Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- A gulf of 44 years separates us from 13 May 1969
- Menyuluhi Musa Hassan: Apa Sebenarnya?
- Sleeping with the enemy
- Deepak Jaikishan : Prequel and Sequel
- Two kinds of corruption
- Amokh ignores Najib as PM with Syed Feisal's appointment
- UMNO Lost An Opportunity to Court Middle Ground
| A gulf of 44 years separates us from 13 May 1969 Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:33 PM PST The fact that these calls are directed towards the Bumiputera component of our population, are expressed in the national language, and are widely carried in the Malay mass media and Internet world makes me suspicious of the intentions of these politicians who claim that they are simply doing Malaysians a favour by warning of the backlash should the election outcome not bring about a continuation of the present power structure. To my mind, these politicians are not only applying crude pressure on the Malay electorate to vote for them but they are also blatantly revealing their trump card – that violence, chaos and political instability will automatically erupt in the event that the opposition parties win the elections. This blackmailing of our electorate as well as incitement of disruptive and hooligan elements in our society is totally unacceptable. Various academicians and politicians from the opposition have spoken up against such fear mongering in the recent past. However, not enough has been done by members of the business community and other professional organizations to speak out against these warnings and threats although they will be the main losers should another May 13 episode take place. Much more needs to be done by key stakeholders to condemn the individuals and organizations making the threats as the risk of these threats becoming self-fulfilling prophesies increases by the day. Shahrizat's not-so-veiled threat
The latest invocation of May 13 took place at the Umno general assembly held recently. In that meeting, the Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil warned that the May 13 tragedy might be repeated should Umno became weak and not be able to overcome its challenges. That this warning was not made obliquely but was served up as part of her opening speech text testifies to the way in which this kind of desperado thinking has become the mainstream in certain political circles. What is more worrying is that both Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin as Umno president and deputy president, and more importantly as the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, failed to repudiate or rebuke Sharizat for fear mongering. Instead the Deputy Prime Minister attempted to defend the speech by explaining that chaos will be inevitable under Pakatan Rakyat rule. Other Umno leaders, notably its vice-president Hishamuddin Hussein have even gone so far as to dismiss the attention brought by Shahrizat's May 13 statement as a case of "spinning" and to put the blame on a pro-opposition media and other opposition elements. "Shahrizat has already told me that this will be another matter that will be used for spinning by certain quarters, just because it coincides with the general assembly", the country's minister in charge of internal security is reported to have said in his dismissal of public concern when questioned about it. Even if it is a case of over-reaction by the media and a fearful public, it is hoped that Shahrizat and her colleagues will not play with fire or pander to the psyche of insecurity found in Umno party members by constantly harping on the possible recurrence of 13 May and even worst, by condoning or justifying violent and catastrophic racial riots as they appear to be doing in the run-up to the elections. Aftershocks of electoral violence Should there be bloodshed and violence arising from the next elections, it will not be non-Malays primarily who will lose out or be hurt by the collapse of the share market and the larger economy as we see a rush to exit the country by local and foreign businesses and investors. It will be all Malaysians especially those who are now enjoying the good life. Malays must bear in mind that while in 1969 they may have had less to lose, today the situation is completely different. There is Malay control of a major part of the commanding heights of our economy such as the banks, manufacturing, hi-tech industry, etc. and the largest listed companies. These gains which have given birth to the creation of a sizeable Malay middle and upper class will be put at great risk should there be another May 13. They may even disappear as the economic aftershocks and loss of economic confidence spiral out of control. Another May 13 is unthinkable and unforgivable except to those who are so blinded by ambition and their lust for power that they need to keep reminding themselves and their supporters of that horrific possibility. However, should it happen, unlike in the first May 13 incident, it will be clear as to who are the instigators. Conclusion: I trust this article will encourage more stakeholders – bankers, business leaders, academicians and leaders of all political parties – to speak out and condemn those who are using the threat of another May 13 if there is a change of government. The Malays must remember that even if Pakatan Rakyat wins control of the government, there will be more Malay Members of Parliament than from any other races. The Malays will be the biggest losers if there is another May 13 riot.
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| Menyuluhi Musa Hassan: Apa Sebenarnya? Posted: 06 Dec 2012 03:13 PM PST Orang menjadi sasaran beliau ialah Menteri Dalam Negeri, Hishamuddin Hussein sendiri. Kritikan itu dilihat sebagai satu keberanian yang pelik kerana jarang bekas pegawai tinggi kerajaan yang sedang menikmati kemudahan selepas bersara membuat kritikan terbuka seperti itu. Selalunya adalah sesuatu yang berlaku, pelik.. kerana kalau tidak masakan tempua bersarang rendah.
Lantaran itu ada orang bertanggapan beliau berbuat begitu kerana dendam disebabkan kontreknya kali kedua sebagai KP tidak disambung oleh Hishmuddin. Bagaimana pun beliau menafikan, apa dilakukan untuk memperbetulkan sesuatu yang salah dalam pasukan itu demi menjad imej dan intergriti polis. Pendirian dan pengakuan itu ada munasbaah dan boleh diterima. Tetapi ia tetap menjadi persaolan kenapa Musa tidak berbuat begitu semasa dia masih menjadi ketua polis? Apakah sekiranya dia sambung kontrek dia juga akan berdiam diri dan terus bersubahat dengan kekotoran itu? Kalau begitu adalah baik pegawai tinggi kerajaan tidak diberi kontrek (sambung jawatan) untuk menyaksikan berlaku pendedahan keburukan sesuatu jabatan? Dalam hubungan di atas kalau difahami Musa tidak mengkritik PDRM tetapi mengkritik menteri yang menjaga hal ehwal dan urusan kepolisan negara. Ini juga menimbulkan tanda tanya, kenapa? Harus difahami Umno selain daripada sedang mengheret dada untuk menghadapi pilihan raya umum ke-13, parti itu juga akan berdepan dengan pemilihan pemimpin pada tahun depan. Apakah Musa melakukan itu bagi mempastikan Hishmuddin terguling dari kedudukannya sebagai salah seorang Naib Presiden Umno kini. Bahawa Musa ada nawaitu memprojekkan seseorang untuk mengambil alih tempat itu atau memberi keselesaan kepada dua lagi Naib Presiden, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dan Shafei Afdal? Apakah Musa sedang berkempen untuk menyelamatkan Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi yang dikatakan kurang selamat sekiranya Muhyiddin Yassin menjadi Presiden akan datang, begitukah? Zahid kini sedang mencatur kedudukannya sendiri di dalam Umno yang semakin kabur kini.
Juga, sebelum Musa membuat pendedahan yang boleh memburukkan reputasi Hishmuddin beliau telah melakukan sesuatu yang nmengejutkan orang ramai bila mana menarik balik saman malu ke atas Anwar Ibrahim tanpa semena-mena. Musa bertindak menyaman Anwar kerana menuduhnya mereka-reka fakta atau menyembunyikan fakta sebenar dalam siasatan kes mata lebam melibatkan Anwar. Dalam satu laporan polis oleh Anwar terhadap Musa dan Peguam Negara, Abdul Ghani Petail, menuduh Musa bersubahat dengan Ghani melakukan kekejian itu. Laporan polis Anwar itu ekoran penemuan maklumat baru daripada bekas pegawai tinggi polis Mat Zain Ismail yang ketika itu menjadi ketua penyiasat kes itu. Bagaimana pun Musa menafikan dan merasa malu dengan tuduhan lantas mengemukakan saman kepada Anwar. Menjeutkan seluruh umat, tiba-tiba saat kes itu hendak dibicarakan Musa menarik balik saman itu tanpa ada apa-apa perundingan ketat dengan Anwar terlebih dahulu? Tindakan Musa itu dianggap anih dan songsang dan ia mula menjadi perhatian umum. Tindakan Musa itu menyebabkan timbul berbagai andaian dan lenggang lengguk politik negara menjadi semakin menarik.
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| Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:46 AM PST I ask only because the ex IGP, one of the most despised and most accused person, has lately been rubbing pally-buddy shoulders with PKR-affiliated NGOs, and making virtually anti-Government statements and accusations, some of which, laughingly, had been attributed to his term as IGP. Then I followed that up with Political WTF 2 - Musa Hassan on 30 November after reading Free Malaysia Today's news article No plans yet to bring Musa Hasan into PKR. I had opined that statement by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, plus the absence of any clear-cut repudiation by him that PKR is and will not be accepting/approving any membership application by Musa Hassan regardless of the former IGP rubbing shoulders with PKR-affiliated NGOs at their forums, has been the BIGGEST hint yet that PKR will likely be admitting Musa Hassan into the party as a member. Saifuddin tap-danced around a yes or no confirmation by saying meaningless stuff like "Approval of applications is done on a monthly basis. When we have distinguished names of 'big people', of course we take note of it." Were you any clearer? Then, when he was pressed by the media on whether Anwar Ibrahim would object to his past tormentor joining PKR, Saifuddin did the hula hula dance, stating that "When there are applications made by big names, the decision to approve them is made by the party leadership" and not by any individual (meaning Anwar Ibrahim). I take that as Saifuddin virtually admitting Musa Hassan will become a member of PKR, and that when it happens, shouldn't be attributed to an individual known by his title of The Great Man, wakakaka. Okay, really it's none of non-PKR people's business but it sure as hell bring into focus the saying 'Politics makes strange bedfellows', which incidentally was adapted from Anwar Ibrahim's fave author, Bill Shakespeare (but of course, second to his top fave, al Quran). Shakespeare wrote in the Tempest, Act II, Scene II, of Trinculo saying: Alas, the storm is come again! My best way is to creep under his gaberdine; there is no other shelter hereabout. Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past. Trinculo was philosophizing that in order to avoid a storm, he ended up sharing his sleeping area with Caliban, a dark native of an island but seen as grotesque and savage, and described by the other characters in Shakespeare's play as a monster. We learn that Caliban was treacherous, switching his allegiance from one side to another without any scruples.
And it was Robert Phang, former panel member of the MACC advisory panel, who voiced his belief that Musa Hassan's statement against Hishamuddin etc had been 'backed by PKR'. Phang accused Anwar Ibrahim's party of (allegedly) sleeping with their former enemy. Phang must have been shocked to see Musa Hassan flanked by PKR national policy and strategy bureau secretary S Gobikrishnan and Negeri Sembilan PKR youth exco member Sri Sanjeevan, when he (Musa) alleged that Hishammuddin had interfered with the police force under his IGP days. Phang said: "If Musa is backed by PKR, then I must express my utmost disappointment that PKR appears to be a desperate party." " ... going into bed with this cunning man and supporting his cause will mean that the leadership of PKR has no principles. I say to PKR - dissociate yourself from this wolf in sheep's skin." "Ask why is he now attacking the government as evil, whereas he once was its key perpetrator. If PKR keeps supporting this evil man, then PKR will lose the support of the public for stooping so low just to undermine the BN government." It sure as hell didn't help when Saifuddin Nasution tap-danced around the question of Musa Hassan's possible membership in PKR, as discussed above.
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| Deepak Jaikishan : Prequel and Sequel Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:34 AM PST All the actors are connected, one way or another, and could lead one to arrive at another point of view or possibilities, prequels and sequels. Raja Petra does his usual spin of mixing truth and fiction in order to make a story sound interesting. Unfortunately for him, lies remain lies.This was in response to Raja Petra Kamarudin's, better known as RPK, "The day I met P. Balasubramaniam". Also, PKR MP Sivarasa was deigned to reply, by way of a press statement, because on the day RPK met PI Bala, RPK made these claims, "Sivarasa coached Bala on what he should and should not say at the press conference. Bala was told to avoid answering too many questions from the media and in the event they ask him difficult questions then the lawyers would take those questions. They were worried that Bala might say something wrong and contradict himself."From the above, we have two others in the co-starring role, Sivarasa and Raja Petra Kamarudin, and we get a bigger picture of who the others are. So, fact or fiction? The date and title of the following is significant. On 4 February 2010 RPK headlined "Nasir Safar, the 'mystery man' the day Altantuya died" and wrote "Yes, that man in the blue Proton Saga was Nasir Safar." Three days later, on 7 February 2010, The Malaysian Insider headlined, "PI Bala: Razak Baginda is innocent" reported, "He has also identified another man who drove past Abdul Razak's house on the night of the murder as Datuk Nasir Safar an aide of Najib's who has since been sacked after he made derogatory remarks about Malaysian Chinese and Indians in a public event."The same TMI article was posted the same day in RPK's Malaysia Today. A picture is worth a thousand words when you compare the pic at TMI and the pic in Malaysia Today. Get the picture? Never mind. When PI Bala made his u-turn, the Star reported "I believe he was coerced, says lawyer Americk" and to me what was reported is significant, "He said he had first met Balasubramaniam two months ago at a restaurant where he was asked by the latter to help draft a formal document on the Altantuya case."Corroborated from a Question and Answer article at RPK's Malaysia Today, Q 53. Did they record your statement?More actors and their co-starring roles. PI Bala in his testimony in the Altantuya trial, excerpted from the Star report, "After Altantuya's visit to Abdul Razak's house, Balasubramaniam met up with the analyst and his lawyer Dhiren Rene Norendra at the Starbucks cafe in Pusat Bandar Damansara" and "He said he, Abdul Razak, Dhiren and one ASP Suresh were supposed to meet up to discuss whether to report the Mongolian women's presence outside the analyst's house to the Immigration Department and have them deported."Another important supporting actor.
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| Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:12 AM PST The truth is that the CPI is less about the hidden evil performed in private than it is about the public evil not at all hidden – and therefore not perceived to be evil. Everybody knows that in Malaysia getting the right contracts often involves buying the right kind of coffee for the wrong kinds of people. Everybody is aware that unusual favours are needed without which the not unusual tasks won't happen. The critical question is not whether corruption exists or how bad corruption is. The key issue, rather, is the role its contrived invisibility plays in sustaining the system. Recall how, during conversations or meetings, we often ignore the other person's body odour, stinking breath and other unsavoury facets? Our social conventions require us to pretend the VIP doesn't smell like a newborn elephant or look past the Tan Sri's (the second highest honour bestoweed to civilians) emerging booger. Why? Because it's safer to feign pretence and carry on talking than to speak the truth and risk reality coming apart. This agreed upon illusion is the form that corruption takes in Malaysia. It's not about what people don't know or should know; it's about what people pretend to not know whilst trying to keep what they do know at bay. In our brightest speeches, we tell each other that the system is inherently good and that corruption is an aberration which must be eradicated. But in our darkest thoughts we fear that the system is itself corrupt to the core and it relies on public/official tenets of ethics and decency as a facade. In conferences we declare that the apple basket of industry is fundamentally sound, notwithstanding the existence of a few corrupted bad apples. But in the boardroom, we whisper worryingly that the entire basket is born of corruption, a fundamental misalignment sustained by the fantasy of justice and virtue. We could mention here again the familiar story of the man suspected of stealing from a factory. The police posted themselves at the factory gate and each night the man came out, they inspected the wheel-barrow he was pushing. This went on for many nights. The man would come out with a wheel-barrow, the police would inspect it, find nothing and let him go. It was only later that they discovered that what the man was, in fact, stealing wheel-barrows. Likewise, the CPI deceives us making us look INTO the wheel-barrow of the system to detect and correct problems whilst at the same time blinding us to the fact of the barrow itself. As per Marx's caution, wages do not have to be 'unfair' for us to conclude that injustice is present; there is injustice even (or especially) when the wages are 'fair'. Rephrased, the problem is not corruption within Capitalism – the problem is Capitalism itself. It is at this point that both TI-M and IDEAS fail us. TI gives us 'data' and tells us to merely repair the system; IDEAS is worse because it tells us nothing is really that wrong and thus only minimal tweaking will suffice. This can be further illustrated by comparing the two villains in the recent installments of Batman i.e. Joker and Bane. The Joker transformed the city's White Knight (i.e. Harvey Dent) into its traitor; Bane showed that the city itself, Gotham, was an intra-social betrayal on a massive scale. The betrayal of the people (in the form of community-wide lies, political corruption and so on), far from being a threat to the city, in fact, constituted it and sustained its being. The Joker manipulated the police; Bane tore up the very idea of the police. The Joker tried to rope in the city's criminals; Bane made it a crime not to be a criminal and thus exposed the biggest crime of all: society itself. In this context, IDEAS is like Harvey Dent and the mafia who love the system (as long as it benefits 'democracy'). TI-M, at best, is like the Joker who wishes to unveil the problems within the system. Unfortunately, what we need is a Bane who's willing to go all the way to transform the system by exposing the corruption at its heart.
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| Amokh ignores Najib as PM with Syed Feisal's appointment Posted: 05 Dec 2012 03:09 PM PST This is fuelling speculation that Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad will end his one year extension as Chairman and replaced by Syed Faisal.
With regard to the new appointment at MAHB, Syed Faisal is not politically and capability wise appropriate. He still remain within Kalimullah circle of evil. Despite New Straits Times withdrawing their lawsuit against blogger and former Malay Mail editor, Dato Ahiruddin Attan@ Rockybru, Syed Faisal remain with opposition backing The Malaysian Insider (TMI) owner, Kalimullah in their lawsuit against Rocky.
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| UMNO Lost An Opportunity to Court Middle Ground Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:01 PM PST As expected, the party and its delegates went full throttle against Anwar Ibrahim, Pas, PKR and Dap. There were attempts to use fear and threats to win support by summoning the battled spirit of May 13 to the forefront. A leader even suggested that the party is mandated by God to rule the country perpetually. Invoking the mandate from heaven is as feudalistic as you can get. Unsurprisingly, UMNO and its component partners are already using religion and race in their divisive campaigns to garner support.
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