Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- So, this is Malay leadership
- I am not part of a plot: Guan Eng
- Former DAP leader pushed me, says lawyer
- Anwar merely blowing hot air
- PETRONAS tamat taja Ariff Alfian
- Neither DAP nor PAS respects Azmin
- Pekida: There’s no IC scam
- Dr Hasan and Khalid to face media and explain ongoing feud
- Boo Chang asks party to clear allegations instead of attacking him
- Frog drawing stirs curiosity
- Chua Soi Lek: there are only 20% Chinese-majority seats
- 'Anwar running out of ammo'
- Hasan to reveal plans today
- Mat Sabu’s trial postponed
- Calon PRU-13 tak boleh tarik diri
- Longer campaign period, fairer access to media needed
- Kes penyenaraian Felda GV- kajian semula
- Poll: Nearly half don't believe it's Anwar in sex video
- The power brokers in Umno, and who do they support?
- Iran, Islam and the ‘Axis of Evil’
- Reckoning the peace/violence ambiguity in the apostasy debate
- Dr M again denies seeking aid from World Bank
- Ketirisan RM1 trillion wang rakyat ke luar negara - ABU adalah jawapannya
- Student protester faces threats, harassment
- Mustafa to Nash: Are you an ‘enemy agent’?
- Borneo politics moves another notch forward
- A slap in the face for Perkasa’s Malay agenda
- EC: Voters will be marked with indelible ink in next general election
- EC still mulling which overseas Malaysians can vote
- Clean your image before sullying Anwar’s, PKR tells Dr M
- OWC: Satisfy your wife, even when you don’t feel like it
- Where's the Art Scene? In Malaysia, Politics is Everything!
- Police report filed against gay med student
- EPF said to have borrowed £300m
- A bad govt represses its good citizens
- Tun Mahathir Berbohong, Dokumen Bank Dunia Buktikan Beliau Bertanggungjawab Ambil Pinjaman Bank ...
- Don: Don’t make same mistake
- 'Only bumi companies for govt projects'
- Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #93
- Umno bloggers gunning Ku Li
- New resolution irks Dayaks in SUPP
- Change in government, not change of government
- They don’t seem to have a clue!
- No need for me to swear on the Quran, says Anwar
- ‘TENDER GATE’ KKLW (SIRI PERTAMA)
- Magnificent Pearls Of Wisdom
- Sailing into a sea of corruption
- Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
- An open letter to the Minister of Education - SM Convent Bukit Nanas
- The Ballad of Chia Thye Poh
| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:52 AM PST I've said this before, and I'll say it again: not all Malays deserve to get the help that the NEP brings. I would hazard a guess that most Malays who live in exclusive neighbourhoods in KL do not need the Bumiputera housing discount, or government scholarships for their offspring. Farah Fahmy, The Malaysian Insider If our politicians are to be believed, the Malays are under threat these days. Our religion, culture and power are steadily under attack from all and sundry. Everyone has it in for us, from Christians to the Chinese. We are even warned about a so-called "Malaysian Spring" being orchestrated by "anasir-anasir Barat" (and quite possibly, the Jews, who of course, have always had it in for us). "We won't surrender an inch," said the Melayu champion-in-chief (who also finds the time to be our prime minister) during a speech to Pekida recently. Malays, we were told, will never be oppressed in our own land so long as Umno is in power. Well, glory be. I'm sure there are many others who can sleep more soundly at night knowing that there are so many out there making sure we Malays are not stripped of our position and power in our land. But ... hang on a minute. The last time I checked we Malays, along with the other Bumiputeras, make up about 60-odd per cent of our country's population. Islam is not just our country's official religion, it is also the religion professed by about 60 per cent of our people. Not only are we and our religion in the majority, but let's see, we Malays also make up most of, oh, the civil service, police, army, ruling class and politicians. Of course, you can say that there are plenty of Malays who still need help. This, I don't dispute. I've seen rural poverty in our country, where people still live without basic amenities like constant water supply and proper toilets. I've also seen urban poverty, with families living in small, low-cost flats in the outskirts of KL making do with the little that they earn. Yet poor Malays aren't the only ones who need help. There are also plenty of poor people, non-Malays, who deserve help. My brother was once approached by a young Indian man late one evening. He had just arrived from Kulai and asked my brother for help; my brother pointed him in the direction of the nearest kedai mamak. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: not all Malays deserve to get the help that the NEP brings. I would hazard a guess that most Malays who live in exclusive neighbourhoods in KL do not need the Bumiputera housing discount, or government scholarships for their offspring. Are we really throwing away our "power" and "position" if we amended the NEP so that it excluded rich Malays and was open to all of our country's poor, regardless of their race? Yes, Datuk Najib, we've "willingly shared power with the non-Malays" since Merdeka, but why keep harping on the past? Why not share with us your vision for the future? I should have expected it, but I'm disappointed all the same. Is this what Malay leadership is about? Is there such a dearth of good Malay leaders in Umno that only scare tactics will do? Where is the vision about what the Malays can achieve? Why is no one inspiring us to be better? Why, in fact, is there no Malay leader out there who has the guts to say enough is enough, we Malays will never reach our full potential if we keep harping on about the help that we need? Why is no one honest enough to say that not all Malays are equal, and the haves should no longer receive a handout?
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| I am not part of a plot: Guan Eng Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:41 AM PST (The Sun Daily) - DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today refuted suggestions that he was part of a plot to topple national chairman Karpal Singh. He said such allegations were ridiculous and that he would not comment on such matters. "It is ridiculous so I won't comment," he said after he was asked about the issue during a press conference. It was reported that Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan and Penang People's Progressive Party (PPP) chairman Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohon had speculated that there was a hidden hand involved in the recent squabble between Karpal and deputy secretary-general Dr P Ramasamy. Karpal and Ramasamy were involved in a bitter spat following the latter's comment that the party should get rid of "godfathers" within its ranks. The comment was made in reaction to Karpal's comment that the party did not allow warlords to do whatever they like. This statement was made in response to Ramasamy's announcement in a Tamil paper that he and certain Indian members would be standing in the general election, although the party leadership had yet to make any decision on the matter. The dispute was resolved after a correction was issued by a Tamil newspaper chief editor for inaccurate reporting on the statement that sparked the row. Lim also told Teng not to meddle in DAP's internal affairs saying that such speculation was a means to distract the people from the problems faced by Gerakan. Earlier, Lim, who is also Penang Chief Minister, had declared open the state's first "Friendship Park" in Lebuh Farquhar. He lauded the opening of the 0.228ha site as a step forward in greening Penang. He said the park would be used to commemorate visits by foreign mayors via a tree-planting exercise whenever one visited Penang, while the other site in Padang Kota Lama would be reserved for visiting heads of state. The Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) took about two months to complete the RM120,000 landscaping works and have planted 50 variegated Bucida Molineti trees, and a further 30 Bucida Molineti trees.
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| Former DAP leader pushed me, says lawyer Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:39 AM PST (The Star) - A lawyer told a Sessions Court that a former DAP grassroots leader pushed and kicked him outside a courtroom in Northam Tower here. Lee Khai said the incident involving him and Teh Hock Yong occurred on Nov 29, 2006, on Level 2 of Northam Tower, where the High Courts were located at the time. Lee Khai, 43, was representing Penang Wanita MCA chief Tan Cheng Liang in a defamation suit against Teh on that day "The case was called up for mention on the day of the assault. After I left the courtroom, I was approached by reporters seeking details pertaining to the case," said Lee during cross-examination yesterday. "I was asked by a reporter if Teh was in court. I had not noticed him inside the courtroom, but at that moment I saw him standing a few feet away behind the reporters," said Lee. Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Faisal Md Noor then asked Lee if he had met Teh before. Lee said he was not sure if he had met him before, but had recognised him from newspaper reports. Lee said he walked back to Teh to hear what he had to say to reporters. "Instead, he pushed me and I lost my balance and fell on the left side of my body," said Lee, adding that Teh also kicked him. Teh's offence under Section 323 of the Penal Code carries a maximum one year's jail or a fine not exceeding RM2,000 or both upon conviction. Magistrate Siti Salwa set Jan 19 and 20 for further hearing.
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| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:35 AM PST Chew Lian Keng Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim only knows how to make empty promises, and his most recent promise to shut down the Lynas rare earth plant in Kuantan if Pakatan Rakyat takes over the federal government is merely lip service as Pakatan Rakyat is unable to honour their promises. Before the 2008 General Elections, Anwar had paid a visit to Kampung Buah Pala and had promised to prevent their village from being demolished. He told the people there that as long as Pakatan Rakyat gains control of Penang, regardless of whether it is DAP or PKR, they will appoint a Chinese as the Penang Chief Minister and that within 2 weeks of taking office, a representative will come to Kampung Buah Pala to look into their problems. The video of Anwar making such promises has been widely circulated, but in the end, Kampung Buah Pala was demolished anyway despite pleas from the villagers. Anwar likes to simply make promises, but at the end of the day, these promises are not fulfilled and some have even been proven fake such as when Anwar had declared that Pakatan Rakyat will be able to take over the federal government on September 16, 2008. In the end he became the laughing stock of the political community. Also, when PAS criticized Anwar for saying that Lim Kit Siang can be the Deputy Prime Minister, he quickly retracted his statement. This shows that Anwar only makes promises for his own political purposes, thus he does not put too much focus on achieving what he has promised, and when the time comes, Anwar will abandon the voters and his promises to them. Cancelling the Lynas contract is easier said than done, as thousands of issues must be looked into first. Therefore, the people must consider Anwar's promises and decide if he is really concern for the people or is he merely blowing hot air. CHEW LIAN KENG is MCA Youth Federal Territory Chairman
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| PETRONAS tamat taja Ariff Alfian Posted: 19 Dec 2011 09:23 AM PST (Berita Harian) - PETRONAS menamatkan penajaan Ariff Alfian Rosli, bekas pelajar yang didakwa berkahwin dengan pasangan sejenis di Dublin, Ireland, berdasarkan keputusan dan pencapaian akademik tidak memuaskan yang melanggar syarat perjanjian pinjaman. Dalam satu kenyataan media yang dikeluarkan semalam, Jabatan Perhubungan Media, Bahagian Hal-Ehwal Korporat Kumpulan PETRONAS, syarikat itu memutuskan sedemikian pada Januari 2009. PETRONAS sekali gus mengesahkan Ariff Alfian adalah bekas pelajar tajaannya di bawah skim Pinjaman Pelajaran Boleh Ubah Petronas bermula September 2001 untuk mengikuti kursus A-Level dan seterusnya melanjutkan pengajian peringkat ijazah perubatan di United Kingdom. "Setelah menamatkan kursus A-Level, Ariff Alfian memohon dan diterima memasuki University College Dublin. Sepanjang tempoh pengajian di Dublin, Ariff Alfian tidak pernah menghadiri sesi perbincangan berkala dengan Penasihat Pelajar PETRONAS dan tidak membalas sebarang emel serta panggilan telefon walaupun banyak usaha dibuat untuk berhubung dengan beliau." "Sehubungan itu, perbincangan juga sudah diadakan dengan penjamin pada pertengahan tahun ini mengenai pembayaran balik pinjaman berkenaan. Sehingga kini, PETRONAS masih belum menerima sebarang maklum balas mengenai perkara itu, walaupun surat peringatan sudah dihantar pada 6 Disember lalu.
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| Neither DAP nor PAS respects Azmin Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:50 AM PST PKR must find within its ranks a leader they can trust implicitly. And so I tell Anwar this: "If I know that PAS and DAP will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR, is it not time that you take cognizance of their stand and fall into line with this consensus too?" CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today Last week, I wrote that PKR must ready itself to lead the opposition Pakatan Rakyat with or without Anwar Ibrahim. The operative word I said was "ready itself". There are now within PKR three people who can do this (lead PKR): Azmin Ali, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar. Three candidates without any common ground between them that would enable them to work together as one for the good of PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. So PKR must choose one. First we talk about Azmin. Azmin is Anwar's choice. I am not going to go into Anwar's reason for doing so because my business is not to second-guess him. My business is to tell Anwar and you all why we should or should not agree with what Anwar wants to do. Remember what I have said before: "Where does our responsibility to Anwar end and our responsibility to PKR and Pakatan start?" It starts when I believe that Anwar has made a decision that will harm PKR and Pakatan. Anwar must defer to views When Anwar chose to endorse Azmin overtly or covertly, then PKR and we will have to decide if what he did was right. My stand is very simple. PAS will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR. DAP will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR. You and I should defer to the wisdom and experience of Tok Guru (Nik Aziz Nik Mat), Abdul Hadi Awang, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh. And so I tell Anwar this: "If I know that PAS and DAP will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR, is it not time that you take cognizance of their stand and fall into line with this consensus too?" "To do otherwise would only harm what you want for PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. It is enough that PAS said in no uncertain terms that Zaid Ibrahim is back within Pakatan Rakyat's fold. Now will they have to tell you that they want Azmin out?" Second comes Saifuddin Saifuddin is a good man loyal to Anwar. What we can hope for is that his loyalty to Anwar will see him do what is best for PKR no matter what his personal preferences are. I doubt that he will have the stomach to immerse himself totally in the cut and thrust of PKR's politics but if push comes to shove, Saifuddin will do what is best for Anwar. And what is best for Anwar is a strong and cohesive PKR! We are now left with Nurul Izzah. And what a choice she is for us! Nurul Izzah is a riot of possibilities. Let's look at her pluses. She carries the goodwill of many of our young people and that of many women in Malaysia with her decision to go into politics. The others will give her room to develop politically and are not overly critical of her too tentative foray into Malaysian politics – but the clock is ticking. Her greatest strength is the potential and promise she exudes to do good in politics. But has she got what it takes to do what her father has done in the face of adversity? Does she have the ability to stand and fight when all is lost and what is left is only belief in yourself to do what you know is right? Will she stand up to Azmin and Saifuddin if they stand in her way? Nurul Izzah is still to be tried and tested in the cut and thrust of politics as it is done in Malaysia.
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| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:47 AM PST (The Star) - A Sabah businessman has warned that any attempt to probe claims of foreigners getting dubious identification documents would cause a backlash. Datu Mohd Akjan Datu Mohammad said any investigation through the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) would lead to misunderstandings, hatred and disunity among the ethnic groups in the state. Speaking as Islamic Welfare and Sermon Organisation of Malaysia (Pekida) Sabah chairman, Mohd Akjan said the group believed the repeated calls for such a probe were selfish and politically-motivated acts to undermine and incite hatred against the present Barisan Nasional-led government. "All these are being done without any consideration for the sentiment of the ethnic groups in Sabah," said Mohd Akjan who caused an uproar a year ago by accepting an offer to become the 33rd Sultan of the southern Philippine province of Sulu. He said the ethnic communities here, including the Bajau, Suluk, Bugis, Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and Arabs had obtained their citizenship through legitimate means. Mohd Akjan said the Government had the prerogative to issue citizenship to those who had fulfilled the various criteria and requirements stipulated in the Federal Constitution. A Sabah MCA division has called for an RCI to probe widespread allegations of foreigners getting identification documents through dubious means. In making the call, Penampang MCA deputy chief Robert Chin Swee Ming said the issue was linked to Sabah's population explosion over the past decades. Chin said Sabah's population experienced an abnormal growth from 648,000 in 1970 to more than 2.6 million or 301% in 2000 compared with Sarawak's growth of 106% from 976,000 during the same period.
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| Dr Hasan and Khalid to face media and explain ongoing feud Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:45 AM PST (The Star) - It promises to be a hot day in PAS with two opposing factions set to present their case to the media today as an ongoing feud reaches a new high. The controversial Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, a Selangor executive councillor and former state party commissioner, is scheduled to meet the media at his home in Taman Tun Dr Ismail at 11am. At about the same time, PAS central committee member and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad (pic) will hold court with the media on issues involving Dr Hasan. Khalid, a staunch critic of Dr Hasan, will be accompanied by several Selangor Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Dr Hasan was initially expected to meet the media yesterday to respond to allegations levelled against him by secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and others in the party in relation to his proposal for PAS-Umno unity talks. Dr Hasan said that he intended to put everything in the "right perspective", stressing his loyalty to PAS. Despite his criticisms, Khalid said that Dr Hasan should remain in the party and urged the latter to be a team player. Mustafa has reiterated the party's stand that PAS was not interested in unity talks with Umno and that Dr Hasan was never entrusted to pursue such an agenda. For Dr Hasan, maintaining his stance is unlikely to earn him more support beyond the handful who are on his side such as Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan and former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa. The question now is whether or not the party's top leadership will finally decide if they should act against Dr Hasan for going against the party line, and what the latter says today is expected to have a big impact.
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| Boo Chang asks party to clear allegations instead of attacking him Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:43 AM PST (The Star) - Former PKR division leader Lim Boo Chang wants PKR to answer his allegations about the party's poor governance instead of attacking him personally over his decision to exit the party last week. Lim, who quit as the Bukit Gelugor PKR division head and Penang Municipal councillor last week, said among the reasons he quit the party was his misgivings over the controversial RM300mil subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (sPICE) project. "I am also upset over the alleged interference of the state government in the administration of MPPP," he added. Instead, Lim said he was lambasted with claims by state PKR leaders that he was only interested in contesting a seat in the next general election. "Let me stress here that I left PKR because they failed to function effectively as a political organisation. "It is not about me wanting a seat in the next election," he said. Lim said it was his division that nominated him to contest either the Sungai Nibong state seat or the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat. On claims that he was a "serial" party hopper, Lim said he was a victim of circumstances. "I am a principled person who leaves a party if I feel quitting is the best option when the party is no longer able to be honest with itself." Lim, 56, a former Gerakan vice-president, quit to join MCA before joining PKR in 2007. In 2009, he defeated Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan for the Bukit Gelugor PKR division chairman's post and was a two-term Datuk Keramat assemblyman under Gerakan and MCA. "PKR has fallen into the trap of growing-up pains. "The steep learning curve is difficult for them, but they are not helping themselves." He claimed that the internal level of politicking in PKR was more intense than Barisan Nasional.
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| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:42 AM PST (The Star) - A pencil drawing of a frog was found at the place where former PKR member Lim Boo Chang was believed to have sat as Penang Municipal Councillor at the City Hall building in Esplanade. However, Lim, who sent his resignation letters to PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Penang Municipal Council president Patahiyah Ismail on Wednesday, said he was not bothered by it. A group of reporters saw the drawing after covering a full council meeting yesterday and approached Patahiyah, who denied that the council was responsible for it. "We do not know who put or drew the frog but it has nothing to do with the council," she said.  Croaking loud: The frog drawing found at the seat supposedly used by Lim. Lim, who used to be in Gerakan before moving to MCA and subsequently PKR, applied to re-join Gerakan on Thursday. When contacted, Lim said he was not bothered about what had happened in the council. "I am no longer a councillor and not in control of what has happened. "I am also not interested in what happened during the meeting," he said.
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| Chua Soi Lek: there are only 20% Chinese-majority seats Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:36 AM PST (The Star) - Barisan Nasional is the better choice to serve the Chinese community, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said. The MCA president said that although Barisan was not perfect, the Prime Minister had a clear direction in developing the country through transformation programmes, unlike the Opposition coalition. "There are fewer than 46 Chinese-majority seats in this country. "Even if we win all the seats, it is impossible to form a government. "We must work with other parties including Malay-based parties," Dr Chua said, urging the people to choose Barisan. He was addressing about 5,000 people, a majority of whom were Chinese, at a dinner organised by the Muhibah Kimlan Association here on Sunday night. He said Pakatan Rakyat, led by PAS, was only interested in making Malaysia a theocratic nation governed by hudud laws. "The people think Pakatan is led by Anwar (PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim). "But in actual fact it is PAS which leads the coalition, because it has more experience, resources and a larger membership," Dr Chua said. He also said the Chinese should throw their support behind the Government's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). "The ETP is primarily led by the private sector, which will definitely affect the Chinese community," said Dr Chua. He added that the Government had achieved at least 90% of its foreign investment target in 2011. The dinner was held to celebrate the completion of the association's new headquarters here. Dr Chua also announced a donation of RM200,000 from MCA to the association's development fund.
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| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:16 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should resign from politics if he is adamant on attacking former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said an independent member of parliament. Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said Anwar, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader, had ran out of ammunition in his latest attempt to smear the former Umno president. "Anwar should stop dragging the people and the country (through the mud) in settling his grudge against Dr Mahathir, who retired from politics long ago. "What Anwar is doing is politicising a non-issue. "He is manipulating the minds of the people, especially young voters, who do not know the true history of what had happened during the economic crisis," said Zahrain yesterday. He said if Anwar wanted to settle his grudge and if he really had evidence, then he should have taken Dr Mahathir to court. |
| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:14 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Former Selangor Pas commissioner Datuk Hasan Ali is expected to reveal his future plans within the party today. He called for a press conference at noon in his home here in the wake of run-ins with the party leadership. The standoff started when it was reported that he was the only politician to be awarded a Datukship by the Selangor sultan in conjunction with his birthday. Just two days before the award ceremony, Selangor Pas information chief Shaari Sungib said Hasan might not be nominated to defend his Gombak Setia state seat as the latter had not received enough nominations from the party branches. Following this, Hasan declared that he was loyal only to Allah. He said that by championing Islam, the Malay struggle and defending the institution of Malay rulers was the bigger agenda. Hasan said that he was prepared to take up an offer from Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak to mediate in efforts to bring Pas and Umno together. |
| Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:13 AM PST (New Straits Times) - The Sessions Court yesterday postponed to Jan 30 the trial of Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu charged with criminal defamation against policemen and their families who were attacked by communists in Bukit Kepong more than 60 years ago. Judge Ikmal Hisnan granted the postponement pending a defence application at the Penang High Court to strike out the charge. The application is scheduled to be heard at the High Court on Jan 30. Deputy public prosecutor Yusaini Amer, who represented the prosecution, did not object to the application. Lawyer Amirul Fairuzzeen Jamaluddin, who represented Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, 57, said outside the court that the case should not proceed as it involved the deceased — namely policemen and their family members. "The trial will create adverse implications on the interpretation of history, resulting in a long-term polemic," said Amirul. Mat Sabu arrived at the court complex about 9am accompanied by his lawyers. He is charged with criminal defamation against 25 policemen and their families who were attacked by communists in Bukit Kepong. In the massacre at the Bukit Kepong police station, communists killed 13 policemen, six Home Guards, three women and a child. Mat Sabu is alleged to have committed the offence during a rally in front of a kindergarten at the Pas education centre at Padang Menora in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, on Aug 21. |
| Calon PRU-13 tak boleh tarik diri Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:05 AM PST Masa sejam selepas penamaan calon kemuka bantahan turut dimansuh Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR), Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof, berkata keputusan itu adalah antara 10 perkara yang disyorkan dan dipersetujui dalam perjumpaan antara SPR dengan Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Berhubung Penambahbaikan Proses Pilihan Raya di Pulau Pinang pada 15 Disember lalu. "Selaras keputusan itu, tempoh sejam selepas penamaan calon yang diperuntukkan bagi calon mengemukakan bantahan berhubung kelayakan pencabar masing-masing juga dimansuhkan di bawah pindaan Peraturan-Peraturan (Perjalanan Pilihan Raya) Pilihan Raya 1981," katanya pada satu sidang media, di sini, semalam. "Dakwat itu juga dihantar ke Kementerian Kesihatan untuk memastikan ia tidak menjejaskan kesihatan pengguna secara umum," katanya.
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| Longer campaign period, fairer access to media needed Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:01 AM PST ALIRAN The current eight-day campaign period for general elections is too short and the playing field is far from level when opposition parties are denied fair access to the print and electronic media, points out Andrew Aeria. Currently, the usual eight-day duration of campaigning during elections is too short. This very brief campaign period undermines a key basis of a democracy namely that voters make informed choices about whom they want as their elected representatives and which party they wish to represent them in government. The current time frame of eight days is insufficient since it does not allow for any substantial discussion of the real campaign issues and no robust evaluation of party manifestos and the candidates contesting the election. The performance of power holders is seldom scrutinised. The quality of the opposition is seldom evaluated. Consequently, election campaigns in Sarawak often end up being ethnic, religious or developmental 'beauty contests' in which contesting parties attempt to outdo their competitors by showing how good they are in relation to how bad their competitors are! There is too much ridicule and disparaging of the competition by all parties involved given the short election period. There is no discussion of issues, little debate and still less comparison of candidates and party platforms. As well, the brevity of election campaigns often sees candidates distributing money and all sorts of developmental goodies to voters to solicit their support instead of sharing their well-thought out ideas and party manifestos in support of good governance and democracy to solicit support. Lack of equal and fair access to the media Presently, the structure of the Malaysian media industry is such that most mainstream media is owned by the government or interests closely aligned to or linked to political parties and individuals in government. During elections, the mainstream media have consistently acted as the unvarnished propaganda arm of the governing political party. This has been eloquently documented in numerous articles, the key ones being Zaharom Nain (2002), Mustafa K Anuar (2002), various issues of Aliran Monthly and the work of the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ). [Zaharom Nain, 'The Structure of the Media Industry. Implications for Democracy' and Mustafa K Anuar, 'Defining Democratic Discourses. The Mainstream Press'. Both articles were published in an edited volume by Francis Loh Kok Wah and Khoo Boo Teik (2002), Democracy in Malaysia. Discourses and Practices, Surrey: Curzon Press. Aliran Monthly monitors and regularly comments on the health of the mainstream press in its publications and website.] In the interest of freely and fairly informing the electorate about the key electoral issues, party manifestos, candidates, their positions on issues, etc. and to allow for a critical evaluation of past performance and future commitments/pledges, the mainstream media have a key role to play in strengthening democracy and informed choice. But for this, there needs to be fair access to the media for all. As well, there is a need for the media to report truthfully and without bias on all issues and all parties contesting an election.
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| Kes penyenaraian Felda GV- kajian semula Posted: 19 Dec 2011 07:40 AM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 Ada seorang sahabat hantar text kepada saya. Dia menyatakan dia tidak faham mengapa saya menentang penyenaraian felda fgv. Adakah saya tidak suka peneroka felda dapat durian runtuh? Saya memilih untuk tidak menjawab beliau. Sebab utama, saya memikirkan ini suatu silap mata beberapa orang untuk mendapat wang runtuh. Berapa ramai peneroka felda boleh beli blok blok saham itu nanti? Kenapa jika ada jalan yang direct untuk buat duit, kita memandai mandai nak buat duit cara indirect? Cara direct yang saya maksudkan ialah peneroka tanam sawit dan jual sawit kepada Felda Holdings pada harga yang baik. Dan mereka akan lebih untung jika buat macam Air Asia mahukan- harga input semua murah. Jika AA mahukan cukai airport di turunkan supaya kos input rendah- peneroka yang rata rata nya Melayu mahukan kos input seperti baja, perkakas, jentera, barangan dan perkhidmatan semua murah. Bukan kah cara yang demikian menguntungkan para peneroka directly? Tidak perlu trick sana dan trick sini. Kita dah bosan dengan IPO ni. Yang mendapat laba ialah mereka yang mengetahui terlebih dahulu, Felda mahu di senaraikan. Taruh dan bubuh lah apa sahaja syarat- moratorium kah, atau apa apa- tipu muslihat oleh pegawai tinggi felda akan tetap berlaku. Jadi, apa makna nya penyenaraian tersebut? Ianya suatu alasan untuk suatu kumpulan orang membuat wang yang banyak. Itu objection kita yang pertama. Apa akan jadi apabila penyenaraian berlaku? Yang terjadi ialah konsentrasi kuasa pada satu orang iaitu Isa Samad. Ini kita kena tentang. Isa Samad pengerusi Felda. Dia pengerusi Felda Holdings. Dia jadi pulak pengerusi KPFB. Dan tentu dia nak jadi pengerusi FGV. Berapa banyak daa…. Yang di kehendaki ialah agihan kuasa supaya sesuatu unit perniagaan boleh berfungsi secara merdeka dan bebas dari keputusan satu orang. Konsentrasi kuasa atau monopoli is bad economics. Apabila kuasa di konsentrasi pada satu orang sahaja, ia mendedahkan Felda kepada salah guna kuasa dan pertimbangan yang kurang bijak. Dan isa samad tidak ada rekod pengurusan perniagaan yang baik. Tanah di negeri Sembilan yang leasehold di agihkan kepada peniaga bukan melayu bertukar menjadi tanah freehold. Bolehkah kita menganggap Isa SAmad pembela kepentingan orang Melayu? Jerit dan memekik sambil menghayun tangan macam kartun, itu Isa Samad boleh buat. Dan kita tahu attitude Isa Samad- den MB, dia punya hal lah sekarang akan bertukar, den pengerusi felda, ikut suka den lah. Boleh jadi saya telah lihat banyak sangat kebejatan yang di lakukan oleh puak2 UMNO, maka saya ada in built cynicism bila kerajaan comes up with a business plan. What to do- I am an incorrigible cynic. That is my more endearing personality trait.
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| Poll: Nearly half don't believe it's Anwar in sex video Posted: 19 Dec 2011 07:26 AM PST (Malaysiakini) - About one in every two people surveyed by Universiti Malaya said that they do not believe that the sex video purportedly of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is authentic.
The survey was conducted in Perak, with the bulk of respondents having voted more than three times in an election. Twenty percent of them are civil servants, with most respondents earning RM3,000 and below per month. The respondents were mostly split on whether the 1Malaysia concept affected their level of support for the BN government. Forty percent said it did not while 38 percent said it did. The remainder were uncertain. The bulk of them, however, felt that the 2012 budget which has a slew of one-off welfare payments were "not helpful" in alleviating living costs. In terms of media consumption, about a third of Malay respondents believed the political news they watch on government or BN-linked television channels TV1, TV2 and TV3. Twenty four percent believed what they read in BN-linked Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, while 15 percent said they "really do not believe" the dailies. Half do not read PAS mouthpiece Harakah, while the majority of Chinese respondents said that they believe what they read in Sin Chew Daily.
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| The power brokers in Umno, and who do they support? Posted: 19 Dec 2011 07:12 AM PST Nawawi Mohamad, Hornbill Unleashed Four people want to control UMNO or at least want to be able to control the UMNO president, whoever that may be at any given time or year. The most powerful of these four men and the one who has the most at stake is former premier Mahathir Mohamad. Next is the fabulously rich former Finance minister Daim Zainuddin, former premier Abdullah Badawi and another former Finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who holds the least clout amongst the 4 most influential power-brokers in UMNO. Analyzing the UMNO elite's current game plan, it looks like it's Mahathir's kitchen that is the most busy at the moment. The feisty 85-year-old who ruled Malaysia for 22 years is said to have given the thumbs up to Najib. But in reality, it is more of a goodbye gesture! Goodbye Greedy-Najib Mahathir realizes now that Najib has his own agenda; to be in power and establish his family and relatives in long-term businesses that may later cross or rival those interests held by his sons – Mokhzani, Mirzan and even Mukhriz. But ambitious as Mahathir may be, due to the talent vacuum in UMNO, the only horse that he can rely on is just Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister. The connection between Mahathir and Muhyiddin goes back a long way, when Muhyiddin together with Defense minister Zahid Hamidi were part of an UMNO faction called the Wawasan 2020 team led by Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, now the Opposition Leader, was then the UMNO deputy president and Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. But Mahathir, fearful of losing his seat to the extremely popular Anwar, decided to sack him on manifestly trumped-up sodomy charges. Mahathir's horse Both Muhyiddin and Zahid had been 'devoted' lieutenants to Anwar then. Thus, to swing them back to his side, Mahathir promised both men some very important positions that would yield great benefits in the longer term, although they may not seem lucrative then. Mahathir did all he could to to isolate Anwar, and this is why Muhyiddin and Zahid are still Mahathir's men. Recently, Muhyiddin tried to stand up to Mahathir by insisting on going through with a ban on teaching mathematics and science in English. But teaching the two subjects in English is Mahathir's prized legacy and sure enough, Mahathir straightaway issued comments that amounted to a public scolding for Muhyiddin. Muhyiddin's supporters had no choice but to bite the bullet. Muhyiddin was just trying to score brownie points with the Malay electorate, they clarified, claiming that Mahathir also needed Muhyiddin to "be his horse". Daim, Badawi and Ku Li would prefer to back Najib As for Daim, the former Finance minister will only support Najib because Muhyiddin is already Mahathir's man. Daim had been caught scheming under Mahathir's nose when he was the Finance Minister. All the banks and the rich Malays tycoons are Daim's men. So far Najib has not dug up any dirt on Daim. Even for RM12bil PKFZ financial debacle, Najib took pains to ensure that only the parts connected to Mahathir were revealed. Badawi too has no choice but to support Najib because Mahathir is still mad with him for reversing several of his mega projects including the crooked bridge to Singapore. As far back as 2004, Badawi made Muhyiddin the Agriculture Minister, regarded as a lowly ministry. Even then, Badawi knew Muhyiddin was Mahathir's man.
Mahathir is also very angry with Khairy. Mahathir also hates Rosmah. Khairy has no hope other then to align himself with Najib. Khairy was the one who defended Najib when he was accused of using public money to attend the engagement party of his daughter in Kazakhstan. Then again, if Khairy had been more tactful over the Kazakh episode, fewer people would have known of it, prompting suspicion that Khairy may be playing a "double-game". Nevertheless, Tengku Razaleigh or Ku Li, if given a choice between Muhyiddin and Najib, he would definitely support Najib since he also knows that Muhyiddin is Mahathir's man. So it looks like Mahathir and Muhyiddin are one team, while Badawi, Daim and Najib form the other team. Mahathir Mohamad First and foremost, Mahathir wants to wield power. He resigned with mixed feelings. He was not able to accomplish many things and was actually very reluctant to lose power. Yet he knew that he had committed too many blunders and Malaysia was going south too rapidly, he knew he must wash his hands and let someone else to take the fall. From the economy to corruption to social integration, the judiciary to the police to the institutions, Mahathir had erred in all his decisions. He was desperate to protect his name and legacy. He also had his sons' future, their businesses and political careers to care about. Not to mention, his cronies and diehard supporters had to be protected too. After all they were the ones who have been relentlessly supporting him from day one until now. Make no mistake, Mahathir still wants to hold on to power.
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| Iran, Islam and the ‘Axis of Evil’ Posted: 19 Dec 2011 07:08 AM PST Pak Bui, Hornbill Unleashed Some Sarawakian non-Muslims are wary of PAS, and by extension, Pakatan Rakyat, because they see Islamic politics as violent and totalitarian. Indeed, PAS sees Islam as a way of life, inseparable from politics. The party has engineered ambitious internal reforms and has progressed through the years, arguably further than any other political party in Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. PAS has come to choose to emphasise its commitment to the welfare state rather, than Islamic theocracy. PAS recognises that an all-encompassing Islamic theocracy is a far-fetched concept in multicultural Malaysia. Yet many Malaysians remain skeptical. Some Malaysians even believe the story that Iran, for example, is a member of a so-called totalitarian 'Axis of Evil', together with Iraq and North Korea. This made-for-television soundbite was first trotted out in 2002, and then mumbled repeatedly by George W Bush, during his two catastrophic terms as president. George W Bush used this 'Avis of Evil' propaganda, fabricated 'evidence' for weapons of mass destruction and pretended that Iraq had links to Al-Qaeda, in order to invade Iraq in 2003. Just as George Jr was continuing his father's 1991 Gulf War, America's military industrial complex still harbours dreams of invading Iran. War on Iran 'has begun' Seumas Milne of the left-leaning Guardian newspaper in Britain argues that war in Iran has already begun. Milne notes that spy drone flights, covert operations – including assassinations of scientists and an Iranian general – and cyberwarfare are already taking place. He urges citizens in Western countries to campaign against a full scale invasion. America's propaganda campaign against Iran has focused on Iran's nuclear power programme. Iran has never denied an ambition to have a nuclear weapon one day, although it is a current signatory to the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty. This is unsurprising, since Russia, Pakistan and Israel, in its close vicinity, are all nuclear powers. Iran and other regional military powers will not give up this ambition – unless Israel and the superpowers renounce the nuclear threat too, in an ideal, though inconceivable, scenario. Every American military expedition in the last half century has followed a similar pattern as this campaign against Iran. America's leaders begin with righteous indignation over some enemy's threat to an all-important 'way of life', wring their hands, rachet up pressure on the enemy, and finally set off fireworks (napalm in Indochina, cluster bombs in Afghanistan, 'shock and awe' in Iraq). Television images of military coffins draped in American flags follow shortly afterwards, accompanied by photo opportunities of solemn but determined presidents. But who exactly is the enemy? Mainstream American news networks concentrate on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a hate figure. Rightwing commentators claim the Iranian president is an Islamic fanatic. Ahmadinejad, they keep repeating, has denied the Holocaust ever took place, and has threatened to 'wipe Israel off the map'. America, these pundits insist, must defend its ally Israel from attack. Pro-war cheerleaders in both Washington and Tel Aviv are unimpressed by the argument that Iran has no nuclear weapons, and would face decimation by nuclear-armed Israel if Iran were to directly attack Israel. The warmongers are urging yet another battle in a Muslim nation, the sixth in ten years, after Afghanistan in 2001 and Pakistan (by remote control), Iraq in 2003, Lebanon in 2003 (by Israeli troops) and Libya this year. The pro-war lobby is excited that US troops are being withdrawn from Iraq, allowing another potential front to be opened up.
The New York Times painstakingly explained, five years ago, that Ahmadinejad had never declared war on Israel. Of course, that does not mean Iran supports Israel's existence. After all, Iran does not hide its support for Hezbollah and Hamas, two militias dedicated to destroying Israel. Even so, Iran has never invaded another country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, Iranians did fight a desperate war against a Saddam Hussein aided by the American and Soviet superpowers at the time. Iran and Iraq fought to an exhausted standstill after eight years. At least 500,000 people had died, including many child soldiers – both nations lost the war. Israel, on its part, has launched five recent wars in southern Lebanon alone, invading in 1978, 1982, 1993, 1996 and 2006. Each time, civilians suffered the brunt of the killing. The sickening massacre of children and unarmed civilians in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatila in 1982 are an indelible stain on the history of the 20th century. Israel has claimed provocation each time, citing attacks on its civilians from Lebanese territory.
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| Reckoning the peace/violence ambiguity in the apostasy debate Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:57 PM PST by Joshua Woo, New MandalaWhether a religion is of peace or not depends very much on the believers' definition of 'peace' itself. One's 'peace' can be violence to another. Such notion is simply too familiar to human experience. This peace/violence ambiguity is observable in recent history. For instance during the first half of the 20th century, the Japanese propagated the ideology of 'Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere', which presented them as the messenger of peace and the liberator of Asia from western oppressors. The caption of one of the Japanese poster reads: "With Japanese, Chinese, and Manchu working together, a great peace can be brought to the world." We can always ask those who lived through the war to find out what kind of "great peace" the Japanese brought. In China, such peace is remembered as the Nanking massacre. In the Malaya peninsular, the Sook Ching massacre. The point here is not to identify any religion to the aforementioned horrendous acts, but to establish the crude reality of one's 'peace' can be violence to another. If we learned anything from history, it is the way to reckon the peace/violence ambiguity by evaluating the relationship between the advertised peace and the actual act of the regime. Zulkifli Hasan's article 'Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam' attempts to demonstrate that the 'peace' of Islam as he understands it does not contradict the "sanction on the matter of apostasy." He asserts that Islam recognizes the liberty for non-Muslims to join any religion, yet it is a different matter for Muslims to convert out of Islam. In showing how such 'peace' is conceptualized, he wrote:
There are several matters in this quotation for us to look at. Firstly, this gives the impression that western-orientation is somewhat political in a way that problematize the issue on apostasy in Islam. This means, to Zulkifli, that the root cause of the current debate on apostasy lies in the difference between the 'West' and Islam: The former is political, while the latter is not. Therefore, the solution to the problem is to loosen the root, to "put aside" such western-orientation. I find that this point is too presumptuous in a way that does not do justice to the 'West'. To illustrate what I mean, let us first consider another article written by Zulklifi, titled 'The Challenges of Globalization to Muslim Youths'.
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| Dr M again denies seeking aid from World Bank Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:54 PM PST (Bernama) - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has again denied that he had sought financial aid from the World Bank during the 1997 financial crisis of thereafter. Commenting on the disclosure by the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) today which showed three documents which allegedly proved that he had applied for the loan, Dr Mahathir said he had to see whether the documents were genuine or otherwise, and had to seek confirmation from the World Bank on the alleged documents. "I want to see...I want to ask the World Bank whether this is true...Because nowadays even photos of human beings with someone else's body can be made." "As far as I can remember, and I have not forgotten, I never sent any request for any money, not during the financial crisis or even after that. I had just criticised the World Bank, then I ask money from them for what? I would be stupid," he told reporters after a meeting with 26 participants of the reality programme, "Adik-Adikku", at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here. Dr Mahathir also questioned why such documents appeared all of a sudden, whereas Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said that he did not have the documents earlier. "Why only today they appeared after so many years? It's due to politics, because of the general election, (they) want to criticise others," he said. Anwar was earlier reported to have claimed that Dr Mahathir had written to the World Bank for financial aid during the financial crisis, when delivering a speech at a dinner to discuss the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) which was also attended by representatives from the foreign missions. Dr Mahathir in return challenged Anwar to swear on the al-Quran as proof to back the allegation. |
| Ketirisan RM1 trillion wang rakyat ke luar negara - ABU adalah jawapannya Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:52 PM PST ASPAN ALIAS Berita yang di tulis oleh Global Financial Integrity (GFI) tiga empat hari yang lepas amat menyayat hati. Lapuran itu telah memberikan kita betapa hinanya sikap kerajaan yang mentadbir kita yang sepatutnya tidak melakukan rasuah dan penyelewengan yang begitu besar, iaitu RM 1 trillion jumlahnya (satu ribu billion sahaja). Jumlah penyelewengan yang tidak pernah kita bayangkan akan berlaku dalam negara yang melaungkan slogan-slogan, lepas satu slogan dengan slogan yang lain yang kesemuanya untuk memberikan 'branding' individu pimpinan masing-masing.
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| Student protester faces threats, harassment Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:26 PM PST Adam Adli, who removed a flag at Umno HQ to put up an academic freedom flag, lodges police report after he and his family are targeted, including an attempted assult at Bukit Aman. (Free Malaysia Today) - Adam Adli, the student protester who lowered the flag bearing premier Najib Tun Razak's portrait last Saturday at Umno headquarters, fears for his safety following continuous threats and harassment against him. Even today, a small tussle had occurred at the Bukit Aman police headquarters when Adam, a second year Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student, was giving a press conference after seeking advice from the police over the threats and intimidation. Adam said he believed the man who attempted to assault him at Bukit Aman was a police personnel. He lodged a police report over the attempted attack and the other threats at the Jalan Tun HS Lee police station. "I believe that he was a plain-clothes police officer as he was present in the meeting room in Bukit Aman when I had consulted another officer over the threats and intimidations following the flag incident. "But when he attempted to punch me at the press conference, no one tried to stop him. There were other uniformed officers but I noticed that they didn't take any action," he told FMT when contacted. When contacted, Bukit Aman could not confirm if the alleged incident had taken place. Last Saturday, during a rally against the government's decision to amend the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) and protesting for academic freedom, Adam had lowered a flag bearing Najib's image and raised the "Academic Freedom" flag instead at the Umno headquarters in the city centre. Although the 'freedom flag' was only raised for five minutes, many Umno members criticised the move. Some quarters even made violent physical threats against Adam and demanded an apology.
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| Mustafa to Nash: Are you an ‘enemy agent’? Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:24 PM PST The PAS secretary general says the former party deputy should answer the question if he is an agent bent on weakening PAS. (Free Malaysia Today) - PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali today dared former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa (photo) to confirm or deny if he was acting as an enemy agent tasked to "weaken" the Islamic party from within. Mustafa said this in reply to an accusation made by Nasharudin yesterday that PAS was veering away from its Islamic agenda. "Before I reply to his (criticism), I want him to answer that (of being an enemy agent)," he told FMT when asked to comment on Nasharudin's criticism published in an interview with Umno-linked Malay daily Berita Harian yesterday. Mustafa had told party organ Harakah recently that he was informed of an "external agenda" to weaken and damage PAS, saying that Nasharudin could be "acting as the agent" with or without him realising it. In response, an embattled Nasharudin, who's future in PAS now hangs by the balance, had lamented that his party was no longer perceived to be "consistent" in its Islamic image. He also suggested that PAS's top leadership was sacrificing Islam for political gain as it changes Islamic "terminologies" to suit its political interest. Nasharudin, the Bachok MP, had also said that PAS could not afford to become too "flexible" to the point where the rights of Islam and the Malay community are disregarded. His views are shared by former Selangor PAS chief Dr Hassan Ali, a known Islamic hardliner, who is now under fire for his open attempt to reignite the "unity talk" with archrival Umno. The scandalous attempt to build a bridge with Umno was seen as the major factor behind the ousting of the conservatives, including both Nasharudin and Hassan, in the recent party polls. A future without the duo Nasharudin was replaced as PAS deputy president by progressive Mohamad Sabu while Hassan was replaced as the party's Selangor chief. While he had vehemently denied any attempt to forge closer relation with Umno in the past, Nasharudin had finally come clean in the interview yesterday that he would strive to unite the Malays "regardless of ideologies" in the name of Islam. Talks are rife that PAS is now preparing to move on without the two. It was also said that both are likely to be removed as candidates in the coming national polls.
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| Borneo politics moves another notch forward Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:40 PM PST Most of the media missed the significance of Jeffrey Kitingan's press conference last Friday. The Borneo Alliance would be the third force in the Malaysian Parliament, neither for nor against its two rivals but willing and ready to assist one of them to form the Federal Government. For East Malaysians, there's not much of a choice between BN and Pakatan. It therefore stands to reason that they need to look elsewhere after half a century of Malaysia. Joe Fernandez, Free Malaysia Today Jeffrey Kitingan, true to form, inched his politics forward yet another notch last Friday in Kota Kinabalu. However, the media was too upset to notice anything significant since he didn't announce, as they expected, the formation of a brand new political vehicle that would do battle with both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. The rumours had been floating around, even from before Jeffrey quit PKR early this year, that he would head his own party and soon. This would be the only news from Jeffrey that would interest the media. The rest of Jeffrey they can't fathom and prefer not to bother with. One newsman, probably echoing the thoughts of his colleagues, said Jeffrey had "not taken the bull by the horns but indulged in even more political bull than usual". This was one too many vague generalisations even from Jeffrey, they bawled in unison. They had expected a little more meat this time and went away sorely disappointed. Another newsman, the doyen of local reporters, literally demanded that the Friday gathering begin rather than end with the press conference. The organisers gave in and the newsmen left in a huff after the press conference and skipped the speeches and high tea that followed. (It was the first anniversary of Jeffrey's United Borneo Front, UBF.) Many newsmen even swore they would not turn up again if Jeffrey had the temerity to call for another press conference to announce yet another "important political direction". According to them, Jeffrey has made too many announcements of important political directions that turned out to be anti climactic. The truth is somewhere between the two extremes. Jeffery has always been consistent in his politics even as he went through as many parties as he could between 1994 and early this year, beginning with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and ending with PKR. The emphasis has always been on the struggle for the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement. Rivaling BN and Pakatan Once he realised that a particular political vehicle had no intention or was incapable of embracing the agenda, he lost little time in quitting, letting his numerous followers to decide whether to follow him or part company. His exit from any party was sometimes not easy, especially if preceded by a challenge by him, egged on by his supporters, for the number one post or resulting in a permanent state of crisis until he left. Jeffrey has been labelled King of the Frogs for this tendency not to remain for long with any party. He doesn't reject the crown, but has always pointed out that he's "a good frog", whatever that means. He has also lived up to the blood-is-thicker-than-water perception, as underlined last Friday, when he indicated that he would not head a political party as long as his brother, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, remained PBS chief. Even the proposed Parti Cinta Sabah, linked to him since early last year, does not have his name in the line-up. If the media have lost sight of the significance of Friday's press conference, it's because they have allowed wishful thinking on Jeffrey to cloud their judgment. Last Friday was important because it confirmed that the Borneo Alliance would emerge as a rival to both BN and Pakatan. However, don't expect the alliance to be registered anytime soon as "Borneo" is a taboo word with the Registrar of Societies. The Borneo Alliance would be the third force in the Malaysian Parliament, neither for nor against its two rivals but willing and ready to assist one of them to form the Federal Government. For East Malaysians, there's not much of a choice between BN and Pakatan. It therefore stands to reason that they need to look elsewhere after half a century of Malaysia.
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| A slap in the face for Perkasa’s Malay agenda Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:37 PM PST Withdrawing 'Interlok' from schools is a win-win situation and Perkasa should learn to respect the rights of non Malays instead of whining. Perkasa has got it wrong – it is Interlok author Abdullah Hussain who has insulted the dignity of the Indians and Chinese, so the issue of MIC and Indian votes does not arise. Clearly, all that Perkasa wants and cares about is safeguarding Malay rights, never mind that it makes this movement a buffoon for its nonsensical views. Jeswan Kaur, Free Malaysia Today When Karpal Singh dubbed Malay right-wing group Perkasa's anger and objection to Interlok being removed altogether from the school syllabus as 'weird logic', he was putting it mildly. The truth is Perkasa is angry because it failed to keep the momentum of its 'Malay-agenda' going. That Interlok humiliates the Chinese and Indians and only creates hostility among Malaysians of different racial backgrounds is far from Perkasa's concern. "It's wrong for an extremist organisation like Perkasa to criticise the government's decision to remove Interlok," Karpal had said. The novel which chronicles the lives and struggles of three families – a Malay, Chinese and Indian during pre-independence Malaya was made compulsory reading for Form Five students as part of the Malay Literature subject in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya. The novel contains racially offensive words such as 'India Pariah', 'Melayu Malas', 'Cina Kuai', 'perempuan totok', 'babi' and 'syaitan putih'. It sparked an outrage, especially from the Indian community. Interlok was also criticised for portraying unhealthy elements such as pre-marital cohabitation, infidelity, spirit worship, trading in humans. And yet, Perkasa found no reason for Interlok to be removed as a reading subject in schools. Its secretary-general Syed Hasan Syed Ali said the group was very angry with MIC president G Palanivel over the withdrawal of the Form 5 literature text. He expressed Perkasa's disappointment and regret over the government's decision. "The government is too weak and has failed to withstand pressure from a minority group that is big headed. Perkasa is aware of MIC's need to bank on the Indian vote for the GE13. This is very insolent. Because of the Indian vote, the dignity of a Malay writer is being insulted," said Syed Hassan. Such views are far from "weird logic ". They, if anything, are a clear sign that Perkasa has no intention whatsoever of respecting the rights of the non Malays. Unity between rakyat of different racial beliefs is not Perkasa's concern. Perkasa has got it wrong – it is Interlok author Abdullah Hussain who has insulted the dignity of the Indians and Chinese, so the issue of MIC and Indian votes does not arise. Clearly, all that Perkasa wants and cares about is safeguarding Malay rights, never mind that it makes this movement a buffoon for its nonsensical views. Perkasa a threat to 1Malaysia unity Its consistent track record of threatening and insulting non-Malays has made Perkasa a threat where national security and peace are concerned. Ironically, such bigotry and venomous show by Perkasa time and again has never been a concern with the BN government. Should the trend of condemning the other races by Perkasa persists, there is no denying the animosity that is bound to erupt. Intervention has to come fast to put a leash on Ibrahim Ali, the face behind Perkasa who calls the shots which are without fail, injurious to Najib's 1Malaysia unity. It is baffling that an entity like Perkasa has been granted the right to exist, when all it continues to do is to malign the Indians and Chinese. What is stopping Najib from confronting Ibrahim, cautioning him of the harm Perkasa keeps doing through its extremists beliefs. It was Perkasa that labelled election watchdog Bersih 2.0 chairperson S Ambiga as dajal or antichrist when she agreed to officiate the 'Seksualiti Merdeka' festival last month, an event which provided the much needed space to the gay, lesbian, transgender, intersex and queer communities.
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| EC: Voters will be marked with indelible ink in next general election Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:30 PM PST (The Star) - All voters will be required to have their fingers marked with indelible ink before they are allowed to vote in the next general election. Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said on Monday that the commission had agreed to ten recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee for electoral reform, and the use of indelible ink was one of them. Other electoral reforms include the introduction of advanced voting for the police and armed forces, the cleaning-up of the electoral roll, and various changes to the voting process to allow for more transparent and efficient elections.
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| EC still mulling which overseas Malaysians can vote Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:28 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - The Election Commission (EC) said today that it has no problem letting Malaysians residing abroad vote in elections but stressed it was still deciding who qualifies to do so.
"The EC has no objection to this but it comes down to details...," EC chairman Tan Sri Aziz Yusof (picture) told reporters here. "Sometimes we have Malaysians who have lived overseas for 30 years and who've never been back. They can't even speak Malay (anymore). Should they be allowed to vote?"
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| Clean your image before sullying Anwar’s, PKR tells Dr M Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:26 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - PKR told Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today to focus on cleaning his own image instead of attempting to taint Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's, reminding the former prime minister of controversies surrounding his eldest son Mirzan's finances. Party leaders said Dr Mahathir should explain his involvement in "bailing out" his son's firm in 1998, allegedly with RM2 billion worth of taxpayers' money, and how the financially-troubled Mirzan could subsequently afford the RM2.9 billion purchase of San Miguel in the Philippines, Southeast Asia's largest beer brewery. "Dr Mahathir should clean his own image and answer to these two issues involving his family... instead of trying to deny that he had borrowed funds from the World Bank and blaming Anwar for being in support of seeking international assistance during the 1997 financial crisis," PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said today. Rafizi was referring to the ongoing row between the two leaders which erupted last week when Anwar alleged to have sighted documents proving that Dr Mahathir had sought financial aid from the World Bank during his tenure as prime minister. In response over the weekend, Dr Mahathir had denied this, challenging Anwar to swear on the Quran and adding that he would be willing to do the same. Dr Mahathir had also indicated that Anwar had been in favour of measures recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the financial crisis that would prove detrimental to the country's financial situation. PKR called Dr Mahathir's bluff in a statement yesterday and furnished documented proof today that the former prime minister had sought some US$704 million, worth some RM2.6 billion during the economic crisis, from the global financial body. Rafizi pointed to the dates on the documents — October 23, 1998, March 3, 1999, and July 26, 1998 — all of which proved the loan appeals were made while Anwar was already sacked from his government post and was "languishing in prison with a bad back and black eye".
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| OWC: Satisfy your wife, even when you don’t feel like it Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:16 PM PST (The Malay Mail) - Husbands have to give in to their wives' sexual desires even if they do not feel like it so that their wives do not look for other "avenues" to fulfill their needs. This was the opinion of the Obedient Wives Club (OWC) president Fauziah Ariffin who said ignoring the sexual needs of wives may be a reason for straying husbands. Fauziah was responding to the recently released Durex Sexual Well-Being Global Survey 2011 report which stated Malaysian women play the infidelity game more than Malaysian men. The survey revealed 33 per cent of Malaysian men and 39 per cent of Malaysian women confessed to cheating on their spouses. It also categorised Malaysians as third among 36 nationalities for being the most unfaithful partners. "As a wife, you have to sacrifice by giving in to your husbands' sexual needs even if you are not in the mood for it. Likewise, the husbands have to do the same thing. It works both ways and ensures spouses are faithful to one another," Fauziah told The Malay Mail yesterday. Fauziah also opined the reason women cheat may depend on the reason why they got married in the first place. "If the reason is love, then the woman is more likely to cheat on her husband. The first and foremost reason for getting married should be the fear of God. "It is a command (sunnah) under Islamic law to get married because of the fear of God and that should be the driving force behind every marriage. "If you love God, you will love your partner and won't think of straying," she said. Fauziah said she encourages couples to prep themselves with good religious background before tying the knot.
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| Where's the Art Scene? In Malaysia, Politics is Everything! Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:05 PM PST Khoo Kay Peng A friend, an expatriate, who has been living in Kuala Lumpur for the past two years lamented to me that there's hardly any art scene in Malaysia. She compared her stay in Beijing to Kuala Lumpur. She said you either loathe or love Beijing but at least there's a sign of progress and cultural development. For a note, Beijing is fast becoming Asia's cultural city and a hub for International Chinese music and film production. There's a growing number of International artistes shifting their base from Taipei or Hong Kong to Beijing.
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| Police report filed against gay med student Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:00 PM PST A Muslim NGO wants the police to probe Ariff Alfian Rosli, who reportedly got married to a man in Ireland. (Free Malaysia Today) - The police have been urged to investigate gay medical student Ariff Alfian Rosli who reportedly married an Irish man over the weekend. The report was filed by Muslim NGO, Kepong Islamic Youth Organisation (PBIK), with the Sentul police headquarters here this morning. "We are making the police report in the name of the Malays against a Malay youth who disgraced the name of our country, religion and race. "We want to pressure the Higher Education Ministry and government-linked companies which sponsors students for education abroad to ensure that the students' Malayness and Islamic identity are strong," said PBIK chairman Norizan Ali.
Ariff, 28, who was studying in the University College Dublin was initially reported to be missing. He is a former Petronas scholarship recipient.
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| EPF said to have borrowed £300m Posted: 18 Dec 2011 02:58 PM PST (Bloomberg) - Malaysia's state-owned Employee Provident Fund borrowed £300 million in a five-year loan, proceeds of which will be used to buy properties in London, according to a person familiar with the matter. The fund initially targeted £240 million and increased the amount after receiving a strong response from banks, the person said, asking not to be identified as details are private. Banks consider Employee Provident Fund to be a quasi-sovereign borrower, the person said.
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| A bad govt represses its good citizens Posted: 18 Dec 2011 02:52 PM PST Steve Oh, CPI I refer to recent events in Malaysia. The country is peppered with bad news. Illicit money outflows, the impending conviction of innocent Anwar Ibrahim, the National Feedlot Corporation financial irregularities and so on. Dark clouds are over the horizon. Yet the message of Christmas is hope for all mankind. That is why the angel could proclaim, 'Joy to the world...a savior has been born to you.' And Magi – the three wise Oriental kings came to worship him and place gifts at his feet. How such a simple message of hope that Christians tell others can be offensive I haven't the slightest clue, except when I consider the 'god of this world' – the devil – wants people not to be reconciled with God as the Scriptures tell us. How else do we explain the greed and evil, the inexplicable cruelty of the politicians and those in power, they who would be seen to pray and go to religious houses only to act in the unkindest manner? How can you send planes to bomb and kill innocent civilians along with your enemies? Or how can you justify blowing innocent bystanders to pieces in the name of God? But we know the devil comes to kill and destroy, so guess whose will is being done when people harm one another? Foremost in our minds is the imminent verdict of Anwar's sodomy trial, more like an ordeal. When all is considered he had no more chance than Jesus did before Pilate who washed his hands clean of the blood of an innocent man. Whatever the court's verdict, in the eyes of many Malaysians and foreign observers, they will deem Anwar innocent, the ultimate political sacrificial lamb. The country can only hope that the judge will do the right thing but don't hold your breath. If Anwar stood a chance there would have been no trial because the prosecution can't win when there has been proven to be reasonable doubt and the taint of political conspiracy is too overwhelming. Sodomy may be a crime but when has anyone been convicted of sodomy? Despite kicking against the goads, Anwar and his defence team have earned our respect for still abiding by the rule of law, even as it appears bent, and subjecting himself to the indignity and injustice. Spirit of moral conscience Intrinsic in the message about the birth of Jesus is the hope when people come to their senses and submit to God and allow his Spirit to in-dwell and guide them, they will do the right things though living in a depraved world. But if they fear man and like Pilate washed his hands clean and did the politically expedient, they will forever bear the scourge of their cowardice and their name will be dragged through slime for many generations. 'God with us' is the theme of Christmas and it is worthwhile to remember that whatever our beliefs, we need to learn to live with and care for one another. 'What good is it for a man to win the world and lose his soul?' is a piercing question we need to consider even if we devalue our souls. The truth is not subject to our ideas. Because we criticize those who do wrong does not negate our duty to pray for and love them. And if people don't believe in prayer then what harm does it do? Even Christopher Hitchens, the noted atheist did not mind people praying for his healing, even his redemption. And although he thought religion was a bane to society he nonetheless acknowledges that it is an integral part of human society. Jackboot of religious fascists By now people should realize that there is something innate in every human being that protests against the lies and untruths and acts of injustice they see around them, regardless of their religion. It is called moral conscience. It is a human and divine attribute to oppose evil and to be civic-minded and to take part in peaceful efforts to right the wrongs in your country. Only good governance can solve the problem of bad governance for it takes a bad government to repress good citizens who protest for the welfare of their nation. The government made a mistake with Interlok and has tried to remedy it. Similarly it has made a mistake with the Peaceful Assembly Bill and should redeem itself. The United Nations thinks so too and has criticized the bill. It is too obvious, too crass, too politically motivated, and when tested will be found to be unconstitutional. TIME magazine has named 'the protestor,' as its Person of the Year in 2011 and in so doing indirectly opposes government attempts to stifle legitimate political dissent. Martin Luther was the original 'protestor' who dared prove the religious authorities were wrong. His remonstrance was met with persecution but the world would have been under the jackboots of the religious fascists had the Reformation not taken place. If true, name the Christian offenders There is right and wrong protesting. When a politician harps on Christians proselytizing Muslims in the country, there are two things he can do. Name the organization, provide the proof or zip up. Nothing annoys as much as an alarmist troublemaker crying wolf and protesting over nothing once too often. Why should society be disrupted by the antics of these subversive creatures whose mission in life it seems is to create trouble for others? So what if Christians are proselytizing when state-sanctioned Muslim groups are proselytizing everyone? Which religion has grown by not proselytizing? Why make a fool of yourself by denying others what you claim as your God-given right? Usurping the rights of others that the Constitution gives them makes a person guilty of lawlessness. Mahatma Gandhi emulated the life of Jesus in his teaching on non-violence and was inspired by Christ's sayings known as the 'Beatitudes' found in Matthew 5 in the New Testament. Gandhi in turn inspired American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr to regularize the freedom and equal rights for all black Americans. Human civilizations progress from the cross-fertilization of ideas and it is wrong to keep Malaysians under a coconut shell. The notion of separate development is so like South Africa's once damned apartheid. And if some politicians hold their sway, Malaysia is headed in that downward spiral.
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| Tun Mahathir Berbohong, Dokumen Bank Dunia Buktikan Beliau Bertanggungjawab Ambil Pinjaman Bank ... Posted: 18 Dec 2011 01:07 PM PST KEADILAN mengemukakan ketiga-tiga dokumen ini sebagai bukti bahawa Tun Mahathir telah berbohong apabila beliau mengaku "menolak tawaran bantuan dari Bank Dunia (ketika itu) kerana jika Malaysia berbuat demikian, ia akan menjadi hamba kepada Bank Dunia". MOHD RAFIZI RAMLI, PENGARAH STRATEGI KEADILAN merujuk kepada 3 dokumen rasmi Bank Dunia yang diedarkan kepada pihak media pada hari ini. Ketiga-tiga dokumen rasmi ini adalah bersabit dengan salah satu dari empat pinjaman dari Bank Dunia berjumlah US$704 juta yang diambil oleh Kerajaan Malaysia semasa menangani kemelut krisis kewangan 1997/1998. KEADILAN mengemukakan ketiga-tiga dokumen ini sebagai bukti bahawa Tun Mahathir telah berbohong apabila beliau mengaku "menolak tawaran bantuan dari Bank Dunia (ketika itu) kerana jika Malaysia berbuat demikian, ia akan menjadi hamba kepada Bank Dunia[1]". Ketiga-tiga dokumen rasmi Bank Dunia ini berhubung pinjaman US$60 juta ini secara jelas membuktikan perkara-perkara berikut:
PERTAMA: RUNDINGAN PINJAMAN BERLAKU SELEPAS DATO' SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM DIPENJARAKAN Rujuk Kertas Maklumat Projek (Project Information Document) bernombor PID6999 yang bertarikh 23 Oktober 1998. Laporan ini disediakan sebagai laporan awal oleh Bank Dunia untuk menilai permohonan pinjaman sesebuah negara. Ia adalah dokumen pertama yang disediakan sebelum pun rundingan bermula. Tarikh 23 Oktober 1998 membuktikan bahawa proses rundingan pinjaman tersebut bermula selepas Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim dipecat dan dipenjarakan. Ia mustahil melibatkan Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim seperti yang selalu didakwa Tun Mahathir Mohamad dan UMNO.
KEDUA: TUN MAHATHIR MOHAMAD MENGARAHKAN KERAJAAN MEMOHON PINJAMAN BANK DUNIA Rujuk Laporan Penilaian Permohonan Pinjaman (Project Appraisal Document) bernombor 18855-MA yang bertarikh 3 Mac 1999. Laporan ini disediakan untuk makluman pimpinan Bank Dunia dalam membuat keputusan sama ada mahu meluluskan permohonan pinjaman yang dibuat Kerajaan Malaysia. Rujuk muka surat 29 (Lampiran 6) yang menunjukkan jadual kerja dan rundingan yang melibatkan Kerajaan Malaysia dan Bank Dunia. Ia secara jelas menunjukkan bahawa agensi bertanggungjawab yang berunding dengan Bank Dunia untuk mendapatkan pinjaman ini adalah Unit Perancang Ekonomi, Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Permohonan pertama dibuat pada 26 Julai 1998. Laporan dan rundingan berikutnya (yang hanya bermula selepas Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim dipenjarakan) ditangani sepenuhnya oleh Unit Perancang Ekonomi, yang bertanggungjawab sepenuhnya kepada Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Tun Mahathir Mohamad. Dokumen ini membuktikan bahawa permohonan untuk mendapatkan pinjaman dibuat oleh Tun Mahathir Mohamad melalui Unit Perancang Ekonomi.
KETIGA: PERJANJIAN DITANDANGANI PADA 31 MAC 1999 DIBAWAH PERSETUJUAN TUN MAHATHIR MOHAMAD Rujuk Perjanjian Pinjaman antara Kerajaan Malaysia dan Bank Dunia (Loan Agreement) bernombor 4452-MA yang bertarikh 31 Mac 1999. Perjanjian ini ditandatangani dibawah arahan dan persetujuan Tun Mahathir Mohamad selaku Perdana Menteri dan juga Menteri Kewangan. Jelas sekali bahawa Tun Mahathir Mohamad telah berbohong apabila beliau mengaku tidak mahu menerima bantuan kewangan dari institusi antarabangsa seperti Bank Dunia. Malah, pentadbiran beliau dibawah arahan dan seliaan beliau bertanggungjawab membuat permohonan mendapatkan bantuan kewangan Bank Dunia. Oleh yang demikian, KEADILAN ingin menegaskan bahawa fitnah beliau terhadap Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam hal ini tidak lebih dari usaha beliau memadamkan rekod pentadbiran kewangan yang baik dibawah Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia berjaya mencapai lebihan belanjawan ketika beliau memegang portfolio Menteri Kewangan sehingga berjaya melangsaikan hutang dengan lebih awal dalam tahun-tahun 1993 hingga 1996, berbanding dengan defisit belanjawan yang berpanjangan sejak Tun Mahathir Mohamad mengambil alih jawatan itu dalam tahun 1998. Beliau juga bertanggungjawab menubuhkan Kumpulan Wang Amanah Negara dan Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen, bertujuan menjaga kepentingan rakyat melalui dana amanah yang dikawal ketat dan bebas dari salahguna kerajaan. Malangnya, dana ini turut disalahgunakan dan menyimpang dari niat asal penubuhannya. Tun Mahathir sewajarnya membersihkan imej beliau di mata rakyat dengan menjawab dua isu melibatkan keluarga beliau. Adalah lebih baik beliau menerangkan mengenai penglibatan beliau dalam urusan menyelamatkan perniagaan anak beliau, Mirzan Mahathir yang melibatkan wang rakyat berjumlah RM2 billion dalam tahun 1998 daripada cuba menegakkan benang basah bahawa beliau menolak bantuan kewangan Bank Dunia. Apatah lagi apabila Mirzan Mahathir mempunyai dana yang cukup besar kebelakangan ini untuk membeli konglomerat arak terbesar di Filipina iaitu San Miguel yang dilaporkan berharga sekitar RM2.9 bilion.
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| Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:41 AM PST 'Failure to include ethnic ties expert on education review panel may have serious consequences' "As far as I know, no expert on ethnic relations is a member of any of the six committees. This neglect on this matter is a real surprise for a society that claims to be 'Malaysia truly Asia'. The expert or experts could have pointed out on what is sensible and sensitive to our multi-ethnic society," he said. Azril Annuar, The Malay Mail THE flames of hate and racial anger over issues such the controversial Interlok novel might once again be resurrected should the government continue to neglect to include ethnic relations experts on its Special Committee to Review Education in Malaysia. Independent Panel on Interlok chairman and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Institute of Ethnic Studies director Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin voiced out his concern that the "Interlok incident" might occur again. "The Special Committee to Review Education in Malaysia, appointed last week, is made up mainly of scientists and nonspecialists on ethnic relations. They have popular knowledge but not deep research-based knowledge on ethnic relations," he told The Malay Mail. "Isn't our education system an ethnic-oriented one, with vernacular schools still functioning and alive? I am not surprised if we were to make the same mistake again, like the Interlok episode, when the review was done devoid of research-based knowledge on the dynamics of ethnic relations in Malaysia." Shamsul said there were six zones with different textbooks for secondary school literature, with each zone having its own committee to select and review each textbook. However, he was surprised there were no ethnic relations experts in any of the committees. "As far as I know, no expert on ethnic relations is a member of any of the six committees. This neglect on this matter is a real surprise for a society that claims to be 'Malaysia truly Asia'. The expert or experts could have pointed out on what is sensible and sensitive to our multi-ethnic society," he said. Touching on whether or not politics had taken hold of Malaysian education with the cabinet decision to withdraw the controversial novel, Shamsul said it was not about politics. "This is about being knowledgeable and educated about our own society, with the depth and breadth expected from a society that has 1,700 professors in the public universities. "It is not ignorance but neglect that is the critical issue here, neglect as a result of and informed by the simplistic notion that having 'goodwill' is enough for this multi-ethnic society to survive. We need more than goodwill to survive in the long-term." Asked whether the panel had wasted its time negotiating and discussing the novel as it was going to be withdrawn from the Form Five school syllabus next year, he said "negotiations for peace and stability of the society is never a waste of time". He said the withdrawal meant the selection process of textbooks had been improved. Shamsul also said he was proud of the negotiation process handled by the independent panel as it was resolved amicably, where he witnessed "social cohesion" being alive and functioning in Malaysia. Written by national laureate Abdullah Hussain in 1971, Interlok was made a compulsory Bahasa Malaysia literature text for Form Five students this year. It was criticised for containing material offensive to the Indian community, such as the inclusion of the words kasta pariah. On Friday, MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam said the cabinet had, in its meeting, decided to withdraw the novel from the school syllabus.
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| 'Only bumi companies for govt projects' Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:39 AM PST (The Malay Mail) - Bumiputra companies must be the only choice for government projects irrespective of whether they can deliver. This is the stand of the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (MCCM). Its president, Syed Ali Alatas, said projects such as the RM3 billion Pudu Prison redevelopment must be given to a bumiputra company regardless of whether there are better parties - local or foreign - which can see the project through with the best returns to taxpayers. "The issue is not whether the contract should be given to a bumiputra or a non-bumiputra company," he told The Malay Mail. "The bumiputra companies should be given such projects but we never get this kind of deals. "Such projects should be given to us. Period," he said before ending the call abruptly. He was responding to UDA chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohammed's statement earlier this month that the Finance Ministry had mandated UDA to focus solely on bumiputra investors even if it means taxpayers do not get the best deal from development projects. The Finance Ministry had ordered UDA to drop China-based Everbright Ltd in favour of a bumiputra company - resulting in Nur Jazlan warning that hiring a bumiputra company would eventually result in a bail-out as these companies lack the funds and skills to take on such a huge project on its own. Everbright which boasts RM4 billion in reserves, had had offered RM2.9 billion in building costs with projected annual returns of at least RM300 million to RM400 million. Opposition party leaders however said the best company, be it a local or a foreign company must be chosen to reconstruct the site of the 116-year-old prison. They also want selection process made transparent and approve contractors based on merit. Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali told The Malay Mail that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should "walk the talk". "The PM talks about being transparent and he should practise it. If he wants to see progress then he should make the tender open for everybody not just select contractors based on cronyism or nepotism. "The contractor who will eventually be selected must have an excellent track record as the area they will be redeveloping is prime land in the capital. "The project also must result in profits return and value for money," said the Gombak MP. PAS vice-president and Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub said the contractor does not have to be specifically a bumiputra or a local company. "It can be anybody but what's more important is that the project is completed properly and the contractor meets the set requirements. The new complex must be have have the it safety features, quality control and it's facilities intact. This is a must if they want to win the rakyat's trust," he said.
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| Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #93 Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:34 AM PST M Bakri Musa Chapter11: Embracing Free Enterprise The catalyst that drives, or more accurately the spark that ignites, capitalism is the entrepreneur. She is the individual who sees the opportunity to sell an item or service at a price higher than the cost of making or obtaining it. She sees the need or demand, and then goes about to meeting that need, and in the process makes a profit for herself. Entrepreneurs are, in the words of the MIT economist Lester Thurow, "…the change agents of capitalism." It is at this point that the religious types sense an argument against capitalism. Their argument is simply this: capitalism feeds on the individual's motivation to make a profit, to get rich. My rebuttal is equally simple. The entrepreneur provides a much-needed service or product where none exists before. If that product or service is not needed, then his enterprise will fold soon enough. As for the personal greed motive, it is worthwhile to note that every successful entrepreneur ignites a chain of events that brings benefit to countless others. Ray Kroc who founded McDonalds restaurants with the simple premise that consumers need a reliable place to get consistently tasty and affordable meals, started a chain of process that helps ranchers and butchers (source of meat), potato growers (the chips), and countless youngsters with their first job. This is separate from the great services it provides consumers. As for the personal greed argument, it is well to remember McDonalds create more Black millionaires in America than the all the professional sports leagues combined. Similarly when Bill Gates created that software operating system, he also provided opportunities for thousands of other software engineers to write applications for his Windows program. Of course Ray Kroc and Bill Gates became fabulously rich, but they were not alone; they brought along countless others. Equally important and bears repeating, they provided much-needed services, products, and most importantly, jobs. The value of the benefits to society they created with their services and inventions far outweigh the wealth and rewards that they get. That is the beauty and genius of free enterprise. While the religious types may emphasize the material gains accrued on the individual businessman and trader, I emphasize the goods, services, and jobs she provides to the community.
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| Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:29 AM PST It must be assumed that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah commands allegiance from people within Umno itself, otherwise why would Pakatan Rakyat be keen on him? Now to me the urgent matter at hand is for the big three in the opposition to sit down and talk about rational seat allocations. But they must first accept their individual limitations and establish the ground rules for negotiations. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today There is no present or past tense in politics. There's only relevance. Is Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) relevant? In my mind, given the manic and xenophobic stage of our politics, we urgently need political sanity. How do we achieve that? Through a leadership committed to the rule of law, fair play and inclusiveness, and democratic and liberal principles. Relevance comes with the commitment to immutable principles – a sense of fair play, rule of law, good governance, and jealous adherance to democratic principles. It's funny to see judgmental stands on this – Razaleigh is old, yet (Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad), who is in his 80s, is waiting in the wings because some people think he is relevant. I am old, but (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) and (his deputy) Muhyidin (Yassin) who are older, aren't classified as old. Hence old, young, or whatever is just management of subjective and very personal numerical perception. It depends on how you want to angle it. Hence the managed perception has no universal application. It's subjective. A frequent objection to Razaleigh has been this concerted effort to link him with the infamous (Bumiputra Malaysia Finance) BMF financial scandal (in the 1980s). As Finance Minister at that point in time, Razaleigh had no involvement at all with the BMF scandal. BBMB (Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd) was answerable to the PM's office at the time and the person principally responsible over BBMB affairs was Mahathir. Razaleigh won many defamation cases against international newspapers which attempted to link him with the BMF affair. But these legal victories received scant coverage in local papers controlled by Mahathir. Now to me the urgent matter at hand is for the big three in the opposition to sit down and talk about rational seat allocations. But they must first accept their individual limitations and establish the ground rules for negotiations. The negotiations should start with each of the big three being given the same number of seats. There are 222 seats so each party gets 74 seats. After that, all sit down to renegotiate and rescale the numbers. No party should be fielding a candidate where one of the partners has been given a seat. Ideally it should be a one-to-one fight with the "winnable" BN candidate. How does Razaleigh fit into the scheme of things?
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| New resolution irks Dayaks in SUPP Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:28 AM PST Rival SUPP group headed by former deputy secretary general Wong Soon Koh wants the ROS to look into a resolution which they claim will sideline Dayak members. (Free Malaysia Today) - Former Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh and his G7 (group of seven) who boycotted the party's triennial delegates conference (TDC) due to alleged irregularities have now turned their guns on the party's newly elected deputy president Richard Riot. They have accused him of being used for "window dressing" for the predominantly Chinese party. According to Engkilili assembyman Johnical Rayong, who is a G7 member, the recent TDC had passed a resolution to elevate the secretary-general into the second most powerful position ahead of the deputy president. "Being the only Dayak in Peter Chin's line-up in the party central committee, it is not unexpected as he was a lone ranger," said Rayong. Besides Wong and Rayong, the other members are MP for Lanang Tiong Thai King, assemblymen Jerip Susil (Bengoh) Ranum Min (Opar) Francis Harden (Simanggang) and Lee Kim Shin (Senadin). Wong and his group refused to attend the TDC, citing various irregularities and manipulations at branch and TDC elections. They have filed complaints with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and are still awaiting his decision. Riot, who was said to have been with the G7 initially, turned his back and joined forces with Chin believing that any problems in the party should be settled in the TDC. His support for Chin, who was elected SUPP president during the TDC which was held from Dec 9 to 11, has irked the Dayak members of the G7. Among the most vocal are Rayong and Jerip. Rayong called on the ROS to look into a resolution which confirmed the secretary-general's post as the most powerful within the party. He said that such a resolution, if approved by ROS, would deprive a non-Chinese from becoming president of the party, adding out that the Dayak members of the party are unhappy with it. With that provision which effectively removed Riot from becoming president, Rayong said that Riot's election as the first Bumiputera deputy president was rather hollow in SUPP.
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| Change in government, not change of government Posted: 18 Dec 2011 10:52 AM PST
Pakatan Rakyat needs to know that we are not stupid or naïve and we know what is going on. This does not mean we will not support them and will instead support Barisan Nasional. But Pakatan Rakyat will have to earn our support and not take us for granted or assume that we are fools. This is the message we have to send to Pakatan Rakyat. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Three days ago I completed my Oxford course, Philosophy of Religion. I will know in two weeks or so whether I passed or not. On 1 February 2012, my new course, Age of Revolution, will commence. This course is about the transformation and reformation (meaning: revolutions) in Europe from the period of the French Revolution to the First World War. *************************************** Talk to us, not talk at us |
| They don’t seem to have a clue! Posted: 18 Dec 2011 09:14 AM PST ALIRAN BN leaders don't seem to have a clue about the grim outlook of the global economy and how it will affect Malaysia. Jeyakumar Devaraj laments that policy makers also seem incapable of thinking outside the neoliberal box. Thank you Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to address the House on the 2012 Budget. I would like to start by referring to two articles that appeared recently in our newspapers. On 13 October 2011, Starbiz carried an article that read, "The Philippine President unveiled a 72 bilion peso (US$1.7bn) stimulus package of public works and poverty reduction projects as a weakening global economy forced the country to cut growth forecasts." On the same day there was another article in The Star which said among other things, "The Monetary Authority of Singapore warned that the headwinds from slower global growth will mean slower growth in Singapore in the next few years." In denial mode It is clear that our neighbours are worried. They are aware that there is a real possibility of a global recession, and they are lowering their forecasts for growth of their GDPs. But we in Malaysia appear oblivious to this! Our Finance Minister declared during his budget speech that our GDP will attain an overall growth rate of 5.5 per cent for 2011. This is despite the fact that (annualised) growth rate for the first quarter was only 4.5 per cent and that for the second 4.0 per cent. Yet our Finance Minister remains confident that we can attain 5.5 per cent for 2011, and that we will grow our GDP by 5-6 per cent in 2012. Our Finance Minister claims that our "fundamentals" are strong. What fundamentals may I ask? We are a trading nation – about 53 per cent of the goods and services we produced in 2010 were exported. Which among our "fundamentals" can protect us from a global downturn in demand? But our government is in denial. They claim that a downturn in Europe will not affect us much as we have diversified our trade. According to their statistics for the period January-July 2010, exports to Europe ranked fourth, only RM39.8bn, compared to Singapore (RM48.6bn), Asean, and China (RM46.7bn). Therefore, argue the government planners, a recession in Europe will not have much of an effect on us! What kind of thinking is this? Are they really that confused? Sure, Singapore was the number one destination for our exports for that period. But would Singapore have consumed most of what she imported from Malaysia? Surely not. Singapore would have exported to other countries including to Europe. Another argument that our government trots out is that the slow rates of growth in Europe and the US will not affect us much because of the much faster rates of growth in China and India. Mr Speaker, the GDP of the European Union region was US$16.2 trillion in 2010 according to the IMF, even larger than the GDP of the US, which stood at US$14.5 trillion! Taken together the GDP of Europe and the US represents close to 50 per cent of global GDP, which stood at US$62.9 trillion in 2010. In comparison, the GDP of China in 2010 was US$5.9 trillion while that for India US$1.6 trillion. So to argue that the 7-10 per cent growth rates seen in these two countries will offset a downturn in Europe and America is not based on fact. It is mere wishful thinking. And it does not take into account the fact that economic growth in China and India is based to an extent on the demand from the EU and the US. Permit me to quote an article from the Business Times on 10 October 2011, which said, "The European Union is the world's biggest buyer of Chinese exports – worth about US$380bn in 2010 – and a collapse in demand could trigger heavy job losses in China." And that is the sober truth of the matter! So the government's estimation that the Malaysian GDP will grow between 5-6 per cent in 2012 is not only unrealistic but also irresponsible. Why do I say "irresponsible"? The Annual Budget is the economic plan for the nation. Through it the government of the day informs the public and the business community how the government intends to steer the economy especially in times of uncertainty and turbulence. We need a realistic budget to reassure all parties that the government knows what it is doing. Larger deficit looms The government says it wants to reduce the budget deficit to RM43bn for 2012. However, the government's income is predicated on a GDP growth of over 5 per cent. Taxes, which make up about 70 per cent of the government's income, are forecast to be RM35.6bn. What if we only grow at 2-3 per cent because of the downturn in Europe and America? Definitely tax revenue will drop. But public expenses will remain the same. It is almost certain that our deficit for 2012 is going to be much higher than the RM43bn forecast! If our government takes a realistic look at the global economic situation, it would realise that a default in sovereign debt in countries such as Greece is almost a certainty. This has the potential to shake the banking system in the West and precipitate a sharp downturn. The capacity of many European countries to re-finance their private banks in their countries is severely curtailed by the size of public debt in Western countries. Public debt in Greece has reached 147 per cent of GDP. But public debt for Germany has already exceeded 80 per cent of their GDP, while that in the US stands at 99 per cent of the GDP of the US. If we are realistic, if we are responsible, we can take several steps to protect the most vulnerable in our society from the effects of a serious downturn. We could, for example implement a Retrenchment Fund. During a time of recession, some workers will experience "lock-outs", where their employers run away because they have no cash to meet their commitments. This happened to the Nikko workers in Butterworth not too long ago. And workers in this situation get no compensation at all. Even the pay for the last month of work may not be paid to them. If there was a retrenchment fund, this group of workers will get some relief! Many families face problems keeping up with loan payments when there is a downturn. The government should set up a fund to help such families restructure their debts so that they do not lose their homes or their businesses because of the downturn. We have set up Danaharta and Danamodal for the big companies. Why not something similar and smaller for the ordinary citizens? A government that is sensitive to the needs of its people will set up several funds and programmes that can help the ordinary citizens if a recession were to take place. But to be prepared in this way, the government must first recognise the risk of a recession. Unfortunately our government is in denial. They reject the possibility of a recession. We shall continue to enjoy a 5.5 per cent growth rate, says the Finance Minster.
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| No need for me to swear on the Quran, says Anwar Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:40 AM PST (The Star) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he will not swear on the Quran that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had asked for funds from the World Bank in 1999. He claimed that there was no need for him to do so because the World Bank had records to confirm the approval of an application by the Malaysian Government that year. "I have also issued a statement on the report by the World Bank. "These are facts and the World Bank approved the application by Malaysia. What is there to swear on?" he asked. Dr Mahathir challenged Anwar on Satur-day to swear on the Quran in a mosque that he had written a letter to the World Bankasking for funds. The former prime minister said he was willing to swear in a mosque that he did not write such a letter. Anwar said the World Bank's annual report showed the kind of loans given to Malaysia since 1999. "How am I supposed to find the letter sent by the Government to the World Bank?" he said during a break at the Penang Muslim Congregation Convention at Evergreen Laurel Hotel here yesterday. Asked to comment on reports of PKR members leaving the party, Anwar said it was "normal" before an election. "But at polling time, there will be votes," he quipped.
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| ‘TENDER GATE’ KKLW (SIRI PERTAMA) Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:37 AM PST SABAHKINI MENTERI Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah (KKLW) Dato' Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, secara jelas telah mengarahkan Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (SE) Dato' Yussoff Dohab, agar meluluskan projek Jalan Access Kg. Menawo, Keningau Sabah secara Tender Terhad kepada 10 syarikat PKK Kelas B di Negeri Sabah.
Surat Pekeliling Perbendaharaan (SPP) Bil.9 tahun 2009 dan SPP Bil.2002 jelas menyebut bahawa semua tender melebihi RM10 juta perlu kelulusan Kementerian Kewangan terlebih dahulu. Ini bermakna kuasa tender KKLW di bawah RM10 juta adalah di bawah kuasa sepenuhnya Menteri KKLW.
Adalah jelas Menteri KKLW telah menyeleweng dan mengarahkan tender terhad kelas B diluluskan dalam Lembaga Perolehan KKLW untuk Projek Jalan Access Kg. Menawo, Keningau Sabah.
Namun selepas tender dijalankan, kos melaksanakan projek tersebut melebihi had tender PKK Kelas B dan terpaksa melantik Syarikat Juz Jati Sdn Bhd (Syarikat Kelas B) dengan harga RM 11 juta.
Sehubungan itu KKLW terpaksa membuat permohonan semula kepada Kementerian Kewangan agar meluluskan projek tersebut di atas secara khas memandangkan segala urusan tender dan pelantikan kontraktor telah dibuat.
Kementerian Kewangan melalui suratnya S.K.KEW/PL/KI 1/700/810209/156/12-43 JLD 12 SK 3 (7) bertarikh 3 Oktober 2011 telah memaklumkan kepada KKLW bahawa pelaksanaan tender terhad bagi projek di atas tidak teratur kerana tidak mematuhi peraturan yang ditetapkan dalam Surat Pekeliling Perbendaharaan (SPP) Bil.9 tahun 2009 dan SPP Bil.2002.
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| Posted: 18 Dec 2011 08:12 AM PST SYED AKBAR ALI Folks, sometime ago more than one person requested that I write more about religion, Islam, etc. Today I want to post something I have never done before in my Blog. These are a few hadith from the Bukhari collection. Most of the following hadith are from the collection of Bukhari - which is considered to be the most 'sahih' or authentic. There is also one from Abu Muslim - who is considered the second most authentic after Bukhari. . . It is said by many that hadith represent the most important source of reference for the Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jamaah (the Sunnis) after the Quran. . . I have given the references for these hadith as I found them through the Internet. I hope all these references are the correct ones. There are so many. I have just picked a few. . . For non-Muslims and anyone else who does not know, hadith are extra-Quranic writings of the religious scholars who came long after the Prophet had died. . . Muslims must believe that the Quran is revealed by Allah to His Messenger (the Prophet). The hadith however represent (what the religious people think) the sayings of the Prophet. By their context, sometimes the actions of the Prophet are also described in some of these hadith. The big issue that has always bugged the 'hadith' is their authenticity. Among the Sunnis, they have six major compilations of hadith of which the compilation by Bukhari is thought to be the most authentic. Abu Muslim's collection is ranked number two and so on. That is why I have chosen the following hadith from Bukhari and one from the Muslim collection. Some admirers of the Bukhari collection of hadith say that they are like "magnificent pearls of wisdom". Just another point of accuracy - the hadith collection of Bukhari does not come to us directly from the hands of Bukhari himself. Bukhari is believed to have died in 256 H or 835 AD - about 200 years after the Prophet. So he compiled information that was about 200 years old. However what is generally accepted today as the Bukhari collection of hadith was actually put together by someone else, by the name of Ibnu Hajar Askalani in Cairo in 852 Hijrah or 1430 AD (over 800 years after the death of the Prophet) and 596 years after Bukhari. Ibnu Hajar's work was called the "Fath Al Bari" from which the present collection of Bukhari hadith has been compiled. Ibnu Hajar in turn based his selection of Bukhari hadith from other earlier sources like Khushaymani (389 H / 960 AD) 470 years prior to him and Firabri (320 H / 910 AD) 520 years before him . Here is a timeline : 11 H / 632 AD death of Prophet 256 H / 835 AD Bukhari 320 H / 910 AD Firabri 389 H / 960 AD Khushaymani 852 H / 1430 AD Askalani Here is some reference : "The scholars themselves say that "Bukhari's text has not come down to us in a single uniform version, but exists in several 'narrations' (riwayat), of which the version handed down by al-Kushaymani (d.389 H) on the authority of Bukhari's pupil al-Firabri (d. 320H) is the one most frequently accepted by the ulema" (Abdul Hakim Murad, Cambridge University). So Ibnu Hajar did not have a complete, fully bound set of "Bukhari hadith" to work with. They were in various collections. OK here are some of those 'magnificent pearls of wisdom'. I have some comments only.
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| Sailing into a sea of corruption Posted: 18 Dec 2011 07:42 AM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 In one of my conversations with The Oracle of Syed Putera- we talked about the subject of corruption. Corruption is the number one problem of our country. When leaders are corrupt, they can't transform the country. It sends the wrong signals to society. It says you can get rich easily and crooked ways are rewarding. In the longer run- it destroys the one important ingredient that makes for a progressive society- the acquisitive mindset through hard and honest work. With corruption, people can cut corners. It turns our society into marauding groups of shysters and hustlers. Already we are now experiencing some sort of a perverted Stockholm syndrome. Kidnapped victims get syok with the kidnappers. In our case, captive minds get captivated with our captors through their hustles. We get enamored with crooks and hustlers. We induct into the committee on education celebrities and all that. Where are the serious academics and thoughtful people? Why can we induct Danny Quah into our committee if we are serious about education? But then, I quickly appease myself when I remember, we have a PM who is at home launching premium outlets as he is with public toilets. Back to the scourge of corruption. How was it, I asked, the double tracking project originally given to China Railways which was endorsed by the cabinet was rescinded? How did it come to the state, when cabinet revised its earlier decision and in light of new 'data and information', the project was taken away from China Railways and given to China Harbours? Who provided new data and information? Who directed the provider of the information to submit new evidence? Any layman would think, China Harbours is a company expert in doing harbours and China Raiwlays in rail lines. The proper thing is to give it to China Railways. The Oracle answered as a matter- of- factly- because huge sums of money have changed hands. This is the number one problem of our country. Once our leadership is corrupt, it's difficult for the leadership brought up within the same system to correct things. It will take paramount political will by a leadership and a messianic zeal to stem corruption to succeed. In our country, the only answer is a change in leadership. The present leadership has no political will and no messianic zeal. As Dr Mahathir said, the whole country, from top to bottom is corrupt. I take that to mean, Dr Mahathir also includes the PM. Money changing hands- that's bribery simpliciter. The businessmen who pays the aides to the PM and DPM monthly allowances, engages in bribery. The politician, who pays Najib's people to always say good things about him so that he continues to be minister or CM, does a bribery number. Where the money involved run into hundreds of millions and even billions, the bribery reaches a more sophisticated levels. The oracle must have meant that- manipulation of facts and figures and methods to arrive at decisions. Appointing a project management consultant that deducts points from the track record of China Harbours to make it look unqualified and extolling the virtues of another competitor. These manipulations take place. This is corruption of a more sophisticated level. It means, the level of corruption here in Malaysia, takes a network of likeminded people to work. Corruption is a team effort. These teams are running wild in this government. This government is suffering from a serious credibility problem. Every purchase, contract and project that it dishes out is never free from suspicions of financial improprieties. Every damn business decision involving for example even GLCs or any companies linked to the government is not above shiftiness. We haven't got answers about allegations surrounding E&O business. We haven't got answers behind the questionable MAS-AA deal. Mahathir wants the proton shares to be sold- but already has the buyer in mind. His method is the Henry Ford method- you can have any color as long as it's black. Hence, you can sell to anyone as long as its DRB and Syed Mokhtar. It seems that politicians are coming out with all sorts of projects and purchases in order to make money on the side. Everyone seems to be on it. They make hay while it shines. The number one issue of this country is corruption. Over the last 10 years, we lost over 1 trillion through illicit transfer. What does this term mean? It means precisely that- money gotten through illicit means is transferred into accounts belonging to groups of people. Perhaps one day, the identity of these people will be published so that people can get heart attacks going through the gallery of rogues. The recent exposure of the Nataional Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal represents yet another chapter in a seemingly unending series of gross financial irregularities. That has become the hallmark of the BN government beginning from the 1980s. These scandals always involved politicians. The BMF affair for instance was used by politicians to assassinate rivals. The main protagonists in that scandal were Dr Mahathir and Tengu Razaliegh Hamzah.
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| Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam Posted: 18 Dec 2011 07:31 AM PST The offence of apostasy is not unique to Islam and applicable to the Muslim community alone. The other religions such as Christian and Judaism also have their own legal mechanism to resolve problems on apostasy. In fact, both religions clearly declared apostasy as public offense and punishable by law. For instance in Deuteronomy 13:6-11, the stipulated punishment for an offence of apostasy is death penalty. This indicates that apostasy is not unique and exclusive to Islam but other major religions in the world also considers apostasy as a serious offence which is contrary to their basic religious epistemological foundation. Zulkifli Hasan, NEW MANDALA Freedom of religion is frequently misunderstood by many and this includes the issue on apostasy. The misunderstanding by the public and even in the Muslim community on the concept and legal position of apostasy has negated the image of Islam as a religion of peace. This is not surprising as there are numerous negative allegations upon the religion of Islam such as condemning it as barbaric and incompatible with modernity and human rights. This serious misconception should be rectified and in fact, it is a religious duty for every Muslim to portray a true picture of Islam and to respond to any allegation and negative arguments upon this issue. In view of this negative phenomenon, this article aims to refine the misconception of apostasy in Islam and attempts to respond to two articles published by New Mandala entitled 'Apostasy in Malaysia: The hidden view' by Joshua Woo Sze Zeng and 'Malaysian Muslims Responses to Conversion' by Norani Bakar whereby the former heavily relies on the essay written by Abdullah Saeed entitled 'Freedom of Religion, Apostasy, and Islam' and online resources and the latter highlights Malaysian Muslims responses to apostasy with reference to the HIMPUN initiative by several non-governmental organisations. Before presenting my arguments on the issue of apostasy in Islam, it is important to note that ABIM was not involved with the HIMPUN initiative. It is worth to emphasise here that ABIM has been very consistent with its stand to promote healthy discussion, interfaith dialogue and intellectual discourse rather than advocating any confrontation or provocation. With the aim of refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam, the preceding discussion in this article will consist of the position of the law of apostasy in other religions; the position of Islam in guaranteeing the freedom of religion, the limitation on freedom of religion, framework for implementation and finally the concluding remarks. Apostasy is not unique to Islam only The offence of apostasy is not unique to Islam and applicable to the Muslim community alone. The other religions such as Christian and Judaism also have their own legal mechanism to resolve problems on apostasy. In fact, both religions clearly declared apostasy as public offense and punishable by law. For instance in Deuteronomy 13:6-11, the stipulated punishment for an offence of apostasy is death penalty. This indicates that apostasy is not unique and exclusive to Islam but other major religions in the world also considers apostasy as a serious offence which is contrary to their basic religious epistemological foundation. Islam guarantees freedom of religion Islam is the religion of peace and it protects the basic individual rights and these include freedom of religion. Islam treats freedom of religion as a matter of right. Every individual has the right and free to choose his religion either Islam or any other religions that he likes. This is unconditional freedom guaranteed by Islam. To evidence this, al-Quran strongly repudiates religious coercion as stated in (10:99) "Had your Lord so willed, all the inhabitants of the earth would have accepted faith altogether. Would you then coerce people to become people of faith". In another verse (2: 256), Allah says "Let there be no coercion in religion." Freedom of religion is not absolute Nevertheless, the situation is different once an individual is a Muslim. The right and freedom of religion is not absolute. As a matter of fact, the notion of absolute freedom is against the principle of natural justice. The freedom of religion should not be abused and any elements of irresponsible religious anarchy that may lead to religious disharmony should not be allowed. This is because Islam considers religious freedom as a matter faith and not as legal or political issues. In this instance, in order to protect the sanctity of this religion, Islam has laid down specific sanction on the matter of apostasy.
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| An open letter to the Minister of Education - SM Convent Bukit Nanas Posted: 17 Dec 2011 10:59 PM PST The mission schools in Malaysia are owned by the mission authorities, however the operations are now managed entirely by the federal government. This however does not preclude for a break in the terms of the pre-agreed contract and it is not merely unlawful, but extremely insensitive, offensive, and disrespectful to all parties involved that the appointment was made at the autocractic discretion of the FT Education Department, with no consultation of the members in this decision-making process. By Dr. W. Vinita Perera DVM, MRCVS - an old girl Convent Bukit Nanas Dear Sir, I wish to bring to your attention the deep concern being conveyed, regarding the approach taken in the recent appointment of the new principal at SM Convent Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur. Before this is turned into yet another debacle of ethnicity and creed by any quarter, I look forwards to your timely and wise intervention to resolve the matter objectively. The points of contestation is as follows: The FT Education Department is in gross breach of the terms stated in the revised Royal Commission on Teaching Services Report which states:"The assignment and deployment of teachers for these schools, especially the head teacher, should be done only after consultation between the personnel management authority and the boards of these schools". Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reaffirmed and pledged that the government would honour this again, to consult mission school authorities over the choice of school heads and teachers, at a meeting with the Heads of Churches in Kota Kinabalu in 1998. In this case - all parties involved - The Board of Governors, Parents Teachers Association and the Old Girls Association were all in the dark about this appointment. The recommendation submitted were completely disregarded. I am sure you are aware, SM Convent Bukit Nanas is a mission school. The mission schools in Malaysia are owned by the mission authorities, however the operations are now managed entirely by the federal government. This however does not preclude for a break in the terms of the pre-agreed contract and it is not merely unlawful, but extremely insensitive, offensive, and disrespectful to all parties involved that the appointment was made at the autocractic discretion of the FT Education Department, with no consultation of the members in this decision-making process. This move is perceived as a threat and a means of undermining the community which promulgate the ethos of excellence in education behind these schools. I look forward to your objective intervention toward a diplomatic recourse. A healthy dose of accountability by the FT Education Department with a formal apology, should reinstate our confidence in your ministry. Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty, Dr. W. Vinita Perera DVM, MRCVS an old girl Convent Bukit Nanas, Colorado USA |
| Posted: 17 Dec 2011 10:56 PM PST
Chia Thye Poh, 70, the longest-serving political prisoner in Asian history, was awarded the Lim Lian Geok (LLG) Spirit Award on 18 December 2011 by the LLG Cultural Development Centre. The former Singapore Member of Parliament was detained for 32 years from 1966 to 1998 by Lee Kuan Yew's government, a much longer term compared to Nelson Mandela's 28 years of detention. Kua Kia Soong (Adapted by Kua Kia Soong from The H-Block Song, 18 December 2011) "I am a proud yet simple man Chorus: Don't shed no tears for my plight "I learned of many years of strife (chorus) "They locked me up in sixty six (chorus) Chia Thye Poh, 70, the longest-serving political prisoner in Asian history, was awarded the Lim Lian Geok (LLG) Spirit Award on 18 December 2011 by the LLG Cultural Development Centre. The former Singapore Member of Parliament was detained for 32 years from 1966 to 1998 by Lee Kuan Yew's government, a much longer term compared to Nelson Mandela's 28 years of detention. The citation for the award read: "… for upholding his belief in democracy, without compromising and never losing faith throughout the 32 years of unjust detention without trial." In 1963, many activists in Singapore were arrested and detained. Chia selflessly stood in for a detained candidate in the general elections and was elected Member of Parliament on a Socialist Front ticket. He was thus also a Malaysian member of parliament from 1963 to 1965 when Singapore was part of Malaysia. A defender of the freedom of expression and justice, he was banned from entering Malaysia after he had delivered a speech at the Perak division of the Labour Party of Malaysia on 24th April 1966. He was arrested under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) by the Singapore Government on Oct 29, 1966 which allows for indefinite detention without trial. In May 1989, he was placed under house arrest in the island of Sentosa for nine more years. After 32 years of incarceration, he was finally granted unconditional freedom on 27 November 1998. Immediately after his restriction order was lifted, Chia issued a statement condemning the ISA. Soon after, he went to Netherlands and completed his Master's and PhD degrees at the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague. Established in 1988, the Lim Lian Geok Spirit Award is the highest honour in the Malaysian Chinese community bestowed on those who live up to the spirit of Lim Lian Geok, the civil rights leader of Dong Jiao Zong in the fifties and sixties. His citizenship was revoked by the Alliance government in 1961 because of his opposition to the 1960 Rahman Talib Report that aimed to convert the Chinese secondary schools to national schools. Since his passing in 1985, Lim Lian Geok has been beatified as the "Soul of the Malaysian Chinese". |
Thirty six percent of those asked in the survey, conducted from Oct 23 to 30, were not sure if Anwar was the man in the video while 18 percent were certain it was him.
Umcedel found that about half of the Chinese respondents surveyed felt that BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir's performance is "average", while a significant 28 percent felt he had done "poorly".
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