Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Despite Penang’s success, Guan Eng says talent still leaving country
- Wanted – RM5b to help Indians, Orang Asli
- MAS mulls delaying alliance, A380s as losses mount
- DAP reveals another land shocker
- 18-year old Malaysian girl at exclusive private college gang-raped
- Now let’s see what the MACC is going to do
- Resisting Any Witch Hunt Aimed at Blaming the Illegals
- You will believe what you believe
- Now hear ye!
- Top students in three universities are Malaysian women
- Sodomy charge is conspiracy by Najib, says Anwar
- A Spin Uncovered
- Anwar: 'I have no faith whatsoever that justice will prevail'
- SAPP hoping ensure straights fights in GE
- Get rid of garbage politicians
- Refugee swap may increase BN votes
- Malaysia – a simple institutional analysis
- 1 Malaysia email begins beta testing
- 11-11-11
- Anwar: I did not have sex with Saiful
- Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #79
- Malaysians in the U.S. gather to discuss the movement for political reform
- Thank you, Pete - re: Tan Kay Hock
- US diplomat foresaw DAP gains but not Pakatan success
- WIKILEAKS: NAJIB FIGHTS BACK; WEEKEND PROTEST FAILS TO IMPRESS
- LDP back-stabbed by BN component members
- Where has Malay Nationalism gone to?
- I’m sorry, Najib, it was the AG and IGP
- Chinese Tycoons Out of Touch?
- Biometrics – The cash cow for Umno elections
- Ada Batu (Rocky) Dalam Selimut
- Pilih Perdana Menteri mengikut Perlembagaan - Cara konvensyen sudah ketinggalan zaman
- ‘Umno must compete without killing opposition’
- DPM: Govt to protect Bumiputeras' interest
- Thousands back Indian activist's fast against graft
- Khairy says up to bosses to decide on Rembau
- BN Ready To Face GE, Says Rais
- Penang refutes Tsu Koon, says investment decisions done quicker
- Don’t just ‘cari makan’, take a stand
- Alarming number of illegals
- Polls panel insincere public relations move, say activists, Malaysians
- And the Winner Is?
- Rocky to lead media onslaught against Najib?
- Listing 1,100 capable bumi firms
- What is this country coming to?
- Was Muhyiddin behind Najib’s turnaround?
- Ringgit sukuk sales head for record as Gulf taps market
- EPF confirms buying London office block for RM740m
- Is the PSC yet another con job?
- Of people, the choices we make, and our ability to affect the future.
| Despite Penang’s success, Guan Eng says talent still leaving country Posted: 22 Aug 2011 10:56 AM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider PETALING JAYA, Aug 23 — Economic success and development in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states alone will not be enough to keep local talent in Malaysia as many are still looking for greener pastures, says Lim Guan Eng. The Penang Chief Minister said last night that the brain drain is very much a serious problem, and that Malaysia is still losing out to neighbouring countries who continue to recruit young Malaysian professionals in droves. "Despite Penang's success, it is still difficult to attract people to stay back home. "There has been aggressive head-hunting by our neighbours, especially Singapore. We are losing to them, even though we did not actually do anything wrong. We are losing out to our neighbouring countries," he told a DAP Selangor fundraiser here last night. The DAP secretary-general's remarks were in response to a question posed about PR's plan in tackling the problem of brain drain. He was barraged with questions last night, but each query carried a standard demand — many of those in attendance wanted to know details of PR's policy plans (education, financial management) should it assume federal power. Lim appeared to have been caught off-guard with some of the questions, and did not directly answer them nor did he provide PR's solutions into tackling brain drain. Instead, he said that PR's policy plans would focus on maintaining a corruption-free environment as well as reform plans set out by the opposition's Buku Jingga manifesto. "We will liberalise the economy, and establish institutions. We want institutions to follow the rule of law," Lim stressed. In January, the Najib administration had set up Talent Corporation to revive to revive the nation's stagnating economy. A brain drain is depriving Malaysia of talent, and accounts for a third of the country's one-million strong diaspora, according to the World Bank Economic Monitor.
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| Wanted – RM5b to help Indians, Orang Asli Posted: 22 Aug 2011 10:40 AM PDT By Nantha Kumar. FMT KUALA LUMPUR: A call has gone out to help the Indian and Orang Asli communities to the tune of RM5 billion over the next five years. This is what the Malaysian Indian Business Association wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to include in his 2012 Budget. Association president P Sivakumar said the coming budget must help improve the lifestyle of the minority communities. He said although Najib has done something to help the minority communities, only a few million dollars have been given out, which is insufficient. He added the new budget should pay special attention to the minorities, especially Indians and the Orang Asli. He said the government should allocate RM1 billion each year for the Indians and Orang Asli over the next five years. "By allocating the proposed amount, five years will be time enough for the communities to catch up with the others." He said 80% of the Indians are in the urban and semi-urban areas and of this, 30% are in the lower income group. Sivakumar said they do not own houses or given business opportunties to get out of their impoverished situation.
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| MAS mulls delaying alliance, A380s as losses mount Posted: 22 Aug 2011 10:11 AM PDT By Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is considering delaying its membership with global airline group Oneworld and deliveries of the super airliner Airbus A380 as its new management focuses on cutting losses, which spiked in the second quarter of 2011. The Malaysian Insider understands that MAS will announce a bigger loss today for this year's second quarter, traditionally its weakest business period, from the net loss of RM242.3 million in the first quarter ended March 31. It posted a pre-tax loss of RM532.6 million for the second quarter in 2010. "The exco met last week and are looking at their options of delaying the alliance with Oneworld because it will cost money to provide interlining services and also upgrade the lounges to their standards," a company source told The Malaysian Insider. "They are also looking at delaying the A380 deliveries. It's already delayed since 2008 but the exco is concerned if it can make money for MAS," he added, referring to the executive committee headed by MAS chairman Tan Sri Mohd Nor Mohd Yusof now managing the airline after managing director Tengku Datuk Azmil Zahruddin resigned effective August 9. Azmil's resignation was announced after the airline's biggest shareholder, state asset manager Khazanah Nasional Berhad, swapped 20.5 per cent of MAS stock for a 10 per cent stake in Asia's biggest budget carrier AirAsia on August 9. The swap enabled AirAsia bosses Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and his partner Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Meranun to sit on the MAS board and help turn around the loss-making flag carrier. Another source confirmed the possibility of delays, pointing out that MAS is now just a designated member of Oneworld since June and has to go through a process that could take as long as 18 months before being a full member of the world's third biggest airline group. It is understood that a cause of concern is MAS' sponsor to join oneworld, Qantas, which recently announced it wants to set up two new airlines in Asia with part of its US$9 billion (RM26.81 billion) plane order from Airbus in order to salvage its loss-making international business. Under the plan, the Australian carrier has decided to set up a Japanese budget airline with Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Corp and a premium airline based in Southeast Asia, possibly Malaysia. "MAS is going to be a premium airline and if Qantas goes ahead with its plans, there will be competition. An alliance might not work then, apart from the costs of meeting the alliance's standards," the source said. When MAS announced its entry in Oneworld last June, it said that MAS passengers will gain access to the alliance's global network which covers almost 950 destinations in 150 countries. MAS Enrich frequent flyer members will be able to earn and redeem rewards on Oneworld's carriers and vice versa. This strategy was to work with the April 2012 delivery of the first of six A380s that MAS ordered in 2003. There has been three delays for the world's biggest passenger jet from Airbus, which were first to be delivered in January 2007 before being delayed to last January and the third delay was to this month before it was confirmed for next year.
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| DAP reveals another land shocker Posted: 22 Aug 2011 02:11 AM PDT
A company owned by the CM's niece has secured two parcels of state land at a very low price, prompting DAP to cry foul. (Free Malaysia Today) - Sarawak DAP today exposed another shocking allegation on the abuse of power and misappropriation of state assets by the state government. This time it concerned the alienation of two parcels of state land totalling 16,025 acres to a daughter and a niece of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud at a cheap price. One parcel of land with an acreage of 9,983 acres and the other with 6,142 acres at Sungai Anap between Bintulu and Kapit totalling 16,025 acres had been alienated to Ikrar Bumi Sdn Bhd at an alienation price of RM2.9 million, which was payable within five years. Roughly, it is RM300 per acre. The directors of the company which was incorporated in December 2007 are Ong Siok Ching, Kho Lian Gek, Elia Khadijah Abas and Raziah @Rodiah Mahmud who is the secretary. All appointments took effect from 2008. According to the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM), Elia holds 998 shares, while a Wang Ko Chung had only two shares. A check with the National Registration Department revealed that Eliais was the daughter of Raziah and Abas Kassim. She is Taib's niece. DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen who disclosed this to the press said the two pieces of land were now being circulated in the market at a price of RM4,500 per acre. "If the two pieces of land are sold, it will bring about more than RM60 million in income to Ikar Bumi Sdn Bhd. "Rightly, this money should belong to the state," he said, asking how come a dormant company could easily be alienated two parcels of state land.
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| 18-year old Malaysian girl at exclusive private college gang-raped Posted: 22 Aug 2011 01:42 AM PDT
(Daily Mail) - Four wealthy Russians who used an iPhone to film themselves gang-raping a student at an exclusive private college were facing jail today. The group had been in Britain for just two weeks when they carried out the horrific two-and-a-half hour attack on the Malaysian teenager at the £30,000-per-year college. The Russians, aged between 19 and 23, gave a sickening running commentary - and even filmed themselves boasting about what they were going to do to her the day before. The prosecution fear that she may have had her drinks spiked as she was too drunk to consent. Oleg Ivanov, 23, Norayr Davtyan, 22, Armen Simonyan, 19, and 23-year-old Gregory Melnikov all denied rape but were unanimously convicted by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court today. Davtyan described the girl as a 'machine' and in the witness box referred to her as a 'sl**'. The court heard that Ivanov expressed 'pity' for the victim, when they noticed she was crying but was talked out of it by his friend Norayr Davtyan, 22. Peter Clement, prosecuting, said: 'Various members of the gang of four watched each other, encouraged each other, and gave a running commentary as to what they had done and what they were going to do to their fellow student. 'They referred to merely in the abstract as "her" or "she" and in the course of the incident one of the four even has to ask another "What's her name?'' International water polo player Davtyan was holding a party at his dorm at the exclusive college in South London on January 21 this year which the girl attended. She had a shot of whiskey at the party before going to a disco at the school. Although there is no concrete evidence her drink was spiked she felt 'funny, dizzy and peculiar' and was clearly intoxicated before going back to the party and vomiting then falling asleep. The next time she awoke a man was having sex with her but she was unable to move, the jury heard.
She told police: 'I just wanted him to stop, I couldn't wake up, I couldn't stand up, I felt really, really, really tired, I couldn't do anything I couldn't move my hand... I just wanted to close my eyes, I just wanted to die, I did not consent to it.' Mr Clements added: 'Relatively early on in the footage Mr Ivanov says in Russian "She is crying" but it didn't deter him or any of the others at any point. 'He said "I feel pity for her" but this is only after he and others had had sex with her. 'As she left Davtyan told her that she should not tell anyone about what had happened because she would be the one who was "embarrassed" and "ashamed" but she ignored his warnings and went to a pal before calling the police.' Despite Simonyan texting Davtyan the next day to tell him to delete the footage which spanned between 12.38am and 3.10am it was still on his iPhone when he was arrested. Only Ivanov received Legal Aid and the rest of the group were able to pay for their own top QCs. They had denied raping the teen. In the harrowing footage shown to the court, she can be seen barely moving. They said she was a 'sl**' who 'willing consented' but they were unanimously convicted by a jury of seven men four women after an eight week trial. They sat emotionless in the dock as the verdicts against them were read out but a cry was heard from the family members in the public gallery. Davtyan was convicted on two counts of rape, Melnikov was guilty of rape and attempted rape while Ivanov and Simonyan were both convicted of one count of rape. They were remanded in custody until they are sentenced tomorrow. |
| Now let’s see what the MACC is going to do Posted: 22 Aug 2011 01:07 AM PDT
After that, Ho Hup's auditors discovered that Gani Patail's assistance to Vincent Lye went beyond just friendship. Vincent Lye had also bribed Gani Patail. But Vincent Lye was a cheapskate and he used Ho Hup's funds to pay for various renovation works for Gani Patail's second wife's house in Seremban. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin The Unholy Trinity of Gani Patail, Shahidan Shafee and Tajudin Ramli |
| Resisting Any Witch Hunt Aimed at Blaming the Illegals Posted: 21 Aug 2011 06:32 PM PDT
The 10th Malaysian Plan document has a chart showing that the number of foreign workers in the country exceeded over 2 million in 2008. This figure has most likely increased rather than decreased. The current hi-tech, hi-cost biometric exercise seems to have registered only half of all workers with permits and probably fewer than half of those without.
Commentary by Dr. Lim Teck Ghee
The statement by the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that the presence of more illegal workers compared to the legal ones is a cause of concern and could undermine national unity reveals either an ignoramus or an idiot. Did he expect many less illegals given the super-efficiency of his Ministry and the other government agencies sharing responsibility on this vital matter of securing our borders against unauthorized intrusion and stay in the country? According to the current ongoing exercise, as of Friday, a total of 2,088,358 foreign workers had been registered, of whom 1,135,499 were illegals. Probably everyone else in the country knows that this number is an under-estimate and that a very large number are still waiting processing or are avoiding being included in the count altogether. Since his appointment in 2009 as the Minister in charge of this portfolio, Hishammuddin has been lurching from one self inflicted debacle to another. From bending over backwards to defend the indefensible conduct of demonstrators in the infamous cow head incident to his most recent use of repressive force against the Bersih rally, he has shown a standard of leadership of this important Ministry which must be plumbing new lows or matching those lows attained by Dr. Mahathir. Perhaps he has not had time to study and understand the situation with illegals in Malaysia, given the so many other important distractions posed by alleged anti-national and possibly terrorist groupings such as those Parti Rakyat members members recently taken in under the Emergency Ordinance for sporting Che Guevara and other communist attire; or the Bersih supporters who needed tear-gassing and perhaps even a big clout on their thick skulls for upsetting the traffic flow on a weekend; or the MoSC supporters who want to tear down the lily white and incorruptible reputation of one of the country most trusted and respected leaders through their Kuching walk rally aborted on "friendly police advice" – by the way, is Hishammuddin related in any way to Taib? If he has still not been briefed by his Ministry officials on the foreign labour issue, this quick summary of facts, figures and other considerations may be useful. · The 10th Malaysian Plan document has a chart showing that the number of foreign workers in the country exceeded over 2 million in 2008. This figure has most likely increased rather than decreased. The current hi-tech, hi-cost biometric exercise seems to have registered only half of all workers with permits and probably fewer than half of those without. · The presence of so many foreign workers is due to not only to economic factors but also socio-political ones which everyone in the country, except the non-Malay Barisan parties seem to be aware of. · Thanks to 'enlightened' Barisan policies, Malaysian economy and society is presently hopelessly and irredeemably addicted to foreign workers. · The great majority of foreign workers work a lot harder for a lot less than their Malaysian counterparts. They deserve to be treated with fairness and respect, and there should be no witch-hunt to blame them for self inflicted socio-economic and political ills. · The profits in the foreign labour market have generated pervasive corruption amongst all levels of the police force, the Immigration Department, RELA, agents and other agencies – public and private. · The extortion of payments, services and loyalty from this marginalized segment and attempts to use them as a pawn in the demographic and racial power game will continue whatever the changes in policy and new stances adopted for public consumption. In the view of some though who have observed the Home Minister closely, this graduate from the University of Wales and London School of Economics is not an ignoramus or idiot. He is a political animal aiming for the top position through scrupulous or unscrupulous means. According to the latest hot news in the internet, there is more at stake behind the Home Minister's new found enthusiasm for pursuing the registration of foreign workers such as the disclosure that the new biometrics is the cash cow for the coming UMNO elections. Much of this hot news cannot be verified but readers can visit the website http://biometricscandal.wordpress.com/ for details. |
| You will believe what you believe Posted: 21 Aug 2011 06:02 PM PDT
So, never mind what happens during Anwar's trial. And never mind whether they do or do not put Najib on trial. Everyone's mind is already set. They already believe what they believe. And whatever you or the court may say is not going to change this belief. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin A Christian will believe that Jesus Christ was the last Prophet and that Jesus died and came back to life three days later and went to heaven and will come back to earth later. A Muslim will believe that Muhammad was the last Prophet and that Prophet Muhammad's miracle is the Quran and that the Quran is the word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad through Gabriel. An atheist would believe that both beliefs are stupid and have no substance since none of these beliefs have any supporting evidence and are based purely on faith and that 'faith' is a word that is used in the absence of evidence. So, the Christian will believe that the Muslim is stupid, the Muslim will believe that the Christian is stupid, and the atheist will believe that both the Christian and the Muslim are stupid. You will believe what you believe and it would be rare that we can change the way you believe and convince you from what you believe. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak swears that he did not bonk Altantuya Shaariibuu and that the allegation against him is part of a political conspiracy to bring him down. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim swears that he did not bonk Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan and that the allegation against him is part of a political conspiracy to bring him down. Pro-government people would believe that what Najib said is true and that Anwar is the dalang (hidden hand) behind the effort to slander the Prime Minister. Pro-opposition people would believe that what Anwar said is true and that Najib is the dalang (hidden hand) behind the effort to slander the Opposition Leader. Then, those who are suspicious and sceptical of all politicians from both sides of the political divide would believe that all politicians can't be trusted and that both Najib and Anwar are probably guilty and even if they are not guilty of bonking Altantuya and Saiful respectively they are certainly guilty of other crimes anyway. Yes, even if Najib is charged and convicted of the crime, the pro-government people would still insist he is innocent. And even if Anwar is charged and convicted of the crime as well, the pro-opposition people would still insist he is innocent. And the sceptics who do not trust all politicians would say that both Najib and Anwar are two peas in the same pod and both should be sent to jail and locked up in adjacent cells. If the Christians were to insist that Jesus was the true Prophet, would that cause more than one billion Muslims to suddenly convert to Christianity? And if the Muslims were to insist that Muhammad was the true Prophet, would that cause more than one billion Christians to suddenly convert to Islam? And however convincing both the Christians and Muslims may sound, would the atheists suddenly become either Christians or Muslims? Yes, everyone would still believe whatever he or she chooses to believe and no amount of convincing can change this belief. So, never mind what happens during Anwar's trial. And never mind whether they do or do not put Najib on trial. Everyone's mind is already set. They already believe what they believe. And whatever you or the court may say is not going to change this belief. That is the reality of the whole matter. |
| Posted: 21 Aug 2011 05:07 PM PDT
In fact, singing Christmas Carols is not the biggest problem. That is actually a minor issue. The bigger problem would be the belief of most Muslims that only a corrupt/evil government can ensure and guarantee your safety/future/welfare and that whatever happens is man's will and not God's will. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin JAKIM, Malaysia Department of Islamic Development, has come out with guidelines on what Muslims can and cannot do in relation to celebrating Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Thaipusam, Wesak, etc. You can read the full text of the guidelines below. Now, the most crucial element in this entire thing is mentioned in item 1 of this guideline: The event is not accompanied by ceremonies that are against the Islamic faith (aqidah). Yes, that is the crucial element. And that was also why Arqam was banned and its members/leaders detained under the Internal Security Act -- because their practices and beliefs would affect their aqidah. Aqidah is very crucial. Without aqidah you are a non-believer. You cease to be a Muslim. For example, if you know that the government is corrupt/evil but you are scared of opposing the government because you fear that something will happen to you, that means your aqidah is affected because you believe man and not God has power of life and death over you. And this would mean many Malaysian Muslims are actually no longer Muslims since their aqidah is defective. Another example: if you know that the government is corrupt/evil but you continue to work for or support the government because you are scared that if you do not then you will not be able to put food on the table or feed your family, that means your aqidah is affected because you believe man and not God brings you rezeki (blessings). And this would mean many Malaysian Muslims are actually no longer Muslims since their aqidah is defective. Yet another example: if you know that the government is corrupt/evil but you continue to depend on the government because you are scared that if you do not then your children would not get an education, that means your aqidah is affected because you believe man and not God decides your future. And this would mean many Malaysian Muslims are actually no longer Muslims since their aqidah is defective. So you see: your aqidah can be affected in many ways, not just by celebrating Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Thaipusam, Wesak, etc. In fact, singing Christmas Carols is not the biggest problem. That is actually a minor issue. The bigger problem would be the belief of most Muslims that only a corrupt/evil government can ensure and guarantee your safety/future/welfare and that whatever happens is man's will and not God's will. And that would make many Malaysian Muslims no longer Muslims since their aqidah has been grossly compromised. Hmm….why did JAKIM not warn Muslims about this as well? I suppose this is because many of these so-called religious people are fakes who cannot be trusted. ****************************** Guidelines For Muslims Celebrating Religious Festivals Of Non-Muslims The 68th muzakarah of the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs on April 12, 2005 discussed the Guidelines For Muslims Celebrating Religious Festivals Of Non-Muslims. The muzakarah has decided that: In determining the non-Muslim celebrations that can be attended by Muslims, several main criteria should serve as guidelines so as not to contradict the teachings of Islam. The criteria are as follows: 1. The event is not accompanied by ceremonies that are against the Islamic faith (aqidah). The meaning of "against the Islamic faith (aqidah)" is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will lead to tarnishing the faith (aqidah) of Muslims. For example: i. to include religious symbols such as the cross, installing lights, candles, Christmas tree and so forth; ii. to sing religious songs; iii. to put any religious markings on the forehead, or other markings onto parts of the body; iv. to deliver speech or gestures in the form of a praise to the non-Muslim religion; v. to bow or conduct acts of honour to the religious ceremony of non-Muslims. 2. The event is not accompanied by acts against the Islamic law. The meaning of "against the Islamic law" is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will contradict the Islamic teachings practised by the Muslim community. For example: i. Wearing red costumes like Santa Claus or other garments that reflect religion; ii. Serving intoxicating food or beverages and the likes; iii. Having sounds or ornaments like church bells, Christmas tree, temple or breaking of coconuts; iv. Having ceremonies with elements of gaming, worship, cult, superstitions and the likes. 3. The event is not accompanied by "acts that contradict with moral and cultural development of Muslim society" in this country. The meaning of "acts that contradict with moral and cultural development of Muslim society" is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will contradict the values and norms of the Muslim society of this country which adheres to the Islamic teachings based on Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah. For example: i. Mixing freely without any limit or manners; ii. Wearing conspicuous clothing; iii. Singing songs that contain lyrics of obscenity and worship; iv. Organising programmes such as beauty pageants, cock fighting and such. 4. The event is not accompanied by acts that can "stir the sensitivity of Muslim community". The meaning of "stir the sensitivity of Muslim community" is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will offend the feelings of Muslims about their beliefs and practices. For Example: i. Speeches or songs in the form of non-Muslim religious propaganda; ii. Speeches that insult the Muslims; iii. Speeches that insult Islam; iv. Presentations with the aim to ridicule the religious belief of Muslims. 5. The organisers and the public are asked to get the views of religious authorities before organising or attending celebrations of non-Muslims. http://www.islam.gov.my/en/guidelines-muslims-celebrating-religious-festivals-non-muslims |
| Top students in three universities are Malaysian women Posted: 21 Aug 2011 04:11 PM PDT
(Bernama) -- The top Malaysian student from each of the three universities in the State of South Australia (SA) is a woman. At a gala dinner here last night, the trio received awards from the Australia Malaysia Business Council, South Australia (AMBC, SA) chapter. 'Women power' comprised Fan Yee Mun, from the University of Adelaide, Elysia Chin Low Pei (Flinders University), and Lim Shu Yi (University of South Australia). Fan, of Petaling Jaya, was adjudged overall best student. She received the Patron's Award, laptop computer and A$1,500 from former SA governor, Sri Eric Neal. Chin, of Kuching, received a trophy and A$1,000 while Klang-born Lim received a trophy and A$750. Fan, a former Sekolah Menengah Kebangsan Damansara Jaya student, is in the final year of a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering. She has an outstanding academic record gaining high distinctions in all subjects taken at the university. Fan, who has won many accolades since coming here four years ago, is a member of Robogals, which aims to increase female enrolment in engineering. Chin is studying for a bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics and will graduate this year. She is the secretary of the Malaysian Students Association here and has worked with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Outback Australia. Lim, who is studying management (marketing), is a volunteer for the Oaktree Foundation which encourages young people to work together to end global poverty and has been an exchange student in Butan, South Korea for three weeks. AMBC SA president Sathish Dasan said, in the 13-year history of the awards, it was the first time all three prizes went to woman. The dinner at the Adelaide Convention Centre was attended by 250 people, including Malaysian High Commissioner Datuk Salman Ahmad, SA Lieutenant Governor Hieu Van Le and the SA Minister for Industry and Trade, Tom Koutsantonis.
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| Sodomy charge is conspiracy by Najib, says Anwar Posted: 21 Aug 2011 04:00 PM PDT
By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — In the dock for sodomy for the second time in his life, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim charged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today with following in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's footsteps to end his political career so the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) can remain in power. The former deputy prime minister-turned-opposition leader made the accusation in an unsworn statement from the dock this morning when told to enter his defence. He explained he was opting to testify from the dock, where the prosecution has no recourse under law to cross-examine his statement, because he had no confidence he would be tried fairly, and declared the entire court process "is nothing but a conspiracy by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to send me into political oblivion by attempting once again to put me behind bars". "As I have said at the outset, this is not a criminal trial. It is a charade staged by the powers that be to put me out of action in order that they remain in power," he said, noting that his ex-boss and prime minister from 1981 to 2003, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had done the same thing in the 1998 Sodomy I trial. The grandfather, who turned 64 just a few weeks ago, described Dr Mahathir as Machiavellian in turning to all the powers of the state to get him jailed 15 years for offences he insists he did not commit. The Federal Court overturned Anwar's sodomy conviction in 2004, after finding contradictions in the prosecution's case. "Such was the tyranny and injustice done to me then. And such is the tyranny and injustice being perpetuated today. "Najib Razak is doing the same thing as his mentor did, which is to employ all means within his power through the media, the police, the Attorney-General and the judiciary in order to subvert the course of justice and to take me out of the political equation," said Anwar who was sacked from government in 1998. He noted the second sodomy charge came on the heels of the Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) victories — the three-party opposition pact wrested four states from the BN while managing to keep Kelantan — in the March 2008 general election and once he qualified to contest in elections again, which he did and won in the Permatang Pauh by-election later that same year, ramping up the zeal to put him back in prison.
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| Posted: 21 Aug 2011 03:53 PM PDT  By Masterwordsmith According to Malaysiakini, Gerakan has refuted allegations that the party is irrelevant, revealing that since 2008, 27,000 news members have joined the party nationwide. Number of new members in the following states:
At the recent fund-raising Suaram Scorpene dinner, about 600 people attended the dinner! He said Gerakan had managed, for example, to woo four independent assemblymen - three in Sabah and one in Pahang - into the party.
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| Anwar: 'I have no faith whatsoever that justice will prevail' Posted: 21 Aug 2011 03:49 PM PDT
The following is the full statement by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at the High Court this morning, as he enters defence in the sodomy trial. Anwar opted to speak from the dock, which among others, means he could not be cross-examined by the prosecution: My name is Anwar bin Ibrahim. I am the leader of the Opposition in Parliament. In the 1990s, I was the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister until September 1998 when then Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad sacked me after I had refused to resign. He had told me to resign or face dire consequences including criminal prosecution for alleged sexual and corruption offences. I refused and all hell broke loose. My unceremonious and grossly unjust dismissal simultaneously orchestrated with a trial by media under Mahathir's complete control triggered mass and widespread demonstrations throughout the country and launched the movement for change and reform known in our history as the Reformasi era. 2) Your failure to respond during the course of the trial to several attempts by persons hostile to me to discredit me by commenting on aspects of the trial. These included whether I should provide samples of his DNA; blaming the defence for the delay of the proceedings; and reporting on matters that were the subject of a suppression order. These public comments were made either in defiance of your orders that they not be made. They were made by UMNO officials and politicians, including Dato' Seri Najib orchestrated through the controlled electronic and print media, such as Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, the New Straits Times and TV3. The constant comments by the Prime Minister and UMNO officials in the media and adverse comments on the progress of the trial were clearly calculated to influence you and illustrates the political motive behind the charge. 4) But the truth is that even as the trial was in progress, the complainant who was engaged to someone else was shamelessly having an affair with a member of the prosecution team. Quite apart from the consequences of such an affair on the conduct of the prosecution, the complainant's facade of moral rectitude is shattered by this scandalous affair with the lady prosecutor who herself was also engaged with another man. Y.A. did not even chastise Farah Azlina Latiff for the illicit affair with SP1. All that was done was that Farah Azlina Latiff was taken off the prosecution team at the behest of the prosecution which was an open confirmation of the existence of that illicit affair. Farah Azlina Latiff did not deny the allegations against her. Neither was PW1 recalled by the prosecution to deny the existence of this unsavoury affair. This is scandalous. Then again, why wasn't the judgment which, even if written after midnight on 5th July, 2011 read out in open court so that I could counter and demolish all the allegations made against me by Y.A. Datuk Haji Abdul Malik Bin Haji Ishak? And here I was a 60-year-old man with a history of back injury who had undergone a major back surgery holding no position of power. If indeed I could have exercised any kind of undue influence or mental pressure on him, this could have been easily neutralized by a quick phone call to his connections. As regards the fear of physical harm, it would take a great stretch of the imagination to suggest that I could pose any physical harm to him. The prosecution could not, by producing the original warrant of arrest in the main trial, cure the infirmity. It is in evidence that 3 copies of the warrant of arrest were in the possession of Supt. Jude Pereira. The evidence of the warrant of arrest was available during the Trial Within a Trial.
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| SAPP hoping ensure straights fights in GE Posted: 21 Aug 2011 03:01 PM PDT SAPP willing to help Pakatan Rakyat secure parliamentary seats while it eyes majority of state seats. (Free Malaysia Today) - Sabah Progressive Party's (SAPP) Merotai branch hopes to see a straight fight for state and parliamentary seats in the coming 13th general election. Kenneth Goh, the newly-appointed branch chairman, said SAPP would work with Pakatan Rakyat to ensure a one-on-one fight in the constituency and in parliamentary seats. This was one of two resolutions passed by 150 members of the branch from Kampung Sin San, Kuhara Road, Kampung Pitas and Hotspring Road at its AGM here on Sunday. Goh, who is also a member of SAPP supreme council, said: "The members do not want to see three-cornered fights. "They decided that the majority of parliament seats be given to Pakatan while SAPP goes for the majority of state's seats in the coming 13th general election. "This is to ensure a straight fight between the opposition and Barisan Nasional (BN)." Goh said they chose the majority of the parliament seats to be given to Pakatan so as to help it on quest to Putrajaya, and SAPP will assist in the campaigning. However, SAPP is eyeing the majority of the state seats. He said the resolution reached by the grassroots of Merotai SAPP branches will be brought to SAPP congress to be deliberated on a date to be determined by the SAPP supreme council. The AGM was also attended by SAPP treasurer-general Wong Yit Ming who said as long as SAPP wins, it's a loss for BN and a win for Pakatan. "So we have to work together and continue for a one-on-one fight. We support Pakatan's ambition to capture Putrajaya," he said. However he said Sabah cannot be under Pakatan and its two party system, as it is different in terms of people culture. He gave examples where Pakatan led state's policies were similar to BN's. "In Penang under the DAP/PR government, the policy is like BN's. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is a good minister but the system is more or less BN's. "Ninty-eight percent of projects are awarded to Bumiputera contractors. DAP has always been fair, but they still use the Bumi system," he said. SAPP-Pakatan coalition He said in Sabah, when SAPP leader Yong Teck Lee was the chief minister, a lot of projects were awarded to non-bumiputeras and local leaders did not raise any objections. "Of the 20,000 low cost housing built, 40% given was to Chinese chamber of commerce, 30% to Bumiputeras and 30% to Kadazans. This does not happen in West Malaysia," he said.
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| Get rid of garbage politicians Posted: 21 Aug 2011 02:59 PM PDT
FMT LETTER: From Sebastian Loon The "WikiLeak: Ong Tee Keat admits Chinese marginalised" blogged by Uppercaise and then posted by Malaysia Today on Aug 19 shows how important it is for Malaysians to rid the country of garbage politicians. It also shows there are garbage politicians in the Barisan Nasional (BN) as well as in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). However, clearly there is more garbage in the BN, especially in the MCA. MCA leaders are so rotten to the core that they will not hesitate to sell their mothers to realise their personal agenda which is always about material benefits that come with political power. In the Wikileak report quoted in a US diplomatic cable in 2006 and attributed to US Embassy's political officer Mark Clark, the then MCA vice-president was one of the few ministerial level Chinese politicians who refused to deny publicly or privately the fact that Chinese Malaysians are marginalised. Clark reported that Ong acknowledged "of course we are marginalised, big business to small stall owners know that – but MCA cannot admit it". So, when pressed by reporters for a public response to Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew's accusation that Malaysia marginalises the Chinese community, Ong responded with a Chinese proverb: "Whether the water in the tea cup is hot or cold, he who drinks it knows best." This is in contrast with the bumbling responses of MCA president Chua Soi Lek and his deputy Liow Tiong Lai with regards to the shameful police attack on innocent citizens during the peaceful Bersih 2.0 protest in Tung Shin Hospital. Chua and Liow are now not only exposed as liars when they tried to side the brutal police by denying there was no attack in the hospital, they are confirmed garbage politicians who cannot be trusted as community leaders.
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| Refugee swap may increase BN votes Posted: 21 Aug 2011 02:30 PM PDT By K Pragalath, FMT PETALING JAYA: The Australia-Malaysia refugee swap would benefit Barisan Nasional because the 800 refugees that Malaysia will receive are Muslims who are expected to be fast-tracked into becoming registered voters. "In a country where the terms 'indigenous' and 'Muslim' are seen almost as interchangeable, some see the present amnesty on illegal immigrants as a way of fast-tracking more Muslims on to government benefits and the electoral rolls, with the asylum seekers from Australia expected to join that preferential queue. "The 4,000 Burmese refugees who will be welcomed to Australia are Christians, or at least non-Muslims. "So in the ethno-religious politics of Malaysia, this is seen as a swap of 4,000 non-Muslims for 800 Muslims; as squeamish as we may feel about describing the equation in those terms, it is clearly one way in which the deal supports the interests of the ruling Muslim majority," writes Chris Kelly, in the Australian newspaper The Australian. The refugee swap involving 4,000 refugees who would be sent to Australia and 800 to Malaysia was signed last month in Kuala Lumpur despite protest from Malaysian opposition and NGO circles. Kelly also noted that the 800 would gain due to the similarities in faith – Islam. Similarly, Kelly also wrote that opposition parties are worried about the extended amnesty programme to register illegal immigrants who are pre-dominantly from Indonesia.
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| Malaysia – a simple institutional analysis Posted: 21 Aug 2011 02:21 PM PDT
Malaysia is classified as a non – democratic state by all international index measuring quality of democracies. This is also affirmed in academic circles. By New Mandala (Greg Lopez) The works of Angus Maddison on world economic history identifies that economic growth only took off after the British Industrial Revolution. Maddison notes that from the year 1000 – 1820, advance in per capita income was a slow crawl with per capita income rising by about 50 per cent but population increased fourfold. Since 1820 however, per capita income exceeded population growth with per capita income rising by more than eightfold and population more than fivefold. Maddison also notes that these growth rates were concentrated in Western Europe.Michael Spence, in a lecture based on his latest book, "The Next Convergence: The Future of Economic Growth in a Multi-Speed World" quotes the works of Maddison and points out that the higher growth rates since the British Industrial Revolution benefited approximately only 15 per cent of world population, namely the elites in Western Europe and its European offshoots. However, since World War II (WWII), far more people in far more geographical regions have benefited from this open international economic order created after WWII. Why is this so? Elhanan Helpman captures the above the phenomenon brilliantly with this quote in his book "The Mystery of Economic Growth." "…What makes some countries rich and others poor? Economists have asked this question since the days of Adam Smith. Yet after more than two hundred years the mystery of economic growth has not been solved…" The growth mystery has yet to be solved but economists have after two hundred years, isolated what are the determinants of long term sustainable economic growth. Economists divide these determinants into two categories: deep and proximate determinants. In general the deep determinants are institutions, geography and trade while the proximate determinants are capital in all its forms (resources, finance, knowledge, ideas, and technology). The combination of the deep determinants when done correctly facilitates the proximate determinants which lead to productivity rising faster than wages. This leads to welfare gains to all stakeholders in the economy. However, more often than not, countries get this wrong, hence the disparity in economic performance. The role of institutions in explaining the difference in economic performance was not always explicit. It was Douglass North who first forcefully and successfully advocated the primacy of institutions in explaining the difference in cross – country performance. In summary, the ability to combine the various determinants of growth and the factors of production optimally relies on the proper institutional set-up. Institutions function as the meta-structure within which other determinants are able to function properly. Challenges and opportunities related to trade, geography, human capital accumulation (entrepreneurship, ideas, knowledge and innovation) and investment in factors of production — physical and technological — can be mitigated, overcome, synergised and optimised through the correct institutional structures and arrangements. In post WWII, East Asian economies, including Malaysia, appears to have got this right, notwithstanding the dissenting views. In 1993, the World Bank in its publication, "The East Asian Miracle: Economic Growth and Public Policy", identified eight miracle East Asian economies – including Malaysia – that had real GDP growth of around or above four per cent from 1960 to 1990, which was far better than the rates achieved since the Industrial Revolution. More importantly, these economic growth benefited the poorest in society. Malaysia was also one of thirteen countries identified by the Growth Report to have recorded average growth rates of more than 7 per cent per year for twenty five years or more. Malaysia achieved this spectacular performance from 1967 to 1997. Since the East Asian Financial Crisis (EAFC) of 1997/1998, Malaysia's economic performances when compared to previous decades are lacklustre and most macroeconomic indicators are trending downwards (declining rates of growth). This was confirmed by Prime Minister Najib Razak himself in the publication of the New Economic Model – Part 1 (NEM – 1). This was a very brave move but a necessary one by the Prime Minister as he acknowledged publicly the failures of Malaysia's current economic model in order to demonstrate urgency for reforms. There are other studies that have come to the same conclusion. Among the more prominent ones are "Tiger Economies Under Threat" by Yusuf and Nabeshima (2009) and "Malaysia's Development Challenges – From Middle Income to Advance Economy" by Hill, Mat Zin and Tham (2011). The World Bank through its Malaysia Economic Monitor has also produced a series of reports identifying the same key problems that are effecting Malaysia's growth. The NEM – 1 identifies domestic factors such as weak investor confidence, capability constraints (weak human capital, entrepreneurial base and innovative capacity) , productivity ceilings and institutional degradation and external factors such as a sluggish global economy caused by the global financial crisis (GFC) and the rise of neighbours in the region in contributing to the declining growth trajectory. Now IF we revisit the determinants of growth and agree with the view that proper institutions are the meta-structure that determines long term sustainable growth, then the logical response is to reform Malaysia's institutional set-up as it must be the deepest determinant of what is hindering economic growth. This view is further strengthened as the other deep determinants, geography and trade, are favourable in the case of Malaysia. Malaysia has abundant natural resources, is shielded from natural hazards and is located strategically both geopolitically and economically. Malaysia has also benefitted tremendously from being an open economy especially in the merchandise sector. The NEM – 1 also reports that regional challenges (e.g. China, India and Vietnam) are a cause for Malaysia's declining economic performance. What has changed about these countries? They have all undertaken institutional reforms: China since 1978, India since 1992 and Vietnam since 1986 and are reaping the benefits while Malaysia has stagnated since the 1990s and is suffering from it. The above points stress the importance of institutional reforms in Malaysia, something that Mr. Najib Razak has ironically neglected in his signature policies – 1Malaysia, Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme. What are institutions and how do we go about analysing them? There is no consensus of what is meant by institutions or institutional analysis. I use the most widely quoted definition on institutions. North defines institutions and its impact on economic performance as: "…Institutions are the humanly devised constraints that structure human interaction. They are made up of formal constraints (rules, laws, constitutions), informal constraints (norms of behaviour, conventions, and self imposed codes of conduct), and their enforcement characteristics. Together they define the incentive structure of societies and specifically economies. Institutions and the technology employed determine the transaction and transformation costs that add up to the costs of production…" Geoffrey Hodgson simplifies this to: "…systems of established and prevalent social rules that structure social interactions. Language, money, law, systems of weight and measures, table manners, and firms (and other organisations) are thus all institutions…" The key terminology here are norms and incentives. I add ideology to these key terminologies. Incentives (and disincentives) I define to include psychological and material benefits and penalties. Therefore, institutions provide the incentives that structure human behaviour in a society. Thus far, we've established that institutions play an important role in driving growth. We've also established what constitutes institutions broadly. Analysing institutions and the role it plays in economic growth is a challenge when there is no consensus on what are institutions and its definition is very broad. However, Hollingsworth provides an approach which is meaningful for our purpose. Hollingsworth suggests that institutions are best compartmentalised by the strength of their resistance to change and by extension, the ability to exert influence. Once compartmentalised, they can each be analysed. Hollingsworth notes that: The five components (levels) in the schema are arranged in descending order of permanence and stability with Level 1 being the most enduring and persistent compared to all other components. Each component is interrelated with every other component, and changes in one are highly likely to have some effect in bringing about change in each of the other components. Level 1: Institutions – norms; rules; conventions; habits and values Level 2: Institutional arrangements – markets; states; corporate hierarchies; networks; associations; communities Level 3: Institutional sectors – financial system; systems of education; business system; system of research Level 4: Organisations Level 5: Outputs and performance – statues; administrative decisions; the nature, quantity and quality of industrial products. According to the Growth Commission: "…fast sustained growth is not a miracle; it is attainable for developing countries with the "right mix of ingredients." Countries need leaders who are committed to achieving growth and who can take advantage of opportunities from the global economy. They also need to know about the levels of incentives and public investments that are necessary for private investment to take off and ensure the long-term diversification of the economy and its integration in the global economy…" Michael Spence, the Chair of the Growth Commission, reflected and elaborated further on his extensive experience working with developing countries on growth issues in his latest book by affirming the findings of the Growth Report and further identifying two important characteristics for developing countries to ensure long term sustainable growth – the role of political leadership and democratic norms. He suggests four characteristics for governments that are necessary requirements to underpin long term growth:
Manifestations of Malay/Muslim Supremacy Malaysia is classified as a non – democratic state by all international index measuring quality of democracies. This is also affirmed in academic circles. During the boom years, Malaysians accepted this trade-off – restricted freedom for economic growth. Since 1997/98, this has changed as expected. The government has not delivered on growth, therefore the natural demand for reforms and by extension freedom. There is consensus that Malaysia needs extensive economic, political and social reforms. This is all the more evident IF we agree that institutions are key to long term growth. Also, IF we agree with Spence, these reforms must come from a government with the four characteristics identified above. Astute observers of Malaysia know the reasons why the present administration and the ones before were unable to make fundamental reforms in Malaysia. This has much to do with the ideology of Malay/Muslim Supremacy as defined by United Malays National Organisation's (UMNO) and accepted by large swaths of Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. From the literature we can infer that the ideology of Malay/Muslim supremacy has provided the perverse incentives that has manifested itself in many ways. The more critical ones are: - Institutional degradation: The deterioration in the quality of Malaysia's institutions, particularly during Mahathir's years such as the lack of independence between the branches of government; the politicisation of the civil service, producing a culture of risk aversion and a lack of creativity; and the expansion of the non-transparent Government Linked Corporations (GLCs); - Crony capitalism: Affirmative action in the name of Malays have become a smokescreen for crony capitalism. Affirmative action is the instrument for rampant elite-based (elites from all races, not only Malays) cronyism. High levels of income inequality in Malaysia in general but more so within the Malay community proves this. - Race based affirmative action: Race-based affirmative action in itself is recognised as one of the important reasons for Malaysia's declining economic performance. Malaysia's focus on the ex-post equalisation of outcomes across ethnicities rather than ensuring effective ex-ante equalisation of access to opportunities has had important direct efficiency implications, affecting growth by distorting incentives and thereby the competitive process. - Excessive centralisation: An interesting institutional feature is the lack of decentralisation in the country which is nominally a Federation and the top-down approach in public policymaking. This is a key disconnect in the reform rethoric in the ETP and GTP. To strengthen public service delivery, local communities need to be empowered. Fiscal relationships between federal-state-local also demonstrates institutional failure. - Feedback mechanisms: Related to Malaysia's top-down approaches is an almost complete disregard of the monitoring and evaluation function. As a result there is little feedback from outcomes into policy design. The obsession with centralising policy making is also evident in lack of information sharing both within government and with the public. The need to remove UMNO to create a new "people based ideology" First let me put forward what I think are the two most critical issue affecting Malaysia: competency and competition. In relation to competition, the quality of the human capital base in Malaysia is suspect. This is due to the quality of education from pre-school through tertiary and on-the-job. It is linked with ethnicity issues and is exacerbated by the outflow of high-skilled individuals and affected by the inflow of low-skilled labor. There are not only problems on the supply side of the market for skills, but also on the demand side, where firms may not be competitive enough to offer higher wages. The market for skills itself is also problematic in that the price mechanism does not work adequately and this is were wage setting issues play a role. A bigger and more important challenge than competency is internal competition. This is quite distinct from external competitiveness, on which front Malaysia has scored relatively well in the merchandise sector given its stage of development and the nature of its manufacturing processes which is still dominated by competitiveness identified by low cost rather than high value. Read more at: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/08/22/malaysia-%E2%80%93-a-simple-institutional-analysis/ Greg Lopez is a PhD scholar at the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University.
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| 1 Malaysia email begins beta testing Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:27 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — The 1 Malaysia email service has begun beta testing four months after the controversial RM50 million project was first announced by the prime minister as a form of secure correspondence between Malaysians and the government. But contrary to earlier reports, those signing up for myemail Beta do not have to verify their fingerprints at the National Registration Department (NRD) or via a USB biometric device and need only key in their full name, IC number and current email address. Upon signing up, users will receive an email that reads: "Thank you for registering for a myemail account. Your registration needs to be verified by JPN. We will get back at you in 24 hours." The terms and conditions further state: "For authentication purposes you agree to be authenticated using biometrics specifically your fingerprints at one of our authentication channels. Tricubes may use your full name and IC number, upon your consent, to verify your credentials with our authentication partners, who may hold the same information, and has already authenticated you." However, it is not clear if this lack of biometric verification only applies to beta sign-ups or will be extended to the service proper. Tricubes chief executive Khairun Mokhtar had earlier told reporters that Malaysians who wish to sign up for the service will have to buy a USB biometric device sold by his company or go to any NRD office to get their account activated in person. He also admitted at the media briefing that the project was a financial lifeline for Tricubes, which is at risk from being delisted from Bursa Malaysia after being flagged in October last year by auditors concerned about its weak financial standing. Tricubes, which describes itself as "the market leader in Malaysia in identity verification", made a net loss of RM481,502 for the quarter ended March 31, compared with the RM72,083 net loss it posted in the same period last year.
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| Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:18 PM PDT Malangnya, ada pihak yang melihat perbezaan dan percanggahan tersebut sebagai topang kuasa dan kepentingan mereka. Segala usaha untuk merentasi jurang tersebut dilihat sebagai hakisan kepentingan mereka dan akan cuba dilumpuhkan. By Ng Ooi Cheng Bagi sesetangah orang, nombor-nombor di atas mungkin dianggap ajaib dan boleh membawa tuah. Namun, bagi Lai Run-jiao yang berusia 81 tahun, bayangan 11 boleh menjadi sesuatu yang ngeri. Mengikut laporan temu ramah sebuah akhbar bahasa Cina baru-baru ini, wanita tua yang berasal dari Sungai Titi itu mempunyai pengalaman yang cukup pahit dan menakutkan ketika berusia 11 tahun. Pada tahun itu, 11 orang ahli keluarga termasuk 4 orang adiknya dibunuh askar Jepun di depan matanya, dan dia sendiri pula ditetak dan ditikam 11 kali sebelum rumahnya dibakar. Nenek Lai bernasib baik kerana diselamatkan, "Seorang lelaki meluru ke dalam dan mendukung saya keluar dari rumah. Makcik saya tak henti-henti merayu kepada saya untuk membawanya keluar, tapi saya cedera parah dan tidak dapat bergerak langsung…" Lai juga tunjukkan kesan luka tikaman askar Jepun di belakang badannya kepada wartawan. Katanya, babak askar Jepun menangkap dan membunuh orang sering muncul dalam mimpinya setelah bertahun-tahun. Sememangnya, pengalaman seperti Nenek Lai senantiasa diingati anak-anak Malaysia, terutamanya di kalangan ramai orang Cina, sehingga ada yang mempunyai tanggapan negatif terhadap orang Jepun, walaupun kekejaman yang dilakukan di Malaya pada waktu itu hanya mencerminkan sikap dan niat golongan imperialis dan bukan seluruh rakyat Jepun. Tanggapan sebegitu berbeza daripada banyak orang Melayu yang melihat Jepun sebagai ilham untuk menentang penjajah British bagi mencapai kemerdekaan. Tambahan pula, penjajah Jepun telah menyerapkan segolongan orang Melayu ke dalam pentadbiran tempatan dan meneruskan malah mempergiatkan taktik 'pecah dan perintah' yang digunakan penjajah British sebelum itu. Sungguhpun terdapat juga banyak orang Melayu yang menjadi mangsa kekejaman askar Jepun, kisah pahit itu kurang diperdengarkan. Hasil daripada penjajahan, masyarakat kita menjadi kompleks. Pengalaman yang berbeza (ada kalanya serupa tetapi tidak dipertembungkan) menzahirkan tafsiran yang berlainan terhadap fakta sejarah, malah fikiran yang berselisih tentang apa yang sedang berlaku. Kadang-kadang jurang tafsiran dan fikiran ini dibesarkan lagi oleh adat, agama serta budaya yang berlainan. Walau bagaimanapun, perbezaan atau percanggahan itu barangkali mampu direntasi dan ditangani apabila pelbagai pihak menunjukkan keikhlasan, saling menghormati dan menghayati dalam mencari penyelesaian atau muafakat. Malangnya, ada pihak yang melihat perbezaan dan percanggahan tersebut sebagai topang kuasa dan kepentingan mereka. Segala usaha untuk merentasi jurang tersebut dilihat sebagai hakisan kepentingan mereka dan akan cuba dilumpuhkan. Mereka kerap kali bertopengkan wira agama dan bangsa dengan menggunakan ejen untuk mengadu-dombakan sesuatu, menjadi batu api, meluahkan kata-kata ekstrem seperti sanggup berdarah atau membakar, padahal mereka mempunyai agenda sendiri, yang diperlagakan itu rakyat jelata. Oleh itu, penting untuk kita tenang dan mempunyai minda yang siuman, membuat penilaian secara bijak. Bakar gereja dan simbah cat pada surau bukan gelagat perjuangan yang sahih, tetapi perbuatan manusia yang tidak bertamadun. Menjelang Hari Kemerdekaan dan Hari Negara yang mulia, saya mendoakan kesejahteraan negara, bersama-sama kita membentuk masyarakat kita menjadi indah dan bahagia. Semoga pada hari 11-11-11 ataupun suatu tarikh sebelum atau selepasnya, rakyat menjadi penentu bagi memberikan masa depan yang cerah kepada negara kita. |
| Anwar: I did not have sex with Saiful Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:07 PM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that he has never had sex with former aide Mohamed Saiful Bukhari Azlan, calling the sodomy charge he faces a "conspiracy by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak." Opening his defence case from the dock, the opposition leader said: "I categorically deny the charge against me. "I want to state in no uncertain terms that I have never had any sexual relations with the complainant Mohamed Saiful. His allegation is a blatant and vicious lie and will be proved to be so." He said the prosecution had based its case on "so-called findings of seminal fluid or sperm," which he called a "foundation erected on shaky grounds."
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| Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #79 Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:03 PM PDT M. Bakri Musa Defining whether one has actually repaid in full what one has borrowed can be problematic. There is a difference between nominal and real values. Most of the time the difference is small or very subtle, but there are times when it can be very dramatic. When the Koran says you must repay in full, it means to my common sense thinking to repay the real original value. Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life
Reform in Islam
Islamic Economics
As alluded to earlier, the biggest stumbling block to Islamic economics is the concept of interest. Stripped of its complexities, the issue can be simply reduced thus. When B borrows money ($X) from A, there is a cost involved. Regardless of the terminology, someone has to bear that cost. If at the end of the year B returns to A the same amount of money he borrowed the year earlier, that is $X, he claims to have satisfied the Koranic admonition that he repays his loan at its original amount, nothing more and nothing less. But has B done that? Consider two facts. First is what economists refer to as the opportunity cost for A; he could use that money for something else that would give him profit or pleasure, instead of lending it to B. Assume the monetary value of that opportunity cost incurred by A to be $Y. The second factor is inflation. Inflation can be simply defined as the diminishing purchasing power of a given nominal sum of money. That is to say, an $X today does not buy quite the same amount of goods and services as a year earlier, or stated in another way, an $X today is not the same ("real") value as the $X of a few years ago. It is only nominally the same. In actuality X is valued less now than in the past because of inflation. If B were to repay A fully a year later, B should also include the amount lost due to inflation. Had inflation rate been 10 percent, then B should return to A $X plus that 10 percent more. If B only repaid the original $X, then he has only nominally paid the whole sum. In actual practical value, B has only partially repaid in the amount of only $(X minus 10 percent).
Then there is the opportunity costs incurred by A in lending the money to B; that is the $Y discussed above. Thus to fully repay A, B would not only have to repay the 10 percent inflation rate but also the additional $Y opportunity cost incurred. Thus to really fulfill the Koranic requirement of equivalency, the $X of a year ago is now in reality $X plus Y plus 10 percent for inflation. Note that there is no interest at all involved here; these are all real, tangible costs.
My essential point is this: when things are nominally (seen to be) the same, it may not be so in reality. Money was invented in part to put a quantitative value on a transaction so as to make it easier to compare the various costs. If economic transactions were accounted in terms of commodities, for example the number of durians, there will be the added issue of the quality of the fruit, size, and whether it is ripe, unripe or rotten and good only for making tompoyak and not for eating.
Ancient Arabs chose precious metals like gold and silver. Those can be standardized by weight and their quality cannot be adulterated.
Today money is merely paper or beeps of "on" or "off" signs on the digital highway. It is backed not by precious metals but by the people's faith in the underlying supporting economy. Inflation apart, money may lose its value through formal devaluation or changes in the foreign exchange market. To take an extreme example, a ringgit immediately before September 1, 1998 (the date Malaysia imposed capital control and devalued the ringit) was not the same value immediately afterward; it had lost 40 percent of its value with respect to the dollar. Thus if you borrowed one ringgit the day before the devaluation and then returned that same ringgit the next day, you have not returned the original loan even though nominally you have returned exactly what you borrowed.
I can further simplify my argument, this time by not using money but a concrete example. Suppose last year my friend "borrowed" a she-camel from me. A year later he returned the same camel to me. Many would consider such a transaction halal (not sinful) as no riba (interest) was incurred; he returned what he borrowed, nothing more and nothing less. But is that true? Imagine my camel was in heat at the time he borrowed it and was later "serviced" in the pasture by some loose bull. After a year (and a few weeks before he was to return my camel), she delivered a baby. Of course that baby camel would belong to my friend, but two questions would immediately arise. One, is the camel he returned a year later the same one (in monetary value as well with common sense assessment) he borrowed? Obviously not; not only is my camel now "worn out" (depreciated, to use a business term) but also I cannot immediately breed her as she had just delivered a baby. That baby camel may be my friend's gain but it is definitely my "opportunity cost" loss. Had I not lent him the beast I would have a baby camel.
Another is a real life example. During the Japanese occupation a neighbor back in my old village borrowed some money for a short term to buy land. The working currency then was the Japanese "banana" notes. A few months later, as promised, he repaid the loan in full. But by this time there were rumors of the Japanese defeat, and although the currency was still accepted officially, in the marketplace it was rapidly becoming worthless. The crux of the issue: Has the man repaid his creditor in full? Nominally and technically he had; in practical and real terms he had not. This is a very dramatic example, much more than the ringgit depreciation case noted earlier.
In both examples there was no interest calculation to complicate the issue. Yet even without interest involved, defining whether one has actually repaid in full what one has borrowed can be problematic. There is a difference between nominal and real values. Most of the time the difference is small or very subtle, but there are times when it can be very dramatic. When the Koran says you must repay in full, it means to my common sense thinking to repay the real original value. Modern economists differentiate between real and nominal interest rates. If a bank charges an (nominal) interest rate of 15 percent per year but during that time the inflation rate is 10 percent, then the real interest is only 5 percent (15-10). Had the bank charged a rate of 10 percent, then the real interest rate would have been zero, that is, no interest, technically as well as in reality. Looked at another way, the interest rates charged by banks are not interests at all, rather the anticipated inflation rates.
Again this concept can be readily adapted to the tangible items of life. Suppose last year there was a drought and the rice fields were damaged. The price of rice jumped because of the shortage. I borrowed ten pounds of rice from my neighbor. Two years later, the rains came and the harvest was bountiful and the price of rice dropped. At this time I repaid my neighbor with exactly ten pounds of rice. Have I returned exactly what I borrowed? Common sense says no. Two years ago during the drought, ten pounds of rice was worth $20, but with the glut it dropped to $5. To fully repay my neighbor, I should have given him 40 pounds ($20 worth), not 10. And that extra 30 pounds would not be riba.
A comparable episode occurred during the prophet's time. One of his companions had borrowed a sac of dates. They were the premium first pick of the season: thick, sweet, and luscious. A few months later he repaid with an equal sac of dates, but this was at the end of the harvest season and the nuts were dried up, less sweet, and plentiful. The lender rightly asked for more. The companion asked the prophet whether the added amount demanded was not riba. The prophet emphatically replied that it was not, and indeed asked the companion to go back to the marketplace to ascertain the price differential between the premium first-pick dates versus the season's leftovers, and make up the difference.
Two important points arise here. One is the concept of nominal versus real. The two sacs of dates may be nominally the same, but in reality they are worth quite a bit different. Two, the prophet (pbuh) trusted the marketplace to determine the true value of the two sets of dates. I will return to this second point later in Chapter 11 when I discuss free enterprise as an Islamic tradition.
Modern Islamic bankers have learned well from their predecessors in trying to circumvent the prohibition on riba by resorting to service charges, commissions, and other charges. Those ancient Muslims also published their bag of "tricks" in a book they blatantly titled The Book of Escapes and Ruses! It was these novel interpretations of traditional teachings that enabled the Muslim economic empire to expand. At least those ancient Arabs traders were honest enough to admit that they were circumventing the system. And being honest is the first precept in any religion.
My central thesis is this: money, deprived of its mystique, is like any other commodity and property. I can rent my house and rightly claim rental income. I could similarly "rent" out my capital (money) to someone and collect rental income (return on investment). This rental on my capital can be collected in a variety of forms: interests as in simple lending; dividends with bond investments; company shares with stock market (equity) investment; or co-ownership as with venture capital investments. The differences are only matters of degree and not in kind, quantitative not qualitative. They reflect gradations in magnitude of the risk/benefit ratio. The simple interest with bank deposits represents the lowest risk and also correspondingly the lowest returns. Venture capital investments represent the biggest potential for profits but also the greatest risks. It is an investment axiom that high rewards come only with high risks.
Enthusiasts of Islamic banking go through contorted reasoning in trying to differentiate between riba and other forms of returns on investments that are deemed religiously acceptable—halal. Techniques like cost-plus sales (Murabaha), deferred payment sales (Bay Mu'ajjal), deferred delivery sales (Bay' Salam), and credit sales (Bay Bi-Thaman 'Ajil) all carry hidden costs that, as El-Gamal rightly observes, any high school student could easily calculate their imputed interest rates. All these Islamic bankers have achieved is simply to complicate an ordinary and simple traditional credit transaction in an effort to camouflage the cost of the funds (interest) by calling it some other fancy name. In the process it makes "comparison shopping" difficult for the consumers.
The beauty of modern credit sales is that they reduced the costs of the credit to a simplified figure that can be used for easy comparison. Credit, which is a manifestation of lending, is a modern fact of life. If everything had to be done on a cash basis, the economy would be crawling. We use credit to build hospitals, schools, and hosts of other activities that benefit society.
Grameen Bank's Muhammad Yunus asserts that credit is a basic human right. Everyone is entitled to it, especially the poor. Grameen Bank has improved immensely the livelihood of many Bangladesh peasants with its micro credit lending programs. In any religion, that would be considered a praiseworthy deed.
Credit is a matter of faith, and not repaying a loan would be a breach of faith. And breach of faith is not only a sin, it is also a crime, and rightly so. Today we have some Muslim zealots who rationalize that they can borrow money but need not repay it, claiming that interest is haram, and therefore the loan itself is haram. They suddenly discover religion when it comes time to repay the loan. How convenient!
If they feel that way, then they should not have borrowed the money in the first place. To me the greater sin is to borrow with no intention of repaying.
The greatest obstacle to the economic growth of Malays and Muslims generally is that we have denigrated the rewards of savings by labeling them as interest and thus haram. Thus I purposely choose the neutral term "rewards on investments." We can encourage Malays to save even more if we can dispense with the theologically loaded term "interest" and substitute my "rewards on savings" instead. This is more than just a semantic change or an attempt at "spinning," rather it represents a qualitative change in concept. It recognizes that lending is a legitimate human activity – a valid service – and therefore profits on it are as valid as in with other economic activities. I will elaborate on this point in the following section on Islamic banks.
Next: Islamic Financial Intermediaries
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| Malaysians in the U.S. gather to discuss the movement for political reform Posted: 21 Aug 2011 12:52 PM PDT
By Generation 709 Malaysians living in the United States gathered in New York City to discuss their ongoing concerns for potential political changes in the Post-Bersih era. Yong Kai Ping, the chief editor of the Malaysiakini Chinese site, was invited to speak about the latest developments in their homeland. He highlighted that overseas citizens are always the mother of revolution. Therefore Yong encouraged Malaysians overseas to contribute their part to political reforms by mobilizing any resources that are available to them. The talk was held in New York City on August 18, 2011 by Generation 709 in the United States. The event began with a screening of a video from the Bersih 2.0 rally produced by Malaysiakini. Yong pointed out that the Bersih 2.0 march was a demonstration organized without a centralized command structure, with many participants from younger generations. He described how the momentum of the movement had been maintained by rally participants sharing their stories online. He identified challenges for the future to articulate specific demands to the government and to ensure that reforms are followed through. He warns that "we really shouldn't depend on royal commission itself" since most of these royal commissions around the world "haven't delivered any satisfactory result". Yong also emphasized that about 40,000 Malaysians are living overseas. Therefore, it is important to know "how to organize, to be able to speak out and to play the role of a significant pressure group" from overseas. Many audience members shared their personal experiences of how they were reconnected to Malaysian politics after many years of living abroad. One of the audiences reflected on how his family members truly love their country but have been apathetic to Malaysian politics as they have no idea how to play their part in reform. Many of them who studied overseas are also reluctant to go back to Malaysia as they feel frustrated about the politics and policies there. On July 9, 2011, BERSIH 2.0 rallies were held in Washington DC, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Portland. Generation 709 in the United States is formed to maintain BERSIH 2.0 Movement's momentum, and Bersihans' commitment. To continue connecting overseas Malaysians to the political situation at home, Generation 709 in the United States will be organizing further events across the United States, such as YELLOW gatherings and voter registration sessions in seven cities on September 17 (Sat), Malaysia Day weekend. |
| Thank you, Pete - re: Tan Kay Hock Posted: 21 Aug 2011 12:37 PM PDT
Tan Kay Hock is a liability to PM because of his big mouth bragging, and PM is a liability now to Tan Kay Hock. He lost the project thanks to you. By Eye M Fox Dear YM Pete, You remember the loud mouth bullshitter Tan Kay Hock making his proud and confident announcement in the recent press that his George Kent was sure of winning the Ampang LRT contract? He jumped the gun and now he should be guilty of violating SC's rules by disclosing bullshit as George Kent is a public listed company. He gave false hopes to his shareholders, another violation of trust. He might have paid his way to the project, but after your diclosure of his dirty tricks, and many rakyat must have written to the PM, the project went to MRCB. Tan Kay Hock has been using his golfing partner PM to get what he wants, but now this has become a classic case of Twin Liability. Tan Kay Hock is a liability to PM because of his big mouth bragging, and PM is a liability now to Tan Kay Hock. He lost the project thanks to you. It would appear our Tan Kay Hock is changing horses, jumping over to Muhyuddin and Chua Soi Lek the Johor Mafia because PM is a liability. A little recollection quickly tells us, the rakyat, why Tan Kay Hock is dumping PM. Your article some time ago did mention Tan Kay Hock demanding RM500 million from Chinese Rail (200 million for Rosmah, the rest for himself). So to Tan Kay Hock, the name Rosmah and PM is bad news. He moved to the Johor Mafia to get what he aimed earlier, but you spoiled it and saved the rakyat millions, Pete. With his new found friend Muhyiddin, it means that Syed Mokhtar is also now working with Tan Kay Hock because everyone knows that Syed Mokhtar will dump PM and join Muhyiddin since it was Muhyuddin as Johor MB that gave Syed Mokhtar the PTP land. I bet you Pete they will come up with a story since Soi Lek is Kong Cho Ha's boss that no need to bid lah this Chinese Rail project as long as the same RM500 million this time reaches Muhyiddin, Soi Lek and Kong Ha. Najib and Rosmah will not get a cent because Muhyiddin will backstab Najib the same way he did Pak Lah using the election as the turning point. All said, the interest of the rakyat is never in the minds of these scoundrels. With Tan Kay Hock, one will not be surprised if he finds his way to the Agong, a nice man too will be used. Another PKFZ mega scandal, starring MCA as the lead actor and all these other poor souls in it! To us the rakyat, you did a marvellous job by saving us from this one. Please save us, the rakyat again, from these vermins ....
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| US diplomat foresaw DAP gains but not Pakatan success Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:17 AM PDT
UPPERCAISE US Embassy political counsellor Mark D Clark correctly predicted in 2006 that Malaysian Chinese voters would desert the Barisan Nasional because of its increasingly Islamic tone and greater reliance on racial politics, and that the DAP would benefit at the general election. But he failed to foresee the extent of damage to the MCA and the Gerakan, and he could not know that the three main opposition parties (PAS, the DAP, and Parti Keadilan Nasional) would effectively combine to deliver a significant blow to the ruling party. In a secret cable to the State Department on Aug 19, 2006, published at Malaysia Today through WikiLeaks, Mark Clark corrected predicted a general election either in the fourth quarter of 2007 or the first quarter of 2008. The elections were indeed held in the first quarter of 2008, on March 8. He foresaw BN's loss of Malaysian Chinese votes because of bumiputra policies. "As Chinese sensitivities heighten regarding Malay-centric policies, discontent with the status quo grows," he said. He also noted, as many Malaysian political pundits have also observed, that the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi government had allowed greater freedom of speech in the post-Mahathir era. It had "allowed greater public airing of such discontent, albeit with limits", although Abdullah was also "unable to shut down divisive debates in stark contrast to Mahathir's firm control". Clark commented that no one was yet predicting the collapse of the Barisan Nasional and that Umno was not in danger of losing significant numbers of votes. But the BN's Chinese component parties (the MCA and Gerakan principally) feared they would lose votes. "Growing discontent in the Chinese community has led many political pundits to forecast that many Chinese will abandon MCA and Gerakan and vote for DAP in the next election." But Clark, writing in 2006, did not see the opposition parties being able to provide Malaysians a real alternative.
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| WIKILEAKS: NAJIB FIGHTS BACK; WEEKEND PROTEST FAILS TO IMPRESS Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT
Speaking with reporters, Najib explicitly denied ever meeting Altantuya, and suggested Anwar's public revelations were an attempt to distract the public from the sodomy allegations against the Opposition leader. Najib, however, admitted that he had met Anwar's accuser, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who had come to Najib's home several days before filing a police complaint, but this did not reflect a conspiracy. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 000575
SIPDIS FOR EAP AND INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2028 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, KDEM, MY SUBJECT: NAJIB FIGHTS BACK; WEEKEND PROTEST FAILS TO IMPRESS
REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 572 - NAJIB IMPLICATED IN MURDER B. KUALA LUMPUR 570 - GOM DELIVERS PROTEST TO USG C. KUALA LUMPUR 563 - ANWAR ON OFFENSIVE D. KUALA LUMPUR 557 - ANWAR TAKES REFUGE E. KUALA LUMPUR 73 - PROSECUTOR DOWNBEAT ON MURDER CASE F. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 291 - ALTANTUYA MURDER
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d).
Summary 1. (C) As de facto Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim went on the offensive last week, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak wasted no time in denying any link to the Altantuya murder case, while diffusing another bombshell by admitting he previously had met the man accusing Anwar of sodomy. On July 4, the private investigator who had implicated Najib in the murder case sat by silently as a lawyer read out a retraction of his statement publicized only 24 hours earlier. The rising political boil led to rumors of potential arrest for Anwar the night of July 3. A major Opposition political rally in the Kuala Lumpur vicinity failed to attract critical mass, as some supporters took heed of police warnings and talk of using the military to ensure order. U.S. remarks related to the allegations against Anwar continued to generate opportunistic GOM criticism, including a letter from Foreign Minister Rais Yatim to the Secretary. Prime Minister Abdullah felt it necessary to announce that his government is stable, in the face of rumors to the contrary, while UMNO leaders prepared themselves for party elections. A key lieutenant for Anwar Ibrahim assessed that PM Abdullah did not support use of emergency measures against the Opposition at this time, and said Anwar would continue with public rallies. End Summary. Najib: I Met Anwar's Accuser, But Not Altantuya 2. (C) DPM Najib wasted little time in defending himself publicly following Anwar's July 3 press conference featuring private investigator Balasubramaniam and his explosive sworn statement linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya. Speaking with reporters, Najib explicitly denied ever meeting Altantuya, and suggested Anwar's public revelations were an attempt to distract the public from the sodomy allegations against the Opposition leader. Najib, however, admitted that he had met Anwar's accuser, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who had come to Najib's home several days before filing a police complaint, but this did not reflect a conspiracy. In a July 30 interview, Najib had insisted he was not involved in the case at all, while Opposition sources told us they had evidence and witnesses to the contrary (suggesting to us that Najib corrected the public record in order to preempt another disclosure by Anwar). ISA Fears 3. (C) In the immediate aftermath of the private investigator's statement tying Najib to the Mongolian murder victim, swirling rumors regarding Opposition protests, and public statements by the police alluding to a possible role for the military in maintaining order, Opposition sources told us Anwar feared he could be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) as early as the evening of July 3. As a precaution, Anwar completed a number of legal declarations with his lawyer during the July 3 afternoon. To mitigate risks that the planned July 6 anti-government rally could provide a pretext for a security crackdown, the Opposition decided to shift the venue from an open park to an enclosed stadium in Shah Alam in line with a request from police. Investigator's 24-Hour Turn-Around 4. (C) Najib's camp appeared to conduct a major counterstrike on July 4, as Balasubramaniam sat in a hastily arranged press conference beside a lawyer who read out a retraction of the private investigator's statement that he publicized only 24 hours earlier. The PI's new statutory declaration refutes all allegations connected to Najib, explicitly repeating each of the statements now declared false, and states that the earlier affidavit was completed under duress. Balasubramaniam remained silent and glum in the quick press encounter, in contrast to his open demeanor the previous day. His about-face occurred after being called to a police station on July 3, shortly after the Anwar press conference. Following his retraction, Balasubramaniam with his immediate family disappeared from public view, with some rumors that he is abroad. Tepid Turnout for Key Rally 5. (C) Rumored plans by the Opposition to stage a protest march in Kuala Lumpur on July 4 after Friday Muslim prayers failed to materialize, though police briefing detained two activists at the National Mosque. Anwar traveled to Opposition-held Penang on Saturday, July 5, to preside over an Opposition rally there which drew an estimated 30,000 supporters. The big Opposition event, however, was slated for Sunday, July 6, in Shah Alam in Selangor state, also in Opposition hands. Police issued warnings regarding the illegal nature of the July 6 rally, and set up road-blocks in the vicinity, actions that deterred attendance; however, police did not otherwise attempt to stop the event. The all-day affair, at one time billed as a "million-man" rally, attracted only a modest turnout of some 20,000, less than the 50,000 capacity of the stadium. Anwar exhorted the crowd to throw out PM Abdullah's National Front (BN), but did not mention his earlier deadline of September 16 to bring down the government through the defection of BN members of parliament. The greatest stir of the rally came earlier in the day when a rock band singer flashed his buttocks to the audience during a performance, outraging the crowd and causing some conservative Muslim participants from the Islamist PAS party to abandon the stadium. U.S. Remarks in the Mix 6. (SBU) GOM and UMNO party officials continued to criticize both the U.S. and Anwar over the State Department Spokesman's June 30 remarks affirming our support for rule of law in light of the sodomy allegations against the Opposition leader. Foreign Minister Rais Yatim over the weekend confirmed that he had sent a letter of protest to Secretary Rice over U.S. interference in Malaysia's internal affairs. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar called Anwar America's "snitch." Education Minister and UMNO Youth leader Hishammuddin said the UMNO Youth wing would protest at the U.S. Embassy, as well as at the Turkish embassy (for sheltering Anwar June 29-30) and the Singapore high commission (for articles published in Singapore critical of DPM Najib's wife, Rosmah). Some 40-50 persons, purportedly from the Muslim Consumers Association, demonstrated briefly and peacefully at the U.S. Embassy on July 4; some carried signs equating the U.S. and Anwar with Zionism. (Note: We forwarded the Foreign Minister's July 4 letter to EAP/MTS. Despite the high-level criticism, we enjoyed good Malaysian official turnout at our Independence Day reception, held on July 3. End Note.) Prime Minister: Everything Under Control 7. (SBU) With the political scene buffeted by the Anwar-Najib maelstrom, and respected international media beginning to remark on Malaysia's "turmoil," as did the Asian Wall Street Journal, Prime Minister Abdullah tried to publicly reassure citizens and the international community alike. On July 3, Abdullah publicly stressed, "this government is a stable government, please believe that.... Don't panic about what is happening." On July 6, the PM's comments turned more defense and emotional, as he hit out at "rampant" "slandering" and Opposition protests. "I don't see the rationale for the continued demonstrations, or to play politics purely to create instability that could jeopardize the people's safety and it is also aimed at toppling the government elected by the people," Abdullah told reporters. UMNO in Election Mode 8. (SBU) Meanwhile, PM Abdullah's dominant UMNO party officially begins its election cycle in 10 days time, with the first phase, party branch elections, scheduled July 17-August 24. Most senior UMNO leaders are devoting increasing time, particularly their weekends, to contact work with their respective party branches and divisions. While elections for the presidency, deputy presidency and other national leadership positions do not take place until December, successful candidates must lay the ground work now to ensure their nominations later in the process. For example, internet journalists reported on July 7 that all 13 UMNO division leaders in Abdullah's home state of Penang had already decided to nominate Abdullah for reelection as party president, a move supposedly intended to forestall a push by Najib's supporters. Down from the Boiling Point, for Now 9. (C) Polchief met on July 7 with Sivarasa Rasiah, vice president in Anwar's Peoples Justice Party (PKR) and one of Anwar's lawyers. Sivarasa said last week's political scene was volatile and "boiling," but the situation now had calmed down to a "simmer." He downplayed the immediate risk of the GOM employing emergency measures, such as ISA detention for Anwar and other opposition leaders, in large part because he believed PM Abdullah was not supportive of such measures at this stage. Even though the police could arrest and hold Anwar for a period of 60 days, Abdullah would need to be on board with the decision. Second, Sivarasa argued that use of ISA against Anwar also entailed a willingness to declare a state of emergency to contain and tamp down street protests that would erupt, a step that again Abdullah, but also the King and fellow traditional rulers and perhaps the security forces were not backing at this time. 10. (C) Sivarasa said Anwar would continue holding rallies, particularly in Opposition-held states, but would be careful to minimize the risk of these getting out of hand and creating a pretext for harsh government action. Sivarasa acknowledged that in the July 6 rally Anwar had not mentioned his now famous September 16 deadline for bringing down the BN government, and Sivarasa appeared to imply that this date did not reflect a particular plan, at least not one that he was privy to. Sivarasa downplayed the possibility of Anwar contesting in a by-election in the near future. 11. (C) The PKR VP and lawyer thought that the police investigation into the sodomy allegations against Anwar had failed to turn up enough information for prosecutors to justify an actual indictment, though the police would never speak up to clear Anwar's name and the allegations, or an open investigation, would linger. Sivarasa stated that private investigator Balasubramaniam had confided in him, along with a number of others, some two months ago regarding information linking Najib to the Altantuya murder case. Anwar would bring forward these witnesses to Balasubramaniam's remarks when needed. Comment 12. (C) Last week's palatable political tension, stoked by Anwar's offensive in face of the sodomy investigation and GOM counterattacks, has receded somewhat as of today. The under-attended Opposition rally of July 6, considered by itself, failed to impress or convey a sense of popular momentum. BN leaders, Najib in particular, have been quick to conclude that the rally's failure to attract a packed crowd reflects a lack of support for Anwar. Police warnings and reference to bringing in the military to ensure order no doubt dampened enthusiasm among Opposition supporters. The political status quo threatens Anwar and plays into Najib's hands, however, suggesting that the Opposition leader will come out with fresh challenges to the BN government. 13. (C) Najib and UMNO may have suffered longer term blows to their public credibility in the exchange of allegations with Anwar. Detailed revelations about Najib, even retracted the next day, will tend confirm the widespread public belief that the DPM is linked to the Altantuya murder. The allegations against Anwar, however, appear as a repeat of the politically-motivated charges of 1998, even to those who put some stock in the reports. For Najib this comes at the inopportune time with the start of the UMNO election cycle, and will dampen the possibility his camp can generate enough grassroots backing for a Najib bid to replace Abdullah as party leader come December. KEITH
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| LDP back-stabbed by BN component members Posted: 20 Aug 2011 11:28 PM PDT Press statement of LDP Deputy President Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin at Tawau Sri Tanjung AGM, Aug 21, 2011 TAWAU: Liberal Democratic Party Deputy President Senator Datuk Chin Su Phin said in the 2008 general election, the LDP faced various challenges not just from the Opposition but within the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. He said certain quarters from within BN "stabbed" the LDP from the back by asking the people to support and vote for the Opposition especially in Sandakan and Kudat where BN candidates were from the LDP. Chin, who was the LDP campaign director during the 12th general election, said certain village heads were directed by senior leaders to vote against the BN candidates from the LDP. "This back-stabbing incident is an open secret; the prepetrators wanted LDP to lose in all the four seats it contested under the BN banner during the 12th general election. However, the outcome of the polls has shown that the people dislike this kind of unethical politics. Instead, LDP won and delivered all the four seats, namely the state seats of Tanjong Kapor, Karamunting and Merotai and the Sandakan parliamentary seats," he said when opening the Sri Tanjung AGM here today (Aug 28). In Kudat, Chin said, the LDP had garthered concrete proof that Umno branch leader Haji Harun had openly asked village chiefs to vote against LDP secretary-general Datuk Teo Chee Kang, who was the BN candidate for Tg Kapor. However, despite the back-stabbing, Chin said Teo won and delivered the seat. In fact, the outcome of the poll has shown that LDP gained rock-solid support and votes even from the non-Chinese areas, where former party supremo Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat did not get the support in the past. "This clearly shows that the people dislike leaders who betrayed the BN spirit of camaradeire. After the 2008 general election, we submitted our findings about the "back-stabbing" incident to the BN leadership but, alas, no action has been taken against Haji Harun. "Haji Harun is merely a branch leader of Umno; we believe that he has the backing from certain leaders, otherwise he would not has the guts to go against the LDP," he said, adding that last year, Haji Harun "sacked" almost half of the village heads in Tg Kapor constituency without the assemblyman's knowledge and a few of them were re-instated after the LDP's made an appeal. "We reported the incident to the BN leadership but we're told to be patient. No action has been taken against Haji Harun until today. "Recently, Haji Harun removed one village head, again without the knowledge of the assemblyman (Teo). This clearly shows that Haji Harun was taking orders from certain senior leaders who want LDP to lose in Kudat in the forthcoming general election. All this while, we've been very patient. We can no longer tolerate this ruthless betrayal of the BN spirit," said Chin to the thunderous applause from the floor. In this reagrd, Chin reiterated his call on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, being the State BN chairman and Sabah Umno chief, to act impartially by removing leaders who go against any of the BN component parties. "We've asked the Chief Minister to remove Haji Harun but his answer was that Haji Harun is the treasurer of Umno Kudat, thus sacking him would only drive him to join the Opposition. To the LDP, this is unacceptable; Haji Harun has repeated the same mistake and is bent on destroying the LDP in Kudat. "As the Chief Minister and Sabah Umno chief, it's only fair that Datuk Musa steps down from his posts should he fail to carry out the duties and responsibilities entrusted with him by taking an appropriate action against a small leader like Haji Harun," he pointed out. The LDP, said Chin, fully adhered to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's advice to all BN component parties to be loyal, unite and work together and to avoid any form of disputes amongst themselves. "But, it is a fact that there are certain problematic leaders within the BN. In fact, the Chinese community support the government transformation plan and to turn Malaysia into a high income nation to ensure better future for our next generations. "But the people dislike problematic leaders and before it is too late we urged the BN leadership to rid the BN coalition of leaders who are corrupt and abuse their powers. Only then, all the BN component parties could cooperate and work together to ensure our victory in the 13th general election," he said. Chin also said the LDP fully agreed with the Prime Minister that BN would select only "winnable candidates" for the forthcoming general election. Nevertheless, he reckoned that before deciding on the list of candidates, the allocation of seats among the component parties must be resolved first. "Leaders who jumped from one BN party to another must be dropped because leaders without principle will be rejected by the people," he said, stressing that it is crucial for the BN leadership to rid the coalition of problematic leaders if the BN want to secure a fresh mandate from the masses to rule the country in the next general election. "If problematic leaders are not remove before the next general election, it may cause friction amongst the BN component parties. And, if no change is to be taken in the present BN leadership in Sabah, it will continue to have conflict with LDP. Surely, LDP will have to fight because we don't want to become the next SUPP," he cautioned. According to Chin, the outcome of the recent state polls in Sarawak, the Chinese majority areas in particular, should serve as a wake up call for the BN leadership in the coming general election. He said the DAP only managed to raise one major issue by urging the people to reject the Sarawak Chief Minister and yet the opposition party nearly made a clean sweep of all the Chinese seats. "We will not be suprise that the DAP is going to use the same issue in Sabah during the 13the general election. As such, before DAP draws up its campaign strategy, LDP will not want leader who no longer have the full support from the people to lead Sabah BN in the next polls," Chin added. The coming general election will see a significant increase in the number of young voters, and the opposition is using the Internet to lure them. Chin pointed out that some information provided on the Internet are true and some of the facts are being twisted and the younger generation who have access to the Internent can be easily swayed by the news provided by the new media. "This is one of the crucial challenges that the BN need to pay serious attention to." The BN government, Chin said, is serious in improving the livelihood but, at the same time, the prices of goods kept on rising in recent times which had impacted on the people including the working youth whose monthly earning is RM2000 and below. Thus, the Government should find ways on improving the source of income of the younger generation. "Today we can see in many countries the younger generation are venting their anger and frustration against the government through street protest and demonstration. In Malaysia, if the government fails to address the issues and problems affecting the younger generation, we fear that they also will vent their anger and frustration through street protest and demonstration," he cautioned. On the issue of Sabah being a "fixed deposit" to the BN, Chin suggested the BN component parties should stop thinking that the state will remain as its fixed deposit forever. "Majority of the Sabahans are silent voters and this is why the BN government must be committed in handling and resolving pertinent issues and problems to ensure the coalition's victory in future elections," he said. On the impending 13th general election, Chin said he does not see the benefit for the BN to call for a snap election now simply because the people have somewhat made up their mind on who to vote for. "The BN needs not have to hurry to call for a snap election. Either its going to be held today or tomorrow does not make any difference. What's more important is that the BN should first address the issues and problems and make changes within the next one year. "The pertinent issues and problems include arrogant attitude of certain leaders, corrpuption and abuse of power, money laundring and the process of licence applications. "The people want the Prime Minister to take positive action in resolving these problems before the next general election. We can foresee that if these problems are resolved first, it will be easier for the BN to win the election and forms the next government," he added.
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| Where has Malay Nationalism gone to? Posted: 20 Aug 2011 08:51 PM PDT SAKMONGKOL AK47 It is moving away from immovable UMNO. The doleful and almost pleading wish of UMNO people generally is for all the nightmares affecting their political future will go away. As a self-reassuring measure, they tell themselves, things will be all right. The people will come back to UMNO because UMNO fights for Malays. So, UMNO leaders everywhere say, things will be ok. Zahid Hamidi says, UMNO will win back the Malay ground and it will do so overwhelmingly. Where is UMNO's main appeal? It appeals to the Malay ground that adopts the cruder form of Malay nationalism, the sledgehammer variety so enthusiastically expounded by organizations like Perkasa. But that variety of base and crude nationalism is dying. The new generation of Malay voters adopt different values and have different expectations. You can see what form of nationalism they subscribed to- making out the case that Bersih march for example was masterminded by Malaysian Indians out to topple the Malay government. They thought that would turn the Malay ground xenophobic until they discovered the majority of the marchers were Malays. You get disappointed that you can no longer reduce the issue to a simple Malay- non Malay clash. What's the other important thing to the Malays? Their religion- comes the answer. So UMNO leaders came out accusing homely Ambiga as a threat to Islam. Still no go as that would assume the Malay faith in their religion is so fragile that even the appearance of Ambiga who is probably remotely interested in another person's religious denomination, is sufficient to shake the religious fiber of the Malay ground. Still no one buys that argument as it died out as quickly as it was raised. Hmm, let's try communism, that godless creed. The Malay's hatred for communism seemed to be a possible source to limit empathy from the Malay ground. So pictures of Shamsiah Fakeh a member of the Malay communist regiment of the 1940s were resurrected and given prominence. The idea was to say that Bersih marchers were communism inspired. The feeble attempt was non impactful because the attempted association with communism goes against mainstream logic; no one country in the world is sticking around communism. Even China has gone free market. Why would a band of marchers, marched in the cause of communism? Face it. UMNO can't appeal any longer to the cruder form of xenophobic nationalism or group pride. Let's ask calmly, where has Malay nationalism migrated to? The answer to me is it hasn't migrated anywhere. But Malay nationalism has mutated into the finer form of nationalism which finds expression in variegated forms of universal causes. Example. The abhorrence for corruption is one reconstituted form of the previously crude form of nationalism. Revulsion towards other races has tuned to a more universal revulsion for corruption for example. Because corruption cuts across and affects the interest no longer of distinct groups, but the whole country. It undermines the moral fiber of the whole nation. Wasn't the principal idea of the original nationalism was to inculcate one's love for the country and one's love for the country finds expression in a more universal desire to protect the country's interest as a whole? The crude form of nationalism which is essentially irrational chauvinism exist as an insignificant subset to the wider and more universal nationalism. It exists among the inhabitants of the lunatic underworld.
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| I’m sorry, Najib, it was the AG and IGP Posted: 20 Aug 2011 08:21 PM PDT
Yes, Rocky, my friend, I will certainly apologise if I had erred. But in the case of my Statutory Declaration it was the AG and IGP who erred. And this error of theirs distorted what actually happened. So THEY should apologise to Najib and Rosmah. In fact, they should also apologise to me for arresting and charging me for something I did not do just so that they need not admit their mistake and apologise to Najib and Rosmah. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
Let it not be said that Raja Petra Bin Raja Kamarudin is not man enough to apologise for any mistake he may have made. So far, most of the articles I have written and allegations I have made have proven to be correct. So, I will not apologise for those, of course. No doubt, some are yet to be proven. Nevertheless, history has shown that what I have written is always proven to be fact in the end. It may take a couple of years or maybe even ten years. But in the end what I said is always proven as fact. Sure, some have not yet been proven to be fact. However, they have not yet proven to be false either. So, while we wait for what I said to be proven (or disproven), let us just agree that the jury is out until something transpires that proves things either way -- fact or false. Now, one very 'damaging' issue -- to both Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak as well as me -- is the Statutory Declaration that I signed in April 2008. The Umno Bloggers say I should apologise for that lie. I agree. If I lied or made a mistake then I should apologise. That is the noble thing to do. And I am sure if I apologise for that mistake then many would probably forgive me, Umno people included. But that is just the problem. I did not lie or make a mistake. So how can I apologise for that? You see: the AG and IGP made the mistake, not me. The AG and IGP do not understand English. They also did not read what I wrote in my Statutory Declaration. They just HEARD that I had signed a Statutory Declaration alleging something against the Deputy Prime Minister's wife and, without reading what I wrote, they jumped up and screamed that I had lied and said that I would be dragged to court and charged for that lie. Since they had already publicly alleged that I had lied and since they had already publicly said I would be charged in court for lying, they could not now do a U-turn and apologise. So, like it or not, they had no choice but to arrest me and charge me in court. If not then the AG and IGP would look like idiots -- not that they already do not look like idiots. So the AG and IGP made this huge mistake. And because they refused to eat humble pie and instead wanted to stubbornly maintain their stand that they were right, they proceeded with arresting and charging me in court on the basis that I had lied in my Statutory Declaration. Because of this, the whole world got the impression that I had alleged something against the Deputy Prime Minister's wife -- now known as the FLOM (First Lady of Malaysia). If not, how could they arrest and charge me in court? And this was what was planted and ingrained in everyone's mind -- that I had signed a Statutory Declaration alleging something against Rosmah Mansor. Most people -- just like the AG and IGP -- also did not read my Statutory Declaration. Many, in fact, like the Umno people, do not even understand English -- just like the AG and IGP. So they based their judgement on what they saw and heard on TV and what they read in the government-owned mainstream newspapers. In fact, even many opposition people did not read my Statutory Declaration and they too based their judgement on what the mainstream media reported. And imagine these are the people we want to head the new government as a replacement to Barisan Nasional. I shudder to think we are going to entrust the country to these types of idiots. Hancur Malaysia! So you see, the AG and IGP should apologise to Najib and Rosmah. I do not need to do so. The AG and IGP should admit that they made a mistake. They should confess that they did not read my Statutory Declaration before they jumped up and screamed that I had lied and that I would be charged in court for lying. And they should come clean and tell Najib that, since they had already opened their big mouth, they could not then make a U-turn and admit that they were mistaken. They must confess to Najib that their egos would not allow them to admit their mistake so they had to proceed with arresting and charging me in court. And because of this the AG and IGP created the wrong impression that I had signed a Statutory Declaration alleging something against Rosmah Mansor whereas this is not what actually happened. So, it was the AG and IGP who are the culprits that perpetuated this false impression that I had alleged something against Rosmah Mansor. Yes, Rocky, my friend, I will certainly apologise if I had erred. But in the case of my Statutory Declaration it was the AG and IGP who erred. And this error of theirs distorted what actually happened. So THEY should apologise to Najib and Rosmah. In fact, they should also apologise to me for arresting and charging me for something I did not do just so that they need not admit their mistake and apologise to Najib and Rosmah. ************************************ Ampun, Pak Najib .. (?) Rocky's Bru Indonesian newspaper apologizes to PM over lies and fabrication, says KJ. And they should, too, if they had lied and fabricated. The Malaysian Insider said sorry to Najib Razak just the other day. Some bloggers should learn how ... Making mistakes, correcting them. ************************************ Najib denies Rosmah bought US$24m ring, Russian mob links for in-laws (The Malaysian Insider) – In his first comments on the issues, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has denied his wife bought a US$24 million diamond ring or that his Kazakhstan in-laws are linked to the "Russian mafia" as reported by Indonesia's top-selling daily, Kompas earlier this month. Kompas has since apologised to the prime minister for its August 4 report but mystery remains why the ring from New York jeweller Jacob & Co. was addressed to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, according to pictures widely available on the Internet. "I was surprised with the report. Because, the facts, I know is not true at all," Najib told Kompas in an interview published in its Sunday edition today. The interview with Kompas journalist Jimmy S Harianto was conducted last Thursday. "Furthermore, it links the name of a head of government of a country that we have important links with," the prime minister added. In a column on August 4, Kompas described Rosmah's ties with soon-to-be in-law Maira Nazarbayev as close although it provided no evidence to back its claims and added, "Maira Nazarbayev, who lives a lifestyle ala Imelda Marcos supposedly has links to the Russian mafia. Maira is the former wife of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev's brother Bolat Nazarbayev. Nooryana Najwa, the 22-year-old daughter of Rosmah and Najib, was recently betrothed to Maira's son, Daniyar, who was her college sweetheart. Kompas said it was made to understand by the Prime Minister's Office that the article was used by "certain political interests" and distributed with photocopies sent throughout the country ahead of elections that could be held as early as this year although Najib played coy over the timing of the general election. The Indonesian daily said the report was said to be detrimental to the federal government as it linked Rosmah and Perimekar Sdn Bhd, the company involved in the controversial commissions for the Scorpene submarine deal. "That is not true," Najib stressed, adding, "The ring was not ordered by her whether to be bought or to be used for private display," a reference to pro-Umno bloggers who had said the ring was brought in for private display for four days. In its article today, Kompas also reported the prime minister as saying the issue of Maira Nazarbayev being linked to the "Russian mafia" is untrue. Kompas chief editor Rikard Bangun also apologised today to Najib and his family over the report although it is understood that the Prime Minister's Office has used back channels to threaten a suit against the Indonesian daily. However, the daily has not flinched except for the apology. In the interview, Najib also touched on the impending elections by saying that his ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has improved conditions for a better chance at the polls as it has done well in by-elections over the past two years. "But I am realistic. Because by-elections is not an absolute measure. The absolute measure is the general elections and the situation will be different. "So we have to work with every effort for an agenda and programme that can satisfy and give confidence to the people. Not just government programmes, economic programmes but ones that touch the people. Programmes that can relieve and satisfy the people especially in the context of global inflation and price spikes in world commodities," Najib said. The prime minister also touched on democracy, saying the models varied from country to country and noted that Indonesia had experience from a restricted system to a more open democracy. He said Malaysia's system has evolved and the ruling party shared the same fate as the opposition among the voters. "The vote is decided by the people," Najib declared. |
| Posted: 20 Aug 2011 07:52 PM PDT By MR Malaysian It is increasingly clear that many of the richest Chinese tycoons in Malaysia are becoming a liability for the Chinese and Malaysian community at large. Their interests are solely the expansion of their empires of wealth and influence and to this end, they are happy to become choir boys to gloss over any misdeeds or injustices in the Administration. Most of them are quite shallow and compensate for their toadying up to the powers that be by flaunting their wealth by having highly visible bodyguards in addition to the de rigueur Bentley or other luxury limo. They have totally lost their moral compass and would do anything to ingratiate themselves with leading UMNO politicians. In turn, they themselves feel that they are above the law or seek to try and put themselves above the law by crawling for titles such as Datuk or Tan Sri. They have more in common with the grasping, conniving politician than the ordinary Malaysian who want to see justice and fair play prevail. These tycoons have thrived because the very absence of justice and fair play have allowed insider traders and rent seekers free rein. In a recent incident in a leading Italian restaurant in Bangsar, two tycoons (both Tan Sris), came in with a horde of bodyguards and were miffed to find that there was no private room available to them. They then refused to pay corkage for the wine they brought with them although the restaurant had invested in an extensive collection of wines. The restaurant, to their credit, refused to budge on this policy and the two big shots rather than exit with their tails between their legs, reluctantly agreed. At the end of their meal, in spite of being told that it was a non-smoking area, both insisted on lighting up a pair of gigantic cigars (possibly compensation for some sexual inadequacy) in the dining room. Again, to their utter dismay, the restaurant would not allow them to do so and suggested they go to the bar below where they could continue their discussions on their deals and the possible union of their respective children.
The two left vowing never to return to that fine restaurant that only insisted on adhering to long standing policies. Good riddance, I say. Such people are a burden to society and we should be shamed by the inordinate respect given to these titled rogues. |
| Biometrics – The cash cow for Umno elections Posted: 20 Aug 2011 07:49 PM PDT Create a system that no one needs and make money off the migrants, the workers, the illegals and anyone else looking to use cheap labour. By Biometricscandal Bismillah! The Umno elections might be more than a year away but those who want to go to the top need to make their money from last year. Otherwise, how to be number 1. Let's face it. Jibby Razak is out of the picture. He can't get two-thirds majority in the next general election without whole-scale cheating. He's not used to fighting or cheating because he doesn't need to fight. Have you ever seen him fight for a post? Not for Umno Youth. Also not in the 1993 Umno elections when he was part of the Wawasan Team led by Anwar "Mat Leather King" Ibrahim. But others have to fight. And they all need money to fight, to buy votes, to guarantee loyalty among the Umno voters and delegates. Lots of money lah. That's where biometrics comes in. Create a system that no one needs and make money off the migrants, the workers, the illegals and anyone else looking to use cheap labour. After all, what is RM300 per illegal? Cheap what. Multiply with the 2 million illegals and plus re-registering those who are legal? Money in the bag lah. Who's in on it? The question to ask is, who isn't in on it? It's the biggest racket that involves Umno's senior politicians who want to take over from Najib. Read more at: http://biometricscandal.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/biometrics-the-cash-cow-for-umno-elections/ |
| Ada Batu (Rocky) Dalam Selimut Posted: 20 Aug 2011 07:45 PM PDT
By next month Rocky will have his new news blog set up. Operating from an office in a nice KL suburb, Rocky will be ably assisted by his side kick Shamsul Akmar Musa Kamal. But the really interesting thing is who is backing his new venture financially. By catoutofbag Some people in PMO have been wondering why PM has been acting weird lately. Is it because of pressure from Bersih? Is he worried about elections?Maybe. But the real reasons are that history has a way of repeating itself. In 2006 and 2007 a certain Batu by the name of Rocky aka Datuk Ahirudin Atan made his move against that sleepyhead PM Pak Lah. Being asleep Pak Lah had no idea what was happening. Rockybru, the self-proclaimed tai ko of SoPo bloggers organised a full on assault against sleepyhead. Backed by Dr M, Rocky influenced public opinion against Pak Lah, and helped oust the sleeping PM. In stepped our current PM Datuk Seri Najib. Here's where it gets interesting. Rocky is doing the same thing again. But this time against our current PM. By next month Rocky will have his new news blog set up. Operating from an office in a nice KL suburb, Rocky will be ably assisted by his side kick Shamsul Akmar Musa Kamal. Notice how Rocky in his blog has already been laying the groundwork on his blog by attacking certain deals. Well wait for his new venture. But the really interesting thing is who is backing his new venture financially. If you were to find out you would think these were some of Najib's closest allies. Read more at: http://catoutofbag.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/ada-batu-rocky-dalam-selimut/ |
| Pilih Perdana Menteri mengikut Perlembagaan - Cara konvensyen sudah ketinggalan zaman Posted: 20 Aug 2011 04:17 PM PDT
ASPAN ALIAS 'Semakin hari semakin lemah'. Begitulah pandangan orang ramai terhadap kepimpinan hari ini. Kalau dahulu kta beranggapan yang Abdullah Badawi merupakan Perdana Menteri yang paling lemah, tetapi rupa-rupanya pandangan itu samasekali meleset. Dengan keadaan sebegini jika pimpinan masih mengambil pengganti dengan cara konvensyen iaitu siapa sahaja yang menjadi Presiden UMNO dialah yang akan menjadi Perdana Menteri. Pemilihan Perdana Menteri secara konvensyen ini menyumbang banyak masalah kepada negara kerana pimpinan UMNO akhir-akhir ini sudah tidak mampu lagi untuk mengekalkan kredibiliti sebagai parti yang unggul untuk dijadikan sebagai badan siasah yang mampu menjadi tunjang kepada pemerintahan negara.
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| ‘Umno must compete without killing opposition’ Posted: 20 Aug 2011 04:08 PM PDT
Umno cannot bank its resurgence on the demerits of its opponents. Nothing is more depressing, when imams don't seem to know what they are talking and even worse by saying they admit they don't know anything about this new product. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today Umno must adopt elements of the new nationalism – declare war on corruption and mediocrity. We know the Pakatan Rakyat people haven't got superior quality people too. Even they are scrapping the bottom of the barrel which is abundantly clear when they are forced to accept renegades from ruling coalition partners. Umno cannot bank its resurgence on the demerits of its opponents. It must rebound on its own native strengths and capabilities. Hence rather than applying resources in trying to blow out its opponents, Umno better spend them on rebuilding Umno. Most times the 'win-win' is the most effective approach: 'You can compete without having to kill the opposition.' The choice has to be made by 'hard-headed thinking.' So, the task for right minded Malaysians is to find hard headed thinkers. Management authors Nalebuff and Brandenburger (1996) when advising on 'co-opetition' argued that a strategic and or tactical stance is decisive. They said, and I quote: "For example, in many markets, it's a positive gain when new competition arrives. If you're running the only antique shop for miles around, far fewer people will call than if half-a-dozen others cluster round you. "The more companies supply connection to the Internet, and the more sites that are established on the World Wide Web, the more users will pile in – to the advantage of everybody. "You have to be both Dr Jekyll and MrHyde, because: • There's a bias towards seeing every new player as a threat • But many players complement you as well as compete with you • Look for complementary opportunities as well as competitive threats". 'Islam Hadhari bombed badly' How do hard-headed and clever planners react to this kind of scenario? Most probably, the hard-headed politicians will react to this seemingly gentlemanly theory by pointing to the innumerable cases where those thuggish competitors have attacked by undermining successful initiatives with me-toos. They retaliate in kind, believing they are likely to win. Take for instance the introduction of Islam Hadhari. Umno flooded the market with this brand hoping to undercut the Islam which PAS is offering. PAS retaliated by offering its Islam through the usual and more cost effective method – that of 'selling' their products and services through the ubiquitous suraus and mosques. Umno wanted to do it with much fanfare and festivity. In the end, our understanding of Islam Hadhari is probably not much better than our understanding about it when Islam Hadhari the brand, was first announced in 2005. I think, in the classic Hollywood terminology, this is one Islamic show that bombed badly. No one talks about Islam Hadhari nowadays and the former major-general Jamil Khir Baharom, who now sits as minister in the Prime Minister's office is left with the responsibility of how best to salvage the idea.
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| DPM: Govt to protect Bumiputeras' interest Posted: 20 Aug 2011 03:54 PM PDT
(BERNAMA) - Assisting and safeguarding the interest and welfare of the Bumiputera remains the main agenda of leaders and the government today, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said "So, the Bumiputera need not worry if the word Bumiputera is not used or repeated numerous times when implementing policies or the New Economic Policy," he said when closing the two-day convention "Empowering the New Economic Model: A Bumiputera Economic Jihad", organised by the Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (GABEM) at Universiti Teknologi Mara, here Saturday, Aug 20.
25 resolutions to empower Bumiputeras The functions of Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem) as the driver and monitor of Bumiputera economic performance is to be continued and further enforced -- this was among the 25 resolutions taken at the the New Economic Model (NEM): Bumiputera Economic Jihad Convention held here Saturday, Aug 20.
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| Thousands back Indian activist's fast against graft Posted: 20 Aug 2011 03:46 PM PDT
(REUTERS) - At least 10,000 people gathered yesterday to support an anti-corruption social activist who has galvanised much of India against the government with his hunger strike. Mr Anna Hazare, a 74-year-old activist, lay on a stage on his fourth day of fasting at an open ground in the capital, a hunger strike he says will continue until the government passes tougher anti-graft legislation.
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| Khairy says up to bosses to decide on Rembau Posted: 20 Aug 2011 03:14 PM PDT
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Khairy Jamaluddin has backtracked on his intention not to defend his Rembau seat and quit politics after a general election expected within the year, repeating that it is up to"my superiors in the party." The first-term Rembau MP said in Kota Bharu last night that the decision on the candidate was the prerogative of Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and he had the final say on the candidates who could give a win for Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). The Umno Youth chief (picture), who in early January said that he wanted to take a break from politics, told The Malaysian Insider that "I have already made my preference known... clear, very clear." "But at the end of the day it is a team sport, we have to see what happens," he said in an interview. When the federal lawmaker was quizzed on whether he would stand down as Rembau MP, he said that "I promised my superiors in the party that I would not say anything more on the subject so I leave it to them to decide." In a function in Kota Bharu last night, Khairy said that what was crucial was to ensure victory for the party. "If there are members or leaders who are not selected as election candidates and want to sabotage other candidates, the movement will report to the leadership. "Now is no longer a question of whether the person is popular in the party or he/she is highly educated. What is important is whether the people accept him/her to ensure BN wins," he added. In the two years since capturing the prized Umno Youth leadership, Khairy has seen Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who he defeated for the post and his deputy Datuk Razali Ibrahim appointed as deputy ministers by Najib. Khairy's planned retreat from mainstream politics had come despite his best efforts to defend the Najib administration in political forums both physical and virtual, taking on Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians and supporters on both political and policy matters. He remains Umno's most visibly centrist leader and credible purveyor of the prime minister's 1 Malaysia slogan of inclusivity. But it had appeared to isolate him further from a party that has been showing its hawkish tendencies and a Youth wing that traditionally leans even further right. However, Najib has recently praised Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth, which Khairy also chairs, for its efforts in pursuing programmes such as home ownership and career fairs aimed at easing the burden of this year's surging inflation. Khairy rose meteorically during Abdullah's administration, becoming the vice chief for Umno Youth and gaining infamy as part of the "Fourth Floor Boys" who were said to have the ear of the then prime minister.
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| BN Ready To Face GE, Says Rais Posted: 20 Aug 2011 02:55 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The Barisan Nasional (BN) is ready to face the next general election (GE) which can be called at any time now, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim.
He said the statement by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Friday that the GE could be called at anytime must be viewed seriously and not as "empty talk". He said the country was undergoing tremendous changes in terms of administration, mindset and economic transformation under the leadership of Najib. "And with these changes... we (BN) are ready (to face the GE). In fact, the election machinery in all state and parliamentary constituencies have been asked to get into gear," he said. He told this to reporters after attending a breaking of fast and alms giving function at the Simpang Durian mosque near here yesterday. Rais, who is also the MP for Jelebu, said the the election machinery in his constituency had also be in activated and that various programmes would be carried out after the Aidilfitiri towards facing the GE. |
| Penang refutes Tsu Koon, says investment decisions done quicker Posted: 20 Aug 2011 02:34 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Investment agency InvestPenang has dismissed former Penang chief minister Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's claims that the state's economic success now should be attributed to his previous administration. InvestPenang chairman Lee Kah Choon said today it was "ridiculous" for Koh to suggest that it took investors years to decide on whether to invest in Penang. "By then the technology will be obsolete, the product will not fit into the supply chain for the overall manufacturing process and it is against the Just In Time (JIT) philosophy the manufacturing world is practicing currently," Lee told The Malaysian Insider today. "All in all, if any deal is to be struck, it will be done within 12 months," added the former Gerakan deputy secretary-general. Lee was responding to Koh's accusations in The Malaysian Insider that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was "unfairly" taking credit due to Barisan Nasional (BN). Koh, who was Penang CM from 1990 until March 2008, lamented that the "solid foundation" of various development projects laid down by his administration was handed over to Lim who, according to Koh, then skilfully "used" the media to claim ownership to the success of various initiatives. According to Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida) statistics, Penang topped total capital investments in manufacturing projects in 2010 by attracting RM12.24 billion, up nearly five times compared to RM2.17 billion in 2009. Mida statistics also showed Penang was second only to Selangor up to May 2011, getting RM4.49 billion in approved manufacturing projects, or just below the RM4.74 billion Selangor received for the same period. Lee expressed surprise at Koh's contention that Mida took up to five years to decide on on incentives to be given to potential investors. "The Mida that InvestPenang is working with make decision in weeks and not years," said Lee. " In short, to say that investment decision takes months to be made is sleep talking. To say that Mida is indecisive in making incentive decision is both erroneous and unfair," he added. Lee, who relinquished all party posts when Gerakan lost Penang in Election 2008, pointed out that no investors withdrew from Penang when it fell to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) during the elections then.
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| Don’t just ‘cari makan’, take a stand Posted: 20 Aug 2011 12:44 PM PDT By Jeswan Kaur, FMT Fighting for what is just and right has its 'price', one which not many are willing to pay, especially writers or journalists. It explains then why the mainstream media had nothing favourable to write about July 9, 2011, the day when Malaysians fearing nothing joined hands in demanding electoral reforms. The conventional media instead lambasted the rally, themed 'Walk for Democracy' and organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 as being a destructive force aimed at disrupting unity among the people. Writing what the political masters dictate explains why the mainstream media has failed to regain its lost respect and credibility among the conscientious Malaysians. But then for a former newspaper man-turned-poet and novelist, the rally had every merit to it. So much so that Abdul Samad Muhammad Said or better known through his pen name A Samad Said made sure he was among the many Malaysians who supported the cause championed by Bersih. Pak Samad, as he is populary called, was a former editor of the Berita Harian in the 1960s and 70s. In May 1976, he was hailed as the Pejuang Sastera (Literary Exponent) by the Malay literature communities and linguists. In 1979, he was awarded the Southeast Asia Write Award and in 1986 he was bestowed the title of 'Sasterawan Negara' or national laureate, in appreciation of his contributons to the nation's literary heritage. So when Samad made news in connection with the election watchdog Bersih 2.0, it took many by surprise. In spite of the heavy police control on July 9, Samad, a poet and novelist, managed to walk, that too barefoot after his footwear went missing in a scuffle when the police fired tear gas towards the protesters at the Kuala Lumpur Sentral, to Istana Negara. He was only 200 metres away from the national palace gates when apprehended by the police. Prior to the rally, the Barisan Nasional government filed sedition charges against Samad and other leaders of the Bersih 2.0 coalition of NGOs. Stop the 'carma', take a stand However, arrest was the least of Samad's worry. Instead, he urged intellectuals to stop being 'carma' (cari makan) and dare take a stand against cruelty and injustice. He did not mince his words when he castigated the mainstream media which demonised the rally. "Writers seldom take a stand. Most of them are 'carma' and are always prepared to not take a stand. This has caused all the evil to grow and spread tremendously." "For the mainstream media, Bersih is dirty. I'm also surprised, why these experienced pressmen who have won awards here and there, can smear Bersih. I know they are from the 'carma' group. "Fortunately there is still a small number of writers who dare to take a stand, who know that Bersih is pure," Samad told the 250-strong audience who filled the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium under the close watch of several plainclothes policemen on July 3, days before the rally took off. Have Samad's words awakened the consciousness of the mainstream media writers or have they dismissed his call for them to fight injustice as a spur of the moment remark? Indeed, there is truth in every word uttered by Samad. To stand up against injustices or to perpetuate them, is for every writer to ponder. The 76-year-old unassuming Malacca-born poet then went a step further saying he would boycott all government events, his way of protesting the government's crackdown on the rally protesters. Paying the price for 'truth' Samad together with Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan and other activists was instrumental in organising the 'Walk for Democracy'. On June 28 this year, the septuagenarian Samad was hauled up for 90-minutes by the police who questioned him about his poem 'Unggun Bersih' (The Bersih Fire) recited at the 'launch' if the Bersih 2.0 rally on June 19. Besides 'Unggun Bersih', Samad composed two other poems, 'Peludah Warna' and 'Semarak Menyala', supporting the call by Bersih 2.0 for free and fair elections.
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| Posted: 20 Aug 2011 12:41 PM PDT By Martin Carvalho, The Star PETALING JAYA: The ongoing biometric registration exercise for foreign workers has revealed an alarming scenario of over a million illegals compared to legal workers. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the exercise should not be viewed lightly as the presence of too many illegals could undermine national security. The exercise, which also includes the registration of foreigners at entry points, could help weed out undesirable elements from making Malaysia their base or transit point, he said. "The presence of more illegal workers compared to the legal ones is a concern. "But we will be able to effectively deal with this through the 6P programme," he said here yesterday. Earlier in a statement, he said comprehensive data collected via the registration exercise would make it easier for the police and Immigration Department to investigate cases related to militant activities or human trafficking. He cited the handing over of three Babbar Khalsa International militant suspects to India last Tuesday and the arrest of 16 Chinese nationals under the Internal Security Act earlier this month as examples of the Government's effort in combating the global menace. He said the war against the syndicates and violent militant groups should not be viewed lightly. "Thousands of innocent lives have been sacrificed due to human trafficking and violence. I will not allow Malaysia to be seen as a transit or a safe haven for terrorists and human trafficking syndicates," he said. Hishammuddin also chided certain groups, in particular the opposition, for making allegations against the Government with regards to efforts to enhance national security via the registration exercise. "I am aware that many allegations have been made against our effort. However, they are unaware that it is being done in their best interest," he said. As of Friday, a total of 2,088,358 foreign workers had been registered, of whom 1,135,499 were illegals. The registration exercise for legal foreign workers began on July 13 and will carry on indefinitely while the exercise for illegals started on Aug 1 with the two-week deadline extended until Aug 31. |
| Polls panel insincere public relations move, say activists, Malaysians Posted: 20 Aug 2011 12:37 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Some activists and Malaysians who joined the Bersih rally have dubbed the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform as an insincere public relations exercise by Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Their remarks came after the prime minister said last Friday that the timing of general elections would not depend on the panel's proceedings. "It appears that the PSC is not sincere and appears to be just an attempt to appease the people without seriously wanting to hear what the committee does," human rights lawyer Edmund Bon (picture) told The Malaysian Insider yesterday. Bon, who is also the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism & Human Rights (MCCHR) campaigner, added that Najib's statement on federal polls has confused voters. Women's rights activist Ivy Josiah said Najib's remarks showed that the PSC was merely a "wasteful" public relations move. "It's insulting the intelligence of Malaysians," Ivy told The Malaysian Insider. "It's very disrespectful to all of Bersih's efforts...Citizens turned up (at the Bersih rally on July 9) because we want a fair and even playing ground," added the executive director of the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO). Ivy also challenged the PM to specify the reforms that he had promised to implement immediately. Najib formed the panel some five weeks after electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0 took to the streets of the capital city on July 9 to call for free and fair elections. Nearly 50,000 people braved tear gas and water cannons at the rally despite a police lock down on the city.
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| Posted: 20 Aug 2011 01:07 AM PDT MASTERWORDSMITH On Aug 9, MAS and AirAsia had entered into a collaboration agreement to establish a framework to explore the possibilities of mutual co-operation. With that Tune Air Sdn Bhd, jointly owned by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and Datuk Aziz Bakar, gets 20 per cent share of the national airline. Many have expressed their fears that the merger might lead to less competition and higher airfares to consumers. On the surface, it can appear as if Tony Fernandes is the winner of this development since AirAsia is directly competing with MAS. During the times when MAS was in the red, AirAsia was reaping profits.
If not for that move, MAS would have had cash flow problems. MAS at that time had little other assets to sell, having sold all its aircraft much earlier in 2003 to Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad (PMB) under the widespread asset unbundling (WAU) exercise — way before Datuk Seri Idris came into the picture. Eventually, the share price of MAS improved and some sang glorious songs praising Idris for helping MAS to turnaround. The 2004/2005 MAS annual report said: Malaysia Airlines' total revenue in 2004/2005 improved by RM2.6 billion to RM11.4These statistics differ from that of Wikipedia: 1. Prior to the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, the airline suffered losses of as much as RM 260 million after earning a record-breaking RM319 million profit in the financial year 1996/1997. The airline then introduced measures to bring its P&L back into the black. For the financial year 1999/2000, the airline cut its losses from RM700 million in the year 1998/1999 to RM259 million. However, the airline plunged into further losses in the following year, amounting to RM417 million in FY2000/2001 and RM836 million in FY2001/2002. With these losses, the airline cut many unprofitable routes, such as Brussels, Darwin, Honolulu, Madrid, Munich and Vancouver. The airline recovered from its losses in the year 2002/2003. It achieved its then-highest profit in the year 2003/2004, totaling RM461 million. 2. In 2005, Malaysia Airlines reported a loss of RM1.3 billion. Revenue for the financial period was up by 10.3% or RM826.9 million, compared to the same period for 2004, driven by a 10.2% growth in passenger traffic. International passenger revenue increased by RM457.6 million or 8.4%, to RM5.9 billion, while cargo revenue decreased by RM64.1 million or 4.2%, to RM1.5 billion. Costs increased by 28.8% or RM2.3 billion, amounting to a total of RM 10.3 billion, primarily due to escalating fuel prices. Other cost increases included staff costs, handling and landing fees, aircraft maintenance and overhaul charges, Widespread Assets Unbundling (WAU) charges and leases. A former MAS staff Song Eu Jun had this to say:
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| Rocky to lead media onslaught against Najib? Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:14 PM PDT
UPPERCAISE Word has been going around about what Rocky of Rocky's Bru (Datuk Ahiruddin Atan) would do next, after leaving Redberry group at the end of his contract in May. Speculation was that that he would once again be involved in media as point man for a new political campaign. He's planning a new blog… he's planning a new web site… Now a new blog fingers Rocky as leading an online media onslaught against Najib Tun Razak, the Umno president, whose precarious hold on the prime ministership looks even more tenuous day by day. Rocky had risen to prominence by using his blog and his network of blogger and journalist friends to campaign against the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi government and the New Straits Times. When Abdullah was ousted and Najib took over a year later Rocky appeared to have become the voice of the new power establishment, with close ties to the new Najib appointees at the NSTP group. He made a loudly proclaimed return to the Malay Mail where he had once worked (and supervised its collapse as a free afternoon paper) before being pushed upstairs as editorial adviser after Redberry, primarily an outdoor advertising company, took control of the Malay Mail, Malaysian Reserve, a financial daily, and Bernama TV media sales. Now Rocky's out on the loose — and some say he's gunning for Najib. The latest is this posting at a new blog, Cat Out Of the Bag
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| Listing 1,100 capable bumi firms Posted: 19 Aug 2011 08:16 PM PDT (DAILY EXPRESS) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the concept of meritocracy will be practised in the agenda to assist Bumiputera entrepreneurs, and the Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju) is in the process of listing 1,100 Bumiputera companies capable of success, on the stock market. The Government will assist the companies and the list will be announced in two-three months time, he said, while officiating the two-day convention, Empowering the New Economic Model: A Bumiputera Economic Jihad, organised by the Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem) Universiti Teknologi Mara. Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said the Government will assist the companies to become bigger. "If the RM100,000 turnover this year can increase to RM1 million in three years time and if only operating within the country, the companies can then expand overseas. "This programme represents a new approach based on meritocracy among Bumiputeras with no question of cronyism but only help those who can truly succeed," he added. He said the switch in the approach towards assisting Bumiputera entrepreneurs based on meritocracy is seen as being better, as the previous method such as giving initial public offerings(IPO) through the Bumiputera quota, did not last long as the shares were resold on the market. "I want to state and you should not be shocked that of the 60 billion shares distributed to Bumiputeras at one time under the IPO, only two billion is left today. Why?" he asked. He said the Bumiputera shareholding had reduced as some investors were incapable of holding on to the shares concerned. There were some among them who sold the shares as the price increased but questioned where the profit obtained had gone. "If we want to help Bumiputera companies, they must prove their worth as committed and hard working entrepreneurs. I say to them, it is not who you are, it is not who you know but know how," he said. Meanwhile, the government is identifying the potential companies to be listed but needs some assistance in fulfilling the criteria of the Securities Commission (SC), so that it can be done. Najib also reflected on his time as the Pahang Menteri Besar when a lot of Bumiputera entrepreneurs met him, asking for his signature on project applications. "But when investigated, they were only seeking to make a profit or were 'rent seekers' and those behind them were not Bumiputera entrepreneurs," he said. He said if Bumiputera entrepreneurs did not change their attitude and work ethics, they would not progress in business, no matter how many conventions such as this was organised. "What we want are committed people, willing to strive to be successful, in line with the theme of this convention... meaning, not just the government helping, but all of you helping yourselves to succeed," he added. Najib said among the vendors to government-linked companies (GLCs) such as Telekom Malaysia Bhd and Petroliam Nasional Bhd, were those who were comfortable remaining so, not wanting to change from that status to be self-sufficient. "Logically, if they had been vendors for five years, they should be able to stand on their own, and give other companies an opportunity to be one in turn," he added. Najib also said apart from Bumiputera vendor companies, Bumiputera Class F contractors should also migrate from that category to become that of a higher class and stand on their own. However, he said there were also successful Bumiputera companies and lately, there was one which had purchased an Australian company in the oil and gas sector. "What I would like to see is, successful Bumiputeras as big entrepreneurs, with public limited companies also having their own vendor development programme to assist other Bumiputera companies. "This is not just to the extent of providing welfare assistance but also assisting with the birth of more Bumiputera entrepreneurs who can help other companies," he added. Najib said the Bumiputera entrepreneur community must not be scared of change in the global business environment. "Instead, they need to overcome the global economic changes, which is seeing the emergence of two new powers in China and India," he added. Najib said he wants the Bumiputera community to be positive in undertaking change, so that when the country attains the status of a developed nation on January 1, 2020, the Malays and Bumiputeras will be also recognised as a progressive and successful race. He said the emergence of more non-governmental organisations apart from GABEM to fight for the economy of the race was positive, providing they were on the "same ship" with the government which has a clear direction in this regard. Touching on meritocracy, he said it is needed to encourage the culture of excellence among Malaysians but at the same time, "affirmative action" for the sidelined Bumiputera community could not ignored. He said the status of children growing up in Kenny Hills in Kuala Lumpur was different from those in the interior in Kg Bantal, Pahang. Also present at the event was GABEM chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik, Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Deputy Minister in the Prime Ministers Department, Datuk Ahmad Maslan.
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| What is this country coming to? Posted: 19 Aug 2011 08:13 PM PDT ALIRAN Will the rakyat be able to survive the power of the police – and that of the State, wonders Kee Thuan Chye. What is this country coming to? Many Malaysians are asking this question in view of the numerous actions taken by the police over the past week. First, they arrested 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including MP for Sungai Siput Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, and are now investigating them for resurrecting Communism and waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. While on their way to a Bersih roadshow in Penang, they were arrested in Kepala Batas and found to have in their possession T-shirts bearing faces of Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin. They have been remanded for seven days. Communism? That's crazy talk. The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) is long dead and gone. Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin are geriatrics. The party disbanded in 1989 after signing a peace treaty with the Malaysian Government, and its members were allowed to reside in Malaysia if they chose to do so. After 22 years of its being defunct and virtually forgotten, why is Communism still a threat today? And if it were – by some stretch of the imagination – are we to believe that this threat is manifest in these 30 PSM members among whom 14 are women, the oldest aged 64? A friend of mine who was at the court in Penang when the 30 were brought in told me they were just "a motley crew" of people who didn't look like they would carry a stick to fight, much less wage war against the Agong. "When I saw that, my faith in the system hit rock-bottom," he said. Kumar doesn't deserve this "And to see Jeyakumar in handcuffs was too much," he added. "He alone is worth many of our people in power put together. Top scorer in exams, a doctor, a man who has dedicated his life to helping poor people – he doesn't deserve this." Like my friend, I too knew Jeyakumar while at school. He was one year my junior at the Penang Free School, and I remember him well as a thoughtful, gentle person. He was soft-spoken, cerebral, and humble despite his well-to-do background. I find it hard to believe that someone like him would wage war against the Agong. Only someone stupid or deranged would consider doing that. He might be a socialist, but that's a far cry from being a Communist. Don't the police and the Government know the difference? To all intents and purposes, he is probably someone who transcends labels and merely cares for the poor. And why remand him and the others for a week? The High Court has since upheld this decision and said it is correct. Justice Zamani A Rahim said the case was serious. "It involves the security of the country, of everyone – you and me and our children." These 30 people are so dangerous that they are a threat to us and our children? Case number 2: Sasterawan Negara (National Laureate) A Samad Said was called in by the police and told he was being investigated for sedition because he had read part of a poem at the Bersih launch on June 19.
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| Was Muhyiddin behind Najib’s turnaround? Posted: 19 Aug 2011 06:43 PM PDT
Premier Najib Tun Razak's 'flip-flop' stand has vindicated doubts over his true intentions of setting up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) (Free Malaysia Today) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's 'flip-flopping' on his decision in relation to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) could result in the PSC being stillborn. DAP parliamentary leader and Ipoh Timor MP, Lim Kit Siang said Najib's disclosure yesterday that the general election could be held anytime and was not bound by the work of the PSC meant that the Barisan Nasional government was not interested in putting to rest suspicions of manipulation of the country's electoral process. "Najib's flip-flop statement has vindicated doubts over the true intention of proposals for the formation of a parliamentary select committee for electoral reforms," he said in a statement issued today. Five days ago Najib had given an assurance that the PSC on electoral reforms would allay any suspicion of manipulation by the government in the country's electoral process. Najib gave the assurances after announcing that a nine-man parliamentary select committee, led by a minister would look into electoral reforms. But his statement yesterday, after the Umno supreme council meeting, has spawned fresh speculations that Najib's flip-flop stand was due to pressure from Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin. "Malaysians are asking whether Najib has backed down in four days from his implicit undertaking that the Parliamentary Select Committee would be a meaningful exercise and that general elections would only be held after electoral reforms had been effected because of the hardline pressures such as those emanating from Muhyiddin Yassin who had denied that there is any real problem with the electoral system and that only some minor tweaks are required," said Lim. Lim further concluded that the effectiveness of the PSC would rely purely on Najib's determination.
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| Ringgit sukuk sales head for record as Gulf taps market Posted: 19 Aug 2011 04:33 PM PDT
Malaysia's government announced a spending program in 2010 to build roads, electricity plants and a rail-transit system aimed at easing traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur, over the next decade. Prime Minister Najib Razak said in March that Islamic bonds would be sold to fund the 48 billion-ringgit rail project, without saying when the debt would be sold or how big it would be. The Treasury has sold 26 billion ringgit of sukuk in 2011, up from 18.5 billion a year earlier, according to Bank Negara data. (Bloomberg) - Sales of ringgit-denominated Islamic bonds are headed for a record this year as Malaysia's $444 billion development plan boosts borrowing and Persian Gulf issuers tap the world's biggest sukuk market. Malaysian companies have announced plans to sell at least 6 billion ringgit ($2 billion) of sukuk by the end of 2011, on top of the 30.6 billion ringgit already raised in 2011. That will bring the total close to the record 38.7 billion ringgit raised in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Offerings totaled 10.9 billion ringgit in the year-earlier period. Maybank Investment Bank Bhd., the top sukuk underwriter this year, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd. and Asian Finance Bank Bhd. all say they expect a record year for issuance. Investors have bought Malaysia's investment-grade Islamic debt amid political turmoil in the Middle East, and signs that Europe's debt crisis is spreading and that the world is headed for recession. "With Europe and the Middle East in crisis, money is looking at emerging markets, including Asia, and the appreciating ringgit offers good returns," Ahmad Najib Nazlan, deputy treasurer in the treasury and capital markets division at Kuala Lumpur-based Bank Muamalat, said in an Aug. 17 interview. Lower borrowing costs and the economic transformation program were also driving issuance, he said. The ringgit has strengthened 2.6 percent against the dollar this year to 2.9870 Friday. Malaysia is rated A3 by Moody's Investors Service and A- by Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings, the fourth-highest investment grades. The three companies rate Indonesia one level below investment grade. Global sales of sukuk, which pay asset returns to comply with Islam's ban on interest, has doubled to $16.8 billion this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Offerings from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, rose 51 percent to $3.7 billion. Yields on Malaysia's benchmark five-year local-currency Islamic bonds have dropped 17 basis points, or 0.17 percentage point, this quarter to 3.466 percent Thursday, matching the lowest level this year, a Bank Negara Malaysia index and Bloomberg data show. The Bloomberg-AIBIM-Bursa Malaysia Sovereign Sharia Index, which tracks the most-traded government debt in Malaysia, climbed to 104.158, the highest level since it was created in September, and has advanced 3 percent this year. Malaysia's government announced a spending program in 2010 to build roads, electricity plants and a rail-transit system aimed at easing traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur, over the next decade. Prime Minister Najib Razak said in March that Islamic bonds would be sold to fund the 48 billion-ringgit rail project, without saying when the debt would be sold or how big it would be. The Treasury has sold 26 billion ringgit of sukuk in 2011, up from 18.5 billion a year earlier, according to Bank Negara data. The economy will expand as much as 6 percent this year, Razak said on Aug. 18, after growing 7.2 percent in 2010, the fastest pace in 10 years. For sukuk sales to beat the 2007 record, the "assumption is that we will continue on the path of economic stability," Bank Muamalat's Ahmad Najib said. "The impact is greater when the economy is doing well." Persian Gulf issuers have tapped the Southeast Asian nation's market this year, with Gulf Investment Corp., the investment company owned by the six GCC states, selling 1.35 billion ringgit of Islamic debt in Malaysia in two tranches in February and August. State-owned Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. is considering the ringgit market in Malaysia for a potential bond sale, chief financial officer Stephen Kersley said on Aug. 10, without specifying whether it will be a sukuk issue. Among planned offers, Tenaga Nasional Bhd., Malaysia's biggest power producer, said in July it will raise up to 5 billion ringgit this year. Emery Oleochemicals Group, the world's largest producer of plastic additives, will sell 480 million ringgit of sukuk in the fourth quarter, the Shah Alam, Malaysia-based company said Friday, citing group chief executive officer Kongkrapan Intarajang. Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd., a venture capital company owned by the Finance Ministry, will offer as much as 500 million ringgit of Sharia-compliant debt in September or October, it said last year. "Sales can surpass 40 billion ringgit this year given the ample liquidity in the market," Michael Lau, head of debt markets at Kuala Lumpur-based Maybank Investment Bank, said in an Aug. 17 interview. "There's easily 7 to 8 billion ringgit worth of sukuk in the pipeline that will be in the market before the end of the year." Sharia-compliant bonds gained 7 percent this year, according to the HSBC/NASDAQ Dubai U.S. Dollar Sukuk Index, while debt in developing markets returned 7.2 percent, JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s EMBI Global Index shows. The difference between the average yield for sukuk and the London interbank offered rate widened three basis points to 243 Thursday, according to the HSBC/NASDAQ Dubai U.S. Dollar Sukuk Index. The spread between Malaysia's 3.928 percent dollar-denominated sukuk due June 2015 and the Dubai Department of Finance's 6.396 percent note due November 2014 was unchanged Friday at 235 basis points, Bloomberg data show. Islamic banking assets in Malaysia rose 16 percent in 2010 to 350.8 billion ringgit and accounted for 21 percent of the total banking system, according to Bank Negara's annual report released on March 23. The country had $94 billion of sukuk outstanding last year, accounting for 66 percent of the global total, the report said. "If I was a borrower, I'd love to come to the market at this time," said Zulkiflee Nidzam, the head of foreign-exchange and bond trading at Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Finance Bank. |
| EPF confirms buying London office block for RM740m Posted: 19 Aug 2011 04:06 PM PDT Another investment: D2 Private sold the office block in St James's Square to the EFP for £150mil. (The Star) - The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) has confirmed that it has purchased an office block in St James's Square, London, where one of the tenants has one of London's highest rents. The EPF told StarBizWeek that it bought 12 St James's Square for 150mil (about RM740mil) from D2 Private, the leading Dublin-based Irish property investment company. The deal was completed on Aug 11. This marks the EPF's fourth property investment in London since announcing an allocation of 1bil for British property purchases about a year ago. Including this latest purchase, it has spent 634mil. The latest purchase is centrally located in one of London's most elegant West End squares. The seller D2 bought the building in 2006 for 60mil and refurbished the classic 81,500 sq ft Georgian building for another 20mil. Eighteen months after buying it, D2 rented the top two floors to hedge fund Permal Investment Management Services at what was then considered the world's highest rental ever at between 140 and 130 per sq ft. The West End market has failed to reach rents of that level since. Only earlier this year did they pass 100 per sq ft. D2 is founded by Deirdre Foley, and David Arnold. Foley was previously a director of the Quinlan Partnership and is D2's managing director while Arnold is a well-known Irish property developer and investor. The EPF last year handed ING Real Estate Investment Management and RREEF the mandate to invest 500mil each in central London on its behalf. So far the fund has invested outside the core West End in a bid to find investments that yield more than 5%. The EPF's three other property assets include commercial building Whitefriars in central London which it bought from Union Investment for 148mil in March. Whitefriars has a annual yield of 5.75%. Property consultancy Savills brokered that deal. Prior to Whitefriars, the EPF bought One Sheldon Square in Paddington Central for 156mil, and 40 Portman Square near Oxford Street for 180mil. The two properties have yields of 5.75% and 5.55% respectively. Properties in the city of London was among the first to start recovering from the financial crisis, rising in the second half of 2009 after two years of declines erased 50% of its value from city-centre office values. The pound sterling's 22% drop since September 2007 had helped make property more attractive to foreign buyers, according to a report by Bloomberg. Since 2009, when prices of London assets begin its uptrend, spending in London's prime real estate shows no sign of abating, a deep contrast to the overall state of the UK property market which has been soft until today. In the city, investors are turning to more affordable markets or riskier properties because of the shortage of prime real estate for sale and the high prices it commands. For the first half of this year, about $12.3 billion has been spent on prime offices, shops and homes in London, the most of any city, Real Capital Analytics's research shows. Last week's disorder and looting in London has not diminished the appeal of investing in the city, according to Jeremy Helsby, chief executive officer of Savills Plc. "There's no evidence of an unwillingness to invest in London," Helsby says after the property broker reported a 52% increase in first-half profit. "I can't think of any set of circumstances of London not retaining its status as a destination for international capital," he told Bloomberg.
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| Is the PSC yet another con job? Posted: 19 Aug 2011 03:37 PM PDT
The government has a bad track record of implementing suggestions from past commissions, so how different will it be with the Parliamentary Select Committee? (Free Malaysia Today) - How effective will the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) be if it has no powers to enforce and implement its suggestion? How different will it be from past commissions whose findings have come to nought? These are the questions bugging Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel). Speaking to FMT, Mafrel secretary-general Shaharudin Othman said: "Before we even ask the question of who should head PSC, we should take a step back and ask why even have PSC. "Take the RCI (Royal Commission of Inquiry) on the the Lingam tape: even when they named the people involved, were there any actions taken?" he asked. "The Parliamentary Accountability Committee (PAC) is an organ in the parliamentary system which questions mismanagement. But what has it done? "Only when all the previous recommendations are looked into and some sincerity is shown in their implementation, will the PSC matter." Shaharudin said the PSC merely had the power to make suggestions which can easily be ignored by the government. "The composition of the committee hardly matters as results have not been seen based on previous government actions. "We have been living through many, many years based on promises. "If there is no drastic change in the way the government does things, then we are merely living in the climate of broken promises," he said. 'Opposition has more stake' Bersih 2.0 steering commitee member Maria Chin Abdullah also agreed. "The government must make sure that the recommendations are implemented. "This isn't about Bersih, the government or the opposition. The people will observe the progress and they are the ones who will decide at the end of the day," she said. She also pointed out that having a minister head the nine-member PSC was not going to help increase public confidence in the electoral reform process. She believed that the opposition should lead the committee as it had more at stake over electoral reforms. "If you look at all the recent allegations of electoral irregularities, it is the opposition which has been vocal about them. "The opposition should chair the committee because it has more at stake and more to lose. "The government seems to be quite happy with the current process so it reflects a bias. We hope the government will take into account public confidence. "If it goes on acting in its own interest, it will not inspire much public confidence," she told FMT. Maria Chin also noted that the nine committee members – comprising five MPs from the ruling government, three from the opposition and an independent – reflected a pro-government bias.
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| Of people, the choices we make, and our ability to affect the future. Posted: 19 Aug 2011 12:14 PM PDT By My Thoughts They spend millions in military spending, go into war frequently and all the while, the economy is in dire straits, needing infusions, and the stock markets and banks are having multiple crisis one after another, in a race to the bottom and decimating the savings and living standards of ordinary people all over the world. We may live in different countries, with different cultures. But doesn't everyone wants a better living standards, to enjoy life and hopes for a bright future for our family and friends? We can all learn lessons in the happenings around the world because we live in a connected world. What happens in another country and place can happen right here in front of our eyes and at our doorsteps. Many in the society thinks that it does not matter. As long as it does not affect their earning and spending power, many would happily leave the politicians and leaders to their antics and treat them as mere theatrics. The majority of the people couldn't care less. "It's politics! I don't want anything to do with it". We can practically smell the fear, disgusts and indifference in the reply. But when hardship falls upon the people, it is natural that everything is government's fault. It is they who steers the country, we say. Wait a minute. Who gave them the mandate? Yes. It is you. Me. Every single eligible voter (yes, it includes each and everyone that did not vote, you were given a say in the future and you chose to ignore it. By letting others make a choice for you, you made your choice too. So if things go wrong, blame yourself). It is politics. And it matters. It matters because the government we elect will set economic policies, pass laws, design the education systems for our children, and provide public services for us while we, in turn pay taxes to the government. As the government is appointed and paid for by the people, it is thus, accountable to the people in all it's actions. Everything the government touches affects us. The economic policy will determine whether we are resilient and can withstand economic crises, whether our laws will encourage business friendly environment to encourage entrepreneurship and investors to come and invest here to create a vibrant economy and improve the earnings and living standards of the people. Bad policy will results in our being left behind as the world progress, brain drain as our people seeks greener pastures elsewhere and lower living standards as our purchasing power erodes. 'But i did not vote for the government!' we say. Well, majority wins. Try harder the next round. 'It is unfair! They cheat! They lie! We are being oppressed! We will never win!'. Yes, it may be so. We read the details being exposed by concerned and responsible citizens with evidence to boot. We get angry. We get upset. We vent our frustration and anger in the blogsphere. And we try every election to vote in our representative of choice. Our passion and fervour in pursuing accountability, justice, and our constitutional rights are misconstrued as being extreme by the main stream media and a majority of people who has yet to hear both sides of the story to make an opinion. |
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