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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Najib: Media Plays Important Role for Malaysia's Growth
• Police investigates don for remarks on Selangor Sultan's decree
• Time To Deliver Again: Domestic Laws And Procedures Must Stand Up To International Scrutiny
• PAS opts out of Himpun to keep it apolitical
• The plot’s the same, just the props and players change
• Let’s try again
• The most cruel cut of ‘em all
• WIKILEAKS: PROSECUTOR DOWNBEAT ON ALTANTUYA MURDER CASE
• Pakatan in dilemma over Himpun rally
• No local probe into Maxis-Aircel deal, minister says
• End of the road for Firefly’s jet service
• Khairy defends attacks on Guan Eng’s son, calls critics hypocritical
• PAS Youth declares support for Himpun before central leadership meet
• Group warns of RM1 trillion debt by 2020
• NEP reason behind UM’s falling standards
• MCA and hudud: Part 1
• UMNO Should Act Against Those Trying To Wreck The Life Of My Young Son
• PPSMI : No clear answers from the Ministry
• MCA Has Lost The Plot
• Lim feels sorry for smear campaign against Koh
• What happens to Malaysians when US goes to war in the Middle East?
• Free from ISA, but still in shackles
• Ranking game not a priority, says education official
• Pakatan cries foul over sweetheart IPP deal for Syed Mokhtar
• Himpun to meet Cabinet interfaith panel tonight
• AG report delay: PM must come clean
• Retain PPSMI As An Option
• Development? Really? For whom?
• Ignorance on top
• ‘Illogical’ that 250,000 Muslims have left faith, says Perlis mufti
• ‘Najib’s budget inferior to Pakatan’s’
• Forward, back but don’t touch
• Focus On Real Targets
• The Penan – Still Struggling to Save Our Jungle [FILM TRIBUTE]
• Muhyiddin Whips Up Anti-BN Support Again
• Mukhriz confirms Najib wants meritocracy for Malays
• Why Islam has become the New Communism
• Malaysia’s environment needs help
• WIKILEAKS: CONTROVERSIAL SQURES OF CHRISTIAN BOOKS
• Economic system can sustain global downturn, says Nor Mohamed
• BREAKING NEWS: Penan block logging road in Baram, Sarawak
• #CleanBefore13 Global BERSIH 2.0 Launch in Australia with Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan
• Don’t stir up hornet’s nest, Selangor PAS warns Himpun organisers
• Anwar dares Najib to debate on budget
• A right to PPSMI
• Soi Lek says may contest in Perak, Johor or Negri Sembilan
• Malaysia set to hit national debt ceiling, warns Anwar
• Sudden switch to BM for science students
• Hutang negara berjumlah RM437.2 bilion
• IIU professor takes UMNO daily to court

Najib: Media Plays Important Role for Malaysia's Growth Posted: 18 Oct 2011 11:10 AM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR, 18 OCTOBER, 2011: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the media played an important role towards making Malaysia a modern, liberal and progressive country. However, he said this needed to be treaded carefully because the process would not be easy based on the current situation in the country which was very highly complex. "This is also the main challenge for the government and so is it with media practitioners and journalism in the country because many things can change and become negative in the complex environment we are in," he said at the Media Perdana 2011 event at Dewan Perdana Felda here tonight. Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman. He said in the challenging political situation in the country now, the media also had a role to play in ensuring a healthy political atmosphere prevailed. He added that the government was looking into doing away with the requirement for newspapers to renew their publishing permits annually besides a comprehensive review of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for greater press freedom. "However, (once the changes come into effect) it does not mean you can do as you like as on your shoulders lie the responsibility to produce a Malaysian society all can be proud off," he said. The event was the first media night organised by the Prime Minister's Department in cooperation with all the ministries. At the function, Najib also presented certificates of appreciation to all the volunteers including media members who participated the humanitarian mission in Somalia in August. He also made a personal contribution of RM11,000 to TV3 cameraman Aji Saregar Mazlan who was injured in the mission. - Bernama

Police investigates don for remarks on Selangor Sultan's decree Posted: 18 Oct 2011 11:04 AM PDT (The Star) - KUALA LUMPUR: Law expert Professor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari who expressed his views over the decree made by Selangor Sultan over the Damansara Utama Methodist Church "visit" by Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) is to be investigated under the Seditious Act. The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer is expected to give his statement to police today. The media quoted him as saying the Sultan's action of intervening in the issue was "unconventional". The Sultan had issued a statement last week that there were attempts to proselytise Muslims, but no group should be prosecuted over the controversial church search in August.

Time To Deliver Again: Domestic Laws And Procedures Must Stand Up To International Scrutiny Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:58 AM PDT By Lim Chee Wee One of the consequences of living in a globalised world is that we can no longer hope to be left alone to develop our own domestic laws and procedures in isolation, totally removed from what is happening in the international arena. The most recent example of this is the failure of the Malaysia-Australia arrangement in relation to the transfer of 800 asylum seekers from Australia to Malaysia in exchange for the resettlement of 4,000 refugees from Malaysia. Not only did the arrangement succumb to a legal challenge in the High Court of Australia, but the attempt by the Gillard government to amend Australian law to get around the court ruling failed to obtain the requisite political support before being tabled in the Australian Parliament, and was thus withdrawn. The Malaysian government has now announced another swap arrangement, this time of immigration detainees between Malaysia and Myanmar. Initial information from the mainstream media is that Malaysia will send back to Myanmar approximately 1,000 Myanmar citizens currently languishing in our immigration detention centres. In exchange, the Myanmar government will repatriate an undisclosed number of Malaysians who are being detained in Myanmar. The Malaysian Bar cautiously, and with qualification, welcomes this arrangement. We are aware of the squalid and over-crowded conditions in our immigration detention centres. They pose a direct and immediate risk to the health and safety of detainees. Any release from such appalling conditions would be good news to any detainee. However, care needs to be taken to ensure that those returned to Myanmar will not in turn be subjected to retributive or punitive action by their own government. No mention has been made of any monitoring mechanism and whether any determination has been made by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as to whether any of the detainees to be returned is a genuine asylum seeker. While Malaysia's recent announcement that it will ratify the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child is also to be welcomed, it remains a fact that Malaysia and Myanmar are both laggards in respect of openness and transparency of governmental action and of ratification of international human rights conventions. As a result, this immigration detainee swap arrangement will not be subject to the same level of scrutiny, as was the case with the ill-fated Malaysia-Australia deal. But it would be wrong for the governments of both Malaysia and Myanmar to assume that this arrangement will therefore slip away unnoticed by the international community. It is important that such an arrangement must still live up to the highest humanitarian standards. The Myanmar government has been at pains to disclose a progressively liberalising face as it seeks to build support for its chairmanship of the Association of South East Asian Nations ("ASEAN") grouping in 2014. It has announced the setting up of a human rights commission, the release of political prisoners and a freer press. Malaysia too has embarked on a similar push towards greater democracy in the run-up to the next general elections, widely expected next year. It is important for the ambitions of both governments to show that the implementation of this swap arrangement will stand up to international scrutiny. This immigration detainee swap must also be located within the context of the need for a wider and more comprehensive regional mechanism that will allow for freedom of movement of nationals from one ASEAN member country to work in other member countries in order to address the differing labour demands in this region. This is especially challenging in respect of the Malaysia-Myanmar relationship, where we face the issue of mixed migration of both documented and undocumented foreign workers as well as refugees. Such flows of people, from Myanmar and elsewhere, must be managed in a humane, respectful and protective way, whether in transit or at the destination. As it currently stands, Malaysia is already being accused of ill-treatment of Indonesian and Cambodian domestic workers, leading to a freeze in domestic workers from those countries to Malaysia. It will also be crucial for the integrity of both governments, and of ASEAN itself, that these promises of reform are reflected in actual and meaningful law and policy changes that conform to international standards. If ASEAN, including Malaysia and Myanmar, wishes to be taken seriously in the international community, then there must be more than just platitudinous assurances that domestic laws and procedures will adhere to universal norms. Much has been promised – now is the time to deliver.   LIM CHEE WEE is President of the Malaysian Bar

PAS opts out of Himpun to keep it apolitical Posted: 18 Oct 2011 10:49 AM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider PAS will skip Saturday's gathering to protest against Christians "challenging the sovereignty" of Islam, a move that placates its non-Muslim partners in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but ruffles its own party conservatives. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang however claimed the decision, made by the party's political bureau during a meeting last night, was to avoid turning the protest political. "PAS was informed that the event does not involve any political party so PAS has decided not to participate, out of respect for the organisers' wishes," Hadi said in a statement issued here. The decision contradicts the stand of PAS's youth wing which had yesterday pledged to offer the same support it had given to Bersih 2.0 during its rally for free and fair elections on July 9. PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan had said in a statement that wing members would come out in full force to attend the gathering and expressed hope it would achieve its goals. However, last night's political bureau decision effectively overrides Nasrudin's announcement. The decision will also likely help PAS avoid further conflict from its non-Muslim partners in Pakatan Rakyat. The Islamist party and DAP are said to be still smarting from their recent disagreement over the controversial hudud law, a squabble that resulted in a deadlock decision that both parties would "agree to disagree". This Saturday's gathering, known as Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) or Gathering of a Million Faithful, is organised by various right-wing religious groups and is said to have the backing of both Umno and PAS Youth leaders.   READ MORE HERE.

The plot’s the same, just the props and players change Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:42 AM PDT THE PEOPLE'S PARLIAMENT Hope my Christian brothers and sisters show the same dignified indifference that our Hindu brothers and sisters displayed a little over 2 years ago at attempts by small-minded but loud-mouthed low-lifes to stir up strife. What am I on about? Well, in August, 2009, UMNO lackeys in Shah Alam, holding themselves out as made up of Muslims who cut across all party lines, defiled the head of a cow, allegedly to protest a proposed shift of a Hindu temple from section 19 to section 23 in Shah Alam. They must have been utterly disappointed that, even as there was all round condemnation of this most disgraceful act that must have deeply hurt every Hindu in the country and beyond, yet there was no reaction from the local Hindu community that might have led to a real heightening of tensions which may well have been the very objective of the staged protest in the first place. Then in January, last year, following the decision of the KL High Court on the matter of the use of "Allah" by the Christian community, the nation witnessed the arson attacks on several churches, notably, the Metro Tabernacle Church near Taman Melawati in KL, the All Saints Church and the Taiping Catholic Church, both  in Taiping, Perak and the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) church in Negri Sembilan. Then there followed a spate of desecrations and attempted burnings of mosques and suraus. To the unsuspecting, it might have seemed like Christians were retaliating with like for like. I believe that this was the perception that was sought to be created by those who were behind the church burnings. Again, to create an atmosphere of heightened tensions. To lend fodder to Utusan to spin for the Malays in the heartlands that Christians were torching and desecrating Muslim houses of worship. If my suspicions are spot on, then it would seem that things did not pan out as planned. Small-minded, loud-mouthed low-lifes in our midst are at work again. ABIM's Yusri, Perak's Harussani and the big chief amongst the ulamaks, Azmi, faithfully aided by UMNO's Utusan, have once again resorted to their usual alarmist tactics, with the Perak mufti making unsubstantiated claims that 250,000 have renounced Islam, a claim the present mufti of Perlis has dismissed as quite incredible. They are calling on Muslims to rally at Shah Alam this Saturday to press for an anti-apostasy law. Dubbed Himpunan Sejuta Ummah, the organisers must have surely hoped that this weekend's gathering would make the BERSIH 2.0 rally on 9th July pale in comparison. Word has it that a police permit has already been issued to legitimise the event. READ MORE HERE

Let’s try again Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:30 AM PDT It looks like yesterday's article got reduced to another debate on religion -- basically whose religion is better; mine or yours? The non-Muslims are quite prepared to accept the fact that Theological States can no longer work while Muslims stubbornly stick to the concept of a Theological State. Maybe this extract from Abdelwahab El-Affendi's book, "Who needs an Islamic State?" can help clear the air. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin (Page 72-74): It is important to note that traditional Muslim political theory was first developed by the Shi'i movement during its pre-sectarian phase. This is because all authoritative leaders of Muslim opinion tended to join the idealist camp led by Ali, or else to adopt a neutral posture while not hiding their sympathy with Ali. After Muawiya's victory, leading Muslim thinkers continued to support the rebels who defied despotic political authority in the name of Islamic ideals. If the two main Shi'i Schools challenged the existing authority on principle, the four main Sunni Schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali) were equally critical. Abu Hanifa (died 767), founder of the Hanifa School, was persecuted by the Abbasid Caliphs for suspected sympathy with Zaidi rebels and for his refusal to take office within the Abbasid regime.  Malik ibn Anas (died 795) was also harassed by the Abbasids for allegedly assuring rebels that their pledge of allegiance to the Caliph was invalid because it was taken under coercion. Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i (died 819) narrowly escaped execution for his alleged involvement in a rebellion. The resistance of Ahmad Hanbal (died 855) to the attempts by al-Mamoun to impose a particular doctrine regarding the nature of the Quran caused him much suffering, but finally led to the triumph of his point of view. The actual experience of the Muslim community, however, forced these thinkers and their successors to adopt a more realistic attitude. In the end, a broad agreement evolved among classical Muslim writers about several issues. They accepted that all regimes since Muawiya did not reflect the ideals of Islam and thus could not be accepted as a model. Such regimes were tolerable only because the alternative was anarchy and civil war. If a way could be found to replace these regimes without too much bloodshed, then their removal would be a religious duty. Although this could be construed as a vindication of the attitude of the khawarij and other rebels, it is ironic that the futile exploits of the khawarij only reinforced the belief that rebellion was inadvisable, and was not considered as a realistic option. As a result of this attitude, a schism developed in the Muslim psyche. While Muslims rejected Secularism in principle, they adopted it in practice. A central aspect of the unitary Muslim vision of the State was that the State interacted with the rest of Muslim life. Not only did the State submit to Sharia as interpreted by the community, but it also enriched and redefined Sharia and the spiritual life of the community. The acts of the Prophet as a statesman and a warrior, as well as those of his lieutenants, appointees and "righteous' successors were regarded as examples and an indication of what is lawful. However, with the rejection of the legitimacy of the State in later periods, the community stubbornly refused to accept state interference in 'spiritual' matters, or to accord it moral authority in Muslim matters. People submitted their bodies to it, so to speak, but never their souls. The ulema gave counsel that was not much difference from that ascribed to Jesus: "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's". So Muslims were instructed to obey the rulers, but only where their orders did not lead to sin. However, sin was here narrowly defined, with the usurpation of power and the unlawful disposition of the wealth of the Muslim community seen as no grave sin. What is this if not Secularism? Note: 1.    The Abbasid period began after the rule of the four 'rightly guided' caliphs (Abu Bakar, Omar, Osman and Ali) who succeeded Prophet Muhammad upon his death. 2.    Hanifa, Malik, Shafi'i and Hanbal were the founders of the four Sunni Schools of Islam (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali). 3.    Shi'i is short for Shiatul Ali, which means Party of Ali (a political movement set up to oppose the Abbasids).

The most cruel cut of ‘em all Posted: 18 Oct 2011 05:10 AM PDT Thomas Lee Seng Hock As a father, my heart goes out to Lim Guan Eng whose teenage son is being politically abused by the cruel inhuman Umno and other upstart politicians. It is surely sad that the Malaysian political culture has descended to such a low gutter level that a 16-year-old innocent boy's life may be permanently damaged or even destroyed by the evil derogatory politicians who dragged him into a shameful circumstance with their mischievous wicked lies. Such immoral morons should be politically castrated, and treated as beastly pariahs by all right-thinking and righteous persons for their extremely uncouth and uncivilized character and behavior, even if they have doctorate degrees or graduates of prominent prestigious universities like Oxford. I know what it is to be falsely accused of something shameful like what the poor chap is subjected to, as I too had the misfortune of being a victim of such a cruel allegation. But being an adult, it was much more easy for me to overcome the deceptive stigma, and walk tall again since my conscience is totally clear before God and people, and certainly, myself. From young, I had adopted as my personal motto the three principles of "Honest to God, Honest to Myself, and Honest to People".  Living by these three principles has sustained me through many crisis and periods of intense difficulty or even danger. The immoral morons who initiated and perpetuate the lies about Guan Eng's son are definitely persons lacking in character, integrity, credibility, maturity, and, certainly, spirituality, whatever religious faith they profess. They are surely people who are so stupid not to know and realize that their thoughtless remarks would cause inestimably emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact on the young innocent boy. One thing I am very puzzled about is why the school authorities have not come forward to clarify and explain the whole matter, to give the boy his just and fair due. It is simply the height of irresponsibility for the school management to refrain from telling the truth, perhaps because of either political patronage or political pressure. In the name of justice and fair play, I demand that the school authorities concerned should come out with an official statement refuting the lies. I believe the people, especially Penangites, should mobilize around Guan Eng and his family at this critical time when they are under fierce demonic attacks for what they stand for, fight for, sacrifice for, and even paid for with their personal freedom and life. I urge all believers in God to come together to uphold Guan Eng and his family members in prayers. This is the least we can do. The more concrete action is to ensure that Guan Eng is returned as the chief minister or our beloved Penang. And to Guan Eng's son, I want to say that we believe you, and we will always love and care for you. The baptism of fire that you are going through now is going to make a great man out of you, like your grandpa Kit Siang and father Guan Eng. God bless and protect you always!

WIKILEAKS: PROSECUTOR DOWNBEAT ON ALTANTUYA MURDER CASE Posted: 18 Oct 2011 01:30 AM PDT In another incident a witness testified that she had seen previous photos of the victim with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, and both the prosecution and the defense leapt to their feet to have the testimony stricken from the record. The same witness also testified that hers and the victim's immigration records showing entry to Malaysia had been mysteriously deleted. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d). 1.  (C) Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin, a member of the prosecution team in the Altantuya murder case (reftel), told Polchief during an informal conversation January 30 that there was almost no chance of winning guilty verdicts in the on-going trial of defendants Razak Baginda, a close advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, and two police officers.  She described the trial as interminably long.  Nearly seven months after the trial began (but with only 83 days of actual hearings), the prosecution now is presenting its 63rd witness out of an anticipated 80 and the defense has yet to make its case. (Note: The prosecution notified 132 potential witnesses that they might be called to testify.  End Note.)  Noorin anticipated the trial would continue for several more months and said that she actively sought excuses to escape from the courtroom monotony. 2.  (C) By all accounts the trial has been a prosecutorial embarrassment from its inception, leading many to speculate that the ineptitude was by design.  On the eve of the trial Malaysia's Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail dropped his lead prosecutors and replaced them with less experienced attorneys.  Similarly, a lead counsel for one of the defendants (Zulkifli Noordin) abruptly resigned before the trial "because of (political) attempts to interfere with a defense he had proposed, in particular to protect an unnamed third party." Then in the first 30 days the prosecution fumbled through a series of key witnesses whom later had to be impeached for proffering testimony contradictory to their pre-trial statements.  In one case, a police officer testified that police interrogators "tortured and coaxed" her to make pre-trial statements which were untrue.  Subsequent witnesses testified that police reports and phone records had been changed and that other evidence had been tainted and should therefore be thrown out.  In another incident a witness testified that she had seen previous photos of the victim with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, and both the prosecution and the defense leapt to their feet to have the testimony stricken from the record.  The same witness also testified that hers and the victim's immigration records showing entry to Malaysia had been mysteriously deleted. Neither the prosecution nor the defense pursued a line of questioning regarding that testimony. 3.  (SBU) The protracted nature case has led at least one regional newspaper to speculate that "the case is being deliberately delayed to drive it from public view." Malaysia's daily newspapers rarely mention the case's latest developments, and it is unprecedented in Malaysian judicial history that a murder trial could drag on for seven months and still not give the defense an opportunity to present its case.  Such an environment has led many to conclude that the case was too politically sensitive to yield a verdict before the anticipated general elections. KEITH (February 2008)

Pakatan in dilemma over Himpun rally Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:43 PM PDT If they support the anti-apostasy rally, they will lose the non-Malay support and if they don't support, they will be branded anti-Islam. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat is now caught between a rock and a hard place. Whether they support or don't support Saturday's Himpunan Sejuta Umat rally (Himpun, anti-apostasy rally), they have got the short end of the stick. If they support the rally they will ostracise the non-Malays and if they don't, they will be seen as anti-Islam. The gathering, to be in Shah Alam, is a protest against what has been described as "challenging " the sovereignty of Islam and this could unsettle the fragile understanding between Muslims and Christians. Pakatan's Islamist component party PAS is now split as its youth wing has openly supported the gathering and said it may participate while the central leadership is dawdling over the issue. PKR and the DAP on the other hand, still reeling from the hudud debacle, are again forced to be diplomatic as the two cannot be seen openly opposing PAS's stance, especially as PAS was seen as giving in. Insiders are saying PAS needs the anti-proselytisation Himpun rally to regain lost conservative support after the hudud affair. But, this once again brings to light the ideological difference of the three Pakatan component parties. Non-Malays remain wary of Islamisation Proselytisation is a big issue to the Muslims. The Federal Constitution prohibits it. But what is more significant is if any party is seen supporting it, is sure to lose Malay support. The raid by Selangor's Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) on a church in Damansara on grounds of baptism attempt on Muslims a few months back merely reinforces the existing unease between Malays and non-Malays. And Pakatan is in desperate need for Malay support but at the same time it cannot alienate its non-Malay votes. Support from the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, was what gave Pakatan and even PAS the political leverage it has now. Any association with Himpun now would not help PAS rebuild its crumbling moderate image. Himpun leaders may say their intentions are misconstrued, but with right wing groups like Perkasa on board and their constant anti non-Muslim posturing is not going to help PAS. Rejecting Himpun on the other hand would subject Pakatan to accusations of being anti-Islam and PAS sacrificing its Islamic ideals for political gains. READ MORE HERE

No local probe into Maxis-Aircel deal, minister says Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:31 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider Malaysia will not investigate T. Ananda Krishnan's alleged role in a criminal conspiracy involving telco giants Maxis Bhd and India's Aircel Ltd, the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry said today. Deputy minister Datuk Joseph Salang said the authorities would not conduct a probe into the matter as Malaysia has been "very transparent" in managing the local telecommunications industry. "At the moment, it's only an investigation (by India's Central Bureau of Investigation)," he told reporters after opening the Communications and Connectivity Futures 2011 forum here. Earlier this month, authorities in India filed a case against tycoon Ananda (picture) and his trusted executive Ralph Marshall, together with a former Indian minister and his brother, on charges of criminal conspiracy over a controversial deal involving Maxis and Aircel. Former Indian telecommunications minister Dayadhini Maran and his media mogul brother, Kalainidhi, stand accused of allegedly forcing Aircel founder C. Sivasankaran to sell his stake in the company to Maxis Communications Bhd. Maxis Communications is said to have bought a 74 per cent stake in Aircel for RM2.5 billion after Dayadhini repeatedly denied licences for the Indian telco's Dishnet DSL. India's CBI has charged Dayadhini for accepting an illegal "quid pro quo" in the form of a share premium invested in his brother's Sun Direct TV by South Asia Entertainment Holdings, a wholly-owned unit of Ananda's Astro All Asia Networks Plc.   READ MORE HERE.

End of the road for Firefly’s jet service Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:28 PM PDT By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 – Firefly's jet service became a casualty of the strategic collaboration between Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia today and the fledging budget carrier will now focus on its turbo-prop fleet. Malaysia Airlines announced today that all of its subsidiary's jet aircraft will be redeployed into the parent company's operations by December 4, 2011 saying that the move addresses the continuing heavy losses being incurred by Firefly jet operations. Little was known about Firefly's financials previously as profit and loss statements were never disclosed by MAS. The national carrier said that it deeply regreted any inconvenience caused to passengers of Firefly Jet services and gave its fullest assurance to passengers that it will honour all jet flight seats sold on Firefly. The MAS-AirAsia strategic collaboration was inked on August 9 as a deal between the government's investment holding company Khazanah which controls MAS and unlisted Tune Air which controls AirAsia. The move renders AirAsia as Malaysia's only major airline operating in the budget or value segment prompting fears that the collaboration would give rise to an airline industry cartel. MAS had since last year used Firefly to compete against AirAsia, launching competitively priced flights from KL to East Malaysia and adopting the same low cost model such as charging for meals on board. A fare war had erupted late last year with Firefly offering 50,000 seats as low as RM9 and AirAsia responding with a million free seats. It was also seen by some as a threat to the booming low cost carrier despite AirAsia group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes dismissing any such notions.   READ MORE HERE.

Khairy defends attacks on Guan Eng’s son, calls critics hypocritical Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:23 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Khairy Jamaluddin suggested today there was nothing wrong with his remarks about allegations involving Lim Guan Eng's teenage son, and called his critics hypocrites for pointing out that he was perpetrating lies about a member of a political rival's family. Earlier today, Lim said he was furious with the "barbaric lies" made about his teenage son by "pro-Umno ferocious beasts," singling out Khairy and other ruling party leaders for perpetuating the allegations through snide comments on blogs and social media sites. Responding via his Twitter account to the criticisms, the Umno Youth chief said Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians and their families had been on the receiving end of even worse insults from the Opposition in the past. The Umno Youth chief slammed Penang DAP member Satees Muniandy for being "hypocritical" when the latter raised the issue on the microblogging site. "Bro, what BN leaders & their families get from opposition is far worse. Don't be hypocritical," Khairy wrote, using his Twitter handle @Khairykj. Satees, writing under @sateesdapsypg, had earlier said, "U jz hv 2 wait! I wnt 2 see wat is ur reaction wen ur Puma & Cougar grown up & treated wt such lies & slanders! (sic)". "Puma & Cougar" are Khairy's nicknames for his two sons. "Are u justifying & defending Pro UMNO Bloggers cheap acts? I am not surprised as you also joined hand wt them! Gutter Politics!" Satees countered. He then asked Khairy if DAP members had ever "stooped that low" as to attack the conduct of Umno ministers' families or the latter's kin, apart from his father-in-law, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. "All the time bro. Get real. Don't be hypocritical," Khairy replied. Lim, who is Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general, had slammed Khairy today for posting snide comments on his Twitter page when responding to allegations made against his son. Khairy had written yesterday, "Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada" in response to another tweet by pro-Umno blogger "@PapaGomo". [English translation: Maybe he destroyed Kampung Buah Pala because he wants to replace it with Kampung Buah Dada].   READ MORE HERE.

PAS Youth declares support for Himpun before central leadership meet Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:50 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - PAS Youth has gone ahead of its central leadership to declare its support for Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun), a gathering of a million Muslims across the political divide to rally against proselytisation by Christians here. PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan said his members would offer the same support to Himpun, or the "Gathering of a Million Faithful", as it had for the Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections on July 9. "PAS Youth takes the same stand as it did when it supported the coalition of over 60 NGOs in Bersih 2.0 that was fighting for a democratic system and a clean election system. PAS Youth had joined that gathering, standing together with the thousands that July 9. "Insyaallah, my friends in PAS Youth and I will adopt the same attitude to Himpun this October 22," he said in a statement today. "May the gathering succeed in achieving its goals and objectives, outlined with the blessing and mercy of Allah," he added. Nasrudin also thanked all the Muslim NGOs behind the planned gathering and pledged PAS Youth's continued support in their efforts to uphold Islam in the country. According to Nasrudin, Himpun involves over 1,000 Muslim NGOs and the gathering will be the first of its kind in the country. The event, he said, could see the coming together of Muslims in Malaysia. PAS Youth's open support for Himpun comes ahead of the party's central leadership, which, according to Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Abdul Rani Osman, would only meet tonight to decide if it would attend the gathering at the Shah Alam Stadium. Yesterday, the party's Selangor chapter said it would only support Himpun if its ideals and objectives were clear and sincere and were not aimed at worsening religious tension in the country. READ MORE HERE

Group warns of RM1 trillion debt by 2020 Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:32 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Should the Barisan Nasional government continue with its current spending habit and with the current annual loan rate of about RM50 billion, the country could land itself in some RM1 trillion of debts by 2020, said a think tank. "In less than seven years, our Federal government more than doubled  our debt burden from RM217 billion in 2004 to RM437 billion today. Put another way, the government has added on more debt in the six-and-a-half years since 2004 than in the 47 years following Merdeka," said Research for Social Advancement or Refsa, in its latest focus paper discussing the 2012 Budget. Scrutinising the 2012 Budget and Pakatan Rakyat's shadow budget, Refsa opined that the handouts to the public as allocated in BN's budget were easily dwarfed by mega projects. "Besides Warisan Merdeka, there is nearly RM3 billion for school construction work, RM1 billion for the various corridors and RM420m to develop Langkawi. "Borrowing is fine if it is spent effectively on productive pursuits. But our borrowings are ballooning beyond our repayment capability," it warned. It also rebutted BN's projection of lowering deficit to 4.7 percent and stressed that the government's budget was based on unrealistic foundations. "2012 deficit likely to be closer to 6 percent. The government's 4.7 percent budget deficit forecast is based on economic growth projections that are widely considered as over-optimistic," it explained. Refsa praised PR's budget for making more "realistic economic assumptions", saying it had clearer policies to raise disposable incomes and to address the rising cost of living. "Pakatan has more conservative revenue and GDP assumptions. It plans to spend less than the government, but more effectively," it said.

NEP reason behind UM’s falling standards Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:29 PM PDT Race-based admission quotas and political interference had caused UM's poor global standing, says a World Bank report. (Free Malaysia Today) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim blamed the race-based affirmative actions of the New Economic Policy (NEP) for the dwindling standards of Universiti Malaya (UM). A recent World Bank study said race-based admission quotas and political interference had caused UM's poor global standing, something Anwar said was the by-product of the NEP which was only used to enrich Malay cronies. "UM's falling ranking is because it does not prioritise academic excellence but racial interests," the former deputy prime minister told a press conference in his office in Parliament here. UM, once considered a prestigious institute of higher learning, is now falling way behind in the global ranking while universities from neighbouring countries have taken over. The World Bank study further stated that Singapore's decision to prioritise research, keep English as the medium of instruction and maintain a merit-based admissions policy have all contributed to the success of the National University of Singapore. It further said the NEP made Bumiputeras less competitive as the policy created more scholarships for them, special programmes to facilitate their entry into higher education institutions, and the use of the Malay language in place of English in the entire education system. "Over time, they secured almost all senior management, administrative, and academic positions," the study said. READ MORE HERE

MCA and hudud: Part 1 Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:22 PM PDT The party can't hold a candle to DAP when it comes to principled opposition to Islamic state ambitions. Stanley Koh, Free Malaysia Today Two questions arise from MCA's recent call on DAP to abandon the Pakatan Rakyat coalition because PAS is pushing for hudud punishments and, ultimately, an Islamic state. First: Why did former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik fail to protest when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia an Islamic state in 2001? MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong's recent defence of Ling's silence does not hold water. He said Mahathir's declaration did not include a threat to change the Federal Constitution. Neither has Pakatan said it would change the constitution to suit PAS's ambition. Second: Since MCA is questioning DAP's commitment to principles, what has happened to its own principles in the face of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's recent remark that Malaysia was merely "not ready" for hudud? Muhyiddin's statement seemed to suggest that Umno, like PAS, longs to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state. If PAS's insistence on pushing for hudud is a "methodological tactic", then what should we call Umno's long-term process of Islamisation? When it comes to opposing hudud and other proposals that could lead to the establishment of an Islamic state, MCA's track record is dismal. It does not come anywhere near DAP's standards of consistency in commitment to principles. It was on Sept 29, 2001, that Dr Mahathir claimed Islamic-state status for Malaysia. "Umno wishes to state loudly that Malaysia is an Islamic country," he said in his address at Gerakan's 30th national conference. "This is based on the opinion of ulamas who have clarified what constitutes as Islamic country. "If Malaysia is not an Islamic country because it does not implement the hudud, then there are no Islamic countries in the world." Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat responded immediately and furiously. "You can talk all you want," he said. "You can declare a piece of wood to be gold or a wheelbarrow to be a Mercedes, but in reality nothing has changed." According to Nik Aziz, his party's definition of an Islamic country meant a nation governed according to the tenets of the Quran and Hadith. Malaysia was still a secular state, he said. "If the present Malaysia is already an Islamic state, then what do you call the state ruled by the Prophet and his companions?" DAP, like PAS, was shocked by Mahathir's declaration. It called for an urgent parliamentary debate on the subject. MCA's forum and Ling's remarks On Oct 20, 2001, at the request of several members of the Inter-Religious Council, MCA organised a closed-door forum on the issue. Among the participants were Dr Hamid Othman (the Prime Minister's Department Religious Adviser), Shad Saleem Faruqi of Universiti Teknologi Mara, Zainah Anwar of Sisters in Islam and several representatives of the Inter-Religious Council. Ling chaired the session. In his opening remarks, he said: "No one can claim monopoly of knowledge, because the frontier of knowledge keeps on expanding. This seminar is an opportunity to explore, discover and learn. "There are many questions in mind. Is Umno correct in declaring Malaysia an Islamic country? Or an Islamic nation? Or an Islamic state? Or a Negara Islam? Have the Umno ulamas been correct in defining or in getting the right definition that Malaysia is qualified to be, like the OIC says, not just an Islamic state, but a shining example of a Muslim state?" The following are unedited transcripts from tape recordings of some of Dr Ling's remarks: "We'd like to know what are the criteria for these definitions. We'd like to know are all Islamic countries the same? Is there a single model? What are the basic criteria that would qualify a nation to be defined as an Islamic nation? "When the PM explained to the BN and the Cabinet about Umno's position on Malaysia being declared to be qualified as an Islamic state, he also made this very liberal comment: 'While Umno feels … ulamas feel … and the people who know this religion feel … Malaysia qualifies just as OIC who declared Malaysia or recognizes Malaysia an Islamic state, there is also this pertinent and relevant point of view that Malaysia is not a theocratic state. And that point of view, if you want to call Malaysia a secular state, it's still correct. Because we do not call ourselves a theocratic state, we can still call ourselves a secular state.' "We want to ask ourselves. Can we call a country by two or three different names—an Islamic state, a secular state? "My simplistic thinking … if we look at a rose, being English educated, I would call it a 'rose'. But other Chinese-educated call it 'mei gui' in Mandarin. A Malay friend will call it 'bunga mawar'. And 'roja' in Tamil. READ MORE HERE

UMNO Should Act Against Those Trying To Wreck The Life Of My Young Son Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:39 PM PDT Press Statement by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on 18.10.2011.   UMNO Should Act Against Those Trying To Wreck The Life Of My Young Son With Cruel And Barbaric Lies Just To Finish Me Off Politically To Prove That UMNO Is Not A 3D Party That Employs Desperate Dangerous And Dirty Tactics. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had declared during the Gerakan National Delegates Conference two days ago that BN had not given up on Penang and will go all out to recapture the state from Pakatan Rakyat. Following those Najib's declaration of intent, we see pro-UMNO blogs and some UMNO leaders carrying out a serial campaign in the internet to systematically not only character assasinate me but also cruelly dragging in my young 16 year old son with their lies.   My wife and I are furious that pro-UMNO blogs and some UMNO leaders have made or perpetuated false allegations against my young son of criminal wrongdoing. My family and I deplore these lies and fabrications against my young son as morally despicable and barbaric. UMNO should act against those trying to wreck the life of my young son with cruel and barbaric lies just to finish me off politically to prove that UMNO is not a 3D party that employs desperate, dangerous and dirty tactics just to cling on and retain power at any cost.   My son had transferred to St Xavier Institution in Penang from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Cina Heng Yee because I had promised him that he could transfer to the school of his choice if he scored at least 6As in his PMR. When he achieved that, he was transferred at the beginning of the school term this year in January 2011. My son wanted to go to St Xavier because he did not want to have his hair crew-cut as is required for Heng Yee students but wanted to keep his hair longer.   In this modern world, it is difficult for a young kid growing up, especially so when his father is a Chief Minister targeted daily by the pro-BN media. For a young kid growing up, to be maligned in such a beastly and cruel fashion publicly is unacceptable and inhumane.   My son is very shaken up by these lies. He has also not gone back to school for two days. I feel sad and that I am not able to protect my young son from these pro-UMNO ferocious beasts.   I urge these ferocious pro-UMNO beasts not to prey on the innocence of my young children. If you want to finish me off, do your worst to me but leave my innocent children alone. UMNO politicians have children too and DAP have never gone for their children and do not intend to so.   Amongst some UMNO leaders who highligted this shameful episode in the blogs is Bukit Gelugor(Penang) UMNO Division vice-chairman Dr Novandri Hasan Basri. He was then followed by many UMNO leaders rehashing the lies. Sadly even UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaludin joined in these shameful lies by poking fun at my son with this tweet:-   @Khairykj Khairy Jamaluddin @PapaGomo Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada. http://twitter.com/#!/Khairykj/status/125841671102529536   I hope those poking fun and spreading lies at my young son can look at themselves in the mirror as a father and ask whether they want their own child to suffer the trauma of such lies. My family and I reserve the right to take any further action to protect my family. In the meantime, my wife and I will try to heal my young son and pray that he will recover from having his innocence so cruelly destroyed by these pro-UMNO beasts.                                                                                                           LIM GUAN ENG

PPSMI : No clear answers from the Ministry Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:36 PM PDT By Sandra Rajoo Many felt disappointed and let down by the decision taken by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to abolish PPSMI. No matter how lengthy the arguments presented by the MOE, they still fall short. Saying that teachers have to use Bahasa Malaysia to cater to students who do not understand English does not present a true picture of what is happening in schools. The problem does not lie entirely with the students; difficulty arose because of teachers' proficiency too. When PPSMI was introduced almost 7 years ago, no proper groundwork was laid to prepare for the transition. Teachers who had been teaching in BM all the while were forced to switch to English. Imagine the difficulty. The MOE implemented some programmes to help these teachers but unfortunately the momentum lasted only a couple of years. After that, as usual, everything died a natural death. By right, Heads of schools should have been tasked with ensuring that teachers conscientiously and continuously upgrade their proficiency, at the same time providing the necessary support. Lack of seriousness and commitment has led to the demise of good policies. The MOE says the policy is 'flawed' but provides no lucid analysis to support this assertion. Surely such a pronouncement requires more substantial and clear arguments.  Merely quoting two researches done by two university educationists in my view, is quite inadequate. Who the respondents were, which schools were involved, what the actual findings are etc., are not clearly outlined or explained. We would certainly like to read the actual findings in order to draw our own conclusions. Merely making general statements to justify a reversal of policy seems like a tactic to lull the unsuspecting public to go along with its ideas without question. The Ministry has a research arm, EPRD, but correct me if I am wrong, they did not conduct any study on this very important matter. Why so? Notwithstanding all the arguments about English being the language of Science and Technology, doing away with PPSMI at this point when there is nothing to take its place where English is concerned, is short-sighted and unwise. The MOE keeps talking about its Strengthening English Language Usage (MBI) policy but so far nothing of value has come of it.  The first Year 1 English textbook for 2011 produced for such a purpose was found to be riddled with so many language errors it had to be recalled in the middle of this year. Apart from the millions of Ringgit gone to waste, in those six months one can only assume our children had picked up some really bad English! So, how does this fit into the MBI aspiration? Considering that the Ministry has direct control over the publication of school textbooks, it begs the question as to why a Year 1 book can turn out to be such a mess.  Can the MOE ever get the textbook problem sorted out? It remains to be seen. The public is also appalled by the recent PMR English paper which was riddled with language mistakes as well. The Examinations Syndicate should be taken to task for this fiasco. Why is the Ministry not serious about its own MBI policy? How does it expect schools and teachers to respond if it cannot climb out of its own abyss of apathy and inertia? Also, the hiring of a few hundred British and American teachers to 'help' us sounds grand but it is really an ad hoc measure. Is there a framework against which the outcome of this exercise can be gauged? Who is assessing the situation on the ground? Can we justify the amount of money spent? All these questions beg answers. One cannot turn decades of negligence into success overnight with the hiring of a few native speakers. The MOE keeps insisting that parents should be more supportive. Contrary to what it believes, parents are all for making our education system a success. Many parents have argued for PPSMI to continue. At least give schools the option to choose. Good sense tells us that all parents will support good and sound education policies that come with proper implementation procedures.  If such policies go against good practices, parents will be doing a disservice and injustice to their children and the nation if they do not voice their displeasure.

MCA Has Lost The Plot Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:29 PM PDT By Douglas Tan For some reason or another, my family maintains our subscription of The Star Newspaper. Overall, it is not too a bad read, updating us on local issues and sports news. However, I have the tendency nowadays to skip over the Nation section. However, glancing through the paper, the MCA has used their mouthpiece to launch another salvo at the DAP. Wee Ka Siong, who still must be smarting over the "MCA girls" controversy has called on the DAP to make their stand clear on hudud and leave Pakatan Rakyat.   Obviously running out of material, he has returned to thump on the hudud issue once again. Hudud has traditionally been one of the favourite issues for Barisan Nasional to flog during the run-up to the election period. They continue to believe that this issue would drive non-Muslims away from the Opposition and return to them. How they are mistaken.   Yes, there is talk about hudud law being implemented in Kelantan. However, it's implementation is NOT possible, unless the Federal Constitution can be amended to allow it. Secondly, as hudud is not in the Common Framework Policy and the Buku Jingga, Pakatan Rakyat as a coalition government has committed  that they will not implement hudud in any shape or form if they were to take federal power.   Wee Ka Siong and the MCA appears to be now reaching the point of desperation. Rather than looking at solving their own internal issues, they attempt to redirect attention to the DAP. He accuses PR of implementing hard line policies in the four PR run states. What are these policies? Can he prove that this is occurring? Where is he getting this information from or is he just shooting in the wind?   The MCA has steadily lost credibility, not just amongst Malaysian Chinese, but Malaysians in general. They accuse the DAP government in Penang of being anti-Chinese and yet they fail even to protect the interests of the people they purportedly represent. Shouting 1Malaysia at the top of their lungs, they still operate along racial lines.   In this year's MCA General Assembly, they passed their resolution to abolish school licensing. However, in 54 years of supposedly fighting for the education of our children, our education system has become the laughing stock of Asia. Form 3 students face having to learn Science and Mathematics in Malay once again, having learnt theses subjects in English for 9 years. What does the MCA have to say to that?       READ MORE HERE.

Lim feels sorry for smear campaign against Koh Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:27 PM PDT By Patrick Lee, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: In a rare show of support for his rival, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng felt sorry for his predecessor – Koh Tsu Koon- over an apparent smear campaign to remove the latter from power. Lim claimed that the mainstream media was attacking Koh over his apparent inability to keep Gerakan – his party – in check. "I can symphathise with what Koh is going through now, because if we read the Umno-owned newspapers, such as the New Straits Times, Berita Harian or Utusan Malaysia, it is clear that there is a campaign to topple Koh," he told reporters in Parliament lobby today. "If you read some of the articles against Koh, (they are) ferocious…especially Utusan (Malaysia). It is clear that they reflect a certain kind of thinking in Umno, and they want to finish off Koh." Lim, the DAP secretary-general, also said that he did not want to be a part of this apparent plot, and was adamant about staying out of it. "It is clear that Umno will decide who will become the leader of Gerakan, and they will decide who will become the Chief Minister in Penang (if BN were to win over Penang in the general election)," he said. Gerakan's National Delegates Conference over the weekend saw a series of attacks levelled out against Koh, who is also party president. His vice-president Tan Lian Hoe initially called for Koh to buck up or step aside but turned her decision around and threw her support for him 24 hours later. The party's delegates also criticised the former CM, slamming him for not coming up with any concrete statements over the embattled Gerakan. Some party members even suggested Koh take on Lim in the upcoming general election in the latter's constituency in Bagan. To this, Lim said that the DAP was ready. "We in DAP welcome any challenge…I will respect any opponent that is sent against us from BN, whether it is Koh or not," he said. Gerakan lost control over Penang in the last general election, allowing the Pakatan Rakyat to romp home in style, with DAP leading the charge.   READ MORE HERE.

What happens to Malaysians when US goes to war in the Middle East? Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:27 PM PDT By Hakim Joe Let us be specific here. If the Americans get themselves involved in an armed confrontation with Iran, everybody in this world will be affected either directly or indirectly. Foremost of all is the global oil supply. Iran possesses the third largest oil reserves in the world (151.2 billion barrels proven reserves as of 2011) after Saudi Arabia (264 billion barrels) and Canada (175 billion barrels). Iran is also the fourth largest oil exporter in the world today producing approximately 4.1 billion barrels a year.  When an oil exporting country goes to war, the oil stays in the country as it will be extremely difficult for an oil tanker to load up and leave its loading port without being noted by the opposing military forces. When Iran is in a conflict with either NATO or the U.S., the world loses 7% of the global oil exports and the simple economics of supply and demand will ensure that oil prices takes an upturn. Even if Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait agrees to increase production to deflate this artificial increase in oil prices (putting more supply onto the market), the spot market will still go up owing to the uncertainties of war and subsequently the futures market will follow suit. This could mean a less pronounced increase in global oil prices but an increase nonetheless.  For Malaysia (the country) and also as an oil exporter, the revenues will increase. This means more money for the government. For Malaysians (the people), an increase in oil prices equates an increase in oil prices as petroleum is only partially subsidized here at a fixed rate. Any other by-products of petroleum will increase in prices as well including plastic, hydrocarbon solvents, asphalt, lubricants, kerosene, wax, paraffin, etc. and these items are not subsidized. Transportation costs will go up, and together with it almost everything else as virtually all products have to be transported from the production sites to the distribution sites and subsequently to the retail sites. Rice, sugar, salt, corn, clothes, milk, flour, ice cream, Maggi mee, meat, vegetables, detergent, toothbrushes, batteries, shoes….I think you get the picture.  About the only one thing that possibly won't go up is your paycheck.  This phenomenon will not be distinct only to Malaysians but everybody everywhere on this planet with differing effects. Oil producing countries will be less affected but oil importers will feel the entire ferocity of the escalation in oil prices. This is not something new as global oil prices were driven from USD17/barrel to USD36/barrel when Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 1990 and continued to reach a peak of USD45/barrel in October before the price started to decline (after U.S. chased the Iraqi out from Kuwait). Same events happened during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom but the increase was less pronounced as both military operations ended rather quickly and were not prolonged affairs.  Oil prices reached USD145/barrel on July 3rd and peaked at USD147.27/barrel on July 11th, 2008 following concerns over the Iranian missile tests. It is about USD85/barrel these days. If global oil prices are able to reach over USD147/barrel because of the Iranian military testing their long-range cruise missiles, what will happen when Iran goes to war?  An armed conflict with Iran will not be a quick stint for the U.S. armed forces and this is a surefire recipe for a sharp increase in global oil prices. Good for Malaysia's economy, bad for Malaysians.

Free from ISA, but still in shackles Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:14 PM PDT By S Rutra, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee Yazid Suffat may be physically free but he still remains in shackles. "Mentally, I'm not a free man to do whatever I wish to do with my life like any other ordinary citizen of this country," he told FMT. "Even my assets worth more than RM8 million are still frozen and unofficially I am not allowed to travel abroad even if I want to perform my haj," he added. Yazid also said he had some reservations regarding the recent announcement by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to repeal the ISA. "We are still in the dark as to what kind of laws will replace the ISA, but as a Muslim, I always believe that all the laws against the syariah law should be repealed. "Most ISA detainees are still subjected to various forms of unofficial restrictions and our movements are watched by special branch officers and we are not enjoying total freedom," he added. Asked if he had made an attempt to secure a passport, Yazid, who hails from Johor, dismissed it as a waste of time. "They (the Immigration Department) won't issue the passport to me or de-freeze my assets as I am convinced that I was punished for my 'expertise' and not because of my alleged links to terrorists behind the 9/11 attack," he said. 'I was shocked when arrested' The 47-year-old bio-chemist still maintains that he had no knowledge of the terrorists who allegedly stayed in an apartment owned by him. He was detained on Dec 9, 2001 after returning from Afghanistan. He was accused of harbouring terrorists Khalid Al-Midhar and Nawaf Al-Hazmi. Speaking about his arrest, Yazid claimed that some of his friends from Johor and Kelantan had approached him to use the apartment. "I was shocked when special branch officers arrested me for allegedly harbouring terrorists," he said, adding that he strongly believes that his arrest was related to his research on biological weapons. "Probably they were worried that some of the Islamic countries which I frequented might seek my expertise," added Yazid, who is now a businessman. Yazid said that since his release three years ago, he is still in the process of rebuilding his life and is focused on his children's education and helping his wife run her catering business. Asked if he would take legal action over his detention, he replied: "No amount of money would replace the time and suffering I went through." Yazid revealed that his wife was also restricted from leaving Kuala Lumpur during his seven-year detention. "I also stopped lecturing at an international Islamic school after a parent complained to the school administrator about my background," he said, visibly upset. "I love this country very much and until today I strongly believe that I can contribute to this nation and its people for spending substantial amount money in supporting my tertiary education in the US," he added. Tasked with 'special project' Yazid said that he received a Public Service Department (PSD) scholarship after emerging as one of the top students in the Royal Military College (RMC) in 1982. He graduated from the California State University in 1987 and upon his return, was attached to the Ministry of Defence with the rank of captain. Yazid said that he was tasked with a "special project" to research biological weapons, but the project was scraped within three years and no reason was given for this.   READ MORE HERE.

Ranking game not a priority, says education official Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:09 PM PDT By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider Malaysia's universities are not as highly ranked as other countries as the nation's priorities do not match that of ranking agencies, said Higher Education Ministry deputy secretary general Datuk Rohani Abdullah today. This comes after a World Bank report released recently claimed that standards at Universiti Malaya (UM) have fallen and the institution has been kept at a disadvantage because of race-based admission quotas and political interference in university management. Rohani said that Malaysia was still struggling with providing access to higher education which made it a higher priority. "Our priority is not to play the ranking game," she said at a press conference following the launch of the Global Communication Association Conference here. "Right now, the criteria used by ranking providers are limited and not in line with our national agenda. Ranking is a game and it is a business for ranking providers." She added however that Malaysian universities should try and benchmark themselves against highly-ranked institutions. Rohani also said Malaysia was trying to attract some of the world's best professors but it was difficult to match their euro or US dollar salaries with ringgit. "It is hard to entice them," she said, adding that hopefully those who want to contribute to a developing country would consider coming. Industry observers have long complained that Malaysia was going for quantity over quality in terms of its education system. They also said that education should be best left to experts and be free of political meddling. The World Bank comparison between UM and NUS was authored by Hena Mukherjee, a former Universiti Malaya department head with a doctorate in education from Harvard University, and Poh Kam Wong, an NUS Business School professor. According to the study, "at an early stage, the Singapore government realised the universities' role in sustaining economic growth".   READ MORE HERE.

Pakatan cries foul over sweetheart IPP deal for Syed Mokhtar Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:05 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider The federal opposition accused the government today of signing a blank cheque for Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary with the award of an independent power producer (IPP) deal without first agreeing to tariff rates and the length of the concession. The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry said in a written reply to a parliamentary question yesterday that the 1,000-megawatt plant in Tanjung Bin, Johor has been awarded to Tanjung Bin Power, a subsidiary of Malakoff Berhad. But the government's reply to Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua also said that the Energy Commission will only finalise the power purchase agreement with the company controlled by Malaysia's richest Bumiputera at the end of the year. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers told a press conference that the deal awarded after a limited tender between two bidders "is scandalous, if not criminal." "You cannot avoid the perception that the government is signing a blank cheque to Syed Mokhtar (picture) to fund the war chest ahead of elections," PAS research chief Dzulkefly Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider. "How do you decide if you do not know the price in advance? It is not surprising that electricity prices remain high despite the RM8 billion gas subsidy IPPs receive every year," Pua, who is also DAP publicity chief, told reporters. Pua compared Malaysia, which supplies gas to IPPs at RM13.70 per million metric British thermal units (mmBtu) but charges consumers RM157.20 for each 500 kilowatts used per month, to Thailand where gas is supplied at RM23.10 per mmBtu but households are charged RM129.50 for using the same amount of electricity.   READ MORE HERE.

Himpun to meet Cabinet interfaith panel tonight Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:52 PM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Organisers of this Saturday's Himpun rally, a gathering to protest against Christians "challenging the sovereignty" of Islam, will explain their motives to the Cabinet's interfaith panel at a meeting tonight. Himpun secretariat secretary Aminuddin Yahaya told The Malaysian Insider the purpose of the meeting was to clear any misunderstanding and misconception over the rally's objectives. He stressed that the rally, expected to be the country's largest gathering of Muslims nationwide, was specifically aimed at discussing the contentious issue of proselytisation and to unite those of the same faith. "Therefore, we will send our representatives from the secretariat to explain to the committee's non-Muslim members why this effort is being taken... several secretariat leaders also sit on that inter-religious panel," he said when met last night. Aminuddin was referring to the Cabinet's Special Committee to Promote Inter-religious Understanding and Harmony, headed by National Unity and Integration Department (NUID) director-general Datuk Azman Amin Hassan (picture). The committee was formed by the Cabinet last February after several incidents like the Allah controversy and the attacks on houses of worships threatened religious understanding and harmony in Malaysia. Himpun or Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Gathering of a Million Faithful), scheduled for this Saturday at the Shah Alam stadium, is being organised by various right-wing groups such as Perkasa with the backing of both Umno and PAS Youth in what appears to be a coming together of conservative Muslims. Already, over 1,000 Facebook users have confirmed their attendance so far and talk is that some 100,000 will throng the stadium, including Muslim political leaders across the divide. Aminuddin said more than 2,000 NGOs, representing some four million Muslims in Malaysia, have already expressed their support for the rally. With ethnic tensions already rising in the years following the 2008 general election, the mass gathering could raise already simmering fears of Islamisation among non-Muslims and more liberal Malays. The mass gathering is expected to produce a declaration urging the government to enact special laws allowing punishment of individuals found guilty of proselytising to Muslims. In a statement last night, the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) however said there were no official figures on the number of proselytisation cases in the country and expressed worry that the gathering would place Islam in a negative light. Selangor PAS said yesterday it would not back the gathering if it was political in nature and aimed to create animosity between those of different faiths. Aminuddin however dismissed the concerns, stressing that Himpun only aims to defend the Islamic faith and had nothing to do with politics. "We would like to stress that this effort is not to incite any sentiments against the other religions or threaten or instil fear in them... no, that is what we would like to stress here. It also has nothing to do with politics, it is far from any political influence," he said. Aminuddin also welcomed non-Muslims to participate in the gathering, saying it would be an opportunity for the group to understand the rally's objectives. He expressed hope the non-Muslims would not misunderstand Himpun's purpose. He said although Islam was protected in the Federal Constitution, there were still many parties who often attempt to convert Muslims and threaten the Islamic faith. READ MORE HERE.

AG report delay: PM must come clean Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:19 PM PDT By Kim Quek The unexplained delay in submitting the annual Auditor General's report to parliament is shaping up to be a major scandal. Sin Chew Daily reported today that when asked when the AG's report will be presented in parliament, an official from the AG's office casually replied that it will be on the first of December, which is the last day of the current parliamentary session. When the reporter finally managed to contact the deputy AG, he said he was not at liberty to answer any question, including whether the report is completed or when it will be presented to Parliament.  He suggested that questions be directed at Minister in the PM's Department, Nazri Aziz. And Nazri Aziz, who is in charge of parliamentary affairs, was reported by Sin Chew to have said on Oct 10 that he was uncertain of the time of presentation of such report to Parliament, as such function falls under the finance ministry. Nazri was further reported in the Internet on Oct 11 to have said that he expected the report to be released two weeks after the cabinet has gone through it in the cabinet meeting on Oct 14. Now, is the report completed?  PKR member of Parliament Johari Abdul provided the answer when he told reporters in parliament on Oct 13 that he personally called the AG's office the previous day and was told that "the report was completed much earlier than last year, and the officers there were proud because they had done a better job".  In fact, the officers were shocked when told that the report had not reached the MPs. It has been the tradition for the AG's report to reach parliamentarians in time for the annual budget debate, and this year's long delay (10 days after the budget was presented on Oct 7) despite persisting battering by opposition MPs is most unusual.  From utterances of Nazri and AG officials, there is little doubt that the current year's report is ready but has been hijacked somewhere between the AG and parliament. Tampering with the AG's function is a serious breach of the constitution, as the AG is an independent institution enjoying the same degree of independence as the judiciary and the election commission. Apart from being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the AG's remunerations and terms of service are determined by Parliament, and he may not be dismissed from service other than through a tribunal as that accorded to the judges (Article 105 of the federal constitution).  The AG's reports go directly to the Agong, who shall cause them to be laid before parliament (Article 107). It is obvious that such meticulously devised provisions in the constitution to accord independence to the AG are to ensure that the he can operate freely as a neutral body to check on the financial management of the government without any interference from the Executive.  Note the channel of communication has been designed to by-pass the Executive. It is from the AG to the Agong, and from the Agong to Parliament. It is clear that the Executive has no role to play in the formulation of AG's reports or its presentation to parliament. So it is of great concern that we should be told that the report has to be deliberated by the cabinet and its release up to the ministry of finance. And with the latest revelation that the report will only be released on the last day of the current parliamentary session and the deputy AG gagged to divulge any information, the picture is now clear.  The Auditor General, who has been much lauded in the past for having provided independent appraisals of the government's financial management, has become the latest victim to Barisan Nasional's ubiquitous tentacles which have subjugated the independent roles of virtually every other institution in this country. To save the institution from being completely subsumed as a BN-controlled agency, Auditor General Ambrin Buang must now stand up to speak courageously to inform the nation when and to whom he has submitted his annual report, and whether there has been any attempt from the Executive to alter the content or delay the release of the report. And Prime Minister Najib Razak must come clean with what actions the Executive has taken with respect to the AG's report. Failing which, parliamentarians must immediately move a motion to censure the Prime Minister for such breach of the constitution.  Kim Quek

Retain PPSMI As An Option Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:13 PM PDT By PAGE (Parent Action Group for Education) Please email, share and/or share this with all your friends so that we can quickly collect the numbers that we need to transform us all into a voice loud enough to be heard. Hopefully with everybody's effort, we can make this go viral on the internet and strengthen our voice in the shortest time possible. Dear Students, Parents and Malaysians, MALAYSIANS APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE OPTION TO LEARN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH (RETAIN PPSMI AS AN OPTION) You would have heard by now that the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (better known as PPSMI) will be abolished in January 2012. The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) has been in the forefront to champion the cause to maintain the policy for those who wish their children to learn these two (2) subjects in its lingua franca that is English. Here is how the abolishment of this policy is going to affect you. For Primary School Students You have been learning Science and Mathematics in English since Standard 1, however when you enter into Form 1, you will have to learn these subjects in Bahasa Melayu until Form 5 and do your PMR and SPM in Bahasa Melayu. After SPM, you will revert the study of these two (2) subjects back to English. For Secondary School Students If you are entering Form 1 in 2012, then you have been learning Science and Mathematics in English since Standard 1, however in 2012, you will have to learn these subjects in Bahasa Melayu from Form 1 until Form 5 and do your PMR and SPM in Bahasa Melayu. If you are entering Form 4 in 2012, be prepared ... you may have to switch to Bahasa Melayu for Science and Maths after learning these subjects in English for the past 9 years, do your SPM in Bahasa Melayu and then switch back to English when you enter college or university. Yes we know this is crazy and unless you are "super-adaptable", you will most likely be stressed out and confused. We have heard that the choice of language for Form 4 in 2012 may be determined by the Gurubesar of the different schools (???). If you are not in Form 1 or Form 4 in 2012, there is no escape either. You WILL eventually be affected by the change when you reach Form 4. If you have just completed your SPM in 2011, then you are in the luckiest group !!! You will be able to go straight into college and continue to do these subjects in English. For Parents and Malaysians in General After only a few years of implementing PPSMI and despite strong evidence that PPSMI is good for our students and Malaysia's future generations, the Government has decided to change its mind and will abolish this policy in 2012. They think that it is best for ALL Malaysian school children NOT to learn Science and Mathematics in English. They actually believe that learning these two subjects in Bahasa Melayu is adequate and equivalent (or better) than to learn it in Englsh !!! ??? The sad truth is that despite the constant voices that they hear and read wishing for the option of PPSMI, the authorities seemed determined to proceed with the abolishment with the excuse that PPSMI will be replaced with another policy known as MBMMBI, to improve the standard of English amongst Malaysian students. They keep missing the point (maybe on purpose) that we want PPSMI, not to improve the standard of English but rather, we want PPSMI simply because of the need to learn the subjects of Science and Mathematics in its lingua franca, that is English, for our children to be globally competitive, and for our nation to progress in the desired direction and speed. In realising that perhaps the voices speaking out for the retention of the PPSMI policy (for those who want it) are too soft or too sporadic, PAGE Malaysia has decided to go all out on a nationwide wide and international campaign to reach out to as many Malaysian students and Malaysians wherever they are in the world, to come together as one and to build up the voice of the "silent majority" to inform the authorities that there exists a large and substantial number of Malaysian citizens (children and adults) would like to have the option for our students to learn Science and Mathematics in English. We are not against the MBMMBI policy nor are we against the wishes of other groups who prefer to learn Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin or Tamil. We are simply asking to be heard and for the right to have the freedom of choice for an option to learn these two subjects in English, alongside Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin and Tamil. WHERE AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR PREFERENCE KNOWN PAGE Malaysia has specially set up two (2) separate platforms for Students and for Parents and Malaysiansto register their wishes. Students are requested to visit : http://goo.gl/QHd42 Parents and Malaysians are requested to visit : http://goo.gl/cFSlD     2012 is just a mere two (2) months away … do visit the website, complete the form today and make a difference !!!     Please email, like and share this with all your friends so that we can quickly collect the numbers that we need to transform us all into a voice loud enough to be heard.     Hopefully with everybody's effort, we can make this go viral on the internet and strengthen our voice in the shortest time possible.   Thank you. PAGE Parent Action Group for Education (1266-10-WKL) pagemalaysia@gmail.com www.pagemalaysia.org For Our Children. Demi Anak Kita

Development? Really? For whom? Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:25 PM PDT By Gan Pei Ling, The Nut Graph MOST of us living in Peninsular Malaysia take electricity for granted as we have hardly experienced a blackout since the 1990s. But how many of us have stopped for a moment to think where the electricity, that allows us to turn on our TVs and computers, comes from? What are the impacts of the power plants that generate our electricity — be they coal, hydropower and perhaps in the future, nuclear — on the environment and local communities living near these plants? Coal plant and fishes At a climate and energy forum in Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur on 8 and 9 Oct 2011, Peninsular Inshore Fishermen Action Network president Jamaluddin Mohamad, from Johor, talked about the impact of the Tanjung Bin coal plant. "They are using chlorine to prevent sea water from corroding the pipes in their power plant. But it is polluting the ocean, and the water that they use to cool the plant is being released back to the sea in high temperature. Our catch has been dwindling over the years," Jamaluddin told the forum that was jointly organised by Third World Network, Consumers Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia. Run by independent power producer Malakoff Corp Bhd, the 2,100MW Tanjung Bin coal plant was built in 2003. The power producer intends to expand the plant's capacity by another 1,000MW. Jamaluddin noted that Tanjung Bin was rapidly developing into an industrial area: "The areas where we can fish are shrinking and becoming increasingly limited." He said none of the affected communities are against "development" but the coal plant and rapid industrial development are threatening their livelihoods: "That's why we're protesting against the coal plant's expansion." Dams and livelihoods Across the South China Sea, natives in Sarawak have been displaced by the Bakun dam and more will be displaced by 12 dams the state government is planning to build to boost its power capacity to 7,000MW, over 600% of its 2008 capacity. Philip Jau, a Kayan from the Baram valley, said 20,000 people from various communities will be displaced by the Baram dam the Sarawak government intends to build. "This does not include those who are living downstream yet. Up to 38,900 hectares of our native customary land will be submerged. Our land is our life. We cannot live without it. It is as simple as that," said Philip. The Baram dam will also cause deforestation and biodiversity loss. Philip said the communities affected by these dams are establishing a network to create a united movement against what he described as the "damned" dams. "We want electricity but we hope the government will explore other alternatives like micro-hydro, which is more environmentally-friendly, though it may not generate as much profit as building a mega dam," he said. Philip said he has been to the Sungai Asap settlement where the affected communities from Bakun were relocated to. "They're suffering. Most of the villagers feel that they have no future," said Philip. The communities in Baram do not want to suffer the same fate with good reason. Of broken promises The Bakun dam flooded 69,000 hectares of land, around the size of Singapore, and forced the relocation of 10,000 people. Construction began in 1996 and the project eventually cost RM7.5bil. Wing Mikiu from the Sungai Asap settlement told the forum the Sarawak government only allocated three acres of land to each family that were relocated from Bakun in 1999. "My family has eight children. Three acres of land is not enough for us. We've 2,000 new couples in our settlement to date and most of them have no land [to cultivate]," said Wing. He said the government promised to build the villagers a new town with an airport, jetty, highway and even an international school in the effort to persuade villagers to leave their ancestral homes. But today, many youths have moved to Bintulu or other towns due to the lack of job opportunities in Sungai Asap. To add insult to injury, Wing said the compensation villagers received for their now submerged native customary lands range from RM0.30 to RM3 million. "If you're unhappy with the amount, you can bring it to court or complain to the district office, but you'll have to pay for the cost to resurvey the land yourself," Wing explained. "Perhaps the project profited the company and the people in this state [when the dam starts producing energy], but what about us? Our people didn't enjoy any development as promised, and we've lost our land and heritage," said Wing.   READ MORE HERE.

Ignorance on top Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:13 PM PDT By R. Nadeswaran, The Sun THE Malaysian civil service has over the years come under severe criticism – sometimes unfounded but most of the time on target. Bloated as it may be and described as such, civil servants keep in motion the machinery that keeps the government ticking. From collecting taxes to enforcing rules of the state and from drawing up economic forecasts to implementing development projects, these are left in the hands of people whom we perceive as competent, knowledgeable, experienced and capable. Heads of department including directors, directors-general and permanent secretaries are appointed after they have proven themselves and many start at the bottom and work their way up, based on merit. If you don't know the General Orders, you are likely to remain stagnant; if you do not know financial procedures, you are not likely to be given the responsibility of handling taxpayers' money running into millions. On the same score, only the best and brightest get to move up the ladder, with meritocracy being the deciding factor. We have to take that at face value and respect appointments made in the belief that they are in the best interest of the country and its people. But after a period of time, when it is discovered that not-so-competent people and not-so-knowledgeable people have been put in places of responsibility which have caused the country financial loss, who do you hold responsible? If one headed, say, the Department of Environment at state level, he or she would have to be competent in related laws, rules and procedure. If he or she is promoted to a higher posting at federal level, handling administrative matters, can he or she plead ignorance of provisions of the law relating to pollution? Similarly, if one had served in the Treasury and was subsequently transferred to another department, surely you don't leave behind what you learnt on finance when you are promoted to another statutory body. I have to sympathise with Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, the current Chief Secretary to the Government. He seems to have inherited a team of leaders whose competency and knowledge on matters they are responsible for seem to have suddenly abandoned them. It may not have been permanent loss of memory or temporary amnesia. They had been dealing with millions of ringgit in people's money and making decisions on multi-million ringgit projects undertaken by the government and yet, when it is crunch time, what they learnt for their degree in university fades away, what they learnt for the Master's on government money becomes discoloured and the civil service is made a laughing stock of. Mohd Sidek has set high standards not only for his officers, but also for himself. He replies his email promptly, delegates authority, adjudicates fairly and does not micro-manage. Above all, he is competent and knowledgeable on all matters related to his portfolio and much more. This, we are told, comes with working in the International Trade Ministry under the tutelage of Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, where everyone was trained to acquire knowledge and skills, to think outside the box and apply these intelligently. Not surprisingly many of "Rafidah's Babes" have worked themselves up the ladder to head quite a number of government departments. This brings us to the "knowledge" and "skills" of our top civil servants. Do they know what is going on in the outside world? Do they read the newspapers? Do they read journals relating to their profession? What do they acquire on lawatan sambil belajar and other related programmes to enhance their knowledge and skills? Despite displaying, at times, what can be described as sheer foolhardiness, how do they sit on the boards of international organisations? If one of our junior reporters had told the editor "I don't know anything about bonds", he or she would have been told to go and read up on it before showing his or her face on the editorial floor. But when someone who has worked in the Treasury says "I don't know about bonds", it becomes worrying because the Treasury is supposed to be the financial nerve centre of the government. Is the Treasury not the place where you have to be on the ball because of fluctuating markets, currency rates, bond rates, etc? Such a claim could have been forgiven if it was told in jest by a clerk in a local municipality, but not by a senior civil servant with 30 years of experience. To add insult to injury, such a statement was made under oath. Prior to that, at a parliamentary hearing, the same civil servant who had been involved in million-ringgit dealings and approvals declared that "I do not know about cash flow". Are we to assume that the top brass in our civil service have nincompoops for company? Is it suggested that incompetent people have been appointed to head government agencies and oversee government expenditure running into millions? If that is the case, it is not Mohd Sidek but his predecessors who have more than just a case to answer.

‘Illogical’ that 250,000 Muslims have left faith, says Perlis mufti Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:52 AM PDT By G Manimaran, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya today dismissed as "illogical" claims that over 250,000 Muslims in Malaysia have renounced their religion. While agreeing that apostasy exists in the country, the Muslim cleric said the issue should not be overly publicised as it was a sensitive matter and would destroy the image of the country's religious school as institutions incapable of protecting its own devotees. "It is illogical what has been written on the Internet that more than 250,000 Muslims in this country have abandoned their faiths. "If it is true, prove it and do not be emotional. Every state has enactments governing religious propaganda from being spread to Muslims, so why are they not being charged?" he was quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia today. The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday a planned gathering of a million Muslims this Saturday to rally against Christians "challenging the sovereignty of Islam", a momentous event that could raise religious tension that has intensified in recent months after alleged proselytising by Christians. The Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun), or Gathering of a Million Faithful, is being organised by various right-wing groups such as Perkasa with the backing of both Umno and PAS Youth in what appears to be a coming together of conservative Muslims. About 1,000 Facebook users have confirmed their attendance so far but should Himpun draw much more to the Shah Alam Stadium this weekend, it could push Umno and PAS to seek relevance among more religious Malays. With ethnic tension already rising in the years following the 2008 general election, it could raise already simmering fears of Islamisation among non-Muslims and more liberal Malays. The gathering will later produce a declaration calling for the enactment of a law to punish individuals guilty of proselytisation, Himpun secretariat secretary Aminuddin Yahaya told The Malaysian Insider.   READ MORE HERE.

‘Najib’s budget inferior to Pakatan’s’ Posted: 17 Oct 2011 11:33 AM PDT By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: A non-profit research institute has produced a focus paper thwacking Budget 2012 for "scattering the rakyat some fish, while building lavish yatchs for a privileged few". The same paper also heaped praise on Pakatan Rakyat's shadow budget which it hailed as being "holistic". Entitled "Budget 2012 – Eclipsed by its Shadow", the paper was written by the executive director of the Research for Social Advancement (Refsa), Teh Chi-Chang, who is also a contributor to the shadow budget. He however clarified that neither he nor Refsa were paid for his services. In comparing both budgets, Teh concluded that Budget 2012 is inferior on three counts – its overspending, its castles in the air and its move towardsRM1 trillion debt by 2020. The government has projected that deficit will fall to 4.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) for 2012 but Refsa believes that this is over-optimistic. "The government's real GDP growth projections of 5-5.5% for 2011 and 5-6% for 2012 are widely considered as over-optimistic," Teh said in his paper. "The government's nominal GDP growth forecast for 2011 is also exceptionally high". He explained that deficit is calculated as a percentage of nominal GDP not "real" GDP, and a slower GDP growth would affect the deficit in two ways. First it would mean a smaller GDP total which would amount to a higher deficit based on GDP percentage. Second the smaller GDP would result in smaller-than-anticipated tax collections and the revenue shortfall would increase the deficit. "Together with the government's historical record of consistently exceeding its budgeted spending we are of the view that the 2012 deficit will be closer to 6% than the targeted 4%," Teh predicted. "If we were to recalculate using BN's RM230 billion expendicture plans and Pakatan's more conservative revenue and GDP forecasts, the deficit would be equivalent to 5.5% of GDP." "Conversely if we used Pakatan's RM221 billion expenditure plans and BN's more optimistic revenue and GDP forecasts the Pakatan deficit would be 3.7% of GDP." A focus on hardware Teh then pointed out that the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka project introduced under the previous budget was been stealthily proceeding despite strong protest from the rakyat. Although Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak made no mention of it in his budget speech this time, Teh noted that the Economic Report stated that Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is finalising the building design and work is set to begin next year. "Mega-projects and government largesse still loom large in the budget and we cannot help but feel that it is built on delusionary foundations," he said. "The reality is that 70% of our workforce is qualified to SPM-level at best, 40% of Malaysian households subsist on monthly incomes averaging RM1,500 and more than a third of household heads are employed in the informal sector." Teh questioned whether policy makers notice the contradictions between the upper middle income status and massive subsidy bill which is expected to balloon to RM33 billion this year. He also wondered which upper middle income Malaysian would shop in the Kedai 1Malaysia thrift stores or sample the Menu Rakyat 1Malaysia meals. "The budget's focus is still very much on "hardware" even when it concerns education spending," he said. "There is a glaring absence of any mention of quality or employability of school-leavers."   READ MORE HERE.

Forward, back but don’t touch Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:57 AM PDT By Karim Raslan, The Star The allegation that Malaysia had violated Indonesian territory is symptomatic of political issues in Indonesia – they rise, gather momentum, seemingly explode and then just as quickly disappear. WITH Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono preparing for their annual bilateral meeting in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, tomorrow, this tukang cerita found himself pondering over the ever-changing landscape of bilateral relations: first at a gleaming, if half-deserted upscale shopping mall and, secondly, at a rooftop party high above the Jakarta skyline. The Belleza Permata Hijau is a flamboyantly rococo shopping centre in the heart of Jakarta. It also happens to be almost empty. I had been invited to participate in a talk show (called Big Baz) for the recently-launched Kompas TV station. Our topic was the latest Indonesia-Malaysia bilateral spat – over allegations that Malaysia had violated Indonesian territory – and the show's host was an old friend and fellow columnist Pak Budiarto Shambazy. Since we columnists stick together, I'm here despite knowing next to nothing about border markers, the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty, MOUs or Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu in West Kalimantan ("Kalbar"). The Belleza's echoing atrium provided an elegant, if slightly surreal backdrop for the weekly show. There was also a string quartet of four pretty girls in brightly coloured dresses practising their music. They appeared to be having difficulty keeping the time. Truth be told, they're not that tuneful either. In the meantime, the producers and cameramen were testing the sound and lighting. For some reason, I was sweating profusely. I tried not to think about how wet my hair was or the moisture on the back of my batik shirt. The thought of looking drenched on national television made me sweat even more. So, in an effort to cool down, I sat and chatted with my fellow guests: a leading PDI-P politician, Pak TB Hassanuddin (who's partly responsible for the way the issue exploded into the public domain); a nervous bureaucrat, Pak Sutrisno; and a supremely calm and efficient foreign policy specialist, Connie Bakrie – who assured me that she wasn't a member of "that family". Since I had been totally baffled by the controversy, I asked Pak TB (who's also a former general) to explain what's going on. Given that he's the deputy head of the influential First Commission of the Indonesian Parliament which deals with issues of national security, I received a thorough briefing. Later (and on air), I suggested that he should visit Kuala Lumpur to explain to the Malaysian public what's going on since most people, including me, are both bemused and confused by the whole affair. Pak TB and I had faced each other many times on Indonesian TV. As such, our encounter was accompanied by a good deal of gentle joshing. Indeed, the last time we met he even threatened to eat me! The actual taping was slightly disappointing. The Belleza had terrible acoustics and we could barely hear one another speak. A number of scenes had to be retaken and Pak TB's robust enthusiasm was swamped by the technical details. Finally, in the penultimate section, a sinetron star – Marcella Zalianty – joined the panel. This immediately caused a frisson of excitement. Tall, fair-skinned and very good-looking, Marcella had earlier released a documentary called Cerita dari Tapal Balas ("Stories from the Frontier") that delved into the lives of ordinary Indonesians at Kalbar's Entikong border crossing. Her presence reminded me how the lines between celebrity, politics and activism were blurred in Indonesia. Sadly, even with Marcella on board, the technical details still overwhelmed the rest of the production. Finishing up, I salam my fellow guests as Pak TB introduced me to the latest and youngest addition to his family. We laughed and agreed to meet for lunch. Jumping into my car, I headed off for a party in Jalan Sudirman. As I watch the city pass by my window, I realise that there's a certain rhythm to political issues in Indonesia. They rise, gather momentum, seemingly explode and then just as quickly disappear. What I'd just experience was the tail-end of the latest bilateral spat – an issue that was reaching its natural end. Later, and high above Jakarta's streets on a hotel balcony with the glittering lights of the city's countless skyscrapers below me, I watched the party guests dancing the poco-poco. Swaying gently, the dancers moved forward then back, their footwork surprisingly neat and precise. There's a lilt to the poco-poco and subdued energy as all the focus was directed into maintaining the overall form while the dancers' bodies never touched. The restrained elegance of the dance – with its careful self-containment – is an apt metaphor for our bilateral relationship: maju, undur tapi gak sentuh. Have fun in Lombok, guys!

Focus On Real Targets Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:44 AM PDT By Walla Those who can must get the word out to focus on real targets. First, the situation. One, the latest budget was to bribe the fixed deposit voting cohorts. Civil servants, teachers, militia and farmers; the amount for pensioners, due only in 2013, is paltry. In addition, no action has been taken on Taib so as not to lose Sarawak. With Sabah in tow under Umno and its fast-tracked citizenship program for illegals, six fixed deposits are now primed for Barisan to retain its government, abetted by Umno-friendly royalty, judiciary, enforcement, mainstream media and election commission constructs. The last card is of course to cheat at the polls. Two, where finance and education are concerned, the present government plays to only one gallery - the Malays, and with only one goal - to win the next general elections. Money is spent minor for their targets, major for themselves - because Umno has become the official engine for whitewashing cronyism, with the result the bills including financing charges based on increasing debt servicing will be for the account of the still-dreamy young of the future. And education is based on denialism which will result in irrelevance and loss of competitiveness. After fifty four years and billions, it is still a delivery issue. And their way of solving it is to entrench the challenges even further. Because the teachers can't, education will become less about imparting real and relevant knowledge, more about imparting grades made to look good by lowering standards, with the specter that one day overseas admitting institutions will deny entry because they will have avalanches of richer students from other countries, furthermore with better international results and stronger command of the medium of instruction - there. Three, the demographics have changed. Once the Chinese were over thirty percent of the population; today in the twenties. The slide will continue because the birthrate has dropped since more will be too busy working harder to try and maintain livelihood while dispirited of future prospects in the face of increasing costs but crumbs in state support. How the latest budget has been distributed says it all. Ask the MD of SPSetia what he now thinks of the NEP rearing its real head, and for effects what is the size of Umno's political puissance over PNB's RM124 Billion in funds as well as Petronas and EPF monies? Four, the US and European markets for our local products are going to be sundered on the shores of fiscal calamity. The rates at which they can service their debts will never catch up with the rates at which the interests on those debts are compounding. Ergo, even if they work flat out and unless a global trade miracle happens, they will be paying just the interests due without reducing the principal debt. In the next two years, another recession may spurt which will run contrary to the wild projections of revenue paraded in the latest budget of easy dispensations, all happening when one third of national revenues come from oil and gas, depleting commodities, with its attendant effects on the other two-thirds of direct and indirect taxes. Currently our national yolk is rm442 Billion of debts, and real productivity in terms of elastic skills, not population growth numbers, is stagnant. Meanwhile the present government continues to spin, and continues to hire expensive spinners, while living it up like there's no tomorrow. That, they are correct.   READ MORE HERE.

The Penan – Still Struggling to Save Our Jungle [FILM TRIBUTE] Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:43 AM PDT By Sarawak Report The Penan are the iconic people of the Sarawak jungle.  Most communities had settled into villages and rural life of one form or another over the last hundred years, but the Penan steadfastly stuck to their nomadic ways. With just a few possessions, easily carried on their backs, they have had nothing to lose but the jungle they live from.  Which is why they are the community that has fought hardest and longest to prevent its destruction by greedy and relentless logging. However, we would be unwise to dismiss them as simple or backward people.  One should reserve that judgement for those narrow-minded, unimaginative IQs who can think only of the ringgit and jewels and houses they can buy from cutting it down. The Penan understand the deeper value of the Borneo jungle, the world's oldest and most bio-diverse environment on earth.  If Taib had not been so eager to get rich as quickly as possible, he too would have done well to consider the pharmaceutical, DNA, tourism, scientific and other values of this region of enormous weatlh, variety and promise. Instead he is turning it into a single crop plantation that will soon run out of soil due to to massive erosion and turn to desert.  He is also converting one of the earth's two key 'lungs', the great jungles that breath water into the air and suck out dangerous carbon dioxide, into on of the major causes of Global Warming. The Penan understand these things, even though few have gone to school, and they hold a deep love for the beauty and life that thrives in their paradise on earth.  But, Taib either does not understand or worse, blinded by money, he doesn't care. Victims who refuse to give up It is because the Penan are still striving to live off the forest and to defend their hunting areas, that they have had some of the worst treatment at the hands of Taib's licenced loggers and unlicenced gangsters.  Many, many communities in Sarawak have suffered from these problems, but it is the Penan who have been almost wiped out in numbers. Taib refuses to give them the slightest respect or to allow them the smallest remaining area of jungle to call their own.  His ministers are on record as saying that the jungle needs to be 'cleared' of such communities (to make way for their rape of the environment of course).  For this reason we can add genocide to the list of crimes this man will one day have to answer. One of the most shocking examples of his arrogant small-mindedness has been his refusal to perform his most basic duty as a Chief Minister in maintaining law and order and preventing vile crimes in these areas.  There have long been reports of rapes by loggers against the gentle Penan tribespeople, yet he has refused to take action to protect them or to acknowledge the problem.   READ MORE HERE.

Muhyiddin Whips Up Anti-BN Support Again Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:41 AM PDT By Mariam Mokhtar Cabinet ministers must think us stupid. Any unexpected improvements to a normally dilapidated area can only mean two things – a forthcoming by-election or a ministerial visit. Residents throughout Malaysia are aware of the tell-tale signs: Potholes are repaired, instant gardens appear, buildings are given a face-lift and the much touted problems of litter, blocked drains and public toilets disappear overnight – like a fairy godmother has waved her magic wand. In addition, the area is heavily policed to prevent crime, drug addicts are forcibly removed and homeless people are moved on. And so it was for the Ampangan community which noticed the frenzied activity in the days before the visit of the Deputy Prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin arrived last Saturday for his scheduled walkabout to Ampangan. After he toured the UDA flats, the wet market and Pasar Tani, he then presented the government's case to the public, with a view to winning their votes. Sadly, Muhyiddin rubbed the residents up the wrong way. Instead of treating the rakyat with respect and humility, Muhyiddin talked down to them and told them that the BN government had done much to improve the lives of Malaysians. He told the audience that we should be 'grateful' to BN. Muhyiddin might be seen as a chubby cherub in his Ministry but his arrogance is enough to vote him out of office. Since when has a government servant, who was elected to serve the people, been so obtuse and insolent? Being patronising will cost him votes. Cynics might ask if we should be grateful for BN's racist and discriminatory policies. Or for its flip-flop policies in education which are destroying the future of our youth, teachers and educational establishments. Did he want us to be thankful that our country has one of the highest levels of corruption in all levels of public office? What about the low wages given to our workers? Or the preferential treatment for migrant workers who have more voting rights and privileges than many Malaysians? Has Muhyiddin forgotten that criminal acts by those in high office are unchecked by the enforcement agencies? And that our women and children are discriminated against? Muhyiddin told the public: "It's not easy to be the government; the opposition is only good at making promises which they never have to fulfil." He could have added: "Just like BN." Muhyiddin also said that Malaysia would go bankrupt, if the opposition were to win the general election. But his claims are not substantiated by economic successes in Selangor and Penang. Many will recall that earlier in the year, the DPM had already chastised Pakatan for their 100-day reforms when he said: "Pakatan can promise the sun, moon, stars and mountains... But that is not the way of the BN government. We cannot squander our nation's wealth." Really, Muhyiddin? What about those multi-billion ringgit projects with commissions to high ranking politicians and their cronies that go undetected, or if they are reported, are swept under the carpet? Think Scorpene, the offshore patrol boats and other arms deals. Think of all the timber exports from Sarawak and the Bakun dam. What about the millions paid out by his boss, the Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, to media companies like FBC and CNBC, to paint a glossy picture of Malaysia under Najib's rule. Our PM flits about the world spending millions on air travel, but many of our people can't afford one decent meal a day. Muhyiddin must live in his own dream world. People are disillusioned with 54 years of Umno/BN and we are more divided than ever. Zimbabwe was once the Bread-Basket of Africa, but look at it now. Malaya was a colony that was once the pride and joy of the British Empire but our economy is failing and our status diminished. We might soon join President Robert Mugabe, in the world ranking of failed nation states. Standards in education are pitiful, the civil service is expanding but is less productive, whilst our defence spending has spiraled into orbit. So Muhyiddin claims that Pakatan never fulfils their promises. Does he remember the time when Umno's Kalabakan MP Abdul Ghapur Salleh submitted a full report on the terrible condition of the schools in East Malaysia, including structurally unsafe schools in Tawau and schools in Sibu, where holes in the ground served as toilets? Abdul Ghapur complained that Muhyiddin's Ministry sat on the report for over a year without doing anything about it. Perhaps, these students, their parents and the teachers should have been smarter and requested an official visit from Muhyiddin. At least that way, they can be assured of some cosmetic changes to their buildings. That was the same conclusion reached in Ampangan. Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malik from the PKR supreme council, doubts BN's sincerity to help the public and he estimated the cost for beautifying the area in preparation for Muhyiddin's visit, at a few hundred thousand ringgits. Others speculate that the bunting and banners to publicise the DPM's visit cost another few hundred thousand ringgits. He said, "I'm not questioning the upgrading and instant development, which will benefit the residents here. But why wait for Muhyiddin's visit to do this upgrading?" Apparently, the complaints by residents, about lack of maintenance to the building's infrastructure, went unheeded for years, until the DPM's visit. Muhyiddin must think us blind. BN's frenetic activity only occurs in the weeks before the election and not in the years between general elections. On the other hand, Muhyiddin's promises of aid for Ampangan could have been fuelled by Pakatan Rakyat claims that a marginal five per cent swing in four key seats in the state would unseat the BN government. This desperate pouring of assistance for the area is driven by fear. Should the rakyat be grateful to BN for that?

Mukhriz confirms Najib wants meritocracy for Malays Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:34 AM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak's call for meritocracy over the weekend meant finding the best Malays in the country but not abolishing pro-Bumiputera policies despite liberalising the economy, says Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir. The prime minister was reported to have said that affirmative action under the New Economic Policy (NEP) is "here to stay" by a pro-Umno blogger who attended a closed-door session with the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) Junior Science College alumni. Mukhriz, who is the alumni president, confirmed the blog report with The Malaysian Insider, saying yesterday that Najib's message was "that we are getting rid of rent-seekers and helping Malays become more competitive instead." The report quoted Najib as saying that the NEP would not be abolished but that meritocracy would be implemented among Malays to find "the best amongst Malays." "We no longer want to see Malay businessmen sell away assets, especially when they face a major crisis. We have seen this before. "If I wanted to be popular, then I would pander to the economic rent-seekers," he was quoted as saying by a blog. The Umno president was reported as explaining that government-linked companies (GLCs) prioritised doing business with Malay companies because "when they go outside, their new markets ask them 'did your government buy your product?'" He said last month there was a need to eventually do away with Bumiputera quotas but said the government must continue to support the community's best talent to ensure a more competitive business environment. Although Najib quickly insisted he had no intention to abolish quotas immediately, he has continued to stress that Malays should no longer "hide" behind government protection. He told Malay economic NGOs last month that his New Economic Model (NEM) promotes affirmative action based more on meritocracy, saying "we must promote the right Bumiputera." Najib has moved to liberalise the economy since taking office in April 2009, most recently removing Bumiputera equity requirements for 17 services subsectors. But analysts have said that his plans are being threatened by Malay hardliners who have forced Putrajaya to revise pre-qualification criteria for the RM50 billion Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) mega project and sale conditions of billion-ringgit prime land by UDA Holdings — a government agency tasked with boosting Bumiputera participation in the urban economy.   READ MORE HERE.

Why Islam has become the New Communism Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT This article is targeted at the Muslim audience. I realise most Muslims would not receive it in the spirit it was written but will probably take it in a negative vein. So be it because the truth can at times be a bitter pill to swallow. Non-Muslims are, of course, most welcome to comment as long as it is also done in the spirit of seeking for the truth. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Muslims are probably perplexed as to why non-Muslims view any discussion and discourse on Islam, or anything at all related to Islam, with suspicion and distrust. The hostility demonstrated by non-Muslims is probably unsettling for most Muslims who interpret it as an attack on Islam. This has always been the stance of religionists: either you are with me or else you are my enemy. There is no middle ground. It must always be one extreme or the other. And this is not just the problem with Muslims. Jews and Christians too take this very uncompromising stand. It appears like the Abrahamic faiths are founded on militancy and aggression. And can you blame people for thinking this way when the Abrahamic faiths have been propagated at the point of the sword and based on the principle of convert or die? You may say that this was in the past. But do you expect the past to be so easily forgotten and forgiven when the wounds might have already healed but the scars still remain? And is what is happening in many parts of the Middle East and other Muslim countries reflective of the past or an indication that we are still living in the past? Religionists, whether they are Jews, Christians or Muslims, speak with arrogance and in a very condescending attitude. Humility and humbleness appear to be virtues that religionists do not possess. It is always I know better than you and I speak on behalf of God. Where is that so-called religion of peace and love and forgiveness that they talk so much about? What people see is mere rhetoric and insincerity. How can they be trusted when they are unable to demonstrate good faith? Religionists, in particular Islamists, espouse the virtues of an Islamic State and try to convince their audience on how much better life would be under an Islamic State as opposed to a Secular State. The opposite of a Secular State is a Theocracy. But when we refer to an Islamic State as a Theocracy it is met with resistance. Islamists insist that an Islamic State is not a Theocracy. If it is not a Theocracy then what is it? Can we call it a Democracy? Yes, that is what they would like us to call it, a Democracy. But that is just it. A Theocracy is not a Democracy. Which Islamic State since the time of the Prophet Muhammad until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1922 was founded on free and fair elections? It has always been founded on the basis of totalitarian governments. Free and fair elections can never work in a Theocracy because free and fair elections are about the wishes of the majority while Theocracies are about the will of God. The wishes of the majority do not count. The will of God overrides the wishes of the majority. I have always argued that if Prophet Muhammad had to stand for elections he would have been defeated and ousted as the leader of his community. Let us not forget that the Muslim community, then, was in the minority and they were surrounded by Jews, Christians and Pagans who constantly plotted against the Muslims. There has never been a single example of a successful Theocracy, whether Islamic State, Christian State, or whatever, since time immemorial. All have been totalitarian regimes where the wishes of the majority are not supreme. Human rights are not respected. In fact, the concept of human rights does not even exist. Even the so-called 'Golden Age of Islam' was founded on a totalitarian system where the rights of the people did not matter. How can right-thinking Malaysians agree to turn back the clock and take a journey back into the past to live in the Middle Ages? And when we argue this point it is interpreted as that we are Islam-haters or defiant of Allah's command -- the characteristics of Satan and the reason why God has condemned Satan to an eternity in hell. Islamists fail to realise that the problem is not the laws itself but the application of the laws. Under the present judicial system and form of government, where dissent and opposition is not tolerated, even good laws can become bad. The word 'justice' is non-existent in Malaysia. How can Malaysians trust any amendments to the present system when the present system itself has failed and no reprieve appears over the horizon? Malaysia needs to move forward. And the way forward has to be based on more democracy, tolerance, and respect for civil liberties. No Islamic State over 1,500 years has proven to possess these qualities. Quality of life improved not when these countries embraced an Islamic State but when they removed the shroud of totalitarian regimes and abolished the Caliphate. Few citizens of the world would want to consider a Theological State -- whether it is a Hindu State, Buddhist State, Jewish State, Christian State, or Islamic State. The experiment with Theocracies has ended and all ended in failure and disaster. It is time to move forward and the way forward is by majority rule. Nevertheless, if the majority opts for a Theocracy then so be it. That is how democracies work. But for the minority to impose their values on the majority is not on. So expect the majority to resist. And opposition by the majority against the minority should not be interpreted as a war against God. It is merely the majority upholding their democratic right of freedom of choice, a right, in the first place, given to us by God Himself.

Malaysia’s environment needs help Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:56 AM PDT NEW MANDALA While Malaysia has enjoyed impressive rates of economic growth over the last forty years, there has been substantial, irreparable and avoidable loss of her natural capital. Recognised as one of twelve countries blessed with mega biodiversity, Malaysia has difficulty securing her remaining wildlife. If forest cover is about 60 %, it is thanks to the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) generous definition of a 'forest'– land with at least 10 % of tree crown cover and which can include forestry-type plantations such as rubber wood. Malaysia's forests, degraded by logging, replaced by plantations – oil palm or latex timber clones, fragmented by roads, and raided frequently by poachers hired by syndicates, harbour alarmingly declining numbers of wildlife. In the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List (IUCN Red List), Malaysia has the world's third highest number of plants and animals threatened with extinction. The list warns of the disappearance of the tiger, sambar deer, rhinoceros, elephant, tapir, sunbear, pangolin, orangutan, hawksbill and leatherback turtles, among others, if business-as-usual continues, and it does. In a trade powered by demand from China, Vietnam and Thailand, Malaysia has emerged as a major hub in the smuggling of wildlife and wildlife products. To stop the demand and the trade, Malaysia needs help. High conservation value lowland forests have been all but lost to plantations and urban development. More forests and habitats are being lost to oil palm, latex timber clones and mega projects to supply energy or water, phenomena mostly driven by top down decision-makers working in concert and non-transparently with private sector players. In this regard, Chief Minister of Sarawak Abdul Taib Mahmud's headlong conversion of peat swamp forests to oil palm, embarking on the "necklace" of twelve hydro-electric mega projects and concessions for high-impact logging (to clear the way for plantations), all of which simultaneously dispossess native people of their customary lands, show naked abandon. The judiciary and mainstream media do not enjoy sufficient autonomy to fulfil their check-and-balance roles. To stop Abdul Taib Mahmud, Malaysia needs help. Meanwhile, Malaysian logging and oil palm companies take their plunder-for-profit expertise to countries around the world bringing little or no benefit to local communities, and sometimes misery. It would be useful to compile a list of such companies for worldwide reference. To reform these companies, Malaysia needs help. READ MORE HERE

WIKILEAKS: CONTROVERSIAL SQURES OF CHRISTIAN BOOKS Posted: 17 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT The Malaysian Council of Churches immediately condemned the confiscation. Council Secretary Reverend Herman Shastri stated on January 17 that the government officials have "no right (to confiscate the Christian books) and have over stepped their bounds." Shastri argued that such actions offended the sensitivities of Christians, and he urged the government to take immediate action to stop enforcement officials from undermining inter-religious harmony.  THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d). Summary 1. (C) Ministry of Internal Security officials confiscated some Christian children's books from stores in early January. Officials took the action because the books contained pictures of Moses and Noah, and they judged portraits of these figures, who are also prophets in Islam, would offend Muslims.  On January 21, the Ministry returned all the books following public condemnation by the Malaysian Council of Churches.  In a separate case, the Evangelical Church of Borneo filed a lawsuit after Ministry of Internal Security officials confiscated children's Sunday school books.  The books are in the Malay language and use "Allah" when referring to God in contravention of a GOM decision to reserve the term "Allah" for Muslims. Separately, the Internal Security Ministry recently banned 11 books on Islam. While the GOM took corrective action in one instance, institutional mandates and policies based on the preeminent position of Islam will continue to generate controversy in multi-religious Malaysia.  End Summary. Christian Books Confiscated, Returned 2.  (U) The Ministry of Internal Security's Publications and Al-Koran Texts Control Department confiscated several Christian children's titles containing pictures of Moses and Noah from bookstores in early January.  Ministry officials deemed the pictures were "offensive caricatures of prophets" recognized by Islam.  The Malaysian Council of Churches immediately condemned the confiscation.  Council Secretary Reverend Herman Shastri stated on January 17 that the government officials have "no right (to confiscate the Christian books) and have over stepped their bounds." Shastri argued that such actions offended the sensitivities of Christians, and he urged the government to take immediate action to stop enforcement officials from undermining inter-religious harmony.  On January 21, Deputy Internal Security Minister II Fu Ah Kow announced that the ministry had returned the Christian titles to bookstores.  A representative from one of the largest publications companies confirmed to poloff that government authorities returned all confiscated books. God by any other name 3.  (U) In December 2007, leaders from the Evangelical Church of Borneo, in the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, filed a lawsuit against Prime Minister Abdullah and the government for banning the importation of Christian publications using "Allah" when referring to God.  This followed the August 2007 seizure at Kuala Lumpur International Airport of a shipment of Christian children's books destined for Sunday school programs in Sabah.  Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharom justified the action by saying only Muslims could use the term "Allah" (to describe God) as "it is a Muslim word."  He added that we cannot let other religions "use it because it will confuse the people."  Minister Abdullah Mohammed Zin, responsible within in the Prime Minister's Department for religious affairs, backed Johari's comments, referring to a 1986 Cabinet decision that reserved the name "Allah" and several other Arabic terms for the exclusive use of Muslims. 4.  (U) In their suit, church officials are seeking a declaration that they have the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in all their religious publications and practices, and not just within the church.  They claim that the GOM failed to take into account that Malay language-speaking Christians had used "Allah" in printed Malay language materials since 1629.  Church officials also seek a court ruling against any faith having exclusive right to the use of any word.  A magistrate's initial hearing of the case on January 29 failed to set any date for further action before the court. 5.  (U) Separately, the Internal Security Ministry banned 11 books about Islam in a decision finalized on January 17 under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, according to media reports.  Officials found that the books deviated from state-sanctioned interpretation of Islam.  Eight of the books are English languagetexts from U.S. publishers, while three are Malay language texts.  During 2007, the Ministry banned a total of 85 books of various subjects because of religious or sexual content, according to Embassy records. Comment 6.  (C) Government machinery set up to uphold the state-approved interpretation of Islam and protect Muslim sensitivities has again generated controversy in Malaysia's substantial non-Malay/non-Muslim community.  The number of books seized may be limited, but the symbolism and precedent of officials confiscating Christian children's books are nevertheless damaging to inter-faith relations.  The Internal Security Ministry's quick about-face in one highly publicized case suggests that some senior leaders recognize the risks to religious and ethnic harmony.  Institutional mandates and policies based on the preeminent position of Islam remain firmly in place, however, and we can expect further controversies of this sort in multi-religious Malaysia. KEITH  (January 2008)

Economic system can sustain global downturn, says Nor Mohamed Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:52 AM PDT (The Star) - PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia does not need another plan as its present system can sustain any global economic downturn, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop. "Even in the worst case scenario when things go really bad, we already have an in-built system that can adjust itself. "So, there is really no reason to have a discreet policy called "Plan B" because the plan that we have is adjustable in and around itself," he told reporters after launching The Report Malaysia 2011. Nor Mohamed said given the challenging global economic situation, the five per cent growth target was achievable as the economy has been managed quite well. He said although Malaysia's exports are still to the United States, Japan and Britain, they have been diversified with a major portion of the nation's economy now on intra-Asean as well as on India and China.

BREAKING NEWS: Penan block logging road in Baram, Sarawak Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:03 AM PDT By Bruno-Manser-Fonds We have just received the news that the Penan communities of Ba Abang and Long Kawi in Sarawak's Middle Baram region have started blockading a logging road to prevent the further felling of their rainforests. According to community information received by the Bruno Manser Fund, the blockade has been erected last Thursday, 13th October 2011, and has been attended by more than 70 Penan tribespeople. The blockade is located near the Ba Bunau river within the claimed Native Customary Rights land of the Ba Abang community. It is mainly directed against Interhill, a Malaysian logging company based in Miri, Sarawak. Interhill is also known to be the owner of the Pullman 5-star hotel in Sarawak's capital, Kuching. The Pullman Kuching hotel is being operated by the French Accor group.  The Penan accuse Interhill of particularly aggressive and environmentally destructive logging during the past months. Several attempts by the communities to nego! tiate with Interhill responsibles have failed. Interhill had already been accused of similar conduct in 2009. An independent study commisioned by the French Accor group showed at the time that Interhill had been involved in illegal and unsustainable logging practices. Following pressure from Accor's sustainability department, Interhill promised to better its conduct but has obviously failed to live up to its promises.  The Bruno Manser Fund has learned that Interhill called the police and forestry department officials to dissolve the blockade but the Penan are currently upholding their protest. In December 2009, six Penan communities of the Middle Baram region jointly filed court cases to claim land titles over their customary land and asked for the logging licences to be declared null and void. The cases are currently pending at the Miri High Court.  The Bruno Manser Fund is calling on the Interhill management to instruct their staff to! immediately stop the destructive logging of the Penan forests and to send a high-ranking delegation to the blockade site to apologize for the company's conduct. We are particiulary disappointed to learn that Interhill failed to live up to the promises made to the French Accor group and to the international community two years ago. Your BMF campaign team   For more information, please consult: www.stop-interhill.com

#CleanBefore13 Global BERSIH 2.0 Launch in Australia with Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan Posted: 16 Oct 2011 10:16 PM PDT BERSIH 2.0 CHAIRPERSON DATO' AMBIGA SREENEVASAN MELBOURNE-SYDNEY-CANBERRA #CleanBefore13 Global Campaign - Fulfil the 8 Demands Before GE-13   TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2011 - 6.30PM- 8.00PM  FREE PUBLIC LECTURE Electoral Reform and the Quest for Democracy in Malaysia Venue: GM15- LAW BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE RSVP Essential: http://alc.law.unimelb.edu.au/index.cfm?objectid=6A3FF7F9-1422-207C-BAF8B4E4EFE99C64&DiaryID=5569   FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER 2011 - 6.30PM- 10.00PM  CleanBefore13 - BERSIH2.0 SOLIDARITY NIGHT / Nasi Lemak Dinner served (Vegetarian Option Available) $15 non-students/ $10 students Venue: Clayton Hall, 264-268 Clayton Road   RSVP Essential: http://bersihstories.eventbrite.com    SUNDAY 30 OCTOBER 2011 - 6.30PM- 8.00PM  AN EVENING WITH DATO' AMBIGA SREENEVASAN Dinner $40 /pp Venue: Emperor's Garden, 96-100 Hay St, Haymarket, NSW, 2000   MONDAY 31 OCTOBER 2011 - 12.30PM- 2.00PM  FREE PUBLIC LECTURE (Light lunch served) Venue: Boardroom, Level 2, Law Building, UNSW RSVP ESSENTIAL: https://register.eventarc.com/event/view/5951/tickets/ahrcentre-seminar-with-dato-ambiga-sreenevasan     MONDAY 31 OCTOBER 2011 - 6.00PM- 7.30PM  FREE PUBLIC LECTURE New Law School Lecture Theatre, Room 24, University of Sydney   TUESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2011 - 6.30PM- 8.00PM  FREE PUBLIC LECTURE Law Theatre, ANU College of Law (Building 5), Australian National University   TUESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2011 - 8.00PM- 10.00PM  INFORMAL DINNER WITH MALAYSIANS IN CANBERRA  RSVP for all events essential. Email us at sabm.melbourne@gmail.com or contact us on facebook HAVE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? Register to vote at any of these events. Bring a photocopy of your Malaysian NRIC with you.

Don’t stir up hornet’s nest, Selangor PAS warns Himpun organisers Posted: 16 Oct 2011 08:47 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) -  Selangor PAS wants the organisers of the planned gathering of a million Muslims to guarantee that the event will not be abused to incite religious tension between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun), or Gathering of a Million Faithful, is being organised by various right-wing groups such as Perkasa with the backing of both Umno and PAS Youth in what appears to be a coming together of conservative Muslims. The planned rally against Christians "challenging the sovereignty of Islam" this Saturday could raise religious tension that has intensified in recent months after allegations of proselytism of Muslims by Christians. Today, Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Khalid Samad said his party was "worried" about the true purpose of the gathering, and stressed that it should focus on addressing real threats faced by Muslims instead of pitting the country's main religions against one another. "We are not happy with the noticeable trends and directions (of the gathering). We want an assurance that it will not be used to incite religious, racial tension," he told The Malaysian Insider. The Shah Alam MP added that Selangor PAS has not decided whether to take part in the event. "We've not said yes, we've not said no. We've set some conditions in which we will agree to participate — [such as] if the gathering truly focuses on problems affecting the Muslim faith, and not blaming another faith," said Khalid. He said Selangor PAS will make a decision in a few days' time, and that the national leadership will also discuss the matter during the party's political bureau meeting tomorrow night. About 1,000 Facebook users have confirmed their attendance to the event With ethnic tensions already rising in the years following the 2008 general election, it could raise already simmering fears of growing Islamisation among non-Muslims and more liberal Malays. In a video promoting the gathering, Himpun said "There is no other choice but to rally Muslims". Distrust between Muslims and Christians peaked when the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raided the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Petaling Jaya on August 3, claiming there was ongoing proselytisation of Muslims. This came after repeated disputes between Christians and Muslims, such as the legal battle over the use of the word Allah to refer to the Christian god. A December 31, 2009 court ruling allowing the Catholic Church to use the term Allah in its newspaper had led to places of worship being firebombed in January last year. The government also buckled under pressure and ordered the release of Malay-language bibles seized before Sarawakians, half of whom are Christians, voted in the April 16 state polls. Before the Jais raid, Umno's Utusan Malaysia and Malay rights lobby Perkasa accused the DAP of conspiring to turn Malaysia into a Christian state. Although DUMC has denied Jais' claims, Utusan Malaysia fanned the flames with allegations that Christian groups in Kuala Lumpur and Johor were actively trying to convert Muslims. READ MORE HERE

Anwar dares Najib to debate on budget Posted: 16 Oct 2011 07:30 PM PDT By Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has dared Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to an open debate on their respective budgets in response to the latter's accusation that Pakatan Rakyat's alternative financial plan was "right-wing". Anwar, the former deputy prime minister and finance minister, said that Najib, as finance minister, is more than capable of debating on the matter. He said that an open debate was the best way for voters to decide whose budget is better rather than taking potshots via government-owned media. Najib, in his speech to Gerakan members attending their party's annual general assembly yesterday, labelled Pakatan's 2012 alternative budget as a "right-wing Republican budget that failed to address the needs of the people". "He shouldn't be criticising our budget only through their (government) media… he should be able to defend our criticism of his budget as he is the finance minister. "He is more than capable of presenting his case (in the open debate)," Anwar told a press conference at the Parliament lobby. The budget row between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan has taken a front seat as both are trying to use their respective budgets as an election push as national polls is expected to be held within the next six months. BN has used the same argument on the federal opposition's "Orange Book" financial policies against Pakatan's budget, accusing it as populist and unworkable while the latter claimed Najib's 2012 spending plans are aimed at buying votes. Among key plans in Najib's budget are cash handouts to the poor and increasing money for civil servants – working and retired staff – which are seen as ways to retain support from BN's traditional votebank. Breaching the debt ceiling Anwar said the "irresponsible" spending in the 2012 Budget is set to put Malaysia on course to breach the national debt limit. In Bank Negara Malaysia's latest report issued on Oct 14, Anwar said the country's national debt currently stood at RM437 billion (as of June 30, 2011), with domestic debt amounting to RM421 billion and foreign debt at RM16 billion. "This translates to a 51% local debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio as governed by Acts 637 and 275, which allows for approximately RM33 billion additional debt to be raised by the government (before the limit is reached)," he said. Anwar said this meant Putrajaya has insufficient funds to finance the remainder of the 2011 expenditure while the RM46 billion deficit will be funded through additional debts. READ MORE HERE.

A right to PPSMI Posted: 16 Oct 2011 07:28 PM PDT By Lan Boon Leong via The Malaysian Insider The abolishment of PPSMI will benefit students whose mother tongue or first language is not English because studies have shown children learn better if the language of instruction is their first language. Furthermore, the United Nations, in its various declarations and conventions, has continually affirmed the universal right to an education where the language of instruction is the first language. This fundamental right for students whose first language is Bahasa Malaysia or Mandarin or Tamil is thus respected by abolishing PPSMI. However, the abolishment of PPSMI will in turn be unfair to students whose first language is English. Malaysian students whose first language is English are growing in number from diverse ethnic backgrounds. They include Chinese, Indians and Malays. These students are already discriminated against in education on the basis of language because there are no English-medium national-type schools to accommodate them. This discrimination on the basis of language contravenes the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The abolishment of PPSMI will further discriminate these students on the same grounds. They have the right to continue studying science and mathematics in English and also the right to study all other subjects in English, their first language. Thus, PPSMI must at least be retained as an option so that they can learn science and mathematics optimally as their peers whose first language is Bahasa Malaysia or Mandarin or Tamil. If we were to have English-medium national-type schools, it would be justice indeed. To vote for PPSMI as an option, please go to www.pagemalaysia.org/news.php. Parents can vote for the establishment of English-medium national-type schools at www.surveymonkey.com/s/NKRJVDH and join PENS (Parents for English-medium National-type Schools) at www.facebook.com/groups/PENSmember/ to support the campaign. * Lan Boon Leong is an associate professor at Monash University Sunway Campus.

Soi Lek says may contest in Perak, Johor or Negri Sembilan Posted: 16 Oct 2011 07:22 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 – Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is considering standing for elections in Perak, Negri Sembilan or his homestate Johor, a move likely to invite flak from the MCA president's detractors in the party. Chinese-language daily Nanyang Siang Pau reported today Dr Chua's speech during a Deepavali dinner in Seremban last night where the senior politician purportedly claimed to have received invitations from all three state mentris besar to stand in the coming polls. But, added the daily, Dr Chua (picture) had stressed he would first consider the feelings of MCA leaders in each state and gauge local sentiment before making his decision. "Just because I am the party president, it does not mean I can simply contest anywhere, or take over someone else's position for my own interest," he was quoted as saying. Dr Chua currently chairs both the Johor and Perak state liaison committees. His announcement comes just two weeks after he declared himself a "winnable candidate" despite his sex scandal past, in the heat of his squabble with Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, his predecessor in MCA. Ong, Dr Chua's most outspoken critic in MCA, had said he did not consider the party president a qualified candidate for the polls due to his scandalous past, adding the latter would not fit Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's "winnable candidate" criteria. But with Chinese support for Barisan Nasional (BN) still weak, it appears the veteran politician cannot afford to shy away from the coming polls, viewed as the pact's most crucial, and will have to lead his party into the foray by standing as a candidate.   READ MORE HERE.

Malaysia set to hit national debt ceiling, warns Anwar Posted: 16 Oct 2011 06:40 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim accused the government today of failing to resuscitate the country's "under-performing economy", warning that Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Budget 2012 was setting Malaysia "on course" to breach the national debt limit. Citing Bank Negara Malaysia's latest report issued on October 14, Anwar said the country's national debt currently stood at RM437 billion (as of June 30, 2011), with domestic debt amounting to RM421 billion and foreign debt at RM16 billion. "This translates to a 51 per cent local debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio as governed by Acts 637 and 275, which allows for approximately RM33 billion additional debt to be raised by the government (before the limit is reached). "This is clearly not adequate to finance the remainder of 2011 expenditure and the RM46 billion deficit to be funded through additional debts announced in Barisan Nasional's Belanjawan 2012," the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader said in a statement. The national debt level is governed by various laws that impose a debt ceiling for the government. Act 637, which is the Loan (Local) Act 1959, and Act 275, the Government Investment Act 1983, state that combined loans raised domestically should not exceed a ceiling of 55 per cent of the nation's GDP. Act 403, which is the External Loans Act 1963, limits external loan exposure to RM35 billion at any particular time. "The proposed operational budget for a particular year should never exceed the revenue projection. Likewise, loans raised by the government should strictly be used for developmental budget," said Anwar. The opposition leader was responding to the prime minister's critique yesterday of the opposition's shadow budget. Najib described PR's alternative financial plan as a "right-wing Republican" budget that failed to address the needs of the people, and that it only focused on Malaysia's budget gap and national debt but made no mention of public welfare. "This is a clear attempt to deflect from the fundamental issue of poor governance, endemic corruption and BN policies to enrich family members and cronies," said Anwar. He said the best way to discuss the contrast between the economic policies offered by both coalitions was through a nationally-televised debate between himself and Najib. READ MORE HERE

Sudden switch to BM for science students Posted: 16 Oct 2011 06:38 PM PDT Students who had been studying in the English stream from Standard One to Form Three now have to do their Science and Maths in BM when they move to Form Four next year. (Free Malaysia Today) - Students who began their Standard One in 2003 under the English stream – where Science and Mathematics were taught in English – are now expected to learn Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia when they go to Form Four next year. The change in the "teaching process" has got parents in the urban Klang Valley are all frantic with anxiety. They are trying to get the Education Ministry to clear up the matter. So far the bewildered parents have received no statements from their respective school heads but worried students have told their parents that "all Form Four subjects will be taught only in Bahasa Malaysia". A housewife, who wanted to be known only as Siva, from Subang Jaya said: "Everyone is confused… I went to inquire from my son's school and was told that they were waiting for the ministry's directive. But they said they were unofficially told that the teaching will be in Bahasa Malaysia if you have more than 15 Malay students in Form Four. "I called the Education Ministry last week to verify this and an officer told me that the teaching of all science subjects in Form Four will be in Bahasa Malaysia. "She also said some schools have a choice of teaching in English or Bahasa Malaysia depending on how many Malay students they have." Let them complete SPM Another worried parent, who preferred to be called Tan, from Taman Desa, said the new policy was "not fair to our children". "We were told at the onset when this batch started Standard One in 2003 that they will complete their Science and Maths in English until SPM (Form Five). "They should just let them finish it. How can they (the ministry) victimise this batch of students now? "It's rubbish to say the exams will be set in dwibahasa (dual language), but all the teaching in the class will be in Bahasa Malaysia. "Why confuse the students? Already, they are under so much pressure. "What will happen if the students answer the exam questions in English? Are there enough English proficient teachers and examiners who can give them a fair reading? "Can the ministry guarantee that our children who answer their exam paper in English will not be victimised?" asked Tan. No 'dwi' bahasa textbook Another concerned parent, Dr Raja, from Damansara, said he had gone around the bookshops and private stores looking for Form Four Chemistry and Biology books for his son and was shocked to find only Bahasa Malaysia textbooks. He said the government had promised that the Science and Mathematic books would be ready before it implemented the MBMMBI (Upholding the Malay Language, Strengthening the English Language) policy in 2012. But now that parents are wanting to prepare their children for the hard days ahead, there are no books available. "How are we supposed to assist and prep our children if we cannot find dual language textbooks? I assume the teachers are also not readyto teach the subjects," said Raja. "This is crazy. We are not against the Education Ministry's Bahasa Malaysia policy. "But it is absolute stupidity to teach the students in English from Standrad One until Form Three and then switch to Bahasa Malaysia in Form Four and Form Five. "What assurance is there that there are sufficient and capable examiners who will mark their English answers in SPM fairly? "As it is, my wife spotted so many errors in the ministry-level quarterly tests papers the students sat for regularly before PMR," said Raja. READ MORE HERE

Hutang negara berjumlah RM437.2 bilion Posted: 16 Oct 2011 05:58 PM PDT (HARAKAH DAILY) - Hutang Kerajaan Persekutuan sehingga 30 Jun 2011 berjumlah RM437.2 bilion atau 52.7 peratus daripada Keluaran Dalam Negeri Kasar (KDNK). Daripada jumlah tersebut, sebahagian besar hutang Kerajaan Persekutuan merupakan hutang dalam negeri yang berjumlah RM421 bilion atau 96.3 peratus daripada keseluruhan hutang, manakala baki RM16.2 bilion atau 3.7 peratus merupakan hutang luar negara. Dengan jawapan bertulis Kementerian Kewangan kepada soalan Ahli Parlimen Seputeh, Teresa Kok yang meminta Menteri Kewangan menyatakan hutang luar negara mengikut negara yang memberi pinjaman kepada Malaysia. Jawapan itu juga memberitahu sumber hutang, pinjaman dalam negeri diperolehi melalui terbitan Bil Perbendaharaan, Terbitan Pelaburan Kerajaan Kerajaan (TPK), Sekuriti Kerajaan Malaysia (SKM), pinjaman Kumpulan Pinjaman Perumahan dan terbitan Sukuk Simpanan Rakyat serta Sukuk 1Malaysia. Pemegang instrumen berkenaan terdiri daripada institusi kewangan, syarikat insurans dan pertubuhan keselamatan sosial seperti Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja dan SOCSO. Dalam pada itu hutang luar negeri Kerajaan Persekutuan pula diperoleh daripada sumber pasaran modal antarabangsa melalui terbitan sukuk global dan pengeluaran pinjaman projek melalui institusi multilateral seperti Bank Dunia, Bank Pembangunan Asia dan Bank Pembangunan Islam serta bilateral dalam mata wang asing iaitu Dolar Amerika Syarikat, Yen, Dolar Eura, Dolar Kanada serta Dinar.

IIU professor takes UMNO daily to court Posted: 16 Oct 2011 05:53 PM PDT (HARAKAH DAILY) - A senior lecturer of the International Islamic University Dr Abdul Aziz Bari is taking UMNO mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia to court following its reports portraying him as being disrespectful to the Sultan of Selangor. Recently, Aziz disagreed with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's decision over the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department's action against Muslim guests at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) last Ramadan. The Sultan had said there was no sufficient evidence to initiate legal action against DUMC although he was convinced of attempts to undermine the Muslim faith. "I have only given my comment on whether it was appropriate for Sultan Selangor to give his statement on DUMC's controversy. I agreed that indeed the Sultan has the power as provided in Federal Constitution. I have never disputed the power, and I don't see why I have been attacked everyday for such a short comment," explained Aziz, widely regarded as an expert in the Malaysian constitution. Several police reports had been lodged against Aziz, led by UMNO senator Ezam Noor. He was also criticised by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had once led a major media campain criticising Malay rulers during the brief 1993 constitutional crisis sparked by the late Sultan of Johor's assault on hockey coach, the late Douglas Gomez. Aziz also rubbished accusations of being disloyal and disrespectful to the Selangor Sultan. "Show me where I went wrong in my comment," he added.

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