Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- 'No surrender' in Sabah - Kiram
- Tunnel vision in Penang highway agenda
- Surat Niat Kepada Konsortium Zenith Sdn. Bhd.
- Wikipedia Page Edited To Describe Sabah As Sultanate’s
- KL sends ‘cavalry’ to Sabah; toll hits 27
- Ground troops moving into Tanduo; air strikes over
- Tortured, Beheaded and Mutilated
- Elderly Woman Killed by Suspected UMNO Vehicle
- “Democracy” in Malaysia – Neither Free nor Fair
- Fixed deposits? No, Pakatan considers Indians as liabilities!
- Umno Incorporated (part 2)
- Aquino says Sabah is a conspiracy
- Anwar Ibrahim’s welfarist manifesto makes decision difficult
- End Sabah clash in ‘brotherly way’, MNLF warns Putrajaya
- Army rushing reinforcements to help police deal with latest landings
- Tian Chua: I didn’t insult our commandos
- Manila now says up to Malaysia to handle Sulu militants
- I was adviser to ‘real’ Sulu sultan, says Umno Youth exco man
- Nur Misuari offers to mediate
- Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays #6
| 'No surrender' in Sabah - Kiram Posted: 04 Mar 2013 12:07 PM PST (Rappler) - The fight for Sabah is also for the "entire" Filipino people. MANILA, Philippines - No surrender. The Royal Sulu Army will not capitulate to the Malaysian forces, and vowed to fight until the end to highlight their claim to Sabah. Abraham Idjirani, spokesman of Jamalul Kiram III, said that the group, currently holed up in Kampong Tanduo in Lahad Datu, is willing to fight to the end, based on his conversation with Raja Muda Agmibuddin Kiram, the leader of the gunmen in Sabah. "Sabi niya if this is the last stand we could do, let it be. But as a guerilla fighter now, we will find our way to sneak out from all dangers in order to survive," said Idjirani, quoting Raja Muda.
He said the assault, which started early Tuesday, March 5, is an "overkill," citing that over 10,000 Malaysian security forces are fighting around 200 fighters. Read more at: http://www.rappler.com/nation/23094-no-surrender-in-sabah
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| Tunnel vision in Penang highway agenda Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:52 AM PST
The state government claims its hands are tied over public transport, which they say comes under the federal government. But Pakatan leaders think they have a real chance of taking over Putrajaya, and public transport is in its manifesto. So why is the Penang government in a big hurry to tie itself down with a highway-based solution instead of promising better public transport if it captures Putrajaya? Anil Netto Yesterday, representatives of Penang Forum raised serious concerns with the Penang state government over the three highways and tunnel project. During a two-hour meeting with state government representatives, including the Chief Minister, and the press, the activists (including me) registered their serious concern and opposition. By building more highways and a road-based tunnel, the state government will be facilitating the movement of more cars instead of encouraging people to use public transport. The Pakatan's manifesto promises better public transport. But the state government plans to spend RM27bn in the coming years, according to Penang transport master plan estimates. Out of this, RM17bn will be for highways and only RM10bn for public transport. Surprisingly, the state government seemed unaware of these figures, which have not been disclosed to the public. It is a great pity that most of the money will be to create even more dependency on private motor vehicles. Building highways and a road-based tunnel is at best an expensive short-term solution – funded by toll collection from the public and luxury property development (watch what happens on the 110 acres of reclaimed land used as 'compensation' for the project). What happens when these get congested? We will be back to square one or even worse. The Jelutong Expressway itself is rapidly filling up – and that is even before the second Penang bridge is completed! Similarly, the Penang Bridge, with a new additional lane, is becoming increasingly congested. So too the highway on the mainland leading to the Sungai Dua toll booth. The state government says the highways and tunnel will only proceed if the EIA is approved. But how independent is the EIA process when consultants are appointed by developers and contractors? And we still don't have a state-wide hydrological study. The EIA process is likely to be a rubber stamp. The public has not yet been told who the local partners are in Zenith Consortium (apparently, there are five companies involved). Who are the real local players, the individuals, hiding behind the corporate veil? Amazingly, this information – an important part of the deal – has not yet been provided to the public. There were only two bidders for the tunnel package out of the four tenders received. Of these two, the successful bid was for RM6.3bn for all three highways and the tunnel. (The other was RM6.6bn.) Only two parties from the entire world bid for the tunnel? Why? And the winning bid from the five-company consortium is to be awarded a lucrative 30-year concession based on the Penang Bridge toll rate. Is the public aware that the Penang Bridge toll collection has raised many times the initial investment cost of the bridge? So this tunnel concession is a highly lucrative award that will reap a bonanza for the foreign and local partners. The state government claims that "the people want these projects". (Or is it the case that Big Business wants these projects?) But "the people" are not being presented with serious alternatives. They are being told these highways and tunnel are the solution to the congestion. Of course they will choose what they are being told is the solution. But they are not being given a real choice between sustainable public transport and more highways. In fact, the Penang Transport Masterplan consultants' own public survey showed that a large majority of the people want a public transport-based – not a highways-based – solution. Why is the state government ignoring this? Some believe these highways and tunnels are more in line with a vision of Big Business property development and construction contracts than of sustainable transport. (Look at the editorial inMalaysian Insider.) The state government seems to think that three highways and a tunnel (road-based rather than rail link) will take Penang into the 21st century. This is a fallacy. It will take Penang backwards to the 1970s, when highways were seen as symbols of progress. The reality of the 21st century is that climate change, fossil fuel depletion and higher fuel prices will become even more serious. Congestion will also ruin the environment – which has been the selling point for Penang. Under these circumstances, why is the state government putting in infrastructure to create even more dependency on private motor vehicles? At a time when cities in Europe are discouraging and making it more difficult for people to use private motor vehicles and are putting in infrastracture for sustainable transport solutions, the Penang state goverment wants to take us in the opposite direction! The state government claims its hands are tied over public transport, which they say comes under the federal government. But Pakatan leaders think they have a real chance of taking over Putrajaya, and public transport is in its manifesto. So why is the Penang government in a big hurry to tie itself down with a highway-based solution instead of promising better public transport if it captures Putrajaya? I find this incomprehensible. Why not campaign on a platform of promising public transport improvements instead of pledging highways and a tunnel? This way it can show there is a real difference between BN and Pakatan. Read more at: http://anilnetto.com/society/public-transport/highways-and-tunnel-vision-a-big-step-backwards/
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| Surat Niat Kepada Konsortium Zenith Sdn. Bhd. Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:48 AM PST
Tidak Benar Sama Sekali Bahawa Projek RM6.3 Bilion Akan Dijalankan Oleh Syarikat RM2 Bila Sebenarnya Modal Berbayar Keseluruhan Adalah Sebanyak RM 4,549.2 Juta. Sebagai Pengerusi Lembaga Perolehan Negeri Pulau Pinang serta Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Teknikal dan Kewangan masing-masing, kami rasa kesal bahawa proses pemilihan tender yang dijalankan secara terbuka dan telus untuk 3 lebuhraya utama daripada Tanjung Bungah ke Teluk Bahang, Bandar Baru Air Itam ke Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu (LCE) Persiaran Gurney ke Lebuhraya LCE dan sebuah terowong bawah dasar laut daripada Persiaran Gurney dan Bagan Ajam telahpun dipersoalkan oleh pihak tertentu. Kos projek ini dianggarkan oleh kerajaan sebanyak RM8 bilion. Akan tetapi selepas proses tender terbuka secara kompetitif dijalankan sejak 14.11.2011, surat niat telah dikeluarkan pada 6.2.2013 dengan harga lebih rendah iaitu sebanyak RM6.3 bilion, yang terendah di antara semua pembida yang diterima. Projek ini agak tersendiri dan unik kerana kos RM6.3 bilion dibiayai bukan dengan bayaran wang tunai tetapi menerusi "land swap" sebanyak 110 ekar di tanah tebus guna di Tanjung Pinang. Memandangkan bayaran dibuat menerusi "land swap" dan bukan secara bayaran wang tunai, maka adalah perlu kontraktor berpakaran bekerjasama dengan pemaju. Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd adalah sebuah special purpose vehicle (SPV) yang merupakan konsortium usahasama di antara syarikat kontraktor berpakaran dengan pemaju seperti berikut:-
Keseluruhan modal berbayar keempat-empat syarikat adalah RM4,549.2 juta yang memenuhi kriteria kerajaan negeri yang meletakkan modal berbayar minima RM381 juta. Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd mempunyai modal berbayar RM2 kerana ditubuhkan khas untuk ini (SPV). Sekiranya tidak berjaya dalam tender maka syarikat ini akan dibubarkan. Sebaliknya bila berjaya maka setiap rakan kongsi atau pemilik saham mestilah menandatangani surat penerimaan secara langsung dengan kerajaan negeri. Surat niat atau "letter of intent" dikeluarkan kepada Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd pada 6.2.2013 dan kesemua pemilik saham secara berasingan juga menandatangani surat penerimaan. Dengan kata lain bukan hanya sepucuk surat penerimaan tetapi terdapat 4 lagi (5 kesemuanya) surat penerimaan untuk memastikan ia dijalankan oleh syarikat induk masing-masing dan bukannya hanya dengan Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd. Oleh itu adalah tidak benar sama sekali bahawa projek RM6.3 bilion akan dijalankan oleh syarikat RM2, bila sebenarnya modal berbayar keseluruhan untuk keempat-empat syarikat yang jalankan projek ini adalah sebanyak RM4,549.2 juta. Apabila kontrak formal dimuktamadkan iaitu selepas perbincangan butiran lanjut pada beberapa bulan lagi, semua syarikat rakan kongsi diperlukan untuk menandatangani surat perjanjian untuk memastikan projek ini dijalankan oleh syarikat induk yang berprestij. Perlu ditegaskan bahawa China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd dan Beijing Urban Construction Group adalah syarikat pembinaan gergasi di Negara China yang telah menjalankan projek besar keretapi, terowong dan juga Stadium Olimpik"Bird Nest" di Beijing. Sebagai rumusan, proses penilaian teknikal dan pemilihan tender dijalankan secara profesional oleh jawatankuasa yang dipengerusikan masing-masing oleh Pegawai Kewangan Negeri dan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri tidak melibatkan YAB Ketua Menteri. EXCO negeri hanya merestui syor bahawa tender dikeluarkan kepada Konsortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd yang dibuat semasa ia dibentangkan kepada mesyuarat EXCO pada 30.1.2013.
Dato' Farizan bin Darus, Pengerusi Lembaga Perolehan Negeri Pulau Pinang
Dato' Mokhtar bin Mohd Jait, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Teknikal dan Kewangan
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| Wikipedia Page Edited To Describe Sabah As Sultanate’s Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PST
(The Star) - Wikipedia was not spared from the cyber attacks that have sprung up following the standoff in Sabah. Details about "Sabah" was edited and the state was described as being "part of the Sultanate of Sulu". Results from a Google search on the word "Sabah" at press time yesterday revealed a preview to the Wikipedia page which states: "Sabah is illegitimately considered one of the 13 member states of Malaysia, and is said to be its easternmost state but in fact, it is part of the Sultanate of Sulu. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo." However, the full Wikipedia page on Sabah described the state as "one of the 13 member states of Malaysia, and is its easternmost state". A Google spokesperson said the preview, or Knowledge Panel results, came from its Knowledge Graph, which is an index of hundreds of millions of real-world entities including open sources like Wikipedia. "When a user searches for a query, our algorithm takes information from the Knowledge Graph and presents it in the panel. "We want to make sure the information we provide is as accurate as possible, so we've included a link so you can tell us when we may have an inaccuracy in our information," the spokesperson said. Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said his department had been alerted. "I have instructed my Federal CyberSecurity and Multimedia Investigation Division to investigate," he said. The alteration on Wikipedia follows the cyber attacks that have raged between Malaysian and Filipino hackers over the weekend, mirroring the Lahad Datu standoff in Sabah. Apparently, the first online attacks were made by Malaysians, hours after a skirmish erupted between the police and Sulu gunmen on March 1.
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| KL sends ‘cavalry’ to Sabah; toll hits 27 Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:32 AM PST
(Global Nation, Inquirer) - It is Malaysia's worst security breach in years and Prime Minister Najib Razak has authorized an investigation into reports that the political opposition is involved. A similar investigation is going on in the Philippines, where the administration of President Aquino sees a conspiracy involving opponents of a peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that is in the final stages after the signing of a preliminary agreement last October. Malaysia on Monday sent hundreds of military troops to Sabah to help police neutralize armed followers of the sultan of Sulu who have killed eight police officers in the country's bloodiest security crisis. Twenty-seven people have reportedly been killed since fighting between the followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III began in Tanduao village in Lahad Datu town on March 1. Of the dead, 19 were followers of the sultan who were killed in skirmishes with police that shocked Malaysians unaccustomed to such violence in their country. The main group of the sultan's followers comprising 200-odd men and women, including about 30 who are armed, is cornered by Malaysian security forces in a small area in Tanduao, where they landed on Feb. 9 after crossing by sea from Tawi-Tawi in southern Philippines to stake the sultanate's claim to Sabah. It is Malaysia's worst security breach in years and Prime Minister Najib Razak has authorized an investigation into reports that the political opposition is involved. A similar investigation is going on in the Philippines, where the administration of President Aquino sees a conspiracy involving opponents of a peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that is in the final stages after the signing of a preliminary agreement last October. Najib, who has vowed to root out the intruders, authorized a "doubling" of police and armed forces deployed in Sabah. "An additional two Army battalions have been dispatched to Sabah," Najib was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama. Public attention focused on Monday on how to minimize casualties while apprehending the Sulu sultan's followers surrounded by Malaysian security forces as well as an undetermined number of other armed Filipinos suspected to be in two other districts of Sabah within 300 kilometers of Lahad Datu. Sabah Police Commissioner Hamza Taib said Army reinforcements from other states in Malaysia would help bolster public confidence by patrolling various parts of the state's eastern seaboard. "The situation is under control now," Hamza said. "There will be cooperation" between the military and the police, he said. Hamza declined to elaborate on specific strategies or on a call by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for lethal action.  FILIPINO FATALITY Villagers in Kampung Simunul in Semporna look at the body of a man believed to be from Sulu who was killed during a shootout with Malaysian forces. MALAYSIA'S THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
"There is no way out other than launching a counterattack to eliminate" the intruders, Bernama quoted Mahathir as saying on Sunday. "Although many of them will be killed, this cannot be avoided because they had attacked Sabah, and not the other way around." Najib declared over the weekend that security forces were authorized to "take any action deemed necessary." The intruders, led by the Sulu sultan's brother Agbimuddin, have rebuffed calls for them to leave, saying ownership documents from the late 1800s prove the territory is theirs.
It remains unclear whether the armed Filipinos who ambushed a police team in Semporna town on Saturday night are part of the Lahad Datu group. The clash in Semporna, where five Malaysian policemen and two intruders were killed, and a police claim that they were pursuing yet another group of armed men in a nearby town has sparked fears of further infiltration by Filipinos from Sulu. Read more at: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/66729/kl-sends-cavalry-to-sabah-toll-hits-27
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| Ground troops moving into Tanduo; air strikes over Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:27 AM PST
Updated 10:00pm Malaysian fighter jets took to the skies for aerial bombing for about ten minutes as the still of the morning was shattered by the tremendous explosion heard by journalists covering the stand-off from Sahabat Felda Residences, close to Tanduo. Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau hospitals ready to accept casualties BORNEO INSIDER TEAM FELDA SAHABAT [LAHAD DATU]: Ground troops are said to be moving in on Tanduo for mopping up operations to search and take out any surviving remnants of the Sultan of Sulu's followers. Air strikes and artillery fire which began at 7.00am have ended 40 minutes later, said our sources on the ground, and troops have been on stand-by enter the sprawling seaside village. In the meantime, hospitals at Tungku, Lahad Datu, Tawau and Sandakan are on full stand-by to accept casualties that will be air-lifted to the nearest hospital that warrants the situation. An army medical camp had earlier been established just outside the Felda Sahabat area. At 8.30am, 90 minutes after the air force struck, military trucks were seen ferrying troops from Cendrawasih where they were based and headed for Sahabat 17 – the closest point to Tanduo. Elite military and police squads were also on the ground and are believed to be involved in the shootouts with the gunmen. However, reporters at the scene in Felda Sahabat are crying foul that they have been "tricked" by the police who are refusing them entry to Sahabat Residence where they are based. These reporters and photographers including an RTM crew, had been told to go to Cendrawasih to "shoot" Nuri helicopters ferrying in troops, but after completing their jobs, they were then barred from returning. "We have been stopped at the roadblock into Sahabat Residence," complained a national media personnel bitterly. "But others can go in and out freely". Just before Tungku, police set up a massive roadblock to prevent anyone from entering Tungku and the nearby Felda Sahabat village. No vehicles are being allowed in at all. At the Felda Sahabat gate, at least one foreign journalist and several local journalists have been refused entry into the area. "Contact the OCPD for permission," was all those guarding the roadblocks would say. And no prizes for guessing correctly that the OCPD could not be reached. Meanwhile, Malaysiakini, another online portal reported that a 10:17 desptach from the ANC News Channel, InterAksyon.com reported that bombs were being dropped about a kilometer away from where Abjimuddim Kiram and his men are located. Leader Abjimuddin said his group could not yet determine if the bombs were meant to target them or their followers, but they remained safe and secure and were ready to fight back. Meanwhile in Manila, a group of protesters have arrived at the Malaysia embassy to condemn the attack. Earlier at 10.15am: Abjimuddin, leader of the intruders, vented his anger at the Philippine government in a radio interview with InterAksyon.com, the online news portal of Philippine TV channel TV5. "The government is ordering the arrest of our companions even if we haven't done anything bad," he said. "It's like we aren't Filipinos." Meanwhile, Abraham Idjarani, spokesperson of the sultanate, tells radio station dzBB that Abjimuddin had phoned to inform them of the start of the assault. "There is nothing to be done about that now," Idjirani said in a separate interview with AFP. He stressed that Abjimuddin's earlier announcement that they will fight to the end remains. "We are not intruders. They (Malaysians) are the ones occupying our ancestral land," he says. Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/03/05/heavy-artillery-bombardment-on-sulu-raiders-hideout/
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| Tortured, Beheaded and Mutilated Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:24 AM PST
Alexander Chen, The Borneo Insider SEMPORNA: Reports reaching The Borneo Insider suggest that at least three of the policemen killed in Semporna after clashes with an armed group, were tortured and their bodies mutilated. One was also beheaded. However, the bodies of three others, who were believed to have died after being hit by the crossfire, were left untouched. A group of 19 policemen, who were in the raiding party at Simunul on Saturday night, who were initially reported "missing" and then "trapped" was probably held hostage by the gunmen at several houses in the area. They were said to have been relieved of their guns as well as hand phones. This group too was left unharmed, though at least one of them suffered wounds, probably in the Saturday night shoot-out. But police are not willing to confirm anything, especially the torture and mutilation of the three policemen, except say that the 19 others who were initially "trapped" had been released unharmed. On Saturday, armed intruders were initially spotted at Lorong 4 and Lorong 5 in Simunul, a cluster of water villages, comprising mainly Suluk and Tausug people, with or without Malaysian documents. Police were called in and about 50 policemen were said to have walked into an ambush where a shootout also took place. On Sunday, police said six policemen and six armed men were killed in the shootout. On Monday, the bodies of three of the gunmen were still seen at various places in Simunul while there was no sight of the other three bodies. It was only after 1.00pm Monday that some 30 residents of Kampung Simunul took the initiative to remove the bodies of the three intruders and handed it over to the authorities. Village headman Ramli Saraman said they had to remove the bodies because the stench had become unbearable. Ramli advised the villagers not to believe rumours spread by irresponsible people because they could worsen the situation. "I was told by villagers that the intruders will burn down Simunul but I told them not to believe as I keep in touch with the police." He said villagers are not compelled to evacuate their homes because it is their right as individuals adding peace has returned to the kampung. Later, when met by reporters, some Simunul villagers sad they were horrified on hearing that one of six dead police personnel was beheaded and two others were tortured. "It is against our religion to behead anyone. It is terrible, it's cruel,'' said fisherman Azmi who has been living close to Lorong 5, Simunul where the shooting began. "We are Suluks living here for more than 50 years. They (armed men) are bad people ,'' said a woman who was referring to the gunmen. Their sentiments were shared by other villagers who claimed that they have also heard that one of the gunmen had recorded the beheading on his mobile phone and had sent a clip to the police. However, no confirmation was available on the phone clip or the torture of the three who had gone with a team of 56 to check out information that Sulu Sultan sympathisers had stored weapons in one of the stilt houses. Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/03/05/tortured-beheaded-and-mutilated/
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| Elderly Woman Killed by Suspected UMNO Vehicle Posted: 04 Mar 2013 11:13 AM PST
Lipstiq.com An old lady riding a motorbike after work in a rubber estate was killed by a four-wheel drive, suspected to be a vehicle used by UMNO members. According to sources, the driver in the car fled the scene, while two passengers got down and bringing down the 1Malaysia flag and party logos before running off. The elder woman's husband, who was trailing behind her motorbike witnessed the entire incident, broke down in tears as his wife died on the spot due to loss of blood. The tragic accident occurred yesterday morning near the main road from Jalan Lekiu. At that time, the old couple was on their way back home after work in the rubber estate riding their own bikes separately, before the accident happened. The old man said that a 4-wheel vehicle passed him at a very high speed and before he knew it, the car rammed into the back of his wife's motorbike. A 300-meter long skid mark was left on the scene as well. Relatives rushed to the scene after receiving the news and cried uncontrollably when they saw the old lady lying in a pool of blood. The old man who remained beside his wife's body waited until the police came for investigation then only he left with his motorbike alone. Manjung district police chief Assistant Commissioner Jaafar Baba said they will investigate the case as soon as possible but he will not be giving out any details of the case yet. When asked whether the family of the deceased or the drivers report about the accident, he is unwilling to respond and stressed that the police will handling the case according to procedure. The deceased's grand child posted the incident on her Facebook profile as well, with hopes that justice will be served. Read more at: http://www.lipstiq.com/2013/03/04/elderly-woman-killed-by-suspected-umno-vehicle/
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| “Democracy” in Malaysia – Neither Free nor Fair Posted: 04 Mar 2013 10:58 AM PST
The view that Malaysia cannot be defined as a democracy is found in ALL of the widely accepted classifications and rankings of countries according to their level of democracy. These would include the Freedom House "Freedom In the World" Reports, the Economist Intelligence Unit's "Economist's Democracy Index" ranking and the Polity IV scores designed by political scientists, just to mention a few. Lim Kit Siang The position of Barisan Nasional (BN) has always been to insist that Malaysia is a democracy on the basis that we have regular elections and that opposition politicians are elected to the legislature, be it in the federal parliament or the state legislatures. Since the 2008 general elections, BN politicians have used the example of the opposition winning control of an additional four state legislatures in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor as additional 'proof' that Malaysia is indeed a democracy. This kind of simplistic thinking and arguments from the BN exemplifies the root of the problem faced by our country. We set our own 'benchmarks' and then proceed to congratulate ourselves by giving patting ourselves on our backs when we have 'achieved' them.
While we are not like North Korea or China where opposition political parties and elections are not allowed, all reasonable and rationale people would agree with the proposition that we are nowhere near being a full-fledged democracy like the United Kingdom or the United States or more recent additions to the ranks of democratic countries such as South Korea and even Indonesia. Democracy is not merely about elections. It is much more than that. It must include the protection of civil liberties and political rights. There must be guarantees for many important freedoms which are crucial for the functioning of democracy not just in its form but more importantly, in its substance. This would include protection for the freedom of the press and freedom to assemble freely. This would include proper checks and balances in the system such as parliamentary oversight and executive accountability. This would include having an independent civil service and independent government agencies such as the Election Commission, the Attorney General's Chamber and the Anti-Corruption Agency as well as an independent judiciary. Unfortunately, the BN have overlooked all these other crucial components of democracy. Some politicians have even remarked that if the electorate doesn't like the 'rules of the game' set by the BN, they can always vote the BN out. This, of course, totally ignores the fact that the electoral playing field is grossly skewed in favor of the BN through undemocratic means that have been institutionalized in the 56 year rule of the current regime. The view that Malaysia cannot be defined as a democracy is found in ALL of the widely accepted classifications and rankings of countries according to their level of democracy. These would include the Freedom House "Freedom In the World" Reports, the Economist Intelligence Unit's "Economist's Democracy Index" ranking and the Polity IV scores designed by political scientists, just to mention a few. The most well-known of these rankings is the Freedom House Freedom in the World rankings which categorizes countries into "Free"," Partly Free" and "Not Free" classifications. These rankings, which started in 1972, have listed Malaysia as a "Partly Free" country since 1972. We have not improved our 'democratic' scores even as many of our neighbors in South East Asia and other parts of Asia have established or starting to establish themselves as "Free" countries. South Korea achieved this distinction in 1988 and Taiwan in 1996. Mongolia, which is better known in Malaysia for other matters, was categorized as a "Free" country in 1991. Indonesia, which experienced the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998, achieved the "Free" classification in 2005. Even for those who argue that Malaysia at least holds somewhat competitive elections, Freedom House provides an instructive comparison. Out of 195 countries in the Freedom of the World Report in 2013, 117 or 60% were classified as 'electoral democracies'. This included some countries that were in the "Partly Free" category. Malaysia was not one of them. Indeed, Malaysia did not fulfill all of the conditions to qualify as an electoral democracy including:
In other words, the BN fails even on the ONE issue – that of competitive elections - which it uses to argue the case that Malaysia is a democratic country. In the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index 2011 ranking of 167 countries, Malaysia was ranked 71, tied with Zambia. Under this index, Malaysia was also categorized as a "Flawed Democracy". However, it is not only these rankings on Democracy where Malaysia performs poorly in spite of the protestations among many BN politicians that Malaysia is indeed a democracy. Malaysia also performs poorly in other measures of important components of democracy, of which Press Freedom is a crucial characteristic. The Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, showed that Malaysia's 2012 ranking had fallen 23 places to 145 out of 179 countries, which is an even lower position the previous low in 2002. The Press Freedom Index reported that: "Malaysia (145th) also presented a sorry record, falling 23 places to a position below the one it had in 2002. Despite an all-out battle by rights activists and online media outlets, a campaign of repression by the government, illustrated by the crackdown on the "Bersih 3.0" protest in April, and repeated censorship efforts, continue to undermine basic freedoms, in particular the right to information." In the Freedom House Global Press Freedom Rankings 2012, Malaysia was similarly ranked at a low level coming in at 144 out of 197 countries and was categorized as "Not Free" joining luminaries such as Cambodia, Jordan, Madagascar and Pakistan. While corruption (or the lack thereof) is not a direct measure of a country's democratic credentials, it is an important measure nonetheless in terms of measuring the quality of institutions and the presence of strong checks and balance in a country. On this count, Malaysia has performed at an equally appalling level. Malaysia's Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking fell from 36 in 2001 to a low of 60 in 2011. It improved slightly to 54 in 2012 but is still a long way off from the ranking of 33 achieved in 2001. Even then, we fell far short of the levels of transparency in all of the developed democracies including the Nordic countries, New Zealand and Australia, just to name a few. To reiterate, by all international measures of democracy, Malaysia cannot be understood or classified as categorized as a Democratic country. Malaysia has been classified as a 'Partly Free country', a 'flawed democracy', a 'hybrid regime', a 'dominant party authoritarian regime' or a 'soft authoritarian regime' and an 'autocracy' but no respected political scientist or international organization has ever put Malaysia among the ranks of what is commonly accepted as Democratic countries.
A few BN politicians may retort by arguing that the trajectory of the country is heading in the right direction in terms of deepening and furthering democracy under Prime Minister Najib. They would point to the Political Transformation Program (PTP) which has led to the amending and / or abolishing of various repressive bills and orders including the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) and the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA). They would also point to the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Electoral Reform under Najib's watch. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, these so-called reforms are typical of BN's practice of preferring form over substance. Indeed, instead of taking definitive steps towards establishing democratic norms, they instead gloss over substantive measures in favor of making cosmetic changes. Furthermore, without the necessary political will behind these reform steps, the powers that be often fail to implement even these basic legislative changes. For example, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill (SOSMA) which has replaced the International Security Act (ISA) has received criticism from various sources. The Bar Council President, Lim Chee Wee, in April 2012, expressed his concern that the definition of 'security offences' under Section 3 of the SOSMA bill was still too broad. In addition, the Bar Council also expressed concern that under Clause 4(5) of the SOSMA bill, police officers above the rank of superintendent are empower to decide whether to detain a suspect for 28 days for investigation purposes, without having to refer the case to the court, instead of being subjected to judicial oversight. In terms of practice, a recent detainee under SOSMA, Mohd Hilmi Haslim, who is a cafeteria assistant at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, was denied access to legal representation by the police even though the law only allows the police to deny such access for only 48 hours. In the same vein, although the amendments to the UUCA now allow university students to join a political party, a student is still prevented from being involved in political party activities within a campus. These amendments also empower the board of directors of a university or the registrar general to determine if the society or organization that a student intends to join is 'unsuitable to the interest and well-being of the students or the university". These restrictions is deemed by the Bar Council to be 'unnecessarily restrictive, unreasonable and disproportionate barriers to a student's freedom of association under Article 10(1)(c), and freedoms of speech and expression under Article 10(1)(a), of our Federal Constitution.' We saw the lack of sincerity on the part of the BN government in even following the spirit of these amendments when the Ministry of Higher Education sent out a circular to private and public institutions of higher learning in the Klang Valley area dissuading students from attending the Himpunan Rakyat on the 12 of January, 2013. More recently, it was reported that the International Islamic University cancelled a student organized forum on the upcoming general elections without specifying the exact reasons. One should remember that Professor Abdul Aziz Bari, a respected constitutional lawyer, was suspended by IIU in 2011 for expressing his professional opinion on a constitutional issue involving a member of the Royalty. Instead of expanding the freedom of expression and intellectual thought of students as well as faculty, we continue to see overzealous administrators shackling the minds and voices of those within the ranks of our institutions of higher learning. What is considered as normal and even sacrosanct in all universities in democratic countries is seen as potentially destabilizing and sensitive in our own institutions of higher learning. In terms of the amendments to the PPPA, the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has expressed that these changes are not sufficient and are 'far from adequate to ensure that the media is free to report fairly and accurately'. Furthermore, CIJ states that 'The fact that publishing permits must still be granted and the minister has a right to revoke or suspend these permits means that the government still has effective control over the Malaysian print media'. In practice, the Home Ministry still refuses to grant Malaysiakini a printing permit even though the Kuala Lumpur High Court has ruled that the Ministry's decision not to grant Malaysiakini a printing license and 'improper and irrational' as well as 'unreasonable'. The abysmal lack of real progress in terms of political reform by PM Najib is borne out not only by these concrete examples but also in international reports. Since Najib assumed the premiership in 2009, Malaysia's Civil Liberties and Political Rights Scores in the Freedom in the World reports published by Freedom House has remained stuck at 4 out of 7 (1 meaning the most free, 7 meaning the least free). In terms of human rights, the Human Rights Watch World Report 2013 states that Malaysia is 'backsliding on rights'. The government's use of various agencies in order to investigate Suaram, one of Malaysia's leading human rights organizations, ostensibly on the grounds of 'accepting foreign donations to undermine the Malaysian government' was highlighted. This report also stated that the investigations into Suaram were 'prompted by Suaram's decision in 2010 to become involved in a French judicial investigation examining alleged corruption in Malaysia's purchase of submarines from a French defence company'. In terms of media freedom, the EIU's Democracy Index 2011 report notes that Malaysia is one of the 40 countries where there has been deterioration in the scores for media freedom since 2008. In addition, Malaysia continues to be ranked as "Not Free" by the Freedom House Freedom of the Press index and by the Reporters Without Border's Press Freedom Index during Najib's 4 year premiership. Perhaps a greatest blemish on Najib's political reform record is the heavy handed crackdown by the police on the Bersih 3.0 gathering of peaceful protestors on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on the 28th of April, 2012. The heavy handed and disproportionate response by the police in reaction to the breach of one of the police barricades at Dataran Merdeka received widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. The irony of this disproportionate response was that it happened just weeks after the introduction and passing of many of these so-called political reform bills in a history setting parliamentary session where the clock was 'frozen' at 12 midnight in order to rush through these bills. What sort of political reform can this be if they are half hearted in its intent and substance and worse of all, not backed by the sufficient political will to make sure that they are implemented? If Najib's Political Transformation Program (PTP) were to be given a KPI score, like the ones issued by the Government Transformation Program (GTP) and the Economic Transformation Program (ETP), the score should be an undisputed FAIL.
The evidence presented thus far suggests that the BN government has failed to live up to its Vision of a Malaysia 'fostering and developing a mature democratic society', set out by former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir, who, of late, seems to have forgotten his own Vision 2020. Najib has lacked the political will and courage to implement genuine political reform that will lead the country on the path to a genuine democracy. The superficial and cosmetic legislative measures have not been backed up by concrete action. Most worryingly, Najib refused to and still refuses to answer the question on whether he will guarantee that there will be a peaceful transition of power in Putrajaya if Pakatan Rakyat were to capture a majority of parliamentary seats in the upcoming general election. If Najib is not willing to guarantee one of the basic and fundamental guarantees of a functioning democracy – a peaceful transition of power from one government to another – how then can we expect a genuine democracy to be established, much less thrive, under a BN government? The only way forward, it seems to me, is that we must replace the current BN government in the 13th general election as the first step towards firmly establishing Malaysia as a democratic country. Once in power, Pakatan Rakyat will have the burden of delivering on its promises including the promises of genuine legislative reform so that the components and characteristics of democracy can be institutionalized, in form as well as in substance. We have made such promises in the Buku Jingga and most recently, in our first ever Pakatan Raykat Manifesto. If we do not deliver on these promises, then the people of Malaysia will do what voters in other democratic countries have done with regularity – which is to replace one government with another. This is what genuine democracy will look and feel like. But this will not happen until the current BN government is kicked out of power with a resounding mandate from the people. The 2008 general elections opened the door for many possibilities which Malaysians could not have imagined happening in their lifetimes. The 2013 general elections will be the historic opportunity for Malaysians to throw open the floodgates for a genuine democracy to thrive in our country. Then only can we safely say that our country has achieved the ranks of a truly democratic country with a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
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| Fixed deposits? No, Pakatan considers Indians as liabilities! Posted: 04 Mar 2013 10:54 AM PST
Najib and his administration have been rolling out initiative after initiative for the Indian community in quick succession over the past few years. It therefore came as no surprise that a recent poll showed that 74 per cent of Indians now back Najib. PM Sivalingam I refer to M. Manoharan's article in Malaysiakini on 27 February 2013, titled 'Indian M'sians are nobody's fixed deposit' I couldn't agree more with M Manoharan when he says Malaysian Indians are nobody's 'fixed deposit'. The Indians have a mind of their own and have the wisdom to evaluate the claims and promises of BN and Pakatan Rakyat. I also agree with him that they will exercise their votes judicially in GE-13. But I couldn't DISAGREE more with him when he claims to know the Indian mind. He gives them no credit when he says Najib's plans for the community are not being appreciated. Najib and his administration have been rolling out initiative after initiative for the Indian community in quick succession over the past few years. It therefore came as no surprise that a recent poll showed that 74 per cent of Indians now back Najib. If Manoharan wants more evidence, he need look no further than the Unity Pongal celebrations organised by MIC at Dataran Merdeka last month. A record crowd of 120,000 attended the function where Prime Minister Najib was also present. That was an historic occasion, by any measure. Dataran had never before seen such a large crowd for any event, before or since independence. The rapturous roars that greeted Najib's speech spoke volumes about how Indian support was returning to Najib, MIC and BN. The crowds came from the length and breadth of the peninsula. Numbers like that don't lie, but people like Manoharan do when they claim otherwise. Indians in droves are giving the thumbs up for Najib. Indians, in equal numbers, are abandoning the Pakatan. In 2008, Indians thought their future would be safe with Pakatan but four years later their interests have not been promoted by any of Pakatan-ruled states. Instead, whatever they had had, were taken away. See what happened in Kampung Buah Pala in Penang in 2009. When Anwar failed the residents, it was Najib who came to their rescue. The Selangor State government has destroyed seven temples, and grants to Tamil schools have been nominal at best, compared to the large contributions by Najib. If more proof is needed about the marginalisation of Indians by Pakatan, look no further than the Pakatan Rakyat convention in Shah Alam a few days ago when the coalition unveiled its manifesto. On the main stage during this political facade, not a single Indian was present. There were no place even for the handful of Indians leaders within the opposition coalition. There was no room in the proverbial Inn even for Manoharan, a State Assemblyman in Selangor. If the Indian leaders can be so rebuffed, what chance does the average Indian have for his grievances to be heard? It's not difficult to understand Pakatan leaders' aversion to Indian causes. Pakatan is reluctant to be drawn into a position where they may feel obliged to give equal billing to Indians, alongside their dominant ethnic communities. It is therefore in the interest of these dominant communities to keep Indians at arms' length. So, the Indians are not Pakatan's 'fixed deposit'. They must therefore be permanent liabilities.
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| Posted: 04 Mar 2013 12:00 AM PST
In January 1993, Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd, a private company controlled by the management of NSTP and TV3, acquired 48 per cent of NSTP and 43 per cent of TV3 in a deal worth a whopping RM800 million -- it might still be the largest management buyout in Malaysia to date. Realmild was then controlled by four individuals closely linked to Deputy Premier then Anwar Ibrahim -- namely Abdul Kadir Jasin, Mohd Noor Mutalib, Ahmad Nazri Abdullah and Khalid Ahmad. The four were executives in the NSTP group, two of them -- Kadir and Nazri -- headed the English and Bahasa Malaysia sections respectively of the newspaper group. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin In 1992, Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's Finance Minister, approved the management buy-out (MBO) of New Straits Times Press Holdings Bhd (NSTP), the largest media group in the country, and also public-listed TV3. Anwar directed Munir Majid of the Securities Commission to approve the injection of Realmild into MRCB, which led to Realmild Sdn Bhd controlling four listed companies -- MRCB, Malakoff, TV3 and New Straits Times Press Bhd. ***************************************
MRCB's chequered past colours its future (KinBiz, 21 February 2013) -- MRCB started out as Perak Carbide Sdn Bhd in 1969. In the early days, Teh Hong Piow, the Public Bank founder was among the shareholders of Perak Carbide. Perak Carbide was renamed MRCB in 1981 after a change in its core business from the production of carbide to property development and investment. In the 90's MRCB morphed into a political animal, controlling New Straits Times Press Holdings Bhd (NSTP), then a giant publishing company, the largest media group in the country, and also publicly traded TV3. The MRCB story is often used to exhibit how corporate Malaysia works. In January 1993, Realmild (M) Sdn Bhd, a private company controlled by the management of NSTP and TV3, acquired 48 per cent of NSTP and 43 per cent of TV3 in a deal worth a whopping RM800 million -- it might still be the largest management buyout in Malaysia to date. Realmild was then controlled by four individuals closely linked to Deputy Premier then Anwar Ibrahim -- namely Abdul Kadir Jasin, Mohd Noor Mutalib, Ahmad Nazri Abdullah and Khalid Ahmad. The four were executives in the NSTP group, two of them -- Kadir and Nazri -- headed the English and Bahasa Malaysia sections respectively of the newspaper group. The four flipped Realmild's assets into MRCB in a reverse takeover. Some say the corporate moves were an attempt by Anwar, manoeuvring to control the media before the impending Umno vice presidential elections in 1993. With its political clout, MRCB grew to own such choice assets such as 20.2 per cent in Commerce Asset Holdings Bhd which owned Bank of Commerce Bhd (now CIMB)—via NSTP, a chunk of power generation companies like Malakoff Bhd, Sepang Power and Port Dickson Power among a whole host of other large assets. In 1996, MRCB and Keretapi Tanah Melayu formed a joint venture to develop 77 acres of prime land in Brickfields which is MRCB's flagship KL Sentral, and two years later the government even forked out a support loan of RM336 million to build the station. However things took a turn for the worse in 1998, when Anwar fell from grace and when the Asian financial crisis started to bite. Lacking in political clout, MRCB's downward spiral was a painful one exacerbated by the financial crisis of 1997-1998. For its financial year ended August 1999, the company suffered losses of about RM1.45 billion from RM235.39 million in revenue. As at August 1999, MRCB was saddled with short-term borrowings of RM923 million while the company long term debt commitments were RM473 million. On the other side of the balance sheet MRCB had cash and bank balances amounting to RM38 million. For the year ended August 1999, MRCB's interest payments on borrowings was RM118 million, about three times the company's net profit. After Anwar's fall from grace in Sept 1998 when he was removed as finance minister and deputy prime minister and charged with sodomy, Abdul Rahman Maidin, a close associate of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, was brought in to run MRCB in July 1999. Daim had been collared in by then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to help deal with the financial crisis. Daim headed the powerful National Economic Action Council then. But the slide continued. Daim himself appeared to have a rift with Mahathir and some of those who were close to him were removed from their position after their stakes in key companies were taken over by the governments. This included Halim Saad of Renong, Tajudin Ramli of Malaysia Airlines and Celcom (then under TRI) and Rahman Maidin at MRCB. MRCB management went into professional hands with Abdul Rahman Ahmad and Shahril Ridza Ridzuan becoming managing director and executive director respectively in 2001. Eventually MRCB was acquired by EPF in an apparent rescue of the group. The EPF ended up with a chunk of MRCB's stock in a debt for equity swap, after Realmild was unable to service borrowings from EPF. A large portion of EPF's shareholding was obtained in January 2005, when the pension fund acquired a 20 per cent block of shares increasing its shareholding to 30.35 per cent then. Realmild ceased to be a major shareholder after that. Shahril eventually became CEO of MRCB and left end-2009 after eight years. Following that Mohamed Razeek Md Hussain Maricar took over but left in August last year. Since then, MRCB has been without a CEO. Shahril himself became chief investment officer at EPF in 2010. Under professional management, much was achieved at MRCB and the KL Sentral development has attracted much interest and has seen property prices climb. But it looks like now EPF has embarked on a path to inject entrepreneurship into MRCB. This has happened through the proposed injection of Nusa Gapurna which has about 33 acres of prime land located in Petaling Jaya, Old Klang Road and Subang pegged with a gross development value of RM5.7 billion. Part of the plan is for Salim to eventually become managing director of MRCB. EPF in a statement to KinBiz said: "The model is similar to that of SP Setia or Mah Sing, where an entrepreneur holds a significant stake and works on behalf of all the institutional and minority shareholders. "The ultimate combination for the EPF is economically neutral as it had a 40 per cent stake in both businesses and will continue to have approximately the same stake in the combined entity going forward." EPF as a related party cannot vote on this deal, meaning it will be left to the minorities to decide. Analysts and observers however question the move to bring in Salim and ask whether Salim has the right credentials to run MRCB. After all it can be rightly argued that MRCB has far more expertise developing properties than Salim himself. So why opt for him at this juncture? Umno Incorporated (part 1)
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| Aquino says Sabah is a conspiracy Posted: 03 Mar 2013 10:35 PM PST
(Rappler.com) - MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – President Benigno Aquino III is not changing his position to call on Filipinos holed up in Sabah to surrender. There is no room for any negotiation if they continue to bear arms, he said. "Hindi pa rin nagbabago ang panawagan ko sa angkan ni Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. Hindi risonable ang pang-unawa kung nakatutok ang iyong armas sa mukha ng kausap (My call to the family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram has not changed: it is not reasonable to ask for understanding, if your weapons are pointed at the faces of those you are speaking with)," Aquino said. "Kung gusto mo talagang umusad ang usapan, tanggalin mo muna ang banta sa kaligtasan ng iyong kausap," the President added. Amid criticism of how the government handled the standoff, Aquino said the Sabah situation is a result of a conspiracy. "Mulat tayong may mga taong nagkuntsabahan upang humantong tayo sa sitwasyon na ito. Isang sitwasyon na walang agarang solusyon. Ilan po sa kanila ay nakikita natin habang ang iba naman ay nagkukubli pa rin sa dilim (We are aware that there are those who conspired to bring us to this situation—a situation that has no immediate solutions. Some of their identities are clear to us, while others continue to skulk in the shadows)," the President said in a press conference on Monday, March 4. Aquino said Sultan Jamalul Kiram III alone could not have ordered the move. "Hindi kakayanin ng angkan ni Sultan Jamalul Kiram III na gawin mag-isa ang gaintong pagkilos. Kapansin-pansin din ang nag-iisang linya ng kritiko para gatungan ang malubha nang sitwasyon (The family of Sultan Jamalul Kiram could not possibly have settled on this course of action alone. We have also noticed how our critics have stuck to a single messaging line to exacerbate a situation that has already grown dire)," the President said. Aquino blames them for putting the lives of about 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah in danger. "Alam natin ang delubyong tadhana ang may gawa at kung alin ang sinadya. Ang masakit ngayon, pinili ng ilang tao na mangyari ito at sadyang nilagay sa panganib ang napakaraming Pilipino (We can differentiate events that the turbulent winds of fate have caused, from those that have been orchestrated. What is regrettable is that there were those who chose for this to happen, and, in so doing, chose to place many Filipinos in danger)," he said. Aquino has a message to the so-called conspirators. "Sa mga taong nasa likod nito, ngayon pa lang sinasabi ko sa inyo, hindi kayo magtatagumpay. Pananagutin natin ang nagkasala sa bansa (To the people who are behind this, even now, I tell you: you will not succeed. All those who have wronged our country will be held accountable)," he said. Citing intelligence reports, Aquino said they have already identified "persons of interest" involved in the plot to move against Sabah. Cases are already being prepared against them, he added. The President did not name names but he mentioned a "connivance allegedly by certain members of the past administration in the formation of this (armed group), which is a violation of the Constitution and various other laws of the land." Asked if the conspiracy could lead to former President Gloria Arroyo, Aquino responded: "You are asking me for a conclusion that I wish I had right now. But, again, unless we have the evidence that can be brought before a court that will prove the case, I will not make an accusation," he said. Aquino said the government is aware that the situation could get worse, but that the other option is a peaceful end to the conflict. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario is now on his way to Malaysia to work for a possible peaceful resolution to the situation. Aquino also downplayed the reported crackdown on Filipinos in Sabah. It is "alarmist," Aquino said. Aquino said the response of Malaysia against the Filipinos in Sabah should be put in context. "Let us be frank with each other: If the situation were reversed, and armed groups entered our own community, would it be possible for us to do nothing? Would we not ask the government for help? Whatever your nationality may be, if there exists a threat to your safety, you would naturally retaliate and find a way to remove your citizens from harm's way," the President said in Filipino.
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| Anwar Ibrahim’s welfarist manifesto makes decision difficult Posted: 03 Mar 2013 06:30 PM PST
Wan Saiful Wan Jan, TMI I congratulate Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for launching its manifesto recently. PR has always wanted to shift Malaysia's political debate from one that is obsessed with race and religion towards policy. By launching their manifesto early, PR under Anwar Ibrahim shows continuous commitment to making our country a more mature democracy. I am very impressed with what PR has achieved over the years. Unlike Barisan Nasional (BN) which has access to the vast federal government machinery, PR has very limited resources. Yes, PR may be able to tap into the resources of a few states — and they do — but that is miniscule compared to what BN can access at the federal level. Therefore it is no mean feat for PR to come out with something as major as this manifesto. Clearly they are preparing for government, and they are very serious in wanting to transform Malaysia. If all our politicians are as committed to mature policy debates as the PR leaders, Malaysia would be a much better country. Dubbed as "The People's Manifesto", the document contains some wonderful proposals to enhance our political freedom. My favourite one is actually the very first thing listed in the manifesto — "eliminating racial discrimination and the incitement of antagonism between community groups to ensure the people's unity and harmony". This is a promise that all parties will make, but, I think BN has failed miserably to show commitment to this important agenda. I have not seen strong enough attempts by BN's top leadership to even dissociate themselves from the many inflammatory statements and incidences that have taken place over the last few months. Thus my hope on this aspect is with PR. PR dedicated a whole section to describe how they would improve the way government is run and improve our political freedom. There are clear promises to remove political interference from the civil service, make elections more clean and transparent, reform the judiciary as well as the MACC and the police force, strengthen Parliament, restore media freedom, and enhance academic freedom. These are reforms that our country very much need. Unfortunately that is where the good news ends. If one were to analyse the document from a liberal perspective, one would quickly find that the overall spirit of the manifesto is quite scary. Frankly, with this manifesto, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's coalition looks set to make Malaysia a welfare state, and catapult us firmly to the left. The vision underpinning this manifesto is actually very well summarised in a line on the very last page of the document, in an imaginary letter written by a common Malaysian after 10 years of PR government. The sentence reads "Most importantly, I am proud that the Malaysian administration has proven its ability to distribute and create prosperity for everyone." Perhaps it is just a Freudian slip, but the positioning of "distribute" before "create" explains exactly what this manifesto is about — i.e. a welfare state redistributionist agenda that puts more emphasis on how to spend rather than how to create wealth. The list of handouts, subsidies and costly initiatives is a long one. And it looks like under PR the tentacles government will be everywhere in our lives. Let's have a look at just some of them. In the workplace, PR will increase minimum wage to RM1,100 per month. If that's not enough to increase unemployment, PR will encourage employers to remove low-skilled workers by creating a RM2 billion fund "to provide automation incentives." I hasten to add that BN is the biggest culprit in this issue because it was the BN who introduced minimum wage in the first place. In dealing with an ageing society, even if you are a millionaire, PR will give you RM1,000 every year once you reach the age of 60. They call this a "Senior Citizens' Bonus Scheme." This is the first time I heard about people getting a bonus simply for ageing. To attract votes from the armed forces, PR promises to provide several types of handouts. They will create a RM500 million fund to assist the participation of ex-soldiers in economic activities. They will increase the government's contribution to Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) from 15 per cent to 20 per cent so that ex-soldiers have higher pension fund. And non-pensionable veterans will be given RM2,000 per year.
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| End Sabah clash in ‘brotherly way’, MNLF warns Putrajaya Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PST
(TMI) - A Filipino separatist group has cautioned Putrajaya against sending more troops to Sabah, and called for the United Nations (UN) and Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) to intervene in the standoff there that has turned deadly, Manila-based paper The Philippine Star reported today. The call was made by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who also offered itself as the mediator between the Malaysian government and the Sultanate of Sulu, but which insisted that the Philippine government should be excluded from the dialogue. MNLF chief Nur Misuari also warned Datuk Seri Najib Razak against persecuting people of Moro descent in Sabah, asking the prime minister to "please tone down his voice". "The blood of our brothers in Sabah is sacred," Misuari said here. "I hope Najib will not persecute our civilians in Sabah as it will trigger bigger trouble and it will drag us into war, and I don't like that." Misuari, who claimed that his grandnephew is a relative of Najib's, asked for the conflict to be resolved in a "brotherly way... to the best interest of everybody." The MNLF leader also admitted that some of the men involved in the armed incursion were his relatives and the front's members, but has denied instigating the conflict. "How can that be? I was in Africa for more than a month with my wife and I have nothing to do with the move of the sultan," he said, adding that sending "only 200" armed men is not "his style". He then reiterated his clan's claim over Sabah and Sarawak, calling the states "original properties of his great, great grandfather". Two days ago, a MNLF leader had warned that the Lahad Datu standoff could widen into a civil war engulfing Sabah, since more than 8,500 Filipinos, mostly Tausugs or Suluk tribesmen, were residing in Sabah and potential supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu. "I am afraid there will be a civil war in Sabah because thousands of Bangsamoro are residing in Sabah," Gapul Hajirul, political chief of MNLF said. "Our Tausug brothers and sisters of Sulu and the Samals in Tawi-Tawi were saddened and are hurting by the turn of the events," he was quoted as saying.
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| Army rushing reinforcements to help police deal with latest landings Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:30 PM PST
(The Star) - SEMPORNA: Two new flash points involving armed intruders erupted in the east coast of Sabah as the army and police mapped out a strategy to storm the Sulu group of Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram at Tanduo village. The army is rushing reinforcements to help the police deal with the latest landings of about 10 men in military gear sighted in Kunak, following the killing of six policemen and six intruders in a gun battle at the Simunul water village in Semporna on Saturday night. Sighting of armed intruders were also claimed by villagers in Kinabatangan and elsewhere but, so far, the police have denied the reports. At Kampung Senallang Lama, about 7km from Simunul, a former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander who was armed with an M16 assault rifle and a grenade launcher was said to have rounded up villagers as hostages at a mosque. He was killed by local youths. In the meantime, a tense situation engulfed Semporna as thousands of families fled town and a lockdown enforced around Simunul, where a Tiger platoon strike force was sent. At a 7pm press conference in Lahad Datu yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar declared the Semporna incident has been resolved and there had not been any hostage situation. He said the bodies of the six police personnel were recovered at Simunul.
The police had declined to initially verify villagers claim that a mother with her child as well as several police personnel might be trapped or held hostage by the armed Sulu group. Assuring the people that the situation in Sabah was under control, Ismail told the media at Felda Sahabat 16 in Lahad Datu that he has asked the military to help strengthen security in Semporna and the state. Present at the press conference was Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin. On the purported sightings of about 10 intruders at about 10pm on Saturday in Kunak, where they were seen entering Kampung Long Malor and Kampung Dasar Lama, Ismail said three of them were armed and were in fatigues that were similar to that worn by the Sulu group at Tanduo village. Describing the intruders as "not strong", Zulkifeli said that he has sent two more army battalions to Semporna and Kunak as a public confidence builder. Classifying the intruders as criminals, Zulkifeli said they came in small boats over a few days from the southern Philippines island of Sibutu, which was only a 25-minute boat ride to Semporna and that was why the security forces were unable to detect them. "I believe they came in civilian clothes and, upon entering Sabah, they grouped up and put on their military fatigues. "We found two bags with civilian clothes,' he said, adding that they could have entered on Feb 11 or Feb 12. On claims by the MNLF of an uprising of the Tausugs known as Suluks in Sabah if Azzimudie's group was attacked in Tanduo, Zulkifeli said: "Even though they are Tausug, they are law abiding people."
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| Tian Chua: I didn’t insult our commandos Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:21 PM PST
Zurairi AR, TMI PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang denied today ever making derogatory remarks undermining the police commandos involved in the Lahad Datu stand-off. Chua, popularly known as Tian Chua, claimed that the incident had been manipulated by cybertroopers to generate hate against him and other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders. "This was a faked story and absolutely untrue," said Chua (picture) in a press statement, explaining that he was not in Puchong here yesterday where he purportedly made the remarks. "I was actually in Johor, and in all of my speeches, I stated my confidence and support for our security forces and their officers." According to Chua, some pro-BN blogs have quoted him as describing the deaths of the security forces as "mati katak" (died in vain) in a Puchong rally yesterday. The blogs also asked their readers, especially police and army officers, to deliver text messages to him expressing their disapproval, Chua said. Chua had also reportedly told the KeadilanDaily online portal on March 1 that the shooting in Lahad Datu was believed to be a "planned conspiracy of the Umno government" to divert attention and intimidate the people. A group of around 100 retired policemen gathered in front of the National Monument here today to protest against alleged remarks by Chua, in an event described as the first time police retirees and former IGPs have ever gathered to express their discontent and displeasure. The police veterans carried placards saying "Tian Chua pengkhianat negara (Tian Chua is a national traitor)", "Tian Chua manusia tak berhati perut (Tian Chua is heartless)", and "Tian Chua perlu minta maaf (Tian Chua must apologise)". Several reports today said that groups of police retirees and officers are lodging police reports against Chua over his alleged "seditious remarks".
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| Manila now says up to Malaysia to handle Sulu militants Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:16 PM PST
Clara Chooi, TMI The Philippine government said today the fate of the self-proclaimed royal Sulu army in Sabah now lies in the hands of Malaysia's security forces, appearing to suggest that a peaceful end to the prolonged standoff is no longer possible. In an interview with the Philippines' ABS-CBN News Channel this morning, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda pointed out that the over 200 gunmen claiming to be followers of the Sulu Sultanate have continued to hold their ground in Sabah, refusing to lay down arms even after violent skirmishes since Friday left 28 dead. But according to the channel's report on its website www.abs-cbnnews.com, Lacierda would not say if he agreed that the "window of opportunity" for a peaceful resolution to the standoff had closed because the deaths had involved Malaysian security personnel. "Malaysia has stepped in. They have fatalities on their side. They want to resolve this on their terms. Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak said before the whole incident happened, baka pwede pa pero (it may have been possible but) now, serious offence has been committed," he told Mornings@ANC, according to the report. Adding to the tangled web, Lacierda confirmed the Philippine government's suspicion that the Kiram family are working with outside "collaborators", but was unsure who they are. He pointed out that during early negotiations between government representatives and Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, whose brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, is leading the rebel group in Sabah, Jamalul kept "changing goal posts". "First of all, they wanted the government to press the Sabah claim. What did the President say? We will study the claim. I have formed a task group to study the claim," he was quoted as saying. At one point, Lacierda said, an agreement that would call an end to the standoff was nearly reached but a phone call changed everything. The Philippine government is now attempting to find out if collaborators are indeed involved in guiding the Kiram family on its claims, the spokesman added. Lacierda also repeated that the Philippine government had appealed several times to the Kiram family, urging the Sultanate to order its men home in order to discuss its proprietary claims over Sabah.
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| I was adviser to ‘real’ Sulu sultan, says Umno Youth exco man Posted: 03 Mar 2013 05:09 PM PST
Zurairi AR, TMI Umno Youth executive councillor Lokman Noor Adam today denied having links with self-professed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, whose brother is leading an armed incursion into Lahad Datu, Sabah. His denial follows the distribution of a photograph of Lokman's business card on Twitter and Facebook, where he carries the title of "Advisor to The Crown" of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, and the honorific "Datu Sri Panglima" usually bestowed by the Sulu royalty. "I admit I was elected by the real Sulu sultan, Sultan Roodinod, son of Sultan Julaspi Kiram, as his advisor around the year 2005 to deal with the Malaysia government regarding their welfare," Lokman said in a press release here. Roodinod was recognised by the Malaysian government as the legitimate claimant to the Sulu Sultanate in 2008, for being the heir to Jamalul Kiram II who was proclaimed sultan in 1894. Roodinod family's claim has been challenged by rivals with allegations that Jamalul Kiram II died in 1936 without leaving any children. The last sultan of Sulu officially recognised by the Philippine government was Mahakuttah Kiram, who died in 1986. His eldest son Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram was crowned sultan on September last year, and is one of the many claimants to the throne. Lokman said he has not contacted Roodinod since 2007. The panel member of the Department of Special Affairs (JASA) also claimed that he advised the sultanate voluntarily, and has never received any payment for his services. According to Lokman, Julaspi was rescued by the Malaysian government in 1959, and lived in Sabah before the government gave him a residence in Lorong Maarof, Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur.
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| Posted: 03 Mar 2013 03:19 PM PST
The Sulu sultanate claims that villagers retaliated after the police stormed Simunul village and killed an imam and his four sons. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Nur Misuari, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman, has signalled that he is willing to help in talks to resolve the standoff in Sabah between an armed group of Filipino intruders and the Malaysian forces. "It is my message to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that I am ready to send my grand-nephew who is his cousin to open up talks," Misuari told reporters at the celebration of his 71st birthday here on Sunday. A Philippines-based website, Rappler.com, quoted the erstwhile friend of Malaysia as saying that he is also willing to personally go to Malaysia to help end the crisis. Denying allegations he is funding the armed men involved in the Sabah standoff, he said he was offering to help out of concern for the children and women in Lahad Datu who "are now facing starvation and danger." He said Malaysia had not responded to his offer. He added that they would also not call for the surrender of those who opted to "return to their home" but would instead urge the Philippine government to act on the issue. "This is an active claim. I want the Philippine government to act with determination. These men would not go there and sacrifice their lives if only the (Philippines) government had handled this issue," Adju was quoted as saying. Misuari once enjoyed good ties with Malaysia which had allowed the MNLF to seek sanctuary in Sabah during president Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. Malaysian security forces however arrested him in Sabah in 2001, after he fled Sulu following a botched revolt in the province. The arrest led to his detention in the Philippines. The site also quoted Samsula Adju, a member of the so-called Bangsamoro National People's Parliament as saying the move made by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to send his men to Sabah only shows that the Sabah claim is very much alive. Villagers provoked Meanwhile supporters of the Sultan of Sulu in the east coast of Sabah hit back at the Malaysian security forces on the weekend after they were allegedly provoked. At a press conference in Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III's home in Taguig City, a spokesman for the sultanate, Abraham Idjirani said the Malaysian police had shot dead an Islamic religious leader and his four sons and injured another imam in Simunul village in Semporna. Said Idjirani: "The violence spread to Semporna after Malaysian policemen pretending to round up undocumented Filipinos stormed Simunul village in search of relatives of the sultan." He said the Malaysian police shot dead a religious leader known as Imam Maas and his four sons whilst wounding another imam known as Jul after they were found to be helping Kiram's relatives. He said the killings had angered the villagers, who then attacked the authorities and seized four Malaysian officials, whom he described as "highest" military officers, a policeman and an influential civilian.
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| Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays #6 Posted: 03 Mar 2013 01:10 PM PST
PAS has two fundamental flaws. First, it is confused on whether to be a political party, meaning one that aspires to one day hold power and lead the country, or a religious entity. The two are not necessarily incompatible but PAS has yet to choose which one has the greater priority. The price for this blurring of objective is that the organization does not excel in either. M. Bakri Musa Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays Part 6. What is your view on PAS and its leadership? Do you think that their policies and struggles would usher or obstruct Malay/Muslim development in our country? [The original in Malay appeared in www. Surais.wordpress.com on Feb 20, 2013.] MBM: The leaders and policies of PAS do not impress me. That however, is irrelevant. More pertinent is that those leaders and their policies will cause Malays and Muslims to regress. Whether we would enter Paradise under PAS, only God knows, and He is not telling me or anyone else. PAS has two fundamental flaws. First, it is confused on whether to be a political party, meaning one that aspires to one day hold power and lead the country, or a religious entity. The two are not necessarily incompatible but PAS has yet to choose which one has the greater priority. The price for this blurring of objective is that the organization does not excel in either. Second, PAS is not democratic. The highest and ultimate authority lies not with its members, as it should be, rather an unelected Council of Ulamas. Worse, that council is restricted only to ulamas. Where is it written that only ulamas have the ability, wisdom or privilege to lead? In a democracy, the ultimate power must lie with voters or members. Were PAS to govern, would its ministers be answerable to Parliament or the Council of Ulamas? Which body has the higher and ultimate authority? According to our constitution, it is Parliament; to PAS, the Council of Ulamas. This is no small matter. Consider the current crisis in Iran where its unelected Majlis Syura is in conflict with the elected Parliament. I have no problem with the Ulama Council being merely advisory. The Ulama Council must respect and defer to Parliament. There is no place for anointed leadership in a democracy. Sovereignty lies with citizens. On another level, PAS is consumed with labels rather than content. Its leaders are obsessed with hudud and the Islamic State but fail to declare what they mean by those terms. Which Islam state do they hold up as a model? Iran and Saudi Arabia? Likewise with hudud; as non-Muslims are spared, criminals would be punished based not on the crimes they commit rather their faith. A Muslim committing adultery would be sentenced to death by stoning; a non-Muslim would suffer only the fury of their spouse. A Muslim caught stealing would have his hand chopped off; a non-Muslim would suffer merely a fine or jail sentence. Is that just? If it is not just, it cannot be Islamic. PAS has yet to address let alone reconcile this conflict. The party's greatest weakness is that its leadership core singularly lacks management talent. The skills needed for running a modern state are very different from that of being an ulama. The training, academic qualifications and experience of our ulamas are very narrow. They have never been exposed to the behavioral sciences, while their understanding of modern science and technology is abysmal. Their mindset is equally circumscribed. As for their political skills, PAS leaders have not shown the ability and aptitude for cooperating with like-minded players, specifically their fellow partners in Pakatan even on already agreed-upon goals. They behave little kids; play ball my way or I'll take it away. They view compromise as a sign of weakness. They forget that politics, as Bismarck wisely observed, is essentially the art of the possible. Kelantan reflects the management talent or lack thereof with PAS. After leading it for decades, cholera, which has been wiped out elsewhere, is still endemic. Low level of public health is directly the consequence of managerial ineptitude. The people of Kelantan, overwhelmingly Malays, remain the poorest in the nation. Again that reflects the limitations of a PAS administration. I have tremendous respect for Tok Nik Aziz as an ulama but voters elected him to be chief minister, not chief ulama. He should be humble enough to acknowledge his significant limitations as an administrator. That is his major weakness and fault. Had he been aware, or humble enough to be made aware of, he would have sought competent advisors. Consider Reagan, revered as one of America's greatest presidents. He readily acknowledged his intellectual and managerial limitations but he was very confident of where he wanted to take his nation. So he recruited the most talented and accomplished individuals to his cabinet so they could help him achieve his goals. There are many such Malaysians, Kelantanese specifically. Why couldn't Tok Aziz co-opt a few of them? Perhaps they could not recite the Koran and do not wear big turbans and flowing robes but if they are competent executives, that should be good enough. Frankly I could not care less even if they were not Malays or Muslims. You want someone to make sure that the rubbish is picked up regularly and the welfare of citizens taken care of. PAS is obsessed with the Islamic State. Many, and not just non-Muslims, disagree with that. Yet PAS remains stubborn. Wouldn't it be more meaningful and productive if PAS leaders were to understand and appreciate the reasons for the lack of enthusiasm and outright opposition? The greatest fear is that Malaysia would become another Iran or Saudi Arabia. Even Tok' Aziz's wife would oppose that. Imagine, women not allowed to drive! How do your allay their fears and make them see your viewpoint? One thing is certain. If you label them as apostates or kafirs, that would surely alienate them. PAS should focus on content and not be consumed with labels. Work with your Pakatan partners to get rid of corruption, abuse of power, and those laws that denigrate the human condition. Those are all wrong from the Islamic perspective. Do that and we that much closer to an Islamic state. To me, an Islamic state is one where there is peace, justice, prosperity, free of corruption, and abuse of power. Never mind the label. Clearly UMNO today has strayed far from our Islamic ideals. Corruption, cronyism, and abuse of power are the antithesis of things Islamic. They cannot be mollified with the building of ornate mosques or having gala Maulad Nabi parades. The upcoming general election will be a choice between a party that has a wee bit of competence in statecraft but is riddled with greed, corruption and abuse of power among its leaders, UMNO, versus another that is sorely lacking in managerial capability but whose leaders are pious, honest, and not obsessed with materialism, PAS. Which would one choose? Of course we all would like the choice of competent, honest and efficient leaders, but Allah has not given us that. Elections are like multiple choice tests, you select the best answer from the list given. Given the choice we have, I would unhesitatingly pick PAS over UMNO. We can easily train someone to be better executives or help them by supplying those talents. It would be considerably more difficult if not impossible to change someone's inner core of greed, corruptness, and repeated breaches of faith. Leaders with those ugly traits would continue to get worse, if given the power and opportunity. This upcoming election is an opportunity for Malaysians to deny the corrupt, the cheaters, and the greedy that power and opportunity. Cont'd: Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays #7: Touching on the economy, while to date Malays have made some progress nonetheless the new generation considers that as insignificant. They demand a bigger share of the cake, at least 30 percent. How can we achieve this target?
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