| Two police reports lodged against Mohamad Sapu latest! Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:47 AM PDT (Borneo Post) - Former Police Association of Malaysia (PBPM) Keningau branch and Labuan Umno yesterday made police reports against PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu for insulting the national fighters. Chairman of the association, former sub-inspector Anggi Kathil, said the association viewed the statement as very serious. Mat Sabu, when giving a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang on August 21, considered terrorists from the Fourth Company Force of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) which attacked and killed members of the security force and their families in Bukit Kepong as the real heroes. The PAS leader also considered Muhammad Indera, the Malay man who conspired with Goh Peng Tun and 200 communists personnel as a hero, not the 25 police personnel and their families who defended themselves in the attack at the police station. In his ceremah, Mat Sabu also claimed that Dato Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman were not eligible to be considered as independence fighter and pledged to revise the history of independence if the opposition seized Putrajaya as he claimed the history written today do not show the actual facts. Meanwhile, Anggi representing state PBPM president Haji Abdul Rahman Teo when making the police report, said members of the association protested against Mat Sabu's statement which claimed that the communists were the heroes of this country and police who died in the incident as otherwise. He said the statement clearly deviated from historical facts. "The state and branch associations assume the ceramah was to instigate people to hate the police and security forces in the country, in addition to underestimating police efforts to protect the security of this country and its people," he said. He said the association viewed this matter very seriously and urged the authorities concerned to take serious action in order not to make the policemen who served and died in their service to defend the sovereignty of this country to become the scorn of society. "PBPM Sabah and Keningau are asking the authorities concerned to take action against Mat Sabu in accordance with the provisions of the existing laws of this country," he said. In Labuan, Labuan Umno acting chief Senator Datuk Yunus Kurus who led party members to lodge the report at the police station, said Umno members were disappointed over Mat Sabu's statement and urged the government to take stern action against him. "His statement (Mat Sabu) is the highest insult to the country's patriots and fighters by twisting historical facts for their cheap political mileage," he said. He added that Labuan Umno would give their full support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Defence Minister Datuk Zahid Hamidi and Home Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussin in defending this country's sovereignty. Also present at the police station were Labuan Umno vice president Bashir Alias, secretary Rozman Datuk Isli and Women chief Aini Safar. |
| Selamat Hari Raya from YB Ronnie Liu Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:38 AM PDT |
| Was the Pope in Rome a traitor? Posted: 29 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Now that the police are investigating Mat Sabu and will probably be interrogating him soon (meaning: recording his statement) because of his so-called treasonous act, let us in the meantime read the following excerpt and decide whether the Pope in Rome was also treasonous. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Master Secretary, His Holiness is considering a ruling that will say that heretical monarchs can be justly defied by their subjects, and that such a defiance, even to armed rebellion, is no sin.
Cecil leaned back in his padded chair and reread the letter, making sure that he had made no error in the double translation, out of code and then out of Latin. It was a message of such enormity that he could not believe it, even when it was in plain English before him.
It was a death sentence for the queen. It assured any disgruntled Catholic that they could plot against her with impunity, actually with the blessing of the Holy Father. It was a veritable crusade against the young queen, as potent and unpredictable as a Knights Templar attack on the Moors. It licensed the deranged assassin, the man with a grudge, indeed, it put the dagger into his hands.
It broke the eternal promise that an anointed monarch commanded the obedience of all his subjects, even those who disagreed with him. It broke the harmony of the universe that placed God above the angels, angels above kings, kings above mortal men.
A man could no more attack a king than a king could attack an angel, than an angel could attack God. This madness of the Pope broke the unwritten agreement that one earthly monarch would never encourage the subjects of another earthly monarch to rise up against them.
The assumption has always been that kings should stick together, that nothing was more dangerous than the people with a licence. Now the Pope was to give the people the licence to rise up against Elizabeth and who knew how many might avail themselves of this permission?
Cecil tried to draw a sheet of paper towards him and found that his hands were shaking. For the first time in these anxious months, he truly thought they would be defeated. He thought that he had aligned himself to a doomed cause. He did not think that Elizabeth could survive this.
There were too many who had opposed her from the start; once they knew that their treasonous plotting was no longer a sin, they would multiply like headlice. It was enough that she had to struggle with the church, with her council, with her parliament; none of which were in full support, some of which were in open opposition. If the people themselves were turned against her she could not last long.
He thought for a moment, for only a moment, that he might have done better to have supported Henry Hastings as the best Protestant claimant for the throne, since the Pope would surely not have dared to summon a rebellion against the king. He thought for another moment that perhaps he should have urged Elizabeth to accept the raising of the Host, to have kept the church in England as papist for a year or so, to ease the transition of reform.
He gritted his teeth. What was done had been done, and they would have to live with their mistakes, and some would die for them. He was fairly certain that Elizabeth would die, to name only one.
He clasped his hands together until they were steady again, and then started to plan ways to try to ensure that an assassin did not reach Elizabeth at court, when she was out hunting, when she was on the river, when she was visiting.
It was a nightmare task. Cecil stayed up all night writing lists of men he could trust, preparing plans to see her guarded, and knew at the end that if the Catholics of England obeyed the Pope, as they must do, then Elizabeth was a dead woman, and all Cecil could do for her is to delay her funeral.
Page 80-82, The Virgin's Lover, by Phillipa Gregory
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| A House of Cards? Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:34 PM PDT 
By Masterwordsmith Whilst brother rises against brother within our boundaries, is our nation able to fight the real enemies beyond our borders? With the astronomical proportion of the country's wealth being spent on arms (real needs or unnecessary expenditure?) when we are at peace, the commissions being paid for arms/defense, we should be very safe indeed. But how safe are we in Malaysia? Most of us do not realize the obscene expenditure on arms spending because it is such a gray area. Kua Kia Soong's book "Questioning Arms Spending in Malaysia: From Altantuya to Zikorsky" questions the purpose of this entire splurge on arms by the BN Government. It just does not make sense that our country spends so much on submarines, helicopters and other fighters when priority should be given to meeting needs in the health or education sector.
This research by Chin Jitkai, Liew Chin Tong and Nur Jazlan Mohammad argued that in recent years, Malaysia has steadily increased the overall defence budget and defence expenditures. They noted that there is a lack of transparency from MINDEF as most of the controls on defence spending are made internally. Secondly, not many NGOs pay particular attention to the issues of the defence budget and spending. Most MPs also lack expertise in defence related issues.
Singapore, our nearest neighbour with a population of 5.1 million (3.2 million) excluding foreigners, enjoys a per capita income of more than USD 37,293. Due to its size and location, Singapore's expenditure on defense is premised on the belief that security threats do not disappear. In sharp contrast, Malaysia has a population of 27 million and a per capita income of USD6897!!! (Source: Wikipedia) Our country is much bigger but has a lower GDP and a very high military expenditure which has been a bone of contention for many concerned citizens.
This link at the World Bank says that the military expenditure of Malaysia is 1.96% of the GDP.
The World Bank says that Malaysia's GDP was 222 billion USD in 2008.
Wikipedia's write up on the Malaysian Armed Forces states that the budget for military expenditure is 3.5 billion USD or 0.9% of GDP.
Yet, what are some of the scandals that have rocked our country?
1. The Missing Jet Engines
In December 2009, the Malaysian government faced a fresh corruption crisis after officials admitted that two US-made fighter jet engines had disappeared from an air force base after apparently being illicitly sold by military officers to a South American arms dealer. Read more here.
The Strategy website said:
Two of these engines power the six F-5 fighters used by the air force. Packed for shipping, the engine would be a box about eight feet long and weighing half a ton. At first, the engine was believed shipped out of the country, from a Malaysian air base, and sold into the black market. It was thought that the most likely customer would be Iran, which would probably pay a million dollars, or more, for it. Iran has been under arms embargos for decades, and is desperate to obtain spare parts. Iran has about sixty F-5 fighters, purchased in the 1970s. Iran has used the F-5 as the model for domestically designed and built aircraft. So they are definitely in the market for J85-21A engines.
But on further investigation it was found that the engine probably never left the country, but was instead taken apart, and the components sold to a South American broker, or back to the Malaysian Air Force. The government has promised to punish those responsible, but has not named names. Corruption is a common problem in the region, and stealing spare parts, or money allocated for equipment maintenance, is common.
Wikileaks revealed Putrajaya failed to inform Washington that two "US-supplied" F-5 fighter jet engines had gone missing since May 22, 2008, despite having at least "three opportunities" to come clean, according to leaked United States diplomatic cables released recently.
READ MORE HERE.
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| Time for rhetoric long over, PM Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:31 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Here we go again. It was thought Putrajaya has sacked FBC Media, APCO Worldwide and other spin merchants, but it looks like their ideas are still influencing the government. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is obviously enamoured with the idea of sounding like a statesman abroad, and there is nothing wrong with that posturing if it is supported by substance. But having an opinion piece in The Times of London and praising Britain for rejecting extremism is shallow, given the manner in which chauvinism and extremism is embraced by his administration and political party. In the article, Najib was pleased at the response of thousands of Britons who slammed the attack on a Malaysian student and who stood up for moderation. Strange, because his administration did not laud the thousands of middle-class Malaysians who left their living rooms and Starbucks to march for a clean electoral system. Instead, these Malaysians were demonised, called names and branded an illegal organisation. At the same time, this administration has been incapable of protecting Malaysians from growing extremism. There is also more than a nagging suspicion that the government permits the likes of Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa to flourish. The Times article is at the core of what ails this administration. They want to look good to the outside world, specifically Western world. So, millions of ringgit is spent on buying airtime and column space to project the leaders of this country as moderate and progressive. But little attention is paid to walking the talk at home. The end result is that there is growing ambivalence about government and PM, as is reflected in downward trend in the PM's approval rating. |
| ‘Don’t make the same mistake as PKR’ Posted: 28 Aug 2011 07:17 PM PDT DAP is warned not to use Dayaks for merely 'window-dressing'. (Free Malaysia Today) - The DAP leadership both at state and federal levels cannot afford to trivialize the Dayak community's involvement if they are aiming for success in the coming general election. "They should not make the same mistake that PKR did. Dayaks must be given important roles," said Simangang DAP branch chairman Leon Jimat Donald. Warning DAP leadership not to view Dayaks as merely 'making-up the numbers' in Sarawak, Donald said the party should not emulate its arch rival Sarawak United People's Party's (SUPP) 'partnership' model. He claimed Dayaks members and reps in SUPP were merely seen as 'window dressings'. It is a common knowledge here that Dayaks have played second and sometimes third fiddle to the Chinese in the SUPP, which is a Barisan Nasional ally. In the recent April state election, SUPP lost 13 of 19 seats it contested . Whilst only two of its 15 Chinese assemblymen managed to retain their seats, all four Dayak representatives got voted-in. Today SUPP is 'surviving' entirely on its Dayak representatives. Donald said DAP must convince Dayaks that they are important to the party. "In order to remove the perception of Chinese chauvinism, the Dayaks have to play or be perceived to play important roles in the party in order to avoid the accusations of window dressing. "DAP should provide proper representation for the Dayaks in the national DAP's central executive committee by appointment. "As we have seen during the last PKR election, there was nobody elected to the national PKR. "With next to no Dayak branches around to elect any Dayak representatives to the national DAP CEC, no one can hope to be elected as the majority of party members will continue to be from the peninsula," he said. Dayak reps in Pakatan government Donald suggested that DAP also considered appointing a few Dayak members to be part of the respective Pakatan Rakyat state governments. He suggested that qualified Dayaks be appointed as political secretaries and be made responsible for the Dayaks working in the peninsula. It would also show DAP's sincerity in accommodating the Dayak community as a whole. "There are Dayaks numbering in the thousands, working in states such as Selangor, Penang, Johor and the Klang Valley. "Such a gesture will be seen and perceived as a good start in the Dayak political relationship with DAP," he added. Donald also addressed the new economic policy and how important it is to educate Dayaks on its shortcomings. READ MORE HERE |
| Police to question Mat Sabu Posted: 28 Aug 2011 06:34 PM PDT Start reading history books, deputy IGP tells him (NST) -- Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu will soon be called to give his statement over his alleged remarks that communist terrorists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 were the country's true heroes. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said police had received at least 43 reports against the opposition politician's speech and were investigating the case under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for making a statement that could cause alarm to the public. "Police are expecting to record his statement soon to facilitate investigations," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.
Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, had allegedly made the remarks at a political ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, on Aug 21.
Khalid said he would like to advise Mohamad to start reading history books before issuing such statements. "It has not only angered members of the country's security forces but also hurt the feelings of the families of the 16 Bukit Kepong policemen who were killed in the incident.
"Do not simply say things without understanding the real story behind it." It was reported in a Malay daily that Mohamad had allegedly said Muhammad Indera, who helped the communists in the attack, was the real hero and not the 25 policemen and their family members who defended the station as they were "British officers".
Mohamad had also allegedly said Datuk Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman should not be hailed as icons of the nation's independence as they were officers for the British administration then.
He had apparently vowed to rewrite the history of the country's independence if the opposition succeeded in taking over the government.
In Ipoh, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Mohamad's alleged remarks were an attempt to divert the people's attention from the opposition's internal issues and conflicts.
"Apart from the issues faced by Pas and Pakatan Rakyat, it is also to ensure that the ongoing sodomy trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is given less importance.
"Stating that Tunku and Onn were British officers is an insult, not only to them and their families, but also to all Malaysians.
"They are the founding fathers of the country who fought for independence. If we go by Mohamad's analysis, then we should welcome Chin Peng back into the country as he is a bigger hero."
Chin Peng, the former leader of the Communist Party of Malaya, is living in exile in Thailand. He lost his legal appeal to return to Malaysia.
"I do not know on what grounds the statement was made, but I am sure that the opposition will continue to make similar statements and stir up controversies to cover up their weaknesses," said Dr Chua, adding that leaders and the security forces who died defending the country were the real heroes.
Meanwhile, Pas vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said the party would review the video recordings of the Aug 21 ceramah by Mohamad before taking any action. However, this would only be done after Hari Raya Aidilfitri, he added.
"We need to know the context of his speech first before deciding on the next course of action."
Salahuddin insisted that Pas was against any form of violence by communist insurgents.
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| Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #80 Posted: 28 Aug 2011 06:08 PM PDT 
M. Bakri Musa Yet despite that flourishing head start and seemingly workable system, Islamic finance later went into decline. It is instructive that the decline in Islamic economics parallels the decline in Islamic civilization. Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life Reform in Islam Islamic Financial Intermediaries Trade had been flourishing for centuries in Arabia, immediately before and after the prophet's time. All that buying and selling, together with the caravan expeditions, could not have taken place without there being a satisfactory financing mechanism. There must had been a system for connecting the owners of money (savers) and the users of cash (investors and traders). Yet despite that flourishing head start and seemingly workable system, Islamic finance later went into decline. It is instructive that the decline in Islamic economics parallels the decline in Islamic civilization. Today Western financial institutions are preeminent. Western banks and other financial intermediaries did not develop overnight. They have been refined, modified, and strengthened over the centuries. The process continues to this day. Today's banks are a far cry from what they were a century earlier. The essential ingredient to the success of banks is the faith people have in them. Absent that, not even the strongest institution could survive. All the regulations and innovations in banking serve only one purpose: to strengthen that faith and confidence.
Bank failures and runs on banks were common in America during the depression. Those events are thankfully rare today, in part due to the diligence of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Depositors Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the regulatory agencies of the federal government, together with strengthened prudential rules on reserves, heightened fiduciary responsibilities, and improved auditing. These refinements have been incremental, each in response to specific problems and crises. Banks still fail today, but thanks to the FDIC, depositors (at least the retail consumers) simply transfer their accounts to another bank without any hitch. The system is by no means perfect, as was painfully demonstrated by the massive Savings and Loans scandal of the 1980s.
The spectacular economic achievements of modern societies are attributable to the efficacy and efficiency of their financial intermediaries. Countries that have efficient and stable financial systems advance; those that don't, decline, as demonstrated by Thailand, Indonesia, and a host of Third World nations. To many thoughtful analysts, the Asian economic crisis of 1977 was in essence a crisis of the banking system.
Within the last few decades, Islamic-based financial institutions are trying a comeback. As with everything Islamic, the concept sells with Muslims. America now has mutual funds and mortgage companies run along Islamic principles. Even venerable Western banks like Citibank are entering the fray. Academic papers and conferences proliferate. Harvard' Institute of Islamic Finance and Information Program (HIFIP), with intellectual contributions from its renowned business and law schools, has been organizing annual conferences for the last few years that brought in luminaries from all over.
Much has been said of Islamic banking in which supposedly no interest is charged. This is purely semantics. Sure these banks do not charge interest in the usual sense; instead they tack on "service" fees and points. In the final analysis there is still a cost for the loan. I can give someone a 0% percent loan but charge exorbitant points, commissions, or fees to recoup the cost (interest) of my capital. The end result is the same; the borrower pays a price and the lender gets a reward.
There are American finance companies that cater specifically to Muslim homebuyers who are squeamish about mortgage interest payments. To obviate this, the prospective homeowner goes into partnership with the company to buy the house. The homeowner pays 20 percent of the price and the company the other 80, as in a traditional mortgage. But instead of paying the mortgage as in a traditional loan, the homeowner pays a market rent to the company for use of the house, with 80 percent of the rent payment going to the company and 20 percent credited to the homeowner. Every few years the house is reappraised and when the total payments cover the cost of the house based on the latest appraisal, the house would then be transferred exclusively to the owner.
If the rental market declines, the homeowner will pay less every month, which would be to his or her advantage. But if the market appreciates, as it typically does, so will his rent, and he will end up paying more cumulatively. Not only that, the company gets to reap the bulk of the benefit (80percent) of the gains on the house's price appreciation. So the consumer gets bilked twice, once in his higher monthly rent and second, in not getting the full benefit of the price appreciation. This is also an inherently a bad system as it creates a perverse economic incentive for the homeowner not to keep up or improve the house so its value would drop, and his payments would similarly fall. That is no way to run a modern economy! In addition, there are all those costs of the appraisals that are being borne by the homeowner.
In reality what these companies are doing is nothing than more an equity-sharing scheme. This has not caught on in America precisely because of the perverse economic incentive. A more popular variation of equity sharing is where the homeowner goes into partnership with a friend or family member to pay for the down payment and then together they would secure a traditional mortgage. When it is time to resell the house, the profit would be shared based on their contributions towards the down payment. With this scheme, there is still the issue of interest payments on the mortgage.
With a traditional mortgage in America, if the borrower is unable to keep up with the payments, he could sell the house and whatever is left after he paid off the loan balance is his to keep. But if the value of the house were less than the amount owed (as had happened in declining markets), and the bank forecloses on the home, the borrower would not be saddled with the outstanding balance. This is because all home mortgages have a "non recourse" clause. The borrower would lose only what he has paid into the house (his equity). So if the concern of the Islamic groups that borrowers would be saddled with debt payments forever, than there could be a similar "non recourse" clause in selected loans like study loans and loans for one's primary residence.
Similarly if the borrower is unable to repay the loan because of a legitimate reason like illness or death, the loan contract could be designed to cover such eventualities. Many loans now have mandatory disability and life insurance policies attached to them to cover such calamities. But insurance too is anathema to traditionalist Muslims, but I will come to that shortly.
I have a traditional home mortgage and I am quite comfortable with paying the interest on it. I rationalize the interest I am paying as being the rent for the house, and the principal as the payment towards the house. Technically this is correct as the bank has priority over me to the title of my house.
Most of the activities carried by Islamic "banks" are really not the proper purview of traditional banks. Thus leasing (Ijaara), another common service provided by Islamic banks, is done in America by finance companies or directly by the dealers and manufacturers. Islamic bankers also make a big deal on the supposed difference between leasing, which is halal because there is no interest, and traditional loans and mortgages, which are haram because of riba. But this is a meaningless difference. I could easily convert my mortgage into a long-term lease with the same terms, and at the end of the "lease" (mortgage) I would have an option to buy my property at an agreed upon nominal price. One could just as easily calculate the imputed interest rate on all leasing arrangements. Similarly, the profit sharing and "equity participation" lending that Islamic banks partake are properly the function of mutual funds and venture capital firms rather than banks.
By using the familiar term "bank" to describe activities that are properly the purview of other non-bank institutions, proponents of Islamic banking are misleading consumers. All these deferred sales, service charges, and lease payments are nothing but euphemisms for the cost of borrowed funds, more commonly referred to as interest. As Islamic banks do not function like a traditional bank, they should not use the label "bank." Instead they should use the more generic term, Islamic Financial Institutions (IFI), so as not to mislead the public. I would not however, recommend the acronym "iffy!"
Next: Islamic Financial Intermediaries (Cont'd) |
| Mat Sabu Bukan Penghianat Posted: 28 Aug 2011 06:01 PM PDT 
DARI JELEBU Hishamuddin Rais Ucapan dan ceramah yang disampaikan oleh pimpinan parti Pas saudara Mat Sabu itu adalah tepat dan benar. Malah Tukar Tiub dari awal lagi telah berkata bahawa pada bulan Ogos ini United Malay National Organisation akan menjadi mamai. Pada bulan Malapetaka ini United Malay National Organsiation akan membuka kesah kesah dongeng tentang perjuangan mereka. Mereka menaburkan kesah dogeng bahawa mereka bangun menentang komunis. Ini cerita sasau. Rakyat Tanah Melayu sedang bermandi darah bangun mengangkat senjata melawan penjajah British. Mangkok hayun ini melawan orang yang melawan British. Nationalis kepala bana jenis apa ini? Mari kita ambil pertempuran gerila Rakyat Tanah Melayu pada tahun 1950 di Bukit Kepong. Baca betul betul. Ini berlaku pada 23 Februari tahun 1950. Yang berkuasa British. Justeru yang diserang ialah soldadu upahan British. Ketika itu ada soldadu upahan British dari Ghana, Kenya, Fiji, Nepal dan termasuk anak tempatan. Anak tempatan direkrut kerana tidak ada kerja lalu menjadi soldadu upahan Bristish. Ini hakikat. Ini hakikat fakta sejarah. Sila pergi lawati Taman Tasek di Taiping atau pergi ke tanah perkuburan di hadapan Dewan Bahasa para pembaca budiman akan bertemu dengan kubur soldadu upahan dari luar negara. Jika ini bukan bukti wujudnya tentera upahan British maka Rosmah Mansor masih anak dara lagi. Dalam serangan ke atas Rumah Pasong Bukit Kepong – yang memimpin serang ini ialah Mat Indera. Sosok ini adalah nasionalis yang bangun mengangkat senjata bersama Parti Komunis Malaya untuk memnghalau British. Memang betul soldadu dalam Rumah Pasong ialah Melayu – mereka soldadu upahan. Memang betul Mat Indera juga Melayu Dalam serangan ini bukan Melayu atau Punjabi atau Mamak Kutty yang di pentingkan. Yang penting ialah garis perjuangan – menentang British atau menjadi barua British. Inilah dua garis politik ketika itu. Hanya gerombolan United Malay National Organisation yang kepala hangguk - heboh tentang Melayu hingga ke hari ini. Sekali lagi Tukar Tiub mengingatkn para bahawa bahawa serangan keatas Rumah Pasong di Bukit Kepong berlaku pada tahun 1950 – di zaman British memerintah. Sila buka kepala dan fikir betul betul. Pejuang Mat Indera ini penuh dengan cerita dan mitos rakyat. Hingga ke hari ini. Terbukti kesah kebenaraan tidak mungkin dapat ditutup. Mungkin untuk sementara fakta sejarah boleh dikaburi tetapi akhirnya fakta akan muncul. Akhirnya Mat Indera mati digantung oleh British. Saya sendiri telah melihat tempat Mat Indera di gantung. Pejuang nasionalis kita ini digantung di penjara Ayer Molek Johor Bahru. Saya sempat melihat tempat itu kerana pada September 1974 saya telah ditahan di penjara yang sama kerana menyokong peneroka bandar Tasek Utara. Seorang warden Melayu dengan sedih tetapi merasa bangga telah menunjukkan kepada saya wilayah dimana nasionalis Mat Indera digantung. ( Jika apa yang saya nyatakan ini salah – maka saya telah diberi maklumat yang salah) Apakah Onn Jaafar nasionalis?
Apakah Tunku nasionalis? Pasti jawabnya TIDAK dan BUKAN. Mereka bukan berjuang menentang British. Mereka tidak bangun berjuang menentang British. Mereka berebut-rebut untuk menjadi barua British. Cuba ingatkan apa kata Onn Jaafar '... nak buat jarum pun belum tahu...inikan pula nak merdeka....' Ini hakikat sejarah. Hari ini dengan wujudnya internet satu demi satu cerita karut lagi marut dari United Malay National Organisation telah dibongkar. Ini fakta sejarah - parti nasionalis yang tertua di Tanah Melayu ialah KMM – Kesatuan Melayu Muda . Ditubuhkan pada tahun 1938.....deek sila lihat tarikh ini... 1938 deek. Slogan mereka ialah MERDEKA. United Malay National Organisation yang memakai nama Inggeris hingga ke hari ini ditubuh pada 1946. Gerombolan ini tidak berani bangun menuntut Medeka. Justeru slogan mereka ialah Melayu kurang oxygen - Hidup Melayu – hingga ke tahun 2011 ini mereka masih lagi kureeeng oxygen. Bulan Ogos ini adalah Malapetaka untuk Tanah Melayu. Pada 15 Mei setiap tahun warga Palestin mengingati Nakba. Nakba ialah malapetaka yang terjadi pada tarikh ini apabila Israel diwujudkan di bumi Arab. Tanah Melayu juga ada Nakba nya – Malapetaka terjadi pada 31 Ogos 1957 apabila British menyerahkan pentabiran Tanah Melayu kepada United Malay National Organisation. Seluruh Tanah Melayu ditimpa Malapetaka. Kepada jenerasi muda yang kurang faham biar diterangkan disini. Pada tahun 1958 bukan main heboh lagi gerombolan ini berlabon tentang pencapaian Merdeka tanpa tumpah darah. Bongak. Ini bohong. Rakyat Tanah Melayu telah bangun angkat senjata untuk menghalau British. Kuasa imperial Brtish telah digugat hingga ke akar umbi oleh Tentera Pembebasan Rakyat Malaya – ini fakta sejarah. Jika kurang percaya sila pergi rujuk ke Colonial Office di Kew Garden London. Semua bahan sejarah ini wujud disana. Busuk busuk pun British merekaTIDAK akan mengubah fakta sejarah – mereka mungkin memberi analisa yang berbeza. Ini British - mereka main criket bukan main guli. Kalau tak yakin sila selidik dan tanya siapa dia Shamsiah Fakeh. Siapa dia Ahmad Boestaman. Siapa dia Burhanuddin al-Helmi. Siapa dia Rashid Mydin. Siapa dia Abdullah Sidi. Siapa dia Chen Peng. Siapa dia Mukhtaruddin Lasso. Siapa dia Ibrahim Yacob. Justeru, kenyataan Mat Sabu berasaskan fakta. Tidak ada apa apa penghinaan. Menyangkut kan mat Sabu dengan DAP adalah hujah lapok gerombolan. Untuk Hishamudin Husssein sila jangan buka bontot sendiri. Hussein Onn anak Jaafar Onn ayah kepada Hishamudin ini adalah soldadu upahan British. Ketika British menjajah Iraq, Hussein Onn adalah barua setia kepada British. Sila lihat dan baca fakta sejarah. Jangan malas membaca dan menkaji. Jangan Jadi Melayu yang malas.Jangan jadi Melayu yang suka mendengar tetapi malas membaca dan mentelaah. Justeru, amat jelas bahawa United Malay National Organisation membawa Malapetaka ke Tanah Melayu. Buktinya lagu Terang Bulan diciplak untuk dijadikan lagu kebangsaan kita. Tidak ada apa apa kebangsaan dalam lagu Terang Bulan ini. Ini bukan lagu ciptaan anak watan Tanah Melayu. Ini diciplak dari lagu Memula Moon lagu Peranchis. Lagu ini wajib dilupuskan. Satu lagi bukti yang jelas ialah bendera. Ini juga dicaplak dari bendera Amerika. Motif Nusantra ialah Merah dan Puteh. Justeru lihat bendera Singapura, lihat bendera Indonesia malah bendera United Malay National Organisation sendiri menggunakan motif Nusantra. Bendera ini juga wajib dilupuskan dan direka bendera baru. Kita jangan merasa gentar dengan ancaman dan tuduhan bahawa kita tidak hormat atau menghina Onn Jaafar atau Tunku. Tidak ada apa apa yang perlu dihormati. Mereka berdua hanya sibuk berebut untuk menjadi barua British. Tidak ada apa apa yang hebat. Kalau tak percaya sila tanya Mahathir Muhamad sendiri. Apabila Tunku meninggal dunia Mahathir Muhamad Perdana Menteri ketika itu. Apa terjadi? Tidak ada cuti am untuk pengkebumian Tunku. Mahathir Muhamad yang menjadi Presiden United Malay National Organsiation sendiri tidak hormat kepada Tunku – jangan harap orang lain ambil pot. Pelik ketika itu tidak ada pula yang berani menuduh Panddy Kuttyy ini tidak hormat pada Tunku. Juga sila jangan campur adukkan tentang Bukit Kepong sebagai penghinaan terhadap Polis Diraja Malaysia. Kesetiaan mata-mata upahan pada ketika itu kepada Baginda Raja Britain. Biar saya dituliskan disini sejelas mungkin. Pada tahun 1950 mereka BUKAN dipanggil polis. Orang Melayu dengan tepat telah memanggil mereka MATA-MATA. Sila rujuk sejarah – ini bukan tohmah. Justeru mereka adalah mata-mata penjajah. Juga tempat itu bukan BALAI POLIS tetapi dipanggil RUMAH PASONG. Ini nama yang telah diberi oleh orang Melayu kerana rumah ini ramai rakyat telah dipasong. Justeru serangan pada 23 Febuarari itu ialah serangan nasionalis terhadap Mata-Mata British di Rumah Pasong Bukit Kepong. Khalas. Perid. End. Fin. |
| It is time to stop buying into a lie Posted: 28 Aug 2011 05:54 PM PDT 
But if you were to believe the Prime Minister writing in his blog, Sabah and Sarawak were only states that joined an already existing country! Surely the Prime Minister of Malaysia would know history and know how his own country was formed? It is plain that history is deliberately being re-written. By Being Vernon May I be honest?
I am sad. I am sad because I am told by my government that I must celebrate the Independence Day of my country on the 31st of August. But what is so wrong about this that it makes me sad?
Let me tell you. If you don't like dry and boring history lessons, you can leave my blog now. But if you have ten minutes to spare, read on.
The Federated States of Malaya which comprised all the nine Sultanates, Malacca and Penang were given their independence by Great Britain on the 31st of August, 1957. The photo below records the historic event. It is the iconic image of Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaiming independence for Malaya. Yes, MALAYA. Not Sarawak, not Sabah, but MALAYA. And this date became known as MERDEKA DAY. For the Federated States of MALAYA.
Then, six years later, Sarawak was given her independence. On the 22nd of July, 1963. Bet you didn't know that the 22nd of July is an historic date for Sarawak, huh? Of course you wouldn't. It has probably been wiped off the official history text books, or glossed over during history classes. But if you buy a copy of the Sarawak Government Almanac, it's there in black and white. The British gave up Sarawak on the 22nd of July, 1963 and on that day we became an independent nation. A country all of our own. Our own flag, our own anthem and even our own money!
Then, fifty five days later, after the British granted her independence, Sarawak, together with Sabah, Singapore, and the Federated States of Malaya came together to form a new nation called MALAYSIA on the 16th of September. This date, the 16th of September, 1963, came to be known as MALAYSIA DAY because it was on this historic day that a brand new country was born in the world. (Singapore got 'kicked out' later but Malaysian history books politely claim she decided to withdraw from the new nation. Brunei was also involved in the discussions to form Malaysia but it too decided against the idea.)
However, gradually, Malaysia Day became forgotten through, I suspect, a subtle and systematic process of brainwashing on the part of the Barisan Nasional government. More and more emphasis was placed on Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day was ignored, its significance eroded and displaced by Merdeka Day. Merdeka Day became a public holiday, and the whole country began to get caught up in celebrations come every 31st August.
Young Sarawakian school children were, and still are taught to wave flags and jump for joy come 31st August because on this date Malaysia achieved her independence. Now if you have been paying attention, you will obviously have noticed that there is a factual error in the previous sentence. Malaysia DID NOT achieve her independence on the 31st of August, 1957 simply because Malaysia had not existed yet! It was only Malaya which achieved her independence on the 31st of August, 1957; Malaysia was only formed six years AFTER Malaya achieved independence.
The date 31st of August means very little to me as a Sarawakian and yet I am told by my government to honour this date on the basis that I am a citizen of Malaysia and therefore as a proud and loyal Malaysian, I should jump and shout for joy that Malayans received their independence on the 31st of August despite the fact that I am also a Sarawakian and this date has little significance to me. This date did not affect my beloved Sarawak in any way whatsoever and has never been part of its rich history, so what is there to celebrate or what memory is there to honour and cherish for a Sarawakian? Sarawak achieved her independence on the 22nd of July but the government does not give this date any due recognition. Instead, I am to celebrate a date which has more significance for my fellow Malaysians in West Malaysia. That is why I am sad.
Malaysia Day, the 16th of September, 1963, however, means a lot to me. It was the date my beloved Sarawak became a part of a new nation, standing tall and proud in the world amongst other independent nations. Shouldn't this date when we officially became a country take centre-stage in our history as a nation?
And yet, it was only last year that the Barisan Nasional government decided to recognise Malaysia Day and grant it 'public holiday' status. And only because Pakatan Rakyat 'reminded' the BN government. It actually took the BN government forty-seven years to recognise Malaysia Day officially!
But the question on my mind is why did the BN government try to sweep Malaysia Day under the carpet and dispatch it to the annals of history to be conveniently forgotten? And why do I suspect that there is a conspiracy going on to distort and blur the story of the formation of Malaysia? Read more at: http://beingvernon.blogspot.com/2011/08/it-is-time-to-stop-buying-into-lie.html |
| Proven - the BN/MSMS Complex is using Alinskyite tactics Posted: 28 Aug 2011 05:39 PM PDT The essence of Alinsky's Rule 12 is to focus all attention on the person. It is to shift the narrative away from the cause that the person and his institution represent. Thus the way to negate this tactic is to refuse to let the spotlight be wrenched away from the real issues at hand.
By Scott Thong, 'Leading Malaysian Neocon' Three months ago I warned that the Barisan Nasional / Mainstream Media Complex was taking a page from the playbook of the strongly partisan, highly vindictive American media ( http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/40540-sarah-palin-anwar-ibrahim-and-the-politics-of-alinsky ). To briefly recap, the American media - dominated by Liberal Democrats - mocked and misrepresented Sarah Palin as a sexy, but brainless airhead. This was to protect their favoured candidate Barack Obama and clear the way for his 2008 election as President. Taking no chances, the media kept up the attacks even afterwards - to the point that no casual observer can take Sarah Palin seriously today. I should know, I got plenty of mindlessly reflexive criticism from Malaysian commentors for not regarding her as a pure bimbo! Quod erat demonstrandum. This is a classic tactic of Saul Alinsky, who wrote in his book 'Rules for Radicals': Rule 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.) Barack Obama is a student of Alinskyite tactics, and the American media's use of these tactics in belittling his critics has greatly has benefited him and his agenda. Anyway, I surmised that the Malaysian Mainstream Media - owned and controlled by Barisan Nasional's component parties - was taking note of the effectiveness of its American big brother's tactics. Anwar Ibrahim is being smeared with allegation after allegation - sodomy, sex videos, lackey of American Zionists - simply to tarnish him in the eyes of Malaysians, foreigners and even (especially!) Opposition members. You want proof? Evidence that this is really happening? Look no further than the MCA-owned newspaper, The Star, which on 28 August 2011 published a very lengthy piece about Anwar Ibrahim's travails entitled 'Weighed down by a flawed image'. Some excerpts from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/8/28/nation/9361963&sec=nation : - Anwar used to look good for his age but the sex video controversy has really weighed him down. - Anwar has been further compromised by the sex video controversy. Nothing has handicapped him and his partners as much as the video. It has raised doubts in the minds of people, especially Malays in the rural areas. - "The whole problem with Anwar is not the sex thing. The problem with him is that he is not leading. He is just not focused at all. We are so close yet so far and it's all because of him," said a DAP MP. - Pakatan used to ride on his name and prestige. Today, he is clinging on to Pakatan as he struggles to wade through his personal problems and his allies feel he is like an albatross around their neck. - "He is not going to be my leader whether he is found guilty or not. This guy has too many problems. He was a major factor in the last election but now he is zero to me." - All those sex-related accusations, said Dr Ong, create the impression that Anwar has skeletons to hide, that he is morally and spiritually unfit to lead. The danger is that as the allegations build up, those who are sympathetic will decrease. - All those tawdry details about his private life have overshadowed his track record as a political leader and, like it or not, there will be people who think his behaviour has made him unworthy of representing them. Refer to Alinksy's Rule 12 again. The BN/MSM Complex has picked Anwar Ibrahim, frozen him in endless trials so he cannot do anything worthwhile, headlined his personal ethics as the main focus, and turned him a divisive figure ("Should Pakatan Rakyat dump him to save itself?"). He is being slowly cut off from even diehard support and is painted as a bullying pervert to isolate him from public sympathy. He is being cruelly but effectively targeted with criticism and ridicule, which has shown to be easier than targeting Pakatan Rakyat itself with legitimate political questions. So it doesn't matter if Sodomy 2 ends in a conviction or not. The powers that be don't need Anwar to be jailed - that would actually result in more local and foreign sympathy for him. No, all that the BN/MSM Complex needs is for the dog-and-pony show to be continued as long as possible. Anwar Ibrahim will be so worn out, and the public so sick of the whole sordid saga, that he will be finished as a champion of Pakatan Rakyat and a figurehead of the Opposition. One threat down. Caveat audiens! If they succeed against Anwar Ibrahim, the Complex will be encouraged to further use Alinskyite tactics against whomever else they perceive to be a challenge to their stranglehold on power! Their role model, the American media, has already shifted targets to any Republican candidate who might be an obstacle to Barack Obama's 2012 reelection. To wit: Michele 'Crazy Eyes, Queen of Rage' Bachmann, Mitt 'Sacred Underwear' Romney and Rick 'Bush's Third Term'' Perry. If Nik Aziz or Hadi Awang or Lim Guan Eng or Wan Azizah takes the helm of Pakatan Rakyat, they too will be subjected to a concerted assault on their character and personal lives. Indeed, we even saw it with Bersih 2.0 ("Ralliers are just greedy London-style rioters bribed with RM50 apiece!"), Parti Sosialis Malaysia ("These six are communist insurgents!") and alternative media ("RPK is a murtad, Zionist stooge!"). Go after the people, not the institution! How can the targets of these 'Malaysia Juga Boleh' Alinskyite attacks counter such a one-sided assault? They can quietly stand tall and firm and hope to weather the storm; or they can use the same dirty tactics to give the BN/MSM Complex a taste of their own foul medicine; or they can neutralize the lies with the truth - accusation by accusation. The first option will surely leave them standing alone - an with some dignity remaining if they are fortunate - as those who are fickle minded among the public will be swept away by the powerful tides of BN-sponsored and MSM-pushed opinion. The second will gradually turn them into the same Nietzchen monster and abyss they are facing - and why should we support them then? The third option is already accounted for by Alinsky - the target will be worn down just by being forced onto the laborious defensive. There is a fourth option. Look at what the essence of Alinsky's Rule 12 is - it is to focus all attention on the person. It is to shift the narrative away from the cause that the person and his institution represent. Thus the way to negate this tactic is to refuse to let the spotlight be wrenched away from the real issues at hand. This has proven its potential in Bersih 2.0, where the unfettered alternative media and engaged citizenry combined to form a formidable counter to the BN/MSM Complex. More and more Malaysians are becoming skeptical of the Orwellian fare that the Complex expects us to meekly swallow. After all, we are the world's most connected and consistent Facebook users - plenty of profile pics were change to Bersih yellow! Anwar and sodomy and sex videos as they may be, Malaysians united and rallied and stood together through media smears and tear gas and chemical-laced water cannon. Nonpartisan, noble ideals were their true figurehead. (And the Complex doubts the claim that Bersih is not about the Opposition!) To use American politics as an example one more time, Barack Obama's popularity and reelection prospects among the public have fallen precipitously despite the best efforts of his water-carriers in the media. Fantastical media portrayals can only cover up the reality of persistent unemployment, a stagnant economy and a golf-and-vacation-obsessed President for so long. The same goes for the Malaysian situation. Our own Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth' can only steer public sentiment to one side so far, before the insulted populace bucks against the reins. This is especially so without the monopoly on information that they used to enjoy. Meanwhile, the targets of the BN/MSM Complex's coordinated attacks must resist the temptation to throw in the towel and leave the ring early. Each individual must give as hard a fight as possible. Isolated or not, cumulatively they will wear down the Alinskyites in a fitting turn of events. So let them trot out Rule 12 all they like - we will not let it distract us from the real issues of truth, justice and purity in government. We can dodge Alinskyite attempts to control the narrative by simply ignoring their provocative catcalls, and steadfastly keeping our eyes on their own ugly truths that they are trying to hide. |
| Are you ready yet for a liberal society? Posted: 28 Aug 2011 05:28 PM PDT Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia. But then so is oral sex. And if we also arrest and jail all those who indulge in oral sex, then 15 million Malaysians would probably be in jail. Probably all the 222 Members of Parliament will be in jail as well. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin When the Malaysian Civil Liberties Society (MCLS) was first mooted seven years ago, it was not about contesting the general elections. It was not about fielding candidates in the elections. In fact, it was not at all about politics. It was about promoting and propagating a civil society -- which can also mean a liberal society. However, the MCLS did not take off. So, last year, we reactivated it in the form of MCLM. 'Society' became 'Movement', that is all. But how prepared and how serious are Malaysians about living in a liberal society? Are we really liberal or do we talk only but still cringe at what we consider the 'immoral' lifestyle of the west? Today (and yesterday), three events are being held in the UK -- in London, Liverpool and Manchester (see the links below). I suppose the Notting Hill Carnival in London and the Matthew Street Festival in Liverpool would not raise many eyebrows in Malaysia. But what about the Manchester Pride, a celebration of lesbian, bay, bisexual and transgender life? Are Malaysians liberalised enough to tolerate something like that? We can choose to be liberal or we can remain conservative. And if we wish to remain conservative then it is maybe still too early for civil society movements like the MCLM. See below the statements by the British Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. They are not asking the police to arrest and charge these people for sodomy. They openly support the Manchester Gay Pride festival. Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Ed Miliband are not gay (at least we have not heard any rumours of them being so). But they respect your right to be gay or bisexual. They don't judge you. They don't moralise. They don't ask the police to arrest you and charge you for any 'crime against the order of nature'. Today, we are seeing Anwar Ibrahim facing trial for what the government says is his immoral act of sodomy. Is Anwar gay or bisexual? There are some who believe he is. There are many who believe he is not. But does it matter? We have Prime Ministers of other countries who are openly gay (you know which country I am talking about, right?). Do we find the performance of these Prime Ministers lacking just because they are gay? Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia. But then so is oral sex. And if we also arrest and jail all those who indulge in oral sex, then 15 million Malaysians would probably be in jail. Probably all the 222 Members of Parliament will be in jail as well. Someone, somewhere, many, many years ago, decided what is natural sex and what is unnatural sex. And, today, we have to live our lives by these 'norms' set by someone, somewhere, many, many years ago, who thought he or she knows best what we should and should not do. The world has changed. Standards have changed. What may have been unnatural 100 years ago is very natural today. You don't have to be gay or bisexual. You don't have to drink. You don't have to do anything at all that you may consider as immoral or a violation of your religious beliefs. But who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? As long as what I do does not hurt you, then what I do is my problem and not of your concern. And the days of people getting arrested for drinking beer or for having a gay relationship must end. This is what a civil society is all about. And this is what we should be fighting for. So, is Anwar gay? Who the hell cares! What I do care is: is he a good Opposition Leader? What I do care is: will he make a good Prime Minister? That is what we should worry about because the future of Malaysia depends on this and not on Anwar's sexual preference. Even if Anwar is not gay but he is a poor Opposition Leader and will make a bad Prime Minister, then we must reject him for those reasons and not because he does not meet our 'sexual guidelines'. **************************************** The Notting Hill Carnival http://www.thenottinghillcarnival.com/ Matthew Street Festival: http://www.mathewstreetfestival.org/ Manchester Pride: http://www.manchesterpride.com/ **************************************** Pride and Politics Manchester Pride backed by the leaders of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties: Message of Support from Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Manchester Pride on its 21st anniversary. Over more than two decades, by celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life, Manchester Pride has supported LGBT individuals and organisations, and promoted equality and diversity. Manchester Pride is to be applauded for its work in raising awareness of the discrimination and difficulties affecting the lives of LGBT people and I would like to sincerely commend all those involved with Manchester Pride on reaching this very special milestone. Message of Support from Prime Minister, David Cameron: I would like to wish Manchester Pride a happy 21st birthday, I am sure that this years celebration with its 'Best of British' theme and mix of sports, arts, films and parties will be a great success. I also wanted to congratulate everyone who has been involved in growing Manchester Pride over the years; these events don't organise themselves and require a lot of hard work, but they play an important part in the cultural life of our country and you should be proud of what you've achieved. Events such as Pride are not just about a fun day-out celebrating, they also send an important message and raise awareness of issues, they are a very visible reminder of the need to fight discrimination and support each other, which is why the vigil at the end of the Big Weekend in Sackville Gardens is such a moving tribute*. The Pride celebrations here in Manchester have been particularly successful in raising money for LGBT and HIV charities across the region, since 2003 nearly £900,000 has been raised which is a terrific achievement. So I hope you all have a great and safe time at Manchester Pride and it goes from strength to strength in the years ahead. Message of Support from Labour Party Leader, Ed Miliband: I want to convey my best wishes to everyone taking part in Manchester Pride. I enjoyed taking part in the parade last year and showing my support for equality. The popularity of event shows just how far we have come in recent years in the campaign for equality from tackling hate crimes through to civil partnerships. I am proud of the progress we made towards LGBT equality over the last decade, but there is still more to do. The introduction of civil partnerships was one of the most significant changes that Labour brought in, but now it is right to look at extending marriage equality for those who want it. From the treatment of LGBT asylum seekers through to homophobic bullying, there is still a march of progress ahead and we are with you on it. |
| PKR slams ally DAP Posted: 28 Aug 2011 04:15 PM PDT By Fong Kee Soon, The Star GEORGE TOWN: A Penang PKR leader has slammed his Pakatan Rakyat ally for suggesting that it give up at least six seats in Penang for the DAP to field Malay candidates in the next general election. Penang PKR information chief Johari Kassim said state DAP committee member Zulkifli Mohd Noor should not make unwise suggestions since he is a senior party member. "He should know that it is unwise to rock the boat, especially when the general election is near. I don't know what his agenda is but I hope that DAP, as a party, does not share his view. "Perhaps he thinks DAP is entitled to this after winning 19 state seats in the last general election," he said yesterday. Johari, a Seberang Prai municipal councillor, said the DAP should not forget that its victory was owed as much to Malay support via PKR and the leadership of PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Zulkifli, who is a Penang municipal councillor, had suggested that PKR make way for the DAP in at least a parliamentary seat and five state seats in Penang. He said he had received feedback from Malay DAP supporters and party members who want Malay candidates to represent them. He claimed that DAP used to field as many as 13 Malay candidates in Penang during general elections prior to 2008 but the seats were given to PKR and PAS in the 2008 general election. Johari said PKR was even more multiracial compared to DAP as it had candidates from all races contesting in Penang during the last general election. Pakatan won 29 out of 40 state seats and 11 out of 13 parliamentary seats in Penang in the 2008 election. DAP won in all 19 state and seven parliamentary seats its candidates contested. None of its candidates were Malay. PKR won in nine of the 16 state and all four parliamentary seats it candidates contested while PAS won only one of five state seats and none of the two parliamentary seats its candidates contested. Two of PKR's winning candidates Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng and Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim later quit the party to become independents. |
| Najib’s rating dips to 59pc Posted: 28 Aug 2011 04:02 PM PDT  By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak's approval rating is now at 59 per cent, the lowest point since last May, fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and his government's handling of the tumultuous July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally, a new poll released today showed. Local pollster Merdeka Center reported the results in its latest survey conducted between August 11 and 27, revealing that the Najib (picture) brand took a severe beating in public perception following several significant events that rocked the nation, including the Bersih rally, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II trial, the ongoing amnesty programme for illegals, the recent raid on a church in Selangor and allegations of Christian's proselytising to Muslims in the country. Of the 1,027 respondents polled, 59 per cent said they were satisfied with the prime minister's performance, down a significant 13 per cent from 72 per cent in May 2010. Since hitting a record high last year, Najib's rating has been on a consecutive decline; from 72 per cent in May 2010 to 69 per cent in November 2010, 67 per cent in March this year and 65 per cent in May. When Najib first took over the country's reins in April 2009, his administration's rating improved quickly on his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's flailing legacy from a bleak 34 per cent in March 2009, soaring by 31 per cent to 65 per cent within just three months. According to the pollster's report released today, Najib's scored the poorest with the Chinese community, with his rating dipping from an all-time high of 58 per cent in May last year to 38 per cent this month. Only the Indian community grew more confident in the prime minister, climbing by 4 per cent from 65 per cent in March this year to 69 per cent. Malay community support dwindled marginally within the same period, from 76 per cent in March to 73 per cent in May and 69 per cent this month. The survey included respondents aged 21 and above across the peninsula who were elected through random stratified sampling method along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and state. Of the 1,027 polled, 59 per cent were Malays, 32 per cent Chinese and 9 per cent Indians. "From the survey, we note that the significantly reduced approval rating may be due to the increased concerns over cost of living related matters as ordinary citizens begin to feel the impact of hikes in the price of fuel and electricity. Besides pocket-book issues, the poll result also suggests some linkage with adverse public perception of how the government handled events and public discourse arising from the Bersih 2.0 rally and other related events," the research house reported. The survey found that economic-related issues were among the respondents' key concerns such as the surging inflation rate, low wages, the unfavourable economic condition and poverty. "With respect to issues, the survey found that the public's topmost concern remained the economy, mentioned by an aggregate comprising 38 per cent of respondents, followed by concerns over social problems at 10 per cent. Worries over political-related matters ranked third at 9 per cent of the public mindscape, while concerns over public safety and crime stood at 7 per cent," the survey said. A total of 51 per cent of respondents also felt that the country was headed in the right direction, down slightly from 54 per cent in May, while 32 per cent said otherwise. Najib is expected to call for polls within the next few months and with Hari Raya celebrations in full swing, politicians across the divide have been in a race to woo Malay voter support. The prime minister recently signalled to his Cabinet that the next general election is near, telling them that he intends to hit the ground weekly from Friday to Sunday after the Hari Raya break to meet people and assess the political landscape. READ MORE HERE. |
| Is MCA in its death throes? Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:50 PM PDT 
(FMT) - PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian political radar is registering strong signals of an impending general election. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recently remarked that it could be held at any time soon, reinforcing a hint he had made in his call for a state of preparedness among the component parties of Barisan Nasional. FMT talks to Stanley Koh on issues that may have an impact on the election performance of MCA, the second largest BN component party. Koh is a seasoned observer of MCA politics, having been the party's head of research unit. FMT: Give us an idea of the current scenario in MCA in terms of party unity. Do you see any indication that the party has been reforming itself since Dr Chua Soi Lek took over as president?
Koh: Unity is an elusive element for any political party, and it always has been so. But I must say that this is particularly true with MCA. Unity within MCA must always be seen in the contexts of political patronage, power struggles, collective permanent interests and personal gains. As for reforms, you no longer hear any MCA leader at whatever level publicly shouting for them or calling for a reinvention of the party. Reforms and reinvention were hot topics after the 2008 election, but BN parties are today back to business as usual, and this is particularly true with MCA, where the order of the day is wheeling and dealing and pork barrel politicking as various personalities vie for party posts and government positions. Coming back to your question about unity, Chua won narrowly against Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat in the MCA presidential race last year. He got 901 votes against Ka Ting's 833 and Tee Keat's 578. That's just a little more than one-third support from the voting delegates. So we can understand why it was essential for Chua at that time to emphasise uniting the party. With the general election impending, the process of selecting the candidates will begin soon. This always carries an element of instability, right down to the grassroots level. Many will say this is normal. I will not say the party will become unstable and disunited, but there will not be anything close to what we might call party unity. A better expression to use would be "a realignment of factions". What is the public perception with regard to Chua's leadership? Is he seen as moving the party in the right direction?
Public perception towards MCA has partly been influenced by public perception of Chua himself, which has been negative since his widely publicised sex scandal. It has been three years since he confessed to being the man in a sex video, but it is still fresh in public memory. You need only to read online comments on him to see how negatively he is perceived. But then, even without the scandal, public perception of MCA has not been good for quite some time, especially in urban areas. There are rumours that the party is spending big money training new cyber troopers and paying experienced bloggers to fend off negative remarks and polish the party's image in the cybersphere. Party veterans, when asked to comment on MCA's leadership performance, normally shy away from saying anything. Nevertheless, there are some who point out that Chua's leadership and performance are not adequate to the task of someone who has to lift the party out of the doldrums and reinvent it to keep up with the aspirations of the rakyat. MCA leaders in government remain mediocre and less than dynamic. Someone once asked me whether there was any difference in the leadership styles of Ong Ka Ting and Chua. Ong was alleged to have promoted his brother, Ka Chuan, while Chua is promoting his son, Tee Yong. What are some of the other criticisms levelled at Chua and the party?
I think Chua is caught in a political twilight zone. The history of MCA is against him and his leadership. He is caught in a bind. Some say it will be a Catch 22 situation as long as MCA plays second fiddle to Umno. There are many factors working against him and the party. Firstly, MCA has a record of party leaders being charged in court for criminal breach of trust. It happened in 1986 when three top leaders were charged. Two of them were former deputy ministers. Today a former MCA president is in court and a former deputy president is awaiting trial. To make matters worse, the BN is accused of double standards in charging a PR leader for sodomy but leaving Chua untouched although he was guilty of sexual indiscretion. It needs to be pointed out that DAP leaders too have had their share of legal trouble, but their alleged crimes were political, having to do with their fight for public causes. Thus, history is not on MCA's side. Will MCA be able to pull through the next general election? Can it deliver the votes to Umno and BN? Is Chua likely to spring a surprise? Political observers knowledgeable about the goings on in MCA are not optimistic. The feedback from well-informed sources in Umno indicates little confidence in the party's ability to deliver. Umno's top leadership is just tolerating Chua to a certain level. They have little choice. He was elected by party delegates, even though the delegates themselves had to limit their choice between the disastrous and the unpalatable. It is said that the list of MCA candidates for the coming general election that Chua will submit to Umno will be closely vetted to ensure only "winnable" candidates are chosen. In other words, Chua himself may be rejected, even if his own division nominates him. His sex scandal may disqualify him as a winnable candidate. There is gossip that Chua may be compensated with a high profile post. He may be put in charge of all shipping ports in the country. READ MORE HERE. |
| ‘Mutiny in Umno’: MIC must back Najib Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:44 PM PDT 
By B Nantha Kumar, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: MIC should reconsider its position in Barisan Nasional if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is toppled from power by certain forces within Umno, said party Central Working Committee (CWC) member S Vell Paari. In a news report published in Tamil Nesan yesterday, he said there was intense speculation that Najib is facing a challenge in Umno. If there is any truth to the speculation, Vell Paari urged MIC to defend Najib. "He is the best prime minister we have in terms of catering for the Indian community, so we must stand by him. "We don't know if the rumour is true but MIC must protect Najib against those who are working against the prime minister," he added. Vell Paari, who raised the matter during the MIC CWC meeting yesterday, said that it was his personal opinion. "This is my own opinion. It is up to the party leadership and CWC members to accept my opinion or not," he added. READ MORE HERE. |
| Stop Lynas till doubts are cleared: PAS Youth Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:23 PM PDT 
(Harakah Daily) - Saying there are ample opinions from experts, PAS Youth has urged the government to halt the controversial Lynas Advanced Material Plant project in Gebeng, Pahang until questions over its safety can be put to rest. Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi (right) said a time frame must be given so those competent in various related fields can suggest concrete actions with regards to the Australian-based company's decision to construct the rare-earth refinery.
"Not only nuclear experts, but also toxic experts, environmental experts, health experts, economic experts, legal experts and other relevant experts including political experts and independent international observers," said Nasrudin.
The controversy took a twist following a statement by PAS's Hulu Langat member of parliament Che Rosli Che Mat, breaking ranks from official party stand by defending the project as safe.
Speaking on UMNO-controlled channel TV3, Che Rosli (left), who is a nuclear expert, claimed that the opposition to the plant was "unscientific and not at all academic", and criticised PKR's Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh, party organ Harakah and others over their different stance.
In response, Pahang PAS commissioner Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said while the party respected Che Rosli's view, the Islamic party chose to stand with the public in urging Lynas to stop its hazardous plant.
"It (Che Rosli's view) should not be a problem to the party, in fact the party welcomes differences of opinion in line with democractic practice.
"For PAS, the people comes first in this issue. Concerns over risks faced by the people due to the Lynas project, especially to residents of Kuantan, cannot be brushed aside. The rakyat have the biggest right and they must be heard," he said.
Tuan Ibrahim, who is also PAS's information chief, said Che Rosli would be invited to explain his criticism of the party's information department.
He added that the project would not bring any significant benefit other than creating a handful of jobs, which he said was negligible compared to the huge risks involved.
'Where have the experts gone?'
According to Tuan Ibrahim, it was normal for experts to always claim that there was "no danger under normal circumstances", even in the case of a nuclear plant.
"Residents in Gebeng and Kuantan still remember the rare earth project in Bukit Merah in 1980s. When it was approved, it was also claimed to be safe and not hazardous for humans and the environment.
"Then, when it was proven hazardous, where did all the experts who gave their opinions go? In the end, the ones suffering are the residents around the plant, in fact its toxic wastes until today have yet to be dealt properly," said Tuan Ibrahim.
In 1992, the High Court ordered a rare-earth plant run by Mitsubishi in Bukit Merah to be shut down following cases of still-born and abnormal babies attributed to radioactive exposure. READ MORE HERE. |
| Mat Sabu to sue Utusan over ‘false report’ Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:16 PM PDT 
By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: PAS deputy president, Mohamad Sabu, will take legal action against Utusan Malaysia for the "distorted and false" reporting of his ceramah in Penang's Tasek Gelugor on Augt 21. Last Saturday, the Umno-owned daily had quoted the PAS leader as saying that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the Emergency on Feb 3, 1950, were heroes and not the 17 policemen who died in the attack. Utusan also quoted him as saying that the country's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, and Umno's first president, Onn Jaafar, should not be recognised as freedom fighters because they were also British officers. Up to 20 police reports have been lodged against Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, over the weekend accompanied by accusations that he intends to re-write history to turn Malaysia into a republic. Yesterday, Mat Sabu declined to comment on the report, saying that he could not remember what he had said during his ceramah and needed to review it first. However, today he told FMT that he had listened to the recordings of his speech and confirmed that Utusan's report was "distorted and a lie". "I even asked all my friends who attended the ceramah to be doubly sure that I didn't convey what was reported in Utusan," he said. "The report is definitely false. So I will meet my lawyer after Hari Raya to discuss suing Utusan over this matter." According to Mat Sabu, he had mentioned the Bukit Kepong attack but not the communists or the name of their leaders. "What I said was that Mat Indera (Muhammad Indera) is a Malay hero because he fought against British rule," he explained. "I never mentioned the communists, that was Utusan's exaggeration." Mat Indera, however, is known as a Malay communist and was said to have led the Bukit Kepong attack. But when this was pointed out, Mat Sabu insisted that he never hailed Mat Indera as a hero for the attack or for leading the communists. He reiterated that Mat Indera was a hero simply for fighting against British rule. 'Merdeka an Umno celebration' READ MORE HERE. |
| Halls of Power Narrow for Malaysian Women Posted: 28 Aug 2011 03:12 PM PDT By Liz Gooch, New York Times KUALA LUMPUR — At the gathering in a hotel on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, there was talk of canvassing "highly persuadable" voters, campaign budgets and media strategies. There was even a stirring speech by a "candidate." The gathering had all the hallmarks of an election campaign meeting, with a couple of exceptions: all the participants were women, and they were from across the political spectrum, united in their eagerness to learn how to run a successful campaign.
"Long live women!" was the candidate's final rallying cry, which was met with cheers from the audience.
Empower, the nongovernmental organization that organized this and similar workshops, hopes that training women to navigate what remains a largely male-dominated power structure will increase their chances of rising within their parties — and winning elections. But there are plenty of reasons why it thinks Malaysian women need help.
Malaysia lags behind many of its Southeast Asian neighbors when it comes to women's political participation, according to the 2010 Global Gender Gap Index report by the World Economic Forum, based in Geneva.
While its overall ranking in the index was 98th out of 134 countries, Malaysia placed 110th in terms of women's representation in government, behind the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. The political empowerment ranking is determined by the number of women in parliament and in ministerial positions, and the number of years a country has had a woman as the head of state or government.
Quota status
The issue of women's representation in both the public and private sectors has been attracting increasing attention here. In June, the government announced a new quota system under which women must occupy at least 30 percent of the seats on the boards of Malaysian companies starting in 2016.
A similar quota for the public sector was introduced in 2004, and the government says the number of women in top positions in the civil service and state-affiliated universities, hospitals and other sector jobs has nearly doubled since then, reaching more than 32 percent.
On the political front, however, women's advocates and analysts say that conservative attitudes about women in leadership posts in this Muslim-majority nation and the internal structure of political parties have set up obstacles to women's advancement.
Those who manage to overcome these hurdles often find that negotiating the halls of Parliament is not easy, with some male politicians notorious for headline-grabbing sexist remarks, from accusing female drivers of causing road accidents to pointing the finger at wives whose husbands visit prostitutes.
Several years ago a male politician, when criticizing a female member of Parliament from a rival party, said that she "leaked every month."
"Female M.P.'s are often more vulnerable to attacks and scrutiny and have to live up to a different expectation from the public," said Teresa Kok, a member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Action Party and one of several female legislators who in 2009 submitted a memorandum to Parliament complaining about such remarks.
Women hold 10.4 percent of the seats in the national House of Representatives and 8 percent in the state assemblies. Their numbers are higher — 25.7 percent — in the national Senate, where most members are appointed rather than elected.
Only 2 of the 25 ministries — the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Ministry of Tourism — are led by women.
Advocacy groups, such as the Women's Aid Organization, argue that the shortage of female parliamentary representatives and cabinet members has meant that the government has been slow to tackle issues of concern to women, like developing legislation to combat sexual harassment.
Making progress
Despite the low numbers of elected representatives, the current figures reflect progress. More female candidates were fielded in the 2008 national elections and more women were elected to Parliament than at any time since Malaysia gained its independence from Britain in 1957, said Maria Chin Abdullah, executive director of Empower.
Most of the new female representatives came from opposition parties, which made historic gains in the 2008 elections.
Like their counterparts in many countries, Ms. Chin Abdullah said Malaysian women bear the burden of domestic work and child care. She said many women had complained that they had been expected to do all of the housework even while they ran their political campaigns and that their husbands had not supported their decisions to be involved in politics.
Analysts say that women find it more difficult to secure the money needed to run for election than men.
"Most of the people who run the campaigns and fund the campaigns are men," said James Chin, a political science professor and director of the school of arts and social sciences at Monash University in Malaysia, adding that they tend to support other men.
While social and financing challenges are hardly unique to women in Malaysia, some commentators say the structure of political parties in the country also hinders women's progress. Most Malaysian women join their parties' women's wings rather than the mainstream party.
Critics contend that women's wings tend to focus on "women's issues" and often lack clout. But some say the effectiveness of such wings in helping promote women varies by party.
Mr. Chin said women in the ethnic Malay-based parties suffer from what he called the "religious factor," a reference to local Islamic views on the suitability of women for leadership positions.
Ethnic Malay-based parties, such as the governing United Malays National Organization and the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, have fielded proportionately fewer female candidates than ethnic Chinese-based parties, such as the opposition Democratic Action Party and the Malaysian Chinese Association, a member of the governing coalition.
In addition, analysts say, opposition parties tend to be more open to change and therefore more favorable to women.
Cecilia Ng Choon Sim, an independent researcher, and Ms. Chin Abdullah cite the People's Justice Party's decision to amend its constitution to ensure that 30 percent of leadership positions be held by women, and the Democratic Action Party's nomination of twice as many female candidates for the April state election in Sarawak as in the previous election.
"The opposition gives more opportunity to women, but in Barisan Nasional they have to fight a lot in order to be recognized," said Ms. Chin Abdullah, referring to the National Front, the coalition that has governed Malaysia since independence.
'It's just not enough'
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the minister for women, family and community development and the leader of the women's wing of the United Malays National Organization, known as U.M.N.O. Women, says that the National Front has always fielded female candidates. "It's just not enough," she said.
She defended women's wings as a platform to "nurture" women. "They can have the comfort of being with other women, but at the same time, the road is open for them to be involved in mainstream politics," she said in an interview. "Today, if we were to merge and there's no wings, my worry is that there won't be enough women in the decision-making positions."
Five positions on the United Malays National Organization's 55-member Supreme Council, the party's top decision-making body, are allocated to representatives from U.M.N.O. Women and Puteri U.M.N.O., the group for women aged 18 to 35.
Daunting though it may be, there was no shortage of enthusiasm at the recent workshop for women.
Mariana Abdullah, a 53-year-old branch leader of the People's Justice Party's women's wing, is confident that Malaysia will one day have a female prime minister.
But she predicts it will be at least another decade before this becomes a reality, because she says more women must first be elected to Parliament and more time is needed to "change all the stubborn men."
"We have to fight for it," she said. |
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