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Posted: 04 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

All it took was a press conference to announce the date and venue. BN leaders fell for the bait.

But if Bersih has a hidden agenda to sway the political momentum in Pakatan Rakyat's favour and if the opposition coalition is truly serious about reforms, then isn't three days of losses a small price to pay for a corrupt-free, transparent and equitable business environment in the future?

RK Anand, Free Malaysia Today

If the allegation that Bersih 2.0 has a hidden agenda is true, then kudos to its leaders, for it seems that the goal has been achieved.

All it required was a press conference to announce the date and venue for a rally. As expected, Barisan Nasional leaders took the bait and turned it into a roaring success even before it hit the streets.

And if it is true that Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan harbours political ambitions and plotted to use the rally to make herself famous, this objective too has been achieved.

With all the publicity given to her by the media, including the likes of Utusan Malaysia and TV3, the former Bar Council president is now a household name.

Even foreigners have taken notice of the media blitz as illustrated by an incident where a Burmese restaurant worker pointed to her photograph and remarked to the surprised patron holding the Tamil newspaper, "Ini perempuan banyak berani, macam itu Aung San Suu Kyi."

However, he stopped short of saying if the BN government is behaving like the Burmese junta.

Running yellow over Bersih

The powers-that-be are running yellow because they fear that a massive turnout similar to the Bersih and Hindraf rallies of the past will shift the political tectonic plates again, creating another tsunami, perhaps one even more powerful than its predecessor, and submerge Putrajaya.

Then again, if BN is convinced that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is on the right track and that the public have lost faith in the opposition as claimed, it should allow this rally with a "hidden agenda" to proceed and exploit the dismal numbers to its advantage and silence the critics.

It will prove that Malaysians believe the Election Commission has been executing its duties without fear and favour, while all those allegations of electoral fraud in the past are hogwash.

Perhaps, intelligence reports indicate otherwise and this prompted BN to pull all the stops to ensure that the rally does not take place, especially when memories from the Middle East are still fresh.

But the government claims that it is an issue of national security and the livelihood of taxi drivers and businessmen will be affected.

One MCA minister argued that people will lock themselves up in their homes for no less than three days – the day before, on the day of the rally and the next day. In dollars and cents, she said, this will be nothing short of a financial catastrophe.

So in other words, protests, no matter how just the cause, are wrong because it is bad for business. It is indeed a shame that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela were not privy to such pearls of wisdom.

The MCA minister also appealed to the people not to participate in the rally for it will tarnish the country's image.

To her, the police's crackdown, the use of draconian laws, groups baying for blood and those urging the King to strip Ambiga of her citizenship have done nothing to affect the nation's pride.

Locking up the wrong people

As for the rally being a security threat, it is because of the likes of Perkasa, which never fails to stoke fears of violence, and a martial art exponent who has vowed to wage war because he considers himself the third line of defence and therefore feels duty-bound to stop this enemy, armed with dangerous yellow T-shirts, banners and placards, calling for free and fair elections.

And while those who propagate violence continue to roam free, others campaigning for a peaceful march to safeguard their rights enshrined under the Federal Constitution are locked up for wearing yellow T-shirts.

Perkasa's chief Ibrahim Ali warned that Bersih stands on the verge of committing treason but stressed, in his usual warped logic, that if the movement forges ahead with its rally despite the King's advice, then he will do the same.

Ibrahim is nothing more than a political opportunist exploiting a vacuum left behind by the post-2008 Umno, which decided to leave the keris in its scabbard to entice Indian and Chinese voters.

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What does Bersih do now?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:20 PM PDT

What if the King does not grant Bersih 2.0 an audience soon enough? This would then pose a quandary for the NGO. Should it then proceed with the rally on July 9? When it comes to that, Bersih 2.0 would have to answer the ultimate question: Does it listen to the King or to the rakyat?

By Kee Thuan Chye

THE King has issued a statement on the developments surrounding the proposed Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections. What do we make of it?

It is quite clear that he is not in favour of the rally proceeding on July 9, although he does say that the original intentions of street demonstrations can be good. This, read together with his acknowledgement of "the political fervour of a section of the people to bring about a healthy democracy (menyuburkan demokrasi) in our country", indicates he is not condemning Bersih 2.0. He is aware that the people are involved (even though it constitutes "a section"), and what they desire is something positive, i.e. menyuburkan demokrasi.

He is, however, concerned that "street demonstrations bring more bad than good" and he wants it ensured that the people's democratic demand "does not bring destruction to the country".

He advocates that whenever a problem arises, "we as a civilised society should (hendaklah) resolve it through consultations".

What has been the effect of the King's statement on the parties involved?

Prime Minister Najib Razak's first reaction is to offer Bersih 2.0 the opportunity to protest in a stadium. This is the most accommodating posture he has struck since the controversy began. In doing so, he has now come to 'legitimise' Bersih 2.0 without openly saying so, although only a few days ago, his Home Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, had declared Bersih 2.0 an illegal organisation effective July 1.

Najib's offer indicates he has lost the battle of wills against the movement for electoral reform and is now scrambling to save face by making this offer. But it's not good enough. He has done too much damage; he has used an atom bomb to annihilate ants through his unreasonable, even maniacal arrests of people in the past week. The worst is alleging that the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members arrested in Kepala Batas were waging war against the King, and subjecting six of them to detention under the Emergency Ordinance.

The King has not, figuratively speaking, slapped Najib's face but he has tapped him on the shoulder by saying in his statement, "I also urge the Government to carry out everything that is entrusted to it by the people in a just and wise (bijaksana) manner". The words "just and wise" can be read as a reminder to the Government that it has been using unfair and sometimes inane tactics over the past week. The most inane would be either alleging that the PSM 30 were resurrecting Communism or declaring Bersih 2.0 illegal.

Najib is like the head prefect who has been caught out by the headmaster and is now being told to carry out his duties within the school rules.

It is noteworthy that the King uses the line, "entrusted to it by the people". It issues a very important reminder to a government that has become arrogant and unmindful of the rule of law, which is evident in its arbitrary arrests of people over the past week, in one case for simply wearing a yellow T-shirt.

It is further significant that the King says he does "not want to see animosity develop between the communities in our plural society or a section of the people being enemies with the Government, on whatever grounds". This could be alluding generally to the racial drumming of Perkasa, Utusan Malaysia and even Mahathir Mohamad that has contributed to racial tension of late, and specifically to Perkasa's role in inflaming the Bersih 2.0 rally by wanting to counter it and issuing veiled threats of violence.

The reaction on the part of Bersih 2.0 is to seek an audience with the King. Opposition political parties have indicated that they want to be included, but on no account must Bersih 2.0 allow this. It has all this while maintained that it is a movement that is led and initiated by civil society; it should remain so. If the King grants the audience, what Bersih 2.0 might request is for him to advise the Prime Minister to initiate negotiations with it and the Election Commission on carrying out electoral reform. If this is not forthcoming, Bersih 2.0 should still have the option of holding its rally on July 9.

But what if the King does not grant Bersih 2.0 an audience soon enough? This would then pose a quandary for the NGO. Should it then proceed with the rally on July 9? When it comes to that, Bersih 2.0 would have to answer the ultimate question: Does it listen to the King or to the rakyat?

Ours is a constitutional monarchy; on political matters, the King can offer advice but it is up to the listener to accept it or not. However, many Malaysians are still infected with a feudal mentality and to them, going against the King's advice is tantamount to derhaka. It is this that Bersih 2.0 will have to guard against, because if it were to be branded penderhaka, a fair part of the sympathy it has been getting so far through the Government crackdown will be obliterated.

On the other hand, it could be comforted by the thought that Perkasa and Umno Youth have said that if Bersih 2.0 goes ahead with its rally, they would also go ahead with theirs. This would expose them to accusations of menderhaka as well, so Bersih 2.0 would not be alone.

The best course for everyone, however, might well be negotiation, at which a timetable should be set for the electoral reform process to take place, before the next general election is held. But before going to the negotiating table, Bersih 2.0 should be given due recognition, which means Hishammuddin must revoke his order of illegalising it. This is a prerequisite; otherwise it will make the Govt look silly negotiating with an "illegal" organisation. But even if Hishammuddin refuses to admit his high-handed mistake, Bersih 2.0 may have already been legitimised by the King's call for "consultations", and of course by Najib's offer of holding the rally in a stadium.

Furthermore, the six PSM detainees should be released immediately, and the charges against the other 23 PSM members dropped. As it is, charging them with associating with an illegal society does not seem right. Bersih 2.0 was declared illegal several days after they were arrested; how could they have looked into the future to predict it would become illegal?

The next few days will be interesting to watch. The clash of wills between Bersih 2.0 and the Government (with Perkasa and Umno Youth as secondary players) may now be raised to a higher level. Najib may not want to give in for fear of appearing weak, and Bersih 2.0 may feel it has right and the rakyat on its side. It would take an impartial referee who has the country's best interests at heart to arbitrate the matter and bring about a satisfying solution.

Fascist Threats - The Same UMNO Modus Operandi

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:18 PM PDT

By Dr Kua Kia Soong, Director of SUARAM

The repression by the UMNO-led regime leading up to the Bersih rally of 9 July should serve as an eye opener for the youth of today who have not lived through the other orchestrated crises they have created in the past. Every time the regime has faced a challenge from within UMNO itself, such as in 1987 or from without, such as in 1998, the regime has invented a crisis.

Build-up to Operasi Lalang

It was the same during the build-up to Operation Lalang in 1987 when UMNO Youth threatened to hold a 500,000 strong rally in Kuala Lumpur to build on the rally in Kampung Baru where there were banners calling for racial bloodletting. The UMNO Youth leader at the time who excelled at breast-beating was none other than the present prime minister. This was the response to the completely peaceful assembly at the Tian Hou Temple called by the Chinese associations to protest the unreasonable posting of unqualified administrators to the Chinese schools. Operation Lalang was unleashed soon after.

During my detention under Operation Lalang, the Special Branch maintained that the response by UMNO Youth was reasonable because they had been provoked by the Chinese associations. That's right, UMNO Youth has the state backing for any fascist violence they may choose to unleash against any protests or assemblies even if they are completely peaceful assemblies. They did the same when NGOs organised perfectly peaceful forums on the freedom of religion.

The Selective Efficiency of the Police

Thus, UMNO (and now their alter-ego, Perkasa) threaten violence whenever it is convenient for them. And the police, who are usually pretty efficient at putting down peaceful assemblies, can be selective in keeping order whenever these fascist mobs strike.

For example, it took the Malaysian police just twenty minutes to break up the peaceful Kesas Highway demonstration by thousands during the Reformasi years. But the police arrived one hour late during the peaceful East Timor conference in 1996 when it was disrupted by a mob organised by UMNO Youth. They were late again in restraining the mob that harassed the anti-Lynas protest in Kuantan recently.

During the racial violence in Kampung Medan in 2001, the police took nearly a week to restore order. They took an even longer time to restore order after the pogrom of May 13 in 1969 – something like two months!

The Suqiu Appeals

Again in 1999, UMNO Youth threatened to burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall if the Chinese associations did not withdraw their Suqiu appeals that had already been accepted by even the BN before the general elections that year. The leaders of the Chinese associations surrendered to these threats by agreeing to keep in abeyance those appeals that UMNO had objected to. The UMNO Youth leader who distinguished himself in terrorising Suqiu was none other than the present Home Minister, famed for his keris-wielding machismo at UMNO general assemblies.

Detention Without Trial: Easy to Use...Just Lock Them Up!

The most convenient method of repression has always been to use detention without trial after the "crisis" created by UMNO Youth's threat of fascist violence. The ISA (Internal Security Act) is the most well-known of these repressive apparatuses but in fact of late, more people have been detained through the use of the Emergency Ordinance(EO).

The detention of Dr Kumar and other PSM activists under the EO reflects a new trend in the BN government's use of detention without trial. For years, the EO has been used against alleged gangsters and others involved in criminal activities while the ISA has been the favoured instrument to terrorise dissidents.

Do you see now why the BN government will cling on to the use of detention without trial as long as they can and all the more reason why justice-loving Malaysians must make the abolition of detention without trial top of the democratic agenda?

Must We Live in Perpetual Fear of UMNO's Threats?

The leaders in Bersih have said they will be seeking audience with the King and will abide by his wisdom. Do we really expect the King to say "Yea, rave on with the rally?" Of course, not! Everyone knows he's going to counsel the Bersih leaders against going through with the July 9th rally. And the Bersih leaders will use it as the reason for calling off the rally.

But since when has the King had to be consulted on the people's struggles? Is this some new insight our constitutional lawyers have recently acquired into our system of constitutional monarchy?

So, what's the learning in this episode of Malaysian struggles?

Should the rally be called off without any concessions by the BN government toward free and fair elections? If the YDP Agung is to be used as a climb-down accessory, some concession toward free and fair elections must be forthcoming by the BN government. Otherwise, the Bersih leaders must tell us what has been the purpose of planning this rally in the first place.

No, they cannot say they did not anticipate the fascist threats by UMNO Youth and Perkasa nor can they say they did not expect the use of detention without trial by the BN government. If no concession by the BN government is forthcoming while the rally is called off, I dare say we have been led up the garden path to July 9th!

TNB should engage customers

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:34 AM PDT

By Terence Fernandez, The Sun

RECENT reports in this paper on overbilling by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) resurrect the argument against monopolistic agreements that may not benefit the consumer.

Two exposes on consumers saddled with inflated bills and TNB's lethargy in addressing them head on to quell public concern do not augur well for what is the corporate responsibility of the sole power supplier in the country.

Granted that Chong Sook Tak had his RM31,000 "arrears" reduced to RM900 following this paper's involvement, but TNB has yet to explain how his bill was calculated and how it had come to that figure.

Inquiries by this paper only proved TNB's high-handedness in addressing complaints overall when we were tersely told that the matter would be resolved directly with Chong.

The question is how many other Chong Sook Tak's are out there? Here is one consumer who took the initiative to question the company and bring the matter to the public's attention.

How many others suffer in silence and just pay up without checking – due to ignorance or simple lethargy in dealing with profit-oriented corporate bodies?

Just how much has TNB made from overcharging its customers? Now with the so-called tampering with meters, the national power company is introducing new devices, which in the experience of some customers mean higher charges.

One example is Lee Siow Eng who blew the lid off the infallibility of these meters. He was charged RM10,000 in arrears after his meter was replaced due to alleged tampering.

According to TNB, Lee's meter reading showed "lower charges" which the former decreed was incorrect.

There had been several other similar complaints – albeit regarding lesser amounts – to the media on higher charges once the new meters are in place.

The question is how is it when the readings are low, the device is deemed to have been tampered with or faulty, but never when the readings are high?

Can TNB honestly tell us that it had, on its own initiative, looked up customers with unusually high meter readings and adjusted their bills? Or are such efforts reserved only for low readings?

In the same breath, in the case of Lee, why did TNB wait five years before informing him? The National Consumer Complaints Centre had stated that billing issues form the bulk of complaints that come to its door.

Random checks show that accusations of "tampering with meters" are among the main excuses given by TNB when consumers cry foul. This is akin to adding insult to injury.

Perhaps it is about time that the Energy Commission of Malaysia steps in – after all consumer protection and dispute resolutions are among its responsibilities.

As I am writing this, TNB is in crisis mode, holding meeting after meeting with its ground crew and technical advisers.

This is good. But it is not enough if the people are left in the dark. Media inquiries are also given scant regard, with the poor corporate communications guys being made to face the wolf pack.

Just like it spends money on "awareness campaigns" – in one case "silencing" at least one consumer group with generous grants – TNB should take the initiative to engage with its customers and explain the switch to new meters and how readings are conducted.

What constitutes "lower readings" and when can we get a reasonable explanation on estimations? It is ridiculous for a person who has been away for a month to be charged the same amount he usually pays when he is at home.

But the truth is we the consumers are to be blamed. Big corporations, including ones with bullying tendencies, only thrive when people are indifferent to their own welfare.

"Just pay and get on with life" seems to be the mantra many Malaysians live by, until the likes of Chong and Lee blow the fish out of the water. It also does not help when so-called consumer groups compromise their agenda for the almighty ringgit.

It is perhaps time for people to be more aware of what they are paying for and ensure that they get the service that is expected. Tell me, how many of you actually know how to read your electricity bill?

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Selasa, 5 Julai 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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