Ahad, 16 Disember 2012

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Guan Eng defends CEC appointments

Posted: 16 Dec 2012 01:34 AM PST

The DAP sec-gen however was coy when asked if the outcome of the party polls would have a bearing in the selection of Malay candidates for the general election.

Leven Woon, FMT

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today defended the party's decision to appoint Malay leaders into the centre leadership despite claims that it was merely a window dressing.

At a press conference after the party's two-day congress, Lim said political rivals were keen to politicise every DAP's move as political stunts.

"It never becomes an issue for parties that don't appoint (Malays to the high post). But we appoint, and it still becomes an issue," he said.

Lim's statement came in light of the party polls yesterday that saw not a single Malay leader being elected into the 20-seat centre executive committee (CEC). Only three Indian leaders made the cut while the rest were all Chinese.

Although the party today co-opted seven non-Chinese and East Malaysians into the CEC, leaders such as Penang DAP deputy chief P Ramasamy and Penang CEC member Zulklifli Mohd Noor pointed out that the party was still far from being a truly multiracial party.

Lim also admitted that there were elements of symbolism when the party appointed Malay leaders to its CEC.

He said Ariffin SM Omar was co-opted into CEC because he was an academician and a senator while Zairil Khir Johari was unique because he is the son of the first education minister of Malaysia.

Lim dodged an answer when asked whether the party would field more Malay candidates in the upcoming general election, only saying that they would field winnable candidates.

He said East Malaysians leaders were appointed into CEC as a result of DAP's inroads to Sabah and Sarawak.

"We want to be inclusive, they can play a role in helping us to spread our wing," he described.

Meanwhile, the Penang chief minister said that the new Pakatan Rakyat bureau was created to broaden discussion between the coalition parties in the event the Pakatan leadership council failed to reach consensus in certain issue.

He said Selangor DAP deputy head Teng Chang Kim was tasked to head the bureau because of his experience as the Selangor speaker and that most of the members were based in Klang Valley.

 

The curse of Dr Mahathir?

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:33 PM PST

KTEMOC KONSIDERS

It seems we are in the season for cursing and curses, wakakaka.

Recently PAS did the unusual in having a prayer session to curse UMNO. The cursing itself was not unusual as you can bet such curses would be a norm during the period running up to an election, be it for the state or party. It was only unusual because PAS announced the cursing session openly, wakakaka.

I wonder whether UMNO pollies bought some tangkals (azimat) from Pak Bomoh Awang Mohd Yahya to neutralize the PAS curses. wakakaka. Well after all, more than a few UMNO, PAS and PKR pollies (not Tian Chua or Sivarasa though, wakakaka) consult bomohs prior to any election on to their respective chances - see my posts Religious Devotion of Malaysian Politicians and Doctor is in - by appointment only!

wakakaka

Anyway, many were shocked by a prayer session being used, or as they believed, misused for cursing. But actually, cursing has been part of the Abrahamic religions for eons, with the most dramatic being good olde Moses laying down the evil word on the Pharaoh with the god-given curse of 10 plagues.

The 10 plagues (or god's curses manifested) started with the mild, just the River Nile turning red with blood, but escalated in harshness with each succeeding plague until the most drastic and evil of all occurred with the 10th, when the god of the Hebrews murdered every innocent first-born in Egypt, human and animals (Exodus 11:4-6 - KJV):

And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

That was worse than the Chinese 'harm kar ch'an', a genocidal curse on the family line of one's enemies - very barbaric and only uttered by low class Chinese [low class in character, mentality and behaviour, wakakaka].

 

Of course if you leave it to the Judaists and Christians, they would tell you god punished those Egyptians because ... yadda yadda yadda ...

... but really I wonder, which creator god (supposedly loving, compassionate and forgiving) would do that to his own creations.

Answer: Of course only the god of the Hebrews. And it would be hardly surprising that such a Hebrew god would call his Hebrews (and thereafter, Israelites, Judeans, Jews) his 'chosen people', as we have come to learn from the OT bible, one incidentally written by, would you believe, the Judeans, wakakaka.

If you ask the Japanese, they would tell you they are god's children, where their emperor is descended directly from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and their islands created by the Japanese gods Izanagi and Izanami.

Amaterasu

Not to be outdone, an ambitious UMNO man with the moniker of Reezal Merican, undoubtedly eyeing some high positions with all its trappings (wakakaka), decided to make a name for himself by copycat-ing the Judean (Jewish) claim and declaring that Malays are mukhtarin, god's 'chosen ones', and of course (the principal motive and objective) UMNO has been anointed by god as the equivalent of Moses, presumably to lead the Malays into some sort of UMNO-ish promised land.

Naturally he omitted mentioning that Moses led the Hebrews wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years, from 1972 to 2012 circa 1350 BCE.

Reezal Merican then openly pontificated "What is there of the Malays before Umno came along?"

What about them living in the glorious golden age of the Malacca Sultanate? What about them being citizens of the amazing Srivijaya Empire before they decided to be known specifically as Malays?

 


Never mind, obviously he wasn't asking for answers as he intended his rhetorical question to be the answer as well, to wit, to remind the Malays of UMNO's Mosaic role.

But Reezal Merican wasn't the first 'Malay' (wakakaka) to claim the 'chosen' status for Malays. Harussani what's-his-name, Perak's chief mufti, beat him to it by declaring in 2011 that Malays are more special than Arabs in Islam, though he, perhaps merajuk-ishly and grudgingly wakakaka, admitted Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was an Arab.

In the preposterous claim to primary Islamic pedigree, Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas, the director general of the Institute of Islamic Understanding, even preceded Harussani what's-his-name by informing us in 2006, that:

"The Melayu is defined as first being a Muslim and because he's a Muslim, he follows the customs and traditions of the Malays which are derived from Islam, followed by the language of the Malays which (also) derives from Islam."

Huh? "...  the customs and traditions of the Malays which are derived from Islam, followed by the language of the Malays which (also) derives from Islam ..."?

But then in this, I suppose he's supported by PAS in Kelantan which has prohibited the wayang kulit from showing episodes of Ramayana and Mahabharata because of their Hindu origins.

But hey, perhaps wayang kulit proponents could use Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas' argument that the customs and traditions of the Malays including the wayang kulit and makyong have been derived from Islam and have nothing to do with any other religions.

And just to be on the safe side, the bersanding ceremony should be reviewed to cull off any inherited Hindu cultural elements, while the Malay lexicon must be purged of words such as raja, agama, negara & bangsa, all of which have been inherited from Sanskrit, wakakaka.

Thus, not withstanding Reezal Merican's oratorical antics, and the Hebrews and Japanese myths, it's a matter of who wrote the book (or uttered same at a political party's general assembly, wakakaka) for a race to become god's 'chosen' ones.

Old Testament

All the above UMNO and UMNO-affiliates' silliness have risen to prominence only in the last 30 years - more of their cause later.
Back to curses - the one in the Bible I particularly admire for its scary threat is in Deuteronomy 28:22 which warns:

The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

Gasp ... but Deuteronomy 28:30 is quite frightening too in stating: Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: ... etc etc ...

Wow, the curse of the Hebrew god actually promoted husbands being cuckold-ed and wives committing adultery? No wonder it set those Hebrew men on their murderous rampage in Canaan.

But okay, those biblical curses by god were about 4000 years ago. Today no church or priests/monks would do that ... aha ... except for those clerics in PAS, perhaps indicating their mentality still resemble the original mould (template) designed during those ancient times, wakakaka.

But let's forget about PAS and its perennial perpetual problematic obsession with sex and matters sexual such as Shimshon (Samson) and Delilah in a Kota Baru salon, and Dawid and Yehonathan (David and Jonathan, son of King Saul) allegedly cavorting at the KB airport a la 1 Samuel 18:1-4 (KJV):

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ... Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

David & Jonathan

David to Jonathan

A couple of days ago I posted The Curse of Marina Lee Abdullah? Today I though I would write along the same line but with Dr Mahathir as my new 'Moses' and his curse, that is the curse of (or by) Dr Mahathir, not that bloke who was confused as to whether he was Egyptian or Hebrew.

I have to confess that, while I had previously penned a bit here and there about Dr M's 'curse' before, and planned to do an improved post, it has been RPK who inspired me to get on with this task by a few paragraphs in his post The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 16).

RPK's post talks about the Great UMNO Split in 1987 (about 8 months after the nation's 1986 general election), an irreparable schism brought about by the acrimonious tussle for power between Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh (Ku Li) which was brought to a finale in UMNO's 1987 party election. The lines which caught my eyes are:

Ku Li


... the mother of all battles looming over the horizon -- the contest between Team A and Team B.

And did it prove to be the mother of all battles! Never before had so much money been spent on a party election. Never before had threats as well as blackmail been used to the extreme to make people do the bidding of those who aspired for power. Never before had Umno been brought to the brink of destruction and which it never really recovered from ever since. 

The 1987 party contest changed Umno for good and introduced a new culture into Umno that transferred the party from the hands of the nationalists into the hands of the capitalists.

Basically, Umno was transformed from a party of intellectuals and educators into a party of business taukays. Umno became what MCA always was -- a money party. Umno sent shivers down MCA's spine because Umno became more money-driven than even MCA itself.

The new Umno culture became: money talks, bullshit walks. And it has remained that way ever since.

Umno would never be brought back to what it was when it was first formed in 1946. Umno became 'Umno baru' in 1987 even before Umno Baru was legally and officially registered in 1988. And this is what many did not grasp at that time ...

Leaving aside RPK's contention in his The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 17) that it had been Anwar Ibrahim who, through his bullying tactics in UMNO intra-party politics, denied us of Tengku Razaleigh as Malaysia's political head in 1987. Tengku has often been touted as the best PM we never had.

Instead, Anwar endowed the nation with Dr Mahathir's 22-year premiership, which RPK surmised as a fitting padan muka for poor Mr Manmanlai, wakakaka.

READ MORE HERE

 

Rise of DAP’s young Turks

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:18 PM PST

The Lim family is still on top but the DAP election saw the young Turks pushing the old guards down the rungs and even out of the 20-seat central executive committee (CEC).

Anwar had also skipped the PAS muktamar last month and the whispers of tensions over the issue of seat allocations between the three parties are getting louder. PKR vice-president Datuk Mansor Othman urged reporters not to read too much into it even though this is Anwar's homestate and his party will need the DAP's clout to win their seats in the general election.

Joceline Tan, The Star

THE emcee had said the CEC election result would be announced at about 6.30pm. An hour later, everyone was still waiting.

The soft music that had been playing in the background was switched up and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi's melodic voice came on.

Ooi was staging a one-man concert from the Ubah truck parked outside the sports complex where the DAP congress was taking place.

The man is wasting his time in politics. He should have become a pop singer he would have made more money and become even more famous than he already is.

Everyone burst out laughing when Ooi stopped singing to ask whether the election results were in.

The top DAP leaders had already come in from the tea break and were hanging about near the front of the stage, chatting and waiting.

At about 8pm, Karpal Singh and his two sons arrived and soon after, the results came.

It was a wonder that Karpal managed to look so calm. He must have had some inkling of the outcome.

The outspoken lawyer had made a fantastic comeback to the No 3 spot from his previous 9th spot.

It was a clear signal that delegates want him to continue speaking out on issues like hudud and the encroachment of PAS policies on non-Muslim lifestyles.

Lim Kit Siang, despite his lack of a party post, remains the most well regarded person in the party followed by Guan Eng.

The father-and-son pair will have to factor in what Karpal says, including his view on the one-man, one-seat policy in the general election.

The outcome was described by some as a transition team.

The young Turks are on the rise, with Chong Chieng Jen and Anthony Loke surging into the top five.

The old guards like Tan Kok Wai, Fong Kui Lun and Ngeh Koo Ham slipped down the rungs as younger faces like Vincent Wu, Gobind Singh Deo and Tony Pua moved up.

The three-way fight in Selangor saw Datuk Teng Chang Khim emerging victorious, moving from No 14 to the prestigious top 10.

Rival Teresa Kok slipped from No 6 to No 18 while another rival Ronnie Liu lost.

The power structure in Selangor has changed dramatically.

"They are the new generation, you can ask for their vote but you cannot tell them how to vote," said a Perak leader pointing to the delegates.

The delegates put Kit Siang right on top to show their appreciation while endorsing Guan Eng's quest to defend Penang.

Another independent voice Dr Boo Cheng Hau moved up two slots from No 19 to No 17.

The inclusion of Teng and Dr Boo in the CEC means that the party wants people who dare to question the leadership.

The DAP transition is in place and the next echelon of leaders are up there.

The leaders know the veterans have felt left out of the party's post-2008 success and these old-timers were brought on stage to receive mementos in the shape of the Penang ferry.

The party is telling them they are still appreciated.

It was a good move because these old soldiers will have to work the ground like never before in the general election.

Size matters in politics and the opening event was jam-packed with delegates and observers, all of them in an upbeat mood.

But the massive show of numbers could not hide the glaring absence of the man whom DAP is promoting as their next prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Neither Anwar nor his wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was present.

Pakatan Rakyat's other prime minister candidate Datuk Seri Hadi Awang was also missing. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar and secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali came instead.

PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu popped in after lunch and received a big hug from Guan Eng. PKR was represented by Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin.

Anwar had also skipped the PAS muktamar last month and the whispers of tensions over the issue of seat allocations between the three parties are getting louder.

PKR vice-president Datuk Mansor Othman urged reporters not to read too much into it even though this is Anwar's homestate and his party will need the DAP's clout to win their seats in the general election.

The other glaring aspect was DAP's attempt to ignore the elephant in the room; the party is clearly afraid to take a strong stand on the recent incidents of moral policing on non-Muslims in Kelantan.

The furthest that Guan Eng went was to ask PAS to withdraw the summonses that had been issued against the hair salons.

Guan Eng's speech ran on for almost 120 minutes mainly because he spoke in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.

Earlier this month, he had poked fun at the tears and emotion that flowed during the Umno general assembly.

But now it was he who was all choked up as he vowed to stand up against Umno and to fight for equality of the races.

His cheeks were wet and he could be seen wiping his nose.

Some of the delegates looked on a little shocked but fortunately the mood lightened up after the speech when the party's highly entertaining video titled "Ubah Rocket Style", which showed DAP leaders doing the Gangnam Style, was unveiled.

 

PAS: Tiada kerusi tambahan bagi DAP di Selangor

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:11 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - PAS Selangor bertegas tiada kerusi tambahan di negeri ini yang akan diberikan kepada DAP, kata timbalan pesuruhjayanya, Iskandar Abdul Samad.

Menurutnya, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) sebelum ini sudah berbincang dan mendapat keputusan sebulat suara mengenai jumlah kerusi yang akan ditandingi oleh setiap parti dalam pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke 13 akan datang.

"Pembahagian kerusi untuk PRU 13 di negeri ini sudah 99 peratus selesai, kerusi di tempat lama tidak banyak perubahan dan kekalkan status quo macam dulu.

"Sekarang tinggal enam minggu lagi, kami fokus untuk menang, bukan waktu untuk bergaduh sesama calon merebut kerusi," kata ahli dewan undangan negeri (Adun) Cempaka itu dipetik dari Sinar Harian Online.

Semalam, Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng menggesa PR menimbangkan untuk memberi mereka tambahan tiga kerusi Parlimen dan 10 kerusi dewan undangan negeri (Dun) semenanjung Malaysia, manakala di Sabah dan Sarawak mereka pula akan berbincang sesama sendiri dalam pembahagian kerusi.

"Kami sasar tiga tambahan kerusi Parlimen dan 10 kerusi Dun di semenanjung.

"Manakala Sabah dan Sarawak pula akan berbincang sesama sendiri dalam pembahagian kerusi," tambah beliau.

Semasa PRU 2008, DAP berjaya menang 28 kerusi Parlimen dan 71 kerusi Dun serta menguasai negeri Pulau Pinang yang dikuasai oleh parti Gerakan sebelum ini.

Semalam, Naib Presiden Umno Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein berkata tuntutan tambahan kerusi oleh DAP untuk ditandingi pada PRU ke-13 nanti jelas menunjukkan pakatan pembangkang tidak mempunyai persefahaman.

Beliau berkata Umno mahu tahu jawapan pemimpin PAS dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) terhadap permintaan sekutu mereka itu.

"Kalau mereka dapat cari persefahaman di mana mereka boleh beri lebih banyak kerusi (kepada DAP), saya ucap tahniah kepada mereka," katanya dipetik dari Bernama, ketika diminta mengulas Lim itu.

 

DAP adds non-Chinese, East M’sians to CEC

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:04 PM PST

Of the 10 members co-opted into the CEC this morning, seven of them are non-Chinese and East Malaysians.

Leven Woon, FMT

The newly-minted DAP central leadership today appointed seven non-Chinese  and East Malaysian leaders into the centre executive committee (CEC) in a bid to sharpen its multiracial appeal.

DAP first-term senator Ariffin M Omar was made a vice chairman to replace Tengku Abdul Aziz who quit the party in May.

Besides him, Zairil Khir Johari, Sabah party chairman Jimmy Wong, Sarawak member John Brian Anthony, Sabah member Edwin Bosi, former Perak speaker V Sivakumar were also the new faces in the CEC.

Both Tan Seng Giaw and P Ramasamy, who were bitterly voted out by party members yesterday, made their way back to the CEC through appointments.

DAP Central Executive Committee 2012-2015

Appointed:

Dr Tan Seng Giaw
P Ramasamy
Ariffin S.M. Omar
Zairil Khir Johari
Jimmy Wong Sze Phin
John Brian Anthony
Edwin Bosi
Leong Ngah Ngah
V Sivakumar
Thomas Su Keong Siong

Office-bearers:

Chairman: Karpal Singh
Deputy Chair: Tan Kok Wai
Vice-Chair: Chow Kon Yeow, Ariffin Omar, Chong Chieng Jen, M Kula Segaran, Teresa Kok
Sec-Gen: Lim Guan Eng
Asst Sec-Gen: Chong Eng, Ngeh Koo Ham, P Ramasamy
Treasurer: Fong Kui Lun
Asst Treasurer: Nga Kor Ming
National Organising Secretary: Loke Siew Fook
Asst Nat Organising Sec: Vincent Wu Him Ven, Thomas Su Keong Siong
National Publicity Secretary: Tony Pua Kiam Wee
Asst Nat Publicity Sec: Teo Nie Ching, Zairil Khir Johari
International Secretary: V Sivakumar
National Political Education Director: Liew Chin Tong
Asst Nat Pol Edu Dir: Dr Boo Cheng Hau
Committee Members: Lim Kit Siang, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Teng Chang Khim,  Leong Ngah Ngah, Jimmy Wong Sze Phin, Edwin Bosi, John Brian Anthony, Gobind Singh

To reconfirm: Dr Chen Man Hin as Party Life Advisor

Committees/Bureaus:

Disciplinary Comm: Headed by Tan Kok Wai
Legal Bureau: Headed by Gobind Singh Deo
Pakatan Rakyat Bureau: Headed by Teng Chang Khim
Cultural Bureau: Headed by P Gunasekaran
Labour Bureau: Headed by A. Sivanesan
Election Bureau: Headed  by Tan Kok Wai

Pakatan Rakyat bureau

Guan Eng, when announcing the new office bearers, said that the newly-setup Pakatan Rakyat bureau will play a role in cementing closer ties between coalition parties.

READ MORE HERE

 

Ramasamy shrugs off sabotage claims

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:01 PM PST

Sometimes we think we have the support, but the support is not sufficient, he says.

Leven Woon, FMT

Penang Deputy Chief Minister ll and state DAP deputy head P Ramasamy today brushed aside notions that he lost in the party elections yesterday due to an ouster attempt.

"No, I don't think there was an attempt to oust me," he said when approached by reporters today.

He likened the party polls to a game where there are always winners and losers.

"We must accept it as the normal democratic process. Sometimes we think we have the support, but the support is not sufficient," he said.

He said there were only limited slots in the CEC so it was about the delegates' choice and priority.

Ramasamy and former DAP deputy chairman Tan Seng Giaw were the biggest casualties at the DAP party polls yesterday as both of them failed to make into the 20-seat centre executive committee (CEC).

Ramasamy secured 746 votes while Tan obtained 802. However, both of them were today were co-opted into the CEC through appointments.

Tan meanwhile hinted that he knew the reason behind his defeat because a friend of him had tipped him about it before the results were announced.

"The party's maneuver is very subtle, but everyone has friends in the party, and they will tell you the actual situation," he said.

However, the long-serving Kepong MP refused to disclose the "reasons", only saying that he was not "neglected" by party delegates as claimed by certain quarter.

"I know the reason, it has nothing to do with being neglected. But it isn't convenient for me to tell you, otherwise I am not a good party member," he said.

Johor DAP vice chairman Ahmad Ton, who became a CEC member through popular votes three years ago, also did not make it this time with only 347 votes.

Ahmad said the health problems he faced might be the reason why the delegates did not give him a major support.

However, he also cautioned that party members have failed to elect any of the Malay candidates into the CEC, saying that such trend would not be good for the DAP in the long run.

"If I were to assess the result this time, all the Malay CEC members were appointed and not elected. But this is really up to the new generation of DAP.

"What is DAP? What is Malaysian Malaysia? If they are still holding the dream of one Malaysia race, such trend is not good for the future," he said.

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Rise of DAP’s young Turks

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:18 PM PST

The Lim family is still on top but the DAP election saw the young Turks pushing the old guards down the rungs and even out of the 20-seat central executive committee (CEC).

Anwar had also skipped the PAS muktamar last month and the whispers of tensions over the issue of seat allocations between the three parties are getting louder. PKR vice-president Datuk Mansor Othman urged reporters not to read too much into it even though this is Anwar's homestate and his party will need the DAP's clout to win their seats in the general election.

Joceline Tan, The Star

THE emcee had said the CEC election result would be announced at about 6.30pm. An hour later, everyone was still waiting.

The soft music that had been playing in the background was switched up and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi's melodic voice came on.

Ooi was staging a one-man concert from the Ubah truck parked outside the sports complex where the DAP congress was taking place.

The man is wasting his time in politics. He should have become a pop singer he would have made more money and become even more famous than he already is.

Everyone burst out laughing when Ooi stopped singing to ask whether the election results were in.

The top DAP leaders had already come in from the tea break and were hanging about near the front of the stage, chatting and waiting.

At about 8pm, Karpal Singh and his two sons arrived and soon after, the results came.

It was a wonder that Karpal managed to look so calm. He must have had some inkling of the outcome.

The outspoken lawyer had made a fantastic comeback to the No 3 spot from his previous 9th spot.

It was a clear signal that delegates want him to continue speaking out on issues like hudud and the encroachment of PAS policies on non-Muslim lifestyles.

Lim Kit Siang, despite his lack of a party post, remains the most well regarded person in the party followed by Guan Eng.

The father-and-son pair will have to factor in what Karpal says, including his view on the one-man, one-seat policy in the general election.

The outcome was described by some as a transition team.

The young Turks are on the rise, with Chong Chieng Jen and Anthony Loke surging into the top five.

The old guards like Tan Kok Wai, Fong Kui Lun and Ngeh Koo Ham slipped down the rungs as younger faces like Vincent Wu, Gobind Singh Deo and Tony Pua moved up.

The three-way fight in Selangor saw Datuk Teng Chang Khim emerging victorious, moving from No 14 to the prestigious top 10.

Rival Teresa Kok slipped from No 6 to No 18 while another rival Ronnie Liu lost.

The power structure in Selangor has changed dramatically.

"They are the new generation, you can ask for their vote but you cannot tell them how to vote," said a Perak leader pointing to the delegates.

The delegates put Kit Siang right on top to show their appreciation while endorsing Guan Eng's quest to defend Penang.

Another independent voice Dr Boo Cheng Hau moved up two slots from No 19 to No 17.

The inclusion of Teng and Dr Boo in the CEC means that the party wants people who dare to question the leadership.

The DAP transition is in place and the next echelon of leaders are up there.

The leaders know the veterans have felt left out of the party's post-2008 success and these old-timers were brought on stage to receive mementos in the shape of the Penang ferry.

The party is telling them they are still appreciated.

It was a good move because these old soldiers will have to work the ground like never before in the general election.

Size matters in politics and the opening event was jam-packed with delegates and observers, all of them in an upbeat mood.

But the massive show of numbers could not hide the glaring absence of the man whom DAP is promoting as their next prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Neither Anwar nor his wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was present.

Pakatan Rakyat's other prime minister candidate Datuk Seri Hadi Awang was also missing. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar and secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali came instead.

PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu popped in after lunch and received a big hug from Guan Eng. PKR was represented by Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin.

Anwar had also skipped the PAS muktamar last month and the whispers of tensions over the issue of seat allocations between the three parties are getting louder.

PKR vice-president Datuk Mansor Othman urged reporters not to read too much into it even though this is Anwar's homestate and his party will need the DAP's clout to win their seats in the general election.

The other glaring aspect was DAP's attempt to ignore the elephant in the room; the party is clearly afraid to take a strong stand on the recent incidents of moral policing on non-Muslims in Kelantan.

The furthest that Guan Eng went was to ask PAS to withdraw the summonses that had been issued against the hair salons.

Guan Eng's speech ran on for almost 120 minutes mainly because he spoke in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.

Earlier this month, he had poked fun at the tears and emotion that flowed during the Umno general assembly.

But now it was he who was all choked up as he vowed to stand up against Umno and to fight for equality of the races.

His cheeks were wet and he could be seen wiping his nose.

Some of the delegates looked on a little shocked but fortunately the mood lightened up after the speech when the party's highly entertaining video titled "Ubah Rocket Style", which showed DAP leaders doing the Gangnam Style, was unveiled.

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Guan Eng defends CEC appointments

Posted: 16 Dec 2012 01:34 AM PST

The DAP sec-gen however was coy when asked if the outcome of the party polls would have a bearing in the selection of Malay candidates for the general election.

Leven Woon, FMT

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today defended the party's decision to appoint Malay leaders into the centre leadership despite claims that it was merely a window dressing.

At a press conference after the party's two-day congress, Lim said political rivals were keen to politicise every DAP's move as political stunts.

"It never becomes an issue for parties that don't appoint (Malays to the high post). But we appoint, and it still becomes an issue," he said.

Lim's statement came in light of the party polls yesterday that saw not a single Malay leader being elected into the 20-seat centre executive committee (CEC). Only three Indian leaders made the cut while the rest were all Chinese.

Although the party today co-opted seven non-Chinese and East Malaysians into the CEC, leaders such as Penang DAP deputy chief P Ramasamy and Penang CEC member Zulklifli Mohd Noor pointed out that the party was still far from being a truly multiracial party.

Lim also admitted that there were elements of symbolism when the party appointed Malay leaders to its CEC.

He said Ariffin SM Omar was co-opted into CEC because he was an academician and a senator while Zairil Khir Johari was unique because he is the son of the first education minister of Malaysia.

Lim dodged an answer when asked whether the party would field more Malay candidates in the upcoming general election, only saying that they would field winnable candidates.

He said East Malaysians leaders were appointed into CEC as a result of DAP's inroads to Sabah and Sarawak.

"We want to be inclusive, they can play a role in helping us to spread our wing," he described.

Meanwhile, the Penang chief minister said that the new Pakatan Rakyat bureau was created to broaden discussion between the coalition parties in the event the Pakatan leadership council failed to reach consensus in certain issue.

He said Selangor DAP deputy head Teng Chang Kim was tasked to head the bureau because of his experience as the Selangor speaker and that most of the members were based in Klang Valley.

 

DAP adds non-Chinese, East M’sians to CEC

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:04 PM PST

Of the 10 members co-opted into the CEC this morning, seven of them are non-Chinese and East Malaysians.

Leven Woon, FMT

The newly-minted DAP central leadership today appointed seven non-Chinese  and East Malaysian leaders into the centre executive committee (CEC) in a bid to sharpen its multiracial appeal.

DAP first-term senator Ariffin M Omar was made a vice chairman to replace Tengku Abdul Aziz who quit the party in May.

Besides him, Zairil Khir Johari, Sabah party chairman Jimmy Wong, Sarawak member John Brian Anthony, Sabah member Edwin Bosi, former Perak speaker V Sivakumar were also the new faces in the CEC.

Both Tan Seng Giaw and P Ramasamy, who were bitterly voted out by party members yesterday, made their way back to the CEC through appointments.

DAP Central Executive Committee 2012-2015

Appointed:

Dr Tan Seng Giaw
P Ramasamy
Ariffin S.M. Omar
Zairil Khir Johari
Jimmy Wong Sze Phin
John Brian Anthony
Edwin Bosi
Leong Ngah Ngah
V Sivakumar
Thomas Su Keong Siong

Office-bearers:

Chairman: Karpal Singh
Deputy Chair: Tan Kok Wai
Vice-Chair: Chow Kon Yeow, Ariffin Omar, Chong Chieng Jen, M Kula Segaran, Teresa Kok
Sec-Gen: Lim Guan Eng
Asst Sec-Gen: Chong Eng, Ngeh Koo Ham, P Ramasamy
Treasurer: Fong Kui Lun
Asst Treasurer: Nga Kor Ming
National Organising Secretary: Loke Siew Fook
Asst Nat Organising Sec: Vincent Wu Him Ven, Thomas Su Keong Siong
National Publicity Secretary: Tony Pua Kiam Wee
Asst Nat Publicity Sec: Teo Nie Ching, Zairil Khir Johari
International Secretary: V Sivakumar
National Political Education Director: Liew Chin Tong
Asst Nat Pol Edu Dir: Dr Boo Cheng Hau
Committee Members: Lim Kit Siang, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Teng Chang Khim,  Leong Ngah Ngah, Jimmy Wong Sze Phin, Edwin Bosi, John Brian Anthony, Gobind Singh

To reconfirm: Dr Chen Man Hin as Party Life Advisor

Committees/Bureaus:

Disciplinary Comm: Headed by Tan Kok Wai
Legal Bureau: Headed by Gobind Singh Deo
Pakatan Rakyat Bureau: Headed by Teng Chang Khim
Cultural Bureau: Headed by P Gunasekaran
Labour Bureau: Headed by A. Sivanesan
Election Bureau: Headed  by Tan Kok Wai

Pakatan Rakyat bureau

Guan Eng, when announcing the new office bearers, said that the newly-setup Pakatan Rakyat bureau will play a role in cementing closer ties between coalition parties.

READ MORE HERE

 

Ramasamy shrugs off sabotage claims

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 04:01 PM PST

Sometimes we think we have the support, but the support is not sufficient, he says.

Leven Woon, FMT

Penang Deputy Chief Minister ll and state DAP deputy head P Ramasamy today brushed aside notions that he lost in the party elections yesterday due to an ouster attempt.

"No, I don't think there was an attempt to oust me," he said when approached by reporters today.

He likened the party polls to a game where there are always winners and losers.

"We must accept it as the normal democratic process. Sometimes we think we have the support, but the support is not sufficient," he said.

He said there were only limited slots in the CEC so it was about the delegates' choice and priority.

Ramasamy and former DAP deputy chairman Tan Seng Giaw were the biggest casualties at the DAP party polls yesterday as both of them failed to make into the 20-seat centre executive committee (CEC).

Ramasamy secured 746 votes while Tan obtained 802. However, both of them were today were co-opted into the CEC through appointments.

Tan meanwhile hinted that he knew the reason behind his defeat because a friend of him had tipped him about it before the results were announced.

"The party's maneuver is very subtle, but everyone has friends in the party, and they will tell you the actual situation," he said.

However, the long-serving Kepong MP refused to disclose the "reasons", only saying that he was not "neglected" by party delegates as claimed by certain quarter.

"I know the reason, it has nothing to do with being neglected. But it isn't convenient for me to tell you, otherwise I am not a good party member," he said.

Johor DAP vice chairman Ahmad Ton, who became a CEC member through popular votes three years ago, also did not make it this time with only 347 votes.

Ahmad said the health problems he faced might be the reason why the delegates did not give him a major support.

However, he also cautioned that party members have failed to elect any of the Malay candidates into the CEC, saying that such trend would not be good for the DAP in the long run.

"If I were to assess the result this time, all the Malay CEC members were appointed and not elected. But this is really up to the new generation of DAP.

"What is DAP? What is Malaysian Malaysia? If they are still holding the dream of one Malaysia race, such trend is not good for the future," he said.

 

Karpal: PAS an important, principled ally

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:26 AM PST

http://fz.com/sites/default/files/styles/mainbanner_645x435/public/DAP%20congress_2.jpg 

(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.
 

 

Anwar touts DAP for Penang ahead of polls

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:23 AM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/mugshots/anwaribrahim540px2.jpg 

(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/ 

 

Whither our prospects for fully developed status?

Posted: 15 Dec 2012 10:21 AM PST

http://www.sabah.gov.my/jpas/centre/picture/swaste/river.jpg 

(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?

 

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."

 

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)
2.  Lim Guan Eng (1,576)
3.  Karpal Singh (1,411)
4.  Chong Chieng Jen (1,211)
5.  Loke Siew Fook (1,202)
6.  Vincent Vu (1,202) [new]
7.  Tan Kok Wai (1,199)
8.  Gobind Singh Deo (1,197)
9.  Tony Pua (1,162)
10. Teng Chang Khim (1,152)
11. Fong Kui Lun (1,137)
12. Nga Kor Ming (1,075)
13. Chong Eng (1,006)
14. Chow Kon Yeow (986)
15. Liew Chin Tong (984) [new]
16. M Kulasegaran (984)
17. Boo Cheng Hau (958)
18. Teresa Kok (925)
19. Teo Nie Ching (903) [new]
20. Ngeh Koo Ham (824)

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.

READ MORE HERE

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

READ MORE HERE

 

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.

 

Perkasa swears loyalty to BN

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."

 

Deepak’s claims: Say something, Rosmah

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 10:08 PM PST

The opposition pact urges the 'First Lady of Malaysia' to answer claims she was involved in changing a statutory declaration implicating her husband in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Anisah Shukry, FMT

The prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor, must answer claims that she told carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan to look for P Balasubramanian after the private investigator's statutory declaration (SD) was made public, said Pakatan Rakyat.

On Wednesday, Deepak revealed the identity of his "female friend" who allegedly called up many people for favours on the day Balasubramaniam disclosed his first SD linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Since then, the female friend, Rosmah, has kept silent, but her detractors in the opposition coalition decry her move as being unfair to the contending parties as well as to the public.

When asked to comment, PAS lawmaker Dzulkefly Ahmad pointed out that since Rosmah was the "First Lady of Malaysia", these were grave allegations and could demolish all that was left of her credibility as well as her husband's, the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

"We are coming this close to an election that is the most critical by the way of a possibility of regime change," the Kuala Selangor MP told FMT.

"So I think it's only fair for all players that she immediately come out to challenge Deepak if she truly and honestly thinks that all these are a pack of lies concocted by him and whoever else contriving to bring her and her husband down.

"This is serious because it involves the prime minister, the first lady of Malaysia, the brother of the PM and whatnot."

Dzulkefly was referring to Deepak's claims that the latter had met with Nazim Tun Razak, who was representing Najib, and Balasubramaniam at a shopping mall after Rosmah had asked the carpet dealer for help.

According to Deepak, Nazim asked the private investigator what he wanted in return for making the second SD, which retracts all references of Najib's purported link with Altantuya made in the first SD.

The deal was eventually closed and Nazim allegedly called Najib to arrange for a lawyer to draft the second SD at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Deafening silence

"It will only get worse by way of the revelation of the exposé coming this way," Dzulkefly said.

He further declared that all the prime minister's talk of transformation, his apologies and emphasis on Islam would "go out the window" and "was finished" should the duo continue to keep up the silence.

"Stop this deafening silence, because, in this case, it is definitely not golden," he stressed.

He said neither Najib nor Rosmah would be able to sweep the issue under the carpet as Malaysians were a discerning, thinking lot.

"You can't avoid the perception of the rakyat, especially the discerning, thinking rakyat on which this election stands on."

He suggested that instead of ignoring the issue, she should pursue a legal case against Deepak to prove such allegations were untrue.

"This is killing them softly, so if she truly feels this is downright lies, come out and say something to challenge Deepak… perhaps a legal suit," said Dzulkefely.

'Stop destroying your husband's image'

Meanwhile, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin called on Rosmah to fulfil her duty as a wife by clearing both her name and, just as importantly, her husband's name.

"Rosmah needs to stop destroying her husband's image," the Ampang MP told FMT.

"She has been destroying the prime minister's reputation with her past actions, and now it will be further destroyed with these serious allegations by Deepak."

Zuraida said that, as the prime minister's wife, Rosmah should be building up her husband's image, but was instead smearing it.

"We have not heard anything from Rosmah; no attempts to straighten the facts out, to respond on the matter.

"It is a very serious allegation because it involves the murder of Altantuya, so Rosmah and the PM should come out with a statement."

Zuraida added that Rosmah should not use the soon-to-be released biography as an excuse to keep silent, as the allegations had been around for far too long.

According to Bernama, the 164-page book will be priced at RM150 and distributed next month. It is expected to negate the "unfounded allegations" against her.

Meanwhile, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua also implored the duo to come out in the open, adding that they could not keep silent forever in the face of Deepak's unending exposé.

"They must answer. They cannot keep silent, there have been too many allegations on the matter.

"Tell us the truth," urged Pua.

He said that while he had not been following the case completely, any allegations that could tarnish the prime minister's reputation as well as that of his direct associates must be dealt with immediately.

READ MORE HERE

 

Uganda: All Is Not Rosy in Malaysia

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 08:01 PM PST

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(The Observer, Kampala) - "There is a tendency for people to think that they are the most troubled, forgetting that life could be harder at the other side of the fence," said Paul Jjingo, a senior member of the group, imploring people to be grateful for the little things they have. 

Uganda's seminal theatre group, The Ebonies, will tomorrow seal what has been an outstanding year, with the premiere of their latest production, Malaysia, at Theatre La Bonita.

Word has it that the play about life's challenges and inequality is inspired by the group's recent tour of Europe and Asia where they were trained in acting. The group returned with state-of-the-art theatre equipment which they will put to use tomorrow.

"There is a tendency for people to think that they are the most troubled, forgetting that life could be harder at the other side of the fence," said Paul Jjingo, a senior member of the group, imploring people to be grateful for the little things they have.

Malaysia, which Jjingo says is a collection of real-life vignettes, echoes themes of exploitation, hypocrisy, corruption and love, among others.

 

Malaysia is world champion in corruption

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:33 PM PST

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(Hindustan Times) - Despite Malaysia's high-profile anti-corruption crusade, half of the corporate executives surveyed by a global corruption watchdog believe that competitors have obtained business in the country through bribery.

Transparency International said Malaysia scored worst in the 2012 Bribe Payers Survey.

It asked nearly 3,000 executives from 30 countries whether they had lost a contract in the past year because competitors paid a bribe, and in Malaysia, 50% of them said 'yes'.

Second on the dubious honor roll was Mexico, which was at 48%.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Japan was ranked as the world's least-corrupt place to do business, with just 2% of respondents saying they had lost out due to bribery.

Malaysia's neighbour Singapore was second-cleanest, which was at 9%.

Even Indonesia, with a long-standing reputation for corruption, fared better than more-developed Malaysia.

By comparison, 27% of respondents in China said they thought bribes had cost them business, the report said.

"It shows the attitude of private companies in Malaysia, indicating that bribery in the public sector could be systemic and in a sense institutionalized," Paul Low, president of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International, said.

 

Growing Chinese clout may cause new May 13, says Ibrahim Ali

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 07:30 PM PST

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(The Malaysian Insider) - The Chinese community will become a national security threat if it grow more powerful politically and economically, Datuk Ibrahim Ali has said, even warning that this could result in another bloody racial clash like the May 13 tragedy.

The Perkasa chief said in a Sinar Harian interview today that the Chinese have been playing up political sentiments of late and accused the country's second-largest ethnic group of having forgotten how living in Malaysia is "like heaven".

"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," the outspoken Pasir Mas federal lawmaker was quoted as saying in the article.

"Today, the Chinese are okay...but it's not enough... they want more. Now, they control 40 per cent of the country's economy, and now, they want political power as well," Ibrahim continued.

"But what will happen in 25 years from now? Today is okay, but tomorrow, when their power spreads, then it will threaten national security and the May 13 incident will return," he warned.

Ibrahim, or "Tok Him" as he is often called, has positioned himself as the firebrand for the Malay agenda and the face of Perkasa, the Malay right-wing group he founded just after the 12th general election in 2008.

But his fiery rhetoric and often racially-charged remarks have regularly put him on a collision course with non-Muslim politicians across the political divide, despite claims from the opposition that he has the backing of the ruling Umno.

Despite this, Ibrahim insisted in the Sinar Harian interview that none of what he has done or said in the past should qualify him for the "racist" label, even boasting that not a single police report has been lodged against him for being "racist" throughout his tenure at the head of the four-year-old Perkasa.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/growing-chinese-clout-may-cause-new-may-13-says-ibrahim-ali/ 

 

‘Manikavasagam is unprofessional’

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:19 PM PST

State exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar says that the onus is on Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to clear the air over the allegation.

K Pragalath, FMT

Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said today that it was unprofessional of Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to call him a "bastard" and an "idiot".

"It is unprofessional of a parliamentarian to make such a statement. The onus is on him [Manikavasagam] and the media to clarify the matter," he said.

He added that he has notified the party leadership on Manikavasagam's unprofessional conduct.

Jayakumar was commenting on MIC's exposé of two video clips where Manikavasagam had uttered the words "bastard" and "idiot" when referring to the former.

In the first video, Manikavasagam criticised Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, urging the latter to resign over the demolition of a shrine in Sepang.

Answering a question on whether the demolition of the shrine was correct, the Kapar MP replied: "Wrong! Cannot accept this! I'm telling you. MB must resign."

In the second clip, he said: "I'm telling you, I already talk… Xavier is another bastard. First, he protected the Majlis [Sepang Muncipal Council], after that when we pressure him, and then he twist. I also don't agree to touch 'kuil' [temple], how many… already seven [referring to the number of demolished temples under the Pakatan Rakyat government]."

He also claimed that three notices had been served to demolish a temple in his constituency.

Manikavasagam added that Jayakumar was an "idiot" who was adamant in demolishing the temples and did not listen to the former.

On Wednesday, Manikavasagam had joined a rally in Putrajaya led by PKR to protest the plight of stateless Indian Malaysians.

Today, the first-term MP claimed that the video clips were doctored and denied using the deragoratory terms on Jayakumar.

Manikavasagam has also lodged a police report against the MIC based on the FMT's report.

 

Sabotage claims, again: Xavier claims ex-DAP member 'paid off' to sabotage Selangor

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:03 PM PST

Xavier_Jayakumar

(Malaysian Digest) - Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar (pic) has accused former DAP member Tan Tuan Tat of "being paid" by certain quarters to sabotage the state Pakatan Rakyat administration, regarding the latter's claim that the Selangor government is set to demolish yet another temple soon.

Xavier said Tan's statement had "malicious intent".

"This is malicious thinking from someone whom I believe was paid to spread false news," Antarapos quoted Xavier as saying.

He was asked to comment on Tan's claims that a 150-year-old Hindu temple is the Selangor government's next target for demolition.

Yesterday, Tan at a Press conference in Kajang, had said that a temple in Ladang Teluk Merbau, Sepang, which was built during British colonial times, is now facing the same problem as that the Hindu altar at Taman Seroja, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, recently.

He said, the temple committee has written to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and the state exco numerous times since last year, but they have yet to see a positive response.

Xavier, in response to the issue, said the state government is not responsible for resolving the issue as it was not something under their jurisdiction.

Xavier, who is also Seri Andalas assemblyman, said the land in question belonged to a private company, and as such, the state government cannot interfere.

He then asked for Hindus who use the temple to pray and hold a discussion with the land owner.

"Why is there a need for the state to interfere; that is private land. The land owner needs to resolve the issue. Why come to the state government? The state has nothing to do with this issue.

"It's not our responsibility; it's the land owner's. He is the one who need to take appropriate action by virtue of being the owner, not us," he said.

This isn't the first time that Xavier is alleging sabotage. He had previously claimed that there could also be elements of sabotage behind the altar demolition incident in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi.

Then, he had claimed the demolition wasn't sanctioned by the Sepang Municipal Council and raised the possibility of rogue officers within the council.

 

Utusan to pay RM50,000 to Karpal Singh over defamatory article

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:35 PM PST

(The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh won RM50,000 in damages over a defamatory article published in Utusan Malaysia.

Judicial Commissioner Justice Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad ruled that the article published on Aug 25, 2008 was defamatory of Karpal.

"It is reasonable for the court to conclude that the words are defamatory of the plaintiff and clearly relates to him," she said on Friday.

Justice Nik Hasmat awarded RM50,000 in general damages saying that it was sufficient to compensate Karpal.

She disallowed exemplary and aggravated damages.

She said the reckless publication in the mainstream media on the eve of the Permatang Pauh by-election was mischievous.

She said the court, however, considered that there was no economic loss to Karpal as the Pakatan Rakyat coalition went on to win the by-election despite the publication of the said article.

Justice Nik Hasmat said the publication could lead to a certain degree of public ridicule and contempt against Karpal in view of the publication in Malaysia which is a Muslim populated nation.

She said it should not be "reckless journalism" with no regard to the truth, adding that journalist Zulkifli Jalil had written the article entitled "DAP diingat jangan bakar perasan orang Melayu" without verify the truth of its content.

In his RM10mil suit filed in 2008, Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, said the article had implied that he rejected Islam as the official religion of the country.

Justice Nik Hasmat said that the court considered that there was a genuine apology and retraction on the next day of the publication.

"The defendant unqualified and unconditionally made the apology and retraction. The defendant in their defence have said that it was a mistake," she said.

Zulkifli, 42, had testified that it was his honest mistake for implying that Karpal rejected Islam as an official religion of the country.

In the statement of claim, Karpal said the words in the article were highly malicious as he had not uttered such words in his welcoming address at the 15th DAP national congress on Aug 24, 2008.

 

Kelantan issues may hurt Pakatan’s chances, admits Mustafa Ali

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:30 PM PST

Md Izwan and Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider

The "indecent behaviour" summonses on non-Muslim couples by Kelantan administrators are likely to hurt Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) chances in the next general election, says Datuk Mustafa Ali.

The PAS secretary-general admitted that the spillover effect from the incident will be felt by PR during the coming general election as it has worried other component parties and their supporters.

"I cannot say for certain that this will not impact non-Muslim voters.

"But it may affect us (the parties)," Mustafa (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in an interview this week.

PAS, the DAP and PKR scored historic wins in Election 2008, capturing four more states and winning 82 federal seats to deny the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition of its traditional two-thirds majority in the 222-seat Parliament.

The 2008 victory has fuelled confidence in PR to go all out to win in the next polls and form the federal government but a series of issues have kept them on the defensive.

Mustafa also blamed the MCA for exaggerating the issue and giving a bad perception of PR, criticising its English-language daily The Star as having bad intentions towards the party.

"It may have caused a less-than-favourable perception towards PR to emerge. MCA's move is one of bad tactics," he said.

The Star reported last week that Kelantan enforcement officers had fined two non-Muslim couples for khalwat, a crime under syariah law, but PAS had quickly pointed out the summonses were for indecent behaviour.

The MCA has condemned the actions took by the state enforcers and accused the PAS government of imposing hudud law on non-Muslims.

PAS allies such as DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS Supporter Assembly chief Hu Pang Chaw have weighed in on the issue, and have called for the state government to explain the summonses.

Non-Muslim hairdressers in Kelantan were also recently reported to have also been slapped with fines for having customers of the opposite gender, breaching a local council by-law that bars women hairstylists from working on men and vice-versa — sparking a storm over the position of Islamic laws.

But the Kelantan government suspended the regulations relating to hairdressers two days ago after the uproar.

In the run-up to the 13th general election, BN has increasingly tried to discourage non-Muslim voters from voting for PR by saying that PAS would implement the Islamic penal code, hudud, and create an Islamic state.

While non-Muslims are exempt from syariah laws, Malaysia's dual-track court system has resulted in overlapping gray areas that have impinged on their constitutional rights.

 

The Pergau dam affair: will an aid for arms scandal ever happen again?

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 12:42 PM PST

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(The Guardian) - Tim Lankester, the civil servant in charge during the aid for trade scandal in 1994, has written a revealing book about the scandal that redefined British aid

Nearly 20 years on, the Pergau dam affair remains Britain's biggest aidscandal. Not only were hundreds of millions of pounds in UK aid linked to a major arms deal, but the project was deemed hopelessly uneconomic by officials in Britain and Malaysia. In late 1994, aid for the project was declared unlawful in a landmark case at the UK high court.

The Guardian ran more than 100 articles on Pergau that year, which dug into the secrecy surrounding the affair and asked how it was possible that so much could have gone wrong.

As the senior civil servant in charge of UK aid when the scandal broke, Tim Lankester found himself the centre of attention. It was a 1993National Audit Office (NAO) report – which noted his refusal to sign off the spending without formal, written instruction from ministers – that effectively blew the whistle on the project. His move raised the question: why had senior politicians approved £238m in aid – then the largest grant awarded for a single project – against the advice of civil servants?

Lankester has now written a fascinating but eye-wateringly expensive book on the affair. Uncovering forgotten documents and reconstructing the twists and turns of events, it offers a behind-the-scenes take on the controversy that would redefine British foreign aid.

"We were slipping in this direction for years," he says, describing the "pessimistic" mood among UK aid officials at the time. The aid budget had been slashed, more was being directed through international organisations, and what was left was increasingly being abused by commercial interests. "Pergau was us drawing a line in the sand," he says.

The UK aid programme at the time was managed by the Overseas Development Administration (ODA), a department of the Foreign Office. Without its own cabinet minister, the ODA was too weak to defend its corner, says Lankester. Meanwhile, the government's controversial aid-for-trade policy brought increased pressure from business, which saw the aid budget as a honey pot.

The end of the cold war had ratcheted up competition in the global arms trade; British firms, along with some people in government, were after any opportunity to boost sales.

The trouble began in 1988 with a secret defence agreement linking the promise of civilian aid to Malaysia with a major arms export deal. Lankester, at the Treasury then, sent a memo to John Major warning that the linkage could "create acute embarrassment to ministers and wasteful public expenditure … I have little doubt that the press will eventually get on to this".

However, it would take five years for details of the project to emerge. There were more people who knew about Pergau in business than in Whitehall, says Lankester, while NGOs knew nothing before the NAO report. He doubts the project would have gone through had more people known more about it earlier. Lankester cautions against solely blaming politicians, saying civil servants "gave way too easily".

Looking back, he admits he had doubts about the legality of the project and should have sought formal legal advice. He also underestimated the power of the business lobby in Whitehall and the Malaysian prime minister's own desire to push through the dam project, he says. On the UK side, he puts much of the affair down to the "extremely dominant" Margaret Thatcher, who was known to have views on aid and trade with Malaysia. "It was difficult for ministers to stand up to her."

Lankester visited Pergau for the first time last summer, and contrasts the drama of the affair with what he found – immense natural beauty and the relatively well-functioning dam. "It does work quite well, but it came at such a high cost," he says. The affair did leave some positive legacies: a cross-party consensus that aid should be officially "untied" from commercial interests, a new act enshrining in law its poverty reduction focus, and a cabinet minister for the new Department for International Development (DfID). Now, when a permanent secretary dissents from a spending proposal, parliament is immediately notified.

His book, however, ends with a warning: "It is impossible to say that something like this will never happen again with British aid."

Revelations that £500m in UK aid is spent through a small group of, primarily British, consultants raised questions in September about who benefits – and who profits – from the UK aid programme.

Read more at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/dec/12/pergau-dam-affair-aid-arms-scandal 

Read also: http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21566608-look-underbelly-foreign-aid-dam-lies 

Mahathir’s meddling is helping Pakatan

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 12:06 PM PST

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(Free Malaysia Today) - Dr Mahathir Mohamad is touching 90s, and has no clue as to how much the majority of voters dislike him right now.

If you cut it to the core, Dr Mahathir Mohamad is a mafia don who believes in quick fixes.

He literally built his own power and legacy from a humble beginning as the son of a headmaster into the one of the most powerful warlords in the country.

From that we know, Mahathir is not one who lacks in confidence. But he lacks in being able to think three to four levels deep.

He convinces himself that what happens next after his intervention in a situation was planned right from the beginning, when in fact it is an emerging threat that could blow his plans apart.

Mahathir has one additional weakness which he cannot fix.

He is touching 90, he was born in a different era and he really does not understand how much the majority of voters dislike him right now.

Mahathir failed in his personal quest to become a delegate from his own Kubang Pasu division and then his son failed to win the Ketua Pemuda post.

Mahathir does not know of the whisperings of discontent in the government circles and how even some of the plans being hatched are DOA (Dead On Arrival) because we have already intercepted them.

Why then is Mahathir being seen as relevant right now?

Why is he watching over Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak like Roman Abramovich watching over one of the Chelsea managers?

Because TSMY (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin – Deputy Prime Minister) is using Mahathir to do his dirty work in return for accommodating Mukhriz Mahathir.

Mahathir is now planning the post-Najib coup d'̩tat. This heaps, of course, more pressure on Najib than he really needs right now, but such is his role as the ultimate hatchet man Рthe political grim-reaper, so to speak.

But that is on the assumption that Umno actually manages to sneak in a victory.

Unappreciative local warlords

This is becoming an increasingly remote possibility and right now what Mahathir is doing is counter-productive.

In his obsession with quick fixes, Mahathir is now delivering the coup de grâce to Umno's chances in the 13th general election.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/12/14/mahathirs-meddling-is-helping-pakatan/ 

Residents: DAP bowed to PAS and forced ‘sexy’ singer off the stage

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST

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(The Star) - Villagers here are infuriated over the abrupt halt to a performance, which was a curtain raiser to a DAP dinner.

The enraged villagers who had raised thousands of ringgit to hire the singers are fuming that DAP had given in to the demands of PAS to stop the performance.

They said it was a slap on the face of the Chinese for DAP to bow to the pressures of PAS leaders who were at the function.

Apparently, PAS leaders who attended the function on Nov 17 in Telemong here had felt uncomfortable with a female singer's dressing that was purportedly too revealing and demanded that the performance be stopped.

Kampung Manchis village head Lee Ah Kaw told Sin Chew Daily that he was disappointed with the actions of DAP leaders who did not dare offend PAS.

"They are willing to sacrifice the rights of the Chinese for the sake of getting support from PAS.

"How do you expect us to place our trust in DAP for the wellbeing of the Chinese?" he asked.

He said the villagers confronted two local DAP leaders over the incident but efforts to get a proper answer were in vain.

He said that to date, he received 50 complaints from villagers over the incident, for which DAP had yet to give a satisfactory explanation.

Lee, together with Kampung Sg Perdak head Lai Chui Fan, Kampung Sg Gapoi head Tang Kam Sang and other village committee members, had raised the matter with DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang when he attended a DAP ceramah on Tuesday night.

He showed Lim an 8R photo of the event and requested Lim to explain why the party did not allow the singer to perform.

However, Lim merely said he would talk later and quickly went in to the dinner.

"I tried to hold Lim's hand but he walked away," Lee said.

An incensed Lee has given DAP one week to apologise, failing which he will gather the villagers to protest in front of Bentong DAP office.

In reaction, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said this proved DAP only dared to scold MCA but remained silent over PAS' wrongdoings.

He said the action by PAS leaders was an infringement on the rights of non-Muslims.

"If this had happened in Johor, MCA would have definitely been criticised by DAP," he said.

Earlier in Batu Pahat, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Laisaid this further proved there was no proper working relationship bet-ween DAP and PAS.

"This is obviously seen in the recent gender segregation issue involving hairdressers, the khalwat' incidents in Kelantan and now this incident in Bentong," he said, adding that DAP was still misleading people by saying one thing but doing another.

 

DAP: Pakatan has 50-50 chance of winning

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 11:48 AM PST

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(The Sun Daily) "Chances are good, with Kelantan being the safest, followed by Selangor, Penang, and Kedah," he said.

The DAP heads for its two-day national congress tomorrow on a confident note that its political pact with PAS and PKR can give the coalition a fair shot at federal power in the next general election.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance has a "50-50" chance of forming the next federal government after more than 50 years of Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

While admitting the fight will be a close one, Lim said he is confident the Opposition can give the incumbent a run for its money.

"It's always tough going up against the incumbent as they hold the reins of power," he told theSunrecently.

In the 2008 election, BN won 132 seats, short of its long-accustomed two-thirds majority in the 222-seat lower house of Parliament.

DAP, PAS and PKR managed to win 28, 23 and 31 seats respectively as well as administrative control of Penang and Selangor and the Malay heartland of Kedah, Kelantan and Perak but the last returned to BN soon after.

The 13th general election is expected to be the fiercest contest the country will yet see as BN looks to claw back what it lost while PR aims to consolidate and expand its power.

Preparations to face the election are expected to be the focus of some 2,500 DAP delegates when they meet at the Penang International Sports Arena here.

Although there has been criticism of the party for allegedly practising "dynasty politics", political observers note that delegates are likely to be circumspect and not rock the boat too much.

On PR aiming to bring more states into its fold, Lim hopes the pact will hold on to what it now has.

"Chances are good, with Kelantan being the safest, followed by Selangor, Penang, and Kedah," he said.

He added that PR is also reasonably confident of winning back Perak based on feedback from grassroots showing an increase in electorate support.

Meanwhile, the Penang Malay Congress (KMPP) has urged DAP to give two veteran Malay leaders – Ahmad Ton and Zulkifli Mohd Noor – at least the vice-president's post, Bernama reports.

Its president Rahmad Isahak said both the leaders need to be given higher posts because they have made substantial contributions to DAP over the past 25 years.

He said the KMPP will compel DAP to elect at least five Malay candidates into the central executive committee.

Videos ‘doctored’, says Manikavasagam

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 11:45 AM PST

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(Free Malaysia Today) - The Kapar MP claims that MIC wants to create a rift between him and other PKR leaders over the temple demolition issue.

Doctored! This is Kapar MP S Manikavasagam's response to the videos exposed by MIC, which showed him ranting against Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

 

 

"The video was doctored by MIC. I never used the word 'bastard' against Jayakumar. I don't use such terms on my party members. The context for Khalid to step down also was manipulated," he said.

The PKR leader told FMT that he was fond of using the word "celaka" (damn) and had used it against municipal councillors who did not toe the line.

The recordings, made during Wednesday's rally for stateless Indians in Putrajaya, were shown at a press conference organised by MIC Youth yesterday.

The recordings showed Manikavasagam calling Jayakumar a "bastard" and urging Khalid to resign over his failure to protect Hindu places of worship.

In his defence, the Kapar MP said: "Even [Opposition Leader] Anwar Ibrahim's sex videos can be doctored, what more these videos."

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/14/mic-doctored-the-video-claims-manikavasagam/ 

 

Spamming Malaysia — The Malaysian Insider

Posted: 13 Dec 2012 11:21 AM PST

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(The Malaysian Insider) - In the past 24 hours, some of you and definitely The Malaysian Insider have been inundated with emails from a number of names like Imran Sulaiman, Ranesa Jegatheesa and Malaysian Indian over the PKR protest for Indians who are purportedly stateless in Malaysia.

These emails are spam.

[MTadmin - MT has also been receiving a fair number with many of the letters being badly written and therefore went straight into Trash] 

They are a waste of time and definitely a waste of money if someone is being paid to churn them out and send them to all and sundry.

It shows how much political parties and even governments go to great lengths to get their views across to each and every one of us Malaysians ahead of the general election.

But it is a pain.

And it will turn off some if not most of the recipients of such emails.

Those in power can do better by engaging and explaining to the media the actual state of affairs on issues and matters where political parties take to the streets to push their cause.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/spamming-malaysia-the-malaysian-insider/ 

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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