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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


Yeh! Yeh! Kita menang!…hmm…or did we?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 06:25 PM PDT

Bersih 2.0 will hold its rally for electoral reforms in a stadium and not in the streets, the group said today fresh from an audience with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in Istana Negara. "We accept the government's offer to hold the demonstration in a stadium. We will not hold it in the streets," Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters today.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk: Tan Sri!

Tan Sri: Calm down, Datuk….apa hal bising sangat ni?

Datuk: I have some good news, Tan Sri.

Tan Sri: Ah, what is it this time? Ambiga has migrated and has applied for Australian citizenship? 

Datuk: No lah, Tan Sri. Better than that.

Tan Sri: What can be better than Ambiga leaving Malaysia?

Datuk: The BERSIH march is off…cancelled…batal.

Tan Sri: Hmm…that is certainly good news. How come?

Datuk: Ambiga had an audience with the Agong this afternoon and BERSIH has agreed to cancel the street march and hold a rally in the stadium instead.

Tan Sri: His Majesty agreed to meet Ambiga?

Datuk: Yes.

Tan Sri: So that means His Majesty recognises BERSIH?

Datuk: Looks like it.

Tan Sri: So that means we can't ban BERSIH then.

Datuk: Why not, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: Aiyah...if His Majesty had an official meeting with BERSIH this would mean His Majesty recognises BERSIH. 

Datuk: So?

Tan Sri: So it means we can't ban BERSIH. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of collaborating with an illegal organisation and we would have to arrest His Majesty under the Internal Security Act.

Datuk: Oh…I never thought of that.

Tan Sri: Yes…and that's why you are a mere Datuk while I am a Tan Sri.

Datuk: That also means we cannot allege that BERSIH is backed by the Communists and Jews. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of working with the Communists and Jews.

Tan Sri: Now you are getting it. So how can that be good news?

Datuk: Didn't His Majesty think of this? Aiyah…why so stupid?

Tan Sri: Hey, that is seditious. You can't call the Agong stupid.

Datuk: No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant it was stupid of us to allow the Agong to meet Ambiga.

Tan Sri: But we dragged the Agong into this. So how can we prevent the Agong from meeting BERSIH?

Datuk: Ia lah. We made a big mistake in issuing that statement from the Agong.

Tan Sri: Hey! Cakap baik sikit!

Datuk: Sorry, I meant we made a big mistake in asking the Agong to issue that statement.

Tan Sri: That's better. Don't ever say we issued that statement on behalf of the Agong.

Datuk: Okay lah, but at least the street march is off…now it's been reduced to just a rally in a stadium.

Tan Sri: How many people do you think will attend the rally?

Datuk: Not sure. Maybe 100,000…could even be 200,000. Now that it is no longer an illegal assembly and there is no danger of arrests many more people may turn out. Those who were initially afraid to turn out may now turn out since it is safe. Mana tahu? Could even be 300,000 people.

Tan Sri: How would 300,000 people park their cars at the stadium?

Datuk: Oh, cannot lah. There is not enough car park space for 300,000 people. They will have to park their cars elsewhere and walk to the stadium…or take public transport.

Tan Sri: So, to get to the stadium they will have to walk, right?

Datuk: That's right.

Tan Sri: Which means they will be marching to the stadium instead of marching to the Agong's palace, right?

Datuk: Yes, that's right…oh…I see what you mean.

Tan Sri: Yes, that's what I mean. So the march is still on then. Only now it is a legal march, not an illegal march. And they will march to the stadium instead of to the palace. And we can't do anything about it because the Agong has agreed to this. We can no longer arrest the marchers.

Datuk: Aiyah! This is a disaster. We got tricked. What to do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: What can we do? His Majesty has just given BERSIH legitimacy and it has been agreed that a legal rally can be held in the stadium and because of the huge crowd that may turn out they cannot drive to the stadium but will have to march there dressed in yellow shirts. 

Datuk: Mampus! 

Tan Sri: Yes, mampus. This is even worse. At least if they proceeded with the original plan we can ban BERSIH and declare it a menace to society and a threat to nation security. Now we can't touch them. We can't even arrest anyone on 9th July. And because the rally is legal more people will come out. They are not scared any more. And Umno Youth and PERKASA can't march on the streets in opposition to BERSIH. If they do we will have to arrest them.

Datuk: Alamak. We can't touch the BERSIH marchers but will have to arrest the Umno Youth and PERKASA marchers. And Khairy already said if BERSIH cancels the street march he is prepared to work with them. So Umno Youth must now support the BERSIH rally at the stadium. 

Tan Sri: Exactly. Now you know why I am a Tan Sri and you are just a Datuk?

Datuk: And that means we can't also ask the Agong to revoke Ambiga's citizenship.

Tan Sri: Revoke citizenship for what? For obeying the Agong by cancelling the street march and by holding a rally at the stadium like how Najib asked them to?

Datuk: Somehow I think we have been had…suckered big time.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…please get out of here and leave me alone. I need to draft my resignation letter. 

Datuk: What should I do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: I suggest you also go draft your resignation letter. Najib will want both our heads on a silver platter after this.

 

Round and round the mulberry bush

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:20 AM PDT

Alternative Action Team president, B. Kalai Vanar, wants Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin to revoke Bersih chairperson S. Ambiga's citizenship for going ahead with the plan to organise a mass rally on July 9. Kalai said his movement was backed by Pusat Penyelidikan Tamil Malaysia. -- Free Malaysia Today

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk: Tan Sri, I think I may have found the solution on how to handle BERSIH.

Tan Sri: Finally….a solution. Shoot!

Datuk: We can withdraw Ambiga's citizenship.

Tan Sri: Now hold on! Won't that make the Indians angry? We already have problems with HINDRAF. I don't want a new movement called AMBIGARAF to be launched by the Indians.

Datuk: AMBIGARAF?

Tan Sri: Yes, Ambiga Rights Action Force.

Datuk: Oh, that won't happen, Tan Sri. It is the Tamils themselves who are asking His Majesty the Agong to withdraw Ambiga's citizenship.

Tan Sri: Oh good, if the Tamils themselves are asking for it then no problem.

Datuk: Yes, then later when we withdraw the citizenship of other Indians the Tamils cannot complain since they started this whole 'withdraw the citizenship of Indians' thingy.

Tan Sri: Hmm…yes…I like that. Once we open the Pandora's box the Indians can't complain any longer.

Datuk: Pandora? Is he also a Tamil?

Tan Sri: Oh never mind…sigh…how I wish we did not change our medium of education from English to Malay. When can we withdraw her citizenship?

Datuk: As soon as we sort out one tiny problem.

Tan Sri: What tiny problem?

Datuk: If we withdraw her citizenship and she is no longer a Malaysian citizen, she can no longer remain in Malaysia. All non-citizens will have to be deported.

Tan Sri: So? That's the whole idea isn't it? To kick her out of Malaysia.

Datuk: Yes, but where do we deport her to?

Tan Sri: To India of course.

Datuk: But she is not an Indian citizen.

Tan Sri: So what? That would become India's problem, not ours.

Datuk: But how do we send her back to India?

Tan Sri: On a plane of course, like how all Indians go to India.

Datuk: But she won't have a Malaysian passport since we would have to cancel her passport once we withdraw her citizenship.

Tan Sri: Naturally. But why would that be a problem?

Datuk: No airline would allow her to board a plane without a passport.

Tan Sri: Then how would we send her back to India?

Datuk: Exactly. That is what I meant.

Tan Sri: So we can't let her remain in Malaysia because she is no longer a Malaysian citizen but we can't deport her since she no longer has a passport.

Datuk: Right. That's the tiny problem I was talking about.

Tan Sri: Sheesh….Catch 22.

Datuk: You want me to catch who?

Tan Sri: Sigh….Malay medium education…never mind.

Datuk: So what do you suggest we do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: Me? You were the one who suggested we withdraw her citizenship.

Datuk: The suggestion came from the Tamils, Tan Sri.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…these Tamils are talking…..

Datuk: Tamil?

Tan Sri: I was going to say 'talking cock'. So that means it is not possible to withdraw anyone's citizenship then?

Datuk: Not unless we can figure out what to do with them once we withdraw their citizenship.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…this will not work. Go figure out another solution.

Datuk: Okay, Tan Sri. And what should I tell these Tamil people?

Tan Sri: Tell them to stop talking….

Datuk: Cock?

Tan Sri: No, Tamil. 

 

Latest on BERSIH (UPDATED)

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 04:14 PM PDT

This is just a quick note to inform you of the latest developments of the planned BERSIH rally this Saturday, 9th July 2011. I will update this page and tell you more once I get the latest news from BERSIH.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There appears to be some confusion within the ranks of the BERSIH committee. If the purpose of His Majesty the Agong's announcement yesterday was to throw the cat amongst the pigeons then it certainly worked. It looks like someone else has been reading up on Sun Sze as well.

Anyway, as you read this, the BERSIH committee meeting is in session to decide how to respond to His Majesty's 'titah'. Titah means the Monarch's royal edict or command.

The question here would be: was this really His Majesty's titah or was it crafted for His Majesty? Most Malaysians now understand how the system works and are no longer awed by such royal edicts or commands.

Two members of my own family have sat on the throne as Agong -- so we know that His Majesty, at best, lives in a diamond-studded golden cage. The cage may be golden and diamond studded, but it is still a cage nevertheless.

Remember back in the late-1950s when Tunku Abdul Rahman was the First Prime Minister of Malaysia and Tuanku Abdul Rahman the First Agong? A British cabinet minister tried to barge in to the Tunku's office without an appointment and the Prime Minister refused to see him. Malaysia, after all, had gained independence and was no longer a British colony so who did this Kwailo think he is?

Later, during an audience with the Agong, the British cabinet minister complained to His Majesty and suggested that His Majesty sack the Prime Minister for his kurang ajar (insolence).

To this suggestion His Majesty the Agong replied that in Malaysia it is not the King who sacks the Prime Minister but the Prime Minister who sacks the King.

That was way back 50 years or so ago and things have not changed much since then. In fact, since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Prime Minister 30 years ago, it has become worse.

Was not Dr Mahathir the man who engaged the Monarchy in a Constitutional Crisis back in the mid-1980s where Umno openly and loudly reminded Their Highnesses that the Federal Constitution of Malaysia clearly states that the King has to 'take advice' from the Prime Minister and the Sultans from the Menteris Besar?

Many Malaysians at that time lauded and applauded Dr Mahathir's 'brave' effort at 'cutting down the royalty to size'. And His Highnesses were sent running back to their palaces with their royal tails between their legs, metaphorically speaking.

Today, how many believe that the Rulers make their own decisions? How many believe that a statement from Istana Negara is a statement from the mouth of His Majesty the Agong?

Does not Istana Negara come directly under the Prime Minister's Department? And since the time of Dr Mahathir are not all statements from Istana Negara first vetted by the Prime Minister's Department and first approved by the Prime Minister's Department before they can be released? And is it not the procedure that the Prime Minister's Department drafts all statements and speeches of the Agong?

I remember when the late Sultan of Johor was the Agong and, as was customary, he read out his speech prepared by the Prime Minister's Department. His Majesty had never seen that speech until it was time to deliver it and clearly he was struggling with it.

Halfway through the speech, His Majesty, with a look of irritation on his royal face, retorted: siapa tulis ni (who wrote this)?

But then His Majesty the Johor Sultan has been known to do things 'out of script' like jumping over the fence during a football match or stepping down from the VVIP stage to try his hand at riding a superbike during the Merdeka Day parade.

Never has Malaysia seen such a 'colourful' Agong in its 53 years of Merdeka and probably never will again.

So there you have it: my short story on Malaysia's monarchy and why BERSIH must first explore whether the titah from the Agong released yesterday needs to be further clarified before the committee decides whether to call off the planned BERSIH rally of Saturday, 9th July 2011 or proceed with it. And later today we will know the answer to that question.

***********************************

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

BERSIH will seek an audience with His Majesty the Agong to get clarification on yesterday's titah. If clearly His Majesty wishes to avoid any security problems and would like the march to be called off then BERSIH will try to hammer out a compromise.

One compromise would be to hold the rally in a stadium instead of marching on the streets as originally planned. The Stadium Merdeka is one such stadium that is being suggested.

The BERSIH committee appears divided on this matter. Understandably, not many want to be seen as durhaka (treasonous) by ignoring His Majesty's titah -- if it really is His Majesty's titah in the first place.

Some are of the view that the BERSIH chairperson may have become intimidated by this latest development of the Agong's titah -- plus with the warnings of the army stepping in, more detentions without trial, the four million silat exponents taking to the streets to oppose BERSIH, May 13 Version 2.0, the Muslims declaring a holy jihad against BERSIH, etc.

If Ambiga feels that things have got out of hand and have become very dangerous then she might have to consider bailing out to allow someone else more prepared to face the consequences to take over. We can quite understand if Ambiga is now living on the edge and is fearful for her life and under the present circumstances no one will fault her if she throws in the towel.

Nevertheless, whether the BERSIH march finally gets aborted, or is held in a stadium, or proceeds as planned, the message has been delivered. What BERSIH wanted to do was to draw attention to the need for electoral reforms and this has been achieved.

Let us wait and see where BERSIH goes from here.

 

Putting it in perspective

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 06:51 PM PDT

I repeat: politicians can never be trusted. They never serve the Rakyat's interest. We, the Rakyat, have to take matters into our own hands. We need electoral reforms. So we need BERSIH to be able to bring about those electoral reforms. It is about seeing clean, fair and free elections.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Stay away from illegal rally, says Sultan

(The Star) - The Sultan of Pahang has urged the people to not get involved, either directly or indirectly, in the July 9 illegal assembly.

Sultan Ahmad Shah said the assembly would only bring trouble and won't benefit the people.

'I appeal to the people not to get themselves involved in this. Whether it is bersih (clean) or dirty, as long as it is a demonstration, it is not clean,' he said after opening the new Mardi office in Muadzam Shah near here.

The Sultan added that such an assembly should not take place in Malaysia. 'I'm personally against this,' Bernama quoted him as saying. The country's 1.2 million civil servants have also been told to stay away from the rallies.

This is to safeguard the principle of 'neutrality and impartiality' of public sector employees, Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said. He said in a June 30 directive that the General Orders clearly stated that civil servants were not allowed to put their personal interests before the Government's.

Mr Abu Bakar said civil servants were not allowed to participate in any illegal activity, even after office hours. 'In fact, they cannot leave their work stations to even watch such activities being held,' he said, adding that action could also be taken against any civil servant who used government facilities for such activities.

***************************************

Muhyiddin: Opposition wants to seize power through street protest

(The Star) - The Pakatan Rakyat does not respect the mandate of the majority and chooses to use street protest to wrest power from the government said Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said that it is crucial in any democracy for political parties to respect the mandate of the majority.

"The mandate of the majority must be accepted by the parties. This is a rule of democracy," he said officiating the Federal Territories Barisan Nasional Convention Sunday.

Instead of recognising this fact, he said the opposition has disregarded the will of the majority that had voted for Barisan.

"They (opposition) does not respect the mandate of the majority but chooses to use street democracy as a means to wrest power," he said.

He said the Barisan would oppose the opposition's dirty tactics of attempting to wrest power via street protest.

He said the opposition was using the Bersih rally as a front to cause chaos.

"We know they (opposition) are behind several non-governmental organisation to hide their dirty intentions.

"They claim the gathering is peaceful which is guaranteed by the Constitution," he said.

However, the deputy Prime Minister said opposition claims of the country not having a free and fair democratic system is unfounded.

The opposition, he said, denied the reality of their victory in the previous general election.

"If they claim that elections in our country is not fair and dirty, it is impossible for the opposition to win in so many seats and control several states," he said.

He said it was a farce for the opposition to talk about democracy when there are top leaders within Pakatan Rakyat who were appointed' to power.

***************************************

It is times like these that make me proud to be a member of the royal family. When I read what His Highness the Sultan of Pahang said it brought a tear to my eyes. Malaysia's ten Monarchs -- the seven Sultans, the Raja of Perlis, the Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and the Agong -- are Islam's Fidei Defensor.

For the uninitiated, 'Fidei Defensor' is Latin for 'Defender of the Faith' -- just as 'Petra' is Latin for 'rock' (now you know why I am stubborn and hard-headed like a rock).

It is good that sometimes the Rulers advice the Rakyat about what is the right thing to do and remind us to not do the wrong thing, especially if that particular action violates the laws or religious edicts. If it is not the Rulers who speak out then who else can speak out, especially when it concerns wrongdoings perpetuated by the Rulers themselves?

Is it not correct to say that one must be judged by one's peers? That is how the legal system works (although Malaysia has already ended the jury system and you are now no longer judged by your peers).

My peers are fellow-bloggers so let fellow-bloggers judge me. The Rulers, on the other hand, must be judged by fellow-Rulers. You and I can't pass judgement on the Rulers.

In the past, only God could judge Rulers as Rulers took instructions directly from God (thank God that system has since been abolished or else God will not have time for any other work with so many cases or Rulers' misconduct to manage).

So we need the Rulers to speak out when necessary. There are many wrongdoings being committed not just by the Rakyat but also by the Rulers.

Take gambling, as an example. Never mind whether you are Muslim or Christian, gambling is haram in all religions. But many Malaysians gamble and this cause a lot of social problems. It is an even bigger problem when the Rulers themselves gamble because they are not gambling with their own money, like the Rakyat. They are gambling with our money.

Some Rulers go to the US, UK, Australia, etc., and waste millions of Ringgit in a single day at the casinos. And the government has to foot the bill for these gambling loses.

Ask the two cousins -- Hishammuddin Hussein and Najib Razak. Both their fathers were once-upon-a-time Prime Ministers of Malaysia and they know how much problems their fathers faced in trying to keep the Rulers in line. They both know how much money the government had to fork out to pay off the gambling debts of the Rulers.

So it is good that His Highness the Sultan of Pahang has spoken out and has advised us not to do anything unlawful, illegal or sinful. We need those kinds of reminders. If not many Malaysians would misbehave. And this would cost the nation millions and billions in taxpayers' money. 

What the Deputy Prime Minister said is also very true. There are attempts to use the BERSIH march of 9th July 2011 to grab power through street demonstrations. But maybe the intelligence agencies have not correctly advised Muhyiddin on what is really happening.

He said that the opposition is using BERSIH to grab power. Actually that is not quite correct. The opposition is not using BERSIH. The Rakyat is using BERSIH.

The truth is, to us Rakyat, both the ruling party and the opposition are all the same. They are all politicians. And politicians are self-centred and serve only themselves, not the Rakyat.

Politicians can't be trusted. History has shown us that. Look at what the Bolsheviks did in Russia. They kicked out the Tsar but became worse than the Tsar. The Tsar's secret police murdered 6,000 dissident Russians. When the Bolsheviks took over they killed 200,000 Russians. That shows we can't trust the politicians.

The same happened when they ousted King Louis XVI of France. More people died at the hands of the Revolutionaries than at the hands of the King.

So, no, I as the Rakyat do not trust politicians. If we have not learned from history then we must be plain dumb. And that is why I criticise the opposition as much as I criticise the ruling party. And that is why I criticise Anwar Ibrahim as much as I criticise Najib Razak. Both are politicians and we should be careful with both. 2,000 years of recorded history has shown us that.

If you are Christian, which means you probably went to church today, you would believe that Jesus Christ was crucified. And who crucified Jesus or went before the government and demanded that he be crucified? Was it not politicians who were worried that Jesus was becoming too popular and was undermining the power of the politicians?

If you are of the Muslim faith you would believe in Prophet Muhammad. And who were the ones who persecuted the Prophet and his followers? Was it not the politicians, those heading the government of Mekah, who feared that they might lose power if they did not act against the Prophet?

Yes, all through history, politicians have betrayed us and have put to death those viewed as dangerous to them, prophets included. So, no, the politicians are not behind BERSIH. We do not trust them enough to allow them to be behind BERSIH. It is the Rakyat who are behind BERSIH. And both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat better know this and had better remember this.

So Muhyiddin is wrong if he thinks that BERSIH is about making Anwar Ibrahim the next Prime Minister. I would never agree to that. I would oppose that even if every single Malaysian condemns me and alleges that I have been bought, have done a U-turn, am a turncoat, am a Trojan horse, or whatever.

I repeat: politicians can never be trusted. They never serve the Rakyat's interest. We the Rakyat have to take matters into our own hands. We need electoral reforms. So we need BERSIH to be able to bring about those electoral reforms. It is about seeing clean, fair and free elections.

Who eventually wins that election -- Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat -- is secondary. The important thing is that whosoever it is that may win must win fairly. And if the majority of the Rakyat chooses Barisan Nasional then Barisan Nasional it will be. And if instead they choose Pakatan Rakyat then so be it. But it must be on the basis of a clean, fair and free election.

Of course, if you were to ask me whom I would vote for I will make no secret about it. I will vote for Pakatan Rakyat. But this is not about whom I support or will vote for. It is about ensuring that the election process is clean, fair and free.

Oh, and one more thing, Muhyiddin said, "If they claim that elections in our country is not fair and dirty, it is impossible for the opposition to win in so many seats and control several states." Actually, if the elections had been clean, fair and free, the opposition would not have just won so many seats and five states, Barisan Nasional would have been kicked out totally.

So the Deputy Prime Minister's argument is terribly flawed. The fact that the opposition won so many seats and a few states is not the yardstick to declare that Malaysia's elections are clean, fair and free. That fact that Barisan Nasional is still in power is proof that the elections are not clean, fair and free.

 

Stop being kaypoh, you blardee Kristian

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:32 PM PDT

I am sure you would agree that what is important is that no one prevents you from going to church every Sunday to pray so that you can guarantee your place in heaven when you die. In fact, even Hitler did not prevent Christians from going to church every Sunday to pray so that they can guarantee their place in heaven when they die. And that is exactly why the Christians closed both eyes to the extermination of six million Jews.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Blogger Lodges Police Report Against Alleged Religious Sedition Twitter Post            

(Malaysian Digest) - The Secretary of Blog House Malaysia (BHM), Tony Yew, today lodged a police report against Chan Lillian who, according to Tony, posted a religious sedition with her Twitter account.

Chan Lillian is an official video-journalist for Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

Tony, when met after he made his report at Travers police station, said that Chan, under the name of 5xmom, tweet on Wednesday night urging all Christians to go down to the streets, which Tony believes is the Bersih 2.0 mass rally.

"She tweet, 'i think all Christians shud march for all the persecution they had done to us and our Lord. Don't you think so? I go sleep now. Bye bye'," said Tony.

"I believes her tweet is an intentional sedition for all Christians and dangerous considering the recent development related to this coming 9 July", he added.

Tony advises the public, especially Christians, to not fall into the trap of religious tensions.

"I am a Christians and practised my faith freely, no persecution ever happen while I'm practising my faith, as Lilian try to portrays with her tweetpost."

"She made it up with another agenda up in her mind", he added.

*****************************************

Good for you, Tony Yew. Teach those buggers a lesson. How can they post a 'religious sedition' in their Twitter account? Too much, man!

By the way, just between you and me, Tony, I tried looking up the crime of 'religious sedition' in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia and could not find it. Maybe it is in the Penal Code but I don't have a copy of that so I am not able to find out under which section of the Penal Code that comes under.

Never mind. I am glad you did your Christian duty and took action on this crime of 'religious sedition' by making a police report. We don't want people -- especially the Malay-Muslims of Malaysia -- to start thinking that Christianity is an action-oriented religion, like Islam.

Christians should demonstrate that they are passive, not active, like Muslims, who belong to a religion that propagates amar makruf, nahi munkar -- which simply means uphold righteousness and oppose evil.

If Christianity starts becoming like Islam -- upholds righteousness and opposes evil -- then Muslims may get fooled into thinking that Christianity is a good religion after all.

Currently, Muslims are taught that Christianity is the opposite of Islam. If Muslims start thinking that Christianity is just like Islam -- that it upholds righteousness and opposes evil -- we may face problems of Muslims converting to Christianity.

And that is something we must avoid at all costs as this, as you say, may increase religious tensions.

We must remember that 'religious sedition' -- though this crime may be absent in our Constitution or Malaysian laws -- is exactly the crime that Jesus Christ committed. And for that he was crucified -- at least you as a Christian believe. And the fact that you 'crucified' Chan Lillian, metaphorically speaking, is certainly the Christian thing to do.

I am sure that you, Tony, are proud that Christians, for thousands of years, have demonstrated passiveness towards evil. And I am proud that you, as my friend, have continued this Christian tradition.

Imagine what would have happened had the Christians demonstrated outrage at what the Nazis did to the Jews in Europe? There would have been utter chaos. The Nazis would have been brought down and the six million Jews would not have been rightfully punished for what their ancestors did to Jesus Christ.

The Christians wisely remained neutral and did not even whimper at the Holocaust. And that was why the church was spared and was able to survive when the rest of the world was ravaged by war.

Tony, people just never learn from history. As Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said: Melayu mudah lupa. And you have reminded us that not only Melayu, but also the Christians mudah lupa. And it is good that you reminded us so that the Christians would not mudah lupa.

Do you remember this quotation, Tony?

First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.

This quotation is credited to Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller, a German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor.

Now, note two things here, Tony. Friedrich Gustav was anti-Nazi plus he was a Lutheran. So that makes him biased. And we can't accept the views of someone who is biased.

The bottom line is: the Nazis went for the Communists, trade unionists, Jews and Lutherans. They never touched the Pope in Rome. And that is what matters. Won't you agree, Tony?

So, Tony, let's you and I whack the Malaysian Christians who try to stir Christians into action. As you rightly said: you are a Christian who can practise his faith freely and you suffered no persecution in practising your faith.

So, what more do you want? Is this not enough? Why make so much noise about freedom, justice, good governance, an end to abuse of power and corruption, clean elections, and whatnot?

I am sure you would agree that what is important is that no one prevents you from going to church every Sunday to pray so that you can guarantee your place in heaven when you die. In fact, even Hitler did not prevent Christians from going to church every Sunday to pray so that they can guarantee their place in heaven when they die. And that is exactly why the Christians closed both eyes to the extermination of six million Jews.

Aiyah, Christian pun macam Melayu: mudah lupa. And it needs someone like Tony Yew to bring the Christians back to the right path and to remind them that Christianity is just about going to church on Sunday to pray. Christians should not kaypoh into other matters not related to praying in church on Sunday.

Thank you, Tony, for your service to the nation. I hope soon I will be able to refer to you as Yang Berbahagia Datuk Tony Yew just like your boss, Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ahirudin Bin Attan a.k.a. Rocky Bru.

 
Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


Stop pre-rally clampdown, Kit Siang tells Hishammuddin

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT

By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — With Bersih 2.0 and the government having reached a truce yesterday, DAP's Lim Kit Siang now wants the Home Ministry to cease its nationwide pre-rally clampdown exercise.

Lim, a leader in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council, said in a statement today that the police should end its "harassment" of Bersih 2.0 supporters, return all seized Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia and grant an unconditional release of all those detained in connection with the rally.

He expressed disappointment that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had not made the order himself yesterday, when the latter was commenting on the latest developments surrounding the rally debacle.

"The statement by the Prime Minister, passing the buck to the police to decide whether to proceed with its nation-wide pre-Bersih rally clampdown on supporters, is most irresponsible.

"Najib should know that as Prime Minister, he must always be reminded of the injunction: 'The buck stops here!'," said Lim.

In a brief press conference at his office in Putrajaya yesterday, shortly after Bersih 2.0 officials were granted audience with the King, Najib announced that the government was ready to meet with Bersih 2.0 officials to decide on a rally venue for this Saturday.

The prime minister expressed relief that all three street demonstrations planned for July 9 had been called off but would not say if his administration would now consider Bersih 2.0 a lawful organisation and would stop arresting supporters in connection with the rally.

With Najib having passed the buck to the police, Lim said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein should give the ceasefire order to his men in the police force, adding that this would be in respect of the King's advice.

He listed four requests on Hishammuddin — release all those detained in connection with the rally, release Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and five other Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members detained under the Emergency Ordinance, return all seized Bersih 2.0 paraphernalia and appoint a senior police officer to liaise with Bersih 2.0 on its stadium rally this Saturday.

Lim also cited the King's words on Sunday when the latter said, "When any problem arises, we as a civilised society must resolve it through consultations and not follow our emotions.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Bersih wants supporters freed, RCI on election practices

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:24 PM PDT

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Bersih will demand that Datuk Seri Najib Razak establish a royal commission into election practices and free its arrested supporters, its chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today.

She also added that Bersih is "horrified" that police are continuing with arrests and charges despite Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's call for negotiations between the movement and the government.

"It is only proper that they stand down and the topmost priority is to release all those arrested," Ambiga told a press conference today.

The former Bar Council president also said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong "heard us out" on the issues in yesterday's audience.

"In the spirit of reconciliation, we accepted the offer of a stadium in good faith," Ambiga (picture) said,

The prime minister said yesterday that he was willing to negotiate on a suitable venue with Bersih for their July 9 rally after the electoral reform movement accepted the government's offer to allow the gathering to take place in a stadium.

The coalition of 62 NGOs agreed yesterday to move a street protest into a stadium and said today that it wants to hold it in the 50,000-seater Stadium Merdeka.

MORE TO COME HERE.

WIKILEAKS: Malaysia loses game of "chicken' with Singapore over bridge

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT

This plan, which local MP Nur Jazlan privately described to us as "a game of chicken", had some serious flaws -- it did not take into full account the need to maintain rail links and a water pipeline that supplies the island republic with fresh Malaysian water.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000679

 

SIPDIS

 

SIPDIS

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015

TAGS: PREL, ELTN, SN, MY

SUBJECT: MALAYSIA LOSES GAME OF "CHICKEN" WITH SINGAPORE OVER BRIDGE

 

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Brian H Phipps for reasons 1. 4 b and d.

 

1. (C) On April 12, the Government of Malaysia announced that Malaysia would abandon its plan to build a new bridge across the Johor Strait between Malaysia and Singapore.  When Singapore's leaders had balked at Malaysian plans to replace an existing 82-year old causeway with a new bridge, the Malaysian government announced that they would build a "scenic" half-bridge to join up with Singapore's side of the causeway at the boundary line. 

This plan, which local MP Nur Jazlan privately described to us as "a game of chicken", had some serious flaws -- it did not take into full account the need to maintain rail links and a water pipeline that supplies the island republic with fresh Malaysian water.

Demolishing its own side of the causeway could have put Malaysia in breach of a longstanding bilateral water sharing agreement with Singapore.  Malaysia had wanted to build the bridge to improve shipping access to and between the ports of Johor Baru and Port Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), as well as to enrich contractors linked to Malaysia's ruling political coalition. 

Press reports indicate that the bridge contractors will be paid some 27 million USD in compensation on what was to have been a 300 million USD project.

2. (C) Malaysia's government-controlled press was filled with articles justifying the project's cancellation and blaming the move on Singaporean intransigence.  Johor state politicians have been vocal in their opposition to supposed Singaporean conditions for agreeing to the bridge project -- free passage through a small area of Malaysian airspace in order to facilitate access to international airspace for military training and exercises, and permission to purchase Malaysian sand for Singaporean land reclamation projects.

These influential politicians, including the state's Chief Minister Abdul Ghani Othman, outspoken Backbenchers' Club President MP Sharir Samad, and MP Nur Jazlan owe their local political reputations to standing up to and playing tough with Singapore. 

While Singaporean tourists in search of bargains make an important contribution to the local economy, the richer, more successful Singaporeans also generate resentment in neighboring Johor. 

One discordant voice in the chorus of those supporting the decision was Mahathir Mohamad, the former PM, who himself originally proposed replacing the causeway with a bridge in 1996.

LAFLEUR

 

Malaysia is human trafficking hotspot - WikiLeaks

Posted: 05 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN

Thousands of women from Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, as well as China and India were trafficked to Malaysia for forced labor and prostitution, according to an unclassified 2006 cable from the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur released by WikiLeaks, the online whistle-blower.

In a memo to the US Department of State dated March 3, 2006, then US Ambassador to Malaysia Christopher LaFleur also reported that the Southeast Asian country was a "destination and -- to a lesser extent -- a transit country for men and women trafficked for forced labor."

"Some economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants and laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude," Lafleur disclosed.

Aside from the Washington-based State Department, the envoy also furnished the following US agencies copies of the embassy memo, titled "Malaysia's Sixth Annual Trafficking in Persons Report": Homeland Security Center, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, and American diplomatic missions in Southeast Asia.

In addition to women from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, "smaller numbers" of women from Cambodia, Burma and Laos were also trafficked to Malaysia, said LaFleur.

All eight countries are part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean.

"Anectodal evidence indicates that numbers of victims coming from neighboring Asean countries have remained relatively constant over the last few years. The number and patterns of victims coming from source countries tend to reflect Malaysian government immigration and visa policies," the envoy pointed out.

According to LaFleur, China "has become the largest and fastest-growing source country for prostitutes in Malaysia. Many of these Chinese women and girls are likely trafficking victims."

"China has grown as a source country in recent years due to a more liberal Malaysian visa policy that reflects growing economic ties and Malaysian government efforts to encourage tourism and university enrollment from Chinese students," he explained.

LaFleur noted that "while there are no reliable statistics revealing the total number of women trafficked into (Malaysia), estimates can be made drawing from different sources."

"Foreign embassies and (non-government organizations') report that in 2005, at least 500 trafficking victims were rescued and repatriated," he said.

The US diplomat also revealed that "during the first nine months of 2005, 4,678 foreign women were arrested and detained for suspected involvement in prostitution, compared with 5,783 arrested during all of 2004."

"Chinese nationals accounted for 40 percent, the largest percentage of such arrests, followed by nationals of Indonesia (25 percent), Thailand (17 percent), and the Philippines (10 percent). According to the government-funded National Human Rights Commission, or Suhakam and involved NGOs, a significant number of these women were probable trafficking victims," said LaFleur.

The Royal Malaysia Police "compiles statistics on arrests of foreign women with suspected involvement in prostitution, broken down by nationality. The Immigration Department's enforcement division also collects data on trafficking cases."

However, "Malaysian authorities do not adequately distinguish illegal migrants from trafficking victims. Law enforcement officials assert that the great majority of the foreign women arrested for prostitution in Malaysia entered the country voluntarily and with valid travel documents."

On the other hand, "surveys by the Suhakam and interviews with Indonesian, Thai and Philippine embassy officials indicate that as many as 50 percent of foreign women arrested for prostitution are possible trafficking victims," said LaFleur.

The Malaysian government "encourages victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases, but reports says that most victims are unwilling to testify... One NGO reported that pimps and traffickers are often present in the courtroom during court proceedings to intimidate the victims."

In terms of prevention, "the Malaysian government took steps in 2002 and 2003 to toughen the criteria for young foreigners seeking student visas. It has also stepped up border detection for smuggling, illegal migration and people trafficking,"

LaFleur added "there is no evidence of widespread tolerance of complicity in trafficking-in-persons by government authorities, though accusations of more general corruption, particularly at the local police and immigration levels exist."

 

Najib express gratitude to Tuanku Mizan

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:53 PM PDT

 

(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today conveyed his heartfelt thanks to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin over His Majesty's concern that illegal street demonstrations should not be carried out in the country because they could threaten peace and harmony.

"I wish to express thanks to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan for his great concern to ensure that there will not be any incidents which can jeopardise the peace and security of our country.
   
"Upon his great and deep sense of responsibility and concern, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had ordered all quarters against holding illegal street demonstrations that have been planned for July 9.
   
 "I wish to thank all parties who have heeded the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and hence, no street demonstrations will be held on July 9," he said.
   
He told this to reporters after chairing a meeting of the governing council of Malaysia Innovation Agency here today.
   
The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) which had intended to organise the illegal street demonstrations on July 9 has now changed its plans and will instead hold a gathering in a stadium.
   
The U-turn came about after its chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara today.

 

Royal Intervention in the Bersih Rally

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 09:33 PM PDT

Dear Sir,

The timely intervention of His Majesty Yang Dipertuan Agong in the wake of the escalating tensions in the country over the planned BERSIH rally was met with divergent opinions as to the motivation of His Majesty for doing so. I look upon the His Majesty's intervention as fair and logical and it has reaffirmed my views about the role of a constitutional monarch in our democratic nation. It is in moments of heightened tension with a potential for violence and racial conflagration, which to a large extent is politically engineered, that a monarch can play a vital role in bringing the nation from the brink due to his authority, as conferred by the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

The BERSIH rally is an important test-case as to the validity and respect we have for the Malaysian Constitution. The aims of BERSIH are to uphold and entrench the democratic process via constitutional means. What more noble aim could there be than this? The Police are obliged to provide security and safe passage for the participants who are proud and loyal Malaysians. 

Let us hope politicians on both sides of the political divide will not be allowed to hijack the rally. Even though Pakatan Rakyat supporters are going to provide the bulk of the numbers, BERSIH must be seen as a serious call for reforms from the Rakyat. The message would be more powerful and germane if civil society leaders were seen to be running the show and speaking at the event. The politicians, on this occasion, should take a back seat and not turn it into an 'Opposition' party political rally.

I think things have potentially turned out for the good. Now BERSIH can no longer be viewed as an 'illegal' organisation as Dato Ambiga has had an audience with His Highness the Agong.  BERSIH T-shirts  which have been arbitrarily declared 'illegal' can now be worn legitimately because of 'Royal' dispensation. Dato Ambiga and BERSIH should use the Royal 'approval' to have the rally in a stadium judiciously and strategically in their negotiations with the government.

The Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's readiness to meet BERSIH in the aftermath of His Hghness the Agong's audience with BERSIH should be welcomed and applauded.

It is times like these that I am proud to be Malaysian.

Dr Peter Jesudason

 

Govt plans to engage with hackers

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 08:26 PM PDT

(Bernama) - The Government plans to engage with cyber hackers to understand them better and put their skill to good use, Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said Tuesday.

It planned attending their annual conferences of cyber hackers who, he said, "should not be looked at only negatively".

"CyberSecurity, the National Security Council, police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission must be with them so that we can get to know a bigger networking circle among the hackers," he told reporters here.

The Government would be better able to distinguish between good and bad hackers and also "learn... how to defend ourselves," he added after opening a seminar on legal and technical aspects of cyber crime.

The three-day seminar is organised by the Attorney-General's Chambers in collaboration with CyberSecurity Malaysia.

Meanwhile, CyberSecurity Chief Executive Officer Lt Col Datuk Husin Jazri said there were lessons learnt from the recent cyber hacking incident.

He said there was need to engage with young people who possess hacking talent.

"Sometimes these young people are not happy with certain issues or action and resort to hacking. We need to engage with them so that we can turn them around to channel their dissatisfaction and grievances in a positive way," he said.

 

Bribe probe hits former Malaysian PM Abdullah Badawi

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 08:14 PM PDT

An AFP-led international corruption taskforce continues to work towards further arrests, having already charged seven former senior Securency and NPA executives with foreign bribery offences. Mr Abdullah is believed to have been involved in approving the contract won by the RBA firms to supply Malaysia with its polymer five Ringgit note, which began circulating in 2004.

Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker, The Age (Australia)

The Reserve Bank of Australia's banknote firms are suspected of attempting to bribe former Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi in order to get his help to win a $31 million currency contract.

Mr Abdullah is one of a several highly influential Malaysian political figures whom anti-corruption authorities believe Securency and Note Printing Australia— firms respectively half and fully owned and overseen by Australia's reserve bank— allegedly sought to bribe using part of $4.2 million in commission payments made to two Malaysian middlemen.

Malaysian sources confirmed to The Age that the Australian Federal Police have gathered information about attempts to bribe Mr Abdullah by Securency and Note Printing Australia, which are respectively half and fully owned and overseen by the RBA.

The Age sought comment from Mr Abdullah last night.

Asked about the approach to Mr Abdullah yesterday, an AFP spokesman said: "Given that matters relating to investigations into Securency International and Note Printing Australia are currently before the court, the AFP is unable to make any further comment."

It is understood the attempt to bribe Mr Abdullah related to contract negotiations that occurred around 2003, the year he became prime minister and finance minister. He served as prime minister until 2009.

Before becoming prime minister, Mr Abdullah was deputy to long-serving Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad.

The alleged attempt to bribe of Mr Badawi, who remains a serving MP, adds to the list of high-profile Asian politicians and central bank officials targeted by the RBA firms.

The AFP last week alleged Securency bribed Vietnam's former central bank governor by paying his son's English university tuition fees. Authorities in Malaysia last Friday arrested a former Malaysian central bank assistant governor accused of receiving two bribes from NPA.

The revelations about the attempt to bribe Mr Abdullah come as the fallout from Australia's plastic note bribery scandal continues to spread, with The Age reporting yesterday about the intimate involvement of senior officials from the Australian government trade agency Austrade in Securency's allegedly corrupt Vietnam dealings.

An AFP-led international corruption taskforce continues to work towards further arrests, having already charged seven former senior Securency and NPA executives with foreign bribery offences.

Mr Abdullah is believed to have been involved in approving the contract won by the RBA firms to supply Malaysia with its polymer five Ringgit note, which began circulating in 2004.

Securency and NPA's agents for the 2004 were former state MP and senior figure in the country's ruling party, UMNO, Dato Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin and arms trader Abdul Kayum, who was arrested and charged on friday with two counts of bribery.

Mr Kayum, who pled not guilty to the charges, worked as NPA and Securency's main middleman in Malaysia and allegedly promised the firms that he was able to convince senior Malaysian officials to buy the plastic bank note technology.

Several senior Securency and NPA former executives are believed to have been aware that payments to Mr Kayum may have been used to pay bribes. He acted as their agent between 2000 and 2007, before being sacked after an internal audit raised probity fears.

His hiring and subsequent receipt of several million dollars from the RBA firms raises further questions about the adequacy of supervision provided by the RBA-appointed directors of Securency and NPA.

Mr Kayum also represented one of the Pakistan Government's main weapons making facilities, the Air Weapons Complex, which is believed to play a central role in the nation's nuclear weapons program.

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission yesterday refused to confirm or deny whether it was investigating the performance of the Securency and NPA boards after Greens leader Bob Brown and federal Labor backbencher Kelvin Thomson suggested last Friday that it should.

Former RBA deputy governor Graeme Thompson, who is also a former chief of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, chaired Securency and NPA during the 1999-2005 period the alleged bribes in Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia took place.


PM: Govt to meet Bersih over stadium for rally

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 08:11 PM PDT

(The Star) - The Government is prepared to meet with Bersih 2.0 to discuss the movement's plan to organise the July 9 rally in a stadium.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said which stadium would depend on the request from the organisers.

"We will respond to that accordingly.

"What is important is for them to come to the stadium peacefully and orderly, and leave in the same manner," he told newsmen after chairing Agensi Inovasi Malaysia's first governance council meeting here Tuesday.

Earlier Tuesday, Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan emerged after an audience with the King and said the planned street march had been called off.

Instead, the rally would be held in a stadium, she added.

 

Perkasa to decide on rally tomorrow

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 07:38 PM PDT

Perkasa approves of Bersih's decision but will only decide whether to proceed with its own rally tomorrow.

"We feel that the King shouldn't have indulged Bersih," Syed Hassan said. "Ambiga asked to see the King like he was her uncle or something. But the fact is that our King is willing to meet with them for the sake of his people's safety. And we deeply respect him for that."

(Free Malaysia Today) - Malay rightwing group Perkasa has welcomed the Bersih's decision to hold the July 9 rally in a stadium, but said it will only decide whether or not to call off its own rally at a meeting tomorrow.

Bersih chairman S Ambiga, steering committee member Zaid Kamaruddin and national laureate A Samad Said were granted an audience by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Abidin at 2pm today after which a decision was made to hold the rally in a stadium.

"We welcome Bersih's decision," Perkasa secretary-general, Syed Hassan Syed Ali, told FMT.

"It's good for the people, country, economy and tourism. We will decide whether or not to proceed with our rally after our executive committee meeting tomorrow."

Perkasa had consistently stressed that its presence on the ground on July 9 would be purely to preserve the nation's security. Perkasa also said that it would cancel its rally if the Bersih rally was called off.

"But we also want the police to monitor the rally very closely even though it is being held in an enclosed area," Syed Hassan added. "We don't trust these people… we don't trust them."

He also admitted that Perkasa was disappointed that Bersih was granted an audience with the King.

Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali, yesterday railed at Bersih leaders for being "insolent" and "holding the King to ransom" by demanding an audience with him.

Ibrahim pointed out that similar requests by Perkasa had been turned down and asked that the King ignore Bersih's request as well.

READ MORE HERE

 

Yeh! Yeh! Kita menang!…hmm…or did we?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 06:25 PM PDT

Bersih 2.0 will hold its rally for electoral reforms in a stadium and not in the streets, the group said today fresh from an audience with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in Istana Negara. "We accept the government's offer to hold the demonstration in a stadium. We will not hold it in the streets," Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters today.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk: Tan Sri!

Tan Sri: Calm down, Datuk….apa hal bising sangat ni?

Datuk: I have some good news, Tan Sri.

Tan Sri: Ah, what is it this time? Ambiga has migrated and has applied for Australian citizenship? 

Datuk: No lah, Tan Sri. Better than that.

Tan Sri: What can be better than Ambiga leaving Malaysia?

Datuk: The BERSIH march is off…cancelled…batal.

Tan Sri: Hmm…that is certainly good news. How come?

Datuk: Ambiga had an audience with the Agong this afternoon and BERSIH has agreed to cancel the street march and hold a rally in the stadium instead.

Tan Sri: His Majesty agreed to meet Ambiga?

Datuk: Yes.

Tan Sri: So that means His Majesty recognises BERSIH?

Datuk: Looks like it.

Tan Sri: So that means we can't ban BERSIH then.

Datuk: Why not, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: Aiyah...if His Majesty had an official meeting with BERSIH this would mean His Majesty recognises BERSIH. 

Datuk: So?

Tan Sri: So it means we can't ban BERSIH. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of collaborating with an illegal organisation and we would have to arrest His Majesty under the Internal Security Act.

Datuk: Oh…I never thought of that.

Tan Sri: Yes…and that's why you are a mere Datuk while I am a Tan Sri.

Datuk: That also means we cannot allege that BERSIH is backed by the Communists and Jews. If not then His Majesty would be guilty of working with the Communists and Jews.

Tan Sri: Now you are getting it. So how can that be good news?

Datuk: Didn't His Majesty think of this? Aiyah…why so stupid?

Tan Sri: Hey, that is seditious. You can't call the Agong stupid.

Datuk: No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant it was stupid of us to allow the Agong to meet Ambiga.

Tan Sri: But we dragged the Agong into this. So how can we prevent the Agong from meeting BERSIH?

Datuk: Ia lah. We made a big mistake in issuing that statement from the Agong.

Tan Sri: Hey! Cakap baik sikit!

Datuk: Sorry, I meant we made a big mistake in asking the Agong to issue that statement.

Tan Sri: That's better. Don't ever say we issued that statement on behalf of the Agong.

Datuk: Okay lah, but at least the street march is off…now it's been reduced to just a rally in a stadium.

Tan Sri: How many people do you think will attend the rally?

Datuk: Not sure. Maybe 100,000…could even be 200,000. Now that it is no longer an illegal assembly and there is no danger of arrests many more people may turn out. Those who were initially afraid to turn out may now turn out since it is safe. Mana tahu? Could even be 300,000 people.

Tan Sri: How would 300,000 people park their cars at the stadium?

Datuk: Oh, cannot lah. There is not enough car park space for 300,000 people. They will have to park their cars elsewhere and walk to the stadium…or take public transport.

Tan Sri: So, to get to the stadium they will have to walk, right?

Datuk: That's right.

Tan Sri: Which means they will be marching to the stadium instead of marching to the Agong's palace, right?

Datuk: Yes, that's right…oh…I see what you mean.

Tan Sri: Yes, that's what I mean. So the march is still on then. Only now it is a legal march, not an illegal march. And they will march to the stadium instead of to the palace. And we can't do anything about it because the Agong has agreed to this. We can no longer arrest the marchers.

Datuk: Aiyah! This is a disaster. We got tricked. What to do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: What can we do? His Majesty has just given BERSIH legitimacy and it has been agreed that a legal rally can be held in the stadium and because of the huge crowd that may turn out they cannot drive to the stadium but will have to march there dressed in yellow shirts. 

Datuk: Mampus! 

Tan Sri: Yes, mampus. This is even worse. At least if they proceeded with the original plan we can ban BERSIH and declare it a menace to society and a threat to nation security. Now we can't touch them. We can't even arrest anyone on 9th July. And because the rally is legal more people will come out. They are not scared any more. And Umno Youth and PERKASA can't march on the streets in opposition to BERSIH. If they do we will have to arrest them.

Datuk: Alamak. We can't touch the BERSIH marchers but will have to arrest the Umno Youth and PERKASA marchers. And Khairy already said if BERSIH cancels the street march he is prepared to work with them. So Umno Youth must now support the BERSIH rally at the stadium. 

Tan Sri: Exactly. Now you know why I am a Tan Sri and you are just a Datuk?

Datuk: And that means we can't also ask the Agong to revoke Ambiga's citizenship.

Tan Sri: Revoke citizenship for what? For obeying the Agong by cancelling the street march and by holding a rally at the stadium like how Najib asked them to?

Datuk: Somehow I think we have been had…suckered big time.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…please get out of here and leave me alone. I need to draft my resignation letter. 

Datuk: What should I do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: I suggest you also go draft your resignation letter. Najib will want both our heads on a silver platter after this.

 

Malay NGOs want Ambiga’s citizenship revoked

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 05:15 PM PDT

Two Malay groups in Penang want Ambiga's citizenship revoked for allegedly challenging the King's authority.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Bersih 2.0 leader S Ambiga's citizenship is being questioned again. This time two Malay groups want her citizenship revoked for allegedly challenging the King's authority.

Perkasa north-east branch head Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin and Pesatuan Suara Anak-Anak Malaysia (PSAM) head Mohamed Ghani Abdul Jiman both claimed that Ambiga had defied the King's command to stop all rallies in the country.

On Sunday the King said any rally would bring more harm than good to the country, but the duo claimed Ambiga was stubborn not to call off the planned Bersih Rally 2.0 this Saturday.

Both accused Ambiga of being 'arrogant' to seek a Royal audience at Istana Negara before deciding whether or not to call of any rally.

They claimed Ambiga clearly defied the order and challenged the King when she said that she would only halt the rally if the King personally commanded Bersih to do so.

"Ambiga arrogance is appalling…her citizenship should be revoked immediately. She should leave Malaysia to live in another country if she feels that can better serve her interests," said both Rizuad and Ghani at a joint press conference.

Malaysian opposition-backed activists said yesterday that they would scrap the rally on Saturday if the country's constitutional monarch personally urged them to do so.

Today, Ambiga agreed to move the Bersih rally to indoor after meeting the King at Istana Negara.

Perkasa and Umno youth wing have also expressed willingness to cancel their own rallies meant to counter the Bersih rally.

Police reports lodged

Yang diPertuan Agong Mizan Zainal Abidin warned in a rare political statement late on Sunday that street demonstrations "bring more bad than good". He said demands for democracy should not destroy the country and urged the government and Bersih to resolve the matter through dialogue.

READ MORE HERE

 

UMNO – Malaysia’s scourge

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 05:10 PM PDT


William de Cruz, New Mandala

Two Malaysian minors were among 24 people charged in a Kuala Lumpur court on 4 July 2011 for their involvement in a planned weekend rally calling for free and fair elections.

The children were among democracy activists who were jointly charged under the Societies Act in connection with the BERSIH 2.0 rally scheduled for this Saturday, 9 July, in Malaysia's  capital city, Kuala Lumpur.

The court action is the latest in a widening government crackdown on the rally organisers, who have also received unsourced death threats and suffered harassment and intimidation by Malaysian police and government authorities.

Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians are nevertheless readying to rally this Saturday, despite the government banning all BERSIH 2.0 rallies and declaring the organising NGO group, BERSIH 2.0, illegal.

Worldwide, Malaysians and their supporters will take to the streets of capital cities on the same day, supporting the call for electoral reform amid mass arrests in Malaysia and in defiance of the 'ban' and 'illegal organisation' edicts.

Global solidarity walks and demonstrations will be led by Malaysians residing abroad in London, Paris, Geneva, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Washington next Saturday.

More than 100 activists have been arrested or questioned by police in Malaysia this past week, for their roles in helping to organise Saturday's KL rally.

In a late development on July 2, six officers of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM – Socialist Party of Malaysia), who had been released after their June 25 detentions in the island state of Penang for supporting the rally, were re-arrested under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

The activists were reportedly charged with "inciting national unrest" and "waging war against the king" – the latter a charge that is tantamount to treason and punishable by death.

By late evening on July 3, more arrests were being conducted in Malaysia, and Sungei Siput Opposition MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar and the other 5 PSM activists were taken to police headquarters in Bukit Aman, KL.

The EO allows for indefinite detention without trial and was described by a well placed official in Malaysian politics as "a cousin of the Internal Security Act", which also allows the government to detain citizens without the need to present them in court.

Referring to the ongoing arrests and statements from Malaysia's highest offices, the source said: "This is now a no-holds-barred situation."

Donna Guest, Deputy Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International, said: "The Malaysian authorities are muzzling calls for electoral reform by throwing peaceful protesters in jail.

"We have not seen such a crackdown on political activists across Malaysia in many years.

"Malaysia is undermining its claim to be a moderate democracy through this campaign of repression."

READ MORE HERE

 

Bersih’s ‘hidden agenda’ a success

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 04:00 PM PDT

All it took was a press conference to announce the date and venue. BN leaders fell for the bait.

But if Bersih has a hidden agenda to sway the political momentum in Pakatan Rakyat's favour and if the opposition coalition is truly serious about reforms, then isn't three days of losses a small price to pay for a corrupt-free, transparent and equitable business environment in the future?

RK Anand, Free Malaysia Today

If the allegation that Bersih 2.0 has a hidden agenda is true, then kudos to its leaders, for it seems that the goal has been achieved.

All it required was a press conference to announce the date and venue for a rally. As expected, Barisan Nasional leaders took the bait and turned it into a roaring success even before it hit the streets.

And if it is true that Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan harbours political ambitions and plotted to use the rally to make herself famous, this objective too has been achieved.

With all the publicity given to her by the media, including the likes of Utusan Malaysia and TV3, the former Bar Council president is now a household name.

Even foreigners have taken notice of the media blitz as illustrated by an incident where a Burmese restaurant worker pointed to her photograph and remarked to the surprised patron holding the Tamil newspaper, "Ini perempuan banyak berani, macam itu Aung San Suu Kyi."

However, he stopped short of saying if the BN government is behaving like the Burmese junta.

Running yellow over Bersih

The powers-that-be are running yellow because they fear that a massive turnout similar to the Bersih and Hindraf rallies of the past will shift the political tectonic plates again, creating another tsunami, perhaps one even more powerful than its predecessor, and submerge Putrajaya.

Then again, if BN is convinced that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is on the right track and that the public have lost faith in the opposition as claimed, it should allow this rally with a "hidden agenda" to proceed and exploit the dismal numbers to its advantage and silence the critics.

It will prove that Malaysians believe the Election Commission has been executing its duties without fear and favour, while all those allegations of electoral fraud in the past are hogwash.

Perhaps, intelligence reports indicate otherwise and this prompted BN to pull all the stops to ensure that the rally does not take place, especially when memories from the Middle East are still fresh.

But the government claims that it is an issue of national security and the livelihood of taxi drivers and businessmen will be affected.

One MCA minister argued that people will lock themselves up in their homes for no less than three days – the day before, on the day of the rally and the next day. In dollars and cents, she said, this will be nothing short of a financial catastrophe.

So in other words, protests, no matter how just the cause, are wrong because it is bad for business. It is indeed a shame that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela were not privy to such pearls of wisdom.

But if Bersih has a hidden agenda to sway the political momentum in Pakatan Rakyat's favour and if the opposition coalition is truly serious about reforms, then isn't three days of losses a small price to pay for a corrupt-free, transparent and equitable business environment in the future?

The MCA minister also appealed to the people not to participate in the rally for it will tarnish the country's image.

To her, the police's crackdown, the use of draconian laws, groups baying for blood and those urging the King to strip Ambiga of her citizenship have done nothing to affect the nation's pride.

Locking up the wrong people

As for the rally being a security threat, it is because of the likes of Perkasa, which never fails to stoke fears of violence, and a martial art exponent who has vowed to wage war because he considers himself the third line of defence and therefore feels duty-bound to stop this enemy, armed with dangerous yellow T-shirts, banners and placards, calling for free and fair elections.

And while those who propagate violence continue to roam free, others campaigning for a peaceful march to safeguard their rights enshrined under the Federal Constitution are locked up for wearing yellow T-shirts.

Perkasa's chief Ibrahim Ali warned that Bersih stands on the verge of committing treason but stressed, in his usual warped logic, that if the movement forges ahead with its rally despite the King's advice, then he will do the same.

Ibrahim is nothing more than a political opportunist exploiting a vacuum left behind by the post-2008 Umno, which decided to leave the keris in its scabbard to entice Indian and Chinese voters.

READ MORE HERE

 

Press statement by concerned academicians on the Bersih march

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:54 PM PDT

We, the undersigned academicians, wish to express our concern at the deepening political crisis in the country. It is unfortunate that such a crisis is emerging out of a legitimate campaign, initiated by a large number of non-governmental organizations, to institute reforms through their campaign, Bersih, to ensure the conduct of truly free and fair elections in Malaysia.  Since the pursuit of such a campaign is undeniably noble, and timely, we are extremely perturbed that the government has resorted to harsh measures and use of draconian legislation to prevent the organizers from mounting a public rally.

We see the need for the leaders of Bersih to persist with dialogue with the bodies responsible for overseeing free and fair elections.  However, we also appreciate the argument by the campaign's leaders that such an assembly is necessary since discussions have long taken place, with little progress - thus the need for the government to take serious heed of the campaign's recommendations for free and fair elections for which there is considerable support from the country's citizenry.

We note too that public assemblies and marches in support of causes that have attracted widespread public concern are a common feature of all democratic systems.  They are a legitimate expression of the freedom and rights of the citizens of a country.  A government that uses the laws, institutions and resources of the state to suppress or repress such activities undermines its own credibility and claim to practicing democracy.  The actions of the Government to curb this Bersih campaign will only hurt public perception of the Government's commitment to the freedoms enshrined in the Federal Constitution.  Further actions such as the use of the Emergency Ordinance on Bersih supporters will only result in the enhanced perception of a government that refuses to institute free and fair elections for fear of losing power, an impression we are certain the government does not want to create.

We urge the following steps to resolve the crisis and restore public confidence in the Government's ability to govern the country fairly and justly.

  1. Release all political activists held under the Emergency Ordinance.

  2. Drop all charges against those arrested by the police for Bersih-related offences.

  3. Permit Bersih the right to a peaceful march, if the organizers decide to do so. All other public marches should be allowed but with the timing and routes agreed to in advance to prevent any untoward consequences

  4. Both Government and Opposition parties, as well as NGOs, to commit their supporters participating in marches and other public assemblies to a code of peaceful and civil conduct

  5. Assurance by the relevant authorities that serious consideration is being given to ensure free and fair elections in the country.

 

Signatories

Associate Prof. Dr. Andrew Aeria

Associate Prof. Dr. Azmi Sharom

Dr. Christopher Chong

Associate Prof. Dr. Sharmani Gabriel

Prof. Terence Gomez

Prof. Lim Teck Ghee

Dr. Lee Hwok Aun

Prof. Francis Loh

Assoc Prof Dr Mustafa K Anuar

Dr. Ooi Kee Beng

Janet Pillai

Dr. Johan Saravanamuttu

Prof. Tan Sooi Beng

Associate Prof. Dr. Yeoh Seng Guan

Prof. Diana Wong

Prof. Zaharom Nain

 

Ex-Bukit Merah owner takes RM1b Lynas stake

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:24 PM PDT

By Shannon Teoh,  The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, part of the same group of companies which owned the Asian Rare Earth (ARE) plant in Bukit Merah, Perak, has taken a RM1 billion stake in Australian miner Lynas Corp, the Dow Jones newswire reported today.

The 9.99 per cent stake taken by Japan's largest financial group comes despite uncertainty over Lynas's rare earth refinery in Kuantan to start by year-end following a government review asking 11 recommendations to be met prior to licensing despite the plant being tagged safe.

Mitsubishi Chemicals, also part of the Mitsubishi Group, was forced to shut the ARE plant in Ipoh, Perak in 1992 following public protests over radiation pollution.

Nearly 20 years on, the company is still undertaking a RM300 million cleanup as radiation is still being linked to diseases such as leukaemia, which has killed seven in the neighbourhood in the past five years.

The move underlines Japan's economic dependence on the material crucial for high technology products such as smartphones, hybrid cars and wind turbines after a diplomatic spat with China last year.

China controls more than 90 per cent of the current market but Lynas says the plant being constructed in the Gebeng industrial zone will meet one-sixth of global demand once fully operational.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Grow up and work with Bersih, Najib

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:19 PM PDT

http://www.mcil.org/mcil/mcil/declaration/peoplefirst.jpg

By Jeswan Kaur, FMT

An innocent intention to undertake a walk for democracy has got Barisan Nasional, the police, the National Fatwa Council, the Election Commission, the bogeyman of Umno and even a silat grandmaster going hysterical, to the extent of willing to cause hurt to organisers and participants of the Bersih 2.0 rally.

July 9 has become a date synonymous with anarchy and hidden agenda, as far as Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is trying so very hard to imply.

Looks like the impact made by the inaugural Bersih rally on Nov 10, 2007, still haunts Umno. It was said to have attracted between 30,000 to 50,000 people and played a major role in helping the opposition parties win big in the 2008 general election.

The 2007 rally was intercepted by the police using tear gas and chemical-laced water cannons.

Four years later, Bersih 2.0 is going on another rally, on July 9. The aim, as far as its chief S Ambiga is concerned is to clean up the electoral system, to ensure elections are conducted in a just manner.

Still, Bersih 2.0 failed to realise that the heartburn the 2007 rally caused Umno never went away. This explains the hysteria behind Najib's actions this time around to leave nothing to chance, to ensure July 9 favours his leadership as the premier.

All means are being deployed by the Najib administration to ensure the July 9 rally never sees the light of the day. Participants of Saturday's "Walk for Democracy" are being harassed and hounded with threats of imprisonment, including using the Internal Security Act draconian law against the organisers.

The truth however is that the walk, organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 is a cry for clean and fair elections, which to BN and Umno is asking for the impossible, hence all attempts by Umno to thwart the spirits of all those behind the rally.

What however is unforgiving is the way the police treated the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) activists detained in Kepala Batas, Penang, while campaigning for their "Udahlah" Bersaralah" (Enough already – Retire Now) roadshow campaign.

PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said the 30 were not campaigning for the Bersih 2.0 July 9 rally.

Arutchelvan said the police was mistreating the Hindu detainees, giving them beef to eat, knowing fully well eating beef goes against their religious belief .

'People first' – truth or fallacy

Now, with all the rantings about national unity and harmony by Najib, what does he, the Penang police chief Ayub Yaakob, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein have to say about the police brutality being carried out towards the PSM activists detained in what is seen as Najib's way of sending a message to Bersih 2.0 chief, lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan.

The detainees were denied visitation rights, visits by their lawyers, proper medical care and treatment and also basic items like toothpaste and soap.

 

READ MORE HERE.

 

Call for class action against Police Act

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:13 PM PDT

http://www.oocities.org/capitolhill/congress/5544/police.jpg

By Humayun Kabir, FMT

IPOH:  A human rights lawyer has called for a class-action suit to challenge the constitutional validity of Section 27 of the Police Act, which sets conditions for the granting of permits for public rallies."Section 27 of the Police Act has to be challenged in court as it contradicts Articles 4(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution," said Leong Cheok Keng, who gained prominence two years ago as counsel for former Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin in his suit against Barisan Nasional's takeover of the state government.

Article 4(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution provides for freedom of speech and expression and Article 4(1)(b) gives citizens the right to peaceful assembly.

Under Section 27 of the Police Act, a group intending to hold a public rally must apply for a permit 90 days before the event and the district police chief give his decision within three days.

If the application is rejected, an appeal to the chief police officer (CPO) of the state must be filed within 48 hours. The CPO's decision is final. It cannot be challenged in court.

Leong contends that Section 27 is unconstitutional.


READ MORE HERE.

Postal voting still relevant, says EC

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:10 PM PDT

(Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) has defended the postal voting system which allows security forces personnel and their spouses as well as Malaysians working or studying abroad, to exercise their right as voters.

If this system was done away with, it would affect security and public order because members of security forces would have to abandon their bases to cast their votes on polling day, the EC said in a booklet explaining the various issues raised over the country's election system.

The EC said it was constantly looking for the best way to strengthen the postal voting system, including implementing advance voting.

"Voters will be gathered in one place two or three days before the polling day.

"This system is not applicable, however, for Malaysians who are residing abroad and members of security forces who are on duties in their forward bases because of difficulties in gathering them," it said.

On the registration of spouses of military or police personnel as postal voters, the EC said the matter was provided for under the Elections (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003.

The EC said applications to become postal electors were scrutinised in a stringent manner.

Meanwhile, the EC said it had no plan to implement automatic registration of voters for Malaysians who had reached the voting age of 21.

Doing so would inconvenience the electors as most of them do not live in the address stated in their identification documents, which were used to register them as electors, the EC said in the booklet.

It added that people often moved places without informing the National Registration Department about the change of address.

If they were registered automatically based on the address in their identification documents, and if they had moved to other places, it would be difficult for them to return to vote in their registered polling centres, it said.

- Bernama

EC: Redelineation done according to federal constitution principles

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:08 PM PDT

(Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Five previous redelineation of electoral constituencies and boundaries carried out by the Election Commission (EC) was done in accordance with Article 113 (2) of the Federal Constitution.

The EC said the redelineation of electoral boundaries had never breached the principles of the Federal Constitution.

Looking at the electoral boundaries, not a single redelineation exercise had breached the state or parliamentary constituencies, said

EC in a book published to clarify issues related to elections.

The EC said it would always try to accommodate the electoral boundaries for state or parliament constituencies within a district except for some exceptional cases.

"There are some cases in which the redelineation of a Parliament seat may involve two districts, just like Kulim/Bandar Baru, Tanjung karang/Kuala Selangor and a few others in Sabah and Sarawak," said the EC.

Even the redelineation of a seat involving two districts, does not breach the principles of the Federal Constitution.

"The only problem that we can foresee for the elected representative is related to administration and the fact that he may have to attend more meetings.

"However, so far, elected representatives have not faced any major problem since they understand their responsibilities when being elected," said the EC.

As for the cleaning up of the electoral list, the EC claimed that the process could not be carried out without valid information from the National Registration Department.

The next of kin of a deceased member must provide details of the person's death to the department so that the department can issue a dead person's certificate for the EC to update its data.

As for the campaigning period of between seven to nine days, the EC said the period was sufficient for all political parties because a longer campaigning period would incur additional cost.

The EC would, however, continue to carry out studies to upgrade and accommodate such requests in accordance with the law. - Bernama

36 bom petrol dirampas, dipercayai ada kaitan dengan Bersih

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:07 PM PDT

(Utusan Online) - Polis merampas 20 bilah parang, 36 botol bom petrol dan sejumlah bebola besi dalam serbuan di belakang tokong Cina di Batu 14, Jalan Gombak Lama dekat sini, malam semalam, disyaki berkaitan perhimpunan haram Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih), Sabtu ini.

Dalam serbuan itu, polis turut menemui 44 baju T berlambang Bersih 2.0 dan sejumlah lilitan kepala berwarna merah serta kuning yang kesemuanya disimpan di dalam lima buah beg pakaian dan dua beg plastik.

Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Tun Hisan Hamzah berkata, taktik digunakan oleh mereka terlibat sama dengan golongan komunis semasa zaman darurat.

 

Bersih: It’s not about black or white

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:59 PM PDT

By Koh Lay Chin, The Nut Graph

TO go yellow or not to go yellow? This seems to be the question among Malaysians these days. In cyberspace, Malaysians of all backgrounds are writing, forwarding and sharing comments and articles about the planned 9 July Bersih 2.0 march.

But what exactly are people saying about the ideas and principles behind the march itself? And why are people deciding to march or not? Are the issues clearly black or white?

To march…?

The good news is that there are definitely diverse opinions about the march. The bad news is that conversations have degenerated somewhat into an "Us" against "Them" dichotomy. If you don't march or "go yellow", it has been implied you may be chicken. If you do march, you are just a plain government-hating oppositionist.

It would be a mistake to assume that people against the Bersih march, or unwilling to support it fully, are all rabid Barisan Nasional supporters. There are writers and commentators in civil society who have already pointed out various reasons why they would rather not march.

Some are unhappy that the march has been influenced, at best, or completely hijacked, at worst, by politicians and parties. Many are convinced that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who reportedly boasted he could call off the march with a call to Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, has his tentacles in the show. Although Ambiga swiftly negated his comments and Anwar later said he was taken out of context, the fact is that many people do indeed see this as a Pakatan Rakyat-influenced show.

With parties like PAS publicly backing and promising to send thousands to the rally, and PR politicians promoting the event, many are wary or uncomfortable with the idea of aligning or marching with politicians. There are also those who are anti-Anwar, anti-Pakatan, anti-BN, or anti-Perkasa who find being lumped under one umbrella unsavoury.

Others question the impact of a usual "pass a memorandum to the Agong" march, or insist that the electoral reform agenda itself has become but a side-show.

…or not to march?

While some who choose not to march have genuine ideological dilemmas, some other reasons cited for not marching are just baffling. The most perplexing is probably the argument that protesting in the city is a nuisance to taxi drivers and businesses or could cause traffic jams.

These groups seem to forget that peaceful protests are a hallmark of democratic, developed nations, and that avoiding some amount of traffic disruption is not more important than citizens' civil rights.

READ MORE HERE

 


 

International community piles pressure on PM

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:51 PM PDT

By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT

PETALING JAYA: The international human rights community today expressed its strongest condemnation yet of the crackdown on Bersih 2.0 with an open letter to prime minister, Najib Tun Razak.

The three-page letter was signed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, World Organisation Against Torture, International Federation for Human Rights and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development.

Copies were also sent to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Nazri Aziz and Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar.

While the NGOs decried the spate of arrests and the banning of the rally, their most vocal opposition was against the use of the Emergency Ordinance (EO) on the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members.

They stated that Malaysia's use of draconian preventive detention laws was incompatible with its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The NGOs also reminded Najib of his pledge in 2009 to "uphold civil liberties" and "regard for fundamental rights of the people of Malaysia".

"We call on you to turn these pledges into concrete action by asking law enforcement officers to immediately cease use of all preventive detention laws, and by starting a time-bound process to repeal those laws," the letter read.

"The Malaysian penal code and criminal justice system are fully capable of addressing situations of internal security, and should be allowed to do so without resorting to preventive detention."

Alarm bells

The NGOs pointed out that government was violating the right to freedom of association by designating Bersih as an "illegal organisation" under Section 5 of the Societies Act of 1966.

"Your government has failed to provide any credible evidence to substantiate the Registrar of Societies' claims that Bersih is trying to topple the government, or is a risk to public order, safety, economy and sovereignity," they added.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Let Bersih march, say academics

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:49 PM PDT

By Tashny Sukumaran, FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian academics say the Bersih crisis can be solved if the government drops all charges, release those detained and permit Bersih to march peacefully on Saturday.

The group of academics, who include political analysts Azmi Sharom, Terence Gomez and Lim Teck Ghee, said that the march was "undeniably noble", and expressed disapproval that the government was resorting to "harsh measures and use of draconian laws" to stop the rally from happening.

"They are a legitimate expression of the freedom and rights of the citizens of a country. A government that uses laws, institutions and resources of the state to suppress or repress such activities undermines its own credibility and claim to practising democracy," the academicians said in a statement today.

Some of the other signatories are well-respected local academics like Mustafa K Anuar, Andrew Aeria, Christopher Chong, Sharmani Gabriel, Francis Loh, Ooi Kee Beng, Janet Pillai, Johan Saravanamuttu, Tan Sooi Beng, Yeoh Seng Guan and Diana Wong.

The statement calls the relevant authorities not only to release all those who have been detained, but also for both the government and the opposition to commit to a code of peaceful conduct during the marches.

"Public assemblies and marches in support of causes that have attracted widespread public concern are a common feature of all democratic systems," said the academics.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Pakatan’s emergency Bersih meet tomorrow

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:47 PM PDT

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership council will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's call for Bersih 2.0 organisers to meet with the Najib administration.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said in a statement that the meeting will discuss the advice of Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin even as Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said yesterday that she will cancel the July 9 rally if asked by the King.

"I am most impressed by the advice of the King, particularly when he (urged) 'the government to carry out everything that is entrusted to it by the people in a just and wise manner... do not want to see... animosity among them or a section of the people being enemies with the government," the Ipoh Timur MP said.

Lim insisted that the electoral reform movement was planning a peaceful rally and allegations by the police and government of reviving communism and subversion by foreign powers were simply "imaginary enemies."

"A 'just and wise' government would never have allowed the situation to degenerate and descend into a national hysteria," he added.

Immediately after Tuanku Mizan's statement on Sunday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak offered yesterday to allow the now outlawed Bersih to gather in a stadium.

In turn, Ambiga said she would seek an audience with the King and call off the rally if asked to do so.

The atmosphere ahead of Saturday's planned march has heightened after the government embarked on a nationwide clampdown on Bersih 2.0, hoping to block the now-outlawed coalition's plans for its July 9 rally.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Traffic in KL City

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:43 PM PDT

By Jam and Butter

I just reached home at 9.20am after sending my wife to work. Her office is 12 km away and we left home at 7.30am. With the aid of a supercomputer, I calculated that it took me 110 minutes to travel 24km.

This evening, I will leave home at 5.30 and will be grateful if we can make it for dinner at home by 7.45. That means it will take me 135 minutes to travel the same distance. 

And I have been doing this for years. Everyday, from Monday to Friday, except when it's a public holiday or when we are on vacation.

The reason I spend so much time on the road is because of the chaotic traffic condition, with or without the presence of the police.

Sometimes, the police are there to ensure that there is a clear lane for an approaching convoy of outriders and police cars and other cars and other people on motorbikes who will not hesitate to kick your car if you do not stop. And you must stop at the extreme either end of the road. These people are on a do-or-die mission to accompany a person who needs to get from Point A to Point B. And you ignore their orders at your own risk.

Someone somewhere has determined that the person who needs to get from Point A to Point B requires priority over every other motorist on the road along the route.

Like what happened this morning.

I drove into Jalan Sultan Ismail at 8.20. Just then, I heard the blare of police siren. The sole outrider was directing traffic to clear a path for an approaching vehicle. The morning rush-hour traffic had to come to a complete standstill so that the person in the vehicle led by this outrider could get from Point A to Point B. As the vehicle drove past, I noticed a small sign above the vehicle number plate. It was a car paid for by Malaysian taxpayers meant for the exclusive use by a person elected by Malaysian voters. I thought: how lucky that person was in the car. Here I am, nudging along slowly with the traffic everyday so my wife can reach her office and earn an income. If not, how on earth was she to contribute funds for Felda through EPF and finance this person's lifestyle through the taxes she has to pay?

I feel truly sorry for my fellow rakyat who are forced to use their own means of transportation to get to work and back. Public transportation in Malaysia (and probably Zimbabwe) is not designed for the comfort and convenience of the public. Infrastructure for the public, like a continuous five-foot way away from mat rempit bag-snatchers, is not yet a feature considered by the planners.

Just tune in to the radio station and listen to the daily traffic report. From Penang right down to the south in Johor, there is traffic jam somewhere and everyday. Sometimes, it's because of an accident that had caused a 3km-jam. Sometimes it's a 3-car pile up that is causing a bumper-to-bumper crawl. This is an everyday part of our life.

Nearly everybody who travel by car to work don't work on Saturdays. So, why is the Star warning the rakyat to expect traffic jams this Saturday? Whatt do the police hope to achieve with the road blocks on Saturday? Perhaps the police will be there to carry out the orders of the elected govt. They are to ensure as much inconvenience to the rakyat so you will be discouraged from sitting in your car in a jam dressed in your yellow t-shirts.

I remember during the 50s, there were road blocks everywhere set up by the police to check and remove food carried in the car. This was their strategy to starve the communists. However, if you have children in the car, the police would allow a reasonable amount to be carried as they know children needed to eat and there was no R&R along the way between Taiping and Ipoh. The police were fair, reasonable and polite.

If you have endured traffic jams all your life or are willing to spend 5 hours to travel to your kampung once a year, what is so scary about a traffic jam that is about to happen a second time (hopefully that's all it takes to bring about changes in our country) in your life?

 

Malaysian King Makes Rare Thrust Into Politics

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:40 PM PDT

By James Hookway, The Wall Street Journal

Malaysia's king made an unusual foray into the nation's volatile political field by urging pro-democracy activists and political leaders to settle their differences before a major protest rally planned for later this week.

It was unclear whether the gesture would be enough to ease mounting tensions ahead of possible early elections.

The protesters Monday said they were reassessing whether to hold their July 9 march, organized to publicize demands for equal media coverage for all election candidates and for other electoral reforms, such as halting the past practice of people voting multiple times.

Police say they have arrested about 220 activists over the past week. They include six arrested twice—the second time Saturday—under an Emergency Ordinance that allows them to be held for 60 days without charge.

All are under investigation for plotting to overthrow the government and monarchy—some for wearing Che Guevara T-shirts, which are widely sold in street markets across Malaysiaand are popular among young tourists.

The group came under official scrutiny for demanding reforms in anticipation of elections being called by Prime Minister Najib Razak. Fresh elections are required under Malaysian law by spring 2013, but many analysts expect the prime minister to call them much earlier.

Malaysia's constitutional monarch, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Sunday issued a rare statement asking both sides to step back from the brink of a broader conflict.

Although his official powers are limited, the king—who carries the title yang di-pertuan agong in Malay, or His Royal Highness— is seen by some residents as the highest embodiment of Malay political supremacy, adding weight to his advice.

"The fact is, street demonstrations bring more harm than good," he said. "Instead, we should focus on our main objective to develop this country, and not create problems that will cause the country to lag behind."

Malaysia's predominantly Muslim Malay authorities call the proposed march an illegal act and argue that a multiethnic alliance of opposition parties is attempting to use it to bolster their momentumahead of the vote. Police officials have refused to provide permission for the demonstration to be held.

"Those who love rioting and chaos will take advantage of the situation. This is what we want to avoid," Prime Minister Najib said Monday, according to Malaysia's state-run news agency. He also said the government is willing to let protesters rally at a stadium instead of staging a march though the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's main city.

"Those who love rioting and chaos will take advantage of the situation. This is what we want to avoid," Prime Minister Najib said Monday, according to Malaysia's state-run news agency. He also said the government is willing to let protesters rally at a stadium instead of staging a march though the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's main city.

This multiethnic country has become increasingly fractured along racial lines in recent years, with the ruling National Front losing ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian voters to a broad-based opposition alliance. Economic problems are also beginning to grow, with inflation recently hitting its highest level in two years.

A rival group known as Perkasa, which is pro-ethnic Malay, is planning a counter-demonstration on July 9, stirring fears of clashes.

On Saturday, the government outlawed the organization behind the initial demonstration—Bersih, or "clean"—which isn't officially registered. Bersih claims it is a coalition of existing registered organizations.

Bersih chairwoman Ambiga Sreenevasan denies the allegations. She also says the group is planning a legal challenge to the government's ban of the group. "I think the authorities are caught in a time warp," Ms. Ambiga, a 54-year-old ethnic-Indian and a former president of Malaysia's Bar Council, said in a telephone interview. "Perhaps they are paranoid because of the protests in the Middle East, but it's completely unnecessary. All we're aiming for are clean elections."

Amnesty International and other groups, such as Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, are urging the government to uphold Malaysians' rights to hold peaceful demonstrations and to allow the Bersih march to proceed.

Political analysts say the government isn't concerned about the Bersih march being a front for a subversive group, so much as it fears it will give opponents of Mr. Najib and his allies a boost ahead of any snap election.

The last time Bersih, formally known as the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, held a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur in 2007, tens of thousands of people turned out. The authorities responded by using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. A few months later, the ruling National Front coalition lost its two-thirds majority in Malaysia's Parliament for the first time in decades.

Mr. Najib took over the premiership in 2009 with the goal of halting the opposition's momentum. Modest economic reforms have helped win back some support for the ruling United Malays National Front. Authorities also arrested the charismatic opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and tried him for allegedly breaking Malaysia's strict sodomy laws, which he denies.

But analysts say Mr. Najib's government still risks losing seats in Parliament to the opposition in the next elections.

"Traditionally the pattern in Malaysia is for the government to present civil society as the opposition," said Bridget Welsh, a professor at the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. She said this explained why police, pro-government groups and government-controlled newspapers are accusing Communist sympathizers or even foreign Christian groups of playing a key role in planning the July 9 march, which its organizers' deny.

A handful of opposition politicians, meanwhile, are now challenging Malaysian authorities to arrest them, too, by wearing neckties, T-shirts or headscarves in yellow—the color of the Bersih campaign.

One member of Parliament, Lee Boon Chye, was arrested Thursday at a market in Ipoh, north of Kuala Lumpur, for wearing a plain yellow T-shirt. He was led away by police in handcuffs before being released later in the day.

"What democratic country arrests people for wearing yellow T-shirts?" Dr. Lee said.

 

YB Kota Belud, electoral roll is not your child's buku salinan

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:25 PM PDT

YB Kota Belud, nobody is asking the EC to remove dead voters unilaterally. That would be illegal, as you rightly pointed out. But it takes a mechanism as simple as flagging out voters age 100 and above and subjecting these records for further follow-up and verification with other official records, etc.

By Air Kosong

YB Abdul Rahman Dahlan of Kota Belud wrote in length on his blog in defence of the Election Commission (EC), "Sorry, you don't convince me Ambiga". YB Khairy Jamaluddin of Rembau, who currently is conspicuously absent from the country on some flotilla mission, quickly tweeted "Fantastic article. Intellectually demolishes Bersih".

It would be fine if YB Rembau actually tweeted "funtastic", because YB Kota Belud seemed having fun writing the article by taking the electoral roll lightly. If these two YBs are the remaining intellectual YBs left in the ruling class UMNO, producing such intellectually deficient article, no wonder the sorry state of Malaysia in all fronts. (And adding in the endemic, Malaysia is an aspiring Zimbabwe in the making.)

YB Kota Belud effectively saw the electoral roll like his child's buku salinan, where one practises new words, repeats them (in the case of the electoral roll, literally) and crosses out mistakes. The electoral roll is the very foundation of our democracy. It requires almost impeccable accuracy and quality, in order to build confidence and faith in the electoral system. Almost, because honest mistakes and errors in rare occasions are bound to happen for a register of a few million records.

It is therefore the prerogative and mission of the EC to achieve such high standard. YB Kota Belud wrote like the spokesperson of the EC, stating that it is the responsibility of Malaysians to inform the EC when their family members pass away and should be removed from the electoral roll. To be fair, it is impossible to expect the EC to ensure zero dead voters on the roll. But it is in its interest to institute mechanisms that will help to ensure that. If the EC is indeed honest and discharges its responsibility honourably, it would have come out with such mechanisms years ago. The truth is, none.

YB Kota Belud, nobody is asking the EC to remove dead voters unilaterally. That would be illegal, as you rightly pointed out. But it takes a mechanism as simple as flagging out voters age 100 and above and subjecting these records for further follow-up and verification with other official records, etc. The world is never perfect and perfect solution is nowhere to be found. But as the saying goes, hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih. Actions speak volume than defences and counter-accusation.

I am not an expert in electoral systems, nor am I experienced in poll monitoring. So I am not in the position to comment on your points in support of the current postal vote system. But I have been reading enough on reliable sources of reports that practice on the ground is far from what you described. Examples include non-BN party observers disallowed from observing the polling process, officers casting votes on behalf of their subordinates, and discrepancies between the official number of postal voters and the actual votes cast. We shall not generalise based on these reports, but the number of reports and seriousness of such irregularities are a genuine cause for concern, hence the call for reform of the postal vote system.

True to his colour of an UMNO politician, YB Kota Belud conveniently swept aside the claim by his opposite counterpart YB Azmin Ali that six voters of different ethnicity are registered using the address belonging to Azmin's mother. Don't belittle any claims of irregularity, be it from Azmin Ali, or Ahmad, Ah Kow or Muthusamy, for that matter. Especially in this case, the claim is verified true by the EC official. Again, it takes only a simple mechanism to flag out addresses with abnormally high number of voters registered to them and follow up the cases accordingly.

Let me add my own case of different flavour. My parents' family has been residing on the same address for more than 40 years. We have been voting for Segamat constituency, until another new constituency, Sekijang, was created. Our family was forced to split, literally. Only my eldest sister and my mother remain voters of Segamat, while the rest of us have been conveniently assigned to the new Sekijang seat. How funny it is that when a candidate visit our home, he or she needs to be reminded that some of us are not in his/her constituency. Incidentally, Segamat seat has now become almost an impossibility for the Opposition.

Of course not to forget the 739 double postal voter records that I have uncovered in 2008. Mind you, I am not a full-time programmer or professional data mining expert with access to the full EC database. If I could uncover 278 double records by working on my laptop on a three-hour journey, what could the EC has achieved with a proper data mining exercise against its full database? Talking about EC competency...

Read more at: https://airkosong.com/_/2011/07/05/yb-kota-belud-electoral-roll-is-not-your-childs-buku-salinan/

What does Bersih do now?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:20 PM PDT

What if the King does not grant Bersih 2.0 an audience soon enough? This would then pose a quandary for the NGO. Should it then proceed with the rally on July 9? When it comes to that, Bersih 2.0 would have to answer the ultimate question: Does it listen to the King or to the rakyat? 

By Kee Thuan Chye

THE King has issued a statement on the developments surrounding the proposed Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections. What do we make of it?

 

It is quite clear that he is not in favour of the rally proceeding on July 9, although he does say that the original intentions of street demonstrations can be good. This, read together with his acknowledgement of "the political fervour of a section of the people to bring about a healthy democracy (menyuburkan demokrasi) in our country", indicates he is not condemning Bersih 2.0. He is aware that the people are involved (even though it constitutes "a section"), and what they desire is something positive, i.e. menyuburkan demokrasi.

 

He is, however, concerned that "street demonstrations bring more bad than good" and he wants it ensured that the people's democratic demand "does not bring destruction to the country".

 

He advocates that whenever a problem arises, "we as a civilised society should (hendaklah) resolve it through consultations".

 

What has been the effect of the King's statement on the parties involved?

 

Prime Minister Najib Razak's first reaction is to offer Bersih 2.0 the opportunity to protest in a stadium. This is the most accommodating posture he has struck since the controversy began. In doing so, he has now come to 'legitimise' Bersih 2.0 without openly saying so, although only a few days ago, his Home Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, had declared Bersih 2.0 an illegal organisation effective July 1.

 

Najib's offer indicates he has lost the battle of wills against the movement for electoral reform and is now scrambling to save face by making this offer. But it's not good enough. He has done too much damage; he has used an atom bomb to annihilate ants through his unreasonable, even maniacal arrests of people in the past week. The worst is alleging that the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members arrested in Kepala Batas were waging war against the King, and subjecting six of them to detention under the Emergency Ordinance.

 

The King has not, figuratively speaking, slapped Najib's face but he has tapped him on the shoulder by saying in his statement, "I also urge the Government to carry out everything that is entrusted to it by the people in a just and wise (bijaksana) manner". The words "just and wise" can be read as a reminder to the Government that it has been using unfair and sometimes inane tactics over the past week. The most inane would be either alleging that the PSM 30 were resurrecting Communism or declaring Bersih 2.0 illegal.

 

Najib is like the head prefect who has been caught out by the headmaster and is now being told to carry out his duties within the school rules.

 

It is noteworthy that the King uses the line, "entrusted to it by the people". It issues a very important reminder to a government that has become arrogant and unmindful of the rule of law, which is evident in its arbitrary arrests of people over the past week, in one case for simply wearing a yellow T-shirt.

 

It is further significant that the King says he does "not want to see animosity develop between the communities in our plural society or a section of the people being enemies with the Government, on whatever grounds". This could be alluding generally to the racial drumming of Perkasa, Utusan Malaysia and even Mahathir Mohamad that has contributed to racial tension of late, and specifically to Perkasa's role in inflaming the Bersih 2.0 rally by wanting to counter it and issuing veiled threats of violence.

 

The reaction on the part of Bersih 2.0 is to seek an audience with the King. Opposition political parties have indicated that they want to be included, but on no account must Bersih 2.0 allow this. It has all this while maintained that it is a movement that is led and initiated by civil society; it should remain so. If the King grants the audience, what Bersih 2.0 might request is for him to advise the Prime Minister to initiate negotiations with it and the Election Commission on carrying out electoral reform. If this is not forthcoming, Bersih 2.0 should still have the option of holding its rally on July 9.

 

But what if the King does not grant Bersih 2.0 an audience soon enough? This would then pose a quandary for the NGO. Should it then proceed with the rally on July 9? When it comes to that, Bersih 2.0 would have to answer the ultimate question: Does it listen to the King or to the rakyat?

 

Ours is a constitutional monarchy; on political matters, the King can offer advice but it is up to the listener to accept it or not. However, many Malaysians are still infected with a feudal mentality and to them, going against the King's advice is tantamount to derhaka. It is this that Bersih 2.0 will have to guard against, because if it were to be branded penderhaka, a fair part of the sympathy it has been getting so far through the Government crackdown will be obliterated.

 

On the other hand, it could be comforted by the thought that Perkasa and Umno Youth have said that if Bersih 2.0 goes ahead with its rally, they would also go ahead with theirs. This would expose them to accusations of menderhaka as well, so Bersih 2.0 would not be alone.

 

The best course for everyone, however, might well be negotiation, at which a timetable should be set for the electoral reform process to take place, before the next general election is held. But before going to the negotiating table, Bersih 2.0 should be given due recognition, which means Hishammuddin must revoke his order of illegalising it. This is a prerequisite; otherwise it will make the Govt look silly negotiating with an "illegal" organisation. But even if Hishammuddin refuses to admit his high-handed mistake, Bersih 2.0 may have already been legitimised by the King's call for "consultations", and of course by Najib's offer of holding the rally in a stadium.

 

Furthermore, the six PSM detainees should be released immediately, and the charges against the other 23 PSM members dropped. As it is, charging them with associating with an illegal society does not seem right. Bersih 2.0 was declared illegal several days after they were arrested; how could they have looked into the future to predict it would become illegal?

 

The next few days will be interesting to watch. The clash of wills between Bersih 2.0 and the Government (with Perkasa and Umno Youth as secondary players) may now be raised to a higher level. Najib may not want to give in for fear of appearing weak, and Bersih 2.0 may feel it has right and the rakyat on its side. It would take an impartial referee who has the country's best interests at heart to arbitrate the matter and bring about a satisfying solution.

Fascist Threats - The Same UMNO Modus Operandi

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:18 PM PDT

By Dr Kua Kia Soong, Director of SUARAM

The repression by the UMNO-led regime leading up to the Bersih rally of 9 July should serve as an eye opener for the youth of today who have not lived through the other orchestrated crises they have created in the past. Every time the regime has faced a challenge from within UMNO itself, such as in 1987 or from without, such as in 1998, the regime has invented a crisis.

Build-up to Operasi Lalang

It was the same during the build-up to Operation Lalang in 1987 when UMNO Youth threatened to hold a 500,000 strong rally in Kuala Lumpur to build on the rally in Kampung Baru where there were banners calling for racial bloodletting. The UMNO Youth leader at the time who excelled at breast-beating was none other than the present prime minister. This was the response to the completely peaceful assembly at the Tian Hou Temple called by the Chinese associations to protest the unreasonable posting of unqualified administrators to the Chinese schools. Operation Lalang was unleashed soon after.

During my detention under Operation Lalang, the Special Branch maintained that the response by UMNO Youth was reasonable because they had been provoked by the Chinese associations. That's right, UMNO Youth has the state backing for any fascist violence they may choose to unleash against any protests or assemblies even if they are completely peaceful assemblies. They did the same when NGOs organised perfectly peaceful forums on the freedom of religion.

The Selective Efficiency of the Police

Thus, UMNO (and now their alter-ego, Perkasa) threaten violence whenever it is convenient for them. And the police, who are usually pretty efficient at putting down peaceful assemblies, can be selective in keeping order whenever these fascist mobs strike.

For example, it took the Malaysian police just twenty minutes to break up the peaceful Kesas Highway demonstration by thousands during the Reformasi years. But the police arrived one hour late during the peaceful East Timor conference in 1996 when it was disrupted by a mob organised by UMNO Youth. They were late again in restraining the mob that harassed the anti-Lynas protest in Kuantan recently.

During the racial violence in Kampung Medan in 2001, the police took nearly a week to restore order. They took an even longer time to restore order after the pogrom of May 13 in 1969 – something like two months!

The Suqiu Appeals

Again in 1999, UMNO Youth threatened to burn down the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall if the Chinese associations did not withdraw their Suqiu appeals that had already been accepted by even the BN before the general elections that year. The leaders of the Chinese associations surrendered to these threats by agreeing to keep in abeyance those appeals that UMNO had objected to. The UMNO Youth leader who distinguished himself in terrorising Suqiu was none other than the present Home Minister, famed for his keris-wielding machismo at UMNO general assemblies.

Detention Without Trial: Easy to Use...Just Lock Them Up!

The most convenient method of repression has always been to use detention without trial after the "crisis" created by UMNO Youth's threat of fascist violence. The ISA (Internal Security Act) is the most well-known of these repressive apparatuses but in fact of late, more people have been detained through the use of the Emergency Ordinance(EO).

The detention of Dr Kumar and other PSM activists under the EO reflects a new trend in the BN government's use of detention without trial. For years, the EO has been used against alleged gangsters and others involved in criminal activities while the ISA has been the favoured instrument to terrorise dissidents.

Do you see now why the BN government will cling on to the use of detention without trial as long as they can and all the more reason why justice-loving Malaysians must make the abolition of detention without trial top of the democratic agenda?

Must We Live in Perpetual Fear of UMNO's Threats?

The leaders in Bersih have said they will be seeking audience with the King and will abide by his wisdom. Do we really expect the King to say "Yea, rave on with the rally?" Of course, not! Everyone knows he's going to counsel the Bersih leaders against going through with the July 9th rally. And the Bersih leaders will use it as the reason for calling off the rally.

But since when has the King had to be consulted on the people's struggles? Is this some new insight our constitutional lawyers have recently acquired into our system of constitutional monarchy?

So, what's the learning in this episode of Malaysian struggles?

Should the rally be called off without any concessions by the BN government toward free and fair elections? If the YDP Agung is to be used as a climb-down accessory, some concession toward free and fair elections must be forthcoming by the BN government. Otherwise, the Bersih leaders must tell us what has been the purpose of planning this rally in the first place.

No, they cannot say they did not anticipate the fascist threats by UMNO Youth and Perkasa nor can they say they did not expect the use of detention without trial by the BN government. If no concession by the BN government is forthcoming while the rally is called off, I dare say we have been led up the garden path to July 9th!

 

What about HARTAL for BERSIH?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:16 PM PDT

http://www.kochivibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/hartal.jpg

By Bluesyworms Jazzyworms

Personally I believe the reason why the Government is doing this 'overkill' towards BERSIH supporters is because Najib is not in control. 'Somebody' from UMNO itself want to remove him from PMship and as UMNO President and so thats why you see all this arrest and mindless provocation. They want to heat things up so that riot will occur, and then ask Najib to declare emergency. Then after that, they'll remove him like what happen to Tunku, blaming him for the riots. That's what I believe.

In short its a power struggle. And whether you all like it or not, BERSIH is being used by politicians. As it is now even some PR supporters have turned this march into a street demo demanding change of government rather than just to send the memo. The mindless provocation for the past 2 weeks, has worked. But the real person who will benefit is this one faction in UMNO, whom in 2007 also used BERSIH as a catalyst to overthrow Pak Lah. In the end everyone, from BERSIH organisers, to NGOs and PR is being used by this fella for his own purposes. There was no real electoral reform after the BERSIH demo in 2007, Anwar did not become PM except for PR controlling some states, but Pak Lah was overthrown. The saying 'better to lose some battles but win the war' have never been clearer.

Now  the Agong himself, whether His Highness realise it or not, have thrown a spanar in 'his' plans, asking BERSIH and Putrajaya to negotiate. But 'he' and his goons still keep on the provocation via Utusan and such. Najib now may have realised his errors falling into this fella's trap, and now making a 'U-Turn' trying to give BERSIH a chance to rally in any stadium. Strange because his own cousin Hishamuddin the Home Minister have recently declared BERSIH as an illegal organisation. Unless Najib realised something he wasn't aware before, he would not make such a blatant U-Turn and make a fool out of his own cousin.

 

As to Najib's suggestion rallying in a stadium, anything can happen at that rally too. He is not in control of PERKASA and other like minded NGO's. Heck, he is not even in control of UMNO. Recently he advised UMNO members to stop factional politicking. A riot can still happen at the stadium unless Najib gonna order the police to provide security. And that will in turn make the IGP, his deputy and other police officers into fools, especially after those mind boggling arrests and statements against BERSIH. Whether Najib likes it or not, his U-Turn is starting to turn out as a nightmare.

The rally actually, was a non-starter from earlier on. We must remember, was there any reform after the 2007 rally. Nope. There was that indelible ink suggestion by EC, but it was revoked later by the EC themselves mind you. Somebody got the ink from Thailand or abroad it seems. Going by that experience, another memo to the King would be useless anyway because the government will find ways to overturned any of His Highness suggestions or opinions as usual. Therefor it is basically just a show of force. And this time the other side decide to fight with all their might instead of combining forces like in 2007. Even HINDRAF is giving BERSIH 2.0 a rain check.

Its time for us to be more creative in the way we fight. Its time to be not only non-violent, but more non-cooperative. Remember street demos and rallies are not just the only methods used in Gandhi's Satyagraha....

So now the ball is in BERSIH's court. If my theory is true, do you wanna walk and become this fella guinea pigs, become another tool for UMNO's internal power struggle like in 13th May 1969 or find another way to carry on the Rakyat's fight? I'd say lets call off the rally and do something quite opposite instead like a HARTAL. They don't want the rally, fine, lets just stay home all together. End it with turning off the lights or something...

The best thing about a HARTAL is that no one is the leader. Anybody can do it. No politician be it from PR or BN can hijack such a show of force. And police can't force people out of their homes for no valid reasons.

Of course some in the business community would cry wolf. Well take that day to clean up your premises or something. DBKL, DBKK etc can for once clean up most of the rubbish. Let's give our city a break once in a while. Days before the rally many have decided to stock up on food etc anyway, so you businessmen would have covered the cost you suffered on 9th July. People can spend time at home with their family. People can take the time to pray to clean their soul. Its a day to contemplate, take a breather. Its good also for the environment. Make it a day for spring cleaning. Ramadhan is coming soon, so why not 'BERSIH'kan the house now. I got to bersihkan my longkang from those lalang that I have been delaying for two months.... 

As A Samad Said said in his poem;
"Tak diperlu gempita sorak yang gebu,
diperlu hanya unggun api yang syahdu."

Remember we have made our point anyway. The rally was to show the strength of people's support to BERSIH, but its not just the only method. A HARTAL or just a Spring Cleaning Day would be just as powerful as we turn all major cities in Malaysia into clean or 'BERSIH' ghost towns for one day.....

Georgia's National Police Corruption Project

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:12 PM PDT

(NPR.org) Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has targeted corruption in his first year of office. To that end, he revamped the police force — by firing all of the traffic police in his country, cutting 30,000 police from the payroll. Robert Siegel talks with Saakashvili, who is in New York for a world summit of the United Nations.
Listen at: http://www.npr.org/tablet/#story/?storyId=4849472

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

Among the world leaders converging on New York this week for a United Nations summit is Mikhail Saakashvili. He is the president of the Republic of Georgia, the former Soviet republic. Mr. Saakashvili is an American-educated lawyer who led Georgia's Rose Revolution last year. He came to our New York bureau to talk about one area of reform that his government has undertaken, reforming the police.

President MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI (Republic of Georgia): Basically, we had one of the most corrupt police forces. And the way it functioned was very simple. Government told the policemen, `You are supposed to be out there, keep order. You need to have some kind of cars, but we are not going to buy for you any cars. We are not going to put in any gasoline in that car, so you have to get money for it yourselves. You need to wear some kind of uniforms. We don't care where you get them from. And you also should sustain yourself, I mean, of course, because we are not even going to pay you because the payment was pretty symbolic. And not only do you have to take bribes from the people but you also have to share part of your corrupt income with your superiors--I mean, with the government that appointed you.'

SIEGEL: The cop was a thug with a franchise from the government (unintelligible) yeah.

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: Absolutely, absolutely, that was what it was. And so what we did--I mean, for the first few months we tried to temper it. You know, we urged them to be honest, you know, increased their pay. It didn't help. So, in the end, basically, 80 to 90 percent of all policemen were fired.

SIEGEL: And how many individuals are we talking about ...(unintelligible)?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: We are talking about 25 to 30,000 people.

SIEGEL: All of them fired?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: Yeah,

SIEGEL: Yeah.

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: And it was pretty miserable. Now people thought that we would have disaster because it was in the beginning of holiday season; therefore, that we will have a real chaos with traffic disasters. Nothing like of this sort has happened because what it proved was that this police was not only producing order, it was producing disorder.

So then we had new guys recruited. And it took us two to three months to find good guys and to give them initial training at an academy which is sponsored by the US. But what we also did, we gave them new, nice uniforms that look very much unlike the old Soviet ones. We gave them new, nice German cars, American radios, the US kind of looking badges and painting which we gave them. So...

SIEGEL: Appearances are important here, you're saying?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: Yeah, it is.

SIEGEL: Yeah.

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: But besides, we gave them 20 times, in some cases, higher salaries, which they started to...

SIEGEL: Twenty times higher salaries?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: Well, we are talking very roughly--I mean, we--they used to get like 30 to $40 and we got them minimum salary now--minimum money is 3 to $400, but we are talking about men...

SIEGEL: Per week? Per week?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: These are monthly, but for Eastern Europe these are pretty high salaries. And...

SIEGEL: Now what do you do with the 30,000 cops you fired? Are they barred forever from becoming police officers? Are they barred from public employment? What happens to them?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: No. First of all, most of them did have savings because they were corrupt and they had money. You know, in the beginning we had trouble recruiting people because many people would not take jobs that had such a bad reputation. Now there is a long line of applicants.

SIEGEL: Is the crime rate in Tbilisi lower today than it was three years ago, say?

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: You know what? If you look at figures it's much, much higher, but I'll tell you why. Because police in the old system would not register crimes. Nobody--many people wouldn't even bother going to the police because it was extra headache. Now people for even the small family conflict, a lot of the spouse will go and call the police or somebody--I mean, I had neighbors that, say, lose their key and they will call the police and say, I mean, `We lost our keys. Would you please help us to open the door?' And all these cases get registered.

But I think that the overall picture of crime has decreased. The old police used to beat up people. They basically used what amounted to torture to extort the evidence. And the new police force was educated and is controlled in a way where nothing like this--there is zero tolerance towards torture. Zero tolerance. Everybody thought that there was no way to keep crimes checked unless you occasionally beat them up or managed them with beating them up or blackmail them into something. No, our examples show that you can reverse the crime trend even by being civilized.

SIEGEL: Well, President Saakashvili, it's very good to talk with you once again.

Pres. SAAKASHVILI: Thank you, enjoyed it.

SIEGEL: Mikhail Saakashvili is the president of Georgia. He's in New York attending the session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

 

Bye-bye, Star! Bye-bye NST!

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:09 PM PDT

By Donplaypuks

I made one, and my family another stupendous decision today.

First, I decided to go yellow on the blog. ROS and Kerismudin, please take note!

My family then spoke to our daily newspaper delivery boy this morning and gave him the bad news. We decided to cancel with immediate effect our subscriptions to the Star, Sunday Star and the Sunday Times (NST Group).

We felt nothing but regret and sorrow. For the delivery boy, that is. We'd known him for over 10 years.

For the spinmeisters, we felt nothing but contempt, loathing and disgust.

I was particularly incensed after reading excerpts in these cat litterliners that DSAI was guilty of a crime, er..., what exactly I don't know.

It had been alleged by the AG, his deputy AND Defence Counsel in open court that certain unknown "experts" in USA and/or Korea had identified DSAI 99.99% as a participant in an a sex video by using high tech facial and body identification techniques.

Hard evidence was not presented by anyone since DSAI was nowhere named as a party to the case! Oh, you beauty!

(About a year or two ago, it was for that precise reason that the Court of Appeals expunged certain statements from a judgement made by Judge Sri Ram that mentioned Tun Daim Zainuddin - that Tun  was not a party to the relevant court case and should not have been been implicated when he could not legally defend himself! That's my amateur interpretation of that matter).

Certain choice expressions leap to mind:

1. Kangaroo Court ( I mean, why did the Honourable judge allow it or not expunge wild flying allegations?)
2. Trial by Innuendo
3. Trial by Media
4. Conspiracy

What's even more beautiful is that a defence lawyer expressed being mega impressed with a former CM's credentials. That former CM was once accused of having sex with a minor, which constitutes STATUTORY RAPE. In that instance, the Government through the AG later withdrew the charges.

I could be wrong, but I vaguely recall that several others were charged and convicted of having sex with the same minor!

It was also the instance when a DAP politician, now CM of Penang, was sent to prison. Here is the summary of that sordid episode in M'sian legal history when a man was sent to prison for defending an under-aged Malay girl on a matter of principle. Refer Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lim_Guan_Eng:

"Lim was arrested by Malaysian police in 1994, following his criticism of the government's handling of allegations of statutory rape of one of his constituents by former Chief Minister of the state of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik

Consequently, while the Attorney General decided not to charge Rahim Thamby Chik, Lim was charged under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 for causing 'disaffection with the administration of justice in Malaysia'. 

Lim was also charged under Section 8A (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for 'maliciously printing' a pamphlet containing allegedly 'false information' because he had described the alleged rape victim as an 'imprisoned victim' because she was initially detained by Malaysian police without parental consent for 10 days.

During the judicial procedure, Lim was quoted saying:

" If I fail and have to go to jail, I have no regrets. I have no regrets of going down fighting for the principles of truth and justice. And pursuit of human rights, especially women's rights. There can be no women's rights if women rape victims are considered equally responsible, and even detained, whilst the accused remain free. "
 

After a series of appeals, Lim was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. He was, however, released after 12 months on August 25, 1999. Due to his incarceration he was disallowed from standing for election to public office for a period of 5 years, and he was therefore ineligible to contest in the 2004 Malaysian General Election."

I am not so naive as to think that all newspapers embrace the middle path. British newspapers like Times, Guardian and Daily Telegraph  all lean towards one political party or another and such is also the case with dailies in USA, Singapore, Australia, you name it.

But I am also reminded of how our some years ago our NST tried to influence voters by front paging a photo of Tengku Razaleigh wearing a Kadazan hat which was spun as him promoting Christianity! That was really scraping the barrel. So, there is a limit that must not be crossed!

Oh for sure too, the STAR and NST are not going to file for bankruptcy from my cancelling my  subscription to their publications.

But, it's my and my wife's hard earned money. We've had enough of lies, lies and more lies.
 

The Bersih 2.0 Global Telephone Campaign

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:06 PM PDT

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkKkYcWT7elnZc6lCcs7zDqGkQtQBXoBCEp0jCvmy0ncYC5xNnLmuv0tJiaMRKK3H0ETL859As-A87lqg7Y2D-P8T_-AJzz16Jp_kY9nF_7jXoBKtNiztb4KHnCHhQQKZDGvscwrk2sg/s320/world_globe_south_east_asia-0x600.jpg+GLOBAL.jpg

By Bersih 2.0 Global Network

Calling ALL concerned Malaysians around the world to pick up the phone and call your local high commission or embassy this week to voice your concern over the way the Malaysian government is grossly mishandling the Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections and violating the basic human rights of many of its citizens. This action will only take 5 minutes of your time, but it could make the Malaysian government sit up and seriously think twice about its heavy handed approach and crack down on civil liberties in recent weeks.

It could also help prevent further abuse if the Malaysian government gets the clear and loud message that the entire world is watching and this sort of response to legitimate and peaceful calls for free and fair elections in Malaysia is hardly befitting of a member of the UN Human Rights Council and is extremely counterproductive to their efforts to be seen as an open and mature democracy.

For further information on the background to events of recent weeks, please read our accompanying online petition (and even better- sign it too!). When you call the high commission or embassy, remember to remain calm and polite and state that you are a concerned Malaysian (although non-Malaysians are very welcome to participate too. Se just need as many callers as possible!) and that Bersih 2.0 Global is calling on the Malaysian government to do the following:

    Release all activists who have been arrested immediately and unconditionally and drop all unfounded charges against them;

   Ensure all those detained have access to lawyers, their family members and any medical care they may require;

   Stop the use of repressive laws such as the Police Act and Sedition law to criminalize peaceful political activities;

   Respect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Please email any responses or feedback on your encounters to bersih2.0global@gmail.com which will help us track the impact the international Malaysian community is making. We have only 5 days to do this is but there are over 1 million Malaysians living abroad, so let's show the world that we are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters back home in Malaysia. Let's unite to join in the global solidarity walks around the world on July the 9thbecause we care, and for many of us who are fortunate to live in real democracies, because WE CAN…

 

Thank you for taking action

 

In Solidarity
Bersih 2.0 Global Network

 

Online petition

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Bersih2/petition.html

Why The Sledgehammer?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:49 AM PDT

By Aliran Executive Committee 

It looks like if they don't get you under one law, they will get you under another law. That seems to be the case as far as Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj and his colleagues are concerned. But this time they used a sledge-hammer just to make sure that they get them.

Jeyakumar and colleagues arrested under the Emergency Ordinance. During the seven days' remand the police did not unearth any incriminating evidence to justify their action against 30 Parti Socialis activists for allegedly "waging war against the king". That was the reason stated for remanding these people. Before that, there was talk they could be investigated for sedition.

On the seventh day of their remand, six of them were freed from the Kepala Batas Police Station. The implication of this action was very explicit: the police had actually cleared them of whatever they were originally suspected of being involved in.

In other words, there was no case against them and therefore there was no reason to seek a further remand to continue with the police investigation or to charge them. It was the end of the case and the matter was closed to the satisfaction of the police.

But lo and behold, at the very moment Jeyakumar and his colleagues were freed, police personnel from Bukit Aman immediately re-arrested them! This time they were being arrested under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969. This time they used the sledge-hammer approach. This Ordinance doesn't give you a chance to challenge the arrest and detention.
But this Ordinance is meant for suspected goons and gangsters and criminals who habitually indulge in crime and violence; suspected criminals who pose imminent danger to citizens and remain a constant threat to public order.

The activities of Jeyakumar and his colleagues come nowhere near to this conceived potential danger to the nation. Their activities were never violent or criminal. In fact, they are very concerned and compassionate people who only want to do good that will benefit the discarded and marginalised sectors of our community.

Jeyakumar is noted for devoting his entire life to the care of the less privileged and discriminated urban poor, the neglected estate communities and the largely ignored Orang Asli. His ways are gentle, his approach is gentlemanly. He has never advocated any violence in the pursuit of justice for the poor, the weak and the meek. It was always persuasion and reasoning that he deployed to seek justice.

Reasoning and rational Malaysians cannot accept any insinuation that he is a danger to public order. In their eyes Jeyakumar is a victim of gross injustice.

Aliran has known Jeyakumar for many years. He is one of our loyal members committed to the aspirations of Aliran. His concerns are exemplary and inspiring. He is a tireless worker for the good of the nation. We reject any allegation of criminal intent on his part. Detaining him under the EO is a terrible injustice to this man of peace.

Aliran calls upon the Barisan Nasional government to be fair and just and free Jeyakumar and his colleagues immediately. Their continued detention does not speak well of our notion of justice or our respect for the rule of law.

 

It looks like if they don't get you under one law, they will get you under another law. That seems to be the case as far as Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj and his colleagues are concerned. But this time they used a sledge-hammer just to make sure that they get them.

Jeyakumar and colleagues arrested under the Emergency Ordinance. During the seven days' remand the police did not unearth any incriminating evidence to justify their action against 30 Parti Socialis activists for allegedly "waging war against the king". That was the reason stated for remanding these people. Before that, there was talk they could be investigated for sedition.

On the seventh day of their remand, six of them were freed from the Kepala Batas Police Station. The implication of this action was very explicit: the police had actually cleared them of whatever they were originally suspected of being involved in.

In other words, there was no case against them and therefore there was no reason to seek a further remand to continue with the police investigation or to charge them. It was the end of the case and the matter was closed to the satisfaction of the police.

But lo and behold, at the very moment Jeyakumar and his colleagues were freed, police personnel from Bukit Aman immediately re-arrested them! This time they were being arrested under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969. This time they used the sledgehammer approach. This Ordinance doesn't give you a chance to challenge the arrest and detention.

But this Ordinance is meant for suspected goons and gangsters and criminals who habitually indulge in crime and violence; suspected criminals who pose imminent danger to citizens and remain a constant threat to public order.

The activities of Jeyakumar and his colleagues come nowhere near to this conceived potential danger to the nation. Their activities were never violent or criminal. In fact, they are very concerned and compassionate people who only want to do good that will benefit the discarded and marginalised sectors of our community.

Jeyakumar is noted for devoting his entire life to the care of the less privileged and discriminated urban poor, the neglected estate communities and the largely ignored Orang Asli. His ways are gentle, his approach is gentlemanly. He has never advocated any violence in the pursuit of justice for the poor, the weak and the meek. It was always persuasion and reasoning that he deployed to seek justice.

Reasoning and rational Malaysians cannot accept any insinuation that he is a danger to public order. In their eyes Jeyakumar is a victim of gross injustice.

Aliran has known Jeyakumar for many years. He is one of our loyal members committed to the aspirations of Aliran. His concerns are exemplary and inspiring. He is a tireless worker for the good of the nation. We reject any allegation of criminal intent on his part. Detaining him under the EO is a terrible injustice to this man of peace.

Aliran calls upon the Barisan Nasional government to be fair and just and free Jeyakumar and his colleagues immediately. Their continued detention does not speak well of our notion of justice or our respect for the rule of law.

 

TNB should engage customers

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:34 AM PDT

By Terence Fernandez, The Sun

RECENT reports in this paper on overbilling by Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) resurrect the argument against monopolistic agreements that may not benefit the consumer.

Two exposes on consumers saddled with inflated bills and TNB's lethargy in addressing them head on to quell public concern do not augur well for what is the corporate responsibility of the sole power supplier in the country.

Granted that Chong Sook Tak had his RM31,000 "arrears" reduced to RM900 following this paper's involvement, but TNB has yet to explain how his bill was calculated and how it had come to that figure.

Inquiries by this paper only proved TNB's high-handedness in addressing complaints overall when we were tersely told that the matter would be resolved directly with Chong.

The question is how many other Chong Sook Tak's are out there? Here is one consumer who took the initiative to question the company and bring the matter to the public's attention.

How many others suffer in silence and just pay up without checking – due to ignorance or simple lethargy in dealing with profit-oriented corporate bodies?

Just how much has TNB made from overcharging its customers? Now with the so-called tampering with meters, the national power company is introducing new devices, which in the experience of some customers mean higher charges.

One example is Lee Siow Eng who blew the lid off the infallibility of these meters. He was charged RM10,000 in arrears after his meter was replaced due to alleged tampering.

According to TNB, Lee's meter reading showed "lower charges" which the former decreed was incorrect.

There had been several other similar complaints – albeit regarding lesser amounts – to the media on higher charges once the new meters are in place.

The question is how is it when the readings are low, the device is deemed to have been tampered with or faulty, but never when the readings are high?

Can TNB honestly tell us that it had, on its own initiative, looked up customers with unusually high meter readings and adjusted their bills? Or are such efforts reserved only for low readings?

In the same breath, in the case of Lee, why did TNB wait five years before informing him? The National Consumer Complaints Centre had stated that billing issues form the bulk of complaints that come to its door.

Random checks show that accusations of "tampering with meters" are among the main excuses given by TNB when consumers cry foul. This is akin to adding insult to injury.

Perhaps it is about time that the Energy Commission of Malaysia steps in – after all consumer protection and dispute resolutions are among its responsibilities.

As I am writing this, TNB is in crisis mode, holding meeting after meeting with its ground crew and technical advisers.

This is good. But it is not enough if the people are left in the dark. Media inquiries are also given scant regard, with the poor corporate communications guys being made to face the wolf pack.

Just like it spends money on "awareness campaigns" – in one case "silencing" at least one consumer group with generous grants – TNB should take the initiative to engage with its customers and explain the switch to new meters and how readings are conducted.

What constitutes "lower readings" and when can we get a reasonable explanation on estimations? It is ridiculous for a person who has been away for a month to be charged the same amount he usually pays when he is at home.

But the truth is we the consumers are to be blamed. Big corporations, including ones with bullying tendencies, only thrive when people are indifferent to their own welfare.

"Just pay and get on with life" seems to be the mantra many Malaysians live by, until the likes of Chong and Lee blow the fish out of the water. It also does not help when so-called consumer groups compromise their agenda for the almighty ringgit.

It is perhaps time for people to be more aware of what they are paying for and ensure that they get the service that is expected. Tell me, how many of you actually know how to read your electricity bill?

Parties move to defuse tension over rallies

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:21 AM PDT

By Azril Annuar, Pauline Wong and Hemananthani Sivanandam, The Sun

In a positive response to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's call for compromise and moderation to avoid trouble arising from protest marches planned for Saturday, the government and the organisers of the rallies today moved to defuse the tension which had built up in past weeks.

 

The prime minister said a venue would be offered to the rally organisers if they wanted to present a memorandum to the King. And the leader of Bersih 2.0 said the organisers would seek an audience with His Majesty and abide by the King's advice.

Umno Youth, which planned to hold a rally to counter Bersih, announced that it had called off its plans.

Warning that street demonstrations may bring more bad than good, although the original intention is good, the King had on Sunday counselled the government and the organisers of the three protest marches, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), Umno Youth and Malay rights group Perkasa, to resolve the issue through consultation rather than acting on their emotions.

Making the first move to defuse the situation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the government was willing to allow the Bersih rally, provided it is not a street demonstration.

"If they want to present a memorandum, request it nicely from the authorities. We are willing to give them a stadium for them to gather," he said, at the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly in Putrajaya this morning.

"The government will not stop them from having a demonstration in a stadium from morning till night. They can shout all they want but don't hold a street demonstration as it has the risk of endangering the nation," said Najib, adding that a street demonstration meant they had different intentions.

Najib's compromise offer was vastly softer than the no-compromise positions taken by the Home Ministry and the police earlier.

Last week, the police announced they were no longer willing to negotiate or compromise with Bersih 2.0 organisers, and began a crackdown which has so far seen over 150 people detained for questioning.

On Saturday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had declared that Bersih 2.0 is illegal and justified the crackdown.

Najib said there was no guarantee the proposed demonstration will be peaceful, as irresponsible parties might take advantage of the rally.

"There may be those who like to incite riots and cause disturbances that will take advantage of the situation and join the rally, leading to undesirable incidents. We must think of this, the worse that can happen, before it's too late.

"We must avoid making emotional decisions, taking emotional actions.There are other avenues available," he said, adding that the Election Commission (EC) is willing to review any legislation regarding the electoral process and to improve it where possible.

"We are willing to make improvements. The EC had said it is willing to implement a biometric system to dispel the perception that there are phantom voters, he added.

Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told a press conference that following an emergency meeting of the coalition's steering committee, the coalition had sought an audience with the King towards resolving issues surrounding the Bersih 2.0 rally.

"The coalition will abide by the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, even if it means calling off the rally. As a matter of respect (to the King), we want to communicate with His Majesty our decision first before making an announcement," said Ambiga, urging the media not to speculate as to what the outcome of the meeting will be.

"We want to resolve this in the best interest of all concerned," she said.

Umno Youth today announced it had cancelled its plans to have a rally to coincide with the Bersih rally on Saturday.

Its deputy chief Datuk Razali Ibrahim said the decision was made to abide by the King's advice.

"We take the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's advice seriously. Thus, I have urged Patriot not to continue with the rally to heed Tuanku's advice that all parties should adhere to the rule of law to defend the country's Constitution," he said.

Umno Youth had last month launched "Himpunan Patriot" (Patriots Rally), to support the current electoral system.

Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hussin Syed Ali hinted that Perkasa may be willing to call off its counter-rally, but will announce its final decision tomorrow.

"If Bersih continues with the rally, so will we. This is our decision for now," he said in a text message.

 

Khairy offers to work with Bersih if rally called off

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:16 AM PDT

By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Umno Youth will call off its counter-rally and instead back some Bersih 2.0 demands if the latter cancels its July 9 march, says Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy told The Malaysian Insider yesterday the youth wing will offer the olive branch as it has always acknowledged that the present system required improvements that could be worked out with the Election Commission.

"We believe that a united bipartisan front on points that we agree on will be more effective if Bersih really wants change," the Umno Youth chief said.

In an unexpected turn of events yesterday, Bersih pledged to abide by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's advice to negotiate with the government instead of forcing a confrontation.

Former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan who leads the coalition — which was declared illegal last week by the government — of 62 NGOs said she will seek an audience with the King before Saturday and call off the rally if told to do so.

"I've always said that we support the present system but that acknowledge improvements are needed," Khairy added.

The Rembau MP, who is still overseas on a volunteer mission to Gaza, Palestine, said that Umno Youth would support a cleaning of dead individuals on the electoral roll, overseas voting, free access to all media and television slots for all parties contesting elections.

"These can all be on the table for negotiation," he said.

Both Perkasa and Umno Youth had declared earlier yesterday they'd reciprocate a Bersih stand down.

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's statement Sunday led to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak making an offer yesterday to provide Bersih with a stadium for their rally if they opted out of a capital march.

 

READ MORE HERE.

Do You Not Sense Stupidity At Its best?

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 10:10 AM PDT

By Mind No Evil

I honestly think that most UMNO/BN leaders have all gone berserk over the Bersih issue. However, there are some sensible and like minded UMNO/BN leaders though. These opposing factions within UMNO/BN must have sense a serious threat to their position and status.

Not a day is without a statement from an UMNO/BN leader condemning the intended Bersih rally as a real threat to national security. What threat to national security are they talking about when the rally is all about the expression and demands of the people's rights to free and fair elections? Even SUHAKAM deemed the rally as within the bounds of the people's rights. The legal fraternity echoes a similar view. 

Threat to national security is the 'tag line' the government has been saying all along; contrary to the claims made by Bersih which the government denounces. Now who are we to believe? The latest and the most unthinkable and outrageous statement came from none other than Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam. He had suggested that Ambiga's citizenship be stripped off or that she is declared a restricted resident and her movements curtailed. Do we not see the stupidity in Ali Rustam? What reasoning is this? Like all others, Ali Rustam reasoned that the Bersih rally is all about causing apprehension, fear and untold destruction to the country. Now, to counter this perceived fear, PESAKA a Malay martial arts organization is ready to deploy 4 million of its members to join the rally to act against Bersih provocateurs'. This is unbelievable; 4 million and where is that number coming from, I wonder?

Now, who is Ali Rustam trying to lie? May I ask him who the provocateurs are?

 

READ MORE HERE.

Round and round the mulberry bush

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 03:20 AM PDT

Alternative Action Team president, B. Kalai Vanar, wants Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin to revoke Bersih chairperson S. Ambiga's citizenship for going ahead with the plan to organise a mass rally on July 9. Kalai said his movement was backed by Pusat Penyelidikan Tamil Malaysia. -- Free Malaysia Today

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk: Tan Sri, I think I may have found the solution on how to handle BERSIH.

Tan Sri: Finally….a solution. Shoot!

Datuk: We can withdraw Ambiga's citizenship.

Tan Sri: Now hold on! Won't that make the Indians angry? We already have problems with HINDRAF. I don't want a new movement called AMBIGARAF to be launched by the Indians.

Datuk: AMBIGARAF?

Tan Sri: Yes, Ambiga Rights Action Force.

Datuk: Oh, that won't happen, Tan Sri. It is the Tamils themselves who are asking His Majesty the Agong to withdraw Ambiga's citizenship.

Tan Sri: Oh good, if the Tamils themselves are asking for it then no problem.

Datuk: Yes, then later when we withdraw the citizenship of other Indians the Tamils cannot complain since they started this whole 'withdraw the citizenship of Indians' thingy.

Tan Sri: Hmm…yes…I like that. Once we open the Pandora's box the Indians can't complain any longer.

Datuk: Pandora? Is he also a Tamil?

Tan Sri: Oh never mind…sigh…how I wish we did not change our medium of education from English to Malay. When can we withdraw her citizenship?

Datuk: As soon as we sort out one tiny problem.

Tan Sri: What tiny problem?

Datuk: If we withdraw her citizenship and she is no longer a Malaysian citizen, she can no longer remain in Malaysia. All non-citizens will have to be deported.

Tan Sri: So? That's the whole idea isn't it? To kick her out of Malaysia.

Datuk: Yes, but where do we deport her to?

Tan Sri: To India of course.

Datuk: But she is not an Indian citizen.

Tan Sri: So what? That would become India's problem, not ours.

Datuk: But how do we send her back to India?

Tan Sri: On a plane of course, like how all Indians go to India.

Datuk: But she won't have a Malaysian passport since we would have to cancel her passport once we withdraw her citizenship.

Tan Sri: Naturally. But why would that be a problem?

Datuk: No airline would allow her to board a plane without a passport.

Tan Sri: Then how would we send her back to India?

Datuk: Exactly. That is what I meant.

Tan Sri: So we can't let her remain in Malaysia because she is no longer a Malaysian citizen but we can't deport her since she no longer has a passport.

Datuk: Right. That's the tiny problem I was talking about.

Tan Sri: Sheesh….Catch 22.

Datuk: You want me to catch who?

Tan Sri: Sigh….Malay medium education…never mind.

Datuk: So what do you suggest we do, Tan Sri?

Tan Sri: Me? You were the one who suggested we withdraw her citizenship.

Datuk: The suggestion came from the Tamils, Tan Sri.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…these Tamils are talking…..

Datuk: Tamil?

Tan Sri: I was going to say 'talking cock'. So that means it is not possible to withdraw anyone's citizenship then?

Datuk: Not unless we can figure out what to do with them once we withdraw their citizenship.

Tan Sri: Aiyah…this will not work. Go figure out another solution.

Datuk: Okay, Tan Sri. And what should I tell these Tamil people?

Tan Sri: Tell them to stop talking….

Datuk: Cock?

Tan Sri: No, Tamil. 

 

PSM 23 charged under Societies Act and ISA

Posted: 04 Jul 2011 02:23 AM PDT

They are accused of being in possession of Bersih pamphlets and subversive documents.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Twenty-three members of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) were charged in the magistrate's court today with possession of 600 photocopies of Bersih pamphlets and subversive documents.

The accused ranged in age from 17 to 64. They were granted bail of RM4,000 for each of the two charges. Thirteen posted bail today and the others are expected to do so tomorrow. But police released all of them.

Pertaining to the Bersih pamphlets, they were charged under Section 48(1) of the Societies Act or alternatively Section 43 of the act. Section 48(1) carries a jail sentence not exceeding five years or a fine not above RM15,000 or both.  Section 43 carries a jail term not above three years or a maximum fine of RM3,000 or both.

The charge for possession of subversive documents came under the Section 29(1) of the Internal Security Act. It carries a jail sentence of not more than five years or a fine not more than RM10,000 or both.

The prosecution said they committed both offences at Sungai Dua toll plaza of the North-South Expressway at 3.30pm on June 25.

Thirteen of the accused are women and two are boys.

The women are Cheang Sew Yin, 60, Soh Sock Hwa, 29, Chan Mooi, 55, K Kamala Devi, 57, K Deeeba, 22, K Thanusia, 21, G Packialetchumy, 40, R Saroza, 64,  R Nalayani, 64, M Santhana Devi, 30, P Indra, 54, P Jody, 52 and M Kavitha, 35.

The boys are J Raveen Veerasenan and S Thivya Kumar, both 17 years old.

The other eight suspects are A Shanmugam, 57, M Ravindran, 20, M Arokiam, 62, G Velaitham, 54, M Sivoosamy, 52, S Ramasamy, 35, Gana Santhanam, 45, and S Selvam, 42.

Another man, S. Murugan, the driver of the bus in which the activists were travelling when they were arrested, was released without any charges.

Another teenager, S Ragu, 16, who was released on police bail on June 26, failed to turn up to face charges today. The prosecution asked the court for another date for his case.

READ MORE HERE

 

Latest on BERSIH (UPDATED)

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 04:14 PM PDT

This is just a quick note to inform you of the latest developments of the planned BERSIH rally this Saturday, 9th July 2011. I will update this page and tell you more once I get the latest news from BERSIH.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There appears to be some confusion within the ranks of the BERSIH committee. If the purpose of His Majesty the Agong's announcement yesterday was to throw the cat amongst the pigeons then it certainly worked. It looks like someone else has been reading up on Sun Sze as well.

Anyway, as you read this, the BERSIH committee meeting is in session to decide how to respond to His Majesty's 'titah'. Titah means the Monarch's royal edict or command.

The question here would be: was this really His Majesty's titah or was it crafted for His Majesty? Most Malaysians now understand how the system works and are no longer awed by such royal edicts or commands.

Two members of my own family have sat on the throne as Agong -- so we know that His Majesty, at best, lives in a diamond-studded golden cage. The cage may be golden and diamond studded, but it is still a cage nevertheless.

Remember back in the late-1950s when Tunku Abdul Rahman was the First Prime Minister of Malaysia and Tuanku Abdul Rahman the First Agong? A British cabinet minister tried to barge in to the Tunku's office without an appointment and the Prime Minister refused to see him. Malaysia, after all, had gained independence and was no longer a British colony so who did this Kwailo think he is?

Later, during an audience with the Agong, the British cabinet minister complained to His Majesty and suggested that His Majesty sack the Prime Minister for his kurang ajar (insolence).

To this suggestion His Majesty the Agong replied that in Malaysia it is not the King who sacks the Prime Minister but the Prime Minister who sacks the King.

That was way back 50 years or so ago and things have not changed much since then. In fact, since Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Prime Minister 30 years ago, it has become worse.

Was not Dr Mahathir the man who engaged the Monarchy in a Constitutional Crisis back in the mid-1980s where Umno openly and loudly reminded Their Highnesses that the Federal Constitution of Malaysia clearly states that the King has to 'take advice' from the Prime Minister and the Sultans from the Menteris Besar?

Many Malaysians at that time lauded and applauded Dr Mahathir's 'brave' effort at 'cutting down the royalty to size'. And His Highnesses were sent running back to their palaces with their royal tails between their legs, metaphorically speaking.

Today, how many believe that the Rulers make their own decisions? How many believe that a statement from Istana Negara is a statement from the mouth of His Majesty the Agong?

Does not Istana Negara come directly under the Prime Minister's Department? And since the time of Dr Mahathir are not all statements from Istana Negara first vetted by the Prime Minister's Department and first approved by the Prime Minister's Department before they can be released? And is it not the procedure that the Prime Minister's Department drafts all statements and speeches of the Agong?

I remember when the late Sultan of Johor was the Agong and, as was customary, he read out his speech prepared by the Prime Minister's Department. His Majesty had never seen that speech until it was time to deliver it and clearly he was struggling with it.

Halfway through the speech, His Majesty, with a look of irritation on his royal face, retorted: siapa tulis ni (who wrote this)?

But then His Majesty the Johor Sultan has been known to do things 'out of script' like jumping over the fence during a football match or stepping down from the VVIP stage to try his hand at riding a superbike during the Merdeka Day parade.

Never has Malaysia seen such a 'colourful' Agong in its 53 years of Merdeka and probably never will again.

So there you have it: my short story on Malaysia's monarchy and why BERSIH must first explore whether the titah from the Agong released yesterday needs to be further clarified before the committee decides whether to call off the planned BERSIH rally of Saturday, 9th July 2011 or proceed with it. And later today we will know the answer to that question.

***********************************

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

BERSIH will seek an audience with His Majesty the Agong to get clarification on yesterday's titah. If clearly His Majesty wishes to avoid any security problems and would like the march to be called off then BERSIH will try to hammer out a compromise.

One compromise would be to hold the rally in a stadium instead of marching on the streets as originally planned. The Stadium Merdeka is one such stadium that is being suggested.

The BERSIH committee appears divided on this matter. Understandably, not many want to be seen as durhaka (treasonous) by ignoring His Majesty's titah -- if it really is His Majesty's titah in the first place.

Some are of the view that the BERSIH chairperson may have become intimidated by this latest development of the Agong's titah -- plus with the warnings of the army stepping in, more detentions without trial, the four million silat exponents taking to the streets to oppose BERSIH, May 13 Version 2.0, the Muslims declaring a holy jihad against BERSIH, etc.

If Ambiga feels that things have got out of hand and have become very dangerous then she might have to consider bailing out to allow someone else more prepared to face the consequences to take over. We can quite understand if Ambiga is now living on the edge and is fearful for her life and under the present circumstances no one will fault her if she throws in the towel.

Nevertheless, whether the BERSIH march finally gets aborted, or is held in a stadium, or proceeds as planned, the message has been delivered. What BERSIH wanted to do was to draw attention to the need for electoral reforms and this has been achieved.

Let us wait and see where BERSIH goes from here.

 

WIKILEAKS: Farah Pandith’s visit shows many faces of Islam in Malaysia

Posted: 03 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT

In contrast, under Islamic rule citizens could be confident that rulers (who could be chosen through democratic elections, perhaps) would act within the bounds of behavior as laid out in the Koran and Sunnah, and citizens were law-abiding because of their strong religious beliefs. Asked whether his description of Islamic rule was Utopian, Zaid answered that, on the contrary, such rule had existed under the Caliphs. Realistically, Zaid concluded, Muslims in Malaysia could not expect to establish Islamic rule in the near term, nor was JIM advocating such a step, but there was a need to offer a competing vision to that of the west.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 001014

 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

 

FOR EAP/MTS AND S/SRMC

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KPAOY, PHUM, KDEM, MY

SUBJECT: FARAH PANDITH'S VISIT SHOWS MANY FACES OF ISLAM IN MALAYSIA

 

REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 716 -- CANING PUNISHMENT POSTPONED

     B. KUALA LUMPUR 980 -- AMB VERVEER'S VISIT TO

        MALAYSIA

 

KUALA LUMP 00001014  001.2 OF 004

 

SUMMARY

1. (SBU) Special Representative to Muslim Communities (SRMC) Farah Pandith visited Malaysia to begin engagement with civil society and establish contacts with government officials, politicians, teachers, students, and NGOs on December 13-14.

SRMC Pandith explained her recent appointment as the Special Representative to Muslim Communities, emphasizing the President's and the Secretary's policy of creating new partnerships  with Muslim communities around world.  SRMC Pandith was well received by the Malaysians--both as a champion of Islam and for her efforts in promoting a new relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect between the U.S. and Muslims around the world--but concerns over U.S. foreign policy remained apparent in meetings with politicians, government officials and students. 

SRMC Pandith established solid connections during her initial visit and several organizations expressed interest in remaining in contact with her.  Post hopes that she will be able to capitalize on her initial success with a return visit in 2010.  End Summary.

SISTERS IN ISLAM, SISTERS IN THOUGHT

2. (SBU) On December 13, Farah Pandith met with the pioneers of the local NGO Sisters in Islam (SIS): Zainah Anwar (Founder), Hamidah Marican (Executive Director), and Norani Othman (co-founder) and discussed a wide range of social and religious issues pertaining to Islam. 

Zainah explained that she started the organization 20 years ago out of concern that Muslim women in the country were being discriminated against, especially in issues concerning Family Law (marriage, divorces, custody), which is the purview of Syariah courts.

According to Zainah, "Everything was argued in the name of religion and no one questioned it."

3. (SBU) Sisters in Islam attracts criticism from conservative Muslim groups in Malaysia because SIS argues for fresh interpretations of the Quran, and is seen as backing a Western approach toward equal rights for women.  There have been numerous calls to ban the organization, including from the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS).  Pandith asked about SIS' relationship with GOM and civil society. 

Zainah replied that the NGO has been subject to police harassment for criticizing the caning sentence of Kartika, a Muslim woman arrested by religious police for drinking beer (reftels).

SIS is very concerned over rumors that members could face trial on sedition charges.

4. (SBU) SRMC Pandith welcomed SIS's courageous approach to issues such as women,s rights and suggested that SIS try to penetrate the Malay youth demographic by using comics and graphic novels.  SIS members were interested in the idea and requested technological assistance and further contact with Pandith.

VISIT TO MADRASAH SCHOOL

5. (U) To get closer to grassroots Muslim life in Malaysia, SRMC Pandith visited the Al-Amin Madrasah School located in Bangi, a one hour drive from Kuala Lumpur in the shadows of the National University of Malaysia, on December 14. 

Founded in 1989, this private school with 100 teachers and 893 primary and secondary students is part of a network of madrasahs comprising 35 schools and 8,000 students and is chaired by Ustaz Megat Mohamed Amin. 

Amin, who recently returned from a "life-changing" multi-regional International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on secondary and elementary education in the U.S., was instrumental in establishing in 2008 an English Language Access Microscholarship program for 60 Muslim students to learn after-school English for two years at a madrasah in the conservative state of Kelantan.

6. (U) During the discussions, a school board member noted that the madrasah taught the government-required curriculum in addition to Islamic courses.  SRMC Pandith complimented the team on its broad curriculum and encouraged sharing the model with other Muslim communities. 

In response to Ustaz Amin's comment that the school could do better in encouraging interactions with non-Muslim communities, SRMC Pandith suggested the expansion of the madrasah's social entrepreneurship-based community development projects to include non-Muslim schools in the local community.

POLITICIANS SHIFT CONVERSATION FROM ISLAM TO OBAMA, PALESTINE

7. (SBU) SRMC Pandith, DCM Rob Rapson, and Poloffs met with politicians from each of the three predominantly Muslim parties over lunch: the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the People's Justice Party (PKR), and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS).  All three politicians agreed that Islam is compatible with democracy.  UMNO Member of Parliament (MP) Nur Jazlan stated that the ongoing "Islamization process" in Malaysia started "around 30 years ago." 

(Note: this was a thinly veiled suggestion that it started after then-Islamist activist Anwar Ibrahim joined UMNO in 1982.  End Note.) 

Jazlan stated that once the process started, UMNO and the government "could not turn back the clock" and therefore UMNO was forced to embrace Islamization.  Jazlan candidly stated if UMNO did not embrace the challenge, the party would be accused of being "un-Islamic." 

Jazlan conceded that he is not happy with what is happening, but is unable to stop it due to political considerations. 

PAS Youth Secretary General Kamaruzaman Mohamad, not a member of Parliament, added that PAS is committed to democracy until "we capture power."

8. (SBU) PKR MP Yusmadi Yusuf welcomed President Obama's Cairo speech but expressed concern from PKR leaders, including party advisor Anwar Ibrahim, that Obama seems to be "speaking on behalf of Muslims," and that this slant is not going down well among them. 

(Comment: post does not feel that this is an accurate assessment of Anwar's views.  End Comment.

Yusmadi felt that President Obama should instead address the problems in the "Muslim world" as an outsider. He nonetheless stressed that Muslims in Malaysia welcomed the new administration which he felt "is genuinely concerned" about the "Muslim world" compared to the previous administration. 

Yusmadi also suggested that the U.S. should formulate an economic model for Muslim countries which he claimed "would endear the U.S. among Muslims."  He cited Southern Thailand as a possible region to implement this economic model. 

Kamaruzaman echoed Yusmadi's view that there is a genuine optimism among Muslims over U.S. policies after the Obama administration came to power, but pointed out that Muslims will always have problems with the U.S. so long as the Palestinian issue is not resolved.  He criticized the U.S. for being a staunch and uncompromising ally of Israel.

Until the U.S. can become more of an "honest broker", said Karamuzaman, the U.S. will always be viewed with suspicion by Muslims.

RELIGIOUS MINISTRY: TOLERATING RELIGION, IF DONE THEIR WAY

9. (SBU) SRMC Pandith met with Minister for Religious Affairs Jamil Khir Baharom, who immediately reflected upon his positive experience attending graduate school in the U.S., and elaborating on the similarities between the U.S. and Malaysia. 

Jamil noted that both countries are multi-racial and commented on how other races have the freedom to celebrate their religion in Malaysia.   The Minister then went on to explain that Malaysia practices Sunni Islam exclusively, noting that Shia and Sufism are not allowed in Malaysia.  According to Jamil, "it's better to have one school of thought instead of many."

10. (SBU) The Minister noted that Islamic education is compulsory for all Muslims, starting with primary and secondary students with continuation in public universities.

He recalled the poor Islamic education system in Malaysia prior to independence and felt privileged that the Federal Government took over the education system by outlining the school syllabus and having it standardized.  The teachings also differed from one village to another, which led to different schools of thought. 

Jamil added that the Ministry of Higher Education collaborates with the Religious Affairs Department in setting up the syllabus, and now many Malaysian scholars study abroad, especially in Egypt and Jordan. 

Jamil did not elaborate on other activities that the Ministry engages in, though he did say that one of them is to monitor sermons given after Friday prayers.

ENERGIZING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL MUSLIMS

11. (U) At a round table discussion with Islamic scholars, academics, students, Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program alumni, and a local entrepreneur, SRMC Pandith emphasized her role as convener, facilitator, and intellectual partner listening to the next generation and encouraging initiatives for the common good. 

She stressed the diversity of Islam and the desire to build relationships across Muslim communities over time and based on mutual interest and respect.  She noted the power of traditional and social media networking to spread information, expand engagement, and reach more global youth interested in positive change.

12. (U) Faisal Hassan, President of the YES Alumni Association of Malaysia, spoke of his group's diverse activities including community service and development projects (promoting peace, building leadership skills, developing English-language programs), organizing a worldwide YES Alumni Conference in Malaysia in November 2009, participating in the AFS World Congress in Kuala Lumpur in November 2009, and networking with other alumni abroad to share best practices and experiences.  SRMC Pandith encouraged YES to expand its network even further through social media and to consider working with other entrepreneurs to "scale up" their activities and have an even greater impact around the world.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP'S POSSIBILITIES AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

13. (U) SRMC Pandith spoke about the power of entrepreneurship for Muslim communities at the roundtable, mentioning entrepreneurship not only in its traditional business context, but also in terms of innovation (technology and ideas) and social entrepreneurship (giving back through community development). 

She stressed that examples of Muslim entrepreneurship successes highlight "the good side of Muslim communities around the world."  Malaysian entrepreneur Dhakshinamoorthy "Dash" Balakrishnan, CEO of Warisan Global, shared his personal experiences at the grassroots level in hiring over 800 Malaysian Muslim graduates to engage villagers in entrepreneurial projects making greater use of the Internet and to create markets for their cottage industry products. 

He also noted the success during the recent Global Entrepreneurship Week that he organized.  He concluded that entrepreneurship has broken both mental and racial barriers and that partnership-based entrepreneurial activities have created stronger levels of trust between various communities in Malaysia.

INTERVIEW WITH FEATURES REPORTER, BERITA HARIAN

14. (U) Following her roundtable with university students and faculty, SRMC Pandith held an exclusive interview with Berita Harian, one of KL's major Malay-language dailies with nationwide weekday circulation of nearly 200,000.  In the interview, SRMC Pandith explained why she had chosen to visit Malaysia, echoing President Obama's description in his Cairo speech, of Malaysia as a "progressive Muslim-majority country" and one that must not be ignored. 

She also talked about why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is putting an emphasis on grassroots and people to people connections. She also spoke about her position as the Special Representative, her interest in convening dialogues and facilitating networking among like-minded people who support the "diversity of Islam" and want to make a difference. 

She mentioned how the U.S. sees its role as a convener and facilitator, and as an intellectual partner with Muslim communities around the world.  SRMC Pandith stressed that the U.S. is open to new ideas and mentioned her hope that proposals for undertakings between the U.S. and Malaysia can come from a renewed dialogue with Malaysians in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. 

When asked whether public perception and treatment of Muslims in the U.S. had improved since 2001, SRMC Pandith replied that "As is the case in many societies around the world) there is still a need for education about diversity and mutual respect," but stressed that "Muslims in the United States have more freedom to practice their religion than anywhere else in the world."

(Note: A feature article from this interview will be published shortly in Berita Harian's weekend edition. End note.)

JAMAH ISLAH MALAYSIA (JIM): AN NGO WITH CONSERVATIVE IDEALS

15. (SBU) At a December 14 dinner meeting with SRMC Pandith, President of the conservative Islamic NGO Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) Zaid Kamaruddin and colleagues explained that the 10,000-member organization, many of whom are spread at all levels of the government strata, was dedicated to strengthening Muslim values in Malaysia. 

He and fellow believers set up the NGO in 1982 after Anwar Ibrahim, who was then leader of the Muslim Youth Organization (ABIM) decided to join the ruling political party, UMNO.  Zaid and others thought the struggle for Muslim values had to remain outside the government. 

Zaid said JIM sought to offer an alternative vision to what he called the "liberal western" system of government that Malaysia had adopted.  Democracy was a significant achievement, but Islamic government "by God" would be better.  In addition, materialistic western values meant citizens lacked ethical discipline, so democracy required extensive regulation and a robust police force to keep society under control.

16. (SBU) In contrast, under Islamic rule citizens could be confident that rulers (who could be chosen through democratic elections, perhaps) would act within the bounds of behavior as laid out in the Koran and Sunnah, and citizens were law-abiding because of their strong religious beliefs. 

Asked whether his description of Islamic rule was Utopian, Zaid answered that, on the contrary, such rule had existed under the Caliphs.  Realistically, Zaid concluded, Muslims in Malaysia could not expect to establish Islamic rule in the near term, nor was JIM advocating such a step, but there was a need to offer a competing vision to that of the west.

17. (SBU) We asked Zaid about two current controversies in Malaysia with religious overtones:  the Catholic Herald's effort to overturn a law restricting the use of the word "Allah" to Muslims, and the pending caning of a Muslim woman, Kartika, for drinking alcohol, noting that these cases attracted attention outside of Malaysia. 

Zaid said that the law restricting the use of "Allah" was not based on Muslim beliefs, but nevertheless a law was on the books and JIM would not risk alienating other Muslim groups by defending the Catholic Herald. 

On the Kartika case, he said there should be no controversy:  she had broken Syariah law in Pahang state, and the required penalty was caning.

18. (U) SRMC Pandith cleared this cable.

KEITH

 

Putting it in perspective

Posted: 02 Jul 2011 06:51 PM PDT

I repeat: politicians can never be trusted. They never serve the Rakyat's interest. We, the Rakyat, have to take matters into our own hands. We need electoral reforms. So we need BERSIH to be able to bring about those electoral reforms. It is about seeing clean, fair and free elections.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Stay away from illegal rally, says Sultan

(The Star) - The Sultan of Pahang has urged the people to not get involved, either directly or indirectly, in the July 9 illegal assembly.

Sultan Ahmad Shah said the assembly would only bring trouble and won't benefit the people.

'I appeal to the people not to get themselves involved in this. Whether it is bersih (clean) or dirty, as long as it is a demonstration, it is not clean,' he said after opening the new Mardi office in Muadzam Shah near here.

The Sultan added that such an assembly should not take place in Malaysia. 'I'm personally against this,' Bernama quoted him as saying. The country's 1.2 million civil servants have also been told to stay away from the rallies.

This is to safeguard the principle of 'neutrality and impartiality' of public sector employees, Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said. He said in a June 30 directive that the General Orders clearly stated that civil servants were not allowed to put their personal interests before the Government's.

Mr Abu Bakar said civil servants were not allowed to participate in any illegal activity, even after office hours. 'In fact, they cannot leave their work stations to even watch such activities being held,' he said, adding that action could also be taken against any civil servant who used government facilities for such activities.

***************************************

Muhyiddin: Opposition wants to seize power through street protest

(The Star) - The Pakatan Rakyat does not respect the mandate of the majority and chooses to use street protest to wrest power from the government said Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said that it is crucial in any democracy for political parties to respect the mandate of the majority.

"The mandate of the majority must be accepted by the parties. This is a rule of democracy," he said officiating the Federal Territories Barisan Nasional Convention Sunday.

Instead of recognising this fact, he said the opposition has disregarded the will of the majority that had voted for Barisan.

"They (opposition) does not respect the mandate of the majority but chooses to use street democracy as a means to wrest power," he said.

He said the Barisan would oppose the opposition's dirty tactics of attempting to wrest power via street protest.

He said the opposition was using the Bersih rally as a front to cause chaos.

"We know they (opposition) are behind several non-governmental organisation to hide their dirty intentions.

"They claim the gathering is peaceful which is guaranteed by the Constitution," he said.

However, the deputy Prime Minister said opposition claims of the country not having a free and fair democratic system is unfounded.

The opposition, he said, denied the reality of their victory in the previous general election.

"If they claim that elections in our country is not fair and dirty, it is impossible for the opposition to win in so many seats and control several states," he said.

He said it was a farce for the opposition to talk about democracy when there are top leaders within Pakatan Rakyat who were appointed' to power.

***************************************

It is times like these that make me proud to be a member of the royal family. When I read what His Highness the Sultan of Pahang said it brought a tear to my eyes. Malaysia's ten Monarchs -- the seven Sultans, the Raja of Perlis, the Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and the Agong -- are Islam's Fidei Defensor.

For the uninitiated, 'Fidei Defensor' is Latin for 'Defender of the Faith' -- just as 'Petra' is Latin for 'rock' (now you know why I am stubborn and hard-headed like a rock).

It is good that sometimes the Rulers advice the Rakyat about what is the right thing to do and remind us to not do the wrong thing, especially if that particular action violates the laws or religious edicts. If it is not the Rulers who speak out then who else can speak out, especially when it concerns wrongdoings perpetuated by the Rulers themselves?

Is it not correct to say that one must be judged by one's peers? That is how the legal system works (although Malaysia has already ended the jury system and you are now no longer judged by your peers).

My peers are fellow-bloggers so let fellow-bloggers judge me. The Rulers, on the other hand, must be judged by fellow-Rulers. You and I can't pass judgement on the Rulers.

In the past, only God could judge Rulers as Rulers took instructions directly from God (thank God that system has since been abolished or else God will not have time for any other work with so many cases or Rulers' misconduct to manage).

So we need the Rulers to speak out when necessary. There are many wrongdoings being committed not just by the Rakyat but also by the Rulers.

Take gambling, as an example. Never mind whether you are Muslim or Christian, gambling is haram in all religions. But many Malaysians gamble and this cause a lot of social problems. It is an even bigger problem when the Rulers themselves gamble because they are not gambling with their own money, like the Rakyat. They are gambling with our money.

Some Rulers go to the US, UK, Australia, etc., and waste millions of Ringgit in a single day at the casinos. And the government has to foot the bill for these gambling loses.

Ask the two cousins -- Hishammuddin Hussein and Najib Razak. Both their fathers were once-upon-a-time Prime Ministers of Malaysia and they know how much problems their fathers faced in trying to keep the Rulers in line. They both know how much money the government had to fork out to pay off the gambling debts of the Rulers.

So it is good that His Highness the Sultan of Pahang has spoken out and has advised us not to do anything unlawful, illegal or sinful. We need those kinds of reminders. If not many Malaysians would misbehave. And this would cost the nation millions and billions in taxpayers' money. 

What the Deputy Prime Minister said is also very true. There are attempts to use the BERSIH march of 9th July 2011 to grab power through street demonstrations. But maybe the intelligence agencies have not correctly advised Muhyiddin on what is really happening.

He said that the opposition is using BERSIH to grab power. Actually that is not quite correct. The opposition is not using BERSIH. The Rakyat is using BERSIH.

The truth is, to us Rakyat, both the ruling party and the opposition are all the same. They are all politicians. And politicians are self-centred and serve only themselves, not the Rakyat.

Politicians can't be trusted. History has shown us that. Look at what the Bolsheviks did in Russia. They kicked out the Tsar but became worse than the Tsar. The Tsar's secret police murdered 6,000 dissident Russians. When the Bolsheviks took over they killed 200,000 Russians. That shows we can't trust the politicians.

The same happened when they ousted King Louis XVI of France. More people died at the hands of the Revolutionaries than at the hands of the King.

So, no, I as the Rakyat do not trust politicians. If we have not learned from history then we must be plain dumb. And that is why I criticise the opposition as much as I criticise the ruling party. And that is why I criticise Anwar Ibrahim as much as I criticise Najib Razak. Both are politicians and we should be careful with both. 2,000 years of recorded history has shown us that.

If you are Christian, which means you probably went to church today, you would believe that Jesus Christ was crucified. And who crucified Jesus or went before the government and demanded that he be crucified? Was it not politicians who were worried that Jesus was becoming too popular and was undermining the power of the politicians?

If you are of the Muslim faith you would believe in Prophet Muhammad. And who were the ones who persecuted the Prophet and his followers? Was it not the politicians, those heading the government of Mekah, who feared that they might lose power if they did not act against the Prophet?

Yes, all through history, politicians have betrayed us and have put to death those viewed as dangerous to them, prophets included. So, no, the politicians are not behind BERSIH. We do not trust them enough to allow them to be behind BERSIH. It is the Rakyat who are behind BERSIH. And both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat better know this and had better remember this.

So Muhyiddin is wrong if he thinks that BERSIH is about making Anwar Ibrahim the next Prime Minister. I would never agree to that. I would oppose that even if every single Malaysian condemns me and alleges that I have been bought, have done a U-turn, am a turncoat, am a Trojan horse, or whatever.

I repeat: politicians can never be trusted. They never serve the Rakyat's interest. We the Rakyat have to take matters into our own hands. We need electoral reforms. So we need BERSIH to be able to bring about those electoral reforms. It is about seeing clean, fair and free elections.

Who eventually wins that election -- Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat -- is secondary. The important thing is that whosoever it is that may win must win fairly. And if the majority of the Rakyat chooses Barisan Nasional then Barisan Nasional it will be. And if instead they choose Pakatan Rakyat then so be it. But it must be on the basis of a clean, fair and free election.

Of course, if you were to ask me whom I would vote for I will make no secret about it. I will vote for Pakatan Rakyat. But this is not about whom I support or will vote for. It is about ensuring that the election process is clean, fair and free.

Oh, and one more thing, Muhyiddin said, "If they claim that elections in our country is not fair and dirty, it is impossible for the opposition to win in so many seats and control several states." Actually, if the elections had been clean, fair and free, the opposition would not have just won so many seats and five states, Barisan Nasional would have been kicked out totally.

So the Deputy Prime Minister's argument is terribly flawed. The fact that the opposition won so many seats and a few states is not the yardstick to declare that Malaysia's elections are clean, fair and free. That fact that Barisan Nasional is still in power is proof that the elections are not clean, fair and free.

 

Stop being kaypoh, you blardee Kristian

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:32 PM PDT

I am sure you would agree that what is important is that no one prevents you from going to church every Sunday to pray so that you can guarantee your place in heaven when you die. In fact, even Hitler did not prevent Christians from going to church every Sunday to pray so that they can guarantee their place in heaven when they die. And that is exactly why the Christians closed both eyes to the extermination of six million Jews.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Blogger Lodges Police Report Against Alleged Religious Sedition Twitter Post            

(Malaysian Digest) - The Secretary of Blog House Malaysia (BHM), Tony Yew, today lodged a police report against Chan Lillian who, according to Tony, posted a religious sedition with her Twitter account.

Chan Lillian is an official video-journalist for Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

Tony, when met after he made his report at Travers police station, said that Chan, under the name of 5xmom, tweet on Wednesday night urging all Christians to go down to the streets, which Tony believes is the Bersih 2.0 mass rally.

"She tweet, 'i think all Christians shud march for all the persecution they had done to us and our Lord. Don't you think so? I go sleep now. Bye bye'," said Tony.

"I believes her tweet is an intentional sedition for all Christians and dangerous considering the recent development related to this coming 9 July", he added.

Tony advises the public, especially Christians, to not fall into the trap of religious tensions.

"I am a Christians and practised my faith freely, no persecution ever happen while I'm practising my faith, as Lilian try to portrays with her tweetpost."

"She made it up with another agenda up in her mind", he added.

*****************************************

Good for you, Tony Yew. Teach those buggers a lesson. How can they post a 'religious sedition' in their Twitter account? Too much, man!

By the way, just between you and me, Tony, I tried looking up the crime of 'religious sedition' in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia and could not find it. Maybe it is in the Penal Code but I don't have a copy of that so I am not able to find out under which section of the Penal Code that comes under.

Never mind. I am glad you did your Christian duty and took action on this crime of 'religious sedition' by making a police report. We don't want people -- especially the Malay-Muslims of Malaysia -- to start thinking that Christianity is an action-oriented religion, like Islam.

Christians should demonstrate that they are passive, not active, like Muslims, who belong to a religion that propagates amar makruf, nahi munkar -- which simply means uphold righteousness and oppose evil.

If Christianity starts becoming like Islam -- upholds righteousness and opposes evil -- then Muslims may get fooled into thinking that Christianity is a good religion after all.

Currently, Muslims are taught that Christianity is the opposite of Islam. If Muslims start thinking that Christianity is just like Islam -- that it upholds righteousness and opposes evil -- we may face problems of Muslims converting to Christianity.

And that is something we must avoid at all costs as this, as you say, may increase religious tensions.

We must remember that 'religious sedition' -- though this crime may be absent in our Constitution or Malaysian laws -- is exactly the crime that Jesus Christ committed. And for that he was crucified -- at least you as a Christian believe. And the fact that you 'crucified' Chan Lillian, metaphorically speaking, is certainly the Christian thing to do.

I am sure that you, Tony, are proud that Christians, for thousands of years, have demonstrated passiveness towards evil. And I am proud that you, as my friend, have continued this Christian tradition.

Imagine what would have happened had the Christians demonstrated outrage at what the Nazis did to the Jews in Europe? There would have been utter chaos. The Nazis would have been brought down and the six million Jews would not have been rightfully punished for what their ancestors did to Jesus Christ.

The Christians wisely remained neutral and did not even whimper at the Holocaust. And that was why the church was spared and was able to survive when the rest of the world was ravaged by war.

Tony, people just never learn from history. As Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said: Melayu mudah lupa. And you have reminded us that not only Melayu, but also the Christians mudah lupa. And it is good that you reminded us so that the Christians would not mudah lupa.

Do you remember this quotation, Tony?

First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.

This quotation is credited to Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller, a German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor.

Now, note two things here, Tony. Friedrich Gustav was anti-Nazi plus he was a Lutheran. So that makes him biased. And we can't accept the views of someone who is biased.

The bottom line is: the Nazis went for the Communists, trade unionists, Jews and Lutherans. They never touched the Pope in Rome. And that is what matters. Won't you agree, Tony?

So, Tony, let's you and I whack the Malaysian Christians who try to stir Christians into action. As you rightly said: you are a Christian who can practise his faith freely and you suffered no persecution in practising your faith.

So, what more do you want? Is this not enough? Why make so much noise about freedom, justice, good governance, an end to abuse of power and corruption, clean elections, and whatnot?

I am sure you would agree that what is important is that no one prevents you from going to church every Sunday to pray so that you can guarantee your place in heaven when you die. In fact, even Hitler did not prevent Christians from going to church every Sunday to pray so that they can guarantee their place in heaven when they die. And that is exactly why the Christians closed both eyes to the extermination of six million Jews.

Aiyah, Christian pun macam Melayu: mudah lupa. And it needs someone like Tony Yew to bring the Christians back to the right path and to remind them that Christianity is just about going to church on Sunday to pray. Christians should not kaypoh into other matters not related to praying in church on Sunday.

Thank you, Tony, for your service to the nation. I hope soon I will be able to refer to you as Yang Berbahagia Datuk Tony Yew just like your boss, Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ahirudin Bin Attan a.k.a. Rocky Bru.

 

WIKILEAKS: Malaysia’s sixth annual trafficking in persons report

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Malaysia is a destination and, to a far lesser extent, a transit country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Collectively, as many as several thousand women from the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation.  Additionally, some economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants and as laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 KUALA LUMPUR 000372

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

 

DEPT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, EAP/RSP

 

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PHUM, KCRM, KWMN, SMIG, KFRD, ASEC, PREF, ELAB, MY

SUBJECT: MALAYSIA SIXTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

 

REF: A. STATE 3836

     B. 05 KUALA LUMPUR 3792

 

1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION:  Malaysia is a destination and, to a lesser extent, a transit country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor.  Women from the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation.  Additionally, some economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants and as laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude.

2. (SBU) There are no reliable statistics revealing the total number of women trafficked into Malaysia.  Foreign embassies and NGOs report that in 2005, at least 500 trafficking victims were rescued and repatriated.  During the first nine months of 2005, over 4,600 foreign women were arrested and detained for prostitution, compared with over 5,700 arrested during all of 2004. 

According to the government-funded National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), a significant number of these women were probable TIP victims.

3. (SBU) The government recognizes that trafficking is a problem and has taken significant steps to combat it.  Senior officials have expressed their support for anti-TIP programs, including comprehensive anti-TIP legislation and TIP victim identification training for police and immigration officials.

In November 2004, the government signed an ASEAN declaration calling for greater regional cooperation against trafficking in persons.  In December 2004, the government hosted the signing of a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with eight other ASEAN countries to improve regional cooperation and prosecution of transnational criminal activities including trafficking.  Also in December, the women's affairs minister announced her intent to establish of the first shelter specifically for foreign women who are victims of trafficking.

4. (SBU) Government implementation of these steps has lagged, however.  According to Suhakam, the government has not significantly improved its anti-TIP actions since late-2004. Malaysia lacks comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation that would enable officials to identify and shelter victims, and to prosecute traffickers under a single criminal statute.

The government has not taken the legal steps necessary to establish the government-run shelter announced by the women's minister.  While final statistics for 2005 are not yet available, convictions of traffickers under the penal code are down from the previous year.

5. (SBU) The government should draft and enact a comprehensive trafficking law that recognizes trafficked men and women as victims and provides them with shelter, counseling and repatriation assistance.  The government should also systematically screen foreign prostitutes and illegal migrants, in order to identify and provide care for trafficking victims in their midst.  In addition, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD) should fulfill its December 2004 undertaking to establish one or more dedicated shelters for foreign trafficking victims.

6. (SBU) The Embassy has urged the MWFCD to establish one or more shelters and stronger legal protections for victims of trafficking.  We are encouraging the ILO and other international NGOs to be more proactive in TIP programs in Malaysia and are partnering with local NGOs to expand the infrastructure and resources required to respond effectively to the needs of victims.  We have also offered to provide the USG's TIP victim identification expertise to police and immigration officials.  The response from the Malaysian government to these proposed initiatives has been positive and cooperative.

7. (SBU) We believe that the government of Malaysia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.  The Malaysians have made significant efforts in previous years to bring themselves into compliance with minimum standards.  However, they have not provided evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking over the previous year.  We therefore recommend that Malaysia be moved from Tier 2 to Tier 2 Watch List in the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report. 

The placing of Malaysia on the Watch List should assist us in communicating to the government of this moderate, Muslim-majority democracy the importance with which we regard the need for it to continue to address its trafficking issues.  End Summary and Introduction.

8. (U) Embassy's submission for the 6th Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for Malaysia follows.  Responses are keyed to paras 21-25 of ref A.  Embassy's point of contact for TIP is political officer Jeffrey Hilsgen (phone: 603-2168-4831, fax: 603-2168-5165, email: hilsgenjg@state.gov).  Per the request in para 20 of Reftel, to date the Embassy has spent the following time on the TIP report: FS-1: 12 hours; FS-4: 75 hours; FSN: 10 hours.

9.  CHECKLIST (PARA 21)

A.    A. (SBU) Malaysia is a target destination for crime syndicates trafficking women and girls into the country for the sex trade.  To a much lesser extent, Malaysia is also a country of origin and transit.  While there are no reliable statistics revealing the total number of women trafficked into the country, estimates can be made drawing from different sources.  Foreign embassies and NGOs report that in 2005, at least 500 trafficking victims were rescued and repatriated. 

During the first nine months of 2005, 4,678 foreign women were arrested and detained for suspected involvement in prostitution, compared with 5,783 arrested during all of 2004.  Chinese nationals accounted for the largest percentage of such arrests (more than 40%), followed by nationals of Indonesia (25%), Thailand (17%) and the Philippines (10%).  According to the government-funded National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) and involved NGOs, a significant number of these women were probable TIP victims.

(SBU) While little verifiable information exists regarding the number of Malaysian women trafficked to other countries, the GOM claims that no Malaysian women were trafficked outside the country in 2004 (the latest period they reviewed).  GOM statistics state that 20 Malaysian women were arrested in 2004 for immigration violations in various countries.  According to the GOM, none of the women claimed to be trafficking victims or gave any indications they had been trafficked.  Our conversations with local NGOs indicate that fewer than 100 Malaysian women are trafficked abroad each year, and that the number has declined in recent years.

(SBU) Our sources of information on TIP in Malaysia include the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), the Attorney General's Chambers, the Immigration Department, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA, an ethnic-Chinese political party in the ruling coalition), Suhakam, several foreign diplomatic missions, and a number of local NGOs, including the Malaysian Bar Council.  These sources were forthcoming with credible information on TIP.

B. (SBU) Malaysia is a destination and, to a far lesser extent, a transit country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Collectively, as many as several thousand women from the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam are trafficked to Malaysia for commercial sexual exploitation.  Additionally, some economic migrants from countries in the region who work as domestic servants and as laborers in the construction and agricultural sectors face exploitative conditions in Malaysia that meet the definition of involuntary servitude.

(SBU) A small number of Malaysians are trafficked annually to other countries, though recent data suggest that the number has decreased to negligible levels.  According to NGO sources, young Malaysian ethnic Chinese women are the primary targets of traffickers recruiting prostitutes in Malaysia.

For religious and/or cultural reasons, trafficking of ethnic Malay or ethnic Indian women is infrequent.  According to most reports, Malaysian Chinese women are lured by word of mouth and by personal contacts connected to mainland Chinese criminal syndicates with international connections.  Promises of high-paying jobs and freedom from the restrictions of Malaysia's generally conservative society are the main motivating factors.

(SBU) During meetings with senior USG representatives in 2005, Malaysian government officials expressed strong support for combating trafficking in persons.  While the government views the issue of trafficking both as a stand-alone problem and as part of the larger challenge of border security and illegal migration, Malaysia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

According to the government funded National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), the government has not significantly improved its anti-TIP actions since Suhakam's publication in January 2005 of a national plan of action to combat trafficking.  The government has taken steps to combat trafficking and has a broad array of criminal laws available to it to deter and punish traffickers, but Malaysia lacks comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation that would enable officials to identify victims, shelter them, and prosecute traffickers under a single criminal statute.  Compared to 2004, prosecutions and convictions of traffickers under the penal code declined during the first nine months of 2005.

(SBU) The majority of persons trafficked into Malaysia for sexual exploitation come from China, Indonesia and Thailand, with smaller numbers coming from the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Cambodia, Burma and Laos.  Anecdotal evidence indicates that numbers of victims coming from neighboring ASEAN countries have remained relatively constant over the last few years. 

The number and patterns of victims coming from source countries tend to reflect GOM immigration and visa policies.  For example, China has grown as a source country in recent years due to a more liberal Malaysian visa policy that reflects growing economic ties and GOM efforts to encourage tourism and university enrollment from Chinese students.  China has become the largest and fastest-growing source country for prostitutes in Malaysia; many of these Chinese women and girls are likely TIP victims.

(SBU) The Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) compiles statistics on arrests of foreign women with suspected involvement in prostitution, broken down by nationality.  The Immigration Department's enforcement division also collects data on trafficking cases.  Malaysian authorities do not adequately distinguish illegal migrants from trafficking victims.  Law enforcement officials assert that the great majority of the foreign women arrested for prostitution in Malaysia entered the country voluntarily and with valid travel documents.

However, surveys by Suhakam and interviews with Indonesian, Thai and Philippine embassy officials indicate that as many as fifty percent of foreign women arrested for prostitution are possible trafficking victims.  According to the Thai embassy's anti-TIP officer, nearly all of the Thai women arrested for prostitution claim to be TIP victims during interviews conducted by embassy officials.

(SBU) To avoid detection by law enforcement authorities, trafficking victims engaged in prostitution are often confined to the premises of their establishments, whether it is a place of entertainment or a privately owned apartment or home.  Some women are taken out under strict supervision to meet customers at hotels or private residences.  Trafficking victims are kept compliant through involuntary confinement, confiscation of travel documents, debt bondage, and physical abuse or threat of abuse, according to NGO representatives, academics, and foreign consuls.

(SBU) In terms of prevention, in 2002 and 2003 the government took steps to toughen the criteria for young foreigners seeking student visas, to monitor individuals with student visas more carefully to ensure they were actually attending school, and to scrutinize more closely young foreign women entering the country on special two week "social passes."  It has also stepped up border detection for smuggling, illegal migration, and drug and people trafficking.

(SBU) There is no evidence of widespread tolerance or complicity in TIP by government authorities, though accusations of more general corruption, particularly at the local police and immigration levels, exist.  Foreign diplomatic missions report good cooperation on TIP from law enforcement authorities at the federal level, but some NGOs have alleged that outside of Kuala Lumpur they have received less cooperation.  Several NGOs report that that police cooperation with NGOs and other groups against traffickers has improved.

C. (SBU) Government resources are overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of illegal migrants entering the country.  Analysts estimate that over one million illegal migrants live in Malaysia.  Law enforcement agencies lack adequate resources to deal with the influx, and criminal syndicates have been quick to exploit this weakness.  TIP victims are lost in the crowd of illegal migrants from China, Indonesia and Thailand.

The Indonesian embassy estimates that only a small minority of the 70,000 Indonesian workers in Sabah are legally registered with the GOM.  Immigration authorities say they do not have the manpower or language resources to question and distinguish trafficking victims from illegal migrants, or to properly assist them when they are identified.  The NGO community is small, poorly funded, and often does not have the capacity to provide for victims even when the police seek their assistance.

D. (SBU) Suhakam in 2004 conducted a comprehensive review of Malaysia's response to TIP.  A 159-page report published in January 2005 included interviews with victims, police, immigration, prison authorities, ministries involved in TIP, the Attorney General, foreign embassies, NGOs and IOs.  The report called for wide-ranging measures to combat trafficking and a more human rights-centered approach for protecting victims. 

The report was widely publicized in the local media and generated positive commentary from the public, NGOs and government officials.  The state-influenced media gives extensive coverage to law enforcement raids against brothels, massage parlors, and other locales where foreign women and their pimps have been arrested for suspected involvement in prostitution. 

The government does not systematically publish detailed statistics about its arrests, prosecutions and convictions of pimps and traffickers.  The GOM has provided this and related information to the Embassy upon request. The government has also provided a detailed written response to our annual trafficking in persons report.

10. PREVENTION (PARA 22)

A. (SBU) In 2004 the government signed the ASEAN Ministerial Declaration against Trafficking in Persons.  Government officials regularly acknowledge that Malaysia is a destination and transit country and assert that they are committed to combat TIP comprehensively.  They view trafficking as a problem connected to organized crime, prostitution, smuggling and illegal migration, and recognize that many young foreign women involved in prostitution in Malaysia are victims of TIP.  However, some also assert that many prostitutes working in Malaysia are here out of choice and that these women should be prosecuted as such and deported as illegal migrants. 

Government officials have expressed concern that some women willingly involved in vice claim to be TIP victims when arrested.  The government acknowledges that it has difficulty in distinguishing TIP victims from foreign sex workers who entered Malaysia willingly, as many of these women do not speak Bahasa or English and choose not to file charges against their traffickers.

B. (SBU) The RMP, the Immigration Department, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the MWFCD, the MFA, and the Attorney General's office are the government agencies involved in anti-trafficking efforts.  Suhakam, which is funded by the government, and the MCA, the second-largest party in the governing coalition, are also active in anti-TIP efforts.

C. (SBU) MCA publishes warnings in its Chinese-language publications and makes public statements to caution potential victims about overly lucrative job offers abroad.  The MCA reported that the number of Chinese victims seeking assistance from its offices declined to 39 in 2005, compared with 56 in 2004 and 75 in 2003.  The government has not directly sponsored anti-trafficking campaigns.

D. (SBU) The government supports some trafficking prevention programs.  Currently, the MWFCD operates "rehabilitation" homes for women and girls (under 18) who have been determined by the courts or their families to be at risk of engaging in prostitution or other vice activities.

(SBU) Malaysian women comprise more than half of the university student population, account for 44% of the nation's labor force, and hold significant high-profile positions in government, NGOs and the private sector.  In 2004, the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Family Development was merged with the Ministry for Social Welfare to create an expanded Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

The women's affairs minister secured passage in August 2001 of a constitutional amendment barring sex discrimination.  In 2004, a women NGO activist who maintains a shelter for abused women and TIP victims was appointed to the royal commission on police reform.

(SBU) In 2004, Suhakam drafted a TIP national plan of action with support from the IOM.  Among other things, the plan recommended that the government fund shelters for foreign TIP victims that include reintegration programs.  In December 2004, the women's affairs minister announced the cabinet's approval to open a shelter specifically for "foreign women who are victims of trafficking." 

Prime Minister Abdullah attended the announcement, signaling his support.  The women's minister subsequently informed us that amendments to existing laws, or a new comprehensive anti-TIP law, had to be enacted prior to government establishment of a TIP victim shelter; current laws do not distinguish between TIP victims and illegal migrants engaged in vice activities.  In 2005, the MWFCD discussed launching a nationwide campaign in collaboration with various NGOs to increase public awareness on trafficking through seminars, workshops and dissemination of brochures. 

The campaign is supposed to target youths and school children and serve as a capacity-building program for law enforcement and policy makers to heighten their awareness of the problem.  It has not yet been launched.

F. (SBU) Government and NGO cooperation on trafficking is uneven and ad hoc, both because the government does not have established procedures for handling trafficking victims and because NGOs do not have the resources to care for more than a few victims at any given time.  In some cases victims are released into the custody of their embassies, which maintain limited shelter capabilities.  In other cases, police ask private shelters run by NGOs to accept TIP victims. 

Foreign embassies and several NGOs report good cooperation with police and immigration officials in securing immigration passes and shelter for foreign women workers who are victims of trafficking or physical abuse.  Police officers have been designated as liaisons with the MCA's Social Services and Welfare office and other NGOs on cases involving trafficking and other victims.

(SBU) Using USG funding and with the assistance of the IOM, local NGO Tenaganita plans to establish Malaysia's first dedicated shelter for foreign TIP victims in March 2006. Tenaganita intends to obtain the formal approval of police, immigration and Women's Ministry officials for the shelter, as it ramps up operations.  The Indonesian embassy's shelter in Kuala Lumpur has a capacity of 80 persons, but in mid-February it housed 140 individuals, including a 15-year-old girl recently trafficked into Malaysia from Sumatra for sexual exploitation.  Approximately 80% of the of the shelter's occupants are typically TIP victims, according to the embassy's lead anti-TIP official.  Of that number, about 80% are laborers escaping exploitative conditions, with the remainder are persons trafficked for sexual purposes.

G. (SBU) The Malaysian government views border control as a national security issue because of concerns related to terrorism, narcotics, public health, economic security, and social stability, as well as trafficking.  For all of these reasons, the government is making a strong effort to monitor the country's borders. 

Malaysian passports issued in the country are fitted with a microchip that stores the biographic data and photograph of the passport holder to prevent forged alterations and photo substitution of lost or stolen passports.  As part of its crackdown on vice in 2002, the government instituted tougher criteria for foreigners seeking student visas and increased border scrutiny of young persons, particularly from China, entering Malaysia on special "social passes." 

In 2005 the government began a large-scale program to issue immigration "smart cards" to permanent residents and legal workers in Malaysia.  The smart cards electronically store biographic data, fingerprints and the immigration status of the cardholder.

(SBU) Malaysia's 3000-mile-long coastline creates a tremendous challenge for Malaysia's security forces.  In addition, the long, heavily forested land border that East Malaysia shares with the Indonesian province of Kalimantan cannot be patrolled adequately.  The government nonetheless makes a serious effort to control these borders. 

Reports of organized criminal activity to facilitate the entry of illegal aliens are investigated by local law enforcement authorities, and in some cases suspected perpetrators have been detained under Malaysia's Internal Security Act (ISA), the Emergency Ordinance and the Restricted Residence Act, all of which allow for extended periods of detention without charge. 

In January 2005, the press reported that the police used the ISA to detain nine persons involved in forging Malaysian identity cards.  Seven of the individuals worked for the Malaysian national registration office and the remaining two were members of criminal syndicates.  In both 2003 and 2004, according to government statistics, approximately 4,000 foreign nationals were refused entry into Malaysia due to suspicion of owning fake or falsified travel documents.

H. (SBU) A number of governmental interagency groups address TIP and related issues.  The MFA leads an interagency group on transnational organized crime, which meets monthly and has been charged with addressing the trafficking issue from a regional perspective.  The Home Affairs Ministry supports another interagency group, the Cabinet Committee on Illegal Immigrants, which coordinates efforts against illegal migration, including TIP.  Deputy Prime Minister Najib, who also holds in his portfolio oversight of the National Human Rights Commission, chairs the Cabinet Committee on Illegal Immigrants.

(SBU) The Home Affairs Ministry also maintains a special interagency task force targeting vice that includes officials from the RMP, Immigration, and the Ministries of Home Affairs, Housing, Education, and Tourism.  According to NGOs, this task force meets occasionally, but its anti-vice contributions remain unclear.  An additional border security group, the Land Entry Points Coordinating Committee, reviews and improves the operational aspects of border control.  A similar group also coordinates efforts to improve service, security and efficiency of air-entry points. 

In the state of Sabah, on Borneo, an interagency Federal Special Task Force focuses primarily on illegal migration, but also tries to prevent TIP.  The task force includes representatives from the RMP, Immigration, the national security arm of the Prime Minister's Department, and the armed forces.  A separate agency under the Home Affairs Ministry, the Anti-Corruption Agency, investigates cases of public and private corruption.

A royal commission on police reform conducted a review of police practices, including allegations of police corruption and graft, starting in 2004, issuing 125 recommendations in April 2005.  In early 2006, the Prime Minister ordered the Attorney General to complete the legal groundwork necessary to create a permanent independent commission to hear complaints against the police.

(SBU) On the international level, TIP is a component of the Eight Priority Areas of Cooperation under the Work Program of the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime.  In 2004, Malaysia signed a joint ASEAN Declaration to Combat Trafficking in Persons.  The declaration called for greater regional counter-TIP cooperation and asked member states to undertake actions to respect and safeguard the dignity and human rights of victims of trafficking. 

In 2005, Malaysia convened a meeting of ASEAN attorneys general to sign an ASEAN-wide mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) designed to combat transnational crimes, including TIP, more effectively.

In May 2002, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia signed the "Agreement on Information Exchange and the establishment of Communication Procedures" to establish a framework for cooperation on border and security incidents, transnational crimes (including trafficking in persons), and other illegal activities.  Subsequently, Cambodia, Brunei and Thailand acceded to the agreement.  Malaysia has been an active participant in the "Bali Process" initiated by Australia and Indonesia. 

In 2003, Malaysia hosted two follow-up legislative workshops on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and related Transnational Crime.

(SBU) Malaysia shares intelligence on trafficking syndicates and related dangers with the UK, Australia and Interpol. 

In late 2002, the Sabah state government entered into an agreement with the government of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan to cooperate on a range of shared cross-border challenges, including finding and arresting human traffickers and dismantling syndicates. 

In 2004, Malaysia ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Crime; it is considering signing the supplementary protocol against trafficking in persons.  Malaysia is expected to conclude an MLAT with the U.S. in 2006.

J. (SBU) In October 2004, Suhakam, with support from the IOM and the Embassy, drafted a national anti-TIP plan of action for consideration by the government.  In preparing the plan, Suhakam consulted with government agencies and NGOs involved with TIP, foreign embassies from source countries for TIP victims found in Malaysia, TIP victims and foreign experts on TIP such as the IOM. 

The national plan of action was submitted to the government for consideration in November 2004.  The government has not yet acted on the anti-TIP plan's proposals, nor has it designated a lead ministry for counter-TIP programs.

11. INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS (PARA 23)

A/B/C. (SBU) In 2002, the government amended the criminal code to include extensive anti-trafficking language.

According to one expert on anti-trafficking legislation, it is now "a strong law with solid anti-trafficking provisions with regard to trafficking for sexual exploitation."  Using the provisions, police regularly raid brothels and arrest pimps and enforcers. However, only two such individuals were convicted under the penal code during the first nine months of 2005. 

When the police lack sufficient criminal evidence to arrest suspected pimps and traffickers under the Penal Code, they often utilize the Restricted Residence Act, one of Malaysia's "preventive detention" laws, to incarcerate them. Another such law, the Emergency Ordinance, is regularly used against criminal syndicates that transport, harbor and otherwise facilitate the illegal entry of foreigners into Malaysia.

(SBU) While Malaysia does not have a unitary law specifically prohibiting trafficking in persons, most of the acts involved in trafficking in persons as defined by the UN Protocol are criminal offenses, including recruitment, transportation, transfer, wrongful restraint, harboring, receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion fraud, abuse of power, or forced sexual exploitation, slavery, or servitude.  In 2004, the government began to use new provisions to the 2001 Anti-Money Laundering Act to seize the assets of businesses involved in illicit activities, including trafficking.  Following is a summary of the legal provisions most commonly used in Malaysia against traffickers:

-- Constitution, Articles 6(1) and 6(2): Prohibit slavery and forced labor.

-- Penal Code, Sections 340-348: Address "wrongful confinement" of a person against his/her will.  Punishments include maximum prison terms from one to three years and a fine.

-- Penal Code, Section 372: Amended in 2002 to include stronger anti-trafficking language, addresses exploitation of any person for purposes of prostitution.  Exploitation is defined to include selling, hiring, or otherwise obtaining possession of any person with the intention to employ or use the person for the purpose of prostitution (either inside or outside of Malaysia) or knowing or having reason to believe that the person will be so employed or used. 

Section 372 expands the offense of exploitation to include using false pretense or deceitful means to bring into or take out of Malaysia any person; harboring or receiving any (exploited) person and wrongfully restraining any person in any place. Wrongfully restraining is further defined as withholding clothing or property, threatening the person with legal proceedings to recover any debt or alleged debt and detaining a person's identity card or passport.  Punishment under this section of the Code includes a prison term, which may extend to 15 years, caning and a fine.

-- Penal Code, Section 372A: Provides the same penalties as section 372 for anyone who lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person.

-- Penal Code, Section 373: Provides the same penalties as section 372 for anyone who keeps, manages or assists in the management of a brothel.

-- Penal Code, Section 374: Addresses unlawful compulsory labor and includes punishment by imprisonment for a maximum one-year term and the possibility of a fine.

-- Immigration Act, Sections 55(A) and Sections 56(1)(d): Covers a wide spectrum of immigration violations related to illegal entry or entry under false pretenses.  The Act also addresses "employing" and "conveying" illegal aliens.  The Act was amended in 2002 to toughen significantly punishments for immigration violators.

Those convicted of illegal entry face a fine of up to RM 10,000 ($3,800) and/or a prison sentence of up to 5 years, and caning of up to a maximum of 6 strokes.  The penalty for employing an illegal alien is a fine of between RM 10,000-50,000 (USD 7,900) for every illegal immigrant employed and/or a prison term of up to 12 months.  An employer employing more than five illegal immigrants will be imprisoned from 6 months to 5 years and caned up to a maximum of 6 strokes. 

The penalty for "conveying" (trafficking) illegal immigrants is a fine of RM 10,000-50,000 for every individual trafficked.  An individual convicted for trafficking more than 5 illegal immigrants will also be imprisoned for between six months and five years, and caned up to a maximum of six strokes.

-- Child Act (2001): Merges provisions from an array of diverse legislation pertaining to children and young persons (the Women and Girls Protection Act, the Juvenile Court Act, and the Child protection Act) into one law.  The Act specifically prohibits trafficking of children and makes it an offense to sell, let to hire, or procure (by threat or intimidation by false pretense, fraud or deceit) any child (defined as anyone under the age of 18) for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Penalties for these offenses are a maximum prison term of 15 years and a maximum fine of RM 50,000 (USD 13,000).  The Child Act also authorizes the police to provide protection and rehabilitation for children in need.  A child in need is defined to include a child who "is being induced to perform any sexual act, or being in any physical or social environment which may lead to the performance of such act".

-- Passports Act: Criminalizes the forgery or alteration of travel documents (including passports, residence permits and visas).  Also criminalizes false statements or misrepresentation used to gain illegal entry into Malaysia. Penalties range from RM 10,000-100,000 ($2,600-$26,000) fine, 5-10 years in prison, and six strokes of a cane.

-- Internal Security Act (ISA): Provides for detention up to two years without formal charge.  According to the Home Affairs Ministry, the ISA has sometimes been used against individuals for threatening the security of the country by trafficking illegal immigrants or forging travel documents or work permits.

-- The Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance: Used against persons, usually criminal syndicates that are involved in illicit activities (such as violent crime, document forgery and people smuggling), which threaten public order.

-- Restricted Residence Act (RRA): Allows the government to require individuals who are suspected of engaging in criminal activity including trafficking to move to a pre-determined location in the country and remain there under close police supervision.   The RRA does not require a formal charge to be filed against the suspected individual.  According to police data, the RRA was used significantly more often than the penal code to charge and detain suspected pimps and traffickers during 2005.

D. (SBU) Federal law criminalizes prostitution and bans pornography, and the laws are vigorously enforced. Malaysians tend to be conservative on sexual issues.  The 60% of the population that is Muslim is subject to Islamic laws that prohibit even "close proximity" between men and women who are not married to each other. 

The activities of the prostitute, brothel owner/operator, and enforcer are all considered criminal offenses, though clients are not generally prosecuted. The sex trade is largely underground. It is visible only at two extremes: in nightclubs and bars that cater primarily to affluent foreigners; and in poor neighborhoods with large migrant populations.

E. (SBU) Following amendments to different acts in 2001 and 2002, the government began to prosecute people involved in trafficking for the purposes of prostitution.  According to the MFA, in 2002 the first trials and convictions under the amended sections 372, 372A and 372B of the Penal Code began to work their way through the courts, with 9 trials and 7 convictions.

In 2003 there were 85 cases investigated, 31 prosecutions and seven convictions.  According to RMP statistics, 28 persons were prosecuted (and two convicted) under Sections 372 and 373 of the Penal Code from January - September 2005, compared with 38 persons prosecuted (and 17 convicted) during all of 2004.

(SBU) When police lack sufficient evidence to convict a suspected pimp or trafficker, they use the Restricted Residence Act to detain the suspected individual.  The Act allows the government to detain a suspected trafficker indefinitely, without due process of law.  During the first nine months of 2005, 48 suspected traffickers were detained under the Restricted Residence Act, compared with 47 during all of 2004.

(SBU) According to the government, it detained "about 40" members of regional trafficking syndicates from 2000-2004 under the Internal Security Act (ISA).  The suspected traffickers used Malaysia as a transit point for trafficking Chinese nationals to third countries.  The government stated that 13 international trafficking syndicates were eliminated in these operations.

(SBU) Government officials, NGOs and legal analysts acknowledge that prosecution of trafficking perpetrators is complicated by the difficulty in producing credible evidence and by the lack of victim cooperation.  Evidentiary barriers, the prosecution's burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and pressure to produce convictions in a backlogged criminal justice system all work against effective prosecution of trafficking cases.  Given these problems, the government has employed the ISA, the Emergency Ordinance and the Restricted Residence Act to detain or restrict the activities of people suspected of trafficking and alien smuggling activity.

F. (SBU) The RMP reports that a number of large organized criminal syndicates, as well as a few smaller groups, traffic foreign women into Malaysia, using Malaysia either as the women's final destination or as a transit point to a third country.  In 2005, there were numerous reports of prostitution rings broken up by police and syndicate members arrested for involvement in prostitution.  Employment agencies are sometimes used as fronts for people smuggling and trafficking in persons.  Sex tourism is not widespread in Malaysia, nor are there reports of marriage brokers fronting for traffickers.

G. (SBU) As noted in para 8E above, the Malaysian government is actively investigating cases of trafficking.  Police efforts to break criminal syndicates are complicated by layers of middlemen, some of whom reside outside Malaysia.

Often trafficking victims, both Malaysians who have gone abroad and foreigners brought to Malaysia, may only know one middleman, who is probably using a false identity.  In investigating cases of trafficking, police investigators attempt to question repatriated Malaysian victims as soon as they return, but the victims usually cannot or will not provide enough information for further investigation.

H. (SBU) The government lacks the expertise to provide law enforcement officers with specialized training on how to investigate incidences of trafficking.  It continues to take full advantage, however, of TIP training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors at ILEA Bangkok, as well as bilateral training on domestic violence sponsored by the USG in Malaysia. Police, prison and immigration officials also lack TIP victim identification expertise.  In 2005, senior police and immigration officials asked for USG-sponsored TIP victim identification training.  The Embassy continues to seek funding and provision of such training for GOM law enforcement officials.

I. (SBU) The RMP cooperates with law enforcement agencies in neighboring countries whenever cross-border criminal incidents are being investigated.  In May 2002, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines signed an agreement to facilitate cooperation in addressing border and security incidents, as well as transnational criminal activities that include human trafficking. 

In late 2002, the Sabah state government entered into a formal agreement with the government of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan to cooperate on a range of issues, including combating TIP and investigating trafficking syndicates.  Malaysia actively participated in the Bali Process and has hosted two legislation workshops related to it. 

In early 2005, though a joint operation by the RMP and the British National Crime Squad, a Malaysian "snakehead" was arrested, tried and convicted of smuggling illegal Malaysian workers into the UK.

In April and October 2005, the RMP closely cooperated with an international NGO to raid several brothels in Johor, arrest one internationally active trafficker and rescue dozens of (primarily Thai) women.  Thai police from Songkla visited Kuala Lumpur in February to conduct a joint cross-border TIP investigation with local police.

Representatives from NGOs, as well as the Indonesian, Thai and Philippine embassies in Kuala Lumpur, characterize their cooperation with police as good.  NGO and embassy officials emphasize the timely responses from police to tips about the locations of possible TIP victims.

J. (SBU) There have been no reports of extraditing persons charged with trafficking.  Section 108A of the Penal Code allows Malaysian authorities to prosecute a Malaysian who commits or abets a crime in another country that would be deemed an offense under the Penal Code.  Malaysia is a party to the ASEAN Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, which is designed to facilitate and expedite regional cooperation in fighting transnational crime.  Malaysian law does not prohibit extradition of Malaysian nationals.

K. (SBU) There have been no proven cases of tolerance or complicity in TIP by government authorities.  Pockets of general corruption, particularly at the local police and immigration levels, exist.

L. (SBU) Although some low-level police and immigration officials likely receive bribes from brothel owners, pimps and traffickers, we are aware of no allegations that police officers or other government officials have engaged in trafficking.

(SBU) Most analysts assume that some trafficking-related corruption exists among law enforcement and immigration ranks, since some TIP victims have been known to pass through two or more ports of entry without travel documents. 

In April 2005, a government-sponsored independent police commission noted a rising incidence of police corruption. Included among the appointed commissioners were women activists active in the fight against TIP.  The commission reported that disciplinary actions were initiated against 1,216 police personnel for corruption and other offenses during 2004, compared with 1,138 in 2003. Police offenses noted in the report included accepting bribes, theft, and rape; punishments included suspension, demotion and dismissal. 

The number of these officers involved in facilitating trafficking was not available.  As noted above, the Prime Minister recently ordered the Attorney General to complete the legal groundwork necessary to create a permanent independent commission to hear complaints against the police. If ultimately established, this commission could provide an effective venue for investigations into allegations of police complicity in trafficking.

M. (SBU) Malaysia does not have an identified child sex tourism problem, although the Indonesian, Thai and Philippine embassies occasionally report interviewing victims under 18 years of age what have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.

N. (SBU) Malaysia signed and ratified ILO Convention 29 in 1957, ILO Convention 105 in 1958 (but renounced it in 1990), ILO Convention 182 in September 2000, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in September 1995.  Malaysia signed the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in September 2002 and ratified it in 2004.  The government has not signed the supplemental Protocol on the Sale of Children, or the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women.

12. PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS (PARA 24)

A. (SBU) The government provides no shelter facilities dedicated exclusively to TIP victims, as these individuals are not recognized as victims under Malaysian law.  Until Malaysia amends its existing laws or enacts comprehensive anti-TIP legislation, TIP victims will be routinely processed as illegal migrants and held in the country's prisons or illegal migrant detention facilities, prior to deportation.

According to the RMP and foreign consuls, trafficking victims identified by the police are released on an ad hoc basis into the custody of a consular official and sent to a women's shelter instead of being kept in police lock-up.  The Indonesian, Thai and Philippine embassies report that in 2005, RMP officers brought in many of the over 500 victims assisted by the embassies' respective shelter programs during the year.

(SBU) As of February 2006, the Indonesian embassy's shelter held 140 individuals, approximately 80% of whom were deemed TIP victims by embassy officials.  Women's shelters run by other foreign embassies temporarily housed an additional 30-40 TIP victims per year.  NGOs and police report that NGOs currently do not have the capacity to shelter more than 25-50 victims nationally, leaving the police few alternatives to housing victims in detention facilities.  Owing to language barriers and limited police training, foreign trafficking victims are usually not recognized as victims and are treated as immigration offenders.  HIV/AIDS screening is usually provided for individuals arrested for prostitution and for others who are identified as trafficking victims rather than illegal migrants.  When trafficking victims are identified as victims prior to detention, they may be sent to a hospital for examination and released to their embassies for repatriation.

B. (SBU) Although NGOs do not receive government funding specifically to provide services to trafficking victims, the government provides general funding to 75 NGOs dedicated to women's welfare.  These NGOs provide shelter for victims of rape and domestic violence, counseling, legal referrals, and job skills training.  Three foreign embassies maintain shelters in Kuala Lumpur for citizens who have no place to take refuge.  The Thai embassy's shelter is small and held no individuals as of February 2006, while the Indonesian embassy's shelter is by far the largest, with a (typically exceeded) capacity of 80.  Many using the shelters are trafficking victims.

The MWFCD has introduced "women's centers" in each state for impoverished, abused and otherwise vulnerable women who may need shelter, counseling, and job skills training.  The ministry currently operates five such shelters.  The ministry stated in 2005 that one of these shelters could be quickly converted to house trafficking victims who need assistance, once Malaysian law allows the GOM to handle TIP victims as such.

C. (SBU) The government has not yet implemented a formal screening process to identify TIP victims and treat them accordingly.  A Suhakam-designed TIP victim identification questionnaire was used briefly on a trial basis in 2005 at the Kajang women's prison.  Both Suhakam and the prison's director told us recently that it is no longer used, as Malaysian law does not allow special treatment for detained TIP victims.

D. (SBU) Foreign TIP victims are often not recognized as victims and, if they are holding false travel documents or have been arrested for prostitution, are usually detained and deported.  Illegal migrants (including some victims) who are caught by the Malaysian authorities without valid travel documents are held for a few days in police custody before being sent to immigration detention centers or prisons pending deportation.  The period of detention varies widely, from a few days to several months.  According to foreign consular representatives, the usual sentence is one or two months' imprisonment and a fine, followed by deportation.

E. (SBU) The Malaysian government encourages victims to assist in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking, but reports that most victims are unwilling to testify or do not have sufficient information to assist in a prosecution.

A trafficking victim may file a civil suit against a trafficker under Malaysian law, and there have been many cases of migrant workers filing such suits in cases where they were not paid the salary they were promised or put to work in abusive conditions that were contrary to their contracts.

While there is no specific impediment to the victims' access to such legal redress, they are usually not able to obtain employment while the court considers their case, and so for economic reasons this type of action in not usually pursued.  We are not aware of any victim restitution program.

F. (SBU) Some foreign victims have access to legal counsel through the Legal Aid Center of the Malaysian Bar Council. Police say that most victims are unwilling or unable to provide enough information for criminal prosecution of the trafficker, and many simply want to return to their home country as soon as possible. 

One NGO reported that pimps and traffickers are often present in the courtroom during court proceedings to intimidate the victims, while another NGO reported in October that police allowed a trafficker to visit ten Thai trafficking victims in detention.  The Malaysian government does not have a witness protection program in place for any prosecution witnesses. 

The Abduction and Criminal Intimidation of Witnesses Act of 1947 criminalizes the abduction of any person for the purpose of preventing their testimony and thereby obstructing justice.  The police and Attorney General have advised that this is rarely used in trafficking cases. 

The courts have begun to experiment with video conferencing and videotaped depositions to provide protection to victims who are afraid to testify in court.  As of February 2006, the necessary equipment was installed in several locations, but the program had not yet been initiated.

(SBU) According to an Indonesian embassy official, many Indonesian plantation workers in Sabah are detained on the plantations and forced to work for less than $3 (i.e. RM8-10) per day.  Under Malaysian law, victims of these forms of trafficking are entitled to seek compensation through the legal system and are eligible to remain in Malaysia while their legal suit is pending.  In general, Malaysian courts have ruled in favor of the victims and in some cases imposed harsh prison sentences on the employer.  However, such labor-related lawsuits may take months or even years to be adjudicated.  Meanwhile, the victim is not allowed by the GOM to work and is typically left with insufficient means of financial self-support; they therefore often leave the country, rather than see their case through to completion.

G. (SBU) The government does not currently provide special training for officials on how to identify or assist trafficking victims.  Senior police and immigration officials have acknowledged that additional training and expertise are needed to improve identification and handling of trafficking victims.  Police and immigration officials have asked the USG to provide additional such training to improve their anti-TIP capability, and we have requested funding for the training (ref B).  Outside of citizen services and repatriation training, Malaysian embassy and consulate staff abroad do not receive specialized training on how to assist trafficking victims.  Malaysian police, immigration officials and public prosecutors have received training at ILEA on trafficking in persons, as well as USG-funded bilateral training on domestic violence.

H. (SBU) Repatriated Malaysian victims who do not have the support of family or friends are referred to the MWFCD for public assistance.  Private groups, such as the MCA's welfare wing, also offer services to repatriated victims.

I. (SBU) MCA, the Bar Council, Tenaganita, Women's Aide Organization (WAO), and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (IFWL) are the Malaysian NGOs most active in working with trafficking victims.  In 2004, the IOM provided Assistance to Suhakam to draft a national plan of action to combat TIP. 

In 2005, the IOM and Tenaganita submitted a project proposal to the Embassy to shelter, repatriate and reintegrate TIP victims. Following funding approval, the IOM and Tenaganita signed a MOU regarding establishment of the shelter, and it is scheduled to commence operations in March 2006.  Two NGOs maintain shelters that are available to foreign trafficking victims. 

One of the shelters provides in-house counseling, medical referrals to clinics and legal referrals to the Bar Council's Legal Aid Center.  The shelter also works with foreign missions to arrange for translators and to facilitate repatriation for women trafficked to Malaysia.  Other women's shelters in the country provide refuge, but have few additional resources for the special needs of trafficking victims. 

NGO relations with local authorities vary.  Some frequently receive cooperation from law enforcement officials, but others experience greater difficulty.  The MCA, WAO and Tenaganita provide a full range of services, including counseling, shelter, and repatriation assistance.  The Bar Council and IFWL provide legal assistance.  Foreign embassies and local NGOs report that cooperation with the federal police in Kuala Lumpur has generally been good.  Outside of Kuala Lumpur, with other agencies such as Immigration, cooperation is less consistent.

13. HEROES (PARA 22)

(SBU) For the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report the Embassy nominates Irene Fernandez, President of local NGO Tenaganita, for honor as an individual who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to fighting TIP.  Over the past several years, her work on behalf of both mistreated migrant workers and sexual trafficking victims in Malaysia has garnered her worldwide respect and support. 

Fernandez was arrested in March 1996 for publishing a report about detainee abuse and very poor sanitation conditions in the country's illegal migrant detention centers.  Found guilty in October 2003 and sentenced to one year in jail, she appealed her case.  Hers has become the longest-running court case in Malaysian history. 

In May 2005, her NGO Tenaganita published a video entitled "Breaking Labor" that included the tragic stories of several foreign victims of labor trafficking and abuse in Malaysia.  During 2005, Tenaganita facilitated legal assistance and shelter for sexual trafficking victims. 

In December 2005, Fernandez traveled to Stockholm to accept the Right Livelihood Award, commonly known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize."  And as of February 2006, in cooperation with the IOM and with USG funding, Tenaganita was poised to establish Malaysia's first dedicated TIP victim shelter and repatriate TIP victims to their home countries. Tenaganita has become the largest and most effective anti-TIP NGO in Malaysia, and this status is largely due to Fernandez' efforts.  She has demonstrated considerable vision, courage and leadership in the face of the Malaysian government lawsuit.  Her efforts have directly benefited hundreds of TIP victims, as well as influenced the GOM to improve its anti-TIP attitudes and actions.

LAFLEUR

 

The fear of unity

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:43 PM PDT

It is about Malaysians of different ethnicities and religious persuasions marching side-by-side, holding hands, looking out for one another and, in one united voice, demanding free, fair and clean elections in the pursuit of better governance.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x3SjSgqXGc

The government wants to stop the planned BERSIH march of 9th July 2011. They government says it fears that the BERSIH event may get out of control and will escalate into an Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, etc., situation.

That may be only part of the reason but is not the more important reason.

The real and more important reason is that the government is worried the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sikhs, Ibans, Dayaks, Kadazan-Dusuns, Bajaus, Bidayuhs, Orang Ulu, Orang Asli, Muruts, Bugis, Menangkabaus, Boyans, Javanese, Arabs, Pakistanis, Mamaks, Thais, Portuguese, 'lain-lain', etc., may unite on 9th July 2011.

Any student of history knows that unity is bad for despotic or autocratic regimes. A mere few thousand colonialists can control a country of hundreds of millions as long as the people are divided. But once the people unite the colonial government is going to face a host of problems.

And that was why the British mastered the game of 'divide and rule'. Divide and rule works well when a handful of people want to dominate the masses. The local population can outnumber the invaders 100,000 to one. That is not a problem as long as the 100,000 are not united. The problem begins when the 100,000 unite and gang up on the one.

How do you think 191 Umno division heads have been able to dominate a Malaysia of 28 million people? That is because of the system they have set up where 191 Umno division heads decide who becomes the Prime Minister and the rest of the 28 million Malaysians are divided by race and religion.

The BERSIH march of 9th July 2011 threatens to unite all Malaysians irrespective of race and religion. The government saw this happen on 10th November 2007 during the BERSIH 1.0 march. And this has put fear in the government because BERSIH 2.0 may prove to be bigger and better than BERSIH 1.0.

In 2007 the politicians headed BERSIH 1.0, and mostly Malays at that too. BERSIH 2.0 is not being headed by politicians -- and not a Malay on top of that. This is bad news for the government.

The only weapon the government has to use against its own people -- just like many despotic and autocratic governments the world over since thousands of years -- is the fear factor. So the government is throwing everything including the kitchen sink against BERSIH. The government is trying to put fear into the hearts and minds of Malaysians -- the fear that 9th July 2011 may turn into another 13th May 1969.

The race and religion card plus threats of riots and loss of life is being played to the hilt. The government hopes that the 'gutless' and 'selfish' Chinese will be intimidated and will stay home -- or even better: go down to Singapore or up to Bangkok for a weekend 'holiday'. The government hopes that the Malays will see BERSIH 2.0 as a Christian plot to undermine Islam and a Chinese conspiracy to erode Malay political power so that the Malays can be reduced to second-class citizens in their own country.

But if all these efforts fail and the Chinese are not intimidated by all this talk of race-religion riots and the Malays are not fooled by all this talk of Christian plots and Chinese conspiracies then the government is screwed big time, super-big time.

So BERSIH 2.0 needs to be thwarted. No stone must be left unturned to ensure that BERSIH 2.0 fails. If it succeeds then all is lost.

It is not about the danger of Malaysia turning into Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, or even Beirut. That is not what the government fears.

It is about Malaysians of different ethnicities and religious persuasions marching side-by-side, holding hands, looking out for one another and, in one united voice, demanding free, fair and clean elections in the pursuit of better governance.

That is what the government fears above all else.

So what are we, Malaysians of various ethnicities and religious persuasions, going to do on 9th July 2011? You tell me.

 

WIKILEAKS: Cartoon controversy envelops more media sources

Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

The public demand for higher quality news reporting has become increasingly risky for government-controlled media organizations to satisfy, however, since highly sensitive racial and religious issues typically provide the subtext for the most provocative and best-selling stories.  The cartoon controversy prompted Prime Minister Abdullah to wield one of the government's most potent legal weapons for controlling the media in order to signal that boundaries still exist on press freedom when it comes to racial and religious issues.

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 000365

 

SIPDIS

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2016

TAGS: PHUM, KDEM, ASEC, PREL, PGOV, KISL, KPAO, MY

SUBJECT: CARTOON CONTROVERSY ENVELOPS MORE MEDIA SOURCES

 

REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 313

     B. KUALA LUMPUR 193

     C. KUALA LUMPUR 357

 

Classified By: PolCouns Thomas F. Daughton for reasons 1.4 b, d

 

1. (C) SUMMARY: For the third time in a month, the Malaysian government has suspended publication of a daily newspaper that printed an image of a Prophet Muhammad cartoon.  The government-controlled New Straits Times (NST) managed to avoid punishment, however, after it issued an "unreserved apology" for publishing a syndicated cartoon that poked fun at the global Prophet Muhammad caricature controversy (ref A). 

Meanwhile, two of Malaysia's four free-to-air television channels issued apologies for inadvertently broadcasting images of Muhammad cartoons in early February.  The opposition Islamic party PAS and several religious leaders continue to fan the cartoon flames, despite efforts by the government and mainstream media to put the controversy behind them. 

PAS tried to organize cartoon protests on March 3 in mosques in each of Malaysia's 13 state capitals, while the northern state of Perak's government-funded religious council website posted an on-line poll (later withdrawn) asking readers whether Muslims should "hunt and kill, or launch war" against those who "insult the Prophet Muhammad." 

Prime Minister Abdullah has signaled that the government will continue to monitor media coverage of racial and religious issues to ensure that GOM-defined constraints are not violated.  At least in the near term, editors will likely restrict their coverage to news that is "print to fit" within the GOM's evolving boundaries of acceptability.  End Summary.

A Third Newspaper Falls Through Thin Cartoon Ice...

2. (C) The internal security ministry suspended publication of the Chinese-language Berita Petang Sarawak newspaper for two weeks starting February 26 in response to its February 4 publication of a "seditious" photo of a man reading a newspaper in which one of the Danish cartoons was clearly visible. 

Berita Petang Sarawak became the third newspaper to have its publishing permit suspended over publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons.  Earlier in February, the government suspended the Chinese-language Guang Ming Daily for two weeks for an infraction similar to that committed by Berita Petang Sarawak, and the prime minister, acting in his dual role as internal security minister, indefinitely suspended publication of the Sarawak Tribune for reprinting one of the caricatures (ref B).

... While Another Skates Around It

3. (C) After coming under fire for its February 20 publication of a syndicated cartoon alluding to the Danish caricature controversy (ref A), Malaysia's second-largest English-language daily, the New Straits Times, issued a front-page, "unreserved apology" on February 24. 

Within hours of the paper's appearance, PM Abdullah stated that the government would take no further action against the NST, which is owned by the ruling UMNO party.  The PM's decision to forgo action against the NST did not deter about 500 protesters from holding a protest at NST's Kuala Lumpur offices following Friday prayers on February 24. 

Supporters of PAS and of Anwar Ibrahim's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) waved signs and shouted slogans that referred to the NST editors as "bastards" and agents of Israel and Singapore.  In a full-page analysis of its cartoon crisis, the NST's editors wrote on February 25, "That is PAS.  That is Keadilan.  In the name of Islam, they perform prayers and march from a holy place carrying placards that call people bastards.  What is so Islamic about pre-judging others and slandering them without any evidence?"  PKR leaders later distanced themselves from the demonstration, calling it "disgraceful" and claiming they had no role in organizing it.

Offensive Cartoons Also Spotted on TV

4. (C) In its adroitly worded February 24 "apology," the NST called the attention of the internal security ministry to several television broadcasts that had aired images of the banned Muhammad cartoons in early February.  According to media reports, all four of Malaysia's free-to-air television channels (state-owned RTM1 and RTM2, and UMNO-controlled TV3 and NTV7) broadcast images of at least one Muhammad cartoon.

The NST's move was widely viewed as a shot at the information minister, who led the charge against the paper's editorial staff over its syndicated cartoon.  The government is currently reviewing the allegations and is expected to decide soon whether any punishment of the stations is warranted.

For its part, TV3 tried to head off a reprimand by airing an apology to its viewers on February 28 for "accidentally" broadcasting a news segment that showed one of the controversial images "for 13 seconds."  The channel also sent a written explanation of its actions to the energy, water and communications ministry.  NTV7 did likewise on March 1.  The two state-owned channels, RTM1 and RTM2, have not yet acknowledged that they aired footage of a Prophet Muhammad cartoon.

Other Cartoon-Related Developments

5. (C) The official, state-funded website of the religious council of Perak (a large state in northern peninsular Malaysia) recently posted an on-line, Malay-language poll asking readers to choose the most appropriate action to be taken against those who "insult the Prophet Muhammad."  The poll allowed readers to choose among six answers, including, "hunt and kill them or launch war against them."  The on-line poll was pulled from the website March 2 after a disparaging March 1 report about it by Internet-based news provider Malaysiakini.  The poll had attracted little public attention and only about 175 "voters," 22% of whom supported the most extreme response.

6. (C) PAS planned to organize further protests against the Muhammad cartoons on March 3 at designated mosques in each of Malaysia's 13 state capitals.  An intervening decision by the government to raise gasoline prices (ref C) changed the theme of the protests, however, and PAS representatives told us late March 2 that demonstrations would occur only in Kuala Lumpur and three state capitals.

Comment

7. (C) Both the government and the mainstream media want to see the end of the cartoon saga, which has absorbed considerable time and attention here over the past month.

The "guilty" newspapers have been quickly punished and news coverage has moved on to other issues.  The TV broadcasts that displayed the Muhammad cartoons are now more than three weeks old; any punishment of the channels at this point will likely be mild, swift and meted out with little fanfare.  PAS and a few Islamic religious leaders have tried to keep the controversy on life support, mostly in a bid to rally political support, but new issues arising daily are making that increasingly difficult.

8. (C) The cartoon controversy has played out in the larger context of a slow relaxation of press controls that began after Abdullah Badawi took office in late 2003.  In order to build a general air of believability and be commercially competitive -- both with each other and with the Internet -- the government-controlled media have attempted to provide increasingly objective and complete reporting on national stories. 

The public demand for higher quality news reporting has become increasingly risky for government-controlled media organizations to satisfy, however, since highly sensitive racial and religious issues typically provide the subtext for the most provocative and best-selling stories.  The cartoon controversy prompted Prime Minister Abdullah to wield one of the government's most potent legal weapons for controlling the media in order to signal that boundaries still exist on press freedom when it comes to racial and religious issues.

For the near future, we expect news editors to respond by restricting their coverage of such issues to news that's "print to fit" within the GOM's slowly evolving notions of acceptability.

LAFLEUR

 

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