Ahad, 3 Februari 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

So what?
The long and the short of it
How capitalism breeds social problems
My favourite song, Listen
Yo, people, listen up!

So what?

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:31 PM PST

Hence do you think the majority of the Malays, like my family, are too concerned whether the stock market goes up or down? The government will make sure that those who invest in Amanah Saham will not lose. The government will guarantee that the returns will be higher than the bank interest. Boom or bust, those who invest in Amanah Saham do not face any risk. (We also have that secured investment scheme here in the UK).

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Chua: Bursa will plunge if PR wins

(The Star) - Bursa Malaysia will drop 500 points if Pakatan Rakyat wins the coming general election, said Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The MCA president said any change in the government would bring political uncertainty and would have a direct impact on the national economy.

He said the impact of Pakatan Rakyat rule would be adversed as its dominant partner, PAS, had little or no interest in the economy.

He said PAS was bent on implementing its brand of hudud law and setting up an Islamic state.

"PAS has also mentioned that it will close Genting (Highlands) and the Bursa. All these will frighten investors, be they locals or foreigners," he said after opening the 64th anniversary celebrations of the Federal Territory MCA here yesterday.

Dr Chua urged voters to assess the country's situation in a rational manner, taking into consideration its future before making a decision.

He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the national economy experienced an upward trend with foreign direct investments at RM34bil in 2011 against RM5bil in 2009.

Dr Chua, who is a member of the National Economic Council, said Pakatan's populist policy of pledging to abolish tolls and PTPTN loans, providing free education and a RM4,000 minimum monthly household income for 3.8 million families, would cost the government RM200bil a year.

"If and when this is implemented, it will bankrupt the country within two years," he cautioned.

Dr Chua thanked Najib and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the mutual recognition for 157 tertiary institutions in Taiwan and 121 tertiary institutions in Malaysia as announced by the Higher Education Ministry on Thursday.

"This has opened up more avenues for Chinese-educated students to further their studies and return home to serve the country," he said.

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Chua Soi Lek was probably targeting a Chinese audience when he made that prediction above.

I am not going to generalise and speak for all Malaysians. I am not even going to speak for all the Malays. I will just speak for my immediate family. And when I say immediate family I mean my wife, my five children, my son-in-law and daughter-in-law, and my five grandchildren. That would make 14 of us altogether.

If I were to include my entire family then it would probably run into tens of thousands considering my great-grandfather had ten wives and scores of children, my grandmother being one of them. So allow me to speak on behalf of just the 14 of us.

Would it concern us if the stock market collapsed? Not likely. You see, we do not speculate or gamble on the stock market. What we do is we invest in unit trusts, specifically the government backed and government run Amanah Saham.

Each of us can invest RM250,000 or RM500,000 if we include both Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) and Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN). And that would mean our family can invest a total of RM7 million, if we happen to have that much money in our pocket.

Even if we did not have that much money it does not matter. We can always borrow the money from the bank -- and considering the interest we will be charged is lower than the dividends and bonus we will receive, it becomes viable to borrow the money to invest in Amanah Saham.

And we do not need any security, as the Amanah Saham itself is good enough as collateral. Hence we can practically borrow for nothing and the Amanah Saham can help pay back what we owe, at least after the third year or so. Hence we only need to worry about repayments for, say, the first three years of that, say, 15-year loan period.

Hence do you think the majority of the Malays, like my family, are too concerned whether the stock market goes up or down? The government will make sure that those who invest in Amanah Saham will not lose. The government will guarantee that the returns will be higher than the bank interest. Boom or bust, those who invest in Amanah Saham do not face any risk. (We also have that secured investment scheme here in the UK).

And if the government changes it will still be the same. Whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat runs the federal government it is not going to change anything. Amanah Saham will still guarantee a good return no matter which government is in Putrajaya.

Do you think Pakatan Rakyat can afford to let millions of Malays lose their pants? There will be riots on the streets. There will be a revolution. Blood is going to flow. The government, no matter which government it is, must make sure that Amanah Saham stays profitable and pays at least 8% or 9% (or at the very least 7%) returns every year until the end of time.

Of course, if you were Chinese, then the collapse of the stock market would probably hurt you and hurt you bad. And that is why this statement is coming from the President of MCA and therefore targeted to a Chinese audience. Chua Soi Lek knows that the Chinese would vote based on financial and economic considerations. The Chinese would never vote for any government that will mess up the economy even if that government is the most democratic government in the entire world.

I first met the current Selangor Menteri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim, back when he was the CEO of PNB about 30 years ago. In fact, the first Amanah Saham was launched about 32 years ago, three months before Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Malaysia's Prime Minister. Hence it was Tun Hussein Onn who mooted this idea.

It was actually a brilliant idea, from the political angle, of course. According to the 2012 financial figures, PNB has assets of about RM120 billion. It also manages a total of ten unit trusts comprising 79 billion units of shares and involving nine million investors, Malays and non-Malays included.

ASB, for example, earned about RM6 billion in 2010 and paid out about the same to the nine million investors. In 2011 it saw a 21% increase in gross income. And it has consistently paid an average of 6%-7% every year for more than 30 years, in good times or bad.

If I were Malay, and if the economy was the factor that influences my decision who to vote for, then I would vote for the government that can ensure I will continue to receive a good payback every year for the rest of my life, as it has been doing since the days before Dr Mahathir became Prime Minister.

And I would not worry about the 'danger' of changing governments and whether this change of government is going to trigger a collapse of the stock market because the government, whoever it may be, will ensure that my Amanah Saham investment will stay secure and will continue to pay good dividends and bonuses every year -- even if DAP, PAS and/or PKR takes over the federal government.

But that would be something Chua Soi Lek can't say because he is talking to a Chinese audience and to the Malays that type of talk does not carry any weight.

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'.

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.

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'.

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.

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.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia’s 13th General Election: Prospects And Challenges For DAP – Analysis
Private to sponsor Psy to Penang
Dr Pornthip ready to do Sugumaran’s second autopsy, say lawyers
Deepak won’t assist Bala’s SD probe yet, says Bar chief
Interview with Suaris: The Future of Malays, Part 2
Lim Guan Eng's RM 8 billion Chinese New Year Economy Stimulus Package
Statement by YAB CM Musa Aman on Filipino conman
The ‘Allah’ Debate: Be like Jesus. Be like Muhammad
The Prime Minister’s RM120 million handout to Syabas proves both Syabas incompetence and ...
Anwar should redeem himself in Sabah
Anwar before RCI will be High Noon
Hisham: Don’t play with racial and religious issues
BN invited Psy
Malaysia: Stop Forced Returns to China
What really did happen?
Penang under fire for removing CNY banners of Najib
Are the RM8 billion Highways the Solution to Penang's Traffic/Congestion Problem?
‘It’s too late for Sabah Umno, BN’
Malay Economic Action Council: Give mega contracts to locals as well
Valentine’s Day business goes on despite PAS’ call
Many shortcomings in RCI proceeding
Reject any form of modern day slavery
BN man gives ‘evil’ Dr M a tongue lashing
Najib: I’ll increase Indians’ equity to 3%
Malay politics and Ramleeology
Langkawi's road to environmental shame?
To go or not to go

Malaysia’s 13th General Election: Prospects And Challenges For DAP – Analysis

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 01:20 PM PST

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) which is one-third of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance today, draws its support primarily from non-Malay, non-Muslim voters. How will the DAP fare at the coming general election if it has to make compromises with its coalition partners, including the Islamic party PAS that still upholds its vision of eventually creating an Islamic state in Malaysia?

Farish A Noor, Eurasia Review

AS THE 13th Malaysian general election draws closer, there has been speculation among analysts as to whether the country will witness the emergence of a two-coalition system of politics. Since 1957 Malaysia has been governed by parties that were in coalition together, first as the Alliance (1957-1974) and then as the Barisan Nasional or National Front (1974-2013). The opposition parties, however, have been scattered and unable to form a cohesive counter-bloc thus far.

Malaysia

Among the prominent opposition parties today is the Democratic Action Party (DAP) that came into being in the mid-1960s. The DAP purports to be a left-of-centre democratic party that is secular, but from the 1960s has been identified mainly with the Malaysian-Chinese voters. Its fortunes have depended upon its ability to speak for the non-Malay communities and also on the strengths and weaknesses of its main rival, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). In terms of its electoral performance to date, the DAP's fortunes have been mixed.

DAP's Political Fortunes

In the 1969 elections the DAP announced its presence by winning 13 Parliamentary seats, the same number as its rival, MCA. From the outset it was clear that the DAP posed the biggest threat not to UMNO, but the MCA for the Malaysian-Chinese vote base. In 1974 DAP won nine seats (while MCA regained 19) and improved its position in 1978 when it won 16 seats. DAP's fortunes dipped again in 1982 when it won nine seats but peaked in 1986 when it gained 24 seats in Parliament. In 1990 DAP won 20 seats, but in 1995 declined to nine. Since 1999 the DAP's share of seats in Parliament has been steadily increasing: from 10 in 1999, 12 in 2004, to 28 in 2008. DAP's gains since 1999 to 2008 have partly been at the expense of the MCA, whose number of Parliamentary seats has declined.

Several observations can be made about the DAP's electoral chances at the next GE based on its electoral performance so far:

Firstly, it can be seen that since the elections of 1969 to the early 2000s, the DAP has set its sights on the MCA in its long-term strategy of winning the support of Malaysian Chinese voters. Notwithstanding its claim to be a left-leaning secular party, the DAP has taken up several causes that can be described as communal in nature, including the championing of vernacular schools for non-Malays and demanding more political representation for non-Bumiputeras on the political stage.

During the 1980s and 1990s the DAP was one of the strongest critics of the Islamisation policy in the country, which necessarily meant that it could not see eye-to-eye with the other large opposition party in the country, PAS. At the height of PAS' campaign to create an Islamic state in Malaysia, the DAP consistently opposed it and as a result was able to reap benefits at the 1986 elections – where PAS won only one Parliamentary seat while DAP won 24.

No Alternative But To Join A Coalition

Secondly, due in part to the nature of Malaysia's race-based politics, the DAP has come to realise that its main vote base lies with the non-Malay voters. But this also means that the DAP can never come to power at the Federal government level unless it is part of a bigger political coalition that can win the support of the wider Malaysian electorate. This was not possible from the mid-1960s to the early 2000s because the DAP could not find a way to co-operate with PAS, whose goal of creating an Islamic state was anathema to them.

It is only since 2004 that the DAP began to build bridges with the other parties, notably PAS and the Anwar Ibrahim-led People's Justice Party (PKR), first during their short-lived 'Barisan Alternatif' alliance and now in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. Despite the claims of the leaders of the opposition parties however, there are deep-rooted issues between the parties that remain unresolved.

Private to sponsor Psy to Penang

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 01:05 PM PST

Event organiser Mega Ultimate and not Barisan Nasional (BN) is paying for Korean singer Psy's appearance at the Chinese New Year celebration in Penang next week, say state BN officials.Penang BN Youth chief Oh Tong Keong said Psy's appearance was sponsored by a private company in Kuala Lumpur, refuting claims that the ruling federal coalition had splurged on public funds to bring in the celebrated singer of global hit song "Oppa Gangnam Style" in a bid to draw support from young voters in Election 2013.

"Even the preparations and food for the celebration are sponsored by several local companies," Oh told The Malaysian Insider.

"We have prepared food for 50,000 people but we expect more will turn up to watch Psy's performance," he said.

The K-pop star whose real name is Park Jae-Sang, is set to perform on February 11 at the Han Chiang school grounds, significant for being the grounds that launched the DAP to overwhelming victory in Election 2008.

Psy was reported by local entertainment news portal Redcarpet to have asked a Malaysian concert promoter for US$750,000 (RM2.3 million) for a possible appearance in Kuala Lumpur last year.

"DAP and Pakatan Rakyat want to say and spin that BN spent government's money worth RM2.3 million to RM3 million on Psy," a Penang BN official told The Malaysian Insider.

"This is factually incorrect as Psy's visit as a guest of the Penang CNY Open House event was arranged and sponsored by Mega Ultimate, an event organising firm. No government or taxpayers funds are involved."

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Psy's presence could only raise the profile of Penang and Malaysia, which would help boost tourism.

But look here:

Dr Pornthip ready to do Sugumaran’s second autopsy, say lawyers

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 12:43 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand has agreed to perform a second autopsy on security guard C. Sugumaran who allegedly died from a police beating, Sugumaran's family lawyers said today.

Dr Pornthip is the Thai forensic pathologist who had observed Teoh Beng Hock's second post-mortem and testified at a royal inquiry that foul play was likely involved in the DAP aide's mysterious death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's Selangor headquarters in 2009.

"On behalf of the family, we have urgently written to the prime minister, health minister and the director-general of the Health Ministry to issue the necessary authorisations for Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand(picture) to conduct the second post-mortem on Sugumaran's remains," said Sugumaran's family lawyers N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya in a joint press statement.

"We have no objection to a government pathologist being allowed to observe the procedure. We call upon Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak and the other relevant authorities to respond immediately to this request, as the family are unable to carry out the last rites until the second post-mortem is concluded," they added.

Deepak won’t assist Bala’s SD probe yet, says Bar chief

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 12:40 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan has declined to help the Bar Council investigate a possible professional misconduct in a murder trial witness' sworn statement despite making the allegation, says its president Lim Chee Wee.

Despite the lack of witnesses, Lim said the council has issued letters to several people to help its queries but he did not name those asked to explain their role in private detective P. Balasubramaniam second statutory declaration (SD) over the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Balasubramaniam later repudiated the second SD.

"It is unfortunate that despite our request for assistance, Deepak Jaikishan has decided not to assist in the enquiries until after March 16, 2013 and that no one has stepped forward to assist us by disclosing the relevant facts regarding this issue," Lim (picture)wrote in an email toThe Malaysian Insider.

When contacted over the phone, Lim said that Deepak had said "he only wants to deal with the new Bar Council president" who will come into office this March 16.

Lim also confirmed in the same phone conversation that the Bar Council had in the course of making enquiries asked a senior lawyer, believed to be Tan Sri Cecil Abraham who has been alleged to be involved in the drafting of the SD, "to explain" his role in the matter.

In the email, Lim said: "The Bar Council has started making the necessary enquiries by issuing various letters to relevant persons whom we believe would have knowledge of facts and seeking their explanation/assistance.

"Such explanation/assistance would assist us to determine whether there is any prima facie evidence of professional misconduct surrounding the preparation of the Second SD."

Lim said the council would lodge a complaint to the disciplinary board (DB) — the ultimate adjudicating body for complaints against lawyers — if prima facie evidence of misconduct is found.

"Of course, there is nothing to stop anyone else equally concerned with this matter to lodge a complaint to the DB."

Interview with Suaris: The Future of Malays, Part 2

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 12:19 PM PST

As a former physician, Mahathir should know that if a patient does not respond with your prescription, there is no point continuing it. Stop or change it; perhaps your patient requires penicillin, not Panadol.

M. Bakri Musa

[The original in Malay appeared in suaris.wordpress.com on January 25, 2013).

Suaris: In a recent interview with Astro Awani, Dr. Mahathir said that Malays would be left behind unless given continued help. He referred to such help as crutches. Do you agree that we continue to need crutches? If so, for how long?

MBM: If we Malays still remain backward and marginalized after over 55 years of "help" from the UMNO government, then we ought to examine critically the nature of that help.

As parents we readily acknowledge the importance of how we guide and help our children. Be too indulgent and protective, we lose hope of their ever able to shine on their own. Be too strict and controlling, they will never acquire self-confidence; likewise if we constantly criticize and highlight their weaknesses.

In modern medicine, we rarely give crutches to patients following hip surgery. Instead we give them to physiotherapy so they could be self-ambulatory as quickly as possible. I encourage, in fact insist that my surgical patients be up and about the very next day. It is dangerous to keep them in bed; the most serious complication being potentially lethal blood clots.

An insight of modern science is that if we do not exercise our body, it would atrophy. This applies to bone, muscle, or even brain. If I were to tie down a healthy young man in bed and "help" him with his feeding and bathing such that he does not have to move a muscle, after a week he would be need a crutch as he would be unable to stand up on his own. That is the price for excessive and inappropriate "help."

Even the right medicine if not given at the proper dose would be ineffective. Yes, Panadol reduces fever, but give only a quarter of the dose and there will be no effect, leading you to blame the medicine. Giving too much also carries its own hazards. Every year many children in America are fatally poisoned because of excessive dose of Tylenol, one more appropriate for adults.

If with the right medicine at the right dose and administered correctly but your patient still does not respond, then reexamine your diagnosis. Patients with appendicitis require surgery, not penicillin.

If readers are uncomfortable with my clinical metaphor, let me use a more familiar one. If you are not diligent in weeding out lalang in your garden, pretty soon you would be inundated by it, choking off useful plants. What more if you were to generously add fertilizer to the weed!

The Malay garden is now full of lalang. We need Roundup pesticide to kill off those tenacious weeds so useful plants would then have a chance. However, what is UMNO's current strategy? Yes, add fertilizer to the lalang! Its rationale? They are lalang, but Malaylalang, so we must be help!

The "help" that UMNO types like Mahathir are championing is precisely this. Then we wonder why the Malay kebun is full of lalang. Isa Samad is one thriving lalang in the FELDA plantation; he was earlier found guilty of "money politics." Khir Toyo,now luxuriating in his fantasy palace courtesy of taxpayers while waiting jail time for corruption, is another. The private sector too is infested. Lalang Tajuddin Ramli nearly destroyed MAS estate.Utusan and The New Straits Times are crippled with literary lalang; no wonder their readership continues to decline. The Malay lalang has already snuffed out Bank Bumiputra.

We are finally no longer impressed with the greenness and lushness of lalang, even if it were Malay lalang. Our leaders however, still try to impress upon us that those lalangare alfalfa. The tragic part is that they now believe their own deceit.

Leaders like Mahathir should be diligently searching for effective ways to help us and not be content with criticizing and dredging up old stereotypes or our alleged weaknesses. Give someone a fish, and we feed him only for a day; teach him how to fish and he feeds himself forever, goes an ancient wisdom. Extend that help a bit as with giving him a loan to buy a sampan, and he will fish the open ocean. Then he can feed the whole village and more, plus repay the loan!

Doling out generous quotas for university admissions, lucrative contracts, and import licenses, or forcing others to take on Malays (usually UMNO politicians) as directors for their companies is not help. Those are but acts of fertilizing weeds, membajakan lalang. We end up with only usahan menenggek (carpetbagger capitalists)!

The most consequential and enduring help would be to liberate the Malay mind, to teach them how to think freely. If our slogan in the 1950s was Merdeka Tanah Melayu (Freedom for the Malay Land), now it should be Merdeka Minda Melayu! (Freedom for the Malay Mind!)

That is the theme of my latest book, Liberating The Malay Mind. The concept of a free mind is best illustrated by this story of Mullah Nasaruddin, known for his use of self-deprecating humor and simple everyday examples in his teaching.

He had a neighbor who was in the habit of borrowing items and never returning them. One day he came over to borrow the Mullah's donkey. Anticipating this, the Mullah had earlier wisely locked his animal in the barn and out of sight. When the neighbor came over, the Mullah confidently asserted, "My donkey had been borrowed yesterday!"

Disappointed, the neighbor was about to return home when the animal brayed. "I thought you said your donkey had been borrowed!" he said.

Whereupon the Mullah resolutely replied, "Do you believe the braying of the donkey over the words of the mullah?"

Someone with a free mind would believe the braying donkey. Those whose minds are trapped by customs and traditions would of course continue believing the wise and pious Mullah even when the donkey is braying straight on their faces. We must teach Malays that when they hear the donkey braying, they should believe their own ears and not be lulled by the Mullah's soothing words.

I put forth four strategies to liberate the Malay mind: freer access to information and differing viewpoints, meaning, freer mass media; liberal education with a strong foundation in science and mathematics; and encourage trade and commerce among our people. When we engage in trade, we would consider others not as pendatang (immigrants) but as potential customers, meaning, a source of profit.

Fourth, we have to examine how we teach religion to our young and how we practice our faith as individuals as well as a society. Islam emancipated the Bedouins from their Age of Ignorance and brought light to them. Islam should do likewise for us – liberate our minds.

If our minds are trapped, then the billions worth of help would be meaningless. Those are but narcotics for our self gratification and to indulge our fantasies. Those are but membajakan lalang.

As a nation we have achieved much through independence. If we were to liberate Malay minds, there would be no limit to our achievements. Even more beautiful, a liberated mind can never ever be imprisoned again. Liberated minds need not worry about globalization and neo-colonization, or be threatened when our young learn English. Liberated minds would not feel imperiled when God's other children use "Allah" to refer to their deity. It is after all the same God. Once Malay minds are liberated, we would no longer be, to borrow the terminology of the Algerian philosopher Malek Bennabi, "colonizable."

Lim Guan Eng's RM 8 billion Chinese New Year Economy Stimulus Package

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 12:10 PM PST

Do we need a state government in which the state legislative assembly and public opinion was effectively ignored, so that the CM can decide everything to suit his own ambitions?

Ong Eu Soon

On Jan 27, Lim Guan Eng just unveiled his grand road infrastructure expansion plan costing total RM7billion. The road infrastructure expansion plan involved the following 4 projects:
1) a 4.6km bypass linking Bandar Air Hitam to Lim Chong Eu Expressway
2) 6.5km Sea Tunnel connecting Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam
3) 12km Tanjung Bungah to Telok Bahang paired road
4) 4.2km road from Gurney Drive to Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypassing the city center

Those projects are in the final stage of so-called open tenders which no one seem to notice or realize.

The very next day, the Lim Guan Eng administration unveiled another RM140 million road expansion plan for 1.5km Jalan Bukit Minyak-Alma. This is the most expansive road expansion project in Malaysia since independence.

The announced spectacle reveals one of the most important developments in Penang politics — the widening gulf between politicians' policy decisions and the preferences of the people toward specific issues. This announcement can be added to the long list of policies that failed to mirror public opinion. The arrogance of the CM shows a continuing trend of declining responsiveness to the public's policy preferences.

The conventional wisdom that politicians habitually respond to public opinion when making major policy decisions is proven wrong by this cocky arrogant tokong.

The 6.5km Sea Tunnel connecting Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam in particular is deemed a white elephant project by sustainable transit advocates. With the second bridge, designed to cater for traffic needs until 2022, near completion, the undersea tunnel is rendered unnecessary in near future. Why do we need to spend billions of ringgit for a dead-end to Gurney Plaza? The decision to build the undersea tunnel was rammed through without public debate especially when there is a genuine concern on how it will affect the Penang port as a transhipment port. A transhipment port is one where the shipment of goods or containers are transloaded to a bigger vessel for the next destination. Thus, it required a deeper channel up to 18.5m to cater for larger vessels.

The decision to build the undersea tunnel should be based on a feasible study that evaluate it's impact on the growth of Penang port, it should not be pursued for the adrenaline rush of Lim Guan Eng for a political legacy. If Penang wants to be a transhipment hub like Singapore it could ill afford to make a decision based on an adrenaline rush. Penangites expect the Pakatan state government to restore Penang's free port status once Pakatan captures Putrajaya. The free port status will be of no meaning once the Penang port is unable to assume the role of regional transhipment hub like Singapore or Hong Kong. Critics have pointed out that Gurney Drive and the surrounding Pulau Tikus neighbourhood have become a traffic quagmire during rush hour and weekends and it's difficult to imagine how the proposed tunnel will solve the problem.

The decision to build more roads instead of improving the public transport system go against the motto of Penang Transport Council: moving the people, not cars. This goes against it's promises of seeking a new approach in handling public transport and mobility. The state government promised to adopt a new vision paradigm in tackling transport, one that moves people away from our dependence on private transport mode to a more economically and ecologically sustainable public transport system. The biggest and most formidable challenge for the Penang Transport Council is to fight against the the adrenaline rush of Lim Guan Eng which it failed dismally.

The council is made up of "state and city council members, civil servants, university professors, professionals, stakeholders, and members of the public with no spine or sense of dignity. They have failed to deliver their promises of moving the people, not cars. They have allowed Lim Guan Eng to usurp their decision making authority and trivialize their expertise. They have allowed Lim Guan Eng to persist in pressing onward all the road construction solution to the bewilderment of sustainable transit advocates.

Another major decision was how the construction was to be financed. According to Lim Guan Eng, no monetary payment or funding should be given by the state for the construction of the projects as cost incurred would either be recovered through concession, land swap, toll or any other form.

Costs for the sea link tunnel would be recouped from toll charges expected to be same as the Penang Bridge and second bridge while construction of the roads would involve land swapping deals.

Tunnelling is a major engineering challenge. A serious risk with underwater tunnels is major water inflow due to the water pressure from the sea above under weak ground conditions. The Channel Tunnel also had the challenge of time — being privately funded, early financial return was paramount. We have witnessed the scandalous concession given to highway operators in the past which literally sold out the people and the government. We do not expect the present leadership to travel this treacherous road again. We do not expect the ill-thought-out schemes to be driven by corruption and serve as new conduits for filching government lands. We want the state government to be transparent and come out clean on the concession and land swapping deals.

The announcement of the project with the concession and all the land swapping deals shrouded in secrecy, the state government had dropped all pretense of competency, accountability and transparency.

Lim Guan Eng's unwavering decision to sail against public opinion and then to openly defend his undemocratic actions was just one aspect of his one man's executive decision process that was atypical.

Lim Guan Eng is a politician that will not hesitate to change public opinion not by directly persuading the public on the merits of his policy choices but by "priming" and distracting public opinion with the opinion that the urgency to defeat BN for change should take precedence over policy decisions that affect the people.

Do we need a state government in which the state legislative assembly and public opinion was effectively ignored, so that the CM can decide everything to suit his own ambitions?

This is the betrayal of the highest order. It is unacceptable and must be stopped at all costs. This is a lousy attempt to hold our desire for change for ransom. A leader who ignores the voice for change poses a more insidious threat to democracy than BN's machinations. Time has proven that Lim Guan Eng sought to circumvent our desire for change and defied the public at almost every turn.

Only the heat of an imminent election and the elevated attention that average voters devote to it motivate politicians to respond to public opinion and absorb the costs of compromising their policy goals. Lim Guan Eng wants to use the coming election as a referendum for his policy choice. If Guan Eng wins reelection, it will be seen by many, especially those who have made their careers in politics, as a vindication of his ambitious property and construction-centric policy agenda.

Regards,

Ong Eu Soon

Statement by YAB CM Musa Aman on Filipino conman

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 12:07 PM PST

The arrest of a man named Manuel Amalilio reached me like it reached most people, through the news.

I was alerted of online allegations that I had intervened to prevent the deportation of this individual to the Philippines.

Let me make it very clear that the Sabah State Government did not and will not intervene in this matter.

This is a police and Interpol matter.

I have a large family and I have just recently been informed that this individual is a distant relative.

Whether or not Amalilio is a relative, the authorities should investigate the matter and take the necessary action. No one is above the law.

Let the due process of the law take its course. I hope both countries will cooperate to solve the matter quickly.

The ‘Allah’ Debate: Be like Jesus. Be like Muhammad

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:56 AM PST

Anas Zubedy

Dear Brother and Sister Muslim and Christians,

We need to resolve this issue and reconcile with one another. There are things we can do that are not opposed to our faith, but ironically require us to be more true to our calling.

1. Be like Jesus. Be like Muhammad.

First of all, at the heart of it – Muslims must be more like Prophet Muhammad and Christians must be more like Christ. The message taught by both Prophet Muhammadand Jesus is one of reconciliation and love between all Allah's people. We need to havemore empathy, to be gentler with one another. All of us need grace. Most importantly, let us have faith that if we truly desire to follow the ways of Allah demonstrated by Muhammad and Jesus, Allah is with us. The Bible in Colossians 3:12-13 says,

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." – Colossians 3:12-13

The Quran in 3:159 says,

"It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him)." – Quran 3:159

I know it is not easy to do this. I understand the struggles this involves. But it is something we must all try to do, lest we end up arguing over the use of the word 'Allah' and leave Allah Himself out of the picture. Let us always bear in mind the gentle humility and wisdom with which Jesus and Muhammad responded to others, even those who tried to cause them harm. They were kind even to those who were unkind to them. They forgavethose who denied them and hurt them. Instead of revenge, they outpoured love. They did not mind taking blows from people as long as they were true to

Allah. All their actions were guided by love. Friends, let us seek to follow these examples and trust that Allah Himself will guide our words and actions.

2. Make Allah a universal name of God in each corner of the World!

"Verily Allah is my lord and your lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight." - Quran 19:36

Let us make the best of the situation. Let us find a compromise. Let us look at this episode as a chance for us to get to know each other better. Perhaps this conflict will bring us to a place where we can learn how to love one another amidst our differences.Maybe this is Allah's way of showing us how we can work together at being better Muslimsand Christians. Let's be like Jesus. Let's be like Muhammad. How would they have handled a similar situation? Surely they would not have been petty because they know that in the bigger picture, it is about the kingdom of Allah on earth. Let us recognizethat this kingdom cannot be built on hatred, or through legal quarrels with each other. This kingdom can only be built on the love and comradeship between Allah's people to defend one another and take care of all His creation, whoever and whatever they may be. Let us learn to work towards our common values. Perhaps making 'Allah' the universal name for God is a good place to start as we come to share the understanding of the Good God whom we all serve.

3. Practice Empathy

Let us practice empathy. Let us unearth the root of the issue, which is fear. Let us do what we can to dilute each others' fears.

The Muslims are wary of overzealous proselytism by some Christians. Any discussion of religion should be done with understanding and mutual respect. But when there are some who are overzealous, the Muslims are on guard and see their brother and sister Christians in Malaysia in the same light without recognizing the difference. The task of Malaysian Christians is to show that they are not overzealous Christians who are out to convert others at all cost, but true practitioners of Christ's call to love our neighbours.

On the other hand, Malaysian Christians are fed up with inconsistent rules and hindrances in practicing their religion. This is a frustration that they go through day to

day. To get permits, they have to plow through red tape and shifting administrative requirements. They need to wait a long time, sometimes years, before they obtain approvals. Christian groups in some schools and varsities face difficulty getting permission to gather. These barriers do not only happen to churches, but also to the Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh communities, to social and business organizations. Sometimes these conditions are not explicitly stated, but when it comes to administration it seems as if these obstacles are placed on purpose.

What seems as unfairness has actually a lot to do with unclear processes and inefficiency that happens across the board. Let us clean up and clarify administrative processes, as this will go long way to reduce misunderstandings. Let us make clear laws and standardize the processes in matters regarding religious activities in all states. This will need the attention of the King and all the Sultans as religion is under their care. We need to make it very clear so that our officers working at the ground level will know the exact processes to follow and our people will know the exact procedures and requirements involved.

4. Ban direct proselytism for the time being

Let us stop direct proselytism to convert people into religions through enticement or campaigning perhaps for the next fifty years. Let us discourage direct proselytization for any religion, be it Islam or Christian. We are in a time of history where the faithful of each religion are in the hundred millions. In such a context, let us focus on tending to our own sheep first. Let's encourage our own brothers and sisters to be better Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs… Let us share our beliefs not through empty words but through our everyday actions. Let us compel people not through fear or rules or superficial compulsions, but because he or she sees good people practicing a good religion. Actions must speak louder than words.

As a businessman, I find an analogy in marketing. In marketing we always focus on engaging our existing clients first, before trying to approach a fresh contact and convince someone completely unfamiliar.

Similarly, it is my belief that at this point of time, instead of increasing the number of converts, what we need are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs who are true representatives of the ways of their faith. When Muslims follow the true teachings ofMuhammad and Christians become more Christ-like, others will be attracted to younaturally – not because of your convincing words, but because you are a good personwho makes the world a better place. You become like an airborne positive virus and people simply will catch your fever.

5. Use love, logic and wisdom

Finally, in all our considerations, may all of us guide ourselves with love, logic and wisdom.

Love, because love will make us fair
with our hearts;

Logic, because logic will make us fair
with our mind;

and Wisdom, because wisdom will lead
us to combine our love and logic

in the way of God and for the benefit
of Mankind.

The Prime Minister’s RM120 million handout to Syabas proves both Syabas incompetence and ...

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:52 AM PST

The BN government has already extended bailout funds of RM3.41 billion to Syabas in total.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced on 2nd February an additional allocation of RM120 million to Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) to help resolve the water problem in Selangor.

Tony Pua

This latest bailout fund for Syabas proved that the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur water crisis has nothing to do with the shortage of raw water which requires immediate water transfer from Pahang via the exhorbitant RM9 billion Langat 2 project.

Instead, it proved that the crisis was a result of a deliberate under-investment by Syabas to upgrade its treatment plants, build additional treated water capacity as well as to repair and replace old and broken pipes. With the RM120 million meant for the above exercise, it showed that the current crisis could have been prevented had Syabas invested its own funds on the exercise earlier.

It should be emphasized that under the Water Concession Agreement, there is absolutely no obligation by the federal and state government to provide financial grants or loans for Syabas to carry out its obligations to upgrade all the required water infrastructure to fulfil its obligations to provide quality water services to the people of Selangor and KL.

Hence, the RM120 million handout to Syabas is not a grant by the Federal Government intended to assist the people of the state but is instead a well-disguised scheme to bailout Syabas. Over the past 3-4 years, the Federal Government has bailed-out Syabas to the tune of billions of ringgit to keep Syabas afloat.

In December 2009, the BN Government has extended a 20-year RM320.8 million zero-interest soft loan to Syabas. In October 2011, the BN Government again extended another 20-year RM110 million loan to Syabas for the same purpose. And in November, when Syabas outstanding bonds of RM2.9 billion was nearing its due date for repayment, the Federal Government again bailed out Syabas by taking over the entire RM2.9 billion bond. To date, the Mininster of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Datuk Peter Chin has not revealed if Syabas has even repaid a single sen of the RM2.9 billion bond bail-out by the Federal Government.

Over the above period, the BN government has already extended bailout funds of RM3.41 billion to Syabas in total.

Despite the repeated offers by the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor state government to acquire Syabas or even to terminate the Syabas concession for the latter's failure to fulfil its obligations, the Federal Government has refused to support Selangor's offer or to agree to the termination of the concession.

It is clear to all Malaysians that the BN Government would rather continue to keep Syabas afloat by keeping the company on life-support with billions of ringgit of the rakyat's money to protect it's crony's profit and interests.

Najib's economic transformation call is hence a complete sham as he has shown complete unwillingness over the past 4 years to allow the people interest to come first, ahead of BN's cronies.

Anwar should redeem himself in Sabah

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:45 AM PST

Joe Fernandez

It's unlikely that Anwar had anything to do with the tainted electoral rolls in Sabah and with good reasons too. The modus operandi on the MyKad scam in Sabah, by all accounts, was in operation long before he became Umno Deputy President, Sabah Umno head and Deputy Prime Minister.

Indeed, it might even have begun shortly after Malaysia in 1963. The suspicion stems mainly from the number of people classified as Malays, not recognised as a Native Group, in Sabah.

In 1960, according to official statistics, there were no Malays in the state, as cited by activist Dr Chong Eng Leong in his book, Lest We Forget – Security and Sovereignty of Sabah. By 2000, there were 303, 500 Malays, a figure which has since reportedly doubled.

However, it cannot be ruled out entirely that Anwar knew about the illegalities taking place and either could not do anything or didn't want to do anything, to put things right after he ousted Ghaffar Baba from the party leadership, the Cabinet and government.

Ghaffar, like Megat Junid and Aziz Shamsuddin and so many others, was willing to dirty his hands on behalf of Mahathir after Mustapha Harun balked at the impending federalization of Sabah. Mustapha Harun was seen as a stumbling block and removed as Umno Sabah head. Usno, his previous party, was deregistered to keep the increasingly rebellious Suluk and Bajau out of the political mainstream.

Indeed, Anwar had previously alleged in public that the issuance of MyKads to the illegals in Sabah continued long after BN had regained power in the state. Assuming that it was the votes of the illegal immigrants, refugees and other foreigners that turned the tide for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1994, it cannot be said that the ruling coalition needed such votes after the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) re-joined it in 2002.

Anwar had most certainly been kept in the know, as Deputy Prime Minister, by the government departments concerned, rogue elements and Umno operatives like former Sandakan District Chief Orang Kaya Kaya Hassnar bin Haji M. P. Ebrahim @ Assainar, now the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Batu Sapi head.

Hassnar, among Sabah PKR leaders, is particularly close to Anwar and reports to him directly on the political situation along the eastern seaboard of the state.

Hassnar, once incarcerated under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) after blowing the whistle on illegal immigrants being used to pad the electoral rolls, has publicly fingered many suspects and openly challenged the authorities on the issue but to no avail. He claims that even the Special Branch lives in fear of him.

He has admitted to entering some 15,000 illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls and attributed some 120,000 other names to other operatives working allegedly with the National Registration Department (NRD) and the Election Commission (EC). Hassnar is the only one so far to express remorse over his treasonous activities which, in his defence, he claimed was due to being misled by Umno.

Anwar had previously stated, more than once, that he had nothing to do with the illegal immigrants in Sabah but "had heard about the Projek IC Mahathir".

It would be interesting to learn what he had exactly "heard" about this heinous crime against the people of Sabah.

For another, in sticking to his guns that a Muslim should head Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Sabah, and thereby eventually parting company with party vice president Jeffrey Kitingan, Anwar had stressed that "the Muslims were now in a majority in Sabah". Evidently, he didn't make a distinction between Sabahans and those who had no right to be on the electoral rolls and even in the state. It was political expediency that mattered more to him.

Any number of ex-Sabah PKR leaders and members will testify on the stand taken by Anwar on the party's leadership in the state to underline that the Opposition Leader did not hesitate to jump on the illegals bandwagon and capitalize on the phenomenon.

One oft-cited statement was Anwar telling troubled Sabah PKR leaders behind closed doors more than once: "As Muslims, we can't simply ignore these people (illegal immigrants)." He never explained why that justified the largely Christian Orang Asal being led in their own land by Muslims who were not Orang Asal.

Clearly, Anwar cannot walk away from the RCI smelling like roses by simply hammering the last nail in Mahathir's coffin.

He has to own up to a certain extent and concede that he had erred as well, at least morally, and apologise profusely for his transgressions in the state. His sin in remaining silent has not gone unnoticed. Salleh is right on that score to say that Anwar's hands are not squeaky clean.

The Opposition Leader has to reveal his suspicions, if any, on whether the modus operandi in Sabah has been extended to Perak and the four Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states in Peninsular Malaysia. This cannot be misconstrued as politicizing the issue. The people have the right to know the truth.

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, told a gathering in Dacca not so long ago that Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak was willing to grant Malaysian "citizenship" to Bangladeshis on a fast-track basis. This should be enough to raise more than eyebrows given what's being revealed at the RCI. It's more than likely that the Bangladeshis would be issued duplicate MyKads in the names of Malaysians eligible to be voters.

It appears that Umno no longer has any confidence that Malaysians would vote for it in sufficient numbers to return it to power.

Hence, it seems the party has to resort to either padding the electoral rolls with illegal immigrants, refugees and other foreigners or getting them to vote with duplicate MyKads under the names of Malaysian voters. This disgraceful state of affairs is unprecedented in world history.

It would not be right for Anwar to turn up at the RCI and focus solely on the PR states and extrapolate, as an afterthought, that perhaps the same thing happened in Sabah. He will never be able to get away with that in a million years no matter how masterful his performance.

Anwar has to redeem himself in the eyes of the people, not just by crucifying Mahathir in Sabah, but by bringing closure on the "sordid" aspects of his chapter in the state.

That would be poetic justice indeed!

_____________________________________________________________________

Joe Fernandez is a freelance journalist, among others, who shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region where three nations meet in Borneo.

Anwar before RCI will be High Noon

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:38 AM PST

Joe Fernandez

It can be safely assumed that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) in Sabah will find it extremely difficult not to take up Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's publicly expressed willingness to appear before it. The RCI resumed this week after a short break.

The RCI must not give the impression to the public that they have been instructed by the Government to do everything possible not to allow anyone to embarrass former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during its proceedings.

It's not everyday that a person of Anwar's stature, much disputed as it may be by his nemesis Mahathir among others, makes such an offer. Let's give the devil his due.

Anwar should make good his intention without waiting like Mahathir for a standing invitation on bended knee from the RCI. There's nothing to prevent him from turning up at the RCI in Kota Kinabalu uninvited and stating his intention in person and writing. He will be then given a day, date and time to state his piece and take questions.

It will be good if Anwar can, locus standi aside, begin for the record at the RCI with his complete ethnic background. This will help demolish the hysterical, certainly hypocritical, bangsa, agama, negara defences being put up by certain unscrupulous quarters on nefarious activities being carried out in Sabah by various government departments. Such self-serving defences play to the gallery to muddy the waters and discourage any rational debate.

In the pre-Internet age, apologists and sycophants for the powers-that-be would have issued stark fig leaf warnings on anyone – meaning non-Malays -- "playing with fire", "challenging ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy)", "insulting or challenging Islam", or on a milder note, "not getting their facts right".

The lunatic fringe would have advised critics to "go back to China (or India) if they are not happy in Malaysia" and/or urged the Government to strip them of their citizenship for "badmouthing Malaysia, being disloyal, unpatriotic, or engaging in seditious and treasonous activities".

Apparently, and knocking the bangsa, agama, negara theory, Anwar's paternal grandfather was a Tamil Nesan-reading Tamil Hindu who became Muslim. The story goes that Anwar, as a little boy, used to make the daily trek to the nearest stall to buy the Tamil Nesan for his grandfather. Not much is known about Anwar's mother.

If Anwar turns up at the RCI, and there's no reason why he will not, Mahathir will have to do the same. The latter has also likewise indicated, but only once so far until today when he reiterated that he's willing to appear "if summoned" before the RCI.

It will not do the former Prime Minister any good hiding behind his reportedly cybertrooper-driven and hits-bought blog and taking potshots at all and sundry on the issue. His latest is that Anwar was involved in wrongdoings in Sabah. This is rich after he had all along rubbished any Projek IC Mahathir in Sabah. He has an eye on the lunatic fringe media coming to his defence.

The RCI is the right forum for Mahathir to come clean, tell the truth for once, and throw himself at the feet of the people of Sabah for mercy and beg their forgiveness. The man, given the amount of circumstantial evidence mounting against him at the RCI, will be considered guilty by Sabahans until and unless he can do a "Men in Black" and prove his innocence. It's not for nothing that Mahathir has been acknowledged in Umno as the "Guru of the Numbers Game", fair and foul, in election strategies.

It will be interesting to learn from Mahathir himself, as part of his backgrounder at the RCI, on what basis his family from Kerala, southwest India, became citizens in Malaysia i.e. if they ever determined their citizenship in the wake of the British departure in 1957.

We don't know much about his mother from J.V. Morais' biography on him, Mahathir -- Profile in Courage, ID Numbers Open Library OL 21316608M, published in 1982 by Eastern Universities Press, a year after he became Prime Minister. There's a romantic hint of a Thai connection on his mother's side, ostensibly Malay from across the border. There's suspicion that this might be a fairy tale concocted to claim links and bloodlines with Nusantara to put some distance, for political reasons, between him and the largely Hindu Indian subcontinent.

At the height of Mahathir's run-ins with Tunku Abdul Rahman, the son of a Thai princess, the former came close to denying his heritage. He made the extraordinary claim that he had "only a drop of Indian blood in him". To further insult the intelligence of readers and listeners, he conveniently feigned amnesia, and incredibly claimed in a contradiction in terms that he "did not know from which part of India" his people came.

Mahathir, like his Umno Baru hijackers of the old Umno heritage, does not think twice about making up all sorts of stories and manufacturing history. He thrives on paranoia, scenario-building, and being delusional in between harbouring grandiose notions. He had once thundered, at the height of his insanity in office, that Malaysia would be a world power.

The pack of lies in his autobiography, Doctor in the House, stands stark testimony to the fact that Mahathir's imagination can run outrageously wild to paint him white, complete with halo around his head and wings, and others black with horns on their heads, hoofs, and red eyes. He can do no wrong, and if he did, it was the fault of others for discovering and pointing it out.

His public admission recently that he gave out 200,000 citizenships in Sabah, citing Tunku Abdul Rahman in the peninsula in the wake of the British departure in 1957 as an example, may not even be the real story. The RCI needs to have evidence on this claim and the basis on which such citizenships were issued, if indeed they were any such thing. The Constitution determines citizenship.

The RCI is probing the extraordinary rise in the state's population in more ways than one.

The most disturbing feature is the electoral rolls which appear to be packed with those ineligible and not entitled to hold MyKads.

Here, the "twice-born" feature prominently.

The lax control over the electoral rolls has also allowed illegals, refugees and other foreigners to use duplicate MyKads and register as voters on behalf of those who had yet to do so, and also vote on behalf of those on the electoral rolls who seldom turned up to vote.

The latest and disturbing revelations is that illegals in Sabah were issued MyKads from Peninsular Malaysia. These included uncollected Peninsular Malaysian MyKads and MyKids which were recycled in Sabah.

Anwar's response to the RCI has not been exactly voluntary.

He was needled by accusations, leveled of late by Umno leaders in Sabah that his hands were not that clean either on the issues being raised at the RCI.

Speaker and former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Keruak, among his accusers, pointed out in a non-statement that Anwar was powerful at one time in Sabah. The implication was that Anwar, as one time heir-apparent was guilty by association with Mahathir his political mentor then, on the illegal immigrants issue in the state.

Now that Anwar has expressed willingness to appear before the RCI, Salleh is sweating buckets and panicking all over the local media in a futile attempt to discredit the Opposition Leader. He fears that "Anwar will not tell the truth" before the RCI or, even worse, "might use it as a forum for politicking".

_____________________________________________________________________

Hisham: Don’t play with racial and religious issues

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST

(The Star) - The Government will not hesitate to take action against those who sensationalise racial and religious issues, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

Without naming any individual or group, he said the Government had the right to take legal action against anyone who jeopardised national harmony.

"More baseless allegations linked to racial and religious issues will surface with the upcoming general election.

"If such matters are proven wrong, we will not hesitate (to take action) as the laws are there," he told reporters after launching the My Beautiful Malaysia Day programme in Batu Berendam here yesterday.

Also present were Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and other state leaders.

Hishammuddin said that recent allegations against agencies such as the police force and National Registration Department were made to divert people's attention from the good things that were taking place in the country.

He cited the claims of 300,000 Indians being stateless and the sending of uncollected identity documents to Sabah, which he said were untrue.

"The rakyat must not be manipulated and become angry or emotional before finding out the truth.

"We must be wise to see the current political scenario by remaining calm, followed by investigation before action," he added.

He also called on Malaysians to focus on the "bigger national agenda" instead of getting themselves carried away with baseless accusations and politics of hatred.

BN invited Psy

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:30 AM PST

So.... BN will be spending > RM1 mil to invite PSY for a 30mins performance on its Feb 11 Penang's Open House. Will this money be from the federal budget? If yes, means it's OUR MONEY.

SABM

How many homes in Sabah & Sarawak could be lighted with this amount of money? How many Malaysians could get free education if these money were put to good use? Is the priority of our current government right?

Malaysia: Stop Forced Returns to China

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 11:23 AM PST

(New York) – "While Malaysians were celebrating the New Year, their government was forcibly returning Uighur asylum seekers to a dangerously uncertain fate in China."

Malaysia's secret forced return to China of six Uighurs with pending asylum claims on December 31, 2012, was a grave violation of international law, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the Malaysian government today.

An upcoming February 5 visit to Malaysia by Jia Qinglin, a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee, will provide Malaysian authorities with an opportunity to publicly state that they will uphold legal protections for refugees.

"While Malaysians were celebrating the New Year, their government was forcibly returning Uighur asylum seekers to a dangerously uncertain fate in China." said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. "The government has an obligation to explain how this happened, China's role, and the steps being taken to ensure it doesn't happen again."

Credible sources told Human Rights Watch that the six Uighur men returned to China on December 31 had been detained earlier in 2012 allegedly for attempting to leave Malaysia on false passports. While in detention, they were registered with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and were permitted to proceed with refugee status determination (RSD) interviews. Although all six had asylum claims being reviewed, Malaysian police clandestinely transferred the men in late December into the custody of Chinese authorities, who escorted them from Malaysia to China on a chartered flight.

Read the letter to the Malaysian government at: http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/01/letter-malaysian-prime-minister-concerning-forced-return-uighurs

What really did happen?

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 12:00 AM PST

Mindanao was suffering from an armed conflict that lasted for more than 40 years since the early 1970s. The Bangsa Moro Muslims were fighting for self-determination (just like the Muslims from Southern Thailand) and, up to 2007, the conflict had claimed 120,000 lives, many of them civilians. More than a million people were made homeless and destitute and an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 refugees had taken refuge in neighbouring Sabah.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia Today wrote about this matter some years back after meeting some of those involved in the incident, including some of those who were detained under the Internal Security Act because of their involvement.

One of those people I met and talked to was Hassnar Ebrahim, a PKR Sabah leader at the time I first met him at Anwar Ibrahim's house in Damansara. I actually met up with Hassnar and his wife a number of times since then and eventually we became close family friends. I have not met him since I left Malaysia in February 2009 though.

Hassnar's comments can be read below in the Bernama report, which is consistent with what he and the others told me. There are two other reports below that, one by Bernama and another by fz.com, which may also be of interest to you.

From my understanding of this issue, this Projek IC (or Projek M, as some call it) was not one episode but a series of episodes. And at different times it happened due to different reasons.

One reason was actually quite genuine. And this was related to the war in Mindanao.

Hence when I said 'genuine' I meant that they were genuine War Refugees just like the Burmese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, those from Southern Thailand, etc., who also came to Malaysia to seek refuge from the war, death and destruction in their own countries.

On humanitarian grounds the Bangsa Moro Muslims must certainly be accorded refugee status -- as were the Burmese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, those from Southern Thailand, etc., who had been escaping to Malaysia since the 1970s.

In fact, back in the 1970s, Malaysia was heavily criticised by the international community for not wanting to give these people refugee status. Hence, due to this bad publicity, Malaysia had to reluctantly allow the UNHCR to set up base in Malaysia to manage this refugee problem.

Furthermore, when Tun Dr Mahathir took over as Prime Minister in 1981, he tried to block these refugees from coming into Malaysia and he got whacked good and proper -- by Malaysians as well as foreigners. Dr Mahathir had to subsequently do a U-turn and say that he was 'misinterpreted' ("I said shoo them, not shoot them", explained Dr Mahathir). Due to international pressure, Dr Mahathir had to relent and go along with the UNHCR and allow Malaysia to be used as a base to house these refugees.

That was one reason for the many illegal immigrants in Malaysia, some who eventually chose to remain in Malaysia and become Malaysian citizens. They refused to go home to their original countries to face the hardship and possible death due to the fighting.

Let us, however, just talk about Sabah, the bone of contention for many and the focus of the ongoing RCI investigation.

Now, we must understand that the Mindanao war is only one of the factors for this influx of refugees. And not just one government was involved. Back in the 1970s, when the war first erupted, the USNO government allowed these refugees into Sabah. In the 1980s, the Berjaya government did the same. In the late 1980s/early 1990s it was the PBS government. And after that it was the Umno government.

Hence, since war erupted in the early 1970s in Mindanao, all the governments ever to take power in Sabah were either in a small way or a big way involved in this.

Now, I am not saying that Dr Mahathir's hands are clean. But he was Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. And this has been going on since the 1970s and, according to Anwar Ibrahim -- in his statement, which you can read below -- it is still going on till this very day.

The question we need to ask is, was it the policy (official or unofficial, as the case may be) of the Malaysian government to absorb refugees from (Southern) Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines (Mindanao), etc? I know that Malaysia was pressuring the west to take these refugees but the west was only prepared to take some of them and not all of them. Hence Malaysia was lumbered with those that the West did not want.

I was involved in the Terengganu Rotary Club back in the 1970s and we used to visit the Vietnamese refugees to give them aid such as old clothes and food. I was also involved in helping some of the Southern Thailand political refugees to settle down in Terengganu (some were on Thailand's most wanted list -- my Tok Guru, Abdul Rahman Pattani, as one example). Hence I have personal knowledge of this matter and sometimes was even directly involvement in giving humanitarian aid.

Undoubtedly, although some of these refugees would qualify as genuine, these were not the only people allowed into Malaysia and eventually given Malaysian citizenship (after the west had rejected them for citizenship). There are also another two categories.

One category would be the illegal immigrants given citizenship by the syndicate for purely monetary gains. Then we have the category that was given citizenship for election purposes.

Hence, by my reckoning, we have three categories to consider.

The first category is justified. Even the US, Canada, Australia, some European countries, and so on, classified them as refugees and took them in -- as did Malaysia.

The second category is purely greed. Some people were making dirty money selling identity cards -- just like they make money selling driving licences (which is probably more than half the Malaysian drivers).

And the third category is purely political -- to pad the electoral roll by creating 'new voters'. And in the case of Sabah, all the government since USNO right up to today are guilty of this third category.

Let us hope the RCI gets to the bottom of this and separate the wheat from the chaff. While we certainly want to nail those who personally profited from selling Malaysian citizenship, plus those who padded the electoral roll with 'new citizens', we do not want to lose our humanitarian spirit by denying asylum to those who would suffer or die if sent back to their war-torn countries.

I feel that both Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim must be called to testify in the RCI, as should all those others in power since the 1970s until today. They know more than what they are telling us. There is more than meets the eye here and finger pointing is not the right way to go.

Hassnar and those others from Sabah whom I met told me a lot of stories (some stories involving Nur Misuari, Muammar Gaddafi, kidnappings, ransom money, etc). But that would be mere hearsay and not admissible in the RCI hearing (remember 'reliably informed'?). Let them tell their own story as to what happened, especially in those incidences where they were personally involved.

And the two people who must not be exempted from telling the RCI what really happened would be Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim.

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

Project IC boils over in Sabah

Newmond Tibin, Bernama

(Bernama, Jan 2007) -- Former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee Hassnar Ebrahim shocked a lot of people, particularly the locals, when he exposed a Malaysian identification card (IC) scam or known as Project IC in Sabah, in a recent interview with a local newspaper.

The locals here are stunned as many of them who reside in the state's interiors have yet to own the sophisticated Malaysian IC or MyKad, but based on Hassnar's claims, it seems that the card was easily accessible to foreigners.

While Project IC is not a new issue in Sabah, it continues to be debated by many who express concern as the matter is related to the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah, which is perceived as the mother of all social woes in the state.

Hassnar, an entrepreneur, confessed that he unknowingly became involved with others who made it possible for thousands of foreigners to secure Malaysian ICs.

The former Sandakan district chief, while refusing police's request to make a statement on the issue, however, is willing to give testimony in court.

Hassnar was detained under the ISA on Aug 9, 1998 for two months, and then placed under house arrest for two years in Sandakan from Sept 6, 1998. He was also among the material witnesses in the Likas election petition trial in 1999.

Meanwhile, Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has claimed that currently there are 1.7 million foreigners in Sabah, including 600,000 who possess the ICs.

Responding to the allegation, former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak challenged Dr Jeffrey to list the names of the 1.7 million people but the latter has so far not done so.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the state government viewed the matter very seriously and was doing all it could to solve it.

He asked those who exposed the issue to come forward and cooperate with the police.

"Do not simply talk through the newspapers. Cooperate with the authorities," said Musa, who also directed the National Registration Department (NRD) and the Immigration Department to explain the issue to the public in the interest of all.

Following the expose, Sabah police commissioner Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Hassan had requested Hassnar to assist police in the investigation.

He said the police could not complete the investigation into Project IC without the cooperation of those with information.

As such, the police were putting Hassnar's statement on the issue on record to speed up the investigation, he added.

Mohd Mokhtar said the police would not arrest Hassnar or anyone without sufficient proof to link them with the criminal activity.

Several residents here met by Bernama, however, admitted they were from the Philippines and had secured the Malaysian IC through the said project.

"True. Project IC exists. I secured my IC from the project in the early 1980's," said Fuad Arif from Tawi-Tawi island, the Philippines, who now resides in Kampung Sabang in Menggatal, near here, with his family.

According to him, he came to Sabah in the mid-1970s with his parents, and they had stayed at Pulau Mantanani before moving to the village.

"After living here for several years, I finally received my Malaysian IC in 1984. At that time, a middleman came to our village to distribute the cards.

"I still remember the middleman coming to every house in the village to fill up forms for the IC and collect the fee of about RM10 each for stamp duty.

"One of the documents used to support the IC application was the late birth certificate registration letter," he recalled.

Fuad said that once the ICs were ready, the middleman would return to the village to distribute the cards to the residents, who were immigrants and had lived there for a long time.

In fluent Bahasa Melayu, he said that his family believed that they would have a better future in Sabah compared to Tawi-Tawi.

"There is no unrest here. We are free to roam anywhere we want. We can go to Tanjung Aru, Mount Kinabalu or Kota Kinabalu," said Fuad, who is the holder of the IC bearing registration number H0504933.

Earlier, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Radin Malleh had questioned the authenticity of ICs with numbers starting from H0288001 to H03840000, involving 96,000 holders; H0480001 to H05760000 (96,000); H0609601 to H0610000 (400); H0658001 to H0658200 (200); H0658401 to H0659000 (600); and H0666001 to H0666400 (400), saying he had taken up the matter in the Dewan Rakyat when he was the Member of Parliament for Tenom.

Another Kampung Sabang resident, Jamili Bungsu, 53, said the issuing of ICs under the project was rampant in the early 1980's until 1985.

"Just imagine, in the early 1980's at Kampung Pondo in Pulau Gaya (near Kota Kinabalu), there were only about 10 houses there. But the number soon increased to almost 500 squatter homes whose occupants were immigrants from the Philippines.

"It was not their fault that there were locals who were willing to arrange getting the ICs for them. Not many knew who were the masterminds behind the operation. It might have been done by those with high ranks as it was not easy to make an IC," he said.

Jaidy Kamlun, 26, from Kampung Pulau Gaya, said most immigrants who secured the ICs through the project had been living in the country for a long time and were involved in the state's development projects.

He said in Pulau Gaya alone, there were now more than 10,000 immigrants from a neighbouring country and most of them were helped by 'locals' to get the ICs.

"Of course the immigrants would grab the golden opportunity as it required no documents. Furthermore, they wanted to stay here. Most of them now have MyKads and can vote. As far as I know, the project not only benefited Filipinos, but those from Indonesia, India and China. The modus operandi was the same, that was, through a middleman."

He said it was unfair to link immigrants holding the ICs with criminal activities in Sabah.

"Perhaps some of them are involved in criminal activities or social problems but not all. Society's perception is inaccurate as we came here to earn a living.

"Our parents have lived in Sabah for a long time, and as a new generation, we do not desire to return to the Philippines. We are like the locals who love and are loyal to Malaysia," he said.

Jaidy supported the government's efforts to send back illegal immigrants to their home countries and prevent them from re-entering Malaysia.

"Let bygones be bygones. There is no need to determine whose fault it was. Let's work together towards a better Sabah," said Jaidy, who received his education up to Form Five here.

His views were echoed by his village friend, Tamskie Abdul Said, 36, who said that until now, nobody knew who were the masterminds of the IC project that involved Pulau Gaya residents.

"Project IC was different from those involving fake identification cards. The immigrants preferred Project IC as fake ICs did not allow voting rights and the holder would be repatriated if caught by the police," he said.

Several quarters including political parties and non-governmental organisations in Sabah have expressed concern over the existence of Project IC as it could threaten the country's security and deny genuine citizens employment opportunities as blue collar workers.

In this regard, they have appealed to the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to get to the bottom of the issue and ways to resolve it.

The state and federal governments are also aware of the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah.

Even the Barisan Nasional component parties including the PBS, United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Liberal Democratic party (LDP) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) have been vocal in expressing their concern over Project IC.

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

Pak Lah denies any role in Sabah's Projek IC

(Bernama, Feb 2013) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has denied opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's claim that he was involved in the 'Projek IC' in Sabah.

He said Anwar implicated him in the issue to cover his own wrongdoing.

"He (Anwar) is constantly blaming others. He will accuse other people and then he'll wash his hands off it. I know him too well," he told reporters after the presentation of 1Malaysia People's Assistance (BR1M) 2.0 to 262 Kepala Batas Chinese residents at the Tau Boin Temple Keong Hall here today.

Abdullah - who is the area's MP - was commenting on a press report which quoted Anwar as saying that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) should investigate Abdullah and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for their alleged involvement in the project.

Anwar who is also Permatang Pauh MP was also reported to have denied his involvement in the issue but said he was prepared to give his statement to the RCI.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had earlier claimed that Anwar was directly involved in the project to issue citizenship and identity cards to ineligible foreigners in Sabah in the 90s.

He claimed that although Anwar did not give orders directly, he was always taking the initiative, sometimes more than was necessary.

Meanwhile, Abdullah said 12,060 people in his constituency were eligible for the first phase of the BR1M 2.0 and the distribution would be carried out throughout February.

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

Anwar: 'Project IC' still ongoing

The ex-DPM denies that he initiated the project and claims it is still running under the current PM.

(fz.com, Feb 2013) -- Former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed today the task force behind "Project IC" was still ongoing under the current Najib administration.

Anwar said the task force started by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was handed over to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and was now under the current premier.

He also denied any involvement in Project IC, refuting an allegation repeated by Mahathir at a press conference yesterday. "Project IC" refers to allegations that many Muslim immigrants from Indonesia and Philippines were issued citizenship in Sabah since the 1990s. The issue has come under renewed scrutiny after a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah began its hearings last month.

"I was not involved in the task force," Anwar told a press conference at party headquarters here.

"There should be a thorough investigation and ask all past and present Cabinet ministers...the task force was never tabled during a Cabinet meeting. There is no minute that showed my involvement in the task force, and there was never any report submitted to me when I was the finance or the deputy prime minister," he said.

He also asked whether Mahathir was willing to deny his role behind "Project IC" and his appointment of former Cabinet members Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin and Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub to the task force.

"There are no records because it was a special task force operated by the prime minister (Mahathir) ... It is also important to note that the task force is continuous. We should (ask) Tun Abdullah Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"Datuk Seri Najib as the prime minister is still operating the task force... this should be asked," said Anwar.

Yesterday, Mahathir had claimed at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that Anwar was directly involved in the project to distribute identity cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah but admitted lacking proof that could stand scrutiny in court. Mahathir also added that so called "Project IC" was never his brainchild but his former's deputy initiative.

The RCI also heard testimony from Sabah NRD chief Ramli Kamaruddin, Tamparuli NRD chief Yakup Damsah, as well as a few migrants who had received their citizenship documents.

Among the panel's terms of reference are determining the number of immigrants in Sabah, investigating if blue identity cards or citizenship papers were issued to immigrants and whether they were registered in the electoral roll, and the abnormal increase in Sabah's population.

The RCI was also looking into allegations that Mahathir had initiated "Project IC" in Sabah to give citizenships to immigrants in exchange for their votes. The former prime minister has admitted granting citizenship to immigrants but stressed the exercise was within the law.

Tan Sri Harris Salleh, who was Sabah Chief Minister from 1976 to 1985, has also denied the existence of "Project IC."

Based on a 2010 census, 889,000 or 28% of Sabah's population are foreigners.

Penang under fire for removing CNY banners of Najib

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 07:28 PM PST

(Bernama) - The DAP-led Penang Government has come under fire for removing banners depicting Pime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak extending Chinese New Year (CNY) greetings to the people.

Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen (picture) said it was also unbecoming of the state government as feedback received had also indicated that some people had stepped on the banners bearing the prime minister's image, after they were pulled down.

With guns blazing, the tourism minister minced no words when she said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should apologise for the disrespectful behavior towards a prime minister of Malaysia.

"He (Lim) must remember (Najib) is the prime minister of Malaysia, including Penang. Stepping on the prime minister's face is tantamount to stepping on Malaysia's face.

"If a banner (bearing the image of the prime minister) is torn down, it means turning down Malaysia," she said. Dr Ng was asked to comment on the Seberang Prai Municipal Council's action of removing the banners, as those who had put them up had reportedly not applied for a permit.

She was speaking to reporters after attending a 'My Beautiful Malaysia' programme, together with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, at Dataran Taman Negara in Teluk Bahang here today.

She said, the federal government was always there to help develop Penang for the good of its people, despite the state not being administered by the Barisan Nasional.

"Don't be too political. Somethings you cannot politicise if it is for the good of the Penang people. Be a responsible government and serve the people well. If the federal government wants to help, let it be," she reasoned.

Dr Ng hoped the people of Penang understood and felt the federal government's sincerity at prospering the state as some RM140 million was given in the past to boost its tourism industry.

Meanwhile, she said the tourism ministry would work together with tour guide institutes to enable trained guides who had completed 75 per cent of the course to work as temporary guides during the CNY festive season from Feb 1 to Feb 28.

She said, 25 tour agencies were reported to be in need of an additional 450 tour guides to meet the influx of tourists from China and Taiwan, especially during the CNY festive season.

As motivation, Dr Ng said, a tour guide stood to earn RM440 each for the first and second day of CNY -- double what was normally earned by a guide.

Are the RM8 billion Highways the Solution to Penang's Traffic/Congestion Problem?

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 07:17 PM PST

Khoo Kay Peng

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced a four-part major road proposal last night, his supporters heaved a big sigh of relief.

He said the state executive council has decided to award a company the tender to construct four major traffic roads in Penang.

He did not name the company but it is known that the massive undertaking, costing a whopping RM8 billion will begin in 2015.

"If we had control, we would want the best. But in this case, even if we had our own money, we cannot do it. What do we do then? We have proposed four major road projects for the most congested roads," he said.

The four proposed projects involves the 4.2km Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway, 4.6km Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu-Bandar Baru Air Itam bypass (four-lanes), 6.5km Penang-Butterworth Tunnel and a 12km road connecting Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang (four lanes).

"Since the federal government does not want to give us public transport, we will built alternative roads.

"If we had control, we would want the best. But in this case, even if we had our own money, we cannot do it. What do we do then? We have proposed four major road projects for the most congested roads," he said.

The four proposed projects involves the 4.2km Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway, 4.6km Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu-Bandar Baru Air Itam bypass (four-lanes), 6.5km Penang-Butterworth Tunnel and a 12km road connecting Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang (four lanes).

On the island's on-going traffic woes, Lim lamented that Penang has no control over public transport as it comes under the federal administration.

There are several issues that must be addressed before the Penang State Government embarks on the projects:

READ MORE HERE

‘It’s too late for Sabah Umno, BN’

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 04:14 PM PST

BN leaders in Sabah can chastise the opposition as much as they want in order to serve their peninsular master, but their end is nearing, says opposition STAR.

Raymond Tombung, FMT

Sabah Barisan Nasional's 'incessant holler' and attacks on opposition parties especially the State Reform Party (STAR) has not deflected grassroots perceptions of the BN's unworthiness.

In fact the more BN leaders defend the alleged wrongdoings of their Umno-BN bosses and justify the coalition's continued presence in Sabah, the more compelling the need to boot them out, claims STAR chief Jeffrey Kitingan.

In a statement lambasting state BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan for hitting at the opposition's insistence on the Borneo Agenda which includes Sabah becoming a nation 'within' Malaysia, Jeffrey said the current 'domination' by the peninsular was "morally wrong'

"Rahman has been very vocal in his defence of Malayan domination over Sabah, justifying it with all sorts of rationales.

"This is understandable because he needs to show partiality to his bosses in Umno, but his rationales are contrived and in the final analysis he doesn't care very much about the rights of Sabahans within the Federation.

"Why must we be subservient in our own house when we should be the masters of our destiny?" he asked.

He said unlike in Sarawak, Sabahans were constantly being bullied and their rights trampled on as proven by the witness testimonies in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry into the legalised illegal immigrant situation.

"Unfortunately, there are selfish leaders in Sabah and Sarawak who have no qualms about being traitors to the people, betraying them by willing to be the proxies and rogue elements of neo-colonialists.

"The RCI has proved that we have been subjected to the worse acts of treason by KL leaders who saw it fit to drown Sabah in a flood of illegal immigrants who then were made citizens and voters overnight.

"I want to ask if Rahman is happy with the now confirmed Project IC what he as a Sabahan wants for the future of Sabah.

"What do you see for your children and grandchildren now that the immigrants have outnumbered the KDMs and Bajaus?.

"Are you not ever going to voice your objections to this criminal act and keep defending the federal government or keep talking as if the opposition leaders are wrong in defending Sabah's rights?" asked Jeffrey.

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 03:42 PM PST

(The Star) - A coalition of Malay non-governmental organisations have expressed disappointment towards Petronas, alleging that all of its major contracts were being awarded to foreign companies.

Claiming that equally qualified local companies were not getting any, the Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) wants Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to intervene and ensure that the contracts are awarded fairly.

"We have received various complaints from entrepreneurs and other stakeholders who said that they had been denied the opportunity for major contracts from Petronas and that Petronas is giving priority only to foreign companies," MTEM chairman Datuk Syed Ali Al-Attas said yesterday.

He claimed that Petronas had also been awarding huge contracts to inexperienced or "troubled" foreign companies, such as the one that was being investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

MTEM is a coalition of Malay non-governmental organisations that promote sustainable economic development for the Malay community.

Valentine’s Day business goes on despite PAS’ call

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 03:40 PM PST

(The Star) - Florists and gift shop owners have snubbed the call by PAS for a stop to any activity linked to Valentine's Day.

They felt that the call by PAS reflected its lack of understanding of the significance of Valentine's Day.

"Maybe some of them have misunderstood the meaning of Valentine's Day. It is about expressing love and care for your loved ones, including spouses and family members," said florist David Yu.

It was akin to giving flowers or soft toys during birthdays or other occasions to show appreciation towards someone, he added.

However, Yu said the call by PAS had not affected his business as most people, especially young people, could decide what was right or wrong.

PAS deputy Youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz had reportedly said that Valentine's Day celebrations went against the religion.

Terengganu PAS deputy publicity chief Azman Shapawi Abd Rani had also said that any such celebration should be completely stopped as they might lead to immoral activities.

Gift shop owner Kim Ching said it was important to respect each other's beliefs in a multi-racial society.

"It all depends on how you look at it," she said.

Kim also said the PAS ban had no effect so far as Batu Pahat was a small town and most of her customers were non-Muslims.

In Johor Baru, several shopping malls are already putting up kiosks selling chocolates and candy popular gifts for Valentine's Day and items like glass decorations to promote the Feb 14 celebration.

Some hotels are also promoting Valentine's Day dinner with free gifts for couples seeking romantic, candle-lit meals.

Many shortcomings in RCI proceeding

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 03:23 PM PST

Surprisingly no political parties within BN or the opposition have sent representatives to be among those posing questions in the ongoing RCI.

By Richard Libun Adou, FMT

After attending two days of the proceedings of the ongoing Royal Commision of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, I observed quite a number of shortcomings in terms of participation in the inquiry process, i.e. on the way it is conducted.

It is very clear that these shortcomings seriously hinder the original purpose of the RCI which is to seek the truth for the sake of justice.

The RCI is being carried out to enable a panel to hear witnesses' testimonies as well as to question and dig for deeper information from them. Lawyers (including from the Sabah Law Association or SLA) and members of political parties have been given the opportunity to pose their own questions.

So other than members of the RCI panel, several lawyers have been authorised to pose more questions to those making testimonies for the purpose of clarification and obtaining of more details.

What I find wanting is that the political parties such as Umno, MCA, PBS, PBRS, Upko, STAR, Sapp and other parties have not sent their representatives to be among those who could pose such queries.

It is a wonder why these parties, after making such loud noises about the issue of illegal immigrants all these while, have not pursued or even clamoured for participation in the RCI proceeding.

I however applaud Ansari Abdullah, James Ghani and the SLA representative for being active in posing very good and relevant questions.

I suspect one or two of these political parties are afraid to be in the proceeding because some of their leaders maybe identified by witnesses as the culprits or perpetrators of the illegal immirants problem in Sabah.

I am also flabbergasted that Joseph Pairin Kitingan (PBS president) had made a statement asking people not to make any comments on the RCI testimonies until the whole process of over.

I find his remark to be reflective of his cowardice in the issue. His statement has disappointed a lot of the people, especially the KadazanDusunMuruts (KDMs).

Why reject Suhakam?

Many are questioning his motive in making such a call when there is much worry among his people about this mother-of-all-problems.

In the matter of those giving testimonies many people who can present their cases have been excluded and deprived of their opportunity to speak up.

Our biggest loss is the absence of Suhakam in the list of those testifying.

I have been made to understand that Suhakam requested to contribute in the matter. Its offer to pose questions was rejected for unknown reasons.

Also the number of individuals from the public allowed to pose questions are limited.

The RCI should allow more people the opportunity to pose questions.

We can now only imagine what great revelations Suhakam could have offered the world on their own findings about the illegal immigrants issue. Suhakam, as we know, is the main body dealing with matters of human rights in Malaysia and has stacks of filed reports on the issue.

Why was Suhakam rejected? Who were the parties privy to the surprising rejection?

Is the RCI also practicing "selective witnessing"? Even the Kota Kinabalu DAP Member of Parliament, was reportedly rejected.

I also noticed that the SLA is not serious in its participation. Its representative missed one Thursday afternoon session of the inquiry and no one was sent as a temporary replacement.

READ MORE HERE

Reject any form of modern day slavery

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 03:17 PM PST

The workers' organisations in this country have demanded a minimum wage of RM1,500 for all workers because it is closer to a decent wage at this day and age.

Kua Kia Soong, FMT

The current outcry, expressed by some in the business sector, to the minimum wage for local and foreign workers brings to mind the demand for means testing (among other demands) by the major Malaysian Chinese organisations when they launched The Joint Declaration 1985 just before the 1986 general election.

At the time, the Chinese associations were calling for means testing as a way to ensure social justice in the award of scholarships and loans and other "special privileges" given to the bumiputera.

Means testing has been instituted in developed countries for years and the simple humanist and distributive logic is that on a sliding scale based on need, the poor are entitled to more than those with less need, i.e. the rich.

In the countries with some elements of a welfare system, social benefits are dispensed based on means testing.

Likewise, grants for tertiary education are also given out through means testing – you get a full grant if your parents' incomes fall below a certain threshold, but the grant is proportionately reduced the higher your parents' incomes.

This is an example of a social policy designed to ensure social justice and parity for all. This point is particularly relevant to the current demand for free tertiary education in Malaysia.

When we look at other sectors in the Malaysian economy, such as housing and property, the recent decision by the Selangor state government to rescind the discounts for bumiputeras who are buying houses costing more than RM2.5 million is itself some form of means testing, although the threshold is more than a little mind-boggling – does a bumiputera who can afford a RM1 million or RM2 million house still need and want a discount?

Clearly this is a step in the right direction but it falls short of extending the criteria of means to other categories of house prices relevant to those most in need of social justice.

Social justice for all workers

Following the recent outcry by business against the minimum wage policy of RM900 for both local and foreign workers, the government has hastily reacted by creating a new levy to be borne by foreign workers.

This blatantly reneges on an arrangement with foreign workers before they came to this country and Suaram calls for the restitution of their rights and just returns.

The workers' organisations in this country have demanded a minimum wage of RM1,500 for all workers because it is closer to a decent wage at this day and age.

Now, among the measures suggested for helping struggling small and medium enterprises is some form of subsidy by the government for the most deserving businesses.

Here's is where means testing can easily determine which businesses qualify for such subsidies by utilising information furnished from the annual tax returns.

Thus, with means testing we can ensure our precious national resources are invested wisely in the enterprises where they can make the biggest difference.

Clearly, to meet the democratic goal of social justice, means testing is relevant to all sectors, wherever there are claims for scholarships, discounts, subsidies and other such entitlements.

Defend all workers' rights

For the 13th general election, Malaysian civil society demands that parties and candidates show a commitment social justice by defending all workers' rights, whether they are Malaysian or foreign.

These demands include:

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 03:03 PM PST

Seeing red over the former premier's call for Najib Tun Razak to quit if he does not secure a two-thirds majority, S Vell Paari fires a vitriolic salvo.

RK Anand, FMT

Dr Mahathir Mohamad's call on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to relinquish his post if he is unable to secure a two-thirds majority for Barisan Nasional in the next election has ruffled the feathers of a ruling coalition leader.

Without mincing his words, MIC strategy director S Vell Paari fired a vitriolic salvo on the former premier's "evil actions" during his 22-year tenure in office.

He also reminded Mahathir that his constant rantings and his association with groups like Perkasa were among the main resons why Najib would find it difficult to obtain the desired majority.

"Was it not Mahathir who said 'even if I win by one vote, I would still rule'. Was it not Mahathir who said 'under the Westminster (British) parliamentary system even if we win by one seat, we would continue to rule'.

"Mahathir defeated Tungku Razaleigh by a mere 43 votes (in the Umno election). Did he not continue to rule for another 15 years. So why should Najib resign?" he asked.

To illustrate his point further, Vell Paari quoted the words of the "great soul" Mahatma Gandhi to criticise the "not so great soul" Mahathir.

Gandhi, he quoted, said that the spirit of democracy was not a mechanical thing to be adjusted by abolition of forms and that it required a change of heart.

"Mahathir treated democracy as a mechanical object that he could control to suit his whims and fancies via policies of racism and inequality to remain in leadership," he told FMT.

Taking a swipe at the former premier for criticising his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership, Vell Paari said the latter inherited a government that was replete with Mahathir's "evil policies".

"Abdulllah returned sanity into the government via a change from dictatorship to freedom," he added.

Quoting Gandhi, who said that leadership at one time meant muscles, but today meant getting along with the people, Vell Paari said Mahathir ruled with an iron fist, using the courts and draconian laws against citizens and political opponents.

"Abdullah brought back justice and independence into our justice system when he compensated the judges who were victimised by Mahathir.

"Najib, on the other hand, introduced the 1Malaysia concept to cement racial ties while Mahathir continues to drive a wedge between the people to remain relevant. Najib also repealed the draconian laws which Mahathir used to silent dissent," he added.

The 'evil Mahathirism'

Vell Paari also recalled another quote from Gandhi, where he said that constant development was the law of life, and a man who always tried to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drove himself into a false position.

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 02:57 PM PST

He also says the government will consider providing full aid to qualified Tamil schools.

Leven Woon, FMT

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak rolled out a list of pro-Indian policies before a large crowd gathered at the Ponggal festival celebration last night, including the pledge to increase Indians' economic equity in the country to 3%.

He told some tens of thousands of Indians at Dataran Merdeka that his cabinet would also come out with three additional scopes of work with regards to the community.

"These are namely, to increase Indians' equity to three percent, to provide access in higher education and to find ways to reduce crime rate and the involvement of Indians in crimes," he said to a cheering crowd.

Though the latest Indian equity figure was unclear, it was reported that the Indian equity has dropped from 1.5% to 1.2% during the period of Eight Malaysia Plan (2001-2005).

The premier also promised to look into converting qualified partially-funded Tamil vernacular schools (SJKT) to be fully-funded. He did not explain how schools would qualify for this scheme.

He said he would discuss with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who is also the Education Minister about the possibility of converting these schools in stages.

"We would also set up pre-school facilities in all Tamil schools because pre-school education is important," he said.

He added that his government would also award university college status to the MIC-run Tafe College in Seremban, and allocate funds to build 15 community centers and 15 crematoriums.

"The 13th general election will be held soon, I can assure you that I would not disappoint the expectation and aspiration of the Indian community.

"It's important for us not to split vote to the opposition. If we stand united and vote for all BN candidates in the coming GE, and for sure we will conduct more reforms," he told to rousing applauds.

Najib acknowledged that the challenges and problems faced by the Indian community must be given due consideration by the BN government.

"Please give me 'nambikei' (trust), please believe and have confidence in me. If you give me and the BN government 'nambikei' we will certainly do more for the success of the Indian community in the country," he said.

READ MORE HERE

Malay politics and Ramleeology

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 02:49 PM PST

Azly Rahman

"Alif-Mim-Nun-Wau... sarkis!" - said a character in P Ramlee's movie Pendekar Bujang Lapok.

Of late I have been hit by nostalgia, reminiscing and even romanticising the 60s, 70s and the early 80s before Mahathirism took root.

My last column on Malaysia in the 70s was an enjoyable piece of journaling and from the numerous comments I read from all the blogs that carry it - my own blog Between Cybernetics and Existentialism, my Facebook page, Malaysia Today, etc - I feel that there was a time when a good Malaysian spirit was about to be forged.

This was that sense of a historical block, until May 13, 1969 came, of course; whether it was orchestrated or a victory campaign that went wrong we are beginning to find out, as alternative accounts of it continue to be written.

After languishing in sweet memories of the 70s, I next thought of the 60s; the time when I was growing up in Johor Baru and how the kampong and the city and the school I went to became my "global classrooms".

My fond memories always go back to a "multicultural Malaysia I knew - especially how I owed my interest in learning and insatiable urge to acquire knowledge through the selfless work of my teachers - Malay, Chinese, Indians, Sikhs, and even my Peace Corps American teachers.

Without them, I would not have been able to write honestly about the need not just to "tolerate" other cultures but to learn from each one of them, embrace the dynamics of each, and to bring out the universality of the values, and next to design good learning systems and environments that will nurture these differences into commonalities and to hybridise the wisdom we will acquire.

This is what has been lacking in our education system - critical sensibility and the embracing of the idea of "cultural action for freedom", as the Brazilian educational philosopher Paulo Freire would say.

A P Ramlee movie

Of late, too, I have been watching P Ramlee movies - reminiscing my childhood days as well with my memory of the black and white television, that "machine to call upon far away vision" (tele + vision), or on a more theoretical basis, anthropologists of technology would call "a fantasy-machine in the garden" and in this case, a "TV in a peaceful kampong".

I watched and "read closely" Malaysia's great humanist-social-philosopher P Ramlee's, classic of the 60s Pendekar Bujang Lapok.
I found something interesting in there worthy, in fact, of a full-blown dissertation on the anthropology of the Malays. Here is what I discovered about the first 17 minutes of it:

There is an intellectual framework in "reading" this movie; one that could be a hybrid of political-economy of development and underdevelopment (see the work of the Dependenistas/Dependency Theorists of the 70s), World-Systems Theory, Marx's idea of "technological determinism", i.e. technology as the shaper of social relations of production (see my dissertation Thesis on Cyberjaya, on the origin of Cyberjaya and the concluding discussion on Marx and technology and culture), semiotics of power, as in the notion of "habitus" (see Pierre Bourdieu's work on "symbolic power") and a study of post-colonialism emblematic in the work of Albert Memmi's Colonizer and the Colonized, Frantz Fanon's Black Skin White Masks, and others in the genre of psychological studies of oppression.

Ramleeology as method

Syed Hussein Al Attas's work is also instructive of a framework in looking at the idea of how the image of the native is constructed, as lazy, obedient, and imbued with "bebalism" and "tolol-ism " (feudalistic Malay idiocy and moronism); constructed by the rich and land-owning class that drew inspiration from "divide and rule" - from the British colonials.

READ MORE HERE

Langkawi's road to environmental shame?

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 02:35 PM PST

(The Mole) - The estimated cost of the road project is RM22 million and stretches about 1.2km long.

Environmentalists are concerned over a road project, currently being built along Pantai Kok's rainforest-covered hill which they said is "sacrificing" century-old trees as well as marine lives along the island's shores.

Naturalist Irshad Mobarak said the road project is actually along a forest on a limestone hill which is also close to a mangrove forest and a popular tourist spot.

In an interview with The Mole Irshad said: "Langkawi has many rare species which is only seen in this part of the world and it will go extinct if the island is overdeveloped."

"The island's biodiversity is amazing and eco-tourism is what draws tourists to the island. Islands work by different rules, if a habitat is lost, species will decline, " he said.

Meanwhile, a source who lives and work on the island said the estimated cost of the road project is RM22 million and stretches about 1.2km long.

The project which started about a month ago is said to be built as a short cut to enable tourist to get to a nearby resort.

The source also said there were no proper signage's to indicate that the area was under construction.

Read more at: http://www.mole.my/content/road-works-stretching-12km-affecting-pantai-koks-ecotourism

To go or not to go

Posted: 02 Feb 2013 02:32 PM PST

Dzof Azmi, The Star

Recently, a friend of mine posted an announcement on Facebook that she was leaving Malaysia. She was sick and tired of its failings as a country, and she saw no progress at all. My initial reaction when reading this was sadness, followed by an urge to ask her to stay and help make this country better – forgetting that she has basically been trying to do that for the last few years in her own way.

Another part of me wanted to say "Never mind the idiots", but I suspect she believes that it is the idiots who get the most press coverage, and evidence of their idiocy is prevalent 24/7.

But why should I try to stop her, if at the end of the day she believes that leaving the country is what's needed to be better? I myself advocate going abroad to study or for work experience as it develops a more rounded view of the world with all its eccentricities and foibles.

It may be that she wants to raise a family, and she feels that Malaysia is not the best place to do that. This might have been the conclusion she came to if she had consulted the recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (the sister company of The Economist magazine) titled "Where to be born in 2013", and found that Malaysia wasn't even in the top 35 countries to grow up in for the next few decades (tinyurl.com/b6webej). The study takes into consideration overall quality of life, including how happy people are, how economically well off they will be, the prevalent level of crime, trust in public institutions and overall quality of healthcare.

Of the 80 countries examined, Malaysia lies at 36th, above China (49th), Thailand (50th), Vietnam (68th) and Indonesia (71st), but below Australia (2nd), Singapore (6th), Hong Kong (10th) and Britain (27th). Switzerland was top, while Nigeria ranked lowest among the countries listed.

From this, I think it would be easy to assume, "Well, let's move to Australia or Singapore, where my children will get a better chance to grow up successful". And yet, reality is rarely as simple as the economic models that try to quantify it.

There are so many factors in play, including your existing economic status and society networks. Obviously, if you move to Britain but can't get a good job there, then it's not likely that anything else you do there will be successful.

Other circumstances may matter. While many Malaysians consider leaving for the sake of their child's education, it was recently reported that a number of Japanese families are relocating to Malaysia in order for their children to get an education here (tinyurl.com/axq95n2).

The contradiction may be explained by comparing salaries and ambitions: Malaysians may feel good public education is out of reach at home, while the incoming Japanese migrants have money and mature, rewarding careers. What may not be right for you now, may be exactly what you're looking for 10 years down the road.

What needs to be realised is that in an era of globalisation, people will always have the option to move to greener pastures. The problem exists not just between countries, but between cities in the same nation.

For example, many of the best and brightest of people born in Kuching or Alor Setar will end up living and working in KL or Penang.

As a result, the quality of talent in the towns they leave behind drops, while the large cities continue to grow.

However, after some time, people may reach a point in life where they feel they want to go back to their hometowns and build something there, near loved ones whom they grew up with.

Thus, migration is a flow that can come full circle, guided by ever-changing needs and opportunities.

In all this, if Malaysia wants to be relevant as an attractor for talent, it must develop in the right ways. It cannot be that it is all bad; after all, Malaysia came 36th in the list, not 70th, so there must be things that we are already doing right.

The study suggests that the countries that are successful have robust economic development in an environment that is peaceful and liberal. It is also better to be a small country, presumably because they can better address the problems of disparity between the haves and have-nots.

Putting aside the idea that the Klang Valley could segregate as a separate city-state, I'd say these conditions suggest that some of our national policies seem to be along the right lines – specifically, portions of the Economic Transformation Plan and the Government Transformation Plan – while identifying a few which may eventually be limiting.

And naturally, it is those few that invite the most political rhetoric, which then means that they take up the most column inches and public attention, which in turn encourages some friends of mine to think that Malaysia is going backwards and that they should leave.

Yes, the best laid plans don't always succeed, and we are right to be cautious of rosy pictures painted by politicians. All I can say is that you can still best identify opportunities in the country you grew up in and have put down roots as long as you keep your eyes open for them.

But your eyes must be open. There are Malaysians abroad who seem embarrassed of their heritage – mainly because they believe the reason they left was because things back home were "so bad" and that progress meant to press on the accelerator and speed away. But if you blinker yourself and only look straight ahead, you may miss opportunities that your upbringing and heritage have best prepared you for.

Logic is the antithesis of emotion but mathematician-turned-scriptwriter Dzof Azmi's theory is that people need both to make sense of life's vagaries and contradictions. Speak to him at star2@thestar.com.my.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Ahad, 3 Februari 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

DAP's Political Fortunes

No Alternative But To Join A Coalition

So.... BN will be spending > RM1 mil to invite PSY for a 30mins performance on its Feb 11 Penang's Open House. Will this money be from the federal budget? If yes, means it's OUR MONEY.

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