| The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 18) Posted: 23 Dec 2012 05:02 PM PST 
If Syed Hamid had accepted the court's decision and had left me alone then my move to the UK would have been delayed, at least by more than a year or even two years. But because he wanted me back in Kamunting he left me no choice but to leave the country earlier than planned. And because of that Marina's cancer had been detected probably two years earlier than it would have. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin We would like to believe that we are masters of our own destiny. Sure, there is such a thing called fate. But we would like to believe that we decide our own fate. Man proposes but God disposes is seldom a concept that we think about until after the event. And even then we always look at external events that influenced these changes to blame for that failure. Are there such things called silver linings in dark clouds? I suppose those who believe in blessings would categorise it as a blessing in disguise. But why must blessings come in disguise? Why can't blessings come dressed in labels so that we can recognise them when they arrive rather than much later down the road long after the event? We all have dreams. Those who no longer dream are those who have died, said the late Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba, one time Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. As long as we breathe we will still dream, explained the Tun. Hence to dream is what spurs us. The day we stop dreaming is the day we stop living, figure of speech, of course. My dream was to ride my motorcycle from Malaysia to the UK. That never happened. I plotted and I planned, but God is the greatest plotter of all, as the Qur'an says. Hence whatever we say must always be tempered with the phrase Insha Allah (God willing or if God wills it) lest we tempt fate. Don't the English always say 'touch wood' to avoid the mischief by the devil of the trees that humankind worshipped in the days before 'Holy Books and 'Abrahamic Faiths'? My father died, I had to seek employment to support myself, I got married, my first child Raja Suraya arrived, all within a space of two years to make that bike ride from Kuala Lumpur to London a dream that would never come true. Maybe I would still do it one day. Maybe I will still live my dream. But that would have to wait. It would now no longer be what I do before I begin my life. It would have to be something I do before I end my life. It would be what I do once I retire. And so my wife, Marina, and I planned that retirement. But how would I interpret 'retirement'? I suppose retirement would be something that I stop doing. It would be a change of lifestyle of sorts. I would no longer do what I am doing now. I would stop doing what I am doing and do nothing. And then I would fill that empty space with something new. But when should I retire and what do I do to fill in that time of retirement? Marina and I discussed it many times and for quite some time. This was during the height of the Reformasi days. Retirement would be when I reached 60. And that would, therefore, be after 2010. And when I retire we would move to England, buy a second hand Mini Cooper, and then tour Europe. Okay, this is not quite riding my motorcycle from Malaysia to the UK. But that was my dream when I was still just 20. At 60, dreams have to be modified slightly. It was no longer just about me but would include Marina as well. And at 60 my bones were no longer what they used to be when I was 20. Hence driving my Mini Cooper all over Europe may be less taxing on my body than riding a motorcycle from Kuala Lumpur to London. And I doubt sitting on the back seat of a motorcycle for almost 10,000 miles would have been Marina's idea of fun. The groundwork for our eventual move to the UK was laid in December 2001 soon after my first ISA detention that same year when we relocated two of our sons to Manchester. Three years later, in November 2004, soon after Malaysia Today was launched, Marina and I made a trip to Manchester together with our youngest, Raja Sara, to see how the boys were getting on. Were they happy in the UK? Would they like to stay on or would they like to return to Malaysia? Could our youngest join them later to continue her education in the UK? It was decided that the move to the UK was viable after all. The children were okay with living in the UK and we found that life in Manchester was tolerable enough as a life of retirement. Another three years later, in 2007, we bought a family home in Manchester. There was no turning back now. Come 2010, when I reach 60, we would pack our bags and build a new life for ourselves in Manchester. The following year, in 2008, I was detained under the ISA a second time. My sons wanted to return to Malaysia but Marina told them to stay on. The detention will not be forever. Probably in two years time, by 2010, I would be released. We would then join the family in Manchester. I was, however, released earlier. After only two months the court declared my detention illegal and ordered my release. The Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, an old friend of 30 years, was outraged. They tried appealing my release and when that appeared to go awry Syed Hamid signed a new Detention Order and wanted to detain me a third time. This time I was not going to get off so easily. Syed Hamid realised his mistake and he was not going to make that same mistake again. He was going to make sure that the new Detention Order was airtight so that no court would find any loopholes to order my release. And that was when Marina decided that enough is enough and demanded that I leave the country. It was a week of confrontation and negotiation. Marina finally gave me an ultimatum. Either I leave the country or else she was going to leave me. She had had enough of driving up to Kamunting every Saturday to visit me. She was going to leave Malaysia with or without me. Finally I relented. We were going to leave in or soon after 2010 anyway. 2009 was only a year or two earlier than planned. What difference does one year make? We left on a Saturday night and by Sunday we were across the border. On Monday, the police arrived at my house to detain me. We had made it with just 24 hours to spare. Our information was spot on and we got out in the nick of time. It took a month to sort out our papers so that we could travel to the UK. Finally, in March 2009, we arrived in Manchester. It was now time to settle down into a British way of life. We registered with the NI and NHS and also registered as a voter. We needed an identity, as we were still a non-entity. The NHS sent us letters to go in for a medical examination. For women of a certain age they also offer to do a test for breast cancer. Marina ignored the first letter she received, as she did the second letter. By the third letter I persuaded her to go in for the test since it is free anyway. If not they might keep sending her letters until she responded. We drove to the place and they did the test. They then sent Marina another letter asking her to go in for a more thorough test. They suspected she might have breast cancer after all. My blood ran cold. I knew what breast cancer can do to a woman. I have lost enough friends and family members to that scourge to know. Further tests proved that Marina did, in fact, have breast cancer. But it was still within stage one-stage two. Hence the chance for recovery was good. They would need to remove the cancer through surgery and thereafter put her under radiotherapy treatment. She would also require five years of medication, which would cost a bomb in Malaysia but was free in the UK. We met the surgeon who told us that it was lucky that they had detected the cancer early. Hence Marina's chances of recovery were greatly enhanced. It was still stage one-stage two. If it had gone to stage three, or worse, then the chances of recovery reduces drastically. If Syed Hamid had accepted the court's decision and had left me alone then my move to the UK would have been delayed, at least by more than a year or even two years. But because he wanted me back in Kamunting he left me no choice but to leave the country earlier than planned. And because of that Marina's cancer had been detected probably two years earlier than it would have. Cancer is about early detection. If you must get cancer then better you know early because it increases your chances of survival. As fate would have it, Marina's cancer was detected early because we were forced to bring forward our plan to retire more than a year or two years earlier than planned. Yes, man proposes but God disposes. We can dream but not always do our dreams come true. My first dream to ride my motorcycle from Malaysia to the UK never came true. My second dream to retire in or soon after 2010 and then move to the UK once I am 60 also did not come true. Instead, it happened earlier, soon after I turned 58. But it was not one of choice. It was what I was forced to do. On hindsight, Syed Hamid did me a favour. If he had left me alone I would have done nothing. But if I had done nothing would that have meant by the time they detected Marina's cancer two years later it would have been too late? I suppose that is what fate is all about. You never know. You can only talk about blessings in disguise. You can only talk about silver linings in dark clouds. As they say: the Lord moves in mysterious ways. TO BE CONTINUED The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 1) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 2) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 3) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 4) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 5) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 6) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 7) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 8) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 9) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 10) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 11) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 12) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 13) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 14) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 15) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 16) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 17) |
| Muslims And Catholics Come Together For Christmas Donations In London, Ontario Posted: 23 Dec 2012 03:41 PM PST 
(Huff Post) - Catholics and Muslims were able to put their religious differences aside for the sake of Canada's poor this week. According to the London Free Press, members of the London, Ontario, Muslim mosque helped the Society of St. Vincent du Paul, a Catholic organization, gather enough food to feed more than 100 families during the Christmas season. "I feel extremely pleased and grateful, looking around this room," Moe Lacerte, the volunteer president of the St. Vincent de Paul conference, told the London Free Press as he looked over the overwhelming donations collected by the mosque. "We've never had so much to give. We will have extra; we'll be able to replenish our food bank here," he added. Lacerte told the Inquisitr that this was the first year he had reached out to the mosque when asking for annual donations. "We all want the same things: peace and respect, and I see this as a beginning of working together," he said of the collaboration. Ali D. Chahbar, who helped organize the drive at the mosque, told the London Free Press, "To us, the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of brotherly love, and why wouldn't we want to be a part of it?" "We are not Christians and don't celebrate Christmas but we are engulfed by the spiritand ... any time there's a jubilant harmonious feeling, whatever creed it is under, we thrive on it," he added. Chahbar told the Inquisitr that the mosque was able to collect 30 boxes of goods, most of them collected by students at the Islamic School. "It was fantastic, amazing," he told the news source. "Within the blink of an eye, they had boxes and boxes." Members of the Western University's Muslim Student Association also helped out with donations. "We filled a pickup truck, and my van is filled to the gunnels," Lacerte said of all the donations. "It was unbelievable." This isn't the first time different religions have worked together for greater good. In 2007, Asia News reported that Christians and Muslims came together in the Philippines to spread peace in the region of Mindanao. Members of both religions volunteered their services during the holy days of each respective religion. |
| No merriness here: mosque puts fatwa on Christmas Posted: 23 Dec 2012 03:38 PM PST
(Sydney Morning Herald) - THE Lakemba Mosque has issued a fatwa against Christmas, warning followers it is a ''sin'' to even wish people a Merry Christmas. The religious ruling, which followed a similar lecture during Friday prayers at Australia's biggest mosque, was posted on its Facebook site on Saturday morning. The head imam at Lakemba, Sheikh Yahya Safi, had told the congregation during prayers that they should not take part in anything to do with Christmas. Samir Dandan, the president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which oversees the mosque, could not be reached for comment on Saturday. The fatwa, which has sparked widespread community debate and condemnation, warns that the "disbelievers are trying to draw Muslims away from the straight path". It also says that Christmas Day and associated celebrations are among the "falsehoods that a Muslim should avoid ... and therefore, a Muslim is neither allowed to celebrate the Christmas Day nor is he allowed to congratulate them". The posting of the fatwa has shocked many Muslim leaders. The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, said the foundations of Islam were peace, co-operation, respect and holding others in esteem. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking irresponsibly," he said. "There is difference between showing respect for someone's belief and sharing those beliefs," Dr Ibrahim said. Dr Ibrahim said the views did not represent the majority of Muslims in Australia. "We are required to have good relations with all people, and to congratulate them on their joyous events is very important." The fatwa quotes the teacher Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim as saying that congratulating disbelievers for their rituals is forbidden, and if a "Muslim who says this does not become a disbeliever himself, he at least commits a sin as this is the same as congratulating him for his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery". A community leader, Dr Jamal Rifi, said he did not agree with the school of thought behind the fatwa. "We can share the festivities with friends and families and neighbours – I don't think there is any civil, religious or ethical reason not to," he said. Dr Rifi and Sheikh Youssef Nabha, the imam of the Kingsgrove Mosque, are travelling to Nauru on Sunday night with priests from the Maronite and Melkite churches in Sydney to attend Christmas celebrations with the asylum seekers held there. Dr Rifi said he and Sheikh Youssef would be distributing Christmas cards during the visit. A community advocate and Muslim convert, Rebecca Kay, told Fairfax Media: "It's sad to see the Lebanese Muslim Association, which considers itself the peak body representing Australian Muslims, with comments like these. It goes to show how far they are from representing the community. "The notion that Muslims wishing other people a merry Christmas will take them out of their faith is outright ridiculous, laughable and borders on the extreme." Keysar Trad, a former official with the Lebanese Muslim Association, said in his time with the organisation they used to regularly greet people with merry Christmas. "I don't know what has changed," he said. "But now as a representative of Australia's peak Muslim body, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, I would like to wish all your readers a merry Christmas and a happy new year." The posting of the fatwa has shocked many Muslim leaders. The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, said the foundations of Islam were peace, co-operation, respect and holding others in esteem. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking irresponsibly," he said. "There is difference between showing respect for someone's belief and sharing those beliefs," Dr Ibrahim said. Dr Ibrahim said the views did not represent the majority of Muslims in Australia. "We are required to have good relations with all people, and to congratulate them on their joyous events is very important." The fatwa quotes the teacher Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim as saying that congratulating disbelievers for their rituals is forbidden, and if a "Muslim who says this does not become a disbeliever himself, he at least commits a sin as this is the same as congratulating him for his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery". A community leader, Dr Jamal Rifi, said he did not agree with the school of thought behind the fatwa. "We can share the festivities with friends and families and neighbours – I don't think there is any civil, religious or ethical reason not to," he said. Dr Rifi and Sheikh Youssef Nabha, the imam of the Kingsgrove Mosque, are travelling to Nauru on Sunday night with priests from the Maronite and Melkite churches in Sydney to attend Christmas celebrations with the asylum seekers held there. Dr Rifi said he and Sheikh Youssef would be distributing Christmas cards during the visit. A community advocate and Muslim convert, Rebecca Kay, told Fairfax Media: "It's sad to see the Lebanese Muslim Association, which considers itself the peak body representing Australian Muslims, with comments like these. It goes to show how far they are from representing the community. "The notion that Muslims wishing other people a merry Christmas will take them out of their faith is outright ridiculous, laughable and borders on the extreme." The posting of the fatwa has shocked many Muslim leaders. The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, said the foundations of Islam were peace, co-operation, respect and holding others in esteem. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking irresponsibly," he said. "There is difference between showing respect for someone's belief and sharing those beliefs," Dr Ibrahim said. Dr Ibrahim said the views did not represent the majority of Muslims in Australia. "We are required to have good relations with all people, and to congratulate them on their joyous events is very important." The fatwa quotes the teacher Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim as saying that congratulating disbelievers for their rituals is forbidden, and if a "Muslim who says this does not become a disbeliever himself, he at least commits a sin as this is the same as congratulating him for his belief in the trinity, which is a greater sin and much more disliked by Almighty Allaah than congratulating him for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing fornication or adultery". A community leader, Dr Jamal Rifi, said he did not agree with the school of thought behind the fatwa. "We can share the festivities with friends and families and neighbours – I don't think there is any civil, religious or ethical reason not to," he said. Dr Rifi and Sheikh Youssef Nabha, the imam of the Kingsgrove Mosque, are travelling to Nauru on Sunday night with priests from the Maronite and Melkite churches in Sydney to attend Christmas celebrations with the asylum seekers held there. Dr Rifi said he and Sheikh Youssef would be distributing Christmas cards during the visit. A community advocate and Muslim convert, Rebecca Kay, told Fairfax Media: "It's sad to see the Lebanese Muslim Association, which considers itself the peak body representing Australian Muslims, with comments like these. It goes to show how far they are from representing the community. "The notion that Muslims wishing other people a merry Christmas will take them out of their faith is outright ridiculous, laughable and borders on the extreme." |
| Royals spearhead fight for oil royalties Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST 
Sean Augustin, fz.com The sharing of oil royalties between the federal government and oil-producing states, an issue heavily championed by the opposition, is now evolving into a rallying cry for Barisan Nasional politicians to demand a bigger slice of revenue for the states. One platform for this cause is Amanah Terengganu, a non-partisan NGO that will embark on a roadshow next year to increase awareness about the people's right to development. Amanah Terengganu chairman Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Raja Ahmad believes that the issue could even determine the next state government after the general election. The NGO is a branch of Angkatan Amanah Negara, headed by Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Other leaders in the national group include former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing, who is aligned to Pakatan Rakyat. The issue of oil royalties is a thorny one for the federal government in Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, especially since oil revenue is the biggest contributor the national budget. While the East Malaysian states have been receiving 5% of oil royalties, Kelantan has been fighting for its share, and Terengganu has had a chequered history of payments after PAS took control of the state from 1999 to 2004. Terengganu's oil royalty was replaced with gratuity money or "wang ehsan", which was paid at the discretion of the federal government. Raja Bahrin feels that because the people of Terengganu are not well-informed about their stake in the issue, they may not press the government to recognise their rights, which in turn could see Terengganu lose out in the long run. "About 90% of the state's budget comes from oil and gas. However, the state is supposed to receive 5% in royalties," he told fz.com. "Wang ehsan can be zero and there is no time frame or set percentages," he said. Raja Bahrin stressed that the state cannot be developed on gratuity money alone. Terengganu, he said, should take Aceh as an example when it comes to the importance of oil royalties. The province in Indonesia was granted autonomy in 2002 and was awarded a 70% share of royalties from the sale of natural resources, including oil and natural gas. As a result, Raja Bahrin said, the province is booming. "We are not asking for autonomy, just 5%. Sabah and Sarawak have their share, although they are now demanding 20%," he said. In 2000, the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had ordered the national petroleum company, Petronas, to rescind oil royalty payment on the grounds the federal government had no confidence in PAS to manage the funds. The PAS-led state government filed a suit against the federal government in 2001, insisting that the latter's decree was illegal as its share of the 5% was an agreement made between Petronas and the state government. The case had been stuck in court and in 2009, the federal government reinstated oil royalties, although disagreements remained particularly around 'wang ehsan' or gratuity money. In 2008, the federal government claimed that Terengganu had been paid RM7.364 billion from March 2004 to March 2007. However, current Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said told the state legislative assembly that it had received RM6.218 billion between 2000 and 2008, while on another occasion claimed that the state only received RM4.3 billion, out of the RM7.364 billion, had been received. PAS has said that it only received RM432 million of the 'wang ehsan' payment when it ruled the state from 1999 to 2004. This year, the BN-led state government voluntarily dropped its 11-year-old suit against Petronas, without any settlement. "The rakyat must know on what grounds the suit was withdrawn. |
| Ngeh: Kelantan land-for-Perak MB claim a blatant lie Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:25 PM PST 
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Perak DAP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham today insisted that allegations that he and another Perak DAP leader were given land worth RM30 million in PAS-ruled Kelantan in exchange for PAS taking the Perak Menteri Besar post is a "blatant lie". Perak BN state lawmakers had recently made the accusations against Ngeh and his cousin Nga Kor Ming, who is DAP's MP for Taiping.
"Clearly, the allegation that we were given the land in exchange for our agreement to appoint Dato' Seri Nizar Bin Jamaluddin in 2008 is a blatant lie," Ngeh said in a statement today. He said that the Kelantan government led by PAS did not give him or Nga any land in the state, stressing that the Perak DAP duo had instead bought over the company tasked with developing the land. "I would like to reiterate that neither YB Nga Kor Ming nor I was given any land by the Kelantan Government. The acquisition of Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd together with other investors in April this year (2012) was a commercial transaction purchased in the open market." He said that the duo and the new shareholders of Upaya were "taking a business risk like any other investors". "Therefore, the acquisition of Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd was not done in a secretive manner. I must repeat that it was a commercial transaction purchased in the open market," the Beruas MP said.
Ngeh claimed BN raised the allegations against him and Nga to "divert the public's attention" from the land "scandals" which the duo had brought up in the Perak state assembly.
The two state lawmakers had claimed inside the state assembly that the Perak government led by BN was allegedly involved in what they describe as multi-million ringgit scandals. Ngeh further said that he had pledged to not engage in corrupt practices from the days of his youth. "As my personal integrity is being questioned, I would like to state that never in my whole life have I given a single sen of bribe and neither have I taken a single sen of bribe.
Yesterday, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh had asked Ngeh to clear the air over the controversy. READ MORE HERE |
| CEC consented to my Datukship, says Ngeh Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST (The Star) - Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham stressed that the party's central executive committee had consented to the Datukship that was conferred upon him. He said he had discussed the matter with the CEC then and that there had been differing views. "Karpal Singh objected during the meeting. However, most of the CEC felt I should concentrate on my job rather than get sidetracked by the issue, so they gave their approval." "I can accept Karpal's views because as social democrats, the party is against class creation through titles but I believe he should also respect the views of the majority," said Ngeh who was awarded the Darjah Datuk Paduka Mahkota Perak, which carries the title of Datuk, in 2008. He said he had never sought the Datukship. "I have never asked for the Datuk title. "Even when my name was suggested, I told Datuk Seri Muhammad Nizar Jamaluddin (the then Mentri Besar) not to send it in," he said. Ngeh said his lifestyle had not changed despite getting a Datukship. "I still eat chap fan (mixed rice) with the people. "I think the party can accept the title as it was awarded in appreciation of the service done for the people," he said. He declined to comment further when asked about Karpal's comment that the party would take action against members who accept such titles in future. Meanwhile, Selangor State Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim chided Karpal for "harping on matters which were of no significance to DAP's political and social agenda. "Karpal should demonstrate political maturity required of a senior political leader by talking more about public policies than harping on matters of his personal opinion which will not help the party to build a truly multi-racial party in the pursuit to win Putrajaya," said Teng when contacted in Guangzhou. He said DAP did not have any policy restraining its members from accepting Datukships and asked the party chairman to show him central executive committee minutes which stated so. Teng said in his case he had not applied for his Datukship that was conferred in 2010. When the Sultan (Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah) conferred the award and title, it was only proper to accept it respectfully, he added. |
| Bersih 2.0 gagal mengetengahkan isu sebenar pilihan raya, kata bekas pengerusi SPR Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:11 PM PST 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 2.0) gagal mengetengahkan isu yang sebenar pilihan raya di Malaysia walaupun mereka tahu apa yang mereka mahu kata bekas pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman. "Sebab mereka tidak kemukakan apa yang mereka mahu. Mereka hendak undi pos dikaji, ini semua kecil. "Bagi saya, ia tidak membantu untuk memperkuatkan amalan demokrasi. Ia hanya merubah sedikit tatacara atau pun prosedur," katanya beliau dipetik dari Sinar Harian Online. Menurut Abdul Rashid lagi, tuntutan Bersih 2.0 hanya bersifat "quick fix" dan tidak menyentuh perubahan struktur. "Tetapi Bersih (2.0) ini khusus untuk kita buat perubahan pada sistem pilihan raya dan mereka tidak berapa mengerti agaknya, tuntutan-tuntutan itu nampaknya tidak menyeluruh. "Saya kaji juga tuntutan-tuntutan ini dan mereka tidak mendesak dilakukan suatu perubahan yang menyentuh struktur. "Maknanya seluruh undang-undang itu dikaji. Bukan satu dua tempat. Ini macam kita tukar bateri, tukar 'spark plug', tukar minyak hitam, 'quick fix' ini (sebenarnya) boleh mendatangkan masalah yang lebih besar. Yang dasarnya tidak berubah." Beliau bersara sebagai pengerusi SPR selepas pilihan raya umum (PRU) 2008 yang menyaksikan berlakunya tsunami politik apabila buat pertama kalinya Barisan Nasional (BN) kehilangan majoriti tradisi dua pertiga di Parlimen. Abdul Rashid juga melahirkan rasa terkejutnya selepas meneliti tuntutan Bersih 2.0 walaupun menurutnya, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) tersebut terdiri daripada orang hebat dan peguam ternama. "Tuntutan-tuntutan itu nampaknya ... apabila anda buat tuntutan itu, kerajaan respon, itulah yang dibuat menerusi PSC, itu yang dibuat. Jadi tuntutan mereka telah dipenuhi. "Tapi kita tahu, Bersih hendak lebih daripada itu. Mereka tidak mahu PSC. Mereka mahu suruhanjaya yang betul-betul bebas dan adil," katanya. |
| Pakatan may cut Petronas’ yearly RM30b dividend to Putrajaya Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:07 PM PST 
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will push Petronas to cut its annual RM30 billion dividend to Putrajaya if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that he leads win in the coming general elections, business newswire Bloomberg.com reported today. PR will instead set Petronas' dividends to the country at a fixed percentage of the firm's profits, allowing the state oil firm to spend more on investments overseas that will give better profits, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said. "Petronas should be left to run on a purely commercial basis," he told Bloomberg when explaining Anwar's plans. According to Bloomberg, a PR administration is likely set up a parliamentary committee in Malaysia's Dewan Negara to improve transparency over Petronas, which currently reports to the prime minister. Petronas is widely-regarded as the country's piggy bank, with Reuters reporting this July that it is Malaysia's largest taxpayer and biggest revenue source, funding 45 per cent of the government's budget even as the country's continues its run of huge budget debts. Petronas chief executive officer Shamsul Azhar Abbas had, in September, said the firm should change its current model of paying RM30 billion annually to Putrajaya and pay 30 per cent of its profit instead, Bloomberg reported. Another key policy change by PR to boost the country's oil reserves and revenue will be to get Petronas to buy more oil blocks overseas and cut down on exploring small local oil sites. PR reportedly said that this overseas investment approach could be a better way to gain more from the RM300 billion that Petronas will be spending over the next five years. "There's a higher probability you'll strike bigger reserves should those resources be deployed to discover oil blocks overseas. "We'll lose out in the long-term from opportunity lost, especially when the Chinese are particularly agressive in acquiring blocks around the world," Rafizi said in an interview with Bloomberg last Tuesday. READ MORE HERE |
| Councillors deny corruption allegations aimed at them in a blog Posted: 23 Dec 2012 02:03 PM PST 
Ong with lawyer Jagdeep talking to reporters after filing a police report against the news blog in George Town December 24, 2012. – Picture by K.E. Ooi Opalyn Mok, The Malaysian Insider Three councillors have denied corruption allegations against them that was published in a Chinese-language news blog recently. The three – Ong Ah Teong, Tahir Jalaluddin Hussain and Prem Anand – have denied accepting bribes from traders as inducement not to take action against them as alleged in the news blog. The three, accompanied by Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo, also lodged police reports against the blog today for criminal defamation and fraudulent use of network facilities. Last Friday, the news blog iMAGnews.com.my published a post alleging that Penang Island Municipal councillors are accepting bribes from traders as inducement not to take action against the traders. The site also alleged that one of the councillors had received RM25,000 from a single mother at a cafe. Jagdeep said the site did not mention names but had included a photo of the three councillors with the post. The trio lodged the police report at around 11.30am today. "We will also find out the details of the blog owner and consider taking legal action against the owner as corruption allegations is a very serious matter," Jagdeep told a press conference outside the police headquarters here. This is not the first time the site had targeted councillors in its posts, according to Ong. He claimed that on Dec 15 the site had published a post alleging him of abuse of power. "I would like to ask the blog writer to lodge a police report or a report with the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if they have proof that any of the councillors have accepted bribes," Ong said. Jagdeep said the state government has always maintained a clean governance so allegations like this could smear the council and the state government's reputation. |
| Anwar, beware of the desperate men Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:57 PM PST 
The Malaysia that we all aspire to has no place for gutter politics. We have no place for PI Bala, Deepak or Musa Hassan. CT Ali, FMT All the usual suspects РAnwar Ibrahim, Subang MP R Sivarasa, PKR vice-president N Surendan and key PKR players Рwhen will they ever learn? "So he [Anwar] said I give you the place, whatever you want to do I help you, but you have to help me lah, of course it is understood lah," said the man in the video. Is this not deja vu again? Have we not heard all this before during the PI Bala inquisition? An inquisition that was supposed to cause "porak peranda" (create chaos and disorder) within Umno by making Najib Tun Razak a liar? And yet on the very next day private investigator P Balasubramaniam made an about-turn to hit Anwar and the usual suspects full in their faces as he retracted his first statutory declaration (SD). And now Deepak Jaikishan and Musa Hassan. It has all the hallmarks of a situation that Anwar and his usual suspects would rub their hands in glee at the prospect of using for their political advantage Рdurian runtuh, says the Malays. These are desperate men who have outlived their usefulness to the powers-that-be but still with a story to tell about intrigues, money politics and corruption in which they themselves were embroiled. These are people that Anwar and his usual suspects can have use of. Desperate and with nowhere to turn, these men will clutch at any straw and go to the ends of the earth to have someone champion their pathetic cause. And that someone is invariably Anwar. You scratch my back, I scratch your back. Shades of corruption, money politics and what happened in Sibu with the Najib "You help me, I help you" rejoinder that our prime minister extended to the people of Sibu. The people of Sibu, to their credit, threw it back to this prime minister of ours with interests. And to try and enhance his non-existing credibility, Deepak brings Nurul Izzah Anwar into this sordid affair, knowing full well that she is about the only credible thing left within PKR, hoping against hope that if he can somehow link Nurul to the mess, some of her credibility will rub onto to his sorry situation. Of course, Anwar denies any involvement in this re-emergence of Deepak. "The allegation [that Pakatan is behind this expos̩] is baseless. Look at the facts," Anwar had said. He had explained that Deepak's expos̩ was clearly linked to a court trial, and that he had no control over court dates. "What has that got to do with us? He wanted to adduce evidence, saying that money was transferred to the PM or his wife. What has that got to do with me?" he had said. Buck stops with Anwar Anwar, what if the emerging facts point to your collusion in using Deepak and this sordid gutter politics of his "untuk mecemar" Najib and Rosmah? What then? What then of your aspirations to be prime minister of Malaysia? What then of Pakatan Rakyat's chances to win the 13th general election? Someone needs to tell Anwar that the bucks stop with him. I will be that person. READ MORE HERE |
| KITA mahu Kelantan jelaskan tanah diberi kepada DAP Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:50 PM PST 
Ketua KITA, Masrum Dayat bertanya adakah syarikat Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd merupakan penender yang tertinggi. Muda Mohd Noor, FMT Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (KITA) mahu kerajaan negeri Kelantan memberi penjelasan mengenai pemberian pajakan tanah Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK) kepada syarikat pimpinan DAP Perak yang menjadi perbualan umum sekarang. Tanah seluas 10, 526 ekar di Gua Musang itu dikatakan telah diberikan kepada Syarikat Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd. Ketua KITA, Masrum Dayat bertanya adakah syarikat Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd merupakan penender yang tertinggi. Walaupun transaksi tersebut merupakan transaksi perniagaan persendirian, tetapi ia membabitkan sebuah badan berkanun negeri Kelantan. Katanya, terdapat dua laporan berbeza yang yang memerlukan penjelasan lebih khusus. "Satu laporan menyebut bahawa syarikat Upayapadu Plantation telah memeterai perjanjian dengan YIK untuk membeli tanah bernilai lebih RM30 juta itu pada tahun 2006. "Satu lagi laporan yang memetik kenyataan exco kerajaan negeri, Dr Mohd Fadzli Hassan bahawa ia merupakan usahasama projek melalui konsep pajakan dan perjanjian selama 50 tahun dengan diberikan pajakan dan bukannya hak milik," kata Masrum dalam satu kenyataan media hari ini. Menteri Besar, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat menafikan dakwaan kononnya beliau memberikan tanah bernilai lebih RM30 juta kepada pemimpin DAP sebagai habuan memastikan Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin dilantik Menteri Besar Perak pada 2008. Pengerusi DAP Perak Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham tutut menafikan beliau memberi laluan kepada PAS untuk jawatan Menteri Besar negeri itu kepada parti Islam tersebut sebagai pertukaran dengan kontrak pembalakan di Kelantan, walaupun menjadi pengarah dalam syarikat pembalakan di kawasan tersebut. Ngeh dan seorang lagi Adun DAP Perak , Datuk Nga Kor Ming berkata, mereka melabur dalam syarikat tersebut, tetapi menegaskan tidak ada perjanjian dalam perkara tersebut. Isu pemberian tanah ini telah dibangkitkan dalam sidang dewan undangan negeri Perak, minggu lalu. READ MORE HERE |
| Konvoi Oren NS: 2 cedera, cermin kereta pecah Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:47 PM PST 
Insiden berlaku berhampiran simpang masuk ke Felda Bukit Rokan Utara, Gemencheh, Tampin apabila kira-kira 100 orang penduduk tempatan yang membawa bendera BN menghalang peserta konvoi seramai 200 orang meneruskan perjalanan. Zefry Dahalan, FMT TAMPIN: Konvoi Oren "Selamatkan Felda" peringkat Negeri Sembilan semalam tercemar apabila dua peserta konvoi cedera dan cermin sebuah kereta pacuan empat roda milik peserta turut pecah. Insiden berlaku berhampiran simpang masuk ke Felda Bukit Rokan Utara, Gemencheh, Tampin apabila kira-kira 100 orang penduduk tempatan yang membawa bendera BN menghalang peserta konvoi seramai 200 orang meneruskan perjalanan. Menurut Pengarah Program Konvoi Oren Negeri Sembilan, Abdul Rahman Ramli; ketika peserta konvoi baru sahaja sampai di lokasi, sekumpulan lelaki yang bersenjatakan kayu dan batu meluru kepada sebuah kereta pacuan empat roda yang berada di paling hadapan. "Mereka memecahkan cermin kereta di hadapan dan kedua-dua cermin tingkap sebelah kiri kereta dengan kayu. "Sebenarnya tindakan lelaki-lelaki yang membawa bendera BN dan Umno ini adalah satu tindakan yang salah. "Menyedari bantahan daripada mereka, kami tidak masuk ke Felda Bukit Rokan Utara, sebaliknya hanya berunding untuk menggunakan jalan besar tersebut untuk ke Felda Jelai. "Sebaliknya mereka mencederakan dua orang lelaki. "Seorang cedera di kepala dan seorang lagi di kening. Saya juga kecewa dengan pihak polis yang hanya melihat insiden itu berlaku dan tidak menghalang lelaki-lelaki yang mencetuskan provokasi dari awal lagi," kata Abdul Rahman yang juga merupakan Yang DiPertua PAS Jempol.. Noraza Muda cedera di kepala sementara Razali Rashad di kening. Kedua-dua mereka dipukul dengan kayu oleh dua lelaki yang tidak dikenali di jalan utama berhampiran simpang masuk Felda Bukit Rokan Utara. Konvoi Oren NS dibatalkan 
Berikutan kejadian itu Noraza, Razali dan kepimpinan PAS dan PKR yang menyertai konvoi itu membuat laporan polis di Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Polis Jempol di Bandar Seri Jempol. Presiden Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan (Anak), Mazlan Aliman ketika mengadakan sidang akhbar tergempar di hadapan IPD Jempol, berkata peserta konvoi berkereta itu hanya berhasrat memasuki kawasan Felda untuk seketika, memberikan sedikit ucapan ringkas dan mengedar risalah. "Saya kecewa dengan pihak polis yang hanya memerhatikan sahaja kejadian peserta konvoi kami diserang. "Saya mendapat maklumat, bahawa di lokasi seterusnya iaitu di Felda Jelai, mereka menunggu kami dengan besi, kayu dan batu. "Mengambil kira keselamatan peserta dan saya tidak mahu lebih ramai tercedera, saya mengambil keputusan untuk membatalkan konvoi ini'" ujar Mazlan. Halangan di Felda Kepis dan Felda Bukit Rokan Barat Sebelum itu, konvoi Oren dihalang masuk di Felda Kepis oleh lebih 100 penduduk tempatan dan tidak dibenarkan masuk oleh hampir 80 penduduk Felda Bukit Rokan Barat. Kepimpinan PAS dan PKR hanya memberi ucapan ringkas dari atas sebuah kenderaan pacuan empat roda di tepi jalan utama dan beredar ke Felda Bukit Rokan Utara sebelum insiden buruk itu berlaku. Jika tidak kerana insiden peserta Konvoi Oren diserang dan tercedera, sepatutnya peserta dengan 80 kenderaan meneruskan konvoi ke Felda Jelai, Felda Palong 4, 5 & 6, Felda Lui Selatan dan Felda Serting Hilir. Ini merupakan insiden ketiga membabitkan kekecohan terhadap peserta Konvoi Oren. Sebelum ini kekecohan terhadap Konvoi Oren turut berlaku di Felda Lawin Selatan, Gerik Perak pada 03 November lepas dan di Felda Jengka 11 pada Ahad lalu. Dalam kedua-dua kejadian itu penduduk Felda terbabit bertindak menghalang peserta konvoi daripada memasuki kawasan Felda tersebut. READ MORE HERE |
| Should Indians even trust Najib? Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:44 PM PST 
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's conditional 'if' over the condo project on Batu Caves temple grounds is typical of arrogant BN and spineless MIC. Toffee Rozario, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recently lined up the present and past MIC top brass to convince the Indians that the condominium project in sacred Batu Caves would be halted "if" Barisan Nasional wrested Selangor. The same BN government, which approved the condominium project with the full knowledge of its MIC members who sat at the various meetings, is pointing the finger at Pakatan Rakyat (current Selangor government). Frankly, there is no real motivation for the MIC to ask Najib to put a stop to the destruction of this temple, first, on the grounds that it is sacred to the Hindus, and secondly and more importantly, on the grounds that it is a national monument. But all that is not important to the MIC and the BN now. What is important to them are their seats in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly. And that is the sole reason MIC supports Najib's "if". As prime minister Najib has the power to intervene and protect a "national monument", there is no need for the "if." "If" is found only in the dictionary of fools; are all Indians to be made fools of? Is Najib really sincere? Why wait till the election is over and set it as a condition on a minority community to win the state for him? Where is the sincerity if it is conditional? Do the Indians make the majority of the voting population in Selangor? How can the Indians and in particular the Hindus (as there are Muslims, Christians and Sikhs among the Indians) ensure a BN victory? Even if BN wins the state, will Najib say that it was not won on Indian vote alone and let the condominium project continue? Would Najib also turn around and claim BN lost because the Indians voted against him? You can do anything with a minority, and the Indians are a minority this BN government never treated well at all. Quarries paid BN millions Let's talk history. History has proven the Selangor BN government to be callous and arrogant. Dolomite Industries has been blasting the site since way back in the 1970s. It was given the approval to build the condominium by the previous BN government. The quarrying approval was known to MIC councillors and Public Works Department authorities who had allowed other quarries to also blast away rocks in the area. Now let's talk money. In the 1970s, the Selangor BN government was reportedly paid some 300,000 sterling pounds (British currency) a year for quarrying rights by the quarrying companies. The BN government then was not bothered about the Hindus and their interests because the quarries brought in more money. In the mid 70s Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) initiated a "Save Batu Caves Campaign" which was almost immediately supported by the Malaysian Nature Society, The Environmental Protection Society and the Batu Caves Protection Society. In 1978, at the eleventh hour the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment submitted an urgent report to the Selangor government warning that serious damage would befall the caves if immediate action was not taken as cracks had began to appear in the caves. Two years after that report was sent to the Selangor BN government, the blasting was ordered to halt in June, albeit prolonged delays. By then more cracks had appeared on the caves and stalagmites had begun falling. But the companies appealed and despite knowing the extent of damage, the Selangor BN government gave them an additional six-month extension. There was no concern about the temple or the fact that hundreds of thousands of Hindus considered the caves sacred. The quarries brought in money and that was what mattered. READ MORE HERE |
| Year end visits to Sabah by Najib, Anwar Posted: 23 Dec 2012 01:40 PM PST 
It is learned that both have scheduled their final visits to the politically volatile state on Dec 28 and Dec 29 respectively. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Come year-end, the country's top two 'rivals' in Malaysian politics – Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and opposition supremo Anwar Ibrahim – will once again slog it out in Sabah. It is reliably learned that both have scheduled their final visits to the politically volatile state on Dec 28 and Dec 29 respectively. Besides wooing potential voters here, the duo will be also be fighting for the spaces in the local newspapers. Media editors here have spoken of the "interesting" heat emanating from the political slugging and its reach to voters across the vast state of Sabah. Sabah is equivalent to the combined size of nine smaller states in the Malayan Peninsular. The state is frankly a logistical nightmare and poor communication in Sabah has made it favourable to politicians to get maximum coverage in local newspapers. Anwar, it is learned, would fly in from Jakarta and will visit Kuala Penyu and possibly another area during his visit. Najib meanwhile is expected to officiate the annual congress of a tiny Barisan Nasional (BN) component, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), which faces annihilation in rural town of Pensiangan in the 13th general election. According to those in the know, Najib is also scheduled to appear in Papar. This would be Najib's seventh visit to Sabah this year. It is a record unsurpassed by all the previous five premiers and telling of the political situation in the peninsular. At stake in Sabah are 26 parliamentary seats, including the sole seat in Labuan, and 60 state seats, of which the Umno/PBS-led Sabah BN controls 23 and 57 seats respectively. Pre-Christmas visit The last time Najib was in town was about a week ago where he went to Sandakan to officiate the annual congress of another BN minor partner, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In Sandakan, he feted the Christian community to lunch in a bid to stop the decreasing support for BN from that community. The community has been under extreme pressure from the Najib's administration. The "Alkitab" or Bible issue is still hanging, while Najib's own Muslim groups of supporters had been pressuring him not to retract a certain edict or fatwa in as many as 10 states that bars Christians from using many Malayanised Arabic-rooted words that include Allah, bait Allah, solat, kiblat, rasul, firman Allah, kaabah and even iman. READ MORE HERE |
| Queen's chaplain says Church of England has racism problem Posted: 22 Dec 2012 04:13 PM PST 
AFP - Queen Elizabeth II's chaplain Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, tipped to become one of Britain's first women bishops, said Saturday that the Church of England is struggling with "institutional racism". Jamaican-born Hudson-Wilkin, a chaplain to the monarch and also to parliament's lower House of Commons, told The Times newspaper that she had been a victim of racism in her ministry. The church's second-highest cleric, John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, is of Ugandan origin. But Hudson-Wilkin asked why there were not more people of minority ethnic backgrounds in leadership roles within England's state church. "There's still an element of racism running through people's veins," the 51-year-old said of Britain. "I've had people who did not want me to do a funeral. I can smile because it's their sheer ignorance, I feel sorry for them. I know that it's not about me, it's about them." She is worried about a sense of prejudice in the Church of England hierarchy. Only 15 of the 467 members of the General Synod, the Church's governing body, are from black or South Asian backgrounds. "We need to ask why there are not more people of minority ethnic backgrounds in leadership within the Church," said the mother of three. "We have been encouraging people to stand and people have been putting themselves forward and have not been elected. I think there is a level of racism around that." Hudson-Wilkin, also a vicar in Hackney, east London, put herself forward for the Synod a few years ago but was not elected. "It did not occur to them to ensure that one of the priests elected should be from an ethnic minority -- even the ones who stand up Sunday after Sunday in front of a predominantly black congregation," she said. "I'm not one of these people who lifts up a stone to look for racism. "But that shook me because I thought, 'My God, it's as if we don't exist'. "That told me very clearly that they don't give a damn about the congregations that they serve. "The Church, although it has made a lot of steps forward, is still struggling with institutional racism." The General Synod failed to pass legislation last month that would have permitted women bishops. Hudson-Wilkin, who came to Britain in 1985, was tipped to become one of the first. "The whole women bishops thing is crazy," she said. "I'd like to see the church going with the courage of its conviction and say, 'We're having women bishops, full stop'." |
| Karpal: Tunku Aziz trying to ‘poison Malays’ against DAP Posted: 22 Dec 2012 04:03 PM PST 
DAP chairman Karpal Singh accused today former colleague Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim of mounting a smear campaign to turn the Malay community against the party and its leaders by claiming members were barred from accepting state awards from Malay rulers. Karpal, a lawyer and federal lawmaker, rejected allegations that the Chinese-dominant party was opposing Malay rulers by snubbing the awards, saying the DAP's policy has been consistent in rejecting state honours except for those issued for bravery. "We are not against the Malay rulers. The policy is just to tell our members they can't accept state awards of any kind except for bravery," he told a press conference in Air Itam today. "By saying that I issued an edict prohibiting party members from accepting state awards from Malay rulers is a half-truth and coined to put me in a bad light in the eyes of the Malays," the Bukit Gelugor MP said. The veteran politician was responding to Tunku Aziz, a former DAP vice chairman-turned-critic, who was yesterday reported accusing Karpal of issuing an order prohibiting party members from accepting any award given out by Malay rulers. Karpal clarified that the party's policy applied to all state honours, including those issued by state governors in Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. The party policy was introduced a few years ago as a move towards transparency. "This prohibition is only for active members as we want to ensure transparency. So, the rulers should not construe this as a decision that is against them. They should understand that it is our stand for transparency sake," he said. He said DAP members may accept awards after they have retired from active politics, citing as examples the late Chian Heng Kai, a former Bukit Mertajam MP; former Batu Lanchang assemblyman the late Tan Loo Jit; and former Berapit state lawmaker Wong Hang Yoke who were conferred state honours carrying the title "Datuk". Karpal said strict disciplinary action will be taken against those who breached the party policy. Karpal also chided Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim for accepting the awards from the Perak Sultan and the Selangor ruler conferred in 2008 and 2010 respectively. "I have told them to surrender their Datukships but they have not done so. This is wrong and against the party principle," he said, even though the duo have not been hauled up for accepting the awards. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Tunku Aziz is lying’ Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:54 PM PST 
Karpal Singh says he had never issued an edict prohibiting DAP members from accepting awards from Malay rulers. Athi Shankar, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today denied that he had ever issued an edict prohibiting party members from accepting state titles and awards, especially Datukships, from Malay rulers, as alleged by former party vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim (pic). He blasted Tunku Aziz for "lying publicly" and demanded an immediate retraction of his statement published in an English daily article yesterday. Karpal insisted that he had only told party leaders, assemblymen and MPs not to accept Datukships or, state titles or awards, as long they were active in politics. He said the party rule was DAP leaders and members can accept such titles and awards after retirement from active politics. "The statement by Tunku Aziz attributing my having issued what amounts to an edict prohibiting DAP members from accepting awards from Malay rulers is certainly a half-truth. "It was perpetrated for the sole purpose and objective of putting me in bad light in the eyes of the Malays in the country. "I consider this an exceptionally sharp and unkind cut devoid of justification. "I have never mentioned Malay rulers. Tunku Aziz has lied. "He should publicly withdraw his statement," Karpal, the two-term Bukit Gelugor parliamentarian read out his statement to newsmen here today. Expressing shocked over Tunku Aziz's statement, he said DAP had considered the ex-vice-chairman as a paragon of virtue and man of integrity after having presided over the Transparency International Malaysian Chapter. But now, Karpal said the transparency of Tunku Aziz was more than suspect due to his poisonous and obnoxious utterances against DAP. "He should cease and desist from attacking DAP and its leaders," said Karpal. Facing the CEC
He said the policy of not to accept Datukships, any state titles or awards so long as DAP leaders were still active in politics and public duties was a long standing party principle constituted back in 1990s. The rule was reaffirmed when Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim accepted Datukships in their respective states after the 2008 general election Nonetheless they were given a dressing down during a central executive committee (CEC) meeting for serious breach of ethics. "At the conclusion of a CEC meeting, Tunku Aziz had come up to state that it would be better for the CEC to resolve the issue from then onwards that Datukships ought not to be accepted and leave Ngeh and Teng alone," recalled Karpal. Since then, he said no one had accepted Datukships, or any state titles or awards, including himself, senior leaders Dr Chen Man Hin and Lim Kit Siang, and Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng. "Penang government is with us. We could have easily accepted all awards. But we didn't," pointed out Karpal. In Penang, the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat state government had honoured former Bukit Mertajam MP the late Chian Heng Kai, former Batu Lanchang assembly the late Tan Loo Jit and former Berapit assemblyman Wong Hang Yoke with Datukships. "All three had retired from active politics," clarified Karpal. He warned party leaders and elected representatives to observe the "no to state titles and award" rule strictly or else they would pay penalty for breach of party code of conduct. "They would be disciplined," he warned. READ MORE HERE |
| Saudi website editor could face death for apostasy-rights group Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:33 PM PST 
(Reuters) - The editor of a Saudi Arabian website could be sentenced to death after a judge cited him for apostasy and moved his case to a higher court, the monitoring group Human Rights Watch said yesterday. Raif Badawi, who started the Free Saudi Liberals website to discuss the role of religion in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in June, Human Rights Watch said. Badawi had initially been charged with the less serious offence of insulting Islam through electronic channels, but at a December 17 hearing a judge referred him to a more senior court and recommended he be tried for apostasy, the monitoring group said. Apostasy, the act of changing religious affiliation, carries an automatic death sentence in Saudi Arabia, along with crimes including blasphemy. Badawi's website included articles that were critical of senior religious figures, the monitoring group said. A spokesman for Saudi Arabia's Justice Ministry was not available to comment. The world's top oil exporter follows the strict Wahhabi school of Islam and applies Islamic law, or sharia. Judges base their decisions on their own interpretation of religious law rather than on a written legal code or on precedent. King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's ruler, has pushed for reforms to the legal system, including improved training for judges and the introduction of precedent to standardise verdicts and make courts more transparent. However, Saudi lawyers say that conservatives in the Justice Ministry and the judiciary have resisted implementing many of the changes that he announced in 2007. |
| Karpal Singh ticks off two party leaders who accepted Datukships Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:27 PM PST 
(The Star) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh (pix) has chided two party leaders, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Datuk Teng Chang Khim, for accepting Datukships from state rulers, which is against the party's long-standing principle. He said that according to the principle agreed upon by party members since the mid 1990s, DAP state assemblymen and Members of Parliament were not to accept Datukships during their tenure in office. "From now on, the party will take action against members who don't follow this ruling," he said, adding that the form of punishment would be decided by the party's disciplinary board after a hearing. Ngeh, who is also Perak DAP chairman, was conferred the title in 2008 while Teng, who is the Selangor state assembly speaker, accepted a Datukship in 2010. |
| Sabah to get new constituencies next year Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:21 PM PST 
Several constituencies in the west coast of the state is to be carved up due to rapid population growth. Queville To, FMT PAPAR: Sabah is set to get several new electoral constituencies when the re-delineation exercise takes place next year. Deputy State Speaker Johnny Mositun said he had met several high-ranking Election Commission officers here and in Kuala Lumpur and they had informed him that many constituencies on the west coast of the state would be carved up due to rapid population growth. "I have been given to understand that Sabah will get some additional constituencies," said Mositun who is also PBS information chief, while speaking at the PBS Bongawan Division annual general meeting here on Saturday. "I have put forward my view that the recent emergence of big industries and rapid population growth along the west coast justifies the creation of several new constituencies between Papar and Sipitang," he said. Mositun said the creation of new constituencies should not be based on ethnicity alone but rather the overall population and geography of the locality, among other things. "The important thing is for the electoral constituencies to enable a balanced and equitable representation of Sabahans based on the overall demography of the state," he said. The mini-boom taking place in the area due to the oil and gas hub being built by Petronas in Kimanis has resulted in the area south of the capital experiencing rapid growth after years of slumber. There has been a tremendous increase in vehicular traffic in the Papar district in the wake of rapid industrialisation and business opportunities that have opened up at Kimanis and Sipitang over the past year with commuters now complaining of daily traffic jams at bottleneck areas close to the towns along the way. "I hope the state government will take up my suggestion for a diversionary road from near the the Pengalat-Dambai junction and an additional bridge over the Papar River," Mositun said. "This will ease the daily bottleneck at the entry to Papar town itself. Additionally I suggest the state government treat calls for upgrading the Kinarut-Pengalat-Papar road to a dual carriageway as a matter of urgency," he added. READ MORE HERE |
| Stay away from trouble, DAP leaders told Posted: 22 Dec 2012 03:20 PM PST 
Karpal Singh responds to questions on the controversial Kelantan land deal allegedly involving DAP's Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming Athi Shankar, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has called all party leaders and elected representatives to stay away from trouble that could create negative public perception on their integrity and dignity. He said it would be bad for the party party leaders or elected reps were to be perceived of any wrongdoing. "Hence, DAP leaders and elected reps should not put themselves into a position where there would be a public perception of any wrongdoing. "They should be extra careful and stay away from such trouble," he told a press conference during his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit here today. He was responding to questions on the controversial Kelantan land deal allegedly involving DAP's Perak chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming. The two cousins from Perak have issued denials and legal threats in the past week following revelation that they were allegedly given 10,000 acres of prime forest land by the PAS-led Kelantan administration as part of an elaborate deal to have PAS' Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin appointed as Perak Menteri Besar after Pakatan Rakyat captured the state in the 2008 general election. The allegations were made by the Pisau.net blog and by the Mole portal which said the land at Gua Musang, Kelantan was being held by the Perak DAP senior leaders under a company named Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd. Having been in denial, silent and switch off modes on their alleged involvement with Upayapadu, the duo have now confirmed they were investors in the project. But they denied any wrongdoing. Ngeh confirmed on Friday that the federal government had given out a loan for the project, adding however that it was wrong to suggest that they were "awarded" the land. However, Ngeh and Nga have not addressed the main allegation that the land deal was part of a discussion to allow Nizar to assume the Mentri Besar job. The Pisau.net blog alleged that Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual leader, brokered the controversial deal. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘PPO has no authority to review Bala’s SD’ Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:44 PM PST 
Does the Corruption Prevention Advisory Board (LPPR) have powers to override decisions made by MACC and the Public Prosecutor? Alyaa Azhar, FMT Former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim has questioned the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) operations evaluation panel's (PPO) authority to review its governing decision involving investigations into P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD) or any other matters. Mat Zain has also similarly questioned the PPO's power to review the Public Prosecutor's (PP) decisions. PPO chairman Hadenan Abdul Jalil had recently announced that the case involving carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan was discussed during the PPO pre-meeting on Nov 8. But Mat Zain said today that Hadenan had no authority to review decisions made by MACC and the PP. His argument was based on a personal case in which he had appealed to the MACC advisory board to review a decision with regards to an investigation into a police report made by Anwar Ibrahim on July 1 2008. Anwar had accused Abdul Gani Patail, Musa Hassan, Abdul Rahman Yusof and himself for falsifying evidence in the investigation of the "black eye" incident. Mat Zain said on July 23 2009, he received an official letter from Abdul Hamid Mohamad, the chairman of Corruption Prevention Advisory Board (LPPR), a MACC panel which is above the PPO. The letter he said was also copied to Hadenan. In the letter Abdul Hamid stated: "LPPR's jurisdiction as provided by MACC Act Section 13 (Act 694) DOES NOT include reviewing any decision made by MACC and the Public Prosecutor in any particular case." Said Mat Zain: "If LPPR realised (then) that it did not have the authority to review decisions made by MACC and the Public Prosecutor, why did LPPR discuss in great detail my appeal on three occasions, on April 20, June 15 and June 25 2009? "I can only conclude that the answer given was to cover up the criminal misconduct made by Gani Patail and Musa Hassan so that they would not face legal punishment." Bearing this in mind, Mat Zain questioned how Hadenan and his PPO could now review a MACC's decision regarding Balasubramaniam's second SD, when Abdul Hamid himself confirmed that the LPPR had no authority. "There is no difference in whether Hadenan agrees or not with MACC's decision because the PPO does not have authority to review cases, as confirmed by Abdul Hamid. "If there really is a new law which enables PPO to review cases, then I want to make another appeal to LPPR to review the case on Gani and Musa which has been distorted," he said READ MORE HERE |
| Illegal Capital Flight Handicaps Asian Economies Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:31 PM PST 
But report by Global Financial Integrity may be misstating the case Private capital outflow by the disadvantaged non-bumiputras has long been a feature of Malaysia but the GFI report suggests that the number is even greater than hitherto assumed. Its puts the average unrecorded outflows at US$28 billion a year for the past decade and US$64 billion in 2010 alone. Philip Bowring, Asia Sentinel The recent report by Global Financial Integrity, a US-based group aimed at improving governance, contains some mind-boggling data about the prevalence of illicit money transfers costing developing countries hundreds of billions of dollars. The bottom line, the report says, is that over the past 10 years these countries have lost a total of US$5.8 trillion. Of this, Asia has accounted for nearly half, with China leading the field by a long way and Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and India all appearing in the top ten list of losers, who together account for 75 percent of the global total.
However, although the numbers are useful indicators of the extent of evasion of currency regulations and taxes, they can be criticized as greatly over-stating national as opposed to purely government revenue losses.
The figures comprise two principal components. Primarily they are the sum of discrepancies between export and import data of the countries concerned with the comparable data of their trading partners. Thus export values are understated in order to accumulate funds offshore and import values are overstated for the same reason, the differences between declared and actual value accumulating in offshore accounts. These account for some percentage of the total. Second are what the report terms "Hot Money Flows," essentially the difference between recorded transactions and balance of payments data.
The report details different ways of calculating these two ingredients but even the lowest one shows, for example, an illicit global outflow of at least US$738 billion in 2010 alone while the largest calculation puts it at US$1.19 trillion.
However, the report is essentially a compilation and analysis of data that doesn't attempt to show actual trade and other transactions or explain the motives. Thus China apparently lost US$420 billion in 2010 alone and a total of $2.7 trillion over the past decade – almost 50 percent of the global total.
Although superficially horrifying, it actually looks odd given that over this period China's foreign exchange reserves have risen at a pace that suggests massive financial capital inflows, not outflows, as its reserves grew far faster than its trade and investment account data would suggest. In other word China could have been a net winner, not the world's major loser from illicit transactions.
This circle can in fact probably be squared by reference to Hong Kong through which a still large (but diminishing) trade is conducted. It has long been well know that under-invoicing of trade through Hong Kong has been on a massive scale mainly aimed at taking advantage of the territory's lower tax rate. Similarly Hong Kong's apparent huge capital inflow reflects not actual investment but round-tripping by mainland enterprises, again primarily for tax reasons.
The net impact is a loss of revenue by Beijing but no loss to the nation as a whole. While it may be technically illegal the under or over-invoicing game is played by almost all multinationals – not least brand names like Google, Apple and Starbucks which divert most of their profits in developed as well as developing countries into tax havens where they have located patents.
That is a serious global problem but the GFI report muddies the issue by making it one of the developing countries always being the losers. In the case of China there is of course large illicit capital outflow, into real estate in the US, Australia etc, Swiss and Singapore bank accounts, often ill-gotten gains laundered through Macau gambling tables. But clearly there must have also been large informal inflows. These may now have dried up and been partly reversed but they were clearly on a huge scale when speculation on yuan revaluation was at its height.
That said, the data for Malaysia and the Philippines should be especially worrisome as these suggest that massive outflows are a cause of the very weak levels of private investment in the both countries. The Malaysian case is already quite well known. For a decade the current account surplus has been running at a massive 10 percent or more of GDP but foreign exchange reserves have only partially reflected this. Some large scale capital outflow is well-known – not least foreign investments by government and quasi-government entities such as Petronas and Malayan Banking. Read more at: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5065&Itemid=422 |
| Anwar Ibrahim vs Dato Nalla, Utusan Malaysia and Datuk Aziz Ishak Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:24 PM PST 
As follows is the Affidavit filed by Datuk S. Nallakaruppan on 24th September 2012 in reply to the civil suit filed by Anwar Ibrahim. 
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| Malaysian ruling party mobilises for crisis election Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:19 PM PST 
With next year's vote shaping up to be the closest since 1957, UMNO will have no hesitation in resorting to vote-rigging, thuggery and police repression to win. John Roberts, World Socialist Web Site After repeated hints over the past year of an early election, Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) now appears likely to hold the poll close to the deadline for the dissolution of parliament in April next year. The indecision appears to reflect government concerns that the opposition parties might make further gains on top of those at the 2008 election. Addressing UMNO's general assembly earlier this month, Prime Minister Najib Razak called for party unity, saying: "We will be going to the battlefield before too long from now." He said that the election would be no ordinary poll and that the party would have to fight for every vote. Najib is well aware that his job is on the line. He replaced Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister in 2009, after the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition lost its two-thirds majority in the national parliament in the 2008 poll, as well as five of the country's 13 state governments. As a result, UMNO, which has ruled Malaysia continuously since formal independence in 1957, lost the ability to change the constitution as will—a power that it had used repeatedly to reinforce its autocratic rule. During the assembly, UMNO's women's wing leader Shahrizat Abdul Jalil menacingly warned that there could be a repeat of the 1969 race riots, if "Malays", namely UMNO, lost power. UMNO used its thugs to instigate the race riots after electoral support for the party slumped in the 1969 election. In the wake of the riots, UMNO adopted the so-called New Economic Policy that heavily favoured the Malay majority in business, education and public sector jobs, over the country's ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. The New Economic Policy fostered rampant cronyism as Malay businesses closely linked to UMNO took advantage of the racially-biased measures. The economy, however, has dramatically altered since the 1960s and 1970s, and is heavily dependent on the continued inflow of foreign investment to feed its export-oriented industries. As a result, the New Economic Policy has come into conflict with the demands of both foreign investors and significant sections of Malaysian business. The policy dilemma facing the government erupted in the midst of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, with an open split between Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who advocated currency and investment controls to protect Malay businesses, and his deputy, Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who pushed the IMF's demands to open up the economy to foreign investors. Mahathir dismissed Anwar, and expelled him and his supporters from UMNO. When Anwar began holding protest rallies against corruption, he was detained, beaten up and eventually convicted on bogus charges of corruption and homosexuality. Released from jail in 2004, Anwar now heads the opposition People's Alliance (PR), comprising his own Peoples Justice Party (Keadilan), the Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) and the ethnic Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP). None of the underlying issues that emerged in the 1998 crisis has been resolved. In a bid to retain business backing, the BN government under Badawi and Najib has edged closer to the policies advocated by Anwar. But Najib's own limited pro-market restructuring and changes to the New Economy Policy has provoked resentment within UMNO. As far as the corporate elite is concerned, however, the government has not gone far enough. Malaysia is increasingly being hit by a downturn in its export markets in the US and Europe. Official estimates put growth for 2013 between 4.5 and 5.5 percent, but some analysts have predicted it will be as low as 3.5 percent. Najib has announced a target of $444 billion in private sector-led investments by 2020, of which only $70 billion has been received in investment commitments over the past two years. There is also frustration in ruling circles with the government's attempts to woo voters with budget handouts and an increase in the minimum wage. As a result, significant sections of big business have come to view Anwar as more able to impose the policies they require: opening up the economy to foreign investment, ending racially-based cronyism, and implementing an austerity agenda. Read more at: http://wsws.org/en/articles/2012/12/21/mala-d21.html |
| Young voters now in favour of BN: Muhyiddin Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:04 PM PST 
(Bernama) -- Young voters, key to the country achieving developed nation status by the year 2020, now are in favor of the Barisan Nasional (BN), said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin. He said the awareness of young voters to the BN's ability to continue leading the country was stronger now because they knew only the BN could assure a better future for Malaysia. "With the (general) election nearing, it seems that this wave of consciousness is very evident, I say congratulations to the young people ... just a while go I saw a banner captioned "Orang muda sokong BN" (Young People Support the BN). "We gathered a million youths in Putrajaya and they wanted Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to remain as the Prime Minister of Malaysia," he said when addressing guests of the 1Malaysia People's Feast at Kampung Sungai Bahagia's football field in Manir here today. Also present were Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. Muhyiddin said BN would assure that no group of people whether in Peninsular Malaysia , Sabah or Sarawak would be left out of mainstream development if it remained in power till 2020. He said the BN government today was entrusted with the responsibility ensure the people's well-being. He said, in implementing the trust, the government always ensured the national economy expanded, job opportunities increased, industries became more advanced and better social facilities such as in health and education. "We promise Malaysia will become a developed nation in eight years. Every level of people, old, young, all communities, Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak will be given attention and will be well looked after," he said. He said it was not an empty promise because BN would assure that by 2020, Malaysia would become a developed nation according to the people's aspiration. In the meantime, he said PAS would not be able to become the party to look after the welfare of the Malays and Islam in the country as Umno had done all these all this while. 'When we help the people, PAS calls it corruption. I do not know what decree they use, as it is our duty to the people," he said. He said the BN government had never played favourites in helping the people because what was important was that they were loyal to King and country. He also said that he was confident that Terengganu would remain under BN with the support of every layer of society who wanted to see continuous change and development in the state. He expected the support of the people of Terengganu towards Umno and BN would be higher compared to the previous general election. "Let us together, with determination and resolve, bring changes to the Muslim community in the state under Umno and BN," he said. During the ceremony, which was attended by some 15,000 people, he also announced an allocation of RM2.9 million to repair houses of the poor and to build facilities for the people in the Manir state constituency. |
| 2.3 million register for BR1M 2.0 Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:53 PM PST  (Bernama) -- Eligible people who register for the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) 2.0 by Dec 31 can get the payment in the first quarter of 2013, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said today. "We will make the payment in the first quarter of 2013. Those who have yet to register are advised to do so before Dec 31 so that they can be paid when we make the payments. "If they register late, they will receive the payment late. They can register online or manually. When we make the payment in the first quarter, all those who registered will be paid," he told reporters after launching an entrepreneurs' carnival of SME Bank, here. However, Ahmad Husni said, no closing date had been set for the BR1M 2.0 registration which opened on Nov 1. He also said that more than 2.3 million applications had been received for BR1M 2.0 as at Dec 17, with more than 1.6 million of the applications from single unmarried people and more than 720,000 from households. Malaysians with a household income of less than RM3,000 a month are eligible or the one-off RM500 cash aid, while single unmarried individuals aged 21 and above and earning not more than RM2,000 a month are eligible for a one-off RM250 aid. Ahmad Husni said 54 per cent of the applications were made manually and the rest, online. The application forms can be obtained free from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) service centres and branches, Federal Development Department, Social Welfare Department, Information Department and government agencies or downloaded from or filled online at the LHDN website, www.hasil.gov.my. He said BR1M 2.0, which involved an allocation of RM3 billion, was expected to benefit 4.3 million households and 2.7 million single unmarried individuals. Last year, 4.2 million people benefited from the BR1M payment made for the first time, involving an allocation of RM2.1 billion. |
| Malaysian drivers have no skill Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:47 PM PST 
road runner Hi, From my daily observations and experience (and accident statistics), I dare say that more than 90% of Malaysian drivers have little or no driving skills at all. Most car drivers blame motorcyclists, calling them road terrors etc, but car drivers are actually the bigger culprit, and pose even more danger to motorcyclists. Here are the top ten "offences" 1- Speeding They drive like an F1 driver, but can't even keep to their own lane when cornering. Imagine what will happen if they stray into another lane and touch another vehicle at speeds of 110kmh and above. And many drivers think that they are Michael Schumacher, speeding even in torrential rain. These people only know how to press the accelerator, but have little idea how to control their car. Most accident reports are of "drivers losing control of the vehicle". 2 - Staying on own lane Mentioned above, these drivers don't seem able to STAY on their own lane, drifting to the right or left lane. This happens everywhere, in roundabouts, in corners and even on straight roads. This is pure bad driving habit. They expect other drivers to give way. That's the best case scenario. The worst case, they cause fatal accidents by grazing an unfortunate motorcyclist. 3 - Speeding in the rain Again related to the first, most drivers continue to speed even in heavy rain and limited visibility. They have no idea that in such conditions, their car's wheels will lock up and drift when sudden brake force is applied. Not everyone drives a Mercedes or BMW with tons of safety features. Driving in the rain requires extra caution because vehicle stopping distances, slippery road conditions and limited visibility present extra challenges. 4 - Different types of vehicle, different types of control I have seen many drivers driving big vans and 4x4 utility vehicles as if they are driving a small family car. They speed and weave in and out with little concern that the physics and controls of these bigger, taller and heavier are totally different from typical family sedans. Vans have a very short frontal section and poses extra risk in a frontal collision. And their tall build presents an inherent instability, especially when cornering. 5 - Not bothering to use indicator lights / turn signals This must be counted as one of the worst and most "popular" habits of the majority of Malaysian drivers out there, and undoubtly the cause of many fatal accidents. I have actually suggested car manufacturers make turn signal indicators "OPTIONAL". Why? Almost 90% of the time, the drivers REFUSE to indicate where they want to turn. This again happens in almost every driving situation, whether in roundabouts, junctions, parking etc. This is especially dangerous when the driver suddenly changes lane because even a slight touch or graze to a motorcyclist will knock him down, even at moderate speeds. An unfortunate example was the 4x4 vehicle which switched lane (according to a news report) without notice and grazed a few big motorcyclists at the NKVE highway recently, causing a fatal accident. Maybe they think it is a hassle. Maybe some young drivers think it is cool. How much effort does it take to turn on the turn signal indicator? Can they live the rest of their lives in peace if they caused a fatal accident? 6 - Driving in slow motion Amazingly, I have come across not once but many times, drivers cruising at 20-30km/h in major highways, at their leisure. These motorists don't seem to realize that by driving at such a slow pace, they are forcing other drivers to overtake them, sometimes dangerously, on the left or right lanes. This is worse if the road has only a single lane. And many motorists, driving at normal speed, can be caught unawares by a very slow vehicle in front, and fail to brake on time because they are conditioned to think that all cars on the highway are moving constantly at a reasonable speed. 7 - Road Hogging and tailgaters Includes those who seem to be daydreaming and hogging the fast lane, refusing to budge even when flashed numerous times by the car behind. However, some habitual tailgaters are also included in this section. 8 - Indiscriminate Parking These offenders park where and when they like. Have you seen cars parked on a two lane road, taking up one whole lane? I have, surprisingly many times. Some actually stop in the middle of the road, without giving any sign of their intentions. And many people leave their cars at corners, blocking other motorists' view coming out of junctions. This could cause mishaps because motorists are unable to see oncoming vehicles properly. 9 - Housing Area Menaces The worst culprits, from my observations, are young people; the bane of all residents, and nightmare of many cats and dogs. They drive at frightening speeds, and can't seem to comprehend that small children and animals may dash out anytime. 10 - The last is actually for readers to list down, because there so many, ten is not enough The only skill most Malaysian drivers have, is causing accidents. |
| All Barisan candidates must be cleared by MACC, says Najib Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:19 PM PST 
(The Malaysian Insider) - All Barisan Nasional election candidates must be vetted and cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Barisan chairman, said it was the coalition's standard practice to submit names of its potential candidates to the MACC to be vetted. "All Barisan candidates go through the vetting process by MACC. We refer their names to MACC, and if they have doubtful files, they will not pass the vetting process. "It is the stand of Barisan that every candidate must pass the MACC vetting process," he told the Malaysian media delegation here yesterday. He was responding to a suggestion by the MACC's Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Datuk Johan Jaafar that all political parties send their list of candidates for vetting by the commission. Najib is in New Delhi to attend the two-day Asean-India Commemo-rative Summit, which celebrates 20 years of Asean-India relationship. Asked if the electoral candidates list has been finalised, Najib said it was an ongoing process. "Although we have a list, if we get the latest input or information, changes can be made as long as the announcement (of the candidacy) has not been made," he said. Meanwhile, Bernama reported Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as saying that the proposal for candidates to be vetted by the MACC would prevent any problems later if the candidates were found to be involved in corruption after they were elected. "I'm all for it because we do not want to find out later that the candidate has problems and a by-election has to be called. "This will not only involve costs, but also inconvenience the people," Shafie told reporters after a working visit to the Tok Bali fishermen resettlement project in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, yesterday. |
| DAP leader refutes Kelantan land-for-Perak MB deal Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:13 PM PST 
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham has admitted to being a director in a logging firm awarded land in PAS-led Kelantan but refuted that the project was in exchange for letting the Islamist party take the silver state's mentri besar post, the New Straits Times (NST) reported today. Ngeh told the English-language daily that he and another Perak DAP lawmaker, Nga Kor Ming, had invested in the project but stressed that the deal was above board. "The Inland Revenue Board is aware of this transaction. So is the federal government. "The federal government even gave out a loan as the project is for the good of the country," the Beruas MP was quoted as saying by the NST. Last Thursday, Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen alleged in the state assembly that both Ngeh (picture) and Nga had been awarded a piece of land, said to be worth RM30 million, and linked it to the appointment of PAS's Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak mentri besar after the 2008 general election. Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib was reported as saying that Ngeh and Syarikat Efektif Kirana Sdn Bhd had bought 4,000 hectares in Gua Musang, Kelantan for a logging project. The BN assemblyman for Slim claimed that Nga, the Perak DAP secretary, was also involved. At a press conference yesterday, Ngeh, who is also a lawyer, had explained that the Perak duo had invested in the project upon invitation by their client Upaya Padu Plantations Sdn Bhd. Yesterday, The Star Online reported Ngeh as saying the original sales and purchase agreement of the land was signed in May 3, 2006, which he said showed that the claims against him and Nga amounted to slander. "This shows that the transaction between Yayasan Islam Kelantan and Upaya Padu Plantations Sdn Bhd was conducted even before Pakatan Rakyat was in power in 2008. "Therefore claims that the land was given to us by PAS in exchange for a mentri besar position are slander. "As a lawyer maintaining my professional ethics, I could only reveal that the group of investors, who were also my clients, only purchased the company this year. "It is only a personal transaction and a private sector investment into the state," he was quoted as saying by The Star Online. Both Ngeh and Nga, who are cousins, are also lawmakers for the Sitiawan and Pantai Remis state seats. Ngeh was reported as saying he will sue those who have defamed them over this matter. |
| Bar decides discretion is the better part of valour Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:05 PM PST 
Furthermore, should the Bar Council launch an inquiry based solely on the rantings of Deepak Jaikishen who claims to have played an instrumental part in the signing of the SD2 but who has changed his stand completely now? What about Balasubramaniam, the protagonist in this tale? He recants his first SD saying he was forced to sign it under duress, and signs the second SD for cash. Then he starts bleating 'duress and force' again. FMT LETTER: From Prudent Observer, via e-mail The response to Harris Ibrahim's insistence that the Bar Council investigates the so called 'father and son' legal team over the drafting of the SD2 has been cautious and rightly so. Opinion in the legal circle is divided. Some senior lawyers have expressed the need for caution. PI Balasubramaniam was never a client of the lawyers in question. A lawyer's paramount duty is to his client. The client wanted SD2 drafted and it was done. The lawyer's work is done. Is he liable for what the client does with the document? So the Bar Council's cautious stand is understandable. Furthermore, should the Bar Council launch an inquiry based solely on the rantings of Deepak Jaikishen who claims to have played an instrumental part in the signing of the SD2 but who has changed his stand completely now? Would not Jaikishen be dismissed as an unreliable witness in a court of law, even impeached? What about Balasubramaniam, the protagonist in this tale? He recants his first SD saying he was forced to sign it under duress, and signs the second SD for cash. Then he starts bleating 'duress and force' again. He and Deepak are not far different, wavering and solely motivated by self interest and gain. Rightly, the Bar Council has asked for more evidence. They have not said they would not investigate. If what Balasubramaniam says of the first SD is true, why were the lawyers concerned not reported for coercing Balasubramaniam. Where were you Harris Ibrahim then? And the rest of your shadowy supporters in the background baying for blood. Why did not you call the Bar Council to investigate then? Did Balasubraniam instruct the lawyers of SD1? Why the haste and insistence? Be sure of the brief given to the lawyers of SD2. Or is there a hidden agenda? |
| ‘We have proof top cops pally with crooks’ Posted: 21 Dec 2012 03:00 PM PST 
Top police officers have been involved in criminal activities, according to MyWatch, which claims to have the evidence. Teoh El Sen, FMT The Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force, or MyWatch, today claimed that it has in its possession evidence that top police officers are involved in criminal activities. R Sri Sanjeevan, the chairman of the watchdog NGO, threatened to make public the information unless the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar agrees to meet with the group so that an open, high-profile investigation can be carried out immediately. "We have all the evidence that top police officers are involved in money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, football bookies and have direct links with underworld figures and kingpins. Yet to date, there is no answer and no action by the IGP," Sanjeevan said in a statement. Sanjeevan also cited a case where a top police officer was given an "all-expense paid trip overseas to play golf with an underworld kingpin" as well as as one where "one senior police official's son and daughter is working for a kingpin with special privileges". "Aren't they [officers] obliged in some ways to them [kingpins]? Isn't that conflict of interest?" asked Sanjeevan. He said that Ismail cannot choose to keep quiet and must act without fear or favour against corrupt officers, which are now being slowly revealed by former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan. "I again invite the IGP to meet with us so we can pass such evidence to him or we will be forced to make this information public. All police officers should be accountable for their actions and must have more sense of responsibility when dealing with crime or public," said Sanjeevan. Aside from Ismail, Sanjeevan urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and the Home Ministry secretary-general Abd Rahim Mohd Radzi to respond to Musa's past allegations. Several bombshells 
"Musa has clearly mentioned that there is meddling and interference by the Home Minister and the secretary-general into police matters. For example, giving direct instruction to state police chiefs, CID chiefs, and junior officers but since then there has been no answer by anyone. "So [by keeping silent] I assume they silently 'agreed' to what we have revealed," he said. In recent weeks, Musa had dropped several bombshells, alleging that politicians have been interfering with police work and that criminal elements have infiltrated the force. He also pointed out that there may have been cases of abuse of power at the top level when several senior policemen were transferred out for refusing to approve an "unsound" walkie-talkie project. Musa also labelled Ismail a "yes man" and had urged the latter to be tough, revealing one example when Ismail allegedly cried after he was scolded for following the orders of former home minister Syed Hamid Albar to arrest a reporter under the then Internal Security Act (ISA). Following these disclosures, several quarters have hit back at the former top cop, questioning Musa's timing and credibility. They also brought up the "copgate" issue where Musa is alleged to have links to underworld figures. Musa's detractors included Hishammuddin, businessman Robert Phang, former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim, former Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Ramli Yusuff and his lawyer Rosli Dahlan. Responding to the attacks, Sanjeevan said that these are merely attempts to divert the NGO's focus on crime, and threatened to take legal action against "those who continue to make false and malicious accusations". READ MORE HERE |
| Musa denies knowledge of SD, Najib’s SMS Posted: 21 Dec 2012 02:55 PM PST 
Musa Hassan confirms that he met then DPM Najib Tun Razak to tell him that analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was to be arrested. Najib, however, told him to "carry on". Teoh El Sen, FMT The intensifying chatter of an alleged conspiracy in the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaarribuu has put a SMS purportedly sent by Najib Tun Razak to his close friend Abdul Razak Baginda back in the spotlight. The SMS was first mentioned in P Balasubramaniam's first statutory declaration [SD], where the private investigator claimed that Razak Baginda showed him the text message from the then deputy prime minister the morning before he was arrested. "On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 am Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response." "Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 am, Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- 'I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today …… matter will be solved … be cool'," according to the SD. However, any instances of impropriety was dismissed by former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan today, who said that he did meet Najib at the time but the latter did not attempt to interfere into the case in any way. Speaking to FMT, Musa recounted that he had briefed the then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi about the case. Musa had previously told online news portal Malaysiakini.com that top cops were summoned in 2007 by Badawi about the case. "The Prime Minister Badawi asked me whether Najib was involved or not. I said no. Our investigations showed he was not. I told him my men will be arresting Razak Baginda because of his involvement, " he said, adding that the former premier then directed that he inform Najib of this. "I met Najib telling him that I was going to arrest Razak Baginda. He replied 'carry on'. That's all. He did not try to interfere with what the police was going to do." Asked about the alleged SMS message, Musa said he was not privy to that as Najib did not show him anything of the kind. He also explained that police investigations were focused on the murder and the issue with the SD was being handled by another enforcement agency. "I don't know about the SD. The SD was actually investigated by somebody else. I only monitored the murder case." On whether further investigations should be done on the SD matter, Musa replied: "I think if they want to find the truth it should be investigated." In the interview with Malaysiakini, Musa had said that it was untrue that Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor was at the scene of the crime. He said investigations also showed military was not involved. Murky saga In Oct 21, Musa had denied that he was to hold a press conference in Bangkok the next day. This was information posted on the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) website, where it was written that the press conference was supposed to reveal new details about the Altantuya murder. On several occasions, Musa's name would be dragged into the dramatic but murky saga. Aside from being identified in the first SD, Musa's name was mentioned during an alleged exchange of text messages between Najib and an Umno-linked lawyer. This transcript, which was published in the Malaysia Today blog, had suggested that Musa had met Najib over the murder. Najib had reportedly said that there was no abuse of power over the case. READ MORE HERE |
| Diam saja tentang hudud Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:08 AM PST 
Subky Latif, Harakah Eloknya PAS dan pemimpinnya diamkan saja tentang hudud dan ada lebih baik tumpukan dalam lain-lain isu yang perlu masyarakat ketahui. Jangan layan sangat sakatan UMNO mengenainya yang tujuannya adalah demi mengelirukan orang ramai dan memerangkap PAS. Hudud adalah program PAS bagi mengabdikan diri kepada Allah dan agamanya. Ia tidak mungkin dilaksanakan selagi PAS tidak berada dalam kerajaan baik ia memerintah sendiri atau kerajaan yang disekutuinya. Sudah cukup setakat ini dengan pendiriannya yang sudah diketahui umum. Bahawa hudud itu sebahagian dari cita-cita politik. PAS sudah nyatakan cita-citanya dan sebagai tanda kesungguhannya dengan cita-cita itu ia sudah meluluskan enakmen mengenainya di Kelantan dan Terengganu. Kedudukannya sekarang ialah seperti kenderaan yang berada di simpang lampu trafik. Ia berhenti kerana isyarat lampu merah. Ingin kenderaan tidak dihenti. Ia menunggu lampu hijau. Bila datang lampu hijau, ia boleh berjalan. Oleh itu jika ada orang menyakat PAS tentang hudud itu, kerana kononnya PAS munafik dengannya dan sudah melupakannya, maka tidak perlu dilayan dan dijawab. Politik menuju ke Putrajaya boleh celaru dan keliru sama sendiri apabila ia dipolemikkan. Cita-cita PAS itu sudah diketahui oleh semua sama ada ia diulang atau didiamkan. Tidak perlu dinyatakan lagi. Semuanya tahu jika PAS bersama memerintah negara, ia akan berusaha sedaya mungkin untuk menyempurnakannya. Tidak ada makhluk yang percaya PAS melupakannya. Kalau dasar PAS berketul dapat dilihat dengan mata, kiranya perut iblis dapat dibelah, nescaya kita dapat lihat ketul itu ada dalam hatinya. Ia tahu PAS tidak melupakannya hinggalah ia dapat menjadikan PAS sama seperti lawannya iaitu UMNO. Selama 66 tahun usia UMNO, sudah 55 tahun ia memacu negara merdeka, jika dibelah perut, ketul hudud tidak ada dalam hatinya. Yang ada dalam hatinya hudud PAS. Akan iblis tadi, kurus kering ia kerana dalam hatinya ada ketul hudud yang tersimpan rapi dalam cita-cita politik PAS. Baik PAS bercakap tentangnya atau PAS berdiam saja, ia lihat dan ia rasa ketul itu ada. Ia seperti kanser baginya. Lalu ia berusaha untuk memadamkannya, menghasut PAS supaya melupakananya. Kesnernya itu akan sembuh apabila dapat menjadikan PAS sama dengan seteru politiknya. Walaupun UMNO sudah menyakat PAS, dikatakannya cita-cita hudud PAS itu sudah jadi cacamarba apabila ia bersekongkol dengan DAP dan PKR, dan DAP terang-terang menyatakan ia menolak hudud, tetapi tetap MCA, Yahudi, Amerika dan lain-lain, jika perut masing-masing dibelah, ada dilihat ketul cita-cita PAS dalam hati mereka. Dan katakanlah ketika menunggu 100 haru PRU13 ini tiba-tiba PAS membuat pengumuman betapa ia tidak lagi menyimpan cita-cita politiknya, tidak lagi ia mahu meneruskan ibadatnya itu, ia tidak bercadang untuk meneruskan hudud, tiada ahli MCA yang percaya, tiada seekor Yahudi dan Amerika yang percaya. Jika selepas ia mengumumkan mahu melupakan hudud, dibelah perut MCA dan perut Yahudi, tetap ketul hudud itu dijumpa dalam hati mereka. Mereka tidak akan percaya PAS sudah melupakannya sekalipun PAS betul-betul melupakannya. Begitu juga iblis. Ia pun tak percaya PAS melupakannya. Sekalipun PAS betul-betul melupakannya, ia tetap curiga bahawa PAS mungkin taubat dan kembali kepada cita-citanya. Selagi PAS tidak mati, ia tidak percaya PAS benar-benar melupakannya. Atas kedudukan itu PAS tidak perlu lagi melenting atas isu hudud itu. Buat saja kerja yang patut hingga sampai ke Putrajaya. |
| Mayan calendar, Malaysian quagmire? Posted: 21 Dec 2012 01:01 AM PST 
Back to the Malaysian quagmire. What is this "new politics" many have been talking about, whether understood or not? Old Mayan deadly concoction in a new bottle? Or a bottle of spirit brewed to perfection from the warm springs of the meadows of a new Malaysian hope? A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman "The centre cannot hold." - WB Yeats.
At the eleventh hour of the Mayan prediction of an Armageddon, what has the world been experiencing? Tsunami, hurricanes, earthquakes, Arab Spring, Gaza invasion and a world that still goes round and round in circles of misfortune - as if it is created to let Evil triumph over Good.
But then again, one can make any interpretation of what the Mayans were up to and, if indeed it is all a hoax.
Closer to home, what have Malaysians seen these last few decades - triumph of Evil versus Good as well? Rallies after rallies in colours of rainbow of multicoloured hues, a Malaysian Spring that some are calling a Hibiscus Revolution; increasing structural violence, as if orchestrated by some divine hands baptised in a fountain of Evil; a human being blown into smithereens over what many say is a dispute over the sale of a submarine; increasing authoritarianism of the state that is said to be robbing and bribing its people all at once; the rise of state-sanctioned fascist-ethnic groups; society praying to neon and material gods that the Greek sage Socrates would curse - all these, and more, point to the Mayan period of the Malaysian pathos. We are seeing an apocalypse of our own making.
As I was writing this I was also listening to Jim Morrison's 'The End', a 60s cult classic of a song aptly used in Francis Ford Coppola's anti-war Vietnam era movie 'Apocalypse Now' - a haunting Doors-composition indeed, which brought me to memories of the scenes of the movie.
Coincidentally, I had on my bookshelf Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', a masterpiece of a novel about the nature of the human self when possessed by the need for greed, and the instinct to kill, and to reason through this via the belief in the morality of war, or the "moral force of it" some might say, and the inevitability of capitalism and the march of it. Malaysians live in a world of dread and despair
I see rupture in Malaysian politics, of the one perhaps emblematic of a Kafkaesque world - of that character Gregor Samsa of 'The Metamorphosis', in which dread and despair had become a comfortable numbness (as the rock group Pink Floyd would say); in which in the novel, a man suddenly turns into a vermin, a cockroach-looking insect and the powerful theme of existentialism sets in. How does the family deal with the metamorphosis?
Malaysians seem to have been living in a world of dread and despair, and are yet unaware of the changes and transformations that further alienate, marginalise, and even humiliate them - all because that world is created by those who own the means to manipulate the lives of others by building this facade of "progress", in which circuses come to town often and bread (crumbs, these may be) are given on a daily basis... to make those enslaved happy - as happy as Albert Camus' Sisyphus in a world in which, as the great Afrikanist Chinua Achebe would say, "Things (Have Fallen) Apart," in which the centre can no longer hold. A matrix of politics commonly called "neo-feudalism cemented by Mahathirism".
In a world of dread and in a place wherein the industrialised man - our post-modern man "Hank" of Henry Miller's 'The Hairy Ape', gets caged and ultimately frustrated when his labour is exploited, his spirit caged, and his body consumed by industrial fumes, the only way to get out of all these is to dream and to hope for a saviour to translate that dream of being free... into a revolution that will bring back human dignity.
'A renewal of life-force ahead?'
That Mayan prediction is perhaps not about the end of hope and of everything (it is midnight in New York City as I write this...) but about the renewal of hope. Will the world see a better way of living, doing things, or even thinking about new and peaceful ways of solving conflicts?
It is for those living in this generation to teach those of the next on what their world ought to look like; beyond the dread and despair of the Kafkaesque metamorphosis or a world wherein things have fallen apart and beyond repair.
Back to the Malaysian quagmire. What is this "new politics" many have been talking about, whether understood or not? Old Mayan deadly concoction in a new bottle? Or a bottle of spirit brewed to perfection from the warm springs of the meadows of a new Malaysian hope?
I don't know. Our Mayan calendar is ending. The priests are tired of predicting. But where is the Messiah? ********************************** OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS:
While the opinion in the article/writing is mine,
the comments are strictly, respectfully, and responsibly yours;
present them rationally, clearly, politely, and ethically. |
| So, what’s the solution then? Posted: 20 Dec 2012 08:08 PM PST 
And not all these property buyers in the UK are Malays or Malays from Umno. Many are Chinese and many are Chinese who support Pakatan Rakyat (I know because I am acting for some of them as their property agent). So in what way can we blame the government? And will all these people be happy if the Malaysian government demonetises the Ringgit and make it worthless outside Malaysia? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin RM200b outflow Najib's best achievement as Finance minister, says PAS Youth chief (Harakah) - The high ranking recently given to Malaysia among developing countries suffering illicit funds outflow means the country's Finance minister Najib Razak has broken a records of sorts, according to PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan. "It is something which has surprised many. What is not surprising is the fact that mainstream media do not report it," he said, adding that the public would eventually come to know details of the damning report issued by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity. Nasrudin reminded that Najib himself had admitted during UMNO's recent congress that young Malaysians were now more equipped with information due to information technology. In its latest report on illicit funds outflow released on Tuesday, GFI ranked Malaysia second only to China among other Asian economies in terms illicit funds outflow, while it is placed third globally. Noting that some 80 percent of illicit financial flows were due to trade mispricing and 20 per cent due to corruption, GFI said that between 2001 and 2010, a total of US$285 billion was transferred out of Malaysia illegally. Nasrudin compared the figure for illicit funds outflow provided by Najib last year - RM135.4 billion between 2000 to 2009 - with GFI's figure of RM662.6 billion for the same period. He added that one should not be surprised if the government denies the figure by GFI. He also said the revelation reflected badly on giant government-linked companies such as Khazanah Nasional and Petronas. "It proves the existence of illegal acts to avoid taxes and siphoning out the country's revenue through property investment, foreign bank accounts and others to shore up personal wealth," said Nasrudin, who cited the recent revelation of unusual wealth owned by the family of Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, when some RM100 million was demanded for a divorce settlement involving the latter's son. Nasrudin also reiterated the urgency for public office bearers to declare their assets. Earlier today, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he would write to Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar to participate in a discussion on how to weed out illicit funds outflow. "Urgent steps must be taken to finalise an action plan, not by avoiding the issue as the case has been so far with Najib Razak," said Anwar. **************************************************** While it is good that we reveal the transgressions and excesses of the government, plus the mistakes it makes, we should also be prepared to offer a solution to the problems. If we just point out that the government is no good and that we must change the government without mentioning in what way it is no good and what we need to do to make it a better government it is no bloody good. I mean most Malaysians know that the government is no good but they do not really understand in what way it is no good. Then they think that the solution to this is to just change the government without a second thought on whether by changing the government we shall be a getting a new government or the same type of government, sort of like old wine in a new bottle. That is why I sometimes shy away from writing these types of articles. As much as I try to take the middle road and not be seen as propagating one side or the other, because I do not scream ABU that is interpreted as I am pro-government. If I do not support the 'death to Israel' war cry does that mean I am a Zionist? Not all Muslims believe that the Middle East solution is to drop a nuclear bomb on Israel. Do you know that many Muslims danced on the streets in November 2001 when the New York Twin Towers was brought down? They openly celebrated the destruction of the Twin Towers, a symbol of American capitalism. But how many Muslims died in that tragedy? And how many Zionists died? It was like the discussion on the social problems amongst Malaysian youths (I think it was two years or so ago). Invariably, how strict Islam may be, the biggest social problem is amongst the Muslims. So who has failed here? Has Islam failed? Or have the parents failed? If Islam has failed then in what way has Islam failed? Islam is strict enough as it is so it must be the implementation that is the problem then. Okay, just for the sake of this discussion, let us say that the implementation or the enforcement of Islam has failed. And that is why we have a big social problem amongst Muslim youths. Can we then solve the social problem amongst Muslim youths by tightening the rules? And let us look at some examples from other Muslim countries. To start of with, no female can leave her home un-chaperoned. When a girl or woman leaves her home she must be chaperoned by a male member of her family. If she leaves her home alone she will be arrested and jailed. She also cannot drive or work. It is easy to scream about the social problems amongst youths and then blame Islam, Umno, the government, or their parents. But what is the solution to this problem? That, no one is talking about. And most times the solution may be worse than the problem. Let us not blame Islam. Let us blame the government. Why is the government not doing anything about the problem? Let's therefore change the government. So a new government takes over. But what is the new government going to now do? Can the new government impose a curfew on kids? All those below 18 must be at home by 7.00pm. If after 7.00pm they are still outside their home they will be rounded up and then their parents will be arrested and will be jailed up to a maximum of three years. Is this too draconian? If that is not done then how to solve the problem? And if the problem is not solved you will blame the government, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. Hence screaming about the problem and blaming the government is not going to solve anything. Are you prepared to suffer the consequences of the solution? Take the bad driving habits of Malaysians and the extremely high death rate on Malaysian roads as one more example. How do we solve that problem other than blame the government for it? Can we ban those under 21 from driving? Then can we install number plate recognition cameras all over Malaysia and on every street and every street corner of Malaysia like in the UK? And when drivers commit a traffic offence their driving licence is endorsed and they get banned from driving for two years the first time, five years the second time, and for life for the third time? All this would be done by computer (the number plate recognition cameras all over Malaysia are computerised), which means we can eliminate the human element (no policemen involved). This means we will also eliminate corruption since the entire process is fully computerised like in the UK. Probably more than half Malaysian drivers will lose their right to drive. That will for sure reduce the problem. It will also reduce the number of drivers and the number of car owners. It will also mean half of Malaysians will need to hop onto a bus to move around. No doubt this will make life very difficult for most Malaysians but at least the government can no longer be blamed for the problem. Okay, now what about the problem of funds outflow? Who is to blame for that and how would the government solve that problem? Anwar Ibrahim wants to meet the Bank Negara Governor to suggest a solution. That is good but maybe Anwar can give us an insight into what his solution is going to be. Pakatan Rakyat makes it sound like the entire problem should be blamed on the government and that the opposition has a solution to this. Okay, say Pakatan Rakyat was the government and Anwar was the Prime Minister, how would he solve the problem? Trust me, never mind who forms the government and who becomes the Prime Minister the solution is not as easy as they try to make it sound. So what are they going to do? Are they going to demonetise the Ringgit? That would mean the Ringgit cannot be exchanged for any other currency and will only be worth in Malaysia. Outside Malaysia the Ringgit would be worthless. How would Malaysia trade? We can't exchange Ringgit for any other currency. Zambia did this by delinking its currency. In turn inflation increased like crazy and the country's economy collapsed. But at least their money stayed in the country. One of the strongest economies in the world is the US. And there are more US Dollars floating outside America than in America. Do you know that property prices in Australia are higher than in the UK? And that is because the Chinese are buying up property there, mostly in cash. The Australian property market is benefiting from the huge outflow of funds from China. But local Australians are suffering because property prices are beyond their reach. Malaysians are the second largest buyers of property in London. Because of that I live in Manchester. London property prices are too expensive for my taste. I can buy three or more houses in Manchester for the price of one in London. And not all these property buyers in the UK are Malays or Malays from Umno. Many are Chinese and many are Chinese who support Pakatan Rakyat (I know because I am acting for some of them as their property agent). So in what way can we blame the government? And will all these people be happy if the Malaysian government demonetises the Ringgit and make it worthless outside Malaysia? Janganlah semua salahkan kerajaan! In some of those things we are talking about we are actually the culprits. And if they government was to act against us we will get angry. But when the government does not act we also scream. Susahlah rakyat Malaysia! Ini pun salah. Itu pun salah. |
| #Justice4Oma solidarity Vigil tonight at 8pm, in front of Kajang Prison Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:30 PM PST 
Students/Mahasiswa groups have decided to #OccupyKajangPrison from 8pm tonight until Monday morning, when hopefully Umar will get his appeal hearing at the High Ct. Umar was sentenced to 1 month jail & RM1,000 fine for 'obstructing DBKL officer from carrying out his duty', during the lead-up to BERSIH 3.0 in Dataran Merdeka in protesting for free education.  #OD Update terkini:
Saudara Umar akan dibawa ke Penjara Kajang. Sila berkumpul dan berkhemah di hadapan Penjara Kajang pada pukul 8 malam hari ini.
Kumpulan2 Mahasiswa akan berada di sana. Sila sebarkan dan bawakan khemah sebagai tanda solidariti dengan Umar.
Terima kasih. Student sent to jail for obstructing public servant from discharging duty (The Star) - A final year student of a private college was sentenced to a month's jail and fined RM1,000, in default a month's jail, by the Magistrate's Court here on Friday for obstructing a public servant from discharging his public functions. Magistrate Zaki Asyraf Zubir ordered Umar Mohamad Azmi to serve the sentence from Friday. Umar, 23, was charged with obstructing a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officer, Mohd Masran Mamat, 34, from discharging his duty by arresting a man at Dataran Merdeka, Jalan Raja here. The offence was committed at 8.05am on April 23 this year. Deputy public prosecutor Wong Chai Sia prosecuted, while Umar was represented by lawyer Syahredzan Johan. |
| Legal action threat over oil, gas rights Posted: 20 Dec 2012 07:28 PM PST 
(Borneo Post) - State Reform Party (Star) Sabah is giving the State Government six weeks to restore ownership rights of Sabah's oil and gas resources, or the people would proceed with legal action, according to its chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. He told a press conference at TNGC Beverly Hills yesterday that Petronas missed the point when it acted as if it was the sole custodian of Malaysia's oil and gas. He was responding to the statement by Petronas that it could not afford to increase the cash payment to 20 per cent to the oil-producing states as proposed by Pakatan Rakyat. "The Federal Government is also irresponsible in using Petronas as its mouthpiece to reject the claims of the oil-producing states for increases in the cash payment from the current five per cent. "The Federal Government and Petronas have totally ignored the fact that oil and gas resources belong to Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak, in the first place. It did not belong to the Federal Government and definitely not Petronas," Jeffrey asserted. He said from Sabah and Sarawak's point of view, it should not be trapped into discussing the increase of the five per cent cash payment. In fact, he said, many of Sabah's leaders were still confused with the five per cent cash payment. "It is not royalty as in the 1976 Oil Agreement; the State Government was pressured to reject or waive its right to collect royalty. The real issue now, said Jeffrey, was not the amount of cash payment but the validity of Tun Abdul Razak's Vesting Order to Petronas as the oil and gas belonged to Sabah and Sarawak. "Such vesting to Petronas has to be unconstitutional and invalid," he said. "Therefore, Petronas and the Federal Government, and Pakatan Rakyat as the alternative front, and their leaders should be talking, firstly about restoring and returning the ownership of the oil rights to Sabah and Sarawak and then, secondly re-negotiate for the state to contribute a portion of the oil revenue to the Federal Government or Petronas. He said Star Sabah would be handing over a memorandum to the Chief Minister's office by Monday or Tuesday, calling for restoration of the ownership of the oil and gas, otherwise the people of Sabah, with the support of Star Sabah, would bring the issue to court, including the issue of Blocks L and M.
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| Mustafa: Pakatan seat talks at tail-end Posted: 20 Dec 2012 06:20 PM PST 
Tarani Palani, fz.com With seat negotiations between Opposition allies at its tail end, any party which demands for additional seats at this juncture would have to bear in mind whether there is a supply of additional seats left to be distributed. PAS Secretary General Datuk Mustafa Ali said this in response to his DAP counterpart Lim Guan Eng's announcement during the weekend party congress that the party would like three more parliamentary seats and 10 more state seats. However, the PAS party veteran was quick to add that Lim's request was nothing to be jittery about as it was understood that he was playing to party supporters. "There is nothing wrong with asking for seats because every political party is seeking for more seats. But (if there are) seats left to be distributed (is something to bear in mind)," he said in an interview with fz.com recently. For Mustafa, who was present at the congress in Penang to hear Lim's speech, the DAP leader's announcement was neither suprising nor the opposite. "I was there, I heard what he said, but I didn't ask him," said Mustafa chuckling. "I feel (the announcement) was more to pacify (party) grassroots who are looking for a seat increase". Mustafa who heads the PAS team in the Pakatan Rakyat election consultative council on seat negotiations, said that talks usually took place in the committee and that there was "not much" left to negotiate. He was mostly tight lipped on the matter, merely saying that most of the negotiations had already taken place this year. DAP Deputy Chairperson Tan Kok Wai and PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali are the heads of the other parties in the committee. Mustafa repeated what many Pakatan leaders had said on the criteria for seat allocations. For the coalition, which will face its first general election as a formal alliance, the formula would be to more or less stick to its status quo in 2008. "Each party forwards its suggestions. But we mostly use as one of our guidelines the 2008 status quo. We know what the status quo is, so it's plus or minus that. (That will be the basis) for exchange of seats or discussions similar to that," he said. He added that despite of announcements made by party leaders, the final outcome would depend on negotiations between the parties. Mustafa also said that he did not foresee any difficulty in finalising Pakatan's list of candidates as it could be settled at the committee stage. He said that in case one particular candidate cannot be agreed upon, then the matter will be brought up to the party Presidents. He however said that it may not come to that extent as most of the negotiations have gone on smoothly. |
| Perak Speaker Ganesan: I am not involved in any sex scandal Posted: 20 Dec 2012 05:25 PM PST 
Ganesan speaks to reporters denying any involvement in a sex scandal outside the state assembly on Friday. (The Star) - Perak Assembly Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan has denied any involvement in a sex scandal and will lodge a police report on the claim. "I will ask the police to investigate the claim. I'm not shocked because they are only made-up stories," he told reporters here on Friday. "I am also extremely sad that my family has to face such allegations," he said, adding that he viewed this as an Opposition tactic to attack him. He was commenting on the envelopes which Opposition assemblymen V.Sivakumar and A. Sivasubramaniam received outside the assembly earlier in the day. The envelopes contained a printed online article and a compact disc (CD) with a lewd picture, Ganesan's portrait and a woman's portrait on the cover. Sivakumar said he would be lodging a police report on the matter. |
| ‘PKR got it all wrong on power rates’ Posted: 20 Dec 2012 04:22 PM PST 
Several IPP managers say that forcing IPPs to renegotiate their PPAs will have serious implications. Zainal Epi, FMT PKR has gone off the mark when it said that it would slash the power rates if it comes to power, say independent power producers (IPPs). They were commenting on PKR investment and trade bureau chief Wong Chen's statement on Dec 7 that Pakatan would reduce the independent power producers' (IPP) return of investment (ROI) from 19% to 10% if it forms the next government. Wong has said even if the return of investment (ROI) was at 10%, which is the global benchmark, it was still a lot of money for them (IPPs). (The ROI measures the profitability on an investment and can help in making investment decisions.) "What we want is to cut their [IPPs'] obscene profit," Wong has said. He said under the current contracts, the IPPs' return of investment stood at a whopping 19% and a Pakatan government would reduce it to 10%. However, IPP players said Wong's notion that renegotiating the PPAs (power purchase agreements) with the IPPs was a silver bullet to ensure power prices remain at current rates in the future was wrong and off the mark. They said his analysis was probably driven by poor understanding of the power industry. "It is incorrect, for example, to use take Tenaga Nasional Bhd's 2011 capacity payment as a proxy for IPP earnings and dividing it by IPPs' total capital expenditure, resulting in a ROI of 19%," said a senior IPP manager who did not want to be named. (Capacity payment is payment received in exchange for making electrical capacity available.) He said this is because capacity payment is a composition of revenue and not profit, "so it is wrong to treat it as earnings". "Capacity payment is primarily used to service debt obligations of the power plant developer, so earnings is derived only after deducting debt servicing payments and other fixed costs such as insurance and taxes. "The time value of money, which is basic in financial economics, is ignored in his [Wong's] analysis – there is a need to consider capital investment made in a year and also the annual earning streams recurring for 21 years, to work out the true ROI, and not just taking into account one payment in one particular year…," said one IPP senior manager. Another IPP manager said Pakatan's proposal to force IPPs to take a 50% cut on revenues – primarily used to service their debt obligations – has the following serious implications: - It will trigger defaults in the IPP bonds, causing substantial uncertainty in the capital markets;
- It will send negative signals to investors and raise the cost of doing business for the entire economy of the country; and
- It is also result in capacity shortages and supply interruptions.
'Tariffs need to go up'
On PKR's Wong contention that power tariff need not be increased, an IPP manager said: "Tariffs do need to go up. This is due to increasing fuel cost and the capital-intensive nature of the industry. Globally, fuel cost has also been increasing substantially. "For example, oil has increased from below US$30 per barrel in 2000 to currently above US$90 per barrel [over 200% increase for the period]. "To get an inkling of the capital-intensive nature of the industry, just look up the TNB website and discover the capital expenditure of TNB each year [in the range of RM4 billion to RM7 billion]. "If the opportunity cost of gas were to be added to the present gas price, that alone will raise TNB's fuel cost by more than RM10 billion annually," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Probe the five involved in Deepak’s claims’ Posted: 20 Dec 2012 04:16 PM PST 
PKR piles pressure on the authorities to investigate Cecil Abraham, Arulampalam, Nazim, Deepak and Balasubramaniam. Leven Woon, FMT The police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have been urged to investigate the five individuals allegedly involved in the preparation of private investigator P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD). PKR vice-president Tian Chua said the authorities should probe lawyer Cecil Abraham who was allegedly said to have prepared the second SD and Arulampalam, who has appeared with Balasubramaniam at the press conference to issue the second SD on July 4, 2008. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's brother Nazim Tun Razak, Balasubramaniam and businessman Deepak Jaikishan must also be called up for questioning, Chua added. "Malaysian laws stipulate that conspiracy to falsify or subvert sworn statement is a criminal offence. "Those involved in abetment and conspiracy can be charged under Section 107 of the Penal Code, or Section 120a for criminal conspiracy, and Section 191 for false evidence under Statutory Declaration Act 1960," he said at a press conference here today. Nazim allegedly met Balasubramaniam on behalf of the prime minister and provided the latter with the money to retract the explosive first SD linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuyaa Shariibuu. Chua said since both Balasubramaniam and Deepak had concurred that the second SD was prepared under intimidation and enticement, it is the duty of the enforcement authorities to verify the allegations with the other three individuals. He pointed out that the authorities have shown they are capable of carrying out swift investigations when six federal agencies targeted NGO Suaram over allegations of receiving foreign funding lately. "Unless the MACC and police act immediately, their [already] tainted reputation and image will be tarnished further," he said. Second defamation The Batu MP also ticked off MACC over its clarification yesterday that Cecil, who is a member of the MACC's operation review panel, was not involved in the decision to halt investigation of Balasubramaniam's second SD. Describing the statement as an "utter disappointment", he said MACC is more concerned with defending its decision to stop the investigation than to discharge its duties properly. Meanwhile, Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul said the allegation that Najib had asked his brother to offer money to Balasubramaniam could be considered as a second defamation on the premier after Deepak's claims that Najib was involved in the murder of Altantuyaa. "If what Deepak said is true, then there are elements of corruption and MACC should investigate. Don't drag the matter anymore," he said. Chua also challenged the MACC to find out whether PKR was involved in paying Deepak to defame Najib. When asked whether the enforcement authorities should also probe Najib, since the premier was directly implicated in the allegations, Chua said the focus now should be on the five individuals first. "To be fair to [Najib and Rosmah], they are not materially present at the meeting. Let's leave them alone first. But if Deepak's allegations are proven to be true, then they must follow the lead and investigate further," he said. |
| Najib is too proud to bow before the people Posted: 20 Dec 2012 04:08 PM PST 
Hell would freeze over before the prime minister would apologise for his wrongdoings. Mariam Mokhtar, FMT Last July, the New York Times (NYT) carried a report on the apology by the outgoing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, for the various corruption scandals said to have undermined his government. Several close colleagues and relatives of the president had been prosecuted and jailed. Many of them had influenced the workings of the government. In recent weeks, Malaysians have noticed a succession of people who have come forward to implicate Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor, his brother Nazim Abdul Razak as well as those in positions of responsibility, such as Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. These people, whose reputations are tarnished, appear to have no desire to clear their names, nor deny the allegations. Have they complete disregard for the rakyat? Was it pure coincidence that Rosmah has announced the publication of her biography, which she and her "publishing adviser", Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Ahmad Maslan, claim will address the various allegations made against her? Had she been prepared for a day of revelations by disgruntled former associates? The pre-launch is most unusual. JK Rowling did not have a pre-launch for her books. Most authors launch their books with a promotional tour. What is significant about president Lee's humiliating apology and the NYT claim that "he could hardly lift his face", was that when he came to office, Lee described his government as "morally perfect". During his television appearance, Lee said, "The more I think about it, the more it crushes my heart. But whom can I blame now? It's all because of my negligence. I bow before the people in apology". Hours after Lee concluded his nationwide apology, two of his colleagues were arrested for corruption. In all, three of Lee's relatives, four senior presidential aides and several former senior officials in the Cabinet and government-run companies had been implicated.
Corruption menace Malaysian leaders don't apologise and hell would freeze over before Najib would bow before the rakyat and apologise for his wrongdoings or the various scandals which have hit his government. In September 2010, a year and a half after becoming prime minister, Najib told Malaysians that "combating corruption is not only a moral imperative but a prerequisite for national survival". In a speech that was delivered by his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, at the Asian Development Bank/Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (ADB/OECD) Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific's 10th Regional Seminar: Criminalisation of Bribery, Najib said that three organisations would fight the corruption menace – the police for investigating the criminal acts, the Attorney-General's Chambers for dealing with prosecutions and the Prime Minister's Department for "crafting the preventive eco-system". Najib stressed that "prevention and education should be given equal attention alongside enforcement in the fight against corruption". He praised the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for receiving an increased amount of information from the public which led to investigations, arrests and prosecutions. This, Najib concluded, was a reflection of the public's confidence in the government. Despite the recent revelations by carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan and former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan, the rakyat has yet to see an investigation being initiated by the police or the MACC. The Attorney-General's Chambers has also remained silent. In 2010, Najib claimed that "…studies reveal that corruptors tend to hide themselves or their ill-gotten gains in foreign jurisdictions. The denial of a safe haven for corruptors and their proceeds of crime is vital in any strategy to combat corruption". READ MORE HERE |
| DAP a symbol of racism after Perkasa? Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST 
Since Devan Nair, the only other Indian who rose to prominence in DAP is Karpal Singh. Since its establishment, no other Indian has held a top post in the party. If that is astounding, it is even more shocking that there has never been a Malay leader holding any top position in DAP. The nation's most populated ethnic group has little or no say in DAP. Easow Verghese Democratic Action Party, or better known as DAP was established in the 1960's by Mr. Devan Nair. DAP declared to be irrevocably committed to the ideal of a free, democratic and socialist Malaysia, based on the principles of racial and religious equality, social and economic justice, and founded on the institution of parliamentary democracy. Is DAP really upholding their principles of multi-ethnicity? Since Devan Nair, the only other Indian who rose to prominence in DAP is Karpal Singh. Since its establishment, no other Indian has held a top post in the party. If that is astounding, it is even more shocking that there has never been a Malay leader holding any top position in DAP. The nation's most populated ethnic group has little or no say in DAP. Time and time again DAP has been accused of practicing race-based politics. Despite the leaders of DAP claiming false to the allegations, results of the last DAP elections speak for itself. None of the Malay candidates who contested for a Central Executive Committee (CEC) position managed to get into the Top 20. Before a national uproar could occur, as an eye wash, two Malay candidates were appointed to the CEC. Only time will reveal how much they can contribute with their representation. The number of Indian candidates is also kept to a bare minimum. Being a party that claims to be multi-racial, the representation of non-Chinese ethnic groups is a worrying sign. Till today we still see some members of DAP at war with its coalesced party PAS over the hudud issue. What if DAP-PKR-PAS does someday form the government? Are we, a small nation like Malaysia, heading towards separation of states? The biggest opposition party with the most amount of representation in parliament after Barisan Nasional seems to lack genuine multi-ethnic representation at the elected leadership level. DAP is definitely not practicing multi-ethnicity as preached by their leaders. DAP will not represent and will not reflect the diverse cultures and beliefs which constitute the people of Malaysia. |
| Malaysia's Elections: Down to the wire Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST 
With so much at stake, every vote counts…but only if every vote is counted. Now, with the end of the year in sight and no further announcements, it seems that Mr Najib will take this down to the wire. Given that he can only go to the country after Chinese New Year next February, most people expect him to plump for the latest date he can in the electoral calendar, which would be about late March or early April. The Economist ALL year, it seems, Malaysia has been on a war footing. For elections, that is—and thankfully, rather than anything more martial. The country operates on a Westminster-style parliamentary system, so the prime ministers' five-year term does not officially end until early next summer. Nonetheless, Najib Razak and his people have been talking up the chances of going to the polls before then pretty well continuously over the past 18 months or so, which keeps everyone guessing. Now, with the end of the year in sight and no further announcements, it seems that Mr Najib will take this down to the wire. Given that he can only go to the country after Chinese New Year next February, most people expect him to plump for the latest date he can in the electoral calendar, which would be about late March or early April. His supporters say, why rush? With a generally favourable economic outlook, tame state media and all the advantages of incumbency, there is no reason why Mr Najib can't enjoy the rest of his term of office without worrying about the 13th general election. After all, he has a bit of history on his side, to put it mildly—the ruling political alliance, Barisan Nasional (BN), has never lost a general election since independence in 1957. His critics, however, detect signs of nervousness about the outcome—mainly, the endless indecision about when to go to the polls. Indeed, all the evidence suggests that this will be the closest race in Malaysia's history, even more so than the last general election in 2008. On that occasion, the BN lost its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time, thus losing its powers to make changes to the constitution. Just as bad, five of the 12 contested state legislatures were won by the opposition, compared with only one in the previous election. Mr Najib knows that to placate his hardline critics within the BN he has to not only win, but win big. They want the BN to claw back most of what the party lost last time. It's a tall order. With so much at stake, every vote counts…but only if every vote is counted. Democracy activists and other election-watchers are concerned that many of the criteria for a free and fair election have not been met by the government and the government-appointed Election Commission. Over the past few years the campaign for open and fair elections has been led by Bersih (meaning "clean" in Malay), a loose coalition of civil-rights and human-rights NGOs and others. The head of Bersih, Ambiga Sreenevasan, sounded gloomy last week about the prospects for this election. "It will be the dirtiest election we have seen for a long time", she warned. She points to the more overt signs of this, such as "increasing political violence" (at political rallies, for example) and more subtle signs such as "constant reports of discrepancies on the electoral roll in west Malaysia." Read more at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2012/12/malaysia%E2%80%99s-elections |
| Don’t see DAP congress with Umno mindset Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:13 PM PST 
The worse thing any Malay DAP member or leader can do is to read what has just happened at the 16th DAP national congress with an Umno mindset. And what is this Umno mindset? The Umno mindset is that you deserve to get something just because you are Umno. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today The recent DAP polls showed that Malays in the party must earn their keep and keep their peace. A total of eight Malay candidates contested for places in DAP's central executive committee (CEC) last week. But no Malay candidates won any place. Also, more Indians offered themselves in the contest but only M Kulasegaran got in. I don't hear them grumbling or getting gruffy. Perhaps the Malay DAP members must learn from them a thing or two. Why didn't any of the Malays get selected? Perhaps it's the fault of the candidates and the delegates and also the DAP leadership. But first let's set aside one issue – viewing the results with an Umno mindset. The worse thing any Malay DAP member or leader can do is to read what has just happened at the 16th DAP national congress with an Umno mindset. And what is this Umno mindset? The Umno mindset is that you deserve to get something just because you are Umno. Umno is built on the idea that you can get ahead by cutting corners, leveraging politics, exploiting inherited status and so forth. But the world does not operate on these terms. The world moves on, driven by people's abilities and on what they can contribute. And this is typically NOT the Umno mindset.
DAP leadership's weakness
In DAP, recognition, respect and appreciation must be earned irrespective of creed and stature. All of us, not only Malays, must now begin to think if we have not already done so, that we move on in life being assessed by: - what we can do rather than who we are. That would depend on our abilities, resolve and single-mindedness; and
- the belief that anyone and not just specific persons with specific surnames can do specific jobs. Today, it's Lim Guan Eng who is the secretary-general. In a few years, it may be another person with a another surname, judged by his peers as having the qualities and abilities to do the job.
The DAP leadership has not abandoned its agenda for "inclusiveness". But what the results did reveal is that it has some weaknesses in translating this agenda into practice. It showed that the leadership hasn't done enough to educate the delegates and DAP members of the importance of inclusiveness. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/12/21/dont-see-dap-congress-with-umno-mindset/ |
| Bentong villagers want DAP to explain Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:09 PM PST 
(The Star) - BENTONG villagers have given a date for DAP to explain its decision to abruptly stop a singing show during a dinner, reported China Press. They had challenged Bentong Dapsy chairman Chow Yu Hui to cut the head of a cockerel and perform a vow at Guan Di Temple in Kampung Telemong at 1pm tomorrow. The act of cutting a cockerel's head at a temple is a Chinese tradition to prove one's innocence in settling disputes. In a statement signed by 15 village heads and Bentong MCA deputy chief Woong Choo Yak, the group urged Chow to show his bravery in politics and not be a "deserter". "Come to the temple on time and tell us everything. Many villagers know the show was halted because DAP bowed to pressure from PAS and used many tactics to cover this up. "In fact, the incident on Nov 17 should not have happened because DAP was the organiser of the event, which was mostly attended by the Chinese. DAP did not have to follow the orders of PAS members," said the group, adding that this proved that the party had no status in Pakatan Rakyat. During the incident, PAS guests had reportedly demanded that the performance be stopped because they were apparently disturbed by a singer's dressing, which was "too revealing". Villagers, who had raised thousands of ringgit to hire the singers, were furious. |
| PKR’s Tanjong Malim dilemma Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST 
Two viable candidates - one Malay and one Chinese - are eyeing the seat In the 2008 election, the PKR had great difficulty in finding suitable candidates to field in this semi-urban constituency. Now, it has one too many. Chen Shaua Fui, fz.com In part two of a three-part series focusing on the Tanjong Malim parliamentary seat, we look at the challenges facing PKR in picking the right candidate to stand here in the next general election THE opposition in the Tanjong Malim parliamentary seat has an unfamiliar problem in the coming general election. In the 2008 election, the PKR had great difficulty in finding suitable candidates to field in this semi-urban constituency. Now, it has one too many. There is a laid back air about Tanjong Malim that hides the intense political attention that this constituency is attracting. Many people have left the area for higher education and in search of better job opportunities. Kuala Lumpur is an accessible 70km from the main town. The electorate of some 53,000 voters consists of 53% Malays, 28% Chinese, 14% Indians and 5% others. A local politician says that Malay voters will decide who wins the coming contest, especially since there has been an increase of some 2% of their numbers since the last election, due to a rise in the number of auto workers in the Proton City in the constituency. For the PKR, the lesson from the 2008 general election was that it needed to do the groundwork long before the next election if it hoped to gain the public's backing. A young, vocal NGO worker was chosen by the party to build up support on the ground. Chua Yee Ling, 29, was selected because of her track record as the councillor for Hulu Selangor, which is adjacent to Tanjong Malim. She was also an aide to Selangor state exco member Elizabeth Wong and was elected to the PKR women's wing as an exco member in the party's election in 2010. Chua was an active member of a youth group, Youth4Change before she joined politics. Chua has been working on the ground since two years ago and has built up a team consisting of young former MCA members. In that time, she has opened two party branch offices in Tanjong Malim and Bidor towns, organised fundraising dinners and talks and walkabouts in the Felda settlements. "In these small towns, you have to turn up at weddings, funerals and any social functions that are going on, so that people get to know you personally," she tells fz.com in an interview. Chua sees some change in the people's mood in the Malay-dominated Felda areas. "Previously, we could only turn up at kenduris (feasts). Now, we can organise ceramah (talks), and the turnout is quite encouraging," she says.
Two viable candidates
About a year ago, Chua had to deal with a new factor. Another potential candidate for PKR appeared in the form of Jeneral (retired) Datuk Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab, a retired air force officer. The local PKR leaders want Chua to contest the seat, as they believe that a young Chinese leader like her will be able to win Chinese votes that went to the MCA in 2008. The PKR Tanjong Malim division chief Mejar (retired) Kamal Badri said the division had conveyed the message to the party leadership at the state and national levels. He said that during the last election, there was no Chinese candidate from the opposition to contest in the parliamentary and three state seats – Behrang, Slim and Sungkai – and he believes that this was why the 1,500 Chinese voters in Slim River did not vote for the PKR. He said that Chua had been working in the area for a year before Hadi appeared in the picture, and considered that as "a little bit late." Kamal said that the voters have seen Chua as the potential candidate, and they may not endorse Hadi if he were to stand in her place. "This will not only affect (Pakatan Rakyat's chances for) the parliamentary seat but also the state assembly seats," said Kamal, who is the potential candidate to contest in Behrang state seat. Chua said that the party may be working on the basis that Hadi could gain the Malay votes in view his rank as a retired general. Another factor, according to a Perak PKR leader who spoke to fz.com, is that the seat is being held by a former federal minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, and the party's top leadership was concerned that Chua could be too young to take on a political heavyweight. On her part, Chua is being supported by the PKR women's wing to contest the seat, to meet the 30% women's candidacy quota set by the party. However, she stressed that she has no problem if Hadi is chosen, and will work hard to make sure the party's candidate wins the election. "We have been going to the ground together. Let us compete to win the chance to stand in the seat," she said. Chua also pointed out that, although she and Hadi are competing with each other, they are united in the aim of making sure the party wins in the election. The MCA, however was affected by factionalism, she opined, as Ong Ka Chuan's faction and the other division leaders do not work together. For example, she said, the publicity materials of MCA leaders reflect this lack of unity. While Ong has his own banner, the MCA Tanjong Malim Division Chief Loke Yuen Yow's banner has the party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's photo on it. However, Chua acknowledged that PKR needs to be cautious about the candidates it fields so as not to repeat its experience with representatives who have defected. Since 2008, at least six legislators have left PKR, including Behrang assembly member Jamaluddin Radzi, and the party's image has suffered as the voters have felt betrayed by these defections. The party had promised to screen its candidates more strictly. Chua proposed that the party holds a debate between she and Hadi to see who is more suitable to contest.
The danger in race-based campaigning
Hadi, when contacted, shared Chua's view, promising that he would work hard to ensure that whoever contests the seat would win. He said he has been promoting the party rather than himself personally. "I'm selling the party, not myself. I think that should be the way," he said |
| Pas: Hadi diserang kerana dicadang jadi PM Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:52 AM PST 
(Sinar Harian) - Mungkin ramai yang masih ingat bagaimana Pertubuhan Al-Arqam mengeluarkan sebuah buku yang menggambarkan Ashaari Mohammad sebagai bakal Perdana Menteri. Selepas itu, Al-Arqam terus diserang habis-habisan sehingga segala perniagaan, program dan perkumpulannya dipantau; bahkan galakan poligami turut diserang. SERANGAN ke atas Presiden Pas khususnya berhubung Amanat Haji Hadi dilakukan semata-mata kerana ada ura-ura nama beliau disenaraikan sebagai calon PM. Sedangkan sebelumnya beliau jarang diserang sebegini hebat. Di Malaysia, jawatan Perdana Menteri seolah-olah hak Umno. Sesiapa sahaja yang disebut-sebut akan mengambil alih jawatan ini akan diserang habis-habisan. Mungkin ramai yang masih ingat bagaimana Pertubuhan Al-Arqam mengeluarkan sebuah buku yang menggambarkan Ashaari Mohammad sebagai bakal Perdana Menteri. Selepas itu, Al-Arqam terus diserang habis-habisan sehingga segala perniagaan, program dan perkumpulannya dipantau; bahkan galakan poligami turut diserang. Sedangkan asal bantahan hanya kepada amalan Aurad Muhammadiah. Begitulah nasib sesiapa yang disenarai sebagai Perdana Menteri. Walaupun kita mengakui ada beberapa amalan dan keyakinan bertentangan dengan syarak, tetapi antara sebab hebatnya serangan adalah kerana ada cita-cita untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri. Sudah tentu, rakyat masih ingat bagaimana Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim diserang kerana namanya disenarai sebagai Perdana Menteri. Kini Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang pula diserang sedangkan namanya hanya disebut oleh perwakilan dalam Muktamar Pas bagi menolak tohmahan Umno bahawa kalau Pakatan Rakyat menang, DAP akan jadi Perdana Menteri. Itulah yang diwar-war di kalangan pengundi Melayu di kampung-kampung. Kini terbukti apa yang dicanang bahawa DAP akan menjadi Perdana Menteri itu berjaya ditolak dengan munculnya cadangan ini. Hasilnya, kini muncung senapang Umno mula dihalakan kepada Presiden Pas pula. Kita yakin selepas ini pelbagai tohmahan, tuduhan, fitnah akan dibuat ke atas beliau kerana di Malaysia sesiapa yang dicadangkan sebagai Perdana Menteri akan menjadi sasaran serangan media BN. Rakyat mempunyai satu peluang cerah untuk menyedarkan Umno supaya jangan lagi berfikiran bahawa seolah-olah jawatan Perdana Menteri itu hak eksklusif Umno sahaja di PRU13 dengan menyokong Pakatan Rakyat sebagai kerajaan persekutuan yang baru. |
| Nik Aziz ulangi pendirian mahu tanding PRU Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:50 AM PST 
(Bernama) - Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat mengulangi pendiriannya untuk tetap bertanding pada pilihan raya umum walaupun keadaan kesihatannya dipersoalkan. Menurutnya untuk bertanding pada pilihan raya, ia sama sekali tidak memerlukan seseorang calon itu sihat tubuh badannya tetapi cukup mempunyai pemikiran yang baik. "Insya-Allah...apa sahaja yang Umno tidak suka, itulah yang saya akan buat (bertanding). Bertanding politik bukan perlu kepada tubuh yang sihat tetapi akal yang sihat. Bertanding bukan semestinya untuk bertumbuk. Kalau bertumbuk saya minta maaf," kata Nik Aziz, 82, sebelum ini pernah menerima rawatan jantung. Ketika ditanya tentang kenyataannya yang pernah membayangkan untuk bersara daripada politik, beliau menjelaskan ia hanya terpakai sekiranya Umno menerima dasar Islam sebagai perjuangannya. "Selagi Melayu sokong Umno, wajib bagi saya melawan," katanya kepada pemberita di kediaman rasmi Menteri Besar di JKR 10 di sini, hari ini. |
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