Ahad, 19 Jun 2011

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


PAS may reconsider flotilla mission due to UMNO 'hijacking'

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:24 AM PDT

(Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 20: A last minute decision to remove a speaking slot for PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu during the launching of the Malaysian chapter of the multinational aid flotilla seeking to break Israeli blockade on Gaza has led to questions over the mission's domestic political intentions.


CENSORED ... The banner at the launching event on June 18 showing a change of mind by organisers

Speaking to reporters, Mohamad Sabu said he decided to skip the launching ceremony of the Lifeline4Gaza (LL4G) aid team to Occupied Palestine on June 18 after organisers removed him as one of the speakers.

Mat Sabu lamented that the LL4G, which plans to send Malaysian participants to join the second flotilla, was being hijacked by UMNO and its NGO Aman Malaysia.

RARE HANDSHAKE ... Then PAS president Fadzil Noor and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, at an event to voice support for Palestine, 2002

The programme on Saturday night in Cheras was to feature him alongside prime minister Najib Razak and UMNO Youth head Khairy Jamaluddin, in what was seen as an effort to symbolise Malaysian political unity when it comes to supporting the Palestinian cause, as was demonstrated in 2002 when the late PAS president Fadzil Noor and then UMNO president Dr Mahathir Mohamad shared a stage to condemn Israeli atrocities.

Mat Sabu said the organisers had initially wanted PAS Murshidul Am Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to represent the Islamic party, but the Kelantan Menteri Besar could not make it.

Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Samad had then suggested Mat Sabu to represent the party.

He said he was initially allocated 20 minutes to give a speech on the Palestinian issue, but his slot was halved to 10 minutes, before being taken off altogether.

In his trademark cynicism, Mat Sabu (left) recalled his joy at being seated "on the same stage as the prime minister".

"Of course I was so happy to be on the same stage with the prime minister," he said.

"But when my name was dropped, I was disappointed, because it was supposed to be a joint event."

On Saturday, many in the audience were disappointed by Mat Sabu's absence. As if to add salt to the wound, organisers covered a piece of cloth on part the backdrop banner on the stage where the names of the PAS deputy president and Khairy were mentioned.

'Second thoughts'

Mat Sabu, however explained that he was not disheartened at being denied the chance to speak.

"But I did not go there because it seems UMNO was hijacking the programme," he said.

Meanwhile, Khalid (right) who would represent PAS when the humanitarian mission departs on Jun 26, said he was having second thoughts.

When contacted, the PAS central committee member, who agreed to Mat Sabu's view that the programme was being hijacked by UMNO, said he was considering his options.

 

 

READ MORE HERE.

Malay Nationalism and Development

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:23 AM PDT

Internal unity is therefore extremely important if not crucial. UMNO admits this fact and sincerely believes that foreign investment will not flow in if Malaysia does not have peace and political stability. Yet it indulges in Malay nationalism.

By batsman

The western countries have already gone through their own phases of nationalism. Some have already adopted great power chauvinism while others have settled for civilized power chauvinism after having tried and failed to be great powers (Belgium, Germany, Spain and Portugal among these). Still it was the nationalistic phase that allowed western countries to grow rich and become civilized and "free".

Having become rich, they are now touting "globalization" in various degrees to become even richer. Where it benefits them they champion "human-rights, democracy, free speech, globalization and free-enterprise" but where it is disadvantageous, they have no qualms about imposing barriers to protect themselves. (eg. burqa bans, Patriot Acts, bombing and murdering others in the name of human rights and making useless apologies when their bombs kill innocents, stopping ex-Gurkhas from becoming citizens, invading others in the name of freedom, protecting the world from fanatics and tin-pot dictators or using the excuse of searching for WMD, etc.)

Malaysia has set targets for joining this glorious club and becoming a developed nation (by implication – civilized) by 2020. In the meantime, it is still free to be uncivilized and abusive towards its own citizens just like many other 3rd world countries while playing generous hosts to others in international conferences such as the Langkawi initiative and making nauseating speeches about good governance and being people-friendly.

Of all the countries which are struggling to be developed, some have succeed, some are still struggling and many others still seemed to have failed. Their cases need to be studied seriously, but this is beyond the scope of this write-up. For our purpose, it is sufficient to make some crude observations.

Of the countries which have succeeded are Japan and S. Korea. These countries are characterized by their homogeneity (Japan more so than S. Korea). Their citizens are united and have a strong sense of purpose. Domestic capital accumulation accompanied by foreign capital injections (investments) provided the final necessary conditions for their success.

Brazil, India, Russia and China are showing great promise. These countries have more or less settled their domestic conflicts, domestic capital accumulation is proceeding rapidly and foreign investments are flowing in (some countries have advanced more rapidly in these directions than others). Still some doubts remain.

China for example in spite of it being the richest country in the world in terms of spare cash, is still not accepted as a civilized country and excluded from the civilized countries club. This is because many of it domestic conflicts have not been properly resolved. In fact in some famous cases eg. Tibet and Inner Mongolia, there are forces that try to guarantee that it cannot be resolved. Besides, even the Han Chinese, in spite of their great reputation for chauvinism, are hardly united in nationalism (their communist history may have something to do with this, but check out this link, Huge scale of corruption among Chinese government officials, for good measure).

It would seem that the mainland Chinese, like Malaysians are ever ready to take out money (whether theirs or belonging to others) and emigrate at the drop of a penny. Otherwise, if they have no money then they either willingly or allow themselves to be hoodwinked into being trafficked abroad, just to get out of the country.

This disunity and lack of mutual respect and maybe even lack of self-respect causes obstacles on the road to becoming a civilized and developed nation even if one has great wealth.

Internal unity is therefore extremely important if not crucial. UMNO admits this fact and sincerely believes that foreign investment will not flow in if Malaysia does not have peace and political stability. Yet it indulges in Malay nationalism.

As a governing party, which believes that internal unity, peace and political stability is crucial to development, why is it not championing true Malaysian nationalism but instead promotes divisive Malay nationalism? After all it is not an external colonial power ruling the country by divide and rule tactics.

I guess Malaysians of all races have to answer this question correctly if they are to develop as a truly united nation.

In the west, they have united their countries in competition against the rest of the world. Their internal political systems are characterized by sportsmanship and mutual respect even if they are using drones to murder innocents in poor countries (with apologies no doubt). Unfortunately, our political system is characterized by abuse of power and dirty tricks while we are quarrelling amongst each other without any limits in the hostility. There is no mutual respect and sportsmanship, yet we dream of becoming civilized and developed in 9 short years time.

Yet there are promising signs. Since the tsunami of 2008, the government has become more responsive and has come up with initiatives like 1 Malaysia, Government Transformation, Economic Transformation, Key Performance Indices, etc. There
is a small relaxation of opportunities made available to minorities (even if the scholarship recipient lists are still kept government secrets). One could say that all these improvements are the consequence of the opposition achieving healthy gains. If the
opposition were not strong and the rakyat did not show that they wanted a healthy and clean 2 party political system, it would be safe to say that government ministers would still be waving kerises and threatening genocide to protect Malay nationalism.

Still, all is not yet well. The Prime Minister arrogantly and without bothering to offer any explanation takes advantage of government paid trips to advance a personal agenda such as the marriage of his daughter. Some Malaysians may want to close one eye, but this is dangerous and short sighted. Even top government servants now perform expense-paid hajj by offering some miserable receipts to counter accusations without anyone digging deeper than referring to a miserable minion.

If politicians can get away with taking advantage of small things, who is going to stop them from taking advantage of big things? There are no longer any institutional guarantees and not much of any checks and balances. If Malaysian institutions are
shoddy, how can it become a civilized nation? How can a nation be civilized if senior government servants are bonking their juniors and getting away with it without even bothering to answer the accusations?

There are no longer any checks and balances nor any institutions of any strength and integrity and if there are none, the road is surely down the road to ruin, not to developed civilized nationhood.

Bersih 2.0 is just demanding that we have clean elections. This is trying to strengthen our institutions and not destroy them. They are trying to make a complacent and unresponsive government more accountable. They have no choice but to take their demands public since the government ignores all calls for improvement and clean up of the electoral system. Is Bersih 2.0 bad or is the government bad? Or is it just that our own values, thinking and culture are bad and selfish and corrupt politicians are taking advantage of our weaknesses? Do we deserve to be civilized and developed or are we just trying to become rich – like the Chinese?

On ministerial responsibility

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:20 AM PDT

By R Nadeswaran, The Sun

DEPENDING on which newspaper you read, Chris Huhne is the best secretary of state for environment and climate change the UK ever has had. But when he left his wife Vicky Pryce of 27 years for his aide Carina Trimingham, things seem to have gone awry. Hell, they say, has no fury like a woman scorned. Huhne, his estranged wife claimed, asked her to accept the penalty for a speeding ticket he collected in 2003. There has been no prosecution yet but the police have passed on their investigations to the director of public prosecutions.

In the past, ministers by convention have submitted their resignations if they had broken the law or had put the government in an embarrassing situation for failings within departments under their portfolios. Under the Westminster system, this is seen to guarantee that an elected official is answerable for every single government decision. It is also important to motivate ministers to scrutinise the activities within their departments. One rule coming from this principle is that each cabinet member answers for his or her own ministry in parliament.

The reverse of ministerial responsibility is that civil servants are not supposed to take credit for the successes of their department, allowing the government to claim them.

Although it may sound unfair, this doctrine demands that if waste, corruption, or any other misbehaviour is found to have occurred within a ministry, the minister is responsible even if the minister had no knowledge of the actions.

A research paper from the House of Commons states: "A minister is ultimately responsible for all actions by a ministry. Even without knowledge of an infraction by subordinates the minister approved the hiring and continued employment of those civil servants. If misdeeds are found to have occurred in a ministry the minister is expected to resign. It is also possible for a minister to face criminal charges for malfeasance under their watch."

The archives in parliament are full of episodes, articles, stories and accounts of a string of ministers who had to send their resignation letters to the prime minister for failing to account for their conduct or that of a subordinate.

One of the most talked about case is that of junior education minister, Estelle Morris in 2002. She quit not because of personal scandal or personal agreement but she pledged to do so if the government failed to meet its targets for literacy and numeracy.

From the Hansard, this is the exchange that took place in the house:
Conservative shadow education secretary, (David) Willetts: Will the minister commit herself to the secretary of state's pledge to resign if the government do not reach their literacy and numeracy targets by 2002?

Morris: Of course I will; I have already done so. Indeed, I generously commit the under-secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr Clarke) too. We speak with one voice. The Hon. Gentleman's question is a reflection of what life was like under teams of Conservative ministers, when a secretary of state would promise to resign but the rest of the team would not go.

The material on Reginald Maudling who resigned in 1972 makes interesting reading. Not in the cabinet (yet) six years earlier, he was made director in a company owned by architect John Poulson. Maudling helped obtain lucrative contracts. When Poulson was subject to a bankruptcy hearing, bribe payments and his connections to Maudling became public knowledge.

He quit and said: "As home secretary I was officially police authority for the metropolis, and was responsible for the Metropolitan Police. It seemed to me quite clear that I could not continue to hold that responsibility while the Met were investigating, with a view to possible prosecution, the activities of a man with whom I had had a business association. I had no option but to resign, which I did."

In later years, Tony Blair's one-time spin doctor Peter Mandelson resigned on two occasions. In late 1998, he resigned after it emerged that he got a loan from the paymaster general, Geoffrey Robinson, to buy a house. The media dug up several stories concerning the financial conduct of Robinson and oversight of these by Mandelson.

In his letter of resignation, Mandelson accepted that "it was necessary for ministers not only to uphold high standards in public life but also to be 'seen to do so'."

He returned to the cabinet a year later but had to resign again two years later for alleged improprieties. The Observer charged that he had called the immigration minister to assist an Indian businessman, Srichand Hinduja to obtain British citizenship. Srichand and his brother had donated £1 million to sponsor part of the Millennium Dome when Mandelson was in charge of the project in 1998. In 2001, an official inquiry exonerated Mandelson by which time he declared he would not want to be in the cabinet again.

In Malaysia, one of the earliest cases of a minister having to resign in unusual circumstances was in the sixties when the then Education Minister Abdul Rahman Talib submitted his resignation letter after he was unsuccessful in a defamation suit. PPP leader D. R. Seenivasagam had brought up in Parliament, where he enjoyed privilege, improprieties committed by the minister. Seenivasagam accepted the challenge to repeat the remarks outside and was unsuccessfully sued by Abdul Rahman.

The other minister who resigned was Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek who quit as health minister in 2008 over a sex video featuring him.

While we embrace the Westminster system, history may have forgotten some doctrines and the saga of Abdul Rahman Talib v D. R. Seenivasagam and Chua.

R. Nadeswaran concedes that since it is a doctrine and not a law, it would be difficult to compel individuals to do the honourable thing. He is theSun's UK correspondent based in London and can be reached at:citizen-nades@thesundaily.com

Hutang RM6 bilion: Anak masih tunggu penjelasan Felda

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:11 AM PDT

By Zainal Abidin Nor, FMT

PETALING JAYA: Para peneroka Felda di seluruh negara masih menunggu penjelasan yang lengkap daripada Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Ahmad Maslan berhubung hutang agensi kerajaan itu yang berjumlah RM6 bilion dari Kumpulan Simpanan Wang Pekerja (KWSP).

Pengerusi Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan (Anak) Mazlan Aliman berkata, tidak cukup sekadar mendakwa kedudukan kewangan Felda adalah stabil dan para peneroka tidak perlu bimbang.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada FMT berhubung kenyataan Datuk Ahmad Maslan yang mengakui Felda ada membuat pinjaman RM6 bilion dari KWSP dan menyatakan bahawa kedudukan kewangan agensi itu adalah stabil dan para peneroka tidak perlu risau.

Tegas Mazlan, "sehingga hari ini kita masih menunggu penjelasan yang lengkap dari Ahmad Maslan mengenai butiran pinjaman dan untuk apa pinjaman RM6 bilion itu dibuat.

Kalau dulu, Ahmad Maslan mendakwa salah satu sebab Felda mengalami susut rezab tunai lebih RM1.3 bilion dalam tempoh lima tahun adalah disebabkan perbelanjaan tanaman semula.

"Baru-baru ini, Ahmad Maslan mendakwa sebahagian pinjaman RM6 bilion itu juga digunakan untuk membiayai kos penanaman semula pokok kelapa sawit," terang beliau yang juga Ahli Jawatankuasa Kerja PAS Pusat dan Pengerusi Lajnah Tanah dan Pembangunan Wilayah parti itu.

Mazlan menjelaskan, sekiranya Felda membelanjakan sebanyak RM4 bilion untuk menjalankan kerja-kerja penanaman semula maka ini bermakna kos seekar menelan belanja sebanyak RM100,000.

Tidak masuk akal

"Ini suatu jumlah yang tidak masuk akal kerana sekiranya para peneroka sendiri yang mengerjakan tanaman semula, ia hanya menelan belanja sebanyak RM10,000 sahaja untuk seekar," jelas beliau.

Beliau menegaskan bahawa banyak keraguan yang timbul di mana Ahmad Maslan perlu memberi penjelasan yang memuaskan kerana pengurusan kewangan Felda tidak dijalankan dengan telus.

"Keadaan ini juga menunjukkan komitmen kerajaan yang langsung tidak peduli akan nasib para peneroka dan kerajaan dilihat seolah- oleh lebih cenderong untuk menutup segala kelemahan dan penyelewengan yang berlaku dalam agensi itu.

Oleh sebab itu katanya, Anak menggesa satu suruhanjaya bebas ditubuhkan untuk menyiasat pengurusan kewangan Felda yang didakwa mengalami kerugian yang teruk.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #70

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:07 AM PDT

The chief minister, apart from being the chief executive of the state, is also the state leader of the party, mayor of the capital city, and chairman of various state corporations. Any of those jobs would have consumed the full attention of a skilled executive, yet we have these politicians, many with no formal training in management or special executive skills, who think they can credibly perform all those functions at the same time. No wonder nothing gets done.

By M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 8: Culture, Institutions, and Leadership

Lack of Checks and Balances in Malaysian Leadership

One unhealthy trend in the Malaysian leadership is the increasing concentration of power and the consequent absence of checks and balances. Invariably this leads to the lack of accountability and potential abuse. It is not so much that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely, as Lord Acton had put it, rather we do not have a system that prevents the inherently corrupt from becoming powerful.

Consider that Mahathir is not only the chief executive (Prime Minister) of the country; he is also the leader of his party, chairman of a number of government corporations, as well as being the finance minister! With the lack of an effective system of checks and balances, such a structure is a set up for either spectacular achievement given a competent, honest and humble leader, or the destruction of the country given a lesser mortal.

A system with effective checks and balances could handle even the most evil and corrupt. America survived Richard Nixon; he was forced to resign. The American system could also deal with the personal moral turpitude of a president, as when Clinton was impeached, albeit unsuccessfully.

In Malaysia even at the state level we see this same pattern of concentration of power and lack of checks and balances. The chief minister, apart from being the chief executive of the state, is also the state leader of the party, mayor of the capital city, and chairman of various state corporations. Any of those jobs would have consumed the full attention of a skilled executive, yet we have these politicians, many with no formal training in management or special executive skills, who think they can credibly perform all those functions at the same time. No wonder nothing gets done.

If we distribute the power, not only would we ensure the jobs would get done, but there would also be greater accountability. I see no reason why the head of the ruling party should be the same person as the prime minister, or that cabinet positions be reserved for top party officials. The prime minister should be able to select the best person to be in his cabinet and not be hamstrung with whether that person has been elected to a top position in UMNO. The skills to run for a party position are not necessarily the same skills needed to manage a ministry or agency. Similarly if the state UMNO leader and the chief minister were different persons, they would both keep each other on their toes.

Again reverting to the American example, George W. Bush may be the President, but he is not the head of his Republican Party. Although he has the sole power to appoint his Cabinet Secretaries and other senior officials, nonetheless those too are subject to Senate confirmation – a check on presidential power. Even if the president's party were to control both houses of Congress, there is no guarantee that the president would get a free ride from the Speaker of the House and the Leader of the Senate.

Another unhealthy trend in Malaysia is the lack of regular challenges to the senior leadership. Such challenges are important even when the leaders are strong and popular as such exercises then effectively become an evaluation of the leaders. Earlier leaders of UMNO right down to Mahathir's immediate predecessor, Hussein Onn, were all routinely challenged at their party's leadership conventions. Those challengers all had no realistic hope of winning, nonetheless the number of votes they garnered became a surrogate evaluation of the leader. Such exercises would also prevent leaders from becoming another Saddam Hussein. He routinely would get reelected with over 99 percent of the votes. And if he could determine who those 1 per cent of voters who did not vote for him, the next election would see Saddam returned with a 100 percent approval!

Since the debacle of 1987 UMNO leadership crisis where Mahathir was challenged and nearly toppled by Tengku Razaleigh, a new culture has developed within the party, that of not challenging the senior leaders. All in the name of party unity! This is a retrogressive step. Such regular challenges and open competitions are important not only to keep a check on the leaders but also to encourage the emergence of new talent.

What Malaysia needs today is a fresh generation of leaders with new vision, or to pursue my wings analogy, a new set of backswept or delta wings to go with its turbocharged engines. Unfortunately, the very nature of the political structure generally and UMNO in particular, does not encourage new talent. Apart from the emerging tradition of not challenging the senior leaders, the rules for candidates vying for party positions in UMNO are skewed to favor incumbents heavily.

Candidates have to have the backing of at least 10 percent of the divisions before they could be nominated. I am surprised that they did not make that 50 percent and then do away completely with the election!

As with the party, so it is with the country. In the general election of 1999 there was much hype about Mahathir fielding fresh candidates. Alas that was mere hype as in the end they were the same old tired faces being reshuffled. In striking contrast, Singapore had an election in November 2001 that saw over a third of the candidates from the ruling PAP being new faces. Their leaders knew they needed a new set of wings.

I do not see that the political line up in Malaysia to change much in the foreseeable future. The country seems stuck, with minimal influx of fresh talent. UMNO made a tepid attempt at attracting young women professionals with its new Puteri (princess) wing, but that met with considerable resistance from the established order.

The party that is successful at drawing in new talent is PAS. But if that party ever hope to rule the country, these new leaders must replace the rigid set in the ulama council and make that supreme body directly elected by and accountable to the members.

Malaysia's present senior political leaders do not appreciate the serious need to attract fresh candidates. They simply assume that politics and public service will continue to attract the best and talented. These leaders are in a dream world. With opportunities in the private sector so much more challenging and enticing, Malaysians no longer value public service, and in particular, politics. The marked discrepancy in pay between the public and private sector only aggravates the situation.

The next Malaysian leader will need the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) of a Tun Razak and the EQ (Emotional Quotient) of a Tunku Abdul Rahman. Thanks to the successes of Mahathir's policies, Malaysia now does not lack for such individuals. The challenge is to entice them into public service.

The Malaysian leaders of tomorrow will not be those who simply bark out orders a la the drill sergeant. Rather they will be individuals with proven personal and professional achievements who can share their vision for the country's future with their followers. They will be more like the symphony conductor, cajoling and encouraging in order to bring out the best from the citizens. These leaders will lead through personal examples of competence, integrity and excellence, and not merely by manipulating personnel, information, and institutions.

In addition to the political leadership, there is also the leadership of the hereditary class, principally the sultans and territorial chiefs. These hereditary leaders are found only in the nine sultanates; the remaining four states of Sabah, Sarawak, Penang, and Melaka are fortunately spared this additional burden. These hereditary leaders add another layer of inertia to change. The royalty and nobility classes have never provided much leadership to Malays either in their official or personal capacity. Unlike European kings and dukes who through their patronage provided for the development and nurturing of talented artists, musicians, and scholars, Malaysian royalty and aristocrats feel no similar obligation.

A new development among members of the royalty is their increasing involvement in business. To the extent that they are now contributing to the economy, that is good. But if they are using their royal clout to secure unfair advantages over their competitors, that would be dangerous. We must also be mindful of Ibn Khaldun's admonition about the ruinous effect of rulers' involvement in commerce. There would be less criticisms if members of the royal family were well qualified and competent to run their businesses, but if they were content in being merely silent partners and figureheads or sultans of their enterprises, then that would easily evoke the hostilities of not only their competitors but also their subjects.

Another trend that I view with increasing concern is the current vogue of installing sultans or their consorts to important bodies such as chancellors of universities. I do not mind them becoming chairman of the Malaysian Society of Orchid Lovers, but for them to be directly involved with important organizations would be unhealthy. Given the typical Malaysian obsequiousness in the presence of members of the royalty, I cannot imagine any substantive discussions taking place in such meetings chaired by these sultans. The government is doing these bodies a great disservice by appointing these royal luminaries. If the government were to honor these bodies, than by all means appoint the sultans in an honorary capacity.

Malaysian sultans and nobilities are akin to bulkheads on a ship rather than propellers. Not only do they not help in pushing the ship of state forward, on the contrary they effect a significant drag. They are an expensive burden to boot. They also set a very poor example to the masses. They sit at the apex of the privileged heap and do not contribute.

The sultans also disproportionately influence Malays by being not only the secular leader but also as head of the Muslim faith. This latter function protects the sultans from criticisms from the masses, for doing so would be tantamount to criticizing the faith itself. And because the citizens are discouraged from criticizing the sultans, this habit is carried over to all the other leaders, including political leaders and also their superiors at work. In short Malaysia has all the makings of a compliant and robotic society – a flock of sheep.

There is one other important factor that accelerates this trend. That is the attitude towards and the influence of Islam, especially in Malay life and culture. This is such a significant bearing that I have a devoted the entire next chapter to it.

Next: Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life

Time to Mobilize the 45%!

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:07 AM PDT

By Sarawak Report

PKR Sarawak Leader, Baru Bian, enters the State Parliament for the first time today with a new rallying cry.  He has told Sarawak Report in an exclusive interview that it is time to mobilize grass roots support and to form an army of volunteers to build on the opposition's progress at the State Election.

In a clear appeal to the frustrated 45% of the electorate who voted for the opposition, but were rewarded with just a relative handful of seats, he said Sarawak must develop a new 'culture of volunteerism' to counter the corruption of money politics and passive voters.  He told Sarawak Report:

"Mobilization of the 45% support is crucial..Volunteerism is not a common culture in this part of the world. So we need to explain the need to mobilize people on the ground together to bring the change we all desire. It needs conviction from within to a cause, or else people would always expect to be rewarded or paid for whatever they do. We need therefore to do our best to convince people that we are doing all these for the good of all and the generations after us".

The PKR leader, who enters the DUN for the first time as one of 3 rural representatives who succeeded in wresting seats from BN's grasp, also makes a clear play for more practical support from urban voters.

The opposition, represented by DAP, triumphed in nearly all the city seats, because the towns have a far greater awareness of political issues and a more developed political machinery.  However, with so many rural seats in the hands of BN's traditional power-brokers, Baru Bian asserts that it is in the interests of town activists to do more to help PKR's efforts to win more seats in the upcoming Federal Election.  Many of the rural seats delivered strong votes for the opposition, narrowly missing victory - with more support they could win next time round.

"DAP can assist PKR or PAS to win by providing financial support and personnel to assist in the campaign and perhaps also on logistics", he explains.

The PKR leader carefully talks up the unity between the opposition parties in this interview, despite recent reports of spats and conflicts. He accepts the reasoning behind DAP's overtures towards SNAP and focusses on his own appeal to the young people of Sarawak to unite to behind his dream of ending corruption and bringing back a fair deal for Sarawak under the 20 point agreement.  Should the opposition take power, he says that the first moves would be to restore the wealth stolen by current BN leaders and to work:

 

READ MORE HERE.

Anwar: No Bersih Demo If PM Can Guarantee Fair Elections

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:04 AM PDT

(Bernama) - SHAH ALAM -- The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) will be asked to call off its planned illegal street demonstration for July 9 if the prime minister can guarantee free and fair elections in the country.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said he was willing to ask Bersih chairman S.Ambiga to cancel the plan right away if Najib Tun Razak could give the assurance.

"If the prime minister can guarantee this and a clean electoral roll as well, we don't need to hold a mass procession," said the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader when winding up his speech at the party's General Election Convention, here, yesterday.

Bersih plans to hold an illegal demonstration to demand for free and fair elections, the electoral roll to be cleaned up, postal voting to be reformed, using of undelible ink for voters, and free and fair access to the media.

Anwar, in his speech, also expressed regret over accusations by some quarters that he was behind the planned demonstration.

He also reminded party members dissatisfied with the choice of candidates for the general election to bring up the matter through the right channels and not to lobby him to determine the candidates.


(Bernama)

Part II shadow national debts and other obligations

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:01 AM PDT

In the extreme case of Plus, in 2009, the dividend it paid shareholders amounted to some RM800 million, equal to the amount of "compensation" paid by the Barisan Nasional administration on our behalf.

By Lee Wee Tak

Last week, after pointing out the relatively obvious Hutang Dalam Negeri Kerajaan Persekutuan that was not commented in PM's trumpet blowing, the trick is to identify where else our liabilities are hidden.

Firstly, some economics 101:

Public goods – goods and services that should preferably be provided by public sector rather than private entrepreneurs at no profit. It is a social responsibility to ensure equity (fairness) in a free economy market. Traditionally these items are provided by the state from tax payers' contribution for the common good where the rich subsidise the poor and not at a profit. Examples of such goods and services are public roads, utilities, postal services, health and education services.

Another reason is that it is not practical for private sector to provide such services e.g. police and security forces. (Although Malaysian defense contracts have famous ways – all the way to France - of going about such things)

In Malaysia, Mahathir administration started an irreversible tsunami of privatization like Indah Water, Tenaga, Telekon, Alam Flora etc. One argument is that corporate taxes is lowered by such privatization because the government is relieved of its duty to provide them.

Fine, then how come successive Badawi and Najib administrations have tried so hard to widen tax collection via GST, raised the service tax percentages and introduced credit card taxes?

I have taken a cursory examination of hidden national debts as a result of the above mentioned privatization trend. If a good or service was and still can be provided by the state at no profit, and this function has been taken over by private sector, then borrowings incurred by these companies are repaid by consumers who have no choice but continue to purchase these goods and services.

Base on the limited research I could do with published audited accounts and common knowledge, I have identified some well known private companies who took over various state functions at a profit and incurred borrowings.

Some of them are self explanatory and obvious like Pos Malaysia, Tenaga and Telekom. Proton is something that Mahathir should never tried in the first place but we have to pay for it while Ahmad Zaki Berhad gets most of their revenue from JKR projects, Faber Group are steep in health care, facilities management of LRT while KUB's role is revealed further below.

Base on my previous articles, PAAB and MyEG are probably going to increase their borrowings very significantly to RM20 billion and RM100 million respectively.

My very crude calculation is that every Malaysian is saddled with RM1,750 worth of national debt hosted by private companies which are basically more costly government function. This debt can increase up to RM2,228 per person, excluding interest and related professional charges associated with huge syndicated borrowings such as legal fees, consultancy fees and bank charges.

I have barely scratched the surface. Further hidden from the public are examples like Indah Water Konsortium, Puspakom (which is consolidated under MRCB), Pharmaniaga etc as well as those sendirian berhads functioning as custodian of UMNO's business interest like Temasek Padu Sdn Bhd.

Maybe readers out there can add onto the list like UEM, Peremba, Gamuda, Prasana, Alam Flora etc. It is endless and quite frightening to think about it.

Without a change of federal government, there is no way to get most of the picture out for public scrutiny and examination.

Price of goods and services the man and woman in the street have to pay for needs to cover the fat executive salaries*, principal and interest of the hidden nation debts, compliance cost of a listed company, market-base salaries with no retrenchment, advertisement costs, rent seekers (like the IPPs) so that the companies will have enough money to pay dividends and re-invest.

* example of Tenaga's director remuneration (click on the pix for a better view & see how much a director can get and see how many directors they have...do we need so many of them?) :

Privatisation also means the profits of the companies are taxed so in fact Malaysians are actually being taxed at a higher level as these companies have to factor in corporate taxes in their pricing structure.

All the above would actually more than offset cost of the previous structure where civil servants who are entitled to pensions but considerably less salaried and there is no profit and no corporate tax.

To illustrate what I am trying to say, see below:

In the extreme case of Plus, in 2009, the dividend it paid shareholders amounted to some RM800 million, equal to the amount of "compensation" paid by the Barisan Nasional administration on our behalf.

Read more at: http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/06/part-ii-shadow-national-debts-and-other.html

Petition for Truth Behind Jobs Commissioned and Cost Breakdown for the Tourism Malaysia fan page

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:57 AM PDT

We request Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to present the details of jobs commissioned and the breakdown of costs for the fan page and campaigns. The time given to Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to prepare the report is 72 hours, starting at 12 midnight, 20th June 2011 and expiring at 12 midnight of 23rd June 2011.

By Curi-curi Wang Malaysia

 

YAB Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Cabinet Ministers and Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),

YAB/YB                                                                                                         19 June 2011


We are writing on behalf of the undersigned Malaysians to ask that YAB raise with the Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, the case of the Ministry of Tourism's expenditure of RM1,758,432 to start and maintain their Tourim Malaysia ~ Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/CutiCuti1Malaysia.

According to the answer provided by the Deputy Tourism Minister, James Dawos Mamit in Parliament, each of the 6 Facebook applications cost RM293,072 — Cuti-Cuti 1 Malaysia, Citrawarna 1Malaysia, Karnival Jualan Mega 1 Malaysia, Festival Pelancongan Seni Kontemporari 1 Malaysia, Kempen 1 Malaysia Bersih and Fabulous Food 1 Malaysia. James Dawos Mamit explained that the almost RM1.8 million included costs for designing, flash programming and coding, testing and debugging, uploading and launching the application, system server deployment and campaign management.

Nevertheless, a Facebook fan page does not need most of the above. The cost for testing and debugging, uploading and launching of application and system server deployment is negligible since these are processes done by Facebook itself. So the amount may account for the non-Facebook sites that the ministry had commissioned for. Until and unless the Tourism Minister releases the details of jobs commissioned and completed, we will never know how the expenditure was allocated for work done on the fan page.

We request Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to present the details of jobs commissioned and the breakdown of costs for the fan page and campaigns. The time given to Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to prepare the report is 72 hours, starting at 12 midnight, 20th June 2011 and expiring at 12 midnight of 23rd June 2011. If Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen fails to present a satisfactory written report on her personal website (http://www.drngyenyen.com/) within the abovementioned period, we strongly request her to step down from her position as Tourism Minister immediately.

For this reason, we urge the Prime Minister, Cabinet members and MACC to investigate if there is any mismanagement of funds or corruption involved. If it is found that the expenses cannot be justified for the work to be done, we strongly request for suspension of the contract and an immediate refund from the beneficial company, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd. And we strongly request the Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen to accept responsibility and resign from her position as Tourism Minister immediately.

We trust and hope that the Prime Minister, Cabinet members and MACC will take these actions through liberalistic, transparent, accountable and professional procedures.

"SEMOGA MALAYSIA MAJU JAYA"

 

(English version) http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=161146723951078

(Malay version) http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=161143110618106

 

Update: We reached 120k fans at 23:17pm 19 June 2011.

Letter sent to PM 1malaysia email account.

Link: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=161190490613368

 

 

Bersih rally go-ahead not up to Anwar, says Ambiga

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:49 AM PDT

By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — The decision to continue with the planned Bersih 2.0 rally will be made by civil society groups and not any political party, its chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan declared last night.

The Bersih chairman distanced herself from a comment made earlier by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who said he would ask Ambiga to call off the July 9 rally if the prime minister could guarantee free and fair elections.

"With due respect, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, this decision is not yours," Ambiga said to applause from nearly 600 supporters at the launch of Bersih 2.0 here.

"Sorry, PKR, civil society will lead the assembly."

Utusan Malaysia and Malay rights group Perkasa have accused Bersih of being an opposition tool to bring down the Barisan Nasional (BN) government through undemocratic means.

They allege that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will use the rally to trigger an uprising similar to the popular protests that toppled Egypt's Mubarak regime and now threaten governments in Libya, Syria and Yemen.

PR component parties and activists are gearing up to march on July 9 in the second such rally by election watchdog Bersih.

The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital's street, before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

The 2007 rally has been credited for the PR's record gains in Election 2008, where the opposition pact was swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.

PAS has promised to bring some 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in the next general election, expected to be called within a year.

Perkasa and 164 other non-governmental organisations as well as Umno Youth have said they will march on July 9 to counter the Bersih rally.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Home Is Where My Heart Can Be At Ease To Serve

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:48 AM PDT

I came from a poor and dysfunctional family. My father was a rubber tapper and my mother was a homemaker. Despite the challenges to survive in a family of 9 siblings, all of us were able to finish tertiary education with 3 holding doctoral degrees. We helped one another and the last 5 siblings were able to attend the same universities in the United States.

By Kang Ho

In the 1980s, I received 8A's for SRP. Thereafter, I transferred to a technical school and received 3A's for SPM with Grade 1. My Malay schoolmates who received Grade 1 were sent overseas for further study and those who received Grade 2 were placed in local universities. My other Malay schoolmates who received Grade 3 were left behind in the same class as I in Form 6.

Back then, I knew something was not right and I lost focus to invest in studies in Malaysia. My teachers told me that the reason I was not treated the same as my Malay schoolmates was because of "kulitfication."

I decided to try my luck in Singapore by enrolling in a parochial college and providing tutoring to support myself. Meanwhile, I saved enough money to go to the United States to finish my university education. I was also fortunate to have opportunities to receive my master and doctoral degrees. To sustain myself in universities, I worked in janitorial jobs, farmlands, cafeterias, restaurants, and libraries.

I came from a poor and dysfunctional family. My father was a rubber tapper and my mother was a homemaker. Despite the challenges to survive in a family of 9 siblings, all of us were able to finish tertiary education with 3 holding doctoral degrees. We helped one another and the last 5 siblings were able to attend the same universities in the United States.

Life in the United States is not without struggles. I encountered various hurdles during the process — family (divorced but happily married now), career (change of profession due to unethical politics), and health (I have 3 kidneys, the original 2 are dysfunctional and 1 belonged to a White friend!). I am currently a clinical psychotherapist counseling a variety of individuals who need guidance and support to put their lives back together. These individuals include former inmates/ex-criminals, drug addicts, alcoholics, domestic violence offenders, marital couples, as well as mental health patients. I enjoy my career through empowering these individuals to change their lives and bolstering them into good citizenship.

My school education, career training, and life experiences are able to equip me to assist people who are less fortunate than I am regardless of their race, religion, socio-economic status, and lifestyle. Coincidentally, most of my clients are Whites and Hispanics and I have no qualms accepting and treating them as one of my fellow human beings by providing them with hope and pointing them to a better future.

My wife is internationally recognized for her exquisite concerto performances in Asia and North American and has received numerous prizes and scholarships. She has a doctorate degree and teaches at a local university. She was from Hong Kong and used to play masterpieces with the orchestra on the National Day of China in Hong Kong. She performs at many concerts on university campuses and community festivals. She frequently receives rapturous acclaim and standing ovations for the performances.

In spite of our culture, language, and country of origin, we are well accepted and respected in our White majority community. We are able to contribute to our local community and live a meaningful and productive life. We are also able to own a big house with over 2 dozen fruit trees and a vegetable garden in our yard.

Where is home? Home is where my heart can be at ease to serve without being discriminated or sidelined due to my parental heritage, spiritual value, and lack of opportunities to attain my dreams.

BERSIH Must March On

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:44 AM PDT

Since the 2008 election, BN's election bribery has gone from covert to overt, famously dramatized by none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak himself when he publicly attempted to buy votes by offering instant cash aid to the tune of millions of ringgit subject to a BN win in two successive by-elections (Hulu Selangor and Sibu). 

By Kim Quek

A peaceful rally calling for electoral reform would have gone down as almost a non-event in any democracy, but not in Malaysia. Here, the news of such an impending rally has virtually caused the incumbent ruling power to go into a state of panic.

Ever since the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections – a civil society movement known as BERSIH – calls for a peaceful rally on July 9 to press for electoral reform, hardly a day goes by without some bigwigs pressing the panic button, as if calamities will befall the nation if such a rally were to take place.

Home minister has warned of dire consequences to political and economic stability, Umno's ultra-racist wing Perkasa has called for a rally of its own to crush the BERSIH rally, police chief has warned BERSIH of preventive arrest, and hundreds of reports have been lodged with the police by Umno and its associated bodies to oppose such a rally.

And now, the latest, Deputy Prime Minister Muyhiddin Yassin called the BERSIH rally an opposition plot to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government when he officiated a local Umno annual meeting in Beaufort, Sabah on June 18.

(BERSIH had earlier extended invitation to all political parties including ruling BN and opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat (PR), as well as NGOs and activists to participate in this mass movement to restore integrity to the Malaysian electoral system, which has been hopelessly corrupted to favour the incumbent ruling coalition. While PR component parties have accepted the invitation, BN has not.)

BN'S RATIONALE ABSURD

Muhyiddin debunked BERSIH's agitation for reform by citing opposition's impressive electoral gain in the 2008 general election as proof of the electoral system's fairness.

He asked: "If it is not free and fair, how could they make such electoral gains? If they win they keep quiet, and if they lose, they claim unfairness. I think their motive is to have a short cut to Putrajaya."

Equating opposition's electoral win as proof of the system's fairness has become BN's standard answer to fence off rising condemnation of BN's massive abuses that have gone from bad to worse.

But such argument is as illogical as it is laughable. Whether an election is fair should be determined by the conditions under which the election is conducted, factors such as the presence or absence of an impartial the election commission and the existence or non-existence of a level playing field. It should never be determined by whether a contestant has won or lost.

Malaysian elections are so notoriously unleveled that one should have no hesitation to conclude that PR would have been swept to power in the 2008 election if there was free and fair election, considering the fact that the popular vote was virtually split at 50-50.


ELECTORAL SYSTEM HOPELESSLY FLAWED

How can anyone consider Malaysian elections fair when the election commission is unabashedly acting as ruling coalition BN's virtual agent, and the entire mass media of the country (with the exception of the Internet) serve as BN's propaganda machines to the complete exclusion of PR?

Since the 2008 election, BN's election bribery has gone from covert to overt, famously dramatized by none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak himself when he publicly attempted to buy votes by offering instant cash aid to the tune of millions of ringgit subject to a BN win in two successive by-elections (Hulu Selangor and Sibu). 

Strangely, or rather shockingly, while the video clip of this drama had been watched by a worldwide audience via Youtube, the presiding judge (Azahar Mohamed) threw out a subsequent election petition to nullify the Hulu Selangor by-election result on the ground of "lack of evidence".

When even the court sanctioned such open bribery committed by the top leader of the ruling coalition, the floodgate for all kinds of corruption, intimation and abuse of authority was virtually thrown wide open to work in BN's overwhelming advantage. And this is exactly what happened in the recently concluded Sarawak state elections, where BN swept to a landslide victory on the twin strategy of bribery and intimidation.


BERSIH'S MOVE COMMENDABLE

Under these circumstances, BERSIH ought to be commended for its gallant and timely move to call for a mass rally whereby a petition will be delivered to the King to put a stop to the election system that has been turned into a complete mockery of democracy. 

Among BERSIH's reform proposals are: prohibition of vote-buying of any form, restoration of independence and impartiality to enforcing bodies on election offences, fair media access to all contesting parties, reform of the current dubious postal voting system and cleanse the electoral roll that is fraught with irregularities and phantom voters.

It will be seen from these proposals that the current BERSIH move is not only not a threat to national interests, but a most reasonable and logical proposition to save democracy and restore justice and decency to a country where the state institutions have been pervasively perverted by BN's prolong autocratic misrule. 

With regards to police's avowed refusal to grant permit to the rally, we have to respectfully advice the police that they have no authority to obstruct such a peaceful rally. Freedom of assembly is a constitutional right guaranteed to all citizens, and the role of the police in such an event is to ensure that peace prevails throughout the rally.

Any attempt by police or any quarter to disrupt a peaceful rally of such noble intention will be construed as a serious breach of the Constitution and will not be taken kindly by peace-loving Malaysians.

Be assured that Malaysians will not back down or compromise on such important principles as the right to have free and fair election and the right to have freedom of assembly. 

Equality before the Law: The Case of Khir Toyo and Others less fortunate

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 03:00 AM PDT

Din Merican

When Dato' Seri Mohd Khir Toyo became Menteri Besar of Selangor, he wanted to show that he was not just a "new broom sweeps clean" type of MB. So, he spoke of change and chided the state government agencies for sloppiness. He would even publicly humiliate heads of departments of state agencies, and awarded one head of department with a broom (ala' the wooden spoon awarded to very bad golfers during tournaments).

From Kampong Boy to Menteri Besar

Khir Toyo was riding high then. After all, this was a rags to riches story – of a kampong boy who rose to become MB Selangor, the most prosperous and advanced state in Peninsular Malaysia. He became MB at a blink of an eye. He was an "Anak Wak Jawa Totok" (a Javanese country mouse's son) who made good. He was the epitome of the New Economic Policy (NEP) which had enabled him to enter University of Malaya, graduate a 3rd grade dentist and move on to become MB of Selangor. His transformation from an ugly duckling into a handsome swan was very fairy tale like, although he insisted it was due to his tempe eating habits (soya bean cake eaten by Javanese ethnic).

I do not have a problem with Khir Toyo's new good looks as my concern is about good governance. Just like watching movies about Werewolf, Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde and The Incredible Hulk, it would be incomplete if we do not also see the special effects of visual transformation to understand how a man becomes a wolf or how mild mannered Dr Bruce Banner can become a green monster in The Incredible Hulk. So also, it would help to understand how Khir Toyo's internal transformation is also related to his external appearances, as can be seen from this picture montage of him:

Lord Acton said: "Power Corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely". That is what happens to the holder of the MB Selangor post. From the time of Dato' Harun Idris and even before that, the MB Selangor is a very powerful post because   Selangor is a very rich state. The richer the state, the more there is to plunder, and the more one plunders, the more powerful one becomes! That is power law in operation.

Also the Story of CM Pehin Sri in Sarawak

Thus, the rags to riches part also seems to be true in Khir Toyo's story. That is not just the story of Selangor but also of Sarawak. Despite all that have been said of the plundering by CM Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud, every Sarawak citizen knows that the MACC would not dare move against him.

Taib Mahmud would only be hauled up if he continues to fund opponents who wish to topple PM Najib as retaliation for the humiliation that PM Najib inflicted on him during the recent Sarawak State Elections.

Khir Toyo's Excesses known before GE12

Khir Toyo's excesses were already exposed even before GE 12 in 2008. However, either due to sheer arrogance or because it was not politically expedient to remove him, UMNO tolerated him. That proved to be very costly when  on  March 8, 2008, Selangor fell to Pakatan Rakyat . The Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency (SELCAT) probe exposed that Khir Toyo treated the state's finances like his own personal coffers. His excesses of using state funds were just amazing and included expensive trips overseas to Paris, Tokyo, Morocco and Hong Kong and the infamous RM 1.8 million trip to Disneyland.

Khir Toyo was adamant that SELCAT was politically motivated by Pakatan Rakyat's new MB Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, and that SELCAT did not get the approval from the A-G to be set  up. Khir is on record as saying that "Any law that involves enforcement must be done by the Federal government first of all. They have said they want to jail people and stated that they can jail up to two years and fine RM2,000. Who is going to jail the person? Does the state have the authority to do this?"

Very brave of a man already shown to be plundering state coffers. Was it because AG Gani Patail was behind him and had advised him to say all that?

Khir Toyo must have enjoyed a certain immunity. How else do you explain his arrogance when confronted with all these excesses including his RM 24million Bali Palace. It was so laughable when he explained that his wealth came from his dental practice!

Despite all the information available in public domain medium, the MACC was reluctant to take action against Khir Toyo. This seems to be the case whenever a VVIP aligned to the political powers or to A-G Gani Patail is involved. We saw that happening in the MAS Scandal. In Tun Dr Mahathir's memoirs "A Doctor In The House", Dr Mahathir made fun of Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli's claim that he was doing National Service when he plundered MAS.

Tajudin is still a free man today because he has a strong cable with AG Gani Patail through one Shahidan Shafie, an ex-Police Inspector once charged for accepting bribes in releasing some Johor secret societies gang members.

There are just too many allegations of selective prosecution by the MACC and A-G Gani Patail. It seems A-G Gani Patail even takes sides in corporate tussles involving his friends like what happened in the case of Ho Hup Bhd.

A-G Gani Patail and Friend at Ho Hup

Khir Toyo's immunity with the MACC and A-G Gani Patail, even caused Marina Mahathir to comment: "I'm just wondering why the MACC hasn't pulled him up for questioning yet. Or do they actually find his explanations plausible?"

It seems that a deal has been cut and Khir Toyo will walk away. This makes a mockery of PM Najib's Government Transformation Plan (GTP) which made eradication of corruption as one of the NKRA. Under severe criticisms, PM Najib Tun Razak had to deny that the decision to charge Khir Toyo was a gimmick by UMNO-BN. PM Najib said that it was an independent decision by the MACC and A-G Gani Patail.

So, this was an independent decision by A-G Gani Patail? If so, why did A-G Gani charge Khir Toyo under Section 165 of the Penal Code? Why not charge Khir Toyo under the MACC Act? My lawyer friends explained that a charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code provides for only two 2 years maximum penalty. A deal has been cut, that's why.

Section 165 Penal Code states:

"Whoever, being a public servant, accepts or obtains, or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain, for himself or for any other person, any valuable thing, without consideration, or for a consideration which he knows to be inadequate, from any person whom he knows to have been, or to be, or to be likely to be concerned in any proceedings or business transacted, or about to be transacted, by such public servant, or having any connection with the official functions of himself or of any public servant to whom he is subordinate, or from any person whom he knows to be interested in or related to the person so concerned, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both."

If Khir Toyo was charged under Section 16 of the MACC Act, he can be punished under Section 24 and would face a maximum of 20 years' imprisonment and a fine of not less than five times the amount of the bribe or whichever is higher. This means that they can put him away for good and seize all his ill gotten assets.

But MACC did not do that because Khir Toyo had cut a deal with A-G Gani Patail. That was why he was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code and not under Section 16 of the MACC Act. The deal would involve Ditamas Sdn Bhd director, Shamsuddin Hayroni.

With public pressure mounting, A-G Gani Patail finally charged Khir Toyo with buying two plots of land in Section 7, Shah Alam lower than its market value.   Hang on! The charge is for buying property cheap? Not for corruption?

The Razak Baginda Case

It was the same thing that A-G Gani Patail did in the Altantuya murder case. Originally, Razak Baginda was supposed to be released upon representation being made by another former DPP turned lawyer, Wong Khian Kheong. But when things got too heated up, A-G Gani proceeded with the case and organised it in such a way that Razak Baginda would be acquitted without his defence being called. Upon acquittal, Razak quickly left the country and A-G Gani Patail said that there would be no appeal because it was a finding of fact by the Court.

Khir Toyo's on-going trial also revealed something more significant. It revealed about Khir Toyo's using proxies and nominees to do things and hide assets. It is common knowledge that Khir Toyo uses Shamsuddin Hayroni and Datuk Sumadi Ismail to hold his assets in return for them getting projects in Selangor. And yet the MACC does not know?

Did A-G Gani Patail and MACC make Khir Toyo declare his wealth? If they did, how did they not discover evidence of all his wealth? If they did discover this evidence, why was Khir Toyo not charged for amassing extraordinary wealth? That would have been the foundation for making various charges under the MACC Act against Khir Toyo. Did the MACC freeze Khir Toyo's banking accounts and those of his spouse, relatives and associates? After all, that is the modus operandi of the MACC and A-G Gani Patail when they take action against the many Customs, Immigration and Police officers including the late Ahmad Sarbaini.

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar jangan kacau Bersih!

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 02:36 AM PDT

Penarik Beca

Dalam berita bertajuk "Ibrahim: Apa saja boleh berlaku pada 9 Julai" (komen-komen di sini dan di sini), Malaysiakini semalam melaporkan:

Ibrahim turut membayangkan jika perhimpunan itu tidak dibatalkan, maka akan berlaku huru-hara.

"Tuan-tuan bayangkan perhimpunan BERSIH tidak dibatalkan, mereka teruskan juga, (mereka) tidak umum bahawa mereka akan batal pada 7 atau 8 Julai, saya percaya masyarakat Tiong Hua mungkin ramai-ramai, semua sekali, belilah bekalan makanan tambahan simpan di rumah.

"Apa sahaja boleh berlaku," katanya.
Dalam posting bertajuk "Tangkaplah! Bunuhlah!" 15 Jun lalu, saya ulang tulis:
Kalau benar tak kotor dan tak zalim, kenapa menggelabah sangat bila orang mahukan pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil? Mengapa sampai ke peringkat memberi isyarat bahawa puaknya hendak membakar kereta dan membaling batu untuk menghalang perhimpunan Bersih? Bila batu dibaling dan kereta terbakar, mungkin ada yang terbunuh. Takkan hampa nak bunuh diri sendiri. Nak bunuh kami yang berhimpunlah tu.

Bunuhlah!
Apa nak kisah, kalau puak Umno dan Perkasa bunuh aku kerana aku hadiri perhimpunan Bersih, bukannya depa nak kena apa-apa tindakan. Dah jenuh Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali ugut nak berbunuh-bunuh sana-sini, dia tetap bebas dan bermaharajalela. Sila baca "Home Minister, isn't Ibrahim Ali above the law?" dalam Malaysiakini 18/6/11.

READ MORE HERE

 

The Way Forward That Ibrahim Ali Doesn't Faham

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 02:28 AM PDT

A Little Taffer's Room

Ibrahim Ali was trying to talk as if he is a military leader or something whereas he is actually trying to play hero to show everyone in Malaysia that he's a somewhat a big ace in the hole. However, if he tries to play head to head of maybe vs Obama or Putin, he'd be a good laughing stock of Malaysia in the eyes of the world because the foreigners can hardly understand things that are "jaguh kampung". He wants to wipeout Bersih but whatever he says has proven that Perkasa is thumbing with their chests so high and mighty in contrast in Bersih that never talks big and does thing in a very professional manner.
Of course, in the way of today's Perkasa launch, Ibrahim was playing bomoh telling other races to stay home to avoid another May 13. But May 13 incident was already 42 years ago. Of course at that time it happened because people are poorly informed, but today's game is different because there is Internet to thank for. One of my Malay friends, did pointed out that Ibrahim and Perkasa are like salt in the soup. Too much, soup, and it will be too salty, in metaphor speaking, damaging the image of BN along the way if he goes too deep.

I told some people that I think that if Ibrahim Ali wants to march out to the streets, then fine by me, but he better watch out for himself because having done a heart surgery last year, he better not overstressed himself on that day including hollering that loud on a bullhorn, if Perkasa happens to carry it, lest he could find himself in a physical precarious situation. 

The one thing that Braheng doesn't get it is that the May 13 scenario will never happen. Simple. PAS has pledged at least 100000 of their own people to come down on 9 July to help things out for BERSIH, voluntary and no money required. Just like the first edition. They would be the first line of protection indeed.

Back in October 2010, RPK wrote about something which mentions that May 13 version 2 will not be Non-Malays vs Malays, but it will be two groups of Malays fighting one another. I reproduce below second half of the article - The Confused Way Forward just to refresh our minds and as to point out that the way going forward that Braheng Ali doesn't get it at all.

READ MORE HERE

 

Perkasa bakar gambar Ambiga, amaran kepada kaum Cina, pembunuhan beramai ramai

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 02:08 AM PDT

Penyokong Perkasa membakar poster Pengerusi Bersih 2.0 Datuk Ambiga di pekarangan Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, Kuala Lumpur petang tadi. — Foto oleh Jack Ooi
 
(The Malaysian Insider) — Perkasa bersama 164 badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) hari ini melancarkan "perang" terhadap Himpunan Bersih 2.0 dengan membakar gambar Pengerusi Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan dan memberi amaran kepada kaum Cina agar jangan keluar pada 9 Julai ini kerana "apa sahaja boleh berlaku."

Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali menegaskan perhimpunan anti-Bersih 2.0 yang bakal diadakan serentak akan diteruskan dan beliau tidak akan bertanggungjawab atas sebarang insiden tidak diingini.

"Cuba bayangkan jika berlaku huru-hara... jika himpunan Bersih 2.0 tidak dibatalkan, saya percaya kaum Cina perlu simpan bekalan makanan.

"Ya, apa sahaja boleh berlaku. Dan saya minta agar polis mengambil apa sahaja tindakan dan gunakan kuasa mereka untuk bertindak," katanya pada pelancaran perhimpunan Gerak Aman di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Baru di sini.

Bersih bersama Pakatan Rakyat dan aktivis parti bersedia menggerakan Himpunan Bersih 2.0 menuntut pilihan raya adil dan bebas sebagai kesinambungan himpunan yang kali pertama diadakan pada November 2007.

PAS telah berjanji akan menggerakkan 300,000 peserta untuk menyokong perhimpunan itu untuk mendesak Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) mengadakan pilihan raya adil dan bebas pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 tidak lama lagi.

Dalam ucapan di hadapan penyokongnya termasuk kalangan Cina dan India, Ibrahim berkata Himpunan Bersih 2.0 diadakan kerana gerakan itu mempunyai agenda untuk menumbangkan kerajaan sedia ada dengan mengambil inspirasi daripada apa yang berlaku di Timur Tengah.

"Kita tahu tujuan mereka turun ke jalanan, kumpulan ini mahu menimbulkan huru-hara dalam negara, kalau dulu peristiwa 13 Mei (1969) negara diisytiharkan darurat dan Tun Abdul Razak (Hussein) dilantik sebagai ketua negara sementara dan jika ia berlaku nanti adakah perkara sama akan berlaku?

"Sebab itu kita tidak boleh berdiam diri, kita tahu orang Cina mengutamakan perniagaan... kita tidak mahu himpunan 9 Julai yang mereka buat ini menunjukkan mereka dapat restu daripada rakyat, kita bertegas dalam perkara ini dan kita bukan mahu melakukan provokasi," katanya.

Malah dalam ucapan pelancaran, Ibrahim yang juga Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas mendakwa Ambiga sebagai ejen Yahudi.

"Kita tentang Ambiga bukan sebab dia India tapi sebab dia jahat, Melayu jahat pun ada... Melayu yang jahat juga kita marah.

"Siapa Ambiga? Saya percaya dia adalah ejen Yahudi... siapa dia puan guru Ambiga ini," katanya.

Selain mengecam penganjuran himpunan Bersih 2.0, turut diedarkan risalah yang berbentuk serangan peribadi terhadap Ambiga dengan perkataan "Awas!!! Ambiga, wanita Hindu yang merbahaya.

"Kita sedang berhadapan dengan seorang wanita Hindu bernama Datuk Ambiga Sreevanesan (cehh... anti Islam ini pun boleh dapat Datuk) yang sangat anti kepada Melayu dan Islam yang akan mengetuai perhimpunan Bersih yang kotor sebenarnya.

Penyokong Perkasa mengambil bahagian dalam majlis pelancaran Gerakan Aman 9 Julai di Kuala Lumpur hari ini. — Foto oleh Jack Ooi
"Wanita Hindu ini adalah pembela kepada kes Lina Joy yang ingin murtad. Beliau selalu membabitkan diri dalam isu-isu murtad kalangan orang Islam, malah beliau semasa menjadi presiden Majlis Peguam sangat agresif menyerang kerajaan BN (Barisan Nasional) kerana diterajui oleh orang Melayu," kata risalah itu.

Kata Ibrahim, pihaknya akan menggerakkan 20 bas dari setiap negeri pada 9 Julai ini untuk membantah Himpunan Bersih 2.0.

"Percayalah hanya segelintir orang Cina dan India akan sertai Himpunan Bersih 2.0 itu nanti, yang ramai ialah orang-orang Melayu... agenda himpunan ini bukan hendak menuntut satu pilihan raya yang bersih tapi agenda utama untuk menghuru-harakan negara seperti mana yang berlaku di Mesir, Tunisia, Libya dan beberapa negara lain.

"Mereka kata pilihan raya tidak adil tapi pada 2008 mereka tawan empat negeri, menang 82 kerusi Parlimen, kalau mereka kata ini tidak adil saya cabar mereka letak jawatan masing-masing dan kita adakan semula pilihan raya," katanya.

Selain Perkasa dan Bersih, Pemuda Umno turut akan mengadakan perhimpunan pada hari tersebut.

Tegas Ibrahim, himpunan anti-Bersih tidak akan bergabung dengan Pemuda Umno sambil berkata "tidak mahu digelar sebagai himpunan parti politik."

"Kita tidak akan bergabung dengan Pemuda Umno, kita ini adalah NGO bukan parti politik dan kita mahu bergerak atas tiket NGO.

"Ini keputusan kita, kita hanya bergerak atas NGO bukan parti politik," katanya sambil menambah tindakan Bersih turun ke jalanan bukan kebebasan bersuara yang sebenar.

Turut hadir dalam pelancaran itu Ahli Parlimen Kulim-Bandar Baru Datuk Zulkefli Noordin dan bekas timbalan menteri penerangan Datuk Khalid Yunus.

Ditanya soal permit, Ibrahim menegaskan jika Himpunan Bersih 2.0 diadakan tanpa permit, maka pihaknya juga akan berhimpun tanpa permit.

"Jika Bersih tidak memohon permit kita juga akan lakukan perkara sama, kalau Bersih mempunyai permit kita juga akan mohon permit," katanya.

 

WIKILEAKS: In Iran they weigh and not count the cash

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Radzi said that Petronas told MITI it does not have any investment in Iran now and that the private companies (SKS and Amona) claimed they had no financing sources for their projects in Iran. Radzi also described how Malaysian firms go to Iran with suitcases of money to purchase oil and gas concessions from the Iranians. He said that they bring too much cash to count the money, so they weigh it to determine if the amount is correct. Radzi did not offer why Malaysian firms would purchase an O&G concession from the Iranians for a project they are unable to finance.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000037

 

SIPDIS

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2020

TAGS: ECON, EFIN, ENIV, ETRD, ETTC, IR, KNNP, MY

SUBJECT: MALAYSIA: ISA UPDATE - PETRONAS MOVING AWAY FROM IRAN INVESTMENT

 

REF: 09 STATE 121808

 

Classified By: Econ Counselor Matt Matthews for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

 

1.  (C) Summary: Post approached the three Malaysian companies listed in Ref A that are reportedly doing business or contemplating doing business in Iran.  Petronas told us January 11 that it has no active investments in Iran, no commitment has been made to invest in South Pars Phase 11 and its contractual obligations in the Munir block are complete, with no further investment under consideration. 

Petronas officials noted that Petronas is concerned about investing in Iran due to current political uncertainties there.  Amona told us via telephone they sold their oil and gas (O&G) business, including any interest in the redevelopment of the Resalat Oilfield. 

Post has made contact with representatives from SKS Ventures, which will be reported septel.  Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Principal Assistant Secretary and America Desk Officer Muhammad Radzi Jamaludin (Radzi) told post that the Ministry of International Trade and Investment (MITI) held a meeting with Petronas, Amona, and SKS Ventures and told them to cooperate with embassy inquiries on Iran investments.  End Summary.

2.  (C) Comment: Our meeting with Petronas was at a surprisingly high level and the information offered was unusually frank and forthcoming for such a sensitive topic. As a Petronas Board member, Azhar is well positioned to provide accurate information on Petronas' Iran investment plans.  Post will continue to press for additional details on Petronas South Pars Phase 11 activity.  End Comment.

Petronas

3.  (C) Deputy Econcouns Salin and econoff Williams met January 11 with Petronas Board of Directors Member and Corporate Secretary Mohd Azhar Osman Khairuddin (Azhar) and his assistant, Head of Legal Research, Planning and Issues Management, Abdul Rahim Mydin (Rahim) to query Petronas about existing and planned investments in Iran,s oil and gas sector (O&G) and awareness of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA). Deputy Econcouns delivered ref A points and provided additional background on our information request.

4.  (C) Azhar said that Petronas does not have any investments in Iran at this time.  Azhar explained that Petronas aspires to be a global company and desires a positive relationship with the USG.  However, he related that Petronas was a relatively late entrant to the O&G business and was not competitive with international oil companies (IOCs) in most development areas. 

Petronas made the conscious decision in the mid 1990,s, with the blessing of the GOM, to compete in countries where Western sanctions precluded the largest IOCs from competing such as Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, and Mauritania, according to Azhar.  He claimed that in 1996 the Petronas president met with Clinton Administration officials informing the USG of Petronas, plans to invest in Iran and that Secretary Albright gave Total, Gazprom, and Petronas ISA exemptions on South Pars Phases 2 and 3. 

Azhar said that Petronas developed the Siri field without an exemption and that both of Petronas, prior Iran projects are now finished.  He mentioned that Petronas does have an ongoing trading relationship with Iran, exporting lubricants to Iran.

5.  (C) Azhar told us that Malaysian O&G reserves are not large and are running out soon.  (Note: Conoco Philips Malaysia confirmed that without new discoveries, Malaysian oil production will decline at approximately 10% per year, from 550,000 bpd in 2008 to roughly 490,000 bpd in 2009 and 450,000 bpd in 2010.) 

Azhar noted that revenues from Petronas accounted for 45% of the GOM budget last year and stated that the GOM is over-reliant on Petronas to fund its operations.  He said Petronas feels tremendous pressure to grow its business in order to maintain Malaysia's political status quo and added that Petronas wants to stay insulated from politics, but must comply with GOM policy. 

He acknowledged the large amount of liquid assets on Petronas, balance sheet and Petronas, concerns that those funds be invested in productive O&G assets to promote future profitability rather than be spent now on domestic programs for political gain.  He described Petronas as a stabilizing force in Malaysia and in ASEAN regionally and his desire that the USG recognize the important role Petronas plays in maintaining political stability in the region.

6.  (C) Azhar was not aware of press accounts of Petronas investment plans in the South Pars Phase 11 gas field and was noticeably irritated that Petronas gas subsidiary Carigali had not mentioned Phase 11 when it briefed Azhar on its Iran activities.  He was quite clear, from his position as a member of the Petronas Board of Directors, that no final investment decision had been made on any new project in Iran.

Azhar added that Petronas is closely following the political situation in Iran between President Ahmadinejad and the opposition and stated that Petronas is very concerned about investing in Iran at this point due to political uncertainties and the possibility of "disruptive changes."

7.  (C) (Note: In a follow-up telephone call January 14, Rahim told econoff that investment in South Pars Phase 11 is still under consideration, but that Petronas has not committed to the investment.  Econoff asked follow-up questions on the status, timing, and cost of due diligence, contract status with Iran/CNPC, and when a final decision could be reached.  Rahim asked econoff to forward the follow-up questions via email and that he would try to respond. End Note.)

8.  (C) Azhar was excited about Petronas successful bid with Shell to develop the Majnoon oilfield in Iraq.  He praised the open and transparent competitive bidding process and said that Iraq's opening is putting a lot of pressure on Iran. Petronas is bullish on the political situation in Iraq and plans to compete for additional business in Iraq, according to Azhar.

Amona Claims O&G Business Sold

9.  (C) Econoff and LES Tang Loon Lian contacted Amona December 9 via telephone regarding its announced investment in the Resalat Oilfield.  An Amona representative told us Amona had sold its entire oil and gas business to Oil Corp., a publicly traded Malaysian company. 

Local news databases did not report announcement of a sale.  A search of Bursa Malaysia publicly listed companies showed that Oil Corp. is losing significant amounts of money and appears near bankruptcy. 

Post will continue to check for additional details on the status of Malaysian participation in the Resalat transaction.

MFA and Trade Ministry Authorize Cooperation

10.  (C) During a January 12 meeting, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Principal Assistant Secretary and America Desk Officer Muhammad Radzi Jamaludin (Radzi) told econoff that he had recently attended a MITI-led meeting, in which MITI called in Petronas, SKS Ventures and Amona and told them to cooperate with the embassy in our ISA inquiry. 

Radzi said that Petronas told MITI it does not have any investment in Iran now and that the private companies (SKS and Amona) claimed they had no financing sources for their projects in Iran. 

Radzi also described how Malaysian firms go to Iran with suitcases of money to purchase oil and gas concessions from the Iranians.  He said that they bring too much cash to count the money, so they weigh it to determine if the amount is correct. 

Radzi did not offer why Malaysian firms would purchase an O&G concession from the Iranians for a project they are unable to finance.

KEITH

 

PKR Has Shortlisted 60 Per Cent Candidates For Election

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:56 AM PDT

(Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) election committee has shortlisted about 60 per cent of its candidates for the general election, which include some new faces.

Its deputy president Azmin Ali said the list will be submitted to party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and its political bureau in two weeks for consideration and endorsement.

"Elected representatives who had not performed and served well will not be selected for election.

"There is no guarantee that those who won previously will be allowed to recontest," he told reporters after attending the party's election convention near here, Sunday.

Azmin said those chosen to contest in the general election would undergo tight vetting to ensure they are committed towards the party and capable of serving the people.

"Our past experience has taught us to be more careful when choosing candidates," he added.

PKR also wanted to retain seats won in the 2008 general election.

However, there will be a swap of seats that the party lost with PAS and DAP.

It will continue to field candidates in mixed areas with equal number of voters from various races.

 

Bersih batal himpunan jika Najib jamin senarai pemilih bersih

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:28 AM PDT

"Jika Datuk Najib (Tun Razak) boleh memberi jaminan yang sungguh-sungguh saya akan memanggil Datuk Ambiga (Pengerusi Bersih) supaya membatalkan perhimpunan tersebut," kata Anwar Ibrahim.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan mengarahkan Himpunan Bersih 9 Julai dibatalkan jika Suruhanjaya Pilihan raya (SPR) boleh memberi jaminan pilihan raya yang adil dan bersih.

"Jika Datuk Najib (Tun Razak) boleh memberi jaminan yang sungguh-sungguh saya akan memanggil Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (Pengerusi Bersih) supaya membatalkan perhimpunan tersebut.

"Tetapi dengan syarat mereka boleh membersihkan senarai daftar pemilih, saya tidak payah membuat perarakan," katanya pada Konvensyen Pilihan Raya PKR di sini hari ini.

Bersih merancang mengadakan perhimpunan besar-besaran pada 9 Julai bermula di Dataran Merdeka bagi meminta supaya pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil.

Walaupun polis tidak mengeluarkan permit untuk perhimpunan tersebut dan akan menangkap pemimpin Bersih, pihak penganjur bertekad meneruskan perhimpunan tersebut.

Anwar yang juga Ketua Pembangkang di Parlimen menegaskan adalah menjadi tanggungjawab semua untuk menentang penyelewengan SPR.

Pengundi hantu di Kelang Gate

Sementara itu, Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali mencabar Timbalan Pengerusi SPR, Datuk Wan Ahmad Omar meletak jawatan dan bertanding di parlimen Gombak dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Orang nombor dua PKR itu merujuk kepada senarai daftar pemilih terbaru yang dikeluarkan oleh SPR pada 13 Mei lalu.

READ MORE HERE

 

‘Not for Anwar to call off Bersih rally’

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:22 AM PDT

Bersih chairperson Ambiga says it is the people's rally.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Coalition for Free And Fair Elections (Bersih) chairperson, S Ambiga today said the polls watchdog would not back down from its mass rally planned for July 9.

"It is not for Anwar to decide to call it off," said Ambiga who leads the coalition of about 62 NGOs and political parties.

She was commenting on Opposition Leader and PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim's remarks earlier today that he would call off the Bersih rally if the Election Commission guaranteed free and fair election.

Anwar's remarks were said at the Selangor PKR convention earlier today.

Meanwhile when asked on Malay rightwing group Perkasa's action of villifying her and burning banners of her picture, Ambiga said: "I believe police will take appropriate action. I will not respond to any statements against me.

"The rally is not me It is about the people," said Ambiga, who was a former Bar Council president. She was talking to reporters at the launch of the Bersih rally tonight.

READ MORE HERE

 

General Ibrahim ready to wipeout Bersih

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:20 AM PDT

Perkasa is heading a counter rally in a war to stop Bersih from continuing street demonstrations.

(Free Malaysia Today) - An anti-Bersih movement was launched today by Malay right-wing group Perkasa with the main aim of stopping the July 9 rally organised by polls watchdog Bersih.

Perkasa's chief Ibrahim Ali said the new umbrella coalition formed to work against Bersih will be called NGO-NGO Prihatin Keamanan Negara, or simply known as Gerak Aman.

It was launched at the Kelab Sultan Sulaiman field in Kampung Baru today. Their plan is to start gathering at night before the July 9 morning Bersih rally.

"Our main gathering point would be at Jalan Bellamy (near the Istana Negara) and we'll gather on the eve of July 9 at night," said Ibrahim.

Other gathering points include the National Mosque compound, Dataran Merdeka, the Stadium Merdeka compound and Istana Negara.

"I will call off our gathering if Bersih calls off its," said Ibrahim, stressing that their counter demonstration was within their democratic right in a guided democracy.

"We are NGOs without political affiliation," he added.

Bersih has planned to hold a massive rally on July 9 to call for a clean and fair elections. Its organisers have insisted that their rally will be peaceful. The police have warned them against holding the rally, labelling it as an illegal assembly.

Yesterday Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin accused the opposition of pushing for the Bersih rally to create tension in the country.

Bersih is officially launching its call for the rally for a clean elections later tonight. It is also expected to explain why it wants to hold the peaceful rally.

General ready for war

Earlier during his speech, Ibrahim likened himself as a general in a war to stop Bersih from continuing street demonstrations.

"We will wage a war against them at all cost to stop them from demonstrating because we want a peaceful nation."

His announcement of the anti-Bersih rally was attended by about 500 people. He said that Perkasa's demonstrators could be arrested by the police for their rally, and perhaps even face the Internal Security Act.

"However we do have about nine lawyers who will defend you if you are detained," he said.

Speaking to reporters later, Ibrahim also welcomed a move by Umno Youth to hold its own rally on July 9 to back the Election Commission and the electoral process in the country.

He also stressed that Umno Youth's plans to demonstrate had nothing to do with Perkasa.

"Congratulations to Umno Youth but it would be better if you come as BN youth," he said.

Ambiga is Anwar's tool

He also lashed out at Bersih for holding the rally on behest of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"This has nothing to do with the Election Commission.  It is held only because Anwar failed in his Sept 16 (2009) promise (to takeover the government)," Ibrahim said.

"They want a Tahrir Square because Anwar knows that he'll fail to get hold of the federal government through the polls," he said in reference to the rallying point in Egypt.

"He wants to over throw the (BN) government," Ibrahim added.

READ MORE HERE

 

PRU 13: PKR bertekad tanding 97 kerusi parlimen

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 12:16 AM PDT

PKR juga berpendirian bahawa kerusi di mana terdapat para pengundi bercampur adalah milik parti itu.

(Free Malaysia Today) - PKR bertekad untuk bertanding di semua 97 kerusi Parlimen dalam pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke 13 nanti, kata Timbalan Presiden Azmin Ali.

Katanya, PKR juga berpendirian bahawa kerusi di mana terdapat para pengundi bercampur adalah milik parti. Inilah pendirian PKR dan telah diterima serta dipersetujui oleh rakan PAS dan DAP.

"Bagaimanapun, kerusi yang ditandingi oleh PKR mungkin akan bertukar dengan DAP dalam PRU ke 13," katanya dalam sidang media selepas Konvensyen Pilihan Raya PKR di sini hari ini.

Menurut Azmin, keputusan PKR bertanding 97 kerusi telah dipersetujui oleh DAP dan PAS kerana ia merupakan formula yang digunakan dalam PRU 2008.

Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata, rundingan pembahagian kerusi masih berjalan dan berharap dapat diselesaikan secepat mungkin.

"Di beberapa buah negeri, rundingan pembahagian kerusi sesama Pakatan Rakyat sudah selesai, malah ada yang telah menghantar senarai calon kepada parti."

"Senarai calon itu akan diserahkan kepada Presiden (Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail) untuk diteliti sebelum ditentukan oleh biro politik PKR," katanya.

READ MORE HERE

 

For PKR, it’s Anwar vs Najib

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 05:53 PM PDT

Anwar had predicted the nascent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would capture Putrajaya on September 16, 2008 with defections from BN which was then under Tun Abdullah Badawi but nothing happened, much to his chagrin. 

PKR believes a general election expected within the year will ask voters to just choose between an administration headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or Datuk Seri Najib Razak. 

Anwar's party kicked off its election convention here today by comparing the two coalition leaders and insisting that its de facto leader remains its greatest asset. 

"He is the envy of the ruling coalition. He has been at the top of government but he has also been in jail. His strength gives nightmares to them," secretary general Saifuddin Nasution told nearly 4,000 grassroot leaders. 

The Machang MP said PM Najib had failed to address national issues such as corruption, leakages in government and surging crime. 

"While the poor cannot even be sure of their taxi fare back from selling their wares in the market... Parliament approved RM65 million to maintain the PM's house," he said. 

Saifuddin told the party machinery to make best use of Anwar, a former deputy prime minister. 

"We don't have Utusan Malaysia or TV, so when Anwar is coming to speak, all other speakers make way. Make sure the PA system is good so he doesn't lose his voice," he said. 

After displaying pictures of Anwar and Najib side by side on big screens across the hall, Saifuddin asked "which government do you want?" 

He then switched to a slide which said "it's development time for Malaysia, it's Anwar time for Malaysia." 

Anwar led a loose coalition of three parties — PKR, DAP and PAS — to win a historic 82 federal seats and four more states in Election 2008 and denying the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority. 

Anwar had predicted the nascent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would capture Putrajaya on September 16, 2008 with defections from BN which was then under Tun Abdullah Badawi but nothing happened, much to his chagrin. 

Abdullah then stepped down as PM after the electoral debacle in favour of Najib, who has yet to call elections for his own mandate. 

Najib has launched economic reforms and is courting various communities and demographics ahead of the next general elections but a recent round of subsidy cuts could affect his popularity.

 

PERKASA lancar Anti BERSIH 2.0

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 05:23 PM PDT

(KL Pos) - Pertubuhan Peribumi Perkasa Malaysia (PERKASA) telah menganjurkan satu deklarasi bersama NGO-NGO yang lain dalam menyatakan bantahan terhadap Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 yang bakal berlangsung pada 9 Julai 2011.

Pada masa kini sedang berlangsung Perlancaran Perhimpunan Anti BERSIH 2.0 di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, disini. Menurut Ketua Wira Perkasa, Saudara Irwan Shah, Perhimpunan ini mesti dihentikan serta merta dan mendesak pihak Kerajaan bertindak dengan lebih tegas terhadap pihak yang bertanggungjawab menganjurkan BERSIH 2.0.

Turut kelihatan beberapa pemimpin NGO dan Ahli Parlimen termasuklah bekas Pemimpin PKR, YB. Zulkifli Nordin.

Majlis Perlancaran Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 bakal berlangsung pada malam ini yang dianjurkan oleh Pakatan Rakyat.

Lagi Laporan menyusul.

 

The numbers just don’t add up

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 05:06 PM PDT

We are told that there are only 60 licensed massage centres in the whole of Selangor, which means the thousands of such centres that we see are illegal.

Muhd Ikhsan said that since the beginning of this year, 16 operations have been conducted and 81 premises were checked. He did not explain how they checked on 81 premises if there were only 45 legal ones.

Wong Chun Wai, The Star

THERE'S a major factor that sets Selangor apart from other states when it comes to massage centres. Sure, there are plenty of such centres in other major towns that offer the standard rub – or more. But in Selangor, the number of massage centres is probably the highest.

We are told that there are only 60 licensed massage centres in the whole of Selangor, which means the thousands of such centres that we see are illegal.

That comes to one point – why are they able to operate openly in so many residential areas without the local councils cracking down on them?

Can the people be blamed for thinking there are elements of corruption involved, and strong suspicions of protection with powerful backing?

Or is it simply that enforcement is so pathetic the officers are fighting a losing battle against the massage parlour operators?

State executive councillor Ronnie Liu can be sure that no one in the state believes his claim that there are only 60 licensed premises and that the licences were issued before 2006.

After Pakatan Rakyat came to power, no new permits were issued, according to him.

One has to be a fanatical loyalist of Liu to believe this. Or, if we accept his claim, it simply means the state has been unable to stop the sprouting of these massage centres.

There's another factor that makes the situation different from the other states – the political dimension of this multi-million ringgit service industry.

Liu himself has been the target of many allegations, including finger pointing by his own comrades, until DAP chairman Karpal Singh had to issue a directive ordering a halt to more discussions on the issue of support letters and allegations of cronyism.

Liu also got himself some unnecessary publicity in 2008 when he was arrested by the police for allegedly obstructing the Subang Jaya Municipal Council enforcement workers and police personnel who were raiding a suspected vice den in Puchong.

He was accused by the police of allegedly trying to stop the police and council workers who were trying to seal a shop lot which was used as an illegal massage centre.

The Pandamaran state assemblyman was arrested on the spot but released on bail. The next day, the police received an order from the Attorney-General's Office to charge him. The court case is on-going at the PJ Magistrate's court, with Liu being called to enter his defence already.

The Local Government, Study and Research Committee member has also sued former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Khir Toyo for allegedly accusing him of immoral activities and involvement in vice.

Liu denied that he had obstructed the authorities from carrying out their duties.

Last year, Karpal Singh rescued him after his party leaders accused him of abusing his official state letter heads. A gag order was issued and the matter hushed up. He was let off with a "severe reprimand" from the party.

Liu survived that political storm but his assistant Tee Boon Hock, a Klang municipal councillor, found himself sacked from the party for allegedly misusing the letter heads to secure contracts for his cronies.

But there are more questions than answers to the massage centre issue in Selangor. Klang Municipal Council president Muhd Ikhsan Mukri has said there are 45 licensed massage parlours in Klang.

If there are only 60 licensed massage centres in the whole of Selangor, and out of this Klang has 45, that would make Klang the town with the highest number of licensed massage centres.

How Klang has managed to get all the licences is another question.

Muhd Ikhsan said that since the beginning of this year, 16 operations have been conducted and 81 premises were checked. He did not explain how they checked on 81 premises if there were only 45 legal ones.

Tee, who is now a sworn political enemy of Liu, has claimed there are 60 massage centres in Klang. He did not say whether they are legal or illegal.

In all fairness, there are many legitimate massage centres in Selangor. In fact, the operators of clean ones have to struggle, often on unfair terms and turf, against the illegal ones that offer sex services.

Many decent ones in Selangor offer family packages and have clear signs put up to say they do not tolerate sex services.

Certainly, there is bigger demand for massage services in Selangor because of the stressful lifestyle here. Most Selangor residents work in Kuala Lumpur but reside in the suburbs of Petaling Jaya. And massages have been proven to be able to relax the muscles.

I do not wish to rub it in. There is nothing wrong in issuing more permits for massage centres but to claim that no new permits are being issued and then we see such premises mushrooming, even in residential neighbourhoods, only smacks of poor governance.

 

Protest mounts as more reports are lodged against Bersih march

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 05:02 PM PDT

(The Star) - Protests against the opposition-initated Bersih 2.0 rally continues to mount with at least four more police reports lodged against the organisers, and the Deputy Prime Minister condemning it as a plot to topple the Government.

This follows the stand taken by Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan that the coalition would proceed with the planned rally on July 9 despite warnings by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar to arrest all illegal protesters.

The Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), Wira and Wirawati Perkasa (the youth and women's wing of the Malay rights group) and the Malaysian Veteran Armed Forces Association lodged separate reports against the group at the Dang Wangi police station yesterday.

The latest police reports bring the number of reports lodged against the demonstration so far to 422.

In KOTA KINABALU, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the opposition agenda was to create a hate campaign against the Government by raising issues beyond Bersih's call for clean and fair elections.

"They are trying to use street demonstrations to create a hate momentum against the Government to achieve their road to Putrajaya' agenda,'' the Deputy Prime Minister said after opening the Beaufort Umno division meeting yesterday.

Muhyiddin said the group was being used by Pakatan Rakyat parties to create public anger against the Government so that when elections are called, the people would reject the ruling Barisan Nasional.

He suspected the opposition would use Bersih to twist issues like the increased price of goods and corruption as part of its agenda to wrest Federal power.

On a plan by Umno Youth to have a counter-rally, Muhyiddin advised movement leader Khairy Jamaluddin to reconsider it and take into account the consequences of such rallies to the economy, peace and livelihood of the people.

 

Indonesian club aims to teach obedience to wives

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 04:39 PM PDT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A new club in Indonesia that aims to encourage women to be pious and totally obedient to their husbands has generated an outcry from activists.

Gina Puspita, leader of the "Klub Taat Suami," or "Obedient to Husband Club," says the newly formed group already has about 300 members in several Indonesian cities.

Husein Muhammad, a member of the commission on women's rights, said Sunday that the club, founded under the Malaysian-based Islamic group Global Ikhwan, would not get support in Indonesia.

The club was launched Saturday night in a ceremony in the capital, Jakarta, attended by about 50 women and their husbands.

 

PERKASA given police permit to assemble

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 03:46 PM PDT

On 17th June 2011, the police issued a permit for PERKASA to organise a rally. The permit was issued merely one day after PERKASA applied for it (on 16th June 2011). The assembly, expected to attract 2,000 participants, will be held at the Kelab Sultan Sulaiman on 19th June 2011 (where Pakatan Rakyat once tried to organise a rally but was rejected on grounds of 'security'). Normally, you need to apply for the permit 14 days before the planned rally.

 

Tiada ugutan setakat ini, kata Mat Sabu

Posted: 18 Jun 2011 03:43 PM PDT

Himpunan Bersih pada 9 Julai ini akan tetap diteruskan walaupun berlaku pertembungan himpunan Pemuda Umno dan Perkasa, kata Timbalan Presiden PAS.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu berkata tiada sebarang ugutan yang diterima setakat ini berhubung penglibatannya dalam Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 2.0).

Tegas beliau, Himpunan Bersih pada 9 Julai ini akan tetap diteruskan walaupun berlaku pertembungan himpunan Pemuda Umno dan Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa).

"Setakat ini tiada sebarang SMS ugutan yang saya terima dan segala-galanya akan berjalan dengan lancar seperti yang dirancangkan," katanya dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PAS disini hari ini.

Sebelum ini Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar memberi amaran keras akan menahan penganjur dan peserta

Himpunan Bersih 2.0 kerana dikhuatiri tindakan itu menggugat keselamatan negara dan ketenteraman awam.

Amaran itu dikeluarkan selepas polis memutuskan tidak meluluskan permit untuk Bersih dan Perkasa yang merancang mengadakan perhimpunan menghalang Himpunan Bersih 2.0.

Pada awalnya sidang media beliau dijadual diadakan di Restoran Yusuf Haslam, Jalan Pahang di sini pagi tadi namun terpaksa ditukar pada saat-saat akhir ekoran mengalami gangguan.

Sementara itu, beliau yang mesra dipanggil Mat Sabu turut merayu kepada Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Ismail Omar agar membenarkan penganjuran Himpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai ini.

Malah beliau meminta agar polis dapat mengawal perjalanan Himpunan Bersih tanpa memihak kepada mana-mana pertubuhan parti politik.

Polis perlu bertindak adil

"Polis perlu bertindak adil untuk jaga keselamatan dan jangan buat tindakan yang memihak kepada parti-parti dan NGO (badan bukan kerajaan) tertentu.

"Maka saya merayu kepada polis, Ketua Polis Negara supaya menjaga keamanan dan keselamatan rakyat serta tidak melakukan tindakan keras kepada rakyat yang menuntut demokrasi dan pilihan raya adil dan bebas.

"Saya yakin polis mampu untuk memantau termasuk mengekang pihak-pihak yang cuba melakukan kekacauan dalam perhimpunan aman itu," katanya.

READ MORE HERE

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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