Jumaat, 29 Julai 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Now do you know what I mean?
If you had to argue your case
Have you got your halal certificate yet?
Back to the Middle Ages
Is Jho Low a Trojan horse?

Now do you know what I mean?

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:58 PM PDT

So which is it then? Is the DAP-led government of Penang neglecting the Malays or neglecting the Chinese? Can Umno and MCA please agree on this? Can we also hear whether MIC agrees with HINDRAF that it is actually the Indian Hindus who are the ones being neglected or does MIC want to contradict HINDRAF and declare that the Indian Hindus are being well looked after and are very happy, thank you very much?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia's Penang Wanita MCA: Why no DID projects given to Chinese

(The Star/ANN) - Malaysia's Penang Wanita MCA wants to know why not a single state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) project was given to Chinese contractors.

Its chairman Tan Cheng Liang said she believed the Chinese contractors had submitted tender applications for the projects.

"Has the state deemed their applications incomplete."

"I am aghast and unable to comprehend why isn't a single contract awarded to a Chinese contractor," said Tan in response to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's statement on July 27, that contractors in all five districts for the DID projects were Malays, bumiputras and Indian Muslims of which women accounted for 20%.

Tan said since the DAP took over the state, not a single Chinese contractor in the five districts were given projects.

"The DAP-led state government should not simply award contracts to bumiputras to make themselves look fair."

"They should ensure that the contractors are capable of guaranteeing a successful completion of the projects and there will not be problems later," she said.

Tan said there was proof that despite the support from the Chinese for Lim and DAP, the interest of the Chinese had been threatened after DAP came into power.

"They realise that they cannot rely on the Chinese forever but I hope the curry favour among other races is not done at the expense of the Chinese," she said.

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MCA is alleging that the DAP-led government of Penang is sidelining the Chinese and is favouring the Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims.

MCA, in case some of you still don't know, is the second largest coalition partner in Barisan Nasional and is the original member of the Alliance Party that negotiated with the British for Merdeka for Malaya.

Penang Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang was referring to a statement Lim Guan Eng was said to have made two days ago that the DID contractors in all five districts in Penang are Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, with women accounting for 20%.

Umno, on the other hand, has claimed that since the new government took over in Penang in March 2008, the Malays have been sidelined and the 'racist' DAP-led Penang government just focuses on the Chinese.

Now, while the 'husband' alleges that the Penang government neglects the Malays, the 'wife', on the other hand, alleges that the Penang government neglects the Chinese. Clearly this 'couple' no longer sees eye-to-eye on the issue of whether it is the Malays or the Chinese who are being neglected.

MIC, the 'second wife', is in the meantime still foggy and blur (as usual) and is trying to figure out what stupid thing to say (as usual). MIC can't jump onto the bandwagon and allege that the Penang government is also neglecting the Indian Hindus. This is exactly what HINDRAF is claiming. So, if MIC claims the same thing, then HINDRAF can turn around and say, "Ah hah! Did we not say so? Even MIC agrees with what we say. That means HINDRAF was right all along. The Indian Hindus are being neglected."

Anyway, this is what the people in Barisan Nasional are saying. Now, if someone from Pakatan Rakyat said something like this do you know what the opposition supporters would say? They would say MCA has been bought. MCA is a Trojan horse. MCA is trying to sabotage Barisan Nasional. MCA is secretly and maliciously trying to help the opposition by contradicting Umno.

That is the advantage of being in Barisan Nasional. They allow you freedom to speak without calling you a traitor. But whether you still have freedom after you speak is another matter. Maybe not! But you do have freedom to speak in spite of not having freedom after you speak.

So which is it then? Is the DAP-led government of Penang neglecting the Malays or neglecting the Chinese? Can Umno and MCA please agree on this? And can we also hear whether MIC agrees with HINDRAF that it is actually the Indian Hindus who are the ones being neglected or does MIC want to contradict HINDRAF and declare that the Indian Hindus are being well looked after and are very happy, thank you very much?

Politicians! Now do you know why we need to guard against politicians? They will take pains to make sure that after almost 54 years of Merdeka we still focus on issues concerning Malays, Chinese and Indians and not look at things in the context of Malaysians.

If you had to argue your case

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 07:14 AM PDT

Your Honour, I am no prophet. I can't claim to be guided by God, at least not in the way the Prophets of old were. But what have we learned from the examples of the Prophets? Basically, what we have learned is we must not be afraid of challenging the system and not to fear reforms. To do that, we must speak out, debate and enter into discourse.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia's Internal Security Act allows the government to detain you without trial indefinitely. The initial detention is not more than 60 days during which time they will decide whether you can be released or should be further detained in the Kamunting Detention Centre.

If you are further detained in Kamunting, within three months of your detention you will appear before the Lembaga Penasihat (Review Board), which will review your case and decide whether to prolong your detention or allow you to go home. These review proceedings will give you the opportunity to attempt to convince the Lembaga that your detention is not justified and that they should release you.

You can either argue your case yourself or you can get a lawyer to do it for you. This is what I would probably say during the review proceedings had I been given an opportunity to argue my own case.

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Your Honour, first of all I thank you for the opportunity offered me to try to convince you why I should be released and allowed to go home. I realise that, normally, detainees would arrange for a lawyer or a team of lawyers to argue their case and that the proceedings are conducted in the same way as in a court of law.

Nevertheless, I would like to dispense with the services of a lawyer and argue my case myself. I hope you will bear with me and hear me out and allow me to take you through the issues as to why this Lembaga should consider releasing me and allow me to go home.

Your Honour, if you were to peruse my Detention Order, you will see that the four grounds of my detention, as stated in that Detention Order, is for speaking out or for expressing myself. I know the grounds of my detention have been explained in great detail and with a lot of legal jargon that would probably confuse even lawyers themselves. However, putting that aside, and as the Americans would say, cutting to the chase, the long and short of it is, simply, I am too vocal.

Your Honour, whether, as what the Honourable Minister said, I am a threat to national security is a matter of opinion. As they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. George Washington was a terrorist and was treated as such by the British Colonialists. If they had caught him, they would have put him to death. Today, Washington is the name of the capital of the most powerful nation in the world.

I agree wholeheartedly that the pen is mightier than the sword. If I had carried a sword and had threatened bodily harm then certainly that would make me a threat to life and limb and therefore a threat to national security and public order. But my crime is merely for using the pen, in this case a computer keyboard, and as much as the pen may be mightier than a sword, metaphorically speaking, using a pen is not the same as threatening someone with a sword.

What would humanity be today if freedom of expression had not been allowed? And that is my only crime, being too free with my expression.

Buddha, a Hindu prince, lived a protected life and knew nothing about death, sickness, poverty, etc. until he was exposed to the world. That exposure opened his eyes to the suffering, injustice and evil of the world around him that he had been protected from.

Eventually, Buddha became disillusioned and sought enlightenment. Through enlightenment, Buddha saw the truth and brought reforms to the world. Had the powers-that-be tried to stifle Buddha and prevented him from seeking enlightenment, Buddhism would not exist today.

Was Buddha a terrorist? Was he considered a threat to Hinduism? If they had declared Buddha a threat to society and had put him to death we would never have known Buddha or Buddhism, which teaches love, kindness and peace and is not violent even to animals.

What was Buddha's crime if you want to consider him as having committed one? His crime is he was different. He was a seeker. He was what today we would call a reformist.

Because of Buddha, that part of the world could see reforms while the rest of the world, even Europe, was steeped in superstition and ignorance. Europe was locked in what we would call the dark ages while Buddha brought enlightenment because they allowed him to do what he did. They did not lock him away under detention without trial.

Your Honour, as a Muslim just like me, you too must be very familiar with the history of our Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad too was a reformist. For ten years he preached reforms but the people of Mekah rejected him. In fact, they plotted against him and schemed his death.

Did God abandon Muhammad to his fate? No! God commanded Muhammad to leave Mekah and to seek asylum in the safety of Medina. Yes, God refused to allow them to silence him. God wanted Muhammad to continue spreading his message of reforms. Today, even the non-Muslim western world regards Muhammad as the greatest reformist in history.

It took more than 1,500 years for the western world to fully understand Christianity and to comprehend the teachings of Christ. For more than 1,000 years the Christian world remained in ignorance mainly because no debate and discourse was allowed. Debates and discourse was punishable by death.

It was not until they revolted against this that the Christian world progressed and discarded their superstitious and ignorant ways. Again, it was not until the reformists rose up and demanded change did the world become a better place and the killings in the name of religion end.

So you see, Your Honour, for thousands of years reformists have fought against impossible odds and won. As a result, we now live in a better and more progressive world.

Your Honour, I am not prophet. I can't claim to be guided by God, at least not in the way the Prophets of old were. But what have we learned from the examples of the Prophets? Basically, what we have learned is we must not be afraid of challenging the system and not to fear reforms. To do that, we must speak out, debate and enter into discourse.

Your Honour, my crime, if you can even consider it a crime, is that I have challenged the system and have spoken out. And for that I am now in Kamunting under ISA detention. How can speaking out be a crime? How can we see reforms and changes if we do not speak out?

I am here in Kamunting because I am considered a threat to national security. Galileo Galilee too was considered a threat to national security. But because of his links to the Duke they did not dare put him to death. Instead they excommunicated him and placed him under house arrest.

And what was Galileo's crime? His crime is he declared that the sun does move around the earth but instead the earth moves around the sun. And that declaration, to the powers-that-be at that time, was a crime and a threat to national security. Would we still insist today that Galileo is a criminal and a threat to national security?

So you see, Your Honour, the world will never progress if we jail or put to death everyone who challenges the system and tries to preach reforms -- as long as they don't preach death and destruction, which neither I nor Galileo have done.

I may be overzealous in expressing myself. That may be my fault. But Martin Luther was as well when he challenged the church that resulted in reforms, as was Martin Luther King. Because of his work and other social changes, the first African-American President is now serving America.

Your Honour, the Honourable Minister has declared me a threat to national security based on his standards and interpretation. Can one man make this sole decision on behalf of 28 million Malaysians? Does his view reflect that of the majority of Malaysians?

Your Honour, the Honourable Minister himself was once a reformer who challenged the system. Then, the government viewed him as a threat to national security as well. And although he was never detained under the ISA, he was, however, punished by being sent into the political wilderness where he lingered for quite some time.

Then, the Honourable Minister justified his actions for challenging the system as the need to introduce reforms to the country. The Honourable Minister himself was a reformist and he too opposed the system and he too was punished for this. I would imagine that the Minister still holds these ideals close to his heart. Why would the Minister now take offense to what he himself once did?

Your Honour, I remember the time when the Honourable Minister was outside the government and he and I opposed the system and challenged the system and fought to bring reforms to system. Then, he too was a firebrand and did not fear going against what he considered was wrong.

Today, he is in the government and I am still outside the government. And, today, he signs my Detention Order and detains me without trial for doing nothing short of what he once did himself -- expressing the need for reforms.

Your Honour, instead of I appearing before this Lembaga to try to convince you why I should be released, the Honourable Minister should be made to appear before this Lembaga to explain why he sees the need for my further detention and in what way my actions of expressing myself can be construed as a threat to national security.

Your Honour, I have nothing further to say. I just pray that this Lembaga sees the logic of my arguments and can accept that the world needs reformers. If there had not been any reformers then the world would not be the progressive world that we see today.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Have you got your halal certificate yet?

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 05:39 PM PDT

Hotel operators which have yet to obtain halal certificates from the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) have been urged to get their certifications to ensure that the food and drinks they served during Ramadan are halal.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said the department had simplified the certification process and it can now be obtained within a day.

"We have sent out letters to them and about 80 per cent of hotels in the Federal Territories have obtained their certifications."

"There are also special officers to process the certifications should an urgent approval is needed," he told reporters after opening the Federal Territories Nasyid Festival 2011 at the Islamic Centre complex, here today.

He said hotel operators who failed to display the halal certificate can be fined under the Trade Descriptions Act 1972.

"We will carry out operations from time to time. We will also act based on complaints from the public," he said. -- (Bernama)

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Jakim: Yes, can I help you?

Hotel: Is this where I apply for the halal certificate for my hotel?

Jakim: It depends.

Hotel: Depends?

Jakim: Yes, are you a local-owned hotel or foreign-owned hotel?

Hotel: Foreign-owned.

Jakim: This counter, counter number one, is for local-owned hotels. The next counter, counter number two, is for foreign-owned hotels.

Hotel: Okay, thank you.

Jakim: Yes, can I help you?

Hotel: Hey, hold on! You're the same officer from counter number one.

Jakim: Yes, we have only one officer on duty today.

Hotel: But you have ten counters.

Jakim: Yes, counter number one is for local-owned hotels, counter number two for foreign-owned hotels, then we have counters number three to ten for other applications like restaurants, supermarkets, and so on.

Hotel: But why did you ask me to move to counter number two? Why can't you just serve me from counter number one if you are handling all applications?

Jakim: Procedure.

Hotel: Never mind. I want to apply for a halal certificate for my hotel.

Jakim: Foreign-owned?

Hotel: Yes, I already told you. Foreign-owned. Why ask again?

Jakim: You told the officer at counter number one. This is counter number two.

Hotel: But you are the same officer at counter number one. Oh, never mind.

Jakim: Have you filled in the form?

Hotel: Yes I have. Here it is.

Jakim: But this is Borang A. You must fill in Borang B.

Hotel: What's the difference?

Jakim: Borang A is for hotels registered under the Registrar of Businesses. Yours is registered under the Registrar of Companies. So must fill in Borang B.

Hotel: Where do I get Borang B?

Jakim: At counter number ten.

Hotel: But there is no officer at counter number ten.

Jakim: I am also the officer for counter number ten.

Hotel: Yes, I know, you already told me there is only one officer on duty today. So why can't you just give me the form here?

Jakim: Cannot. You must go to counter number ten. Procedure.

Hotel: Okay, okay, I will go to counter number ten. See you over there.

Jakim: Yes, can I help you?

Hotel: You know what I want. I want Borang B.

Jakim: For foreign-owned hotel registered under the Registrar of Companies?

Hotel: Yes, yes, yes.

Jakim: No need to get angry. I am just doing my duty.

Hotel: Okay, okay, I know, procedure.

Jakim: Your hotel sells halal food?

Hotel: Yes, we sell only halal meat, fish, vegetables…all halal

Jakim: Fish and vegetables definitely halal. No need for halal certificate. Only need halal certificate for meat. You buy your meat from halal butcher?

Hotel: Yes, from halal butcher.

Jakim: You have the halal certificate from the butcher?

Hotel: No, I don't. But there is a halal sign on the packing.

Jakim: How do you know it is really halal? It could be a fake halal sign. There are many fakes nowadays.

Hotel: I don't know whether it is genuine or a forgery? I go by the halal sign on the packing. The packing says the meat is halal so I assume it is halal.

Jakim: Cannot. We must be sure. You must ask them to show you the halal certificate from Jakim. They can't simply put a halal sign on the packing unless they first have a Jakim halal certificate.

Hotel: But my suppliers are overseas. How would they get a Jakim halal certificate?

Jakim: Jakim will visit the overseas factory and check first. Then we will issue them the halal certificate.

Hotel: So when can you visit these overseas factories then?

Jakim: The factories must first invite us.

Hotel: Then you will go there?

Jakim: No, we will then schedule a visit. But they must send us the flight tickets and book the hotels for our officers at their own cost.

Hotel: The factories have to pay for one of your officers to visit them so that you can certify that their factory is halal?

Jakim: No, not one officer. Ten officers.

Hotel: You need to send ten officers overseas just to certify that the factory is manufacturing halal meat?

Jakim: Yes, if not we cannot confirm that their meat is halal.

Hotel: Okay, never mind, we will stop selling imported meat and just serve local meat. Would that be okay?

Jakim: Yes, that is okay as long as you can show the halal certificate from the supplier.

Hotel: Okay, we also sell beer. Does the certificate cover this as well?

Jakim: No, beer is haram. We cannot issue a halal certificate for that.

Hotel: But we can sell beer?

Jakim: Yes.

Hotel: But we can't sell meat unless we can prove it is halal?

Jakim: No.

Hotel: Can we accept credit cards?

Jakim: Yes.

Hotel: But credit cards involve interest. Is that not haram?

Jakim: Interest is haram.

Hotel: So the meat must be halal but you can pay by credit card even though interest is haram?

Jakim: That is correct.

Hotel: And we can employ Malay staff who are Muslims?

Jakim: Yes, you can. In fact, if you have no Malay staff you cannot get a hotel licence under the rules of the New Economic Policy.

Hotel: But our hotel has a bar, disco, karaoke lounge, massage centre and everything that is haram to Muslims. We can, or must, employ Muslims?

Jakim: Yes.

Hotel: But their salaries would come from haram sources.

Jakim: No problem. Even government staff get paid from revenue from banks, finance companies, money-lending, liquor, bars, night clubs, massage parlours, gambling, lotteries, casinos, cigarettes, and so on.

Hotel: That is allowed?

Jakim: Yes, allowed.

Hotel: But aren't all those businesses haram?

Jakim: Yes, they are haram.

Hotel: So banks, finance companies, money-lending, liquor, bars, night clubs, massage parlours, gambling, lotteries, casinos, cigarettes, and so on are allowed but meat that is not halal is not allowed?

Jakim: That is correct. The meat must be halal. And Jakim will not issue a halal certificate unless you can prove it is halal. So you must sponsor ten officers to go overseas for two weeks to visit the factory first before we can issue the halal certificate.

Hotel: Two weeks? Why so long?

Jakim: We need one whole day to visit the factory and the other 13 days for rest after the long journey.

Hotel: I think never mind. We will stop selling imported meat, just sell local meat, and we will continue to sell beer and run our bar, disco, karaoke lounge and massage centre where most of our revenue comes from anyway.

Jakim: No problem. Then you can get a Jakim halal certificate.

Back to the Middle Ages

Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:20 PM PDT

Yes, in Mekah and Medina there is no banned sect of Islam. In Mekah and Medina everyone is just plain Muslim and we are allowed to pray side-by-side with them and behind imams who are Salafis or Wahhabis. But when we come back to Malaysia, we ban them, arrest them and declare that they are deviant Muslims and terrorists whom Malaysians must not follow.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia appears to have many enemies of the state. The colour yellow. Words such as 'Reformasi', 'Hindraf', 'Bersih', 'Altantuya', etc. Shiah and anything at all within the scope of non-Sunni Islam. Communists. Jews. Gays. Democracy. Gatherings. Marches. Rallies. Free speech. Bahasa Malaysia Bibles. Proportional representation in Parliament and the State Assemblies. Opposition political parties.

You name it and they are all enemies of the state as far as Malaysia is concerned.

The Malaysian government is scared of its own shadow. And now Wahhabism is the latest addition to the list of 'banned items'.

The article 'The Wahhabi Myth' addresses the fallacies connected to Wahhabism or Salafism as follows:

The 'Wahhabi' Myth by Haneef James Oliver clarifies many of the gross inaccuracies and outright lies that have been attributed to the belief of the Salafi Muslims (often referred to as "Wahhabis").

Karen Armstrong speaks about the difference between Osama bin Laden's sect (Qutbism) and Salafism/"Wahhabism" in a Guardian article entitled "The label of Catholic terror was never used about the IRA":

"Bin Laden was not inspired by Wahhabism but by the writings of the Egyptian ideologue Sayyid Qutb, who was executed by President Nasser in 1966. Almost every fundamentalist movement in Sunni Islam has been strongly influenced by Qutb, so there is a good case for calling the violence that some of his followers commit "Qutbian terrorism." Qutb urged his followers to withdraw from the moral and spiritual barbarism of modern society and fight it to the death.

Read more here: http://sinningslave.wordpress.com/

The bottom line is, anything that does not comply with my beliefs, standards, ideology, doctrine and whatnot is just not on and is haram.

That was how things were back in the Middle Ages. Either you are with me or you are against me. And if you are against me then you are my enemy and you must die a violent and painful death.

The problem is, while the civilised world has abandoned these old Middle Ages ways and beliefs, in the developing world -- such as in Malaysia -- we are still living in the Middle Ages and still adopting what the civilised world has long abandoned.

In short, as the previous Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: Malaysia is a country with First World infrastructure but Third World mentality. And this statement came from the Malaysian Prime Minister himself.

And do you need me to quote what one-time Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said about the mentality of Malaysians? No, I thought not. I better not quote anything from Dr Mahathir lest you all froth and foam at the mouth like rabid dogs.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians go to Mekah and Medina every year for their Haj and Umrah. To date, millions of Malaysians have performed both the main and 'small' pilgrimages.

And what do they do in Mekah and Medina?

They pray side-by-side with the Shiah, Wahhabi, and many other sects of Muslims -- behind an imam of the Grand Mosque in Mekah and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina who are Salafis or Wahhabis.

Yes, in Mekah and Medina there is no banned sect of Islam. In Mekah and Medina everyone is just plain Muslim and we are allowed to pray side-by-side with them and behind imams who are Salafis or Wahhabis. But when we come back to Malaysia we ban them and arrest them and declare that they are deviant Muslims and terrorists whom Malaysians must not follow.

I watched a movie last night about a gang of robbers that the FBI was trying to track down. They had some suspects but could not get a warrant to put them under 24-hours surveillance. It would be very difficult to convince the court, said the FBI boss, unless one of them converts to Islam.

What does that tell you? It tells you that Islam is dangerous and Muslims are terrorists. If one of the bank robbers were a Muslim then the court would readily waive his fundamental rights.

That is of course a made-in-America movie where anything Islam is bad and Muslims are terrorists. I suppose they are not that wrong when even the Malaysian government labels Wahhabis or Salafis as terrorists. And is not Malaysia a perceived Islamic country and did not Umno say it is the largest Islamic party in the world?

When the Christians and Jews call Muslims terrorists, they are prejudiced. When Muslims call Muslims terrorists, this is a statement of fact and proves what the West suspected of Islam -- that it is a terrorist religion.

And did I not say many times that Muslims are Islam's greatest enemy?

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Wahhabi alert will damage ties with Saudi Arabia, says PAS

By Shannon Teoh, Malaysian Insider

PAS said today that Putrajaya was damaging ties with key Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, home of the religion's two holy cities of Mecca and Medina, by placing ulamas suspected of practicing Wahhabism on a terror watchlist.

PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar told reporters today that the move by the National Security Council (NSC) to monitor scholars such as influential former Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin was an overreaction that could jeopardise ties with the country where Wahhabism is the dominant form of Islam.

"This will hurt ties with Saudi Arabia and give a negative perception towards Malaysia," the Pokok Sena MP said.

About 26,000 Malaysian Muslims travel annually to perform the Haj in Mecca, one of the largest national quotas given by the kingdom.

Malaysia has asked for another 10,000 places as nearly 700,000 are on the waiting list.

Deputy president Mohamed Sabu also mocked the Najib administration's move, calling it a "fiction and propaganda."

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that the NSC met and ordered state muftis and religious agencies to monitor and take action against the traditionalist Islamic practice that has been linked to terrorism.

Maverick scholar Asri was first linked to Wahhabism and the terrorists group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) early last year, along with PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, former Perlis mentri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dan Perlis Mufti Juanda Jaya.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Abdul Hadi and Shahidam Kassim have been omitted from the watchlist.

Two Umno lawmakers have come to the defense of Dr Mohamed Asri Zainul Abidin, insisting that the Najib administration has wrongly labelled the maverick former Perlis mufti as a potential terrorist threat.

Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said that the NSC had overreacted over a difference of opinion by raising a terror alert over fears that Wahhabism was being revived.

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Asri not a terrorist, say Umno MPs

By Shannon Teoh, Malaysian Insider

Two Umno lawmakers have come to the defence of Dr Mohamed Asri Zainul Abidin, insisting that the Najib administration has wrongly labelled the maverick former Perlis mufti as a potential terrorist threat.

Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said that the National Security Council (NSC) had overreacted over a difference of opinion by raising a terror alert over fears that Wahhabism was being revived.

"Asri is not a terrorist," Saifuddin said on micro-blogging site Twitter yesterday.

The Temerloh MP told The Malaysian Insider later that "I disagree with labelling someone as a Wahhabi, leading to calling him a terrorist. This only divides Muslims."

Khairy also said in a statement that reports that Asri and other Muslim scholars have been placed on a watchlist for as "Wahhabis and terrorists... is an overreaction."

"I see no subversive action or effort by Asri that qualifies him as a terrorist," the Rembau MP added.

The Malaysian Insider also reported that the NSC meeting listed several prominent leaders as Wahhabis including a group of young Islamic scholars who joined Umno last year.

Although he did not follow suit in joining the senior partner in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, Asri, who has been linked to Wahhabism in the past, is said to wield considerable influence over young Muslim scholars.

Saifuddin also told The Malaysian Insider that Wahhabism was practiced in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

"Does this mean that Malaysian Muslims should no longer perform the Haj (in Mecca)? We can have differences of opinion in Islam. We should not let this bring us to labelling others as Wahhabi or terrorists," he said in a text message.

Khairy also agreed that it was unacceptable that someone was accused of terrorism without being allowed to offer an explanation.

Asri was first linked to Wahhabism and the terrorists group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) early last year, along with PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, former Perlis mentri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dan Perlis Mufti Juanda Jaya.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Abdul Hadi and Shahidam Kassim have been omitted from the watchlist.

Is Jho Low a Trojan horse?

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 11:24 PM PDT

I sometimes wonder whether this is genuine stupidity or whether Jho Low is a Trojan horse who is doing all this very cleverly and intentionally to accelerate Najib's downfall. Why allow Najib's enemies easy access to ammunition? Jho Low seems to be offering Rosmah's and Najib's head to their enemies on a silver platter.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

"Jho Low pays record price for NY condo, nearby to Rosmah's favourite jeweller," said Wong Choon Mei of Malaysia Chronicle on 21 July 2011. In that story she goes on to say:

Remember Jho Low? Yes, apart from Paris Hilton, whizz-kid Jho is also very close to Prime Minister Najib Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor. In fact, the 29-year old Penang boy has just bought a super-luxury penthouse in New York at a sky-high price that has set tongues wagging amongst the property agents there.

Incidentally, the condo is just a 10-minute walk from Rosmah's favourite jewellery retailer Jacob & Co, from whom she has been reported to have bought a RM24.4 million ($8 million) 'natural fancy blue-gray cushion-cut' diamond ring.

And in case Rosmah, who is not known to be fond of exercise, prefers to be driven, Jacob & Co at 48, East 57th Street is just a 3-minute whizz away by stretch limousine.

Business ties

Jho is also connected in some way - directly or indirectly - with several very important investment and financial entities.

These include Najib's prized RM15 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the RM10 billion Terengganu Investment Authority, UBG which is the former banking arm of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's family business, as well as the oil-rich Mid-East firm PetroSaudi.

No, this is not a business article to unravel the amount of filth contained within the dealings of this nest of firms. Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said it best when he described 1MDB as Najib's political "slush fund" to prop up Taib and his cronies.

Some in the financial circles even say the complex paper trail that surrounds the firms' inter-dealings would surely provide an ideal way to launder some of the possibly illicit money that may flow through the network.

**************************************

What makes this revelation even more interesting are the four links Malaysia Chronicle added below that story under the sub-heading of 'Related Story':

1. Who is he? M'sian billionaire splashes RM14.5bil on super-yacht

2. The Rosmah ring: 24mil RM or US$, tupperware party or VVIP exhibition

3. Rosmah in hot soup over gargantuan RM24.4mil diamond ring

4. VIDEO Rosmah's RM24.4mil diamond ring

Wong Choon Mei is known to be closely linked to PKR leader, Tian Chua. It seems as though Malaysia Chronicle is suggesting that Jho Low, who is in turn closely linked to 'First Lady' Rosmah Mansor, is not only the man behind the purchase of the most expensive yacht in history but is also the man who couriered that very controversial ring to Malaysia.

According to the whispers in Putrajaya, Jho Low sent the ring to Malaysia for Rosmah to look at and whether it has now been sent back to New York, as alleged, or is still in Malaysia, is not known. And, if it has been sent back to New York, whether this is because Rosmah did not like it or whether it is because of the controversy surrounding this ring -- and therefore it is too hot to allow it to remain in Malaysia -- is also not known.

Whatever it may be, Jho Low's name seems to be linked to not only the purchase of this very expensive super-luxury New York penthouse but also to the yacht and the ring.

Anyway, that is what they say and we only go by what they say, whether this is true or not. But what we do know, and this is a fact, the 3M team of Mahathir-Muhyddin-Mukhriz are going to town on this issue.

Jho Low is close to those who walk in the corridors of power, in particular the 'First Family of Malaysia'. And anything he does will always be linked back to the 'First Family'. There is no avoiding this.

Is Jho Low just too stupid? Does he not know that he is under close scrutiny and anything he does will lead back to Rosmah's and Najib's door? And do Rosmah and Najib not know that the 3M team is gleefully awaiting his downfall so that a new 'First Family' can be installed in Putrajaya?

When Najib cancelled his one-week holiday in Europe and rushed back to Malaysia after meeting the Pope in Rome (and which Najib publicly thanked Rosmah for her 'sacrifice') we already smelled a rat, a big smelly rat.

Why would Najib cancel his holiday and rush back to Malaysia unless there was some sort of major emergency? And an emergency this serious can only mean his throne is under threat.

And, lo and behold, when Malaysia Chronicle came out with this story of the super-luxury penthouse in New York and linked this story to the story of the yacht and Rosmah's ring, the whole thing became very clear.

We are probably seeing history repeating itself here. Back in the days of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi they used Khairy Jamaluddin as the catalyst to bring Pak Lah down. Now, the catalyst is Rosmah Mansor. And Jho Low's stupidity is making this possible.

Why are Jho Low and Rosmah making it so easy for the 3M team to make their move? I would have thought that since Jho Low is now so high profile and everything he does makes the front page he would not want to do anything that attracts so much attention. And buying the most expensive yacht in history and a super-luxury penthouse in New York, plus sending a very expensive ring to Rosmah by courier, is certainly the height of stupidity.

The Umno blogs are working overtime to dispel talk that Rosmah bought that ring. This is actually true and the Umno blogs are not lying. Rosmah did not buy the ring. Jho Low sent it to her.

But why send the ring to Rosmah by courier? Surely a ring that expensive can be sent to Malaysia through other means and in secrecy. This is probably the most stupid thing Jho Low has ever done (if it was stupidity in the first place and not done on purpose). And with the story of that ring linked to the story of the record-breaking yacht and the super-luxury penthouse in New York, just doors away from the jewellers, the 3M team has everything it now needs to start working on an early retirement for Najib.

No wonder Najib had to cancel his holiday and rush back to Malaysia. Najib probably thought it would be safer to reclaim his throne before he finds it in someone else's hands. And we do not need to be a Harvard graduate to figure out who this someone else is.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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WIKILEAKS: OPPOSITION JOURNALIST DETAINED UNDER THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT
Tan Kay Hock under the spotlight, again
The man who would be PM
WIKILEAKS: PM ABDULLAH'S POSITION ERODED AFTER TUMULTUOUS WEEK
WIKILEAKS: Anwar becomes opposition leader in Parliament

WIKILEAKS: OPPOSITION JOURNALIST DETAINED UNDER THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT

This is the second time Raja Petra has been detained under the ISA. The government of then Prime Minister Mahathir detained Raja Petra under the ISA in April 2001 for his involvement in former DPM Anwar Ibrahim initiated "reformasi" movement. He was held for 53 days before being unconditionally released, reportedly due to pressure from the King, the late Sultan of Selangor who was Raja Petra's uncle. The current Sultan of Selangor is his cousin.

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 000806

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018

TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, MY

SUBJECT: OPPOSITION JOURNALIST DETAINED UNDER THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 787

Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d).

1. (C) Summary: Malaysian police on September 12 arrested controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial. Raja Petra's arrest came days after Prime Minister Abdullah threatened to use the ISA to clamp down on those allegedly stoking racial and religious tensions.

The arrest stands as a warning to the growing Internet media, but also sends a signal to the political Opposition, which has vowed to topple Abdullah's coalition later this month, that the UMNO-led government could take stern measures to defend itself. End Summary.

2. (SBU) Malaysian police detained Raja Petra Kamarudin, prominent blogger and editor of the controversial website "Malaysia Today", under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on September 12. The ISA allows for detention without trial.

This is the first time the Act has been implemented for blogging.

Raja Petra's detention came days after Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi told reporters that the government would use the ISA on those who stoke racial and religious tensions, following inter-racial feuding in this coalition and mounting challenges to Abdullah's authority and political position (Septel).

3. (U) Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who approved Raja Petra's ISA detention order, told reporters that the blogger was detained under Section 73(1) of the ISA because he was deemed a threat to security, peace, and public order.

The Minister explained that Raja Petra's detention came in the wake of various statements published by him in his blog "Malaysia Today," the latest being a commentary which allegedly ridiculed Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

Syed Hamid stated, "We have called and advised him many times following the publishing of his statements but he has continued to write, so much so that they (the statements) could pose a threat (to security and public order)."

The Minister added that under Section 73(1) of the Act, Raja Petra would be detained for 60 days and the police will do an assessment during the period. Syed Hamid added "if they feel he should be held more than 60 days, the police will then refer to me". Traditionally the minister will accept the recommendations made by the police and sign the order under Section 8(1) of the Act, which allows the person to be detained for renewable two-year periods.

4. (U) This is the second time Raja Petra has been detained under the ISA. The government of then Prime Minister Mahathir detained Raja Petra under the ISA in April 2001 for his involvement in former DPM Anwar Ibrahim initiated "reformasi" movement. He was held for 53 days before being unconditionally released, reportedly due to pressure from the King, the late Sultan of Selangor who was Raja Petra's uncle. The current Sultan of Selangor is his cousin.

5. (U) Raja Petra's arrest came a day after the Cabinet ordered the Multimedia and Communications Commission (MCMC) to re-instate access to all blocked websites, including Raja Petra's "Malaysia Today" website (which was blocked on August 27). Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor stated on September 12 that the Cabinet ordered the move because there were other "harsher" laws in the country, including the ISA, to "control the irresponsible dissemination of information over the Internet and to bring those irresponsible websites and blogs to book."

6. (C) Comment: Malaysia's on-line news sources and blogs have blossomed over recent years as an alternative to the government dominated mainstream media. This trend has only increased after the March 8 elections, in which Abdullah and his UMNO party suffered a major setback.

Raja Petra is considered the most outspoken and controversial Internet journalist, and is often a proponent of opposition views. Aside from his ISA arrest, Raja Petra faces sedition charges for articles implicating Deputy Prime Minister Najib in an ongoing high profile murder case.

Raja Petra's arrest is another sign of insecurity on the part of Abdullah and the UMNO party. The government's use of ISA sends a strong warning to other opposition bloggers to curb their activities. This arrest may intimidate some activists, but it also could result in a backlash by the independent media and bloggers, and increase public disaffection with Abdullah's leadership.

7. (C) As PM Abdullah and his UMNO party become increasingly concerned over threats to bring down their government through the crossover of 30 more BN members of Parliament, Raja Petra's arrest also will be interpreted here as a warning to the political opposition and its leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Opposition officials consistently have expressed concern that the government could invoke ISA if they advance too far. While not determinate given the fluid political situation and UMNO's disarray, today's arrest of Raja Petra lends support to the view that the UMNO-led government will take stern measures to defend itself. End Comment.

8. (U) The Embassy offers the following draft "if asked" press guidance.

Q: WHAT IS THE U.S. REACTION TO THE ARREST TODAY (SEPTEMBER 12) OF BLOGGER RAJA PETRA KAMARDUDIN UNDER MALAYSIA'S INTERNAL SECURITY ACT (ISA)?

A: We understand from press accounts that Malaysian police detained Raja Petra, who is associated with the "Malaysia Today" website, under an article of the Internal Security Act covering threats to "security, peace, and public order".

We cannot comment further on the specific grounds for the Malaysian government's actions.

We are aware that Raja Petra also faces legal complaints and charges of sedition related to information posted on the website.

The United States firmly believes that freedom of the press and freedom of speech are fundamental components of a vibrant democracy. Freedom of expression is a basic right embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The peaceful expression of political views is a cornerstone of democratic rights and practice, as is the impartial application of the rule of law.

(IF ASKED SPECIFICALLY ON MALAYSIA'S USE OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT)

A: As a matter of principle, we hope that countries refrain from using national security laws to curtail the peaceful expression of political views and media freedom.

KEITH

Tan Kay Hock under the spotlight, again

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 08:51 PM PDT

Tan Kay Hock has trained his guns on Quek Leng Chan, Low Keng Huat, Syed Mokhtar al Bukhary, Francis Yeoh, Lim Kok Thay, Chua Ma Yew, Vincent Tan, Danny Tan, Ta Kim Yan, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, and even the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. He is determined that all these people get sent to pasture so that he remains the last man standing.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Three weeks ago, there was a report concerning Tan Kay Hock's company, George Kent, getting the RM1.5 billion Ampang-Line Light Railway Transit (LRT) project. He did not say he has already got the project but that he is confident of getting it.

Two days ago, the Minister of Transport announced the RM7 billion 197-kilometre Gemas-JB electrified double-tracking project (EDTP). This project has not been officially awarded to anyone yet but it appears like 'the market' already knows who may be getting it.

You can read both reports below.

According to the Minister, the Gemas-JB stretch is already in the final stage of design. He declined to comment whether the project, which is only due to be tendered out towards the end of this year, would be open to 'foreign parties'.

Nevertheless, Tan Kay Hock, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's golf buddy, is already telling everyone that his company is going to get the job, most likely in joint venture with China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC).

CHEC is the company that is building Penang's Second Bridge in joint venture with UEM Builders Bhd, an Umno company. The bridge costs RM3 billion, up RM2 billion from the original budget of RM1 billion. (I wonder whose pocket this additional RM2 billion is going into).

Many feathers are being ruffled, not because Tan Kay Hock is getting all the multi-billion projects, but because of his bragging. He is shooting his mouth off to all and sundry about his relationship with the Prime Minister. And he is bragging about how he is sabotaging all his competitors, the other tycoons.

These people can accept competition. It is, after all, part of business. But what they can't accept is when you 'throw sand into their rice bowl', as what the Chinese would say.

And this is what Tan Kay Hock is doing. And because of that he has made many very powerful enemies. And since they know Tan Kay Hock gets away with murder only because of his relationship with Najib, they will have to hurt Najib to get back at Tan Kay Hock.

Najib already has many enemies of his own. Those enemies alone are a handful. The last thing that Najib needs are more enemies, which Tan Kay Hock is making and who will now become Najib's enemies as well.

But this is good for Muhyiddin. Now, Tan Kay Hock's enemies will become Muhyddin's friends. And with them all backing Muhyiddin, and with billions at their disposal, Muhyiddin would be well poised to challenge Najib for the Umno Presidency.

Sometimes this is how fate works. An enemy of my enemy becomes my friend. And a friend of my enemy becomes my enemy. So we have Najib-Tan Kay Hock versus Muhyiddin and all the rest. And Muhyiddin and all the rest make a more formidable force to take on the Prime Minister.

Najib has to be careful with the friends he chooses. When your friend has too many enemies these become your enemies as well. And Tan Kay Hock will help us prove this theory.

Mere speculation, you might say?

Well, remember a couple of years ago Malaysia Today published Statutory Declarations signed by six police officers who alleged that the ex-IGP, Musa Hassan, had links with the Chinese underworld and that he was behind the drugs, prostitution, loan shark and gambling syndicate?

The six police officers were subsequently charged for 'lying', just like I was when I signed my Statutory Declaration in April 2008. And, today, the court acquitted these six police officers.

This would mean what they signed in their SDs was true and not a lie. So, did Malaysia Today lie when we said that the IGP is a crook? Six police officers said the same thing and the court agreed with them.

Yes, what is 'speculation' today is proven true later. And what may be considered 'rumour' becomes fact some time down the road.

So let us see whether this 'speculation' and 'rumour' about Tan Kay Hock becomes fact once his company wins the RM7 billion Gemas-JB double-tracking project -- which has not even been tendered out yet but which Tan Kay Hock is already telling everyone is his.

*****************************************

Gemas-Johor Baharu double-tracking project to be tendered out by year-end, says Minister

(Bernama, 26th July 2011) -- The tender for the 197-kilometre Gemas-Johor Baharu electrified double tracking project (EDTP) will be done before year-end, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said today.

The stretch is already in the final stage of design, he said, but declined to state if the tender would be open to foreign parties.

"The Ipoh-Padang Besar and Seremban-Gemas lines are 70 and 90 per cent complete respectively," he added, after officiating a forum on "Powering the Rails in Malaysia," here.

The Gemas-Johor Baharu sector is the final package for the EDTP.

It was previously stated that the Gemas-Johor Baharu line is worth RM7 billion because it does not only comprise the building of a double-tracking system but also a transport hub with a capacity to rival the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in Singapore.

Kong said the rail sector is poised to emerge as a catalyst in the rapidly changing landscape of Malaysia's public transportation system once all the projects comes to a conclusion.

He said the EDTP in the northern section is slated for completion at end-2013 and the line to Johor by 2016.

Asked if the Komuter Service would be extended from Batu Caves to Selayang, he said the government is considering the possibility.

"There has been a request from the public for the extension. At the moment we are still looking at the possibility. There will be a long term need for it and the extension is seen as the most viable," he added.

****************************************

George Kent bullish about LRT job bid

(Business Times, 7th July 2011) - George Kent (Malaysia) Bhd, an engineering group, is confident of winning the Ampang-Line Light Railway Transit (LRT)'s extension mega infrastructure project worth RM1.5 billion.

The chances of getting the project is very good, its Chairman, Tan Sri Tan Kay Hock told reporters after the company's annual general meeting today.

He said the company's bid for the project was strengthened by George Kent's previous experience of handling government contracts and its achievements.

"We are about to hand over the RM97.75 million Kuala Lipis Hospital in Pahang to the Ministry of Health, and I guess this is one of the very few hospitals delivered on time. George Kent only tenders for projects that we think we can do, thus, we don't see any negative points for not winning the tender," he said.

Prasarana Bhd is expected to announce the winner of the Ampang LRT extension project by September this year. Tan also said the company, which also produces water meters and the casing for the meters, has embarked on a RM50 million plan to upgrade its manufacturing facilities in Puchong, Selangor to accommodate higher sales in the meter and Original Equipment Manufacturing businesses.

He said the present plant was already producing at a maximum capacity. With the expansion, George Kent aims to double its production capacity to two million completed meters and two million pieces of non-meter brass parts per annum.

George Kent's pre-tax profit for the first quarter ended Apr 30, 2011 jumped to RM4.8 million from RM3.9 million in the same quarter last year. Its revenue, however, slipped to RM30.7 million from RM32.5 million previously.

Tan said the demand for meters from Hong Kong, Macau, Middle East, Puerto Rico and Colombia remained strong. "The company has also penetrated Vietnam and Laos, where we expect good returns," he said, adding that the company expects to sustain its growth as the year progresses.

The man who would be PM

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 05:20 PM PDT

But we failed to take into consideration one very important point. And this one very important point is Dr Mahathir is a more seasoned politician than we gave him credit for. And the script for the final scenario was written by him: his puppet Najib became Prime Minister instead of Ku Li who wanted then to be 'independent', reform the government, and offer the opposition a role in the government under a Unity Government.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Umno can't risk sacking Ku Li

To sack Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah from Umno is to precipitate the party's own implosion.

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today

Why is Umno quiet about Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and his Amanah? The answer is that they simply can't do anything about it.

Even among Umno members there is increasing disquiet about how things are managed.

Saifuddin Abdullah's recent 'out-of-line' statements and Khairy Jamaluddin's conscientious objections are only tips of the icebergs.

Tengku Razaleigh is merely pointing out the realities. He is still an Umno member – so what can Umno do at the moment?

Umno can't sack a person of his stature without precipitating its own implosion. So go ahead- sack him and it will make the days of many.

Tengku Razaleigh is of course mindful of the possible repercussions of his actions. He may not be fielded as an Umno candidate in the next elections. He may lose the support of Gua Musang Umno.

Current Umno leaders inconsequential

The last time I spoke to him, he was telling me of these reservations. I pointed out to him that his victory doesn't just depend on Umno votes.

It depends on the rakyat. Given the history of seeing only 60 % of Umno members voting for their own candidates and 60 % of Malays voting for non-Umno candidates in the last general election, I would rate his chances as being above average.

The opinion of the present Umno leadership is quite simply inconsequential. So that is why Umno is quiet about the whole thing.

At the moment this is what Amanah provides. Amanah provides platform for speaking out against the abuses on the Merdeka heritage.

****************************************

What I am about to say is in response to the article above. It is not something new but what I have said many times in the past. In fact, in my more than one hour interview with TV3 in Perth, I touched on this issue. Unfortunately, TV3 was not 'brave' enough to air that part of my interview.

First of all, because of the way Malaysian elections are conducted, even if Barisan Nasional garners just 45% of the popular votes it will still be able to form the federal government. This is the reality of the situation and this is why we need BERSIH -- to reform the electoral system to change this state of affairs.

For Pakatan Rakyat to be able to form the federal government it would need to garner at least 60% of the popular votes. And this is almost impossible if we do not reform the system. Maybe 50% of the popular votes would be possible. But 50% would not give Pakatan Rakyat the federal government. It has to be at least 60%.

This means, short of a massive revamp of the system, it would be impossible for Pakatan Rakyat to form the federal government. And this means we may need to look at Barisan Nasional for the next Malaysian Prime Minister (unless Pakatan Rakyat can do the 'impossible' and garner 60% of the popular votes).

Let's be very clear about one thing. I would love to see the Prime Minister come from Pakatan Rakyat. Whether this 'someone' from Pakatan Rakyat is Anwar Ibrahim or Nizar Jamaluddin or Lim Guan Eng or whoever is secondary at the moment. This is not the issue we need to discuss just yet. The issue is, for the meantime, who from Barisan Nasional should be the Prime Minister.

And that was why six years ago back in 2006 we looked at the possibility that this someone from Barisan Nasional, which therefore also meant someone from Umno, has to be someone who is prepared to embark upon a reform agenda.

And this someone, due to lack of any other more suitable alternative, would have to be Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah a.k.a. Ku Li.

And with that in mind, bloggers, political activists, and civil society members from both sides of the political divide got together to see how Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a.k.a. Pak Lah could be ousted and replaced with Ku Li.

Meeting after meeting was held. Ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was also approached and a few meetings were held with him as well. And it was agreed that Pak Lah would be ousted and Ku Li would replace him.

But there was one condition that Dr Mahathir stipulated and which Ku Li could not agree to. And that one condition was: once Pak Lah is ousted and Ku Li takes over, a Presidential Council would be formed and the new Prime Minister would be 'guided' by this Council.

This is just like how the nine Rulers rule, through state Royal Councils. But this Presidential Council would be slightly different. It would be a de facto Prime Minister Council.

Ku Li, of course, did not agree to this and so Dr Mahathir decided to back Najib Tun Razak instead. Najib agreed to become the rubber-stamp Prime Minister with the Presidential Council as the de facto Prime Minister.

The question would be: who will head this Presidential Council -- basically the de facto Prime Minister? And the answer is: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. This, in short, meant that Dr Mahathir would become the de facto Prime Minister while Pak Lah's successor would be just a rubber-stamp Prime Minister.

Then, along came the number two of the Special Branch of the Military Intelligence, Kol Azmi Zainal Abidin, who claimed he had documentary evidence that Rosmah Mansor and her ADC (and husband) were at the scene of Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder. This most damaging report would thus disqualify Najib and would put Ku Li back in the lead.

The day after I signed my Statutory Declaration, Dr Mahathir summoned Tan Sri Sanusi Junid to his office and asked him whether he had read my SD. Sanusi at first did not know what Dr Mahathir was talking about. After Sanusi had read my SD, Dr Mahathir retorted, "Raja Petra has just killed our horse. We need to find a new one."

However, before the final nail could be hammered into Najib's coffin, Kol Azmi did a U-turn and claimed that all the evidence had been removed from the Military Intelligence office and had been destroyed. He also claimed that no copies were made.

Instead of hammering the final nail into Najib's coffin, it was hammered into my coffin and Najib went on to become the new Prime Minister while Ku Li was shafted in the arse (along with me of course).

Is Ku Li going to be a better Prime Minister? That is what many may ask. The question should be whether Ku Li would be a better Prime Minister than Najib. And whether with Ku Li as Prime Minister, we would have a problem of a Rosmah Mansor acting like Queen Marie Antoinette of France. And whether with Ku Li as Prime Minister we would have a de facto Prime Minister calling the shots and playing the role of the real power behind the throne.

Ku Li made one thing very clear, which unsettled Dr Mahathir like hell. And that one thing is: he would become an 'independent' Prime Minister who would press for reforms and even consider forming a 'Unity Government' with the opposition.

On the basis of these three promises, we decided to back Ku Li as the new Barisan Nasional (Umno) Prime Minister.

This was back in 2006, two years before the March 2008 general election and one year before the November 2007 BERSIH rally. No one knew then how the opposition was going to perform in the following general election due in 2008 or 2009.

In fact, at that time, there was no Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat had not even been formed yet. And DAP was still an 'independent' opposition party and not part of any opposition coalition.

So, our only bet then, in the absence of a strong and viable opposition coalition, was to try to influence changes within Umno and back the best man who could become Prime Minister and bring reforms to Malaysia.

I stress, this was back in 2006, five years ago. And back then this appeared to be the best alternative.

But we failed to take into consideration one very important point. And this one very important point is Dr Mahathir is a more seasoned politician than we gave him credit for. And the script for the final scenario was written by him: his puppet Najib became Prime Minister instead of Ku Li who wanted then to be 'independent', reform the government, and offer the opposition a role in the government under a Unity Government.

WIKILEAKS: PM ABDULLAH'S POSITION ERODED AFTER TUMULTUOUS WEEK

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim dispatched his lieutenants to Taiwan with the avowed aim to complete talks with BN members of Parliament who would crossover to bring down Abdullah's government. At the same time, the Opposition alliance stated the September 16 deadline to topple the government could slip.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 000805

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018

TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, MARR, MY

SUBJECT: PM ABDULLAH'S POSITION ERODED AFTER TUMULTUOUS WEEK

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 787

Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

SUMMARY

1. (C) Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has seen his political position eroded during a tumultuous week of mounting challenges from within his United Malay National Organization (UMNO), his coalition partners, and the opposition.

While struggling to regain cohesion within his National Front (BN) coalition in the face of inter-racial tensions, UMNO leaders have raised new questions over Abdullah's 2010 transition to his deputy Najib Tun Razak, creating fresh doubts that Abdullah can gain his party's reelection in December.

The chief of the armed forces clarified that the military would remain apolitical, but could be called out via proper legal channels to assist with internal security. Abdullah emerged from an UMNO meeting to state that the government could use the Internal Security Act (ISA), and its detention without trial provisions, to preserve internal security; on September 12 the government made good on this threat by detaining controversial blogger Raja Petra. End Summary.

RACIST COMMENTS PROMPT UMNO LEADERS MEETING

2. (SBU) To quell growing animosity and tension between UMNO and its ethnic Chinese partners in the National Front coalition resulting from caustic racist comments from Penang UMNO division leader Ahmad Ismail, PM Abdullah was forced to hold a meeting of the BN Supreme Council on September 9 and a gathering of the UMNO Supreme Council on September 10.

The BN leaders referred the matter to UMNO to take action against its own member. After a three hour meeting, the UMNO Supreme Council decided to suspend Ahmad from the party for three years, stripping him of all of his official duties. Despite this ruling, Ahmad remained defiant and suggested his Penang division quickly would create a new role for him. Some of Abdullah's detractors in the party, like Selangor warlord Khir Toyo, came to Ahmad's defense. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Chinese-dominated Gerakan party voiced their appreciation for UMNO's decision, but also called for a stop to further racially incendiary remarks.

2010 TRANSITION UNRAVELING?

3. (C) As Abdullah and UMNO attempted to douse heated racial tensions that damaged the BN coalition, this week also witnessed the fraying of UMNO's acquiescence to Abdullah's plan to hand over power to DPM Najib in 2010.

The most direct blow came from International Trade and Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, an UMNO Vice President who is considered a potential candidate for Deputy Prime Minister should Abdullah step down. Muhyiddin stated on September 10 that Abdullah should resign well before the June 2010 transition date.

Muhyiddin noted that the initial promise of this two-month old proposal, meant to assuage concerns about Abdullah's sagging popularity and party support, had now "sunk away". Reacting during a televised press encounter, Abdullah was visibly angered by Muhyiddin's comment. Abdullah questioned why Muhyiddin would challenge the transition plan when the UMNO Supreme Council had already approved the transition and its timing.

On September 12, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak appeared to contradict Abdullah and shift his position away from Abdullah's deal, stating that delegates at the December UMNO party elections should approve the transition and its timetable. Other important UMNO leaders have revived their calls to eliminate high quotas for the number of nominations needed to contest leadership positions in the party polls, a system which now heavily favors Abdullah.

MAHATHIR SEEKS RETURN TO UMNO

4. (SBU) Complicating matters further for Abdullah, former PM and former UMNO President Mahathir, who quit UMNO on May 19 after expressing disgust with Abdullah's leadership, is considering returning to the party.

A smiling UMNO Vice President Muhyiddin told reporters September 9 that Mahathir was persuaded by him, Tengku Razaleigh and several other veteran UMNO leaders at a private meeting at Mahathir's residence on September 6 to rejoin UMNO to help "fix the problems" afflicting the party.

Foreign Minister and senior UMNO official Rais Yatim later joined other party leaders in welcoming Mahathir's proposed return to the fold. Mahathir reportedly is now backing his former nemesis, Tengku Razaleigh, to unseat Abdullah in the December UMNO party elections.

Commenting tersely on the possible return of Mahathir, whose harsh criticisms of the Prime Minister continue unabated, Abdullah stated September 11 that the UMNO Supreme Council will decide on the issue as "this is a party matter."

THE OPPOSITION ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER TAIWAN PLOY...

5. (SBU) Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim meanwhile sought to keep the pressure on UMNO and BN by dispatching four senior officials from this Peoples Justice Party's (PKR) to Taiwan, supposedly to meet with BN MP's who may crossover to bring down Abdullah's government.

BN had hastily arranged a "study tour" to Taiwan for BN members of Parliament, September 8-17, in what is widely viewed as a ploy to thwart September 16 crossovers.

PKR said their officials would attempt to finalize the crossovers (the opposition requires 30 to claim the majority and topple Abdullah's government).

OPPOSITION ADMITS SEPTEMBER 16 COULD SLIP

6. (SBU) As PKR announced its officials were going to Taiwan to finalize crossovers, the opposition People's Alliance (Pakatan) also issued a statement suggesting that the September 16 deadline for toppling BN could slip. The three-party alliance of PKR, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), in a September 11 release, explained that the September 16 deadline may have to be postponed due to the Taiwan trip by the BN MPs.

However, the coalition expressed confidence that a change of federal government "would happen soon."

Subsequently, BN officials announced that many of the MPs would be returning early from Taiwan, hinting that this should eliminate excuses for Anwar not meeting his September 16 deadline.

ARMED FORCES TO STAY OUT OF POLITICS, BUT STILL ON CALL

7. (SBU) Malaysian Armed Forces Chief General Abdul Aziz Zainal stated at a press conference September 11 that the armed forces have been and will remain apolitical. The General gave his assurance following questions and criticism from opposition and civil society quarters over his statement on September 9, urging the government to take stern action against anyone stoking racial sentiments in the country and thereby threatening national unity.

"The armed forces are highly professional and apolitical", Abdul Aziz clarified on September 11, and would only get involved in internal matters if requested through the legal process by the authorities or police.

He explained, "Our (the military's) secondary role is to support the police and government agencies in any form of operations where our presence is requested -- such as for internal security, humanitarian and disaster relief operations.8 General Abdul Aziz refused to comment when asked by reporters whether he would support a new government, adding "I do not know of any (impending) changes in government."

ABDULLAH THREATENS USE OF THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT

8. (SBU) PM Abdullah stated September 10, following the UMNO Supreme Council meeting, that he did not rule out the possibility of invoking the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows detention without trial for those who threaten national security. He added that the Home Minister, who has the authority to approve ISA detentions, would "think twice or even three times" before deciding to take that step, but "if the minister thinks that it is an appropriate action to be taken, then he will take it."

9. (SBU) The Prime Minister said that in the September 10 Cabinet meeting, his Ministers expressed concern and described race relations in the country as showing "not so good signs," and that a number of sensitive issues which were not openly discussed before were being raised.

Although the government has managed to control the situation thus far, he added that "we cannot allow a fiery situation to prevail as it could jeopardize the peace and security of our country."

Responding to a question on whether the government would curtail freedom of speech in the country, the PM explained that there was no such thing as absolute freedom anywhere in the world, noting "People cannot just say whatever they like, in the name of free speech, to the extend that it can offend and hurt others and jeopardize security."

MAKING GOOD ON THE THREAT

10. (SBU) Abdullah's government made good on the threat by arresting controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin at his home on September 12, using the ISA. Home Minister Syed Hamid confirmed to reporters that police had detained Raja Petra under the ISA provision for persons who pose threats to "security, peace and public order."

Raja Petra has repeatedly enraged the BN government by, among other things, blunting attacking senior political leaders, connecting DPM Najib to a murder scandal, and condemning the sodomy allegations against Anwar.

Raja Petra currently faces sedition and defamation charges. Septel provides more details of the arrest and provides suggested press guidance.

COMMENT

11. (C) Abdullah has endured a rough week, one that has eroded his political strength. The current tone of the direct and indirect challenges to his position are similar to those he faced in the first six weeks after the March 8 election debacle when his continuation in office was an open question. Two factors are increasing the pressure on Abdullah at this point.

First, UMNO has become unnerved in the face of Anwar Ibrahim's threat to bring down the government this month, and the greater Anwar's menace, the more UMNO elites consider replacing Abdullah with a stronger figure.

Second, the UMNO divisional elections, which select delegates to the December party polls, begin on October 9 almost immediately following the Muslim holidays at the end of the Muslim fasting month. Those leaders who wish to challenge Abdullah's reelection and his two-year transition to Najib must stake out their positions now and maneuver for support, or the opportunity quickly will be lost.

KEITH

WIKILEAKS: Anwar becomes opposition leader in Parliament

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Anwar's Political Secretary Sim Tze Min and PKR electoral chief Saifuddin Nasution told Poloffs that the opposition plan to achieve a majority in Parliament by September 16 remains "on" but others, including PKR Vice President Azmin Ali, were more cautious, noting "we'll see." More detached observers remain highly skeptical of Anwar's ability to meet his self-proclaimed deadline, but do not deny, given his present momentum, that the opposition leader could eventually prevail.

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 000765

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018

TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINR, KDEM, MY

SUBJECT: ANWAR SWORN IN AT PARLIAMENT

REF: A. KL 759 ANWAR WINS RESOUNDING VICTORY

B. KL 753 INDICATORS ALL POINT TO ANWAR VICTORY

C. KL 743 GOM PLAYING HARDBALL

Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF W. GARY GRAY, REASON 1.4 (B AND D).

1. (C) Summary. Anwar Ibrahim, still savoring his landslide by-election victory, was sworn into Parliament on August 28 after being officially confirmed as leader of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition alliance. His first intervention was to question the merits of the DNA identification bill which the ruling coalition planned to pass later that day.

Some key Anwar aides seemed to be hedging on their leader's stated pledge to oust the Government by September 16 and neutral observers were even more skeptical, but most agreed that Anwar is now enjoying a surge of momentum. A suddenly more assertive mainstream media is portraying the BN as mired in old thinking and old methods, in contrast to the more cutting edge tactics effectively employed by the opposition in Permatang Pauh. End Summary.

2. (C) Parliament was the center of attention on August 28 as Anwar Ibrahim, followed by a large media entourage, entered to be sworn in by Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia at the beginning of the session. The Speaker also formally announced that the PR parties had unanimously selected Anwar as Opposition Leader in Parliament.

Star newspaper chief editor Wong Chun Wai, (recalling a conversation with PM Abdullah a few days before) told Poloffs that PM Abdullah himself had overruled underlings who wanted to delay Anwar's entry into Parliament and ordered that the newly-elected MP be sworn in as soon as possible. Anwar, again mobbed by reporters upon re-emerging from the chamber, chided the BN for spending "billions" in Permatang Pauh but failing to win over voters with its negative race-based campaign.

Having harshly criticized the media over the past several weeks, Anwar told the assembled journalists that he knew "your hearts were in the right place even though you have to write what your bosses order." In that regard, state-owned RTM (Radio-Television Malaysia), which normally broadcasts the first 30 minutes of every Parliament session, began its coverage only after Anwar's swearing in.

3. (C) The mainstream media, with the notable exception of Malay language publications, has exhibited uncharacteristic boldness in the wake of the by-election, with a number of articles sharply critical of the BN's campaign in Permatang Pauh and expressing grudging admiration for the opposition alliance's operation. Star editor Wong told us he had resisted pressure to downplay Anwar's triumph and insisted on reporting it in banner headlines.

Such openings have appeared in the past only to be slammed shut, and the GOM sent a message on August 27 by ordering all 21 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to block access to Raja Petra's controversial Malaysia Today website (www.Malaysia-Today.net).

The site remains accessible, however, through an alternate link. Raja Petra charged that the GOM had breached its own commitment not to censor the internet during the promotion of Malaysia's own version of Silicon Valley, the Multimedia Super Corridor.

4. (C) While Anwar held court outside, in the chamber opposition MPs voiced their objections to the DNA identification bill, which Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid was pushing to pass by the end of the day. Anwar himself returned to make his first intervention, questioning the Government's motives for trying to rush through the bill, widely seen as targeted at Anwar's own ongoing sodomy case (Ref C).

Opposition MPs acknowledged to us that they had no hope of delaying the legislation and expected it to pass, but as noted (Ref A), the bill must pass through the upper house, not scheduled to meet until December 1, before becoming law.

5. (C) Anwar's Political Secretary Sim Tze Min and PKR electoral chief Saifuddin Nasution told Poloffs that the opposition plan to achieve a majority in Parliament by September 16 remains "on" but others, including PKR Vice President Azmin Ali, were more cautious, noting "we'll see." More detached observers remain highly skeptical of Anwar's ability to meet his self-proclaimed deadline, but do not deny, given his present momentum, that the opposition leader could eventually prevail.

Saiffudin maintained that Anwar is now clearly winning the electoral game, but what remains is winning over the critical institutions, especially the police and the military. He claimed, however, that compared to ten years ago, Anwar and the opposition are in far better shape in this regard to having, won over a number supporters within the various key state institutions.

He acknowledged that the Police Special Branch was especially critical in this regard, expressing the hope that SB personnel, better than anyone else, knew which way the political winds were blowing and would want to emerge on the winning side or at least hedge their bets.

6. (C) Our PKR interlocutors continued to exhibit some nervousness about PAS's reliability as a coalition partner.

While gratified with what they saw as a sterling PAS performance in supporting Anwar in Permatang Pauh, they worry that elements within PAS, especially its youth wing, will continue to issue extreme pronouncements that alienate other coalition partners. They also concede that any new balance of power resulting from MPs crossing over to Anwar's side must include sufficient numbers of Malay/Muslims to avoid alienating PAS.

In addition to the fragility of the PR, of course the next serious obstacle for Anwar is his upcoming sodomy trial. GOM sources continue to suggest that they have what they see as some sort of convincing evidence up their sleeve. This presumably would be revealed upon the beginning of the trial, the date of which will be determined when the court reconvenes on September 10.

KEITH

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Jumaat, 29 Julai 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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