| Nadi Kasih launched in Sabah Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:50 PM PST 
(Insight Sabah) - Sabah will receive RM26 million for house repairs in 26 constituencies under the program, which works out to be an allocation of RM5,000 for each of the 5,200 houses to be repaired in Sabah. About 10,000 people gathered at the Tuaran district today to witness the launching of the "Nadi Kasih Programme" by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The Nadi Kasih programme, which is part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme by the 1Malaysia Development Berhad Foundation (1MDB) aims to repair dilapidated houses to help the poor and hardcore poor in Sabah.  Prime Minsiter, Najib Tun Razak In his speech during the launching of the Programme, Najib said that the Nadi Kasih Programme will repair a total of 200 houses in each parliamentary constituency in the state. A brainchild of the Prime Minister, the Programme began in 2011 and to date, has been allocated RM115,730,000 to repair approximately 23,000 houses nationwide. Sabah will receive RM26 million for house repairs in 26 constituencies under the program, which works out to be an allocation of RM5,000 for each of the 5,200 houses to be repaired in Sabah.  Chief Minister of Sabah, Musa Aman Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman commended the 1MDB Foundation on its successful programme, saying that it is one of the best ways of for corporate bodies to assist people in need. "The Nadi Kasih Programme is one of the many programmes initiated by our Prime Minister for the people. He is constantly thinking up ways of providing help to the people," Musa said. According to the Director of the 1MDB Foundation Programme, Dato Dr. Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman, the allocation in Sabah is the largest allocation in the country, with RM1 million being allocated to each constituency, as compared to RM500,000 allocated to each area in Peninsular Malaysia.  Dr. Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman As of today, RM13 million of the RM26 million has already been delivered to the state. Houses in the Semporna, Penampang, Kota Marudu and Kimanis areas have already been fully repaired. Other programmes under the 1MDB foundation include assistance for the fishing community in Semporna and Sandakan as well as educational programmes for students in the state. In total, the 1MDB foundation has allocated RM33 million for its programmes in Sabah. -Insight Sabah |
| Revving up Proton's image core idea of turnaround plan: Mahathir Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:38 PM PST 
(Bernama) - "We cannot be always producing cheap cars. If that is the case, we will lose the confidence of Malaysians as it is a general view that cheap cars does not come with quality" Improving the national car quality and rectifying past misconceptions will be the main drivers of the proposed turnaround plan drawn up for Proton Holdings Bhd, says former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He said the plan, slated to be unveiled by next month, envisages short-term and medium-term solutions to bolster the national car maker's image, while creating new sales avenues and income streams for Proton. The turnaround plan would also see Proton paying more attention to its export market as the car manufacturer was now well aware that the domestic automotive market was getting "over-crowded" year-by-year, said Dr Mahathir, who is also Proton's advisor, to Bernama in an interview. Admitting that better quality comes with a higher price, Dr Mahathir said Proton was at a crucial juncture as it has to produce globally-competitive cars to compete with foreign car companies which formed a significant portion of Malaysia's total automotive industry volume. "We cannot be always producing cheap cars. If that is the case, we will lose the confidence of Malaysians as it is a general view that cheap cars does not come with quality," he said. Expressing confidence in Proton's new owner, DRB-Hicom Bhd, Dr Mahathir said the conglomerate was committed to boost the image of the national car company from merely a local company to a global and well-respected car maker. Dr Mahathir said the mentality of Malaysians that local cars are inferior in quality when compared with foreign-made cars must be changed. "Malaysians must understand that Malaysia is not the sole market for foreign car makers, which is in contrast with Proton. Proton relies more on the domestic market. "Foreign car manufacturers' overhead costs are very low. The money they are making here (in Malaysia) are mostly regarded as profit. "That is why these companies can afford to offer discounts of up to RM10,000 during festive seasons, prompting locals to opt for foreign cars instead of the national car," he said. Concerned over the "over-crowding" domestic market, Dr Mahathir said Proton had concrete plans to execute its export strategies in efforts to rake in higher earnings to the national car maker through an enhanced income stream. The total industry volume (TIV) registered a sales of 627,753 new vehicles last year while the number is expected to swell to 640,000 this year. Proton and Perodua made up slightly more than 50 per cent of the TIV while foreign models made the other half. Proton, a brainchild of Dr Mahathir, was established in May 1983. Early last year, DRB-Hicom bought a 42.7 per cent stake in Proton for RM1.29 billion from the government's investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and subsequently took the national carmaker private. Prior to the takeover, Proton has already executed its turnaround plan. However, with new shareholders and a new top management team, the plan was revisited.
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| Gross Encounters of the Zin Kind Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:21 PM PST 
Is anyone keeping tabs on how much taxpayers' funds are being spent on generating the incessant propaganda we are being bombarded with? If Ng Yen Yen can spend RM1.8 million on creating six Facebook pages, how much is being paid to create these propaganda video spots as well as for broadcast airtime, in addition to the mobile and billboard advertising, not forgetting the ubiquitous banners bearing images of BN figures? Kee Thuan Chye I was greeted first thing this morning by an SMS from a dear old friend. It read: "Saudara XXX [my friend's name in full], Selamat Menyambut Hari Lahir. Happy Birthday. Ikhlas dari DS Ir Mohd Zin Mohamed, Kordinator BN Selangor. Sayangi Selangor, Yakini BN." At first, I wondered why my friend had forwarded me this SMS. Then when I saw the four-letter word he had appended at the end of it, I understood. He was sharing with me his disgust at the greeting from Mohd Zin. This coordinator of Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) who is campaigning to win the state from Pakatan Rakyat at the soon-to-be-held general election has been sending out many such messages to a whole lot of people ever since last year. However, they have become such an annoyance that the recipients invariably express nothing but disgust each time they receive such messages. Some of my other friends have also been complaining to me about Mohd Zin's barrage of not only SMSes but postcards and letters as well. And social media is full of curses against him and his unsavoury proselytising efforts to the BN cause. Most recipients know that all this is being done for a blatant political purpose, which means the gesture is not one of goodwill. Nor is it imbued with sincerity. Many even say that no other country in the world practises this kind of tactic to solicit votes. They are greatly concerned that Selangor BN has easy access to their private particulars, like their birthdate and mobile number. And even the constituencies they'll be voting at – for these are also included in the postcards and letters. Who has been supplying Selangor BN all this information? And why should the electoral constituencies be included when the purpose is supposedly to send a festive greeting? Why run it with the tagline "Yakini BN" (Have Faith in BN), right beside the BN dacing symbol, at the top of the letter? Another question on people's minds is: Who is paying for all these proselytising efforts? Is the rakyat's money being used? I'd like to think that since this is a BN initiative, the expenses should be borne by BN. I'd also like to think that BN has tons of money so paying for it should not be a problem. I certainly hope this is the case. My own children received a Chinese New Year letter last week wishing them Gong Xi Fa Cai and attempting to indoctrinate them about BN's transformation programme. One side of the letter is in Chinese, the other in Malay. The letter is signed by BN chief Najib Razak and carries a picture of him. But the people behind it are Selangor BN, going by the contact details provided at the bottom. This is the third or fourth time my children have received such a letter. The first one was in conjunction with Malaysia Day last August. Then, the contents of the letter were aimed at emphasising our so-called "non-confrontational culture" in order to persuade the recipient to eschew street protests. What that letter said was hogwash because if ours was truly a non-confrontational culture, Umno would not have led the massive street rallies to protest against the Malayan Union in 1946. The letter was an obvious attempt at brainwashing. The same is true of the Chinese New Year letter. Acknowledging that there are people who are still sceptical about BN's economic and political transformation programme, it tries to persuade the recipient to accept the idea that such a programme will take time and effort to be realised. Hence the need for long-term stability in government. In other words, vote for BN. Each letter was accompanied by ang-pow packets also bearing Najib's picture. I was horrified and bemused at the same time when I saw them. Which Chinese person would put money into these packets to give to others if they know that face represents a ruling party that is corrupt? Most would just throw the packets away! I must be right – BN does have tons of money, perhaps too much since it's spending it so foolishly. I, too, received a Chinese New Year message. Like my friend's birthday greeting, it came from Mohd Zin. Before that, I got one from him in December wishing me Merry Christmas. It wasn't the first and it gave me a creepy feeling. So I posted a comment on his Facebook page telling him in no uncertain terms to stop bothering my family and me. Another friend of mine reacted similarly but not at him when she got a birthday greeting last year. She forwarded it to me instead, with a curse on the people who had sent it. She was livid that BN had nothing better to do than to track people's birthdays and to stoop to such a low tactic to try and win their votes. Then there was the occasion when a Malay friend of mine received a racist SMS in Malay which read: "Congratulations! You are a registered voter for the Subang parliamentary constituency. Please fulfil your responsibility by ensuring that Malays continue to rule. BN IS THE CHOICE OF THE YOUTH." This SMS was, however, anonymous. But what's intriguing is that the sender knew my friend was registered to vote for the Subang parliamentary seat. My friend sent back an appropriate reply also in Malay: "It's not important to the devout whether the ruling party is Malay or non-Malay. Leaders who are free from corruption and hypocrisy will be the choice of those who have faith. God willing, I shall fulfil my responsibility of ensuring that we are ruled by a government that is caring and trustworthy. BN/Umno is the choice of obstinately stupid people regardless of age. Salam Bersih!" Another friend who had been blasted with a wider range of propaganda wrote me an e-mail full of ire and concern: "My mother and I recently made a day trip back to Ipoh by train and throughout our journey, we were appalled and disgusted to see how the trains and every platform pillar from KL to Ipoh bore images of that megalomaniac Najib. Even the discount card that's going to be issued to those earning less than RM3,000 will bear Najib's image. Only dictators have the need for this amount of propaganda. "When we reached home that day, we found in our mailbox full-colour letters and small calendars individually addressed to us – again bearing Najib's image. The letters had our voter information and referred us to the Selangor BN website. While I am planning to use the letter with Najib's image to pick up my dog's poop, there are a number of burning questions on my mind: How much is being spent to clutter our mailboxes with BN propaganda? Who's paying for this? Let's not forget that postage costs have gone up. Is the ruling coalition using federal funds for political campaigning? Are limits imposed on how much can be spent? "Is there an avenue where complaints can be made regarding the excessive propaganda in the media? I pay to subscribe to satellite TV and am forced to put up with propaganda videos interrupting the TV shows I'm watching. All of it is in the same insipid vein of the 'Cinta IT' rubbish that aired on RTM, forcing me to switch channels when it is aired. "Is anyone keeping tabs on how much taxpayers' funds are being spent on generating the incessant propaganda we are being bombarded with? If Ng Yen Yen can spend RM1.8 million on creating six Facebook pages, how much is being paid to create these propaganda video spots as well as for broadcast airtime, in addition to the mobile and billboard advertising, not forgetting the ubiquitous banners bearing images of BN figures? "I sent a complaint to MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) about the invasion of privacy but did not get any response. Not even the usual canned response." Our reactions – my friends' and mine – reflect our annoyance and our concerns. Mohd Zin and his cohorts need to be warned that the more they irritate us, the more we will be swayed against their cause. And this may actually work against them. To borrow from a recent analogy, the more they ask, "Are you ready for BN?", the more loudly they will hear the resounding reply – "No!" * Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, and the latest volume, Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More! |
| Rare earth refining in Malaysia without coherent waste management concept Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:04 PM PST  Oeko-Institut is a leading European research and consultancy institute working for a sustainable future.
The facility for refining Australian ore concentrate rich in rare earth metals of Lynas Corporation in Malaysia has several deficiencies concerning the operational environmental impacts. The environment is affected by acidic substances as well as from dust particles, which are emitted into the air in substantially larger concentrations than would be state-of-the-art in off-gas treatment in Europe. The storage of radioactive and toxic wastes on site does not prevent leachate from leaving the facility and entering ground and groundwater. For the long-term disposal of wastes under acceptable conditions concerning radiation safety a sustainable concept is still missing. These are the results of a study of Oeko-Institute on behalf of the Malaysian NGO SMSL. In its facility in Kuantan/Malaysia Lynas refines ore concentrate for precious rare earth metals. These strategic metals are applied for example to produce catalysts, Nickel metal hydride batteries, permanent magnets. A number of emerging key- and future-technologies depends from the supply of these rare earths. The ore concentrate to be refined in Malaysia additionally contains toxic and radioactive constituents such as Thorium. The NGO commissioned Oeko-Institute to check whether the processing of the ore leads to hazardous emissions from the plant or will remain as dangerous waste in Malaysia. Storage of wastes insufficient The storage of wastes, that are generated in the refining process, shall be stored in designated facilities on the site, separately for three waste categories. According to chemist and nuclear waste expert Gerhard Schmidt, there will be problems with the pre-drying of wastes that is of a high Thorium content. "Especially in the wet and long monsoon season from September to January, this emplacement process doesn't work", says Schmidt. "The operator has not demonstrated how this problem can be resolved without increasing the radiation doses for workers". Additionally the storages are only isolated with a one-millimeter thick plastic layer and a 30 cm thick clay layer. This is insufficient to reliably enclose the several meters high and wet waste masses. "For the long-term management of these wastes Lynas has urgently to achieve a solution", claims Gerhard Schmidt, and adds: "in no case those wastes should be marketed or used as construction material, as currently proposed by the operator (Lynas) and the regulator (AELB/MOSTI). According to our calculations this would mean to pose high radioactive doses to the public via direct radiation". Mass balance for toxic constituents incomplete „One of the most serious abnormalities is that in the documents relevant data is missing, which prevents reliably accounting for all toxic materials introduced", says project manager Gerhard Schmidt. "So it is not stated which and to what amount toxic by-products, besides Thorium, are present in the ore concentrate. Also in the emissions of the facility via wastewater only those constituents are accounted for that are explicitly listed in Malaysian water regulation, but not all emitted substances." The salt content of the wastewater is as high that it is comparable to seawater. This is discharged without any removal into the river Sungai Balok. Scientists question the issued licenses The scientists at Oeko-Institute evaluate the detected deficiencies as very serious. Those deficiencies should have been already detected in the licensing process, when the application documents were being checked. However the operator received a construction license in 2008 and a temporary operating license in 2012. Especially for the safe long-term disposal of the radioactive wastes a suitable site that meets internationally accepted safety criteria has to be selected urgently. A consensus has to be reached with the affected stakeholders, such as the local public and their representatives. "If it further remains open how to manage those wastes in a long-term sustainable manner, a future legacy associated with unacceptable environmental and health risks is generated", considers Schmidt. "The liability to prevent those risks and to remove the material is so shifted to future generations, which is not acceptable." Strategic role of rare earths Rare earths are important metals that are used in future technologies such as efficient electro motors, lighting and catalysts. In its study from 2011 "Study on Rare Earths and Their Recycling" Oeko-Institute showed that no relevant recycling of these metals is performed so far. Albeit recent positive developments in this direction: satisfying the prognosticated global requires the extension of the worldwide primary production. For many years rare earth metals were exclusively mined and refined in the People's Republic of China. By pointing to their own needs, China finally followed a restrictive export policy. Additionally, the mining and refining of rare earths there is associated with high environmental impacts. To establish additional primary production of rare earths outside China therefore makes sense. However, high environmental standards have, of course, to be met. But this is not the case in one of the first new facilities to be operated outside China, as this study of Oeko-Institute on the Lynas plant demonstrates. Oeko-Institute's full report "Description and critical environmental evaluation of the REE refining plant LAMP near Kuantan/Malaysia" to be downloaded here >> The summary of the report "Description and critical environmental evaluation of the REE refining plant LAMP near Kuantan/Malaysia" to be downloaded here >> Presentation "Description and critical environmental evaluation of the REE refining plant LAMP near Kuantan/Malaysia" to be downloaded here >>
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| Dr Pornthip says Putrajaya not happy with her Posted: 14 Feb 2013 12:02 PM PST 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Dr Pornthip (picture) told The Malaysian Insider via email yesterday that the deputy to the permanent secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) had informed her of a message from the Malaysian government that it was "not happy with my work, especially in (the) case of TBH (Teoh Beng Hock)." Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand has said she declined to perform a second autopsy on security guard C. Sugumar as the Malaysian government was not happy with her previous work in the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock. Sugumar's family lawyer N. Surendran said last Tuesday that the Thai forensic pathologist made the sudden about-turn after he announced that she was due to arrive next Wednesday for the post-mortem on Sugumar, who allegedly died from police brutality last month. Dr Pornthip (picture) told The Malaysian Insider via email yesterday that the deputy to the permanent secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) had informed her of a message from the Malaysian government that it was "not happy with my work, especially in (the) case of TBH (Teoh Beng Hock)." Dr Pornthip had observed Teoh's second post-mortem and testified at both a coroner's inquest and before a royal commission that foul play was likely involved in the DAP aide's mysterious death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) Selangor headquarters in 2009. The royal commission subsequently concluded that Teoh was driven to suicide after aggressive and relentless interrogation by three MACC officers. "I told the lawyer that I'm (a) government officer under (the) Ministry of Justice that need(s) permission from (the) permanent secretary," said Dr Pornthip, who is the director of Thailand's Central Institute of Forensic Science, which is under the MOJ. Dr Pornthip stressed that she needed to have the authority to perform the autopsy on Sugumar without any limitations, but did not specify if the MOJ had prohibited her from doing so. "Please send my message to your people that I've never wanted to (be) involved in politics. I understand that each country have (sic) their own justice system, but there should be no barrier for the people to seek justice," she said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dr-pornthip-says-putrajaya-not-happy-with-her/ |
| BN will continuously deliver Sabah's progress Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:53 AM PST  At the launch of the state-level "Nadi Kasih" house repair programme in Tuaran, Najib said the best was yet to come for Sabah under the BN government.
(NST) - BN will uphold the interests of the state and its people, says Najib KOTA KINABALU: PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was yesterday given a rousing welcome by some 75,000 Sabahans when he visited the districts of Papar, Beaufort and Tuaran to pledge his commitment and that of Barisan Nasional (BN) to continuously deliver progress and uphold the interests of the state and its people. Najib, who is also BN chairman and Umno president, said BN's solid track record in the state showed that the coalition was credible in fulfilling its promises. This, he said, was in stark contrast to the opposition's failure to bring progress, as only 15 per cent of the promises made at the last general election had been kept in the four states it held. "They come here to sell their promises and ask for sympathy. They pass the blame to others. But talk is easy; to deliver and to implement is another thing altogether. "The BN government has remained in power all these years because it feels the pulse of the people and delivers on its promises." The crowd warmed up to Najib when he used the word mambalut, which means good in the local Bisaya dialect, when referring to BN. He took a swipe at the opposition's tendency for making empty promises and underhand tactics, referring to such ploys as mongumbui, a Bisaya word which, loosely translated, means spreading lies. The prime minister, who was greeted with thunderous applause when he made his speeches in the districts, also announced allocations of more than RM250 million for several projects in Sabah. They include RM226 million to build a water treatment plant at Sungai Padas in Beaufort to provide clean water to the state's west coast districts and RM26 million to repair some 5,200 dilapidated houses. The Federal Government would also assist the state government in the upkeep of Beaufort Middle School, while plans are afoot to set up an Islamic college in the district. The government, Najib said, would also upgrade the Papar-Lok Kawi road in phases. In Papar, Najib told 30,000 people who gathered at the Padang Pekan Papar that they could expect more development for the state and ensure the country progressed under BN's leadership. In contrast, he said, the opposition was only good at making promises they could not deliver, including promises to appoint individuals as the chief minister and ministers should they get the support of Sabahans. "They promised the moon, the stars and in fact they even promised that one could go to heaven. They make all kinds of promises, including on posts of the chief minister and ministers." Najib said when opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the deputy prime and finance minister, he never cared for the people of Sabah. But now, the opposition leader portrayed himself as being sympathetic to them. "I heard that in the past, when he came to Sabah, he kept on banging the table ... what he asked for was not for the people of Sabah. I am not going to tell the reason for his action as the other Umno leaders here would know better about the issue." Najib also took a dig at Anwar for being conferred by a Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader the "Huguan Siou", or paramount chief title, which is often reserved for a Kadazandusun Murut leader. The issue had triggered an uproar among the Kadazandusun Murut community as they felt that it offended their cultural sensitivities. "(Tan Sri Joseph) Pairin (Kitingan) is the authentic 'Huguan Siou' while the other one (Anwar) is ...," he said three times to the crowd, who then shouted back in reply "Fake!", and to this, Najib exclaimed "Confirmed". At a press conference later, Najib, responding to a question on when Parliament would be dissolved, said BN's priority now was to meet the people and explain the government's policies and programmes. "Don't ask me when the election is. It will be when I, the party and the people are ready for the dissolution (of Parliament)."
Najib said BN would only dissolve Parliament after verifying the proposed candidates' backgrounds, getting security details in place and getting a report on the candidates from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. On how satisfied he was with the preparations by Sabah BN in facing the general election, Najib said he was happy with the coordination among the component parties.
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| The need for an evolving meritocracy Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:44 AM PST  Singapore must retain the concept of meritocracy, but it must also tackle inequalities the system fails to address. TODAY file photo A history of meritocratic success in turn creates a social culture in which individuals are driven to work beyond their comfort levels and in resourceful fashion, with sight of opportunities to rise above one's socio-economic class. In a country bereft of natural resources, depending solely on its population, such a system has been paramount in achieving economic progress. Pravin Prakash, Today Online Meritocracy, an essential and integral part of Singapore's political and social culture, has of late seen debate over its continued relevance here. In December, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong argued that while it was important to calibrate fundamental machinations of the system of meritocracy, there was no better option. "If we're not going on merit, what are (we) going to look at?" he asked. More recently, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong acknowledged that Singapore's system of meritocracy could be improved to ensure it benefits all segments of society. And academic Donald Low last month argued for, among other things, "trickle-up meritocracy", which seeks to limit the rise of inequality by equalising not just opportunities, but also resources at the start for those with less. All three views, while differing on the level of evolution needed, note the imperative to renegotiate the terms of a meritocratic system of governance. A DRIVER OF SUCCESS The term meritocracy may be understood broadly as a system that rewards an individual's merit with social, economic and even political accolades and rewards. The system hence accords all qualified individuals a fair and equal chance of being successful based on their own capabilities. In a more limited political sense, a meritocracy describes a style of governance where the political system selects the most educated and capable personnel to rule or an "aristocracy of talent". A meritocratic system is coupled with the principle of non-discrimination, in which merit and talent alone determine selection. It cannot be denied that there are fundamental benefits to a meritocratic system, which have been indispensable in the rapid rise of Singapore as a prosperous city-state. Meritocracy advocates fierce competition which pushes people to achieve the best that they can; regardless of class, race or creed they may find success if they get to the finishing line first. A history of meritocratic success in turn creates a social culture in which individuals are driven to work beyond their comfort levels and in resourceful fashion, with sight of opportunities to rise above one's socio-economic class. In a country bereft of natural resources, depending solely on its population, such a system has been paramount in achieving economic progress. DIFFERENT STARTING POINTS However, as Singapore continues to evolve, there must be continual attempts to assess if the system as it is remains relevant. Selection based on merit and non-discrimination dictates that all differences, including race, gender and class, be ignored. But one must also consider the unequal backgrounds from which people come. To use the analogy of a race, it is like judging runners on who crosses the finishing line first although they all start off from varying points. The pursuit of a "fair meritocracy" — which researcher R Quinn Moore defines as one in which "inherited advantages or disadvantages are compensated for" — has been the prerogative of the Singapore Government. In this, it has had success, but up to an extent. We must account for the widening gaps of inequality that meritocracy creates, without destroying the competitive environment that meritocracy offers. More effort must be made to ensure that while everyone races for the finishing line, the starting points become more equal. It means, for example, ensuring that children compete in schools on a more equal footing. There is a curious turn in the Singaporean logic of meritocracy, where it is ethnic-based organisations such as the Chinese Development Assistance Council, MENDAKI and the Singapore Indian Development Association, which offer subsidised tuition at cheap rates, primarily targeting the underprivileged. But inequality is not inherently a race or ethnic issue. The impetus of levelling unequal starting points needs to shift from these organisations to the Ministry of Education. Perhaps more schools could offer small-group tuition at the same subsidised rates, with teacher-tutors paid the rates offered by these organisations. It would allow for a more systematic tuition programme that divides the children into classes based on the nature of tuition necessary — rather than ethnic-based programmes at various centres that sometimes struggle to offer the optimal service weaker students often require. WHAT IS 'MERIT' TODAY? Education is the tip of the iceberg in a discussion about meritocracy in Singapore. The recent Punggol by-election saw Ms Lee Li Lian, a trainer with an insurance company, defeat Dr Koh Poh Koon, a consultant colorectal surgeon. More than just the victory of one party over another, this might also be indicative that voters no longer accept wholesale the entrenched ideal of the technocratic politician in Singapore. A politician, in other words, need not be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or professor. Qualities like a history of grassroots leadership, service to the community and a warm, approachable personality are perhaps increasingly being seen as more important. The definition of "merit", in other words, is being challenged in socio-political spaces. The recent furore over the Population White Paper is perhaps indicative of this; it is reflected in some of the concerns of local-born Singaporeans. Take this scenario: In 2030, a citizen, who is currently 20 years of age and about to enlist in the army, would be 37 years old by then. In this time, he would have served two years of national service and 10 cycles of reservist training. He would have worked for at least 15 years and contributed via taxes and other means to the economy. He may have gotten married and had children (thus contributing to the country's demographic needs). If, in his 37th year as a Singaporean, he is to compete with another 37-year-old with similar qualifications and who only became a citizen a year or two ago, should his "merit" be judged solely on the basis of academic qualifications and work-related experience? Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/need-evolving-meritocracy |
| Toll Contracts Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST 
Tony Pua It is an open secret that the 13th general election has been postponed multiple times because the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Razak fears losing power to Pakatan Rakyat. However it is now clear that the other reason for continuously postponing the election is to ensure that he is able to dish out all the lucrative privatisation and procurement deals to favoured parties to commit any new incoming government to these contracts. Hence it came with little surprise that the Prime Minister's Department awarded a new RM1.55 billion East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) concession via direct negotiation to Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd (AZRB) on Wednesday this week. We would of course question the "privatisation" contract which involves the Government forking out RM635 million in soft loan to AZRB, despite the 50-year concession being the second longest awarded in Malaysia's history. The obvious question is, if the Government is already able to fork out nearly half of the required investment to build the highway, why is there a need to privatise it in the first place? Is it so that certain companies can bleed the rakyat for multi-billion ringgit profits in the future? However, of even greater concern is the urgency at which these contracts are being dished out by the Prime Minister's Department itself. Just 4 weeks ago, another record RM5.2 billion West Coast Expressway was finalised, giving the concessionaire Kumpulan Europlus up to 60 years to reap its profits, despite a RM2.24 billion soft loan as well as the land acquisition cost of RM980 million borne by the Government. Earlier last year, the Government also awarded a RM2.2 billion Kinrara Damansara Expressway (KIDEX) project to companies linked to UMNO lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun and recently retired Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi, who was also formerly UMNO's Discliplinary Committee Chairman. MRT Corp which oversees Malaysia's largest infrastructure project in history, announced in November last year that RM19.8 billion of contract works have been awarded, with 45% or RM8.82 billion going to "bumiputera" companies. Last week just before the festive break, another RM322 million worth of contracts were awarded. In August last year, Najib also awarded the controversial RM1.2 billion Ampang LRT Extension contract to water meter manufacturer George Kent Bhd. Despite having no experience in the rail industry, the local company with known links to the Prime Minister beat other experienced global players, including Balfour Beatty which submitted its tender at a significantly lower price. A month later, another RM1.33 billion contract was awarded to MRCB for other works on the same LRT line. The above are just a shortlist of the billions of ringgit of contracts and privatisation agreements which have been signed by the Government in the last 12 months alone. The rate at which these contracts are being dished out points to 2 things. Firstly, there is a never seen before urgency to award large contracts before the general elections, clearly out of fear that there is a real likelihood that Barisan Nasional will lose power, hence the "Sapu Malaysia" mentality. Secondly, in dishing out these lucrative contracts, it is certain that BN is also desperately raising funds from their cronies in return, to fight their "life and death" mother-of-all-elections to ensure its survival. There is hence no question that the possibility of a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government is very real. However, we will have to first overcome the dirtiest of all elections as BN will spare no expenses to "buy" victory in the polls with the massive war chest it would have raised. |
| Unreasonable Ban of “Allah” among non-Muslims Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:29 AM PST 
Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism & Sikhism (MCCBCHTS) released a proclamation on 5 February 2013, highlighting through the clauses in the Federal Constitution, proving that the ban of using the word "Allah", as proposed by the Selangor Islamic Religiuos Council (MAIS), is against the constitution, and urges the organisations to continue using the word "Allah". The Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) supports the proclamation made by MCCBCHTS. Under the Malaysia Social Contract was drafted during the formation of the country, and the contract ensures that people and government understand their rights and responsibilities1. The Malaysia Social Contract was included in the Federal Constitution, where it is stated in article 3(1) that "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation". In the Reid Commission Report, it was mentioned that "The religion of Malaysia shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion, and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State." The drafted version of the constitution does not affect the continuance of the present position in the States concerning the recognition of Islam or to prevent the recognition of Islam in the Federation by legislation or otherwise in any respect which does not prejudice the non-Muslims in terms of their civil rights. Majority of the members in the Reid Commission felt that it was best to leave the matter on this basis, as they were informed by the Counsel for the Ruler that Their Highness considered the point of view that they do in favour on the declaration of the suggestion of Islam to be the established religion of the Federation. However, Justice Abdul Hamid, a member of the Reid Commission from Pakistan disagreed and felt that since it is the unanimous suggestion from coalition parties, and hence it should be accepted. Initially the Malay Rulers objected the addition of such insertion into the Federal Constitution, as the Counsel of the Ruler told them that if there is an official religion in the Federation, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation will also be the leader of the official religion, and this contradicts with the position of the State Rulers as the Religious leader in the states2. The coalition parties then explained that this was not to interfere with the position of the State Rulers as the Religious Leader in the states, but as for the Federal liturgical purposes. The explanation was accepted, and the Article 3(1) of the Federation Constitution stated that "Islam is the religion of the Federal", which the phrase "but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation" in the later stage. In order to follow the revelation of the Rulers, the Article 3(2) states that "In every State other than States not having a Ruler the position of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam in his State in the manner and to the extent acknowledged and declared by the Constitution, all rights, privileges, prerogatives and powers enjoyed by him as Head of that religion, are unaffected and unimpaired; ..." In order to ensure that the rights of non-Muslims are not affected, the phrase "Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution" was added in Article 3(4). Hence, it can be seen that the addition of "Islam is the religion of the Federation" is for the liturgical purposes, and observance of this principle allows non-Muslims to have the freedom to practice other non-Islam religions3. The religious freedom among the people is secured by the Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. It is also stated in Article 11(3) that each religion is also responsible for their own management of religious affairs, with the exception in Article 11(4) non-Muslims are restricted from the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam. The use of "Allah" in the non-Muslim doctrines which is only circulated among non-Muslims, and not to propagate the doctrines to the Muslims, is permitted in the Federal Constitution. Hence, the act of MAIS to ban the use of word "Allah" is against the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Social Contract. The Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation, and according to Article 4, any inconsistency with this Constitution is void. In other words, the ban ordered by MAIS is invalid. Furthermore, looking from the perspective of the religious freedom and overlap between religions, the ban is extremely unreasonable, and would possibly lead to religious confusion. Among the religions, it is unavoidable to have certain overlaps and re-definitions in the respective doctrines. In addition to the word "Allah", other words, including "Moses" also appears in the Monotheism doctrines, and hence there is no reason to ban other religions the use of the word just because the word appears in one's doctrine. When the Buddha propagated the Dharma, he had new definitions to the Vedas so as to let the devotees understand the truths. If the Buddha was banned to re-define the Veda, then the sentient beings would lose the chance to be enlightened from the Dharma. Also, when Buddhism was propagated to China, the Chinese folk beliefs absorbed the concepts of Buddhism leading to the fact that Buddhas and Boddhisattvas had become the objects for worship. Then, it would be unreasonable not to ask the Chinese not to worship the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, as they belong to Buddhism. Hence, YBAM holds the stand that the ban of word "Allah" in the religious doctrine is unreasonable and create confusion among religions. 1Report of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission 1957, no. 169 p. 73. 2Report of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission 1957, p. 100. 3Ahmad Ibrahim "the Position of Islam in the Constitution of Malaysia", in Mohd Suffian "The Constitution of Malaysia, its Development : 1957-1977" p.48-49 |
| The urgent issue of the deplorable state of the private sector stage bus operators in West ... Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:07 AM PST 
The dysfunctional stage bus industry and the affected public transportation system are the inevitable outcome of years of misguided forced amalgamation exercise and poorly executed transport policies, that have insidiously undermined a once vibrant private sector stage bus industry. Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali (President) Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association It is now common knowledge to industry players, regulators, and policy makers that the whole stage bus industry is in the doldrums despite massive amounts of public capital outlay and mounting public subsidy (see NST,04-01-2013, p9.81,82,'Prasarana plans RM6b sukuk to fund projects'). The dysfunctional stage bus industry and the affected public transportation system are the inevitable outcome of years of misguided forced amalgamation exercise and poorly executed transport policies, that have insidiously undermined a once vibrant private sector stage bus industry. PMBOA notes the existence of the following: (1) The lack of a level playing field between state-owned and government-linked companies (GLCs) such as Prasarana/Rapid and MARA, and the private sector operators;
(2) The hotchpotch of government transport policies that not only go against the essence of NEM, but creates government privileges for special interests that hurt productivity and reduce efficiency;
(3) The urgent need to have transparent operating rules and regulations, and an inclusive consultation mechanism that promote the rule of law and protect the individual private sector, stage bus operators from arbitrary government regulations to ensure fairness, and promote higher incomes and faster growth.
(4) The omission of any mention of the role of private sector bus operators in the Draft National Land Public Transport Master Plan
(5) Numerous outstanding issues facing the private sector bus operators which have not been addressed/resolved for years by the government despite being repeatedly highlighted. PMBOA feels that private sector stage bus operators have lost economic freedom due to a lack of a level playing field, the encroachment of its corridor from predatory public backed stage bus operators, and the arbitrary operational rules and regulations. The true cost of lost of economic freedom is not only slower economic growth but also poorer performance on social indicators such as health, poverty eradication, environmental protection, and loss of many productive hours due to traffic gridlock. The government can no longer feign ignorance of the decimation of the private sector stage bus operators, and the entailed economic, social and political costs. The private sector stage bus operators are under mounting financial and public pressures to its shareholders and the public commuters, respectively, to improve on its fare collection through the expansion of new buses so to provide world-class service to the public commuters. This comes down to a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders and taxpayers, as well as the exercising of public trust (amanah) when utilizing public subsidy. As a positive step forward - which is to create a freer national economy that is better to achieve such progressive social goals than economies that rely more on government regulation and centralized control - PMBOA recommends the followings: (1) The riqht to exit from the staqe bus industrv bv private sector operators staqe bus. The private sector stage bus operators who do not or cannot continue to operate economically should be given the right to exit the stage bus industry. This must be accompanied by fair compensation to be paid by the government based on "the Melaka formula". The collective appeal for the right to compensation is not a form of veiled threat of economic boycott by the private sector stage bus operators, as it is undertaken on a case-by-case voluntary basis. lt no longer makes any business sense for the government to continuing bankrolling Rapid, MARA and other state-owned stage bus companies, to compete head-on with partially subsidized private sector stage bus operators. The end result is financial hemorrhaging for both set of players, and increasing the ire of taxpayers and voters in an election year; (2) The rationale of "the Melaka formula" "The Melaka formula" (adopted by the Melaka State Government when it recently acquired all private stage bus operations in the State of Melaka) is based on the market valuation of operational buses of the existing private sector stage bus operators + retrenchment compensation for all its employees + a lump sum payment to help the operator wind up its affairs. The government has over the last decade gradually expanded the network of Rapid nationwide unilaterally (from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and now Kuantan) for social and increasingly, political considerations, such as the recent BN campaign promise to introduce Rapid service to Kota Baru, once Kelantan is wrestled from the current PAS-led government and the announcement by the Prime Minister during the 2013 Budget that Rapid will be expanded to lpoh and Seremban. Since the intention of the government is abundantly clear that Rapid, (despite Rapid KL's operating cost of RM280 million against a bus revenue of RM180 million last year), is to nationalize the stage bus industry, then it is only fair to compensate the private sector stage bus operators who do not/or cannot continue to operate economically and want to cease operations. Failure to compensate private sector stage bus operators is tantamount to backdoor nationalization without compensation, which is another by-word for outright expropriation. (3) A level playing field For those private sector stage bus operators wanting to continue operating, there must be a restoration of the corridor system so that each well-demarcated corridor is served solely/jointly by Rapid and/or the private sector operators. Any form of fair and healthy competition is good for the consumers, the industry, and the national economy. There must be no favoritism in the allocation of corridor and all players must be genuine operators; no rent-seekers who operate on the pajak-system are to be allowed. PMBOA (founded in 1951) consists of responsible members that have operated for as long as three generations (some since the 1930's). Many of these privately owned stage bus companies have been owned and managed by a succession of capable individuals in the "can do" spirit of "Malaysia Boleh": they have steered their bus companies through the Great Depression of the 1920-30s, the Japanese Occupation 1941-45, the communist insurgency 1948-60, the tumultuous events of May 13, 1969, and the endless business cycle of boom and bust. PMBOA members have been speaking collectively and diffidently for a fair deal, whether to continue in the business on a level playing field, or to exit in an equitable and dignified manner. For a popularly elected government, and one that has undertaken the lslamization of the administration, its management of economic affairs must be based on the inclusive spirit of mushawarah (mutual consultation), and compassion. Mushawarah means greater transparency and inclusiveness for all stakeholders, big or small; compassion means compensating hardworking rakyat for their 'blood, sweat, and tears" justly, whether in a small and medium enterprise or a government-linked company. lt is the duty of any responsible government of the day to show that it is acting in good faith - after years of unilaterally and surreptitiously encroaching on the routes of the private sector stage bus operators by declaring it as a public policy to compensate those loss-making private sector stage bus operators that may decide to exit from the stage bus industry. It is not for PMBOA to submit a list of members/operators, who may plan to curtail their losses and exit from the industry, a priori to the declaration of a policy of compensation by the government. For doing so would again be misconstrued by public policy makers as another veiled threat by PMBOA members to mount a stoppage of an essential public service, and taken by publicly owned companies such as Rapid as a pretext to further expand their route coverage which is the case of Rapid's expansion to Kuantan and the announced expansion to Kota Baru, lpoh and Seremban. PMBOA's members deserve due recognition, in whatever and which-way they are being evaluated, for their contribution in nation-building, and as taxpaying corporate citizens. An amicable solution can only bring about greater accountability to public finance, an end to the sclerosis of the stage bus industry, and the promotion of greater economic freedom for all economic players, big or small, and the restoration of good faith in the government. PMBOA members have their legal right to demand for fair compensation if it is the government's intention through Rapid to take over the entire or partial stage bus industry, or any industry, that it deems of national interests. lt is about the right to the protection of individual and property right, which is the essence of liberal democracy, as much as living up to our shared Asian cultural value of repaying gratitude for those who have made sacrifices for the local community, the local economy, and the well-being of our nation. |
| Hindraf Blueprint Needs Amendment Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:02 AM PST 
SUARAM has also been approached to endorse Hindraf's blueprint. Now, while the blueprint has some good policy proposals, there are contradictions with its own professed "multi-ethnic paradigm" and human rights assertions. Consequently, Hindraf has neglected certain fundamental demands that we would have expected the movement to stress especially in the coming general election. Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser I have all along been supportive of the Hindraf movement because I believe that Malaysian Indians are a marginalized minority and are victims of state racism, often resulting in their forming the majority in statistics on deaths in police custody and police shootings. The marginalized Indians in this country are a specially oppressed section of the working class - it is an oppression that has taken on a racist character through the years. SUARAM has also been approached to endorse Hindraf's blueprint. Now, while the blueprint has some good policy proposals, there are contradictions with its own professed "multi-ethnic paradigm" and human rights assertions. Consequently, Hindraf has neglected certain fundamental demands that we would have expected the movement to stress especially in the coming general election. Racism or more specifically, "Bumiputeraism" has been the dominant ideology of the UMNO ruling class ever since May 13, 1969. It has been practiced under the guise of the "New Economic Policy" and that racism has been covertly disseminated through state institutions such as the Biro TataNegara and other "bumiputeras only" institutions all these years. Thus, it is in the common interest of all communities at this 13th general election to call for an end to this institutional racism and Pakatan Rakyat must commit to this before they get our vote. In this day and age, affirmative action is not justifiable for any ethnic community which has undergone class differentiation. Thus, neither the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazanmurut nor Iban communities can justify any affirmative action for their own community. The best non-racist approach to progress is still affirmative action based on class or sector. Thus, if the affirmative action is for the plantation poor, clearly the beneficiaries will be Malaysian Indians, and so on. Eradicate Institutional Racism Despite their efforts in recent years highlighting the entrenchment of racial discrimination in the Constitution, I am surprised that the Hindraf Blueprint does not call for the abolition of the "New Economic Policy". Any corrective action in all economic and education policies must be based on need or sector or class and not on race with priority given to indigenous people, marginalised and poor communities. Since their blueprint extols human rights, Hindraf should put forward their demands for all minorities and not just the Indian community. Thus we find a gaping "disconnect" between Hindraf's noble challenge to racial discrimination entrenched in the Constitution and their "Indians Only" proposals in the blueprint. And to be consistent in their human rights stand, Hindraf should also call for: · the repeal of Amendment (8A) of Article 153 that was passed during the state of emergency in 1971 and was not in the original 1957 federal constitution; · institutionalizing means testing for any access to scholarships or other entitlements; · implementing merit-based recruitment in civil & armed services; · enacting an Equality Act to promote equality and non-discrimination irrespective of race, creed, religion, gender or disability with provision for an Equality & Human Rights Commission; · institutionalising equality and human rights education at all decision-making levels, including state and non-state actors/ institutions; · ratifying the Convention on the Eradication of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Ministry of Minorities' Affairs Such a ministry is a good idea in a government that is committed to equality, justice and human rights. This point is not clear in Hindraf's blueprint. At the moment, the Hindraf leadership is even contemplating talking with BN leaders while voicing impatience with PR. Do they believe UMNO will commit to such reforms before the 13GE? If they can allow an "Orang Asli Department" and "Ministry of Women's Affairs", why should another cosmetic "Ministry of Minorities' Affairs" be a problem for them? And when they do, would Hindraf be prepared to accept a BN government? The crucial question is: Which is the priority for Hindraf? Do they prioritise the demands for reforms or the demand for a ministry post? If it is the latter, then it is out and out opportunism of the elites in the movement which should be condemned by all progressive Malaysians. Does Hindraf Believe in Consultation? A critical principle in human rights and democracy is respect for others. The rights of minorities in any society mean just that – all minorities have rights and no minority group has more rights than others. That being the case, why does the Hindraf blueprint insist that the post of Minister of Minorities' Affairs HAS to be filled by Hindraf? Surely, all the minorities in the country have to get together and decide who should be nominated for such a post? This is called consultation.
Hindraf must also work alongside other campaigns for justice, democracy and human rights. Besides "eradicating institutional racism", Malaysian civil society has at least nineteen other demands in the 13GE for the political parties to commit to. The point is, we can only mobilize all the people if we fight on all fronts, against all oppressions and against the divisions within the masses. As the Black Panthers said in the sixties: "We do not fight racism with racism…We fight racism with solidarity". |
| Can the Malays trust Anwar Ibrahim? Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:52 AM PST 
Muhyiddin Yasin I don't think so. Anwar Ibrahim as the de facto leader of the opposition appears to be just another politician who continues to maneuver to ensure that his own ambition to be the Prime Minster of Malaysia is fulfilled. Most in the Malay community felt sorry for him during his incarceration in 1998 when he ambitiously tried to overthrow Dr Mahathir Mohammed similar to how he had toppled Tun Ghafar Baba for the Deputy President post in UMNO with his American style campaign within the UMNO faction. The rest is of course history. Although the Malays were split during the 1999 election he realized that without the support of the Non Malay it would be an uphill task to bring a strong and viable opposition and the platform fell on his lap in GE12 with the rise of HINDRAF where his loosely held coalition was able to win over 5 states in Malaysia. Thereafter he proved to be truly the chameleon extraordinaire in enticing the public especially the Non Malays with his moderate and liberal stance with chauvinist DAP and Islamic based PAS as and when it was convenient. Today the anchoring chauvinists DAP (different from the yesteryear DAP) with a hate agenda against the Malays and the ever condescending PAS are ready to twist and turn to fulfill the ugly political aim of Anwar and their own without any actual solutions for Malaysians. The latest series of conflicting issues such as the Syura Council issue within PAS, the reluctance to accept the Borneo based parties as part of the coalition and the latest in the series being HINDRAF with the blueprint to uplift fellow Malaysian seems to be not one that concerns the public in general but rather how the public will be able to fulfill the ambition of Anwar Ibrahim. I have nothing personal against Anwar Ibrahim as a Malay leader, but as a leader he should be assertive without political suaveness if he is principled enough to stand for any Malaysian besides being there for typical rhetoric when the situation warrants for situation like what BORNEO & HINDRAF seeks for the well being of the community. The Malay population is now savvier in their approach with their inclusiveness as Malaysians when the real cause for fellow Malaysians is there rather than running a political agenda divided and decided with hate mongering agenda based on political survival like what the opposition is doing. The slogan, the grandeur is not relevant as Malays are intelligent enough to understand when political objectives defeat its purpose for fellow Malaysians and their cause. So Anwar, how can the Malays trust you when you wink and wank as and when it suits you like with the issue with the BORNEO states and HINDRAF? Muhyiddin Yasin, P.S. not the bodoh punya Melayu TPM |
| Seats demand behind the Hindraf-Pakatan impasse Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:36 AM PST 
Terence Netto, Hornbill Unleashed
Few would be able to deduce the real reason for the seeming impasse over the talks between the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) and Pakatan Rakyat as referenced yesterday by their national secretary P Ramesh from remarks made by him on the matter. One has to examine his remarks, as reported by this news portal, in some depth before coming to the critical bit – nicely couched in circumlocution – which has had the similar effect of a bone stuck in Pakatan's proverbial throat. After lamenting the "inordinate delay" by Pakatan in endorsing the Hindraf blueprint for the Indian poor, Ramesh lets on that there is also the matter of an "electoral pact with Hindraf" that is also awaiting Pakatan's concurrence. Hitherto, no details about the pact have been shed in the public domain by either party in regards to the talks. These have not had the publicity that details of the Hindraf blueprint for the Indian poor which were received in the public arena. No doubt, the need for discretion must have been the motive behind both parties' silence on the pact's ingredients, but given the salience of this aspect of the talks and their potential for engendering deadlock, the quiescence has been extraordinary. Hindraf has demanded of Pakatan, as a condition for their support of the opposition coalition in the 13th general election, that the movement be given the right to contest for seven parliamentary and 10 state seats. The parliamentary seats that the Hindu rights movement has asked for are Telong Kemang, Tapah, Kapar, Padang Serai (all PKR), Cameron Highlands, Segamat and Batu Kawan (all DAP).  Whereas, the state seats asked for are Bukit Melawati, Seri Andalas, Seri Setia, Jeram Padang, Port Dickson, Bukit Selambau (all PKR), Buntong, Prai, Tanah Rata and Tiram (all DAP).
In effect, Hindraf is asking Pakatan components, PKR and DAP, to hand them on a silver platter their incumbencies (where relevant) of these seats and (where it applies) cede the groundwork done over the last five years in seats where PKR and DAP have been working to win over from BN. Hindraf deals a shocking blow to Pakatan Pakatan were stunned by these demands made by Hindraf when both sides got down to brass tacks after the latter's leader, P Waythamoorthy, met with Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim early last November. Waythamoorthy, in contrast to his brother P Uthayakumar – who was always interested in the acquisition of parliamentary clout – had given the impression that as a social movement, Hindraf was more interested in fighting for its agenda for the Indian poor than in political representation. READ MORE HERE |
| MY FATWA on VALENTINE'S DAY and GREETINGS Posted: 14 Feb 2013 04:34 AM PST 
Azly Rahman 1) MY FATWA on Valentine's Day
Wasn't St. Valentine a good and honorable guy who helped the Christians escape Roman prosecution and he himself was killed, according to the story? So was Cupid the naked Greek kid with the arrow ... a good person as well .. a pagan, if you may ... whose honorable job description is to make people fall in love. So, calm down, religionistas of all denominations. Both St. Valentine and Cupid are remembered for the love they promote. What is the problem with honoring that? Would blowing oneself up in the name of religion be a more noble cause to be romanticizing and rationalizing about?
And therefore, the fatwa is: it is okay to celebrate a day of love and not any day that promotes hatred.
Now go tell that to those ultra-racist fascist groups and those who are calling for the bible to be burned, over the use of the word "Allah"?
In addition, I believe there is nothing wrong in celebrating Valentine's Day as long as you don't shoot real arrows into people's behind ... promote love, not hate.
2) MY FATWA on greeting others on culturally-significant dates ...
I have come to enjoy greeting people for any celebration ---Valentine's Day, Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Eid ul Fitri, Eidul Adha, Thaipusam, Wesak, Groundhog Day, Dog Day Afternoons, D-Day, Doris Day, etc. It gives me a sense of "multiculturalism" and that life is a celebration, Now, that's another fatwa for you folks; make others happy with what they celebrate.
3) Happy "Belantan" Day folks ...
I first heard the word "Valentine" when I was growing up in Johor Bahru. Linguistically sensitive I am, that word I heard on American TV stuck in my head; as the Malay word "belantan" meaning the walking stick the policeman use to beat up suspected criminals. It's other name is a "chotar" It became a symbol of the Malaysian police back in the day .. ("... speak softly and carry a big stick ..." , said the America president Theodore Roosevelt of his foreign policy,). Police go on his/her "beat" swinging the belantan as a display of the "act of tough love) in my mind.
So, my feel for Valentine was cultural and evolving. I learned about "belantans" before "valentines" and even before that in between these two words were words such as "kelantan", "bentan", and "setan" and "sultan" too. Understandably, Bahasa Melayu was still a first language for me; Johor Malay that is. Now I consider myself quite fluent in both Malay and English and that my thought-processes vacillate between two worlds even when having conversations or lecturing about "Valentine Day as pop-culture".
READ MORE HERE |
| Are you ready for BN? Was it a Yes or No? Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:23 PM PST 
A Gerakan leader says the crowd at the BN open house roared 'yes' and not 'no' in response to the prime minister's question. Athi Shankar, FMT Two video clips have emerged on cyber space this week showing different versions of the crowd's response to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's question: "Are you ready for BN?" at the state Barisan Nasional Chinese New Year open house on Sunday. In one clip, which was the first to go viral since late Sunday, the crowd shouted "No" thrice when repeatedly posed the question. In the other video, which emerged on Monday, the crowd was heard responding with a big "Yes". In both video clips however, the crowd screamed "Yes" when Najib asked: "Are you ready for Psy?" The open house featured South Korean singing sensation Psy's live performance on his "Opah Gangnam Style" hit. The interesting question now is which video is genuine? As expected, BN critics have used the first video clip to hit out at Najib, claiming that the people have overwhelmingly rejected BN. Critics had described the crowd's resounding "No" as a public vote of no confidence for the ruling coalition. However, local Gerakan leader Wong Mun Hoe hit back at critics claiming that the "No" video clip (below) could just be a make-believe recording by BN's rivals to hoodwink the public. The state Gerakan vice-chairman, who attended the open house, said like many others, he did not hear the crowd roaring "No". He insisted that the crowd actually roared a big "Yes" when Najib asked the question. Wong admitted that there were some shouts of "No" but it was drowned by a loud roar of "Yes". READ MORE HERE |
| Stop Dr M before he burns M’sia, says Bishop Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:21 PM PST 
The vocal Bishop Paul Tan wants the government to act against the former premier and all those who stoke racial and religious tension. RK Anand, FMT Once the object of love and veneration but now hate and denigration, Dr Mahathir Mohamad's constant outbursts have made him one of the most criticised individuals in this nation. And even on Valentine's Day, it is brickbats and not bouquets for the former premier. Ironically, Mahathir who threw scores of people behind bars without trial on the basis of national security is now considered to be a threat himself. And his unrestrained remarks on sensitive issues had earned him the wrath of a vocal senior clergyman as well. Speaking to FMT, Bishop Paul Tan urged the government to take stern action against Mahathir and all those who stoke the flames of racial and religious tension. The action, he stressed, was vital so that these persons' "evil oil does not flow to others ending in engulfing Malaysia in flames". Similarly, he said the law must come down hard on Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali and others who called or supported the burning of Christian Bibles containing the word Allah. "Action must be taken against those who for political expediency accuse Christians of trying to make Malaysia a Christian country and those who make false accusations against any ethnic group without concrete proof to enflame the already tedious and fragile fabric texture of the Malaysian society. "It is my conviction that all precautions must be taken to ensure that racial or religious riots do not break out in Malaysia. "If a person representing a party fans the already simmering ember of racial and religious tension in Malaysia, vigorous and strong action should be taken against him or her," he added. Vote for the clean and upright With the 13th general election looming, Tan, 72, called on the Christian electorate to cast their ballots with wisdom and to forgive those who had wronged them in the past. "Vote in any person whose track records prove that he/she is clean, upright,transparent and who courageously stands up for justice for all and works effectively for the good of all citizens, even the most discriminated against – the Orang Asli, the poor Malays in the kampungs, the downtrodden Indians in the estates, etc. "We should not forget either our 'modern slaves', the migrant workers, who are being ruthlessly exploited, although they contribute to the building of our country," he added. Tan said that whichever party took over the federal leadership, be it Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, it must protect all citizens. "It must be clean from any corruption even if it is legally done, for example, the government dolling out money to win votes; equitable, transparent and upright. It is for these reasons that I fully support any protest for a just, clean and fair election, for example, Bersih's call. "Although I have not taken any partisan side in saying what I have said, I cannot not take a moral, religious and political stand for justice, cleanliness, equity and fairness. The Vatican would be happy that I dare speak out the truth, without taking any political side," he added. READ MORE HERE |
| Signal not clear Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:46 PM PST 
Personally, I have no problem with either, because not always is democracy or majority voice the best way to solve issues. What if 50.01% of the people want Malaysia to be turned into an Islamic State (the Islamic Kingdom of Malaysia), with the Shariah law of Hudud as the basis of its criminal laws, while 49.99% disagree? Based on a democracy where majority rules, Malaysia would now become an Islamic State even if 49.99% of the people are opposed to it. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin BR1M payout must be orderly: Labuan DAP (Daily Express) - Labuan DAP Chairman Lau Seng Kiat said the RM500 payment under BR1M 2.0 here should have been done with proper planning so that it could be carried out smoothly and orderly and not with recipients having to wait for hours in a jam-packed venue. "Recipients of the financial aid deserve more respect." "After all what is being given to them comes from taxpayers and due to surplus collection by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB)," he said. He was commenting on the chaotic situation in the RM500 payout under the scheme at the Multi-Purpose Hall here from 7.30am to 5pm last Friday. Lau said the announcement made through the print and electronic media about the payment gave no clear details and this led to thousands, who thought that it was the first and final payment under BR1M 2.0, inundating the hall, causing much inconvenience and frustration, especially the elderly and women. According to Lau, he received many complaints about this. "Many had to make several trips back to the hall thinking that the crowd had shrunk but it was not. Apart from the hall, the road was also lined with cars for about one kilometre long," he said. He said the local administrators should ensure a better system of distribution of the aid was in place. "But it does not seem to be the case. For many, the joy of receiving the aid became diluted with anger for having to wait unnecessarily for several hours," he added. Lau also said that because of the chaos many did not bother to check on their eligibility for the money on that day. "It would have been better if the distribution of the aid was divided into phases for different groups based on age," he said. Under BR1M 1.0, some 10,100 here received RM500. Under the present phase, the figure is expected to be more. ***************************************** Politicians should be very careful about what they say. And I am talking about politicians from both sides of the political divide. Too many times politicians contradict themselves and also contradict each other, leading to confusion as to what the real issues are and whether they are unanimous on certain ideals and policies or whether they merely agree to disagree. For example, Barisan Nasional normally insists that you 'toe the party line'. In other words, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc., cannot make a statement contradictory to Barisan Nasional's 'common stand'. In the past, some leaders from the non-Umno parties within Barisan Nasional have been suspended (even from Parliament), or disciplinary action has been taken against them, when they make a statement that is perceived as a dissenting stand. We all know that Barisan Nasional means Umno. Hence Barisan Nasional's stand can be translated to Umno's stand. And the non-Umno parties within Barisan Nasional must kowtow to Umno's stand, which would also be Barisan Nasional's stand. In short, in Barisan Nasional, there is no consensus. Umno decides and Barisan Nasional, plus all the members of Barisan Nasional, must comply. And this would mean Barisan Nasional does not act based on democratic principles but rather based on autocracy. And this is certainly another word for dictatorship (I dictate and you follow). Pakatan Rakyat, however, works -- according to what they tell us -- on consensus. That means all three members -- PKR, DAP and PAS -- must agree to a certain policy before it is adopted. And if it is not unanimously agreed then it is not done. The essence of a democracy is that the majority rules. However, when it is on a consensus, then the majority's wishes do not count because it has to be all or nothing. This, I believe, is one contradiction. Hence it must be made clear whether Pakatan Rakyat works as a democracy (where majority rules) or whether it must be unanimous (which means all or nothing even if the majority wants it). Malaysians do not yet grasp the fundamentals of a democracy based on majority rule compared to unanimous decision based on all or nothing. Unanimous does not quite translate to democracy because, in this situation, the minority voice has no say. Personally, I have no problem with either, because not always is democracy or majority voice the best way to solve issues. What if 50.01% of the people want Malaysia to be turned into an Islamic State (the Islamic Kingdom of Malaysia), with the Shariah law of Hudud as the basis of its criminal laws, while 49.99% disagree? Based on a democracy where majority rules, Malaysia would now become an Islamic State even if 49.99% of the people are opposed to it. Hence, in that kind of situation, maybe a consensus based on unanimous agreement would be better than majority rule. And that is why I said I am okay with either because, depending on the situation, democracy might sometimes work against us. And then we have the second contradiction. Pakatan Rakyat also says that they always agree to disagree. However, while that is certainly very civilised and mature, where does that place the 'common platform'? This would give an impression that there are still many areas that PKR, DAP and PAS cannot agree on. Then what do we do? Do we allow freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, etc., to prevail and hence allow those Pakatan Rakyat leaders who do not agree with certain policies to express their opinions? If we do then would this not give an impression of disunity? Or do we impose a censorship on all personal opinions and take disciplinary action against those who do not toe the party line? Is this in line with the spirit of democracy? Now let us look at what the DAP Chairman for Labuan, Lau Seng Kiat, said: "After all what is being given to them comes from taxpayers and due to surplus collection by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB)." Lau was lamenting about the messy way the money was being paid out. But why that part about "……due to surplus collection by the Inland Revenue Board…."? Maybe Lau did not realise that this statement of his contradicts other statements made by Pakatan Rakyat leaders that the country is going bankrupt. How can the country be going bankrupt and yet at the same time the IRB has surplus money? Fortunately for these politicians, most Malaysians have short memories and do not really take too much notice of what politicians say. It not you will find tons of contradictory statements being made by politicians from both sides of the political divide. |
| A-G looking into Deepak immunity Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:54 PM PST 
Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail says the matter will be studied carefully. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT The Attorney-General's Chambers today confirmed it is looking into carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan's request for immunity in return for "the truth" about Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Yesterday, Deepak submitted his letter for immunity to the A-G's Chambers and had challenged Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to respond within a month. Abdul Gani said today the matter will be studied carefully and a response will be issued within the given time frame. "We had just received it. Let us consider it carefully. We don't even know head or tail of the matter," he told FMT. He said that it was unwise to make a "split second decision" during an investigation, adding that "even he [Deepak] had given a reasonable time for us to study the case". "Let us in all wisdom clear it [the issue] properly." Yesterday, Deepak said that it was the A-G's responsibility to ensure action was taken against those responsible for the 2006 murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu. In his letter to Gani, Deepak claimed that the details he had given to the press on Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor's role in the gruesome murder was merely a smidgen of what he truly knew. "I am willing to cooperate with the authoritative bodies in the country to provide further information on the prime minister's involvement in the abuse of power involving his family, on the condition that I am given protection from any possible criminal prosecution…" he wrote. But he told reporters today that even if the A-G's Chambers refused to take action, he was optimistic that the truth would eventually come out. "I will just hope that a change of government happens and they [Pakatan Rakyat] would take action." He added that he would do "all that is necessary" to ensure that truth would prevail. |
| PKR blames Najib for Pornthip’s no-show Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:45 PM PST 
PKR 'reliably informed' that the PM communicated with his Thai counterpart, says Surendran. G Lavendran, FMT (VIDEO INSIDE) PKR has accused Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak of preventing Thai pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunan from performing a second autopsy on C Sugumar, who died last month in a case of alleged police brutality. "We have now been informed that Najib communicated with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra, regarding the autopsy on Sugumar," said PKR vice-president N Surendran, who represents Sugumar's family as a lawyer. "As a result, the Thai government decided that Pornthip should not perform the second autopsy in order not to undermine the relationship between the two countries." Surendran told a press conference here that he obtained the information from an "impeccable source" and had "complete confidence" in its veracity. "The information has been given to us in writing by an authoritative source," he said. Sugumar, a 40-year-old security guard, died on Jan 23. He was allegedly handcuffed and beaten by policemen and villagers in Hulu Langat. Witnesses said a policeman also rubbed turmeric powder into his eyes. A post-mortem procedure carried out at a government hospital concluded that he died of a heart attack. However, his family is demanding another autopsy by Pornthip before an inquest into the death. Subang MP R Sivarasa, also a PKR leader, told the press conference he had two demands on Najib. "Firstly, we urge Najib to come clean with his communications with the Thai government," he said. "Secondly, we want Najib to communicate with the Thai government again to allow Porntip to perform the second autopsy on Sugumar." Neither Surendran nor Sivarasa would shed further light on the source of information about Najib's communication with his Thai counterpart, saying they wanted the prime minister to respond to their allegation first. READ MORE HERE |
| Jailed for showing obscene sign at Queen Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:30 PM PST 
Royal offence: Leong (right) leaving the courthouse in Penang. — Bernama (The Star) - A factory supervisor pleaded guilty to two charges of showing an obscene sign in the direction of the Raja Permaisuri Agong and a police officer at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas here. Leong Pei Koe, 28, who was charged under Section 294 (a) of the Penal Code (Act 674) for lewd activity in a public place, was sentenced to a month's jail from the date of his arrest and fined RM6,000 under the first charge by a magistrate's court. He was also sentenced to a week's jail from the date of arrest and fined RM2,000 under the second charge of showing an obscene gesture to ASP Mohd Fakhrudin Abd Hamid. Both sentences were ordered to run concurrently. DPP Charanjit Singh prosecuted. Leong, who is said to be working in Singapore, committed the offence at about noon on Monday. He was outside the arrival hall when he flashed the sign at the passing royal entourage. One of Tuanku Hajah Haminah's bodyguards, who saw the gesture, detained him and handed him over to the police. The Queen was in Penang for a private function. |
| Ex-lecturer: I’ll be contesting in Sabak Bernam Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:22 PM PST 
(The Star) - Former law lecturer Dr Abdul Aziz Bari (pic) says he has been picked by PKR to contest in the Sabak Bernam parliamentary seat in Selangor in the coming general election. The former International Islamic University Malaysia academic said he had a good chance of winning the seat, which was in his hometown. "I have been visiting Sabak Bernam for about a year now and we have been getting good response from the people. "I feel my chances are good since Selangor is being administered by Pakatan Rakyat," he said after attending a Chinese New Year anniversary dinner organised by PKR in Balik Pulau on Tuesday night. He was one of the speakers at the event. Other speakers included PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and state DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow. Dr Abdul Aziz said the current MP, Abdul Rahman Bakri, from Barisan Nasional and his aide Rosli Busro had been sentenced to six years' jail and fined RM400,000 after being found guilty on eight counts of making false claims. "Taking into account this matter and the current national mood, I think I can win the seat, especially since Abdul Rahman only won by a majority of 1,335 votes in the last general election," he said. In the 2008 general election, Abdul Rahman polled 12,055 votes while PKR's Badrulamin Bahron got 10,720.There are about 37,000 voters in the constituency of which 83% are Malays, Chinese (12%) and the rest Indians. Dr Abdul Aziz was suspended on Oct 19, 2011 for saying that the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's intervention in a church raid controversy was "unusual and inconsistent". The suspension was later lifted but he insisted that the accusations made against him be dropped. Two months later, he decided to leave IIUM on optional retirement, after claiming political interference and that he was resigning "in defence of academic freedom". Although he had received offers from PAS and DAP, Dr Abdul Aziz joined PKR in 2011. |
| Nurul Izzah challenges Nong Chik to a debate Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:16 PM PST 
(The Star) - Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has issued a debate challenge to Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin over who is the better choice for voters in the constituency. In a letter delivered to the minister's office here, the PKR vice-president said it was in the interest of democratic practice that they had a frank and open debate regarding various claims and allegations by both sides. "If we intend to get to the bottom of issues in the parliamentary constituency of Lembah Pantai, then he should accept the invitation," said Abdullah Izhar Mohd Yusof, the director of the Complaints and Community Bureau under Nurul Izzah's office. The MP's political secretary, Fahmi Fadzil, added that a public debate would give voters a better picture of what they expected of their leaders. "This is a practice in many democratic countries in the world," he said. According to the letter, Nurul Izzah is proposing that the moderator be an academic who is accepted by both sides and that the debate focus on issues related to the Lembah Pantai constituency, Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. |
| PSM to continue its bid to join Pakatan Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:04 PM PST 
(The Star) - Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will continue with its bid to formally join Pakatan Rakyat. PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan said the party still had confidence in Pakatan due to the coalitin's Buku Jingga policy. "And we have been working with Pakatan Rakyat for a few years," he said. PSM had sent a written request to join Pakatan last September but the application has yet to be processed. PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar had said that PSM's application would be discussed after the Chinese New Year. The Lembah Pantai MP was reported to have said that PSM's application to join Pakatan was not a small matter as it involved other issues including seat allocation and choice of flag. |
| Valentine’s Day raid: 10, including underage couple, held for khalwat Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:56 PM PST A suspect being escorted out of a budget hotel here in Kuala Lumpur. (The Star) - Ten, including an underage couple were detained for alleged khalwat (close proximity) following a Valentine's Day raid at several hot spots in the city by officers from Department of Federal Territory Islamic Affairs to curb vice among Muslims. "We believe the numbers are quite small and it could be because that many are away from the city due to the public holidays," its senior public relations officer Tuan Asmawi Tuan Umar, who spoke on behalf of the Jawi director, said at a press conference after the raid early Thursday. Operations Valentine's Day 2013 began at midnight around Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Ipoh with 60 Jawi enforcement officers, with the help of police, raiding eight budget hotels and scouring the Taman Tasik Titiwangsa area. They found, among others, a 13-year-old boy with his 16-year-old girlfriend at a budget hotel. The boy told the raiding officers that the duo had "running out of cash and couldn't call their parents because they had forgotten their parents' telephone numbers." After further questioning, the boy said he was "just keeping his brother's girlfriend company at the hotel while waiting for the brother to him to come and fetch them." By 4am, the officers had netted eight others aged between 25 and 50 years old, including a couple who had RM15,000 in cash on them. All the arrested couples are looking at possible charges under the Syariah Criminal Offences Act (Federal Territories) 1997 that carries a fine and imprisonment on conviction. Three Muslim men, who were with non-Muslim women, were issued appearance notices to explain themselves to Jawi and to go for counselling. Appearance notices were also handed out to three who were alleged dressed indecently, and another three notices to three others caught drinking alcohol. |
| Muhyiddin: BR1M may be raised to RM1,000 if BN wins Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:49 PM PST 
BR1M is not a fairtale but a conviction, says the deputy prime minister. (Bernama) - The 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) may be increased from RM500 to RM1,000 if the Barisan Nasional is given a new mandate, said Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. He said the BR1M is not a fairytale but a conviction that would be continued by the BN government if it is returned to power in the next general election. "Prime Minister [Datuk Seri] Najib [Tun Razak] has mentioned it two days ago in Johor. Some people asked whether there will be BR1M 3 and BR1M 4. "He [Najib] said 'yes' provided BN stays in power. Who knows if our coffers increases, the RM500 aid will become RM1,000," he said when handing over BR1M to 2,042 recipients from the Bukit Serampang state constituency in Felda Sri Jaya here, today. Hence, he urged the people, especially those in the low and middle-income groups, not to respond to good fortune with disdain by continuing to provide a strong support to the BN government to guarantee a better future. Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said various measures taken by the BN government augured well for the country in the march towards a developed country. He said while the government was working hard to improve its services and fulfil its promises, the opposition was spreading lies and misleading the people that the government hardly made any efforts to develop the country. "The opposition says BN is ruthless, makes the people suffer. They say we are not helping the people. The people should not be easily duped by their promises. Whatever good things we have done, we will continue to improve them. "I am not saying that BN is 100% perfect. Even in our family, we have problems, sometime a little misunderstanding. "BN has delivered its promises, except for we have not achieved the goal of turning Malaysia into a developed country," he said. |
| Why it’s hard for BN to win Penang Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:42 PM PST 
MCA is Barisan's Achilles' heel, says a former youth leader of the party. Hawkeye, FMT BUTTERWORTH: It is becoming increasingly difficult for Barisan Nasional to unseat the Penang government because the coalition is suffering from an acute shortage of young candidates, according to a former MCA leader. Eng Hiap Boon, who was Penang MCA Youth chief when he quit the party in late 2011, said today that MCA must take the largest part of the blame for BN's lack of young leaders who could meet the expectations of the Penang electorate. He described Penang voters as "highly demanding" and lamented MCA's inability to institute reforms at a pace quick enough to impress them. It is believed that Umno, Gerakan, PPP and MIC have nearly finalised their lists of candidates for the 13th general election. MCA, however, is still struggling to complete its list, according to insiders. They say the selection committee is reluctant to field young blood, often referring to them as "untested" politicians. MCA is expected to contest in eight state and two parliament seats in Penang. In the 2008 election, it lost all of its Penang battles with DAP. Eng said no new leader with talent had emerged in MCA since 2008 to challenge DAP's young turks. "The veterans are stubbornly clinging on either because they dare not hand over power to the younger set or because there are no youthful talented leaders from within the ranks." Former MCA presidents Ong Ka Ting and Ong Tee Keat both tried to attract young talent into the party but failed, said Eng, who is an ally of Tee Keat. READ MORE HERE |
| Psy a PR blunder for Najib, BN Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:22 PM PST 
The prime minister should realise that he cannot horse around with the wishes and aspirations of Malaysians anymore By M Krishnamoorthy, FMT "We must win back Penang at whatever the cost." So went the Barisan Nasional's plan to win the hearts and minds of Penangites during the Chinese New Year open house celebrations. Some smart aleck in BN or the Prime Minister's Office would have said at a high-powered meeting: "Yes. The only way to win the minds of voters is get Psy and his horse-riding song to rock Penang." But the big question is: Was Penang ready for Psy or was Psy used to attract votes for BN? The writing was already on the wall when there were protests not to bring the K-pop star. So, BN did not listen! listen! listen! and the famous quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the US, seems an appropriate epithet: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." Now, it's too late as the Psy show has backfired on BN's plans. It was a major public relations disaster as the Penang crowd refused to be fooled by the millions paid to engage Psy. When Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak asked the crowd before the start of the show: "Are you ready for Psy?" the crowd responded with a vociferous: "Yes!" Quickly switching gears, Najib then asked not once but three times: "Are you ready for BN?" "No!" the crowd shouted back. BN must recognise that throwing money at all its events at the expense of the taxpayers is a big "No!" BN must not horse around with sentiments, emotions and feelings of Malaysians. Boos and jeers It was clear that the multi-million-ringgit show in Penang on Monday was a blunder. It was not the first event where the crowd had not been receptive to BN's offers and overtures. Psy's performance was delayed for almost an hour. The event organisers were restless trying to ride on the wave of Psy's worldwide popular song. It was like waiting for the food at a dinner and speakers keep on dragging the time with their long-winded speeches. Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor and state BN leaders like Teng Chang Yeow showed up on stage to placate the crowd but were least interested. Later came Najib's son's speech to demonstrate his Chinese-speaking skills to engage the audience. This failed miserably again as there was muted response from the crowd. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Take away Mahathir’s citizenship’ Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:18 PM PST 
A Selangor DAP leader says the former premier's citizenship should be taken away for implementing the illegal Project IC in Sabah. Athi Shankar, FMT The government should revoke Dr Mahathir Mohamad's citizenship for betraying the nation by executing an illegal "Project IC" in Sabah, suggested Selangor DAP leader S Ramakrishnan. He said the former prime minister deserved to be stateless for wrongly granting citizenship and voting rights to illegal immigrants in Sabah during his tenure. The Selangor DAP committee member said Mahathir's deceitful role in executing the illegal, unscrupulous and irresponsible covert operation in the Borneo state had brought disrepute to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He said Malaysians were irked after the royal commission of inquiry exposed the former premier's 20-year key role in issuing blue identity cards to undeserving illegal immigrants. "Mahathir betrayed all Malaysians by giving citizenship and instant bumiputera status to illegal and unqualified immigrants. "If anyone should be stripped off his citizenship it is Mahathir," insisted Ramakrishnan, who heads Selangor DAP bureau for Ex-Plantation Workers and Urban Poor chairman, in a statement here today. The former Senator said Mahathir had deliberately failed to resolve the stateless status of thousands of qualified Malaysian-born ethnic Indians and Chinese during his premiership. As a result, he said some 300,000 non-Malays, especially ethnic Indians, were waiting until today to get blue identity cards and be granted their rightful citizenship rights. However, he said the Mahathir instead granted citizenships to illegal Muslim immigrants from the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and even India merely to expand Umno and Barisan Nasional vote bank. He rebuked Mahathir for attempting to justify his act of betrayal by criticising the country's first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman for granting citizenship to a million legally qualified ethnic Indian and Chinese residents of Malaya. READ MORE HERE |
| Wan Ahmad bakal saman Mat Sabu, Harakah Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:13 PM PST 
Wan Ahmad didakwa terlibat dengan mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad memberikan kerakyatan kepada warga asing. Jamilah Kamarudin, FMT Timbalan Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar akan memfailkan saman terhadap Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu (Mat Sabu) kerana didakwa memfitnahnya terlibat dalam 'Projek IC' di Sabah pada tahun 1994. Saman fitnah turut dikenakan terhadap lidah rasmi PAS, Harakah kerana menyiarkan artikel kenyataan Mat Sabu 'Wan Ahmad tak boleh dipercayai' dalam edisi 1-3 Februari 2012 di muka surat 30 dan terakhir akhbar itu. Bakal diheret sama parti PAS, pencetak Angkatan Edaran Enterprise, Ketua Pengarang Harakah Ahmad Luthfi Othman serta penulis Aziz Muda. Mat Sabu dalam artikel terbabit mendakwa, Wan Ahmad pada ketika itu sebagai Pengerusi SPR Sabah terlibat dengan mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad memberikan kerakyatan kepada warga asing untuk memenangkan Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam pilihan raya negeri. Mat Sabu dalam artikel terbabit turut berkata, Wan Ahmad berikutan dakwaan itu perlu meletakkan jawatan segera bagi memulihkan keyakinan rakyat terhadap SPR kerana beliau seorang yang tidak lagi boleh dipercayai. Namun Wan Ahmad menegaskan, dirinya tidak pernah berkhidmat di Sabah sepanjang kariernya sebagai pegawai SPR seperti yang didakwa Mat Sabu. Malah, katanya beliau belum lagi berkhidmat dalam SPR semasa 'Projek IC' itu berlaku. "Ketika kejadian berlaku saya dan keluarga tidak ada dalam negara. "Saya berkhidmat sebagai Menteri Penasihat di Kedutaan Malaysia di Washington, Amerika Syarikat," katanya dalam sidang media di kediamannya di sini. Wan Ahmad menegaskan, beliau mula berkhidmat dalam SPR pada tahun 1998 sebagai setiausaha dan mula menjawat Timbalan Pengerusi SPR pada tahun 2005 sehingga sekarang. "Isu yang diperkatakan jelas tiada langsung kaitan dengan saya," katanya. `Bukan saya' Beliau berkata, individu 'Wan Ahmad' yang didakwa Mat Sabu itu bukan dirinya tetapi bekas Pengerusi SPR Sabah pada ketika itu, Wan Ahmad Wan Yusof. READ MORE HERE |
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