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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• The burden of proof
• Charity starts at home
• Martyrs or victims of corruption?
• The proof of the pudding is in the eating
• Is PDRM playing politics?
• If Prophet Muhammad came back today
• Remember May 13? (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• 8 fallacies of Malaysia Today’s readers
• The religions of the book and politics
• Out of the box

The burden of proof Posted: 23 May 2011 06:05 PM PDT That's why! These lowly educated Melayu from Umno want to try to play psy-war and spin-doctoring. But they don't know how. Maslan may be the Umno Information Chief but that does not mean he is clever. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Ball is in Anwar's court, says Umno info chief (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must prove Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah's allegations are false following the latter's exclusive interview with Utusan Malaysia. (Read more here: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ball-is-in-anwars-court-says-umno-info-chief/) Shazryl Eskay gave a mere interview with Utusan Malaysia. I signed a legal document, a Statutory Declaration, and my lawyer, J. Chandra, sent it officially by way of letter to the prosecutors in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial. Going by what the Umno Information Chief said, then the Malaysian government has to now prove that what I signed in that 2008 SD is false. I need not prove what I signed is true -- just like Shazryl Eskay does not need to prove what he said about Anwar is true. This means the government has to first of all drop the three S.501 Criminal Defamation charges against me (not just 'discharge not amounting to an acquittal'). Then the government needs to investigate my SD and prove that what I signed is false. Only when it is proven that what I signed is false can the government, again, charge me -- but this time for the crime of signing a false statutory declaration under S.203. That's why! These lowly educated Melayu from Umno want to try to play psy-war and spin-doctoring. But they don't know how. Maslan may be the Umno Information Chief but that does not mean he is clever. Remember, back in 1999 Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of corruption and sodomy and was sentenced to 15 years jail because, according to the court, he had failed to convince the court of his innocence. Get it? Anwar was jailed 15 years not because he was found guilty. He was jailed 15 years because he failed to convince the court of his innocence. Okay, our laws may be based on the doctrine of innocent until proven guilty. But that only applies to people who suck up to Umno. For those who oppose Umno it is the other way around. So, can I hear it from the Malaysian government? Are you going to drop the three Criminal Defamation charges against me and, like what the Umno Information Chief said, prove that what I signed in my SD is false? Then, and only then, if you can prove that what I signed in my SD is false, can you charge me for the crime of signing a false SD. This is what Umno says must be done and I, for once, would be most happy to listen to Umno.

Charity starts at home Posted: 23 May 2011 07:10 AM PDT If we attack the government we are towering Malays, great Malaysians, patriots, and all that crap. But the minute we expose the wrongdoings of the opposition we have been bought, we have turned, we have sold out, we are Trojan horses. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Raja Petra, a well known Malaysian blogger, would shock his audience by signing an affidavit implicating the current Prime Minister and his wife in that murder. Raja Petra has since retracted his claim, by saying that he only wrote what he was told. The curious timing of his retraction, coinciding with both the Sarawak elections and the upcoming open court hearing on the Armaris contract in France, has given rise to speculation that he has been turned. – Malaysia Chronicle ***************************************** I have just finished watching the movie 'Fair Game'. I suggest you watch it as well. I am not going to spoil it all by telling you the whole story other than it is about how governments lie to us and manipulate us. It is also about how the media is used as a propaganda tool. The most interesting part is the closing scene. Take special note of the speech in that closing scene. Why do we oppose the Barisan Nasional government? Or at least why do I oppose the Barisan Nasional government? Well, it is because the Barisan Nasional government is exactly like what the US government is as featured in that movie I am talking about. It is manipulative and it lies to us. So I want to get rid of the Barisan Nasional government. I have said this before and I will say it again: either the Barisan Nasional government changes or we have no choice but to change the government. And you and I both know that the Barisan Nasional government is incapable of changing. So we have to change the government. There are no two ways about it. But we want to replace the Barisan Nasional government with a government that is not also manipulative and also lies to us. That is the bottom line. Now read what Malaysia Chronicle a.k.a. Suara Tian Chua wrote above. "Raja Petra, a well known Malaysian blogger, would shock his audience by signing an affidavit implicating the current Prime Minister and his wife in that murder." Okay, have you read my Statutory Declaration that I signed in 2008? In that SD I alleged that a certain Kolonel Azmi Zainal Abidin alleged that Rosmah Mansor and her ADC and her ADC's husband were at the scene of the crime the night Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered (three people were named). Let me repeat that: I alleged that a certain Kolonel Azmi Zainal Abidin alleged that Rosmah Mansor and her ADC and her ADC's husband were at the scene of the crime the night Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered. Now, do you see the name Najib Tun Razak mentioned anywhere in that sentence? Read it again. Do you see the name Najib Tun Razak in that sentence? And did I allege that those three people were there or did I allege that Kolonel Azmi Zainal Abidin made that allegation? That is point number one. Point number two is the part that Malaysia Chronicle wrote: "Raja Petra has since retracted his claim, by saying that he only wrote what he was told." Did I retract my claim or did I do the opposite: I reiterated my claim? And did I not state in my 2008 SD that this is what I was told? And I still say this until today. So have I retracted my claim or have I instead reiterated my claim? So you see, even the opposition manipulates us and lies to us just like Barisan Nasional. And we are trying to kick out Barisan Nasional and change it with another government because it manipulates us and lies to us. But the opposition is not even the government yet and it is already manipulating us and lying to us. Since last year Malaysia Chronicle a.k.a. Suara Tian Chua has been doing this (long before my TV3 interview). It has been distorting the news and has been lying to us. But when I attack the opposition for acting just like Barisan Nasional they respond by saying that "he has been turned". If we attack the government we are towering Malays, great Malaysians, patriots, and all that crap. But the minute we expose the wrongdoings of the opposition we have been bought, we have turned, we have sold out, we are Trojan horses. As they say, charity starts at home. But then other things start at home as well. If the opposition can't be honest with us then what hope do we have of seeing change if we kick Barisan Nasional out and replace it with the opposition? When Malaysia Chronicle attacked me from as far back as last year, I did not accuse Tian Chua of being Trojan horse, or having been bought off, or whatever. I took that as their right to disagree with me. Why can't they also allow me my democratic right to disagree with them? Why must I automatically agree with everything that the opposition does? Don't I also have rights? And is not one of my rights is to agree to disagree? Why is it when I disagree with them then that makes me a traitor or is taken as 'evidence' that I have been bought off? Yesterday, I published the second instalment of the Wikileaks cables on Malaysia. Free Malaysia Today and The Malaysian Insider both picked up the story and made a reference to Malaysia Today. Malaysia Chronicle also picked up the story but made no reference to Malaysia Today. In short, Malaysia Chronicle stole Malaysia Today's story. Is this an honest thing to do? It just shows the 'journalistic standards' of Malaysia Chronicle. I am not the opposition. Malaysia Today is not an opposition mouthpiece. But we do propagate a change of government. But we want a better government, a government that does not manipulate us and lie to us. However, if Malaysia Chronicle a.k.a. Suara Tian Chua is the example of the type of new government we are going to get, would you blame the voters for having second thoughts about the opposition? Malaysia Chronicle a.k.a. Suara Tian Chua and opposition portals of their ilk can continue with these lies and deception if they so wish. They are only hurting themselves. The voters are watching and taking note. And the voters will demonstrate what they think of the opposition come the next general election. We just can't whack Barisan Nasional and accuse it of all sorts of things and then act just like them. Do you think the voters are that dumb? We vilify Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, New Straits Times, The Malay Mail, The Star, etc. -- and with just cause, may I add. Then we have Malaysia Chronicle a.k.a. Suara Tian Chua acting just like Utusan Malaysia and the rest of those scumbags and slime-balls, a.k.a the mainstream media. So where do we go from here? Kick out Barisan Nasional and replace one lump of shit with another lump of shit? Come on lah Brader Tian Chua. Stop hurting the opposition cause. It is people like you who are making the voters disgusted with the opposition. Why don't you do us a favour and go join MCA so that we can focus on our work of kicking out Barisan Nasional?

Martyrs or victims of corruption? Posted: 21 May 2011 06:17 PM PDT I think it is time we started appointing women Muftis in Malaysia. After all, if the Muftis do not have any balls what difference does it make if we appoint men or women as Muftis? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Anak yatim maut tertimbus syahid SHAH ALAM - Kematian mereka bukan sia-sia. Allah sudah janjikan ganjaran syahid bagi sekumpulan anak yatim terkorban dalam tragedi tanah runtuh di Hulu Langat, petang semalam. Mufti Selangor, Datuk Seri Mohd Tamyes Abdul Wahid berkata, mengikut hukum, Islam yang menemui ajal secara tragis se-perti akibat kebakaran, kemalangan jalan raya atau bencana alam dan mati ketika tidur, dikategorikan sebagai syahid. "Mereka dapat syafaat Allah, itu janjiNya," katanya. Beliau mengulas kematian anak-anak yatim penghuni Rumah Anak-anak Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa di Jalan Sungai Semungkis, Kampung Gahal, Hulu Langat, petang semalam. Bagaimanapun menurut Mohd Tamyes, jenazah mereka masih perlu diurus seperti jenazah mati biasa, iaitu mandi, kafan dan disolatkan. Beliau mengingatkan pengasas rumah kebajikan, termasuk rumah anak yatim di seluruh negara, pastikan bangunan mereka tiada risiko musibah. "Jangan bina di lereng bukit atau berhampiran dekawasan bahaya kepada penghuni," katanya. ******************************* The death of 16 orphans in a landslide in Hulu Langat, outside Kuala Lumpur, yesterday was not in vain (bukan sia-sia), said the Mufti of Selangor. According to Islam, said the Mufti, these orphans died a martyr's death (syahid). And the same goes for anyone who dies in a traffic accident, or whatever tragedy, added the Mufti. I suppose this is one way of looking at it. When someone dies we try to look at the 'positive' side of his or her death. And this is probably the Mufti's way of making us feel good about those deaths. After all, is not Malaysia an expert at the 'feel good' factor? I bet they can even make us feel good about May 13 -- it taught us that racism is bad and can lead to race riots so Malaysians today are no longer racists. Yeah, right! The more fundamentalist Muslim would say that the 16 orphans were fated to die in the landslide yesterday. The time, date, place and manner we will die has already been determined even before we were born. So, yesterday, the 16 orphans merely kept their appointment with death. It was their fate which had already been decided and there was nothing anyone could have done to avoid it. Is that so? What about the reports of the previous incidences of landslips in that area? Wasn't that a sign (from God or whatever) that we have a tragedy in the making? What was done about the many landslips of past that yesterday became a landslide? (Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Shaziman Mansor dilaporkan berkata bahawa kawasan itu dipercayai telah beberapa kali mengalami kejadian tanah runtuh namun tidak dilaporkan - Bernama). When the Tsunami hit our shores and other Asian countries on 26 December 2004, they said the same thing. Some even said that this is God's punishment for all those sinners. I wonder what sin the babies and children committed to incur God's wrath on them. Actually, the death toll of the 2004 Tsunami could have been reduced had greedy people not cut away (for profit) all the mangrove plants along the coast. The mangrove would have acted as a buffer and the waves would not have gone so far inland and been so destructive. A lot of tragedies could have been avoided. And they could have been avoided if humankind were not so greedy and corrupt. Greed and corruption, not God, causes tragedies. And those who die in tragedies should not be classified as martyrs but as victims of greed and corruption. On a per capita basis Malaysia has ten times more fatal road accidents than Britain. And this is all because of greed and corruption. Those who die in traffic accidents are not martyrs, as the Mufti said. They are victims of greed and corruption. The Muftis have a duty to perform. They must condemn greed and corruption. They must not tell people that 16 orphans dying in a landslide is not in vain, it is okay, it is a good, it means they are going straight to heaven. They must tell the people that this is yet another of the many signs of rampant greed and corruption in Malaysia. Don't tell us that the orphans' deaths are NOT sia-sia. Tell us that their deaths ARE sia-sia. And tell us that their deaths and the deaths of thousands of other Malaysians every year is because of greed and corruption. Are the Muftis scared of doing this? Are they so worried that they will get sacked from their jobs and will lose their comfortable income and lifestyle? Are they not brave enough to teach Malaysians proper Islam, in that we must oppose greed and corruption? I think it is time we started appointing women Muftis in Malaysia. After all, if the Muftis do not have any balls what difference does it make if we appoint men or women as Muftis?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating Posted: 19 May 2011 05:55 PM PDT The Balinese Hindus are a perfect example of good Muslims. That is what troubles me. The Balinese Hindus are what Muslims should be but are not. And I really need to find out why this is so even if it is the last thing I do. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin My wife and I spent three weeks in Bali in April this year. We were there to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary as guests of a very good friend who allowed me to stay in his exquisite villa for free. It would have cost me USD1,100 a night otherwise. That was after my Australian trip and just before the talk Haris Ibrahim I gave in Bangkok followed by all that drama. What impressed me most about Bali was the honesty of the people, who are 90% or so Hindu (but very different from Malaysian Hindus). We left all our things including our cash in our room. The staff walked in and out freely and we did not feel any anxiety. In fact, our bedroom did not have any locks but just glass shutters. I asked one Balinese girl who was giving me a two-hour massage how come the Balinese are so honest. It is because we believe in karma, she replied. Oh, I responded, that means whatever you do to others the same thing will happen to you (balasan yang sama). No, she replied. Whatever you do to others ten times more will happen to you. And that includes both good and bad things. Whenever we took a taxi the taxi driver would automatically switch on his meter. And they never took the longer route to get where we wanted to get to. It was always short cuts. Whenever we stopped at the shopping complex to buy our groceries and stuff the taxi driver would switch off the meter and wait, however long it took. So we did not have to pay for 'down time'. On one occasion my friend left his Blackberry at Macdonalds. We were halfway back to the villa before he realised he had lost his Blackberry and we suspected he may have left it at Macdonalds, the last pit stop we made. We asked the driver to turn around and go back to Macdonalds, although we did not really think that his Blackberry would still be there. But lo and behold, it was still there. Someone had found it on the counter and had handed it to the manager. What a relief it was for my friend who could ill-afford to lose all his data. There were many other instances regarding the honesty of the Balinese that impressed us immensely. I joked that if I did not yet have any religion and was looking for a religion I would probably become a Balinese Hindu. That's how impressed I was. After Bali we went over to Jakarta and suddenly it was another world altogether. Jakarta is predominantly Muslim but you did not feel safe in that city. You felt like you were constantly under siege. "Why can't the Muslims in Jakarta be like the Hindus of Bali?" I commented to my wife. I was so impressed with the Balinese Hindus and disgusted with the Jakarta Muslims. And it is the Muslims who cause all the commotion in Bali with the bombings and whatnot. I would like to believe that Muslims have reduced Islam to a religion of rituals minus the commitment to the ideals of the religion. But then the Balinese are even more ritualistic than the Muslims. In fact, they appear to be constantly in prayer. I am yet to put my finger on it. There is something about the Balinese version of Hinduism that makes them extremely honest and decent people. But what is it? I think I am going to go back to Bali and spend some time studying the people there, in particular their religion. I need to find out what it is they are doing right and we are doing wrong. The Balinese Hindus are a perfect example of good Muslims. That is what troubles me. The Balinese Hindus are what Muslims should be but are not. And I really need to find out why this is so even if it is the last thing I do.

Is PDRM playing politics? Posted: 18 May 2011 07:18 PM PDT Is it probably because the man in the video is NOT Anwar and that is why the Deputy IGP refuses to confirm this? If it is Anwar tell us. Then we can prepare ourselves for the next stage of developments. If it is not Anwar then it is only fair that we are told. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One-time federal minister Mokhtar Hashim, who was convicted for murder, said that the most troubling thing for death row prisoners is not knowing when you are going to be executed. And he said this in front of the then IGP, Tun Haniff Omar. Once the trial is over and you are convicted and sentenced to death, a feeling of peace engulfs you, Mokhtar Hashim said. But then you have to wait years in death row for your turn to come. And when you hear that the next day someone is going to be executed, every prisoner in death row goes into depression because they do not know which one of them is going to be executed the following day. Mokhtar Hashim added that most prisoners would rather the hanging is done as fast as possible so that they can get it over and done with. I suppose if this had been done then Mokhtar Hashim would have never received his pardon and would not have walked out of the Pudu Prison a free man. This is probably how many of us feel as well with regards to the 'Anwar' porn video issue. It is most perturbing to see the Malaysian Police or PDRM playing politics. Why does the Deputy IGP not want to tell us whether the man in the video is Anwar or not? Is it probably because the man in the video is NOT Anwar and that is why the Deputy IGP refuses to confirm this? If it is Anwar tell us. Then we can prepare ourselves for the next stage of developments. If it is not Anwar then it is only fair that we are told. This is not about Anwar. This is about us. We need to know so that we then know what we should do next. I am really not concerned about Anwar's future. I am concerned about the country's future. The entire future of the country cannot rest on just one man. And currently with this issue still hanging we just cannot more forward. My suspicion is that the Deputy IGP refuses to confirm who the man in the video is because it is not Anwar. So he is prolonging our agony just like what Mokhtar Hashim said about those who are waiting many years in death row for their turn to die. While on the subject of the police playing politics, let me give you another example. The Selangor state government is facing a lot of problems with premises being used for gambling, prostitution, and other vices. The problem is, the local councils can do very little if the police do not act. And in this case the police are not acting so it appears like the Selangor government is in cahoots with the underworld and crime syndicates. The local councils have no power to arrest anyone. Only the police can do that. And if the police do not then the local councils' hands are tied. No doubt the local councils can try to close down those establishments. But the process is cumbersome and those establishments that are closed down just open up in a new place the very next day. The only way to stop these vice activities is to arrest the people behind them and send them to jail. But only the police can do this. The local councils can just harass the building owners. The building owners, however, are not the ones running the prostitution or gambling dens. So no action can be taken against them. We need the police to stop playing politics and to start doing something. I suspect the police are purposely doing nothing so that the Selangor state government gets a bad name. And the same goes for the so-called 'Anwar' porn video. I am sure that if it is Anwar in that video they could not wait to announce it. It is because it is not Anwar that they are refusing to tell us who the man in that video is.

If Prophet Muhammad came back today Posted: 12 May 2011 07:21 PM PDT If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have reduced Islam to a set of empty rituals while the spirit of Islam is no longer in the hearts of Muslims. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are now divided into many sects and cults and each classifies the other as infidels or kafir. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have invented a new religion which was not what he taught humankind and which he can no longer recognise. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are propagating racism, religious intolerance, discrimination and persecution and are threatening fellow Malaysians with bloodshed. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are upholding fitnah as a way of life and embark on character assassination for worldly gains even though Islam says that this is worse than murder. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims regard corruption and abuse of power as a 'necessary evil' in the pursuit of wealth and power. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are defying the Quran by classifying haram as halal and halal as haram so that they can satisfy their lust for worldly gains and pleasure. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have become arrogant because they believe that even extremely bad Muslims go to heaven while very good kafirs go to hell. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims believe that a person born a Muslim will always die a Muslim even though by their own acts and omissions they may have fallen out of Islam and have become kafirs without even being aware of it. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims live in countries with the highest corruption and abuse of power and the worst human rights abuses. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that the kafirs in the Western countries are more Islamic in their conduct than Muslims who live in Islamic countries. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have reduced Islam to a set of empty rituals while the spirit of Islam is no longer in the hearts of Muslims. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have attributed a set of false sayings and teachings to him, which in many instances contradict the Quran or violate what Islam stands for. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have adopted many pagan beliefs, traditions and rituals and are confused as to what is real Islam and what is contaminated Islam. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would finally be convinced that his followers have abandoned him and have turned their backs on him as had happened to all Prophets before him and as what God had warned him would happen according to the Quran.

Remember May 13? (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 12 May 2011 04:11 PM PDT On 24 September 1999, I wrote a very long article on May 13 for the PAS party newspaper, Harakah. Those who may not have read it yet can read it below. It was republished in the Free Anwar Campaign website in January 2003. Also read what Tunku Abdul Rahman had to say in 'The Tunku Tapes'. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin The Tunku on how "May 13" began From his residence in Penang, 1972: "It was clear to me as well as the police that in the highly charged political atmosphere after the police were forced to kill a Chinese political party worker on May 4th, 1969, something was bound to happen to threaten law and order because of the resentment towards the Government by the KL Chinese on the eve of the general election. This was confirmed at this man's funeral on the 9th May when the government faced the most hostile crowd it had ever seen. Therefore, when the opposition parties applied for a police permit for a procession to celebrate their success in the results of the general election, I was adamant against it because the police were convinced that this would lead to trouble. I informed Tun Razak about this and he seemed to agree. Now, without my knowledge and actually "behind my back," there were certain political leaders in high positions who were working to force me to step down as a PM. I don't want to go into details but if they had come to me and said so I would gladly have retired gracefully. Unfortunately, they were apparently scheming and trying to decide on the best way to force me to resign. The occasion came when the question of the police permit was to be approved. Tun Razak and Harun Idris, the MB of the state of Selangor, now felt that permission should be given knowing fully well that there was a likelihood of trouble. I suppose they felt that when this happened they could then demand my resignation. To this day I find it very hard to believe that Razak, whom I had known for so many years, would agree to work against me in this way. Actually, he was in my house as I was preparing to return to Kedah and I overhead him speaking to Harun over the phone saying that he would be willing to approve the permit when I left. I really could not believe what I was hearing and preferred to think it was about some other permit. In any case, as the Deputy Prime Minister in my absence from KL, he would be the Acting PM and would override my objection. Accordingly, when I was in my home in Kedah, I heard over the radio that the permit had been approved. It seems as though the expected trouble was anticipated and planned for by Harun and his UMNO Youth. After the humiliating insults hurled by the non-Malays, especially the Chinese, and after the seeming loss of Malay political power to them, they were clearly ready for some retaliatory action. After meeting in large numbers at Harun's official residence in Jalan Raja Muda near Kampong Bahru and hearing inflammatory speeches by Harun and other leaders, they prepared themselves by tying ribbon strips on their foreheads and set out to kill Chinese. The first hapless victims were two of them in a van opposite Harun's house who were innocently watching the large gathering. Little did they know that they would be killed on the spot. The rest is history. I am sorry but I must end this discussion now because it really pains me as the Father of Merdeka to have to relive those terrible moments. I have often wondered why God made me live long enough to have witnessed my beloved Malays and Chinese citizens killing each other." The REAL Story of May 13 (Part 1) http://www.freeanwar.net/jan2003/article020103.htm The REAL Story of May 13 (Part 2) http://www.freeanwar.net/jan2003/article080103.htm The REAL Story of May 13 (Part 3) http://www.freeanwar.net/jan2003/article170103.htm The REAL Story of May 13 (Part 4) http://www.freeanwar.net/jan2003/article300103.htm   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_5160.html

8 fallacies of Malaysia Today’s readers Posted: 09 May 2011 04:53 PM PDT From time to time I need to remind our readers what Malaysia Today (MT) is all about, what was the reason we launched MT in August 2004, and what is our mission, vision and agenda. I have received a lot of comments from readers about what we should and should not be doing. Let me clear up some of these fallacies. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin 1. MT is not an online newspaper Some comment that we should be 'careful' about the news that we carry and that we should practice 'proper journalism'. MT is not an online newspaper. We are a psy-war and black ops outfit. Our job is to counter the spins of the government-controlled mainstream electronic, print and online news agencies. Nevertheless, we do pick up 'third party' news and blog postings from others to publish in MT. We do not generate our own news. So we are not bound by 'journalistic standards'. 2. MT is a guerrilla outfit Our job is to 'attack the enemy from behind enemy lines'. And just like in any 'normal' guerrilla operation, we select targets to hit and focus on demolishing these targets. Our aim is to create maximum damage to these targets with a view to cripple the 'other side'. 3. MT accepts collateral damage Sometimes, when we take out selected targets, some 'non-combatants' may suffer as well. This is the 'collateral damage' that we have to accept. In any guerrilla operation we can't always ensure that innocent bystanders may not invariably get hit as well. War does not spare the innocent and the objective of the operation is to ensure successful demolition of the target whatever the consequences. 4. MT is not Wikileaks There are some who say that MT should just publish the evidence/documents of government wrongdoings and allow the readers to form their own opinion like Wikileaks. They say MT should not make comments or write commentaries to influence the readers' opinions. MT is not Wikileaks. We publish evidence and documents whenever we can get our hands on them but when we can't we shall publish what we are told by Deep Throats and inside sources. Our key objective is to 'turn around' the readers to our way of thinking. So commentaries and our opinion of things are very crucial in being able to achieve this. 5. MT is not an opposition organ There are some who feel that MT should focus on highlighting the transgressions, abuses, wrongdoings and violations of the government and not criticise the opposition, which would 'give ammunition' to the government to use against the opposition. MT is not an opposition organ and we are not obliged to the opposition. Our job is to reveal the transgressions, abuses, wrongdoings and violations of the politicians and leaders and those who walk in the corridors of power at federal and state level. 6. MT is fighting for change MT wants to see change. And change can be achieved in two ways. One way would be for the government to change (reform) and the other would be to change the government. Either way is fine as far as we are concerned. Granted it may be almost impossible to expect the government to change after 54 years in power and 54 years of bad habits. So the only option open to us would be to change the government instead. But that is still one of the two options and we will leave both options open and go for the best option in achieving this change. Currently, that best option appears to be to change the government rather than hope for the government to change. 7. Freedom of speech is not freedom to insult There are some who feel that MT should not stifle freedom of speech and should not censor comments and postings in MT. MT is of the view that those who do not understand freedom of speech should not be allowed freedom of speech as this is like giving a flower to a monkey. Even in the UK, which has a high tolerance for freedom of speech, they have zero tolerance for insults and racial slurs. You can get arrested and sent to jail for making racial slurs or for making any statement viewed as an insult to any race or religion. 8. MT is my home While we invite comments and opinions, we also set the codes and norms for what you can and cannot do in MT. In any society, club, organisation, etc., there are codes and norms that you need to observe and if you violate these rules you would get evicted. The final authority in deciding what is allowed and disallowed lies with us and we have the liberty to disallow what we would view as anti-social and uncivilised conduct or behaviour. In your home you can do as you like. In our 'home' we decide what you can and cannot do. MT is not a democracy. There is no voting on how things are done. I own and run MT and my word is final. And if this does not suit you, you are free to take your business elsewhere.

The religions of the book and politics Posted: 08 May 2011 04:31 PM PDT   My contention is that, according to the way of Abraham and what the Quran teaches us, all the followers of the way of Abraham (followers of Moses, Jesus plus Muhammad) must get involved in politics to be true submitters. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin My good friend from Umno wrote his latest piece today called Where everybody miss the plot (you can go here to read it http://anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.com/2011/05/where-everybody-miss-plot.html). I really don't know whether today we should talk about politics or religion. Nevertheless, in Malaysia, both come in a package (spiced with race) -- so by talking about one you need to talk about the other. I sometimes joke (or blaspheme, depending on how you see it) that Christianity is Version 2 of Judaism while Islam is Version 3. The 'operating system' of all three remains the same. It is only that some new 'features' are added, or deleted, as the case may be. And these 'features' would be the rituals. The fundamentals do not differ. My Umno friend's contention in his article above is that the Christians are 'playing politics'. Now, before we confirm or deny this, let us rewind a bit. The Quran states that all those followers of Moses (Musa) and followers of Jesus (Isa) who follow the way (Deen) of Abraham (Ibrahim) are the true submitters (Muslims). Note, in that particular verse, the Quran talks about Abraham, Moses and Jesus. There is no mention of Muhammad in that verse. Now, have you noticed that Muslims always argue that Abraham, Moses and Jesus were Muslims? In a way they are not wrong. Muslim merely means submitter -- submit to God. This does not mean they were Muslims according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia's interpretation of Muslim. But they are submitters nevertheless, as far as the Quran is concerned (as long as they follow the way or deen of Abraham). Now, Islam is not only a religion. It is a way of life or adeen. Every Muslim would tell you this. Islam is not just about rituals. It is also about economics, governing, the legal system, politics, war, foreign affairs, internal security, public order and safety, the welfare system, and much more. In short, Islam is an entire and complete governing system for society. Therefore, for the followers of Moses and the followers of Jesus to be true followers of the way of Abraham, they must not only focus on rituals. Politics is also part of the way or deen of Abraham. This means if the followers of Moses and Jesus steer clear of or refuse to get involved in politics, then they are NOT the true followers of the way of Abraham, as far as the Quran is concerned. Any Jew or Christian who is NOT political is a deviant Jew or Christian. Islam would declare you a murtad or apostate for defying God. Okay, now back to the issue of whether the Christians in Malaysia are or are not getting involved in politics; that is for you to decide. My contention is that, according to the way of Abraham and what the Quran teaches us, all the followers of the way of Abraham (followers of Moses, Jesus plus Muhammad) must get involved in politics to be true submitters. The 'separation of church and state' does not exist in Islam. That is why PAS is not wrong in trying to seek political power. If it is okay for the followers of Muhammad to seek political power based on a religious platform, why is it wrong for the other submitters and followers of the way of Abraham to also seek political power on a religious platform? If only the followers of Muhammad can seek political power on a religious platform, while those followers of Moses and Jesus cannot, then why would the Quran say that the followers of Moses and Jesus who follow the way of Abraham are the true submitters? Note that the followers of Muhammad are allowed to marry women from the followers of Moses and Jesus (Muhammad married a Jewish woman) plus they can eat meat from animals slaughtered by them. So Islam recognises Judaism and Christianity as 'brother-religions'. Therefore, what is allowed for Islam is also allowed for the Jews and Christians. And politics is one such thing that is not only allowed but a must. Okay, let me demonstrate this 'political Islam' in another way by quoting Imam Ghazali. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, more fondly known as Imam Ghazali, was one of the renowned imams from 11th century Persia. And you can read below what Imam Ghazli said. Would you say that Imam Ghazali was 'playing politics'? Ponder on this before we whack the Christians and deny them their right of 'political Christianity'. Would we tolerate a Christian or Jew telling us that Islam must be separated from politics? We will riot and lynch any Christian or Jew who tries to deny us our 'political Islam'.

Out of the box Posted: 07 May 2011 05:35 PM PDT   Can you see that these people are ready to abandon Umno and BN but they are looking at Anwar as the alternative to Umno and BN. Why can't they see beyond Anwar? Why can't they see that the alternative to Umno and BN is Pakatan Rakyat and not Anwar? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin My 'habit' when writing my articles is to puff on my cigar while listening to my favourite music channel, http://player.magic.co.uk/. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, you may not be able to tune in to this channel (as it is blocked) but for those who can please switch on your speakers and listen to the greatest of the great music, my kind of music, while you read this article. And for those who can't tune in to this channel, migrate to England where you can. There are some who still do not get what I was trying to say in yesterday's article: Bridge over troubled water. I suppose this is what we would call 'mental block', a syndrome of our brain being programmed to think only one way and where we are not capable of thinking any other way. Malays call this 'katak bawah tempurung' -- translated as 'frog under a coconut shell'. The English would say 'boiling a frog slowly'. Today, I am going to talk about thinking and doing things 'out of the box'. You could also say this is like getting the frog to break out from the confines of the coconut shell -- or getting the frog to jump out of the water before it reaches boiling point. Basically, what this means is we need to break out of the mould and not allow ourselves to think and do things the way the government or Barisan Nasional wants us to think and do things. We need, as what Freddy Mercury said, to break free. Let me give you an example of one issue, the issue of the church thing in Penang. DAP has been accused of hosting a gathering of Christians where they allegedly swore an oath to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia so that a non-Muslim can become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Now, have you noticed how deafening the silence was? PKR and PAS maintained an eerie silence other than accuse Utusan Malaysia of propagating Umno's agenda and asking the government to take action against this Umno controlled newspaper. Is that the best PAS and PKR can do in coming to DAP's defence? It is almost like they are washing their hands of the matter and are leaving DAP to handle this matter all by itself. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not remind the rakyat that Malaysia is a secular state and that Islam is only the official religion of Malaysia and that Malaysia is not an Islamic State? No one, not even if they control more than two-thirds majority in Parliament, can remove Islam as the official religion. Only the Rulers can do this and we have ten Rulers (one Agong, one Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, one Raja of Perlis and seven Sultans). So, even if DAP controls more than 148 out of 222 seats in Parliament, they can't remove Islam as the official religion of Malaysia and install Christianity as the new official religion. Anyway, how can DAP control more than 148 seats in Parliament when it contests less than 80 seats? Even if DAP contests 100 seats and wins all the 100 it contests (which is not possible plus PKR will not allow it to contest more than one-third the seats) it is still short of 148 seats. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not argue this and use this argument to defend DAP? So there you have it. There is no way DAP can make a deal with the church to remove Islam as the official religion and make Christianity the new official religion of Malaysia. Even if PAS and PKR agree to this (which they will not) it still can't be done because the power lies with the ten Rulers with whom Islam comes under. And you can't amend the Constitution to change this. This is the absolute power (kuasa mutlak) of the Rulers. And if you try to illegally amend the Constitution to remove the powers of the Rulers as far as Islam is concerned, then the Agong, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, can declare an emergency, suspend Parliament, and get the army to 'restore order'. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not argue this and use this argument to defend DAP? Secondly, why would DAP need to remove Islam as the official religion and make Christianity the new official religion to be able to install a non-Muslim prime minister? Don't you remember what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said? He said that there is nothing in the Federal Constitution that says the prime minister must be a Malay-Muslim. In short, there is nothing illegal if a non-Malay-non-Muslim becomes prime minister of Malaysia. The Constitution only says that the Agong shall appoint a prime minister who has the majority confidence of the house, that's all. So why the need to remove Islam as the official religion? We can have a non-Malay-non-Muslim prime minister even if Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not argue this and use this argument to defend DAP? Okay, next example, the issue of Anwar Ibrahim's porn video. PAS is being very careful about taking a stand on this matter and they are leaving it to the court to decide. Why must the court decide this? PAS must state its stand, period. Pakatan Rakyat is playing right into Umno's hands. They are being very cleverly divided on this issue. They are worried that if they express support for Anwar and it turns out that it is really Anwar in that video then they are all going to end up with egg on their face. Why do we need the court to decide this matter? Is sex with another woman who is not your wife a crime? If it is then Chua Soi Lek should be in jail instead of being made the President of MCA. And Chua Soi Lek admitted that it is he in that video, mind you. You might say it is a crime as far as Islam is concerned. Okay, then take this issue to the Shariah court. Can the Shariah court take action against Anwar? The answer is of course 'no', not unless Anwar admits to the 'crime' or there are four witnesses to the crime. The bottom line is the Shariah court can't do a damn thing, and neither can the common law court. So what is the issue here? If based just on allegations then many more people, especially those in Umno, would be behind bars. The issue is not whether it is or is not Anwar in that video but whether Anwar is able to run this country and do a better job than the government we currently have. Anwar's sex life is not going to determine the future of Malaysia and the future of our children and grandchildren. That is what we should focus on. Let me go to a third example. Many people say that 'if not Anwar then who?' In other words, they see only Anwar as the suitable candidate to lead the opposition. I normally oppose this statement and of course they view this as my 'anti-Anwar' stance. Actually, this has nothing to do with my anti-Anwar stance as much as my 'anti-not out of the box' stance. We need to think out of the box. We need to break free. If we close our minds and think that only Anwar and no one else can lead the opposition, what would we do if something happens to Anwar? We would panic. The opposition would disintegrate. Everything that we worked for would come to an end. So we need to psyche ourselves in that there IS life after Anwar. If something happens to Anwar life would go on. The opposition would not collapse. The cause can go on with or without Anwar. In the old days, wars centred on the leaders. So when you take out the leaders all resistance would end. If the leaders were killed the army would surrender. No one had the spirit to fight on. Why do you think Umno is so bent on destroying Anwar? They know that many in the opposition look to Anwar and only Anwar as the opposition leader. So if Umno can destroy Anwar then the opposition can be destroyed. That is why I am opposed to this 'if not Anwar then who' doctrine. We need to show Umno that there are many Anwar Ibrahims in the opposition. They can destroy Anwar and ten Anwars will emerge in his place. Destroy these ten Anwars as well and another 100 Anwar's will rise up. Those who scream 'if not Anwar then who?' are actually signing Anwar's death warrant. You are the reason why Umno wants to destroy Anwar. Remove Anwar as the crucial factor and Umno will find there is no longer any value in destroying Anwar. We used to say 'if not Ustaz Fadzil Noor then who?' Then Ustaz Fadzil died and we panicked. But then we found that there is life for PAS after all even with the death of Fadzil Noor. And today we say even if Ustaz Hadi Awang goes PAS will not die. There are many more in PAS who can replace Hadi and maybe even do a better job. The same goes for DAP. You mean without Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh DAP is dead? There are many in DAP who are ready to take over and may even bring DAP to new heights. Lim Guan Eng is one name that comes to mind. That is what I call thinking out of the box, breaking free, looking at things from a different perspective. You might think you are doing Anwar a favour by making him indispensible. Actually you are giving him a death sentence. Anwar becomes more valuable dead than alive. It's as simple as that. Another reason I oppose this 'if not Anwar then who?' doctrine is because this same doctrine is used in the 'if not BN then who?' argument. Many people feel that only BN can run Malaysia. They feel that without BN the country would be in trouble. And I find that the people who argue 'if not Anwar then who?' are the same people who would say 'if not BN then who?' So it is all about Anwar versus BN. It is either Anwar or BN. And that is dangerous because if something were to happen to Anwar, or these people lose confidence in Anwar, then they would all go back to BN. I have many friends who say that they are fed up with Umno and BN but they have no confidence that Anwar can do better. Why compare BN to Anwar? Why not compare BN to PR? Can you see that these people are ready to abandon Umno and BN but they are looking at Anwar as the alternative to Umno and BN. Why can't they see beyond Anwar? Why can't they see that the alternative to Umno and BN is Pakatan Rakyat and not Anwar? This is going to be the problem the opposition is going to face come next election. The voters are going to evaluate Anwar and will overlook what good Pakatan Rakyat can bring to Malaysia. It is okay if they see the good in Anwar. But if they don't like what they see in Anwar then Pakatan Rakyat is in deep shit. When friends ask me 'if not Anwar then who?', I reply Nurul Izzah. There is a moment of stunned silence before they reply: Nurul is too young, Nurul is not ready yet, Nurul needs more time, and so on. "Okay, so who then?" I ask them. They reply that they do not see anyone other than Anwar. "Okay, what happens if they put a bullet in Anwar's head?" I ask them. They have no reply. What is this? Are we all a group of young chicks who will die if the mother hen dies? Come on! There are 28 million Malaysians out there and four million are in the opposition. You mean there is no one who can lead the opposition if they assassinate Anwar? You mean we close down Pakatan Rakyat the day they place Anwar in his coffin and put him in the ground? The more you say 'if not Anwar then who?' the more determined they will be in destroying Anwar. But if we say to hell with Anwar because there are 100 other Anwar's who can take over then Umno will be at a loss. They can kill one Anwar but they can't kill 100 Anwars. Get it? Think out of the box for a change. Break free. Try to start looking at things from another perspective. eM8Ss28zjcE SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM8Ss28zjcE

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• Perkasa Lodges Police Report Over Letter With Orange Powder
• Young Australian mounts campaign against Lynas — in Malay
• Of crusaders, clowns and kooks
• Prices of RON95, diesel, LPG stay for now
• The Malaysian Solution - refugees caged and caned in world of pain
• Jangan masuk campur urusan JPA, Perkasa beri MCA dan MIC amaran
• Kenyataan Akhbar oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP dan Ahli Parlimen Bagan, YAB Lim Guan Eng
• Blog Hina Islam, Perkasa tampil lapor polis
• Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• Selangor mencapai jumlah pelaburan asing yang tertinggi di Malaysia
• Pendedahan WikiLeaks serampang dua mata dedah Eskay, Anwar
• PAS bagai gajah tak berkepala
• Wikileaks: Cable sheds some light on sex accuser Eskay
• Tumpat MP warns of Kelantan version of 'Project IC'
• PAS-Umno Merger Could Divide the Malays Even More
• WikiLeaks: How Najib overcame the Kartika dilemma
• Surendran: "Umno Has a Hand in Sex Video Conspiracy"
• Anwar accuses Hisham of slander, files counter-claim in sex video row
• Push for free speech
• If Prophet Muhammad came back today

Perkasa Lodges Police Report Over Letter With Orange Powder Posted: 25 May 2011 11:12 AM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR -- Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Perkasa) has lodged a police report over a letter containing orange powder it received on Wednesday morning. Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said the letter was sent from Shah Alam to its president Ibrahim Ali at its office in Jalan Pahang here. "When we opened the letter at 10.30am, there was unknown orange powder that caused irritation to the skin," he told reporters after lodging the report at the Dang Wang police station at 3.30pm. Syed Hassan believed the letter was sent by those who were unhappy with  Perkasa's struggle for its cause, but said that this was not the way to deal with it.

Young Australian mounts campaign against Lynas — in Malay Posted: 25 May 2011 11:07 AM PDT By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 — Australian Ryan Albrey has sparked a buzz across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in his singlehanded fight to stop giant miner Lynas Corp from firing up its RM700 million rare earths plant in Malaysia. The single, white, male from Perth has been trending upwards in cyberspace chatter since Sunday when he posted a five-minute video on his Facebook page proclaiming his solidarity with Malaysians against the Australian rare earths producer. "Apa khabar rakyat Malaysia dan rakan-rakan seperjuang. Di belakang saya bandar Perth, ibu kota Australia Barat. Lebih kurang 900km arah itu adalah Bukit Welds, iaitu sebuah lombong dimiliki syarikat Lynas dan syarikat itu yang saya nak cakap pasal malam ini," the 29-year-old said in the video featuring subtitles in English. In "Mamat Mat Salleh yang benci Lynas sebab dia sayang Malaysia" ["White guy who hates Lynas because he loves Malaysia"], Albrey shares his views on the radioactive dangers of the refinery being built in Gebeng, drawing parallels with the Japanese-owned Asian Rare Earth (ARE) plant in Ipoh two decades earlier. His views are not new, having been highlighted repeatedly since US daily New York Times ran a report on Lynas' plans for Gebeng three months ago. But his smooth delivery in Bahasa Malaysia has provoked much debate, earning Albrey both praise and aspersions — sometimes in the same breath — from Malaysians online. On Facebook, a reader who called himself Afiq Abd Rahman congratulated Albrey, saying "hebat! all the previous issues pon dye taw [Superb! He even knows all the previous issues]. On Twitter, Umno's Youth media movement called the Murdoch University graduate's pro-environmental comments "positive" in the face of growing controversy over the Lynas issue, but criticised Albrey for adopting what it described to be a "political tone". "Only Ryan's error was when he voiced it in a political tone. So his statement in the video is unchanged like Fuziah Reactor, Anwar Ibrahim or any opposition leader who has tried to turn the Lynas thorium project in Kuantan, Pahang into a political issue, seeing as how they are bereft of issues to attack the government lately," it posted under the name unitmediabaru. It noted that Albrey, who is now working as a digital designer in Australia, had worked in Malaysia from 2006 to 2008. The man himself admitted as much in his online resume, listing 18 months' experience as a 3D animator in Kuala Lumpur, working on a children's animated series "Alamaya" that aired on TV2 in 2007. "What's certain is Ryan has become a political puppet for PRiot that can be interpreted based on several matters in his Facebook site," the Umno group said, in a veiled reference to political foe Pakatan Rakyat (PR). The video has since gone viral, been picked up by other Facebook users and posted on various blogs, linked to their Twitter accounts and spawned copies under different titles on popular video-sharing website YouTube. The comments continue to be replicated across the social networks, drawing astonishment from Albrey himself who remarked, "This is getting a bit crazy. I am going to be trending on twitter soon. (by the way its #matsallehnakcakap in case you want to send out a tweet or 2)." Environmental activist Azlan Adnan, who has been in contact with Albrey, told The Malaysian Insider today the young lobbyist will be posting two more videos on Lynas soon — one in Malay to correct some factual errors in the current clip — and the other in English.   READ MORE HERE.

Of crusaders, clowns and kooks Posted: 25 May 2011 11:02 AM PDT By M Veera Pandiyan, The Star Rabble-rousers will only end up enjoying influence way beyond their merits if we take them too seriously or give too much attention to their grandstanding. WHAT politicians say or do tend to invoke a whole range of emotions – from anger and disgust to fear and surprise, and in rare exceptions, even joy. In Malaysia, there's one player whose antics have been perpetually confounding. When it comes to Perkasa head Datuk Seri Ibrahim Ali, one is often left wondering whether to laugh or to cry. The latest being his threat to wage a jihad (not a crusade, in this context) against Christians, if, in his own words, they continued to challenge Islam's position in the country. The source of the grossly implausible story, published by a newspaper on page one recently, is now under police investigation. The newspaper cited two blog sites which claimed that a meeting attended by Christian and DAP leaders to make Christianity the official religion had taken place in Penang. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has since met Christian and Muslim leaders on the issue while the Home Ministry has sent a letter of caution to the newspaper. At the meeting with Najib, besides strongly denying involvement in any such conspiracy, Christian leaders – except one bishop, who turned up his nose at the event and described the delegation as lambs being led to slaughter – reiterated their upholding the spirit of the Federal Constitution and the status of Islam as the religion of the federation. They also gave their commitment to work with the Government to sustain peace and harmony and seek amicable solutions to various outstanding inter-religious issues. Despite this, the Pasir Mas MP has been going round the country accusing Christians of "challenging the sovereignty and dignity of Malays and Muslims" and challenging the authorities to take action. It's tragic that this is happening when Najib is urging moderates of all religions to come together in his current trip abroad. But it is no secret that just as in mosques and suraus, preachers in churches, too, have abused the pulpits to preach highly-political sermons. We certainly don't need this, especially with the country already having too many demagogues enjoying influence way beyond their merits. They have proven time and again that reason and common sense is no match for rabid rhetoric, especially when it comes to issues of race or religion. Most of the seeds of intolerance and distrust were sown more than two decades ago but how many fanatical cyber-utopians of today will bother to go that far back to trace the planters? Ironically, some of the disingenuous politicians are now portraying themselves as champions of unity and religious harmony when they have never sought to find common ground in the name of seeking solutions, even when they had the power to do so. As for DAP and those who have been denouncing Ibrahim's actions as the worst kind of grandstanding, they are only fanning the flames. The Home Minister has been accused of being soft on Ibrahim but he does have a point about not giving the Perkasa leader too much attention. It's really up to right-thinking Malaysians to evaluate him. It is up to us to see him as a crusader or as a clown. Aren't his antics comparable to Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera) – the group of Indonesians armed with "samurai swords and black magic" who planned to invade Malaysia two years ago as revenge for stealing their country's cultural heritage? Ibrahim certainly does not represent the majority of Malays and Muslims in the country and neither does he have any real support to wage any kind of war. But thanks to the increasing lack of civility in our political discourse, and with key players still focused on scoring points, this unnecessary anger is allowed to fester. Life is too short for one to be taken in by serial rabble-rousers or to take them too seriously. It could well be very, very short indeed – as in 153 days from this Saturday – according to a kooky group of Christians led by Family Radio Worldwide's founder Harold Camping, 88. The preacher, an engineer by training, has predicted that the Bible-prophesied Rapture and Judgment Day will take place on May 21. Unlike predictions based on the Mayan calendar, which ends next year, and the Hollywood apocalypse movie 2012, Camping, who has believers stretching from the United States to China, is convinced that the date is correct. His followers, who claim to be God's true believers, are expecting to be lifted into heaven and be saved, along with some 200 million more of the faithful. They say that those left behind will have to suffer ghastly torment until Oct 21 – Camping's date for end of the world. But we shouldn't be too worried, I guess. The preacher, who claims he has studied the Bible for 70 years, has got it all wrong before. On Sept 6, 1994, the date he had promised for two years, believers gathered awaiting the Rapture by holding their Bibles open-faced towards heaven. But, the world just moved on – with no shortage of kooks, crusaders and clowns continuing to sell their gullible believers all sorts of promises, theories and beliefs.

Prices of RON95, diesel, LPG stay for now Posted: 25 May 2011 10:54 AM PDT By Hemanabthani Sivanandam, The Sun PUTRAJAYA (May 25, 2011): The prices for RON95, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will remain for now, said Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Following a detailed discussion in Cabinet today, the government decided against any price increase after taking into consideration the interests and the needs of the people. Ismail Sabri however did not specify how long the postponement of the fuel cut subsidies will be, adding that it was not discussed during the weekly meeting. "However, the government will continuously study the subsidy rationalisation due to the increase of global fuel prices," he told a press conference in his ministry. Asked if there will be further reduction in subsidies if the global fuel price increases, he said that the government will "cross the bridge when we get there". "If it increases drastically, we will see. That is why I said the (subsidy rationalisation) study is continuous," said Ismail Sabri. He also urged the public not to speculate on the matter as the government will take into consideration all angles before making a decision on the matter. "The people should trust the government because we are a government that listens to the needs of the people. We are always concerned for the rakyat, so let's not speculate," he added. Currently, the price of RON95 is RM1.90 per litre, diesel is RM1.80 per litre and LPG is RM1.90 per kg. The last revision for RON95, diesel and LPG was in December 2010. Speculation was rife that the Cabinet is expected to further reduce subsidies this week. Last week, Ismail Sabri said that the government will review prices of all petroleum products this week, adding that the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) would determine if prices would be maintained or increased. He was quoted as saying that there would be a revision every six months for the subsidy rationalisation plan for all subsidised products. Even Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had warned that Malaysians should brace themselves for further reduction in subsidies. Asked if the postponement was a cautious move in view of the impending general election, Ismail Sabri brushed it off, stressing that the government was concerned about the needs of the people. When asked if the Cabinet had discussed other matters such as the electricity tariff hike and other subsidy cuts, Ismail Sabri said it had not done so.

The Malaysian Solution - refugees caged and caned in world of pain Posted: 25 May 2011 10:50 AM PDT By Gemma Jones, The Daily Telegraph ASYLUM seekers shipped overseas under the proposed "Malaysian Solution" face the prospect of caning if they step out of line in detention. Living conditions at refugee camps in Malaysia have also been condemned as crowded and unhygienic, with some inmates reported to have died from disease spread by rats. According to Amnesty International, Malaysia flogs up to 6000 detainees a year, using a rattan cane that causes visible injuries and scarring. The law allows guards to punish children. "Across Malaysia, government officials regularly tear into the flesh of prisoners with rattan canes travelling up to 160km/h. The cane shreds the victim's naked skin, turns the fatty tissue into pulp and leaves permanent scars that extend all the way to muscle fibres," an Amnesty report into caning says. Graphic video of caning in Malaysia - warning, some readers may find this disturbing   UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, who is visiting Australia, claimed yesterday the Gillard government risked breaching international laws with the proposed swap of 800 boat arrivals for 4000 refugees from Malaysia. While Immigration Minister Chris Bowen insists the deal complies with the UN Refugee Convention, that document does not cover torture, cruel punishment or conditions in detention centres that are dealt with under other international covenants and UN guidelines.   READ MORE HERE.

Jangan masuk campur urusan JPA, Perkasa beri MCA dan MIC amaran Posted: 24 May 2011 07:01 PM PDT   (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa hari ini memberi amaran kepada MCA dan MIC agar tidak campur tangan dalam isu pemberian biasiswa kepada kesemua pelajar yang mencatatkan keputusan cemerlang dalam peperiksaan SPM untuk belajar di luar negara. Justeru tegas Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali (gambar), pihaknya mendesak Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) agar tidak tunduk kepada tekanan yang dibuat parti-parti politik termasuk dari Barisan Nasional (BN). "Perkasa mendesak agar JPA tidak tunduk kepada tekanan mana-mana parti politik dalam soal urusan pemberian biasiswa. "Ia urusan kerajaan dan MCA atau MIC jangan ganggu urusan JPA, Umno dan Pemuda Umno tidak ganggu JPA walaupun ramai Bumiputera tidak dapat biasiswa JPA dan pelajar Bumiputera yang tidak diberi biasiswa belajar di luar negara," katanya dalam satu kenyataan. Kata Ahli Parlimen Masir Mas itu, sepatutnya semua pihak tidak memperbesarkan isu pembahagian biasiswa. Beliau berkata pelajar-pelajar terbabit  boleh meneruskan pengajian masing-masing dalam negara memandangkan semua kursus ada ditawarkan di pusat-pusat pengajian tinggi. "Sepatutnya semua pihak bersyukur, belajar di mana-mana tidak menjadi soal apatah lagi belajar dalam negara sendiri, di mana-mana sudah banyak IPTA dan semua kursus ada ditawarkan. "Ia juga menyelamatkan aliran wang keluar negara malah kosnya lebih tinggi. Membiayai seorang pelajar keluar negara boleh menampung dua hingga tiga pelajar belajar dalam negara," katanya. Kata Ibrahim, kuota pembahagian biasiswa yang dilaksanakan kerajaan sekarang menyebabkan Bumiputera terjejas. READ MORE HERE

Kenyataan Akhbar oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP dan Ahli Parlimen Bagan, YAB Lim Guan Eng Posted: 24 May 2011 06:45 PM PDT Penafian BN bahawa kerugian RM19 bilion oleh Petronas yang disebabkan oleh penjualan gas di bawah harga pasaran kepada IPP dan TNB itu bukan dalam bentuk subsidi merupakan pembohongan dan penipuan yang cuba dilakukan. LIM GUAN ENG DAP melahirkan rasa terkejut dengan kenyataan Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air, Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui bahawa RM19 bilion yang diberikan kepada penjana tenaga bebas (IPP) dan TNB setiap tahun adalah bukan dalam bentuk subsidi. Peter Chin berkata RM19 bilion kerugian dari Petronas untuk penjualan gas pada harga RM10.70 setiap juta unit Termal British (MMBtu) iaitu  satu perempat dari harga pasaran RM40 per MMBtu. Penafian BN bahawa kerugian RM19 bilion oleh Petronas disebabkan penjualan gas di bawah harga pasaran kepada IPP dan TNB yang bukan dalam bentuk subsidi merupakan pembohongan yang dilakukan oleh BN. Perkara ini sama dengan kenyataan BN bahawa RM540 juta yang diberikan kepada Perimekar Sdn Bhd bukan komisen untuk mengatur pembelian dua kapal selam Scorpene bernilai US$972 juta (RM3.68 bilion) untuk Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia. Perkara ini sangat mengarut kepada Perimaker untuk diberikan kontrak dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan sokongan dan koordinasi selama enam tahun walaupun tidak mempunyai rekod atau pengalaman dalam menguruskan urusan kapal selam. Sekiranya kerugian RM19 bilion setiap tahun oleh Petronas diberikan kepada IPP dan TNB itu adalah bukan dalam bentuk subsidi jadi apa istilah yang betul untuk gambaran kerugian ini? Kuasa yang dijana oleh IPP memenuhi 60 peratus daripada keperluan elektrik Negara manakala TNB memenuhi 40 peratus. Ini menunjukkan bahawa IPP memperolehi lebih banyak manfaat dari RM19 bilion itu. Jikalau Petronas boleh menjual gas pada harga pasaran, tentunya RM19 bilion yang diuntung setiap tahun boleh digunakan untuk memanfaatkan 27 juta rakyat Malaysia. Persoalan yang sebenar yang harus dijawab oleh Peter Chin dan BN ialah mengapa tarif gas yang dijual kepada IPP tidak boleh naik lebih tinggi sedangkan harga gula, diesel dan petrol yang dijual kepada orang awam dan rakyat Malaysia biasa boleh naik dengan pengurangan subsidi? Ini adalah ketidakadilan yang lampau apabila hanya meningkatkan harga yang dibayar oleh  rakyat Malaysia biasa tetapi tidak meningkatkan harga yang dibayar oleh syarikat kaya. Pemberian RM19 bilion setahun membolehkan IPP memperolehi keuntungan berbilion- billion ringgit. Dari memastikan ketidakadilan dengan memastikan harga yang meningkat adalah kepada syarikat besar dan bukan kepada rakyat Malaysia biasa, BN telah mencabar kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat untuk membiayai subsidi kepada rakyat Malaysia biasa. Ini adalah sikap tidak bertanggungjawab walaupun PR pasti dapat melakukannya sekiranya PR mempunyai sumber yang sama seperti mana BN yang mengawal Petronas dan TNB. Lagipun kerajaan negeri di bawah pemerintahan PR ternyata lebih banyak manfaat sosial dan bantuan telah diberikan kepada masyarakat berbanding dengan yang diberikan oleh kerajaan BN sebelum ini. Sebagai contoh, kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat Pulau Pinang berbelanja berjuta- juta dalam usaha untuk membasmi kemiskinan, RM20 juta untuk pemberian RM100 untuk program penghargaan warga emas, ibu tunggal dan orang kelainan upaya (OKU), RM12 juta untuk bantuan tahunan kepada Sekolah Agama Rakyat, Cina dan Tamil. Semua ini tidak diberikan oleh kerajaan negeri BN sebelum ini. Peter Chin boleh menipu dirinya sendiri bahawa kerugian RM19 bilion oleh Petronas itu adalah bukan subsidi kepada IPP dan TNB. Tetapi beliau tidak akan berjaya menipu masyarakat bahawa kekayaan IPP adalah hasil daripada penderitaan yang terpaksa dibayar dari kenaikan harga barangan. Kegagalan BN untuk memastikan IPP membayar tarif gas mengikut harga pasaran dan menghentikan kenaikan harga pasaran yang dijangka bermula Jun 2011 menunjukkan bahawa rakyat adalah sasaran BN untuk menanggung beban atas kenaikan harga.

Blog Hina Islam, Perkasa tampil lapor polis Posted: 24 May 2011 05:23 PM PDT   Entri blog itu dikesan pada Isnin lalu dengan menggunakan nama Makcik Hajjah Sitt Al-Wuzara. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) akan membuat laporan polis berhubung satu entri blog yang didakwa menghina agama Islam dengan memaparkan gambar seekor jerung di atas Kaabah selain menggunakan kata-kata yang menghina agama tersebut. Entri blog itu dikesan pada Isnin lalu dengan menggunakan nama Makcik Hajjah Sitt Al-Wuzara atau http://makcikhajjahsittalwuzara99.wordpress.com. Malah sebuah akaun laman sosial Facebook turut dikesan menggunakan profil 'Makcik Hajjah Sitt Al-Wuzara'. Ketika dihubungi FMT, Ketua Wira Perkasa Irwan Fahmi berkata laporan akan dibuat di Ibu Pejabat Polis Dang Wangi (IPD), Kuala Lumpur jam 3.30 petang ini. Laporan polis itu dijangka telah dibuat apabila berita ini ditulis. Menurut Irwan, beliau dan Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali telah membaca entri blog terbabit dan menyifatkan ia satu tindakan yang tidak bermoral dengan menghina Islam yang merupakan agama rasmi negara ini. Irwan berkata laporan itu untuk mendesak pihak polis dan Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) untuk menyiasat lebih lanjut dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya terhadap pemilik atau jurublog tersebut. "Ia satu penghinaan yang sangat kurang ajar dan melampau batasan. Saya minta orang yang bertanggungjawab hormati agama Islam.Maka kami mahu desak pihak polis untuk membuat siasatan lanjut. Kalau boleh letak orang yang terbabit dalam ISA…..kerana tiada toleransi bila membabitkan hal agama. "Kita perlu tegas kerana ia soal agama. Bagaimana jika perkara ini berlaku kepada agama lain?," soalnya. Irwan berkata selain entri blog itu, Perkasa turut membuat laporan berhubung tindakan Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong yang memprotes ekoran dakwaan berlakunya salah urus dalam pengagihan biassiswa oleh pegawai Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA). READ MORE HERE

Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Posted: 24 May 2011 05:19 PM PDT By eloofk The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is an important document which was adopted by the United Nation General Assembly on 20th November 1963 and a precursor to the legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and entered into force on 4th January 1969. As Malaysia is a member of the United Nation General Assembly since 1957, it has to adhere to any legally binding declaration at all times. The Declaration states that: Article 1 - Discrimination between human beings on the ground of race, colour or ethnic origin is an offence to human dignity and shall be condemned as a denial of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations and as a fact capable of disturbing peace and security among peoples. Article 2 - i) No State, Institution, Group or Individual shall make any discrimination whatsoever in matters of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the treatment of persons, groups of persons or institutions on the ground of race, colour or ethnic origin. ii) No State shall encourage, advocate or lend its support, through police action or otherwise, to any discrimination based on race, colour or ethnic origin, by any group, institution or individual. iii) Special concrete measures shall be taken in appropriate circumstances in order to secure adequate development or protection of individuals belonging to certain racial groups with the object of ensuring the enjoyment by such individuals of human rights and fundamental freedoms. These measures are in no circumstances have as a consequence the maintenance of unequal or separate rights for different racial groups. Article 3 - Particular efforts shall be made to prevent discrimination based on race, colour or ethnic origin, especially in the field of civil rights, access to citizenship, education, religion, employment, occupation and housing. Article 4 - All states shall take effective measures to revise governmental and other public policies and to rescind laws and regulations which have the effect of creating and perpetuating racial discrimination wherever it still exists. They should pass legislation for prohibiting such discrimination and should take all appropriate measures to combat those prejudices which lead to racial discrimination. Article 5 - An end shall be put without delay to governmental and other public policies of racial segregation and especially policies of apartheid, as well as all forms of racial discrimination and separation resulting from such policies. Article 6 - No discrimination by reason of race, colour or ethnic origin shall be admitted in the enjoyment by any person of political and citizenship rights in his country, in particular the right to participate in elections through universal and equal suffrage and to take part in the government. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. Article 7 - i) Everyone has the right to equality before the law and to equal justice under the law. Everyone, without distinction as to race, colour or ethnic origin has the right to security of person and protection by the State against violence or bodily harm, whether inflicted by government officials or by any individual, group or institution. ii) Everyone shall have the right to an effective remedy and protection against any discrimination he may suffer on the ground of race, colour or ethnic origin with respect to his fundamental rights and freedoms through independent national tribunals competent to deal with such matters. Article 8 - All effective steps shall be taken immediately in the fields of teaching, education and information, with a view to eliminate racial discrimination and prejudice and promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations and racial groups, as well as propagating the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the Declarations on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. Article 9 - i) All propagandas and organisations based on ideas or theories of the superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour, or ethnic origin with a view to justify or promoting racial discrimination in any form shall be severely condemned. ii) All incitement to or acts of violence, whether by individual or organisation against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origin shall be considered an offence against society and punishable under law. iii)In order to put into effect the purposes and principles of the present Declaration, all State shall take immediate and positive measures, including legislative and other measures to prosecute and/or outlaw organisation which promote or incite racial discrimination, or incite to or use violence for purposes of discrimination based on race, colour or ethnic origin. Article 10 - The United Nations, the specialised agencies, States and non- governmental organistions shall do all in their power to promote energetic action, which by combining legal and other practical measures, will make possible the abolition of all forms of racial discrimination. They shall in particular, study the causes of such discrimination with a view to recommending appropriate and effective measures to combat and eliminate it. Article 11 - Every State shall promote respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and shall fully and faithfully observe the provisions of the present Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Selangor mencapai jumlah pelaburan asing yang tertinggi di Malaysia Posted: 24 May 2011 05:15 PM PDT Selangor telah berjaya mencapai jumlah pelaburan asing yang tertinggi di Malaysia berbanding negeri-negeri lain iaitu sebanyak RM 1.5 billion. Angka ini merupakan dua kali ganda negeri di tempat kedua iaitu Johor yang memperolehi nilai pelaburan asing sebanyak RM 766 juta.  By Teresa Kok Statistik terkini MIDA (Malaysia Industrial Development Authority) mengenai pelaburan perindustrian di Malaysia bagi tempoh Januari hingga Mac 2011 mengikut negeri menunjukkan bahawa negeri Selangor telah mencapai jumlah pelaburan perindustrian yang diluluskan sebanyak RM 2.5 billion bagi tempoh tersebut. Jumlah pelaburan asing yang tertinggi Selangor telah berjaya mencapai jumlah pelaburan asing yang tertinggi di Malaysia berbanding negeri-negeri lain iaitu sebanyak RM 1.5 billion. Angka ini merupakan dua kali ganda negeri di tempat kedua iaitu Johor yang memperolehi nilai pelaburan asing sebanyak RM 766 juta. Johor diikuti oleh Sarawak di tempat ketiga dengan pelaburan asing sebanyak RM 656 juta. Jumlah projek perindustrian yang tertinggi Selangor juga telah mencapai jumlah projek perindustrian yang diluluskan yang tertinggi di Malaysia dengan 59 projek perindustrian. Angka ini merupakan 32% daripada jumlah projek bagi seluruh Malaysia. Daripada 59 projek perindustrian yang diluluskan di Selangor, 43 merupakan projek baru manakala baki 16 merupakan projek yang diperkembangkan. Selangor diikuti oleh Johor di tempat kedua dengan 51 projek dan Pulau Pinang di tempat ketiga dengan 20 projek. Jumlah peluang pekerjaan yang kedua tertinggi Di samping itu, Selangor telah mencapai jumlah peluang pekerjaan yang dihasilkan yang kedua tertinggi di Malaysia dengan 3,880 pekerjaan. Pelaburan asing dan tempatan yang seimbang RM 1.5 billion atau 60% daripada pelaburan di Selangor terdiri daripada pelaburan asing manakala 40% atau RM 1 billion terdiri daripada pelaburan tempatan. Ini menunjukkan bahawa pelabur tempatan juga berpuas hati dengan Kerajaan Negeri Selangor, maka mereka sudi melabur di Selangor. Pelaburan asing dari seluruh pelusok dunia Di kalangan pelaburan asing di Selangor, Korea Selatan menanam pelaburan yang paling banyak dengan nilai pelaburan sebanyak RM637 juta, diikuti oleh Singapura dengan RM 485 juta, dan Australia dengan RM102 juta. Selangor kekal sebagai destinasi pelaburan yang popular Jumlah pelaburan asing dan jumlah projek perindustrian yang tertinggi di Selangor menunjukkan bahawa ekonomi Selangor masih lagi mantap dan merupakan destinasi pelaburan yang popular bagi pelabur asing dan tempatan. Teresa Kok

Pendedahan WikiLeaks serampang dua mata dedah Eskay, Anwar Posted: 24 May 2011 04:53 PM PDT   Pendedahan tentang Eskay hanya melibatkan peranannya secara peribadi – yang jika diperhalusi tidak melibatkan maklumat sulit negaranya sendiri. Eskay memberi maklumat tentang puak pemisah Melayu Islam di Thailand kepada kedutaan AS di Kuala Lumpur. Barangkali yang dipersoal ialah moralnya sebagai orang Muslim, atau juga risiko yang perlu dihadapinya sendiri akibat peranannya itu. Oleh ZOMBI KG PISANG, Siasah Terdapat dua perkara pokok yang perlu diperjelaskan kepada umum berikutan pendedahan terbaru WikiLeaks seperti didedahkan kepada Asia Sentinel yang kemudiannya disiarkan oleh laman web kendalian Raja Petra Kamaruddin iaitu Malaysia Today. Pendedahan tersebut berdasarkan kabel sulit Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat (AS) di Malaysia yang dibocorkan. Pendedahan terperinci itu merupakan maklumat mesyuarat pada 5 Februari 2006 yang dihantar kepada Jabatan Negara AS di Washington melalui kabel sulit oleh kaunselor politik Mark D Clark. Pertama ialah peranan yang dijalankan oleh ahli perniagaan Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah dalam konflik bersenjata di negara jiran Malaysia iaitu Thailand. Menurut pendedahan tersebut, Eskay mempunyai pengetahuan yang mendalam tentang pergerakan serta aktiviti puak pemisah Melayu Muslim di selatan Thailand dalam konfliks berdarah dengan kerajaan pusat Thailand yang telah mengorbankan ramai nyawa terutama di pihak puak pemisah akibat serangan tentera kerajaan Thailand termasuk menyerang masjid dan sekolah agama di selatan Thailand yang mempunyai penduduk majoriti Melayu Muslim. Eskay dikatakan telah berkongsi maklumat dengan pegawai-pegawai berpangkat tinggi di Kedutaan AS Kuala Lumpur. Antara lain, Eskay dikatakan berkongsi maklumat perihal aktivis-aktivis puak pemisah Melayu Muslim Thailand yang menetap di Malaysia serta jaringan dan aktiviti mereka. Kedua, malah mungkin lebih mencetuskan persoalan dan kontroversi ialah pendedahan bagaimana Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, sama ada ketika masih di pihak kerajaan Umno dan Barisan Nasional mahupun selepas disingkirkan oleh Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad daripada Umno dan kerajaan – acap kali dikatakan berhubungan dengan pegawai-pegawai kedutaan AS bagi memberi amaran secara kerap kepada kedutaan AS tentang Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak. Menurut pendedahan itu lagi, kabel sulit yang mengandungi lebih 900,000 perkataan itu merangkumi laporan selama 15 tahun bermula pada tahun 1993 hingga tahun 2008. Anwar, sejak awal lagi dikatakan menganggap Najib sebagai bahaya kepada dirinya dan secara kerap memberi amaran kepada kedutaan AS betapa Najib sering melakukan jenayah korupsi dalam pembelian peralatan pertahanan negara dan menjadi ancaman kepada amalan demokrasi di Malaysia. Menjadi sedikit pelik apabila laman web yang dianggap berwibawa seperti Malaysiakini dan The Malaysian Insider – begitu pantas dan prihatin melaporkan pendedahan tentang Eskay tetapi bertindak menggelapkan pendedahan tentang Anwar walhal tindakan seseorang ketika memegang jawatan timbalan perdana menteri dan selepas itu, pemimpin utama pakatan pembangkang yang melapor kepada sebuah kedutaan asing tentang seseorang yang menjadi ahli parti politik serta ahli kerajaan yang sama – boleh menimbulkan persoalan yang amat besar. Sekiranya perkara tersebut berlaku sewaktu Anwar menjadi sebahagian daripada kerajaan – tidakkah ini menunjukkan betapa Umno sebagai parti politik utama yang memerintah dalam kerajaan Malaysia tidak mempunyai cara atau mekanisme untuk menangani amalan korupsi ahli-ahlinya. Jika sebagai sebuah parti politik perkara ini gagal ditangani, bagaimanakah pula dari sudut sebuah kerajaan yang memerintah negara? Pada waktu yang sama, apakah kuasa dan peranan seorang perdana menteri ketika itu, malah berlanjutan kepada semua agensi atau jabatan seperti polis, pencegah rasuah dan lain-lain. Jika seorang timbalan perdana menteri bertindak sedemikian, apakah yang dapat menghalang orang lain sama ada menteri-menteri kabinet, ketua-ketua turus tentera, ketua-ketua kementerian dan lain-lain untuk melapor kepada mana-mana kedutaan asing di Kuala Lumpur? Tidakkah tindakan sedemikian sebenarnya amat merbahaya kepada keselamatan negara? Pendedahan tentang Eskay hanya melibatkan peranannya secara peribadi – yang jika diperhalusi tidak melibatkan maklumat sulit negaranya sendiri. Eskay memberi maklumat tentang puak pemisah Melayu Islam di Thailand kepada kedutaan AS di Kuala Lumpur. Barangkali yang dipersoal ialah moralnya sebagai orang Muslim, atau juga risiko yang perlu dihadapinya sendiri akibat peranannya itu. Sebaliknya, jika pemain-pemain politik Malaysia, tidak kira di sebelah pihak parti yang memerintah atau di barisan pembangkang dibenarkan mengadu atau melaporkan perihal seteru politik mereka kepada mana-mana kedutaan asing di Kuala Lumpur, sama ada seteru politik itu berada di dalam parti sendiri atau tidak, tidakkah tindakan sebegini pada tahap paling daif lagi naïf malah amat berbahaya umpama suami isteri anak-beranak bergaduh lalu masing-masing mengadu-domba sekeliling kampong.. opps, serata dunia. Dan soalan cepumas untuk PAS – sebagai parti politik yang mendakwa mendambakan Islam sebagai destinasi perjuangannya yang syumul – apakah pendirian PAS dalam soal seperti ini? Atau seperti isu-isu lain sebelumnya, terutama yang melibatkan seseorang yang menghuni rumah agam di Segambut Heights, PAS sentiasa berpegang kepada keputusan konsensus bersama-sama rakan politik mereka iaitu DAP dan PKR? Zombi Kg Pisang ialah nama samaran seorang pembaca SiasahDaily. Beliau merupakan pemerhati politik tempatan, terutama melibatkan PAS dan hubungan dengan rakan pembangkang lain.

PAS bagai gajah tak berkepala Posted: 24 May 2011 04:31 PM PDT   (Free Malaysia Today) - Pemerhati politik PAS, Profesor Dr Aziz Bari menyifatkan keengganan kepimpinan tertinggi PAS membawa perubahan dalam parti Islam tersebut bagaikan 'gajah tak berkepala'. "Kalau dipimpin korporal saja, apa jadi pada general?" Aziz bertanya dalam forum dalam satu forum bertajuk 'Pemilihan PAS: Mampukah PAS membuat lonjakan?' di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina  Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor (KLSCAH). Beliau berkata demikian semasa mengulas keengganan presiden Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menjadi pemangkin pembaharuan dalam PAS. "Walaupun PAS besar dengan keahlian lebih 1 juta orang ia bagaikan gajah tak berkepala," Dr Aziz berkata dalam forum anjuran Free Public Forum (FPF) dan Institut Hal Ehwal Demokrasi dan Ekonomi (IDEAS). Beliau menambah kepimpinan parti lebih dilihat aktif secara bermusim sedangkan ketua parti boleh dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri. PAS terjebak "PAS masih lagi terjebak. Perwakilan enggan berubah dan enggan memberi arahan buang padang meskipun Tan Sri Mohd Asri Muda pernah dikeluarkan." Asri merupakan mantan presiden PAS sejak 1971 hingga Oktober 1982 yang dibuang oleh jawatankuasa disiplin PAS. READ MORE HERE

Wikileaks: Cable sheds some light on sex accuser Eskay Posted: 24 May 2011 04:26 PM PDT   (Harakahdaily) - Fresh from sealing a deal with world-renowned whistle blower Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, self-exiled blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has revealed a leaked diplomatic cable about Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, one of the men at the centre of the pornographic clip targeted at Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. The cable claims that Eskay, who served as Malaysia's Honorary Thai Consul in Langkawi, had once described Malaysian territory as a 'safe haven' for Thai separatists during a meeting in February 2006 with a US diplomat Mark D. Clark, who heads the US's political section. "Eskay said he carried out his work on the Thai insurgency largely independent of the Thai and Malaysian governments, and maintained direct links with most known Malay separatist leaders resident in Malaysia," says the cable. The cable however says that several Malaysian volunteers had casted doubts on Eskay's claims of knowing the separatist leaders, and alleging that Eskay had been involved in shady business deals in the past. Eskay, says the cable, attempted to prove his links with Thai rebels by showing a video footage he recorded of meetings with men he described as senior separatist leaders and younger operators. "Eskay credibly appeared to have contacts with a large pool of old guard leaders, insurgents, and sympathizers from Thailand's Malay south. His views on the insurgency were the most detailed we heard during five days of travel in northern Malaysia and tracked well in many respects with information and opinions from others," it adds. Describing Eskay as a businessmen of mixed Malaysian-Thai parentage, the cable quotes Eskay of telling about his role in the 2005-2006 dialogue with southern Thai insurgents, which also involved former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The cable further states that Eskay shared a 12-page paper of the insurgency and Thai-Malay views, resulting from his interviews with numerous separatist leaders, which he had submitted to  Malaysian External Intelligence Organization (MEIO) on February 1. "Eskay requested that we not share the paper and February 2006 'peace proposal' with others (we have forwarded the documents via classified email to EAP/MTS and Embassy Bangkok)," the cable reads.

Tumpat MP warns of Kelantan version of 'Project IC' Posted: 24 May 2011 04:13 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, May 25: PAS said that the so-called 'Project IC' under which thousands of illegal immigrants were given Malaysian identification cards in Sabah several years ago, is now being reenacted in Tumpat, Kelantan to ensure Barisan Nasional's victory in the next general election.   Tumpat member of parliament Kamaruddin Jaffar (pic) revealed a programme called 'Mydaftar" which would take place on May 28 in his constituency, a move the authorities claimed was to help Kelantanese yet to get identification cards or MyKad.   "I have been informed those who will be registered as citizens will get their ICs on the same day and we suspect this operation is ongoing not only in Selangor but also other states including Kelantan.   "The process to register as a citizen all within a day is the first time such an operation is done there (Tumpat)," said Kamaruddin, who called on the programme to be immediately stopped.     READ MORE HERE.

PAS-Umno Merger Could Divide the Malays Even More Posted: 24 May 2011 04:01 PM PDT By Al Jafree Md Yusop, Malaysian Digest   Abdul Hadi Awang has retained the PAS presidency unchallenged last week. With his continued leadership various interpretations have surfaced, among them, the continued talk of unity between PAS and Umno. The fact the Hadi remains as party president unopposed for another three years show that his leadership has the full support of the party grassroots who know of his inclination towards a PAS-Umno merger. Can this be regarded as a message that the PAS-Umno merger is approaching reality? The part that I never really understand is what's with the word 'merger'? Is Umno suggesting that PAS and Umno should merge as one political party like what Anwar Ibrahim and Syed Husin Ali did in August 3, 2003 when KeADILan merged with Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) to become Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)? That particular merger was supposed to end the existence of PRM but eventually that didn't happen. Or is Umno inviting PAS to be one of Barisan Nasional's (BN) component parties? Umno claimed the purpose of the merger is for the sake of the Malays and Muslims of this country. By admitting that, Umno is making it sound like they are really desperate in winning the next General Election (GE). I for one agreed that winning the GE won't be a problem for Umno, the real concern is for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to perform better than Pak Lah's dismal performance in 2008 saw Umno's popularity at its worst ever. Najib needs to prove to everyone that his 'Tranformation' efforts are bearing fruits. The biggest fear for the BN chairman is in the possibility of the ruling coalition party performing even worse than the 2008 'tsunami'. Early indications in the form of the recent Sarawak state election showed everything is going very well so far but still it was BN's worst performance in the East Malaysian state. Najib knows that he should not take things easy but what could he possibly achieve with the proposed PAS-Umno merger/unity? On February 8, 2010, Hadi as PAS president announced that the party is ready for talks with Umno on matters in which they could cooperate, including issues involving national security, economy, religion and politics. This though was not a totally original idea for back in '73 - '78 (during Asri Muda's time) PAS was part of BN. But not everybody in the party seems to share Hadi's opinion. Early this year Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad has declared PAS will never join Umno in a "unity government", even if the Islamist party were asked to do so by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself. That is a strong statement coming from one of PAS' most progressive leaders. Khalid likened cooperating with Umno to working with those who ignore the Islamic practice. He also classified Umno as Muslims who patronizes nightclubs to drink alcohol and he made it clear that PAS would rather work with PKR and DAP in Pakatan Rakyat based on the Islamic principles of justice and truth rather than race alone. Khalid was actually referring to an event in December 2010 when PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat met with Umno leaders at Istana Terengganu on Christmas Eve last year at the request of the Agong for "unity talks". Umno president Najib Razak and deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin were present at the private dinner, together with former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The meeting was seen as another attempt to revive the talks on political cooperation with Umno in the name of Malay-Muslim unity. The question of political cooperation with Umno became a major campaign issue in the 2009 PAS election after it was revealed that its leaders, including PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa and Selangor chief Hasan Ali, met Abdullah and former Selangor mentri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo after Election 2008 to explore the possibility of forming a unity government. Leaders aligned to Nik Aziz then accused Nasharuddin of conspiring to take PAS out of Pakatan. Incidentally, PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar has recently issued a statement reassuring that PAS will never ever collaborate with Umno. READ MORE HERE

WikiLeaks: How Najib overcame the Kartika dilemma Posted: 24 May 2011 03:59 PM PDT   US diplomats stated in their confidential cable that the caning of three Muslim women for illicit sex in 2010 reflected Umno's political tactics. (Free Malaysia Today) - The caning of three Muslim women in 2010 under the syariah law for committing adultery was a tactical manoeuvre undertaken by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's new administration to retain the conservative Malay voters, Malaysia-based US diplomats believed. They also felt that the caning of the three women was perhaps an attempt by Najib and his party Umno to test the waters to forecast the sentiments on part-time model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno's caning for beer-drinking. Kartika was found guilty by a Pahang Syariah Court in July 2009 of drinking beer at a hotel in Kuantan and was sentenced to six strokes of rotan and a fine of RM5,000. The court's finding to cane her attacted wide attention, both from within and internationally, and the ruling had taken place just a year after Najib had become the prime minister. While her caning was pending for months for various reasons, the three women were caned in February 2010. "Kartika's case put Prime Minister Najib's new administration in the difficult position of balancing the competing forces fighting for Malaysia's Muslim identity. "While concerned about preserving Malaysia's image as a moderate Muslim state, Najib has been unwilling to date to criticise syariah law or otherwise downplay the seriousness of Kartika's offence for fear that it could damage Umno's Islamic bona fides," wrote a senior political officer based in the US embassy here in a confidential cable to the US State Department in Washington. Details of the confidential cable sent in 2010 were leaked by WikiLeaks to popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who had published the cable in his Malaysia Today website today. "That the GOM (government of Malaysia) chose to cane three anonymous women, rather than the internationally renowned Kartika, seems to be a tactical manoeuvre by Umno to retain or lure back conservative Malay voters as well as perhaps a testing of the waters presaging Kartika's caning. "That Najib feels the need to placate the most conservative Malays suggests that his stated intent to change to a more inclusive, less Malay-centric economic and political model is facing considerable, resistance within his own coalition," added the cable. The cable must have been sent to the State Department immediately after the caning of the three women on Feb 9, 2010 as it makes no mention of the eventual outcome of Kartika's case. Following the intervention of the Sultan of Pahang, Kartika's caning sentence was eventually commuted to 20-day community service in April 2010. The three women were sentenced to be caned for committing adultery in violation of Section 23 (2) of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Syariah Criminal Offences Act of 1997. Hisham the Islamic cleric Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussien had announced on Feb 17, 2010, that government officials had caned three Muslims on Feb 9, 2010. The three women were believed to be the first women to be caned under the law in Malaysia. Two of the women received six strokes of the cane and the other received four. The women were caned in a female prison. The US cable noted that the sentencing of women to such corporal punishment under syariah law contradicts the federal law outlined in Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code that states that women are not to be subject to caning. READ MORE HERE

Surendran: "Umno Has a Hand in Sex Video Conspiracy" Posted: 24 May 2011 03:56 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - KUALA LUMPUR, 25 MAY, 2011: PKR Vice President, N Surendran in an official press release today referred to Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan's statement challenging opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to prove that the allegations made by Dato Shazryl Eskay Abdullah is false. According to Surendran, Ahmad Maslan's statement is further proof that UMNO has a hand in the sex video conspiracy against Anwar Ibrahim. "Ahmad Maslan has repeatedly made false, unsupported and irresponsible statements in relation to the sex video conspiracy, intended to tarnish the reputation of Anwar Ibrahim and attempt to prejudice the public against him," he said. Surendran continues by stating that Ahmad Maslan's statement should be read in light of the knowledge that UMNO leaders are able to direct or influence police investigations in which they have frequently and unlawfully used the power against the political opposition. "Notorious examples are the politically motivated prosecutions of Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng in 1998. It should also be remembered that in the now ongoing Sodomy 2 case, the complainant Saiful Bukhari Azlan actually met UMNO President and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak regarding his allegations against Anwar Ibrahim," he said. Surendran then called upon Umno and the Government:   READ MORE HERE.

Anwar accuses Hisham of slander, files counter-claim in sex video row Posted: 24 May 2011 03:50 PM PDT By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has accused Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein of slander in relation to the latter's remarks on the sex video screening on March 21. Anwar has also filed a counter-claim against the Home Minister's defamation suit against him. "We have filed defense to Hishammuddin's claims and have also filed a counter-claim to his defamation suit. "Basically slander in relation to what he (Hishammuddin) said during a press conference in Bukit Aman on March 21, and misfeasance of public office (failing to stop the screening of the sex video)," one of Anwar's lawyers K. Shanmuga told The Malaysian Insider. The Home Minister had charged Anwar of defaming him and sought a High Court order demanding that Anwar apologise for linking him to the release of the now infamous sex video. Anwar had during a press conference outside the Dangi Wangi police station on March 22, accused Hishamuddin as well as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of being involved with the sex video screening which allegedly shows Anwar having sex with an unidentified woman. Both Najib and Hishamuddin had denied any involvement of the police and home ministry over the emergence of the sex video. Anwar is now seeking for unspecified damages from Hishammuddin for slander in relation to what the Home Minister had said during a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters on March 21. He is also seeking for costs, interest and other relief deemed fit by the court. "That's right, I filed the counter-claim today. The case is up for case management in early June," Anwar told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.   READ MORE HERE.

Push for free speech Posted: 24 May 2011 01:41 PM PDT By Onn Yeoh, The Sun Guidelines and amendments are not enough. The public should push for more freedom of speech and for the abolishment of any acts that hamper such freedom. They should do so through voicing their opinions in a civil manner and by being consistent in their opposition to outdated laws.  WHEN I read the comments by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the de facto law minister, about why the government should not act against Utusan Malaysia or Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali for what they've said that has upset so many Malaysians, I couldn't help but wonder if he has been reading my column. In my opinion piece last week, "Malaysians not easily incited" I said that I was against sedition laws and the dreaded Internal Security Act. I don't believe they should be used against anybody. Give the people and the media freedom of speech. Malaysian society has progressed sufficiently that people are not going to riot in the streets just because someone says something inflammatory. Now listen to what Nazri said, "Controversial issues that were once considered taboo are now discussed openly and frankly in public without the fear of causing racial tension." He went on to describe the Sedition Act as having "no relevance in these modern times" and claims that the government was merely giving people like Ibrahim the same freedom of speech it gives the online media. Civil society's initial reaction to Nazri's surprising stance on the matter was negative. "The situation he is describing is hell let loose," said Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad, one of the more progressive and liberal members of PAS. "He is opening the floodgates to chaos. We are talking about the complete breakdown of the rule of law, utter lawlessness." More than one commentator on online news sites like Malaysiakini referred to Nazri's rationale as "perverse logic". But is it? Read further Nazri's rationale: "We cannot have double standards, one for the alternative media and another for Utusan Malaysia and Ibrahim Ali." He is right. If we are to champion the abolition of the Sedition Act and the ISA, we must be consistent and not ask for it to be applied to people we don't agree with, however inflammatory or offensive. Otherwise, it would be a classic case of that old saying "It depends on whose ox is being gored", which refers to how people tend to take a position or stance not based on principles but on whether it's in their interest or not. Take the case of being supportive or critical of the royalty being involved in political action. When there was friction between the royalty in Terengganu and Barisan Nasional, opposition supporters were delighted the royalty was being politically active there. The same people would decry the royalty's activism in Perak when it acted against the interest of Pakatan Rakyat. But the opposition does not have a monopoly on hypocrisy. Government supporters who cried "derhaka" in the Perak case were unsurprisingly silent in the Terengganu case. To embattled opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's credit, he said the right thing with regard to calls for use of sedition laws and the ISA against someone like Ibrahim. "People who are angry with Ibrahim asked for him to be charged with sedition or ISA – I don't," Anwar said. "As a matter of principle, I don't support ISA or the Sedition Act and therefore I do not condone the use of these (laws), even as a temporary measure." Nazri had said in January that the government was setting up guidelines for the Sedition Act 1948, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act 1998 and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had said in August 2009 that the ISA might be amended. Guidelines and amendments are not enough. The public should push for more freedom of speech and for the abolishment of any acts that hamper such freedom. They should do so through voicing their opinions in a civil manner and by being consistent in their opposition to outdated laws.

If Prophet Muhammad came back today Posted: 12 May 2011 07:21 PM PDT If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have reduced Islam to a set of empty rituals while the spirit of Islam is no longer in the hearts of Muslims. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are now divided into many sects and cults and each classifies the other as infidels or kafir. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have invented a new religion which was not what he taught humankind and which he can no longer recognise. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are propagating racism, religious intolerance, discrimination and persecution and are threatening fellow Malaysians with bloodshed. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are upholding fitnah as a way of life and embark on character assassination for worldly gains even though Islam says that this is worse than murder. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims regard corruption and abuse of power as a 'necessary evil' in the pursuit of wealth and power. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are defying the Quran by classifying haram as halal and halal as haram so that they can satisfy their lust for worldly gains and pleasure. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have become arrogant because they believe that even extremely bad Muslims go to heaven while very good kafirs go to hell. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims believe that a person born a Muslim will always die a Muslim even though by their own acts and omissions they may have fallen out of Islam and have become kafirs without even being aware of it. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims live in countries with the highest corruption and abuse of power and the worst human rights abuses. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that the kafirs in the Western countries are more Islamic in their conduct than Muslims who live in Islamic countries. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have reduced Islam to a set of empty rituals while the spirit of Islam is no longer in the hearts of Muslims. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have attributed a set of false sayings and teachings to him, which in many instances contradict the Quran or violate what Islam stands for. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have adopted many pagan beliefs, traditions and rituals and are confused as to what is real Islam and what is contaminated Islam. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would finally be convinced that his followers have abandoned him and have turned their backs on him as had happened to all Prophets before him and as what God had warned him would happen according to the Quran.

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