Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

---

• 'How will UMNO (re)-write history on Anwar Ibrahim?'
• Dr M: Pas wants DAP's trust
• Umno attacking Mat Sabu to protect own version of history, say analysts
• Umno Youth launches roadshow to attack Mat Sabu
• BN MPs get extra funds as snap polls loom
• Meet the Manne who sank the Malaysia plan
• Tee Keat's fall - the inside story
• UMNO own's media confirm Mat Sabu is correct
• Cry of the silent millions goes unheeded
• UMNO's Somalia Medical Mission: Genuine or Publicity Stunt?
• Kenapa BN/UMNO bersusah payah sangat nak jadi pembangkang?
• Secret files show British, US ties to Kadhafi regime: report
• WikiLeaks' media partners blast release of US cables
• WikiLeaks report incorrect: Sabah Speaker
• Najib is ‘politically finished’
• DAP won’t give up Jelapang state seat
• Bagaimana agaknya Umno tulis sejarah Anwar
• Bukit Kepong ‘battle’: NGOs back Mat Sabu
• Refusal to swear in court raises questions
• Utusan wants PAS snubbed over purported communism support
• DAP leader lodges report against TV station
• Government Action Against Human Trafficking Must Be Grounded In Rule Of Law
• Communist Malaya?
• PAS veep questions Rosmah’s Raya TV slot
• Merdeka Center says Najib approval rating still at ‘comfortable’ level
• You can’t be serious, Tsu Koon!
• Malaysians unhappy with the government, politicians using religion for electoral purposes
• Pakatan defends Mat Sabu, claims Umno rewriting history
• The sad saga of Chin refugees in Malaysia
• Easier to talk than to do
• Mohamad Sabu tak sebut komunis
• PSM wants Jelapang state seat
• The NEP and the downfall of Malays
• PAS leaders play down new Kedah MB talk
• PSM members to be questioned again
• Refugee relief at Malaysian ruling
• Malaysia focuses on a hi-tech economic future
• Malaysia Is Merdeka In Name Only
• Media lynching and academic collaborators
• Taib “Highly Corrupt” – Secret US Documents Put Pressure on FBI!
• Let’s celebrate Sept 16 for its significance
• Mat Sabu hits back, claims Umno near collapse
• PR for nuclear power window dressing, says Pakatan
• UMNO turning right leads BN downhill
• The Tripoli Uprising
• WIKILEAKS: CHIN REFUGEES STRUGGLE WHILE AWAITING UNHCR REGISTRATION AND RESETTLEMENT
• Worse than murtad is political apostasy
• The art of wayang kulit
• Of Patriots and Pretenders: The Unofficial History of our Struggle for Independence
• Ong Tee Keat dares MCA to admit it

'How will UMNO (re)-write history on Anwar Ibrahim?' Posted: 03 Sep 2011 11:58 AM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Sep 3: The question has been posed by PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, to drive home the point that history as written by human beings should not be taken as gospel truth, but must be accompanied with research, especially when history is written by victors. Tuan Ibrahim (right) was giving his take on the media frenzy which followed PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu's remarks on the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident, in which a colonial-era police stations was attacked by anti-British guerilla fighter, Mat Indera. UMNO-controlled media had immediately launched an intense propaganda war, branding Mat Sabu a communist sympathiser. However, Mat Sabu clarified that he had never mentioned even the word communists, as it was UMNO's version of history which had lumped Mat Indera as communists to please British masters of that time. Tuan Ibrahim concurred with the adage that historical texts had always been biased to the victors. Such a situation is made worse by the fact that challenging such long-established distortions confounded had been risky. "However, there were those who dared to write. Still, their texts would be obliterated by the victors in the hope that future generation would idolise them and be reminded of their good deeds, all to serve their own interests," explained Tuan Ibrahim. Anwar in future Taking a cue from the latest controversy, Tuan Ibrahim further asked whether the nation's contemporary history would also suffer a similar fate. Citing the example of Anwar Ibrahim and the political issues centred around him, Tuan Ibrahim has little confidence that it would not be distorted, because "there is the interest of the ruling party to indoctrinate the mind of the next generation". "If the history of Anwar Ibrahim's leadership is to be discussed in the future, in which version will it be recorded?" asked the Pahang PAS commissioner. He said even at present, Anwar's past position as UMNO's second most powerful leader as well as the deputy prime minister had been eclipsed by government propaganda painting him as traitor, among other labels. "Where are the records about his contribution to the country's development, or his contribution in UMNO? Will the history of the BN government retain these, or will these be erased? "Or will the portrait of this former deputy to Dr Mahathir Mohamad simply disappear from UMNO's chart of past leadership?" asked Tuan Ibrahim. Similarly, he said there had already been attempts to remove the historical fact that PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang had once served as Menteri Besar in Terengganu. "Such is the reality in this game of writing history," he added. Maturity According to Tuan Ibrahim, such a distorted rendition of history led to freedom fighters such as Mat Kilau, Tok Gajah, Datok Bahaman, Abdul Rahman Limbong, Tok Janggut, Datok Maharajalela, Si Puntong and Dol Said, among many other names, to be simply ommitted in history books.

Dr M: Pas wants DAP's trust Posted: 03 Sep 2011 11:46 AM PDT (NST) - KUALA LUMPUR: Pas' support of the communists and the move to portray them in a positive manner is meant to endear the party to the DAP, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The move would gain the trust of DAP and enable Pas to enhance its electoral gains in the next general election, he said. In his latest blog posting on chedet.cc, he said Pas, in taking this approach, had even dropped its objective of an Islamic nation and implementation of the hudud. "By cleaning up the image of the communists, Pas hopes to gain the trust of DAP and help Pas win when facing Umno in the 13th general election." Dr Mahathir believed this move by Pas was unhealthy for the loose opposition coalition of Pakatan Rakyat as the people's support, especially from the security forces and their families, would be eroded. "I believe their (opposition) more experienced leaders such as (DAP chairman) Karpal Singh will try to ease the cleaning of the image of the communists so that it won't damage the rakyat's perception, particularly those who sacrificed themselves to save this nation. " Dr Mahathir said Pas leaders' stand on this would not affect the support for the party from their die-hard followers. "Pas nowadays is willing to turn its back against Islam because it is power-crazy."

Umno attacking Mat Sabu to protect own version of history, say analysts Posted: 03 Sep 2011 11:42 AM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Umno's relentless media attacks against PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu shows the Malay party's desire to defend its version of history, analysts have said. The nation is engulfed by history debates following the alleged remarks by the Kubang Kerian MP at a political gathering last month about the attack on Bukit Kepong in 1950 during British occupied Malaya. Political analysts told The Malaysian Insider that Umno wanted to maintain its interpretation of history — which has been "propagated in schools and by the official media" — that it was the main force behind the nation's fight for independence. "Of course, the Umno at that time is totally different from the Umno of today, and independence came about through the efforts of various forces, including the Malayan Communist Party," said Lim Teck Ghee, the director of policy reform organisation Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI). "However, the hope is that the Umno propagandist and self-serving version would be the unchallenged and pre-eminent interpretation of that period of our history," he added. Umno Youth said yesterday it would amass all former soldiers, policemen and kinsmen of the Bukit Kepong tragedy victims in a nationwide roadshow — called the Pentas Patriot or Patriot Stage — to counter Mohamad's view of the fire-fight. Mohamad, widely known as Mat Sabu, stirred controversy when he told a Bukit Gelugor ceramah that freedom fighters attacked the police station — which killed 25 — during the pre-independence communist insurgency. The maverick politician has since been accused of being a communist sympathiser by Umno leaders and sniped at daily in Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia, despite denying that he had used the word "communism" in his speech. Umno appears determined to use Mohamad's statement to woo support from the Malay electorate, among whom communism remains a bogeyman, ahead of anticipated snap polls. Mohamad, however, has pointed out that Muhammad Indera — one of the individuals he praised in his ceramah on August 21, was already recognised as a freedom fighter by Umno-controlled daily Berita Harian on August 13, 2010.   READ MORE HERE.

Umno Youth launches roadshow to attack Mat Sabu Posted: 03 Sep 2011 11:22 AM PDT   By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Umno Youth will lead the offence against PAS by amassing all former soldiers, policemen and kinsmen of the Bukit Kepong tragedy victims in a nationwide roadshow to counter the Islamist party's No. 2 Mohamad Sabu's view of the fire-fight. In a statement today, Umno Youth said the roadshow, called Pentas Patriot or Patriot Stage, will include video and multimedia screenings, a series of ceramahs by speakers from its Speech Unit and special guests like "former commandos, soldiers, policemen and local historians". "It is hoped that Pentas Patriot will not only recall the history of past struggles but reignite the spirit of patriotism among people, especially the youths. "Pentas Patriot will also chronicle to our Malaysian youths events that highlights our struggle for independence while exposing how Mohamad Sabu's theory is no more than just a lie by those who refuse to accept the that our country's freedom and independence was achieved through wisdom and intelligence and without bloodshed," said a statement today from Umno Youth's office here. The roadshow, said to be held "soon", comes after the PAS deputy president triggered a controversy when he told a recent ceramah that the attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950, which killed 25, was by freedom fighters. The maverick politician has since been accused of being a communist sympathiser by Umno leaders and sniped at daily in Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia despite denying that he had used the word "communism" during his speech. But Umno appears determined to use Mohamad's statement to woo support from the Malay electorate, among whom communism remains a bogeyman, and has now armed itself for war.   READ MORE HERE.

BN MPs get extra funds as snap polls loom Posted: 03 Sep 2011 11:20 AM PDT By G Manimaran and Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers will get special cash allocations from Putrajaya to upgrade infrastructure and engage constituents through programmes and welfare aid ahead of anticipated snap polls within a year. The Chinese-language newspaper, Sin Chew Daily, reported that the funds can run as high as RM2.5 million for certain constituencies, but no special allocations would be made for "black" areas, where BN lost both state and federal seats in the historic Election 2008 that saw the ruling coalition ceding the two-thirds parliamentary majority that allows them to approve laws on their own. Several BN MPs contacted by The Malaysian Insider last night confirmed they will receive between RM500,000 to RM2.5 million in what is seen as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's desire to regain a powerful parliamentary majority. A BN lawmaker said some of the allocations have already been doled out before last week's Hari Raya holidays, with the rest in stages before 2011 lapses. The Malaysian Insider understands that MPs who were allocated RM2 million have received RM400,000 before the Hari Raya break. Those who were allocated RM1 million have already received RM250,000. "Areas that BN lost in the last general election were allocated RM500,000. BN held a special briefing mid-last month about the allocation of funds," said another representative. "However, if there are more than 60,000 voters in a BN constituency, for example, the representative would be paid more than RM2 million. This was what was promised, or maybe RM2.5 million," added the lawmaker. When contacted, Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, however, denied that there were such allocations. Sin Chew Daily reported last night that BN has classified constituencies as "black", "grey" and "white" areas. "Grey" areas — where BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) both hold seats or where BN won marginally — will receive between RM1 million and RM2 million. Allocations will be distributed accordingly to MPs in "white" areas where BN holds federal and state seats. The Malaysian Insider reported last July that BN lawmakers have told coalition leaders that the government must ensure more funds trickle down to their constituencies — instead of concentrating on big-ticket projects like the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) — if the ruling coalition wanted to receive a strong mandate in the next general election. While the BN representatives said they understood the purpose of the multi-billion ringgit MRT, some of them felt that development projects within "rural" constituencies should be prioritised. It was understood that some BN leaders had requested an extra RM1 million in allocation of funds, on top of the usual annual allocation of an estimated RM1 million. Sin Chew Daily also reported that BN representatives in Selangor received federal funds in August.   READ MORE HERE.

Meet the Manne who sank the Malaysia plan Posted: 03 Sep 2011 11:03 AM PDT By Tom Hyland, Sydney Morning Herald   IF YOU ask David Manne how he helped derail Julia Gillard's plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia, why he became a lawyer and what he believes in, he will say these are complicated questions. But part of the answer is simple. It lies in the lives of his recent ancestors, some who fled persecution and others who were consumed by it.     The way Manne tells it, he helped bring the government undone because he used the law. He became a lawyer to help vulnerable people. And he wants to do that because of lessons absorbed from his family. Manne's grandparents fled the Nazis and were among the lucky few European Jews whose lives were saved by Australia. His great-grandparents and other relatives were lost in the Holocaust. The solicitor was a central player in the High Court case that last week sank the federal government's Malaysia plan, which the government hoped would stop refugee boats sailing to Australia. The immediate impact was to prevent the deportation of 42 Afghan and Pakistani asylum seekers. The 42 were the vanguard of 800 the government wanted to expel, in return for accepting 4000 refugees whose asylum claims had already been assessed in Malaysia. The court found the scheme was illegal and the ruling left Ms Gillard's asylum seeker policies in disarray. There are now doubts over whether the government can even send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea or Nauru to have their status assessed. The case may also have established an international precedent by spelling out the level of protection governments are required to provide under the Refugee Convention. Manne, 40, is executive director of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre, based in Melbourne. His family came from Austria and Germany. His mother's parents fled to Australia in the late 1930s. ''The rest of the family left in Europe were caught up in the Holocaust.'' His formative influences were his mother and his uncle, the academic and writer Robert Manne. ''I've been very close to Robert and he's one of the people who has been a very profound influence on my life.'' He was not lectured or given formal instruction on what he should believe in or do with his life. ''It's about a way of living, a way of conversing and a way of treating others. It means coming to the world with an open mind, and trying to make a contribution that at its heart tries to promote …a decent and humane approach in society.'' Manne's role in the High Court drama began with a phone call on August 6. It was the last in a chain of calls from an Afghan asylum seeker in detention on Christmas Island, Syed-Navad Shah, the spokesman for 36 people. The solicitor had 24 hours to stop the plane that would fly the man and his companions to an uncertain fate. ''They were petrified,'' Manne says. Shah was concerned for the fate of six unaccompanied minors, also to be deported, who wanted legal advice. Manne spoke to an official on Christmas Island who refused his request to talk to the unaccompanied minors, on the grounds they had not made a specific request for legal aid. By Sunday morning Manne and his colleagues had gathered a formidable legal team, veterans of earlier cases. Melbourne barrister Debbie Mortimer was a leading player, as was barrister Richard Niall. Mortimer marshalled junior barristers, while the legal firm Allens Arthur Robinson added weight and resources. All worked pro bono. It was a race against time when the team gathered in Melbourne on the Sunday. They sought an urgent sitting of the High Court. They were told to have documents ready by 4pm and Justice Kenneth Hayne would hear their application at 6pm. The flight to Malaysia was scheduled for 11.30am the following day. On Sunday Justice Hayne ordered the asylum seekers not depart, pending a hearing on Monday. That hearing blocked any transfers while the court considered the challenge. Lawyers for the asylum seekers argued their rights could not be protected in Malaysia, given its failure to sign key human rights treaties. ''There is a sufficiently serious question to be tried,'' Justice Hayne said. Manne says he was not confident of success but by a six to one majority, the High Court judges ruled the expulsions were illegal. They found that, before asylum seekers could be sent to a third country, that country needed to be bound by international and domestic law to protect them and assess their claims. Manne and his colleagues were in Mortimer's Melbourne chambers. First they got a phone call saying: ''We've won''. Then the judgment was emailed from the law firm. ''It was one of the great moments,'' Manne says of hearing the judgment. ''It all comes down to this, this is why we do it.'' The news was then phoned through to Christmas Island, first to the six children, then to the 36 adults, kept in separate parts of the detention centre. Manne describes their reaction: ''There was an immense feeling of relief, and gratitude. They couldn't stop saying it, their gratitude. It was like speaking to people whose lives had been saved.''

Tee Keat's fall - the inside story Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:32 PM PDT What further alienated him from Umno was the opinion poll on whether MCA should pull out from BN in his blog after he assumed the MCA Presidency. This was said to have really irked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's administration. By Lee Kee ACCORDING to MCA little birds, former MCA president Ong Tee Keat was known to have abhorred the arrogance of power perpetrated by Umno in Barisan Nasional (BN). He was labelled by Umno as anti-Malay through its mouth-pieces in the 2008 General Election. He created another wave shortly after the political tsunami when he openly expressed his strong disagreement over Ketuanan Melayu in his capacity as a minister. That earned him several brickbats from his coalition partners. What further alienated him from Umno was the opinion poll on whether MCA should pull out from BN in his blog after he assumed the MCA Presidency. This was said to have really irked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's administration. It was believed that Tee Keat's insistence on having "leaving BN" as an option had indeed precipitated the determination of Umno top brass to remove Ong in the long run. They grabbed the opportunity when the duly elected MCA leaders like Liow Tiong Lai, Wee Ka Siong (once aligned to Tee Keat) felt insecure when Tee Keat went on to spearhead the multi-billion-ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) financial scandal probe with gusto. Both were known to have strong links with Tiong King Sing (the key contractor implicated in the PKFZ probe who is known to have the confidence of the Umno top brass). Tiong has so far been holding the chairmanship of BN Backbenchers' Club unscathed despite the strong adverse publicity implicating his involvement in the PKFZ scandal. Whilst the then Wanita MCA chief Chew Mei Fun (known to have remained loyal to Ong Ka Ting and Ong Ka Chuan (Ka Ting's elder brother who was later dropped as a minister) had also placed their hope on the Umno top brass in view of Tee Keat's unpredictable move of contemplating to leave BN. Both the Liow and Ka Chuan cliques realised the latent danger that Chua Soi Lek (the then Deputy President of MCA) might ascend to the presidency should Tee Keat be toppled. They craftily designed a conspiracy to eliminate both Tee Keat and Chua through Chua's disciplinary case. According to MCA insiders, in all fairness, the case was instituted against Chua not by Tee Keat but by his predecessor Ka Ting who left the case open-ended. That had warranted Tee Keat to act later under the heavy influence of Liow, Wee, and Chew in the Presidential Council. The expulsion decision meted on Chua's disciplinary case (over the sex DVD scandal) triggered by the Presidential Council was indeed a masterstroke as the trio (Liow, Wee and Chew) managed to influence the decision of the Council while hiding behind the shield of Tee Keat. So, Tee Keat had to bear the full blame in the eyes of the Umno top brass who had earlier wanted Tee Keat to stop or to defer the disciplinary proceedings against Chua. Tee Keat was known to be overly gung-ho by giving an uncompromising "No". Both Najib and Umno vice president Hishammuddin Hussein, who were then engaging Tee Keat on the issue, were said to have hit the roof top over Tee Keat's recalcitrant stance. They dubbed him as unpredictable, uncompromising and unfriendly to Umno. What actually served as the last straw breaking the camel's back was Tee Keat's resistance to Najib''s demand for the Port Klang Authority (PKA) to pay Kuala Dimensi (the controversial turnkey contractor in the PKFZ scandal) the hefty bond interest due. Tee Keat was quoted as arguing that the disputable bond interest payment had to b held in abbeyance in the public's interest, whilst Najib was wary of the bond market confidence. When the various factions thirsty for Tee Keat's blood managed to oust him at the behest of Umno, Najib ultimately chose to oust him from his Cabinet on the rationale that the ministerial appointments are party-based. Since Chua made the recommendation to replace Tee Keat, Najib willingly obliged. But the mockery was Najib's action came on the heels of the assessment of his six National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) where the opinion poll rating in favour of the Tee Keat-led Public Transport revamp ranked top. That, the MCA insiders say, is the reward for performance or in terms of the next general election, a winnable candidate for BN? The moral of a politician's story in the BN is: "Don't be a smart ass! Just suck Umno's ass to remain relevant for the crumbs."

UMNO own's media confirm Mat Sabu is correct Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:27 PM PDT I found an article in Berita Harian dated 13 Dec 2010 entitled, "Kopi Kecubung Tewaskan Mat Indera". "Kecubung' is amethyst, the purple semi-precious stone. It shows Mat Sabu is correct on Mat Indera as confirmed by UMNO own's media. By Arazak The article can be found at: http://www.bharian.com.my/articles/KopikecubungtewaskankekebalanMatIndera/Article/ Kopi kecubung tewaskan kekebalan Mat Indera NAMA Jawa Ponorogo pernah terkenal dengan berita penangkapan anggota komunis, Ahmad Indera atau dikenali sebagai Mat Indera, berdarah pahlawan daripada keturunan Datuk Bentara Husin Lela Pahlawan Siak Seri Inderapura yang menjadi panglima kanan Sultan Sharif di Siak. Meskipun Mat Indera dikaitkan sebagai pengganas oleh sesetengah orang kerana pembabitannya dalam komunis dan dilabelkan sebagai petualang oleh kerajaan Inggeris, ramai masyarakat Jawa Ponorogo menganggapnya pejuang dalam menuntut kemerdekaan, cuma memilih jalan yang salah. Pemuda kelahiran Kampung Gombak, Peserai, Batu Pahat itu mempunyai peribadi tinggi dan dikatakan kuat beribadat serta tinggi pengetahuan agamanya. Justeru, dia disenangi penduduk di Sri Medan yang kerap membantunya membekalkan makanan ketika dia dalam parti komunis. Namun, tekanan yang diberikan Inggeris terutama kepada rakan karibnya, Mat Tukyo supaya menangkap Mat Indera atau tindakan tegas dikenakan terhadap penduduk Sri Medan menyebabkan mereka tiada pilihan selain memastikannya ditangkap. Namun, bukan kerja mudah menangkapnya kerana kehebatan dan ketinggian ilmu Mat Indera. Ugutan Inggeris terus menjadi tekanan kepada penduduk Sri Medan termasuk untuk memindahkan mereka dan mengambil tindakan tegas kepada mereka yang membantu membekalkan makanan kepada Mat Indera. Penangkapan Mat Tukyo oleh Inggeris sebelum ditawarkan beberapa ganjaran selain hidup bebas di Sri Medan menjadi kemuncak tindakan nekad penduduk Jawa Ponorogo, namun perlu melalui kaedah terancang kerana semua mengetahui kesaktian Mat Indera. Pada 14 Oktober 1952, lima lelaki Jawa Ponorogo yang diketuai Md Sham dan dibantu Ismail Mustakim (Misban), Beladang, Mat Tukyo dan Bajuri menggunakan tipu helah untuk memberkas Mat Indera. Ia bermula dengan jemputan Mat Tukyo dan Misban untuk mengadakan perbincangan mengenai pelan bantuan orang kampung kepada Mat Indera. Dalam perbincangan itu, dia dijamu dengan tempe dan kopi yang dicampur kecubung. Akibat itu Mat Indera mabuk dan mengantuk. Kesempatan itu digunakan untuk menanggalkan semua tangkal serta mengikat tangannya dengan lalang. Dikatakan, kerana itulah ilmu ghaib dan kehebatan Mat Indera tidak lagi dapat digunakan. Bekas ketua kampung Parit Warijo, Malik Samuri menjadi saksi bagaimana Mat Indera dibawa dengan basikal sedang tangannya diikat daun lalang. Peristiwa itu sebenarnya menimbulkan pelbagai reaksi masyarakat Jawa Ponorogo. Ada yang gembira dan ada yang sebak. Mohd Abidin Ismail iaitu anak salah seorang yang menangkap Mat Indera, Misban, berkata meskipun terbabit secara langsung dalam tipu helah itu, sepanjang hidup ayahnya tidak pernah menyatakan kebanggaan atas kejayaan itu, malah tidak sesekali melabelkan Mat Indera sebagai petualang. "Cuma apa yang kerap diceritakannya ialah tindakan mereka ketika itu adalah disebabkan tekanan yang dihadapi akibat ugutan Inggeris. Mungkin ada melabelkannya sebagai petualang tetapi saya merasakan dia seorang pejuang tetapi memilih jalan yang salah. "Tidak adil terus melabel Mat Indera sebagai pengkhianat kerana dia juga berjuang untuk menuntut kemerdekaan. Cuma kumpulan yang disertainya itu tidak sesuai, itupun disebabkan tiada kumpulan lain ketika itu. Kumpulan Melayu lain terlalu lambat bertindak" katanya.

Cry of the silent millions goes unheeded Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:12 PM PDT When the Malayan flag was hoisted in 1957, 'every person there did not represent one race, they were Malayans," recalls Mrs FR Bhupalan, who was then a 30-year-old mother of two. Having championed causes such as the anti-drug abuse movement, women's rights, education and social justice, Bhupalan was one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then Malaya) independence. Aneesa Alphonsus, Free Malaysia Today At the age of 84, Rasammah Bhupalan's eyes still light up at the mention of Aug 31, 1957. Her eagerness when sharing what she witnessed that momentous day is infectious and at times poignant. Known to many as Mrs FR Bhupalan, she was both a Malaysian freedom fighter and social activist. Having championed causes such as the anti-drug abuse movement, women's rights, education and social justice, Bhupalan was one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then Malaya) independence. At the age of 16, she joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the women's wing of the Indian National Army, to fight the British. As founder president of the Women Teacher's Union, she fought for equal pay for women teachers and tried to bring a disparate teachers' unions under the same roof. With these achievements, which she described as, "modest", it is little wonder why she feels so strongly about the day Malaya was liberated and recalls the day with much clarity and enthusiasm. "It was the most exhilarating and happy period of the time. But it also came with the realisation that therein was a challenge (for me) as a citizen of an independent country and nation. "It made me think about how I must undertake certain responsibilities and have greater participation in the life of our country. I was 30 years old at the time." On the eve of Merdeka, Bhupalan made her way from Ipoh to be in Kuala Lumpur with two of her children in tow – a girl of five and a boy of three. Excitement and anticipation Having been a student of history, Bhupalan felt it was important that when the Union Jack was brought down and our Malayan flag hoisted, she should be there in order for her to share with her children the value of liberty. So together with her cousins, Mrs Bhupalan arrived at what is now is known as Dataran Merdeka, as early at 9pm on Aug 30. She recalled that even at that time, a massive crowd had already gathered. There is pride in her voice when she recalls that the ambience that night was breathtaking. "People were chatting and there were happy shouts everywhere. I never saw anything like it. Then the Union Jack came down and it was the most poignant moment. "The clock struck 12 midnight and Tunku Abdul Rahman raised our flag. I was emotional with happiness because I felt that the future held great promise. "Here was a country previously under colonial rule but which was now free. "The whole spirit of that night was triumphant. Every person there did not represent one race, they were Malayans," she says, her voice catching. At this juncture, she pauses and shared a thought that had come to her mind while witnessing the historic moment. "My paternal grandfather came to Malaya in 1860 as a contractor and there I was standing as witness to this independence in 1957, three years short of a century. "This fact struck me at the time. For me, there was every hope that Malaya would achieve its independence with a unity in spite of our multi-racial, cultural, language, and socio-economic differences. "Tunku brought forth great hope. There would be no turning back now and as a nation, we would be moving forward," she said. When 'hope' was born Bhupalan smiles when she recalls the Merdeka morning. She arrived at the newly constructed Merdeka Stadium very early and the first thing that caught her attention were flag poles upon which state flags flew. "The guest list was impressive, but we squeezed ourselves in. Yes, we were insignificant among the illustrious guests, but being there when our independence was declared made me feel very special. "It was a majestic and breathtaking sight to see our nine Sultans decked out in full regalia looking so strong and proud," she said. When asked about her stand on the monarchy and liberty, Bhupalan said she believes in the status of the Sultans. "I knew at the time that we were a constitutionally democratic country where we would have free elections. "There was hope that the nation of Malaya would uphold the constitutional monarchy within a democratic party. "That the government would assure that every man, woman and child would get their place in the sun. The whole concept of a democracy was there." She said she knew then that everyone had rights that would be protected by the constitution, and the government which the citizens would elect would have the power and responsibility to rule this new country. "Electing the government was one thing, but more essential was assuring that each person becomes major players in the various multi-faceted responsibilities. "It was the duty of a citizen to contribute to the progress and development of this new, young nation, " she said, adding that it is not enough to be a recipient of rights without understanding that with this comes both accountability and responsibility. True spirit lost When asked her views on the current situation in Malaysia, Bhupalan was biting. She didn't mince her words. "To be honest and forthright, I am greatly perturbed and disappointed that many aspects of life which we had dedicated ourselves to in the country have not received the same commitment and dedication from the vast numbers of persons. "Many men and women have lost the true spirit of sacrifice, but there are also others who are pushing forward for change. "In our country, we have… acquired a spirit of complacency. We have lost in part our spirit and determination to stand up without fear or favour. "Many have just chosen to accept instead of boldly stating what should be a strong impetus for the country and our people as a whole. "There is a streak of egotistical self-sufficiency, which has become a major part of our individual life. "There are millions in Malaysia who have seen minimal change. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is still with us. "The cry of the silent millions goes unheeded. From 1957 to 2011, could we the citizens have made a greater, positive contribution to the lives of the have-nots? "I ask myself this everyday." No unity now Bhupalan also feels strongly that a predominant part of our early history is tragically lost. She opines that rhetoric from politicians, leaders of corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations and from both men and women clearly shows that the much-needed action is ignored. The need for a strong proponent for unity in the country is unfortunately not present. READ MORE HERE

UMNO's Somalia Medical Mission: Genuine or Publicity Stunt? Posted: 02 Sep 2011 11:12 PM PDT A brief look at the Army's hospitals' websites indicate that almost all their hospitals have hardly any patients, which will then beg the question. What do our army docs and medics do with so much free time on their hands? Shouldn't they have gone instead of the UMNO club? By Blackhawk By the time this article is published, the body of 39-year-old Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, Bernama's late cameraman, who had apparently followed UMNO Putra club's humanitarian mission to Somalis would have arrived in Malaysia. It is tragic, that apart from the hundreds of lives lost during the Raya period on Malaysian roads due to the balik kampong mayhem, Faizul should meet his death in war torn Mogadishu, Somalia. Was this just an accident? Could it have been avoided? Did UMNO rush to Somalia to genuinely help Somalians? Or did UMNO throw caution to the wind and rush callously on the eve of Raya to Somalia just for a publicity stunt? If it was for a publicity stunt, then Faizul would have died in vain and this wouldn't have been the first time when our personnel, both medical and non-medical would have risked not only their lives but more importantly the people around them who may be completely oblivious to the dangers of this sort of missions.   In 2003, Mercy Malaysia similarly put medical personnel at risk. Its two doctors, Dr. Jamilah and Baba Deni were lucky to get away alive although both were shot in Baghdad. Not so lucky were their Syrian driver and the Iraqi medical personnel who were accompanying them. Both lost their lives in the shooting. Malaysians may mean well, but extending aid to war torn and disaster areas carries immense risks and requires specific training. It is not a boy scout outing. Apart from the safety aspect, questions have arose as to how these trips are being financed and who actually audits these ventures.   When the 2004 tsunami flattened Acheh, Malaysians were one of the first to reach Acheh. But they were hopelessly ill-equipped for the task ahead. In direct contrast, Singapore and Australia sent in their army and naval outfits to attend to the distribution of aid. Humanitarian aid carried out by trained forces tend to be more orderly, organized, triaged and focused to help. Malaysians out to help nuclear-disastered Sendai, Japan following this year's tsunami were not even allowed to leave Subang for Japan by Japanese authorities, as the Japanese politely refused knowing well they could not guarantee the safety of their own people let alone foreign volunteers untrained in handling nuclear fall-outs.   From the images shown on local TV, the UMNO Putra Team appeared to be untrained personnel doing their rounds on unfriendly and sometimes hostile terrain. How would giving adhoc cholera/typhoid vaccinations and holding impromptu outpatient clinics at refugee camps help civilians there in the long-term? And why would you want to do a job you are not trained to handle especially on terrain you are not familiar with and unfriendly at that too. Shouldn't it have been a job for our army boys. We are in peace time anyway and this would have been a good mission to keep them on their toes. There is no imminent danger of our submarines sinking as they apparently cannot dive, or our air force jets with no engines crashing and there are certainly no communists to look out for who may be waiting to create another Bukit Kepong situation.   A brief look at the Army's hospitals' websites indicate that almost all their hospitals have hardly any patients, which will then beg the question. What do our army docs and medics do with so much free time on their hands? Shouldn't they have gone instead of the UMNO club? Unless of course the help UMNO wanted to deliver was a sideshow, the main menu being publicity for UMNO or its leaders judging from the daily reporting in the MSM and TV images during prime time. Is this GE-13 election campaigning using the Somalians misery and our journalists' lives to brainwash our kampong folk?   UMNO must now be ready to answer some difficult questions. The Mission arrived in Somalia on 30th August at one of the world's most dangerous destinations and to a country that is home to pirates that can put to shame even the mightiest of navies in the Indian Ocean, including the US Navy. Apparently it was timed to provide Hari Raya aid and according to a statement issued by its chief, Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim to even have Hari Raya prayers there! If the Health Ministry was involved and had sent some of their personnel, Liow Tiong Lai better have some answers ready! With our own Malaysians getting literally war conditions treatment in many of our government hospitals, it would be interesting to listen to Liow's excuses, in his own Tung Shin way.   Aid was supposed to be distributed to five areas, with Mogadishu being the first stop. Others included Badbadur, about 25km from Mogadishu, where about 250,000 people are taking refuge, Al Shabeb in Merka where 300,000 people are affected by the famine and in the Balet Veni camps which house 100,000 people. Both areas are located 100km from Mogadishu. Even the Operations chief Lt-Col Zahani Zainal Abdin had warned saying it would be risky to even fly into Mogadishu at night. In total there were a total of 55 volunteers and members of the media who formed part of the mission to cover a radius of almost 200 km in a country where there was no law except for a 9000 strong UN backed force - the only law in a country of 10 million. Make no mistake, in this country even 12 year olds carry AK-47s. UMNO club members had no business being in this country and in their pursuit of cheap publicity endangering the lives of other civilians both Malaysians and Somalians. Any mission that carries with it civilians and journalists are a handicap to any military personnel exposing even the most well-trained military commando to being nothing more then a sitting duck. Al- Fatihah to Noramfaizul Mohd Nor's family. Let's hope Bernama and Utusan don't spin his untimely and unnecessary death into a "mati syahid" affair.

Kenapa BN/UMNO bersusah payah sangat nak jadi pembangkang? Posted: 02 Sep 2011 04:27 PM PDT ASPAN ALIAS Jelas, pilihanrayua semakin hampir. Banyak isu yang dipaparkan oleh pihak parti kerajaan sekarang memberikan bayangan yang kuat yang pilihanraya sudah hampir tiba dan ada pandangan yang menyatakan pilihanraya akan di adakan pada penghujung tahun ini juga. Keputusan untuk memanggil pilihanraya ada di tangan UMNO khususnya kepada Presidennya yang juga Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak. Jika pilihanraya diadakan pada bulan November ianya merupakan penggal yang terpendek ia itu 3 tahun lapan bulan. Dalam sejarah pilihanraya negara penggal 1978 ke 1982 merupakan penggal yang hanya 3 tahun 8 bulan juga. Keadaan ekonomi global yang dijangka akan bertambah buruk menyebabkan kemungkinan penggal pilihanraya kali ini akan menjadi penggal yang pendek kerana BN tidak mahu terjebak dalam situasi ekonomi global serta negara kita yang lebih buruk semasa pilihanraya nanti. Faktor ekonomi merupakan salah satu faktor terpenting dalam menentukan tarikh pilihanraya negara. Oleh kerana desakan untuk mengadakan pilihanraya terawal yang mungkin maka BN yang belum lagi berkeyakinan tentang sokongan rakyat nampaknya menggunakan apa sahaja isu yang mereka anggap boleh melemahkan pihak pembangkang yang kian kuat dan kehadapan semasa ini. Isu yang sedang di mainkan oleh pihak parti kerajaan khususnya UMNO, ialah isu komunis dan Mohamad Sabu, Timbalan Presiden PAS. Isu meng-komuniskan Mat Sabu itu dianggap isu yang terbaik bagi UMNO untuk mengurangkan pengaruh PAS. UMNO tidak mampu untuk mendapat sokongan rakyat melalui rekod dan menampilan cemerlang. Oleh itu UMNO mengambil jalan dengan cara 'discredit' pembangkang dan pemimpinnya. Ucapan Mat Sabu di Tasek Gelugor beberapa hari yang lepas dianggap yang terbaik untuk mengalihkan pandangan rakyat terhadap isu yang sangat besar yang sedang dihadapi oleh UMNO dan BN sekarang ini, iaitu isu persepsi rasuah yang menebal dan telah menjadi stigma yang kekal kepada UMNO dan BN. Isu 'Mat Sabu dan komunis' yang tidak menesabah ini juga diharapkan oleh UMNO untuk memalingkan pandangan rakyat terhadap isu kenaikan harga barangan keperluan yang terlalu mahal pada masa ini. Kalau diteliti ucapan Mat Sabu yang telah direkodkan di Tasek Gelugor itu tidak ada sepatah pun isu komunis di sebut oleh Timbalan Presiden PAS itu. Tetapi Utusan telah menulisnya dengan besar di dalam akhbar harian itu semata-mata untuk discredit PAS yang sedang mengembang pengaruhnya di kalangan rakyat berbilang kaum di negara ini. Saya selalu menyebut di dalam tulisan saya di dalam blog saya ini yang segala isu yang ditimbulkan oleh UMNO merupakan isu yang 'counter productive' kepada BN dan UMNO. Semua isu yang dimainkan oleh UMNO akhir-akhir ini merupakan isu yang 'self defeating' bagi parti pemerintah ini. Semakin hari rakyat semakin celek tetapi UMNO terus terusan menggunakan isu yang memakan diri mereka sendiri. Rata-rata orang ramai berpendapat yang UMNO tidak mungkin berjaya untuk mendapat sokongan tambahan melalui rekod yang baik untuk parti itu. Isu Mohamad Sabu ini merupakan isu yang UMNO anggap terbaik untuk memalingkan pandangan rakyat dari isu transformasi ekonomi dan politik yang tidak ada tanda-tanda kejayaannya. Pelan transformasi ekonomi tetap dan masih berada di dalam lab yang dihuni oleh Idris Jala di Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Isu Mohamad Sabu ini juga diharapkan oleh UMNO untuk menutup segala kesalahan dan kesilapan pihak pemerintah dalam menangani isu Bersih 2.0 dua bulan yang lepas. Bak kata Dr Mahathir, UMNO sudah rosak sampai ke ususnya. Jika kata-kata seperti ini yang datangnya dari seorang bekas pemimpin negara yang di anggap besar oleh pengikutnya tentulah ianya satu pandangan yang sangat berasas, apatah lagi Dr Mahathir merupakan pengasas kepada parti UMNO yang ada pada hari ini. Hari ini Utusan telah meminta semua pihak menolak PAS sedangkan Utusan itu sendiri telah ditolak oleh pembaca dan kini Utusan hanya mempunyai pembaca tidak lebih dari seratus ribu sehari. Cara Utusan melakukan serangan yang merapu terhadap Mohamad Sabu itu seolah-olah meminta semua pihak melupakan kes rasuah di dalam kerajaan UMNO dan semua kes salah guna kuasa yang berlaku begitu serius di dalam pentadbiran BN pada hari ini. Isu komunis yang diputar belitkan oleh Utusan ini juga mungkin menjadi isu yang paling akhir sebelum pilihanraya yang akan datang ini. Jika Utusan ingin menjadi akhbar yang ber intregiti akhbar ini mesti juga lah membesarkan isu rasuah yang secara sistematik yang dilakukan oleh parti-parti di dalam BN khususnya UMNO. Rasuah dilakukan secara sistematik melalui projek-projek infra struktor dilaksanakan secara 'negotiated tender' yang begitu maha untuk dibayar oleh rakyat. Semuanya ini merupakan tindakan yang memerah rakyat yang sudah menjadi ketagihan kepada pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO sekarang ini.  READ MORE HERE

Secret files show British, US ties to Kadhafi regime: report Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:57 PM PDT (AFP) - British and US intelligence cooperated closely with Libya, with prisoners being offered to Moamer Kadhafi's regime under the rendition programme, a report said Saturday citing files found in Tripoli. British daily The Independent said the secret documents discovered in the office of former Libyan foreign minister Mussa Kussa also show that Britain passed details of exiled opponents to Kadhafi's spies. The cache further shows that it was the office of former British prime minister Tony Blair that requested that a 2004 meeting with Kadhafi in Tripoli should take place in a Bedouin tent, the daily said. There was no immediate reaction from British or US authorities to the report. The paper said the documents would raise questions about the ties that Britain, in particular, and the United States forged with Kussa and the regime as the western powers tried to bring Libya out of isolation. Kussa flew to Britain in March and defected, but despite being accused of rights violations was allowed to fly to Qatar the following month. The Independent said the papers include leters and faxes to Kussa headed "Greetings from MI6" (Britain's foreign intelligence service) and a personal Christmas greeting signed by a senior British spy with the epithet "Your friend". It also cites a US administration document, marked secret, saying that it was "in a position" to deliver a man named as Shaykh Musa, a member of the Al-Qaeda-linked Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, "to your physical custody." "We respectfully request an expression of interest from your service regarding taking custody of Musa," it quotes the document as saying. Secret CIA rendition flights transported dozens of terror suspects around the world following the 9/11 attacks, often for interrogation in third countries. Meanwhile British intelligence in a letter dated April 16, 2004 informs a Libyan security agency that a Libyan opposition actvist had been freed from British detention, the Independent said. A further document purportedly from MI6 seeks information about a suspect travelling on a Libyan passport, adding that it is a "sensitive operation". The cache also shows that a statement given by Kadhafi announcing that his regime was giving up weapons of mass destruction in a bid to shed its pariah status was put together with the help of British officials. A letter addressed to a Libyan official from British intelligence attached a "tidied up version of the language we agreed...", it said. Meanwhile the Independent said a sizeable amount of the correspondence was devoted to preparations for Blair's landmark Tripoli visit, and showed that Kussa played a role as conduit with the premier's 10 Downing Street office. In one, it sad an MI6 officer wrote to Kussa saying: "No.10 are keen that the Prime Minister meet the leader in his tent. I don't know why the English are fascinated by tents. The plain fact is the journalists would love it." Blair was duly pictured shaking hands with Kadhafi in a Bedouin tent.

WikiLeaks' media partners blast release of US cables Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:51 PM PDT (AFP) - WikiLeaks' media partners on Friday blasted the anti-secrecy website's decision to publish unredacted its full cache of more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables, saying it was the decision of Julian Assange alone. "We deplore the decision of WikiLeaks to publish the unredacted State Department cables, which may put sources at risk," said a joint statement from the Guardian, the New York Times, Der Spiegel and El Pais. The news organisations said: "Our previous dealings with WikiLeaks were on the clear basis that we would only publish cables which had been subjected to a thorough editing and clearance process." They said they would "continue to defend our collaborative publishing endeavour", but added: "We cannot defend the needless publication of the complete data -- indeed, we are united in condemning it. "Today's decision to publish by Julian Assange was his, and his alone." Assange, the Australian who founded WikiLeaks, is living under stringent bail conditions in Britain while he fights extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of rape and sexual assault. WikiLeaks said on Friday it had published its full archive of more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables, accessible through an Internet link without a password. It said it took the action after claiming the Guardian had leaked the passwords to the full cache of cables. The British newspaper denies the claim. The Guardian, the New York Times, Der Spiegel of Germany and Spain's El Pais as well as French newspaper Le Monde were WikiLeaks' original media partners and published selected cables, although with names of sources redacted. The Guardian broke off its cooperation with WikiLeaks in December over concerns about the security of sources. The United States and human rights groups have warned that releasing unredacted cables could endanger the lives of the people who had spoken in confidence to US diplomats.

WikiLeaks report incorrect: Sabah Speaker Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:50 PM PDT (Bernama) -- Sabah Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said Keruak has dismissed as untrue a WikiLeaks report on his purported comment over the failed bid by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat to take over the federal government on Sept 16, 2008. "I never confirmed or endorsed the purported defection of MPs to the opposition or Pakatan Rakyat. At that time, as far as I can recall, the opposition tried hard to win over MPs from Sabah but they failed to woo them. "What had happened was more of a "psy war" adopted by the opposition to destabilise the Barisan Nasional (BN) government," Salleh, a former Sabah chief minister, told Bernama after attending the Kota Belud Wanita Umno Aidilfitri open house in Kampung Siasai, here. Online portal Malaysiakini was quoted as reporting yesterday that a leaked US embassy cable had lent credence to Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim's claim that a group of Sabah and Sarawak politicians had planned to defect from the BN on Sept 16, 2008, over alleged marginalisation of the two states. An entry in the cable, posted by WikiLeaks, quoted Salleh as telling US embassy officials that potentially more than half of the 25 Sabah MPs were ready to abandon the BN. The cable claimed further that embassy officials found "no expressions of support" for then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership among the senior Sabah politicians they met in a series of meetings in the state from June 18 to 20 that year.

Najib is ‘politically finished’ Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:43 PM PDT According to a seasoned Umno politician, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin isn't as 'stupid as he looks' and that the '3M' threat is 'something the Najib camp is manufacturing'. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today Many of us have fond memories of former Kedah menteri besar, Sanusi Junid, for 1,001 reasons. He can be comical at one time, deadpan serious at another. Sanusi, who joined Umno in 1963, used to regal many of us with his caustic remarks aimed at disarming Umno president Najib Tun Razak or discrediting Najib as it were. He related his many conversations with Najib' father, Tun Razak. One of these conversational bites was when Tun Razak was sighing about how Najib couldn't cut his teeth into politics. Sanusi would let out a half smile when he tells us of the moment when he cheekily asked: "Why Tun?" And Tun Razak replied: "Too much skirt chasing." According to the Oracle of Syed Putra, there is a growing divide between Najib, Umno and the Malays. (Incidentally, the Oracle is the alter ego of Daim Zainudin. You can almost say what the Oracle says is what Daim thinks.) According to him, the low estimation of Najib as prime minister and Umno president is no longer just confined to the man on the street whose opinions may be justifiably dismissed as idle talk. But the same opinions are being said and repeated by Umno luminaries, people of some significance, indicating a very serious perception problem. Umno leaders complaining So what is Najib doing now? Najib is seen as being busy finding ways to channel money to Chinese vernacular schools and that is alienating the Malay voters farther. He's seen as appeasing non-Malays more and more. It seems to me his way of solving problems is by paying his way through. Yet the Umno warlords from which Umno and its president depend for political power are not amused. They are NOT receiving projects for their areas. For example, the Umno leaders in Kedah are complaining. They have been asked to set the agenda to retake Kedah yet they have not been given resources to go into battle. Forget '3M' grouping Speaking of Kedah, I asked the Oracle what's his take on the 3M grouping of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyidin Yassin and Mukhriz (Mahathir's son)? "I wouldn't give much credence to the 3M thing. For what purpose? For Muhyidin to ascend to the PM post? "He can do that by other means at his disposal. He is enjoying better credibility with his Malay first, Malaysia second attitude with the Malay hoi poloi. "To prop up Mukhriz so that Mahathir will lend his weight to Muhyidin? That is possible. "But how long can Mukhriz survive in politics by hanging on the coat-tails of his father? "It's like you said about Najib being cornered to come out with his last resort defence when attacked on his policies. "All he could muster was – he is Tun Razak's son. How long can you sell that?. "So why should Muhydin be a party to declining forces?" said the Orcle. READ MORE HERE

DAP won’t give up Jelapang state seat Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:32 PM PDT Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham hopes PSM would not play the role of a spoiler in the coming 13th general election. Free Malaysia Today) - Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham today brushed off calls by Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) that the Jelapang state seat be allocated to PSM, hence paving the way for a possible three-cornered contest. "How can PSM ask for a DAP winning seat? I hope PSM would not become spoilers (in the 13th coming general election) ," said Ngeh, who is also Bruas MP and Sitiawan state assemblyman. Yesterday, PSM central committee member Dr D Michael Jeyakumar said the Jelapang state seat in Perak should be allocated to PSM in the upcoming national polls. "We should get the seat. DAP got the seat and lost the (state)government," he said. PSM argued that it should get the seat since Jelapang state assemblywoman Hee Yit Foong quit the DAP in 2009 that led to the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak. Hee is now an independent aligned with the Barisan Nasional. Ngeh also casts doubts over PSM's loyalty towards Pakatan. "PSM declared it is Pakatan-friendly but it is not bound by the decisions made by Pakatan," Ngeh said. He added that PSM's candidate in the 2008 general election, M Sarasvathy, had lost her deposit. READ MORE HERE

Bagaimana agaknya Umno tulis sejarah Anwar Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:28 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Setelah membuat satu kenyataan yang membuatkan rakyat terfikir bagaimana sepatutnya sesebuah sejarah harus ditafsir, Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man hari ini sekali lagi mengajak rakyat berfikir mengenai kesahihan penulisan sejarah oleh manusia, dan mengapa sejarah tidak harus diterima bulat-bulat tanpa soal selidik terlebih dahulu. Menggunakan ungkapan sinis 'Yang menang tulis sejarah, yang kalah buat puisi', Tuan Ibrahim berkata adalah sukar untuk mencari penulisan sejarah oleh manusia yang jujur, kerana majoriti penulis sejarah menulis dari perspektif di pihak mana mereka berada dan ada yang menulis di bawah kawalan ketakutan dan telunjuk golongan berkuasa.   "Umum dan rata-rata sebenarnya menyedari bahawa penulisan sejarah akan menyebelahi golongan yang akhirnya mendapat kuasa atau golongan yang menang. Manakala bagi golongan yang kalah pula, sejarah yang ditulis, terutamanya apabila bercanggah fakta dengan sejarah golongan yang menang, mereka tidak berani untuk berterus-terang untuk menyerang penulisan sejarah golongan yang berkuasa pada ketika peristiwa tersebut berlaku kerana kebesaran risiko dan tekanan yang mereka terpaksa hadapi.   Bahkan, ada mereka yang berani, namun lazimnya sejarah yang ditinggalkan mereka akan dihapuskan oleh golongan yang menang supaya generasi seterusnya hanya terus mengagongkan dan mengenangkan jasa golongan yang menang demi kepentingan masing-masing," terang Tuan Ibrahim.   Akibatnya, kata beliau golongan yang tertewas ini lebih selesa menulis puisi, cerpen dan novel bagi meluahkan bantahan dan penentangan mereka terhadap satu-satu isu atau tohmahan yang dilemparkan kepada mereka.   "Maka lahirlah kata-kata sinis 'yang menang tulis sejarah, yang kalah membuat puisi'," kata beliau. Tuan Ibrahim menyifatkan sejarah sebagai peninggalan untuk dinilai, difahami, dipelajari dan diambil iktibar terhadap sesuatu yang pernah berlaku, jarang sekali ia adalah untuk mencari kesalahan mana-mana pihak ketika peristiwa sejarah tersebut berlaku.   Namun, kata beliau segalanya menjadi terbantut apabila fakta sejarah yang ditinggalkan tidak boleh dibahaskan, tidak boleh dicabar dan tidak boleh dibincangkan secara akademik, terutamanya apabila muncul dua-tiga versi fakta sejarah yang bercanggah mengenai sesuatu peristiwa.   Akibat penulisan sejarah yang tidak tepat katanya, maka timbul usaha untuk menilai semula, membahas, perbincangan ilmiah dan diskusi mengenai satu-satu fakta sejarah dari pelbagai sudut.   "Namun, harus diingat, perkara yang paling malang dalam proses penulisan sejarah berkisar kepada mereka yang telah tiada untuk membela diri mereka terhadap penulisan yang tidak tepat terhadap mereka dalam penulisan sejarah, yang lumrahnya ditulis oleh golongan yang menang.   Kemunculan waris-waris untuk membela bagi pihak bapa, ibu atau waris mereka juga menambahkan warna-warni kepada perdebatan bahan sejarah – namun, apakah ianya tepat? Sudah tentu, ia masih boleh dipertikai lagi," terang beliau. Menurut Tuan Ibrahim, yang juga Pesuruhjaya PAS Pahang, secara tidak sedar, rakyat dan negara kini sedang mencipta dan mencatitkan sejarah tersendiri, namun persoalan utamanya ialah apakah sejarah yang sedang kita lakar kini, sebagai contoh apa yang berlaku 20 tahun yang lalu untuk generasi masa depan, akan atau telah dibuat secara jujur?   "Jawapannya masih sama, ianya tidak jujur kerana adanya kepentingan golongan pemerintah dalam menjaga minda generasi seterusnya pada waktu ini, dengan anggapan bahawa mereka akan kekal berkuasa.   Sebagai contoh, sejarah kepimpinan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, sekiranya dibahas pada masa hadapan, apakah versi yang bakal dicatat dalam sejarah?" soal beliau.   Rakyat, kata beliau tidak perlu melihat jauh dalam melihat apa yang beliau maksud dalam ungkapan 'yang menang tulis sejarah, yang kalah buat puisi.'   "...untuk seseorang yang pernah menjadi Timbalan Presiden Umno dan Perdana Menteri suatu waktu dahulu, sekarang sudahpun ditulis dan digerombol oleh pihak pemerintah dalam wajah baru sebagai pengkhianat, penentang kerajaan dan selainnya sekiranya akhbar-akhbar pro-kerajaan pemerintah kini dijadikan rujukan sejarah pada masa hadapan.   Mana catatan terhadap jasa beliau dalam membangunkan negara, malah memajukan Umno suatu masa dahulu? Adakah ia akan dicatat dalam sejarah kerajaan Barisan Nasional, atau akan dipadamkan begitu sahaja? Adakah dalam carta sejarah kepimpinan Umno, gambar Timbalan Dr Mahathir ini pada 1990-an akan dihilangkan begitu sahaja dalam sejarah?   Sejarah apa pula mengenai beliau yang akan dituliskan dalam buku sejarah yang bakal diajar kepada pelajar pada masa depan?" tanya Tuan Ibrahim lagi.   Beliau turut menambah bahawa perkara sama turut berlaku dengan sejarah Presiden PAS Tuan Guru Datuk Seri  Abdul Hadi Awang sebagai Menteri Besar Terengganu yang cuba dibuang dari sejarah, sehinggakan gambar beliau sebagai Menteri Besar cuba dihilangkan.   "Inilah realiti dalam permainan penulisan sejarah manusia oleh golongan yang menang, yang menjadi punca utama pahlawan-pahlawan negara yang bangun berjuang bermati-matian seperti Mat Kilau, Tok Gajah, Datok Bahaman di Pahang, Abdul Rahman Limbong di Terengganu, Tok Janggut di Kelantan, Datok Maharajalela dan Si Puntong di Perak, Dol Said di Negeri Sembilan dan puluhan pimpinan yang lain kini hilang dari sejarah," terang beliau lagi.   Yang muncul, dicatat, dihargai malah tidak boleh dipertikaikan hari ini, katanya hanyalah pejuang yang diterima oleh Inggeris dalam sejarah penjajahan mereka terhadap Tanah Melayu.   "Sesiapa yang ingin mengungkit semula jasa golongan yang tertewas, walaupun jasa mereka berharga akan terus dicop sebagai pengkhianat atau penyokong golongan tertentu dan cuba mengubah sejarah negara oleh pihak pemerintah," kata beliau.   Beliau turut menegaskan bahawa benarlah juga, mereka yang diterima sebagai pejuang oleh penjajah Inggeris ada jasa dalam usaha memerdekakan negara; namun pada masa yang sama benarlah juga ungkapan "Yang menang tulis sejarah, yang kalah membuat puisi".   "Janganlah kita lupa pula dengan pejuang rakyat yang tidak diiktiraf, malah digelar sebagai pengganas oleh pihak penjajah atau golongan pemenang, mereka juga ada jasanya yang patut dimartabatkan dalam sejarah negara," nasihat beliau.   Tuan Ibrahim turut menasihatkan pihak pemerintah jangan cepat mencela para pembaca sejarah yang menilai kedudukan tokoh-tokoh negara pra-kemerdekaan yang tercatit dalam sejarah ini secara peribadi dengan fakta sejarah yang cukup – walaupun kesudahan tafsiran mereka mungkin bercanggah dengan versi sejarah yang dihasratkan pihak kerajaan.   "Kerana ini adalah fenomena yang bagus untuk negara yang menunjukkan rakyat semakin matang dalam mengkaji maklumat yang diterima mereka sebelum menerimanya bulat-bulat tanpa soal selidik seperti dulu," kata beliau lagi.   Sejarah pra-Merdeka negara kini hangat diperdebatkan apabila Umno dan medianya melancarkan serangan siang-malam sejak 27 Ogos yang lalu terhadap satu kenyataan yang dibuat Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu di ceramahnya di Tasek Gelugor pada 21 Ogos yang lalu.   Dalam laporan muka depannya baru-baru ini, Utusan Malaysia menyiarkan Mohamad Sabu sebagai mendakwa Mat Indera, lelaki yang bersekongkol dengan Goh Pen Tun dan 200 anggota komunis adalah hero sebenar, bukannya 25 anggota polis dan keluarga mereka yang mempertahankan diri dalam serangan di balai tersebut. Kenyataan itu menurut akhbar Umno itu diucapkan timbalan presiden PAS itu, dalam ceramahnya di Tasek Gelugor, Pulau Pinang pada 21 Ogos lalu. Ekoran itu, isu itu menjadi 'peluru' pemimpin Umno dan medianya menyerang Mohamad Sabu dan PAS kononnya parti itu menghina para polis Bukit Kepong dan membela Komunis yang menyerang balai polis itu. Sejak itu juga, berpuluh laporan polis dibuat terhadap Mohamad khususnya oleh Umno dan menggesa beliau memohon maaf serta menarik balik kenyataannya. Mohamad bagaimanapun menafikan laporan akhbar itu yang didakwa cuba memfitnah dirinya dan tidak akan sesekali memohon maaf. Beliau menegaskan bahawa beliau tidak pernahpun menyebut Mat Indera itu sebagai seorang komunis sepertimana yang telah disiarkan oleh Utusan Malaysia.   Sehubungan itu, beliau telah mengarahkan peguamnya untuk menghantar notis saman kepada akhbar itu dan memintanya meminta maaf dan menarik balik laporan palsu itu.   Beliau turut menyatakan dalam sidang akhbar terbarunya bahawa serang Umno terhadap beliau sengaja ditimbulkan bagi mengalih pandangan rakyat terhadap kepincangan pengurusan pilihan raya dan kenaikan harga barangan keperluan sekarang.   "Ini kerana semua orang sudah tahu ketika zaman penjajah, sesiapa sahaja yang menentang British akan dianggap sebagai pengkhianat.   "Sama seperti Tok Janggut yang bangkit melawan Inggeris bagi menuntut kemerdekaan dianggap sebagai penderhaka, sedangkan mereka pejuang sebenar menuntut kemerdekaan," ujarnya.

Bukit Kepong ‘battle’: NGOs back Mat Sabu Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:13 PM PDT Deputy IGP criticised for practising double standard in carrying out police investigation of the PAS deputy president. (Free Malaysia Today) - Several NGOs today criticised Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar for practising "double standard" over the controversy surrounding PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu's remarks on the Bukit Kepong incident. Last week, Mohamad Sabu, also popularly known as Mat Sabu, criticised Utusan Malaysia over its report which suggested that he allegedly praised the communist insurgents who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the Emergency on Feb 23, 1950 as heroes. During a political rally in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21, Mat Sabu allegedly said that "nearing Merdeka, the Bukit Kepong clip will be aired". "In Bukit Kepong, the police were British policemen. Those who attacked Bukit Kepong were the true freedom fighters. Their leader was Mat Indera (Muhammad Indera)." Later, Khalid confirmed that police will investigate Mat Sabu after receiving 49 police reports nationwide regarding his alleged statement, and might charge him under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAMAN), representing 20 major Indian NGOs, came to the defence of Mat Sabu saying that people will lost their trust in the police for clearly discriminating against the Pakatan Rakyat leader. "We are not against the police decision, but why didn't the police take similar action against Utusan Malaysia, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali and Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor for their racial statements?" WargaAMAN secretary-general S Barathidasan asked. He said that WargaAMAN itself had lodged numerous reports against Utusan Malaysia and Ibrahim for stoking racial tension, but till today the police did not carry out a single investigation. He added that the reputation of the police will be damaged if they continued to show favoritism to the Barisan Nasional. Barathidasan also fully supports the views of Mat Sabu as "substantively correct". READ MORE HERE

Refusal to swear in court raises questions Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:08 PM PDT (NST) - Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim yesterday urged opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's family to step forward and explain the reason behind his refusal to swear under oath in mosque and court. Dr Mashitah said Anwar's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah should provide an explanation on behalf of Anwar. This is because his refusal had received wide public interest. "If he (Anwar) is not guilty, he should swear under oath like what Saiful (Bukhari Azlan) had done, who had sworn under oath that Anwar had sodomised him. "The family should not defend him blindly, but instead should let the public know the reason behind it."

Utusan wants PAS snubbed over purported communism support Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:06 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno's Utusan Malaysia urged all parties today to reject PAS for purportedly glorifying communist guerrillas, saying it was "enough" that the Islamist party exploits religion to gain political mileage. Continuing its warfare against the opposition party, the Malay daily said in a column by its editors that PAS's top leaders were attempting to seek popularity by standing by deputy president Mohamad Sabu's referrence to Mat Indera as a "hero" and a freedom fighter. Mohamad, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, had reportedly described as heroes those who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the pre-independence communist insurgency in 1950. "The act of endorsing the struggles of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) by twisting historical facts is irresponsible and should be rejected by all parties who understand clearly the violence and cruelty of the guerrilla forces then," the Malay daily's editors wrote today under the pseudonym Awang Selamat. "As such, Awang would like to advise PAS, it is enough to try and exploit religion for political gains, to a point they even revere MCP for the sake of seeking power," Awang continued. Calling himself "sad", Awang said he could not fathom what was in the minds of PAS leaders when they chose to support Mat Sabu's statements. Utusan Malaysia had carried a report on his ceramah speech last Saturday and accused him of disparaging the country's armed forces and expressing support for communists. PAS and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have since backed Mat Sabu, who himself has denied the report and threatened to sue the newspaper. He also pointed out yesterday that Mat Indera, one of the individuals he praised in his ceramah on August 21, had been recognised as a freedom fighter by Umno-controlled Berita Harian on August 13, 2010. READ MORE HERE

DAP leader lodges report against TV station Posted: 02 Sep 2011 03:04 PM PDT (The Star) - State opposition leader Dr Boo Cheng Hau has lodged a police report, denying claims by a local television station that several DAP leaders, including himself, were supporters of a murtad or apostate Facebook group. Dr Boo, who is also the state DAP chairman, said he was shocked that his picture and those of other leaders were used during a two-minute report aired at the station's news slot at 8pm on Aug 27. "It was stated in that report that we were members of this Facebook page, called Murtads in Malaysia and Singapore. I would like to reiterate that I am not part of this group," he said, demanding an apology. Besides lodging a police report, Dr Boo said he had also forwarded a complaint to the Malaysian Com­munications and Multimedia Com­mis­sion on Thursday. A spokesman from the Commercial Crime Unit confirmed the police report, adding that the case had been referred to MCMC for further action.

Government Action Against Human Trafficking Must Be Grounded In Rule Of Law Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:46 PM PDT By Lim Chee Wee, Malaysian Bar President The Malaysian Government has responded to the decision of the High Court of Australia to declare invalid the so-called "refugee swap deal" by insisting that the arrangement was, "the best way to tackle the menace of people traffickers in a way that protects the interests of Australia, Malaysia and, above all, the immigrants involved". If protecting the interests of the immigrants involved is indeed the goal, the Malaysian Bar then questions the decision of the Malaysian Government to deport 11 Chinese nationals of Uighur ethnicity back to China on 18 August 2011. According to Minister of Home Affairs Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, these 11 Uighurs were involved in human trafficking and were wanted by the Chinese Government. This action is questionable, given that we have an Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 that is capable of dealing with foreign nationals allegedly involved in people trafficking or migrant smuggling. There was no pressing need for the Malaysian Government to deport the 11 Uighurs back to China if it genuinely wanted to address the issue of people trafficking or migrant smuggling. They should have been prosecuted here instead, and their victims of human trafficking safeguarded in Malaysia. However, they have been deported to China, and nothing has been heard about protecting their human trafficking victims. There is also no information about the whereabouts of the 11 Uighurs, what has happened to them, or indeed whether or not they are still alive. One of the 11 is married to a Malaysian. In the Australian situation, the Malaysian Government wanted to have an arrangement with the Australian Government even though Malaysia did not have the requisite legal regime. In the Chinese situation, even though the necessary legislation is in place, the Malaysian Government chose instead to relinquish legal jurisdiction over the 11 Uighurs and hand them back to China. The inconsistent actions raise questions about the purpose and motive of the act of deportation. The Uighurs, who are predominantly Muslim, rebelled against Chinese Government rule in their native Xinjiang Province in July 2009. From that perspective, the deportation of the 11 Uighurs back to China raises grave concerns whether the Malaysian Government refouled potential refugees or asylum seekers in violation of international law. We are given to understand that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur was denied access to these 11 Uighurs and was therefore unable to ascertain whether they were in a position to make an asylum claim. This follows the decision by the Malaysian Government to release eight immigration officials who were said to have been involved in a human trafficking ring. These officers were arrested under the Internal Security Act 1960 in October 2010 and then subsequently released in August 2011 without charge. Again, nothing has been mentioned about protecting their human trafficking victims. By its very failure to take further legal action, the Malaysian Government is placing in jeopardy its integrity in respect of human trafficking. The public is left with little choice than to view the Malaysian Government's dithering action in respect of human trafficking as being dictated more by foreign and domestic political considerations rather than a sincere desire to do what is right.

Communist Malaya? Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:37 PM PDT By John Doe "..An abundance of material wealth, allowing for distribution based on need and social relations based on freely associated individuals." -Karl Marx "production for use and the direct allocation of economic inputs to satisfy economic demands and human needs (use value); accounting is based on physical quantities of resources, some physical magnitude, or a direct measure of labour-time.[4][5] Goods and services for consumption are distributed through markets, and distribution of income is based on the principle ofindividual merit/individual contribution..." - Socialism Simply put, it means: "Those who have more should help those who have less..." The NEP is directly based on the above two core concepts of Communism, and Socialism. I'd like to see UMNO scream, and shout, and rant now. In fact, Socialists inspired by the Soviet model of economic development, such as Marxist-Leninists, have advocated the creation of centrally planned economies directed by a single-party state that owns the means of production. Read all the key words above again. They are nouns. Perfect Nouns. Socialism, Communism, Marxist-Leninists, distribution based on need and social relations, Centrally-planned economies and single-party state. And the verb is "own the means of production". Now for brain-exercise time. Who issues the licenses? Who controls the licenses of what people listen to? Who issues the license of what people watch on TV? Who says the richer shall help the poorer? Who says that the very concept of NEP is not Communal in nature? Let's look at other terms in use:  'The proletariat', who collectively constitute the main producer of wealth in society, and who are perpetually exploited and marginalized. Surely even one with  a feeble mind does not need to think very hard to guess who that refers to. "No matter what specific form the communist revolution takes, its aim is for the working class to replace the exploiter class as the ruling class to establish a society without class divisions, called socialism..." It has become very obvious that UMNO read and memorized Karl Marx's book, Communist Manifesto. For in it, he laid out a 10-point plan advising the redistribution of land and production to begin the transition to communism, but he ensured that even this was very general and all-encompassing. It has always been presumed that Marx intended these theories to read this way specifically so that later theorists in specific situations could adapt communism to their own localities and conditions. On the History issue again, let us start to rewrite Malayan History, by starting out with: Malaya was conquered by a Hindu Indonesian from Palembang. Malaya was then known as Tanah Siam. Sejarah Melayu confirms this, when it  demonstrates how the King of Temasik was murdered by this incoming Hindu Prince from Indonesia. This murdering Hindu Indonesian did not respect the Sovereignty of Thailand. He just came in and took whatever he wanted. None of his descendants have been punished for those crimes  yet. Yes, Sin can be passed down Genealogically. Just ask any Christian, Muslim or Jew. So, if your Grandaddy did something wrong, and if he was not punished yet, then you, the grandchild needs to pay for it. Illogical? Tell that to all those who say "I believe, and therefore, its true". Back on the History of Malaya, subsequent conquerers came and went. Anyone who fought the conquerers are heroes, any who did not are deemed traitors to the land. Simple as that. Check the year, and if it was a year where locals fought the "Foreign Party", then, they should be called heroes. Amazingly, Malaysia decided to award Bumiputraship to the Portuguese, adopt 15% of the Portuguese Language into their own, and work with the Japanese Forces during WW 2 instead. Look East is a clear demonstration of how Malaya sucks up to their non-Muslim former invaders. Stupid? who knows... Ironically, UMNO is also actively shooting those who contribute the most to the Income-Tax Coffers of Malaya. Perhaps Ghaddafi should be the next UMNO leader. He has plenty of money, is currently in dire need of a new home, and looks rather Malay-like anyway. Just pop a non-Islamic songkok and samping on him, and he'll blend right in. But hey, according to the Constitution, even an Eskimo, or Osama bin Laden can be a Malay. I'll end with "Stupid is as stupid does". In the meantime, let's all get rid of UMNO.

PAS veep questions Rosmah’s Raya TV slot Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:13 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar has questioned Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's television slot for her Hari Raya message, pointing out that this was a first for a prime minister's wife. The Pokok Sena MP said Rosmah may have taken this unusual step to boost her husband Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's flagging popularity. "Rosmah is the first person in history to get her own special slot to give a Hari Raya speech besides the prime minister," Mahfuz was quoted as saying by party organ Harakah Daily. "Before this, no prime minister's wife has ever received her own slot to give a Hari Raya speech. Before this, only the prime minister had his own slot," he added. The PAS lawmaker said it was possible that Rosmah herself had demanded for the special television slot. "After all, she has huge powers as the prime minister's wife," he said, referring to allegations that Rosmah was more powerful than Najib. Mahfuz added that if Rosmah had indeed asked for the special slot, she could have done so to satisfy her aspirations, or to improve Najib's approval rating that recently fell to 59 per cent. "Maybe when Najib's and Rosmah's Hari Raya speeches are forced over and over again upon television viewers throughout Hari Raya, Najib's approval rating may jump to 95 per cent," said Mahfuz sarcastically. A survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center released last Monday found that 59 per cent of Malaysians approved of Najib's leadership, down six points in the past three months, and 13 points lower than his high of 72 per cent in May last year. Respondents said they were most troubled by the surge in inflation — which hit a two-year high of 3.5 per cent in June — and the government's heavily criticised handling of the July 9 Bersih rally for free and fair elections.   READ MORE HERE.

Merdeka Center says Najib approval rating still at ‘comfortable’ level Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:05 PM PDT By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Independent pollster Merdeke Center today defended its latest survey on Datuk Seri Najib Razak's approval rating, saying 59 per cent is a "comfortable" figure considering the country's present economic condition. Its director Ibrahim Suffian said it would be "unreasonable" to expect a higher rating amid the surging inflation rate and incessant influx of socio-economic issues currently plaguing Malaysians. "In general, the survey results showing satisfaction towards the PM at 59 per cent is a position that is still considered positive and comfortable. "This is because voter sentiment changes the most when a big incident occurs, one that earns wide media coverage," he said in an email statement here, likely referring to the tumultuous July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally. Merdeka Center's latest survey saw the prime minister's approval rating slide to its lowest point since last May's high of 79 per cent, fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and his government's handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers basked in the aftermath of the results, claiming it indicated a clear voter swing towards the federal opposition, while Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders chose to stay indignant, saying the poll may not have been an accurate reflection of voter sentiment. Ibrahim disputed criticisms of Merdeka Center's sampling methods and survey accuracy, pointing out that the same system had been employed last year when Najib's rating hit a high of 72 per cent in May. "We understand the political need in the statements made. But the survey results do not mirror anything else apart from the people's sentiment towards the subject matter while the survey is being carried out. "What should be taken away from this is what measures should be taken to ensure the situation changes ... such as, improving the quality of public service," he said. The survey, released last week, involved respondents aged 21 and above across the peninsula who were selected through a random stratified sampling method along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and state of residency. Of the 1,027 polled, 59 per cent were Malays, 32 per cent Chinese and nine per cent Indians.   READ MORE HERE.

You can’t be serious, Tsu Koon! Posted: 02 Sep 2011 12:02 PM PDT By Tota, Aliran Under your KPI rating, you have placed the Ministry of Home Affairs under Hishammuddin as the top ministry. See 'Home Ministry scores full marks with KPIs' (Star). I do not know what criteria you used to evaluate this ministry. You are either daft or blind to the sins committed by the police against the citizens. If you had bothered to conduct a survey of public perception of the police force, you would have obtained the truth – that is if you wanted the truth. The inefficiency and corruption in the police force is legendary. Do you think much has changed since the report by the Royal Commision was made public? The refusal of the police to establish a Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, in defiance of the Royal Commission's recommendation, speaks volumes about the way the police operate. Hundreds have died in police custody under strange circumstances and, in most cases, without proper coroner's inquests. The police are totally ignorant of basic freedoms, civil rights and liberties and constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly. The very partisan police force uses repressive laws like the ISA, the Sedition Act and the Emergency Ordinance selectively on the Opposition. Have the police ever acted against Umno thugs and lawbreakers? The police can smell candles weeks before candlelight vigils for ISA detainees are held but they conveniently plead ignorance of the many Umno-organised demonstrations. For example, the recent demonstration against the Penang Government and the blocking of two lanes of the Penang Bridge by Umno goons went without action by the police. Look at the police inaction against Umno bigots and extremists and Perkasa. The Home Ministry uses the police to deny the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful assembly under the pretext of preserving national security. The brutality of the police against the Reformasi movement, Hindraf and Bersih has rightfully earned the wrath of Malaysians. The periodic cases of torture allegations made by those arrested on suspicion of crime and the nude ear squats fiasco appear to be their standard operation procedure (SOP). The crime rate is indeed scary. All this talk of declining crime rate is hogwash. Anyway, who believes government statistics? Aren't gated communities and people policing their own housing estates and neighbourhoods a severe indictment on the police? The public perception of the police mostly is that of a bunch of low-calibre men with high-calibre weapons. Their specialty is tear gas and water cannons. Tsu Koon, you know which side of your bread is buttered. Hishammuddin is Najib's cousin and so has to be placed above all other Ministers, right? Tsu Koon, has the Home Ministry done anything efficiently and correctly? Headless A young Indian in Uttar Pradesh, India, was saved in the nick of time while trying to saw off his head so that he could get a job! (Article by Nuri Vittachi) It makes one wonder what sort of jobs a headless person can do! Obviously, such jobs would be those which people do not need to use their brains or are not required to do so. In most Third World countries, including Bolehland, there is much evidence that in both the public and political sectors when people open their mouths they often reveal that they have nothing between their ears! All of them appear to be suffering from the "foot-in-the-mouth" disease.   READ MORE HERE.

Malaysians unhappy with the government, politicians using religion for electoral purposes Posted: 02 Sep 2011 02:36 AM PDT The discontent arises principally from the perceived "corruption at all levels, from top to the lowest levels" and that is why "people in general are not satisfied." For Fr Andrew Lawrence, SJ, there are no religious tensions in the country, but a feeling of "dissatisfaction" with the ruling class. The danger of an instrumental use of faith, to gain consensus in the electorate radical Muslim. (AsiaNews)-There is a widespread "dissatisfaction" among citizens the with regard to how ruling class has governed the nation in recent years, this discontent "is not directly related to religion", but is the result of "daily issues that affect everyone", says Fr Andrew Lawrence SJ., Priest and former director of the Catholic Herald newspaper, speaking to AsiaNews from Malaysia. He says "there are no particular tensions" between Christians and Muslims in the country. However, some observers argue that religion could be exploited "for political purposes" in the coming general elections, to gain momentum among the Malaysian wing extremist. Originally Malaysia's 13th General Election was scheduled for 2013, but the election could be brought forward - there is still no official confirmation – to October or November this year. The political contest, analysts warn, could give way to anti-Christian rhetoric and the misuse of religion in political campaigning. Some pro-Islamic movements want proselytizing Christians to be punished, while extremist groups carry out raids on places of worship belonging to minorities. The last case occurred in early August, when Muslim fundamentalists attacked an evangelical house church because "conversions from Islam to Christianity were taking place." Fr. Lawrence explains that at the moment, no particular tensions, but the developments in the coming weeks remain to be seen. "There is a widespread feeling of discontent - said the priest and journalist - the ways in which the nation was governed. But this is not directly related to the religious sphere, but rather the everyday problems that people face. " The decision to favour the ethnic Malay, majority in the country, has created resentment among other minority groups, a discontent that has invested in particular the National Front and the ruling coalition. The discontent arises principally from the perceived "corruption at all levels, from top to the lowest levels" and that is why "people in general are not satisfied." The clashes and small conflicts are the result of this general situation, although there are still some aspects that bear witness to violations of religious freedom. The cases of conversion from Islam to Christianity are limited, but may lead to the persecution of apostates "as was the case with Lina Joy, who had to flee the country" to live their faith in total freedom. Also Muslims do not distinguish between Christians and there are no differences between Catholics and Protestants. However, as reported in other nations, including Pakistan, the Protestants assume an attitude that is sometimes "challenging" in the eyes of Muslims. Therefore full religious freedom is needed –Fr. Lawrence has fought long and hard for Christians to be allowed to use the Malay word  "Allah" - as well as a behaviour that will not trigger violent reactions from Muslims. (DS)

Pakatan defends Mat Sabu, claims Umno rewriting history Posted: 01 Sep 2011 08:46 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has accused Umno of erasing the contributions of others to Malaysia's independence movement in its efforts to demonise PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu as a communist sympathiser. The federal opposition said in a statement today that the maverick politician was highlighting "the need to appreciate historical plurality" which "Umno leaders will have no part of" as the senior partner in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) "offers no room for dissenting views." "It is in Umno's interest to maintain their version of history not only because it upholds their leaders and hence their claim to power, but also because it conceals their chicanery and Machiavellian machinations in their bid to suppress adversaries and legitimate dissent over five decades of authoritarian rule. "Mat Sabu was not wrong in attempting to contest existing perceptions of history. What is wrong is the fact that Malaysians have been manipulated for years by the propaganda machinery of the BN government," the coalition's joint secretariat said. Umno has gone on the offensive since its Utusan Malaysia reported last Saturday that Mohamad had described as heroes those who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the pre-independence communist insurgency. PR lawmakers also told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that Mohamad's comments had allowed Umno to go on the offensive after spending months trying to contain the fallout from rising inflation and the July 9 Bersih rally for electoral reform. Utusan Malaysia had accused him of disparaging the country's armed forces and expressing support for communists but Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, has denied the report or mentioning communists and has threatened to sue the newspaper. But Umno leaders such as vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and even former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad have continued to accuse the PAS man of trying to revise history and glorify communists. PR also criticised today Umno's "systematic and decades-long effort to 'sanitise' Malaysian history so that only the contributions of those from Umno and its cohorts are recognised, while the legitimate contributions of other Malaysian nationalists and freedom fighters are conveniently erased." It cited individuals and organisations such as Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy, Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Haji Mohamed, Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) and Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM) as others who also contributed to the independence movement. READ MORE HERE

The sad saga of Chin refugees in Malaysia Posted: 01 Sep 2011 08:17 PM PDT A leaked 2006 US diplomatic cable tells about how the police extorted money from Burmese Chin refugees in exchange for their freedom. (Free Malaysia Today) -  A leaked US diplomatic cable from 2006 has revealed the plight of the Burmese Chin refugees stranded in Malaysia and the urgency sought by the US diplomats for Washington to "settle large numbers of these refugees as quickly and smoothly as possible". The KL-based US diplomats also urged their government, in particular the Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration (PRM), to grant additional funding to help out the Chin refugees. "Institutional funding is needed to provide basic medical treatment and English language training for both children and working adults. "Given our pending resettlement of thousands of Chin refugees from Malaysia, modest investments in immunizations, medical care and English language training in Malaysia's relatively low cost environment would yield substantial benefits for both the Chin refugees and the United States," said the US embassy cable dated Nov 20, 2006, to the State Department in Washington DC. The cable was leaked by whistleblower site WikiLeaks and handed over to Raja Petra Kamarudin's Malaysia Today website which published it today. The US diplomats also stated that they would work with the relevant US government agencies and the UN's refugee agency – the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – to resettle the Chin refugees away from Malaysia quickly. The additional funding sought by the US diplomats were also to be used for basic medical and education needs of the Chins and other refugee communities in Malaysia, stated the cable. Camps close to Putrajaya The cable was a result of a visit by the US embassy's political officer to two jungle camps housing about 200 Chin refugees near the Malaysian administrative capital in Putrajaya on Nov 15, 2006. The cable noted the physical characteristics of the camps, which were made out of shelters using wooden poles, plywood for elevated sleeping platforms, and fluttering sheets of plastic for roofing and walls. The cable also pointed out that "a sense of devotion to Christianity pervaded each camp". "Each camp contained a church structure (the largest and most well-maintained structure in each camp) and all of the approximately 100 square foot dwellings viewed by political officer prominently displayed crosses or pictures of Jesus." The refugees at the two camps have not been visited by UNHCR representatives during at least the past two years, said the cable quoting the refugees, and as many as seven camps containing up to 1,000 Chin refugees were erected within five miles of the Prime Minister's office in Putrajaya in 2006. The interests of the Chin refugees in Malaysia were taken care by the Alliance of Chin Refugees (ACR) and the Chin Refugee Committee (CRC). The cable stated that CRC claimed to have about 17,400 members in Malaysia. Police extortion The Chin refugees had also informed the visiting US diplomat of their fear of police extortions and raids. The diplomat stated that the police were aware of the presence of the camps. READ MORE HERE

Easier to talk than to do Posted: 01 Sep 2011 07:26 PM PDT As far as you are concerned, Mat Sabu can have an opinion and he is allowed to state what his opinion is. But he has to make sure that his opinion does not differ from yours. If he says the same thing as what you say, then well and fine. But if he states the opposite of what you believe, then this is not acceptable. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin It is easy to talk. Walking the talk is another thing altogether. Malaysian politicians can talk. They can talk till the cows come home. But they don't mean what they say. Bikin tak serupa cakap, cakap tak serupa bikin. On Merdeka Day, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was trying to impress Malaysians by saying that the country is very democratic. What is the basis of this hypothesis? Is it just because we hold elections? As I said in an earlier article, even Adolf Hitler held elections in Germany. This does not mean Germany was a democracy. Elections are no yardstick for classifying a country as a democracy.  Many other dictators hold elections as well. But whether they are fair, free and clean elections (like what we have in Malaysia…sic) or whether they are rigged elections is another thing. But they do hold elections. Does this mean they are democracies? The opposition too claims it is fighting for democracy. Is that so? Or is this bullshit? Okay, let us give the opposition the benefit of the doubt and assume that it is truly fighting for democracy. Let us also assume, as Najib said, that Malaysia is a true democracy. Now, let us put this to a test. If the PAS Deputy President, Mat Sabu, makes a statement on the Bukit Kepong incident based on his belief and his understanding of the events, can both the opposition as well as the government allow this and accept it? Currently, it appears like some in the opposition -- and many in the government -- will not allow Mat Sabu to have an opinion and to state his opinion. Why not? Why must his opinion and his statement be the same as yours? Why can't it be different from yours? Both the opposition as well as the government are the same. Both don't allow and don't tolerate different views. If you express a different view from them, then you are a pariah bastard. Okay, forget about Bukit Kepong. Let's instead go to the murder of JWW Birch on 2 November 1875 as he was having a berak (shit) along the Berak River…sorry, I meant Perak River. Now, was his murderer, Dato' Maharajalela, a criminal or a patriot? Incidentally, just to digress a bit, when a person acts above the law and pushes his weight around with absolute disregard for everyone else, the Malays would say: dia bermaharajalela. So the name Maharajalela is synonymous with acting like the Mafia or like a gangster. Anyway, back to the subject of the murder of JWW Birch. First of all, was he justly executed or was he martyred? Did you know that they exiled Dato' Maharajalela and his gang of conspirators to the Seychelles? So JWW Birch's murderers must have been criminals. And they named many roads in Kuala Lumpur, Taping, Seremban, Penang, Ipoh, and Singapore after JWW Birch. So JWW Birch must have been a hero to have so many roads named after him. But hold on, later they changed the name Jalan Birch in Taiping and Kuala Lumpur to Jalan Maharajalela. The excuse they gave was the Jalan Birch in Taiping and Kuala Lumpur were named after a different Birch, not the JWW Birch. Whatever it is, there are a couple of roads named Jalan Maharajalela. So Dato' Maharajalela must have been a hero then, not a criminal. Would they name roads after criminals like Botak Chin, Bentong Kali or Mona Fendi? Would Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman be renamed Jalan Chin Peng? But JWW Birch was also a hero and there are many roads also named after him. That means both JWW Birch and Dato' Maharajalela were heroes. But how can that be? They can't have BOTH been heroes. Only one can be the hero. The other must be the criminal. Now this is most interesting indeed. Was Dato' Maharajalela a criminal or a hero? And was JWW Birch a martyr or someone biadap (insolent) towards the Sultan of Perak (as his murderers alleged) who deserved what happened to him? Can I say that JWW Birch was a hero and that he was murdered because he was opposed to slavery and he tried to wipe out slavery in Perak? Will they allow me to have that opinion and to express this opinion? But many would argue that the hero in this whole incident was Dato' Maharajalela, not JWW Birch. But then, if you support what Dato' Maharajalela did to JWW Birch, would that not make you a terrorist? If you support the murder of JWW Birch because he was biadap towards the Sultan of Perak, then can I not also support the murder of many other people because they are also biadap towards the Sultan of Perak? Nizar Jamaluddin, the ex-Menteri Besar of Perak, is also said to be biadap towards the Sultan of Perak (according to Umno, at least). Should we not also do to Nizar what they did to JWW Birch? Is it right for me to suggest the murder of Nizar (like what Umno would like to see)? Hey, it is within my democratic right to have my own opinion and to openly state what my opinion is. If you can say that the murder of JWW Birch was right and that Dato' Maharajalela was a hero, then I can also say that the murder of Nizar is right because he is just like JWW Birch -- as far as Umno's opinion goes. So you see, you don't really care what my opinion is. You only want to make sure that my opinion is the same as yours.  As far as you are concerned, Mat Sabu can have an opinion and he is allowed to state what his opinion is. But he has to make sure that his opinion does not differ from yours. If he says the same thing as what you say, then well and fine. But if he states the opposite of what you believe, then this is not acceptable. And the Bukit Kepong issue is a good example. Even Karpal Singh said that Mat Sabu should retract his statement and apologise. Why should Mat Sabu apologise? If I say that Dato' Maharajalela was a murderer and that JWW Birch was a hero who opposed slavery and was murdered for his righteousness, and if the Malays start foaming at the mouth and go berserk (like they always do), is Karpal going to ask me to retract my statement and apologise? Are they going to make a police report against me and are the police going to call me up for my statement to be recorded? Democracy podah! I am allowed the freedom to believe what I want to believe and the freedom to express my opinion only as long as this does not run contra to your own beliefs and opinion. And both the opposition and the government are the same. They both do not respect these freedoms although they shout and scream about democracy. In fact, the opposition is worse. If I were to say that Najib should resign because he is not qualified to remain as the Prime Minister, the opposition supporters would clap, cheer, applaud and would call me a true son of Malaysia and a patriot. But if I were to say that Anwar Ibrahim should resign because he is not qualified to remain as the Opposition Leader, the opposition supporters would curse me and call me a turncoat who has been bought off by the government. But then Khir Toyo also resigned as the Opposition Leader for Selangor after he was charged in court. That, you would say, is the correct thing to do. But if I say that Anwar should follow Khir Toyo's example, you cannot agree to this. Ah, that is because Anwar was unjustly charged, you will argue. Was Khir Toyo justly charged? If Khir Toyo was charged because he committed an act of corruption, then why only charge him? Thousands of others should also be charged -- the Prime Minister, IGP, AG, etc., included. Khir Toyo was charged because his enemies within Umno wanted to get rid of him, not because he is corrupt (although I do admit he is corrupt). If it is because he is corrupt, then he should not be the only one facing trial.  That is the reality of the situation. The opposition does not understand the meaning of democracy, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, etc., just like the government. The opposition does not respect democracy, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, etc., just like the government. Same same lah!

Mohamad Sabu tak sebut komunis Posted: 01 Sep 2011 05:18 PM PDT Kenyataan Media Pakatan Rakyat     Winston Churchill pernah berkata bahawa "sejarah ditulis oleh pihak yang menang". Di Malaysia, bukan sahaja sejarah malah berita semasa juga ditulis mengikut skrip mereka yang berkuasa. Beberapa hari kebelakangan ini, media milik BN telah menyerang Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu secara berterusan sebagai seorang simpatisan komunis. Mereka telah memfitnahnya sebagai mengagung-agungkan pengganas komunis yang menyerang polis di dalam tragedi Bukit Kepong. Kedua-dua dakwaan ini adalah tidak benar sama sekali. Kami percaya Saudara Mohamad Sabu tidak berkata demikian dan secara tegas mengutuk putar-belit yang tidak bertanggungjawab oleh pimpinan dan media UMNO. Pertama sekali, Mohamad Sabu tidak sekali-kali menyebut tentang komunis ataupun PKM. Kedua, usahanya untuk menarik perhatian terhadap sejarah sebenar yang luas telah diputarbelitkan. Justeru kami menegaskan bahawa kami tidak mempersoalkan sebab mengapa Mohamad Sabu cuba menimbulkan persoalan terhadap naratif sejarah negara. Tetapi kami secara serius mempersoalkan laporan cuai dan berniat jahat Utusan Malaysia, yang sekali lagi menggunakan hujah palsu dan tipu helah dengan niat yang jahat. Kami juga mempersoalkan naratif sejarah yang ditulis oleh 'pihak yang menang', yang dalam kes ini ditulis oleh Kerajaan UMNO-BN dan perkakas propaganda mereka. Dalam hal ini, kami ingin memberikan kritikan tegas terhadap usaha sistematik berdekad-dekad lamanya untuk 'memalsukan' sejarah Malaysia, agar hanya sumbangan UMNO dan sekutu mereka yang diiktiraf sementara sumbangan jelas dari nasionalis Malaysia dan pejuang kemerdekaan yang lain dipadamkan. Apa sudah jadi kepada tokoh-tokoh seperti Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy, Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Haji Mohamed (Pak Sako) dan ramai lagi? Bagaimana dengan pertubuhan dan gerakan seperti Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) dan Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM)? Mereka merupakan peneraju sebenar aktivisme politik Melayu. Kita juga mempunyai Perlembagaan Rakyat yang terhasil 10 tahun sebelum Merdeka oleh Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (PUTERA) dan All-Malaya Council of Joint Action (AMCJA). Usaha PUTERA-AMCJA ini bukan sahaja bersejarah dari segi usaha mereka, malah merekalah pakatan politik pelbagai kaum pertama negara. Harus diingat perjuangan kemerdekaan bukanlah usaha Perikatan semata-mata. Perjuangan murni ini berlangsung di pelbagai medan dan lapangan, dipimpin pelbagai tokoh dan menerusi pelbagai cara. Bukankah pengorbanan tokoh-tokoh menentang penjajah seperti Tok Janggut, Abdul Rahman Limbong, Tok Ku Paloh dan ramai lagi juga mesti disertakan? Tetapi pemimpin UMNO tidak mampu menerima kepelbagaian ini. Sejarah yang ditulis UMNO ialah hanyalah satu versi yang tiada ruang untuk berbeza pandangan. Hakikatnya, jika kita membaca sejarah Malaysia menerusi tokoh-tokoh seperti Dr Burhanuddin, Boestamam, Pak Sako dan lain-lain lagi, kita akan mendapati kisah aktivisme sosial, pejuangan kebangsaan, anti-kolonialisme dan kemudian ketakutan institusi dan penindasan yang menyaksikan mereka dan ramai lagi ditangkap dan ditahan di bawah ISA oleh Kerajaan Perikatan / BN setelah difitnah, antara lain, menjadi talibarut komunis. Buku-buku sejarah kita bukan sahaja kehilangan satu atau dua bab, tetapi satu sejarah yang selari tetapi telah berjaya dipadamkan daripada rekod rasmi negara. Jelas sekali lagi bahawa UMNO mempunyai kepentingan untuk mengekalkan versi sejarah mereka memandangkan ini menjadi asas kepada pemimpin serta kekuasaan mereka, malah menutup tipuhelah mereka untuk menindas pihak lawan dan penentangan sah setelah lima dekad berkuasa. Sekali lagi kami menegaskan bahawa Mohamad Sabu tidak salah dalam usaha mempersoalkan persepsi yang wujud tentang sejarah negara. Yang menjadi kesalahan ialah hakikat bahawa rakyat Malaysia telah dimanipulasi sekian lama oleh perkakas propaganda Kerajaan UMNO-BN. Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, PAS Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, KEADILAN Liew Chin Tong, DAP

PSM wants Jelapang state seat Posted: 01 Sep 2011 04:49 PM PDT PSM is asking DAP to hand over the seat where its candidate quit the party after the 2008 polls. (Free Malaysia Today) - Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) central committee member Dr D Michael Jeyakumar said the Jelapang state seat in Perak should be allocated to PSM in the upcoming 13th general election. "We should get the seat. DAP got the seat and lost the (state) government," he told FMT today. The Sungai Siput MP said PSM deputy president M Sarasvathy had been working in the Jelapang constituency even before the 2008 general election. "We only want one state and one parliament seat in Perak," he added. In the 2008 general election, Sarasvathy was defeated in a three-cornered fight which also involved DAP and Barisan Nasional. DAP rep Hee Yit Foong subsequently quit the party leading to the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat state government in 2009. Meanwhile, Jeyakumar confirmed that he would defend his seat regardless of who the MIC would field. There is speculation within MIC that secretary-general S Murugesan would be contesting in Sungai Siput, a seat long held by MIC strongman S Samy Vellu until his defeat in the hands of Jeyakumar  in 2008. PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan also echoed calls for the Jelapang seat to be given to PSM. READ MORE HERE

The NEP and the downfall of Malays Posted: 01 Sep 2011 04:40 PM PDT The NEP may have caused an increase in the wealth of the Malay urban middle class but on the whole, many Malays remain poor. It was not just his work that was a sham. His private life was just the same. There was no personal responsibility and those Malays who entered into polygamous marriages with two or three families to support, invariably ended up with dysfunctional families. The kids would be feral, without a father figure and no role model in their lives. Mariam Mokhtar, Free Malaysia Today Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to the defence of the New Economic Policy (NEP) when economist Ramon Navaratnam and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim condemned the NEP for discouraging foreign investment and for promoting corruption. However, Mahathir failed to note that the NEP, like many of the government's other programs with catchy, meaningless acronyms are only publicity stunts which fail to address the underlying problems that face many Malaysians, principally the Malays. He said: "There may be corruption involved in some cases but the charge is not warranted because in most cases, the benefits of NEP have been enjoyed by almost every Malay and bumiputera. In fact, indirectly and, in some cases, directly it has benefited the non-bumiputera as well." The former prime minister's selective amnesia serves him well. The NEP's short-term benefits may have impressed his Cabinet colleagues but in the long term, the NEP has disadvantaged all other Malaysians. The warped policies have destroyed racial harmony and in East Malaysia, the bumiputeas are more desperate than ever. There is increasing resentment against the Malays who many believe, have squandered the benefits they have been given. The NEP may have caused an increase in the wealth of the Malay urban middle class but on the whole, many Malays remain poor. Despite the housing privileges and discounts, how many Malays can afford to buy houses? How many possess the business acumen to sustain a business without going bust in the first year? Undeniably, those who benefit the most are Umno cronies, whilst the majority of Malays remain marginalised, hoping that things will get better, only because Umno says so. Thus, many live in hope and some shun jobs because one day, they hope to become rich without putting in any effort. The business incentives may have given the Malays a kick-start in life but many did not use them wisely. They did not reinvest the money in the company but instead spent it on the teak desk, the gold watch and the Mercedes car. It was not just his work that was a sham. His private life was just the same. There was no personal responsibility and those Malays who entered into polygamous marriages with two or three families to support, invariably ended up with dysfunctional families. The kids would be feral, without a father figure and no role model in their lives. Many of the children do not have a family life to speak of and education is not an important factor in their lives. Many grow up lacking aspiration and become adults who are just as irresponsible. There are some decent people amongst this lot, but they are trapped in the system, with no way out. Moving forward together Mahathir claimed that under the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) scheme, the settlers were much better off with higher incomes and children who were better educated. He failed to note that there were serious issues that have cropped up. Few of the children of the original Felda settlers want to make a living off the land like their grandparents or parents did. READ MORE HERE

PAS leaders play down new Kedah MB talk Posted: 01 Sep 2011 04:35 PM PDT Embattled MB Azizan attended a few government activities earlier today just as speculation emerges that he will be replaced. (Free Malaysia Today) - PAS has played down speculation that the party intends to remove its Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak due to poor health. Speculation has emerged that Azizan will be replaced soon or an acting MB will be appointed from among the state executive councillors to oversee his duties while he takes time to fully recover from his heart ailment. This is in view that the PAS-led state government needs to be reinforced ahead of the impending general election since there is also a strategic need to match the perceived inroads made by Barisan Nasional in their growing campaign to unseat Pakatan Rakyat in Kedah. PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said he was unaware of any moves to remove Azizan but he did acknowledge that there exist concerns among the party leaders about Azizan's frail health after he underwent an angioplasty procedure at Institut Jantung Negara. "We saw Azizan during his open-house for Hari Raya and there was nothing to illustrate that he is of poor health. He was joking and socialising well with those who visited him." Mahfuz claimed that Azizan looked better than when he was warded earlier last month. Vice-president Sallehuddin Ayub said he was not aware of any discussions or meetings among the party leaders about the move to remove Azizan. "News reports about such matters are just cheap shots levelled against PAS. I have no idea about whether Azizan needs to be removed due to his poor health. He is executing his duties now." However, Sallehudin said it remains to be seen in the future if there is a need for changes in Kedah PAS. "PAS is a matured political party. We have been around for the last 60 years and we know how to conduct ourselves." Even if there is an internal dispute over how Kedah is managed, PAS would know how to resolve the issue within our confines, he claimed. Despite what the two PAS leaders may be openly uttering about the issue, speculation continues to persist over Azizan's political future, namely from within Kedah PAS. READ MORE HERE

PSM members to be questioned again Posted: 01 Sep 2011 04:33 PM PDT Nine PSM members have been summoned to Arau for further investigations on Sept 5. (Free Malaysia Today) - Nine members of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) have been summoned by the police for yet another round of questioning. This time they've been summoned under the Sedition Act 1948. A summons notice was issued under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CDC) on Aug 11 for the nine to be present at the Arau district police headquarters in Perlis on Sept 5. Four of the nine summoned were among the 24 who were arrested on June 25 for their involvement in PSM's "Udahlah tu…Bersaralah!" campaign. They were released after a week-long remand period. The remaining five are Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar, PSM's national youth chief R Saratbabu, Sungai Siput division secretary A Letchumanan  and central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran. The five together with deputy chairman M Saraswathy were held for three weeks under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) 1969. They came to be known as the EO6. But the summons to turn up at the Arau police on Sept 5 did not include Saraswathy. She was not among among those who were picked up in Arau on June 25. Archaic law At a media conference today, Jeyakumar slammed the upcoming investigation as "totally unnecessary" given the numerous rounds of investigations and recording of statements previously. "We have given so many statements already and summoning us for yet another investigation is harrassment in our view," he said. "The Sedition Act is a colonial, archaic law that the police are using to drag us to Arau." Jeyakumar believed this latest move by the police stemmed from their refusal to admit that they had made a mistake in arresting and detaining the PSM members. "This is unprofessional and a disappointment.. " When the police enter the political arena it lowers their credibility and weakens their capacity to safeguard the nation." "We will go to Arau because if we don't they could issue arrests warrants against us but I hope they come to their senses soon. "We are prepared to co-operate but not to be bullied," he said. When asked if there was a possibility of a re-arrest following next Monday's investigations, Jeyakumar said it was possible but he hoped that the police wouldn't be "so stupid" as to do so. Illegal summon When asked what the line of questioning would be, Jeyakumar said they were not sure but it was likely to be related to the pamphlets that they were distributing during the campaign. One of the pamphlets called for political reform while another was an introduction to PSM. Lawyer, N Surendran, who is representing the nine in this case said that the very act of summoning them under Section 111 is illegal as no crime has been committed. He pointed out that if a notice is issued without a crime taking place first, then the crime is committed by the police themselves and tantamount to abuse of power. "All they have done is distribute pamphlets which is not a crime under our laws," he said. "Also no police report has been provided as to why the nine are being investigated again and we don't even know who the complainant is." "This is a deliberate political persecution for an ulterior motive. The government is behaving like the dictatorship in North Korea, there is very little difference between the two now." READ MORE HERE

Refugee relief at Malaysian ruling Posted: 01 Sep 2011 01:36 PM PDT By Nathan Partenza, The Border Mail A BORDER refugee advocate has described the High Court's scuttling of the Malaysian refugee swap deal as "excellent", saying the risk of persecution in the country was "high". Murray Valley Sanctuary Refugee Group president Penny Egan-Vine said yesterday's ruling, which means 800 asylum seekers will not be sent to Malaysia, was a relief. "I think it's a very reasonable decision and I'm very pleased that they managed to find the funds to challenge it because Australia is obliged not to put people back into situations of danger," she said. "Refugees are a worldwide problem and putting it in the hands of a political football is not in the interest of the people involved or the interest of Australia. "It would have been buck-passing by giving someone else our problem to deal with, which is not fair." Dr Egan-Vine said the High Court ruling was not a surprise and refugees would have been in danger if they had have been sent to Malaysia and would have missed out on welfare and integration assistance. "To move refugees to a place like Malaysia which is crowded and is a developing country rather than a developed country, would have been unwise. "I believe Australia now needs to come up with solutions that recognise we have a duty in helping manage refugees. "The politics of fear just means they cannot get on with the job of helping people." Dr Egan-Vine said the decision may force Malaysia to review its treatment of refugees, but she did not believe it would have an impact on boat arrivals to Australia. "I don't think the people overseas are at all interested in what's happening here, they just think Australia is the place to come," she said. Wodonga refugee Bahati Masudi, who spent nine years in a Kenyan refugee camp also welcomed the decision. "If there was no trouble, no problems in Malaysia, we could send them no problem but if they persecute them that is a big problem," Mr Masudi said.

Malaysia focuses on a hi-tech economic future Posted: 01 Sep 2011 01:33 PM PDT By Jennifer Pak, BBC News Malaysia's central bank is forecasting economic growth of between 5% and 6% this year, which in the current global climate is better than other economies in South East Asia. But the government wants the economy to pick up speed or risk missing its target of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Malaysia's economic performance has been "relatively sluggish" over the last decade, a government report stated. It blames this poor performance on low labour productivity. The problem was identified more than a decade ago when the country began to face stiff competition in exports from low wage countries like China. At that time, Malaysian leaders said they had to move towards a knowledge-based economy. This led to the construction of a hi-tech city near Kuala Lumpur called Cyberjaya. Billed as the "Silicon Valley of the East", this was the first city to be fully connected with high-speed internet using fibre-optic cables. Officials also hoped that tax incentives and an English-speaking workforce would lure foreign companies to help turn Malaysia from a low-cost to a hi-tech producer. 'Cheap land' US computer maker Dell was one of the companies that took up the offer. Dell's Pang Yee Beng said the company was attracted by Cyberjaya's IT infrastructure Pang Yee Beng, managing director of Dell Cyberjaya, says it makes sense to be based there. "Ultimately we are looking for a place where we can get consistent service in terms of IT infrastructure," he says. "We needed a place where politically or security-wise it was stable, and then when you set up a complex facility like this you really need government support to make it happen." Today, Dell's operations in Cyberjaya include a customer call centre and a technical support team for its global operations. The four-storey complex sits in the same cluster as other multinational companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard and AMD. But critics say Cyberjaya hasn't become the success that Malaysian leaders had in mind. An advisor to the Cyberjaya project, TJ Singh, says the government originally wanted to attract innovative global giants who could in turn mentor Malaysian companies, especially in the area of software. "What they wanted were local companies that were world class," says Mr Singh. But that didn't happen. Mr Singh says more and more multinational companies took advantage of Cyberjaya's cheap land and set up back offices for their global operations. It has succeeded in creating a big service industry, says Mr Singh, but not exactly the type of innovation that government leaders wanted to take place in Cyberjaya. Large-scale emigration Analysts say many companies end up doing their research and development overseas, partly because they cannot find the right talent. The government wants to see less Malaysians leave the country in search of higher paid jobs In 2010, a World Bank report estimated that about one million Malaysians were living abroad. A third of them are well educated and mainly ethnic Chinese and Indians. Economists with the World Bank say ethnic minorities feel discriminated against by the government's preferential policies for the Malays. Malaysia practices affirmative action for the Malay-majority, granting them priority in university scholarships and government jobs. These are efforts to redistribute wealth to the Malays, who are historically poorer than other ethnic groups. But in a bid to help Malays catch up, Malaysian politicians have also flip flopped on the language of instruction for sciences and maths, switching from Malay to English and then back again. Opposition lawmakers say the education system has been politicised and makes it hard for its graduates to compete globally. But there are also other reasons that Malaysian students want to leave. "When I graduate I want to work overseas because I can earn much more with the exchange rate," says Lew Pei Yen at the Multimedia University. The campus is built in Cyberjaya and designed to train and feed its graduates directly into the companies based in the hi-tech city. But most students I spoke to are eager to gain international experience. Talent agency It's certainly a challenge that the Rashid Mat says it is not easy to overcome. He is with Cyberview, the government company overseeing Cyberjaya's development. Cyberjaya is a new city, with numerous shops among the office buildings But he maintains that Cyberjaya is a success. "Research and development is not the core activity done here at the moment but we have not reached our full potential yet," says Mr Rashid. He adds that Malaysia still has a lot to offer multinational investors. "Our advantage is that our multilingual skills, and the talent we have here, is more globally accepted because of our multicultural mix," he says. Prime Minister Najib Razak has ambitious plans to more than double the gross national income per capita to $15,000 (£9,300) over the next decade by creating 3.3 million higher-paying jobs. As part of that, the government has continued to invest in more building projects in Cyberjaya. It hopes to build more cybercities across the country to attract the type of companies that will stem the exodus of workers. At the same time the government has set up a talent agency to recruit Malaysians back. But some analysts say fundamental changes are needed, like abolishing race-based policies and practising meritocracy in the economy. Otherwise, they warn that there may not be enough talent left to help Malaysia realise its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

Malaysia Is Merdeka In Name Only Posted: 01 Sep 2011 01:29 PM PDT By Mariam Mokhtar A country that has won Merdeka, in name only, cannot be considered free or independent if its people are afraid to speak up to determine their future. Isn't it time we thought in terms of liberating our minds from the shackles of Umno? We need to be free from thinking that only Umno is our saviour. We need the liberty to appreciate freely that Malaysia is a product of all its peoples and not a success just because of the one race. When the country was a colony, the vanguard of freedom fighters had a common objective – independence. Today, we seem to have lost our sense of direction. We are like a rudderless ship and with no skipper to steer us, we are aimlessly drifting with the tide. On 31 August 1957, Malaya achieved its independence from its colonial masters. However, it appears that we have swopped one set of rulers, the British, for another, Umno. Others will rubbish this claim and say that the real problem is because the current Umno has evolved into a hybrid monster of the old Umno. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between. Umno duped everyone, including their partners in the BN-coalition, the MCA and the MIC. These two component parties believed that they were representing the interests of the Chinese and the Indians of Malaysia. They took their cue from Umno, to create more fear and instability. Between them, they engineered ways and means to control the people. First, the government used scare tactics on the people. Then, they started to demoralise those whom they had just frightened. We have seen a steady increase in threats including death threats, unlawful arrests, detentions, fire-bombings and protests against law-abiding citizens. To spread the fear, so that the hidden threat reaches as many people as possible, the mainstream media helps Umno. One shopkeeper said, "I dare not open my mouth to criticise because the police would catch me. That would be it for me and my family would never see me again." How can a country be considered independent if its own people are afraid to say and speak their mind, because they know their freedom will be curtailed? Second is the silent majority, who is aware of what is going on but for one reason or another, refuses to voice its disapproval. What is it that motivates them? Is it fear, apathy or their indebtedness to Umno? Why do they remain silent and give the rabble-rousers the courage to continue and destroy the harmony, previously enjoyed by Malaysians? Those who do not benefit from Umno's largesse are full of resentment. It is not just non-Malays against Malays, for within the Malay ranks, there is also great animosity. Umno is aware that the ability to choose, depends on the freedom to make choices. However, when people are indebted to Umno, in one way or another, then the freedom to choose is no longer there. Politicians who have no concept of governance and who are devoid of policies, have no qualms about using religion to divide and rule. For these people, their only hope for an increased following, is by instilling fear. We have observed several downtrends in our educational policies and seen the nation become divided because of our educational system and the preferential treatment being given to the majority race. Again, Umno is aware that with an educated and confident nation, it would be more difficult to rule. Without the ability to free our minds of Umno's brainwashing, many of us become impressed with the show of wealth and the line-up of mega-projects, that Umno displays. If we liberated our minds and thought rationally, we would wonder why it is possible to find billions to build these monuments to Umno and its leaders, but very little money in comparison can be found to help the ordinary people? For decades, Umno conned us with cheap slogans and we went along with them. Originally, the rakyat was complacent, but no more. The turning point was reached in 2008, when it was shown that Umno was slacking. That is why any initiative on our part to strive for change has been challenged forcefully, by Umno. That is why we saw the EO-6 or PSM-6 being detained. That is why Umno have discovered so many perceived threats to Islam. That is why Bersih was seen as a danger to Umno's leaders. Many of us may have lost hope and may refuse to vote because we may feel it will not make a difference. That would spell an even greater disaster for Malaysia. If the poor utilised their power to vote and went out to vote for people who would represent their interests, only then would there be, a true democratic revolution. The rakyat may find that finally, their needs and that of their community, will be met. Now that would be liberating.

Media lynching and academic collaborators Posted: 01 Sep 2011 12:49 PM PDT By Dr Lim Teck Ghee Every once in a while the government-controlled or government-associated media engages in a public lynching of individuals that dare to challenge the Umno-scripted truth about the political system, religion, the monarchy or just about any subject which may be seen as threatening to Umno's political and ideological dominance. The latest case involves Mohamad Sabu and the reason for his lynching relates to a speech he made in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21 in which the PAS deputy president touched on the Bukit Kepong incident of Feb 23, 1950.  In that incident, armed members of the Malayan Communist Party attacked and killed 25 police personnel and some of their family members. In his speech reported by Utusan Malaysia, Mat Sabu allegedly glorified the MCP by claiming that they were the real heroes for fighting against the British and for leading the country's struggle for independence.  Following the Utusan report, the New Straits Times had four articles including an entire page by its group managing editor Zainul Arifin attacking Mohamad Sabu for allegedly "rewriting history for political gain" (NST, Aug 28).  This has since been followed by Utusan's Sunday edition Mingguan Malaysia devoting extraordinary coverage (spreading over six pages) to the excoriation of Mat Sabu. Mat Sabu even featured in the Prime Minister's Aidilfitri-cum-Merdeka anniversary speech where Najib Abdul Razak sanctimoniously lambasted anyone that dared to discredit the sacrifices of the country's forefathers and security forces in the path to independence.  Missing from the historical narrative At the end of his article, the NST's chief Zainul – who surely must be aware that most people in our country know fully that not only history but also media editorials and pieces such as his have been written for political gain – makes the plea for history "to be debated by historians, and not politicians".  Whilst he makes the valid point that "a relooking at history is important …. [and that] some say it is biased and a tool of political dominance", Zainul will know too that those looking for a debate or relook will not find it in the pages of his newspaper.        So what is the verdict of professional historians on the communist insurgency and its contribution to the movement for independence from which a real debate and the historical truth can have its starting point?   There is not enough space in this piece to reproduce the various analysis but readers interested in the MCP and its role in the struggle for independence may want to consult the following:   C.C. Chin and Karl Hack, Dialogues with Chin Peng: New Light on the Malayan Communist Party Anthony Short, The Communist Insurrection in Malaya, 1948-1960 Richard Clutterbuck, The long long war: the emergency in Malaya 1948-1960 Richard Stubbs, Hearts and minds in guerrilla warfare: the Malayan emergency, 1948-1960 Especially useful is the latest scholarly assessment of the MCP's role and place in Malayan history which is found in the journal 'Kajian Malaysia' (Journal of Malaysian Studies), Vol. 27, No. 1 & 2, 2009.  It is available online at http://web.usm.my/km/vol27(1&2)2009.html In the volume, Richard Mason has an article 'Revisiting 1948 Insurgencies and the Cold War in Southeast Asia' that provides an overview on the almost simultaneous revolt against colonial regimes in Malaya, Indonesia and Indochina. Also three writers, C.C. Chin, Leon Comber and Abdul Rahman Hj. Ismail, provide new insights into the MCP and the tumultuous events and nationalist stirrings of the period.  What is noticeable about the NST media coverage is not only the way the paper has ignored the real scholars that have undertaken the studies of the MCP but also its reliance on the preferred modus operandi to trot out what appear to be court academicians in the guise of Malaysian academic firepower to provide intellectual justification for their public lynching exercise.  One such academician, Prof. Emeritus Khoo Kay Kim – who is prominently featured in the NST and other government controlled media – should know better. Mat Sabu's intellectual honesty Prof. Khoo's field of specialization is not the Malayan Communist Party or Chin Peng or recent Malayan political history. Although his PhD was on the topic 'The Beginnings of Political Extremism in Malaya 1915-1935', it does not cover the period of the 1940s and 1950s when the struggle for independence took place in earnest and during which time the MCP underwent various metamorphosis and change in ideological direction in its objective to free Malaya from the colonial yoke of the British. Prof. Khoo could have waited for clarification or explanation from Mat Sabu, and for any justification the latter may have provided for his views. That would have been the correct academic etiquette. Or if Prof. Khoo was in haste, he could at least have relied on scholars that have done more authoritative work on the MCP and through their studies provided an academic and more truthful historical context and explanation for the Bukit Kepong incident and the communist fighters. Instead he was reported to have stated that "Mohamad should not lie to the people when the rakyat today was easily led astray and misinformed" (NST, p.10).  Not only has he dismissed Mat Sabu's account without checking with the victim of the public lynching but he has diverted the issue away from Mat Sabu's focus on who were Malaya's freedom fighters to the international origins and orientation of the Malayan Communist Party in the 1920s and 30s! Readers can view Mat Sabu's talk at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ItcuiUCw4qY   http://www.ukm.my/knam/data/Peristiwa_Bukit_Kepong.pdf Prof. Khoo is no academic innocent or virgin when it comes to press coverage. He must know that the NST has its knives out for Mat Sabu and other opposition or civil society leaders that stand in the way of UMNO's agenda. He must know or at least he should know that there would be no fair trial and that the pursuit of academic facts and intellectual truth is the furthest away from being a concern or priority of the NST.  Mat Sabu is feared by Umno and its mouthpieces, the NST and Utusan for good reason. He is PAS's thinking, progressive and committed face – not simply a face but someone who possesses not only the intellectual honesty to raise uncomfortable questions about how our history is being written but also is prepared to take a contrary position to defend his take on historical truth. In doing so, Mat Sabu puts to shame the academic hangers-on that are quick to bray when called upon by the government.

Taib “Highly Corrupt” – Secret US Documents Put Pressure on FBI! Posted: 01 Sep 2011 12:31 PM PDT   By Sarawak Report Secret US Government documents have stood up Sarawak Report's  allegations about corruption in Sarawak. A dossier of US Embassy dispatches to Washington, compiled by the Bruno Manser Foundation from the Wikileaks site, has now revealed that the United States Government has been well-informed about the extent of Taib Mahmud's abuse of power in the state. The revelations raise fresh questions about the judgement of America's top law enforcement agency, the FBI, in choosing to house one of its key facilities in a building owned by the Chief Minister in the United States. For example, one confidential cable from the US embassy in Malaysia to the State Department in Washington, dated 13 October 2006, noted that: "Taib and his relatives are widely thought to extract a percentage from most major commercial contracts -  including those for logging – awarded in the state. … Embassy sources outside the government uniformly characterize him as highly corrupt." [Bruno Manser Foundation report] In a further passage that will embarrass some of Taib's key political cronies, including Alfred Jabu and James Masing, the report also says that a source had told the US embassy that Taib appointed "compliant local leaders" from various tribes into "financially rewarding" government positions as a means of  stifling potential opposition. The US embassy's Political Section Chief, Mark D.Clark, concluded:   READ MORE HERE.

Let’s celebrate Sept 16 for its significance Posted: 01 Sep 2011 12:28 PM PDT By Wong Sai Wan, The Star It's time to recognise the date our country was actually formed so that we can truly be a single nation. THIS Aug 31 must have been the quietest ever in our 54-year history since independence from the British – no grand parades, no multi-million ringgit fireworks display and no days of closed roads to cater for all sorts of rehearsals. Instead, the streets of Kuala Lumpur were empty as city folks deserted the Klang Valley for their hometowns over the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays. The Government realised that it would have been practically impossible – and very unpopular – to stage the Merdeka Day celebrations as usual because it would fall on the second day of the Raya celebrations. Even if they could have forced the civil servants, soldiers, police and other uniformed units to participate in a parade, there would not have been anyone to witness any of the festivities. Instead, the celebrations will now be held on Sept 16 to coincide with Malaysia Day – that is the exact day 48 years ago Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia. Decades ago, the whole nation used to observe Malaysia Day but later, in the 1970s, it was only left to Sabah and Sarawak to do so. It would not be far wrong to say the separation of Singapore from the Federation in 1965 left a bitter taste in many in the ruling Government, thus making it difficult to continue to commemorate that date. However, things have changed recently. The rising political importance of Sabah and Sarawak has made it necessary for the Government to celebrate the formation of Malaysia. For years, the people in the two states have been grumbling as to why they should celebrate Aug 31 when it was not the date they gained independence; they would rather celebrate the day they joined the Federation. After being independent from the British for over 54 years, it is time that we as a nation focus on celebrating the formation of the whole country. Our leaders – past and present and from both sides of the political divide – have often paid lip service that we have to practise integration between the Peninsula and the two states on Kalimantan island. The time for lip service is over and it is time for action, and we can start by making Sept 16 the permanent celebration of our nationhood. We should celebrate how far we have come along, we should celebrate our achievements as a country, and we should celebrate how we are more united now than we were 48 years ago. We should not forget about Aug 31; after all it is the day Malaya became a country. It is an important day in history and maybe it should be a day of remembrance while Sept 16 be the day of celebration. Over the past few years, Aug 31 has become the day of flying the flag and show of patriotism, and somehow this Wednesday felt really different without all the jingoism about the need to show we are Malaysians. In many ways, what we had been doing for Aug 31 was a bit contrived. We now need to bring back the true meaning of what it is to be Malaysian, and to allow that expression of patriotism to be real and from the heart. After all, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had used 1Malaysia as his rallying call to unite the people. Making Sept 16 a permanent celebration date will surely be a step in the right direction for him. Last year, he announced that Sept 16 would henceforth be a Federal holiday. Historically, Malaysia was to have been formed on June 1, 1963, but the date was later postponed to Aug 31, 1963, to coincide with the sixth Merdeka Day. As we all know, that did not happen because Indonesia and the Philippines objected to the formation of Malaysia. The formation date was then postponed again – to Sept 16 – to give the United Nations team time to conduct referendums in Sabah and Sarawak regarding the two states' participation in a new federation. Recognising Sept 16 would also mean re-opening certain issues the two states have with the Federal Government over certain points of agreement when joining the Federation. It is time to take a relook at the issues. For one thing, I could never understand the need for Immigration procedure for travel between the Peninsula and the two states. Yes, at one time there was a need to control the number of people from the peninsular from grabbing all the job opportunities in Sabah and Sarawak. Today, the education disparity has narrowed, and in some cases have become even non-existent. I have met so many capable Sarawakians and Sabahans in my 27-year career in The Star, some of them as colleagues and some people I had interviewed. In my frequent trips to the two states, I have found that the people there can more than stand up to any Orang Malaya (as Sarawakians call those from the peninsular) or Orang Semenanjung (the Sabahan equivalent) in terms of capabilities and qualification. There are a reported 50,000 Sarawakians working in the shipyards of Johor, and they have proven to be essential workers for the industry. They have integrated well into Johor society. This is among the many reasons we have for reinstating Malaysia Day. The following is a ditty I wrote to greet all my friends on Facebook and Twitter: We have had KongsiRaya. We have had DeepaRaya. We have had XmasRaya. In a few hours MerdekaRaya. Selamat Hari Raya. Selamat Hari Merdeka!! To that I want to add Selamat Hari Malaysia come Sept 16.

Mat Sabu hits back, claims Umno near collapse Posted: 01 Sep 2011 12:19 PM PDT   By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider PAS is close to declaring itself victors in its contest with Umno for the Malay rural vote during Hari Raya, with its deputy president Mohamad Sabu confidently saying that "Umno is going to collapse very soon". The vocal leader, who has been battling criticisms for his Bukit Kepong tragedy remarks, insisted to The Malaysian Insider yesterday that the party's Hari Raya campaign blitz had been successful in garnering more Malay support for the federal opposition. "Our ceramahs in the suraus and the mosques have been great. Very good response from the people," he said. Both Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN) embarked on separate pre-polls Hari Raya campaigns during the month of Ramadan, with each trumpeting their respective agendas and messages to the Malay electorate, particularly in the Malay heartlands outside the capital. But PAS came under fire on Saturday when Utusan Malaysia quoted Mohamad as saying that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 during the pre-Independence insurgency were heroes. The Umno-owned newspaper accused him of disparaging the country's armed forces and expressing support for communists but Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, has since denied the report and accused the Malay-language daily of fabricating the quote. The incident resulted in BN lawmakers going on the offensive after months of scrambling to control the fallout from rising inflation and the July 9 Bersih rally, hoping that Mohamad's remarks would help Umno plant seeds of doubt among the Malay electorate, for whom communism remains a bogeyman especially in the rural heartland. Despite this, Mohamad has remained confident, choosing instead to scoff at Umno's attacks against him and saying it was clear that the Malay party was feeling pressured and "desperate". "You see, I am just a very, very small person. Not a big person... but yet, they attack me... five days and five nights. They are clearly desperate," he said. He said during PAS's Hari Raya campaign, party leaders have been explaining to voters Bersih 2.0's key demands for electoral reforms, the controversies surrounding postal ballots and discrepancies found in the present electoral roll. "Other issues include corruption, the RM24 million diamond ring scandal by the prime minister's wife... they have not properly explained that yet," he said.   READ MORE HERE.

PR for nuclear power window dressing, says Pakatan Posted: 01 Sep 2011 12:16 PM PDT By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider The opposition has derided Putrajaya's plan to hire a public relations firm to boost popular support for nuclear power as more spin from an administration that they claimed was becoming known for more talk than action. PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the revelation that the government will pick one of three shortlisted public relations agencies to help get greater buy-in for its planned nuclear power plants showed that the Najib administration was still more concerned with form over function. "That speaks volumes about what the Najib administration is about. It's about PR," he told The Malaysian Insider. The Seri Setia assemblyman pointed out that despite the barrage of feel-good news arising from the prime minister's transformation programmes, few of the latter's much-touted economic reforms have been translated into policy. He said this was testament to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's failed leadership as "any Tom, Dick and Harry" could hire public relations firms to put across an appearance of change while real transformation had to be driven by political will. "You look at substance, reforms, nothing much. There's a lot of talk... It's easy to say the right things but it's tricky to do the right thing," Nik Nazmi said. DAP international secretary Liew Chin Tong similarly said politicians must take responsibility to communicate their ideas to the public directly as there was "no point" in hiring agencies without doing that first. "Political leaders must take charge to communicate political vision... instead of trying to hard-sell something that is not palatable," he said. Malaysia must also recognise it is not feasible to constantly increase power supply to meet the ever-growing demand for electricity and must adopt the global practice of demand management to cut down on usage, Liew added. "You have to deal with demand... so that we can have a sustainable supply," the Bukit Bendera MP said. "If the government is looking at demand management and also alternative sources of electricity, there may not be a need for a nuclear plant," PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub said the government should be aware of the public's unhappiness over the proposed nuclear power plant, which he also felt was unsuitable for the time being given Malaysia's high potential for alternative energy. "There are other energy alternatives to petrol and coal so, for the time being, it is not very important for us to initiate this kind of industry," he said. He added that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) intends to highlight the nuclear power plant issue — which has attracted strong criticism from opposition parties and the public — at the next Parliament sitting in October. The Holmes Report, a New York-based publication that serves the public relations community, reported this week that the Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation (MNPC), a government body formed in January to spearhead the deployment of nuclear energy, has shortlisted three firms for the sensitive project. The invitation for an international public relations effort to boost support for nuclear energy could spark controversy after the recent row over reports that Putrajaya paid RM58 million to FBC Media to burnish its international image on various international broadcast channels. It is understood Putrajaya has now ended its contract with FBC Media after an exposé revealed Malaysian leaders routinely appeared in paid-for interviews on global television programmes on CNBC.   READ MORE HERE.

UMNO turning right leads BN downhill Posted: 01 Sep 2011 07:46 AM PDT What we see today - the impudence of right-wing Perkasa, the use of draconian legislation instead of criminal laws. the steady subsuming of government institutions under the ruling coalition and the conjuring of a Christian threat to Islam - are the results of this imprudent swing to the right that began six years ago. by Ooi Kee Beng, Today Online  On July 9, the streets of Kuala Lumpur played host to animated engagements between demonstrators and the police. Bersih 2.0, which started out as a simple and hesitant attempt to revive public interest in electoral reforms, became a huge demonstration that captured the imagination of many young Malaysians. It seized their imagination more strongly than anyone expected, leaving little doubt that Malaysia is in transition. But what needs studying is what it is transiting away from, and what it is transiting to. The two are, of course, strongly related but what is this widespread eagerness for change a part of, which now pervades the country? The situation is complicated no doubt but we do not need to go very far back in time to find an answer. Let us remind ourselves that the long-lived Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition enjoyed its best electoral results as late as in 2004, under then Mr Abdullah Badawi. As many as 91 per cent of voters supported him and the honeymoon period that the public gave him as Prime Minister was a long and gracious one. It was only in 2007 that signs appeared to say that a lot was not well under Mr Abdullah. So what was it that happened? And why is it that the BN has not been able to turn things around since then? It still has a lot of power; why can't it correct itself? Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's recent comment that the problem was not with the BN model as such but with the lack of good leadership, was but the latest and rather desperate attempt to limit the credibility crisis that the ruling coalition suffers from. After the General Election of March 8, 2008, the country went through an uncertain though exciting period. This was to be expected after the shock results that saw five states coming under the rule of opposition parties and the long-lived BN losing its power to amend the Constitution at will. The opposition parties immediately had their share of problems - ranging from a serious lack of experience in governing, to sabotage by civil servants unable to distinguish party from government, and the economic and political measures by the federal government to punish and undermine them. The federal government naturally tried its best to control the damage it had suffered. This included putting on trial - again - opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy; regaining the state of Perak through dubious means in February 2009; and manoeuvring PM Abdullah Badawi from power in April 2009 and replacing him with a more dynamic and debonair Najib Abdul Razak. Mr Najib's main task was to generate public confidence in the BN's ability to respond to changes for the national good, to regain the trust of the Malay middle class and to rejuvenate the coalition. The Sarawak state election on April 11 this year, when the opposition made impressive gains, showed that he was not doing enough and that he was not succeeding. Bersih 2.0 showed that the government was more alienated from public sentiment than ever before. Things began to go seriously wrong when UMNO began turning right after its historic victory in April 2004. In mid-2005, UMNO Youth brought the Malays-first New Economic Policy back into the national consciousness and the swing towards the right was most noticeable in how the movement's leader, the present-day Home Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, unsheathed and brandished his keris at the party's general assembly. He would continue to do that for two more years despite extensive criticism. The arrogance stemming from the 2004 victory spread quickly and with the absence of a national vision following Dr Mahathir's retirement, divisions in Malaysian society became worse and deeper while UMNO thinking was vulgarised into simple racialism. Religious tensions began rising when Muslim authorities and individual leaders recognised the new freedom being allowed them to win political points through creating friction with other religions. What we see today - the impudence of right-wing Perkasa, the use of draconian legislation instead of criminal laws. the steady subsuming of government institutions under the ruling coalition and the conjuring of a Christian threat to Islam - are the results of this imprudent swing to the right that began six years ago. In short, the strong longing for change now evident in Malaysia is largely a public reaction to the inability of the BN model to create a society that is open-minded and diverse enough to be the harmonious and liberal Malaysia that the founding generation had imagined possible. The writer is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. His recent book is The Right to Differ: A Biographical Sketch of Lim Kit Siang.

The Tripoli Uprising Posted: 01 Sep 2011 06:04 AM PDT The inside story of Libya's underground revolutionaries as they organized, hid out, waited, and finally liberated the capital city. At first, the security forces outnumbered the protesters almost three to one. But the protests were spreading from one block to the next, and soon they reached the streets behind the security forces. Within moments after the shooting began, the government forces were surrounded. The few protesters with weapons began firing back. Some started throwing stones. "I'm a bit scared of guns, so I threw Molotov cocktails," says El Burai.  BY ANAND GOPAL, FOREIGN POLICY TRIPOLI, Libya – One night late last month, in a sweltering apartment deep in the heart of Tripoli, a group of men gathered around the television to watch the evening news. The program was carried on Libya al-Ahrar, a Doha-based news channel beaming into Libya in support of the revolution. At precisely 8:30 p.m., after the breaking of the Ramadan fast and as locals were streaming to the mosques, the message these men were waiting for came: "Truly, we have granted you a clear victory," the newscaster said, before signing off for the night.  It was a verse from the Quran, but to the men in this room, in the tightly packed neighborhood of Souq al-Juma, it was so much more -- a code that signaled that their uprising was to begin. Over the next 48 hours, the people of Tripoli pushed Libya's six-month revolution to its staggering denouement, ensuring their country would never again be the same and reinvigorating the Arab awakening -- and it all began in this neighborhood.  The men watching the television were part of a group of 62 underground revolutionaries who had been preparing for this day for weeks. Malik Jamal Abargo, a 20-something port worker, was one of them. He grabbed his Kalashnikov and rushed into the streets with his comrades. "My heart was pounding," he says. "I thought that I might become a martyr." The sight of the small crowd chanting slogans against Muammar al-Qaddafi in the street prompted shouts from the mosque. Soon its speakers issued forth a thunderous chant: Allahu akbar! Out came Khalid Abu Humeida, a customs worker. "I was standing in line for vegetables when I heard it," he says. "It had more force to me than any bomb or jet. I knew what to do." He was joined by Salem El Burai, a restaurant owner who came rushing out with a bag of rocks. Abdul, who would not give his last name and has no job at all, emerged with a Molotov cocktail. The crowd grew to hundreds -- the first large open protests against the government in any part of Tripoli since February, when demonstrations were drowned in blood. Almost immediately, truckloads of state security forces began to arrive. They pointed their weapons at the demonstrators. "We inched forward, step by step, trying not to waver," says Abdul. Soon, less than 100 meters separated the two sides. They were facing off under a large overpass, and speeding cars roared above. Snipers were arrayed on a nearby high-rise. One group of protesters then doused vehicles parked on the roadside in gasoline and set them ablaze. "We wanted to create a sense of chaos, to confuse the government forces," El Burai explains. This provocation was enough: The security forces opened fire. Bullets whizzed and popped, the protesters recall, and they jumped behind concrete pillars and behind trash cans. At first, the security forces outnumbered the protesters almost three to one. But the protests were spreading from one block to the next, and soon they reached the streets behind the security forces. Within moments after the shooting began, the government forces were surrounded. The few protesters with weapons began firing back. Some started throwing stones. "I'm a bit scared of guns, so I threw Molotov cocktails," says El Burai. Things turned into a stunning rout in the protesters' favor: Thirteen police lay dead and almost 30 were captured. The rest fled. In that moment, on that street corner, 42 years of despair began to dissolve. "We've lost a whole generation to fear," says El Burai. "This was like a rebirth." Women and younger children gingerly stepped out onto the streets, for the first time in their lives free of the state's presence. Strangers embraced, men praised God, and rebels fired their weapons in the air. READ MORE HERE

WIKILEAKS: CHIN REFUGEES STRUGGLE WHILE AWAITING UNHCR REGISTRATION AND RESETTLEMENT Posted: 01 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT In exchange for the refugee's freedom, the police take all money possessed by such individuals. According to the refugees, the police have not alerted immigration officials to the presence of the camp, as they do not want immigration officers to destroy the camp and thereby impede the police's extortion activities. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 002137 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM, PREF, SMIG, PREL, PGOV, UNHCR, MY SUBJECT: CHIN REFUGEES STRUGGLE WHILE AWAITING UNHCR REGISTRATION AND RESETTLEMENT   REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 1660           B. KUALA LUMPUR 246 Summary 1. (SBU) In their primitive jungle camps and at a medical clinic they established in Kuala Lumpur, Burmese Chin refugees recently described to us their harassment by police and their perceptions of UNHCR indifference regarding their plight.  Up to 1,000 Chins live in jungle camps abutting palm oil plantations within five miles of Malaysia's seat of government in Putrajaya. Approximately 60 percent of these and other Chin refugees remain unregistered by the UNHCR, largely due to the UNHCR's decision last year to cease new registrations of non-emergency refugee cases.  Working on the plantations for little money and uncertain payment of wages, receiving access to medical care only in some emergency situations, and facing arrest and deportation if captured by Malaysian authorities, unregistered Chin refugees living in the jungle remain among the most vulnerable and exploited refugees in Malaysia.  During our recent meetings with over 100 of these refugees, they conveyed their impatience to get UNHCR documentation, their desire for basic medical care and English language training, and their hope for resettlement to a third country as soon as possible.  End Summary. Chin Refugees Struggling in Jungle Camps 2. (SBU) Together with two Burmese Chin refugees acting as guides and interpreters on November 15, poloff visited two jungle camps housing about 200 Chin refugees near the Malaysian administrative capital in Putrajaya.  The camps are located on the edges of palm oil plantations where some of the refugees find work as day laborers.  The camps shared common physical characteristics.  In small clearings hacked out of the jungle, the Chins erected temporary shelters using wooden poles, plywood for elevated sleeping platforms, and fluttering sheets of plastic for roofing and walls.  A sense of devotion to Christianity pervaded each camp.  Each camp contained a church structure (the largest and most well-maintained structure in each camp) and all of the approximately 100 square foot dwellings viewed by poloff prominently displayed crosses or pictures of Jesus.  Neither camp had been visited by UNHCR representatives during at least the past two years, according to the Chins.  Poloff's guides said the Chins have established as many as five other jungle camps in the vicinity of the Putrajaya palm oil plantations.  Collectively, the camps may contain up to 1,000 Chin refugees within five miles of the Prime Minister's office. Living in Fear of Extortion, Raids and Deportation 3. (SBU) The first camp we visited was only 500 meters from a paved road.  It iswell-known to local police.  During discussions with four men living in the camp, they said local police visited the camp regularly in search of refugees who have not yet been registered with the UNHCR.  In exchange for the refugee's freedom, the police take all money possessed by such individuals.  According to the refugees, the police have not alerted immigration officials to the presence of the camp, as they do not want immigration officers to destroy the camp and thereby impede the police's extortion activities. Refugees in this camp told us police recently asked them to dismantle their church structure.  The police said the church's presence could force government officials to burn and raze the camp, as local Muslim villagers have complained about the "unregistered" church's existence in the jungle near their homes.  This is not an empty threat.  A similar camp was destroyed earlier this year, following complaints about the camp's church by local residents.  The camp and church have been recently rebuilt, with the church disguised as a meeting hall during the week. Hard Work for Uncertain Payment 4. (SBU) The refugees said they are paid about RM25 ($6.75) for a full day's work on the plantations, but that the work is sporadic and their wage payments are often delayed and sometimes completely withheld.  One of the men said he had not been paid in over a month.  He continued working, despite the probability of receiving less than full payment, as he needed to feed his three children, aged 4-10, who lived with his sister in another nearby camp.  He said his 33 year-old wife recently died suddenly of heat exhaustion while working at one of the plantations.  Non-payment of wages and other forms of labor exploitation at plantations, construction sites and restaurants continue to plague the approximately 20,000 Chin refugees currently living in Malaysia, according to our sources. Frustration With the UNHCR 5. (SBU) Following a 30 minute hike, we arrived at a second, much more remote camp.  This camp was situated in a ravine and accessible only through a winding, narrow path.  Camp residents claimed its existence is unknown to police and immigration officials, and the camp has never been raided. Approximately 100 camp residents, including 20 women and children, greeted poloff outside the camp's church and answered questions about their living conditions and relationship with the UNHCR.  Most of the refugees have lived in the camp for 1-2 years, although one man claimed to have lived there four years.  All were Zomi Chin refugees.  About 20% were registered with the UNHCR, prior to the UNHCR's temporary suspension of most new refugee registrations last year.  The refugees complained about the UNHCR's perceived unwillingness to register "non-emergency" refugee cases such as theirs, as UNHCR documentation is their only form of protection from deportation.  (Note: As of July 1, 2006 the UNHCR had provided its formal recognition to 7,805 Chin "persons of concern" in Malaysia, up moderately from 6,566 at year-end 2005.) 6. (U) They all hoped for resettlement into a third country as soon as possible. They wished to leave the jungle, and they described conditions in the camp as "dangerous and unhealthy."  Of the camp's total population of about 125 persons, two were killed and 18 injured by lightning during 2006.  One resident told poloff's translator, "We would rather die here than go back to Burma."  They remained unaware that the United States planned to resettle thousands of Chin refugees from Malaysia.  Poloff informed them that the USG and UNHCR are gearing up to "significantly increase" resettlement of Chin refugees into the United States starting next year.  They were pleased to hear this, although they remained skeptical of how the UNHCR registration process will proceed.  The prospect of resettlement didn't terribly excite them, probably because the concept seemed much closer to theory than reality, and their day-to-day survival currently demands their full attention. Chin Medical Care on Ad Hoc Basis 7. (U) On November 9, poloff visited a refugee medical clinic organized by the Alliance of Chin Refugees (ACR), one of the two largest entities representing the interests of Chins in Malaysia. (Note: the other large organization is the Chin Refugee Committee (CRC), which claims to have about 17,400 members here.).  Located in Kuala Lumpur in a non-descript two-storey walkup, the clinic is staffed by two French doctors, one French nurse and a Burmese doctor (all volunteers).  The clinic treats 30-40 persons during its once weekly operating hours for a charge of RM10 (about $2.75) per patient.  The clinic is funded solely by donations from Chin and other refugees and has only limited medical instruments and medicine supplies.  One of the French doctors commented that tuberculosis is common among the refugees and that few of the approximately 800 Chin children in Malaysia have received basic immunizations.  She was aware of the Chin's jungle camps near Kuala Lumpur and expressed frustration that no one had yet funded a medical outreach program to treat sick individuals in those camps.  She said the Chin community also needed money for treatment of psychological trauma, as well as pre-natal care and medical facilities to ensure proper delivery of the increasing number of Chin babies born in Malaysia. Comment 8. (SBU) The ARC and CRC have performed admirably in their attempts to organize and care for their own people, but institutional funding is needed to provide basic medical treatment and English language training for both children and working adults.  Given our pending resettlement of thousands of Chin refugees from Malaysia, modest investments in immunizations, medical care and English language training in Malaysia's relatively low cost environment would yield substantial benefits for both the Chin refugees and the United States.  Post looks forward to working with PRM, UNHCR, IOM, DHS, the Overseas Processing Entity and the Department's regional refugee affairs office in Bangkok to resettle large numbers of these refugees as quickly and smoothly as possible.  We will remain actively engaged in that process, while also coordinating with PRM and the UNHCR to ensure timely provision of additional PRM funding this fiscal year for basic medical and education needs of the Chins and other refugee communities. LAFLEUR

Worse than murtad is political apostasy Posted: 31 Aug 2011 08:45 PM PDT THE MICAH MANDATE Political apostasy is the reason for the country's 'moral crisis' in governance as reports of electoral roll anomalies and threats of violence take centre stage. Meanwhile many letter-writers and others have said allegations of religious apostasy are a ploy to detract from the more serious problem of potential electoral fraud. Political backsliding from the original Merdeka plan began in 1969 when Tunku Abdul Rahman was deposed in a coup, as described in Kua Kia Soong's enlightening book, 'May 13'. Political victimisation is the unmistakable sign of an apostate political culture and Anwar Ibrahim among others is the country's longest political victim and symbolise the alleged abuse of power through selective persecution and prosecution of politicians and citizens. Former American ambassador John Mallot explains why: "a senior officer in the Special Branch told an Embassy officer, 'We are going to keep filing charge after charge after Anwar so he will be in jail for the next hundred years'" as reported in Malaysia Chronicle. Merdeka ushered in an era of national pride and development. The British had not envisaged Malaysia would desert its legacy of a constitutional democracy. The country promoted the motto 'unity is strength' and the Tunku was an icon of racial harmony and religious tolerance having married four wives, at different times, that represented the different races. 'Bapa Kermedekaan' was an apt title for a man who proved slogans are not only for show and political window-dressing but carrying and living out. As the one who facilitated the dakwah movement and established Perkim, he did more than any other Malay leader for his race and his religion and he was never a threat to non-Malays while promoting religion, unlike those who use Islam as a political weapon today. He never stooped to scapegoat any group, be they of a different religion or race, to elevate himself. The sense of propriety in politics though not perfect was then an honoured tradition. Merdeka saw an era and aura of sincerity and earnestness in politicians and citizens working together to serve the nation, not like today when politics has become the refuge of scoundrels who find it a route to riches. The Tunku was a gentleman and never expected to be betrayed but lived long enough to die disappointed and disillusioned when he saw his Merdeka dream dashed and the country become a 'failed politically apostate state' though unilaterally declared 'an Islamic state' by those who actions were anything but Islamic or even decent. Hail Malaysia's Caesar The political apostasy is the result of abandoning the Merdeka principles of democracy, among others, that were meant to develop the fledgling nation. The new Merdeka nation was supposed to function like the British democracy fashioned after the Westminster parliamentary system that was strong on political accountability, as we saw their dishonest politicians exposed, charged and convicted for allowances rorts. Politics after Merdeka was not flawless—no system is—but took a different direction when the Tunku was politically waylaid. After May 13, 1969 it suffered a heavy blow that has left the Merdeka nation in a political coma and apostates and heretics of sorts continue to lead it astray. In 1988 the judiciary was assaulted and the Lord President became a victim of political bastardry. A major constitutional check on the executive was hijacked and the moral slide got worse. To his credit the eminent judge stood his moral ground and his reputation was vindicated much later under a more benign country leader. Political apostasy saw a modern-day Caesar control everything: the various arms of the government that were meant to check one another—the executive, the judiciary, parliament—and anything else that has a voice such as the media and passionate citizens. He even had a centurion who acted like a lap dog to do his bidding when the police were supposed to be professional and impartial law enforcers, not a private security firm at the beck and call of the politicians. The courts could not be depended to deliver justice when it involved powerful politicians and their cronies because judge-fixing resulted in a skewed justice. The 'Lingam video' scandal examined by a royal commission proved the reality of justice tampering. On the economic front while Dr Mahathir Mohammed defends the system including the NEP and admits "there may be corruption involved in some cases" he blithely dismisses his role in the 'rotten administration' that he left for his successor and did nothing about the cases of corruption despite the overwhelming reports made to the police. While he did stimulate the economy with bold projects the flip side under his leadership was that the country lost billions, 100 billion ringgit according to author Barry Wain in his book Malaysian Maverick, and till today the bailouts continue. Some facts stand insurmountable in the face of unconvincing rhetoric, spin and more lies. When your country owns a petroleum company and there is plenty of money around anyone can perform an economic miracle or even a disappearing act. But political apostasy can only accelerate during Mahathir's tenure and the dysfunctional democracy today is the legacy for which he can take full credit. In the end Mahathir short-changed himself and succumbed to the dark side. The country had lost its constitutional checks and balances not in theory but in practice. It is truth when perception is supported by the facts. It remains the tragedy and huge regret in Malaysian history because those crucial years could have been the golden opportunity to transform the nation according to the Merdeka ideals if there had been 'clean, efficient and trustworthy' governance because Mahathir as many Malaysians believe, had the ability to lead but instead his legacy is a nation of lost rainforests, lost freedoms and lost opportunities. It does seem incredible that anyone can justify the NEP when those it was supposed to help still suffer in poverty and those entrusted to help them have prospered beyond imagination. Whether it is the system or those who implement it, the government is still responsible and accountable. There can be no excuse when there is brazen corruption and natives lose their traditional lands when the British gave us back ours. The trouble with political apostates is their ruthlessness and hypocrisy. They care not for the plight of the poor, only themselves. They must think Malaysians are daft like the policeman who made a police report because his colleagues cheated him out of his share of the loot. READ MORE HERE

The art of wayang kulit Posted: 31 Aug 2011 08:13 PM PDT Berikutan isu orang Melayu terus terpinggir di Pulau Pinang, Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia mencadangkan Perbadanan Pembangunan Pulau Pinang (PDC) diletakkan di bawah kuasa Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Wayang kulit is a popular Malay shadow play, especially in the East Coast of West Malaysia. The Malays are very good at this. Well, actually, the Malaysian Chinese too are very good at this. I suppose, as they say, the dog understands its master, especially when it licks its master's ass every day. So, with so much ass-licking going on, the Chinese running dogs of the Malay lembus ape their masters very well indeed. Hmm…dog, ape, lembu, ass -- quite an animal kingdom we have out there. Anyway, the wayang kuilit that the Chinese dogs and the Malay lembus are playing is with regards to the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat state government of Penang. MCA, the Chinese running dog, is alleging that since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008, the Chinese have been sidelined. The Umno lembu, in turn, alleges that since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008, the Malays have been sidelined. Hmm…come to think of it, this is the same allegation by the Indians. Hindraf alleges that since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008, the Indians have been sidelined. Hold on, if ALL the Malays, Chinese and Indians have been sidelined since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008, then who the fuck is benefiting? Okay, now I see it. Since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008, the Malays, Chinese and Indians have ALL been sidelined. The ones benefiting are the Mamaks. Okay, guys and gals, time to boycott the Mamak shops and nasi kandar. They are already getting too rich since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008. They don't need your money. The Penang state government is already making them super-rich. This is a demonstration of what I mean by wayang kulit. The Chinese politicians will tell the Chinese that they are being sidelined since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008. The Malay politicians will tell the Malays that they are being sidelined since the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government took over Penang in March 2008. And the Indians, not wanting to be left out, will jump onto the bandwagon -- or, as the Malays would say, tumpang semangkuk (May I Come or MIC) -- and also allege that the Indians are being sidelined. I suppose wayang kulit can work and people can be easily fooled by it when 90% of Malaysians and 50% of Malaysia Today's readers are stupid. Or are 50% of Malaysia Today's readers stupid enough to believe this? Well, let's see come the next election. Anyway, the statistics below can shed some light as to whether the Malays in Penang are really being sidelined. Even Umno Malays are getting contracts in Penang. *************************************** Isu Melayu Terpinggir  (Pemuda Umno Malaysia) -- Berikutan isu orang Melayu terus terpinggir di Pulau Pinang, Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia mencadangkan Perbadanan Pembangunan Pulau Pinang (PDC) diletakkan di bawah kuasa Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah. Pengerusi Biro Ekonominya, Reezal Marican Naina Marican berkata, langkah itu akan dapat memastikan misi nasional iaitu usaha merapatkan jurang antara orang Melayu dan bukan Melayu khususnya di bandar tercapai. Jelas beliau lagi cadangan tersebut juga bagi memastikan tumpuan dapat diberikan bagi membela nasib orang Melayu di negeri itu. "Ketua Menteri, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon mempunyai banyak tanggungjawab besar terhadap pembangunan Pulau Pinang seperti agenda perindustrian dan pelaburan dan tidak dapat memberi tumpuan sepenuhnya kepada isu mikro. "Oleh itu, adalah wajar jika tugas itu diserahkan kepada Timbalan Ketua Menteri yang juga wakil UMNO di Kerajaan Negeri," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini, hari ini. Beliau menambah tindakan itu juga selaras dengan konsep perkongsian kuasa yang diamalkan Barisan Nasional (BN). “Keresahan orang Melayu yang melihat diri mereka terpinggir di Pulau Pinang dan dibangkitkan Pemuda UMNO negeri baru-baru ini sebenarnya tertumpu kepada masalah penempatan di bandar selain isu kemiskinan. "Keresahan orang Melayu sememangnya berasas dan diakui sendiri Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan Koh Tsu Koon," ujarnya. Justeru, beliau berkata, PDC sebagai anak syarikat Perbadanan Kemajuan Ekonomi Negeri yang bertanggungjawab dalam pembangunan hartanah di negeri itu, adalah jentera yang sesuai untuk menangani keresahan itu. Sebelum ini hampir semua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO bahagian di Pulau Pinang membangkitkan cadangan penggiliran itu pada mesyuarat mereka yang sedang berlangsung ketika ini, sebagai tidak puas hati berhubung kegagalan kerajaan negeri membantu menjaga kepentingan orang Melayu.  *************************************** MCA Mengutuk Kerajaan Negeri Tiada Kontrak untuk Kontraktor Cina bagi Projek Pengairan & Saliran Di Pulau Pinang (Bernama) -- Ketua Wanita MCA Tan Cheng Liang mengutuk bahawa selepas Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih kerajaan negeri,tiada satu pun kontraktor Cina mendapat kontrak di kelima-lima daerah di negeri ini.                                                        Tan berkata, Lim Guan Eng tidak boleh menafikan peranannya sebagai Ketua Menteri. Tindakannya ini telah membuktikan parti DAP telah menggunakan taktik" cina bertentang cina (Chinese against Chinese)" sekali gus mengugatkan hak kaum Cina selepas menjadi mereka dipilih memerintah kerajaan.  "Saya tahu DAP tidak boleh menerima hakikat bahawa mereka tidak boleh bergantung kepada orang Cina untuk mengukuhkan kuasa politik. Saya berharap hak orang bukan Melayu tidak akan terkorban semata- mata untuk mengambil hati orang Melayu menjelang pilihanraya umum." Tan juga berkata, DAP yang menggunakan slogan "Ubah" telah berjaya menewaskan kebanyakan wakil SUPP di Sarawak, tetapi ini tidak membawa sebarang perubahan tetapi  sebaliknya telah melemahkan perwakilan Cina dalam kerajaan. Semalam, Lim Guan Eng mengumumkan bahawa kontraktor yang terlibat dalam projek pengairan dan saliran semuanya orang Melayu, Bumiputera dan India Muslim. Daripada keseluruhan, 20 peratus terdiri daripada kontraktor wanita.  Tan bertanya "Saya tidak faham kenapa negeri Pulau Pinang yang kebanyakan penduduknya kaum Cina, kontraktor Cina satu kontrak pun tidak dapat, jangan kata semua kontraktor Cina tidak tahu maklumat tender terbuka untuk projek pengairan dan saliran yang sedang dijalankan? Ataupun permohonan mereka tidak pernah dipedulikan? " Dia berkata, Lim Guan Eng selaku Ketua Menteri dan ADUN, haruslah memberi maklumat terperinci mengenai projek tersebut kepada semua rakyat. Ini bukan sahaja sahaja untuk memastikan persaingan adil antara kontraktor pelbagai kaum, tetapi juga untuk memastikan projek dapat dijalankan dengan lancarnya supaya kualiti projek terjamin dan membawa manfaat kepada semua.

Of Patriots and Pretenders: The Unofficial History of our Struggle for Independence Posted: 31 Aug 2011 05:58 PM PDT DIN MERICAN (Dr Kua Kia Soong) -- More than 50 years after Independence, Malaysians are still frequently reminded by UMNO leaders of the so-called 'Social Contract' that was supposed to have been agreed upon by "the three races" whenever the non-bumiputeras demand civil liberties and the end to discrimination. My new book 'Patriots & Pretenders' aims to put the historical facts in perspective so that the new generation of Malaysians understands the class forces that were arraigned during the anti-colonial struggle and gets to know who the real anti-colonial fighters were. The publication of this book coincides with the recent announcement by the Education Ministry that history is to be a compulsory subject in the SPM. It led to vocal protest from several sectors who find the 'official' history in Malaysia rather suspect. Ever since the 'May 13 Incident' and the promulgation of the National Cultural Policy, Malaysian history has been written from the point of view of the ruling party Umno in line with its Malay-centric populist ideology. It is an official history that is used to bolster one ethnic group at the expense of the other communities in an attempt to divide and rule. Consequently, whole categories of people have been denied their rightful place in Malaysian history. 'Patriots & Pretenders' tries to set the record straight by providing a class analysis of the anti-colonial struggle and acknowledging the contributions of the patriotic forces in all the ethnic communities to Independence and nation building. This 'Peoples' History' which is based on academic research by respected scholars, has been hidden from official Malaysian history and by studying it we can uncover the roots of racial polarisation in Malaysia and lay the basis for a non-racial solution to our nation's challenges. The Neo-Colonial Solution From the Colonial Office and Foreign Office documents of the period uncovered from the Public Records Office in London, it has been possible to provide evidence of the thinking and calculation of Western interests with regard to Southeast Asia, but especially the importance laid on securing Malaya for economic, political and military-strategic interests. They show the priority accorded to defeating the anti-colonial forces spearheaded by the workers. The post-war period was also one of re-dividing the world by the Western powers, which under the hegemony of the US, began to move toward an integration rather than division of interests. These records reveal the articulation of the whole Western, rather than solely British, interest in Malaya. The atmosphere of repression during the 'Emergency' provided the British colonial power with an opportunity to deflect the forces of revolt and effect the neo-colonial accommodation. The entire colonial strategy – especially the aftermath of the Malayan Union crisis – had convinced the British that the custodians of an Independent Malaya would be the traditional Malay elite. This was in keeping with the communalist strategy of British rule throughout their colonisation of Malaya. At the same time, the neo-colonial arrangement had to accommodate the upper strata of the non-Malay capitalist class who were a necessary link in the foreign domination of the Malayan economy. The repression during the 'Emergency' enabled the colonial government to exploit sectional interests and thereby isolate the working class and the peasantry. Thus, the 'Alliance Formula' with all its contradictions was devised in Independent Malaya. The reform measures conceded by the colonial power and grudgingly agreed to by the Malay rulers were in many ways necessitated by the ferocity of the revolt. Another myth that is purveyed during 'Merdeka Day' every year is that it was UMNO who won Independence for the country. The evidence presented in 'Patriots & Pretenders' will show who the main opponents of the British colonial power were and who put up a protracted struggle to end the exploitation of the country's natural and human resources while forging a truly multi-ethnic peoples' united front. The Independence struggle and the Merdeka Agreement have to be understood in class terms – the ruling class in the making represented by UMNO, MCA and MIC on the one side, and the truly anti-colonial forces in the PMCJA-Putera coalition representing the workers, peasantry and disenchanted middle class on the other. The Struggle for Independence The UMNO leadership after the Second World War represented the interests of the Malay aristocracy. They were by no means anti-colonial and did not challenge British interests. Malaya was still very much dependent on export commodities, largely rubber and tin. The industrial base was narrow and based on these two commodities, while the problem of the peasantry since colonial times was still unresolved. The mass-based anti-colonial movement, on the other hand, had very clear policies based on self-determination, civil liberties and equality. The workers' movement was the main threat to colonial interests and the Federation of Malaya proposals culminating in the Merdeka Agreement were intended to deflect the working class revolt by introducing communalism in the Independence package. READ MORE HERE

Ong Tee Keat dares MCA to admit it Posted: 31 Aug 2011 05:50 PM PDT UPPERCAISE "…of course we are marginalised, big business to small stall owners know that — but MCA cannot admit it … silence is sometimes our only valid response" Ong Tee Keat, then MCA vice-president, quoted in 2006 US diplomatic cable A week after his remarks on marginalisation of Malaysia Chinese were revealed in a US diplomatic cable, former MCA president Ong Tee Keat has challenged the current party leadership to state their views on whether the Malaysian Chinese community feel left out, as he had said in 2006. In a statement last night, Ong stood by the remarks attributed to him in a leaked US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks. He explained the context in which his remarks were made: private comments in "casual conversation with academics and friends" during which he was asked about Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew's comments that the Chinese communities in Malaysia and Indonesia were marginalised. He said his remarks merely put forward the prevailing views held in the Chinese community at the time. And Ong said that it was up to MCA to decide if they share the sentiment of the Chinese community — a statement likely to be viewed as a clear challenge for the MCA to speak up and admit it. READ MORE HERE

You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net