| Longer work permits: Happier planters, sadder Sabahans Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:48 PM PDT By Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The federal government has standardised its policy involving foreign workers in the plantation sector. It has also doubled the duration of the worker permits for foreigners in the plantation sector. As of last month, both smallholders and big plantations can hire foreign labour on a long-term basis. Prior to this, the policy favoured only big plantations in the state and workers who completed their five-year contract were sent back. Revealing the change in policy, Deputy Home Minister Lee Chee Leong said the new 10-year work permit, which is split into two and known as the "5+5 years" renewal of work pass, applied to all plantations irrespective of size. Lee said this in the Dewan Rakyat recently in response to a question raised by Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui. Chua had asked for the rationale behind the ministry's double standard in implementing its policy on work pass renewal for foreign workers in the plantation sector. Chua, who is also Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) vice-president, said she had been receiving complaints from smallholders in the east coast of Sabah, who questioned the discriminatory policy. READ MORE HERE. |
| MPs question Shahrizat's extra half-a-billion ringgit request Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:45 PM PDT (Harakah daily) - KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 23: Several Pakatan Rakyat members of parliament have questioned the additional budget of RM459 million requested by the ministry of Women, Family and Community Development headed by Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, saying it was to fund UMNO's election campaign. PAS Rantau Panjang member of parliament Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoh said it was irrelevant to fork out the additional funds as the recent National Key Results Area report indicated a reduction in the number of poor families requiring welfare assistance, which comes under the ministry's purview. "If (welfare) recipients have been reduced, shouldn't the allocation also be reduced? Strangely, this ministry asks for an additional budget of RM459 million, on pretext of helping the poor. This is clearly UMNO's budget to face the coming election, and I strongly believe that this arrangement is made by UMNO Wanita to meet the people," she said at the parliament lobby yesterday. Shahrizat, the former Lembah Pantai MP who was defeated by Nurul Izzah Anwar in 2008, is also Wanita UMNO head. PKR's Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin meanwhile asked Shahrizat to re-examine the total allocation needed, and pointed out that the ministry had no long term plan to address socio-economic problems. "The allocation amounting to RM459 million shows a sharp increase of 87 percent from the original budget requested in 2011, which together will bring the total sum to RM1 billion for five 'one-off' categories in 2001. "What's worse, it's only for the next five months, August to December 2011. It also shows that the cost has risen approximately to RM92 million," added Zuraida, who is also Wanita PKR chief. READ MORE HERE. |
| Motions on money politics and ‘corrupt’ CM rejected Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:40 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly Speaker Asfia Awang Nasar yesterday rejected bids by opposition DAP to debate money politics in the recent state elections and allegations of corruption against Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. Citing various ground to support his decision, Asfia rejected Opposition Leader Wong Ho Leng's move to table the two motions. In tabling his first motion, Wong who is Bukit Assek assemblyman said that vote buying had been rampant in Tamin constituency in the April 16 election as alleged by Malaysian election observers. According to Malaysian Election Observers (MEO), payments were made in cash and by way of cheques which were issued by the CM's office. "The above allegation is serious as it implies gross criminality against the state and casts severe aspersions on the integrity of Sarawak chief minister's office and the government of the state. "Elected representatives who are wakil rakyat must be elected honourably and at the voters' free will without being tarnished by the involvement of money," he said. "It is moved that this house condemns bribery, corruption, corrupted practice and money politics in Sarawak's election. "Two, (we seek for) this house (to) establish a committee to investigate the usage of money to buy votes in 2011 Sarawak's election, and three, similar strategy of vote-buying must stop in order to ensure the purity of the electorate and the sanctity of the election process," he said. MACC investigating Taib In rejecting the motion, Asfia cited various grounds including Standing Order 23 (6) which states that 'no motion relating to a matter contained in a federal list shall be in order.' His second reason for rejecting Wong's motion was based on Standing Order 24 (2) where the motion was not signed by a member who wanted to move the motion but by another member. "On these two grounds the motion was rejected as it is out of order. "I have given my ruling. If you are not happy with the ruling you can apply for a substantive motion. "Under standing order 86, there is no appeal, except upon a substantive motion. That is my ruling," he said. The speaker directed Wong to proceed with his second motion. Reading his motion, Wong said that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had confirmed that it is currently investigating the chief minister of Sarawak over an allegation of timber corruption. READ MORE HERE. |
| Ambiga receives SMS death threat Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:33 PM PDT By Shawan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has received a death threat via text message which was also sent this morning to reporters and some members of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih). The text message warned Ambiga as well as PAS and PKR leaders from going ahead with the July 9 Bersih rally, and said her life would be in jeopardy should it (the rally) proceed.
"Korg ni buta hati ke?? buat apa sokong ambiga keling paria haramjadah tu? dia ni kapir laknat. korang tau tak dia ni jadi alat anjing2 politik untuk musnahkan keutuhan melayu. dia kata je nak BERSIH kan SPR. bersih kepala bapak dia. puak2 PAS n PKR pun buta tuli n pekak badak.. kalau SPR tak bersih, boleh ke diorang menang kat Sgor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan n perak dulu?
"DAP cina sial tu pulak lagi haram jahanam. dia tengok je melayu bertekak. hujung2 dia perintah negara ni dan kristiankan kita semua. aku nak kasi amaran kat korang semua. kalau perhimpunan ni jadi, aku dan org2 aku akan bunuh ambiga dan korang2 keliling dia satu persatu, termasuklah orang2 politik bangang yang bersekongkol ngan kafir laknat tu.. ini amaran aku. Korang tengok nanti."
(Are you people blind? Why would you support that pariah keling Ambiga? She is an infidel. Don't you know that she is a toll of those political dogs who are out to destroy the strength of the Malays. She is just saying she wants to clean up the Bersih election, she should clean up her father's head. And the PAS, PKR leaders, they are deaf, dumb, blind and illiterate. If the EC is not clean then how did they win Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan and Perak? The damned Chinese DAP are even more despicable. They just watch the Malays go at each other's throats. In the end, they will rule the country and turn all of us into Christians.)
Ambiga has confirmed that she will be lodging a police report on the matter today.
The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital's streets before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.
The 2007 rally has been credited for the Pakatan Rakyat's record gains in Election 2008, where the opposition pact swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats. READ MORE HERE. |
| Dr M blames press for worsening race relations Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:27 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad blamed press freedom today for poor race relations which, he claimed, had worsened since he stepped down as prime minister in 2003. He said that this was because press freedom has allowed racial and religious tension to ferment in Malaysia. "Those days we didn't talk so much about race, showing disrespect to others. Today we talk about race and religion, putting a wedge between the different races. "Race relations today are not as good as when 'a dictator of 22 years' was leading the country," the former prime minister told a forum of chief executives today. Dr Mahathir said that although he is made out to be a "Malay ultra and the Chinese are afraid of me," he only managed to maintain Barisan Nasional's (BN) two-thirds of Parliament in 1999 due to Chinese support. "Chinese support gave me two-thirds majority despite the displeasure of Malays due to the black eye," he said, referring to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's injury suffered in jail after he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998. READ MORE HERE. |
| Make Public The TBH RCI Report Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:21 PM PDT By Teo Nie Ching DAP calls on the Prime Minister Najib Razak to give a commitment that the entire report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock will be made public in the nearest future and that his Government will make the best effort to adopt the recommendations made to the MACC. When the coroner's inquest returned an "open verdict" in January 2011 ruling out both suicide and homicide some 18 months after Teoh's death, the Government was forced to establish a Royal Commission of Enquiry (RCI) with two terms of reference: to probe how Teoh plunged to his death and to look into MACC's investigative methods. The RCI started gathering evidence from 14 Feb 2011 and proceedings ended on 18 May 2011. A total of 70 witnesses testified and 19,200 notes of proceedings were recorded. When an additional budget of RM13.2 billion was tabled in Parliament last week, the Prime Minister's Department requested for RM1 million as the cost of setting up the RCI. Public expectation of the report's findings is extremely high. Concerned Malaysians want to know why a witness who was taken to the Selangor MACC office to assist in investigations was found dead the next day, on the fifth floor service corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam. At least RM1 million of taxpayers' money was spent on the RCI. It will be futile if the final report and findings of the RCI is not accessible to the public.The rakyat has the right to read the final report as their hard-earned money has been spent in establishing the RCI. In the past, RCIs have been established for different purposes. Among which, the reports and findings of both the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police in 2005 and Royal Commissionof Inquiry into the V.K. Lingam video clip in late 2007 were made public by the Cabinet. There is no reason why the full report of the RCI into the death of Teoh Beng Hock cannot be made public in the same manner. With today's technology, Najib's Cabinet can make the full report public in the wink of an eye, with the click of a mouse. DAP calls on the BN Government to upload the full report on the Internet as soon as it is available so that the general public can download it for free. In 24 days, it will be the 2nd anniversary of Teoh Beng Hock's passing. Will the full report of RCI be made public before 16 July 2011? Will the family of Teoh Beng Hock and all Malaysians be satisfied with the RCI's findings? Will the truth prevail?
TEO NIE CHING is MP for Serdang
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| Land Bill aimed at ‘punishing natives’ Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:14 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: The bill to bar Sarawak natives from seeking legal redress for grievances involving their native customary rights (NCR) to land is draconian, says Sarawak DAP. State chairman Wong Ho Leng said the move clearly showed that the government of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud was bent on depriving the natives of their legal rights to their land. "This bill is draconian in the topmost degree. It is unfair to stop the natives from going to court, even when they receive no dividends or benefits from joint ventures (to develop the land). "It is a draconian law which only the Barisan Nasional (BN) has the audacity to introduce," he said when debating the Land Custody and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2011 at the 10th State Legislative Assembly sitting. The bill was introduced by State Land Development Minister James Masing. Wong said DAP never opposed the development of NCR land so long as it is "meaningful and for the general good of the natives". "Let me assure this House that contrary to the lies of Deputy Chief Minister (Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang) uttered so many times in this House, DAP never oppressed or suppressed the opportunities of the Dayaks in NCR land development." Earlier, Wong, who is also the Bukit Assek assemblyman, said that while Sarawak natives had helped BN secure a more than two-thirds majority in the recent state election, the BN state government did not deem it fit to reward them positively. "This bill is introduced to punish the natives. "Less than two months before the state election, on Feb 18, the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) and the state government had lost a legal battle in a case involving the development of NCR land. "Clearly, this bill is introduced to plug what was so profoundly shown in the judgment of Justice Linton Albert in Kuching High Court in the popularly known Pantu Land case, where the learned judge ruled against the LCDA and the state government," he said. Wong said that for the LCDA to develop the land, it is paramount to obtain the consent of the native landowners first, adding that the consent must be "genuine and sincere" and not the Ali-Baba type of agreement. Development agreement Wong said the question is how to secure "genuine consent" from the landowners. "Land titles may be issued to the tuai rumah (longhouse chief). But the land is enjoyed by all the longhouse folk. "Will a development agreement between the LCDA and the tuai rumah be sufficient to bind the majority or all the longhouse folk? "The question hinges on the extent of the authority of the tuai rumah," he said. Wong said he had received many complaints from Selangau, where the penghulu and tuai rumah had signed agreements for oil palm plantations. But the penghulu and the tuai rumah had signed the agreements without prior consultation with the longhouse folk. "Under the bill, the development agreement cannot be revoked, for the only requirement is that the agreement is signed by the LCDA with the owner, even if the majority of the longhouse folk do not know of the agreement or even object to it. READ MORE HERE. |
| Improving The Odds For Our Disadvantaged Students Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:09 PM PDT 
If we pay our poor fishermen and rice farmers to keep their children at school, we would dramatically reduce the dropout rates. If we add a bonus in the form of extra payments if their children were to excel, then watch those parents become diligent in ensuring that their children attend school and do their homework. M. Bakri Musa Students from a disadvantaged background face many challenges; thus it is not a surprise that they lag academically. This has always been true and accepted as normal. The consequence to this acceptance is that the students' disadvantaged background becomes too ready an excuse for teachers and policymakers not to address the issue of widening educational achievement gap, blaming instead such factors as poverty and lack of parental involvement. While those are relevant, there is much that schools, teachers and policymakers can do to turn disadvantaged students into "resilient" ones. A recent OECD study, Against The Odds. Disadvantaged Students Who Succeed in School, (http://www.pisa.oecd.org/dataoecd/6/12/47092225.pdf) confirms this. "Resilient" students, as defined by the study, are those from a disadvantaged socio-economic background relative to students in their country, and attain high scores by international standards. Across OECD countries, nearly a third of disadvantaged students are resilient; in Finland and South Korea, nearly half. The bottom line, as the report confidently asserts, is: "Disadvantaged students can and often do defy the odds against them when given the opportunity to do so." Note the report's emphasis. At first glance the report may be stating the obvious. We all can readily recall examples of those from disadvantaged backgrounds who have successfully overcome their many obstacles. Some would attribute their success to their innate ability, sheer grit, and unwavering determination. Those of humbler persuasion would generously credit other factors – talented teachers, superior schools, and opportune openings. This OECD report marshals impressive data to support its contention that when the disadvantaged are given equal opportunities to learn, foster their self confidence, and effectively motivate them, they can exploit their potential. It then carefully collates and sensibly summarizes the experiences of those member countries that have successfully executed their strategies and achieved those desirable objectives. Learning From OECD's Experiences Suitably adapted and with some enhancements, Malaysia could usefully adopt the findings of the OECD report. Granted, the disadvantaged in an OECD member country are a universe away physically, economically and in many other ways from their counterparts in Malaysia. Consider that in America students from poor families get free textbooks, transportations and school meals. They are also spared the expenses of uniforms and examination fees. Malaysian parents are burdened by these ancillary expenses. They make a mockery of our "free" schooling. A good beginning would be to get rid of such burdens. We could go further and reward parents who pay attention to their children's schooling. Brazil's Bolsa Escola and Mexico's Progresa pay parents if they were to keep their children in school. Such "Conditional Cash Transfer" initiatives are powerful incentives. If we pay our poor fishermen and rice farmers to keep their children at school, we would dramatically reduce the dropout rates. If we add a bonus in the form of extra payments if their children were to excel, then watch those parents become diligent in ensuring that their children attend school and do their homework. A universality of the human trait is that we respond to incentives. The secret is to find the right one. For many, it is still cold cash. The key finding of the OECD study is that resilient disadvantaged students attend more regular lessons at school than those who are not. Thus extend the hours of our rural schools to a full day, and increase the number of school days from the current 180 to 220 per year, as in Japan. This means single-session schools. If these disadvantaged children are in school for much of the day, well fed, well taught and well supervised while there, then we could not care less if their parents were unable to help them with the homework or read to them at bedtime. Further, with an extended school day, the afternoon could be devoted to enriching extracurricular activities like athletics and fine arts. Thus instead of loitering in the afternoon or otherwise getting into mischief, they would be in school practicing their music or participating in sports. Those extracurricular activities help nurture a more wholesome development; they are also true and tried confidence builders. Nurturing Self-Confidence
As for self-confidence, the OECD report emphasized the importance of instilling this, especially in disadvantaged children. This cannot be achieved merely by participating in cheerleading rallies and endlessly proclaiming our supposed glorious past. Instead, and this is another key finding of the report, resilient students spend more time studying science. Excelling in science boosts their self-confidence; this in turn spills over in other areas. This benefit is particularly pronounced with disadvantaged students; the more disadvantaged they are, the more they benefited. Resilient students spend more class hours on the subject. In France, Germany and the Netherlands these students spend an hour and 45 minutes more in science classes per week than disadvantaged low-achievers. Thus we must not only expand the school day of our rural schools, which are mostly attended by disadvantaged children, but also increase substantially the hours devoted to science classes. Their enhanced literacy in science, apart from boosting their self-confidence, would also greatly improve their employability later in life. For disadvantaged Malay students, another effective way of boosting their self-confidence would be to enhance their English proficiency. Our leaders endlessly exhort our students to learn English, as if that can simply be wished upon or achieved by waving a magic wand. Instead we should, as the experience with science proficiency of resilient students in OECD countries demonstrates, devote more hours to the subject. Additionally, more subjects should be taught in English so students could practice their English skills outside their language classes. In this regard, the greatest burden of the recent decision to end the teaching of science and mathematics in English falls disproportionately on our rural (meaning, Malay) students, the very group our leaders profess to champion. That fluency in English could greatly boost a student's confidence is dramatically demonstrated in California. The state has a large number of immigrant children with severely disadvantaged backgrounds and who cannot speak English. In the days of bilingual education they would be taught in their mother tongue (most commonly Spanish) as well as English. That policy ended with the passage of an "English Only" referendum in 1998. Today these students have to spend their first year in an English immersion class, and only when they are sufficiently fluent would they join the regular stream. The results of that experiment are now clear. Whereas in the past these pupils would perpetually be handicapped by their limited English ability and remain at the bottom of their class right up to their final years in school, with the mandatory immersion classes, their ability to speak and write English improved quickly. That boosted their self-confidence, which in turn spills over onto other areas. Today those students readily mix in the playground with the other children and fully engaged socially and other ways while at school. In the past they would segregate themselves as they felt inadequate; they had low self-esteem because of their language handicap. Today no one would wish to return to the bad old days of bilingual education, most of all those children and their parents. California's success, now widely acknowledged, directly contradicts the opinion of a widely quoted UNESCO study that purported to show that mother tongue-based bilingual education has a positive impact on learning and learning outcomes. The self-confidence of Malay students would similarly be boosted if they were to be fluent in English. We could achieve this by replicating California's experience of English-immersion classes. We had something akin to that with our "Special Malay" and "Remove" classes of yore. Better yet, bring back the old English schools back to our rural areas where the need for enhanced English fluency is the greatest. If we supplement that with an increase in the hours they stay in school, enrich the curriculum to devote more hours to science, and have a full offering of extracurricular activities to include sports and the performing arts like music and drama, then While parental and social factors are important, there is much that our schools and teachers can and should do to improve the current abysmal academic performance of our kampong kids. The key lies with the teachers and schools. In the next essay I will explore the experiences of those countries that have highly effective schools and how they have managed to attract the best to be teachers. Learn from the experiences of the OECD countries. If we adopt the measures discussed here, then watch the miracles unfolding in our rural students. We can break the link between disadvantaged background and low academic achievement. Next: Attracting the Best To Teaching |
| Precaution or persecution: Anti-Bersih 2.0 Rally Posted: 22 Jun 2011 12:06 PM PDT By J. D. Lovrenciear It is very alarming. A righteous citizens' action is being forced fast into a potential riot and definitely a political issue. And that is the doing of those aligned to the government, while the opposition chooses to go along with the righteous citizens' pledge. And therein lies the peril for the nation. The rate at which we were seeing objections laced with speculative and induced fear being raised against the citizens' pledged march for a free, fair and just elections now crescendos into a dangerous trap. Not only is the rally being banned with the non-issuance of a permit to assemble, the key figures whom the citizens have anointed to work with them in engineering this mammoth rally are also being identified to be hauled in for questioning by the authorities. And to have a make-believe scenario, even those who crossed the racism bar or peddled fear-mongering are seemingly going to be hauled in for questioning by the authorities. Meanwhile lurking very close to the intimidating and admonishing tactics, the dreaded, dark hood of fear - the ISA, is also being cast as the ultimate deterent. But even a mufti has spoken in defense of the citizens' role in marching for free, fair and just elections and its governance. Many citizens have expressed their concerns against those who blabber all kinds of race-blood tragedies as the eventuality if the march went ahead. Many are of the opinion that all these seeming objections to the Bersih 2.0 are deliberately stage-managed and piped-up using the mainstream media by the presiding government. It appears that the Malaysians who are keen on expressing their right to peaceful assembly and call for a fair, free and just election are being denied that very right that the democratic world of today professes globally. What the leaders are failing to recognize is that the denial and the intense fear-casting amounts to persecution of the citizens. Going by the numerous examples of recorded human history in the world, persecution will only snowball on the agents that stand in the way of humanity's march for a free, fair and just future. The question is: why do the government and its leaders want to do exactly the opposite of what history, prudence and honor dictates? Why fear the citizens' march? Is providing all the necessary safety and security measures to avert the many fears that the government and/or their agentries claim, beyond the government's capability? Why are the BN leaders - and their supporters, hell bent in preventing the citizens to express their concern and demand within the framework of the Constitution and tenets of democracy and the hallmarks of justice? On the same token, suppose the citizens decide that they are going to march peacefully by the tens of thousands to show the world that they are solidly backing the present government and its leaders as they (BN) represent true democracy and accord the highest standards in terms of promoting civil liberties, would the BN government persecute the citizens by denying them that right to peaceful assembly? Or would all the measures be taken at immense cost to provide the peace and safety for the marchers? Please stop making this rally into a political coup game. But at the rate the government is reacting thus far, it may in all probability end-up this way for when human existence and expression is persecuted, the will to ensure survival of the human free-will, eventually breaks free. Persecute humanity with the denial of the fre- will to be free, fair and just and end up being persecuted. That is what world history has taught humanity down the centuries. The government must be wiser.
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| Diesel subsidy cuts felt by housewives, restaurateurs Posted: 22 Jun 2011 11:52 AM PDT By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — All through the Pudu wet market, one of the biggest in the Klang Valley, one can hear customers complaining that prices of goods are shooting up while sellers try to convince them that they are not profiting as well since the start of 2011. This conversation is repeated across the country from Perlis to Sabah, reflecting the 2.9 per cent hike in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the first four months of 2011 but more since June when Putrajaya cut diesel subsidies for hauliers and trawlers, adding to the price of basic food items and other goods.
People buying fish at the Pudu wet market. Customers are complaining that prices of almost everything have gone up. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Restaurant owner Kak Mai told The Malaysian Insider that when prices of chicken and fish go up, she can't raise the prices at her restaurant.
"I'll just have to make less, what to do," the 53-year-old said, pointing out that siakap fish (barramundi) has gone up from RM20 to RM24 per kg in the past few days, although she expects prices to come back down.
Fifty-six-year-old Mrs Cheong , who operates at a school canteen, was buying fish in bulk when approached by The Malaysian Insider.
"I sell at a school canteen, after signing the contract, the price is fixed and I cannot hike the price at all," she said, adding that her profit went down from 20 per cent to 10 per cent in the past few weeks.
Until May 31, 2011, C2 trawler operators received a subsidy of 28,000l to 30,000l of diesel per month at RM1.25 per litre. Diesel super subsidies were removed for the C2 fishing trawlers and nine other logistic-related groups this month.
Those operating trawlers in the C2 category or 30 nautical miles offshore have been on strike since June 11 over the June 1 diesel price hike from RM1.25 to RM1.80 per litre.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched the Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) no-frills grocery shops yesterday in a move to mitigate rising prices of dry goods in the Klang Valley.
But the prices in the wet markets are subject to volatility.
Mohd Rosli Osman, 43, who was shopping for his family, pointed out that kerapu (grouper) went from RM9 to RM12 per kg and ikan bawal (pomfret) from RM8 to RM15.
Chan Soon Hoong, 48, who has been selling fish for 30 years, said the government should continue to provide the diesel subsidy. READ MORE HERE. |
| Federal scholarships for undergrads, not SPM top scorers from 2012 Posted: 22 Jun 2011 11:44 AM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider PETALING JAYA, June 23 — The Najib administration has decided to only give Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships to university entrants instead of SPM top scorers from 2012 to avoid the distress they have caused in past years. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak however said those who do well in the Form Five SPM examination will receive small bursaries instead to pursue their foundation studies.
"Scholarships will be reserved if you are able to get very good results (at foundation) and (a) place at top universities," said Najib (picture) in an interview with the Chinese-language One FM radio station today.
"Giving out scholarships at SPM level is not a good idea... Just because you do well at O-levels doesn't mean you'll do well at A-levels," he added.
Putrajaya gives out 1,500 scholarships annually and has asked government-linked companies to also offer money for top scorers.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had said last week public examinations are too easy, leading to a high number of top scorers seeking scholarships.
Asked which universities were deemed "top" institutions, Najib said they would be identified in due course.
The PM also stressed that not all top students will be given overseas scholarships.
"Our universities here need top students as well. Here, we complain our universities are not ranked highly in terms of the world ranking," he said.
"At the same time we insist on sending our top students abroad. It is a contradiction in terms of what we want to achieve," he added.
The ranking of public institutions in Malaysia has dived through the years to the point of dropping out of the top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings last year. READ MORE HERE. |
| How To Spot A Fascist Regime Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:04 PM PDT CRANKSHAFT Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt recently wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20).
Studying the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The excerpt is in accordance with the magazine's policy.
The 14 characteristics are: READ MORE HERE |
| Kit Siang offers to prove Ibrahim Ali’s Chinese threat (SEE VIDEO BELOW) Posted: 21 Jun 2011 09:39 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - DAP's Lim Kit Siang offered today to deliver a copy of Datuk Ibrahim Ali's speech on Sunday to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Home Minister to prove that the Perkasa president had threatened the Chinese community. -njX6gHppc0 SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-njX6gHppc0 Describing him as "guilty as hell", Lim said he had watched a recording of Ibrahim's speech and confirmed that the fiery Malay rights leader had indeed warned the Chinese to stay home and stock up on food during the planned Bersih rally this July 9. This, he said, was tantamount to a threat against the community. "I have seen the video recording of the speech by the Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali at the launch of the Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and there can be no doubt that he is as guilty as hell in his incendiary, inciteful and treasonous 'Chinese should stock up food' tirade," he said in a statement today. Lim added that Ibrahim should not be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for his statement but should be charged in court like a "lowly criminal" instead for raising the spectre of the bloody May 13 racial clashes. "If Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the IGP Tan Sri Ismail Ismail Omar have not seen the video recording, I can send them a copy of the video," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Ex-Perlis Mufti agrees with my views on Islam Posted: 21 Jun 2011 08:30 PM PDT 
No, this is NOT my normal cheong hei article. I have nothing more to add to what the ex-Perlis Mufti said other than I have been saying the same thing myself for years. But then I am a 'western educated' person and not an 'Islamic scholar'. So my views on Islam are insignificant unless someone the level of a mufti says the same thing. Hah! It feels good to be able to say: I TOLD YOU SO! NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Ex-Perlis mufti Asri backs Bersih's intentions (Malaysiakini) - Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said after hearing and evaluating the briefing given by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih), he found its intentions to be good. Asri said he had been swarmed with questions over the Bersih campaign and for him to take a stand on the issue of demands for just elections. He explained that any life dealings should be assessed in two ways: its purpose and method. "If the purpose and the method used is good then it would be considered a good practice. If it is meant well, but the method deployed is wrong, it's like theft for the purpose of giving charity, it is deemed wrong. If the purpose is wrong or is a sin, then any move towards it would be considered likewise." "Any individuals who participate in the activity must ensure its purpose is halal and noble and the method deployed is also halal," he said. After hearing Bersih's briefing, Asri said he found its intentions are good, that is to claim the rights which should be accorded to the rakyat or people as promised in the constitution. If the demands are successful, the former Perlis mufti said it would not only help alleviate the problems faced by political parties in seeking a just campaign but also improve the way we embark on politics without having a notion of where the party is from. "I do not dispute Bersih's noble intentions. However, I am worried if a certain political party's agenda is realised and not the rakyat's aspirations in general. Whereas the demands are good to ensure justice in managing elections," he said. As to holding a rally, Asri said in principle it is required unless it is accompanied by haram actions like destroying public property, fights and actions leading to bad behaviour. Citing Prophet Muhammad's sayings, Asri said street demonstrations to protest transgression can be held. "In today's context, peaceful demonstrations to prevent political misbehaviour could be held as it has been successful in many countries." "However, demonstrations would be open to dangers and causing chaos and they should be used as a last resort if the demands for justice are not met," he added. "Discussion, negotiation or writing in protest are preferred. I understand all this had been done and the Election Commission should adhere to these demands to prevent the people from going to the streets which would result in untoward eventualities," he said. He warned that if the EC fails to adhere to the demands, it is the rakyat's right to demand them peacefully. "A peaceful rally is an important pre-condition and if it turns violent then it becomes haram. Those who want to attend the Bersih rally must work towards ensuring that they do not destroy public property, injure someone or shout vulgarities at anyone but only shout their demands and slogans to show their dissatisfaction," he said. "It is haram for the demonstrators or the police to provoke anyone, resulting in riots. The police should also realise that the demands are good for the country and not only for the betterment of the people but also the police." "The demonstrators should realise the police are out to ensure peace and there should not be any provocation," he warned, adding that those who provoke would be considered to have sinned. |
| PKR MPs question closure of PI Bala’s case Posted: 21 Jun 2011 08:14 PM PDT 
Two PKR leaders question the government's motives for closing the private investigator's case, regarding slain Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu. (Free Malaysia Today) - PKR leaders today questioned the government's motive in closing the case involving private investigator P Balasubramaniam. Batu MP Tian Chua and Subang MP R Sivarasa said the government's reasons for closing the case, as provided in a written parliamentary response yesterday, was unacceptable. Balasubramaniam had linked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in a statutory declaration (SD) made in October 2008. The next day, he retracted the SD by making another SD, which denied the contents of the first. In October 2009, Balasubramaniam emerged from hiding, and stood by his SD implicating Najib, claiming that he was offered money to retract the document. Chua had asked a question in Parliament on Monday regarding the failure of the deputy public prosecutor to act on Balasubramaniam's case. In a written response, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said the case against Balasubramaniam was closed because both his statuary declarations did not have "any impact on the Altantuya trial". However, Chua disagreed. "We don't know if either one of his statements would have had an impact on the trial. The minister cannot make his own conclusions on judicial matters," he said today. Chua also questioned the motive of the government in handling the matter, saying that if one of Balasubramaniam's contradictory statements were found to be false, then that should be used as a basis to file a case against the private investigator, regardless of the impact it had on the Altantuya case. 'Nazri wrong on Section 199′ The reasons provided by Nazri as to why Balasubramaniam cannot be prosecuted also drew criticism. Nazri had stated that according to Section 199 of the Penal Code, action can only be taken against providing false statements if they were made with the intention of using it for court proceedings. He added that the private investigator's statutory declarations were not made for any court proceedings, so action cannot be taken against him. Sivarasa took issue with this, arguing that Section 199 does not explicitly state that a statement must be made with the intention of using it in court. READ MORE HERE |
| Ever heard of the phrase ‘collateral damage’? Posted: 21 Jun 2011 07:20 PM PDT 
This is not about saving the three Datuks. It is not about slapping the three Datuks on the wrist and scolding them "naughty boys". It is about catching a big fish named Anwar Ibrahim and about convincing the 40% atas pagar that the man in the video is Anwar Ibrahim. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Anwar Ibrahim is not convinced that the 'Datuk T' trio will be charged this Friday. But then Anwar was also not convinced that Perak would fall back into the hands of Barisan Nasional and it did. That one episode alone makes me wary of Anwar's skills at strategic planning and thinking. Okay, you can read what Anwar thinks in the Malaysian Digest news item below. Now let me tell you what I think. First of all, you must put yourself in the other person's shoes. In other words, apply a bit of Sun Tze's teachings when you do strategic planning. And that means do not think what you would normally do but what the other person would do instead. Now, if I were the 'other side' -- and the 'other side' is very brutal and manipulative mind you -- I would not hesitate to sacrifice the less important people. And let's accept it, the 'Datuk T' trio is not that important to the bigger scheme of things. So, turning them into 'collateral damage' is not a big deal. So they get fined a few thousand ringgit or get sent to jail for a couple of months or both, what's the problem? If you agree to bank in RM20 million into my bank account I too would be prepared to return to Malaysia and spend 12 to 18 months in jail. After all, after deducting the one-third remission from my sentence, I would be out by my 63rd birthday, still young enough to enjoy the money. Okay, what would I do if I were the 'other side'? First, I would charge the three Datuks. Then they would plead not guilty and the trial would proceed. Whether the three are discharged without their defence being called, or are eventually acquitted after a trial, or are found guilty and get sent to jail for a couple of months, or are merely fined, is not important. You see: you can't damage the government's image or the reputation of the three Datuks any more than it has already been damaged. As it is, the porn video issue has already backfired and you can't hurt those behind the video any more than they are already hurt. But you can damage Anwar. And that is the real target. During the trial everything will surface -- how the video was recorded, where and when it was recorded, who were the people behind the recording, who are the people in the video, and much more. So you see, the charge is for the crime of distributing porn material, in this case the video. But the trial would need to establish all those other 'facts'. And these 'facts' are what the 'other side' wants to reveal. Now, note one thing. The pro-government supporters do not need convincing -- they are convinced that Anwar is the man in the video. The pro-opposition supporters also do not need convincing -- they are convinced that Anwar is not the man in the video. But those are not the targets. The target is the 40% or so 'undecided', the 'atas pagar' or 'fence sitters'. This is the group that the 'other side' wants to swing. It is pointless to try to swing the 30% pro-government or 30% pro-opposition groups. They are steadfast in their views. It is the 40% neither-here-nor-there group that matters. This is the group that the 'other side' is trying to win over. Note one more thing. The next general election is going to be won or lost within a mere 5% margin or so. So, 40% is a large margin to win over. And this 40% represents the 'atas pagar' or undecided group. Some of this 40% do not decide whom to vote for until the very morning of Polling Day. That is how crucial this 40% can be to the election result. So, no, this is not a wayang kulit (shadow play) like what Anwar may think. This is for real. The three Datuks are collateral damage. They are going to be sacrificed in the interest of catching a bigger fish. And that bigger fish is Anwar Ibrahim. And the 'other side' would be prepared to sacrifice ten Datuks if need be just to get Anwar. So what are three has-been Datuks of no significance to the bigger scheme if things? If I were Anwar I would not be too cock-sure of myself. I would be very worried. I would smell a rat -- in fact, three rats. And these three rats are going to be hung as bait to lure Anwar into the trap that is going to strangle him. This is not about saving the three Datuks. It is not about slapping the three Datuks on the wrist and scolding them "naughty boys". It is about catching a big fish named Anwar Ibrahim and about convincing the 40% atas pagar that the man in the video is Anwar Ibrahim. Will they succeed? I really don't know. If the 'other side' handles this: maybe 'yes' and maybe 'no'. They are so stupid that they keep shooting themselves in their own feet. But if I were to handle this I would know exactly what to do and how to finish off Anwar for good. But then I can't reveal what I would do if I were handling this lest I end up teaching the 'other side' a trick or two, which they may not know of yet. ********************************************* 
Anwar Convinced Datuk T Won't Be Charged by Haider Yutim, Malaysian Digest KUALA LUMPUR, 22 JUNE, 2011: Opposition leader Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim said he is not convinced that the 'Datuk T' trio would be charged this Friday. When asked by Malaysian Digest to comment on the matter, he said this case has deferred for months which raised a lot of questions. According to him, the video is still widely distributed and he claimed that the action is encouraged by the government, the police and the Home Ministry. "It is impossible for a pornographic material to be publicized and released by hundreds and thousands if not protected by the powers that be," said Anwar during a press conference at the parliamentary lobby today. He said knowing the Attorney-General Tan Sri Ghani Patail and his track record, he sure that there will be a minimal charge imposed on the trio (Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, Datuk Shuaib Lazim and Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik) in order to appease the 'forces'. "I'm sure they're (the authorities) going to do away (with the case) like the other political motivated charges except when it refers to the Opposition leaders or the normal rakyat," he said. He also told not to take seriously of Ghani's charges. When asked whether he thinks the trio will be off scot-free, Anwar said that this is very likely seeing that the trio is conduit of Umno that provides help for Umno leaders. "Who are the other criminals complicit? Rahim Tamby Chik? Shuib Lazim? One is a 'great moralist' leader and one is one of the Perkasa chiefs. "I mean you are going to say Umno seriously want to take action against these people? I'm not certainly convinced," said Anwar. Datuk 'T' trio who are businessman Eskay, former Melaka Chief Minister Rahim and former Perkasa treasurer Shuib is expected to be charged for showing the sex video allegedly featuring Anwar to several representatives of the media on March 21. The matter was confirmed by Eskay himself when contacted by news portals. |
| Datuk ‘T’ bakal didakwa Jumaat ini Posted: 21 Jun 2011 04:21 PM PDT Perkara itu disahkan oleh salah seorang trio iaitu Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah yang dihubungi FMT sebentar tadi. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kumpulan trio 'Datuk T' akan didakwa atas pendedahan mengenai klip video seks yang didakwa membabitkan Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pada 24 Jun ini. Perkara itu disahkan oleh salah seorang trio iaitu Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah yang dihubungi FMT sebentar tadi. Dua lagi tokoh terbabit ialah bekas Ketua Menteri Melaka, Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik dan bekas Bendahari Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Datuk Shuib Lazim. Menurut Eskay, beliau hanya menerima satu Khidmat Pesanan Ringkas (SMS) yang mengatakan beliau akan didakwa, namun enggan mengulas lanjut berhubung SMS tersebut. Sebelum ini FMT menerima maklumat bahawa Datuk 'T" akan didakwa di mahkamah Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur pada 24 Jun ini jam 8 pagi. "Ya saya ada terima SMS bahawa kami akan didakwa kerana mendedahkan klip video seks tersebut. Petang ini saya akan berbincang lanjut bersama Shuib dan Thamby Chik mengenai hal ini. "Jika kami didakwa kami akan hadir bertiga tanpa diwakili peguam. Namun apa-apa perkembangan lanjut akan diketahui petang ini," katanya kepada FMT. READ MORE HERE |
| Cops to quiz rally organisers, permits denied Posted: 21 Jun 2011 04:14 PM PDT 
The home minister says Bersih, Perkasa and Umno Youth seem set on wanting to hold their respective rallies even without police permits. (Free Malaysia Today) - Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today said that the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters will contact Perkasa, Umno Youth and Bersih 2.0 regarding their July 9 rallies. Speaking to reporters in Parliament, he said the police will act because the groups seem set on holding their rallies despite permits not being issued. "They will be called today, but we do not know if they will come today," he said. "We will also speak with Bersih and ask them what is their actual purpose – justice in the context of democracy, or whether they will link it to other issues with political, racial or religious overtones," he added. The minister stressed that his priority was the safety of the people and the safeguarding of peace. "All three will not be granted permits to gather on that date. I am saying categorically that all three of them will not get it," he said. The July 9 Bersih rally is aimed at pushing for free and fair elections. READ MORE HERE |
| Bersih rally – chill down BN’s spine Posted: 21 Jun 2011 04:06 PM PDT 
There is something about the July 9 rally that has left the Barisan Nasional government shivering in its pants. For the uninitiated, Bersih or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections was established in 2006 by opposition parties and civil society organisations to pursue clean and fair elections. However, the leadership decided to transform the coalition into a purely civil society movement, doing away with political involvement, renaming it Bersih 2.0. Jeswan Kaur, Free Malaysia Today There is something about the July 9 rally to be held by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 that has left the Barisan Nasional (BN) government shivering in its pants. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his bandwagon of cronies to become jittery over what is planned to be a "Walk for Democracy". The squirming by BN, Perkasa and Umno Youth is self-explanatory – after all, it is this very government that has all along been squashing democracy in this country, manipulating election results, be they by-elections or general elections. So, the government is instead using business entities in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and also taxi operators to vehemently protest against the rally, claiming it would bring losses to their businesses. The many police reports lodged against the rally by Najib's cronies is another attempt at stifling the coalition's attempt to redeem the tainted image of the electoral system. Meanwhile, Perkasa, the ultra Malay wing, and Umno Youth have both announced that they too would hold their rallies simultaneously with the "Walk for Democracy", purportedly, as a form of damage control and to mitigate the harm Bersih 2.0 would do on July 9. For the uninitiated, Bersih or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections was established in 2006 by opposition parties and civil society organisations to pursue clean and fair elections. However, the leadership decided to transform the coalition into a purely civil society movement, doing away with political involvement, renaming it Bersih 2.0. The coalition comprises 62 non-governmental organisations, with Empower (Selangor Community Consciousness Society) and Hakam (National Human Rights Society) taking the lead role. Bersih 2.0 chairperson, lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan, has assured the government that the rally's objective is to champion electoral reforms in a peaceful manner. The walk would end with the handing over of a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. But Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has warned the public against participating in rallies organised by both Bersih 2.0 and Perkasa. However, before jumping the gun, could Hishammuddin explain why Ambiga, the former Bar Council president, was barred from entering Sarawak to observe its state election held on April 16? She was among several activists who were denied entry into Sarawak and forced to return home from the airport, on orders of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Predictably, BN won the majority in Sarawak and Taib, president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) , was once again sworn in as chief minister, having ruled the state for 30 years, that too no less as a dictator. Prohibiting Ambiga from setting foot in Sarawak has left little room for BN to deny claims of corrupt practices. Otherwise, what valid reasons did Taib and BN have in sending Ambiga and the other activists back home? BN's skeletons no longer hidden The BN government under Najib is having sleepless nights after Bersih 2.0 announced the "Walk for Democracy" rally because BN's corrupt ways of running the country is now being questioned by the people. Najib's insecurity comes from knowing the threat Bersih 2.0 poses to BN in trying to wrestle back power from the opposition. The hard truth on how corruption is deeply embedded within BN as exposed by Bersih 2.0 has jeopardised Najib's chances at the ballot boxes. When BN won the Sarawak state election in April, revelations came about that it was achieved via money politics. READ MORE HERE |
| BN gives rival PKR a pat-on-back for ‘loyalty’ Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:51 PM PDT 
The 'songkok' which completes the official attire of the state assemblymen is not a religious symbol as perceived by DAP, says senior Sarawak Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg. (Free Malaysia Today) - Opposition PKR earned itself some brownie points from the 'ruling' class when its three assemblymen attended the 10th Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting in full uniform. Lauding their 'loyalty' to the August House and the Head of State, Sarawak Housing and Local Government Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg said it showed the opposition to be 'respectful' of the institution. "We are grateful that PKR assemblymen adhered to the regulation which calls for the use of proper uniform. "We can see this as being loyal opposition," he said much to the surprise of newsmen here PKR which won three seats in the April 16 state election is representated by assemblymen Baru Bian (Ba Kelalan), Ali Biju (Krian) and See Chee How (Batu Lintang). They together with DAP's 12 elected representatives form the 15-member strong Pakatan Rakyat coalition in the state assembly. Unlike in previous sittings, the large number of opposition had made them more visible. The is also a sole independent rep in the House. The donning of the uniform has been a side-line controversy following the DAP's refusal to wear the attire. Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng said wearing the official uniform, estimated to cost about RM2,000 a piece, required the use of a headpiece or songkok. "In a past session the Speaker had already ruled that it is not necessary to wear the official uniform as long as we wear dark official suits. "Since it is not the rule of the day, all 12 of us will come in dark suits as we have done all these while, " Wong had said. Not a religious symbol Johari, who is Satok assemblyman, however found DAP's adamant stance somewhat 'strange'. He said that the songkok was not a symbol of religion, as perceived by the DAP. "I find strange the failure of DAP elected representatives to put on the DUN official uniform." "The songkok is not a symbol of any religion." READ MORE HERE |
| Top Ten Malaysian Phobias Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:26 PM PDT By Tell It Like It Is Number One Phobia is BERSIHPHOBIA. This phobia is very unbearable to the UMNO and BN. This phobia is not actually about the unbearable feeling of people taking to the streets in the July 9th Bersih rally but more the fear of being put behind bars for the rest of their life and more importantly having all of their ill gotten wealth returned back to the rakyat if indeed there are free and clean elections in Malaysia! Number Two Phobia is BUFONOPHOBIA (the fear of Toads). The chief victim of this phobia is the one and only Pee Em of Malaysia. The fear reached such height that the sufferer even back down from implementing the NEM (New Economic Model) due to the menacing stare and puff up face the Toad (read IA). Mind you this is even after the Pee Em has already spent RM36 million paying the "Con-Sultan" to come up with the special and techno sounding acronym. In most cases sufferer of this phobia is also afflicted with a debilitating disease called ISOFLOM (I'm scared of the FLOM). P.S. The cabinet has the disease too! Number Three Phobia is Decidophobia (The fear of making decisions). As you might have guessed…the major suffer is …Our Pee Em. With numerous flip flop and go ahead and go stand kind of decision (with 99% or maybe 99.9% or 100% confidence-looks like I got it too) I'm definite that the Pee Em suffers from this phobia. It has been said that his penchant for flip flopping (Decidophobia) in his decision making process (not sure if it can be call a thinking process) are only eclipsed by the "Shopaholic" addiction of his Missus. A combination of Decidophobia and Shopaholic addition is decidedly a danger to the Malaysia people and its economy. Number Four Phobia is Ephistemophobia (The fear of knowledge). This phobia is suffered by nearly all the Ministers and vice Ministers in the Malaysian cabinet (then again I know that all Malaysian would agree that the whole cabinet suffers from it). This is evident from the way all of the Ministers run their respective portfolio and especially when they open their big mouth. The best example of Ministers, chronically suffering from this phobia is the Minister of Communication who repeatedly wanted to censor the internet (at same time also suffers from acute memory loss especially about his PhD thesis and his bridge burning pledge). The other is The Minister of Tourism who because of the fear of knowledge didn't know that opening an FB page is FOC ( and there's no need to pay hundreds thousands of RM and millions for a few pages). The worse sufferer is The Minister of Defence who because of the phobia end up buying a submarine that wouldn't submerge (or maybe that was the intention?) and paid a hefty RM500 million consultation fee to a RM2 shell company (who negotiated the increase of price instead of bargaining for a discount..Huh?). Talk about ignorance! I can go on about the rest of the ministers and the cabinet members but let us go to the next phobia. Number Five Phobia is Hippotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (The fear of long words). The chief sufferer of this phobia is the Minister in the Prime Minister Dept , Idris Jala. Due to his phobia, all manner of initiative, plan and strategy must be named as short as possible thus only in Malaysia did we have all sort of acronym such as NKRA (most of us called it "and Kera"?), NEM (the flip flop brand of the new economy), the GTP (sound more like a rally or a racing brand) and best of all PEMANDU (so the govt doesn't know how to reach their destination so they hired a driver, huh?). Next… Number Six Phobia is Ergophobia (The fear of WORK). This phobia is suffered by the whole government machinery. WHY? Well, for a country of 26 million people, Malaysia have a huge number of civil servant but it still take forever to get something done and done correctly. It took the government two years to come out with a new economic plan and guess what? Because of a toad, the plan was scrapped! Furthermore it was revealed that the work was actually done by third party economic consultants who were paid RM36 million! What did the Finance Ministry do during the time? Brainstorming to find a cool and tekno sounding acronym while smoking cigars bought with public money? The Defence Ministry was guilty of the same crime too. The Ministry of Defence who are in charge of national security loss a number of fighter jet engines (they have since found the missing engine in a south American country and BTW, not a few but it was only a single engine that was missing – they really don't know how many went missing do they?). Number Seven Phobia is Consecotaleophobia (The fear of Chopsticks). This phobia was first suffered by a born again Melayu or to put it bluntly someone who was essentially of an Indian descent but consider himself as a pure blood melayu and more recently " a Chinese man who converted to Islam but mistook it as becoming a Melayu". Maybe due to his irrational ranting and hysterical writing in a blog and the born again Chinese Melayu article frequently published in a major Melayu daily, this phobia spread among the various Islamic religious dept and to the upper echelon of the ruling party. Therefore ever since the phobia spread among the various network of government body, almost all of the Chinese population in Malaysia was subjected to a second class status (due to the fact that the Chinese always use chopstick and have no fear of it whatsoever). And anyone, even though they are pure Melayu and a Muslim, who are associated with a Chinese majority political party are deemed as the accursed ones ( that's why PAS and PKR are considered as the evil pembangkang). It's extraordinary that a fear of a kitchen utensil led to the discrimination and vilification of a segment of the Malaysian people. Number Eight Phobia is Cyberphobia (The fear of computer or in a broader sense technology). This Phobia has kept the Election commission shackled and languishing in the stone age era of verifying voters registration by manual hand writing and eyeball confirmation. Electoral roll too are slowly compiled manually, due to the fear that computers and technology will somehow cheat and mischievously print erroneous lists that will ensure the overwhelming victory of the opposition. The use of bar code and biometric are frown upon because those method of verification rely upon computers and its computing ability (and to the fact that Election commission fears that the computer will somehow be able to switch off the light in the ballot counting hall and at the same time replace ballot boxes). Curiously enough during the UMNO party election of 1988, the light in the vote counting hall did went off (and ballot boxes were replaced) but no computers were present at the time, heck the only computers that were available during that time were calculators!
Number Nine phobia is Dentophobia (Fear of Dentist). I know many of you would think that only children are afraid of dentist but sure enough many grown men fear the dentist. The dentist most Malaysian (mainly those from SPRM and the judicial or the AG office) fear is none other than the former MB of Selangor ( I eat tempe regularly and that's why my face is sooo tight and shiny) Khir Toyo. Due to the phobia it took the men from SPRM almost two years to bring him to court and again due to the fear of dentist, men (if you can call them that) in the AG chamber could only muster the courage to charge the tempe loving ex-MB of buying a plot of land and a bungalow below the market price (huh???). The SPRM and the AG chambers was so afraid of dentist that they decided to charge the tempe dentist the flimsiest of crime in the hope that the trial will be a short one and they will not have to see the face of the dentist very often. Number Ten Phobia is Heresyphobia (The fear of challenges to official doctrine or radical deviation). The government has an acute Heresyphobia. Due to it they tabled a motion to introduce an act that will make it legal to arrest anyone who challenges the doctrine of the government of the day . However to get this motion passed in the parliament with the support of the opposition, a different name for the act was use and the purported use was changed to. The name of the act was none other than The infamous Internal Security Act of 1960. And thus Malaysia is the only country that has an act passed by the parliament because of a phobia (which violate its constitution, making it an illegal act) and Malaysian also one of the few democracy still existing under the Emergency Ordinance rule. (WE are not at war and we are not suffering a major natural disaster and still we are in the state of emergency – a sign of the country falling into a coma and are being rushed to the emergency room of a hospital).
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| BERSIH RALLY 2.0 : An essay in its honor Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:19 PM PDT 
Azly Rahman Behind the colour of change
We must now abandon the metaphor of the pie; one that is increasingly becoming synonymous with the race to meet the gains of material standards at the expense of the real issue - distributive and regulative justice. We ought to adopt a new form of justice that cuts across racial lines and one that looks at the poor in the eye and into their souls. In Malaysia, are the leaves turning yellow, too?
Are we witnessing the total deconstruction of the race-based political ideology and a breakdown of the economic and social relations of production?
Is the nation being haunted by a 'yellow wave' of change demanded by those alienated by the developmentalist agenda that seems to have favoured a privileged segment of society?
At the speed of how things are turning yellow, it seems that we have to content with such signs and symbols of systemic change as a reality.
Around three decades ago, the 'yellow culture' carried a negative connotation especially in relation to the invasion of the 'decadent aspects of the western culture'. Today, we see a deconstruction of this perception; a mental revolution that is taking the colours of the constitutional monarchy as a symbol of war against the colours of the present race-based regime.
It is a war over the definition of 'democracy'. It includes the question: who has the monopoly over Malaysian democracy? Can we continue to think like dinosaurs in an age of dolphin-think?
One of the nagging questions for our nation as we enter this challenging period for civil rights is this: what is Malaysian democracy and what is its future?
Key spokespersons of the government think that we are doing fine with the system and that we need to only improve the process.
Key spokespersons representing the wave of change and who challenge the 'system' think that the system is no longer working, as we face the realities of changing race-relations.
These are contending views of what 'Malaysian democracy' is - an interpretation of what the process of development of the people, by the people, for the people means. These are the views of the words 'demos' and 'kratos' of what a 'government of the people' should mean.
Democracy is rooted in economics. Our existence - including that of the king and the pauper, rebels and reformists, the Sultans and the hamba sahaya - as Marx would contend, is defined by the economic condition we are in or have created.
In Malaysia, the condition is defined by the pie baked by those who created the New Economic Policy that is now becoming a system of the New Economic Plutocracy.
Systemic corruption
I think the root of the showdown between the 'yellow wave' movement and the 'red- faced' power structure is economic in nature - true to the idea that we are all economic beings or of the specie homo economicus.
We still talk about an economic pie as if it is a constant. The faulty tool is popular with policy makers who are bankrupt of alternative perspectives of looking at systemic change. They continue to defend the indefensible in a time when change is imminent and coming at a very fast pace.
Even newer generation of race-based leaders are ill-equipped with the fundamental character of these radical changes. They use rock logic to meet the demand of a fluid society. Rock logic includes the use of force to prevent demands to these changes.
We must now abandon the metaphor of the pie; one that is increasingly becoming synonymous with the race to meet the gains of material standards at the expense of the real issue - distributive and regulative justice. We ought to adopt a new form of justice that cuts across racial lines and one that looks at the poor in the eye and into their souls.
That form of justice will meet our nation's physical, emotional, and metaphysical needs. The present wave of dissatisfaction is not only an emanation of frustration over the issue of the judiciary and confusion over the line between the Legislature and the Executive; it is an emanation of a class-based issue, of which we are in denial.
Race is merely a sugar-coating of that nagging argument of this and that rights of this and that people; a coating that has become calloused with fossilised viruses that have corrupted the entire system since the British handed Malaya her independence on a silver platter. Race is a convenient basis for argument as it masks the issue of the ownership of power, knowledge and ideology. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Umno outsourcing racism to Perkasa’ Posted: 21 Jun 2011 02:01 PM PDT 
By Humayun Kabir, FMT TAIPING: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) alleged that Umno, after coming under pressure from its Barisan Nasional component parties, has outsourced its racist agenda to Perkasa. PSM leader and Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar recalled how former Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein once held and kissed the keris, uttering seditious words against the Chinese community. Jeyakumar said this did not go down well with the non-Malays, and many turned their backs on BN. "Now Umno is outsourcing this kind of racist posturing to Parkasa which is totally outside the party to hoodwink the people into believing that Umno is a changed, moderate party," he told FMT. "Umno is being double-faced in using racism and religion on one hand through Parkasa to get the support of the Malay community while (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) on the other hand is singing the 1Malaysia unity song to the non-Malays to get their support. "The policy of using a balance of racism and religion and talks of unity is to make the people hostage to the status quo of power. But this will backfire on BN in the next polls," he added. Worried about Bersih rally Jeyakumar said Umno's claim to be the saviour of the Malay community for the past 50 years does not hold water after the 2008 general election as the race has woken up to the reality that they are not on equal economic footing like the Umno cronies. He said the Malay community no longer subscribes to Umno's political propaganda of divide and rule as the economic rift between the Umno cronies and the community continues to widen. READ MORE HERE |
| US cable: Debate remains on Najib’s real aims Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:57 PM PDT 
By K Kabilan, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: US diplomats had expressed their reservations on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's ability to steer Malaysia as a moderate voice in the Muslim world amid ongoing religious issues in the country. They noted that the controversies arising from the use of the "Allah" term in the Bahasa bible, the Kartika caning case, the cow-head incident and other less prominent events showed there were limits as to how far Najib will go to promote the concepts of toleration and moderation. "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," added the diplomats in a confidential cable sent to the US State Department in Washington. Details of the cable – believed to have been sent in early 2010 – were leaked by WikiLeaks to popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who had reproduced the cable in his Malaysia Today website today. The cable added that "few in the opposition credit the government with a sincere commitment to freedom of religion or the rule of law". "The popular view widely and deeply held among non-Malay, non-Muslims is that the government is antagonistic toward other religions and is engaged in a long-term effort to expand Islam's primacy in Malaysian society," added the cable. The US diplomats also noted that there remained a debate on Najib's real intentions – if he "genuinely intends to enact significant political reform" or whether "he is merely giving lip service to reform objectives so as to coax as many conservative Malay voters as possible back (to Umno)". The cable did, however, state there was evidence that Najib "wished to liberalise the economy and recognise the concomitant requirement to achieve at least a minimal level of political reform". The cable added that Najib has taken small steps to open up the economy and was on record suggesting the country must change or perish. "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," added the US cable. A major outstanding issue was Najib administration's unwillingness to stand clearly for freedom of religion, stated the cable, giving an example on how the government banned the use of the word "Allah" by a Catholic newspaper, published in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. (Although the government ruling was struck out by the court, the home ministry immediately obtained a stay of the court decision.) The cable added that there had long been a conflict between Umno's commitment to freedom of religion in principle 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," added the cable. Fundamental issues The US cable noted that the "Allah" controversy brought to focus two fundamental issues in Malaysia – freedom of religion and independence of the judiciary. "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," stated the US diplomats in the cable. It added that the government's intervention to obtain a stay order was not 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." READ MORE HERE |
| Taib denies Swiss bank account claims Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:50 PM PDT 
(The Star) - KUCHING: Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has denied allegations by the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) that the Swiss government is investigating his assets held in Swiss banks. Taib said he had no secret Swiss bank account nor any assets or investments of any description in Switzerland. He said he wrote to Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Ray last month asking her to confirm if she had ordered an investigation by the Swiss Financial Marketing Supervisory Authority as alleged by BMF and to furnish him with a copy of the allegation so that he can seek appropriate legal redress. "I also pledged to render my fullest cooperation to the Swiss federation to swiftly bring the truth to light so as to nail all malicious reports," he told the Sarawak Legislative Assembly when making a personal explanation on the allegation Wednesday morning. The BMF had alleged on its website that the Swiss Financial Marketing Supervisory Authority agreed to investigate Taib's alleged assets in Swiss banks. Taib added that the allegations by BMF were "utterly false and evidently politically motivated". He said BMF had a track record of making "scurrilous and scandalous" allegations against the state government. "Therefore BMF's false allegations about assets held in Switzerland by me are a continuation of their malicious efforts to smear the state, the Government and the leaders," he said. |
| Kit Siang: RM1.2b Sarawak pork barrel justifies Bersih march Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:37 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Lim Kit Siang has accused Barisan Nasional (BN) of vote buying during the April 16 Sarawak election, stating that the RM1.2 billion spent on its campaign was reason enough for the July 9 Bersih rally calling for free and fair elections. The DAP parliamentary leader added that the entire federal Cabinet had campaigned in Sarawak, leaving no one to govern the country during the election period. "It was not just Sarawak BN but the entire federal government campaigning in the Sarawak elections — making a complete mockery of the principle of free and fair elections," said the Ipoh Timur MP of the RM1.18 billion spent by the Najib administration up to April 30 this year in Sarawak. He also cited reports that BN had spent over RM500 million in the state polls, far in excess of election laws limiting each state assembly candidate to RM100,000 or RM71 million for the combined 71-seat Sarawak legislative. "The rally needs to be held if Malaysia is to join the rank of developed democracies... unlike many failed African states where elections are used to give the fig-leaf of legality to illegitimate governments," he said, adding that BN would likely spend up to RM5 billion in a general election expected within the year. The Prime Minister's Department said in Parliament yesterday that RM1.18 billion was spent in the first four months of the year on 62 programmes and projects, 52 of which have already been implemented. Lim also said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak "cancelled the Cabinet meeting during the Sarawak election period, dragooning all federal ministers to campaign in Sarawak — leaving Putrajaya as an empty seat of federal power." Corruption watchdog Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) also threw its support behind Bersih, stating that political financing should be reformed and action taken against vote buying. "The fight against corruption in any country begins at the top in the political arena, starting with clean and fair elections where the democratic process of election is carried out in a manner where its integrity is safeguarded," said president Datuk Paul Low. He called on the Election Commission (EC) to define clearly what is illegal and what is not so that "swift and stern action to be taken against all allegations of corruption, including vote buying." 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. |
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