Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- An eventful year for Najib
- Bersih 2.0: It’s 50k, and a big success
- MILF-PRON Special Report for 2011: Malays under threat
- Vote opposition, says Zahid Hamidi
- Anwar plans 'innocence' tour as trial verdict nears
- Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster
- Adam Adli — student activist, villain, folk hero
- Harakah hits back at Hasan Ali
- Appeal Letter by PLKN Operator to the Prime Minister
- Ministry calls up editor on use of word Allah
- Nurul Izzah & Chegubard backstabbed by PKR insider!
- Merdeka sudah, tapi jiwa masih terjajah
- Eleven NGOs Lodge Police Reports On Free Anwar Campaign
- The ensuing Karpal-Ramasamy feud: A weaker DAP in GE13
- Government Removes Restriction on Recruitment of Foreign Workers
- Tiada kebebasan untuk fitnah
- Nurul Izzah nafi surat beracun
- Ibrahim Ali sees plot to disrupt Sodomy II verdict
- Perkasa: Rev Eu’s Article 153 remarks ‘politically motivated’
- Ex-judge Arifin Jaka dies
- Despite claims, Zaid says not rejoining PKR
- Perkasa lapor polis kempen bebas Anwar, paderi Eu
- The end may be near for Rama
- Ramasamy sends notice to Star
- Umno needs to ‘colonise’ S’wak for continuity
- Simpati Siti Mariah pada Shahrizat boleh kelirukan rakyat
- Battle to light political fire in students
- PAS leaders: Apologies won’t save Hasan
- Hasan denies report
- Umno scared of undergrads, says Anwar
- Di antara 'amal makruf nahi mungkar' dengan 'amal mungkar nahi makruf'
- Welcome to DAP and PAS circus!
- Azmin Ali – serang Nurul Izzah?
- A change is gonna come
- Felda bergolak menunggu pecah?
- Business of corruption thriving
- Stepping out of Anwar’s shadow
- Third Force to encircle Umno
- Occupy Dataran to stage 'V for Vendetta flashmob' on New Year's Eve
- Dilemma Najib
- Zaid Ibrahim bantu Nurul Izzah lawan Azmin?
- DAP Perak’s Nga Kor Ming gets bullet in mail
- Anwar to tour M’sia ahead of sodomy verdict
- UBF ‘agrees’ to back ABU
- Poison pen letter on Nurul Izzah circulating
- We shall remember and we shan’t forget
- Disappointing ‘performance’ by politicians
- Ex-CID Chief urges police to zero In on Jamil Khir for ‘zakat abuse’
- No gag order, but no fodder for BN media
- ‘ANYTHING BUT UMNO’ in East Malaysia too?
| Posted: 29 Dec 2011 10:01 AM PST The year 2011 has been a challenging one for the prime minister at home and abroad. IIUM's four-year study pointed out that Najib's popularity among the Malays shows a marked improvement from 35 percent in 2008 to 59 percent in 2011, an increase from 33 to 45 percent among the Chinese and from 41 to 62 percent among the Indians. By Ali Imran Mohd Noordin, Free Malaysia Today Though 2011 has been a challenging year for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, both at the domestic and the global front, it was still an eventful year. At the domestic front, Najib continued with the transformation programmes while addressing the ever-changing aspirations of the people. He continued with radical changes including abolishing the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA). At the global front, the economic decay of the West in particular has created new challenges in promoting the national economy. The prospect of an impending global recession prompted Najib to thread a cautious path in managing the country's financial resources. Nonetheless, Najib, known for his tenacity and unwavering commitment, took on the task of leading the country based on his mantra – "People First, Performance Now". The year witnessed numerous bold transformation initiatives by the "Father of Transformation" based on the 1Malaysia aspiration that has been the hallmark of Najib's initiatives. It is apparent that many of his efforts are showing results. The people too in general appreciated his strategies and public approval on Najib's leadership has improved tremendously. A popularity study by Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (IIUM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) indicated greater approval for Najib from all races in the country. IIUM's four-year study pointed out that Najib's popularity among the Malays shows a marked improvement from 35 percent in 2008 to 59 percent in 2011, an increase from 33 to 45 percent among the Chinese and from 41 to 62 percent among the Indians. A similar study conducted by UPM this year on the minorities – Indian Muslims, Portuguese, Baba Nyonya, Orang Asli, Siam and Chitty – found a total of 54.2 percent of the minorities giving their thumbs-up for Najib. 1Malaysia brand Just mention the rhyming acronyms – KR1M, PR1MA, MR1M, BR1M and the latest KIR1M – they immediately refer to Najib's effort to touch base with the people, especially the needy. The KR1M or the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia are retail outlets offering daily necessities at affordable prices, up to 60 percent below other retail outlets. The whole idea is to reduce the burden of urban poor, with KR1M offering daily necessities like rice, egg, milk, flour and chili sauce. Also available are frozen items, diapers and detergents. KR1M is further complemented by Kedai Ikan Rakyat 1Malaysia (KIR1M) launched this month, offering fresh seafood at prices 30 to 40 percent lower than prevailing market price. Menu Rakyat 1 Malaysia (MR1M) ensures the man on the street enjoys a meal worth up to RM2 for breakfast and RM4 for lunch. As at Dec 16, the number of vendors who joined the MR1M scheme had roughly doubled, with 1,155 MR1M outlets opened all over the nation, compared with 611 when launched last July. In the latest move, the MR1M outlets would be available at all higher education institutions starting with Universiti Malaya. The 1Malaysia Public Housing Project (PR1MA) was launched on July 4 as a strategic initiative to fulfil the housing needs of the people, especially the urban middle-class. In Putrajaya, under the programme 560 affordable homes priced between RM120,000 and RM150,000 in Precinct 11 were allocated for local youths with household income below RM6,000. This project is expected to be extended to other places like Johor Baru and Penang. The 2012 Budget allocated RM100 to every school student and book vouchers worth RM200 for undergraduates. The government's goodwill was further extended with the RM500 hand-out under 1Malaysia Public Assistance (BR1M) for households earning less than RM3,000. Making the transformation a reality Realising that the people have been yearning for positive changes, a number of transformation programmes has been launched. Among them is the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) that puts Malaysia on the path to emerge as a high income nation by 2020. One of the 85 programmes implemented in 2011 is the Small Retail Outlet Transformation Programme (TUKAR) to help modernise small-time retailers and help them to compete with other players. The programme is expected to contribute RM5.56 billion and create 51,540 employment opportunities. On the whole, all the ETP initiatives launched in 2011 are expected to contribute RM150 billion and create more than 300,000 employment opportunities by 2020. The government transformation, too, is showing results. Malaysia was listed on the 19th spot among the safest country index, a significant improvement from the 38th spot in 2008. The same index also picked Malaysia as the safest country in Southeast Asia and fourth safest spot in the Asia-Pacific region, behind New Zealand, Japan and Australia. One of the seven National Key Result Areas (NKRA) is reducing crime. Najib etched his name in the nation's history when he repealed the controversial Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) and Banishment Act 1959. He also said that the Restricted Residence Act 1933, Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 would be reviewed. The move was welcomed by most, within and outside the country. Also on review is Section 27, Police Act 1967 that provides discretionary powers to the police to control and issue permits for rallies. The latest, and another landmark decision by Najib, is the amendments to Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, allowing undergraduates to join political parties upon reaching 21 years of age.
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| Bersih 2.0: It’s 50k, and a big success Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:55 AM PST In this last week of 2011, we will be re-publishing selected stories carried in FMT throughout this year. We find that these stories still remain relevant in the present context. Undoubtedly the Bersih rally on July 9 was one of the biggest stories for 2011. Reproduced here is a July 9 report of a post-rally press conference from the organisers who were happy with their rally despite intimidation from the authorities. Tarani Palani and Tashny Sukumaran, Free Malaysia Today Bersih 2.0 has called its rally a "big success", but added that it is just one more step in the long walk towards free and fair elections. Speaking at a press conference here, Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Subramaniam Pillay said the rally exceeded expectations. "It's a big success but this (fighting for electoral reforms) is not a one day event. It was sucessful beyond expectations," he said, adding that the objective of raising awareness had been achieved. Bersih 2.0 believes that the crowd could have been as big as 50,000 but conceded that reporters would be able to judge the number better. Bersih 2.0 also condemned the arrests of more than 600 people, including that of its chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. 'Ambiga says she's fine' Steering committee member Andrew Khoo said he had received a text message from Ambiga stating that she was fine. "She said that she was okay and that her phone battery was dying and that she wants to save it for important messages," he added. She is expected to be released later today. Meanwhile, national laureate A Samad Ismail said that another date would be fixed to hand over a memorandum to the King on electoral reforms. "We tried to head towards the palace several times, but the police kept turning us away and threatened us with arrest," he said. Samad also criticised the police for acting in a "cruel" manner. "I saw them randomly firing tear gas at the crowd," he said. One of the questions posed during the press conference was whether the rally had been multiracial, to which the steering committee replied that people of all races had participated.
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| MILF-PRON Special Report for 2011: Malays under threat Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:50 AM PST If these rumours were proven true (and who's to say that they aren't?) then it was obvious that the secular democrats in the DAP are truly in collusion with the godless heathens in CPM to put a Christian priest into the highest executive office in the land. Yusseri Yusoff, The Malaysian Insider As the year draws to a close, the researchers at the Malaysian Institute of Learning Foundation for Political Research On Nationalism (MILF-PRON) have decided to release a special report for public consumption on a very important issue, that is the threats which threaten the Malays such that they are constantly feeling threatened. There is absolutely no doubt that 2011 has been the most threatening year for the survival of the Malays in their own land — which includes Malaysia, southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, parts of South Africa and the Liverpool docks. The challenges that have come the way of the Malays from every direction have put all hard-working and grafting Malays at risk of once again being colonised by (or at the very least, under the protection of) foreign powers, whether physically, emotionally or, even especially, spiritually. Before the year started, there was a letter allegedly written by an MCA member complaining about the volume of the azan coming from a mosque 1km away from where he normally sleeps. Since this is an issue that would crop up every few months or so, the Malays did not feel very threatened going into the new year. However, there was brief excitement when former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that the Malays in Kampung Baru would end up like the Malays in Singapore if they (the Kampung Baru ones) were not careful. This claim was greeted with some concern, even though a small segment of the Malays in Kampung Baru opined that it wouldn't actually be too bad a thing. At least, they would already have an MRT system working in the area, if nothing else. The claim from the former PM was in response to a book published by a former PM of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, in which he wrote, among other things, the Malays in Singapore should be "less strict" about observing their religion. And so, at the start of February, a Malay NGO in Singapore called for Lee Kuan Yew to be detained under the republic's Internal Security Act for being seditious. The minister mentor, in a display of restraint, did not bother to respond. In the meantime, Mahathir said in a talk on the "Malay race and the future" that Malaysians as a whole need to accept that the country belonged to the Malays. He felt that the people of the nation have to "be sincere and accept that the country is Tanah Melayu." In a separate statement, he also took the opportunity to call PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz a, well, opportunist who was willing to forsake his Islamic beliefs for political mileage. This then led to Nik Aziz accusing Mahathir and his party, Umno, of oppressing the Malays. This was then followed up by Utusan Malaysia claiming that Nik Aziz prefers the company of Lee Kuan Yew to that of the Malays nationalists who fought for the freedom of the nation. Nik Aziz, in response to something else entirely, said that he did not ask to be born a Malay, adding that it was pure coincidence that he was born in Malaysia. At this juncture, it was still unclear as to the nature of the threats that threaten the Malays, apart from being run over by statements which make no sense whatsoever. Which then brings us into March where Mahathir said that the Malays are not immigrants, even if they originally came from the Arab peninsula, India, Indonesia or anywhere else. He also pointed out that "those who support racist statements by the opposition are the real racists." Not wanting to be left out, Singapore's minister mentor then made a statement in which he felt that his observation that the Malays in Singapore needed to be integrated better into the rest of the country may possibly be outdated and therefore he stood to be corrected. Since he was no longer threatening, no Malay NGO called for him to not be detained under the ISA. While Mahathir continued his series of warnings to the Malays by warning that the Malays could end up like the Palestinians who sold their own country out to the Jews, a new threat to the Malays reared its ugly head — Kentucky Fried Chicken could possibly be out of Malay hands. Based on an unconfirmed rumour, it was said that the majority owner of KFC in Malaysia, Kulim Bhd, could be sold off to a non-Malay company and therefore this would constitute a major threat to the ability of Malays to consume chicken fried in 11 secret herbs and spices. The owners of Kulim Bhd, Johor Corp, denied the rumours. When asked whether they were the ones responsible for spreading the rumour, the owners of the Radix Fried Chicken chain refused to comment. They did however say that Radix Fried Chicken contained more that 11 herbs and spices as well as Tongkat Ali and quite possibly ginseng. For a stiffer fried chicken experience, presumably. In April, the simmering controversy regarding the import and distribution of Bahasa Melayu (or more likely Bahasa Indonesia) bibles, referred to as "The Alkitab Controversy", came to a boil that no one seemed capable of lancing. With the Sarawak polls looming, the government decided to allow the release of said bibles that had been held back by Customs. The existence of these bibles was clearly a threat to the faith of the Malays, given that — according to a few mullahs — the Malays are clearly so easily trapped into converting into Christianity and thus commit apostasy simply because they know how to read in their own language. That the Alkitab can easily be read and downloaded digitally via the Internet onto PCs, tablets, phones and wristwatches seemed to be less threatening than the actual physical books, all of which are clearly stamped with the words "Untuk Kegunaan Penganut Kristian Sahaja." In addition to the Malay Bible, the mufti of Perak also identified another Christian plot to convert impressionable Malays, this time using dance. Specifically, poco-poco. His fatwa banning poco-poco caused a stir, and a few twisted knickers among the Malays, not all of whom live in Perak. This prompted the National Fatwa Council to convene a special meeting to discuss the fatwa. Rumour had it that the council instructed several military personnel to demonstrate the poco-poco, and after deep deliberation the council decreed that the dance is not threatening to the Malays. The mufti of Perak remained adamant, however, saying that his department had studied the issue and found that the dance incorporated moves originated by Jamaican Christians. The additional rumour that the National Fatwa Council was planning a trip to the Caribbean to investigate the gyrating Jamaican Christians themselves has not been substantiated. The "Christianisation of Malays" threat is to remain a recurring theme throughout the rest of the year, for as we go into May … A report appeared in Utusan Malaysia saying that a couple of bloggers have uncovered a plot by a group of pastors in Penang to create a Christian Malaysia — by installing a Christian prime minister. Apparently, at the invite of the DAP, what seemed on the surface to be a dinner in appreciation of either the the DAP being in Sarawak, or Sarawak pastors being in Penang, a pledge was allegedly made by those present to work towards getting a Christian to be made PM of the country. While this already presented a clear and present threat to the Malays and the sovereignty of the land, the situation became even more precarious when it was alleged by Datuk Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa that former members of the Communist Party of Malaysia were also involved in the dastardly plot to replace Islam as the official religion of Malaysia. If these rumours were proven true (and who's to say that they aren't?) then it was obvious that the secular democrats in the DAP are truly in collusion with the godless heathens in CPM to put a Christian priest into the highest executive office in the land. At this point, it was clear that there was an unholy trinity comprising secularists, communists and Malay-speaking Christians threatening the unity, harmony and prosperity of the Malays. On a brighter note, though, it seemed that KFC would still remain in Malay hands.
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| Vote opposition, says Zahid Hamidi Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:44 AM PST Defence Minister and Umno Vice President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has asked Malaysian voters to vote opposition to show their disappointment with the government. Ahmad Zahid urged Malaysians to reject the present government, which has not shown any changes and only makes promises that are never delivered. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Vote BN To Show Frustration Against State Govt |
| Anwar plans 'innocence' tour as trial verdict nears Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST (Sydney Morning Herald) - THE Malaysian opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, is planning a whirlwind tour of his country next week before the verdict in his controversial trial on a sodomy charge. The outcome of the trial, which has captivated Malaysia, will help shape the future of the majority-Muslim country of 28 million people as it struggles to break away from a system of race- and religion-based politics. Mr Anwar, 64, a father of six, who was once heir-apparent to the former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, says while he is ''optimistic'' of walking free on the charge of having consensual sex with a 23-year-old male aide in 2008, he is a ''political realist'' and ''ready to accept the worst''. Under a British colonial-era law criminalising consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex, Anwar faces up to 20 years' jail if found guilty when the Kuala Lumpur High Court announces the verdict on January 9. Human rights groups have called for the charge to be dropped and the law revoked. ''The Malaysian government uses its outdated sodomy law to slander political opponents and critics,'' the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, Phil Robertson, said. ''Whether or not Anwar Ibrahim engaged in consensual 'sodomy' is irrelevant … it's time to reject this law and end the farcical theatre that promotes discrimination based on sexual orientation and destroys people's lives,'' Mr Robertson said. Malaysia's Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has moved to open the country's political system before elections next year, including a promise to scrap the harsh Internal Security Act. The accusations against Mr Anwar emerged shortly after he had led the opposition to unprecedented gains in parliamentary polls against the ruling coalition that has governed the country for five decades. ''These are trumped-up charges,'' Mr Anwar told journalists. ''It is another coincidence that the verdict comes so close to elections. ''The aim is to deny me the chance to participate in the elections. A lot of people pray that I should be acquitted.'' Anwar said that during the tour, beginning on Tuesday, he will reiterate his innocence. During the marathon trial, which began in February last year, Mr Anwar delivered a long courtroom tirade accusing the trial judge and government of conspiring to send him ''into political oblivion''. ''It is a vile and desperate attempt at character assassination,'' he told the court. ''They can do all they want to assassinate and sully my character and threaten me with another 20 years in jail, but, mark my words, they won't be able to cow me into submission.'' Quoting the Koran and Shakespeare during a one-hour courtroom speech, Mr Anwar accused the trial judge, Mohamad Zabidin Diah, of demonstrating a ''complete lack of impartiality''. Mr Anwar's lawyers called a series of expert witnesses who raised doubts about the credibility of forensic evidence presented by prosecutors. An Australian forensic expert, Brian McDonald, told the court that DNA testing and labelling was not up to international standards and was riddled with errors. This is the second time Mr Anwar has been embroiled in a sex trial. He lost his post as deputy prime minister in 1998 after being charged with sodomising his family's former driver and abusing his powers to cover up his actions - both of which he denied. Two years later he was found guilty and sentenced to nine years' jail. The conviction was overturned in 2004. While in jail Mr Anwar suffered severe facial injuries from a beating by a senior police officer. His lawyers claimed rights violations against him including lack of access to legal counsel and witness harassment. Anwar's aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan initially filed a complaint that Mr Anwar had forcibly sodomised him. Police charged Mr Anwar with having consensual sex after it was determined his bad back would have made him incapable of forcing himself on Mr Azlan, who has not been charged. |
| Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:21 AM PST ALIRAN Will civil servants fall for what appears to be an extra large carrot being dangled in front of them in the form of pay rises ahead of the general election, wonders Lim Teck Ghee? The new civil service renumeration scheme recently announced by the government provides civil servants pay rises of between 7 per cent and 13 per cent. Coming just before the elections expected soon, it is clearly intended to influence the outcome of the elections. Umno leaders see members of the civil service not only as their fixed deposit but also as the key game changer in the elections. Will the generous pay rise make a difference in voting patterns of civil servants in the country? At first glance, it appears a politically astute move given the disproportionate weight of civil servants in the voting population and the high voting rate that has been associated with this segment of voters. If we add up the 1.2m civil servants and family members and assume that there is an average of 3-4 voters per civil servant household, this provides a total of 4-5m voters out of the 12m registered voters. The fact that over 80 per cent of civil servants are Malays means that whichever party can win over the Malay civil service vote will take over the reins of political power in the country. Will this group of voters fall for what appears to be an extra large carrot being dangled in front of them? Already the mainstream papers are carrying the mandatory follow up reports of how appreciative the teachers, police and other government staff are with this government recognition of their contribution to the country's development and progress through the new salary scheme. This, together with the earlier sustained bashing of DAP Tony Pua's suggestion that the number of civil servants be reduced, appears to have given a decisive edge in the battle for civil service votes to Umno and the Barisan. Will pay increase move backfire on Umno? But is it a certainty that the civil service vote will continue to be in the pockets of the present government? Evidence is conflicting. The present generation of civil servants – Malays and non-Malays – are a great deal more discerning and demanding of their elected leaders and the policies needed. They, as with other voters in the country, are aware of how the government is courting their vote and will go to the voting booths fully concerned about the government's and opposition party's record on the issues that matter most to them – whether it is in ensuring a rise in their standard of living or fighting corruption or abuse of power. In fact, the timing of the salary increase – so close to the elections – could very well backfire on the government as it can be seen as a blatant attempt to bribe their way into power, with civil servants as their tool. What could also prove to be problematic for the government are the finer details of the new remuneration system and pay increase, and how it affects each civil service voter. Precise details of the pay increase and how it will apply to each grade are not available yet. According to the Public Services Department Director General, the increases will be based on four principles: hierarchy; talent and experience; position and subject matter; and performance.
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| Adam Adli — student activist, villain, folk hero Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:12 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) — Adam Adli Abdul Halim would have just been another student activist until his act of bringing down a banner bearing a picture of Datuk Seri Najib Razak during a peaceful demonstration drew more media attention than the cause itself. Following the incident, what started out as a small student protest for academic freedom on December 17 has now escalated into a growing movement of undergraduates, university lecturers and members of the public, uniting and demanding the government repeal the controversial Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), which strictly prohibits political activities on campuses.  File photo of Adam Adli (centre) speaking to the press in Kuala Lumpur on December 23, 2011. — Picture by Jack Ooi Despite his sudden catapult to fame and accelerated awareness of the UUCA, Adam Adli remains unfazed and hopes this exposure "will be the end of our 40 years of unfinished struggle". "Academic freedom will be another big cause to be fought together in the struggle to rebuild our corrupted country... It is just as important as other issues discussed in society," he told The Malaysian Insider. "Many people, including the students, have never heard of academic freedom, UUCA, and 'magna carta' (a Bill drafted by students to replace the Act) until this (incident) happened. (Now), it seems that even the pro-government bloggers are struggling to understand our cause," he said. The self-professed rebel stands by his actions and reiterates "lowering the banner was a sign of protest". "But another reason unnoticed was, if I didn't lower the banner, how on earth would I be able to raise the academic freedom's flag?" he asked. "It was two birds with one stone. It was a sign of protest on (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's) policy on students and universities and also a sign of victory for the many hours of protest on that day." Adam Adli said his interest in student activism dates back to 2010 when he was banned from campus elections for participating in Demonstrasi Air 2009, a protest against the Selangor water price hike. "Since there, there was no turning back for me. The reason is clear: we need to prove to the people that we, as students, are part of the people and system. We want to represent the people," he said. "Students had their role in history of fighting for the people, thus within this short time we would like to carve our own history. But first we have to free the students and universities, then we will prove to the people what can we do for the country," he added.
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| Harakah hits back at Hasan Ali Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:03 AM PST (The Star) - PAS organ Harakahdaily has hit back at embattled party leader Datuk Dr Hasan Ali for accusing it of twisting facts when claiming he had apologised to spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat in a recent closed-door meeting. The publication ran a piece online Thursday carrying a transcript of its interview with Nik Aziz, highlighting excerpts to back an earlier article quoting the Kelantan Mentri Besar as saying that Hasan had apologised to him at the Tuesday night meeting. Written in Malay and backed by a video clip, the contentious line read: Datuk Hassan Ali menarik balik kenyataan-kenyataan dia yang sensitif. Ini tanda kelelakian dia, anak jantan. Kita buat salah, bila kita sedar buat salah, tarik balik, minta maaf. Ini ajaran agama. Bukan senang manusia buat salah nak tarik balik, bukan senang. Tiba-tiba dia ni tarik balik. (Datuk Hasan Ali retracted his statements that were sensitive. This is a sign of his manliness, a real man. We make mistakes, and when we realise we make mistakes, we take it back, apologise. This is what religion teaches. It is not easy for people who do wrong to take it back, not easy. Suddenly he took it back.) Late Wednesday, Hasan issued a statement denying that he had apologised to Nik Aziz at their meeting in Kota Baru, saying he retracted his comments on the party's welfare state policy and apologised to party leaders during a press conference at his residence on Dec 24. He said he was disappointed with Harakahdaily for claiming such, adding that he had reminded them "many times" not to twist facts which could create confusion and disunity. Hasan's spat with the party organ is the latest to hit the former Selangor Pas commissioner, who has been at loggerheads with party colleagues over the past several weeks for criticising their leadership. Both he and former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa also got in trouble for pushing for a revival of unity talks with arch-rival Umno.
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| Appeal Letter by PLKN Operator to the Prime Minister Posted: 29 Dec 2011 07:53 AM PST Malangnya sehingga ke hari ini, Yayasan Selangor belum menerima sebarang surat tawaran penyambungan kontrak PLKN daripada pihak JLKN atau Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pertahanan Malaysia, sedangkan pihak kami tidak pernah gagal dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan yang dikehendaki, termasuk penambah-baikan untuk memenuhi SOC JLKN, dan yang terkini Perhimpunan Alumni PLKN 1Malaysia di kem kami, Kem PLKN Ampang Pechah, Kuala Kubu Baru pada 7 November 2011. YAB DATO' SRI MOHD. NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK sedangkan Kem PL Ampang Pecah adalah milik YS sepenuhnya. 3. Malangnya sehingga ke hari ini, Yayasan Selangor belum menerima sebarang surat tawaran penyambungan kontrak PLKN daripada pihak JLKN atau Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pertahanan Malaysia, sedangkan pihak kami tidak pernah gagal dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan yang dikehendaki, termasuk penambah-baikan untuk memenuhi SOC JLKN, dan yang terkini Perhimpunan Alumni PLKN 1Malaysia di kem kami, Kem PLKN Ampang Pechah, Kuala Kubu Baru pada 7 November 2011. 4. Selaku pemilik Kem PLKN Ampang Pecah, Kuala Kubu Baharu, Yayasan Selangor telah membuat penambah-baikan kemudahan di kem tersebut dan membelanjakan banyak wang ringgit untuk keselesaan pelatih dan Pegawai/Jurulatih/Kakitangan JLKN, antaranya: 4.1 Pagar sempadan baru antara PLKN dan KBS. Tinggi 5' Panjang 1,134'- RM86,840.00 4.2 Generator Set baru - RM120,900.00 4.3 Naik taraf 2 bilik air jadikan bilik rehat Jurulatih - RM286,265.00 4.4 Naiktaraf surau - RM329,690.00 4.5 Bangunan baru Stor Lojistik - RM443,028.00 4.6 Bangunan baru pusat rawatan - RM356,371.00 4.7 Pasang jubin bilik air, bilik kuliah dan turap semula padang kawad -RM489,584.00 4.8 Naiktaraf 2 gelanggang sepaktakraw dan gelanggang bolatampar - RM234,191.00 4.9 Bina kolam aktiviti air - RM1,700,000.00 JUMLAH -RM4,046,869.00 5. Sayugia dimaklumkan bahawa Yayasan Selangor telah menjadi operator PLKN sejak tahun 2004 dan Majlis Pelancaran Kursus PLKN Seluruh Negara juga telah dilaksanakan di Kem PLKN Ampang Pecah, Kuala Kubu Baharu pada tahun 16 Februari 2004 oleh YAB Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi selaku Perdana Menteri Malaysia, yang turut dihadiri oleh YAB Dato' Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak yang ketika itu adalah Timbalan Perdana Menteri merangkap Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia ketika itu. 6. Untuk makluman pihak YAB Dato' Sri, sekiranya kontrak PLKN Ampang Pecah, Kuala Kubu Baharu tidak disambung, kedudukan pekerja dan kontraktor yang berkhidmat dengan kem PLKN ini sudah tentu akan terjejas, antaranya: 6.1 24 Kakitangan Kem (senarai dilampirkan) 6.2 Kontraktor Penyedia Makanan/Caterer Kem PLKN 6.3 Kontraktor Pembersihan Kem PLKN 6.4 Kontraktor Dobi 6.5 Kontraktor Pembersihan Hygine (Tuala Wanita) 7. Untuk makluman YAB Dato' Sri juga, Yayasan Selangor adalah "a non-profit organization", dan semua lebihan pendapatan digunakan untuk menawarkan biasiswa dan pinjaman kepada pelajar-pelajar yang kurang berkemampuan dari luar bandar tanpa mengira kaum dan ideologi politik. Sejak 40 tahun lalu, Yayasan Selangor menjadi tempat bergantung lebih 40,000 orang pelajar miskin dan miskin tegar di seluruh Selangor 8. Sayugia diingatkan bahawa Yayasan Selangor adalah milik Rakyat Selangor dan tidak sewajarnya dihukum akibat percaturan politik kepartian di mana majoriti daripada penerima bantuan pendidikan adalah orang Melayu-Islam. 9. Ketidakadilan ini pasti membuatkan akan membuatkan rakyat lebih benci dengan pemerintah di Putrajaya kini dan tidak mustahil "kebencian rakyat" pasti akan diterjemahkan dalam PRU13 dengan mengekalkan kerajaan di Selangor kini. 10. Segala usaha YAB Dato' Sri untuk merebut kembali Selangor akan pasti gagal disebabkan sikap tidak matang dalam membuat keputusan dalam kes penyambungan Kem PLKN di Kuala Kubu Bharu ini. 11. Sehubungan itu, Yayasan Selangor ingin merayu supaya kontrak Kem PLKN Ampang Pecah, Kuala Kubu Baharu dapat disambung semula sepertimana pengusaha-pengusaha lain supaya persiapan terakhir di sempurnakan menanti kumpulan pertama sesi 2012. 12. Pertimbangan, kebijaksanaan dan sokongan YAB Dato' Sri sangat dihargai dan didahului dengan ucapan jutaan terima kasih. Sekian dan salam hormat. As Salaam, RAJA AMIR SHAH RAJA ABD AZIZ Timbalan Pengurus Besar
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| Ministry calls up editor on use of word Allah Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:49 PM PST (Daily Express) - The Home Ministry called up the Chief Editor of Nanyang Siangpau concerning the use of the word "Allah" in an article published by the Daily. Deputy Secretary-General (Security) of the ministry Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi said the article carried the word "Allah" in the form of a logo in the article entitled "Hudud Law Becomes Controversial Issue" on page A8 on Dec 27, 2011 and the article "Hudud Law Raises Concern for Non-Muslims" on page A8 on Dec. 28, 2011. "The showing of the word is clearly against Section 7 (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 which can appal the people and jeopardise public peace," he said in a statement. He said the Ministry also issued a show-cause letter to Nanyang Siangpau following the publication of the word which could cause tension and confuse the Malaysian public. "KDN (Home Ministry) will take stern action on any press which commits this offence in future based on the provision in the Act," he said.
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| Nurul Izzah & Chegubard backstabbed by PKR insider! Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:35 PM PST KTEMOC KONSIDERS Extract from The Malaysia Insider (TMI) - Despite claims, Zaid says not rejoining PKR: Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today denied rumours that he would be rejoining PKR, saying that allegations of discussions between him and Nurul Izzah Anwar on the matter were untrue.
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| Merdeka sudah, tapi jiwa masih terjajah Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:32 PM PST ASPAN ALIAS Rakyat sedang menghadapi terlalu banyak masalah yang berat akibat kelakuan dan sikap pemimpin kerajaan kita yang tidak mempunyai disiplin kepimpinan serta pemikiran. Sebagaimana yang telah selalu saya katakan masalah yang kita hadapi ini berpunca dari masalah kepimpinan negara. Sekarang ini kepimpinan negara sedang menghadapi krisis keyakinan yang paling getir dalam sejarah kemerdekaan negara. Krisis ini sudah lama menular tetapi kerajaan dan parti yang memerintah masih boleh menyangkutkan kesinambungan kuasa yang dipegangnya melalui saki-baki sokongan dan kuasa yang masih berada di tangan mereka.
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| Eleven NGOs Lodge Police Reports On Free Anwar Campaign Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:30 PM PST (Bernama) -- Eleven non- governmental organisations (NGOs) in Pahang today lodged police reports on the move by the opposition parties to hold a campaign and stage a "Free Anwar" gathering on Jan 9. A spokesman for the NGOs, Ngah Ismail who is also the secretary of the Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islamiah dan Dakwah (PEKIDA) Kuantan district, said the reports were made to protest against and prevent the "Free Anwar" campaign which was described as a provocation on the court case involving Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
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| The ensuing Karpal-Ramasamy feud: A weaker DAP in GE13 Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:29 PM PST Ramasamy, however, is highly regarded in the Indian community and is seen as a savior of the community which has been abused and exploited by Samy Vellu and MIC and humiliated and insulted by UMNO over many decades. DAP's leadership cannot afford to ignore Ramasamy's prominent standing in the Indian community even though he may not have widespread support in DAP itself. By Ken
The Karpal-Ramasamy feud does not appear to end. In the latest development, Karpal has asked Ramasamy to quit as DCM II. Ramasamy has been accused of unacceptable behavior and talking too much. There is no question that Ramasamy needs to resolve issues internally, talk less and keep away from the media. If only Karpal, as the veteran politician and chairman of DAP, also thought a little before talking, his differences with Ramasamy would not have become this ugly open feud, a gift from DAP to UMNO/BN to attack DAP and Pakatan in GE13. Karpal has escalated matters recently by asking for Ramasamy to be sacked as DCM II. The feud between these two DAP politicians is getting uglier every day. The Karpal-Ramasamy feud has the potential to damage DAP so badly, if it has not done so already, that DAP is unlikely even to come close to its GE12 feat in GE13. What is important is DAP, and not Karpal or Ramasamy. What is critical for the nation is a Pakatan Rakyat win in GE13, and DAP needs to play its part properly and not jeopardize this critical mission necessary to save Malaysia from impending collapse under UMNO/BN. Karpal has the overwhelming support of the DAP grassroots, especially in Penang. He is a veteran politician, a Penangite who has been with the party since the 1970s and who has carefully nurtured the support of the grassroots. Ramasamy is no match for Karpal in the world of politics and does not hold the sway that Karpal has in DAP. Ramasamy, however, is highly regarded in the Indian community and is seen as a savior of the community which has been abused and exploited by Samy Vellu and MIC and humiliated and insulted by UMNO over many decades. DAP's leadership cannot afford to ignore Ramasamy's prominent standing in the Indian community even though he may not have widespread support in DAP itself. If Ramasamy is removed from his post as DCM II, as Karpal is demanding, the DAP is likely to lose substantial Indian votes not only in Penang but also across West Malaysia. The DAP and Pakatan cannot afford to lose Indian votes as their votes will determine the winner in various DAP and even Pakatan seats and other urban/semi-urban seats in West Malaysia. Knowing that Indian support will determine the outcome in many marginal seats in West Malaysia, Najib has been carefully nurturing (bribing?) the Indians since assuming power. Support for him from the Indians has been growing, and even his "Malay-first, Malaysian-second" deputy and other ultra-UMNOputras have been more sensitive to the Indians lately. Najib has given up on the Chinese, knowing that they are firmly committed to DAP and a Pakatan Rakyat goverment after GE13. With the support of a majority of the Malays and a substantial proportion of the Indians, Najib hopes to win back many of the seats UMNO/BN lost in GE12. Given that the Indians have the potential to determine the outcome of many of the marginal seats in GE13, the DAP can ill-afford to sack Ramasamy from his post as DCM II. That would be stupidity at this juncture for DAP as it will drive away substantial crucial votes from the Indians who are already warming up to the ringgits, gifts and sweet promises from UMNO and MIC. Though DAP's support comes mostly from the Chinese, the party has managed to make itself visibly more multi-racial after GE12 through the presence of Indian Wakil Rakyats and ADUNS such as Ramasamy. The party has also been making progress, though slow, in attracting Malays. The party needs to continue this effort in line with Pakatan Rakyat's noble agenda for all Malaysians regardless of race. Loss of Indian support, as a consequence of Ramasamy's sacking as DCM II, will thwart its multi-racial agenda and make UMNO's accusation a reality, that DAP is a Chinese chauvinist party. The majority of Chinese and other Malaysians who are disgusted with UMNO/BN will vote for DAP in GE13 regardless of the candidate. They will, in general, vote for DAP regardless of the background or race of the candidate. There are few DAP candidates, except Lim Guan Eng and perhaps Lim Kit Siang, who can win a seat on his own merit and not because of the DAP banner. Karpal commands significant support in Penang DAP but he still does not command the kind of support required to win a seat on his own merit. Though Ramasamy can only win in GE13 if he stands under the DAP banner, the irony is that the DAP needs him to retain the support of the Indian community to win in many of the marginal constituencies. If Ramasamy is not in DAP's line-up for GE13, other DAP candidates, including Karpal, are likely to lose substantial Indian votes and may end up as losers in GE13. It is therefore in the interest of both Karpal and Ramasamy, and certainly in the interest of DAP and Pakatan Rakyat, that these two politicians set aside their differences and cooperate for a strong DAP and Pakatan Rakyat win. The DAP leadership needs to act wisely and strategically if they hope to at least repeat their GE12 feat. Otherwise the dream of all decent Malaysians - the eviction of UMNO/BN from Putrajaya and the installation of a just and clean Pakatan Rakyat federal government - will remain a dream after GE13 as Pakatan Rakyat cannot win with a weaker DAP, the consequence of the ensuing Karpal-Ramasamy feud. |
| Government Removes Restriction on Recruitment of Foreign Workers Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:26 PM PST Government has repeatedly stressed that appropriate measures will be put in place to reduce dependency on foreign workers but the latest announcement (Star 28/12/2011) of policy change has created serious doubt in the minds of Malaysians. By Abdul Halim bin Mansor (Sec Gen MTUC) MTUC is seeking an urgent meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss Home Affairs Ministry's recent decision to allow recruitment of foreign workers in 10 more sectors and 11 sub sectors. It appears that Government's about turn policy on this important issue resulted from pressure from interested parties. Did the Ministry of Home Affairs seek the views of the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) before lifting the freeze? What impact will this new policy have on employment opportunities for Malaysians? Government has repeatedly stressed that appropriate measures will be put in place to reduce dependency on foreign workers but the latest announcement (Star 28/12/2011) of policy change has created serious doubt in the minds of Malaysians. Government's decision to liberalise has widened the list to include all sectors. For example, about a year ago when the Government imposed restriction on recruitment of croupiers in the country, many Malaysians were successful in securing employment as croupiers. The new policy will immediately shut the door to Malaysians. Minister of Home Affairs appear to be insensitive to the needs of Malaysians. Foreign Worker Recruitment Agencies' needs seem to be given priority and importance than the needs of Malaysian Workers. |
| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:24 PM PST Nampaknya masih ramai yang keliru dan tidak dapat membezakan maksud kebebasan bersuara dan fitnah. Ramai penulis-penulis blog dewasa ini yang menganggap melemparkan fitnah itu sebahagian daripada kebebasan bersuara. By Amin Iskandar Baru-baru ini, Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, menang dalam kes saman fitnahnya terhadap Utusan Malaysia. Mahkamah Tinggi Pulau Pinang mendapati akhbar milik Umno itu bersalah memfitnah Lim Guan Eng dalam sebuah berita yang bertajuk "Kebiadaban Guan Eng" yang diterbitkan pada 20 Disember 2010. Mahkamah memerintahkan Utusan untuk membayar RM 250,000 kepada Guan Eng dan RM 25,000 lagi sebagai bayaran kos. Kisah ahli politik dan saman mereka terhadap akhbar, blog atau ahli politik yang lain bukanlah sesuatu perkara baru di Malaysia. Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pernah menyaman ramai pihak kerana mendakwa mereka memfitnah dirinya. Anwar pernah menyaman mantan perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan kerajaan Malaysia. Anwar juga pernah menyaman ketua pemuda Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin dan ramai lagi. Oleh kerana banyak saman dilakukan oleh pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat kepada golongan yang memfitnah mereka, persoalan ditimbulkan oleh sesetengah pihak, apakah tindakan saman menyaman ini bertentangan dengan prinsip demokrasi dan kebebasan bersuara?  Buku Jingga
Laman Suara Pakatan Rakyat (www.suarapakatanrakyat.com) pada 19 Disember lalu menimbulkan persoalan ini terhadap Exco Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan, Datuk Husam Musa yang kini sedang menyaman pemilik blog Ruang Bicara Faisal dan Kickdefella kerana didakwa memfitnah dirinya dalam penulisan mereka. Naib presiden PAS itu menyaman sebanyak RM 500,000 kepada pemilik blog Ruang Bicara Faisal dan RM 5 juta kepada penggendali blog Kickdefella.  Menurut laman web tersebut, tindakan Husam menyaman kedua-dua penulis blog tersebut bercanggah dengan prinsip Buku Jingga yang mengatakan: "Kebebasan rakyat untuk berkumpul dan menyatakan pandangan mereka juga disekat dari pelbagai arah; baik yang melibatkan rapat umum mahupun di laman internet. Ada ura-ura pentadbiran sedia ada mencari jalan untuk mengetatkan kawalan mereka terhadap internet, memandangkan ia satu-satunya jalan yang berkesan menyebarkan maklumat alternatif kepada rakyat." Persoalan seperti ini pernah juga dibangkitkan oleh sesetengah pihak satu ketika dahulu apabila Anwar dan Lim menyaman akhbar. Kata mereka, kebebasan bersuara belum terjamin jika Pakatan memerintah. Penulis berkesempatan untuk menemuramah ringkas Husam melalui telefon untuk mendapatkan jawapan beliau mengenai kritikan laman web tersebut terhadapnya. Menurut exco kanan tersebut, beliau bukanlah antidemokrasi atau kebebasan bersuara apatah lagi untuk mengkhianati prinsip Buku Jingga yang dipersetujui bersama oleh parti gabungan dalam Pakatan. "Blogger atau penulis boleh menulis apa-apa sahaja kecuali fitnah. Jika berani memfitnah, mereka juga harus berani untuk berhadapan dengan tindakan yang bakal diambil," katanya. Menurut Husam lagi, beliau tidak mempunyai masalah untuk dikritik kerana beliau percaya kritikan itu baik bagi seseorang untuk memperbaiki dirinya. Yang beliau tentang adalah fitnah dan tohmahan.
Read more at: http://www.aminiskandar.net/2011/12/tiada-kebebasan-untuk-fitnah.html
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| Nurul Izzah nafi surat beracun Posted: 28 Dec 2011 06:16 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Naib Presiden PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar menafikan kandungan satu surat layang beracun yang sedang tersebar dalam internet sekarang. "Ingin saya jelaskan di sini bahawa dakwaan dalam surat tersebut adalah palsu dan tidak benar," kata Nurul dalam satu kenyataan ringkasnya hari ini.
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| Ibrahim Ali sees plot to disrupt Sodomy II verdict Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:54 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Ibrahim Ali alleged today of an attempt to organise a mass gathering on January 9 to disrupt the High Court here from delivering a verdict in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial, and warned the assembly could cause chaos and unrest. The Perkasa president claimed to have received text messages and obtained leaflets of plans for a big gathering in front of the High Court next month, and urged the police to investigate the matter immediately. "I believe there is an attempt by a group to spread leaflets to have a gathering at the High Court on January 9 to disrupt the trial process of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case. "To me, the move is clearly in contempt of court, disrespectful of the law and constitution, and can cause public unrest and endanger the safety of the people," he told reporters here. According to the Malay rights leader, the leaflets contained messages like "Free Anwar 901", "Lawan tetap lawan" and "Rakyat Hakim Negara." Predicting Anwar's supporters would trigger chaos on the day, Ibrahim said "the police need to investigate the matter to ensure the safety of the people and the country is guaranteed." "Probe who is behind this plan for a gathering and take strict action against them. Don't let them take the law into their own hands."
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| Perkasa: Rev Eu’s Article 153 remarks ‘politically motivated’ Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:53 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Malay rights group Perkasa today accused a senior Christian leader of creating intercommunal friction with his remarks on the constitutional protection for Bumiputeras, claiming the speech was politically motivated. Calling it "provocative", Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali claimed of a link between Reverend Dr Eu Hong Seng's controversial Christmas Eve remarks and an impending general election. "I believe Dr Eu's statement is politically motivated in light of word of elections being around the corner. There is a political motive here to confuse the people into thinking that the government has not been fair to other races. "That is Dr Eu's motive. Article 153 cannot be questioned... there is a political motive (to) erode Malay rights," Ibrahim told reporters here. The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) chairman had said on Christmas Eve that the Federal Constitution's Article 153 was akin to "bullying" if it only protected the rights of one group. Article 153 states that it is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's responsibility "to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article". In his speech, Eu had stressed that he did not have problems with rights of the Malays and the Sultans but "what irks many of us are the 'shifting rights'" of the majority. His remarks prompted demands from Perkasa chief Ibrahim for Eu and others like him to be probed by the police. Ibrahim along with Perkasa deputy president Datuk Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar and 30-odd Perkasa members lodged a police report against Eu based on an article by The Malaysian Insider and several other publications. The Pasir Mas MP said Eu's remarks should be viewed by the police seriously, as it was said at a gathering that included non-Malay Barisan Nasional political parties like MCA and Gerakan as well as opposition parties DAP and PKR. Abdul Rahman pointed out that Article 153 protected not only the rights of Malay, but also Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak, many of whom are Christian. He said Eu's statement was seditious, and urged the police to charge the Christian leader under the Sedition Act.
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:52 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Former Court of Appeal judge Tan Sri Arifin Jaka died earlier this morning at the Serdang Hospital here, English daily The Star reported. He was 78. The cause of his death is as yet unknown. Arifin (picture) shot into the limelight as the trial judge in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's first sodomy indictment in 1999 against the former deputy prime minister's family driver, Azizan Abu Bakar. Born in 1933 in Rembau, Negri Sembilan, Arifin was one of six children in a family of rice farmers. He won a scholarship to read law in London and, upon his return in 1970, entered into the judicial and legal services. He set up his private law firm in 1976 and dabbled in politics for a while before quitting it after losing in the 1978 general election for the Terentang state seat against Umno's Yazid Baba. He became a judicial commissioner in 1992 and was appointed to the High Court two years later.
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| Despite claims, Zaid says not rejoining PKR Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:50 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today denied rumours that he would be rejoining PKR, saying that allegations of discussions between him and Nurul Izzah Anwar on the matter were untrue. The KITA president was responding to the contents of a letter being circulated on blogs, which alleged he had met the PKR vice-president to discuss his return to the Pakatan Rakyat leadership. "I do not know anything about these allegations. Since leaving PKR, I have not been in touch with either Nurul (Izzah Anwar), (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) or Kak Wan (Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail). "So do not connect me to this; they have to settle their own problems," Zaid (picture) said today. The letter circulated online claimed that Nurul Izzah had offered Zaid to contest the Petaling Jaya Selatan seat in the next general election. The seat is now held by PKR's Hee Loy Sian. Online portals and blogs, including Malaysia Today, have claimed the letter was written by Nurul Izzah's political enemies within PKR, following speculation that she would become PR's future candidate for prime minister. Zaid was once in the running for PKR's deputy presidency against Azmin Ali and Mustapha Kamil Ayub before he pulled out and quit the party last year.
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| Perkasa lapor polis kempen bebas Anwar, paderi Eu Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:45 PM PST Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas itu mahu polis menyiasat serta mengambil tindakan sewajarnya terhadap individu yang merancang kempen tersebut. (Free Malaysia Today) - Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Datuk Ibrahim Ali hari ini membuat dua laporan polis di Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini dengan disertai 30 anggotanya. Laporan pertama berhubung kempen 'Bebas Anwar 901′ yang dijadual di adakan di perkarangan Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Duta di sini pada 9 Januari ini dan laporan kedua, berhubung tindakan paderi Dr Eu Hong Seng mempersoalkan Perkara 153 Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Mahkamah Tinggi dijangka akan membuat penghakiman pada hari itu berhubung kes Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang didakwa meliwat bekas pembantunya, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan di kondominium Desa Damansara pada 26 Jun 2008. Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas itu mahu polis menyiasat serta mengambil tindakan sewajarnya terhadap individu yang merancang kempen tersebut. Ujarnya, "perbuatan mereka dengan mengajak rakyat untuk turun itu sengaja akan mencetuskan huru-hara. Biarkan kes berjalan tanpa gangguan. Sebagai rakyat yang waras mereka sudah matang untuk membaca keputusan yang akan diberikan. "Sebagai ahli dewan rakyat, saya membuat laporan untuk mendesak polis menyiasat siapa perancang kepada cadangan mengadakan perhimpunan 9 Januari seperti risalah yang ditaburkan. Polis hendaklah mengambil tindakan dan guna kuasa mereka untuk menyiasat siapa perancang kempen agar Malaysia selamat," katanya. Sementara itu Timbalan Presiden Perkasa Datuk Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar, pula mendesak kerajaan supaya mengambil tindakan ke atas paderi Dr. Eu Hong Seng di bawah Akta Hasutan 1948 kerana mempertikai Perkara 153 Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Ini berhubung kenyataan Eu yang juga Pengerusi National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) itu pada majlis minum petang di sebuah gereja di Subang Jaya, Sabtu lalu itu berbentuk provokasi, menghasut dan tidak bertanggungjawab.
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:42 PM PST DAP grassroots demand that he sue Makkal Osai besides The Star. (Free Malaysia Today) - Beleaguered Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy has failed to impress his critics in his attempt to clear his name by threatening to sue The Star over a controversial news report. The critics—mostly DAP grassroots leaders—want him to disprove allegations of violating the party's code of conduct by suing Makkal Osai as well. They are giving him 48 hours to do so, failing which they will lodge a police report against the Tamil daily for criminal defamation. They also want Ramasamy to heed DAP chairman Karpal Singh's call to quit his position as second deputy chief minister. The grassroots group first called for legal action against Makkal Osai last week. They blame a Nov 28 article in the daily for the current public spat between Karpal and Ramasamy. The paper appeared to have retracted the article in a "clarification" it carried on Dec 14. It said Ramasamy did not issue the press statement that claimed he had selected three DAP candidates for the coming election. "If it was not Ramasamy, who was it?" said a grassroots leader. "The party should get to the bottom of this." The Star, in its Dec 23 article, quoted Ramasamy as saying that there was a plot to oust him because he turned down requests for projects and favours from the party grassroots. The report prompted Karpal's call for his resignation. Ramasamy has since accused The Star of publishing a "baseless and frivolous" report. Whispering campaign Even if Ramasamy manages to clear his name, the DAP grassroots are in no mood to allow him to remain in Penang. They have started a whispering campaign to send him back to his hometown of Sitiawan and contest a seat in Perak. Some have suggested that he be fielded against a top Indian leader from Barisan Nasional.
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:38 PM PST The deputy chief minister wants the English daily and its journalist to apologise within seven days, failing which, he will sue. (Free Malaysia Today) - Embattled Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy has demanded an apology from English daily the Star and its journalist Ian McIntyre within the next seven days over an allegedly defamatory article published on Dec 23. Failing which, Ramasamy warned in his notice of demand dated Dec 28 that he would sue both for defamation. The DAP MP for Batu Kawan also demanded an undertaking from the national daily and journalist that the impugned statements "shall not be printed, published and circulated in future." Ramasamy also demanded that an appropriate sum be paid and/or offered as damages for the defamatory article. In the said article, the Star quoted Ramasamy as saying that there was a plot to oust him because he turned down requests for projects and favours from the party grassroots. The report prompted party supremo Karpal Singh to call for Ramasamy's resignation from the Pakatan Rakyat state government. But Ramasamy has since accused the Star of publishing a baseless and frivolous report. The notice of demand was sent to the Star head office in Petaling Jaya and the Penang-based journalist via AR Registered post by Ramasamy's legal representative – A Sivanesan and Co. 'Defamatory caption' The notice also mentioned that the caption referred in the article entitled "Distress in DAP Continues" were defamatory to Ramasamy. The notice claimed that the words referred bore and were understood to bear that DAP leaders were corrupt and abusing their power and office, and those impugned statements gave rise to adverse effects. The notice said the article caused serious damage to Ramasamy's reputation. It insisted that the defamatory words on Ramasamy were baseless, unfounded, frivolous and tainted with falsehoods.
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| Umno needs to ‘colonise’ S’wak for continuity Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:36 PM PST Dayaks must wrest control of Sarawak if they are to change the course of their future. If the Dayaks do not rule, they will not get land titles, and their children will be deprived of opportunities to attend good schools and get good jobs. By John Brian Anthony, Free Malaysia Today Umno will not allow Chief Minister Taib Mahmud to be removed from his seat because Taib was and is prepared to play ball and fit into their (Umno leaders') plan to "colonise" Sarawak. Peninsular Malaysia is running out of land and they need Sarawak. But it will be at the expense of the Dayaks of Sarawak. Peninsular Malaysia has exhausted its resources. There is not much oil and gas left. Where can they get more? They get it from Sabah and Sarawak. Who has the biggest oil and gas companies in Malaysia? Scomi, Kencana and government-linked companies like the MISC, all of which are peninsula-based. Are there any Sarawakians leading these companies or holding shares in them? The answer is: no. Should we allow this to continue? The answer is: no. That's why I decided to move towards DAP. I thought about this and the future of Sarawak. Dayaks must understand the meaning of their vote. Why do we vote? If we do not understand why we vote, then we will lose the objective of voting. In that way, our votes could be sold or bought by those parties with plenty of money to spend. I am worried that the minority in Sarawak will import their culture and belief system from places where the majority holds the power. It is already happening now. In Sarawak, Dayaks are a majority and as is the norm, the majority must rule. Minority rules in Sarawak As it is, the Malay Muslim (Taib Mahmud) is leading Sarawak. The majority – Dayaks and Chinese – are led by a minority. It is an odd situation. In Penang, for example, the Chinese rule the state. In Kelantan, Terengganu and other states in the peninsula, Malays rule because they are the majority. But in Sarawak the small minority rules the state. If the Dayaks do not rule, they will not get land titles, and their children will be deprived of opportunities to attend good schools and get good jobs. DAP is a party highly regarded for its integrity in the way it conducts its politics. Its leaders cannot ignore the Dayak majority and therefore will have to treat the Dayaks with trust, respect and fair play. With the 13th general election looming, both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional are preparing for the big fight. In the last outing (the state election in April), there was an increase in Dayak votes for Pakatan. Statistics also showed a increase in support for the opposition. To boost Muslim population, they (the BN state governments) isssued MyKads in Sabah and Sarawak to foreign workers and allowed them to vote. They even send more than 2,000 ustaz to rural Sarawak. All this is disturbing to me and it infringes on my rights and private space. How can the minority do this?
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| Simpati Siti Mariah pada Shahrizat boleh kelirukan rakyat Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:34 PM PST Kenyataan beliau beri "advantage" kepada Shahrizat dan Umno apabila momentum Pakatan Rakyat menyerang Umno dan Shahrizat tiba-tiba menjadi sejuk. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kenyataan Timbalan Ketua Muslimat PAS Pusat, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud di dalam sebuah akhbar harian berbahasa Melayu pada hari ini boleh mengelirukan rakyat dan ahli PAS terutama mereka yang terdiri daripada muslimat (wanita), demikian kata AJK Muslimat PAS Pusat yang enggan namanya disebut. Menurut beliau kenyataan Siti Mariah bahawa Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil adalah 'kambing hitam' kerana pihak bertanggungjawab tidak disabitkan kesalahan dalam isu Pusat Fidlot Nasional (NFC) merupakan satu kenyataan yang memberi gambaran seolah-olah Shahrizat langsung tidak ada kena mengena dalam isu NFC. "Kenyataan Siti Mariah yang juga merupakan Ahli Parlimen Kota Raja merupakan satu kenyataan bersifat peribadi kerana setahu saya Muslimat PAS tidak mengeluarkan kenyataan tersebut. "Secara peribadi Siti Mariah berhak untuk bersimpati terhadap Shahrizat. Tetapi sifat demikian seharusnya simpan di dalam hati beliau, bukannya menghebahkan kepada umum di dalam akhbar yang boleh mengelirukan rakyat, ahli PAS dan Muslimat PAS. "Kenyataan Siti Mariah memberi "advantage" kepada Shahrizat dan Umno apabila momentum Pakatan Rakyat menyerang Umno dan Shahrizat tiba-tiba disejukkan oleh kenyataan Siti Mariah. "Apabila pemimpin nasional PAS (Siti Mariah) sendiri memberikan kenyataan bersifat mempertahankan seorang pemimpin Umno dan Menteri Umno yang pernah mencemar budaya Melayu Islam apabila menyentuh bab singsing lengan dan selak kain, ini sudah tentu akan mengelirukan orang ramai, ahli PAS dan ahli Muslimat sendiri", kata pemimpin tersebut dengan nada tegas. AJK Muslimat PAS Pusat itu berkata walaupun ada ramai lagi pihak yang harus dipersalahkan dalam isu NFC ini, adalah tidak sukar untuk menjawab kenapa fokus serangan itu lebih terarah kepada Shahrizat. "Duit RM250 juta itu adalah duit rakyat dan seharusnya projek itu untuk rakyat tetapi kini projek itu sudah menjadi projek keluarga Shahrizat. "Bolehkah saya menjadi Menteri dan syarikat milik suami dan keluarga saya mendapat dana RM250 juta dari kerajaan untuk mengusahakan ternakan kambing atas matlamat membekalkan permintaan kambing dalam negara dan mengurangkan import daging kambing. "Seterusnya projek itu gagal dan saya gunakan duit itu untuk membeli kondominium, kereta mewah dan sebagainya. Apakah saya boleh cuci tangan dengan mengatakan projek/pusat ternakan kambing itu atas nama suami saya dan saya tidak ada kena mengena. "Secara teknikal mungkin saya tidak kena mengena kerana nama saya bukan pemenang saham. Tetapi secara moralnya saya harus bertanggungjwab kerana saya merupakan seorang menteri kepada rakyat, dana tersebut adalah milik rakyat dan saya isteri kepada pengerusi pusat ternakan kambing tersebut," jelas beliau. Beliau turut menambah ada banyak lagi isu nasional yang boleh diulas oleh Siti Mariah atau kenapa tidak sahaja menyerang terus pihak yang meluluskan projek tersebut. Tetapi dengan memberikan kenyataan simpati pada Shahrizat ini secara tidak langsung memberikan satu talian hayat kepada Shahrizat. "Jika Siti Mariah bersimpati dengan Shahrizat elok juga beliau menasihatkan Shahrizat agar tidak memalukan budaya Melayu dan Islam pada masa akan datang; merujuk kepada ucapan Shahrizat di Perhimpunan Agung Wanita Umno berhubung kenyataan Shahrizat yang nak singsing lengan dan selak kain. "Isu singsing lengan dan selak kain ini juga mengundang serangan kepada Shahrizat", kata beliau lagi.
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| Battle to light political fire in students Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:31 PM PST Student groups are getting bolder by demanding the right to publish independent student newspapers and called for academic freedom for lecturers. (Free Malaysia Today) - Microphone in hand, college student Muhammad Nasrul Alam rails against political restrictions on Malaysian campuses as well as bread-and-butter concerns like his school's unstable wi-fi network. But he faces a tough crowd: fellow students who are just waiting for a bus on the University of Malaya campus and who show a lack of interest in politics — something that Malaysian student leaders hope to change. Those hopes have soared since Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak vowed in November to end a ban dating from the 1970s on college students joining or supporting political parties, the latest in a series of pledges to reform oppressive laws. The ban has stunted student activism on campuses like the University of Malaya — the top university in this multi-ethnic, Muslim-majority country. But with Najib expected to call pivotal elections in 2012, the political attitudes of Malaysian students like Nasrul, 22, loom larger than they have in decades. "It's important for me now that students can participate in politics, whether in the government or in the opposition," Nasrul told AFP after his appearance at a tightly controlled "speakers corner" on the campus near the capital Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia, a country of 28 million people, has about 12 million registered voters. But it also has at least 2.5 million young people who have reached voting age since 2008, when the opposition made historic parliamentary gains. The enlarged youth vote is viewed as crucial in upcoming polls. Najib's student pledge was aimed at wooing young voters to prevent a further setback that could threaten the five-decade rule of his United Malays National Organisation. It is a heady time for university students. In October, a court ruled the politics ban unconstitutional, siding with four students accused of supporting the opposition in local polls. In July, throngs of students defied threats of disciplinary action by their colleges to join thousands of people at a rally for electoral reform in the capital that was broken up by police, who arrested 1,600 people. UUCA is like a ghost Many Malaysians are fed up with corruption, tensions among its many races and a perceived sense of drift under Najib's ethnic-Malay party and want change, said Ahmad Syukri Abdul Razab. "That is also the main objective of the student movement. For 40 years we have fought for the abolition of (the student politics ban)," said Ahmad Syukri, who heads the umbrella student organisation Student Solidarity Malaysia (SMM). But doubts linger over how much freedom students will be allowed — or how much they even want. Malaysian universities were once politically active. Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister and now opposition leader, rose to prominence as an Islamic student agitator at the University of Malaya in the 1970s. But they have been quiet since, in contrast to political ferment on campuses in neighbouring Thailand, Indonesia, and even China in recent decades. On the University of Malaya's leafy campus, a group of students — some in traditional Malay and Islamic dress — expressed little interest in politics as they ate curry lunches under a hot sun. "Our job at the university is to study, not to get involved in politics and other things," said an economics student who gave only her first name, Nabila. Much of the blame for the apathy is pinned on the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), which was amended in 1975 — after student protests the previous year — to include expulsions for students involved in politics. "The UUCA is like a ghost to the students. It scares them," said Ahmad Syazwan Muhammad Hasan, of the Islamic student organisation Gamis. But student groups are getting bolder. In November, leading organisations demanded the right to publish independent student newspapers and called for academic freedom for lecturers. Student groups have organised increasing numbers of discussions and even recent demonstrations. Some have been broken up by police. "The student movement must educate Malaysians to let them know it is not a crime to change the government. It is not a sin," Ahmad Syukri said.
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| PAS leaders: Apologies won’t save Hasan Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:41 AM PST While Nik Aziz has accepted Hasan's apology, many in PAS feel the time is ripe to drop Hasan fro contesting in the next polls. (Free Malaysia Today) - Party officials say they are sceptical that Hasan Ali's apologies to PAS's top leadership will remove the clouds over his bleak future, with some saying the scars are too deep to heal. According to party's online mouthpiece Harakah Daily, embattled Hasan had met president Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat and his deputy Haron Din in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, last night in what appeared to be a reconciliation meeting. However former party deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, who like Hasan, has his future hanging by the thread after openly attacking the party and accusing it of deviating from its Islamic agenda was not present at the meeting. The two are also advocating unity with archrivals, Umno, in the name of Islam and Malay brotherhood, something many in PAS consider as blasphemous and impossible. The Harakah report said Hasan had apologised for his outburst and that the influential Nik Aziz had accepted his apology. "I am thankful (to God) that Hasan has shown humility in apologising and withdrawing negative statements made against the party. "It is not easy for someone to admit to a mistake and apologise, thus his actions has touched me. I hope others who have such problems to be open like Hasan," Nik Aziz was quoted as saying. But party sources said the reconciliatory tone of the meeting will not undo the damage done by Hasan. They suggest that this will likely lead to him being dropped from contesting in the upcoming national polls as he would be viewed as a liability to the party. "The scar is too deep. What Hasan does not realise is he may have charmed his way with the party's top leadership and they (leaders) may have accepted it but not the party grassroots," a party source told FMT.
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:37 AM PST (The Star) - PAS rebel Datuk Dr Hasan Ali has denied that he was in Kota Baru to apologise to PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat over his remarks against the party hours after the Harakahdaily claimed he had done so. Former Selangor PAS Commissioner Hasan pointed out that he had already retracted his comments regarding the welfare state issue during a press conference at his residence on Dec 24 and had apologised to the party leaders at the same time. In a statement last night, he said he was disappointed with Harakahdaily which had been reminded many times not to twist facts which could create confusion and disunity. He clarified that he had been invited to attend a gathering involving former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa along with PAS deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din and Nik Aziz at the Mentri Besar's home at JKR 10 Kota Baru. "The gathering went smoothly and it was pleasant and sincere. "Among the things touched upon during the gathering were the party's direction, preparation for the 13th general election and Harakah's path as the party's official voice," said Hasan. He pointed out that they had given their views on how to strengthen the party's development and the rakyat's support. Hasan also stated that he was moved by the recognition shown by the leadership in his mission to elevate Islam in the country. Harakahdaily had quoted Nik Aziz as saying that Hasan had withdrawn all his statements criticising the party after a meeting with the party's top leaders in Kota Baru on Tuesday night. Both Hasan and Nasharudin have been embroiled in a war of words with party colleagues for questioning the party's direction under the new crop of non-ulama leaders. Hasan also drew flak for pushing for a revival of unity talks between PAS and arch-rival Umno. The spat got to a point where some top leaders told him that he was free to leave the party to join the other side.
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| Umno scared of undergrads, says Anwar Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:35 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno is desperate and resorting to physical threats to intimidate undergraduates from pushing for greater academic freedom and taking an active role in politics, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said. "While the awareness of academic freedom is growing and maturing among undergraduates, the Umno leadership is becoming increasingly vicious and restive in facing this push and is acting blindly in an apparent physical threat that is rude and reckless," the PKR leader said in a statement late last night. "Datuk Seri Najib Razak's commitment to purportedly amend section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) and give more academic freedom to undergraduates in partisan politics is nothing more than empty talk," he added. The de facto head of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact urged the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) lynchpin party to quit pressuring undergraduates following recent news reports concerning student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim. The 21-year old student at the Sultan Idris University of Education (UPSI) hit headlines after he was purportedly caught lowering a banner bearing the likeness of Prime Minister Najib from a flagpole outside Umno's headquarters here on December 17. Adam Adli claimed to have received death threats and was allegedly punched by a policeman following the incident. His university administration has also issued a show-cause letter to him for tarnishing the institution's name, according to UPSI Undergraduate Solidarity chairman Ahmad Syukrie Che Abd Razab as cited in a Bernama Online report.
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| Di antara 'amal makruf nahi mungkar' dengan 'amal mungkar nahi makruf' Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:32 AM PST ASPAN ALIAS UMNO masih tidak mahu menerima yang etika kepimpinan merupakan nadi utama dalam penentuan jemaah kepimpinan itu boleh dipercayai atau pun sebaliknya. Jamil Khir Baharom, seorang lagi menteri yang menjadi masalah kepada UMNO. Satu demi satu segala kesalahan jenayah yang menjadi perkara biasa dalam UMNO itu keluar dan menjadi pengetahuan umum. Yang terakhir selepas isu lembu NFC, timbul isu dua orang menteri yang berkelakuan tidak senonoh dalam kepimpinan. Yang menariknya seorang menteri yang berlatar belakangkan agama yang telah menyampaikan khutbah di tanah suci baru-baru ini telah menggemparkan orang Islam di negara kita ini. Beliau telah menggunakan wang zakat kepunyaan rakyat untuk membayar kos perundangan beliau dalam kes saman Anwar Ibrahim terhadap beliau dan dua orang yang lain dalam isu Qazaf baru-baru ini.
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| Welcome to DAP and PAS circus! Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:29 AM PST JUST READ Told you already! It was a cheap theater by PAS and DAP. And now, even their members are confused between the truth and lies; and between the fool and wise. While PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz stood by his statement that Hasan Ali was in Kota Bharu to apologise to the party, the latter on the other hand refuted the claim. Hasan pointed out that he had already retracted his comments regarding the welfare state issue during a press conference at his residence on Dec 24 and had apologised to the party leaders at the same time. In a statement Wednesday night, he said he was disappointed in Harakah which had been reminded many times not to twist facts which could raise confusion and disunity. He clarified that he had been invited attend a gathering involving former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa along with PAS deputy spiritual leader Dr Haron Din at Nik Aziz's home at JKR 10 Kota Bharu. Now, who spoke the truth here? Its unbecoming of Nik Aziz to lie if he did. And who are confused? Of course PAS members... and the media!Also in Pakatan Rakyat, DAP members are still uncertain of who are the fools and wise, between Karpal Singh and P Ramasamy. The party's chairman said he has left it to the party's disciplinary committee to take action in the recent war of words between him and Penang Deputy Chief Minister, and that he would abide by the gag order imposed by the three-man panel formed to resolve the issue.
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| Azmin Ali – serang Nurul Izzah? Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:16 AM PST UMNO REFORM Ulasan saya mengenai Hak milik PKR adalah pada Anwar Ibrahim dan Azmin menimbulkan reaksi kemarahan penyokong PKR. Artikel itu juga di ulas oleh "freemalaysiatoday" dengan ulasan terperinci mengenai topik PKR hak milik Anwar Ibrahim dan Azmin Ali. Ia boleh dibaca di sini : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/12/28/pkr-will-collapse-under-azmin/ Dalam pada itu pula, Raja Petra Kamarudin dalam tulisan beliau di "Malaysia-today.net" mengulas pula isu sabotaj terhadap Nurul Izzah yang didakwa kemungkinan bertunjangkan Azmin Ali. Hujahnya adalah Nurul Izzah rapat dengan Presiden Parti Kita – Zaid Ibrahim. Ia boleh dibaca di sini: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/46138-poison-pen-letter-on-nurul-izzah-circulating Maka pergolakan dalam PKR semakin nampak dan peranan Azmin Ali semakin jelas dengan sokongan Anwar Ibrahim. Politik dalam PKR semakin rancak dan semua yang terlibat secara langsung atau tidak dengan menyokong atau menolak Azmin Ali. Namun Anwar Ibrahim masih berkeras di belakang Azmin Ali. Dalam laporan di www.malaysia-today.net Raja Petra turut memuatkan andaian seperti pertentangan Azmin Ali dengan Nurul Izzah dan ini sekali akan pasti memuatkan isu Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat itu turut menolak Azmin Ali. Pergeseran semakin meluar dan konflik ini dijangka akan melibatkan banyak pihak terutama mangsa-mangsa Azmin Ali.
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:10 AM PST All eyes will turn to Borneo. It is a mighty ask to expect a lion's share of the parliamentary seats there, but Pakatan might broach the 20-seat mark, though it might end up being 15. That would reduce BN's majority from Borneo (31 seats in Sarawak, 25 in Sabah) from 54 in 2008 to a manageable 26. Praba Ganesan, The Malaysian Insider An important time is arriving in Malaysia, and it does not matter if you are for it or not; that's not material anymore. The growing fear is that the nation is about to enter this phase without a seat belt. History students in the distant future will love 2011. When in doubt in a class history quiz, 2011 is, as they say in basketball, a high percentage shot (or guess in that situation). The world has plenty of discussion points from this year, with the death of Kim Jung-il tipping the year to epic proportion. However for Malaysians, despite its share of watershed moments this year, 2012 will be the one that is monumental. Two inevitable events in 2012 will dictate life in Malaysia for some time. A general election and a court verdict. He will go to jail With his declaration from the defendant's dock of his innocence and that Sodomy II is an elaborate political attack, Anwar Ibrahim has announced his disbelief in the country's justice system under Barisan Nasional. Legal minds are divided on the strategy, but still it did more than suggest that the leader of the opposition is readying himself for what seems like a predictable verdict. Few of those legal minds, outside the employ of the Malaysian government, disagree with Anwar. On January 9 when the verdict comes out, there will be a reaction. Not rage, but a quiet shrug of the shoulder by millions of Malaysians. This disgust may translate to votes in the coming general election. The column is mindful that there will be many other developments between that January week and the general election, but none will capture the collective imagination of Malaysians as much as this. The spectre of a grandfather going to jail six months after Prime Minister Najib Razak promising to reform the country's arcane and oppressive laws removes any semblance of reform from the present administration. The administration's fear of a free Anwar in an election year may be its undoing. General election This column made the prognosis last year that there will be no general election this year. It has been vindicated on that score. Six months ago it would be outright optimism bordering on blind faith to expect Pakatan Rakyat to exceed its Election 2008 results. Today, there is talk in saner political corners of a possible election upset. Najib has a large party, but most are in for what Umno can give them and are led by very few charismatic leaders. It is a party of money, not a party of ideas. It can only rely on the following: a good economy, the buzz of 1 Malaysia, mainstream media and its election machinery. The economy is strong, and the planned handouts leading to the election will affect votes. Still, decades of poor wealth distribution are starting to bite all over, the emerging scandals are only confirming allegations of an elitist system run to please one class, not any race, religion or state. Mainstream media has been less dismissive of Pakatan Rakyat, even if they'd rather have dead air than say salutary things about the coalition. Some of the commentaries have given way to doubt. The buzz of 1 Malaysia is the random factor. No poll can gauge it. Only a fair election will. It is conceivable that this administration is leaking support. The BN machine is a money machine. It is less incisive in a general election than in a by-election. It is about pump-priming activities based on money. The question remains, how many Malaysians are keen on appearing to openly support the BN in the coming election, even if the money is good? There is an air of change in the country, and an Anwar conviction will electrify the country more and convince them that if they let this moment slip, then a reversal will occur. The electoral maths then… The dwindled support for BN's Chinese parties will start to tell. The Indian votes are divided at best, not in Najib's bag necessarily. It is curious to note that Najib, not the MIC, holds sway with the community. It is the young vote which will determine the result. Anwar does not poll that well with women, but that does not discount Pakatan's overall appeal to women. Penang is destined to stay with Pakatan. The parliamentary seats will be status quo. Kedah will copy Penang, and Perlis is on a knife edge. Pundits will not be surprised if the northwest turns into a Pakatan surge. Kelantan is a safe seat, and the vagaries of Terengganu Umno politics does leave more questions than answers. Umno may keep the state, but only a two-seat majority in the parliamentary count. Pahang will be Peninsular Malaysia's battleground. There were urban wins for Pakatan, but it is the reach to Felda areas that will be telling. Umno to keep Pahang, but to lose more ground. Perak and Selangor will go Pakatan, the first is a bigger call but a call has to be made. With the expectation of a slim Pakatan win in Negri Sembilan, that leaves Malacca and Johor as solid Umno states. All eyes will turn to Borneo. It is a mighty ask to expect a lion's share of the parliamentary seats there, but Pakatan might broach the 20-seat mark, though it might end up being 15. That would reduce BN's majority from Borneo (31 seats in Sarawak, 25 in Sabah) from 54 in 2008 to a manageable 26. A national electoral win is possible, even if quite challenging, if the above inroad is achieved in Borneo. Unlike Pakatan's leadership conviction that the right candidates will win Putrajaya, this column is ready to call that it will be the national mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of Malaysians wanting a new Malaysia which will secure the change.
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| Felda bergolak menunggu pecah? Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:08 AM PST Haji Subky Abdul Latif, The Malaysian Insider Saya penuhi undangan makan seorang simi-vetren Umno. Vetren bermaksud aktivis lama yang bersara. Simi-vetren bererti aktivis lama tidak tua sangat dan sebagai ahli biasa tidak cergas tetapi tidak pula bersara dari politik. Bersamanya dua orang pegawai penting ibu pejabat Felda. Kedua-duanya teman seperjuangan orang Umno, belum lekang rasa sayangnya pada Umno. Mereka tidak berkongsi tuntutan dengan ANAK, sebuah NGO peneroka pro-PAS pimpinan Mazlan. Tetapi mengira ada kegiatan ANAK dapat membantu Felda mengatasi kelemahannya. Saya tidak mengikut sangat masalah Felda tetapi dari keduanya saya difahamkan Felda sedang bergolak dan menunggu masa pecah saja, sejak Tan Sri Isa Samad masuk ke Felda sebagai pengerusi. Mereka tidak mempersoal perlantikan Isa sebagai orang kuat baru Felda kerana dia adalah proksi kepada Perdana Menteri Najib. Keupayaan Najib menjadikan duit Felda seperti duitnya adalah perkembangan lama sebelum Isa datang ke situ. Tetapi Isa dikatakan menjadi masalah besar kepada peneroka apabila dia merampas jawatan pengerusi koperasi warga Felda — peneroka dan sekalian pegawai dan kakitangan. Tiada pengerusi-pengerusi yang lalu, baik terdiri dari orang politik atau pegawai tabdir yang dipinjmakan ke situ, mengusik koperasi itu. Tetapi Isa merampas jawatan itu ketika pengerusinya, pemimpin utama pentadbiran Felda, bernama Datuk Zulkifli menunaikan ibadat di Mekah. Dia juga diberi cuti dari jawatannya di Felda, dan beberapa pegawai penting di bawah Datuk Zulkifli dipulangkan semula ke PTD. Walaupun warga Felda ada hak atas Felda tetapi hak kerajaan lebih besar dari hak setiap individu di Felda. Tetapi koperasi adalah hak warga yang menjadi ahlinya dan ia bukan hak Najib dan Isa yang diamanatkan oleh kerajaan untuk menjaga Felda. Hak untuk menjadi pengerusi koperasi ditentukan oleh lembaga pengarah. Lembaga pengarah pula dipilih mesyuarat ahli-ahlinya. Pengerusi koperasi hanya boleh dilucutkan oleh lembaga pengarah dengan pengesahan suruhanjaya koperasi. Isa dikatakan menjadi pengerusi yang tidak sah. Sejak dia mengambil alih jawatan itu, dia belum dapat mempengerusikan mesyuaratnya. Suruhanjaya koperasi tidak dapat menyetujui kejadian seperti itu. Nasib Isa dalam koperasi itu akan ditentukan dalam mesyuarat agung koperasi yang diwakili oleh wakil koperasi Felda dari seluruh negara pada 5 Januari ini. Malah ada perkembangan dalam keluarga Felda untuk membawa perkara ini ke mahkamah. Maklumat yang saya faham dari mereka, Felda seolah-olah tidak lagi menjadi simpanan tetap Umno dalam pilihan raya yang akan datang. Selama ini ia adalah simpanan tetap Umno, tetapi politik Isa Samad bukan saja memburukkan politik Umno bahkan ia menambah burukkan politik Najib di Felda.
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| Business of corruption thriving Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:05 AM PST Is it fair to deduce that a lack of political will is the reason corruption in Malaysia is doing brisk business? Pressure has been mounting on Shahrizat to quit serving the rakyat but no thanks to the nation's top two leaders i.e. Najib and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin who are playing "godfathers" to her, the 58-year-old Shahrizat seems unfazed and is capitalising on her 16 years experience as a politician to cover up her tracks. Jeswwan Kaur, Free Malaysia Today One must beware of ministers who can do nothing without money and those who want to do everything with money – Indira Gandhi. Corruption has become a way of life for politicians in this country. Under the disguise of defending the rakyat's well-being, these unscrupulous politicians are in actual fact looking after the welfare of their own kith and kin. This "C" (corruption) factor while a favourite among the politicians has become a menace and bane for the people, most whom have become exasperated at the after-effects of a corrupt system. Earlier this month, the Transparency International Malaysia survey revealed that for the third consecutive year, Malaysia recorded a decline in its Corruption Perception Index score, its 4.3 score slightly lower than the 4.4 recorded in 2010 and much lower than the government benchmark of 4.9. Is it fair to deduce that a lack of political will is the reason corruption in Malaysia is doing "brisk" business? If the recent cases of palm greasing involving politicians who also hold ministerial responsibilities are any indication, then yes, there is no commitment coming from the "powers that be" to weed out corruption from the system. Nipping the malignant bud of corruption is not something the federal government is interested in. Instead, the government under the Barisan Nasional flagship is doing the reverse. When Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak "unceremoniously" deported French human rights lawyer William Bourdon five months ago, Suara Rakyat Malaysia or Suaram was convinced that the premier and his government are "inextricably linked" with the Scorpene submarines corruption scandal. Bourdon was representing Suaram in a high-profile case filed against submarines' vendor DCN at the Parisian courts. (In 2002, Najib then the defence minister, sanctioned the purchase of the Scorpene submarines amid accusations of gross over-pricing and kickbacks). "It is the biggest mistake yet by the Malaysian government for it is an affront to diplomacy, to international law and common decency. It was a totally arbitrary act by the Home Ministry and a gross abuse of executive power of the Najib administration," Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel retorted via a statement on July 27, four days after Bourdon's deportation. 'Leadership by example' Najib has since denied having had a hand in any financial impropriety in the submarines deal. Now, following in his wrong steps is the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil who is vehemently denying any involvement in the misappropriation of funds allotted to the National Feedlot Centre which is headed by her husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail and the couple's children. Details furnished by the opposition party PKR allege that Shahrizat and her family have misused the RM250 million meant for NFC by purchasing a luxury condominium in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur and another one in Singapore, a Mercedez Benz and an all-paid Umrah pilgrimage. Pressure has been mounting on Shahrizat to quit serving the rakyat but no thanks to the nation's top two leaders i.e. Najib and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin who are playing "godfathers" to her, the 58-year-old Shahrizat seems unfazed and is capitalising on her 16 years experience as a politician to cover up her tracks. Najib thought deporting Bourdon would be the end of his worry, but not as far as Suaram is concerned, with this human right group going all out to pin the premier down. Shahrizat should learn her lesson and own up before she is rejected by the people, "unceremoniously" that is.
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| Stepping out of Anwar’s shadow Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:03 AM PST In this last week of 2011, we will be re-publishing selected stories carried in FMT throughout this year. We find that these stories still remain relevant in the present context. Nurul may have risen in the party ranks but she hasn't forgotten her first political appointment. The Lembah Pantai constituency remains just as precious to her as when she won her seat in 2008 and she is determined to defend it in the next general election. Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today This article was first posted on Jan 19, 2011. FMT still considers Nurul Izzah Anwar, the Lembah Pantai MP and the PKR vice-president, as a rising star in PKR. Being elected the youngest vice-president of PKR wasn't part of a preordained plan. Neither was winning the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat. In fact, Nurul Izzah Anwar used to duck the political spotlight until it was rudely thrust upon her in 1998. And even then there was no plan. The then 18-year-old would have been forgiven had she wound up submerged by the waves of political pressure. Instead, the daughter of PKR de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, not only stayed afloat but sailed through her baptism of fire to earn the moniker Puteri Reformasi. Some call it destiny, others call it an obligation. Nurul herself simply calls it putting things into perspective. And it was a perspective that seared itself so deeply within her that she still speaks of it in befittingly hushed tones. "A part of me changed forever that day," she said softly. "It wasn't just about my father's sacking and eventual arrest but having everything I held sacred just crumbled before me. I felt the fragility of life." "It then dawned on me that it wasn't about any single individual but about a movement and the need to be part of something you believe in. That was my earth-shattering moment. And that has made me the person I am today." The people who ushered her onto the "reformasi" path were those who were by her side during Anwar's arrest. After enveloping her with support, they told her that she had to take up the fight, not just for her father but for the scores of other political prisoners. Nurul didn't hesitate. "If I didn't do it then no one would know of our plight," she said earnestly. "They wouldn't know of the judicious arguments for my father's release, about the other political prisoners and why the Internal Security Act is unacceptable. These messages need to be propagated." First hurdle Nurul's first hurdle was persuading her reluctant mother and PKR president, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to bestow her blessings upon her daughter's new career. Then she turned to PAS, DAP, Abim (Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia) and even Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia) to seek guidance in learning the ropes. A trait that perhaps further strengthened her tenacity was her disinterest in "what ifs". "I never thought about what I would have done if 1998 didn't happen to me because it is an exercise in futility," she reasoned. Then with her tongue firmly planted in her cheek, she added, "I'm very glad that 1998 did happen because I certainly wouldn't have wanted to join Puteri Umno!" Indeed, Nurul has come a long way from the young woman who once didn't relish the political association that was packaged into her name. Her strong embrace of political activism therefore greatly astonished her. It also taught her the importance of owning an idea before bringing it into reality. "There was a sense of obligation certainly," she readily admitted. "But I also owned the idea of becoming a politician. If I felt forced into it, I would have led a very unhappy life and let down all my supporters." "So the process of owning this new life and identity has been a very important and invaluable one for me. It has been a very steep learning curve and I'm glad I stayed the course. But my husband was still surprised by my decision to contest for vice-president!" Was vice-presidency really not part of a blueprint? Nurul sighed quietly. It was obviously a question that she has been asked too many times. She looked up and straight into the camera. "No," she said clearly. Then she smiled. "But now that I am, I have a plan." Laying the groundwork The moment her vice-presidency was announced, Nurul hit the ground running. Before the first week was over, she found herself assigned to Negri Sembilan and Malacca where she was tasked with obtaining feedback from members on the party's first direct elections. Her other assignment was to lay out the groundwork that would help the party design programmes aimed at garnering support from the younger electorate. Nurul's hands are also full at the Federal Territory level where she has commissioned a 100-day programme for Kuala Lumpur if Pakatan Rakyat were to take over the federal government. "My plan is clear but I'll need at least a month to assess the needs of the different states and the party before implementing them," she said. "And I'll be working closely with the secretariat because they too have planned many programmes." "The challenge here is to work cohesively. It's not going to be an individual pursuit because that would never achieve the intended results." The project that is closest to her heart at this point of time, however, is the Democracy Rehabilitation Act, a bipartisan Bill which encompasses the six principal prerequisites for a thriving democracy. A one-million signature campaign for a memorandum of the Act kicked off this month which will be subsequently submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Pakatan will also propose this Act to the ruling government to move during the next parliamentary sitting. "We've used the word 'rehabilitation' as a sign of respect for what is enshrined in the Federal Constitution," she explained. "We're drafting the actual Bill but the petition has begun because we urgently need to revoke all emergency declarations." "We have to explain to the people that we are democratically poor as a nation. We're still living under Emergency Rule! So I'm bringing this matter down to the grassroots and getting them to sign the petition."
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST The current political landscape in the country is fertile for all minority parties in Barisan Nasional or otherwise to opt for a direct coalition system. Within the state BN, especially for Sarawak, minor parties can work out a cooperation pact namely the newly revamped SUPP (Sarawak United Peoples Party) with PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) and SPDP (Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party). Awang Abdilllah, Free Malaysia Today After the 12th GE of 2008, what we are witnessing are structural changes in the Malaysian political landscape – the emergence of a two-party system in Malaysia – Umno the main component of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, and the opposition pact led by PKR and PAS. Unlike the two-party system in some countries such as the US, either one of the two parties can win an election and form the government and the other automatically becomes the opposition. But in Malaysia the dual party system is unique. Firstly it is a Malay based two-party system and secondly neither party can form a government on its' own without a coalition with the non-Malay minority parties. Hence the political landscape in the country provides the right scenario for all minority parties in BN or otherwise to opt for a (direct) coalition system of government whereby the minority parties will contest using their own party ticket. And after the general election is over, these minority parties can negotiate to join either one of the two Malay based parties. Therefore the formation of a federal government would then be based on the two-party system and a coalition system. As we have known or rather common knowledge, that there have been so many gross abuses committed by Umno under the name of the government and the BN entity. Only Umno wields so much political and economic powers leaving the other minor component parties sharing the leftovers. This has been Umno's policy and practices since 1981 following the Mahathir undemocratic-authoritarian rule. The other component parties though members of the BN are all tied down under the Umno system of controls which enables the latter to become the de facto federal government. Since 2009 when Najib took over the premiership, initially he tried more democratic approaches such as the 1Malaysia slogan , economic, political and electoral reforms but with little success. However of late it is getting clearer that like Mahathir, the former shares similar beliefs that only through the undemocratic-authoritarian rule can Umno continue to hold such political and economic powers and maintain its' grip on other races and parties . Two-pronged strategy needed This special two-party political system requires a third force that has the two pronged strategy to encircle Umno's despotic power and to prop up the opposition – Pakatan plus coalition – and strengthen the system. Lets look at the components of the Third Force: i) Direct coalition system at national level and state levels. Across the country there are many minor political parties whether in the BN or opposition that can team up and forge a common platform through the direct coalition system. Parties like DAP, MCA, MIC, PRS, SPDP, SUPP, PESAKA, SAPP and others can contest in an election using their own party symbols. I believe the people can accept such a united political body to breakup Umno and PBB hegemony (in Sarawak). A direct coalition system acts as a check-and-balance against the dominance of an undemocratic, dictatorial kind of government. After the 13th GE, these third force political parties can work out which of the two main Malay parties they wish to join enbloc or on individual basis. Under a direct coalition system, a coalition partner is not tied down to a main or even a majority component party in the government. It is a loose partnership whereby any partner can quit the government and join the opposition. However if the partners who quit have a majority seats, then they can proceed to form another different new coalition government. So there is freedom of choice – any party can join or leave the ruling party or the opposition. Hence in the formation of the federal government and the respective state governments in Malaysia, the direct coalition system is the best alternative for every minority party. If all the minority parties in BN or opposition team up to join PKR and PAS, then Umno's dominance is history at the national or state levels in Semenanjung Malaysia and Sabah. ii) Cooperation pact in Sarawak Within the state BN, especially for Sarawak, minor parties can work out a cooperation pact namely the newly revamped SUPP (Sarawak United Peoples Party) with PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) and SPDP (Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party). The latter two can even forge a merger pact to form a stronger entity. This kind of cooperation pact can form a third force component at state level to counter PBB's hegemony of power. If the Pesaka wing of PBB (Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu) snaps and attaches itself to the grouping, the more the merrier. If the state Pakatan wishes to join the pact, then PBB is completely encircled. I believe a majority of the Malays would support such a pact. This may compel some of the PBB leaders who are not aligned with Taib to consider crossing over to PAS or PKR to spearhead its presence further in the state before the 13th GE though the state would not be holding any state election.
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| Occupy Dataran to stage 'V for Vendetta flashmob' on New Year's Eve Posted: 27 Dec 2011 10:27 PM PST
To mark the end of 2011 and the inception of the 2012 New Year, we are calling ALL to Occupy Dataran Merdeka with us on December 31st, 2011, at 11pm. This will be a participatory MASS FLASHMOB, symbolically expressing our common indignation against the many injustices and anti-democratic events that happened in Malaysia in 2011, in contrast to the positive significance of 2011 for the rest of the world. We want to collectively say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH; TIME FOR REAL DEMOCRACY NOW, in 2012!
'V' masks at Dataran Merdeka symbolize resistance against authoritarianism 2011 will go down in history as the Year of Peaceful, Non-Violent Revolutions. It began in Tunisia, culminating in Tahrir Square, Egypt, now undeniably THE iconic image and symbol of human freedom and liberation of the 21st Century. We also saw the uprising of the Indignados (The Indignant movement), occupying Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain, giving inspiration to the Occupy Wall Street movement, that began on September 17th. This democratic wave, driven by ordinary peoples on the street, as opposed to leadership by elites the world over, is destined to become the Revolution that will OCCUPY the hearts and minds of the 7 billion persons on earth today, for generations to come. Occupy Dataran, inspired by these events, began to occupy Dataran Merdeka, on a weekly basis, since July 30th 2011. We have been committed to this ideal of embodying the kind of change we want to see in wider Malaysian society, to practice and model a new form of grassroots, non-partisan, non-hierarchical, participatory form of direct democracy, right here in Malaysia. Our Assemblies, meeting every Saturday at Dataran Merdeka, is the concrete actualization of Direct Democracy and Open Participation by Anyone and Everyone, without regard for race, creed or wealth. As the year 2011 draws to a close, dark clouds still hang over the Malaysian sky, no different from the previous years. Undemocratic repression of human rights continue unabated. Malaysians suffer these abuses in different forms and at different levels. It is often hard for the ordinary Malaysian to articulate and give voice to their suffering and plight. Occupy Dataran wants to provide that space and platform for all to channel their outrage and indignation in constructive and meaningful ways. We want every person to find his or her own voice, formulating his or her own demands. Some of these demands may spring from this year's chronology of injustices: the repression of street protests (eg. Bersih 2.0), the passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011, the Lynas debacle, the continuous land-grab of Orang Asli & indigenous land in Sabah & Sarawak, corruption in government, exploitation and repression of local and migrant workers' welfare & rights, deaths in the MACC, the suppression of academic and student freedoms by the UUCA, etc. To mark the end of 2011 and the inception of the 2012 New Year, we are calling ALL to Occupy Dataran Merdeka with us on December 31st, 2011, at 11pm. We call on ALL to come wearing the mask of V, re-enacting the final dramatic scene from the movie, V for Vendetta. The V mask represents resistance against authoritarianism all over world. This will be a participatory MASS FLASHMOB, symbolically expressing our common indignation against the many injustices and anti-democratic events that happened in Malaysia in 2011, in contrast to the positive significance of 2011 for the rest of the world. We want to collectively say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH; TIME FOR REAL DEMOCRACY NOW, in 2012! Our objectives for this CALL TO ACTION ON DECEMBER 31st are: 1) To reclaim our public spaces and reclaim Dataran Merdeka as an open and democratic space for all peoples to assemble freely and peacefully; 2) To defend and reclaim the fundamental right to assemble peacefully, protest and to occupy our public spaces; 3) To protest against the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011; 4) To show solidarity with all those who have suffered injustices and violation of their basic rights in 2011; 5) To show our resolve in making 2012 the year of real democratic changes in Malaysia, in all aspects, political, social and economic. We CALL ON ALL to join us on 31st December 2011 and make our DEMANDS loud and clear at Dataran Merdeka. JOM OCCUPY! #OccupyDataran Media Working Group
Note: The Organizers will be releasing the specific details of the 31st December Flashmob soon, via the OcuppyDataran Facebook page, |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 10:21 PM PST Dari ekonomi, sosial dan politik semuanya mahu ditransformasikan oleh Najib. Seperti Abdullah, Umno sendiri menjadi batu penghalang kepada program-program Najib. Sehingga kini, Najib masih belum dilihat mempunyai kekuatan untuk meyakinkan Umno untuk bersama gagasan yang ingin beliau bawa. By Amin IskandarMenurut seorang teman yang juga seorang ketua editor sebuah "news portal" terkemuka tanahair, perdana menteri Malaysia selepas Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad berusaha keras untuk melaksanakan program-program ekonomi, sosial dan politik yang dekat dihati rakyat. Ini boleh dilihat dari pengalaman Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Selepas menggantikan Dr. Mahathir, jika kita ingat kembali – Abdullah Badawi berusaha keras untuk melaksanakan reformasi dalam kerajaan pimpinannya. Yang menjadi batu penghalang utama kepada program-program reformasi Abdullah Badawi adalah dari parti Umno sendiri. Golongan "garis keras" yang kuat bersarang dalam parti tersebut sehingga akhirnya, Abdullah Badawi menjadi bahan jenaka. Sabotaj dari dalam Umno menjadi antara punca keputusan pilihan raya umum ke 12 yang menyaksikan majoriti dua pertiga Barisan Nasional (BN) di parlimen dinafikan – beberapa negeri BN terlepas ke tangan pembangkang. Abdullah tersingkir dari tampuk kuasa dan Datuk Seri Najib Razak menggantikannya. Selain gagasan 1Malaysia, Najib menjuarai program transformasi didalam pentadbirannya. Dari ekonomi, sosial dan politik semuanya mahu ditransformasikan oleh Najib. Seperti Abdullah, Umno sendiri menjadi batu penghalang kepada program-program Najib. Sehingga kini, Najib masih belum dilihat mempunyai kekuatan untuk meyakinkan Umno untuk bersama gagasan yang ingin beliau bawa. Panglima Najib Timbalan Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah adalah salah seorang "panglima" kepada program transformasi politik Najib. Tanpa restu dari Najib, tidak mudah bagi Saifuddin untuk bergerak ke tahap ini. Kita dapat melihat bagaimana Saifuddin berani untuk berhadapan dengan mahasiswa, politikus pembangkang dan NGO dalam forum-forum terbuka untuk mempertahankan program transformasi Najib. Saifuddin juga konsisten mempertahankan hak kebebasan mahasiswa untuk berpolitik dan mahukan Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti (AUKU) dipinda bagi menjamin kebebasan tersebut. Untuk saya, jika Najib mempunyai lebih ramai panglima seperti Saifuddin, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) berada dalam bahaya besar. Namun sudah pasti orang seperti Saifuddin tidak disukai oleh golongan garis keras dalam Umno. Peristiwa demonstrasi mahasiswa dihadapan Bangunan Umno di PWTC minggu lalu - dimana bendera presiden Umno ke tujuh, Najib Razak diturunkan dan digantikan dengan bendera kebebasan menjadi satu "bola tanggung" kepada golongan "garis keras" dalam Umno. Saifuddin akhirnya di"smash". Beliau didesak untuk meletakkan jawatan diatas insiden penurunan bendera tersebut. Serangan itu dibuat menerusi mesej-mesej Twitter dan entri dalam blog-blog. Walaupun Saifuddin - juga Ahli Parlimen Temerloh berulang kali mengulangi pendiriannya bahawa kumpulan mahasiswa, yang didakwa menurunkan bendera wajah Najib di pekarangan ibu pejabat Umno harus meminta maaf terhadap insiden tersebut.
Untuk melihat kuat atau lemahnya Najib dalam Umno, kita boleh perhatikan dengan bagaimana perdana menteri mengurus kes Saifuddin Abdullah ini. Jika Najib kuat, beliau pasti akan mempertahankan Saifuddin dan menutup "mulut" golongan keras dalam Umno. Jika Najib dalam keadaan lemah, Saifuddin mungkin tidak tercalon lagi sebagai calon BN di kerusi Temerloh dalam PRU akan datang. Najib sudah pasti tahu, orang seperti Saifuddin mampu untuk memenangi hati orang muda dan mahasiswa walaupun tidak secara keseluruhannya. Mempunyai lebih ramai orang seperti Ahli Parlimen Temerloh ini, akan memperlihatkan kepada masyarakat umum bahawa beliau serius dengan program transformasi dan politik baru. Akan tetapi, ini bukanlah sesuatu perkara yang mudah untuk dilakukan. Abdullah Badawi yang dari awal digelar "Mr. Clean" pun diterajang keluar dari kepimpinan Umno oleh kerana melawan tradisi parti tersebut. Lihatlah bagaimana nasib menantunya yang kini Ketua Pemuda Umno. Walaupun memegang jawatan penting dalam parti, beliau tidak dapat memainkan peranan dalam kerajaan. Pesaing beliau yang kalah dan Naib Ketua Pemuda Umno dilantik menjadi Timbalan Menteri. Begitulah serba sedikit gambaran betapa kuatnya golongan "garis keras" dalam Umno. Inilah dilemma besar yang dihadapi oleh Najib. Jika tidak melakukan perubahan dalam pentadbiran kerajaan, jangka hayat BN semakin pendek. Jika menjuarai perubahan, penghalang utama bukan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) tetapi Umno itu sendiri. Apatah lagi apabila golongan "garis keras" dipayung oleh "Godfather" yang masih mempunyai pengaruh kuat dalam Umno dan jentera kerajaan. |
| Zaid Ibrahim bantu Nurul Izzah lawan Azmin? Posted: 27 Dec 2011 09:47 PM PST (Siasah) - Persaingan kuasa dalam PKR, yang semakin jelas dilihat sejak menjelang pemilihan lalu muncul lagi, mengaitkan pemimpin-pemimpin tertinggi parti. Pengendali laman Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Kamarudin mendakwa Azmin Ali, timbalan presiden PKR di belakang penyebaran surat layang memburukkan Nurul Izzah Anwar, naib presiden PKR.
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| DAP Perak’s Nga Kor Ming gets bullet in mail Posted: 27 Dec 2011 09:45 PM PST (The Star) - Controversial DAP Perak leader Nga Kor Ming has received a bullet in the mail. He tweeted Wednesday that the bullet was mailed to his mother's home together with a threatening note. "About 2pm today, my mum received letter containing bullet with a letter threatening to murder me. This is really a despicable and shameful act," he tweeted. The Taiping MP said he would lodge a police report over the matter soon. "This is too much," he said in his second tweet on the incident.
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| Anwar to tour M’sia ahead of sodomy verdict Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:59 PM PST While optimistic of walking free, Anwar says that he is ready to accept the worst. (AFP) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today said he will tour the country to declare his innocence ahead of the verdict in a sodomy trial he says was cooked up to bar him from coming polls. Anwar, who heads the PKR and is the figurehead for a strengthening opposition alliance, will visit nine states in the whirlwind six-day tour beginning Jan 3, he said. The verdict is set for Jan 9. "A lot of people pray that I should be acquitted. I will reiterate my innocence during the tour," Anwar, 64, told AFP. Anwar, who was once heir-apparent to former strongman prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has been fighting charges that he sodomised a former political aide in June 2008. The accusations emerged shortly after Anwar led the opposition to unprecedented gains in parliamentary polls against the ruling coalition that has governed the country for five decades. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Anwar faces up to 20 years in prison. Anwar added the timing of the trip was motivated in part by concerns that he would be found guilty and jailed after a trial he slams as a smear campaign aimed at ruining his political career. While "optimistic" of walking free, Anwar added that he was "a political realist" and "ready to accept the worst." "These are trumped-up charges. It is another coincidence that the verdict comes so close to elections. The aim is to deny me the chance to participate in the elections," he said. Fresh elections are due next year but Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has hinted he may call them sooner. Najib denies any involvement in the case. |
| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:41 PM PST The Borneo Alliance (UBA) is unlikely to support Pakatan Rakyat, prefering to throw its support behind Sabah based parties (Free Malaysia Today) - The organisors and sponsors of peninsular-based the 'Anything But Umno' (ABU) movement, which is calling for the removal of Umno in the next election, are seeking partners in East Malaysia. Leading civil advocate, Haris Ibrahim, yesterday flew to the Federal Territory of Labuan, defying the Sabah government's "persona non grata" order slapped on him recently, to hold talks with Sabah political activists led by Daniel John Jambun. Jambun said they held a series of talks with Haris and that he (Jambun) would report back to two major stakeholders in Sabah's current opposition front – the United Borneo Front (UBF) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) – on what transpired at the meeting. "We agreed in principle to support this ABU campaign because Umno has shown that it has been making decisions and policies against Sabahans and Sarawakians in the past 48 years we are in this Federation. "The very fact that both Sabah and Sarawak are the poorest states now speak volumes of what (the) Umno-led Barisan Nasional had done to our gas and oil resources. "So we agree that Umno must go in this coming general election," said Jambun who is considered among the most senior leaders in UBF, and possibly also in the reactivated State Reform Party (Star). Also at the meeting were Sabah activists Michael Liew and famed local rap singer turned activist, Atama. Haris, who was barred from entering Sabah as well as Sarawak after he was deemed a "threat to security", beat the order by entering Labuan, a former Sabah free port that was ceded by Sabah to the federal government and made a federal territory in 1984. He said that though he faced no problem disembarking, police officers took photographs of him when he arrived. The ABU campaign in East Malaysia will be known as UBA or United Borneo Alliance. While ABU organisors in the peninsular are set to back Pakatan Rakyat, state opposition leaders in East Malaysia, especially Sabah, are however backing state-based parties. Jambun said Haris understood the Borneo Agenda sensitivities and acknowledged that Pakatan in Sabah would face an uphill task to ensure a one-to-one fight with BN in all state seats.
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| Poison pen letter on Nurul Izzah circulating Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:33 PM PST
A poison pen letter targeted at Nurul Izzah Anwar is currently being widely circulated. It is believed that Azmin Ali is behind this letter in an effort to discredit Nurul Izzah whom he views as a stumbling block to his political career. Many expect open warfare between Nurul Izzah and Azmin Ali to soon erupt with Anwar throwing his support behind Azmin Ali. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin SURAT TERBUKA KEPADA PARA REFORMIS DAN ANGGOTA PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT Telah menjadi rahsia umum bahawa Naib Presiden PKR Nurul Izzah Anwar mempunyai hubungan akrab dengan Presiden Parti KITA Zaid Ibrahim. Dalam sesi pemilihan PKR 2010 yang lalu, Nurul Izzah dan Zaid dilihat telah mengatur beberapa gerak kerja dalam PKR khususnya untuk kempen politik mereka. Namun, hanya Izzah yang berjaya menduduki kerusi Naib Presiden sementara Zaid kalah kepada musuh ketat politik beliau, Azmin Ali. |
| We shall remember and we shan’t forget Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:35 PM PST rights2write (R2W) My mother suffered tremendously after my father who had served in the Military died in May 1978. Money was extremely tight and at times she had to beg for rice to feed the kids. She never went to school, sickly and could not get a job and we were dependent on Armed Forces pension of RM145 per month. Every other week my mother would ask me to write to Mindef seeking assistance but other than a courteous reply from the service chief no help ever came. We almost gave up and my mother ask me to write one last time to Mahathir when he became the PM. Few weeks later, Military Officers came to my house and 2 months later my mother pension was revised to RM350 and it was backdated to the day my father died. Cut the story short, my mother was ever grateful till today and anyone who wants to say anything bad about Tun M, will get an earful from my mother. She keeps telling us that we shall remember. Yesterday, the 211 families who are VICTIMS of Ukay Bistari whom could not longer wait for their house decided to take laws into their own hands. They took the keys from the developer office and broke down the fence. While all this was happening under the watchful eyes of the media and the police, we negotiated with the management. In the end, the developer agreed to give the keys provided due process were followed. The buyers followed the committee advice and keys were returned to the developers. Within the next few hours key were released to the purchasers in an orderly fashion. Some family wept openly upon getting their keys. It has been 9 years. Despite using the hot and cold approach, we finally got the MHLG to complete the project. It is still progressing. In January we hope 400 families will get their houses and the rest by March or April. All this happens because we got help from the Minister of Housing. He was approachable and always accommodating whenever we sought his time. His officers were equally supportive. Special mention should go Esther, Hafiz and Ir. Lai.
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| Disappointing ‘performance’ by politicians Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:25 PM PST Stephanie Ste Maria, WikiSabah A lecturer from the Monash University rated our politicians' performance in 2011 at 59 points which he said was one mark below a Credit in the university's examination system. This piece was originally intended as a salute to parliamentarians who in the past year have given Malaysians a good enough reason to root for their survival in the 13th general election pipped to be held in the first quarter of 2012. These individuals would be those who have tirelessly chased down both high profile as well as bread and butter issues.Those who tossed out ideas, opinions and recommendations that were startling in their boldness but instrumental in setting the nation on the right track. Those who strode into raging rivers of controversy to stand beside the people even if it sometimes meant standing opposite their party leaders. And those who bravely hoisted the people's call and hope for change upon their shoulders. With 222 parliamentary seats political observers shouldn't have been hard pressed to name a decent number of political beacons across both camps. This is especially so considering the year's events and the politicians who were exalted by the public for the above mentioned traits. And yet two political observers approached by FMT were adamant that not a single politician this year had given a performance worthy enough of a re-admission into Parliament after the next general election. 'Incapable politicians' Khoo Kay Peng was unforgiving in his assessment of both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat of having dodged critical issues to indulge in superficial ones. "What the people really need to know is the state of our economy, a potential second dip, the outflow of illegal funds and our global competitiveness," he said. "Instead politicians are assuring us that all is well." These glib words have infuriated Khoo who warned that Malaysians are more concerned today about the state of the nation than that of political parties. "Our politicians are oblivious…When they awake in the morning their first thought is about who will win the next general election. They don't think about how to bring the country forward," he added. Khoo also observed that Malaysia is moving towards a socialist state through the manner in which politicians chose to resolve national dilemmas by stuffing money into the widening gaps. "A new generation of urban poor has emerged but you won't find it in the government's flimsy data. "Ultimately our politicians are incapable of solving the country's real issues. It's hilarious, really, " he said. Below average performance James Chin of Monash University was kinder in passing judgement saying that no event stood out enough this year to challenge the politicians' mettle. Calling 2011 a "holding pattern year" he pointed out that Umno was still playing the racial card while Pakatan had its sodomy and Islamic state soundtracks on repeat. "Bersih 2.0 was significant but overall it didn't make a strong impact as it was about civil society pushing for change. "At the end of the day it doesn't matter who people want to see win the next general election. "It will all boil down to the one winner for each camp who will either be (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) or (opposition leader) Anwar (Ibrahim). Those are the only two we need to watch for," said Chin. His colleague, Wong Chin Huat, meanwhile rated politicians' performance at 59 points which he said was one mark below a Credit in the university's system. "On one hand we have the ruling party's arrogance in pushing controversial views," he stated. "On the other we have an opposition that isn't up to par because it is too focused on the destination instead of the journey."
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| Ex-CID Chief urges police to zero In on Jamil Khir for ‘zakat abuse’ Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:20 PM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim today called on his former police colleagues to be consistent by investigating Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and two others for allegedly abusing zakat funds. In a letter written to the Inspector-General of Police, Mat Zain had asked the police force to conduct the investigation on the alleged misappropriation of zakat funds with the same vigor they had shown in pursuing a tithe collector for the same offence recently. The letter also said that Johor police had taken pains to investigate and locate Reduan Mohd Said including publishing his photograph in newspapers for misappropriating RM19,510 in zakat money. "Kuala Lumpur Police should also take the same action in the misappropriation of RM32,150 in zakat money by Jamil, Datuk Che Mat Che Ali and Shamsuddin Hussain," he wrote, referring to the minister in the prime minister's department, the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) director and chief prosecutor respectively.
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| No gag order, but no fodder for BN media Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:14 PM PST DAP rejects MCA's allegations as it tries to contain the damage from the Karpal-Ramasamy spat. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP has denied that it has issued a gag order on members or that it is trying to cover up malpractices, as alleged by MCA figures in their comments on the current quarrel between party chairman Karpal Singh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy. DAP information chief Tony Pua said today that members had merely been advised against making public comments on the spat, adding that this was to prevent the pro-BN media from blowing it out of proportion. The allegation about a gag order and a cover-up attempt has come mainly from Penang MCA Secretary Lau Chiek Tuan and the party's national organising secretary, Tee Siew Kiong. They said it was typical of the opposition parties to resort to those measures when negative developments surfaced. The Karpal-Ramasamy spat took a new turn on Thursday when the Star, which is owned by MCA, quoted Ramasamy as saying that there was a plot to topple him. According to the paper, Ramasamy, referring to DAP grassroots leaders and hinting at corrupt practices, said: "I think you would be astounded if I relate to you some of their demands." Zeroing on this, MCA said it was possible the spat involved graft and other criminal offences. DAP has not announced a gag order, but the panel it has formed to resolve the spat has said the party would solve internal problems using internal channels.
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| ‘ANYTHING BUT UMNO’ in East Malaysia too? Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:09 PM PST By : DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN, SABAHKINI
STATE activists that want change in the way the Federal Government treat Sabah and Sarawak had in principle agreed to support the Peninsular-based ABU or 'Anything But UMNO' movement that called for the downfall of UMNO in the next election.
We have held series of talks with one of ABU leading leaders, lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim who flew to the Federal Territory of Labuan yesterday, in defiance of Sabah's 'persona non grata' order slapped against him recently.
However more are to be refined by the two major stakeholders in Sabah's current opposition front, the United Borneo Front (UBF) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), and i shall be reporting to them to get a good judgement on what transpired in our meeting with Haris.
We agreed in principle to support this ABU campaign because UMNO has shown that it has been meting bad decisions and policies against Sabahans and Sarawakians in the past 48 years we are in this Federation.
The very fact that both Sabah and Sarawak are the poorest states now speak volumes of what UMNO-led Barisan Nasional had done to our gas and oil resources. So we agree that UMNO must go at this coming general election.
It is understood that also in the meeting were Sabah activists Michael Liew and Kanul Gindol but the latter left early and did not join another meeting in the evening. Local singer-activist Atama was also in attendance.
Haris was barred from entering Sabah, as well as Sarawak before, as the state authority deemed him to be a threat to its own security. Haris was however not stopped in Labuan though he said there were special branch officers taking pictures of him at the airport here when he arrived. At this moment we might have a slight refinement on the name ABU for East Malaysia. Some of us had wanted 'UBA' which could mean 'change' but also stands for United Borneo Alliance to underline that we wanted a restoration of the way the Federal Government treats us as equal partners and not wanting us more and more just as mere subservient to the majority party in Peninsular. So, it is not just 'anything but UMNO' but we want a real change, a restoration of the special rights and position of Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation, this including our autonomy power.
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