Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Jaguh Reban
- Stagflation – Beware!
- Jaundiced Justice!
- Marina Mahathir and Bersih 2.0
- A lie has robbed their freedom
- Enough is enough. The PSM 6 must be released.
- Penyingkiran Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) Yayasan Selangor
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 05:24 PM PDT By batsman The Jaguh Reban is back. Advertisements on Bapa Transformasi milking Tun Razak's name has been shamelessly ramped up to coincide with his triumphant return. The shamelessness and cockiness of the man! But something should be said for his style. After looking like a pert schoolboy in the company of world statesmen for more than a week, he is now all bravado upon his return. His whole body language has changed from one that screams cowed strictly chaperoned henpecked husband to macho Don Juan. Oh! What the air of Malaysia does to one's demeanor. He was even moved to turun padang in the nearby kampung. I have never liked the phrase. It implies high and mighty VIPs who deign to go "down" to the level of the people, but it was nevertheless well- orchestrated. The exercise even elicited responses like "He's the man!" from SWTs and equally enamored sighs from matronly sunburnt women. Nobody has ever said NTR does not have deadly seductive charm. Putrajaya's Cockywood machinery has also certainly done its job. Our Jagun Reban is looking like a seductive potentially genocidal Don Juan compared to the Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde image of DSAI. So OK – let's move on to the next round. |
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 02:27 PM PDT By Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam The latest release of data by the Statistics Department raises alarm bells of possible stagflation ahead. Stagflation generally implies slowing or stagnant growth and rising inflation. According to the latest statistics issued by the government's Statistics Department, the industrial production index decreased by 5.1 per cent in May this year compared to May last year. In May, both exports and imports declined month–on-month by 4.7 per cent and 0.4 per cent. These are dramatic declines and cannot be taken lightly. The economic growth rates are therefore revised downward by the Malaysian Rating Corp (MARC) from the earlier optimistic estimate of 5.3 per cent for this year to an uncertain wider range of 4-5 per cent this year! The earlier scepticism of official economic growth and inflation projections are now proving to be justified. We can now only hope that the situation will not deteriorate to a path leading to stagflation. Unfortunately the global economic outlook does not appear encouraging either. The US economy, which is the biggest economy in the world, is also foundering. Its economy grew by only 1.9 per cent in the first quarter this year and about 1.5 per cent in the second quarter and about even less than three per cent for the whole of 2011 and 2012. The current US debt crisis is staggering! In Europe the economic is as bad or even worse. With Greece, Spain and Portugal and Italy and other countries facing real economic decline and financial instability, and reinforced by the Japanese economic catastrophe, our export prospects can be adversely affected. Now the fear of rising inflation is real. The Consumer Price Index has risen by three3 per cent in the last six months and at the higher rate of 3.5 per cent in June this year compared to June last year . What is worse is that the CPI for food and non alcoholic beverages went up by 4.5 per cent for the first six months this year compared to the same period last year. This is very worrisome as we are talking about the poor and lower income groups having to pay so much more for their basic consumption of food and beverages. So how will the poor cope with these rising prices? More importantly, what hope do the poor have that the government has a well conceived plan or a sound strategy to counter this likely prospect of stagflation. I have no doubt that the government is aware of the serious social implications of low growth and high prices on the possibilities of social dissatisfaction and even some social unrest. It is thus sincerely hoped that the government will be more transparent and communicative with the public on these disruptive economic trends. The government would need to inform the public soon, that it recognises the impending dangers of weaker employment opportunities and lower standards of living. The government will also have to show that it has specific anti-stagflation strategy, to firmly address these socio-economic problems, to instil more hope and public confidence. * Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam is chairman, Centre of Public Policy Studies (CPPS). |
| Posted: 22 Jul 2011 10:27 AM PDT
In the midst of a packed courtroom of members and supporters of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) many of whom wore red T-shirts, the Kuala Lumpur High Court of Justice Su Geok Yiam turned "yellow" today. Justice was compromised, as a cowed Court caved in and allowed the application by the Government, Police and Home Minister to adjourn hearing the habeas corpus applications of six PSM leaders who have been held under the Emergency Ordinance since 2 July. The detainees are Dr Michael Jeyakumar, PSM deputy chairman M. Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M. Sukumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A. Letchumanan and national Youth chief R. Sarat Babu. With the continued "unlawful" detention for a further two weeks, justice was further delayed again today. The urgency of determining on the detention (and freedom) of the six, did not seem to matter much to the judge during today's hearing. Justice was further denied to those unjustly detained. It was public perception that what seemed to be of greater importance to the judge was that the government was not denied the opportunity to extend the injustice! The flimsy and frivolous excuse given Senior Federal Counsel (SFC), Othman Yusof, who represented the Inspector General of Police, the Government and the Minister of Home Affairs (the Respondents) for the application for an adjournment was that they needed to respond to 15 additional affidavits filed by the six detainees. Lead counsel, Haji Sulaiman Abdullah objected to the request for the adjournment. He said that the six could not file the additional affidavits earlier because the respondents had delayed in providing the lawyers access to the detainees. "It was a situation of their very own making...The respondents would not be in a predicament to request for an adjournment, had they allowed the detainees access to their lawyers earlier." Haji Sulaiman also argued that the sole ground advanced by the respondents for the continued detention of the applicants in their earlier affidavits was that the six were detained because the police were investigating them for their role in the Bersih rally of 9 July. Since the rally is over, there are no further grounds for their continued detention. He raised the ridiculousness of the issue: "How do you justify the detention after July 9? None of the (respondents') affidavits addressed that point!" He told the court: "The respondents should not be rewarded by asking for an adjournment to put in further affidavits." Alas, the Attorney-General's Chambers has been so predictable and even pathetic in the case. A few days before the hearing, one of lawyers of the PSM 6, Edmund Bon, was even able to predict (very accurately) that the lawyers for the respondents would seek for an adjournment. "They will probably try to drag it past the 30 days so that they have more time to get the minister's order. Once the minister's order is filed we have to get a new habeas corpus application," he said, adding that this was how many EO cases were handled but go unreported because the detainees were not as prominent as the PSM 6. (An order by the Home Minister would enable a person to be detained for two years, and the order can be renewed indefinitely.) Justice Su's decision to grant an adjournment to the habeas corpus applications was met with shock, sighs of disgust that it was a "kangaroo court", exasperation, and comments about Su being so supine, and some which are not so suitable to mention here! Several lawyers who were also in the gallery and who were standing in front of me asked aloud: "How can they do it...how can they face themselves at the end of the day....how can the judiciary come up with something as ridiculous as this?" After the decision by Su to adjourn the hearing, Hj Sulaiman referred to an earlier question posed by the judge on whether they would agree to abandon the 15 additional affidavits, with a view of proceeding with the habeas corpus application. The senior counsel said that in the interest of his clients he was prepared to forego the 15 additional affidavits so that the Court could get on with hearing the habeas corpus applications for the liberty of his clients were at stake! SFC Othman objected, as a ruling has been made. A lively exchanged ensued. Justice Su proceeded to give directions on the filing of the affidavits and outline submissions. She eventually postponed the hearing of the PSM 6's habeas corpus application to 5 August. "Su-preme" injustice was done by Justice Su today! She gave in to the superficial arguments of the lawyers for the government, Inspector-General of Police and Home Minister. To postpone the hearing of the habeas corpus applications by the PSM six who have been detained under the Emergency Ordinance 1969 was the most inordinate thing to do. The countless who came to show their solidarity for their six brave comrades and patriots were no doubt disappointed but they did not despair. They were more determined. Their chant of "BEBAS-BEBAS! BEBAS PSM-6" rang loud and clear in the corridors and halls of the Kuala Lumpur High Court. |
| Marina Mahathir and Bersih 2.0 Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:33 AM PDT
Is Marina Mahathir a genuine righteous person who will take on UMNO and her father in the interest of the Rakyat or is she merely a Mahathir strategy to crush Bersih from within? By Ken It appears that Datuk Marina Mahathir is preparing herself to join Ambiga and other Bersih leaders, as can be gleaned from her articles in the Star, Malaysiakini (see "Gov't feels threatened, says Marina" 18 Jul 2011), etc. about her "heroic" participation in Bersih 2.0. However, while it appears that she supports Bersih 2.0, her actions and non-actions cast significant doubts on this matter. Yes, she joined many others in criticizing the police and the UMNO government of their crackdown and threats before Bersih 2.0. If she was so committed to Bersih 2.0, why didn't she, a prominent supposedly human rights activist, play an active role in Bersih 2.0? After all, Ambiga had invited everyone to join Bersih 2.0, given its noble cause. It was clear to all that Bersih 2.0 would happen and that the UMNO government and police would suppress it violently with tear gas, water cannon, assault and arrests at the least. Ambiga and many thousands of others braved these threats against their personal safety in the interest of the nation and made Bersih 2.0 happen. There were a few prominent personalities who saw what was happening and wanted to ensure that they could continue to lay claim to championing democracy and human rights by positioning themselves in the march where they would be safe. It appears that this is the case with Marina Mahathir. If Marina had not written those articles, would we have known that she, a prominent personality, was in Bersih 2.0? If she had really believed in the ideals of Bersih 2.0, she should have been in the front on that date to face the tear gas, water cannon and police violence. If she had been there, would the police have been brave enough to direct all that violence towards the crowd led by her, knowing that they would meet the wrath of her father, the ever-powerful Tun Dr.Mahathir, who is very close to her? Writing about the event AFTER it has happened is for journalists and bloggers. People claiming to be champions and leaders must go beyond writing and act. Marina Mahathir did not act when the opportunity presented itself. While Marina has become particularly vocal lately on Bersih 2.0, Tun Dr. Mahathir, who is always ready to comment on any happening in the country or outside, has been relatively quiet, except for some light comments before the event and illogical comments after the event about Bersih 2.0 being a Malay vs non-Malay matter. Numerous people are praising Marina Mahathir for being very vocal, even if it is after Bersih 2.0, with some claiming that she is a righteous person, a great leader and a potential PM. It looks like that Datuk Marina Mahathir is ready to enter active politics in the light of growing support from Bersih supporters as well as UMNO/BN members who would surely not want to displease Tun Dr. Mahathir, knowing the Tun's powers and influence. What is also strange is that some individuals such as Mathias Chang who are closely associated with Tun Dr Mahathir (the advisor and brains behind Perkasa) have also become very critical of the UMNO government's handling of Bersih 2.0 (see Malaysia Today's "Barisan Nasional's sledge-hammer reaction to the Bersih Rally on 9th July 2011"), thereby lending further credence to Marina's active championing of Bersih. And to ensure that Marina's "efforts" with regards to Bersih 2.0 are not overlooked or ignored, harsh critics have emerged to present illogical arguments which put Marina in good light. An example is Wong Sai Kim's letter, "Open letter to Marina Mahathir's take on Bersih 2.0" in Malaysiakini (21 Jul 2011). Such an eloquently comprehensive letter should have been directed at Ambiga or Bersish 2.0, but Wong has chosen to direct it at Marina Mahathir. Why? If Bersih is successful, UMNO's fall is inevitable. If UMNO goes down, it will not just be Najib who will fall but also many, many others including Tun Dr Mahathir and his family and friends. With so much at stake, Bersih must be crushed and all possible strategies must be deployed. Is Marina Mahathir a genuine righteous person who will take on UMNO and her father in the interest of the Rakyat or is she merely a Mahathir strategy to crush Bersih from within? Her actions, and not mere words, will provide the answer.
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| A lie has robbed their freedom Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:29 AM PDT  By P Ramakrishnan (President, Aliran) Not a shred of evidence has been unearthed so far to justify their detention. Not an iota of proof has been disclosed to date to convince sceptical Malaysians that the action of the police has been honourable. A lie that robs innocent Malaysians of their human rights discredits the police beyond repair. A lie that denies access to lawyers for the detained six denigrates the rule of law and disgraces the Barisan Nasional government for not observing the principles of decency, truth and honesty. With this kind of unethical behavior, with this kind of human rights violations, does Malaysia deserve to occupy a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council? This is a question that has to be asked by all justice-respecting Malaysians. This question has to be raised by the international community that voted in Malaysia for a place in the Human Rights Council. Please search your conscience and demand an answer. With each passing day, the BN's crime becomes unpardonable; with each passing day, it loses its credibility. No one believes that the government has done the right thing; no one believes that the government has done this in the interest of the nation. The common consensus among Malaysians is that the BN government has acted in a selfish manner to safeguard its self interest. When it comes to the preservation of the BN's hold on power, it throws caution to the winds, it sacrifices ethics and resorts to brute strength to hold on to power. Recently we witnessed how it conducted itself with regard to the Bersih "Walk for Democracy" rally, deploying the police to act harshly and cruelly. Even the sanctity of the grounds of a hospital was not spared or respected. The welfare of the hospital patients was callously ignored when the police went after the protesters seeking refuge in the hospital grounds. Back to Jeyakumar and his five companions. First they were charged with "waging war against the King". This charge within seven days collapsed as sheer nonsense and evaporated into thin air – but they were deprived of seven days of freedom in isolation. Then, they were released but in a show of mockery to the rule of law, they were immediately arrested and detained under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 and whisked off to Bukit Aman, where they are being kept in solitary confinement. The intense interrogation and the long hours of questioning have taken a toll on Jeyakumar. For a person with a heart ailment, it is dangerously causing him a lot of stress and torment. He has had to be hospitalised twice within the span of two weeks. Third, in spite of the fact that he was first charged with treason and later with being a threat to the nation, he wasn't investigated for this. What they were interested in was to find out about the Bersih rally and related information. This irrevocably confirms the lie that Kumar and his companions were neither traitors to the nation nor a threat to the country. There are no moral grounds whatsoever to justify their continued detention. The BN's saving grace would be to release them unconditionally and immediately. Our plea is, don't perpetuate the lie. |
| Enough is enough. The PSM 6 must be released. Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:23 AM PDT  Member of Parliament Dr M.Jeyakumar Please join us tomorrow afternoon and rally for their release. Date: Friday, 22 July
If there is a case that exemplifies the third world basket case mentality of Malaysia's criminal justice system – this should be it. Perhaps universities around the world can use this as a case study on how state institutions like the police, judiciary, AG's Chambers can have all the infrastructures, resources, training, personnel, public relations, catchy mottos and Facebook pages they require but without accountability, transparency and checks and balances – they count for nothing. How else can you contextualise the fabricated "waging war" charges against the 30 PSM members based on some communist-inspired T-shirts and PSM literature? How else can you explain the excessive remand order from Sessions Court judge Amernudin Ahmad and affirmed by High Court judge Zamani Abdul Rahim? One wonders whether judges who attended the recent Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Conference 2011 in Kuala Lumpur had a good laugh while listening to the PM's speech stating that Malaysia is committed to safeguarding and ensuring the continued independence of the judiciary. We certainly did! On 2 July, after being in detention for a week, 6 PSM leaders including Member of Parliament Dr. M. Jeyakumar were re-arrested and detained without trial under the Emergency Ordinance – this time for purportedly being the movers and shakers of Bersih 2.0. In the 37 affidavits filed in reply to the habeas corpus application fixed for hearing on 22 July at the KL High Court, no mention at all was made about waging war, Communism, Chin Peng, Rashid Maidin and other made up stories as alleged earlier. How dumb are these police and AG's Chambers officers? The movers and shakers of Bersih 2.0 are…get ready for this, the Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee! Their names can be found at Bersih's website – www.bersih.org (click on About BERSIH 2.0) and at the end of their press releases. And now apparently the AG's Chambers are trying to seek for an adjournment for tomorrow's hearing. Read more at: http://www.lawyersforliberty.org/2011/07/enough-is-enough-the-psm-6-must-be-released/ |
| Penyingkiran Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) Yayasan Selangor Posted: 21 Jul 2011 10:10 AM PDT
Ilham telah mengarahkan supaya surat perpindahan Datin Sabariah dikeluarkan dengan segera. Ilham juga mengarahkan supaya semua aset milik Yayasan Selangor yang ada pada Datin Sabariah diambil semula. Datin Sabariah telah menyerahkan semua aset pada hari yang sama, 29 Oktober 2010. By Steffan Datin Sabariah Ahmad merupakan seorang kakitangan tetap Yayasan Selangor dan akan bersara wajib bila mencapai umur 55 tahun pada penghujung 2011. Beliau merupakan isteri kepada mantan Pengurus Besar Yayasan Selangor, Dato' Zurkarnain A. Rahman (1998-2000). Datin Sabariah dinaikkan jawatan sebagai Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) dengan tempoh percubaan selama enam bulan yang bermula dari 1 hb. Ogos 2010. Pada hari Jumaat 29 Oktober 2010, Pengurus Besar Yayasan Selangor, Ilham Marzuki telah berjumpa semua kakitangan di surau Menara Yayasan Selangor. Ilham membaca surat layang yang dihantar kepada ketua isteri beliau. Isteri Ilham bekerja di Jabatan Perancangan Ekonomi (EPU) di Putrajaya. Ilham mengesahkan KEBENARAN bahwa (a) dia, Ilham Marzuki adalah ahli PAS yang suka menyebut kata-kata lucah seperti pundek, pukimak, kongkek, babi dan (b) Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pengurusan), Mohd Saifulruddin bin Sulaiman adalah seorang samseng setinggan yang memiliki banyak kereta. Di akhir perjumpaan itu, Ilham memberitahu kakitangan yang hadir bahwa penulis surat tersebut dilahirkan di Melaka dan dibesarkan di Johor. Orang-orang lama Yayasan membuat kesimpulan bahawa Datin Sabariah, Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) adalah orang dimaksudkan oleh Ilham. Selesai perjumpaan itu, Ilham telah mengarahkan supaya surat perpindahan Datin Sabariah dikeluarkan dengan segera. Ilham juga mengarahkan supaya semua aset milik Yayasan Selangor yang ada pada Datin Sabariah diambil semula. Datin Sabariah telah menyerahkan semua aset pada hari yang sama, 29 Oktober 2010. Surat perpindahan menyebut bahawa Datin Sabariah ditukar ke Bahagian Sumber Manusia SUK pada 1 November 2010. Pejabat SUK mempersoalkan perpindahan mendadak Datin Sabariah kerana lazimnya sebarang proses penempatan pegawai dari anak syarikat hendaklah dimulakan dengan permohonan rasmi dari Pengurus Besar anak syarikat kepada Pejabat SUK/Menteri Besar. Alasan yang diberikan oleh Ilham ialah Datin Sabariah tidak mampu menjalankan tugas-tugas sebagai Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) dengan memuaskan. Datin Sabariah telah diturunkan pangkat dan gaji dan elaun-elaun sebagai Timbalan Pengurus Besar telahpun ditarik balik. Semasa ditempatkan di Bhg Sumber Manusia SUK, Datin Sabariah telah cuba untuk mendapatkan bantuan Setiausaha Politik MB, Puan Faekah dan MB sendiri untuk dipindahkan balik ke pejabat beliau di Yayasan Selangor, Petaling Jaya. Malangnya beliau tidak mendapat layanan yang sewajarnya. Pada 1 Disember 2010 Datin Sabariah telah menulis surat kepada MB Selangor menyatakan ketidakpuasaan hati beliau terhadap tindakan memindahkan beliau ke SUK tanpa sebarang alasan yang munasabah. Di dalam surat berkenaan Datin Sabariah telah memberi tempoh kepada MB untuk memindahkan beliau kembali ke jawatan Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) atau bersedia untuk menghadapi tindakan perundangan. Datin Sabariah diarah pulang ke Yayasan Selangor tetap tidak dibenarkan kembali ke Pejabat Timbalan Pengurus Besar (Pendidikan) di Menara Yayasan Selangor, PJ. Sebaliknya beliau ditempatkan di Asrama Yayasan Selangor, Kuala Lumpur. Datin Sabariah telah meletakkan jawatan pada pertengahan Disember 2010 dan membuat aduan kepada Jabatan Perhubungan Perusahaan Negeri Selangor. Kes beliau telah didengar pada bulan Mac 2011. Sehingga kini masih belum ada sebarang keputusan muktamad dicapai.
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