| ‘Catholics won’t now suddenly change’ Posted: 19 Jul 2011 12:27 PM PDT  (FMT) - LAHAD DATU: A former Sabah chief minister has scoffed at the idea that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican City this week would endear him to the Christian majority in Sabah and Sarawak. Downplaying Najib's meeting with the Pope, Yong Teck Lee claimed it was "nothing out of the ordinary" and was purely a diplomatic event. He dismissed attempts to paint the visit as a fence-mending trip following last year's religious tension in the country between Muslims and Christians. He said the visit by Najib would in no way raise his profile among the Christians and Catholics in the country, especially in Sabah and Sarawak where Christians form a sizeable population. He said Najib's visit should not be seen as a damage control exercise by the federal government after what was seen as an attempt to curb religious freedom following a series of faux pas by the authorities pandering to demands by certain Islamic leaders. These were exposed at the time as bearing the hallmark of political manoeuvring. "The Catholics in this country will continue to do what they have always done. "Sabahans have always been very tolerant of other religions and they won't suddenly change," Yong said. Yong was responding to FMT on Najib's visit in the light of the government's ban on the use of the word "Allah" in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible and the detention of thousands of copies of the holy book in Sarawak and in the peninsula earlier this year.
Planned ahead Yong, who is Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, said that even the reported tension following the ban on the word "Allah" and the arson attacks on churches in the peninsula in January last year were not a true reflection of the feelings of the people in the country. He believes the whole issue was played up by political activists and was ignored by ordinary Christians in Sabah and Sarawak who continued to practise their faith as they had always done. "This (visit to the Vatican) was a government head-to-head exercise. People should not read too much into the visit as it was something that would have taken a lot of time to prepare. "I believe the visit must have been already planned far ahead of the the sudden flare-up of religious tension in Sarawak. "There would have been government-to-government preparations… what to say, what not to say… you know… the diplomatic needs," he said. On Catholic Archbishop Murphy Packiam's role in aiding Najib in his call on the Pope, he said: "Some people are saying Archbishop Pakiam should not have accompanied Najib as it would be seen as taking part in politics. |
| Suhakam: Call it advance voting, not postal voting Posted: 19 Jul 2011 12:21 PM PDT  By Minderjeet Kaur, NST KUALA LUMPUR: A Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner yesterday suggested that the term "postal voting" be corrected and changed to "advance voting" as ballot papers were no longer mailed to the army or police personnel. The suggestion also received support from the Election Commission, which explained that although the the mailing of ballot papers to service personnel ended in 1990, the term postal votes remained until today.
Suhakam Commissioner Shaani Abdullah said postal votes described the method of voting in an election with ballot papers distributed and returned by post, while in truth, the army and police personnel were allowed to vote in advance.
"They cast the votes a day or two earlier and it is then sent to the polling stations, not posted."
He added that advance polling is held to allow every citizen who might not be able to vote on election day to vote. It is also held to increase participation and relieve congestion at polling stations on the election day.
EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar echoed his sentiment and said the correct term was advance voting.
He said the first postal voting exercise was carried out during the country's 1959 general election with the ballot papers sent via the postal service, but it it was discontinued because the boxes often did not arrive at the counting stations on time.
"It was such a waste. There were too many ballot papers not counted as votes. A review later discovered that the post offices did not have enough time to mail all the ballot papers to the respective counting stations.
"Since then, ballot boxes are flown in through military or police courier once it is verified and checked by the officers and the candidate's representatives.
At the counting stations, the ballot boxes are again checked by the returning officers, who are mostly district officers or council presidents, for verification."
Wan Ahmad said the commission was also in the process of developing a software to allow all house owners to check the number of voters in their units.
"This will allow them to check if there are other voters registered under their address. Sometimes, the names of their dead parents or grandparents might still be in the electoral roll as the families often fail to inform the National Registration Department of their deaths.
"In early days, most citizens register as voters by writing their names and addresses. Their names are still in the system because family members did not update the NRD records. Now people say these are phantom voters".
But once the software is implemented, he said EC would be able to keep their records updated.
"It will eliminate the perception that we plant phantom voters."
At present, registered voters key in their MyKad 12 digit numbers for details of their voting centres at the EC's website available online. |
| The Role And Function Of The Police Force In A Kleptocracy Posted: 19 Jul 2011 12:10 PM PDT  By Tuan Abu Bakar bin Tuan Abu Khalid Kleptocracy is a government of thieves, by thieves and for thieves. The ruling elite in a kleptocracy governs only to extend its personal wealth and political power by stealing from the state's coffer. The major characteristics of a kleptocracy are rampant corruption, rent-seeking activities, money-laundering and abuses of human rights. Since a kleptocracy benefits only a small section of the population at the expense of the wider population, the modus operandi of the kleptocracy to stay in power is to divide the population along tribal, racial or religious lines. Contemporary kleptocracies often maintain a facade of democracy to camouflage their kleptocratic tendencies. A kleptocracy may have a state constitution, though it is regularly abused to suit the whims and fancies of the ruling elite. Regular elections are also held to enforce the notion of a democratic state. The elections are rigged and manipulated to provide legitimacy to the kleptocracy. Government agencies such as the judicial system, the civil service, the legislative body, the security forces and even the church act as apparatchik of the kleptocracy. The officials holding key positions are rewarded by having a share of the loot. True to the maxim, power comes from the barrel of the gun, the police force is an integral member of the kleptocracy. The primary role of the police force is to provide security and well-being of the kleptocracy. A kleptocracy, being an unjust system of government, brooks dissent and opposition. It is the function of the police force to provide surveillance of any form of dissent. Threats to the well-being of the kleptocracy are eliminated by using ad-hoc laws and regulations or extra-judicial means. Any gathering to express opposition to the kleptocracy is brutally dispersed. However, staged-demonstrations to support the kleptocracy are allowed and protected by the police force. The leadership of the police force is made-up of intellectually-deficient officers. This is is to ensure blind loyalty and total obedience to the ruling elite since they do not have the mental capacity to evaluate the morality or immorality of their actions. Conditioned as the dogs in Pavlov's experiments, they are only motivated by the base instincts of greed and lust. The rank-and-file of the police force is recruited from the bottom of the barrel; those who are not readily-employable in other sectors of the economy. Giddy by the minuscule power derived by being in the force and given tacit license to engage in petty criminal activities, the rank-and-file is committed to the preservation of the status quo. History has shown that the downfall of kleptocracies are directly attributable to the collapse or defection of the police force. Without the police force, a kleptocracy is but a paper tiger. The finality of the Shah of Iran's regime was not portrayed by the photo of the Shah fleeing Iran but by a photo of six dead, naked generals of the SAVAK lying on the damp concrete floor of a morgue in Teheran. |
| The changing media terrain Posted: 19 Jul 2011 12:07 PM PDT  By Karim Raslan, The Star A FASCINATING special section in last week's The Economist magazine explores the new media terrain post – Tahrir Square (in Cairo). As we now know, social media can be instrumental in toppling governments. Unfortunately, our leaders seem to have equated Malaysia with the Middle East – not realising that the conditions on the ground are totally different. Indeed, paranoia seems to have clouded the judgment of perfectly intelligent people. The magazine's analysis is all the more telling given the global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's highly embarrassing and value-destroying, phone-tapping debacle in the United Kingdom. The Economist outlines the extraordinary expansion and radical democratisation of the news industry as technology up-ends traditional business models. They argue that the global news industry is in the midst of a dramatic transformation – something that we in Malaysia are also experiencing. However, the survey begins by describing how the news was generated and then circulated centuries ago. In the era before the advent of newspapers, people exchanged news face-to-face at coffeeshops, warungs and markets. As a result, genuine news was mixed with gossip. Inaccuracies abounded and individuals were left to determine for themselves the relative veracity of what they were hearing. Obviously this is the tukang cerita's kind of world – an environment where the truth is in short supply and charlatans are poised at every corner. Anyhow, according to The Economist the news industry is facing a surprising return to the past. However, the random market gossip has been replaced by a torrent of chatter emanating from social media – from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In short, the volume is phenomenal. It is also loud, vociferous and intensely personal. The wall of noise will end up fracturing the public debate as a mass of disparate voices swamp the mainstream media. This will be matched by a challenge to the traditional media. Nonetheless, The Economist dates the rise of the newspaper industry to the launch of The Sun newspaper in New York in 1822. Combining advertising and objective journalism, The Sun was to reach an unprecedented 15,000 circulation within just two years – giving birth to an entire industry. Of course the subsequent travails of the newspaper industry have differed from country to country, reflecting underlying cultures. The Internet has had its most dramatic impact on British and American newspapers, all of which have been affected in circulation and revenue whereas German and Japanese titles haven't been badly mauled. Interestingly, there is still growth in newspaper circulation in emerging markets in India, Brazil and Indonesia. Another major exception to the overall negative trend in newspaper circulation is the general success of local media – newspapers with deep community roots that work hard at reporting and representing the various voices on the ground such as Sin Chew Daily and Sinar Harian. From a political perspective, the industrialisation of news-gathering resulted in the centralisation of influence. Those who owned newspapers quickly became very powerful with men such as William Hearst, Beaverbrook and indeed Rupert Murdoch trading favours with politicians and other businessmen. Understandably, politicians disliked and distrusted these powerful individuals and in many cases they did their utmost to curb their reach. However, in countries such as Malaysia, with our draconian newspaper licensing regulations, the balance of power is tilted very clearly in favour of the authorities. At the same time the actual control and ownership of newspaper titles by political parties and their allies was a major source of Barisan Nasional's lock on power. But times change. We are now presented with a very curious and unique scenario in Malaysia. We have a media that is split in the middle – with the mainstream (conventional) media supporting Barisan and the web-based predominantly supporting Pakatan. A relaxation of government controls will boost newspaper credibility immediately but tragically this is an unlikely eventuality. Denied access to the mainstream media, Pakatan politicians are being forced to learn how to navigate the new and increasingly complex media terrain. They've become leaner and meaner. By way of comparison, (with the exception of Khairy Jamaluddin who switches through all media formats, relentlessly pushing his agenda like any ambitious politician), Barisan figures prefer to stick to the mainstream media. As such they aren't learning how to manage the new challenges. |
| Umno Youth to meet EC next week over electoral reforms Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:39 AM PDT  By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Umno Youth will meet the Election Commission (EC) next week to discuss how to improve the current electoral system. "Umno Youth will be meeting the EC next week over suggestions to improve the current electoral system," the wing's Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told The Malaysian Insider. Khairy said that the government should not ignore improvement suggestions. Among the things which will be discussed are the eight electoral reform demands made by election watchdog Bersih. Bersih is pushing for a free and fair election system, and has listed eight demands which includes the need for automatic registration, use of indelible ink when voting, and the need for a longer campaigning period. "But this is not to say that all the eight demands are valid," said the Rembau MP. Umno Youth executive committee member Lokman Nor Adam said that some of the wing's proposals are already being utlilised by the EC. "Some of our proposals have already been suggested by the EC, like the biometric system. We are also going to co-operate with the EC to find ways to avoid dead people ending up on the voting list," he told The Malaysian Insider.
READ MORE HERE. |
| Behind bars, Jeyakumar says remains socialist Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:33 AM PDT 
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Devaraj Jeyakumar has insisted he will not waver from his socialist beliefs despite being held under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for allegedly attempting to revive communism. In a statement released late yesterday, the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leader said that current economic practices both locally and globally were an unsustainable "race to the bottom." "This is not the world that I wish to bequeath my grandchildren. That is why I am a socialist and intend to remain so despite the EO arrest," he wrote after three weeks in detention. Dr Jeyakumar was among 30 PSM members arrested on June 25 for allegedly planning to "wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong" and attempting to revive communist in part of a dragnet leading up to the July 9 Bersih rally. Police found in their possession T-shirts bearing the likenesses of former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leaders Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin. Police later dropped all charges but immediately rearrested the lawmaker and five others under the EO on July 2 and charged the remaining 24 for possession of Bersih material and involvement in an illegal organisation. In the aftermath of the chaotic rally, Bersih and opposition leaders as well as human rights activists have pushed for the release of the six. This comes as the Najib administration has embarked on a damage control exercise due to the stinging tone taken by the international press over its handling of the demonstration calling for free and fair elections. In his statement yesterday, Dr Jeyakumar called for a "workable alternative to an economy driven by corporate greed." He maintained that despite the general opinion that socialism "has been assigned to the dustbin of history" and is only championed by "deluded people," it was still crucial in "averting a collosal economic-ecological disaster that will occur within the next 30-60 years." "The global owners of capital and technological expertise who control market access are a relatively small number of corporations – about 500 to 1000. They have become all powerful in the unipolar world of today and can "bargain hunt". Even the biggest governments can't control them," he wrote. He specifically pointed out that Malaysia's policies to attract investors, including lowering corporate tax, allowing contractualising of labour and weakening unions as well as privatisation of basic services such as healthcare and tertiary education, was piling pressure on the poorest 70 per cent of the population. The National Economic Advisory Council has said that 40 per cent of Malaysian households are still living on RM1,500 per month or less.
READ MORE HERE.
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| Come Again. What is Democracy? Posted: 19 Jul 2011 11:30 AM PDT By batsman If people do not understand or refuse to understand what democracy is, then such UMNO controlled TV stations will have succeeded in fooling the people to go along with dirty election practices that distort the true will of the people. Looks like confusion reigns again. After 3 years of struggle together for democracy, reforms, justice, transparency, accountability and fairness, after 3 years of struggling together against abuse of power, victimization, injustice, corruption, nepotism and arrogance in government, after marching together hand in hand in the Bersih 2.0 rally facing tear gas, water cannon and police baton charges, some people wake up and are shocked to see who or what their friends in struggle are. The person one admired so much for being such a resolute fighter for reforms turns out to be intolerant of beer drinking, gambling and girls giggling their breasts in public. At least that is what it looks like. However, to be fair, perhaps it is not those who brave tear gas, water cannons, police baton charges, victimization, dirty tricks or arbitrary arrests who are shocked but those who never faced any of these things at all. It is very similar to the phenomenon that those who complain the most about food are those who cannot cook for nuts or those who scold and scream at football players the loudest are those who cannot play football for nuts. These are the critics and commenters of web blogs as well as shallow politicians sucking up to the constituents who scream the most. I suppose these things are a fact of life and part and parcel of the democratic process, but in order to shield those in the front lines from demoralizing screams, perhaps an even better understanding of democracy is needed anew. According to UMNO controlled TV stations, the Arab countries do not have democracy, therefore it is right for the Arabs to rebel and overthrow their governments. However in the case of Malaysia, democracy already exists, so Malaysians have no right to even protest, even if such protests are peaceful and call for free and fair elections to ensure that clean elections represent the will of the people most accurately (i.e. best practice democracy) and are not manipulated to reflect the will of a minority of power brokers playing dirty tricks. If people do not understand or refuse to understand what democracy is, then such UMNO controlled TV stations will have succeeded in fooling the people to go along with dirty election practices that distort the true will of the people. Similarly if people in the front lines of reform as well as their backers and critics do not understand what they are fighting for i.e. democracy, quite a few will become demoralized and drop out of the struggle. Modern democracy does not just mean the rule of the majority. This inadequate definition has fooled quite a lot of weak minded inadequate simpletons into making the wrong political decisions. Modern democracy also includes protecting the legitimate rights of the minority – not just legitimate human, property and civil rights of racial or religious minorities, but also minorities in terms of ideas and opinions. The rule of the majority that tramples on the legitimate rights of minorities especially minority opinions is not considered a properly functioning democracy and can lead to a situation such as majority Serbs trampling on the rights of minority Bosnians or majority Hutus committing genocide on minority Tutsis. Where it pertains to majorities or minorities of humans, a majority cannot adequately protect the rights of minorities who are their intractable "to the death" enemies. Fortunately such situations rarely occur. Humans are basically the same whatever skin colour they have. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for ideas and ideologies. Conflicting ideas and ideologies can be intractable "to the death" bitter enemies because ideas do not bleed, die or suffer like humans do. Conflicting ideas can remain pure and bitter enemies even if humans die by the millions because of them. This is the greatest danger to democracies. In Malaysia's case, even if PAS sincerely fights for democracy and reforms. Even if PAS is the most consistent in the fight against abuse of power, corruption, discrimination and injustice, can it be expected to protect intractable "to the death" Islamophobes? Fortunately if humans treat each other with respect and are willing to negotiate and discuss conflicting ideas and values in a civilized and peaceful manner, there is a form of control over dangerous extreme conflicting ideas. In Malaysia, people have to learn to respect each other as humans first before trying to talk about race and religion, not the other way round. I think this has in the main been achieved. No one can say for sure, but I believe PAS prefers to consider the human being first rather than his Islamophobic ideas. UMNO, on the other hand places its political agenda of Ketuanan Melayu in the forefront in an intractable manner. Even if this tactic is just to cover up the corruption and abuse of a small minority of crooks and cronies, it is an extremely dangerous political position to take because Ketuanan Melayu takes no prisoners, has no respect for minorities and brooks no dissent. PAS even if places Islam foremost in its political agenda, Islam is a merciful and tolerant religion that places justice, fairness and consultation in an extremely high place and demands categorically that Muslims protect the rights of minorities. There is no intractable "to the death" conflict between democracy and Islam. Unfortunately, when the global situation is considered, the west often implies that there is an intractable conflict between democracy and Islam such that it picks on Malaysia as a rare and precious role model of "moderate Islam" that it can live with. I do not know how Ketuanan Melayu and UMNO's "moderate Islam" can jive together harmoniously for ordinary Malaysians unless the west chooses to close both eyes on Ketuanan Melayu. At any rate UMNO's "moderate Islam or civilized Islam" is just a fancy term for secular and westernised in content and Islamic only in form. This is the only type of Islam the west can accept and choose to live with while closing both eyes to Ketuanan Melayu. Malaysians, both Muslims and non-Muslims on the other hand have no such choice and have to live with Islam whether it is of the UMNO Hadhari type or PAS type. Trying to escape this fact would be the greatest and most pathetic self-denial ever. Unfortunately, some Malaysian non-Muslims (I suspect those who are not in the front line of the fight for democracy and reforms) prefer to accept western ways and ideologies blindly and turn into western type Islamophobes. This is taking a political position that will most likely result in their complete isolation. Some chose the easy (or hard) way out and migrate to the western countries that they admire so much while others quietly wait their turn. That is their decision. Those who choose to stay and become full blooded Malaysians have to face reality and come to terms with the Malaysian context or risk complete political isolation. This is not a death sentence as you might think. The choice is a simple one between working under UMNO which practices a western secular lifestyle but retains a veneer of Islamic authority to keep both Muslims and non-Muslims under control while UMNO milks the country as a cash cow in its capacity as Ketuanan type lord and master; OR working with PAS which rejects western decadence and corruption but in justice and fairness, accepts progress, reforms and democracy (including democratic protests and dissent) under Islamic principles, at the same time is intolerant of abuse of minorities, corruption, robbery, rape, theft or murder as an influential member of the PR coalition. Democracy is not just the hypocritical US type that is meant to serve US interests. Any home grown democracy has to take local conditions into account. Otherwise it is just dangerous self-denial that blocks any realistic solutions to problems. Malaysians have to work together seriously to create a Malaysian democracy that Malaysians can live with, not blindly and obsessively insist on the US type of democracy. Shallow politicians have to stop acting like hysterical young girls and control their screams every time something looks uncomfortable or strange or act out their visions based only on ideas without consideration for human beings.. Of course the above positions are purposely described to be stark in-your-face choices. In reality, there are a lot more choices yet undescribed. There is also a lot of room to maneuver still and the choice need not be made for some time yet – perhaps not even at all. I don't claim to be a prophet who can predict what the future holds. Still, the choices presented are worth thinking about in terms of the type of democracy possible in Malaysia and what your preferred choice is as well as what course of action you may decide to take, don't you think? |
| Ku Li backs Bersih’s demands Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:51 AM PDT 
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT PETALING JAYA: Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah backed Bersih 2.0′s call for electoral reforms, describing them as "fair demands". This puts him on collision course with the party's official line, which deems the polls watchdog as illegal and insisting that the country's election system is clean. While many of his party members including Prime Minister Najib Razak are hellbent on demonising Bersih, the Kelantan prince said the demands made by the loose coalition of 62 NGOs should be heeded if the present administration genuinely advocates justice and fairness. "I don't know what their intentions are. I don't know them personally but as a democrat… given that Umno itself had vowed to protect democracy in this country, it is a must to consider all their demands," he told a press conference in Gua Musang on Sunday. "It is not like they are looking to topple the government," he added, referring to the repeated accusation by government leaders that Bersih's planned rally was a masked coup d'etat attempt. The Najib administration also accused Bersih 2.0 of being an opposition stooge while Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia had gone as far as accusing the NGO of being "foreign agent" in a Western conspiracy to wrest federal power. Razaleigh, affectionately known as Ku Li, suggested that it was normal for the opposition to support the group's demands. "They want to put in their candidates and contest too so let the voters decide. If they decide to vote for the opposition, what can we do? That is the democratic right of the voters." 'How are we developed?' READ MORE HERE. |
| Home ministry: Only the false parts were blacked out in Economist article Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:41 AM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - PUTRAJAYA, July 19 — Only the false and misleading parts of The Economist's article on the Bersih rally were blacked out, the home ministry said today. Abdul Aziz Md Nor, publications control and Quranic text division secretary at the ministry said the identified parts may misinform readers, according to The Star. He said the instructions were passed to the publisher of the British based magazine after consultation with police. READ MORE HERE. You can read the online version of that article here. |
| Nazri’s Nonsense! Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:37 AM PDT  "Although the EO was enacted and came into power as a measure to curb communist resurgency in 1948 to 1960, and also for a brief state of emergency following the May 13, 1969 racial riot, it was retained to ensure that such incidents do not recur." At times, Minister in the Prime Minister Department, Nazri Abdul Aziz, is capable of making very profound statements and at other times he excels in uttering the most pitiful and pathetic! Below are some of his comments on the continued unjust detention of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members (taken from the Malaysian Insider and Malaysikini today). It has been adapted into a conversational form so that the reader can easily detect where and when the Minister's intellect deserted him. (NAZ= Nazri Abdul Aziz; MP: Member of the Public) NAZ: "The six were suspected of reviving Communist ideology which had been banned in Malaysia." MP: Till today police have not been able to provide any evidence to prove that they are right in their suspicion which itself is very suspect. NAZ: "Putrajaya will not tolerate attempts to "deify" the (Communist) ideology." MP: The public will not tolerate Putrajaya's and Umno's attempts to "deify" itself and play God. NAZ: "Even though the Emergency is over, the EO is still in existence, so it's up to the police!" MP: Create an "emergency" you mean, so that they can keep on using the EO? NAZ: "Although the EO was enacted and came into power as a measure to curb communist resurgency in 1948 to 1960, and also for a brief state of emergency following the May 13, 1969 racial riot, it was retained to ensure that such incidents do not recur." MP: There is still no proof that "such incidents" have occurred. And if we were to follow your logic we must as well retain all the laws of yesterday to prevent the recurrence of past threats! NAZ: "Communism, though banned in Malaysia, is not dead as seen by some PSM people... Rashid Maidin, it's still alive." MP: Again, you have no evidence of this, none whatsoever. Umno's tradition of creating imaginary threats and bogeymen which it inherited from the colonial master is still alive! NAZ: "The PSM detention was wholly a "security" issue"." MP: Yes, Umno's and Putrajaya's "security"! You fellows have become really very insecure! NAZ: The police were entitled to use whatever law necessary to ensure the nation's safety. MP: "At times we feel safer without the police!" NAZ: "It's not wrong for them to take action under the EO and it's not wrong for them to take action under existing laws." MP: Yes, even the police have to follow law and order – Umno's law and the Minister's orders! NAZ: "We don't tolerate this because... how to explain to soldiers and soldiers' families they died for nothing?" MP: How do we explain to the soldiers and soldiers' families that a desperate and conscienceless Minister made use of their deaths to justify his silly arguments and to ensure that his party would not die! Our soldiers who have gone before us must be smiling right now for they know that one day the Minister will only drown in his own arguments which hold no water! |
| Malaysia's Sub Scandal Resurfaces Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:30 AM PDT 
French prosecutors edge closer to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak The French prosecutors are not expected to investigate Altantuya's death as such. Instead, they are following the case on the basis that it is illegal to pay or take kickbacks in France. If the €114 million is found to be a kickback, the French prosecutors can act, Bourdon said. John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel The noose could be tightening on one of Malaysia's greatest military procurement scandals, the US$1 billion purchase of French-built Scorpène submarines commissioned by then-Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak in 2002. The latest developments come at a time when Najib, as prime minister, has been touring Europe, meeting with Queen Elizabeth and Pope Benedict XVI in an effort to repair an image battered by an ugly crackdown on July 9 against tens of thousands of protesters asking for reforms of Malaysia's electoral system, which is regarded as rigged to keep the ruling national coalitoin in power.
The scandal allegedly involves French politicians, the giant state-owned DCNS defense contractor and politicians and military procurement units across the world. The scandal netted a company owned by Najib's close friend Abdul Razak Baginda, €114 million in "commissions," according to testimony in Malaysia's Parliament. Some of the money is rumored to have been kicked back to French and Malaysian politicians.
French investigators have been poring over DCNS records for months in connection with the larger scandal. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has declined to investigate the scandal, maintaining that the giant commission was payment for legitimate services.
"It is likely that in September we should have access to the first police conclusions from all the investigations that have taken place over the last 18 months," Paris-based lawyer William Bourdon told Asia Sentinel Tuesday. "We know that the police seem to have obtained quite crucial documents."
Bourdon, the leader of a team of lawyers investigating the case, is to visit Kuala Lumpur on July 20 to confer with Suaram, the NGO that has filed a complaint with French authorities over the scandal. The question in France is whether under French law an NGO can act as a complainant. That will be decided in coming days by a French judge, Bourdon said. He added that he is confident that he will succeed.
For years, Malaysian authorities have been trying to keep the scandal under the carpet. The matter broke into the open in 2006, however, with the gruesome murder of Mongolian translator and party girl Altantuya Shaariibuu, who had served as a translator for part of the submarine deal. She had been shot in the head and her body was blown up with military explosives, Her last words, according to a confession by one of her killers, was that she was pregnant. The fact that her body was blown up has led to suspicions that the killers were trying to hide evidence of who the father might be.
The French prosecutors are not expected to investigate Altantuya's death as such. Instead, they are following the case on the basis that it is illegal to pay or take kickbacks in France. If the €114 million is found to be a kickback, the French prosecutors can act, Bourdon said.
According to Altantuya's final letter, which was found in a hotel room after her death, she was supposed to have received a US$500,000 fee for her work. After a whirlwind courtship in which she was given thousands of dollars and whisked off to Paris and other destinations by Razak Baginda, who is married, according to testimony, Altantuya was jilted by and ended up in front of his Kuala Lumpur house, calling him a "bastard" and demanding that he come out to face her. Shortly after that, a sedan full of Malaysian police officers pulled up and took her away. She was never seen alive again. In the letter left behind at her death, she said she had been blackmailing Razak Baginda, at that time a well-connected political analyst.
Two of Najib's bodyguards have been convicted and sentenced to death for her murder. Abdul Razak Baginda was acquitted in a trial seemingly held to make sure top government officials' names would not come out. He fled to the UK and has not been back to Malaysia since. French investigators have been going through the state-owned DCN's records for months. In France, the scandal has major implications. Tied to the global sales of weaponry have been deaths and scandal not only in Malaysia but in Pakistan, Taiwan and France itself. Allegations of kickbacks being examined by French prosecutors go clear up to former French President Jacques Chirac, former Prime Ministers Dominique de Villipin and Edouard Balladur and the country's current president, Nicholas Sarkozy in addition to an unknown number current and former French defense executives. Military procurement officials in Taiwan, India, Chile and Brazil may be involved, in addition to Malaysia. READ MORE HERE |
| Taken to the cleaners Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:15 AM PDT 
Political affray in Malaysia An overzealous government response to an opposition rally None of this bodes well for Malaysia. The heavy-handed police tactics have provoked a lot of anger; the government has conceded an official investigation into claims of police brutality. In one instance (caught on film), police seemed to fire tear gas and water cannon into a hospital where protesters were sheltering from a baton charge. The Economist MALAYSIA is one of South-East Asia's stabler nations; but a rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9th in demand of electoral reform turned surprisingly nasty, leading to the arrest of more than 1,600 people. The police fired tear gas and water cannon into the crowd, and one man died of a heart attack. All those arrested were released fairly quickly, but Amnesty International, a London-based human-rights group, called it "the worst campaign of repression in the country for years". The government's reaction showed a lot of nervousness about how much opposition it can tolerate. In fact the crackdown started a few weeks ago after "Bersih 2.0" announced that it was going to stage the rally. Bersih, also known as The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, is a loose alliance of NGOs and activists (bersih means "clean"). It argues that all candidates should be given access to the mainstream media and that indelible ink should be used to stop people voting more than once. It all sounds uncontroversial, but not to the government. Bersih was declared illegal on July 1st and about 200 activists were rounded up. The march itself was then banned, although the authorities offered Bersih a stadium to meet in—and then withdrew the offer. Perhaps the government was looking back nervously to the first Bersih march, in 2007. On that occasion, too, thousands protested against the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government and demanded reform. Subsequently, in the 2008 general election, the BN lost its largest share of votes since 1957 when it started ruling the country after the British left. The current prime minister, Najib Razak, deputy prime minister in 2007 before taking over the top job in an internal party coup, must have feared that the second Bersih rally might be a similar portent. He has to hold an election before 2013, but wants to do so earlier to win his own mandate. Opposition politicians were quick to join Bersih. The pre-eminent leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, was shoved to the ground and injured in the affray. None of this bodes well for Malaysia. The heavy-handed police tactics have provoked a lot of anger; the government has conceded an official investigation into claims of police brutality. In one instance (caught on film), police seemed to fire tear gas and water cannon into a hospital where protesters were sheltering from a baton charge. Few old laws were left untouched in the attempt to round up suspects before the march. It was reported that 30 people arrested in Penang were investigated under Section 122 of the Penal Code for the charge of waging war against the king. Dragging in the constitutional monarch, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, seemed particularly desperate, reminiscent of the abuse of the monarchy's position in neighbouring Thailand. On the eve of the rally, the king came out with a statement reminding everyone that "street demonstrations bring more bad than good, although the original intention is good." Mr Najib defended the police and accused the marchers of sowing chaos. Dismissing the motives of Bersih, he cast it as a desperate attempt by Mr Anwar to grab power. The immediate upshot is that Mr Najib may choose to delay calling for an election for some time, to let things settle down. He presumably hopes that if he waits long enough, people will have forgotten about this ugly incident. But the longer-term effects are hard to judge. It might also help to unite a fractious opposition against what they portray as an assault on democracy. |
| WIKILEAKS: ANWAR IMPLICATES DPM NAJIB IN MURDER CASE Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
A private investigator's legal deposition, revealed by Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on July 3, implicates Deputy Prime Minister Najib in the high-profile Altantuya murder case. The deposition, based primarily on statements reportedly made by Altantuya and murder defendant Razak Baginda, indicates that Najib had an affair with Altantuya, Altantuya assisted Najib in the controversial purchase of French submarines, and Najib attempted to intervene on Razak Baginda's behalf at the time of his arrest. 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 000572 SIPDIS FOR EAP/MTS AND INR E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2028 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, MARR, KDEM, KJUS, MY SUBJECT: ANWAR IMPLICATES DPM NAJIB IN MURDER CASE REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 570 - GOM DELIVERS PROTEST TO USG B. KUALA LUMPUR 563 - ANWAR ON OFFENSIVE C. KUALA LUMPUR 557 - ANWAR TAKES REFUGE D. KUALA LUMPUR 73 - PROSECUTOR DOWNBEAT ON MURDER CASE E. 07 KUALA LUMPUR 291 Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d). Summary 1. (C) A private investigator's legal deposition, revealed by Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on July 3, implicates Deputy Prime Minister Najib in the high-profile Altantuya murder case. The deposition, based primarily on statements reportedly made by Altantuya and murder defendant Razak Baginda, indicates that Najib had an affair with Altantuya, Altantuya assisted Najib in the controversial purchase of French submarines, and Najib attempted to intervene on Razak Baginda's behalf at the time of his arrest. The investigator claims that this information was suppressed by police and ignored by prosecutors. Anwar's revelation of this information comes as he launches a political offensive following recent sodomy allegations, which he believes were instigated by Najib. Meanwhile, Anwar and the Opposition coalition are set to begin a series of nationwide rallies, including a major gathering on July 6 near Kuala Lumpur. The national police chief announced the military would join the police in tackling illegal assemblies in an emergency situation, a role the military last played during the 1969 politically-inspired race riots. Najib and the government of Prime Minister Abdullah will need to respond, both to Anwar's explosive revelations, but also to the Opposition leader's political offensive, including plans to hold nationwide rallies. End Summary. Explosive Revelations 2. (SBU) On July 3, as the next step in his energized political offensive, former DPM and de facto opposition coalition leader Anwar Ibrahim released a statutory declaration (similar to a deposition in the U.S. system), made by private investigator P. Balasubramaniam on July 1, linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib to murder victim Altantuya Shaariibuu (ref e) and implicating Najib in efforts to subvert the investigation of the case. (Najib's advisor Razak Baginda and two members of Najib's security detail are currently on trial for murder in this case.) Anwar produced the explosive affidavit during a press conference on July 3, with Balasubramaniam standing by his side. 3. (SBU) Balasubramaniam bases his statement on conversations he had with Razak Baginda and with Altantuya; on events he witnessed acting as Razak Baginda's investigator; and his experiences under arrest and in the courtroom at the opening stage of the murder trial. Among other things, the affidavit includes the following damaging allegations against Najib and others: -- Najib and Altantuya had an affair and that Najib introduced her to Baginda. (Note: Najib has repeatedly denied knowing Altantuya. End note.) -- Najib, along with Razak Baginda, was with Altantuya in Paris in connection with the negotiations for the purchase of French submarines, and that Altantuya believed she was due $500,000 for her services. -- Najib asked Razak Baginda to take care of Altantuya, as Najib did not want Altantuya harassing him. -- Najib, in a text message, told Razak Baginda he would meet with Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan to resolve the issue of Razak Baginda's impending arrest for murder. -- Police omitted the above information that Balasubramaniam provided during his seven-day interrogation regarding the murder, and that prosecutors never addressed any questions to him during his court appearances. 4. (SBU) Anwar stated it was evident the police and prosecution team, especially IGP Musa Hassan and Attorney General Abdul Gani manipulated the case to protect the DPM and hide any linkages of the DPM to Altantuya. He declared that the declaration further confirmed a clear and consistent pattern of manipulation of the criminal justice system since 1998. Anwar continued by saying he is worried the IGP and AG will again manipulate evidence and statements during the probe into alleged sodomy charges against Anwar (ref A - C). 5. (SBU) Anwar's incendiary revelations follow a statutory declaration by controversial blogger Raja Petra in which he alleged that Najib's wife, Rosmah, was present at scene of Altantuya's murder. In addition, on July 1 Anwar publicly accused Najib and Rosmah for being behind the current sodomy allegations against Anwar, which is now under police investigation. Taking the Campaign Against Najib on the road 6. (SBU) On another front, Anwar starts a nationwide tour with a rally in Penang on July 5 followed by an appearance at a rally in Shah Alam on July 6. The Opposition hope to use the Shah Alam rally, originally intended as a protest against the fuel price hikes, as a show of support for their cause against the government. Anwar and other Peoples Alliance (opposition coalition) leaders are urging their supporters to attend and hope for a massive turnout (a minimum of 50,000 people) in order to send a message to the government and add credibility to Anwar's claims that he can bring down the government through the defection of enough government MPs by his announced target of September 16. Police-Military Joint Exercise to Maintain Public Order 7. (C) At a joint press conference between the Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan and Armed Forces Chief Abdul Aziz Zainal on July 2, Musa Hassan stated that the cooperation between the security forces is crucial because political parties, NGOs, and individuals were organizing more illegal assemblies. They announced the police and armed forces began a joint training exercise to maintain crowd control and public order. Musa said the police and military would work together to tackle illegal assemblies only if absolutely necessary and in the event of a declared emergency. The tabletop command post exercise began July 2 is expected to run until July 7. Another joint exercise is planned in September (coinciding with the deadline Anwar set to bring down the ruling government). The last time joint police and military force was used to maintain public order was during the politically motivated 1969 race riots. In 1974, a contingent of rangers was deployed to university campuses to control student protests (coincidentally led by then student activist Anwar Ibrahim). Police chief Musa Hassan stated use of military forces during a public disturbance would only take place after consultation with the Home Ministry and Defense Ministry. A senior military staff member told the DATT that the military is not anxious to take on police roles, but is closely watching events. Comment 8. (C) Anwar and Najib have entered a very high stakes political game. The risks to both men are tremendous, and not limited to their political careers. Najib will be damaged by the latest serious allegations, coming on the heels of other statements implicating him and his wife in the murder, and the existing widespread public belief that the ongoing Altantuya murder trial has been the subject of political manipulation. Najib and the government of Prime Minister Abdullah will need to respond, both to Anwar's explosive revelations, but also to the Opposition leader's political offensive, including plans to hold nationwide rallies. KEITH |
| Ahmad Sarbani’s death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 7) Posted: 19 Jul 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Nervously, Ahmad Sarbaini climbed onto the windowsill as ordered by Mohd Fauzi who continued taunting and abusing him with insults. Sheikh Niza merely looked on. In that split second, Ahmad Sarbaini's belt got stuck on the outer part of the window and he lost his balance and his life. And, horror of horrors, what happened to Teoh Beng Hock happened to Ahmad Sarbaini when he fell to his death onto the badminton court below. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin THE TIME HAS COME TO EXPOSE THE KILLERS OF AHMAD SARBAINI MOHAMED D Day: 6th April On the morning of 6th April 2011, Ahmad Sarbaini went to the Subang mosque for his dawn (Subuh) prayers. There, he met his good friend, Azman, and told him that he would be amending his earlier statement given to the MACC. In retrospect, he thought that would not be a problem because he had come to regard Sheikh Niza as a friend. By 8.30 am, Ahmad Sarbaini was already at the KL MACC office. Within minutes, he was speaking to Sheikh Niza who was eager to record a further Cautioned Statement from Ahmad Sarbaini. Sheikh Niza panicked when Ahmad Sarbaini told him he wished to retract his earlier confession as it was procured through fraud and deceit. Of course, Sheikh Niza hit the roof and stated clearly that it was absolutely impossible! Ahmad Sarbaini was upset and became agitated when Sheikh Niza rejected his request outright. He pleaded desperately with Sheikh Niza and explained that he had misunderstood what the confession was about. However, Sheikh Niza flatly dismissed him and told him to report the matter to KUS Mohd Fauzi. Then Sheikh Niza made Ahmad Sarbaini wait while he discussed this crucial turn of events with Mohd Fauzi. By then, Sheikh Niza's tone was beginning to sound ominous to Ahmad Sarbaini. As expected, Mohd Fauzi flipped when he was told that Ahmad Sarbaini wanted to retract his earlier statement. He warned Sheikh Niza that this would ruin both their careers as their HQ was already over the moon about Ahmad Sarbaini's 'extracted confession'. Since IO Abd Ghani was sceptical when he first saw the confession, Mohd Fauzi then asked if he had spoken to Ahmad Sarbaini about this confession. Abd Ghani was approaching retirement age and had been disillusioned when despite his seniority, bypassed for promotion and with the recent happenings in the MACC. Hence, the ambitious Mohd Fauzi -- who by now had become IO Abd Ghani's superior was stricken with fear that IO Abd Ghani might jeopardise the investigation as Ketua Unit Siasatan (KUS). The cause of death KUS Mohd Fauzi directed Abd Ghani to track down Wan Zainal while he and Sheikh Niza would 'straighten out' Ahmad Sarbaini. Sheikh Niza was also ordered to seize Ahmad Sarbaini's mobile phone. Sheikh Niza brought Ahmad Sarbaini to KUS Mohd Fauzi's office, which was next door to the pantry (remember what happened to Teoh Beng Hock). Here, he was verbally abused. KUS Mohd Fauzi called Ahmad Sarbaini a disgrace to the Royal Malaysian Customs, that he was not fit to wear their uniform. Rather shaken up, Ahmad Sarbaini pleaded for pity and a drink of water. Shockingly, they brought Ahmad Sarbaini to the pantry. Incredibly, as punishment for attempting to retract his 'confession', Mohd Fauzi ordered him to climb out of the window and forced him to stand on the ledge. KUS Mohd Fauzi wanted Ahmad Sarbaini to ponder and reflect on his actions while standing on the edge as "orang macam kau ni lebih baik mati dari hidup menyusahkan orang lain". Nervously, Ahmad Sarbaini climbed onto the windowsill as ordered by Mohd Fauzi who continued taunting and abusing him with insults. Sheikh Niza merely looked on. In that split second, Ahmad Sarbaini's belt got stuck on the outer part of the window and he lost his balance and his life. And, horror of horrors, what happened to Teoh Beng Hock happened to Ahmad Sarbaini when he fell to his death onto the badminton court below. KUS Mohd Fauzi was in a dizzy panic when what was supposed to be a threat had now turned fatal. He feared his career and future went up in smoke the moment Ahmad Sarbaini lost his balance. In shock and panic, he ran from the pantry back to his room. Sheikh Niza immediately ran downstairs to the lobby in a state of shock and disbelief. He was at the verge of tears, regretting this tragic death. Concocting a story Without further delay, KUS Mohd Fauzi called everyone into his room to brainstorm and to concoct the most plausible story. Abd Ghani, Henrietta, Khalid, Kamal and also Sheikh Niza finally agreed the best storyline was that Ahmad Sarbaini had committed suicide as he was depressed that his confession could not be retracted.The Director, Hj Mohd Yusof, was also brought into the loop and the approval from HQ sought. The script seemed good enough for a press conference that would be called by Dato' Mustafar Ali later that day. That would be the storyline they would all narrate to anyone asking about the death. And that would be the same story they would give when making the 911 phone call to the Police and in summoning an ambulance. And that was also why not one of these officers went downstairs to confirm whether the dead man on the badminton court was indeed Ahmad Sarbaini. They already knew who was lying dead on the badminton court. They did not need to go downstairs to verify the identity of the dead person. They all admitted that immediately upon discovering the dead body, they huddled into KUS Mohd Fauzi's room for a 'conference'. They would later rehearse this script over and over again and say that they were too afraid and were in a state of shock. To ensure that there was no evidence as to what really happened, they erased the CCTV recordings. That was why the police audio-visual forensics analyst, ASP Fauziah Che Mat, told the Coroner that the CCTV recordings had been tampered with. According to ASP Fauziah, more than 22 hours of recordings from the three-dozen CCTV cameras in the building were 'interrupted by someone who has expertise in using CCTVs' by 'changing of operation on the set, manually'. 
ASP Fauziah: very definite that the CCTV at KL MACC's office were tampered by an expert Concealing the true cause of death However, after running this story past that brilliant legal mind, Dato Seri Mohd Shafee Abdullah, MACC was told that the suicide story would not go down well with the Malaysian public. Firstly, another suicide theory would be too close to the Teoh Beng Hock 'suicide'. Secondly, other than the 'confession', there was no other evidence of Ahmad Sarbaini's involvement in any corrupt activities. Confessions are mostly procured through torture and intimidation. Without any tangible evidence, the story would not be plausible. The Police collaborated with the MACC in their attempt to conceal the real cause of Ahmad Sarbaini's death. The scratch marks on Ahmad Sarbaini's belt and the paint stains on his pants would be used as 'evidence' to explain that he was trying to make a hasty escape by jumping onto the roof from the pantry. Unfortunately, the Coroner had visited the site and anyone who has been to that building would know that jumping onto that roof would lead nowhere. As such, that could not ever have been an escape route! The Killers and the Conspirators We now know the identities of Ahmad Sarbaini's killers and conspirators. It is for the Coroner to make that finding of the cause of death and thereafter for AG Gani Patail as the Public Prosecutor to charge these people. In the meantime, to do justice to this poor deceased man and his family, let it be known that other than the so-called 'confession' -- which was obtained through deception and threats -- there is no evidence to show that the late Ahmad Sarbaini was involved in any corrupt practices. All of the MACC witnesses have admitted that fact in court during the Inquest. Also, the MACC's own investigations and audit on his and his family's assets did not disclose any extraordinary wealth -- as what we may have found in recent disclosures of the assets of our politicians and leaders. So let us allow the soul of Ahmad Sarbaini to rest in peace and offer his grief-stricken widow some respite and respect. 
GRIEF-STRICKEN: Ahamad sarbani's wife, Marziah TO BE CONTINUED ADDENDUM Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 1) http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40947-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-1 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 2) http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40949-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-2 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 3) http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40951-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-3 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 4) http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/40952-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-4 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 5) http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/42134-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-5 Ahmad Sarbani's death: the lies and deceptions by the MACC (part 6) http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/42153-ahmad-sarbanis-death-the-lies-and-deceptions-by-the-macc-part-6 |
| My daughter Sara graduated today with a B.A. in Marketing Communications Posted: 19 Jul 2011 12:52 AM PDT |
| Let’s focus Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:41 PM PDT Let's accept one fact. Umno is the problem. And the problem can never become the solution. And if Ku Li thinks that the solution to the problem is to reform Umno, then he is barking up the wrong tree. And this would mean AMANAH is going to fail. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin On Friday, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) is going to launch a new movement called Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (AMANAH), according to Free Malaysia Today (you can read the full news coverage below).
Some are probably going to say that this is in response to the 9th July 2011 BERSIH rally or that the success of BERSIH has inspired certain people into making this move. Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions, AMANAH was actually in the cards since last year and was an idea that was not only a long time in making but also a long time in waiting.
However, just as BERSIH has been accused of being a vehicle or tool of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (or of Anwar Ibrahim), so will AMANAH be accused of being a vehicle or tool of Umno (or of Ku Li). This is mainly because of the personalities behind, or perceived to be behind, the movement (in BERSIH's case it is 'perceived to be behind').
Ku Li is probably one of the last of the better people in Umno. I would be quite prepared to follow Ku Li. But I would find it difficult to follow him if he remains in Umno.
And that is the problem I am facing.
In his hati kecik (small heart), Ku Li wants to reform Umno. He still believes that Umno can be reformed. But I do not share this view. The only way Umno can be reformed would be to kick it out of office and let it remain a decade or two as an opposition party. Only then will it see the need to reform.
It will reform only because it wants to get back into power.
To be fair, Ku Li is not holding any senior party position in Umno. But that does not mean he is no longer significant to Umno. There are still many people in Umno who look up to him and place hopes in him in bringing reforms to Umno, although that group may be a minority rather than a majority.
Ku Li is never going to become the President of Umno. And this means he is not going to become the Prime Minister either if he is trying to do that as the President of Umno.
If Ku Li is hoping that by reforming Umno this can ensure he becomes the President of the party, and therefore the Prime Minister of Malaysia, then his perjuangan (struggle) will be seen as very narrow indeed. And he is going to face the same problem that Anwar Ibrahim is facing -- in that people view his perjuangan as being about becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Ku Li has to decide whether what he is doing is about reforming Umno or about reforming the country. And he also has to decide whether what he is doing is about serving the rakyat or about serving his own interest (to become Prime Minister).
This is the criticism that Anwar is facing. And it is going to be the same criticism that Ku Li is going to face as well. This is inevitable.
How is Ku Li going to convince everyone that AMANAH is not about Umno and what he is doing is not about ensuring he becomes Prime Minister? This is the task ahead of him. This is the obstacle Anwar is facing and is going to be the obstacle that Ku Li will face as well.
In the meanwhile, I am prepared to give Ku Li the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise. We shall support AMANAH until it is proven that AMANAH is not about the rakyat's agenda but about a personal agenda.
Ku Li, however, will need to do some hard selling. Is he prepared to go all the way by even resigning from Umno to prove that this is not about Umno or about his personal quest to become Prime Minister?
Let's accept one fact. Umno is the problem. And the problem can never become the solution. And if Ku Li thinks that the solution to the problem is to reform Umno, then he is barking up the wrong tree. And this would mean AMANAH is going to fail. ***********************************
Ku Li wants to rekindle spirit of founding fathers
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, Free Malaysia Today
Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will launch a new group to rekindle spirit of national unity.
KUALA LUMPUR: Respected Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, popularly known as Ku Li, is set to launch his new outfit Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) aimed at nurturing unity as espoused by the country's founding fathers.
Amid a more racially divided Malaysia, Amanah said in a statement today the group bids "to reaffirm, inculcate and re-ignite the sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among all Malaysians during the time of our common struggle for national independence".
It also said it wants to rekindle the legacy, promise and ideals of Bapa Malaysia and the founding fathers so that all Malaysians may live together as members of a truly just, fair, progressive, united and happy nation community.
Its other objectives are:
* To earnestly acknowledge, affirm and respect the sovereignty of the constituent states of the Malaysian Federation, consistent with the principles of federalism, democratic principles and in the true spirit of the Federal Constitution.
* To ensure that our national institutions respect and uphold the rule of law, democratic principles, rights and universal values.
* To support a government and administration that is transparent and accountable, truly competent, efficient, free of corruption and cronyism, clean and honest, fair and trustworthy, and that will be fully able to serve its functions and meet its responsibilities, freely and fairly; an administration that will always be mindful of the rights and interests of the people in whose name and cause it is appointed to serve.
* To promote the socio-economic well-being of the people, so that all Malaysians may enjoy truly advanced, progressive, fair and equitable lives – individually upholding filial piety and other noble values and collectively joined together in sincere family kinship as members of our national community and as stakeholders in our common national destiny.
* To support an economic policy that will help achieve and sustain a high standard of living for the people, based on the principle of justice, fairness and balance, consistent with the constitution and under a stable monetary condition.
Razaleigh, who is the group's founding president, will deliver his keynote speech on Friday at the Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra here.
The Kelantan prince, said to be the "last statesman", has been very critical towards his own party Umno, the Malay linchpin in the Barisan Nasional.
He has often called for Umno, whose image is badly tarnished by its racial politics, to return to the party's original struggles – the guardian of all races in the country.
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| Ku Li wants to rekindle spirit of founding fathers Posted: 18 Jul 2011 04:48 PM PDT 
Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will launch a new group to rekindle spirit of national unity. (Free Malaysia Today) - Respected Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, popularly known as Ku Li, is set to launch his new outfit Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) aimed at nurturing unity as espoused by the country's founding fathers. Amid a more racially divided Malaysia, Amanah said in a statement today the group bids "to reaffirm, inculcate and re-ignite the sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among all Malaysians during the time of our common struggle for national independence". It also said it wants to rekindle the legacy, promise and ideals of Bapa Malaysia and the founding fathers so that all Malaysians may live together as members of a truly just, fair, progressive, united and happy nation community. Its other objectives are: - To earnestly acknowledge, affirm and respect the sovereignty of the constituent states of the Malaysian Federation, consistent with the principles of federalism, democratic principles and in the true spirit of the Federal Constitution.
- To ensure that our national institutions respect and uphold the rule of law, democratic principles, rights and universal values.
- To support a government and administration that is transparent and accountable, truly competent, efficient, free of corruption and cronyism, clean and honest, fair and trustworthy, and that will be fully able to serve its functions and meet its responsibilities, freely and fairly; an administration that will always be mindful of the rights and interests of the people in whose name and cause it is appointed to serve.
- To promote the socio-economic well-being of the people, so that all Malaysians may enjoy truly advanced, progressive, fair and equitable lives – individually upholding filial piety and other noble values and collectively joined together in sincere family kinship as members of our national community and as stakeholders in our common national destiny.
- To support an economic policy that will help achieve and sustain a high standard of living for the people, based on the principle of justice, fairness and balance, consistent with the constitution and under a stable monetary condition.
Razaleigh, who is the group's founding president, will deliver his keynote speech on Friday at the Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra here. READ MORE HERE |
| MTV controversy in Selangor Posted: 18 Jul 2011 04:32 PM PDT 
(The Star) - Another controversy involving PAS' hardline stance has surfaced with the Islamist party calling for a stop to the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia concert on Sunday. Leading the protest are Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, who have voiced their objections. Khalid said he opposed the concert because it was being held too close to the fasting month. He also said the concert venue – i-City in Shah Alam – was not a conducive environment. The MP said that about 2,000 residents in Section 7 were opposed to the venue since it would be near a residential area. Nasrudin said the party, based on its principles, was not agreeable to concerts which encouraged immoral activities and indecent behaviour. "The party will protest against concerts which encourage liberal socialising, featuring provocative dances and songs that contain immoral lyrics," he told The Star. Furthermore, he said the concert, if not held within a confined environment and thus exposed to the Muslim public, should not be given a permit or licence as a mark of respect for the coming fasting month. MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok urged the DAP to stand up against PAS for its objections to the concert which would be telecast to many Asian countries. The protest by Khalid proved he was not the liberal that many non-Muslims had perceived him to be while Nasrudin had consistently pushed the Islamic state agenda, he said. PAS, he said, would never change its objectives. Selangor Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar said it was clear that while PAS opposed the concert, "the Mentri Besar (Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim) has said the concert will go on". He was speaking after opening a seminar for entrepreneurs on agriculture cultivation at Tanjung Karang. |
| Ambiga to take on EC at talk Posted: 18 Jul 2011 04:15 PM PDT 
EC's number two Wan Ahmad Wan Omar and Bersih 2.0's S Ambiga will come face-to-face at a talk on July 26. (Free Malaysia Today) - The Election Commission and Bersih 2.0 will be facing off for the first time next week. In a talk entitled "What next after July 9?", EC will be represened by deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar while Bersih 2.0′s S Ambiga will argue her case. Hosted by Malay daily, Sinar Harian, the talk will be held on July 26, from 2pm to 5pm, at the Karangkraf Media Group auditorium in Section 15, Shah Alam. The other panellist for the three hour talk will be Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of UKM's Ethnic Studies Institute. Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive officer Wan Saiful Wan Jan will be moderating the three-hour dialogue. When contacted, Wan Saiful said: "I will be asking questions that are on the minds of the people that have not been answered." Sinar Harian's executive editor Abdul Jalil said the talk will also allow those attending to field their questions. READ MORE HERE |
| Tegur Pemimpin Hak Rakyat Jelata Posted: 18 Jul 2011 03:24 PM PDT 
A Kadir Jasin KITA belajar daripada ibu bapa kita. Bernasib baiklah anak-anak yang mempunyai ibu bapa yang sempurna – akal, tubuh badan, kesihatan, iman dan moral. Jadi, benarlah kata pepatah, bapa borek anak rintik. Ke mana tumpah kuah kalau tidak ke nasi. Saya adalah anak emak dan ayah saya. Salah satu ilmu dan panduan yang ayah saya ajarkan ialah "dengar teguran dan jangan takut menegur."
Dulu kita jaga tepi kain orang. Apabila di masjid atau surau, kita memang jaga tepi kain orang. Kalau tepi kain orang kena najis dan lumpur atau carik sehingga dedah aurat, kita tegur. Kita tidak mahu najis dan kekotoran seorang jemaah mencacat solat berjemaah.
Kita jaga tepi kain jiran-jiran kerana kita tidak mahu anak-anak mereka jadi budak jahat dan ganggu ketenteraman kampung.
Kita bagi tahu mereka dan kita tegur anak-anak mereka. Mereka tidak marah kepada kita. Silap hari bulan, anak yang diadukan itu yang kena tempeleng. Saya pun pernah ditegur atau, dalam bahasa jalanan hari ini, kena sound, oleh jiran-jiran kerana buat bising, curi buah rumia (kundang) Pak Su Salleh atau kurang sopan di majlis kenduri. Saya terhutang budi kepada mereka kerana menjaga tepi kain keluarga saya.
Hari ini, jaga tepi kain menjadi ungkapan kotor. Silap-silap kena maki atau penumbuk di muka. Dulu kita jaga tepi kain orang demi kebaikan kerana adat berjiran saling tegur-menegur dan ingat-mengingati.
Hasil ajaran itu, saya tidak berasa bersalah menegur, apatah lagi menegur orang yang kita pilih, kita upah dan kita restui untuk memimpin kita.
Sama ada secara sulit atau secara terbuka, secara lisan atau melalui tulisan, saya sentiasa menjaga tepi kain mereka kerana kalau kain mereka penuh najis, bagaimanakah mereka boleh "mengimamkan" kita.
Tidak kira Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Daim Zainuddin, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak, Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik atau Dr Khir Toyo dan ramai lagi saya tegur.
Saya mulakan dengan "menegur" mereka secara sulit. Seelok-eloknya secara bersemuka kerana saya perlu menjaga air muka mereka. Ada kalanya saya mengutus surat.
Ketika pilihan raya umum 1999 dan selepasnya saya "menegur" pendekatan dan cara kerajaan dan Barisan Nasional menangani isu Anwar.
Saya terpaksa "menegur" kerana selama hampir 16 tahun – sebagai wartawan dan pengarang – antara tugas wajib saya adalah mempromosikan Anwar.
Ketika di puncak kemasyhurannya, Anwar adalah "untouchable" dan "could do no wrong" – tidak boleh dicuit dan tidak mungkin melakukan kesalahan. Segala bisikan saya – seperti bisikan ramai orang lain – ditolak sebagai iri hati dan fitnah.
Apabila saya menulis sebuah pojok mengenai Brutus menikam Julius Caesar dari belakang dalam kolum "Kunta Kinte" Berita Harian, ia diberhentikan serta-merta. Waktu itu, media massa difrancaiskan kepada Anwar. Pengarang lantikan Anwar amat berkuasa.
Menegur dan Ditegur
Saya "menegur" mengenai beban peribadi pemimpin BN akibat gerak-geri mereka, campur tangan ahli keluarga mereka dan perniagaan anak-anak mereka.
Selepas PRU 1999, giliran saya pula "disound" kerana "menegur" kaedah kempen iklan BN dan ingkar arahan. Turut kena "sound" adalah Quek Leng Chan yang ketika itu menguasai kumpulan akhbar Nanyang.
Menjelang pertengahan tahun 2000 saya mendapati saya tidak dapat lagi meneruskan tugas sebagai Ketua Pengarang Kumpulan NSTP tanpa kehilangan saki-baki kredibiliti saya. Maka saya pun meletakkan jawatan. Quek pula menjual kepentingannya dalam Kumpulan Nanyang.
Apabila Anwar berucap kepada badan pemikir swasta Amerika, Council on Foreign Relations di New York ketika Krisis Kewangan Asia sedang memuncak (September, 1998 ), saya berada di situ dan "menegur" beliau.
Saya berkata, walaupun penghujahan beliau mengenai teori "constructive destruction" ciptaan Joseph Schumpeter dalam tesisnya mengenai kapitalisme, sosialisme dan demokrasi pada tahun 1942 mendapat sambutan hangat daripada audiens Amerika, ia mungkin tidak disenangi bosnya di Kuala Lumpur.Ringkasnya, Anwar dan penulis ucapannya menganggap Krisis Kewangan Asia 1997/98 sebagai kemusnahan yang membina.
Kemudian, ketika saya bersama beliau di dalam kamarnya di hotel JW Marriott, Washington DC, Anwar mendapat panggilan daripada kawan akrabnya, Michel Camdessus, yang ketika itu menjadi Pengarah Urusan Tabung Mata Wang Antarabangsa (IMF). Sekali lagi saya "sound" beliau dengan mengatakan yang bosnya di Kuala Lumpur tidak begitu senang hati dengan percubaan campur tangan IMF.
Saya "sound" Abdullah mengenai cara beliau mengawal media massa, Mohd Najib mengenai rumah tangganya (seperti pernah saya katakan, saya kenal Mohd Najib sejak 1977), Muhammad Taib dan Dr Khir Toyo mengenai pengagihan tanah negeri untuk pembangunan dan Abdul Rahim mengenai gaya hidupnya.
Saya mengingatkan Muhammad Taib dan Dr Khir Toyo mengenai pendahulu mereka yang jatuh kerana skandal dan rasuah. READ MORE HERE |
| Serius Cool - Poster Anti Establisma #BERSIH Oleh Fahmi Reza (10 Gambar) Posted: 18 Jul 2011 01:39 PM PDT Awesome!
Fahmi Reza bukan nama yang asing dalam pergerakan politik haluan kiri Malaysia. Karya beliau seperti 10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka is probably one of the best documentary ever made but never shown on TV. Fahmi seorang yang lantang menyuarakan pendapat beliau tentang hak pelajar universiti dan peranan anak muda dalam merubah lanskap politik negara. Beliau sungguh berani bersuara sehingga beliau sudah kena ban dari muncul di kebanyakkan IPT negara. Dibawah ialah 10 poster yang dibuat beliau sempena perhimpunan Bersih 9 Julai yang lalu. All I can say is..... BAD ASS!
Sila ke galeri Facebook beliau untuk lagi poster rekaan beliau. Good shit updated often
 For more posters, go to: http://blogserius.blogspot.com/2011/07/serius-cool-poster-anti-establisma.html |
| Censored: KDN blacks out the Economist Posted: 18 Jul 2011 01:11 PM PDT 
By uppercaise The heavy black marker ink of KDN (Home Ministry) censorship has appeared again on the pages of foreign news magazines, this time on this week's issue of the Economist. The weekly newspaper's July 14 report on the Bersih rally was blacked out in three places. ENEMIES OF PRESS FREEDOM Umno-Barisan Nasional politicians Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) KDN Publications and Quranic Text Control Unit The Malaysian police farce The Malaysian civil service Tear gas man dies
Police brutality
Stadium swindle
Tung Shin tear gas Readers were not permitted to read that: - One man died of a heart attack after tear gas
- The march was banned, but a stadium was offered then withdrawn
- Police were heavy-handed, provoking anger
- An inquiry into police brutality was conceded by the government
- Video showed tear gas and water cannon at Tung Shin maternity hospital
The full article is available intact at the Economist's web site. (The KDN's arm doesn't reach that far.) KDN's censorship was of publicly-available facts, backed up by other published accounts and eye-witness reports available online. It is difficult to understand the kind of thinking that will not allow the sophisticated reader of the Economist — which presents itself as the newspaper of people at the top — to read what they already know or have read elsewhere. But the small minds of policemen and censors are more concerned with looking good than with being good. The black marker ink of censorship often appeared on foreign magazines such as the Far Eastern Economic Review, Time, Newsweek and Life most frequently during the 1980s and 1990s especially on photographs of scantily-dressed women — broad brush strokes of marker ink was splashed across the breasts, waists or hips. Even reproductions of classical nude paintings were censored this way. Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/economist-article-censored/ |
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