? The Penang Finance Department and Penang Development Corporation were two of the 8 state agencies in Malaysia that received the highest 4 star rating. Was this mentioned in the editorial today? Nope. Did The Star focus on the 30 People Centric Policies of the Penang State government? Nope. I am a very fair person. I am NOT saying that the Penang State government is perfect. IT IS NOT PERFECT and still has its flaws which have been deliberately highlighted by the editorial. The Star said that "Penang had become a favoured location for factories and assembly plants, several of these closed as investors relocated abroad. There is still no back-up plan." Well, did they bother to find the statistics of how much investment has been brought in? They should have and then they should have looked at the total picture, interviewed the CM, done their homework and then make an educated and well-researched editorial to give CONSTRUCTIVE and OBJECTIVE report based on FACTS and not OPINIONS. READ MORE HERE |
| When the government turns on its people (part 2) Posted: 11 Jun 2011 05:46 PM PDT Hey, is it not Malay-Muslims who are trying to frame a dead Malay-Muslim Customs Department officer on charges of corruption and suicide? Is it not Malay-Muslims who arrested and charged the Malay-Muslim ex-Director of the CCID for "allegedly using a police aircraft and for allegedly not declaring his assets" (which he did) instead of the real criminal in this case -- a certain politically well-connected Malay-Muslim who ripped off Malaysia's national airline, MAS? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Zulkifli Noordin, the Kulim Bandar Baharu Member of Parliament, wrote in the weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia: "Some Malays are willing to be used by this illegal gathering that is led by former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreevanasan. This is despite knowing the organisation has fought strongly against Islam, organised the interfaith council and supported Lina Joy's apostasy." "But to fulfil their lust for power, these Malays are willing to become insects blinded by the false light of power. Malay-Muslims will become weak and damaged due to their own dirty hands." "Do Malays not have political power? The reality is that Malays have absolute power. We have absolute majority in Dewan Rakyat." "With this absolute power, not only can we defend and empower Malays, we can uphold Islam." "Instead, there were Malay-Muslims across history who have been ready to betray their own (race)." "The biggest mistake made by Malays when they were too enthusiastic for independence and sacrificed Tanah Melayu citizenship to foreign races (Chinese and Indians)." "This right was given along with the right to own land, determine the government and other rights. In the end, even though Malays became politically independent, they are still slaves in their own land." ********************************** One thing you will notice about Malaysia is that Malay-Muslims just love to scream about Islam and they just love to label this and that as un-Islamic or Kafir or whatever. When they need to win an argument that they can't win, they will do a magic trick and pull the Islamic 'rabbit' out of their hat. That is the modus operandi of these Malay-Muslims who do this mainly because they are bankrupt of ideas. Actually this is all a load of bullshit. Hey, is it not Malay-Muslims who are trying to frame a dead Malay-Muslim Customs Department officer on charges of corruption and suicide? Is it not Malay-Muslims who arrested and charged the Malay-Muslim ex-Director of the CCID for "allegedly using a police aircraft and for allegedly not declaring his assets" (which he did) instead of the real criminal in this case -- a certain politically well-connected Malay-Muslim who ripped off Malaysia's national airline, MAS? Please lah! Don't give me all this crap about enemies of Islam and about defending Islam and all that other bullshit. The real enemies of Islam are the Muslims while it is 'Kafir Laknat' like Robert Phang and Justice Gunalan Muniandy who uphold justice and come to the defence of Muslims being fixed up by other Muslims. Yes, let me repeat that. Muslims are fixing up Muslims and it is the so-called 'enemies of Islam' who are coming to the defence of persecuted Muslims. Can you see the irony of this whole thing and can you see now that Zul Nordin is talking through his arsehole? Let us continue where we left off yesterday on the series: "When the government turns on its people" (see part 1 here). This is where we stopped: His family and the Customs Union have objected to the MACC's smear campaign. That was why Malaysia Today ran the 4-part series on Ahmad Sarbaini's death to reveal that the MACC would not hesitate to smear the good names of the dead if necessary to support their suicide theory. They could do all that because that is how the system works in Malaysia, the MACC and PDRM will help AG Gani Patail to fix the people who pose dangers to AG Gani Patail, and he will clear the MACC and Police of any wrongdoing. That was why on 31 May 2011, the MACC Operations Evaluation Panel (OEP) Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil, seized the opportunity to clear AG Gani Patail unconditionally at the same time that the MACC conditionally cleared Tan Sri Robert Phang. Now, the language in clearing the two was very strange indeed: "Kes siasatan terhadap Tan Sri Robert Phang, bekas Ahli Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah yang ditohmah telah cuba memberi sogokan kepada seorang Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian dan berpuas hati bahawa siasatan yang telah dijalankan tidak mencukupi keterangan untuk sebarang pertuduhan terhadap mana-mana pihak. Kes siasatan terhadap Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Peguam Negara yang ditohmah mendapat pembiayaan bagi menunaikan ibadah haji dan berpuas hati bahawa siasatan juga tidak menunjukkan keterangan bagi sebarang kesalahan jenayah." Two days ago, the former Kuala Lumpur CID Chief, Dato' Mat Zain Ibrahim, sent an open letter to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak accusing Attorney-General Gani Patail of burying evidence of corruption by senior government leaders between 1994 and 1996 involving losses of at least RM12 billion in public funds. Mat Zain also blasted Tan Sri Hadenan for clearing AG Gani Patail and cited a policy ruling by the MACC Corruption Prevention Advisory Panel (CPAP) that the MACC Act did not allow the OEP to review decisions made by the anti-graft body. It is amazing that with so much documentary and photographic evidence of Gani Patail consorting with Shahidan and Vincent Lye, the MACC can still say that the AG "tidak menunjukkan keterangan bagi sebarang kesalahan jenayah" (no proof of any criminal offence). This contrasted sharply with the statement that Robert Phang "tidak mencukupi keterangan untuk sebarang pertuduhan" (not enough evidence to frame a charge against any party). Phang's conditional clearance is a warning that he has to behave himself because now the AG has the upper hand. The AG can always direct an investigation against Phang to be reopened. That was what happened to Dato' Ramli Yusuff, the former Director of the CCID. Despite having been acquitted by the Sessions Courts and the High Courts, AG Gani Patial was not letting him off that easily. Gani Patail has since appealed against Ramli's acquittals all the way up to the Court of Appeal. These appeals are coming up on 20th June and 1st July respectively. When Razak Baginda was acquitted for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, Gani Patail declared that there would be no appeal because the Sessions Court had made a finding of fact. Thus, Gani Patail will respect that finding of fact. Malaysia Today will now prove that Gani Patail's respect for the court is as selective as his selective prosecution. Malaysia Today has studied the full Grounds of Judgment by Justice Gunalan Muniandy in "PP v Dato Ramli Bin Yusuff" in Criminal Case No.: 61-31 -2007 -- pages 355 to 376, which forms part of a larger appeal record that runs into volumes and volumes of documents, and is too long to reproduce. (Nevertheless, you can view five of the relevant scanned pages below). Page 355 reads as follows: "The material facts are mainly undisputed. This case has its beginning on 17.07.2007 upon the service of a "Notice To Disclose lnformation". [see Exhibit P. 1]. Exhibit P 1 was issued by the Deputy Public Prosecutor [DPP] named therein PW 34 (Anthony Kevin Morais). A (Dato' Ramli) complied duly filing a Declaration of Assets dated [Exhibit P 4] and serving it on PW 34 on 17.09.2007 which was well within the stipulated deadline. Exhibit P 1 was issued by PW 34 acting under the powers vested in the Public Prosecutor (PP) pursuant to s.32(1) of ACA '97 purportedly on the belief that there existed reasonable grounds that A had committed an offence under s. 11(a) of the Act, based specifically on No. Aduan: 098/2007 [Exhibit P 8]. On 01 -11.2007, A. was arrested and voluntarily gave a statement of Accused under 5.45(3), ACA, 1997, [Exhibit D. .111. Whether a prima facie case has been made out against A. Then at pages 361 and 362, Judge Gunalen made a damning judgment against Kevin Morais: "…. the documentary evidence exhibited considered in their totality indicate manifestly that at the material time no sufficient and reasonable grounds existed to justify the belief that A. had committed an offence under S.11(a) of ACA, 1997. Investigations appeared to be ongoing at that point in time. Hence, I found that Exhibit P. 1 and P. 2 were invalid and bad in law for non-compliance with the express requirements of S.32(1)(a). ACA 1997 and thus, cannot found the present charges which ought to be held groundless. The reasons given by PW.34 for his satisfaction and belief that A. had committed the predicated offence were, in my finding, insufficient and unconvincing. This is regardless of whether PW.34 had acted mala-fide in issuing the notices which need not be addressed at this stage even though he appeared to have exercised his discretion in a rather casual manner by relying on the report of an officer who had hardly carried out any investigation. This officer had not even produced an iota of evidence that A. had actually received any bribe from MSC." Despite, Judge Gunalan's crystal clear words that the MACC had fixed Dato' Ramli from the beginning and that DPP Kevin Morais was one of the co-conspirators to bring Ramli down, AG Gani Patail has insisted to appeal against Ramli's acquittals. All this shows that if you have friends in the corridors of power, you will get preferential treatment. Otherwise, you will suffer selective prosecution. The pages below show that even the judge considers Ramli a victim of fabricated charges and that the charges against him were mala fide. Yes, this is a clear case of Muslims not upholding Islam and of Muslims trying to fabricate charges against fellow Muslims. And it takes non-Muslims, the 'enemies of Islam', to come to the defence of Muslims and to see justice done. Islam, every Muslim will tell you, is about justice. Islam is a religion that propagates justice, these Muslims will scream. But it is Muslims who constantly and consistently perpetuate travesties of justice while the 'Kafir Laknat' plays the role of upholders of justice. As they would say in the legal profession, I rest my case. And Zul Noordin, stop bullshitting! I trust the non-Muslims more than the Muslims to see justice done. And these court documents prove it beyond any shadow of doubt. ADDENDUM 
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| Reveal blueprint, Koh tells Guan Eng Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:59 PM PDT By Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Former Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon today challenged his successor Lim Guan Eng to officially unveil his promised Penang industrial blueprint. Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Koh recalled that Lim announced before an international business community in Singapore in June last year that the state Pakatan Rakyat government had readied a blueprint for the state industrial development. "But it has been a year now and we can't even see its shadow. He (Lim) is good in politicking before an international audience. But until today he is yet to produce the master plan that he said was ready. I'm urging the state government to officially produce and unveil the blueprint for the sake of Penang and its people. "Penangites need to see the blueprint to gauge the state government's performance," said Koh in his official address at the BN state convention here. He likened Chief Minister Lim to a person who would make a lot of noise before a large audience but cannot produce anything productive for the people. He also rebuked Lim for always being quick to claim credit for successes nurtured from project plans laid out by the previous BN government. "He must come up with own (ideas) and produce own success," he told some 1,000 members from all BN component parties. He said unlike the previous BN government, the current state government was yet to build a single low or low-medium cost house for the urban lower income population. He said the only low-cost housing project going on was under the Jelutong project on a reclaimed site. "But then it was the previous BN government's project plan not his," said Koh. He also called on Lim to explain the exorbitant leap in housing prices in Penang over the past three years. 'Can't live without mentioning my name' Since BN's defeat in Penang in the 2008 general election, said Koh, not a single day has passed without Lim slamming him on various issues. READ MORE HERE. |
| Anti-Islam Bersih using Malays, says Zul Noordin Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:56 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Independent lawmaker Datuk Zulkifli Noordin said today that Malays will weaken themselves if they are used by anti-Islamic leaders organising next month's Bersih rally to call for free and fair elections. His column in the Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysia today — which also carried front-page reports warning against the July 9 gathering under a headline "Prevent the Bersih rally" — added that Malays in fact had absolute power in Malaysia and it should be used instead to defend and empower them. "Some Malays are willing to be used by this illegal gathering that is led by former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreevanasan. This is despite knowing the organisation has fought strongly against Islam, organised the interfaith council and supported Lina Joy's apostasy. "But to fulfil their lust for power, these Malays are willing to become insects blinded by the false light of power. Malay-Muslims will become weak and damaged due to their own dirty hands," the Kulim Bandar Baharu MP wrote in the weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 where up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas launched by the police. PAS has promised to bring 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in a general election expected within the year. The 2007 rally was said to play a big role in bringing record gains for the opposition electoral pact in Election 2008, where it swept five state governments and won 82 parliamentary seats. The former PKR member, who was sacked last year after filing a police report accusing PAS's Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad of being anti-Islamic, also pointed out that if all 130-plus Muslim MPs joined together, they "can form a federal government without other races." READ MORE HERE |
| DAP agrees with Ku Li on power deals RCI Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:53 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — The DAP threw its support behind Tengku Razeleigh Hamzah for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate Tenaga Nasional Berhad's (TNB) contracts with independent power producers (IPPs). "The RCI would determine how severely the lopsided deals are burdening consumers with the rise in electricity tariffs and introduce measures to either reduce or remove this huge financial burden on the people," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today. Tengku Razaleigh, who is the Gua Musang MP, said recently that it was crucial to tackle the issue of rising power prices before the effect begins to take bigger bites out of the average consumer. The Cabinet raised power tariffs by an average of 7.12 per cent effective June 1, in a bid to trim a growing subsidy bill and widening fiscal deficit. But the move has also thrown the spotlight on the purchasing power agreements that TNB is engaged in with the IPPs. "Up to end 2010, Petronas has extended about RM131.3 billion in gas subsidy to both the power and non-power sectors," said Lim. "The greatest beneficiaries of the RM131.3 billion gas subsidies are IPPs, who also benefit from a guaranteed buyer through the compulsory power purchase agreement signed by TNB," added the Penang chief minister. He pointed out that YTL Power made a profit last year of more than RM1.6 billion, while Powertek and Malakoff snagged profits of RM450 million and RM380 million respectively. "There is no logic or reason why the Barisan Nasional (BN) government should be so concerned about annual savings of RM226.8 million from the reduction of diesel subsidies or RM116 million from the reduction of sugar subsidies or electricity tariffs that will save a total of less than RM1 billion, but are not concerned by the huge gas subsidies given to the IPPs," said Lim. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also slashed diesel subsidies effective June 1, a move that recently sparked a strike among fishermen and trawler boat operators in Kuantan. READ MORE HERE. |
| Utusan says Bersih dirty, calls for boycott Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:51 PM PDT 
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has called on Malaysians not just to boycott next month's Bersih rally, but also to gather against the movement that calls for free and fair elections. The paper's Mingguan Malaysia weekend edition also told Malaysians "who love peace and reject hypocrisy" to gather on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on July 9 "with banners of the opposition leader's scandals" in reference to sodomy and sex video allegations against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "Display also newspaper cuttings of the sodomy victims. They are the ones that should be defended if we support a clean culture. Awang believes the gathering will be a senjata makan tuan (backfiring weapon) for the opposition. "This gathering is dirty," it said in its Awang Selamat — the nom de plume of the newspaper's editors — column today. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 where up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas launched by the police. PAS has promised to bring 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in a general election expected within the year. The 2007 rally was said to play a big role in bringing record gains for the opposition electoral pact in Election 2008, where it swept five state governments and won 82 parliamentary seats. In today's edition, Mingguan Malaysia, where it front-paged calls to "prevent the Bersih rally," also said that the protest was organised by anti-Islamic NGOs and the opposition would use the protest to "incite tension to profit politically. With the opposition's failing image, it needs Bersih to revive itself." "The gathering is masterminded by NGOs who are anti-Islam in their thinking and actions. PAS's involvement is only as pak turut (yes-men) as the pro-Anwar faction now controls the party. "Meanwhile, DAP leaders like Lim Kit Siang will be smiling because most of those joining Bersih will be Malays. That is how shallow Malay politics is, those that benefit are other races," it wrote. READ MORE HERE |
| Bersih rally goes on, says Ambiga, PAS Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:49 PM PDT 
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and PAS leaders have dismissed opposition towards next month's Bersih rally and maintained plans to proceed with it. Umno daily Utusan Malaysia today urged Malaysians to boycott the protest and quoted Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein's warning that "it will be chaotic when those for and against the street demonstration clash." "Opposition is normal. It is a democratic country," Ambiga (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today. "My own reading is that a lot of people are very supportive of the demands we are making. There's unhappiness...like example in the Sarawak (election), unhappiness about corruption, (and) unhappiness about the independence of our institutions," added the election watchdog chief. Ambiga, a former Bar Council president, called the protest a "peaceful citizens' rally". When asked how Bersih 2.0 will face a possible police crackdown on the rally, she said: "Our plan is not final yet...we want to urge the authorities to change the way they see rallies." PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said people will support the Bersih rally as the government has yet to fulfill the NGO's demands during its first protest in 2007. "When elections are not run fairly, it will be like what happened in the Middle East. I don't want what's happening in the Middle East to happen here," Mohamad told The Malaysian Insider. Popular uprisings throughout the Middle East have recently toppled autocratic governments in Egypt and Tunisia that were accused of widespread corruption. Mohamad pointed out that other countries like Singapore had acceded to people's demands for fair election practices. "Change happened in Singapore...they (the opposition) got access to media," said Mohamad, referring to the recent Singapore election. READ MORE HERE |
| Ahmad Sarbani’s death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 1) Posted: 05 Jun 2011 07:11 PM PDT
And so it is with regards to the MACC. Those in the Royal Malaysian Customs Department have no one to turn to. They don't trust the PDRM. They don't trust the MACC. But they trust Malaysia Today. So they have asked Malaysia Today to let truth be told. And that is what we are going to do. NO HOLDS BARREDRaja Petra Kamarudin We from the civil society movements are extremely unhappy about the rampant corruption in Malaysia that threatens to reduce the country to the status of a failed state. But what can we do about it other than lament and reveal what we know? Not that anything is going to be done about what we reveal. Hey, we even revealed that the Attorney-General is bonking one of his Directors. And know what? Not only has nothing been done about it but he is still bonking her until today in spite of everyone knowing about it. "So why bother?" many may ask. Well, our job is just to reveal the truth whether anything is done about it or not. We even reveal the misconduct of the opposition although we get vilified and are called traitors and are accused of being bought off. It is what we do -- never mind how unpopular that makes us. And if you don't like it, tough! That's your problem, not mine. Talking about corruption, I still remember back in the 1980s when I spoke to the Deputy IGP, Tun Haniff Omar's number two, about corruption in the police force and he said that if they want to eradicate corruption they would have to sack 97% of the police force. I did not ask Tan Sri Amin whether he is in the 3% or the 97%. I also remember back in the 1990s when the Director of ACA Terengganu named Zainal launched corruption investigations against senior government officers and Umno leaders. It appeared like 100% of these people, Menteri Besar Wan Mokhtar Ahmad included, were going to be sent to jail. Wan Mokhtar called Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Zainal was transferred within 24 hours. So, yes, there are some good and dedicated Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA, now called MACC) officers. But then if they were to do the job they have been entrusted to do they would suffer persecution, 24-hour transfers, sent into 'cold storage' and whatnot. So it is not worth doing your job. Better, as one Member of Parliament said: you 'close one eye'. Closing two eyes plus your mouth and ears as well may be even better. Then you would go far. So whom do people turn to when they are unhappy and distrust the very institutions that are supposed to be the trustees of the public? To the police? Pleeeeeez! To the MACC? What? And get thrown out of the window? Luckily lawyer Rosli Dahlan was detained overnight in the MACC lockup in Putrajaya, which is underground. If not he would have also been found dead on the ground floor. Can you imagine the newspaper headlines the next day if Rosli had died? "Lawyer Rosli Dahlan was found dead on the ground floor of the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya. Rosli was suspected to have jumped out of MACC's underground lockup and landed on the ground floor." Yes, as in the movie 'Ghost Buster', whom do you call? The Police? MACC? No, you call the Ghost Busters! You contact Malaysia Today. You come to Malaysia Today to ask that the truth be told. And so it is with regards to the MACC. Those in the Royal Malaysian Customs Department have no one to turn to. They don't trust the PDRM. They don't trust the MACC. But they trust Malaysia Today. So they have asked Malaysia Today to let truth be told. And that is what we are going to do. So stay tuned and tomorrow we shall tell you part two of the story "Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC", a story that will shock you. Just when you thought it is safe to go into the water, as they said in the movie 'Jaws'. That's right, there are many sharks in Malaysia. But not all sharks swim in the water. Many sharks walk on two feet. And many sharks wear uniforms. And many sharks are under the protection of Umno. In fact, many of these sharks are actually instruments of those who walk in the corridors of power. They are instruments to take down those critical of the government. They are tools used to silence dissent. And what worries those who walk in the corridors of power is that many who work for the government no longer trust the government but trust Malaysia Today more. And that is why they come to Malaysia Today to tell their story. And this is why they want Malaysia Today to reveal what they told us. Now, hold on for part two where we reveal what our Deep Throat in the Customs Department told us. |
| Syed Hassan Ali’s education versus Andreas Panayiotou’s no education Posted: 05 Jun 2011 01:15 AM PDT Syed Hassan Ali is educated. But he wants the government to continue giving the Malays handouts so that they can remain on crutches. Andreas Panayiotou is a school dropout. But he is worth more than RM3.5 billion and did not need to make it with government handouts. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali also criticised Mohamad Sabu's credibility, saying the newly-elected deputy was not fit for the office.
"Mat Sabu only studied in ITM and did not even finish, he is not even a religious studies graduate from the Middle East. It is an embarrassment to the ulama faction in PAS because Mat Sabu has no academic qualifications while the Erdogans are disappointed because Mat Sabu does not support Anwar," said Syed Hassan through a text message.
He added that Mat Sabu had once called the opposition leader as Anwar al-Juburi or Anwar the anus, referring to the latter's sodomy trials.
Syed Hassan believed the new leadership will make it hard for Umno to have unity talks with PAS.
He also regretted Hadi's attacks against Umno and the president's allegiance with the DAP and PKR.
"There was not a single sentence in his speech yesterday that can pave the way for PAS to have a common understanding for the Malay race and Islam," he said.
He added the Islamist party must be the first party to start the unification process because Islam invites its followers to forge unity for the religion.
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Andreas Panayiotou is the son of a Cypriot immigrant. He was raised in the East End of London and became an amateur boxer at the tender age of seven. He wanted to turn professional but his parents were opposed and persuaded him to join the family dry cleaning business in Islington, North London.
Panayiotou left school in East London at 15 without any qualifications and built his fortune by developing blocks of flats on the edge of an up-and-coming area and waiting for prices to rise. He has amassed an estimated £725 million fortune, putting him in 81st place on the Sunday Times Rich List.
His chief UK company, Ability Development, has net assets of £190 million. He also owns a collection of yachts and jets and extensive property assets.
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| WIKILEAKS: Malaysia's New Economic Model Posted: 05 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT He noted barriers to non-bumiputras in the job market, starting and growing businesses, purchasing housing, and educational opportunities began a move of many well educated non-bumiputra Malaysians to emigrate. The fact that 800,000 young Malaysians are now working abroad, 300,000 having emigrated in the past 18 months, including increasing numbers of ethnic Malays was recently noted in Parliament. Malaysia's "brain drain" has begun to get the attention of policy makers, according to Husni. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 KUALA LUMPUR 000103 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MTS FOR DBISCHOF STATE FOR EEB/IFD/OMA FOR BSAUNDERS AND AWHITTINGTON STATE PASS USTR - WEISEL AND BELL STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE AND EXIMBANK STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE SAN FRANCISCO TCURRAN SINGAPORE PASS SBLEIWEIS USDOC FOR 4430/MAC/EAP/MHOGGE TREASURY FOR OASIA AND IRS GENEVA FOR USTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2020 TAGS: ECON, EFIN, ENIV, EXIM, MY, PGOV SUBJECT: MALAYSIA'S NEW ECONOMIC MODEL: ECONOMIC REFORM EFFORTS MAY MEET OPPOSITION REF: A. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 303 B. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 318 C. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 887 1. (C) Summary: Prime Minister Najib Razak (Najib) introduced a first wave of limited economic reforms (refs A and B) shortly after taking office in April 2009 and has promised more substantial economic reforms designed to improve Malaysia's competitiveness (ref C). To accomplish this, Najib formed the National Economic Advisory Committee (NEAC) to develop a New Economic Model (NEM), an economic policy roadmap which he hopes will lead Malaysia from middle income to high income country status. Little has been revealed about the contents of the NEM, but government officials say it is intended to address Malaysia's "stagnating" economy, by improving education, reducing corruption, strengthening weak public institutions, reconfiguring emigration, cutting back on government over-involvement in the private sector, and increasing low domestic investment rates. Leading Malaysian economists believe that Najib is sincere in his desire to address these problems. However, they question his ability to make major changes in the government's long-standing discriminatory Bumiputera preference policies which have discouraged domestic investment and new business formation and are driving the "brain drain" of young professional Malaysians frustrated with limited opportunities under this system. Economists here expect Najib's effort to establish a policy framework that will foster a more gradual move away from ethnic preferences to a merit-based economy, but believe that may be insufficient. If PM Najib is unable to deliver on NEM reforms, they expect the opposition will seize the reform agenda as an issue for possible 2012 elections. Executing a robust NEM, however, will be even more difficult as the PM will undoubtedly face steady opposition from within his own political party (UMNO), particularly from members who fear their parliamentary seats may be lost if the current patronage system is dismantled. End Summary. The New Economic Model: Reigniting High Growth 2. (C) Since Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (Najib) took office in April 2009, he has called for Malaysia to move from a low value-added, manufacturing-for-export oriented middle income economy to a knowledge-based service oriented high income economy. He has used the rubric of former Prime Minister Mahathir's Vision 2020 goal of reaching "high-income country" status by the year 2020 as his call to action to justify developing a "New Economic Model" (NEM) to promote economic transformation. PM Najib quickly announced an investment liberalization agenda and by April 2009 implemented a first tranche of reforms aimed at reducing bumiputra (ethnic Malays and other non-Chinese or Indian ethnicities) ownership requirements in 27 different non-influential service sectors (e.g. veterinary services and ship salvage and refloatation services) and allow foreign controlling ownership interests in some types of financial institutions (Ref A). PM Najib announced a second tranche of reforms late in April including reducing bumiputra ownership requirements on all listed companies from 30% to 12.5% and repealing Foreign Investment Commission guidelines on new mergers and acquisitions by foreign firms (Ref B). In July, PM Najib formed the National Economic Advisory Committee (NEAC) and charged the new body - made up of high profile Malaysian and non-Malaysian economic figures - with developing the NEM. In his October 23 budget speech (Ref C), PM Najib promised additional economic reforms. Financial Crisis and Capital Flight Push GOM to Reform 3. (C) Najib has been forced to consider a broader reform program because the Global financial crisis (GFC) has put tremendous pressure on the underpinnings of Malaysia's economic growth. FDI has slowed to a trickle, $15 billion of portfolio investment departed in 2009 and has just begun to return, and there remain large domestic reverse investment outflows as Malaysian conglomerates focus on overseas rather than domestic investment. According to a January 8 UBS Securities report, Malaysia experienced net capital out flows in excess of $27 billion from mid-2008 to mid-2009. More telling, the UBS report states Malaysia has not experienced net capital inflows in any one calendar year since 1997. UBS cites domestic investors investing outside Malaysia as the primary source of the outflows. PriceWaterhouse Coopers Consulting Malaysia (PWC) General Manager Pearlene Cheong described Western multi-national corporate interest in investing in Malaysia as "dormant" and that ethnic Chinese Malaysians had been taking their money out of Malaysia ever since the Asian financial crisis. She said that PWC's investor advisory business has seen primarily North Asian investors working in the extractive industries focused in East Malaysia and added, "This is not the knowledge-based type of employment that the government is looking for to stimulate wage growth." Bold Statements Calling for Change 4. (C) The Najib administration has identified several areas of the economy needing reform and has announced its intentions to carry out reforms through the NEM. In a December 1 speech to the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Finance Minister II Husni said Malaysia's economy was "stagnating" and highlighted Malaysia's most pressing economic issues needing to be addressed by the NEM as education, corruption, GOM economic over-management, weak public institutions, emigration, and low domestic investment rates. Education: Husni said, "Our universities are a disappointment." He cited Malaysia as having its highest unemployment rate for recent college graduates while adding that there is a severe shortage of skilled workers, implying that large numbers of Malaysian recent college graduates are unskilled. Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah reported that skilled labor shortages and the poor quality of Malaysian graduates costs Malaysian competitiveness 15% of GDP annually. Corruption and Cronyism: He cited the recently released Transparency International 2009 Corruption Perception Index, in which Malaysia fell to number 56 of 180 countries, its lowest rating in over 20 years, and continuing a fall from number 26 in 2004. Husni promised wholesale reform in government procurement practices, controlled by the Ministry of Finance, and an end to sole source contracts, except for the military. GOM Over-involvement in the Economy: Husni called for the transparent divestiture of GOM interests in government-linked corporations (GLCs) and the restoration of the private sector's role as the primary engine for growth. He also cited that the GOM needs to discontinue open-ended protection of domestic industries, allow market driven resource allocation including greater precision in subsidy allocation, and foster better competition policies to spur innovation. Weak Public Institutions: Husni criticized the lack of diversity in the civil service and proposed strengthening public institutions through greater ethnic participation. Brain Drain: He noted barriers to non-bumiputras in the job market, starting and growing businesses, purchasing housing, and educational opportunities began a move of many well educated non-bumiputra Malaysians to emigrate. The fact that 800,000 young Malaysians are now working abroad, 300,000 having emigrated in the past 18 months, including increasing numbers of ethnic Malays was recently noted in Parliament. Malaysia's "brain drain" has begun to get the attention of policy makers, according to Husni. Low Domestic Investment: Since 1997, domestic investment rates halved from 20-25% of GDP annually to roughly 10% and have remained at reduced levels for the past decade. Husni said that the 1Malaysia concept is intended to introduce competition and move Malaysia to a more performance-based culture like Japan, Korean, and Singapore, promoting an attractive investment and working environment for all Malaysians. NEM to be Broad and Wide-Ranging 5. (C) The government and our contacts have released few details of the upcoming NEM. However, PM Najib announced December 22 at the Finance Ministry's "Media Night" that he had approved the NEM direction, and that the final model will be presented to the Cabinet and made public by the end of February 2010. The NEM will "set the direction of the economy and make the economy more resilient", according to Najib. NEAC Acting Director of Research Tong Yee Siong, said the NEAC met the week of February 1-5 to finalize its recommendations to the Cabinet for approval and public release by the end of February. Tong told Econoffs that the NEAC will produce goal papers and an economic model framework. Tong expected the recommendations to be very broad, and would propose a policy framework to address the most significant economic issues facing Malaysia and improve its economic competitiveness. Nicholas Zefferies, the president of AmCham, and the only "foreign" member of the NEAC, told Econ Counselor January 13 that NEAC reform recommendations to PM Najib would be wide-ranging. Zefferies said that Najib was planning to give NEAC powers similar to the Prime Minister's Special Task Force to Facilitate Business (Pemudah), to enforce the planned economic reform program on government Ministries. Economic Reform Versus Ethnic Preferences 6. (C) Tong told us that the NEAC is focused on removing disincentives to domestic investment established in the New Economic Policy (NEP) as a key to reinvigorating domestic and foreign investment. He added that any basis for serious economic and investment reform efforts in Malaysia involves dismantling old entrenched Bumiputra ethnic preferences established since the Mahathir regime in the NEP. Finance Minister II Husni's speech was important for connecting Najib's 1Malaysia slogan to real economic reform, according to Malaysian Institute for Economic Research Managing Director and long-time UMNO economic advisor Mohamed Ariff. However, as Husni criticized Malaysia's longstanding ethnic preference policies, he qualified his statements by asserting that "the government is not abandoning bumiputras" and that the government will pursue reform in "a prudent and cautious method" in an effort to allay bumiputra fears of economic displacement. Ariff told us that the Husni speech angered some senior UMNO members who complained that Najib was opening the economy too much and moving too fast toward reform. Opposition parliament members praised the speech, according to Ariff. PM Najib Seeks Incremental Reform 7. (C) Our economic contacts close to PM Najib said they were convinced he is sincere about wanting economic reform. Economic Planning Unit Deputy Director General K. Govindan, who briefs PM Najib and the cabinet weekly on Malaysian economic performance and economic policy, told us he believes PM Najib understands in general terms the reforms needed to improve human capital and productivity, increase trade and investment, and reduce corruption. Nevertheless, Govindan said he does not make specific economic policy recommendations at those meetings for fear of offending other Ministers in the meeting who oppose the reform agenda. Ariff also believes PM Najib legitimately seeks economic reform. Ariff told us PM Najib's words to him were "change or be changed" when referring to economic reform. But Ariff also said he expected PM Najib to slowly pick away at the NEP without causing too much economic and political disruption. This will require regularly announcing small reforms rather than the sweeping reforms required to transform the economy. Ariff offered the February NEM release and the June 2010 release of the 10th 5-year Malaysia Plan as two upcoming opportunities for Najib to roll out more economic reforms. Safe Won't Work 8. (C) In the view of our economist contacts, PM Najib's "politically friendly" incremental strategy to economic reform may end up being too little too late. Tong projected that for reform to work, the PM will need to make a bold announcement on major reforms and then rally public support for change. Tong said that NEAC members are advocating that PM Najib announce significant structural changes to Malaysia's economy as a part of the NEM. Govindan agreed that major structural changes are needed for sustained economic growth. He added that a series of small reform programs will eventually limit Malaysia to an unacceptably low 3-4% annual growth rate that will keep the country trapped in middle income status until "politics are removed from education and the economy." The critical point, Ariff said, was that while Malaysia continued taking baby steps on economic reform, its competitors for investment such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam would be overtaking Malaysia as the first choice for foreign direct investment. Ruling Party May Block Aggressive Reform 9. (C) Each of our contacts agreed that political will is the key to reform, but none are convinced all of the coming announcements of plans to reform Malaysia's economy will be backed by substantially broad concrete measures. Ariff told us that after early enthusiasm for economic reform, some UMNO insiders do not want reform that would take away the economic rents and patronage system they have relied on to maintain the party's power base for over a generation. Ariff predicted that UMNO would not survive in power by moving to an open and transparent system and that UMNO insiders would challenge Najib if he moved too strongly on government reform. Govindan sees Malaysia's huge and largely ethnic Malay civil service, completely loyal to UMNO, but increasingly incompetent, as PM Najib's largest obstacle. He commented that the civil service has a very narrow worldview and will oppose, even refuse to implement, reforms perceived as damaging ethnic Malay interests, even if convinced of the long-run gains for Malaysia. Tong told us that achieving any of the goals developed by the NEAC will require significant political buy-in to operationalize the policy changes necessary to reinvigorate investment and spur additional growth. However, Tong commented that NEAC members are frustrated with a lack of high-level political commitment outside of PM Najib as well as the slow responses from Ministries which impeded progress on the NEM. He added that some NEAC members are concerned that the NEM maybe merely a public relations exercise that will have no real long-term policy impact. Zeffries told us that he was not confident that PM Najib has a sufficiently strong political position to pursue the NEAC's upcoming proposals. Liew described the opposition closely watching economic reform, offering that an inability of the ruling coalition to implement promised economic reforms will provide powerful political ammunition for use in upcoming federal elections in 2012. Ethnic Minorities Support Reform 10. (C) Cheong sees her Malaysian private sector business clients as highly supportive of the type of economic opening she believes PM Najib will announce in the NEM and commented that ethnic Chinese, Indian, and urban Malays not directly benefitting from UMNO patronage will strongly support economic reform efforts, but that rural Malays, a strong UMNO constituent base, will fear changes labeled as detrimental to Bumiputra interests. However, Cheong observed that Non-Bumiputras have successfully competed in the open economy at a disadvantage to Bumiputra and government linked businesses for over 30 years and that Malaysians would patiently wait for change. She added that the lack of investment is so obvious that the government is practically being forced to take action. KEITH |
| WIKILEAKS: Power struggles in Perak Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT The BN now has firm control of Perak and is working to regain some of its lost influence among voters, having allocated resources into projects to win back support of the people. With the Chinese vote firmly supporting the opposition, the deciding votes in any future election rest with the ethnic Malays, not because they hold a majority among the populace (they represent just over 50%), but because their support is most split between the ruling coalition and the opposition. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 000107 SIPDIS FOR EAP/MTS AND INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2020 TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KJUS, MY SUBJECT: POWER STRUGGLES IN PERAK: RULING COALITION WORKING HARD TO REGAIN VOTERS' SUPPORT REF: A. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 342 -- PANDEMONIUM IN PERAK STATE ASSEMBLY B. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 78 -- NAJIB LEADS TAKEOVER OF PERAK C. KUALA LUMPUR 92 -- COURT DECISION IN PERAK Classified By: Political Counselor Brian D. McFeeters for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary and Comment 1. (SBU) Poloff and Pol Specialist visited the politically turbulent state of Perak from February 1-3. Perak is one of five states won by the opposition People's Alliance (PR) coalition in the March 2008 general elections, but through political defections in February 2009 it subsequently reverted back to authority of Malaysia's ruling National Front (BN) coalition (refs A and B), and is firmly under BN control after a February 9, 2010 Federal Court decision affirming the BN Chief Minister (ref C). Perak is a microcosm of Malaysia's ethnic diversity with party affiliation drawn clearly along ethnic and religious lines. Ethnic Malays are split between the BN's dominant United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party and the opposition's People's Justice Party (PKR) and Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), while nearly all ethnic Chinese and a slight majority of ethnic Indians support the opposition PR over the BN, according to a February 5 Merdeka Center poll. 2. (C) Comment: Events in Perak are significant for two reasons. First, for the past year it has been ground zero for the fight between the two political coalitions. Perak is the only state that had an active fight over control of the state for the past 12 months, so the issues there reflect national sentiment. Second, the fight and ultimate victory by the BN in Perak was a successful political power play both in terms of brute and refined power, reminding us that of the two coalitions, only the BN has the clout, money, and ability to manipulate the government system (election commission, courts) to muscle its way to power. The BN now has firm control of Perak and is working to regain some of its lost influence among voters, having allocated resources into projects to win back support of the people. With the Chinese vote firmly supporting the opposition, the deciding votes in any future election rest with the ethnic Malays, not because they hold a majority among the populace (they represent just over 50%), but because their support is most split between the ruling coalition and the opposition. That said, while the opposition PR is united in its criticism of the ruling BN coalition, they remain somewhat fragmented both within their coalition, and within their component parties. End Summary and Comment. Setting the Scene: Political Background 3. (SBU) Perak had been a bastion of the ruling BN coalition since Malaysia's independence in 1957 until the March 2008 general election, when the opposition PR coalition stunned the BN and took control of the state government by winning 31 of 59 state assembly seats. Within the PR, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) won 18 seats; the People's Justice Party (PKR) won 7 seats; and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) won 5 seats. Although the DAP earned more seats than their coalition partners combined, the position of Chief Minister went to PAS assemblyman Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, because the Perak state constitution stipulates that only a Muslim can hold the position of Chief Minister (CM). On the BN side, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) won 27 of their 28 seats while the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) took the remaining seat. Two other BN partners, the Malaysian Peoples Movement Party (Gerakan) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), were all but rendered obsolete as neither won a single contested seat. The DAP's dominance came as a result of ethnic Chinese and Indian discontent with the MCA, Gerakan, and MIC, who traditionally have represented their interests within the BN coalition. In February 2009, after 11 months in power, the PR state government lost its majority in the state assembly following the defection of three PR state assembly members to become independents friendly to the BN. The net change in 3 seats left the BN with the majority of seats and resulted in a protracted controversy when the Sultan of Perak replaced PR Chief Minister Nizar (equivalent to a governor of a U.S. state) with BN's Zambry. The Federal Court ruled on February 9 that the change of chief minister was legal (ref C). Insights from Perak Politicians 4. (C) Poloff and Pol Specialist visited Perak from February 1-3, and met with representatives from every major political party in peninsular Malaysia: from the ruling National Front (BN) coalition, the coalition-leading United National Malays Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Gerakan, and the Malaysian Indian Coalition (MIC); from the opposition People's Alliance (PR), politicians from the People's Justice Party (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). In a February 1 meeting with PAS Perak committee members at their headquarters, including former Perak Chief Minister (CM) Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin and Perak PAS Chief Ustaz Abu Bakar Hussain, Nizar called the policies implemented by the PR government from March 2008 thru February 2009 "successful and people friendly." He noted that the current BN government has copied and implemented many of the PR's government policies while claiming full credit for them. DAP MP Fong Po Kuan later told Poloff that she didn't mind if the BN claimed credit for these policies, stating that it was more important that they were implemented, and that "they clearly benefitted the people." Nizar also claimed that during his term of office, the PR state government had managed to increase revenues by cutting waste and promoting open tenders. In the past the BN government only extended "negotiated tenders to their cronies." 5. (SBU) In a brief February 1 meeting, current Chief Minister Zambry (UMNO), exuded confidence in his performance during his first year. He saw himself as the rightful Chief Minister because "it is clearly the will of the people." Zambry opined that the BN in Perak has acted in a more professional and competent manner than the PR did when they were in power. Noted Zambry: "We were a responsible opposition for eleven months," but when the opposition lost the majority, they "refused to abide by democratic principles." Zambry commented that in the 12 months since the BN took back control of Perak, the BN has been working very hard to gain the confidence of the people, noting that the BN had embarked on "people friendly policies" -- the same term Nizar used -- by focusing on poverty eradication irrespective of race and a good economic development policy. Perak State Secretary Dr. Abdul Rahim Hashim reiterated that the two policies were the main thrust of the BN government policies in the state. Zambry said the results of the BN were showing, noting that when compared to opposition gatherings, "there is marked increase in support for BN gatherings" and that he has received feedback that "the people are generally happy with the BN state government." 6. (C) On February 2, Chang Ko Youn, the state chief and national deputy president for the marginalized Gerakan party, admitted that the Chinese voters "deserted the BN by droves" in the last general election. (Note: Gerakan went from 10 to 2 MP seats in the March 2008 general elections, and from 4 to 0 seats in the Perak state assembly. End Note.) He cited UMNO's "racist policies" as one cause, adding that the Chinese media were "unfriendly" towards BN. Chang pointed out that, unlike the government-influenced mainstream media, the Chinese newspapers are more independent and at times favor the opposition rather than BN parties. The veteran leader said it would be difficult for BN to win over the Chinese voters in the next general election. 7. (C) Dr. Mah Hang Soon, the MCA state youth chief and sole non-UMNO state assemblyman for the BN, was a bit more optimistic. Mah noted that the BN is "now more aware of the Chinese problem" and is "working on overcoming it." He cited the case of Chinese farmers, who have farmed on state land for decades, who were recently given land titles. The state government has also started funding the nine independent Chinese schools in the state, whereas in the past the BN state government had completely ignored the plight of independent Chinese schools. Mah opined that the previous PR government only "made promises" but the BN state government "is now delivering" on them. Dr. Mah also noted that the Chinese community was especially concerned about the ongoing inquest into the July 2009 death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock while under investigation, opining that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to get to the bottom of this soon, even if they themselves are to blame. 8. (C) MIC Perak state secretary and new Perak state Speaker R. Ganesan echoed Mah's views, claiming that the 12-month old BN government has enacted numerous polices for the benefit of non-Malays. Ganeson proudly stated that for the first time the state government has allocated funding for Hindu temples. (Note: The previous PR government started the policy of allocating funds to non-Islamic religious institutions, but it is the BN who is seeing this through. End Note.) Ganesan added that he could see the Indians returning to the BN based on the number of people attending BN-sponsored meetings and political rallies. Both Sides at Risk as Snap Elections too Risky to Consider 9. (SBU) Prior to the February 9 court decision, both Zambry and Nizar publicly claimed that they had enough support from voters to win any snap election, fueling speculation that regardless of how the decision panned out, the legitimized Chief Minister would call for elections and end the controversy once and for all. Zambry told Poloff on February 1 that if snap elections were held, he was confident the BN would win 34 out of 59 seats in the state assembly, citing discontent with PKR and PAS among voters. When asked by Poloff if he would call for snap elections should he win the February 9 decision, Zambry said he would not dissolve the state assembly, saying that "the Perak BN state government does not operate based on the dictates of the opposition." Nizar, in turn, countered that he had the support of 80% of the Chinese and Indian vote, and at least 50% of the ethnic Malay vote, challenging Zambry that the only way to prove his claim would be to call for a snap election in Perak. Nizar told Poloff that even with fresh elections, there is no guarantee that the PR would win a majority of seats to form a government. Nizar stated that the BN has managed to "poison the minds of the rural Malays" by convincing them that he was "a lackey of the DAP" and "had committed treason by defying the Sultan" after the defections. PAS State Treasurer Abdul Rahim Ariff concurred with Nizar's view, adding that if elections were held today the Malay votes would split evenly between UMNO and PAS, unlike in March 2008 when there was clear swing of Malay votes towards PAS and PKR. 10. (SBU) State senior UMNO Cabinet Minister Ramly Zahari concurred with the Chief Minister's views that the BN has no reason to dissolve the state assembly. He stated that the opposition is the one who "started the game" by wooing BN Members of Parliament and state assembly to cross the floor. As such the veteran state UMNO leader added that when the BN managed to outflank PR, "the opposition now wants to rewrite the rules." (Note: Ramly is referring to an UMNO assemblyman who crossed over to the PR in January 2009. A few days after the crossover, he returned to the BN and was joined by the three ex-PR assemblyman who claimed to be BN-friendly independents. The opposition believes that the initial crossover was orchestrated by UMNO to prepare the ground for the three others to jump to the BN side. End Note.) 11. (SBU) DAP Perak State Chief Ngeh Khoo Ham and DAP State Secretary Nga Kor Ming (who are first cousins) were optimistic on February 2 that magic of March 2008 would continue to prevail in Perak if snap elections were held. While admitting that there is a slight shift in Malay support in favor of the BN, Ngeh stated that a majority of urban Malays and most of the Chinese and Indians would vote for a PR coalition party. After the Ruling: What's Next for PR and BN? 12. (C) PKR Vice President and MP in Perak Lee Boon Chye told Poloff on February 2 that despite the setback caused by the BN takeover and subsequent court rulings, the PR is still very popular in Perak. Lee claimed that "80 percent of Perakians are still behind us." Ngeh and Nga (DAP) claim that the opposition has continuously been harping in their numerous political gatherings through out the state that the current state government "is an illegal court appointed entity" and vowed they would continue their disharmonious campaign after the Federal Court ruling of February 9. However, Nizar announced after the court decision that the opposition would instead cooperate with BN. 13. (C) Zambry said on February 1 that PR leadership in Perak was becoming increasingly desperate. Decreased numbers and a general lack of enthusiasm at recent opposition rallies showed that people were tired of the PR acting like a sore loser, and were ready to move on. As a result, claimed Zambry, the PR has embarked on a strategy to smear the image of the BN-led state government. He cited two examples of the smear campaign: that he was accused of being denied entry to the US recently for "being involved in terrorist activities," and news reports that investors are shunning Perak since the BN wrested power. Zambry is suing the PKR newspaper "Suara Keadilan" for RM 400 million for what he says were libelous claims about his US trip. He noted that investments have actually increased since the BN took over, claiming that the Perak state government has attracted RM11 billion (about USD 3 billion) in one year. (Note: Regarding the investments, Nizar and other PR leaders in Perak dispute this figure, claiming that some of the investments came to the state when the PR was in power. End Note.) Zambry expected the opposition to continue with their smear tactics, commenting that "their position is increasingly under threat." Coalition, Party Infighting Continue to Impact Opposition 14. (C) DAP MP and Vice President Kulasegaran admitted that all is not well with the DAP in Perak. Kula claimed that the "Ngeh-Nga clan" referring to the cousins, is running the show in Perak. The veteran DAP leader claimed that the top party leadership is unable to control the two, as they have managed to bring the state DAP machinery completely under their control. Kula claimed that due to their dominance, the DAP may face some problems in the future because they are not popular among all the Chinese in the state. For example, the cousins tried to force out popular DAP MP Fong Po Kuan from running in the 2008 general election in order to replace her with their own crony, but her constituency fiercely resisted this move against the three-term MP, forcing the cousins to back down. Poloff raised this topic while meeting Fong for lunch, but she refused to be drawn into a conversation on this issue. Poll: Voters Split Along Ethnic Lines 15. (U) The independent Merdeka Center announced results of a poll taken of Perak voters on February 5. Current CM Zambry has an approval rating of 43%, while former CM Nizar has an approval rating of 46%. Zambry's base of support comes from 2/3 of the ethnic Malays and 1/2 of the Indians; Nizar's support comes from the remaining 1/3 of the Malays, the other 1/2 of the Indians, and nearly all of the Chinese. (Note: the ethnic breakdown for Perak's 2 million citizens is approximately 52% Malay, 32% Chinese, 13% Indian, and 3% others. CM Zambry is an ethnic Indian but is Muslim by religion. End Note.) In addition, 38% of respondents believed Perak is moving in the right direction, up from 31% polled in April 2009, while 44% believed the state was moving in the wrong direction, with distinct differences of opinion when broken down by ethnic lines. KEITH |
| WIKILEAKS: Islam as a tool of Umno's political game Posted: 24 May 2011 01:00 AM PDT In the current case, the three women, previously unknown to the public, were caned and the public was not informed for over a week. The canings were administered by federal prison officials in a federal women's prison. This gives rise to a possible violation of federal law that the GOM has yet to explain or address. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 000108 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020 TAGS: KTIP, KCRM, KWMN, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, SMIG, MY SUBJECT: CANING OF THREE WOMEN REFLECTS UMNO'S POLITICAL TACTICS REF: A. KL 20 WHAT IS GOING ON IN MALAYSIA? B. KL 14 UPDATE ON THE ALLAH ISSUE C. KL 11 OVERNIGHT ATTACKS ON 3 CHURCHES D. KL 03 GOM APPEALS KL HIGH COURT RULING ON USE OF THE WORD ALLAH E. 09 KL 716 CANING PUNISHMENT POSTPONED Classified By: Political Counselor Brian McFeeters for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). --- SUMMARY AND COMMENT --- 1. (SBU) Summary: On February 17, Home Minister Hishammuddin announced that three women and four men who had been found guilty of illicit sex under Syariah law had been caned on February 9. The three became the first women to be caned in Malaysia. Caning of women in Malaysia had recently become the subject of international scrutiny, and Malaysian legal scholars are wondering what the decision means for the legal system, since caning of women is against federal law. On July 20, 2009, Malaysian Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a Muslim woman, was sentenced by a state-level Syariah court to six lashes with a cane and a fine for consuming alcohol in public. To date, Kartika has not yet been caned. Viewing the caning as a political maneuver, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) was critical of the GOM's actions contending they were not consistent with Islam. NGOs too were critical of the caning contending that it does not comport with federal law. End Summary. 2. (C) Comment: Kartika's case put Prime Minister Najib's new administration in the difficult position of balancing the competing forces fighting for Malaysia's Muslim identity. While concerned about preserving Malaysia's image as a moderate Muslim State, Najib has been unwilling to date to criticize Syariah law or otherwise downplay the seriousness of Kartika's offense for fear that it could damage United Malays National Organization's (UMNO) Islamic bona fides. That the GOM chose to cane three anonymous women, rather than the internationally renowned Kartika, seems to be a tactical maneuver by UMNO to retain or lure back conservative Malay voters as well as perhaps a testing of the waters presaging Kartika's caning. That Najib feels the need to placate the most conservative Malays suggests that his stated intent to change to a more inclusive, less Malay-centric economic and political model is facing considerable, resistance within his own coalition. End Comment. --- FIRST WOMEN CANED IN MALAYSIA --- 3. (SBU) Home Minister Hishammuddin announced on February 17 that GOM officials caned four Muslim men and three Muslim women found guilty of illicit sex under Syariah law. Sex out of wedlock is unlawful under Syariah law. The canings took place on February 9, and the three women are believed to be the first women to be caned under the law in Malaysia. Two of the women received six strokes of the cane and the other received four. The women were caned in a female prison. According to the Home Minister, one was released on February 14, one will be released in the coming days, and the third will be released in June. --- MALAYSIA'S DUAL LEGAL SYSTEM --- 4. (SBU) Article 3 of the Malaysian Constitution states that "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation." Article 3 further provides that issues of Islamic law are state, rather than federal, matters. Thus, states, and the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, have individual Syariah law codes and have established Syariah courts, with jurisdiction over Muslims, to deal with family law and certain infractions under Islamic law. The constitution makes clear that federal law has precedence over state law (articles 4 and 75, "if any State law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law shall prevail and the State law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void"). Hence, because Syariah law is a state matter, any inconsistencies between these two legal systems should, according to the language of the Federal Constitution, be resolved in favor of the federal system. However, Article 121(1A) of the Constitution, added under former Prime Minister Mahathir in 1988 says, "the courts referred to in Clause (1) (the High Courts) shall have no jurisdiction in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts." This amendment introduced ambiguity about Syariah versus civil law that has yet to be resolved clearly. --- CANING IN MALAYSIA --- 5. (SBU) Under federal law, Malaysian judges routinely include caning in sentences of individuals convicted of kidnapping, rape, and robbery. The law also prescribes caning for illegal immigrants and their employers and as an additional punishment for those convicted of some nonviolent crimes such as narcotics possession, criminal breach of trust, and alien smuggling. The caning is carried out with a half-inch wooden cane that can cause welts and scarring. Federal law exempts men over 50 and all women from caning. Conversely, some states prescribe caning under Syariah law, for which there are no exceptions for women. In Syariah caning, a smaller cane is used and the caning official cannot raise the cane above his shoulder. Additionally, the subject is fully clothed so that the cane will not touch the flesh. Local Islamic officials claim that the intent is not to injure but to make the offenders ashamed of their sins and repent. --- THE CURIOUS ROLE OF THE GOM IN CANING THREE WOMEN --- 6. (C) In the February 9 case, the three women were sentenced to caning for committing adultery in violation of Section 23(2) of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Syariah Criminal Offenses Act of 1997. The sentencing of women to such corporal punishment under Syariah law contradicts the federal law outlined in Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code that states that women are not to be subject to caning. In the current case, the three women, previously unknown to the public, were caned and the public was not informed for over a week. The canings were administered by federal prison officials in a federal women's prison. This gives rise to a possible violation of federal law that the GOM has yet to explain or address. 7. (SBU) The federal government has highlighted its role in meting out these sentences, indicating that the decision had Najib's support. Home Minister Hishamuddin (Prime Minister Najib Razak's cousin) placed himself at the forefront of this issue, announcing on February 17 that the women had been caned, commenting that "the punishment is to teach and give a chance to those who have fallen off the path to return and build a better life for the future," sounding much like an Islamic cleric. In a February 19 interview, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin did not address the legal issue, focusing instead on the need to explain that Syariah caning is ritualistic rather than severe. The government-influenced daily, Bernama, on February 19, quoted Minister for Religious Affairs in the Prime Minister's Department Seri Jamil Khir Baharom as saying that the women were remorseful and "welcomed their sentence." In a separate article, Bernama reported that Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Shahrizat, said that her Ministry will monitor future caning of women noting that "as the minister in charge of women affairs in this country, I really hope that the whipping sentence on Muslim women will be carried out fairly and judiciously." --- REACTION FROM PAS --- 8. (SBU) When the canings were announced, some observers wondered whether the punishments could be seen as an effort to divide the opposition coalition People's Assembly, expecting PAS to support the punishments, while the secular Democratic Action Party (DAP) would likely oppose the canings. However, PAS Central Working Committee Member and Member of Parliament Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad of Selangor urged his party not to fall into the trap of allowing UMNO to portray itself as the defender of the Islamic agenda. He asserted that there is a political motive behind the caning of the three women. If UMNO were sincere about upholding the principles of Islam, it would address the source of problem rather than just implementing the sentence and would be combating corruption, abuse of power, cruelty, and embezzlement of the wealth of the country by political cronies. 9. (SBU) PAS Women's Movement Chief Nuridah Salleh asserted that the GOM's caning of the seven individuals did not conform to Islamic principles because it was done in private and not in the open as required by Islam. She explained that canings are to be public in order to educate and instill awareness among the people and to ensure the violators do not commit the crime again. She called on the Home Minister to remember this intent prior to carrying out future caning sentences. --- REACTION FROM CIVIL SOCIETY --- 10. (SBU) Civil society groups have condemned the GOM caning of the women. The Malaysian Bar Council, on February 18, issued a press release expressing its "shock and disappointment" and elaborating, "given that the Kartika issue remains unresolved and the public outcry on issues of constitutionality in regards to the fact that corporal punishment is forbidden for women under Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code, it is indeed shocking that the Government has made the announcement only after the punishment has been carried out." Similarly, Sisters in Islam questioned the GOM's motive behind caning the Muslim women while the issue of Kartika's case remains unresolved. All Women's Action Society president Sophia Lim asserted that "the Home Minister needs to explain why the government allowed the punishment to be carried out in secret on an issue that is of high public interest with very far ranging and damaging consequences." KEITH |
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