| ‘Is S’gor selling assets?’ Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:24 AM PST 
(The Star) - Selangor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omarhas dared Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to answer claims that the state government is selling five assets, worth a total of RM321mil. He said there were claims that the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) board of directors had agreed to sell five buildings Wisma Yakin, PKNS Shah Alam, PKNS Bangi, a building in Petaling Jaya and the SACC Mall. Noh said the reason for the alleged decision was not known and he called on Khalid to explain. "Perhaps he is selling the assets because he knows the Opposition won't win in the next general election," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby. He stressed that he was not accusing Khalid of anything but was merely challenging the Mentri Besar to deny claims of the sale. He also scoffed at Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement praising Khalid as an excellent Mentri Besar. He said Khalid had lied over the audit on Universiti Selangor (Unisel) when he claimed that the report had not been finalised. "His lie was exposed after the Auditor-General's Report was released and revealed that Unisel suffered losses," he said. The 2011 Auditor-General's Report revealed that Unisel was running at a loss and the performance of the university, as operated by Pendidikan Industri YS Sdn Bhd (PIYSB), was not up to the mark. The report indicated that PIYSB, a subsidiary of Mentri Besar Incorporated, had run into pre-tax losses amounting to RM198.1mil in 2010. |
| Indian Nation in Malaysia needs to get its politics and relationships right Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:17 AM PST 
If Indians in the collective vote for Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the opposition alliance, and hypothetically Barisan Nasional (BN) still manages to form the Federal Government, the community is not likely to see any change in its fate. If anything, they are likely to continue as scapegoats and be further victimized by the powers that be and those in the corridors of power and brutalized by the racist police. If Indians being wholly with the BN from 1957 to 2008 did not prevent their decline in the country, just think what will happen when the community is on the wrong side of the political fence? Joe Fernandez As the festive cheers end the year and a new one begins, the Indian Nation in Malaysia – a Nation without Territory within a Nation -- needs to think really long and hard about what the forthcoming 13th General Election means for them. Their past has caught up with them in the present to haunt their future. The 13th GE, more than the 12th GE, will be a watershed year for them in dealing with the politics of the nation. This is a time for Christmas wishes and making New Year Resolutions. If there's going to be a complete break with the past, Indians need to consider that politics for them cannot be what it means to those communities in Malaysia which have ethnic seats for the taking in Parliament and the state assemblies. Indians are the only community in Malaysia which doesn't have even one ethnic seat in Parliament or the state assemblies despite having a million voters on the electoral rolls and forming eight per cent of the 28 million population. Their marginalisation and disenfranchisement under the Umno regime over half a century has been complete. This is a grave human rights issue. The 8 per cent excludes at least 300,000 stateless and undocumented ethnic Indians in the country. Mohd Khir Toyo exposed the problem of stateless, undocumented children To his credit, it was former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo who first conceded on the Government side the fact that there were 50,000 stateless Indian children in his state alone. Khir, the son of Javanese immigrants, was sore with Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) leaders on other issues and decided to take them down a peg or two with the stateless issue. The absence of ethnic seats for the Indians means that engaging in party politics and coalition politics will not help resolve their myriad socio-economic problems. This concept must be something to borne in mind by Indians who are now with political parties on both sides of the divide. While no one can force these members to leave their respective organisations, it would be the right thing to do if the Indian community is not to be further victimized in the aftermath of the 13th GE and other similar future outings. If Indians in the collective vote for Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the opposition alliance, and hypothetically Barisan Nasional (BN) still manages to form the Federal Government, the community is not likely to see any change in its fate. If anything, they are likely to continue as scapegoats and be further victimized by the powers that be and those in the corridors of power and brutalized by the racist police. If Indians being wholly with the BN from 1957 to 2008 did not prevent their decline in the country, just think what will happen when the community is on the wrong side of the political fence? Indians caught between the known devil and the unknown angel What can be said about BN can also be said about PR i.e. if the Indians root for BN, and PR comes in to form the Federal Government. PR, under the circumstances, will not have even moral obligations to the Indian Nation in Malaysia. One has to only look at the fate of the minorities in the MiddleEast and West Asia in the wake of the long civil war in Lebanon, US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the eruption of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria. The Christian minorities here are on the run everywhere, victimized and persecuted by a newly-united majority community for having thrown in their lot for long with the "divide-and-rule" fallen regimes rather than taking a strictly neutral or apolitical stand. The US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe have opened their doors to them but not everyone has been able to escape the refugee camps or being reduced to the status of internally displaced persons. It's high time that Indians in Malaysia look at the tragic fate of the Christian minorities in MiddleEast and West Asia and decide whether this is what they want for themselves as well. The right way forward would be for Indian voters to come out and vote in full force on a non-political, non-party basis. Those incumbents who have been in a seat for three terms or more should be voted out. Other incumbents who have not performed and/or otherwise done nothing for the Indian community should also be voted out. This message needs to get out again and again until the Indian community sees the wisdom of it. Indians should not vote for Indians to be in the legislature Thirdly, Indian should not vote for Indians to be in the legislature. Such Indians would be unable to do anything for the community and having them merely glosses over the problem and paints the impressions that the government is being shared fairly among all Malaysians. This is the proverbial fig leaf. Such Indian legislators become convenient scapegoats i.e. to be blamed by the non-Indian legislators when the Indian community complains about anything. However, Indians not voting for Indians is unlikely to prevent non-Indian voters rooting for Indian legislators. That's their prerogative. No self-respecting Indian should offer himself in the GE as that would be tantamount to further misleading the community and postponing badly-need solutions. The Government of the Day, whether from BN or PR, should consider that it would be in their interest to appoint Indians to the Senate and in the Government sector, especially statutory bodies, government companies and GLCs. Non-Indian legislators should take up the plight of Indian Nation in Malaysia This would be a start for the Indian community to embark on the long and hard road towards its emergence as a force to be reckoned with in the mainstream. Individual non-Indian legislators, fearing defeat at the hands of Indian voters, are likely to take up the community's plight and make an attempt at resolving its myriad socio-economic problems. The list is long. At the macro level, the stateless and undocumented phenomenon needs to be brought to an end. At present, the Umno regime deliberately keeps the stateless and undocumented people as virtually slave labour in the twilight zone. Slavery is illegal under the Malaysian Constitution, international law and the UN Charter. The stateless don't figure in official statistics and the phenomenon further deprives Indians of additional votes. The Director-General of the National Registration Department (NRD) has prerogative and discretionary powers – can be determined by the Court – to resolve the stateless problem at the stroke of a pen but he refuses to do so because he's being forced by Umno to act as if he was a hardcore card-carrying racist member of the party. The Federal Government should appoint an apolitical ethnic Indian, a non-Muslim, as the Director-General of NRD and a non-Muslim Orang Asal – Murut, Dusun including Kadazan or urban Dusun, Dayak, and Orang Asli – as the Deputy Director-General of the NRD at least until the stateless problem in Malaysia is resolved. This is a human rights issue. Everyone has the right to an identity. To add insult to injury, illegal immigrants and foreign labour are being allowed in to compete with Indians in jobs which they had traditionally held. The Minimum Wage Act ensures that Malaysians will be discouraged from entering the job market at the lower levels which are being kept open for illegal immigrants and foreign labour who go on to pad the electoral rolls. Indians can't get even cendol licences from the local authorities Again, at the macro level, the spectrum of administrative laws – government policies in action – burdening the Indian community in particular, should be done away. These policies are unconstitutional and therefore unlawful. An example is the fact that Indians can't get even cendol licences from local authorities, such licences being reserved solely for members of the Malay-speaking communities -- Bugis, Javanese, Minang, Acehnese, and Indian Muslims – who are Muslim. Another government policy which targets Indians is that which derecognizes foreign universities with a sizeable number of Malaysian Indian students. This is a policy put in place by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad whose people came from Kerala state in southwest India. The Hindu-Muslim rivalry and animosity in the Indian sub-continent has come to haunt Malaysia. Administrative laws also facilitate the ruling elite to plunder the Public Treasury from behind the racism (feelings of inferiority in this case), prejudice (being against something for no rhyme or reason) and opportunism (sapu bersih all opportunities) of the Umno regime. Just consider the US$ 44 billion wealth allegedly amassed by Mahathir during his 22 years in the Prime Minister's post. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The Syariah Court cannot be used against non-Muslims and conversions of non-Muslims should be ended. The stateless, for example, should not be forced to convert to Islam to get personal Malaysian documents. At the micro-level, there are 1001 issues as raised by Hindraf Makkal Sakthi and other Indian NGOs. Hopefully, Hindraf will remain apolitical and not degenerate and end up as another MIC. |
| Singapore 6th, Malaysia 36th best nation to be born in 2013, survey shows Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:15 AM PST 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Singapore jumped to the sixth best place to be born in the world this year while Malaysia was 36th, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) index of 80 nations that attempts to measure which country provides the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life. Southeast Asia's third biggest economy hopped up two rungs from the 38th spot it occupied 25 years ago, when the EIU —- a sister company to the influential Economist business and current affairs magazine — first ran its "Where-to-be-born" index in 1988, edging out other nations in the region except for Singapore. A quarter century later, the Lion City has shot to 6th place, up from 36th out of 48 countries in 1988 when it tied with East Germany before the Berlin Wall crumbled. Thailand ranked 50, the Philippines which placed 24th in 1988 dropped to 63, tying with Sri Lanka, while Vietnam and Indonesia took 68th and 71st positions respectively. Malaysia drew 6.62 out of a 10-point scorecard in the study of life-satisfaction survey, which seeks to quantify how happy people say they are based on a list of 11 economic and socio-political indicators such as a country's income per capita, cost of living, human rights, life expectancy and literacy and education levels. However, the methodology used to crunch up the numbers for its statistics has also changed from when the index was introduced. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/singapore-6th-malaysia-36th-best-nation-to-be-born-in-2013-survey-shows/ |
| Stop violence against women Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST 
No, we don't promote guns in our movies but we do promote a certain way of treating women, one where it is deemed all right for women to be raped and then "redeem" herself by marrying her rapist. Marina Mahathir, The Star Rape and violence against women in general has nothing to do with sex or lust, but about power. THE year 2012 ended on a mixed note. On the bright side, despite people believing in the Mayans' alleged predictions, the world did not end. On the other hand, the end of the year saw a most gruesome crime being committed that ended with the death of a young woman. Regardless that it happened in India, the case of the young medical student gang-raped and beaten so viciously resonated with many of us here, especially with women. Facebook and Twitter were filled with many articles and comments about it. There were those who recoiled at the horror of it; there were also those who savoured the juicy details. Debates ensued as to why it happened. Many believe that this was the work of perverts. In many ways they are right. But perverts work in certain circumstances. For one thing they don't work where they are unlikely to be successful. A late-night bus where it would be easy to intimidate the victim is just one. Another is if the potential victim is a young woman who is physically less able to fight back. To say that such rapists are primarily motivated by lust is to introduce feelings that are not there or to equate lust always with violence. This was a gang-rape. How does each individual perpetrator have exactly the same "feelings" towards the victim? Doesn't the fact that they are in a group embolden them more, makes them feel more powerful? Isn't this yet another bit of proof that rape and violence against women in general has nothing to do with sex or lust but about power? Separate each individual of the gang and see if they are as brave. Neither is it a crime that's only found in other "less developed" countries. Let's not forget that we have had similar cases, with names like Noor Shuzaily, Canny Ong and Nurin Jazlin. These were no less horrible cases and in the case of little Nurin, still unsolved. Who knows how many more of these there are? Yet, do we do much soul-searching, let alone go out and hold protests and candlelight vigils as they have done in India? In India, things might finally change for women there. In Malaysia, nothing much has. We look in horrified derision at the United States with its absurd gun laws and where there is no will to do anything about a society where kids can have access to guns and easily kill so many others, as just happened in Newtown. We blame the movies for some of it. Yet, we don't apply the same insight to our own media. No, we don't promote guns in our movies but we do promote a certain way of treating women, one where it is deemed all right for women to be raped and then "redeem" herself by marrying her rapist. Once again the onus, burden and shame is on the woman victim and not the perpetrator. We also have movies where rape is seen as justified punishment for women who gossip, where the perpetrator of the crime is let off. So we cut out scenes of kissing but think it's okay for these sorts of messages to be kept. These are just a few of the ways in which women are put in their "place" every day. Today, the most popular local novels emphasise that a good woman is one who obeys her man, regardless of how unjust he may be to her. Our preachers instill in our men that even if they earn less and take no responsibility for their families, they are superior to women. Women do everything to keep their families together and put food on the table, and still are told that they are a degree less than men. No wonder then on social media, rape is still blamed on women and mostly on how they dress and behave. How that explains what happened to Noor Shuzaily who had her hair neatly covered and was on her way to work in the morning is a mystery. Should she not have worked outside the home at all? In 2013, I truly hope that Malaysians will finally take violence against women seriously. There is not a single woman who has not felt intimidated and unsafe when she is out alone, in the company of strangers or having to walk on the streets. There is not a mother who fears for her daughters every time they go out. Don't we all have daughters who are medical students just weeks away from getting married too, just like the girl in New Delhi? It all starts at the top. My vote will go to whichever government that will treat women with respect and stop violence against women. Happy New Year! |
| Taboo on premarital sex can lead to tragedy in changing Oman Posted: 02 Jan 2013 10:06 AM PST 
(The Star) - "This is not about pregnancy or abortion. This is about parents who should stop branding their daughters as sinners when they make mistakes so early in life." When unmarried 19-year-old Sama got pregnant, she ran away from home to have an abortion rather than face family wrath. The young man who got her pregnant had refused to marry her, saying he could not afford the financial burden. So she went to share a room with a friend in a university hostel in the Omani capital Muscat, 450 km (280 miles) away from her hometown of Buraimi in the north of the Gulf Arab state. The abortionist was her friend's aunt, a 76-year-old woman who boasted that she had successfully terminated over 200 foetuses in a long, illegal career. The operation in April last year proved nearly fatal for Sama. "It was extremely painful and I nearly bled to death. I stayed in hospital for a week recovering from the botched procedure," Sama, who requested that her family name not be used to protect her identity, told Reuters. Oman, a conservative Muslim country, is grappling with the strains of modernisation. Two decades of fast economic growth, fuelled by oil exports, have raised living standards and increased people's freedom of movement, giving men and women more day-to-day contact than they would have back in their tribal villages. At the same time, cultural attitudes have not shifted nearly as much: pregnancy out of wedlock is widely regarded as a sin and young women can face severe beatings at the hands of their families. In addition, a family's honour can be damaged by the disclosure of a pregnancy. The result is that a substantial number of women feel they have to abort secretly rather than bring shame to their parents, social workers say. Doctors are told by the government to obtain the permission of a patient's parents to conduct an abortion. "Young women, if the word gets out, will never find suitors after an unwanted pregnancy as the community brands them as prostitutes, because they had a relationship outside marriage," said Fatma Al Rahbi, a social worker at the Ministry of Social Development. Women in all the conservative Gulf Arab states face similar social taboos and restrictions. But Maryam Hashim, a women rights activist in Bahrain, said: "To put it in a regional perspective, Omani women issues are less open than any other Gulf countries. "Young women there are much more controlled by parents. There are no mixed boy and girl parties or gatherings. Girls are told to hang around with other girls and not boys," she said. "So it is not a surprise that now Omani girls fully capitalize (on their time) at universities and colleges, where they develop secret relationships with boys that end with unwanted pregnancies." HOSPITALS Official statistics are not available, but social workers say they believe the number of out-of-marriage pregnancies, and therefore abortions, has been increasing as Omani society becomes more mobile. Doctors who talked to Reuters at seven different hospitals across the country said about three unmarried women were rushed to the hospitals every month for treatment after abortion attempts left them fighting for their lives. Last year, it was an average of two unmarried women every month who had aborted and were admitted to emergency wings. There are 26 government hospitals across Oman. Some of these women don't make it. "It is horrible the way they are brought in. One came in the back of a taxi and was left at the emergency entrance. The other was left on the roadside in broad daylight and was picked up by a passing car. They both bled profusely and died. I estimate that there are about 50 to 70 abortions carried out illegally every year, " said Hassan Al Hajar, a doctor at Sur Hospital in the eastern region of Oman. He added that women being brought to his hospital refused to name the illegal abortionists, often because they had some personal connection to them. The result was that no charges were brought against the people who performed the botched operations. Saeeda Shamis, 37, a successful businesswoman who runs three beauty parlours in Muscat, married a Jordanian after she was disowned by her family for getting pregnant at the age of 18 with a boy next door. She had a successful abortion but was thrown out of her family home. "The word gets out very fast when you get pregnant. You find no Omani man wants to marry you, and that's why I got married to a foreigner," she said. EDUCATION Some blame the spread of higher education for pregnancies out of marriage. The government is promoting education to help more of Oman's roughly 2 million citizens find jobs and is encouraging the education of women as a way to reduce inequality between the sexes. The number of Omani students in tertiary education in the current academic year is up 9 percent since last year to 41,330, where female students make up 65 percent, according to the Ministry of Higher Education. In Oman, girls and boys are separated in primary and secondary schools but this restriction does not apply to higher education. "Now these kids meet at higher education institutes after they leave schools. They sit next to each other in the classes and they develop relationships that lead to unwanted pregnancies," said Salim Al Battash, a father of two daughters whom he said he married off before they reached the age of 18. The number of Omani women in the work force jumped by 16 percent to 41,000 in 2011 compared to a year earlier, according to official manpower data, and there are more in regular jobs than in other Gulf Arab states. Shamis said that to end or at least reduce backstreet abortions, attitudes in Omani society would need to change fundamentally. "This is not about pregnancy or abortion. This is about parents who should stop branding their daughters as sinners when they make mistakes so early in life." Doctor Hajar said that Omani hospitals are acting under the instructions of the ministry of health not to prescribe birth control pills to unmarried women. "I suspect (this is) because the health ministry fears that it will liberalise the sexual intercourse among unmarried couple," he explained. Parents agree. "You will not find a single parent agreeing to have their daughters given free contraception. If the ministry of health does it, then we will protest and make our voices heard about this. Why? Because it is against our religion to have sex outside marriage," Khalfan Al Mhedhery, a 67-year-old retired oil engineer, told Reuters. A senior official at the ministry of health, who refused to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the press, said: "Due to religious sensitivities, we do not consider changing laws about birth control at any time. Only married women will receive contraceptive pills. "This subject is too explosive to discuss further." |
| Black Rose book launch cancelled, available online, says Deepak Posted: 02 Jan 2013 12:45 AM PST 
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider The launch of a 26-page booklet titled "The Black Rose" was derailed by PKR's Rafizi Ramli's revelation earlier today, controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan said this evening. The carpet dealer confessed to being the author of the booklet, which claims to tell the true story behind private investigator P Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD). "Yes ... Honestly, it took me one day to draft the whole thing," Deepak (picture) said in a press conference today. The businessman was planning a launch of the book today before Rafizi decided to hold a press conference this morning alleging Deepak's involvement as a jewellery middleman for a local dignitary. "I had planned to launch my book and also take the next step further on the exposures. "Unfortunately the process has been derailed by an article that has come out from Rafizi from PKR," he said, referring to Rafizi's post on his blog. Besides his own blog, Rafizi's press conference was also covered by a number of news outlets. Because of the serious allegations by the PKR politician, Deepak's legal counsel has advised him against the book launch and to contemplate his next move. Deepak told reporters that he has no intention to sell the booklet, and will make it available for free online. "I'm not here to profit from that. I'm here to tell the truth. "If you can afford to print it and distribute, feel free. I'll put there 'copyright free'," he said. As for the copies that have already been printed, Deepak said he will be gifting them to his close friends and acquaintances. READ MORE HERE |
| Deepak says poorer from LTAT land deal, Ropiaah made more Posted: 02 Jan 2013 12:40 AM PST
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider Senator Raja Datuk Ropiaah Abdullah got the lion's share of the LTAT land deal through her company Awan Megah Sdn Bhd, which was contracted to build a defence facility, carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan said today. A unit of Boustead Holdings Bhd, owned by investment fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), bought an 80 per cent stake in Deepak's company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million as well as a RM130 million piece of land from Awan Megah last week. It is not known what happened to the facility that was to be built by Raja Ropiaah's company in exchange for the land. "I think it's unfair, it's my land. I paid for it, I get pittance and she gets the lion's share," Deepak told a press conference here today. "She got the appreciation (value) but I got nothing. I only got what I put in," he said. Deepak also noted that PKR's plan to stop the deal by asking the Selangor government to sit on the land title transfer is ironic. "If they had issued the land title then, I would've sold the land already by now," he said. Last Saturday, Rafizi alleged that a Boustead unit acquisition of Deepak's company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd was an attempt to silence the businessman. "This is worse than a bailout ... this is outright bribery to practically pay off and silence (Deepak)," Rafizi had told a press conference. The PKR strategy director also accused Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of abusing his power by spending public money through government investment fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), which owns Boustead, to acquire the loss-making property development company. The politician added that if the recent allegations made by Deepak over the murder of Mongolian model Altantuyaa Shaariibuu had not been considered serious, it was unlikely that LTAT would have proceeded with the buyout. Deepak recently also exposed an alleged deal between Awan Megah Sdn Bhd, the company owned by Selangor Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, and the federal government for a parcel of land involved in the acquisition by Boustead. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Don’t use my truths to spin untruths’ Posted: 02 Jan 2013 12:34 AM PST 
Deepak Jaikishan asked those who stand for truth to support his crusade and not resort to lies and politics. Teoh El Sen, FMT Carpet man" Deepak Jaikishan today lashed out at PKR for claiming that he had bought RM13 million worth of jewellery for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor. He alleged that the documents that PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli had shown to the media today was "not mine". "Honestly, I don't know what he is talking about. I've never seen the documents Rafizi is producing. Those are not my documents. He has to come forward and tell us where he got these documents from," Deepak told a press conference at a hotel here. But when asked if the allegations being made were true or false, Deepak said that he would not comment at this moment as it was a "very fragile issue". He added that he was seeking legal advice over Rafizi's exposé today. "I was caught off guard [by Rafizi's exposé ]. I am shocked. Even if you want to put something out, it must be the truth. Be brave. Be sincere and not political," he said. Deepak denied ever seeing Rafizi though he admitted he has tried to contact him recently to work together in exposing in a proper manner. "I don't want my truth to be used by political parties. Rafizi, please don't use my crusade for your political mileage. If you are with me, then let's stand hand in hand." Deepak also asked PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to "do it right". "He can't stand behind Rafizi and send out all these missiles because they are going in all the wrong directions. "You must be sincere and consistent," he said, adding that he was disappointed with Anwar's continual denial of having met him (Deepak) and agreeing to help him with the PKR solicitors. "I'm alone in the desert. I need support," he said. Deepak said he would invite all groups, including both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, to assist him in "exposing the truth". "But even if there is no support, I will still go forward all the way. But now I'm calling out to all sides. It can even be an Umno man or even MCA president's son Chua Tee Yong." Booklet on Rosmah tomorrow
Deepak also said that his booklet "Black Rose" will finally be made public tomorrow after repeated delays. He said that the 26-page publication will be printed and given out to a selected group of friends but will be put online for public viewing and self-printing. "It is about the SD2 [second statutory declaration] and everything I've revealed, with more details," he said. He also said he had more truth to expose following this. READ MORE HERE |
| Two lieutanant colonels allowed to amend their statement of claim Posted: 01 Jan 2013 07:39 PM PST 
(The Star) - The Court of Appeal on Wednesday allowed two lieutenant colonels to amend their statement of claim in a defamation suit filed against blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin. A three-member bench presided by Court of Appeal judges Datuk Ramly Ali, Datuk Mohtarudin Baki and High Court judge Datuk David Wong Dak Wah unanimously allowed the appeal by Lt Col Abdul Aziz Buyong and Lt Col Norhayati Hassan to reverse the decision of a Kuala Lumpur High Court, which disallowed them to make amendments to their statement of claim. Justice Ramly ordered them to file their amended statement of claim within 14 days from Wednesday and also gave Raja Petra the liberty to file his amended statement of defence within 14 days from the date of receiving the amended statement of claim. Lt Col Abdul Aziz and Lt Col Norhayati filed the legal suit in 2008 against Raja Petra, alleging that the blogger had made a statutory declaration implicating them and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. They alleged that Raja Petra's declaration made on June 18, 2008, contained defamatory elements. They each sought RM1mil in damages from Raja Petra as well as exemplary damages and an injunction to prevent him or his employees from repeating the defamatory remarks. On Sept 18, last year, the High Court dismissed their application to amend their statement of claim. Lt Col Abdul Aziz and Lt Col Norhayati sought to make amendments to their statement of claim to include certain new facts. The High Court had fixed three days beginning from Jan 21, this year for hearing of their suit. The duo was represented by lawyer Sugandra Rao Naidu while Raja Petra was represented by lawyer J. Chandra. 
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| The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 19) Posted: 01 Jan 2013 05:44 PM PST 
I was totally sold on the idea, so much so that a couple of years later I joined the Iranians in Mekah to protest against America and the Saudi government, the stooge of the Americans. My commitment to Islam, PAS and the Islamic State was absolute. And Anwar was going to lead this Islamic Revolution of Malaysia and turn Malaysia into the Islamic Republic of Malaysia. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Some say that Anwar Ibrahim and I have a love-hate relationship. I suppose this is true in some ways. It is probably because after 'travelling the same road' for 50 years since 1963, so to speak, there are many things about each other that we can no longer tolerate. Back in the 1960s, when we were in the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), Anwar demonstrated strong anti-British tendencies. This, of course, irritated me like hell because I always felt more British than Malay. Hence I took very personal his anti-British rhetoric. You see; I was the only 'Mat Salleh' in MCKK at that time so I considered Anwar's anti-British stand as a personal attack. And the fact that Anwar's classmates (who were three years my senior) threw stale bread at me and shouted "Hoi, Mat Salleh sesat!" made it even worse, even though Anwar did tell them, "Janganlah kacau dia." And that is one reason why just two and half years later, halfway through form three, I left MCKK to join the Victoria Institution (VI). I felt I had no place in a 'Malay school'. I hated the MCKK and was very happy when, in form three, I transferred to the VI and was able to surround myself with non-Malay friends. That ended my relationship with the MCKK and hence with Anwar Ibrahim as well. In 1974, my family moved to Kuala Terengganu. Family then meant my wife and one-year-old daughter, Suraya. Later my mother-in-law joined us and stayed with us till the day she died. She converted to Islam just before she died and was buried in Masjid Kolam, Kuala Ibai, Kuala Terengganu. 1974 was the same year that Anwar was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). We talked about it, of course, but his detention never bothered me. In fact, I felt that they should not only detain him but they should throw away the key as well. After all, Anwar was the one who used to whack the British ten years before that back in 1964 when we were in the MCKK (I was in 'The Big School' in form 2 and he was in form 5 when I first heard him speak). We must remember that Anwar was the President of the Muslim students association or Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM). He was also the President of University Malaya's Malay language association or Persatuan Bahasa Melayu Universiti Malaya (PBMUM). Furthermore, he was one of the founding members of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia or Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM). I used to live in Bangsar, not far from the University Malaya, and I would go to see the demonstrations that they organised. I would take photographs of these demonstrations (I still have the photos, all black and white, though). I also saw all the English language signboards and road signs that they vandalised by painting them over with red paint. Therefore, as far as I was concerned, Anwar was an anti-British, Malay supremacist racist. I heard him talk and I saw him in action at those demonstrations. He deserved what he got and the government should keep him locked up for a very, very long time. About 20 months later, Anwar was released from detention. He then took over the leadership of ABIM and started campaigning against Umno and the government. A year or so later, as I had written many times, I 'discovered' Islam and became a 'Born Again' Muslim. I soon began to attend the ceramah or rallies organised by PAS. In 1979, the Islamic Revolution of Iran rocked the world and I got dragged in to 'political Islam'. I strongly believed that Islam is not a religion but a way of life or adeen. And this adeen involves the setting up of an Islamic system of government a la Iran. Anwar attended some of those PAS ceramah as a guest speaker and I was mesmerised by what he said. Man, could he talk! Back in the early 1960s he would 'talk bad' about the British. By the late 1970s he was whacking Umno and Barisan Nasional and was espousing the virtues of Islam and an Islamic State. I was totally sold on the idea, so much so that a couple of years later I joined the Iranians in Mekah to protest against America and the Saudi government, the stooge of the Americans. My commitment to Islam, PAS and the Islamic State was absolute. And Anwar was going to lead this Islamic Revolution of Malaysia and turn Malaysia into the Islamic Republic of Malaysia. And this cannot be achieved by mere rhetoric. It has to be a bloody revolution. People must die, thousands of people, like in Iran. I was so bold as to even declare to an Umno man, Dr Zakaria, in a gathering at the Sultan of Terengganu's palace, that we must line up all the Umno people against a wall and shoot them dead. Dr Zakaria was flabbergasted. He shook his head and walked away. The head of ITM Dungun, Ibrahim, who was standing beside us, pulled me away and whispered to me that I should be careful with what I say. That type of talk can get me sent to Kamunting. What is Kamunting? Nothing! We are talking about blood flowing on the streets. We are talking about shooting dead 20,000 corrupt people like they did in Iran. We will burn down Kamunting together with the Prime Minister's house, then Hussein Onn, of course. Then, in 1981, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Prime Minister. Soon after that Anwar 'abandoned the cause' and joined Umno. We were walking around in a daze like a cucaracha sprayed with Shelltox or, as the Malays would say, macam anak ayam hilang emak ayam. Not long after that I went to Mekah to find peace with myself. I needed to contemplate where our so-called Islamic Revolution was now heading with the loss of our 'Imam Khomeini of Malaysia'. I now felt only hatred for Anwar and my new perjuangan was to see the destruction of this traitor to our cause named Anwar Ibrahim, and his boss, Dr Mahathir. TO BE CONTINUED The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 1) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 2) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 3) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 4) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 5) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 6) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 7) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 8) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 9) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 10) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 11) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 12) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 13) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 14) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 15) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 16) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 17) The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 18) |
| Ex-IGP thinks his exposés will bear fruit Posted: 01 Jan 2013 05:11 PM PST 
MyWatch patron Musa Hassan is optimistic that the police force will eventually improve. Anisah Shukry and Teoh El Sen, FMT VIDEO INSIDE Former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan has come under attack from several quarters for his recent revelations about corruption in the force, political interference in its work, and criminal elements infiltrating it at the highest levels. The government has ignored his allegations, and his successor, Ismail Omar, has dismissed his claims as "unimportant". However, the patron of anti-crime watchdog MyWatch said he remained optimistic that his exposes, which he claimed were aimed at improving the police force, would bear fruit. "You shouldn't be downhearted when people don't want to listen," he told FMT in an exclusive interview. "We still have to tell the truth." Musa spoke well of Ismail's deputy, Khalid Abu Bakar, calling him a "capable leader". But he dismissed a suggestion that he was ganging up with Khalid to overthrow Ismail. When asked whether there had been attempts by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak or Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to meet him, Musa said no political leaders had met him. In a new year message to Malaysians, Musa said: "I hope this country will prosper, and there won't be any political problems. I hope the police will improve themselves. People are now more aware of integrity. That's a good sign. All agencies should be of high integrity, and avoid themselves from being corrupted, that's the wishes of the people, and that's my wish also." MyWatch chairman R Sri Sanjeevan, who was with Musa during the interview, said the organisation's objective was to make Malaysia crime-free society, adding that this required good leadership in the police force. Excerpts from the interview READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Political Islam’ and Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Part One) Posted: 01 Jan 2013 04:21 PM PST 
In particular many "middle of the road" Malaysian voters, mostly non-Malay and non-Muslim but also including many Malays and Muslims, harbour reservations about Islamist politics — and specifically about what has long been, especially since the rise of the "new Islamists" and their capture of the party in the early 1980s, PAS's own "hardline" version of Islamist politics. Clive Kessler, The Malaysian Insider Dr Dzulkelfy Ahmad's recent commentary on "Political Islam at the crossroads in Malaysia" (The Malaysian Insider, 28 December) was both encouraging and disquieting. Encouraging, because it said, and quite directly, a few things that many people, especially with the national elections approaching, have wanted to hear from the "moderate" forces or wing in PAS. Things, for example, such as his conviction that PAS must, and can, take its stand on "the middle ground", and consolidate its appeal (or at least its acceptability) to centrist voters, by means of a consistent commitment to a moderate, conciliatory and "gentle" form or understanding of Islam. And disquieting too, since, Dzulkefly's own exposition, as much by what it does not say as through its explicit words, provides grounds for doubt that his bland reassurances may be confidently accepted. It prompts some real concern, through what he fails to understand and acknowledge as much as by what he does acknowledge. These are important considerations. Not abstract but considerations of immediate practical political relevance. Why? A need for credible reassurance Dzulkefly is, or so it seems to a distant and detached observer, a very decent man, a politician of admirable attitudes and political impulses (I will not use here the contentious term "instincts"). But is that enough? Here and elsewhere Dzulkefly makes an argument and advances a position. He wants to provide reasons for people to suspend a number of the deep-seated doubts that they may have about the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, and whether they should support it. In particular many "middle of the road" Malaysian voters, mostly non-Malay and non-Muslim but also including many Malays and Muslims, harbour reservations about Islamist politics — and specifically about what has long been, especially since the rise of the "new Islamists" and their capture of the party in the early 1980s, PAS's own "hardline" version of Islamist politics. They are worried, in short, about giving their support to a multiparty coalition that might, if elected, eventually serve as the instrument for the creation of an explicitly Islamic state in Malaysia, or powerfully promote the demand for one. They are worried that, with their well-intentioned but differently intentioned support, the Pakatan Rakyat coalition might become a vehicle in which the hardline political Islamists in PAS might ride to Putrajaya and from the "commanding heights" of government there push with unprecedented force for the further implementation in Malaysia of Syariah law, including the hudud punishment provisions. That is their fear. They want to be reassured. Dzulkely wants to provide them with that reassurance, and people look to him, and to his "moderate" friends within PAS, for precisely that reassurance. Dulkefly, as well as having his own political agenda and purposes (as all politicians do and must), may sincerely wish to provide Malaysians with that assurance. I think he does. The question is whether people can accept that assurance, and whether they would be well-advised to do so. As the thirteenth national elections approach, people are being asked to rely heavily on the trust that they place in, and in the reassurances provided by, Dzulkefly and his allies among the "moderate Islamists" in PAS. It is a hugely important question, an enormously fateful choice — for them and for the nation as a whole. That is why Dzulkefly's argument and its adequacy, or otherwise, need some thoughtful consideration. "Political Islam"? Yes, correct. Dzulkefly is right. In this country PAS represents, or is the manifestation of, the worldwide phenomenon of "political Islam", in its distinctive, and also historic, local form. But what is "political Islam"? It simply will not do for activist Islamist commentators to complain about so-called "Western" characterizations of Islam, both as a religion and civilization, as inherently and also threateningly "political", and then to assert, as Dzulkefly now does, that they also see Islam as inherently "apolitical" –– and so must invent, with the provision of a further adjective, the notion and fact of something called "political Islam". Yes, in its outlook and history and civilizational self-understanding, Islam is inherently political. Or, as Dzulkefly puts it, "The holistic paradigm of Islam includes its inherent and intrinsic interests in matters of 'government and governance', thus making it political from the very outset." That is what many, both Islamic scholars and Western writers about Islam, have long maintained. So there was never any need, as Dzulkefly now wants to suggest, for "Orientalists" and others to invent the term "political Islam" so that Islam's political dimension might at last be recognized, and so to call into being something that had not previously existed. The question, as Dzukefly recognizes, is not whether Islam is political but what the politics of Islam should be. And, specifically, what kind of politics should Muslims as Muslims in today's world, and now here in current Malaysian circumstances, seek to affirm and pursue. If there was no need "adjectivally" to invent a special notion of "political Islam", or if that was not the reason, then where did the term come from and why was it devised? Towards "Third-Phase Islam" What is known in our time as "political Islam" has arisen not from the simple and gratuitous provision of an additional adjective to highlight (as if that were necessary!) Islam's inherent and characteristic — some would say "defining" — political dimension. It arises from, and is the product of, the history, both specifically religious and more broadly civilizational, of Islam itself. It is the consequence of, and a reaction to, its "career in the world": of the entanglement of Islam in world history. It is what we may term historically as "third-phase Islam". i. The first phase. The first phase in religious evolution is born of a specific moment, the formative moment of the faith and faith community. It comes from that moment, first experienced in this "faith tradition" by Abraham and later re-experienced anew (and, for Muslims, in its ultimately definitive form) by Muhammad, though others prophets in between had also been struck by a similarly powerful intimation, of first sensing the compelling presence of the divine. That formative moment is when an individual, a prophet, is seized by the sudden, absolute, and all-encompassing awareness — both intellectual and broadly existential and hence spiritual — of the "one-ness" of God. That awareness takes the form not simply of a weak realization but of a powerful conviction. It is a total, and totalizing, apprehension of the central reality of Tauhid. The first phase of religious evolution is born of this revelatory moment and centres upon the implications of its prophetic experience, upon its humanly transformative impact: for the prophet and for those who, by following his insight and lead, seek to replicate in their own inner lives, if only in part, that same transformation. In that first phase religion itself, in this case Islam, is centred and focused upon that direct, immediate experience and conviction of Divine Unity. It is an awesome and awe-inspiring realization. It is what in this tradition faith, what religion, is all about. What more, some wonder, might ever be needed? ii. The Second phase. The first phase generally lasts for the lifetime of the founding or focal prophet himself. Whether it was Moses on the mountain or Muhammad in the cave, he (and he alone) has had the extraordinary experience, originating and defining, of the Divine Unity. He communicates that revelatory experience, others reach towards it and follow him. A problem arises, however, with the death of the prophet. Others may succeed to his mundane role and assume some of his worldly responsibilities and functions. But their experience is not his, nor is it authoritative in the same way. Their experience may be derived from his, but only as a small and partial replication of his personal experience of revelation. After his death, the community has to deal with the problem of the "absent lawgiver", of the vacuum of legal and spiritual authority, of their faith community's distancing or separation from the authoritative personal source of spiritual authenticity. New problems arise, and people must wonder and will naturally ask themselves "What would the prophet himself have done?" Differences of opinion arise. Conflicts occur. Different groups, to assert their own position and to justify their rejection of others, promote — in all sincerity — their own views not just of what the prophet meant and intended but also of what his entire life and prophetic career, as well as his spiritual understanding, were really about. With that the history of the faith community enters into its second phase. This is the phase where the intellectual and also the emotional focus of the believers are in some way, if only in part, transferred from their original or primary object, from the defining apprehensions of the Divine Unity or "godhead", and instead are attached in some measure to the now-absent founding prophet and to shared community memory of him. This is generally done not as a diminution of their commitment to the Unity of God but as a reaffirmation of the community's own human and historical connection through whom God, in his awesome and majestic unity, has become and been made known to them. The sacred faith, as members of the faith community now understand and experience and live it, becomes to some extent "prophet-centric". READ MORE HERE |
| Kaum Cina hanya berminat dengan jawatan atasan, kata pengerusi SPA Posted: 01 Jan 2013 04:11 PM PST 
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider Salah satu faktor masyarakat Cina tidak berminat untuk memohon jawatan dalam perkhidmatan awam adalah kerana mereka lebih cenderung memilih jawatan atasan berbanding sektor perkeranian, kata pengerusi Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam Tan Sri Mahmood Adam dalam satu sidang media di Putrajaya hari ini. 
Mahmood membentangkan laporan SPA bagi tahun 2012 merangkumi jumlah permohonan, perlantikkan dan tindakan tatatertib ke atas penjawat awam. Sepanjang tahun 2012, hanya sebanyak 2,630 orang daripada masyarakat Cina dilantik mengisi kekosongan jawatan dalam perkhidmatan awam daripada jumlah keseluruhan 47,335 orang yang dilantik. "Banyak faktor, sebagai contoh masyarakat Cina mereka lebih berminat dalam kumpulan atasan. "Jika kita lihat jumlah pemilihan tadi iaitu kumpulan A yang terdiri daripada siswazah universiti, masyarakat Cina lebih fokus kepada bahagian itu kerana mereka mahu perlantikkan dengan cepat," kata beliau selepas ditanya wartawan. Walaupun terdapat peningkatan 11 peratus kaum Cina yang dilantik ke perkhidmatan awam jika dibandingkan pada tahun 2011, Mahmood berpendapat ia masih rendah dan pelbagai kempen perlu digiatkan bagi menarik mereka menyertai perkhidmatan awam. "Sebagai contoh ialah kaum Cina tidak berminat di bahagian perkeranian. "Jadi kita kena beritahu mereka kerana kerani juga memiliki gaji yang tinggi. Purata gaji kerani adalah antara RM1,700-1,800 yang bagi saya adalah satu angka yang besar," terang beliau lagi. READ MORE HERE |
| Third force likely to be kingmakers Posted: 01 Jan 2013 03:28 PM PST 
In the battle to outdo each other, Pakatan and BN have forgotten about the plight of Malays in Penang, and it may cost them dearly in the coming election, says an activist Hawkeye, FMT GEORGE TOWN: There is a possibility of Malay voters opting for independent candidates or spoiling their votes out of protest in the coming 13th general election, said an activist here. Penang Malay Congress president, Rahmad Isahak, said Malays are uncomfortable with Pakatan Rakyat policies and also not confident that BN has the support to regain the state. In the past 12 elections, the Malays rallied around Umno-BN or the opposition such as PAS and PKR. But now many may support Independents or won't bother to vote at all, he said. He added that the uncertain political scenerio gives rise to the growing posibility and presence of a third political voice (force) in Penang. The third voice is said to consist of the parties formed post-2008, or a number of community activists who pride themselves in championing what the average person here wants or fears. Such a group may become the kingmakers if Pakatan and BN cannot secure a comfortable majority in the next election, especially if the third voice manages to snare a few seats. Rahmad claimed that the Malay political stake has eroded since 2008 in Penang and it is not the fault of just Pakatan or BN. While both sides are trying to outdo each other, they have forgotten about the plight of the poor, the majority of whom are Malays, Rahmad said. "There is a perception that Penang is mostly populated by the Chinese and at times, the Malays here are indirectly overlooked, more so on the island," he said. He cited the recent example where DAP delegates did not bother to vote in any of the eight Malay candidates vying for posts in the party's central executive committee.
Malays' political fortunes bleak Earlier, Rahmad said that BN appointed Teng Chang Yeow from Gerakan to head Penang BN when Umno held all of the coalition's 11 seats here. Then there was the exclusion of PAS from the state executive council line-up, leaving only two Malays, Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman and state exco member Abdul Malik Abul Kassim. To make matters worse, Rahmad said there were allegations that Mansor had branded Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as an arrogant and cocky leader. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Deepak spent millions on gems for Rosmah’ Posted: 01 Jan 2013 03:26 PM PST
PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli claimed that Deepak bought 19 types of jewellery, worth about RM13 million for the prime minister's wife. G Vinod, FMT PKR today alleged that businessman Deepak Jaikishan spent about RM13 million in 2009 to purchase jewellery for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor. Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters here, PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli said that the purchases involved 19 different types of jewellery from Hong Kong, ranging from necklaces to rings and bracelets. "The purchases took place between March and May 2009, the time Najib became the prime minister," said Rafizi. Also present at the press conference were PKR MPs William Leong and Zuraida Kamaruddin. Rafizi also produced several documents, including invoices and bank payment records made to two luxury jewellery companies based in Hong Kong – Dehres Limited and Firestone Corporation Limited. The payments for the jewellery were made by two companies linked to Deepak – Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd and Carpet Plus Sdn Bhd. Rafizi urged the authorities to investigate, alleging that the matter was nothing short of a corrupt act. He said that it would not be difficult for an agency like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate as each luxury jewellery is unique, with its own reference code. "For example, Deepak's company made payment for the purchase of a diamond ring, code DR 2763, worth US$1.5 million. "So we have its code and the MACC could easily trace this matter if it hauls up Deepak for an investigation," Rafizi said, adding that it would be difficult for anyone to forge a bank record. On arguments that Deepak could have purchased the jewellery for his own use, Rafizi said, "True but I don't see Deepak wearing the jewellery." He added that the matter could be a tip of the iceberg as the transactions mentioned are only those made known to PKR. READ MORE HERE |
| BN: Lim fishing for Christian votes Posted: 01 Jan 2013 03:23 PM PST 
Penang CM playing up 'Allah' issue for selfish political gains, claim state BN leaders. Athi Shankar, FMT A group of Barisan Nasional local leaders today accused Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of invoking the 'Allah' issue merely to fish for Christian votes. Acting as the group's spokesman, MCA's Bayan Baru division secretary David Yim Boon Leong said BN was dismayed by Lim's playing up the issue for selfish political gain. Yim accused Lim, the DAP secretary general, of misusing a religious occasion by raising the Allah issue in his Christmas message. He condemned Lim as a political opportunist who would stir religious sentiments with total disregard for religious and racial harmony. Lim has come under fire from various Muslim-based NGOs for urging the government to allow the use of the word 'Allah' in the Malay version of the Bible. The NGOs held several demonstrations across the country, especially in Penang, to vent their frustration and anger against Lim, who some chided as "extremist, racist and arrogant." Yim said Lim's suggestion would cause tension between Muslims and Christians, who have been living together peacefully these years. He alleged that Lim raised the Allah issue merely to divert public attention from the Kelantan land deal controversy involving Pakatan Rakyat allies, DAP and PAS. Lim playing with fire He called on Lim to focus on improving Penang's foreign direct investment statistics rather playing up religious sentiments. "Lim thought he would get support from Christians with his statement. But he did not expect Pakatan allies, PAS and PKR, would make a U-turn and attack him on it," said Yim. Yim also hit out at Lim for saying that Malaysia was not on par with neighbours Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia in economic achievements and skillful human resources. READ MORE HERE |
| Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor Perlu Jelaskan Dakwaan Bayaran Dibuat Oleh Deepak Bagi Pembelian ... Posted: 01 Jan 2013 02:59 PM PST 
Dokumen yang diserahkan kepada saya itu turut mengandungi invois dan penyata hutang dari dua buah syarikat barang kemas mewah di Hong Kong iaitu Firestone Co Ltd dan Dehres Ltd. Rafizi Ramli, Pengarah Strategi Keadilan Urusniaga pembayaran RM160 juta menggunakan dana pencen anggota tentera (melalui LTAT dan Boustead Holdings Berhad) kepada Astacanggih Sdn Bhd dan Awan Megah Sdn Bhd berlaku kerana Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak mahu menutup mulut Deepak dan mengelakkan pembongkaran beliau dari terus berlaku. Seperti yang saya tegaskan sebelum ini, keputusan pendek akal yang menggunakan dana pencen anggota tentera itu membayangkan bahawa dakwaan Deepak ada benarnya sehingga Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak mengambil risiko sedemikian rupa. Oleh sebab itu, saya mula meneliti beberapa dokumen yang diserahkan kepada saya yang dikaitkan dengan Deepak dan hubungan baik beliau sebelum ini dengan Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak dan Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. Salah satu dari dokumen tersebut ialah mengenai pemindahan wang yang dibuat oleh syarikat-syarikat Deepak iaitu Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd dan Carpet Plus Sdn Bhd ke syarikat-syarikat barang kemas mewah di Hong Kong, yang didakwa Deepak sebagai pembelian barang kemas mewah oleh Datin Seri Rosmah Mansur yang dibayar oleh beliau. Dokumen yang diserahkan kepada saya itu turut mengandungi invois dan penyata hutang dari dua buah syarikat barang kemas mewah di Hong Kong iaitu Firestone Co Ltd dan Dehres Ltd. Setelah meneliti dokumen dan maklumat lanjut berhubung dakwaan Deepak itu, saya membuat kesimpulan bahawa ada asas kukuh supaya siasatan lanjut oleh pihak berkuasa dijalankan berdasarkan perkara-perkara berikut (sila rujuk dokumen dan bukti tambahan yang dikepilkan bersama, rujukan no adalah mengikut turutan penerangan): 1. Dokumen tersebut mengandungi satu email dari Leona Wan, yang didakwa seorang kakitangan Dehres Ltd mengenai invois pembelian untuk Datin Seri Rosmah. Dehres Ltd adalah sebuah syarikat permata yang benar-benar wujud dan maklumat lanjut boleh didapati di laman www.dehres.com; 2. Invois bernombor 23117 itu dialamatkan dan dibilkan kepada Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd, sebuah syarikat yang dikawal oleh Deepak bagi pembelian satu lot berlian bernilai USD115,000 (bersamaan RM408,250); 3. Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd membayar jumlah yang sama iaitu USD115,000 kepada Dehres Ltd seperti yang dibuktikan dengan slip permohonan kiriman wang oleh Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd; 4. Dokumen itu juga mengandungi beberapa invoice dari Firestone Co Ltd. Salah satunya adalah bertarikh 10 Mac 2009 bagi pembelian beberapa barang kemas. Salah satu dari barang kemas yang dibeli adalah cincin berlian bernombor Lot DR2763; 5. Semakan dengan agensi perdagangan Hong Kong (iaitu HKTDC) menunjukkan bahawa Firestone Co. Ltd. memang benar-benar wujud dan terlibat di dalam perniagaan barang kemas mewah; 6. Semakan lanjut dengan Firestone Co. Ltd. yang memaparkan contoh-contoh barang kemas mewah di dalam koleksinya mengesahkan bahawa cincin berlian bernombor Lot DR2763 benar-benar wujud dan sama dengan butiran yang diberikan di dalam invois. Ini mengesahkan bahawa invois dari Firestone Co. Ltd. adalah benar dan bukan palsu; 7. Pembelian barang-barang kemas mewah bernilai USD1.5 juta (bersamaan RM5.325 juta) dibayar dengan beberapa kiriman wang seperti yang dibutirkan di dalam penyata hutang yang dikeluarkan oleh Firestone Co. Ltd. (2 kiriman wang itu bertarikh 14 April 2009); 8. Kiriman wang kepada Firestone Co. Ltd. bertarikh 14 April 2009 itu padan dengan slip permohonan kiriman wang yang dibuat oleh Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd bertarikh 13 April 2009. Ini menguatkan dakwaan Deepak bahawa pembelian barang kemas mewah dari Firestone Co. Ltd. dibayar oleh beliau melalui syarikat-syarikatnya; 9. Malah, syarikat beliau iaitu Carpet Plus Sdn Bhd turut membayar USD116,730 (bersamaan RM414,425) kepada Firestone Co. Ltd. bertarikh 4 September 2009 seperti yang dibuktikan oleh slip permohonan kiriman wang. Ini mengesahkan dakwaan Deepak bahawa beliau ada membuat beberapa siri pembayaran kepada syarikat itu; 10. Penelitian terhadap dokumen-dokumen yang dikemukakan Deepak ini menunjukkan dakwaan beliau ada asasnya. Dokumen-dokumen tersebut mengesahkan bahawa pembelian barang kemas mewah ada berlaku dan ia dibayar melalui syarikat-syarikatnya iaitu Carpet Raya Sdn Bhd dan Carpet Plus Sdn Bhd; dan 11. Penyata hutang dari Firestone Co. Ltd. mengesahkan bahawa pembelian barang kemas mewah yang dikaitkan dengan Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor dalam tahun 2009 berjumlah USD3.66 juta (bersamaan RM13 juta). Dakwaan Deepak bahawa beliau membayar pembelian barang kemas mewah berjumlah RM13 juta dalam tempoh 3 bulan oleh Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor adalah satu dakwaan yang sangat serius, apatah lagi apabila beliau menampilkan dokumen-dokumen sebagai bukti. Sebab itu, tindakan tergopoh-gapah Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak yang mengheret dana pencen anggota tentera untuk membayar RM160 juta kepada Deepak dan Ketua Wanita Umno Selangor seolah-olah mengiyakan pandangan umum bahawa beliau mula panik dengan pendedahan yang dibuat oleh Deepak. Saya percaya perkara ini wajar disiasat sepenuhnya. Beberapa laporan kepada pihak berkuasa akan dibuat dalam tempoh seminggu dari sekarang berkenaan perkara ini agar ia dapat disiasat segera. 
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| MERP - Malaysia Electoral Reform Programme : Open Letter to the Prime Minister and Opposition ... Posted: 01 Jan 2013 02:55 PM PST 
Our objective is to ask the people to support the party or coalition that supports free and fair elections. If BN accepts, they have to implement by 21st Apr 2013. If PR accepts and wins the GE, they are given an extra year and have to implement by 21st Apr 2014. PY Wong, Tindak Malaysia This letter details the processes necessary to achieve a Free and Fair Electoral System. It challenges both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader to rise above politics to co-operate for the people's benefit and welfare. Time is very tight and a decision is needed from both sides by 8th Jan 2013. If it is accepted and the programme adhered to, we can have the system in place for Free and Fair Elections if Parliament is dissolved on 28th Apr 2013. The detailed proposals were submitted to the Prime Minister's Office via email on 21st Dec 2012 and hand-delivered on 27th Dec 2012. See attached "MERP Proposal to PM and Opposition Leader_201212". 6 key actions (marked *) can be adopted and implemented immediately without need for new legislation. Goal no:
1. Replace current EC with Independent
2. Adopt UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Minority & Indigenous People's Rights, and incorporate into domestic law
7. Clean Electoral Roll
8. Campaign Period 28 days
12. UN-Managed Elections
17. Candidates are bound by Election Promises (Model Code of Conduct MCC for Elections is shown here - http://bit.ly/Z9lYlq) The objective of this exercise is to bring the focus back to Free and Fair Elections. Our objective is to ask the people to support the party or coalition that supports free and fair elections. If BN accepts, they have to implement by 21st Apr 2013. If PR accepts and wins the GE, they are given an extra year and have to implement by 21st Apr 2014. YAB Dato' Sri Najib, you have an historic opportunity to transform the our electoral system and prepare the nation for a 2-Party System. Please do not disappoint us. Read more at: http://www.tindakmalaysia.com/showthread.php/5776-MERP-Malaysia-Electoral-Reform-Programme-Open-Letter-to-the-Prime-Minister-and-Opposition-Leader-of-Malaysia?p=14500#post14500 |
| Tiga Sekeluarga Mati Akibat Tekanan Pemaju Projek RAPID Pengerang Posted: 01 Jan 2013 02:47 PM PST 
Sudah hidup susah itu adalah lumrah, namun apabila segelintir rakyat susah ini dihimpit ke dinding tanpa kompromi sewajarnya maka jalan yang diambil bukan kepalang kesannya kepada masyarakat. Itulah yang berlaku di Pengerang semalam, tiga sekeluarga ditemui mati kerana tidak mampu bertahan dengan tekanan hidup apabila dihalau dari tanah yang dimastautin sejak sekian lama. Che'Gubard Ketua Penyelaras, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) mendesak rakyat seluruh negara agar tidak memandang remeh peristiwa hitam yang berlaku di Pengerang ketika satu demi satu tanah dirampas demi melampiaskan nafsu konglomerat membawa pembangunan yang tidak seiring keperluan setempat. Peristiwa kematian tiga sekeluarga ini merupakan simbol penting kebangkitan rakyat dan api kemarahan rakyat ini harus diterjemahkan pada 12 Januari 2013 yang dikenang sebagai hari kemarahan rakyat secara aman. SAMM juga menyarankan supaya rakyat seluruh tanahair mulai saat ini berhenti mengeluh dan terus bangkit melawan kezaliman rejim penguasa. Walaupun ditekan, walaupun dihimpit dan dipijak, rakyat diseru untuk tidak mengambil jalan akhir mencabut nyawa tetapi terus bangun dari keresahan lantas bertekad untuk membunuh keegoan dan kekuasaan regim pemerintah. Inilah peluangnya, inilah saat penting seluruh kekuatan rakyat disatukan pada 12 Januari 2013 yang ditakrif Hari Kebangkitan Rakyat. SAMM seluruh negara ketika ini dengan kerjasama kelompok muda penggerak massa, sedang dalam peringkat akhir hasutan yang menjengah ke seluruh negara. Setakat hari ini, lima dari dua belas venue telah berlangsung pesta menghasut rakyat turun ke jalanraya bagi tujuan memberi amaran keras buat regim pemerintah betapa 1 juta rakyat berani akan hadir ke Kuala Lumpur di samping menuntut saki baki demokrasi yang membolehkan regim syaitan ditumbangkan. Kemuncaknya ialah sepanjang petang dan malam 11 Januari di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, Kg Baru, dijangka lebih 50ribu rakyat yang hadir terawal akan bersama mengira detik masuknya tanggal 12 Januari 2013. Janganlah kita jadikan kematian Keluarga Pang suatu kematian yang sia-sia! Kematian keluarga Pang adalah merupakan simbol rakyat bangkit melawan lantas mengusir Barisan Nasional dari tahta penguasa. Ayuh 1 juta rakyat berani turun 12 Januari 2013. Demi Rakyat, Demi Negara! |
| There’s No Excuse for Not Reporting the Truth Posted: 01 Jan 2013 10:27 AM PST 
If these are instances of reports that were published without first verifying the facts because of the constraint of time, as per Firoz's implication, they should in the first place not have seen print. The reason is clear – not only are they untrue and capable of upsetting certain communities, they also negatively affect Utusan Malaysia's credibility. And, worse, they make the newspaper look stupid. Kee Thuan Chye What Utusan Malaysia's lawyer reportedly told the High Court on Dec 27 is shocking. According to The Malaysian Insider, Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin said newspapers do not have the "luxury of time" to verify the truth of news reports before publishing them. In defending Utusan Malaysia's report that allegedly accused Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim of being a proponent of gay rights, Firoz also said, "If newspapers have to go through the full process of ascertaining the truth, the details, they wouldn't be able to report the next day." If he thinks this would justify the publication of untruths by the media, he is grossly wrong. No media organisation should ever publish untruths or lies. On top of that, no media organisation can, after doing it, claim justification by saying it had no time to check its facts. Not checking facts before publication is a cardinal sin in journalism. And no self-respecting journalist or media could absolve themselves by saying they did not have the "luxury of time". If the truth cannot be verified, the report should not be published. That's the first principle of journalism. "When in doubt, leave it out" is the mantra of responsible media editors. It is the responsibility of a media organisation to tell the truth, not spread untruths to the public. How could Utusan Malaysia stand by Firoz's claim? How could it allow its lawyer to say something as scandalous as this? Is it any wonder then that Utusan Malaysia has, especially in the last few years, been publishing wildly speculative and unverified reports with cavalier disregard for decency and responsibility? Such conduct has certainly been deserving of censure, but what is also deserving of censure is the Home Ministry for not having taken adequate punitive action against the newspaper. The Home Ministry is the body which oversees the conduct of media organisations since it has the absolute power to grant and revoke licences, but it has been exceedingly lenient towards Utusan Malaysia. It is surely aware that in the last few years, Utusan Malaysia has been found guilty of defaming a number of Pakatan leaders and others, among them Mahfuz Omar, Karpal Singh, Khalid Samad, Lim Guan Eng, Teresa Kok and Tenaganita Director Irene Fernandez. In 2009, even Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz slammed Utusan Malaysia for its outdated racist propaganda. Furthermore, the newspaper has been running mischievous reports without substantiation, many targeted at the DAP in order to demonise it and alienate it from Malay voters. One was about church leaders conspiring with the DAP to Christianise the country. Another was about the DAP wanting to turn the country into a republic by abolishing the Malay royalty. Then last July, it said Singapore's ruling party, the People's Action Party (PAP), was plotting the downfall of the BN government through its local proxy, the DAP. This was of course preposterous – like the other two instances quoted above – because the truth is more likely to be that the PAP would prefer BN to remain in government for the sake of continuity. If these are instances of reports that were published without first verifying the facts because of the constraint of time, as per Firoz's implication, they should in the first place not have seen print. The reason is clear – not only are they untrue and capable of upsetting certain communities, they also negatively affect Utusan Malaysia's credibility. And, worse, they make the newspaper look stupid. This must surely account for why, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), Utusan Malaysia's circulation has dropped 20 per cent between July 2005 and June 2010, a period of five years. In terms of numbers, the drop is from 213,445 copies per day to 170,558. Within the same period, its Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia, plummeted from 483,240 copies to 372,163, dropping even more at 23 per cent. Utusan Malaysia being punished through the loss of its readers is one thing; what it needs to also experience is severe punishment from the authorities. After all, other newspapers have been punished severely for lesser sins. In 2010, China Press had to apologise and suspend its editor-in-chief after it was given a show-cause letter by the ministry over its allegedly false report that the then Inspector-General of Police, Musa Hassan, had resigned. That same year, The Star was also slapped with a show-cause letter – for running an article about the caning of three Muslim women for illicit sex. And in February 2012, it was severely hounded by the ministry for running a photograph of American singer Erykah Badu sporting tattoos of the word 'Allah' in Arabic on her upper body. It had to apologise and suspend two editors. After their suspension, they were transferred to other desks. The Home Ministry did, however, issue a warning letter to Utusan Malaysia for its Christian conspiracy report, but that has probably been the only action it has taken against the newspaper in recent memory. Besides, a warning letter is nothing compared to the action against the two cases mentioned above. One surmises this is because Utusan Malaysia is owned by Umno, the dominant party in the ruling coalition. So it enjoys more immunity than any other newspaper. In this regard, it is timely to consider the Media Freedom Act that is being considered by the Opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat. This Act, which DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has said Pakatan would try to enact if it won Putrajaya at the 13th general election, would, apart from ensuring press freedom in the country, prohibit political parties from directly owning media companies. Right now, the media companies are mostly owned by parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Among the influential newspapers, Berita Harian, Harian Metro and the New Straits Times are also owned by Umno, while The Star is owned by the MCA, and Tamil Nesan and Makkal Osai belong to MIC stalwarts. Media Prima, which controls 8TV, ntv7, TV3 and TV9 and three radio stations, is also owned by Umno. This means that with BN being in government and controlling the State-owned RTM, the television medium is virtually monopolised by the ruling coalition. The upshot of all this, as we have experienced over the decades, has been extremely unhealthy. Political coverage has been biased towards the ruling party and unfavourable towards the Opposition. News that would embarrass the Government or make it look incompetent is blocked from dissemination. In total, the ruling coalition has been able to indoctrinate the masses with its propaganda to a frightening extent. One manifestation of its effects is the inability of some Malaysians to differentiate between "government" and "party" or to believe that BN is corrupt or abuses its powers. Malaysian journalism, too, has lost its seat of nobility and honour because of one-sided reporting, manipulation of the truth and even the keeping of the truth from the public. It has become a custom for editors to sell their souls and toe the line in order to keep their cushy jobs. It has also led to the kind of thinking expressed by Utusan Malaysia's Deputy Chief Editor, Mohd Zaini Hassan, who in July 2012 told a forum that it was all right for journalists to spin the facts to present readers with a "desired picture". He justified spinning as a way to attack the Opposition. "Spin we can," he said. "No matter how we spin a certain fact to be biased in our favour, that's okay." For saying that, Zaini has no business calling himself a journalist. His words bring disgrace to the profession. Spinning is distorting the truth, and distorting the truth is against the principles of journalism. It is also morally wrong. Those who spin are nothing more than propagandists. Such propagandising should not be allowed any more, regardless of which coalition comes to power after the upcoming general election. We can put a stop to it by supporting the tabling of the Bill for a Media Freedom Act. That Pakatan is willing to surrender the opportunity to control Malaysian minds through controlling the media if it comes to power speaks admirably of its commitment to a democratic Malaysia. But it should not stop at preventing political parties from directly owning media companies; it should also ensure that they do notindirectly own such companies. Then and only then can we have the beginnings of a free media. Then and only then can we begin to enjoy the privilege of thinking for ourselves.
* Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, and the latest volume, Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More! |
| Concluding the "Allah" controversy Posted: 01 Jan 2013 10:17 AM PST 
Instead of running amok all over town over the word, why not Malay-Muslims begin by simply analyzing the meaning of the word in its entirety and then figure out how human beings are taught A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman The nation has been talking about the insistence by the Christians to use the word "Allah" in the Bahasa Melayu Bible. I have contributed to the discussions by writing my latest piece published in Malaysiakini and posted by others elsewhere in cyberspace. Many responses were generated in all of these, showing how important, if not exciting, the topic is. I read most of the comments closely. I liked the responses and learned a great deal from the diverse perspective to a topic/controversy I consider quite mundane amidst other pressing issues of social realism and what it takes for culture to be enriched. One commentator had insisted that I write on the origin of the word "Allah" and predicted that my study will yield what is already proved in the Quran and the Hadiths that the term is ordained and exclusive to the Muslims, as it is summarized. This view is no different than the insistence pushed forward by a Malaysian religious authority, JAKIM. I respect this request and will think about spending time to (still) dwell on this already over-treated issue of genealogy and etymology. I wonder where I should start - with etymology, philology, or linguistic philosophy as lens? Should I start by analyzing the pre-Muhammadan origin of it in the early Babylonian use of "Allah" which corresponds to the god "Bel", or the Hebrew use of "Elohim". Or the Aramaic use of "elohi", or the pagan Arab god "al-Lat' or the relationship between the sister moon-god, or even "Allah" as commonly used even before Muhammad was born (as we know Muhammad's father is Abd-allah? Abdullah/Abdillah or the servant of Allah' to signify the widely used term and not exclusive as how the Muslims, especially the MALAY-MUSLIMS would like it to be used, patented, and even claimed territoriality? Islam is a religion of knowledge ... and Muslims must be open to those perspectives excavated; there is something called research, even in the origin of the word "god" as it is said in the Islamic scripture: "Read in the name of thy Lord who created thee ... created thee from a clot ... and taught thee with a pen/kalam ... " which does not mean ... "Just follow blindly in the name of Ignorance that is passed down to thee ... from your ancestors .... passed down from those hunger for power/knowledge ... and taught thee to accept everything as truth as decree shoved down your throat forcefully ..." Instead of running amok all over town over the word, why not Malay-Muslims begin by simply analyzing the meaning of the word in its entirety and then figure out how human beings are taught by the "kalam" and to think of wherein lie the Form and Appearance in the doctrine of the "kalam." This would probably have nobody running around for a year, at least, studying something simple yet profound. I don't know. Let us be fair to our two-pound universe sitting on our shoulders and refrain from calling for jihad for everything one disagrees with. Christians in Malaysia should be allowed to use the word "Allah" however they please as they see religiously meaningful. I have argued for this in my previous column here and we should move forward to discussing more pressing issues of, say, the preparation for a regime change so that Malaysians can thenafter begin charting frontiers for a more intellectual approach to inter-religious dialogue. As it is now, there is no demonstration of knowledge of the cross-breeding, hybridity, and universal agreement even on the use of to denote and connote the self in relation to much larger Self. What do you think? How do you think we should proceed --- towards a peaceful resolution? ********************************** OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS:
While the opinion in the article/writing is mine,
the comments are strictly, respectfully, and responsibly yours;
present them rationally, clearly, politely, and ethically. https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/ |
| Egypt cracks down on satirists and media Posted: 01 Jan 2013 10:14 AM PST 
(Al Jazeera) - "The problem is now is we are likely to see an increase in this because criminal defamation is now embedded in the constitution." Morsi's government pursues charges against a satirist and a newspaper for "insulting" comments and "false" reporting. An Egyptian satirist who has made fun of President Mohamed Morsi on television will be investigated by prosecutors following an accusation that he undermined the leader's standing, a judicial source has said. Bassem Youssef's case will likely increase concerns over freedom of speech in the post-Hosni Mubarak era, especially when the country's new constitution includes provisions criticised by rights activists for, among other things, said the source on Tuesday, forbidding insults. In a separate case, one of Egypt's leading independent newspapers said it was being investigated by the prosecutor following a complaint from the presidency, which accused it of publishing false news. Youssef rose to fame following the uprising that swept Mubarak from power in February 2011 with a satirical online programme that has been compared to Jon Stewart's Daily Show in the US. He has since had his own show on Egyptian television and mocked Morsi's repeated use of the word "love" in his speeches by starting one of his programmes with a love song, holding a red pillow with the president's face printed on it. The prosecutor general ordered an investigation into a formal complaint against Youssef by an Islamist lawyer. The complaint accuses him of "insulting" Morsi, an Islamist backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, and "undermining his standing". Human rights activists say it is the latest in a series of criminal defamation cases that bode ill for free speech as Egypt reshapes its institutions after Mubarak was toppled. "The greatest threat to freedom of expression over the last four months has been this rise in criminal defamation cases, whether it is on charges of defaming the president or the judiciary," said Heba Morayef, Egypt director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/01/201311205458986654.html |
| Thousands march against Hong Kong's leader Posted: 01 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST 
(Reuters) - The demonstration was largely peaceful, though police maintained a heavy presence after two journalists were roughed up by pro-government supporters at a rival rally on Sunday. Tens of thousands in Hong Kong protested on Tuesday against the city's leader Leung Chun-ying as pressure mounts against the Beijing-backed politician who has been embroiled in an illegal construction scandal since taking office in July. Thronging the streets on New Year's Day, crowds of people, some dressed in black with colourful banners and wearing long-nosed Pinocchio masks, chanted "Leung Chun-ying step down" in a rally that snaked several kilometres towards government headquarters. While Hong Kong is a largely stable financial hub with a strong rule of law, the political heat has risen over Leung's failure to adequately explain seemingly innocuous building work on his home, corroding public trust and raising suspicions he may have covered up the scandal last year as he campaigned for the leadership. "CY Leung does not have the ability and credibility to handle even his own personal scandals. How can he lead Hong Kong in a proper way with political and economic development?" said protest organiser Jackie Hung. Leung said last month he had been negligent and apologised for how he handled questions over his illegally built basement. Such work is common to maximise living space in space-starved Hong Kong, but similar minor violations have ensnared several prominent officials over the past year. By the evening, organisers put the turnout at the protest at around 130,000, though police said 17,000 had showed up. The demonstration was largely peaceful, though police maintained a heavy presence after two journalists were roughed up by pro-government supporters at a rival rally on Sunday. In a statement, Leung said the government would "humbly" listen to the public's views. Several thousand of Leung's supporters also staged a pro-government New Year rally. China's senior leaders including premier Wen Jiabao have warned of Hong Kong's "deep rooted conflicts" in the past, though Beijing has so far publicly endorsed Leung's administration when he made a duty visit in December. In a stormy half year since taking office, Leung has also had to contend with a raft of policy challenges including an unpopular pro-Beijing education curriculum that was later shelved, high housing prices, and a massive influx of mainland Chinese visitors. Leung, sometimes dubbed the "wolf" for his perceived abrasive style and close ties to the Communist Party, has a chance to assuage some public discontent in a policy address in mid-January, though populist measures aimed at cooling a red-hot property sector and alleviating poverty have so far had only a limited impact on the public mood. While Hong Kong is generally considered an open and liberal business haven, its leaders since 1997 - when the former British colony reverted to Chinese rule - have sometimes struggled politically in the face of mass popular demands for democracy and more accountable governance. A half million strong anti-government rally in 2003 later forced former leader Tung Chee-hwa from office mid-term. |
| Huge turnout at carnival shows support for BN, says Zin Posted: 01 Jan 2013 10:10 AM PST 
(The Star) - The turnout of 500,000 visitors at Karnival Sayangi Selangor indicates growing support for Barisan Nasional, said state coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed. The overwhelming support, he said, showed that Barisan's initiative to reach out to the rakyat of Selangor was bearing fruit. "It signifies the rejuvenation of Barisan in Selangor. The feel-good factor is there now," he said of the carnival, which was held at i-City in Shah Alam on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who opened the carnival, had said that the strong support for the Barisan event showed that people were unhappy with the Pakatan Rakyat state government, which had failed to even resolve water woes in Selangor. Mohd Zin said the massive attendance at the carnival, which was being held for the second time, surpassed the record last year of 300,000 visitors. "The response is beyond expectation. It shows the return of the people's support for Barisan," he said. Both the 1Malaysia booth and Selangor Youth Council's job fair were among the main attractions at the carnival, said Mohd Zin. "Even the private sector gave the thumbs up for the job fair as it provided a match-making platform of sorts between employers and employees," he said. Mohd Zin also expressed confidence that Selangor would be returned to Barisan's fold in the general election if the coalition continued with its efforts to engage the rakyat. "The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have touched the hearts of the people by implementing practical socio-economic policies to meet the needs of the common folk. "We were happy to see young couples coming to the carnival with their children. Like all parents, they want to secure a better future for their children," he said. |
| Workers left to pick up mounds of trash after New Year revelry ends Posted: 01 Jan 2013 10:09 AM PST 
(The Star) - The party's over but while the hundreds of thousands of revellers went back home to enjoy their morning sleep-in after the night's New Year bash, hundreds of others had to stay up and clear the tracts of litter and mess that were left behind. Soft drink cans, plastic water bottles, tissues, paper, plastic bags and food wrappers were strewn all over festive hotspots such as Dataran Merdeka, Dataran Putrajaya and Sungei Wang Plaza here. Revellers at Dataran Merdeka, while leaving the square after the celebration, were seen stomping or kicking the rubbish as they walked towards the Masjid Jamek LRT station. City Hall workers toiled through the wee hours to clean the ground and surrounding areas. Likewise, their counterparts elsewhere in the country also tackled the mounds of rubbish left behind by revellers. In GEORGE TOWN, the Penang Municipal Council had an early start to deal with the problem by stationing 20 workers at the main celebration venue at the Esplanade from 9pm on Monday to 2.30am yesterday. A second batch of 25 council workers went in from 4am to 8am to clear up the litter that was left behind by the revellers. "We had workers cleaning up the place before, during and after the event to ensure the venue is kept clean all the time," said the council's urban services department director Mubarak Junus. He said the workers were wor-king even while the celebration was going on. Mubarak said the second group cleaned up the mess at Medan Renong and the promenade along Esplanade up to Beach Street. He added that the council provided two mobile toilets and forty 660-litre bins at the venue. |
| Find mystery lawyer behind Bala’s second SD first, Bar Council told Posted: 31 Dec 2012 07:48 PM PST 
Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu has lashed out at the Bar Council for allegedly dragging its feet over the identity of the mystery lawyer. Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider The Bar Council was today chided for dragging its feet over the identity of the mystery lawyer behind P. Balasubramaniam's controversial second sworn statement into the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, despite the number of clues at its disposal. Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu, who is acting for the former private detective, told The Malaysian Insider the Bar Council should speed up its investigation on the high-profile case that had previously been linked to several high-ranking government officials and resurfaced recently in the run-up to the 13th general elections. "I'm suggesting the Bar Council was a little hesitant in investigating this matter," he said when contacted today. The Bar Council, a statutory body regulating the professional conduct of some 14,000 legal practitioners in the country, has said it is investigating the possibility of misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration (SD), which contradicts his previous sworn statement made just a day earlier over the death of the Mongolian translator hired to assist in the government's acquisition of two French submarines several years ago. "They can pass the matter to the disciplinary board for action," Americk said, adding that the Bar Council could of its own volition push for an inquiry panel to be set up. A cloud of mystery has been hanging over the identity of the lawyer who had drawn up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences. In an open letter published earlier today, Americk said M. Arunampalam's role as the lawyer who had drafted Balasubramaniam's second SD had been dispelled by well-connected businessman Deepak Jaikishan who is also in the centre of the controversy surrounding Balasubramaniam's two SDs. He said the clues were all assembled before the Bar Council to act and advised the body to check out lawyers who had previously worked for the politicians named in Balasubramaniam's SD to question them in an inquiry. He pointed that only a handful of lawyers would have access to a prominent personality that had been named in Balasubramaniam's SDs out of the 14,000 members of the Malaysian Bar. Americk pointed out that Deepak had cleared Arunampalam - whom the carpet dealer had engaged to handle his property transactions previously - as a likely candidate for drafting the second SD. "We have now narrowed down the range of potential participants. This should assist the Bar Council in its endeavours to trace the culprit(s) who unilaterally and without instructions, drafted a false statutory declaration for my client to sign under circumstances in which the question of voluntariness remains highly suspect," he had said in his open letter today. Americk had previously called on the Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee to "organise a simple email to be sent to all members of the Malaysian Bar requesting that the member(s) responsible for drafting that 2nd SD do the right thing and make themselves known, as it appears innocent parties may be publicly falling victim to the blame game and finger pointing which has emerged since Deepak's revelations, to which I certainly do not subscribe". In a harried press conference on July 4, 2008, Balasubramaniam, accompanied by M. Arulampalam, came out to withdraw his first SD, where he negated the contents of the first statement, claiming it had been signed under duress. He then produced a second statement, which he claimed later in 2009 had been prepared by another lawyer, whom he did not meet with and who did not consult him when drafting the document. READ MORE HERE |
| Claiming credit for other people’s work Posted: 31 Dec 2012 07:18 PM PST 
Sure, we fight for freedom of speech. And that is one of the reasons why we oppose Umno and Barisan Nasional -- because we want freedom of speech. But freedom of speech means you are free to talk about what we like but should not talk about what we don't like. And PAS talks about Islam, which is something we don't like. Hence we are angry with PAS for talking about what we don't like even if under freedom of speech they have a right to talk about whatever they want to talk about. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin JAIP nabs 13 couples for 'khalwat' in New Year's Eve (Bernama) - The Enforcement Division of the Pahang Islamic Religious Department (JAIP) caught 13 unmarried couples between 18 and 25 years old in a Syariah crime prevention operation after the 2013 New Year Eve celebrations. JAIP chief enforcement officer Mohd Raffli Abd Malik said the couples were nabbed for committing khalwat at several budget hotels in town from 9pm Monday to 6.30am Tuesday. "Most of the couples were between 18 and 25 and were picked up from budget hotels around town where they had checked in after the New Year celebrations." "They will be charged under the Islamic Religious Administration and Pahang Malay Customs 1982 Enactment," he told reporters after the operation. ********************************************* Last night/early this morning, 13 unmarried couples were arrested in the state of Pahang, a state under Barisan Nasional, the same government that is in power at federal level. These unmarried couples were arrested under Islamic laws, also known as Syariah laws. Malaysia, however, is not an Islamic State. It is a Constitutional Monarchy with a Westminster system of government. In other words, Malaysia is almost similar to the UK and considering that our system is a legacy of the British Colonial Government that is not too surprising. Pahang is not only under Barisan Nasional. It is also the state were a Muslim woman was arrested and convicted for drinking beer and was sentenced to a punishment of whipping. Furthermore, Pahang is where a PKR leader who is also an ustaz (religious scholar) was arrested for being alone in a hotel room with a married woman, not his wife obviously. Looking at the track record of Pahang, it appears like Barisan Nasional is more Islamic than Pakatan Rakyat and is very serious about the implementation of the Islamic Syariah laws. None of the other states have sentenced a woman who drinks beer to a punishment of whipping. None of the other states arrested unmarried couples celebrating New Year Eve in a hotel room last night or early this morning. Only the Barisan Nasional run state of Pahang did this. Note that these unmarried couples were arrested under the Islamic Religious Administration and Pahang Malay Customs 1982 Enactment. Yes, it was under a 30-year old law that was passed back in 1982. 1982 was the year I did my first Haj. 1982 was also the year that Anwar Ibrahim left ABIM to join Umno so that, as he himself claimed, he can change Umno from the inside and make it more Islamic. Also very important, 1982 was when the Sixth General Election was held and Barisan Nasional won 132 of the 155 Parliament seats (or 86% of the seats in Parliament) on 61% of the popular votes while DAP won only 9 seats and PAS won 5 seats (with 8 seats going to independent candidates). And that was the law used to arrested these 13 unmarried couples in Pahang last night/early this morning, a law that was passed by the Barisan Nasional government in 1982 soon after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Prime Minister and Anwar Ibrahim left ABIM to join Umno so that he can make Umno more Islamic. Many of us are very angry with PAS. We are very angry with PAS because they are trying to make Malaysia more Islamic. We are very angry with PAS because they are trying to remove Malaysia's secular system (or partial secular system) and turn Malaysia into a fully-fledged Islamic State (from the partial Islamic system that we have now). The weird thing is, while PAS talks about making Malaysia more Islamic (and which is the reason of our anger, because they talk about it) none of the PAS run states like Kedah or Kelantan arrested anyone last night or early this morning (and not because no one in Kedah and Kelantan were engaged in 'illicit' sex to usher in the new year, mind you). It is a Barisan Nasional state like Pahang that arrested unmarried Muslims for checking into a hotel room. What is of special interest to me is that this law that they used to arrest these unmarried couples is a 1982 law. And in 1982 Dr Mahathir had just become the Prime Minister and Anwar joined Umno to make it more Islamic. And in 1982 the Malaysian voters gave Barisan Nasional a resounding win in the Sixth General Election while the Islamic party, PAS, won only five seats. I think PAS is a fake. They talk about Islam. However, in states under their control, such as in Kedah and Kelantan, no one was arrested for illicit sex. Those who were arrested were arrested in a Barisan Nasional state like Pahang. And what I find even weirder is that the Menteri Besar of Pahang in 1982 was current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. I wonder whether we should continue being angry with PAS. It looks like the culprits who 'Islamised' Malaysia were Dr Mahathir, Anwar and Najib. And these laws were enacted in 1982 when Dr Mahathir first became Prime Minister, Anwar left ABIM to join Umno, and Najib was the Menteri Besar of Pahang. Maybe we should just let PAS keep talking about Islam. After all, it is the Barisan Nasional government and not the PAS government that appears to be overzealous about implementing Islam. It is those who do not talk about Islam who appear to be the dangerous ones. In 1982, PAS was not in power in any of the states (not even in Kelantan). In fact, in 1982 PAS won only five Parliament seats. The people in power then were Dr Mahathir and Anwar at federal level and Najib in the State of Pahang. And the 13 unmarried couples arrested last night/early this morning were arrested under a 1982 law that was the product of Dr Mahathir, Anwar and Najib. Well, did I not say that politics is all about perception? And reality and perception are two different animals. We are angry with PAS because they talk too much about Islam. But it is not PAS that arrested these people last night/early this morning. Sure, we fight for freedom of speech. And that is one of the reasons why we oppose Umno and Barisan Nasional -- because we want freedom of speech. But freedom of speech means you are free to talk about what we like but should not talk about what we don't like. And PAS talks about Islam, which is something we don't like. Hence we are angry with PAS for talking about what we don't like even if under freedom of speech they have a right to talk about whatever they want to talk about. Or maybe PAS should stop talking about Islam. After all, last night/early this morning it was not the PAS run states but a Barisan Nasional run state that arrested 13 unmarried couples for celebrating New Year's Eve in a hotel room. And this law that they used to arrest these people was a law that was enacted in 1982 when Dr Mahathir first became Prime Minister and Anwar left ABIM to join Umno and Najib was the Menteri Besar of Pahang. Hence how can PAS claim credit for something that other people did back in 1982 when PAS was not running even a single state in Malaysia and won only five seats in Parliament? |
| For BN and PR, fresh candidates a must in Election 2013 Posted: 31 Dec 2012 05:17 PM PST 
New voters make up one in five among Malaysia 13.1 million registered voters, with a total of 2.9 million registering between this year and 2008, when the last general election was held. This new breed of voters, armed with free access to information through the Internet and social media, will most likely be more demanding of the MPs who can relate to them through forward-thinking policies and not rely on the old politics playbook. Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) need to present fresh faces in their lineup of candidates for this year's general election in order to attract the rising number of new voters, say political analysts. They agreed with arguments for both coalitions to drop veteran politicians who are waning in popularity and carrying with them political baggage, or risk a backlash from voters who are tired of underperforming and scandal-ridden MPs. "It is a must for BN that they present a new line of candidates to replace the old ones who should have retired. If not it will stop the public from giving their support," said Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) political scientist Professor Dr Jayum Jawan. "For BN, the focus naturally will be on the states which are currently ruled by PR. We will see a lot of changes (in candidates) there, especially in Selangor and Penang," offered Asri Salleh, political science lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Terengganu. New voters make up one in five among Malaysia 13.1 million registered voters, with a total of 2.9 million registering between this year and 2008, when the last general election was held. This new breed of voters, armed with free access to information through the Internet and social media, will most likely be more demanding of the MPs who can relate to them through forward-thinking policies and not rely on the old politics playbook. Both Asri and Jayum also agreed that unlike BN, PR's list of candidates will need to be shuffled for the next polls because most of those who contested in 2008 were parachute candidates brought in from out of their constituencies. Asri gave the example of PKR's Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff, who he claimed was one of the many idealists fielded by PR who had failed to warm up to the locals. "The eyes of the public have been opened ... national issues, although still a big part, can no longer guarantee a party's win. Candidates play a more important factor," said Dr Azizuddin Mohd Sani, a political analyst from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). Azizuddin pointed to the concept of "winnable candidates" which is constantly on the lips of BN leaders lately, signalling that candidates are now more prized for their ability to win seats rather than for their seniority and political clout. He gave the example of former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, who he claimed is loved by his Pandan constituents but not by his party's leadership, which will present a dilemma to the party in Election 2013. Recently, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chief Datuk Johan Jaafar had proposed that election candidates be vetted by the agency to ensure that they are "clean" from corruption. With Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak throwing his backing behind the suggestion, many now feel that being cleared by the MACC will boost a candidate's winning chance. Therefore, Jayum urged BN to drop its veteran politicians, pointing out that they carry a lot of political baggage and will be under the scrutiny of the MACC, causing concern for members of the coalition. "If they are not dropped, they will be liabilities for BN. If Najib is brave, he will replace them with new faces," Jayum said. However, Azizuddin and Asri disagreed, saying said that it will be hard to unseat veteran lawmakers who will still be kept by the coalitions, especially BN, since they carry with them immense political influence and support. "When these old politicans are dropped, they themselves will lose their influence," Jayum said, urging Najib to not fear sabotage if the old names are not picked to contest. BN leaders contacted by The Malaysian Insider could not disclose the number of fresh faces who will contest in Election 2013, but promised that there will be new names in the candidates list which is currently being vetted by BN chairman Najib. "In every election there must be new faces," said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. READ MORE HERE |
| Anti-Lynas gathering fails to draw crowd Posted: 31 Dec 2012 05:10 PM PST 
(Bernama) -- A peaceful gathering organised by the Himpunan Hijau anti-Lynas group in front of the Gebeng industrial area here last night failed to draw the anticipated participation when only 500 people turned up. The gathering was held in conjunction with the 2013 New Year celebration. A check by Bernama found that most of the people turned up with umbrellas due to a drizzle which started in the evening. They lighted candles and shouted slogans and held up banners against the Lynas rare earth plant. Just before midnight, activist and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said recited a poem 'Tanah Yang Terdera' (The Tortured Land). The participants dispersed after the countdown to midnight, under the watchful eyes of several policemen. |
| Portal claims hunger strikers seen eating Posted: 31 Dec 2012 03:23 PM PST 
(The Star) - Anti-Lynas protesters on a 100-hour hunger strike at Dataran Merdeka have allegedly been caught on camera sneaking out to eat. Pictures showing people clad in the trademark fluorescent green anti-Lynas T-shirts eating in hotels, restaurants and on the streets were circulated on the Internet hours before the end of the hunger strike at midnight last night. Portals Mynewshub and stopthelies.my were among those that had uploaded the photographs, which attracted sarcastic comments from readers. The protesters were allegedly caught red-handed after a Mynewshub photographer suspected something was amiss when participants appeared to take turns to leave quietly. However, the organisers claimed that those caught eating were not protesters. Malaysian Youths Against Public Hazard spokesman Tan Woen Tian claimed that those caught eating were members of the organising committee. "We were not caught red-handed as claimed by our detractors. Even I went out to eat. "The organising team members are allowed to eat as we need the energy to take care of the 19 protesters who are on hunger strike," said Tan. The 100-hour hunger strike, which was to last from 8pm on Thursday until the eve of New Year, was aimed at building the momentum for the Himpunan Hijau's Green Drive from Kuala Lumpur to Gebeng in protest of Lynas. It is part of a 100-day campaign initiated by environmental pressure groups against Lynas. A series of protests were held following the failure of the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group to get the Court of Appeal to reverse the Kuantan High Court's decision on Nov 8 to allow a temporary operating licence for Lynas. The protesters, added Tan, had been in Dataran Merdeka for five nights, sleeping in sleeping bags and drinking only water. "We initially have 22 people on hunger strike when we first started on Thursday. "But the number was reduced to 19 as three had to pull out upon the advice of the medical team," he said. Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, popularly known as Chegubard, said the objective of the campaign was to raise awareness against Lynas. "It is not about whether people were willing to go hungry for 100 hours. "It is about using every means they can to raise awareness against issues that should be of concern to the public," he said. |
| Malaysia’s strong economy and new politics Posted: 31 Dec 2012 03:17 PM PST 
Mohamed Ariff, INCEIF, East Asia Forum Surprisingly, the Malaysian economy could grow at a creditable pace in 2012, despite dismal export performance associated with the slow expansion of the US economy and recession and stagnation in Europe. Malaysia's quarterly growth rates have been fairly impressive: 4.9 per cent, 5.4 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively in the first three quarters. The economy needs just 4.1 per cent growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 to garner 5.0 per cent growth for the year as a whole. So all indications are that Malaysia's GDP growth will slightly exceed the government's target of 5.0 per cent growth in 2012. The main growth drivers are domestic consumption and investment, both private and public. Construction and services have been the fastest growing sectors in 2012. It is noteworthy that inflation has become increasingly tame, decelerating from 2.7 per cent in January to 1.3 per cent in October 2012. The inflation rate for the full year in 2012 is projected to settle at 1.7 per cent. The unemployment situation has been somewhat steady, in the region of 3.0–3.3 per cent. The banking sector stayed healthy and well capitalised with a net impaired loans ratio of just 1.4 per cent. The central bank has kept its overnight policy rate at 3.0 per cent in the face of ample liquidity. Malaysia continues to register a current account surplus in its balance of payments, although the size of its surplus has been diminishing. International reserves at the end of September stood at US$135.6 billion, providing a retained import cover for 9.4 months, which is more than comfortable. The Malaysian fiscal story, however, is unflattering, as the country has been continuously running budget deficits since 1998. With elections around the corner, government subsidies and cash handouts have been flying in the face of fiscal discipline, with no attempts made to address much-needed tax reforms that would reduce the current overdependence on oil and gas, which accounts for roughly 40 per cent of government revenue. Government revenue has failed to grow in tandem with GDP growth in recent times, with the ratio of revenue to GDP falling from 33 per cent in 2007 to 24 per cent of GDP in 2011 and to an estimated 22 per cent of GDP in 2012. All this may have an adverse effect on the country's international credit ratings, and hence the need to rein in sovereign debt. Government debt has ballooned to MYR 502.4 billion (US$164.6 billion) in the third quarter of 2012, breaching the self-imposed debt ceiling of 55 per cent of GDP. The debt ceiling was raised from 40 per cent to 45 per cent of GDP in April 2008 and lifted further to 55 per cent in July 2009. Malaysia's debt-to-revenue ratio of about 250 per cent is close to Italy's 260 per cent. The near-term outlook for the Malaysian economy is very much dependent on the economic performance of its major trading partners. Export market diversification efforts currently underway may help reduce Malaysia's vulnerability to external impacts but cannot lessen its exposure to the external world. Likewise, a dynamic domestic economy can contribute to greater resilience but cannot be a substitute for the more lucrative external sector, given the relatively small size of the domestic market. GDP growth in 2013 is forecast to be in the region of 5.5 per cent. READ MORE HERE |
| Leaving God Posted: 31 Dec 2012 03:09 PM PST 
Adelyn Yeoh, The Malaysian Insider For the last couple of years, I have had an obsession about God and our fragile existence. At this point, I want to make the distinction between faith and religion. Faith is the act of believing and religion is the institution through which faith sometimes operates through. Faith can operate without religion. You could say that my obsession with these issues have been long and drawn out. I was a tween when I listened to a sermon advising us to continually thank God and to have conversations with God throughout the day. As an impressionable youngling, I took that advice to heart and pledged to follow it. God was always on my mind. Then came an age where I wanted to do more for my faith; it seemed natural to want to devote time to it. So I got more involved, doing more things in school for fellowship, for God. That was when the questioning set in. All my life I attended Christian mission schools where Christian fellowship was strong. Hence, school was the place I had most contact with religion, as my family was not the religious sort to begin with. There were numerous things that did not sit right with me; things that did not seem just or fair, despite what religion claimed. Teachers would often use God as their trump card to get students to do their bidding. Other times, peers of mine would be denied the opportunity to bear leadership positions because they were from a different religious denomination. Outside the classroom, the bickering continued. Religion is used as an additional divisive tool, not just by politicians but also by the average Joe. Overeager evangelical actions carried out by the average person working in the name of faith, despite having good intentions, often upset other parties. The reason for this is often because the evangelist has a presupposed notion of superiority. To put it simply, this is like me saying that oranges are the best fruits and you saying that apples are the best fruits, constantly disagreeing when such things should be subjective. Therefore, the superiority seemed baseless and that sparked the beginning of my questioning which spanned the last few years. It first began with questioning the institution and, subsequently, the very fabric of faith itself. The reason that I bring this up is because I don't think my situation is all that uncommon. I think that any logical person would eventually realise these inherent flaws. Leaving faith for those who have had faith before is harder than it looks. It takes a lot of strength and courage to actively renounce what was previously held true. Those of us who were born into circumstances without the exposure of faith do not actively go through the same kind of personal costs as those who have had an exposure to faith. For these reasons, it is therefore much more difficult to leave a faith, especially in a country like Malaysia where unbelief is not even a recognised option, and is taboo even. In this country, unquestioning belief is the default. Our society's denial of unbelief is perhaps the central reason why atheism is viewed with such antagonism. The face of atheism is the Hitchenses and Dawkinses of the world, which is not a very flattering or accurate depiction of atheists. How do you force belief? You either buy it or you don't. And if you don't, how can you force a person to believe, especially if they have lost it? You basically can't. But this doesn't mean that those who have lost it don't recognise the tremendous power that faith has — its potential for community building, for hope, for strength during trying times. Recognising this, unbelief too can be compatible with all the positive attributes of faith within a society. As such, unbelievers should not be treated with antagonism and, instead, room should be created to acknowledge this set of people. Adelyn is an undergraduate student in Mount Holyoke College, USA, where she is pursuing International Relations and Mathematics. She also writes for CEKU at http://www.ceku.org. |
| Resolving contradictions within Pakatan Rakyat Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:55 PM PST 
Apang, Hornbill Unleashed
The Barisan Nasional or BN is the "known devil" among large sections of Malaysians, while to others, the BN seems to be angelic. In electoral terms, there will always be a certain percentage of voters who are hardcore BN supporters, however astonishing the contradictions displayed from the top to the bottom of the BN ranks. Similarly, within the Pakatan Rakyat or PR, there are loyal supporters, but sharp contradictions too. I do not wish to touch on the religious issue. This is not because I am scared to wonder into the unknown. On the contrary, too much is "known" simply by going through the mainstream media (MSM) and on ever more frequent occasions, the non MSM too. Instead, I am venturing into a hidden area – and yet not so hidden after all. Take the issue of two leaders of Perak DAP, with the exposure of the unsustainable and untenable Kelantan lands and logging deals. It is most unfortunate that the DAP leaders could only use the supposed "legality" of the deals as an excuse to justify the inexcusable. History has taught us that when a fundamental principle is breached, no amount of justification is tenable, unless they want to take the voters as fools. Time tested principles mean just that – they have withstood the challenge of time. So with the principle that business and politics must not mix, there is no "BUT", unless you want to project your ridiculous self as holier than others. It should have been unacceptable – period – because as political leaders, you cannot justify yourselves being involved in business, least of all the dirty logging business, even if the forest monoculture is repackaged as "replanting". After all, the DAP is on record as the most vocal opponents, and rightly so, during the UMNO/BN-dominated political era. The DAP took the most highly principled stance against BN's crony capitalism. So PAS and DAP really have exposed the contradiction between the principle that they once championed, and the murky world of the logging business. But do not be mistaken: I am no holier than they in what I am writing. I merely point out how PAS, DAP and the PR as a whole will need to answer for its actions, as a political pact. Let me be more specific now. 
On just one day, 28th December 2012, the mainstream and non-mainstream media reported something very much symbolic of the evils strangling Malaysia – our treatment of the original inhabitants of Malaya and Borneo. Malaysiakini, and The Star online, reported on the plight of Orang Asli in Malaya in regards to self-determination and survival. We used to be able to pinpoint government disrespect and disregard of the "first people" of Malaya and Borneo as being firmly in the BN domain – but this can no longer be exclusive to the BN. After all, we know that in Kedah and Kelantan at least, under the PR government, the disrespect and disregard shown to the "first people" are similar to those practised by the BN. How else can we interpret the condescending and pathetic views of the Kelantan Exco, in having the cheek to highlight – in a sickening fashion – that the Orang Asli refused to work for "RM300 to RM500" per month, condemning them for being "choosy"? This was pitiful at best, and at worst, it was downright characteristic of a BN-type mentality. This BN-aping is a more accurate interpretation of such attitudes towards the original inhabitants of the peninsula. If such is the attitude of the existing PR in government, then Borneo natives have the legitimate right to question what life would be like if the PR formed governments in the two Borneo states. After all, to those in the two states who are in the know, it is an open secret that a few "elite" native members of the PR are questioning the extent to which PR has been supporting land rights in the two Borneo states, as reflected in the number of court cases brought by Native Customary Rights (NCR) landowners. These PR "native leaders" are worried that when the PR takes over as governments in the two Borneo states, they might find judicial obstacles in their efforts to replace BN cronies in exploiting the rights of native land owners. How can we differentiate them from the BN, when the principle states that what are the fundamental land rights of people must be respected, irrespective of which coalition forms the government? It is no longer a matter of "natives" versus "non-natives", a fake division cynically propagated by those political opportunists trying to revive "Dayakism", or lately "Borneoism", to trap the masses with emotive means. It is not difficult to dissect such opportunism by the elites to review how the Dayaks or the Borneo elite native leaders who, when they were previously within the BN, were marginalising and dispossessing the very people they are now championing as being oppressed. It is a simple matter to observe how many of the present day "champions" of Dayak rights or Borneo rights are the very same people who were very much involved in plundering the two resource-rich states for themselves as members of the BN in the past. As far as the facts are available, the plundering in those days, and the corruption now, are targeted against the same people, the marginalised native landowners. READ MORE HERE |
| In final leg before polls, Bersih to train Malaysians to spot GE13 fraud Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:51 PM PST Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Fraudsters will have to tread carefully during the 13th general election as thousands of extra pairs of trained eyes will be helping the Election Commission (EC) and the police spot electoral fraud and political violence when polling day arrives. Apart from the polling and counting agents appointed by each electoral candidate inside every polling station, a new breed of observers will be trolling the EC camps outside and in the nearby areas while voters decide who should rule Putrajaya next. These are Bersih 2.0's "citizen observers" — ordinary members of the public out to cast their own ballots on that crucial day, but armed with special training from local election experts on how to spot possible fraud and what to do with that information.  In an interview with The Malaysian Insider recently, Bersih 2.0 co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (picture) said the "citizen observers" initiative, a campaign called "Jom Pantau" that will be re-launched along with "Jom 100" some time this month, was part of the group's last-ditched attempt to make sure that the 13th general election is conducted fairly.
Ambiga, who has now gained international recognition for her work with the polls reform group, said the reason was simple — despite the raft of reforms and repeated assurances from the EC and the government, Bersih 2.0 still believes the coming polls will be the dirtiest in Malaysian history. She said that this was because those in power now have too much at stake when polls are called, and with the heightened sense of public responsibility felt by voters today, those who intend to cheat would have to pull out all the stops to ensure their will is done. "We have political violence going on even now. But the cops are not arresting anybody. It looks as if some people can behave with impunity. "On polling day, political violence is when you frighten people away from stations, when there are threats and some people get emotional on that day... don't forget, much of this comes from members of political parties because they have invested so much in the polls. "But what people are alarmed about is how everyone gets away with it... Now the cops are partisan, they are getting orders telling them not to take action," she said. "I think only cowards do it. Those who are losers... who think they are gonna lose, who are losers anyway, also those who are scared of losing, are the ones who indulge in this. Otherwise, there should be no fear at all." Ambiga recounted Bersih's many struggles over the past few years, from its first mass rally before the 2008 general election, to the July 9 gathering on 2011 and last year's April 28 sit-in protest, and said that despite all its hard work, the government's polls reforms have been pitiful, half-baked and insincere at best. "There is nothing genuine about their intention to reform. Nothing," she lamented. But she said that Bersih 2.0, the polls watchdog group that became the catalyst to the burgeoning of Malaysia's civil society movement, had decided not to accept defeat lying down. The group may not have convinced the authorities that a total reform to current polls processes are needed, such as wiping out the thousands of irregularities spotted in current voter registries or putting an end to political violence, but Ambiga said that Bersih 2.0 has chalked up an even greater achievement. "We have raised awareness," she declared. "So this is why this January, we are going to step up our two campaigns to get more and more Malaysians out on the streets during polling day — to vote, and to help us keep a lookout for fraud." Ambiga said Bersih 2.0, with the help of Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (Komas) and Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel), will be working the ground feverishly to attract more "citizen observers" into its fold by using social media tools and working the phone lines. 
Another NGO, Tindak Malaysia, has already been training polling and counting agents or "PACABAs" — individuals appointed by every candidate to observe the polls proceedings inside the polling station itself. Speaking to The Malaysian Insider recently, Komas programme officer Arul Prakash offered a brief preview of the group's training session planned for the "Jom Pantau" programme. He explained that among the most common offences that take place before and during an election are money politics and the abuse of government machinery, both state and federal, during the campaign period. "There are big, lavish dinners, handing out of goodies by using a party's name or government department. "These are common things that we want people to observe," he said. "Also, we want to have people keeping watch on the ground. So that those who plan on committing fraud, they will think twice... you are being watched... you better be careful," he said. Arul said the key objective of "Jom Pantau" is to make sure that fraudsters are outnumbered by Bersih 2.0's citizen observers and are frightened off from committing any offence during polling day. He said Komas currently has some 300 observers already registered under the "Jom Pantau" campaign but Bersih 2.0 hopes to attract at least thousands more to ensure that every constituency would have a sizeable group keeping close watch over the polling process. To register for training as a citizen observer, individuals are urged to visit Jom Pantau's site at pru13.info. READ MORE HERE |
| BR1M will likely boost BN’s chances in the next election Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:45 PM PST 
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider As the federal government prepares to hand out cash aid to millions of Malaysian households in the next few weeks, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is set to be a major beneficiary in terms of votes in this year's general election, political analysts and even opposition lawmakers have conceded. They expect the 1 Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) handout to be a swing factor, particularly in rural areas. "BR1M will provide a huge multiplier effect, not only economically, but to draw votes towards the ruling government," said Asri Salleh from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Terengganu. "The recipients will mostly be the hardcore poor and urban poor, so it will definitely swing votes." This view was echoed by the DAP. "They'll have a big impact. Especially in "protecting" their traditional votes in the rural areas ... That's the reason why (the prime minister) keeps postponing polls," DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said. Pua, who is also the DAP Selangor deputy chief, said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (picture) had missed his chance to call the polls after the first BR1M aid was handed out last year. "He now knows that he has to call elections within three months of BR1M 2.0 so that the positive effect will not disappear, as people (tend to) forget after three months," said Pua. Unlike BN, Pua explained that PR do not have the same financial muscle, especially in states not ruled by them, like Johor, Pahang and Perak, so it will be difficult for them to counter the feel-good effect of BR1M in the rural areas. A major sum of RM3 billion will be allocated for BR1M 2.0, a more than 40 per cent increase from the RM2.1 billion allocated for the first BR1M. READ MORE HERE |
| Buku berkaitan pengelibatan Deepak dalam akaun bersumpah mula diedar Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:43 PM PST 
Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider Seperti yang dijanjikan, buku berkaitan pengelibatan peniaga karpet Deepak Jaikishan dalam penukaran akuan bersumpah pertama kepada yang kedua P. Balasubramaniam atau lebih dikenali sebagai PI Bala mula diedarkan kepada media. Buku 26 muka surat dengan tajuk "The Black Rose — Black Rose 1.0" yang dikirimkan melalui emel itu menggunakan nama "Spirit of Altantunya" sebagai penulisnya. Buku itu bagaimanapun tidak menggunakan nama sebenar watak terlibat, sebaliknya jalan cerita buku tersebut menggunakan nama samaran untuk watak-wataknya seperti Kapeed, Black Rose, Bijan, dan banyak lagi. Deepak (gambar) sebelum ini berjanji akan menerbitkan sebuah buku bagi menceritakan pelbagai pengalamannya dalam penarikkan akuan bersumpah Bala mengenai pembunuhan warga Mongolia Altantuya Shaariibuu. Deepak baru-baru ini mencetus kontroversi dan mendapat perhatian umum apabila mendakwa beliau ditipu Ketua Wanita Umno Selangor Senator Raja Datuk Ropiaah Abdullah berhubung pembelian tanah di Bukit Raja. Beliau juga turut melakukan beberapa pendedahan berhubung penglibatannya dalam akaun bersumpah kedua Bala mengaitkan kes pembunuhan model Altantuya pada tahun 2006. PKR melalui Pengarah Strategiknya, Rafizi Ramli ketika sidang medianya mendakwa pembelian syarikat Deepak Astacanggih Sdn Bhd oleh kerajaan adalah untuk menutup Deepak daripada terus melakukan pendedahan. Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), melalui unit pelaburannya Boustead Holdings Berhad, Khamis lalu mengumumkan rancangan untuk memiliki 200 ekar tanah daripada syarikat Awan Megah Sdn Bhd milik Raja Ropiaah. Selain itu, dana itu turut digunakan untuk membeli Astacanggih pada harga RM30 juta, yang mana dakwa pembangkang sebagai "rasuah" dan tindakan untuk menutup mulut peniaga karpet itu daripada terus mendedahkan penyelewengan kerajaan. Pada hari yang sama, Deepak turut menarik balik saman yang dikenakannya terhadap Putrajaya atas kesalahan pelanggaran perjanjian terhadap tanah di Bukit Raja. Deepak sebelum ini memfailkan saman terhadap Awan Megah terhadap pelanggaran perjanjian jual beli ke atas tanah 200 ekar tersebut, dan menamakan firma tersebut, Kementerian Pertahanan, unit hartanah kerajaan Syarikat Tanah Dan Harta Sdn Bhd dan Cebur Megah Development Sdn Bhd dalam samannya. Astacanggih bersetuju untuk membeli tiga bahagian tanah itu pada 2007 untuk RM13 juta dan RM72 juta jaminan bank untuk bon tanah daripada Raja Ropiah, yang diberikan RM100 juta perjanjian penswastaan untuk membangunkan Pusat Pengajian Pertahanan Nasional (Puspahanas). Tanah itu sepatutnya diletakkan di bawah syarikat bertujuan khas Cebur Megah kerana kerajaan tidak membenarkan tanah yang diswastakan dijual kepada pemenang. Tanah masih lagi dalam tangan kerajaan kerana projek itu akan dilaksanakan. Ketua Wanita Umno Selangor itu didakwa menjual sebidang tanah pada RM2 juta tubai dan RM16 juta fasiliti overdraf dalam "kerjasama" dengan Guppyunip Sdn Bhd, syarikat yang mengkhusus kepada barangan plastik. Sehubungan itu, kerajaan PKR Selangor, melalui sau kenyataan berjanji akan menghalang urusan pertukaran nama tanah tersebut. Buku yang diedarkan hari turut menyatakan akan ada siri kedua yang akan menggunakan tajuk "Black Magic Women." |
| The Church & Allah Posted: 31 Dec 2012 04:15 AM PST 
KTemoc Konsiders I'm not surprised by the adverse feedback I've received regarding my post Now, who are the Arab wannabes? here as well as at Malaysia-Today, because firstly, it's an issue related to religions and secondly, I have the seeming effrontery to side with UMNO (and PAS). I am again not surprised that many have missed the point, evidenced by remarks like: (a) So, based on this simple etymological track, the used of ANY word/name to describe a Superbeing that the follower used was/is Highly localised. It should not be monopolised, just like some local Muslims like to dictate! (b) Will you be happy if I forbid you from using certain words because I find it offensive? Who am I to impose this on you? If I forbid you to call your wife, your brother or sister with an alternative name because I find it offensive with their current names which you been calling them all these years. Will you be glad? Please think through. None of above had been what I proposed in my previous post on subject matter. 
| wakakaka | Just to refresh your memories (and a bloody lack of reading skills, wakakaka) I wrote: While I believe on principle there ought not to be a monopolistic use of any word or words, I can understand the Muslim community's worries about the Church's obdurate intention to use this word, especially more so when I know it's obligatory, nay, a sacred duty of the Church and Christians to be 'missionary' (evangelistic). Yes, I'm afraid on a personal basis, kaytee isn't all that supportive of the Church's insistence on using the Allah word to represent/indicate/describe their Christian God in the Malay language. Given the experts' etymological and historical clarifications on the Allah word, I am in no doubt that Father Lawrence Andrew is on strong legal grounds to use it ... and indeed we know that the court has supported his stand. But I have always believed that religion is about faith and morality and not legality or for that matter, political approval. Thus I find it unfortunate that the Father Andrew and the Catholic Herald had taken the issue to the courts. Surely on a matter of religious faith and knowledge, there are numerous other names of God it could have use beside Allah. I view its arguments for the use of Allah as seemingly based on obduracy and legality rather than any plausible unavoidable reason. The reason why I have not (still am not) been sympathetic with the Church, I had already expressed as follows: let us also not forget that Christianity and indeed Islam as well are both evangelistic missionary religions with an obligation on the faithful to convert the so-called pagans, for altruistic reasons of course. So, what is the meaning of 'missionary' and 'evangelistic'? In their adjectival forms, the dictionary has these to say, respectively: Missionary = reflecting or prompted by the desire to persuade or convert others. Evangelistic seeking to evangelize; striving to convert sinners (where sinners mean all not within the Faith). Dictionary also defines the word evangelize as 'to convert to Christianity', and where we can also substitute the word Christianity with Islam. Thus, both Christianity and Islam require their respective followers to evangelize. In my post I had written: I dare say those Dutch Christian missionaries were out to convert the Indonesian pagans (Muslim and others) into Christianity with whatever it took, and would have found the use of the word Allah as a convenient substitute for the Christian God in persuading the native Muslims that the conversion to Christianity would be nothing more than a seamless worship to the same Allah, albeit with some minor adjustments to the rituals. Thus the argument that the 16th Century Dutch had been doing this or that during dictatorial colonial circumstances would today be just not good enough for the Church to persist along that line. 
| Dutch church in Indonesia | Leaving aside the legal aspect, where I had already accepted that Father Lawrence Andrew is on very strong grounds, my post points out the several areas and factors where I have found the stand of the local Catholic Church and Father Lawrence Andrew quite disturbing. Thus I asked and continue to ask again: Really, I have to ask again of Father Lawrence Andrew and the Church: "What is really your goal in obdurately pursuing the use of the word Allah to refer to the Christian God in a Malay-language newsletter and Bible when so many other names of your Christian God, with even better biblical pedigree, remain available?" If the aim of the Church is to spread the word of God, why not use Tuhan or Elohim or a multitude of other Hebraic names available from its source, the Tanakh. Why insist on the Allah word when everyone in Malaysia, especially Peninsula Malaysia knows that Allah is familiarly (automatically) visualized and known as the God of Islam. Thus I quoted Friedrich Nietzsche who reminded us: "Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal." Isn't the goal of the Church to spread the word of its Christian God, which can be done without using the word Allah because Elohim and Yahweh and Tuhan are available? Why has the Church represented by the person of Father Lawrence Andrew remain stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, namely, to use the Allah word in their Catholic Newsletter, the Herald, and the Bahasa version of the Bible, al Kitab? Without too much hubris I believe I have successfully challenged every position Father Andrew and the Church had presented as to why the Allah word is essential and cannot be substituted, but some comments here as well as at RPK's Malaysia-Today have totally ignored my points, and continue to come up with comments equally as obdurate as Father Andrew's or as if they haven't read my post at all (which has been why I mentioned some readers' 'lack of reading skills' wakakaka). In other words, my post questions the sincerity of the Church's insistence in using the Allah word, which I do not support because of the likelihood of confusion over whose (Islamic or Christian) god is Allah. The ensuing confusion would not be unlike a dangerous sampan in a very turbulent evangelistic sea. Much as I (platonically, wakakaka) love Kian Ming (and I am not joking, he's a great guy) I am not persuaded by his article. He argued that as Yahwah is already translated into Tuhan, then Elohim (if also translated into Tuhan) following the Yahweh word would result in Tuhan … Tuhan, giving us a double or repetitive Tuhan which won't make sense or provide cohesive reading for the mentioned passage. 
| MKINI photo | He provided the example of Exodus 29:46, which (KJV) states: And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God. Kian Ming provided the NIV (1984) version which doesn't make much difference to KJV for his arguments and the point I intend to make. But let's use his NIV 1984 version which states: They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. He argued that a Bahasa translation minus the use of the Allah word would give us: "Mereka akan tahu bahawa Akulah TUHAN, Tuhan (rather than Allah) mereka yang telah membawa mereka kelaur dari Mesir, supaya Aku dapat tingal bersama-sama mereka. Akulah TUHAN Tuhan mereka." But in that translation, Kian Ming has become just like Father Lawrence - though as his matey, I believe Kian Ming has been sincere - in believing that both Yahweh and Elohim must both be translated into Tuhan.
Why, and what for? Unless you insist on making an disingenuous point? Thus, according to his arguments, if we are to avoid the awkward Tuhan Tuhan translation, we require both the Tuhan and Allah words, so as to show each as a different word in that passage. But my point is why must Elohim be translated from Hebrew into Arabic (Allah)? Why not retain the Elohim word as is in al Kitab instead of translating into Arabic and then daringly claim Allah is a Malay word. If one can claim the Arabic Allah is a Malay word, why not claim and use the Hebraic Yahweh and/or Elohim as also Malay words. Thus the Bahasa translation of Exodus 29:46 should read as follows (two forms): (a) "Mereka akan tahu bahawa Akulah TUHAN, Elohim mereka yang telah membawa mereka kelaur dari Mesir, supaya Aku dapat tinggal bersama-sama mereka. Akulah TUHAN Elohim mereka" or (b) "Mereka akan tahu bahawa Akulah Yahweh, Tuhan mereka yang telah membawa mereka kelaur dari Mesir, supaya Aku dapat tingal bersama-sama mereka. Akulah Yahweh Tuhan mereka" I personally prefer the second. And don't forget, we also have Adonai, El Elyon, El Shddai, El Olam, etc. Sorry, Kian Ming, as a matey I regret I can't even say 'good try' because your arguments have been based on the totally incorrect premise that the Allah word is a Bahasa word when it's patently not – it is as Middle-Eastern (Arabic) as much as are Yahweh and Elohim (Hebrew). DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh has risen to the defence of the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's Christmas day call for Christians to be allowed to use the term 'Allah', stating that it was not intended to hurt Muslim sensitivities. He explained that Lim's call was meant for Christians in Sabah and Sarawak where the word has been in use for generations. I think that's fair enough, though if we have already published a Malay edition of the al Kitab which uses Elohim instead of Allah, why not use it to acquaint Sabahan and Sarawakian Christians on the Elohim and/or Yahweh word(s). Why have a further division of Peninsula from the Eastern States even in al Kitab? It is surprising, therefore, that Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim has publicly come out with a scathing attack on the Penang chief minister that what he had said in his Christmas message should not hurt the feelings of Muslims, he said in a statement yesterday. READ MORE HERE |
| 'Allah' belongs only to Muslims and Islam: Jakim Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:07 AM PST 
(Bernama) - The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) today repeated its stand that the word 'Allah' is a holy word that belongs only to Muslims and Islam and cannot apply to non-Muslims and other religions. Its director-general, Datuk Othman Mustapha, said the matter had been finalised at the 82nd meeting of the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Affairs on May 5 to 7, 2008. "Therefore, it is compulsory for all Muslims to protect it to the best of their ability. Any attempts to insult or abuse the word must be prevented according to the provisions stipulated under the Federal Constitution," he said in a statement here today. He said statements made by certain quarters to create racial and religious disharmony just for the sake of gaining political mileage were very disappointing. Hence, he said Jakim would like to urge all quarters to return to the rule of law to ensure that racial and religious harmony was well preserved and protected under the Federal Constitution. |
| Seeing is believing Posted: 30 Dec 2012 05:27 PM PST Note one thing: your perception is influenced by your values and standards. It is not about what the other person is. It is about what you are. If you think drinking is bad then your perception of someone who drinks would be bad. If you think that capitalism is bad then your perception of a capitalist would be bad. If you think that fundamentalism is bad then your perception of a fundamentalist Muslim would be bad. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin And Malaysia's 2012 Word of the Year is ... Perception. That is what a Malaysian is told this year when reporting a robbery or a snatch theft and believing that this means crime is on the rise in what has been one of the safest countries in Southeast Asia. That is what a Malaysian is told this year when complaining about rising graft or rising cost of living and thinking that the country is sinking through global indices in what is supposedly an Asian tiger of a nation. Perception. The reality, according to the authorities, is that statistics this year shows that crime in Malaysia has dipped. Graft in Malaysia has also dipped and the authorities are going after those in the private sector now. And the economy is rising, so that means more money in the pocket. Not only that, the government has been dishing one-off cash handouts of RM500 to households earning up to RM3,000 a month. Yet, how many cases of robberies and snatch theft have we heard that occur in urban areas, especially near traffic lights? Is it a case of being more aware because of social media, as some authorities claim, despite official statistics showing a drop in crime? How about living costs outstripping wages? How do you try to fathom a nation with an annual five per cent economic expansion and a policy of subsidising food and fuel that still needs to give cash handouts? And the cheek to tell someone who has been robbed, or having to pay a bribe or pay more for groceries that it is just their perception that it is getting worse is just putting salt to the wound. It is too easy to blame social media for such tales to turn viral. It is too easy to tell people to be more careful and take steps to be more vigilant and complain about corrupt practices and profiteering. Also too easy to just announce policies and initiatives without ensuring they are implemented to the letter. Putting more boots on the ground, going after the big fish in corruption cases and targeting subsidies to specific demographics rather than an elephant gun spray of goodies for news headlines. To be fair, Putrajaya has been taking action. There is a raft of policies and laws in place to cut crime, reduce graft and living costs. But the efforts do not seem to bear fruit as fast as they have been promised or implemented. And this is where the word "perception" can bite the authorities or the government of the day. The perception that it isn't doing enough or doing things fast enough to make a difference. There are a slew of projects under various abbreviations but the change isn't being felt because it takes time for housing projects to finish or industries to rise and people to get better paying jobs. Therein lies the irony, that nothing is as instant as perception. Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider **************************************** Yes, what Jahabar Sadiq wrote today in his editorial in The Malaysian Insider is very true. Everything in life is about perception -- and more so when it comes to politics. Politics is built on perception. The perception that Communism is bad and Capitalism is good is what we grew up with. So, if we want to frighten someone, all we need to do is accuse him or her of being a Communist and he/she will back off and tone down. My question would be: so what if I am a Communist? What is wrong with being a Communist? If I declare that I am a Communist that is as good as declaring that I am a Pariah because the perception is that those who are Communists are Pariahs. Hence if someone accuses me of being a Communist I would deny it even if I do believe in Communism because Communists are outcasts. Do you believe in God? Many people do. But not all humans believe in God. It is estimated that only about half of humankind believe in God. But less than 10% of the people will openly admit that they do not believe in God. And this is because the perception is if you do not believe in God then you cannot be a good person. Hence, to avoid being labelled as a bad person, you will never admit that you do not believe in God although in reality you do not believe in God. Do you know that 30 years ago back in the 1980s Mercedes Benz started assembling its S Class in Malaysia? This is because Malaysians used to buy (I do not know whether they still do) the most number of S Class models per capita in the world. Hence Malaysia was the only other country outside Germany that assembled the S Class. To Malaysians, if you drive the S Class Mercedes Benz or the 7 series BMW then the perception would be you have arrived. You have made it. You are successful. Maybe your liabilities exceed your assets, which means you are technically bankrupt, but the car you drive gives people the perception that you are successful so everyone wants to do business with you. There is also the perception that if we change the government, meaning we kick out Barisan Nasional, Malaysia would be a better place to live. Foreigners who come to Malaysia for the first time and who see the way Malaysians behave would probably never come to that conclusion. For example, seeing the way Malaysians drive is evidence enough that Malaysians are inconsiderate, rude, arrogant, only care about themselves, and much more. Malaysians are absolutely ill bred and uncultured. Hence changing the government will not make Malaysia a better place. It may help to reduce corruption slightly but not eliminate it totally. But it will never make Malaysia a better place. A better country is not just subject to the government it has. It is very dependent on the people in that country. England changed its system of government more than 400 years ago back in 1649. It kicked out its monarch and turned England into a republic. Did that make England a better place? The people were still the same. The mentality was still the same. The people never changed. Hence, while they may have changed the government, the country did not become a better place. Therefore the perception that by changing the government the country becomes a better place is a fallacy if the people themselves refuse to change. And what perception do you get from this statement I just made? Your perception would be therefore I am saying DO NOT change the government. Is this what I said? This is the perception you get although this is not what I said. And why do you get this perception? You get this perception because you refuse to admit that the fault with the country lies with its people. You want to believe that what is wrong with the country is someone else's fault, not your own fault. Hence you put the blame on the government. If not then you will have to admit that it is your own fault. This is due to a disease called denial syndrome. Most Malaysians suffer from this disease. It is a disease where you blame others for what went wrong rather than admit that what went wrong is your fault. Most Muslims will say that Islam suffers from a perception problem. Islam is a victim of bad publicity. And they will blame the western media for this. The western media is giving the perception that 'Islam is the new Communism'. And since Communism is the Pariah therefore Islam would also be perceived as the Pariah. But it is not Islam that is at fault, Muslims will say. It is the fault of a minority of Muslims who have given Islam a bad name. This minority has dragged Islam through the mud. The majority of Muslims are not like that. But the western media is giving the perception that it is Islam and not a minority of Muslims that is bad. However, that is not the perception that the non-Muslims have. Most non-Muslims perceive Islam as a bad religion. The fruit of a poisonous tree would be poisonous, they will argue. Hence it is Islam itself and not just a handful of Muslims who is at fault. So, is Islam the victim of negative perception that has given the religion a bad image? Or is Islam itself fundamentally flawed? The answer depends on whether you are a Muslim or not and hence how you perceive Islam is subject to this crucial point. We perceive PERKASA as a racist organisation. We do not perceive Dong Zong and Hindraf as also racist organisations. Why is that? PERKASA fights for Islam and the Malay language. Dong Zong fights for Chinese education and the Chinese language. Hindraf fights for the Tamils and Hinduism. So why are not all three organisations classified as racist organisations? Why is only PERKASA a racist organisation but not the others? Barisan Nasional is a racist party. Pakatan Rakyat is not a racist party. Has Pakatan Rakyat agreed to remove Islam as the official religion of Malaysia? Has Pakatan Rakyat agreed to remove the Malay language as the official language of Malaysia? Why do we even need an official religion and official language when other democracies all over the world do not have official religions and official languages? Education Ministers have always been Malay. Why is that? In a democracy where meritocracy should prevail the abilities and not the race of that person should be the deciding factor. Can Pakatan Rakyat announce that it would appoint a Chinese as the Education Minister? Why not? Why can't a Chinese become the Education Minister and why can't Pakatan Rakyat agree to this and make a public announcement on the matter? In fact, why can't we have a non-politician as an Education Minister? Can we give that job to one of the leading academicians? We want the best education system. We do not want education to be used as a political tool and to brainwash Malaysians. The problem with Malaysia is the mentality and attitude of its people. Changing the government will not help if the mindset of the people remain the same. Hence we need to do a massive overhaul of our education system. And we can't trust a politician to do this. Yes, it is all about perception. And the perception is that everything involving the government is bad while everything involving the opposition is good. And PERKASA supports the government so it is bad. Dong Zong and Hindraf support the opposition so they are good. What if Dong Zong and Hindraf announce that they will support anyone who agrees to their agenda? And what if Pakatan Rakyat disagrees with their agenda while Barisan Nasional agrees to it? And since their agenda is what matters Dong Zong and Hindraf now support Barisan Nasional and they announce so. Would Dong Zong and Hindraf still be considered good or are they now just like PERKASA, a racist organisation? What will your perception of Dong Zong and Hindraf be? Note one thing: your perception is influenced by your values and standards. It is not about what the other person is. It is about what you are. If you think drinking is bad then your perception of someone who drinks would be bad. If you think that capitalism is bad then your perception of a capitalist would be bad. If you think that fundamentalism is bad then your perception of a fundamentalist Muslim would be bad. Whether something or someone is good or bad is not about whether it is really good or bad but about your interpretation of good and bad. If I perceive all religions as bad then I would have a very low opinion of religionists. Religionists, however, would perceive me as a Godless person and someone who cannot be trusted. And if I support Hindraf on it latest stand that it will not support either Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat unless they support Hindraf's agenda how would you perceive me? Am I a true democrat who fights for the oppressed minority or am I a traitor to the cause? The question is: which cause are you using to come to this conclusion, Hindraf's cause or your own cause? Yes, your perception is guided by your interest. You will have a good perception of someone when it suits your agenda and you will have a bad perception of that person when it conflicts with your agenda. Perceptions are not real. And that is why most of you perceive that you are going to heaven because you are following the true and correct religion. And is this not why Malaysians are fighting over who has the right to use the word 'Allah'? 
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| DAP Protestors Caught Eating During Hunger Protest! Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:59 PM PST 
STOP THE LIES What a bunch of scums! These Anti-Lynas protestors attempted to fool their zombie supporters and the press that they were staging a hunger protest. Eighteen of these so-called protestors vowed to the world that they would starve for 100 hours starting from Thurs, Dec 27, 8pm but they have been caught having their meals at a nearby hotel! They would have most likely ate merrily earlier but an alert reporter from a news portal MYNEWSHUB caught them sneaking off to the Swiss Hotel after entering the 63 hours of purported fasting. When the press were present, they acted like they were drained of energy and tired but the minute the photographers went off, one by one, they also disappeared – for their makan! The absence of these protestors had aroused the suspicions of the reporter, who quietly followed these protestors, mostly DAP members, to the hotel nearby. He recorded pictures of these protestors having their meals with family members and supporters. READ MORE HERE |
| Pakatan yakin dapat 35 dari 60 kerusi Dun Sabah Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:36 PM PST 
"Selain itu juga 15 kerusi parlimen akan turut kita perolehi bagi membantu Pakatan Rakyat menawan Putrajaya," jelas beliau kepada Harakahdaily. (Harakah) - Pakatan Rakyat Sabah yakin dapat menawan 35 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun) Sabah pada Pilihanraya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) nanti. Bekas Timbalan Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT), Datuk Lajim Ukin berkeyakinan penuh selain dari 35 kerusi Dun, Pakatan Rakyat juga turut dapat memenangi 15 kerusi Parlimen di negeri itu.
"Saya berkeyakinan pada PRU13 nanti kita (Pakatan Rakyat) dapat memenangi 32 hingga 35 kerusi Dun dari 60 kerusi yang dipertandingkan dan membolehkan kita mendapat majoriti mudah bagi membentuk kerajaan.
"Selain itu juga 15 kerusi parlimen akan turut kita perolehi bagi membantu Pakatan Rakyat menawan Putrajaya," jelas beliau kepada Harakahdaily.
Lajim yang dalam pada itu turut mempersoalkan kenyataan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang masih mengganggapkan Sabah sebagai 'fixed deposit' mereka pada pilihanraya nanti.
Malah jelas Lajim lagi, jika Najib yang masih berkeyakinan kenapa sehingga sekarang beliau masih belum yakin untuk membubar parlimen dan memberi laluan kepada PRU13.
"Ketika saya di dalam Majlis Tertinggi Umno sebelum ini, ada agensi melaporkan kedudukan Umno-BN di sabah adalah 52 peratus memihak kepada mereka, manakala 48 peratus pula kepada Pakatan Rakyat.
"Tetapi maklumat tersebut bercanggah dengan apa yang disalurkan oleh Jabatan Kemajuan Masyarakat (KEMAS) dan juga Jabatan Hal Ehwal Khas (JASA) yang menyatakan Barisan Nasional akan kalah di Sabah," katanya.
Tambah beliau atas sebab percanggahan maklumat itulah menyebabkan Najib dan juga pemimpin tertinggi Umno termasuk Timbalan Perdana Menteri terpaksa berulang-alik ke Sabah untuk mencari undi mereka.
Beliau yang juga merupakan Pengerusi Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) juga memberitahu tiada sebab untuk rakyat Sabah menolak Pakatan Rakyat pada PRU13 nanti.
Ini kerana Pakatan Rakyat yang mendahului Barisan Nasional dalam mendengari masalah dan penderitaan rakyat Sabah sebelum ini terutamanya dalam pemberian 20 peratus royalti minyak kepada Sabah dalam usaha meningkatkan kebajikan rakyat. |
| Be realistic with seat demands, Anwar urges SAPP Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:09 PM PST 
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Hard-nosed Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) negotiators may jeopardise Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) bid to make inroads into the east Malaysian state considered a key Barisan Nasional (BN) vote bank, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said. With the 13th general election fast approaching, Anwar urged SAPP leaders to cut down on their demands for seats, saying that it would be hard to continue talks otherwise, the Sin Chew Daily reported today. The opposition front in Sabah currently includes DAP, PAS, PKR and two newly-formed PR-friendly parties – Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) – working together with SAPP and the State Reform Party (STAR) against BN. "Besides Sabah Pakatan Rakyat's five member parties, we still want to negotiate with SAPP; if SAPP continues making demands that are too high, it'll be hard for us to continue negotiations," Anwar was quoted as saying by Sin Chew Daily today. But Anwar reportedly denied that PR was issuing an ultimatum to SAPP, saying that he only wanted to let the party know that the pact was in its final stages of seat negotiations. The Borneo Post yesterday reported Anwar as saying that SAPP has to be a strong party to justify its desire for half the seats up for grabs in the coming election. "As far as the three parties are concerned, it is very good, but then there is very little progress with SAPP; (that) is the report I have. We have to convey this to SAPP because we must have some formula of compromise. "Each party should not demand too much... we have to be realistic as to the strength of each party. If SAPP for example wants half of the seats, it has to be a formidable party. "For now we will not stop discussions but we will have to convey our position on behalf of the three parties which include APS and PPPS," the PKR de facto leader said. According to the Borneo Post, Anwar said that the parties involved in seat negotiations should not carry out attacks during talks. "We are negotiating and therefore it is not wise to go on attacking, like this spat between SAPP and DAP," he said, likely referring to reported tension between the two parties. SAPP had in September declared that the party was eyeing the parliamentary seats of Sepanggar, Penampang and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah – the same seats that DAP wishes to contest. On December 20, Anwar reportedly rejected claims that PR's seat negotiations with SAPP were faltering. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Endorse our blueprint if you want our support’ Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:02 PM PST 
Hindraf is not prepared to give any political block free lunch as it did in 2008 general election. Athi Shankar, FMT Hindraf Makkal Sakti will only support a political coalition that gives written pre-election agreement to implement the movement's five-year blueprint for ethnic Indian community. Either Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional must pen down written assurances on Hindraf blueprint agreement that they would implement its demands if they come to power in the forthcoming general election. "That's the condition if either political block wants our backing to canvass Indian votes," Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy made it clear at a gathering here last night. He stressed that the civil rights movement was not prepared to give any political block free lunch as it did in 2008 general election. "We will throw our support to any party that gives written endorsement that if they come to power they will implement our blueprint for the betterment of much marginalised working class Indians. "We will not compromise on this," insisted the Hindraf supremo. Those present in the Juru community hall raised their arms to give unanimous support to Hindraf's stand. They also displayed banners and placards in support of Hindraf and its blueprint, and calling PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan to endorse it. They also give unanimous endorsement to Hindraf's decision to contest in the next election. Speculations already rife that Waythamoorthy was contemplating to take on MIC president G Palanivel in the next polls, probably in Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency. He declined comment when asked about it. 
Hindraf's blueprint was launched last month to mark 5th anniversary of the movement's mammoth rally held in KLCC on Nov 25, 2007. It generally demands for comprehensive and constructive Felda-type socio-economic programmes, such as community re-settlement, quality housing and equal education opportunities, for displaced ethnic Indian plantation workers and their families. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Hisham’s liaison officer more powerful than IGP’ Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:54 PM PST 
MyWatch is claiming that the Home Minister's special liaison officer has powers to bypass the Inspector-General of Police himself. Teoh El Sen, FMT Anti-crime watchdog MyWatch alleged today that a police officer with a rank of deputy commissioner [DCP] appointed by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as his special liaison officer is 'more powerful' than the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar himself. The NGO's chairman R Sri Sanjeevan claimed that this was because the officer was able to bypass the IGP to give instructions to top officers of the Royal Malaysian Police [PDRM], including state police chiefs, state CID chiefs and district police heads. Sanjeevan said that never in the history of the police force has a liaison officer held such a high rank of DCP, which is even higher ranked than the prime minister's aide-de-camp who is only ranked an Assistant Commissioner of Police [ACP]. The home minister's current liaison officer is identified as DCP Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohamad. "MyWatch urges the home minister to explain why does he need a PDRM liaison officer in his office with the rank of DCP which is equivalent to state CPO position when all the while it was only a Superintendent [Supt] position." Sanjeevan claimed that this "clearly shows that home minister is indeed meddling into PDRM matters without relaying orders directly to the IGP himself". "Since the officer advises the home minister, then I think the IGP would have to listen to him as well, right?" he added. "MyWatch strongly believes that the home minister is having a DCP as PDRM liaison officer… is only because he can give instructions and orders directly to CPOs [state police chiefs], OCCI [state CID chiefs], and OCPD [district police chief]. This is also another form of waste of police resources and shows non-productivity," he said in a press statement. 
Sanjeevan also lamented that complaints to Hishammuddin sent to his Twitter account @HishammuddinH2O were only simply forwarded to Wan Ahmad Najmuddin's account @tok_we, which he claimed was a "dormant account" that was hardly used. Transferred for refusing to follow instructions
FMT understands that the liaison officer was previously a position where a Supt was placed at Bukit Aman to coordinate communications between the two agencies, and assist the Home Ministry in monitoring case files and statistics. A police source said that the previous officer, ranked Supt, was apparently transferred out when he refused to follow instructions from the home minister. Najmuddin, according to the source, was promoted very fast when he replaced his predecessor. Previously, MyWatch or The Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force, had claimed that it has in its possession evidence that top police officers were involved in criminal activities, including officers that were involved in money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, football bookies and have direct links with underworld figures and kingpins. READ MORE HERE |
| Sabah DAP will bury hatchet with SAPP if… Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:49 PM PST 
Sabah DAP totally agrees with Anwar's comment that each party should not demand too much during seat negotiations. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP has urged Sabah opposition parties, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) in particular, to respect Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim's advise to stop attacking each other in the midst of seat negotiation efforts. "Sabah DAP could not agree more with the advise of Anwar, that it is a matter of principle that all parties must not attack in the midst of negotiations. Therefore, we respect the call by Anwar to stop the spat between DAP and SAPP," said its publicity secretary Chan Foong Hin. But Chan, while advising SAPP to respect Anwar's advise and to stop attacking DAP, did not let up on his criticism of the Sabah opposition party. "It is most regrettable that if SAPP continues to repeat their allegations towards DAP such as that we are 'prepared to form the government with Umno', 'attempts to sabotage the PR – SAPP negotiations' etc. It is high time also for SAPP cyber troopers to stop their labelling DAP Sabah as "biaDAP" and "Malayan Party". The first rule of seat negotiations is respecting each other. "Let us all go back to the negotiation table. Sabah DAP respects Anwar's advise to stop the spat between us and SAPP. This statement is the concluding remarks of all the unhappiness and uneasiness created by the spat in the year of 2012. We look forward for a better year of 2013, when all the oppositions can stay united to work for a change of government by upholding the principle of equality and respect to each other. Any party attempt(ing) to dominate the seats is beyond compromised," he said. He maintained that SAPP's demand for half of the state seats is the root cause of "little progress" achieved in the seat negotiations among the opposition parties. Chan demanded SAPP put aside all their political rhetoric such as "state party must control half of the state seats in order to uphold state autonomy" if they really want to continue with seat negotiations to achieve the ultimate goal of 'one to one fight' between the opposition and the Barisan Nasional. He was responding to Anwar's recent statement that "little progress had been made" in the Pakatan-SAPP seat negotiations. "Anwar's statement totally contradicted SAPP's statement the day before, which said that Pakatan- SAPP negotiations were almost completed," he said. "Furthermore, it is evident that Pakatan never agreed with the suggestion by SAPP that "local parties contest the majority of the state seats while Pakatan focuses on parliamentary seats," Chan noted. Nonetheless, he stressed that Sabah DAP totally agrees with Anwar's comment that each party should not demand too much during seat negotiations. Chan said such comment was in line with Sabah DAP's principle of equality adopted in seat negotiations, that no single party should be bigger than anyone. |
| Standards of evidence Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:43 PM PST 
Can you respect my different political faith and beliefs the same way you respect my different religious faith and beliefs, asks Raja Petra. Faith, in a way, can be described as the word to explain lack of evidence. Hence, whenever you fail to prove your beliefs with supporting evidence you classify it under faith. And you can get away with whatever beliefs that lack evidence by calling it faith. It would be considered quite acceptable. Raja Petra Kamarudin, Free Malaysia Today
How many of you can claim to be believing what you believe in out of choice? Were you once a Christian from the west who visited India and then fell in love with Hinduism? Or were you once a Buddhist who studied Islam and then decided that Islam is the true religion after all (and you did not convert because you wanted to marry a Muslim spouse)? The majority of you believe what you believe because you happened to have been born into that belief system and were raised within that belief system and received an education, or rather an indoctrination, regarding that belief system. There is a more than a 99% chance that if you had not been not been born a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or whatever, today you would not be a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc. As they say, you can choose your friends but you can't choose your relatives. You were not given any choice as to which family you would like to be born into. And with that lack of choice as to which family you are to be born into, you also have no choice as to what religion you will be following. Your family and environment shape your beliefs and you grow up adopting a certain belief system, which you invariably accept as the correct belief system. Then someone comes along and tells you that you are wrong. You have been misled or misinformed and are a victim of conjecture, superstition, fallacies, and folklore. What you had believed your entire life is false. What you presumed as the truth is not the truth. Truth can be tested and would pass the test. Your beliefs are not founded on truth and therefore cannot pass the truth test. And this contradiction will upset you. Someone is telling you that you are wrong and this makes you angry. It makes you angry because you are not able to rebut this. You are not able to offer any evidence that what this person is telling you is wrong. And you are also not able to offer any evidence to prove that you are right. The truth test
Ah, yes, your beliefs cannot be tested or proven. They will not pass the truth test. And that is because your beliefs are based on faith. Beliefs, in particular religious beliefs, are called faiths — religious faith. The reason they are called religious faiths is because you need to believe based on faith, not based on evidence. Faith, in a way, can be described as the word to explain lack of evidence. Hence, whenever you fail to prove your beliefs with supporting evidence you classify it under faith. And you can get away with whatever beliefs that lack evidence by calling it faith. It would be considered quite acceptable. Can I use this same basis of 'evidence' in a court of law? Can I sit in the witness box in court and testify that I have faith and hence this faith will be my evidence to support my testimony? The court can never accept my faith as evidence. Evidence has to be tangible. And tangible evidence must be in the form of documentary evidence or the testimony of an eyewitness. Even if I were to adduce documentary evidence or quote the testimony of an eyewitness that is not acceptable. I must be the producer or maker of that document. If I am not, then that document will be rejected. The maker himself or herself needs to go to court to testify that he or she is actually the maker of the document. Only then will the document be admitted as evidence. The same applies to an eyewitness testimony. If I were to relate an incident or the testimony of someone else, that would be mere hearsay. That too is not admissible in court. The eyewitness who told me about the incident or made that statement must personally go to court to testify that he or she saw what happened or heard what was said. That would be the rules of evidence and the court is very clear on this. You must have been personally there and you are relating what you saw or else the court cannot accept what you say. Either you personally created that document or else that document cannot be admitted into evidence. Religion does not work on this basis. Religion is all about hearsay and third party or hand-me-down evidence. And yet while we will reject such standards of 'evidence' in a court of law, we can readily accept it when it comes to religion. And we build our belief system around these so-called standards, which under normal circumstances would be unacceptable. And based on this system of belief, we will pass judgment and make decisions that affect the life of people. READ MORE HERE |
| Umno looks to penetrate Permatang Pauh Posted: 29 Dec 2012 05:07 PM PST 
Party insiders say Najib may opt for a more credible candidate with strong oratory skills and sound financial background. Athi Shankar, FMT PENANG: Local Umno is quietly confident of penetrating into PKR's virtually impregnable Permatang Pauh parliamentary fortress in the forthcoming 13th general election. Confidence is said to be running high among Permatang Pauh Umno leaders that they can re-capture the constituency's Penanti and Permatang Pasir, and retain Seberang Jaya state seats. Permatang Pauh Umno leaders also believe that this time they have an outside chance to upset incumbent MP and the Malay heartland "tribal king" Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition Leader. But observers believe Umno must apply the right candidacy jigsaw if the party is to realise its dream. Sources said currently the division chairman and former Penanti assemblyman Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid had been earmarked to challenge Permatang Pauh favourite son Anwar for federal duel. In Permatang Pasir, a PAS seat since 1999 general election, Umno is expected to field its constituency coordinator and division vice chairman Rahim Man. Barisan Nasional's constituency coordinator and division committee member Ibrahim Ahmad has been listed for Penanti. In Seberang Jaya, incumbent assemblyman Arif Shah Omar Shah, who won by a mere 553-majority largely thanks to postal votes against PKR's Rahim Bulat in 2008, is the choice. However political observers and local leaders from BN component parties believe that the Umno division deputy chief and local corporate figure Mohammad Nasir Abdullah should be included in the candidature list. Grassroots leader Mohammad Nasir was overlooked for 2008 general election and subsequent by-elections in Permatang Pauh, Permatang Pasir and Penanti. Insiders said this was largely due to Abdul Jalil uneasiness with Nasir's political presence. Seberang Jaya Umno branch chief Nasir rose from rank and file in the division, from being an ordinary member when Anwar was then its chief, to youth chief, then vice chairman and now deputy chief. Observers said Jalil sensed that his position would face grave danger if Nasir, who has strong grassroots support among Permatang Pauh 17,000 Umno members from 95 branches, were to win a seat in general election. They said that Jalil knew that Nasir, who has no political baggage, can topple him in the next party election. Good ground support
A random survey showed many Umno branches, particularly among 44 branches in Seberang Jaya constituency, and BN local leaders backed Nasir as an election candidate. 
Many want local boy Nasir (photo), who operates a Petronas petrol station in the constituency, to replace Arif Shah, in Seberang Jaya. But Arif Shah is not expected to give up his seat with a strong fight. After all if BN were to regain Penang, he stands a strong chance to become a deputy chief minister. Seberang Jaya has 29,397 voters with Malays 18,882, Chinese 6,677 and Indians 3,682. In 2008, the constituency had 22,678 voters. Postal votes in Seberang Jaya have also leapt drastically from 405 in March 2008 to 1,200 in mid-2012. Insiders said it was time to replace Arif Shah with Nasir as the former had been a two-term assemblyman. Recent vernacular press reports revealed Arif Shah, who speaks fluent Mandarin, would not be able to muster enough Chinese votes, a decisive factor to retain Seberang Jaya. Local observers believe a fresh local born candidate like Nasir would be an ideal winnable replacement. Grassroots sentiments are that Arif should be moved to Permatang Pasir which has 22,733 voters with Malays 16,643, Chinese 5,691 and Indians 363. In 2008, the constituency had 20,350 voters. They feel Rahim would be a better candidate in Penanti, which now has 18,537 registered voters with Malays making up 13,194, Chinese 4,124 and Indians 390. In 2008, the constituency had 15,421 voters. 
They said Arif Shah would be an ideal candidate in Permatang Pasir and Rahim had stronger grassroots backing Penanti. Party grassroots want Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to give a strong consideration to their sentiments. "This would give Umno a winnable electoral jigsaw," they said. In the August 2008 parliamentary by-election, Anwar defeated Arif Shah by 15,671-majority to mark his national political comeback after 10 years absence. Strangely though, as of June 2012, Permatang Pauh now has 70,667 registered voters, a huge leap by 12,208 votes within four years from 58,459 voters in 2008. READ MORE HERE |
| Why is the court trying to block Rosli from giving his statement? Posted: 29 Dec 2012 04:16 PM PST What is it that the court is trying to block Rosli from revealing? How will Rosli's testimony hurt those who walk in the corridors of power? We should be concerned about what they are trying to deny us from knowing, not about exploiting issues for political gain. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Someone asked me why I no longer bother to expose the wrongdoings of those who walk in the corridors of power, in particular those wrongdoings by the Barisan Nasional government. Well, first of all, in the past, I was the only one doing this. For eight years since August 2004 and for five years before that since 1999 I have been fighting a lone battle revealing the excesses and transgressions of those who walk in the corridors of power. And the police have raided my house and confiscated documents and computers from my house no less than half a dozen times. I have also been detained without trial twice and arrested and charged a couple more times because of my 'crimes'. Today, we have many prominent people doing that job. So do you still need me to do that? We have Rafizi Ramli, P. Balasubramanian, Deepak Jaikishan, ex-IGP Musa Hassan, ex-Kuala Lumpur CID Chief Mat Zain, Ex-CCID Chief Ramli Yussuf, ex-Health Minister Chua Jui Meng, ex-Umno activists such as Aspan Alias and Mohd Ariff Sabri who joined DAP, ex-Umno Sabah leaders such as Lajim Ukin, Wilfred Bumburing, Dr Ibrahim Menudin and Yahya Lampong, and many, many more. In short, there are scores of people now doing the job I used to do. And most of these people are whistleblowers. They used to be part of the corrupt system and now they are revealing insider information. Who better to expose these shenanigans than people who were once part of that corrupt system? Certainly they would have first-hand information that I do not have. Secondly, for more than 13 years since 1999 (eight of those years with Malaysia Today) I have been revealing scandal after scandal but nothing was done about the matter. More importantly, I did not reveal these scandals AFTER they had happened like all the others. I revealed them BEFORE they happened so that something could be done about them, a sort of pre-emption strike. But nothing was done about the matter and what I warned would happen really happened in the end. What is the point with screaming after the horse has bolted? You need to close the barn door before the horse bolts. Closing it after the horse has bolted is no bloody good. And this is what most of you do. You scream after it happens. When we reveal it before it happens you do nothing. And then you ask me why I do not talk about it. What is the point of talking about something after it happens when you do nothing about the matter when I talk about if before it happens? What a bunch of idiots I have as readers. Waste of bloody time trying to educate you. Better I just sit back and watch Pakatan Rakyat get whacked in the coming general election and then write my "I told you so" article. Malaysia Today revealed that George Kent was going to get the Ampang LRT project ONE YEAR before it was awarded to them. What was done about it? Now that it has already been awarded to George Kent you make so much noise and Rafizi Ramli holds press conference after press conference. For what? For syok sendiri is it? I even revealed who Tan Kay Hock is plus his links to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak two years before the announcement of the project. And what did you do? Nothing! Malaysia Today revealed that a company linked to the ex-Chief Justice and Umno lawyer was going to get the RM2.2 billion Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) project BEFORE it was awarded to them. And what was done about it? You waited until the project was awarded to them and then you make so much noise. For what? For syok sendiri is it? Years ago Malaysia Today exposed the RM8 billion MAS fiasco and also revealed how this matter is linked to the RM30 billion Forex disaster of 20 years ago. Malaysia Today also revealed the contents of Tajudin Ramli's Affidavit where he admitted that his takeover of MAS is linked to the Forex issue and was a move to camouflage this scandal. And what was done about it? Now the matter has been settled out of court so that the truth stays hidden. And now you scream. For what? For syok sendiri is it? Remember back in 2006-2007 Malaysia Today revealed the links between the police and the underworld? Remember my article 'All Roads lead to Putrajaya'? Today, everyone is singing the song about how the police are linked to the underworld. And the lead singer in this chorus is the ex-IGP himself, the head of the underworld in the police force. And you all scream what a great guy he is and that he should be a Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the coming general election. What bullshit! What a bunch of losers you all are! I really hope that Barisan Nasional wins the general election so that I can have the pleasure of seeing your faces when I write my "I told you so" article. A month ago I wrote a report called 'No, it is not over yet'. (READ HERE). And what did you do about it? Now read the Malaysiakini news report below called 'Jan 3 decision on AG's objection to Rosli's revelation'. Yes, lawyer Rosli Dahlan is being fixed up by Malaysia's legal system. And I wrote about it a month ago and nothing was done about the matter. On Thursday this week, 3rd January 2013, Rosli is going to become yet another of the many victims of Malaysia's corrupt legal system. Do you care? Will anyone do something about it? Will Rosli suffer the same fate as the many who came before Malaysia's legal system and were denied justice? Or will you just wait until it happens so that you can exploit this whole thing for political gain? I suspect you want it to happen. I suspect you want Rosli to suffer injustice. And then when it happens you can use this episode as an election issue. You do not care about justice. You just want to use injustice as a political issue and to win votes. You want people to suffer so that you can win the election. What is it that the court is trying to block Rosli from revealing? How will Rosli's testimony hurt those who walk in the corridors of power? We should be concerned about what they are trying to deny us from knowing, not about exploiting issues for political gain. We should come out and warn the judge that on 3rd January 2013 if they deny Rosli justice then expect our wrath. We should make sure that Rosli receives justice and not hope that he suffers injustice so that we can use that as an election issue. Okay, read (below) what are the secrets that they are trying to keep a secret. They want to block Rosli from testifying and also want to expunge his Affidavit so that Malaysians will never discover the truth. But Malaysia Today is going to reveal the truth anyway whether they block it or not. And that is the job of Malaysia Today. We reveal the untold story. We engage in pre-emption strikes. Our job is not to exploit issues for political gain and to win elections. And that is what makes Malaysia Today far better than all the others. We reveal secrets to educate you. Others do so to win votes. And idiots do not know the difference. Are you one of those idiots? Chances are you are. ********************************************** Jan 3 decision on AG's objection to Rosli's revelation Hafiz Yatim, Malaysiakini In a wicked twist, the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday refused to grant Rosli Dahlan time to file an affidavit in reply to the Attorney-General's application to remove certain paragraphs in the lawyer's witness statement regarding the 'Copgate' affair. The senior federal counsel in the case had only affirmed an affidavit submitted on Thursday to oppose Rosli's witness statement and open testimony in court. What was peculiar in the senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad's application was that he had deposed it himself, whereas it is usual practice for the affirmation to be done by another senior officer. In the affidavit, the AG's Chambers reproduced all of Rosli's statements, which it opposed, making them public. Despite this, Justice Hue Siew Kheng refused to grant Rosli time to submit his affidavit-in-reply to Azizan's application, ordering the parties to submit yesterday afternoon in her chambers. Justice Hue then fixed Wednesday for a decision on the AG's Chamber's objection to expunge certain paragraphs. On Nov 28 it was reported that the AG's Chambers, representing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's predecessor the Anti-Corruption Agency and the government, had opposed Rosli's application to read out his witness statement and also wanted expunged certain portions of it related to Copgate and other matters. The Copgate affair involved former inspector-general of police (IGP) Musa Hassan and attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail alleged to be the hidden hands in providing protection to an underworld figure named Goh Cheng Poh, also known as Tengku Goh. At the previous session, Justice Hue had allowed Rosli to read out his witness statement in open court, which had been fixed for Jan 25 during the hearing of the RM50 million suit. 'Goh's arrest viewed as disloyal act' Rosli, in his writ filed in 2009, had described the acrimonious relationship between former Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Ramli Yusuff and Musa, and how the IGP had used the ACA and the AG's Chambers to implicate him and Ramli in the wake of Goh's arrest. Rosli said he acted for Ramli and the then-deputy home minister Johari Baharom against Goh's habeas corpus application in 2007, after the AG's Chambers reneged on drawing up their affidavits. The lawyer claimed that Musa saw Goh's arrest as an act of disloyalty on Ramli's part, resulting in the IGP initiating further ACA investigations against him, thus straining the Musa, Ramli and Johari relationship. Rosli also claimed that he earned Musa's wrath and that of the attorney-general's when he drew up the affidavits for Ramli and Johari, triggering the ACA probe against him and his subsequent arrest. He said an ACA officer kicked his leg, twisted his arms and handcuffed him tightly, resulting in lacerations and swelling of his wrists. He gave his statement at the ACA headquarters, but was held overnight and taken to court and charged on the eve of Hari Raya, on Oct 27, 2007. These were malicious actions out to tarnish his image, he added in his writ. However, the KL Sessions Court had acquitted Rosli without calling his defence, on the charge of not complying with the agency's procedures to declare his assets. The prosecution had withdrawn its appeal against the acquittal earlier this year. ******************************************* WHAT THEY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW 
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| Dubious backers of regime change Posted: 29 Dec 2012 02:04 PM PST 
AS Malaysia prepares for a general election, distrust of the political opposition and accusations of foreign interference have been major talking points in the political frequencies emanating from Kuala Lumpur. Premesh Chandran, the chief executive officer of the nation's most prominent alternative media outlet, Malaysiakini, is a grantee of Soros' Open Society Foundations and launched the news organisation with a US$100,000 (RM300,000) grant from the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance, another organisation with dubious affiliations to the US State Department. Nile Bowie, RT Umno leads the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, and has maintained power since independence in 1957. One of Malaysia's most recognisable figures is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been credited with ushering in large-scale economic growth and overseeing the nation's transition from an exporter of palm oil, tin and other raw materials, into an industrialised economy that manufactures cars and electronic goods. The opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, is headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who once held the post of deputy prime minister in Dr Mahathir's administration, but was sacked over major disagreements on how to steer the economy during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Today, the political climate in Malaysia is highly polarised. Malaysia's current leader, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has pursued a reform-minded agenda by repealing authoritarian legislation of the past and dramatically loosening controls on expression and political pluralism. Najib has rolled back the Internal Security Act, which allowed for indefinite detention without trial, and has liberalised rules regarding the publication of books and newspapers. During Malaysia's 2008 general election, the Barisan Nasional coalition experienced its worst result in decades, with Pakatan Rakyat winning 82 parliamentary seats. For the first time, the ruling party was deprived of its two-thirds parliamentary majority, which is required to pass amendments to the Federal Constitution. In the run up to elections scheduled to take place before an April next year deadline, figures from all sides of the political spectrum are asking questions about the opposition's links to foreign funders in Washington. Dr Mahathir has long captured the ire of officials from Washington and Tel Aviv, and though he's retired, he has channelled his energies into the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, which recently hosted an international conference in Kuala Lumpur calling for a new investigation into the events of 9/11 and has sought to investigate war crimes committed in Gaza, Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr Mahathir has been an ardent critic of Israel and organisations, such as AIPAC, and has recently accused US-based organisations, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Open Society Institute (OSI), of holding a concealed intention to influence Malaysia's domestic politics through the funding of local non-govrnmental organisations (NGOs) and groups directly linked to Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat coalition. In an article the former prime minister published in the New Straits Times, a leading mainstream newspaper, Dr Mahathir accuses financier George Soros and his organisation, OSI, of "promoting democracy" in eastern Europe to pave the way for colonisation by global finance capital. Dr Mahathir acknowledges how OSI pumped millions into opposition movements and independent media in Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia under the guise of strengthening civil society, only to have like-minded individuals nominated by Soros' own foundation come to power in those countries. The former prime minister has also pointed to how Egypt (prior to Mohamad Morsi taking power) had cracked down on NGOs affiliated with NED, namely groups such as the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Freedom House, which are all recipients of funding from the US State Department. In Malaysia, high-profile NGOs and media outlets have admittedly received funding from OSI and satellite organisations of NED. Premesh Chandran, the chief executive officer of the nation's most prominent alternative media outlet, Malaysiakini, is a grantee of Soros' Open Society Foundations and launched the news organisation with a US$100,000 (RM300,000) grant from the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance, another organisation with dubious affiliations to the US State Department. Malaysiakini has come under pressure from local journalists for the lack of transparency in its financial management and hesitance in revealing the value of its shares. Additionally, Suaram, an NGO promoting human rights, has borne heavy criticism over its funding and organisational structure. The Companies Commission of Malaysia launched investigations into Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, a private company linked to Suaram, and found it to be a conduit for money being used to channel funds from NED. The German embassy in Kuala Lumpur had reportedly admitted that it has provided funds to Suaram's project in 2010. Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman followed by making strong statements to the German ambassador and declared that Germany's actions could be viewed as interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state. Since 2007, Bersih, an association of NGOs calling itself the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, staged three street protests in which thousands of yellow-clad demonstrators took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur demanding electoral reform. After coming under heavy scrutiny for obfuscating funding sources, Bersih coalition leader Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan admitted that her organisation receives funding from the National Democratic Institute and OSI. Ambiga herself has been the recipient of the US State Department's Award for International Women of Courage, and was present in Washington in 2009 to receive the award directly from the hands of Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While Ambiga's organisation claimed to be non-partisan and apolitical, members of the political opposition openly endorsed the movement, and some were even present at the demonstrations.
While a large percentage of urbanites with legitimate grievances are quick to acknowledge the government's shortcomings, many are hesitant to back Anwar because of his connections with neo-conservative thinkers in Washington and general disunity within the opposition. Anwar maintains close ties with senior American officials and organisations such as NED. In 2005, Anwar chaired the Washington-based Foundation for the Future, established and funded by the US Department of State at the behest of Elizabeth Cheney, the daughter of then vice-president Dick Cheney, thanks in large part to his cozy relationship with Paul Wolfowitz.
While Anwar was on trial for allegedly engaging in sodomy with a male aide (of which he was acquitted some time later), Wolfowitz and former US vice-president Al Gore authored a joint opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal in support of Anwar, while the Washington Post published an editorial calling for consequences that would affect Malaysia's relations with Washington if Anwar was to be found guilty. Anwar enraged many when he stated that he would support policy to protect the security of Israel in an interview with the Wall Street Journal; this is particularly controversial in Malaysia, where support for Palestine is largely unanimous.
Malaysian political scientist Dr Chandra Muzaffar writes: "It is obvious that by acknowledging the primacy of Israeli security, Anwar was sending a clear message to the deep state and to Tel Aviv and Washington that he is someone that they could trust. In contrast, the Najib government, in spite of its attempts to get closer to Washington, remains critical of Israeli aggression and intransigence. Najib has described the Israeli government as a 'serial killer' and a 'gangster'".
Members of BN have addressed Anwar's connections to NED in Parliament, including his participation in NED's "Democracy Award" event held in Washington in 2007. Independent journalists have uncovered letters written by Anwar, two of which were sent to NED president Carl Gershman in Washington that discussed sending an international election observer team to Malaysia and general issues related to electoral reform.
A third letter was sent to Soros, expressing interest in collaborating with an accountability firm headed by Anwar. Pakatan Rakyat's communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad verified the authenticity of the documents. This should come as little surprise as Anwar's economic policies have historically aligned with institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, in contrast to Dr Mahathir, whose protectionist economic policies opposed international financial institutions and allowed Malaysia to navigate and largely resurface from the 1997 Asian financial crisis unscathed.
An issue that concerns secular and non-Muslim voters is the role of Pas as part of the opposition. In sharp contrast to the moderate brand of Islam preached by Umno, the organisation's primary objective is the founding of an Islamic state.
Pas has spoken of working within the framework of Malaysia's parliamentary democracy, but holds steadfast to implementing syariah on a national scale, which would lead to confusing implications for Malaysia's sizeable non-Muslim population. The debate around the implementation of hudud is something that other Pakatan Rakyat coalition members, such as figures in the Democratic Action Party, have been unable to agree on.
Pas enjoys support from rural Malay Muslims in states such as Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, though it has limited appeal to urbanites. While certain individuals in Pas have raised questions about NGOs receiving foreign funding, Dr Mahathir has insinuated that Pas' leadership has been largely complicit: "They (foreign interests) want to topple the government through the demonstration and Nik Aziz (the spiritual leader of Pas) said it is permissible to bring down the government in this manner. They want to make Malaysia like Egypt, Tunisia, which were brought down through riots and now Syria. When the government does not fall, they (Pakatan Rakyat) can appeal to the foreign power to help and bring down, even if it means using firepower."
It must be acknowledged that the current administration led by Najib has made great strides towards improving relations with Washington. At a meeting with President Barack Obama in 2010, Najib offered Malaysia's assistance to cooperate with the United States to engage the Muslim world; Najib also expressed willingness to deploy Malaysian aid personnel to Afghanistan, and allegedly agreed on the need to maintain a unified front on Iran's nuclear programme.
Najib has employed a Washington-based public relations firm, Apco, to improve Malaysia's image in the US and has embraced American economic leadership of the region through his support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Some would argue that Najib is perhaps the most pro-American leader Malaysia has ever had.
Despite Najib having good rapport with formal Western leaders, it is clear with whom the think-tank policy architects, Zionist lobbies, and foundation fellows have placed their loyalties.
Sentiment among Malaysia's youth and "pro-democracy" activists, who constitute a small but vocal minority, tend to be entirely dismissive of the "regime change" narrative, viewing it as pre-election diversionary rhetoric of the ruling party. While bogeymen of the Zionist variety are often invoked in Malaysian political discourse, it would be negligent to ignore the effects of Washington-sponsored "democracy promotion" in the global context, which have in recent times cloaked mercenary elements and insurgents in the colours of freedom fighting, and successfully masked geopolitical restructuring and the ushering in of neo-liberal capitalism with the hip and fashionable vigour of "people power" coups.
As the United States continues to increase its military presence in the Pacific region in line with its strategic policy shift to East Asia, policymakers in Washington would like to see compliant heads of state who will act to further American interests in the Asean region.
Let's not ignore the elephant in the room; the real purpose of America's resurgence of interest in the Asean bloc is to fortify the region as a counterweight against Beijing.
The defence ministries of Malaysia and China held a landmark defence and security consultation in September, in addition to frequent bilateral state visits and enhanced economic cooperation. It was Najib's father, second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, who made the landmark visit to Beijing to normalise relations in 1974, and under his son Najib, Sino-Malaysian relations and cooperation have never been better.
Following the global economic crisis of 2008, Najib looked to Beijing to revive Malaysia's export-oriented economy, emphasising increased Chinese investment in Malaysia and expanding the base of Sino-Malaysian trade in areas like education and student exchange, finance, infrastructure development, science and technology, yielding lucrative and mutually beneficial results. In asking the question of regime change in Malaysia, Chandra reflects on Washington's moves to bolster its military muscle and dominance over the Asia-Pacific region:
"Establishing a military base in Darwin (Australia), resurrecting the US' military alliance with the Philippines, coaxing Japan to play a more overt military role in the region, instigating Vietnam to confront China over the Spratly Islands, and encouraging India to counterbalance Chinese power, are all part and parcel of the larger US agenda of encircling and containing China.
"In pursuing this agenda, the US wants reliable allies -- not just friends -- in Asia. In this regard, Malaysia is important because of its position as a littoral state with sovereign rights over the Straits of Malacca, which is one of China's most critical supply routes that transports much of the oil and other materials vital for its economic development.
"Will the containment of China lead to a situation where the hegemon, determined to perpetuate its dominant power, seek to exercise control over the straits in order to curb China's ascendancy? Would a trusted ally in Kuala Lumpur facilitate such control? The current Malaysian leadership does not fit the bill."
Pakatan Rakyat has yet to offer a fully coherent organisational programme, and if the coalition ever came to power, the disunity of its component parties and their inability to agree on fundamental policies would be enough to conjure angrier, disenchanted youth back on to the streets, in larger numbers perhaps.
What is ticklishly ironic about reading op-eds penned by the likes of Wolfowitz and Gore, and how they laud Malaysia as a progressive and moderate model Islamic state, is that they concurrently demonise its leadership and dismiss them as authoritarian thugs.
Surely, the ruling coalition has its shortcomings; the politicisation of race and religion, noted cases of corrupt officials squandering funds, etc -- but far too few, especially those of the middle-class who benefit most from energy subsidies, acknowledge the tremendous economic growth achieved under the current leadership and the success of its populist policies.
Najib has acknowledged the need for broad reforms of Malaysia's state-owned enterprises over concerns that crony capitalism may deter foreign investment; this should be rolled out concurrently with programmes to foster more local entrepreneurship. To put it bluntly, the opposition lacks confidence from the business community and foreign investors; even the likes of JP Morgan have issued statements of concern over an opposition win.
It should be noted that if Islamists ever wielded greater influence in Malaysia under an opposition coalition, one could imagine a sizeable exodus of non-Muslim minorities and a subsequent flight of foreign capital, putting the nation's economy in a fragile and fractured state. And yet, the US has poured millions into "democracy promotion" efforts to strengthen the influence of NGOs that distort realities and cast doubt over the government's ability to be a coherent actor.
Malaysia does not have the kind of instability that warrants overt external intervention; backing regime-change efforts may only go so far as supporting dissidents and groups affiliated with Anwar.
According to Ambiga, Malaysia's electoral process is so restrictive that a mass movement like Bersih is required to purge the system of its backwardness. These are curious statements, considering that the opposition gained control of four out of 13 states in 2008, including Selangor, a key economic state with the highest gross domestic product and most developed infrastructure.
In response, Najib has adhered to Bersih's demands and has called for electoral reform, forming a parliamentary select committee comprising members from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional.
As elections loom, Ambiga is already dubbing them "the dirtiest elections ever seen" -- unsurprising rhetoric from a woman being handed her talking points by the US embassy.
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| MCA bantah harga siling telefon pintar RM500 Posted: 29 Dec 2012 01:51 PM PST 
Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider MCA menyuarakan bantahan terhadap penetapan harga siling telefon pintar bagi rebat RM200 kerana golongan belia hanya akan mendapat telefon pintar "cikai" pada harga tersebut. Presidennya Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek menegaskan, penetapan harga RM500 dan ke bawah bagi pembelian telefon pintar untuk rebat yang diumumkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak ketika pembentangan Bajet 2013 September lalu akan menyekat golongan belia untuk mengoptimumkan penggunaan telefon pintar tersebut. "Saya tak setuju smartphone harga RM500 ke bawah ... RM200 itu menunjukkan keprihatinan BN (Barisan Nasional) supaya pemuda kita optimakan penggunaan smartphone," katanya kepada pemberita malam tadi. Sepatutnya tiada harga siling ... itu smartphone "cikai", tak tahan lama," tegasnya lagi. Jelas Dr Chua, penetapan harga RM500 itu bukanlah satu keputusan yang baik walaupun seteru BN, pembangkang dari Pakatan Rakyat (PR) tidak mempunyai inisiatif sedemikian. "Pada hemat saya itu keputusan tidak bijak ... namun begitu kalau dibandingkan dengan PR kita lebih baik, mereka tak prihatin belia dalam bajet mereka," katanya dan mengambil contoh PR tidak mensasarkan golongan belia dalam bajet mereka seperti tiada bantuan murid membeli buku, rebat untuk telefon pintar, serta menggalakkan golongan wanita menceburi perniagaan. Najib ketika pembentangan Bajet 2013 mengumumkan rebat RM200 khas kepada golongan belia untuk pembelian telefon pintar. Bagi tujuan itu, kerajaan BN telah memperuntukkan sebanyak RM300 juta untuk rebat yang layak diterima oleh golongan belia berusia lingkungan antara 21 hingga 30 tahun dan berpendapatan kurang RM3,000 bagi rebat tersebut. Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) baru-baru ini telah menetapkan bahawa rebat RM200 itu hanyalah untuk telefon pintar yang berharga maksimum RM500. 1.5 juta belia dijangka akan menerima manfaat daripada rebat tersebut. |
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