Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- The Challenge of Muslim Youth
- Karpal: PAS an important, principled ally
- Anwar touts DAP for Penang ahead of polls
- Whither our prospects for fully developed status?
- Najib’s 20,000 affordable houses – Is it for real?
- Wan Ismail: Pas perlu keluar PR jika mahu laksana hudud
- All eight DAP Malay leaders lose badly in CEC polls
- Father and son team sweep DAP polls
- Opposition's candidate for PM's post can only be finalised after nomination
- PAS refrains from stating stand on Anwar for PM
- Takiyuddin: No video proof of duo
- Karpal: Anwar tetap calon PM, PAS rakan paling utuh dalam PR
- Hak DAP untuk pilih calon PM mereka, kata Mustafa Ali
- Perkasa: Impossible for Malays to compete economically because of Islam
- DAP wants more seats in next polls
- Geng Gunting Rambut: Jangan Bermain Api Di Kelantan
- Karpal : Don’t forget the veterans
- DAP to lodge police report over Deepak’s exposé
- Fear of May 2013?
- Perkasa swears loyalty to BN
| Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:32 AM PST
In an age of self-determination, they crave freedom of opportunity. They aspire to world-class education. And they demand open and accountable government. Our challenge is to deliver those freedoms without sacrificing our traditions. But this is only possible if we show leadership and commit to reform. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, The New York Times Profound change is underway in the Middle East and North Africa. It is too early to be definitive about causes, but I believe there is a common thread: young people in Islamic societies face an opportunity deficit. The Arab awakening was driven by youth, organized by technology, and fired by a hunger for political change. In seeking more open societies and more responsive governments, young Arabs demonstrated a yearning for democracy. But they also expressed a deep sense of loss — not just of personal or political freedom, but of opportunity. This unrest was the result of a basic misallocation of resources. Not natural resources, or capital, but people. The underrepresentation of youth in the economy created conditions in which tensions could grow — tensions that were fanned by a lack of political reform. Politically and economically disenfranchised, young people found an outlet in protest. These pressures are not unique to Arab countries; they are felt throughout the world. Many young Muslims see no opportunities for themselves and do not feel they have control over their lives or a stake in their nation's future. Such pessimism leads to disengagement. We risk losing a generation of young Muslims to apathy and extremism. As a leader of a majority-Muslim nation, I believe Islamic countries must better understand what young people aspire to. This means comprehending two great changes affecting their lives. The first is demographic: The Muslim world is experiencing a "youth bulge." In 2010, people under 30 comprised about 60 percent of the population in Muslim-majority countries. A younger population means a bigger labor force. Higher investment and capital is needed to utilize this spare capacity. A big demographic change can warp fiscal policy for decades, as "baby boomer" countries are discovering. In social terms, the short-term impact can be even greater. A youth bulge introduces latent energy into a nation's economy and society. Left untapped, it can become a destabilizing force. In 2010, youth unemployment in the Middle East was 25 percent; in North Africa, 24 percent. Such levels are toxic. When young people lack opportunity, they grow restless. Dependency robs them of their dignity; without an economic stake in society, they can lose their sense of belonging. That can spill over into hostility to the state. From 1970 to 2000, eight out of 10 countries experiencing new civil conflict had populations in which 60 percent were under 30. The second great change is technological. Twenty-one years ago, there were no Web sites; today, there are more than half a billion. In the space of one lifetime, the Internet has opened up opportunities that were previously inconceivable. The age of information has its own generation, the digital natives — those who have only ever known a connected world. They expect information to be free, democracy to be responsive, communication to be global. They want an active role in the digital economy. Empowered by technology, young people can articulate their frustrations to a global audience. This has a profound implication: the emergence of a new, international political consciousness. These two forces — demography and technology — shape young people's aspirations. In an age of self-determination, they crave freedom of opportunity. They aspire to world-class education. And they demand open and accountable government. Our challenge is to deliver those freedoms without sacrificing our traditions. But this is only possible if we show leadership and commit to reform. Access to education is improving, but many young people still find that their qualifications do not match the opportunities available, so we must focus on vocational and technical training. We should also continue to open our economies: 23 percent of the world's people are Muslim, but the 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conduct just 8.3 percent of global trade. Structural reforms must be pursued so that our private sectors become more dynamic. We must reform public services and confront institutions that stifle opportunity, remaining ever vigilant against corruption. We must also respond to technological change. Our starting point must be recognition of the fundamental principle of the Internet — its autonomy. It should stay that way. This does not mean unregulated behavior, but independence. We should equip our youth with the skills to think critically about sources, to understand that just because information is free does not mean it is accurate. But the online space should remain one in which the free exchange of views is encouraged, in the best traditions of discourse. As a Muslim nation, Malaysia faces many of these challenges. I believe we should see our youth not as a liability, but as an asset. They are an untapped resource that can lay the foundations for great success. Economic and political reform can give young people what they aspire to: a future defined by opportunity, not dependency. It is time to realize the hidden wealth of Muslim nations. Najib Razak is prime minister of Malaysia.
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| Karpal: PAS an important, principled ally Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:26 AM PST
(fz.com) - "We too must change with the times or the times will change us," he said. "In politics there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends but there must be permanent principles." DAP's 16th national congress opened in Penang today to fire and brimstone speeches by its top leadership in a move to rally members and supporters ahead of the country's 13th general election. In their speeches, chairman Karpal Singh and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng hailed the party's triumphs, established its stand on contentious national issues and repeated its call for a change in government. Karpal reminded the 2,500-strong audience at the Penang National Sports Arena that the next general election could be Pakatan Rakyat's only opportunity of replacing the "enemy" that is Barisan Nasional at the national level. "I have no doubt that Pakatan can achieve this objective especially with Penang setting the example of being an effective government under the leadership of the Penang chief minister, Lim Guan Eng," he stated. The Bukit Gelugor MP also sought to solidify DAP's relationship with its two Pakatan allies by describing PAS as a "solid principal partner" and voicing support for PKR de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as prime minister should the opposition coalition take over Putrajaya. The latter statement follows recent calls by PAS for the premiership to be held by its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, if Pakatan forms the next federal government. Karpal has been seen as the strongest critic from the DAP of Islamic measures associated with PAS that may affect non-Muslims, especially in PAS-led Kelantan. Today, however, he openly declared PAS an "important ally". "We may have our differences with PAS but it is a solid, principled party and an important ally," he said to cheers from the crowd. Present at the congress was PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar. Karpal acknowledged that DAP had not foreseen a working relationship with PAS in the past but that the Islamic party had proven to be an important component in the opposition alliance. "We too must change with the times or the times will change us," he said. "In politics there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends but there must be permanent principles." Lim, in his speech, underlined DAP's loyalty and contribution to the opposition coalition and requested that this loyalty be recognised through additional seat allocations in the next general election. "We would like three extra parliamentary seats and 10 extra states seats in Peninsular Malaysia," he said. "East Malaysia will handle the seat negotiations on their own." DAP contested 47 parliamentary and 102 state seats in last election, and won 28 and 71 seats respectively. Lim also spoke up in defense of PAS over two recent controversies plaguing the party - the summonses on non-Muslims for indecent behaviour and plans for gender segregation in hair salons. Both issues are centered in the PAS-ruled state of Kelantan. "MCA is trying to paint PAS as a party that is imposing Islamic laws on non-Muslims like khalwat which we know isn't true at all," Lim stated. An English daily had reported that Kelantan enforcement officers had fined four non-Muslims for khalwat, an offence under syariah law. PAS however clarified that the summonses were for indecent behaviour, which is an offence under local council laws.
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| Anwar touts DAP for Penang ahead of polls Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:23 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - "They say Anwar has become a Chinese tool. What is the problem? Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pitched for a continued DAP leadership of Penang ahead of the next election despite uneasiness among the state's Malays, declaring last night he rather be DAP's "Chinese tool" rather than work with the MCA. His appeal for support from the state's Malays at a mass rally on the mainland comes on the back of Barisan Nasional's (BN) renewed confidence of winning 17 state seats and having an equal chance in five other seats in the 40-seat assembly. BN's Umno now holds 11 seats while the rest are held by Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "They say Anwar has become a Chinese tool. What is the problem? "It is better that I am good with Lim, far better than I go with Chua, but if you all want to choose him, go ahead. I would rather choose the Chinese leaders in PKR and DAP," Anwar told the crowd, referring to his ally Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Dr Chua and his party have been critical of DAP, using his party's The Star newspaper to slam the DAP secretary-general for bulldozing development projects and failing to protect Chinese interests by pandering to PAS's Islamic state plans. But other BN-controlled media are also painting DAP as anti-Islam and anti-Malay in the key manufacturing-and-tourism state. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/anwar-touts-dap-for-penang-ahead-of-polls/
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| Whither our prospects for fully developed status? Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:21 AM PST
(The Star) - It is easier to take the slum-dweller out of the slum than to take the slum out of the slum-dweller. SOME people routinely unload their rubbish into rivers. Even more people unthinkingly dump rubbish into drains, which then empty into rivers. Thus proper drainage is skewed, restricted or simply obstructed. Floods occur or become exacerbated as foul, rotting refuse in various forms clog our waterways. According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department, a main cause of clogged drains and rivers is discarded rubbish from the public. For this year alone, RM828mil is being spent on flood mitigation projects. This is a worrisome financial issue, but also much worse than that. It is an unacceptable anti-social habit for a nation aspiring to "fully developed" status. The indiscriminate dumping of rubbish into drains and rivers is also a problem of fetid water flow and a putrefying environment. It is aesthetically disgusting, indicative of a society with low living standards. It is also a health problem for entire neighbourhoods. Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes while filthy surroundings promote harmful bacterial growth. Not least, this most undistinguished social habit can also be a safety hazard. If planned water flow is blocked, water will find alternative routes, causing seepage, soil erosion or secondary flooding that compromises the structural integrity of certain sites. It is at root a question of our developmental mentality as a nation. Are Malaysians developed, undeveloped, or not even ready to contemplate fully developed status? Some economists presume development to be defined by rising GDP levels. Yet others imagine that development is about having tall buildings in the city, or the traffic congestion and pollution which come with that. However, it is sound environmental care at all levels of society that is a hallmark of a developed nation. Where development is largely about maintaining high standards in public hygiene and environmental awareness, we are still nowhere near it. Some put it more bluntly: it is easier to take the slum-dweller out of the slum than to take the slum out of the slum-dweller. Putting up with heaps of rubbish in our midst is slumming it inexcusably. Countries that overcame similar problems passed tough laws and strictly enforced them with heavy fines to make offending individuals change their habit. We seem to have neither the will to do that nor any clue about alternatives that work. When can we really get serious about development?
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| Najib’s 20,000 affordable houses – Is it for real? Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST
I genuinely pity Najib, none of his advisors including Teng Chang Yeow had any clue on the Penang housing problem. Promising to build "not less than 20,000 units of affordable housing...in Penang," (1) without knowing the fact that the same very BN had earlier made a promise under the four Malaysia Plans spanning from 1976 to 1991 to build 39,279 houses, but only managed to deliver 5,484. And it is even more clownish as this big "Promise" comes under the "Promises Fulfilled" banner. Choo Sing Chye Jestering about the return of the free port status in exchange for a Barisan Nasional's victory in Penang had made its chief Teng Chang Yeow an undisputed local political clown. I thought this title would be permanently etched in the minds of the people in Penang, but Najib had to butt in and go national.
Najib, buoyed by his BN advisors' flawed perception, shoots out his mouth with a huge dose of pomposity, "it is now open for registration online and these housing units will be priced below the market price so if the market price is RM500,000, it will be sold at RM300,000" (2). Najib's advisors should not be in the dark and put their boss in an humiliating position. These highly paid advisors should just leaf through the past records of the BN government, they would immediately know that the state government had another 3-year Special Low-Cost Housing Privatisation Programme of its own to build 41,080 low-cost housing units. Read more at: http://singchyeblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/najibs-20000-affordable-houses-is-it.html | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wan Ismail: Pas perlu keluar PR jika mahu laksana hudud Posted: 15 Dec 2012 12:48 AM PST
(Sinar Harian) - Pas perlu keluar daripada pakatan pembangkang jika mereka benar-benar mahu melaksanakan hukum hudud di negara ini, kata bekas Setiausaha Dewan Ulama Pas Kelantan Wan Ismail Wan Ahmad. Beliau berkata, kepimpinan Pas perlu mengambil langkah tegas untuk keluar daripada pakatan pembangkang sebagai menterjemah dasar parti untuk melaksana undang-undang Islam jika diberi kepercayaan mentadbir negara.
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| All eight DAP Malay leaders lose badly in CEC polls Posted: 15 Dec 2012 12:37 AM PST
(Bernama) - All eight Malay DAP leaders who contested for central executive committee (CEC) posts lost badly at 16th DAP Congress here. The results show that the party, dominated by the Chinese, does not make room for Malay candidates including Zairil Khir Johari (picture) who served as political secretary to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Zairil only received 305 votes while his boss, Lim garnered 1,576 votes. A total of 1,823 delegates voted to choose 20 DAP leaders for the 2012-2015 term. The other Malay candidates who lost were Penang DAP committee member Zulkifli Mohd Noor (216 votes), Senator Ariffin SM Omar (748), Johor DAP vice-chairman Ahmad Ton (347 votes), Pahang DAP deputy chairman Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (121), Desa Manjung DAP branch chairman Solaiman Op Syed Ibrahim (98), Roseli Abdul Ghani (39) and Harun Ahmad (28). Zulkifli Mohd Noor, one of the DAP Malay candidates said he fought for 25 years for the Malays to be elected as CEC members but failed. "When we say 'Malaysian Malaysia,' we must represent all religions, all races...balance. The message I conveyed did not reached the grassroots. They are still choosing leaders based on race," he told Bernama. He said that the election was also not based on ability and experience of the candidates in fighting for the party. "There is no change. The results is a setback for Malay candidates. Perhaps the top leaders who contested want to take care of their own interests, not the party's interests."
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| Father and son team sweep DAP polls Posted: 15 Dec 2012 12:31 AM PST
None of the Malay candidates who contested made it to the central executive committee. Leven Woon, FMT The father and son team of Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng topped the DAP central executive committee (CEC) elections at the DAP 16th Congress held here today. The elder Lim, who is also party adviser topped the list followed by the Penang chief minister and party secretary general Lim Guan Eng. DAP chairman Karpal Singh came in third. A total 1,823 delegates voted in the elections to pick 20 CEC members. These members would among themselves decide who would hold the party's top positions tomorrow. The elder Lim obtained 1,607 votes, followed by (Lim) Guan Eng who garnered 1,576 votes while Karpal obtained 1,411 votes. Some others delegates who formed 20-member line up include Chong Chieng Jen, Loke Siew Fook, Tan Kok Wai, Tony Pua, Fong Kui Lun, Nga Kor Ming, Chong Eng, Chow Kon Yew, M. Kulasegaran, Teresa Kok, Ngeh Koo Ham, Teng Chang Kim and Boo Cheng Hau. It must also be noted that none of the Malay candidates who contested made it to the CEC.
The biggest casualties of the polls appear to be veteran DAP leader and Kepong member of parliament Tan Seng Giaw. Penang deputy chief minister and Batu Kawan member of parliament P Ramasamy also failed to make the cut. Apart from Karpal and his son Gobind Singh Deo, Ipoh Barat member of parliament M Kulasegaran were the only Indian representatives in the 20-member CEC. The new CEC members will meet tomorrow to elect among themselves the office bearers, as well as to appoint 10 other members to sit in the committee. Those elected are: 1. Lim Kit Siang (1,607 votes) Five candidates dropped out of the DAP central executive committee contest earlier today. They are Choong Siew Onn, Er Teck Hwa, Jaya Balan Valliappan, Teo Kok Seong and Violet Yong Wui Wui.
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| Opposition's candidate for PM's post can only be finalised after nomination Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:43 PM PST
(Bernama) -- PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali today said that the opposition's candidate for the Prime Minister's post can only be finalised after the nomination process of the 13th general election. He said the candidate must be chosen among those who contested in the general election and won. "I think the best time to announce (the candidate) is after the nomination because the person who wants to be the Prime Minister must be elected," he told reporters at the 16th DAP National Congress here today. Mustafa was commenting on DAP chairman Karpal Singh's remark repeating his stand to support Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister should the opposition pact take over Putrajaya in the upcoming general election. Karpal had repeated his stand in his opening speech at the congress. Mustafa said PAS had yet to make its decision on the matter and that he was not sure whether Karpal's stand was also DAP's actual stand.
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| PAS refrains from stating stand on Anwar for PM Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:19 PM PST
Opalyn Mok, Ida Lim and Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider PAS refused today to remark on DAP's renewed support at its national congress here for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be the next prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) win the next general election. PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali declined to state his party's stand when asked to comment, and only said that the matter should only be decided after nominations close for national polls. During his party's just-concluded annual muktamar, PAS delegates had repeatedly called for their president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to take on the prime minister's role instead of Anwar. Their call was immediately interpreted by PR's political foes as a move by the Islamist party to assert dominance in the four-year-old pact, or a reflection of its purported failure to agree on fundamental issues. "We do have our views on this but we will not disclose our stand on this for now," Mustafa told a press conference after the opening of DAP's 16th national congress here. He added that DAP was entitled to express its own views on the topic but would neither agree nor disagree with his party's coalition partner. "I feel the appropriate time to announce our views on who should be the next Prime Minister is after nomination of the candidates for the general elections," Mustafa said. In his opening speech at the congress this morning, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh had said the party will give its cooperation to Anwar as the prime minister if PR were to conquer Putrajaya. DAP had previously said that all components of PR had reached an agreement that Anwar will be the next prime minister. According to Mustafa, for someone to be a prime minister, he would have to be nominated as a candidate and get the people's mandate by winning in the elections so it is not appropriate to name a prime minister now when it is not certain the person will be nominated. On the DAP-PAS relationship, he admitted that there may have been differences between the parties but that it was not a major problem. "We have a bigger goal to achieve together as partners in PR and this is a huge responsibility," he said. He said the differences can be resolved but also blamed mainstream media, specifically Star and Utusan Malaysia, for playing certain issues out of proportion and presenting a false impression of a supposed rift between DAP and PAS. Earlier this morning, Karpal had labelled PAS as a solid principal partner of the PR pact despite the differences between both parties. The relationship between both parties have been 'rocky' due to Karpal's hardline stand against hudud and the Islamic state, both issues which PAS is intent on introducing. This has been widely exploited by the BN to tear the PR alliance apart as the polls draw near.
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| Takiyuddin: No video proof of duo Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:32 PM PST
(The Star) - There is no video evidence of the two men who were issued summonses for indecent behaviour, says State Local Government, Culture and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan. He denied telling the media that the Kota Baru Municipal Council had such video evidence. "What I said was that there was evidence (video) for certain cases but not in the case in question (the men who were issued with summonses for indecent behaviour at the Kota Baru airport). "There are cases where we have video evidence and some are without any video evidence ... I made a general statement on the issue on that day and I was not referring to the case in particular but in general," he said after a gotong royong activity in his constituency Bunut Payong here yesterday. Pressed on whether the council has the video, Takiyuddin, who is also PAS assistant-secretary general, said he could not answer the question and should the case end up in court, it would have to come from the council. "If you (the press) do not believe me, it is up to the duo to take whatever action they want because what I said was about such cases in general and I did not particularly focus on the duo," he added.
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| Karpal: Anwar tetap calon PM, PAS rakan paling utuh dalam PR Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider DAP menegaskan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tetap menjadi pilihan sebagai perdana menteri (PM) jika Pakatan Rakyat (PR) menakluki Putrajaya sambil menyifatkan PAS sebagai rakan paling utuh dalam gabungan tersebut, kata pengerusinya Karpal Singh (gambar) hari ini. Menurut Karpal, pendirian tersebut sudahpun dinyatakan sebelum ini tetapi isu tentang siapa bakal menjadi PM dipolitikkan terutamanya oleh Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN). "DAP menyokong Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai calon perdana menteri jika Pakatan berjaya ke Putrajaya," kata Karpal dalam ucapan pembukaan di Kongres Kebangsaan DAP ke-16. Kemelut calon PM juga menjadi perkara utama yang dibincangkan pada Muktamar PAS baru-baru ini apabila delegasi parti Islam tersebut mencadangkan supaya Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang mengisi jawatan penting itu. Namun Karpal dalam ucapannya tidak mengulas lanjut terhadap permintaan oleh rakan mereka, PAS tersebut tetapi berkata parti tersebut sebagai rakan paling utuh yang banyak memainkan peranan penting dalam PR. "PAS adalah rakan penting dalam PR, mereka juga adalah parti yang paling utuh secara prinsipnya dalam PR. "Ia juga sama dengan PKR," terang beliau. Karpal juga sempat mengecam BN dan mencabar delegasi dan rakan dalam PR untuk "menyembelih" musuh utama mereka tersebut dalam pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke-13 tidak lama lagi. "Saya percaya dengan gabungan ini, PR adalah sebuah gabungan yang kuat untuk mencapai objektif. "Dan kita akan sembelih BN dalam pilihan raya nanti," gurau beliau.
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| Hak DAP untuk pilih calon PM mereka, kata Mustafa Ali Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:06 PM PST
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider Setiausaha agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali yang hadir sebagai pemerhati pada Kongres Kebangsaan DAP ke-16 hari ini berkata DAP berhak menyatakan calon perdana menteri mereka sekiranya berjaya menawan Putrajaya pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 nanti. Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh pagi tadi dalam ucapannya menyatakan sokongan dan memilih ketua pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai calon PM. "Itu adalah hak DAP untuk nyatakan secara terbuka calon pilihan perdana menteri mereka," kata Mustafa (gambar). Beliau yang ditemui media selepas sidang media juga memberitahu PAS masih belum memutuskan tentang siapa pilihan mereka untuk mengisi jawatan penting tersebut. "Berbeza dengan DAP, kami (PAS) tidak memutuskan siapa lagi calon dan tidak menyatakan secara terbuka mengenai perkara itu. "Lagipun pilihan raya belum mula lagi, malahan kita belum tahu lagi calon itu (Anwar) akan menang atau tidak," jelas beliau. Mustafa berkata keputusan muktamad hanya boleh diputuskan sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat berjaya memerintah Malaysia.
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| Perkasa: Impossible for Malays to compete economically because of Islam Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:02 PM PST
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali suggested today that the Malays are economically disadvantaged against the non-Malays because of certain limitations in Islam. The outspoken conservative Malay leader, who was speaking today at Perkasa's annual meet here, cited this as the reason to continue with affirmative action policies, arguing that this was the best way to address this shortcoming of the Malays. "Gambling, liquor, entertainment outlets ... how could Malays afford, be able to compete?" Ibrahim (picture) asked in his address. He had claimed that millions of ringgit were denied to the Malays since those businesses are prohibited in Islam, while non-Muslim entrepreneurs had benefited a lot from them. "We urge the government to continue affirmative action to ensure the security of our nation," he added. The firebrand leader had earlier quoted from the book "World on Fire" by Amy Chua, which suggested that the free market breeds ethnic hatred and global instability. He gave examples of violence in the Philippines, Indonesia and South Africa, where shops owned by economically-dominant races had been burnt down after the natives felt threatened. "Free economy can never help the natives," said Ibrahim. Yesterday, the Perkasa chief had suggested that the Chinese community will become a national security threat if it grows more powerful politically and economically. In an interview with Sinar Harian, Ibrahim had warned that this could result in another bloody racial clash like the May 13 tragedy. "What if there is chaos? Like during the May 13 incident, they could not proceed with their trade. "We, too, do not want that to happen," Ibrahim was quoted as saying in the article. Around 5,000 Perkasa members turned up for the launch of their general assembly in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa this morning. Their general assembly will resume in the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru here this afternoon.
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| DAP wants more seats in next polls Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:49 PM PST
(The Star) - DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party is seeking three more parliamentary and 10 extra state seats in Penisular Malaysia for the next general election. Lim said Pakatan Rakyat partners PKR and PAS should agree to this if they recognised DAP's loyalty to the Opposition coalition. "We take pride in our party's growth and expansion throughout the years with full collaboration from our Pakatan partners," he said in his policy speech during the 16th DAP National Congress here Saturday. Lim, who is also Penang Chief Minister, said Pakatan leaders in Sabah and Sarawak should handle the seat negotiations on their own. DAP is holding its elections at this congress and results for the 20 central executive committee positions are expected to be announced around 6pm. The two-day congress is being attended by about 2,500 delegates, who began voting around noon.
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| Geng Gunting Rambut: Jangan Bermain Api Di Kelantan Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST
Orang Islam atau orang Kelantan terkenal dengan sikap terbuka dan 'tasamuh' mereka di dalam politik. Mereka bersedia membuka pintu negeri mereka untuk didatangi sesiapa saja. Sikap keterbukaan ini menunjukkan keramahan orang Kelantan, atau sifat suka meraikan orang ini, baik tetamu atau perantau. Sebab itulah terdengar saja siulan si musafir di kejauhan, suri di dapur sudah menanakkan pulut untuk dihidangkan. Kerana sikap inilah menyebabkan ada orang luar atau bukan anak Kelantan datang bertanding di Kelantan mencuba nasib untuk jadi wakil rakyat di negeri ini. Tidak perlu disebut nama-nama mereka satu persatu. Kehadiran mereka dan berjaya menjadi wakil rakyat adalah bukti jelas orang Kelantan (dalam hal ini Pas) sedia menerima orang luar dan bekerjasama dengan sesiapa saja.
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| Karpal : Don’t forget the veterans Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST
The DAP national chairman kicked off the party's national congress by reminding delegates the contributions of veteran leaders. (FMT) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today told party members to value the contributions and sacrifices of veteran leaders, amidst rumours of an attempt to unseat him at the party polls this afternoon. Opening the 16th DAP National Congress this morning, he said he has been with the party for 42 years but always respected the senior leaders , such as the current life advisor Chen Man Hin, advisor Lim Kit Siang and the late deputy chairman P. Patto. "Don't forget the veterans. If not for the veterans, you will not be who you are. Don't underestimate the power of the veterans," he told some 2500 white-clad delegates at the 16th DAP National Congress this morning. In an earlier interview with FMT Karpal shrugged off a report about an attempt to unseat him at the party election this weekend, saying it was probably untrue. "I don't think there is an attempt to remove me.In any event leave it to the delegates to decide." he said. Karpal, 72, is known for his frankness in addressing political issues. Lately, he has been ruffling feathers in Pakatan Rakyat, with his reprimand of PAS for insisting on its Islamic state agenda and his call on the public to highlight the wrongdoings of Pakatan state governments. His one-man-one seat policy was also not well received. There were also media reports earlier this week that the Perak DAP faction led by Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming would vote against Karpal due to support of Ngeh-Ngah's rival – DAP vice chairman M. Kulasegaran. Meanwhile, the Bukit Gelugor MP also declared that DAP will back PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to be the prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat captures Putrajaya in the coming elections.
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| DAP to lodge police report over Deepak’s exposé Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:26 PM PST
Karpal Singh also urges Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to answer the allegations. Leven Woon, FMT DAP would lodge a police report over the latest revelation by carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishan that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor were involved in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shariibuu. In his opening address at the 16th DAP National Congress today, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said he would lodge a police report on the matter after the proceedings today. "What Deepak said has substance. There must be a fresh police investigation on the matter. So I am lodging a report to enable that," he said. He said albeit it was wrong for Deepak to conceal the truth for the past two years, it is more important for the murderer to be brought to justice. "If the PM is involved (in the murder), then he must answer," he said. Deepak has alleged receiving a call from Rosmah on the day private investigator P. Balasubramaniam disclosed a statutory declaration linking Najib to the Altantuya's murder. He claimed that he managed to contact Balasubraminiam later and arranged for him to make the second SD reversing the first one.
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| Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:24 PM PST
All indications show that the 13th general election will be a brutal and bruising battle as the wounded tiger is fighting for survival at all costs. Selena Tay, FMT The general opinion among the Pakatan Rakyat political strategists is that parliament will be dissolved before April 28 next year, the date of its automatic dissolution. This is because if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak waits for the automatic dissolution, it will certainly highlight his weak leadership skills. Most calculations show that the 13th general election will be held before the end of April and this means that there is a possibility for the new Pakatan Rakyat federal government to come into power by May 2013. The attack on the public attending Pakatan's political ceramah in Gombak on Tuesday night, Dec 4 is an early indication that BN cannot accept defeat. "The incident in Gombak could be a forewarning of events to come during the 13th general election. The police should take stern action against the perpetrators as they have already been identified," said Mat Sabu, the PAS deputy president to this columnist when asked to comment on the incident. Dr Chen Man Hin, the lifetime advisor in a speech during DAP Women's and Youth Congress on Dec 9, said that "BN will use strange tactics to stay in power". All indications show that the 13th general election will be a brutal and bruising battle as the wounded tiger is fighting for survival at all costs. Moreover, the BN supporters have been told to defend Putrajaya even to the extent of "broken bones and crushed bodies" or words to that effect. It will be the battle between the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. DAP's Puchong MP, Gobind Singh Deo remarked that "there should be a peaceful transition of power next year as Malaysia has always been touted by the prime minister as a model democracy. If BN tries anything unusual, BN themselves will fall as the fence-sitters will be able to see clearly BN's true colours." PAS strategist and central working committee member, Idris Ahmad concurred by saying that BN's fall is imminent if they try to do anything out of the ordinary as this is the era of New Politics and the old method of fear-mongering is no longer usable. "In the 1960s era in Rantau Panjang in Kelantan, there was an incident wherein the village folks were prevented from voting as the bridge was torn down to prevent them from going into the town's polling centre. This is the ancient tactics our enemies are employing now as they are staring defeat in the face," added Idris. It is also clear that BN leaders are hellbent on staying in power as their propaganda on the mainstream media is getting to be overwhelming while PM Najib goes about wooing the voters by promising this and that when what he promises is merely the duty of the government. Fast-tracked citizenship One thing most baffling is BN's claim that they have the support of the masses and yet the date of the dissolution of Parliament is still very much a mystery. BN leaders should realise that hooliganism as shown in the Gombak incident will only make the public turn against them. Or perhaps they do realise it and that is the reason why the foreign workers have been given fast-tracked citizenship so that their assistance can be employed on polling day. Clearly those at the back of this citizenship scheme have lost their moral compass. In fact, the top leadership's credibility is now being severely undermined by a ton of recent unsavoury revelations. Thus those among the right-thinking rakyat are very unlucky to be living under this type of leadership that is thick on hype but thin in good, solid substance whereby economic policies and the nation's roadmap and wellbeing are concerned.
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| Posted: 14 Dec 2012 02:20 PM PST
The pro-Malay NGO recites an oath to vote for all Barisan Nasional candidates, despite insisting it is non-partisan. Anisah Shukry, FMT Some 5000 members of pro-Malay non-governmental organisation (NGO) Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) today stood in unison to recite a bai'ah (binding Islamic oath), swearing their allegiance towards ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) for the coming election. They were lead by Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali, who insisted in his fiery speech that members of the NGO must lend support to BN as only Umno, the party which spearheads the coalition, could be relied upon to champion the Malays. "We are free and we do not side with any party… But lately we have no choice. "There are quarters that make all sorts of promises, including the Orange Book,…and we know this is Pakatan Rakyat," he shouted to the large crowd gathered at the Perkasa annual gathering here. "They are not concerned with Malay rights, and just take a look at their leader, my old friend," he added, before launching into a stinging tirade against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. "Thus, we must use our voting power to ensure that Barisan Nasional obtains two thirds majority," he said to loud cheers and applause from the audience. But when Ibrahim mentioned that this would mean voting even for MIC and MCA candidates, the Malay crowd's reception was notably lukewarm. MCA has long been vocal in its objection against Islamic criminal Hudud and the emergence of Malaysia as an Islamic state — both issues championed by Islamist opposition party PAS. But in its attempts to shoot down both PAS and the latter's ally, DAP, MCA has estranged Malay voters across the political divide as Islam remains a sensitive issue among Malays. Today, in a bid to maintain support for Umno, which relies on MCA and MIC to maintain control of the government, Ibrahim attempted to pacify the crowd by insisting that MCA's comments were directed at DAP. "Do not be offended (by MCA), because I am even more offended when MCA leaders take all sorts of action," admitted Ibrahim. "[But] I know they are making those statements in response to the chauvinistic statements made by DAP. I know that we are also offended. "Enough! If MCA and MIC win, it will help create a strong government. Why? Because Umno will continue to lead and manage a Barisan Nasional government!" he reminded the crowd. But he maintained that he was non-partisan, even adding that he didn't receive a single cent from the ruling party for lending his support. "I am doing this for our religion, race and nation," he declared. "My anger, fury towards Umno cannot overcome the importance of our religion, race and nation."
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