Sabtu, 10 Ogos 2013

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The price of human rights and fundamental liberties

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:03 PM PDT

Isn't that an irony? Citizens are now safe from high-handed police action (unlike in the past). But then we end up not safe from criminals because the police have to be gentle in dealing with them as well since thugs too are 'citizens'.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Former EO detainees back to reclaim old neighbourhoods, say police sources

(The Star) - Is there a ferocious gang war going on? The spate of recent shootings in the country are mostly linked to revenge and turf wars by gangs to control drugs and illegal activities, according to police sources.

They believe that a gangland war has spilled out into the open and their leaders have become bolder in fighting for territories, now that many former Emergency Ordinance detainees are back in action.

According to the sources, the ex-detainees want to reclaim their old neighbourhoods and eliminate those who had taken over their activities, especially the highly lucrative distribution of drugs.

Describing several of the shootings as "drug fire", the sources said that the shootings were becoming more rampant as the gangs continued to reclaim turfs that they once controlled.

Asked whether the waves of recent shootings reflected the eruption of an all out gang war, criminologist Assoc Prof Dr P. Sundramoorthy said he believed it could be the case.

He said although police had yet to determine the link, he noted that the shootings were consistent with cases in other countries like Mexico and Colombia, which faced drug-gang related violence.

"I have never seen as many shootings since the communist insurgency 40 years ago. Although the perpetrators then were a terrorist group compared to criminals now, it is still a major concern," Dr Sundramoorthy told The Star.

He said illicit firearms had been present in Malaysia for years, but had only now been used to kill people with such frequency.

In general, Dr Sundramoorthy said gang leaders had become bolder with the absence of preventive laws.

"It has become very complex to investigate and prosecute," he said.

On talk that the attempted assassination of anti-crime NGO MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan last month could be linked to some of the later shootings, its advisor S. Gopi Krishnan said he did not think that the shootings were related to drug-related turf wars.

Prior to the shooting in Bahau, Sanjeevan had threatened to expose a list of drug dealers linked to the police.

Malaysians Against Rape, Assault & Snatch theft founder (Marah) Dave Avran said in a statement that the shootings since January could be related to rivalry between major gangs.

"We do not think that it is only limited to drug gangs. There are also online gambling, prostitution, alcohol and cigarette smuggling syndicates which run very lucrative million-ringgit operations," he said.

The gangland wars appear to have spread over to Sabah and Sarawak, with the shooting of businessman Tiong Choon Kwong at Beverly Hills in Donggongon, Sabah.

The word on the street is that the 44-year-old businessman was killed on orders from underworld kingpins from Sarawak.

According to locals, gangs are involved in gambling, illegal money lending, vice, smuggling and drugs.

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

Umno Blogger and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad loyalist Syed Akbar Ali reported in his Blog today that there are 77 gangs in Malaysia (I think he meant triads) and that they have been around since the 1970s. He also said that the most feared gang is the Gang 36 and that it is dominated by the Indians. (It seems Syed was quoting The Star).

Actually, these triads (not gangs) have been around since the time of Merdeka and were very active in the 1950s and 1960s. Then, soon after 13th May 1969, due to a police operation, many of its leaders and members were rounded up and exiled on Pulau Jerejak. Many also just 'disappeared' at the bottom of mining pools in Cheras, Jinjang, Sungai Way, etc.

In those days the police were tough towards these triad members. It was shoot first and talk later. Many of my friends were victims of this 'shoot to kill and no need to talk' policy.

I remember once when the Gang 108 (Pat Long Fu), that was operating in Kampong Atap (where the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall is located), was attacked by the Gang 36 from Scott Road in Brickfields. That was in 1965.

In 1970, the Gang 08 from The Pines/Peking Hotel area attacked the Gang 36 and shot dead one of its leaders who was a close friend of mine. He took about ten bullets as he charged his assailants with just a knife.

In those days it was no big deal. People get shot and we would just attend their funeral and after that retaliate in kind. Actually, at the age of 16, it was quite exciting although we always knew we would need eyes at the back of our head or else end up dead.

How many friends did I lose? I really don't know. I lost count when it came to 20. And if you escaped death and ended up in hospital with bullet holes in your chest or 'cuts' all over your body you moved up the ranks. You wore your war wounds as a badge of honour and no one messed with you.

I don't think the underworld now is any worse than 40 or 50 years ago. In fact, it was worse then because Malays could not go to Ampang, Jinjang, Kepong, Cheras, Pudu, Bukit Bintang, etc., and Chinese could not go to Kampong Baru, Kampong Datuk Keramat, Kampong Pandan, Puchong, and so on. And Indians would not go to upper Bangsar near the TNB office while Malays would avoid lower Bangsar near where Malaysiakini now has its office.

You did so at your own peril and most likely you would never come out unharmed.

These gangs have always been very racial and they played an 'important' role in the May 13 race riots. Pat Long Fu in Brickfields was Indian while in Jalan Ipoh it was Chinese. Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Kelang, Ampang, Jinjang, Kepong, Bukit Bintang, Pudu and Cheras were Chinese while Kampong Datuk Keramat, Kampong Baru, Kampong Pandan, Puchong, Kawasan Melayu (PJ) were Malay. Brickfields, lower Bangsar, Sentul, and Kampong Atap were Indian. And so on.

The same thing was repeated in Perak, Penang, Johor, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, etc. Hence the triads took sides during May 13 and were the 'soldiers' who did the killing. Some of them acted as bodyguards and were supplied with weapons, guns included. So they became very 'useful' during May 13 and were no longer regarded as thugs but heroes by people of their own community.

But that was in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, because of the power of the media, in particular the social media, triads can no longer be king of the streets. The police, too, can no longer shoot to kill or shoot first and talk later. If they do then the opposition will protest like mad and scream like hell. Hence these street thugs have to now be offered justice and human rights.

And because of that the police have to handle them with gloves. Hell, even headmasters can no longer slap or cane students like in the 1950s and 1960s. Hence kids start at a very early age knowing that they are safe from punishment.

I suppose Malaysians will need to choose. Even in the UK we have serious problems with crime and thugs. When you get sent to jail if you attack a robber who enters your house you can expect crime to become a problem. The thugs are protected because of human rights and so on.

Of course, the world is moving towards more human rights and fundamental liberties. But you cannot have it both ways. Criminals too have human rights and fundamental liberties. Hence you cannot shoot to kill or shoot first and talk later even when dealing with thugs.

Isn't that an irony? Citizens are now safe from high-handed police action (unlike in the past). But then we end up not safe from criminals because the police have to be gentle in dealing with them as well since thugs too are 'citizens'.

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Violent crime spree causing businesses to suffer

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 12:31 PM PDT

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTk4FbuwnC01UU4DWcv3s4oWLEfh7S01kS0Sjpd10YNkrS9bS-S

(TMI) - Senior medical practitioner Dr Milton Lum said some of the 24-hour clinics had reduced their opening hours to between 13 and 18 hours while others had tightened security. Some of the bigger clinics had resorted to employing security guards.

The recent spate of violent crimes around the country is beginning to take its toll as more Malaysians are now reluctant to venture out at night due to safety reasons, which in turn have caused businesses to reduce their operating hours.

The Star reported that those who have cut down their operating hours include clinics, restaurants, convenience stores and petrol stations in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and several other major towns.

Senior medical practitioner Dr Milton Lum said some of the 24-hour clinics had reduced their opening hours to between 13 and 18 hours while others had tightened security. Some of the bigger clinics had resorted to employing security guards.

Lum, a Malaysian Medical Council member, said the smaller clinics kept their main doors locked as part of safety measures, according to The Star. He added that employing security guards increased the cost of operating a clinic.

Two petrol stations along Persiaran Raja Muda Musa in Kuala Lumpur used to operate round the clock. But they now open at 5am and close by midnight, said National Consumer Complaints Centre deputy director K. Ravin.

The Star quoted him as saying the petrol stations have reduced their business hours after being robbed three times. He revealed there were at least five mini markets located at petrol stations which no longer allowed their customers to browse inside after certain hours.

READ MORE HERE

 

Interfaith council to press for amendment on child conversion

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 12:27 PM PDT

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/uploads/articlesSardar_Jagir_Singh_MCCBCHST5_600_399_100.jpg

Jagir reiterated MCCBCHST's previous stand that the provisions under the Federal Constitution should be interpreted so that the word 'parent' would mean both parents. — Picture by Choo Choy May

(The Malay Mail) - The country's largest non-Muslim interfaith group has said it will push five states to amend their laws, which currently allows parents to unilaterally decide on the conversion of their children below the age of 18 to Islam.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) had contributed to public protests against a proposed law for the federal territories with a similar clause, that ultimately resulted in Putrajaya withdrawing the Bill on July 5 under pressure.

But despite the retraction of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013, the group noted that five states - namely Perak, Kedah, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Sarawak - were using the contentious phrase 'ibu atau bapa' (mother or father) in their enactments, which means that the consent of both parents would not be needed for child conversion cases.

"So the Majlis will work towards ensuring these five states also carry out the amendments needed to bring it in line with the Federal Constitution," MCCBCHST's newly-elected president Sardar Jagir Singh said in a speech at its 30th anniversary dinner yesterday.

Jagir said there were many "heart-wrenching" stories involving child conversions, notably the Indira Gandhi case where a Hindu mother was stuck in a legal wrangle with her Muslim convert husband, who had allegedly converted their three children to Islam without her knowledge in 2009.

On July 25 this year, the Ipoh High Court quashed the conversion certificates after ruling that unilateral religious conversions were unconstitutional.

Jagir reiterated MCCBCHST's previous stand that the provisions under the Federal Constitution - the country's highest law -  should be interpreted so that the word "parent" would mean both parents.

The Malaysian Bar, politicians across the divide and lawyers have previously called for these five states to change their laws to reflect the position in the Federal Constitution.

Custodial tussles in cases of unilateral child conversions have been a growing concern over the years and provide a high-profile glimpse of the concerns of Malaysia's religious minorities over the perceived dominance of Islam in the country.

It also highlights the complications of Malaysia's dual legal systems where Muslims are bound by both civil and syariah laws, the latter of which do not apply to or recognise non-Muslims.

In his speech yesterday, Jagir also listed down the future steps of MCCBCHST, including ensuring the drafting of new laws reflect the "principles of religious freedom, ethnic and cultural pluralism".

He also said the interfaith group would protect and promote the religious freedom of all as enshrined in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.

MCCBCHST will also be using legal channels to pursue issues such as the "Allah issue, conversion of minors by single parents", Jagir said, adding that appeals to the United Nations (UN) would also be done if necessary.

Non-Muslims have been locked in a dispute with some Muslims over the use of the Arabic word "Allah" to describe their god, with the latter group insisting that the word is exclusive to Islam.

 

Scorpene contract award was on transparent basis, says Jasbir Singh Chahl

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 01:04 AM PDT

Jasbir Singh Chahl,  in a statement issued to Bernama, stressed the contract between the Malaysian Government and Perimekar Sdn Bhd for a value equivalent of 115 million Euro was for defined scope of works, and provision of such services was within commercial norms.

The Star

The Scorpene contract award was made on a transparent basis to the technically most qualified party on a commercially competitive negotiated price, according to the architect of the submarine purchase.

Jasbir Singh Chahl,  in a statement issued to Bernama, stressed the contract between the Malaysian Government and Perimekar Sdn Bhd for a value equivalent of 115 million Euro was for defined scope of works, and provision of such services was within commercial norms.

He said the payments made under the Service Provider Agreement and other related arrangements were within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines.

 "It's therefore, my contention that irrefutable facts and data available in the public domain support the contention that the superiority of the technical and commercial offer tabled to the Malaysian Government was such that there was absolutely no need for any lobbying action whatsoever, in order to influence the decision making process," he said.

Jasbir contended the price negotiated was attractive, in view of the superior Malaysian Industrial Participation Programme and the Counter-trade and Offset Programme proposed as part of the overall proposal. 

He noted that the price tag for a single Scorpene Class submarine today was in the region of RM6bil.

 "We bought two for much less than the price of one today," he said. Malaysia purchased the submarines for about RM4.2bil.

Jasbir explained that contrary to deliberate distortions of facts and attempts to label him as 'broker' or 'commission agent', the reality was that he had been working with Thales personnel in Malaysia for several years on defence-related projects.

He said he was requested by Thales to analyse, evaluate and develop a proposal to supply state-of-the-art, non-nuclear submarines to the Malaysian Government.

For the purposes of the analysis, evaluation and development of the submarine project, he said he was introduced to DCN International (DCN), a French Government-owned manufacturer of the Agosta 70 Class and Scorpene Class submarines.

Jasbir said Perimekar was subsequently nominated as the local vehicle to spearhead the submarine project while Terasasi Sdn Bhd (TSB) was incorporated to serve as an external service provider to advise and assist Thales.

He said the scope that Perimekar covered, primarily post-contract award including among others:

- project management and project integration services;

- coordinating the involvement of Malaysian companies; 

- assisting the main contractor in complying with all local laws and procedures; 

- coordinating and monitoring the training of Royal Malaysian Navy personnel, inclusive of the provision of accommodation and necessary services for them and their families in France and Spain for a period of six years; and,

- providing monthly reports on all of the above.

 "The assertion that Perimekar was a travel agency which had been given such tasks is outrageous and completely without basis," said Jasbir, adding that it was a deliberate distortion of the facts by certain quarters for reasons of their own.

He contended that while some of the questions raised since the publication of his interview with a local daily on the Scorpene issue recently were sincere attempts to arrive at clarity, "many others in my opinion do not warrant a response for their sheer banality and the intransigence of the self-opinionated".

He further said that obligations of TSB under the service provider agreement included:

- employment of qualified personnel and/or sub-contractors to render required services;

- provision of regular reports detailing project-related activities and information; and,

- ensuring that all employees and sub-contractors were in strict compliance with local and international laws, and that they were all cognizant of prevailing provisions of the OECD.

Jasbir said: "Between mid-2000 and December 2000, we had analysed, evaluated, conceptualised, strategised and led the development of the submarine project.

 "This work, role, participation and contributions culminated in the successful award of the submarine project in June 2002, on a G-to-G basis. Perimekar was also at the same time awarded the support services contract.

 Jasbir pointed out that several people had come forth over the years to make claims to having been in the know of the project negotiations, or that they had some "explosive revelations" to make, in relation to the submarines project.

 "They base these claims on having had either first-hand knowledge or that they had been given such information by others, inclusive of (Mongolian national) Altantuya (Shariibuu)," he said, adding that Altantuya had no role in the negotiations.

 "Thus far, I have yet to hear anything substantive from any of them. How Altantuya could have provided anyone with any meaningful information when she herself was not involved, escapes me.

 "Vested interests are trying their utmost to create a linkage where none exists. There appears to be little interest in the truth, only at keeping the issue alive for self interests," he noted.

Jasbir said the French courts had themselves stated that they were not looking at Altantuya's demise.

 "Their focus is on business practices within French companies, inclusive of DCN and Thales, in relation to defence-related contracts in Taiwan, Malaysia and Pakistan," he added.

 Jasbir said he had been asked by the French authorities to travel to France to assist them in their investigations.

 "However, due to my recuperation process and being in remission, I had informed them that I was unable to travel such distances.

 "They had then advised me that I could file a notarised deposition, pending an interview in due course.

 "This, I did, at the French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on March 28, this year," he added.

 

Lee Kuan Yew "trapped in old mindset," says Anwar Ibrahim

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 12:45 AM PDT

(The Star) - Former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's views expressed in his new book, One Man's View of the World, are "obsolete," said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The views represented the Mahathir generation, he added.

"We should not always look at the dichotomy between rights and race, black and white.

"For example, he (Lee) talks about race-based policies, but there is very little understanding of the discourse in the last decade," he said.

Anwar said Lee was still "trapped in the old mindset," when he used to be in the opposition during Malaya before Singapore was established.
 
"His thoughts are not so relevant now in the context of the present day. That is what prompted him to make sweeping statements to generalise the situation in Malaysia," Anwar told reporters at Machang Bubok assemblyman Lee Khai Loon's Hari Raya open house.

On Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's book, The Awakenings, Anwar said the former prime minister encouraged a discourse in policy instead of the discussion on race.

"Abdullah's policies are important and Umno should debate the issues that he has brought up particularly, when he asserted the failure to influence Umno in the major positions that he took," he said.

 

Kuan Yew should put his own house in order first – Karpal

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:36 PM PDT

(Bernama) - Singapore's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew should put his own house in order first, before commenting on others.

This is the view of DAP chairman Karpal Singh who said that while Lee had the right to give his views, he should also first look at his own party, People's Action Party (PAP).

He pointed out that the PAP had lost six seats in the last general election, and also lost in the two recent by-elections.

The opposition stalwart gave this advice to Lee, following last week's release of the former premier's new book titled, "One Man's View of the World", in which Lee had commented that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would not be able to run Malaysia.

"His comment that PR will not effectively govern the country, had it been successful in winning over federal power, is without basis.

"As usual, Lee wants to be the top voice in this part of the world. I think the time has come for him to leave the leaderships for the others and quietly ride into the sunset," Karpal told a press conference here today.

On the declaration of assets, Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor member of parliament, reiterated he would not entertain any demand from irrelevant personalities to declare his assets.

"There is no problem declaring my assets. I will declare my assets and waiting for a date to be fixed by the (Penang) chief minister (Lim Guan Eng).

"In fact, all along, I have been a strong advocate of declaration of assets by elected representatives. If you are in public office, you must be ready to be scrutinised by the public and voters," he said.

Karpal recently faced pressure from various parties to declare his assets, following an allegation that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim paid him RM50 million to bribe judges and prosecutors.

On his first-ever biography titled, "Karpal Singh: Tiger of Jelutong", he said the 325-page book was authored by Tim Donoghue and took 26 years to complete.

 

Awakening: The Abdullah Years in Malaysia

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:19 PM PDT

We call on the media and blogging community to act responsibly, to read the book before making assessments and to avoid erroneous speculation. 

Bridget Welsh and James Chin

Dear Malaysians,

1.   We hope that all of you are enjoying your Raya holiday and apologize for disturbing it to respond to errors in the media coverage of our edited collection, Awakening: The Abdullah Years in Malaysia.  

2.  The media response to this collection was not expected. Despite our efforts to stress to the media early-on that this was a serious reflective collection by scholars and practitioners, the focus has been on sensationalizing parts of the book, especially former premier Tun Abdullah Badawi's interview. The media dynamic has taken on a life of its own, with nasty unjustified attacks on individuals, including some of the contributors and editors. These are not in the spirit of the season, nor do they reflect the substance or the intention of the collection itself.

3.  This was a project that began several years ago, and consistent with a project involving multiple contributors, the process is a long one. This project was delayed. The sole responsibility of this delay lies with the editors, as we navigated multiple publishers, galleys and conflicting professional demands.

4.  We were never asked to delay its release, before or after any elections. The galleys were not finalized until early July this year. The book was to be released and launched after Raya, the earliest date after printing. No one asked us to delay the release of the book for any reason.

5.  In coordination with our publisher, we decided to make sure the book was available in bookstores before the launch. We were worried about sales, in part due to the delay of the collection. The first copies were released at a book fair in KL last week and arrangements were made to have the book in bookstores this week, for a launch initially scheduled for August 16th.

6.  The media reports on the book come from the purchase of the book, and, sadly in some cases, reports from other reports in many cases involving erroneous reporting. Others wrote the book without evening seeing the book!

7.  Media outlets have mistakenly labeled the book "Pak Lah's book". This is not correct. It is a collection of multiple views, many of them quite critical of the period of his tenure. Others are less so. We have contributors from all sides of the political divide and academic observers. We worked to have a balanced collection and part of the balancing was to give space to Pak Lah himself to put himself on record on his tenure. We reached out to a wide variety of individuals in bringing together over 30 authors. This is a serious collection aiming for a reflective discussion of the premiership of Malaysia's fourth prime minister. Throughout, our effort was always toward promoting understanding. If one reads the book itself, one will find diversity and a range of views on multiple issues.

8.  We are grateful to Tun Abdullah Badawi who was kind enough to grant us an extensive interview. We consider this an honor and an important part of understanding the history of this period. That he agreed to be part of a collection that included views critical of him speaks to his character and openness.

9.  We are also grateful to the other 33 contributors whose valuable insights help to make the collection a strong foundation for future analyses of this important period in Malaysia's history.

10.  Given the politicization of the collection in media reports and in an effort not to promote further misunderstandings, the official launch in KL will be postponed. We hope to hold a panel discussion about the book, with multiple perspectives from different speakers, in Singapore and elsewhere after the official KL launch. The book has been released and should be available in bookstores.

11. We call on the media and blogging community to act responsibly, to read the book before making assessments and to avoid erroneous speculation.

12.  Wishing you all the best during the Raya holiday.

 

The price of human rights and fundamental liberties

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 08:03 PM PDT

Isn't that an irony? Citizens are now safe from high-handed police action (unlike in the past). But then we end up not safe from criminals because the police have to be gentle in dealing with them as well since thugs too are 'citizens'.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Former EO detainees back to reclaim old neighbourhoods, say police sources

(The Star) - Is there a ferocious gang war going on? The spate of recent shootings in the country are mostly linked to revenge and turf wars by gangs to control drugs and illegal activities, according to police sources.

They believe that a gangland war has spilled out into the open and their leaders have become bolder in fighting for territories, now that many former Emergency Ordinance detainees are back in action.

According to the sources, the ex-detainees want to reclaim their old neighbourhoods and eliminate those who had taken over their activities, especially the highly lucrative distribution of drugs.

Describing several of the shootings as "drug fire", the sources said that the shootings were becoming more rampant as the gangs continued to reclaim turfs that they once controlled.

Asked whether the waves of recent shootings reflected the eruption of an all out gang war, criminologist Assoc Prof Dr P. Sundramoorthy said he believed it could be the case.

He said although police had yet to determine the link, he noted that the shootings were consistent with cases in other countries like Mexico and Colombia, which faced drug-gang related violence.

"I have never seen as many shootings since the communist insurgency 40 years ago. Although the perpetrators then were a terrorist group compared to criminals now, it is still a major concern," Dr Sundramoorthy told The Star.

He said illicit firearms had been present in Malaysia for years, but had only now been used to kill people with such frequency.

In general, Dr Sundramoorthy said gang leaders had become bolder with the absence of preventive laws.

"It has become very complex to investigate and prosecute," he said.

On talk that the attempted assassination of anti-crime NGO MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan last month could be linked to some of the later shootings, its advisor S. Gopi Krishnan said he did not think that the shootings were related to drug-related turf wars.

Prior to the shooting in Bahau, Sanjeevan had threatened to expose a list of drug dealers linked to the police.

Malaysians Against Rape, Assault & Snatch theft founder (Marah) Dave Avran said in a statement that the shootings since January could be related to rivalry between major gangs.

"We do not think that it is only limited to drug gangs. There are also online gambling, prostitution, alcohol and cigarette smuggling syndicates which run very lucrative million-ringgit operations," he said.

The gangland wars appear to have spread over to Sabah and Sarawak, with the shooting of businessman Tiong Choon Kwong at Beverly Hills in Donggongon, Sabah.

The word on the street is that the 44-year-old businessman was killed on orders from underworld kingpins from Sarawak.

According to locals, gangs are involved in gambling, illegal money lending, vice, smuggling and drugs.

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

Umno Blogger and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad loyalist Syed Akbar Ali reported in his Blog today that there are 77 gangs in Malaysia (I think he meant triads) and that they have been around since the 1970s. He also said that the most feared gang is the Gang 36 and that it is dominated by the Indians. (It seems Syed was quoting The Star).

Actually, these triads (not gangs) have been around since the time of Merdeka and were very active in the 1950s and 1960s. Then, soon after 13th May 1969, due to a police operation, many of its leaders and members were rounded up and exiled on Pulau Jerejak. Many also just 'disappeared' at the bottom of mining pools in Cheras, Jinjang, Sungai Way, etc.

In those days the police were tough towards these triad members. It was shoot first and talk later. Many of my friends were victims of this 'shoot to kill and no need to talk' policy.

I remember once when the Gang 108 (Pat Long Fu), that was operating in Kampong Atap (where the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall is located), was attacked by the Gang 36 from Scott Road in Brickfields. That was in 1965.

In 1970, the Gang 08 from The Pines/Peking Hotel area attacked the Gang 36 and shot dead one of its leaders who was a close friend of mine. He took about ten bullets as he charged his assailants with just a knife.

In those days it was no big deal. People get shot and we would just attend their funeral and after that retaliate in kind. Actually, at the age of 16, it was quite exciting although we always knew we would need eyes at the back of our head or else end up dead.

How many friends did I lose? I really don't know. I lost count when it came to 20. And if you escaped death and ended up in hospital with bullet holes in your chest or 'cuts' all over your body you moved up the ranks. You wore your war wounds as a badge of honour and no one messed with you.

I don't think the underworld now is any worse than 40 or 50 years ago. In fact, it was worse then because Malays could not go to Ampang, Jinjang, Kepong, Cheras, Pudu, Bukit Bintang, etc., and Chinese could not go to Kampong Baru, Kampong Datuk Keramat, Kampong Pandan, Puchong, and so on. And Indians would not go to upper Bangsar near the TNB office while Malays would avoid lower Bangsar near where Malaysiakini now has its office.

You did so at your own peril and most likely you would never come out unharmed.

These gangs have always been very racial and they played an 'important' role in the May 13 race riots. Pat Long Fu in Brickfields was Indian while in Jalan Ipoh it was Chinese. Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Kelang, Ampang, Jinjang, Kepong, Bukit Bintang, Pudu and Cheras were Chinese while Kampong Datuk Keramat, Kampong Baru, Kampong Pandan, Puchong, Kawasan Melayu (PJ) were Malay. Brickfields, lower Bangsar, Sentul, and Kampong Atap were Indian. And so on.

The same thing was repeated in Perak, Penang, Johor, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, etc. Hence the triads took sides during May 13 and were the 'soldiers' who did the killing. Some of them acted as bodyguards and were supplied with weapons, guns included. So they became very 'useful' during May 13 and were no longer regarded as thugs but heroes by people of their own community.

But that was in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, because of the power of the media, in particular the social media, triads can no longer be king of the streets. The police, too, can no longer shoot to kill or shoot first and talk later. If they do then the opposition will protest like mad and scream like hell. Hence these street thugs have to now be offered justice and human rights.

And because of that the police have to handle them with gloves. Hell, even headmasters can no longer slap or cane students like in the 1950s and 1960s. Hence kids start at a very early age knowing that they are safe from punishment.

I suppose Malaysians will need to choose. Even in the UK we have serious problems with crime and thugs. When you get sent to jail if you attack a robber who enters your house you can expect crime to become a problem. The thugs are protected because of human rights and so on.

Of course, the world is moving towards more human rights and fundamental liberties. But you cannot have it both ways. Criminals too have human rights and fundamental liberties. Hence you cannot shoot to kill or shoot first and talk later even when dealing with thugs.

Isn't that an irony? Citizens are now safe from high-handed police action (unlike in the past). But then we end up not safe from criminals because the police have to be gentle in dealing with them as well since thugs too are 'citizens'.

 

DAP asks PKR, PAS to declare assets

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 06:51 PM PDT

(The Star) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh has called on coalition partners PKR and PAS to declare the assets of their elected representatives.

Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP, said PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang should direct their elected representatives to also declare their assets.

In a press conference at a coffee shop in Air Itam here, he said he has no problem declaring his assets and was waiting for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to fix a date for Penang MPs to do so.

Karpal challenged Barisan Nasional to direct all its elected representatives including ministers to declare their assets. 

Karpal also chided Singapore's former premier Lee Kuan Yew to "put his own house in order first" in response to the latter's negative remarks on Pakatan Rakyat.

"Although he has every right to make the comments that he did that Pakatan would not have been able to effectively govern had it been successful, it is without basis."

In his newly-released book, Lee labelled the Malaysian opposition as an "opportunistic ad-hoc group not held together by even vaguely coherent set of ideas but by a common desire to unseat the government".

Karpal added that Lee wanted to remain as the top voice in this part of the world.

"He has his time but I think the time has come for him to leave the leadership to others," he said.

Meanwhile, he also said his biography 'Tiger of Jelutong' written by Tim Donoghue will be officially launched in Kuala Lumpur soon.

"It took 26 years to complete and it has 325 pages," he said.

 

Lee Kuan Yew's views outdated, says DAP's Loke

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 06:47 PM PDT

(The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers have criticised former Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew for his views about the coalition.

In his recently-released book One Man's View of the World (pix), Lee labelled Pakatan an "opportunistic ad-hoc group not held together by even vaguely coherent set of ideas but by a common desire to unseat the government".

DAP national organisation secretary Anthony Loke said Lee's view of Malaysian politics was "outdated".

"He is out of touch, stuck in the 60s. He doesn't understand Malaysians of this generation," the Seremban MP told The Star Online.

"He sees the struggle as so basic, even racial. when it's really about values."

PKR vice-president N Surendran said that Lee was speaking with "absolutely no basis". 

"Pakatan has been built up by a collection of leaders held together by their aim to end oppression and create a democratic Malaysia. That's the glue that holds us together."

PAS central committee member and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said: "He probably hasn't read buku jingga (the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto). I advise him to do so before commenting."

DAP vice-chairman M Kulasegaran simply said: "I certainly do not agree with Lee's view, and I believe the 51% of voters who supported Pakatan in GE13 too do not agree with him."

 

Irked by media frenzy over Pak Lah book, editors postpone launch

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 02:54 PM PDT

(MM) - The editors of the just-released book on Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's years in power have decided to postpone the book launch, citing concerns over its "politicisation" and sensationalisation by media organisations in their reportage of certain contents.

"Awakening: The Abdullah Years in Malaysia", a book on Abdullah's (picture) or "Pak Lah's" short reign as prime minister who succeeded Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, features an exclusive interview where the usually quiet man finally speaks out against his detractors.

In the short few days following its release, the book earned loud headlines in the media with heavy focus given to Pak Lah's words on Dr Mahathir and what the former prime minister described as "unwarranted attacks" on his person that eventually led to his ouster.

Acknowledging the media frenzy, book editors Prof Bridget Welsh and Prof James Chin said in an open letter to Malaysians today that the official launch, scheduled in Kuala Lumpur on August 16, will be postponed to avoid "further misunderstandings".

"We hope to hold a panel discussion about the book, with multiple perspectives from different speakers, in Singapore and elsewhere after the official KL launch," they said in the letter they jointly signed, adding that in the meantime the book should be available in bookstores.

Welsh and Chin said the book was meant to be a "serious reflective collection" by scholars and practitioners but in the unexpected media attention that followed its release, selected parts of the book were sensationalised, specifically the interview with Pak Lah.

"The media dynamic has taken on a life of its own, with nasty unjustified attacks on individuals, including some of the contributors and editors," they lamented.

Welsh and Chin observed that while some media had reported directly from the book, there were others who wrote without even seeing the book, reporting from other media reports, some of which were erroneous.

"These are not in the spirit of the season," they added, referring to the ongoing Hari Raya celebration, "...nor do they reflect the substance or the intention of the collection itself."

Welsh and Chin, both political analysts, also noted that some media outlets had wrongly referred to "Awakening" as "Pak Lah's book".

They pointed out that this was inaccurate as the book was a collection of multiple views from different persons, including politicians across the divide and academic observers.

"We worked to have a balanced collection and part of the balancing was to give space to Pak Lah himself to put himself on record on his tenure.

"We reached out to a wide variety of individuals in bringing together over 30 authors. This is a serious collection aiming for a reflective discussion of the premiership of Malaysia's fourth prime minister.

"Throughout, our effort was always toward promoting understanding. If one reads the book itself, one will find diversity and a range of views on multiple issues," they said.

"We call on the media and blogging community to act responsibly, to read the book before making assessments and to avoid erroneous speculation," the duo added.

Explaining further, Welsh and Chin also denied that the book's release had been deliberately delayed to after the May 5 general election, saying it was because the project involved multiple contributors, which lengthened the entire process.

The earliest release and launch date, they said, had been after Hari Raya.

"No one asked us to delay the release of the book for any reason," they said. 

 

Don’t turn your voice into a whisper, Pak Lah’s supporters urge him

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 02:40 PM PDT

Those who want Abdullah to give his side of the story include Umno MPs, Barisan Nasional politicians and associates who are still unhappy and perplexed today that Abdullah chose the path of silence when Dr Mahathir began attacking him in 2006, accusing him of weak leadership and cronyism, among other things.

The Malaysian Insider

Now that Tun Abdullah Badawi has served his appetiser, his supporters in Umno would like him to continue dishing it out to nemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as payback for seven years of half-truths, humiliation and pain.

In the past few days, many members of the Abdullah camp have been congratulating him on the groundbreaking interview he gave the co-editors of a book on his years in office.

In the book, Abdullah finally defended himself and his government against the broadsides from his predecessor-turned-nemesis, Dr Mahathir.

Some of Abdullah's supporters who were sidelined in Umno and in the corporate world on account of being associated with him, now want to visit the former PM at his home near Carcosa Sri Negara and urge him to continue the fight.

One supporter, an Umno MP, told The Malaysian Insider, "Pak Lah will be doing Malaysia a favour if he tells Malaysians why he could not follow the path of Mahathir".

"It is important for Pak Lah to explain why he did certain things. Not everything will be favourable to Pak Lah but this debate will make people re-examine Mahathir's legacy."

Supporters like him know that Abdullah has held back all these years for the sake of Umno unity and to avoid adding to the ruling party's troubles in general election.

But there is no such concern now, they argue. The next general election is five years away so if there is any right time for Abdullah to tell Malaysians the hard truths about his five years as PM and his relationship with his predecessor, this is it.

Those who want Abdullah to give his side of the story include Umno MPs, Barisan Nasional politicians and associates who are still unhappy and perplexed today that Abdullah chose the path of silence when Dr Mahathir began attacking him in 2006, accusing him of weak leadership and cronyism, among other things.

They know there will be a comeback from Dr Mahathir on his successor's hard-hitting comments in the book and this time, they want Abdullah to give as good as he gets. They want him to go beyond general statements and finally talk about the backstories of Dr Mahathir's pet projects and his sons' deep involvement in business.

They believe that Abdullah should have exposed the real Dr Mahathir, the leader who during his 22 years in office, presided over the hollowing out of key institutions such as the judiciary, promoted skewed privatisation projects, and did little to fight corruption and racial polarisation.

But back then, Abdullah the Prime Minister felt that if he laid bare Dr Mahathir's skeletons, it would split Umno and ultimately hurt BN in GE12. Later, Abdullah the Former Prime Minister was also reluctant to open a war against Dr Mahathir in the run-up to GE13, once again concerned that a fresh round of verbal volleys between him and Dr Mahathir would hurt Umno.

So Umno and BN politicians aligned to Abdullah, or at least with empathy for him, were pleasantly surprised with the hard-hitting interview he gave the editors of the book titled "Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years In Malaysia". The book is a collection of essays and a few interviews assessing Abdullah's performance as Prime Minister between October 2003 and March 2009.

In it, Abdullah unloaded on Dr Mahathir, saying, among other things, that:

READ MORE HERE

 

Psychopath on the loose?

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 02:34 PM PDT

Another point is that after GE13, many people in this country seem to think that using a gun is a suitable way to settle their grouses. Either that or there is one superior mastermind planning the whole thing by awaking his sleeper agents/assassins in the whole country as a form of sabotage against the nation.

Selena Tay, FMT

No one knows who is the mastermind behind the recent shooting spree. The victims are too diverse in background and location to qualify as the work of a serial killer.

In every crime case, three vital issues that need to be looked into and investigated are: motive, means and opportunity.

The killers have the means and opportunity but what about the motive? Could it be business rivalry or personal vendetta? Those who got shot seems to have no enemies but then they must have enemies unknown to them or it may be a case of mistaken identity.

Nevertheless, these killings have got to stop before the nation becomes known as a crime capital or crime hub. In our era of instant news, this news will spread instantly across the world.

"The ease with which these criminals obtain guns is a very worrying factor indeed. The police must quickly identify the source of weapons in order to cut off their supply," said Ustaz Idris Ahmad the PAS MP for Bukit Gantang in Perak.

One has to take note that all these shootings except for the one involving the high-ranking customs officer occurred after the 13th general election which has again been won by BN.

What impression does this give of BN then? Do the criminals think that they should do everything now as Pakatan Rakyat may win the 14th general election? There is definitely something wrong somewhere when this crime wave surfaced only after GE13.

Another point is that after GE13, many people in this country seem to think that using a gun is a suitable way to settle their grouses. Either that or there is one superior mastermind planning the whole thing by awaking his sleeper agents/assassins in the whole country as a form of sabotage against the nation.

Whether the shootings are the work of individuals with personal grudges or the work of a single mastermind, the whole nation has taken a knock as people are now living in fear of being the next victim as they go about their daily errands.

This columnist though is of the view that there is an insane psychopath masterminding this mayhem and his intention is to sabotage the nation's economy just for the thrill of it.

This psychopath character is not unusual in the genre of spy thrillers in books or in movies but this time it is happening for real in this country.

Public enemy No 1

PAS state assemblyman for Changkat Jering in Perak, Nizar Jamaluddin also opines that the shootings are the work of a psychopath.

"These shootings are planned by this psychopath for reasons best known to himself but I am worried that the government will use this as an excuse to bring back the Emergency Ordinance (EO). However I believe that our police especially the Special Branch is smart and efficient enough to nail this mastermind," said Nizar.

Definitely this psychopath is shrewd and cunning and so far he or she has managed to outwit the police. It must be said that all psychopaths have extraordinary intelligence and are experts in planning and execution.

The police have their work cut out for them and all manner of intelligence gathering must be employed to nab the mastermind. Certainly this person intends to notch up many killings as a form of taunting the police.

He must be stopped at all cost as each successful killing will only embolden him.

READ MORE HERE

 

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Scorpene contract award was on transparent basis, says Jasbir Singh Chahl

Posted: 10 Aug 2013 01:04 AM PDT

Jasbir Singh Chahl,  in a statement issued to Bernama, stressed the contract between the Malaysian Government and Perimekar Sdn Bhd for a value equivalent of 115 million Euro was for defined scope of works, and provision of such services was within commercial norms.

The Star

The Scorpene contract award was made on a transparent basis to the technically most qualified party on a commercially competitive negotiated price, according to the architect of the submarine purchase.

Jasbir Singh Chahl,  in a statement issued to Bernama, stressed the contract between the Malaysian Government and Perimekar Sdn Bhd for a value equivalent of 115 million Euro was for defined scope of works, and provision of such services was within commercial norms.

He said the payments made under the Service Provider Agreement and other related arrangements were within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines.

 "It's therefore, my contention that irrefutable facts and data available in the public domain support the contention that the superiority of the technical and commercial offer tabled to the Malaysian Government was such that there was absolutely no need for any lobbying action whatsoever, in order to influence the decision making process," he said.

Jasbir contended the price negotiated was attractive, in view of the superior Malaysian Industrial Participation Programme and the Counter-trade and Offset Programme proposed as part of the overall proposal. 

He noted that the price tag for a single Scorpene Class submarine today was in the region of RM6bil.

 "We bought two for much less than the price of one today," he said. Malaysia purchased the submarines for about RM4.2bil.

Jasbir explained that contrary to deliberate distortions of facts and attempts to label him as 'broker' or 'commission agent', the reality was that he had been working with Thales personnel in Malaysia for several years on defence-related projects.

He said he was requested by Thales to analyse, evaluate and develop a proposal to supply state-of-the-art, non-nuclear submarines to the Malaysian Government.

For the purposes of the analysis, evaluation and development of the submarine project, he said he was introduced to DCN International (DCN), a French Government-owned manufacturer of the Agosta 70 Class and Scorpene Class submarines.

Jasbir said Perimekar was subsequently nominated as the local vehicle to spearhead the submarine project while Terasasi Sdn Bhd (TSB) was incorporated to serve as an external service provider to advise and assist Thales.

He said the scope that Perimekar covered, primarily post-contract award including among others:

- project management and project integration services;

- coordinating the involvement of Malaysian companies; 

- assisting the main contractor in complying with all local laws and procedures; 

- coordinating and monitoring the training of Royal Malaysian Navy personnel, inclusive of the provision of accommodation and necessary services for them and their families in France and Spain for a period of six years; and,

- providing monthly reports on all of the above.

 "The assertion that Perimekar was a travel agency which had been given such tasks is outrageous and completely without basis," said Jasbir, adding that it was a deliberate distortion of the facts by certain quarters for reasons of their own.

He contended that while some of the questions raised since the publication of his interview with a local daily on the Scorpene issue recently were sincere attempts to arrive at clarity, "many others in my opinion do not warrant a response for their sheer banality and the intransigence of the self-opinionated".

He further said that obligations of TSB under the service provider agreement included:

- employment of qualified personnel and/or sub-contractors to render required services;

- provision of regular reports detailing project-related activities and information; and,

- ensuring that all employees and sub-contractors were in strict compliance with local and international laws, and that they were all cognizant of prevailing provisions of the OECD.

Jasbir said: "Between mid-2000 and December 2000, we had analysed, evaluated, conceptualised, strategised and led the development of the submarine project.

 "This work, role, participation and contributions culminated in the successful award of the submarine project in June 2002, on a G-to-G basis. Perimekar was also at the same time awarded the support services contract.

 Jasbir pointed out that several people had come forth over the years to make claims to having been in the know of the project negotiations, or that they had some "explosive revelations" to make, in relation to the submarines project.

 "They base these claims on having had either first-hand knowledge or that they had been given such information by others, inclusive of (Mongolian national) Altantuya (Shariibuu)," he said, adding that Altantuya had no role in the negotiations.

 "Thus far, I have yet to hear anything substantive from any of them. How Altantuya could have provided anyone with any meaningful information when she herself was not involved, escapes me.

 "Vested interests are trying their utmost to create a linkage where none exists. There appears to be little interest in the truth, only at keeping the issue alive for self interests," he noted.

Jasbir said the French courts had themselves stated that they were not looking at Altantuya's demise.

 "Their focus is on business practices within French companies, inclusive of DCN and Thales, in relation to defence-related contracts in Taiwan, Malaysia and Pakistan," he added.

 Jasbir said he had been asked by the French authorities to travel to France to assist them in their investigations.

 "However, due to my recuperation process and being in remission, I had informed them that I was unable to travel such distances.

 "They had then advised me that I could file a notarised deposition, pending an interview in due course.

 "This, I did, at the French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on March 28, this year," he added.

 

Don’t turn your voice into a whisper, Pak Lah’s supporters urge him

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 02:40 PM PDT

Those who want Abdullah to give his side of the story include Umno MPs, Barisan Nasional politicians and associates who are still unhappy and perplexed today that Abdullah chose the path of silence when Dr Mahathir began attacking him in 2006, accusing him of weak leadership and cronyism, among other things.

The Malaysian Insider

Now that Tun Abdullah Badawi has served his appetiser, his supporters in Umno would like him to continue dishing it out to nemesis Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as payback for seven years of half-truths, humiliation and pain.

In the past few days, many members of the Abdullah camp have been congratulating him on the groundbreaking interview he gave the co-editors of a book on his years in office.

In the book, Abdullah finally defended himself and his government against the broadsides from his predecessor-turned-nemesis, Dr Mahathir.

Some of Abdullah's supporters who were sidelined in Umno and in the corporate world on account of being associated with him, now want to visit the former PM at his home near Carcosa Sri Negara and urge him to continue the fight.

One supporter, an Umno MP, told The Malaysian Insider, "Pak Lah will be doing Malaysia a favour if he tells Malaysians why he could not follow the path of Mahathir".

"It is important for Pak Lah to explain why he did certain things. Not everything will be favourable to Pak Lah but this debate will make people re-examine Mahathir's legacy."

Supporters like him know that Abdullah has held back all these years for the sake of Umno unity and to avoid adding to the ruling party's troubles in general election.

But there is no such concern now, they argue. The next general election is five years away so if there is any right time for Abdullah to tell Malaysians the hard truths about his five years as PM and his relationship with his predecessor, this is it.

Those who want Abdullah to give his side of the story include Umno MPs, Barisan Nasional politicians and associates who are still unhappy and perplexed today that Abdullah chose the path of silence when Dr Mahathir began attacking him in 2006, accusing him of weak leadership and cronyism, among other things.

They know there will be a comeback from Dr Mahathir on his successor's hard-hitting comments in the book and this time, they want Abdullah to give as good as he gets. They want him to go beyond general statements and finally talk about the backstories of Dr Mahathir's pet projects and his sons' deep involvement in business.

They believe that Abdullah should have exposed the real Dr Mahathir, the leader who during his 22 years in office, presided over the hollowing out of key institutions such as the judiciary, promoted skewed privatisation projects, and did little to fight corruption and racial polarisation.

But back then, Abdullah the Prime Minister felt that if he laid bare Dr Mahathir's skeletons, it would split Umno and ultimately hurt BN in GE12. Later, Abdullah the Former Prime Minister was also reluctant to open a war against Dr Mahathir in the run-up to GE13, once again concerned that a fresh round of verbal volleys between him and Dr Mahathir would hurt Umno.

So Umno and BN politicians aligned to Abdullah, or at least with empathy for him, were pleasantly surprised with the hard-hitting interview he gave the editors of the book titled "Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years In Malaysia". The book is a collection of essays and a few interviews assessing Abdullah's performance as Prime Minister between October 2003 and March 2009.

In it, Abdullah unloaded on Dr Mahathir, saying, among other things, that:

READ MORE HERE

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Psychopath on the loose?

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 02:34 PM PDT

Another point is that after GE13, many people in this country seem to think that using a gun is a suitable way to settle their grouses. Either that or there is one superior mastermind planning the whole thing by awaking his sleeper agents/assassins in the whole country as a form of sabotage against the nation.

Selena Tay, FMT

No one knows who is the mastermind behind the recent shooting spree. The victims are too diverse in background and location to qualify as the work of a serial killer.

In every crime case, three vital issues that need to be looked into and investigated are: motive, means and opportunity.

The killers have the means and opportunity but what about the motive? Could it be business rivalry or personal vendetta? Those who got shot seems to have no enemies but then they must have enemies unknown to them or it may be a case of mistaken identity.

Nevertheless, these killings have got to stop before the nation becomes known as a crime capital or crime hub. In our era of instant news, this news will spread instantly across the world.

"The ease with which these criminals obtain guns is a very worrying factor indeed. The police must quickly identify the source of weapons in order to cut off their supply," said Ustaz Idris Ahmad the PAS MP for Bukit Gantang in Perak.

One has to take note that all these shootings except for the one involving the high-ranking customs officer occurred after the 13th general election which has again been won by BN.

What impression does this give of BN then? Do the criminals think that they should do everything now as Pakatan Rakyat may win the 14th general election? There is definitely something wrong somewhere when this crime wave surfaced only after GE13.

Another point is that after GE13, many people in this country seem to think that using a gun is a suitable way to settle their grouses. Either that or there is one superior mastermind planning the whole thing by awaking his sleeper agents/assassins in the whole country as a form of sabotage against the nation.

Whether the shootings are the work of individuals with personal grudges or the work of a single mastermind, the whole nation has taken a knock as people are now living in fear of being the next victim as they go about their daily errands.

This columnist though is of the view that there is an insane psychopath masterminding this mayhem and his intention is to sabotage the nation's economy just for the thrill of it.

This psychopath character is not unusual in the genre of spy thrillers in books or in movies but this time it is happening for real in this country.

Public enemy No 1

PAS state assemblyman for Changkat Jering in Perak, Nizar Jamaluddin also opines that the shootings are the work of a psychopath.

"These shootings are planned by this psychopath for reasons best known to himself but I am worried that the government will use this as an excuse to bring back the Emergency Ordinance (EO). However I believe that our police especially the Special Branch is smart and efficient enough to nail this mastermind," said Nizar.

Definitely this psychopath is shrewd and cunning and so far he or she has managed to outwit the police. It must be said that all psychopaths have extraordinary intelligence and are experts in planning and execution.

The police have their work cut out for them and all manner of intelligence gathering must be employed to nab the mastermind. Certainly this person intends to notch up many killings as a form of taunting the police.

He must be stopped at all cost as each successful killing will only embolden him.

READ MORE HERE

 

One Man's view of the world and a thousand faceless men: Singapore's cadre system

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:37 AM PDT

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRp-1mA0YavmAFwiT91ckAk6xRc15JddcNt5QetRLp_EYFmbLRj 

Lee's book is totally silent on the mechanism that maintained his tenure and influence over Singapore, an issue that is much alive in the local blogs, the Peoples' Action Party cadre system, something that political commentators domiciled within Singapore are very hesitant to discuss. Very much part of Lee Kuan Yew's pragmatic approach to solving problems.

Murray Hunter

The 'modern father' of Singapore Lew Kuan Yew, who is also the father of the current prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, launched his latest book "One Man's View of the World" recently. In this forthright and frank book Lee gave his views on major powers and regions of the world, often with scathing remarks about Singapore's neighbors and past Chinese leaders. What more, this book has been endorsed by former US Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Schultz.

The book is full of interviews made by Lee's editorial team. They were defensive of his past actions and policies, yet very critical of others, not even sparing the daughter of former prime minister Goh Chok Tong who migrated to Bradford UK with her English husband. What was even more valuable for future historians was his candidness about the afterlife and total pragmatism behind what actions he took during his tenure of influence over the island nation.

However Lee's book is totally silent on the mechanism that maintained his tenure and influence over Singapore, an issue that is much alive in the local blogs, the Peoples' Action Party cadre system, something that political commentators domiciled within Singapore are very hesitant to discuss. Very much part of Lee Kuan Yew's pragmatic approach to solving problems.

The People's Action Party (PAP) was conceptualized out of friendships between Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, and Toh Chin Chye during their education in Britain. In 1954, with the help of trade unions that represented the Chinese educated majority, a left leaning nationalist party the PAP was formed. With the help of Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan the party would appeal to the Chinese educated working class and create a broad base of support. The PAP started out as a mass mobilization party based upon a Leninist model. Much of this model is still intact within the party today.

The PAP is well disciplined and cohesive, with extremely powerful machinery on the ground. Leadership is very much 'top down' through an instituted cadre system. This has been partly kept to prevent any future hostile takeover attempts. A potential cadre must be recommended by a member of parliament, and then the candidate is interviewed a number of times by a committee appointed by the Central Executive Committee (CEC), which will include 4 to 5 ministers and members of parliament. There may be up to 1,000 cadres in the party today, however this exact number is kept a secret. A cadre has the right to attend the party conference and vote for the leadership every two years.

Consequently, political power is centered in the Central Executive Committee, headed by the Secretary-General, the head of the party, who is usually also the Prime Minister. There is a very strong overlap between CEC members and cabinet ministers. Twelve members are elected by the cadre and six are appointed. Any outgoing CEC member must recommend a list of potential candidates to fill his/her position for the CEC. The CEC looks after the Young PAP, Women's Wing, selects cadres, and parliamentary candidates.

Ordinary party members are screened before they can join the PAP. Potential members must demonstrate some involvement in community before memberships are approved. Lee Kuan Yew did not want a mass party with populist demands, and also wanted to avoid the problems of 'quanxi' within the party. Party members are basically unpaid volunteers, serving their MPs on branch sub-committees, and help mobilize support during elections.

By international political party standards the PAP is very small, maybe 15,000 members, with a small central administrative machinery. There is a small HQ executive committee that oversees the daily administration of the party, i.e., maintaining party accounts, memberships, overseeing committees work, publications, and branch coordination.

Like Lee, the major ideology of the PAP is pragmatism, meritocracy, multiculturalism, and communitarianism. The PAP is pro-economic intervention through fiscal policy and government enterprise involvement, within a generally free market backdrop. The party strongly rejects the concepts of Western liberal democracy, citing a philosophy based upon 'Asian values' as the guiding principles of social development. Perhaps one of the greatest concerns of the PAP, reflected in the way it is structured and leadership is institutionalized, is the issue of succession, where it is believed that succession is the root of stability. Formal and informal rules and norms, and procedures guide who can and who cannot stand for party and public office.

Singapore's cadre system is partly responsible for the countries success story, but at the same time is an albatross around the Government's neck, arguably responsible for the 'groupthink' culture many local blogs are critical of in contemporary Singapore society today.

Since 1963 the Singapore Government has turned the island from a sleepy backwater into one of the world's most vibrant economies. Although nobody can fault the ruling party which has governed Singapore for more than 50 years of abandoning its responsibilities, many wish that it would tackle these responsibilities with some heart and connect emotionally with the people.

Times are rapidly changing in the island republic. There is genuine disenchantment with rising prices, the influx of foreign workers, competition for jobs, crowded public places, rising home prices, rising cost of education, and the widening income gap in Singapore. There is even some feeling among Singaporeans with the migration of foreign professionals, they may descend to becoming second class citizens within their own country. Migration will be expected to continue as the local Singapore population is aging. Today it is not uncommon to see the old and infirm waiting on restaurant tables, clearing rubbish in the streets, or even scavenging into rubbish bin. Singapore's GINI index has declined from 0.433 in 2000 to 0.465 in 2010 and is similar to many African and South American countries. Social ills like erosion of trust, crime, obesity, teen pregnancy, mental health and drug addiction, is more closely associated with income inequality rater than low average per-capita income. Consequently the electoral landscape is quickly beginning to change, where the PAP will not in the future be returned to power uncontested on nomination day due to the failure of opposition candidates to nominate for election.

The scrapping in of the PAP's preferred candidate Tony Tan for president in 2011 showed that there is a growing proportion of the Singapore electorate that wants a change to the PAPs heavy handed style of government and more scrutiny. However one of the issues that may hinder any further decline in the PAP's fortunes is that there is currently a lack of any credible opposition in Singapore as an alternative government.

From another paradigm, Singapore could be seen as the domination of one group over another. Most of the leadership has been drawn from the Baba Chinese community, a group cultured in Malay and "Colonial British". Babas strongly hold family values, community cohesiveness, and tend to respect authority. This is in contrast to the Southern mainland Chinese migrants to Singapore who fled oppression, and tended to oppose authority. Singapore has been run more in the manner like a British Colonial administrator would have aspired. Thus patriarchal leadership with neo-Victorian values is not something the migrating Chinese accepted openly. Singapore has seen many campaigns, incentives, and deterrents to achieve the values of the Baba class.

One of the major legacies of Lee Kuan Yew was the authoritarian style of leadership and the fear it invoked into the Singaporean psych. For decades Singaporeans were expected to fall in line with what leaders expected without question, as they were told that this was best for them. The bounds of what couldn't be done were clearly set, i.e., not to criticize leaders, not to discuss 'sensitive' issues, or not to give alternative opinions. If these boundary crossings were noticed, harsh penalties would be applied to those that crossed them. The strong control of Lee Kuan Yew was the dominant driver of society, and the state itself also had the responsibility of being the 'agent of change'. This to some degree squeezed out small private businesses as an alternative engine to growth of the Singapore economy. This persona of authority and control still exists today.

Singapore Government ministers appear to be disconnected with the people who elected them. They have become so concerned about running Singapore from an elite bureaucracy, trusted to make the best decisions for the country to protect and improve the livelihoods of its citizens. However as they live in some of the choicest real estate in Singapore and have rewarded themselves with some of the highest salaries in the world, they have become out of touch with the struggles and plight of the common people of Singapore.

For Singapore to prosper in the long term, and for Singapore to maintain the unique system of government that has evolved, with all the good, and perhaps less of the bad and ugly, the PAP needs to re-evaluate itself for the future and decide whether it is a broad based political party, or just the extension of one man and an elite group that has ruled over Singapore for the last 50 years?

Under the present structure of the PAP, it will be impossible for the party to reform itself from the grassroots and allow new ideas to reach the top. The ability of people to rise through the ranks of the party with new ideas is heavily restricted. The Lim Chin Siong legacy saw to that. The very way the PAP has sought both meritocracy and stability has become its 'Achilles heel', paralyzing the ability to adapt to changing Singapore, where ironically the country has been so successful in adapting to outside factors of change while being so internally rigid. The cadre system itself prevents change, as the selection process is a closed system selecting only same minded people to the leadership, subjecting government to the risks of groupthink. The challenge of change brings uncertainty and with this comes insecurity about the continuation of a successful paradigm of government that has served Singapore so well in the past.

Lee Kuan Yew had dominated Singaporean politics, economy, and society since the 1950s. The family has influenced affairs in Singapore for over 50 years, much longer than any other political family in the region. His eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister in 2004. Lee Hsien Loong's wife Ho Ching is CEO of Temasek Holdings. Lee Kuan Yew's youngest son Lee Hsien Yang is the head of Singapore Telecom. The Lees have achieved their positions on merit and are genuinely an exceptionally talented family. Officially, the reason given for this is by former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong is the small talent pool in Singapore. Both the political and business sectors appear incestuous in Singapore, but due to the 'city-state' nature of the country, there appears to be little in the way of any solution to this. When the opportunities rose under Goh Chok Tong's Premiership in the mid 1990s, no moves were made to check the power of the Lee family. There is no doubt that the Lee's legacy is embedded in Singapore and its influence will last decades. Just how and when this influence will begin to dissipate remains to be seen.

However, the cadre system within the PAP is an issue within Singapore society that will never get the time of day as an item of national discussion.

 

One thousand faceless men have allowed one man's view of the world.

Bitter feelings 'awakened'

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:35 AM PDT

http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/Images/TSOL/Website/Columnists/col_JocelineTan.ashx?h=140&w=140 

The two Tuns have never enjoyed much political chemistry but Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's remarks about Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a book about Abdullah's administration may reopen old wounds.

On hindsight, it seems like Abdullah and Dr Mahathir simply do not have political chemistry. During the Team A-Team B debacle in Umno during the 1980s, Abdullah was in Team B whereas Dr Mahathir was in Team A. 

Joceline Tan, The Star 

TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad looked sweet in his pink baju melayu when he turned up at the Prime Minister's open house on Thursday. The former premier has been a prominent and regular guest ever since Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak moved into the top job.

But his mood this year may not be as sweet as his pink outfit.

Everyone is bracing for his reaction to the reported commentary by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi published in a new book titled Awakening. The book is a collection of 37 articles by an array of contributors and edited by American Prof Bridget Welsh and Prof James U.H. Chin from Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir has held his tongue so far but pro-Mahathir bloggers have begun lashing out at Abdullah, the authors and even his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin who had nothing to do with the book or comments.

It was obvious that none of the critics had read the book because one of them claimed that Abdullah was the author while another accused an anti-government non-governmental organisation of being behind the publication.

Another blogger said the book was timed to stir up things ahead of the Umno election.

But that is Umno politics for you; it is never short of conspiracy theories.

Abdullah's comments actually stemmed from an interview he granted the editors of the book while the publisher is quite an established company albeit left-leaning in nature.

The title of the book, was evidently a pun that was as much about Abdullah's attempts to open up the social and political space as it was about his habit of dozing off at inopportune moments when he was prime minister.

But Awakening will probably awaken and reopen old wounds between the two Tuns.

"It's not going to improve their relationship," said ISIS chief executive officer and director Tan Sri Dr Michael Yeoh.

The last couple of years have seen Dr Mahathir ease off his successor.

Even die-hard Mahathir supporters or what some call the mati-mati sokong Mahathir gang had ceased their attacks.

One reason is that Abdullah has kept a low profile since his retirement in 2009. He does not blog, he is not on Twitter and he has given his successor space and support. He attends his share of public functions where he smiles a lot and says pleasant things.

It says a lot about the man, actually. He may not have been the best man for the prime minister's job but he is without a doubt a gentleman, who has kept his word not to interfere in Najib's administration. He was said to be delighted when his son-in-law, whom he is known to refer to as "my Khairy", was appointed to the Cabinet after May 5. But neither did he make a fuss when Khairy was left out in the cold after winning the Umno Youth leadership.

But beneath the genial demeanour, Abdullah felt hurt about being blamed for the 2008 political tsunami and also that he was forced out of office.

 

However, it seems like nothing had rankled him as much as Dr Mahathir's attacks on Abdullah's family.

He said it was "hypocritical" of Dr Mahathir to say that his businessman son Datuk Kamal benefitted during his time in office.

He also defended Khairy and wondered if those who had criticised and forced Khairy into the wilderness were happy that they had broken his rice bowl.

Welsh, who is based in Singapore, had also strung together a collection of articles on Dr Mahathir around the time of his retirement but it attracted little attention and compared poorly to later efforts such as Barry Wain's biographic tour de force, Malaysian Maverick. The Abdullah book is not exceptional either but it will probably sell well thanks to the publicity on the interview with Abdullah.

Journalist-publisher Datuk A. Kadir Jasin said the only surprising thing about Abdullah's comments is that it is coming so late in the day.

"Tun Mahathir has commented significantly on Tun Abdullah. It was a matter of time that Tun Abdullah would say his piece," said Kadir.

Besides, said history expert Dr Neil Khor, the opinions expressed by Abdullah are hardly new.

"All the hurtful things have been said before by one party or the other. But it is Pak Lah's comments about Umno that are interesting, about how he failed to reform Umno from within.

"He must have seen the writing on the wall. He is not the master of the ground but he saw that the ground had moved. Having said that, Umno is in a stronger position now than during his time but it is still struggling to cap ture the middle class and the middle ground," said Dr Khor.

On hindsight, it seems like Abdullah and Dr Mahathir simply do not have political chemistry. During the Team A-Team B debacle in Umno during the 1980s, Abdullah was in Team B whereas Dr Mahathir was in Team A.

Throughout the 1990s, Dr Mahathir was grooming Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who quickly overtook Abdullah as the numero uno in Penang Umno.

Abdullah's career path has often been a case of being in the right place at the right time. But his relations with Dr Mahathir headed downhill almost from day one of his administration.

Hari Raya is a time to forgive and forget, to let bygones be bygones. Whether the two Tuns have forgiven each other, only they can tell. But it is clear they have yet to forget what went wrong between them.

But the word is that Dr Mahathir may not be as interested in the Abdullah book as he is in the just launched book One Man's View of the World, by his old nemesis Lee Kuan Yew. Dr Mahathir's guns may be aimed outwards rather than inwards.

 

Common denominator in the rise of school indiscipline and street crime

Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:22 AM PDT

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtlX8EnHb2AS1QI-kuarLwnktmRaKFBn9gMRKtQy-jiLlRa_dH 

The change was in the criteria that candidates to these leadership positions had to meet. From the 1970s, teachers were promoted to headships not on the strength of their performance as teachers, but based on their political connections. If they were active as ketua cawangan, setiausaha cawangan, etc they would be first choice for promotion. 

Ravinder Singh, The Malay Mail

There is a common denominator in the rise of school indiscipline and street crime. In both cases, there are rules and laws to be obeyed by children and adults respectively. Rules and laws remain pieces of paper until and unless they are enforced. To enforce the rules and laws, you need disciplinarians and no-nonsense leaders at the helm. In schools these are the head teachers and their superiors. In society they are the heads of police stations and their superiors.

In the '50s and '60s we had such leaders in both the schools and the police force. These disciplinarian, no-nonsense leaders were in those positions based on merit and proven track records. They did a fine job of ensuring that school rules and laws were properly enforced. So we had well disciplined schoolchildren and a good, law-abiding society. This is not to say there was zero indiscipline or crime, but things were kept strictly in check by nipping lawlessness in the bud. 

Then began the change that has brought us down to where we are today. The change was in the criteria that candidates to these leadership positions had to meet. From the 1970s, teachers were promoted to headships not on the strength of their performance as teachers, but based on their political connections. If they were active as ketua cawangan, setiausaha cawangan, etc they would be first choice for promotion.

Similarly, meritocracy was not just put in the back seat, but even thrown out of the window, in the promotion/appointment of other government servants to positions in authority.

When you put pilots in the cockpit who have not gone through the rigorous training that is needed to ensure the planes keep flying safely, and mediocre aircraft engineers and technicians to maintain the aircraft, you can expect disaster after disaster. The disaster from a plane crash is very much more easily seen than the disaster from not enforcing school rules and laws in society. The former disaster happens immediately and is very visible; the latter takes root, grows slowly and since it is not nipped in the bud, years later matures into an ugly head.

The ugly head becomes the focus of society as it impacts on society negatively. But why and how it came about is not looked into as its roots are by now very remote and out of mind. Is it less important to ensure that strict discipline is maintained in schools than ensuring that airplanes are serviced by competent engineers and technicians? The disaster from hundreds of thousands of undisciplined schoolchildren becoming adult members of society each year is greater than that from a plane crash.  

What we have in both the schools and the police are people who are not disciplinarians. In the schools, disciplinarian head teachers should be able to handle firmly not only the students, but also the teachers and parents. They should be able to get the parents to co-operate with them to maintain discipline, or else take the undisciplined children out of the school. In the police, the heads at each level should be able to keep those under them in a straight line. Here, another element comes in also — corruption. An unclean head cannot keep the rest of his house clean. But who is to see that the heads are clean? It is not that the police are poorly paid. A sergeant, at the age of 50+ can draw a salary of RM4,000. This is good pay for a non-graduate. The scale goes higher with the ranks.

Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/common-denominator-in-the-rise-of-school-indiscipline-and-street-crime-ravi 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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