Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Where Did BN get my personal particulars from?
- Police marching to BN beat
- Middle-income trap makes owning homes near impossible
- Sandiwara of a python
- Najib: Action against Nasharudin stems from PAS’ insecurities
- Imagine no Ibrahim Ali
- Back to the gold standard: Some benefits of using gold as currency
- Distribution of 20 pct oil royalty to producing states can burden Petronas
- "Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it."
- Batu Caves condo cancelled: Who suffers?
- Nasharudin says will continue fight for Islam even without PAS post
- Taib to resign, Jabu to move up?
- AG: Govt will act on RCI report
- No Boycott for Penang Run
| Where Did BN get my personal particulars from? Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:17 AM PST
He has infringed on my privacy, from where did he get my personal particulars, does he not know that he has infringed my privacy, I wonder what are the other particulars he has about me. It's Toffee's Turn Today the 26th of January is the Indian Republican Day, it is also Australia day. It is the birthday of the famous actor Paul Newman too, and a host of other famous people if you google the 26th of January you'll find Anthropologists of world fame and many others, but 26th of January is also my birthday and you may be wondering why I am telling you all this.
Kim Poo Teh D.S.S.A.,P.J.K.,J.P.,DipM. MBA, MCIMFounder, Managing Director, Director and Chairman of Remuneration committee, Resintech Bhd CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS*Lot 3 & amp; 5 Jalan Waja 14Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor 42500 Malaysia Phone: 60 3 3122 2422 Fax: 60 3 3122 2411 Aha, now I had a phone number so I called the number and I asked for Dato Dr. Teh Kim Poo, the lady answering the call told me Dato was not available as he was overseas, so I asked her if she knew how he got my personal details she of course did not know. Well when I am angry you can tell it by the sound of my voice on the phone, many of you who know me know that for sure, and this girl who does not know me was no exception either, when I gave her the number on which I received the SMS, she told me that, that, was not his number and gave me his business number but warned me he was overseas. I replied, "I feel like making an overseas call right now." I called him and he answered. I asked if it was Dato Teh and he replied, "yes." I asked if he sent me a birthday greeting, and he, sounding rather happy and proud replied, (this is exactly what he said), "yes I did, in fact everyday I send out thousands of birthday greetings, New Year greetings, festival greetings to people in Klang, via SMS." I am from Klang and as long as I can remember no MCA man has even said hi, to me on the streets, so why would this Dato want to go to all that trouble to get my personal details and send me an unsolicited SMS, well I think the reasons are rather obvious. He has infringed on my privacy, from where did he get my personal particulars, does he not know that he has infringed my privacy, I wonder what are the other particulars he has about me. Well if he came to my house and said, "tolong undi BN" I may not have got so angry, the worst thing I would do under such circumstances is drive him put of my compound, the best is If and only if I liked what he said I may undi him but not the BN, but to go and get my personal particulars, which I have not given to UMNO, MIC or for that matter MCA or any other Barisan Nasional Party is too much and I need to know how he got it. Ya, he had my phone number, he knew my birthday, and he he was quite proud of this, this man who is the founder of Public Listed Company had all this, and I wanted to know who gave it to him, he shoudl ahve more sense not the Cow sense the BN has. So I asked politely, that is as politely as I could ask considering I was furious, more so furious with a BN man, and more so MCA man, and he did not reply. So furious that these people were strange bed fellows with one former Prime Minister who insulted our Citizenship recently, who illegally gave away citizenship to foreigners who now become Bumiputras whilst we remain second class citizens and this party had not stood up to this man, so why vote for such traitors? I was really annoyed, I told him he was a nobody, and that he was confounded idiot working for other idiots, and that getting access to the personal information of thousands of people in Klang is a serious matter and asked again how got it. All he said was, "okay, okay lah, sorry, okay lah" and he switched off his phone. The only people who have that kind of information are the government departments and the telecos. Now I need to know which government department or which telco gave him these details? I want to find out, who are the people in the government giving out personal details to members of political parties? This is something we all need to know, because I am told by my friends they received Thaipusam greetings, they received Birthday greetings, and they received even Ponggol greetings, Chinese New Year is around the corner and many of you are going to receive this unsolicited mail from these running dogs. This information could not have become available from an MCA register, I am not a Chinese the nearest I go is my wife is Chinese so how did he get my details? I was not born in a Chinese maternity home, I did not go to a Chinese School, so how did this MCA bloke get it? They can't even have got from the MIC, I am no MIC member, I fail to qualify because I do not speak Tamil so where did it come from? I am not Muslim, I am a staunch Christian - a Catholic, so I can't claim to be Melayu like Mahathir Mohammed Bin Iskandar Kutty, and become an UMNO member, so where did he get my personal details? This only goes to show how desperate the BN has become, and how they misuse the trust the people have placed on them that they can go the extent of infringing on our privacy without blinking an eye and no tfear the consequences.
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| Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:13 AM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - The public perception is growing that the authorities are all 'partners in crime' by concealing the truth about the many deaths in police custody. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak reaffirmed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, recently that Malaysia is committed towards becoming a developed nation by 2020. Painting a cosy picture of a progressive nation, the premier conveniently swept the alarming truth under the carpet – that of police brutality having reached pandemic status in the country. The rakyat, meanwhile, is worried, angry and frustrated because the federal government continues to belittle the importance of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). Eight years ago, a 634-page report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the police force, headed by a former judge, revealed that the police were brutal, inept and the most corrupt among the government departments. Between 1999 and 2003, there were 5,726 formal complaints of corruption involving the police force and it was recommended that the police force be monitored by an independent watchdog. But Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein continues to disrespect the importance of the IPCMC. In the meantime, the layman ends up dead under police custody while politicians and offspring of Cabinet ministers continue to roam free despite being implicated in brawls and murders. Can the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar explain such travesty of justice? It was not too long ago when two police officers who were also members of the Malaysian Police Special Action Force were sent to the gallows for the murder of Mongolian native Altantuya Shaariibuu. The two cops were assigned to the Prime Minister's Department and acted as Najib's bodyguards. Altantuya was found murdered in a jungle at Puncak Alam in Shah Alam, her remains destroyed with C-4 explosives on Oct 18, 2006. If all this is not disturbing enough, the conspiracy between the public hospitals and police to hide the truth behind the deaths in detention makes the rakyat nauseous with the never-ending machinations of the ruling Barisan Nasional to conceal the facts. In the face of all this troubling scenario, Ismail is going about "re-branding" the police force, saying more degree holders are welcomed to join the force and that his "men in blue" are doing a fine job. But going by the "track record" of the Royal Malaysian Police, there is no reason for the rakyat to trust Ismail. From rapes in lock-ups to nude squats to bashing up detainees to being trigger-happy to misusing the C-4 explosives, Ismail's "men" have done it all and the pattern continues. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/29/police-marching-to-bn-beat/ |
| Middle-income trap makes owning homes near impossible Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:09 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - The poor have government-controlled low-cost housing, the rich can have their pick of whichever property they fancy but the middle-income wage earners are left to rent or make do with a remote location when it comes to getting a home of their own. The latest Property Market Report 2012 has revealed property prices in major cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu to be well above the affordability of any middle-income wage earner with a take-home pay of less than RM4,000, prompting the federal government to come up with several affordable housing schemes. In Kuala Lumpur, a single-storey terrace house in Taman Tun Dr Ismail or Lucky Garden is priced above RM730,000 while a similar type of house in the nearby Petaling district is priced above RM378,000. The solution, according to real estate agent and International Real Estate Federation (Fiabci) committee member Michael Geh, is for potential home buyers to look further away to the outskirts. "What we have now is a middle-income trap for the average wage earner where they can't qualify for low-cost housing and yet they can't afford a comfortable home within city limits," he said. Property prices have been strong in recent years with many urban areas experiencing property price increases while newly launched homes are priced above the RM500,000 mark, according to the Property Market Report statistics. If a house buyer wants to get a home that's within his means, he will have to either look at locations further from the city centre or get a "partner" as only a combined income will allow for easier approvals of housing loans, said Geh. "So, either you grab a spouse to apply for a loan based on a joint income or you look further out of the city for cheaper housing and commute to work everyday," he said. Geh said there was also a new trend where friends partnered up to jointly purchase properties. "Many singles prefer to partner up with a friend to jointly buy a house where they stay together as housemates instead of renting," he said. But many singles also prefer to rent and live like nomads where they frequently move from one place to another especially when they change jobs, he added. "This is especially true for fresh graduates who may not have enough income to sustain a housing loan," he said. Property auctioneer M. Shanmughananthan echoed Geh's opinions that it was now very difficult for the middle-income earner to purchase properties, especially newly launched projects in the city. "There is now a growing phenomenon of investors clubs and they are snapping up these new projects even before they are launched so genuine home buyers will not have a chance to get these properties at the launch price," he said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/middle-income-trap-makes-owning-homes-near-impossible/
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| Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:55 AM PST
You know, when I read in Malaysiakini that Nasha [has been] booted from PAS' syura council and the ensuing rejoicing among many Pakatan people, notably from PKR and DAP, I sighed and shook my head lamentably because they obviously didn't notice what has been involved - namely, that Nasharudin Mat Isa has ONLY been removed from the party's Majlis Syura ... and not booted out from the party itself. KTemoc Konsiders Perhaps their rejoicing has been premature. I'll give my take shortly after we recall why he has been removed from PAS Majlis Syura. Malaysiakini reported (extracts):
Nasahrudin & Najib in Mecca Nasharudin was once a leading figure in PAS until news reports claimed that he was trying to convince party leaders to forge closer ties with arch-rivals Umno due to religious reasons, instead of secularist DAP and PKR. On several occasions, Nasharudin had attempted to drive a wedge between PAS and its Pakatan Rakyat allies, such as by claiming that DAP had prayed for the formation of a Christian state after the Sarawak state election in 2011. Irking party members further was Nasharudin's apparent cosy ties with Umno. He had accompanied Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Abdul Razak abroad a few times, most recently to Gaza.
(left to right) Palestinian PM Haniyeh, Najib, Nasharudin Look, I opine if it had not been Nasharudin it could and would have been Hasan Ali, Zulkifli Nor, or a host of other PAS blokes who prefer to be pally buddy with their political foe, UMNO, rather than their mainly non-Malay political ally DAP (or PKR, but definitely the former), so there's no point in blasting Nasharudin because that would not help understand where he has been coming from.
To understand the mentality of Nasharudin and people of his ilk, it may be helpful if we pull up the UMNO Ketuanan Melayu mantra of raja, bangsa, agama dan negara. Note that I have place negara last as it's my personal belief very few of the UMNO or PAS worry about it, unless they can argue that negara refers to an only UMNO-Malay country. Okay, maybe if pressed, they would probably rationalize that once the first three, namely, raja, bangsa dan agama have been duly defended and upheld, negara would automatically be taken care of. We could argue over this all day until Shahrizat's missing cows do the impossible and come home, and still won't agree. Anyway, I opine the so-called Ketuanan Melayu struggle is all about power and its control, and of course the associated and most important privileges and benefits that come along with it. Only in the most exceptional circumstances would UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu be really about bangsa.
Examining raja, bangsa dan agama, this mantra can be further reduced or crystallized into just one word, either bangsa or agama because for a Malay-Muslim, these two factors are indivisible. What about raja then? In my opinion, raja and the sanctity of the institution would be an intrinsic component of Malay culture and Malay psyche, and again cannot be separated from bangsa. Thus UMNO can yell bangsa or if it likes, agama, though currently the latter has assumed far greater importance than the former because (a) it demonstrates to the Heartland that UMNO is (still) the intrepid defender of Islam, (b) it allows UMNO priests to issue fatwas to its political advantage, and (c) it drives a lovely wedge between PAS and DAP, or even PAS and Anwar because the latter's stand on the Allah word has deeply riled many PAS people. Incidentally, on this I must compliment Anwar for assuming a firm Pakatan approach than his usual tap dancing self.
* in case some of you may question why I compliment Anwar on this when I have been consistently against the Christian Church using the Allah word. And that's because they are separate issues. My stand against the Church has been based on my belief (or suspicion) that the Church's arguments has been obdurately implausible and thus indefensible (and I provided all my reasons for my stand), whereas my compliment for Anwar on the same issue has been about his firm stand on an already agreed Pakatan policy even though I personally disagree with that policy. I suspect PAS' volte-face has been due to one of two reasons, or even both - it fears that as an Islamic party it's losing grounds as well as its Islamic credentials to UMNO on the Allah word controversy or it has been a coup d'état by its party's Majlis Syura (many of its members other than perhaps Pak Haji Nik Aziz have been uncomfortable working with a secular DAP), or both. Even PAS party president Mat Sabu has no choice but to toe the Majlis Syura line, whence he did a belakang pusing on the use of the Allah word by the Church, a 180-degrees departure from his earlier stand which indicates an ominous portent of things to come if Malaysia is ever ruled by PAS.
I had warned in my post PAS - from Progressive to Pythonic that once Malaysia has been established as an Islamic State, we can forget about Westminster democracy, where any of its pseudo-democracy and associated institutions under Islamic rule will automatically come under the control of a supreme, non-questionable, non-challengeable (a la the fatwas of the Kedah MB), and totally dictatorial religious Majlis ... ... and as mentioned by RPK in his post Friday prayers are NOT compulsory, said the Mufti, the process in an Islamic environment is not democratic and not questionable even by logic, reason, precedent or rules.
But the Malay nationalists in PAS (and that's who some of them really are), much as they believe in bangsa, can only scream agama because politically it has only the religious warrant, unlike UMNO which can switch flexibly (or unscrupulously) from bangsa to raja to agama to negara and even to 1Malaysia as its clarion call of the day without any qualms or embarrassment, wakakaka. Yes, more than a few PAS members possess a similar belief in UMNO's Ketuanan Melayu because the ethnocentric Devil is still ensconced in our political-social-cultural DNA. Read more at: http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2013/01/sandiwara-of-python.html
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| Najib: Action against Nasharudin stems from PAS’ insecurities Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:51 AM PST
(The Star) - The removal of former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa from the PAS Syura Council stems from the party's uneasiness and sense of threat over the success of the Barisan Nasional government and Umno in uniting the Muslims, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said. The Prime Minister, who recently returned from a trip to Gaza with a Malaysian delegation that included Nasharudin, added: "Whatever their (Syura Council) decision was based on, the timing of it created a perception that it was done due to his visit to Gaza." Najib told reporters this after opening the Youth Action Forum 2013 here yesterday. PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who heads the Syura Council, had announced on Sunday that it had decided on Jan 13 to remove Nasharudin due to several factors, including failure to attend council meetings. Yesterday, the Kelantan Mentri Besar also said Nasharudin, who is Bachok MP, would not be an election candidate as none of the party's divisions had submitted his name. "It is likely that they (PAS) felt uneasy and threatened by our (the Government's) success," Najib said. He said it was unfortunate that action was taken against a PAS leader whose visit to Gaza "was driven by his personal desire for Muslim unity and upholding Islam". "That was the view he expressed and his personal stand, for which the action against him was taken," said Najib, adding that the trip to Gaza was apolitical. The Prime Minister said the visit was a historic occasion for all Malaysians who supported the Palestinian cause, brushing aside criticisms over the trip. He said the negative remarks were in opposition to the general sense of appreciation felt by the entire nation of Malaysia's role in helping the Palestinians. |
| Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:47 AM PST
The are some who appear to be on a sacrilegious crusade to drown this nation in bloodshed for what is hailed as a sacrosanct cause. RK Anand, FMT Imagine there's no heaven Imagine there's no countries Imagine no possessions The above are excerpts from John Lennon's masterpiece titled "Imagine". During his solo career, Lennon had strained his vocal chords to promote peace, making him an icon of the anti-war movement. Ironically, Lennon met a violent end when he was shot four times on Dec 8, 1980. The next day, his wife issued a statement, which read: "…John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the Perhaps if he was still alive, Lennon might pray with extra zeal for Malaysians and even consider penning an additional verse for his song, which would read: Imagine no Ibrahim Alis, There are some who appear to be on a sacrilegious crusade to drown this nation in bloodshed for what is hailed as a sacrosanct cause. These are people, who, in the name of their religion, or rather the votes that it can entice, spew hatred and sow the seeds of discord, doing all that is antithetical to the teachings of their faith – peace, love, compassion and tolerance. Under the guise of protecting their faith, these opportunists are in fact doing a disservice to their respective beliefs. Being a witness to these unravelling shenanigans, one cannot be faulted for thinking that this nation is regressing fast in terms of race-relations. What is more disturbing is that a prime minister, who stepped into office with the grand proclamation of unity, is allowing this disunity to become exacerbated and a former prime minister of mixed parentage appears hell-bent on widening the fissures at an age when he should be contemplating on the afterlife instead. But then hell hath no fury like a deputy scorned! And so perhaps the octogenarian fears the retribution here – should the kingdom fall – more than what awaits him in the hereafter. Hence, he must do all within his powers to prevent that man, whom he despises, from ascending the throne, even if it means plunging this nation into the dark ages. The doctor who transformed Malaysia into a nation with first-world infrastructure appears to be suffering from the malaise of a third-world mentality. His legacy is in tatters. When the last general election delivered an almighty blow to the ruling coalition, Umno, under the stewardship of its new captain, who realised that most of its non-Malay backers had abandoned ship, decided to leave the keris in the sheath and chart a new course, steering clear of the troubled waters of racial and religious extremism. The new captain admitted that the coalition made mistakes in the past, which he wants to rectify but saw no reason to do so when he served in the Cabinet for decades. Enter Ibrahim Ali Sensing that Umno has left behind a vacuum which can be exploited to his benefit, a self-styled Malay warrior of Napoleonic stature (at least in the vertical sense) set sail for the troubled waters. While Ibrahim Ali is considered more of an annoying amphibian than a real threat, he however has the protection of what some detractors consider a venomous reptile from Umno. And so one wonders if the frog is merely spewing what is formed in the cobra's venom gland. Is Ibrahim just the mouthpiece for someone, who, because of his credentials, is unable to bare his fangs but by slithering on the same stage when these threats are made without making a hiss, sends an unmistakable signal that he condones them? Umno has distanced itself from Perkasa but the critics remain unconvinced, claiming that it has outsourced its department of public revulsion to the right-wing movement. There are certain forces in Umno which disagree with the president's pandering to the Chinese and Indians, calling it a futile campaign and prefer to consolidate the Malay votes by harping on race and religious issues vis-à-vis the threat posed by DAP (Chinese) politicians and their so-called Christian agenda. Those who believe in freedom of expression, like the patron of Perkasa, a new convert who championed the cause and took to blogging after being fitted with a muzzle during the previous administration, would argue that Ibrahim has the right to speak his mind. But the simple fact remains that his call to burn Bibles – regardless of whether he included a language disclaimer or not – is against the law of the land. Yet, no action has been forthcoming. Furthermore, Umno's muted response lends credence to the assertions that the party agrees with Ibrahim or that it is behind Perkasa. BN's ceremonial components MCA and MIC flexed their feeble muscles and issued one or two harsh press statements that fell on deaf ears as usual, once again proving their ineffectiveness and that Perkasa appears to possess more clout than them. Failing to defend the victims Racists and religious extremists exist in all parts of the world. But when leaders entrusted by the people to act for their well-being refuse to rise in defence of the victims of these bigots, then these leaders lose their moral right to refer to themselves as decent human beings and no longer can demand the respect and trust of the people. Our top political leaders, irrespective of colour and creed, should have severely chatised Ibrahim and reminded him to keep his arguments to facts instead of croaking up threats and stoking the flames of religious tension. What if the opposite had happened? What if a fanatical Christian leader called on believers to torch Islamic paraphernalia used for preaching to non-Muslims? Since to each, his or her belief is sacred. Let us leave the outcome of such an episode to the respective imaginations. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/29/imagine-no-ibrahim-ali/ |
| Back to the gold standard: Some benefits of using gold as currency Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:43 AM PST
(The Express Tribune) - The Malaysian state of Kelantan started issuing gold coins in 2006. Although the federal government of Malaysia does not recognise these coins as legal tender, the demand for these coins has been overwhelming In an environment of high domestic inflation, deteriorating exchange rate of local currency against major foreign currencies and decreasing interest rates, preserving the value of savings and investment is certainly a challenging task. Most people, especially unsophisticated investors, tend to seek refuge in real estate in an attempt to preserve the value of investments. However, small savers and investors who prefer liquidity find it difficult to lock their savings in illiquid investments like property. In the Indian sub-continent, there has been an historical obsession with gold as an enduring investment: women tend to try and convince their husbands to 'invest' in jewellery. All of us, however, know that gold jewellery has never been a good investment. The story is different when it comes to gold metal. Gold has always proven to be a safe haven for most investors, especially for the long run. In a country like Pakistan, which at present is facing all kinds of economic problems, it is becoming increasingly difficult for investors to preserve the real value of their investments. Meanwhile, local savers are also disheartened by the prospect of earning low, or in some cases negative, real return on their savings (and hence incurring a capital loss in real terms). This is also a deterrent for many foreign investors who may wish to invest in the country.
One viable option for many savers is to open up foreign currency accounts in local banks to hedge against exchange rate fluctuations and rising domestic prices. This remains a preferred option for many, especially those who receive foreign remittances on a regular basis. However, while most of the local and foreign banks operating in the country offer foreign currency (US dollar, British pound and euro) accounts, there are nearly zero gold-based savings and investment products. Given the macroeconomic conditions, it is probably high time for the introduction of gold coins in Pakistan, as an attempt to introduce a stable currency for saving. The current share of Islamic banking in overall banking in Pakistan is about 8%, and we can expect that a very significant proportion of the banked individuals and households would be interested in saving in bullion. Islamic banks in the country can exploit this opportunity to win more business by introducing bullion accounts. If the introduction of gold coins is successful, monetary authorities – ie, the State Bank of Pakistan – may consider using gold coins to bring about monetary reforms in the country. Indeed, advocates of monetary reform have for long advocated a return to the gold standard. Some prominent economists, like Nobel laureate Robert Mundell and James Robertson, have written a lot on the benefits of returning to the gold standard. In the context of Islamic banking and trade, the likes of the former prime minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, and activists like Tarek elDiwani have been influential figures advocating the introduction of gold dinars and replacing the fractional reserve based banking system. In fact, the Malaysian state of Kelantan rather controversially started issuing gold coins in 2006. Although the federal government of Malaysia does not recognise these coins as legal tender, the demand for these coins has been overwhelming. Since then, some silver coins have also been sold to savers who would like to save them for the longer term. Read more at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/499405/back-to-the-gold-standard-some-benefits-of-using-gold-as-currency/
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| Distribution of 20 pct oil royalty to producing states can burden Petronas Posted: 28 Jan 2013 09:54 AM PST
(Bernama) - The distribution of 20 per cent royalty and goodwill payment (wang ehsan) to oil producing states can burden national oil company Petronas which also assists in the development of other states in Malaysia, said Terengganu Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia advisor, Datuk Wan Md Albakri Md Noor. He said the distribution of five per cent oil royalty to Sabah and Sarawak apart from goodwill payments to Terengganu were contained in agreements since Petronas was set up. "If we were to look at the national revenue structure, oil is the largest source of revenue for the country which is also used to develop other states," he told Bernama when met here. He said the special privilege given to oil producing states in the initial agreement with Petronas was that these states were still backward and in need of development. According to him, the issue of royalty was raised by the opposition merely for political expediency and not for the agenda to develop the states involved.
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| "Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it." Posted: 27 Jan 2013 07:20 PM PST
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin "Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it." That was what my lecturer told me this morning. I think he is chiding me for being too judgemental in my comments regarding the English Civil War and the conflict between King Charles I and Parliament, the course I am currently taking. With that spirit as the backdrop, I would like to give you my analysis regarding the current controversy raging in Malaysia -- and that is the controversy regarding the Sabah immigrants issue that is being investigated by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI). The Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) was formed on 5th March 1985 and it won the state elections that were held soon after that with Pairin Kitingan as Sabah's new Chief Minister. During PBS's rule of Sabah from 1985 to 1994, a lot of rumours were flying around Peninsula Malaysia, especially amongst the Malay-Muslim community. And what was being said alarmed the Malays-Muslims from West Malaysia. The first rumour concerned Muslims in Sabah converting or returning to Christianity. During the time of Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun -- that is the period when Usno was ruling Sabah -- many non-Muslim natives were converted to Islam. From what we in Peninsula Malaysia heard, those who converted to Islam were given land and money, and were sponsored for a trip to Mekah. Hence, according to what the Sabahans told us, many natives converted to Islam for the monetary rewards rather than because they believed in Islam. When PBS took over the state government, it seems that many who converted to Islam earlier converted or went back to Christianity. And this upset the Muslims from Peninsula Malaysia. Whether this really did happen or not is another matter. This was what they were told and this was what everyone believed was happening. Hence this outraged the Muslims. The next rumour was regarding who was allegedly behind PBS. The rumour then was that the Vatican was financing PBS through the Philippines. It seems this involved a huge sum of money and the purpose of the Vatican was to establish a Christian government in Sabah. Ultimately, the plan was for Sabah to pull out of Malaysia. Sabah would then join the Philippines, which has always claimed that Sabah belonged to the Philippines. (Read more regarding this matter below). In 1991, the brother of the Sabah Chief Minister, Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly plotting to take Sabah out of Malaysia. With the detention of Dr Jeffrey, this more or less 'confirmed' the rumour of the plot to take Sabah out of Malaysia and subsequently for Sabah to join the Philippines. Hence the Malays-Muslims from Peninsula Malaysia had to 'do something' to bring down the Christian government of Sabah and prevent 'Christian' Sabah from leaving Malaysia to join the 'Christian' Philippines. And that would be to dilute the Christian population of Sabah by bringing in Muslims and giving them voting rights, meaning also identity cards. The Prime Minister during that period was Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his Deputy was Anwar Ibrahim, who was also the Director of Operations for Barisan Nasional Sabah. However, this was not something that only those two could pull off. This was a Muslim versus Christian issue. This involved the Vatican and the Philippines plotting to turn Sabah into a Christian state and eventually pull Sabah out of Malaysia to become part of the Philippines. Hence Seri Perdana, the army, the police, the Immigration Department, the National Registration Department, the Elections Commission, etc., all had to play a part in keeping Sabah Muslim and to prevent Sabah from leaving Malaysia to become part of the Philippines. This was a huge conspiracy that involved many people and many government agencies. There may have been a few decision-makers at the top but these people could not have pulled something this big off unless the entire government machinery was mobilised towards this effort. Later, all those key people at the lower level -- such as those from the Immigration Department, National Registration Department, and so on -- were detained under the ISA in a bid to silence them. Just too many people were involved and it was too risky to allow these people to roam free where they could probably talk. So they were rounded up and detained without trial. They could certainly not be put on trial where all the evidence of their 'wrongdoing' would be revealed in court. To the Sabahans, those from West Malaysia or from Kuala Lumpur are traitors. To the Malays-Muslims from West Malaysia, those who managed to thwart the Vatican/Philippines plot to pull Sabah out of Malaysia to become part of the Philippines are patriots who have served Islam well. I suppose this brings me back to the course I am currently taking. To the 'Roundheads', Charles I was a traitor to the Protestant cause. To the 'Cavaliers', Charles I was a victim of injustice. It all depends on who is writing history and the victors and not the vanquished always write history. And since Charles I lost the civil war and his head got chopped off, then Charles who was 'weak' and compromised with the Catholics is the traitor while the Parliamentarians are the patriots. How will those people behind the move to thwart Sabah becoming Christian and thereafter leaving Malaysia to become part of the Philippines be viewed by historians, say, 100 years from today? I suppose it depends on who will be writing those history books and this, again, will depend on who the winners are going to be. As my lecturer said, "Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it." Hence I will not comment on whether what they did was right or wrong. My job as a student of history is merely to relate what happened and state how I interpret those events. This will be how I am going to pass my course at the end of March 2013. ********************************** The Philippines' claim to Sabah (EXTRACT) The Sultanate of Sulu was granted the territory as a prize for helping the Sultan of Brunei against his enemies and from then on that part of Borneo is recognized as part of the Sultan of Sulu's sovereignty. In 1878, Baron Von Overbeck, an Austrian partner representing The British North Borneo Co. and his partner British Alfred Dent, leased the territory known as "Sabah" - roughly translated as "the land beneath the winds". In return the company will provide arms to the Sultan to resist the spaniards and 5,000 Malaysian ringgits annual rental based on the Mexican dollars value at that time or its equivalent in gold. This lease has been continued until the independence and formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963 together with Singapore, Sarawak and Malaysia. Up to these days, the Malaysians have been continuing the rental payment of 5,300 Malaysian ringgits - a 300 ringgits increased from original rent. In 1962 during the Pres. Diosdado Macapagal's administration (the father of the present president, Glorio Arroyo), the Philippines formally claimed Sabah based on the Sultanate of Sulu heirs' claim on the territory. The Philippines broke diplomatic relations with Malaysia after the federation have included "Sabah". The sultan's heirs have given the Philippine government the authority to pursue the claim legally in international courts. However, the succeeding administrations have either have ignored or set aside the claim for peaceful co-existent and trade relation with the Malaysians. One significant incident involving then President Marcos have briefly brought into limelight the Sabah claim once more. In 1972, the Marcos government have been training secretly a group of Muslim Filipinos in Corregidor, an island off Manila Bay, for possible intrusion in Sabah to pave the way to an armed secession of Sabah from Malaysia. But upon knowing of the plans, the recruits have mutinied and were eliminated except for one that swam the bay and was rescued. The newspapers have called this incident, the "Jabidah Massacre" named after the operation that was given by the military. The survivor divulged the plan and the claim was put in back burner once more. It was believe that because of the incident, the Malaysians have been aiding the Muslim separatists against the Philippine government. Some people says this distracted the attention to the claim on Sabah as the government was embroiled in containing the conflict. REFERENCE: http://www.epilipinas.com/sabahclaim.htm ********************************** How Philippines will eventually take Sabah (EXTRACT) Much water has flowed under the bridge since the formation of Malaysia. Even though Malaysia gained independence through peaceful means, it did not mean that the birth of the new nation was without labour pangs. Sukarno of Indonesia and Macapagal of the Philippines were both opposed to the inclusion of the North Borneo territory in the Federation of Malaysia. Sukarno, it must be emphasised, had launched the Konfrontasi to crush Malaysia. Macapagal was however less vehement in his pursuit against the formation of Malaysia, despite allegations in the first half of 1968 that young Suluk men were secretly being trained in Corrigedor for the purpose of infiltrating and invading Sabah. Successive Philippine governments have raised the matter of the claim over Sabah with the Malaysian government at various regional and international fora. At one stage, they even threatened to bring the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for arbitration. However, the Malaysian government has persistently refused to be a litigant on the grounds that Sabah had become an integral part of Malaysia through a constitutional and democratic process. That aside, the people of Sabah had strongly expressed their desire to be part of the Federation of Malaysia under the aegis of the United Nations-sponsored United Nations Malaysian Mission (UNMM) and the Lord Cobbold Commission. Notwithstanding the above argument, the Philippine government has persisted to pursue her claim of sovereignty over Sabah. Two books were published on the claim, one in 1964 and the other in 1967, setting out the legal and historical bases of her claim on Sabah; but the contents of the books were refuted by the Malaysian government's at a June-July 1968 meeting in Bangkok, much to the embarrassment of their Philippine counterparts. G James, Malaysiakini (READ MORE HERE: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/30940)
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| Batu Caves condo cancelled: Who suffers? Posted: 27 Jan 2013 05:24 PM PST
Artist rendition of the now-scrapped Dolomite Park Avenue condominium. The Nut Graph WHEN protests arose over the controversial Dolomite Park Avenue condominium being built near Batu Caves, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had this to say: "I give you my assurance that if Barisan Nasional (BN) takes over Selangor, we will cancel this project." Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has gone one up on Najib and announced on 24 Jan 2013 that the project would be cancelled to safeguard the public and protect the environment. It is easy for politicians to promise a solution to a problem, especially as a condition for being voted into power, or to be seen as being sensitive to voters' complaints. But often, the issue is more complex and the promised "solution" causes even more problems. What are some of the ramifications of cancelling or stopping a project once development approval has been granted? Costing public money In all this talk of cancelling the project, politicians have left out an important group that would be severely affected – the buyers of the condominium units. These buyers would have paid a down payment, secured a bank loan, and signed a sales and purchase agreement. These would only have taken place with the necessary approvals from the local council for the project. Usually, local councils would be slow to cancel any approved development because the ramifications are immense. If the development approval was correctly granted, the council would potentially have to pay compensation to the developer and buyers for the cancellation. This means that keeping the promise to halt the project may result in a large sum of public money being spent to pay off aggrieved parties. Harming the public's purse would also not be popular politically. This, then, leads one to wonder what will happen after the general election, and whether such promises will then be dropped for the next politically expedient pledge. Under the Town and Country Planning Act, it is the state planning committee that is legally empowered to order a stop to the project. The order would be published in the government gazette, mentioning the state planning committee meeting that affirmed the order. As Khalid made no mention of the law being invoked in his announcement to cancel the project, it is still possible for the government to back out later and say he acted prematurely. Buyers beware There is, however, the option of arguing that the documentation and approvals are not in order due to fraud or corruption, and finding a way to absolve the council from paying any compensation. But even if there is a valid legal reason to stop the project, this still leaves buyers in a lurch. Take the case of the purchasers of the Taman Petaling Utama Block E low-cost flat, which started construction in April 2004. It was meant to house 276 villagers from several demolished squatter villages in PJS 1. Sales and purchase agreements were signed with bank loans approved for 262 buyers, as the remainder failed to qualify for the bank loans. The project was supposed to be completed in May 2006. On 2 June 2006, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) received a solicitor's letter sent on behalf of the owner of a house located next to the project. The house owner objected to the project and had obtained a court injunction from the Shah Alam High Court dated 9 July 2004 that prohibited construction of the project pending the case hearing. Since then, the buyers have had a tough time trying to resolve their predicament. On 23 July 2007, they met with MBPJ officers to discuss the problems, assisted by the office of then Petaling Jaya Selatan member of Parliament Datuk Donald Lim. Promises were made, but no action was forthcoming. On 8 March 2008, the Selangor government changed hands to the Pakatan Rakyat. From 2008 to 2010, the buyers had several meetings with MBPJ and their new elected representatives, and more promises were made to resolve the problems. When still no solution was found, the buyers staged a protest at Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's office on 15 Nov 2011. Khalid reportedly promised an answer within a week. He said: "We need to discuss with the developer and other agencies to resolve the matter. These things will take time." Several options were proposed, but it is now 2013 with no building in sight. Meanwhile, the buyers are still servicing bank loans with only a sales and purchase agreement to show for all the money they are paying. It will be five years soon, from the time the present PR government came into power, but it doesn't appear like the problems will be solved before the next general election.
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| Nasharudin says will continue fight for Islam even without PAS post Posted: 27 Jan 2013 04:56 PM PST
By Ida Lim and Nomy Nozwir, The Malaysian Insider Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa said today he will continue the fight for Islam even if he holds no position in the party. Reacting to yesterday's news reports that the Islamist party had revoked his membership in the PAS syura council as part of its disciplinary proceedings, he said the struggle to uphold Islam must go on. "Until the second this SMS is sent, I have yet to receive any letter about my removal from the position," Nasharudin (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in a text message this afternoon. "Whatever it is, the fight to uphold Islam must be continued, whether holding position or not. "That position is an appointment by the party; if the party wishes to take it back, that is the party's right. Just that for now I only know about the sacking through the media and not through the party's official channels," the Bachok MP said. Yesterday, syura council secretary Datuk Nik Zawawi Nik Salleh said a letter confirming Nasharudin's dismissal was sent out after a January 13 meeting chaired by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. He added that Nasharudin did not contact the council for further clarification. Sinar Harian reported Nik Zawawi saying that Nasharudin was found to have broken several of the body's regulations including non-attendance of council meetings. Nasharudin had previously asked the party to review its co-operation with other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties if coalition partner DAP continued to oppose the implementation of hudud laws, the Islamic penal code. His actions have drawn the criticism of other PAS members.
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| Taib to resign, Jabu to move up? Posted: 27 Jan 2013 04:42 PM PST
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's plans for an overwhelming win in Sarawak hinges on Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's resignation 'just before' the general election. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Rumours are rife that Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud will step down after the general election and succeeding him will be his deputy Alfred Jabu Numpang. Taib is expected to announce his decision just before the 13th general election to thwart any attempt by the opposition to flog his alleged malpractices and power abuse. It is also a bid to wrest lost Chinese support in the state. Jabu's tenure as chief minister will, however, last only until the next state election in 2016. Taib, meanwhile, will move up to become Sarawak governor or Yang di-Petrtuan Negri, a position that he has been wanting in exchange for relinquishing his chief minister's post. Taib's main concern is his RM46 billion business empire. According to state Barisan Nasional sources, rumours began circulating after Taib met Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak about two weeks ago. Najib, the sources said, was firm with Taib and insisted he stepped down as his continuity was affecting BN's position as a whole in Sarawak. Najib apparently advised Taib to announce his resignation just before the 13th general election so that the opposition could not exploit Taib's long contentious tenure as chief minister. Taib was appointed chief minister on March 26, 1981. The strategy Taib was a hot issue in the Sibu parliamentary by-election in May 2010. BN lost Sibu to DAP's Wong Ho Leng by a slim majority. Until then BN had held Sibu for over two decades. It was a BN's stronghold. In 2011 state election, Taib continued to be a hot election issue, especially in the Chinese majority seats where various allegations of corruption, abuse of power, nepotism and cronyism were slapped on him by the opposition. Chinese majority Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) lost 13 of 19 seats it contested to the opposition in the 2011 election. According to the sources, the "new" BN strategy proposed by Najib would ensure that BN wins back the confidence of Sarawak voters, especially the Chinese, who have allegedly been led astray by the opposition because of Taib's corrupt administration. SUPP has six seats at stake – Stampin, Bandar Kuching, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri. Bandar Kuching and Bandar Sibu are in the hands of the DAP. "With Taib out, SUPP and BN would be able to wrest back Bandar Kuching and Sibu from the opposition, and at the same time retain the rest," said the sources. Taib had in the past indicated a number of times that he wanted to step down as chief minister, but has yet to find a "suitable" person to succeed him. The last time he spoke of stepping down was before the 2011 state election. At the time he promised that he would retire two or three years after leading the state government. His time is up.
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| AG: Govt will act on RCI report Posted: 27 Jan 2013 04:16 PM PST
According to Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, the government needs admissible evidence for purpose of criminal prosecution. (Bernama) - The government will act on any report or resolution by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, said Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail. In giving this assurance, he said, where there were criminal elements involved, action would be taken, and wrongs would be righted. "Yes, if there are criminal offences, we will act. This is the government's promise. That is why, the RCI was set up. "However, we must remember, if we talk about criminal prosecution, we have to see whether there is sufficient evidence. In the RCI, everything that people say is acknowledged, but without evidence, we cannot accept. We can accept hearsay evidence. "To enable us to go to court, we have to look at admissible evidence. This is not an excuse not to take action against those who committed a crime. We will take action, but according to the law," he told reporters after attending the Opening of the Legal Year 2013 at the Tawau court here today. Also present at the event were Chief Justice of Malaysia Arifin Zakaria, Court of Appeal president Md Raus Sharif, Federal Court Judge Abdull Hamid Embong and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum. Gani also urged all parties to have confidence in the RCI which he said had delved extensively into all issues which were exposed. "Everyone knows that many were arrested [including] those with identity cards. This shows that the government is transparent. Looking at another aspect, it is a promise fulfilled. "The prime minister [Najib Tun Razak] had said he would see to it that an RCI would be set up, and that it would be transparent and reliable. Otherwise, all these issues would not have been exposed. "And, I am very glad and happy with it because that is what we want. Why, because the truth must come out exactly as it is," he said. Gani said that a mistake could have been committed earlier, and that mistake was being investigated, whether it was committed by government officers or the government itself, or there was an element of fraud or corruption, which should be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. "And, that mistake, we have to rectify… it is very important for this state [Sabah], it's my state. We must do something. So, don't be in a haste, let's wait and see, just allow the RCI to do its job effectively," he said.
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| Posted: 27 Jan 2013 01:07 PM PST
I am proud to be working for a state government that is open, fair, respect our rights and able to differentiate right from wrong by not blaming the participants, as runners only want to run. Media Officer To The Penang Chief Minister, Heng Lee Lee I am surprised that the BN media is twisting my participation in the BN sponsored Penang Run event yesterday as PR contradicting itself and disproving PR's claim that the Penang Run event had disrupted Thaipusam Day celebrations. This is untrue as Penang PR state government leaders had neither called for a boycott for Penang Run nor said the Penang Run event had disrupted Thaipusam Day celebrations. The Penang state government had earlier clarified that it was not behind the Penang Run as this is a federal government sponsored event and disagreed with the involvement of Federal government agencies such as USM and Jabatan Belia dan Sukan Pulau Pinang held on Thaipusam Day. Unlike the private sector, a government should be sensitive to religious celebrations and not support events held which may prevent Hindus from participating because they have to prepare for Thaipusam religious celebrations. The Penang state government was speaking up for Hindus who felt slighted by the federal government supporting the event held on Thaipusam Day. However no action was taken to stop the event even though the organizers refused to postpone it. No action was taken to prevent the runners from participating whether the Indians or Hindus or non-Hindus. There is no quarrel between the state government and the runners, which is why I participated in this event with my regular group of runner friends. Just as we may be unhappy with American government policy over the sufferings of the Palestinian people, this does not mean that we are unhappy with the American people. Similarly the problem is not with the runners but with the federal government's involvement in an event on Thaipusam Day. I am proud to be working for a state government that is open, fair, respect our rights and able to differentiate right from wrong by not blaming the participants, as runners only want to run.
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