Rabu, 12 Oktober 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


Now write your election manifesto

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 02:45 AM PDT

We have discussed what we want to see in a government and what we want to see implemented in Malaysia. We have also discussed about our understanding of ethics. Assuming a political party appointed you to be in charge of drafting its election manifesto, what will this election manifesto look like? Now let's see you write your election manifesto.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

POST YOUR COMMENTS HERE

Just write ONE of the articles of the election manifesto. Choose any one but note what others have already written and unless you can draft it better than that then try to address a different article.

Start with a heading, then the objective(s), and then how you propose to meet this objective.

Remember, just one, any one.

 

What is ethics?

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Okay, in the posting yesterday (What are you looking for?), many comments have been posted as to what Malaysians would like to see in their government and what they would like to see implemented in Malaysia. But would not all this be possible and realised if we had a government (and politicians) that put ethics above politics, economic growth, development, etc? Would not what we want be automatically achieved through an ethical government? What, in your opinion, is ethics (from your understanding of the concept)?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW

As a guide, maybe you would want to address the issue of RELATIVISM -- where what is ethical within one society may not be in another. Also consider what is 'morally acceptable' against the backdrop of Malaysian society and norms. Also note that 'morals' is subjective and depends on your upbringing and the community you live in plus your religious persuasion. Therefore, when you talk about ethics, you may want to qualify it as ethical relativism and not ethical absolutes.

This discussion may help you understand how far you are prepared to go and whether you have set limitations and boundaries into achieving what you aspire to see and also how much compromises you are prepared to make on ethics as long as it achieves the end.

 

What are you looking for?

Posted: 09 Oct 2011 03:52 PM PDT

Over the last month or so, since Malaysia Today opened up the comments section to all and sundry and allowed readers to post 'no-holds-barred' comments -- even when they were stupid, bigoted, out of topic, bad language, etc. -- we have read many views, some of them warped as well. But we are yet to read about THE most important view of all, and that is what it is that you are looking for. Today, we shall discuss that. 

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

POST YOUR VIEWS BELOW

As a guide (but not necessarily you MUST touch on all these issues), you may want to take into consideration the present state of affairs in Malaysia, what in your opinion is wrong with the country, and what you would like to see as the NEW DEAL (New Deal meaning changes, reforms, better system, etc., and could be about the health, education, economic, judicial, etc., system(s)).

You may also want to touch on what you view as the limitations or obstacles (such as cultural, religious, economic, historical, legal, etc.) that the government would face if it wanted to implement some of these proposals and therefore what kind of compromises and how far these compromises would have to go to at least meet these aspirations part of the way.

I have used the word 'government' not in the context of the present Barisan Nasional government or the 'future' Pakatan Rakyat government but as government in general (meaning that we should not concern ourselves about who forms that government but that whosoever does form the government would have to do all this -- a hypothetical government of sorts).

A short 500-word essay would be good rather than one-liners, but it is crucial that your essay is not out of topic or flies off tangent.

 

Iqraq

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 05:38 PM PDT

The Muslims believe that the first word ever revealed to Prophet Muhammad was IQRAQ (read). I am sure this was done for a reason. So READ, and understand what we are talking about. To scream and shout, "You know nothing about Islam. You are not learned. Go learn from an ustaz," is not good enough. Even those ustaz you are talking about do not read those three books I mentioned above.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are some who say that those who know nothing about a subject matter should not be talking about it. I can agree with that. But then it all depends on what you mean by 'know nothing'.

Maybe there are some who don't know how the Islamic Shariah laws should be applied or interpreted. This is because they are not judges or lawyers. But then, they could be historians and they know their history very well. And because of that, they know the HISTORY of the Shariah. Which means they are certainly qualified to talk about the Shariah from the historical aspect of those laws.

Therefore, to tell a historian to stop talking about the Shariah because he or she is not trained in Islamic laws is not quite correct. If this historian not only knows the history of the Shariah but is also lecturing about it in one of the universities, this makes him or her more than qualified to talk about it.

For Muslims and non-Muslims alike, I would like to recommend you to buy and read just three of the many books I have in my library. These books are:

ISLAM AND THE SECULAR STATE (NEGOTIATING THE FUTURE OF SHARI'A) by Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im (Harvard University Press)

 

THE MANY FACES OF POLITICAL ISLAM (RELIGION AND POLITICS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD) by Mohammed Ayoob  (National University of Singapore)

 

A HISTORY OF ISLAMIC LAW by N. J. Coulson (Edinburgh University Press)

 

These three books will suffice for now to be able to make you an 'expert' on the Shariah. I can recommend another dozen more books if you are still 'hungry' for more knowledge.

The Muslims believe that the first word ever revealed to Prophet Muhammad was IQRAQ (read). I am sure this was done for a reason. So READ, and understand what we are talking about. To scream and shout, "You know nothing about Islam. You are not learned. Go learn from an ustaz," is not good enough. Even those ustaz you are talking about do not read those three books I mentioned above.

 

 

Not talking about the budget

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 05:20 PM PDT

So, we will eventually lose these people when Malaysia is no longer lucrative. And we have already lost many Malaysian citizens who have sent their money overseas to invest in other countries. And this is not only of late but has been happening over the last 20 to 30 years, but has become more critical over the last five years or so.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

No, I am not going to talk about the budget. So many others have analysed the budget in detail so you can read what they have to say.

What I do want to talk about is: how is Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (or even Anwar Ibrahim for that matter, if he happens to become the next Prime Minister) going to stop Malaysia from continuing down the slippery slope?

First we had the brain drain. More than one million Malaysians, the majority of them non-Bumiputeras, of course, live and work overseas. These are people with education, qualifications, and/or skills/abilities (and in many cases, money as well).

I met many waiters/waitresses and restaurant workers all over the UK (all Chinese, of course) who were from Ipoh, Penang, Sungai Siput, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Ipoh, and so on. And now they work all over London and in Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, etc.

And you know what? The minute I walk into the restaurant they start whispering. Then, one by one, they come over to our table to talk to me. They recognised me the minute I walked into the restaurant -- and this is because they read Malaysia Today.

Yes, they may be merely waiters/waitresses or restaurant workers, but they are internet-savvy and loyal Malaysia Today readers -- even though you may think they are merely 'labourers'.

And they are not here in the UK working in restaurants because they are stupid, unqualified, uneducated, etc. It is because they have lost confidence in Malaysia -- plus they get more money working in the UK than in Malaysia.

You may think that the cost of living in the UK is higher. Maybe it is higher in some areas but not in everything. You can buy a house for 100,000 pounds (which will cost RM1 million or more in Malaysia for the same type of house) and a car for 8,000 pounds (which will cost more than RM150,000 in Malaysia for the same car).

You earn ten times or more in the UK than what you earn in Malaysia for the same job but the cost of living is not ten times higher, especially outside London.

Anyway, we have more than one million talented Malaysians serving foreign countries when they could be serving their mother country instead. And they spend their money here. They don't send it home to Malaysia. How are we going to convince them to come home to Malaysia and serve Malaysia?

Then we replace these one million Malaysians with four million 'imported' workers. For every one 'quality' Malaysian we have lost we replace him or her with four 'lower quality' foreign workers.

Is this a good exchange, quality for quantity?

Then these four million foreign workers (many now given citizenship so that they can vote for Barisan Nasional) send more than half their earnings home. They don't spend their money in Malaysia. So Malaysians don't get to see any trickle-down affect. They send their money home. So billions of Ringgit leaves the country every month.

Go check with Bank Negara if you want the details (which is what the opposition should be doing instead of arguing about hudud).

Okay, that is about the brain drain. Now what about capital flight?

Do you know that for the last 20 to 30 years, Malaysian tycoons have been quietly investing overseas? Some have even wound down their businesses or sold off their investments in Malaysia to transfer their operations and investments to other countries.

The government screams about how great Malaysia's FDI is. It is like screaming about how much money I earn every month. Yay, I earn RM5,000 a month! But I do not tell you that I spend RM10,000 a month. So what's so great about my RM5,000 earnings a month?

Sure, we have FDIs. But the foreign investors are only here because they can make money. Many foreign companies even have a policy of not buying property in Malaysia. They would rather rent, even if they have to pay more for rental compared to if they bought this property.

This is so that they can wind up their operation and go home super-fast if they need to. If they own property, it takes longer to get out of Malaysia because they need to sell of their assets first. So rent, don't buy.

So you see, they do not intend to become Malaysian 'corporate citizens'. They just want to make money and then go home when they can't make money any longer. They are not loyal to the country. They are just loyal to money.

So, we will eventually lose these people when Malaysia is no longer lucrative. And we have already lost many Malaysian citizens who have sent their money overseas to invest in other countries. And this is not only of late but has been happening over the last 20 to 30 years, but has become more critical over the last five years or so. 

As I said, I do not want to talk about the budget. That's because I am not impressed. I want to know how the government (and the opposition if it becomes the government) is going to stop Malaysia from continuing down this slippery slope of brain drain and capital flight.

Please also read this: After brain drain, now capital flight?

 

Allow me to respond

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 06:26 PM PDT

Below are just some of the many comments in my article 'So, teach me the 'jalan yang betul' then!' I would like to respond to them as I feel further debate or clarification is required so that we can 'clear the air' on this matter that appears to be dividing us and threatens to break up the opposition like it did once before about a decade ago.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dear RPK

Recently your posts have become more convoluted with everything ending up in a paradox. Bear in mind I believe the majority of Malaysia Today readers are reasonably educated and have broader mindset, If they weren't they won't even bother visiting. I'm afraid if this continues, such tedious yet complex arguments may deter the growing viewership might plummet to the depth of the ocean. Malaysia Today is the instrument of the third force as you claim so cater to the third force. Stop this nonsensical bashing and continue to direct people to the right path. I feel that Malaysia Today has entered another stage of in its struggle for freedom. I'm pretty much aware that most of the people that visit have realized the Injustice that they are living in yet we are still confused on what to do. Yes, we know the system is corrupt, so what do we do? Do we just quit our jobs and protest everyday on the street or just keep on and increasing our political bashing on the net. Therefore I hope you could focus your efforts on the next step, which is showing the people what to do next.

written by Almassy, October 07, 2011 05:39:22

 

MY RESPONSE: The fight for reforms or change is not a 'single-focus' job. It is 'multi-prong' job. We have to do, as what in the IT world they would say, multitasking. So we do not talk about just one issue. We take about many issues because there are so many things that ail Malaysia.

We continue to reveal the transgressions of those in the corridors of power -- although due to the 'selective prosecution' policy that is being practiced in Malaysia (where those close to the powers-that-be are 'immune' from the long arm of the law) very little is going to come out of this effort other than merely 'educating' the Malaysian public so that at least they get to know their government better.

To you, getting to the bottom of the hudud matter may be nonsense. As you said: 'Bear in mind I believe the majority of Malaysia Today readers are reasonably educated and have broader mindset….' I suppose this also means you.

However, judging by the quality of the comments that you read in Malaysia Today, does this give you the impression that 'the majority of Malaysia Today readers are reasonably educated and have broader mindset'? The impression I get is that the reverse is true.

Anyway, we should not just focus on the comments to form our opinion. Can 100 readers who comment give you a good yardstick when more than a million others who read Malaysia Today do so quietly without commenting? What about the private e-mails and phone calls I receive from readers who express their opinion and their opinion is they are not sure yet whether they are going to vote for Pakatan Rakyat come the next election?

So we need to respond to what people say. This is because other people may get influenced by what is being said. For example, some are of the view that if hudud is implemented, pork, gambling, liquor, etc., will be banned. So we have to counter that.

Some are of the view that if they vote Pakatan Rakyat then for sure hudud is going to be implemented. Again, we have to counter that.

So we need to constantly rebut and reply to negative comments because, if we don't, then people might believe these comments to be true and Pakatan Rakyat is going to suffer a serious erosion of support come the next election.

We are not talking religion here. We are talking about politics and reforms. But when religion is being dragged into politics, then we have no choice but to face it head on and address the issue.

And that is what I am doing: engaging the religionists who want to treat this matter as if it were a religious issue when in fact it is a political issue.

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

Pete,

You are learned man and I sense that as you are getting old and perhaps been 'exile' for such a long time you are getting 'religious' in your posting. Also most of the posting are for argument.

When one gets older he tends to be closer to his God or his beliefs. But Pete, MT is getting too 'religious'. Its time you go to Malaysian politics and as our election is looming you may have to use your MT to drive in some message of changes so that readers will be more updated about what is going on with our political parties. You have deep throat around and of course you always get the wind first.

written by neilahmad, October 07, 2011 08:10:55

 

MY RESPONSE:  I think I have covered most of the points in your comment in my response above. I just want to add one more point. Malaysia Today is not getting more religious. Religion is being used more now than before to gain political mileage. And this hudud issue has set the opposition back a wee bit and has given Umno a slight upper hand (which can escalate if we are not careful). So we avoid addressing this matter at our own peril.

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

RPK,

I would like to say that even you are not in the position to comment about Hudud unless you know more than the others. Why not we let people know what hudud is all about. Its not merely chopping off people hands...

written by monty, October 07, 2011 09:29:10

 

MY RESPONSE: Hudud is not about religion. It is about the law and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. And people well versed in the law and the constitution ARE addressing this matter. (See here: 'Right to question hudud law' and 'At variance with the Constitution')

But then the religionists (in this case the Islamists) are shouting them down and telling them that they should not talk about hudud and that only religionists should talk about it.

This is where we have to 'out-shout' them. Is hudud a religious issue or a legal cum constitutional issue? I say it is a legal/constitutional issue and it not only affects the constitution but democracy as well (if the minority pushes it down the throat of the majority).

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

RPK,

I think you should stop wasting time in changing or bashing the Malay Muslim. They are not going to change since they are brought up in such narrow minded. Don't talk about ordinary people even the educated Malays also sometimes act very funny when comes to religion.

You should continue write about Islam because I believe more non-Muslim are starting to understand the beautiful of Islam and how open is Islam is.

written by DR Politics, October 07, 2011 09:35:13

 

MY RESPONSE: Ah, this is my favourite topic. The non-Malays and non-Muslims lament that the 'noisy minority' is screaming their heads off while the 'silent majority' is keeping quiet. "Where is the silent majority Malays-Muslims?" they ask. "Why are they keeping quiet? They should speak up!"

Well, I am one of those in the 'silent majority' that you are talking about -- only that I am not silent but I speak up. Do you want me to keep quiet and just let the noisy minority go on screaming? I can, if you wish. At least the Malays would not become so angry with me, like now.

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

Most of the Malays can't even understand Arab language, what more to say understanding Hudud? They are depended to Ustaz, Imam and etc. Ask that particular Malay, does he fully understand Islamic law or the Quran?

written by Meh, October 07, 2011 10:49:02

 

MY RESPONSE: There is nothing complicated here. Hudud laws, as the name implies, are about the law. The question is: which laws do we want for Malaysia? My answer is: parliament makes the laws. That is why we call them lawmakers. So, can we let parliament do its job?

Now, if you are not happy with parliament, then vote the parliamentarians out of office. Install a new parliament. Just hope that the new parliament is better than the old parliament. And that is our job as voters.

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

Conclusion : All Muslims are taught to think that way, but some like Azmi dare to risk his life and question the religious teachers and the Quran. That is the argument about. If no one question Islam, then the nation will be like Somalia and the Islamic nations. Saudi and Brunei had the money and their countries are built by infidels or kafirs or using kafir's technologies. What is there to be proud of?

And for the information, today a Nobel peace prize may be awarded to a Muslim, but a woman, for questioning the Islamic authorities. Are you going to say that the Nobel committee had intended to insult Islam?

In a democracy, we question all things and are free to think and follows our faith or believe in anything we want to believe. Sadly Malaysia is a false democracy - a semi theocratic and racist nation. How much longer are we going to lie to the world?

written by earthman, October 07, 2011 11:09:43

 

MY RESPONSE: And this is the crux to the whole matter. In a democracy, we have a right to question and to express our views. However, when it comes to hudud, suddenly we have lost that right. Why is that so? Because, according to the Islamists, hudud is God's law so we cannot question it.

So, are you saying that we need to suspend democracy? PAS introduced the slogan 'PAS for all'. 'All' would mean non-Muslims as well, right? Or is PAS going to change its slogan to 'PAS for all-Muslims only'?

Malaysians have a right to defend their democratic right to question and to disagree. PAS should be the first to recognise this since it is accusing Barisan Nasional and Umno of being undemocratic.

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

There are highly intellectual Muslims who support Hudud. Not just narrow minded ones. Why we support? We have digested in our mind that Islam is the correct religion. Then it follows the Quran is the word of God. And since the Quran says Hudud is just as wajib as solat and fasting we support Hudud. A lot of people do not even understand Islam how do we expect them to understand Hudud. The least they could do is to follow Dr Tan the Catholic Archbishop and study the Quran. Dr Tan after studying the Quran supports Hudud. But these people think they are cleverer than Dr Tan, the Catholic Archbishop. He is a well read intellectual with a PhD! I rest my case.

written by johann, October 07, 2011 11:33:48

 

MY RESPONSE: I have already responded to this above. Hudud is about the law and the constitution, not about religion. You don't need to understand Islam to understand that.

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

Generally it is true that an expert of any subject or skill is more knowledgeable than the non-expert. That is true for a Hudud expert when compared to the layman.

However, in this case and the main point of Azmi Haron's contention is not about the contents of Hudud but rather 'In a democracy, EVERYTHING can be questioned'.

If Hudud and its limits cannot be questioned because it is divine and God's law, then it should not be proposed for implementation in a democratic nation like Malaysia.

Even if it is not democracy, normal human rights should grant permission to any human to question everything as a critical thinker.

To demand that one should not question Hudud because one is not a Hudud expert is beside the point, irrelevant and a 'strawman' to the point debated in that article.

As normal human beings with basic human rights, we need not be an expert on Hudud to question its effectiveness and impact on society. One need not be a professional engineer, theologian, drug scientist or gambler to raise questions when there are negative impacts arising from their activities. One can apply out-of-the-box critical thinking techniques besides employing other experts to handle the in-the-box questions.

It is very easy to tackle the Hudud question. If one must insist on God-commanded-Hudud, prove God exists first. If one cannot prove God exists, then one should keep God & Hudud private for psychological/emotional reasons and not bring it into public where it can effect (in grey cases) non-believers negatively. No immutable laws carved in stone tablets for 2011 onward pls

written by TMT, October 07, 2011 14:57:09

 

MY RESPONSE: I doubt I need to add anything more to the above. He/she took the words right out of my mouth.

 

So, teach me the 'jalan yang betul' then!

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 03:31 AM PDT

Next, he or she assumes that the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, is not knowledgeable about the subject matter that he wrote about. And he or she made this assumption merely because the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, has a different view. Therefore, if you have a different view, then this means you are not knowledgeable about the subject.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Saudara azmi anda kena jelas betul2. Anda Muslim Dan org yg berpelajaran tinggi Dan ramai pengikut....jgn samapi kita bawa mereka ke Jln yg sesat.....sy tk kata u sesat....tp rujuklah dulu pd mereka yg lebih mahir dlm bab Hudud. Yg u baca bukan maknanya u faham...u faham cara u...maybe betul maybe tak betul!!!! Innalillah......

written by Eshmaelajenoor, October 07, 2011 00:48:57

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

The above comment was posted by Eshmaelajenoor in the news item 'Right to question hudud law' by Azmi Sharom, originally published in The Star.

I have noticed many such comments posted in Malaysia Today, mainly by Malay-Muslim readers. They are all almost similar in nature.

First of all, the impression I get is that this reader is very lazy. He or she does not even bother to string a proper sentence with correct spelling, grammar, capitals, etc., and he or she uses incomplete or substitute words like 'u', 'tp', 'yg', 'sy', etc. This does not give an impression that this reader is serious in commenting.

Next, he or she assumes that the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, is not knowledgeable about the subject matter that he wrote about. And he or she made this assumption merely because the writer of the article, in this case Azmi Sharom, has a different view. Therefore, if you have a different view, then this means you are not knowledgeable about the subject.

That is a very pompous attitude. If you do not share my view then this means you have no knowledge about the subject matter.

This is the stand that many Malays-Muslims take and it is time these people accept the fact that not everyone shares their view. And it could be possible that they do not share your view not because they are ignorant. In fact, the opposite may be true. They may, in fact, be very knowledgeable and this is the main reason why they have an opposite view to yours.

Anyway, for Eshmaelajenoor to be able to know for a fact that Azmi Sharom is not knowledgeable about the subject can only be because Eshmaelajenoor IS knowledgeable about that subject. So, since Eshmaelajenoor IS knowledgeable about the subject, let us then engage in a discourse on Islam so that we can gauge the depth of Eshmaelajenoor's knowledge and assess whether Azmi Sharom, therefore, may actually be less knowledgeable about the subject matter he wrote about.

Allah, or God, in the Islamic perspective, has 99 properties or attributes -- what Muslims would call the 99 names of Allah.

The most crucial attribute of all is that Allah is omnipotent. This means Allah is all-powerful and nothing is beyond Allah's power. Probably the second most important attribute is that Allah is not born and Allah does not die. Allah is eternal. Even the Jews and Christians believe this.

Okay, if Allah is omnipotent and there is nothing Allah cannot do, can Allah commit suicide? Since Allah is eternal and cannot die, then logically speaking Allah cannot commit suicide. If Allah commits suicide then Allah will die, which means Allah would not then be eternal.

Hence, Eshmaelajenoor, if Allah is not capable of committing suicide, then how do you explain how Allah can be omnipotent when there are still some things that Allah is not capable of doing?

Yes, Eshmaelajenoo, please enlighten us on that and once you can satisfy us that you are certainly knowledgeable on matters of theism we can then probably accept your argument that Azmi Sharom is not knowledgeable enough and should not be talking about matters he clearly does not have enough knowledge to talk about.
 

The chicken and the egg

Posted: 05 Oct 2011 07:38 PM PDT

I believe we are moving towards better system like UK. We are in the move to balance up two-party system. But first, we have to win the election and PR to enforce MCLM as third force and act as referee for two-party system. Since both parties are not as mature as UK, they might use dirty tricks to kill each other. MCLM will be used to monitor both parties come clean and fair (written by jacko2012, October 06, 2011 13:44:29).

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I want to write just a short piece today. I am busy with my studies so that means I can afford little time with cheong hei articles. (Someone asked me what cheong hei means. It means long-winded).

The comment above by jacko2012 is just one example of many such comments (and I mean MANY). I thought I would pick that one up (not that that one is special or above the rest) to demonstrate what many -- and I mean MANY -- readers like to comment.

It is always: yes, I agree. That is what we must do. That is not what we are currently seeing in Malaysia. But first we need to change the government. First we need to kick out Barisan Nasional. First we need to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. And then we can talk about all that.

But that is just it. We are looking at the chicken and the egg syndrome. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

While you may argue: yes, I agree. That is what we must do. That is not what we are currently seeing in Malaysia. But first we need to change the government. First we need to kick out Barisan Nasional. First we need to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. And then we can talk about all that.

I would like to argue: we must first do all that BEFORE we have any chance of seeing the government change.

For example, I am saying that we need electoral reforms.

You then say: forget it. This will not happen under Barisan Nasional. Wait till we change the government. Then we can talk about electoral reforms.

But then that is just it. Without electoral reforms we shall have no chance in hell of changing the government. Barisan Nasional, which has been in power for almost 54 years (earlier as the Alliance Party), will continue to be in power for another 54 years.

So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do we push for electoral reforms NOW or wait until after Barisan Nasional is kicked out and Pakatan Rakyat comes into power? Can Pakatan Rakyat win the election without electoral reforms? If we can change the government without electoral reforms, then why do we need to embark upon electoral reforms after successfully changing the government?

Do you get my point? And the same applies for all the other issues as well. We can't wait until Barisan Nasional is kicked out before talking about it because ONE of the criteria to see a change in government is to talk about this NOW.

For example, how many voters (who are not happy about Hudud) are prepared to vote for PAS first, and then later, after Pakatan Rakyat becomes the federal government, we will argue and fight about Hudud? They will want the Hudud matter resolved BEFORE they decide whether to vote for PAS or not. 

So you might say: yes, I agree. That is what we must do. That is not what we are currently seeing in Malaysia. But first we need to change the government. First we need to kick out Barisan Nasional. First we need to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. And then we can talk about all that. 

However, one million other voters will say 'no way!' and will either vote for Barisan Nasional or will boycott the election and not come out to vote at all. And this applies not only to the Hudud issue but to many other issues as well.

So don't be shiok sendiri. Just because you place ABU (anything but Umno/asal bukan Umno) above all else, and are prepared to 'talk only after PR comes to power', does not mean that 10 million other voters also share your view. They would rather tread carefully. And if they are not sure, they would rather not vote for you.

So that is my very short article for today. And yes, I know, 80% of the comments will be about whether it is the chicken first or the egg first while they ignore the more important message in my article. I have grown accustomed to readers who argue about the colour of the rope rather than whether so-and-so committed suicide by hanging or was murdered.

 

What we are not and why we can never be

Posted: 05 Oct 2011 04:47 AM PDT

Yes, so why bother? If we know that it is futile, we might as well save all our time, energy and money and just let Barisan Nasional walk in uncontested. Well, in that case, do we even need to hold any elections? Maybe we should consider the Saudi Arabian model instead then. At least there is no cheating and bribing of voters there since there are no voters and no elections.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Come now, RPK, you do know that in Malaysia appointments to the Cabinet are a bit more complicated, what with the PM having to satisfy the demands of the 14 parties that make up the BN. No one likes to have 3 football teams in the Cabinet, but that is the political reality in Malaysia.

The urgency for Pakatan to have a Shadow Cabinet is not there, as compared to the UK. This is because, in the UK, the Opposition Leader is recognised as a legal position, and he/she must be invited to all official functions, especially functions involving the Queen, and the Palace. Otherwise, the British PM has to answer to the Queen.

Indeed, the Opposition Leader in the UK has to be provided with a staff of his own, and that is the law. There are legal provisions, traditions, and conventions, that the Opposition Leader is given equal respect and recognition, equivalent to the PM. The Opposition Leader is sometimes just as powerful as the PM, as his position is ruled by law.

In the UK, the Opposition Leader is an integral part of the tradition and process, when the opening of Parliament is performed. When the Opposition Leader writes to any Govt. Dept., it must be, by law treated as an important correspondence that requires the absolute truth be revealed. Etc, etc, etc. In the UK, Opposition Leaders are knighted by the Queen, and honoured with MBE's, CBE's and the likes, and are even appointed to the House of Lords.

Please watch the PM's Question Time in Parliament, every Wednesday. Do you think that it's ever possible to have that in Malaysia? Will Najib ever will want to face Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament, the way the way the PM and the Opposition Leader do in the UK? After all, we do practice the Westminster Model in Malaysia too, don't we? I think not. What do you think RPK?

In Malaysia however, the Opposition and the Leader is a non-entity, is given no respect, no recognition, not invited to ANY functions, and he can even be framed up with sodomy.

Surely you know these things, RPK, seeing that you are a British Citizen now.

The political reality and situation in the UK is completely different from Malaysia.

Please say it as it is, Sir.

written by Ernest , October 05, 2011 23:10:49

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

The above was what Ernest commented in my article called 'The point we are making'. I decided to pick it up and reply to it because it is both a good as well as negative comment.

It is good because what Ernest said is a fact when it comes to the Malaysian situation. It is negative because he (I assume Ernest is a he) is focusing on what we are not and is accepting that without challenge rather than choose to discuss and explore that: since this is what we are not, and since this is what we should be, how we do strive towards having a mature parliament just like in Britain?

The post of Opposition Leader in Parliament is an official post, one that allows for an office in Parliament House together with staff and whatnot. This means the taxpayers are paying for this job of Opposition Leader plus what other costs involved in maintaining this position. In other words, Parliament recognises the post of Opposition Leader although, as Ernest says, the government may not quite give it the respect due to it.

Okay, Ernest has already told us what we are not. He has also, in his own way (probably inevitably), told us what it should be when he explained how it is in the UK and how in Malaysia this is not followed. Now, what do we do to make sure that what we see in the UK we also see in Malaysia?

I take it that Ernest is trying to tell us that the UK example is a good example. And he is also telling us that the Malaysian example is a bad example. I assume this is what he is saying. So, the next logically step would be to ask ourselves how we can make Malaysia (which is the bad example) follow the UK (which is the good example).

Rather than lament that Malaysia is no good and in Malaysia this is not being done and Malaysians are not mature enough, and conclude that, therefore let us just forget about the whole matter, is not only a negative approach but a defeatist attitude as well.

I am now 61. Say the doctor diagnoses me with cancer and I tell him I am going to die one day anyway so why bother to try to cure me? That is a negative stand and a defeatist attitude. I might as well tell him that God has already decided when and how I will die before I was born. So no doctor can help me live another ten years if it has been decided that I am to die within two years. Old age will catch up on me anyway and never mind how healthy I may be, even without cancer I am going to die of old age. So let's just sit back and count the days till I die.

In that same spirit, Malaysian politicians are not mature. They don't respect the opposition and opposition leaders. Malaysia is not as advanced as Britain. So let us forget about trying to reform or change the system and accept this very primitive system and narrow-minded attitude as the Malaysian way and learn how to live with it.

I suppose, in that same spirit, we can say that Malaysian elections are never fair. They will cheat and bribe the voters and Barisan Nasional is still going to win, never mind how much effort we put into trying to win the elections. So why bother?

Yes, so why bother? If we know that it is futile, we might as well save all our time, energy and money and just let Barisan Nasional walk in uncontested. Well, in that case, do we even need to hold any elections? Maybe we should consider the Saudi Arabian model instead then. At least there is no cheating and bribing of voters there since there are no voters and no elections.

End of problem!

 

As John Lennon said: IMAGINE

Posted: 03 Oct 2011 08:12 PM PDT

Let us imagine that the debate between Gan Ping Sieu of MCA and Lim Guan Eng of DAP is held. Let us also imagine that the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) helped organise this debate and that both leaders accepted the invitation to the debate. Let us then imagine what transpires in this debate.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

MCA vice president challenges Guan Eng to hudud debate

(The Star) -- MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu has issued a challenge to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to a public debate on hudud.

He told reporters in Parliament lobby Tuesday that the debate would be on how DAP was going to stop PAS from implementing hudud law in the country.

Gan said the debate was necessary because during campaigning at various by-elections, DAP had been portraying PAS as a moderate, liberal and professional party.

However, he said PAS' recent statement on implementing hudud law showed that it was "ignoring DAP", its partner in Pakatan Rakyat.

"I wanted to hand him an official letter on my challenge to him on Monday and today. But he was not around in Parliament. So, I will send my letter via registered mail," he said. 

Gan said for courtesy sake, he would let Guan Eng choose the venue, time and mediator for the debate.

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

Gan Ping Sieu: DAP says that PAS is a moderate, liberal and professional party. However, as the evidence shows, PAS just goes and does what it wants. It does not care about DAP. DAP can say one thing but PAS goes and does the opposite.

This shows that PAS does not respect DAP. In fact, it shows that PAS does not respect the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, as well. Even the Opposition Leader, Anwar Ibrahim, does not respect DAP when he said that, in principle, he agrees with PAS, in that the Islamic laws of Hudud should be implemented, although he admitted that this is his personal view and not the consensus of Pakatan Rakyat.

DAP has certainly lost face. PAS and Anwar are sending a message to DAP that it is not relevant and that its views are not important. The message that they are sending to DAP is that DAP can take it or leave it. And if DAP is not happy about this matter, then it can leave Pakatan Rakyat, just like it did once before when the same controversy erupted during the time of Barisan Alternatif.

Pakatan Rakyat talks about consensus. DAP talks about consensus. What consensus? When PAS announced that it is still committed to its aspiration of implementing Hudud, was that based on consensus or based on just what PAS wants?

If PAS implements Hudud, how will the Chinese in Malaysia fare? Will the rights of the Chinese be protected? Will prostitution, nightclubs, karaoke joints, pork, gambling and liquor be banned? Will the wishes of the Chinese no longer matter?

DAP is selling out the Chinese just because it seeks power. DAP will do anything just to get into power, even sell out the Chinese. DAP is a traitor to the Chinese community. DAP talks about defending the rights of the Chinese and yet it works with PAS, which is a party that is dangerous to the Chinese.

Maybe Guan Eng can explain what is going to happen to the Chinese community if Hudud is implemented in Malaysia. And if Guan Eng says that Hudud will never be implemented, then maybe he can explain how DAP can prevent that from happening since PAS has not relented in its mission to implement Hudud and still treats this as the priority of the party.

 

Lim Guan Eng: First of all, MCA must note that while Pakatan Rakyat does things on the basis of consensus, this does not mean we deny each party the right to express its views. Unlike in Barisan Nasional, where no party can make any statement that Umno will not allow and whatever they say is just echoing whatever Umno says, in Pakatan Rakyat we do not stifle the freedom of anyone to express their opinion. That is why PAS is allowed to say what it wants to say, even if the rest of the parties in Pakatan Rakyat may not share this view.

Democracy is not about allowing you to say something that I agree with. That is not democracy. Democracy is about allowing you to say something that I disagree with. No doubt DAP does not agree with Hudud. PAS, however, supports Hudud. So we allow PAS to talk about Hudud and to state its aspirations regarding Hudud. If we stop PAS from saying all this, then DAP would be violating the principles of democracy.

You cannot view this as PAS not respecting DAP by saying something that DAP does not agree with. You have to view it as DAP respecting the right of PAS to say something that DAP does not agree with. To agree is easy. Anyone can do that. But to agree to disagree is the hard thing to do. And that is what Pakatan Rakyat is able to do and which Barisan Nasional is not able to.

I know this is a very difficult concept for MCA to understand because this is not practiced in Barisan Nasional. In Barisan Nasional, MCA can't say something that Umno is opposed to. MCA can only say something that Umno likes to hear. If MCA says something that Umno is unhappy with, then there will be screams for MCA to get out of Barisan Nasional or that MCA should be sacked from Barisan Nasional or that the Chinese should go back to China and so on. This is not how we do things in Pakatan Rakyat.

This talk about Chinese rights is outdated. In Pakatan Rakyat, we do not talk about Chinese rights or Indian rights or Malay rights like you do in Barisan Nasional. In Pakatan Rakyat, we talk about the rights of all Malaysians irrespective or ethnicity. Even when we talk about Hudud we talk about how it will be accepted by all Malaysians and not how it is accepted or reject by any one ethnicity.

What MCA does not seem to understand is that Islamic Sharia laws have been around since before Merdeka. This law used to be the secondary laws in Malaysia and only touches on Islamic matters, and even then only in cases where the common laws do not address, in particular matters concerning marriage, divorce, death, inheritance, and so on. It does not cover crimes, traffic offenses, and whatnot. For that we have the common laws, which override the Sharia laws.

In the past, the common law courts took precedence over the Sharia courts. However, Barisan Nasional, which MCA is a member of, changed this when it made the Sharia courts at par with the common law courts. This confusion was something that Barisan Nasional created and MCA is part of Barisan Nasional. Why did MCA support this move to upgrade the status of the Sharia courts and now we have ambiguity between which court has more power to decide on matters concerning the Sharia?

Can you see that Barisan Nasional, meaning also MCA, is the culprit that started all this confusion? Now you blame us for what you did.

The Sharia laws of Hudud are very specific. It covers only certain violent and serious crimes like robbery, murder, rebellion, apostasy, consuming of intoxicating substances, illicit sex, and slander.

Now, we already have laws governing robbery, murder and rebellion. So these laws will take precedence over Hudud. In fact, the common law punishment for rebellion is even worse. Can you remember we hanged the Al Maunah people who were charged for rebellion a few years ago? Under Hudud, they would not have been hanged. They would have been given a chance to repent and if they repented then they would be pardoned and allowed back into society. But instead we hanged them for rebellion.

Under Hudud, even Chin Peng would have been allowed home since he has already signed a peace treaty with Malaysia back in 1989. Would not Hudud have been better in cases such as these?

On the consumption of intoxicating substances, we already have laws for that as well. If you were to be arrested with drugs above a certain limit, even if you do not consume it but only possessed it, you would be hanged. Under Hudud, possession is not a crime. Only consumption is. And you would not be hanged.

However, with or without Hudud, intoxication and illicit sex are already crimes under the Sharia. Muslims would be punished for this, even now. Non-Muslims are not covered under these laws just like they would not be under Hudud as well.

We must remember, pork, liquor, gambling, illicit sex, and any activities that Islam considers immoral, are only forbidden for Muslims. Non-Muslims can continue being as immoral as they would like to be. Chua Soi Lek admitted publicly that he was the man in the porn video. Since he is not a Muslim, nothing happened to him. If he is a Muslim, then he would have been brought before the Sharia court since he had confessed to being the man in the video. 

According to the Constitution, Islam is the religion of the Federation. According to the Constitution, the Rulers are the head of Islam. According to the Constitution, each state has power over Islam, and this means Islamic Sharia laws as well. So it is up to the states how it would like Islam to be implemented.

If MCA finds this unacceptable, and since MCA is part of the government, then MCA can always get Parliament to amend the Constitution to rectify this. Why does MCA not do this? Why keep quiet?

DAP and PAS are not part of the government. MCA and Umno are. So go amend the Constitution to remove the powers of the states as well as the Rulers and bring Islam under the federal government. MCA and Umno have the power to do this. Why is this not being done? Then, once this is done, PAS can no longer talk about Hudud because Islam will no longer come under the states but will be under the Prime Minister and Parliament.

Anyway, PAS normally contests only one-third the seats in Parliament and it never wins all the seats it contests. It is, therefore, impossible for PAS to amend the Constitution that will allow Hudud to be implemented. PAS will need Umno and the other Muslim MPS from Pakatan Rakyat to combine their votes to get a majority in Parliament. And we all know this will never happen. 

So what is the issue here? Is this a real issue or a red herring? MCA is just trying to distract the people from the fact that it is irrelevant and is going to get wiped out in the coming general election. MCA is trying to treat this Hudud issue as its 'talian hayat'. Let's see whether the voters buy this ploy.

 
Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


WIKILEAKS: Malaysia's Current Economic Performance Masks Need for Structural Change

Posted: 12 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Education was among Ariff's primary concerns. Ethnic Malays were poorly prepared for university, he explained, largely due to a separate one-year "fast track" matriculation which was designed to enable them to secure a place in college more easily. Non-Malays were required to complete a more rigorous two-year program and pass an exam. The end result was that the non-Malays did better once they entered university. Moreover, separate education before college led to patterns of self-segregation at the university, and Ariff observed that the various ethnic groups had little interaction.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

1. (SBU) Summary:  Malaysia's central bank Deputy Governor considers the country's banking sector unexposed to the turmoil in the US sub-prime mortgage market and believes that the economy remains on track for six percent GDP growth in 2007. 

Private sector economists, however, point out that Malaysia's economy is performing under its potential growth rate by as much as two percentage points due to poor government policy.  The racial preference policies set out in the New Economic Policy (NEP) are viewed as the primary source of growth-restraining distortions which primarily have served to enrich political cronies.  In the process, not only has the NEP failed to reduce poverty among ethic Malays, it has directly contributed to greater income inequality and poverty.  It continues to crowd out of healthy private sector investment by government linked corporations. 

Perverse education policies have chipped away at Malaysia's ability to produce a competitive work force for a global economy.  Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is not perceived as a politician prepared to make the hard decisions necessary to reform the policies upon which his political supporters have come to depend.  Middle of the road rates of economic growth prevent a greater sense of urgency among policy makers, but over time these structural policy failures are expected to create even stronger constraints on Malaysia's ability to deliver on robust economic growth. End summary.

CENTRAL BANK: LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

2. (U) In a meeting with Economic Counselor and Financial Attach for Southeast Asia, Ooi Sang Kuang, Deputy Governor of Bank Negara, Malaysia's central bank, expressed confidence that the Malaysian economy would remain largely on track to reach government forecasts of 6% growth for 2007, even in light of the U.S. sub-prime lending problems.

Ooi said that, although Malaysia was fairly insulated from the U.S. sub-prime lending market, he was concerned about how the "sentimental effect" of a significant reduction in financial markets could impact the global economy.  He described the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to lower interest rates by fifty basis points as having done "wonders" for the global economy.

MANUFACTURING SECTOR MUST IMPROVE

3. (U) Ooi described Malaysia's overall manufacturing sector as "not robust" and said it would need to become more competitive.  The sector that would suffer the most from an economic downturn in the U.S. was electrical & electronics (E&E), which was largely dependent upon U.S. demand for semiconductors, he explained.  He said Malaysia was not moving up the value chain rapidly enough, and that the country needed to transform its economy, particularly in light of a strengthening currency that would make Malaysian exports more expensive.

4. (U) Ooi pointed out that the ringgit's long-term value was increasing, and said Malaysian manufacturers would be forced to either "move up the value chain" or relocate if necessary.  He said many Malaysian companies were investing overseas, with labor-intensive manufacturing moving to Vietnam and Indonesia.

"MANAGING" FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES

5. (U) Ooi said Bank Negara continued to intervene in the foreign exchange market, but only to "smooth it out" and "manage" volatility, since large volumes could "disturb or excite markets" if they were not kept within "tolerable levels" of flexibility. He claimed that the central bank intervened in both directions - to smooth both the highs and the lows.  (Note:  when asked about this, one private sector banking professional responded that this might be true on a one-to-ten ratio, with the central bank mitigating the "lows" once for every ten times it intervenes to mitigate the "highs.") 

ECONOMY STILL CHUGGING ALONG

6. (U) In spite of the setback in E&E, strong domestic demand continued to fuel the economy, explained Ooi.  Demand was being driven largely by higher rural incomes resulting from high commodity prices, a recent 35% civil service salary increase, and large government projects being implemented under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

He estimated that the government projects would remain the primary driver of domestic demand until mid-2008, by which time he expected the private sector would strengthen and the government-funded projects taper off.  The economy would also benefit by the imminent opening of the Kikeh oil field, Malaysia's first deepwater operation.

FINANCIAL SECTOR LIBERALIZATION

7. (U) For its part, the Government of Malaysia (GOM) would continue to enact financial liberalizations, just as it had been doing for the Islamic finance sector.  According to Ooi, the GOM had been adhering to the ten-year Financial Sector Master Plan and in some areas was ahead of schedule.  This, coupled with the GOM's recent announcement that corporate tax rates would be reduced to 25% in 2009, would help boost the Malaysian economy.

AN ANALYST'S VIEW

8. (U) While Ooi was upbeat about the Malaysian economy's resilience, Dr. Mohamed Ariff, President of the Malaysian Institute for Economic Research (MIER), was more willing to discuss the weaknesses as well as the strengths.  He cited similar economic indicators and pointed to the same strengths - strong domestic demand, government stimulus, and a reasonable forecast of 5.3 to 6 percent growth.  But Malaysia had much more potential than that, he said. 

Malaysia would need to "move up the value chain" to position itself to complement, rather than compete with, China and other low-wage manufacturing centers in the region.  In fact, he said the GOM had rejected many applications to bring low-tech labor-intensive manufacturing to Malaysia, some of which had requested bringing in a few thousand (low-wage) foreign workers.  Rather, the GOM was approving higher-tech manufacturing in the E&E sector, but these more capital-intensive investments were not bringing in many jobs for Malaysians, with 20% of new jobs going to foreigners.

REFORMS NEEDED

9. (SBU) To surmount the hurdles and achieve Malaysia's full potential for economic growth, Ariff argued that the GOM would need to enact some politically sensitive - and perhaps unlikely - reforms.  First on the list would be to address the "New Economic Policy" (NEP), a system of race-based preferences for ethnic Malays.

Most benefits were going to cronies; intra-ethnic inequality was increasing, especially among Malays; and the entire system was creating a "dependency syndrome," putting low priority on academic achievement, he said. 

10. (U) Education was among Ariff's primary concerns.  Ethnic Malays were poorly prepared for university, he explained, largely due to a separate one-year "fast track" matriculation which was designed to enable them to secure a place in college more easily.  Non-Malays were required to complete a more rigorous two-year program and pass an exam.  The end result was that the non-Malays did better once they entered university.  Moreover, separate education before college led to patterns of self-segregation at the university, and Ariff observed that the various ethnic groups had little interaction.

11. (SBU) Government-linked companies were another politically sensitive issue that would need to be addressed, as they were crowding out other players in the market, according to Ariff.  In 1985 the GOM privatized a number of companies, but these simply went to cronies, he said.  It was time for another round, but this would need to be done fairly.

12. (SBU) The race-based preferences in general and the poor educational system in particular were impediments to reaching Malaysia's full potential, but Malaysians were afraid of change, he explained.  "We need a new NEP," said Ariff, "and a free press not owned by the Barisan Nasional" (the ruling coalition which has been in power since independence in 1957).

13. (U) Ariff also was disappointed that the newly released 2008 budget contained no reference to the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) which had been pending since 2004.  The GST, similar to a value-added tax, would be desperately needed in several years' time when Malaysia was expected to become a net importer of oil. Currently Petronas, the national oil company, provides 38% of the federal government's revenue, and the country's tax regime will need to be restructured to avert a crisis.

 14. (U) Comment:  There is widespread agreement on what to expect in the near term for the Malaysian economy: not much.  The economy will continue to chug along, growing at five to six percent; cronies will continue to benefit from the current system; and, despite Malaysia's greater potential, there will be little demand for change until things get measurably worse.  With elections near, no one expects the GOM to take actions that are politically difficult - least of all changes to the NEP, which is the Malays' sacred cow.

KEITH (October 2007)

 

SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO ANOTHER DUST-UP

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

On October 6, members of a private, volunteer Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's cultural attache to Malaysia. The latest incident follows on the heels of several cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working in Indonesia. For example, Indonesians were outraged when an Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August and when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas, alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a month by a Rela volunteer.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).

1.  (U)  This message was coordinated with Embassy Kuala Lumpur.

2. (C) SUMMARY:  The brief detention--on illegal immigration charges--of an Indonesian diplomat's wife based in Malaysia has sparked an uproar in Indonesia.  Despite a formal apology, the Indonesian national legislature (DPR) has demanded that the GOI take steps to freeze ties with Malaysia. 

The Indonesian government has rebuffed those demands and ties remain stable, but Indonesians--who are already inflamed over cases of alleged migrant labor abuse in Malaysia--are feeling increasingly touchy toward their neighbor.  END SUMMARY.

A BRIEF DETENTION

3. (U) On October 6, members of a private, volunteer Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's cultural attache to Malaysia.  The uniformed personnel--officially authorized to pick up illegal immigrants and deliver them to detention centers--reportedly failed to recognize Nurdin's diplomatic ID.  Rela detained the woman for about two hours while her daughter fetched her passport, according to media reports.  The Indonesian Embassy filed a formal protest.  Embassy official Shanti Utami Retnaningsih was quoted as saying -- "They treated her like an illegal immigrant...It's unacceptable.  This incident shows disrespect to members of our embassy."

MALAYSIANS APOLOGIZE

4.  (SBU) Reacting to the incident, Malaysia's Ambassador to Indonesia gave an official apology on October 10.  Despite this, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak went on to deny publicly that Nurdin was detained at all, claiming that she was merely asked to wait while authorities verified her credentials, according to a Malaysian media report which also received coverage in Indonesia.

BACKLASH IN INDONESIA

5. (C) For their part, Indonesian legislators reacted strongly in the week following the incident.  Several DPR members spoke out publicly, calling for withdrawal of the Indonesian ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, freezing the export of Indonesian migrant labor to Indonesia, and halting annual joint military exercises.  Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said--given the official protest and official apology--the matter should now be laid to rest.  Based on Pol/C's soundings over the October 13-14 weekend, Indonesian politicians were still angry over the incident, claiming that it shows that Malaysians have "no respect" for Indonesians.

6.  (SBU) Sentiments of bruised nationalism have spilled over into culture as well, with recent calls by prominent Indonesians to boycott Malaysian products because of allegations that Malaysia has infringed upon the copyrights of popular Indonesian folk song "Rasa Sayang" ("Feeling of Love").  A song with the same tune and near identical lyrics has recently been employed to promote Malaysian tourism.

Theo Sambuaga, Chairman of the DPR's Commission I which deals with foreign and security affairs, stated publicly on October 9 -- "We ask Malaysia, its apparatus and the media, to stop denigrating Indonesians."

TIES A BIT BRUISED -- BUT STABLE

7. (C) The latest incident follows on the heels of several cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working in Indonesia.  For example, Indonesians were outraged when an Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August (ref B) and when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas, alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a month by a Rela volunteer (ref A).

8. (C) In spite of all the problems, Indonesian-Malaysian ties remain stable.  The perception is growing among Indonesians that they are somehow not being treated with respect, however.  At the heart of the matter, is sentiment among Indonesians that Malaysians have a superiority complex and treat Indonesians as if they are second-class citizens.

A bit embittered, Indonesians increasingly are taking a touchy, nationalistic stance toward their cousins across the strait --  "They just treat us like dirt," said one official to Dep/Pol/C.

HUME (October 2007)

 

WIKILEAKS: MALAYSIAN RACIAL ECONOMIC PREFERENCES CRITIQUED AT CONFERENCE IN KL

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

In response to Lim's presentation, a number of members of the audience spoke out angrily, including a member of the Government's Economic Planning Unit (EPU) who resorted to a personal attack on Lim rather than on the points he raised. Another critic in the audience, Ms. Aminah binti Pit Abdul Rahman who had been a government employee for 23 years, became visibly agitated and reminded the audience that ethnic Malays comprised 60 percent of the population; therefore, she argued (or rather shouted) that the government targets should be raised from 30 percent to 60 or 70 percent.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

1. (SBU) Summary:  Malaysia's race-based economic preferences were roundly criticized at the annual National Economic Outlook Conference hosted by the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER). In the keynote address, the Crown Prince of the State of Perak called for national unity and pragmatic economic policies designed to improve the country's competitiveness, essentially a polite rejection of race-based policies. Stronger attacks on Malaysia's racial preferences were made by a former World Bank economist and an Australian academic who argued that incentives in Malaysia's economy were becoming increasingly distorted, leading to a loss of competitiveness.  While no one expects the government of Malaysia to undertake policy change in this sensitive area in the near term, it is notable that a government-funded think tank provided the forum for this much needed debate.  End Summary.

CROWN PRINCE OF STATE OF PERAK CALLS FOR CHANGE

2.  (U) In his keynote address the Crown Prince of the State of Perak called for "pragmatism and fairness," a subtle attack on the government's current policies in terms of both its economic agenda and its divisive racial preferences.  On the economic front, he described Malaysia as "squeezed between the low-cost economies of China and Vietnam and the high-technology economies of Japan and South Korea," and called for "the most competitive, innovative and flexible responses."

3. (U) He cited the oft-repeated mantra that Malaysia needs to move "up the technological ladder"; however, a far greater part of his address focused on social and human capital, which he said were essential to development.  He said Malaysia must foster networks among its different ethnic, religious, and territorial groups.  He called for "increasing opportunities for bonding and bridging in residential neighborhoods, classrooms and the workplace, all with the understanding that more cultural mix is better."

4. (U) Alluding to the ongoing brain drain, the Crown Prince asked, "Can entrepreneurs, scientists, and technologists be nurtured without an enabling political, social, economic and cultural environment?  Can they flourish in the presence of perverse incentives and disincentives? ...There are countries today whose citizens are highly educated and whose scientists and engineers are at the leading edge in their fields but who want nothing more than to leave their countries.  Countries must change in line with the aspirations of their citizens or they risk losing their best and brightest."

MEASURING WEALTH BY RACE

5.  (SBU) Lim Teck Ghee, a leading economic analyst and former World Bank staffer, calmly explained his earlier study on distribution of wealth among Malaysia's racial groups (reftels) which concluded that the wealth of ethnic Malays had already exceeded the government's targets.  His conclusion effectively challenged the stated basis of the government's racial preference policies. Lim also briefly reviewed several other studies that had reached similar conclusions.

Two studies from the late 1980s suggested that that the lower classes bore the highest social costs of the racial preference policies, while a small group among the upper classes enjoyed the benefits.  Two other studies, one from 1989 and another from 2002, concluded that the government's wealth targets for ethnic Malays had been reached or exceeded, as did Lim's own 2006 study.

6. (U) Lim reviewed some of the findings and recommendations of his earlier study on the impact of Malaysia's racial policies on the economy and society. First, he pointed out that the government holds more than a third of publicly traded corporate equity, but that government-controlled companies reflected little entrepreneurial or manufacturing capacity.  He recommended that government-owned entities be managed by competent professionals with expertise in the business of the company under their charge.  Senior management positions should not be determined on the basis of race.

7. (U) Second, he pointed out that the current practice of distributing 30 percent of initial public offerings (IPOs) to individual ethnic Malays generally benefited only an elite few who often divested the shares immediately for huge profits.  Lim recommended that Malay IPO allocations not go to individuals unless a mechanism could be introduced to ensure that the beneficiaries played a prominent role in the management of these companies.  One option would be to make such allocations to existing trust agencies for Malays and to community-based trust agencies for Malaysian Indians and residents of Malaysian Borneo.  [Note:  among these two groups are some of Malaysia's poorest people.  End note.]

8. (U) Third, Lim said GOM regulations and policies were stymieing entrepreneurial development and hindering domestic and foreign investment.  Ethnic preferences undermined entrepreneurial endeavors and the creation of a competitive economic environment.  The GOM could better achieve its goals through capacity building efforts such as education and skills training rather than through forced equity restructuring.

ECONOMIC FREEDOM: FROM 9TH TO 60TH PLACE

9. (U) More Malaysian feathers were ruffled when Wolfgang Kasper, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of New South Wales, Australia, displayed graphs demonstrating a direct correlation between economic freedom and prosperity and cited the Cato Institute's "Economic Freedom of the World" 2007 Annual Report which ranked Malaysia as 9th most free country in 1990 but as 60th in 2005.  Kasper described Malaysia as having reached that halfway point in its development and outlined the elements of the rest of the journey: secure property rights, free markets, and a small, rule-bound, non-corrupt government. 

He summed up his analysis of Malaysia as follows:  "The politicization of economic life leads to stagnation and social convulsion, a prospect that only the unrealistic and naive can face with self-satisfied complacency.  It seems to me that it would be much more naive and unrealistic to tolerate the cancer of crony capitalism and heavy reliance on pervasive, top-down bureaucratic controls and big government.... It is the big political challenge of the present generation of decision makers to abandon short-sighted, selfish rent-seeking in order to ensure that the vision of the developed-country shore ahead can be attained."

RESPONSES FROM THE AUDIENCE

10. (U) In response to Lim's presentation, a number of members of the audience spoke out angrily, including a member of the Government's Economic Planning Unit (EPU) who resorted to a personal attack on Lim rather than on the points he raised.  Another critic in the audience, Ms. Aminah binti Pit Abdul Rahman who had been a government employee for 23 years, became visibly agitated and reminded the audience that ethnic Malays comprised 60 percent of the population; therefore, she argued (or rather shouted) that the government targets should be raised from 30 percent to 60 or 70 percent.  Some respondents in the audience were upset about Kasper's comments, with one indignantly noting that Malaysia should be praised for progress achieved.

11. (SBU) Comment: In the run-up to national elections, due by April 2009 but expected before April 2008, there has been increased attention paid to the GOM's economic and social policies in general and its 37-year old race-based economic preference policies in particular. There is widespread concern among non-Malays that these policies are marginalizing them and therefore breaking down Malaysia's social cohesion.  Many of the country's best and brightest non-Malay youth are migrating, perceiving little long-term hope of being treated as anything but second-class citizens in Malaysia. Many ethnic Malays, on the other hand, maintain a more defensive posture, apparently convinced of the rhetoric that they are more deserving of special protections because of their past disadvantage. 

Their outbursts at the conference in response to criticism of the status quo [except, of course, that of the Crown Prince of Perak] were more emotional than pragmatic. Despite a handful of such outbursts, the overwhelming majority of the audience remained silent.  At lunch a Malay who had been government employee for many years expressed gratitude for Kasper's presentation on economic freedom, telling econoff, "We need foreigners to say these things."  While little change can be expected in the near term, the biggest news is that these kinds of issues can be discussed at all in a conference hosted by a government-funded think tank.  The conference would appear to be another example where Prime Minister Badawi's government is ready to allow more open debate as a first step toward possible revisions in policy at a future date when it becomes politically feasible to do so.

KEITH (December 2007)

 

WIKILEAKS: MALAYSIA'S CENTRAL BANK: LET'S MAKE A DEAL! REGULATION BY NEGOTIATION

Posted: 09 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Similarly, BoAM has not been able to take advantage of its global internet bank because the server for that was located in Hong Kong. According to one BoAM representative, BNM said connecting to a server outside of Malaysia -- whether for internet banking or credit risk management -- was "outsourcing." When the bank argued that connecting to the box would not result in any Malaysians losing their jobs, BNM countered that, in the event of a financial crisis, foreign banks were likely to "flee the country" unless they had sufficient "brick and mortar" invested here. BoAM responded that, in the event of a disaster, there was no back-up system for its Malaysian customers without a connection to an outside server as is done elsewhere in the region.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Classified By: ECON COUNSELOR MATT J. MATTHEWS, FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d)


1.  (C) Summary:  A number of U.S. financial services firms operating in Malaysia have described various informal practices undertaken by staff at Bank Negara Malaysia, the Central Bank, designed to encourage US firms to shift investment and jobs to Malaysia in return for regulatory approvals.  In some cases the staff's demands to support Malaysian government policies are quite direct, while in other more subtle cases, the central bank's regulatory and licensing approvals conveniently and predictably follow investment decisions made by U.S. firms that contribute toward the government's development initiatives. 

U.S. firms attribute these actions by Bank Negara to an effort to earn bragging rights for its support of the GOM's development plans.  Unfortunately, the use of regulatory oversight authority by Bank Negara staff to prod U.S. firms to expand investment and jobs in Malaysia raises serious questions about the central bank's role as a neutral regulator safeguarding financial stability. U.S. firm in Malaysia believe concluding an FTA that includes obligations to liberalize the financial services sector will be the most effective way to address this issue.  End Summary.

GETTING CONNECTED REQUIRES "REINVESTING" IN MALAYSIA

2.  (C) In one case reported to Economic Counselor and Treasury's Financial Attache for Southeast Asia, Bank of America Malaysia (BoAM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America (BoA), has been unable to expand its business up to now largely because the central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) would not permit the subsidiary to connect to the parent company's Electronic Credit File (ECF), the bank's centralized credit-decision making and risk management tool.

Across the globe, BoA approves credit decisions and maintains all its credit files electronically on a single system.  In Malaysia, however, BoAM has been forced to make loan applications on paper and send them via fax, maintaining originals in a bulletproof safe.

3.  (C) In April, after several years of negotiation, BoAM finally secured approval from BNM to connect to its global server by promising to "compensate" for using off-shore credit analysis and risk management tools by "reinvesting" in Malaysia.  BNM had cited data secrecy provisions in disallowing the connection, but this prudential issue was not part of the negotiation.  Instead, BoAM reported that the key part of the negotiation revolved around the question of what the bank would "bring back into Malaysia" if it were allowed to "take this out."

4.  (C) Similarly, BoAM has not been able to take advantage of its global internet bank because the server for that was located in Hong Kong. According to one BoAM representative, BNM said connecting to a server outside of Malaysia -- whether for internet banking or credit risk management -- was "outsourcing."  When the bank argued that connecting to the box would not result in any Malaysians losing their jobs, BNM countered that, in the event of a financial crisis, foreign banks were likely to "flee the country" unless they had sufficient "brick and mortar" invested here.  BoAM responded that, in the event of a disaster, there was no back-up system for its Malaysian customers without a connection to an outside server as is done elsewhere in the region.

5.  (C) BNM came back to the "brick and mortar" question, pointing out that HSBC had invested $28 million in back-office operations in Cyberjaya, making a significant contribution toward the government's goals of becoming a regional hub for back-office operations and building up the government-initiated cyber-city.  BoAM responded that their operations in Malaysia were much smaller than those of HSBC and that $28 million represented roughly half their total business in the country; therefore they could not possibly commit to such an investment.  BoAM asked what was required to "reinvest" in Malaysia, but BNM told them, "We do not have a framework for that."  So it became clear, according to the bank representative, that BoAM was expected to bring something to the table.  Finally, BoAM offered to build a $1.5 million Global Disaster Recovery Center for its internet banking system and hire two Malaysians to operate the system. BNM then agreed to allow them to connect to the server in the U.S.

DIRECTED LENDING FOR HOUSING AND SMALL BUSINESSES

6.  (C)  Directed lending also has been a problem.  BNM set an individually-determined housing loan quota for all banks. BNM instructed BoAM to finance 50 low-income housing units (at less than RM60,000 each).  BoAM pointed out several difficulties they would have in meeting this quota.  First, BoAM did not do private mortgage lending in Malaysia, only corporate lending, and as such would have difficulty in assessing credit risk in this consumer market.  Second, very little housing was available at that price in Kuala Lumpur and BoAM had no presence outside the capital city, due to BNM restrictions on foreign conventional banks.  Homebuyers from outside the city were unlikely to travel to KL to apply for a mortgage loan, the bank pointed out.

7.  (C) BNM relented, imposing instead a RM 20 million quota in loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  BoAM had been able to meet only about RM 5 million of that quota, so every year it paid a fine.  Bank headquarters, however, became increasingly concerned about its reputation risk for not complying with BNM's quota, and sent BoAM back to the negotiating table with BNM.  Finally, BNM removed the official quota but established a "target" whereby BoAM was expected to make RM 5.6 million in loans to SMEs, 50% of which must be to SMEs owned by ethnic Malays.

GE COURTS BANK NEGARA

8.  (C) Separately, Stuart Dean, General Electric President for Southeast Asia, described a similar approach to getting approval from BNM.  GE has not been able to enter the Malaysian market because BNM will issue licenses only to banking institutions and GE Money is a finance company.

According to Dean, Malaysia has the largest consumer finance market among the five countries in Southeast Asia in which it operates, which also include Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.  If they could enter the consumer finance market, he argued, GE could double its business in Malaysia.

9.  (C) Dean described his company's relationship with BNM as "excellent" and said he was optimistic that GE would get the approval they needed.  In working with the Malaysian government, it was necessary to show them how Malaysia would benefit from any proposal, he explained.  GE recently decided to move 100 of its "backroom" positions to Cyberjaya to serve its clients in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

This supports three key goals of the GOM:  back-office operations, regional operations, and a boost to the cyber-city.  GE also provides scholarships -- another high priority for the GOM which recognizes that the country's acute shortage of skilled labor is one of the major barriers to its development.  Last week, press reports announced that GE planned to invest in yet another high-priority government initiative, the "Iskandar Development Region" bordering

Singapore, in partnership with the government-linked company UEM World.

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL ASSURANCE GROUP

10.  (C) Brad Bennett, CEO of American International Assurance Group (AIG) said he was confident that the company would get the approvals it needed because it was contributing to the country's explicit development goals.  While the GOM does not state outright that it will award approvals to companies that invest in the government's targeted sectors and initiatives, the company makes the investments and then "trusts" that the regulators will come through. 

A year ago, Bank Negara was very helpful in working out a solution for AIG's requirements to incorporate locally and meet foreign equity thresholds, and is assisting the company in navigating the approvals required from various ministries for a data/call center to service the region.  Bank Negara specifically requested AIG not to publicize its plans to invest in the data/call center.  Bennett believes this is to allow Central Bank Governor Zeti to take credit for bringing in this high priority investment.  "It will be a political feather in her cap," he told Econoff. 

AIG's next priority is to get a license for Islamic insurance, as the company perceives that its market share will decline as customers switch from conventional insurance to a Sharia-compliant product.

11.  (C) Comment:  Malaysia has a complex regulatory system whereby approvals are awarded on a case-by-case basis after what often are lengthy negotiations.  U.S. companies operating here have spent years investing time and money in the negotiating process and in developing good relationships with Malaysian regulators.   U.S. firms do not wish their various ongoing negotiations with Bank Negara to become the subject of government-to-government discussions that could undermine the deals these companies are working so hard to complete. 

However, these financial sector companies do hope that the successful conclusion of an FTA with Malaysia will create a more transparent and liberalized operating environment which will eliminate the need for such interactions with Bank Negara in the future.   Finally, the aggressive effort by Bank Negara to use what should be prudential or regulatory tools for the benefit of unrelated government policies should raise some questions about how it will implement any "prudential carve outs" in the FTA. Clearly some of the policies imposed by BNM on the banks actually undermined their global risk management capabilities.  End Comment.

KEITH (OCTOBER 2007)

 

WIKIELAKS: 2007 UMNO GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIZZLES, BUT KHAIRY STANDS OUT

Posted: 08 Oct 2011 01:05 AM PDT

UMNO Vice President and controversial Chief Minister of Malacca Mohd Ali Rustam, just weeks after telling the press that UMNO did not need the votes of the ruling coalition's Chinese or Indian constituents, pledged that "in the coming election, BN (Barisan Nasional) will win in Kelantan." Mohd Ali claimed the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) only won control of the Kelantan State Assembly in 2004 because UMNO members in Kelantan had failed to register to vote.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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

1.  (C) Summary:  The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) held its 58th Annual General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur from November 5 - 9 and despite the usual fanfare proved to be little more than a pep rally for the upcoming general election.  Although party elections remain a year away, changes were bothrumored and evident in UMNO's Youth, Women's, and Young Women's organizations. 

Son-in-law to the Prime Minister and Deputy Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin appeared to be the heir apparent for the Youth chief post and rumors continued to float that Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said would challenge International Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz for the top Women's post next year.

Considerably toned down from last year's convention, delegates abandoned attacks against other ethnic groups as the party focused on issues of unity, solidarity and electoral preparedness. 

Khairy Jamaluddin was the charismatic star of the assembly and seemed to set the agenda for his father-in-law, party president and Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.  Khairy and Abdullah spoke on a number of similar issues, including the necessity of ending fuel subsidies and of the need for the police to deter illegal street demonstrations. 

Abdullah threatened the opposition not to challenge his authority and resolve, but found himself and the whole assembly upstaged by a mass street protest on November 10 (ref A).  Recent mass demonstrations seem to have undermined UMNO's election optimism, and Abdullah finds himself in a particularly difficult position of having to repeat his performance of the 2004 general elections when his coalition parties won 90 percent of the seats in Parliament. End Summary.

Focusing on the general election

2. (SBU) UMNO's 58th Annual General Assembly, which ran November 5 - 9, was little more than a pep rally for the upcoming general election, and one whose impact lasted less than 24 hours as public attention shifted to the successful opposition-led Bersih rally on November 10 (ref A) and the ensuing street demonstrations that dominated November and December.  Gone were the television cameras which showed to Malaysia's minorities the hate speeches of the 2006 assembly and the political maneuvering of the Abdullah - Mahathir rivalry.  Instead, UMNO politicians from the grassroots to the Supreme Council pledged solidarity, tolerance, and above all else, electoral success.  Leaders warned members to steer clear of divisiveness ahead of the general elections, focused on interracial themes, and promised that party elections and internal politics could wait until after the general elections were held.  Throughout the week UMNO owned and controlled newspapers ran headlines with themes of "SOLIDARITY" and "WE'RE READY".

Auxiliaries look toward succession

3. (SBU) As is the annual fare for all UMNO General Assemblies, the Youth, Women's and Young Women's assemblies occupied the first two days of the conference.  Despite pledges to delay maneuverings for party leadership positions until after the general elections, rumors continued to circulate that Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said would challenge International Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz for the top Women's post next year.  Young Women's leader Noraini Ahmad has already surpassed the maximum age for membership in UMNO's Puteri organization, and her speeches clearly indicated this was her farewell year as Young Women's (Puteri) chief.  Youth Chief and Education Minister Hishamuddin Hussein was also on his farewell tour, evidenced by nearly every Youth speech thanking him for his leadership and honoring him as the inspiration of UMNO Youth.  At one point early in the Youth assembly, a video was played with accolades for Hishamuddin's leadership and concluded with a clip of Deputy Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin raising the national flag during the recent Independence Day celebration.

Hishamuddin then began his address by speaking of unity and continuity within UMNO Youth, symbolically placing the future of UMNO Youth into the care of his deputy Khairy.

Abdullah's leitmotif

4. (C) UMNO President and Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi opened the 2007 General Assembly in his typical lack-luster, uncharismatic style, but touched on his standard tranche of issues that promised to be campaign topics for the upcoming elections.  While a noticeable number of UMNO delegates read newspapers or napped, Abdullah spoke for some 80 minutes on Islam, government linked companies (GLCs), public services, growth corridors, human capital and education.  Noticeable sound-bites for upcoming Barisan Nasional campaigns were scattered throughout his speech, and Abdullah made frequent reference to harmony among Malaysia's various communities and national development projects that would address the needs of all Malaysians. Nevertheless, the Malay agenda remained an underlying message and attracted the most audience interest.

Abdullah ensured that threats to Malay supremacy would not be tolerated: "Other communities must appreciate the sensitivities of Malays," Abdullah said. "Basic matters relating to the sanctity of religion, beliefs and practices, Malay interests and the social contract between the communities are sacred to us and should not be raised. Similarly, the basic issues that were agreed upon at the time the Federal Constitution was drafted are non-negotiable."

5. (SBU) As he has done every year since 2004, Abdullah gave particular attention to Islam and reiterated his concept of Islam Hadhari or "Civilizational Islam".  Of note, Abdullah stated: "UMNO is committed to strengthening Islam and will not apologize for doing it.  Islam promotes moderation. . . We give the assurance that UMNO will not endorse a narrow interpretation of Islam.  UMNO opposes the culture of violence...Islam must be identified as a religion that dispenses justice, prohibits inequity and rejects violence." Abdullah spent considerable time touting Malaysia's efforts and successes in the Islamic finance sector and in the halal food sector.  He promised that Malaysia would continue its efforts aimed at becoming "a premier global Islamic center."

"We're ready, Pak Lah. Call the elections"

6. (C) Over the proceeding two days, dozens of delegates addressed the assembly with their usual calls for limiting the number of foreign workers in Malaysia, demanding expanded use of the Malay language in public schools, and encouraging development in the Malay heartland.  However, notwithstanding the usual ethno-centric appeals to the UMNO base, the topic of the coming general elections always returned. 

UMNO Vice President and controversial Chief Minister of Malacca Mohd Ali Rustam, just weeks after telling the press that UMNO did not need the votes of the ruling coalition's Chinese or Indian constituents, pledged that "in the coming election, BN (Barisan Nasional) will win in Kelantan."  Mohd Ali claimed the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) only won control of the Kelantan State Assembly in 2004 because UMNO members in Kelantan had failed to register to vote. 

"I hope after this assembly, the delegates can prepare a list of members who have yet to register as voters and register them so that they can vote in the coming elections."  Indeed, delegates throughout the convention waited with baited breath for the Prime Minister to call the elections, but such an announcement was not forthcoming.  As one Puteri delegate said in her closing speech, "We're ready, Pak Lah.  Call the elections.  We just can't stand it anymore."

UMNO is not racist, says Khairy

7. (SBU) Even the first son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, spoke of the upcoming elections and warned BN's component parties to be happy with their share of the pie.  "No one should accuse UMNO of being a racist party or label the Malay agenda as being a racist agenda," he said. "If we look at the allocations of electoral seats, the truth is UMNO could have contested more seats than what it has now, but this was not the case, as we are willing to give way for our BN partners to be better represented.  If we are racists, we would not give away Malay majority seats," Khairy argued.  With echoes of the 2006 assembly, Khairy warned that if any minority group wanted to raise issues of political equality among the races, then UMNO Youth would reciprocate by asking for equal economic clout.

Khairy sets Abdullah's agenda

8. (C) Khairy's speeches, emotionally eloquent and charismatically superior to almost all the other delegates, were not limited to defending the Malay agenda.  He also set the tone for many of the topics that would later be covered in his father-in-law's final address to the assembly.  Two of the principal topics which Khairy introduced for Abdullah were, firstly, the need to end gasoline subsidies, and secondly, a demand for a police crackdown on the November 10 Bersih rally (ref A).

9. (C) Venturing away from his typical racial and political pandering, Khairy ventured into new waters by addressing issues of the nation's economic longevity, and tied future budgetary concerns to the government's RM40 billion in yearly subsidies for gasoline, natural gas, and agricultural produce.  Khairy recognized the political suicide in ending subsidies outright, but argued that RM40 billion each year in the government coffers could "build at least two cities just like Putrajaya, nine bridges like the Penang bridge, or about 500,000 low-cost houses." 

Khairy argued that the government should implement a tiered subsidy system; continue subsidies for the poor but not the rich: "Why should we be giving subsidies to well-to-do people? This is not fair."  With oil prices hovering at USD100 per barrel, Khairy argued, the current subsidies could not continue, or it would eventually bankrupt the country.  Just "don't do it drastically" he asked. "Give us notice so that we can brace ourselves and not make it too burdensome on the people."

10. (C) In his final speech on November 8, Khairy also lambasted the opposition for calling on 100,000 people to take to the streets to demand "a clean election" (ref A). Khairy boasted that UMNO could certainly match their numbers in the streets, but such an act would only cause a riot. Instead, he called on "the police to arrest the organizers of the illegal rally." 

Nevertheless, despite his charismatic delivery, Khairy utterly missed the irony of his words when he issued the challenge: "To these people, I call on them to stop going to the streets and behaving like monkeys, and instead go to the polls if they want to challenge us," for only five weeks prior Khairy was leading street demonstrations in front of the Burmese embassy to protest the junta's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters (ref B).

Abdullah agrees subsidies cannot continue

11. (SBU) In his closing remarks to the 58th General

Assembly, Abdullah Badawi returned to his Wagnerian leitmotif and preached of economic prosperity, religious tolerance and the need to "grow human capital".  Highlighting the economics section of his speech, however, were talks of ending subsidies.  Abdullah agreed that fuel subsidies could no longer be sustained with the steep rise in global oil prices.

He proposed a two-tier structure to ensure the impending price increase was affordable to those in the lower income groups. "For those who can pay, we set the price a little higher," said the UMNO president, but he did not indicate when the price increases would take effect.  "We will restructure and subsidize at suitable rates and this will be the approach we will take in the future," Abdullah said, admitting that the RM40 billion-a-year subsidy for fuel was too much for the government to bear.  "If the subsidy is reduced, we will have a lot of money to develop our country," he said, echoing Khairy's words from the day before.

Abdullah: I will not be challenged!

12. (C) As calls from the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) resonated through the alternative media, NGO, and opposition network for a November 10 march on the national palace (ref A), Abdullah again was compelled to echo the words of son-in-law Khairy and called on the police to arrest the leaders of the "illegal demonstration."  "They challenge our laws and our public order.  They challenge the people because the people want safety, security and lasting stability.  That's what they challenge, not me.  But I say, I will not be challenged," declared Abdullah.  "What changes do you want?  Wait until the elections, then we will see together who will win.  Or are you afraid of the elections, " Abdullah mocked.  On the morning of the Bersih demonstration, Malaysia's newspapers headlined his warning: "I will not be challenged!"  And yet, as the morning rose on November 10, and tens of thousands assembled in Kuala Lumpur from around the country to participate in the Bersih rally, UMNO's week-long annual general assembly was upstaged and lost all public resonance.

Comment

13. (C) So similar were the key points of the PM's speech with Khairy's that some observers half-heartedly joked that Khairy must have written Abdullah Badawi's closing remarks. It seems improbable that there was no correlation of the two men's speeches, but it was Khairy and not Abdullah that had the most to gain from this year's assembly.  Khairy's foray into the technical and economic realms of UMNO politics marked a strong departure from his previous role defending issues such as Hishamuddin's love affair with the Malay dagger (keris) and championing calls for Palestinian independence.  The 2007 UMNO assembly marked a new era for the heir apparent, and his path to the UMNO Youth chair currently appears unchallenged and unimpeded.

14. (C) UMNO's principal objective in this year's assembly was to saddle the horses and prepare the foot soldiers for battle in the upcoming general elections.  UMNO also intended the general assembly's messages to reassure its BN partners, particularly MCA and its Chinese voters, in sharp contrast to last year's divisive racial rhetoric that went out unfiltered to the Malaysian public.  The ensuing street demonstrations of November and December, however, sapped away any momentum from this year's UMNO gathering.  The government's counter-attack through its harsh law enforcement approach following the November 25 ethnic Indian protest appears to be an attempt to retake the initiative.  Nevertheless, the recent mass demonstrations seem to have undermined UMNO's election optimism, and Abdullah finds himself in a particularly difficult position of having to repeat his performance of the 2004 general elections when his coalition parties won 90 percent of the seats in Parliament.

KEITH (December 2007)

 

WIKILEAKS: VIDEO OF JUDGE FIXING ROCKS MALAYSIA'S JUDICIARY

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

The reference to Wee Choo Keong seems to confirm that Lingam was talking to Chief Justice Fairuz as it was Fairuz who in 1995 as an election court judge upheld an election petition contesting DAP candidate Wee's victory as a Member of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang district. Instead of calling for fresh election, Fairuz made an unprecedented decision by dismissing Wee and naming the losing Barisan Nasional MCA candidate Dr. Lee Chong Meng the winner.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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

Summary

1. (C) Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rocked Malaysia's legal establishment on September 19 when he held a press conference to release an eight minute videotaped conversation purportedly showing a phone conversation between a famously corrupt Malaysian attorney and the current Chief Justice of Malaysia's Federal Court engaged in a judge fixing scheme. 

The Malaysian Bar Association and opposition parties called for immediate inquiries into the allegations and for the establishment of a royal judicial commission to investigate the Chief Justice.  Malaysian political leaders, including current Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, downplayed the revelations in the press, calling into doubt the authenticity of the taped conversation. 

Government controlled and influenced newspapers printed but downplayed the release of the tape, often burying the article to the lesser-read center pages, and avoided printing the names of the judges and political leaders discussed in the tape.

There is speculation that Anwar released the tape at this time in an effort to strengthen his appeal in a recently dismissed defamation suit against former Prime Minister Mahathir.  It may also be true that the tape is intended to force the retirement of Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz whose ordinary contract expires in October 2007.  End Summary. 

Anwar alleges Chief Justice involved in "judge fixing"

2. (U) Malaysia's judiciary came under the spotlight again on September 19 after former DPM and de facto Peoples Justice Party (PKR) leader Anwar Ibrahim released an eight-minute video clip showing senior Malaysian lawyer VK Lingam in a mobile phone conversation allegedly with current Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim fixing the appointment of "friendly" senior judges. 

The video supposedly filmed in 2002, was posted on the online news portal Malaysiakini and on PKR's party website.  At the time the tape was allegedly recorded, Ahmad Fairuz was the Chief Judge of Malaya, in charge of all High Court judges in Peninsular Malaysia. 

Among the cases "discussed" by the chief justice and the senior lawyer were Anwar's appeals and the potential appointment of Ahmad Fairuz as the Chief Justice of the Federal Court-- an event which eventually took place in 2003 when he bypassed several other senior judges in line for the position. 

At the September 19 press conference, Anwar claimed the revelations proved that his previous appeals against his sodomy and abuse of power convictions were tainted and that he was denied a proper and fair trial.

Explosive Conversation

3. (U) In the video clip, VK Lingam is heard telling a person alleged to be Fairuz that "key players" should be nominated for judicial appointments in order to hear cases and deliver judgments accordingly.  He exhorted Fairuz's loyalty and "sacrifices" and added that even former Chief Justice Tun Eusoff Chin had told him that Fairuz is "110% loyal." 

Lingam stressed, "We want to make sure our friends are there for the sake of the (then) PM (Mahathir) and the sake of the country. Not for our own interest, we want to make sure the country comes first."

4. (U) Also implicated in the conversation were business tycoon and former PM Mahathir crony Vincent Tan and his business partner Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, then minister in the PM's Department, and currently the Tourism Minister.

Based on Lingam's conversation, both Tan and Adnan had apparently played an instrumental role in the appointment of judges as well to secure the honorific title of 'Tan Sri' for Ahmad Fairuz.  Towards the end of the eight-minute video clip, Lingam acknowledged, "you (Fairuz) have suffered... so much you have done, for the election, Wee Choo Keong, everything. . .nobody would have done all this. . . God bless you and your family." 

The reference to Wee Choo Keong seems to confirm that Lingam was talking to Chief Justice Fairuz as it was Fairuz who in 1995 as an election court judge upheld an election petition contesting DAP candidate Wee's victory as a Member of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang district.  Instead of calling for fresh election, Fairuz made an unprecedented decision by dismissing Wee and naming the losing Barisan Nasional MCA candidate Dr. Lee Chong Meng the winner.

VK Lingam "Judge Fixer Extraordinaire"

5. (SBU) VK Lingam is a senior lawyer who came into the spotlight during former Chief Justice Tun Eusoff Chin's term (1994 - 2000) in office.  Dubbed locally as the "judge fixer extraordinaire," Lingam was a sought after lawyer as he had the ears of the then Chief Justice and his clients won all their cases.  Lingam's relationship with the former Chief Justice was so close that their families were known to go on joint holidays paid for by Lingam. 

There were also allegations that Lingam wrote some of the judgments for his own cases.  In one example of a defamation case involving his client Vincent Tan against journalist the late MGG Pillai, it was alleged Lingam who wrote the judgment in his firm and dispatched the "floppy disc with the judgment" to the judge's chambers. 

He was also implicated in the Perwaja Steel Mill fiasco (a failed development project during Mahathir's era) where government appointed auditors investigating the failure of the project found exorbitant fees paid to Lingam's firm "for unsubstantiated services."  However, Lingam's influence within the judiciary waned during the term of Chief Justice Dzaiddin (2000 - 2003) until Fairuz was named the Chief Justice in March 2003. 

Lingam represented former PM Mahathir in a defamation suit filed by Anwar Ibrahim for calling him a homosexual at a press conference in 2005.  In July 2007, Judicial Commissioner Tengku Maimon Tuan Mat dismissed the suit without hearing the merits of the case and ruled that the suit was "obviously unsustainable" and "clearly an abuse of the court process."  The former DPM has filed an appeal against the decision. 

Reactions to the Expose

6. (U) Former DPM Anwar stated that the revelations proved his appeals against his sodomy and abuse of power convictions "were tainted" and that he was denied a proper and fair trial.  He added that the "scandalous" expose, "serves to collaborate our allegations of a political conspiracy of the highest level and corruption of the highest judicial office, seriously bringing into question the impartiality of judicial proceedings, including mine." 

Anwar, who was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister in 1998, spent six years in jail after he was convicted of sodomy and corruption charges.  Although his sodomy conviction was later overturned, the corruption verdict was upheld.  He added that the People's Justice Party will file a special appeal with the Conference of Rulers (a constitutionally formed council of Malaysia's nine sitting monarchs and four non-royal governors), to assume their "constitutional roles" and take appropriate action.  The party has also lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and the Bar Council.

7. (SBU) Responding to the expose, Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan urged the government to establish a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the video and the judiciary.  She pointed out that rumors and allegations of such machinations have been rife and therefore, "With the emergence of this video clip, the concerns expressed by various quarters in relation to the judiciary can no longer be swept aside." 

Echoing the Bar Council President's call, former UN Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers Param Cumaraswamy (who helped represent Anwar Ibrahim in his defamation suit against Mahathir) told poloffs that only an independent commission of inquiry and "nothing less" will be able to clear the tainted image of the judiciary. However, he acknowledged that the UMNO centric government does not have the "political will to investigate the shenanigans in the judiciary."

8. (U) Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang stated in a letter to PM Abdullah that Chief Justice Fairuz should be suspended citing constitutional provisions that allow the removal of a Federal Court judge for ethical breach.  He added that he had asked the Prime Minister to appoint an Acting Chief Justice and take "concerted efforts to restore public confidence in the independence, impartiality, professionalism, and integrity of the judiciary." 

Human Rights NGOs have also called on the Chief Justice to resign and urged the government to conduct a judicial review of all politically connected cases including former DPM Anwar Ibrahim's cases, appointment of judges and the sacking of the former Chief Justice and two Supreme Court Judges in 1988.

A Mooted Response from GOM and Local Media

9. (SBU) The GOM's response to the allegation has been extremely feeble.  Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, who handles the law portfolio, stated that anyone with evidence of wrongdoing involving the appointment of judges should forward it to the proper authorities to investigate.  He added he would wait for the ACA to complete its investigations before making further comments. 

Similarly, Attorney General Gani Patail opined, "No criminal offense appears to have been committed in the video recording" but added that he was getting further opinion on the matter and studying other information in the video clip.  Current Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak commented to the press that the "Government will first confirm the authenticity of the video before deciding on the next course of action."

10. (SBU) Interestingly the mainstream newspapers, all government controlled or heavily influenced, carried the story but downplayed the news by placing it far from the front page and by not naming the people mentioned in the clip.  Instead the printed press chose terms like "a prominent lawyer", a "very senior judge", "a number of prominent judges", "a prominent businessman and a politician, both of whom were close to the then Prime Minister". UMNO-owned, Malay language newspapers did not publish former DPM Anwar Ibrahim's press conference September 20 but instead carried pictures of the Chief Justice breaking fast with the King and the Prime Minister at an official function.

However, in the September 21 edition although they still had pictures of the Chief Justice breaking fast with prominent UMNO politicians, the Malay papers carried a brief report on the issue, buried in the back pages of the paper.  Even "The Sun", an English language newspaper considered "more independent" than the other newspapers buried the news among other reports, seemingly because Vincent Tan, who is mentioned in Lingam's conversation with Fairuz, owns the paper. 

Former High Court judge Visu Sinnadurai opined to poloffs that the poor response from the government and the press was because, "it was former DPM Anwar who released the video."  He told poloffs that the GOM will naturally maintain a distance when any issue involves the former DPM.

Comment

11. (C) Malaysia's judiciary has suffered from allegations of corruption and political interference since the constitutional crisis of 1988 when the PM Mahathir fired the Chief Justice and several other judges and stripped from the constitution clauses guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary.  Anwar's allegations and video-taped evidence came as little surprise to the nation, but highlighted and reinforced long-held doubts concerning the lack of independence in Malaysia's judicial system.  The allegations of judge fixing involve several senior UMNO leaders and supporters, and it is highly doubtful the Government will find the political will to thoroughly and honestly investigate the veracity of the claims. 

Set against the back-drop of Malaysia's pending elections, Anwar's release of the tape appears to have political, as well as personal, motivations.  Anwar's PKR party, and the opposition in general, have focused many of their recent campaigns on anti-corruption platforms, and this story adds another anti-corruption arrow in the opposition's campaign quiver.

These accusations also give weight to Anwar's claims that he was unjustly convicted in 1998 and therefore should not be prevented from contesting a seat in parliament in the next election.  While such a contention will undoubtedly fail before the UMNO-controlled election commission, it reinforces Anwar's PR-influenced role as a victim of a corrupt system.

12. (C) Given the story's limited billing and self-censorship among the mainstream press, it is likely the story will wither on the vine.  In general, only Fairuz's contract extension lies on the chopping block.  Fairuz has reached the mandatory retirement age for judges of 66, but it is common practice for the Chief Justice to receive an intial six-month extension possibly followed by subsequent extensions up to the age of 68.  It is commonly held among Malaysia's legal professionals that Fairuz was seeking his initial extension in October when his current contract was set to expire. Whether the axe will swing remains a question.

KEITH (September 2007)

 

WIKILEAKS: IRAN BLOCKED, AGAIN, FROM MALAYSIA ARMS SHOW

Posted: 06 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

The Ambassador sent a message to the Prime Minister alerting him to the impending U.S. withdrawal. Within 90 minutes, Defense Ministry Secretary General Abubakar informed DATT that Malaysia had rescinded its approval for the Iranian exhibit because Iran had "broken its promise" by displaying unauthorized items. Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, acting on instruction from the Prime Minister, telephoned the Ambassador and confirmed the same decision and rationale. Rais Yatim stood by the Foreign Ministry's position that Iran's participation in DSA (exhibiting certain non-lethal gear and apparently small arms as negotiated with the Iranians) would not violate UNSCRs.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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

Summary

1.  (C) Malaysia on April 22 blocked Iran from participating in the Defense Services Asia (DSA) military sales exhibition. This followed a week of decisions in favor of Iran and reversals, and continuous interventions by the Embassy and our UK and French counterparts.  The Malaysians reached a compromise withIran on April 19 and again on April 21, allowing Iran to display certain small arms and defensive gear (still in violation of UNSCRs). 

The Ambassador called Prime Minister Abdullah on April 21 and alerted him to the situation.  On the morning of April 22, Iran violated its agreement with Malaysia by preparing a display that included rockets and artillery shells, prompting the Defense Ministry to order a halt to Iran's participation.  The Foreign Minister confirmed this decision in a call to the Ambassador, but did not concede that Iran's participation in DSA would constitute a violation of UNSCRs. 

Another serious concern pertains to the import from Iran into Malaysia of various arms and arms related items, a clear violation of UNSCR 1747 regardless of the exhibition.  We believe these concerns may be usefully addressed by P3 or UN sanctions committee discussions with the Malaysian mission in New York.  Our forceful response to the DSA incident should help us as we pursue other nonproliferation concerns with Malaysia.  End Summary.

Weekend Back and Forth

2.  (C) Embassy engagement, including by the Ambassador and DATT, continued through the April 19-20 weekend following the preceding four days of diplomatic interventions (reftels) aimed at convincing Malaysia to rescind its permission to allow Iranian participation in the DSA.  After several GOM decisions to stop Iran and subsequent reversals in Iran's favor, Embassy DATT received assurances from the Defense Ministry ahead of the April 20 kick-off ceremony that Iran would not be allowed to formally participate in DSA.

Throughout our discussions, the Defense Ministry referred to the Foreign Ministry's support for Iran and the Foreign Ministry's interpretation of UNSCRs as allowing Iran to join the DSA military sales exhibition.

Iran Regains Permission

3.  (C) On April 21, the first day of the public exhibition, we learned that the Defense Ministry had given the Iranian entities permission to open their booth.  This followed a meeting between the Iranian ambassador and Defense Ministry Secretary General Abubakar.  Defense Ministry officials and DSA representatives informed us that Iran would display small arms and non-lethal gear (a compromise discussed by Iran and Malaysia on April 19).  Contractors reconstructed the Iranian booth on the evening of April 21.

Ambassador Phones Prime Minister

4.  (C) The Ambassador phoned Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi late on April 21 after a hastily scheduled meeting with Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak did not materialize (Najib delegated the meeting to his Secretary General).  The Ambassador alerted the Prime Minister to the DSA situation, and explained that we may be forced to withdraw official U.S. participation out of respect for the UNSC sanctions and not as an effort to embarrass Malaysia. The Prime Minister said he was unaware of the situation and would speak with Defense Minister Najib.

Rockets and Artillery Rounds - Iranians Go Too Far

5.  (C) On the morning of April 22, the Iranian exhibit appeared ready to open with a wide-ranging display that included 155mm and 125mm artillery rounds; various surface-to-surface and anti-tank rockets, and armor piercing rounds; surveillance gear, including night vision devices; protective gear for nuclear, biological, chemical threats (MOPP suit); models of naval vessels; and advertisements for aircraft parts.  (Note: We have forwarded a more detailed inventory to EAP/MTS and ISN.  End Note.)  DATT drew Defense Ministry officials' attention to this extensive display and informed them that on instruction from Washington we would withdraw official U.S. participation, including U.S. military exhibits, immediately upon the opening of the Iranian exhibit.  The Ambassador sent a message to the Prime Minister alerting him to the impending U.S. withdrawal.

6.  (C) Within 90 minutes, Defense Ministry Secretary General Abubakar informed DATT that Malaysia had rescinded its approval for the Iranian exhibit because Iran had "broken its promise" by displaying unauthorized items.  Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, acting on instruction from the Prime Minister, telephoned the Ambassador and confirmed the same decision and rationale.  Rais Yatim stood by the Foreign Ministry's position that Iran's participation in DSA (exhibiting certain non-lethal gear and apparently small arms as negotiated with the Iranians) would not violate UNSCRs.

7.  (C) UK officials informed us of their meeting later on April 22 with Secretary General Abubakar in which he said Malaysia had been "hurt and offended" that a "friendly nation" (Iran) had taken advantage of Malaysia's hospitality.

Abubakar described Iran's exhibit of large ordinance as a "clear breach" of UN sanctions.  It remained unclear how and on what basis Malaysia drew the line between acceptable and unacceptable military items for DSA display.

8.  (C) U.S., UK and French missions coordinated and shared information throughout the dispute over Iranian participation at DSA.  We also kept the Australian mission informed, while the UK and France worked to include Germany.

Comment

9.  (C) While aggressive diplomatic intervention by the U.S. and its allies has stopped Iran's participation the DSA arms show (at least as of this hour - DSA will continue for another two days), we recognize at least two serious concerns that should be addressed with Malaysia.  First, Malaysia does not agree with the P3 interpretation of UN sanctions against Iran, particularly paragraph 5 of UNSCR 1747, which would prohibit Iran's participation in a defense sales and marketing event and prohibit Iran's marketing of small arms and non-lethal military gear.  (Beyond Malaysia's own position, greater UNSC or P3 clarity on this issue and advance work with scheduled defense exhibitions may help to prevent similar situations from arising at the last minute; we note that Malaysia appeared unaware of the 2007 Brazil precedent prior to our demarche.)

10.  (C) Second, Iran's transfer to Malaysian territory of various arms and arms-related materiel for this exhibition appears to be a clear violation of UNSCR 1747.  This transfer, however, apparently has not met with any Malaysian government restrictions or concerns, outside of the question of what would be on public display at DSA.

11.  (C) We believe that a P3 or 1747 sanctions committee approach to Malaysia's UN mission, addressing the DSA incident and Iranian transfer of arms and arms-related materiel, represents a useful way to proceed.  Such an approach could clarify authoritative interpretations of UNSCRs, and reinforce the international community's serious concern over respect for UN sanctions on Iran.  A P3 or sanctions committee approach in New York would provide a good basis for follow-on discussions with the Foreign Ministry and GOM senior officials in Kuala Lumpur.

12.  (C) As a silver lining, the painful DSA incident has signaled clearly to the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister and the Foreign Minister that we view UN sanctions on Iran, related to Iran's non-compliance with UNSC demands regarding its nuclear program, as a very serious matter.  This should help us as we pursue other nonproliferation concerns with Malaysia.

KEITH (April 2008)

 

WIKILEAKS: PENAN TRIBAL LEADER'S DEATH RAISES SUSPICIONS

Posted: 05 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

An official from Borneo Resource Institute (BRIMAS), a Sarawak-based human rights NGO, told poloff villagers' suspicions were strengthened because several weeks prior to his disappearance, a senior member from the Samling company visited the village. The company representative offered money to the villagers for their cooperation with the logging company. After they refused to take the money, the representative warned villagers they faced "dire consequences".

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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

Summary

1.  (C) Penan tribal members in the East Malaysian state of Sarawak found tribal headsman and anti-logging activist Kelesau Naan dead on December 17, 2007, after he went missing for two months.  Police initially refused to open an investigation until Malaysia's Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) intervened.  Kelesau's death has raised Penan suspicions, as yet unsubstantiated, of possible logging industry involvement and left the indigenous ethnic group without a strong leader to protect their traditional land rights against ongoing logging efforts.  End Summary.

Death of a Tribal Leader

2.    (SBU) Kelesau Naan, a Penan tribal headman in the East Malaysian state of Sarawak was found dead, on December 17, 2007, at a riverbank near his village after missing for two months.  Kelesau was active in protecting indigenous people rights to customary land for over twenty years.  He was a lead witness against the logging industry's efforts to encroach into protected lands.  Kelesau, one of the Penan headmen in the Ulu Baram district of Sarawak, often erected barricades preventing loggers from entering the Penan tribal homeland.  In 1998, several land rights activist persuaded Kelesau and other Penan elders from Baram to file a land rights suit against the state government and Samling, a prominent timber company.  The lawsuit remains pending in the Miri High Court.  Tensions between the indigenous people and logging companies escalated in recent months over logging issues in Upper Baram region.

3.  (C) Kelesau's skull and bones were found on the rocky banks of the Segita River.  He disappeared two months earlier while checking on an animal trap.  His family identified his remains based on Kelesau's traditional bead necklace, watch, and sheath of his machete, found on his body.  Villagers of Long Kerong previously searched the area without finding his body and suspected he was murdered and his remains later placed in the area to make it look like an animal killed him.

An official from Borneo Resource Institute (BRIMAS), a Sarawak-based human rights NGO, told poloff villagers' suspicions were strengthened because several weeks prior to his disappearance, a senior member from the Samling company visited the village.  The company representative offered money to the villagers for their cooperation with the logging company.  After they refused to take the money, the representative warned villagers they faced "dire consequences".

Police Don't Investigate; Family Asks SUHAKAM for Help

4.    (C) Kelesau's son, Nick Kelesau, lodged a police report in Marudi, two weeks after the recovery of Kelesau's skeletal remains.  The BRIMAS official told poloff that police at the district nearest to the Penan village were initially reluctant to accept the police report, which forms the basis for a police investigation.  Police tried to persuade the villagers to drop the case and consider Kelesau's death an accident.  Nick insisted and the police subsequently accepted the report.  However, neither police nor government officials investigated the case.  Instead, police classified the cause of death as "sudden death."

5.  (C) Unhappy over the initial police response, Kelesau's son lodged a report with SUHAKAM.  Nick also claimed a person representing logging companies offered him up to 25,000 Ringgit ($7,820) to retract his statement in which Nick claimed his father was murdered.  The BRIMAS official believed SUHAKAM's intervention, and calls from local NGOs to investigate Kelesau's death, caused Sarawak state police headquarters to take over the investigation from the local police district.  State Police Commissioner Mohamed Salley announced the reopening of the investigation and exhumed Kelesau's remains for analysis on February 29.  Police released the postmortem report on March 17, which stated death resulted from unspecified natural causes.  The pathologist assigned to conduct the autopsy told reporters it was difficult to ascertain the cause of death because the skeletal remains were incomplete.

Comment

6.    (C) At this point, we do not have any further information to suggest foul-play in Kelesau's death, but the circumstances of the case and the local police's initial poor response naturally raise suspicions among the Penan.  The logging industry is politically very well connected in Sarawak.  During the 1990s, two other Penan villagers, both anti-logging activists, similarly disappeared after threats by logging company representatives.  Kelesau's death may well take the wind out of the sails of the Penan's effort to protect their traditional lands.  It remains unclear if other Penan tribal elders or Kelesau's son will take up the mantle.

KEITH (April 2008)

 

The point we are making

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 05:45 PM PDT

One bone of contention with the opposition in Malaysia is the absence of a Shadow Cabinet or Shadow government. Since Malaysia's system is modelled after the British Westminster system, let us do a comparison between Malaysia and the UK to see where we have fallen short, in particular with regards to the Shadow Cabinet.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia has a population of 27 million.

There are 222 parliamentary constituencies in Malaysia.

Malaysia has 31 Ministers and 40 Deputy Ministers.

(See the full list of Malaysian Ministers here: http://www.pmo.gov.my/?menu=cabinet&page=1797)

 

The UK has a population of 72 million.

There are 650 parliamentary constituencies in the UK.

The UK has 24 Ministers.

(See the full list of British Ministers here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/prod_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/documents/digitalasset/dg_187701.htm)

There are 27 members in Britain's Shadow Cabinet.

(See the full list of Shadow Ministers here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/pm/2010/10/that_shadow_cabinet_in_full.shtml)

 

In Malaysia, we do not have a Shadow Cabinet from Pakatan Rakyat like what is being practiced by the UK and most Commonwealth countries that also practice the Westminster system of government. The strange thing, though, is that after the 1999 general election, Barisan Alternatif did have a Shadow 'government' (not only a Shadow Cabinet but Cabinet committees as well). Now, Pakatan Rakyat somehow does not seem to see the need of continuing with this practice.

Why do we need a Shadow Cabinet or a Shadow government and what purpose will it serve? Well, maybe this extract from Wikipedia can explain it better:

The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench or Shadow Ministry) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who, together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government.

Members of a shadow cabinet are often but not always appointed to a Cabinet post if and when their party gets into government. It is the Shadow Cabinet's responsibility to pass criticism on the current government and its respective legislation, as well as offering alternative policies.

In the United Kingdom and Canada the major opposition party and specifically its shadow cabinet is often called His or Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The adjective "loyal" is used because, while the role of the opposition is to oppose Her Majesty's Government, it does not dispute the sovereign's right to the throne and therefore the legitimacy of the government. However in other countries that use the Westminster system (for example, New Zealand), the opposition is known simply as The Parliamentary Opposition instead of shadow.

Some parliamentary parties, notably the British Labour Party and the Australian Labour Party, elect all the members of their shadow cabinets in a partyroom ballot, with the Leader of the Opposition then allocating portfolios to the Shadow Ministers. In other parliamentary parties, the membership and composition of the Shadow Cabinet is generally determined solely by the Leader of the Opposition.

In most countries, a member of the shadow cabinet is referred to as a Shadow Minister. In Canada, however, the term Opposition Critics is more usual. (Wikipedia)

 

SUBJECT: UMNO YOUTH OFFICIAL ON HEATED PARTY CONTESTS AND MONEY POLITICS

Posted: 04 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Money politics would be key to candidates' success, Suffian commented, as "this is the way UMNO does business," and UMNO delegates would expect compensation. UMNO politicians from Sabah in particular were known for their willingness to sell their support. Suffian recalled earlier party elections in which delegates took home cars, motorcycles, appliances, stock options in government-linked companies, and pre-paid credit cards, in addition to cash. 

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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

Summary

1.  (C) Many UMNO party branches and divisions could nominate a Najib/Muhyiddin ticket despite Prime Minister Abdullah's confirmation that he will stand for reelection in the December party contest, UMNO party youth official Suffian Awang told us on June 17.  Eleven candidates would vie seriously for three UMNO vice president slots, while there could be a three-cornered race for the powerful Youth chief position.  Suffian stated matter-of-factly that heated party contests would enrich UMNO delegates as candidates would utilize old-style money politics to buy support.  End Summary.

Grassroots to Endorse Najib/Muhyiddin

2.  (C) Mohamed Suffian Awang, Youth division leader from Kuantan for the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party, provided polchief on June 17 with purported "grassroots" perspectives on upcoming UMNO leadership contests.  Suffian, who also sits on the UMNO Youth national executive council, anticipated that upcoming UMNO branch elections (July-August) and division elections (October-November) would result in nominations for current Deputy Prime Minister/Deputy UMNO President Najib Tun Razak to replace embattled Abdullah Badawi as party leader, together with nominations for UMNO Vice President Muhyiddin Yassin to fill the number two slot. 

UMNO divisions would endorse a Najib/Muhyiddin ticket even though PM Abdullah has made it clear he will stand for reelection in UMNO's national elections in December and Najib has publicly reaffirmed his loyalty to Abdullah.  "The grassroots will have their say," and support Najib to replace Abdullah, Suffian said, echoing a message we have heard repeatedly, including from Najib's political secretary (reftel).

3.  (C) Suffian emphasized that Muhyiddin in particular has clearly committed himself to gaining election as the UMNO Deputy President "come what may."  Suffian also remarked that UMNO veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh's campaign to gain nominations to challenge Abdullah for the UMNO presidency has attracted some grassroots attention, as evidenced by the UMNO crowds Razaleigh has gathered as he tours the country.

4.  (C) Within UMNO, Suffian contended PM Abdullah came in for recent criticism as an inconsistent leader, including the sudden announcement of the fuel price increase which contradicted the government's earlier plan for a price rise in August.  Many in UMNO saw Abdullah's approach to reforms as catering to an opposition agenda, not an UMNO agenda, and there was widespread UMNO dislike of de facto judicial reform Minister Zaid Ibrahim.

Stiff Competition for VP Slots

5.  (C) Beyond the struggle for party's top two positions, the UMNO election cycle will feature fierce competition for the three elected Vice President slots.  Suffian believed there were 11 senior leaders seriously competing for three VP positions at this point, namely five cabinet members (Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, Education Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, Higher Education Minister Khalid Nordin, and Minister without portfolio Ahmad Zahid Hamidi); Chief Ministers from four states (Ghani Othman of Johor, Ali Rastum of Malacca, Mohamad Hasan of Negeri Sembilan, and Adnan Yaakob of Pahang); and two former Chief Ministers (Shahidan Kassim of Perlis and Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik of Malacca).

Race for Youth Chief

6.  (C) Suffian said the contest to replace Hishamuddin Hussein as the powerful UMNO Youth chief currently appears to be a three-cornered race featuring Mahathir's son Mukhriz, PM son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin and former Selangor Chief Minister Khir Toyo.  Khir Toyo was positioning himself as a man of the people as opposed to Mukhriz and Khairy whose positions depending on their family connections.  Khir Toyo's reputation had suffered, however, after UMNO's shocking loss of Selangor state to the opposition parties.

Show Me the Money

7.  (C) UMNO activists and would-be delegates to the national party elections were ecstatic with this year's stiff competition because it meant that they would collect larger payments from candidates, Suffian stated matter-of-factly.

Money politics would be key to candidates' success, Suffian commented, as "this is the way UMNO does business," and UMNO delegates would expect compensation.  UMNO politicians from Sabah in particular were known for their willingness to sell their support. 

Suffian recalled earlier party elections in which delegates took home cars, motorcycles, appliances, stock options in government-linked companies, and pre-paid credit cards, in addition to cash. 

(Note: Some UMNO delegates at the 2004 national party elections received compensation roughly equivalent to $95,000 in today's valuation, according to Embassy sources.  End Note.)

Comment

8.  (C) Suffian is not a first-tier UMNO leader but we report his statements as representative of comments we have heard from a number of UMNO voices, particularly those who want to see Najib replace Abdullah by year's end.  Najib recently and publicly restated his loyalty to Abdullah and his support for an orderly transition.  Najib, however, has not spoken out yet against "grassroots" efforts to nominate a Najib/Muhyiddin ticket for the December elections, efforts that Najib's own camp appears very willing to encourage.

KEITH (June 2008)

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

Malaysia Today Online

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved