Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Kudos to Peaceful Assembly Act
- Winning by popularity: Can Umno rely on the prime minister’s personal standing?
- End days for the Great Survivor?
- Umno’s spiritual corruption
- Malaysia's 'Darling' Status Isn't What It Seems
- Towards a progressive interpretation of Islam
- Deepak’s plan
- Who should be blamed?
- ‘Empress Dowager’ to decide polls date?
- The complexities of the 'Allah' issue
- What comes first for Anwar?
- Who can lead BN's move to reclaim Selangor?
- Deep despair in BN corridors
- In the spotlight again over ‘Allah’ issue
- Big problems, small solutions
- What value our degrees?
- Are Malaysia’s law-enforcing institutions paralysed?
| Kudos to Peaceful Assembly Act Posted: 12 Jan 2013 06:07 PM PST
NAJIB'S PROMISE: Yesterday's gathering at Stadium Merdeka indicates improved civil liberties Azmi Anshar, NST THEY came, they screamed, they mouthed, they preened, all in good spirits and in no worse shape than when they first arrived at the Stadium Merdeka since mid-morning yesterday for the hyped-up "Perhimpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat", where only a miniscule fraction of the touted one million crowd turned up. Large peaceful assemblies previously untenable are, to the surprise of Pakatan Rakyat diehards, possible but they would rather lose their manhood than admit that yesterday's gathering was somewhat prim, proper and... dull. So what if it was tedious, not to the Malay-dominated Pakatan faithful of course, but to other ordinary Malaysians making their way against the congested city streets commandeered by protesters. But by convoking the big crowd to the historical venue of national independence, Pakatan unwittingly magnified Datuk Seri Najib Razak's fulfilled promise for improved civil liberties. Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, bless him, was still the centre of attention in this humdrum affair -- by his high standards of instigation. There was no sleight of hands instructing supplicants to break police barriers, no overturned vehicles carjacked by humans resembling raging monkeys, no bloody altercations with police and, startlingly, no drama queen antics of feigned injuries. Not very Anwarish. Instead, the assembly was addled with political chinwag purposely designed to bedevil government leaders, especially the prime minister, and selected government-linked companies where the opposition failed to rattle into corporate submission. What the crowd had to endure was a series of chest-thumping but debunked allegations by Pakatan leaders eager to downplay scurrilous events of past weeks that made them look like chumps: Pas and its paradoxically confusing edicts on the demand to apply "Allah" in the ecclesiastical context, DAP and its bizarre party elections where a loser can be a winner after 19 days of mulling and PKR and, well, whatever latest scandal roiling around Anwar. Moreover, the destructive elements in Pakatan couldn't muster a plausible pretense to provoke a fight with the police because the security people -- leery of the ways of certain anarchists and their propensity to rustle up street chaos on the call of a not-so-subtle hand signal -- kept a polite distance and simply made sure traffic flowed smoothly. So subtle was the police presence that they didn't even need to construct a protective shield for mainstream media reporters previously the brunt of vicious gangs. Which can only mean that the Peaceful Assembly Act envisioned by the government when it was enacted last year is now a resounding success: implementable once politicians organising the event follow the rules permitting their right to free expression but respect the authorities' right to fix the location for sensible crowd control. Otherwise, Pakatan leaders could have easily mobilised their people to congregate at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil (recommended by police for bigger crowd accommodation and better public transport) or the PKR-controlled Shah Alam Stadium but the choice of the two venues wouldn't be as "cool and photogenic" as Stadium Merdeka. Pakatan apologists will continue to contest the fact that Malaysia has advanced the ideal that free association and assembly is steadily becoming the norm. That's the rub: the more "civilised and dull" assemblies they summon in the event Anwar feels threatened by fresh scandals, the better cemented are Malaysians' civil liberties. And that can't be happening. One fine day, Anwar and his ilk will realise that the mass public assemblies that served him artfully in the past, from his dodgy 1974 Baling demonstrations over farmers' hunger that didn't exist to his ugly street riots in 1998 after he was fired as deputy prime minister, will actually be banal and quaint, as it was yesterday. But that doesn't mean yesterday's serenity will repeat: with general election just a quarter away, Anwar will be desperate to figure out a way to incite an Arab Spring moment using typically fishy anti-government allegations under the intense glare of western media astigmatism. Just watch. |
| Winning by popularity: Can Umno rely on the prime minister’s personal standing? Posted: 12 Jan 2013 04:31 PM PST
What panic? The panic that Islam is in danger, and that only Malays acting together as Malays can save it. The panic that Malays and their place in the country are imperilled, and that only by coming and acting together in the name and on the basis of Islam can their stake in the nation be safeguarded. Clive Kessler, The Malaysian Insider "BN needs to milk Najib's popularity harder, say analysts" reads a recent headline (The Malaysian Insider, 12 January 2013). Sorry, but this is just delusional. A strategy that seeks to use Najib's supposed popularity to save Umno/BN, to pull its chestnuts from the fire at the last moment, will fail miserably. Umno has been around, and in charge (though in recent times unconvincingly), for over half a century. Najib has been PM for less than five years. So, with reason, he is less unpopular than his now increasingly unpopular party. He has not had a sufficient chance yet to make himself as unpopular as Umno itself, by its own doing over recent years, has become. And because he is widely seen as weak and vacillating, many people tend to be indifferent to him, unmoved by him, rather than to hate him. They just don't feel strongly about him in any way: love, admire, sympathise or hate. He does not inspire political passions of any kind. Rather, he comes across politically as simply a "cold fish." Nothing blood-stirring there about him. And when he tries, such as at the conclusion of Umno General Assemblies, to display political passion, it tends to fall flat, embarrassingly. That lack of powerful personal feeling or emotional "valence", positive or negative, towards the prime minister shows up in the polls as "popularity." Where what you are being measured against — here a suddenly and surprisingly quite unpopular party — is a negative, mere indifference comes over as a plus, a positive. Or that is how some people see things, how many people feel about what the government is now offering. But any notion that PM Najib's supposed personal popularity can possibly rescue Umno/BN is just fantasy. How might Umno/BN win the election? It's pretty late in the day now to try to work out a compelling strategy. But it would have to go beyond personalities, including Najib's. All else aside, that is the only way to neutralize the "negative" side of popular feelings about Najib. It would require Umno/BN to devise and promote a positive, coherent and principled agenda. Principled? Principled in the sense that it was unifying, that it united people and massed popular support from all directions. By practising the politics of convergence, and seeking to draw in its supporters and allies on all sides, from all quarters. Not a strategy, in other words, that divided, that sought to prevail at the polls by building up a numerical majority amassed from one side of the field only. Not a strategy that seeks "traction" by appealing to, by driving and even frightening together in an anxious and fearful huddle, the majority — or as many of them as can possibly be made to feel beleaguered — against all the various minorities. Can Umno/BN do that? Can it rise above the politics — well-known for its tactical popularity among the cattle rustlers in old cowboy Western movies — of the stampede, the politics of unleashing and seeking to control panic?
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| End days for the Great Survivor? Posted: 12 Jan 2013 03:48 PM PST
Dr Chua Soi Lek's failure to unite his party may prove to be his downfall. Stanley Koh, FMT However much you may hate Dr Chua Soi Lek, you have to admire his ability to survive in the harsh and sordid world of Malaysian politics. His victory in the 2010 MCA presidential election will remain as one of the great comeback stories in our political history. That victory came barely two years after he had confessed to a sexual indiscretion and resigned all party and government posts. It was no mean victory. His rivals were formidable; one was the incumbent president and the other a former president. However, according to some pundits inside his own party, Chua may have used up all the dirty tricks in his survival kit and is facing his end days in politics. They say his failure to fulfil a promise to unite the various factions in MCA and to regain voter support for the party will prove to be his final undoing. The promise to heal rifts in the party was particularly important. If he had worked hard at it and been even half successful, he might not have become the lonely and desperate party chief that his detractors say he is today. According to insiders, Chua hands are sore from gripping the rein of leadership tightly for fear of losing it to some scheming faction leader who has wised up to his tricks, including those he used as part of the psychological war strategy to clinch the 2010 victory. They say he can now trust only a small circle of supporters. Ironically, that is what he used to say about his predecessor. Chua knows well enough that in his campaign for the presidency, he made enough internal enemies to last him a lifetime. And since then he has added to the list through his decisions in party appointments and recommendations for government positions. Now, with the general election looming, the time bomb of vengeance is ticking away. Many are the disgruntled warlords waiting to settle old scores. Will they sabotage the election just to prove that Chua is an unworthy president? But then again, they may not have to do anything. Everyone knows that MCA is facing the darkest hour it its history and many think it will be wiped out in the coming election. The fact is glaringly clear: Chua has failed to win back the Chinese community's support for MCA and BN in nearly three years of helming the party. He has made blunder upon blunder in his public statements on issues that the new generation of voters care about, such as human rights and environmental concerns. When not blundering, he would resort to glittering rhetoric about BN's claimed culture of consensus or, in classic BN style, skim over the issues. Frogs in a well shaft In the eyes of the public, MCA leaders are like frogs in a well shaft. They see only the sky above. They are no longer feeling the pulse on the ground, having lost the plot set by the party's founding fathers in their aspiration for a democratic and united Malaysia. Critics among party insiders privately acknowledge that today's MCA has neither a ideology nor any semblance of unity. "Party unity is, at best, an illusion," said a veteran who served as a party official during Lee San Choon's presidency. One would be naive to think that Chua is unaware of disunity in his party despite the rhetoric he uses to convince his political masters in Umno that the situation is otherwise. It is out of his awareness of disunity that he has exercised extreme care in selecting candidates for the 13th GE. Foremost in his mind is his own political survival, which depends partly on MCA winning back a decent number of seats. It is anybody's guess how many rival factions there are in MCA, but insiders agree that one of the most dangerous to Chua is the faction led by Ong Ka Chuan. He is a brother of Ong Ka Ting, whose presidency was undermined by the Save MCA Campaign launched in 2006 and the Snoop Squad controversy that Chua allegedly had a hand in. Another faction is linked to the party's former youth chief in Penang, Eng Boon Hiap. Eng is a staunch supporter of Chua's predecessor, Ong Tee Keat. In December 2011, he led 400 others in a resignation that shut down two MCA branches. However, the biggest threat to Chua's future comes from the fact that the "collective leadership" he put together after winning the presidency was based on a betrayal of trust and selfish interests. Both Liow Tiong Lai and Wee Ka Siong were staunch supporters of Ong Tee Keat and were, during a factional split under Ling Liong Sik's tenure, aligned to a faction that was at odds with the faction Chua supported. MCA leadership is indeed trapped in history with political personalities and characters void of principles and non-ideological.
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| Posted: 11 Jan 2013 01:55 PM PST
How long more does Umno intend to use religious issues to incite hatred among people of different faiths, using Pakatan as the scapegoat? Jeswan Kaur, FMT In 2011 "statesman" Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the country belongs to the Malays and the non-Malays should feel indebted for being allowed to call Malaysia home. And in between many other events had transpired that echoed the racist sentiments of Barisan Nasional's dominant partner Umno. Now, barely a week after the new year of 2013 was heralded, the issue of "Allah only for Muslims" has cropped up once again. And like previously, this time too warnings have been issued to the non-Malays to stay out of "Malay affairs", with Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah further widening the gulf between the non-Malays and Malays of this country. The Sultan on Jan 8 reiterated that non-Muslims are forbidden from using the word "Allah", a decree he first made on Feb 18, 2010, the justification being that "Allah" is a sacred word for Muslims. Bewildering as it may be, the decree is not sitting well with the rakyat. Is Sultan Sharafuddin not aware that the word "Allah" has been used by the Sikhs and Christians for a long, long time or for that matter Arab Christians have been using the term "Allah" for over 600 years before the Muslims began doing so? The word "Allah" is used 12 times in the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, by Sheikh Farid, Guru Nanak and Guru Arjan Dev while Sant Kabeer has uttered the word 18 times. And still Umno continues to live by its fallacy that only Muslims have the right to use the word "Allah" despite the fact that the term has been used by the Sikhs and the Arabic-speaking Christians of Syria and the rest of the Middle East. On what grounds has the ruler played both judge and jury, issuing a decree that is nothing but a wedge when it comes to fostering harmony between Malaysians of different faiths. The decree also makes the country a laughing stock among the more tolerant and accepting nations. The "Allah exclusive for Muslims" controversy is a confirmed recipe for disaster, no thanks to unenlightened minds and the racist flames being stoked by unscrupulous Umno politicians. It is frightening to see the shallow mindsets occupying positions of authority in Putrajaya. One of them is senator Mashitah Ibrahim, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Not only is Mashitah all for the decree by the Sultan of Selangor, she is also wondering why non-Muslims are so adamant in wanting to use the word "Allah". Mashitah's historical understanding of the original use of the word "Allah" speaks volumes; that explains why she made the most ridiculous of suggestion that non-Muslims who are only too eager to use the word Allah best convert to Islam. Time to get rid of deadwood in BN The manner in which BN has handled the "Allah and Muslims" issue reflects its conceit in not wanting to recognise the rights of the non-Malays. To belittle and lambast the non-Malays over the "Allah" issue has put paid to all speculations that BN has post-2008 eaten the humble pie or that it has turned over a new leaf. Otherwise, how dare the BN MPs claim monopoly over the word "Allah", crying instead that the entire issue has been politicised and blown out of proportion by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition. For Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin, those who use the word "Allah" to mean God were out to instigate the rakyat and were violating the Federal Constitution. Looks like, he too, needs a lesson or two on understanding the historical perspective of the word "Allah". The truth is neither Mashitah nor Bung Mokhtar, or any other leader for that matter has absolute control over the use of the word "Allah" by the non-Malays. Little surprise that the "on then off then on again" fiasco surrounding the use of the word "Allah" has left a senior clergyman unhappy. Bishop Paul Tan, head of the Johor and Malacca diocese, said the Sultan of Selangor's role was to protect Islam and not to make rules for people of other faiths. "We non-Muslims have our own heads. Besides, our country is a constitutional or parliamentary democracy, not a theocratic state, that is, Islamic state. Our Federal Constitution protects the rights of all our people, not only Muslims," Bishop Paul told FMT.
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| Malaysia's 'Darling' Status Isn't What It Seems Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:02 AM PST
Never underestimate the power of delusion. Just ask Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister of an Asian economy that last year almost beat Hong Kong as a destination for initial public offerings. The market in question: Malaysia. William Pesek, Bloomberg The Southeast Asian nation topped Group of Seven-member Canada in 2012, ending the year as the world's fifth-largest IPO market. Not bad, considering Malaysia is Asia's ninth-biggest stock market, hardly a regional powerhouse. Malaysia was deemed a safe haven from Europe's debt crisis and a reasonable play on the China growth story. Yet Malaysian officials shouldn't get ahead of themselves in thinking their economy has suddenly become a "darling of investors," as Muhyiddin has said. There's a strong whiff of complacency in his recent comments about how the government is raising its economic game. If only it were. Muhyiddin's boss, Prime Minister Najib Razak, has talked a great game of reform. But Malaysia has yet to tackle the reason so many investors and multinational companies underweight the place: affirmation-action policies that hold back its growth and dynamism in the world's most competitive region. Malaysia is sandwiched between industrial heavyweights Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, and a cast of fast-rising upstarts including China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Malaysia needs to act boldly and expeditiously to dismantle productivity-killing quotas that benefit only ethnic Malays. "It's losing relevance and refuses to change its politically entrenched affirmative-action policies to gain back its economic prowess," said Chrisanne Chin, capital-markets consultant at IABT Research Malaysia. "The government is only interested in keeping power." That creates a counterproductive brain-drain dynamic that encourages many non-Malays to seek opportunities overseas, especially in Singapore. "The brain drain is very real as the government continues its downward slide into mediocrity and decay," Chin said. "A darling of investors? I think not." Muhyiddin and Najib must be careful about believing their own good press and get to work. Talking about leveling the playing field in Malaysia isn't the same as doing it. Until that happens, many executives and investors may take their business elsewhere. |
| Towards a progressive interpretation of Islam Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:57 AM PST
The Delhi court judge who rejected bail to a maulvi in a forcible marriage case was right in saying that there is no blanket sanction for polygamy in the Koran A Faizur Rahman, The Hindu In a significant judgment pronounced last month (in State vs. Nadeem Khancase) Delhi's Additional Sessions Judge Dr. Kamini Lau called upon religious heads, priests and maulvis "to ensure that the religious texts are progressively interpreted and to confirm that it is only those beneficial practices which are in the best interest of all sections of humanity which are encouraged and observed." She was dismissing the anticipatory bail application of a Maulvi accused of forcibly marrying a young Muslim girl to an already married man who raped her soon after the Nikah. The judge's remarks, which form part of her eloquent 14-page order, were in response to the maulvi's defence that there was nothing illegal about his performing the Nikah because the Shariah permitted a Muslim man to have four wives at a time. The importance of Dr. Lau's order lies in her scholarly refutation of the medieval belief that polygyny enjoys blanket sanction in Islam. Citing Muslim scriptures the judge avers that "polygamy is neither mandatory nor encouraged but merely permitted. The Koran's conditional endorsement of polygamy stresses that self-interest or sexual desire should not be the reason for entering into a polygamous marriage" because the original purpose of allowing this practice was "to protect the social and financial standing of the widows and orphans in their community." HISTORICAL CONTEXT Dr. Lau is absolutely right in her analysis. Indeed, except conditional polygyny, the Koran frowns upon all types of non-monogamous relationships within in and outside marriage. Significantly, polygyny itself finds mention just once (4:3) in the entire Koran. Yet Muslim men have abused it over centuries without appreciating the spirit behind its exceptional sanction, which is clearly contextualised in the historical conditions of the time when a large number of women were widowed and children orphaned as Muslims suffered heavy casualties in defending the nascent Islamic community in Medina. Even a simple reading of verses 4: 2, 3 and 127 will show that it was under such circumstances that the Koran allowed conditional polygyny to protect orphans and their mothers from an exploitative society. Verse 4:2 warns caretakers against devouring the assets of orphans either by merging them with their own, or substituting their "worthless properties for the good ones" of the orphans. And, if the caretakers "fear that they may not be able to do justice" to the interests of the orphans in isolation, the next verse allows them to marry their widowed mothers — on the condition that the new family would be dealt justly on a par with the existing one. For those who are not up to it, the instruction of the Koran was: "Then [marry] only one." The sanctity of taking care of widows and their children is further emphasised in 4:127: "And remember what has been rehearsed unto you in the Book [in 4:2 and 3] concerning the orphans of women to whom you give not what is prescribed, and yet whom you desire to marry..." This proves that verse 4:3 is not a hedonistic license to marry several women. Furthermore, the Koran idyllically describes the marital couple as "spousal mates" created to find "quiet of mind" (7:189) and "to dwell in tranquillity" (30:21) in the companionship of each other. In fact, verse 7:189, which traces the origin of man to a single cell (nafsan waahida), refers to the wife in the singular as zaujaha, thereby emphasising monogamy. Thus, in the Koranic conception, marriage is the emotional bonding of two minds which cannot be achieved simultaneously with more than one woman. RESTRICTED IN MANY COUNTRIES For this reason polygyny is severely restricted in many Muslim countries and totally banned in Tunisia and Turkey, a fact pointed out by Dr. Lau in support of her judgment. In Pakistan for instance, Sec. 6 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 states that no man, during the subsistence of an existing marriage, can contract another marriage without the permission in writing of the Arbitration Council — a body consisting of representatives of each of the parties to a matter dealt with under the Ordinance — which would grant the sanction applied for after satisfying itself that the proposed marriage is necessary and just. The Indian Muslim community is perhaps the only Islamic society in the world where utter confusion prevails insofar as the proper definition of Shariah is concerned. Judge Lau brings this up saying, "… in democratic India, it is time to clear certain misconceptions and misgivings regarding Islam. Merely because the Muhammadan Personnel Law does not stand codified, it does not in any manner entitle a violator/ accused to get away with an interpretation which suits his convenience." Once again she has hit the nail on the head. One fails to understand why the Muslim clerics have always sought to straitjacket the time-transcending polysemic phraseology of the Koran and restrict its meaning to outdated medieval hermeneutics. It is no wonder that a verse in the Koran (25:30) visualises Prophet Muhammad as complaining to God on the Day of Judgment that after his demise his followers had circumscribed the comprehensive message of the Koran. In this context, one is reminded of the valiant attempt made by the great 14th century jurist Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi of Muslim Spain who in his celebrated legal treatise al-Muwafaqaat fi usool al-Shariah developed the concept of Maslaha (public good) as an essential element of his doctrine Maqaasid al-Shariah (Goals of the Shariah) which he formulated to make Islamic law adaptable to social change. Shatibi argued that an inductive analysis of the injunctions of the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet would reveal that Maslaha is the universal principle that permeates Islam because, the divine intent behind societal sharaa'i (laws) is the masaalih (benefits, good) of the people, both immediate and future. Therefore, any law that does not have Maslaha as its basis cannot be attributed to the Lawgiver. Surprisingly, even a staunch traditionalist like Ibn al-Qayyim agreed with Shatibi. In his I'laam al-muwaqqi'in he wrote: "The Shariah is all justice, kindness, masaalih and hikma [wisdom]. Hence, any rule that departs from justice to injustice…from Maslaha to Mafsada is not part of Shariah…" It can, therefore, be stated with a fair amount of certainty that the stagnation of Islamic law in India is a result of ignoring the relevance of public interest in lawmaking. It is time Muslim theologians realised that any interpretation of Islam that is amoral, unfair and inconsistent with principles of natural justice and social ethics, cannot claim to represent the Divine Will, and therefore, does not deserve to be epitomised as the Shariah. (A. Faizur Rahman is secretary general of the Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought. E-mail: faizz@rocketmail.com)
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:39 PM PST
In a similar manner, Deepak is trying to manipulate the media to his advantage in his dealing with certain quarters. Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily Deepak Jaikishan, the businessman on flying mat, showed his face again. Some in the media fraternity had some expectations from him, thinking that he would unveil the true identity of "Black Rose." In the end, he kept everyone in suspense once again. He not only shied away from Black Rose, but also stammered at the Selangor state government's land deals. He took the reporters for a ride during the press conference, which he had painstakingly designed with a motive. Deepak is emotionally still very much attached to that 200-plus-acre plot of land as though that property must be his for the taking. Although that RM30 million was almost in hand, he kept grumbling it was too little for him. One press conference like that was one too many, but Deepak said he would hold a these every third day for a total of nine shows before he would call it quits. As a matter of fact, one PC should be more than enough to get things explicitly stated. For instance, who is the Black Rose? How is he/she related to him? Why did he get private investigator P. Balasubramaniam to issue a second statutory affidavit? How did he and his partner Raja Ropiaah secure that plot of land in Selangor? What was his role in the deal? Just a few simple questions that warrant no more than a 60-minute PC. He is like some pop singer holding a farewell concert. The first show was most naturally a sell-out success. The following year, a second farewell concert was staged and the show was still warmly supported by fans. But then another was in the making a year after... I thought you said you would bow out of showbiz for good? You should have finished up your last song and kissed everyone adieu. Why keep coming back every year with different excuses, trying to make a few more bucks before retirement? In a similar manner, Deepak is trying to manipulate the media to his advantage in his dealing with certain quarters. Sure enough, the press knows about this, but some still feel Deepak is of certain newsworthiness while others are just willing to dance in his tempo. If he keeps putting up shows like this, soon he will playing solo with zero following. This reminds me of a particular politician who used to call a press conference every other day, not because he had plenty of tips to share with the world but because he was worried he would drift into oblivion if people did not read about him on a daily basis. He even set the record of calling several PCs at different locations on one single day. Even if he wasn't the key person in a particular function, he would make every effort to speak to reporters. When asked why he didn't tell everything in one go, he replied, "Different things should be said at different places." That made Deepak Jaikishan almost an identical twin of him.
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:17 PM PST
If water disruption is not curbed, particularly during the Chinese New Year, the one to be blamed would not be the state government, but the BN government. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily I was a victim of the major water disruption last year and therefore, I am very clear about the suffering of the 107,760 residents in the four areas of Klang Valley, who have been suffering from water disruption for two weeks. How would senior officers, who sit in air-conditioned rooms and receive high pays, understand how torturing it is to look for water and spend additional money on dining outside. How could the people accept it if it is the treatment received by people of a country heading towards a high-income economy and an advanced state? Similar to the situation of the major water disruption in July last year, the BN government and the Pakatan Rakyat state government once again pointed fingers at each other. The arguments are dazzling, but no solution to the problem is seen. Many areas in Klang Valley have started to suffer disruption since 28 December last year due to a failure of two pump houses, one in Wangsa Maju and another in Pudu Hulu Baru. Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) shed the responsibility by blaming the increase of water demand and the insufficient of treated water reserve at water treatment stations, while accusing the state government of delaying the approval of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant Project. The water dam was full at the end of year during the rainy season and thus, people thought that they could get rid of water shortages. Unexpectedly, the pump houses suffered a break down. This time, Syabas again blamed that the high demand has exceeded the supply of water in the Klang Valley region, causing overuse and overload to the pump houses. Is it everyone's false but not the water supply company? Shouldn't it bear the responsible of managing and conducting maintenance? The management unit of Syabas should take the full responsibility for water supply disruption, including explaining on whether the company has conducted regular maintenance. Even if there is an increase in demand, it should have a backup plan. The Selangor state government has 30% stake in Syabas, but it does not participate in the management of water supply. The water supply service has long been privatised and people naturally relate the water supply problems to management failure. After all, power execution has always been a problem of government agencies and privatised companies. In November last year, Umno state assembly members accused the Selangor state government of freezing the RM300 million capital expenditure raised and borrowed by Syabas from the federal government in 2008, causing the company unable to replace water pipes to reduce the 32% of non-revenue water. It has also become the reason of the company for not being able to repair its facilities. Is the freeze on funds a factor of water disruption? Let's first take a look at the management performance of Syabas. Since it was privatised in 1997, the company has accumulated losses of up to RM2.9 billion and the CEO of a loss-making company can actually receive an annual salary of RM5 million? Syabas was supposed to replace a total of 6,000km water pipes but the company has replaced only 600km, and the work has been shelved since 2009. The company will have to face a greater loss if water resources continue to run off and prices will eventually be raised. Therefore, the frequent water disruption in Klang Valley is no longer simply a problem of shortage, but a problem of water resources and facilities management. It is also the key to prevent a water supply crisis in 2014. If water disruption is not curbed, particularly during the Chinese New Year, the one to be blamed would not be the state government, but the BN government.
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| ‘Empress Dowager’ to decide polls date? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:56 AM PST
There is some talk that Najib would not be the only one to decide when the next general election will be called. And here comes the tricky part as the Water Snake enters into the equation because the Chinese Lunar New Year is from Feb 10 to 24. This means that the Snake has effectively sealed off those two weeks in February as polls-campaigning and polling itself cannot be held on those dates. Selena Tay, Free Malaysia Today According to one of this columnist's journalist friends from the alternative media, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and the "Empress Dowager" are involved in a date-tussle. In political terminology, the term "Empress Dowager" is applied to someone who is actually holding the reins of power and it can be used to refer to either a man or a woman. But first here is some information about the real Empress Dowager. In Chinese history, Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) was the one wielding power "behind the curtain" for half a century. She was born into a Manchu noble family and became a palace lady at the age of 17, becoming the favourite of Emperor Xiafeng. When he died in 1861, she put her six-year-old son on the throne as Emperor Tongzhi. Tongzhi died in 1875 at the age of 20 but without an heir. Cixi then put her four-year old nephew, Zaitian, on the throne as Emperor Guangxu. During the reign of these two emperors, Cixi was the real power behind the throne. Being shrewd and cunning, she manoeuvred her court officials against one another so that her power would never be threatened. She also had a fiery temper and loved extravagance and was a spendthrift . Back to Malaysian politics, there are rumours that the "Empress Dowager" wants the 13th general election to be held before March 8. Why March 8? Well, this was the date of the previous general election in 2008. And the "Empress" thinks that any date after March 8 will give the impression that BN leaders are afraid and cowardly besides being lacking in confidence. Therefore, by hook or by crook, the polls must be held before March 8. And here comes the tricky part as the Water Snake enters into the equation because the Chinese Lunar New Year is from Feb 10 to 24. This means that the Snake has effectively sealed off those two weeks in February as polls-campaigning and polling itself cannot be held on those dates. To hold the polls before March 8, Parliament has to be dissolved by mid-January for the election to be held in early February or else BN will miss the boat and the earliest date available is March 9. The Pakatan rally The only thing that can stop the dissolution of Parliament next week is to have a massive turnout for the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (People's Uprising Gathering) on Saturday (Jan 12), also known as KL112. This will then push the dissolution of Parliament to Feb 25 as BN may get jittery because of the huge crowd. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/11/empress-dowager-to-decide-polls-date/ |
| The complexities of the 'Allah' issue Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:15 PM PST
But just as the issue seemed to be resolved, another development has prolonged it. The Sultan of Selangor has decreed that 'Allah' may be used only by Muslims. The Council of Churches of Malaysia (an umbrella body representing Protestant churches) announced that all churches will continue to use the phrase as it is within their constitutional right to do so. Oon Yeoh, Harakah Daily Just like the hudud issue that keeps cropping up every now and then, the 'Allah' issue has hit the headlines again. This is why to many Muslims and other non-Christians, it is puzzling why some Christians are so adamant about using 'Allah' to denote God in the BM Bible (especially since the BM word for God is 'Tuhan'). So, it does seem that there are indeed other faiths that use that phrase. That said, it cannot be denied that to the average person, 'Allah' is associated with Islam. If you doubt that, do a random survey with 10 people and ask them which religious group has 'Allah' as its God. I'd be surprised if anyone actually said, "Christians in Sabah and Sarawak", "Bahais", "Sikhs", "Mizrahi Jews" or "pre-Islamic, pagan Arabs". * This article first appeared on Malaysiakini.com
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:58 PM PST
Is it the reformist agenda he has touted all this while or him being the prime minister courtesy of Lajim Ukin and Taib Mahmud? CT Ali, FMT Today we ask ourselves what is the responsible way to vote while our politicians are still focused on retaining or taking power by doing whatever is necessary to do so. We know that politics is not a job for life but judging from Barisan Nasional's tenure in office, it can be a highly lucrative vocation. How goes Pakatan Rakyat against an embattled Umno? Umno has its fixed deposit votes: the Malay votes, the rural votes, the votes from the armed forces, the "religious factor" votes, the "pendatang" votes, the "I scratch your back, you scratch mine back" votes and, of course, there is their impregnable fortress – Johor. Everything that money can buy, Umno already has. Pakatan has to earn every single vote it takes take from Umno. Pakatan may have their "diehard" and "berani mati ABU" supporters, but they are cancelled out many times over by BN diehard supporters. Pakatan has no vote bank worth talking about. What it has is the goodwill of Malaysians who are hopeful that the reformist agenda it espoused will be implemented once it is in government. This enlightened but volatile group makes up 40% of the electorate. In the main, they are young adults, newly eligible voters, the urbanites and the educated. Their weapon of choice is the Internet and their intellect. Their votes are crucial and will decide who will form government after this 13th general election. The challenge of securing their patronage and allegiance is still a work in progress for BN and Pakatan. Anwar's politics in Sabah, Sarawak Saudara Anwar Ibrahim, let us recap. Pakatan's agenda is to reform. It means to make changes in something (typically a social, political or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it. The operative words are "change" and "improve". I have watched with trepidation the opposition leader's flirtation with Sabah's veteran politician Lajim Ukin. I do not know Lajim as well as I know Anwar but yet I do know something of Lajim. What Anwar, Najib and Lajim know about the politics in Sabah would be "interesting", to say the least. For now, I will give Anwar the benefit of the doubt in as far as Lajim is concerned. The benefit that I give Anwar is because I want to think that he is "talking" to Lajim because he has promised change and reforms. And Lajim, being the wily old fox that he is, knows that the people of Sabah wants change and reform too. But here is where the "doubt" starts. I hope Anwar's talk with Lajim is not in the "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" format. We know that will be Najib's approach for he knows of no other. That is Sabah. And now it would seem that in Sarawak, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and Anwar are also holding each other's hands. Najib too is in there somewhere. So now in Sarawak and in Sabah, everyone is holding on to each other, hanging on for their dear own political life. They are quite understandably more preoccupied with their own comfort than the comfort and wellbeing of the people of Sabah and Sarawak. It is a bad choice of preoccupation because there are only three votes among the three of you. The people of Sabah and Sarawak have the rest. Platform of reforms What about reforms? I do not have to pose this question to Lajim in Sabah or Taib in Sarawak because we know their political survival and personal fortunes depend on the deals they will make with the one first past the finishing line after the votes are counted in the 13th general election. They care not if it is BN or Pakatan.
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| Who can lead BN's move to reclaim Selangor? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST
The Barisan Nasional (BN) faces a major predicament in its battle to reclaim Selangor in the next general election - it lacks a clear choice of commander to lead its political machinery. Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com This is evident from the state of limbo in Selangor Umno, the senior partner in BN, which has been under the stewardship of Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak since he took over as the prime minister in 2009 and appointed himself as the state Umno liaison chief soon afterwards. It also reflects the lasting effect of the BN's shock defeat in the 2008 general election, when the ruling coalition lost control of the country's most-developed state for the first time. Political analyst Professor Datuk Mohammad Agus Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia bluntly states that the BN, which has to deal with a full array of unresolved leadership issues, will be unlikely to win the state back from Pakatan Rakyat, despite having held it for more than 50 years before the damaging defeat five years ago. "Leadership is one very significant issue here and, what does Umno have?" asked Mohd Agus. "It has money and (control of the) mainstream media. But in a place like Selangor, the online media plays a big role in the dissemination of information and it is not enough that BN can exploit the mainstream media. "A majority of the electorate in Selangor is bound to gauge a party depending on the leadership of the party and its image, as well as the unity it shows and the personalities who are vying to be candidates," said Mohd Yusoff to fz.com. In the 2008 general election, BN only managed to win 20 of the 56 seats in the Selangor state legislative assembly. Of that, 18 were won by Umno and two by MCA. In at least nine of these constituencies, BN won by less than a 5% majority, while Pakatan Rakyat held an unassailable 36 seats prior to the defection of two of its assembly members and the death of another. It was the worst ever defeat for BN in the state. In contrast, during the 2004 general election, BN controlled 54 of the 56 seats in the state. This reflects the force of the political tsunami that swept the nation in 2008. The defeat took the party's divisions by storm, resulting in a massive shake up in its ranks, with Najib taking over control of the state Umno apparatus from former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. '1,000 generals' Mohd Khir, who was largely blamed for the BN's loss in the state in the 2008 election, however retained the Sungai Panjang seat with a comfortable majority. He was also dropped as the state's BN chairperson, a position he had held since 2000. He now leads Umno's state-level think-tank. His credibility was put to the test again, when he was charged with graft, upon which he resigned as the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly. In the case, he was sentenced to a 12-month prison term two years ago for corruption involving two plots of land in Petaling Jaya. Mohd Khir has appealed against the decision. Nevertheless, according to Mohd Agus, although Mohd Khir had left office in disgrace, the former menteri besar is seen as a force to be reckoned with in the state, along with several prominent personalities including his predecessor Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib and Selangor Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar. These leaders are well connected with their electorate and are able to move the ground support in favour of the candidate they back. For a while, speculation was rife that Sri Serdang assembly member Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman would be the candidate of choice after taking over from Mohd Khir as the leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly in July 2011, but the appointment of former works minister and Sepang MP Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed as BN coordinator in the state early last year, gave life to rumours that Mohd Zin stood a better chance as he was seen as Najib's choice. Reports have also emerged that the BN is looking at fielding corporate personalities to take on Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who is frequently cited for his skills in managing the state's coffers. One such personality, whose name was bandied about, is property tycoon Datuk FD Iskandar, the chief executive officer and managing director of Glomac Berhad, after his appointment as the party's state treasurer but, the lack of resounding support for the political newcomer put the brakes on such speculation. Despite repeated calls for Umno members to close ranks, discord remains ostensible with "too many warlords" wanting to take the lead, noted Mohd Agus.
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:10 AM PST
Although I am convinced that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan are telling us the truth, I doubt their sincerity. I believe they are doing this because they were short-changed. They are revealing the truth in instalments in the hope that the big pay day will come. Toffee Rozario, Free Malaysia Today For the Barisan Nasional government to fall, the majority of the Malays must vote the opposition and that is the definitive trend today. The signs are there, it is just too many. The next general election is going to deal a huge blow to the Barisan Nasional government and it will be a blow that will take BN at least 20 years to recover. The recent revelations, coming in spurts, are a typical Umno strategy, which Dr Mahathir Mohamad used so often and that explains the succession he has passed on. Although I am convinced that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan are telling us the truth, I doubt their sincerity. I believe they are doing this because they were short-changed. They are revealing the truth in instalments in the hope that the big pay day will come. That's when they will decide whether to keep quiet or spill more. But when and if that big "pay day" comes, then I believe they will wait for yet another bigger pay day; after all, isn't the current "strategy" just pay, pay and pay? I doubt Deepak's claims that he will tell all. He is waiting for the big payouts and he wants it as soon as possible. He knows as much as Najib Tun Razak, Rosmah Mansor and Mahathir that the end is near and that the BN government is going to be dumped. In fact, they all know that and are trying their level best to intimidate the people. But this time it will not work. Slow revelation of truth Before this government falls, all these players must collect their ill-gotten gains promised to them by the big boys. And they must leave the country quickly less they get caught for all the bad things they have done in concert with the BN. Thus the slow revelation of the truth. Notable is the fact that for the government to fall, the majority of the Malays must vote the opposition and that is the definitive trend today. All polls have have indicated that, so there is this feeling of deep despair among the top brass in Umno. Thus they can't give in to every private investigator, carpet man or cop. There simply won't be enough left to pay the Umno division chiefs if they win the election, and if they do not deliver, then all hell will break loose in Umno itself. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/10/deep-despair-in-bn-corridors/ |
| In the spotlight again over ‘Allah’ issue Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST
It was quite obvious Guan Eng was sealing in the DAP support in Sarawak and Sabah where there is a large Christian population. But the issue is a perception disaster for PAS which is seen as having lost its original ideals. Joceline Tan, The Star Religion has moved to the political centrestage again with the revival of the kalimah Allah' controversy. POLITICS runs through Lim Guan Eng's veins and his speeches at almost every event, including religious occasions, is about politics, politics and more politics. The Penang Chief Minister's Christmas message last month was no different - he mentioned Lynas, the AES issue and money scandals. But it was his call for the term "Allah" to be used in Bahasa Malaysia Bibles that landed his Pakatan Rakyat partners with a giant headache. It has made him a hero among the Christians but the matter stunned many Muslims who are not comfortable with the development. Religion has once again moved to the political centrestage with the revival of the "kalimah Allah" issue. On Tuesday, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang appeared at a press conference with PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang where Hadi read from a brief statement that appeared to endorse Guan Eng's Christmas message. Basically, Hadi said that Islam does not forbid non-Muslims from using the term "Allah" although it may not be equivalent to the actual meaning of the original Quranic word. The three leaders looked rather tense and seemed in a hurry to get it over with. None of them were really comfortable about the subject matter and who can blame them? The press conference was taking place on the same day as a no-nonsense statement from the Selangor Palace reminding everyone in the state that there is a fatwa decreeing that the term "Allah" is sacred and exclusive to Muslims. The Selangor fatwa was gazetted on Feb 18, 2010, shortly after the controversy over the Bahasa Malaysia language Bibles. The Pakatan leadership appears to be going against the Palace and the state fatwa, whichever way one looks at it. For instance, a Malay daily had the following headline: "Sultan larang, Hadi benarkan" (the Sultan disallows, Hadi allows). Actually, Hadi was being consistent in the sense that he had said more or less the same thing at the height of the issue in 2010. His problem is that a number of the leading ulama in his party do not agree with him. Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, the party's Pahang chief and the man seen as Hadi's likely successor, had just a couple of weeks ago said that the "kalimah Allah" was meant only for Muslims. The view is shared by Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib and the party's leading theologianDatuk Dr Haron Din. In 2010, when Hadi was being hailed by Christians as an "accommodating leader," many in PAS had disagreed with his stand but they kept their peace. The mood has shifted and the conservatives are less willing to hold their tongue this time around. Hadi's latest statement has not gone down well with the party and the deafening silence on the part of Harakah daily on the issue says it all. It has to be remembered that this is a party some of whose members are not even comfortable with wishing Christians "Merry Christmas" and which has protested against Muslims celebrating Valentine's day on the grounds that it has Christian connotations and encourages proximity between the sexes. PAS leaders are against cinemas which are seen as venues for vice activities and the unisex hair salon issue in Kelantan is still hanging in the air. Some in Pakatan are upset with Guan Eng for stirring up this polemic issue so close to the general election. Even the Sultan of Selangor had expressed "shock and regret" over Guan Eng's Christmas message. They said DAP was already assured of the bulk of the Chinese and Christian votes and there was no need to hurt PAS on the Malay ground. "PAS loses votes every time the Pakatan Rakyat Council makes a decision," said a Selangor PAS member. Read more at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/1/10/nation/12554144&sec=nation
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| Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:13 AM PST
Compared with Anwar's ideas to solve the nation's woes, Najib's 1Malaysia This and 1Malaysia That are but small painkillers providing short-term relief Selena Tay, FMT Soon 10 million Malaysian citizens will be able to enjoy the 1Malaysia Privilege Card and do online shopping at the 1Malaysia Privilege Portal. This may be a way of enabling the rakyat to obtain a bit of discount benefits but this is not solving the problem in the long run. A friend of this columnist mentioned that 5% discount is given for purchases at a fast-food outlet but the discount is only limited to purchases of less than RM20. Do your math and see how little the discount comes up to! Frankly, all these 1Malaysia ideas are not solving the problems at all. They are just little ideas yielding tiny gains for the rakyat. One of the biggest problems faced by the nation is corruption. Is there any major effort by the relevant authorities to curb this crime? Forget the NKRAs (National Key Result Areas) and the KPIs (Key Performance Index) but has there been any real reduction in corruption? Zilch, nil, tiada. Another major problem is the ever-rising crime rate. Any reduction? Not really. Snatch thefts and house break-ins are rampant and rife. Instead, the Najib administration comes up with 1Malaysia This and 1Malaysia That. These are not problem-solvers but small painkillers that provide short- term relief. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is not doing the big things to solve the big problems. Is there any idea or plan on how to curb the massive illicit fund outflow? Again zilch, nil, tiada. In fact, in the first place there is no effort being made to acknowledge that there exists big problems such as corruption, rising crime and illegal fund outflow. Instead, attention and action have been diverted to giving small discounts and small cash aid here and there. Clearly, Najib is not a man of big ideas when it comes to benefiting the rakyat. Just compare with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim who has ideas such as abolishing road tolls, reducing petrol prices and giving out taxi permits. Now these are big ideas. In regard to taxi permits, so far the Najib administration has only handed out four new tyres. This gift amounts to only RM520 whereas the taxi permit costs nearly three times that amount at RM50 per day, which comes up to RM1,500 per month. That is the reason why the prime minister does not really understand the situation on the ground. Making up for lost time As for the RM500 cash aid handed out under the BR1M programme, curbing inflation is the better move in the long term. And curbing inflation can only be done with good management of the economy. By handing out cash aid, Najib is only applying the painkiller solution of instant but temporary relief unlike Anwar's ideas which solve the problem once and for all. In respect of this, Pakatan Rakyat's promises are the better deal and we should put Pakatan in power to see if the better deal becomes the real deal. Let us see how Pakatan performs as the federal government and how BN performs as the opposition. Then and then only can real comparison be made between the BN era and the Pakatan era. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/09/big-problems-small-solutions/ |
| Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:05 AM PST
As the government continues to provide more funds for education under the PTPTN scheme, more young people look forward to a tertiary education and a degree. But in the eagerness to create more graduates, some universities are closing an eye to the weaknesses and shortcomings of students. R. Nadeswaran, The Sun "Citizen is a special status held by the people who have the right to be in a country. For example, people deserved to choose their own life such as individual freedom, freedom of workship, and citizenship through marriage. It was the important thing to be the advanced country and also decrease the poor people. Moreover, Malaysia is a wonderful city. People have to choose their own minister to be right choosed after 'Pilihan Raya'. In Malaysia also they have no age limits to their want to get studies. It was a good thing to us and also to be the advanced city in 2020. Malaysia also have their own systems and also rules. Malaysian Constitution is the most important things in Malaysia it is because Malaysia was the most beautiful country. Besides, the Yang DiPertuan Agong has the highest positions according to the constitution. Other than that, people in this country deserved to choose their own choice for example their Prime Minister. It is shown that Malaysian was a great city than others. In Malaysia also they have no war it is because Malaysia was a calm country. Moreover, Malaysia also trying to together with the other country to move forward to be the advanced city in the eyes of the world." NO, the above are not the work of some foreign students trying to learn English. Neither are they of primary school pupils attempting their Standard Three English language test. No, they have not been edited and are reproduced as they were written and submitted. The creators of the above are final year students of a multiple award-winning university. These are excerpts of their essay on Malaysian studies. Despite the poor language and content, they will be "passed" by the university and perhaps given an "A" for their efforts. Will these students be able to word a job application? Will they be able to go through a job interview? Will employers want to give jobs to this category of students who cannot string two sentences without five mistakes? Will these students be prepared to face the outside world? Later this year, they will "graduate" complete with gowns and mortars in front of proud parents and relatives. They will receive scrolls from a VVIP and pay a small fortune for the ceremony and photographs. In short, they are the end-products of production lines that have been set up to churn out graduates, irrespective of their skills, knowledge or ability. To enable these production lines to function, a whole load of people get licences or permits to set up "tertiary institutions". There is no quality control and the end result is that some of them are absolutely useless and make money from the National Higher Education Loan (PTPTN). As the government continues to provide more funds for education under the PTPTN scheme, more young people look forward to a tertiary education and a degree. But in the eagerness to create more graduates, some universities are closing an eye to the weaknesses and shortcomings of students. In 1997, the PTPTN scheme was launched at a time when private colleges were starting to bloom, and foreign universities such as Monash University and Nottingham University were invited to set up their campuses in Malaysia. The PTPTN was supposed to be a rolling fund to provide loans to students who could not afford tertiary education. Today, the PTPTN scheme, as one observer remarked, is no different from or maybe worse than the "sub-prime" loan scandal in the US. You lend money to people (children) who are "not qualified" to "buy" a degree that is worth very little, on the belief that the value of the degree will keep increasing. When the value appreciates and there is a regular income, the loan can be settled and therefore everybody will be happy. But the bitter truth is that the degree is not a guarantee of regular income and hence the loan defaulters. Under these circumstances, will the government be able to recover the loans or will they be written off? R. Nadeswaran has met several "graduates" who cannot hold a simple conversation. Comments: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com
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| Are Malaysia’s law-enforcing institutions paralysed? Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:48 AM PST
The 200 acre land is designated for a building military camp, and Awan Megah is prohibited from conveying it to any third party. In addition, the Selangor State government, which is the administrator of all lands in the state, has also declared that it will not approve any transfer of the said land unless it is used to build the military camp. Hence, Boustead is effectively barred by law to acquire the land. With this land transaction being a castle in the air, Boustead is, in truth, paying out RM160 million for which it gains nothing. Kim Quek The total impotence of law-enforcing institutions across the full spectrum of the Malaysian polity to deal with high corruption and criminal activities of the ruling elite is mercilessly exposed through the serial unfolding of scandals by Deepak Jaikishan – one time close associate of the Prime Minister's wife.
First, it was the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) and the Attorney General who have remained steadfastly silent despite a series of swirling exposes for more than one month of Prime Minister Najib Razak's family's alleged acts to cover up the PM's alleged link to the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya.
In addition to accusing the family of committing bribery and criminal coercion in order to come up with a false statutory declaration to protect the PM, Deepak also accused the family of having accepted bribery from him for facilitating his participation in a scandalous Defence Ministry (Mindef) project – the construction of the RM100 million National Defence Education Center (Puspahanas). The PM and his family have also remained strangely and inexplicably silent.
Now, even the Securities Commission, watchdog of the securities market, is also found wanting in protecting the integrity of the Malaysian Stock Exchange when it fails to haul up a Defence Ministry-linked company embarking on a dubious deal, which was apparently designed to quell the politically explosive Deepak-Najib scandal. Listed company Boustead Holdings Bhd, an investment arm of the military pension fund entity (LTAT) under Mindef, is playing Santa Claus to dish out millions of ringgit in cash to silence whistle-blower Deepak and the Mindef project recipient, Selangor Umno women wing's chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah, who was sued by Deepak over alleged breach of trust in their ill-fated partnership in the project.
MINDEF TO THE PM'S RESCUE
Boustead is buying up Deepak's company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million, and at the same time also buying the disputed 200 acres of land from Ropiaah's company Awan Megah (M) Sdn for RM130 million. Upon this announcement by Boustead, Deepak instantly withdrew his law suit against the Umno leader, presumably appeased and refrained from further blowing his trumpet.
However, behind the Boustead maneuver that resulted in this lightning development are facts that are perhaps stranger than fiction – the goods that Boustead are chasing after are in truth illusionary to its shareholders. For Astacanggih is but an asset-less shell company that has never filed its accounts with the Companies Commission, and the 200 acre land, which was intended as Mindef's part payment to Awan Megah for undertaking in 2005 to complete the Mindef project, is still vested with the government, as the project was never constructed.
Furthermore, the 200 acre land is designated for a building military camp, and Awan Megah is prohibited from conveying it to any third party. In addition, the Selangor State government, which is the administrator of all lands in the state, has also declared that it will not approve any transfer of the said land unless it is used to build the military camp. Hence, Boustead is effectively barred by law to acquire the land.
With this land transaction being a castle in the air, Boustead is, in truth, paying out RM160 million for which it gains nothing.
So shouldn't the Securities Commission as well as the MACC have stepped in to probe the directors of Boustead and LTAT respectively over this outrageous fraud and betrayal of the welfare of military personnel and veterans, who have obviously become sacrificial lambs at the altar of political expediency of the political masters?
And shouldn't the Defence Minister, who has apparently initiated such a political move to save Najib's skin, be also investigated by MACC over such abuse of power, corruption and bribery on his part?
PM ABUSED POWER TO GRANT PROJECT
As a further blow to the image of PM Najib, he happened to be the Defence Minister who approved in 2005 the award of the project to Awan Megah, which is now found to be a company that has remained dormant since 2003, certainly without the wherewithal to design and construct the RM100 million Mindef facilities. This is clearly an act of abuse of power and corruption.
In any democratic country where the government is popularly elected, the prime minister would have stood up to face these serious and unyielding allegations by either denying or acting to reclaim his dignity; and the law-enforcing institutions would also have swung into action – one after another – to uphold the law. But in Malaysia, we have only eerie silence, save the noises made by the opposition, mainly through the Internet, as the relative news are blacked out in the mainstream media.
Obviously, our institutions, including the mainstream media (all newspapers and TV channels), have either been neutered or reduced to serving as lapdogs of the political masters; and unless these institutions are thoroughly reformed, the plundering and breach of law by the ruling elite with impunity will only get worse – a path that will lead eventually to state bankruptcy and national catastrophe. For peace-loving Malaysians who yearn for the restoration of rule of law, what alternative do they have other than to seek a change of government by granting a new mandate – through the coming election – to the opposition alliance, whose corruption-free leadership has demonstrated the ability to administer the state governments under its control with integrity and prudent financial management? |
And there are common stories in the Bible and the Quran that relate to the Old Testament. Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham - they all appear in both books. Even Jesus appears in the Quran, although in that context he is a prophet rather than the son of God.
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