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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Cure the cause, not the symptoms
• Can I know your stand?
• Philosophy as taught by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• The meaning and role of civil society (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• How con artists work (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• Small things for small minds
• Why Umno Malays are NOT Muslims
• The Third Estate (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• Way to go!
• What game is Pakatan playing?

Cure the cause, not the symptoms Posted: 14 Nov 2011 08:40 PM PST Therefore, reforms will need to be achieved outside the electoral process. It will have to be achieved through civil society action. Did India or South Africa achieve change through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did Europe 200 years ago achieve reforms through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did America achieve reforms in the mid-1900s through the electoral process or through civil society action? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Sometimes, or maybe most times, it is quite difficult to have an 'intellectual discussion' with Malaysia Today's readers. But then this would only be if you were to analyse the dozen or so comments in the comments section. Out of a readership running into the hundreds of thousands this represents less than 1% of the total. Nevertheless, this gives an impression that this reflects the 'general opinion' whereas less than 1% hardly represents the majority view. But is this not so for other things as well? A few Muslims scream about Islam being under attack and a handful of Malays wearing the PERKASA T-shirts shout about the Chinese robbing the Malays of their birthright. And people take this as the general view of Muslims or Malays whereas 99% of the Malays-Muslims remain silent and say nothing because they do not share these views and feel that engaging the 1% is foolhardy seeing that nothing you say is going to do any good anyway. I know some people lament as to why the silent majority amongst the Malays-Muslims remain silent. Is this because they support or agree with what this 1% say? Well, would you want to argue with a fool? Is it not a fool who argues with a fool? So why bother to engage them? Just let them scream and make fools of themselves and hopefully one day they will get tired and shut up. There are white supremacists in Britain and Australia, Ku Klux Klan in the US, Nazis in Germany, etc. And they take to the streets and demonstrate and scream. But do these 1,000 screaming whites represent the 72 million population of Britain? Why are the other 72 million British citizens keeping quiet? Well, the 72 million other British think that the 1,000 screaming whites are nut cases. And why do you want to argue with nut cases? Anyway, I am digressing. Let us get back to the issue of the comments in the comments section of Malaysia Today that I was talking about. As I said, this represents a mere fraction of the total readership. I can just ignore them if I want to. But I am going to address them and make a general reply to these comments.  I am not suggesting that these comments are foolish. Some, in fact, are of substance and certainly add value to the matter being discussed. But many are talking about curing the symptoms rather than the cause of the disease. And this is what I want to talk about today.  Why do you keep repeating what we already know? Do you think that repeating, again and again, that the government is corrupt and abuses its power, the government practices racism and discrimination, the government practices selective prosecution and manipulates the judicial system, etc., all our problems are going to be solved? We know all that. No need to tell us what we already know. Tell us what to do about it. Sure, I know you will now tell me that we need to kick out the government, change the government, and so on. Okay, that is what we need to do. But how are we going to do that? And will kicking out the government or changing the government solve the problem? Many countries have done this but that did not solve the problem. What makes you think we can do what other more organised countries can't seem to do? And has not more than 200 years of history in changing governments all over the world not taught us anything? Most of you are focusing on and talking about the symptoms of the problem. All the comments you post are about the signs of the disease. And all your suggestions are about trying to cure these symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem, the cause of the disease. For example, when we talk about the nine United Nations' Treaties and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) you brush that off and say that that is not important. What is important is that we must first change the government. But that is just it. These issues are important. And they are important because if they are not addressed then we will never be able to change the government. It is like saying that when I strike a lottery and become rich I am going to do this, that and the other. But you never go out and buy a lottery -- which means you are never going to win a lottery and become rich. So what's all this talk of when I strike a lottery and become rich I am going to do this, that and the other? It is merely idle talk and daydreaming. We need the correct environment and platform to see change. And I mean, of course, change through the electoral process or constitutional means. Of course, if you want to bypass the democratic process and effect change through non-constitutional means, such as an armed revolution, then that is another matter altogether. But how do we see this happen if we do not have free, clean and fair elections? We have discussed this before. Barisan Nasional will be able to hold on to power even if they win less than 50% of the votes. We need an independent judiciary if we want to file election petitions to thwart election fraud. We need an uncorrupted Police Force, Anti-Corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, AG Chambers, Election Commission, etc., if we want them to uphold free, clean and fair elections. As long as all these agencies work for Barisan Nasional and not for the people, then free, clean and fair elections would be impossible. So, no, the cure to all our problems is not to change the government. The cure to all our problems is reforms. And we need to press for reforms because without reforms Barisan Nasional will be able to hold on to power long after all of us have gone to our graves. So, my question would be: can we see reforms by changing the government? I would say 'no' because we will never be able to change the government without reforms. Barisan Nasional will make sure of that. Therefore, reforms will need to be achieved outside the electoral process. It will have to be achieved through civil society action. Did India or South Africa achieve change through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did Europe 200 years ago achieve reforms through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did America achieve reforms in the mid-1900s through the electoral process or through civil society action? Learn from history, my friend. Hitler came to power through the electoral process. And tens of millions of people died because of that. Sometimes, elections without reforms will bring more harm than good. So, can we stop talking about what's wrong with Malaysia? We all know what's wrong with Malaysia. You do not need to remind us about what's wrong with Malaysia. I can tell you more than you can tell me about what's wrong with Malaysia. We need to now start discussing what to do about it.  And stop telling me that we need to change the government to see changes in Malaysia. I want to know how to change the government under the present electoral system that we have in Malaysia and whether by changing the government (if that is even possible in the first place) we will be guaranteed of seeing change or will it merely be, as more than 200 years of history has proven, just putting old wine into a new bottle?  Maybe it is time to start thinking outside the box. Can we trust politicians to bring about these changes that we are clamouring for? Are, maybe, politicians too self-serving or selfish and are out for personal gain? Are they really working for the people or working for themselves?  If the politicians were seriously interested in our welfare rather than serving their own interests then they would put aside their personal and party interests for the greater good of the people. But they are not doing this. There are three parties in Pakatan Rakyat (and, of course, 14 in Barisan Nasional). Then we have PRM, PSM, SNAP, SAPP, KITA, PCM, PERSB, BERJASA, PASOK, SETIA, AKIM, STAR, HRP, and the UBF 'coalition' (did I miss out anyone?). Why can't Pakatan Rakyat talk to the 'non-aligned' parties? Maybe I should ask: why can't the three Pakatan Rakyat parties resolve all their inter- and intra-party issues (which should come first)? Yes, many who voted opposition back in 2008 are beginning to question whether they still want to vote opposition this time around. We want to see ABU. But many are now asking whether ABU is good enough. They feel that it has to be more than just ABU. It should no longer just be about what we don't want. It has to be about what we want. If the political parties prove they are incapable of bringing about change then maybe we should forget about political parties (and therefore about seeing change through the electoral process -- which without reforms is not going to see a change of government anyway). Maybe it requires a different form of action to bring about change. And what alternative form of action do you think this will require? That is what we may need to talk about now.

Can I know your stand? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 08:58 PM PST The 10th of December 2011 will be Human Rights Day (SEE HERE). That day will mark the 63rd Anniversary of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) that was signed back in 10th December 1948. Today, I would like to talk about this issue. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Do you know, out of these nine United Nations' treaties (above), Malaysia has signed only two of them: (5) The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) and (7) The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Malaysia has to date not signed the other seven, which are also very crucial if we want to see our civil liberties protected. It is apparent that the current government does not want to sign the other seven treaties. And one more thing that the Malaysian Government does not seem to honour is The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) No doubt, while the nine treaties are legally enforceable (which is why Malaysia does not want to sign them), The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not legally binding but nevertheless is considered a moral obligation. The matter is explained in this article, Human rights: what's stopping Malaysia? (READ MORE HERE) I suppose it is pointless to talk to Barisan Nasional about this issue. After all, Barisan Nasional (and the Alliance Party before that) has been in power for more than 54 years and if they had wanted to do it then they would have already done it by now. What I would like to do instead is to ask Pakatan Rakyat about its stand on this issue. What is Pakatan Rakyat's stand? Will it sign the balance seven of these treaties if it were to come into power? Another question would be regarding The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Will Pakatan Rakyat honour this Declaration as well? Now, we need to know before the next general election and BEFORE we decide who to vote for, is Pakatan Rakyat going to sign the balance of these seven treaties and is it also going to honour The Universal Declaration of Human Rights? If not, then why should we vote for Pakatan Rakyat? What difference would Pakatan Rakyat be from Barisan Nasional? We need to get this assurance from Anwar Ibrahim -- the Opposition Leader in Parliament and who Pakatan Rakyat has said will be the Prime Minister if Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the next federal government. We do not want to hear Anwar Ibrahim's personal opinion, like what he said about the Hudud matter. His personal opinion carries no weight in the scheme of things. We want to hear from him as the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister-in-waiting for Pakatan Rakyat. This is very crucial. And we should not give Pakatan Rakyat our vote if they can't give us a guarantee that they will sign all nine of these treaties as well as honour The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And if they are not prepared to give us this guarantee, we want to know why. And we want to know why, now, before we go to the polls to vote the next government into power. If you were to read the 30 Articles in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) you will know why I am asking this and why I say this matter is very crucial. And if I need to go through each Article one-by-one to explain to you in detail, then maybe, as MCA said, you do not deserve to vote.

Philosophy as taught by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 11 Nov 2011 01:54 AM PST Unless the Malays unite they are going to be reduced to a minority, said the one-time Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Indians are united into seven political parties. The Chinese are united into six political parties. But the Malays are divided into three political parties. And this is not good for the future of the Malays. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin 1. We should not allow political freedom for students. Political freedom will threaten peace and unity, said the VC of UiTM. The most peaceful countries in the world are those that do not allow political freedom. In fact, the most peaceful countries in the world are those that do not allow any freedom at all. Women cannot drive or leave the home unescorted. There are no general elections. Just one family runs the country and fills all the government posts. All the country's wealth goes into the pockets of just one family and no one can question how they manage the country's finances. These are the most peaceful countries in the world. 2. We should not allow gays in Malaysia. As the Mufti said, gays will eventually result in the entire population of the world getting wiped out. As it is, the world's population has already been reduced to 7 billion and this may reduce even further if gays are allowed the freedom to practice their gay activities. Unfortunately, Hitler did not succeed in wiping out all the gays as he had intended. If not, we would not be facing this problem of gays demanding rights and freedom and so on. In fact, Jews are also dangerous, just like gays. The Jews were the ones who invented democracy. And those who support democracy are supporting gay rights. We must remember that the Jews also killed Jesus. So that makes them doubly dangerous. 3. Malaysians who live overseas should not be allowed to vote, said MCA. This is because when they live overseas they do not get to watch TV3 or RTM or NTV7 every night. So they do not know what is happening in Malaysia. Only those who watch TV3 or RTM or NTV7 every night will know what is happening in Malaysia. If these Malaysians who live overseas and who do not watch TV3 or RTM or NTV7 every night are allowed to vote, they may vote for the wrong party. It is crucial, therefore, that only those who know who to vote for should be allowed to vote. If they do not know who to vote for they should not be allowed to vote. 4. Unless the Malays unite they are going to be reduced to a minority, said the one-time Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Indians are united into seven political parties. The Chinese are united into six political parties. But the Malays are divided into three political parties. And this is not good for the future of the Malays. The Malays should be united into just one political party just like the Indians and Chinese who are united into seven and six political parties respectively. Only if the Malays are united into one political party will they have the political power and strength to discriminate, persecute and bully the other races and treat them as second-class citizens.   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_6428.html

The meaning and role of civil society (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 09 Nov 2011 08:06 PM PST My hope is that the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) can bring awareness to the people that back in the 1800s the Europeans too thought that just by kicking out the crown and/or church and replacing it with a new government all their problems would be solved. This proved to be a fallacy. By the 1900s, they discovered that life could be as bad, or worse, under a democratically elected government. And this is the mistake we must avoid. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Joceline Tan's article in The Star today (READ HERE) gives an impression that most Malaysians -- even educated Malaysians like Joceline Tan -- still do not grasp the meaning of civil society and the third estate (or third force if you wish). I already wrote about the third estate earlier (READ HERE). Maybe today I should explain the meaning and role of civil society. Until the end of the American Revolution in 1781, and the signing of the Treaty of Paris between the British and the Americans in 1783, two groups governed the world -- the crown and/or the church. For the first time in thousands of years, the people successfully kicked out the crown and ruled themselves. And, to ensure that the church did not merely fill the vacuum created by the crown, the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution modelled America along the lines of a Secular State cum Republic. Many Frenchmen fought on the side of the Americans during the five-year American Revolution so invariably, when they went back to France, they sparked the fires of a revolution. This eventually saw the Tsunami of civil society action that resulted in the French Revolution six years later in 1789. Over 50 years, Europe was swept by a revolution Tsunami. England (there were riots in Manchester and London), Spain, Portugal, France (that saw a second revolution after the Napoleonic Wars), the Papal States (Italy did not exist yet), The Hapsburg Empire (there was no German Republic yet), the Russian Empire, etc., all saw the people (civil society movements) rise up to overthrow the crown and the church and rule themselves through elections and an elected government. Those that still retained the monarchy reduced it to a Constitutional Monarchy. It must be noted that elections were either not held or only the nobles and clergy could vote in places where elections were held. Women and the common folks (workers, farmers, etc.) were not allowed to vote. Only the rich and the landowners could vote. So elections were basically very controlled affairs and mere thousands of the privileged class decided who got to rule over the millions of subjects. By the mid-1800s, changes began to emerge and power shifted into the hands of the people. The powers of the church were reduced. Most of the land was owned by the church and the nobles -- while the people became slave labour on the land they worked. The people did not own the land but they had to pay taxes on the land they worked while the rich landowners (the church and the nobles) were exempted from paying tax. In short, it was slavery without it being called slavery. The role of civil society (a concept that emerged in the 1800s) was one factor that brought about changes in 19th century Europe. Poverty was another.  Europe saw a population explosion in the 1800s mainly because for about 100 years there were no real wars as such (they called this the period of 100 years peace). So less people died. The 1800s was also the era when research improved the health system so less people died from diseases as well. Food production did not improve. Many farmers faced famine so they had to abandon the fields and migrate to the cities to work in the factories that were mushrooming because of the Industrial Revolution. However, machinery replaced manpower so there was not much work for the migrating farmers. That was why in many cities (Manchester included) the people burned down the factories and destroyed the machinery that was denying them work and hence keeping them in poverty. Basically, the Industrial Revolution brought prosperity to the capitalists but not to the common folks. They may have seen the beginning of political change but this did not mean there was any improvement to their economic wellbeing. They merely exchanged a life of poverty as farmers to poverty as factory workers. And that was why socialism became popular. The people realised that mere political change (from a monarchy to a democracy where governments are elected into office) is not enough. The oppression and exploitation of the workers also needs to be addressed. Today, Communism is a dirty word. But then we are looking at it from today's standards where the workers are guaranteed a minimum wage (except in Malaysia), health care, education, housing, can form unions, etc. But in the days of the so-called Industrial Revolution when the workers were treated no better than serfs or slaves, Communism was the only guarantee for the much oppressed and exploited workers (and farmers) who paid taxes but were denied the right to vote. Maybe you can argue that that was in the 1800s, 200 years ago, and today there is no longer any need for civil society as conditions have much improved since 200 years ago. Maybe that would be true in some aspects. But the oppression and exploitation continues. The only thing is the oppression and exploitation today may be different from that of 200 years ago. Nevertheless, the ruling elite still oppresses and exploits the ruled and the capitalists still call the shots, as they did 200 years ago.  So there is still a need for civil society. Civil society still has a role to play. And as long as the people still understand that they are the third estate (or third force if you would like to call it that) then the rulers will be conscious of the needs of the ruled. In the past, the two ruling cliques were the crown and the church. Today, those two cliques are the ruling party and the opposition. And since the 1800s it has been proven that by just removing one ruling clique and replacing it with another does not always work. As the Americans said in the 1700s: it is merely removing one dictator 10,000 miles away with 10,000 dictators one mile away. My hope is that the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) can bring awareness to the people that back in the 1800s the Europeans too thought that just by kicking out the crown and/or church and replacing it with a new government all their problems would be solved. This proved to be a fallacy. By the 1900s, they discovered that life could be as bad, or worse, under a democratically elected government. And this is the mistake we must avoid. I know that some readers are now going to comment: why are we talking about something that happened 200 years ago in some distant place called Europe? Well, those who are ignorant about history are doomed to repeat its mistakes. And if Hitler had learned from Napoleon's mistake, then, today, I would be writing this piece in German instead of English.   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post.html

How con artists work (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 07 Nov 2011 06:14 PM PST And this is why the opposition is not yet ready to form the federal government. They are still too immature and do not respect freedom of choice and freedom of expression. The Seksualiti Merdeka issue is a good enough yardstick to demonstrate how intolerant the opposition is towards freedom of choice and freedom of expression. Can we trust the opposition as the next government? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin The Mufti of Perak, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, has spoken out on the evil and sin of homosexuality. Harussani's statement is supported by the Catholic Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute director, Reverend Dr Clarence Devadass. So who says Islam and Catholicism cannot come to an agreement? It is good that the Muslims and Catholics are united in their opposition to evil and sin. However, to the Muslims and Christians, there is only one type of evil and sin: sex. Everything else is not an evil or sin. This gives an impression that Islam and Catholicism are only concerned about sex. In fact, they appear paranoid about sex, as if sex is everything and nothing else matters other than sex. Maybe that is why the history of Islam and Catholicism is a history of discrimination, persecution, murder, ethnic cleansing, injustice, corruption, and whatnot. Whenever the Catholics are in power they oppress the minority and whenever the Muslims are in power they do the same. And that is why most countries choose secularism over a theocracy. They have seen how bad things can be in the hands of the clerics.  This obsession with sex is mind-boggling. And why oppose only this one so-called evil or sin: sex? What about all the other evils? Why do these Mufti and church leaders maintain a deafening silence on issues of corruption, abuse of power, wastage of public funds, election fraud, discrimination, selective prosecution, etc? There is only one enemy: sex. There is only one evil: sex. There is only one sin: sex. What you do in the privacy of your bedroom is everyone's concern. They want to know and they want to control what you do. What the politicians are doing to the country is not important. Hey, get this through your thick heads: 28 million Malaysians are being sodomised by the government every single day of their lives. This, you are not concerned about. What people do in the privacy of their bedrooms is the only thing you worry about. As I said, never trust so-called religious people and politicians. They are all con artists. Take the story below by Malaysia Chronicle. Everyone is up in arms about the lies from TV3. TV3 twisted the story and made it look like Seksualiti Merdeka is a free sex party. We can see people foaming at the mouth because of this distortion. Now, I remember when TV3 was said to be telling the truth. TV3 never lies. This was earlier this year when TV3 ran my interview. Utusan Malaysia reported that TV3 said I had retracted my allegation against Rosmah Mansor. Actually I did not. And it was Utusan Malaysia that said I did. Most people who had not even seen my TV3 interview and based the story on what Utusan Malaysia said started going round the country telling everyone that I had been bought over by Umno. They had not even seen the TV3 interview. But because Utusan Malaysia reported that this was what TV3 said, that was good enough for them. Even the most corrupted Health Minister in Malaysian history, Chua Jui Meng, told everyone I had been bought. Those in the medical industry have nothing but horror stories to tell about Chua Jui Meng during the time he was the Minister. Imagine him passing judgment on me. It's like asking Paris Hilton to talk about the evil of sex before marriage. Malaysia Chronicle should instead talk about the problems between the Chinese in DAP and the Chinese in PKR. They should tell the readers about the serious conflict in Johor, Chua Jui Meng's state, where PKR has threatened to sabotage DAP with three-corner fights if DAP does not give PKR the seats they want. DAP is facing a hard time in trying to pacify PKR. Chua Jui Meng needs to prove himself so he wants to make sure that PKR wins as many seats as possible in Johor. But they can't do this unless they grab all the winnable seats. And that would mean DAP would have to be given the non-winnable seats. Yes, these types of stories Malaysia Chronicle does not want to run. Instead, the stories they run is about TV3 being a liar -- unless it is a TV3 story about Raja Petra Kamarudin. Only then is TV3 not lying. Other times, TV3 is a great liar. Apalah! The opposition-controlled media is no better than the government-controlled media. And when Malaysia Today reports both sides of the story and allows opposing views they get angry. They want Malaysia Today to run only pro-opposition news and articles. And this is why the opposition is not yet ready to form the federal government. They are still too immature and do not respect freedom of choice and freedom of expression. The Seksualiti Merdeka issue is a good enough yardstick to demonstrate how intolerant the opposition is towards freedom of choice and freedom of expression. Can we trust the opposition as the next government? ************************************ Mufti: Don't ignore issues of morality (New Straits Times) - Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria said homosexuality is against not only Islam, but also other religions such as Christianity and Buddhism. "Human rights are human rights, but the morality issues cannot be ignored," he said. "Allah has given humans sexual desire to procreate and we are bound by rules and regulations, just like we are given hands and legs to do good both to ourselves and mankind," he told the New Straits Times yesterday. Harussani said he believed that natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes now happening around the world "are trials by God". He was commenting on the annual sexuality rights festival, Seksualiti Merdeka. The festival, which celebrates the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, has been held since 2008. This year's event, themed "Queer Without Fear", was scheduled to be held from Nov 9 to 13. However, it was cancelled after police issued an outright ban on Thursday. Many groups, individuals and religious organisations had voiced their opposition to the event, with two police reports lodged in the city against the organisers. The public had also been advised not to attend any activity or event relating to the event to avoid arrest. Other religious leaders stand united in their stance that homosexual acts are violations against divine and natural law. Catholic Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute director Reverend Dr Clarence Devadass said the Catholic Church teaches that such sexual acts are wrong. Reverend Philip Tan, provincial head of the Congregation of the Disciples of the Lord, Malaysia, echoed similar views. "Of course, our Catholic teaching does not condone such homosexual practices, but we still extend our pastoral care to this community. "We accept them and there are priests and nuns who counsel them on an individual basis when they choose to confide." ************************************ Spinning with TV Tiga: A Najib Razak and team production  (Malaysia Chronicle) - While I do not usually watch TV3, and cannot remember the last time I switched to it, I did make a point to watch on Monday night. I was curious how they would handle, or spin rather, Marina Mahathir's support of Ambiga Sreenevasan and her telling off of a TV3 reporter. Marina had been completely blocked out of the report. Based on TV3's version, she was never there. Ambiga however was prominently featured being interviewed by police who visited the Tenaganita office in Jalan Gasing. TV3 then showed Ambiga, visibly angry, daring TV3 to broadcast her comments and threatening to sue them for portraying Seksualiti Merdeka as a free sex party. TV3 broadcast her comments. Now, before you start congratulating TV3 for broadcasting both sides of the story, note that Ambiga was talking in English. The viewers who watch TV3's 8pm news broadcast are predominantly Malay. What they would have seen is Ambiga looking angry, waving her arms about and speaking in a language they can't really understand. Clever TV3, the nation's only tongue-in-cheek propagandist. Something needs to be done about the police And what on earth were the police doing there? Perhaps they have been misled by Khalid Abu Bakar, the Deputy IGP, formerly Selangor CPO and superior officer to Kugan's tormentors. Also under whose careless watch the shooting death of Aminulrasyid and the horrific Banting murders occurred. Khalid had appeared on NTV7 and made the remarkable declaration that homosexuality was against Malaysian law. It is, of course, an incorrect statement. There is no such law. And so it goes on, this shameful persecution of minority communities, in this case the LGBT community. They are forced to live in the shadows, in fear, even though they are Malaysian citizens with constitutionally guaranteed protections. One wonders how long Prime Minister Najib Razak and his government can keep this up. Atheists conference, anyone?   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_08.html

Small things for small minds Posted: 06 Nov 2011 06:25 PM PST So, do you think these people are really that godly or pious? They think only of themselves. They don't care about others. And these people are the people who condemn gays because they imagine themselves as saints. Yet they don't care whether their car is obstructing other cars when they go to the church or mosque. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin A number of Christians and Muslims are angry with me. They are angry for various reasons and one of the reasons is the 'Seksualiti Merdeka' issue. I suppose my article 'Way to go!' riled them up a bit. These religionists want to know whether I support homosexuality. Why must it always be about 'if you are not with me then you are against me'? That is the way of President Bush. Either you are with the US or you are against the US. And if you are not with the US then they have every right to attack your country and cause millions to suffer. This 'either you are with me or you are against me' is the root cause of this world's ills. Either you support Ketuanan Melayu or else you are an enemy of the Malays. Either you support Hudud or else you are an enemy of Islam. Either you support the protest against 'Seksualiti Merdeka' or else you are a gay lover (or maybe even gay yourself). So, what else? Either I support a female prime minister of Malaysia or else I am a male chauvinist? Either I support a Jewish prime minister of Malaysia or else I am anti-Semitic? Either I support the building of more churches or else I am anti-Christian? Either I support the building of more temples or else I am anti-Hindu? Either I support Bahasa Malaysia or else I am anti-Malay? Either I support polygamy or else I am insulting Prophet Muhammad? Either I support the keeping of slaves or else I am anti-Quran? Either I support sex with female slaves or else I am anti-Hadith? What happened to live and let live? And why must everyone live according to your value system? The trouble with both Christians and Muslims is: 1) they always think they are right and everyone else is wrong; 2) they always think they are pious and take on a righteous attitude; 3) they refuse to live and let live and everyone must live according to their standards; 4) they do not tolerate differences of opinion and regard those who disagree with them as the enemies of Christianity/Islam. How can both be right? Christians say they are going to heaven and the rest are going to hell. Muslims also say they are going to heaven and the rest are going to hell? How can both black and white be the same colour? One definitely must be right and the other wrong. And what makes you so sure that you are right and all the rest are wrong? What if I believe otherwise? And why can't I believe otherwise? You Christians are so sure that you are right and everyone else (especially gays) is a sinner bound for hell. Yeah, sure, it says so in the Bible. But which Bible? What makes you think I believe in your Bible? To start off with, what makes you think I even consider you a follower of Christ? What if I consider you a deviant? What if I consider the Nestorian (Persian) or Coptic (Egyptian) as the true Christian? What if I consider you Paulists who are practicing Paulism, which later changed its name to Christianity? Just because the Catholics are the majority does not mean I must regard them as true Christians. It is up to me which sect I want to consider true Christians. That is my right. That is not for you to tell me. If the Catholics had not killed so many non-Catholics over almost 1,000 years then probably the Nestorian or Coptic would be the majority today. If people had not been forced to become Catholics at the point of a sword, would there be so many Catholics around today? So might does not make it right. Yeah, sure, I know, you don't agree with me. You dispute what I say. But then that is your right. I also do not agree with you, which is also my right. So you believe what you want to believe and I will believe what I want to believe. And I believe that we should live and let live. You live your life and let others live their lives as long as they do not infringe into your space or violate your rights. It is the same with the Muslims, the twin brothers of the Catholics. They too have certain beliefs and they demand that everyone else comply with their beliefs. What if I don't believe what you believe? What if I believe that you are following the Abbasid version of Islam, which is a deviation from the Umayyad version of Islam? You might disagree but then that is your prerogative. You believe what you want and let me believe what I want. In Malaysia, Shias are considered deviants and will suffer arrest. In Iran, Malaysian Muslims are considered deviants. So who is right? Who is the real deviant? Of course, Malaysian Muslims will say that they are right and all the rest are wrong. How do you know? Where is the proof? So you see, whether it is Christians or Muslims, they all live in this illusion that they are right and all the rest are wrong. But they really don't know. They have no evidence. They only have the word of the priest, imam or ustaz that this is so. And based on what they believe is right and wrong, they will moralise and pass judgement on others. So, the religionists are up in arms against what they perceive as the immoral lifestyle of gays. And if we were to tell them to leave the gays alone and allow them whatever lifestyle they want to lead without any hassle from self-righteous moralists, they accuse us of being bad Christians/Muslims. Gays are immoral or wrong only because you think you are so moral and right. Morality and right, after all, is relative. Yes, I am a moral relativist. So what? So sue me. Some say it was immoral for Prophet Muhammad to marry an underage girl. And certainly Muslims will foam at the mouth if people start labelling Prophet Muhammad as a paedophile (yes, I have read some anti-Islam websites that say this). But then, more than 1,000 years ago, marrying off a five-year old boy to a three-year old girl was politically correct, even in Europe, as long as the marriage is not consummated until the children reach the age of puberty. It was widely practised as a means to seal political alliances between powerful families and to end feuds (with marriage ties). In fact, they even married off 13-year old girls to 50-year old men. That was quite normal. Sure, we need to fight against crime, sin, immorality, etc. But how many of you have NOT sinned (paid a bribe, accepted a bribe, cheated on your income tax, stolen a paper clip from the office, falsely declared on a form, lied to a friend, lied to your boss, etc.)? You speak as if you are so saintly. My car once got stuck in the Assunta Hospital car park because inconsiderate church-goers had parked indiscriminately. My car also always used to get stuck in the Bangsar mosque car park because inconsiderate mosque-goers park indiscriminately, as they always do. So, do you think these people are really that godly or pious? They think only of themselves. They don't care about others. And these people are the people who condemn gays because they imagine themselves as saints. Yet they don't care whether their car is obstructing other cars when they go to the church or mosque. Podah!

Why Umno Malays are NOT Muslims Posted: 05 Nov 2011 04:43 PM PDT This great annual convention of faith demonstrates the concept of equality of mankind, the most profound message of Islam, which allows no superiority on the basis of race, gender or social status. The only preference in the eyes of God is piety as stated in the Quran: "The best amongst you in the eyes of God is most righteous." NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Hajj: Equality before God Ahmad Al-Akhras, Harakah Daily    Every year, Muslims from all over the world take part in the largest gathering on Earth, the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah. The Hajj is a religious obligation that every Muslim must fulfill, if financially and physically able, at least once in his or her lifetime. During these historic days, white, brown and black people, rich and poor, kings and peasants, men and women, old and young will all stand before God, all brothers and sisters, at the holiest of shrines in the center of the Muslim world, where all will call upon God to accept their good deeds. These days represent the zenith of every Muslim's lifetime. The Hajj resembles the re-enactment of the experiences of the Prophet Abraham, whose selfless sacrifice has no parallel in the history of humankind. The Hajj symbolizes the lessons taught by the final prophet, Muhammad, who stood on the plain of Arafat, proclaimed the completion of his mission and announced the proclamation of God: "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam, or submission to God, as your religion" (Quran 5:3). This great annual convention of faith demonstrates the concept of equality of mankind, the most profound message of Islam, which allows no superiority on the basis of race, gender or social status. The only preference in the eyes of God is piety as stated in the Quran: "The best amongst you in the eyes of God is most righteous." During the days of the Hajj, Muslims dress in the same simple way, observe the same regulations and say the same prayers at the same time in the same manner, for the same end. There is no royalty and aristocracy, but humility and devotion. These times confirm the commitment of Muslims, all Muslims, to God. It affirms their readiness to leave the material interest for his sake. The Hajj is a reminder of the Grand Assembly on the Day of Judgment when people will stand equal before God waiting for their final destiny, and as the Prophet Muhammad said, "God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but he scans your hearts and looks into your deeds." The Quran states these ideals really nicely (49:13): "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." While Malcolm X was in Makkah performing his pilgrimage, he wrote to his assistants: "They asked me what about the Hajj had impressed me the most. . . . I said, `The brotherhood! The people of all races, colors, from all over the world coming together as one! It has proved to me the power of the One God.' . . . All ate as one, and slept as one. Everything about the pilgrimage atmosphere accented the oneness of man under one God." This is what the Hajj is all about. * The writer is a leading member of US Muslim civil rights group, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The Third Estate (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 04 Nov 2011 05:55 PM PDT What do you know about the Third Estate? Basically, the Third Estate is the third of the traditional social classes after the clergy and nobility -- meaning the common people or rakyat. Whether you want to call this group of people the Third Estate (like 200 years ago) or the Third Force is immaterial. The important thing is this is the force that should tell the rulers/government what it wants and not the other way around. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin The French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault on the Bastille in July, the passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in August, and an epic march on Versailles that forced the royal court back to Paris in October. The next few years were dominated by tensions between various liberal assemblies and a right-wing monarchy intent on thwarting major reforms. A republic was proclaimed in September 1792 and King Louis XVI was executed the next year. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution) When Louis XVI summoned the Estates General in 1788, he faced a difficult and insurmountable problem: the Third Estate. The last time the Estates General had been called was in 1614; the Estates General was set up in such a way that each Estate got the same number of members. In effect, this meant that the First and Second Estates, comprised almost unanimously of the nobility, could always outvote the Third Estate. Since 1614, the economic power of the Third Estate had increased dramatically; in 1788, the popular call was to double the number of representatives from the Third Estate so that they'd have equal voting power in comparison with the other two estates. Louis initially declined to increase the number, but he finally gave in the waning days of 1788. The question of "doubling the Third Estate" was preventing the solution of the deepening financial crisis; with Louis's compromise, the Estates General met in May of 1789. Louis, however, had vacillated on the question for too long. He had lost any support he had among the wealthy members of the Third Estate -- in addition, the aristocracy had tried to solve the problem in its own way. The Parlemen of Paris conceded the doubling question in September, but then declared that all voting would be done by individual Estates -- that is, each Estate would get one vote. That meant that the Third Estate could be outvoted two to one every time. Angry at the king and sickened by the efforts of the aristocracy to control the Assembly of the Estates General, all the members of the Third Estate walked out en masse when the Assembly met in Versailles. They were joined by some clergy, members of the First Estate, and they then declared themselves the National Assembly and the only legitimate legislative body of the country on June 17, 1789. They were fired by ideas ultimately derived from Rousseau, ideas about social contract and rights, and no person more eloquently defined the spirit of the National Assembly than the clergyman Abbé Emmanuel Sieyès, who declared that the Third Estate was everything, had been treated as nothing, and wanted only to be something. The rallying point was Rousseau's idea that the members of a nation are the nation itself; this is what legitimated the claims of the new National Assembly. (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080307060521AArTCk8)   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_05.html

Way to go! Posted: 03 Nov 2011 07:48 PM PDT Sometimes I wonder whether Hitler could have been right after all. He took action against gays and Jews and so do we. He dreamed of a national car and so do we. He wanted the tallest, biggest, longest, etc. building to be erected in Germany and so do we. He believed in Ketuanan German and so do we -- Ketuanan Melayu. Nazi Germany and Malaysia are almost like carbon copies. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin At mosques, strident protests against sexuality festival (The Malaysian Insider) - Within minutes of ending their Friday prayers at the National Mosque here today, Perkasa sounded the clarion call for Muslims to defend their faith being sullied by organisers of a three-year-old sexuality festival. Springing into action, the vocal Malay rights group's youth chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris called on Malays to unite and set aside their political differences to reject homosexuality. Backed by 30 demonstrators and under the watchful eye of 20 policemen at the mosque compound, Irwan raged against the Malaysian Bar for backing organisers of the Seksualiti Merdeka programme. "Lawyers are not qualified to be called lawyers for giving support to Seksualiti Malaysia," he yelled, drawing the attention of some 30 onlookers. The small group of demonstrators swiftly moved to cross the road where another Perkasa leader said they would deliver a memorandum to the city's Islamic religious department demanding it obtain an immediate court order to stop organisers of the Seksualiti Merdeka programme. The memo, signed by Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, reads: "We believe what the festival organiser is promoting clears goes against the teachings and demands of Islam. Promotion of this festival has sullied and insulted the purity of Islam." In Shah Alam, a group of 10 demonstrators making similar demands rallied outside the Selangor state mosque. Chanting "Allahuakbar", the protestors held green placards that read in Malay: "Don't hide behind human rights. Respect our human rights as Muslims in Malaysia" and "Suhakam, don't be the anti-Islamic enemy's tool". ********************************************** It's not a pride parade, say organisers (New Straits Times) - The organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka yesterday claimed that the event was not aimed at promoting homosexuality but to champion rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). The event's co-founder, Pang Khee Teik, said it "is not a pride parade" but a series of talks, forums, workshops, art, theatre and music performances, interactive installations, and film screenings organised by a coalition of Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Pang said the event was aimed at stopping discrimination, harassment and violence towards one's sexual orientation and gender preference. It is organised by a coalition of Malaysian NGOs including the Malaysian Bar Council, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Empower, PT Foundation, United Nations and Amnesty International. "We hope to create a platform for the community. Some people say this is Western influenced but that is not true as the LGBT community exists across the world and we even have a small population in our country." Pang explained that keeping quiet had not helped the community as many were subjected to high levels of hostility and violence. Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said all human beings should be treated equally. "Individuals have the right to make their own choices in sexual orientation and gender identity in the spirit of equality." The Malaysian Bar's stand is embodied, in particular, in the first three principles of The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, which are; the right to the universal enjoyment of human rights, the rights to equality and non-discrimination and the right to recognition before the law. "In Malaysia, the LGBT community has long been treated as 'outsiders' as they face numerous hardships, including a lack of personal safety due to harassment by civil and Syariah authorities, living in fear of prosecution for the private acts of consenting adults, and constantly facing public discrimination and denigration." PT Foundation acting executive director Raymond Tai said their primary focus was on HIV prevention and care and support for the community most affected by HIV. ********************************************** It is good that 30 Perkasa activists demonstrated against gays. At least the view of more than one billion Muslims worldwide has been heard today. And the added benefit to this is that Malays are finally united, which was what Umno has been trying to do for some time but thus far has failed. Now, finally, PAS and Umno are speaking as one voice. And this augurs well for Malay unity. The PPSMI issue is another issue that has united PAS and Umno. The way things are currently going it appears like the future of the Malays is assured after all after the shock on the March 2008 general election when there was much anxiety that the Malays are going to be reduced to second-class citizens in their own country. At last, PAS and Umno are seeing the light and have woken up to the reality that the future of the Malays rests in a united PAS-Umno and, failing which, there will be a real danger that the Chinese will take control of the country, like what has happened in Penang and, if we are not careful, will also happen in Selangor. The organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka talk about championing the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. Hello brader…..what rights are you talking about? Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders have no rights, okay? Only straight people have rights. In fact, even oral sex is a crime in Malaysia in case you were not aware. These people are all perverts. Why can't they be normal like the rest of us? I was told that as high as 50% of Malaysians may have homosexual tendencies even if they do not actually act on these tendencies. That is very frightening. Imagine every second person you see on the street may have gay tendencies. That is an alarmingly high rate. And I was told that homosexuality amongst Malays is higher than amongst non-Malays. And that is the even more alarming thing if it is true considering that Malays are Muslims and are supposed to be very pious and god-fearing and will never harm people, take bribes or steal the rakyat's money. I think we must push this anti-gay effort even further. PAS and Umno, and the Christians who are true Christians, should pass a new law in Parliament to make it mandatory for every Malaysian to go through a polygraph test to determine whether he or she has gay tendencies. That would be easy enough to detect. Then, once these people have been detected, their identity cards can be marked accordingly so that we know who these people are. We probably can also make them wear a star on their chest or something like that, like what the Nazis did to the Jews in Germany. In fact, since Malaysia is anti-Jew and anti-homosexual, just like Nazi Germany, this move would be very appropriate. The law can even stipulate that all Jews and homosexuals must wear a star on their chest -- maybe a yellow star for Jews and a pink star for gays.  It is not enough we take action against professed homosexuals. Even closet homosexuals must be hunted down. We know that only 1% of those who are homosexuals reveal themselves or 'come out of the closet'. This means another 99% remain hidden. So we need to flush them out and take action against them – like what we do for apostates, Wahabbis, Shias, etc. It does not matter even if they are merely thinking about it and do not actually act on their homosexual tendencies. Even thinking is a crime in Malaysia and is also not allowed in Islam. Do you know that Malaysia has a law called the Internal Security Act (ISA) that detains people who think the wrong thing? Ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told us this. He said that it is no use arresting someone after the crime has been committed. You need to detain them before they commit the crime even as they are thinking about it. Many Malaysians have in fact been detained for thinking the wrong thing. For example, those who think that Shia is the correct version of Islam have been detained over the last many years and were sent for rehabilitation. Many of them were university lecturers and religious scholars. Recently, some people from PSM were detained under suspicion that they were thinking about Communism. So there is no harm in arresting people for thinking the wrong thing. Malaysia has been doing this for years, before some of you were even born. So, if you have gay tendencies, then this means the government can arrest you. Thinking that gay is right is no different from thinking that Shiism or Communism are right. If the government can detain you for one crime then why not for the other? Sometimes I wonder whether Hitler could have been right after all. He took action against gays and Jews and so do we. He dreamed of a national car and so do we. He wanted the tallest, biggest, longest, etc. building to be erected in Germany and so do we. He believed in Ketuanan German and so do we -- Ketuanan Melayu. Nazi Germany and Malaysia are almost like carbon copies. Heil Najib!

What game is Pakatan playing? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:01 AM PDT JAIS, the Selangor Religious Department, comes under the Selangor State Government. The Selangor State Government comes under Pakatan Rakyat. PAS is a member of Pakatan Rakyat and also part of the Selangor State Government. Yet JAIS is hounding and persecuting Pakatan Rakyat people, in particular those from PAS. What game is Pakatan Rakyat playing that maybe we don't know about? Or is this a case of the tail wagging the dog? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Jais arrest warrant out for artiste and PAS recruit Bob Lokman (Malaysia Chronicle) - Selangor Islamic religious Department (JAIS) has obtained an arrest warrant to detain celebrity-turned-politician and preacher Bob Lokman for giving a ceramah without Jais accreditation. Jais Director Marzuki Hussin told reporters at the "Alternative Punishment Seminar: Execution and Effectiveness" at the Intekma Resort on Tuesday, that the warrant was issued on Oct 28 and it permitted the religious body to arrest Bob if he was detected in the state. "Our department is still on the lookout for Bob, he is wanted to assist investigations that involve him. We are in the process of taking legal action to require Bob to be present in the court (syariah). "He will be released on bail after his statement has been recorded," said Marzuki. He was giving an update on Bob's case after JAIS nabbed him for giving a ceramah in front of more than 70 people at the Masjid Sungai Lui in Hulu Langat last month. It was reported that Bob was ordered to turn up at the Jais department but he had refused, saying would rather be arrested. Bob is being investigated under section under Section 119 (1) of the Jais Administration Enactment, where offenders could be fined up to RM3,000, or be jailed two years, or both. It was not the first of such case as Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, had also been charged for the same offence.

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• The BBC Owns Up As FBC Scandal Deepens!
• BBC broke standards over paid-for Malaysia programmes
• Najib denies discussing polls at BN meet
• The buck stops with me!
• Uthaya’s 53 new Indian majority seats: A racist in the mould of Dr M?
• Occupy Dataran, too?
• It’s Not Rocket Science, EC
• WIKILEAKS: DOWNGRADE MALAYSIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION?
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• Surat Kedua Tentang Gaddafi
• What to do NOW
• Why I decided not to support Pakatan
• Cure the cause, not the symptoms
• WIKILEAKS: INDICTMENT OF FOUR MALAYSIAN ENTITIES AND THE ADDITION OF NINE COMPANIES AND FIVE ...
• ‘Asal bukan Umno’ untuk tuntut Umno berubah
• It’s A Cow … It’s A Condo … It’s Criminal Breach Of …
• Zahid Hamidi admits flew to Saudi on private jet
• Kalimullah vs Chang: Court to hear Khairy, three others to set aside Subpoenas
• Yong: If guilty, I’ll shoot myself
• AirAsia boss vents anger on MAHB
• Dr M can still save our education
• Press Conference to announce the launch of Petisyen Rakyat Tuntut Pilihanraya Bersih
• Pakatan: Excessive Vitamin A in Kedai Rakyat milk powder
• Malay Mail off the streets from tomorrow until January 2012
• European debt crisis
• Anwar must go for rakyat to win
• Malaysia's c.bank governor says inflation has peaked in Malaysia
• Putrajaya justifies RM40b bill for Klang Valley MRT
• Shahrizat need not quit over cattle fiasco, says DPM
• Curtain falls on Istana Negara
• Highway Concessionaires Robbing The Rakyat Blind… Yet Again!
• Malaysia 15th largest trade partner with Israel

The BBC Owns Up As FBC Scandal Deepens! Posted: 15 Nov 2011 01:07 PM PST By Sarawak Report The BBC has confessed to numerous transgressions of its editorial standards by a number of programmes commissioned from FBC Media about Sarawak and Malaysia. In a report published today by its governing body, the BBC Trust, the Corporation admitted that the programmes, which were acquired by the BBC for 'low or nominal cost' from independent producers, "seriously breached" the BBC's guidelines on conflicts of interest and the prohibition of sponsorship for current affairs programming. As a result, the BBC announced it will tighten rules on sponsored programming and has already made a series of changes to the way it acquires and funds programming for its international channel BBC World. Richard Ayre, who chaired the meeting of the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee said: "International audiences must be able to rely on the same integrity and independence in the BBC's editorial decisions as audiences in the UK.  We have found that several programmes shown on the BBC's World News channel had been inappropriately sponsored, and in the case of one of the independent producers, FBC Media (UK), there was at least a suggestion that the company had a conflict of interest of which the BBC had been unaware.  The Trust is deeply concerned at this and we very much regret that these programmes failed to live up to the editorial standards we set for the BBC". [click here for the full report]  This shame and apology from the BBC, contrasts remarkably with the statement by the Malaysian Minister, Nazri Abdul Aziz, just last week that the BN Government remains happy with the illegal services that FBC were performing at a cost of RM 94 million to the Malaysian taxpayer!  He commented to reporters that FBC's breaches were only a question of ethics, which was no problem because:   READ MORE HERE.

BBC broke standards over paid-for Malaysia programmes Posted: 15 Nov 2011 01:01 PM PST By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) channel was found to have breached its editorial guidelines and aired paid-for programmes that were favourable to the Malaysian government, its corporate watchdog said today. Several UK dailies reported that the BBC Trust has banned the BBC's World News channel from buying certain programmes and accepting some sponsorship deals, after an investigation found serious breaches of the corporation's editorial guidelines in shows about subjects including Malaysia. One of them was a show called "Taking the Credit", which featured carbon trading and was first aired in 2009. According to British daily The Times, the investigation by the trust's editorial standards committee (ESC) found a further 15 programmes in serious violation of the BBC's editorial or sponsorship guidelines were shown across Europe and elsewhere. The BBC internal committee ruled there had been conflicts of interest in eight documentaries about Malaysia because of an "apparent financial relationship" between the government and FBC Media, the production company, reported the Guardian newspaper. The Guardian also reported FBC Media's parent company, FBC Group, confirming to the BBC investigation that the Malaysian government was a client. "Based on evidence before the committee of the apparent financial relationship between FBC Media (UK) Ltd and the Malaysian government, the committee concluded that FBC Media (UK) Ltd was not an appropriate producer for these particular programmes, being about Malaysia, its industries and Malaysian government policies. "International audiences must be able to rely on the same integrity and independence in the BBC's editorial decisions as audiences in the UK," ESC chair Richard Ayre was reported as saying by The Guardian. He added that the World News channel has been banned from buying programmes for a low or nominal cost and it will "no longer accept sponsorship from non-commercial organisations". TV company FBC Media has been found to be at the centre of the Malaysia news-fixing scandal facing broadcasters BBC and CNBC, and is facing collapse. The London-based firm and its parent company FBC Group have gone into administration — a legal term that allows a company facing bankruptcy to carry on business — following reports it accepted £17million (RM85 million) from Putrajaya to burnish the Najib administration's image on global broadcast networks.   READ MORE HERE.

Najib denies discussing polls at BN meet Posted: 15 Nov 2011 12:56 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Najib Razak dismissed speculation today that his meeting with Barisan Nasional (BN) party leaders last night centred on preparation for the coming general election. The BN chairman told reporters here he had merely called the meeting to "exchange ideas on current issues" with the leaders, adding his busy schedule only permitted him to hold the discussion last night. "It's just a normal meeting. Nothing on seat division," he said after launching the National Blue Ocean Strategy 3 housing project at an Orang Asli village here. "We can meet at anytime. The only time I had was last night. This afternoon, I have to go to Bali. Last night was the only time I had," he added. The prime minister smiled and shook his head when asked again if he had discussed seat allocations with the BN party leaders last night, saying, "Why are you so interested? No, not yesterday." Najib called for a meeting with BN component party leaders at his official residence in Putrajaya last night, shortly after he returned from the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Hawaii. According to Bernama Online, the two-hour meeting saw the attendance of Najib's deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and party presidents Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (MCA), Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (PBB), Datuk M. Kayveas (PPP), Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Gerakan), Datuk VK Liew (LDP), Datuk Seri Dr James Jemut Masing (PRS) and Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan (PBS). The Malaysian Insider reported earlier yesterday the prime minister had summoned the meeting to finalise details on BN's potential candidates and seat allocations for the coming 13th general election. "Tomorrow's (yesterday's) meeting agenda is still unknown but Datuk Seri Najib wants to meet with us... possibly to offer his input and views on the question of candidates and division of seats," a BN component party leader had told The Malaysian Insider. "The time of the meeting will only be made known tomorrow (yesterday) when Najib returns... but the meeting is not an indication that the election will be held this year," the leader added.   READ MORE HERE.

The buck stops with me! Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:59 AM PST With all the wastages and leakages, Vision 2020 is fast becoming an illusion, unless the nation's leaders have the guts to set things right. Therefore it is not surprising that the nation has been projected to go bankrupt by 2020 when the national debt increases to RM1 trillion. That is just a little more than eight years from now. A frightening thought indeed, especially for the younger generation. Selena Tay, Free Malaysia Today Has Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's GTP (Government Transformation Programme) gone to pot? This is the question one must ask when one reads the 2010 Auditor-General's Report where it is obviously clear that the bad old ways are still continuing. Prices of goods purchased are marked up tremendously and this outrageous practice shows no sign of stopping. Year in, year out the Auditor-General's Report only reports the malpractice but the report is a toothless tiger. All it does is report and make recommendations on how to stem the wastages and leakages but it has no power to enforce its recommendations. For too long the system has enabled the malpractice to flourish. From the purchase of marine binoculars worth not more than RM1,940 but purchased at the price of RM56,350 to the purchase of horses and OPVs (Offshore Patrol Vehicles), the leakages just seem to abound. Among the government departments and ministries which have been highlighted by the Auditor-General are the Education Ministry, Health Ministry, the Customs Department and the Inland Revenue Board (the last two departments come under the Finance Ministry and the finance minister is none other than the prime minister himself). The GTP has so far failed in its role to transform the running, administration and procurement process in the government departments highlighted in the Auditor-General's Report. It makes one wonder whether there exists such a thing as standard operating procedure or a manual outlining the ministry's procedures that must be adhered to. Is the GTP just a beautiful slogan with no substance? The gargantuan purchase prices only serve to indicate that at least someone, if not the whole department, is sleeping on the job, to say the least. Surely at least three open, transparent and competitive tenders must be called for before goods are purchased. Who decides on which supplier to buy the goods from? Who approves the decision? Who approves the payment? There must be several levels of administration process to go through before the payment is approved and the goods are purchased. And the fact that those department heads caught out by the Auditor-General have the audacity to say it is a "disciplinary problem" is certainly ridiculous. And to top it off, no names have been provided by the department heads. Is this a crime without criminals? This is a lame excuse by the culprits to be let off the hook as the crime could not be pinned on anyone. MACC continues to open files As the prime minister, Najib Tun Razak, must certainly be answerable but, sad to say, no one from the government side has given a satisfactory reply when Pakatan Rakyat MPs bring up the matter in Parliament. Why is this so? Perhaps that is the reason why the Auditor-General's Report has been delayed – so that the public will forget about it and so that the opposition will not have time to ask questions that will put the government in a spot. If this uncontrolled and rampant wastage were to go on, the nation will one day come to a grinding halt as the national debt increases. Therefore it is not surprising that the nation has been projected to go bankrupt by 2020 when the national debt increases to RM1 trillion. That is just a little more than eight years from now. A frightening thought indeed, especially for the younger generation. And yet no action is taken by the relevant authorities to curb this malaise. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is supposed to nail these culprits but they too seem to be another toothless tiger. In previous years we have had screwdrivers worth RM32 purchased at RM224 and a car jack worth RM50 bought at RM5,700 but these incidents of inflated price purchases continue to go unpunished as the culprits have not been brought to book. Thus it is with a pinch of salt that one reads of the news that the MACC will open 36 new files on the malpractices highlighted in the 2010 Auditor-General's Report. And what about the RM250 million scandal involving the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)? READ MORE HERE

Uthaya’s 53 new Indian majority seats: A racist in the mould of Dr M? Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:35 AM PST Kenny Gan, Hornbill Unleashed There is no doubt that race is still an important component of politics in Malaysia to this day. The mindset and culture created by more than half a century of racial politics will take time to be erased. However the first step has been taken with formation of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition after the 2008 general election. The essence of the PR coalition is to move away from sectarian politics to real issues instead of being encumbered with race at every turn. Racial politics saps the nation's potential and is deleterious to a harmonious multiracial society but it serves Umno's divide and rule policy well. Hence it comes as a repugnant backward step that the Human Rights Party headed by P Uthayakumar saw fit to propose to the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reform for at least 15 new Indian majority parliament seats and 38 state seats to be created. He wants the seats to be "at least 70% Indian majority". How the Election Commission is supposed to gerrymander the seats to his requirement which is an affront to democracy is not mentioned. Perhaps this "one stroke of a pen" politician who has declared that 90% of Indian problems can be solved by giving land to Tamil schools can enlighten us. But should we be surprised at HRP's racial demands when this party has unabashedly looked at everything through a racial lens? Actually the name "Human Rights Party" is a misnomer and it should be more appropriately renamed "Hindu Rights Party" as HRP was set up solely to champion only one ethnic community and specifically Tamil Hindus within that community. Pouring Fuel on Fire No, we are not surprised but we are only surprised that HRP and its leader still fail to see the futility of their racial approach. There is no doubt that Malaysia has one of the most unfair racial policies in the world but trying to fight racism with racism is like pouring fuel on a fire you are trying to put out. You cannot fight Umno's racism with more of the same because it only deepens the schism between ethnic groups and sets the stage for even more racial bargaining. If one racial group can demand so can other racial groups. Extremist demands from Indians only give credibility to Perkasa's demands for Malays and embolden them to make more demands. Then Chinese will get into the act and soon Malaysia will be partitioned into racial ghettos. It is clear that the system of racial politics where resources and opportunities are distributed by race does not work. 54 years of raced based parties championing the rights of its own ethnic group has resulted in a predictable outcome – the dominant race gets the most and the weakest race gets the least. Furthermore, the rights of the dominant race continue to be enlarged at the expense of the others. Why then does Uthayakumar want to propagate a system which is guaranteed to marginalize Indians? Can HRP match Perkasa in making and obtaining racial demands? Or are Indians only entitled to make racial demands while others must keep quiet? It has been said that 70% of Indians are poor but Indians are not a classless society. There are also rich Indians like Ananda Krishnan and Tony Fernandez and middle class Indians. As the community has stratified into classes trying to solve the Indian problem with race based affirmative action will just result in the same abuse seen with Bumiputra affirmative action. Help will not reach those who need it most but will be hijacked by those who are strong enough to grab them. Any other outcome is just idealistic. The Myth of Racial Representation The other fallacy which must be addressed is that only Indians and help Indians. Uthayakumar's demand for Indian elected representatives goes to the core of his penchant for this myth. If this is true then Indians should just support MIC and Chinese have no reason to turn away from MCA. Why create another coalition of race based parties which will only propagate the same system? Old wine in new bottle is not going to taste any different. We should not be concerned about the race of our elected representatives but focus on electing whoever can serve best. This means moving away from the race based mentality of having someone of the same race to represent you. An elected representative should take care of everybody in his or her constituency irrespective of race. Selection based on race only gives an opportunity for unsavoury characters to come in at the expense of better quality candidates. There is absolutely no reason to suppose that an Indian will take care of the Indian community better than a dedicated and selfless representative from another race. Of course BN is ingenious at playing this race game. Chinese are told that if they support MCA they will have no representation in government. Even MCA President Chua Soi Lek has issued a transparent threat that MCA will not accept any government posts if the party garners worse results than the last general election. To the Chinese such threats roll off like pouring water on a keladi leaf. What is the point of representation which is powerless and voiceless when it comes to community rights and only behaves like apologists for Umno? Indians should emulate Chinese in this respect and reject the myth of racial representation. READ MORE HERE

Occupy Dataran, too? Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:27 AM PST But back to the Malaysian scene. If Occupy Wall Street is about a statement made on corporate greed in America, what then is the message in Occupy Dataran? Which Malaysian corporations are the message for? Who is the one percent and which one is the 99 percent? A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman "No bulls. No bears. Only pigs" - an Occupy Wall Street poster message. My weekend was spent thinking about the whole idea of "occupying". I was preoccupied with it after spending a good three hours visiting the Wall Street protesters. I have been reading about this "global phenomena", and I read too about "Occupy Dataran", which I suppose is the idea of occupying Dataran Merdeka in Malaysia. Below are my brief thoughts that preoccupied me after my brief ethnographic trip down Wall Street in New York. It was fun studying the language of modern day protests. I consider myself an ethnographer of post-modernism and a student of social revolutions, for my early papers during my undergraduate days were essentially about revolution, such as studying the anatomy of the Iranian and Nicaraguan revolutions of 1979. I wrote about the Computer Revolution in the 1980s and my later work has been on cybernetics and existentialism (as in the title of my blog). My students in Cultural Perspectives were given an assignment to compare and contrast the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, so I wanted to make sure I know what they will be talking about, hence my three-hour visit to the "Occupy Wall Street" move. I wanted to understand this global phenomena of a protest movement as well and to discern the purpose and the language of it and to analyse the "culture of it" as it becomes popularised. I found some interesting themes that brought me back to my undergraduate days, with my student day movements and my occasional involvement with Amnesty International, especially in the protest against apartheid. There is an interesting observation I made there. Crude as it may seem, but with an element of "intellectual culture" being displayed, as if there is an "artistic and social" installation being displayed, consisting of the elements of the seeds of a revolution ideologically based on anarchism. In there are tents with human beings that are 'nomadic', a makeshift library of anarchist literature, a food pantry, a kitchenette, a "mini stage" for speeches and street theatre and presentations for radical thinkers to drop by and lend support, anarchistic literature, a "think-tank tent", an outreach tent, bicycles, and crudely made protest posters . All these I found to be interesting elements of the reaffirmation and perhaps rebirth of radical consciousness loosely orchestrated by youth wide awake enough to see their society being dominated and hegemonised by corporate culture. The fact that it was a camp as such, right there on Wall Street, is a radical statement that is appealing enough to the youth of any city in the world and attractive enough a movement to be broadcasted by both the corporate-controlled as well as social and personalising media. As I was feeling a sense of 'camaraderie' with the protesters, who will still be there in the freezing weather, I ask myself: "what do they wish to achieve" in a world in which everything is already structured by the ideology of the "magic of the marketplace" and the Berlin Wall has fallen"? And when each and every part of our body, our consciousness, or cognitive excursions into the spaces of knowledge and power" and our very existence has been a location and a habitue of the exploitation of corporations and governments alike that have enslaved the mind and the body, and in which spirituality has also been hijacked by laissez faire to be turned into profitable human venture into understanding the divine? I don't know. As a lifelong student of both philosophy and cultural anthropology I do not have the answer to the meaning of what we are seeing in Occupy Wall Street or even "Occupy Dataran", when essentially I still believe that radical changes can happen best through total change, cultural re-engineering, the dismantling of the corporate capitalist system and perhaps "re-villagisation" of human beings and to reorganise ourselves into "communes". I don't know. America is America. And especially New Yorkers are a people of a strange planet. To us, this is just a protest, like any other - on gay rights, Palestinian rights, Israel's rights to exist, rights of animals, of the Tibetans, to eat super-sized McDonalds everyday, rights of the New York City's naked cowboy to sue his business rival , the naked cowgirl, etc. Life still goes on because arguments or discourse has been so relativised and post-modernised and debated of its pros and cons and its subjectivity that anything goes. But back to the Malaysian scene. If Occupy Wall Street is about a statement made on corporate greed in America, what then is the message in Occupy Dataran? Which Malaysian corporations are the message for? Who is the one percent and which one is the 99 percent? How have the corporations in Malaysia been instrumental in the project of alienating, marginalising, and plundering the "people" or the "rakyat"? How will the structure of control be exposed? What is the nature of political economic control? Who owns what, through what means? These are the questions that interest me as we see Malaysia too undergoing what Chairman Mao would call "interesting times". DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/

It’s Not Rocket Science, EC Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:24 AM PST MyOverseasVote The Deputy Chairman of the Election Commission has recently sought to explain the so-called "logistical nightmare" of giving Malaysians overseas the vote. Over 115 countries and territories in the world allow external voting, and two thirds of these allow external voting by all citizens. Given that 51 years has passed since the concept of absent voting was first provided for in our Federal Constitution, one would have thought that the EC would have studied what is done in other countries and come up with a workable system by now. MyOverseasVote would like to set out in simple terms how easily overseas voting can be made to work. Firstly, any Malaysian wishing to vote from overseas will need to be registered with their overseas address as an absent voter or other kind of postal voter. There is no question of the EC having to "trace" voters who have not registered. (For this to work effectively, there should either be an expedited route for voters to switch between ordinary and absent voters under the 2002 (Registration of Electors) Regulations, or overseas voters must be gazetted as postal voters under the 2003 (Postal Voting) Regulations, and must be able to apply to be postal voters in advance of an election. Both of these require amendments to the relevant rules.) Once nominations have closed and ballot papers have been printed, returning officers should issue the postal ballots in front of candidates' election agents and seal them in envelopes divided up by consulate, which should be sent via the EC to each Malaysian consulate overseas by diplomatic pouch. Only one pouch needs to be sent to each Malaysian consulate overseas. Once postal ballots are received by a Malaysian consulate, it should summon election agents of each political party to witness the envelopes being unsealed and to witness that all the postal ballots are placed into the local postal system. (The 2003 Regulations already allow the EC to provide for the method of despatch of postal ballots. Provision may have to be made for the official appointment of overseas election agents by political parties.) In order to vote, each voter will have to receive the postal ballot at his home address, fill out and sign a declaration of identity in front of a witness, and then mark the ballot paper and return the postal ballot together with the declaration of identity to the Malaysian consulate. This can either be returned by post or in person to the Malaysian consulate. Each Malaysian consulate should have 27 sealed ballot boxes, 13 for state elections and 14 for federal elections. Upon receipt of each ballot, it should be placed into the relevant ballot box. READ MORE HERE

WIKILEAKS: DOWNGRADE MALAYSIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION? Posted: 15 Nov 2011 12:00 AM PST During an accreditation review July 25, the ICC, whose secretariat is the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, found Malaysia's Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) did not comply with the Paris Principles. The Paris Principles define the international standards for an independent and effective national human rights institution. The announcement occurred as SUHAKAM prepared to host the 13th Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) from July 28 - 31. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Classified By: Classified By: Acting Political Section Chief William G. Gray for reasons 1.4 (b and d). SUMMARY 1. (C) Malaysia's Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) faces potential downgrading by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) for non-compliance with the Paris Principles. If downgraded, SUHAKAM will be banned from attending the United Nations Human Rights Council Session and stripped of its full membership in the Asia Pacific Forum, the leading regional human rights organization in the Asia Pacific.  The Malaysian government responded by questioning the validity of ICC's accreditation review but some local NGOs welcome the move as a wake-up call for the government to make SUHAKAM more independent and effective.  Most observers believe, however, that the government is unlikely to make substantive changes to SUHAKAM, however.  Post continues to engage the government and promote proactive human rights monitoring with SUHAKAM.  End Summary. SUHAKAM faces downgrade by ICC 2.  (U) During an accreditation review July 25, the ICC, whose secretariat is the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, found Malaysia's Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) did not comply with the Paris Principles.  The Paris Principles define the international standards for an independent and effective national human rights institution. The announcement occurred as SUHAKAM prepared to host the 13th Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) from July 28 - 31. ICC Recommendations to SUHAKAM 3. (U) The ICC provided SUHAKAM with recommendations on how to comply with the Paris Principles and gave the organization one year to meet the standards.  ICC recommended establishing a clear and transparent appointment and dismissal process for commissioners and increasing commissioners' tenures from the current two years.  Another deficiency noted was the lack of genuine "pluralism" in the composition of SUHAKAM's commissioners.  The ICC also expects SUHAKAM to increase engagement with other human rights bodies and the UN Human Rights Council. The Downgrade's Impact 4.  (U) SUHAKAM's failure to comply with the ICC's recommendations will result in the ICC downgrading SUHAKAM from its current "A" status to "B."  If downgraded, SUHAKAM loses its right to participate in the regular sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council, is stripped of its full membership in the APF of NHRIs and relegated to a candidate or associate member without voting rights in the APF's decision-making body, the Forum Council. SUHAKAM and Local NGOs react 5.  (U) SUHAKAM Chairman Abu Talib dismissed the ICC's view and stated the committee seems to be developing "new rules of interpretation" of the Paris Principles.  He further lamented the ICC was just "relying on one Malaysian NGO's observation" in initiating the accreditation review and stressed that the Commission considers itself fully compliant with the Principles.  Other SUHAKAM Commissioners followed Abu Talib's lead, but acknowledged that the nine-year-old SUHAKAM Act, which established SUHAKAM, should be amended to reflect current circumstances and provide the Commission more bite, especially for enforcing its recommendations.  On July 29, Deputy Prime Minister Najib stated that any change in the SUHAKAM act giving the organization greater independence and power needed "to be studied carefully." 6.  (SBU) In an immediate reaction to the ICC's review, 44 NGOs including Education and Research Association for Consumers Malaysia (ERA Consumer), the Malaysian Peoples Voice (SUARAM) (the two NGO's providing the ICC information for its report on SUHAKAM), and the Malaysian Bar Council released a joint statement urging the Malaysian government to adopt the ICC's recommendations and strengthen SUHAKAM.  N. Marimuthu, President of ERA Consumer, told us the ICC's review was a "wake-up call" for SUHAKAM and the government and will embarrass the Government if SUHAKAM's status is downgraded.  The NGOs found an ally when de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, one of the few voices for reform in the cabinet, advised SUHAKAM to "develop a spine." Presenting a paper at the NHRI on July 29, the Minister said SUHAKAM must be proactive, more aggressive, take a vigorous stand on issues, and not hide behind the SUHAKAM Act.  (Note: SUHAKAM's Chairman sometime uses the limiting statutes of the act to justify not/not investigating alleged human rights violations in high profile cases.)  The Minister also supported the ICC's recommendations, adding that the government can no longer continue to be in denial (about its responsibility to safeguard human rights). Comments 7. (C) While the ICC's announcement of SUHAKAM's possible downgrade set off alarms within the Malaysian government, the substantial reforms required to strengthen SUHAKAM's independence or broaden its jurisdiction are unlikely.  When first established, the government purposely undermined SUHAKAM's ability to investigate abuses by inserting legislated limitations.  For example, SUHAKAM cannot legally investigate alleged abuses if a police report is filed.  Post continues to engage the government on human rights and encourage proactive human rights monitoring within SUHAKAM. KEITH (August 2008)

Malaysia Will Buy 18 Su-30MKM Posted: 14 Nov 2011 11:21 PM PST DEFENSE STUDIES "BrahMos" has a flight range of 290 km and the warhead of 300 kg. In India, the light version of the supersonic cruise missile "Brahmos" will go on arming Su-30MKI in 2012. Unlike ground-based missile, air launched version has 500 pounds lighter. In order to reduce its weight was reduced dimensions booster stage and set a simple nose cone. (image : Trishul) The Malaysian defense ministry plans to buy 18 Russian Su-30MKM fighters fit to carry Russian-Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the Izvestia daily said on Tuesday. The paper said, citing military sources, that Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi plans on Tuesday to visit the Irkut aviation plant, producing Su-30MKI fighters for India. According to Izvestia, one such aircraft would cost Malaysia about US$50 million, future maintenance included. READ MORE HERE

Surat Kedua Tentang Gaddafi Posted: 14 Nov 2011 10:07 PM PST DARI JELEBU Gadaffi di Libya dianggap sebagai penghalang untuk penerusan strateji politik, ekonomi dan ketenteraan Amerika. Hishamuddin Rais  Tuan yang saya hormati, Surat pertama saya minggu dahulu tentang Muammar Gaddafi telah mendapat pelbagai reaksi. Ada yang bersetuju. Dan ramai juga yang tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan saya itu. Kepada mereka yang bersetuju saya meminta mereka untuk terus membaca dan mengkaji. Kepada mereka yang tidak bersetuju maka saya arahkan surat kedua saya ini kepada mereka. Untuk memulakan surah biar saya nyatakan disini tentang dua patah perkataan. Dua perkataan ini adalah jampi dan mantra geopolitik hari ini. Dua perkataan ini adalah realpolitik yang sedang berlaku dihadapan mata kita. Jika kita memiliki makrifat tentang dua perkataan ini maka kita akan memahami apa yang sedang berlaku dalam dunia hari ini. Pertama: Minyak. Kedua : China. Dua perkataan ini adalah kunci untuk kita memahami makrifat politik dunia. Memahami politik dunia akan membantu kita untuk memahami politik dalaman Malaysia. Gagal memahami : Minyak dan China - maka kita akan gagal dalam menganalisa situasi politik. Analisa politik yang tidak tepat akan membuatkan kita memilih taktik dan stratiji yang salah dalam pejuangan untuk menumpaskan kezaliman untuk mendirikan keadilan. Tuan yang saya muliakan, Pasti tuan akan bertanya apa hubungan Minyak dan China dengan wafatnya Muammar Gadaffi? Tuan yang saya muliakan, dalam surat saya yang lalu telah saya nyatakan bahawa banyak syarikat minyak antarabangsa telah tidak dibenarkan menjarah minyak di Libya. Libya bukan macam Kuwait atau Berunai dimana Shell, BP, Cheveron, Esso atau Exxon bebas untuk menjarah harta kekayaan negara. Gadaffi telah melarang syarikat antrabangsa ini masuk dengan wenang wenang. Apakah tuan tidak percaya dengan surah saya ini? Biar saya bawa tuan kembali untuk mengingati sejarah pada 5 April 1986. Pada malam itu sebuah bom telah meletup didalam sebuah kelab malam di Berlin. Tiga soldadu Amerika gugur. Rumah Puteh di bawah Ronald Reagan ketika itu mengambil tindakan balas dengan mengebom Libya pada 14 April. Sasaran pertama ialah rumah kediaman Gadaffi sendiri. Seramai 50 orang warga Libya gugur termasuk anak perempuan Gadaffi sendiri. Tindakan Ronald Reagan ini berdasarkan kenyataan seorang saksi yang bernama Mushad Eter. Tetapi dari ZDR – stesen tv German - yang menyiarkan program siasatan pada 28 Ogos 1998 – didapati bahawa Mushad Eter ini ialah ajen CIA. Dan orang yang bertanggung jawab meletakkan bom ke dalam kelab malam itu ialah Mahammed Aamir seorang ajen Mossad dari Israel. Apa yang ingin saya nyatakan disini ialah rancangan untuk membunuh Gadaffi ini telah lama berjalan. Fail : Mesti Bunuh Gadaffi – telah ada di meja CIA semenjak tahun 70'an lagi. Jika tuan masih tidak yakin dengan surah ini biar saya buka satu lagi surah. Kali ini saya adalah perawi saheh kerana ketika pesawat udara Pan Am Flight 103 meletup di Lockerbie pada 21 Disember 1988 saya masih lagi tinggal dalam kota London. Saya mengikuti –membaca dan menonton – dengan rapi sekali kes ini. Trajedi udara di Lokerbie telah menewas 270 penumpang. Dengan serta merta Ronald Reagan telah menuduh Gadaffi dan Libya. Kerajaan British dibawah Magaret Thatcher amat bersedia untuk mengikut telunjuk Ronald Reagan. Majlis Keselamatan PBB telah mengambil langkah membuat sekatan keatas Libya. Dua warga Libya Abdel Basset Al Megrahi dan Al Amin Khalifa telah ditangkap dan didapati bersalah. Tetapi kaum keluarga yang gugur merasa tidak puas hati dan mereka membuka kes ini sekali lagi. Pada bulan Ogos 2005 Ketua Pendakwa Raya Mahkamah Scotland telah membuat kenyataan bahawa bukti baru telah ditemui. Bomb jangka dalam kapalterbang tidak dipasang oleh warga Libya tetapi telah dipasang oleh ajen CIA. Saksi utama seorang penjual kain baju di Malta telah mengaku bahawa dia telah dibayar sebanyak 2 juta dolar oleh CIA untuk memberi keterangan palsu dan mengkaitkan Libya. Memasang bom dan kemudian menuduh orang lain melakukannya bukan satu taktik yang baru. Kita pernah mendengar bagaimana polis meletakan dadah atau parang sebagai bahan bukti. Di Malaysia sendiri kita semua telah melihat bagaimana Mahathir Muhamad merancang kes rampasan senjata di Sauk pada 31 Ogos 2000. Dikatakan tiga buah Pajero telah berjaya mengambil senjata seberat 3 tan dalam masa 15 minit. Mahathir telah menuduh kumpulan silat Al-Maunah. Sebenarnya ini adalah persediaan Mahathir untuk menggunakan ISA terhadap Gerakan Reformasi. Ini terbukti saheh : Pada 10 April 2001 seramai 10 orang aktivis Reformasi telah ditangkap dibawah ISA. Letupan bom di Berlin dan meletupnya diudara kapalterbang di Lockerbie terbukti kerja jahat CIA. Kenapa semua ini dilakukan? Jawapannya cukup senang. Minyak. Minyak. Minyak. Gadaffi tidak membenarkan syarikat minyak antrabangsa menjarah Libya. Justeru Gadaffi wajib dilupuskan. Tuan yang saya muliakan, saya telah banyak menulis untuk menerangkan bahawa tamadun moden hari ini adalah Tamadun Minyak. Kalau dulu manusia telah melintasi Zaman Batu, Zaman Gangsa, Zaman Wap – hari ini saya namakan tamadun Zaman Minyak. Ini kerana asas ekonomi dunia kapitalis hari ini ialah minyak. Tanpa bahan bakar petrol dunia kapitalis dan sistem ekonomi kapitalis akan runtuh. Justeru kita semua wajib menerima hakikat bahawa bahan bakar petrol ini adakh kunci sistem ekonomi kapitalis. Kuasa kolonial Eropah – German, British, Itali, Peranchis , Belanda, Belgium – semuanya ada memiliki tanah jajahan di Afrika. Sesudah biji durian dimakan kulitnya dibuang – inilah sikap penjajah. Negara kolonial Barat telah meninggalkan Afrika tempang, mundur dan miskin. Afrika tidak lagi menjadi wilayah yang menarik untuk kaum kapitalis melabur seperti di Siam, Malaysia atau Korea. Disini negara China – negara kapitalis yang baru bangun – tanpa segan silu telah masuk ke Afrika untuk melabur. Libya menjadi bagitu penting untuk China kerana kedudukan Libya betul-betul ditengah benua Afrika. Di Selatan Libya terbentang padang pasir yang membuka benua Afrika manakala di utara ialah Laut Tengah. Ketika Libya diserang Nato ada lebih kurang 75 buah syarikat China dengan 36,000 tenaga kerja. Mereka sedang membina bangunan, lebuh raya dan mendirikan infrastruktur pembangunan. Tiga syarikat minyak China – CNOC, Sinopec Group dan CNOOC beroperasi mencarigali di Libya. Ketika diserang oleh Nato, Libya membekalkan China 150,00 tong minyak sehari – ini adalah 3% dari keseluruhan keperluan China dan ianya hanyalah 1/10 ekpot minyak Libya. Secara nisbah Libya menjadi negara pembekal minyak yang amat penting untuk China. Hari ini ekonomi China adalah ekonomi kapitalis yang kedua terbesar didunia sesudah Amerika Syarikat. Tidak berapa lama lagi kekuatan ekonomi Amerika akan diambil alih oleh ekonomi China. Kekuatan ekonomi Amerika Syarikat akan menjadi sejarah. Fakta ini diketahui oleh CIA, diketahui oleh Rumah Puteh, diketahui oleh Israel. Apabila kuasa ekonomi merundum bermakan kuasa politik akan merundum sama. Ini makrifat realpolitik. Untuk ekonomi China berkembang dan terus bergerak bahan bakar petrol amat diperlukan. China memerlukan minyak mentah bukan sahaja dari Afrika malah dari mana sahaja. Justeru, China telah melabur di Sudan, di Dafur, di Chad. Fakta ini bukan satu rahsia. Kalau membuka kembali sejarah terkini kita akan membaca bagaimana syarikat minyak China telah diketepikan di Iraq oleh pentabiran Amerika sesudah Saddam dibunuh. Perjanjian carigali antara syarikat China dengan Iraq lupus. Wilayah carigali yang telah diberikan kepada China diambil alih oleh syarikat minyak Amerika – yang selama ini tidak dibenarkan masuk ke Iraq oleh Saddam. Pekara yang sama akan berlaku di Libya. Read more at: http://tukartiub.blogspot.com/2011/11/anak-terbaik-dari-bumi-afrika-anak.html

What to do NOW Posted: 14 Nov 2011 09:58 PM PST By Hakim Joe The fat fugitive cigar-chomping hippie has always accused us of perpetually whinging of how things presently are and not contributing enough suggestions on how to correct all these transgressions. He tells us not to live in the past but to move ahead into the present and to start acting now lest we are stopped from such actions in the future. Well, here is a list of what I think Pakatan Rakyat should do NOW: Foremost, they need to resolve the leadership issue once and for all. DSAI is the de facto leader by consensus but he might be back in jail very soon and all the PR component party leaders need to settle on an individual leading the Opposition during GE13 as DSAI cannot viably be capable of doing so from within his prison cell. Additionally, in the event that PR actually garners sufficient parliamentary seats to topple the existing government, DSAI is not legally qualified to become the PM of Malaysia. Wan Azizah however could be a good choice as she is widely accepted by everybody. Political experience will never become an issue here. Look at the Philippines: Corazon Aquino – zero political experience but possibly the best President the Philippines ever had and definitely loads better than how her son is performing now (even with his political upbringing). The DPM should go to the respectable Nik Aziz as he is the only person the voters can accept to hold that position. Lim and Karpal both do not qualify as the Constitution forbids it on racial grounds. (God forbids if that position is offered to Azmin Ali.) And then there are all the important ministerial positions but that can wait until GE13 is won. Number Two on the agenda is the many proposed policies, in which PR needs to state, which will act as their political platform. Reforms, Rights, Privileges, Amendments to existing laws, Separation of Powers, etc are but a few of the important issues that require clarification now (not later). Pakatan desperately needs to have a common policy that is acceptable to all Malaysians and to show a united front. Campaign posters and banners need to show all three party emblems and no more conflicting resolutions from the three leaders or their associates. It has to be "One for All and All for One" but most importantly, it has to be declared out for all to know. Number Three is the setting up of an elections committee with all three parties combined and the organization of the many divisional level working parties that will be capable of reacting immediately once Parliament is dissolved. These entire election machinery needs to be ready now and not next month or next year. Additionally, the work parties must be structured to perform different duties and leaders be selected to lead them. Why set up after eections are called when they can be prepared now? Number Four is the budget as elections are a costly affair. Brochures, flags, banners, pins, caps and T-shirts need to be printed. Food and drinks need to be provided for the working party members. Travel expenses are required for the pre-election campaigning all over Malaysia. Transportation needs to be prepared and organized for the traveling parties and accommodations provided for if it is an interstate overnight trip. Umbrellas need to be ready, tents, tables and chairs need to be rented and all these translate into large numbers that needs to be paid. As they say, No Money No Talk. Number Five is that the proposed candidates must go on the campaigning trail now and not after elections are called for. The more exposure to the targeted voters, the higher the chances of being elected. Who would want to vote for a candidate that one has never seen or heard before or a candidate that makes his or her appearance once every four years. Additionally, no free seats for BN. Every seat must be contested even if one risks losing the deposit. Number Six is information. The more information that is provided to the voters of Pakatan's intentions, the better informed the voters will be and Pakatan's hierarchy will need to be targeting a certain category of voters, as it will be a waste of time, effort and resources to try convincing hardcore BN voters on such a short period of time. Subsequently, the use of alternate news media must be amplified to a larger audience for this and also to expose the government's shortfalls and alleged corrupt practices. Number Seven would be the preparation of an expert committee to inspect the electoral roll once it is ready. This might actually translate into work parties physically confirming addresses on the ground through legwork but essentially it will only mean the scrutinization of the electoral roll looking for identical entries or suspect voter information. It would be rather impossible to squeeze 100 residents into an apartment building if 100 different voters on the roll exhibit identical residential addresses or if a voter whose birthday is on 1900 or before that. The best manner to handle such a big task would be to get a large group of people to input all these information into a computer or to get a scanner with OCR capabilities to do it. A scan would then be easily achieved to sort out the identical entries. A mammoth undertaking but seats are lost with just one vote. Number Eight would be to follow up on the BN promises. Najib has indicated that electoral reforms are underway. He has also said that he will abolish the ISA. Additionally, he has allowed students to be involved in politics but so far nothing has been accomplished and the Opposition urgently needs to harass them on the implementation date both in Parliament and in the media. Get BERSIH 3.0 going. Sue the GOM for its broken promises. Do anything to exaggerate the situation; just do not do nothing as BN will explore any opportunity to do the same to PR. Show the people what PR is capable of and scare the bejesus out of BN. Number Nine. Sort out the Selangor State Government chaos now as it is riddled with BN goons (literally). Clean up that crappy clutter and the people will actually believe that PR is actually capable of helming the country in Putrajaya. In addition, sort out the East Malaysian opposition party mess because both Sabah and Sarawak possesses 56 parliamentary seats of the total of 222 seats (25%) even when they only have 19.5% of the population of Malaysia. Pakatan was only able to secure 2 pitiful parliamentary seats there in 2008. Lastly, get the people involved right now. Secure every possible advantage. Get the 2008 Elections and the BERSIH 2.0 momentum going. Get Reformasi back. Exhibit DSAI's black eye. Screen the Perak State Assembly fiasco. Remember Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbani. Wear yellow T-shirts. Remind the people how a mere dentist can afford a RM30 million bungalow and get away with it or how a pornstar became the people's alleged leader. Distribute copies of that sex tape. Get those Birkin bags out. Present to the public the billion Ringgit subs that is capable of erasing immigration records and killing a girl but yet incapable of submerging underwater. Ask the GOM why tear gas was fired into a hospital during BERSIH 2.0. Burn more incense to the Jelapang bitch. Do ANYTHING. Just do not do NOTHING.

Why I decided not to support Pakatan Posted: 14 Nov 2011 09:50 PM PST By Paul Raj I have decided not to support Pakatan Rakyat on three very important grounds. First of all, as a civil servant, my rice bowl is at stake since DAP leader Mr Tony Pua has annouced that Pakatan will cut nearly 40% jobs in the civil service. Despite Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim saying that it is not true, DAP and its top leaders have not denied Mr Tony Pua's statement. Compared with the Barisan Nasional under Datuk Seri Najib which has extended the civil servants' tenure to age 60 and gave much monetary benifits to civil servants, DAP wants to sack 40% of us! How can we civil servants support such a party? If what Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said is true, that what Mr Tong Pua said is not true, then to show their sincerity, DAP must apologise to civil servants publicly, and promise not to field Mr Tony Pua as a candidate for the 13th general election. Otherwise, we will campaign against DAP candidates. Secondly, PAS is insisting on achieving its Islamic state with the implementation of hudud. Can Christians honestly support Pakatan in view of this? Even Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has publicly supported hudud. It is too risky for Christians to support PAS, unless the party publicly promises that it will not implement Islamic law when Pakatan comes to power. DAP leaders like Mr Lim Guan Eng has been defending PAS, and keeping quiet on various PAS actions like banning a cinema in Bangi, and calling for the banning of Elton's concert. We cannot support Pakatan as it is too dangarous. Thirdlly, the credibility of many Pakatan candidates are questionable. There are still DAP people who object to wearing songkoks at official functions, although they are prepared to wear hats and Japanese baseball caps. When Ms Hannah Yeoh wore the tudung during Hari Raya, she was attacked by DAP leaders and members. Also, DAP leaders are not that clean after all, they practise cronyism and nepotism, and some are corrupt too. DAP says they champion human rights and press freedom, yet Mr Lim Guan Eng bans Utusan in Penang. How can Christians support these hypocrits? For us, it is better to stay with Barisan which has shown that it can change and will give us a good life. Pakatan just talks and never delivers. Like Mr George Khoo has said before, DAP does not even care for the veteran leaders who build up the party, and now the new upstarts like Mr Tony Pua come in and take over. I was told that Mr Tony Pua wants to remove serveral veteran leaders like Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Mr Fong Kui Lum, Mr Ronnie Liu, and put his own people as candidates for next general election. For these three important reasons, I urge all Christians to stop supporting Pakatan. All civil servants should also protest against DAP, especially to kick out Mr Tony Pua, who is out to break our ricebowls.

Cure the cause, not the symptoms Posted: 14 Nov 2011 08:40 PM PST Therefore, reforms will need to be achieved outside the electoral process. It will have to be achieved through civil society action. Did India or South Africa achieve change through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did Europe 200 years ago achieve reforms through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did America achieve reforms in the mid-1900s through the electoral process or through civil society action? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Sometimes, or maybe most times, it is quite difficult to have an 'intellectual discussion' with Malaysia Today's readers. But then this would only be if you were to analyse the dozen or so comments in the comments section. Out of a readership running into the hundreds of thousands this represents less than 1% of the total. Nevertheless, this gives an impression that this reflects the 'general opinion' whereas less than 1% hardly represents the majority view. But is this not so for other things as well? A few Muslims scream about Islam being under attack and a handful of Malays wearing the PERKASA T-shirts shout about the Chinese robbing the Malays of their birthright. And people take this as the general view of Muslims or Malays whereas 99% of the Malays-Muslims remain silent and say nothing because they do not share these views and feel that engaging the 1% is foolhardy seeing that nothing you say is going to do any good anyway. I know some people lament as to why the silent majority amongst the Malays-Muslims remain silent. Is this because they support or agree with what this 1% say? Well, would you want to argue with a fool? Is it not a fool who argues with a fool? So why bother to engage them? Just let them scream and make fools of themselves and hopefully one day they will get tired and shut up. There are white supremacists in Britain and Australia, Ku Klux Klan in the US, Nazis in Germany, etc. And they take to the streets and demonstrate and scream. But do these 1,000 screaming whites represent the 72 million population of Britain? Why are the other 72 million British citizens keeping quiet? Well, the 72 million other British think that the 1,000 screaming whites are nut cases. And why do you want to argue with nut cases? Anyway, I am digressing. Let us get back to the issue of the comments in the comments section of Malaysia Today that I was talking about. As I said, this represents a mere fraction of the total readership. I can just ignore them if I want to. But I am going to address them and make a general reply to these comments.  I am not suggesting that these comments are foolish. Some, in fact, are of substance and certainly add value to the matter being discussed. But many are talking about curing the symptoms rather than the cause of the disease. And this is what I want to talk about today.  Why do you keep repeating what we already know? Do you think that repeating, again and again, that the government is corrupt and abuses its power, the government practices racism and discrimination, the government practices selective prosecution and manipulates the judicial system, etc., all our problems are going to be solved? We know all that. No need to tell us what we already know. Tell us what to do about it. Sure, I know you will now tell me that we need to kick out the government, change the government, and so on. Okay, that is what we need to do. But how are we going to do that? And will kicking out the government or changing the government solve the problem? Many countries have done this but that did not solve the problem. What makes you think we can do what other more organised countries can't seem to do? And has not more than 200 years of history in changing governments all over the world not taught us anything? Most of you are focusing on and talking about the symptoms of the problem. All the comments you post are about the signs of the disease. And all your suggestions are about trying to cure these symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem, the cause of the disease. For example, when we talk about the nine United Nations' Treaties and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) you brush that off and say that that is not important. What is important is that we must first change the government. But that is just it. These issues are important. And they are important because if they are not addressed then we will never be able to change the government. It is like saying that when I strike a lottery and become rich I am going to do this, that and the other. But you never go out and buy a lottery -- which means you are never going to win a lottery and become rich. So what's all this talk of when I strike a lottery and become rich I am going to do this, that and the other? It is merely idle talk and daydreaming. We need the correct environment and platform to see change. And I mean, of course, change through the electoral process or constitutional means. Of course, if you want to bypass the democratic process and effect change through non-constitutional means, such as an armed revolution, then that is another matter altogether. But how do we see this happen if we do not have free, clean and fair elections? We have discussed this before. Barisan Nasional will be able to hold on to power even if they win less than 50% of the votes. We need an independent judiciary if we want to file election petitions to thwart election fraud. We need an uncorrupted Police Force, Anti-Corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, AG Chambers, Election Commission, etc., if we want them to uphold free, clean and fair elections. As long as all these agencies work for Barisan Nasional and not for the people, then free, clean and fair elections would be impossible. So, no, the cure to all our problems is not to change the government. The cure to all our problems is reforms. And we need to press for reforms because without reforms Barisan Nasional will be able to hold on to power long after all of us have gone to our graves. So, my question would be: can we see reforms by changing the government? I would say 'no' because we will never be able to change the government without reforms. Barisan Nasional will make sure of that. Therefore, reforms will need to be achieved outside the electoral process. It will have to be achieved through civil society action. Did India or South Africa achieve change through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did Europe 200 years ago achieve reforms through the electoral process or through civil society action? Did America achieve reforms in the mid-1900s through the electoral process or through civil society action? Learn from history, my friend. Hitler came to power through the electoral process. And tens of millions of people died because of that. Sometimes, elections without reforms will bring more harm than good. So, can we stop talking about what's wrong with Malaysia? We all know what's wrong with Malaysia. You do not need to remind us about what's wrong with Malaysia. I can tell you more than you can tell me about what's wrong with Malaysia. We need to now start discussing what to do about it.  And stop telling me that we need to change the government to see changes in Malaysia. I want to know how to change the government under the present electoral system that we have in Malaysia and whether by changing the government (if that is even possible in the first place) we will be guaranteed of seeing change or will it merely be, as more than 200 years of history has proven, just putting old wine into a new bottle?  Maybe it is time to start thinking outside the box. Can we trust politicians to bring about these changes that we are clamouring for? Are, maybe, politicians too self-serving or selfish and are out for personal gain? Are they really working for the people or working for themselves?  If the politicians were seriously interested in our welfare rather than serving their own interests then they would put aside their personal and party interests for the greater good of the people. But they are not doing this. There are three parties in Pakatan Rakyat (and, of course, 14 in Barisan Nasional). Then we have PRM, PSM, SNAP, SAPP, KITA, PCM, PERSB, BERJASA, PASOK, SETIA, AKIM, STAR, HRP, and the UBF 'coalition' (did I miss out anyone?). Why can't Pakatan Rakyat talk to the 'non-aligned' parties? Maybe I should ask: why can't the three Pakatan Rakyat parties resolve all their inter- and intra-party issues (which should come first)? Yes, many who voted opposition back in 2008 are beginning to question whether they still want to vote opposition this time around. We want to see ABU. But many are now asking whether ABU is good enough. They feel that it has to be more than just ABU. It should no longer just be about what we don't want. It has to be about what we want. If the political parties prove they are incapable of bringing about change then maybe we should forget about political parties (and therefore about seeing change through the electoral process -- which without reforms is not going to see a change of government anyway). Maybe it requires a different form of action to bring about change. And what alternative form of action do you think this will require? That is what we may need to talk about now.

WIKILEAKS: INDICTMENT OF FOUR MALAYSIAN ENTITIES AND THE ADDITION OF NINE COMPANIES AND FIVE ... Posted: 14 Nov 2011 06:22 PM PST We believe these companies and individuals are associated with the Mayrow General Trading network and have been engaged in acquiring electronic components and devices capable of being used to construct Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), as well as other items for use in proliferation-related activities. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 1.  (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 5. 2.  (SBU) BACKGROUND:  On September 17, a federal grand jury in Miami, Florida returned a superseding indictment charging eight individuals and eight corporations, including two individuals and two corporations in Malaysia, in connection with their participation in conspiracies to export U.S. manufactured commodities to prohibited entities and to Iran.  Information on this indictment was passed Septel. Additionally, on Wednesday September 17, 2008, the U.S. announced the transfer of all the existing parties on the Mayrow General Order No. 3 to the Department of Commerce Entity List.  This transfer will improve the ability of exporters to screen potential recipients of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).  Also on that date, the Department of Commerce announced that a significant number of new entities identified through its Mayrow investigation will be added to the Entity List.  While some of these entities and individuals are located in Iran, a number of entities are located in Malaysia.  Overall, entities and individuals in 13 locations will be affected. Consistent with our nonproliferation cooperation, we seek to notify Malaysia about the details of this action, and urge Malaysia to share information with us regarding these companies/ individuals. 3.  (SBU) On September 17, Acting Assistant Secretary McNerney notified Charge d'Affaires Ilango Karuppannan at the Malaysian Embassy in Washington of Commerce's actions and indicated that we would send a non-paper with additional details, which is provided in para 6.  The conversation was positive, and the GOM committed to look into the matter.  The Charge requested a copy of the list of companies, which ISN passed to the Malaysian Embassy.  (EAP/MTS emailed this list to Embassy KL on September 17 and the same list is included in the non-paper below.) 4.  (SBU) On June 5, 2006, the Department of Commerce published Mayrow General Order No. 3 imposing licensing requirements on most exports and re-exports of dual-use items to named entities.  The entities named in Mayrow General Order No. 3 were all affiliated with the Mayrow Trading Network (Mayrow) in Dubai, UAE and play a vital role in buying, funding, and supplying parts and knowledge to build IEDs and other explosive devices for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. The General Order was expanded on September 6, 2006 and June 8, 2007 to cover additional entities affiliated with Mayrow Trading Inc., including two Malaysian entities. 5.  (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  Post is requested to approach appropriate host government officials to deliver the non-paper in para 6. In doing so, posts should pursue the following objectives: -- Follow-up with Malaysian officials on the publication of additional Malaysian entities (companies and individuals) affiliated with Mayrow General Trading on the Department of Commerce Entity List. -- Urge Malaysia to share any information it has with us regarding these companies/ individuals. 6.  (U) Begin U.S. non-paper: -- On September 17, a federal grand jury in Miami, Florida returned an indictment charging eight individuals and eight corporations, including two individuals resident in Malaysia and two corporations in Malaysia, in connection with their participation in conspiracies to export U.S. manufactured commodities to prohibited entities and to Iran. -- In addition, on Wednesday September 17, the U.S. Department of Commerce transferred the parties currently on General Order 3 (the 'Mayrow General Order') to the Entity List. -- Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Patricia McNerney informed your Charge, in Washington of this action. -- The Entity List is a public list of end-users that the U.S. believes pose a risk of diverting U.S.-origin goods to activities detrimental to U.S. foreign or national security interests, such as supporting terrorism or engaging in WMD-related activities. -- This list informs the public about the export license requirements to export or reexport most items subject to the Department of Commerce,s export controls to the listed entities and therefore simplifies exporter,s screening of potential customers. -- We previously informed Malaysia in 2007 that Malaysian entities, Vast Solution Sdn Bhd and Majid Seif, were added to the General Order on June 8, 2007.  They will now be transferred to the Entity List. -- Also on Wednesday September 17, the United States imposed strict export licensing requirements on eight additional companies and four additional individuals in Malaysia.  As a result, a U.S. license is required for the export or re-export of any U.S. origin dual-use item to these listed persons. -- We believe these companies and individuals are associated with the Mayrow General Trading network and have been engaged in acquiring electronic components and devices capable of being used to construct Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), as well as other items for use in proliferation-related activities.  -- We are taking these actions because these commodities have been, and may continue to be, employed in IEDs or other explosive devices used against Coalition Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. -- U.S.-origin goods diverted to Iran via this network have included those controlled by the Commerce Department for missile technology, national security and anti-terrorism reasons, as well as those controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. -- This action will affect companies and individuals in thirteen countries, not just Malaysia.  We anticipate that these new requirements will have little or no bilateral trade impact. -- We encourage you to share any information you have on these companies/ individuals with us. -- We are providing you details on each of these companies and individuals for your information. -- We will provide additional information, as it becomes available. We hope that your government will take appropriate actions to curtail these proliferation activities. -- We note that having a comprehensive export control system would allow your government to better control these activities. -- Our Congress is considering draft legislation which would require that trans-shipment countries without sufficient export controls be placed in the Department of Commerce's Country Group C as a 'country of diversion concern'. This would mean more restricted high technology trade. -- We urge Malaysia to quickly enact and fully implement a comprehensive export control system.  We are ready to work with you and to provide any necessary assistance. -- The following companies and individuals now appear on the revised Entity List: Entities: 1.    Ace Hub System: Address: No. 15, Jalan PJS 11/16, Taman Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia 2.    Analytical Solutions: Address: #GB (Ground Floor), Pearl Tower, O.G. Heights, Jalan Awan Cina, 58200, Kuala LUmpur, Malaysia 3.    Antcorp System: Address: 5-02 Wisma Pantai, Jalan Wisma Pantai, 12200 Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia 4.    East Tech: Malaysia (no address available) 5.    Eco Biochem SDN BHD: Address: No. 15, Jalan PJS 11/16, Taman Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E., Malaysia 6.    Fetsco Marketing SDN BHD: Address: 97C, Jalan Kenari 23, Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia; and Suite D23, Tkt. 2, Plaza Pekeliling, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekkutuan, Malaysia 7.    Nexus Empire, a.k.a., Vast Solution: Address: 27-06, Amcorp Bldg, Jalan Persiaran Barat, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia 8.    Vast Solution Sdn Bhd: Address: 27-06 Amcorp Building, Jalan 18, Persiaran Barat, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia 9.    VTE Industrial Automation SDN BHD:  Address: 97C, Jalan Kenari 23, Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia Individuals 1.    Ahmed Rahzad, a.k.a. Saeb Karim:  Address: 27-06 Amcorp Building, Jalan 18, Persiaran Barat, Petaling Jaya, 46050 Selangor, Malaysia Ahmed Rahzad may be associated with Vast Solutions in Malaysia. 2.    Ann Teck Tong: Address: 97C, Jalan Kenari 23, Puchong Jaya, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia; and Suite D23, Tkt. 2, Plaza Pekeliling, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala  Lumpur, Wilayah, Persekkutuan, Malaysia Ann Teck Tong serves on the board of directors for Fetsco Marketing in Malaysia. 3.    Brian Kaam, a.k.a., Keem Chee Mun: Address: No. 15, Jalan PJS 11/16, Taman Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Brian Kaam, a.k.a., Mr. Kaam Chee Mun, works for Ace Hub System SDN BHD and Eco Biochem SDN BHD in Malaysia. 4.    Majid Seif, a.k.a., Mark Ong and Matti Chong:  Address: 27-06 Amcorp Building, Jalan 18, Persiaran Barat 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Seif was added to EAR General Order Number 3 on June 8, 2007. 5.    Mohd Ansari:  Address: #GB (Ground Floor), Pearl Tower, O.G. Heights, Jalan Awan Cina, 58200, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia Mohd Ansari has been identified as working for Antcorp System in Malaysia. -------------------------- REPORTING DEADLINE AND POC -------------------------- 6.  (U) Post is requested to report any substantive responses within seven (7) days of receipt of this cable.  Lisa Meyers (ISN/CPI, 202-736-7939 MeyersLA@state.sgov.gov) and Daniel Bischof (EAP/MTS, 202-647-4932 bischofdr@state.gov) are the Department's POCs for this activity. RICE (September 2008)

‘Asal bukan Umno’ untuk tuntut Umno berubah Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:23 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Rakyat Melayu Islam digesa jangan terus membuta tuli menyokong kerajaan yang sengaja menakut-nakutkan mereka dengan propaganda 'tanpa Umno, mereka hilang tempat bernaung'. Dalam satu kenyataan hari, Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man berkata, banyak penulisan kebelakangan ini daripada pemikir Melayu Islam yang meluahkan kebimbangan terhadap kekuasaan orang Melayu Islam – seolah-olah melihat dengan jatuhnya kerajaan Umno Barisan Nasional (BN), maka kekuasaan orang Melayu juga akan turut hilang. "Kewujudan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) dilihat akan melemahkan kekuasaan orang Melayu dan juga akan menghakiskan kekuatan Islam di negara ini. Sejak negara ini merdeka, Umno adalah tunjang kekuasaan BN dan Umnolah yang diharapkan memelihara maruah Islam dan kaum Melayu. Selama 54 tahun nasib Melayu dan Islam terbela, dan kalaulah Umno tewas maka orang Melayu akan hancur dan semakin lemah. "Itulah pemikiran yang hendak diterapkan di kalangan rakyat, agar umat Islam dan kaum Melayu akan sentiasa was-was dan ketakutan untuk kehilangan Umno. Namun, apa yang penting ialah 'Adakah pemikiran ini bertolak kepada fakta dan realiti sebenar atau hanya satu luahan rasa tanpa berpijak kepada fakta yang nyata?" tanya beliau. Tuan Ibrahim berkata walaupun hujah di atas sekali imbas, atas permukaan ada terasa seperti benar namun beliau memberikan lapan hujah untuk direnungkan rakyat Melayu Islam sebelum membuat kesimpulan. Kalau betul Umno pentingkan kekuasaan Melayu Islam, kenapa tiada tambahan kerusi di negeri-negeri majoriti Melayu seperti Kelantan, Terengganu dan Kedah - sehinggakan ada kawasan parlimen yang jumlah pemgundinya mencecah hampir seratus ribu orang. Kenapa tambahan kerusi banyak pula dilakukan di Sarawak dan Sabah? Umno dah tewas lebih  20 tahun di Kelantan, apakah kuasa Melayu dan Islam hilang di Kelantan? Bahkan Islam bertambah megah di Kelantan dengan pelaksanaan pentadbiran sifar rasuah, dan terus memperjuangkan perlaksanaaan undang-undang Islam di sana. Kalaulah benar Umno ikhlas untuk menjaga Melayu dan Islam, kenapa royalti minyak Kelantan tidak dibayar sehingga kini walaupun ada perjanjian jelas yang mewajibkan Petronas melalui kerajaan pusat membayar royalti tersebut. Apakah orang Kelantan yang memilih PAS dan penyokong Umno di Kelantan yang majoritinya Melayu Islam, bukan Melayu Islam sebenar pada kaca mata Umno sehingga pelbagai penindasan dilakukan sejak tahun 1990? Kenapa Umno sanggup serahkan beberapa kerusi parlimen yang dahulunya ditandingi oleh Umno kepada parti lain seperti yang berlaku di Kuala Selangor, Kuantan, Raub, Port Dikson dan puluhan kerusi yang lain. Bukan ke ini Umno sendiri yang melakukan pengkhianatan kepada Melayu? Siapakah yang membuang tulisan Jawi dari sistem pendidikan kalau bukan kerajaan Umno dan menteri yang mencadangkannya pun dari Umno? Siapa yang meluluskan pelbagai jenis loteri dan judi halal untuk berakar umbi di negara ini kalau bukan pemimpin Umno? Apakah hanya Melayu Umno (yang pandai mengampu sahaja, yang mengkritik tak termasuk) dianggap sebagai Melayu Islam, sedangkan kalau Melayu dari PAS, PKR dan DAP mereka ini bukan Melayu Islam? Untuk Tuan Ibrahim, yang juga Pesuruhjaya PAS Pahang, kebimbangan hilangnya kekuasaan orang Melayu dilihat tertunjang dengan kekuasaan Umno – seolah-olah tiada parti lain dalam Malaysia yang akan memelihara kuasa Melayu dsn agama Islam. "Namun hakikatnya, dalam soal membela Melayu, Umno selama ini tidak mampu menaikkan martabat dan sosio-ekonomi mereka dengan ketara walaupun sudah 54 tahun memerintah negara. Begitu juga, dalam soal membela Islam, berapa kali Umno melacurkan Islam dan menggunakan Islam hanya apabila keadaan perlu untuk memelihara kepentingan politik semata-mata?" tegas beliau. Tuan Ibrahim turut menyifatkan parti komponen BN masih mengamalkan pemikiran sempit dari era sebelum merdeka. "Namun, pemikiran sedemikian diyakini akan bakal berakhir dengan kemunculan gabungan politik berbentuk majmuk seperti PAS-PKR-DAP, di mana ketiga-tiga parti ini boleh menerima semua bangsa sebagai ahli mereka tidak seperti gabungan Umno-MCA-MIC," kata beliau. Kini, kata Tuan Ibrahim rakyat negara dilihat sudah bersedia berhadapan dengan era baru yang lebih terbuka. Beliau turut mengingatkan hakikat bahawa kaum dan bangsa seseorang bukanlah pilihan seseorang manusia - ianya ketentuan Allah. "Lantaran itu, Islam melihat kemuliaan bukan kepada bangsa dan warna kulit tetapi pada ketaqwaannya," terang beliau sambil bertanya, "Apakah yang rakyat Melayu Islam nak bangga kalau rasuah, penyelewengan dan salahguna kuasa berleluasa dalam negara diketuai oleh sebuah kerajaan yang majoriti ahlinya mendadik dada sebagai pembela orang Melayu dan Islam?" Tuan Ibrahim turut menegaskan bahawa rakyat Melayu Islam mesti melakukan perubahan besar untuk melahirkan umat Islam yang kuat akidahnya dalam berpegang kepada ajaran Islam. "Mereka perlu segera menyelaraskan tindakan mereka dengan ajaran Islam dan menterjemahkan sifat sebenar Islam sebagai rahmat bagi seluruh alam, tanpa mengira apakah mereka Melayu, Cina, India dan lain-lain. "Kerana itu, janganlah mereka terus mempertahankan kerajaan korup, rasuah dan pelbagai penyelewengan dengan berselindung semata-mata atas nama mempertahankan Melayu dan Islam. Ini bukan sahaja memalukan umat Melayu Islam malah mencemarkan agama Allah kerana penganutnya bersifat sebegitu rupa," tegas beliau lagi.

It’s A Cow … It’s A Condo … It’s Criminal Breach Of … Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:20 PM PST The infamous "It's A Bird … It's A Plane … It's Superman" tag, referring to the superhero who wears his red underwear outside, is here again. However, since this is a Malaysian version, the superhero's adventure would undergo a total re-engineering. It would be a blockbuster. It could even wake Christopher Reeve up from his grave. It would most likely thriller than Michael Jackson's Thriller. Of course the new superhero is Shahrizat (instead of Superman), Minister of Women, Family and Community Development. The National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)  scandal couldn't come at a better time when PM Najib Razak was getting ready to call a snap election. Shahrizat was supposed to be Najib's "Iron Lady Minister", the same way Rafidah was during Mahathir's premiership. Unfortunately unlike Rafidah who didn't lose her seat to become a minister, Shahrizat lost hers and has to be made a Senator to become a back-door Minister. Also, unlike Rafidah who wisely invested most of her "wealth" overseas, particularly in United Kingdom, Shahrizat thought it was a magnificent idea to invest in a RM10 million luxury condo in upmarket Bangsar.   National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) was suposed to be a High Impact Project under Ninth Malaysia Plan with the objective of attaining 40% self sufficiency for beef production by 2010. But going by the scandal revelations, it seems someone has hijacked the RM250 million (soft-loan) project to become the person's own self sufficiency agenda. It was revealed that the original plan from Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry was to spend RM6.37 million to breed 9,000 cattles with about 28% returns annually. But that plan took three years instead and with an explosive spending – RM141 million to rear only 8,000 cattles. READ MORE HERE

Zahid Hamidi admits flew to Saudi on private jet Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:10 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confessed today he flew to Saudi Arabia for his haj in a private jet but says his friend owns it. The defence minister was responding to allegations he owned the aircraft. Several bloggers had accused him of graft, questioning how he could afford a jet on his government income. Ahmad Zahid is the second member of the Cabinet to come under public scrutiny in recent weeks following the Auditor-General's report last month. Earlier Women, Family and Community Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil came under attack for power abuse after the country's top auditor revealed her husband and children were involved in the National Feedlot Corporation, a multimillion ringgit government cattle farming project, and messed it up. In a text message to The Malaysian Insider today, Ahmad Zahid confessed to jetting to Mecca for the haj recently. "Yes it's true, but I only hitched a ride. Coincidentally he too was performing the haj," he said. "Is that wrong?" he shot back. According to the claims spread through emails, Ahmad Zahid had first flown to Mecca to meet his wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis who had gone gone ahead to Saudi Arabia. Both of them then boarded the private jet to Jeddah. READ MORE HERE

Kalimullah vs Chang: Court to hear Khairy, three others to set aside Subpoenas Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:04 PM PST (Bernama) - Rembau Member of Parliament Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar and three others are applying to set aside subpoenas for them to testify in a suit brought by Datuk Seri Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan against lawyer Matthias Chang Wen Chieh. High Court judge Datuk Asmabi Mohamad set Dec 2 to hear the application filed by Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief, former second finance minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, former director of South Peninsular Industries Bhd Tan Sri Azman Hashim and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology's founder Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing. The judge fixed the date after meeting all the parties today. They were subpoenaed to testify as Chang's witnesses in the ongoing trial of the suit brought by Kalimullah, a former New Straits Times Press Bhd (NSTP) deputy chairman. The trial which began last Thursday, will continue this Friday. Asked to comment on the matter, Chang's counsel Vinod R. Kamalanathan told reporters that Chang, as the defendant in the suit, wanted to call the four to prove his defence of qualified privilege, fair comment and justification. Counsel Datuk Rajan Navaratnam, acting for Lim, said his client applied to set aside the subpoena on the basis that he (Lim) was not involved in the suit. On June 29, 2006, Kalimullah filed a defamation suit after Chang had allegedly made statements against him on June 13, the same year, at a press conference, a report of which was published in the Singapore Straits Times through its Malaysian correspondent, Leslie Lau. He is asking for RM50 million in damages, costs, interests and an injunction to restrain Chang from publishing similar words. He said the words in the article meant that he was dishonest and had no credibility, was unreliable, tainted, rotten, faint-hearted, manipulative, and a betrayer of Malaysians. Kalimullah, who testified in court last Thursday, had told the court that he filed the suit against Chang for making damaging and baseless statements against him. Chang, previously a political secretary to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had also filed a counter-claim against Kalimullah on July 14, 2006, among others, seeking RM150 million in damages.

Yong: If guilty, I’ll shoot myself Posted: 14 Nov 2011 04:49 PM PST The former Sabah chief minister, who is willing to put his life on the line, wants a white paper on the SAS fiasco so that the truth will be known. (Free Malaysia Today) - Former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee is prepared to pull the trigger on himself if he is found to be responsible for the Sabah Amanah Saham (SAS) scandal. Citing the same example quoted by another former chief minister Harris Salleh that in China, a public official whose mistake resulted in housewives losing a massive RM300 million was sentenced to death by shooting, Yong said: "I'll shoot myself (if the allegation against him is true)." "But if it is shown that it is not me but others who were responsible for the SAS fiasco, then I only wish that the truth be known to all and justice be done. "It is for this reason that SAPP and our elected representatives have been pressing for a white paper on the SAS fiasco and lodged several police reports on the same," he added. The SAPP president also wanted Harris to convince Chief Minister Musa Aman to publish a white paper on the incident to expose the true culprits behind the SAS fiasco. According to him, this is the best way to find out the truth behind the RM300 million losses suffered by SAS' investors allegedly due to the NBT/Warisan Harta composite shares swap. "After all, Harris recently conferred on Musa the 'best chief minister ever' (title). If there is nothing to hide and if Yong is guilty as alleged by Harris and (Deputy Chief Minister) Dr Yee Moh Chai, then why has this government refused to publish a white paper?" he said. Besides this, he also suggested that Harris read his own book published in 1996 before commenting further on the withdrawal of the Yayasan Sabah (YS) shares certificates. He disputed Harris' statement last Saturday that the Sabah Foundation shares were withdrawn by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) administration in 1990 just prior to the state elections that year. The Sabah Foundation shares were replaced by the Amanah Rakyat Negeri Sabah (ARNS). Harris cannot deny knowledge Yong contended that Harris cannot claim that he is not aware that it is not him (Yong) as chief minster from May 28, 1996 to May 27, 1998, but it was PBS, in 1990, who withdrew the YS shares. "At the time, before the state elections of 1990, I was an assistant minister, not even a full minister," he told reporters. He further noted that ARNS was a new fund set up under the Amanah Rakyat Negeri Sabah Enactment 1990, passed by the legislative assembly on March 15, 1990 and assented to by the head of state on March 31, 1990. It was this ARNS that disbursed the RM200 to each Sabah Foundation beneficiary using the YS management and network. Yong also claimed that the accounts of the ARNS distribution of RM200 per head could not be audited. He recalled that the Cabinet in 1997 (when he was CM) was informed that there were audit queries over missing monies and possible fraudulent payments to unqualified or non-existent persons. He claimed to have asked the YS management to lodge police reports. He reckoned that whatever the status of the ARNS and YS share certificates today, he trusts that the current administration can satisfy public curiosity. "I can only answer for things done by me as chief minister," he said. READ MORE HERE

AirAsia boss vents anger on MAHB Posted: 14 Nov 2011 04:46 PM PST (Bernama) - AirAsia Bhd's group chief executive officer, Tony Fernandes, has called off a press conference on airport tax which was scheduled later today. However, he used the social media, Facebook, to vent his frustration at the issue, saying airport taxes should be lower to make them afforable to the common people. "AirAsia has been fighting to make them cheaper for the common man. Airport taxes are paid by Malaysians and the passengers. "The money doesn't go to AirAsia but Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB)," he said in his Facebook today. He said Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia had given Malaysian airports ideas to increase their income by attracting more airlines. "Then reduce the charges," he said. Fernandes said there were too many empty promises made by Malaysian airports and the airlines were blamed for their poor performance. "AirAsia wants MAHB to come clean. The new Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (KLIA2) was supposed to be operational in June 2012 and cost RM2 billion," he said. It has been reported before that the cost of KLIA2, which has the capability to handle 30 million passengers, will cost more than the initial figure of RM2 billion. Fernandes also questioned the need for a third runway at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). "Why is KLIA building a third runway when they don't use dual mode on two runways? Heathrow has 60 million passengers with two runways. "Fixing the air traffic system would have been cheaper than building another runway," he said. On criticisms from four MPs, Fernandes said they had made it very personal. "Villagers could never fly before. We have worked so hard to make flying affordable and 130 million people have flown due to us," he said.

Dr M can still save our education Posted: 14 Nov 2011 04:43 PM PST Mahathir is the only one left standing who can drive some sense into the politicians running the country on educational matters, says Zaid Ibrahim. Education needs to be based on Western models that have been adapted to suit our peculiar local requirements. By Western, I mean paradigms that emphasise the ability to learn and to think, and that have produced the best thinkers in the various fields of knowledge. Zaid Ibrahim, Free Malaysia Today There was a time when we had Malay-medium government schools and English-medium schools, both of which were available in Malaya and Singapore. We also had Remove Classes, which helped those who had their primary education in Malay to be more proficient in English so that they could continue their secondary education in that language. There were a few Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools too but parents, regardless of their ethnicity, overwhelmingly chose the English medium for their children. If we had stayed this course there would probably be fewer vernacular schools today (not to mention less of a headache in trying to give them money come election time). We would have also likely continued to produce more of the kind of towering Malays who helped to shape this country, luminaries such as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Lali, Mohamed Suffian Hashim, Tun Ismail Mohd Ali, Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Ungku Omar, Syed Hussein Alatas Tan Sri Arshad Ayub, and countless other lawyers, academics, administrators and professionals. But that stopped when our education system entered a period of mediocrity, brought about by politicians of little ability who wanted power quickly. They knew that the only way they could rise to the top was to fan the emotions of the people. They made Malay the medium of instruction in all subjects under the guise of strengthening nationalism, as if the stellar civil servants and political leaders and academicians of those days – who were educated in English – were not nationalists. Today even nationalism is not enough; schools must also make young Malaysians more religious, moral and therefore "complete." It seems that the mission of these leaders is to change our values and our very way of life, but what they are actually doing makes them no different from Ashaari Muhammad of Al-Arqam and other cult leaders of his ilk. Such harebrained policies have never worked. Others who have tried – like Joseph Stalin of the USSR, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India and Pol Pot in Cambodia, for example – sought to turn education into a political and ideological tool, controlled by the state to encourage a dangerously homogenous way of thinking. This is especially tragic in a country like ours, which is by its very nature pluralistic and whose progress has been shaped by its many diverse communities. It was Stalin who said: "Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed." In countries like the USSR, India, Cambodia and many others, taking this step only fostered the kind of ignorance among the people that fanned distrust along communal lines, even violence and destruction. Malaysia will also go down this path unless our leaders realise their folly. READ MORE HERE

Press Conference to announce the launch of Petisyen Rakyat Tuntut Pilihanraya Bersih Posted: 14 Nov 2011 03:37 PM PST Puan Rosni Malan, the widow of  the late Baharuddin Ahmad who died during the Bersih 2.0 rally on 9th July 2011, and Madam Anne Ooi, now known to all as Auntie Bersih, have come together to launch a petition to enable the largest number of Malaysians to lend their voices to a growing call for the fullest possible reforms to our electoral process so as to endure the 13th General Election, when held, will be truly free and fair. They will jointly hold a press conference to announce the launch of this petition. Details of the press conference are as follows :- Date : Wednesday, 16th November, 2011 Time : 2.00pm Venue : Ground Floor, Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall We would appreciate if you could send your journalist to cover the event. For clarification, please contact the following numbers : 019-3201151   Messrs Saibullah M.V.Nathan & Co Peguambela & Peguamcara Advocates & Solicitors No.9-2B, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/1, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel No. : 03-4294 5872 / 4294 5809 Fax : 03-4294 5871

Pakatan: Excessive Vitamin A in Kedai Rakyat milk powder Posted: 14 Nov 2011 03:29 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider   The federal opposition today claimed that the milk powder sold in Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) contained over eight times the legal limit of Vitamin A, and may be harmful to children. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers told a press conference the 1 Malaysia-branded Growing Up Milk Powder for children above the age of one contained 6,012 international units (IU) of Vitamin A per 100kcal. DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said this was 802 per cent over the legal limit set under Regulation 389A of the Food Regulations Act 1985. The Petaling Jaya Utara MP also said the amount of Vitamin A was 588 per cent over the United States Recommended Daily Allowance. Excessive amounts of Vitamin A may lead to liver problems, reduced bone mineral density, skin discolouration and hair loss, he said. PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar called for an independent investigation to ensure that goods sold in the thrift stores met regulations. Pua also said the amount of calcium and iron in the milk powder did not meet the minimum required under the law. The opposition pact has accused the government today of taking advantage of the poor by selling "substandard products" at the KR1M which were launched by Datuk Seri Najib Razak in June. The prime minister launched the first of three shops now operating in the Klang Valley in response to rising inflation, which hit a two-year high of 3.5 per cent that same month.   READ MORE HERE.

Malay Mail off the streets from tomorrow until January 2012 Posted: 14 Nov 2011 03:28 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Tabloid The Malay Mail will see its last print edition today and return as a morning national newspaper in January 2012 under an ambitious renewal to include possible content from the South China Morning Post and the Malaysiakini news portal. However, the currently free afternoon tabloid will still be available online until it is relaunched on January 3 for RM1 a copy, sources said. The Malaysian Insider understands the tabloid's main shareholders, the Redberry Media group, have also taken a multi-million ringgit loan for its expansion, including opening up offices across the peninsula. Several reporters have left the tabloid in recent months despite the entry of The Sun's Terence Fernandez who joined as executive editor. It is understood that he now runs the tabloid as recently-promoted editor-in-chief Yushaimi Yahya has been moved to an advisory role ahead of the relaunch. The tabloid's move to get content from Malaysiakini has also appeared to hit a bump as the Home Ministry called in the editors for an explanation after The Malaysian Insider reported the possible deal last month. Sources said The Malay Mail was told that it cannot take unverified content from news portals and Home Ministry officials were also perturbed that it could be a way for Malaysiakini to find its way into print editions despite not having a printing permit. Malaysiakini, which began in 1999, has been interested in the print media for some time and is suing the Home Ministry for a publishing permit. The Malay Mail, which began on December 14, 1896, used to be part of the New Straits Times Press group before it was sold off to Redberry Media group, a subsidiary of listed Ancom Berhad spearheaded by Datuk Siew Ka Wei. Redberry is controlled by Siew and his partner Mohamad Al-Amin Abdul Majid, who is known to be a confidant of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The remaining shares in The Malay Mail are held by businessman Ibrahim Mohamad Nor who had originally bought the newspaper from the New Straits Times Press. It became a free afternoon newspaper in May 2008.

European debt crisis Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST By Lim Sue Goan, MySinChew How serious is the European debt crisis? Let's see how experts view it. Influential investor Jim Rogers noted that the world is certainly going to face another financial crisis which will be much worse than the one in 2008. New York University Professor Nouriel Roubini said that the world economy is likely to undergo a double-dip recession in the short term, and some countries might suddenly leave the eurozone. It could determine whether or not the world enters a worse recession than the one in 2008. The 2008 global financial crisis was bad enough but the possible upcoming crisis is expected to be worse than the one three years ago. How could it happen? What should Malaysia do? In fact, the overconsumption crisis has been brewing for long. Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain and Ireland have been labelled as the "PIGS" because of their stagnant economies, as well as high unemployment rates and fiscal deficits. Greece started to encounter a debt crisis since 2008. Later, Greece, Ireland and Portugal received assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Italy was the straw that broke the camel's back. Italy's government debt is massive, at around €1.9 trillion, or 120% of its gross domestic product (GDP). It is even huger than the total debts of Spain, Portugal and Ireland. When its sovereign bond yields rose above 7%, market players described it as a "terrible crisis". Although Greece and Italy have successively elected technocrat prime ministers to take the heavy responsibilities of leading the country out of the debt crisis, it will definitely be full of twists and turns. Technocrats could ignore votes and implement painful austerity programmes but politicians would not miss the opportunity to stir up troubles. Public demonstrations and strikes would further worsen the situation. Greece, Italy and France will hold their general elections next year. The rise of economic nationalism and the far-Right groups who do not like foreign immigrants and the European governments could lead to the withdrawal of Greece and Italy from the eurozoe. Once the European Union (EU) collapses, there could be a run on a bank causing banks to go bankrupt and setting off a financial crisis. It must not be ignored that European countries might face problems one by one. France, with its €1.7 trillion debt, could be next sufferer and it might followed by Spain, Hungary and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, Malaysians are not told how would the European debt crisis affect the national economy. Government leaders still optimistically believe that the impact would be small since the country relies on petroleum, palm oil and domestic demand. Let's see how others respond to the European debt crisis. Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said that Hong Kong must maintain a healthy financial status and get prepared for the possible crisis triggered by the global economic downturn. Meanwhile, the South Korean government plans to cut its budget deficit next year as a preparation for the growth slowdown. Government and household debts are the risk of Malaysia in the face of the possible crisis. If no preparation is made while money is spent uncontrollably, we can never avoid the crisis without getting hurt. The problem is, where is our contingency plan?

Anwar must go for rakyat to win Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:49 PM PST Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was relevant in pre-2008 Malaysian politics but in today's war, it is strategies and 'how we fight' against the BN that matters. It is indeed disturbing to see Pakatan now reduced to hurling inconsequential barbs and irrelevant arguments about BN using gutter politics and the entire arsenal at its disposal to neutralise a clear and present threat in the form of DSAI to themselves. By CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today Sometimes we forget that Anwar Ibrahim (DSAI) was once a minister in Dr Mahathir Mohamad's cabinet. He was one of, if not the leading, exponents of Umno politics, as we know it today bar probably Mahathir himself. He was as good as, if not better than Daim Zainuddin, in putting together that heady mix of politics, power and money to benefit him and those that surround him. DSAI was better at doing this than KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin), better than (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) and indeed better than Khir Toyo or any one you would care to mention within the ambit of Barisan Nasional (BN) or Umno but alas, Mahathir cast him aside once convenient allies within Umno became his sworn enemies. DSAI has not changed. Time has imposed upon DSAI the realities of the present. He is without real power, without real money and, by extension, without "real" friends – for in politics only money can buy you "real friends". He must make do with what he has now. And yet he has done well for himself. Suffice to say that he has been able to forge a credible opposition and reached his zenith with the incredible results of the 12th general election where Pakatan Rakyat was able, for the first time, to deny BN its two-thirds majority. He now is the leader of the opposition. Politics in a shambles But sadly DSAI cannot see the trees for the forest. Three years in politics at national level is a long, long time to do good or otherwise. There is no need to go into the details but today DSAI is no longer the DSAI we know pre-12th general election. By his own doing, the indirect benefits to Najib and Umno of having DSAI lead Pakatan Rakyat far exceeds the direct benefits that DSAI's leadership gives to Pakatan! And none more so than the debilitating new sodomy trial that is in its last stages of rigor mortis – for DSAI and for Najib. Najib, too, has his credibility problems within Umno and with the people that will decide his fate at the 13th general election. How either of them could have allowed this to be the case is a sad reflection of the state of our country's politics and the calibre of the two leaders of the government and the opposition. A shambles of historic proportions. DSAI for letting himself to be entrapped into a situation he should be all too familiar with, given what happened many years ago, and Najib for allowing political expediency and self-interest to overcome decency and good taste. And if our leaders are prepared to go to these extent to try and hold on to power and what power brings to them, then how do they expect the people of whom they are leaders of, to behave? More lies and gutter politics What is worrying is this: our leaders and our people are now settling into an ever-lowering level of expectations of each other. Each new day brings more gutter politics and more lies from our political leaders as they try to hold on to power. The people desperately look for excuses and rationale to allow them to still vote for these leaders to be in power. ABU (Anything but Umno) is a case in point. This is not about putting a responsible and accountable Pakatan into government. ABU is about getting rid of Umno. So there is no serious scrutiny of what Pakatan offers. What is being highlighted is the damage Umno has done to the country. And for Umno it is not about the use of gutter politics to achieve its ends. All is good if the means justify the ends. There are no more attempts to look at the right or wrong of doing anything: if what they do gets the results they want, then do it. And the result they want is to stay in power! If Pakatan wants to deny Najib and BN any inherent advantage, Pakatan needs to look beyond DSAI now. Remove DSAI We are not living in ancient times when generals led their armies into battles. In this war with BN, what need is there to give BN an overt target than by putting DSAI in the frontline? Especially when that target is suspect and unable to stand up to an enemy with large armies and deep pockets? Pakatan will not be able to match BN in money or resources. What Pakatan has is the goodwill of many millions of Malaysians who are just as willing to consider giving their goodwill to BN if they think that Pakatan will fail to fulfil their aspirations of a good and decent government. Just take me. After nearly three years of unquestionable support for DSAI, I no longer want him to lead Pakatan because he is not what Pakatan needs to win its war against BN. I am still with Pakatan – this has not changed. But what has changed is the realisation that to win the 13th general election, Pakatan needs all the help it can get – and one way it can do so is to take DSAI out of its frontline. Pakatan leaders know better… yet By so doing this it deprives Najib and BN of yet another focus or target to aim for in their relentless work to rid themselves of Pakatan. I am one but increasingly this numbers grows as DSAI continually shoots himself in the foot through his own folly. But first the leadership structure within BN and Pakatan must be held accountable for allowing their leaders to behave so. Pakatan must be held more responsible (for its actions) than Umno because the former should have known better. Karpal Singh, (Lim) Kit Siang, (Lim) Guan Eng, (Abdul) Hadi Awang and Tok Guru (Nik Aziz) should have known better because they had front row seats to the show that Umno had put on for the last 50 over years. They went head to head with DSAI when he was a senior member of Mahathir's government. They know better than us what DSAI did when he was education minister, finance minister and deputy prime minister. And they, more than us, were at the receiving end of a BN government that tolerated no dissent and allowed less opportunity for them to make any difference to the political landscape of our country then and now. And yet Kit Siang and Tok Guru are now adopting a "wait-and-see" strategy to the trials and tribulations of a DSAI and Najib face-off. They do so because they think that this is the best possible strategy they could adopt for now. I am sorry but I beg to differ. READ MORE HERE

Malaysia's c.bank governor says inflation has peaked in Malaysia Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:28 PM PST (Reuters) - Malaysia's central bank governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said on Tuesday that the country's rate of inflation has peaked and stabilised, but may still pose a risk if the price or supply of inputs are disrupted. "There are always risks on the horizon for both because we are such an open economy," Zeti said. "And given this ongoing financial crisis if it were to deteriorate beyond current circumstances then yes, it is going to be a risk to our growth." The central bank decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.00 percent at its most recent policy meeting held earlier this month, and said that it expected inflation to remain stable for the rest of this year. Zeti told reporters at an Islamic financial conference here that the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation will issue its first papers within the next six months, with the value of the initial issuance expected to be less than $2 billion. Meanwhile, two banking groups have been given conditional approvals for Islamic mega bank licenses, ie. Islamic banks with total capital of at least $1 billion. She did not disclose the identity of the banking groups.

Putrajaya justifies RM40b bill for Klang Valley MRT Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:22 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider The government justified today its RM40 billion Mass Rail Transit (KVMRT) as the Klang Valley needs to match other major cities to alleviate road traffic congestion. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan told Parliament today the Klang Valley has less than 2km of rail per million residents, a coverage that is less than five per cent of other major cities. "But other major cities such as London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore have more than 40km per million," the Pontian MP said. He said that only 17 per cent of residents living in and around the capital used public transport compared to at least 50 per cent in those other cities due to the low level of rail coverage. Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad had asked if any study was made on whether residents would switch over from road vehicles to public transport after the KVMRT is completed. "From a study I obtained, only 20 per cent of residents will benefit from the MRT. What is the government's target?" the Selangor PAS deputy chief said. But Ahmad said the government has studied and surveyed residents in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and found that over 50 per cent of residents will use the KVMRT. "We didn't just think of this yesterday. We are spending RM40 billion for three lines because the number of vehicles in the Klang Valley is increasing by 500,000 every year," he said. He added that the first line, a 51km stretch from Sungai Buloh to Kajang (SBK), will service 1.2 million residents with a maximum capacity of 440,000 passengers per day.   READ MORE HERE.

Shahrizat need not quit over cattle fiasco, says DPM Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:19 PM PST By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil is not directly involved in National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), the cattle-farming project managed by the minister's family, and doesn't need to resign from the Cabinet. He said this in response to Umno's Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Moktar Radin's call yesterday in the Dewan Rakyat that those responsible for the NFC fiasco should resign. Allegations of financial impropriety have dogged the company owned by Shahrizat's family after the Auditor-General revealed last month that the NFC had failed to meet production targets for 2010, despite benefiting from a RM134.72 million soft loan from the government. "He (Bung Moktar) didn't say directly that Shahrizat (picture) is involved because this is a business that is run by her family, but she is not involved," Muhyiddin told reporters. However, he said Bung Moktar's resignation call was unnecessary "especially among our own people". "This has been reported in Parliament by the minister of agriculture and agro-based industry (Datuk Seri Noh Omar) and has been discussed and explained in detail for more than one hour and should be well received," he said. "Whether it is right (to call for resignation) Datuk Bung Moktar can think for himself," he added. MORE TO COME

Curtain falls on Istana Negara Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:17 PM PST (Bernama) - After a colourful 83-year history and having witnessed the coronation of seven of the 13 Yang di-Pertuan Agongs, the curtain falls on Istana Negara today. The majestic white edifice with gold coloured domes, a familiar sight to motorists passing Jalan Syed Putra, will be officially decommissioned when the head of state's flag is lowered in a ceremony steeped in tradition. Concurrently, the grand new Istana Negara at Jalan Duta will become the official palace for Malaysia's future head of states. The outgoing Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin will go down in history as the last head of state to occupy the palace in Jalan Syed Putra. This is where prime ministers, cabinet ministers, and chief justices took their oath of office. This is also the palace where hundreds of Malaysian senior diplomats received their appointment letters to serve Malaysia overseas and where foreign diplomats were received. Remarkably, this palace located on 11.3 hectares of land on Bukit Petaling started of as a mansion of a wealthy Chinese businessman, Chan Wing. Built in 1928, its admirable architecture is the work of leading British architectural firm then, Swan & McLaren. Chan is said to have lived there with his family until World War II, when the Japanese army occupied the place. However, after the Japanese occupation ended Chan never returned to stay in his mansion and instead it was bought over by the British Malayan Administration that turned the mansion into a British senior officers' mess. Its sheer size, its beautiful edifice, the 13 rooms, and the commanding view it provides impressed many, including the former Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sir Hishamuddin Alam Shah who first made the mansion as his palace. In 1957, sometime before Merdeka the federal government bought over the palace and turned it into the official palace for the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong , Tuanku Abdul Rahman Tuanku Muhammad. Ever since, it has been the abode for Malay rulers who took turns every five years to become the head of state. The Istana Negara at Jalan Syed Putra, known as Lornie Road in those days, has 20 function rooms including 'balai mengadap' where dignitaries are received, guest rooms, banquet hall, and the throne room Balairong Seri Utama that houses the royal dias. The throne room in fact came much later, and so earlier coronations were held at Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman in Jalan Ampang. The Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah had the honour of going through the first coronation ceremony at the palace in 1980. The smaller throne room - Bilik Singgahsana Kecil - is where the Agong hands over appointment letters to governors, judges and Malaysian diplomats. The new Istana Negara in Jalan Duta is set to see the coronation of the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong - Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah of Kedah - in December. The RM800 million palace is grandeur in design and bigger in size, a fitting recognition to the unique constitutional monarchy system practiced successfully since independence. While the new Istana Negara will be the seat for the future head of states, the old Istana Negara is expected to serve as the museum of royalty illustrating how the constitutional monarchy in the country had evolved. –Bernama

Highway Concessionaires Robbing The Rakyat Blind… Yet Again! Posted: 14 Nov 2011 01:55 PM PST By Teo Nie Ching via Malaysian Mirror The Cheras-Kajang Highway, which spans a distance of 11.5km, is a crucial highway that links Kuala Lumpur city centre with Kajang. It was opened to public on 15th January 1999. There are two toll booths – at the 9th and 11th km of the highway. The toll charges are RM1.00 and RM0.90 respectively. This is an extremely heavy burden on road users as the booths are barely 2km apart and a return journey costs commuters a hefty RM3.80! The highway toll concession agreement was executed in 1995 for a term of 30 years commencing 19th September 1995 and expiring on 18th September 2025. However in 2002, as a result of public protests, the federal government did not allow the highway concessionaire to raise the toll rates according to the abovementioned agreement and as compensation, extended the concessionaire's term by 2 years and paid them RM105.15 million. At the same time, in order to avoid using the tolled highway, residents of Bandar Mahkota initiated a campaign to urge the government to open up the main road at Bandar Mahkota. Their struggle lasted a few years, culminating in a bloody incident in 2008 that attracted national attention. Happily, their efforts did not end in vain and the road was opened up for public use. However, all is not well as the federal government has yet again granted an extension to the concessionaire, this time for 3 years. The original construction cost for the Cheras-Kajang Highway was RM282 million and until the end of 2010, total maintenance expenses amounted to RM147.3 million. By the same token, until the end of last year, the toll concessionaire collected charges amounting to RM585.5 million. If one adds up the compensation amount and the profit fron last year, the concessionaire stands to make a staggering RM261.35 million. This is only up to 2010. The people's nightmare will last for another 20 years before the concession period runs its course. According to the written reply by the Ministry of Public Works, the toll charges for this highway will be revised again in 2013. If there are no objections, a return journey can cost up to RM5 or RM6. If there is widespread public protest, we can envisage that the federal government will yet again extend the concession period as a compensatory move. If the people do not protest, they lose. If they protest, they still lose. It is a lose-lose situation for the rakyat while the government's cronies reap huge profits from this lopsided deal. This ridiculous situation has exhausted the patience of highway users and they are launching a signature campaign to petition for the toll to be abolished. Their target is to collect 100,000 signatures and submit the petition to the Prime Minister.   TEO NIE CHING is MP for Serdang

Malaysia 15th largest trade partner with Israel Posted: 14 Nov 2011 01:48 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - The Barisan Nasional government's secret trade ties with the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv have come under renewed scrutiny with the revelation of a new document by a DAP member of parliament. Citing a report on Europe-Israel trade ties published by the EU's European Commission of Trade on June 8, 2011, Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa revealed that the report placed Malaysia at the 24th spot in a list of 50 countries in their value of import trades with Israel. It also placed the country at the 11th position for export and an overall 15th for trade with Israel. Click on link to download the full version of the EU report (Excel file, 655 kb) "The revelation of this document clearly shows we have trade ties with Zionist Israel," said Er in a statement to Harakahdaily, which includes snapshots of a customs-registered document bearing the serial number W20204004087. "In the document it was clearly stated that the importer was Chayon Distributor-Computers Limited, 4, Haomanut Street, 42504, Netanya, Israel, and worse, the document has a chop of International Trade and Industry ministry," he said. Strengthening the claim of official trade links with the regime, Er pointed that the International Air Transport Association's rate weighing system also clearly spelt out the charges for materials sent from Kuala Lumpur to Tel Aviv. "IATA's rate weighing system is used at all entry points to the country. IATA will not display rate for countries which do not have ties with Malaysia," he stressed. Earlier this month, Dewan Rakyat speaker denied Er (right) a chance to question International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamad over alleged trade ties between Malaysia and Israel following a revelation on the internet. Er (right) revealed that a cabinet decision on November 9 as mentioned by Mustapa's deputy, Mukhriz Mahathir in his 2012 Budget debate, had apparently ignored the Customs Act in allowing multi-national companies to have transactions with Israel. "This raises the question whether the country is faced with a big crisis so much so that laws can be set aside by the cabinet," he said. Er further added that the revelation only confirmed UMNO's hypocrisy in its well-publicised Gaza humanitarian mission. Last month, senior UMNO leader and Youth and Sports minister Shabery Cheek drew criticism for personally intervening to allow an Israeli kickboxer into the country, despite immigration regulations prohibitng those carrying Israeli passports. Shabery later accused the Selangor state government of approving Ilya's participation, drawing a strong denial from Selangor's tourism exco Elizabeth Wong who maintained the PR state's support to the Palestinian cause, and pointed out that immigration matters were under the Federal government.

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