Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- ATM is not your political playfield
- Computer tech law: like a giant Trojan worm
- Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia? ...dream on!
- Post GE13 political scenarios
- Dr Hasan Ali a Kemo Sabe?
- Hindraf to lend its strength to ABU
- Does The Star have something to hide about sales?
| ATM is not your political playfield Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:27 PM PST According to a report dated 10 December 2011, a pro UMNO blogger called Papagomo, was at the same place where Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his two deputies, P. Ramasamy and Mansor Othman were, when they had access to the KD Tun Razak Scorpene submarine.
Among all the opposition MP's, only Bagan Serai (ex-PKR) MP, Mohsin Fadzil Samsuri, and me participated in this event. On 4th December 2009, MINDEF arranged an air craft at Subang Airport and brought us straight away to Pulau Langkawi.
There were many invited guests, so all of us had to wait at the dock. Because of the space constraint inside the submarine, each one of us visitors had to wait for our turn. Tun Dr Mahathir was also there as well. As a ex-Prime Minister he was given the privilege to enter the submarine first. But there was a person in the midst of the crowd there, who attracted my attention. He is Tan Sri Vincent Tan. When Vincent Tan followed behind Dr Mahathir to go inside the submarine, I could not help but think of why Vincent Tan being an ordinary businessman, and neither being a government officer nor a people's representative was being allowed to go inside a military vessel. Dr Mahathir's presence was proper and correct because he was a nation builder, a contributor to the nations progress and held the longest term of Prime-Ministership. Is Vincent Tan a submarine specialist? Why is it a civilian like him was allowed to enter a submarine?
The same happened again after two years. As a Defence Minister, he seems not to be aware of who is being allowed into the submarine. Nevertheless, a civilian had gone inside the submarine, taken photographs and released them into the internet. Ahmad Zahid had the cheek to say that no blogger was allowed into the submarine. Besides that, Papagomo is arrogant in his blog by saying that he can tell the reader only something. The rest are all strategical secret. Does this imply that a civilian is allowed to attend functions where he or she is exposed to military intelligence? And shamelessly he tells the whole world that he knows some military intelligence but he is not going to tell. Isn't this a threat to national security? How does MINDEF ensure that the blogger does not sell the intelligence to spy organization in other countries? Ahmad Zahid, a Defence Minister who represents the government must understand that simply letting a civilian accessing a military facility is considered a very serious occurrence. Two years ago that was Vincent Tan and two year later there is Papagomo and "Big Dog". Since when a military facility has become BN's political playfield? | ||||||
| Computer tech law: like a giant Trojan worm Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:24 PM PST » New law puts noose around computer techies
That is not a far-fetched conclusion when the draft Computing Professionals Bill is viewed in terms of its impact on society and the potential for further political control over national life. Of more workday relevance to the industry are the criticisms of the law for trying to create a closed computing industry; for attempting to keep tabs on everyone with a database of people in the trade; for trying to stifle innovation; for creating regulation by government rather than through industry self-regulation; and potentially for another means of creating avenues for bumiputera-ism to thrive. Lawyers say it is bad law for being too loosely worded and ambiguous, too broad in scope, legislating for a danger that may not yet exist, and placing too much power in the hands of politicians. » Analysis at Loyar Burok. The draft law is all that and more. Its broad scope allows its effects to ooze all over the computing trade like a giant malevolent runaway amoeba. Or for a computing analogy, a giant Trojan worm.
• Three laws in oneIn essence, the bill is three or four laws in one, an omnibus, dealing with related but quite distinct issues which should have been dealt with separately. Among these issues: • Cyber security, to protect vital institutions | ||||||
| Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia? ...dream on! Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:19 PM PST I was in Singapore the last few days for work. Have not been to Singapore for over 20 years. The driver of the taxi that drove me from the airport to my hotel was Malay. On the ride to the hotel he pointed out that all the land along the coast that was now fully developed was reclaimed land. He said that Singapore could no longer buy sand from Indonesia or Malaysia – so Singapore now buys its sand from Vietnam. He suggested that maybe the Malaysian government should consider letting Singapore mine all the sand it needed from the Pahang and Perak river so that floods would not occur as frequently as they do now – this way Singapore would have their sand and Malaysia gets two strikes against Singapore: Payment for the sand and flood prevention! I quietly smiled at his logic. If only our politicians could think that clearly! At night I would watch TV as I ate dinner and what I saw on Singapore TV gave me some explanation as to why Malaysia is so far behind Singapore. No I am not just talking about the physical aspect of development where a comparison between the two countries would be an exercise in futility: Where would you begin? From Changi airport, the taxis I took, the buses and trains that I used to the presence of a city confident in its growth and secure of its place globally, Singapore is everything that Malaysia is not! Singapore TV is filled with programs that provides you with information of world events, knowledge about anything that you would care to know and learn about and many programs that tells Singaporeans that life out there is to be lived and enjoyed responsibly. No politicians in sight on their TV. Nothing that would allow any sensible, intelligent Singapore TV viewer to be upset at any attempt by the Singapore government to try and influence them on matters political. Malaysian TV is pathetic and an embarrassment to watch. Talk show hosts that are so condescending to their guests that it makes me cringe! We have crowds of people being told about the latest government projects that will benefit them and the nation. What passes for Television programs is in reality government propaganda - pure and simply drivel and unmitigated spew of useless information that benefits no one – not even the government because all it does is to turn the thinking viewer against such blatant propaganda of a BN government desperate to win a coming general election. I remember one episode where this Malay politician was opening a show or seminar of some sort by unfurling a banner with a giant size portrait of himself! It makes me want to spew! What was more disturbing to me is thinking how all this rubbish on Malaysian Television will affect those Malaysian watching Malaysian TV. If that is the only TV they watch then what chance do these people have of developing into a better human being? We have been told that we are what we eat…well I think what our government allow our people to watch on TV and read in the media is what we will be: a people blinkered and oblivious to the world outside. But as a Malay what saddens me is that the politics within UMNO defines us Malays as we have never been defined before. Before this the Malays saw themselves as a people who went about their life with a quiet dignity secure in the knowledge that as a people, they had the respect of the other races and felt themselves worthy of being Malays – son of the soils. More important we had a sense of self worth. Today the ugliness of the Malay persona is now no longer a matter than can be kept within the confines of family and the Malay community. How can it be kept from the public domain when Malays are ridicule and laughed at as they try to walk along the path where others have walked – and in trying to do so they have failed miserably. Failed because they are ill equipped to compete on a level playing field with the other races. This is not something that UMNO can sweep under the carpet anymore. Today it is the Malays themselves who have realized the dire situation that they are in. This is what the Malays now know of themselves. There are no great Malay leaders in this country of ours any more. All our leaders, without exception, has in one-way or another, failed us – and yet having failed they still insists that their right to remain a Malay leader is unaffected. The Malay leaders of today are a joke! The education of our young has not prepared or equipped them to compete on a level playing field against non-Malays in Malaysia and against others when they go overseas. They have failed miserably from their ability to master the English Language to their ability to interact and handle the intricacies of living amongst non-Malays. I have been shamed countless times when in conversation with Malay students in Australia – not only by their woefully inadequate ability to speak decent English but more worrying in the blinkered approach to education with the 'them' and 'us' approach to everything – from social interactions to having no understanding that we must celebrate diversity – not treat it as a threat to our Malay ethnicity, to our religion and to our way of life. That they have failed to do so is painfully obvious to me as a Malay – what more to the people they meet. But ignorance is bliss and these students are unable to comprehend that they are looked upon as an object to be pitied rather then laughed at. And so these students go about their education oblivious to their failings. Katak di bawah tempurong! The Malays can no longer ignored the reality that the non-Malays are way ahead by leaps and bounds in all things Malaysians: Business, Education, civil society and even respect and dignity of their own race. How is this possible when the Malays have complete control of government since Merdeka and should and did have control over all aspects of life in Malaysia? How is this possible when the Malays have 9 Sultans and numerous Governors as the constitutional head of state? How is this possible when the Malays numerically overwhelmed all the other races put together? And yet all this advantages have made the Malays into a people that can no longer hold their head nobly whatever their circumstances simply because the Malay dominated Barisan Nasional government has failed in their much stated purpose of Ketuanan Melayu. Failed not in the getting of the Ketuanan Melayu but failed in the manner in which Ketuanan Melayu is used to further NOT The Malay interest but to further UMNO's interest. And therein lies the tragedy of the Malays! AN UMNO that takes for themselves what should really be for the Malays. And it is in the leaders of UMNO that we see the worst of the Malays acting out what the Malays have now become! These UMNO leaders are the epitome of greed, corruption and thievery of the nations wealth for their own pockets. | ||||||
| Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:41 AM PST When I wrote the first part, I was serious. I said Anwar does a Sivaji the Boss stunt. Like in one of the Tamil Movies, he hurled a knife towards an oncoming speeding bullet. The knife slices the bullet into two. One hits UMNO and Najib. The other hits BN. the knife on its own momentum, hits Anwar's former mentor turned number 1 nemesis, Dr Mahathir. Anwar gets his revenge after all. He vanquishes his political enemies. Who is Mack the Knife? (Sung by Louis Satchmo Armstrong) Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear And it shows them pearly white Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe And he keeps it, ah, out of sight Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe Scarlet billows start to spread Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe So there's never, never a trace of red
Except here the knife is symbolism. Who is Mack the knife? In about 2 months' time Anwar may perhaps be a special guest to the government at Bamboo River. So physically he may not be there jumping up and down at the Palace gates. Not he, but a trusted person waves the paper that contains the list of MPs who backs him as the PM. He will insist, the choice of PM can be done this way, since precedence has been created in Perak. The MPs whose names are in the list waved are also at the gates. They all have travelled in buses provided free by businessmen eager to ingratiate themselves to the new rulers of Malaysia. But that person who probably has no stature and standing is refused entry. The AG who is inside in audience with the King in the presence of the Chief Secretary of the government informs the King, the test of support of the majority of MPs must be tested in a parliamentary sitting. So, the paper waved is useless unless parliament sits. The Agong for the first time will be truly tested. The country cannot afford to not have a constitutionally established government. He will need to use his discretion to decide, who he and his brother rulers regard as the person who has the credibility and support to form the next government. The interest of the country now overrides anything else. He will only see the person whom he thinks command all round respect. Anwar may have underestimated the technicalities of forming a new government. He can't bulldoze his way around and does an Arab Spring or whatever consisting of a series of street demonstrations and the like. He must now realize, his earthly salvation lies in the hands of other people. The big 3- PKR, PAS and DAP must direct themselves to this possibly. They must collectively address the issue who is their collective leader, the person with the stature, the experience and who possesses sufficient credibility to become PR's leader.
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| Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:32 AM PST In Selangor the sweetener for PAS was the MB's post. Recall also the UMNO-PAS meeting at the Terengganu palace, though Nik Aziz stated that he was ambushed by UMNO. Indeed it was only Pak Haji Niz Aziz who put a stop to Pak Haji Hadi Awang and his deputy president Nasharuddin's keenness to take up UMNO's appeal for ethnic unity, before the Pakatan ship wrecked itself on hidden rocks by the lure of the siren song.
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| Hindraf to lend its strength to ABU Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:22 AM PST ____________________________________ Recent developments seem to point in the direction of a hardening of UMNO's political attitude. This is what we get reading what PM Najib has been saying and reading between the lines of what he has been saying. He is creating a false feel good factor by handing out goodies to his target constituencies, the rural Malays, the urban poor and the civil servants as seen by his various pronouncements in the budget, the various handout schemes and various other subsidy maintenance programs. He has been talking a hard brand of racist talk to his core constituency. He has been mingling with organizations acknowledged to have questionable credentials. For the large segment of educated young and the middle class voters he is creating an illusion of liberalization and moderation when in fact the recent changes and additions to our laws – the amendments to the Employment Act, the new Freedom of Assembly bill are in reality detrimental to the people. Even as he is gearing up for the polls with all of this, he is also gearing up for more repression on the other hand in preparation for the unpopular and postponed actions post-election. It is clear what the future holds if left unattended.
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| Does The Star have something to hide about sales? Posted: 11 Dec 2011 11:35 PM PST ABC circulation report 2011 The omission is surprising because the Star has regularly filed its circulation figures in the past. Either it filed its figures too late for audit this time, or the figures were withheld.
Insider's surprising claim of 10,000 rise for Star More surprising was the claim by Malaysian Insider last week that the Star's sales had risen this year, by an extra 10,000 copies a day. The Insider did not state a source for this figure, but extensively quoted Wong Sai Wan, the Star's executive editor, talking about a newspaper "recovery" and linking this to "election anger" having dissipated. His remarks seemed to be more of a politically-correct feel-good statement for the current political climate than a rational assessment of the newspaper market. The Insider's astonishing claim: no source is given for the figure stated. The Star has been shedding sales since its 310,000 peak five years ago. Several facelifts of the paper over the years have obviously made no impact on sales. (And after having being prettied up, the paper reverts each time to amateurish and egrerious design frills by editors keen to follow teenage fads.) Market talk earlier this year had predicted another fall of 10,000 putting the circulation below 270,000 copies a day. The Insider's claim that the Star had increased sales flies in the face of market expectations. If Star sales have indeed risen this year against the steady falls of the past, the most likely explanation would be the Star's circulation-boosting competition to give away a Peugeot sports car and other prizes amounting to RM300,000. But that campaign began only last month, to run until January, and would not have had any impact on the first-half figures. UP: Kosmo, Sin Chew, China Press, Oriental Daily News Utusan Malaysia held steady for a second year. Berita Harian dropped 10,000 copies in sales last year but also held steady this year. Both papers picked up about 1,500 copies a day each — that's a miniscule increase of less than 1% — but the soaring Metro suffered a setback, slipping by 10,000 copies. Kosmo, however, continued rising, picking up 23,000 copies and the Chinese papers stayed up, led by Sin Chew. Its stablemate Guang Ming, however, continues its slow slide. Downhill for NST The NST seems headed for oblivion, overtaken by China Press and just barely ahead of Guang Ming because of bulk sales (e.g. to schools, government departments and hotels). Overall sales dropped to 98,920 this year, of which full-rate sales amounted to 67,854 copies. The Guang Ming's full-rate sales are 20,000 copies more than the NST's. That's how far the mighty have fallen. Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/sliding-star-missing-from-abc-audit/
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The federal government's draft new law on computing is such an amorphous blob, trying to cover all the bases, that attacks have come from all sides, the latest critic being a politician formerly an IT entrepreneur who sees the law as another weapon against free speech. 
If the aim was to deal with cyber security, the government should have ensured that the law was drafted narrowly — by government, not industry — and sets out a proper security regime; to state specifically which areas it wishes to declare as security areas, and how industry and citizens may respond; set out clearly who may declare security areas or decide who is allowed entry; state their powers, and how the citizen or industry worker can obtain redress.
But the 2011 ABC report shows a blank for the Star 
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