Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- The Christian smokescreen
- SWP hit by ‘financial’ setbacks?
- Factories retrenching as output slips, minimum wage looms
- GE 13: It’s Elvis against Napoleon
- Bersih leaders stopped on police order
- The Rise and Rapid Fall of Suaram’s Cynthia Gabriel
- UN: Third of world’s population has Internet
- Ex-Pakatan man revives ‘Christian Malaysia’ report, shows ‘proof’ in Parliament
- S’gor still safe for Pakatan, say analysts
- NGOs say Suaram misrepresented itself as plaintiff in Scorpene inquiry
- Raja Nazrin: Desecrating flag an attack on nation’s sovereignty
- Umno MP to go to jail after court upholds conviction
- CCM resubmits investigation paper on Suaram-linked firm to A-G
- Ahli MPK fail saman fitnah terhadap bekas anggota DAP
- MCA, DAP to face off in hudud debate
- Why change will never come
- PAS parti sesuai untuk saya - Tengku Paduka
- MACC clears Musa Aman; RM40m was for Sabah Umno
- Rise in child marriages worrying
- ‘Stop harassing Ambiga, Bersih leaders’
- World Bank’s Report on Malaysian Minimum Wages
- DAP duo to lodge report against Nasharuddin
- Prove me wrong, Teresa
- Sabah BN will win seats ‘by default’
- ESQUIRE: Raja Petra Kamarudin
- Ada agenda tapi tidak bincang isu Faekah
- Pemuda PAS sokong kenyataan Haron Din
- Jangan shiok sendiri
- Perkasa vs Suaram: Of demons and lies
- Anwar, PKR under fire
- Nasha plotting with Umno to destroy Pakatan, PAS leaders say
- What’s keeping Malaysia’s Opposition together?
- Biro Politik PKR akan bincang kedudukan Faekah malam ini
- Sponsor a guide dog puppy
- No room for dissent in DAP
- Budget 2013: Both Pakatan and Barisan Should Focus on Job Creation
- Anwar should control Azmin’s agenda
- Polls after Deepavali?
- Presiden Gaps, Hamidzun Khairuddin, didakwa salah laku
- Raise the speed limit before implementing AES
- DAP slams ‘malicious’ PAS leader
- Why MCA is more Multiracial than DAP?
- Mat Sabu comes to DAP’s defence
- ‘Nasha jurucakap Umno dalam Pakatan’
- Karpal v Nasha feud: leave it to the duo, says PAS
- Adakah Azmin Ali yang memasang kamera pengintip di bilik Menteri Besar Selangor Khalid Ibrahim
- Uthayakumar’s lieutenant joins PKR
- PKR wants Lajim to contest both seats
- Just shooting the breeze
- Chamil openly apologises to Seputeh MP
| Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:48 PM PDT
Whenever Umno bashes the Christians, you can be sure they have got some dirt to hide. The answer is simple: Umno uses the Christians to quell dissatisfaction in the masses, principally the Malays. The non-Malays are also forced to go on the defensive and adopt a deferential role. Umno dislikes the building of bridges between different communities. Mariam Mokhtar, FMT Many people are aware that in Ancient Rome, Christians were thrown to the lions, in the Colosseum as entertainment for the Romans and the emperor. Today, when governments want to bury bad news, they will exploit a tragedy, or they will create a distraction for the public, to minimise the bad publicity they would otherwise have received. In Malaysia, the Christians are the smokescreen. What will Umno do next time one of their leaders is accused of corruption? How would Umno deal with opposition exposure of foreigners being given votes in exchange for the right to work and be registered as Malaysians? Who would Umno exploit if they have to return a verdict of death by misadventure, the next time an individual tries to exit from the window of a multi-storey building? Where else in the world is religion used to promote the interests of one party and one race? When will the Christians be of most use to Umno? Why would Umno want to embrace the Christians? The answer is simple: Umno uses the Christians to quell dissatisfaction in the masses, principally the Malays. The non-Malays are also forced to go on the defensive and adopt a deferential role. Umno dislikes the building of bridges between different communities. Last year, there was plenty of bad news about the Malaysian economy, corruption, the empty promises of reforms by the government and the Election Commision (EC), Lynas rare-earth plant and the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal. Most infamous was the handling of the accusations of police brutality during the Bersih 2.0 march for democracy by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. These reports were in the run-up to the announcements by rogue politicians that Malays are being proselytized, or that solar-powered talking bibles are being used to convert the Malays. In recent weeks, former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil blamed two online newspapers for misrepresenting the Auditor-General's report on the NFC. She also claimed that as a working woman she was not aware of what her husband and children were up to, although they lived in the same house. We also learnt that the Ministry of Finance had awarded a RM164.8 million tender to an allegedly unsuitable supplier of padi seeds. Who would be blamed for the failure to germinate? The weather or the farmer? Malacca's Chief Minister Ali Rustam entered the book of Malaysian records for his "cheap" RM600,000 wedding of his son, when 130,000 members of the public were invited to the feast, "sponsored" by companies and agents of the state. Would members of the public be permitted preferential use of facilities, like tents and air-conditioning units? Around 1,000 students and activists from independent Islamic schools (SAR) held a protest outside Parliament and questioned Umno about the lack of funding for their schools in the 2013 Budget. After months of being praised for being the perfect ambassadors for Malaysia and "the eyes and ears of the government in eradicating corruption", KL taxi drivers saw through this charade and took to the streets to protest about working conditions. Unfortunately after being fleeced by the taxi-drivers, the public were not sympathetic to their cause. Incidentally, the Auditor-General's 2011 report has been delayed. Why? In recent weeks, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad accused George Soros, Umno's public enemy No.1, of financing various NGOs to force a regime change in the country. So what did the public make of the revelation yesterday, that Najib had entertained billionaire financier Soros in New York, in 2010? One PM says Soros is evil, another PM courts him. The RM40 mil question All these contradictory stories would make even the most reclusive and ignorant Malaysian ask questions of the government, but the bombshell that Umno dreads most is the RM40 million question. Sabah businessman Michael Chia was carrying RM40 million worth of Singapore dollars when he was caught at the Hong Kong airport, in 2008, before he could board his flight to Kuala Lumpur. For whom was the money destined? The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) charged Chia with money laundering and trafficking, but yesterday, Minister in the PM's department, Nazri Abdul Aziz said that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had found no evidence of corruption and that the money was a political contribution for the state Umno and not meant for Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.
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| SWP hit by ‘financial’ setbacks? Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:43 PM PDT
Sarawak Workers Party which trumpeted its plans to contest in six constituencies held by rival Parti Rakyat Sarawak may end the polls with a whimper. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Has the five-month old Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) hit a financial snag? The party which seemed to have made a good start in the beginning in Selangau parliamentary constituency is now suffering from a serious setbacks. Some 700 SWP members in the Kakus constituency have reportedly resigned from the party. No reason has been given for their resignations, but it is believed it had something to do with 'broken promises' of financial rewards. SWP's de facto leader Sng Chee Hua who is tipped to contest in the constituency has been campaigning hard against Joseph Entulu, who is deputy Minister of Regional and Rural Development. Entulu is also deputy president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). A source close to the Sng said it is a 'major blow' for the SWP de facto leader. SWP is led by Sng's son Larry (photo), who is former Pelagus assemblyman. "The resignations of the members have surprised Sng. Even the service centre of SWP in Tatau has been dismantled by the owner of the shop allegedly for non-payment of rental. "This is a major blow to Sng, who is trying to make a political comeback," said the source who declined to be named. Sng in his early 60s was a one-term member of parliament of Julau from 1995. Besides Selangau, SWP has expressed its intention to contest against PRS in five other seats namely Julau, Kanowit, Ulu Rajang, Lubok Antu and Sri Aman. The source said that three members of the party's supreme council have threatened to resign if the promises made to them are not going to be fulfilled. Losing interest According to the source, SWP leaders who are potential candidates have been promised a monthly allowance of RM10,000. As a result of this promise, two of them resigned their posts, one from a government-linked company and the other from a private university. "For the past three months, all six potential candidates have been directed to go to the ground and to use their money first after which they would be reimbursed. "Up to last week they have not been reimbursed and have not received the allowance of RM10,000 otherwise they would resign from the party," said the source.
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| Factories retrenching as output slips, minimum wage looms Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:38 PM PDT
Lee Wel Lian, The Malaysian Insider Manufacturers in Malaysia are shedding workers due to uncertainty over the global economy and the impending start of minimum wage next year, says RHB Research Institute. RHB said in a report yesterday that in line with a slowdown in sales, the manufacturers retrenched 4,609 workers in August compared to a recruitment of 441 workers in July. Unemployment was 3.1 per cent in July, with an estimated two million foreign workers employed in the country. "In line with the slowdown in YoY (year-on-year) sales, manufacturers were cautious and they retrenched some workers in August," said RHB. "This was due to weakness in the global economy and compounded by the impending implementation of the minimum wage policy in early 2013." The research house warned that manufacturers could retrench more workers if the economic situation deteriorates as productivity gains — which is measured by sales per employee — slowed to 0.7 per cent in August from 4.3 per cent in July and 5.8 per cent in June. It noted that wages per employee rose 4.6 per cent in August compared with 3.2 per cent in July and just one per cent in June. RHB said however that stripping out seasonal factors and measured on a three-month moving average basis, wages per employee edged lower to 2.9 per cent year-on-year during the month, from 4.3 per cent in July which indicated that wage pressure is gradually dissipating after trending up in the first five months of the year. "However, it could trend up again, on the back of an implementation of the minimum wage policy, which will take effect in 6-12 months, depending on the industry, from the date the Minimum Wage Order was gazetted on July 16," said RHB. The Najib administration had pushed for the introduction of minimum wage in a bid to lift salaries as part of efforts to make Malaysia a high-income nation. Proponents of minimum wage say that it would make businesses and manufacturers more efficient and move them up the value chain by investing in high technology and more skills training rather than relying on cheap labour as in the past. Critics however say that pay should be based on worker productivity and be flexible enough to respond to market conditions or it could otherwise result in job losses. Manufacturing output slipped for the first time since September 2009 by 1.8 per cent year-on-year in August, after picking up to 6.0 per cent in July. Manufacturing sales growth slowed to 1.8 per cent year-on-year in August, after moderating to 4.8 per cent in July, and compared with 6.3 per cent in June. "This was in line with a drop in manufacturing production and exports of manufactured goods during the month, suggesting that the unabated weakness in the US and eurozone economies are crimping demand for the country's exports of manufactured goods," said RHB.
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| GE 13: It’s Elvis against Napoleon Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:35 PM PDT
But can voters freely choose between the rocker and the conqueror? Stanley Koh, FMT It now looks likely that the prolonged wait for the 13th general election will stretch into next year. Then again, to go by the latest rumour, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak may yet spring a surprise and call it next month. It does not seem to matter to the power that holds the card that so many of us are fighting an election fever that comes and goes and then comes again. Be that as it may, our immediate focus ought to fall on electoral reforms and the role of the Election Commission (EC) in ensuring a free and fair election. A Concert Bersih will be held tomorrow (this Saturday) at Stadium Kelana Jaya, and this will be followed on Nov 3 by a Pakatan Rakyat gathering in Seremban. Originally, this rally was planned to take place at either the Bukit Jalil National Stadium or the Merdeka Stadium. Both are aimed at heightening public awareness of the need for fair elections. The 13th general election will be crucial to the future of both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat and to the destiny of the nation. Pakatan and its supporters have predicted that the conduct of the polls will be the "dirtiest" that the nation has experienced since its independence. BN, perhaps betraying its nervousness, calls it a "do-or-die" battle. But as colourful languages go, nothing matches what I heard from a keen political observer. "It will be like a battle between Napoleon Bonaparte and Elvis Presley," he said. Noticing my puzzled look, he explained that Napoleon regarded power like a mistress, as reflected in a famous quotation in which he declared that no conqueror would allow anyone to take from him a conquest he had worked hard to keep. As for the King of Rock and Roll, my friend reminded me about "It's Now or Never", one of his most memorable recordings. I had to agree with him. BN must have got so used to embracing power that it probably would not be able to sleep without it. And for Pakatan's ageing leaders, it is truly now or never. In between are the rest of us, holding on to the hope that the EC will carry out its function responsibly and professionally. Unfortunately, many observers who are familiar with the EC's history do not see it as being impartial or even independent. Bias and prejudice "The opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, has long accused the EC of consulting with the ruling regime in the electoral constituency delineation process," said a report released by the PKR president in September 2006. "In fact, for the 2002 delineation [of electoral districts], the EC chairman openly admitted that he had actually met the prime minister at the start of the process." Non-partisan advocates for free and fair elections have long alleged bias and prejudice on the part of the EC, pointing to its tacit acceptance of such rulings as the ban on public rallies and BN's control of the mass media. "Doubts have long been expressed about the fairness, if not the freedom, of elections in Malaysia and these seem to be increasing," wrote Associate Professor Lim Hong Hai in 2005 in a paper entitled "Making the System Work: Election Commission". "Criticisms have been made by opposition leaders and not just by scholars of both the extant electoral system and EC's past performances in administering it."
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| Bersih leaders stopped on police order Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:32 PM PDT
The names of Bersih leaders are on the police list, says the Immigration Department. Teoh El Sen, FMT The Immigration Department was acting on the directive of the police when it stopped Bersih leaders at the airports as they were departing or re-entering the country. According to the department, the Bukit Aman police headquarters has a list of names of several Bersih leaders. "We're following SOP [Standard Operating Procedure]. If the name (given to us) is in our system, then we need to check the entry and exit of that person," the department's director-general Alias Ahmad told FMT. He said that in the case of Bersih 2.0 co-chairman S Ambiga, the department followed the police directive which stated that "every transaction of this person needs to be reported to the Special Branch officers attached to the airport". "So when we found her name on the list, we called the police, and they came and took over from us to interview her. That was it. We didn't arrest or detain her," he said. "To me this is not harassment," he said, alluding to Ambiga's allegation that she has been Bersih leaders who claimed they have been harassed at airports when they were stopped. Pressed for more details on the "police directive", Alias could not answer. He also could not verify the names of the Bersih leaders. "We do not know why their names are on the list. We are just the implementer, the gatekeepers. "It is the same with a bankrupt person… his name will show up on the computer too," he said. On Tuesday, Ambiga was stopped for about 10 minutes when she about to board a flight to Australia. The officers who detained her could not provide an answer as to why she was stopped. She then claimed she was being 'deliberately harassed' by the authorities. Ambiga was the fifth Bersih steering committee member to be stopped by immigration officers while travelling overseas. Last week, Bersih steering committee member Andrew Khoo was also stopped on his way to Bangkok. He was also stopped again when he returned. Steering committee members Maria Chin Abdullah, Yeo Yang Poh and Wong Chin Huat have also been subjected to similar treatment in September. An attempt to get an official response from the police failed as calls to Bukit Aman public relations head ACP Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf went unanswered.
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| The Rise and Rapid Fall of Suaram’s Cynthia Gabriel Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:25 PM PDT  THE CHOICE Just days ago Cynthia Gabriel was set to be a key figure in the GE13 election campaign. Suaram, of which she is a board member and key spokesperson, was strutting the Malaysian political stage on the back of the Scorpene submarine issue and they thought they had BN on the run. After all, at the height of the Scorpene saga it was suggested mysteriously that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was set to be whisked off to France to testify at a trial. If he didn't go, said Suaram's media friends, our trade with the European Union would suffer. It was total fiction but for Suaram and Pakatan Rakyat they were happy days as the story dominated the media. They went on with their spin and stories. Except as we now know, there is not and never has been any trial. A visiting French lawyer Yves Charpenel, who also happens to be a former French prosecutor, torpedoed that story in a five minute press conference in Kuala Lumpur this week. This has left Suaram reeling. Far more than the revelations about the web of foreign interests that funds this politicised and Pakatan-backed "human rights" group, the "no trial" revelation harmed Suaram because it struck at the heart of its integrity. Gabriel knew this when she shuffled forward to face the music Wednesday. Asked why her organisation let everyone believe that the Scorpene submarine deal was the subject of a trial in France she answered weakly: "Suaram has no control on how (the) media are reporting this matter." But as The Choice has reminded her, this isn't actually true. At any time Suaram could have corrected the false story doing the rounds but chose not to do so. Nor did it suit its friends in Pakatan Rakyat and the phalanx of foreign interests happy to see cleverly crafted untruths undermine our political independence. Now that Gabriel has suffered such a painful come down her opponents are on the attack. Without naming Suaram, Independent MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim told the Dewan Rakyat: "The people were hoodwinked by these group of people who collected donations from the public for the so-called trial." "I believe the government has a solid ground take up a defamation suit against the perpetrators." He also proposed a law to "monitor the activities of suspected foreign agents who interfere in the internal affairs of the country". Again, he didn't name anyone but he might as well have been carrying a photo of Suaram donor George Soros. But another press briefing in KL definitely did name Suaram accusing it of the "biggest lie in the country's political history." Young Journalists Club President Dzulkarnain Taib produced a court document from France showing that French judges Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire rejected Suaram as a plaintiff in the case on March 13 this year. "This means that the case by Suaram in relation to Scorpene has been thrown out by the French court since March 2012," he said. This will further embarrass Gabriel personally because in her defence of Suaram this week she said: "There is no confusion on our part that the case is on the second stage, at the criminal inquiry process when Suaram is accepted as a civil party in March this year."
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| UN: Third of world’s population has Internet Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:20 PM PDT  (AFP) - GENEVA: More than a third of the world's population is online while mobile phone uptake increased by more than 600 million in 2011 to around six billion, a UN agency said yesterday. But the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) highlighted huge disparities in the cost of services, with the poorer parts of the world tending to pay the most. "On the back of the increase in broadband services worldwide, the number of people using the Internet grew by 11 percent over the past year … ie, 2.3 billion people," the ITU said in its 2012 report on information and communication technologies (ICT). In terms of affordability, Macau, Norway and Singapore topped the list of 161 countries featured in the report. Madagascar came bottom, just behind Togo and Niger. In Africa, Internet connectivity prices were almost seven times higher than in the Americas, and 20 times higher than Europe in 2011. Mobile phones with broadband showed the sharpest growth of all ICT sectors between 2010 and 2011, the agency said, with almost 1.1 billion subscriptions by the end of 2011. Despite a surge in mobile phone broadband, "prices for ICT services remain very high in many low-income countries," said Brahima Sanou, director of the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. Income from the telecommunication sector reached $1.5 trillion (1.2 trillion euros) in 2010, around 2.4 percent of the world's gross domestic product, the report said.
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| Ex-Pakatan man revives ‘Christian Malaysia’ report, shows ‘proof’ in Parliament Posted: 10 Oct 2012 10:29 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider An independent federal lawmaker today sought to revive last year's "Christian Malaysia" allegations against the DAP, revealing in Parliament what he claimed was photographic evidence of an alleged plot by party leaders and foreign clergymen to turn the country into a Christian state. Zulkifli Noordin (IND-Kulim Bandar Baharu) urged Putrajaya to investigate the matter, saying the Malay community, as the country's dominant ethnic group, have compromised too much over the years. "Imagine if it was revealed that imams and mosque authorities had helped Barisan Nasional (BN) to win the polls... what would have happened then? They (opposition) would not have kept silent," he told the House when debating Budget 2013 this evening. The former PKR lawmaker said he was in possession of photographic proof of a thanksgiving held in Penang last year on May 5, shortly after the Sarawak state election on April 16, where DAP leaders and a group of local and foreign clergymen had prayed to install a Christian Prime Minister and turn the country into a Christian state. Listing those in attendance, which he said included priests and pastors from United Kingdom and South Africa, Zulkifli said it was also admitted during the dinner that foreign churches were willing to channel funds to help the opposition's political struggle here. "The priest from South Africa said he was invited to observe the Sarawak polls, and that he was disappointed in how the Christians have been sidelined in Malaysia, especially on the AlKitab Malay language bibles issue. "He requested that something is done to help spread Christianity here and said that money is not a problem and that the churches in Africa are ready to help." The independent lawmaker had raised the matter when attempting to draw links with the latest claim by PAS MP Nasharuddin Mat Isa, who had alleged of a similar thanksgiving ceremony in Sarawak. Speaking at a press conference later, Zulkifli maintained that his remarks were based on actual proof of the dinner function, which he said he had obtained from "sources". "My main concern here is on the involvement of foreign clergymen in our country's politics. Not only are they involved in terms of their physical presence in our country, but they have also promised funds to the opposition. "This is direct interference and this is my concern." He, however, refused to release the photographs to the media, but denied that it was because he was afraid to be sued by the DAP. "Why don't you go back and ask your boss — is Zulkifli Noordin a coward? "Put it in that way you know... do not spin. I am never one who is afraid of anybody," he retorted to the reporter who asked for the photographs, adding later a challenge to DAP leaders to deny his remarks today. Zulkifli's revelation today was first exposed in May last year in a front-page article on Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia headlined "Malaysia negara Kristian? (Malaysia a Christian country?)".
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| S’gor still safe for Pakatan, say analysts Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:57 PM PDT
They see the spat over Azmin as being irrelevant to voter sentiment. Anisah Shukry, FMT The current infighting among PKR leaders over Selangor is unlikely to erode Pakatan Rakyat's chances of holding on to the country's richest state, according to political analysts. "Selangor voters are quite firm in their support for Pakatan and the pattern is not expected to change," Dr Jayum A Jawan of UKM told FMT. "While the infighting could affect its performance in Selangor in the next general election, I do not expect Pakatan Rakyat to do badly." He said voters were likely to view the infighting as a "family squabble" that could easily be resolved rather than a serious sign of things gone awry in the opposition pact. Centre for Policy Initiatives director Lim Teck Ghee agreed with Jayum. "What we can see is of course the mainstream media playing it up for all it is worth," he said. "Unfortunately, some in the Internet media are also making a mountain out of a molehill." The media frenzy over the infighting started after Sinar Harian quoted PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali as saying that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim would become federal minister should Pakatan win the next general election. Khalid and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar have dismissed the statement as Azmin's personal opinion, but his remarks have triggered speculation that he is eyeing Khalid's job. Khalid's personal assistant, Faekah Husin, has criticised Azmin more directly, questioning his right to make an announcement on a matter that only Pakatan's top tier could decide. This provoked PKR's election director for Selangor, Borhan Aman Shah, to call for her sacking. But both Jayum and Lim said the feud could easily be resolved in a matter of days. "In Selangor, the key issues are not of leaders' fighting, but of the previous mismanagement of the state, the water issue, corruption, and a better quality of life," said Lim. No better alternative As such, according to both Lim and Jawan, Pakatan would be denied another term only if Selangor voters had a better alternative to turn to. They said Barisan Nasional had yet to prove that it could be that alternative. "If BN wins Selangor again, it will go back to the old system of cronyism, close tenders, select partners and the like," said Lim. "Unless BN can put down in writing the basic changes it is going to make, I am not in support of it and I believe that Selangor voters share my sentiment." Lim said that BN must own up to the wrongs it had done during its days of power in Selangor and then tell the people what it would do to correct itself. "For example, the water issue was totally mismanaged by the previous Selangor government," he said. "It was better handled in Penang, where they allowed for the model of privatisation which served the interests of the state and the consumers rather than the company." Jayum described Selangor BN as "loud" without having any "concrete plan". "BN does not need to attack the opposition; it just has to tell the voters what it wants to do, and how it will do better if it were to win Selangor," he said. "Based on the information I've gathered from the ground, BN is doing badly." Jayum said BN had neglected "practical politics" in favour of attacking personalities in Pakatan and trying to discredit the current administration's water management. "BN thinks it is making things difficult for PR with regard to the water issue, but actually it is just making things difficult for the end users, which are the people of Selangor. "It wants to discredit PR, but this will backfire. People will say BN leaders have a small heart." Lim said Pakatan had done enough to keep the people of Selangor happy and the votes coming in. "Pakatan has cut down on corruption, increased efficiency of services in the state, been able to balance the budget of the state, and tackle major problems in the state such as the water issue." He noted that Pakatan faced some difficulty in resolving certain issues, but said this was because of lack of cooperation from the federal government. "Of course it is difficult for them to get such cooperation as they are the opposition."
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| NGOs say Suaram misrepresented itself as plaintiff in Scorpene inquiry Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:48 PM PDT
(From left) Dzulkarnain, Mohd Mustaffa Hamzah (Muslims Consumers Association of Malaysia), Sharifuddin Abdul Hamid (Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia) and Shahbudin Embun (Malays Consultative Council) at the press conference in Kuala Lumpur October 11, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy May Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) had misrepresented itself as a plaintiff to a French inquiry of the multi-billion Scorpene submarine deal, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) alleged today. "We view the claim that SUARAM has been accepted or recognised as 'civil party' (plaintiff) as a biggest lie in the country's political history..." Dzulkarnain Taib, president of the Young Journalists Club, said at a press conference today. "This means that the case by Suaram in relation to Scorpene has been thrown out by the French court since March 2012," he claimed. Dzulkarnain pointed to a court document dated March 13 this year, signed by the French judiciary, purportedly rejecting SUARAM as plaintiff for the Scorpene inquiry as proof. He claimed that SUARAM's lawyers had applied for the human rights watchdog to be made a "joint civil party" (joint plaintiff) together with the International Federation for Human Rights, based on a court document dated March 16 this year. But Dzulkarnain said the French judiciary have yet to decide on whether to allow SUARAM to be a joint plaintiff over the inquiry into the Scorpene deal. He declined to show the two court documents to reporters, saying that it will be revealed at an "opportune time". He gave the court reference number for the documents instead, with the first being "No du Parquet:1115196025 and No Instruction: 2292/12/4" and the second being "No Parquet: 1115106025 and No Instruction: 20F/11/52". Other NGOs present at the press conference include the Muslims Consumers Association of Malaysia, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia and Malays Consultative Council.
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| Raja Nazrin: Desecrating flag an attack on nation’s sovereignty Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:40 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah today likened the act of desecrating the national flag, Jalur Gemilang, which is one of the national symbols, as an attack on the nation's sovereignty. "Whatever our political or ideological differences, our national symbols belong to all citizens. By allowing these symbols to be trashed, we are opening ourselves up to a host of consequences, including the possibility of inflaming passions, inviting tit-for-tat retaliation and so forth. "Hate and anger are some of the most powerful human emotions. When they take hold of society, they are difficult, and oftentimes impossible, to control. "Our national symbols should therefore be placed above the political fray," he said at the launching of the "Brand Transformer" and Malaysia Brand Forum 2012, here, today. Raja Nazrin said the act of desecrating a flag was more than one individual's statement of disrespect and criticism. "The act is deliberately designed to insult what many others treasure and consider a source of pride and joy. Whatever one may think of the rights of individuals to express themselves, the larger consequences of their actions cannot and should not be ignored." Raja Nazrin said some countries had enacted specific laws to protect their national symbols, such as Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland which had imposed specific penalties for the desecration of their national flags. "Other countries protect their national symbols under existing general laws aimed at ensuring law and order, preventing subversion and hate crimes." Raja Nazrin also expressed concern over the tendency of some quarters to discredit and undermine the national symbols that play such an important role in Malaysian national life. "I am also concerned about the extent to which some are pushing against the institutional pillars that are holding up this nation." He said there were at least two reasons why this might be the case. One, is a fundamental misunderstanding of how individual rights and freedoms are to be exercised within the context of a nation. The other is the impact of generational change in eroding the significance, meanings and value of nation building and its symbols. Raja Nazrin said human beings had always craved for freedom, however, "if boundaries are disregarded in the exercise of individual freedoms, we will end up weakening rather than strengthening the bonds that bind us as a nation". "We need to instil in our young a sense of responsibility and community". As with generational change, he said: "With each passing generation, people become less familiar with the circumstances around which this country was formed and built. "That is why I cannot over-emphasise enough the need for both well-thought and well-taught history in our schools. "In this way, our students can better appreciate and respect the national institutions and symbols around us. This appreciation and respect are clearly missing when national symbols are deliberately desecrated." Raja Nazrin said as a mutlicultural and multireligious country, Malaysia's national symbols such the Jalur Gemilang, National Coat of Arms or Jata Negara, the royal institution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the nine Malay Rulers, were important as more than just cultural artefacts and reminders of historical traditions. "The national symbols we have constructed with such care and invested with such great social meaning play a much larger and critical function to this nation. "That function is to serve as an anchor for us to hold on to, and a guidepost to give us direction, whenever we face challenges and crises as a nation. "They therefore do not just belong to the past but are relevant — even essential — to our nation's present and future. They are, if you like, the 'Template of the Nation'." Raja Nazrin also said that good nation-building was all about political, economic and social inclusiveness, and the national symbols that had been devised were specifically designed to promote this inclusiveness. "They must therefore be cherished, respected and protected, as their aim is to unify rather than keep apart, to integrate rather than to segregate," he added.
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| Umno MP to go to jail after court upholds conviction Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:28 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Umno's Sabak Bernam MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri will have to serve his jail sentence after the Shah Alam High Court upheld today his conviction March for making false claims. Abdul Rahman and his aide Rosli Busro were sentenced by a Sessions Court in March to six years' jail and fined RM400,000 each for making false claims. But the court had then granted them a stay of execution pending appeal. Today, Shah Alam High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir dismissed the appeal and also rejected an application for a stay of execution. The judge also ordered the sentence carried out immediately. In March the Sessions Court had found the two guilty on eight counts of making false claims totalling RM80,000 for events that never took place four years ago. The Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmaker was accused of committing the offences while a Sungai Air Tawar assemblyman before Election 2008. The 47-year-old was charged under Section 11(c) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 in November 2009 with falsely claiming RM10,000 each time between January 21 and February 4, 2008. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said in March that Abdul Rahman had been stripped of his party divisional post, but remained an Umno MP. In making his ruling today, Akhtar dismissed arguments made by Abdul Rahman's lawyer to reject the testimony of two witnesses — Mohd Harmizar and Rizam ismail — because it was alleged that they were also accomplices in the criminal acts. "I have read the testimony of the two witnesses and I do not consider them accomplices," said the judge, who added that he considered the two men merely followed Abdul Rahman's instructions. He added that the accounts given by the two men were corroborated by other witnesses. Akhtar said it was clear that Abdul Rahman and Rosli had the intention to make the false claims, and this was proven when the money was used for their own purposes and not stated in their claims. Abdul Rahman, 47, had been found guilty of making claims from his allocation as state legislator for events and activities that did not take place. The claims were for the purchase of gifts, souvenirs and meals for events listed as Program Motivasi Pelajar Peringkat Dewan Undangan Negeri Sungai Air Tawar; Program Mesra Rakyat dan Hari Keluarga di Dewan Simpang 4 Bagan Nakhoda Omar (BNO); Program Forum Perdana Peringkat Mukim BNO; Program Mesra Rakyat dan Sambutan Maulud Nabi and Program Mesra Rakyat Hari Keluarga Guru Kemas.
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| CCM resubmits investigation paper on Suaram-linked firm to A-G Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:04 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider he Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) has resubmitted the investigation paper on a company linked to Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) for misleading accounts to the Attorney-General's Chambers, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today. "CCM has submitted completed investigation paper to A-G last week. Now is up to A-G on his further action," the domestic trade, co-operative and consumerism minister told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. He confirmed that the investigation paper was still for "misleading accounts" by the human rights watchdog's company Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd. He said there was "nothing from A-G yet" when asked if the A-G's Chambers had decided to bring charges against Suara Inisiatif. Two weeks ago, Ismail reportedly said CCM was gathering the additional information required before resubmitting the investigation paper on Suara Inisiatif to the A-G's Chambers. It was previously reported that the A-G's Chambers had returned the investigation paper to CCM on September 19 as it could not draft charges based on the incomplete paper. Suaram has been at the forefront of exposing alleged corruption in the multibillion ringgit Scorpene submarine deal this past year but has in turn been the subject of investigation into its funding, along with several other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and news portal Malaysiakini.
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| Ahli MPK fail saman fitnah terhadap bekas anggota DAP Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:14 PM PDT  (Bernama) - Ahli Majlis Perbandaran Kajang (MPK), Lee Kee Hiong hari ini memfailkan saman fitnah terhadap bekas anggota DAP dan Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad kerana mencetak dan menyiarkan perkataan berunsur fitnah terhadapnya, tahun lepas. Lee, 46, yang memfailkan saman itu menerusi peguamnya, Lim Lip Eng dan Eric Tan dari Tetuan Stella, Lim & Co. di pejabat pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi di sini, menamakan Yap Kon Min, 65, dan Sin Chew Media Corporation sebagai defendan.
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| MCA, DAP to face off in hudud debate Posted: 10 Oct 2012 05:11 PM PDT
The Mandarin debate will be held in Wisma Teng Chin,Klang, at 8pm tonight. Leven Woon, FMT In a rare move, leaders from both sides of the political divide will square off in a public debate tonight on the controversial hudud law. MCA Youth Publicity Bureau chief Kow Cheong Wei is taking on DAP's popular speaker Hew Kuan Yew in the debate titled "Hudud laws: Divert attention or potential threat?". The debate, which will be conducted in Mandarin, will begin at 8pm in Wisma Teng Chin, Jalan Langat, Klang. Organiser Radio Bangsar Utama presenter Teh Yee Keong said Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) lecturer Chin Chong Fah and PAS-linked scholar Kamal Koh will also be speaking at the forum. "Each of them will be given 15 minutes to elaborate on their their points, then a straight debate between Kow and Hew, followed by questions from the moderators and the audience," he said. The debate came in light of a survey done by Universiti Malaya's Center for Democracy and Elections last month which shows 42% of Malaysian Chinese agreed that hudud law can help eradicate crimes. Teh said it is good for leaders from DAP and MCA to engage in healthy discussion on the topic often seen as affecting only the Muslims. "MCA keeps saying that hudud law is a potential threat to the Chinese community, to which Pakatan has consistently denied and labelled it as a trick by Barisan Nasional government to divert public attention. "But the people want to know more about the real subject, and this kind of debate will encourage them to have healthy discussions," he said. Photo courtesy of We Fully Support DAP, PKR facebook page
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| Posted: 10 Oct 2012 04:52 PM PDT
Okay, let us say that DAP does plan to turn Malaysia into a Christian State. So what? What is wrong with that? PAS wants to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State. Do we make a police report against PAS and demand that they apologise? Has PAS committed a crime by aspiring for Malaysia to become an Islamic State? So why is it wrong for DAP to aspire for Malaysia to become a Christian State? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Many Malaysians feel that Malaysia is a not a free country. These people may be right. Many Malaysians feel that Barisan Nasional needs to be kicked out so that Malaysia can become a free country. These people may be wrong. To demonstrate why I say this let us look at the Nasharuddin Mat Isa controversy. DAP is going to make a police report against Nasharuddin for saying that DAP wants to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. DAP is very upset about this. They also demand that Nasharuddin apologise for this allegation against DAP. Now, first of all, what is wrong with saying DAP wants to turn Malaysia into a Christian State? What if I say that Umno wants to turn Malaysia into a Malay State? Or PAS wants to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State? Or MCA wants to turn Malaysia into a Capitalist State? Or PSM wants to turn Malaysia into a Socialist State? Is this not my right to say what I think? I may be wrong in thinking that way. I may have jumped to the wrong conclusion based on what I perceive. My perception may be wrong. Nevertheless, right or wrong, I have my reasons for thinking so and hence I have a right to say what I think. I studied Islam. I also studied Christianity. My opinion after studying both religions is that Islam is right and Christianity is wrong. And I tell you what my opinion is. Do you make a police report against me for saying what I said and demand that I apologise? I studied Islam. I also studied Christianity. My opinion after studying both religions is that Islam is 'borrowed' from Judeo-Christianity. Hence I believe that Islam is a deviation of Judaism and Christianity. And I tell you what my opinion is. Do you make a police report against me for saying what I said and demand that I apologise? I have my opinions. And I have my reasons as to why I have such opinions. And I tell you what my opinions are. This is called freedom of thought and freedom of expression. And this is what freedom is all about. But do we allow such freedoms in Malaysia? And is this denial of such freedoms a crime that only Barisan Nasional is guilty of or is Pakatan Rakyat equally guilty? Hence is Malaysia really a free country? And will kicking out Barisan Nasional give us that freedom that we seek? The solution will not come by changing the government. This has nothing to do with the government. The problem lies with us. We do not understand the meaning of freedom. And we demonstrate very clearly this lack of understanding. It is we, and not the political parties, that are at fault. Okay, let us say that DAP does plan to turn Malaysia into a Christian State. So what? What is wrong with that? PAS wants to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State. Do we make a police report against PAS and demand that they apologise? Has PAS committed a crime by aspiring for Malaysia to become an Islamic State? So why is it wrong for DAP to aspire for Malaysia to become a Christian State? What makes it okay for PAS to want Malaysia to be turned into an Islamic State but not okay for DAP to want Malaysia to be turned into a Christian State? If we can respect PAS's wishes to see Malaysia become an Islamic State why can't we also respect DAP's wishes to see Malaysia become a Christian State? I do not see why DAP should make a police report against Nasharuddin for alleging that DAP wants to turn Malaysia into a Christian State or demand that he apologise. Doing this means DAP is admitting that such a thing is wrong (wanting to turn Malaysia into a Christian State). DAP is agreeing with Nasharuddin that the aspiration of wanting to turn Malaysia into a Christian State is wrong. Why would DAP want to admit that? DAP should uphold the ideals of freedom of thought and freedom of expression. DAP should be free to aspire for anything it wants to aspire for. And Nasharuddin should be free to express anything he wishes to express. That is what freedom of thought and freedom of expression is all about. DAP is admitting that freedom of thought cannot be allowed. You cannot aspire to see Malaysia turned into a Christian State. That is something wrong. You must not think those things. And anyone who thinks those things is doing something wrong. And anyone who accuses DAP of thinking like that needs to be whacked. If you think that Malaysia should be Secular State that is okay. If you think that Malaysia should be an Islamic State that is okay as well. And it is also okay if you think that Malaysia should be a Christian State, Communist State, Republic, Absolute Monarchy, Sultanate or whatever. You can aspire for what you think is right. You can also express what you aspire. That is what you aspire. You may be right or you may be wrong. But you have a right to be wrong if you wish to be wrong. Unfortunately, both sides of the political divide do not understand this yet. And that is why PAS thinks it is wrong for DAP to aspire for Malaysia to become a Christian State. And that is why DAP thinks it is wrong for PAS to say that DAP aspires for Malaysia to become a Christian State. You can even aspire for Nazism, Fascism, Communism, Republicanism, Theologian, Federalism, self-determination, anarchism, or whatever it is that turns you on. I might not agree with you. I might even oppose you. But it is your right to believe whatever you wish to believe and it is my right to disagree with you. And PAS and DAP must understand this as well before we talk about changing the current/bad government for a new/better one. Currently, both PAS and DAP are yet to grasp the concept of freedom of thought and freedom of expression. And this is what the Nasharuddin Mat Isa controversy has revealed. The most unfortunate thing about this entire episode is that we think the fault lies with the politicians or political parties whereas it is we who are at fault. We refuse to allow others to hold views and express their views that run opposite to ours. That is not called freedom of thought and freedom or expression. So how can changing the government help? It is we who need to change.
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| PAS parti sesuai untuk saya - Tengku Paduka Posted: 10 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT
(Harakah) - Status Tengku Seri Paduka Raja Tengku Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, sebagai bapa saudara kepada Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin tidak dipernah dipergunakan untuk kepentingan diri. Pada beliau, yang lebih mesra dengan panggilan Ku Duka, kepentingan rakyat Terengganu lebih menjadi keutamaan. Di atas kesedaran itu, Ku Duka menyerahkan borang menyertai PAS pada 6 Oktober 2012 kepada Mursyidul Am PAS, Tuan Guru Dato' Bentara Setia Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat di Jabi. Ikuti temuramah beliau dengan wakil Harakah MOHD RASHIDI HASSAN dan KHAIRUL AZLAM MOHAMMAD di Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu, 7 Oktober 2012.
Apakah yang mendorong Tengku menyertai PAS?
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| MACC clears Musa Aman; RM40m was for Sabah Umno Posted: 10 Oct 2012 03:24 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has cleared Datuk Seri Musa Aman of graft and money laundering allegations after finding that the over S$16 million (RM40 million) allegedly channelled to the Sabah Chief Minister through corrupt means was meant for Sabah Umno's use. In a written reply released in Parliament today to a question by Chua Tian Chang (PKR-Batu) last week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the Attorney-General's Chambers had shelved the matter after finding no element of corruption in the case, which was first raised by whistleblower site Sarawak Report earlier this year. "The funds were actually contributions made to the Sabah Umno liaison body and not for the chief minister's personal use," Nazri said in the reply. The minister added that Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has also investigated the case but "took no further action". "On the matter filed in the Switzerland courts, it was a MACMA (Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act) application by the ICAC seeking a probe on the same case. "The MACMA application has also been withdrawn for the same reason as stated above," he said. In April this year, Sarawak Report had revealed documents from the ICAC allegedly showing that a Sabah lawyer was holding some US$30 million in a Swiss bank account for Musa. The report claimed that a paper trail showed that the millions in euros, US, Hong Kong and Singapore dollars had been channelled from several firms managed by Hong Kong-based timber trader Michael Chia to a number of British Virgin Island companies and subsequently to the lawyer's Swiss account. Musa has since denied any link with Chia, who was arrested and charged with money laundering after attempting to smuggle S$16 million (RM40 million) back to Malaysia in 2008. According to media reports, Chia had at the time allegedly told the Hong Kong authorities that the money belonged to Musa. "I deny all these allegations. I wish to put it on record once again that I have no business association whatsoever with an individual named Michael Chia," the usually media-shy Musa had said in a statement.
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| Rise in child marriages worrying Posted: 10 Oct 2012 03:13 PM PDT
(The Star) - The department received 75 marriage applications from underaged individuals in 2008, 99 in 2009 and 101 in 2010. Of the total, 90% involved girls under 16. The incidence of child marriages is on the rise, judging by statistics compiled from various sources. In Kedah alone, statistics from the state Islamic Religious Department show a 35% increase in marriage applications involving underaged individuals between 2008 and 2010. The department received 75 marriage applications from underaged individuals in 2008, 99 in 2009 and 101 in 2010. Of the total, 90% involved girls under 16. One of the reasons cited by parents for consenting to their underaged daughters to marry was that the girls were "too wild" and beyond their control. They felt that getting them married would be the best solution. Another was for economic relief. The majority of these cases reportedly were from Sik and Baling. The statistics are worrying as they show child marriage to be a significant problem in Malaysia, said United Nations Population Fund Malaysia (UNFPA) programme manager Saira Shameem. Today is the inaugural United Nations International Day of the Girl Child, with a focus on ending child marriages. UN statistics show that globally, as many as 10 millions girls are forcibly married before they turn 18, amounting to 25,000 girls every day. "In an economically-stable country like Malaysia, where women are educated and employed in high level jobs and where girls make up 60% of the students in tertiary education institutions, this should not be happening. "We need to address sexual and reproductive health education for our young. Studies have shown that age-appropriate sex education actually delays sexual debut. Sexual and reproductive health education will also help girls make more informed choices," said Saira. Rights activities are calling for urgent action to stop child marriages in Malaysia, pointing out the harmful impact of early marriage on girls, and to a lesser extent boys. In the human rights perspective, marriage marks the end of a child's adolescence and the curtailing of his or her freedom. Most girls who marry early also drop out of school and face health risks of early pregnancy and child birth. Worldwide, pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of mortality for 15 to 19 year-old girls. Under Malaysian law, the legal age for marriage for non-Muslims is 18. However, marriages are allowed for those between 16 and 18 with written consent from the chief minister. For Muslims, the legal age of marriage for males is 18 and females, 16. With the permission of the syariah court, however, Muslims can marry at any age. Sisters in Islam executive director Ratna Osman feels that the country's laws have to change, calling for the legal age for marriage for both Muslims and non-Muslims to be 18. "In this day and age, child marriages are just unacceptable. Is this what we want for Malaysia? We want the legal age for both male and female to be 18, and the absolute minimum for Muslim girls to be 16 but with strict conditions. "Among the conditions is that the minor has sufficient maturity to understand the nature and responsibilities of the marriage and that the judge consults respective experts to verify the child's readiness before issuing an approval," said Ratna. |
| ‘Stop harassing Ambiga, Bersih leaders’ Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:27 PM PDT
WargaAman also wants the immigration department and the Home Ministry to reveal the list of NGO leaders who will face similar treatment. RK Anand, FMT The authorities must cease harassing Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga and the electoral watchdog's steering committee members, demanded a coalition of NGOs. WargaAman secretary-general S Barathidasan also called on the Home Ministry and Immigration Department to reveal the names on their "to be stopped for 10 minutes at the airport" list. "We want to know who are the NGO leaders on this list and the reasons why they are being subjected to such harassment," he told FMT. Barathidasan was responding to news reports of how Ambiga was stopped at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's auto-gate for 10 minutes without reason before boarding a flight to Australia on Tuesday night. Previously, several other Bersih steering committee members were also subjected to a similar treatment when travelling abroad.
Barathidasan reminded the authorities that Bersih leaders were not enemies of the state but rather those struggling to uphold democratic principles for the betterment of this nation. "The movement has made eight demands but only one, the use of indelible ink has been accepted by the Election Commission. "These demands are not Bersih's alone but that of the rakyat, the tens of thousands who participated in the rallies and the millions more who were there in spirit," he said. Barathidasan said also questioned how immigration officers, with all their sophisticated equipment, let fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and private investigator P Balasubramaniam slip out of the country. "If these officers are so vigilant, then it is beyond me how people like Raja Petra, Balasubramaniam and a host of wanted criminals could board flights without any hassle," he added.
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| World Bank’s Report on Malaysian Minimum Wages Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT
Liew Chin Tong In view of the near-nonsensical discussion in the media on minimum wage by Barisan Nasional elected representatives, I decided to release my copy of a confidential report by the World Bank to the Malaysian Government entitled "Optimal design for a minimum wage policy in Malaysia." I am encouraged to do so by Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who on twitter claimed that he had "checked wt Ministry of Human Resources thru @PKamalanathan. WorldBank report on min wage is not classified as u alleged!" Pakatan Rakyat had repeatedly called on the Government to release the World Bank report but to no avail. The World Bank document shows that the impact of a minimum wage, whether it is at RM900 or RM1,100, on most sectors is minimal, except in the low-end manufacturing (Pg.12), which the Government should assist through other means such as facilitation to move from labour intensive to technology and skills intensive operations. The Report also shows that the implementation of a minimum wage has very little impact on the decision of investors as labour cost is but a small fraction of total investment. "Location-specific characteristics such as infrastructure and the regulatory environment are the main drivers of FDI (Pg. 13)," according to the report.
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| DAP duo to lodge report against Nasharuddin Posted: 10 Oct 2012 02:04 PM PDT
(NST) - Two prominent DAP leaders will lodge a police report against former Pas deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa for alleging that DAP held a thanksgiving function to pray for Malaysia to become a Christian state. DAP Sarawak chairman Wong Hoi Leng and secretary Chong Chieng Jen said they were "disgusted" with Nasharuddin's statement. However, they did not give an exact time frame when they would lodge the report. "After the Sarawak elections (last year), DAP held victory and thanksgiving dinners in Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintangor, Bintulu and Miri. "It is unbelievable that Nasharuddin did not even identify the event where the alleged prayer was made," he said at the Parliament lobby here yesterday. The duo said the thanksgiving was held merely to thank party members and volunteers who had worked in the state election and was not religious in nature. "We had also invited Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Pas state leaders to attend the event." DAP also urged Nasharuddin to withdraw his allegations unconditionally and called upon the police to probe into the alleged remark. Nasharuddin's statement was also criticised by fellow Pas member, Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Samad. "Nasharuddin's statement is ridiculous. " He did not inform us about his remark in any of Pas' meetings," Khalid said. "I question his motive in making the statement," said Khalid adding that Nasharuddin has begun to 'estrange' himself from the party. He said that Nasharuddin's fate would be left to the discretion of the Pas Syura Council. "What he said about DAP is his personal opinion and PAS does not share his sentiments."
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| Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:56 PM PDT
FMT LETTER: From Tan Tuan Tat, via e-mail I refer to the FMT article, 'Ex-DAP man's criticism has Kok fuming'. Teresa Kok has messed up the Selangor administration due to her ineptitude and ignorance of grass roots sentiments and her failure to face up to controversial issues. She is holding many positions and wearing too many hats and has lost her direction. Please allow me to to rebut her comments about me in the article point for point: 1 Kok said that I hardly knew anything about what she had done and how has performed since I was not in the Selangor DAP committee and the PR state government. A politician who only cares for her cronies will not realise that others are watching what she's doing. Kok is wearing too many hats at parliamentary and state levels, including director for PKNS, SACC women's affairs and many GLCs. Recently she was attributed to another two positions. Obviously, national chairman Karpal's 1 man for 1 seat statement is lost on her. 2 Kok said ever since she helmed Selangor DAP, she had forged close working ties with all state committee and elected representatives. I can prove to you that you are not doing that at all. How can this be? The elected committee took time to appoint the councillors and eventually what happened? Ronnie Liu amended the list so much so you had to shout at Ronnie in front of the Menteri Besar. If you were so capable and competent, Lim Kit Siang need not have come to rescue of the five councillors who were dropped. I have evidence that 15 Klang branches had submitted a letter to the disciplinary committee and the committee contacted you, as state chairman, to seek an explanation. Your reply was that the case was closed and no longer an issue. Irked by your response, the 15 branches appealed to the CEC and till today why has the CEC not responded? You are a CEC member. Why you are not performing your task as a leader? Prove that you are the competent politician, and respect the call by the national chairman that all disciplinary cases must be settled before the next GE. Did you discuss with all the branch leaders in Klang before you reverted to disciplinary committee with your reply? This proves you are trying to sweep the matter under the carpet and give the impression that you are very working with the top leaders and the elected committee. People are not stupid. They are discerning and that was one of the reason they changed the Selangor government. 3 "Tan has never been informed of these meetings and decisions because he is not a wakil rakyat, councillor or a state committee member. So on what ground he is making such accusations against me?" asked Kok. Why should I be informed? I was a life member until Aug 16, 2012 when I resigned. I was not sacked as claimed by Kok and Tan Kok Wai. Taman Seri Sg Pelek branch vice chairman Manohar Sellan told Kok to get her statement right when he sent in his resignation letter. Tan Tuan resigned and was not sacked. How can DAP sack a member when he has already resigned? I recall an incident where I sent a text to her forwarded a copy of the message to the MB about the state of affairs in Selangor. Kok was furious and said that I out to disgrace the party. I'm a tax payer and have every right to ask how and where public money is spent? Now I know the reason why she fumed…so much corruption, allegations, hypocrisy and lack of transparency. Kok wants to look good before the MB and show him that DAP Selangor is strong and united but in fact she is covering up all the abuses in the party. 4 Kok asked what I knew about Kinrara when I rarely visited the area. I do not have to visit areas in Selangor, especially Kinrara. She tends to forget one does not have to be at a certain place to receive information. She is too popular for the Kinrara people and I ask her why the banner criticising her was hung up? The banner hung up by the residents read: "YB Teresa Kok The Wonder Woman holding 7 post ….. RM… RM… RM ….now YB Press". She should ask herself as a god fearing person, is she doing her work entrusted by the people? "You really disappoint us terribly and we are really fed-up with your tricks " – From Kinrara Voters. Why is she so jumpy over my statement? The truth hurts. Seven posts means lots of money into her pocket. Hopefully she uses it wisely. 5 Kok claimed that I had not been an active member in Selangor DAP and very few members knew me, except in Sepang and Kuala Langat. I have no political agenda except to fight corruption and promote education. I do not need DAP to help me raise funds to support the poor and contribute knowledge to young schoolboys and girls. I'm a remisier and I have a wide clientele to help the poor. Kok said I'm not a wakil rakyat, a councillor or a DAP state committee member. Unlike Kok, I know my boundries and work within my limits to pave road for DAP. The Sepang and Kuala Langat people, not necessarily members, know me well and that is sufficient for me. I have only one head and do not wish to wear many hats. 6 "I hardly knew this man even when he was in the party. He was only known by the people after being sacked due to forming phantom branches," said Kok. Well, for a person to claims she hardly knows me, I'd like to remind Kok that in 2011, she called me for a lunch appointment during Chinese New Year. I took her to Ee P H Chinese restaurant. As usual she was fashionably late for the appointment. While waiting for the food to be served, Kok told me that YB Teng was not happy with her. She tried to influence me but my immediate response was that it was matter between her and Teng and I did not want to be caught in the middle. Later she asked me about Lee Kee Hiong. Again I told her not bring her name up as she was a nobody to me. She was not even elected in the 2010 state convention, how can she be a committee member? On the way into the restaurant few locals greeted her and asked, 'Are you Kok Su Shim in Mandarin? I responded yes she was, and she is now the Selangor state chairman. After lunch, the boss of the restaurant and several others came to shake hands with her. Then I took her to visit Mr Wong Chuan How's two older brothers in front of the restaurant where YB Teresa had parked the car. The two Uncles spoke to her for a while. In 1996, when I was the publicity secretary and Kok was my assistant, she had helped me a lot as I was quite new in DAP. I always thanked her for her assistance. Now she claims she hardly knew me! Is her heart made of steel? She once told me that a person who has power will change. At that point in time I did not realise she was telling me indirectly about herself. In 2010, I was appointed a state auditor, and in 2011 when we held a convention, she smsed me asking for favour to ferry enough delegates to meet the quorum. When she needs someone's help she will bow down but when she has achieved what she wants you are a nobody. This is YB Teresa Kok. In another incident, she was conducting an AGM in 2011 at Bagan Lallang and many grass roots members complained about DUN 56. Again she was late for almost an hour.This made Jenice Lee upset over her punctuality. Instead of listening to the grass roots, Kok asked them," why you all got so much problems." I raised my hand and wanted a chance to share the grass roots' predicaments. She acknowledged me and said, 'Yes, Tuan Tat'. I explained to her the issues and why there were so many problems. I told that from 2008 until now, not much was done by the so called exco Ronnie and that is the reason why the grass roots were very unhappy.
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| Sabah BN will win seats ‘by default’ Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:51 PM PDT
Some analysts in Sabah believe that as many as 20 seats, including five or six parliamentary seats, could go to BN as a result of a split in opposition votes. Luke Rintod, FMT Sabah is set to see multi-cornered fights in most areas in the coming general election. This means that the ruling Barisan Nasional may have the edge. At this stage, observers can conclude that the opposition parties in Sabah are giving Umno-led BN a "free advantage" to retain a majority of the Sabah seats. At stake in Sabah are 26 parliamentary seats, including one in Labuan, and 60 state seats. Sabah chairman of State Reform Party (STAR), Jeffrey Kitingan, said recently that his party is all but ready to announce the seats – parliamentary and state – it will contest. "We can announce the seats shortly," he said confidently to reporters when asked how many seats STAR will contest in Sabah. Jeffrey in the past had talked about contesting in more than half of the 60 state seats. He had even at one stage indicated that STAR may go the whole hog and contest in all 26 parliamentary and 60 state seats. But reality seems to have set in. Asked if STAR had reconciled overlapping claims on seats with other opposition parties – Pakatan Rakyat and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) – Jeffrey refused to divulge further. "Wait for another day," he said. He also reiterated that STAR had received the green light from the Election Commission (EC) to contest in Sabah in the coming polls. STAR list ready The Sarawak-based STAR's eligibility to stand in Sabah under its symbol has attracted much speculation even though the party had done so in Kota Marudu years back. STAR's Sabah chapter secretary, Guandee Kohoi, said that EC Sabah director, Idrus Ismail, in a meeting with Jeffrey, himself and Edward Linggu (STAR information chief) had given them assurance that STAR indeed could field candidates in Sabah. "STAR is already on the latest list of political parties EC gave us. Even the name of STAR has been amended and does not state the word Sarawak anymore but just State Reform Party. "The latest list also contains the re-named party, Sarawak Worker's Party' [SWP], which was previously Sabah-based Sabah People's Front [SPF]," Kohoi said. Meanwhile, the number of STAR's potential candidates has been growing steadily and in many places, they are already clear frontrunners. At least half a dozen graduate teachers aligned to STAR have so far resigned from their posts, and a few other civil servants are said to be set to retire early to prepare to be the candidates. STAR Youth leader, Hasmin Azroy Abdulah, is among the teachers who have resigned. He could be STAR's candidate for Tenom parliamentary seat or one of the state seats in the constituency. Another teacher who has also resigned is Maklin Masiau. He is poised to be STAR's candidate for poverty-stricken Pitas state seat in the north. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is also eyeing Pitas. Pinus Gondili is another teacher who quit his job and is slated to contest under STAR in Labuk. He is certain to fight incumbent Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice-president, Michael Asang, after PBS recently confirmed Asang would be retained. PKR is also eyeing Labuk, making it one of those many seats in Sabah that are likely to see four-cornered fights between BN and the opposition trio – STAR, Pakatan and SAPP. Cunning SAPP Meanwhile, both STAR and SAPP leaders are saying publicly, at least, that they would not want to face each other where their respective "big guns" are contesting. That would mean SAPP would not put up a candidate against Jeffrey and his right-hand men. But there is a big question mark as Inanam, the seat of Jeffrey's senior deputy Daniel John Jambun, is being eyed by SAPP through its deputy president Eric Majimbun who is Sepanggar MP. The cunning SAPP has previously suggested that all should respect the status quo of the incumbents. Soon after getting others to "respect" it, SAPP moved to claim Inanam. "The question is, if SAPP is adamant on taking both Inanam and Sepanggar, then where will Jambun contest?" asked a STAR supporter in Inanam recently. Jambun had in 2008 contested under PKR ticket and garnered a respectable 4,293 votes against DAP's 2,864. The eventual winner was BN-PBS Johnny Goh who obtained 5,979 votes. Karambunai is another state seat under Sepanggar, but it is possible that SAPP president Yong Teck Lee would want to stand there this time as he has scores of Malay supporters in this constituency. Other possible places for Yong are his former seat Likas near here or Lahad Datu, his hometown in the east coast. Yong stood in the Batu Sapi parliamentary by-election in November 2010 and lost badly, finishing last with only 2,031 votes behind PKR-imported candidate Ansari Abdullah's 3,414 and eventual winner BN-PBS Linda Tsen who received 9,773. SAPP could be fielding its secretary-general Richard Yong in the Tanjung Aru mixed state seat where another of Jeffrey's deputy, Ahmad Sah Sahari, is keen. It is understood that STAR is prepared to let SAPP take Tanjung Aru. But Pakatan – maybe through DAP – is also eyeing the seat. Split opposition votes The murky waters of Sabah's politics is set to get murkier as opposition leaders fail to appreciate the importance of reconciling their differences and overlapping claims of strength. Some analysts have said that this time as many as 20 seats, including five or six parliamentary seats, could go to BN by default as a result of a split in opposition votes. One analyst cited Kadamaian where if the three opposition parties – STAR, Pakatan and SAPP – put up their respective candidates, they could garner combined votes of around 6,000, leaving a BN candidate way behind with only about 3,500 votes. But BN would still win because of the "strategic" split in the opposition camps. He said a similar situation was also likely in adjacent Tempasuk state seat. The combined votes of the opposition could outnumber BN's but because of the split, BN will retain Tempasuk. For the record, in the last general election in 2008, there was a three-cornered fight for Tempasuk. BN won the seat after its candidate polled 6,541 votes. PKR garnered 4,109 and an independent took only 191 votes. As for Kadamaian in 2008, BN-PBS Herbert Timbon Lagadan chalked up 5,382 votes, followed by PKR Lukia Indan's 2,909 and independent Peter Marajin's 1,729. "There is no question that this time [2012], votes for the opposition would increase in almost all areas and everyone can feel it and even BN leaders acknowledge this. "But the one factor that can ensure BN will win in Sabah is the split opposition votes," said an observer who is also an NGO leader. Meanwhile, there is no signal that SAPP is re-engaging with Pakatan after being slighted by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's conniving manoeuvres.
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| Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:42 PM PDT In our October Rule-Breaking Issue, we talk to a man who is no stranger to pushing the boundaries. Ever since he started his controversial website Malaysia Today, blogger and activist Raja Petra Kamarudin has butt heads with the law, law-makers, and even the law-makers' greatest critics. We sat down (over Skype, as he, at the time of the interview, was in Manchester, England) and chatted with RPK about his views on Malaysia, bullying, and stirring trouble. Here are seven choice quotes: I attended an English school from standards one to five and a Malayan school in standard six. But in form one, I went to an all-Malay school and I knew what hell was like. Imagine the bullying: I was Malay, royalty and didn't speak a damn word of Malay. I didn't last. To me, it wasn't a school—it was a prison sentence. I think that's why after I was detained and sent to Kamunting, I didn't find it so bad because I had already served two years in Kuala Kangsar. I had a job for two years but I didn't have the discipline to work because I can't obey rules. I support the opposition's cause but that doesn't mean I support the opposition. Supporting the opposition's cause is very different from supporting the opposition. If I support democracy, it doesn't mean I support America. I can be anti-America yet pro-democracy. This is what the opposition doesn't understand. They think if we accept something, it has to be lock, stock and barrel.
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| Ada agenda tapi tidak bincang isu Faekah Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:36 PM PDT
Perkara itu disahkan oleh Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution melalui khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) kepada FMT. Fazy Sahir, FMT Walaupun wujud agenda mengenai isu cadangan memecat Setiausaha Politik Menteri Besar Selangor, Faekah Husin namun tiada perbincangan lanjut dibuat dalam mesyuarat biro politik Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) malam tadi. Perkara itu disahkan oleh Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution melalui khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) kepada FMT. Mesyuarat biro politik parti ini merupakan mesyuarat mingguan dan kebiasaannya diadakan pada setiap Rabu. Isu ini timbul kembali apabila sekumpulan ahli parti di Selangor mendesak agar Faekah dipecat melalui satu sidang media pada Isnin lalu. Faekah sebelum ini mengulas untuk menyerahkan keinginan ahli parti tersebut kepada PKR Pusat. Sementara itu, sumber berkata agenda atau usul mengenai pemecatan Faekah ini bukan kali pertama berlaku, namun tiada tindakan drastik diambil mengenainya. Ini menurut sumber agenda pemecatan tersebut hanya disuarakan oleh sesetengah pimpinan dan ahli bersekutu dan bukannya suara majoriti. Lebih-lebih lagi ia didakwa membabitkan sesetengah pimpinan tertinggi parti yang tidak mempunyai hubungan baik dengan Faekah. "Faekah mempunyai hubungan baik dengan Presiden (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah) dan Ketua Umum (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim). Yang menentang Faekah hanya segelintir sahaja," kata sumber. Umum mengetahui Faekah merupakan bekas pembantu khas Wan Azizah dan kini diberi tanggungjawab membantu Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
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| Pemuda PAS sokong kenyataan Haron Din Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:33 PM PDT
Berikutan buku bekas ahli Parlimen India, Jawid Akbar yang menganggap Islam hanya untuk menjalin persaudaraan dan bukan untuk menubuhkan sebuah negara. Amirul Azam Zulkafli, FMT Dewan Pemuda PAS Malaysia (DPPM) hari ini memberikan sokongan penuh terhadap kenyataan Datuk Dr Haron Din bahawa Islam adalah teras utama dalam membangunkan sebuah negara yang berlandaskan tuntutan syiar dan syariat Islam. Baru-baru ini, bekas ahli Parlimen India, Mubasyar Jawid Akbar ada mengeluarkan buku yang menganggap Islam hanya untuk menjalin persaudaraan dan bukan untuk menubuhkan sebuah negara. Ketua Pemuda DPPM, Nasrudin Hasan berkata, PAS menolak fahaman sedemikian justeru ia lebih berpaksi kepada doktrin fahaman Islam liberal dan masyarakat umum tahu bahawa PAS adalah sebuah parti yang berpandukan Islam dan Islam adalah penyelesaian yang terbaik bagi semua masalah ummah termasuk menyelesaikan permasaalahan negara. Haron yang juga Timbalan Mursyidul Am PAS telah mengeluarkan kenyataan berkenaan Islam adalah satu cara hidup yang lengkap dan syumul. Sekaligus melambangkan Islam sebagai ad deen yang lengkap dan komprehensif. Persoalan ini adalah jelas kedudukannya di dalam Al-Quran dan Nabi saw juga telah mempraktiskannya. Tidak bersetuju dengan Mubasyar "Dengan yang demikian, kami di peringkat DPPM menyokong penuh kenyataan beliau", katanya dalam kenyataan hari ini. "Kami memang tidak bersetuju dengan Mubasyar mengenai apa yang diceritakan di dalam bukunya yang bertajuk 'Tinder Box : The Past and The Future of Pakistan'. Lantaran kami yakin bahawa Islam adalah penyelesaian yang terbaik untuk semua aspek. Menurut Nasrudin lagi, manusia tidak boleh mengasingkan atau menghadkan Islam hanyalah untuk menjalinkan persaudaraan, walhal, untuk membentuk sebuah negara, pentadbiran yang amanah, tidak menerima dan memberi rasuah, tidak tiris serta menjaga kebajikan rakyat juga adalah salah satu asas yang sangat ditekankan perlaksanaannya oleh Islam. "Kami dari DPPM menegaskan bahawa kami akan terus istiqamah atau konsisten mengambil Islam sebagai wadah utama dan solusi yang terbaik dalam segala perkara yang ingin dilakukan atau dilaksanakan. "Pada masa yang sama , kami tetap menghormati budaya dan agama lain serta komited mewujudkan suasana harmoni dan sejahtera dalam masyarakat majmuk di negara ini. Justeru Islam adalah agama rahmat, agama keadilan dan agama yang membawa kemakmuran sejagat jika ianya dilaksanakan dengan baik," kata Nasrudin lagi.
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| Posted: 09 Oct 2012 08:05 PM PDT
And this is what happens when you close your mind and refuse to look at the bigger picture. You are just one person with one vote. You may even be amongst four million like-minded people. But then 10 million people will be coming out to vote in the 13th General Election. And how many of these 10 million are following the TV news every night? And how many of these 10 million have been swayed by what they saw on TV? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin I asked you this question last week: are you guys and gals following the news on the mainstream media, in particular the TV news? Most likely the answer is 'no', and for obvious reasons -- because the mainstream media, in particular the TV stations, are government-owned/controlled. So you are boycotting the mainstream media plus you don't trust what the mainstream media, in particular the news on TV, says. Okay, I can understand that reason although not necessarily I agree with it. Basically, you are not interested in what 'the enemy' has to say. So you shut your eyes and ears to what you consider 'government propaganda'. I can see from the comments that you post here in Malaysia Today plus the comments in the other Blogs and news portals that you express your views in 'total isolation'. You already have your own views and perception on what the situation is and you make comments based on this belief. Again, I can understand this. This is the culture of most religionists. Followers of religions have been conditioned and indoctrinated to do this. Hence, if you are a follower of a religion, this is how you would do things. You would read and listen to things that you feel are the truth and you would close your eyes and ears to what you consider false or lies. Malays, for example, are not encouraged to read literature or attend lectures on, say, Christianity. You would never find Malays attending Sunday school. In fact, if they do the Religious Department would probably arrest these Malays plus those Christians behind that Sunday school. The Sunday school may even turn the Malays away and not allow them to join the class lest they run foul of the government and risk getting closed down. That is how sensitive the matter of Christians preaching to Muslims is in Malaysia (and most Muslim countries). So, how do Malays get to know about Christianity? What the Malays know about Christianity is what the Muslim religious teachers tell them. Hence their understanding of Christianity is based on 'Muslim propaganda'. The Muslim religious teachers tell them certain negative things about Christianity and this is their understanding of Christianity. In other words, what most Malays know about Christianity is what other Muslims tell them, not what the Christians tell them. And most times what they have been told about Christianity is meant to run down Christianity and to give Christianity a negative image. Let me put it another way. If, say, I hate the Jews and you ask me about the Jews, certainly what I tell you about the Jews will be very negative. But you will not travel to Israel to find out for yourself what the situation really is. Your source of information is based on what a Jew-hater has to tell you. Will not, therefore, your views on Jews be very negative? So, you read only pro-Pakatan Rakyat websites and attend pro-Pakatan Rakyat functions. Hence your source of information is from Barisan Nasional-haters. You have only one source of information. You do not get to hear from the other side. And you believe that what you have been told is true and what the other side says, which you do not listen to anyway, is false. And this reflects in the comments you post here in Malaysia Today and in the other (pro-Pakatan Rakyat) websites. You believe that what you believe is true and that the other side of the story is false. And, most damaging of all, you believe that what you believe is the same as what the majority of Malaysians also believe. Hence you are amongst the majority and not the minority. Let me quote another example. Say a Muslim was to talk to you about Islam being the true religion, etc. You then ask that Muslim what evidence he or she can offer to prove this. As 'evidence', this Muslim will quote various verses from the Qur'an. The verses from the Qur'an are the evidence to support the argument that Islam is the true religion. But is not the Qur'an the 'product' of Islam? So how can the Qur'an, the product of the religion, be that evidence? If the tree were poisonous, would not the fruit of the tree be equally poisonous? The same would apply to a Christian who talks to you about Christianity. Jesus is the Son of God and the saviour. How does this Christian know this? He or she then quotes verses from the Bible as 'evidence' to support that argument. Again, is not the Bible the 'product' of Christianity? So how can the Bible, the product of the religion, be that evidence? If the tree were poisonous, would not the fruit of the tree be equally poisonous? Religionists do not appear to grasp this logic. Hence there is no logic in their argument and they end up arguing in circles. They are selling the concept of the authenticity of their religion. However, although they are ones doing the selling, they refuse to prove that what they say is true. Instead, they ask you to prove that what they say is false. In short, you insist that God exists. But you do not have to prove that God exists. Instead, I have to prove that God does not exist. The onus is on me to prove that you are wrong and not on you to prove that you are right. But it is you, not me, that is doing the selling. So how come I need to do the proving (or disproving)? Can you see how the mind of a religionist works? They are in a mode of self-deception. Then they accuse us of being deceived (in this case by the devil who has misled us). So how do you reason with such people? They are beyond reasoning. They have made their minds up and no amount of logic or reasoning is going to change their mind. And these are the same people who have made their minds up that Pakatan Rakyat is going to win the coming general election and is going to form the next federal government. But what do they base this conclusion on? They base this conclusion on the fact that they believe this is so and hence if they believe this then the majority of other Malaysians would definitely also believe this. No Christian would agree that he or she is following a false religion and is going to hell rather than to heaven. No Muslim would agree that he or she is following a false religion and is going to hell rather than to heaven. But how can both the Muslim and Christian be right? One has to be right while the other has to be wrong. Or can both be wrong? Yes, Barisan Nasional is confident that it is going to win the election. Pakatan Rakyat is also confident that it is going to win the election. And you, the followers of each of the respective coalitions, also believe what your party believes. But you can't both be right. One of you has to be right while the other must be wrong. Both cannot win the election. One has to lose. And this is what happens when you close your mind and refuse to look at the bigger picture. You are just one person with one vote. You may even be amongst four million like-minded people. But then 10 million people will be coming out to vote in the 13th General Election. And how many of these 10 million are following the TV news every night? And how many of these 10 million have been swayed by what they saw on TV? Do you know? Do you even watch the TV news? The answer is probably 'no' to both questions. Aren't you going to heaven while the other (competitor) is going to hell? That is what both Muslims and Christians believe. But both can't be right.
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| Perkasa vs Suaram: Of demons and lies Posted: 09 Oct 2012 05:49 PM PDT
The statement by the French prosecutor, says an article published on the Perkasa website, can be considered as a full-stop for Suaram's 'web of deceit'. RK Anand, FMT An article published on the Perkasa website has condemned Suaram as a thick-skinned manufacturer of fabrications while at the same time launched a salvo against its so-called demonic funders, the Zionists and George Soros, and their nefarious agenda. Described as an opposition-infiltrated NGO, Suaram was also accused of orchestrating a mission towards regime change in this nation under the guise of championing human rights. The article was responding to French government prosecutor Yves Charpenel who told Bernama that there was no ongoing trial in France with regard to the controversial Scorpene submarine deal. He said that the matter was still being probed by two French judges. "I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media [organisations] in Malaysia over this matter but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media," he had added. In an immediate reaction, Suaram's lawyer William Bourdon said that there had never been a question of an ongoing trial as the investigating judges were still continuing their inquiry. "The Tribunal deGrande Instance has convened a criminal inquiry of which Suaram has been accepted as a civil party since March 2012. Upon completion of the inquiry, the investigating judges will make the decision of whether the case goes to full trial," he had explained. The Perkasa article however claimed that Charpenal's statement could be considered as the full-stop for Suaram's web of deceit. "Despite faltering numerous times, the thick-skinned Suaram will issue denials and is not ashamed to face the media, and the people of Malaysia, continuing with their lies and charades. "Perhaps because Suaram has received enormous [foreign] funds, it has no choice but to continue peddling lies with the hope that Malaysia's Islamic government will eventually collapse," it read. The article also noted that Charpenel had said that the investigating judges had no right to conduct cross-border probes or interrogations. Launching a regime change mission It pointed out that Suaram had however claimed in the past that a trial was underway and certain high-profile figures could be slapped with subpoenas as well as released documents in the French language purportedly as evidence to substantiate its accusations. "This proves how low are the characters of those who are behind Suaram, which calls itself a defender of human rights. "It is as if Suaram has made a fool of everyone and spat on their faces with its willingness to lie in order to fulfill the agenda of the 'syaitan' [demon] which brings destruction through war and murder with the help of another 'syaitan' which manipulates the world's currency market," it read.
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| Posted: 09 Oct 2012 05:18 PM PDT
(The Star) - A top PAS leader has lashed out at PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while another is questioning the party's co-operation with the DAP. PAS deputy spiritual adviser Datuk Dr Haron Din reportedly questioned Anwar's association with a former MP from India who had allegedly belittled Islam, while former Sik MP Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Shahnon Ahmad said cooperating with the DAP was not in line with Islamic teachings. Joining the fray yesterday was former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa, who defended his two party colleagues for speaking up. Dr Haron's criticism followed Anwar's attendance at the launching of a book entitled Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan written by a former Indian MP Mobashar Jawed Akbar who was quoted by Antarapos.com as saying that Islam could not be used as the basis for establishing a country. The portal also quoted Akbar as saying during the event that if Islam was capable of that, then Singapore would not have separated from Malaysia. Haron expressed regret that PKR had given Akbar the opportunity to present his liberal views in Malaysia. Saying Anwar's association with Akbar did not involve PAS because he had his own ways of doing things, the portal quoted him as saying: "That is Anwar's politics and his politics is not based on Islam. So he is not like us." Nasharudin said Haron had a right to make his views known as he was the deputy Mursyidul Am of PAS. "What Shahnon said could be based on his observation of recent developments in PAS, especially the open statements by DAP leaders on the implementation of hudud,'' he added. Nasharudin said he supported the statements by both leaders and remained firm in his stand that PAS should re-examine its cooperation with the DAP.
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| Nasha plotting with Umno to destroy Pakatan, PAS leaders say Posted: 09 Oct 2012 05:12 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Several PAS lawmakers today openly rebuked Nasharuddin Mat Isa for his latest attack against DAP, accusing the senior party leader of conspiring with Umno to cause a split in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ahead of the next general election. Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad raised suspicion over the timing of Nasharuddin's latest anti-DAP statement, pointing out that "it was not yesterday" that both PAS and DAP had become partners in PR. "Read between the lines," Khalid said at a press conference in Parliament today, when commenting on Nasharuddin's "Christian conspiracy" allegation against DAP yesterday. He alleged that Nasharuddin, who currently sits as a member of PAS' highest decision making body, the Syura Council, was likely aiming to be punished by the PAS leadership when he made the statement during a speech in Putra World Trade Center (PWTC). "It looks like this is what he wants. It is so close to the elections. He has been sitting in the Syura Council all this time but has remained silent till now... it was not just yesterday that we were with DAP. "To me, this is an action planned and conspired by him with those on the outside... namely Umno," he said. Nasharuddin yesterday earned the ire of his DAP allies again when he revived the "Christian conspiracy" allegations against the secular party, an issue that has been used repeatedly by Malay right wing groups and hardliners in Umno purportedly to warn away the Malays from supporting PR. In a speech at PWTC, the former PAS deputy president reportedly alleged that DAP leaders had led prayers to turn Malaysia into a Christian state during a thanksgiving dinner held after the Sarawak state election in April last year. Rubbishing his colleague's words, Khalid asked Nasharuddin why he had not raised the matter before in the Syura Council of the PAS Central Working Committee (CWC). "Surely if he has proof and his words have basis, the PAS leadership would take action," the parliamentarian said. Furthermore, Khalid said, there was little sense to Nasharuddin's remarks as DAP's founding struggle was not for Christianity or any other religion. "They are a Democratic Action Party. Unlike PAS, where it is expressly stated in our Constitution that Islam forms our founding struggle, DAP is multireligious, multiracial and multicultural. "Is Karpal Singh (DAP chairman) a Christian? Are Lim Guan Eng (secretary-general), Lim Kit Siang (adviser) and Teng Chang Khim Christians?" he asked. PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub (picture), who was also present at the press conference with Khalid, later agreed with his colleague but said the matter should be left up to the Syura Council to deliberate on. Earlier today, several DAP lawmakers came out to deny the allegation and demanded that Nasharuddin wishdraw his remarks and issue a public apology to their party.
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| What’s keeping Malaysia’s Opposition together? Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:57 PM PDT
Pakatan Rakyat is an alliance of profoundly different backgrounds, with secularists, theocrats, conservatives and progressives working together. Bridget Welsh, The Malaysian Insider What keeps the Malaysian opposition Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) together? The quick answer often given is the common search of political power. While power frames the relationships between three disparate political parties - Islamist PAS, secular-committed Democratic Action Party and the umbrella reform-oriented PKR of Mr Anwar Ibrahim - it is not the glue of the opposition alliance. Were this the case, PAS would have left the coalition when UMNO floated the offer of joining the government in 2008 and intense jockeying took place within PAS. The answer lies in the three parties' shared moral compact. Pakatan Rakyat is an alliance of profoundly different backgrounds, with secularists, theocrats, conservatives and progressives working together. In a world wracked with tensions over religion and misunderstandings, Malaysia's opposition stands out in bucking international trends of difference. CORRUPTION IN EVERYDAY LFE Three common principles bind the Opposition together. The first is deep concern with endemic corruption. The problem of corruption is not new, and while Malaysia's practices are assessed above many in Asia, including Indonesia, what has become increasingly apparent is that it has crossed the line of acceptability for many Malaysians. Survey results show that an overwhelming majority view their officials as corrupt and believe that their officials do not abide by the law. Scandal after scandal, from the National Feedlot Corporation and Scorpene, to the recent revelations about the extension of the Ampang LRT, has inundated citizens. While there are many civil servants who work hard to deliver services, there are pressures within the system to conform to predatory practices. Malaysian corruption was initially concentrated among the elite through the practice of "money politics". But more and more, it is extending into everyday issues such as school fees, crime prevention and service provision. Most basic food items, such as sugar and rice, are tied to non-transparent deals of politically-aligned businessmen, as are bigger items such as cars through Approved Permit licence allocations. These weaknesses in governance share a common moral thread - a privileged minority using the system to their advantage, and this is hurting the majority and widening inequality. FAIRNESS AND THE PLAYING FIELD This leads to the second shared principle - fairness. The three political parties each have a different take on what is fair, but there are areas of similarity: Namely, everyone should have a seat at the table; everyone should be treated fairly in a court of law; and social and economic inequalities should be minimised. This shared view of fairness extends into the outrage over unfair legal decisions and deep-seated concerns about poverty and displacement of many Malaysians. Pakatan's conception of citizenship has evolved into one in which all Malaysians are exactly that — Malaysians. It is a modern view of citizenship, in which everyone has rights and the government is to respond to the people, not the other way round. The Opposition's moral compact is also driven by a mutual interest in expanding democratic governance to level the political playing field. Calls for the removal of the Internal Security Act (which was suspended and replaced by the more benign but less tested Security Offences Act earlier this year), electoral reform, freedoms of assembly, religion and speech, among other things, all fall under the umbrella of expanding political space and rights. Ever since the reformasi movement of 1999, opposition activists have joined forces in highlighting democratic deficits and showcasing reasons for an expansion of democracy. Each protest and political crisis has brought the opposition together - from Bersih 1.0 in 2007, to the defections and subsequent takeover of the Perak state government in 2009. The bonds forged by protesting together are strong. Since 2008, there have been significant efforts to rupture the Opposition's moral compact on multiple fronts. The charges of sodomy and corruption have been tied to attempts to discredit opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and raise doubts about his moral calibre to lead. The introduction of issues such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual (LGBT) rights puts pressure on the relationship between the liberals and others within the Pakatan Rakyat. The sensitive "Allah" issue that rose to the fore in 2010 tested the Islamists' position. The push for Malay rights under the rubric "Ketuanan Melayu" reflects efforts to reinforce ethnic supremacy over shared humanity and equality, to reimpose the social contract of the past. Each of these issues has not broken the ties between the opposition actors, and it is in part due to the prominence of the underlying principles that bring them together. THE PROBLEM OF HUDUD This is not a moral compact without problems, however. The biggest challenge for the Opposition lies within. It has to do with an issue being negotiated throughout the Muslim world: The place and form of Islamic law, notably hudud. Globally, Islamist political parties from AKP in Turkey to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt are grappling with how to bring about Islamic governance while maintaining rights. For liberals, the introduction of measures such as hudud violates the shared democratic ideals, as there remains deep mistrust of Islamists in office. For secularists, hudud violates their view of governance. Doubts persist in some quarters about whether the Islamists will continue to hold to the ideals in office, respect different religious rights and, importantly, tolerate difference within their own community. Detractors point to Algeria and Iran as testimony to a potential violation of trust. Others more open-minded highlight the negotiated paths of Turkey and Morocco. For Malaysia, the hudud issue remains on the agenda, unresolved and unlikely to be so before polls. In public remarks, Mr Anwar has stressed the centrality of dialogue and principle of consensus. There appears to be a working agreement to agree to disagree. Among Islamists there has been a global trend towards greater accommodation of difference and an appreciation of constitutional frameworks for governance. Many in the PAS old guard, nevertheless, are tied to the vision of a religious theocracy that is increasingly becoming outmoded, even in Egypt where the President comes from one of the historically strongest advocates of these measures, the Muslim Brotherhood. Islamists the world over are having to reprioritise their principles in order to govern societies, and PAS will have to as well. What is important is that it will need to do this on its own terms, rather than respond to ultimatums from allies and opponents alike. Hudud will remain salient to this campaign, because at its core, it puts pressure on Malaysia's Opposition to reassess, reaffirm and reinforce their common moral priorities. It is this common ground however, that is Pakatan's moral compact — and for now it is on firm ground. — Today Bridget Welsh is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Singapore Management University.
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| Biro Politik PKR akan bincang kedudukan Faekah malam ini Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:52 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Isu berkenaan dengan kedudukan Setiausaha Politik Menteri Besar Selangor, Faekah Husin dijangka akan dibincangkan dalam mesyuarat mingguan Biro Politik PKR malam ini. Ekoran desakan daripada beberapa pemimpin PKR Selangor dan juga biro politik negeri baru-baru ini agar Faekah dipecat dari jawatannya berikutan komen kepada media menjawab kenyataan Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali, perkara ini terpaksa dibincangkan untuk meredakan keadaan. Azmin Ali sebelum itu menyentuh kedudukan Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim mungkin tidak lagi menjadi menteri besar Selangor jika Pakatan Rakyat (PR) mengambil alih Putrajaya selepas pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke-13. Sinar Harian Online melaporkan sumber memberitahu surat meminta agar Faekah diambil tindakan telah dihantar kepada Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, semalam. "Ya, surat sudah dihantar kepada lembaga disiplin menerusi Setiausaha Agung, jadi saya percaya bahawa pejabat Setiausaha Agung akan membawa perkara ini kepada Biro Politik untuk memutuskan sama ada lembaga disiplin perlu mengadakan siasatan atau sebaliknya. "Kandungan surat ini meminta agar Faekah diambil tindakan disiplin... bentuk tindakan kita serahkan kepada pusat, walaupun ada yang meminta beliau dipecat (sebagai Setiausaha Politik Menteri Besar)," kata sumber dipetik dari Sinar Harian Online. Biro Politik dianggotai oleh pemimpin-pemimpin kanan PKR dan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim juga kebiasaannya akan hadir. Dalam sidang media baru-baru ini, Ketua Penerangan PKR Selangor, Shuhaimi Shafiei berkata, kepimpinan parti itu menyerahkan sepenuhnya isu gesaan Faekah dipecat kepada Jawatankuasa Disiplin PKR untuk dipertimbangkan. Bagaimanapun beliau enggan mengulas lanjut berhubung pertikaian itu termasuk desakan yang dibuat Pengarah Pilihan Raya PKR Selangor, Borhan Aman Shah pada sidang media kelmarin. "Saya tiada komen lanjut kerana perkara ini telah diusulkan kepada pihak terlibat untuk diserahkan kepada Jawatankuasa Disiplin," katanya. Malah semalam, Azmin yang juga Pengerusi PKR Selangor berkata, beliau menyerahkan kepada Setiausaha Agung parti berhubung dengan isu kedudukan Faekah. Isu berkenaan dengan pemecatan Faekah telah lama dibangkitkan akan tetapi isu tersebut reda seketika. Namun begitu baru-baru ini Faekah kembali diserang akibat daripada tindakannya mengkritik Azmin secara terbuka.
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| Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:34 PM PDT |
| Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:24 PM PDT
(NST) - A former DAP leader yesterday cautioned those who wished to join the party that its top leadership do not have much tolerance for dissent. Wangsa Maju member of parliament (MP) Wee Choo Keong said the leadership style in the DAP had not changed since he left the party in 1998. "If I'm not mistaken, more than 150 leaders have either been sacked, forced out or resigned due to their ability to be opinionative against the party leadership," he said. Wee was commenting on recent reports where several groups who wanted to join DAP were prevented from forming new branches by the party leadership. Wee said one was only encouraged to form branches that was in "alignment with the Lim dynasty", in reference to DAP supermo Lim Kit Siang and his son secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. On Monday, it was reported that former DAP branch chairman of Taman Seri Sungai Pelek in Sepang had applied to establish six new branches but the party had never responded. Last month, delegates at a Perak DAP convention had also accused party leaders of preventing members from forming new branches. Wee said that it was highly unlikely that the relatively large number of former DAP leaders who were forced to leave the party over the years have all been 'bad apples'. Some of these former DAP leaders included the then, Seputeh MP and national vice-chairman Liew Ah Kim, Sandakan MP and national treasurer Fung Ket Wing, DAP Penang chief Teoh Teik Huat, Johor state chairman K. S Song and Bukit Bintang MP Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye. "If you are threat to the Lim dynasty, you cannot even talk at a forum within the party, let alone speak your mind outside," he said. Recalling his removal from the party, Wee said he was given the boot due to the nature of his responses to certain questions posed at a forum. "Those answers were not favourable to the Lim dynasty," he said. Wee explained that during the DAP's disciplinary committee meeting on his case, he had not been allowed to call witnesses on his own behalf. "DAP is shouting for freedom, and what is happening contradicts the very concept of national justice, where one has the right to be heard," he said. Wee said one had to bow down to the "supremos" in order to form new branches. As a DAP leader, Wee, who was considered as a "rising star" at that time was elected as a member of parliament for Bukit Bintang from 1990 to 1995. He was sacked from the party in 1998 and moved on to Parti Keadilan Rakyat 10 years later after being persuaded to join the party by de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He remained in PKR for two years, where after much speculation, he finally quit. It was reported that Wee said he was leaving the party because he was disappointed with the Pakatan Rakyat state-led government's handling of alleged corruption in Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd. He resigned from all party posts which included his deputy chairman post in Federal Territory PKR and supreme council membership.
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| Budget 2013: Both Pakatan and Barisan Should Focus on Job Creation Posted: 09 Oct 2012 04:03 PM PDT
Khoo Kay Peng We have seen the budget presentation from both sides of the political divide. Both coalitions are addressing socio-economic issues through various forms of grants, subsidies and assistance. However, we have not seen much about the need to create jobs locally. At present, more than 30% of graduates are unemployed due to several reasons. Prospective employers opine that our local graduates lacked the necessary communication skills and English language proficiency. Some blame the attitude and excessive remuneration demand.
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| Anwar should control Azmin’s agenda Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:55 PM PDT
A PKR in disarray is Anwar in disarray because we know they are one and the same. CT Ali, FMT Before Anwar Ibrahim can lead Pakatan Rakyat into battle with Barisan Nasional at the 13th general election, before he can ask for the people to cast their votes his way, before he can seriously think that he can be prime minister, before all this can happen, he must first put right what is wrong within PKR. A PKR in disarray is Anwar in disarray because we know they are one and the same. I have been told many times by those in PKR that the affairs in the party are not the concern of anyone except those in PKR. But in an election year even how Maggi Mee and Kachip Fatimah do the marketing of their products is of interest to everybody – what more the happenings in PKR. That is why when PKR deputy president Azmin Ali tells us that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim will be given a Cabinet post should Pakatan win the government, we want to know whether this is Azmin talking, PKR/Anwar talking or Pakatan talking? And more to the point, if Khalid is given a Cabinet post, who will be menteri besar of Selangor? Surely not Azmin! The entire fracas has taken me back to January this year when we were awaiting the verdict on Anwar's Sodomy ll trial. What was uppermost in my mind was not whether Anwar would be found innocent or guilty of that charge. Either way, I know that the trial has already turned many of our people against Najib Tun Razak and Umno, and will hurt them where it matters most – at the ballot box. So any verdict would be a victory for Pakatan. Of more concern to many of us was what would happen in PKR if Anwar was incarcerated? Who would take over PKR? Surely not Azmin? Today the same question is being asked: who will take over Khalid's place as menteri besar of Selangor. And the reason is very simple. Khalid may have his faults but there is no questioning of his integrity and his commitment to good governance in Selangor. Consider these:
Azmin's misgivings Now what has Azmin done since he became deputy president of PKR? His battle cry during the 2010 party elections was reform: clean up and refocus on PKR. What has he cleaned up within PKR and what has he refocused PKR towards? Like Najib, everything that you want Azmin to do, he has promised to do or said he will do. Like Najib, all that we want him to be, he will be. Like Najib, we know that what he does within PKR is not for PKR but for the advancement of his political agenda. So are we going to endure Azmin any more? As they say, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. So how is that Anwar is unable to see the misgivings we have for Azmin's position as PKR deputy president?
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| Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:51 PM PDT
Is Pakatan facing a wipe-out in Selangor, given the innumerable number of 'new' names on the voter list. Selena Tay, FMT According to DAP's Teluk Intan MP, M Manogaran, sources are speculating that the 13th general election is targeted for November but before that a big national Deepavali celebration will be held by Barisan Nasional to woo the Indian voters. Well, we will just have to wait and see if this is true. If indeed the polls are to be held on the last weekend of November, Parliament will have to be dissolved latest by Nov 5 as the current Parliament sitting is scheduled to go on till Nov 27. This means that the budget will have to be re-tabled in the new parliament term. The terminology used in this matter is: "to re-do the budget". In the meantime, the focus is still on the controversial electoral rolls and Pakatan Rakyat. Several non-governmental organisations will be seeking to hold a rally in the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Nov 3 to protest the fact that the electoral rolls have yet to be cleaned up. Based on the current electoral rolls, there are 10 Pakatan MPs who are most likely to lose their parliamentary seats in the 13th general election. The 10 are: 1. Nurul Izzah Anwar (Lembah Pantai, PKR) 2. R Sivarasa (Subang, PKR) 3. William Leong (Selayang, PKR) 4. Zuraida Kamarudin (Ampang, PKR) 5. Titiwangsa (a PAS seat. A young PAS lawyer will be contesting this seat.) 6. Dr Siti Mariah (Kota Raja, PAS) 7. Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor, PAS) 8. Khalid Samad (Shah Alam, PAS) 9. Charles Santiago (Klang, DAP) 10.Teo Nie Ching (Serdang, DAP) Looking at the above list, one can see that eight out of the 10 seats are in Selangor. The two KL seats are Lembah Pantai and Titiwangsa which belonged to the late Dr Lo'lo' Ghazali of PAS. This simply shows that Selangor is under severe threat from the BN side. As for Nurul Izzah, in 2008 she won by a majority of 2,895 votes. Currently, there are over 10,000 new names in her constituency. Dzulkefly won by a slim margin of 862 votes in the previous general election. He too has over 10,000 new names in his constituency. Both will need a miracle to win this time around as all their efforts and hard work may not be sufficient. Wipe-out ahead? So is Pakatan going to face a massive wipe-out? The Election Commission's (EC) stubbornness in refusing to clean up the electoral roll certainly indicates that something is afoot. Is the EC really impartial and independent? The Pakatan MPs have written to the EC several times to initiate a meeting in regard to the electoral roll but all to no avail. The EC officers' reluctance to meet with the Pakatan MPs to discuss issues pertaining to the electoral roll does not reflect well on the former's professionalism. These officers must realise that they are public servants. The rakyat pay taxes and pay their salaries. Therefore the EC's duty is solely towards the rakyat. This shows that under the the Najib administration, things have become worse and the same goes for the Auditor-General's Report. As at time of writing, the Auditor-General's Report is still not out yet. Sad to say, the Najib administration has the worst performance in regard to the Auditor-General's Report. During Dr Mahathir Mohamad's tenure it was always on time, sometimes one, two or even seven days earlier. If not, then the Audit-General's Report was always on the table of all MPs on the same day that the budget is presented. During Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's tenure, it was late at times but not more than three days late. Najib Tun Razak's tenure is the worst. Last year, it was 17 days late. Looks like all the hype surrounding the Key Performance Index (KPI) is just for show only as even the crime rate seems to have worsened. Najib's lost control Even the influx of foreign workers has become worse. There are daily press reports of gangfights and killings among foreign workers and this gives a bad image to the country.
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| Presiden Gaps, Hamidzun Khairuddin, didakwa salah laku Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:44 PM PDT
Berikutan dakwaan penyelewengan tersebut Hamidzun Khairuddin telah disenarai hitam oleh PKNS. (FMT) - Presiden Gabungan Anti-Penyelewengan Selangor (Gaps) yang kerapkali membongkar pelbagai dakwaan kononnya berlaku penyelewengan di negeri Selangor kini didakwa pula melakukan penyelewengan. Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) Selangor telah menemui beberapa dokumen yang menyatakan bahawa Hamidzun Khairuddin ini pernah melakukan penyelewengan ketika menjadi peguam kepada Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS). Penyelaras Bersama SAMM Selangor Azhar Achil mendakwa penyelewengan tersebut telah menyebabkan beliau disenarai hitam oleh PKNS. "Walaupun kononnya Hamidzun telah membayar semula wang selepas itu setelah dipaksa tetapi dari segi profesionalisme guaman ia tetap merupakan suatu kesalahan," kata Azhar dalam satu kenyataan media. Beliau selaku penyelaras SAMM Selangor membuat laporan polis di IPD Sabak Bernam semalam ke atas kewujudan dua dokumen yang menyatakan penyelewengan yang dilakukan Hamidzun. Menurutnya, Hamidzun ialah rakan kongsi dalam syarikat peguam Zamri Ibrahim & Co. yang telah menyeleweng wang ketika menjadi panel peguam PKNS. "Satu siasatan harus dilakukan dan jika benar perkara ini berlaku beliau seharusnya dilucutkan dari menjadi seorang peguam kerana jelas telah menipu dan dikhuatiri ramai lagi akan tertipu dengan gelaran peguamnya itu," kata Azhar.
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| Raise the speed limit before implementing AES Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:41 PM PDT
road avenger A supposedly staggering figure of 63,558 offences were reportedly detected by 14 AES cameras in a span of over eight days. That works out to be approximately 4539 offences recorded per camera, and 567 offences in a day. With such figures, somebody will be laughing all the way to the bank.
Does anybody bother to ask what the primary reason is for such a high number of offences commited? I certainly don't see a lot of drivers beating the traffic lights, even in the city center. Besides, how many drivers or cars can jump the traffic light before other cars on the other side starts moving on green? The only plausible and most possibble explanation is the outdated speed limits on many roads and highways. Many sections of highways have speed limits of only 60km/h, when in reality, if adhered to, will slow down traffic and cause bottlenecks and massive jams (not to mention honkings from angry drivers behind you). It could even cause accidents, as drivers try to overtake drivers who strictly follow the speed limits. Take a drive on the NPE and you will see how ridiculous those speed limits are. Even 80km/h is far too slow for some sections. From my observation, almost no drivers follow these ridiculously slow speed limits, and with thousands of cars using the roads everyday, AES would capture tens of thousands of these "offenders". The best solution is either to raise the speed limits, or only issue summons if the driver exceeded the speed limit by more than 20km/h |
| DAP slams ‘malicious’ PAS leader Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:39 PM PDT
Sarawak DAP denies the allegations by Nasharuddin Mat Isa that it held a prayer to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. G Vinod, FMT Former PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa's claim that DAP prayed to turn Malaysia into a Christian state is malicious and irresponsible, said Sarawak DAP today. Speaking at a press conference at Parliament, Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng said they merely held several thanksgiving dinners as gratitude to those who had helped them during the state election. "We held dinners in Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintangor, Bintulu and Miri after the state election. Nasharuddin did not even identify in which event the alleged prayer was made," said Wong. Also present were DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, national publicity chief Tony Pua, Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun. Yesterday, Nasharuddin accused DAP of holding a prayer session to turn Malaysia into a Christian state after the party won 12 seats in the Sarawak state election. He made the allegation during the National Islamic Missionary Movement Seminar held at the Putra World Trade Centre. In his rebuttal, Wong said that many other leaders from Pakatan Rakyat attended the dinners and could confirm that Nasharuddin's allegation was untrue.
He also said that he would lodge a police report against Nasharuddin soon. "Sarawak DAP will not condone attempts by anyone to disrupt the peace and harmony enjoyed by people of various faiths in the state. "Besides, Christians only constitute nine percent of the country's population so there is no question of turning the country into a Christian state," he said. He also urged Nasharuddin to withdraw his remarks and apologise to DAP for his wrongful accusation. Whether they have spoken to PAS on the matter, Wong said they have yet to do so. "We will leave it to PAS to take action against him," said Wong.
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| Why MCA is more Multiracial than DAP? Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:38 PM PDT  Shen Yee Aun Hanya separuh daripada jumlah kerusi MCA diperolehi dengan menewaskan calon pembangkang Cina. Separuh daripada kerusi MCA diperolehi dengan menewaskan calon pembangkang etnik India, Melayu dan pribumi. – Helen Ang 1. I am sure most Malaysian are aware that DAP is not truly a multiracial political party as they self proclaim themselves to be because they will only be contesting in all Chinese Majority Area Seats. 2. Even MCA as the only official Chinese Political Party in Malaysia do contest in other mix seats area where even during Mac 2008 Tsunami more than half of the seats they won is a area where they ( MCA ) are contesting against other races . 3. As for DAP most of the seats that they won and easily more than 90% are actually seats where they won through contesting against a Chinese candidate . 4. The only difference that differentiate MCA and DAP in terms of Chinese based political party will be that MCA membership only caters to Chinese Citizenship of Malaysia where on the other hand DAP open their membership to all the other races in Malaysia. Even that more than 90% of the members in DAP is Malaysian Chinese Citizenship. 5. The people support towards a political party will be an indication of how multiracial a political will be. If MCA is truly a racist Chinese political party then they wont be winning their total entire seats where half of it they won it through defeating other races in the General Election comparing to DAP where 90% of the entire seats that they won is through defeating a Chinese candidate in the election. 6. That indicates that MCA is more acceptable among other races like the Malays and Indians Malaysian if were to compare to DAP. Read more at: http://1sya.com/?p=2454
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| Mat Sabu comes to DAP’s defence Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:34 PM PDT
Umno's claim that the party is out to turn Malaysia into a Christian state is preposterous, says PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu. Humayaun Kabir, FMT PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu lashed out at BN for fanning religious hatred among Muslims by saying that the DAP is out to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. "It is theoretically incorrect and practically impossible for DAP to turn the nation into a Christian state as the party does not enjoy two thirds majority in Parliament. "The constitution specifies that Islam is the religion of the Federation and Article 153 safeguards the special position of the Malays," he told a ceramah in Simpang on Sunday. Popularly referred to as Mat Sabu, the PAS leader pointed out that the most DAP can command is about 40 parliamentary seats out of the total 222 seats in Parliament. He said this was a far cry from the two thirds majority of 148 MPs necessary to make amendments to the Federal Constitution for Umno BN's preposterous claim to come true. He said that currently, there are 136 Muslims lawmakers while 86 are non-Muslims. In such a scenario, Mat Sabu asked the 3,000 strong crowd whether DAP can secure a mandate to make such a change. His audience responded with a vociferous 'No'. He said it was not DAP which was the enemy of Muslims but Umno as it uses race and religion to keep Malaysians divided for its expediency and continuous autocratic rule of the country. he ceramah, Mat Sabu told FMT that Umno was initially using its controlled media to propagate that it was DAP and PAS that were working against the interests of the Muslims. "Then later it changed tactics by alleging that DAP was collaborating with Singapore by using PAS as a puppet to take control of the country," said an angry Mat Sabu. He said Umno, in sheer desperation, had tried to break up the unity of the Pakatan coalition by pitting DAP against PAS but has failed miserably.
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| ‘Nasha jurucakap Umno dalam Pakatan’ Posted: 09 Oct 2012 03:28 PM PDT
Ketua DHPP, Hu Pang Chow berkata, sepatutnya ahli Parlimen Bachok itu menyertai Umno. Muda Mohd Noor, FMT Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS Pusat (DHPP) berkata bekas Timbalan Presiden PAS, Nasharudin Mat Isa merupakan jurucakap Umno yang berada dalam Pakatan Rakyat. Ketua DHPP, Hu Pang Chow berkata, sepatutnya ahli Parlimen Bachok itu menyertai Umno. "Adakah kenyataan ini ada agenda tersembunyi? Kalau dia (Nasha) nak pertahankan Islam, nak tunjuk alim, dia sepatutnya dia perbetulkan orang Umno," kata Hu. Nasharudin petang kelmarin dilaporkan berkata, dalam menghadapi PRU13 mengingatkan parti itu agar tidak mengutamakan kuasa semata-mata dan sehingga sanggup meletakkan prinsip Islam di tempat kedua. Beliau yang juga ahli Majlis Syura PAS berkata, dalam konteks politik hari ini, masalah perpecahan umat sering dilupakan sedangkan ia adalah masalah utama yang perlu diselesaikan terlebih dahulu. Kata Nasharudin, beliau turut hairan mengapa usaha untuk membincangkan masalah umat Islam terutamanya melibatkan dua parti terbesar orang Melayu Islam iaitu parti Umno dan PAS sering dilihat 'taboo'. Beliau berkata demikian pada seminar dakwah Islamiyyah sebagai tunggak kekuatan umah di PWTC, semalam. Menang sendiri Katanya lagi, kemenangan Islam terletak di tangan umatnya sendiri tanpa bantuan dari bukan Islam. PAS berada dalam Pakatan Rakyat (PR) yang turut dianggotai DAP. Bagaimanapun, Hu menegaskan jika PAS bergabung dengan Umno ini bermakna parti Islam itu bersekongkol dengan penyalahguna kuasa, rasuah dan kezaliman yang dilakukan oleh Umno. "Orang Melayu banyak yang miskin, terlibat dengan jenayah dan gejala sosial. Adakah Nasharuddin mahu PAS terbabit sama?" tanya Hu. Dalam perkembangan lain, Timbalan Mursyidul Am PAS, Datuk Dr Haron Din dilaporkan mempersoalkan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang menghadiri pelancaran buku bertajuk Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan yang ditulis oleh bekas ahli Parlimen India, Mobashar Jawed Akbar yang dikatakan pernah menghina Islam.Sementara bekas ahli Parlimen PAS Sik, Datuk Shahnon juga mempersoalkan hubungan PAS dengan DAP.
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| Karpal v Nasha feud: leave it to the duo, says PAS Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:54 AM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - PAS maintains that the ongoing feud between DAP national chairman Karpal Singh and former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa should be left to the duo. PAS central committee member Khalid Samad said Karpal's insistence on suing Nasharudin is his personal choice, Sinar Harian reported. Khalid, who is also Selangor Deputy PAS Commissioner II, said the party will not interfere as they have never asked any of its members to issue a callous statement. "That's a personal matter; it's up to Karpal if he still wants to sue Nasharudin or otherwise. "Moreover, PAS has never asked Nasharudin to issue a statement in that vein towards any other leaders. "But it doesn't mean if Karpal is anti-hudud, he is anti-Islam," the Shah Alam MP told reporters at the Parliament lobby today. Yesterday, Karpal had declared that he would continue his defamation proceedings against Nasharudin, after assessing the situation. Nasharudin was alleged to have defamed Karpal by claiming that the latter was against hudud and Islam. Nasharudin had said he was ready for legal action by Karpal. Other DAP and PAS leaders had previously also chosen to stay out of the fray and reiterated that the matter should be left between the two. Khalid, meanwhile, believed that the issue won't affect the outcome of the upcoming general election. He said the dispute doesn't involve any of the parties, and is confident that support for PAS will not be affected as a result. "That is purely his (Nasharudin) personal views, there's no need for the whole party to be involved. "We're certain that the people's support is still with us even if we don't interfere," he said.
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| Adakah Azmin Ali yang memasang kamera pengintip di bilik Menteri Besar Selangor Khalid Ibrahim Posted: 08 Oct 2012 08:07 PM PDT
(The Kuala Lumpur Post) - Nampaknya Khalid Ibrahim terpaksa juga mula belajar menerima hakikat dirinya sudah tidak diperlukan lagi oleh PKR setelah Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali membuka mulut membuat kenyataan, kemungkinan Selangor akan mendapat Menteri Besar baru selepas selesai PRU 13. Azmin yang sebelum ini dikaitkan dengan aksi 'jual beli aiskrim' di dalam tandas sudah diketahui umum telah lama bercita-cita untuk menjadi MB dan seringkali cuba mengganggu gugat kelancaran pentadbiran Khalid di negeri itu. Malah pendedahan oleh MB Selangor itu berhubung penemuan sebuah kamera pengintip di balik tabir langsir dalam pejabatnya sebelum ini juga berkait rapat dengan usaha-usaha terancang dalam PKR untuk menjatuhkan Khalid bagi digantikan dengan Azmin. Melihat pada hubungannya yang rapat dengan Ketua Umum PKR, Anwar Ibrahim tidak sukar untuk kita fahami kenyataan terbaru Azmin ini tentunya sudah mendapat lampu hijau dari Anwar. Mahu tidak mahu, Khalid sudah boleh menguburkan terus hasratnya menyambung khidmat sebagai MB untuk penggal kedua selepas PRU 13 nanti. Mungkin sementara menanti PRU 13 bermula secara rasmi, Khalid boleh memulakan tabiat seperti Anwar pula dengan berangan-angan untuk menjadi Menteri. Dalam kenyataan kepada media itu juga, Azmin turut mengesahkan perkara tersebut telah dibincangkan oleh pemimpin tertinggi PR namun belum ada kata putus. Ini bermakna, dikalangan ramai pemimpin PR sendiri kelihatannya lebih condong untuk meminggirkan Khalid dari jawatan MB walaupun seringkali bekas CEO Guthrie itu dipotretkan sebagai MB yang cemerlang khidmatnya. Barangkali masing-masing juga sudah terlalu penat dengan pelbagai kontroversi yang melanda pentadbiran kerajaan negeri sejak Khalid menerajui Selangor, disebabkan itu spekulasi ini sengaja ditimbulkan. Keterlanjuran Khalid dalam isu air dengan memfokuskan tumpuan pada perihal penyusunan semula pengurusan bekalan air sehingga mengambil langkah songsang menangguhkan loji Langat 2 dan PPAMPS juga dipercayai turut mempengaruhi pandangan ramai pemimpin PR untuk cenderung melucutnya dari jawatan MB. Kasihan Khalid, belum pun penggal pertama sebagai MB berakhir, orang-orang kuat parti sudah ramai yang naik menyampah dengannya. Apa paun, kenyataan Azmin itu jelas membayangkan PKR masih menyimpan sisa-sisa harapan yang negeri itu akan kekal dalam genggaman pakatan pembangkang sekalipun realiti semasa dan mood khalayak umum di Selangor adalah sebaliknya. Tak salah kalau Azmin pun mahu turut berangan, apatah lagi sambil berilusi strategiknya kali ini akan membolehkannya ditabalkan sebagai MB baru Selangor, walau hakikatnya saat ini majoriti rakyat Selangor lebih berminat untuk mencampak terus semua pemimpin PR ke dalam longkang. Dengan mengetepikan senario dan realiti semasa serta kecenderungan pengundi di Selangor tika ini, kita andaikan saja PR benar-benar masih diberi peluang memerintah Selangor, itu bermakna seorang MB baru pastinya akan dilantik datangnya dari salah satu parti dalam gabungan PR. Jika itu terjadi, maksudnya bakal MB Selangor yang baru nanti tentulah seorang bekas pelakon video seks yang terbabit secara langsung melakukan urusan jual beli 'aiskrim' dalam tandas. Sangguhkah rakyat Selangor menerimanya?
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| Uthayakumar’s lieutenant joins PKR Posted: 08 Oct 2012 05:18 PM PDT
Hindraf leader S Jayathas has joined PKR, saying the political party can provide a better platform to champion the cause of the Indians. B Nantha Kumar, FMT S Jayathas, regarded as Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar's most trusted lietenant, has now joined PKR. During a press conference at the PKR headquarters today, Jayathas submitted his membership application form to party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Also present were vice-president N Surendran, Subang MP R Sivarasah and other party officials. Jayathas said he decided to work with PKR because he needed a stronger platform to champion the cause of the Indian community. However, he refused to answer questions on whether he considered Hindraf no longer relevant. "For the time being, PKR is the better party to fight towards a better future of the Indians," he said. He added that PKR had shown genuine concern for the Indian community and was committed to address their grouses. Jayathas was one of the pioneer members of PKR but left the party due to his activeness in the Hindraf movement. The Malacca-born businessman was defeated by BN candidate in the Merlimau state assembly seat in the 2004 state election where he contested under a PKR banner.
Jayathas' departure from Hindraf would render a blow to the movement, which over the years had lost its influence among the Indian community. In an immediate reaction, Hindraf Youth chief S Thiagarajan, Jayathas had joined PKR because he was suffering from financial problems. "We had a meeting last Friday where Jayathas told us that he wanted to join PKR because he received a 'better offer'," he said, without elaborating. However, Thiagarajan said Hindraf was grateful to Jayathas' contribution to the movement. Responding to Thiagarajan's claims, Jayathas said he would have joined Barisan Nasional if monetary reward was his motivation.
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| PKR wants Lajim to contest both seats Posted: 08 Oct 2012 05:16 PM PDT
(Daily Express) - The district's PKR Supreme Council has unanimously agreed that Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin contest the Beaufort parliamentary seat and Klias State seat in the next election. Beaufort PKR Chief, Abd Jairin Ukin, proposed this during the division's AGM held here last Sunday. Abd Jairih said the unanimous decision was also firmly supported by all Beaufort PKR members and that they also pledged to ensure all Pakatan Rakyat candidates in the area concerned win in the general elections. "This undivided support was based on the firm spirit of cooperation and understanding that has been forged for so long among the PKR and Pakatan components especially in the Beaufort parliamentary constituency," he said. In fact, he claimed, support for the Pakatan has increased as evidenced by the number of people joining the opposition after Lajim joined the Pakatan. Prior to this, he said, there was some opposition from among PKR members here who have worked hard for the party when they heard that Lajim would be contesting the two constituencies. "But based on understanding and one objective, we have unanimously supported Lajim's candidacy in the two constituencies," he said. Abd Jairih said this is the advantage of being in the Pakatan where the struggle is to defend the welfare and plight of the people who hunger for change. A total of 65 application forms were handed in to join PKR during the event.
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| Posted: 08 Oct 2012 04:49 PM PDT
In theory, these ten positions are merely ceremonial with no executive powers. In practice, however, the ten Monarchs wield more power than you think. And if the Sultan can order the police to detain his own brother and the police will comply (read the news item below) do you not think that the Rulers can order the military to do what they feel is needed for this country? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
Mentally ill man attacks drunk (The Star) - A drunk was shaken out of his stupor when his mentally ill neighbour attacked him with a machete. The neighbour approached the man who was sitting outside his house in Cheras and drinking yesterday afternoon. The neighbour attacked the man, injuring him on the head. The man escaped and ran to a nearby police station. Police detained the 35-year-old neighbour. ********************************************* Neighbour 1: "I thought you said you do not drink any more." Neighbour 2: "I don't. I drink exactly the same amount as I always drink. I don't drink any more than usual." Neighbour 1: "That's means you don't drink any less either then." Neighbour 2: "No, I don't drink any less, but I also don't drink any more." Neighbour 1: "Aiyah. You ni dah mabuk lah!" Neighbour 2: "Ah, yes, but tomorrow I will be sober while you will still be…" And that was when neighbour 1 attacked neighbour 2 with a parang. And what would the moral of this story be? The moral of the story is: never ague with a mad chap. When they lose the argument they will resort to violence. And this is what we appear to be seeing in Malaysia of late. Malaysian politics is hovering around the fringes of violence. It is not that serious yet. It is still only splashing of red paint, breaking of windscreens, throwing of stones, fisticuffs and cuts and bruises on the face, etc. But then that is how it all starts, isn't it so? Tempers are rising. People are beginning to allow the suppressed feelings of frustration to surface. Both sides feel that the 13th General Election is the final lap that will determine who is going to take power come dinner time of Polling Day. It is now or never. Hence the coming general election has to be an all-out race where winner takes all and loser loses all. And this is why the ante has been upped. In a system where winner takes all and loser loses all, there is no margin for compromise. It is an all or nothing situation. And if you want all rather than nothing, then you need to fight tooth and nail to win because losing cannot be an option. Have we maybe forgotten the original objective of a general election? Why do we even have a general election in the first place? The intention of a general election is to allow the people (citizens) to rule themselves. This is opposed to the old monarchy system where a Ruler rules over the people. In a monarchy system, power is hereditary. Basically, God decides who rules over you. And God makes this decision through the successors of the Ruler (in Islam called Caliph). Hence the people have no choice as to who rules over them since the decision is in the hands of God. Since then the system has changed somewhat. For Malaysia that would be August 1957 -- and about 100 years earlier for Europe and 200 years earlier for the US. Malaysia has what we call a Constitutional Monarchy. That means the people get to choose who they want to rule over them with the Monarchy being basically a means to maintain some checks and balances. That is in theory, of course. But is this how it works in practice? Actually, in practice anything goes. The Sultan can banish the dentist who was late going to the palace and the dentist can be escorted out of the state immediately. The Sultan can refuse the choice of Chief Minister (Menteri Besar) if he does not like the chap. The Sultan can order the detention of his own brother and mother. In short, the Rulers can do quite a lot, far beyond what their powers under the Constitution allow. Is this legal? Well, if the Ruler does something far beyond what the Constitution allows then of course it is not legal. But who is going to argue with the Sultan? The OCPD? The CPO? The IGP? The Minister of Home Affairs? The Prime Minister? Technically, the police or government can refuse the Sultan. In practice, no one wants to be the mouse that bells the cat. Hence, in practice, the Sultan can order the police to kick you out of the state if His Highness does not like the colour of your shirt. And the police will do just that without arguing with the Sultan that this action is not allowed under the law. Now, the police take orders from the government, mainly the Minister. The military, however, have a different chain of command. Have you noticed that most times it is the Colonels who head military coups? Well, that is because most times the Colonels are the Camp Commanders and the military has been trained to take orders from their Commanders. Hence the Colonels take charge of the military coups and they can even order the arrest or execution of the generals. Now, the British, in their wisdom, have made all the nine Rulers the Colonels-in-Chief of the various branches of the armed forces. And the Agong is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Hence we have nine Colonels-in-Chief with one Commander-in-Chief who is also the Supreme Head of the Federation. In theory, these ten positions are merely ceremonial with no executive powers. In practice, however, the ten Monarchs wield more power than you think. And if the Sultan can order the police to detain his own brother and the police will comply (read the news item below) do you not think that the Rulers can order the military to do what they feel is needed for this country? In theory, the nine state Rulers are supposed to act on the advice of the Chief Ministers (Menteris Besar) while the Agong is supposed to act on the advice of the Prime Minister. But can we be assured that this will always be the case? Let us look at a hypothetical situation. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seeks an audience with the Agong to request the dissolution of Parliament. At the same time, the nine Menteris Besar also seek an audience with the nine state Rulers to request permission to dissolve the nine State Assemblies. And the three Chief Ministers in Penang, Melaka, and Sabah also do the same (but with the Governors of the States). Parliament and the 12 State Assemblies (except Sarawak) are then dissolved. Technically, there is no longer a government and Malaysia is headed by a caretaker Prime Minister. The country is run by the civil service while the Elections Commission (SPR) takes charge of the federal and state elections and is answerable to the Rulers. Yes, the civil service is now running the country with SPR running the elections. And the State Secretaries will 'report' to the state Rulers while the KSN will 'report' to the Agong. The SPR head will also 'report' to the Agong. And the military will be on standby in case the Rulers decide that an Emergency needs to be declared because of a breakdown in law and order. So you see, even though in theory the position of the Constitutional Monarchs is purely ceremonial, in practice they actually have more power than you think. And while you may argue that Malaysia's system does not allow a military takeover with the Monarchs heading an Emergency government, who is going to go face the Rulers to argue with them? Did not Chairman Mao say that power comes out from the barrel of the gun? So, in whose hands are these 250,000 or so guns? And if the current splashing of red paint, breaking of windscreens, throwing of stones, fisticuffs and cuts and bruises on the face, etc., escalates to something more serious like that case of the mentally ill chap slashing his drunk neighbour with a parang, do you think the Rulers will just turn away and do nothing? I think we should cool our tempers a bit. We are currently only hovering around the fringes of violence. But it takes very little to move from the fringes into the centre. The right (or wrong) words and the shouting match can turn into a melee. I have tried, again and again, to caution you readers of Malaysia Today to tone down the rhetoric a bit. I know when you can post insults behind the security of your computer without having to reveal your identity everyone can be brave. And I see many 'brave' readers posting comments in Malaysia Today because they need not reveal themselves. But eventually the mocking and insults will migrate to a higher level. And when that happens it will be too late to back down. Elections should be about the people choosing who they want to rule over them for the next five years. But when it is reduced to the level of one race (or religion) 'fighting for survival' against another, then politics takes on a whole new dimension, which I think most Malaysians would not want to experience. Kerana mulut, badan binasa. Always remember that. Don't test the resolve of the Rulers to end this current madness called 'Malaysian political culture'. It is not the kind of culture we will enjoy seeing. And as has been proven in many other countries, once we adopt this culture it is very difficult to turn back the clock. Wounds do not heal so easily and grudges can be retained over many generations, again, as has been proven in many other countries. ********************************************* I did not commit any offence, says Tengku Fakhry (Bernama) - The Sultan of Kelantan's brother, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra told the High Court yesterday that he had not committed any criminal offence on 30 July 2009, the day he was confined by police. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry, 34, testified that he was neither informed of any criminal wrongdoing nor the reason for his detention by the police in the Istana Mahkota grounds, in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. "I was confined for at least an hour by the police and not allowed to leave the palace grounds that day," he said during the proceedings against Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Ismail Omar and three others related to his alleged wrongful confinement on July 30 2009. He added that his lawyer, Datuk Mohd Haziq Pillay, was also in the car with him at the time. The fifth plaintiff' witness said, just before he was detained by the police he had driven out the Bentley Brooklands car which belonged to his father, Sultan Ismail Petra, from the palace garage. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry said prior to that day his father had instructed him to drive the car down to Singapore. However, as he was about to drive the car out of the palace grounds a Volvo had blocked his way and the main gates were closed. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry described the situation as scary saying he saw several armed policemen moving in and out of the palace. During cross-examination by senior federal counsel, Azizan Md Arshad, who represented the defendants, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry said he was not aware of the order issued by his brother, the acting Sultan of Kelantan at the time, Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra, prohibiting him from taking the car out of the palace. He also refuted Azizan's suggestion that the police had actually prevented the Bentley Brooklands from being taken out of the palace grounds and had not confined him. The plaintiff filed a RM150 million suit on Dec 9 last year, naming the IGP; the Kelantan Sultan's chief personal bodyguard, ASP Norazman Ismail; Kelantan police chief at the time, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi, and the Royal Malaysian Police as the first to fourth defendants respectively. In his statement of claim, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry alleged that he was wrongfully confined on July 30, 2009 in the compound of Istana Mahkota, Kubang Kerian as he was about to leave in a Bentley Brooklands car. He is seeking RM100 million in general damages, RM50 million in aggravated and exemplary damages, interest at a rate of four per cent, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. The trial before Judge Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof resumes today.
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| Chamil openly apologises to Seputeh MP Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:44 PM PDT
(The Star) - Utusan Malaysia columnist Datuk Chamil Wariya and Utusan Melayu Sdn Bhd have openly apologised to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in a High Court here, as part of a settlement in a defamation suit. The apology was read yesterday by lawyer Zalil Mohd Mess for Chamil and TKB Mohana Kumar for Utusan Melayu before High Court judge Justice Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer. He also ordered Utusan Melayu to pays costs of RM50,000 and to publish an apology in the daily. Earlier, lawyer Sankara Nair who acted for Kok, submitted that both parties had resolved the matter out of court. Nair said based on settlement terms the first defendant Chamil had to read the apology in open court with no order as to costs. "The second defendant Utusan Melayu also has to read the apology in open court, pay RM50,000 in costs to plaintiff Teresa Kok and publish an apology in the Sudut Sastera column in its Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia," he said. Zalil who read the apology for Chamil said he (Chamil) regretted that his short story had been used in Mingguan Malaysia which was published on Dec 12, 2008. Zalil stressed that some of the characters in the short story had been changed. Mohana objected to the assertions made by Chamil and asked the court to record it. Mohana, who read the apology for Utusan Malaysia, said they had changed several names without affecting the story line. He said they regretted their actions and apologised to Kok.
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