| DAP says RCI report findings warrant new probe Posted: 30 Jul 2011 11:53 AM PDT  By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The DAP wants a "high-level" special investigation team to find out the real cause of Teoh Beng Hock's death, saying the Royal Commission of Inquiry's (RCI) ruling of suicide was "speculation and not backed up by evidence." DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang charged today that the RCI report provides six reasons for a special probe to "bring to book" Teoh's killers. "These are revelations which would justify police re-opening investigations into TBH's death to find out who gave Hishammuddin the sense of immunity and impunity for breaking laws and committing crimes, going over the head of his superior in Selangor and in national headquarters resulting in TBH's death?" Lim said in a statement today. The RCI had stipulated that Teoh, a DAP political aide, had committed suicide in 2009 as a result of "aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation" by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers, particularly former Selangor MACC deputy director Hishammuddin Hashim and enforcement officers Arman Alies and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus The officers, described in the RCI as "Arman the bully, Ashraf the abuser and HH the arrogant leader", had wanted to pressure Teoh into becoming a witness in their case against his boss, Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, for alleged abuse of public funds. "The TBH RCI report is fertile source for the formulation of multiple perjury charges against Hishamuddin and other MACC officers in giving false testimony at the RCI — a judicial proceeding under the definition of Penal Code Section 193 which provides for the maximum sentence of seven years jail and fine on conviction. "As the police had been lied to in police criminal investigations into TBH's death, this means that all the police statements given by Hishammuddin and the MACC Selangor officers (except for Azeem and Azian) about what happened to TBH in his three interrogations in MACC from 6 pm on 15th July to 3.30 am on 16th July were untrue, worthless and must be rejected — justifying a re-opening of police investigations into TBH's death," he added. The RCI had also found fault with the MACC's techniques, saying that the graft officers assigned to Teoh's case were not only brutal during interrogation but also had poor interview skills and viewed witnesses and suspects as "the enemy". The Ipoh Timur MP also said that RCI had stated that Teoh had been interrogated for a fourth time, between 3.30am and 7 am on July 16. Paragraph 229 of the RCI report said "By the time, the fourth or final stage of the interrogation was over, TBH would have been almost a mental and physical wreck." "Police investigations into TBH's death never knew about this "Fourth Interrogation" between 3.30 am to 7 am on July 16 – a second lead from the TBH RCI report on why police should re-open investigations. "In fact, it should also investigate whether there was a "fifth" interrogation between 7 am to 11 am – depending on the time of TBH's death," added Lim. The veteran leader said the special probe should also investigate into whether Hishammuddin had received specific instructions to carry out the "massive operation which resulted in the DAP aide's death. Lim also charged that based on evidence presented during the RCI hearings, MACC officers had already known about Teoh's death by 1pm on July 16 — when the latter's body was only found at 1.35pm. READ MORE HERE. |
| Biometric plan needs clarity and realism first, then firmness Posted: 30 Jul 2011 10:29 AM PDT  (The Star) - THE proper documentation of foreign workers is a serious matter any where. More so here, where illegal, undocumented workers alone amount to nearly 10% of Malaysia's population. It does not help when workers, employers and agencies ignore the requirement of registration and medical checks, preferring to risk prosecution instead. But when undocumented workers also need to be processed with the new biometric system as per the current re-registration exercise, the inevitable happens. There is a crush at registration centres, with scuffles and pandemonium, while work schedules are skewed and productivity lost. There have also been delays in implementation, besides uncertainty and confusion over which types of workers need to be processed. Industry requested an extension of today's deadline, and the Home Ministry responded positively. Employers found the two-week registration period too short, regardless of the slow response from workers in the initial days. Two weeks might have been sufficient had the procedures been without problems and the conditions and requirements been clear. Certainly, the official procedures can be made more streamlined, efficient and convenient for all. But suddenly there seems to be no deadline altogether. There must be no wild swing from a tight deadline to none at all. Surely the point is to deter all relevant parties from failing to register workers or delaying that responsibility. There is good reason for setting a reasonable deadline for such exercises – the authorities need to show that they are serious. That is precisely why it is important to set realistic deadlines in the first place, to obviate the need for extensions. Recruiting, transporting, handling and hiring undocumented workers seem both endemic and chronic in parts of the labour industry, despite their obvious illegality. Lack of firmness on the part of the authorities, whether real or perceived, can only magnify the problems. Repeated amnesties, with the routine processing of these undocumented workers, is then taken for granted by errant workers, agents and employers. It may be what industry wants, because it affords minimal disruption of work schedules. But it is also the surest way to encourage more illegals to enter the country, and in even larger numbers. This kind of "registration on arrival" must be eradicated forthwith. It promotes worker abuse, along with various socio-economic and health problems for the host country. |
| Decrease in Chinese population ‘purely arithmetic’ Posted: 30 Jul 2011 10:20 AM PDT  By Mazwin Nik Anis and Lee Yen Mun, The Star PETALING JAYA: The Chinese population in the country has declined by 2% last year from the figure recorded in the 2000 population census. However, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the report did not necessarily mean there were fewer births. The percentage of Chinese might look like it was getting smaller when a census was carried out, but he stressed that this was "purely arithmetic". Even if the growth rate remained the same over the years, the fact that the latest census were compiled against the backdrop of a larger population base might change the proportion, he added. "Even if the Chinese are having fewer children, the implication on the figure is only minor," he said. According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census report, the Chinese constitute 24.6% of Malaysia's 28.3 million population while 67.4% were bumiputra, Indians (7.3%) and others (0.7%). In the 2000 population census, the Chinese made up 26% of the country's 23.27 million population. When the census was carried out in 1991, the Chinese community made up 28.1% of the country's 18.38 million population. The nationwide census, which was conducted by the Statistics Department between July 6 and Aug 22 last year, also showed there were 14,562,638 males and 13,771,497 females. It was reported in July that the number of Malays in Penang is increasing and they now outnumber the Chinese by 0.7%. A total of 670,100 or 41.6% of the estimated 1.6 million Penang population are Malays while 658,700 or 40.9% are Chinese. Chinese analysts attributed the decline to the community's preference for small families, marrying late and migration, as well as women professionals opting to remain single. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall president Tan Yew Sing said the declining Chinese population was a natural trend due to urban culture. He said more Chinese were moving to the urban areas, where they preferred to raise smaller families. "A significant portion of the Chinese community is also known to migrate overseas," said Tan. |
| Bald statement against draconian laws Posted: 30 Jul 2011 10:09 AM PDT  By Tarani Palani, FMT PETALING JAYA: Seventeen people, three of them women, went bald today in Penang to protest against detention without trial laws. The event was initially to take place in three cities – Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang – to protest the detention of six PSM members who held under the Emergency Ordinance(EO). The PSM members were released unconditionally yesterday evening. Following this, the Ipoh and the Kuala Lumpur event did not take place. However organisers in Penang followed through with the plan despite their release. "Although the six were released, there are many others who are still being detained under draconian laws," said organiser, Lee Hui Fei. She said the event took place at 8am this morning at the Dayang Baru market in Penang. Among those who went bald were assemblymen The Yee Cheu (Tanjung Bungah), Koay Teng Guan (Sungai Pinang), Ong Jing Cheng (Suaram Penang coordinator), Loo Que Lin (Suaram Penang secretariat). Symbolic gesture PKR's Mohd Rashid Hasnon, sacrificed his beard in protest. The three women who went bald were Soh Sook Wah (a PSM member), Loo Que Lin and Yap Soo Hueng. READ MORE HERE. |
| Another help me to help you deal? Posted: 30 Jul 2011 09:52 AM PDT  (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak offered a deal to the Indian community today. He said the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will bring them to the "mainstream of development" if they support the MIC. And he named MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel as a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, bloating the Cabinet that he promised would be lean when he took office in April 2009. But it's the prime minister's right to name anyone to his Cabinet if he feels like it. We have no quarrel with that although that will bump up the emoluments bill at a time when government expenditure is far outstripping revenue. What is striking is the brazen quid pro quo that Najib proposed today. Indians deserve or for that matter Malays or Chinese or any Malaysians deserve help without any strings attached. This sounds like the Sibu deal in May 2010 during the by-election campaign. The one captured and uploaded on Youtube that sounded like a bribe although the Election Commission (EC) ignored the thought. Here's the rub. MIC doesn't represent all the 1.9 million Indians in Malaysia. After all, Indians lead and support other parties such as the DAP, PSM, PKR, PPP and Gerakan. So, if it can't deliver the Indian vote, will BN punish the Indians by keeping them away from development? Is that fair? Is it because they are a minority? Shouldn't the BN ask if MIC is credible enough to win the Indian vote without resorting to a blackmail of sorts. A leader of all Malaysians will always endeavour to uplift the standard of living of citizens and bring everyone to mainstream of development, without any strings attached. READ MORE HERE. |
| Allies cold to Selangor PAS’s seat-sharing proposal Posted: 30 Jul 2011 09:49 AM PDT  By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysia Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties are not keen on the state PAS's idea for the allies to be represented in each federal seat in Selangor in the next general election in an effort to make the pact an unified front. The Malaysian Insider understands this is made difficult as those allies — PKR and DAP — want to retain all seats won in 2008, leaving little room for swaps. PR dominated Selangor in the last general election, winning 17 of 22 parliamentary seats and 30 of 56 seats in the state assembly. Selangor PAS deputy chief Khalid Samad confirmed that he proposed for each parliamentary constituency in Malaysia's richest state to have candidates from other parties contesting state seats, during a seat negotiation meeting last week. "The idea is that if PAS is contesting the parliament seat, then DAP and PKR will each have a state seat in the constituency. This will help us work as and appear more of a coalition than three disparate parties," he told The Malaysian Insider. The Shah Alam MP also said that although the idea was only brought up in Selangor, it may be implemented in other states, especially those where the federal opposition were on the losing end. PR leaders had come to a consensus after a joint retreat earlier this month to project itself as a cohesive coalition and a proper alternative to Barisan Nasional (BN) after repeated feuds within the pact since it made record gains in 2008 and formed five state governments. The move came after controversy surrounding the PAS-led Kedah government's decision to ban entertainment outlets from operating during the fasting month from August 1 to 30. Under pressure from its PR partner DAP as well as the MCA and Gerakan to revoke the ban, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak chose instead to set operational conditions to limit the ban to Muslims. READ MORE HERE. |
| Rakyat tolak 3 perkara - 1) rasuah 2) salahguna kuasa 3) memainkan sentimen rasis. Posted: 30 Jul 2011 01:56 AM PDT Oleh Aspan Alias Isu perkauman elok dihentikan sebelum terlambat.Mengendung isu perkauman tidak berhenti-henti sangat menjemukan kerana rakyat hendak hidup dengan aman dan damai. Isu ini hanya diperbesarkan oleh mereka yang lemah sokongan dan menggunakan isu ini sebagai cara untuk mendapatkan sokongan dari kaumnya sendiri. Isu perkauman hanya permainan politik mereka yang berkuasa dan mereka yang tidak mampu untuk menjadi pemimpin kepada rakyat. Mereka menggunakan isu ini untuk kepentingan peribadi mereka semata-mata.
Mahu tidak mahu kita mesti akui yang semua rakyat ada hak untuk bersuara. Bagi saya kerajaan patut mengambil tindakan dengan undang-undang terhadap sesiapa yang melaungkan sentimen perkauman yang terlalu menebal. Kita terpaksa menerima yang semua kaum adalah rakyat Malaysia. Mereka berhak untuk bersuara tentang nasib masa depan mereka.
Masa depan sesebuah negara itu ditentukan oleh rakyatnya sendiri. Pemimpin tidak boleh menekan dan memaksa sesiapa pun untuk memberikan sokongan secara terus menerus kerana pemimpin itu sendiri telah dipilih oleh rakyat buat satu masa yang ditetapkan dan di negara kita mereka dipilih selama 5 tahun sahaja.
Dalam hal negara kita BN telah diberikan mandat sebegitu lama, tetapi keyakinan rakyat yang berterusan itu telah di salah guna oleh mereka dan mereka sudah menganggap yang hak untuk memerintah itu hanya ada kepada BN semata-mata. Dalam usaha mengekalkan mandat itu BN telah melangkaui batas-batas demokrasi yang sebenarnya.
BN khususnya UMNO tidak lagi percaya kepada sikap toleransi dan etika demokrasi yang sebenarnya dan sikap ini lama kelamaan menjadikan rakyat yang mempunyai walaupun sedikit pemikiran menjadi bosan. Rakyat sudah mula jemu dengan isu-isu yang diketengahkan terhadap parti-parti halal yang juga mempunyai hak untuk menawarkan untuk mendapatkan mandat dari rakyat.
Maka sekarang ini parti-parti yang berteriak tentang isu rasis ini dengan secara beransur-ansur dipinggirkan oleh rakyat berbilang kaum di negara ini. UMNO terutamanya masih dengan retorik usangnya kerana masih bercakap sesama sendiri betapa pentingnya UMNO itu untuk dikekalkan kerana UMNO sahajalah yang boleh menjamin masa depan negara dan orang Melayu. Selanjutnya di sini |
| Melayu bodoh! Posted: 30 Jul 2011 01:50 AM PDT 
No…no cheong hei article this time. Very short one, for once. Street demos DO NOT undermine the country's economy. Corruption does. Get it? Corruption! Corruption undermines the country's economy. Not street demos. Street demos kick out the munafiq and fasiq leaders who are destroying the country. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin UITM Lecturer: Street Demos Can Undermine Country's Economy
(Bernama) - In the aftermath of the July 9 street demonstrations in the federal capital by an illegal organisation called Bersih 2.0 and groups aligned to it among them opposition parties, many individuals are perturbed by the potentially damaging impact of the protest on the country's economy.
University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Dungun campus political science lecturer Che Hamdan Mohd Razali acknowledged that the protesters' demands centred around freedom of speech and electoral reforms but noted that they they had not been able to substantiate their allegations but instead hurled condemnations at the government.
At a time when the government was trying its utmost to raise the living standard of the people and make Malaysia a high income nation by 2020 via the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), National Key Result Areas (NKRA) and Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP), such aggression was a setback, he opined.
"The government is still banking on foreign investment to spur our economic growth. There is only nine more years until 2020 left. That's not a long period.
"It is therefore crucial that a peaceful and conducive situation prevails in the country so that investors will not hesitate to come," he said.
He said political and economic stability was important in ensuring peace. If there was a crisis in politics, it would jeopardise the economy, and vice-versa.
"Both are interlinked and critical as a basic element in the growth and development of the country," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Ariffin, a medical officer in the private sector, concurred that foreign investors would shy away from the country especially if the foreign media played up incidents which were just "a storm in a teacup".
He feared medical tourism which the country was trying to promote would be affected as well.
"Potential patients from other countries would think twice about coming here for treatment if they believe we are a troubled country," he said.
Another academician, Abd Ghapa Harun, Senior Lecturer at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's History, Political and Strategy Research Centre surmised that peace and harmony in the country could be sustained if the government readily responded to the issues that were being relentlessly harped on.
"For example, issues about corruption or the election - the government must respond to them immediately.
"Peace is not merely a demonstration-free situation. In a wider context, it is taking further measures to avoid confrontations including through dialogues and discussions before issues are blown out of proportion," he said.
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| Offer To Razaleigh Hid From Anwar - JMM Posted: 30 Jul 2011 01:28 AM PDT 
(Bernama) -- Opposition leaders are said to have turned their backs on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by offering Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to become the next opposition leader. Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) vice-president Omar Saleh said a discussion on the offer to the Gua Musang member of parliament to replace Anwar as opposition leader was said to have involved PAS Spiritual Leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
"JMM learned that Anwar was in the dark about the meeting. We want to know why Nik Aziz hid the meeting from Anwar?," he asked Saturday.
Omar did not rule out the possibility that the offer was made to Tengku Razaleigh as Anwar was in limbo as he faced a sodomy trial.
"...I think something is brewing," he said.
Yesterday, Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim claimed that Tengku Razaleigh was offered to become the next opposition leader in the run-up to the 13th General Election. |
| Ranking: Three Malaysian universities enter Top 500 Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:56 PM PDT 
By Priya Kulasagaran, The Star PETALING JAYA: Three Malaysian universities have made it to the top 500 out of 12,000 universities ranked in the Webometrics Ranking Web of World Universities released Saturday. They are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (419), Universiti Sains Malaysia (428) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (462). This is the first time that Malaysian varsities have entered into the top 500 since the ranking's inception in 2004. Meanwhile, American universities dominate the Webometrics ranking, with the top five universities being the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of California, Berkeley respectively. The ranking is an initiative by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group part of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC) in Spain. According to the Webometrics website, the aim of the rankings is to encourage universities to have a better web presence and researchers to publish more scientific content on the internet. Among the main indicators used to analyse university web presence are the size or number of web pages recovered from search engines; visibility; number of rich files available; and the number of citations found in Google Scholar. The rankings are published every six months, and survey around 20,000 higher education institutions worldwide. |
| Pakatan touts Buku Jingga has political will, unlike BN’s plans Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:54 PM PDT  By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 – Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders charged that their Buku Jingga reform plans are backed by political will, which is what Malaysia needs to restore competitiveness and the economy in light of increasing living costs. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli (picture) compared the Buku Jingga to the Najib administration's Government Transformation Plan (GTP), Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) and New Economic Model (NEM), which has been in action since 2010. "GTP, ETP took approach of economic grandstanding, long term plan, whereas Buku Jingga is based on what people on the ground want. "There must be institutional reforms to increase investor confidence, we need to quickly lend a hand to the public especially when dealing with rising living costs, and that is what Buku Jingga is about," Rafizi said during a dialogue on public policy organised by Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) here. Among the other panelists present were DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua, Pemandu CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala and MCA central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker. While admitting that BN policies such as the GTP and ETP were "fairly well-written" and had some solid points in managing the economy, Rafizi said that the policies lacked political will because it failed to include "immediate" measures which could help towards reforming the economy. Issues like the direct tender awarding of the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, the current toll system and the government's subsidising of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), according to Rafizi showed that the Najib administration had its limits in implementing political and economic reform. "It shows that there is a certain threshold to the government's political will, these are quick acid tests people want to see," said Rafizi. Using the example of reducing fuel subsidies as an example, Pua stated that if the government wanted to implement something like that, alternative measures must also be in the place so that the backlash or effects are kept at a minimum. "You cannot increase petrol prices without first improving the transport system...when these things happen, people start to doubt the government's political will," added Pua. The Petaling Jaya MP said the Buku Jingga was a preview of how PR's policies would be like should they assume federal power in the next general elections. In response, Jala defended the measures introduced and enforced by the government, and even said PR's Buku Jingga's plans were impossible and unrealistic.
READ MORE HERE. |
| Najib vows to help Indians if MIC secures their vote Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:00 PM PDT  By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, July 30 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to do all he can to bring the Indian community back into the "mainstream of development" but asked that MIC redouble efforts to secure the community's vote. The prime minister said there must be "quid pro quo" between Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MIC and the ruling coalition if both wished to benefit from their relationship as "loyal friends". "There must be an understanding. Can you all deliver for Barisan Nasional? You can deliver and we will deliver," Najib told delegates at the 65th MIC general assembly here today. Najib also stressed that unity within MIC at all levels was crucial for the party to be seen as the main choice for Indians come polling day. "There cannot be factions within MIC. There must be only one MIC," he said. The Indian community have always been a strong supporter of the ruling coalition but forsook it in Election 2008 after the government cracked down on the Hindraf rally in November 2007 when 30,000 Indians marched for better opportunities. The 2010 census showed there are 1.9 million Indians or 7.3 per cent of the 28 million population, far less than the 2.3 million foreigners in the country. MORE TO COME HERE. |
| Food stamps being considered to cushion rising cost of living Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:54 PM PDT 
By Hamdan Raja Abdullah, The Star MUAR: Providing food stamps is among the options the Government is looking into to cushion the rising cost of food prices in the near future. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said besides food stamps, some countries also provide annual incentives or have a stockpile system in place while Malaysia provided subsidies such as for fuel. "We have not decided yet but I will look into all of this," he said at a press conference after launching a Doktor Turun Kampung programme in Pagoh on Saturday. He said the Government was very concerned over the rise in living costs and had made it the seventh National Key Area Result target. "We will have to look into many areas and factors to determine affective measures to cushion the rising living costs. And from related data gathered by the Domestic Trade Ministry since last year there is a tendency for prices, especially foodstuff, to increase," he added. Muhyiddin, who heads the special committee to study on the rising prices, said it was a global issue which linked with higher prices of fuel which in turn affected food production. |
| Reform Now! Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:02 PM PDT  By A Bittersweet Student Frustration reigns in the hearts of many when the topic about our education is brought forth. Anger rises within the neglected races as their say in it does not count. The hard headed minister sits proudly in front of the press as he announces the new proposals that he has in his mind for our education system. Many watching his press conference, smack their foreheads and begin praying for an educational reform in the country, Malaysia. After much conflict due to the surprising selection of students for the JPA scholarship, it is time for meritocracy to take centre stage. Students should be awarded based on their merits and not their skin colour. What's the point of protecting your own kind when they are unable to perform and bring major achievements to the country? What is the government trying to prove? The government should be trying to avoid the 'brain drain' in our country not give potential leaders an excuse to invest their intelligence elsewhere.
In order to bring a 'balance' in the education system, the 'geniuses' of the Education Ministry have implemented that curriculum is a must among students when it comes to the provision of scholarships. However, it is all a lie as not one of them spoke on curriculum achievements when explaining the qualification of being a recipient of the scholarship. The hard effort put in by students due to their never-ending competition involvement are wasted away as it is meaningless. Besides, if the government would match up the curriculum activities to the interests of teenagers along with their latest implementation "One student, One Sport" efficiently, the attendance of students would increase. But why? Is it true they intend to produce 'all rounder' students or is it just a political gimmick?
The young generation of today are slowly slacking in their academics due to their teacher's extravagant teaching methods. The lack of know-how in their own subjects complicates and confuses students further. Teachers at this day and age have lost sight of the importance of teaching thus conducting their lessons with lack of enthusiasm and passion, boring their students to death. Most teachers in school's nowadays are those that are either drop outs or low achievers in their previous schooling years. Therefore, it is imperative for them to be retrained - the proper way.
The medium of instruction plays an important role in the education system. "Bring back English in the Science and Mathematics subjects!" English is the international language, making students capable in communicating fluently once they have furthered their studies overseas. Students studying overseas are no doubt representatives of the country. Imagine the humiliation this country would face if a student on scholarship was offered to study overseas yet could not communicate properly. How could we expect the sophisticated side of this world to regard us as one of them when we do not have a good command of the English Language?
A student is only properly motivated when placed in a conducive environment with proper and usable facilities. Mission schools nationwide are not provided with new facilities. Books in libraries, musical instruments and sports equipments should be updated from time to time. But this hardly happens to mission schools and they are forced to raise funds on their own. Sports and music facilities should be provided and constantly maintained in schools throughout the country as well.
Above all, the education system now is very much one sided and will slowly lead to the country's doomsday as they are unable to provide qualified leaders of this nation. Something needs to be done immediately! Someone must have the courage to step up and say something. It is bad enough that everything they do is for their own political benefit now they are using education as well? Enough is enough! Politics here can be described to be a circus where all eyes are on the ringleader and what ever he does is being watched, talked and joked about by the other countries. Why deny the mistakes one has done? A wise man does not lie about his mistakes or try sweeping it under the carpet hoping it goes unnoticed but boldly he will go forth and apologize in front of the press on the mistakes that has been made and evidently show initiative to get to the bottom of things. Needless to say, educational reform is evidently needed in this country so there is no point trying to deny it.
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| A taste of your own medicine Posted: 29 Jul 2011 06:50 PM PDT So you see, you decided the rules, not we. And the rule is - you are guilty until proven innocent. We too have alleged that you are guilty of all sorts of things, murder included. Now prove your innocence. And if you fail to prove your innocence then most Malaysians who will be voting in the next general election are going to say you are guilty because you failed to prove your innocence -- as how the system works in Malaysia. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin The Umno Bloggers are bitching, moaning, groaning, grumbling and complaining. They accuse me of lying (fitnah) and spinning (propaganda). They call me 'The King of Spin' and they say that Malaysia Today is the biggest spin-doctor for Pakatan Rakyat. And these Ummo Blogs target not only me but also my wife and children for character assassination. Well, first of all, I am honoured that the Umno Bloggers regard me Enemy Number One. It is not easy to become Enemy Number One. A lot of hard work needs to be put into becoming number one. After all, there are millions of Blogs out there in cyber-world competing for number one. Secondly, Malaysia Today is not 'the biggest spin-doctor for Pakatan Rakyat'. If Malaysia Today serves Pakatan Rakyat then how come there are many within Pakatan Rakyat who are angry with me and hate me? In fact, I know people from Pakatan Rakyat who even allege that I work for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Thirdly, I am pleased that BOTH Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are pissed with me big time. It is not easy to get both sides of the political divide to hate you. Getting one side to hate you and the other side to love you is easy. Anyone can do that. But to get BOTH sides to hate you is a task not many Malaysians can achieve. Fourthly, and the most important point of all, what you are getting is merely a taste of your own medicine. You see, in Malaysia, you are guilty until and unless proven innocent. That is how the government, Barisan Nasional and Umno play the game. They declare you guilty and then you need to prove your innocence. So what I am applying is merely the rules as laid down by those who walk in the corridors of power. Take the Internal Security Act (or Emergency Ordinance) as an example. You are detained under the ISA or EO based on 'the belief that you are a threat to national security and public order'. In other words, there is no evidence. If there were evidence then you would be arrested and charged in court. However, since it is only a 'belief' and there is no evidence, they detain you without trial under one of these emergency laws -- the ISA or EO. 'Belief' translates to the absence of evidence. That is why religion is a belief -- because of the absence of evidence. If there were evidence then it would be a science and not a belief. And you believe based on faith. When they can't produce the evidence they will tell you that the belief is based on faith. So you believe that I am a threat to national security and public order and then detain me without trial under the ISA or EO. Just because you believe that I am a threat to national security and public order, you regard it as fact. If I were to tell a Muslim that I believe that Jesus Christ died and rose after three days and went to heaven, would a Muslim believe me? Why not? This is my belief so why can't a Muslim accept this as fact and not dispute my belief? If you can believe that I am a threat to national security and public order, and if your belief is regarded as fact, then my belief about Jesus Christ should also be treated as fact and not be disputed. When it suits them, a belief becomes fact, and when it does not, a belief becomes a lie. That is how these people think. During your first 60 days of detention without trial, your interrogators will tell you what they believe you have done -- or plan to do (in the event you have not done it yet but are planning to do so). You then have to convince them that this is wrong and that you never did such a thing or plan to do what they allege you are planning to do. In short, you are guilty until and unless you can convince the government of your innocence. If you fail to convince the government of your innocence then you are further detained for an indefinite period of time. Only if you can convince the government of your innocence are you free to go home. This is how it works. Anwar Ibrahim is guilty of all sorts of sexual misconduct. Now he needs to prove that he is innocent. The six members of PSM (EO6) were also guilty of being Communists. Now they have to prove they are innocent. I was treated as guilty of the 'crime' of slandering Islam, Prophet Muhammad, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Khairy Jamaluddin, Najib Tun Razak, Rosmah Mansor, the IGP, the AG, PDRM, MACC, Barisan Nasional, Umno, and every man and his dog in Malaysia. I then had to prove my innocence in two trials and two detentions without trial. (Plus there are more than 20 new police reports made against me since 2009 -- which the government is waiting to use against me if I ever happen to go back to Malaysia). So you see how it works? You are guilty. Then you need to prove your innocence. You may say I was at least brought to court and was allowed to prove my innocence in court. But that is just the thing. That is not how it is supposed to work. I do not need to prove my innocence. The government needs to prove my guilt. But under what I was charged, 'the truth of the matter is not material to the charge'. This simply means even if I told the truth I would still be pronounced guilty and would be sent to jail. So what are these Umno people screaming about? They ask me to come back to Malaysia and prove my innocence. Has the Malaysian education system deteriorated that badly? Why so bodoh? First, I need not prove anything -- the government needs to prove my guilt. Second, even if I can prove my innocence I still go to jail under those charges I face. Okay, the Ummno Bloggers are upset that we are 'lying' about Rosmah. Are we lying? No! We are merely pronouncing Rosmah guilty and now she must prove her innocence. This is how it works in Malaysia. You mean Rosmah does not have a collection of many colours of Birkin bags that cost USD120,000 each? Her collection of Birkin bags alone costs millions of Ringgit. Now, we got the pictures of her Birkin bags from the mainstream newspapers. These are Umno-owned and/or government-controlled newspapers. We did not doctor those pictures. We just lifted them from newspapers that the government says would never lie. We say that Rosmah swindled the taxpayers' money to splurge on millions of Ringgit worth of handbags. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Now prove your innocence. So Rosmah did not buy these Birkin bags? So Rosmah did not swindle the taxpayers' money? So it was Danny Tan of Berjaya who bought all these many handbags as presents for Rosmah? Well, tell us. Prove your innocence. And until you can prove your innocence you are guilty. And the same goes for all those other issues as well -- the RM24 million diamond ring included. You are guilty, guilty, guilty! Now prove your innocence. Denying it is not enough. Prove you did not buy that ring and that Jho Low was the one who bought it for you. This is how it works in Malaysia. Most people believe that Najib and/or Rosmah are directly or indirectly involved in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. So Najib and/or Rosmah are guilty. Now they need to prove their innocence. But they refuse to prove their innocence. Why? P.I. Balasubramaniam has made some serious allegations in his Statutory Declaration. He even alleged that he was forced to sign a second SD to contradict his first SD and he has further alleged that Najib's brother and Rosmah's 'toyboy', Deepak Jaikishan, were the ones who forced him to sign the second SD. So Najib and Rosmah are guilty, guilty, guilty! But why does the government refuse to conduct an investigation into this allegation and prove that Bala was lying? Why ignore the allegation and continue to allow people to think that Najib and Rosmah are guilty? So you see, you decided the rules, not we. And the rule is - you are guilty until proven innocent. We too have alleged that you are guilty of all sorts of things, murder included. Now prove your innocence. And if you fail to prove your innocence, then most Malaysians who will be voting in the next general election are going to say you are guilty because you failed to prove your innocence -- as how the system works in Malaysia . Do you remember how Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was brought down? He was brought down on the basis that he and his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin -- in collaboration with the boys in 'Tingkat 4' and Kalimullah -- were guilty of all sorts of things. On that basis Pak Lah was attacked and kicked out. Did Najib, Rosmah, Umno or any of the Umno Bloggers protest this? Pak Lah was pronounced guilty and when he could not prove his innocence he was punished. Even Dr Mahathir said Pak Lah and Khairy were guilty in his talks all over Malaysia. In fact, the Umno Bloggers were the ones most enthusiastic and overzealous in attacking Pak Lah. The Umno Bloggers were more vicious towards Pak Lah than even the opposition Bloggers. So, when it came to Pak Lah, the Umno Bloggers took the lead in attacking Pak Lah and pronounced him guilty, guilty, guilty. And when Pak Lah could not prove his innocence he was ousted and replaced with Najib. Come on lah! Stop bitching, moaning, groaning, grumbling and complaining! If you can't stand the bruises then don't start a fight. Stand clear. When you fight you have to get hurt. Umno Bloggers are like school kids. When they lose a fight they go crying to the teacher to complain. We have accepted your rules of guilty until proven innocent. That is what you use against us. But when we prove better at this game than you, you start crying like babies. Umno people are losers. They want to blindfold us and tie our hands before they fight us. And when we hit back and hurt them they cry. And they got the gall to say that I don't have balls because I don't dare come back to Malaysia to prove my innocence. Brader. This is not about me having to prove my innocence. This is about ABU ('anything but Umno' or 'asal bukan Umno'). This is about kicking Umno out come the next general election. Anything but Umno! So let the game begin! Prove your innocence, and until and unless you can, then you are guilty. This is our message to the voters and we will make the voters understand that the next GE is about ABU -- anything but Umno or asal bukan Umno. |
| Johor Sultanah: Bersih 2.0 was hijacked Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:42 PM PDT 
(Malaysiakini) - Almost 3 weeks after the Bersih 2.0 rally, the debate over the event still continues with a key member of royal family saying today that the electoral reform movement "had in someway been hijacked" by other groups and individuals.  Johor Sultanah Raja Zarith Sofia Sultan Idris Shah, said though the original cause of Bersih rally was genuine, it had been taken over by others.
"They had in someway been hijacked by other groups and individuals... the original idea about general elections and the transparency of general elections were lost," she said.
She was fielding a question from a student after officiating the 5th Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton this morning.
Raja Zarith Sofia, who is also the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, advised the students against total belief in media reports on the Bersih rally.
 Instead, she said they should on their own decide on what is right or wrong and try to grasp as much as they can on the current events of the country.
"Of cause you can see from the mainstream media that perhaps Bersih is founded by wrong people and bad guys and other groups are good guys. "It maybe or may not, there is no right or wrong question, but it may indicate that the country is heading for some kind of maturity." She also said the Bersih rally organizers may have been influenced by the Middle East revolution but claimed that the scenarios are different between the two. "We must realise that in Middle East, what they were reacting - especially in Egypt - was against the rule of one person," she said, referring to the Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak. "The fact that there was so much poverty and they don't really have a big middle class like we do." READ MORE HERE |
| Blogger: MP ran at cops Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:24 PM PDT 
(The Star) - The video showing Batu MP Tian Chua charging at a police line has got PKR scrambling to explain their vice-president's action even as the matter became a major talking point in cyberspace. A committee member of Bersih 2.0, Haris Ibrahim, who is also Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement president, posted the video on his blog, The People's Parliament, and demanded an explanation from Tian Chua. In his postings on Thursday, Tian Chua Have You Been A Bad Boy? and Confirmed Tian Chua Was A Bad Boy, were accompanied by raw footage of the incident. The posts drew a host of comments from netizens, including some who demanded an apology from the MP for tarnishing the Bersih 2.0 rally. The clip showed Tian Chua counting satu, dua, tiga (one, two, three) before rushing towards riot police with several others in tow. His fellow vice-presidents, R. Sivarasa and N. Surendran, held a press conference yesterday in an attempt to explain Tian Chua's actions, claiming the MP never charged at the police line. Surendran said police had boxed in protesters in the narrow underpass and acted excessively without giving time for protesters to disperse and Tian Chua could have come to his own decision to move towards the police line as there was nowhere else to escape once police action commenced. Sivarasa, who is also Subang MP, claimed that the footage was released by the police and was a distortion of facts. "The issue had been picked up by some bloggers who may have completely misunderstood or been misled over the footage," he said. In his explanation posted on The People's Parliament, Tian Chua denied he had charged at the police as insinuated by the mainstream media. "Anybody in those circumstances could notice the danger of staying in the enclosure once the police fired tear gas. The video footage only showed a few people rushing towards the open air," he said. Haris pointed out the footage that he posted were not from the police but were recorded by an eye-witness. The police had also released video clips, which were also aired on RTM, to answer allegations made by those who participated in the rally but none of them addressed the Tian Chua issue. SEE VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFWduXFANAI |
| Four things Najib must do to salvage his tattered credibility after his greatest leadership ... Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:36 PM PDT 
Firstly, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police should tender a public apology to the PSM6 for their unlawful detention and Najib should make public commitment to annul the four Proclamations of Emergency which are obsolete, going back from 34 to 47 years ago, repeal the EO and all oppressive legislation. Lim Kit Siang The past five weeks are undoubtedly the worst period for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak since becoming the sixth Malaysian PM 27 months ago – making him the object of ridicule and scorn not only in the country but also internationally, forcing him to cut short his overseas trip. It was his greatest failure of leadership as Prime Minister leaving his credibility in tatters – which is why his claim yesterday that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law was met with nation-wide derision. Najib cannot be more wrong if he thinks that he had restored his credibility with the release of the PSM6 yesterday, as nothing could wipe out the fact of his government's high-handed and unsuccessful action to suppress the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections, resulting in the arbitrariy and totally unjustifieable arrests of the PSM6, first on the ridiculous grounds of "waging war against the Agong" and "reviving communism" and then under EO for being "prime movers" of Bersih. There are four things Najib must do, immediately and urgently, if he wants to salvage his tattered credibility after his greatest leadership failure as Prime Minister post-Bersih post-EO6. Firstly, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police should tender a public apology to the PSM6 for their unlawful detention and Najib should make public commitment to annul the four Proclamations of Emergency which are obsolete, going back from 34 to 47 years ago, repeal the EO and all oppressive legislation. Secondly, lift the ridiculous ban on Bersih 2.0 and end the government's even more ridiculous Xanthophobia (irrational fear of yellow) arresting people for wearing the yellow Bersih 2.0 T-shirt and set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry on free and fair elections to make recommendations in time for the forthcoming 13th General Elections. Thirdly, take firm action against the UMNO official organ, Utusan Malaysia, which had in the past few months carried out a most insidious and seditious campaign to incite ethnic hatred and religious tensions in the country totally against the spirit and objective of a united, harmonious, inclusive multi-racial and multi-religious nation – making Utusan the greatest threat to and destroyer of Najib's 1Malaysia campaign. Fourthly, charge Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) officers found by Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry as having committed a host of offences and crimes, including perjury before the TBH Inquest and TBH RCI, and setting up a special investigation squad for fuller investigation into the real causes and circumstances of Teoh Beng Hock. This is because the TBH RCI, despite its unacceptable "driven suicide" finding, had provided several new leads which must be further pursued, in accordance with the Prime Minister's undertaking to Teoh Beng Hock's family in July 2099 to "leave no stone unturned", to find out the real causes and circumstances of Beng Hock's death. It is only when Najib is prepared to these four basic things that he can hope to begin to recover his credibility which suffered a fatal blow in the past five weeks as a result of the government's gross mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2. Rally and arbitrary arrests of the PSM6. |
| Still no magic after the Vatican-Malaysia alliance Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:30 PM PDT 
Christians need to feel that they are first class citizens again on par with the Muslims, with full and unhindered rights to practice their religion. The "Allah" issue must be solved immediately, and not delayed as the government tactical maneuvering for so long. Indecision is a decision and delayed justice is justice denied. DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN Datuk Seri Najib's recent visit to the Vatican is admittedly something to be glad about for all peoples of Malaysia, regardless of their religious beliefs and practices. However, I tend to agree with Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who said the visit promises no magic. He should know because he also was part of Tun Mahathir's delegation in the first official visit to the Vatican to meet the late Pope John Paul II. As Malaysians, we have to wonder as to why the visit was made at this time. It is very probable that Najib wanted to catch two birds with one stone with the visit, to appease Malaysian Christians who have been deeply hurt by all the mistreatments and shenanigans thrown at them, and to help rebuild Malaysia's image abroad after all the negative publicity generated in the international media which painted the Malaysian government as having a strong anti-Christian internal policy. Immediately, the visit which later produced photographs and videos of a humble Najib shaking hands with a slight bow to the Pope, should have served to partly silence some of the anti-Christian rhetoric at home, and to reduce the strong anti-Christian sentiments of many Malays who even went to the extent of antagonizing Christians with deeply hurtful slurs and name-callings. How can we ever forget the torching of churches, and the throwing pig heads into mosques, which clearly wasn't done by Christians. The most unbelievable development was when a group demanded that crucifixes be removed from churches when Muslim government leaders are coming to visit. The concocted story of some Christians and Chinese plotting to install a Christian Prime Minister and the ensuing statement by the notorious Ibrahim Ali that he would be willing to bath in the blood of Christians to defend Malay rights was reaching the edge of insanity, and was testing the patience of even the most prayerful of Christians. Returning home, Najib had followed up with calls to move from tolerance to acceptance, to close existing interracial gaps, admitting "there are still dividing walls and feelings of our difference". The dividing walls are thick and the gaps between religions have widened due to his own neglect. So surely, despite all these, not enough is being done to integrate Malaysians into a more harmonious co-existence. The Prime Minister needs to be more aggressive in addressing the anti-Christian sentiment among Malays. Instead of just encouraging Malaysians to embrace acceptance, which is very vague, he needs to say unequivocally, daringly, sternly, and explicitly that "It is time to stop antagonising Christians. Let's embrace them as our Malaysian brothers! We need the Christians. They are a part of our national brotherhood to move the nation forward!" But dream on! I believe this kind of wise and conciliatory gesture will never come out from Najib for fear of losing Malay support. But there are very urgent things to be done. On top of the national unity, national integration, 1Malaysia and tranformasi that have become hollow buzzwords, Najib needs to address urgent Christian-related problems. One of this is religious justice. Christians need to feel that they are first class citizens again on par with the Muslims, with full and unhindered rights to practice their religion. The "Allah" issue must be solved immediately, and not delayed as the government tactical maneuvering for so long. Indecision is a decision and delayed justice is justice denied. Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon had said that the renewed Malaysia-Vatican ties will boost the long-avoided interfaith dialogue, with Vatican playing a role to "promote the values of moderation and inclusiveness." Let's see if that is not just sweet talk. The national development agenda must include the development for all religions and for all religious groups, and not just the official religion. Christians and Hindus are forced to build their houses of worship with their own funds while mosques are all build with the people's money. But logically, other religions deserve the same treatment because they too pay all sorts of taxes. The national budget must make provisions for Christian activities, including ministry and missionary works (among non-Muslims), welfare, motivation and education. All government officials, especially in the Customs Department must from now on be told never again to confiscate any Bibles of Christian books. And the promise to allow free import of Bibles and printing of Bibles in the country, including in Malay, must be clearly reassured and fulfilled. Only this way Najib can show the world and the people of Malaysia that the Vatican visit wasn't just a showpiece for international public relations but for real change towards not just religious tolerance but inter-religious "acceptance" and openness at home. Najib shouldn't fear losing the Malay votes with such a policy because the BN's survival so far hadn't been because of mainly Malay votes but votes of non-Malays, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak. All these while Najib has been seen as dilly-dallying on reaffirming interreligious harmony, pandering to the bigotry of religious fanatics who think nothing of creating unrest and havoc. He has developed an image of an indecisive leader, controlled by Malay extremists. He failed to show wisdom and diplomacy in his handling of the recent Bersih 2.0 rally, showing his muscle with a brutal crackdown. But after his Vatican visit, after the establishment of what is now called the Malaysia-Vatican alliance (alliance in what?) he can change his image to that of someone with an astute and strong character by doing the right things. But the bet is that he won't, and the magic we expect will not materialize. He had also addressed the United Nation's assembly previous to this, during which he talked about the need for human rights worldwide, and yet came home to deny that very right to many Malaysians. Do we have to wait for a real magic only after a third Vatican visit by the next prime minister? If so, then it may be too late for many of us. |
| EO 6 Release - Celebration at Speakers' Square Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:22 PM PDT 
A victory celebration will be held tomorrow in thanksgiving for the release of EO 6 and for all your support, prayers, pressure and publicity lobbying for their release. Come together and celebrate the victory of vox populi and people power! Dear friends, let us celebrate the release of 6 PSM activists who have spent the last 28 days in detention under the draconian Emergency Ordinance. Saras, Dr Kumar, Sugu, Babu, Letchu, and Chon Kai were released yesterday after the people struggled hard to demand their freedom. For people in Penang, we would like to welcome back Chon Kai with a "People's Celebration of EO6 Release". As usual, Speakers' Square is a free space for people to speak. You are welcome to express your opinion, share messages of support, words of encouragement, jokes, songs, etc in this event. The EO6 detention demonstrated how a citizen's basic freedoms can be taken away so easily. Therefore, this event is symbolic of the people's efforts to reclaim our freedom. To liven things up, we hope you can bring some finger food (cakes, biscuits, pastries, fruits, popsicles, etc) to share with all participants. If you would like to contribute and need further information, please contact Eng Kiat 017-3607277. Hidup Perjuangan!
Date:
Sunday 31 July 2011
Time:
6.00pm
Venue:
Speakers' Square
Esplanade, Penang
Please bring something to share with the crowd if you can. See you all there!! |
| Going global has become the norm Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:13 PM PDT  By Yahoo News/EuroSport Still, it was good of the Malaysian FA to come out and apologise for anything bad a handful of people might have said. I suppose there are idiots wherever you go in the world. I was a little surprised to hear about the alleged abuse a few fans directed at Yossi Benayoun during Chelsea's recent friendly against Malaysia All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur. It is a predominantly Muslim country, but even so I would have expected people there to just appreciate one of the Premier League's biggest clubs coming to town rather than take the opportunity to have a go at a player just because they happen to be from Israel. Still, it was good of the Malaysian FA to come out and apologise for anything bad a handful of people might have said. I suppose there are idiots wherever you go in the world. The incident was barely mentioned here in Singapore, a nation which never usually needs an excuse to have a dig at its neighbour, especially after they recently beat them on a World Cup qualifier. That shows how little importance anyone in the region is attaching to the incident. The people of the Malaysian capital have been spoiled this summer, what with Arsenal and Liverpool both coming to town before Chelsea did. Despite being the Premier League champions until just a couple of months ago, the Blues cannot hold a candle to either of those two sides in terms of popularity in South East Asia, especially Liverpool. The title may not have been held at Anfield for more than two decades, but they are still number one round these parts. If Liverpool ever do win the Premier League for the first time, the place would explode! As I have mentioned previously, there are a few more blue shirts popping up here and there in this part of the world, but they will have to win a few more championships before they can truly hope to crack this market, currently so dominated by Liverpool and Manchester United. And crack it they must. With UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules coming into effect, even clubs owned by billionaire oligarchs now have to start maximising potential revenue. There is such an appetite for football in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, and they will accept any invitation to get involved. It is no wonder the ludicrous idea of a 39th game was mooted not so long ago. Chelsea are now in Hong Kong competing in the Asia Trophy, which also features Aston Villa and Blackburn. Even Rovers, who even cannot fill their own ground, are trying their best to win fans abroad, something a certain dubious advert is being used to do in India. There are potential pitfalls with going on pre-season tours halfway around the world, and Arsene Wenger has perhaps been the most vocal in expressing his fears over fatigue setting in among his players before the campaign has even started. But the Gunners choosing to clock up the air miles rather than have their usual low-key summer in Europe shows just how they have changed their tune. Besides, today's footballers are fitter than ever - they can handle the rigours of the extra travel and hostile climate far better than those of my generation could. Which is just as well, really, because the annual trip to at least one emerging market is now a bare necessity for any club that wants to make any decent money these days. Going global was once viewed with cynicism, but now it has become standard practice. |
| The rise of the Tongkat Ali society Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:58 PM PDT  A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman How does a society move from industrial to informational and then to a libidinal economy? And what would the social consequences of such a movement be in Malaysia? If we were to characterise the socio-economic development of this nation from the time of independence through its phases of base-superstructural growth – we could see that Malaysian society has moved from pre-industrial to industrial, then through an informational stage to a libidinal one. We have seen the change from race-harmony to madani (modern) to hadhari (civilised) to a 'tongkat ali' society, based on the national slogans we ascribe to each period. We saw a genuine effort to engineer an evolution of society based on respect and accommodation of the variety of ethnic groups in the 70s and 80s. In the 80s and 90s, we saw the rise of sophisticated racism and the bipolar, yet subtle breakdown of race relations. And as we entered the 21st century, we witnessed the rise of a strange brew of post-industrial tribalistic show of arrogance amongst and between different social, religious, and political groups. We are seeing the rise of the 'tongkat ali' society – a society named after the male libido enhancement formula. The name itself may have derived from the name of Islam's fourth and most famous Caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was assassinated by the clan of Muawiyyah in the battle of Siffin – a violent episode in the early history of Islam. Driven by pleasure 'Tongkat ali' in the Malaysian context is a phenomena in itself. The root of this 'miracle sexual enhancement herb', common in the northern states of Malaysia, lies in a sectarian, religious historical movement and the marketing of it to Malay Muslims. These days, one can find the extract in virtually all food and beverages – and even in toothpaste – so that society may become "sexier" and able to evolve masochistically. But exactly how this extract works scientifically is not known in the cultural context of Malaysia although its popularity is remarkable. Malaysian men might be going libidinally crazy these days with the mass intoxication of this extract in all spheres of things edible. It is as if tongkat ali is the best discovery for Malays since their fool-mistaken-as-hero, Hang Tuah. This libidinal hero – who lacks both the intelligence and the critical sensibility to revolt against the libidinal sultan – embodies the ethos of this 'tongkat ali society'. The 'tongkat ali society' is here. And for Malaysians it signifies the advent of an economic system that produces leaders and a rakyat that are hyper-ventilating in their pursuit of the meaning of the words peace, harmony and happiness. Rather than seeking cerebral solution to social issues and meaningful living, we are seeing libido at play. Massive gambling, politician-buyouts, the awarding of billion-ringgit projects to political cronies, the birth of hate-groups and the rise and slow demise of racist politicians. All these are manifestations of the rise of the 'tongkat ali society'. The death of reflective thinking It is characterised by the death of a reflective society and the muting of critical sensibility. Because so much libido is embalmed in the minds of the powerful and so much power is given to the robber barons to plunder – society is now becoming an enhanced entity that cares more about the acquisition of wealth and property by any means necessary and less about the fate of generations to come. The game plan in this libido-enhanced economy is to accumulate as much wealth as one can in the shortest period of time by using other people's money to become the best bubble economy in a country where bankruptcy is a guarantee. A 'tongkat ali society' is also characterised by a libidinal economy and dispossessed youths. We put band aids on problems that could have been prevented through a sound education system and a thorough understanding of cultural change. We also see the use of massive public funds to educate a small number of people who we call "gifted and talented" - leaving the intelligence and creativity of a large number of children unattended to. The 'tongkat ali society' is now manifesting itself in the crudeness of ultra-nationalistic Malay political and non-governmental groups whose libido is wrongly channeled. Instead of improving race relations and ensuring a just and equitable economic system, it is channeled towards destructive and divisive ends. The rise of the 'tongkat ali society' in Malaysia is a reality – as real as the proliferation of this libido-enhancing commodity. DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Bahru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctoral degree in International Education Development and Masters degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies, and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and have written more than 400 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans both in Malaysia and in the United States and in a wide range of teaching context; from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. |
| Najib unfazed by online abuse Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:55 PM PDT 
(Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today he would continue to allow the public access to his online communication platforms although they had experienced serious abuse over the past weeks. He said he arrived at the decision in the spirit of having open and direct communication with the people.
"Over the past weeks, there have been serious abuse of my online communication platforms, most noticeably on Facebook," he said, adding that it would not be fair to deny many Malaysians the opportunity to interact with him because of the irresponsible acts by a few. "As it stands, I have over 800,000 Facebook 'likes' and close to 170,000 followers on Twitter. Even at the time of writing, I observe that more Malaysians have stepped up in support of civil dialogue and posting constructive comments. Do keep it up. "I hope we as Malaysians can demonstrate responsible, respectful behaviour while commenting online," he said in his latest post on his blog.
In recent weeks, Najib's Facebook page had come under serious abuse by people who posted negative comments against him and the Barisan Nasional government. Many of the abusers seem to be supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) as their profiles bore the Bersih logo and the colour yellow.
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| EO6: A bitter lesson for the govt Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:45 PM PDT  By Jeswant Kaur, FMT Abusing the Emergency Ordinance 1969, six breadwinners of their families' were thrown behind bars and defamed with having waged a war against the King, holding subversive beliefs and instigating the rakyat to attend a rally which the police had deemed illegal. Yesterday, 28 days later, all six were set free, unconditionally. The question that begs an answer from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is: What happened in those 28 days' that made him, his cousin the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar realise that the six are innocent and should rightfully be released? Or was it a case of all three parties being well aware of the innocence of the six but proceeded to used them as scapegoats, hoping to teach Malaysians in general a lesson for taking to the streets on July 9, 2011 and challenging the 'powers that be'? The six detained were Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan. Despite cooperating with the police, the six were treated like hardcore criminals, being held in solitary confinement and deprived of all basic necessities including their medication as in the case of Jeyakumar and Sarasvathy. It was much later that the police claimed the six were detained for allegedly being "movers" for the July 9, 2011, rally organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections). However, none of the six were steering committee members of the Bersih 2.0 which was declared illegal by the government. The coalition comprises of more than 60 non-governmental organisations. What rule of law, Najib?
On July 29, after a tormenting 28-day ordeal, when all six were released, Najib had this to say: "It is a decision (to release) taken by the police based on their own observation. "We accept the decision made by the police… it is up to the attorney-general to decide on the next course of action. As a sovereign country we uphold the rule of law." Is Najib confirming that this country has turned into a police state, with the police having absolute liberty to detain and abuse whoever they wish? Premier Najib said Malaysia as a sovereign country upholds the rule of law. The rule of law states that individuals, persons and government shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals. Clearly Najib contradicted himself, for in the case of the six, the rule of law was never applied. It was the arbitrary action of the 'powers that be' that resulted in the detention of the six who later became known as PSM6. And in case Najib has forgotten, the rule of law applies to the government as well, compelling it to obey the law and not manipulate it to serve the interest of a select few. READ MORE HERE. |
| Slow response to 1 Malaysia email beta signup Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:39 PM PDT 
By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Thousands are thronging an IT fair in the city but only some 200 have signed up so far for the controversial 1 Malaysia email service, which is entering its beta or testing phase next month. Tricubes Bhd, which is marketing the 1 Malaysia email service as myemail.my, has set up a booth at the Pikom Digital Lifestyle Expo at the KLCC Convention Centre for this weekend, where they have been visited by either those curious about the service or wanting to reserve their usernames. Product Manager Amir Shariffuddin told The Malaysian Insider that the pre-registration started last month at the National ICT Conference 2011 at the Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC), although he did not provide the total number of registered users to date. "It is not just an email. It is a whole platform of information flow. It is also the official electronic correspondence between the government and the rakyat," he said. When asked if Myemail messages sent to government officials will get priority over those sent using other email services, he said "probably". Amir stressed that the service would make it is easier and faster for the government to send official documents to the users. Among the benefits listed in an informational leaflet on Myemail are that it replaces paper bills with digital versions in portable document format (PDF); provides a "marketplace" where exclusive deals are offered to Myemail users; introduces social networking access through the email "dashboard"; provides an email inbox and access to online payment services; and allows direct access to Microsoft Office files. The 1 Malaysia email service, which was supposed to start beta service at the end of April, has been marketed as a move that will reduce the use of paper and save the government RM200 million over 10 years. The project has been met with scepticism by some Malaysians, who question to the redundancy of the facility. Most adults with Internet access have at least one personal email and another for work or education purposes. The Malaysian Insider understands that Tricubes aims to sign up at least 20,000 users for its beta phase although it has yet to secure any government or private sector agencies to test the payment gateway. Hamidreza Ghotb, another Tricubes representative at the booth, explained that the e-payment and paperless bills will only be available to government agencies as well as government-linked companies this year. "Its (Myemail's) ability is limitless. You can incorporate Facebook and everything you can imagine, with Myemail," he said, adding that the possibility will happen "some time in the future". Myemail also promises security, cost-saving, convenience, fast delivery, and a green solution. The catch is, however, those signing up for the email service will have to buy a USB biometric device sold by Tricubes or go to any National Registration Department (NRD) office to use the additional services offered, on top of the emails. Tricubes chief executive Khairun Zainal Mokhtar had also said the USB device would also allow Myemail users opt for the more secure end-to-end data encryption for an additional fee, which he described as "a fraction of the cost". READ MORE HERE. |
| DAP to MCA: Contracts given on merit, not race Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT  By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — DAP rapped MCA today for accusing the Penang government of sidelining the Chinese community in the award of contracts, stressing that the state administration's criteria was strictly merit-based. In a strongly-worded reply, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua charged that Barisan Nasional (BN) parties like MCA were stuck with "archaic" policies where they were only interested in attracting votes from the "respective races" they claimed to represent. "They fail to recognise their own chauvinism and their total disconnect from ordinary citizens today who are increasingly seeing themselves as Malaysians first," he told The Malaysian Insider today. MCA had accused Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng of awarding all of the state's Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) contracts to Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, leaving the Chinese community out in the cold. Penang Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang claimed yesterday this was likely because the chief minister was "currying favour" with the non-Chinese community as, according to her, the DAP has realised that it could not rely on support from the Chinese forever. Tan was referring to a statement Lim purportedly made on Wednesday that the contractors in all five districts in Penang for DID contracts are Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, with women accounting for 20 per cent. In response, Pua today said DAP and Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s policies were specifically designed from a "merit and needs-based perspective." "Unlike MCA and BN's model, we are race-blind. If one is poor, he or she will deserve assistance, regardless of race, religion or creed. "If one is competent and cost-efficient, they will be awarded government contracts and projects irrespective of company ownership," he added. READ MORE HERE. |
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