Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- ‘Big surprise awaits divided Umno’
- ‘Time to teach BN a lesson in Sabah’
- BN’s final sweetener to swing votes
- Political heat continues to rise
- Playing a risky waiting game
- ‘DAP members fear Lim Dynasty’
- 'Selangor Govt's stubbornness will cause critical water crisis, expert warns
- Will BN take a hit over Talam and water?
- Anti-American fury sweeps Middle East over film
| ‘Big surprise awaits divided Umno’ Posted: 17 Sep 2012 07:11 PM PDT
Loyalists are dismissing speculation that cracks are showing between Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin amid warnings of a 'bigger tsunami'. Teoh El Sen, FMT Several BN leaders dismissed speculations of a rift between Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, but a former Umno-minister warned that the ruling coalition is "in for a bigger surprise" come general election. Earlier this month, FMT reported that Umno had been put on "high alert" with the friction between the party's top two leaders reaching a "worrying level". Though both leaders dismissed such talks as fabrications by their rivals, sources claimed otherwise: that allies close to both Najib and Muhyiddin were reportedly scrambling to manage the situation. Speculations were fuelled by the recent distribution of posters calling for Muhyiddin to succeed Najib as prime minister in the former's home state of Johor. The party's Johor chapter had denied publishing the posters. Further "proof" of disunity was seen in the contradicting stands on several key policies like the expansion of vernacular education and a review of the amendment to the Evidence Act (Section 114A). There were also allegations made by the opposition that the leaked official documents on the RM1.8 billion Ampang LRT line extension project scandal involving a company allegedly linked to Najib were provided by Muhyiddin's men to incriminate the prime minister. Yesterday, PAS leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin claimed that the infighting in Umno had gotten worse, with not only Muhyiddin, but Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah all eyeing to take over Najib's position as Umno president before the 13th general election. He said the three Umno leaders feared that the party might disintegrate and BN would lose the coming general election if Najib continued to lead. 'All is not well in Umno' Commenting on this, veteran Umno leader Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzil refused to be drawn into the debate over the alleged tiff, claiming ignorance over the matter. But he predicted that in next general election, "Umno would be in greater danger than in 2008… they are in for a big shock, a greater surprise." "Eventhough the mainstream media is giving such a bright picture, my own experience shows that all is not well," he said. Abdul Kadir said that Umno was a "very tired party" and Najib could keep harping about how members should work harder, but it won't work. "Unfortunately, a lot of people who have joined the party in the last few years, have joined it because that is the place for them to make money. "This is the place to find business opportunities and so on. That is the number one criterion. Unlike in the good old days, where Umno was a place to give, not a place to ask," he said. "The values are gone. No one would do anything unless if they are paid. Everything moves with money," he added. Kadir said that the deterioration, which began around the last 10 years, was now "at its peak". Asked if he had anything to back his view, he replied: "This is based on personal experience. I've been there 56 years, I could see the changing of values. I've had a first-hand experience, watching things change." Another former Cabinet minister, Zainuddin Maidin, dismissed the alleged rift. Before cutting the line, the former information minister and editor said: "I'm not going to comment on this nonsense thing. You all are creating something out of nothing. Nonsense… nonsene…" Former Selangor menteri besar Mohamed Khir Toyo said that he personally knew that Najib and Muhyiddin were on good terms. "I know them very well, and I contact them regularly; as far as I'm concerned, there is definitely no such thing as a rift, as they are working along fine together," said the Sungai Panjang assemblyman. "This is opposition propaganda to weaken Umno. I think they know their priorities is to win the next general election and to strengthen Umno and BN. They've learnt a lot since the last election, and I don't think they'll make the same mistakes," he said. An insider told FMT that Najib and Muhyiddin's apparent contradictory statements were not as bad as reports painted them to be. "So far, there is no indication that they are going after each other. Now, this so-called contradictory statements on the Evidence Act… Najib didn't tell Muhyiddin what they wanted to talk about but if you look at it, seriously, they were of the same mind," said the source. "People were talking about it. And Najib, as a statesman, he had to put up something rational, telling people they are working on it," he said. The source added that Muhyiddin stating that the election date should be this year also did not signify anything. "That is normal, people say what they want about the dates, but the final say is with Najib. You ask anybody [in BN] now, they want the election sooner, but the prime minister has to bear accountability for the results," he said.
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| ‘Time to teach BN a lesson in Sabah’ Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT
SAPP wants the people of Sabah to rise up against BN and Umno to demand the reinstatement of the original terms of the Malaysia Agreement. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Frustrated with the current scenario, the Sabah-based political party led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee wants to reinstate the original terms of the 20-point Malaysia Agreement inked in 1963. The party argued that the people of Sabah had lost their political autonomy through the presence of Kuala Lumpur-based parties, in particular Barisan Nasional-Umno and now Pakatan Rakyat. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), which filed for registration on Jan 20, 1994 and was approved by the registrar the following day, would be fielding candidates in more than half of the state's 60 constituencies and most of the 25 parliamentary seats. The party, a BN component member until it pulled out on Sept 17, 2008, now has two MPs and two members in the State Legislative Assembly. "Sabah has suffered enough and this coming election is an appropriate window of opportunity for the people to make a change by giving SAPP the mandate to helm the state government and more voice in Parliament," said the party's Liawan vice-chairman Joseph Lakai. Lakai, who is also a member of the Progressive Institute of Public Policy Analysis (PIPPA), was speaking at a Malaysia Day gathering of supporters from four villagers – Dangulad, Ria, Taurid Taud and Liawan – in Keningau yesterday. Lakai, touted to be SAPP's candidate for Liawan, told the gathering that Sabah had already come to its 49 years of independence and 49 years of formation of the federation of Malaysia. He recounted how in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation of Malaysia and became a fully independent nation. "Singapore has now become the richest country in Southeast Asia and the sixth richest country in Asia while Sabah has become the poorest state in Malaysia with major problems," he said. Racial and religious polarisation "Yet, racial and religious polarisation in Malaysia today is worse than the early days of independence," he added. He also said that after 49 years of centralised economic and financial mismanagement, the national debt totalled RM490 billion. It was a debt created to develop Malaya, which Sabah and Sarawak now must share to pay, he said. He added that in the interest of nationhood and protecting the national shipping industry, the cabotage policy was introduced in 1980. Sabah had to suffer 32 years of discrimination and disenfranchisement, and as a result, Sabah has the highest cost of living in Malaysia. According to him, after 49 years with Malaysia, Sabah has the worst health system and the highest incidence of vector diseases such as TB and malaria, in addition to suffering from the lack of specialist doctors and nurses, and insufficient medical facilities and infrastructure. He said Sabah has the highest mortality of 13 per 1,000 live births compared with 8.1 for the nation. "Fourteen years after Tenaga National Bhd [TNB] took over power generation and distribution in Sabah, the state still suffers the highest interruption (2,600 minutes) of electricity supply in Malaysia compared to the lowest interruption (33 minutes) in the peninsula; as a result of this, Sabah could not industrialise and [could not] encourage investments opportunities," he added. Lakai said Sabah, despite being the main producer of palm oil and petroleum in Malaysia, also had the highest poverty rate in the country and insufficient basic needs. Sabah and Sarawak had only 9,000km of sealed roads compared with 31,40km in the peninsula.
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| BN’s final sweetener to swing votes Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:45 PM PDT
Following one blunder after another in the past nine months, BN now has a final chance to get things right by offering sufficient goodies in the budget. In the event the general election is called before March 2013, the Selangor polls will then become the focal point in Malaysia. A BN victory in the 13th general election will probably give Pakatan a chance to prove its theory that the election was "stolen" from the opposition and that the latter would stand a better chance of winning in Selangor and retain the state. Amir Ali, FMT The Barisan National has been facing an uphill battle against Pakatan Rakyat since the beginning of the year. A closer look at the nine months (from January to September) will show how tough the fight has been for the government, which has been making lots of mistakes. The actions of the BN leaders, their comments and their refusal to listen to the people indicate troubled times ahead for the ruling coalition. In January, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim witnessed a landmark victory in his Sodomy ll case when the judge swiftly dismissed it after months of non-stop Anwar bashing. Anwar said he was shocked that the verdict was read in just a minute and that the case was thrown out while he had prepared his tooth brush and toothpaste for a long haul in jail. "What a waste of public money and court time the entire case was," he said at a rally in Selangor. And this was to be the beginning of a long list of setbacks that would plague the BN. One wonders how will the ruling coalition recover from these debacles. The Sodomy II case was a political mistake that did not have the same effect on Anwar as the first. The first on the list of blunders is the bashing of the Bersih 3.0 participants that has tarnished the image of the government. In April this year, thousands of Malaysians descended on the streets to urge the government to carry out changes to the electoral laws and the way elections are being held in the country. The peaceful march of the protesters was disrupted by the heavy-handed security forces, who used tear gas, batons and at times physical force to try disperse a mammoth crowd. There is no way this bashing of the people would have done BN any good. Ceramahs interrupted The near physical attacks by the BN against Anwar, his daughter Nurul Izzah and other PKR members is another BN blunder. Pakatan leaders have also been verbally abused, stones were thrown into Pakatan ceramahs and BN rallies (or anti-Anwar rallies) were staged next to Pakatan gatherings. And yet the ruling coalition cries foul and says the culture of rallies, demonstrations and disrespect shown towards the prime minister by some youth are "not part of the Malaysian culture". But are ugly "buttock dances", blockading of opposition convoys by hardcore pro-government elements and throwing red paints on opposition vehicles part of the "Malaysian culture"? Is it possible that the coalition in power is finding it tough to handle Anwar and his well-organised campaigns? There were also the attacks on PKR's campaign tour bus. It appears that the idea of using a bus to campaign is making BN jittery. The attacks on the bus showed the ugly side of BN supporters, be they Perkasa members or otherwise. By its acts, BN will certainly not come out looking like the "good guys" in the eyes of the undecided group of voters in the country. The water fiasco Then there is the water row with the Selangor state government. This dispute, which has been going on for the past few months, is unlikely to end any time soon. A group of people, who must surely be BN supporters, have even sued the Selangor state government over this issue. This suit, which was publicised in the local press and the BN-controlled media, definitely works to the advantage of Pakatan. If there are people in the country who did not know that water was free in Selangor, now they do know, thanks to the much-publicised suit. The statement by Pakatan that it will not hold election in Selangor at the same time as the national election if it was held in November also puts BN in a difficult situation. BN argues that Pakatan will be wasting public money by holding the state polls at a different date, but it misses the point. Pakatan is telling the public and the ruling BN coalition that it can decide by itself when to hold the Selangor polls and that it will do so no matter when the 13th general election is called. Indications are that Pakatan would want the Selangor polls to be held after March next year, that is, after finishing its five-year mandate. In the event the general election is called before March 2013, the Selangor polls will then become the focal point in Malaysia. A BN victory in the 13th general election will probably give Pakatan a chance to prove its theory that the election was "stolen" from the opposition and that the latter would stand a better chance of winning in Selangor and retain the state. Besides, if Pakatan were to take over Putrajaya in the national polls and organise the Selangor election after it has installed itself as the new government, chances are it will win big in Selangor.
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| Political heat continues to rise Posted: 17 Sep 2012 04:47 AM PDT
Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily A Pakatan Rakyat double-decker tour bus has been repeatedly splashed with red paint, reflecting that the next general election is approaching and the conflicts between the confronting coalitions have been intensified. Meanwhile, the route of the bus has also exposed the Pakatan Rakyat's political strategy. The bus carrying Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was attacked in Kelantan, Malacca and Johor. Why was Anwar touring these states, instead of Selangor which has been greatly attacked by the BN? Anwar made an announcement recently that the Selangor state election will not be held simultaneously with the general election, as the Election Commission has not cleaned up the electoral roll. The Pakatan Rakyat predicts that the general election might be fall in October or early November and it is also estimated that the Kedah and Penang state elections will be be delayed. However, the Kalantan state election will be held simultaneously with the general election. The strategy brings several advantages to the Pakatan Rakyat. First of all, leaders of the alternative coalition can first attack the BN's fortress states, including Johor, Malacca, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak. Secondly, when the Pakatan Rakyat is attacking the BN's fortress states, they can at the same time, alleviate the BN's force in Selangor. The BN has recently attacked the Selangor state government with water supply, Talam debt and people's livelihood issues, putting Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who is not good at counterattack, in a disadvantageous situation. The Selangor Pakatan Rakyat could take a breath if the state's regime warfare is delayed. If the Pakatan Rakyat takes over the office, it can then clean up the electoral roll. Also they will have more political resources for the Selangor state election. Even though if the BN stays in power, the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat will still be able to gain sympathy votes. Selangor is important for both the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat and thus, Anwar tries to siege the BN's fortress states to save Selangor. With his silver tongue, he hopes to first set off a political tsunami in the BN's fortress states. A feast in Skudai alone had attracted 8,000 people. The MCA can no longer stand for the attacks and thus, party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek announced to hold eight banquets nationwide, including two in Johor. Attendees of the Pakatan Rakyat's events were mostly Chinese and if a wind of anti-incumbent is triggered in the Chinese society, the MCA's performance in the next general election might be worse than in the 2008 general election. In conjunction of the Malaysia Day, leaders of the Pakatan Rakyat have recently been working hard in Sabah and Sarawak. They have also signed the Kuching Declaration, promising to restore the rights and autonomy of the states under the Federal Constitution, according to the Malaysia Agreement. Relying on Anwar's personal networks, Pakatan Rakyat has successfully roped in some BN leaders and if the general election is further delayed, once the anti-BN forces are combined to strengthen activities in the inland areas and stir up emotions, Sabah and Sarawak might no longer be the fixed-deposit states of the BN. In addition to votes in the BN's fortress state, the Pakatan Rakyat also tries to win women's votes by introducing the Agenda Wanita Malaysia, hitting the 1Malaysia concept. From now on, the political heat will gradually rise. The Dong Zong is going to hold a protest on September 26, the 2013 Budget will be tabled on September 28 and the Pengkalan Himpunan Hijau will be held on September 30. Also, the confronting coalitions will compete through their annual general assembly. Some people estimated that about 100,000 people will attend the Pakatan Rakyat Convention scheduled on November 3. Therefore, politics will drown everything, including blurring the national development agenda in the next few months.
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| Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:44 PM PDT
The prime minister is holding back on the election date to shore up flagging support and give his reforms more time to work. Reuters Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak could call national elections anytime between now and April 2013, but he may wait to announce a generous budget on Sept 28 as he plays a risky waiting game. The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is widely expected to win the election but further gains by the opposition after its strong performance in 2008 could undermine Najib's standing. Holding back until after September would give Najib more time to shore up flagging support among ethnic Chinese voters, and to convince Malaysians that his reform efforts are working as he tries to reverse the ruling coalition's worst election showing in 2008. It would also make him vulnerable to any worsening of the global economy or the emergence of fresh corruption scandals that could push swing voters over to the three-party opposition. The political atmosphere is becoming more tense as the election looms. Key opposition figures have complained of hate speech and acts of intimidation directed at them. Its economy grew at a surprisingly strong annual pace of 5.4% in the second quarter, Bank Negara said, as a jump in private and government investment helped offset weakness in exports. The central bank expects growth this year to be at the top end of its 4%-5% forecast. Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch: Election approaching The election promises to be the most fiercely fought in Malaysia's history, and already tensions are high after Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was charged over his role in a major street protest for electoral reform in April. In addition, senior opposition politician Rafizi Ramli, who made a series of revelations about alleged government wrongdoing, was arrested in early August for disclosing bank details related to a high-profile corruption case involving the family of a former minister. Meanwhile, the government is planning a fresh round of cash handouts to poorer families, Deputy Prime Minister Muhiyuddin Yassin said in June, a move aimed at shoring up support among undecided voters. In July, Najib – facing growing public demand for greater political and social freedoms – said he would scrap the colonial-era Sedition Act, which has been used over the years to silence dissent. Firm domestic demand helped cushion Malaysia's economy from the worst of the slowdown in global activity in the first half of 2012 and the trend is expected to continue as government and government-linked companies spend on big projects. At the same time, heavy government spending and an overly generous budget would sharpen concerns over Malaysia's chronic budget deficit. Ratings agencies have raised concerns about Malaysia's public finances and its reliance on oil revenue. Najib's personal approval rating remains high but support for his ruling coalition is sliding. According to a June survey, Najib's rating eased one point to 64% while the coalition's popularity fell 6 points to 42%. Two July defections from coalition in what has traditionally been a safe bank of seats in the east Malaysian state of Sabah have added to Najib's worries. What to watch:
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| ‘DAP members fear Lim Dynasty’ Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT
They are afraid that they would be blacklisted, censured and eventually booted out by the Lim Dynasty if they backed Karpal on hudud. Athi Shankar, FMT DAP members are scared to openly support national chairman Karpal Singh's stand against PAS Islamist agenda due to fear of stoking the wrath of all-powerful Lim Dynasty. Former DAP Sepang parliament liason committee chairman R Vellasamy claimed that DAP members were afraid that they would be blacklisted, censured and eventually booted out by the Lim Dynasty if they backed Karpal. But truth is, he claimed many current and former DAP grassroots leaders and members strongly backed Karpal to oppose PAS agenda to turn the country into an Islamic state and implement hudud law. "We wish to remind MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek that Karpal is not a lone voice in the party to oppose hudud. "Many DAP leaders and members are unhappy with PAS but they are scared to voice out publicly because of the intimidating Lim Dynasty. "The members do not want to rock the boat now especially with general election just around the corner," Vellasamy told FMT. Lim Dynasty is a political term coined by the grassroots to taunt the faction led by national adviser and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang and his son and secretary-general Guan Eng, who is the Penang Chief Minister.
Last July, grassroots leaders and members under the Klang DAP parliamentary liaison committee (PLC) held a peaceful demonstration against PAS Islamist agenda in a strong show of support and solidarity with Karpal, a two-term Bukit Gelugor MP. But, Vellasamy said the protestors were all reprimanded by Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok, linked closely to the Lim Dynasty. He noted that later the Selangor DAP leadership took over the control of the PLC, which was a gross violation of members' democratic rights. "That is Lim Dynasty, my way or no way," rebuked Vellasamy, who was sacked last month from the DAP over allegations of submitting applications for bogus members to set up six new branches in Sepang PLC. Vellasamy has always insisted that the allegations were baseless and he was sacked because of his political links with Selangor state legislative assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim Warning to PAS He warned that PAS can lose six of its current eight seats in Selangor if the party continued to embark on its Islamisation policies.
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| 'Selangor Govt's stubbornness will cause critical water crisis, expert warns Posted: 15 Sep 2012 03:15 PM PDT  (Malaysian Digest) - Selangor will certainly face a critical water crisis if the state government remains stubborn by continuing to block the construction of the Langat 2 water treatment plant, a water management expert warned today. Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said providing treated water was a most important responsibility of the state government and the Langat 2 plant remained the only alternative means for the state to have adequate supply of treated water because all existing treatment plants had exceeded their production capacity. "Without this alternative plan, the people and industries in Selangor will run out of treated water as we have reached the maximum production level. We have come to the stage of requiring a new solution and new alternative. And in the immediate term, Langat 2 is the only solution," he said in an interview. Dr Zaharuddin Sani uses a simple "nasi lemak " analogy to explain the situation. "If we need 500 packets of nasi lemak to be given to 500 people, then it's enough. But if we only have 500 packets and there are 520 people to eat the nasi lemak, then it won't be enough." He rubbished the Selangor government's free-water policy and called for a review of the policy because, he said, water was a precious asset for any nation and should no longer be deemed as something cheap, let alone given free. Following is the Q & A from the interview: A: At the moment, when we talk about Langat 2 being able to solve our water problems, the answer is yes, because we need treated water. Based on a very high current demand, we need Langat 2 as the solution. But even this solution is temporary in nature. Why I'm saying temporary is because in the future we will have 1,000 people who want to eat the nasi lemak and even if we have new dams, it's not going to be effective compared to the most important approach for us to adopt from now -- to educate the people to use water wisely. We must recognise our water as an asset that no longer can be viewed as something cheap. Water can no longer be regarded as something to be given free. Water should be seen as something very valuable. If we compare one litre of bottled water and one litre of oil, the price is about the same, so we should appreciate the value of water. But why is it that we can conserve the use of oil and not when it comes to water? So what's the solution? Because we ourselves don't realise that water is something very valuable. If we do realise how precious it is, then certainly we will be very cautious in using it. Back to the question of Langat 2. Yes, it is absolutely necessary. And, at the same time, it should be followed with massive efforts to educate consumers on the real value of water, so that we won't need a Langat 3. A: There is nothing free in this world, and the water that's given is treated water. Treated water requires cost to produce. If we require cost, we need money. So, if we give free water, then we devalue this vital commodity and no one will value something that's given free. If we increase the water tariff, just like in Europe, we could see consumers place a high value on water in terms of their attitude towards water consumption as they look at water as a vital asset. But if we are provided with unlimited water everywhere and, worst of all, provided free, we will lose our sense of value over water. So, the move to give free water should be reviewed. Q: Langat 2 is a solution but it still doesn't exist due to the state-federal conflict. What's the implication? A: The implication is that we won't be able to provide adequate treated water to consumers while, at the same time, we can say we have sufficient water sources. Based on this assumption, we need to conserve our water resources. We just cannot dream that tomorrow we'll have more than what we have today. We must live in reality. If we have so much today, we have to adopt accordingly. And if Langat 2 remains unresolved, we then need a new solution. Among the solutions over the longer term is educating the people on water consumption and control on the supply of water. A: To treat water, we need raw material which, in this case, is raw water. But if we want to treat something and the raw material is not available, so there's nothing to treat. Yes, it's true to say that currently the capacity has reached its maximum. If we don't have raw water to treat, we can't produce treated water to supply to consumers. So, if we think of our rivers, dams that have reached their maximum, we have reached a stage where we need to look at new alternatives. Q: You have cited studies that show each Malaysian uses an average of 310 litres of water per day (lpd), which is 145 litres more than what consumers in other countries use. Can you elaborate? A: It's 145 litres per person. If one household has five residents, then the consumption is five times more. Imagine the millions of litres in excess consumption per household. This is the study by the United Nations that stipulates consumption at 145 lpd per person. But in Malaysia, the consumption is very excessive in every sense of the word. Q: The Selangor government says that Langat 2 is not necessary because the ongoing mitigation projects are able to cope with the demand? Is this so? A: The Selangor government only plans things for the short term. It looks at adequate water up to 2014. In contrast, the planning done by the federal government is over the long term, stretching more than 20 years. Langat 2 is necessary for this period. At present, we might not see water problems as something critical because, everywhere we go, there's water in the tap. But, try to imagine the situation five years from now. Would we still have this luxury?
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| Will BN take a hit over Talam and water? Posted: 14 Sep 2012 03:27 PM PDT
The Talam and water issues may be BN's powerful weapons but they can also hurt the ruling coalition Selena Tay, FMT The Talam Corporation issue is now a bone of contention. And it is not surprising as the name 'Talam' itself can be said to be controversial, in the Cantonese dialect, that is. For 'Talam accented properly and translated literally in Cantonese is 'hit-collapse'. But used in a sentence it means to defeat one's rivals, for example: "We will 'ta-lum' all our rivals in the competition." BN and especially MCA, most notably Labis MP, Chua Tee Yong, has been using the Talam Corporation issue to 'ta-lum' the Selangor state government helmed by Pakatan Rakyat. So far, the Pakatan Selangor state government is holding up well. Although much time and energy has been expended to clarify matters, the state government's explanations rarely get highlighted in the mainstream media in a prominent manner. The Talam debate on Sept 12 saw the Labis MP refusing to debate with Pakatan MPs: Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara), Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS, Kuala Selangor) and William Leong (PKR, Selayang). Of course, Chua does not have the level to debate with Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim. Thus the debate arranged by MCA on Sept 12, knowing that Khalid will be away, is a cheap publicity stunt in order for MCA to do damage control as the sudden emergence of the Tan Koon Swan saga will surely greatly damage MCA. It is impossible for MCA not to know that Khalid will be away on that particular day. This is therefore an MCA stunt to claw back popularity from the Chinese who are increasingly losing respect for this party who only voices out on selective issues. Most conspicuously missing is the MCA voice in the Jalan Sultan-Save The Heritage issue where the property owners are unhappy with the MRT tunnelling beneath their properties. The property owners' contention is that the MRT can tunnel beneath Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (formerly Foch Avenue) in front of Kota Raya, Kuala Lumpur. According to Shah Alam PAS MP, Khalid Samad, MCA does not know all the facts and figures. Said Khalid Samad: "KPMG which audited the Selangor state government's handling of the Talam matter is very well-known, established and professional auditor and it has cleared the Selangor state government of any wrong-doing." "The Selangor government has recovered all its loans and got back the lands. The state government has profited from the whole venture and the auditors even praised the Selangor government's professionalism in this matter," he added. Till to-date the water and Talam issues are BN's weapons to hit out at the Selangor government in order to cause its collapse. But it is MCA which is going to get hit and collapse before the 13th general election as MCA has almost lost all credibility among the Chinese voters. Only BN's cronies support MCA now. BN has never sat still since it lost Selangor in the previous general election. It has continuously tried every trick in the book to recapture Selangor by hook or by crook. This is not surprising as Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is the head of Selangor Umno. Previously he was the head of Perak Umno and we know what happened there. Many people are now getting very tired and fed up with the intense and non-stop political activity since March 2008. It is BN which is responsible for this as it controls all the public institutions, the mainstream media and the government machinery which it enjoys using at the expense of the rakyat. Pakatan has no choice but to respond to BN's attacks and it is this factor that contributed to the intense politicking. BN leaders seem to ignore the fact that their politicking does not augur well for the investment climate. The Felda shares have suddenly dropped to below the psychological benchmark of RM5 and this is not a healthy sign.
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| Anti-American fury sweeps Middle East over film Posted: 14 Sep 2012 03:13 AM PDT
(AFP) - Fury about a film that insults the Prophet Mohammad tore across the Middle East yesterday with protesters attacking US embassies and burning American flags as the Pentagon rushed to bolster security at its missions. The obscure California-made film triggered an attack on the US consulate in Libya's city of Benghazi that killed the US ambassador and three other Americans on Tuesday, the anniversary of the Sept 11, 2001 al Qaeda attacks on the United States. In Tunis, at least five people were wounded by police gunfire near the US embassy, and a Reuters reporter said a big fire had erupted within the embassy compound. Protesters had earlier leapt over the compound wall. Witnesses said Sudanese police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters to stop them approaching the US embassy outside Khartoum, but some jumped over the wall. A Reuters reporter heard gunfire from the scene. The wave of indignation and rage over the film, which portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a womanizer and a fool, coincided with Pope Benedict's arrival in Lebanon for a three-day visit. The protests present Obama with a new foreign policy crisis less than two months before seeking re-election and tests Washington's relations with democratic governments it helped to power across the Arab world. It also emerged that Libya had closed its air space over Benghazi airport temporarily because of heavy anti-aircraft fire by Islamists aiming at U.S. reconnaissance drones flying over the city, after President Barack Obama vowed to bring the ambassador's killers to justice. The closure of the airport prompted speculation that the United States was deploying special forces in preparation for an attack against the militants who were involved in the attack. A Libyan official said the spy planes flew over the embassy compound and the city, taking photos and inspecting locations of radical militant groups who are believed to have planned and staged the attack on the US consulate. There were protests in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Marines to Yemen The Pentagon said it had sent a "fast" platoon of Marines to Yemen to bolster US embassy security after clashes in Sanaa. US embassies were the main target of anger and protest but most embassy staff were not at work because Friday is the Muslim weekend across the Arab World. The frenzy erupted after traditional Muslim Friday prayers. Fury over the film has been stoked by Internet video footage, social networks, preachers and word-of-mouth. Protesters clashed with police near the US embassy in Cairo. Two Islamist preachers in Egypt told worshippers that those who made the movie deserved to die under sharia (Islamic law) but they urged protesters not to take their anger out on diplomats or others. Sudanese demonstrators broke into the German embassy in Khartoum and hoisted an Islamic flag, while one person was killed in protests in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Police in the Sudanese capital had fired tear gas to try to disperse 5,000 protesters who had ringed the German embassy and nearby British mission. A Reuters witness said police stood by as a crowd forced its way into Germany's mission. Demonstrators hoisted a black Islamic flag saying in white letters "there is no God but God and Mohammed is his Prophet". They smashed windows, cameras and furniture in the building and then started a fire. Staff at Germany's embassy were safe "for the moment", Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Berlin. He also told Khartoum's envoy to Berlin that Sudan must protect diplomatic missions on its soil. Sudan's Foreign Ministry had criticized Germany for allowing a protest last month by right-wing activists carrying caricatures of the Prophet and for Chancellor Angela Merkel giving an award in 2010 to a Danish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet in 2005 triggering protests across the Islamic world. Bashir under pressure President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is under pressure from Islamists who feel the government has given up the religious values of his 1989 Islamist coup. The official body of Sudan's Islamic scholars called for the faithful to defend the Prophet peacefully, but at a meeting of Islamists, some leaders had said they would march on the German and US embassies and demanded the ambassadors be expelled. The Foreign Ministry said in its statement: "The German chancellor unfortunately welcomed this offence to Islam in a clear violation of all meanings of religious co-existence and tolerance between religions." Sudan used to host prominent militants in the 1990s, such as Osama bin Laden, but the government has sought to distance itself from radicals to improve ties with the West. A Lebanese security source said a man was killed in Tripoli as protesters tried to storm a government building. Earlier, a US fast food restaurant was set alight. Twelve members of the security forces were wounded by stones thrown by protesters, the source said. Protesters also clashed with police in Yemen, where one person died and 15 were injured on Thursday when the US embassy compound was stormed. US and other Western embassies in other Muslim countries had tightened security, fearing anger at the film may prompt attacks on their compounds after the weekly worship. Obama has promised to bring those responsible for the Benghazi attack to justice, and the United States also sent warships towards Libya which one official said was to give flexibility for any future action. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington had nothing to do with the crudely made film posted on the Internet, which she called "disgusting and reprehensible", and the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff called a Christian pastor in Florida to ask him to withdraw his support for it. Palestinians staged demonstrations in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli police, some on horseback, used stun grenades and made a number of arrests outside Jerusalem's Old City as a few dozen demonstrators tried to march on the nearby US consulate. "Israeli police prevented an illegal demonstration from reaching the US consulate in East Jerusalem and used stun grenades after rocks and bottles were thrown at them," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. In Nablus, in the northern West Bank, several hundred people protested and burned an American flag, witnesses said. American flags burned The largest protests were in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Islamist group Hamas, with at least 30,000 Palestinians staging rallies across the coastal territory. Some 25,000 took to the streets of Gaza City, answering a call by Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad faction and waving the green and black flags of the two factions. American and Israeli flags were set alight, along with an effigy of the film's producer. Protesters in Afghanistan set fire to an effigy of Obama and burned a US flag after Friday prayers in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Directing their anger against the US pastor who supported the film, tribal leaders also agreed to put a US$100,000 bounty on his head. About 10,000 people held a noisy protest in the Bangladeshi capital. They burned US flags, chanted anti-US slogans and demanded punishment for the offenders, but were stopped from marching to the US embassy. There was no violence. Thousands of Iranians held nationwide protests. There were also rallies in Malaysia, Jordan, Kenya, Bahrain, Qatar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iraq.
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