Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Pakatan aims for Negri, eyes PKR MP as MB
- Mixed signals
- Umno candidates must feel people’s pulse
- Taib’s ‘clever’ daughter sits on 80 companies
- Truce bid fails and DAP war worsens
- Pengucapan bebal disana sini
- Utusan mocks Nik Aziz over his age
- No need for new proselytisation laws, says Jamil
- Hadi reprimands Selangor PAS
- Dr M: Continue support for BN
- Hudud & MCA's Lost in Transition
- The day Europe lost patience with Britain
- The hags and their bags
- BR1M; cutting our own flesh to feed ourselves
- Why 'Anything But Umno/BN' (ABU)
- Of Traitors And The Great Siege On Islam
- DAP’s Ramasamy unrepentant about 'godfather' remark
- Ramasamy says ready to leave DAP
- Utusan: PAS just a wing of DAP, selling out Islam
- PAS drops Hasan Ali, Nasharudin from upcoming polls, says Utusan
- DAP's Karpal Singh lashes out at Ramasamy
- When will Malaysia be like Singapore?
| Pakatan aims for Negri, eyes PKR MP as MB Posted: 11 Dec 2011 09:50 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is ramping up efforts to wrest Negri Sembilan from Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election, with its leaders saying the pact has identified Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas as frontrunner for the mentri besar post. The Malaysian Insider understands that the PKR lawmaker has been singled out as one of the potential candidates to assume the top state post should PR topple the BN state government. "He is a senior state leader, a veteran politician with years of experience. He is one of the frontrunners for the MB post should PR take over. It's not guaranteed, but he is among the few Pakatan is considering. "I don't think PKR would have a problem with that, and the other parties would have to discuss before accepting it, but as of right now, he is definitely the main candidate," a senior PR leader told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity. The PR leader said the pact's shortlisting of the Teluk Kemang MP to take up the MB post showed that it was "prepped" and ready to win over the BN state. "Negri Sembilan is in our sights, as we lost the state marginally in the last election. We're not saying it's a definite win, but we stand a good chance there," the source said. PR believes a marginal five per cent vote swing in four key seats in Negri Sembilan will be enough to topple the BN state government. State PR leaders told The Malaysian Insider back in June that a win in the Pilah, Kelawang, Lenggeng, and Linggi state seats where BN won by wafer-thin majorities in Election 2008 would secure the coalition a simple majority in the 36-member state legislative assembly. BN won Pilah by 1,258 votes, Kelawang (1,167), Lenggeng (1,285) and Linggi (1,575). BN won 52.6 per cent (178,048) of the state's popular votes, while PR won 47.4 per cent (160,504) back then. The ruling coalition currently controls the state government with 21 state assemblymen (Umno-19, MCA-1, MIC-1) while PR has 15 assemblymen (DAP-10, PKR-4, PAS-1). Should PR retain its current seats and win over four BN state seats, it would mean that PR would be able to control the state assembly with a 19-17 simple majority. But Kamarul refused to comment on the matter, saying that "nothing had been decided or finalised" yet. "I do not have a state seat, the matter does not arise," he told The Malaysian Insider. Kamarul said that PR would launch its state-level manifesto in Negri Sembilan next month, which would include the Buku Jingga policy framework as well as "localised issues." "Perhaps then you can get a better hint of PR's plans (for Negri Sembilan)," he added.
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| Posted: 11 Dec 2011 09:08 AM PST So what is it that these Muslims want? Do they want Islam or do they want to get rich? Islam is demonised. Muslim leaders like Nik Aziz are demonised. They scream that leaders like Nik Aziz are not compatible to development. Maybe Nik Aziz is a good Muslim but he does not know how to make the people rich. And at the end of the day getting rich is what matters. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin The first impression one gets about Islam is that Muslims like to show off. The piety of a Muslim is measured by the public demonstration he or she exudes. |
| Umno candidates must feel people’s pulse Posted: 11 Dec 2011 07:37 AM PST The party must pick on candidates who are outspoken and have a full grasp of issues afflicting the country and the world at large. It is no longer suffice to just resolve petty problems such as drainage in their constituencies; assemblymen and parliamentarians must be corrupt-free and to involve themselves in environment preservation as well as macro-economic issues such as reducing the escalating costs of living in their areas and pushing for affordable housing. Hawkeye, Free Malaysia Today Age should not be a main factor when Umno decides on its candidates for the next general election in Penang. What counts is the ability to perform and to struggle for the party, Penang Umno Youth head Shaik Mydin Hussein said. Although the popular theory out there is for young candidates to be given a chance to contest, Shaik Mydin said, there was also a need to assess the candidates and incumbents based on their performances, or in their ability to deliver if elected. This is crucial when the top leadership sits down to assess the performances of the incumbents and decide if they are suitable to stand for re-election, Shaik Mydin said in an interview here. In the 2008 general election, Penang Umno contested 15 state seats out of a total of 40 constituencies and five out of the 11 parliamentary seats. It won 11 state and two parliamentary seats, paving the way for the party to be the sole opposition front in Penang. There seems to be a race among the political parties to field fresh and young candidates in the nation's 13th general election, scheduled anytime from now until the parliamentary term expires in early 2013. This is bearing in mind that the country is relatively young, thanks to a baby booming generation, where about 70 percent of the estimated 27-million population are believed to be aged 40 and below. Penang is said to be among the states with a huge headache for Umno president Najib Tun Razak since many of its 11 incumbents have already served between three and four terms. The only exception is the state Umno liaison committee chairman Zainal Abidin Osman, who is said to be the main figure to lead Barisan Nasional's (BN) charge here in view of the fact that Gerakan and MCA as well as MIC are struggling to cope with the rise of DAP and PKR. There is also speculation that former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may also make way as the long-serving Kepala Batas MP here. Voters want more from reps Shaik Mydin urged incumbents to opt out if they can no longer perform their duties effectively. The challenge nowadays is that majority of the public want morally upright, resourceful and pro-active representatives. It is no longer suffice to just resolve petty problems such as drainage in their constituencies; assemblymen and parliamentarians must be corrupt-free and to involve themselves in environment preservation as well as macro-economic issues such as reducing the escalating costs of living in their areas and pushing for affordable housing.
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| Taib’s ‘clever’ daughter sits on 80 companies Posted: 11 Dec 2011 07:34 AM PST Taib Mahmud and his family own shares and directorship in 330 companies in Sarawak. Acknowledging the huge wealth of his children and his siblings, he came up with the explanation that each and every one of them is exceptionally clever and that they had gone "outside the country" to earn their money, so he could avoid "being hounded" over "using my influence to enrich myself". Clare Rewcastle Brown, Free Malaysia Today Last week, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) published some truly astonishing research.The fund, which works to defend Sarawak's rainforest and its peoples from devastation and criminal exploitation, has been examining the company ownership of the family of the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Earlier this year, Taib went on record claiming that his hugely wealthy family does not do business in Sarawak because he wants to avoid accusations of corruption and conflict of interest. Acknowledging the huge wealth of his children and his siblings, he came up with the explanation that each and every one of them is exceptionally clever and that they had gone "outside the country" to earn their money, so he could avoid "being hounded" over "using my influence to enrich myself". The BMF research, which is based on official company records in Malaysia and abroad, demonstrates that these claims of the chief minister are simply untrue. In fact, they amount to the most enormous lie. The chief minister and his family, it turns out, have stakes in over 330 companies in Sarawak, acting as directors in many of them. These stakes are worth huge amounts of money. The share value of the Taib family alone in just 14 of these Sarawak-based companies amounts to RM4.6 billion. This sum is clearly just a fraction of the families overall wealth, since it does not include the vast property assets abroad, the rest of the Malaysian assets and their 80 or so other companies worldwide. Even as this information was released in Malaysia, the Taibs were facing separate questions in Canada. Canada's Global TV's 16 X 9 programme produced a major exposé last weekend on Taib's daughter Jamilah Taib Murray's businesses in Ottawa and questioned whether they had benefited from the money made out of Sarawak. Jamilah and her husband Sean (who acts as manager for numerous Taib family businesses) brought in lawyers to claim this was not so. They did admit that Jamilah's businesses (including the property company Sakto) were started with money given by Taib. They also acknowledged that Taib's brother Onn was an original director in the company alongside Jamilah and Abu Bekir, when they were mere students. However, Jamilah intriguingly claimed that her business in Canada does not invest in any of the wealth she makes back in Sarawak. In fact, she explained that her role in Sarawak is merely that of a "passive investor". 'Passive investor' What are we to make of this extraordinary statement, that contradicts her own father's description of the situation? Taib painted a picture of his clever children who had actively made themselves rich through their "entrepreneurship". He even promoted a recorded interview with himself, entitled "Jamilah is rich because she is good" So what does her lawyer mean by passive investor? Her father said that she is a thrusting and active businesswoman. But, could the truth be that Jamilah is just the investor in name and that she is holding those shares as a proxy for her father? What is certain is that we are talking about a very serious investment indeed. The BMF research showed that Jamilah alone has stakes in well over 80 companies based in Sarawak. She is a director of many of them. Indeed, along with her sister Hanifah (who equally owns a mass of companies and shares), Jamilah owns the largest stake in Sarawak's biggest company CMS. Given that CMS and all of Jamilah's companies have benefited overwhelmingly from the contracts and permits from Taib, could Jamilah's "passive ownership" in fact mean that she is merely a name on a piece of paper to disguise her father's "exploitation of his influence to enrich himself"?
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| Truce bid fails and DAP war worsens Posted: 11 Dec 2011 07:28 AM PST (The Star) - Attempts to broker a truce between DAP chairman Karpal Singh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy have broken down with both sides openly attacking each other now. Both factions traded insults while some 150 supporters of Dr Ramasamy demonstrated against Karpal, calling him a "pensioner" while the former stood by his "godfather" remark. Karpal retaliated immediately, warning Dr Ramasamy to behave and snubbed him by asking aloud "who is Ramasamy?" The quarrel between the duo at the annual Penang DAP convention held at a hotel here yesterday shocked DAP leaders in attendance as many had presumed that the issue would be handled delicately, especially after DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang's 11th hour intervention on Saturday to strike a compromise. His efforts came to nothing when one group went ahead to stage a protest outside the venue while Karpal lambasted Dr Ramasamy in his address. On the sidelines, Dr Ramasamy was unrepentant when asked whether he would withdraw his "godfather" remark which was first reported in a Tamil newspaper. "I do not understand the meaning of that word (apologise). I am not intimidated," he said. In his speech later, he sounded conciliatory by stating that he was willing to leave the DAP: "I will go home to Sitiawan (Perak) to (regroup)." He said that he would do so as his pride was at stake. Opening the convention earlier, Karpal demanded that Dr Ramasamy retract his "godfather" remark and apologise. "Who built DAP?" the Bukit Gelugor MP drummed across the hall. "It is the veterans who built the party and we should not forget their sacrifices. The party would not be around without their sacrifices. I do not mince my words." Karpal said Dr Ramasamy "cannot just join DAP and impose things his own way." No one can be a warlord in DAP, Karpal stressed. At one juncture, Karpal was disrupted by a war of words among members who had to be calmed down. The uproar affected the convention as 10 out of the 13 speakers addressed the flare-up between the duo. At the end, Dr Ramasamy walked over to the wheelchair-bound Karpal to shake his hands but the latter was seen turning away his face.
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| Posted: 11 Dec 2011 06:22 AM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 Dalam dua minggi ini, saya ingat saya sudah mendengar semua kenyataan tolol dan bebal dalam negara kita. Rupa2 nya saya salah. Tiba2 senator Ezam Mohd Nor mengeluarkan suatu kenyataan yang mengatasi kebebalan kenyataan2 yang sudah2. Mula saya ingat Muhyidin Yasin sudah tebiat bila menakutkan orang Melayu mengenai ancaman keatas Melayu oleh bangsa lain. Setelah itu, ketua penerangan UMNO mengukuhkan lagi rasa cemas pemimpin parti yang kian tenat bila menyatakan pandangan bebal yang sama. Jika DAP dan orang Cina memerintah negara habis lah orang Melayu, habis lah Islam dan habislah Raja2 Melayu. Sana sini orang bercakap- adakah pemimpin UMNO sudah jadi bingung? DAP yang Islam yang sudah sempurna berada dalam ancaman? Hello- yang terancam dan berada dalam keadaan yang teruk, ialah orang Muslim dan majority Muslim dalam negara kita ialah orang Melayu. Keadaan mereka terjadi demikian disebabkan system pemerintahan dan cara orang UMNO berpolitik. Orang Cina yang berjumlah lebih kecil mahu menjatuhkan orang Melayu yang merupakan 65% penduduk negara ini? Tauke Cina kalau dapat, hendak lagi baik dengan raja2 Melayu sebab melalui sistem raja, mereka dapat menguasai lebih banyak bisnes dan pengaruh. Sebab itu, saya menganggap bila dua pemimpin UMNO dari Johor ini mengeluarkan kenyataan bebal tersebut, UMNO sudah cemas dan kebingungan. Tapi, bila Ezam Mohd Noor yang mendakwa DAP akan menjadikan Malaysia sebuah Singapura, saya rasa trademark UMNO dan orang2 yang menyokong nya, ialah mereka semua sudah buang tebiat. Mengikut hemat orang Melayu, orang yang buang tebiat, ialah orang yang hampir mati. Demikian agaknya, yang terjadi keatas UMNO sekarang. Elok rasa nya kita jawab kenyataan senator Ezam. Apa salah nya- jika Malaysia jadi kaya dan kekayaan tersebut di nikmati oleh semua berbanding pada masa sekarang kekayaan dan nikmat ekonomi di monopoli oleh segelintir orang tertentu? Apa salah nya, negara kita menjadi negara macam Singapura di mana perkhidmatan awam nya kelas pertama? Dan apa salah nya negara kita jadi macam Singapura yang mengenakan disiplin yang ketat keatas rasuah?
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| Utusan mocks Nik Aziz over his age Posted: 11 Dec 2011 06:11 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia today mocked and poked fun at PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat for wanting to contest in the next general elections, despite turning 80 this year. "Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who is elderly, still wants to contest in the 13th General Elections. Unbelievable but that's the reality. "The decision has been made. He has been a representative for more than 40 years, what more does he want? "Once upon a time, Nik Aziz mocked a few Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders as power crazy. Looks like he is worse than that," wrote its editors, under the pseudonym "Awang Selamat". Some of BN's long-serving leaders include Sarawak Chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who has been part of the state administration since it joined Malaysia in 1963, and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is Malaysia's longest-serving MP after being elected in 1969. Nik Aziz, who became Kelantan MB in 1990, was first elected as Kelantan Hilir MP in 1967 but no longer sits in Parliament. "Awang does not mind if the Tok Guru is still healthy. Go ahead. But he should admit that physically he is getting weaker, his mind is not as sharp as it once was, his hearing and speech are also not as good. "Rumour has it that even giving speeches is a chore because of his old age," said Awang in his column published in the paper's Sunday edition Mingguan Malaysia. Nik Aziz announced on December 5 his intention to contest in the coming general election. Rejecting Umno pressure for him to relinquish his spot, he said there was no need for him to do so. The 80-year-old leader continues to be popular both in the state and nationally, where he is often considered the face of the Islamist party and its brand of Islam. The Malay-language newspaper also said that ever since Nik Aziz held the post of the Kelantan Mentri Besar from 1990, there hasn't been much accomplishment or progress in the state.
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| No need for new proselytisation laws, says Jamil Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:51 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Existing laws are adequate to address a claimed rise in the proselytisation of Muslims, said Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom today, adding that failure to enforce such laws was what needed redress. The minister in charge of Islamic affairs was responding to newspaper reports alleging that attempts to convert Muslims were increasing in the country. According to Jamil, enforcement of the Enactment on the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religion to Muslims has been scant despite its introduction in the 1980s. The enactment, effective in ten states, was responsible for the recent Home Ministry ban on the Al-Kitab Malay-language bibles last year. The ban was lifted in April this year, ahead of the Sarawak state election. "In this matter, what is crucial is to brief officers on the enactment so that the law can be enforced," Jamil was quoted by Bernama Online today. Claims related to incidences of proselytism towards Muslims have increased of late, following a controversial raid by Selangor's Islamic Religious Department (Jais) on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in August over allegations of proselytism. Proselytisation of Muslims is illegal in Malaysia.
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| Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:39 AM PST (Bernama) - PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has reprimanded the Selangor PAS leadership for speculating on the candidacy of Datuk Dr Hasan Ali in the coming general election. He said the party had yet to finalise its list of candidates as "we don't know when the general election will be called". "Not true (that Hasan would be dropped), as we haven't even looked at the list of candidates," he told reporters after launching a 10-point document titled, 'PAS offers a nation of care and opportunity', at the PKNS Complex near here today. Abdul Hadi was commenting on a news report that quoted unnamed sources as saying that Selangor executive councillor Hasan would be "removed" by Selangor PAS (as a candidate for the coming election), with blessings from the PAS central committee. The report follows Selangor PAS information chief Shaari Sungib's remarks, published in several blogs, that it was highly likely Hasan would be dropped as candidate. Meanwhile, Selangor PAS Commissioner Dr Abdul Rani Osman, when contacted by Bernama, said Shaari should not speculate on Hasan's candidacy as it might jeopardise the chances of other potential candidates. |
| Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:38 AM PST (Bernama) - The people should continue supporting the Barisan Nasional (BN) government as it has proven itself capable of fulfilling the needs of the people, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today. He said since after the country's independence, the BN goverment had struggled for the people's well-being regardless of race. "Why should we change the government for another party? There are people who ask for the government to be changed, accusing the BN of being evil, thieves, robbers, corrupted and so on, but the other parties have not been tested like we (BN) have. "There is an English saying which means that we should not repair something which is already in a good state because a worse thing can happen. "It's the same with support for BN....its balanced policies for all races are seen as good. "Hence, there is no need to change the current government to one whose ability to take care of the people's welfare is highly suspect," said Dr Mahathir at a talk event between the Ampang Umno division and the former premier at Dewan Datuk Setia Mufti Suib in Ampang, near here, today. Later when asked by reporters on the government's proposal to amend the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1974, Dr Mahathir said the Act was created in the interest of Malay undergraduates. "At that time, there were many more Malay undergraduates actively involved in politics than those from the other races. Hence, the Act was implemented to ensure that they (Malay students) fully focus on their studies to succeed in education. "There were not that many highly educated Malays at the time and if the Malay students were preoccupied with politics, when would they be able to study? "I was also active in politics when I was young but left it for almost six years to concentrate on my (medical) studies," he said. On Nov 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced in the Dewan Rakyat that the government would be amending the UUCA to allow undergraduates to be members of political parties.
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| Hudud & MCA's Lost in Transition Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:18 AM PST Khoo Kay Peng MCA President Chua Soi Lek has challenged Dap's Lim Guan Eng to debate on Hudud. The Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement has warned MCA president Chua Soi Lek against challenging DAP secretary-general. MCA's insistence to hype up the issue of Hudud has indicated that the party has very limited option and political arsenal to use against it's nemesis. This is not a very positive sign for the party. Under the leadership of Chua, the party has achieved internal stability but the same cannot be said of the party's political fortune. By harping on the Hudud issue, MCA risks not only continuous alienation from the Chinese voters but also backlash from Muslim leaders and groups such as Abim, Perkasa and some crucial conservative Muslim-Malay voters. Instead of scaring Chinese voters away from supporting the very dominant Dap, the party might find the double edged sword cutting deep on it's side.
MCA's lack of strategy is symptomatic of a lack of political ideas and depth within the party's leadership. Chua may be a respected leader within his party but his leadership has very little to show in it's ability to attract young talents into his party.
A party insider lamented that the party is recycling old leaders who are way past their political relevance in states such as Perak, Penang and Selangor/Klang Valley. He said that leaders who were not made candidates in the last elections are now back in favour due to lack of choice and willing candidates.
Such perception does not augur well for the party. Without seriously addressing issues that are important to the voters, there is little hope for MCA's revival and eventual electoral triumph. MCA's internal stability should not be misconstrued as the revival of the party's support base among the voters especially in urban constituencies.
MCA must find it's strength through the right political positioning. It's main weakness and severest criticism has been it's inability to punch beyond it's weight within the Barisan Nasional government. The party has very little influence over policy making.
MCA cannot and should not seek solace in Hudud or Dap's cosy relationship with Pas in Pakatan. Dap had severed it's relationship with Pas post 1999 general elections when the Hudud issue was effectively capitalized by MCA and Gerakan to scare away Chinese voters from supporting the party.
It is unlikely going to work again in the 2012 general elections.
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| The day Europe lost patience with Britain Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:11 AM PST "Cameron made a serious miscalculation. He genuinely thought he could get something back in return and underestimated the willingness of the euro zone to move on. That's our view. This deal has probably saved the euro, but all this will now have serious repercussions on the relationship between Britain and the EU." Reuters It was billed as a summit to save the euro. It may be remembered as the day Europe lost patience with Britain, as most of the continent threw its lot in with EU founding members France and Germany and committed to binding their economies ever more tightly. There was plenty of talk of history in the making in the week before the Dec 8/9 gathering of European Union leaders - the eighth this year. But it was all about the currency and whether it would survive the strains of a debt crisis that over the past two years has engulfed Greece, spread to Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy and now threatens France and even mighty Germany. As the summit began, there was no hint of the drama that was to come in the early hours of Friday, the moment when Europe split, 26 against one, after about 10 hours of talks. Britain has always had an uneasy relationship with its EU partners, choosing not to join the single currency or sign the open borders Schengen treaty and often kicking against what it sees as Brussels "interference". But this was a low point. The first time in 39 years that a British prime minister had used a veto to block an EU agreement. David Cameron cast it is a bold and necessary decision to protect British interests. Most of the rest of Europe appeared to regard it as reckless and went a different way. Hours later, when the leaders briefly reconvened to finish their discussions, Cameron cut a lonely figure. French President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to avoid an extended hand as Cameron walked to his seat. The build up to this last summit of the year had been much like the previous seven. The language had been recognisable too, even if market pressures had added an unprecedented degree of urgency to glacial EU decision making. Overnight borrowing from the European Central Bank hit its highest level since March at the start of December, showing the degree of tension amongst banks. PROFOUND CONCERN U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner had spent several days in Europe before the summit. The United States, like all of Europe's trade partners, had been watching the accelerating debt crisis with profound concern, worried for their own economies and banks. In meetings with the head of the ECB, Mario Draghi, and euro zone finance ministers the conversation was all about the two-year-old debt crisis and how to resolve it. The issues: the role of the ECB, how far should or would it stand behind countries to buy them breathing space, the scale of the euro zone's rescue fund, the part to be played by the IMF, and should the EU let private bondholders off the hook. Geithner spent time in Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Marseille and Milan. London didn't figure on his itinerary. During the same week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Sarkozy spoke frequently and met in person. There were contacts with Spain's incoming Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Draghi was closely involved in discussions at all stages, insiders say. Once more, Cameron was peripheral. Immediately before the summit, the U.S. assessment of Europe's progress was, in broad terms, they know what they need to do but they need to work out how they're going to do it. As one U.S. official put it, fixing the flaws of the 13-year-old single currency - a monetary union without coordinated budget policy - could not happen overnight. But the Europeans were moving closer to addressing the problem at its root. That assessment captured well the mood in the hours heading into the latest in a long line of "crunch" summits. Germany - Europe's biggest economy - was intent on changing the European Union's treaty to enshrine stricter budget discipline and penalties for countries that failed to adhere to them, to ensure there could be no repeat of the current crisis. From the German perspective, only by reforming economies, cutting social benefits and working longer would the indebted members of the euro zone and the single currency project itself emerge from the turmoil. Printing money would buy only a temporary respite and would remove the incentive to reform. France was ready to back Germany in a push for full-blown treaty change, but really favoured the idea of an intergovernmental treaty - akin to a sideline agreement - among the 17 euro zone members, anchoring the single currency and its members at the heart of a new Europe. NATIVITY PLAY Britain's prime minister, under pressure from a sizeable anti-EU element in his own party, set off for the Brussels meeting straight from his son's school nativity play, having promised during a particularly raucous session of parliament the previous day that he would defend Britain's interests at the summit. With hindsight, the choreography on the evening of Thursday, Dec 8 probably should have been clear to Cameron and everyone else. Speaking a few hours before the summit began, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso issued this challenge to Europe's leaders: "What I expect from all heads of governments is that they don't come saying what they cannot do but what they will do for Europe." Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs euro zone finance ministers' meetings, was the first to arrive at the Brussels venue. Juncker said he preferred to see unanimity on treaty change among the 27, but if that wasn't possible, the 17 members of the euro zone would have to go it alone. "Their relationship is more intimate than between the 27." When Cameron arrived in Brussels on Thursday it was after 6 p.m.. His first meeting was with Italy's new Prime Minister Mario Monti, an unelected "technocrat" charged with getting Italy's finances in order. Europe's fourth biggest economy has a debt to GDP ratio of 120 percent after years of stagnation under Silvio Berlusconi. The meeting was brief and was followed by 45 minutes of talks with Merkel and Sarkozy. Cameron was accompanied at that meeting by Foreign Secretary William Hague and Jon Cunliffe, the prime minister's most senior EU adviser, the architect of the rules that helped keep Britain out of the euro and Britain's next ambassador to the EU. One official who saw the three leaders emerge said they were "visibly tense". BRITAIN'S ISOLATION Then came dinner and the start of the meeting that was to end in Britain's isolation. Sources involved described how events unfolded. The intention was to get the 27 leaders to agree on what they wanted for a stronger euro zone first, and then work out how to achieve it, officials said. It was disagreement over the means, not the objective, that led to the break down. An official present at the negotiations said Cameron had begun by saying that he understood there was a desire for treaty change, and that he wanted it too, but if Britain were to give its backing, it needed something in return. "His reasoning appeared to be: 'you want treaty change, I want treaty change', 'I need something because you are asking for something'," the official said, describing it as logic that wasn't going to fly. At that point, the British prime minister set out two concessions he wanted in exchange for Britain's support on treaty change. "One was a safeguard on the internal market ... but that was not the problem," the official said. "Then he launched the idea on financial services." Financial services account for about 10 percent of Britain's economy and the government has been at pains to shield the sector from regulation emanating in Brussels. Britain had shared the outlines of its thinking with some of its partners, officials said, but it hadn't circulated anything approaching a document sufficiently detailed to form the basis of discussion. For that reason, the demands were news to many of the people around the table. But it wasn't just the way Cameron went about it, it was the substance of the demands. He was effectively asking for a softening of regulation on Britain's financial sector at a time when many voters and politicians believe banks are largely to blame for the crisis Europe is suffering and want tighter regulation on the sector. DEAD FROM THE START "Politically speaking, when the banks are considered the enemy and the root of all the problems we have today, Cameron's arguments were the wrong arguments at the wrong time for the wrong people," the official said. "Politically, he was dead from the start." At that point old enmities came into play, rooted in a widely-held French view that Britain never really belonged in the European Union in the first place. "The French were using all this as a really perfect alibi to get rid of the British. Sarkozy used the proposals of the British to justify an intergovernmental treaty," the official said, explaining that intentionally or otherwise, Cameron had played straight into Sarkozy's hands. It may have appeared things couldn't get worse for the British prime minister, a relative novice on the EU stage. "It took 10 or 20 minutes to see that most of the participants were not pleased at all with the idea of Britain getting an opt out or exceptional treatment for their financial services and it didn't fly at all. There was no understanding for it. David Cameron obtained nothing. Just nothing." "We understand his domestic political situation. He is a prisoner of domestic constraints." Another official present at the talks recalled the moment, in the early hours of Friday, when European Union President Herman Van Rompuy, who chaired the meeting, proposed moving forward with an intergovernmental agreement of the 17 euro zone nations, with an open invitation for other countries to join. "France said yes, immediately followed by Germany and then one by one, in a matter of seconds the member states of the euro zone backed the Franco-German call. Within a few minutes, the non-euro zone member states decided they wanted to be in and left Cameron completely isolated. The swing was very, very quick. Everybody was on board in a matter of minutes. I think it was obvious inside the room that Cameron was shocked by the swiftness with which his allies left him alone." "Cameron made a serious miscalculation. He genuinely thought he could get something back in return and underestimated the willingness of the euro zone to move on. That's our view. This deal has probably saved the euro, but all this will now have serious repercussions on the relationship between Britain and the EU."
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| Posted: 11 Dec 2011 04:36 AM PST
A red crocodile Hermès Birkin handbag has just set the world record for being the most expensive bag ever to be sold at a public auction, after it sold for an eye watering US$203,150. Everybody knows that Birkin bags, the iconic handbags made by family business Hermès, are expensive. But the one that sold last week in Dallas was outrageously priced, even by normal standards. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Hermès Birkin bag sells for over €150,000 ********************************** (Picture: Rosmah Mansor and Shahrizat Abdul Jalil: The Star, 11 December 2011) Hermes Birkin Bag Sold For US$203,150 At Auction ***************************************
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| BR1M; cutting our own flesh to feed ourselves Posted: 11 Dec 2011 12:20 AM PST The difference between Pakatan schemes and BN schemes is that Pakatan funded their schemes from budget surpluses while BN continue to accumulate massive budget deficits and national debts - drawing out from EPF, banks and insurance companies as well as issuing international bonds. By Lee Wee Tak BN administration latest flagship gadget to retain power, which is estimated to cost tax payers RM2.6 billion for 2.5 million applicants, will do the country more harm than good for the country.  Instead of worshipping this as a blessing from demi-god, first and foremost, it looks like an one-off election gadget, a customary by-election sweetener ("remember Najib's 'you-help-me-I-help-you' classic in Sibu?); only on a wider scale. In fact, the PA of Koh Tsu Koon, a minister in the prime minister department, informed one of the local Chinese dailys that only offcials from Barisan Nasional can certify applications of this BR1M forms. Any forms carrying a Pakatan representative signature will be rejected   Read more at: http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/12/bn-administration-latest-flagship.html |
| Why 'Anything But Umno/BN' (ABU) Posted: 11 Dec 2011 12:16 AM PST We are seeing a government that is more concerned with its party survival than working towards a better nation and serving all Malaysians. By Richard Loh Twitter is a platform open to anything and everything (for now). You can be funny, angry, hates, loves, polite, vicious, evil intention, preaching, prolific own business, spread lies, personal thoughts, political sparring, disruption from cybertroopers and that summarised it all as the good, the bad and the ugly of twitting. Read more at: http://ousel.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-anything-but-umnobn-abu-my-view.html |
| Of Traitors And The Great Siege On Islam Posted: 11 Dec 2011 12:11 AM PST JAKIM would have us believe that standing up for non-Muslim causes is an act of betrayal to Islam. I suppose fighting corruption, asking for fair and just elections, and pursuing equality for all are 'non-Muslim" causes. By Mohd Ikhram Merican There is an assault on Islam, the religion. Surely and steadily, this siege is weakening the very foundations of its community. No more is Islam recognized for the enlightenment it brought to the Middle East and the world. The likes of al-Khwarizmi, Omar Khayyam, Ibnu Sina, Jalaluddin Rumi, and al-Farabi have been relegated to the dark recesses of history, while the likes of Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban flourish in the minds of the general population. The world views Islam as a religion of intolerance, incapable of adapting, breeding paranoid zealots who are in a state of perpetual fear. Fear that "infidels" are plotting and planning the destruction of Islam. In Malaysia, we have UMNO and JAKIM to perpetuate this fear indefinitely. Yes, there is an assault on Islam. The only problem is that the perpetrators are Muslims clothed in sheep's fur, cleverly concealing their wolf skin. Islam has no greater enemy than this pack of wolves within, claiming to be defenders of the religion. They howl and they bark, agitating and stirring, every day finding new ways to use Islam in their own interest. In our country, the attack on Islam is not coming from the non-Muslim opposition. It is coming from within the Muslim community. JAKIM would have us believe that standing up for non-Muslim causes is an act of betrayal to Islam. I suppose fighting corruption, asking for fair and just elections, and pursuing equality for all are 'non-Muslim" causes. It is common knowledge that corruption runs rampant in our largely Muslim civil service. Stories of politicians taking "cuts" on national projects riddle everyday conversation in Malaysia. Why doesn't this irk our Muslim clerics? The cost of corruption to us, the taxpayer (Muslims included) is immense. It stifles growth, innovation, and business. It raises the cost of doing business. It increases our national budget. It is weakening our defense. This is a matter of national security. Yet, we are made to believe that the threat is our non-Muslim brothers, fellow citizens of Malaysia with an equal vested interest in the development of this nation. My non-Muslim Chinese and Indian friends love this country. They are not scheming and conspiring to attack Islam. They're busy with their jobs. They're busy worrying about the economy. They're busy worrying about the education of their children. Attacking Islam does not fit into the agenda of the average non-Muslim living in Malaysia. But the upper echelons of our government would like us to believe that Muslim's who support "Non-Muslim" causes a.k.a causes not aligned to the expediency of the elite few, are traitors. Traitors are people who botch our national security with defense systems that do not work. Traitors are people who suck on our national coffers like vampires suck blood. Traitors are people who rape, pillage, and abuse the folk that they govern. Traitors are Muslims using religion, devoid of love for the god they profess faith in, for self-fulfilling interests. Traitors are Muslims who use fear like the Sword of Damocles, to keep the rest of us scared. Why should anyone have any respect for Muslims when Muslim leaders and organizations act like little children? They are unable to engage in intellectual discourse. Their conclusions are arbitrary and not necessarily in the spirit of Islam. They are incapable of maturity. They get angry and call for heads to roll every time they are offended. Everyone outside of Islam is the enemy. It has become a standard operating procedure; when in trouble, blame it on the non-Muslims. This is the way of an illiterate, uncouth rabble. In no way does it represent the sophisticated religion that took the Arabs from the dark ages to enlightenment. Should we direct our wrath at our non-Muslim brothers for the siege on Islam? Or should we train all our firepower on the intellectually bankrupt clergy and Muslim leadership? Perhaps we have no one but ourselves to blame. Plato wisely said, "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." This could be the crisis for us Muslims. |
| DAP’s Ramasamy unrepentant about 'godfather' remark Posted: 10 Dec 2011 04:58 PM PST (The Star) - Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy remains unrepentant for calling DAP chairman Karpal Singh "godfather" of the party. When asked if he would apologise to Karpal, Dr Ramasamy said "I don't understand the meaning of that word (apologise)". He was also asked what his next course of action would be, he said he had yet to decide on the matter. "For now I will take things as they are. I am not affected and I will not be intimidated by anything. "I have my own way of dealing with things like these," he told reporters after the lunch break at the convention on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Kuala Juru DAP branch chairman has lodged a complaint against Dr Ramasamy over his "godfather" statement to the party's disciplinary committee. Karpal Singh said the branch chairman, Tan Ah Huat, lodged the complaint on Dec 8. "We'll let the (disciplinary) committee handle the complaint," he said in a press conference at the party's state convention at a hotel here on Sunday. Referring to the protest by some 150 people in support of Dr Ramasamy before the convention started, Karpal said it was unfortunate that it had happened. "Dr Ramasamy has to apologise. DAP can take action against its members, however high (their position)." He added that if Dr Ramasamy claimed to have been misquoted in an Indian daily, then he should have asked for a correction. "If it's not corrected, then what he said, stands," he said in reference to a news report where Dr Ramasamy named several candidates for the next general election.
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| Ramasamy says ready to leave DAP Posted: 10 Dec 2011 04:55 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy declared today he was prepared to leave DAP after being referred to the party's disciplinary committee over his public spat with chairman Karpal Singh. "If I have to leave party, I will leave party. I'm not after positions and I'm not interested in those kinds of things," the Penang DAP deputy chief said in his speech at the state chapter's conference today. Karpal also earlier announced the party had received a complaint against Ramasamy from a local leader — Kampung Juru division chief Tan Ah Huat — over the row, which began when the Batu Kawan MP said he would defend his federal and state seats in the general elections. "If someone does not conform to DAP practices, the party can take action against anyone, no matter how high (the position). It is as simple as that," the Bukit Gelugor MP told reporters when asked what action the party would take against Ramasamy if the latter fails to retract his "godfather" remark and apologise to Karpal. But Ramasamy, who is also Prai assemblyman, said "I don't understand the meaning of that word" when asked if he would apologise to Karpal. A group of nearly 200 threw their support behind Ramasamy this morning following the recent row between the two leaders. As Karpal arrived at the convention venue at about 9am this morning, the group shouted "we want Ramasamy" and "pension-lah" at the Bukit Gelugor MP.
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| Utusan: PAS just a wing of DAP, selling out Islam Posted: 10 Dec 2011 04:53 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno's Utusan Malaysia continued to attack PAS today, calling it a wing of DAP for bowing to political pressure from its allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "I am disappointed because never before in history has PAS been seen as such a coward. Islamic principles and integrity have been pawned. The party will not change because it is like a wing of DAP. "Islamic society has long been disappointed and has sent a clear message to PAS, although it has been ignored," wrote Awang Selamat, a pseudonym for the newspaper's editors. The Malay-language daily pointed out that although the party has been fighting to implement hudud laws, it has since come out to say that it will not include the controversial Islamic laws in the PR manifesto for the 13th General Elections. "If they are afraid to include the issue in the manifesto, they might as well cover their faces with a paper bag. The party is an embarrassment to its members and supporters," Awang said in his column published in the paper's Sunday edition Mingguan Malaysia. The newspaper also said that while pandering to DAP, PAS has become the victim, referring to DAP's plan to field its own Malay candidates in Malay-majority areas. "In other words, DAP does not respect PAS and more than that, does not believe in PAS' ability to attract Malay majority votes. PAS' strategy will backfire," said Awang. He also claimed that because of pressure from its allies, PKR and DAP, PAS dropped the fight for an Islamic country, replacing it with its Negara Berkebajikan (Benevolent State) policy.
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| PAS drops Hasan Ali, Nasharudin from upcoming polls, says Utusan Posted: 10 Dec 2011 04:51 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Dr Hasan Ali and Nasharudin Mat Isa have been dropped as PAS candidates for the coming general elections, Utusan Malaysia reported today. Quoting unnamed sources, the Umno-owned newspaper said Selangor executive councillor Hasan will be "removed" by Selangor PAS, with blessings from the PAS central committee. "Mingguan Malaysia understands that the PAS central committee has also dropped a few other PAS leaders who are not well-liked by the pro Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim group, otherwise known as Erdogan, and among them is former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa. "The decision to drop Hasan ... has been heatedly discussed in local blogs such as MyKMU.net (an Umno supporters group), brojinggo.blogspot.com (current affairs) and darikakigunungjerai.blogspot.com," the Sunday edition of the newspaper, Mingguan Malaysia, reported. The decision comes on the heels of Selangor PAS information chief Shaari Sungib's remarks, published in several blogs, that it is highly likely Hasan will be dropped as a candidate. According to Mingguan Malaysia, Shaari had said that the former Selangor PAS chief did not garner enough nominations. But the Malay-language daily said dropping Hasan was because the Gombak Setia assemblyman has become a thorn in the side for Selangor PAS and the opposition alliance, especially DAP.
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| DAP's Karpal Singh lashes out at Ramasamy Posted: 10 Dec 2011 04:47 PM PST (The Star) - After keeping mum for days, DAP chairman Karpal lashed out at Deputy Chief Minister II Dr Ramasamy at the party's state convention on Sunday. In his speech, Karpal demanded that Dr Ramasany retract his statement for calling him a "godfather" and apologise for his action. "Who built DAP? It's the veterans who built the party and don't ever forget the sacrifices of the veteran leaders. "The party would not be around without the sacrifices of such leaders, and leaders of today won't be leaders without the veterans and I don't mince my words," he said. Karpal then went on to rap Dr Ramasamy further by saying that the latter "cannot just join the party and impose things his own way". "No one can be a warlord in DAP and Ramasamy has no business to be one and just name the candidates of his choice. "Who is he to do so?" asked Karpal. Karpal went on to admit that he had indeed called Dr Ramasamy a "warlord" and that he (Dr Ramasamy) had retaliated by calling him a "godfather". "He did refer to me as a godfather and he shouldn't lie," he added. "Top leaders are ones who have gone through wars and battles and you just can't come in and strut around," he said. Karpal also voiced his regret over the short protest that was going on below Pearl View hotel where the convention was taking place. "Who is Ramasany anyway?" asked Karpal. Dr Ramasamy's supporters had gathered outside Pearl View Hotel where the convention was taking place to show their anger at Sri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer for backing up Karpal last week and shouted in protest. Karpal also asked Dr Ramasamy to behave. "If he (Ramasamy) does not behave, then action will be taken against him," said Karpal. At this juncture, Karpal's speech was disrupted by a war of words amongst members who then had to be calmed down by the convention's facilitators. Karpal then continued his speech and stressed that Dr Ramasamy should apologise and withdraw his statement.
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| When will Malaysia be like Singapore? Posted: 10 Dec 2011 04:28 PM PST UMNO thinks it's clever to make Malays fearful of what would happen should the DAP ever come to power. But this strategy will not work. Why would the DAP discriminate against the Malays who comprise 65 per cent of voters? Datuk Zaid Ibrahim An UMNO Senator says that the DAP will take this country and turn it into Singapore. If the DAP can indeed do that, then I urge all Malaysians, including the Malays, to vote for the DAP. |
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