Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Parents of blogger hauled for questioning
- Media Censorship - Changes Ahead?
- Bersih wants thorough polls reform, panel recommendations made public
- DAP tetap bersama PAS, PKR
- Umno perlu kuasai media baru
- Di Semenanjung BN hanya ada saki baki UMNO - Komponen lain akan hanyut
- Making The Soup Saltier In Metaphor
- Power, Money, Sex and DSAI!
- Pay this, tax payers!
- The ETP, GTP and GDP
- Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #78
- Comparing Bersih to UK riots shallow, says Umno leader
- Malaysia vowed to improve refugee lot
- Labor MP breaks ranks on Malaysia deal
- Who is REALLY behind Malaysia Today?
- A morning session with The Oracle of Syed Putera-Final Part
- Frog and snake now political pawns
- What’s Firefly’s role after tie-up?
- Anwar to enter defense on Aug 22
- Aviation: strange bedfellows in Malaysian airline market
- ‘Only three states for BN-Umno’
- Can we have a lawyer as the next Chief Justice please?
- DAP is NOT Joining BN
- ‘Evil’ BN injected voters into Sibu
- Ambiga tells of her ‘lawyerly revolt’
- EC insincere in cleaning up electoral rolls, says PAS
- MAS, TR deals price of Dr M’s failed privatisation plans, says PAS
- The Return of Daim Zainuddin's Monopoly Game
- MACC probe uncovers 6P scammers
- SC: Reprimand Them!
- AirAsia boss poised to take over QPR today
| Parents of blogger hauled for questioning Posted: 15 Aug 2011 11:08 AM PDT By Pauline Wong, The Sun The parents of provocative blogger Mohd Nur Hanief Abdul Jalil, 27, were yesterday brought in for questioning by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). It was after a five-month silence since he was first hauled in by the police following his controversial blog post on March 1. The post was on allegations of a sex scandal between a member of the Selangor royalty and a well-known local model, which Mohd Nur Hanief had plucked from another blog while adding his own comments below. The post has received 150 comments to date. Abdul Jalil Ashaari, 61, and Kamalia Chek, 60, went into the MCMC Investigations Division office in the Sultan Abdul Samad building here at 2.15pm yesterday and were questioned for more than two hours. "I maintain my son did not post anything seditious and that he had merely copy-and-pasted opinions of other blogs and expressed his own opinion," said Abdul Jalil, after the questioning. Mohd Nur Hanief, who blogs primarily about socio-political topics, was arrested under the Sedition Act and questioned by the police on March 18, before being released the next day. He has also been questioned by the MCMC. In investigations, computers belonging to him and Abdul Jalil were were seized from their home. Since his release, however, no charges have been filed against him. Abdul Jalil said he was surprised when he was served the notice to appear before the MCMC. "They (MCMC) completed their investigations and did not contact us for months," he said, adding that he had accompanied his son when he was questioned in March. The retired bank officer said the officers were amicable during the questioning as he and his wife gave their full cooperation. The two were met by their counsel Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and Farhana Abdul Halim from Lawyers for Liberty before they were escorted by an MCMC officer into the office. However, the lawyers were not allowed to accompany them. After the questioning, Fadiah said it was disturbing that the parents were denied counsel. "We cannot stress enough on the right to have legal counsel present during questioning by the authorities." This brings the question of why his parents would be questioned over their son's alleged offence, said Fadiah. "It is nothing more than intimidation. The questions asked were absurd," she said, adding that MCMC officers had pressed the elderly couple about who the internet service provider account was registered to, or who had uploaded the pictures on Mohd Nur Hanief's blog. |
| Media Censorship - Changes Ahead? Posted: 15 Aug 2011 11:06 AM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR -- Najib Tun Razak said the government would study how to implement media censorship in line with the changing socio-political landscape. The prime minister said this step was taken so that the government would not be seen as failing to understand media censorship and how to deal with the issue. At the same time, he said, the government would respond to allegations in the local and international media and would take action under the law if the allegations were defamatory. "If we want to carry out media censorship in this new era, (and) new landscape, we should ask ourselves whether the censorship is effective and relevant or not. "Is it meaningful in the first place?...and any form of censorship actually does us more bad than good," he said when speaking at a breaking-of-fast with the media hosted by Bernama at Wisma Bernama, here, on Monday. For example, he said, censoring of parts of a news article on Malaysia in "The Economist' magazine recently, had instead turned the issue written about into a bigger news item. "So, is this action necessary? I think we no longer need to do this. If the international media wants to criticise us, let it be. If we need to (respond), we engage them; we give our side of the story and if they cross the line, we have to resolve it through legal means. Najib also noted the case of Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim winning a defamation suit against a local blogger recently. "That is a very good example where we can resolve it (defamation). If the media has published a story that is defamatory, we should take legal action but censoring is no longer an effective means and should be reviewed. The government will review its policy towards censorship," he said. He said the landscape and surroundings had changed as there were three elements that had about a radical change, namely the information technology explosion that was still going on, globalisation that had created a borderless world, and the people's increasingly high level of education. "For us running the government's administration, we too depend on the media as one of our responsibilities to make our efforts acceptable to the people." He said effective communication was not only through the conventional way but the approach taken should take into consideration the changing landscape and environment. Najib said the big challenge was that reality was seen differently from perception. "The war of perception is not sometimes, but always bigger than truth or reality," he added. Also present at the "buka puasa" was Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor and their children, Norashman Razak and Nooryana Najwa. |
| Bersih wants thorough polls reform, panel recommendations made public Posted: 15 Aug 2011 11:02 AM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal and Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Bersih 2.0 has welcomed the Najib administration's move to form a parliamentary select committee to examine the current electoral system, but stated that the panel's final recommendations should be made available to the public.
Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan stressed the election watchdog's eight demands for electoral reform should be taken into account, and that NGOs as well the public should be involved in the entire process. "Yes, we certainly welcome this move. It is without doubt a step in the right direction and is a positive response to the aspirations of the rakyat. "We hope NGOs will be involved in the process and that our eight demands will receive attention before the 13th general election," said Ambiga in a text message to The Malaysian Insider. "We are ready to assist," said the former Bar Council chairman. Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah said the select committee's final recommendations should include feedback and views from the public. Maria told The Malaysian Insider last night the government should poll views of Malaysians in the country before deciding on the said recommendations into the current electoral system. "Bersih welcomes the parliamentary select committee but we want full transparency in the process. "There should be public consultation, and it should be included in the final recommendations. The finalised report of the select committee should also be made available to the public," she said. Maria said Bersih will give the parliamentary panel three months to "meet, discuss, and finalise" its report on electoral reform recommendations. |
| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 02:01 AM PDT DAP bukannya parti Cina berjuang untuk kepentingan masyarakat Cina tetapi sebuah parti yang berjuang untuk kepentingan semua. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP tetap komited bersama PAS dan PKR untuk memastikan kejayaan Pakatan Rakyat pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke 13 bagi mengembalikan hak warga negara seluruh rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum dan agama. Penasihat Lim Kit Siang berkata, DAP berjuang untuk membawa perubahan fundamental bagi membuka langkah memajukan sumber guna tenaga dan kemahiran bagi menjadikan Malaysia sebuah negara yang bersatu padu dan maju. "DAP bukannya parti Cina berjuang untuk kepentingan masyarakat Cina. Tetapi sebuah parti Malaysia yang berjuang untuk kepentingan semua, sama ada Cina, Melayu, India, Iban, Kadazan atau Orang Asli sebagai rakyat biasa yang mempunyai hak sama rata," kata beliau. Lim berkata, para pemimpin DAP telah bertungkus lumus dan melakukan banyak pengorbanan hanya kerana berpegang teguh dengan perjuangan politik mereka sejak 45 tahun yang lampau. "Mereka (para pemimpin DAP) pernah didakwa dan dianiaya di mahkamah, ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (yang paling lama empat tahun sembilan bulan) dan dipenjara. "Mereka juga dibatalkan sebagai ahli Parlimen dan diharamkan dari memegang jawatan selama lima tahun kerana bertegas dalam perkara-perkara prinsip, berjuang untuk kepentingan rakyat Malaysia yang melangkaui sempadan bangsa dan agama. "Setelah membuat pengorbanan dan melalui kesengsaraan ini tidak mungkin DAP dapat menggantikan MCA dalam Barisan Nasional. Oleh itu, persoalan DAP menyertai BN tidak timbul," tegas Ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timor itu.
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:59 AM PDT "Kalau kita tidak menguasainya kita akan tertinggal orang muda akan membaca apa yang ditulis," kata Ahmad Maslan. (Bernama) - Anggota Umno perlu menguasai kemahiran dalam dunia siber terutama berkaitan media baru bagi menangkis secara efektif segala tohmahan dan fitnah pihak tertentu terhadap parti itu dan kerajaan, kata Ketua Penerangan Umno Datuk Ahmad Maslan. Beliau berkata kemahiran seperti itu amat penting bagi mengubah sebarang persepsi negatif masyarakat terhadap Umno dan kerajaan yang cuba dibawa pihak tertentu menerusi media baru. "Kalau kita tidak menguasainya kita akan tertinggal kerana orang muda akan membaca apa yang ditulis," katanya selepas menghadiri wacana politik bertajuk "Pembentukan Persepsi Politik" anjuran Jabatan Penerangan Umno di sini hari ini. Ahmad, yang juga Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, berkata kerajaan memandang serius terhadap persepsi negatif masyarakat terhadap setiap tindakan kerajaan dan sentiasa mengambil tindakan untuk memperbetulkan. Mengenai wacana politik itu, beliau berkata ia merupakan satu pembaharuan yang dibawa oleh Umno bagi meningkatkan pengetahuan anggotanya dalam pelbagai bidang politik menerusi pembentangan idea oleh pakar-pakar. |
| Di Semenanjung BN hanya ada saki baki UMNO - Komponen lain akan hanyut Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:48 AM PDT ASPAN ALIAS Kita sedikit sebanyak boleh membuat 'prediction' awal tentang apa yang akan berlaku di Semenanjung dalam pilihanraya nanti. Dalam pilihanraya yang lepas di Semenanjung BN telah memenangi hanya 80 kerusi termasuk kerusi yang di menangi oleh calun bebas yang menggunakan symbol PAS, iaitu Ibrahim Ali. Dalam kumpulan 80 calon BN yang menang ini adalah 15 yang dimenangi oleh MCA, 1 oleh Gerakan dan 2 lagi oleh MIC. Lain-lain perkataan UMNO Semenanjung hanya memenangi 62 kerusi dan menjadi 70 kerusi jika di campurkan dengan kerusi-kerusi UMNO/BN yang dimenangi di Sabah.
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| Making The Soup Saltier In Metaphor Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:31 AM PDT A LITTLE TAFFER'S ROOM They can become fiery at times, as what Ezam and Ibrahim Ali illustrated from their messages delivered over the week. Ezam was telling of "burning down news portals" but eventually referred to them as theoratically. Ibrahim on the other hand was telling of forcing the government's action against Ambiga, DAP and Anwar over many issues. These two people are the prime examples of making the soup saltier. Metaphorically speaking, the soup is like the melting pot that is meant to be shared by every citizen of Malaysia which encompasses of the matter of respect, entitlements, benefits, rights, privacy and whatever aspects that can be considered under the pot. If one can notice how some Malays have been screaming over the murtad issue, there can be two implications from there: one, the non-Malays will start distancing themselves from their Malay partners because the right to believe in any religion has been eroded; two the sense of privacy that is entitled for each person is gone. But yet, in that matter, what goes round comes round, so they do face the risk of "taste of their own medicine" if the present Malaysian scenario goes in inverse. And thirdly, it reveals how obsessive some of these group of people can be, paying more attention to petty matters whereas the real goal is to defeat evil that is seen in our daily lives like corruption, murder, theft and cheating. A soup's taste must be balanced enough to satisfy everyone's taste buds. Salt, like demands from groups may affect the taste, depending on how much it was put into the soup. If the soup is the pot for everyone, e.g. policies, then the chef is the government and the people will be the ones having the soup. Salt can be good or bad. A little more can improve the taste, too much and it will spoil the taste. And what is happening now, is perceived by many and the young as too much demands caved into pressure, all for the benefit of just one side and the others would be left out, as it implies. Whatever of Najib's programs are the examples of too much salt in it, that is being caved in by various groups from the pro-government camp. The ETP and NEM is the case in point. The real problem that is impeding the nation's progress is not the opposition but those within the government of the day. While they keep pointing fingers at others for the problems, and this includes the apologists and butter boys, they are totally unaware that they themselves are the cause of the problems that have occurred. All these religious and race related issues are actually part of the strategy to spook people and to raise doubts of what happens if one of the races have no support at all. It is deliberately invoked and they would portray themselves as saviors that can be supported for blindly. Along the way, the basic question of demand vs earning respect comes out into play. For this murtad case, whatever speeches that these people and parties have been talking about, particularly for those who have been making statements in a threatening tone is somewhat as equivalent to demanding respect from everyone. Or in an another way, forcing people to respect even if they do not agree with such statements. This is one of the flaws with the present government where their supporters are not able to talk realistically with others. If people who can think but disagree with the statements, almost supporters would start making noises and "maki hamun". |
| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT
I have always maintained that DSAI is where he is by default. There simply is no body better for now. And we need the best to win against UMNO. So why this change of heart? By steadyaku47 What does money and power do to your sex life? Or to be more exact – what did money and power do to DSAI's sex life? More varied, more robust more exotic or perhaps more a bit of this and more a bit of that? "This" being men and "that" being women. "This" being someone's wife and "that" being someone's husband or fiance? If the stories are to be believed DSAI's money and power did seem to lead him towards a more daring and exciting sex lives. Of course the operative word here is what is "daring" and what is "exciting". Would a tryst with Saiful be daring or exciting? But I digress…. So far DSAI has led a charmed life. From outside of UMNO he gained direct entry into it's self proclaimed elite leadership structure at the invitation of Mahathir himself. Avowing initially to not go against Ghaffar Baba in the race for the DPM post he nevertheless was not beyond mounting a self orchestrated campaign to support himself for the same position – culminating in that embarrassing show of overwhelming "support" that caused DSAI to change his mind because it would seem that everyone wanted him to be DPM. Not he himself, but everyone else! Here was our real first look at DSAI's moral fiber…or the lack of it. When he has to make decisions that would benefit himself personally, he matters, not Ghaffar. Not the undertaking he has given to not contest Ghaffar for the DPM post. Malaysia was left with the sad spectacle of Ghaffar Baba (a good man who had served his country loyally for many years) not given the dignity of retiring gracefully! Why did DSAi not have the good sense then to do the right thing by Ghaffar? But in the euphoria of DSAI becoming DPM all that registered was that a messiah has come. Mahathir had a real fight on his hands. He then skillfully went about the business of "Anwarisation" – cajoling, persuading and where necessary "negotiating" for support wherever needed to eventually make Mahathir go running to Daem for an ally. Much too soon he was sacked as DPM, convicted of corruption, acquitted of sodomy one, and now on with sodomy two…. and in between all this he still had time to put together Pakatan Rakyat and become leader of the opposition. In spite of all this…or should I say despite all this he has managed to cling on to some semblance of being the "People's and the popular" people's champion. He has managed to make many believe that he is the person targeted unfairly by the Government for wrongs he has never done. So good is his ability to assume this "underdog" persona that he managed to take the high road of being the "wronged" rather then being "in the wrong". He even has the Lion of Jelutong – Karpal Singh himself – in his corner. The same Karpal Singh who…
Then why have steadyaku47 been for DSAI all this time? I must be a hypocrite or was being paid for my silence. Neither! I have always maintained that DSAI is where he is by default. There simply is no body better for now. And we need the best to win against UMNO. So why this change of heart? I had hope against hope that he will change. We had need of DSAI then because was it not him who pulled DAP, PAS and PKR together? YES HE DID. But then was then. This is now! Dato Onn was the founder of UMNO and yet he left UMNO – or was he pushed? Tunku and Mahathir too had their moments with UMNO. And now DSAI will have his moments with Pakatan Rakyat! What would happen when UMNO takes DSAI out of Pakatan Rakyat orbit? Unlike Mahathir and Pak Lah, Najib and the UMNO we know now have has no qualms about taking DSAI out of contention for the 13th General Election using whatever means it has at hand. What then? Will PKR and Pakatan Rakyat run around like a chicken without its head trying to regroup against a rampaging UMNO? An UMNO that now knows what has to be done to neutralize DSAI. At a drop of a hat DSAI's people can muster groups of DSAI faithful (in the thousands if need be!) to turn up anywhere and everywhere to demonstrate and show their support of this self-proclaimed messiah.And this ability DSAI uses to his advantage when required without worrying about the consequences of his actions. So who is this DSAI actually? Ask those who worked in the Ministry of Finance when DSAI was Minister of Finanace…ask them what they saw happened in his office. Not only matters of national importance but also that of personal importance – personal to DSAI. Read more at: http://steadyaku-steadyaku-husseinhamid.blogspot.com/2011/08/power-money-sex-and-dsai.html
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT
She can't be reprimanded, only rewarded. The 1Malaysia Prime Minister awarded the bonus because of "job well done in making the national projects a great successes" By Lee Wee Tak I can feel my blood vessels busting reading about the financial management circus going round in this country. Commonsense tell us that a budget is meant to guide how money is being spent. Try screwing up your personal or company's budget and see what happens.   In other ways, just 1) draw up a bigger budget than last year, 2) over spend it and 3) ask for more money to burn since the dumb rakyat are going to pay for it and vote Barisan Nasional back anyway. Do remember than in June 2011, an additional RM13 billion is being request but barely 2 months later, Malaysian tax payers are going to be hit by another 4 financial blows costing maybe RM10 billion, at least apparent to this fuming tax payers. 
 She can't be reprimanded, only rewarded. What tangible success is he talking about? Was there any performance appraisal to identify those who deserve a reward and those who deserve the sack or worse? Read more at: http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/08/pay-this-tax-payers.html#more
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT By Masterwordsmith The official PEMANDU website says that PEMANDU is a unit under the Prime Minister's Department set up to manage and facilitate the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). PEMANDU Corporation, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) incorporated with the mandate to provide financial, recruitment and procurement services to PEMANDU, a company limited by guarantee under Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM). The following is the organizational chart of PEMANDU.  The GTP and ETP are governed by the Delivery Task Force (DTF) for the delivery of National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) and Steering Committee for the delivery of National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs). Both committees are chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia respectively. The Government Transformation Programme (GTP) was devised in accordance with the principles of the famous 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now. In its entirety, the GTP is designed to provide all Malaysians access to improved public services irrespective of race, religion and region. This site states that the objective of GTP is two-fold – first, to transform the government to be more effective in its delivery of services and accountable for outcomes that matter most to the Rakyat; and second, to move Malaysia forward to become an advanced, united, and just society with high standards of living for all. This is in line with the national mission of achieving Vision 2020 – for Malaysia to become a fully developed nation. Under the GTP, six key priority areas have been identified where challenges within each area have been divided into short-term priorities and long-term issues. These areas of development are known as the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) as below:
You can download a copy of the GTP Annual Report AT THIS LINK.
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| Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #78 Posted: 14 Aug 2011 11:15 PM PDT M. Bakri Musa Rare indeed is an exposition that compares and contrasts accepted and well-tested concepts and principles of modern economics and banking with traditional Islamic understanding of the subject.
Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life Reform in Islam Islamic Economics The success and vitality of the modern economy is based on the availability of credit. It is credit that makes the economic world spin smoothly. "Credit is the vital air of the system of modern commerce," observed Daniel Webster. "It has done more, a thousand times, to enrich nations, than all the mines of all the world." A plaque on Wall Street, the heart of American capitalism, declares, "Credit: Man's Faith in Man." Credit is predicated on the promise that it will be repaid. Shakespeare's words in Hamlet, "Neither a borrower, nor a lender be: For loan oft loses both itself and friend…." is only true if we do not repay our loans and the gratitude that goes with them. Indeed not repaying our debts can give rise to even worse consequences, as victims of the mafia and triads will testify. Even threats of defaulting can be devastating, as Argentina is now discovering. The usual argument that interest is sinful arises because of the connotation of extortion. If a father needs money to buy food or medicine for his children, yes it is indeed sinful to charge him any interest at all for the money. If the recipient is truly needy, then simply donate the money. That is the basis of zakat or tithe, one of Islam's five pillars. If I charge the poor soul an exorbitant interest rate (usury) and if he fails to repay me (as he surely would), do I then break his leg, mafia style? That would not only be sinful but also criminal. You need not wait till Judgment Day to be punished; you go to jail right here on earth, and deservedly so. Nor can I make him my slave to pay off his debt. Slavery and indentured labor have long been banned. On the other hand, if I have some spare funds that I do not need right away (for example, savings for my children's education) and an entrepreneur could use that capital to start his business, I see no reason why I cannot be rewarded for letting him use my idle money. After all my money is like any other property I own. If he uses my car, for example, I can charge him a rental fee, so why cannot I charge him a similar "rent" (which is what interest is) for the use of my money? Another way of looking at it, my lending him money is comparable to my providing him a service. Therefore I should be suitably compensated for that, just as surely as had I repaired his hernia. Besides, my lending serves the greater society, not just the two of us. His company would employ workers and produce useful goods. Had I kept my money under my mattress, nobody would benefit. There is no question that riba is prohibited in Islam. It says so clearly in the Qur'an as well as in the various ahadith. The crux of the issue is to the actual meaning and intent of that ancient Arabic word. Words have a way of acquiring different meanings with time. Earlier I alluded to the term "poet," which was highly pejorative during the prophet's time. Likewise, what riba meant to the ancient Bedouins cannot be simplistically and literally be transferred to all forms of costs of capital in modern economics. One simple reason is that many of these modern financial instruments were non-existent in the prophet's time. There was no such thing as venture capital or corporate bonds in ancient times. Another reason for the prohibition of riba is that Islam prohibits "making money on money," which interests and other forms of the costs of capital imply. One can, however, make money by trading on goods and services, and Islam encourages this. The distinction between money and tangible goods is that the former has no "intrinsic value," thus trading on it is equivalent to gambling. The value of money is what society puts on it. While this is true for paper money, it is not necessarily so for gold and silver, Islam's ancient currencies. Those precious commodities do have intrinsic industrial values quite apart from their aesthetic (thus acquired) ones. Silver for example is an important ingredient in film imaging. And gold is useful in certain precision engineering as well as in pharmaceuticals. For modern Islamic scholars to simply equate riba to all forms of interests is unwarranted. As I will show shortly, there are conceptual differences in the various forms of costs of capital (interest) and that, stripped of its mystery, trading on capital (money) is no different from trading in other goods and services. Going to my earlier example, how I charge that entrepreneur for the cost of renting my property (capital) is a separate issue. I could for example, share in the risk, that is, seek part control of his company. This is the basis of modern venture capital. When his company is successful, I would sell my shares and recoup my principle plus the "rent" or profit of my money, thus rewarding me for my earlier savings. If I do not want to take the risk of losing my principle, I could pre-sell my shares for a preset price to another willing individual. In this way if the company becomes very successful he gets a bigger reward, if it fails then he takes the risk. This after all is the basis of share options. These are all manifestations of the costs of my money, that is, interest. Or to use my preferred term, reward on savings and investments. Alternatively I could claim a percentage of the final product. This is common in rural Malaysia where farmers would "rent" their idle rice fields in return for a portion of the harvest. The landowner may decide not to get the harvest and would prefer to sell his share back to the farmer and merely collect the cash. Whatever it is, there is a cost for the use of capital, in this case, his land. You may label this cost in whichever way: interest, stock options, dividends, part ownership, share of harvest, or whatever. Muslim theologians have no difficulty grasping and agreeing to this concept of borrowing as the lender shares the risks with the borrower. This in contrast, in their view, of putting money is a simple savings account where the depositor bears no risks of losing his money (capital). That is only a matter of degree. There is a small risk, but thanks to modern safeguards banks today are very safe. But back in the early 20th Century in the West and in many Third World countries today, you risk losing your precious money should the bank goes belly up. Indeed many Third World citizens today (including many Malaysians) see an unacceptable risk in their local banks and thus put their money in foreign banks. Similarly, many an investor had lost their capital investing in Third World Railroad bonds. Thus when an investor seems to invest his funds "passively," in reality it is far from that. He has to be prudent and investigate the risks and balance the rewards. Even in choosing a bank, not only has he to be careful to choose one that gives the best returns (interests) but also one that is safe, convenient, an offers superior services. All these require diligent evaluations. There is no such being as a passive investor. Thus we could look upon interest as rewards for the diligence of the investor. Viewed another way, interest or costs of capital may be considered as profits on the trading of that capital which happens in this case to be money, instead of land or rice. In the ordinary trading of goods and services, there is a fair and right price, determined by the free market of willing buyers and sellers. But if one party monopolizes a commodity and starts hoarding it in order to exact an exorbitant price to rake in the maximum profit, than that is rightly considered illegal (and sinful). America has elaborate antitrust and other laws to prevent business collusion and other anti-competitive behaviors. Similarly in the trading of capital (money), there is a legitimate cost beyond which it becomes not only exorbitant but creates other serious consequences. Usurious (excessively high) interest rates are bad not only for individuals but also for society. They will extinguish all economic and business activities. There is no redeeming social or economic value in that. The economy would simply collapse. Malaysia was smart enough not to heed the advice of the IMF during its recent [1997] economic crisis to jack up interest rates to levels that would cripple an already ailing economy, just to support the currency and satisfy the IMF bureaucrats. The bane of many Latin American countries is that their interest rates are so high that they choke off all economic activities. It is interesting that in the current economic crisis in America triggered by the bust in the housing market, its central bank has purposely kept the interest rate very low. The voluminous Islamic literature on interests and credits can be divided into two categories: one, usually written by religious scholars who are well versed in Islamic literature but woefully ignorant of modern economics; two, works of competent economists but whose knowledge of Islam consists of selective quotations of the Qur'an and hadith to support their positions. Rare indeed is an exposition that compares and contrasts accepted and well-tested concepts and principles of modern economics and banking with traditional Islamic understanding of the subject. The reason for this is that few economists are well grounded in Islamic learning, and fewer still are religious scholars who also understand modern economics. The ulama's versions are long on erudite recitations of the Qur'an, hadith, and traditions. They strain to create qualitative differences between various terms which, stripped of their semantic gymnastics, are nothing more than a continuum on the risk-versus-returns spectrum. The few notable exceptions to this sorry state of affairs are the contributions of Rice University's economist Mahmoud El-Gamal. He readily admits to not being an Islamic scholar but he has the advantage of at least being a native-born Arabic speaker and thus can read the original Islamic texts and relate those terms and practices into their modern counterparts. Next: Dealing With the Concept of Interest
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| Comparing Bersih to UK riots shallow, says Umno leader Posted: 14 Aug 2011 07:43 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah contradicted his Umno colleagues today and said it was "shallow" to liken the July 9 Bersih rally to the last week's UK riots. The outspoken Umno supreme council member added that such an argument reflected badly on Barisan Nasional (BN). "You can't give shallow excuses because the new social consciousness will be asking you, 'What? Bersih is equal to riots in UK?" Saifuddin told The Malaysian Insider today. "Why they do it is different, the people who join are different, the way they do it is different," he said when comparing the differences between the Bersih rally and the recent riots in the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak reportedly said last Friday that the riots in the UK justified the clampdown on the massive July 9 rally for electoral reforms. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein told Malaysians last Thursday to be thankful that the Bersih rally did not end up becoming violent like the riots in London and other major English cities. Today, Saifuddin also pointed out that the students who demonstrated in the UK last November were not looters, drawing further distinctions between demonstrations and riots."The demonstration... is against the (university) fee hike. They're not looters; they're not hooligans," said the Temerloh MP. Saifuddin had previously criticised the government for failing to discuss terms with Bersih 2.0 electoral reforms movement before the July 9 rally here, warning that Najib would suffer a political backlash from the rally. The recent London riots had spread across Britain with reports of youths looting shops and torching cars and buildings. Community leaders there said the violence in London, the worst for decades in the multi-ethnic capital of 7.8 million people, was rooted in growing disparities in wealth and opportunity. |
| Malaysia vowed to improve refugee lot Posted: 14 Aug 2011 07:36 PM PDT By Michelle Draper, Sydney Morning Herald Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says assurances Malaysia would improve its treatment of asylum seekers was a crucial factor behind the government's controversial people-swap deal, legal documents show. In an affidavit filed but not yet read in the High Court, Mr Bowen said he took into account a range of advice from Malaysian officials, his department and the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR before deciding to send asylum seekers to Malaysia. The full bench of the High Court will next Monday hear a legal challenge brought by refugee lawyers against the federal government's proposal to send asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange for processed refugees. In his affidavit, Mr Bowen said after eight months of discussions with Malaysian officials he formed a view the country had made a "significant conceptual shift" about its treatment of asylum seekers. He said Malaysia had begun to improve the protections offered to refugees and asylum seekers and was also considering granting asylum seekers work rights. "The understanding that I formed from my conversations with the Minister of Home Affairs and other Malaysian officials was that the Malaysian government was keen to improve its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers," he said in the affidavit. Mr Bowen also said he had met with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees officials and understood the refugee agency considered the arrangement had benefits and would be workable. He had taken advice from his department which "reassured me that Malaysia did provide basic support and protection to asylum seekers," the affidavit said. Refugee lawyer David Manne, who is representing 42 asylum seekers facing deportation, said the affidavit's contents were contentious. "At the heart of it is the process by which the minister ... declared under Australian law that Malaysia is a place that is suitable to send asylum seekers to because it has adequate procedures, protections and human rights standards in place," Mr Manne told reporters outside the High Court in Melbourne, following a directions hearing for the matter. "That is a matter of considerable controversy in the case, it is one of the key questions in this case," he said. Mr Manne said it remained to be seen whether the new evidence in the affidavit was consistent with previous commonwealth evidence provided in the case. It also emerged in Monday's hearing that the Australian Human Rights Commission will intervene in the case on behalf of a 16-year-old unaccompanied boy facing deportation to Malaysia. The government's controversial people-swap deal was put on hold last week after refugee lawyers convinced the High Court to order an injunction against the first deportations of 16 asylum seekers. The full bench of the High Court will hear the case next week before making a ruling as to whether the government's proposal is lawful. Under the Gillard government's people swap deal, Australia will send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange for 4000 processed refugees. |
| Labor MP breaks ranks on Malaysia deal Posted: 14 Aug 2011 07:28 PM PDT By ABC News A Labor MP has broken ranks with the party over the Federal Government's Malaysia solution for the first time since the deal was signed, saying it cannot guarantee the safety of asylum seekers. Anna Burke, the member for Chisholm in Victoria, told the ABC's Lyndal Curtis on News 24 she has concerns about Australia's asylum seeker swap deal with Malaysia on a personal level. Her comments come as the full bench of the High Court prepares to hear a legal case next week challenging the Malaysian swap deal. The Christmas Island centre is now holding more than 200 asylum seekers slated for transfer to Malaysia, but a High Court injunction on behalf of a group of asylum seekers has put the process in limbo. Ms Burke says she has been to Christmas Island and there needs to be a proper debate about the issue. "I am concerned that we can't really guarantee the safety of the 800 people [being sent to Malaysia]," she said. "That is my personal concern and I have expressed that in caucus. "I think we have to have a more rational debate about this asylum seeker crisis. I personally think Manus Island is basically going back to something we said we wouldn't do, which is the Pacific Solution." Ms Burke first expressed her concerns in June and is not the only Labor MP to speak out against the deal. Melissa Parke, the Federal MP for Fremantle, also said in June that she could not support a deal that was not backed by the United Nation's refugee agency. High Court challengeThe legal stoush challenging the swap deal with Malaysia will go before the full bench of the High Court next Monday. Lawyers are challenging the arrangement on behalf of 42 asylum seekers, who formed the first group that was to be sent to Malaysia. The High Court injunction has prevented their transfer for the past two weeks. Federal Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has given an affidavit to the court setting out how he came to the conclusion that he could legally send asylum seekers to Malaysia. |
| Who is REALLY behind Malaysia Today? Posted: 14 Aug 2011 07:06 PM PDT
They are always trying to speculate as to who could be behind Malaysia Today. Raja Petra is broke. Raja Petra has no money. Raja Petra could not afford to finance Malaysia Today. So surely there must be someone else behind Malaysia Today who is helping to finance the operation. It is impossible for Malaysia Today to operate otherwise. No Holds Barred Raja Petra Kamarudin Who is REALLY behind Malaysia Today? That has been the million-dollar question since way back in 2004 when Malaysia Today was first launched. Datuk Azmi Hamid Bidin, the husband of PKR Sabah Chief, Datin Saidatul Said Keruak, was in Anwar's house and the conversation they had gave the impression that Anwar suspected that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was behind Malaysia Today. No, of course they would not. They are not interested in the financial welfare of Malaysia Today. They don't care a damn whether Malaysia Today has any money or not. They are not concerned whether I have money to buy food or to pay for a roof over my head. They just want to hear that Najib, Mahathir, Daim, etc., are NOT financing Malaysia Today. That is all that matters.
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| A morning session with The Oracle of Syed Putera-Final Part Posted: 14 Aug 2011 05:36 PM PDT
SAKMONGKOL AK47 I am not finished yet with the MAS-AA Saga. But I shall leave the issue for now as I go through the various financial reports from several research firms. I must thank these people for e mailing me. I will have to relearn some of the financial basics as I have forgotten the meaning. But I shall be back. Just a bit before we move on. The whole deal involving AA-MAS reminds me of the carving out of spheres of influence between the superpowers of 18 and 19th century. The English got Malay peninsula, The Dutch got the East indies. They signed a treaty. In a very similar way, this government of ours, allowed the airline industry to be carved out between what they currently assessed at the poster boys. MAS will be assigned to compete in the premium sector while AirAsia is effectively given the monopoly to do the LCC. What about Firefly. We haven't heard a spokesman from this outfit being given a fair airing have we? I am sure they will have a thing to say. I have also written about the role of CIMB in this deal. I have cited its record in the deals involving Synergy Drive and the split between Telekom Malaysia and Axiata. In this MAS-AA I am told, CIMB played the role of match maker simpliciter. That is its claim, the public may choose to adopt a different view because its difficult for the public to accept that CIMB, the merit driven, results focused bank does something for altruistic reasons. As I said, we shall leave the issue for a moment. We shall come back later. Now, for my final installment of my one morning with the Oracle. How many states does TDZ indicate can BN remain comfortable I asked? This is a dreaded question admittedly because what Tun Daim said in the past has proven to be prescient. Everyone wants Tun Daim to say something optimistic. But the Oracle says, his friend remains pessimistic. He can only say, among the states where BN can say its comfortable are Johore, Melaka and Pahang. Even in Pahang, a few parliamentary seats will slip out of BN's grasps as with a few more state seats. But overall, Daim believes Pahang will remain under BN. why does he mention Pahang in particular, I asked. Because Tun daim knows you are from Pahang and may he knows you would want to know what's to become of Pahang. But didn't Tun Daim write a very optimistic and encouraging article in Utusan Malaysia a few months ago? I asked. Yes, said the Oracle. I did discuss that article with Tun Daim and didn't I also show you the transcript of that article to you the last time? You did, said I. you will observe said the Oracle- that Tun Daim wrote the article with so many caveats and qualifications. BN and especially UMNO can win if they do this and that. Its leaders must go to the ground, walkabouts in Subang, in Petaling Steet and in Kg Pandang are not sufficient; people can see through the superficialities and forced smiles and staged walkabouts. Yes people feel good at that time at seeing the PM and his entourage, but after that what – after they are brought back to the realities of thinking about what's happening in this country. The oracle mentioned of TUn Daim's exhortations to the 2 top leaders of BN to go meet up with the cawangan people. Meeting with Ketua Bahagians can be a misleading source of information, they will tell of everything good they have done with a view of getting reelected. You need to go down to the basics-listen to the views in the raw. If possible exclude the ketua bahagians. But they haven't done this. The PM is busy with his overseas trip. The DPM will not move lest whatever actions he takes will be misconstrued as upstaging the boss. That can cause some internal upheavals in UMNO. And you also will notice that UMNO and BN have lost its influence on the younger generation. 80% of the younger voters are not going to vote for the BN.
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| Frog and snake now political pawns Posted: 14 Aug 2011 05:34 PM PDT By G Vinod, FMT PETALING JAYA: The slanging match between Malays rights group Perkesa and other political parties is putting the frog and the snake in a bad light. The apolitical frog and snake have now being held up as a symbols of hatred by both Perkasa and the MIC. Bukit Bintang MIC division chief S Ananthan brought a frog to the MIC annual general meeting last month, claiming that it represents Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali. Yesterday, Perkasa members torched several copies of The Star for offending Muslims by including non-halal delicacies in its "Ramadan Delights" column. And for good measure, they also burned rubber snakes in retaliation against Ananthan's frog stunt. "He brought a frog, so we brought snakes to represent the community," Perkasa Youth chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris said in an online news portal. But today Ananthan thanked Irwan for relating the snake with the community. "The Chinese and Indians believe snakes are divine creatures. So thank you, Irwan, for calling us divine," he said.
Blatantly racist Ananthan is angry because no action has been taken against Ibrahim for being so blatantly racist and inciting racial tension. He told FMT that since the authorities are keeping silent, the movement obviously enjoyed immunity from criminal charges. "With many reports lodged against it, the police are reluctant to clamp down on Perkasa. This shows Umno is behind the movement," said Ananthan. He warned the Umno leadership that its indifference towards Perkasa's tirades would only alienate the Chinese and Indians further from the ruling coalition. "The Malay votes are already split among Umno, PAS and PKR. You need the Chinese and Indians," said Ananthan. DAP Selangor legal bureau chief V Ganabatirao echoed Ananthan's sentiments, saying that BN would pay a high price in the polls for its tacit support of Perkasa. 'Uncivilised behaviour' "While the six PSM members were detained for no reason, the home ministry and the police seem to be powerless against a small group like Perkasa," said Ganabatirao. |
| What’s Firefly’s role after tie-up? Posted: 14 Aug 2011 05:26 PM PDT By Kang Siew Li, The Sun PETALING JAYA (Aug 14, 2011): The unprecedented tie-up between Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and rivals AirAsia and AirAsia X last week has thrust the future of Firefly – the budget carrier of the national airline – into the limelight. Even Firefly's top executives are in the dark over the role the budget carrier will play in this tie-up although there is talk of the airline exiting the low-cost segment. Senior executives from MAS and AirAsia have so far only said MAS will focus on premium travel, AirAsia on the short-haul low-cost segment and AirAsia X the medium- and long-haul budget segment under the comprehensive collaboration framework (CCF). "Firefly's resources would be refocused to launch a new regional full service airline operation," MAS chairman Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof had said at the press conference, but did not elaborate. "What does regional mean? Will it (Firefly) cover countries in Asean, Asia or Asia-Pacific? Will it continue to operate a mix of turboprops and jets or only turboprops? Will it be like Silk Air, the full service regional airline wing of Singapore Airlines?" asked an industry observer. When contacted by SunBiz, Firefly managing director Datuk Eddy Leong said he doesn't know. "I don't know yet. Until we are asked to do something else by MAS's new executive committee (set up to oversee the management of the airline until a new managing director is appointed), our operations must proceed as normal," he said. Firefly began its operations in 2007, initially operating turboprops from Subang before expanding into jet aircraft operation out of the KL International Airport (KLIA) early this year. It currently operates a fleet of 10 ATR 72-500 turboprops, four Boeing 737-800s and one 737-400. The rise of Firefly has intensified the competition and rivalry between MAS and AirAsia, and has hurt yields for AirAsia, especially on routes from KLIA to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Maybank Investment Bank believes that Firefly's jet operation days are numbered and that its turbo-prop operations will be rebranded as a full service regional service. "There will only be one full service carrier (MAS) and one low-cost carrier (AirAsia) in Malaysia, while AirAsia X will focus on being a medium-to-long haul low-cost carrier," the research firm said in a report. "There will be a clear demarcation of clientele and the business overlap will be reduced to benign. MAS's short-haul full service carrier business may be undertaken through a new subsidiary by the name of Sapphire, and MAS has the flexibility to re-designate capacity, assets and resources from Firefly to Sapphire," it added. Some analysts believe that Firefly will exit the low-cost segment by the first quarter of next year, thereby reducing the overall competitive pricing pressures and be positive for yields. However, Standard & Poor's aviation analyst Shukor Yusof said it would not make sense for MAS's new management to hive off its budget business into a new subsidiary. "Why? I can't think of a reason why you would want to remove a unit that is showing promise and actually making profits. The Firefly brand is doing quite well. I would seriously question the rationale behind completely removing Firefly from the present operations," he told SunBiz. Shukor believes that Firefly would still do well with its fleet of turboprops, offering premium travel in the Asean region. "After all, it was created in the first place to fly domestically and to Singapore. It should not be a problem," he said. "There's still a lot of uncertainties as a result of the (MAS-AirAsia) partnership. There are many questions that have yet to be answered, but in due course they will have to explain how they are going to rationalise not just the fleet and the operations, but the staff," he added. |
| Anwar to enter defense on Aug 22 Posted: 14 Aug 2011 05:21 PM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - The High Court today has set next Monday for Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to enter his defense on a sodomy charge. The court also allowed his legal team a chance to interview six more witnesses. Justice Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah said Anwar will have to enter defense next Monday no matter what the outcome of the interview.
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| Aviation: strange bedfellows in Malaysian airline market Posted: 14 Aug 2011 05:19 PM PDT By Air Travel Reports @ Chief Officers' Network Now Fernandes and Kamarudin are linked to Kazanah and therefore to government, they are also indirectly linked to Proton and, therefore, linked to Group Lotus with whom the AirAsia pair have a dispute over the use of the name "Team Lotus" in Formula One. There was no mention of any side-deal relating to Lotus (in either Group or Team form) in the deal relating to the airlines but it would be surprising if there were no nods and winks exchanged at some point. On the face of it, it's hard to see a downside for any of the parties involved. The ebullient and frequently abrasive Tony Fernandes is to take a seat on the board of AirAsia's biggest threat: Malaysia Airlines. To see MAS as a threat to AirAsia, it is necessary to see some background for, on the face of it, they are not only not in competition, one as a full service carrier and one as a low cost airline, but actually feed each other. But that would be to deny the importance of politics. For Fernandes is a political outsider and those running Malaysia Airlines and Malaysia Airports are closely connected to government. Fernandes, who rescued a failing airline by paying USD1 and assuming most of its debts and then turned it into a supremely successful regional then inter-continental carrier, has been a vocal opponent of the links between the Malaysian flag carrier and its airports authority to say nothing of the aviation authorities which, he complains, have obstructed AirAsia's access to routes. Fernandes says that the investment of both himself and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun in AirAsia have been diluted by the deal which gives them substantial direct shareholder interest in Malaysia Airlines and in Malaysia Airports. Fernandes says that he will bring to MAS a form of influence but not direct, hands-on, management. But he will also bring something else: he has a knack for delivering good deals on everything from aircraft to fuel - and for rapidly spotting and going after opportunities. MAS has an ageing fleet: some of its Boeing 747s are not so much middle-aged as geriatric. Indeed, MAS operates a primarily Boeing fleet: AirAsia a a group operates exclusively Airbus. AirAsia has a deal in its pocket for a substantial number of new Airbus aircraft and some of those could be used to replace the creaking regional fleet at MAS, speeding up the national carrier's modernisation at a rate that it cannot, at present, justify. But it is MAS's juvenile Firefly that is creating interest. Launched as a low-cost full service carrier, Firefly has had considerable investment but the concept confuses passengers who understand full-price, full service or low-price, no frills service. The general response to Firefly's pricing is that it is expensive. There are several options for Firefly: one is to turn it into an MAS version of Singapore Airline's Silk Air. But Silk Air is not a concept: it is a regional carrier. For passengers, the confusion is that Singapore Airlines runs regional flights, under its own brand. And Silk Air has no significant product differentiation from its parent. With Qantas rumoured to be considering launching its own South East Asia regional full service airline (not competing on cost with Jetstar, the only part of Qantas that keeps the larger group financially secure), possibly based out of Singapore or, on some rumours, Kuala Lumpur, the idea of another full service subsidiary seems a bit otiose, especially as MAS has already cut its in-flight service on domestic flights with no alcohol (including no alcohol in its domestic terminal lounges) and light meal packs instead of a full meals service even on flights lasting more than an hour. MAS is expected to gain some of the AIrAsia culture - although that will be difficult: MAS is extremely bureaucratic and trying to improve staff performance will be like swimming through treacle. Having said that, there have been significant improvements in the past two years or so, after a period when both in-flight and ground service deteriorated far below the standard that had given MAS a stellar international reputation. For its part, AirAsia says that it expects to be able to reduce some of its servicing costs and that there will be no internecine battles over routes as to do so would harm both sides. But its primary benefits will be that the confusion over the market positioning of Firefly will be removed and that there AirAsia X, in particular, will be able to develop routes that expand the market (e.g. KUL-SYD) beyond premium travellers, as it has on other routes. With AirAsia X moving its base to London's Gatwick Airport in a few weeks, giving it easier access to London's pretence at hubbing and to a rail service that is better integrated into London than that from Stansted (which goes only to Liverpool Street Station) the new deal raises the prospect of long haul from London to Christchurch as its current longest route. AirAsia and MAS will not code-share. This is said to be due to the different business models but it is more than that: MAS has been accepted into the OneWorld network and is working towards integration. (see story) and no low-cost airlines are part of IATA or any major network. In part, that is due to the LCC principle that they are "point to point" carriers and therefore disclaim any and all liability if a passenger misses a connection. Indeed, AirAsia will not book a through ticket within its own network: passengers must disembark, collect their luggage and check in for their next flight, even at its KUL principal hub. That does not fit with the airline networks' model and therefore low-cost is out. There are a couple of additional aspects to the deal. Now Fernandes and Kamarudin are linked to Kazanah and therefore to government, they are also indirectly linked to Proton and, therefore, linked to Group Lotus with whom the AirAsia pair have a dispute over the use of the name "Team Lotus" in Formula One. There was no mention of any side-deal relating to Lotus (in either Group or Team form) in the deal relating to the airlines but it would be surprising if there were no nods and winks exchanged at some point. |
| ‘Only three states for BN-Umno’ Posted: 14 Aug 2011 04:39 PM PDT
Barisan Nasional has lost 80% of the younger generation voters. (Free Malaysia Today) - Former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin is pessimistic about the future of Barisan Nasional. He believes that BN can say its comfortable but only in Johore, Malacca and Pahang. But even in Pahang, a few parliamentary seats will slip out of BN's grasps as with a few more state seats. But overall, Daim believes Pahang will remain under BN, according to his alter ego The Oracle of Syed Putra, with whom I recently conversed. And if I am at liberty to translate the body language of The Oracle, Daim is also pessimistic about the political fortunes of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. I am sure that I've heard the same disconcerting vibrations from former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself. The Oracle said Daim's exhortations to the two top leaders (Najib and deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin) to go down and meet up with the cawangan (division) people is unheeded. "Meeting with Ketua Bahagians can be a misleading source of information, they will tell of everything good and what they have done with a view of getting re-elected. "But you need to go down to the basics – listen to the views in the raw (yourself). If possible exclude the ketua bahagians. "But they (Najib and Muhyiddin) haven't done this. "The PM is busy with his overseas trip. The DPM will not move lest whatever actions he takes will be misconstrued as upstaging the boss. "And that can cause some internal upheavals in Umno," said the Oracle. Losing battle Speaking further the Orcale said Umno and BN have lost their influence over the younger generation. Eighty percent of the younger voters are not going to vote for the BN. I asked the Oracle if he thought Umno could win the battles in cyberspace? And this is what he said: "Just look at the articles being spewed by the Umno cyber troopers. "Some of them are stuck with the idea that the PM of Malaysia is still Dr Mahathir and so their articles will be tailored to suit the positions taken by Dr Mahathir. "You watch – Dr Mahathir hasn't spoken his true mind (yet) about the Najib administration. "Once he does that all hell will break loose," he said adding that one reason for Mahathir's 'silence' is the restraint counselled by Daim. The majority of the Umno cybertroopers are spewing hate articles all the time with the expletives and vitriol. Will these engage the fence-sitters; those independent minded thinking would-be voters?
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| Can we have a lawyer as the next Chief Justice please? Posted: 14 Aug 2011 04:17 PM PDT By Zaid Ibrahim The present Chief Justice will retire soon, and his successor they say will be Tan Sri Ariffin Zakaria. It has been a while since this country had a Chief Justice who was a good lawyer. A good Chief Justice understands the law; is true to his conscience and is not ashamed to ask questions if he does not know the answers. He must believe in the rule of law and view justice as something tangible and worthy of pursuit. He is not afraid to decide cases in accordance with the law, regardless of the consequences to himself. We have had too many CJs who were administrators and judicial spokespersons for political masters. Small men holding high positions bring shame to the judiciary and to the country. I pray that Ariffin will be a suitable CJ. The Ariffin that I know would bring comfort. He is a good lawyer and has a sufficient dose of humility in him to be interested inthe business of dispensing justice, especially to the minority and the oppressed. Any idiot can decide in favour of the rich and the powerful – it takes a special Chief Justice who can adequately distance himself from the levers of power, and have the courage to defend the rights of ordinary Malaysians. I hope Ariffin will bring integrity, decency and independence to the Bench once again. High positions can change many of us, but I hope it will not be like that with Ariffin. As for the present CJ, Tun Zaki Azmi, I wish him a happy retirement. His pronouncements in some cases have bordered on the absurd. His pronouncement that a receiver and manager can have two principals – that is the company (borrower) and the bank (debenture holder) – is mind-boggling. He is more suited to be UMNO's lawyer or Chairman of UMNO's conglomerates than a Chief Justice. When he resigned as Deputy Chairman of UMNO's Disciplinary Board following the burning of his own marriage certificate, he said he did not want to tarnish the good name of the Board. Clearly, he cared more for UMNO than the judiciary, since he then accepted the post of a Federal Court judge when Pak Lah offered it to him. During the Federal Court hearing of S. Shamala's conversion case, when the Court of Appeal referred several important constitutional points of law for determination, he denied them the answers. Instead, he told the lawyer that the questions posed to the Court were political. The Court of Appeal had sought answers to questions of law concerning the position of several Syariah Court Enactments. It also questioned whether the unilateral conversion of a minor to Islam by Shamala's husband was constitutional – these questions are clearly legal in nature, and are also constitutional issues of great importance. The ramifications may be political, but it is not the Chief Justice's job to manage political fallout.
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| Posted: 14 Aug 2011 04:11 PM PDT By Lim Kit Siang The media has been abuzz following the Sin Chew Daily interview with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz and his notion that DAP should join the Barisan Nasional. The question of DAP joining the Barisan Nasional to replace MCA does not arise at all. DAP is not a Chinese party fighting for Chinese rights but a Malaysian party fighting for the rights of all Malaysians whether Chinese, Malays, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans or Orang Asli as common Malaysian citizens who are entitled to an equal place under the Malaysian sun. DAP leaders have toiled and sacrificed for their political beliefs in the past 45 years, persecuted and prosecuted in court, detained under the Internal Security Act for as long as four year and nine months, jailed and disqualified as MP and barred from elective office for five years for standing firm and steadfast on a matter of principle to fight for the rights of all Malaysians transcending race and religion – all these sacrifices not just for the DAP to replace MCA in the Barisan Nasional. Right from the beginning, the vision and commitment of DAP leaders is for a Malaysia where all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, can unite in a common Malaysian patriotic endeavor to form an efficient, clean and transparent government to build a just, democratic, progressive, prosperous and competitive Malaysia. DAP must always act not just for the Chinese but for all communities in Malaysia. Only a new politics and a new national compact, breaking completely away from the politics of "divide and rule" along ethnic lines, subordination of public interests to private greed resulting in destruction of independent national institutions, rampant corruption and cronyism where privatization has become piratisation and NEP an instrument to foster Umnoputras in the name of bumiputras, can save Malaysia. DAP is fully committed together with PAS and PKR to ensuring Pakatan Rakyat success in 13th general elections to restore the constitutional rights assured to all Malaysians regardless race and religion and bring about fundamental changes so that a new start could be made to fully develop Malaysia's potentials particularly our human resources and talents to be a united, successful and great Malaysian nation.
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| ‘Evil’ BN injected voters into Sibu Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:59 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Sarawak DAP has accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) of resorting to "evil means" in order to recapture the parliamentary seat of Sibu, which the opposition won in last year's by-election. It alleged that the BN had employed dirty tactics such "injecting" or increasing normal and postal votes and registering non-citizens as voters in an attempt to take back Sibu in the by-election last May. In the polls, DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng snatched the seat from BN-Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) by a small margin of 398 votes. "We have managed to find out in Sibu that there was an unexplained and sudden increase of voters in certain areas as well as the registration of non-citizens as voters. "We found that there were many voters who were registered in the electoral rolls, but their names did not appear in the database of National Registration Department (NRD). "For the record, Dudong has 27 individuals registered in the electoral rolls, but their names were not found in the NRD head office. "In Pelawan, the number was 21 and Nangka had 36. For other areas we are going to check the national registration database and match it with the electoral rolls," Wong said after chairing the Sate DAP committee meeting yesterday. He said the Election Commission (EC) must explain the discrepancy. "The EC must explain why these individuals were being registered in the electoral rolls. Did it mean that the non-citizens have been registered as voters? "We also want to know the unexplained increase of voters in Nangka which saw an increase of 497 voters… "This is disproportionate to the increase in other constituencies like Bukit Assek where we saw a decrease of 50 voters, Dudong with an increase of 291, Bawan Assan 121 and Palawan 345," said Wong who is the State assemblyman for Bukit Assek.
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| Ambiga tells of her ‘lawyerly revolt’ Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:46 PM PDT
By Clare Rewcastle Brown, FMT Over the weekend, Bersih 2.0 chairman Ambiga Sreenivasan drew a big draw in London, bringing enthusiastic audiences to a fund-raising dinner and to listen to speeches. The Bersih 2.0 rally had produced an excellent sympathy turnout over here in July, with several hundred marchers clad in yellow making the walk from the Malaysian High Commission over to Trafalgar Square. The time difference between the two regions made the London event especially poignant, because by the time it got going news had already come through about what had happened to friends back home. This weekend was the first chance for many to receive a first-hand account of what took place and from the leader of the event herself. Ambiga manages a rare combination. She is a highly formidable female, but also warm and engaging. She laid out with clarity and objectivity why she had led her lawyerly revolt. For us who had been so far away it was a welcome analysis. Bersih's concerns had been sparked off by their observation of the Sarawak state election, she explained. To their horror they witnessed "the dirtiest election ever" with "out and out vote buying", "intimidation", "phantom votes" and all the paraphernalia of rigged elections. The fact that modern technology meant there was solid, recorded evidence of plenty of cheating meant that, in Ambiga's view, the Election Commission had a constitutional duty to investigate and take action. However, to her dismay the Election Commission did nothing. EC's wilful ignorance As a former leader of the Malaysian Bar Council, Ambiga couches her arguments in the language of the law and not politics. Throughout (her speech), she made clear that her core concerns are about the abuse of legality and of Malaysia's constitution. She explained how Bersih had appealed to all political parties on the issue, but that support had come only from the opposition. Yet, her most withering criticism was directed towards officials of the Election Commission for their persistent attacks on the opposition and their refusal to investigate fraud. "The Election Commissioners just don't understand that under the constitution they are supposed to be independent of the government," she sighed. There can be nothing more frustrating for a lawyer than such wilful ignorance by those who have responsibility for upholding the rule of law.
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| EC insincere in cleaning up electoral rolls, says PAS Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:43 PM PDT By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — The Election Commission (EC) has no intention of cleaning the existing electoral roll with its statement that there are no clean voter lists across the world, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said today. He added that EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof's remark "there is no clean electoral roll in the world" is similar to the Malay folklore figure Pak Pandir who said "not only our children will pass away, other people's children will also pass away". "This statement reflects the real attitude of the EC, which has no direct intention to favour the people and vigorously clean the existing electoral roll," Tuan Ibrahim said in a statement. He noted that the EC had been obstinate about denying its weaknesses over the years but pressure from the opposition has led it to acknowledge there are deficiencies in the electoral roll. But Tuan Ibrahim said the confession is far from sincere with Abdul Aziz blaming "technical errors that occurred during the process of the National Registration Department (JPN) profiling". "The electoral roll has about 12.3 million voters and there would be mistakes here and there, the whole world will have the same problem ... there is no perfect electoral list in the world," Abdul Aziz had said. "All that's happened was not planned by the EC. The EC will not simply allow voters to vote twice. Sometimes, it goes wrong during the profiling (by JPN). We will check if it's in the wrong place, if so, we will throw it out," Abdul Aziz said amid a backlash from evidence presented by the opposition such as registered foreign voters, overlapping names, phantom voters and names of voters not present on the JPN list. "EC's confession is clear why Bersih 2.0 was held, and now people are seeing its results," said Tuan Ibrahim, who is also Pahang PAS commissioner. He added that although the EC and Umno continue to portray the Bersih 2.0 rally negatively, people have started to open their eyes and see how dirty the election system is with thousands of foreigners given voting rights so easily.
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| MAS, TR deals price of Dr M’s failed privatisation plans, says PAS Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:40 PM PDT
By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PAS has called the MAS-AirAsia share swap and the Cabinet's "off-site" settlement of lawsuits against the national carrier's former executive chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli the "manifestation" of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's failed privatisation programmes. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the two recent headline-grabbing stories linked to Malaysia Airlines System Bhd (MAS) were the "two greatest symbols" of the former prime minister's alleged policy of privatising state-owned companies for the benefit of cronies. "These two are greatest symbols of cronyism and corruption along the lines of 'who do you know' and 'you help me I help you'," he told reporters here. Mahfuz pointed out even though Dr Mahathir has been in retirement for seven years now, the loss of competition in the airline industry resulting from the share swap and the potential out-of-court settlement with Tajuddin meant the people were still paying the price of the Umno strongman's 22 years in power. He said MAS had once been an airline "owned by the people" whose service was on par with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific before it was allegedly bled by Tajuddin after the latter took control of the ailing state carrier in 1994. "Ownership was transferred from the people to an individual, Tajuddin, who lost RM8 billion with no accountability even though there was an effort to charge him," he said. The government regained control of MAS in 2001, but not before the airline allegedly incurred losses in excess of RM8 billion as a result of Tajuddin's dealings. According to a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), a major contributor to the record losses under Tajuddin was the relocation of MAS's cargo operation in Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany, where the airline was forced to enter into a disadvantageous aircraft lease contract with a company which was later linked to Tajuddin's family. The Malaysian Insider had reported that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz issued a letter earlier this month telling all GLCs that the government was settling their claims with Tajuddin out of court. Tajuddin is facing billions in legal claims against him, following accusations by MAS in 2002 that he had caused the carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion. Nazri's letter had called for "all civil claims against Tajuddin and others to be withdrawn immediately in view of the fact that the government and the Finance Ministry have agreed that the said cases will be settled out of court."
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| The Return of Daim Zainuddin's Monopoly Game Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:34 PM PDT
By Finance Twitter If there's an award for the best dressed wolf in sheep's skin, you can be sure of only one winner – Tun Daim Zainuddin. The former finance minister is perhaps the politician former Prime Minister Mahathir least has to worry simply because Daim was not an ambitious politician. Daim loves money and young women more than anything else and this includes power that comes with the position as Finance Minister. And Mahathir was freaking comfortable with such person. Furthermore Mahathir and Daim were intimate friends from the same village in Alor Setar. Daim was so influential during Mahathir's administration that Musa Hitam, Deputy Prime Minister, couldn't get Mahathir's attention when Musa commented about Daim's dealings in awarding huge projects to his cronies such as Tajuddin Ramli, Halim Saad, Wan Azmi, Samsuddin Hassan, Rashid Hussain, Amin Shah and others. Daim, the Mr Moneybags of UMNO, can easily become the richest man in Malaysia if his wealth is openly declared. During his day as the Finance Minister, Daim persuaded Mahathir for absolute power in running the Economic Planning Unit and the nation's Treasury. In short projects were awarded directly to "preferred" companies aka cronies. As Finance Minister, Daim practically ordered banks to lend money to any companies he desired. Daim and his cronies also profited tremendously from shares allocated from company listing (IPO) on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. At one time Daim Zainuddin was so powerful (and greedy) that his boss, Mahathir, was speechless when confronted by not only Chairman of Japan's banks but also former Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that Daim Zainuddin's demand on the quantum of commissions was simply outrages. Daim was so influential politically and monetary that he can influence the ups and downs of the local stock exchange. Eventually Mahathir had to relieve Daim Zainuddin of his position lest the PM wish the whole world to know about the irregularities. Of course Daim Zainuddin was linked to many scandals over his journey in wealth accumulation. Daim was allegedly illegally acquired 40.7% of UMBC in 1984 while he was already Finance Minister. He also owned substantial stake via nominees in previously Development & Commercial Bank, Rashid Hussain Berhad, Bank of Commerce, United Asian Bank, Southern Bank, and Ban Hin Lee Bank before their mergers in the 1990s when he was still Finance Minister. Daim's name is also linked in the RM8 billion controversial electrified double-tracking railway project spanning from Gemas to Johor Baru. It seems CREC (China Railways Engineering Corp.), a Chinese company that has Daim Zainuddin's finger-prints and was awarded the Letter of Intent, is fighting tooth and nail with Najib's administration because the PM wanted the project to be awarded to another company. Najib's crony and golf buddy Tan Kay Hock was allegedly asking RM500 million commission of which RM200 million was for Najib's family. One of his cronies, Tajuddin Ramli, recently created havoc when he exposed that it was former prime minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin who instructed him to buy shares in Malaysia Airline System (KLSE: MAS, stock-code 3786) to help Bank Negara (Central Bank) recover from foreign exchange losses in 1994. And now another (Daim) crony tycoon Halim Saad who was bailed out in the 1997/1998 Asia financial crisis is making headlines in the local stock market. Halim Saad controlled now defunct Renong Group which in turns owned PLUS and UEM Group Berhad. Both PLUS and UEM are now owned by Khazanah. It was reported that Halim and Daim are the man behind Asas Serba, a company which proposed to tale over 25 toll expressways in the Peninsular Malaysia. Asas Serba has offered 20% cut in toll rates in its RM50 billion bid for the acquisition as a carrot to lure the ruling government to accept the proposal. Politically this is attractive since the government could cheer the voters while the government could save RM114 billion (from 2010 until 2038) in a lopsided agreement that allows the concessionaires to raise toll rates every 3-years. The contender was from Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, one of Najib's many cronies, who is offering RM45 billion to take over all assets of highway concessions with a 10% toll reduction across the board. The proposal also includes a promise not to increase toll rates in the remaining years of the concession. The whispers on the street were that Syed Mokhtar is already monopolize the nation's sugar (that's right, Robert Kuok no longer the Sugar King) and rice industry so should the same person be crowned the Highway King as well?
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| MACC probe uncovers 6P scammers Posted: 14 Aug 2011 01:38 PM PDT
By Tim Leonard & Azril Annuar, The Sun The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe into the 6P amnesty programme has uncovered a syndicate headed by a 'Datuk' which is believed to have raked in millions of ringgit from unsuspecting foreigners. A senior MACC investigations officer disclosed that the probe found that thousands of foreigners had each paid the syndicate members between RM300 and RM2,000 purportedly to ensure they are granted amnesty and legalisation. "To convince the foreigners, the syndicate members showed photographs of those who had purportedly received amnesty after paying the specified amount," said the official. It is believed that more than 10,000 foreign workers all over the country have fallen prey to the syndicate, whose members go around claiming to be officials appointed by the authorities and wear 'government' accreditation tags. The MACC official revealed that the syndicate members had also collected money from foreign women involved in the flesh trade, and had offered them 'amnesty' for between RM300 and RM2,000. "We have found several leads on how the 6P programme is being manipulated and abused by unscrupulous individuals misusing the government's name," the official said. MACC director of investigations Datuk Mustafar Ali was unavailable for immediate comment but is expected to issue a statement later this week on the developments of the 6P amnesty probe. The Immigration Department is currently conducting the 6P programme to register and identify all legal and illegal foreign workers in the country. The first phase – the registration of foreign workers – is ongoing until Aug 31 and the second phase which is legalisation and amnesty, will kick off next month. Illegal foreign workers registering with any one of the 336 appointed agencies are required to pay RM 35 for registration in the first phase, and RM 300 for legalisation in the second phase. Last week, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had welcomed the probe by MACC and urged the anti-graft body to take stern action on those abusing the 6P amnesty exercise. Hishammuddin said an investigation was important to eradicate corrupt practices and cripple syndicates who are out to exploit the situation at the expense of the illegal foreign workers despite the government's directive to charge not more than RM35 per head, for registration purposes. Meanwhile, Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said today that agencies appointed to facilitate biometric registration of illegal foreign workers who have already charged them the legalisation fee of RM300 per worker, will be required to refund the money should a worker's legalisation process fail. He said as the legalisation process will only start in September, only the RM35 registration fee is applicable for now. "These unscrupulous agents should not have started charging the workers the legalisation fee yet," he told theSun. "Legalisation has not started yet, why are they already charging these poor people? What happens if these (illegal foreign) workers fail in applying for the legalisation process? These agents must return the money to them." "What guarantee do these agents have that these workers can secure a job and be legalised in the first place? They might be sent back to their country of origin," said Mahmood, who reiterated that registration and legalisation process at immigration offices are free of charge. Asked to comment on the 600 biometric registration machines reportedly found to have been tampered with by a number of agencies last week, Mahmood said he had no update yet on the investigation as it was the weekend. |
| Posted: 14 Aug 2011 12:52 PM PDT By Tony Pua Despite the nationwide furore over the directive given by Minister in Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz to all Government Linked Companies (GLCs) to withdraw from civil suits against Tajuddin Ramli, none of the GLCs which are listed on Bursa Malaysia have made any public announcement over the matter. According to The Malaysian Insider, the directive from the Nazri, who claimed to have the mandate of the Government said that: This is to inform you that the government of Malaysia and the Finance Ministry has agreed to settle all civil claims against Tajuddin Ramli and others to be withdrawn immediately in view of the fact that the government and the Finance Ministry have agreed that the said cases will be settled out of court… For your information the government has given me the mandate to act for the government in this matter. Nazri's letter also directed the lawyers acting for the GLCs and Danaharta to hand over their cases to the firm of Hasfarizam Wan and Aisha Mubarak, a well-known UMNO lawyer. Such a directive from the Minister dated 8th August to public-listed entities should have been immediately disclosed on Bursa Malaysia as the litigations involved billions of ringgit in claims and counter-claims which are surely "material" to finances of these companies. The Board of Directors of these companies must also immediately state their immediate position vis-à-vis the letter from Nazri to allow investors, particularly the minority shareholders to weigh their investment options. The listed companies involved include Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Axiata Group Bhd, CIMB Bank Bhd, Atlan Holdings Bhd and Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS). None of these companies have issued any announcements pertaining to the matter as at the time this statement is issued, nearly a week after the government directive was given. The failure to disclose material developments on a timely basis may subject the company and/or its director and officers to penalties under the Listing Requirements and the Securities Industry Act, including a fine not exceeding RM1 million, a suspension of trading of the company's securities; and/or the delisting of its securities. The Securities Commission (SC) must act without fear or favour and reprimand these listed companies for failing to make the necessary disclosures to protect the public and shareholder's rights. SC must also require these companies to publish the Government's directive in full to ensure that investors are not confused by "hearsay" over the exact content of the letter. The blatant interference by the Government will also rock investors' confidence in our stock markets as it becomes questionable if the Board of Directors will act in the best interest of these companies, or will be nudged to comply with arbitrary government decrees. SC which has worked hard over the years to improve Malaysia's reputation for poor corporate governance since the Asian financial crisis especially over the then RM3.2 billion bail out of Halim Saad, must not allow this incident to reverse the progress it has achieved.
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| AirAsia boss poised to take over QPR today Posted: 14 Aug 2011 12:36 PM PDT
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider AirAsia chief Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is close to taking majority control of English Premiership football club Queens Park Rangers (QPR) today. UK newspapers The Financial Times and the Guardian reported today that the owner of Asia's largest low-cost airline hopes to conclude a deal to buy a 51 per cent stake in the West London club from Formula One motor racing chief Bernie Ecclestone.The Financial Times said Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who already owns a 33 per cent stake in QPR, will acquire the rest of Ecclestone's 62 per cent share. The Guardian also reported former Brazil coach and captain Dunga claiming that the Premier League club owed him £750,000 (RM3.75 million). AirAsia recently finalised a share swap with MAS, where the former's main shareholder Tune Air Sdn Bhd will swap 10 per cent stake in the budget carrier for 20.5 per cent share of the ailing flag carrier.
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