| Be Ready Against Hackers Attacking PM's Website, Says Rais Posted: 21 Jun 2011 11:11 AM PDT (Bernama) - SINGAPORE -- Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Dr Rais Yatim asked all involved in cyber security to be prepared to defend the website of the Prime Minister from being hacked. He said the Communication and Multimedia Commission and Cybersecurity, among others, must not treat lightly the possibility of the website of Najib Tun Razak being attacked. "We are not afraid of the threat because we are prepared," he told reporters after opening the Malaysian pavilion at the CommunicAsia Convention 2011 here on Tuesday. With the "layers and shields" created by government technical experts, it was not easy to hack government portals although some had been affected, Rais said. The hackers attacking government websites had a specific agenda and were not doing it for fun, he said.
The hackers who had affected about 200 websites in Malaysia had malicious intentions, but the government was not afraid of facing them, Rais said. In KUALA LUMPUR, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Koh Tsu Koon told the Dewan Rakyat that the special task force set up by the National Security Council had successfully handled the threat from hackers. He said the task force was able to restore hacked websites within three hours on average.
(Bernama)
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| KL to help Africa launch economic reforms Posted: 21 Jun 2011 11:04 AM PDT By Farrah Naz Karim and Sean Augustin, NSTPUTRAJAYA: Kuala Lumpur is set to assist African nations in undertaking economic reforms. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia believed that the continent, which has a population of about one billion, had shown a lot of promise. African leaders, he said, were also ready to chart new courses in pursuing development. "They have gone through some difficult times in the past but their leaders are now much more enlightened and determined to use their resources and strengths to pursue a higher degree of development. "Therefore, it is important for us to work closely with African countries for our mutual benefit.
"The LID (Langkawi International Dialogue) will certainly help us cement closer ties with Africa," he said on the last day of the ninth LID, held here for the first time. "This platform has allowed Malaysia and Malaysian companies to see how we could participate in the development of Africa through smart partnerships."
Earlier, in his closing remarks, Najib said Malaysia was willing to send Datuk Seri Idris Jala, chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), to help African countries with their efforts to kick-start their economic transformation.
"We can even send Datuk Idris to your country for a while but don't keep him for too long as we need him here. He is not transferable and there is no transfer fee for him," he added in jest. The idea of sending Idris over was much welcomed by several leaders, including Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who said as much as they would need his assistance, Dar-Es-Salam wouldn't "kidnap" him.
Describing transformation as a "journey", Najib said the key to transforming Africa from a food deficit continent to a food surplus continent was increasing production from one tonne per hectare to six tonnes per hectare.
"Changing from agro to agro-business is transformation. Evolving from poor governance to good governance is also transformation."
Najib said the Malaysia-Africa Business Forum, which includes small and medium-sized enterprises, would become a permanent feature of the Smart Partnership Dialogue.
As part of new initiatives and measures to further enhance the dialogue and the smart partnership concept, Najib said the forum would tackle business franchise opportunities between Malaysia, Africa and the Caribbean.
Najib also said steps would be taken to promote technology-driven smart partnerships to address socio-economic disparity and increase productivity and income.
Besides this, LID leaders, in an "Outcome Document", agreed there would be initiatives to enhance and facilitate specialisation and internalisation of research and development within governments to nurture knowledge and innovation-based economies.
They also agreed that there was a need for smart partnerships to progress towards ensuring good governance and effective administration.
This, they acknowledged, was crucial in preserving social cohesion and achieve socio-economic growth and political stability.
Najib also said leaders agreed for the dialogue to be held biennially so as to allow more time for participating countries to implement initiatives and plan for future prospects.
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| Taib: I’ve a surprise today Posted: 21 Jun 2011 11:00 AM PDT By Lian Cheng, NST KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, the subject of a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation, said he would spring a surprise today. Asked to comment on the probe after the opening of the 17th state legislative assembly yesterday, Taib said: "I will have an official statement tomorrow. They are barking up the wrong tree." With a big smile, he added: "You will have a surprise tomorrow." MACC is probing into Taib for alleged abuse of power in his position as chief minister. MACC commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed said last week that it was investigating Taib over allegations of timber corr uption. Taib did not offer clues on a possible state cabinet reshuffle, including the vacant post of deputy chief minister. At the state assembly yesterday, Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri Dr James Masingwas seated next to Taib and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu. This sparked speculation that Masing, whose party won eight seats as opposed to Sarawak United Peoples' Par ty's six, might be made the new deputy chief minister. Taib said: "This is just speculation. I have not thought of all these things. Do we have one DCM or three or four DCMs? I don't know yet." He added: "I am a bit worried about how I can give the Chinese the chance to express themselves in a more natural way. "This is very important because I want Sarawak to always remain a multiracial state. "We are determined to keep it like that because there is no race in the state with a simple majority. "The only way to have a working democracy is to have consensus among all sections of the community." "This time, the appointment of a new cabinet is a bit difficult because SUPP didn't obtain more seats. " He said he would consult Barisan Nasional parties on whether SUPP should retain the DCM's post.
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| Something fishy in RM466m building sale to Tabung Haji? Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:44 AM PDT (Harakah Daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 21: PAS vice president and Pokok Sena member of parliament Mahfuz Omar has cast suspicion in the purchase of the 38-storey Platinum Park by Tabung Haji from TTDI Development, saying there was a conflict of interest. Speaking in parliament yesterday, Mahfuz pointed out that TTDI's director Johan Ariffin (right) also sits as director for Tabung Haji's two other subsidiaries Tabung Haji Properties Sdn Bhd and Tabung Haji Technology Sdn Bhd.
Mahfuz said some RM466 million was exchanged in the sale of the building in 2009, at the rate of RM1,298 per square foot. The property boasts a total space of 360 thousand square feet.
Mahfuz said Tabung Haji, which acts as a fund for Malaysians wishing to perform the Hajj in future, could have asked its two subsidiaries to carry out the construction of the building themselves.
"Why did Tabung Haji not give the contract to develop the building to its two children companies?
"If technical expertise was an issue, then why not Tabung Haji passed the project to Tabung Haji Properties which is constructing the Wakaf tower in Jalan Perak, Kuala Lumpur and in the middle of completing other projects such as the USJ Subang police station?" he asked. READ MORE HERE. |
| Bersih 2.0 rally is still politics all the same Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:37 AM PDT (The Star) - IF the planned Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 at first seemed like an independent movement, there should be no such illusions now. Of course we should have free and fair elections, which sums up Bersih's populist nature. Rally organisers are thus assuming that the coming general election would not be free and fair. To insist on this before the election campaign has even begun is merely to assume the worst. It creates cynical distrust in the authorities to give rally organisers and their political ringleaders a psychological advantage. If Malaysian elections had not been credible, the Pakatan Rakyat would not have won its several unprecedented victories in 2008. And if there had been no need for such demonstrations before, why does anyone need them now other than to score political points? Both pro- and anti-rally groups are in need of coming clean themselves. Perkasa is a den of controversy and the remarks by its chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali smack of sedition, which is so typical of him. Umno Youth is accused of money politics in its polls, and PKR has still not resolved serious irregularities in its party elections. PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had reportedly said he would tell Bersih 2.0 chairperson Datuk S. Ambiga to call off the rally if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would guarantee a free and fair general election. Ambiga has, however, said it was not Anwar's call while the Opposition Leader has claimed that he was misquoted. But since the brinkmanship roadshow is a political fling, no election campaign delivered by one side will be good enough for the other. And since no election anywhere is perfect, "free and fair" will become a very subjective label in any democracy. By all means let us all have as clean, free and fair elections as much as possible. This should apply to by-elections as well as general elections. It is also good for the Election Commission to opt for the biometric system to enable the verification of voters in the coming general election to be done electronically. And by all means let us also have people honest enough to own up to the partisan nature of the rally exercise. They might then also admit to the superfluous nature of it all. Even if an election were to be neither free nor fair, no rally prior to the election campaign is likely to change that. Therefore Bersih 2.0 and its counter-rallies are only politicking and posturing pretending to be righteous popular movements. What is not so subjective is the law as it stands, which requires a permit for staging such demonstrations. If rally organisers could channel as much energy and thought into constructive suggestions for better elections, they would serve the country better. |
| Manipulation suspected in Bersih poll Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:34 AM PDT (The Star) - PETALING JAYA: On Monday evening, The Star Online put up a poll on the proposed Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9. The poll asked respondents for their opinion: should it be cancelled, or should it be allowed to go on. In less than a day, it drew more than a million responses which caused the team to suspect that the results were being manipulated. The Star Online polls attract an average of not more than 30,000 responses over several days. Furthermore, the total number of unique visitors to The Star Online is about 400,000 per day, lending further credence to our suspicion that there was manipulation afoot. This could be done in several ways, for example through scripted routines or "bots" that come in to a site to perform the same task over multiple repetitions. Indeed, an initial examination of our site logs showed about one million submissions to the poll page from just one IP address. Therefore, acting upon the belief that the poll results were tainted, we made the decision to take it offline just before noon Tuesday. We regret that our effort to give the public a voice has been tainted by this act. |
| Treat detainees with dignity Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:09 AM PDT By Terence Fernandez, The Sun DOING the graveyard shift in The Malay Mail where I started in this business 15 years ago, one had to be prepared for the "invitations" by enforcement bodies for pre-dawn raids. Usually, the reporters and photographers would be asked to congregate at a meeting point an hour before the operation, where we got to mingle with the top brass who would give us a list of dos and don'ts over coffee. Asking reporters to tag along on these operations does help the agencies with their image. It is a laudable effort to be transparent and open. Mind you, there have been many hair-raising moments as suspected illegals whizz past you half naked as immigration officers run after them or drug addicts stumble into you while escaping the police. Hilarious moments include a woman who entered a Black Maria after police busted a gambling party in Chow Kit and whacked her detained husband with her slippers, demanding a divorce there and then. On some occasions, pressmen end up being part of the raiding party like the time when a cameraman decided to trip a fleeing addict, and yours truly was asked to drive three underage girls (escorted by a policewoman) to the Jalan Bandar police station following a raid on an illegal racing syndicate. Most times in our presence (or because of it), the detainees are treated with a fair amount of regard for their basic human rights. Usually, they are told to squat while they are being processed. And the officers understandably speak to them in stern tones. Underage detainees are processed first so that they can be released into the custody of their parents, while those whose urine samples test positive for substance abuse are usually sent to a lock-up, awaiting their day in court. Now, one may be wondering why this trip down memory lane? This was prompted by the recent episode of two Singaporean women who have accused immigration officers of subjecting them to a nude squat; and the banding of female patrons of a nightclub in Penang following a raid. Truth be told, the women detained in these raids are subject to snide remarks and the ogling eyes of some of the enforcers and yes, even some in the media corps. Cameras would be flashing as soon as patrons are paraded. Somehow, there is this belief among some news people that a photograph of a handcuffed woman wearing a miniskirt squatting by the sidewalk will help sell papers. It does not matter that she could be underage or that she is an innocent patron who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, she is immediately "branded" as loose or a prostitute and herded with the rest into the waiting vans and trucks to be processed. Over the years, many editors, including those at theSun have emphasised on good taste and that one is innocent until proven otherwise. This means we must encourage better treatment of women detainees – be they foreign or Malaysian. Over the years, we have heard of horror stories involving women in custody – one foreigner alleged she was raped by a police officer in Ampang; another one was forced to relieve herself inside a truck when a policeman refused to allow her to use the bathroom; one was made to perform a nude squat at the Petaling Jaya police station; and the allegations of abuse at the detention camp for illegal immigrants have put this country in the same list as other nations notorious for human rights abuses. While I do not like to generalise, my observations of how detainees, especially women are being treated have made me to conclude that the recent cases at the Causeway and Penang are nothing more than blatant abuse of power. The authorities can come up with all the reasons in the world – and one sympathises with what they have to endure with the limited manpower and resources. But the fact remains that more can be done to ensure that people are treated with dignity. Such high-handed actions may be deemed necessary by officers on the ground but as far as the taxpayers are concerned, degrading a human being – especially one whose guilt is yet to be determined – is not how we want our ringgit to be spent. By all means enforce the law but when dealing with vulnerable members of society and womenfolk, there must be a proper standard operating procedure. Anyone who breaches it must be dealt with severely. The image of these agencies and the good men and women who work for them is dependent on it. One is told that there indeed is a list of dos and don'ts. Alas, in many cases it is thrown out in favour of efficiency, efficacy and the whims of some bad apples who want to assert their power over the vulnerable. As the government cannot afford anymore lawsuits, perhaps it is time to dust off these procedures and drum them into the heads of those who may one day hold a person's dignity in their hands. |
| Putrajaya says RM1.18b worth of projects announced for Sarawak polls Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:05 AM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Putrajaya revealed today that it had announced projects worth a total of RM1.18 billion in Sarawak during the just-concluded state polls. In a written response to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) yesterday, the Prime Minister's Department explained that until April 30 this year, a total of 62 programmes and projects were announced for the hornbill state. Of the total, it added, 52 projects were kicked off this year with the remainder to be carried out in the years to come. "The programme/projects announced were planned earlier," it said. The RM1.18 billion was divided between 10 ministries, namely the Prime Minister's Department; Rural and Regional Development Ministry; Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; Defence Ministry; Health Ministry; Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry; Education Ministry; Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry; Works Ministry; and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. The projects include upgrading work for suraus, mosques and other places of worship; community halls, schools and roads; longhouse repairs; electricity supply; the construction of jetties and bridges; the renovation of hospitals and clinics; flood mitigation work; and contributions and welfare aid, among others. In her question, Kok had asked the prime minister to reveal the number and value of development projects announced by all ministries in the two-month period before the polls and during the 10-day campaign period. READ MORE HERE. |
| PKR pins hopes on working class votes Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:02 AM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — PKR's newly launched Demi Rakyat campaign seeks to tap into the frustrations of the urban and semi-urban working class seeking higher purchasing power, a demographic party leaders say forms over 60 per cent of the electorate in seats being contested. With real wages stagnating, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has admitted that it needs to address a "middle-income trap" as it grapples with surging inflation that hit a two-year high in March, climbed to 3.3 per cent in May and looks set to rise further due to subsidy cuts used to rein in a record budget deficit. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will launch a no-frills grocery shop in Kelana Jaya this evening to reflect corporate Malaysia and his government's concern for the people, but PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said the party's Demi Rakyat (For The People) campaign will be internet-driven and target those between the ages of 25 and 45 who are earning RM3,000 or less per month. "These are people who are pessimistic about the economy. They don't believe they will be able to buy a house like their parents did. "From Perlis to Johor, the message from the working class is the same, across racial lines — they want economic opportunities and social mobility," he told The Malaysian Insider. PKR believes it can tap into a growing online community, especially in urban and semi-urban areas where nearly all the 79 seats it contested in the last general election are located. With prices of laptops falling and an increasing prevalence of smartphones, the barrier to internet access and literacy has fallen swiftly, as evidenced by the 9.5 million Malaysian Facebook users registered at the beginning of the year — over a third of the country's population. "We want to be at the cutting edge. That is why Demi Rakyat is using YouTube to show videos now. This age group are trendsetters and opinion shapers," Rafizi said. He added that the party needed to move beyond its "Reformasi" image, where it is seen as confrontational and radical, to one that is also sophisticated and able to respond to voters' demands. "They know the situation is screwed up but they are asking if PKR is the answer," Rafizi said. READ MORE HERE.
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| The confessions of an economic (s)hitman Posted: 21 Jun 2011 07:45 AM PDT 
SAKMONGKOL AK47 Here is the real Ibrahim Ali his supporters must know. Friend to Chinese Cukongs who has made hunting with dogs and running with the hare into a science. We must know Ibrahim Ali for what he really is. A pompous and loud windbag out trying to establish his relevance in society. In the late 1970s Ibrahim Ali used to be the head macai for Anwar Ibrahim. He would be present in many of the forums and debates at the University of Malaya. He was from ITM. He would sit at the back of the hall dressed in his trademark folksy dress (just like Anwar in those days) with the Palestinian headscarf normally associated with Yasser Arafat slung over his neck. At the end of each debating session, he would speak under the guise of asking a question about anything Islam. He would be shouting Maududi this, Maryam Jameelah that. On most occasions he would be ignored by UM students. Maybe he was out there to score with the UM freshies or UM students, who knows. He would be Anwar's number one supporter aping Anwar in whatever the later does. In later years, he would get into business of all sorts always using other people's money. In those days, Tengku Razaleigh would be a source of cheap and easily available funds. One time, Ibrahim got a substantial sum from Tengku Razaleigh. He went on to splurge himself in a state of the art office. At that time, the use of electronic doors with coded buttons was a novelty. He got one installed. Indeed he got many installed in the many corporate rooms he had made. After one state of the art (then) office was completed, Ibrahim Ali asked a friend or business partner sitting in the meeting room - ok, let's think of a business to do. READ MORE HERE |
| WIKILEAKS: What is going on in Malaysia? Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
The Administration's unwillingness to stand clearly for freedom of religion and the forthright application of legitimate judicial power, even when it is less than palatable to UMNO, the ruling party, is of concern. That is particularly the case given the imminent trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim set to begin on January 25. 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 000020 SIPDIS FROM THE AMBASSADOR FOR EAP A/S CAMPBELL, ACTING A/S DONOVAN, DAS MARCIEL AND DRL PDAS GLAZE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2020 TAGS: MY, PGOV, PHUM, PREL SUBJECT: WHAT IS GOING ON IN MALAYSIA? REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 014 UPDATE ON THE ALLAH ISSUE B. KUALA LUMPUR 011 OVERNIGHT ATTACKS ON THREE CHURCHES C. KUALA LUMPUR 03 GOM APPEALS KUALA LUMPUR HIGH COURT RULING D. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 716 CANING PUNISHMENT POSTPONED Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES R. KEITH; REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 1. (C) Two fundamental issues arise in connection with the Malaysian authorities' handling of the "Allah" case in which a Malaysian court has ruled unconstitutional the Najib Administration's effort to ban the use of the word "Allah" by a Catholic newspaper, publishing in both English and Malaysian. Freedom of Religion 2. (C) Despite its extensive efforts to reassure expatriate and foreign audiences, the Malaysian Government has focused only on protection of property and persons, foregoing an opportunity to make a clear statement on the maintenance of freedom of religion in the country. Rule of Law and the Independence of the Judiciary 3. (C) The Najib Administration's intervention has not been solely to promote and protect order and social stability. The Government has underlined the tenuous nature of judicial independence in the country by intervening to arrange a stay of the judge's order that the Catholic publication was allowed to use the word "Allah" in its vernacular text. Moreover, the Administration has arranged a series of public comments from figures of authority ranging from the King to the Sultan of Selangor conveying to Malaysian citizens the clear message that the authorities are opposed to the judge's decision and do not foresee a time when the Government would retreat from its ban of the use of the word "Allah" in Catholic or other Christian publications. 4. (C) The Administration's unwillingness to stand clearly for freedom of religion and the forthright application of legitimate judicial power, even when it is less than palatable to UMNO, the ruling party, is of concern. That is particularly the case given the imminent trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim set to begin on January 25. There has long been conflict between the ruling party's commitment in principle to freedom of religion and toleration of diverse views in practice. Christians and Hindus, especially, find it hard in some states at some times to build places of worship or keep them from being plowed under in the name of development. Chinese Buddhist temples are less problematic for the established federal and state powers. Jewish places of worship are strictly forbidden. Similarly, the Malaysian authorities do not respect in practice the independence of the judiciary, at least not on a consistent basis in which an opponent to the ruling party can depend on justice being served. 5. (C) There remains a debate in Malaysia as to whether the Prime Minister genuinely intends to enact significant political reform or, alternatively, whether he is merely giving lip service to reform objectives so as to coax as many conservative Malay voters as possible back into warm embrace of the ruling party after mass defections in the March, 2008 elections. There is evidence that his Administration wishes to liberalize the economy and recognizes the concomitant requirement to achieve at least a minimal level of political reform. He has spoken openly about the need to revise the New Economic Policy, which embodies affirmative action provisions for the majority Malays and is the target of opposition and popular criticism because it establishes the equivalent of second-class citizenship for the roughly one-third of Malaysia's population that is either ethnic Chinese or Indian. Najib has similarly taken small steps to open up the economy and is on record suggesting the country must change or perish. 6. (C) But his failure thus far to record much in the way of tangible results, beyond more forward-looking and liberal rhetoric, leads to popular suspicion. The conventional wisdom among most non-ruling coalition Chinese and Indians, for example, seems to be that the ruling party has orchestrated the "Allah" issue so as to increase support among Malay voters by fomenting division between Muslims on one side and Christians or secularists on the other in the opposition coalition. Few in the opposition credit the Government with a sincere commitment to freedom of religion or the rule of law. They may go too far in their distrust of the Government's motives and they may give the Government too much credit in its purported ability to organize conspiracies, but the popular view is widely and deeply held among non-Malay, non-Muslims that the Government is antagonistic toward other religions and is engaged in a long-term effort to expand Islam's primacy in Malaysian society. 7. (C) Najib's public relations efforts to downplay differences among the races and religions and promote the concepts of toleration and moderation notwithstanding, he appears to have hardened popular views since the advent of his Administration given the steps hardliners in the ruling party have forced on their fellow UMNO members. The Kartika caning case and the cow-head incident (ref D), and a number of less prominent news events involving constraints on the practice of religious freedom have firmed up the views of those already in opposition. It is difficult to say at this point how this latest controversy will affect the ongoing priority on the ruling party's part to woo back ethnic Malays before another general election must be held by 2013. But it is clear that there are limits as to how far Najib will go to earn the characterization of Malaysia as a moderate voice in the Muslim world. We should adjust expectations accordingly, and we will have to monitor closely the next likely test of Najib's political will, namely Anwar Ibrahim's January 25 trial. KEITH |
| How politicians hijack revolutions Posted: 21 Jun 2011 12:41 AM PDT 
Never mind which revolution you are talking about, the stories are all the same. Politicians are not capable of starting revolutions. The people start revolutions and then politicians hijack the revolution. The politicians hijacked the people's revolution of 10th November 2007 and they will hijack the 9th July 2011 revolution as well if we are not careful. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin The French Revolution, the Russian Revolution and the Iranian Revolution are the more interesting revolutions to look at. Most of its leaders were in hiding or were not in the country and living in exile. They were not capable of organising anything in the country (especially back then when there were no mobile phones or internet like now).
Most of what happened was unplanned and took even the revolutionaries by surprise. Nevertheless, when the revolution did happen, this created a vacuum, which made it possible for the politicians to just walk in and take over.
Of course, once they took over, they rewrote the history books and painted a different picture of what really happened. Those who were in hiding or in exile overseas suddenly became the heroes of the revolution. And most times these 'hijackers' arrested and imprisoned or assassinated the real revolutionaries.
Let me quote some excerpts from Alan Bullocks's 1,000-page book: Hitler and Stalin, Parallel Lives.
Contrary to later legends, the Bolsheviks played only a marginal role in the development of the revolution before August 1917. On the eve of the February events, their membership was less than 25,000 and, although this was soon expanded, they continued to have much less support than either of their rivals, the Mensheviks and the Socialist Revolutionaries, the two parties that dominated the Soviets.
Neither Lenin and the Bolsheviks nor the other socialist parties 'made' the revolution; they did not create the grievances of the peasants about the land, the more recent anger of the workers against their exploitation, or the war-weariness of the army and the nation.
The outbreak of the revolution of February 1917, like that of 1905, took the Russian revolutionaries by surprise. Some weeks before that, Trotsky, despairing of developments in Europe, had moved to the United States, and in January, Lenin told a group of young socialists in Zurich: "We of the older generation may not live to see the decisive battles of the coming revolution".
February 1917 was no more a spontaneous revolt of the masses than October was to be. October was a coup d'etat, its predecessors in February the sudden collapse of the Tsarist regime, which had lasted for 300 years but proved incapable of coping with long-standing economic and social problems made intolerable by the strains of an unsuccessful war.
As the regime's authority crumbled it left a vacuum which was filled by mutinous soldiers demanding an end to the war, by factory workers demanding food and labour, and by peasants demanding land.
As in 1905, what released these pent-up forces was not a revolutionary conspiracy but the order given to the troops to fire on demonstrators in Petrograd which this time led to a mutiny among the soldiers.
The mutiny rapidly spread to the rest of the capital's garrison, and the government was unable to regain control.
The revolutionary parties were as divided as they were surprised -- divided about their attitude to the provisional governments; to the Soviets, which sprang up all over the country; to peace negotiations; to a unification of radical forces.
This confusion at the top, the lack of authority in face of anarchical conditions in the country and the continuation of the war, persisted until autumn.
Stalin's part in 1917 was neither as prominent as portrayed by official accounts later, nor as insignificant as Trotsky and his other enemies claimed.
There are three reasons why 1917 is a key to the understanding of Stalin's psychological development. The first is his failure to play the leading role he had dreamed of inflicted a deep and lasting trauma.
As soon as he was in a position to do so, from the end of 1929, he took extraordinary steps to heal it. Records were altered or withheld; memoirs suppressed or censored; editors, court painters and film-makers pressed into service to create a 'revised' version of events in the history of the Soviet Union.
The figure of Trotsky, who had unquestionably played a role second only to that of Lenin -- the leading role in the actual seizure of power -- was expunged and replaced by that of Stalin. Lenin remained the great leader who returned to Russia from abroad; Stalin was now elevated to the same level with him, as the leader who never left Russia, and greeted Lenin on his return.
In practice the seizure of power turned out to be relatively easy: the difficult part began only when the Bolsheviks had taken over the government, with a lost war on their hands, with a social upheaval still in progress, with an economy which had virtually collapsed and with the prospect of civil war. Astonishingly, the revolution was over in less than forty-eight hours and with little bloodshed. Having set the policy, Lenin took little part in its execution. At the last moment he emerged from hiding and reached Trotsky's headquarters at the Smolny Institute in disguise just before midnight on the 24th.
At 2 a.m. on the 25th Trotsky pulled out his watch and said, "It's begun," to which Lenin replied: "From being on the run to supreme power, that's too much."
The Mensheviks and some of the Socialist Revolutionary delegates withdrew in protest at the Bolsheviks' seizure of power. They were assured by Trotsky as they left: "You have played your role. Go where you belong: to the garbage heap of history". |
| The Ninth of July Posted: 20 Jun 2011 09:58 PM PDT
If they can pay RM1.8 million just for a 'free' Facebook website, surely the Government of Malaysia can pay that much for a Made-in-Malaysia movie. Let us imagine the dialogue between a local movie producer and the Minister of Arts and Culture when the local producer applies for a government grant to produce a Made-in-Malaysia movie. This is just imagination, mind you, and never happened nor could ever happen. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Rice: Will you be showing how well Malaysia has developed under the Barisan Nasional government? Producer: I did not plan on that but I suppose I could if you want me to. I could show scenes of Selangor and Penang. Rice: No, Selangor and Penang cannot. Those are opposition states. You can only show scenes of the states that are under Barisan Nasional rule. You must also show the Petronas Twin Towers. We are very proud of our Twin Towers. Producer: But isn't the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, which is also under opposition control? Rice: The opposition won only ten seats in Kuala Lumpur. We still won one seat, even though we cheated with the army votes. So Kuala Lumpur is not totally under opposition control, only 91% opposition. Producer: Okay, if you say so. I can try to include the Twin Towers in the movie. Rice: But make sure you show the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and not in Melaka like that other movie that they made…can't remember what it was called now. Producer: Oh, you mean that movie 'Entrapment' starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Rice: Yes, that's the one. Our Prime Minister was very angry about that. Producer: Najib? Rice: No, Dr Mahathir. Producer: Oh, you mean the Prime Minister back in 1999 when the movie was first released. Rice: No, I mean the Prime Minister now. He is still the Prime Minister…de facto Prime Minister. Producer: I thought Rosmah is the de facto Prime Minister. Rice: Rosmah is de facto 2. Dr Mahathir is de facto 1. Producer: We have two de facto Prime Ministers? Rice: Why not? After all we have two Finance Ministers…Finance Minister 1 and Finance Minister 2. Producer: I see, so what does that make Najib then? Rice: A very confused man…but never mind…please explain the synopsis of your movie…very briefly though. Your detailed paper can follow later. Producer: It is basically a conspiracy theory movie. Rice: Ah, I just love conspiracy theories. All Malaysians love conspiracy theories. Dr Mahathir talks about the Western capitalist conspiracies. Anwar Ibrahim talks about the Sodomy 1 and Sodomy 2 conspiracies. Everyone talks about conspiracies, especially that Blogger-in-Exile, Raja Petra. He is the biggest spinner of conspiracy theories. That's why the people love to read Malaysia Today. They love fantasies involving conspiracy theories. Do you read Malaysia Today? Producer: I'm afraid I don't. Rice: Never mind, even if you do you will say you don't. Nobody admits that they read Malaysia Today. So what is this conspiracy theory about? Producer: It is about the Opposition Leader being behind one politician named Abraham the Frog. The Opposition Leader sends Abraham to join the ruling party as a Trojan horse. Abraham then launches a Malaysian version of the Ku Klux Klan that we shall call Rogol or Perkosa or something like that…I have not decided yet. Rice: Interesting. Frogs becoming horses. Producer: Rogol or Perkosa is secretly a Brown Power Movement. They want all the non-brown people to be kicked out of the country and for power to be back in the hands of the brown people. It is like the Black Power Movement of the 1960s in America, except in this case the Black Power Movement and the Ku Klux Klan are one and the same. Rice: Isn't that a bit confusing? Producer: No, we shall call it 1Malaysia. Both the Brown Power Movement and the Malaysian Ku Klux Klan become one…1Malaysia. Rice: Sounds reasonable. Producer: Abraham then creates trouble and the people become very angry with the government. Actually the government is not behind Abraham. The real mastermind is the Opposition Leader whom Abraham works for. Rice: But don't the people suspect anything? Producer: No, because the previous Prime Minister is financing Abraham. So the people think that the government is behind Abraham. They don't suspect the Opposition Leader. Rice: So the previous Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are working together then? Producer: No, that is just the thing. The previous Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are enemies. Rice: But you said they are working together. Producer: They are not. Abraham is secretly working for the Opposition Leader but openly working for the previous Prime Minister. He is like a double agent. Rice: I see. So Abraham is secretly sabotaging the government then? Producer: Yes, that right. Rice: Ah, so he wants to bring down the government to allow the Opposition Leader to take over. Producer: Not exactly. This is where the conspiracy theory gets more interesting and Abraham's role as a double agent gets more complicating. Rice: I see. Producer: Actually, Abraham is pretending to work for both the Opposition Leader and the previous Prime Minister. He is really working for the Prime Minister. Rice: I don't get it. Producer: The previous Prime Minister is secretly trying to bring down the Prime Minister so that his son can take over. So if Abraham can be linked to the previous Prime Minister that will get his son into trouble and he can't take over as Prime Minister. Rice: I see. So Abraham is suspected of secretly working for the Opposition Leader but is seen to be working for the previous Prime Minister whereas he is actually secretly working for the Prime Minister to sabotage the previous Prime Minister? Producer: That's about it. Rice: So who wins in the end? Producer: Ah, that is the real twist, which no one is going to suspect. You see, the Prime Minister's wife is the real mastermind behind all this. Rice: So now we have the Prime Minister's wife also involved in the conspiracy? Producer: Yes, but the previous Prime Minister is aware of this so he too sabotages the Prime Minister's wife. Rice: Ah, and how does he do this? Producer: He asks all his cronies, the Chinese tycoons, to get close to the Prime Minister's wife and to give her very expensive presents. So they buy her millions of dollars worth of Hermes Birkin handbags and eventually she has all the colours and more bags than Victoria Beckhem. Rice: Is that enough to sabotage her? Producer: Yes, then the mainstream newspapers show pictures of all her handbags and she is eventually dubbed as Malaysia's Imelda Marcos and the people rise up in anger and march to the King's palace and Kuala Lumpur becomes just like Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Syria and so on. Rice: So the government falls and who takes over then? The Opposition Leader or the previous Prime Minister? Producer: None of the above. The person who takes over will be Abraham. The people become fed up with both the government and the opposition so they reject both. They want an independent Member of Parliament to take over and since Abraham is an independent Member of Parliament he becomes the new Prime Minister. Rice: A very interesting twist indeed. And what are you going to call this movie? Producer: 'The Ninth of July': the day the people took to the streets to make Abraham the Frog the new Prime Minister of Malaysia. |
| Pesanan dari Presiden MCLM/A Message from the President of MCLM Posted: 20 Jun 2011 08:22 PM PDT 
Kepada Rakan-rakan Gerakan Kebebasan Sivil,
BERSIH 2.0 merupakan antara inisiatif penting, jika bukan paling penting, yang akan berlangsung tahun ini. BERSIH 2.0 merupakan Gagasan untuk Pilihanraya yang Adil dan Bersih dan saya sangat berbangga menjadi ahli dalam jawatankuasa pemandu. BERSIH 2.0 telah secara aktif menyeru reformasi pilihanraya sejak 2005. Perhimpuan BERSIH 2.0 "Berjalan Untuk Demokrasi" yang akan datang akan berlangsung pada 9 July 2011 dengan tuntutan seperti berikut:
• Bersihkan daftar pemilih
• Reformasi undi pos
• Penggunaan dakwat kekal
• Akses media yang bebas dan adil
• Masa berkempen minima 21 hari
• Kukuhkan institusi awam
• Hentikan rasuah
• Hentikan politik kotor
MCLM menyokong BERSIH 2.0 kerana kami percaya bahawa perubahan yang kami cari untuk Malaysia hanya boleh dicapai di peti undi. Oleh itu, pilihanraya yang bebas dan adil adalah penting untuk mencapai visi kami kearah Malaysia yang bersatu dan inklusif.
Dengan sebab itulah kami merancang untuk berjalan bersama BERSIH 2.0 dan kami menyeru anda untuk menyertai kami. Bersama marilah kita memberitahu Kerajaan dan Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya bahawa kami mengharapkan mereka untuk menegakkan prinsip-prinsip asas demokrasi.
Terima Kasih.
Dengan ikhlas,
Haris M. Ibrahim -----------------------------------------------
Dear Fellow Civil Libertarians,
BERSIH 2.0 is one of the most significant civil society initiatives to take place this year, if not the most significant. BERSIH 2.0 is the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections and I am proud to be a member of the steering committee.
BERSIH 2.0 has been actively pursuing electoral reform since 2005. The upcoming BERSIH 2.0 rally, "Walk for Democracy," will take place on 9 July 2011, to demand the following:
• Clean the electoral roll
• Reform postal vote
• Use indelible ink
• Free and fair access to media
• Minimum 21 days campaign period
• Strengthen public institutions
• Stop corruption
• Stop dirty politics
MCLM supports BERSIH 2.0 because we believe that the changes we are seeking for Malaysia can only be achieved at the ballot box. Therefore, free and fair elections are crucial to our vision of an inclusive and unified Malaysia.
That's why we plan to walk with BERSIH 2.0 and we urge you to join us. Together, let us tell the Government and the Election Commission that we expect them to uphold fundamental principles of democracy.
Thank you.
Warmest regards,
Haris M. Ibrahim
Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement
|
| Missing: The Star's poll showing 99% support for Bersih Posted: 20 Jun 2011 08:17 PM PDT 
(Harakah Daily) - A poll on the July 9 Bersih rally by The Star's online edition has disappeared after registering more than one million responses.  MISSING ... The results of the poll as at 9.30 am today
Earlier, Harakahdaily reported that the poll result showed that 99% of respondents were in support of the rally called by electoral reform group Bersih in Kuala Lumpur next month. However, at press time (5.25pm), not only the question has been reverted to an earlier poll about Ron95 petrol purchase by foreign-registered cars, its result was also missing from its archives. Earlier, the result page for the poll showed a page with the message "Record not found". The question on the poll reads: "What is your view on the proposed Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9?", to which 99 percent of the respondents chose the answer "It should be allowed to go on", as opposed to the remaining option, "It should be cancelled".  The number of respondents is possibly the highest recorded by any online poll conducted by the online edition of The Star, which boasts of the highest number of visitors among other mainstream dailies with internet presence.
The poll comes as the Election Commission made an appeal to Bersih to cancel its rally, saying it would be prepared to hear its demands, an offer snubbed by Bersih chairperson Ambiga Srenevasan who said the time for negotiation had long been over.
Earlier, some eighty organisations joined hands over the weekend to renew their support for the rally and urged the police to protect their right to peaceful assembly from threats made by a number of right-wing politicians.
|
| PKR sacks 29 members for various disciplinary issues Posted: 20 Jun 2011 08:10 PM PDT 
(NST) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat has released a list of 29 members who have been sacked for various disciplinary issues including contesting as candidates of other parties during the last Sarawak state elections, posting negative comments about party leadership on Facebook and taking part in activities organised by opposing parties. Its disciplinary bureau chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, who released the list, told reporters that the image of the party in the past one year has been affected due to MPs who left to become independent.
Tan also released a list of 10 suspended members and 12 members who received warning letters. The lists, he said, included two groups of people who were marked for disciplinary action after party elections last October and after the Sarawak polls in April. "This is a serious situation especially when we are facing the 13th general elections. It is also the season for choosing candidates so I hope all party members follow our constitution. If you are not satisfied, please use channels available in the party (to present grouses) instead of going to the media," he told reporters at the PKR headquarters here.
One of them he said, Thony Badak of Miri, had contested in the Sarawak polls on SNAP ticket while Joyce Lee of Batu Kawan, Penang, was kicked out for making unsavoury comments about PKR on her Facebook page. "She said Facebook was a private (channel for) conversation. But as far as we are concerned Facebook is not private because many people have access to it."
"Jonson Chong of Kelana Jaya, he said, was sacked for helping another party campaign in Sarawak in full force," he added
The same fate, he said, awaited anyone who had similar disciplinary issues during the next general elections. "We have collaborating evidence from newspapers and YouTube. We sent show cause letters through registered post, emails and SMSes. We will wait 10 working days for them to explain. Sometimes, we have a hearing to give them a chance to explain," he said. Those in the sack list however, will be given two chances to appeal, he said. Wanita PKR chief and Ampang MP Zuraidah Kamaruddin said this was the first time PKR released such lists. "These people still do not appreciate our gesture (not to name them). They continue to accuse us and make all kinds of claims. We want the public to know that they are no longer with the party and they should not be making statements on behalf of the party. |
| When the shoe is on the other foot Posted: 20 Jun 2011 07:30 PM PDT
Ibrahim was later interrupted by a man claiming to be a member of the "rakyat" who accused him of "threatening" the Chinese with his statement. "I am talking to the reporter. You want to talk to me, you talk to me after this. Do not interrupt me. I can see you after this... bloody idiot," he said. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Be fair to me, Ibrahim Ali tells media (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali today appealed to the media to be fair to him and to stop spinning his statements out of context. The Malay rights leader claimed his words were often misreported, particularly by media organisations like The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini. "I hope all the newspapers report all the statements correctly and be fair. There are good statements from us. It does not appear so but if there are statements that are a little bit controversial, they spin off and people get the wrong message of what I said," he told reporters today. The Pasir Mas MP caused an uproar earlier today when he was heard yelling at a group of reporters who approached him for a statement. "I do not speak to The Malaysian Insider. Why should I? You only spin," he shouted while gesticulating. READ MORE HERE: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/be-fair-to-me-ibrahim-ali-tells-media/ MAYBE IBRAHIM ALI WOULD NOT LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE FOLLOWING NPQsZZZnXW0 SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPQsZZZnXW0 4jA88gmFgMI SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jA88gmFgMI adxPYoaIPAE SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adxPYoaIPAE |
| Malaysian opposition vows huge protest for reform Posted: 20 Jun 2011 06:40 PM PDT 
(AP) - MALAYSIAN activists demanding electoral reforms vowed on Tuesday to hold a massive demonstration next month, raising fears of clashes with police in what could be the country's biggest street protest in nearly four years. Opposition-backed activists said they expect tens of thousands of people to march to the national palace in Kuala Lumpur on July 9 to demand sweeping changes in polling laws aimed at curbing fraud ahead of general elections widely expected within a year. Two other influential politicians - the outspoken youth leader of Malaysia's ruling party and an independent federal lawmaker - have responded with separate plans for two other counter-demonstrations on the same day, rattling Malaysian authorities who fear a day of widespread disruptions. Malaysian police have said they will try to block all three protests, which have the potential of taking a racial tinge because the supporters of the ruling party and the independent lawmaker are entirely Malays while the opposition ranks are made up of not only Malays but also ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Relations between Malays, who form nearly two-thirds percent of Malaysia's 28 million people, and the ethnic minorities have suffered in recent years over complaints by the Chinese and Indians that the Malay-dominated government discriminates against them. Although rallies are not uncommon in Malaysia, simultaneous large-scale protests by rival groups on the same day are unheard of. |
| Perkasa: KJ juga perlu disiasat bawah ISA Posted: 20 Jun 2011 06:23 PM PDT 
Menurut Irwan, tindakan itu wajar memandangkan Khairy turut melibatkan diri dalam pertembungan himpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai ini. (Free Malaysia Today) - Ketua Wira Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Irwan Fahmi Ideris mengecam saranan Khairy Jamaluddin agar Presidennya Datuk Ibrahim Ali disiasat di bawah Akta Hasutan, sambil menyifatkan tindakan sama perlu dikenakan ke atas Ketua Pemuda Umno itu. Menurut Irwan tindakan itu wajar memandangkan Khairy turut melibatkan diri dalam pertembungan himpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai ini. "Jika Khairy menyarankan supaya Presiden Perkasa perlu disiasat, sepatutnya beliau juga perlu disiasat di bawah ISA kerana mahu melibatkan diri dalam himpunan Bersih. "Khairy bukan hakim mahupun Ketua Polis Negara yang perlu mengajar polis dan pihak berkuasa kerana mereka tahu kerja mereka. Sama ada Presiden Perkasa perlu disiasat oleh polis kerana dikatakan menghasut, terserah pada polis," katanya kepada FMT. Sambil menyifatkan kenyataan Ibrahim diputar belit oleh sebuah portal berita, Irwan mahu melihat berapa ramai pemuda Umno mampu dikumpulkan Khairy. "Wira Perkasa nak tengok berapa ramai pemuda Umno di bawah Khairy dapat dikumpulkan pada 9 Julai ini," katanya seperti menyindir. Tidak hormat Khairy "Pemuda MCA pun tak hormat pada Khairy yang merupakan Ketua Pemuda Barisan Nasional (BN), sebab itu pemuda MCA menolak untuk turut serta pada 9 Julai. Sepatutnya sebagai Ketua Pemuda BN, Khairy perlu menunjukkan ketegasan dan pendirian kerana beliau menang pilihan raya atas tiket Umno-BN," katanya. READ MORE HERE |
| Perkasa chief Ibrahim makes a U-turn Posted: 20 Jun 2011 06:18 PM PDT 
After stirring the hornest' s nest, Ibrahim Ali claims his words were twisted and taken out of context and that he was merely advising the Chinese community. (Free Malaysia Today) - Now Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali has latched on to politicians' favourite phrase "I was misquoted." On Sunday, he was reported to have made racist threats against the Chinese community. But after stirring the hornest 's nest, he is back-pedalling by saying what he really meant was that he was advising the Chinese community to stay away from the Bersih rally slated for July 9. Ibrahim said he merely "advised" the Chinese community not to participate in the planned rally and denied any insinuations against the community or that a racial clash could occur. The Pasir Mas MP said his observation was that the Chinese community traditionally shied away from joining street demonstrations and his statement merely encouraged them to do the same when the rally was held. "I said it was better for the Chinese to stay home and if they need to, stock up on food… what does that mean? That means that usually, when there are street protests, I do not see the Chinese participating," he told reporters in Parliament here. "The Chinese never participate in street demonstrations as far as I am concerned. So this demonstration… I foresee those participating will be the Malays from PAS, Umno and us so it will be a clash among the Malays… so in order to prevent it from spreading to the other races, I said that it is better for the Chinese to stay back, that is all," he added. Transitional government On Sunday, Ibrahim, who declared himself to be a "war general" leading a counter rally against Bersih, was quoted as saying that his outfit should not be held responsible for any untoward incidents should Bersih continue with its protest on July 9. He was also reported to have warned the Chinese against joining the rally, asking them to stay home and "stock up on food" in reference to the Emergency period imposed during the racial riots of 1969 that left scores dead. It was reported by online news portal The Malaysian Insider whom Ibrahim accused of twisting his words and "spinning" the issue. "The Malaysian Insider twisted my words to say that if the Chinese come out, there will be problems and we will attack them and that is why they should stay at home. I did not mean that… that is the meaning of the idiot from The Malaysian Insider," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Stubborn’ Ambiga out to score political point, says Khairy Posted: 20 Jun 2011 05:28 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Khairy Jamaluddin said today Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan's refusal to meet the Election Commission(EC) ahead of a July 9 rally is proof that "she is raising the stakes politically." The Umno Youth chief, who will also lead his own public rally in the city on the same day, said that the group pursuing electoral reforms "has scored a moral victory" in forcing the EC to come to the table but was insistent on making a political point. "She is being stubborn. She can be cooperative but she wants to see this take place. If she won't even discuss with the EC before dismissing them as powerless, then it is disingenuous to say you are pursuing reforms," the Rembau MP told The Malaysian Insider. Ambiga had declined the EC's offer to discuss electoral reforms saying the commission had admitted it lacked the authority to act on blatant abuses and that the reforms needed to be tabled in Parliament anyway. Khairy said today that it was meaningless for Bersih to talk about being independent as it clearly was looking to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to champion its cause in Parliament. "Why not meet the EC first, there is still two weeks before July 9? Then decide if any progress can be made. But she is clearly not interested and simply wants to make a political point. "All Malaysians want to avoid a confrontation but she has raised the stakes politically," he added. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties and activists are gearing up to march next month in the second such rally by Bersih, the first being in 2007 when up to 50,000 were reported to have gathered in the capital, with many being dispersed by water cannons and tear gas fired by the police. READ MORE HERE |
| Ibrahim Ali: I was misunderstood Posted: 20 Jun 2011 05:24 PM PDT "I am talking to the reporter. You want to talk to me, you talk to me after this. Do not interrupt me. I can see you after this... bloody idiot," he said. (The Malaysian Insider) - Under attack for his race riot insinuations over the Bersih rally, Datuk Ibrahim Ali came out saying he's "misunderstood" and his statement on the Chinese was advice and not a threat. Repeatedly blaming The Malaysian Insider for twisting his statement on Sunday out of context, an angry-looking Ibrahim told Parliament reporters he is willing to be investigated for sedition since he has done nothing wrong. He explained that when he told the Chinese community to stay home and stock up on food on the day of the Bersih rally, he was not insinuating that they would be attacked or that the gathering would turn into a bloody racial clash. "I said it was better for the Chinese to stay home and if they need to, stock up on food... what does that mean? That means that usually, when there are street protests, I do not see the Chinese participating. "The Chinese never participate in street demonstrations as far as I am concerned. So this demonstration, I foresee that it will be the Malays from PAS participating and then Umno and us so it will be a clash among the Malays... so in order to avoid from it spreading to the other races, I said that it is better for the Chinese to stay back, that is all," he said. The Malaysian Insider reported the Pasir Mas MP as saying on Sunday during he launch of Perkasa's counter-protest against Bersih that the Chinese community should stay indoors on July 9 and stock up on food as "anything could happen". Several lawmakers across the political divide have lambasted Ibrahim for turning the rally, which calls for free and fair elections, into a racial issue. "TMI twisted my words to say that if the Chinese come out there will be problems and we will attack them and that is why they should stay at home. I did not mean that... that is the meaning of the idiot of The Malaysian Insider," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Malaysia to fingerprint voters to combat fraud Posted: 20 Jun 2011 05:18 PM PDT 
(AFP) - MALAYSIA has unveiled plans to fingerprint voters to combat fraud in the next elections, under pressure from activists planning a mass rally next month over claims of rampant vote-rigging. Opposition parties and electoral campaigners say the July 9 protest will highlight allegations that the electoral process is rife with double-voting and other irregularities that stifle the opposition. The next polls are not due until 2013 but the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which denies charges that it unfairly influences the Election commission (EC), is widely expected to go to the people by next year. EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohamad Yusof said it plans to record voters' fingerprints to verify their identities before allowing them to cast their ballots, according to national news agency Bernama. 'Then (a voter) will be considered to have voted, and the individual concerned cannot go to another polling station with the identity card to again cast his or her vote,' he was quoted as saying late Monday. Andrew Khoo from electoral campaigners Bersih welcomed the move but said that technical difficulties could hamper the process as many Malaysian identity cards are believed to contain faulty chips. 'In principle that may well be one of the ways to combat double voting,' he told AFP. 'But we would need to look at how they plan to implement it.' |
| Perkasa boss slams ‘old cow’ Kit, ‘rich’ Khairy Posted: 20 Jun 2011 05:05 PM PDT 
Ibrahim Ali criticises his critics, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. (Free Malaysia Today) - Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali lashed out at DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, calling the veteran politician an "old cow". He also took the "rich" Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin to task, and welcomed the latter's call on the police to investigate him under the Sedition Act. Khairy had urged the police to investigate Ibrahim following his comments on Sunday after the Perkasa boss launched Gerak Aman to counter the Bersih 2.0 rally scheduled for July 9. During the launch, Ibrahim had warned the Chinese to stock up on food since anything could happen on that day. His remarks also irked Lim, who criticised the authorities for not acting against Ibrahim. Commenting on this, the Perkasa boss said: "I am very proud to hear the criticisms from Lim. I feel that I am great." "To me, he (Lim) is like an 'old cow' that wouldn't have tender meat even after boiling. We know who Lim is since May 13," he added, referring to the racial riots which took place in 1969. In rebuking Khairy, Ibrahim questioned why Umno Youth was holding a rally without support from MCA, MIC and Gerakan Youth wings. "He is BN Youth leader in name only," he mocked. Khairy had announced last week that Umno Youth would also hold a peaceful assembly on July 9 to submit proposals for reforming the elections. "Umno Youth's assembly without a police permit is also against the law. Is Khairy willing to do that or is it just a gimmick?" asked Ibrahim. 'He became rich fast' The Perkasa boss also accused Khairy of assuming the duties of the inspector-general of police. "Why doesn't Khairy instruct the police to investigate the allegations of money politics against himself that was levelled by the Umno disciplinary committee and his role in ECM Libra? READ MORE HERE |
| As I said, it’s all about perception Posted: 20 Jun 2011 04:56 PM PDT "DAP has no representative in MAIPP. Any decisions made by MAIPP regarding internal affairs of the mosque are solely decided by MAIPP. DAP has never been asked for an approval and were only informed by the press," said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. But then read what the State EXCO member (equivalent of a State Minister) said. The perception created was that the State is behind this move. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin DAP-Led Penang Govt Introduces Mosque Election (Bernama) - The DAP-led Penang state government has decided to adopt the election system using ballot papers in the election of mosque committee members throughout the state. Chairman of the State Committee on Religion, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Abdul Malik Kassim said the method that was introduced had been agreed upon by the various parties including the Islamic Religious Department, Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAIPP) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). "Through discussions with the various groups, it was agreed that a more transparent method of electing mosque committee members should be introduced instead of the existing system," he told reporters here today. He said the selection through election aimed to give back the right to nominate and elect congregation leaders to members of the respective mosque congregation. He said a guideline on methods of electing the mosque committee members for the 2012-2013 term had been distributed to all the mosques in the state. *************************************** Penang to go ahead with planned mosque polls (The Star) - The state government will proceed with the mosque committee election as the new system is more transparent and will benefit the Muslim community. State Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs and Religious Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said changes to the mosque election were still within the constitution. "Some people claimed that the changes made regarding the election must have the green light from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. However, the right to select the method of choosing the candidates still remains with the state government," he said. "Yang di-Pertuan Agong still has the final say once the nominations are sent to him for approval." Abdul Malik stressed that DAP had nothing to do with the decision which was made after discussions between the state government and the State Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP). After the nomination closed on June 7, 193 mosques out of the total 200 in the state have sent in their nominations for the election starting June 18. Abdul Malik said the numbers showed that the mosque qariah committees had no qualms about supporting the new and more transparent system. Meanwhile, Penang Umno has submitted an appeal to Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the state mosque election to be postponed and reviewed for it to be in line with the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Penang) Enactment. Its chief Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman said: "The Muslims are feeling uncomfortable as they have to go to the mosque to vote in their lea-ders. The appointment has always been carried out through meetings and consensus." President of Penang Mosque Qariah Association Datuk Seri Mohd Yussof Latiff shares the opinion, saying he believes that the system needs improvement as "it is too liberal." ************************************** Penang prepared to go to court over mosque elections (Bernama) - The Penang government is prepared to face court challenges over its decision to have election of mosque committee members in the state on June 18, said State Religious Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Kassim. He said the election of mosque committee members was provided for in Section 22 (4) of the Pulau Pinang Islamic Religious Council Enactment. "A total of 4,485 people have offered themselves to fill the 4,530 vacancies in 151 of 200 mosques in six districts in the state, to enhance the preservation of the mosque institution," he said in a statement issued Friday. He said 151 mosques will be holding the polls while the rest would be using alternative methods of selecting the committee members. ************************************* Umno 'welcomed' to sue Penang on mosque polls (Malaysiakini) - Penang state executive councillor for religious affairs Abdul Malik Abul Kassim has challenged groups protesting the elections to mosque committees in the state to sue the government. Abdul Malik said the election would go on despite the fierce protests from Umno as the procedure was in compliance with Section 22(4) of the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAIPP) enactment. "So if anybody wants to challenge this, you are welcome," said Abdul Malik, the assemblyperson for Batu Maung. "Those who cannot accept improvements that benefit the people and the Muslim community surely cannot accept this change," he added. Several groups have shot down the new procedure under which mosque committee members would no longer be selected by the Penang Islamic Affairs Council (MAIPP) but elected directly by their congregations. In the frontline of the protest is Umno, which has accused the DAP of interfering in the Islamic affairs of the state. Umno also hit out at the state government for intending to split the Muslim community and allow politics to seep into the congregations. MAIPP has also been strongly criticised for insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, with Umno and Muslim NGOs insisting that His Majesty's approval of the new election system was necessary before implementation in the state. However, Abdul Malik said NGOs aligned to Umno were trying to "exploit" the issue and by trying to drag the Agong into the matter, they hoped to make the Malays increasingly angry with the Pakatan Rakyat state government. "Actually, only the selection format has changed," he said adding that previously, mosque committees were selected just by the raising of hands, but now it would be done through voting of candidates offering themselves to serve. Mosque committee members were all along picked without the views of the mosque congregations considered, said Abdul Malik, "but this time we ask them to suggest names for their own committees to MAIPP, which will then be endorsed by the king". No meddling from DAP Abdul Malik said Umno had politicised the issue by slandering DAP, accusing the party of "interfering" in the administration of Muslim affairs. He reiterated that the new procedure was solely the decision of MAIPP, without even an iota of meddling from any DAP leader. "I am confident that the 4,485 people who offered themselves to fill 4,530 posts in 151 of the 200 mosques in the six districts of Penang intend to work together with the state government to uphold Islam," he said. The 151 mosque congregations that agreed to hold the elections will vote in their committees at their annual general meetings, while the remaining 34 will not hold elections at their AGMs. A total of 59 main posts were unchallenged while eight mosque congregations did not submit their nomination forms. Abdul Malik said it was clear that Muslims in Penang were ready for a change that would benefit their community. "The ones not ready for change are Umno and Malay rights pressure group Perkasa, which are anti-change, because they have always been very rigid in their thinking," he said. "That is why they blindly protest against any change by anyone other than Umno... although at the end of the day, they will be copying the same thing," he added. He gave the example of Umno protesting against the PAS-led Kelantan government for introducing the five-day work week. Umno had then accused the state government of being lazy and for reducing work productivity, he said. "But not long after that, the federal government too implemented the five-day work week," Abdul Malik added. |
| Ibrahim Ali and a sex-changed UMNO Posted: 20 Jun 2011 04:43 PM PDT 
SAKMONGKOL AK47 Ibrahim Ali continues to abuse UMNO and it stands idle. He continues to belittle UMNO every moment he gets and UMNO absorbs the punishment willingly. UMNO must be led by masochists. Are we enjoying receiving pain and getting sexually aroused at that? Ibrhaim Ali continues to humiliate UMNO and all we can do is say, Ibrahim Ali is harmless and he speaks for the unspeaking Malay. In July, Bersih is organizing a mammoth rally to demand our Elections Commission to conduct its business professionally. That means to ensure elections are fair and transparent. The intended rally has drawn some xenophobic response from various groups. None more exceedingly intolerant than the one shown by Perkasa, the organization headed by one Ibrahim Ali. If Ibrahim Ali is more UMNO than UMNO, what has the real UMNO become? UMNO has undergone a sex change. Probably in Thailand. What has Ibrahim Ali done? He is telling the world that he will mobilize a large number of people to confront Bersih's Rally. He's even talking about a physical confrontation and that he will be at the forefront ready to shed blood. In his self-induced state of hysteria, he has warned the Chinese community not to get involved raising the specter of the racial clashes of May 13 1969. Clearly what Ibrahim Ali is saying is incendiary and seditious. He's openly talking about bloodshed among the races. That's willful and intentional desire to kill other people. It's a murderous threat. Yet the security authorities appear ineffectual to act against Ibrahim Ali. If the government doesn't act against Ibrahim Ali it will be seen as an accomplice with Ibrahim Ali in the furtherance of an act or acts of allowing itself to be held at ransom by Ibrahim Ali. If that is not stupidity on our part, what else can it be? What's happening to UMNO? It's allowing Ibrahim Ali to be its voice? Where is the leadership material? What kind of material is UMNO made of allowing itself to be cuckolded by the incorrigible Ibrahim Ali? Why is UMNO applying kid's gloves on Ibrahim Ali? It must use its knuckle dusters and deal Ibrahim Ali as the law would want to. Quickly. Ibrahim Ali is not an UMNO member and he isn't a liability to UMNO. It's of no consequence to UMNO if Ibrahim Ali is dealt with properly by the laws of Malaysia. Apply ISA or whatever on him. Get him under the sedition laws of this country or whatever. If the government doesn't act against Ibrahim Ali, then it cannot but be seen as impotent. People can carry out threats and other transgressions of violent intent and import with impunity and the government stands back. It's puzzling why the Police has not acted against Ibrahim Ali for such incendiary and seditious remarks. It is also puzzling how he got a permit to hold such an aggressive rally so quickly from the authorities. Yet the same authorities are showing their lead-weighted feet in issuing a valid permit to the organizers of Bersih. READ MORE HERE |
| Democracy and freedom of expression Posted: 20 Jun 2011 04:13 PM PDT 
ART HARUN In The Wolf and the Silence of the Lamb, I said, among others: "The core of democracy is representation. It is a system of governance where the people are represented by representatives who are elected by the people. These representatives then form a government. The government than governs the people. A state is then formed, consisting of the government and the people it governs." More importantly, I attempted to correct the popular notion that democracy was the cause of liberty. After alluding to Marx' Utopian state, I opined: "The obvious flaw in Marx's theory of a utopian society makes democracy a very alluring alternative. If at all, it pushes to the fore the false notion that liberty is the product of democracy, when in fact democracy is just but one of the many (flawed) ways of protecting liberty. Liberty is not caused by democracy. It rather is the cause for democracy." And I asked some sobering questions: "That brings us to some sobering thoughts. Can liberty be usurped by democracy? Is it possible for a democracy to destroy liberty in itself? In that event, what will happen to democracy? Can it exist without liberty?" I would like, in this article, to expand the theoretical postulation that the basis of democracy is liberty and freedom, in terms of the freedom of expression of the people in a democratic state. I feel that a deep understanding of this area of the democracy theory is important, more particularly due to the current climate in Malaysia, where BERSIH is planning a rally for electoral reform on the 9th July this year while at the same time, the usual suspects of horror and doom, Perkasa, Ibrahim Ali and their ilk are planning to create disturbances. Democracy, to my mind, starts with an expression of will by the people or a group of people. The will which was being expressed was the will to be represented in the governance and administration of the state which the people formed. That will was expressed through the process of elections. READ MORE HERE |
| Ex-Labuan MP fined for cheating Posted: 20 Jun 2011 04:08 PM PDT 
The Court of Appeal in Sabah has overturned a decision by the Kota Kinabalu High Court to set aside a former MP's conviction and sentence. (Free Malaysia Today) - If former Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman had any plans of returning to politics with a vengeance, they were blown away when the Court of Appeal ruled against him in a case stretching back more than 15 years. The Court of Appeal here yesterday overturned the High Court's decision to set aside Suhaili's conviction and sentence for failing to declare he was bankrupt when making a loan application in 1996. Federal Court judge Md Raus Sharif, who sat together with Court of Appeal judges Sulong Matjeraie and Mohamed Apandi Ali yesterday, allowed the prosecution's appeal against the High Court's verdict last year. In an unanimous decision, the three judges held that the High Court was wrong in its decision as the criminal offence remained although Suhaili's bankruptcy status was later annulled. "The Sessions Court's decision in convicting and imposing the fine on the respondent (Suhaili) is reinstated," said Md Raus, and ordered Suhaili to pay the RM10,000 fine. The court made the decision after hearing arguments from deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Bache from Putrajaya and Suhaili's counsel Rakhbir Singh. Suhaili, 48, was fined RM10,000 in default one month's jail by Sessions Court judge Duncan Sikodol on March 10, last year, after the former pleaded guilty to acting as a guarantor for a RM110,000 loan and a RM50,000 overdraft sought by Syarikat Saraequity Sdn Bhd to buy an apartment on the second floor of Api-Api Centre here, without informing the Malayan Banking Bhd Kota Kinabalu branch that he was a bankrupt. The charge stated that Suhaili had committed the offence at the bank's premises on April 3, 1996. He was charged under Section 109 (1) (m) (iii) of the Bankruptcy Act 1967 which provides for a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both. Suhaili filed a notice of appeal on March 16 and the High Court set aside his conviction and sentence and ordered the fine already paid by the latter to be returned. READ MORE HERE |
| PAS S’gor siap 50,000 ahli, amaran kepada Perkasa Posted: 20 Jun 2011 03:52 PM PDT 
"PAS Selangor akan turun paling kurang 50,000 orang ahli dalam himpunan Bersih," kata setiausahanya. (Free Malaysia Today) - PAS Selangor akan menurunkan hampir separuh ahlinya di negeri itu untuk menyertai himpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai ini. Menurut Setiausaha PAS negeri yang baru Mohd Khairuddin Othman, PAS Selangor mempunyai 72,000 ahli dan dijangka akan menurunkan 50,000. "PAS Selangor akan turun paling kurang 50,000 orang ahli dalam himpunan Bersih,"katanya dalam sidang media pertama selepas pelantikan kepimpinan Badan Perhubungan PAS Negeri yang baru. Mohd Khairuddin turut memberi peringatan kepada Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) agar tidak mengwujudkan provokasi ketika himpunan yang diadakan serentak pada 9 Julai ini. Beliau turut menasihatkan agar anak-anak buah Datuk Ibrahim Ali menjaga tingakah laku sepanjang himpunan diadakan. Selain Bersih, Perkasa dan Pemuda Umno masing-masing akan mengadakan himpunan yang sama pada hari tersebut. "Perkasa jangan cuba buat provokasi, jangan anggap orang yang turun ke jalanan adalah orang tidak bertamadun. "Berdasarkan sejarah, demonstrasi yang dianjurkan PAS tidak pernah berlaku kekecohan dan pada himpunan Bersih yang lalu ia berjalan dengan aman dan tidak ada satu pasu pun yang pecah. Perkasa tidak ramai "Perkasa ini tidak ramai, mereka hanya cakap…kita tunggu dan lihat nanti dan saya minta Perkasa jaga ahli dan disiplinkan ahli dulu," katanya. 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. Menurutnya, ahli PAS yang turun menyertai himpunan Bersih 2.0 tidak perlu bimbang sekiranya ditahan kerana pihaknya akan menyediakan khidmat guaman. READ MORE HERE |
| Germany urged to freeze Taib’s assets Posted: 20 Jun 2011 03:45 PM PDT 
Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) is chalking small victories as it steadily draws the attention of global governments to Taib Mahmud 'ill-gotten' wealth. In a joint statement today, they said: "We are seriously concerned that, as a leading German financial institute, Deutsche Bank is closely cooperating with the highly corrupt and internationally discredited Taib regime. Tashny Sukumaran, Free Malaysia Today Germany, which has been in the forefront on calls for the "effective combating of corruption", has been urged to "freeze all the assets of kleptocrat" Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. The call for Chancellor Angella Merkel to "clarify business ties" that leading German financial institute, Deutsche Bank, has with Taib comes just over month after Switzerland said it would investigate the matter. Three Swiss and German NGOs wrote to Merkel informing her of Duetsche Bank's lucrative involvement with Taib. The NGOs are Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), a German rainforest advocacy group Rettet den Regenwald and the Society for Threatened People. In a joint statement today, they said: "We are seriously concerned that, as a leading German financial institute, Deutsche Bank is closely cooperating with the highly corrupt and internationally discredited Taib regime. "We feel that this cooperation cannot be in the interest of the German government, which is globally promoting the effective combating of corruption. "We are asking the German government to clarify Deutsche Bank's business ties with Taib and to freeze all his German assets." Describing Taib as "one of Southeast Asia's leading kleptocrats", they alleged that Deutsche Bank has conducted several important business transactions for the Sarawak government. In 2005, Deutsche Bank was the sole bookrunner for the US$600 million listing of Sarawak International Incorporated in Labuan. Before December 2004, Deutsche Bank arranged a US$135 million loan for the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), a state body controlled by Taib. 49-Taib linked companies Deutsche Bank International's Jersey and Cayman branches are administering the Jersey-based Sogo Holdings Ltd, through which several of Taib's family's assets in the US are held. In Malaysia, Deutsche Bank is running joint ventures with Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), the Taib family's business flagship, under the names of K & N Kenanga Holdings and Kenanga Deutsche Futures. Deutsche Bank is Germany's largest bank and one of the world's leading financial institutions. Earlier this month, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed it was investigating Taib for corruption. However, this has been widely said to be merely a symbolic gesture following Switzerland's Financial Markets Supervisory Authority's announcement that it will probe Taib's assets in Swiss banks. Taib, who has been in office since 1981, is also Sarawak's Finance and Planning and Resources Minister. He and his family are believed to have set up a global business empire across eight countries and are allegedly worth several billions of ringgit. In February this year, BMF revealed that there were 49 Taib-connected companies worldwide, including several in Australia, Canada and the United States. The group blamed Taib for the widespread deforestation of Sarawak, alleging that he had gained immensely from logging concessions. READ MORE HERE |
| Tian Chua to know his fate by next week Posted: 20 Jun 2011 03:30 PM PDT 
House Speaker says he is currently deliberating on the matter and is in consultation with legal advisers. (Free Malaysia Today) - PKR vice-president Tian Chua will know by next week if he will remain as Batu MP, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said today. Pandikar said he is currently deliberating on the matter and is in consultation with legal advisers and will decide next week after the issue was raised by Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali via a letter. Last week, Minister in the Prime Minister Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said lawmakers from the ruling coalition had initially wanted to submit a motion urging the House to decide on the matter immediately but hit the breaks in the last minute, saying the move was "ungentleman like". MORE TO FOLLOW |
| When the government turns on its people (part 2) Posted: 11 Jun 2011 05:46 PM PDT Hey, is it not Malay-Muslims who are trying to frame a dead Malay-Muslim Customs Department officer on charges of corruption and suicide? Is it not Malay-Muslims who arrested and charged the Malay-Muslim ex-Director of the CCID for "allegedly using a police aircraft and for allegedly not declaring his assets" (which he did) instead of the real criminal in this case -- a certain politically well-connected Malay-Muslim who ripped off Malaysia's national airline, MAS? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Zulkifli Noordin, the Kulim Bandar Baharu Member of Parliament, wrote in the weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia: "Some Malays are willing to be used by this illegal gathering that is led by former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreevanasan. This is despite knowing the organisation has fought strongly against Islam, organised the interfaith council and supported Lina Joy's apostasy." "But to fulfil their lust for power, these Malays are willing to become insects blinded by the false light of power. Malay-Muslims will become weak and damaged due to their own dirty hands." "Do Malays not have political power? The reality is that Malays have absolute power. We have absolute majority in Dewan Rakyat." "With this absolute power, not only can we defend and empower Malays, we can uphold Islam." "Instead, there were Malay-Muslims across history who have been ready to betray their own (race)." "The biggest mistake made by Malays when they were too enthusiastic for independence and sacrificed Tanah Melayu citizenship to foreign races (Chinese and Indians)." "This right was given along with the right to own land, determine the government and other rights. In the end, even though Malays became politically independent, they are still slaves in their own land." ********************************** One thing you will notice about Malaysia is that Malay-Muslims just love to scream about Islam and they just love to label this and that as un-Islamic or Kafir or whatever. When they need to win an argument that they can't win, they will do a magic trick and pull the Islamic 'rabbit' out of their hat. That is the modus operandi of these Malay-Muslims who do this mainly because they are bankrupt of ideas. Actually this is all a load of bullshit. Hey, is it not Malay-Muslims who are trying to frame a dead Malay-Muslim Customs Department officer on charges of corruption and suicide? Is it not Malay-Muslims who arrested and charged the Malay-Muslim ex-Director of the CCID for "allegedly using a police aircraft and for allegedly not declaring his assets" (which he did) instead of the real criminal in this case -- a certain politically well-connected Malay-Muslim who ripped off Malaysia's national airline, MAS? Please lah! Don't give me all this crap about enemies of Islam and about defending Islam and all that other bullshit. The real enemies of Islam are the Muslims while it is 'Kafir Laknat' like Robert Phang and Justice Gunalan Muniandy who uphold justice and come to the defence of Muslims being fixed up by other Muslims. Yes, let me repeat that. Muslims are fixing up Muslims and it is the so-called 'enemies of Islam' who are coming to the defence of persecuted Muslims. Can you see the irony of this whole thing and can you see now that Zul Nordin is talking through his arsehole? Let us continue where we left off yesterday on the series: "When the government turns on its people" (see part 1 here). This is where we stopped: His family and the Customs Union have objected to the MACC's smear campaign. That was why Malaysia Today ran the 4-part series on Ahmad Sarbaini's death to reveal that the MACC would not hesitate to smear the good names of the dead if necessary to support their suicide theory. They could do all that because that is how the system works in Malaysia, the MACC and PDRM will help AG Gani Patail to fix the people who pose dangers to AG Gani Patail, and he will clear the MACC and Police of any wrongdoing. That was why on 31 May 2011, the MACC Operations Evaluation Panel (OEP) Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil, seized the opportunity to clear AG Gani Patail unconditionally at the same time that the MACC conditionally cleared Tan Sri Robert Phang. Now, the language in clearing the two was very strange indeed: "Kes siasatan terhadap Tan Sri Robert Phang, bekas Ahli Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah yang ditohmah telah cuba memberi sogokan kepada seorang Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian dan berpuas hati bahawa siasatan yang telah dijalankan tidak mencukupi keterangan untuk sebarang pertuduhan terhadap mana-mana pihak. Kes siasatan terhadap Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Peguam Negara yang ditohmah mendapat pembiayaan bagi menunaikan ibadah haji dan berpuas hati bahawa siasatan juga tidak menunjukkan keterangan bagi sebarang kesalahan jenayah." Two days ago, the former Kuala Lumpur CID Chief, Dato' Mat Zain Ibrahim, sent an open letter to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak accusing Attorney-General Gani Patail of burying evidence of corruption by senior government leaders between 1994 and 1996 involving losses of at least RM12 billion in public funds. Mat Zain also blasted Tan Sri Hadenan for clearing AG Gani Patail and cited a policy ruling by the MACC Corruption Prevention Advisory Panel (CPAP) that the MACC Act did not allow the OEP to review decisions made by the anti-graft body. It is amazing that with so much documentary and photographic evidence of Gani Patail consorting with Shahidan and Vincent Lye, the MACC can still say that the AG "tidak menunjukkan keterangan bagi sebarang kesalahan jenayah" (no proof of any criminal offence). This contrasted sharply with the statement that Robert Phang "tidak mencukupi keterangan untuk sebarang pertuduhan" (not enough evidence to frame a charge against any party). Phang's conditional clearance is a warning that he has to behave himself because now the AG has the upper hand. The AG can always direct an investigation against Phang to be reopened. That was what happened to Dato' Ramli Yusuff, the former Director of the CCID. Despite having been acquitted by the Sessions Courts and the High Courts, AG Gani Patial was not letting him off that easily. Gani Patail has since appealed against Ramli's acquittals all the way up to the Court of Appeal. These appeals are coming up on 20th June and 1st July respectively. When Razak Baginda was acquitted for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, Gani Patail declared that there would be no appeal because the Sessions Court had made a finding of fact. Thus, Gani Patail will respect that finding of fact. Malaysia Today will now prove that Gani Patail's respect for the court is as selective as his selective prosecution. Malaysia Today has studied the full Grounds of Judgment by Justice Gunalan Muniandy in "PP v Dato Ramli Bin Yusuff" in Criminal Case No.: 61-31 -2007 -- pages 355 to 376, which forms part of a larger appeal record that runs into volumes and volumes of documents, and is too long to reproduce. (Nevertheless, you can view five of the relevant scanned pages below). Page 355 reads as follows: "The material facts are mainly undisputed. This case has its beginning on 17.07.2007 upon the service of a "Notice To Disclose lnformation". [see Exhibit P. 1]. Exhibit P 1 was issued by the Deputy Public Prosecutor [DPP] named therein PW 34 (Anthony Kevin Morais). A (Dato' Ramli) complied duly filing a Declaration of Assets dated [Exhibit P 4] and serving it on PW 34 on 17.09.2007 which was well within the stipulated deadline. Exhibit P 1 was issued by PW 34 acting under the powers vested in the Public Prosecutor (PP) pursuant to s.32(1) of ACA '97 purportedly on the belief that there existed reasonable grounds that A had committed an offence under s. 11(a) of the Act, based specifically on No. Aduan: 098/2007 [Exhibit P 8]. On 01 -11.2007, A. was arrested and voluntarily gave a statement of Accused under 5.45(3), ACA, 1997, [Exhibit D. .111. Whether a prima facie case has been made out against A. Then at pages 361 and 362, Judge Gunalen made a damning judgment against Kevin Morais: "…. the documentary evidence exhibited considered in their totality indicate manifestly that at the material time no sufficient and reasonable grounds existed to justify the belief that A. had committed an offence under S.11(a) of ACA, 1997. Investigations appeared to be ongoing at that point in time. Hence, I found that Exhibit P. 1 and P. 2 were invalid and bad in law for non-compliance with the express requirements of S.32(1)(a). ACA 1997 and thus, cannot found the present charges which ought to be held groundless. The reasons given by PW.34 for his satisfaction and belief that A. had committed the predicated offence were, in my finding, insufficient and unconvincing. This is regardless of whether PW.34 had acted mala-fide in issuing the notices which need not be addressed at this stage even though he appeared to have exercised his discretion in a rather casual manner by relying on the report of an officer who had hardly carried out any investigation. This officer had not even produced an iota of evidence that A. had actually received any bribe from MSC." Despite, Judge Gunalan's crystal clear words that the MACC had fixed Dato' Ramli from the beginning and that DPP Kevin Morais was one of the co-conspirators to bring Ramli down, AG Gani Patail has insisted to appeal against Ramli's acquittals. All this shows that if you have friends in the corridors of power, you will get preferential treatment. Otherwise, you will suffer selective prosecution. The pages below show that even the judge considers Ramli a victim of fabricated charges and that the charges against him were mala fide. Yes, this is a clear case of Muslims not upholding Islam and of Muslims trying to fabricate charges against fellow Muslims. And it takes non-Muslims, the 'enemies of Islam', to come to the defence of Muslims and to see justice done. Islam, every Muslim will tell you, is about justice. Islam is a religion that propagates justice, these Muslims will scream. But it is Muslims who constantly and consistently perpetuate travesties of justice while the 'Kafir Laknat' plays the role of upholders of justice. As they would say in the legal profession, I rest my case. And Zul Noordin, stop bullshitting! I trust the non-Muslims more than the Muslims to see justice done. And these court documents prove it beyond any shadow of doubt. ADDENDUM 
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