| Don’t look at me Posted: 16 Jul 2011 12:33 AM PDT 
What would be even better would be to hear what Umno and Najib have to say. Umno claims it is the largest Islamic party in the world. That was what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamd once said. So, since this is a matter involving Islam, and since Umno is the archenemy of PAS, it is only fair that they say something about it. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin I have been receiving messages from quite a number of people who want me to comment on the decision by the PAS-led Kedah state government to ban entertainment in the state during the month of Ramadhan.
To be fair, I have not spoken to any of the Pakatan Rakyat people yet. However, from what I have read on the news thus far, it appears like it is a PAS decision, or probably the Menteri Besar's decision, rather than a Pakatan Rakyat decision.
Whatever it may be though, why do so many people want me to comment on the matter? Who am I to comment? I am not a member of any of the component parties within Pakatan Rakyat. Furthermore, if I do comment, I would be whacked for criticising the opposition. I would be accused of giving ammunition to Barisan Nasional to undermine Pakatan Rakyat. Is it wise for me to comment?
Time and time again I have been asked to not criticise the opposition. When I do criticise the opposition they allege that I am a turncoat or Trojan horse. They say that I have been bought off and am now on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's payroll, and whatnot. Is it not better that I just remain silent and not comment? Why send me so many messages asking me to comment?
Anyway, Anwar Ibrahim is the leader of the opposition. He heads Pakatan Rakyat. Would it not be better, as leader of the opposition or Pakatan Rakyat, that he comment on the matter?
I have not yet read what he said about the matter. Maybe I missed it. Or maybe he is drafting his comment and will issue it in a day or two. So let us wait and see what Anwar says about the matter first.
What would be even better would be to hear what Umno and Najib have to say. Umno claims it is the largest Islamic party in the world. That was what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamd once said. So, since this is a matter involving Islam, and since Umno is the archenemy of PAS, it is only fair that they say something about it.
In fact, I would be most interested in hearing what Anwar and Najib have to say about this; or at latest their parties, PKR and Umno. Then we will know whether the Kedah Menteri Besar and PAS stand alone on this issue or whether this move is supported (or opposed) by both PKR and Umno (or Anwar and Najib).
What PKR-UMNO and/or Anwar-Najib have to say is more important than what I have to say.
So there will be no comment from me. I am not going to say whether I support or oppose this move by the Kedah state government to ban entertainment in the state during the month of Ramadhan. I will leave it to the politicians to state their stand.
But then maybe PKR and Umno (or Anwar and Najib) are going to remain silent. Maybe they find this issue too sensitive to comment seeing that they are also Muslims and would not want to be seen as going against Islam. So maybe it will be DAP and MCA who would be asked to comment instead.
DAP and MCA are not Malay-based parties. So it is not sensitive for them to comment on the matter or speak out against the move by Kedah to ban entertainment in the state during the month of Ramadhan.
Then PKR and Umno (or Anwar and Najib) can play safe and say nothing. Then no one can accuse them of being bad Muslims by supporting vice during what Muslims consider the holy month of Ramdhan. This would be the politically correct thing to do.
And I would not be accused of hurting the opposition by offering negative comments. If I say I support the move then the Chinese would get angry with me and the Malays would love me. If I say I oppose the move then the Malays would get angry with me and the Chinese would love me.
So I say nothing. So neither the Chinese nor the Malays would get angry with me. And no one can say I am sabotaging the opposition by giving ammunition to Barisan Nasional.
However, if I remain silent will that help the opposition? Will that serve the opposition cause?
Should I be concerned about that? Should I not be more concerned that by remaining silent no one can now say that I have been bought off by Najib and that I am on his payroll?
No, as I have been time and time again advised, the opposition knows what it is doing. I do not need to teach the opposition how it should run the state governments under its control. Who am I to tell them how they should run the states? It is not that they are going to listen to me anyway. So, as so many have told me in very loud and clear terms, just shut the fuck up and leave Pakatan Rakyat alone to run the states the way they see fit.
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| Malaysian Prime Minister to Meet With Pope in Gesture to Christians Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:36 PM PDT 
Forming ties with the Vatican would help the government demonstrate to Malaysian Christians that it respects different religions on an international level, Mr. Shamsul said. It would also contribute to Mr. Najib's "1Malaysia" policy, which promotes national unity and inclusiveness, he added. By LIZ GOOCH. The New York Times A decision by Prime Minister Najib Razak to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on Monday signals a wish to mend ties with Malaysia's Christians following a series of incidents, including the firebombing of churches, that have strained interfaith relations in this Muslim-majority nation, analysts say. Mr. Najib is scheduled to visit Benedict at Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence near Rome, for talks that are expected to touch on the possibility of Malaysia establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Malaysia, where Christians make up 9 percent of the population, is one of the few countries without diplomatic ties with the Vatican. Many other predominantly Muslim countries, including Indonesia, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan, already have such ties. While Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, the right to freedom of religion is enshrined in its Constitution. There are about 850,000 Catholics in Malaysia, which has a population of 28 million. In recent years, Christians and other religious minorities have expressed concern over what they view as the increasing "Islamization" of Malaysia. Churches have been firebombed, and Malay-language Bibles have been seized by the authorities in a dispute over whether Christians should be allowed to use the word "Allah" for God. Analysts say that Mr. Najib's meeting with the pope is intended to demonstrate to Malaysian Christians that the government considers their religion important enough to warrant a state-level visit. "Muslim-Christian relations in Malaysia have taken a hammering since the Badawi period," said Farish Ahmad Noor, a political scientist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, referring to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was prime minister from 2003 to 2009. "And many Christian groups now feel that they have been neglected by an uncaring government." "This trip has therefore been rendered all the more important, thanks to both international and local factors," Mr. Farish said. "But the Najib administration has to show once and for all that it will not allow the harassment of Christians to continue in the country." Since Mr. Najib became prime minister in 2009, he has sought to project Malaysia as a moderate Muslim-majority nation. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, head of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at the National University of Malaysia, said the federal government had made many attempts at interfaith dialogue in recent years. But these attempts have not been very successful, he said, in part because many aspects of religious practice are controlled by the state, such as regulations regarding Muslims who renounce the faith. Forming ties with the Vatican would help the government demonstrate to Malaysian Christians that it respects different religions on an international level, Mr. Shamsul said. It would also contribute to Mr. Najib's "1Malaysia" policy, which promotes national unity and inclusiveness, he added. "He is trying to use external activities to impress upon the domestic constituencies that his government is recognizing the contribution of Christians in the country," Mr. Shamsul said. A swing by Christian voters to the opposition in the 2008 election was partly attributed to dissatisfaction with the government's handling of religious issues. While Mr. Najib's meeting with the pope is likely to be received well by Christians, analysts say it may not necessarily increase their support for the governing coalition, dominated by the United Malays National Organization, ahead of elections that must be held by mid-2013. "Symbolically it's meant to have that effect," said Mr. Farish. "Whether that translates into a significant shift in votes, I still think that depends on a lot of other domestic concerns. There's no point in Najib going to the Vatican if we were to have another spate of church bombings." Mr. Shamsul said while some Muslims in Malaysia may express "doubt about the wisdom" of ties with the Vatican, it was unlikely that there would be major political repercussions because the country's main opposition Islamic party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, has been striving to present a more moderate image. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Mr. Najib and the pope would meet on Monday but said that details would not be released until Saturday. The archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Murphy Pakiam, will attend the meeting with Mr. Najib and the pope, his office said, but it referred further inquiries to the apostolic nuncio's office in Singapore, which it said had arranged the meeting. Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the apostolic nuncio in Singapore who also serves as apostolic delegate for Malaysia, did not return calls seeking comment. The Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, the Roman Catholic Church's weekly newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, said that Archbishop Girelli visited Mr. Najib in May as part of the "ongoing process" to establish diplomatic relations with Malaysia. "The Vatican has been at it for a very long time, for decades," he said. He said he believed that Malaysia had not previously pursued diplomatic relations with the Vatican out of a fear among many Malaysian authorities that Christians would try to convert Muslims. But he said that fear appears to have diminished in recent years. "They have seen that the Catholics are not the type who go and proselytize and convert the Muslims," he said. In Malaysia, ethnic Malays are automatically considered Muslim. Muslims who wish to convert to Christianity must obtain permission from the Shariah, or Islamic courts, but permission is rarely granted. Religious tensions were reignited in May when a Malay-language newspaper published a report alleging that Christians wanted to make Christianity the country's official religion, a claim vehemently denied by Christian leaders. Father Andrew said while there may still be a "pocket of people" who champion the rights of Malays, and therefore Muslims, over other groups, he sensed that Malaysia as a whole was becoming more accepting of other religions. "There's an opening up and therefore I see this" — the meeting with the pope — "as a positive thing," he said. |
| An Evening with Nurul Izzah Anwar Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:31 PM PDT 
Catch up on recent events with Nurul Izzah Anwar at a dinner this Tuesday, 19th July 2011, at Melur Restaurant in London. Please register as places are limited. Nurul will make a short after-dinner speech before we open the floor up for questions and opinions. Order and pay for your food when you get to the restaurant. |
| Kedah entertainment ban stays, says MB’s aide Posted: 15 Jul 2011 06:10 PM PDT 
Azizan felt the interference by DAP was "extreme," said his political aide. (The Malaysian Insider) - The PAS-led Kedah government will not revoke its controversial ban on entertainment outlets during Ramadan despite pleas from its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner DAP to do so, a state official said today. Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, political secretary to Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak, issued a strongly-worded statement today that the state government will not withdraw the ruling despite opposition, saying the government was just enforcing a 1997 law. "Ustaz Azizan will not back down! That is his stand on this issue," said Sanusi in the statement carried by PAS website Harakahdaily. "I am sure that all Muslims will stand firm behind him in handling this issue," he added. The MCA has accused PAS of violating human rights with the ban on 13 types of entertainment outlets from operating in the state during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The PAS national leadership has asked its Kedah chapter to explain the ban at a meeting tomorrow. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang recently urged the state government to withdraw the ban, which covers businesses such as karaoke centres and discos as well as live performances in readily accessible locations such as bars, hotels and restaurants. Only cybercafés, bowling alleys and snooker centres are exempted from the ruling. He pointed out that his party's Kedah chapter never agreed to the ban as the matter was not raised at the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat (PR) council level. Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia highlighted the parties' differences today, saying it "pitied" PAS for being "bullied endlessly" by the DAP. Today, Sanusi said Kedah has never allowed any form of entertainment since 1997, including on Friday nights all year round. According to Sanusi, Azizan also thought it was "extreme" for a DAP representative from another state to urge the PAS leader to revoke the ban. "It is not in line with the Pakatan Rakyat spirit," Sanusi quoted Azizan as saying. The political aide also asked if PAS's entry into PR meant that Muslim leaders must always yield to non-Muslims. "Controlling activities that will destroy religious living among the Muslims is the essence of the teachings of Islam, which is the official religion. It is also an Islamic obligation, especially upon rulers, that should be understood by all parties in PR and even BN (Barisan Nasional)," said Sanusi. |
| Malaysia’s Bersih & the Facade of “Clean Elections” Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:34 PM PDT 
A foreign-funded movement for a foreign-serving agenda. That Anwar Ibrahim himself was Chairman of the Development Committee of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1998, held lecturing positions at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, was a consultant to the World Bank, and a panelist at the Neo-Con lined National Endowment for Democracy's "Democracy Award" and a panelist at a NED donation ceremony – the very same US organization funding and supporting Bersih – casts irrefutable doubt on their official agenda for "clean and fair elections." by Tony Cartalucci, INFOWARS IRELAND Bangkok, Thailand July 16, 2011 – No one would honestly suggest that cleaning up politics and holding any given government accountable for their actions is not an honorable, noble cause. It is honorable indeed, however, when such a movement takes to the streets but is funded by a foreign government and led by a servants of foreign interests it becomes obvious it has been hijacked in order to exploit the aspirations of a frustrated public for a self-serving agenda. Such a movement will ultimately fail to achieve the goals it proclaims to support and will give rise to corruption and tyranny the likes of which its followers could not imagine. A recent example of this phenomenon is unfolding in the streets and within the political scene of Malaysia where a movement calling themselves "Bersih," or the "Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections" has captured the minds and imaginations of Malaysia's youth and progressive enclaves, both in Malaysia and around the world. While Bersih's leader Ambiga Sreenevasan claims ad nauseum "we are fighting for free and fair elections," what she fails to share quite as often with her impressionable, well-intentioned followers is the fact that her movement is also funded and has received training from the United States government and a host of foreign corporate-funded foundations. The Malaysian Insider reported on June 27, 2011 that Bersih leader Ambiga Sreenevassan "admitted to Bersih receiving some money from two US organisations — the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) — for other projects, which she stressed were unrelated to the July 9 march." A visit to the NDI website revealed indeed that funding and training had been provided by the US organization – before NDI took down the information and replaced it with a more benign version purged entirely of any mention of Bersih. For funding Ambiga claims is innocuous, the NDI's rushed obfuscation of any ties to her organization suggests something more sinister at play. READ MORE HERE |
| Brother’s death: Ex-army major joins Pakatan Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:06 PM PDT 
The 72-year-old retired army officer says that Baharuddin Ahmad's death during the Bersih 2.0 rally has prompted him to make a political stand. (Free Malaysia Today) - A 72-year-old retired army major has decided to pledge his loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat following his brother's death. Speaking to reporters after handing over a memorandum to the Bukit Aman police headquarters, Kassim Ahmad said he was deeply saddened by the incident. His brother, Baharuddin, 58, had died during last Saturday's Bersih 2.0 rally. Kassim said he was disappointed that nobody from the government or the police had attended his brother's funeral. "They had not even passed condolences for his death… I have decided to join Pakatan after this. I do not belong to any political party but after this incident, (it is clear) that Pakatan knows how to take care of the rakyat," said the distraught former army man. He also lauded the "brave people" who took to the streets on July 9 and urged the government not to treat the opposition like the enemy. Baharuddin, a father of three and the husband of PKR Setiawangsa women's wing chief, was said to have died due to heart complications when he fled from the tear gas fired by the police. This morning, Kassim and his nephew Azahar Kassim were accompanied by more than 20 people, including activists and PKR leaders, dresed in different shades of yellow, gold and orange, to submit the memorandum. Among others, the family called for a thorough investigation and that all the policemen involved in the incident be suspended pending the outcome of the probe. Apart from this, the memorandum also called for the findings to be made public and for Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to apologise to the family and all Malaysians. 'His injuries must be explained' Speaking to a police officer who received the memorandum, PKR vice-president N Surendran expressed disappointment that the police denied any wrongdoing even before an investigation was concluded. He also said that the injuries sustained by Baharuddin such as broken ribs, a missing tooth and bruised lip needed more explanation. 
"There were footages which showed that police had kicked the protesters. We want to know if this also happened with him (Baharuddin)," he told the press later. READ MORE HERE |
| Post Bersih 2.0: Beyond Political Rhetorics Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:50 PM PDT 
Khoo Kay Peng Parties with vested interest were quick to name winners and losers in the aftermath of Bersih 2.0. Are there any real clear winners or losers? Ironically, a friend lamented to me that Barisan will still win the next general election through rigging. This is a hard accusation. But it draws us back to the point that the electoral process in Malaysia is far from being democratically functional.
To pass the stress test of democracy, it has to meet a few criteria. The weightage of an urban vote has to be the same with rural vote. Otherwise, the balance of power tilts towards less than 40% of rural voters who can determine who rules the country.
Second, it points us to the trust and credibility deficit of the Election Commission which is supposed to be entrusted to run and manage fair and transparent elections.
The serious lack of trust in the electoral process is a serious impediment to a fair and transparent electoral system and puts the entire democratic system in jeopardy.
Aftermath of Bersih 2.0, are there any clear winners?
Arguably NO, because the ruling government and the Election Commission have not responded positively to a movement which they had declared as illegal, hence its demands too! There is not going to be any reform. Period.
Can the Opposition ride on the Bersih 2.0 to create another tsunami in the coming general elections? I hardly doubt so because of an inequitable delineation process which had tilted power base to the 40% rural/non-urban voters. It will probably take another 100 years, if we are optimistic enough, to hope for proportionate representation to be even considered.
Who are the losers? Many. Malaysia's reputation and image internationally has been badly affected. The ruling government's inconsistency and lack of tolerance for dissent is being tested and exposed. Many Malaysians are going to feel more dispirited despite words of encouragement. Reality will set in that it is not easy to change a government, much worse a mindset, after all.
Malaysia is facing a stark reality of what lies ahead. Hard sell abroad to lure investors into Malaysia is going to face futility. Not because of Bersih 2.0 but largely due to a lethargic and sloppy governance.
Vision 2020 is soon becoming a pipe dream. It has lost its magic and sense of purpose. It is best for the ruling politicians to start thinking of what is the next viable and appealing story for Malaysia before they can hope to attract billions needed to help Malaysia achieve its desired developed nation status.
An international report has put Malaysia as one of the least attractive emerging economies, only ahead of Columbia. Graduates unemployment has doubled since 2008. Companies are moving away and foreign companies are withdrawing from the country. I have spoken to quite a number local businessmen who are busy looking elsewhere due to the economic realities in the country. A headline screams, Kuala Lumpur is now more expensive for expats than San Francisco. Malaysia's demand power is only 32% of New York etc. etc.
What about a plate of economy rice costing around RM7? READ MORE HERE |
| Hall of Achievements - Selangor State Government Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:16 PM PDT 
By Masterwordsmith Selangor has been regarded as the crown jewel of all the states controlled by Pakatan Rakyat. In fact, the state is the gold mine of the Federal Government since it has the highest GDP in the country. As the most populous and most developed state, Selangor enjoys the highest growth rate of all states in Malaysia. In May, Najib told Selangor Umno to win back the country's wealthiest state with whatever "weapon was at their disposal", hinting elections was "just around the corner". Will it be that easy to regain its hold on Selangor? The Penang State government published its 30 people-centric policies measures that have benefited the rakyat. This report, which highlights the differences between PR people-centric government and BN's crony government, has shown Penangites the sterling performance of the Pakatan-led team. (Read more here and also HERE.)
The Pakatan-led Selangor State government has been doing very well (as reported HERE). The only difference is, their achievements have not been highlighted as much. With more publicity, they can march confidently into the next GE and give BN a run for their money.
The 4 PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have beat the other 10 BN states by attracting RM25 billion in investments comprising 53% of Malaysia's total investments of RM47.2 billion in 2010. For the first time in history, Penang is now the new champion of investments in Malaysia, coming out top in 2010.
What we have heard/read about dirty linen being washed in public, especially with regards to the many negative issues that plagued PKR Selangor. However, few are aware that the Selangor State Government has achieved so much in the last three years. Here are some examples of their achievements.
Harakah Daily reported that Selangor state assembly was told that the state government's revenue increased by RM200 million during the first six months of this year.
To a question by Sekinchan state assemblyman Ng Swee Lim, Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the state's cash reserve stood at RM918 million at the end of 2010, RM1,100 million at June 30, 2001.
"The investment has increased by RM557 million as at June 30, 2011 compared to RM668 million at December 31, 2010. With the two sources combined it will be RM1,760 million compared to RM1,580 million for the same period in 2010.
"In six months, the state government has managed to increase the state revenue by RM200 million and this is the best financial record over the last 28 years," he said.
Khalid stressed that the state not only achieved revenue increase but also good financial management which has been Pakatan Rakyat's battlecry before it wrested the state from Barisan Nasional in March 2008.
In reality, the state Micro Credit programme had distributed RM50 million to the people with sources generated from debt collection and the amount could be grouped under the Menteri Besar Consolidated Account. The state civil service has been diligently documenting digital details of 2 million the cost came from the debt collection. READ MORE HERE |
| PKR: Isu Anwar tidak jejaskan pembangkang Posted: 15 Jul 2011 04:11 PM PDT 
"Mereka tahu isu itu hanya mainan BN dan Umno menjelang pilihan raya umum," katanya. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pembahagian kerusi di kalangan parti Pakatan Rakyat di Pahang untuk pilihan raya umum ke 13 akan selesai bulan depan. PKR, PAS dan DAP, katanya setuju mengekalkan status 2008, kata Ketua Penerangan PKR negeri, Razali Alias. "Rundingan masih berjalan dan dijangka selesai sepenuhnya sebelum raya puasa ini," katanya ketika dihubungi hari ini. Pada pilihan raya umum lepas, PKR bertanding lapan kerusi Parlimen dan menang dua iaitu Bandar Kuantan dan Indera Mahkota. Razali menjelaskan, PKR belum memilih senarai calon tetapi mempunyai calon untuk semua kerusi yang ditandingi parti itu. "Beberapa calon hang bertanding dalam pilihan raya umum lalu akan digugurkan dan diganti dengan muka baru yang lebih berwibawa. READ MORE HERE |
| Cyberbattle to own the ‘truth' Posted: 15 Jul 2011 03:46 PM PDT 
The truth' is still out there in cyberspace where the Bersih 2.0 rally is concerned. Pakatan had always enjoyed a well-oiled social media network. It was first seen in action during Anwar's black eye incident and later in the first sodomy trial and subsequently the purported arsenic poisoning. BARADAN KUPPUSAMY, The Star THE Bersih 2.0 rally might be over but the battle to own its truth is still being fought over social media which had become a fierce battleground. People from both sides of the political divide have weighed in with their experiences of July 9 on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and so forth. Some of the things uploaded now include a video clip of a man who had supposedly died, a hospital that was blasted with water cannons and a PKR activist who died of a heart problem during the rally but his death was blamed on the police. The person who faked his death on video has been traced and identified as an Al-Arqam member from Selangor. He is said to have run off when the police sent him to hospital. Then a supposedly "Chinese man" was seen holding a loud hailer for the man (said to fake his death) as he prayed. Eventually, the "Chinese man" had been exposed as a Selangor PKR man who is a Malay. A blogger posted his picture for viewers to judge for themselves. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, was seen grimacing in hospital after the rally but his detractors scoffed at the images. 
Umno Youth's Patriot group appears to have been 'outsourced' to Bangladeshis to make up the 500-strong crowd 
It's a war zone out there in cyberspace. The Pakatan Rakyat appears to be winning at times; at other times, the Barisan Nasional. Pakatan had always enjoyed a well-oiled social media network. It was first seen in action during Anwar's black eye incident and later in the first sodomy trial and subsequently the purported arsenic poisoning. One of the prominent websites at that time was the Free Anwar website managed by Raja Petra Kamaruddin. It did Anwar a great favour and is also credited with helping to free him in 2004. Pakatan was always a step ahead of Barisan in exploiting the developments in social media. During the years since the Free Anwar website, Anwar himself led in the fight to exploit social media for its powerful ability to connect disparate people. Today, social media is working overtime for Pakatan as it seeks to manufacture consent for his political themes. Tech-savvy youths were checking iPads and smartphones during the days leading to the Bersih 2.0 rally and on the day itself. They sent out tweets, posted comments and images and wrote about their experiences at the rally. The truth can sometimes be lost in the maze that is social media but some images do not lie, such as the incident which took place at Tung Shin Hospital. There is overwhelming evidence that tear gas and water cannon were fired into the hospital area after rally participants ran helter skelter into the hospital area. Images and video clips of the incident were recorded and uploaded online by many people. It is well known that some ministers lack social media skills or have not found time to watch videos online but still make statements that later put them in a spot. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms have thus become a contested arena with many pro-Barisan Nasional and pro-Pakatan Rakyat supporters arguing over their version of what the "truth" is. For Anwar, the important thing is to keep up the political momentum achieved by Bersih 2.0. Their hope is that the next general election is held soon to capitalise on the political momentum created by the rally. He needs the Bersih 2.0 rally to be talked about everywhere, besides calling on his friends in the Western media to write about it. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, on the other hand, has been spending time explaining things. While on a visit to London, he was interviewed on CNN where he took questions on the rally, on police brutality and on his economic transformation plans for the country. Najib has to put a distance between himself and the effects of the rally on the people, especially the youths who are upwardly mobile. The social media is Anwar's strong suit. The same cannot be said about many government leaders. But not everybody is connected and those who are connected deeply disagree on what really happened on July 9. The silent majority is out there and when they speak, it will be a roar. |
| They also had their Bersih day Posted: 15 Jul 2011 02:09 PM PDT Israeli and Palestinians take part in a rally to voice support for U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state, in Jerusalem, Friday, July 15, 2011. The U.S. and Israel say a Mideast peace deal and Palestinian independence should come about only through talks. Both Israel and the Palestinians have launched international lobbying campaigns to drum up support for their respective positions. The banners read in Hebrew and Arabic "Together we march for liberation". (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) I hope it may open some eyes, defreeze some minds and close many mouths .... The whole world is moving and we are all part of it as human beings. By Jeff |
| Yes Mr PM, it’s ‘all about politics’ Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:50 PM PDT  By Jeswant Kaur, FMT Detaining activists and Parti Sosialis Malaysia members like Dr Michael D Jeyakumar under the Emergency Ordinance, that is "all about politics". Not allowing relatives to visit the ailing doctor at the National Heart Institute is nothing but cruelty at its best. The dust on the crackdown by the Barisan Nasional government against a rally seeking to reform the electoral system will never settle. In exactly a week since election watchdog Bersih 2.0 held its "Walk for Democracy" last Saturday, much dirt has surfaced, all pointing in the direction of the BN leadership under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Not only did Najib try his very best to play out Bersih 2.0 or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections comprising 62 non-governmental organisations, he unwittingly ended up making the biggest mistake in his mere two-years of premiership, when he pitted the police force against the rakyat. Whilst the rally succeeded in bringing together 50,000 concerned and worried Malaysians, it also made history when 1,600 participants were arrested, the largest haul in a day in the history of this country. As far as the premier goes, he is the least interested in what the July 9, 2011, rally has to teach. Instead, Najib has worsened matters by spewing lies after lies, ending up only to make a fool of himself. He is doing all he can to wipe off the July 9 rude awakening. In an interview with the CNN in London a few days back, Najib foolishly lied to the station anchor John Defteriors, saying that no undue force was used on the rally participants. As far as Najib is capable of deducing, the July 9 rally was "all about politics". "Because there is democracy in Malaysia. And we are committed towards electoral reform," he unashamedly lied during the interview. Democracy? Commitment and electoral reforms? One doubts whether Najib even understands the meaning of these words. If there is democracy in Malaysia, then the 1,600 participants would not have been arrested. If democracy is alive here, Bersih 2.0 would not have been bullied and threatened. Yes, if democracy exists in Malaysia, the rakyat would have been able to engage in the "Walk for Democracy" peacefully, without any fear. But none of the above happened. To Najib, democracy is a carrot he thinks he can dangle to the rakyat anytime he wants, all to fulfill his own hidden agendas. Najib's bag of lies To further lie that no force was used on the participants has only confirmed Najib's status as a leader who will go to any length to manipulate and mislead. There is ample evidence of the police brutality and yet the premier could in a poker face manner claim no undue force was exerted on the participants. No wonder Malaysians seem to be suffering from the third class mentality, having long ago caught the "virus" from the so-called leaders whom they had entrusted with power. Najib knows the truth behind July 9, 2011. But his conviction is simply to weak stand up for the truth. His claim that the rally which Najib labelled as a street protest was "all about politics" is one big dangerous lie. The truth which begs defence is that it is Najib who turned the Bersih 2.0 walk into a political charade, deploying cops in thousands. The Najib administration's threats to detain the Bersih 2.0 leaders under the draconian Internal Security Act, that was "all about politics". READ MORE HERE. |
| Utusan plays up DAP, PAS differences on Kedah entertainment ban Posted: 15 Jul 2011 01:06 PM PDT  By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Sensing a potential split in the opposition ranks, Utusan Malaysia said today it "pitied" PAS for being "bullied endlessly" by the DAP after the majority-Chinese party urged Kedah to revoke a ban on entertainment outlets during Ramadan. The Malaysian Insider reported today that the PAS national leadership has also asked the party-led Kedah government to brief the Islamist party's central committee tomorrow on the rationale behind the proposed ban. "Although Kedah is ruled by PAS, DAP still wants to interfere with the state's administration," Awang Selamat, the pseudonym for the Umno-owned newspaper's editors, said today. "Awang can see that although Lim Kit Siang has not yet even taken over the federal government, he has already shown his fangs to Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak," added the Malay daily. The DAP adviser recently urged the state government to withdraw the ban on 13 types of entertainment outlets from operating in the state during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Lim pointed out that his party's Kedah chapter never agreed to the ban as the matter was not raised at the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat (PR) council level. The MCA has also been quick to accuse Kedah PAS of violating human rights with the ban, which covers businesses such as karaoke centres and discos as well as live performances in readily accessible locations such as bars, hotels and restaurants. Only cybercafés, bowling alleys and snooker centres are exempt as they have been excluded from the regulation. The DAP last locked horns with PAS in January over Selangor's proposed ban on Muslims from working in premises that sell alcohol. READ MORE HERE. |
| Police welcome Suhakam probe Posted: 15 Jul 2011 12:26 PM PDT  By Teoh El Sen, FMT SUBANG: The police have welcomed Suhakam's decision to hold an open inquiry into allegations of excessive force used during last Saturday's Bersih 2.0 rally. "We will cooperate fully with Suhakam wherever the law requires us to," Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told FMT in an text message yesterday. Yesterday, Suhakam vice-chairman Prof Dr Khaw Lake Tee said the commission decided to hold an inquiry based on complaints of police brutality during the July 9 rally following two memorandums urging for an independent probe sent by PAS Youth, Suaram and Bersih 2.0. "At the moment, the commission is in the midst of setting up the panel of inquiry and its terms of reference. Further details will be announced in two weeks," read a statement by Suhakam yesterday. The public has also been called to come forward as witnesses or to provide information or evidence to Suhakam. READ MORE HERE. |
| Taib’s got the rally jitters? Posted: 15 Jul 2011 12:24 PM PDT  (FMT) - KUCHING: Is Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, whose Barisan Nasional coalition swept 55 seats in the April 16 state election, ruffled by the possibility of a Bersih 2.0-styled march in Kuching? It would appear so going by his sudden outburst here. The usually unaffected Taib pounced on Movement for Change Sarawak's (MoCS) call for a "Walk For Democracy and Reform" on Aug 13 when asked to comment by reporters. "MoCS rally!…You find out who MoCS represents, whose voice they are carrying and by what authority is Francis Siah claiming to be the leader. "People can see why I am a leader and who I represent… and you can ask him (Siah) the same question…who does he represent," he lashed out. Inspired by the success of Bersih 2.0′s "Walk For Democracy" on July 9 and the fact that some 100 Sarawakians had taken part, Siah on Wednesday announced that MoCS would hold its own rally. He said the movement's leaders decided to organise the peaceful walk instead of an anti-Taib Mahmud rally (their original idea) which had also been planned for Aug 13. Siah said the rally would be a citizens' initiative with no political affiliation or involvement and urged Sarawakians to join the walk or hold their own activity wherever they were. He also said that the rally would be a compromised version of the original street protest planned by MoCs to force Taib to step down. Following the state election, rife with allegations of money politics having aided BN's victory, MoCS called for Taib to step down by Aug 13, failing which the movement would mobilise a mass protest. On Wednesday, Siah was reported to have said: "For too long, the state has been trapped in a quagmire of widespread corruption and the politics of fear and intimidation. READ MORE HERE. |
| Moderate path Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:57 AM PDT 
By Sharif Haron, NST MALAYSIA is taking the path of moderation not just because it is right, but because it works, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.
"We are moderate not because it is right. We are moderate because it works — and I make no apology for that. "Our economy has grown because we are moderate. The markets — never a fan of financial extremes — trust us because we are moderate. Investors deposit their money with us because we are moderate," he told business leaders at a forum here yesterday. He said Malaysia's own progress has been built on the bedrock of political, social and economic moderation and zero tolerance for extremists. "And today, as people and governments everywhere struggle to navigate the global economic storm and to come to terms with our new interconnectedness, it is precisely this moderation that provides a clear path back to economic growth." The Global Investment Forum, organised by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, was to give key insights into Malaysia's position as a business and investment destination.
Earlier in his speech, the prime minister declared he would not be making a sales pitch as such, leaving this job to International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed instead.
He went on to present his case on why those who were still thinking along the terms of East versus West are stuck in the past.
He said it was naive to suggest that the global marketplace operated according to some kind of "see-saw economics" where if one side went up the other automatically went down.
"Unemployment is low in Kuala Lumpur but not because it is high in Detroit. Maybank is expanding but not because of the collapse of Northern Rock. And Malaysia's economy gets stronger by the day, but not because the economy in Portugal is on its knees." While it was true that Asian economies have grown by more than six per cent in each of the past five years and Europe had only achieved around one per cent, the West and East were not sitting at opposite ends of the see-saw.
Instead, as national economies become global and their interests more intertwined, they find themselves increasingly coming together in the middle.
A rise in the living standards in the East does not cause the West to falter, rather helps it rise yet higher as people's demand for goods will stretch increasingly beyond nations' borders.
"If you walk into any mall in Kuala Lumpur, you will see British brands like Topshop, Burberry, and Marks and Spencer alongside Malaysian ones like Maxis, Parkson and Metrojaya.
"And it is not only retail firms who have made the move — our financial sector is also host to firms, like RBS, Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered, which are working to develop a new generation of financial products that can meet the ever-growing expectations of Malaysians.
"Increasing prosperity for all: that is the goal of our new global age — and as wealth creators, you are the people who will ensure that we achieve it." Najib pointed out though that Malaysia's economic success, including an economic growth rate of 7.2 per cent last year and probably five to six per cent this year, had not been through some kind of global inevitability, but through sound policy, shrewd governance and deft economic stewardship.
He also said at the heart of Malaysia's success has been its international outlook and new way of doing business in an environment where economies are interdependent, to the extent that "a car assembled in Dagenham is designed in Detroit, powered by an engine from Tokyo and fitted with tyres from Kuala Lumpur".
He said national economic interest was becoming more about collective interest, which was why Malaysia rejected the outdated notion of taking sides in international trade and relations, opting instead for a new multilateralism that worked both for the nation and its partners.
"We live in an age where Portugal looks to Brazil, its former colony, for help in dealing with its economic problems... a world where the Olympics is coming to London but the World Cup is going to Qatar.
"It's less a question of whether East or West will come out on top and more one of whether and for low long these labels will continue to apply.
"I have no doubt those investors who are truly global in their outlook will reap the biggest rewards — because as the saying goes, the sun may set in the west and rise in the east but it's always daylight somewhere in the world!"
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| Accept specialists’ Tung Shin version, says private doctors group Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:15 AM PDT 
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — The federal private doctors body has backed medical consultants who insist that the police fired tear gas and water cannons into the Tung Shin Hospital during the Bersih rally a week ago. The Health Ministry had initially defended the authorities before it yielded to public pressure and announced an investigation on Thursday into the incident. The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) pointed out today that doctors had a moral duty to highlight violations of the sanctity of hospitals caused by "frayed tempers" during unrest. "Such action by concerned doctors must be accepted in good faith as it is their duty to ensure that innocent patients under treatment must not be exposed to unnecessary harm or danger," said FPMPAM president Dr Steven Chow in a statement today. "Not to do otherwise will be a dereliction of their professional duty," he added. The FPMPAM groups seven state bodies that together have 5,000 members nationwide. The Tung Shin Hospital board had on Monday informed Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai that no tear gas canisters and water cannons were fired directly into the hospital compound, which is located on Jalan Pudu, during the electoral reform rally. The police have also denied shooting directly into the hospital compound after protesters had sought refuge there. But a group of medical consultants had written to the media saying the police and hospital versions of the incident were wrong. In the days following the alleged incursion, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, a former health minister himself, said the police had to fire tear gas near Tung Shin Hospital to protect its patients from Bersih 2.0 protesters who had sought refuge there. Dr Chua said the situation should be viewed "in totality", pointing out that the police would be accused of not doing their job had they decided against dispersing the crowd of protesters that had run into the hospital. Liow has also said that shots from the water cannons had only brushed the edges of the hospital walls and blamed the wind for any tear gas felt. "The federation certainly supports the action of these 11 senior doctors as they are voicing out their outrage and concern when patients' lives are put in danger," said Dr Chow. READ MORE HERE. |
| Up, Close and Personal With Bourdon Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:47 AM PDT  Next Thursday, French lawyer William Bourdon will be in Penang to give an exclusive presentation to disclose how even "bigger" commissions were paid to "extremely high level" government officials in Malaysia related to the purchase of two submarines in 2002. Many have been shocked by the potentially explosive scandal in Malaysia over the billion-dollar purchase of French submarines, a deal engineered by then Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak. The Scorpene submarines are at the very heart of the continuing controversy over the death of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year old Mongolian translator who was cruelly and brutally C4-ed to her tragic death. However, many may not know that French lawyers William Bourdon, Renaud Semerdjian and Joseph Breham filed two requests with Parisian prosecutors on Dec. 4, 2009 and Feb. 23 2010 on behalf of the Malaysian human rights organization Suaram to investigate bribery and kickbacks from the deal.
For over two years, Parisian prosecutors, led by investigating judges Francoise Besset Francoise Besset and Jean-Christophe Hullin, have been gingerly investigating allegations involving senior French political figures and the sales of submarines and other weaponry to governments all over the world. French news reports have said the prosecutors have backed away from some of the most serious charges out of concern for the political fallout.
On the Malaysian front, Ops Scorpene has been launched to raise funds and awareness for these concerned parties to further pursue the case in the French courts. It hopes to question arms spending and transparency in arms procurement in the country.
However, funds are needed to finance the legal costs in French courts. As such, Ops Scorpene aims to raise RM100,000 via events planned during the visit of the French lawyers to Malaysia.
This is where YOU can play a very important role to see that justice and truth prevails. Far above all the coffee shop discussions or online rants, this is YOUR CHANCE to play an active role in unravelling truth. Organized by KL-based human rights NGO Suaram, a fund-raising dinner will be held in Penang during the French lawyer's visit to Malaysia to better inform ordinary citizens and Civil Society Organisations on the facts of the scandal that shook the nation.
Other speakers include Cynthia Gabriel (SUARAM), Lim Kiat Siang (DAP), Tian Chua (PKR), and Mat Sabu (PAS).
Date: 21 July 2011 (Thursday) Time: 8.00p.m. Venue: Banquet Hall Function Room 2, Level 4, Sunshine Square complex, Penang
Vegetarian Dinner
A table for 10 persons is priced at : Table class A -- RM 5000 Table class B -- RM 3000 Table class C -- RM 2000 Table class D -- RM 1000 Table class E -- RM 500
Individual tickets at RM50 each are also available for sale. Tickets are also available at the door.
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS - Bank in your payment at: SUARAM ACCOUNT at SUARA INISIATIF SDN BHD, A/C No: 0300 0065 200, Hong Leong Bank
For international donor: (swift code) HLBBMYKL
Please notify us after made your payment!!! PLS SEND YOUR BANK TRANSACTION TO US.
Call to - 0163211934
Email to - refugee.suaram@gmail.com
If you cannot be there for one reason or another, please feel free to contribute your donations. Your presence, support and/or kind and generous response is deeply appreciated.
PLEASE JOIN US. See you there at the dinner!
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| Make Up Your Mind, Electoral Commission Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:26 AM PDT  By Mariam Mokhtar In the first Bersih rally, in 2007, in which Malaysians marched for free and fair elections, the event drew around 30,000 people. The rally was marred when the police provoked the crowds and used water cannons firing chemical laced water, baton charges and tear gas canisters against them. As a result of Bersih and the Hindraf march which happened 10 days later, BN lost its grip on power in Malaysia and the Prime Minister then, Abdullah Badawi was reported to have said that the Election Commission (EC) had acceded to several of Bersih's requests and that the opposition was continually blaming the EC for irregularities. He said, "They wanted a transparent ballot box and the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting. The EC has agreed to that. Other than that, they can negotiate with the commission". He suggested that the electoral gains made by the Opposition after the GE were because the EC was not tainted. Fast forward to 2011 and BN is under pressure again. Apart from the usual grievances regarding electoral fraud, the EC is accused of condoning double-voting and vote-buying. Perhaps, the scrutiny into their lack of performance has forced the EC to say that BN does not have undue influence on any of their decisions. Perhaps, the intense public disapproval means the EC and BN have forgotten their election pledges for reform which they made last 2007. The most damaging of these reforms, for the EC, would be the use of indelible ink which is simple, cheap and foolproof. In 2011, the EC suggested that finger printing was necessary to avoid electoral fraud. In a climbdown from the statement issued by Badawi in 2007, it then announced that using indelible ink was a backward practice. According to Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, the EC deputy chairman, Bersih's demand for indelible ink to be used in an attempt to prevent electoral fraud would create chaos and make a mockery of Malaysia's image as a progressive and developing country. He said, "Countries that use indelible ink are countries like Indonesia, India, Zambia and Zimbabwe….. These are countries with more than double the population of Malaysia and where not all its citizens own identification cards. "These countries are not up to our level so why should we adopt their system? This is a choice between progression and regression." Perhaps, Wan Ahmad is not aware that as a nation, we have already regressed. Our leaders lack morals and have no desire to give up their hold on power. Malaysia does not have the rule of law. It says one thing about corruption, but does very little to eradicate it. There are many recorded abuses of electoral law, which are brushed aside by the EC. The EC is already compromised and is not an effective organisation to uphold the electoral rights of its people. Wan Ahmad then raised fears that voters would not agree with having their fingers painted with ink and asked if these people would not be eligible to vote. He said, "Disqualifying them would go against their rights." In a further attempt to prevent the use of indelible ink, he expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the method. "I also heard that indelible ink can be easily obtained from Thailand. What if voters ink their fingers themselves before casting their vote? Can you imagine the chaos that will erupt when they are barred from voting?" This reminds us of the MACC lawyer Abdul Razak Musa who tried to strangle himself in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest. However, Wan Ahmad is not alone in advocating the use of fingerprinting. According to Bernama, the EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohamad Yusof was reported to have said that plans were underway to 'record voters' fingerprints to verify their identities before allowing them to cast their ballots'. He said, "Then (a voter) will be considered to have voted, and the individual concerned cannot go to another polling station with the identity card to again cast his or her vote". The EC appears to have lost all credibility and powers of reasoning. Every decision or statement it makes seem to suggest that it has no desire to clean up the electoral process in Malaysia. Just like Umno/BN, it does not care or even want to be seen to champion the right of everyone to have free, clean and fair election. If only the EC had the imagination and perspicacity to realise that if it had agreed to engage with Bersih, it's reputation and those of its office-bearers, would be much improved. The bottom line is money. Ink is relatively cheap compared with fancy gadgets like biometric readers. Naturally, Umno/BN are afraid that the use of the simple and relatively cheap way of addressing voter fraud with indelible ink will oust Umno/BN from power. They are only concerned with the economics of the system. Which method will net them more money especially as the award to purchase expensive equipment will not be transparent and will be given to one of their cronies? What is a few hundred thousand ringgits in indelible ink, when Umno/BN cronies can charge several hundred millions and dupe us into handing over more money to those who already benefit from the public purse? Reducing electoral fraud is perhaps the least of the EC's problems. Making Umno/BN stay in power is more important. |
| WARNING: DOCTORED PHOTOGRAPH Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:03 PM PDT 
I just want to warn you that this doctored photograph is circulating on the Internet. This photograph is not real. The BERSIH logo has been superimposed on the photograph. The real un-doctored photograph is below it. I trust you will not be fooled by this doctored photograph. 
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| Analysts: Bad press won’t unseat Najib Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:47 PM PDT 
They say the negative publicity about anti-Bersih actions will have minimal electoral impact (Free Malaysia Today) - The international media's attack on the Najib administration over its handling of the July 9 Bersih rally will not threaten Barisan Nasional's grip on Putrajaya, according to two political analysts. They said the negative publicity would have minimal electoral impact although it bolstered anti-BN sentiment among younger voters and reinforced their distrust of the local mainstream media. "I don't think it would affect anything on the ground," said UCSI lecturer on public policies Ong Kian Ming, adding that the slew of criticism could in fact put off a majority of voters. He said the foreign media assault might easily be interpreted as encroachment by "western imperialism", a theme adopted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad to counter international pressure on his administration during the 1998 "Reformasi" uprising. Putrajaya's response to Bersih has led to widespread criticism from the international media, including influential newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the Guardian, the television channel Al-Jazeera and also top regional newspapers like the Singapore Straits Times and Jakarta Post. Observers have noted that the July 9 march had received more international attention than Bersih's 2007 rally although there were significantly more participants in the first protest. Pakatan Rakyat leaders believe the augmented media and Internet buzz means growing support for the opposition, but Ong disagrees, saying that the limelight on Bersih would have minimal electoral impact although it would sustain an anti-government momentum. Ong explained the difference between the press given to the first and second Bersih rallies. To him, the latter received wider coverage because of its context rather than because of growing support for the opposition. "I think we have been compared to the Arab Spring," he said. "Also there is more awareness because the ruling coalition is more frail now as compared to 2007." READ MORE HERE |
| Bersih not about Pakatan, it's about us! Posted: 14 Jul 2011 06:36 PM PDT 
This letter appeared in Malaysiakini today. I thought I would publish it because what was said in the letter reflects the sentiments of most Malaysians. It in fact dovetails with what I have been saying all along. We are not anti-politicians as much as we are pro-rakyat. This, the politicians have to understand. And BERSIH should not be turned into a political party but must remain a people's movement. Nirmala Naidu, Malaysiakini Dear Chandra Muzaffar, I refer to your letter in Star, July 13. I am just an ordinary citizen of Malaysia who is very passionate about her people and environment. As a responsible citizen, I pay all my bills on time, adhere to every rule and regulation and obey the law. I must say I am very disappointed with the current government. I am not a member of any political party but I am a supporter of what is right. There are too many wrongs going on in our country. That is why I support Bersih.
For you to say that the main agenda of the rally was to carry Pakatan to Putrajaya is totally flawed. I speak on behalf of the millions of Malaysian who are not a member of any political party. We do not give a damn for Pakatan Rakyat but we do give a damn for Bersih.
Obviously the initial turnout of 300,000 was not realised because the citizens of this country were terrorised just for wearing yellow, weeks before the rally! Then the whole of KL was locked down by the police. It does not take a genius to figure out why the numbers were not there. With all the threats by the government and police, I would say at least 50 -100 thousand people were there (judging from the photos). This you cannot deny, Chandra.
In 2007, Bersih had its first rally for free and fair elections. Five years later, they had another rally for the same agenda, free and fair elections. What does that tell you, Dr? Yes, nothing was done about the issues.
We saw countless by elections which had been inundated with numerous complaints which all fell onto deaf ears. No action was ever taken. All was conveniently swept under the carpet.
Bersih is actually a very patient organisation. To say that they did not exhaust all avenues is pure rubbish. The reason why Bersih went into the streets is because they see no other avenue. Despite being promised a stadium - which was initially the PM's idea, and requested by the King, and Bersih agreed to hold the rally in a stadium - they were still denied a permit.
They compromised. But the PM reneged on his offer by ordering the police not to issue a permit. What crap! Even if 10 stadiums offered their permits to have the rally, Bersih still had to go to the streets because the police will not issue a permit.
Together with education comes realisation and enlightenment. When a nation is progressing, you cannot expect your citizens to be stupid. Street demonstrations is a first world culture. If our leaders do not allow the freedom of speech, then let's remain a third world country, and lets remain stupid. Then there will be no problems. We won't know what is going on.
The rising price of essential goods concerns me. Who is responsible for Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini's death concerns me. Why can't we arrest the problems of burning fires in Sumatra until today amazes me.
The deflating ringgit concerns me. The exorbitant electricity bills concerns me. And if the government of the day can rule without fear or favour then I will back that government be it BN or Pakatan Rakyat. Just imagine, if KL was not locked down on July 9, I am sure millions would have come out and that is something the ruling government just did not want to see. |
| And he agrees with me again Posted: 14 Jul 2011 04:59 PM PDT Bekas mufti Perlis Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin menyelar apa yang dikatakannya sebagai "unsur feudal" melalui tindakan membodek pemimpin dalam Umno. Dalam sesi dialog di Kuala Lumpur malam tadi, Asri juga mengkritik kurangnya toleransi dalam menangani pelbagai pandangan dalam parti Melayu itu. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Bekas mufti selar budaya bodek dalam Umno (Malaysiakini, 15 July 2011) - Bekas mufti Perlis Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin menyelar apa yang dikatakannya sebagai "unsur feudal" melalui tindakan membodek pemimpin dalam Umno.
Dalam sesi dialog di Kuala Lumpur malam tadi, Asri juga mengkritik kurangnya toleransi dalam menangani pelbagai pandangan dalam parti Melayu itu.
 "Dalam pemerintah sekarang semua orang nak tunjuk kononnya dia setia (kepada pemerintah) walaupun kenyataan yang dikeluarkan adalah bodoh tapi dia rasa tidak mengapa yang penting perdana menteri tahu.
"Dalam Umno bila ada pemimpin bagi kritikan dia ini dianggap musuh walaupun idea yang diberikan adalah baik namun ia dianggap bahaya kerana unsur feudal tidak ditinggalkan.
"Ramai yang nak masuk politik supaya dapat bodek pemimpin dan dapat hasil namun kesannya nanti ia akan merobohkan institusi yang ada, sebagai contoh khutbah Jumaat... institusi agama digunakan apa dalil agama yang mengharamkan perhimpunan, dalil agama digunakan untuk memburukkan orang lain. Program itu yang banyak menyentuh mengenai Himpunan BERSIH 2.0, menyaksikan Asri membidas pemikiran feudal yang diamalkan Umno-BN dalam sistem pentadbiran negara pada hari ini yang katanya perlu dikikis jika masih mahu mengekalkan kuasa. READ MORE HERE: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/169987 *************************************************** The master-servant relationship (Malaysia Today, 12 July 2011) - I remember Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad lamenting about this same matter more than once. In a way he also touched on this issue in his book 'The Malay Dilemma', which was banned by the government in 1969 or 1970. In fact, later, when he became Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir went even further than that: he lamented that the Malays are so emotional and he wished that they were more like the Chinese -- pragmatic.
The issue that I am talking about here, and which is the brunt of Dr Mahathir's lament, is that the Malays are too feudalistic. And Dr Mahahthir found this out the hard way when he engaged the Rulers in a Constitutional Crisis back in the 1980s and the rakyat sided with the Rulers. Dr Mahathir had no choice but to back off and rethink his strategy before coming back for a second round of attacking the Rulers.
Yes, even the great Dr Mahathir who could challenge Britain, America and Australia and tell them to go screw themselves could not break the feudalistic mind of Malaysians, in particular the Malays.
We all know the stories about the Sultans of old who would ask you to divorce your wife if he took a liking to her, or the son of the Sultan who would stab and kill you if you accidentally knocked into him, and whatnot. What about the legend of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat where Hang Tuah is portrayed as a saint for allowing the Sultan to order his death based just on rumours while Hang Jebat is considered a villain for opposing tyranny and for standing up for justice?
Yes, that is how the mind of the Malaysian works, in particular the mind of the Malay. We are feudalistic through and through and don't ever suggest that Malaysia abolishes the Monarchy and turn the country into a Republic. That would be like wearing a Liverpool T-shirt and walking into a Manchester pub. You would not need to jump out of a window of a MACC building to commit suicide.
And that has not changed much. Maybe the Sultans are no longer the powers-that-be and are only Constitutional Monarchs. Nevertheless, while we now have elected representatives instead of Monarchs in charge or running the country, these elected representatives and politicians have become the new feudal lords and masters.
And that is why we must become anti-politicians. Malaysians politicians have become the new feudal lords of Malaysia. Never mind whether it is Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. They are all the same. After all, many of the Pakatan Rakyat politicians are ex-Barisan Nasional anyway. And this is the reason why we must redefine the master-servant relationship. In the past, before Merdeka of 1957, we the rakyat were the servants while the Sultans, who were the rulers, were the masters. But that has now changed. Today, we the rakyat are the masters and those we elect to run the country are the servants. READ MORE HERE: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/41960-the-master-servant-relationship |
| Sarbaini's death: Not suicide or homicide, investigator tells court Posted: 14 Jul 2011 04:40 PM PDT 
(The Star) - A Bukit Aman Forensic Division police officer told the Coroner's Court here that he ruled out suicide and homicide for Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed's death. DSP Sharul Othman Mansor, who was recalled to the witness stand Friday, told the inquest into the death of the Selangor Customs assistant director that, in his professional opinion, Ahmad Sarbaini fell while trying to climb out the window on the third floor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building here on April 6. He said this when questioned by MACC lawyer Datuk Seri Muhamad Shafee Abdullah. Muhamad Shafee: So this means that it was not a suicide. DSP Sharul: Yes. Muhamad Shafee: And this would also mean that it was not a homicide? DSP Sharul: Based on my analysis of the evidence, yes, I agree with you. DSP Sharul had testified earlier this month that Ahmad Sarbaini had fallen some 10m to his death while trying to jump from the said window on to nearby roof "which looks near when you're standing at the window". The roof, however, is actually about three metres from the window. |
| Men in blue pounce on MP in yellow Posted: 14 Jul 2011 04:22 PM PDT  By G Vinod, FMT PETALING JAYA: DAP MP Er Teck Hwa landed in trouble when he wore the banned Bersih 2.0 yellow T-shirt on his way to a memorial service for the late Teoh Beng Hock yesterday. Relating the incident, the Bakri MP's aide Liew Choan Chee said some 50 people gathered at Wisma DAP in Muar, Johor, for the service at 8pm. There was a FRU truck and several policemen stationed nearby. "We were supposed to march to Er's service centre which is about 300 yards from the DAP building. When we started walking, several police officers stopped our procession," said Liew. He added that a police officer, identified only as Bala, ordered Er to remove the T-shirt and warned the group that it was an illegal gathering. Refusing, Er then argued his case with the officer who eventually relented when the MP agreed to wear a red T-shirt bearing a Chinese character which meant "Change" on top of the yellow T-shirt. The procession was then allowed to continue until they reached a road where a patrol car stopped them. Liew said several police officers then forced Er to remove his Bersih 2.0 T-shirt on the spot. "Er grew irritated and started shouting at the officers. A commotion ensued, and the police told him to follow them to the Muar district police headquarters," he added. The police, Liew said, refused to tell Er whether he was under arrest. READ MORE HERE. |
| Shameless Bapa Transformasi Posted: 14 Jul 2011 04:15 PM PDT 
By batsman With only about 2 years in power, Najib is now called Bapa Transformasi on UMNO controlled TV. I see it as shameless self-aggrandizement using public funds to pay for TV advertisements. I also wonder what he thinks he has transformed in this short time? The TV ads are not very clear on this. What I can see for myself is that his wife is the most spectacular PM's wife ever. No other PM's wife has been so much in the limelight. Perhaps it is this aspect of Malaysia that Najib has transformed. Perhaps he thinks that he can transform Malaysia just by using advertising campaigns and TV ads? What is really in bad taste is that we are bombarded everyday with tasteless TV ads of self-aggrandizement – most likely paid with public money or paid by cronies out to flatter him and his wife. It is as if a cult of the personality is being attempted. But what are Najib's achievements that may lend support for such an attempt to build a personality cult? Frankly they elude me. With such TV ads trying to bludgeon the minds and sensitivities of Malaysians, it is no wonder that the stress builds up into rallies such as the one held by Bersih 2.0 recently. Will someone in his inner circle please tell him to stop? |
| Najib meets the Queen, all dressed in yellow Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:57 PM PDT 
(Bernama) - Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his British counterpart David Cameron held talks at No. 10 Downing Street here Thursday as the two historically-linked countries moved to bring bilateral relations a notch higher. The meeting was held in conjunction with Najib's four-day offial visit to the UK at the invitation of Cameron. The two leaders held talks soon after Najib's arrival at the famed address in central London on a rather chilly day despite summer being in full swing. But Najib was greeted warmly by Cameron, both of whom shook hands and posed for photographers and videographers before moving inside for their tete-a-tete followed by a luncheon hosted by the British prime minister. Earlier, Najib was met on arrival at the UK's Foreign and Commowealth Affairs Office by UK's Secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs William Hague, before walking a short distance to 10 Downing Street.  Queen Elizabeth II meets Najib and Rosmah during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday. -AP Prior to that, Najib was joined by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the British monarch. During the leaders meeting, Malaysia and the UK also signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at curbing transborder crimes. Malaysia was represented Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein while the UK by its Home Secretary Teresa May. The Malaysian leader also attended a high tea hosted by Hague. |
| Why did the police do what they did? Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:38 PM PDT 
The detainees had their hands "cuffed" and looked pretty much subdued. However, as they were led through the line, they were kicked and punched by the police. Zan Azlee, The Malaysian Insider The tough policeman with the huge muscles grabbed me by my shoulders and flung me towards the sidewalk not caring that I had a press tag around my neck. I struggled to keep my balance and not drop my camera. I barely managed to not trip over the curb. "Halau cameraman itu! (Get rid of that cameraman!)" screamed the policeman's other colleagues. My crime? I was shooting a bunch of arrested demonstrators being led out of Tung Shin Hospital and through a police line. The detainees had their hands "cuffed" and looked pretty much subdued. However, as they were led through the line, they were kicked and punched by the police. I was on assignment for The Malaysian Insider to gather video footage of the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9. But I couldn't get enough footage of that incident since I ended up behind police lines along with other members of the media, cordoned off from what was happening. There were many instances on the day when demonstrators were being arrested and people around would start yelling for the media to come document it. "Media! Cepat! Polis tengah tahan orang! (Media! Hurry up! The police are arresting people!)" they would scream. Many of them wanted visual proof that the police were being overly-aggressive when it came to arresting peaceful demonstrators. Many also realised that if the media was around during the arrests, the police were less likely to use excessive force. To me, that is just proof that a free and balanced media is a very important component to keep the wheel of democracy spinning smoothly. But, of course, keeping things going smoothly can be close to impossible while being under such tense situations. In the morning, before the demonstrators arrived in the city, the situation was very calm even though there were police everywhere. The media, myself included, were free to roam around, taking pictures and video of the police all ready to face the day. When the demonstrators started arriving, things got a bit tense. However, as far as my observations went, the tension did not arise from the demonstrators. They were just marching and chanting for free elections. It was when the crowd got big (around 10,000 of them) that trouble started in front of Menara Maybank. The trouble definitely did not start with the demonstrators. They didn't approach the police. It was the police who came in firing tear gas and chemically-laced water. The demonstrators were pushed back towards Jalan Pudu and that's when all the aggressive arrests started happening. At this point, the media were allowed free movement, even though we were screamed at to move away by the police. But we were not physically man-handled. It was only after the second wave of tear gas attacks that the police started to control the media by cordoning them off behind police lines. READ MORE HERE |
| Untamable Bersih - part 2, understanding it Posted: 14 Jul 2011 03:15 PM PDT 
SAKMONGKOL AK47 Some spell it as tamable. Others as tameable. The fact remains, the marchers cannot be tamed and though battered and aspersed, remained unbowed and honorable. How do we make sense and explain the actions that took place after Bersih? Let's have our own debriefing session lest we agonized over how the media characterized our fellow citizens who marched on the 9th of July. On the whole, I think, those people who marched towards stadium merdeka on the 9th of July before being horribly set upon by the Police with tear gas and chemical-laced water sprays, are good honorable and public spirited people. They carried no Parangs and other assortment of dangerous weapons which were displayed by the Police a few weeks ago and which looked suspiciously bought from a same single supplier. Perhaps one person was assigned to purchase the 'weapons' from a single supplier and then, the cache was displayed before all. Logic would have it that if the weapons were owned by different people, they would be of a jumbled up lot. Here an axe, there a pisau, over here a parang, over there a catapult. Where were the Molotov cocktails? Samad Said the Nobel Laureate whose earliest novel Salina I read a long time ago could hardly be described a subversive or crook. Khalid Samad? Haji Hadi? These people consisted of ordinary people from all walks of lives- pensioners, taxi drivers, writers, lawyers. They are just plain public spirited individuals. The bersih marchers are not street mobs on a rampage of looting spree. They are peaceful marchers making a statement about how elections are run in this country. But as usual UMNO and the government like to claim and exercise ownership on the bad things. So any attacks against the bad things owned by the government are taken as attacks against lawful government and therefore require punishment. The punishment came in baton wallops, water cannons ejecting chemical-laced water, tear gas and physical abuse. All these are of course mild treatment from our own chaps in blue. If we read and listened to the pliant print and audio visual media machine, all those who participated in the Bersih march are subversives, traitors, and dummies. These people are tools for Lim Kit Siang, mules for Anwar Ibrahim, digits directed by Indians, especially that minachi named Ambiga. Those marchers and those who write in support for the Bersih cause will all perish. UMNO will triumph and those causing trouble will be punished. How does the government explain Bersih? 1) Bersih is an outlaw organization used as a front by opposition politicians and politicians who have lost credibility. 2) Bersih is just a ploy by Anwar Ibrahim to revive his image. 3) Bersih is a subversive effort by people to unseat the government unlawfully. 4) Bersih is a strategy by non-Malays and foreign agents to destroy the Malay government. 5) Bersih is anti-Islam. This is the story that is going to retold over and over gain in kampong and villages. Bersih 1 took place so many years ago. The previous Home Minister must have slept through his job, whoever he was. Perhaps at that time, he was busier overseeing the processing of immigrant workers from Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Bersih who did the same thing as the intended one on the 9th of July, wasn't outlawed? The answer can only be straight and simple- simply because, it never contained any crook elements. This time, the government is more creative- first they discovered an assortment of weapons, then the NGO was outlawed. There was also an attempt to picture the marchers as communists because some posters of Shamsiah Fakeh were discovered. I thought some time ago, Utusan Malaysia hailed Shamsiah Fakeh as a freedom fighter? Bersih was also hinted on as a front for foreign powers and it received funding abroad. Why would the Agong be allowed to meet up with representatives of an outlawed organization and why would the PM be willing to discuss with an outlawed organization? The outlawing of Bersih smacks the use of unbridled discretionary power. If Bersih is outlawed, then it must have contained elements that were outlaw-able right from the beginning. That it was outlawed on the eve of the 9th of July March would suggest that, the decision to do so was done maliciously as it was unprincipled. This is the reason why Bersih was outlawed – to justify the actions intended upon the marchers. Understanding why they were set upon then, would help marchers dispel any notions that they were crooks or subversive elements. These people are not crooks but participants and supporters to a cause espoused by a hastily and peculiarly outlawed organization. The hidden agenda is, by outlawing Bersih, it will be possible for the government to declare whatever Bersih wanted to do such as declaring the participants and the organizers, en bloc as law breakers. As law breakers, they are subject to the laws governing crowd control and public disturbance. It will be easy henceforth to justify any actions against the marchers and organizers in accordance to the law. I think the mainstream media is overplaying this point. There were elaborate attempts to show Bersih as a means to restore Anwar's sagging fortunes. Hence Utusan Malaysia gave coverage about Anwar's involvement in the rally. But this was truly and actually wasn't about Anwar anymore. If he feigned his injury, wearing the familiar neck brace and looking almost dead on the hospital bed, he must have gotten a miraculous recovery for the very same night he was in his element at the PKNS stadium in Kelana Jaya. Everyone saw he fell down while negotiating somewhere after leaving his presidential suite at KL Hilton. Tian Chua was mobilizing marchers who stampeded through police cordon and in the melee, Anwar fell down. I am almost near to saying; Anwar was actually a liability in the Bersih Rally. I am sure; the Police must have been instructed not to touch the 91 people classified persona non grata in KL on the 9th of July. The same cannot be said of the nameless but determined marchers on that day. Being nameless gave the Police a freer hand to deal at their discretion. Excessive force was applied on these people. Let's push the argument further. Even if Anwar leveraged on the Bersih March, does association with Anwar make the march illegal? Somehow it must be wrong if Anwar is involved. Let's not forget that Anwar has paid a heavy cost for his 1 Sodomy. He has not been convicted yet and therefore technically must be presumed innocent. Anwar Ibrahim is a former deputy PM and is currently battling legal charges and is on trial. Association with Anwar who is maligned with all sort of dirty description does not make Bersih and its cause any less honorable. Anwar's case is his and his alone- it does not pollute the cause of Bersih marchers. Hence, there is no shame for the marchers, if others accused the marchers as Anwar's mules. Anwar's presence does not diminish Bersih nor besmirch the honor of marchers. Let's try to make some sense about how the government responded. Anwar was factored in the rally. First-hand accounts were elicited from international tourists. Traders and travellers were solicited for their comments. The whole rally was classified as haram. It caused great hardships to traders who lost business and the daily life disrupted. Bersih is an insidious ploy by non-Malays to undermine the Malay government. READ MORE HERE |
| Lawful to sue Sultan but seditious to say it, court told Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:49 PM PDT  By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, July 15 — People have the legal right to take Sultans to court but to speak openly of it is seditious, the Court of Appeal heard today. Deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Noorin Badarudin said it was seditious for DAP chairman Karpal Singh to have publicly stated his intention to sue the Perak Sultan in 2009 as this would inflame the sentiments of laymen who did not have a good grasp of the law. "Yes, it's true that the Sultan can be brought to court. We know that, but these are ordinary people," she said. "It's not the same impression and understanding as compared to the legal people." Karpal (picture) had been indicted under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 for allegedly uttering seditious words against the Perak Sultan at his legal firm on Jalan Pudu Lama, Kuala Lumpur on February 6 two years ago during the Perak constitutional crisis. He was alleged to have said that the removal of Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak mentri besar and appointment of Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir by the Sultan could be questioned in a court of law. Karpal was later acquitted. |
| Liow makes U-turn, calls for investigation on hospital fracas Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:38 PM PDT  (Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 15: Health minister Liow Tiong Lai has made an about-turn from his earlier denial that the police had shot tear gas into the compounds of the Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity hospitals in Jalan Pudu on July 9. NO WAY ... Liow had vehemently rejected claims that the hospitals were hit
Following a statement by eleven doctors, some of whom said they were prepared to sign eyewitness affidavits showing on the contrary, Liow now said his ministry would conduct an investigation. The doctors also condemned the authorities for disregarding a hospital's international status as a sanctuary, and said the police had even brutalised protesters who sought shelter within the hospital buildings. "What was most frightening and witnessed by many was the unprovoked violent assault within the hospital compounds and apprehension of several protesters who had merely ran into the hospitals to seek shelter from the tear gas and the water cannons!" they statement said Wednesday. Earlier, Liow suggested that the wind could have blown the tear gas smoke into the hospital's direction, a claim immediately disproved by hundreds of images and video clips on the Bersih rally which had made their way on the internet.
The MCA deputy president had even urged reporters not to show photos or videos to counter his claims.
"The board of the hospital also confirmed this, (so) don't cite whatever pictures or videos again," he said during a press conference.
Now, Liow had this to say:
"Members of the public who witnessed the incident can come forward to assist the inquiry. Those who wish to remain unidentified can choose to do so." |
| A Biased and Comical Judgement Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:34 PM PDT 
By Zunar I am referring to the High Court's decision in dismissing my judicial review application to challenge the banning of my cartoon books, "1Funny Malaysia" and "Perak Darul Kartun" by the Home Minister on 14 July 2011. Although this is expected, I am disappointed with the court's decision. In her judgment, Judge Rohana Yusof said, she agreed with the government's argument that "1Funny Malaysia" and "Perak Darul Kartun" are detrimental to public order. But she failed to address the core issue: in what context are my cartoon books, or its content can be regarded as detrimental to public order as stated by the government as a reason of the banning? Which one of the 150 hundred pieces of cartoons in these two books is dangerous to the public? I am sad that the court chooses to ignore the freedom of expression as provided by the Federal Constitution and support the government's move to suppress the objective editorial cartoons. By upholding the banning, the court fails to acknowledge the role of political cartoonists as the 'check and balance' agents, as practiced in any democratic country. Therefore, I think the judgment is biased and comical. This is a sad day in Malaysian cartooning industry. It kills the future younger generation of critical cartoonists that can contribute in developing the nation. I will continue to draw cartoons to expose the corruptions of the Najib government, as this is a duty of an editorial cartoonist. ZULKIFLEE ANWAR ULHAQUE (ZUNAR) |
| Najib suffers from a “mild stroke” in UK Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:21 PM PDT 
By Martin Jalleh He calls police action "quite mild." It appears that the Prime Minister has suffered a mild "brain attack" whilst on an official visit to UK.
He experienced sudden trouble speaking or understanding speech, dizziness, lightheadedness loss of "balance or coordination", "spinning" sensations, and "brain seizures".
It happened when Najib was telling CNN in an interview conducted in London that police action on those who took part in the Bersih 2.0 march on July 9, was "quite mild".
There was no "undue use of force". It was of course not as mild as his initial response when he even initially claimed there was "no physical contact between police and protesters"!
On the arrests of more than 1,600 protesters, well, "…(t)hey were released after eight hours and they were treated very well… the demonstrators were dispersed using minimum force."
Meanwhile, back in Bolehland, a group of brave Bersih marchers handed over a memorandum urging Suhakam (Malaysian Human Rights Commission) to probe the Najib-ordered crackdown.
Four of them recalled their terrifying and traumatic experience of police aggression and assault on that day. One alleged that a policeman threatened to kill him when arresting him.
There have also been countless first-person accounts of having been pounced on, pushed, punched, pinned down and pulverized by the police! They have been confirmed by witnesses.
Pictures and video clips revealed that it was no walk in the park as the PM has suggested. They pointed to the brutal truth that the police action was far from "mild" but mean and menacing!
This was further confirmed in a detailed report by a team of 100 people of the Malaysian Bar Council who openly monitored the rally.
Their conclusion: "Police used excessive and unnecessary force against Bersih rally participants while arrests were made randomly and arbitrarily."
Officials from the UN, US and UK have expressed their concern and criticism and castigated the authorities for their heavy and high-handedness and strong-arm tactics..
The influential Guardian called the Malaysian government gormless and said Najib will face global backlash for his "characteristic heavy-handedness" in handling the Bersih rally.
The signed statement by 11 doctors revealing that "police had fired tear gas and chemical-laced water into the compounds of the Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity Hospitals" reduces Najib's "mild police action" to sheer nonsense! (Please refer to my article on: Liow's Tongue Lies!)
"It is repulsive that the authorities entrusted with policing the nation and protecting the weak and needy, have shamelessly denied publicly, the occurrence of these incidents in spite of countless photo/video and eyewitness accounts of what was evident to all independent observers," they said.
During the CNN interview Najib desperately argued:"It will come up to see that we are all for fair and clean elections. And as you know, the last general election, you know, the ruling party lost five states. And we were deprived of two-thirds majority."
To put it very mildly, dear Najib, if the last elections were truly fair and clean, you probably would not be PM today!
Is the Prime Minister's visit to the Pope going to be a "mild" one too?
|
| Najib Snubbed By UK PM? Posted: 14 Jul 2011 12:44 PM PDT  By Sarawak Report The flash crowd that turned up to boo Najib's event at Mansion House (the official residence of the City of London's Mayor) was larger than yesterday's outside Downing Street. They had been joined by Amnesty International, who have spoken out about the treatment of the Bersih demonstrators at the weekend. Amnesty commands considerable respect in the UK. The Malaysian PM had come to court the City's investors and it was embarrassing. Investors do not like countries with uncertain human rights records and an unhappy middle class. Few non-Malaysians turned up in the end, but some of the investors who did went and chatted first to the crowd of protesters outside. One, who described himself as 'working for a global investment company', said that he was well aware of the human rights issues in Malaysia and confirmed that his company monitors the matter and that such issues are of concern. Brushed off Meanwhile, the main topic in the crowd was the news that Najib's lunch with Cameron had been cancelled. Was it owing to the human rights issues or simply because the UK PM was too busy they wondered? Neither looked particularly good from the perspective of the Malaysia PM ! READ MORE HERE. |
| Bersih march may delay GE Posted: 14 Jul 2011 12:34 PM PDT  By Tashny Sukumaran, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: The Bersih 2.0 rally may have made up Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's mind on when to call for an election. The election may be called later than sooner because Najib hopes that by then people may have "forgotten this ugly" incident. An article from the UK based The Economist weekly said the "heavy-handed" police tactics used to control the Bersih 2.0 march for clean and fair elections last Saturday showed a lot of nervousness on the government's part on how much opposition it can tolerate. The article states that the long- term effects were harder to change, and that the rally just may help unite the opposition against the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional. The article says the lifespan of Bersih 2.0 was fraught with setback after setback, as it was declared illegal with crackdowns made on those wearing or carrying Bersih-related items such t-shirts or pamphlets. The government went as far as to arrest six Parti Sosialis Malaysia members under the Emergency Ordinance. They also arrested 24 Bersih 2.0 supporters under Section 122 of the Penal Code, the charge of waging war against the King – a move that The Economist called "particularly desperate, reminiscent of the abuse of the monarchy's position in neighbouring Thailand." However after the Agong stepped in, the authorities offered Bersih 2.0 a stadium – and later seemingly withdrew the offer by way of not granting them a permit. READ MORE HERE. |
| A State of Hypocrisy and Lies! Posted: 14 Jul 2011 11:01 AM PDT 
By Malaysia Today On Wednesday, Najib told a small group of international reporters Wednesday in London that if the Malaysian government allowed street demonstrations of the kind seen in Kuala Lumpur last weekend, the country would face protracted instability. He explained, "Public order is very important in Malaysia because if we allow for street demonstrations, there's no end to it, there will be another group that wants to demonstrate. If protests are not controlled, "you will get a situation in which more and more of these street demonstrations will take place in Malaysia," he said.
Internationally, the police response has been condemned by rights advocates in Malaysia and abroad, including the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ironically, SUHAKAM the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia announced that it planned to hold an inquiry into police conduct during the rally. "Suhakam feels that in view of the number of complaints on excessive use of force, the incidents of tear gas, the death of Baharuddin Ahmad and the denial of access to lawyers, various violations of human rights could have happened," said Suhakam Vice Chairman Khaw Lake Tee. The group said in a statement that further details of the inquiry would be announced in two weeks' time.
It is public knowledge that Najib has defended the police in his explanations during media interviews saying that there was "minimum force, and there was no physical contact at all with the demonstrators." The PM has argued that the scale of the protest was exaggerated and "a maximum of 15,000" people turned up. While police authorities put the number at 5,000 to 6,000, protest organizers contended it was 50,000.
"I was saddened by the fact that they didn't accept the government's offer to hold the rally outside the capital," Mr. Najib said. "They still insisted on marching through the streets, because I think they wanted to get maximum publicity and secondly challenge authority in the hope that they can make this an issue." Very clever! He offered the use of a stadium and then the police rejected the application to use Merdeka Stadium. What else could Bersih supporters do but to march in the streets? A series of press statements and articles from international media ensued. Take note of the following selection: 1. Bersih was declared illegal on July 1, after which hundreds of activists were arrested, though most have since been released. All those arrested on Saturday were released later that night. During the rally, almost 1,700 protestors were arrested. 2. In a statement issued on Tuesday, The Malaysian Bar Council said that its monitors witnessed the police using tear gas and water cannons "arbitrarily, indiscriminately and excessively" and "beating, hitting and kicking the rally participants." The protesters, it said, acted in "peaceful and calm manner," except for an incident in which "one or more" people threw plastic bottles at a television reporter. 3. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said on Thursday: "The Malaysian authorities' crushing of Bersih's march shows that when basic liberties compete with the entrenched power of the state, the government is quick to throw respect for human rights out the window."
4. The Malaysian home minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, said on Monday that the police force would review recordings of the incidents and that appropriate action would be taken if the police were found to have acted improperly. He also said that action would be taken against any journalists who were found to have sensationalized their reports with inaccurate information, reported The Star, a newspaper. 5. Wall Street Journal said, If the government is going to respond like this—intimidation followed by denial—a Bersih 3.0 could eventually materialize, though organizers have ruled it out anytime soon. Underlying this weekend's events is growing public impatience with UMNO as Malaysians find rising inflation, coupled with slow reforms, eating into their standard of living. Saturday's turnout is a sign that Malaysians also understand the link between true democracy and good government. 6. The Jakarta Post said: The leaders of Malaysia are laboring under an old paradigm that says you can have development or democracy, but not both. We have news for them: You can be rich and free at the same time. Malaysians deserve both and they deserve it now — not sometime in the future.... The police clearly overreacted. They did not need to invoke the Internal Security Act to arrest some of the protest's leaders before Saturday. They certainly did not need to detain more than 1,600 on the day of the demonstration.... The Bersih 2.0 rally is the clearest sign that Malaysians want freedom and justice, as well as wealth. 7. The New York Times article Malaysian Prime Minister Defends Muzzling of Protests by Mattew Saltmarsh and Liz Gooch gave a good run-down of the chain of events. The headline of the article already speaks volumes. 8. Malaysiakini reported that "Top editors of three Chinese newspapers were called to the Home Ministry yesterday, apparently in relation to reports favourable to the Bersih 2.0 rally organisers." And the PM can declare over CNN that "there is democracy in Malaysia"!!! 9. Amnesty International called the government's response to the July 9th Bersih rally as "the worst campaign of repression we've seen in the country for years." It also said, "Prime minister Najib's government rode roughshod over thousands of Malaysians exercising their right to peaceful protest. This violent repression … flies in the face of international human rights standards and cannot be allowed to continue" 10. Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCR), as quoted from the UN webpage, July 12 said:
"We are very concerned by the recent crackdown and peaceful demonstrators by the government in Malaysia, and particularly disappointed to see the apparent use of excessive force by the police against so many peaceful demonstrators in an established democracy like Malaysia." 11. Simon Tisdall of Guardian said, "Najib reacted with characteristic heavy-handedness when tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur at the weekend demanding "reformasi" – democratic reform – and an end to a defective electoral system that guarantees Najib's party representing the Malay majority, Umno, stays in power indefinitely." He also said, "Malaysia's leaders should wake up and smell the coffee. Led intelligently and openly, Malaysia could be a paradigm for south-east Asia. Led repressively, it could fall apart. Najib must get on the right side of history. The Mubarak model doesn't work." 12. On 9th of July, Bibhu Prasad Routray said: Vilification of the opposition remains rather common to the ruling regimes all over the world that have faced revolutions in the recent past and the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was not expected to behave differently. He played down the "illegal rally." He added that far smaller number of people attended Bersih's rally compared to the one organized in support of the government, incidentally on the same day. Bibhu Prasad Routray said on 12th July: What amazes analysts of Malaysian politics is the sheer detestation the government demonstrates towards the opposition. In this politically polarized island nation of 28 million people, Prime Minister Najib Razak has made no attempt whatsoever to reach out to the opposition to evolve a consensus politics and erect an electoral system that provides fair ground for competition to both the ruling party and the opposition......But UMNO under Najib Razak appears to have a death wish. It appears to have no hesitation to sacrifice its own goal of bringing economic development for the sake of staying on in power. For how long it manages to do so, is a mere question of time. In the light of the many objections to the repressive action taken by the government, it galls patriotic Malaysians that the government still has the cheek and audacity to deny and to lie to their own peril. Worse still, to proclaim their pure innocence. To think they are thick-skinned enough to insist in a letter to Wall Street journal that Malaysia is a 'true democracy'. We have had ENOUGH of all their hypocrisy and lies. Nobody wants pathological liars to lead the country. Vote them OUT in the next elections with the biggest margin in Malaysian history! |
| Detention without trial in Malaysia Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:57 AM PDT 
By Dr Kua Kia Soong Simon Tisdall's World briefing (14 July) on Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak's violent suppression of last weekend's street demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur was a welcome reminder to the Cameron government of its commitment to human rights. The Najib government has continued the decades of suppression of Malaysians' freedom of expression, assembly and association, and blatant racial discrimination. Most objectionable of its abuses is the use of detention without trial under three different laws. The most infamous of these is the Internal Security Act, which has been used against more than 10,000 people since it was passed in 1960. Today more Malaysians have been detained without trial under the emergency ordinance and the Dangerous Drugs Act than under the Internal Security Act. Six leaders of the Socialist Party of Malaysia, including Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj MP, were detained just before last weekend's demonstration under the emergency ordinance. They are being held in solitary confinement, which is a form of mental torture, and face further two-year renewable detention orders. Throughout the years of abusing human rights by detention without trial, the Malaysian special branch has used torture with impunity. David Cameron should demand the immediate release of detainees, the abolition of detention without trial, and the ratification of the convention against torture and the convention on the eradication of racial discrimination before doing business with the Najib government. Failure to do so would be another compromise of British commitment to human rights, democracy and justice. Dr Kua Kia Soong Director, Suaram for Human Rights *This letter was published in The Guardian, UK. |
| Video Interview: Malaysian PM on KL protests Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:31 AM PDT  By Malaysia Today In this video interview, Prime Minister Najib Razak sits down with CNN's John Defteriosto to discuss financial concerns regarding the European zone and the United States, and the protests over electoral reforms in Malaysia last weekend. The interview was conducted then Najib was in the United Kingdom to cement economic ties with Britain . Last year, Malaysia exported US$30 billion ($36.5 billion) worth of goods to the euro zone. Currently, he hopes to ink a free trade agreement with the European Union in 2012. In this interview, he gives his comments talks about the US debt and the recent Bersih rally. At the 2:05 point of the interview, CNN's John Defteriosto asks Najib why there was 'such a high level of protests' Najib's response was (note the lapses of 'ers' & 'and' which appeared more often than in preceding statements of the interview etc.) : "Well John, er it is basically politics ..er.. because er..there is democracy in Malaysia and we are committed towards er electoral reform . I've, you know come out to say that we are all for clean and fair elections and ..and and as you know the last general election er you know the the the the ruling party lost five states and we're deprived of five states....." When asked if he was satisfied with the security response to the particular round of protests, Najib said "It was QUITE MILD er you know because although they were..they were taken in, but they were released after 8 ..8 hours and they were treated very well. There was no undue use of force...and and and you know the demonstrators were dispersed using minimum force...." Watch the video HERE. |
| Malaysians in the United States submit Bersih 2.0 memorandum to the Malaysian Embassy Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:18 AM PDT  Washington, DC -- Malaysians gather at the Malaysian Embassy, and send a Bersih 2.0 memorandum and signatures of support to the Malaysian Embassy, in support of the Bersih 2.0 Movement to demand free and fair elections. Khair Bahari Ahmad, Third Secretary (Administration & Finance) represents His Excellency Dato' Sri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis, Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States of America, to receive the memorandum and signatures submitted by Phebie Thum. His Excellency Dato' Sri Dr. Jamaludin Jarjis is not in Washington, D.C.
On July 9, 2011, Bersih 2.0 rallies were hold in Washington DC, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Portland. Around 350 Malaysians gathered and walked to show support to the Bersih 2.0′s "Walk for Democracy" in Malaysia. Around 270 Malaysians endorsed the memorandum at the rallies.
Besides supporting Bersih 2.0's eight demands for electoral reforms, Malaysians overseas urge the Malaysian government to release all Bersih activists, including the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) activists detained under the Emergency Ordinance. Malaysians in the United States also urge the Election Commission to allow people working overseas the right to vote via postal ballots.
Three members of parliament, Sungai Petani MP YB Dato Johari, Jelutong MP YB Jeff Ooi (黃泉安) and Kapar MP YB S. Manikavasagam, and a state assemblyman, Teja YB Chang Lih Kang (鄭立慷), show up at the Malaysian Embassy today to show solidarity with Bersih, and Malaysians overseas who support Bersih 2.0 Movement. Tawau MP YB Datuk Chua Soon Bui, Hulu Langat MP Dr. Che Rosli, Petaling Jaya Selatan MP YB Hee Loy Hian (許來賢), Merbok YB Dato Rashid Din and Hutan Melintang YB Kesavan also send their solidarity messages to Bersih 2.0 Movement and Malaysian supporters.
On July 9, 2011, Malaysians in more than 30 cities around the world gathered in a show of solidarity for Bersih 2.0's call for free and fair elections. |
| Political affray in Malaysia : Taken to the cleaners Posted: 14 Jul 2011 10:08 AM PDT By The Economist MALAYSIA is one of South-East Asia's stabler nations; but a rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9th in demand of electoral reform turned surprisingly nasty, leading to the arrest of more than 1,600 people. The police fired tear gas and water cannon into the crowd, and one man died of a heart attack. All those arrested were released fairly quickly, but Amnesty International, a London-based human-rights group, called it "the worst campaign of repression in the country for years". The government's reaction showed a lot of nervousness about how much opposition it can tolerate. In fact the crackdown started a few weeks ago after "Bersih 2.0" announced that it was going to stage the rally. Bersih, also known as The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, is a loose alliance of NGOs and activists (bersih means "clean"). It argues that all candidates should be given access to the mainstream media and that indelible ink should be used to stop people voting more than once. It all sounds uncontroversial, but not to the government. Bersih was declared illegal on July 1st and about 200 activists were rounded up. The march itself was then banned, although the authorities offered Bersih a stadium to meet in—and then withdrew the offer.
Perhaps the government was looking back nervously to the first Bersih march, in 2007. On that occasion, too, thousands protested against the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government and demanded reform. Subsequently, in the 2008 general election, the BN lost its largest share of votes since 1957 when it started ruling the country after the British left. The current prime minister, Najib Razak, deputy prime minister in 2007 before taking over the top job in an internal party coup, must have feared that the second Bersih rally might be a similar portent. He has to hold an election before 2013, but wants to do so earlier to win his own mandate. Opposition politicians were quick to join Bersih. The pre-eminent leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, was shoved to the ground and injured in the affray.
None of this bodes well for Malaysia. The heavy-handed police tactics have provoked a lot of anger; the government has conceded an official investigation into claims of police brutality. In one instance (caught on film), police seemed to fire tear gas and water cannon into a hospital where protesters were sheltering from a baton charge. Few old laws were left untouched in the attempt to round up suspects before the march. It was reported that 30 people arrested in Penang were investigated under Section 122 of the Penal Code for the charge of waging war against the king. Dragging in the constitutional monarch, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, seemed particularly desperate, reminiscent of the abuse of the monarchy's position in neighbouring Thailand. On the eve of the rally, the king came out with a statement reminding everyone that "street demonstrations bring more bad than good, although the original intention is good."
Mr Najib defended the police and accused the marchers of sowing chaos. Dismissing the motives of Bersih, he cast it as a desperate attempt by Mr Anwar to grab power. The immediate upshot is that Mr Najib may choose to delay calling for an election for some time, to let things settle down. He presumably hopes that if he waits long enough, people will have forgotten about this ugly incident. But the longer-term effects are hard to judge. It might also help to unite a fractious opposition against what they portray as an assault on democracy. |
| Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #73 Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:19 AM PDT 
Shari'a literally means, "the road to the watering hole," the right or straight path to be followed. To Muslims, Shari'a refers to the body of Islamic laws that are perceived as being part and parcel of the faith. It thus assumes the same rightful place as the Quran and sunnah. To criticize the Shari'a is to criticize the faith itself. And therein lies the problem. M. Bakri Musa Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life Shari'a in a Plural Society The issue of the Islamic state is needlessly consuming the energy of many Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It is also the platform of the Islamic Party (PAS), its reason for being. Yet when challenged on the specifics, PAS is sorely unprepared. Surely after championing the issue for the past half a century, its leaders should have a pretty clear idea of their goals. If by Islamic state they mean one based on the ideals of justice and morality of the Quran, then all Muslims and many non-Muslims would agree. But if they want a state based on the Shari'a (Islamic law) in its current form, many Muslims and certainly all non-Muslims would demur. The Shari'a took three centuries to formulate and consumed the best intellectual talent of the Muslim world at the time. Although based on the Qur'an and sunnah (ways of the prophet), the Shari'a remains the creation of mortals and as such, carries all the imperfections implicit in such endeavors. For Muslims to ascribe to it the reverence and perfection reserved only for the Quran means that we ascribe those very same qualities to the mortals who crafted the Shari'a. Shari'a literally means, "the road to the watering hole," the right or straight path to be followed. To Muslims, Shari'a refers to the body of Islamic laws that are perceived as being part and parcel of the faith. It thus assumes the same rightful place as the Quran and sunnah. To criticize the Shari'a is to criticize the faith itself. And therein lies the problem. There are over 6,000 verses in the Quran; of these less than 600 are concerned with the law. And most of those cover such matters as prayers and rituals. Only about 80 verses deal with such traditional legal matters as crime and punishment, contracts, and family law. Clearly the Quran is not a legal tome but a general guidance on how to build a moral and ethical society. It is a magnificent tribute to the intellect of those early Muslim scholars that they were able to fashion out of the Quran and the sunnah a coherent and consistent body of laws that is the Shari'a. In its time the Shari'a represented a giant leap in intellectual, social, and legal achievements. Its treatment of women in particular was light years ahead of its time. The status of women accorded by the Shari'a was of the order of magnitude a thousand times better than the prevailing practices. Then women were not even recognized as humans. Whereas women are granted a share of the inheritance in the Shari'a, in the then prevailing culture, women were the inheritance. They were chattels and properties of their husband, to be passed on or traded accordingly. The Shari'a represented a grand emancipation of women. In this regard Islam was centuries ahead of Western civilization. The codifying of divorces too was truly an inspiration, considering that the concept did not even exist then. Wives were not divorced then; they were simply discarded, traded, or handed over to their husband's heir. The Shari'a's treatment of criminal justice was similarly light years ahead of the prevailing ethos of "an eye for an eye;" likewise the treatment of slavery and indentured labor. While the Shari'a represented a quantum leap in achievement of early Islam, in its present form it is clearly incompatible with many of today's universally accepted norms, in particular with respect to human rights, criminal justice, public law, gender equality, and hosts of other areas. I do not say this lightly seeing that to many Muslims, any criticism of the Shari'a is blasphemous. But I cannot look at my daughter and tell her that she is worth only half that of my son, as the Shari'a would have it. I love all my children equally and my inheritance to them should and will reflect that sentiment. Nor do I find such cruel and inhuman punishments as stoning to death a woman for adultery and the chopping of hands for thievery compatible with an All Compassionate and All Merciful Allah. Similarly I find the death penalty for apostasy as prescribed by the Shari'a not only abhorrent but also incompatible with the Koranic admonition that there shall be no compulsion in matters of faith. As a Muslim I take the Koran to be Allah's revelation. Its message is infallible and immutable, and for all mankind at all times. That is a matter of faith. Being Allah's words, the Koran takes precedence over everything else, including the Shari'a and the sunnah. That is a heavy statement. Having said it, a much-needed pause for clarification. Muslims consider the Koran and the sunnah as co-equal parts of the faith. One cannot separate the message (the Koran) from the messenger (the prophet – pbuh); they both form an integral part of the faith. I agree wholeheartedly. The main issue I have is differentiating between the actual practices and sayings of the prophet (pbuh) and what scholars say they are. I will revisit this important differentiation a few pages hence. Meanwhile back to my original discussion. Societies change, and so too must the laws. There is nothing in the Shari'a that mandates we give it the reverence due only to the Quran. Thus the pertinent question, and one rarely asked, is not whether the Shari'a should be applied to modern society, rather how can we adapt and modify it to meet current needs. A body of laws that was an enlightened piece of legislation for 7-10th Century Arabia is clearly not suitable for the present. When the Shari'a was formulated, the Arabian society was just emerging from the Age of Jahiliyah (Ignorance), a period of rampant female infanticide, slavery, and tribalism. A millennium later, the problems are of a different order. The challenge today is to enhance the freedom and dignity of humans. That these freedoms and rights are emphasized by Western civilization is no reason for Muslims not to co-opt and adopt them. Today's Muslims should emulate our illustrious predecessors. Had ancient Muslims been like their present-day counterparts and considered everything originating outside of Islam as "un-Islamic," Islam would not have expanded. Muslims today should be equally receptive to and be welcoming of new ideas and innovations regardless of where they originated. That Allah chose a Christian to reveal His secret on gravity, a Jew on the nature of the atom, a Confucian on the explosive power of gunpowder, and a Hindu on the concept of zero, is not for us to question. It is however, for us to appreciate that such wisdom and insights are for the benefit of all. Next: Reform in Islam |
| This is what happens when a tear gas canister hits your face Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:16 AM PDT Let there be no doubt: the police wanted to seriously hurt or kill the Bersih and Pakatan leaders who were present at the underpass. By Lawyers for Liberty Fayyadh Afiq, Anwar's bodyguard is a hero. He shielded Anwar from the direct barrage of tear gas canisters shot into the crowd trapped at the Sentral station underpass. He suffered a broken cheek bone and underwent a 5-hour operation. MP Khalid Samad who was also at the underpass, was similarly hit by a tear gas canister and sustained six stitches on the back of his head. To view the brutal tear gas attack, see FMT video "Bersih 2.0: It's 50k, and a big success". The villain? Undoubtedly, the police for the cruel and unjustifiable attack, especially the notorious Brickfields police chief ACP "Headhunter" Wan Bari who could be seen directing his men to shoot low at the crowd. He repeatedly said "bawah", "bawah" when his men initially pointed the tear gas guns upwards. Let there be no doubt: the police wanted to seriously hurt or kill the Bersih and Pakatan leaders who were present at the underpass. Common sense will tell you that metal projectiles shot at high velocity will cause serious injuries or death – even the tear gas instruction says: DO NOT FIRE DIRECTLY; INJURY OR DEATH MAY RESULT. Read more at: http://www.lawyersforliberty.org/2011/07/this-is-what-happens-when-a-tear-gas-canister-hits-your-face/ |
| Dear PM, do you really want a second term? Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:08 AM PDT You, the believers in BN, must come to realise that you are no different from those you think are anti-BN – you and they all want the same things. It is BN that wants you to believe that you and they want different things. By AsamLaksa I have a strong suspicion that UMNO and BN are about to abandon ship. For those in BN and their supporters, I say it is time to wake up and find a life vest; your captain is about to leave you all to drown. Why do I think so? Well, let's start with the PM who has not yet led a general election. There is no more pretence of winning hearts and minds. It is a stark contrast with the initial 1Malaysia campaign where he appeared to try but now he can't even be bothered to even pretend. He can't even be bothered with any populist agenda. The recent policies add burden to the citizens without a sweetener on the side; for example, raising the price of petrol without actually using the additional funds earned into other
initiatives to ease the pain for the less able. Where in the world is Najib Abdul Razak? The PM has travelled the world many times in his first term without really pushing for any political or economic agenda. It is free holidays all paid by the taxpayers. Err, who's running the country? The country is in crisis post July 9 and he has gone walkies. Does he really care? This reminds me of former world leaders who, close to the end of their term in office, tend to have their last all expenses paid red carpet travel – one last hurrah. I would not be surprised if the 13th general election is held as far back as possible so that he can slot in a few more overseas trips. Where has Najib and Rosmah not been to yet? The cabinet is also showing signs of giving up. There's the big spending in times of austerity. It's one of those let them eat cake moment – out of touch and insensitive to the public. There isn't even any attempt to justify the spending with future savings. It's more like an attempt to empty the coffers. There is little substance in long term economic policies. The hoped for major changes never occurred. Instead they hyped up the projections but when looked at closer you can't find the meat. Progress can't happen just by talking about it. It's the same story with social policies, simply no substance. Take the government scholarships for instance where many top scorers do not get offers in Malaysia and some were offered foreign scholarships. This has been going on for decades now. On one hand the government talk about attracting back foreign based Malaysians to address the brain-drain issue but it makes little effort to stem the leak by retaining all the top scorers in the first place. Even after the issue was highlighted the government still only paid lip service and defended their assessment criteria and method. So now it's down to the BN members and supporters. Najib's administration still needs you all the way to the last moment when the Tanah Melayu Titanic hits the reality iceberg and there are not enough lifeboats for everyone – it won't be women and children first or you jump, I jump. What Najib's administration wants is time. You the BN supporters are giving them the time to amass their fortunes and milk the privileges. They fool you into directing attention towards enemies that you can't really grab hold of; like how do you fight Bersih 2.0 which is bigger than Ambiga and Anwar – it is an idea that lives and breeds in the minds of millions of Malaysians? Najib and his ilk want you, their supporters, to be their shield to protect them from real scrutiny. You, the supporters of BN, are not asking the right questions. You are not asking the government you place your trust in what have they done to make life better for you and the people closest to you? Have they made you feel safer and secure in your future? Have they made sure your elders' and children's health and welfare are taken care of? If you think that other groups are better off than you, ask yourself under whose watch that happened? You, the believers in BN, must come to realise that you are no different from those you think are anti-BN – you and they all want the same things. It is BN that wants you to believe that you and they want different things. From the quality of its leaders, BN's reign is ending. It may not be in GE13 but it is definitely in a spiral towards ground and Najib and his ministers could not care less. (If anyone finds this useful, could you please translate to Malay, Chinese or Tamil and disseminate. Thank you.) |
| WIKILEAKS: UNPRECEDENTED SEDITION CHARGES AGAINST BLOGGER Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Raja Petra was charged after posting an article on his website on April 25 entitled 'Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell' that implied that DPM Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor were connected to the 2006 murder of a young Mongolian interpreter, Altantuya Shaaribuu. He also accused PM Abdullah of holding on to evidence that implicates his deputy in order to keep Najib in line. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000355 SIPDIS FOR EAP/MTS AND DRL - JANE KIM E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINR, KDEM, KPAO, MY SUBJECT: UNPRECEDENTED SEDITION CHARGES AGAINST BLOGGER REF: A. A) KL 130 - PRESS STIFLED IN ALTANTUYA TRIAL B. B) KL 73 - PROSECUTOR DOWNBEAT ON ALTANTUYA CASE C. C) 2007 KL 291 )RAZAK BAGINDA CASE Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d). 1. (C) Summary. For the first time, Malaysian authorities have resorted to a colonial-era law to bring sedition charges against a blogger and the author of a comment on an internet web site. Blogger and veteran anti-government activist Raja Petra Kamarudin touched a sensitive nerve in implying that DPM Najib Tun Razak and his wife were connected to 2006 murder of a young Mongolian interpreter, Altantuya Shaaribuu (reftels). He also accused PM Abdullah of holding on to evidence that implicates his deputy to keep Najib in line. Visiting EAP DAS Marciel raised the issue with Deputy Home Minister Wan Farid on May 6, and Wan Farid indicated the proceedings against Raja Petra should be a warning to other bloggers. The Raja Petra case will continue to keep public focus on the Altantuya case and allegations of Najib's involvement. Prosecuting a blogger for sedition also complicates Prime Minister Abdullah's efforts to be seen as a reformer. End summary. Colonial-era Sedition Act utilized 2. (SBU) On May 6 Malaysian Police charged blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and Syed Ali Akhbar, who posted a comment on Raja Petra's website, with sedition. This is the first time Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act (enacted by British colonial authorities in 1948) has been used in response to material appearing on the internet. The Section reads, 'Any person who prints, publishes, sells, offers for sale, distributes or reproduces any seditious publication' can be charged with sedition. If found guilty, Raja Petra and Syed Ali could be jailed for a maximum of three years and/or face a fine of up to USD1,600. Syed Ali was released on bail after pleading not guilty and the court fixed June 10 to hear submissions by the defense and prosecution on a preliminary objection raised by the defense, which claimed that the charge was groundless. Raja Petra initially refused to post bail and was remanded at the Sungai Buloh prison, but on May 8 he changed his stance and he was scheduled to be released on bail May 9. His trial is fixed for October 6-10. 3. (SBU) Another prominent blogger described Raja Petra's action to poloffs as a gambit to not only generate publicity for himself but also for his news portal Malaysia Today (www.malaysia-today.net). The local blogger community as a whole has reacted with outrage to what is seen as a threat to the free exchange of ideas on the internet. The Malaysian Bar Council called on the authorities to withdraw the charges against Raja Petra and Syed Ali, describing the relevant section of the Sedition Act as a draconian, archaic and repressive legislation that has long outlived any perceived utility it might ever have had. A number of prominent civil society groups issued a statement characterizing Raja Petra's arrest as politically motivated and aimed at silencing principled and uncompromising voice speaking against the abuse of power, including those stemming from the highest level of government and authority. 4. (C) DPM Najib publicly denied that the arrests were politically motivated or an indication of government intentions to crack down on internet sites. Visiting EAP DAS Scot Marciel raised the case with Deputy Home Minister Wan Farid on May 6 and questioned why the government was using sedition charges in such a case. Wan Farid said bloggers could not be allowed to accuse people of murder and not back up such claims. "You can't just (post) anything on the internet," and not expect consequences, indicating this was a warning to other bloggers. The government would proceed with the case in court, Wan Farid said. Raja Petra a thorn in UMNO's side 5. (SBU) Raja Petra was charged after posting an article on his website on April 25 entitled 'Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell' that implied that DPM Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor were connected to the 2006 murder of a young Mongolian interpreter, Altantuya Shaaribuu. He also accused PM Abdullah of holding on to evidence that implicates his deputy in order to keep Najib in line. Two police officers from the security detail of DPM Najib have been charged for killing Altantuya, while Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of DPM Najib, was charged with abetting the murder. The murder trial that began in June 2007 has been dragging along for nearly a year, giving rise to suggestions of deliberate delays for political reasons (Ref A ). 6. (SBU) This is not the first time Raja Petra, a cousin of the current Sultan of Selangor, has challenged the ruling establishment. He was one of the key leaders of the reformasi movement launched in September 1998 by former DPM Anwar. In 2000 he became the Director of the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) and founded the FAC website that regularly posted articles criticizing the government. In 2001 he was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and held for 52 days before being released unconditionally, reportedly due to pressure from his uncle the then King, the late Sultan of Selangor. In July 2007 he was detained, questioned and released after UMNO Information Chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib filed a police report against him for allegedly insulting the King and Islam. 7. (SBU) Raja Petra launched Malaysia Today in August 2004 "to test how far Malaysia under its new Prime Minister (PM Abdullah) can honor, respect and tolerate free speech." The blog grew to an average of 1.5 million hits a day and was voted one of the top ten websites by local internet users in 2007. One reporter describes it as Malaysia's answer to the U.S. Drudge Report, a news aggregation site, dedicated to entertaining tales of political intrigue. In meetings with poloffs, Raja Petra has nevertheless insisted that all of his reports are backed by hard evidence. 8. (SBU) UMNO leaders have blamed internet media and bloggers, in particular Raja Petra, as contributing to the BN's setback in the March election. Raja Petra agreed, telling reporters on May 6, they lost in the election because of the internet war. Malaysia Today was one of the culprits. He added that his defense team would prove there was no case against him and that it was a matter of political persecution. One sympathetic academic described the action against Raja Petra as the return to sledgehammer rule by UMNO, but added recalcitrant bloggers like Raja Petra threaten UMNO's survival, because the ruling party has failed to find a formula for countering its internet critics. Syed Akhbar Ali: Easy to Impress the Malays 9. (SBU) In Syed Akhbar Ali's case, the author was belatedly charged for posting a comment in June 2007 on a Raja Petra authored Malaysia Today piece alleging strong links between Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan and a major organized crime syndicate. Raja Petra had written that the syndicate protected by the IGP was involved in prostitution, drugs, and illegal gambling. In his comment, titled Easy to Impress the Malays, Akhbar used crude language in maintaining that massage centers are mushrooming in the city due to the sudden increase in Arab visitors, and in a similar vein went on to make some scurrilous comments about the Arabs and Islam, and the naivety of Malays in accepting Arab ideas. Comment 10. (C) In another indication of the growing influence of internet media, both DPM Najib and his wife have been compelled to go public in responding to Raja Petra's report, maintaining that the allegations are unfounded and unfair. The Raja Petra case will continue to keep public attention on the Altantuya murder and on allegations of Najib's involvement in the crime at a time when Prime Minister Abdullah has announced Najib as his eventual successor. Prosecuting a blogger for sedition complicates Prime Minister Abdullah's efforts to be seen as a reformer and will further boost the profile of Malaysia's anti-government internet activists. KEITH |
| Voter's registration in Kuching, Sarawak Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
DAP Socialist Youth with collaboration with PAS Youth wing and Angkatan Muda Keadilan will organise a voters registration this Friday at E-Mart at Jalan Matang, Petra Jaya from 7.30pm - 10.00p.m and at Matang Sunday Market from 7.am till 10am. This jointly organise event will be the first of its kind joint voter registration help in Sarawak. Those who have not registered as a voter are encouraged to come and register at our booth. For more information, please contact Andrew Sim at 0168799606 or Awang Saifeluddin at 0168899149. |
| Bersih 2.0 - New York City Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT To date, more than 30 cities around the globe held a Bersih 2.0 rally on the same day. All these rallies were organized by people like you and me, ordinary people who want to see change for our country. By Leng-Feng Bersih 2.0 is a peaceful rally scheduled on July 9th, 2011 2pm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The goal of Bersih 2.0 is straight forward: demanding clean and fair elections for the people of Malaysia. It is about electoral reform that is long needed in Malaysia. A group of people gathered in New York City to support their countrymen in Malaysia who chose to go to the streets on 709. This is a grass-root movement in which people rise up to answer the call of Bersih 2.0 to demand electoral reform, so that every vote counts. This 'documentary' records bits and pieces on that day, and the day before. When I decided to organize the Bersih 2.0 in NYC (simply because I couldn't find anyone organizing it at that time), about 3 weeks before the event, I thought I might end up showing up there alone, probably with my girlfriend. Roughly 10 days before the event, Kwang Huei from NJ joined me to help organize this event. This is a great help since he is in NJ while I live in MA. A week before the event, we had roughly 30 people who told us they will attend the event. A day before the event, the number jumped to 60. But we didn't know how many will actually show up the next day. This uncertainty is a result of the fear of the government of Malaysia, who have threaten its citizens with strong words and declared the rally 'illegal'. Students under government sponsored scholarships received letters warning them not to participate in this event. Soon after we started to organize one, at about the same time, San Frans, LA, and later Chicago, D.C. and many other cities around the world started to self-organize Bersih 2.0 in their respective counties. Most of us spread the news and the event through Facebook. Later, we learnt that others shared event info to many online forums, which then attracted other non-FB users. To date, more than 30 cities around the globe held a Bersih 2.0 rally on the same day. All these rallies were organized by people like you and me, ordinary people who want to see change for our country. We formed a loosely-tied global steering committee to share info and materials. All these happened in less than 2 weeks. And as people used to say, the rest, is history.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bersih_2.0_rally
Summary of our event: ~130 ppl; Age range from 1 y.o. - 69 y.o. (even one who is pregnant); Coming from CT, MD, MA, IO, NY, WI, PA, NJ.
News:
1. malaysiakini.com/news/169541
2. malaysiakini.com/news/169523
3. malaysiakini.com/news/169305
4. malaysiakini.com/news/169502
5. sinchew.com.my/node/211719?tid=1
6。merdekareview.com/news/n/19150.html
7. merdekareview.com/news/n/19146.html
I have used clips and photos from Bersih 2.0 NYC participants to produce this 'documentary'. They are: Lye Lin Lock, Evrim Vildirim, Nicole Wong, Elise Loh, and Tzelin Low.
Music credit: "Freedom" by Maher Zain
Video process with Sony Vegas + MBL.
Would like to acknowledge Kwang Huei, Lye Theng, Lye Lin for their suggestions on the video.
A big "thank you" for all who showed up in NYC, it is you that make everyone there feel that there is hope for this country. Thanks to all the committee members as well as several participants who quickly stood up to help mange the event as we have a lot more people showed up than we expected. :)
For all the brave souls who walked on the street in KL on July 9th, 2011 and welcomed by the government with tear gas and chemical water gun, this video is for you. Thank you for standing up for our country. Watch video at: http://www.vimeo.com/26404460 |
| 9th of July - an everyday in Malaysia Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT By eechia First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Najib Razak, Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, IGP Ismail Omar, Deputy IGP Khalid Bakar and KL Police Deputy Chief, Amar Singh for making 9th July happen. For without the insane crackdown on Bersih supporters with Yellow coloured t-shirts, unreasonable detention, the flip-flop invitation of using the Stadium by the Prime Minister, the massive road blocks and KL lock down days before the rally, 9th of July may not have been what it was that historic Saturday.
We saw the birth of a new generation of Malaysians who are no longer apathetic, but dare to stand up for their rights, rising above intimidation.
When I arrived at Puduraya from Dayabumi through Petaling Street, I saw a sea of people. It felt as if we had re-taken KL from the FRU. KL belongs to us, and Malaysia belongs to the people - the Rakyat. Throughout the whole rally, it was almost like we were at war; a war between the Police and the people.
People stood united as one, from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, from all walks of life, holding on steadfastly to what we believe is rightfully ours: a free and fair election at the very least, the right to assemble peacefully for one common cause, and most important of all, the realisation that we, the Rakyat, can no longer keep silent and we must overcome the fear and oppression of unfair authority.
I followed the heartwarming #bersihstories with many joys and tears. Many experienced the camaraderie of Malaysians, a true 1Malaysia in the sense where everyone was helping each other regardless of colour, class and age; sharing salt, sharing water, calming each other down while walking away from the tear gas and water cannons. People started to believe again, that Malaysians are actually good people....... Many wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world.
Meanwhile, many also expressed regret for not being there on the 9th of July. For not being able to be part of this historic moment which saw Malaysians rising above all fears, determined to have our voices heard, and points taken by the authority who seem to be living in a different reality.
But do you know that 9th of July actually happens everyday in Malaysia, in its own small way? It doesn't happen only on that Saturday afternoon. It has been happening, had happened in a grand style on 9th of July, and will continue happening in the days to come. Read more at: http://eechia.blogspot.com/2011/07/9th-of-july-everyday-in-malaysia.html |
| Suggesting a possible strategy for future rallies : Loving kindness and compassion to the Police Posted: 14 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT The strategy of demonising the police could backfire on the safety of participants in future rallies because we are making them (the police force) enemies. In normal human behavior, if you back someone in a corner and do not give them space and time to think over what they have done or what they are about to do then the normal human reaction is to retaliate with force since they have all the tools of oppression. By KUO Yong Kooi I am an activist dropped out and had not been involved in any political activist work for more than 15 years now. My last work was with Suaram in early 96 for 5 months. After that final short stint I decided to head to a monastery in Burma and then to Thailand to try out the lifestyle of a Buddhist Monk for two years in search of "the meaning of life". I would like to suggest some possible strategies looking at a distance from only through the news in World Wide Web and facebook from friends. Of course, the best possible suggestion is to observe it from the ground but I think after having been to many demonstrations during my student activist days, I am sure the psychology and dynamics of it does not change much as we are all humans that have the common fear, confidence, excitement and anger factors all mixed up together in a tense moment at rallies. Twenty years ago when you call for a rally you can virtually count the heads that turned up. It was almost like knocking your head against the brick wall. Demonstrators were outnumbered by police. Bersih 1.0, 2.0 and many others recently have shown that the brick wall we have been knocking has ruptured. It is just a matter of time the wall will come tumbling down. The question is how many lives are we willing to sacrifice for this wall to tumble? I believe the strategies we adopt might be able to change the body bag counts in future rallies (inshaaalah of course). That would also depend on how vicious the UMNO regime in training up some crack forces to deal with demonstrators in the future. The aftermath of Bersih 2.0 has clearly shown that the "Silent majority rakyat" had loss faith in the UMNO regime. If there were no intimidation from the UMNO regime, one million could have easily turned out. There are rare historical events like the collapse of the Soviet Union where the top leader hands in the white flag and the apparatus was dismantled peacefully. Pre Bersih 2.0 demonstrated that the UMNO leaders be it Najib or Muhyiddin are willing to dig deep, but I don't think at the level of Gaddafi, but probably at the level of Hosni Mubarak or Ferdinand Marcos. As long as the rakyat is willing to provide a few helicopters for Rosmah and Najib, inshaaalah no lives lost. That is the easiest exit strategy for the top leaders. Let's look back a few decades ago at the defining moment in the Phillippines' history where there was a stand off between the demonstrators and the military under the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Lots of demonstrators gave flowers to the military and then the revolution was over shortly after that. I think most of us would agree that the majority of our country's police force is not educated enough to be fair referees. The next big task for the opposition and the civil society is to re-educate the police force to be fair referees. The same as Bersih's objectives are to get the Election Commission to be fair referees, it seems like the more immediate stumbling block are the police not being fair referees. The strategy of demonising the police could backfire on the safety of participants in future rallies because we are making them (the police force) enemies. In normal human behavior, if you back someone in a corner and do not give them space and time to think over what they have done or what they are about to do then the normal human reaction is to retaliate with force since they have all the tools of oppression. Shabas to the Bersih 2.0 rally participants for being extremely vigilant in making the rally peaceful. I must admit it was world standard, the rakyat behaved very matured in front of "a yet to be developed country's" police force. As my previous experiences in rallies informed me that in a rally dynamics, rally participants have to shout the slogans to vent out the years of frustrations in their heart on the government's wrong doing. I would agree that shouting out loud is a non-violent way to voice our opinion. After meditating for a while and contemplated on it, I think it is still seen to be overly aggressive if you are at the receiving end of things. I recall an incident when I was working for Suaram, I was at a rally to prevent the demolision of some squatter houses. I was photographed by a special branch officer. I reacted angrily by confronting the Special Branch officer and shouted at him and insisting that he should take my photos clearer, ie right in front of him. The Officer was shocked at my action. Although it was technically classified as non-violent in modern times, the action caused the Special branch officer to retaliate in the same manner of aggression towards me. A Buddhist perspective in non-violence is basically extending an aura of non-intimidation towards your so-called enemies, including sending an aura of kindness and compassion to them for they are beings just like us seeking safety and security. So to emphasise on that, imagine you are the police force with numbers for example 2,000 confronting a crowd of 20,000. As the crowd shouts a slogan, do you feel safe and secure as a police officer hearing the thundering slogans ramp into your ears? In a tense stand off like that the rally participants also have their fears of death and injuries as the police have their M16, tear gas, water cannon and baton. Demonstrators would naturally shout and show fists to gain confidence to try to overcome the fear and anger factors, therefore that action itself I believe creates another round of fear on the other side of the fence for they know that they were outnumbered. Of course in those rally days when I have not discovered meditation, I guess that is the only normal human thing that I can do and my perspective at that point is justifiable and definitely non-violent. After the meditation days, I discovered there are other ways to overcome fear without exerting an aura of intimidation to others so that the other side of the fence feel completely safe. Loving kindness meditation is one other way. I am sure other religions have it. In future, if the Umno regime decides to ban a rally, then the real stumbling block are the police. At that standoff point, the politicians are using the police/military apparatus to dig in. The decision makers in Putrajaya have no power at all. If more than half of the police force decides not to carry out the order, then the so called order from the top has been rendered ineffective. So I guess the next strategy is to ask all demonstrators to bring flowers "hibiscus" it's easily available (and original, since jasmine is already known and used in the Middle East) and walk silently. Say prayers in our hearts quietly to overcome fear and anger. An atmosphere like that is less intimidating for the other side and if we do receive a round of tear gas, at least it would give the police force the benefit of the doubt that we meant no harm to them and that would hopefully backfire on their conscience. All beings have conscience. Great idea in wearing yellow every Saturday. The rakyat can also diffuse the tension by belanja "teh tarik bersih" to our police force when opportunity arises. I would not call that corruption. I think that is crucial in diffusing further tension. Another great world history lesson is the South African "truth and reconciliation" commission in resolving the matters involving the police and military wrong doings during the apartheid years. I think that is a great way to move forward. Some might think that this is a crazy suggestion/idea, I think the battle has not been won yet. Creating more enemies can only create more barriers for ourselves in future battles. Makcik Anne Ooi with her flower has got the greatest impact on me as far as I am concerned. May we all be well and happy. KUO Yong Kooi |
| Now do you understand the meaning of The Third Force? Posted: 13 Jul 2011 05:31 PM PDT We hope, now, the meaning of The Third Force becomes clearer. And the newly crowned leader of this Third Force is Ambiga Sreenevasan. She may be a reluctant leader. Maybe she did not plan to emerge as its leader. However, like it or not, she is now the leader of Malaysia's Third Force. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Reject Anwar's 'revolution', says Utusan Malaysia (The Malaysian Insider) - Continuing its anti-Bersih tirade today, Utusan Malaysia told Malaysians to reject Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's "revolution" and ignore a spin-off campaign from last weekend's rally which calls on supporters to wear yellow every Saturday. The Umno-owned daily front-paged an article titled "Reject Anwar's revolution" where it solicited the views of four retired top cops, including two former Inspectors-General of Police, to condemn Anwar's "revolution" comment on Malaysia to the Indonesian media. Calling Anwar "pengkhianat negara (traitor to the country)", the paper wrote that many have rejected the opposition leader's purported attempt to instigate the people by claiming that Malaysia was on the verge of revolution. "Anwar Ibrahim has been deemed a traitor to the country and stern action should be taken against him immediately," the paper wrote. According to the article, former IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that Anwar's statement clearly showed that the opposition leader wants to see his country in chaos. "The police and the government should not hesitate to take stern action against him," he was quoted as saying. Other top cops, including former IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor, former deputy IGP Tan Sri Samsuri Arshad and former Special Branch director Datuk Zulkifli Abdul Rahman were also quoted as condemning Anwar in the article. In its editorial section, Utusan Malaysia praised the police as the "true heroes" of Saturday, despite widespread criticisms from the opposition, civil society groups and the foreign media that the police had used excessive force on protestors. Thousands took to the capital's streets on Saturday to march for free and fair elections but chaos broke out close to midday when police in full riot gear moved to disperse the crowd by firing tear gas canisters and spraying jets of chemical-laced water on protestors. "As sane-minded individuals, surely we can acknowledge that the true heroes were the police. Their persistence, hard work and patience in carrying out their duties saved the country from chaos on July 9," said Zulkiflee Bakar, the paper's editor. In another editorial, Utusan Malaysia predicted that Bersih's spin-off "wear yellow every Saturday" campaign could hamper public safety. "First it starts with one or two groups but if it is allowed to prolong for weeks, it may build a strength that could affect public safety. "The authorities should move quickly to overcome Bersih's agendas, which are reaching a point where they should no longer be given face," the paper said. *********************************** They can reject Anwar's 'revolution' if they so wish. This is really no skin of our nose. First of all, we really don't know what 'revolution' it is that they are talking about. Maybe they think that Anwar is attempting to start a Tahrir Square in Malaysia. Secondly, this has nothing to do with Anwar. Why focus just on Anwar as if he is the only one that matters and the rest don't? Thirdly, one man -- Anwar or whoever it may be -- really can't start revolutions unless it is the will of the rakyat. Then again, if it is the will of the rakyat then we don't need Anwar to tell us to start a revolution. Finally, and most important of all, the revolution has already started. The only thing is the government/Barisan Nasional were sleeping while it happened. And when they were told about it back in 2004, after the GE of that year, they pooh-poohed the whole thing. In 2007-2008 they actually said that the Internet is not a threat and not significant. Then, after the 2008 GE, when they got hit bad, the government sheepishly admitted that they underestimated the power of the Internet. Yes, the revolution I am talking about is the mental revolution triggered by yet another revolution, the communications revolution, triggered by yet another revolution, the Internet, which made access to information so easy. It was a sort of chain reaction. We need to study history and understand how the ruling elite in collaboration with the church kept the rakyat in ignorance. Only by keeping the rakyat in ignorance can the people be enslaved -- mental slavery. But once the people started educating themselves and dragged themselves out of ignorance, changes started to happen. It was a long and winding road to freedom but finally, after generations of fighting against ignorance, the rakyat won. And Europe is what it is today because of that. But it took a very long time indeed. Nevertheless, the rakyat finally won. Ignorance was cast side and the people took control of their destiny. We must remember that Europe remained in ignorance for a very long time. And it remained in ignorance as the Middle East moved ahead and progressed. And the Middle East moved ahead because they welcomed education and innovation. But once the ruling elite of the Middle East banned innovation, the Middle East went backwards while the very backward Europe, which learned everything it could from the Middle East and improved upon it, overtook the Middle East. Today we can see the glaring difference between Europe and the Middle East. The once enlightened are now locked in ignorance while the once ignorant are now masters of the world. That, in a small way, is happening in Malaysia, just like it is happening all over the world. The world is seeing a second wind of sorts. Changes have been happening all over the western world. And because of the now borderless world and the world being reduced to a global 'village', Malaysia is being dragged along screaming and kicking and resistance is futile. The government has to understand that this is not about Anwar. This is a natural phenomenon. The only way for Malaysia to isolate itself from this mental revolution brought on by the communications revolution, which has in turn been brought on by the Internet, is to embark upon a closed-door policy. Malaysia has to do what China once did. It has to shut itself from the rest of the world. Then the global revolution would not hit Malaysia's shores. But it may be too late for that now. The next point I want to make is about what Bersih represents. Over the last year or so we have been trying to make people understand what we mean by The Third Force. When we first mooted the idea of The Third Force through the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), most people interpreted this to mean 'three-corner fights' in the elections. As much as we tried to explain the concept, many refused to accept our explanation and insisted that The Third Force, which to them means 'three-corner contests', is destructive to the ideals of a two-party system and counter-productive to Pakatan Rakyat's effort at ousting Barisan Nasional. On 9th July 2011, what we saw was The Third Force in action. This was not about 'three-corner fights'. This was about taking back power from the politicians and transferring it into the hands of the rakyat. Never mind whether 6,000 people came out that day (as what the police says), or 20,000 people (as what the mainstream media says), or 50,000 people (as what some say), or 200,000 people (as what others say), or whatever. The numbers are not as important as the fact that the rakyat demonstrated their will to come out to show their unhappiness and to send a strong message to the powers-that-be that changes must happen and resistance is futile. The rakyat has 'tasted blood', that day on 9th July 2011. And there is no turning back the clock. Bersih has taught the rakyat the meaning of The Third Force. The rakyat now understands that united they can force changes. And the rakyat is going to continue to force changes and anyone who stands in the way of the rakyat is going to be swept aside. We hope, now, the meaning of The Third Force becomes clearer. And the newly crowned leader of this Third Force is Ambiga Sreenevasan. She may be a reluctant leader. Maybe she did not plan to emerge as its leader. However, like it or not, she is now the leader of Malaysia's Third Force. Now I hope you understand what we mean when we talk about The Third Force. |
| My challenge to The Unspinners and the Umno Bloggers Posted: 12 Jul 2011 06:15 PM PDT I was actually waiting for the Umno Bloggers to raise this matter, yet again, so that I can reply to it. Now that they have I have replied to it. And now I would like to reveal that the police have recorded my statement, something that I know you were not aware of before this. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin First read what the pro-Umno blog, The Unspinners, wrote: Pembohongan cincin Rosmah oleh RPK Raja Petra Kamarudin telah pun mengakui dia telah memfitnah Dato Rosmah Mansor serta Perdana Menteri Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak melalui pengisytiharan berkanun (statutory declaration) yang menuduh Rosmah membunuh si Altantuya. Ini bukan kali pertama RPK telah membohong dan memfitnah orang. Dalam episode terkini RPK ulangi fitnah kononnya Rosmah Mansor telah membeli sebiji cincin berlian (diamond) yang berharga US$24 Juta (RM73 Juta). Menurut penulisan RPK di laman Malaysia Today cincin itu telah dibeli di "New York-based fine jewellers, Jacob & Co." Gambar cincin itu turut dimuatkan. Inilah gambar cincin berlian yang kononnya berharga RM73 juta itu. Soalan pertama ialah bagaimanakah RPK boleh mendapat gambar cincin kepunyaan peribadi sesiapa pun? Gambar ini seolah di 'cut paste' daripada majalah atau gambar hiasan daripada Internet. *************************************** Now read what Free Malaysia Today wrote: RM73 mil diamond ring for Rosmah? As Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak still reels from the Bersih 2.0 rally's political aftershocks, a glittering new allegation has surfaced about his wife, Rosmah Mansor. The self-styled First Lady had allegedly come into possession of a diamond ring, worth a whopping US$24 million (RM73.48 million) sometime in April this year. A pro-Pakatan Rakyat blog called "Milo Suam" claimed that the ring was sent to Rosmah by the New York-based fine jewellers, Jacob & Co. The blog claimed that the ring, identified as a "Natural Fancy Blue Gray Cushion Cut Diamond Ring" passed through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport customs and was cleared by a customs operations manager known as A Krishnan. Screenshots of the alleged customs computer displays also revealed that the ring did not have import duties imposed on it. The same display also indicated the value of the ring to be US$24.4 million. The story of the ring had also spread to many other pro-Pakatan blogs. According to a Forbes website, the ring is a "VVS2 clarity diamond mounted on a platinum ring surrounded by 414 diamonds in a micro-pave setting (3.48 cts.)." Meanwhile, "Milo Suam" questioned Najib's rationale in allegedly purchasing such an expensive item for his wife. READ MORE HERE: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/07/12/rm24-mil-diamond-ring-for-rosmah/ READ MORE HERE: http://milosuam.blogspot.com/2011/07/cincin-rosmah-mansor-berharga-245-juta.html **************************************** The Unspinners said, "Menurut penulisan RPK di laman Malaysia Today……" Actually, I never tulis (wrote) anything, as alleged by The Unspinners (see here: http://www.malaysia-today.net/archives/archives-2011/41931-rm244-mil-rosmah-mansor-ring-bn-cybertrooper-come). I just provided a link to Forum Lowyat, one of the sites that carried the story, which also provided all the graphics in their posting (see here: http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1951314). The Unspinners is actually spinning. And they even raised the issue of my first 'lie', my June 2008 Statutory Declaration, to prove that I am a consistent liar. Okay, I need not defend myself on my second 'lie' about Rosmah's ring because I never wrote anything other than provide a link to another site. I never even made a comment on the matter. But let us talk about my first 'lie', my Statutory Declaration. For the information of The Unspinners and the other pro-Umno Blogs, the police have already taken my statement on the matter. And both my lawyers are aware of this because the police also recorded the statement of one of my lawyers. Yes, I bet you did not know this. I wanted to keep this a secret until the Umno buggers come out from their lubang and start whacking me, again, on my Statutory Declaration of June 2008 and my TV3 interview of April 2011. Then I would grab them by their balls (or by their tits if they are female Umno Bloggers). So there you have it. The police already recorded my statement in Bangkok, Thailand, in late April 2011. And my statement was recorded based on my TV3 interview of early April 2011. And the fact that my April 2011 TV3 interview refers to my Statutory Declaration of June 2008 means that the two matters are now linked as one investigation. Hah…I bet you thought I was stupid to have walked into TV3's 'trap'. Well, not so stupid as you may have thought. Now that the issue was aired on primetime TV and received national coverage, the police were forced to spring into action. And since my TV3 interview was about my Statutory Declaration, this matter has had to be resurrected as well. So, how now, The Unspinners? This matter is now in the hands of the police. The police already recorded my statement and an investigation has been launched. And the investigation is based on whether I did or did not sign a false declaration and whether what I said on TV3 is true or false. In short, the investigation is about whether I lied or told the truth in BOTH my Statutory Declaration and TV3 interview. The ball is now at the feet of the police. I have cooperated with the police as requested. I allowed them to record my statement. My statement to the police is the same as my TV3 interview and is also the same as my Statutory Declaration. In short, what I said in my Statutory Declaration, my TV3 interview, and my statement to the police, are CONSISTENT. There is no discrepancy in ALL THREE. Maybe The Unspinners and the other Umno Bloggers can now hassle the police and demand that they reveal the result of their investigation. Better still, maybe these Umno Bloggers can demand that action be taken so that the truth can be revealed. I am sure The Unspinners and all those pro-Umno and pro-Najib Bloggers want to know whether the police investigation has revealed the truth or untruth behind what I said in my Statutory Declaration and TV3 interview. I was actually waiting for the Umno Bloggers to raise this matter, yet again, so that I can reply to it. Now that they have I have replied to it. And now I would like to reveal that the police have recorded my statement, something that I know you were not aware of before this. So, over to you The Unspinners and the other Umno Bloggers. Where do you want to take it from here? Do you want to whack the police for dragging their feet on the matter? Why have the police not acted? Maybe The Unspinners and the other Umno Bloggers can enlighten us on this. Over to you guys. Your comments please! |
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