Rabu, 30 Januari 2013

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


The long and the short of it

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:34 PM PST

But what will happen, say, in 2057, 100 years after Merdeka, when the children and grandchildren of those three million pendatang -- who by then may number five million and hold Malaysian identity cards because they were born in Malaysia -- all want to vote as overseas voters although they had left the country a long time ago and never once went back to Malaysia?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are those who oppose the Islamic criminal law of Hudud. When we ask them as to why they oppose Hudud they will reply that it is because under the Hudud law they cut off the hands of thieves. Hence Hudud is a very barbaric law. Rather than cut off the hands of thieves they should instead be killed with a bullet in the head like what they do to highway robbers and other thieves in China, corrupt officials and female robbers included.

Well, I suppose a bullet in the head is less barbaric than having to live with only one hand.

Let's say for argument's sake I argue: so what if they cut off the hands of thieves? Why are you so worried about that if you are not a thief? Aren't you the ones who are complaining about the extremely high crime rate in Malaysia? Aren't you the ones alleging that the police are not doing their job? Maybe we need a law such as Hudud to solve the serious crime problem that appears to be spinning out of control.

Only thieves should be worried about and oppose Hudud. If you are so opposed to Hudud then that can only mean one thing -- you are a thief. If you are not a thief then why are you so opposed to Hudud? And it appears like more non-Malays than Malays oppose Hudud. This can only mean that there are more non-Malay thieves than Malay thieves.

I suppose this statement makes as much sense as the statement that if you do not support Pakatan Rakyat then you must be a Barisan Nasional supporter (if you do not support Hudud then you must be a thief). There can be no other logical reason for you to not support Pakatan Rakyat just like there can be no other logical reason for you to not support Hudud.

Can you see that when we apply your same logic to another situation your logic no longer sounds logical?

And that is the problem with many of you. Your logic is not universal. It can be used only to support your prejudiced view but when applied to another argument it sounds real silly.

The Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act are draconian laws. Why are they draconian laws? Well, because these laws are used against the opposition, to stifle dissent, and to deny Malaysians their freedom of speech. Hence the Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act must be abolished. And if Pakatan Rakyat ever takes over the federal government this is one of the first things they must do -- abolish the Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act.

However, before they abolish these laws, they must first be used against those on the 'other side'. Once those from the 'other side' have been dealt with only then should these laws be abolished.

In fact, if Pakatan Rakyat takes over, we should implement Hudud and use that law to cut off the hands of those crooks from the ruling party. Once all their hands have been cut off we can then abolish the Hudud law.

What are we fighting for? We are fighting for justice. And how do we get justice? We get justice by abolishing bad laws and by reforming the system. Should we do all that now? No, we do that only after we have taken revenge on our enemies. Is revenge justice? Yes, but only if taken against the other side, not if taken against our own people.

It is not fair that Malaysians who have left the country for longer than five years and have not returned to the country for at least 30 days over those five years are not allowed to vote as an overseas voter. Even if those Malaysians left the country 30 or 40 years ago and never once went back to Malaysia they should still be allowed to vote (as long as they still have an identity card, of course, because you need this to vote).

What happens if one million of the three million foreigners who now possess Malaysian identity cards go home to their original countries? Can they be allowed to vote as overseas voters? Your entitlement to vote depends on you possessing a Malaysian identity card. Hence if you have a Malaysian identity card then you are entitled to vote.

And what happens if these people had left Malaysia more than ten years ago and never once came back to Malaysia? Should they still be allowed to vote?

You may argue that they should not be allowed to vote because although they possess Malaysian identity cards they were not born in Malaysia. Ah, but then their children were. Their children possess Malaysian identity cards that show they were born in Malaysia although they left Malaysia ten years ago and now live in another country. So why can't they be allowed to vote?

Back in 1957, when Malaya first gained independence, the Chinese and Indians came from China and India and were given Malaysian citizenship. Subsequently, the children of those 'pendatang' were born in the country. Hence the descendants of these pre-1957 immigrants are Malaysian born and should not be called 'pendatang'.

Agreed, it is wrong to call the present generation Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent 'pendatang'. Their parents or grandparents may have been pendatang back in 1957. But the present crop of Malaysian-born Chinese and Indians are not pendatang and should not be treated as pendatang or called 'pendatang'.

But what will happen, say, in 2057, 100 years after Merdeka, when the children and grandchildren of those three million pendatang -- who by then may number five million and hold Malaysian identity cards because they were born in Malaysia -- all want to vote as overseas voters although they had left the country a long time ago and never once went back to Malaysia?

Sometimes we need to look short term, such as over the next two months leading to the coming general election. Sometimes we need to look long term, say 30 years down the road. And sometimes we need to balance between short-term and long-term goals.

When the government came out with its education policy it looked short term and not long term. And now, many years down the road, we are paying for this short-sighted and short-term strategy.

But the damage has been done. It is not going to be that easy to rectify things. It may take a whole generation to correct our mistakes of the past -- and even then only if we are prepared to bite the bullet and are prepared to suffer the high casualty rate.

Are we prepared to allow the Malays to become casualties in the interest of a better education system based on meritocracy? Neither Najib Tun Razak nor Anwar Ibrahim would dare say 'yes' to this question.

Things are going to get worse before they become better. The cure may be as painful as the disease. But I am sure neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat would be prepared to take the risk of a political fallout out if they try to change the education system and see Malays fall by the wayside because they are just not good enough.

It is like promising no taxation and promising to give all the oil money back to the states. How would we finance the country? No doubt that type of promise is going to help win votes. But what do you do after you win the votes?

To make money we need to plant oil palm trees. To plant oil palm trees we need to burn down the forests. When we burn down the forests we create an ecological problem. So we don't burn down the forests to prevent an ecological problem. But since we don't burn down the forests we can't plant oil palm trees. And because we can't plant oil palm trees we can't make money.

Life is full of vicious cycles. And Malaysia can win the gold medal in vicious cycles if that happened to be an event in the Olympic games.

*****************************************

Use of Sedition Act is wrong

Yin Shao Loong, The Malaysian Insider

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee stated that the Sedition Act should be used on Ibrahim Ali because the latter had advocated the burning of bibles.

Even though Lim acknowledged that the Bar holds that the law should be repealed, it should nonetheless be used against Ibrahim if the government is charging opposition leaders such as Karpal Singh under it.

Burning any book as a political act is vulgar, uncultured and should be condemned. Invoking the use of a draconian law to punish book burning, or incitement to burn books, is a capitulation to authoritarianism.

By taking this stance, Lim and the Bar he leads have undermined any claim to principled opposition to the Sedition Act. Their rationale is akin to those who proposed maintaining the Internal Security Act (ISA) so it could be used one last time against the puppet master of Operation Lallang.

Even if Lim's intent was to underline how the present government selectively enforces the law, his argument was poorly chosen because it was based on the logic that two wrongs would make a right.

The Sedition Act has been a convenient and objectionable tool of authoritarian power in Malaysia due to its broad applicability against anything that could be construed as raising ill-will or hostility within society or against the authorities.

Anyone can claim they had feelings of ill-will or hostility raised by someone's statement or action, proceed to file a police report, and have someone investigated for sedition. Of course, the odds of successful prosecution would improve if the accused happened to be someone not favoured by the government.

Historically, sedition was associated with absolutist monarchies. Undemocratic governments criminalise sedition because they fear dissent will destabilise authority based on force, heredity or property. The rule of the few over the many requires some form of institutionalised discrimination, fear and suppression of criticism.

Democracies incorporate criticism into their system of government and allow the many to use their votes to initiate peaceful, orderly changes in government.

As long as I have known it, the Bar Council has stood for the principled movement towards full-fledged constitutional democracy in Malaysia. Supporting the use of the Sedition Act is a backward step contrary to human rights.

Lim has already noted that any book-burning act or incitement to such act can be prosecuted under those sections of the Penal Code that deal with abetment and trespass.

Additionally, sections 298 and 298A of the Penal Code deal with acts designed to cause hurt on religious grounds, section 504 covers intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, and section 505 refers to statements promoting public mischief.

It is reasonable to file a police report, or call for laws to be employed, where the actions in question are criminal, excluding those legitimate forms of dissent criminalised by the Sedition Act, ISA, Printing Presses and Publications Act, and so forth.

One group of citizens is opposing the barbaric act of book burning by inviting people to join in reading holy books — any books, in fact — under the trees at KLCC park on Sunday.

Others have filed a police report against Ibrahim, citing many of the Penal Code sections referred to above, but without recourse to the Sedition Act or any of its repressive bedfellows.

These are civilised means of opposing an uncivilised act.

If we want to move Malaysia out of the shadow of authoritarianism we cannot condone the very methods of authoritarianism. This means that race-baiting, repressive laws and impunity must be abandoned in favour of principled debate, peaceful protest, accountability and reform.

 

How capitalism breeds social problems

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 05:53 PM PST

So, if we want to reduce the three million 'foreign population' of Malaysia then the plantations, construction companies, SMI factories, etc., should stop employing them. And to do that we need a minimum wage of at least RM1,200-RM1,5000 (or thereabouts) a month. With that salary level Malaysians would be prepared to work and hence you do not need to employ foreigners and then give them Malaysian citizenship.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Subra: Minimum wage to avoid unnecessary hiring of foreigners

(The Star) - The minimum wage policy, which came into effect this year, is to avoid the unnecessary hiring of foreign workers, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

For example at petrol stations, he said, people have to accept the idea of self-service when filling up their cars.

Petrol dealers have implemented the minimum wage as of January 1, throwing some 50,000 foreigners out of work.

"The change that we are looking for will not happen overnight," Dr Subramaniam said adding that the minimum wage policy was also implemented to channel workers to other sectors which are in need of labour.

He said there were no provisions in the current law to allow companies to delay implementing the policy.

"Employers need to deal with the new policy but if they have problems, they can forward their concerns to us and we will try and help them," he said.

The minimum wage policy requires companies to pay a minimum wage of RM900 in the peninsula and RM800 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

Subramaniam said the ministry was also discussing with employers on issues relating to levy and allowances for housing and transportation of the foreign workers.

"Employers want the levy and allowances to be born by the workers. The issue is up to the Cabinet to decide on what action to be taken," he said on Sunday.

*****************************************

I used to live in Bukit Rahman Putra (BRP5) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor -- from end-December 1996 to end-February 2009. One day we noticed that around midnight or so there would be a foul smell in the air. We spent days trying to track the source of this smell but failed to do so.

We then met up ('we' meaning the residents' committee) with the officers from Jabatan Alam Sekitar (the Department of the Environment) to discuss this matter and to explore what they could do about what was apparently a bad case of air pollution -- and we suspected most toxic as well since this happens only past midnight and not in the daytime when it could be detected easily.

What the officers told us surprised us. Most of those factories at the bottom of the hill where we live are not licensed, they told us. Hence, since they are not licensed, the Department of the Environment cannot do anything about them. They can only take action against licensed factories. They have no jurisdiction over illegal factories and businesses.

Who then can take action? Well, this comes under the jurisdiction of the land office and the local council. So we need to raise this matter with the land office and the local council. However, since these two agencies are amongst the most corrupted agencies (and they still are even though Pakatan Rakyat has been ruling Selangor for almost five years now) we should not expect any action to be taken.

The Department of the Environment should know because they too have faced problems in trying to solve this matter. The factory owners just pay 'under-the-table' money to the officers from the land office and local council and they can practically get away with murder. (In fact, you can literally also get away with murder in Malaysia the same way).

I then did a tour of the area from the Sungai Buloh KTM railway station right up to the old leprosy settlement/new Sungai Buloh Hospital. I discovered that the area was 'infested' with foreign workers, mostly from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc. And the majority of these people were either illegal immigrants or were holding Malaysian identity cards, which means they are Malaysian citizens.

From my rough estimate I concluded that the ratio of 'foreign' population to locals was probably two-to-one -- though since they owned Malaysian identity cards they would be regarded as Malaysian citizens rather than foreigners. It seems it is not that difficult for these 'foreigners' to become Malaysian citizens. All it needs is money, which their employers would gladly pay and then deduct the amount from their salaries later.

I then did a 'census' of the many Sungai Buloh factories at the foot of Bukit Rahman Putra (next to the Hong Leong Yamaha factory) and I found that all these factories are Chinese-owned. There are no Malay- or Indian-owned factories (except for one Indian carpet dealer, which is not a factory but a warehouse). And all their workers are foreigners (except for the managerial postions, who are Chinese), but not necessarily illegal workers, as most owned Malaysian identity cards.

I also discovered that not only is the area from the KTM railway station up to the old leprosy settlement/new Sungai Buloh Hospital 'infested' with 'foreigners'. When I drove in the opposite direction towards Tasek Biru, it is the same thing, although the ratio there is not as high as two-to-one. Nevertheless, there is a huge 'foreign' community there as well.

Why is there such a high foreign community (both illegal as well as those with Malaysian identity cards) in Sungai Buloh? Well, that is because the many Chinese-owned factories and construction companies pay low wages and only foreigners would want to work at these pathetically low wages. No Malaysians want to do a labourer's job in the factories and on the construction sites.

And that is why the SMIs and construction companies are opposed to the minimum wage. If you can remember, last year they spoke up against the implementation of the minimum wage. If there is no minimum wage and salaries are kept low then these businesses make more money. But that would also mean only foreigners from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc., would want to do such work. Malaysians would not want to work for a mere few hundred Ringgit.

The same goes for plantation companies. They employ foreigner workers because Malaysians do not want to do backbreaking work at such low wages. And many of these plantations are multi-national companies, some even GLCs (government-linked companies).

In fact, I spoke to one GLC oil palm plantation company (state government-owned) to confirm this. They employ foreigners because they can't get Malaysians to work at those low wages. And for sure no Malaysian Chinese would want to work in plantations for RM700 a month. They would rather sell pirated CDs and DVDs (they even do so in Manchester, surprisingly).

Today, we complain about the millions of 'illegal immigrants' in Malaysia. Actually they are not illegal immigrants since they have been given Malaysian identity cards. And the reason this estimated three million 'foreigners' are in Malaysia is because we employ them at very low wages. And because of the very low wages only these 'illegals' would want to work. Malaysians are not interested to suffer at such low wages.

I have bumped into many Malaysian Chinese here in the UK working as chefs and waiters/waitresses. Why do they work here in the UK and not back in Malaysia? That is because in Malaysia then can't even earn RM1,000 a month whereas in the UK they earn more than RM5,000 a month. And you can survive in the UK with RM5,000-RM6,000 a month but not in Malaysia with a mere RM800-RM900 per month.

So, if we want to reduce the three million 'foreign population' of Malaysia then the plantations, construction companies, SMI factories, etc., should stop employing them. And to do that we need a minimum wage of at least RM1,200-RM1,5000 (or thereabouts) a month. With that salary level Malaysians would be prepared to work and hence you do not need to employ foreigners and then give them Malaysian citizenship.

And the only people who can do this would be the Chinese construction companies and SMI factory owners plus the GLCs and multi-national plantation companies. It is no use screaming about the problem when we are the source of that problem.

The capitalists want to make more money. So they underpay their workers. And because they underpay their workers the jobs go to the foreigners. And these foreigners bring their families to Malaysia and their children school in Malaysia. They also tax Malaysia's health system.

It is the capitalists who are the cause of Malaysia's social problems involving foreigners. And because we need cheap labour we need to bring in three million foreign workers from the neighbouring countries.

Yes, many of these workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc., are Muslims. However, do you think the Christian Filipino girls would want to work for RM700 a month on a construction site when they can earn RM2,500 or more as a maid in Singapore (food and lodging free as well)?

Capitalism works on the law of supply and demand (just like prostitution). When there is a demand for cheap foreign labour then the supply would emerge. And the people creating this demand are the SMI factories, construction companies and plantations. And who are the owners of these SMI factories, construction companies and plantations?

Then you blame the government for this. And when I point out the reality of this situation you get angry. And this is because of the Malaysian culture of…what do you call it…kiasu, is it?

 

My favourite song, Listen

Posted: 16 Jan 2013 05:42 PM PST

As I have always said, this coming general election is not going to be about who is going to win it. It is about who is not going to lose it. And the group that makes the most mistakes is going to lose the general election mainly because the 'other side' made lesser mistakes than the side that lost.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

They say, as you get older, like me, you start to become too sentimental and emotional. That could be true. However, those who have known me for most of my life tell me that ever since they knew me back in my younger days I have always been a sentimental and emotional person.

I suppose that is quite true. I cry when I watch sad movies. When I listen to beautiful songs with even more beautiful lyrics it brings tears to my eyes. And when I saw Melanie Amaro perform 'Listen' in the X Factor I could not stop myself from getting all teary eyed. And an even bigger problem is I still need to wipe my eyes even till today although I have watched and listened to Melanie perform that song countless times.

Many accuse me of being too sentimental and emotional in my writings. Some even sent me nasty messages whacking me for my series The journey in life is never a straight line, which has temporarily stopped at episode 20. "We are not interested to read about your stupid life," they tell me. "Stop writing about yourself," they say. "Just write about the coming general election."

Listen is the latest 'phenomena' in Malaysia. This is the result of the exchange between Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin and KS Bawani at the UUM event. In the last general election in 2008, the catchphrase was 'correct, correct, correct'. It looks like in the coming general election expected in February-March this year, the catchphrase is going to be 'listen, listen, listen'.

As I have always said, this coming general election is not going to be about who is going to win it. It is about who is not going to lose it. And the group that makes the most mistakes is going to lose the general election mainly because the 'other side' made lesser mistakes than the side that lost.

The trouble is, both sides are blundering big time, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. And we do not know how the voters are going to react to these numerous blunders. Nevertheless, voters being voters, and they are the same all over the world, Malaysians are quite prepared to suffer an attack of denial syndrome and allow all these transgressions to be pushed into the background.

Many have asked me what my stand is. They say they are not too clear about my stand and they do not know whether I support Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. They want to know whether I even have a stand in the first place.

Yes, I do have a stand. And I decided more than two years ago back in 2010 what my stand was going to be. However, as much as I tried to explain what this stand is, many still do not get it.

I am too 'complicated' for most of them to comprehend. They want me to make things simpler for them. They want to know which herd I am joining. Am I joining the Barisan Nasional herd or the Pakatan Rakyat herd?

Herds are for cows. I know Sharifah Zohra Jabeen said even cows have problems. But I am not a cow. So I do not need to have any 'cow problems' by joining any specific herd.

So, what is the answer then? What is my stand? Which herd am I joining? Well, I will let Melanie Amaro answer that question. These lyrics explain where I am coming from and if you still do not get it then you are not the type of reader that I want for Malaysia Today.

 

Listen to the song here in my heart

A melody I start but can't complete

Listen to the sound from deep within

It's only beginning to find release

 

Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard

They will not be pushed aside and turned

Into your own all 'cause you won't

Listen

 

Listen, I am alone at a crossroads

I'm not at home in my own home

And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind

You should have known

 

Oh, now I'm done believing you

You don't know what I'm feeling

I'm more than what you made of me

I followed the voice you gave to me

But now I've gotta find my own

 

You should have listened, there is someone here inside

Someone I thought had died so long ago

Oh, I'm screaming out and my dreams'll be heard

They will not be pushed aside on words

Into your own all 'cause you won't

Listen

cfxGKyYyom8

SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfxGKyYyom8

 

 

Yo, people, listen up!

Posted: 14 Jan 2013 07:16 PM PST

And herein lies the tragedy. When I talk to the non-Malay students I get the impression that those selected and sent overseas are the crème de la crème. But when I talk to the Malay students I do not get this impression. In fact, if I had been given the job of vetting through the students, many, or maybe even the majority, of those selected would have been disqualified.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin certainly stirred a hornet's nest and in the process spawned an entirely new satire/music video industry. So much has been said about this incident that I think it is totally unnecessary for me to comment about the matter any further.

What is of interest to me, however, is Sharifah's comparison of those with a mere 'O' level to those who are university graduates. According to her, those who do not have a tertiary education are inferior to those who do.

Actually, if you were to drive on Malaysian roads, you will never be able to differentiate between those who have no (or a lower) education and those who have a higher/tertiary education. From their bad manners on the road and the inconsiderate attitude that they demonstrate, you will never be able to tell the difference.

If education is meant to make you a better and more learned person, Malaysia has certainly failed in this respect. Whether you have a Ph.D. or you are a fisherman or farmer it makes no difference. The way Malaysians drive, those who have a Ph.D. and those who have never gone to school are exactly the same.

I have said this before, many times, and I am going to say it again. In the UK, you go to a driving school to learn how to drive. That is because you need to know how to drive to be able to pass your driving test and get a driving licence.

In Malaysia, you go to driving school to learn how to pass your driving test. It does not matter whether you know how to drive or not. Passing your driving test and getting your driving licence does not depend on whether you know how to drive. It depends on whether you got your driving licence 'through' the driving school.

Hence people who know how to drive, but did not go through a driving school to sit for their driving test, will fail the driving test while those who do not know how to drive, but went through a driving school to sit for their driving test, would pass the driving test.

And that is why the majority of Malaysians do not know how to drive plus the fatality rate due to traffic accidents in Malaysia, on a per capita basis, is ten times that of the UK.  

Actually, more than half of those people driving on Malaysian roads should never have been allowed to drive. The tragedy is not so much that they kill themselves but that they kill others due to their recklessness and inconsiderate attitude.

Do you want to know one thing? If you have a driving licence from Brunei, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Canada, Australia, the Republic of Korea, (mainly the Commonwealth and EU countries), etc., (a total of 50 countries in all) you can exchange it for a UK driving licence. Malaysian driving licences, however, are not accepted for exchange. That says a lot about the 'quality' of Malaysian driving licences.

And the same applies to Malaysia's education system. Just like in the case of Malaysian driving schools, Malaysia's education system is not about getting an education and becoming learned but about passing your exams.

And they will 'lower the bar' if necessary to allow more people to 'jump over'. Hence those who do not deserve to pass get passed and are then sent for their tertiary education, and in some cases to an overseas university.

Over the last four years since 2009, I have bumped into many Malaysian students -- those post graduate students doing their masters and/or Ph.D. as well. And I have come to a very troubling conclusion. Nevertheless, this is merely my own opinion and, not being from the academic field, I am looking at things from the eyes of a layman and not from the eyes of an academician.

First of all, Malaysian Malays at overseas universities are mostly government-sponsored students while those non-Malay Malaysians, according to what they tell me, are FAMA-sponsored students.

When they first told me they are 'FAMA-sponsored' students I thought they meant FAMA the Lembaga Pemasaran Pertanian Persekutuan (SEE HERE: http://www.fama.gov.my/). "Does FAMA give out scholarships or grants?" I asked these non-Malay and mostly Chinese students. This was certainly news to me.

I had to chuckle when they explained that FAMA means fada-mada (father-mother). But this is no chuckling matter. I feel it is sinful that all the Malay students are 'government scholars' whereas the non-Malay students are 'private funded'. Why is there not a more equitable balance, at par with the racial composition of the country?

I know this has, for a long time, been a bone of contention amongst the non-Malays. The Malays, no doubt, hide behind the New Economic Policy (NEP) to justify this 'sin' while the non-Malays resent the NEP for this very reason. Hence discussing this matter is just going to open up a can of worms and I suspect the comments below this article are going to turn this article into a race-bashing exercise.

But I am not trying to turn this into a race-bashing exercise. My concern is that when I speak to these students (of all races) I find that the attitude, mentality and intelligence level of the Malay students leave much to be desired whereas the attitude, mentality and intelligence level of the non-Malay students are far superior compared to that of the Malay students.

And herein lies the tragedy. When I talk to the non-Malay students I get the impression that those selected and sent overseas are the crème de la crème. But when I talk to the Malay students I do not get this impression. In fact, if I had been given the job of vetting through the students, many, or maybe even the majority, of those selected would have been disqualified.

The other side of the argument, of course, is that if only the 'higher grade' Malay students are selected and sent overseas while those who fail to make the grade are excluded, then the ratio of Malay to non-Malay students sent overseas would be very low. At the end of the day, the ratio of Malays to non-Malays would probably be reduced to 1 in 10.

I can understand and appreciate this argument. We need to give the Malay students a chance. If not then very few Malay students would have the opportunity of an overseas tertiary education. Other countries, too, have racial quotas to help the minorities get ahead.

But in the case of the other countries, the racial quotas and the lowering of the bar are meant to help the minorities, who otherwise would be left behind. Malaysia, however, is doing this for the majority, not the minorities such as the Ibans, Dayaks, Orang Asli, etc.

Instead of lowering the bar to allow as many Malays as possible to 'jump over', the government should explore how to increase the standard of education to enable more people to clear the bar (without having to lower it).

In other words, don't teach Malays how to pass their driving test. Teach Malays how to drive. Then, when they sit for their driving test, they will pass. If you mass-produce graduates like on an assembly line, then you will end up getting low quality people. And that is not the objective of an education.

So those who have degrees/masters or Ph.D. should not be too proud of that fact. It is not the piece of paper that you possess which we should talk about but the quality of that paper. And when you open your mouth you reveal that the paper you possess is…well…not worth the paper it is written on.

 

Friday prayers are NOT compulsory, said the Mufti

Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:53 PM PST

Nevertheless, since the 'big man' himself, the Perak Mufti, has issued a ruling or decree that the Friday congregational prayers are NOT compulsory, and since Malaysians are obligated to comply with these rulings and decrees issued by these authorities, I have since stopped doing my Friday congregational prayers. I no longer go to the mosque on Friday.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Soal agama perlu ikut fatwa

(Sinar Harian) - Hal ehwal agama perlu dirujuk kepada Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan yang telah ditubuhkan di negara ini dan bukannya berpandukan orang lain yang hanya berlatar belakangkan politik semata-mata.

Setiausaha Barisan Nasional (BN) Kelantan, Datuk Md. Alwi Che Ahmad berkata, dalam hal ini, hanya Majlis Fatwa sahaja yang berhak menentukan penggunaan kalimah ALLAH yang kini semakin hangat diperkatakan oleh setiap golongan masyarakat di sini.

"Kita mesti rujuk isu ini kepada Majlis Fatwa, kerana ini hal agama, maka hanya mufti sahaja yang boleh beri keputusan, bukan orang lain," katanya.

Beliau diminta mengulas isu Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng yang menuntut penggunaan nama Allah di dalam kitab Bible versi bahasa Melayu di negara ini.

Menurutnya, jika persoalan penggunaan kalimah Allah ditanya kepada golongan berkepentingan dalam sesebuah parti, jawapan yang akan diberikan sedikit sebanyak akan mempengaruhi ke arah pendapat peribadi sahaja.

Beliau berkata, kerajaan perlu akur dengan keputusan mufti kerana mufti adalah satu pertubuhan yang dilantik di bawah majlis agama Islam.

"Kenapa isu ini perlu dinaikkan oleh Lim Guan Eng sedangkan dari pengalaman saya, tiada perkataan 'Allah' digunakan dalam kitab Bible, maka di sini kita dapat lihat bahawa agama kita, cuba dipermainkan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu.

"Jika ia digunakan juga, maka, tiada beza antara agama kita dengan agama lain kerana 'Allah' dipakai oleh semua agama dan ini akan menimbulkan kecelaruan dan juga kebebasan beragama kepada generasi akan datang," katanya.

Alwi yang juga Ketua Pembangkang di Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan itu juga berkata, kebebasan menggunakan kalimah 'ALLAH' untuk agama lain tidak boleh diberikan di Malaysia kerana perkara tersebut boleh membuatkan penganut agama lain mengambil kesempatan dalam agama Islam dan dalam masa yang sama juga menyamai tarafkan kedudukan 'ALLAH' dan juga tuhan mereka.

"Kita wajib pertahankan agama kita, hak kita, bukannya untuk dipermainkan, selandas dengan kepelbagaian kaum dan bangsa di negara ini, maka setiap pihak mesti bertanggungjawab untuk menjaga agama masing-masing," katanya.

*****************************************

The key issue in the above news report is: Kita mesti rujuk isu ini kepada Majlis Fatwa, kerana ini hal agama, maka hanya mufti sahaja yang boleh beri keputusan, bukan orang lain.

That loosely translates to: we must refer this matter/issue to the council that issues religious decrees because this is a religious matter so only the Mufti can give rulings and not any other people.

This statement implies that only a certain/selected group can interpret what God meant and the rest of us do not have the freedom or liberty to make any interpretations because we do not know what God wants.

How this group of people obtained the franchise or monopoly to act as God's appointed spokesmen is not clear. That is not explained. I suppose your credentials would depend on where you studied religion and whether your certificate, diploma or degree is recognised.

What if I studied religion in one of the madrasah in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or any of the gohead-gostan countries (to quote the late Tan Sri P Ramlee)? Would my credentials be recognised?

Let us take Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat as an example. His Islamic studies began in pondok schools (madrasah) in Kelantan and Terengganu. He then went on to study religion in Uttar Pradesh, India, after which he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Arabic Studies and Master of Arts in Islamic jurisprudence from the Al-Azhar University, Egypt.

Would, therefore, Nik Aziz's decrees be recognised? And Nik Aziz has ruled that it is not against Islam for non-Muslims to use the Allah word. Other religious scholars, however, do not agree with this. Hence we have two opposing views, both views from scholars with credentials.

But which one do we accept as correct and which one do we reject as wrong? And what is the basis for accepting or rejecting these decrees? Is it based on the credentials of the person issuing the decree? Is it based on our political affiliation and hence we decide based on what is politically expedient? Is it based on our religious leaning and depending on the sect that we follow? What is the basis of our acceptance or rejection of these religious decrees?

What we are currently told is that the government decides -- so we have to just follow what the government says -- but issued through the 'mouths' of certain bodies such as MAIS, JAIS, JAKIM, IKIM, Majlis Fatwah, Persatuan Ulama', the Muftis, and so on.

There are so many 'authorities' on Islam in Malaysia.

Let us contemplate one example. When I was in Kamunting back in 2008, we were told by the detention camp authorities that we are not allowed to do our Friday congregational prayers. (In fact, after I was released, I made a police report at the Sentul Police Station regarding this matter).

It is not that the 50 or 60 of us detainees wanted permission to walk to the mosque down the road to do these Friday prayers -- even if they handcuffed us and chained us in a chain gang (which means there would be no way we could escape). We wanted to do these Friday prayers within our own cellblock.

But we were told we are not allowed to do our Friday prayers because they are not compulsory and that this was a ruling or decree by the famous Perak Mufti himself. So why are we so stubborn in insisting that we be allowed to do our Friday prayers? The Mufti is the highest religious authority in Perak and Kamunting is in Perak. So don't be stubborn and listen to what you have been told, they said.

Then came Hari Raya (I was in Kamunting for Hari Raya 2008) and the other detainees got together to do their Hari Raya congregational prayers. I, however, was not allowed to join them because I was in solitary confinement so I was not allowed to mix with the other detainees. Nevertheless, I could hear them do the Hari Raya prayers next door to my cellblock.

Now, as far as I know, the Friday congregational prayers are compulsory while the Hari Raya congregational prayers are not. But the government denied the detainees permission to do the compulsory Friday congregational prayers but allowed them to do the optional Hari Raya congregational prayers. And this was based on the ruling or decree by the highest religious authority in the State of Perak, the Mufti.

I do not have any certificate, diploma or degree from any of the Islamic universities but my common sense tells me that when something is compulsory then you must do it and when something is optional you are not obligated to do it. And even a ten-year-old Malay-Muslim can tell you that the Friday congregational prayers are compulsory while the Hari Raya congregational prayers are not.

Nevertheless, since the 'big man' himself, the Perak Mufti, has issued a ruling or decree that the Friday congregational prayers are NOT compulsory, and since Malaysians are obligated to comply with these rulings and decrees issued by these authorities, I have since stopped doing my Friday congregational prayers. I no longer go to the mosque on Fridays.

I am still waiting for the Perak Mufti to issue a new ruling or decree saying that the Friday congregational prayers are, in fact, compulsory. And since he has not and until he does then I would regard this ruling or decree as binding and something that I am obligated to comply with.

So, yes, the Mufti is the highest religious authority in the land. He tells us what we must and must not do. And we must follow what he tells us to do, or not to do. And the Perak Mufti has told us that we cannot do the Friday prayers because they are not compulsory. So who am I to argue with the highest religious authority in the land? I do what he tells us to do and not do what he tells us not to do. And he said: DO NOT do your Friday congregational prayers. So be it. I stopped doing them. After all, I am a good Malaysian and an obedient Muslim.

 

Remember our February 2008 agreement?

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:45 PM PST

After the success of that first Bersih march of November 2007, a few friends and comrades, mostly new ones made over the previous year or so, decided that it was time to 'cement' our perjuangan or struggle. And we would cement it by coming out with a very explicit document that we called The Peoples' Declaration or Deklarasi Rakyat.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The world has a memory of only 100 days, said the Russians in response to the criticism regarding the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL007. In 100 days everything will be forgotten or something else will crop up over the next 100 days to distract the people. Hence, said the Russians, they do not need to respond to the criticism regarding the shooting down of that passenger airline.

Today, do any of you remember that tragedy that so outraged the entire world? How many people died? When did it happen? Why was that plane shot down? Unless you Google the information or search on Wikipedia, very few of you will be able to reply to my questions from the top of your head.

And this best describes Malaysians, never mind which side of the political fence they may stand on. Malaysians are fickle, have a short attention span, respond to issues off the cuff, think short term, forget easily the original objective, change course mid-stream, and much more.

Do you want to know something very ironical? I have kept to the course that was decided more than eight years ago back in 2004 soon after the general election disaster in March that same year. And that was the reason why Malaysia Today was launched in August 2004, five months after the 2004 general election -- to serve this agenda that had been decided.

In 2004 it was a lonely battle that we fought because not many shared our vision and mission. It was not until two years later in 2006 that some joined the cause and only by 2007 that many Malaysians 'woke up'. By 2007, three years after the birth of Malaysia Today, I found many new friends and comrades who stood by my side and walked with me, especially in the first Bersih march of 2007.

After the success of that first Bersih march of November 2007, a few friends and comrades, mostly new ones made over the previous year or so, decided that it was time to 'cement' our perjuangan or struggle. And we would cement it by coming out with a very explicit document that we called The Peoples' Declaration or Deklarasi Rakyat.

We met a few times at Uncle Lee's house, the late Tunku Vic's house, and so on. In case some of you are wondering who the late Tunku Vic was, maybe you can see the following link: In loving memory of Vic: only the good die young. 

The late Tunku Vic, in fact, was supposed to have taken over the leadership of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM). This was agreed in our meeting in Chiengmai, Thailand, which was attended by (Sam) Haris Ibrahim and some of the other 'movers' of MCLM. Unfortunately, Tunku Vic died soon after MCLM held its first AGM to elect a whole new set of office bearers in May last year.

Anyway, back in 2007, Tunku Vic and about ten or so of us formed an ad hoc committee to draft The Peoples' Declaration. This document was finalised in the meeting in Tunku Vic's house. It was then agreed that we would write to ALL the political parties in Malaysia from both sides of the political fence and invite them to endorse The Peoples' Declaration.

Only six of the two dozens or so of the political parties responded, three of them from Pakatan Rakyat. A couple of the non-Umno political parties in Barisan Nasional 'whispered' that they would support the ideals of The Peoples' Declaration but they cannot officially endorse it for obvious reasons -- they do not want to make it appear like they are 'breaking ranks' with Umno.

Nevertheless, the fact that they support it 'off the record' was good enough for me. At least their heart was in the right place although I cannot say the same for their guts. It is nice to know that there is a 'silent' group within Barisan Nasional, and even in Umno itself, that support the ideals of The Peoples' Declaration although they wish at this stage to 'remain in the closet'. Who knows, one day they might come out of the closet and declare that they are pro-reform and proud of it.

At that time, The Blog House at Damansara was non-partisan. People from both sides of the political fence supported The Blog House. Even Umno Bloggers plus people like Mukhriz Mahathir, Marina Mahathir, etc., went to The Blog House. It was a place where we could leave our politics outside the gate and enter The Blog House as Malaysians united for change.

I thought that Malaysian politics had finally arrived. At last there was a place we could meet as supporters of change and not supporters of the government or supporters of the opposition. And it was at The Blog House that we decided to officially launch The Peoples' Declaration under the umbrella of Barisan Rakyat. (See more here and note the personalities in the photographs: The PEOPLE'S VOICE and the PEOPLE'S DECLARATION officially launched today.) 

BARISAN RAKYAT WAS FORMED EVEN BEFORE PAKATAN RAKYAT CAME INTO EXISTENCE

That was almost five years ago on 23rd February 2008. About two weeks later, on 8th March 2008, Malaysia held the 12th General Election. And, because the six political parties endorsed The Peoples' Declaration on 23rd February 2008, three of them from Pakatan Rakyat, we spent the next two weeks campaigning for Pakatan Rakyat.

During the election campaign we made it very clear to the voters that we support Pakatan Rakyat because Pakatan Rakyat supports our reform agenda as spelt out in The Peoples' Declaration. However, if after winning the election Pakatan Rakyat does a U-turn and betrays us, we would withdraw our support for Pakatan Rakyat.

In my speeches during the election rallies all over Malaysia, I even openly declared that if we can make Pakatan Rakyat then we can also break Pakatan Rakyat. Basically, what the lord giveth the lord can taketh away. We are going to give Pakatan Rakyat a chance to rule for one term, I said. And if they fail us then no second term for Pakatan Rakyat. If we can give power to Pakatan Rakyat we can also take back power from Pakatan Rakyat.

Therefore Pakatan Rakyat had better remember that they rule at the pleasure of the rakyat. It is peoples' power, kuasa rakyat, or makkal sakti that gives power to the politicians. Hence we, the voters, and not the politicians, are the boss. And if the politicians ever forget this we are going to punish them come the next general election in 2013 or so.

The crowd cheered and clapped. They gave this declaration a standing ovation (most of the crowd was already standing anyway). They agreed with this covenant. We the rakyat will vote for those who support the rakyat's agenda and if those we vote into office forget this or betrays us then they are going to suffer the wrath of the rakyat.

Since March 2008, The Peoples' Declaration is as forgotten as Korean Airlines flight KAL007. I raised this matter in a talk in London on 2nd October 2010 where Anwar Ibrahim was one of the participants of that talk (see the videos below). Anwar, however, responded in his talk in Australia later on that they would not always listen to what we want.

In other words, they no longer support the agenda for change as spelt out in The Peoples' Declaration although they had agreed to support it in February 2008 two weeks before the 12th General Election. The deal is now off. And since the deal is now off and they no longer support the agenda for change as spelt out in The Peoples' Declaration then I too am no longer obligated to support Pakatan Rakyat.

A deal is a deal. And a deal must be bilateral, not unilateral. If one side reneges on the agreement then the other side is not obligated to stick to the agreement.

But my friends and comrades, who together with me pushed the agenda for change through The Peoples' Declaration, have sold out. They have turned traitor and have abandoned The Peoples' Declaration. They have agreed to support Pakatan Rakyat for the sake of supporting Pakatan Rakyat and not support Pakatan Rakyat because Pakatan Rakyat supports The Peoples' Declaration.

As I said, Malaysians are fickle. Malaysians have a short attention span. Malaysians think short term. Malaysians forget easily the original objective. Malaysians change course mid-stream.

And what makes this even more ironical is that while I am unwavering and hold firm to the original objectives of February 2008, they allege that I have changed course and have done a U-turn whereas it is they who have turned traitor and have sold themselves to the very politicians who have betrayed the cause.

Yes, in February-March 2008 I campaigned for Pakatan Rakyat. But I did so with terms and conditions attached. And this primary term and condition is that Pakatan Rakyat will support The Peoples' Declaration. And the other term and condition is that if Pakatan Rakyat withdraws support for The Peoples' Declaration then I too will withdraw support for Pakatan Rakyat.

I have kept to this agreement. I have been very consistent in my stand. It was quid pro quo. And just as Pakatan Rakyat has every right to withdraw from any agreement, so, too, I have the right to do the same.

My friends and comrades, however, decided to break ranks with me. They abandoned the cause. They are prepared to cast aside The Peoples' Declaration and support Pakatan Rakyat even if Pakatan Rakyat reneges on its word. In other words, my friends and comrades have become turncoats and have sold out.

I suppose, as they say, everyone is for sale. The only question is: at what price? And the price here is power. Since they believe that Pakatan Rakyat is going to form the next federal government they want to be amongst the winner. Hence they will support Pakatan Rakyat even if Pakatan Rakyat no longer supports The Peoples' Declaration.

 

Friends of Pakatan Rakyat October 2010 talk in the UK

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SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCvdagYlR98

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SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W403AOQqJnc

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SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toe-77-TtT4

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SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsSRTVo29BY

 
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Stop ‘thinking’ for the rakyat

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:33 AM PST

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f1/Vishwaroopam_poster.jpg/220px-Vishwaroopam_poster.jpg 

Where Malaysia's education goes, it remains a case of "teachers and lecturers speak and students listen passively". And where politics go, the government dictates and the rakyat nods, the latter's views dismissed unceremoniously.

Jeswan Kaur, FMT 

By declaring certain events, books and movies as 'harmful' to the country's peace, harmony, law and order only reveals the deep-rooted insecurity haunting the BN-led government.

How does one define a nation's development? Is it based on the impressive infrastructure or by the fact that its coffers are brimming?

What about the intellectual capacity of its people – does it count for anything as far as progress goes?

If the thinking ability of the people is the backbone of a developed nation, then Malaysia for one better re-think its claims of being a "successful" country by the year 2020.

Malaysia is deserving of the "developed nation" status only when it stops insulting the intelligence of the rakyat; in other words, do not underestimate the people's thinking power.

From brainwashing to indoctrination of submissive and unreliable dogmas, the federal government has done it all and that too by making schools and universities its prime targets.

So we have young Malaysians who are unable to think creatively or constructively. The era of "do as I say" continues, a sad reminder to the rakyat of the dictatorial legacy that came about during the premiership of the country's fourth prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Where Malaysia's education goes, it remains a case of "teachers and lecturers speak and students listen passively". And where politics go, the government dictates and the rakyat nods, the latter's views dismissed unceremoniously.

The government has decided to do the "thinking" for the rakyat; be it by way of banning books by "out of the box thinking" authors to labelling movies tackling sensitive subjects as damning to the nation's well-being.

The question that begs an honest answer is: just why does the federal government keep insulting the rakyat's intelligence?

By declaring certain events, books and movies as "harmful" to the country's peace, harmony, law and order only reveals the deep-rooted insecurity haunting the Barisan Nasional-led government.

It was not that long ago when all hell broke loose when "I speak my mind" writer-lecturer Irshad Manji flew down from America to launch her book "Allah, Liberty, Love" in Kuala Lumpur.

Prior to that, the federal government decided it was "dangerous" for an event that gave the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders a platform to converge and exchange information.

The authorities meanwhile started chanting "peace" as the reason for justifying such restrictions.

Not once were the rakyat consulted or their views deemed necessary before such prohibitions were enforced.

When will this madness stop?

Looks like the government of the day has no plans to stop meddling in what the people can see and read, that too without understanding and investigating the issues further.

The recent premature move by the Home Ministry declaring the Tamil movie "Vishwaroopam" as unfit for public viewing, claiming that it hurt the religious sensitivities of Muslims, is the last straw in taking the sound-minded rakyat for granted.

Malaysia has joined Singapore, Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu as countries that have outlawed "Vishwaroopam" on the basis that it gives the message that Muslims are terrorists.

"Vishwaroopam", a spy thriller, is directed and co-produced by South Indian superstar Kamal Haasan, who also portrays three main characters in the film.

The movie, released worldwide on Jan 25, revolves around s international terrorism, a reason fit enough by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's standards to impose a ban.

Back in Tamil Nadu where "Vishwaroopam" was barred from the theatres for two weeks, the actor-director took the matter to court.

To dispel the fears of the Muslim organisations back home, Kamal Hassan organised a special screening but this only worsened matters.

In Malaysia, within 48 hours of having received a memorandum from the Malaysian Indian Muslim Youth Movement, the Home Minister decided to outlaw the multi-lingual "Vishwaroopam".

The Film Censorship Board had no say when Hishammuddin ordered that "Vishwaroopam" be declared unsafe for public viewing.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/31/stop-%E2%80%98thinking%E2%80%99-for-the-rakyat/ 

BFM Uncensored - Deal Breaker?

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST

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Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan weighs in on allegations made at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into illegal migration in Sabah against the Election Commission. Dubbed the "citizenship-for-votes" scandal, the allegations implicates the Election Commission in systematically subverting the electoral process in Sabah. BFM's Sharaad Kuttan asks Ambiga if voters should continue to participate in the electoral process. 

Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgojEDJj5Oo 

‘It was easy to become Malaysian’

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:27 AM PST

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(The Star) - A trader from India told the Royal Commission of Inquiry that he obtained a Malaysian blue identity card (IC) in 1988 without any birth certificate or even a statutory declaration.

Tamil Nadu-born Nasir Yusof told the commission that he was among about 1,000 Indian and Pakistani nationals from around Kota Marudu and Kudat district who got a Malaysian IC from the National Registration Department (NRD) office in Kota Marudu.

He told conducting officer Jamil Aripin that a staff member at the office helped him fill up the forms, which stated his place of birth as Kampung Berunggis in Tuaran.

"I knew the details were wrong but I went along as I wanted to become a Malaysian," he said.

He said apart from the RM12 processing fee, he did not make any other payment for the IC, which he received several months later.

Nasir said he also did not face any problem when changing the old IC to the high security version later, adding that he had registered as a voter in 1990 and cast his vote three times ever since.

When asked if he considered himself an Indian citizen, Nasir said: "I cannot even vote there any more.

"I have stayed in Sabah for more than 30 years. This is my home now.''

Earlier, the head of Kampung Sungai Buaya Filipino refugee settlement in Tawau, Sioh Jabidi, said a photograph of the area showed one of the houses flying a local Opposition party flag.

Sioh described the seaside settlement as squalid, with no electricity and constantly surrounded by garbage washed in by the tide.

During the inquiry, several foreigners related how they slipped into Sabah as there were never any checks in waters off the state.

They even managed to get jobs here without holding any personal document.

Those who were arrested and faced deportation, such as Indonesian Nisa Rahmat and Filipino Degon Alay, said they intended to return to Sabah because jobs were plentiful.

Nisa, Degon as well as fellow Filipinos Rasad Salleh and Wajar Atik told the commission that the boats that transported them to Sabah entered the state waters off Sandakan and Tawau districts unhindered.

"We were not checked by anyone."

Making a clear stand on Nasha

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:23 AM PST

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IT is likely that PAS members were stunned to see the photograph of their former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa standing next to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when the Prime Minister visited Gaza, Palestine. 

Joceline Tan, The Star

Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa who joined the Prime Minister's delegation to Palestine has been told by his party that he is free to 'divorce' and 'marry another woman'.

IT is likely that PAS members were stunned to see the photograph of their former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa standing next to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when the Prime Minister visited Gaza, Palestine.

But some of them were also hopping mad because this was not the first time that Nasharudin had accompanied Najib on an official overseas trip. There is no hard and fast rule about things like this but political convention dictates that a PAS leader would not wish to be part of a programme connected to the rival camp – more so when it involves a programme that would elevate the rival in the eyes of Muslims all over the country.

The party's immediate reaction to the Gaza trip was to sack Nasharudin as a member of the Syura Council of Ulama, the party's most powerful decision-making body.

Nasharudin is once again the centre of media attention. Yesterday, when Nasharudin was spotted at a forum on the "kalimah Allah" issue in Kuala Lumpur, reporters immediately made a beeline for him. They wanted to know his reaction, what he is going to do next and also the specific reasons for his party's action against him.

The odd thing is that the man in the middle of it all has yet to be officially informed by his party even as news of his dilemma is splashed all over the media. He has had a stream of visitors to his house, all wanting to know why this is happening.

Nasharudin's relations with his party had been on a downward spiral even before he lost his deputy president post to Mohamad Sabu in 2011. After the defeat, he was appointed to the party central committee and made head of the international bureau.

There were complaints that he did not attend to his duties nor attend any meetings. As a result, they took away the international bureau post, then they expelled him from the central committee and now he has been sacked from the Syura Council.

Party sources said the Syura Council cracked the whip because he had made statements that were not in line with the body and also because he did not attend meetings.

Many think that the party's next move will be to sack him. Any lesser person in PAS, it is said, would have been sacked long ago.

Some are wondering why Nasharudin's dilemma is such a big deal. Well, he was a two-term deputy president and before that he was the vice-president and the secretary-general of PAS. He used to be a big gun in the party and had been projected as the likely successor to party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang.

But everything started to go wrong for him after he was associated with a group advocating "unity talks" with Umno and that did not go down well with many people in the party.

Prior to his trip to Gaza with the Prime Minister's delegation, Nasharudin had accompanied the Prime Minister to Mecca where he acted as the translator for Najib during an exclusive meeting with leading ulama figures in the Saudi Arabia kingdom.

Photographs of Nasharudin seated on the carpeted floor next to Najib had riled the PAS rank and file but there was nothing much they could do.

But pictures from the Gaza trip was the final straw for PAS leaders. The photograph showed the group holding up their palms in prayer over a ruin caused by Israeli bombs – Najib was flanked by Nasharudin on the left and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on the right.

PAS leaders said it showed just how close Nasharudin had become to Umno and Najib and the sarcastic remark from one detractor was that "Nasharudin has arrived".

"It's part of his strategy to show he is someone respected by the president of Umno. He wants to show us he is a big name, he is in their good books and can deliver things to Najib. He already has one foot in Umno and his heart is with Najib," said a top PAS official.

But Nasharudin was not in Gaza just to make up the numbers. He has a fantastic network of contacts with leaders in the Middle East and he is acquainted with the Hamas Prime Minister. His WhatsApp photo ID shows him with the Hamas Prime Minister in the latter's office.

Part of Nasharudin's networking success has to do with his personality – he is gregarious, likeable, has a natural talent for conversation and speaks fluent Arabic. Nasharudin has an obvious talent for languages, be it English, Bahasa Malaysia or Arabic.

PAS had also leveraged on Nasharudin's connections when he was up there. Hadi used to rely on him during international trips because although Hadi speaks good Arabic, he was seriously deficient in social and conversational skills.

Only a handful in PAS have been willing to condemn him though. One of them is Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who said that Nasharudin was not indispensable and could be easily replaced in the Syura Council.

The harshest remarks have come from Mursyidul Am Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who heads the Syura Council. He announced that Nasharudin was no longer welcome as an election candidate in Kelantan which had hosted safe seats for party leaders who cannot win elsewhere.

The elderly leader had said in his usual roundabout and provincial way: "Divorce between men and women is normal. Even though we celebrate our wives, slaughter the cow, sound the gong and pay homage to the Prophet, divorce is still a normal thing."

The message was clear: Nasharudin was free to quit PAS and join another party if he wishes.

So will PAS sack their former deputy president? Very likely, yes. And probably after the general election to avoid more political fallout. 

Time to reverse federal squeeze on state powers

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:19 AM PST

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Under such dire constraints, state governments are in no position to resist the temptation to give up some of their powers in exchange for monetary grants. 

Sim Tze Tzin, Hornbill Unleashed 

A major missing link in political discourse in the run-up to the 13th general election is the debate on decentralisation.

The Malaysian polity has been dominated by the process of centralisation or concentration of powers by the federal government for the last 55 years.

In the first part of this article, I will explain the process of centralisation under the federal government; in the second part, I will argue the case for decentralisation.

Constitutionally, Malaysia is a federation where powers are shared between the central government and state governments. The constitution stipulates the different areas to legislate through the Federal List, State List and Shared List in Articles 74-79.

States have legislative powers over very limited matters such as land, forestry and Islam, while the federal government can legislate on almost all matters in areas concerning education, finance, trade and commerce, defence, diplomacy and national security. This has severely clipped state government powers.

The Shared List between the state and federal governments covers social welfare, town and country planning, drainage and irrigation and public health. In this respect, federal law will prevail over state law in the event of any inconsistency. Issues of increasing importance, such as water works, land and local government, which used to be under the state governments, have been moved to the Shared List.

This was implemented through constitutional amendments. In fact, the constitution has seen 42 amendments involving 650 articles. As a result, constitution scholars have often commented that the spirit of the constitution and federation has been seriously diluted.

The centralisation of power is not limited to legislative matters. The federal government has garnered tremendous power through administrative centralisation. Land matters were supposedly under state jurisdiction. However, states are increasingly losing such authority to the federal government.

NONEAfter Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang, for example, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng proposed to convert existing landed leasehold houses to freehold status in an attempt to increase quit rent income for the state government. This proposal hit a snag at the federal level. The National Land Council, chaired by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, rejected it.

The federal government also centralised power by means of the privatisation of state assets. For example, local councils used to run the sewerage system. However, when the federal government privatised this service to Indah Water Konsortium, the authority was forfeited and went to a federal-controlled company.

Recent water-supply controversies in Selangor, which involve political and commercial interests, can be viewed as a continuous attempt to centralise power by the federal government. Water has always been under state jurisdiction.

In Selangor, the federal government intervened through the National Services Water Commission, which is chaired by a federal minister.

The previous BN state government lost part of its power by privatising water assets to Syabas, a company controlled by the federal government. The Penang government has been lucky to avoid such a fate because a state-controlled entity operates the waterworks.

Financial constraints

State governments also face fiscal constraints. They can only collect revenue from quit rent, land premiums and timber or oil royalties.

Tazlanhe federal government collects all taxes and the exorbitant Petronas oil money to fund development and operations.

Typically state governments spend less than RM1 billion in the annual budgets. The federal government's budget, however, has ballooned to more than RM240 billion annually.

States are not allowed to collect any other form of taxes and this has severely curtailed their capacity to do more for the rakyat. The state governments in the past were able to guarantee loans for state-linked companies. Now, the federal government has prohibited such power, further clipping the financial wings of state governments.

Under such dire constraints, state governments are in no position to resist the temptation to give up some of their powers in exchange for monetary grants. A case in point was how state governments lost their local government authority to the federal government, one step at a time.

Read more at: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/40956/ 

 

Will Hindraf and Indians fall for the BN’s election bait?

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:16 AM PST

http://english.cpiasia.net/images/2013/hindraf-bait.jpg 

The consensus among many commentators is that the BN already has the Indian vote in the bag and that the mending of relations with Hindraf and the opening up of the national purse strings to address Indian shortfalls in education and economy – even if in a limited way – will be sufficient to bring the critical Indian vote in many federal and state constituencies back into the BN fold. 

Dr. Lim Teck Gee, CPI

The recent lifting of the ban on Hindraf has resulted in a flood of commentary about how this and other measures undertaken by Najib Razak and the Barisan Nasional government to recapture Indian support through various conciliatory measures may impact on Hindraf and the larger Indian population (see here ).

The consensus among many commentators is that the BN already has the Indian vote in the bag and that the mending of relations with Hindraf and the opening up of the national purse strings to address Indian shortfalls in education and economy – even if in a limited way – will be sufficient to bring the critical Indian vote in many federal and state constituencies back into the BN fold.

This rush to judgement is not only premature; it is most probably wrong. This is because it underestimates the sense of deprivation, injustice and anger felt by the Indian community which has arisen from four decades of BN-sanctioned institutionalized racism and discrimination. It also fails to take into account the passion and commitment that has driven Waytha Moorthy and his Hindraf colleagues who have pursued, with much personal sacrifice, the cause of equal rights and opportunities for all Malaysians, especially for Malaysian Indians.

Ever since their rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, 2007 and the 2008 elections in which they were one of the major catalysts for the political tsunami that occurred, Hindraf leaders and supporters have been victims of a BN campaign to demonize, persecute and wipe out the movement. Surely, Hindraf will be the first to see this ban removal – politically timed on the eve of Thaipusam – for what it is: a political ploy to win Indian votes rather than a change of heart towards the movement and its stand on Indian rights.

Many from the minority communities are well aware that the BN has a long history of sweet, and often, double talk. Indians especially have been victims of BN's unfulfilled promises made election after election ever since the country obtained its independence. In the past 50 years of Alliance and Barisan rule – and despite MIC participation in the two coalitions – the Indian position in economy and society has worsened steadily by whatever indicator of socio-economic and political development is used.

Despite the paucity of official statistics, there is sufficient quantitative and qualitative evidence to show that poor Indians as well as those from middle-class backgrounds have fallen behind their non-Indian counterparts (with the exception of Orang Asli) because of racial discrimination, bureaucratic red tape and lack of access to governmental resources.

There has been little evidence so far of fundamental changes in national policies affecting minority communities. The hard reality which Hindraf is acutely aware of is that the Home Minister can very well impose another ban on the movement once the elections are over and that the treasury and other civil service doors are shut again on Indians when the movement is no longer seen as useful in Umno's effort to retain political supremacy.

The commentators who argue that Hindraf should see the election concessions to Indians as representing real change as well as those who are predicting that Hindraf will align itself with BN may well believe that it is in the best interest of Hindraf and the Indian community to accept whatever benefits or sweeteners are thrown to the Indian electorate. They may be convinced that challenging Umno's political hegemony and the racist principles upon which this hegemony is founded is futile. Better to make hay while the sun shines and to be a small time beneficiary to the Umno big money and huge political clout juggernaut than to be a principled dissident.

Read more at: http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2476:will-hindraf-and-indians-fall-for-the-bns-election-bait&catid=228:commentary&Itemid=196 

Stop prejudice and stereotyping

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 11:13 AM PST

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2012/3/3/business/b_4marina.jpg 

Just because a few people are intemperate in their language, all of us are labelled thugs and louts. Worse still, those who strut around with an air of unwarranted superiority claim to represent all of us. 

Marina Mahathir, The Star

HAVING been brought up always to be polite, I can be quite shocked when people are rude and direct.

Once many years ago, an American woman asked me how it felt to be an oppressed Muslim woman.

After getting over my shock, I put it down to sheer ignorance.

Not long after, a Russian man, ostensibly well educated, asked me why Muslims liked to cut off their enemies' heads.

I'm not sure how I managed to contain myself but it did give me an insight into how some people have no idea how their words can sound to others.

Since those days, I have managed to develop much better shock-absorbers and few things manage to rattle me as before.

I have heard people blithely ask me why we don't simply kill all people with HIV as a way of containing the epidemic, as if they were giving me a bright idea to solve a simple problem.

In all seriousness someone also told me that the reason why black people don't excel at swimming is because their skin pigments are so heavy it is difficult for them to float.

All these people genuinely belie­ved that they were imparting wisdom.

It never occurred to them that they might sound totally out of sync with the times, where racist and genocidal ideas no longer hold currency.

Still, it is rare for me to hear anything so shocking any more.

Most people I know would never stereotype or judge others by the colour of their skin, their race or their religion.

We take everyone as equals and value them for their talents, skills and ethics.

It thus becomes a major shock to me to find that outside that circle, the world is different.

Reading headlines in some local newspapers I find myself disturbed by the blatantly racist stories that pass for news.

While such outright racism towards fellow Malaysians is not yet considered de rigeur, foreigners are easy targets, especially if they don't come from countries more developed than us.

Whole continents of people are deemed criminal with impunity and racist epithets trip off tongues and pages as easily as praise for politicians.

When I remark on this, people defend the racism. The media, they say, are just stating "facts" about some people whom "we all know" tend to commit crime.

It never seems to occur to anyone to question these "facts", any more than it occurs to right-wing Ame­ricans to question the "fact" that Muslims are all terrorists and spend all our time stoning people.

To say that the media is only reflecting what people think is to hide behind a disingenuous bush.

The media both reflects and creates stereotypes.

Indeed, it reinforces them, and then refuses to take responsibility for any violence that may result.

An Indiana man who was charged with setting fire to an Islamic centre said the only Muslims he knew was what he saw on Fox News, a channel that doesn't bother to hide its prejudice against Muslims.

Similarly highly distorted news on the LGBT community in Malaysia has resulted in some of them suffering violence at the hands of thugs.

Let's not even mention the things that some Malaysians get away with saying on social media.

There are those who claim to belong to a religion of peace, yet happily spew the most vicious anonymous diatribes against those of other faiths.

Worse, this is done in the name of their own faith.

The result is a lot of counter-prejudice and stereotypes.

My people, the people I knew growing up as infinitely polite, gentle and considerate, are these days labelled uncouth, intolerant, aggressive and hypocritical.

Just because a few people are intemperate in their language, all of us are labelled thugs and louts.

Worse still, those who strut around with an air of unwarranted superiority claim to represent all of us.

If my fellow citizens feel hurt by the actions of these few, I feel hurt too.

My people are being labelled haters and bridge-burners when throug­h­out history we have been the most accommodating and hospitable of people.

Because of a few bad examples, all of us have to suffer from sometimes barely-concealed condescension.

And racism breeds racism; some people only know to respond to hate with even more hate.

Since our leaders fail dismally to delineate between what is right and what is so patently wrong, it is left to civil society, especially young people, to find ways of making a peaceful point.

Last Sunday, we sat under shady trees and read books to enlighten our friends and ourselves.

And with that, we rose above the muck and saw one another clearly for the human beings that we are. 

S’gor may dissolve state assembly after Chinese New Year

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 12:30 AM PST

However, the decision will be made by the highest leaders in Pakatan Rakyat, says Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

(Bernama) - Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the state government has proposed to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly after Chinese New Year, next month.

He said the decision, however, depended by the highest leaders in Pakatan Rakyat.

"If the Prime Minister [Najib Tun Razak] does not make any announcement or indicate a date for the general election after Chap Goh Meh, we plan to do this (dissolve the state assembly)," he said at a press conference after chairing the weekly executive council meeting, here today.

"We feel that the people who have chosen us are ready and they should not have to wait longer than necessary," he added.

Commenting on the water issue, Khalid said the state government had written to Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister (Peter Chin Fah Kui), stating that it would take over water services from the Selangor concessionaire company.

"We've given the ministry 14 days from next Monday to respond on the matter and if they don't, the takeover process will be carried out," he said.

 

Selangor akan ambil alih urusan air dalam 14 hari

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:44 PM PST

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mo0p1fIgrkQ/UA3BhaT_NlI/AAAAAAAAFbs/ACrUlvkipQk/s1600/Khalid-Ibrahim.jpg 

(Harakah)Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, tindakan itu dibuat dengan berpegang kepada kenyataan Timbalan Perdana Menteri selaku Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kabinet Mengenai Air, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin di Sabak Bernam baru-baru ini yang menyatakan kerajaan Pusat tiada halangan untuk kerajaan Selangor mengambilalih perkhidmatan air.

Kerajaan Selangor telah menulis surat kepada Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air, Datuk Seri Peter Chin Kah Fui untuk memaklumkan pihaknya akan mengambil alih perkhidmatan air daripada syarikat konsesi dalam tempoh 14 hari.

Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata, tindakan itu dibuat dengan berpegang kepada kenyataan Timbalan Perdana Menteri selaku Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kabinet Mengenai Air, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin di Sabak Bernam baru-baru ini yang menyatakan kerajaan Pusat tiada halangan untuk kerajaan Selangor mengambilalih perkhidmatan air.

"Justeru, dalam surat tersebut kita telah memaklumkan bahawa pengambilalihan perkhidmatan industri air akan diteruskan dalam tempoh 14 hari sekiranya pihak kementerian tidak memberi sebarang maklum balas," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Abdul Khalid berkata, pihaknya mendapat aduan dari rakyat bahawa Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) telah mengedarkan risalah yang mengkritik kerajaan Selangor dalam isu air.

Hasil dari siasatan awal yang dilakukan ujar Khalid, kenyataan Syabas tersebut telah dikeluarkan oleh Pengarah Eksekutif Pembangunan Teknikal Syabas, Ir V Subramaniam.

"Syabas mengeluarkan risalah ini tanpa mendapat persetujuan dan pengetahuan Ahli Lembaga Pengarah Syabas.

"Sehubungan itu, sebagai pemegang saham dalam Syabas, kerajaan Selangor mendesak supaya diadakan siasatan dalaman terhadap Subramaniam kerana bertindak melebihi kuasa yang dibenarkan," katanya.

Dalam pada itu beliau memaklumkan, kerajaan negeri juga akan memantau aduan kekerapan paip bocor yang memberi kesan terhadap pembekalan air kepada rakyat.

Anti-Lynas group enters politics to bring down BN in Pahang

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:41 PM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2013/january2013/m_wongtack301.jpg

(TMI) - Environmental group Himpunan Hijau today said it will campaign against the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in Pahang in its bid to stop Lynas from operating its controversial rare-earth plant in the state.

 

"Himpunan Hijau from today onwards is entering politics," the group's chairman Wong Tack(picture) told a press conference today, saying that Himpunan Hijau wants to change the state government.

At the launch of the group's "Pahang Green Corridor" campaign today, Himpunan Hijau said it will campaign for federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and will focus more on six out of eight parliamentary constituencies and 14 out of 23 state constituencies in that zone.

 

"Our job now...is to make sure our team will be down to the kampung (village) and visit every single family and reach every quarter of society," Wong Tack said, adding that the group will set up committees called Angkatan Mat Kilau to giveceramah (talks) and spread information among those in the rural areas.

When asked what is the assurance that PR will stop the Lynas project if it wrests control of Pahang, Wong said the group has given up hope on the ruling BN coalition.

"We have verbal assurance from the Pakatan Rakyat that if they are in power, they will close down Lynas...so we take this promise seriously," Wong said.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/anti-lynas-group-enters-politics-to-bring-down-bn-in-pahang/ 

KPRU: Najib As The Most Indecisive Prime Minister Of Malaysia

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:46 PM PST

http://kualalumpurpost.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/najib-1Malaysia.jpeg 

As a political think tank, we try to chart a trajectory of a political leader's performance with a report on the ten of many other back pedaling policies of our Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. No other Prime Minister of Malaysia has shown a consistency of back pedaling other than Najib.

Political Studies for Change (KPRU – Kajian Politik untuk Perubahan)

You may be talking about when is the election. As a political think tank, we try to chart a trajectory of a political leader's performance with a report on the ten of many other back pedaling policies of our Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. No other Prime Minister of Malaysia has shown a consistency of back pedaling other than Najib. With the aspiration of Wawasan 2020 replaced with 1Malaysia and the hot air of aspiring dreams of Najib to usher Malaysia into a new era of a developed nation, the past five years from 2008 till today, the one thing Najib can be proud are the high levels of corruption and an equally divided nation.

The election that may change the future of Malaysia is right around the corner. The Malaysian people are getting antsy to get this over and done with. As a leader of this country, a Prime Minister, a question is posed, "Where does Najib stand in all of this?". As an equally divided nation, what does the future of the Malaysian hold under an indecisive leader? Budget 2013 may have offered goodies but it is a disconnected budget that doesn't match the wants of the Malaysian people. How would giving rebate for smartphones help the youth in forging their future? How would it help raise the quality of future young leaders of this country? Does it help more youth to get quality education?

As such, the questions raised by the giving of smartphone rebates is only an appetiser. This list of ten backpedalling policies provides us with more questions than it does with answers. Answers that is owed by the Prime Minister to us, the Malaysian people.

 

Table 1 : List of Najib's Indecisiveness compiled by Political Studie for Change (KPRU – Kajian Politik untuk Perubahan)

No.

Policies

Background

Before Backtrack

Backtrack

1.

Lynas

Lynas processes rare earth concentrate, imported from its mine at Mount Weld in Western Australia, at its Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Malaysia. It will not only produce rare earths for export but also a huge amount of waste, including more than a million cubic metres of low level radioactive material.[1]

Although experts have proof, including declarations by international bodies, that the residue is safe, there are people who are still apprehensive about it. So we have decided that the residue will be moved to another place," Najib told reporters during a visit to Kelantan.[2]

 

But International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (picture) said today that the Australian company had now submitted a letter of undertaking to send its rare earth processing residue abroad if it cannot find a suitable waste disposal site in Malaysia.[3]

No residues from the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) would be exported out from Malaysia, says the factory's managing director, Mashal Ahmad.[4]

2

Mas Airasia share swap

Fernandes and his Tune Air Sdn Bhd partner Datuk Kamarudin Meranun are expected to swap a portion of their AirAsia shares for 20 per cent of Khazanah's stake in MAS.

The share swap was to allow Tony Fernandes to step in and pilot the ailing MAS airline back to profitability.[5]

 

Under the share swap,  there will be rationalising of routes. The two airlines cover most of the lucrative routes from Asia to Europe.

 

Malaysia will get the best of both worlds a premier full-service carrier in MAS and the best budget carrier in AirAsia.[6]

"After eight months, the assessment is that, the cross-holding of shares has become a distraction to management's efforts to turnaround MAS.

This was because the share swap had failed to get stakeholders' support for the collaboration.

[7]

 

3

Section 114A Evidence Amendment

Under Section 114A, an Internet user is deemed the publisher of any online content unless proven otherwise. It also makes individuals and those who administer, operate or provide spaces for online community forums, blogging and hosting services, liable for content published through their services.[8]

 

"I have asked Cabinet to discuss Section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. Whatever we do we must put people first," the Prime Minister said in a tweet at about 8pm, Aug 14," said Najib.[9]

"As a government, it is our responsibility to ask: how do we ensure that online reporting is responsible? How do we ensure that people do not become the victims of intimidation and cyber-bullying? How do we ensure that freedom co-exists with respect?

 

"It was with these questions in mind that we amended the Evidence Act. Perhaps it wasn't explained clearly enough what this meant for web-users in Malaysia. And I believe that it is a modern and forward-looking piece of legislation".[10]

4

Peaceful Assembly Act

The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was passed by Parliament Tuesday after six amendments were made to the bill with six amendments[11] that shorten time for police to reply to orginizers, reduced time to object against a proposed assembly and the definition of assembly as also restrictions to where assembly is not allowed.

During his Malaysia Day 2011 speech, Najib announced that the Internal Security Act 1960 will be repealed entirely. He continues by saying any law enacted will take into account rights and fundamental liberties based on the Federal Constitution.[12]

"The Government believes that after more than half a century of practising democracy since Independence, Malaysians have reached a high level of maturity.

 

"In view of this, we are now ready to enter a new era where the function of Government is no longer seen as limiting freedom of the individual but, instead, of ensuring that the basic rights as enshrined in the Constitution are protected."[13]

The government, Najib added, wanted to uphold the rights of every Rakyat to their freedom of assembly, and it abolished section 27 of the Police Act and introduced the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011.[14]

 

5

Perkasa

Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali had objected to Najib's election pledges made in Chinese areas in Hulu Selangor because of the community's poor support for the coalition. It's president  Datuk Ibrahim Ali (picture) said despite BN's success in winning the semi-rural seat from PKR, the Chinese voters had largely chosen to back the federal opposition.[15]

Najib: "Perkasa is not so extreme, if you listen to them carefully. They can shout about Malay rights as long as they are not extreme in their views and you know to the extent that we can accommodate Perkasa. And we can accommodate also the non-Malays as well. I do engage the non-Malay groups as well, so as Prime Minster, I've always said I'm Prime Minister for all Malaysians."[16]

Perkasa is eroding Barisan Nasional's support among the non-Malays with its comments, said Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

 

"When they talk about my Chinese or Indian friends, they make us lose more votes. What do you want for Malaysia? You want a civil war?" he said in an interview yesterday.[17]

6

Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA)

Those in Grade 54 and below would receive increments of between 7% and 13%, while those in the upper levels, from Superscale C and above, would reportedly get increments of at least RM5,000.[18]

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has announced a review of the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) to resolve the issues raised by certain quarters pertaining to its implementation.

 

He said the Cabinet, at its meeting Wednesday, decided on the review.

 

"After the review, the SBPA will come into force as of Jan 1, 2012, as promised by the Government".[19]

The Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) has been scrapped, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced Thursday.

 

He said the existing Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM) would be reintroduced with improvements.[20]

7

New Economic Model (NEM)

According to Najib, NEM will generate benefit for all Malaysians, irrespective of race under its inclusive growth goal and approach.

Under the NEM, inclusiveness will enable all communities to contribute to and share in the wealth of the country.[21]

The NEM will also ensure equality be achieved through competition that is complemented with merits and recognition.[22]

 

He then backtracks by saying the NEM was formulated as a "trial balloon" by experts with two broad objectives in mind — it had to be market-friendly and global in outlook.

[23]

8

Reversal of the introduction of Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT)

The RPGT is normally imposed  to curb speculation but due to its flat structure does not differentiate between homeowners who have been holding a property for 20 years or those who are flipping properties within one or two years for a profit.

In 2007, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi exempted the RPGT in order to boost property development industry.[24]

Najib announced the government would exercise the RPGT during the 2010 Budget.

The Government proposes that a tax of 5% be imposed on gains from the disposal of real property from 1 January 2010.[25]

Datuk Seri Najib Razak reversed his government's decision to reintroduce real property gains tax (RPGT) on January 1 for all transactions, amid concerns that it would hit long-standing homeowners and foreign investors.

Instead, the government has now decided the five per cent RPGT would only apply to property sold within five years of purchase.[26]

9

Delay of Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Najib announced the GST during the 2010 Budget as a means to replace the current sales and services tax and it was to be exempted from the lower income group.

According to Najib, the government is currently at the final stage of completing the study on the implementation of goods and services tac (GST), particularly to identify the social impact of GST on the rakyat.[27]

He then delays the implementation by saying said the original 2011 deadline fro goods and services tax (GST) implementation has not been confirmed yet.

He said the government would need some time to explain the broad based tax system to the people and only after that, it would decide on the implementation date.[28]

10.

Automated Enforcement System (AES)

AES was to begin operation on 22 September 2012 in 14 designated areas to catch drivers who break speed limits and jump traffic lights.

The first phase included 14 cameras in four stats, the second phase included 817 designated places in a nationwide implementation of AES.[29]

Putrajaya has refused to pander to demands raised by federal lawmakers across the political divide to temporarily shelve the Automated Enforcement System (AES) despite concerns raised over its ability to reduce road accidents by punishing speedsters.

 

According to the Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, the government is firm in implementing the system according to schedule, insisting that it would benefit road users in the long term.

 

"I think they (lawmakers) do not understand the whole system. Our officers today briefed the Prime Minister's Office team.. and it was found that even they have misunderstood alot of things.[30]

The AG Chambers has ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issue under the AES to study the legal issues that have been raised.

The decision was made following the issuance of nearly 300,000 summonses by AES since it begain last September 23.[31]

 

Najib's Administration a Bad Pun

In November 2012, Najib introduced his book on political transformation. In the book, Najib explained that transformation in the political and legal system practiced by the government in efforts to prepare Malaysia to become a modern, democratic and progressive nation that adopts universal values.[32]

Yet the "transformation" seeked by the Najib administration has not so much been a transformation than a broken track record going in circles. Najib and his administration has successfully proven to not have the political will to deliver those promised transformations, he has also proven time and time again that he "works best" without the trust of the Malaysian citizens.

Case in point is the Lynas controversy. It is a game of ping pong between Najib Administration, Lynas and the Malaysian people. Najib[33] asssured the radioactive waste is safely secured at the plant. Reassurememt is followed by the Atomic Licensing Board (AELB)[34] in which the board reassures the public that the requirement of the safety standards has been satisfied by the plant. However, the ball was hit back by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry that issued a demand Lynas was to export the radioactive waste or its operating licence would be revoked[35]. The ball was jointly returned by four Ministers of Najib's administration. Those four Ministers included Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed, Minister of Science and Technology and Innovation Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Douglas Unggah Emas and Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.[36] According to the four Ministers, the Cabinet had also endorsed for the condition of removing all wastes from the Lynas Plant.

The Malaysian government is playing a dangerous round of russian roulette with the Malaysian people. The report by National Toxics Network[37] discloses the dangers of improper waste management of the radioactive waste and yet the Malaysian government under Najib's administration doesn't seem to have the political will to ensure the safety of local residents are guaranteed safe. Without the guaranteed quality of the Lynas plant that was built and the lack of political will by the Najib administration, the repeating history of Bukit Merah tragedy is not a myth.

The second case in point of ping-pong by Najib's administration is the Malaysia Airlines (MAS)-AirAsia shareswap. When it was first signed, the deal was expected to reduce competition and help MAS to return profitability. Yet eight months into the deal, the deal was scrapped and approximately 20,000 employees[38] of MAS is left in a lurch with a failed corporate administration that have for 15 years failed to plug the bleed of MAS.  This was after the swap was found to have caused more internal bleeding for MAS worth RM2.52 bilion in 2011 and a loss of RM1.28 billion for the fourth quarter of 2011.[39]

The failed MAS-AirAsia share swap is another busted balloon following the launching of 20 projects under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) that was expected by the Najib administration to contribute as much as RM10.07 bilion to the GNI and create 64,282 jobs for Malaysians.[40] Also to be noted was the statement by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin[41] who stated the the government had no other choice than to agree to a share swap as if MAS makes more losses, the government would have to inject funds into MAS.

Yet the ping-pong game by the Najib administration has not only failed to revive nor save the struggling MAS airline carrier, it has also jeopardized the careers of approximately 20,000 MAS employees and was the focus of a probe[42] by the Malaysian Competition Commission for possible anti-competition abuse. 

In the end, as proven by the scrapped share swap deal, there was no mutual benefit that arose from it. As per Khazanah Nasional, "the controversial share-swap deal between MAS and AirAsia has been cancelled as it had become a impediment to the recovery efforts of the loss making flag carrier".[43]

The third ping-pong by Najib's administration is the flip-flop of the amended Section 114A Evidence Act. Najib has claimed that whatever his administration is doing, the people must be put first. Thus in his tweet, he has "asked" the Cabinet to discus the amended Section 114A. Yet apparently the Cabinet has been to not be called for a review of Section 114A.[44]

 

The Silent Secondhand Clapper

This poses the question, who was lying to the Malaysian people? Was it Najib or was it his Cabinet? The charade of Section 114A continued with the non-action by the police against Umno Youth for the seditious religious posting on its Facebook page. The presumption of "guilty until proven innocence" as provided under Section 114A was apparently not applicable to Umno Youth.

Just as the internet blackout by Malaysian online users that succeeded in unprecedented support from across Malaysia as a means to protest against Section 114A, it still failed to stop Section 114A from operating. This however is no match for the massive concerted effort of the American online community against SOPA and PIPA in early January of 2012. SOPA and PIPA are Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. Both bills provided two methods for fighting copyright infringement on foreign websites. In one method, the U.S. Department of Justice could seek court orders requiring Internet service providers to block the domain names of infringing sites. For example, Comcast could prevent its customers from accessing thepiratebay.org, although the underlying IP address would still be reachable. This ISP-blocking provision was a major concern among Internet security experts, and both SOPA and PIPA have dropped it.

The other tool would allow rights holders to seek court orders requiring payment providers, advertisers, and search engines to stop doing business with an infringing site. In other words, rights holders would be able to request that funding be cut off from an infringing site, and that search links to that site be removed. The site in question would have five days to appeal any action taken.

The online protest saw 4.5 million people signing Google's anti-SOPA/PIPA online petition, it converted 25 senators into opposers of the PIPA, 2.4 million SOPA-related tweets were scored in one day and lastly, the online protest had managed to stop SOPA and PIPA in its' tracks and dumped by the American Congress.[45]

In other words, the American Congress realized the law that fights against online-piracy, at the same time patronizes the freedom of the internet was a futile effort. The internet is a borderless universe and to set up regulations that undermine the freedom of information that runs through the veins of the internet is a useless effort in which Najib should learn a thing or two.

Coming back to Section 114A, Najib's administration not only shown no consistent agreement amongst its' members, but Najib too, in the race to win the hearts of Malaysian prior to the election made a public declaration that is an evident rhetoric, in which was proven by Nazri Aziz's stance on the provision. In which according to Nazri, "Section 114A is here to stay to protect the country's security. Those who were against the amendment did not undertstand the law"[46] as opposed to Najib's weak "order" to the Cabinet to review the amendment. While there were supporters of Najib's "order", nevertheless, the "order" was a half-hearted attempt to quell the voices of dissent.

 

The Toothless Tiger

This ping-pong game by Najibs' administration begs the question, "who is the head of the administration?". Who has more clout, authority within his administration? As clearly as it is by the amount of backpedalling, Najib's voice seems to be drowned out by some other influential parties. Evidently those influential parties seem to have more authority, more clout than the voices of the Malaysian people. He is vague on the implementation of the RPGT and intends to implement the GST as silently and stealthily as possible, all the while, evading in giving real answers regarding the two. It is as if he is unsure of his own administration and the policies churned out by him and his administration. As well as faithfully backtracking on his New Economic Model that was to "benefit Malaysians as a whole" but was quietly swept under the carpet.

While trying to copy the American presidential campaign style, Najib has failed to learn from the United States with regards to the importance of listening to the people, particularly the internet community in this issue. Whilst the Malaysian internet community is not as vocal as the American internet community, Najib has proven to own a lacking of backbone or commitment as being the father of transformation. Najib's administration also has a disturbing lack of understanding on how the internet works. Anonymity is both poison and cure for online users. To punish the entire Malaysian population for the acts of a few online bullies does not cut it as a transformation that is so call lauded by Najib's administration. His administration seems to forget that to cure the menance of cyberbullying, Section 114A only acts a bandaid, it does not resolve the crux of the problem. It does not solve the source of cyberbullying and his lack of understanding on the psychology of such matters is clearly visible on his ping-pong of a game on Section 114A.

Najib has proven time and time again, his first priority are his closest allies or potential allies, his second priority is the people or pretending to listen to the citizens of this country. Just as the Peaceful Assembly Act that acts as a doublespeak of Najib administration on so called "respect for basic human rights"as a basis for abuse of basic human rights to be treated equally and equally protected under the constitution. For example the protection for Perkasa by Najib's administration whilst at the same time, abusing the basic human rights of Malaysian to assemble and express freely without fear. Perkasa was given the freedom to spew racist acts whilst the Malaysian people were beaten, kicked and threatened for expressing their collective discontent against an unfair election.

The failure of the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) serves as a reminder of the priority of Najib and his administration. He conceded that the SBPA was launched based on the principle of a seven to thirteen percent salary hike and a raise in annual income of between RM80 and RM320 but when it was translated into action, it ran off from the decision that was made.[47]In other words, the only raise that occured was the raise for senior offices whilst the lower ranked officers received a paltry raise as mere as RM1.70.

The pattern of Najib's proud "transformation" is turning a theoretically good or mediocre idea into a bad example of executions in which the repercussions are felt by the everyday Malaysian citizens whilst at the same time, the tight circle around him escaped. Only when the citizens have raised their collective voices, Najib does a backflip on his own policies. All these backflips, ping-pong games and russian roulette with the Malaysian people, topped with the outstanding honorary place of being the most corrupt nation to do business, Najib's administration seems to fail to grasp the gravity that these dots connect to create a vacuum that negates transformation and the so called dream of a developed Malaysian nation. Najib does not seem to be worried about his popularity as much as he thinks with these endless backflips and back pedaling.

His latest fallacy is of course the failure of the Automated Enforcement System (AES) in which critics have pointed out is a money making machine for private companies and not as a proactive machine to increase the safety standards of roads. Within the ten years[48] of the idea of implementing the AES, it would seem ironic Najib's administration had failed to commend a detailed research analysis of the weaknesses of such system that outweighed the benefits of AES.

As a Prime Minister and a leader of a nation, his vacillitating decisions mirror his disability as an incompetent and weak leader who holds the faith and belief of 28 million citizens of Malaysia. He has not only succesfully rocketed the nations' debt to 73.4[49] percent in last five years, Najib has also has managed to escort Malaysia to the top of the corruption ranks and displaced the faith and belief of Malaysians against a government. His empty promise to remove the bumiputera quota echoes his distrust against the skills and abilities of the Malays as well as it continuously sows disatisfaction amongst other races in Malaysia.

The only transformation accomplished by Najib is turning Malaysia into an international joke. Where once Malaysia was filled with potential and rich with natural and human resources is now a source of critical brain drain and corruption. Unless Najib wishes a transformed developed Malaysia to realize, it is nothing but a phantom wish negated by his own undoing.

These continuous back pedaling is also a show of desperation. A desperation to cling onto whatever power Najib has left. As per the words of Aung San Suu Kyi;

 "It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it."

 



[1] Save Lynas, Lynas' Waste Plans A Toxic Pipe Dream, 18 Disember 2012,

http://savemalaysia-stoplynas.blogspot.com/

[2] The Choice, Najib: Lynas Waste Will be Removed, 3 Mac 2012,

http://www.thechoice.my/featured-articles/27836-najib-lynas-waste-will-be-removed

[3] MI, Lynas Pledges To Send Rare Earth Waste Abroad, 6 Mac 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/lynas-pledges-to-send-rare-earth-waste-abroad

[4] BaruBian, Wastes Won't Be Exported Out Of Malaysia, Says Lynas, 8 Disember 2012,

http://www.barubian.net/2012/12/wastes-wont-be-exported-out-of-malaysia.html

[5] MI, MAS, Airasia Share Swap Set For Tuesday, New CEO Likely, 8 Ogos 2011,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mas-airasia-share-swap-set-for-tuesday-likely-new-ceo

[6] Asia One, MAS And Airasia In Share-Swap Deal, 7 Ogos 2011,

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20110807-293137.html

[7] NST, MAS-Airasia Swap Deal Is Off, 2 Mei 2012,

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/mas-airasia-swap-deal-is-off-1.79952

[8] DigitalNewsAsia, Govt Stealthily Gazettes Evidence Act Amendment, Law Is Now In Operation, 8 Ogos 2012,

http://www.digitalnewsasia.com/digital-economy/govt-stealthily-gazettes-evidence-act-amendment-law-is-now-in-operation

[9] DigitalNewsAsia, PM Asks Cabinet To Re-Look Evidence Act Amendment, 14 Ogos 2012,

http://www.digitalnewsasia.com/digital-economy/pm-asks-cabinet-to-re-look-evidence-act-amendment

[10] MI, Amendment To Evidence Act To Protect People, Says Najib,  12 September 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/amendment-to-evidence-act-to-protect-people-says-najib

[11] The Star, Peaceful Assembly Bill Passed, 29 November 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/29/nation/20111129164017&sec=nation

[12] 1Malaysia, Special Malaysia Day Message By Yab. Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak In Conjunction With Malaysia Day 2011 Celebration, 15 September 2011,

http://1malaysia.com.my/speeches/perutusan-khas-hari-malaysia/

[13] The Star, Najib: Govt Rescinded Three Emergency Proclamations To Give More Freedom, 12 April 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/12/nation/11087904&sec=nation

[14] NST, To Build A Strong Foundation Takes Time: Najib, 26 September 2012,

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/to-build-a-strong-foundation-takes-time-najib-1.148664#ixzz2Fa8zol6I

[15] MI, Rethink Aid To Chinese Areas, Says Perkasa, 26 April 2010,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/Rethink-aid-to-Chinese-areas-says-Perkasa/

[17] The Star, Umno Rejects Perkasa, 9 September 2010, Najib: SBPA scheme to be scrapped

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/9/nation/7006976&sec=nation

[18] Malaysia Digest, SBPA Flip-Flop A Blow To Transformation, 10 Mac 2012,

http://www.malaysiandigest.com/opinion/41184-sbpa-flip-flop-a-blow-to-transformation.html

[19] The Star, PM: Public service new remuneration scheme to be reviewed, 12 Januari 2012, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/12/nation/20120112201750&sec=nation

[20] The Star, Najib: SBPA scheme to be scrapped, 8 Mac 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/8/nation/20120308105958&sec=nation

[22] ibid

[23] MI, Under Fire, Najib Says Yet To Confirm NEM, 30 Mei 2010,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/Under-fire-Najib-says-yet-to-confirm-NEM

[25] Treasury, 2010 Budget, 23 Oktober 2009,

http://www.treasury.gov.my/pdf/budget/bs10.pdf

[27] Treasury, 2010 Budget, 23 Oktober 2009,

http://www.treasury.gov.my/pdf/budget/bs10.pdf

[28] The Edge, No Date For GST Yet, Says Najib, 19 Mac 2010,

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/161892-no-date-for-gst-yet-says-najib.html

[29] The Star, Automated Enforcement System To Begin Operations Midnight Saturday 22 Septembr 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/22/nation/20120922141615&sec=nation

[30] JPJ, Putrajaya Says 'No' To Deferring AES, 18 Oktober 2012,

http://www.jpj.my/jpj_news/Putrajaya_says_no_to_deferring_AES.htm

[31] MI, A-G's Chambers Freezes AES Summons Cases For Now, 18 Disember 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/a-gs-chambers-freezes-aes-summons-cases-for-now

[32] Borneo Post, UMNO: Najib Introduces His Book On Political Transformation, 29 November 2012,

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/29/umno-najib-introduces-his-book-on-political-transformation/#ixzz2GmynE2eT

[33] The Star, Najib: Lynas Corp Would Not Be Licensed If Govt Was Not Convinced, 27 Februari 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/27/nation/10812267&sec=nation

[35] WSJ, Malaysia Warns Lynas to Export Rare-Earths Waste, 10 Disember 2012,

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324339204578171680493439150.html

[36] The Star, Lynas Must Remove All Residue From Malaysia, Say 4 Cabinet Ministers, 10 Disember 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/12/10/nation/20121210205105&sec=nation

[37] NTN, Rare Earth and Radioactive Waste A Preliminary Waste Stream Assessment of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant,  Gebeng, Malaysia, April 2012,

http://www.ntn.org.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Lynas-EIA-Assessment-Report-NTN-April-13-final.pdf

[38] MI, Putrajaya To Undo MAS-Airasia Share Swap, Cooperation Pact Remains, 28 april 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/putrajaya-to-undo-mas-airasia-share-swap-cooperation-pact-remains/

[39] MI, Putrajaya To Undo MAS-Airasia Share Swap, Cooperation Pact Remains, 28 april 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/putrajaya-to-undo-mas-airasia-share-swap-cooperation-pact-remains/

[40] NST, Najib Unveils 20 ETP Projects, 3 Economic Corridors Worth RM26.09bln, 16 November 2012, http://www.nst.com.my/latest/najib-unveils-20-etp-projects-3-economic-corridors-worth-rm26-09bln 1.172155#ixzz2GnUdTYng

[41] AsiaOne, MAS, Airasia Share Swap Only Option, 5 Oktober 2011,

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20111005-303317.html

[42] The Edge, MAS, AirAsia Back In Competition, 3 Mei 2012,

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/highlights/212809-mas-airasia-back-in-competition.html

[44] Mkini, Cabinet Did Not Seek Review Of Section 114A, 15 Ogos 2012,

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/206459

[45] PCWorld, Were SOPA/PIPA Protests a Success? The Results Are In, 19 Januari 2012,

http://www.pcworld.com/article/248401/were_sopa_pipa_protests_a_success_the_results_are_in.html

[46] The Star, Section 114A Of The Evidence Act Stays, Says Nazri, 24 Ogos 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2012/8/24/nation/11907728

[47] MI, Najib Ditched New Government Pay Scheme As It Went Off-Target, 13 Mac 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/litee/malaysia/article/najib-ditched-new-government-pay-scheme-as-it-went-off-target

[48] The Star, Kong: AES System Came About 10 Years Ago, 20 Oktober 2012,

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2012/10/20/nation/20121020121216

[49] MI, Budget 2013 Proof Malaysia Falling Into Debt Crisis As Income Slows, Says MP, 28 September 2012,

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/budget-2013-proof-malaysia-falling-into-debt-crisis-as-income-slows-says-mp


-- 
Terima kasih.

Ooi Heng & KPRU

Kajian Politik untuk Perubahan (KPRU – Political Studies for Change,政改研究所) merupakan sebuah pusat kajian yang baru dan kritikal. KPRU ditubuhkan pada era pasca 8 Mac dengan tujuan membawa idea perubahan kepada warga Malaysia melalui kajian dan sesi dialog.

KPRU memberikan fokus kepada kajian terhadap bidang ekonomi politik dan sektor strategik yang dapat membawa impak jangka masa panjang kepada masyarakat. Dengan penerapan idea baru dan interaksi dengan pelbagai pihak berkepentingan, kajian KPRU diyakini akan membawa pemikiran dan wacana segar untuk menghadapi cabaran negara dalam dekad yang akan datang. 

Pakistani gets countryman blue IC in 20 days and NRD made Indian national a citizen using false SD

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:40 PM PST

http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/510/470x275xa27a33dab1fbc5a9b1f876fcd3743000.jpg.pagespeed.ic.IQhF9INB4G.jpg 

Soon after 54-year-old Pakistani national Prabesh Khan Hussein Khan arrived in Sabah in 1992, he was told that Pakistani, Indian, Indonesian and Filipino nationals can get Malaysian citizenship easily.

Nigel Aw 

A Pakistani comrade by the name of Ikram told Prabesh that he (Ikram) could make this possible for a mere RM330, Prabesh told the royal commission of inquiry on Sabah immigrants today.

Prabesh then filled up a yellow National Registration Department form, placed his thumb print on the document and submitted it to Ikram together with eight photographs.

NONE"Is it true that in 20 days Ikram returned and gave you an identity card with the name 'Mohd Sharif Sakar' ?" RCI conducting officer Jamil Aripin asked the witness at the Kota Kinabalu court complex.

Prabesh said 'yes', and added that the date of issue of the identity card was backdated to Nov 16, 1985.

The photograph on the IC was that of his, he added.

"I wanted to use my own name, but Ikram said this could not be done. I didn't choose my birth place either… he listed it for me as 'Tawau'," Prabesh said.

He then went to vote in the 1999 Sabah state election, in the constituency of Likas, but was not allowed to.

"I didn't know that I needed to register first," he said.

In a limbo now

In 2011, Prabesh said, he tried to change his identity card to a new one, but his IC was confiscated by the NRD.

Asked if he knew of a syndicate selling identity cards and that he may have fallen victim to it, he replied: "I don't know".

However, Prabesh said, he was now in limbo, since the confiscation of his IC.

The witness said he had started a new life in the state, marrying a Sabahan in 2002 and they now have two children.

"I just want my identity card back. If it is not valid, then at least make me a permanent resident," Prabesh added.

Read more at: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/40990/ 

 

Malaysia falls to record low 145th in press freedom index

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:39 PM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/01/censor0130.jpgReporters Without Borders credited increasingly restricted access to information for Malaysia's decline in the index. — Reuters pic 

(TMI) - Malaysia has plunged 23 rungs in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index and placed 145th out of 179 countries ― the country's worst showing in the benchmark since 2002.

 

Malaysia had been ranked at 122 and 141 for the years 2011/2012 and 2010, respectively, in the index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

According to the organisation, the drop was due to access to information "becoming more and more limited".

A report by the organisation said that Malaysia's "sorry record" was caused by the government's repeated efforts to censor information.

It also attributed the decline in the country's media freedom to what it described as the government's campaign of repression, pointing to what is seen as the authorities' heavy-handed crackdown on the Bersih rally for electoral reform last April.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysia-falls-to-record-low-145th-in-press-freedom-index/ 

Sugumaran’s death: PM wants forensic report

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:38 PM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Najib-Vel-Paari-C-sugumaran-300x202.jpg 

(FMT) - MIC strategic director S Vell Paari reveals that the police have also agreed for a second post-mortem to be carried out.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has instructed Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai to submit a forensic report on the death of security guard C Sugumaran.

It is also learnt that the police have given the green light to the family to conduct an independent post-mortem.

MIC strategic director S Vell Paari said the prime minister made the call after MIC president G Palanivel raised the matter during the Cabinet meeting this morning.

"Justice must be ensured for the deceased's family. The police and the related ministries must be transparent in this matter," added Vell Paari.

Vell Paari said that he spoke to Selangor deputy police chief A Thaiveegan and the latter revealed that a second post-mortem was permitted.

He added that MIC Youth was willing to bear the cost of the independent post-mortem.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/30/sugumarans-death-pm-wants-forensic-report/ 

Shahrizat: Harapan wanita Malaysia hanya pada BN

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:36 PM PST

http://www.sinarharian.com.my/polopoly_fs/1.93392.1349872911!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_400/image.jpg 

(Bernama) - Harapan wanita Malaysia untuk memastikan masa depan mereka lebih terjamin hanya terletak kepada Barisan Nasional (BN), kata Ketua Pergerakan Wanita Umno Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

   
Sehubungan itu, beliau berkata BN yang menjadi peneraju negara dan mengambil berat soal kebajikan rakyat tetap menjadi pilihan wanita di segenap peringkat.
   
Berucap pada Program Sekampung Majlis Pembangunan Wanita dan Keluarga (MPWK) Perlis di sini hari ini, beliau berkata kerajaan sentiasa memahami dan menghayati denyut nadi wanita dan tidak pernah mengabaikan mereka.
   
Selain itu, menurutnya, kerajaan juga sentiasa mendengar suara dan hasrat wanita bukan sahaja melalui saluran politik tetapi juga melalui MPWK.
   
Shahrizat yang juga Pengerusi Kebangsaan MPWK berkata majlis itu tidak pernah berdiam diri dalam memperjuangkan kepentingan kaum wanita di negara ini.

"Itu sebabnya, kerajaan menyediakan pelbagai kemudahan untuk menjaga kebajikan kaum wanita dan berusaha mengeluarkan mereka daripada kepompong kemiskinan termasuk melalui bantuan 1Azam," katanya.
   
Bercakap kepada pemberita kemudian, beliau berkata banyak kaum wanita yang perlu dibantu terutama mereka yang menjadi ketua isi rumah, kebanyakannya disebabkan kematian suami atau ditinggalkan suami.
   
Sementara itu, Menteri Besar Perlis Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu ketika merasmikan program itu berharap kaum wanita akan menjadi pencetus semangat kepada masyarakat untuk terus menyokong pelbagai usaha murni kerajaan.
   
Katanya kaum wanita di negara ini menikmati kehidupan yang selesa dan mereka yang berada dalam kepompong kemiskinan tidak pernah dipinggirkan daripada usaha kerajaan meningkatkan taraf hidup mereka.

 

On being called an ‘ungrateful Malay’

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 04:33 PM PST


Imagine if the Armed Forces, the police, the teachers and the trash collectors kept coming around our houses telling us to be "grateful" that they were honouring their duties. 

This country would be nothing without the "pendatang." Dr Mahathir also forgets that many so-called Malays have ancestors who were also in their days "pendatang." The Bugis. The Minang. The Javanese.

Erna Mahyuni, The Malaysian Insider

A "cybertrooper" sent me an email response to last week's column.

To assuage your curiosity, I'll let you read it: (swear words censored so I won't get more emails about offended sensitivities)

F*** U ERNA

UR A PIECE OF S****

UR REMARK ON PENDATANG ISSUE IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE UR A RUNNING DOG BARUA CHINESE UR AN UNGRATEFUL B******** MALAY QUESTIONING UR OWN RACE

UR ABLE TO WRITE N SPEAK ENGLUSH COZ OF GOVT POLICY TO HELP U A B**** MALAY TO GO TO UNI.. UR SUCH A PIG RUNNING BY THOSE SEPET

I SAY IT AGAIN UR A B******* A B**** UNGRATEFUL MALAY

YET I BET U TOOK 5PCT DISCOUNT FOR BUMI HOME BUYERS… SHAME ON U SHAME ON U

First thing: The Bumi discount is 7 per cent.

Second thing: The discount is useless to me anyway as house prices are so ridiculous these days that even my more-than-10-years of EPF can't cover a downpayment. Unless you're the CEO or editor-in-chief of a mainstream paper, journalists aren't rich, sweetheart.

Third thing: I'm not Malay nor do I have "Malay" blood anywhere in my ancestry. My birth certificate shows my father is Dusun; my mother is Bajau. Incidentally, one of my great-grandmothers is Chinese, as are quite a number of my relatives, and the other great-grandmother is Pakistani Indian.

Which still makes me 100 per cent Malaysian.

Fourth thing: In this day and age, why do I even have to make a big deal about/be forced to share details of my ancestry? Maybe I'll just do a Barack Obama and print my birth certificate online so the cybertroopers will quit harassing me on Twitter, my blog and their blogs.

(And for the record, there are non-Malay cybertroopers as well who happen to be working for ministries/agencies I won't name here. 1 Malaysia, even for cybertroopers.)

A friend of mine summarised the basic rhetoric of most cybertooper "logic": "The implication is that Malays are not capable of achieving anything on their own, and must be buoyed by a system that supports them. And, my god, how this system sustains itself!"

If you read Bernama on a daily basis like I have to, the government feels duty-bound to near-constantly remind us to be "grateful."

So I should be grateful the government is doing the job it was elected to do?

Imagine if the Armed Forces, the police, the teachers and the trash collectors kept coming around our houses telling us to be "grateful" that they were honouring their duties.

That we owe them our security, our education, our litter-free lawns.

Wait, doesn't that make them a lot like Ah Long moneylenders?

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/on-being-called-an-ungrateful-malay/ 

 

If I’m Umno-BN, I would’ve neutralised DAP!

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:59 PM PST

Honestly, many of my centrist friends and I are getting a little tired of you. We are fast becoming irritated and if pushed any further we may just work against you. In fact, a few of my friends are already skewing towards BN in the last few months. These were the people who voted against BN in the last general election because they were irritated by them. Now they are finding you as the irritating one.

Anas Zubedy, FMT

It is getting a little annoying…each time I write something positive about Umno-BN or something negative about PR or its component parties, instead of judging my ideas based on their merits, scores of supporters of the opposition are quick to suggest that I'm a BN or Umno member or agent.  That I was being paid to speak on their behalf or simply that I'm a crony getting business from the government.

This was especially true and gained momentum after I wrote an open letter to YB Lim Guan Eng suggesting ideas on how DAP can increase Malay support by empathising and understanding them better, deeply considering their concerns.

In that letter, I also suggested that YB Lim Kit Siang should graciously retire from politics. This letter attracted hundreds of immediate reactions and many more thereafter from the opposition camp. It also brings forth the wrath from hard core (and may I say unthinking) DAP supporters.

Another example is my disagreement with Haris Ibrahim's attitude towards change, his ABU approach. Even Haris Ibrahim, a person whom I see as a genuine change agent  (although I do not agree with the route he chose to better Malaysian politics) cannot help but suggest in his note to me published in his blog, "As I share the views of many that you are in some way tied with the powers that be…".

So let me make myself clear. I am not from BN or Umno, although I will be quick to support and promote any initiatives by them (or the opposition) which I consider good for the country. I do not get business from any political contacts. In fact, I've have made sure my company stands above board and does not seek government contracts, although in business there is nothing wrong with that!

To illustrate further, let me put it this way. If I'm a BN or Umno member, I would first and foremost have worked towards the demise of DAP and the end of Lim Kit Siang's political power from the late eighties.

Let me explain. I was a student at UM's Faculty of Economics majoring in Public Administration (a coursework that covers many political and government related subjects). I was privileged to have a good academic as a lecturer, a pro DAP scholar; Associate Professor Michael Ong whom I believe is a close friend of Lim Kit Siang.

I borrowed many books and asked many questions from the good Professor. (His copy of 'Time Bombs In Malaysia' a best seller in the late 70s and early 80s, for example was a personal gift from the book's author, Lim Kit Siang). The 7th General Elections 1986 smacked right in the middle of my university life. I discovered three important things about the DAP from these experiences.

1. Lim Kit Siang was a capable opposition leader. His speeches and opinions in parliament were well researched. He puts in a lot of hard work, thinking and effort to represent the opposition team and the 'other' Malaysia, rightly or wrongly. The salary that we the rakyat paid him as an opposition leader was well worth it. (Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the current opposition leader).

2. While they may have improved markedly, the DAP's election machinery then (in 1986 election) was shameful, disorganised, and in many places non-existent. Umno on the other hand had the most efficient, effective and dynamic election machinery and operations in the country. (I used to suggest during my talks, if the Malays can run their businesses the way Umno managed elections, we can do away with the NEP!)

3. The number of members in DAP is negligible – not even 10,000 then. DAP's performance during elections are mostly based on the pendulum swings of Chinese voters who are very sensitive to the state of economic health of the nation. Even today, I do not think DAP has more than 100,000 members, perhaps at most 60,000.

The second and third points above brought me to a simple common sense conclusion – even for a 22 year old undergraduate. It is easy for Umno and BN to kill off DAP and Lim Kit Siang's power base. Infiltrate them with thousands of hard core Malay members from Umno, change the flavour of the DAP and vote Lim Kit Siang out or dilute his power within his own power base. You cannot do that with MCA and MIC, as they are raced based parties. But the DAP is open to all and as such, the majority race (the Malays) can easily take advantage.

Even today! With less than 100,000 members, it is not too difficult a task to neutralise DAP and the Lims. In fact, even PAS with a million members can 'donate' 100,000 members and make DAP 'Islamic' with the same formula. Anwar Ibrahim's ABIM gang alone could do the job rather efficiently if they wanted to. And remember, Umno has 3 million members!

Now, why Umno-BN has not done that is a billion ringgit question. As I have suggested I'm not from the coalition, so I can only theorise. Perhaps they practice fair play. Or, the strategists in Umno/BN believe that it is good to have a little manageable competition that is disorganised, inefficient, ineffective and non-threatening. This is perhaps a good way to ensure their own team does not get complacent – like big Brands in FMCG (like Milo) allowing smaller brands to exist (like Vico). Or perhaps, they never thought about it or, nobody was keen on the project. What do you think?

So, where am I getting at?

1. If I'm from Umno or BN all these while, I would have at the point of graduation joined Umno and be the architect who destroyed DAP and the Lims. I would have earned my stripes and gained a really handsome position.  I graduated in 1988. I was a project person. By the second year I was already teaching the juniors how to manage successful projects and sat on boards of advisors with the professors and university officials.

I had the experience of running the biggest and perhaps one of the most successful projects ever seen at Universiti Malaya. At the height of the project, I had almost 1000 people running the show reporting to my team of 50 capable, hardworking, united core team organisers – I was then only 21 years old.

I'm confident (and knew then) that if upon graduation I joined such a well-greased organisation like Umno that has already have in place concrete people, structure and processes, I would have been able to neutralise DAP and Lim Kit Siang by mid 90s. Perhaps, many would not have heard of Lim Guan Eng as he would be insignificant within his own party.

To date, those who tried to challenge the Lims are fellow Chinese who is dependent on the same limited support base as they – hard core Chinese. None so far who joined the DAP with their own power base. It is difficult to win an incumbent on their own turf; you need to create a new playing ground, new rules, new people, new thinking.

2. I would like to humbly suggest that pro opposition supporters and key opinion makers to have a little more respect towards centrists like me and my friends. Understand that sometimes we are with you; sometimes we are with BN and many times we provide a third alternative (for example our middle path position towards peaceful demonstrations that was finally practiced by the organisers of #KL112 and the people in power).

Understand that such position is all right and natural. You do not have the monopoly of truth and good. None does. Not you, not BN. Stop believing that you are holier than the rest of us and quit being arrogant. Stop spewing "Shame on you" and "if you are not with us then you are against us" mantras, leaving no room for a centrist position, no chance to just be a non-partisan rakyat.

Please remember that we who are not from any political parties will likely form the biggest voting bloc. Even in America, the two-party system example that you so readily flaunt, the independents represent the largest bloc, 40% in 2012. Democrats only had 31% while Republicans, 27%.

3. When we provide a feedback, and especially if the feedback suggests that the current government's action or idea is the better one; stop, think, reflect, and listen. Your supporters and cohorts will likely go against them blindly. BN supporters will likely follow them without much thought too. We, the non-partisans are the best check and balance.

End your childish attacks, rough language, holier than thou statements, and accusations that we are being bought over simply because you are afraid that your unthinking blind supporters may just start to THINK. We are not here to neuter your position or the position of your opponent. We are here to tell out the truth, as we see it. Your behaviour is beginning to be a little annoying.  This takes me to the fourth and final point.

4. Honestly, many of my centrist friends and I are getting a little tired of you. We are fast becoming irritated and if pushed any further we may just work against you. In fact, a few of my friends are already skewing towards BN in the last few months. These were the people who voted against BN in the last general election because they were irritated by them. Now they are finding you as the irritating one.

When the BN lost its 2/3rd majority and 5-state governments, these group of voters exclaimed, "Padan muka" to BN. Don't ever think that they will not do the same to you if you too act with arrogance and are annoying. With the combined votes of BN supporters and the independents, Malaysia will go back to the days where BN not only has a 2/3rd majority, but a very comfortable one. And if that happens, the results of GE12 may just be a one-time wonder.

Last but not least…how you react to this article will show if you understand the stakes at hand, can be helped to change, or simply incorrigible.

 

Once a pushover, Pakatan sniffs power

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:50 PM PST

Speculation is rife that Pakatan could win enough in the polls to lure ruling coalition defectors and form a government.

Dan Martin, AFP

After bloodying the government's nose in 2008 elections, a more experienced and organised Malaysian opposition is eyeing the once-unthinkable: toppling one of the world's longest-serving governments.

Malaysians vote soon with the formerly hapless opposition buoyed by a new track record of state-level government, signs of growing voter support, and what its leader Anwar Ibrahim calls a sense of history in the making.

"I am convinced, Inshallah (God willing), that we will win government," Anwar told AFP, evoking the winds of change that powered the "Arab Spring" elsewhere in the Muslim world.

"Of course we call it a 'Malaysian Spring', but our method is elections (not uprisings)."

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is expected to call a fresh vote in weeks, pitting his Malay-dominated Barisan Nasional coalition against Anwar's multi-ethnic opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat.

The 57-year-old ruling bloc enjoys deep pockets, mainstream media control, an electoral system the opposition says is rigged, and a record of decades of economic growth under its authoritarian template.

Few expect the opposition to win the 112 parliamentary seats needed to take power. The three-party alliance won 82 seats in the 2008 polls, up from 21, stunning the BN with its biggest-ever setback.

But speculation is rife that Pakatan could win enough in the polls — which must be held by late June — to lure ruling coalition defectors and form a government.

"Before this year, many were in denial about Pakatan's potential. Today, we see society beginning to accept that the possibility (of a BN defeat) is real," said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who runs the independent Malaysian think tank IDEAS.

The country's stock market has trembled recently over the uncertainty as opinion polls suggest the vote will be tight. One recent survey put Najib and Anwar neck-and-neck as prime ministerial candidates.

In a Jan 12 show of force, the opposition held a rally that drew clsoe to 100,000 people.

"I think it's very close, and the party that makes the least mistakes will be the party that wins," said S Ambiga, , head of Bersih, an NGO coalition that has organised large public rallies for electoral reform.

Pakatan attacks the ruling coalition, and particularly its dominant partner Umno, as corrupt, repressive and lacking a long-term vision for Malaysia.

Anwar says Pakatan would end authoritarianism and free the media.

It would lure foreign investment by attacking rampant graft and reforming the system of preferences for Malays that is blamed for harming national econonomic competitiveness and stoking resentment among minority Chinese and Indians.

"The people are committed to reform. There is a legitimate expectation among the public for them to see that reforms do take place," Anwar said.

Anwar, who was acquitted a year ago on sodomy charges he called a bogus Umno attempt to ruin him politically, has been integral to the opposition's revival.

The former BN heir-apparent's spectacular 1998 ouster in a power struggle with then-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad gifted the opposition a charismatic leader with top government experience to rally around.

The loose alliance of 2008 is stronger today, having since agreed on a common manifesto, and has shown it can govern in four states won five years ago, the most ever in opposition hands. Malaysia has 13 states.

"Cooperation between the parties is much stronger than 2008. They have done more to prepare the ground for new voters," said leading political pollster Ibrahim Suffian.

Concerns linger over Pakatan's ability to govern nationally.

Besides Anwar's multi-racial PKR, it includes PAS representing Muslim ethnic Malays, and the secular DAP dominated by ethnic Chinese.

PAS's calls for an Islamic state are a source of alliance squabbling, but Anwar dismisses any concern, saying PAS realises the goal is a non-starter in the diverse nation.

Economists, meanwhile, warn that populist Pakatan promises such as free primary-to-university education could sink Malaysia into debt, while noting ever-larger public handouts by Najib's government also posed a risk.

Najib took office in 2009 and has portrayed himself as a reformer but surveys suggest BN is still viewed as a corruption-plagued, status-quo force.

Eroding minority support, particularly Chinese, that hurt the coalition in 2008 appears to be accelerating, independent polls show, while first-time voters estimated to number up to three million are a question mark.

One top Umno official told AFP that party officials fear the coalition could lose 20 more seats — it now has 140 — raising the spectre of a Pakatan power play.

"All said, Najib still has the advantage, but an opposition victory is clearly possible," said Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asian politics expert at Singapore Management University.

 

Have you forsaken your flock, Archbishop?

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:46 PM PST

Catholics stumped by Murphy Pakiam's conspicuous silence and his failure to come out and defend the faithful over the burn-the-Bible issue

Jared Pereira, FMT

The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Murphy Pakiam, has received a barrage of criticisms from Catholics for keeping mum on Perkasa's call to Muslims to seize and burn Bibles.

Pakiam has yet to make a statement regarding Ibrahim Ali's call to burn Bibles which contained the term "Allah" and other religious Arabic terms, leading some from his flock to label him as a weak leader.

Ibrahim has come under relentless attack from all quarters since he made the call two weeks ago and many have asked why the police and Attorney-General have not arrested him for making seditious remarks.

Both Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing, the head of the Catholic Church in the Malacca-Johor diocese, and Bishop Sebastian Francis, Penang's Catholic leader, have spoken out against Ibrahim and made a stand for Christians, a quality Pakiam seems incapable of.

Tan was quoted as saying in media reports that Ibrahim's comments were an "incendiary statement that far exceeds the bounds of civil discourse in Malaysia.

Bishop Francis on the other hand called for the country to emulate the example set by Nik Aziz, Kelantan's chief minister and not the provocative sentiments of Ibrahim.

"He [Murphy Pakiam] should stand his ground and stand in the name of God without fear or favour. As a Catholic, I'm disappointed in him," said Jane Thomas, a Malaysian Catholic who currently resides in the United States..

"His predecessors were noble Archbishops who took their roles seriously. What kind of "shepherd" is he if he can't stand up for Catholics?" asked Jane.

'Catholics still waiting'

This is not the first time Pakiam has come under fire. He came under attack for accompanying Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on the federal government's official visit to the Vatican to meet Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.

"As a Roman Catholic, I feel hurt with the senior cleric's move to jump on the same bandwagon as the prime minister," said Joshua Lopez in a blog.

READ MORE HERE

 

PSM ready to join Pakatan

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:32 PM PST

The application to join Pakatan was put in verbally and in writing due to public demand.

K Pragalath, FMT

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) today announced that it was ready to join Pakatan Rakyat.

"We have notified Pakatan verbally in June and in writing in September last year," PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said during a press conference to unveil the party's manifesto for the coming 13th general election.

"We are open to both electoral pact or partnership with Pakatan," Arutchelvan added.

PSM had previously worked with Pakatan based on an electoral pact without joining Pakatan. The party was formed in April 1998 but only got its registration approved in August 2008, months after the March 2008 general election.

It had its first experience in the general election when it contested for the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat on a DAP ticket in 1999.

PSM increased the number of seats contested in the 2004 general election. It contested two parliamentary seats – Sungai Siput in Perak and Subang in Selangor – and two state seats – Jalong in Perak and Bukit Lanjan in Selangor. They lost all the seats in both of the elections.

In 2008, PSM contested in Sungai Siput and three state seats – Kota Damansara, Semenyih and Jelapang.

Aside from Jelapang, PSM contested all the seats on a PKR ticket. In Jelapang it contested as an independent. It won the Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara seats.

The party has always taken an anti-Barisan Nasional stand and supported the Pakatan federal opposition alliance in Parliament.

PSM central committee member, who is also Sungai Siput MP, Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, meanwhile, said that PSM would be able to provide input on issues of the grassroots.

"We have a sharper analysis on neo-liberalism policies and can have a lot of synergy with Pakatan," he said.

Party chairman Nasir Hashim, who is also Kota Damansara state assemblyman, added that PSM "went through the mill in championing the rights of the urban poor, estate and factory workers.

PSM's inclusion in Pakatan is expected to ease the tension over the Jelapang state seat.

Both PSM and DAP have been at loggerheads over Jelapang.

As for the manifesto, PSM unveiled its nine point manifesto.

READ MORE HERE

 

Nasharuddin bakal kembali ke parlimen Yan

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:28 PM PST

Orang Yan akan menyokong Nasharuddin dan kami sedih dengan nasib yang berlaku ke atasnya. 

Muda Mohd. Noor, FMT

Kerusi Parlimen Yan di Kedah dianggap paling sesuai dan paling selamat untuk bekas Timbalan Presiden PAS, Nasharuddin Mat Isa dalam pilihanraya umum ke 13 ini.

Bagaimanapun,  tidak dapat dipastikan sama ada ahli parlimen Bachok itu bertanding atas tiket calon bebas atau parti lain.

Seorang penyokongnya yang juga bekas ahli PAS Yan memberitahu, masyarakat Melayu mahu Nasharuddin kembali ke parlimen itu.

"Jika beliau (Nasharuddin) mahu memanjangkan hayat politiknya, kerusi yang paling sesuai ialah parlimen Yan.

"Saya katakan Yan kerana masih ramai pengikutnya di kawasan itu. Lagipun beliau pernah menjadi ahli parlimen Yan pada tahun 1999.

"Orang Yan akan menyokong Nasharuddin dan kami sedih dengan nasib yang berlaku ke atas Naharuddin," kata seorang bekas ahli PAS diYan yang mahu dikenali sebagai Wahab.

Menurutnya, sejak dahulu lagi masyarakat di Yan memberikan sokongan kepada Nasharuddin  meskipun beliau telah berhijrah ke negeri lain.

Karier politik Nasharuddin bermula di Yan apabila beliau memenangi kerusi itu pada pilihanraya umum tahun 1999 sejurus melepaskan jawatan pensyarah undang-undang di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

'Tidak berpura'

Bagaimanapun, pada pilihanraya umum 2004 beliau bertanding di parlimen Besut, Terengganu tetapi kalah kepada calon Barisan Nasional, Datuk Abdullah Mohd Zain.

Pada 2008, Nasharuddin bertanding di Bachok, Kelantan dan memenangi kerusi parlimen itu setelah mengalahkan Datuk Awang Adek Husin yang kini ketua Umno bahagian serta timbalan menteri kewangan 2.

READ MORE HERE

 

Keep speaking out, Pakatan tells Zaid

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 03:26 PM PST

While Pakatan Rakyat leaders hailed Zaid as an asset to the nation, Nazri Aziz referred to the former law minister as a flop

G Vinod and Priscilla Prasena, FMT

With former Kita president Zaid Ibrahim quitting politics, two Pakatan Rakyat leaders urged him to continue voicing out on issues affecting Malaysians at large.

DAP vice-chairman M Kulasegaran said, "I hope he will continue to lend support to righteous political leaders."

Yesterday, Zaid announced that he would quit politics to pay more attention to his business ventures.

His decision comes in the wake of his RM17.15 million purchase of 350 million shares from Singapore-based Ipco International.

The Straits Times reported today that Zaid's purchase will give him a seven percent stake in Ipco, which has diversified portfolio of investments.

Kulasegaran, who is also Ipoh Barat MP, described Zaid as a "man in a hurry".

"Judging from his actions, I can see that Zaid wants quick fix on things but it's not that easy in politics. Nevertheless, he is still a useful leader to many," said the DAP leader.

PKR vice-president Chua Jui Meng echoed Kulasegaran's sentiments, saying Zaid is an intelligent man who could cut across the racial and religious divide.

"He's an asset to the nation. Zaid is a courageous man who will articulate his views without fear or favour," said Chua.

The former health minister urged Zaid to assume a "peace-maker" role in society and speak out on issues affecting the nation.

"He can voice out against any leader who is making a mistake, be it Barisan Nasional or Pakatan," said Chua.

READ MORE HERE

 

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