| Bersih Rally: An Imperative Gambit to Capture Seven More States Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:38 AM PDT By Haris Dol, Malaysian Digest
Tension has been on the up and up in the last week three weeks leading to the Bersih 2.0 rally that's planned for July 9. Police have already embarked on a nationwide witch hunt on the 'evil' Bersih promoters with six PSM members (including Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar) rearrested under the Emergency Ordinance while six DAP members (including Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa) have been arrested under the Societies Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act and Sedition Act.
Police had also issued a warning that more arrests will be underway and they already said they will use all the resources at their disposal to stop the march. But regardless of such severe actions and warnings from the authorities, by the look of it the Bersih organizer S Ambiga and the supporters of the rally (mainly the opposition) are going ahead with their plan for this Saturday.
Why is the Opposition in particular going ahead with the rally despite the dangers they've put themselves and the public in for promoting and carrying out the planned outing? Is there a political agenda behind Bersih 2.0 as the government and pro-government groups claimed?
Kit Siang Can't Wait
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang have been one of the most vocal among the adamant voices in support of the second Bersih rally. He's been notorious for being outspoken and no doubt it's a healthy thing especially when you have a good argument and the criticisms are constructive. But once in a while one must also know when to shut up.
I usually would agree with Kit Siang on many issues and I find his critical analysis on issues benefits everyone who has interest in knowing what the government is doing and suggestions on what it should be doing instead. Everything was going fine until he took a Mickey out of Najib Razak's proclamation in his (Najib's) speech during World Youth Day where the prime minister told the crowd: "if in Egypt one million youths gathered in Tahrir Square to change that country's leadership... in Malaysia, one million youths gathered to defend Putrajaya" (apparently, the turnout for World Youth Day was only 8,000). In response to this, Kit Siang said: "Are Najib and Umno/BN leaders prepared when Tahrir Square comes to Malaysia?" This was followed by: "I have confidence that there will be one million youths in Malaysia to defend Putrajaya ala Tahrir Square – not to defend Najib, Umno and Barisan Nasional but freedom, democracy and political change in Malaysia by democratic and constitutional means."
The above statement by Kit Siang was released on June 6 – almost two weeks shy of the Bersih 2.0 launch on June 19. He never mentioned Bersih in that particular statement but, whether he intended it or not, people would already relate his 'Tahrir Square' remark to the upcoming 'Bersih 2.0' rally. That's not the kind of publicity Bersih needs as the situation in Egypt is obviously not the same as it is in this country.
Pakatan Aims to Capture Seven More States
Less than two weeks after he made the 'Tahrir Square' statement, Kit Siang gave a speech at the Teluk Intan DAP Anniversary Dinner at a school hall in Teluk Intan. In his speech, he pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat has three targets for the next general elections, viz:
• "To retain the four Pakatan Rakyat states of Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan;"
• "To win back Perak state government which was illegally, unconstitutionally and undemocratically robbed from the people and the Pakatan Rakyat; and"
• "To form the state government in the six states of Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu and Perlis."
Those are very ambitious goals if you ask me but the way things have been going I say it's not that impossible.
"Umno and BN will be fighting a 'life-and-death' battle in the 13th General Election, not just about whether they can regain two-thirds parliamentary majority lost in 2008, but whether they could be returned to power or would have to occupy the Opposition benches for the first time in their experience," said Kit Siang in his speech.
"However, Najib and his election strategists should realize that if the BN government decides to resort to high-handed, repressive and undemocratic measures to use the police to crack down on the peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally for free, fair and clean general elections, they may be creating the very conditions which would ensure a 5 percent (vote) swing against Umno and BN in the next general election – setting the stage for a change of federal power in Putrajaya for the first time in the nation's history," he added. READ MORE HERE. |
| Cops prepare for possible demos by splinter groups although street rally is called off Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:24 AM PDT  (The Star) - KUALA LUMPUR: Police are gearing up to face possible street demonstrations by splinter groups on Saturday although Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk S. Ambiga has called off the street rally. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said police were not taking any chances although Bersih had agreed to hold its rally inside a stadium. "But we will ensure our preventive actions including roadblocks and redirecting traffic will not cause much inconvenience to motorists. "I have instructed all the state police chiefs and district police chiefs to review their roadblock checks. They will only be carried out if totally necessary. ure public order and the safety of every member of the public," he said yesterday. Khalid hoped the public would understand why the police needed to remain vigilant in the light of the discovery of Molotov cocktails and machetes in several locations in Gombak and the city centre two days ago. Khalid also promised to expedite any permit application for the Bersih rally and warned that failure by the organisers to do so might result in stern police action against both the organisers and participants. He also reminded those who planned to take part in the rally not to wear or have on them any paraphernalia related to Bersih. He said to date, 3,256 police reports had been lodged nationwide against Bersih, 235 people have been arrested over various offences related to the rally and 29 charged in court. Meanwhile, police recovered a bag containing four home-made shotguns in Petaling Jaya. Police said the bag was found by a gym manager outside a shophouse in Taman Seri Manja yesterday. Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed said the shotguns were found in the bag, which was wrapped in a yellow canvas material. |
| Najib endorses silat groups despite their threat to Bersih Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:06 AM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described silat and other self-defence exponents as the third line of defence in the country, including a group that has threatened to wage war against electoral reforms movement Bersih 2.0. The Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM) had challenged Bersih for its refusal to abandon a planned rally on July 9 to call for free and fair elections. "I believe if there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from without and within, 'anak-anak lincah' will rise to fight them," said Najib in a fiery speech last night. "But tonight, we do not gather to fight," added the prime minister. "We do not gather to wield the keris (dagger). We gather for the loyalty and unity of our country." Najib pointed out that there were non-Malays at the event last night, although silat was a Malay martial art. "We do not fight the non-Malays. We embrace them as fellow citizens," said Najib. PSSLM Mahaguru (grandmaster) Tan Sri Omardin Mauju said last month that silat exponents were Malaysia's third line of defence after the police and the army. In his threat to Bersih, Omardin said: "We maintain our stand to go to 'war' if they still want to proceed with this illegal rally. If it happens, I cannot guarantee I can control the emotions of my members because they have been taught to act when faced with opposition." Police have locked down the capital city and asked residents to bear with the inconveniences as they are looking for weapons that have allegedly been stashed away by unknown people. READ MORE HERE.
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| Non-Malays will back silat exponents to fight traitors, says grandmaster Posted: 06 Jul 2011 10:58 AM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — A silat grandmaster expects non-Malays to join ranks with practitioners of the Malay martial art to battle "traitors" of the country. Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM) Mahaguru (grandmaster) Tan Sri Omardin Mauju said yesterday that silat exponents would not allow street demonstrations that disturbed public order. "We will rise and oppose these traitors," Omardin said at PSSLM's 50th anniversary last night. "Not only the Malays, but the children of 1 Malaysia and other races will also be with us. "We're ready to die," he added, seated in a wheelchair as he delivered his speech. Omardin recently threatened to "wage war" against Bersih activists, should their rally calling for electoral reforms proceeded this Saturday. Bersih 2.0 on Tuesday decided to gather at a stadium instead of demonstrating on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, after its leaders met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Omardin pointed out yesterday that there were non-Malays in his association. A few Chinese and Indians could be seen at the gathering dressed in black, instead of the traditional Malay costume worn by most of the more than 100 PSSLM members present. "This is an extraordinary success that we have never witnessed, in line with the 1 Malaysia concept," said Omardin, referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's brainchild. Omardin recently referred to silat exponents as the third line of defence of the country. Najib repeated this yesterday, stressing that other practitioners of self-defence were also part of the line-up. Despite Bersih's audience with the king, and Najib's earlier assurance that the Bersih rally could be held in a stadium, the police have told the polls watchdog to apply for a permit for the event. READ MORE HERE. |
| Bersih to rally in Stadium Merdeka despite Cabinet refusal Posted: 06 Jul 2011 09:04 AM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Bersih has vowed to gather in Stadium Merdeka for its July 9 rally despite the Cabinet's refusal to allow them to use any stadium in the capital city, ostensibly because the electoral reform coalition has been outlawed. Bersih said in a statement last night that it "will not for one moment be swayed from our decision to gather there" to call for free and fair elections. Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim earlier said Putrajaya would not accept any application from Bersih to hold rallies in Kuala Lumpur while the police said they were still waiting for the movement to apply for a permit. "Bersih 2.0 is disappointed in the manner in which the Prime Minister and his cabinet has reneged on their offer to provide a stadium for us to hold our peaceful gathering," said the group in a statement signed by all 14 members of its steering committee. Bersih representatives led by chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Tuesday where they agreed to the constitutional monarch's advice to hold their rally in a stadium rather than in the streets. Datuk Seri Najib Razak also had an audience with the King and later said he would meet with Bersih on the stadium offer but the prime minister said yesterday his offer for a stadium was on behalf of his government and the final decision lay with the police. But a Cabinet meeting yesterday rejected the movement's bid to hold the rally in the historic Stadium Merdeka, where Malaya declared independence in 1957. "If the Prime Minister is a man of his word, he will make the appropriate arrangements for the event to proceed peacefully at Stadium Merdeka. "Whether or not the government abides by their principles, we the Malaysian people will always uphold ours. Our determination to exercise our constitutional right to gather peacefully for a just and reasonable cause is unwavering," Bersih said in the statement. The movement made of 62 registered societies also pointed out that recent statements by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar indicated that the police would take action against those who "do anything on July 9th beyond staying at home." READ MORE HERE. |
| Tetap haram Posted: 06 Jul 2011 07:54 AM PDT 
(Berita Harian) - Kabinet semalam memutuskan tidak membenarkan perhimpunan haram BERSIH diadakan di Stadium Merdeka atau Stadium Negara, Sabtu ini, atas alasan kumpulan itu masih haram, selain faktor keselamatan. Keputusan itu dibuat selepas Jemaah Menteri mendapat pandangan dan nasihat Jabatan Peguam Negara. Mengulas keputusan itu, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, berkata syarat ditetapkan ialah pemohon mestilah persatuan yang berdaftar dan BERSIH masih lagi pertubuhan haram yang tidak pernah didaftarkan.
Bercakap pada sidang media selepas melancarkan Yayasan Usahawan Wanita Cina Malaysia di Dewan Persatuan Hokkien di Klang, semalam, Najib berkata, kebenaran berhimpun di stadium, Sabtu ini seperti diminta penganjur juga bergantung kepada polis.
"Kita serah pada pihak berkuasa, terutama polis untuk menentukan dari segi keselamatan dan sebagainya jika ada permohonan rasmi (daripada penganjur)... mereka kena mematuhi syarat seperti pihak yang memohon mestilah persatuan yang berdaftar," katanya.
Sementara itu, ditanya bilakah pertemuan antara beliau dengan Pengerusi BERSIH, Datuk S Ambiga akan diadakan, Najib berkata: "Saya tak kata saya akan jumpa dia, saya kata pihak berkuasa... kerajaan, kerajaan bermaksud sesiapa saja.... kerajaan tidak spesifik merujuk kepada saya," katanya yang mengesahkan belum menerima sebarang surat daripada BERSIH untuk bertemu kerajaan. Menteri Penerangan Komunikasi, Kesenian dan Kebudayaan, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, yang mengumumkan keputusan Kabinet itu di sini berkata, sebarang permohonan atas nama BERSIH tidak akan dilayan kerana ia tidak berdaftar dengan Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS).
"Oleh itu, lebih baik mereka (BERSIH) mencari stadium di negeri dikuasai pembangkang seperti Kelantan, Kedah, Pulau Pinang ataupun Selangor.
"Pandangan ini (tidak benarkan penggunaan Stadium Merdeka dan Stadium Negara) dizahirkan pada mesyuarat Kabinet, pagi ini (semalam) dan selaku Menteri Penerangan saya wajar menyampaikan keputusan itu," katanya.
Menjawab soalan sama ada kerajaan sedia mempertimbangkan permohonan untuk menggunakan stadium jika ia dibuat individu atau pertubuhan berdaftar, Rais berkata, ia terserah kepada polis.
Terdahulu, pada satu sidang media di sini, Ambiga berkata susulan pertemuan dengan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin dan kenyataan Najib, kelmarin, pihaknya bersetuju untuk mengadakan perhimpunan Sabtu ini di Stadium Merdeka.
Katanya, selepas perhimpunan dua jam iaitu dari jam 2 hingga 4 petang, satu delegasi 10 ahli pertubuhan haram BERSIH akan menyerahkan memorandum kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Pada sidang media berasingan di Bukit Aman, Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar, menegaskan perhimpunan dirancang BERSIH, termasuk di dalam stadium dianggap haram selagi penganjur tidak mendapat permit polis.
Beliau memberi amaran polis akan mengambil tindakan, termasuk menahan mereka yang menyertai sebarang perhimpunan tanpa permit polis.
"Sehingga jam 5 petang ini (semalam), kami tidak menerima permohonan permit daripada BERSIH. Saya minta mereka membuat permohonan segera dan polis akan memproses secepat mungkin.
"Mengikut undang-undang, penganjur perlu mengemukakan permohonan untuk permit seminggu sebelum tarikh perhimpunan diadakan, namun dalam kes ini polis sedia memberi keistimewaan dengan menyegerakan proses permohonan mereka," katanya.
Ditanya sama ada polis akan meluluskan permohonan untuk perhimpunan di stadium, Khalid berkata: "Kita tengok macam mana, sama ada permohonan itu lengkap kerana stadium bukan di bawah kawalan polis. Kalau tuan punya tempat bagi, langkah keselamatan akan diambil supaya tidak berlaku kerosakan kepada harta benda... yang penting buat permohonan dulu." |
| Wajib mohon permit Posted: 06 Jul 2011 07:52 AM PDT 
BERSIH tetap haram ikut Akta Pertubuhan 1966
(Berita Harian) - PUTRAJAYA: Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) menegaskan Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (BERSIH) masih diiktiraf sebagai pertubuhan haram mengikut Seksyen 5 Akta Pertubuhan 1966 dan perlu memohon permit polis jika mahu mengadakan perhimpunan walaupun dalam stadium. Menterinya, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, berkata isu BERSIH mahu mengadakan perhimpunan berkaitan dengan aspek keselamatan dan ketenteraman awam yang perlu dipertimbangkan polis. "BERSIH masih diharamkan kerana tiada siapa pun boleh mengatasi undang-undang hanya kerana Yang di-Pertuan Agong menemui mereka tidak bermakna mereka tidak lagi diharamkan, malah Pendaftar Pertubuhan mengisytiharkan pengharamannya berdasarkan nasihat Peguam Negara.
"Ketua Polis Negara (Tan Sri Ismail Omar) sudah memaklumkan kelmarin BERSIH juga perlu mematuhi Seksyen 27 (Akta Polis) yang mewajibkan kelulusan permit bagi mengadakan perhimpunan.
"Selagi mereka diharamkan, tindakan berhubung dengan sesuatu yang haram masih tertakluk kepada undang-undang dan kita konsisten dalam pelaksanaan undang-undang," kata beliau di pejabatnya, di sini, semalam.
Kelmarin Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin berkenan menerima mengadap rombongan BERSIH yang diketuai pengerusinya, Datuk S Ambiga, bagi membincangkan perhimpunan Sabtu ini dan pihaknya bersetuju dengan cadangan kerajaan perhimpunan di stadium. Hishammuddin berkata, walaupun tidak dapat bercakap bagi pihak Tuanku Mizan mengenai titah baginda, beliau akur ada fakta yang tersurat dan tersirat dalam pemikiran Yang di-Pertuan Agong serta pemimpin tertinggi negara dalam mencapai objektif menghentikan demonstrasi jalanan demi menjaga keselamatan.
Beliau juga menegaskan tidak berganjak daripada pendapatnya bahawa perarakan jalanan yang dirancang itu sesuatu yang serius berdasarkan hasil siasatan setakat ini yang dimaklumkan kepada orang ramai selain beberapa perkara yang masih dalam siasatan.
Namun, Hishammuddin menyuarakan lega kerana dengan pembabitan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, sebarang kejadian tidak diingini seperti jika demonstrasi jalanan dibenarkan dapat dielakkan dan percaya Ambiga juga mempersetujui beberapa syarat bagi membatalkan perarakan itu.
"Keengganan memohon permit bagi berhimpun adalah keterlaluan. Selagi tidak memohon kita tidak tahu apa agenda sebenarnya.
Hishammuddin menegaskan, walaupun BERSIH adalah gabungan 62 pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang sah, ia masih dianggap entiti haram dan tindakan terhadap penyokongnya tetap diteruskan.
Sementara itu, Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, berkata tidak ada keperluan untuk penganjur BERSIH memohon permit polis berhubung perhimpunan 9 Julai ini kerana sudah mendapat perkenan Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan dipersetujui Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak |
| Europe Crisis Clouds Malaysia Rate Call Posted: 06 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Malaysia's inflation accelerated to the fastest pace in more than two years in May as consumer prices rose 3.3 percent. Bank Negara has raised the benchmark rate by a percentage point since the beginning of March 2010 to curb inflation, most recently a quarter-point increase at the last meeting in May. Bloomberg Europe's debt crisis and signs of a slowdown in global growth are complicating Malaysia's decision on interest rates as a pickup in inflation coincides with dimming prospects for export gains. Bank Negara Malaysia will raise its benchmark overnight policy rate to 3.25 percent from 3 percent at its fourth meeting of the year, according to 10 of 15 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The rest expect no change. The central bank will release its policy decision at 6 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. The likely discussion tomorrow may echo debates across the Asia-Pacific region, which has led global growth and where policy makers have enacted the steepest increases in borrowing costs. While India, South Korea and Thailand opted to raise their key rates last month, China and the Philippines asked lenders to set aside more cash as reserves instead. "The rates call is 50-50," said Matthew Circosta, an economist at Moody's Analytics in Sydney. "Bank Negara Malaysia will be mulling global worries against domestic inflation pressures." European finance ministers have authorized an 8.7 billion- euro ($12.6 billion) loan payout to Greece by mid-July, pulling the country back from the brink of default and gaining time to hammer out a formula for ending the debt crisis. Economic growth in the U.S. slowed to a 1.9 percent annual pace in the first quarter from 3.1 percent in the previous three months and the unemployment rate has climbed back above 9 percent. Over Adjustment? Malaysia's inflation accelerated to the fastest pace in more than two years in May as consumer prices rose 3.3 percent. Bank Negara has raised the benchmark rate by a percentage point since the beginning of March 2010 to curb inflation, most recently a quarter-point increase at the last meeting in May. Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said last month central banks around the world should be wary of an "over adjustment" in their response to faster inflation. Malaysia has raised rates four times and doesn't want to overreact, she said in an interview with Reuters Insider. Banks are charging each other 30 basis points more than the benchmark policy rate for three-month loans, according to the Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate, signaling expectations for higher interest rates and bank reserve requirements. Interest- rate swap forwards show traders are pricing in 43 basis points' increase in lending rates between September and June next year. The Malaysian ringgit has jumped more than 6 percent against the dollar in the past year, and reached 2.9598 against the U.S. currency on May 2, the strongest level in 13 years. It traded at 3.0088 as of 6 p.m. local time yesterday. Power Prices Officials may also consider increasing the statutory reserve requirement level to 4 percent from 3 percent, nine of 14 economists predict. The central bank last raised the reserve requirement in May, saying it was a "pre-emptive" measure to manage a "significant" buildup of liquidity. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's government allowed national power distributor Tenaga Nasional Bhd. to raise electricity charges for the first time in almost three years in June, adding to price pressures for business and consumers. "Inflationary pressures are expected to continue to climb," said Daniel Wilson, an analyst at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. "Demand-side pressures will be fuelled by a tightening labor market and positive consumer sentiment. We believe the proactive Bank Negara Malaysia will hike rates." Consumer prices may climb 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent this year from 1.7 percent in 2010, the central bank said in March. To contact the reporters on this story: Shamim Adam in Singapore at sadam2@bloomberg.net; Michael J. Munoz in Hong Kong at mjmunoz@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephanie Phang at sphang@bloomberg.net |
| Bersih 2.0 will happen at Stadium Merdeka on July 9th Posted: 06 Jul 2011 12:03 AM PDT 
Bersih 2.0 is disappointed in the manner in which the Prime Minister and his cabinet has reneged on their offer to provide a stadium for us to hold our peaceful gathering. As members of civil society that are committed to principles of integrity, we fully intend to abide by the advice of Tuanku DYMM SPB YDP Agong and hold our gathering in a stadium to state our demand for clean and fair elections. We have chosen Stadium Merdeka as the best venue for this event, due to its symbolic nature and central location, and we will not for one moment be swayed from our decision to gather there peacefully. If the Prime Minister is a man of his word, he will make the appropriate arrangements for the event to proceed peacefully at Stadium Merdeka. Whether or not the government abides by their principles, we the Malaysian people will always uphold ours. Our determination to exercise our constitutional right to gather peacefully for a just and reasonable cause is unwavering. Recent statements by the Deputy IGP seem to indicate that the police fully intend to take action against us if we do anything on July 9th beyond staying at home. However, patriotic Malaysians who want nothing but the ability to choose our leaders through genuinely democratic means will never be cowered by the unjust and immoral exercise of power. Our first and foremost responsibility is to our future and our children, and we have resolved that they shall inherit a nation ruled by not by fear, but by the principles of justice. Whatever happens between now and then, the rakyat will gather peacefully in an orderly fashion to call for clean and fair elections at Stadium Merdeka on the 9th of July at 2pm. We are coming, we will be peaceful and together, we will build a better Malaysia. Released by Steering Committee Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) The members of the BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee are: Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan (Chair), Andrew Khoo, Arul Prakkash, Arumugam K., Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dato' Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Dato' Yeo Yang Poh dan Zaid Kamaruddin. |
| ‘Ambiga should be arrested, not granted royal audience’ Posted: 05 Jul 2011 11:03 PM PDT 
Perkasa will also submit a letter seeking an audience with the King before July 9 (Free Malaysia Today) - Bersih chairman S Ambiga should be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) instead of being invited to the palace, Perkasa said today. "We were shocked that Ambiga was granted an audience," Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali told a press conference here. "His Majesty should not be receiving people like that. We know Ambiga represents an illegal organisation." "She should be arrested under the ISA or the Emergency Ordinance (EO) and not being invited to the palace," he said. Nevertheless, Ibrahim said Perkasa respected the decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin to grant Ambiga a royal audience. He added that the move reflected a benevolent King who cared for his country and people. "The King's willingness shows his concern for the safety of his people." Perkasa will also submit a letter requesting an audience with the King before this Saturday to voice its intentions for holding its own rally to counter the Bersih gathering. The Malay right-wing group was reported to have been turned away by the palace when it attempted to submit the letter this morning. Ibrahim, however, denied this allegation. "We hope that we will also be received in the same manner that the King received the organiser of an illegal rally," he said. "If the people can extend favourable treatment to an illegal organisation that is already causing chaos in the country, then they should also extend the same treatment to us." A disgruntled Ibrahim then took potshots at Ambiga, beginning with her demand for the immediate release of the six Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) members detained under the EO. "Who does she think she is?" he asked. "Ambiga is behaving like she is the police chief. Like this is her father's country. She's not even running in the next general election so why is she poking her nose into the electoral system with all these demands?" READ MORE HERE |
| Permit condition in bad faith, says Ambiga Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:20 PM PDT 
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has accused the authorities of "lacking good faith" for demanding that the group apply for a permit to hold its planned stadium rally this weekend. She said the latest hurdle to the July 9 rally for free and fair elections was "wholly inconsistent" with Datuk Seri Najib Razak's earlier assurance that Bersih 2.0 could be held in a stadium, as well as the King's wishes. "Why are you asking us to apply for a permit when the prime minister has already okayed it? "We don't understand it," she told the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) here. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar earlier today reminded Bersih to apply for a permit for Saturday's rally, warning that failure to do so would still make the event an illegal gathering. He said Bersih had yet to inform or notify the police of their plans for the rally but gave assurance that the group's permit application process would be expedited in view of the urgency of the situation. Khalid further warned that those found wearing Bersih T-shirts or possessing pro-Bersih materials would still be arrested by the police as the organisation was still considered illegal. Malay rights group Perkasa has said it too will hold a stadium rally in the capital on July 9 to counter Bersih 2.0. READ MORE HERE |
| Dr M ‘sad’ when Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:15 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is saddened when he hears Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu as he wanted the race to depend on its capabilities and not privileges. The former prime minister also appeared to suggest that he had some reservations about linking the NEP with Article 153 of the Constitution and said that certain aspects of the NEP should be phased out, when responding to a question on Article 153 following his speech at the National Professors' Congress here today. "With regard to 153, if it's related to Bahasa, Agama and all that, it is fine, but we have extended it to include the NEP. And certain aspects of the NEP should be phased out as soon as the people who benefit from the NEP have shown their capabilities," he said. "I feel very sad when I hear Malays talk about Ketuanan Melayu," he added. "Apparently, there is Malay reserve land because we are Tuan. But to have to live in a Malay reserve is an insult because that means I'm so weak that I'm to be protected in my own country. It is not something to be proud of." Dr Mahathir also said that the Malays should upgrade their capabilities so that they will not have to depend on special privileges. "Some feel they have privileges because they are superior and Tuan but if you work as a driver for somebody, the man behind you will say 'Tuan please take me here and there,'" he said. The topic of race-based privileges and affirmative action has long been a controversial topic in Malaysia with its proponents pointing to Article 153 of the Constitution, which touches on the special position of Malays, and the more recent concept of "Ketuanan Melayu", or Malay supremacy, to justify economic privileges. Critics, however, say that the whole system of privileges has been abused, and is driving a wedge between the races — on top of eroding the country's competitiveness. Dr Mahathir himself has often appeared to contradict himself by fast-tracking Malay businessmen into big business and tolerating race-based quotas for initiatives like import licenses during his administration but at the same time, criticising Malays for not being more enterprising and hardworking. |
| Is Putrajaya joking about Bersih? Posted: 05 Jul 2011 10:14 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - The circumstances surrounding the July 9 Bersih rally have been changing since the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin issued a rare edict and met both the prime minister and Bersih leaders. Somethings haven't changed. Bersih is still outlawed. Wearing their yellow T-shirt with the word Bersih will land you in the lock-up. Government agencies like Stadium Merdeka are waiting for the Cabinet to direct them whether to accept Bersih's application. The police are waiting for Bersih's application which must state the venue. And now Datuk Seri Najib Razak is saying he didn't promise to see Bersih over the rally and that it's up to the police to decide whether the rally can proceed. Is this a joke? Can the government of the day stop stonewalling Bersih or waffling about where the electoral reform movement can have their rally? All this drama has made a mountain out of a molehill and makes the royal audience yesterday just a scene from a farce. Last anyone checked, Najib is the prime minister and Malaysia is not a police state. That means he can order the police to issue a permit for a rally and tell the stadium authorities to host the event. Take a large deposit. Impose conditions but don't keep throwing up roadblocks to frustrate the rally. Enough has been done to snuff it out but it keeps getting bigger to the extent that it can actually realise Barisan Nasional's nightmare of being booted out of Putrajaya in a free and fair election or actually, even in the next elections. The government's action today reveals that it might be having second thoughts or is getting cold feet about the Bersih rally. It also shows how insecure the Najib administration is over a coalition that just wants free and fair elections. This insecurity and waffling have made them the butt of jokes and a source of anguish over the kind of leadership that exists in the country. The King interceded and Bersih has acted in good faith to accept conditions put forward by Najib. It's his turn to reciprocate and do the right thing. Or confirm that this is a police state and let the citizens decide whether it should remain so in the next general elections. The Najib administration can influence that decision by not treating Bersih as a joke. For the joke might be on the government later. |
| NEWS FLASH: Protestors in pro-Bersih clothes will be arrested, warns Deputy IGP Posted: 05 Jul 2011 07:56 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Despite being allowed to hold a stadium rally this Saturday, protestors found with pro-Bersih 2.0 materials will still be arrested, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said today. This, he said, was because the coalition was still deemed an unlawful organisation and any item, whether "songkoks or T-shirts" are still disallowed. "On clothing or items with Bersih motifs on them, as far as we are concerned, Bersih 2.0 has been gazetted as illegal so anything to do with Bersih 2.0 will be wrong, will be disallowed and we will take action," he told a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters this afternoon. As such, Khalid warned protestors against the use of any pro-Bersih paraphernalia at the planned gathering this Saturday or in the days leading up to it. He agreed that even if the coalition were granted a permit for the rally, anyone found with materials in support of the outlawed group would be hauled in. "Yes. It is an offence. Bersih is an illegal society so we advise them not to use materials supporting it. Anything showing support of Bersih is illegal," he said. Police have continued with its pre-rally clampdown on Bersih 2.0 supporters despite the apparent truce between the government and the coalition. Bersih 2.0 is made up of over 62 non-governmental organisations and is holding a rally this Saturday to push for electoral reform. MORE TO COME |
| NEWS FLASH: Perkasa to hold rally on 9 July at Stadium Merdeka Posted: 05 Jul 2011 07:39 PM PDT 
Perkasa will hold a rally on July 9 and claims that it submitted its application for Stadium Merdeka first. (Free Malaysia Today) - Perkasa has confirmed that its rally will go on as scheduled this Saturday and that it too has submitted an application to gather in Stadium Merdeka. The right-wing Malay group president, Ibrahim Ali, told a press conference today that he had already made it clear that regardless of whether Bersih's rally is illegal or not, Perkasa would still maintain its stand to hold a counter rally. "We are slightly relieved that Bersih has decided to hold its rally in a stadium," he said. "And I understand that they too have chosen Stadium Merdeka. But we submitted our application first to use that venue and I hope that is taken under consideration." Bersih's application, however, was rejected by the stadium's management earlier today. If Perkasa is also denied use of the Stadium Merdeka, then Ibrahim said they would turn to Stadium Titiwangsa. "We are helpless because we have no venue of our own," he said. "We can't use any stadiums in Selangor because the state government will definitely not approve our applications. And Stadium Bukit Jalil is too large and too far." "So we have chosen Stadium Titiwangsa behind Istana Budaya. And we hope that we will be able to use it for free because as an NGO, Perkasa is not flush with cash."
(More to follow) READ MORE HERE |
| Home minister: Bersih still illegal Posted: 05 Jul 2011 06:31 PM PDT 
(Yahoo News) - The Bersih 2.0 movement is still illegal and subject to legal action, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. He said that although the Agong had granted an audience to Bersih 2.0's leaders yesterday, the government's position has not changed. "They are banned. They are still banned. Nobody can put themselves over the law... just because Tuanku met them doesn't mean they are no longer illegal," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today. Hishammuddin, exercising his powers as home minister, had declared Bersih 2.0 illegal on July 1. He dodged a barrage of questions related to Bersih 2.0's legality and whether or not it has a guarantee of being granted access to a stadium for its rally - he repeatedly said the rally organisers must deal with the police. However, Hishammuddin shot down Bersih 2.0 chief S Ambiga's claim that the coalition is not required to apply for a permit, stressing that Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar has clearly set this as a pre-condition. 'The IGP was very clear (in his statement yesterday). We are all governed by the laws of the land, (and) the IGP's statement yesterday also stated Section 27 (of the Police Act), which states you have to apply for a permit." Asked several times whether or not the government can guarantee that the planned indoor rally on Saturday will be allowed to take place, Hishammuddin was again evasive, only saying this depends on the organisers' application for a permit. "Let them apply. Then the process is for the police to consider. The quicker they apply, the quicker they can process as far as the police are concerned ... the permission to have (the) gathering will depends on their application," he said. Hishammuddin said the rally will get the green light if the organisers apply for a permit and meet all the conditions set, although he was sparse on the details. "We will have to wait for their application first. That (conditions) will be discussed when they do make the application, between them and the police." READ MORE HERE |
| NEWS FLASH: Stadium Merdeka rejects Bersih's booking Posted: 05 Jul 2011 06:22 PM PDT 
(Malaysian Digest) - Stadium Merdeka's management of has refused to allow the Bersih 2.0 to use its facility for the rally on Saturday. A statement posted on the Bersih 2.0 Facebook page said the booking officer had made several "excuses" to refuse the booking. "Among the unclear reasons provided by (the) officer were (about) an 'internal management sports event' and 'renovations'," reads the statement. "(This is) despite the fact that until very recently, there were plans to hold 'Konsert Raksaksa 2' on July 9 at Stadium Merdeka." Konsert Raksaksa 2, featuring rock outfits Sweet Charity and Blues Gang, has been postponed to Oct 1 due to security concerns. |
| MCLM Calls on the Prime Minister to Release all Detainees and Stop Harassment of BERSIH 2. ... Posted: 05 Jul 2011 06:11 PM PDT 
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) was most disappointed to read that you have completely abrogated your responsibilities with regards to those who have been arrested or detained in connection with BERSIH 2.0, saying that you will leave it to the police to decide on their release. You also said that it was up to the police whether the arrests of people wearing BERSIH T-shirts or displaying BERSIH paraphernalia would continue. In light of the intercession of DYMM Yang di Pertuan Agong and the subsequent concessions made by the BERSIH 2.0 steering committee, your non-committal position is weak, indecisive and most ungracious. Over the last two weeks, we and all the Rakyat have witnessed our elected government, in particular the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Polis di Raja Malaysia, trample on our civil liberties in a bid to crush the BERSIH 2.0 spirit. PDRM have arrested people on the most spurious charges, like wearing yellow clothing or having T-shirts bearing pictures of old CPM members. They have floated the idea that Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is waging war against the Agong by plotting to revive communism. They have attempted to link BERSIH 2.0 movement to this allegation. The Deputy Prime Minister accused "major powers" of supporting BERSIH 2.0. Disregarding the clearly worded demands of the movement's planned "Walk for Democracy", the Home Minister declared the movement illegal claiming that it was inciting people to create an atmosphere of unrest. The upshot of the relentless spinning by your administration and PDRM is the arrest of more than 200 people, including opposition politicians and activists, in connection with the BERSIH 2.0 rally, and that number appears to be growing by the hour. Of greatest concern is the detention of six members of PSM under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), including Sungai Siput MP Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, PSM deputy chairperson M Saraswathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan, and PSM Youth leader Sarat Babu. We were very disturbed to hear reports that the detainees, in particular, the PSM members, had been ill-treated while in custody and deprived of their right to legal representation. Datuk Seri Najib, these actions by members of your Cabinet as well as the PDRM are completely unacceptable and have tarnished your administration not just in the eyes of the Rakyat but also the international community. The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement urges you to step up as the head of the elected government and do your part in restoring good sense and civility to your administration. Show the Rakyat that you, your cabinet and PDRM respect the Federal Constitution and the laws of the country which emanate from it. Release all the detainees unconditionally and drop all unfounded charges against them. Stop the harassment of BERSIH 2.0 and its supporters. Understand that BERSIH 2.0 is a civil society initiative and that it has the support of the majority of Malaysians who desire nothing more than clean and fair elections. Opposing BERSIH 2.0 sends the message that you are against the most fundamental democratic principles that underpin the formation of our beloved nation. RAJA PETRA KAMARUDIN, CHAIRMAN HARIS M. IBRAHIM, PRESIDENT |
| NEWS FLASH: Perkasa not allowed to meet Agong at Istana Negara Posted: 05 Jul 2011 05:55 PM PDT 
(Malaysian Digest) - Perkasa presiden Datuk Ibrahim Ali today cancelled his scheduled meet with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to submit a letter to seek audience with His Majesty. According to sources, the meeting was cancelled due to the Istana not allowing the group to meet with him. Perkasa was expected with the Agong today at 10.00am to submit a letter to seek audience with His Majesty before 9 July. More to come...MEANTIME PLAY THE VIDEO BELOW
PFN_xuwiDW0 |
| Bersih to hand Memorandum to Agong during rally Posted: 05 Jul 2011 05:48 PM PDT 
(Malaysian Digest) - Bersih 2.0 president Datuk S Ambiga who has accepted the government's offer to hold its planned rally in a stadium said that 10 representatives from the NGO will be handing the memorandum of its eight demands to the King, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin this Saturday. In a press conference held in MCPA Hall today, Ambiga also suggested for a Royal Commission of Investigation (RCI) to be created as an initiative for an upgrading of the electoral system in Malaysia. She also urges the government to release all the individuals who were detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) immediately as well as to stop pressuring Bersih 2.0 and its supporters.
Ambiga hopes that the police will not be taking any more action against Bersih supporters and instead allow the people who attend the gathering to wear yellow from 2pm to 4pm during the assembly.
She revealed that she already sent a letter to Prime Minister Najib Razak requesting for a meeting to decide which stadium will be used on for the July 9 rally and thanked Tun Abdullah Badawi for his role in suggesting meetings with Bersih steering committee.
Ambiga said that Pakatan Rakyat did not have any special interest in the rally rather than to urge for a reformed electoral system that brings fairness to all party. She also said the party has the right to support Bersih if they choose to.
According to Ambiga, five thousand Bersih staff will be guarding the area where Bersih 2.0 will take place so that the assembly will be held in a peaceful and orderly manner as requested by the prime minister yesterday.
She said she hopes that the police will help to control the situation during the rally to stop any provocations that can cause undesirable incidents. |
| Malaysia punyai penduduk Paling Tua di Dunia.. apa penjelasan SPR? Posted: 05 Jul 2011 04:46 PM PDT Manusia tertua yang masih hidup dan boleh mengundi di Perak itu ialah seorang yang berbangsa Cina iaitu Wong Seng yang telah dilahirkan pada tahu 1879 dan kini berusia 132 tahun jauh lebih tua dari manusia tertua yang disenaraikan oleh Wikipedia. By Anak Sungai Derhaka 
Dari 100 manusia yang paling panjang usianya yang disenaraikan oleh Wikipedia, manusia yang paling panjang usianya adalah seorang warga Perancis iaitu Jeanne Calment yang dilaporkan telah dilahirkan pada 21 Februari 1875 dan meninggal dunia ketika berusia 122 tahun 164 hari pada 4 Ogos 1997. Manakala yang kedua panjang usianya pula adalah Sarah Knauss seorang warga United States yang dilahirkan pada 24 September 1880 dan meninggal dunia pada 30 Disember 1999 pada usia 119 tahun 97 hari. Antara yang tersenarai dalam 100 manusia yang paling panjang usianya tetapi masih hidup hingga kini adalah Besse Cooper yang masih hidup di United States, beliau telah dilahirkan pada 26 Ogos 1896 dan telah berusia melebihi 114 tahun. Dan lima orang lagi juga telah berusia melebihi 114 tahun dan masih hidup ialah tiga warga Jepun, seorang warga Itali dan seorang lagi pula warga United States. Lagi 90 manusia tertua di dunia sila lihat di SINI
Kita mungkin berkata panjangnya usia mereka adalah kerana tabiat pemakanan dan juga persekitaran mereka yang sedikit sebanyak mempengaruhi kehidupan mereka itu..
Tetapi!! Tahukah anda Malaysia juga mempunyai ramai manusia yang masih hidup dan usianya melebihi 100 tahun? Di Perak sahaja terdapat 1538 orang pengundi yang berumur melebihi 100 tahun dan yang menakjubkan kesemua mereka masih hidup dan boleh mengundi.. Manusia tertua yang masih hidup dan boleh mengundi di Perak itu ialah seorang yang berbangsa Cina iaitu Wong Seng yang telah dilahirkan pada tahu 1879 dan kini berusia 132 tahun jauh lebih tua dari manusia tertua yang disenaraikan oleh Wikipedia. Begitu juga dengan lapan lagi manusia yang panjang usianya juga mengatasi iaitu Nazmi Binti Harun 131 tahun, Ng Khoa 126 tahun, Kong Kew Kee 126 tahun, Ng Ah Kow 125 tahun, Wong Yee 124 tahun, Itam Latihah Bin Mohd Ali 123 tahun, Mohammad bin Haji Mohd Noor 123 tahun, Wong Pin 123 tahun dan Murugai A/P Ramamoorthai berusia 122 tahun iaitu sama dengan usia manusia paling tua di dunia yang pernah direkodkan.. Korang tengoklah sendiri senarai 50 dari 1538 orang dibawah ni yang diambil dari Daftar Pemilih.. |
| Malaysia Today’s 40% truth and 60% lies Posted: 05 Jul 2011 04:43 PM PDT 
The Inquiry into the death of Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed has just kicked off and already there are revelations of 'unexplained mysteries'. Last month, Malaysia Today ran a four-part series on the matter but we stopped at part 4 and said that part 5 will only be published if they try to whitewash the Inquiry and sweep everything under the carpet. That time has not come yet but in the meantime let me refresh you on the matter. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin This is where we stopped in the final series (part 4) of Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC: They need to nail Ahmad Sarbani real bad and they will go to great lengths in achieving this. And note that these are Muslims who pray five times a day, fast during the month of Ramadhan and go to Mekah, mind you! Yet they would not hesitate to do a deed most foul -- framing a dead man. But the Police and Customs officers are fighting back. They are not going to allow the MACC to frame Ahmad Sarbani. They want the world to know he is clean and that he did not commit suicide. And they want us to know how the MACC is tying to suggest otherwise. And to do that they have enlisted the help of Malaysia Today. In the next part, part 5, we will disclose who killed Ahmad Sarbani -- but only if we need to. We will hold back part 5 pending the official statement by the government as to how Ahmad Sarbani died. Since the AG has announced that there will be an Inquest, let us give the Police an opportunity to reveal the real evidence at this Inquest and let us hope that they get it right this time. If the MACC, AG Gani Patail and the Police repeat what they did in trying to cover up Teoh Beng Hock's death, then Malaysia Today will reveal the full investigation report on who killed Ahmad Sarbani. And if they want to call our bluff and play poker, thinking that we will not do it, then they do not know Malaysia Today well enough yet. We just love challenges and will rise to any challenge. So don't force us to do this. But we will if we have to just to clear the name of an innocent dead man who did not commit suicide but was murdered. So, till next time, part 5, if circumstances force us to come out with a part 5, take care and keep the fight for change going. You can read the full thing in the ADDENDUM links below (parts 1 to 4). Now read this: Ahmad Sarbaini's death: CCTV recordings tampered with, court hears (http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/41729-ahmad-sarbainis-death-cctv-recordings-tampered-with-court-hears) The CCTV recordings at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building had been tampered with around the time of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed's death, the Coroner's court was told Wednesday. Audio-video analyst ASP Fauziah Che Mat, who is with the police forensic lab in Cheras, told the court that she believed that the "CCTV recordings had been tampered with by someone who was skilled". In her analysis of three hard drives taken from the MACC building, two containing recordings of inside the building had two interruptions, one of which was a 22-hour gap. ADDENDUM Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 1) http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40947-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-1 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 2) http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40949-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-2 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 3) http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40951-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-3 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 4) http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40952-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-4 |
| Keramat Mall, Tambahan Lagi RM18 juta, KAMI DIHALAU TANPA SATU SEN PUN... Posted: 05 Jul 2011 04:37 PM PDT Apa yang ingin saya persoalkan di sini, kenapa Pejabat Tanah tidak melakukan tanggungjawab sebagai pelaksana undang-undang dengan memaklumkan mengenai status tanah sebelum ianya tamat? Jika cukai tanah, akan dimaklumkan setiap tahun. Cukai pintu begitu juga. Jila lesen perniagaan akan tamat, DBKL akan memaklumkannya lebih awal. Namun, mengapa hanya Pejabat Tanah tidak melakukkannya sedemikian? Apakah ini memang perkhidmatan kerajaan atau ada banyak benda yang ingin disembunyikan oleh Pejabat Tanah?
By Tuntut Keadilan Kami menetap di Lot 8A Datuk Keramat. Kami adalah sebahagian dari 8 lot kedai berhadapan dengan stesen LRT Putra Damai dan Keramat Mall yang menjadi isu panas di DBKL selain dari isu Kampung Bahru. Malang sekali, lot kami telah mati pajakannya pada tahun 1993. Kami adalah generasi yang ke-3 menetap dan berniaga di sini. Nenek-moyang dan bapa kami telah membina sebuah bangunan batu 2-tingkat yang berstatus rumah-kedai. Kedai antik bapa kami di Pasar Minggu Kampung Bahru telah terbakar beberapa tahun yang lepas bersama-sama dengan salinan geran tanah. Lot kami berstatus Pajakan 30 tahun. Kami hanya maklum dengan pajakan tanah yg telah tamat apabila kami sendiri ke Pejabat Tanah untuk menguruskan harta pusaka tinggalan arwah bapa kami 3-tahun yang lepas. Bahkan, kami hanya mengetahuinya selepas beberapa minggu menunggu respon dari Pejabat Tanah. Pejabat Tanah tidak memberi sebarang respon, bahkan kami terpaksa melakukannya sendiri dengan melakukan permohonan itu sendiri di Pejabat Tanah. Agaknya memang Tuhan mahu tunjukkan kepada kami setelah bapa kami meninggal dunia. Kita anak-anak Melayu memang telah dididik agar tidak bertanya mengenai harta pusaka semasa mereka masih hidup lagi sebagai menghormati mereka. Maka, mana pernah soalan mengenai harta pusaka ini disoal sehingga mereka sendiri sebagai ibubapa memaklumkannya kepada kita. Apa yang ingin saya persoalkan di sini, kenapa Pejabat Tanah tidak melakukan tanggungjawab sebagai pelaksana undang-undang dengan memaklumkan mengenai status tanah sebelum ianya tamat? Jika cukai tanah, akan dimaklumkan setiap tahun. Cukai pintu begitu juga. Jila lesen perniagaan akan tamat, DBKL akan memaklumkannya lebih awal. Begitu juga dengan pelbagai lesen yang akan dimaklumkan terlebih awal. Namun, mengapa hanya Pejabat Tanah tidak melakukkannya sedemikian? Apakah ini memang perkhidmatan kerajaan atau ada banyak benda yang ingin disembunyikan oleh Pejabat Tanah? Dengan tidak memaklumkan, Pejabat Tanah boleh berbuat sesuka hati dengan tanah-tanah orang lain. Ini sahajalah harta yang ada pada kami untuk diwariskan kepada anak-cucu kami, namun telah dirampas oleh Pejabat Tanah yang mewakili kerajaan Malaysia. Inikah yang dinamakan, RAKYAT DIDAHULUKAN ??? Kami bukan setinggan. Kami tinggal di sini dengan geran pajak. Cukai pintu tidak pernah kami abaikan. Lesen kedai kami berkuatkuasa sehingga Disember 2012. Permohonan kami untuk melanjutkan tempoh pajakan tidak diendahkan. Bangunan rumah-kedai kami dibina sendiri dengan duit kami sendiri. Bangunan kami adalah bangunan batu 2-tingkat. Namun, kami dilabelkan oleh DBKL sebagai setinggan. Pejabat Tanah mewarnakan kami MERAH. Permintaan kami untuk ganti rugi rumah atau kedai tidak diendahkan. Menteri Wilayah mengelakkan berjumpa kami selama 2 tahun. Datuk Bandar KL menghalau kami macam anjing keparat. YB kami lebih mengutamakan undi politiknya dari cuba menyelesaikan masalah kami. Persatuan Penjaja Pasar Datuk Keramat adalah yang paling keras dan membenci kami kerana dengan adanya kami, mereka enggan berpindah ke Keramat Mall. Kami telah dijadikan alasan KUAT bagi mereka. Bahkan jika difikirkan secara logik, kami tidak ada kena-mengena dengan masalah perpindahan mereka. Kesemua kes setinggan akan mendapat pampasan jika tanah mereka diambil. Saya telah melihat beberapa kes di Selangor, Perak, Johor, Pulau Pinang dan bandaraya Kuala Lumpur itu sendiri. Namun, mengapa hak kami yang SEBENARNYA bukan setingga ditidakkan dan dinafikan. Kami hanya diberitahu bahawa kami mendapat tawaran rumah PPRT, namun surat tawaran tersebut telah terbatal kerana surat tersebut hanya diperap di tangan pegawai di Jabatan Perumahan. Apabila kami merayu untuk tawaran itu agar dikeluarkan sekali lagi, seorang pegawai di jabatan tersebut berkata bahawa ianya tidak akan berlaku. Begitu juga dengan tawaran kedai ganti. Sebanyak 20 penjaja Pasar datuk Keramat yang lama yang menjaja tanpa lesen telah diberikan gerai ganti di dalam Keramat Mall semasa operasi pembersihan 2010 oleh jabatan Penguatkuasaan. Namun, bagaimana dengan kami?? Kami mempunyai lesen perniagaan yang sah sehingga Disember 2012. Kami telah berniaga dari generasi ke generasi. Kami tidak berniaga di tepi-tepi jalan. Kami mempunyai kedai di Pasar Minggu yang telah terbakar di Kampung Bahru. Kami bermula dari Medan Mara. Sebuah kedai kami juga pernah mempunyai pejabat di Ampang, Selangor. Dan akhirnya, kami berniaga di sini pada tahun 2001. Kami tidak merayu untuk diberikan pampasan duit sebab bagi kami duit hanya akan habis. Namun, kami amat memerlukan ganti-rugi untuk kami meneruskan kehidupan. Dengan ganti kedai di Keramat Mall, kami mampu meneruskan pendapatan kemi untuk menyara kehidupan anak-anak kami yang seramai 6 orang. 1. kawasan setinggan Kampung Limau, di Lembah Pantai, diberikan rumah flat sebagai ganti dan pembelian rumah pada masa hadapan. 2. Projek KL Linear City. Sebanyak 200 keluarga setinggan ini telahpun diberi satu surat jaminan daripada DBKL untuk membeli rumah pangsa kos rendah dengan harga RM 42,000 3. Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail, berkata DBKL menyediakan unit PPR cukup untuk semua keluarga yang diarahkan berpindah dari rumah setinggan 4. Kg Jirat Cina, Jln Loke Yew menerima penempatan semula oleh DBKL 5. Pusat Penjaja Kerinchi mendapat ganti gerai di Dataran Seri Angkasa Jaya, Pantai Dalam 6. Kampung Semarak mendapat penempatan semula di rumah PPRT Bagaimana dengan kami? Kami telah membangunkan tanah tersebut. Lot kami adalah lot yang pertama dibangunkan dengan membina bangunan di situ. Malah, semasa moyang kami membeli tanah tersebut, DBKL pun belum wujud. Apa hak kami? Kenapa hak kami diketepikan? Kami bukan sengaja mahu disetinggankan... Kami bukan setinggan....Sedangkan kampung setinggan diberikan pampasan untuk mereka berpindah, tetapi mengapa kami diarahkan keluar tanpa sebarang ganti-rugi...apa lagi tanpa sebarang perbincangan. Inikah keadilan namanya? Inikah namanya negara demokrasi? Inikah yang dikatakan Rakyat Diutamakan? Jika kerajaan sendiri pun tidak mempraktikkannya....di mana barisan pembangkang, yang sibuk2 memperjuangkan keadilan rakyat? Dimana YB kami yang suka bising-bising di Palestin, tetapi ALPA dengan jiran sendiri....jiran sebelah rumah.... Apa yang kami minta hanya ganti-rugi kami sekeluarga. Tempat berteduh kami. Tempat kami mencari rezeki. Dahlah kami tiada diberikan penempatan semula, perniagaan kami juga mahu dimatikan. DImana keadilan? Sanggup anda yang bekerja di DBKL di atas cukai2 yang kami bayar, pemerintah2 yang duduk di bilik2 yang ber'air-cond', mengatakan kami kotor? Mengatakan kami tidak layak...apa hak anda? Kebanyakan dari anda, bertudung-litup, solat 5 waktu...dan akan menyambut Ramadhan...tapi sanggup memejamkan mata melihat penganiayaan terhadap kami....KENAPA??? Sebab hanya kami sekeluarga. Sebab hanya kami SEORANG. Jadi, tuan dan puan boleh menutup mata. Kamu semua sanggup hidup dengan penderitaan kami. Kamu semua sanggup memberi makan-minum kepada anak-isteri dengan memijak rezeki kami. Inikah keadilan di Malaysia? Inikah yang dikatakan Rakyat Diutamakan? Inikah orang ISLAM.... KAMI MINTA KEADILAN. KAMI MAHU HAK KAMI DIKEMBALIKAN. KAMI BUKAN SETINGGAN. KAMI DISETINGGANKAN OLEH PEJABAT TANAH DAN DBKL. |
| Ahmad Sarbaini's death: CCTV recordings tampered with, court hears Posted: 05 Jul 2011 04:05 PM PDT 
(The Star) - The CCTV recordings at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building had been tampered with around the time of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed's death, the Coroner's court was told Wednesday. Audio-video analyst ASP Fauziah Che Mat, who is with the police forensic lab in Cheras, told the court that she believed that the "CCTV recordings had been tampered with by someone who was skilled". In her analysis of three hard drives taken from the MACC building, two containing recordings of inside the building had two interruptions, one of which was a 22-hour gap. The recordings from DVR1 simply skipped from 2.47pm (on April 5, 2011) to 1.24pm (on April 6, 2011). Recordings from DVR2, instead, skipped from 2.37pm (on April 5) to 1.36pm (on April 6). When questioned by DPP Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas, she explained that the recordings continued after Ahmad Sarbaini's death occured. ASP Fauziah said DVR3, which contained footage from cameras placed outside the building, was working normally. She added she believed that "interruptions" were made at the MACC building itself. Another witness, Kuala Lumpur MACC director Mohamad Yusoff Akope, when questioned by lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah instead, told the court that he was informed that the discrepancies in the CCTV recordings had been "human error". "One of the security guards (Ismail Sedek) had wanted to rewind, but he didn't realise he had turned it off. "A second security guard (Romizi) turned it on again," he said. Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs office, was found dead at the badminton court on the first floor of the MACC building on April 6. He was reported to have gone to the commission's office to meet the investigation officer assigned to corruption cases involving 62 customs officers. The inquest continues in the afternoon. |
| Bersih 2.0: Kami bukan suara Pakatan, sedia temu Pemuda Umno Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:59 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Pemimpin Bersih 2.0 melahirkan kesediaan untuk mengadakan pertemuan dengan Pemuda Umno berhubung isu tuntutan pembaharuan sistem pilihan raya yang adil dan bebas di negara ini. "Kami bersedia untuk berbincang dengan Pemuda Umno. Mereka juga dialu-alukan menyertai kami pada Sabtu ini," kata Pengerusi Bersih 2.0 Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. Semalam, The Malaysian Insider membawa laporan bahawa Pemuda Umno akan membatalkan rancangannya mahu mengadakan perhimpunan balas Sabtu ini, sebaliknya akan menyokong beberapa tuntutan pembaharuan sistem pilihan raya dibawa Bersih 2.0 jika gabungan itu menggugurkan kempennya. Ketuanya Khairy Jamaluddin memberitahu The Malaysian Insider bahawa sayap itu akan menawarkan sokongannya memandangkan sistem semasa juga memerlukan penambahbaikan. "Kami percaya bahawa satu barisan berkecuali yang bersatu, yang (jika) kita bersetuju akan lebih efektif, jika Bersih benar-benar mahukan perubahan," kata beliau yang juga Ketua Pemuda BN. "Saya selalu mengatakan bahawa kami menyokong sistem semasa tetapi penambahbaikan adalah diperlukan," kata Khairy lagi yang kini berada di Athens. Ahli Parlimen Rembau ini berkata Pemuda Umno akan membantu membersihkan pengundi-pengundi sudah mati dari daftar pemilih semasa, pengundian bagi mereka di luar negara, akses parti politik kepada semua media. "Semua ini boleh dibincangkan," katanya. Gabungan 62 pertubuhan bukan kerajaan itu sebelum ini dilabel sebagai suara Pakatan Rakyat. "Kami tidak boleh menghalang apa yang dikatakan oleh pihak lain," kata salah seorang ahli jawatankuasa pemandu Bersih 2.0 Subramaniam Pillay. Seorang lagi ahli jawatankuasa pemandu Wong Chin Huat berkata, Bersih 2.0 kelihatan sebagai suara Pakatan Rakyat kerana tiada Barisan Nasional (BN) yang sanggup untuk menyokong pergerakan itu bagi diadakan pilihan raya yang adil dan bebas. |
| BERSIH and the inane responses Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:52 PM PDT SAKMONGKOL AK47 This present government has developed one distinguishing characteristic not unlike the previous administration. If the previous administration was maligned as being uninspiring and sleeping through its job, this present government isn't that far from being similarly aspersed. How so? It has shown it has a knack of being inept at handling small shocks to the system. Many of us for example are not supporters of Anwar Ibrahim, but the manner the government handles the Anwar affairs- whether it's the sodomy 2 charge or the recent video clip showing a person resembling Anwar in a sexual tryst, the administration has shown its ineptness and incompetence. In the video clip affair for example, people see the court as being a manipulated instrument to serve the interest of the siting government. The court has allowed itself to be the pulpit for making political statements; lawyers representing the three people accused of possession and distribution or broadcasting pornographic material, used that occasion to declare the authenticity of the video and its main actor. How was it relevant and moreover we heard it through a secondary source- i.e. regurgitation from the defense lawyers. That become hearsay evidence and can be contested. Its Anwar again this time having his hands tied behind and walloped defenselessly. Last time it was the physical black eye. This time it is the legal black eye. The last time, it nearly cost the loss of Najib in Pekan, this time it could probably cost more to UMNO as a whole. The current shock to the system- a system made merry by numerous announcements of projects by the PM and his chief major domo in this field of auta-mania, Idris Jala, is how the government handles the Bersih NGO. This is an NGO led by a Malaysian Indian lady by the name of S Ambiga. This lady has managed to rattle almost all the top guns in UMNO and those wishing they were part of UMNO. Ibrahim Ali is responding mindlessly justifying his conduct as an answer to his interpretation of Bersih as being a movement to (1) unseat the government and (2) attacking the position of Malays. So he steps in as the self-appointed warrior defending the position of Malays. He says he is willing to be murderous and warned the Chinese to stay away. But he hasn't asked his Chinese business backers to do the same. Bersih was a godsend re-invigorating Ibrahim Ali from an otherwise political stupor. He now has an issue and Ibrahim Ali lives. But why is Ibrahim Ali defending the UMNO led government? Ibrahim Ali is not even an UMNO member. Two, has UMNO not got enough warrior politicians to defend it in its hour of need? UMNO does not need Ibrahim Ali to speak for the party. If it does, then the warrior politicians in UMNO have since become eunuchs. The other reason for attacking Bersih as a movement to endanger Malays and Malay interests is too far-fetched to be dignified by answering it. Who is the right mind will entertain the idea of unseating the government through undemocratic means? The only one that did, were the UMNO politicians who engineered the downfall of the Perak PR government. Already there are signs that the Perak government will be retaken by the PR forces. Ambiga and the Bersih people must be absent minded or must have suffered a bout of spontaneous amnesia to not be aware that Governments can be unseated only though democratic means, that is by way of free and fair elections. Therefore to seriously suggest that Bersih is a copycat version of the mass movements in Tunisa and Egypt is not acceptable. Our response becomes more bizarre when the discovery of the portrait of Shamsiah Fakeh among Bersih rally paraphernalia is taken as proof that Bersih is communist inspired! The whole handling becomes even more macabre with the 'discovery' of weapons said to belong to Bersih would be participants. Oh yes. Oh yes- more of the incompetence. The discovery is a miracle to happen just before the planned rally. I hope the people masterminding the discovery will also be ready with some creative answers to tell the PM, how the weapons were 'planted' there. How convenient! The gods must be smiling at the politicians and police. And now the investigation into the finances of Bersih shall be used as proof that Bersih is a Trojan horse for foreign subversion. That would probably provide an aphrodisiac for the recuperating Dr Mahathir who is a well-known opponent of any form of colonialism. People may get inspired by those movements but were probably so without seriously entertaining the idea of unseating a government by undemocratic or violent means. Public opinion will certainly go against Bersih if that is the case. Ambiga will be lynched for that. READ MORE HERE |
| Handling demos: Two-day course for cops Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:44 PM PDT By S Rutra, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: The police are pushing ahead with their two-day refresher course for 1,200 personnel despite the Bersih 2.0 rally being moved indoors. The course, which involves officers as well as rank-and-file personnel from all state contingent headquarters, is being conducted at the police training centre in Cheras. It focuses on how to handle demonstrations and partcipants are briefed on the laws and limitations of the police in exercising their powers under such circumstances. FMT learnt that briefings will be carried out by the police's internal security and public order department as well as deputy public prosecutors from the Attorney-General's Office. The latter will coach the participants on evidence gathering in order to ensure successful prosecutions when the demonstrators are arrested and produced in court. Lack of evidence A senior police officer, who declined to be named, told FMT that in the past, many of those detained walked free due to lack of evidence. "This time we want more visuals and photographs to ensure those participating in illegal rallies are convicted and sentenced," he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| Bersih and the Fall of Reason Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:42 PM PDT ART HARUN "I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death." : Thomas Paine The events unfolding before our eyes in the past few weeks say a lot about us as a collection of individuals; as a society and as a people. What is clear however is the sad fact that when we are faced with adversity, we tend to lose our head and retreat into the same old dark and cold cave of emotions, of irrationality and of convenient rhetoric. Above all, we abandon the very faculty which differentiate us from all other primates, namely, our ability to reason. That is the saddest reflection of us, as a nation. With all due respect, the government could have handled the Bersih's requests and demands in better ways than imaginable. As a people living in 2011, we expect better. We expect the government to respond and not react. And react rashly and even stupidly at that. When the momentum of Bersih's call for a rally gain traction and weight, the usual suspects jumped into action. Apparently, Dato' Ambiga, the Bersih chairman, was an enemy of Islam. The obligatory demonstration (which was granted a police permit in two days after an application was made for one) coupled with the inevitable ultra-nationalistic speeches climaxing into the predictable burning of Ambiga's pictures took place. It is ironic that Ibrahim Ali named his movement "Gerak Aman" ("Peace Movement", in English) while at the same time making a not-so-veiled, but vile, threat that the "Chinese should really stock up food in their house". he then appointed himself the "war general". And so, a Peace Movement had a war general. Certainly a first for Malaysia. The police force was not to be left behind. Its intelligent unit jumped into action and within minutes it found evidence that the Communist had infiltrated Bersih and was planning the overthrow the government through Bersih. A number of people from Parti Sosialis Malaysia were promptly arrested and red t-shirts were seized. Not enough with that, it was also found out that Bersih was being funded by some Christian groups. That seemed to gel with the earlier assertion that Ambiga was anti-Islam. And so Bersih has managed to achieve what no other organisation in the whole world had managed to even dream, ie, the unison of Christianity with Communism in post World War time. How's that for international notoriety? If we had thought that Malaysia and her authorities have gone ape, we were in for a big surprise in later days. The members of some silat organisation that announced that they would "wage war" against Bersih. 50000 of its members were ready to kill off any challenge by Bersih or by the rally participants. As to what the challenge was, nobody gave any clue. Later the silat organisation seemed to grow in numbers and this time it declared it was ready to "defend the country from Bersih's action". Then the usual intellectual and some persatuan peniaga runcit whatever joined in the fray. The planned rally would create traffic congestion and would cause traders to lose a lot of money. Why don't they do it in Putrajaya? Pity the taxi drivers. Of course it was lost too them that the bounden duty of the police is the ensure safety and order during the exercise by the people of their Constitutional right. Why don't the police meet up with Bersih and hatch out a security plan rather than act to prevent the people from doing so? There was, and still is, a complete lack of understanding as to the rights of the people and the function of the State when such rights are about to be exercised. Thinking that it is the year 2011 and that Malaysia has gained independence for about 54 years, it is distressful to note such complete belligerent attitude against the people by the government. Worst was to come, however. READ MORE HERE |
| Yellow Malaysians vs Umno-BN Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:37 PM PDT (FMT) - The events in the next few days would give us an idea as to how the police would treat the "yellow Malaysians" who would gather for the indoor rally. It's now confirmed that the Bersih 2.0 rally, which calls for free and fair elections, would be held at a stadium. But the rally organisers have their demands – to hold the rally at Stadium Merdeka, set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the electoral process and release all detainees, including those arrested under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) But yellow T-shirts are still deemed illegal and Bersih stays an unlawful organisation. How would Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak negotiate with an unlawful organisation? Beats me. Sometimes, government leaders cannot get it right. In Malaysia, we have been seeing this over the last two weeks. Najib and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein plus the whole Barisan Nasional (BN) government are clearly jittery. Thanks to the inefficiency of the government, we are moving backwards as a nation. Clamping down on legitimate dissent, jailing activists, nabbing people for wearing yellow T-shirts, getting panicky over street protests – these are not the marks of a progressive nation. All the weaknesses of BN's shoddy administration which gave the opposition its historic win in 2008 are also present as I write this – discontent among the urban and rural folks, soaring prices, repression of democratic rights, arbitrary arrests… the list could go on. But instead of looking into issues that affect Malaysians, the government is again using its police goons and manipulating the law to repress people.
Guessing game I am playing a guessing game here – the other possible developments in the next few days could include the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) suspending or closing down blogs; Internet-based papers being jammed as what happened during the Sarawak election and your faithful mobile phone operators doing a number on their clients. I am yet to exhaust my list. One has to only read the headline news yesterday to play my guessing game. The whole "weapons being found ahead of rally" drama is plain stupid. I would think the police would have better brains – didn't we all see the Molotov cocktails? The bottles were so clean and the "parring" glittering. If the police do not stop barging in on private meetings held by Bersih 2.0 organisers and eyeing everyone with suspicion, we could conclude they would flex their muscles come Saturday. So no yellow T-shirts, shoes, ties, hair bands, plastic flowers. This morning – despite Bersih agreeing to move its rally to a stadium – the police erected roadblocks along major roads in the Klang Valley including Shah Alam and Klang, causing massive peak-hour traffic congestions. I understand three more people were arrested this morning for wearing the yellow Bersih T-shirts. All signs point to a major clampdown in the next few days. We know that domestic politics has a strong impact on foreign investment. The latest report by Global Investment Trend Monitor, a publication of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, shows the 2010 FDI figure for Malaysia at US$ 7 billion (RM21 billion). In comparison, Indonesia received US$12.8 billion while Hong Kong and Singapore's FDI stands at US$62.6 billion and US$37.4 billion respectively. Thailand, with its political upheaval, received US$6.8 billion. Clearly someone has to tell the government that it needs to buck up for the revival of the economy. READ MORE HERE. |
| Bersih 2.0 wants Stadium Merdeka Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:37 PM PDT (Free Malaysia Today) - Bersih 2.0 wants to hold its July 9 rally at the iconic Stadium Merdeka here, where the nation's idependence was proclaimed more than five decades ago. Speaking at a press conference here, the movement's chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said: "We have decided it would be in Stadium Merdeka from 2pm-4pm." "A delegation of not more than 10 members of the Bersih 2.0 steering committee would then go to Istana Negara to hand over a memorandum," she added. Bersih 2.0 has also called for the release of all those detained in connection with the rally, and demanded that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) be set up to look into electoral reforms. "The RCI was raised during our meeting with the King (yesterday)," said Ambiga. MORE TO FOLLOW |
| DAP asks police to cooperate over Bersih rally Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:34 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — The DAP has asked the police to cooperate with Bersih to ensure this Saturday's rally for free and fair elections goes without a hitch, saying this morning's road blocks across the capital city is "a direct affront" to the King and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Police mounted a number of road blocks across the Klang Valley during rush hour this morning ahead of the July 9 rally, which has now been moved to a stadium pending approvals from the authorities. Motorists fumed as police checked for anyone wearing yellow with the words Bersih, which has been outlawed as an organisation since July 1. "Given that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has proposed and agreed to the Bersih rally being held in the stadium, with the consent of the King, the actions of the police, including blockading the city since the early hours of this morning is a direct affront to both the Prime Minister and the King," DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said in a statement. He added that "police to instead cooperate with Bersih to ensure that the gathering on 9 July will proceed smoothly with hindrance and minimal inconvenience to the general public, and uphold our constitution which grants Malaysians the freedom of assembly and expression". |
| ‘Opposition hijacked Bersih’ Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:31 PM PDT PBS has denied that it is being two-faced on calls for electoral reforms. (Free Malaysia Today) - Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Umno's key partner in the state Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is fully supportive of Berish 2.0′s call for electoral reforms but will not take part in the rally only because it has been hijacked by the opposition. Party secretary-general Henrynus Amin said PBS agreed with Bersih's call for fair and free elections. "We support Bersih's stated objectives but we will not participate in the illegal rally. "The fact is, the planned illegal rally is already hijacked by opposition political parties to promote doubtful causes. "PBS' view is that the opposition groups are using NGOs to regain their momentum for the forthcoming general election after a series of losses in various by-elections," he said. He said now that the planned rally had been hijacked by the opposition, it was no more about seeking electoral reforms but instead would be a replay of the 2007 assembly which saw opposition parties chalk up huge gains in the 2008 polls. Referring to allegations that PBS was being two-faced about its stand on reforms, he said the party's decision should not be misconstrued. "PBS is very clear and has consistently addressed the issue of tainted electoral roll by actively studying the matter and making objections; we have even gone to court to make a case. "PBS is against the use of illegal street demonstration to make political statements," he added. Henrynus also expressed concern over the manner in which "unsuspecting" young people were being recruited over the Internet to "deliberately break the law and create chaos". He said that in view of this, PBS fully supported the preventive action by the police. Indoor rally Yesterday Bersih 2.0 chairman S Ambiga announced that the rally will be shifted to a stadium. This followed her audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin. She was accompanied by Bersih committee member Zaid Kamaruddin and national laureate A Samad Said. Speaking to reporters after her audience, Ambiga said: "A rally in the street will not happen." "We are grateful for the King's audience. We are accepting the suggestion of the government of holding the rally in a stadium," she said. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar fails again to disqualify sodomy judge Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:18 PM PDT By Tashny Sukumaran, FMT PUTRAJAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has again failed to have judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah replaced in his sodomy trial. The Court of Appeal today rejected his attempt to reverse Zabidin's refusal to recuse himself for allegedly pre-judging the case when he said he found complainant Saiful Bukhari Azlan to be a truthful witness. "There is no reason to overturn the decision," appeal judge Hasan Lah said after hearing submissions from Anwar's lawyer Karpal Singh and prosecutor Nordin Hassan.
"We uphold the High Court decision and dismiss the appeal. We will provide detailed grounds of judgment later."
Hasan headed a three-man panel. After hearing the decision, Karpal said the defence would file its appeal to the Federal Court tomorrow and called for a stay of the sodomy hearing until the higher court decides. "It will be a waste of time and effort for all persons involved to proceed with the hearing," he said. But the appeal court rejected the application. READ MORE HERE. |
| Malaysia: A police state Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:11 PM PDT 
By Tommy Thomas Death Threats. Bomb Threats. Warning on Revocation of Citizenship. Preventive detention. Arrest of hundreds for wearing Yellow T-Shirts. Banning of Organisations. Prohibition of Peaceful Marches. Is one describing Burma? Or Zimbabwe? No: this is Malaysia in July 2011, in its 54th year of independence. Has paranoia gripped the decision-making elite in Kuala Lumpur? But for its grave repercussions, one would have to laugh at the disproportionate overreaction and incompetence of government agencies in recent weeks. Has Malaysia become a police state, with no place for the Rule of Law? So what is the problem that has attracted the ugly, heavy hand of the Executive. It is only a call by ordinary voices for electoral reform so that future elections are conducted freely and fairly, that is, on a level playing field, with no political party or candidate having an in-built advantage over its rival parties and candidates, very much, like all runners in a 100 metres race starting at the same point with the same distance to run. Is that not a laudable objective that should receive the support of everyone who truly believes in the democratic process? When Malaya achieved Merdeka in 1957, it chose the parliamentary democracy style of government under a constitutional monarchy, with the Federal Constitution as the supreme law. In order to elect a government, general elections are to be held at least one in every 5 years under the supervision of what was intended to be an independent, impartial Elections Commission to act as a neutral referee or umpire in electoral contests. In the actual conduct of general and bye-elections since 1957, the Election Commission has failed miserably, with the result that no right thinking person would describe it as being fair or neutral in the discharge of its duties. The actions of governmental agencies such as widespread gerrymandering of constituencies, the total domination by one political party of television, radio and print media, a brief campaign period of between seven to 10 days, the blatant granting of gifts, money and other benefits to voters, other corrupt electoral practices and the abuse of postal ballots have resulted in the ruling coalition having a tremendously unfair advantage whenever elections are held. Accordingly, by any yardstick, elections have never been conducted in Malaysia in a fair and free manner, consistent with the spirit of true parliamentary democracy. It is against this background that Bersih, a coalition of organisations interested in electoral reform, announced its decision to organise a peaceful march in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 9th July 2011 to call public attention to the ills of the electoral system, and to present a memorandum to His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Is the Government seriously contending that as a sovereign nation which has enjoyed over 5 decades of independence, Malaysia cannot tolerate or survive the exercise by thousands of its citizens of their entrenched fundamental liberties of free speech, assembly and association on a Saturday morning! It must be recalled that in the 12-year sunset period of British imperialism over Malaya from 1945 to 1957, the British colonial rulers permitted the holding of public rallies which were brilliantly exploited, first by Umno in 1946 in leading the opposition to the Malayan Union proposal, and subsequently by the Alliance coalition from 1954 to 1957 in its campaign for Merdeka. Bearing in mind that those rallies, marches, demonstrations and assemblies were held during the Emergency declared to fight the Communist insurrection, and would result in the ending of colonial rule, the British Government did not ban such rallies, even if it was in its self-interest to do so. For Merdeka to be meaningful, surely every Malaysian must enjoy greater and better rights in independent Malaysia in 2011 than his or her forefather enjoyed under colonial rule in 1946! Demonising Bersih and its outstanding leader of courage and conviction, Ambiga Sreenevasan brings great discredit to the Government. It smacks of a witchunt, McCarthy style. For the Prime Minister to describe Ambiga Sreenevasan as being anti-Islam shows his true commitment to his own 1Malaysia philosophy — it is just window-dressing!! I know of no law in Malaysia which prohibits a person from wearing yellow clothes. Thus, there is no Colours Act or Clothes Act under our law which empowers the police from arresting persons because of the choice of garment colour. Even totalitarian North Korea does not act in such a high-handed, mean and petty way. When the streets of Kuala Lumpur are no longer safe with the massive increase of crime, and an apparent breakdown of law and order, the police are allocating their resources to preventing ordinary law-abiding Malaysians from exercising their constitutional rights of free speech, assembly and association. Compounding its mishandling of the entire situation was the abdication by the elected Government of resolving the problem, apart from a crude outright ban against Bersih. For His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as constitutional monarch, to enter the political fray — probably unprecedented in 54 years — is an indictment of poor governance by the Najib administration. The Prime Minister is elected to lead: what has been displayed hitherto has been dithering leadership reminiscent of the Badawi administration. The fascist elements of the state, whose main aim in life seems to be to protect and serve the interests of the ruling party, must be reminded that Malaysia does not belong to the Prime Minister. Neither does the nation belong to the political party that happened to win the most seats in the last Parliamentary election in March 2008 thereby forming the government of the day. Just as the electorate gave it a mandate to rule temporarily, it can withdraw that mandate at the next general elections which must, by law, be called by mid-2013. No political party has a divine right to rule continuously. Malaysia, on the contrary, belongs to the people, whose interests may often not coincide with that of the ruling party. Not allowing the people of Malaysia to express their opinion on a matter of vital public interest, viz, the electoral system, by assembling peacefully in Kuala Lumpur is wholly unacceptable. It is neither right nor proper. The behaviour of our leaders indicate that they are desperate to hold on to power by all means, and every measure must be taken by the state to prevent what they perceive as a threat to their own position. It is an iron law of history that besieged, desperate leaders who believe they are indispensible or identify themselves with their countries ultimately lose power: it is always only a matter of time. I urge my fellow Malaysians to attend the rally on Saturday in droves, and to behave in a peaceful, civilized manner with a single-minded focus on calling for a reform of the badly marred electoral system so structured in favour of one party. Malaysians must, with pride and dignity, exercise their fundamental rights of free speech, association and assembly on 9th July 2011 so that the executive branch of government can be shown to have totally underestimated the good sense of the people. The shameful conduct of Malaysian politicians and bureaucrats in the past weeks must be wiped clean by the actions of the citizenry on Saturday. See you there. *Tommy Thomas is a senior lawyer in the Malaysian Bar. |
| Nik Aziz promises King no chaos in any government change Posted: 05 Jul 2011 03:08 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has promised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin in an open letter that there will not be any chaos if there is a change of government through free and fair elections. The PAS spiritual chief also offered his prayers and congratulations to the King for interceding in Bersih 2.0 rally debacle, saying the ruler had displayed "concern" for the people. "I would like to offer my view that any change in government through fair elections will not cause chaos like in other countries such as Japan and Thailand," said Nik Aziz through an open letter published in PAS organ Harakah and on his Facebook fan page today. The popular Kelantan Mentri Besar, who is presently on a pilgrimage to Mecca, sent the open letter last night. Nik Aziz was responding to the King's audience with Bersih 2.0 organisers yesterday afternoon which resulted in the coalition's agreement to accept the government's offer to hold its rally in a stadium. Bersih 2.0 sought audience with the constitutional monarch on Monday after he released a rare statement the day before seeking to diffuse tension ahead of Saturday's rally by calling on all parties to engage in consultation instead of confrontation. Shortly after the coalition was granted audience yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that the government was willing to meet with Bersih 2.0 to discuss an appropriate rally venue. There is still no word about a venue although the police said the rally organisers will have to apply for a permit. Police had refused permit earlier for any rallies on July 9 and mounted roadblocks across Kuala Lumpur today in an apparent move to discourage Bersih supporters from entering the city. More than 200 people have also been arrested for wearing Bersih t-shirts with six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for up to 60 days. PSM will file a habeas corpus to free the six, which includes Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj. READ MORE HERE. |
| EC produces booklet to explain issues related to elections Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:32 PM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) has produced a booklet to clarify issues raised concerning elections in the country. Its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the commission opined that it was high time for an appropriate clarification be published to straighten things out following the allegations raised by certain quarters against the EC. "With the clarification, it is hoped that all quarters will understand clearly the policies and actions taken by the EC in holding elections in an independent, transparent and fair manner," he said in his message in the booklet entitled "Penjelasan Terhadap Isu-isu yang Dibangkitkan Mengenai Pilihan Raya" (Explanation on Issues Raised Concerning Elections) dated June 22. Abdul Aziz said of late certain quarters were questioning the capability and credibility of the EC in handling elections in the country. He said among the allegations made against the commission were that it was blocking voter registration, would not abolish postal voting which is alleged to have benefited the ruling party and would not allow all Malaysians abroad to be registered as postal voters. "Other allegations include the EC's reluctance to implement the use of indelible ink and its failure in combating bribery during elections," he said. The 19-page booklet explains, among others, the issues of automatic registration of voters, postal voting, registration of illegal immigrants as voters, phantom voters, relocation of voters and calls to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years. Besides these, the issues of campaigning period, election bribery, expenditure control and fair access for the media to monitor elections are also clarified in the booklet. - Bernama |
| Selangor CPO explains Wednesday morning roadblocks Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:31 PM PDT (The Star) - SHAH ALAM: Police roadblocks in the state on Wednesday morning was a preventive move - to stop undesirable elements from "smuggling" weapons into the city said State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah. Tun Hisan while apologising for the inconvenience caused said the move was needed as police had over the past 48 hours seized Molotov cocktails, parang and firecrackers in Gombak and Kuala Lumpur which they believe was meant to be used during Saturday's rally. "Our action is preventive. We have a duty to protect the people and ensure public order and security remains peaceful at all times. "We hope the public will bear and assist us as we do not wish to cause or pose any problem to the public. It's just that we have a job to do and we have to do it," he said. DCP Tun Hisan said police would not let up in their investigations following the seizure of the weapons as they believe there could be groups out to cause trouble although the organisers of Bersih 2.0 had called off the street demonstrations. |
| We’ll deal with the police, says DAP Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:29 PM PDT (FMT)- SIBU: Sarawak DAP is prepared to deal with the "101 reasons" the police will give to arrest its members when they assemble in Kuching to show solidarity for the Bersih 2.0 rally, which is calling for fair and free elections. State chairman Wong Ho Leng said all 12 assemblymen, who will wear yellow as a show of solidarity for Bersih 2.0, will assemble in the city but would ensure that their activities are lawful. "We won't give the police any reason to arrest us. We know that the police could be engineering 101 reasons to detain us. "But we will make sure that our activities are lawful and will not give the police any grounds to arrest us," he told reporters here yesterday. He said the party was prepared to face the consequences should anyone of its elected representatives is arrested. Wong declined to give details of where the representatives will assemble and whether other DAP supporters in the state will join them, citing security reasons. His statement follows a disclosure by Sibu police chief ACP Shafie Ismail who said that the police had received information that several Bersih rallies were planned for Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. Shafie warned the public from participating in the rallies, saying these were illegal assemblies. He also urged the pubic to avoid wearing yellow on July 9 or they may be interrogated. Wong meanwhile confirmed that DAP will not participate in the rally in Kuala Lumpur. READ MORE HERE. |
| Stop pre-rally clampdown, Kit Siang tells Hishammuddin Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — With Bersih 2.0 and the government having reached a truce yesterday, DAP's Lim Kit Siang now wants the Home Ministry to cease its nationwide pre-rally clampdown exercise. Lim, a leader in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council, said in a statement today that the police should end its "harassment" of Bersih 2.0 supporters, return all seized Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia and grant an unconditional release of all those detained in connection with the rally. He expressed disappointment that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had not made the order himself yesterday, when the latter was commenting on the latest developments surrounding the rally debacle. "The statement by the Prime Minister, passing the buck to the police to decide whether to proceed with its nation-wide pre-Bersih rally clampdown on supporters, is most irresponsible. "Najib should know that as Prime Minister, he must always be reminded of the injunction: 'The buck stops here!'," said Lim. In a brief press conference at his office in Putrajaya yesterday, shortly after Bersih 2.0 officials were granted audience with the King, Najib announced that the government was ready to meet with Bersih 2.0 officials to decide on a rally venue for this Saturday. The prime minister expressed relief that all three street demonstrations planned for July 9 had been called off but would not say if his administration would now consider Bersih 2.0 a lawful organisation and would stop arresting supporters in connection with the rally. With Najib having passed the buck to the police, Lim said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should give the ceasefire order to his men in the police force, adding that this would be in respect of the King's advice. He listed four requests on Hishammuddin — release all those detained in connection with the rally, release Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and five other Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members detained under the Emergency Ordinance, return all seized Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia and appoint a senior police officer to liaise with Bersih 2.0 on its stadium rally this Saturday. Lim also cited the King's words on Sunday when the latter said, "When any problem arises, we as a civilised society must resolve it through consultations and not follow our emotions. READ MORE HERE. |
| Bersih wants supporters freed, RCI on election practices Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:24 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Bersih will demand that Datuk Seri Najib Razak establish a royal commission into election practices and free its arrested supporters, its chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today. She also added that Bersih is "horrified" that police are continuing with arrests and charges despite Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's call for negotiations between the movement and the government. "It is only proper that they stand down and the topmost priority is to release all those arrested," Ambiga told a press conference today. The former Bar Council president also said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong "heard us out" on the issues in yesterday's audience. "In the spirit of reconciliation, we accepted the offer of a stadium in good faith," Ambiga (picture) said, The prime minister said yesterday that he was willing to negotiate on a suitable venue with Bersih for their July 9 rally after the electoral reform movement accepted the government's offer to allow the gathering to take place in a stadium. The coalition of 62 NGOs agreed yesterday to move a street protest into a stadium and said today that it wants to hold it in the 50,000-seater Stadium Merdeka. |
| WIKILEAKS: Malaysia loses game of "chicken' with Singapore over bridge Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT This plan, which local MP Nur Jazlan privately described to us as "a game of chicken", had some serious flaws -- it did not take into full account the need to maintain rail links and a water pipeline that supplies the island republic with fresh Malaysian water. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000679 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015 TAGS: PREL, ELTN, SN, MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA LOSES GAME OF "CHICKEN" WITH SINGAPORE OVER BRIDGE Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Brian H Phipps for reasons 1. 4 b and d. 1. (C) On April 12, the Government of Malaysia announced that Malaysia would abandon its plan to build a new bridge across the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore. When Singapore's leaders had balked at Malaysian plans to replace an existing 82-year old causeway with a new bridge, the Malaysian government announced that they would build a "scenic" half-bridge to join up with Singapore's side of the causeway at the boundary line. This plan, which local MP Nur Jazlan privately described to us as "a game of chicken", had some serious flaws -- it did not take into full account the need to maintain rail links and a water pipeline that supplies the island republic with fresh Malaysian water. Demolishing its own side of the causeway could have put Malaysia in breach of a longstanding bilateral water sharing agreement with Singapore. Malaysia had wanted to build the bridge to improve shipping access to and between the ports of Johor Baru and Port Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), as well as to enrich contractors linked to Malaysia's ruling political coalition. Press reports indicate that the bridge contractors will be paid some 27 million USD in compensation on what was to have been a 300 million USD project. 2. (C) Malaysia's government-controlled press was filled with articles justifying the project's cancellation and blaming the move on Singaporean intransigence. Johor state politicians have been vocal in their opposition to supposed Singaporean conditions for agreeing to the bridge project -- free passage through a small area of Malaysian airspace in order to facilitate access to international airspace for military training and exercises, and permission to purchase Malaysian sand for Singaporean land reclamation projects. These influential politicians, including the state's Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman, outspoken Backbenchers' Club President MP Sharir Samad, and MP Nur Jazlan owe their local political reputations to standing up to and playing tough with Singapore. While Singaporean tourists in search of bargains make an important contribution to the local economy, the richer, more successful Singaporeans also generate resentment in neighboring Johor. One discordant voice in the chorus of those supporting the decision was Mahathir Mohamad, the former PM, who himself originally proposed replacing the causeway with a bridge in 1996. LAFLEUR |
| The plan is working well Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Participating in a march against the ruler is a sin that may affect the faith of Muslims, Federal Territory Mufti Datuk Wan Zabidi Wan Teh said yesterday. "From their understanding of the Quran and Sunnah, ulamas agree that loyalty to the ruler is obligatory for every Muslim," he added. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Tan Sri: So, Datuk, are things working according to plan? Datuk: Yes, Tan Sri, everything is perfect. We got the Federal Territory Mufti to issue his fatwah. Tan Sri: Good, and how was it? Datuk: He made it very clear that it is obligatory for all Muslims to support the government. If you oppose the government then you are kafir and you will burn in hell for eternity. Tan Sri: He said it exactly like that? Datuk: Not exactly like that lah, Tan Sri. He has to twist and turn a bit to confuse the Muslims. Tan Sri: I see, like what most of these people do best anyway. Datuk: The mufti said that from their understanding of the Quran and Sunnah, ulamas agree, etc., etc. etc. But he did not quote any verses from the Quran or any of the so-called Hadith. He also never mentioned by name which ulamas are of this opinion. So he very cleverly left it vague, which is therefore quite safe because no one can contradict him. Tan Sri: But won't the Muslims ask for clarification since it is very vague? Datuk: No lah, Tan Sri. When we were children, remember, we were never allowed to question the ustaz or ask for clarification? Whenever we ask any questions the ustaz would whack us and tell us that only those influenced by the devil will was-was. Tan Sri: Very true. Yes, it is easy to fool Muslims because they will swallow whatever these so-called religious people say, hook, line and sinker. So far no one has contradicted the mufti with their own fatwah? Not even Nik Aziz or Dr Asri? Datuk: No. It's already more than 24 hours and no one has rebutted the mufti. So I don't think we will face any problems. We can now circulate this fatwah in all the kampongs. Tan Sri: I am surprised that Muslims can swallow this fatwah without question. If they just used their brains they will know that all the Prophets -- Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad -- opposed the government. If what the mufti said is true then Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad will also become kafir. Datuk: Exactly. But then our education system has been able to reduce Muslims to a race that never questions religious people. So, as long as it comes from religious people, no one asks any questions -- although sometimes these religious people bullshit just like politicians. Tan Sri: Don't we all know that. And what about the other matters? Datuk: BERSIH has applied to use Stadium Merdeka but we rejected their application. We gave them a very vague excuse that some renovation work needs to be done on the stadium. Tan Sri: But I thought that same night they were supposed to have a rock concert. Datuk: That has been postponed to 1st October. Tan Sri: I see, so the stadium is really closed then? Datuk: Not quite. We are considering allowing PERKASA to use the stadium instead. Tan Sri: On the 9th? Datuk: Yes. Same time and date as BERSIH. Tan Sri: But how will we explain rejecting BERSIH but approving PERKASA? Datuk: We will say that PERKASA applied first. Tan Sri: But we said we rejected BERSIH because of the renovation work. Datuk: We will say that the renovation work is now delayed because the budget has not been approved yet. Tan Sri: This sounds like we are twisting and turning. Datuk: We ARE twisting and turning, Tan Sri. Tan Sri: Can the people buy this? Datuk: Well, we used this same excuse when Tunku Abdul Rahman and Hussein Onn applied to form Umno Malaysia. We rejected Umno Malaysia's application on grounds that Umno Baru applied to use the Umno name first even though Umno Baru submitted their application three days after Umno Malaysia. Tan Sri: Yes, I remember that one. So everything is going smooth according to plan then? Datuk: Not quite, Tan Sri. PERKASA requested an audience with His Majesty the Agong but Istana Negara declined the request. Tan Sri: Oh, how are we going to explain that? Datuk: We will think of a good spin. Not sure what we are going to say yet though. Tan Sri: Hmm…that's embarrassing. Datuk: Never mind. We can always refocus attention on different issues. Tan Sri: Like what? Datuk: Well, the police have announced that BERSIH is still an illegal organisation even though His Majesty consented to the audience. That means we can still arrest those behind BERSIH. Then the police announced that anyone wearing BERSIH T-shirts would still be arrested. Then the police announced that BERSIH still needs to apply for a police permit even though the assembly in the stadium is the Prime Minister's idea. The people will all argue about this and will forget that His Majesty refused to meet PERKASA. Tan Sri: Have they applied for the police permit yet? Datuk: Not sure but even if they have we can still reject the application because they need to apply for a permit 14 days before the event and 9th July is only three days away. That is the rule, 14 days. Tan Sri: But what about PERKASA's application? How can we approve theirs if we reject BERSIH's? Datuk: We can backdate it and say that they applied for the police permit more than 14 days ago. Tan Sri: Good plan. Okay, and do you think all this is working in our favour? Datuk: I think so, Tan Sri. People will be so angry because of all these twists, turns and bullshit that BN is going to get whacked in the next election. Tan Sri: Good, very good. We need to create as much problems as we can so that BN performs very badly just like Pak Lah did in March 2008. Then Muhyiddin and Mukhriz can push for Najib's resignation just like Najib pushed Pak Lah out after the last GE. Datuk: I think that is more or less assured, Tan Sri. Najib is looking more and more stupid on this BERSIH blunder. The Umno people are really pissed. We told Muhyiddin and Mukhriz to stay very silent and not make any comments. Let Najib and the police do all the talking. Tan Sri: Yes, I have noticed how quiet Muhyiddin and Mukhriz have been. Khairy did open his mouth though. Datuk: Yes, he said he is prepared to work with BERSIH. Umno Youth will whack him hard on this…you see. Tan Sri: Okay, I need to brief Tun on all these developments. Keep me updated on anything new. Datuk: Will do, Tan Sri. And please send Tun my salam and tell him we are with him all the way. Tan Sri: I think Tun is going to be very pleased. His son should be the DPM very soon once Muhyiddin becomes PM. ************************************** Sertai perarakan haram boleh jejaskan iman - mufti (Bernama) - Menyertai perarakan menentang pemerintah adalah sebaris dengan dosa-dosa besar yang boleh menjejaskan iman, kata Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan Datuk Wan Zabidi Wan Teh. Merujuk kepada beberapa hadis, beliau menerangkan bahawa dosa akibat menderhaka kepada pemerintah diletakkan sebaris dengan syirik, membunuh, makan harta anak yatim, riba dan menderhaka kepada ibu bapa. "Termasuk dalam perbuatan derhaka ialah membantah tanpa mengikut saluran yang betul mengenai apa jua keputusan pemerintah yang dibuat secara sah berasaskan kuasa yang diberikan kepada mereka dalam menjalankan urusan pentadbiran negara," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Wan Zabidi berkata, Rasulullah SAW telah mengingatkan dalam hadis-hadis sahih bahawa antara pelbagai aliran kefahaman agama, hanya pegangan Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah yang akan selamat di akhirat kelak. "Dan berasaskan dalil-dalil jelas dalam Al-Quran dan Sunnah, para ulama Ahli Sunnah telah ijmak (sepakat) mengatakan bahawa taat kepada pemerintah adalah fardu ke atas setiap Muslim," katanya. Wan Zabidi berkata, sejarah dan realiti masa kini seperti yang dialami beberapa negara Islam yang terjerumus dalam kancah perang saudara, membuktikan kegiatan yang bermula dengan tunjuk perasaan terhadap pemerintah akhirnya mencetuskan suasana anarki dan kekacauan dalam negara. Beliau berkata, memandangkan kemusnahan yang sangat besar terhadap agama dan umat disebabkan kegiatan penderhakaan atau "bid'atul khuruj", maka tidak hairanlah golongan penderhaka digelar Rasulullah sebagai "kilabunnar" (anjing neraka). Wan Zabidi berkata, dalil-dalil turut menerangkan bahawa perbuatan derhaka selain daripada menjejaskan iman, juga boleh memutuskan jalan ke syurga dan menyebabkan seseorang mati dalam keadaan jahiliah. "Sayugia diperingatkan mereka yang terlibat dalam penganjurannya, bukan sahaja akan menanggung dosa perbuatan itu, tetapi juga dosa setiap orang yang mengikutnya, tanpa mengurangkan dosa pengikut tersebut," katanya. Wan Zabidi menyeru setiap umat Islam tidak melibatkan diri dengan apa jua bentuk tunjuk perasaan kerana ia adalah sebahagian daripada tindakan derhaka yang boleh menjurus ke arah pertumpahan darah, kehilangan nyawa, kemusnahan harta benda dan kesengsaraan masyarakat awam. |
| Malaysia is human trafficking hotspot - WikiLeaks Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN Thousands of women from Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, as well as China and India were trafficked to Malaysia for forced labor and prostitution, according to an unclassified 2006 cable from the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur released by WikiLeaks, the online whistle-blower. In a memo to the US Department of State dated March 3, 2006, then US Ambassador to Malaysia Christopher LaFleur also reported that the Southeast Asian country was a "destination and -- to a lesser extent -- a transit country for men and women trafficked for forced labor." "Some economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants and laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude," Lafleur disclosed. Aside from the Washington-based State Department, the envoy also furnished the following US agencies copies of the embassy memo, titled "Malaysia's Sixth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report": Homeland Security Center, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, and American diplomatic missions in Southeast Asia. In addition to women from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, "smaller numbers" of women from Cambodia, Burma and Laos were also trafficked to Malaysia, said LaFleur. All eight countries are part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean. "Anectodal evidence indicates that numbers of victims coming from neighboring Asean countries have remained relatively constant over the last few years. The number and patterns of victims coming from source countries tend to reflect Malaysian government immigration and visa policies," the envoy pointed out. According to LaFleur, China "has become the largest and fastest-growing source country for prostitutes in Malaysia. Many of these Chinese women and girls are likely trafficking victims." "China has grown as a source country in recent years due to a more liberal Malaysian visa policy that reflects growing economic ties and Malaysian government efforts to encourage tourism and university enrollment from Chinese students," he explained. LaFleur noted that "while there are no reliable statistics revealing the total number of women trafficked into (Malaysia), estimates can be made drawing from different sources." "Foreign embassies and (non-government organizations') report that in 2005, at least 500 trafficking victims were rescued and repatriated," he said. The US diplomat also revealed that "during the first nine months of 2005, 4,678 foreign women were arrested and detained for suspected involvement in prostitution, compared with 5,783 arrested during all of 2004." "Chinese nationals accounted for 40 percent, the largest percentage of such arrests, followed by nationals of Indonesia (25 percent), Thailand (17 percent), and the Philippines (10 percent). According to the government-funded National Human Rights Commission, or Suhakam and involved NGOs, a significant number of these women were probable trafficking victims," said LaFleur. The Royal Malaysia Police "compiles statistics on arrests of foreign women with suspected involvement in prostitution, broken down by nationality. The Immigration Department's enforcement division also collects data on trafficking cases." However, "Malaysian authorities do not adequately distinguish illegal migrants from trafficking victims. Law enforcement officials assert that the great majority of the foreign women arrested for prostitution in Malaysia entered the country voluntarily and with valid travel documents." On the other hand, "surveys by the Suhakam and interviews with Indonesian, Thai and Philippine embassy officials indicate that as many as 50 percent of foreign women arrested for prostitution are possible trafficking victims," said LaFleur. The Malaysian government "encourages victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases, but reports says that most victims are unwilling to testify... One NGO reported that pimps and traffickers are often present in the courtroom during court proceedings to intimidate the victims." In terms of prevention, "the Malaysian government took steps in 2002 and 2003 to toughen the criteria for young foreigners seeking student visas. It has also stepped up border detection for smuggling, illegal migration and people trafficking," LaFleur added "there is no evidence of widespread tolerance of complicity in trafficking-in-persons by government authorities, though accusations of more general corruption, particularly at the local police and immigration levels exist." |
| Bribe probe hits former Malaysian PM Abdullah Badawi Posted: 04 Jul 2011 08:14 PM PDT 
An AFP-led international corruption taskforce continues to work towards further arrests, having already charged seven former senior Securency and NPA executives with foreign bribery offences. Mr Abdullah is believed to have been involved in approving the contract won by the RBA firms to supply Malaysia with its polymer five Ringgit note, which began circulating in 2004. Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker, The Age (Australia) The Reserve Bank of Australia's banknote firms are suspected of attempting to bribe former Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi in order to get his help to win a $31 million currency contract. Mr Abdullah is one of a several highly influential Malaysian political figures whom anti-corruption authorities believe Securency and Note Printing Australia— firms respectively half and fully owned and overseen by Australia's reserve bank— allegedly sought to bribe using part of $4.2 million in commission payments made to two Malaysian middlemen. Malaysian sources confirmed to The Age that the Australian Federal Police have gathered information about attempts to bribe Mr Abdullah by Securency and Note Printing Australia, which are respectively half and fully owned and overseen by the RBA. The Age sought comment from Mr Abdullah last night. Asked about the approach to Mr Abdullah yesterday, an AFP spokesman said: "Given that matters relating to investigations into Securency International and Note Printing Australia are currently before the court, the AFP is unable to make any further comment." It is understood the attempt to bribe Mr Abdullah related to contract negotiations that occurred around 2003, the year he became prime minister and finance minister. He served as prime minister until 2009. Before becoming prime minister, Mr Abdullah was deputy to long-serving Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad. The alleged attempt to bribe of Mr Badawi, who remains a serving MP, adds to the list of high-profile Asian politicians and central bank officials targeted by the RBA firms. The AFP last week alleged Securency bribed Vietnam's former central bank governor by paying his son's English university tuition fees. Authorities in Malaysia last Friday arrested a former Malaysian central bank assistant governor accused of receiving two bribes from NPA. The revelations about the attempt to bribe Mr Abdullah come as the fallout from Australia's plastic note bribery scandal continues to spread, with The Age reporting yesterday about the intimate involvement of senior officials from the Australian government trade agency Austrade in Securency's allegedly corrupt Vietnam dealings. An AFP-led international corruption taskforce continues to work towards further arrests, having already charged seven former senior Securency and NPA executives with foreign bribery offences. Mr Abdullah is believed to have been involved in approving the contract won by the RBA firms to supply Malaysia with its polymer five Ringgit note, which began circulating in 2004. Securency and NPA's agents for the 2004 were former state MP and senior figure in the country's ruling party, UMNO, Dato Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin and arms trader Abdul Kayum, who was arrested and charged on friday with two counts of bribery. Mr Kayum, who pled not guilty to the charges, worked as NPA and Securency's main middleman in Malaysia and allegedly promised the firms that he was able to convince senior Malaysian officials to buy the plastic bank note technology. Several senior Securency and NPA former executives are believed to have been aware that payments to Mr Kayum may have been used to pay bribes. He acted as their agent between 2000 and 2007, before being sacked after an internal audit raised probity fears. His hiring and subsequent receipt of several million dollars from the RBA firms raises further questions about the adequacy of supervision provided by the RBA-appointed directors of Securency and NPA. Mr Kayum also represented one of the Pakistan Government's main weapons making facilities, the Air Weapons Complex, which is believed to play a central role in the nation's nuclear weapons program. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission yesterday refused to confirm or deny whether it was investigating the performance of the Securency and NPA boards after Greens leader Bob Brown and federal Labor backbencher Kelvin Thomson suggested last Friday that it should. Former RBA deputy governor Graeme Thompson, who is also a former chief of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, chaired Securency and NPA during the 1999-2005 period the alleged bribes in Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia took place.
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| Yeh! Yeh! Kita menang!…hmm…or did we? (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 04 Jul 2011 06:25 PM PDT Bersih 2.0 will hold its rally for electoral reforms in a stadium and not in the streets, the group said today fresh from an audience with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in Istana Negara. "We accept the government's offer to hold the demonstration in a stadium. We will not hold it in the streets," Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters today. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Datuk: Tan Sri! Tan Sri: Calm down, Datuk….apa hal bising sangat ni? Datuk: I have some good news, Tan Sri. Tan Sri: Ah, what is it this time? Ambiga has migrated and has applied for Australian citizenship? Datuk: No lah, Tan Sri. Better than that. Tan Sri: What can be better than Ambiga leaving Malaysia? Datuk: The BERSIH march is off…cancelled…batal. Tan Sri: Hmm…that is certainly good news. How come? Datuk: Ambiga had an audience with the Agong this afternoon and BERSIH has agreed to cancel the street march and hold a rally in the stadium instead. Tan Sri: His Majesty agreed to meet Ambiga? Datuk: Yes. Tan Sri: So that means His Majesty recognises BERSIH? Datuk: Looks like it. Tan Sri: So that means we can't ban BERSIH then. Datuk: Why not, Tan Sri? Tan Sri: Aiyah...if His Majesty had an official meeting with BERSIH this would mean His Majesty recognises BERSIH. Datuk: So? Tan Sri: So it means we can't ban BERSIH. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of collaborating with an illegal organisation and we would have to arrest His Majesty under the Internal Security Act. Datuk: Oh…I never thought of that. Tan Sri: Yes…and that's why you are a mere Datuk while I am a Tan Sri. Datuk: That also means we cannot allege that BERSIH is backed by the Communists and Jews. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of working with the Communists and Jews. Tan Sri: Now you are getting it. So how can that be good news? Datuk: Didn't His Majesty think of this? Aiyah…why so stupid? Tan Sri: Hey, that is seditious. You can't call the Agong stupid. Datuk: No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant it was stupid of us to allow the Agong to meet Ambiga. Tan Sri: But we dragged the Agong into this. So how can we prevent the Agong from meeting BERSIH? Datuk: Ia lah. We made a big mistake in issuing that statement from the Agong. Tan Sri: Hey! Cakap baik sikit! Datuk: Sorry, I meant we made a big mistake in asking the Agong to issue that statement. Tan Sri: That's better. Don't ever say we issued that statement on behalf of the Agong. Datuk: Okay lah, but at least the street march is off…now it's been reduced to just a rally in a stadium. Tan Sri: How many people do you think will attend the rally? Datuk: Not sure. Maybe 100,000…could even be 200,000. Now that it is no longer an illegal assembly and there is no danger of arrests many more people may turn out. Those who were initially afraid to turn out may now turn out since it is safe. Mana tahu? Could even be 300,000 people. Tan Sri: How would 300,000 people park their cars at the stadium? Datuk: Oh, cannot lah. There is not enough car park space for 300,000 people. They will have to park their cars elsewhere and walk to the stadium…or take public transport. Tan Sri: So, to get to the stadium they will have to walk, right? Datuk: That's right. Tan Sri: Which means they will be marching to the stadium instead of marching to the Agong's palace, right? Datuk: Yes, that's right…oh…I see what you mean. Tan Sri: Yes, that's what I mean. So the march is still on then. Only now it is a legal march, not an illegal march. And they will march to the stadium instead of to the palace. And we can't do anything about it because the Agong has agreed to this. We can no longer arrest the marchers. Datuk: Aiyah! This is a disaster. We got tricked. What to do, Tan Sri? Tan Sri: What can we do? His Majesty has just given BERSIH legitimacy and it has been agreed that a legal rally can be held in the stadium and because of the huge crowd that may turn out they cannot drive to the stadium but will have to march there dressed in yellow shirts. Datuk: Mampus! Tan Sri: Yes, mampus. This is even worse. At least if they proceeded with the original plan we can ban BERSIH and declare it a menace to society and a threat to nation security. Now we can't touch them. We can't even arrest anyone on 9th July. And because the rally is legal more people will come out. They are not scared any more. And Umno Youth and PERKASA can't march on the streets in opposition to BERSIH. If they do we will have to arrest them. Datuk: Alamak. We can't touch the BERSIH marchers but will have to arrest the Umno Youth and PERKASA marchers. And Khairy already said if BERSIH cancels the street march he is prepared to work with them. So Umno Youth must now support the BERSIH rally at the stadium. Tan Sri: Exactly. Now you know why I am a Tan Sri and you are just a Datuk? Datuk: And that means we can't also ask the Agong to revoke Ambiga's citizenship. Tan Sri: Revoke citizenship for what? For obeying the Agong by cancelling the street march and by holding a rally at the stadium like how Najib asked them to? Datuk: Somehow I think we have been had…suckered big time. Tan Sri: Aiyah…please get out of here and leave me alone. I need to draft my resignation letter. Datuk: What should I do, Tan Sri? Tan Sri: I suggest you also go draft your resignation letter. Najib will want both our heads on a silver platter after this. Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post.html |
| UMNO – Malaysia’s scourge Posted: 04 Jul 2011 05:10 PM PDT 
William de Cruz, New Mandala Two Malaysian minors were among 24 people charged in a Kuala Lumpur court on 4 July 2011 for their involvement in a planned weekend rally calling for free and fair elections. The children were among democracy activists who were jointly charged under the Societies Act in connection with the BERSIH 2.0 rally scheduled for this Saturday, 9 July, in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The court action is the latest in a widening government crackdown on the rally organisers, who have also received unsourced death threats and suffered harassment and intimidation by Malaysian police and government authorities. Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians are nevertheless readying to rally this Saturday, despite the government banning all BERSIH 2.0 rallies and declaring the organising NGO group, BERSIH 2.0, illegal. Worldwide, Malaysians and their supporters will take to the streets of capital cities on the same day, supporting the call for electoral reform amid mass arrests in Malaysia and in defiance of the 'ban' and 'illegal organisation' edicts. Global solidarity walks and demonstrations will be led by Malaysians residing abroad in London, Paris, Geneva, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Washington next Saturday. More than 100 activists have been arrested or questioned by police in Malaysia this past week, for their roles in helping to organise Saturday's KL rally. In a late development on July 2, six officers of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM – Socialist Party of Malaysia), who had been released after their June 25 detentions in the island state of Penang for supporting the rally, were re-arrested under the Emergency Ordinance (EO). The activists were reportedly charged with "inciting national unrest" and "waging war against the king" – the latter a charge that is tantamount to treason and punishable by death. By late evening on July 3, more arrests were being conducted in Malaysia, and Sungei Siput Opposition MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and the other 5 PSM activists were taken to police headquarters in Bukit Aman, KL. The EO allows for indefinite detention without trial and was described by a well placed official in Malaysian politics as "a cousin of the Internal Security Act", which also allows the government to detain citizens without the need to present them in court. Referring to the ongoing arrests and statements from Malaysia's highest offices, the source said: "This is now a no-holds-barred situation." Donna Guest, Deputy Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International, said: "The Malaysian authorities are muzzling calls for electoral reform by throwing peaceful protesters in jail. "We have not seen such a crackdown on political activists across Malaysia in many years. "Malaysia is undermining its claim to be a moderate democracy through this campaign of repression." READ MORE HERE |
| Round and round the mulberry bush Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:20 AM PDT Alternative Action Team president, B. Kalai Vanar, wants Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin to revoke Bersih chairperson S. Ambiga's citizenship for going ahead with the plan to organise a mass rally on July 9. Kalai said his movement was backed by Pusat Penyelidikan Tamil Malaysia. -- Free Malaysia Today
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Datuk: Tan Sri, I think I may have found the solution on how to handle BERSIH.
Tan Sri: Finally….a solution. Shoot!
Datuk: We can withdraw Ambiga's citizenship.
Tan Sri: Now hold on! Won't that make the Indians angry? We already have problems with HINDRAF. I don't want a new movement called AMBIGARAF to be launched by the Indians.
Datuk: AMBIGARAF?
Tan Sri: Yes, Ambiga Rights Action Force.
Datuk: Oh, that won't happen, Tan Sri. It is the Tamils themselves who are asking His Majesty the Agong to withdraw Ambiga's citizenship.
Tan Sri: Oh good, if the Tamils themselves are asking for it then no problem.
Datuk: Yes, then later when we withdraw the citizenship of other Indians the Tamils cannot complain since they started this whole 'withdraw the citizenship of Indians' thingy.
Tan Sri: Hmm…yes…I like that. Once we open the Pandora's box the Indians can't complain any longer.
Datuk: Pandora? Is he also a Tamil?
Tan Sri: Oh never mind…sigh…how I wish we did not change our medium of education from English to Malay. When can we withdraw her citizenship?
Datuk: As soon as we sort out one tiny problem.
Tan Sri: What tiny problem?
Datuk: If we withdraw her citizenship and she is no longer a Malaysian citizen, she can no longer remain in Malaysia. All non-citizens will have to be deported.
Tan Sri: So? That's the whole idea isn't it? To kick her out of Malaysia.
Datuk: Yes, but where do we deport her to?
Tan Sri: To India of course.
Datuk: But she is not an Indian citizen.
Tan Sri: So what? That would become India's problem, not ours.
Datuk: But how do we send her back to India?
Tan Sri: On a plane of course, like how all Indians go to India.
Datuk: But she won't have a Malaysian passport since we would have to cancel her passport once we withdraw her citizenship.
Tan Sri: Naturally. But why would that be a problem?
Datuk: No airline would allow her to board a plane without a passport.
Tan Sri: Then how would we send her back to India?
Datuk: Exactly. That is what I meant.
Tan Sri: So we can't let her remain in Malaysia because she is no longer a Malaysian citizen but we can't deport her since she no longer has a passport.
Datuk: Right. That's the tiny problem I was talking about.
Tan Sri: Sheesh….Catch 22.
Datuk: You want me to catch who?
Tan Sri: Sigh….Malay medium education…never mind.
Datuk: So what do you suggest we do, Tan Sri?
Tan Sri: Me? You were the one who suggested we withdraw her citizenship.
Datuk: The suggestion came from the Tamils, Tan Sri.
Tan Sri: Aiyah…these Tamils are talking…..
Datuk: Tamil?
Tan Sri: I was going to say 'talking cock'. So that means it is not possible to withdraw anyone's citizenship then?
Datuk: Not unless we can figure out what to do with them once we withdraw their citizenship.
Tan Sri: Aiyah…this will not work. Go figure out another solution.
Datuk: Okay, Tan Sri. And what should I tell these Tamil people?
Tan Sri: Tell them to stop talking….
Datuk: Cock?
Tan Sri: No, Tamil. |
| Latest on BERSIH (UPDATED) Posted: 03 Jul 2011 04:14 PM PDT This is just a quick note to inform you of the latest developments of the planned BERSIH rally this Saturday, 9th July 2011. I will update this page and tell you more once I get the latest news from BERSIH. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin There appears to be some confusion within the ranks of the BERSIH committee. If the purpose of His Majesty the Agong's announcement yesterday was to throw the cat amongst the pigeons then it certainly worked. It looks like someone else has been reading up on Sun Sze as well. Anyway, as you read this, the BERSIH committee meeting is in session to decide how to respond to His Majesty's 'titah'. Titah means the Monarch's royal edict or command. The question here would be: was this really His Majesty's titah or was it crafted for His Majesty? Most Malaysians now understand how the system works and are no longer awed by such royal edicts or commands. Two members of my own family have sat on the throne as Agong -- so we know that His Majesty, at best, lives in a diamond-studded golden cage. The cage may be golden and diamond studded, but it is still a cage nevertheless. Remember back in the late-1950s when Tunku Abdul Rahman was the First Prime Minister of Malaysia and Tuanku Abdul Rahman the First Agong? A British cabinet minister tried to barge in to the Tunku's office without an appointment and the Prime Minister refused to see him. Malaysia, after all, had gained independence and was no longer a British colony so who did this Kwailo think he is? Later, during an audience with the Agong, the British cabinet minister complained to His Majesty and suggested that His Majesty sack the Prime Minister for his kurang ajar (insolence). To this suggestion His Majesty the Agong replied that in Malaysia it is not the King who sacks the Prime Minister but the Prime Minister who sacks the King. That was way back 50 years or so ago and things have not changed much since then. In fact, since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Prime Minister 30 years ago, it has become worse. Was not Dr Mahathir the man who engaged the Monarchy in a Constitutional Crisis back in the mid-1980s where Umno openly and loudly reminded Their Highnesses that the Federal Constitution of Malaysia clearly states that the King has to 'take advice' from the Prime Minister and the Sultans from the Menteris Besar? Many Malaysians at that time lauded and applauded Dr Mahathir's 'brave' effort at 'cutting down the royalty to size'. And His Highnesses were sent running back to their palaces with their royal tails between their legs, metaphorically speaking. Today, how many believe that the Rulers make their own decisions? How many believe that a statement from Istana Negara is a statement from the mouth of His Majesty the Agong? Does not Istana Negara come directly under the Prime Minister's Department? And since the time of Dr Mahathir are not all statements from Istana Negara first vetted by the Prime Minister's Department and first approved by the Prime Minister's Department before they can be released? And is it not the procedure that the Prime Minister's Department drafts all statements and speeches of the Agong? I remember when the late Sultan of Johor was the Agong and, as was customary, he read out his speech prepared by the Prime Minister's Department. His Majesty had never seen that speech until it was time to deliver it and clearly he was struggling with it. Halfway through the speech, His Majesty, with a look of irritation on his royal face, retorted: siapa tulis ni (who wrote this)? But then His Majesty the Johor Sultan has been known to do things 'out of script' like jumping over the fence during a football match or stepping down from the VVIP stage to try his hand at riding a superbike during the Merdeka Day parade. Never has Malaysia seen such a 'colourful' Agong in its 53 years of Merdeka and probably never will again. So there you have it: my short story on Malaysia's monarchy and why BERSIH must first explore whether the titah from the Agong released yesterday needs to be further clarified before the committee decides whether to call off the planned BERSIH rally of Saturday, 9th July 2011 or proceed with it. And later today we will know the answer to that question. *********************************** LATEST DEVELOPMENTS BERSIH will seek an audience with His Majesty the Agong to get clarification on yesterday's titah. If clearly His Majesty wishes to avoid any security problems and would like the march to be called off then BERSIH will try to hammer out a compromise. One compromise would be to hold the rally in a stadium instead of marching on the streets as originally planned. The Stadium Merdeka is one such stadium that is being suggested. The BERSIH committee appears divided on this matter. Understandably, not many want to be seen as durhaka (treasonous) by ignoring His Majesty's titah -- if it really is His Majesty's titah in the first place. Some are of the view that the BERSIH chairperson may have become intimidated by this latest development of the Agong's titah -- plus with the warnings of the army stepping in, more detentions without trial, the four million silat exponents taking to the streets to oppose BERSIH, May 13 Version 2.0, the Muslims declaring a holy jihad against BERSIH, etc. If Ambiga feels that things have got out of hand and have become very dangerous then she might have to consider bailing out to allow someone else more prepared to face the consequences to take over. We can quite understand if Ambiga is now living on the edge and is fearful for her life and under the present circumstances no one will fault her if she throws in the towel. Nevertheless, whether the BERSIH march finally gets aborted, or is held in a stadium, or proceeds as planned, the message has been delivered. What BERSIH wanted to do was to draw attention to the need for electoral reforms and this has been achieved. Let us wait and see where BERSIH goes from here. |
| WIKILEAKS: Farah Pandith’s visit shows many faces of Islam in Malaysia Posted: 03 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT In contrast, under Islamic rule citizens could be confident that rulers (who could be chosen through democratic elections, perhaps) would act within the bounds of behavior as laid out in the Koran and Sunnah, and citizens were law-abiding because of their strong religious beliefs. Asked whether his description of Islamic rule was Utopian, Zaid answered that, on the contrary, such rule had existed under the Caliphs. Realistically, Zaid concluded, Muslims in Malaysia could not expect to establish Islamic rule in the near term, nor was JIM advocating such a step, but there was a need to offer a competing vision to that of the west. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 001014 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR EAP/MTS AND S/SRMC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAOY, PHUM, KDEM, MY SUBJECT: FARAH PANDITH'S VISIT SHOWS MANY FACES OF ISLAM IN MALAYSIA REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 716 -- CANING PUNISHMENT POSTPONED B. KUALA LUMPUR 980 -- AMB VERVEER'S VISIT TO MALAYSIA KUALA LUMP 00001014 001.2 OF 004 SUMMARY 1. (SBU) Special Representative to Muslim Communities (SRMC) Farah Pandith visited Malaysia to begin engagement with civil society and establish contacts with government officials, politicians, teachers, students, and NGOs on December 13-14. SRMC Pandith explained her recent appointment as the Special Representative to Muslim Communities, emphasizing the President's and the Secretary's policy of creating new partnerships with Muslim communities around world. SRMC Pandith was well received by the Malaysians--both as a champion of Islam and for her efforts in promoting a new relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect between the U.S. and Muslims around the world--but concerns over U.S. foreign policy remained apparent in meetings with politicians, government officials and students. SRMC Pandith established solid connections during her initial visit and several organizations expressed interest in remaining in contact with her. Post hopes that she will be able to capitalize on her initial success with a return visit in 2010. End Summary. SISTERS IN ISLAM, SISTERS IN THOUGHT 2. (SBU) On December 13, Farah Pandith met with the pioneers of the local NGO Sisters in Islam (SIS): Zainah Anwar (Founder), Hamidah Marican (Executive Director), and Norani Othman (co-founder) and discussed a wide range of social and religious issues pertaining to Islam. Zainah explained that she started the organization 20 years ago out of concern that Muslim women in the country were being discriminated against, especially in issues concerning Family Law (marriage, divorces, custody), which is the purview of Syariah courts. According to Zainah, "Everything was argued in the name of religion and no one questioned it." 3. (SBU) Sisters in Islam attracts criticism from conservative Muslim groups in Malaysia because SIS argues for fresh interpretations of the Quran, and is seen as backing a Western approach toward equal rights for women. There have been numerous calls to ban the organization, including from the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). Pandith asked about SIS' relationship with GOM and civil society. Zainah replied that the NGO has been subject to police harassment for criticizing the caning sentence of Kartika, a Muslim woman arrested by religious police for drinking beer (reftels). SIS is very concerned over rumors that members could face trial on sedition charges. 4. (SBU) SRMC Pandith welcomed SIS's courageous approach to issues such as women,s rights and suggested that SIS try to penetrate the Malay youth demographic by using comics and graphic novels. SIS members were interested in the idea and requested technological assistance and further contact with Pandith. VISIT TO MADRASAH SCHOOL 5. (U) To get closer to grassroots Muslim life in Malaysia, SRMC Pandith visited the Al-Amin Madrasah School located in Bangi, a one hour drive from Kuala Lumpur in the shadows of the National University of Malaysia, on December 14. Founded in 1989, this private school with 100 teachers and 893 primary and secondary students is part of a network of madrasahs comprising 35 schools and 8,000 students and is chaired by Ustaz Megat Mohamed Amin. Amin, who recently returned from a "life-changing" multi-regional International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on secondary and elementary education in the U.S., was instrumental in establishing in 2008 an English Language Access Microscholarship program for 60 Muslim students to learn after-school English for two years at a madrasah in the conservative state of Kelantan. 6. (U) During the discussions, a school board member noted that the madrasah taught the government-required curriculum in addition to Islamic courses. SRMC Pandith complimented the team on its broad curriculum and encouraged sharing the model with other Muslim communities. In response to Ustaz Amin's comment that the school could do better in encouraging interactions with non-Muslim communities, SRMC Pandith suggested the expansion of the madrasah's social entrepreneurship-based community development projects to include non-Muslim schools in the local community. POLITICIANS SHIFT CONVERSATION FROM ISLAM TO OBAMA, PALESTINE 7. (SBU) SRMC Pandith, DCM Rob Rapson, and Poloffs met with politicians from each of the three predominantly Muslim parties over lunch: the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the People's Justice Party (PKR), and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). All three politicians agreed that Islam is compatible with democracy. UMNO Member of Parliament (MP) Nur Jazlan stated that the ongoing "Islamization process" in Malaysia started "around 30 years ago." (Note: this was a thinly veiled suggestion that it started after then-Islamist activist Anwar Ibrahim joined UMNO in 1982. End Note.) Jazlan stated that once the process started, UMNO and the government "could not turn back the clock" and therefore UMNO was forced to embrace Islamization. Jazlan candidly stated if UMNO did not embrace the challenge, the party would be accused of being "un-Islamic." Jazlan conceded that he is not happy with what is happening, but is unable to stop it due to political considerations. PAS Youth Secretary General Kamaruzaman Mohamad, not a member of Parliament, added that PAS is committed to democracy until "we capture power." 8. (SBU) PKR MP Yusmadi Yusuf welcomed President Obama's Cairo speech but expressed concern from PKR leaders, including party advisor Anwar Ibrahim, that Obama seems to be "speaking on behalf of Muslims," and that this slant is not going down well among them. (Comment: post does not feel that this is an accurate assessment of Anwar's views. End Comment.) Yusmadi felt that President Obama should instead address the problems in the "Muslim world" as an outsider. He nonetheless stressed that Muslims in Malaysia welcomed the new administration which he felt "is genuinely concerned" about the "Muslim world" compared to the previous administration. Yusmadi also suggested that the U.S. should formulate an economic model for Muslim countries which he claimed "would endear the U.S. among Muslims." He cited Southern Thailand as a possible region to implement this economic model. Kamaruzaman echoed Yusmadi's view that there is a genuine optimism among Muslims over U.S. policies after the Obama administration came to power, but pointed out that Muslims will always have problems with the U.S. so long as the Palestinian issue is not resolved. He criticized the U.S. for being a staunch and uncompromising ally of Israel. Until the U.S. can become more of an "honest broker", said Karamuzaman, the U.S. will always be viewed with suspicion by Muslims. RELIGIOUS MINISTRY: TOLERATING RELIGION, IF DONE THEIR WAY 9. (SBU) SRMC Pandith met with Minister for Religious Affairs Jamil Khir Baharom, who immediately reflected upon his positive experience attending graduate school in the U.S., and elaborating on the similarities between the U.S. and Malaysia. Jamil noted that both countries are multi-racial and commented on how other races have the freedom to celebrate their religion in Malaysia. The Minister then went on to explain that Malaysia practices Sunni Islam exclusively, noting that Shia and Sufism are not allowed in Malaysia. According to Jamil, "it's better to have one school of thought instead of many." 10. (SBU) The Minister noted that Islamic education is compulsory for all Muslims, starting with primary and secondary students with continuation in public universities. He recalled the poor Islamic education system in Malaysia prior to independence and felt privileged that the Federal Government took over the education system by outlining the school syllabus and having it standardized. The teachings also differed from one village to another, which led to different schools of thought. Jamil added that the Ministry of Higher Education collaborates with the Religious Affairs Department in setting up the syllabus, and now many Malaysian scholars study abroad, especially in Egypt and Jordan. Jamil did not elaborate on other activities that the Ministry engages in, though he did say that one of them is to monitor sermons given after Friday prayers. ENERGIZING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL MUSLIMS 11. (U) At a round table discussion with Islamic scholars, academics, students, Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program alumni, and a local entrepreneur, SRMC Pandith emphasized her role as convener, facilitator, and intellectual partner listening to the next generation and encouraging initiatives for the common good. She stressed the diversity of Islam and the desire to build relationships across Muslim communities over time and based on mutual interest and respect. She noted the power of traditional and social media networking to spread information, expand engagement, and reach more global youth interested in positive change. 12. (U) Faisal Hassan, President of the YES Alumni Association of Malaysia, spoke of his group's diverse activities including community service and development projects (promoting peace, building leadership skills, developing English-language programs), organizing a worldwide YES Alumni Conference in Malaysia in November 2009, participating in the AFS World Congress in Kuala Lumpur in November 2009, and networking with other alumni abroad to share best practices and experiences. SRMC Pandith encouraged YES to expand its network even further through social media and to consider working with other entrepreneurs to "scale up" their activities and have an even greater impact around the world. ENTREPRENEURSHIP'S POSSIBILITIES AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL 13. (U) SRMC Pandith spoke about the power of entrepreneurship for Muslim communities at the roundtable, mentioning entrepreneurship not only in its traditional business context, but also in terms of innovation (technology and ideas) and social entrepreneurship (giving back through community development). She stressed that examples of Muslim entrepreneurship successes highlight "the good side of Muslim communities around the world." Malaysian entrepreneur Dhakshinamoorthy "Dash" Balakrishnan, CEO of Warisan Global, shared his personal experiences at the grassroots level in hiring over 800 Malaysian Muslim graduates to engage villagers in entrepreneurial projects making greater use of the Internet and to create markets for their cottage industry products. He also noted the success during the recent Global Entrepreneurship Week that he organized. He concluded that entrepreneurship has broken both mental and racial barriers and that partnership-based entrepreneurial activities have created stronger levels of trust between various communities in Malaysia. INTERVIEW WITH FEATURES REPORTER, BERITA HARIAN 14. (U) Following her roundtable with university students and faculty, SRMC Pandith held an exclusive interview with Berita Harian, one of KL's major Malay-language dailies with nationwide weekday circulation of nearly 200,000. In the interview, SRMC Pandith explained why she had chosen to visit Malaysia, echoing President Obama's description in his Cairo speech, of Malaysia as a "progressive Muslim-majority country" and one that must not be ignored. She also talked about why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is putting an emphasis on grassroots and people to people connections. She also spoke about her position as the Special Representative, her interest in convening dialogues and facilitating networking among like-minded people who support the "diversity of Islam" and want to make a difference. She mentioned how the U.S. sees its role as a convener and facilitator, and as an intellectual partner with Muslim communities around the world. SRMC Pandith stressed that the U.S. is open to new ideas and mentioned her hope that proposals for undertakings between the U.S. and Malaysia can come from a renewed dialogue with Malaysians in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. When asked whether public perception and treatment of Muslims in the U.S. had improved since 2001, SRMC Pandith replied that "As is the case in many societies around the world) there is still a need for education about diversity and mutual respect," but stressed that "Muslims in the United States have more freedom to practice their religion than anywhere else in the world." (Note: A feature article from this interview will be published shortly in Berita Harian's weekend edition. End note.) JAMAH ISLAH MALAYSIA (JIM): AN NGO WITH CONSERVATIVE IDEALS 15. (SBU) At a December 14 dinner meeting with SRMC Pandith, President of the conservative Islamic NGO Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) Zaid Kamaruddin and colleagues explained that the 10,000-member organization, many of whom are spread at all levels of the government strata, was dedicated to strengthening Muslim values in Malaysia. He and fellow believers set up the NGO in 1982 after Anwar Ibrahim, who was then leader of the Muslim Youth Organization (ABIM) decided to join the ruling political party, UMNO. Zaid and others thought the struggle for Muslim values had to remain outside the government. Zaid said JIM sought to offer an alternative vision to what he called the "liberal western" system of government that Malaysia had adopted. Democracy was a significant achievement, but Islamic government "by God" would be better. In addition, materialistic western values meant citizens lacked ethical discipline, so democracy required extensive regulation and a robust police force to keep society under control. 16. (SBU) In contrast, under Islamic rule citizens could be confident that rulers (who could be chosen through democratic elections, perhaps) would act within the bounds of behavior as laid out in the Koran and Sunnah, and citizens were law-abiding because of their strong religious beliefs. Asked whether his description of Islamic rule was Utopian, Zaid answered that, on the contrary, such rule had existed under the Caliphs. Realistically, Zaid concluded, Muslims in Malaysia could not expect to establish Islamic rule in the near term, nor was JIM advocating such a step, but there was a need to offer a competing vision to that of the west. 17. (SBU) We asked Zaid about two current controversies in Malaysia with religious overtones: the Catholic Herald's effort to overturn a law restricting the use of the word "Allah" to Muslims, and the pending caning of a Muslim woman, Kartika, for drinking alcohol, noting that these cases attracted attention outside of Malaysia. Zaid said that the law restricting the use of "Allah" was not based on Muslim beliefs, but nevertheless a law was on the books and JIM would not risk alienating other Muslim groups by defending the Catholic Herald. On the Kartika case, he said there should be no controversy: she had broken Syariah law in Pahang state, and the required penalty was caning. 18. (U) SRMC Pandith cleared this cable. KEITH |
| Putting it in perspective Posted: 02 Jul 2011 06:51 PM PDT I repeat: politicians can never be trusted. They never serve the Rakyat's interest. We, the Rakyat, have to take matters into our own hands. We need electoral reforms. So we need BERSIH to be able to bring about those electoral reforms. It is about seeing clean, fair and free elections. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Stay away from illegal rally, says Sultan (The Star) - The Sultan of Pahang has urged the people to not get involved, either directly or indirectly, in the July 9 illegal assembly. Sultan Ahmad Shah said the assembly would only bring trouble and won't benefit the people. 'I appeal to the people not to get themselves involved in this. Whether it is bersih (clean) or dirty, as long as it is a demonstration, it is not clean,' he said after opening the new Mardi office in Muadzam Shah near here. The Sultan added that such an assembly should not take place in Malaysia. 'I'm personally against this,' Bernama quoted him as saying. The country's 1.2 million civil servants have also been told to stay away from the rallies. This is to safeguard the principle of 'neutrality and impartiality' of public sector employees, Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said. He said in a June 30 directive that the General Orders clearly stated that civil servants were not allowed to put their personal interests before the Government's. Mr Abu Bakar said civil servants were not allowed to participate in any illegal activity, even after office hours. 'In fact, they cannot leave their work stations to even watch such activities being held,' he said, adding that action could also be taken against any civil servant who used government facilities for such activities. *************************************** Muhyiddin: Opposition wants to seize power through street protest (The Star) - The Pakatan Rakyat does not respect the mandate of the majority and chooses to use street protest to wrest power from the government said Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He said that it is crucial in any democracy for political parties to respect the mandate of the majority. "The mandate of the majority must be accepted by the parties. This is a rule of democracy," he said officiating the Federal Territories Barisan Nasional Convention Sunday. Instead of recognising this fact, he said the opposition has disregarded the will of the majority that had voted for Barisan. "They (opposition) does not respect the mandate of the majority but chooses to use street democracy as a means to wrest power," he said. He said the Barisan would oppose the opposition's dirty tactics of attempting to wrest power via street protest. He said the opposition was using the Bersih rally as a front to cause chaos. "We know they (opposition) are behind several non-governmental organisation to hide their dirty intentions. "They claim the gathering is peaceful which is guaranteed by the Constitution," he said. However, the deputy Prime Minister said opposition claims of the country not having a free and fair democratic system is unfounded. The opposition, he said, denied the reality of their victory in the previous general election. "If they claim that elections in our country is not fair and dirty, it is impossible for the opposition to win in so many seats and control several states," he said. He said it was a farce for the opposition to talk about democracy when there are top leaders within Pakatan Rakyat who were appointed' to power. *************************************** It is times like these that make me proud to be a member of the royal family. When I read what His Highness the Sultan of Pahang said it brought a tear to my eyes. Malaysia's ten Monarchs -- the seven Sultans, the Raja of Perlis, the Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and the Agong -- are Islam's Fidei Defensor. For the uninitiated, 'Fidei Defensor' is Latin for 'Defender of the Faith' -- just as 'Petra' is Latin for 'rock' (now you know why I am stubborn and hard-headed like a rock). It is good that sometimes the Rulers advice the Rakyat about what is the right thing to do and remind us to not do the wrong thing, especially if that particular action violates the laws or religious edicts. If it is not the Rulers who speak out then who else can speak out, especially when it concerns wrongdoings perpetuated by the Rulers themselves? Is it not correct to say that one must be judged by one's peers? That is how the legal system works (although Malaysia has already ended the jury system and you are now no longer judged by your peers). My peers are fellow-bloggers so let fellow-bloggers judge me. The Rulers, on the other hand, must be judged by fellow-Rulers. You and I can't pass judgement on the Rulers. In the past, only God could judge Rulers as Rulers took instructions directly from God (thank God that system has since been abolished or else God will not have time for any other work with so many cases or Rulers' misconduct to manage). So we need the Rulers to speak out when necessary. There are many wrongdoings being committed not just by the Rakyat but also by the Rulers. Take gambling, as an example. Never mind whether you are Muslim or Christian, gambling is haram in all religions. But many Malaysians gamble and this cause a lot of social problems. It is an even bigger problem when the Rulers themselves gamble because they are not gambling with their own money, like the Rakyat. They are gambling with our money. Some Rulers go to the US, UK, Australia, etc., and waste millions of Ringgit in a single day at the casinos. And the government has to foot the bill for these gambling loses. Ask the two cousins -- Hishammuddin Hussein and Najib Razak. Both their fathers were once-upon-a-time Prime Ministers of Malaysia and they know how much problems their fathers faced in trying to keep the Rulers in line. They both know how much money the government had to fork out to pay off the gambling debts of the Rulers. So it is good that His Highness the Sultan of Pahang has spoken out and has advised us not to do anything unlawful, illegal or sinful. We need those kinds of reminders. If not many Malaysians would misbehave. And this would cost the nation millions and billions in taxpayers' money. What the Deputy Prime Minister said is also very true. There are attempts to use the BERSIH march of 9th July 2011 to grab power through street demonstrations. But maybe the intelligence agencies have not correctly advised Muhyiddin on what is really happening. He said that the opposition is using BERSIH to grab power. Actually that is not quite correct. The opposition is not using BERSIH. The Rakyat is using BERSIH. The truth is, to us Rakyat, both the ruling party and the opposition are all the same. They are all politicians. And politicians are self-centred and serve only themselves, not the Rakyat. Politicians can't be trusted. History has shown us that. Look at what the Bolsheviks did in Russia. They kicked out the Tsar but became worse than the Tsar. The Tsar's secret police murdered 6,000 dissident Russians. When the Bolsheviks took over they killed 200,000 Russians. That shows we can't trust the politicians. The same happened when they ousted King Louis XVI of France. More people died at the hands of the Revolutionaries than at the hands of the King. So, no, I as the Rakyat do not trust politicians. If we have not learned from history then we must be plain dumb. And that is why I criticise the opposition as much as I criticise the ruling party. And that is why I criticise Anwar Ibrahim as much as I criticise Najib Razak. Both are politicians and we should be careful with both. 2,000 years of recorded history has shown us that. If you are Christian, which means you probably went to church today, you would believe that Jesus Christ was crucified. And who crucified Jesus or went before the government and demanded that he be crucified? Was it not politicians who were worried that Jesus was becoming too popular and was undermining the power of the politicians? If you are of the Muslim faith you would believe in Prophet Muhammad. And who were the ones who persecuted the Prophet and his followers? Was it not the politicians, those heading the government of Mekah, who feared that they might lose power if they did not act against the Prophet? Yes, all through history, politicians have betrayed us and have put to death those viewed as dangerous to them, prophets included. So, no, the politicians are not behind BERSIH. We do not trust them enough to allow them to be behind BERSIH. It is the Rakyat who are behind BERSIH. And both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat better know this and had better remember this. So Muhyiddin is wrong if he thinks that BERSIH is about making Anwar Ibrahim the next Prime Minister. I would never agree to that. I would oppose that even if every single Malaysian condemns me and alleges that I have been bought, have done a U-turn, am a turncoat, am a Trojan horse, or whatever. I repeat: politicians can never be trusted. They never serve the Rakyat's interest. We the Rakyat have to take matters into our own hands. We need electoral reforms. So we need BERSIH to be able to bring about those electoral reforms. It is about seeing clean, fair and free elections. Who eventually wins that election -- Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat -- is secondary. The important thing is that whosoever it is that may win must win fairly. And if the majority of the Rakyat chooses Barisan Nasional then Barisan Nasional it will be. And if instead they choose Pakatan Rakyat then so be it. But it must be on the basis of a clean, fair and free election. Of course, if you were to ask me whom I would vote for I will make no secret about it. I will vote for Pakatan Rakyat. But this is not about whom I support or will vote for. It is about ensuring that the election process is clean, fair and free. Oh, and one more thing, Muhyiddin said, "If they claim that elections in our country is not fair and dirty, it is impossible for the opposition to win in so many seats and control several states." Actually, if the elections had been clean, fair and free, the opposition would not have just won so many seats and five states, Barisan Nasional would have been kicked out totally. So the Deputy Prime Minister's argument is terribly flawed. The fact that the opposition won so many seats and a few states is not the yardstick to declare that Malaysia's elections are clean, fair and free. That fact that Barisan Nasional is still in power is proof that the elections are not clean, fair and free. |
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